Laserfiche WebLink
CMP Part 2. Community Management Plan Foundation <br />Open space is to be cherished and protected. In urbanized areas, recreational needs go hand-in-hand <br />with the necessities of light, air, and solar access. Views of the lakeshore are invaluable property rights <br />and personal experiences. In rural areas, the open fields and pastures are witness to the rural lifestyles <br />active in Orono, and each property owner has the ability to provide for his own varied recreational needs. <br />Institutional and commercial needs have been met by the existing centers with no need for future <br />expansion. The geographic relationships between the many lake area communities expand the services <br />available to Orono residents beyond the City's borders. The many industrial, retail -commercial and health <br />care facilities readily accessible locally and regionally are adequate to serve the needs of Orono residents. <br />School populations are increasing slowly, and new technologies and program demands require some <br />expansion of existing facilities but no new centers. Orono's population growth has been historically slow, <br />allowing for gradual service increases and fiscal security. Public facilities have been provided and will <br />continue to be improved at a level sufficient for protection of health and safety, but unobtrusively enough <br />to allow continued self- independence and maintenance of rural lifestyles. <br />The basic philosophies of the CMP are to the extent possible consistent with the policies and <br />guidelines contained in the Metropolitan Council's 112040 Regional Development Framework". <br />Future urban density in the urban area along the lake is to be in -fill development where existing urban <br />services are available. Rural land use in the low-density residential lakeshore areas and in the area away <br />from the lake, is to be free from expanded urban services except when necessary to protect the public <br />health or to eliminate negative impacts to surface and groundwaters. In all neighborhoods, provisions are <br />made for protection of environmental assets and for provision of open space and recreational amenities. <br />Housing opportunities in and near Orono are available in a wide range of alternatives consistent with the <br />availability of public services. Existing and planned sewer and transportation facilities are capable of <br />servicing the planned density of development, and land use patterns are consistent with and <br />complementary to those of neighboring cities. <br />Orono's managed growth policy means that the need to use and enjoy Lake Minnetonka will be balanced <br />with protection of its water quality and accessibility for future generations. This policy means that the <br />acceptance of growth and development changes will be balanced with conservation of our resources and <br />natural amenities, and maintenance of our small town social character. <br />Orono intends to remain two communities in one. The historically developed area around and near the <br />Lake Minnetonka shoreline has been called "Urban" because of historic developed density with lots <br />typically one acre in area or smaller and the availability of a limited level of urban services. The area away <br />from the Lake has been termed "Rural" because of the lack of density, the abundance of open space and <br />the citizens' commitment to maintain this type of development. The majority of Orono's 'Rural Area' has <br />been zoned to require a minimum of 2 acres of dry buildable land per residential lot, with an area in the <br />northwest corner of the City requiring at least 5 dry buildable acres. When wetlands and roads are factored <br />in, nearly 80% of the City's land will be developed at densities averaging from approximately 1 unit per <br />3 gross acres up to 1 unit per 7 gross acres, sufficient to meet the City's environmental protection goals. <br />The Metropolitan Urban Service Area ("MUSA") was established by Metropolitan Council to define the <br />extent of areas where urban services will be provided and urban scale development will occur. As part of <br />its Metro 2040 Regional Growth Strategy developed in 1996, Metropolitan Council for discussion <br />purposes suggested that all but the northwestern tip of Orono will be in the MUSA by 2020. However, the <br />City Council in the City's 2000-2020 CMP included a much smaller area within the MUSA (Map 4C-2) <br />to be consistent with the extent of City -planned municipal sewer extensions, and to be consistent with the <br />City of Orono Community Management Plan 2020-2040 Part 2, Page 12 <br />