11-26-2018 Council Work Session Packet

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Adams Remarks at Orono City Council Meeting October 10, 2016 My name is Tim Adams. In 1969 Mary & I came to Orono, to a 70 -acre Dairy Farm on the NW corner of Long Lake, property adjacent to the proposed Larsen/Mabusth development. Schools, were important (and I hope everyone will support the coming Referendum!). But of equal importance was Orono's "Rural" environment — open fields, rolling hills, native woodlands, and a natural habitat for birds & critters. And of course, Long Lake and its watershed of ponds, streams, and wetlands. All distinctive features of this Neighborhood, which includes the Larsen/Mabusth properties. In 1974, 1 became the "Developer" of the Farm at Long Lake in Partnership with John Hartwell. John had grown up on The Farm and shared my desire to preserve the areas natural beauty and live within Orono's "Rural" Zoning and Development Guidelines. We did not ask the city to change the rules to accommodate our development. Forty-two years later, we consider the Farm a successful "Rural" development — 24 Lots on 70 acres. Perhaps not the most profitable development at a density of 3 acres/lot, but a development that "followed the rules": • No changes to Orono's Comp Plan, Zoning, and City ordinances. • Protected Long Lake and its watershed of ponds, streams and wetlands. • Preserved Rural open spaces, woodlands, and views. • Met standards for private septic systems in Rural areas. • Reduced costs to the City with private roads built to city specifications From 1979 thru 1986 1 was privileged to serve on the Orono Planning Commission and City Council. I sat in your chairs and participated in the shaping of Orono's Rural development policies. For which I understand the proper term is "semi -rural" From our recent analysis of public records (a copy of which you have been given) I can identify 52 lots adding up to approximately 180 acres developed in the Neighborhood surrounding the Larsen/Mabusth properties. These include lots in Homestead (6), Salem Court (7), Dickey Lake (15), Shadowood (17) and other properties along Brown Road North (7). The average density of these lots is approximately 3.5 acres/lot. We have not included Sugar Woods, (density of 1.3 acres/lot) in this analysis of Neighboring Rural development for the following reasons: • There were no Lakeshore or watershed issues in Sugar Woods. • Sugar Woods is heavily wooded, due partly to the developer's planting the open fields with pines to strengthen his argument for rezoning to from 2 acre minimum to 1 acre minimum and exception from the requirements for private septic systems. Page 1