10-26-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, October 12, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 10 of 24 Mayor Walsh said perhaps they should table because there is no practical difficulty for the Applicant to move halfway into the setback. Mr. Briggs feels there is a covenant of good faith in dealing with these things, and he deals with this at work all the time; he has taken 4 variances down to 1 and he believes a single variance has been granted recently. Mayor Walsh stated they should find it. Crosby suggested tabling, they will see if they can find the variance, and noted he is on the fence with this and there is a possibility of a practical difficulty with Mr. Brigg’s family member. He said they should find more backing evidence to give the Applicant some more ammo. Crosby moved, Johnson seconded, to table LA20-000057, 1985 Fagerness Point Road, Variances. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0. 17. LA20-000052 – MARK RAUSCH O/B/O UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS AND DAVID WEEKLEY HOMES, NW CORNER OF WILLOW DRIVE AND WAYZATA BLVD., CONCEPT PLAN REVIEW Aziz Saddiqui, O/B/O David Weekley Homes, Applicant, was present. Staff presented summary packet of information. The main issue the Planning Commission had with this project was nine-or-so units encroached into the setbacks. The Applicant heard the comments from the Planning Commission and adjusted the plan, relocating the tall lot to the interior of the project and redesigned the project. Mr. Barnhart said Staff is looking for some preliminary comment; this project will likely be developed as a Residential Planned Unit Development (RPUD) zoning district, will require a public hearing from a zone change and a Comprehensive Plan Amendment because they are lower density than what is prescribed by the Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Walsh asked regarding the Met Council, they obviously want to see lower density on this as it relates to the project across the street, but the issue he read was by lowering this they still stay above their number of 3 units/acre for density. He said it would force them to raise numbers elsewhere and is it possible that they would not need to raise numbers elsewhere because they are above the “3” number. Barnhart replied when looking at a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for a project like this, they must establish a guide; he noted Orono’s land-use designations are: low -density is .5 – 2 units/acre and goes up to 3-10 units/acre, 10-20 units/acre , and 20-25 units/acre. They like to fit a development within those parameters. The Met Council looks at the lowest number in the range that the City prescribes – the high-density residential is 20-25 units/acre and the Met Council calculates a potential of 20 units, even though some projects may be higher. Other areas