Minnetonka planners recommend pool permit for Ford Road property in mapped floodplain

At its March meeting the Minnetonka Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend that the City Council approve a floodplain alteration permit and a conditional use permit to construct a 20-by-40-foot pool and apron at 2348 Ford Road.

Planner Susan Thomas told commissioners the property is roughly a 20,000-square-foot lot with a dwelling built about 1961 and a rear yard slope that places part of the parcel within the mapped 100-year floodplain. "The applicant is proposing to construct a 20 by 40 pool and associated apron in the backyard of the lot, and it would be located within that blue blob, the flood plain area," Thomas said, and described the proposalas requiring both a floodplain alteration (fill plus compensatory excavation) and a conditional use permit. She said the alteration represents less than 2% of the much larger floodplain area and "the alteration actually increases storage volume by 2 cubic yards of storage."

The property owner, who was on the phone, told the commission they had not experienced flooding since moving to the house in 2013. Commissioners asked about past flooding history and the site's topography; Commissioner Brink said a site visit helped him see small drainage routes and noted the proposed work appears to be near net zero for storage. No members of the public requested to speak.

Commissioner Minyon moved approval; Commissioner Banks seconded. Staff recorded a 6-0 vote in favor; the commission's action is a recommendation to the City Council. The council will receive the commission's recommendation and take the final action on the permits.