10-22-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, October 8, 2018 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 15 of 18 Ryan noted Resolution 6655 talk about the rationale for higher density at this site and included the fact that this site was sandwiched between two high traffic roadways as well as its remote location away from other single-family development. Ryan indicated a minor modification has been made to the roadway. The proposed plan also exceeds the Metropolitan Council’s goal of three units per acre and that they believe this is a great spot to put this higher density building. As it relates to building height, the sketch plan does show four stories, but some of the mitigating factors relating to the height is the topography of the site. The property sits above eight to ten feet below Wayzata Boulevard and an eight to ten-foot berm around the building with plantings is being proposed. As a result, people traveling by the site will only see the top two floors from the roadway. The site is approximately 450 feet away from Wayzata Boulevard, so people will not see it as much as they would on some of the other taller buildings in town. The smaller footprint is also more environmentally friendly. Ryan noted they are only putting hardcover on 18 percent of the site, which is a really low number and is environmentally sensitive. Barnhart displayed a rendering of the site on the overhead. Ryan noted given its location, the building will be completely hidden by the existing trees and will also have a berm around it. Due to the extreme distance away from the road, people passing by will only be able to see the top two floors. Ryan stated this slide shows a sketch of Stonebay at the main entrance. At the mid-point of the roof, the height is 38.7 and the high point of the roof is at 48.2 to 48.3 feet. The height of the roof at Orono Woods is 41.5 feet and the mid-point is 35 feet. The clock tower is up another ten feet beyond that. Ryan indicated these slides provide the Council with an idea of what a 35 to 40-foot building looks like. Ryan stated they are proposing to do a modified flat roof or gable, which would put it in the 35 to 40-foot range. Ryan stated the benefits of this project to the City is that the City’s overall density increases, the building will have a low environmental footprint at 18 percent, existing infrastructure in the area will be used, and the former landfill site will be cleaned up. Printup asked if soil tests have been taken and what those show for stability of the soil. Ryan stated the soil borings did show some construction material, which will be cleaned up according to the MPCA. The MPCA has a formal procedure in place for when certain materials are found and how they are to be disposed of. Ryan stated a tremendous amount of soil borings have been taken showing where the material is. Curt Fretham stated they got mixed reviews on the height at the Planning Commission meeting and that they are open to dropping it to three stories if that is the direction of the City Council. Fretham stated they would be interested to know if the density they are proposing is acceptable to the City. Printup asked if there will be any trail easements along Old Highway 12.