02-18-2020 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 18, 2020 6:00 p.m. materials, she suggested that she read aloud the letter expressing their concerns regarding the impacts of the potential change. She stated that this project deserves a lot of careful thought and noted that some of the agencies involved have shown a lack of coordination and have omitted some of the features that would be expected in a project of this magnitude. She asked that the Commission consider the vision, values and goals of Orono as they make their decision. She read aloud the letter sent to the Commission by the neighborhood. She noted that the neighborhood already has concerns about the use of the property, to date, including the addition of foot bridges in buffer areas without permission. She stated that she also does not think there is data that can show whether this plan is really viable and if the soils will percolate as expected. She stated that the surrounding neighbors feels as though there are too many questions that have not been thoroughly studied. She stated that they feel this project could set a precedent and is too important to rush through and are asking the Commission to consider the materials in the packet fully and completely. Ressler reminded the audience that public comments need to be limited to about a 5 -minute maximum. Ressler stated that in the application there are a lot of comments and concerns that are very valid. He stated that he believes the footbridge has been addressed and noted that type of thing would be a concern for the City as well if it were to be added to the wetland. He stated that he disagrees with the implication that the DNR and the MCWD are not capable of adjudicating this application. He stated that the entire project is above and beyond the City's code and the City will lean heavily on the governing authorities to regulate this type of project. He recommends that the comments and concerns of Ms. Marks and the neighborhood be shared at the MCWD Board meeting on February 27, 2020. Ms. Marks stated that she was not questioning the capability of the DNR but they are not a governing body and thinks generalized comments were taken as approval by the DNR. She stated that through Ben Carlson's comments, the Commission can see that the DNR is opposed to having been put into the role of seemingly giving their approval for this project. She stated that she is requesting that there be some science around the possible changing of this ecosystem. She stated that this is a cattail wetland and the neighborhood feels that there are already ample sources of other open water areas and asked the Commission to consider whether this is an appropriate use of the space. Ressler stated that this is a fluid project and at the end of the day, he believes it is the City's intent to follow the direction of the MCWD when their meeting occurs at the end of the month. He reiterated that he strongly recommends that Ms. Marks and other concerned neighbors attend that meeting and listen to people that can speak more intelligently about their concerns. Libby thanked Ms. Marks for her passion and concern about conservation and preservation. He stated that all the residents of Orono appreciate that and it is part of the mission statement for the City. He commended her for stepping up and speaking for something that she is so passionate about and noted that the Planning Commission is an advisory body to the City Council. He stated that he does disagree with some of Ms. Marks opinions, however, because for the last 30 years, he has had substantial opportunity to work with other governing bodies and has a great deal of trust in their wisdom, vision, and their empirical understanding of nature. He explained that the decisions are really outside the scope of the Commission's decision-making ability. Ms. Marks stated that this could have been a closed conversation with the MCWD if no public comment had been expressed. She stated that they feel that a number of the typical considerations have not been observed for this process, which she assumes is because it is a relatively rare circumstance. Page 11 of 30