05-08-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, April 17,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Jean Rehkamp Larson, Applicant, stated she is here tonight on behalf of Bill Tores. Larson indicated they have worked closely with the landscape architect to design a house that has a thoughtful scale and broken into pieces so the massing is not large, and is a much more sensitive plan than the previous proposal. Larson stated in their view it does address the neighbors' concerns and creates a view corridor from the Lebedoff s house. Thiesse asked if what would happen if they rotated the house to be more in line with the average setback. Larson stated in her opinion it would create more of an obstruction to the neighbor than it currently does. If the house is rotated, due to the low level of the site, the drainage that occurs on the northwest part of the site would be reduced and it would be harder to mitigate the water. Charles Fendlayer, Landscape Architect, noted the site is a very complex site and there have been a lot of issues with the complexity of how the house is situated on the property. Fendlayer stated this is basically an unbuildable lot. The highest point on the property is out towards the lakeside where there is the ridge at about the 100 -year floodplain, which is where the previous home used to sit. Soil boring testing closer to the wetland has found peat and other unstable soils in that area. One of the main requirements and challenges was to mitigate stormwater onsite. Fendlayer noted they have been working with a civil engineering firm to create a stormwater management plan, which was one of the requirements from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Approximately two-thirds of the site is located underneath the floodplain area and subject to flooding. The proposed design mitigates the same volume and then some over the requirements of the MCWD. The MCWD has reviewed the plan and have given a green light to proceed forward with the improvements. From a landscaping standpoint, the proposed house is set back from the previous proposal and further away from the western property to help maintain a natural outlet to Lake Minnetonka. The majority of the existing trees on the property will be maintained and additional trees will be planted on the property. The infiltration areas will essentially be one giant rain garden and a good portion of the site will be restored to become a natural meadow to help with mitigation. Fendlayer stated because a lot of the existing site is right at the water table level, there is not much infiltration currently but the prairie should help with that.