03/16/2015 Planning Commission Minutes

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,March 16,2015 6:30 o'clock p.m. Gaffron noted the Council will need to find that this proposal meets at least one of those criteria in order to develop the property as an RPUD. This application is before the Planning Commission tonight for a recommendation regarding the rezoning to RPUD. Once the Planning Commission makes a recommendation,the application will be forwarded to the City Council for final action. If the conceptual rezoning is approved by the City Council, the applicants' next step would be to apply for preliminary plat and Master Development Plan approval. This step would involve preparation and submittal by the applicants of more detailed development plans, a formal preliminary plat drawing, and engineering plans for site grading, stormwater management, etc. The actual rezoning to RPUD would take place concurrently upon final plat and Master Development Plan approval. Gaffron stated as it relates to site planning considerations, the existing site is undeveloped. A wetland delineation study was prepared for the property and is reflected on the survey. The wetland as delineated extends along approximately half of the site's Kelly Avenue frontage. The existing flowage and conservation easement extends from the northern boundary of the site to within 60 feet of the southern boundary and extends an average of approximately 130 feet northeastward from Kelly Avenue. The site contains a very substantial mature tree canopy, including a large variety of deciduous trees and substantial undergrowth. The upland areas of the site are categorized in the Orono Natural Resources Inventory as Maple-Basswood forest. Wooded areas contained within the flowage and conservation easement are protected by covenants that prohibit cutting or removal of vegetation except by the written consent of the City of Orono. The above characteristics and circumstances directly impact the potential development of the site and support the concept of a RPUD development scheme which allows flexibility in site layout in order to preserve important natural features. The underlying zoning of LR-1B would allow the division of up to four single-family lots with direct frontage onto Kelly Avenue if the flowage and conservation easement was not in effect. Such a development under existing zoning requirements would very likely fail to preserve the natural state of the southwest portion of the property along Kelly Avenue and require each site to have long individual driveways running up the hillside to access homes on one acre lots. This would not only result in much greater destruction of the mature tree stand canopy coverage and reduce the screening of individual dwellings as viewed from Kelly but would also result in a much higher net hardcover percentage of the property. Gaffron stated such a development scheme would require extinguishment of most, if not all, of the flowage and conservation easement set up originally by the land owner and City to protect this area of the property from future development. This is a compelling reason, in Staff's opinion, which supports the more compact, clustered development approach for the proposed development plan. The Planning Commission is requested to consider whether the proposed development of four twinhomes is appropriate for this site and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding a future rezoning to RPUD. Since a rezoning action is highly discretionary, the zoning code does not specify criteria by which a rezoning should be considered. The code merely suggests that rezoning is appropriate if the Council finds it to be in the best interest for the physical development of the City. Page 3 of 30