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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,March 16,2015 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Stickney stated the road will have a 150-foot cul-de-sac and that it will meet the City's standards. <br /> Lemke stated he would like to see a little more public access to the prairie area. Lemke noted the prairie <br /> is located on the end and that in his view this would be a great opportunity for the public to enjoy it. <br /> Stickney noted the Minnesota Land Trust has their regulations and it cannot be public land. <br /> Landgraver stated he would encourage the developer to explore ways on how to minimize the reduction in <br /> canopy. Landgraver stated the covenants can help direct the owners of the lots on how to preserve the <br /> area and that hopefully they will respect the heritage of what they are buying into and preserve it. <br /> Landgraver stated he is in agreement that the developer is trying to preserve a significant portion of the <br /> site as well as come up with a marketable product, but that he would recommend the developer look at <br /> ways to shrink the destruction of the canopy. <br /> Stickney stated they will definitely do that. <br /> Berg stated the concerns expressed about the Big Woods are right, which is her concern as well. Berg <br /> stated while people may want to get rid of the dead trees, it would be beneficial if some of them stayed. <br /> Stickney stated they will verify the routing of the road and see how they can minimize the removal of <br /> trees. <br /> McGrann asked if there is some way to route Lot 9's driveway in front of Lot 8. McGrann stated it <br /> appears there will be a fair amount of hardcover that could be eliminated if they went off the left side of <br /> the driveway. <br /> Stickney stated he will come back with a better idea of the driveway after the tree survey. <br /> Gaffron stated 15 years ago or so the City did not have any code to prevent the destruction of Big Woods <br /> or a Conservation Design ordinance. Gaffron stated as soon as you open up the Big Woods, the whole <br /> idea of a canopy with darkness below it is gone. Gaffron stated that unfortunately has been virtually <br /> destroyed by the Spring Hill Golf Club development. If you drive by that development, in the past there <br /> would have been vegetation all the way through, but now, as you go in further,there is no undergrowth. <br /> Gaffron stated he has a concern with pushing Lots 8 and 9 as far into the woods as they are proposing <br /> since it will be creating a discontinuity of the Big Woods area. Gaffron stated he would recommend <br /> pushing Lots 8 and 9 further south, which would still maintain some of the backdrop that can be seen <br /> from the intersection of Hunter and County Road 6. Gaffron stated the homes would still be hidden but <br /> would be further south. Gaffron stated in his view that would be one of the City's goals and that he <br /> suspects the Conservation Design report will support that. <br /> Stickney stated it is not the size of the lots that they are concerned about but the fact that they are going <br /> into the woods. <br /> Gaffron stated if the development is in the middle of this 35 or 40 acres,the further the homes are pushed <br /> into the woods,the more impact they will have. Gaffron stated he would rather not see houses in there, <br /> and that if the homes are moved further away from the woods, a person could still go from Ferndale <br /> Page 27 of 30 <br />