01-06-1992 Council Minutes Hearing Maxwell Bay Lake Access

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�! a PUBLIC HEARING HELD REGARDING DNR'S PROPOSED LAKE ACCESS ON MAXWELL BAY ORONO CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 6, 1992 ROLL The Orono Council met on the above date with the following members present: Mayor Barbara Peterson, Councilmembers Gabriel Jabbour, Edward Callahan and J. Diann Goetten. Mary Butler was absent. The following represented the City staff: City Administrator Ron Moorse, Building & Zoning Administrator Jeanne Mabusth, Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator Michael Gaffron, and City Recorder Teri Naab. Mayor Peterson called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. INTRODUCTION Mayor Peterson introduced Mr. David English, Public Affairs Coordinator for the DNR. She noted he will be reporting to the Commissioner of the DNR on the input from this public hearing, but noted that the public could not expect any answers from the DNR at that point. Mayor Peterson read a letter from Gordon Kimball of the DNR submitted to City Administrator Moorse (attached as Exhibit A). She noted the letter sets a public open house for Tuesday, January 21, 1992 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Orono Education Link regarding the proposed public access. The letter also noted that the DNR has sought input from all interested parties including surrounding neighbors and elected officials concerned with the access. Mayor Peterson introduced City Administrator Moorse and asked him to give a brief history of the proposal. Moorse explained that in 1983, the Governor's Task Force Study looked at the use of Lake Minnetonka and public access. The study revealed a need for additional parking around the lake for the general public. The DNR classified parking in two categories: reliable and unreliable. They determined 700 reliable parking spaces were needed around the lake. The lake was also divided into 5 zones, and the Maxwell Bay site is in Zone 1. Moorse reviewed a chart which shows a goal of 139 reliable spaces, with 60 current reliable and 109 unreliable parking spaces available. Criteria for a reliable parking space is it must be within 1,500 feet from the public access site and ,must be owned by the public. Moorse noted that there has not been much planning with regards to this issue since 1983 and this is the first proposal from the DNR with regards to adding parking spaces on Lake Minnetonka. He noted it originally came about when a property owner went to the DNR and asked if the DNR wished to purchase the property. Moorse reviewed the site which is located on County Road 51 and