04-27-2015 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 13, 2015 7:00 o’clock p.m. __________________________________________________________________________________ Page 14 of 40 (7. #14-3686 JOHN BESSESEN AND TOM WASMOEN ON BEHALF OF DAVID DELANEY, 2500 KELLEY AVENUE continued) Wasmoen displayed some photographs of the site. Wasmoen indicated he took these photographs last fall after the trees had lost their leaves. Wasmoen stated he wanted to make sure they addressed the visibility on the high side of the site and illustrate what is and is not visible from Kelly Avenue. Wasmoen stated as you look down slope towards the lake lots, there is vegetation that exists within the conservation zones and the wetlands as well as vegetation within the lots that would pretty much blocks the view lines of the units from Kelly Avenue. Wasmoen stated he would like to make sure that everyone understands that they have walked the site and in their view the visual impact of the development will be minimized. Wasmoen indicated the other piece that he would like to show is a project that was done in Wayzata that has a twinhome model that is very much the same as what they are proposing. Wasmoen indicated they can buffer the homes on the lakeside and the uphill side if they have a need to with appropriate landscaping. Wasmoen stated the photographs demonstrate the type of product they are proposing, with the units being in the $500,000 to $600,000 range per unit, which is in keeping with the upper end that the neighborhood is looking for. Wasmoen noted they are only at the conceptual stage right now and the house elevations and building/unit variety can be further refined as they move through this process. Wasmoen stated in their view they felt it would be appropriate to provide a conceptual layout of four residential homes consisting of 4,000 square feet with two separate driveways off of Kelly. Wasmoen stated because the homes would orient towards Kelly, a lot of retaining wall would need to be done to make the driveways. Wasmoen stated assuming the owners would want rear yards, there would also be additional retaining walls required. Wasmoen stated what they are presenting tonight is an option to the four residential homes and would consist of four twinhome buildings with a single access off of Kelly and shared driveways. Wasmoen indicated they would be staying out of the existing conservation zone, out of the wetland area, and anything growing within that zone would be protected during the construction process. The sketch shows the green buffer that would be retained throughout the process. Wasmoen noted Staff alluded to the fact that if this area is developed, they could potentially come off of Shadywood Road with a shared access. Wasmoen stated if that becomes the case, they could eliminate the driveway portion potentially down to Kelly Avenue. Wasmoen displayed a twinhome floor plan. The first floor is designed for the restricted age client in mind and would consist of a living room, dining room, kitchen/great room space, a master bedroom suite, and room for a den or office. There would also be a staircase going down to the lower level consisting of approximately 1,500 square feet that could either be finished or unfinished. The garage is approximately 660 square feet with ample room for a workshop or storage space. Wasmoen stated these units are a very popular approach to restricted age twinhomes throughout the country. Wasmoen stated they are attempting to show that they are looking to build twinhomes that are of the quality of the existing lake homes that people are looking for that want to stay in the community or move here. Wasmoen stated currently those existing options are limited and that they are providing a choice to people. The units would also have hardwood floors, custom cabinetry, luxurious master suites, and other amenities that would be found in lake homes. City Council Meeting April 27, 2015 Page 16 of 257