03-24-2009 Council Work Session Packet

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Views from the corridor are predominantly positive. Residential neighborhoods near the intersection of Brown Road and North Shore Drive are screened by varied and edged enclosures. Pastoral and natural views contribute to a natural feel along the corridor and include views of the Noerenberg Gardens, undeveloped land between Old Crystal Bay Road North and the Noerenberg Channel, wetlands northeast of Old Crystal Bay Road, open pasture land, and Smith, Maxwell, and Crystal Bays. . Because varied enclosure is a combination of the enclosures discussed in Case Studies #1, #2, and #3, impacts from development on varied enclosure are similar to those discussed above. In particular, areas of open enclosure may provide unwanted views of new residential and industrial/commercial land uses. Other areas, where the enclosure is edged or tunneled, may suffer from degradation of vegetation quality. To mitigate such threats, varied enclosure requires the combination of standards to require the screening of non-rural uses where necessary and preserve and enhance roadside vegetation. Corridor Study Conclusions Analyzing the characteristics of 10 corridors allowed the consultants to determine the essential attributes and potential threats to the rural character in the City of Orono. A general assessment of the Corridor Study revealed that views from the road, types of roadside development, and corridor enclosure are the most important factors in determining the rural character of a corridor. Through this process, threats to rural character (specifically to enclosure) were identified. These threats (discussed in Case Studies #1 - #4) include: • Views of"non-rural" land uses: (i.e. new residential, industrial, commercial). • Degradation of natural viewsheds. � • Low quality roadside vegetation. • Removal of vegetative buffers and roadside vegetation. The Corridor Study also provided initial mitigation strategies to counteract the effects of the above threats and to promote the objectives of Goal #2, the preservation of the city's rural character. These remedies include: • Preservation/enhancement of natural viewsheds. • Screening of non-rural land uses. • Land use controls to ensure development placement or screening. • Corridor guidelines to preserve and enhance vegetation. • Preservation/enhancement of vegetative buffers. • Corridor guidelines to ensure that adjacent development preserves key buffers. City of Orono DSU, Inc Draft CPA 11 August, 2005