02-20-1996 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 20, 1996 is ( #2 Proposed Zoning Amendment - Continued) Smith asked if the Commission could agree to the use with performance standards set at a later time for this particular use or for the school itself. She questioned whether both need to be done at this time. Lindquist said he did not conceptually disagree with that suggestion. Engebretson agreed that the association saw the amendment to the code and the review of the plan and approval as separate issues. Schroeder said the Commission is unable to accommodate the timing necessary for the hockey association but added that the Commission would try to be responsive. He noted the need for a full discussion of the project itself but felt the issue should probably be tabled at this time. Schroeder said he would like to see a work session scheduled with the school, the boosters, and the neighbors to discuss a conditional use permit for a hockey arena with a non -profit organization. Mabusth asked about the amendment itself and what performance standards are needed in the code amendment before adding specifics in the conditional use permit itself. Schroeder said he was not sure where the optimal placement of such an arena should be. Lindquist said he needs to know what the school officially would like to see be done. Schroeder agreed. e Hawn asked if there was agreement on any of the pieces laid before the Commission regarding the amendment itself. She asked if they agreed in principal on including the ice arena, tennis facility, field, house and gymnasium as Indoor Sports Facilities, noting that the conditional use permit would take care of the specifics. She asked whether the Commissioners approved conceptually of an ice arena in the same parcel as the school. Hawn noted that in the future there may be the need to find additional non - contiguous land for such facilities and would the Commission want to be that restrictive in the placement. Grabek interjected at this point that he saw Smith as being inconsistent as she was not requiring seeing specific details on this issue but did so on another application. He then informed Hawn that it was a waste of taxpayers money to approve such an amendment when the school has not asked for such a change. Hawn said she felt the school would come before the Commission if asked to do so. Schroeder said it was a procedural matter. Mayor Callahan reminded the Commission that it was the Council who requested the Planning Commission to review the proposed amendment. He asked that the Commission decide if an arena was feasible as an accessory use and if it should be on the school property only. At that point, Callahan said the Commission could decide on specific performance standards. He added that the particular building does not answer the fundamental question of a facility as an accessory use. He noted the Council's interest in the philosophical need of such facilities as a civic concern. e 16