11-25-2008 work session packet and minutes

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f r MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and Ciry Council Bill Wells, City Administrator From: Mike Gaffron, Asst. City Admin. - Long Term Strategy Date: November 25, 2008 Subject: Presentation by Brian Winges re: 875 Wayzata Boulevard Brian Winges of Comforts of Home, an organization that builds and operates senior assisted living and memory care facilities, will be presenting a conceptual proposal for a 40+ unit facility on the former daycare property at 875 Wayzata Boulevard. The applicant is looking for informal Council input as to whether this may be an acceptable use for this site. The property, owned by Charlie Thompson, was the subject of a comprehensive plan amendment approved by the City Council in August 2006 and approved by the Metropolitan Council in May 2007, to allow development of 9 units of single family detached townhomes. In October 2007 the site was rezoned to RPUD and General Development Plan Approval was granted by the City Council. The site contains approximately 10.4 acres of which 3.9 acres are wetland. The proposed use for a senior assisted living facility would require a Comprehensive Plan Amendment as well as a completely new RPUD rezoning and site plan review, as the characteristics of the proposal are significantly different than the proposal for which Thompson was granted approval. CMP Amendment Timin I�ues. The Comprehensive Plan Amendment process requires review by the Plannin� Commission and approval by the City Council, as well as Metropolitan Council acceptance. The timing any request far Comp Plan Amendment at this time is problematic, because Orono is in the midst of updating its Comprehensive Plan. Plan Updates were required to be submitted to adjacent municipalities for a 6-month review period by June 30, 2008 and formally submitted to Met Council by December 31, 2008. Orono's Plan update is still being drafted and the City has recently received an extension to July 31, 2009 for submittal of the Plan Update to Met Council. However, Met Council has adopted a policy of not accepting for review after December 31, 2008 any comp plan amendments that are not directly related to the statutory requirement for Decennial Update, as follows: "After December 31, 2008, the Metropolitan Council will accept for review only 2030 plan updates that are submitted pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 473.864, and amendments to those plan updates. This means that, as of January 1, 2009, the only amendments the Metropolitan Council will process and review are amendments to 2030 (updated) comprehensive plans."