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CMP Part 4E. Park Open Space and Trail Plan <br />Orono's urban and rural neighborhoods require different amounts of <br />public open space and recreational facilities. The urban areas of Orono have <br />sufficient land use and population density to allow placement of parks and <br />playgrounds within walking distance of a reasonable number of users. The rural <br />areas of Orono have the population dispersed enough that typical urban parks or <br />playgrounds would not be accessible to very many citizens on a regular basis. In <br />addition, the cost of acquiring and maintaining local playgrounds must be <br />justified by the number of benefited property owners within use -distance of the <br />facility. <br />Many Orono residences have direct access to open space recreation. As <br />compared to other urbanized areas which include high-density multiple family <br />housing, the majority of Orono's urban neighborhoods have developed at low <br />densities and therefore have reasonable and usable open space around every <br />residence. This has occurred in part because of environmental limitations on <br />excessive hardcover. In addition, nearly one-third of Orono's urban residences <br />are built on lakeshore property with immediate accessibility for boating, <br />swimming and fishing throughout all of Lake Minnetonka. <br />Orono's rural residences have significant amounts of open space on each <br />property and are frequently blessed with woods or wetlands serving as wildlife <br />habitats and passive open space. Many rural homes have quick access to either, <br />Lake Minnetonka, Long Lake, the Luce Line Trail or the trail system leading to <br />Wolsfeld Woods SNA, Wood Rill SNA, or Moms T. Baker Regional Park <br />Reserve. <br />A principal goal of Orono's planning program is the protection of natural <br />resources and environmental amenities, particularly the water quality of <br />Lake Minnetonka. The Environmental Protection Plan emphasizes Orono's <br />unique environmental position in relation to the long-term health of Lake <br />Minnetonka. This is vital to Orono's recreation plans because Lake Minnetonka <br />is the single most used, most significant recreational facility available to Orono <br />residents, and to many other citizens of the metropolitan area. If Lake <br />Minnetonka's water quality diminishes, recreational use of the Lake for fishing, <br />boating and swimming will be lost. <br />Lake Minnetonka is an unparalleled regional recreational facility. Lake <br />Minnetonka, as shown on Map 4E-1, is actually a series of lakes or "bays" <br />interconnected by narrows or channels. Some bays are up to 90 feet deep while <br />other areas are extremely shallow. The bays vary in size, shape, degree of <br />shoreline development, proximity to major roadways, wildlife habitat and other <br />characteristics, providing a rich variety of both active and passive recreational <br />opportunities. <br />City of Orono Community Management Plan 2008-2030 Page 4E-6 <br />