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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,May 21,2018 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> 7. LA18-000044 CITY OF ORONO, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT 2040 <br /> UPDATE,7:46 P.M.—8:30 P.M. <br /> Barnhart noted this item is intended to apprise the Planning Commission on the proposed changes to the <br /> City's Comprehensive Plan but that he is not asking the Planning Commission to approve the 2040 <br /> amendment at this time. <br /> Barnhart stated since April of 2017, a committee that was put together by the City Council has met <br /> monthly and reviewed specific chapters of the existing Comprehensive Plan and directed Staff to make <br /> certain changes. The committee operated under three primary goals: <br /> 1. Preserve Orono's rural character and natural resources. Keep rural areas rural and not add <br /> unnecessary traffic. <br /> 2. Meet the Metropolitan Council requirements that are established for all cities under their <br /> jurisdiction. <br /> 3. Improve the readability of the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> On April 26,the Committee authorized the publication of the plan for public comment, which officially <br /> commenced May 1. The public comment period includes the distribution of the plan to affected <br /> communities. Those agencies are allowed six months to provide comment. The plan was distributed to <br /> 26 affected jurisdictions, including the Conservation District, Hennepin County Transportation <br /> Department, and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The City has received one comment back <br /> already from the City of Plymouth, who had no recommended changes. <br /> An open house was held on May 10 and comments were invited but none were received. Barnhart noted <br /> the open house was not as well attended as Staff would like but that there will be another open house in <br /> the fall. <br /> Barnhart stated he is looking for authorization to submit the update to the Metropolitan Council for their <br /> preliminary review so their comments can be addressed. The final plan is due by December 31 of next <br /> year. <br /> Barnhart noted the key piece that most people are interested in is land use and that the committee and <br /> Staff tried to not make wholesale changes on the land use side. Currently the Metropolitan Council <br /> recognizes some areas of Orono as undeveloped, which is the light green color on the map, and Orono <br /> looks at those as rural areas and will not be changing those. <br /> Thiesse asked if the Metropolitan Council considers non-buildable lots as undeveloped. <br /> Barnhart indicated Staff does not go to that level of detail and that he is not sure whether the Metropolitan <br /> Council makes that distinction. Barnhart noted there is not a huge change in land use between the 2030 <br /> and 2040 plan and that most of the land use changes have occurred in the northern area of the City. Two <br /> of those changes are consistent with recent amendments that have already been approved. The third <br /> change is located at the corner of Willow and Wayzata Boulevard where some high-density residential <br /> was introduced next to Orono Woods and another high-density area was introduced south of Kelley <br /> Page 13 of 17 <br />