09-14-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, August 17, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 6 current zoning and it is better for the environment to have the Met Council line. He said the density numbers are what they are, they aren’t putting a huge complex in this site, it’s still very conservative and so he would be in support of it, noting they could rehash that the lot widths don’t seem like a dealbreaker to him and that five lots is applicable. Erickson said he is in support of Staff’s recommendation. Gettman said he is still struggling with this particular lot being the right one to start to split up, especially after the golf course when they ended up having it not fall under MUSA. Going back to the one testifier (Mr. Lowe), what has really changed in the last couple of years that now they need to jump with this one, which is not an ideal property to be splitting up. Bollis said he agrees with Staff’s recommendation and appreciates the detailed report as far as the MUSA numbers go. In his eyes, it’s a completely conforming subdivision so he doesn’t think there is even anything the Commission can say in that they cannot approve this. Ressler stated the biggest thing the Commission needs to deliberate is the development, but also being willing to expand the MUSA. Barnhart answered yes, that is the biggest variable to Mr. Bollis’s point, it makes most of the lots meet the criteria of the lot-width issue, and noted if that is an issue that is certainly something they can raise. The Commission has the most discretion on the MUSA expansion, and they have the ability to change that basically at will, as to what the City thinks is appropriate. He said if they didn’t want this project that is where they would suggest they don’t want the MUSA expansion here. Bollis noted he thinks if there were any property, this would be the appropriate one for that because of the wetlands involved, they can put in a gravity-fed system so it’s not a high-pressure one, which mitigates that environmental piece that the neighbors were concerned about, if a septic system failed that could pollute the creek. In his opinion, Bollis thinks it make s sense for this one. Ressler said it truly seems that expanding the MUSA is doing that, it’s allowing them to do sewer versus septic and asked if that was accurate. Barnhart answered yes, you can’t connect city sewer without that expansion. Kirchner stated he is in support of this. McCutcheon asked if the Commission approves the MUSA, can they tie it to this specific plan, or at that point could the Applicant reapply with a different plan. Barnhart clarified if McCutcheon is asking if the Commission could approve the MUSA subject to this preliminary plat. McCutcheon answered that is correct. Barnhart answered no, because the property owner has the right to subdivide their property, but taken together you have this plan and this proposal. He stated that doesn’t that if this project doesn’t go forward for whatever reason and ten years down the line someone changes it, that is why they’re suggesting the