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To: Chair Leskinen and Planning Commission Members <br />Jessica Loftus, City Administrator <br />From: Jeremy Barnhart, Community Development Director <br />Date: March 21, 2016 <br />Subject: #16-3816, City of Orono, <br />Text Amendment: Emergency access docks <br />Public Hearing <br />Application Summary: The proposed ordinance would define a county dock and allow for the <br />issuance of the same. <br />Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends approval of the ordinance <br />amendment as drafted. <br />List of Exhibits <br />Exhibit A. Draft Ordinance <br />Background <br />Hennepin County has approached the city with a proposal to install a dock attached to <br />land within their right of way for the purpose of transporting citizens from Lake <br />Minnetonka to waiting land based first responders and law enforcement. This dock <br />would serve patrons of the east side of the lake, including the Big Island area. The <br />Council was supportive of the proposal upon review during the Council work -session on <br />January 25th <br />An ordinance amendment must be narrowly written to ensure that the same standards <br />could not be applied to other uses, ie unintended consequences. <br />The proposed draft allows, as a permitted use, a county dock in the LR -IA zoning <br />district. A county dock is also newly defined as a dock owned and operated by Hennepin <br />County for the sole purpose of facilitating lake to ground transportation of patrons in <br />emergency or law enforcement situations. This definition narrowly defines what a <br />county dock is, including it must be owned and operated by Hennepin County, only for <br />transportation, and no boat storage is permitted. <br />Staff recommends adoption of the ordinance as drafted. <br />