08-13-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, June 15, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 12 Applicant wants to provide a sketch plan because they think they can influence the Commission’s feedback, it gives them that choice as well. He thinks the spirit of the language is trying to avoid unnecessary costs and hassle. In those circumstances, it probably would not be necessary nor required unless as a voting body the Planning Commission decides it is. Bollis suggested a tweak to the language so it is not saying they have to actually submit a sketch plan. He said it could be interpreted that they’d have to submit a separate sketch plan for a piece of property which would really slow up the application process. He understands it is important if there is a tract of property someone is trying to subdivide in multiple ways. He understands the intent of it; it is maybe the wording that he is not okay with. Barnhart asked if replacing the word “submit” for “prepare” would work. Bollis said that wording could possibly work. Barnhart stated, “The Planning Commission may require that the subdivider submit a sketch plan” could be changed to, “The Planning Commission may require that the subdivider prepare a sketch plan” of the remainder of the property. He said it is a subtle distinction but he understood Bollis’ point. He reiterated the idea with the sketch is to prepare an idea of what someone is thinking for a reaction from the Planning Commission and Council. This tells the Applicant to think about the other issues, which he thinks is reasonable. Ressler said he thinks the spirit of it makes sense. Hopefully, Staff is there to give guidance as well if they are approached to give clarification if there is anything unknown. Kirchner noted, if the ordinances are held 7-10 years before reviewal, there will likely be a change in some/all of the members of the Planning Commission at some point and does not want to lose the intent of the Comp Plan in which they are trying to minimize some of the additional costs. He agrees changing “submit” to “prepare” gives more leniency. He wants to make sure 4-5 years down the road the Planning Commission is not requiring the information more often than not and causing additional expense for developers. Ressler said that regardless of who sits in the Commissioner’s chairs, it is to the Commissioners’ discretion to decide, and they are here to represent their community. He noted perhaps that is a cultural change that goes along with the change, and hopefully that represents what Orono wants. Hopefully, it follows in suit, or otherwise amendments would have to be made again. Libby noted he wanted to give kudos to the City of Orono for adopting a sketch plan protocol and an avenue for developers to pursue rather than many communities who do not have a sketch plan protocol. People then have to expend tremendous amounts of dollars to come up with very highly detailed plats and surveys to bring those to the Planning Commission/City Council. He sits at the podium as a developer and builder in many communities and has to talk to the Planning Commission, and they have no avenue for a sketch plan to proceed through the planning process. He said Orono deserves a vote of great confidence to its citizens and developers for adopting that protocol and they do a nice job of it. Ressler commented that the City is going in the right direction as they continue to clean up some of the Text Amendments, etc.