Public hearing for 41-unit apartment complex set for December 14

The proposed apartment complex between Washington Avenue and Dakota Creek would have two buildings and 41 units. Design rendering courtesy of the city of Blaine

By Oliver Lazenby

Interested citizens have until Thursday, December 14 to comment on a proposed 41-unit, four-story apartment complex proposed at Dakota Creek, south of the Pacific Building Center, in Blaine.

The development would see the construction of two buildings on the 2.2-acre site with 25 two-bedroom units and 16 one-bedroom units.

The developer, Dakota Creek LLC, is seeking various zoning variances from the city. The developer’s representative, Latta Engineering, has requested a 5-foot increase in the height limit to 40-feet and a 15-foot reduction in the 20-foot parking setback from Washington Avenue at the north side of the property.

The zoning in the area allows what the developers are asking for, but only on property lot sizes of five or more acres, thus requiring a conditional use permit (CUP). The city’s conditional use rules require the project to conform to Highway Commercial zoning requirements that limits building height to 35 feet, rather than Planned Commercial Zoning rules) and allows the city council to determine what the setbacks should be.

At a November 9 Blaine planning commission meeting, Neil Latta of Latta Engineering said that unless the building height was increased to 40 feet, the project “would likely be unfeasible to develop.”

The project also requires a shoreline development permit approval, which requires the buildings to be 90 feet back from the ordinary high water mark on Dakota Creek, just south of the property

“This is a little bit of a unique set up,” said Alex Wenger, Blaine community planner, at the meeting. “This has been a complex review process to get to the point where we

are today.”

At its November 9 meeting, the planning commission decided to extend the public comment period until its next meeting on December 14.

Due to a discrepancy in city code, the planning commission needs to determine whether the development can have 39 or 41 units and the number of required parking spaces. The developer proposed 71 parking stalls, or 1.8 per unit.

Public comment received so far has raised concern about increased traffic, the potential for stormwater to run into the creek, and a lack of places for children to play in the area, Wenger said at the meeting.

If the city council approves the variances, the owner will have up to a year to begin construction, with the possibility of a six-month extension.

To submit comments, email Alex Wenger, the staff contact for the project, at Awenger@cityofblaine.com. The planning commission will hold a public hearing on the project at its Thursday, December 14 meeting.