09-14-2009 Council Work Session Packet

Home Browse Search

Michael P. Gaffron, Assistant City Administrator August 12, 2009 Page 4 (Table 3B-3). However, the land use categories shown on the map and in the table do not match. The map shows three residential land use categories, while the table only shows two. The map and the table need to describe the same land use categories. Future Land Use Acrea�es As detailed in the Council's Local Planning Handbook(p. 3-5), the Update needs to include a table quantifying the acreages in each of the land use categories in 2010, 2020, and 2030, as shown on Map 3B-6: Land Use Plan 2008-2030. The Update contains future land use projections in 5-year stages (Tables 3B-4a through 3B-4e), but none of these indicate in which planned land use categories future development will occur. The Update needs to include the Council's Land Use Table In 5-Year Stages (http://www.metrocouncil or�/plannin�/LPH/forms/LandUse�vear doc) and ensure that the categories used in the table are those shown on the City's planned land use map (those in the template are for illustrative purposes). Please note that this table will be included in the staff review report to the Council for action on the City's Update. Capacity to Accommodate Forecasts The Update provides an analysis of residential land use capacity by zoning district (Table 3B-2), which shows that the City could accommodate 725 more units using the City's current zoning or planned guiding. While the household increase is nearly the same as that projected in the System Statement, the starting points are different. The City shows the existing number of households in the community to be about 500 units less than the System Statement forecasts for 2010. Council estimated that in April 2008, Orono had 3,002 households. The current guiding may be insufficient to accommodate the Council's forecasted growth through 2030. The Update needs to indicate how or what will be changed or reguided to accommodate the Council's forecasted growth. Tables 3B-4a and 3B-4b calculate future land use projections. These tables include existing and future households in the calculation, so it is difficult to determine whether new development will occur at densities consistent with Council policy (3 du/net ac). Using the information provided in the Update, the overall development in the community (existing and future) results in a gross density of 0.8 dwelling units per acre (2,965 dwelling units on 3578 gross acres). The Update describes the development of five different "Parcel Groups" within the community, but it appears that these areas have limited capacity to accommodate the City's forecasted growth as several of these areas have already undergone development. The land use categories used in the analysis of these groups does not match the guiding shown in Map 3B-6. The Update indicates that future urban development will be carefully integrated into existing neighborhoods, but outside of the Parcel Group analysis, the Update does not indicate where future urban development will occur and at what densities it will occur. Council staff would like to meet with the City staff to go over the land use questions. POLICY ISSUES Urban Densitv The Update contains policies that are inconsistent with the 2030 Regional Development