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26-01 Staff Report PC_FinalPH (952 ) 227-1100 • Chanhassen MN.gov 7700 MARKET BOULEVARD • PO BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN • MINNESOTA • 55317 Application: Site Plan Approval (Planning Case #2026-01) Staff Report Date: February 11, 2026 Drafted By: Rachel Jeske, Planner Eric Maass, Community Development Director Mackenze Grunig, Project Engineer Joe Seidl, Water Resources Engineer Jamie Marsh, Environmental Resource Specialist Planning Commission Review Date: February 17, 2026 City Council Review Date: February 23, 2026 SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The Applicant is requesting site plan approval for the construction of the new Chanhassen Community Center within the Avienda development. LOCATION: 1351 Bluff Creek Blvd PID: 25.1030010 APPLICANT: BKV Group PROPERTY OWNER: City of Chanhassen PRESENT ZONING: Planned Unit Development (PUD) 2040 LAND USE PLAN: Office/Commercial ACREAGE: 13 DENSITY: N/A PROPOSED MOTION: “The Chanhassen Planning Commission recommends approval of the requested site plan for the Chanhassen Community Center subject to the conditions listed in the staff report and adopts the attached Findings of Fact and Recommendation.” LEVEL OF CITY DISCRETION IN DECISION-MAKING: The city’s discretion in approving or denying a site plan is limited to whether or not the proposed project complies with zoning ordinance requirements. If it meets these standards, the city must then approve the site plan. This is a quasi-judicial decision. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT A public open house was held at the Chanhassen Recreation Center on January 7, 2026, for residents to ask questions about the project and provide feedback. Notice of the public hearing at the Planning Commission was mailed to all property owners within 500 feet. APPLICABLE REGULATIONS Chapter 20, Article II, Division 6, Site Plan Review Chapter 20, Article VIII, Section 20-509, Standards and Guidelines for Regional/Lifestyle Center Commercial Planned Unit Developments Chapter 20, Article XXIII, Division 7, Design Standards for Commercial, Industrial and Office- Institutional Developments Ordinance 696, “Avienda Planned Unit Development” SITE PLAN REVIEW Proposal The Applicant is requesting approval for the construction of a new community center for the City of Chanhassen. This community center, located within the Avienda Planned Unit Development, contains two ice rinks, a concessions area, community rooms, and a field house space. Additional amenities include rink conversion for concerts and graduations, an indoor walking track, a turf field, indoor sport courts, and an indoor playground. Compliance Table Ordinance Requirements Subject Site Lot Area 10,000 square feet 13 acres Lot Coverage 70% across the whole development 79.6% Building Height Principal 2 stories 2 stories Building Setbacks Front yard 5 feet 288.24 feet Parking City code section 20-1124 outlines the required number of on-site parking spaces for development within the city. The city code specifies 26 different kinds of development for a number of residential, office, commercial, or public services buildings. Section 20-1124(15) states that “public service buildings, including municipal administrative buildings, community centers, public libraries, museums, art galleries, and post offices: one parking space for every 500 square feet of floor area in the principal structure, plus one parking space for every four seats within public assembly or meeting rooms. City code section 20-1124(a)(7) states “The parking requirement for uses not listed in this division may be established by the city based on the characteristics of the use and available information on parking demand for such use.” While the Chanhassen Community Center is a community center, it also features two sheets of ice to support community hockey. As a result, the proposed development is a unique one, and staff researched similar facilities in the area to understand and quantify the parking demand as allowed by city code section 20-1124(a)(7). The facilities analyzed include the Braemer Arena and the Maple Grove Community Center. The Braemer Arena building encompasses approximately 200,000 square feet of space which includes four ice sheets, three of which are indoor, as well as two commercial t enants, turf fields, and an outdoor sports complex consisting of 4 baseball fields. A total of 780 parking spaces is available at Braemer Arena. The Maple Grove Community Center includes two indoor ice sheets and community center space and is partnered with a Life Time Fitness facility, which is supported by 644 parking spaces. (In January of 2026, an expansion of 72,000 square feet, including a third sheet of ice and associated parking, was added to the Maple Grove Community Center. For the purposes of this analysis, only the previously existing facility offerings and parking were used.) The Chanhassen Community Center, as proposed, totals 194,780 square feet of building area, and the site plan shows 501 parking spaces. While the proposed Chanhassen Community Center offers less parking than either comparable facility, both comparables are larger in scale and offer up to two additional sheets of ice, drastically increasing their occupancy potential. Notably, the Edina facility has 4 baseball/softball fields associated with their complex, and the Maple Grove facility has an indoor aquatics facility and is attached to a Lifetime athletic facility, generating considerable parking demand. As currently proposed, based on comparative data to similar facilities and an estimated parking demand of 175 spaces per sheet of ice plus parking for additional community center offerings, the 501 parking spaces will adequately support the proposed scope of the Chanhassen Community Center. While additional site plan Rear yard 5 feet 79.65 feet Side yard 0 feet 165.85 feet and 56.18 feet Parking Setback All Yards 10 feet >10 feet modifications are expected to continue as the project design is refined, it is not advised that the total number of parking spaces drops below 450. Community Center / Ice Facilities Chanhassen Edina Maple Grove Building Size (square feet) 194,780 200,000 233,899 Ice Sheets 2 4 2 Commercial Tenants/Partners 1 2 1 Turf Fields (indoor or domed) Yes Yes Yes Indoor Aquatics No No Yes Athletic Fields (outdoor) No Yes (4 baseball fields) No Parking Spaces 501 780 644 The proposed Chanhassen Community Center is designed to host large events, including high school graduations and concerts. The parking demand for these events would be beyond the typical day-to-day parking demand generated by the facility. To facilitate those events, additional off-site parking will likely need to be secured by those event organizers. The most likely facility is the southwest transit parking facility, which is located approximately 1.5 miles west. Site Furnishings This project offers a variety of site furnishings as the goal is to create an inviting space for the community to interact with. The proposed furnishings include benches, tables, and bike racks. There are eight benches proposed to line the front of the bui lding, in close proximity to the entrance. The plans show three tables with umbrellas within a small plaza space on the northeast side of the building. Fifteen bike racks are proposed near the southeast corner of the parking lot. Loading, Mechanical, and Refuse Areas Screening of service yards, refuse, and waste-removal areas, loading docks, truck parking areas, and other areas which tend to be unsightly shall be accomplished by use of walls, fencing, dense planting, or any combination of these elements. Screening shal l block views from public right-of-way (pedestrian views) and shall be equally effective in winter and summer. The loading area utilizes a wing wall to screen it from public view. All utility boxes are located on the southwest corner of the site – majorly out of public view. Conifers are proposed to screen one utility box and overstory trees are proposed to screen all others. Additional vegetative or architectural screening can be required by the City Council if desired. Lighting Lighting and photometric plans must be provided so that staff can verify that the plans comply with the city code requirements. All light fixtures must have a cutoff angle equal to or less than 90 degrees and must not exceed 30 feet in height. A photometric plan must show that the light levels at the property lines do not exceed one-half-foot candle. Signage The architectural plan set provided depicts the wall signage for the community center building. Signage for the property shall comply with the signage regulations in the Avienda Planned Unit Development Ordinance and all other applicable regulations to the site. Sign permits will be required to be applied for and reviewed at the time of building permit review. LANDSCAPING & TREE PRESERVATION The applicant for the Chanhassen Community Center has submitted a reforestation plan and tree canopy coverage calculations for the newly planted trees. Tree canopy preservation requirements do not apply for this site as there are currently no trees on site to preserve. The submitted plans show that the proposed tree canopy exceeds the minimum requirements in city code. The applicant must bring the canopy coverage on site up to 65,382 square feet which equates to the 100% minimum. One tree is valued at 1,089 SF. Total upland area (excl wetlands, bluff): 653,818 sf Minimum canopy coverage required: 65,382 sf or 10% Divided by 1089 sf = Total number of trees required: 60 Proposed reforestation 341,946 sf or 52% Divided by 1089 sf = Total number of trees proposed: 314 The applicant has submitted a landscape plan showing a total of 314 trees to be planted in the site plan, which exceeds canopy coverage requirements. The applicant shall adjust quantities to meet diversity requirements. No more than 30% of the trees can be from one family, no more than 20% from the same genus, and no more than 10% of the same species. Vehicular Use Area Requirements The applicant continues to work with staff to finalize the landscaping plan for the vehicular use area. The final landscaping plan must be approved by city staff prior to the issuance of building permits. Buffer Yard Requirements Required plantings/landscape area Buffer yard B – North Prop. Line - 792’ 16 Overstory trees 31 Understory trees 47 Shrubs Buffer yard A – East Prop. Line - 964’ 7 Overstory Trees 52 Understory trees 22 Shrubs Buffer yard A – South Prop line – 1149’* No landscaping buffer required as existing natural features provide adequate physical separation between developments. Buffer yard B – West Prop. Line - 714’ 6 Overstory trees 13 Understory trees 19 Shrubs BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW Required architectural standards Based on the proposed development site being zoned as a Planned Unit Development, the proposal must comply with the architectural standards established by the Avienda PUD. This PUD refers to the city code Design Standards for Commercial, Industrial and Off ice-Institutional Developments as well as the Avienda Design Guidelines. Architectural Style The City Code states that architectural style shall not be restricted and that the evaluation of the appearance of a project shall be based on the quality of its design and in relationship to its surroundings, guided by the provisions of City Code. Site characteristics to be evaluated for this purpose include building and landscaping, colors, textures, shapes, massing of rhythms of building components and detail, height of roof line, setback, and orientation. Designs that are incompatible with their surroundings or intentionally bizarre or exotic are not acceptable. Monotony of design, both within the project and between adjacent projects and their surroundings, is prohibited. Variation in detail, form, and sitting shall provide visual interest. Site characteristics that may be used for this purpose include building and landscaping, colors, textures, shapes, massing of rhythms of building components and detail, height of roof line, setback, and orientation. All buildings shall have a minimum of 20 percent accent material. Accent material may include brick, stone cut face block, or shakes. The use of any EFIS shall not be on the first story of any building or one story in height. Massing and Placement The proposed community center building will occupy the southern portion of the subject parcel, on the side farthest from Bluff Creek Boulevard. The placement of the community center on the southern portion of the parcel allows the building to overlook the surrounding bluffs and wetlands. The building is two stories tall but, due to the grade of the site, the building entrance is on the upper level, and the lower level is a walk-out style to the rear of the site. The height of the front of the building varies between 18 feet at the main ent rance to 39 feet at the top of the pitched roof. On the rear of the building, the majority of the roofline is 48 feet tall with center section of the building dropping to 36 feet. The variation in height of the second story breaks up the massing of the building effectively and reacts to the changes in topography. The design for the community center features a 68 -foot marquee sign which will be visible from both Bluff Creek Boulevard and Powers Boulevard. The sign draws visual attention to the main entrance and the central mass of windows. This design also creates a harmonious design by drawing a visual connection to the City Hall clock tower. As of this site plan review the final design of the marquee remains under review and final design will be required to be compliant with city regulations. Elevations The elevations proposed shall be reviewed and approved by the City Council. This shall include all exterior materials and the percentage of materials including but not limited to Renderings North Elevation South Elevation Materials and Color The proposed community center contains a variety of materials including three finishes of architectural concrete composite panels, two varieties of ACM panels, and metal panels and flashings in a variety of different finishes. The color palette contains multicolored concrete, stone, faux brown wood, white, and black metal panels. Architectural Interest North Elevation – The elevation facing Bluff Creek Blvd will house the public entrance to the community center. Details have been put into the architectural design to create interest through a tall marquee and the floor-to-ceiling windows extending across both floors of the building which increases façade transparency. South Elevation – The elevation facing Highway 212 utilizes vertical divisions of material colors to create visual interest. The central balcony provides a contrasting horizontal articulation that complements the surrounding bluffs and wetlands that it overlooks. East Elevation – The elevation facing Powers Boulevard features angular windows and flashings that complement the angular marquee sign and panels surrounding the front and rear entrances. This elevation also features a sign with the city’s name and slogan. West Elevation – The western elevation utilizes color blocking to highlight the exterior doors and to provide visual interest. The angular elements along the front and rear entrances are also visible from this elevation. ENGINEERING & WATER RESOURCES REVIEW Overview The Applicant is requesting recommendation of site plan approval for the construction of the new Chanhassen Community Center within the Avienda development. Plans and Stormwater Reports developed by Bolton and Menk dated January 16, 2026, were reviewed by staff. It should be noted that the design is still underway, and that the submitted Plans are a snapshot in time. The architecture and engineering consultant team working on behalf of the city is at about 50% Construction Document level, heading for bidding later this spring. Some elements of the site plan are not fixed, and minor changes are expected. The city has previously platted the property and owns the lot and the outlot on which the Chanhassen Community Center project is located. Sanitary Sewer & Water Main The applicant proposes to collect sanitary flow from the proposed building and convey it via a public lift station and force main, discharging into an existing 8-inch sanitary sewer main located near Bluff Creek Boulevard. Additional sanitary sewer main will be constructed to the east to support future development within the Outlot of the Chanhassen Bluffs Plat. An 8-inch watermain is proposed to loop around the building and connect to two existing watermain stubs: one extending from Bluff Creek Boulevard and one extending from the private street serving the Villas at Avienda. The proposed watermain will be publicly owned and maintained. Grading & Drainage The project site is located within the Avienda Development. It is bounded by Bluff Creek Boulevard to the north, Powers Boulevard to the east, and HWY 212 and MnDOT property to the south. The site consists of multiple parcels owned by the city and currentl y contains no structures or impervious surfaces. Under existing conditions, runoff from the entire site drains to a wetland complex located south of the project (MnDOT Wetland M09) at two discharge points. Approximately the western two-thirds of the site drains to the southwest, while the eastern third drains to the southeast, with all runoff ultimately reaching the southern wetlands. Under proposed conditions, the site will be mass graded to accommodate a new parking lot, community center, and stormwater basins. Overall drainage patterns will remain similar to existing conditions. A larger portion of the site will drain to the southwest; however, all runoff will continue to discharge to the wetlands located south of the project. Stormwater runoff from the proposed parking lot and community center will be collected via storm sewer and routed to a regraded stormwater wet pond. Runoff from surrounding landscaped areas will sheet flow directly into the stormwater basins. The regraded wet pond will outlet to the southwestern wetland channel, which conveys flow to the southern wetlands. Impervious surface treatment for the development will be provided through a stormwater reuse system used for irrigation. The project site is included in the master stormwater plan prepared in 2025 for the Avienda Development. The Chanhassen Community Center project is required to conform to this plan and provide the necessary storm sewer and irrigation connections. According ly, the applicant and project engineer shall ensure that the proposed design meets all requirements of the Master Stormwater Plan and the applicable permit issued by the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District. Erosion Control The proposed development will exceed one (1) acre of disturbance and will, therefore, be subject to the General Permit Authorization to Discharge Stormwater Associated with Construction Activity Under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination/State Disp osal System (NPDES Construction Permit). All erosion control shall be installed and inspected by city staff prior to initiation of site grading activities. A stormwater pollution prevention plan SWPPP was not included in the submitted plan set and was therefore not reviewed. The SWPPP is a required submittal element for site plan approval along with the Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP) in accordance with Section 19-145 of City Ordinance. No earth disturbing activities may occur until an approved SWPPP is developed. This SWPPP shall be a standalone document consistent with the NPDES Construction Permit and shall contain all required elements of the permit. The SWPPP will need to be updated as the plans are finalized, when the contractor and their sub-contractors are identified, and as other conditions change. All erosion control shall be installed and inspected prior to initiation of site grading activities. Environmental Protection Districts • Wetland Protection – No wetlands on site. • Bluff Protection – No natural bluffs on site. • Shoreland Management – Not within a shoreland management district • Floodplain Overlay – Not within a floodplain overlay district. Wetlands There are no wetlands located within the project site. Wetlands within the Avienda Development, including the Chanhassen Community Center site, were filled during mass grading of the site. A wetland mitigation plan for the overall Avienda Development was approved by the City in 2017 as part of the Preliminary and Final Plat approvals. Wetlands are located immediately south of the development, within both MnDOT right -of-way and City of Chanhassen property. The wetland area owned by the city was preserved as a natural area and donated to the city as part of the original plat. The wetland area within MnDOT right-of-way is a mitigation site constructed in conjunction with the HWY 212 project. The Chanhassen Community Center project is subject to the setback and buffer requirements of City Code. The proposed plans meet or exceed all applicable wetland buffer and wetland building setback requirements. Stormwater Management Article VII, Chapter 19 of City Code describes the required storm water management development standards. Section 19-141 states that “these development standards shall be reflected in plans prepared by developers and/or project proposers in the design and layout of site plans, subdivisions and water management features.” These standards include abstraction of runoff and water quality treatment resulting in the removal of 90% total suspended solids (TSS) and 60% total phosphorous (TP). The proposed project is located within the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District (RPBCWD) and is therefore subject to the watershed’s rules and regulations. A RPBCWD permit will be required for site plan approval. An updated Stormwater Management Report is required to be submitted for review to confirm all applicable stormwater management requirements are being met. This includes rate control, volume abstraction and water quality requirements among others. The site is part of the Avienda development and is proposing to meet stormwater management goals and requirements as outlined in the Avienda Stormwater Master Plan. The site proposes to meet stormwater management requirements through the use of a wet pond, tree abstraction, and a water reuse system. The TP and TSS removal requirements are currently met based on the MIDS modeling provided. The MIDS modeling did include a sand filter and Jellyfish Filter which were not found on the plans. If water quality modeling is revised, it should be confirmed that the site continues to meet the TP and TSS removal requirements. Freeboard is currently met for the proposed building. The applicant shall provide final versions of all modeling (HydroCAD and MIDS) and Stormwater Management Report to address remaining comments and confirm rate, volume and water quality requirements are met as part of the final site plan approval. The stormwater management system will be owned and maintained by the City of Chanhassen. As such a maintenance plan for the stormwater system shall be developed and approved by city staff. SITE PLAN FINDINGS In evaluating a site plan and building plan, the city shall consider the development's compliance with the following: 1. Consistency with the elements and objectives of the city's development guides, including the Comprehensive Plan, official road mapping, and other plans that may be adopted; 2. Consistency with this division; 3. Preservation of the site in its natural state to the extent practicable by minimizing tree and soil removal and designing grade changes to be in keeping with the general appearance of the neighboring developed or developing areas; 4. Creation of a harmonious relationship of building and open space with natural site features and with existing and future buildings having a visual relationship to the development; 5. Creation of functional and harmonious design for structures and site features, with special attention to the following: a. An internal sense of order for the buildings and use on the site and provision of a desirable environment for occupants, visitors and general community; b. The amount and location of open space and landscaping; c. Materials, textures, colors and details of construction as an expression of the design concept and the compatibility of the same with adjacent and neighboring structures and uses; and d. Vehicular and pedestrian circulation, including walkways, interior drives and parking in terms of location and number of access points to the public streets, width of interior drives and access points, general interior circulation, separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic and arrangement and amount of parking. 6. Protection of adjacent and neighboring properties through reasonable provision for surface water drainage, sound and sight buffers, preservation of views, light and air and those aspects of design not adequately covered by other regulations which may have substantial effects on neighboring land uses. Finding: The proposed development is consistent with the city's design requirements, the Comprehensive Plan, the zoning ordinance, the Avienda Planned Unit Development ordinance, and the site plan review requirements. Staff are recommending approval of the request with conditions. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommend the approval of the site plan and the adoption of the findings of fact and recommendation subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. APPLICATION REVIEW COMMENTS PLANNING: 1. A photometric plan must be submitted and comply with the lighting requirements of the Avienda PUD ordinance. FORESTRY: 1. Applicant shall modify the planting list to include quantities that follow the city’s species diversity requirements, where no more than ten percent of the trees may be from any one tree species, no more than 20 percent of the trees may be from any one genus, and no more than 30 percent of trees from any one family. 2. Final vehicular use area landscaping plan must be approved by city staff prior to the issuance of building permits. ENGINEERING: 1. The applicant and their Engineer shall work with City staff in amending the plans, dated January 1st, 2026, prepared by Bolton Benk, to fully satisfy plan comments and concerns. Final construction plans will be subject to review and approval by staff. 2. All sanitary sewer and water mains will be publicly owned and maintained. 3. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that permits are received from all other applicable agencies with jurisdiction over the project (i.e. Army Corps of Engineers, DNR, MnDOT, Carver County, RPBC Watershed District, Board of Water and Soil Resour ces, MDH, MPCA, etc.). 4. The developer shall incorporate the latest City Detail Plates and Specifications into the Final plans. WATER RESOURCES: 1. The design Engineer shall work with City staff in amending the plans, dated January 16, 2026, prepared by Bolton & Menk, to fully satisfy plan comments and concerns. Final construction plans will be subject to review and approval by staff. 2. The applicant shall confirm use of the sand filter and Jellyfish filter as shown in the MIDS modeling but not on the plans. If the water quality models are revised, the applicant should confirm the site continues to meet TP and TSS removal requirements. 3. The applicant shall provide updated H&H and water quality modelling. 4. The applicant shall ensure that the project meets requirements of the Avienda Master Stormwater Plan and the applicable permit issued by the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District. 5. The applicant shall develop a maintenance plan for the onsite stormwater system. BUILDING: 1. A building permit must be obtained before beginning any construction. 2. Building plans must be prepared and signed by design professionals licensed in the State of Minnesota. 3. Building plans must provide sufficient information to verify that proposed building meets all requirements of the Minnesota State Building Code, additional comments or requirements may be required after plan review 4. The building is required to have automatic fire extinguishing systems. 5. Structure proximity to property lines (and other buildings) will have an impact on the code requirements for the proposed buildings, including but not limited to; allowable size, protected openings and fire-resistive construction. These requirements will be addressed when complete building and site plans are submitted. 6. Building plans must include a code analysis that contains the following information: Key Plan, Occupancy group, Type of construction, Allowable height and area, Fire sprinklers, Separated or non-separated, Fire resistive elements (Ext walls, Bearing walls - exterior or interior, Shaft, Incidental use), Occupant load, Exits required (Common path, Travel distance), Minimum plumbing fixture count 7. Retaining walls (if present) more than four feet high, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, must be designed by a professional engineer and a building permit must be obtained prior to construction. Retaining walls (if present) under four feet in height require a zoning permit. 8. A final grading plan and soils report must be submitted to the Inspections Division before building permits will be issued. FIRE: 1. Full plans for the indoor playground shall be provided at time of building permit application. Plans must include types of equipment, layout, and flame spread ratings.