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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Tuesday, February 19, 2019 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 1 of 3 <br /> <br /> <br />7. LA19-000002 SCOTT GATES, 4400 DEERING ISLAND, MUSA SERVICE FROM <br />MOUND TO DEERING ISLAND, CONCEPT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT, 8:02 <br />P.M. – 8:30 P.M. <br /> <br />Scott Gates, Applicant, was present. <br /> <br />Barnhart stated this is a request to modify the Comprehensive Plan once it is approved by the <br />Metropolitan Council. The modification is to expand the MUSA boundary by including Deering Island, <br />which is a 2.79 acre island within Lake Minnetonka and is located on the west side of the city limits of <br />Orono. The property owner also owns a lot in Mound most proximate to Deering Island. <br /> <br />The property owner would like to extend sanitary sewer services underneath the channel from Mound to <br />Deering Island. The Comprehensive Plan does not include Deering Island as part of MUSA. The City of <br />Mound has provided a preliminary response related to the request and is included within staff report. <br />Mound would serve the island and bill the property owner directly. <br /> <br />Orono’s Comprehensive Plan does contemplate expansion of MUSA and contains some priority <br />properties for that expansion. The City has a lot of discretion on changes to the Comprehensive Plan. <br />The first guideline is to look to serve properties that are adjacent to the lake. The 2040 Comprehensive <br />Plan includes six priorities as guides for considering modification to the MUSA. <br /> <br />The first priority is the property must abut the shoreline of Lake Minnetonka, which this property does. <br />The existing home must have a failing or non-conforming septic system and replacement drain field sites <br />are not available. In the City’s sewered areas, the City has to maintain a general density of 3.0 units or <br />more. Orono’s density ratio is currently above three units, and if the Comprehensive Plan is amended, it <br />would drop it slightly to 4.11 percent. <br /> <br />Additional information as to the status of the system and alternative sites is necessary prior to formal <br />application. Based on the information provided, it does appear that the island fits Priority 1 and condition <br />two can be satisfied. Condition 3 cannot be fully met. <br /> <br />At this time the applicant is looking for feedback on the proposed modification to the Comprehensive <br />Plan. <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if electric or other utilities already run out to this property. <br /> <br />Barnhart indicated they do. <br /> <br />Libby asked if natural gas is provided to the property. <br /> <br />Barnhart indicated he does not know the answer to that. <br /> <br />Scott Gates, Applicant, stated they did not plan to do this up front, but in working on the construction of <br />the Mound property, the discussion came up with Mound staff about running sewer out there. Some <br />research has been done on it, including looking at the costs. Running a sewer line to the property would <br />be more expensive short-term but long-term it has some positive benefits. Gates indicated he has spoken <br />with Orono staff and everyone agrees it is a net environmental benefit.