11-19-2018 Planning Commission Packet

Home Browse Search

CMP Part 1. Introduction OVERVIEW The basic concerns and philosophies of Orono citizens have evolved through the City's history and its intimate ties with Lake Minnetonka. Map No. 1-1 locates Orono in relationship to Minneapolis and the western suburbs. More importantly, it clearly indicates the relative importance of Orono to the total watershed of Lake Minnetonka. No other city bordering the Lake has as much water area, as much shoreline, or as much watershed land area as Orono. Orono is committed to effective land use planning and permanent environmental protection in an effort to preserve the great resources of Lake Minnetonka for the benefit of all regional residents. The people of Orono,though of diverse interests,have been drawn together by a slow-paced lifestyle and quiet amenities. Their common tie is a commitment to maintain those attractions of which Lake Minnetonka is the most visible example. In the 1950's, increasing urbanization all around Lake Minnetonka threatened to environmentally "kill" the Lake by uncontrolled discharge of nutrients. Citizens became concerned. Their first reaction caused lake area municipalities to begin extending sewer systems to eliminate individual septic system discharges. This helped the situation at first,but by 1968 lake water quality was still diminishing. Citizens became alarmed. At this point the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency joined with the newly organized Lake Minnetonka Conservation District to commission a study of lake pollution. Entitled "A Program for Preserving the Quality of Lake Minnetonka",the "Harza Study"(as it will be referred to hereafter)found that this nutrient input, particularly phosphorus, was being generated from two principal sources: the seven municipal sewage treatment plants; and urban stormwater runoff coming from within the watershed. The first pollution source, nutrient rich effluent outflowing from the municipal sewage treatment plants, was systematically eliminated during the late 1970's and early 1980's by multi-million dollar construction of sewer interceptors designed to remove effluent from the watershed.But stormwater runoff is a different matter. Compared to point-source sewage pollution, the collection and treatment of non- point source stormwater runoff is relatively difficult, costly, and often impractical. Lake Minnetonka is fed by neither spring nor tributary. The sole replenishment comes from storm water runoff from the watershed, of which over one-third flows from or through Orono. Lake Minnetonka, second only to Lake Michigan in this region, has an extremely long 25-year flush-out period. This means that careful and continuous attention must be given to the quality of runoff into the Lake. The various studies conducted in the 1960's and 1970's recommended that lakeshore density be limited and that the natural system of wetlands and marshes be forever protected and preserved as the only practical,economic method of filtering nutrients from storm water runoff. Implementation of density limitations relies on breaking the "Urbanization Spiral", the development paradox that results from providing urban-level municipal services for new development. The paradox is that if municipal services are extended into rural zones, the cost of these services taxes the land to the point that higher density development is required. Particularly in the case of sewers, even if extended to City of Orono Community Management Plan 2020-2040 Part 1, Page 3