09-14-2009 Council Work Session Packet

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"Wastewater Services" Analvsis I believe the comments above reflect a faulty interpretation of our submitted Plan. I agree we are proposing development of the sewered areas of Orono at a net density that will ultimately not achieve 3.0 units per acre. I agree that our 2030 sewered household projection is 200 households less than the MC forecasts. However, I do not believe the Plan states or suggests that we do not have capacity in our sanitary sewer system to meet MC forecasted growth; rather, the Plan suggests that with certain planned system modifications, we have sufficient capacity for our proposed and intended growth, without making any comment about whether we have internal capacity for additional growth to meet MC forecasts. MCES (Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, which operates the metro sewer system) in the 2005 Orono Systems Statement indicates �hat MCES is committed to providing Average Annual Wastewater Flow capacity of 0.71 MGD (259.1 MGY) by 2030, based on a sewered population of 7,300 in 3,020 households and sewered employment of 1,500. For 2030 Orono is projecting a sewered population of 6,750 in 2,820 households and sewered employment of 1,595. Met Council's projections for 2010 suggest an average wastewater flow of 109 gpd per person, reducing to 100 gpd in 2020 and to 97 gpd by 2030. Usinb those numbers, there would be more than sufficient capacity to serve our projected 2030 sewered population. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Thoughts In order to meet Met Council's housing goals for Orono, we would have to accommodate 311 new affordable homes by 2020. Under our current Plan, we expect only 450-500 new dwelling units will be built in Orono between now and 2020. Making 2/3 of these "affordable" is not realistic. In order to be consistent with Met Council's forecasts for population and housing, by 2020 we need to accommodate approximately 370 more homes than we have planned for. In order to meet Met Council's sewered density goals for Orono, all new residential development in the MUSA must average out to 3 units per acre. To accomplish this we would have a number of difficult options, the least onerous of which may be to guide a limited number of areas for very high density. In order to meet Met Council's unsewered density goals for Orono, we would have to severely limit the ability of our remaining non-MUSA landowners to develop at the 2-acre and 5-acre densities for which these properties have been guided and zoned for the past 40 years or more. We do not know with any certainty how far Met Council will push us. Orono is beginning with the premise that we are proposing our Plan as we want it. Met Council is beginning with the premise that they expect us to change our Plan to meet their goals. Whether there is an acceptable compromise remains to be seen. Review of Met Council Comp Plan Initial Response Page 17 of 17 August 28, 2009