09-11-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orchard Hill of Orono - Project Narrative 06/27/2017 is twice that currently allowed by the city's comprehensive plan and zoning district standards. While we recognize the need to consider future regional growth in allocating regional sewer usage, we also recognize that good planning also requires both environmental and neighborhood sensitive land use decision making. We feel our proposal is a good balance between these often competing objectives and would meet the spirit and the law of the requirement. Zoning District Amendment In addition to the comprehensive plan amendments, the development also seeks to rezone the property to allow for the proposed density and greater design flexibility which the city's planned unit development provisions are designed to achieve. The current zoning for the site is RR -1113, "One -Family Rural Residential", which requires a two- acre minimum lot size (see attached City Zoning Map). In order to facilitate the proposed subdivision, (consistent with the comprehensive plan amendment), we are requesting a zoning amendment for the property. We are eager to follow the City's lead as to the category which best suits both our proposal and the City's overall zoning framework. Based on our preliminary review, we would like to consider a planned unit development approach such as the City's RPUD, "Residential Planned Unit Development." The planned unit development district appears to be desirable for a number of reasons. First, along with the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, it allows for the project's proposed density of one unit per net developable acres. Also importantly, as outlined in the ordinance, it allows for greater flexibility in land development in order to protect and preserve sensitive natural environmental features. Additionally, the planned unit development approach provides the opportunity for increased tax revenue for fifteen new single family homes versus one existing single family home or seven two -acre lots as suggested within the RR -113 zoning district requirements. As a result, the increased tax revenue would have a positive impact on the City's ability for public improvements. It is our belief that this proposal strikes a balance between the City's need for good planning and the Met Council's need for density. Furthermore, given the properties natural characteristics including significant slopes, tree cover and soil limitations; it is apparent that individual septic systems would not be a reasonable approach to developing this parcel. We feel that this form of medium density, single- family type development, facilitated by municipal sewer (as opposed to septic system type development), provides the best development solution for this environmentally sensitive site. In addition to the current RR -1B zoning, the property is also partially in the City's Shoreland Management district. The Shoreland district is an overlay district which impacts the portion of the site lying within 300 feet of the ordinary high-water (OHW) level of the Long Lake Creek tributary which flows along the north and westerly perimeters of the site. The buildable portion of the property affected by these regulations is limited to the northerly 300 feet of the subject parcel. The Shoreland regulations require a 75 foot building setback from the OHW in this area. The sketch plan layout meets or exceeds this standard. In addition, we recognize that the hardcover limitations of the district are applied to the entire site; which is limited to 25 percent of the parcel's gross area. The sketch plan is well below this impervious surface threshold.