Laserfiche WebLink
Orono City Mayor Dennis Walsh <br /> Orono City Council Members <br /> October 26, 2020 <br /> Page 7 <br /> The City should not ignore its own ordinances. And while a variance may allow the Jacobs Family <br /> Trust to establish lots 2 and 3 with their proposed, too-narrow dimensions, as discussed below, <br /> the Jacobs Family Trust does not meet the"practical difficulties"test for being granted a variance. <br /> Road, Cul-de-sac <br /> City ordinances discourage cul-de-sacs and set a maximum length of cul-de-sac roads at 1000 <br /> feet. (See Sec. 82-281(d)(2) and 82-283(b)(6)). These ordinances exist for the health, safety and <br /> welfare of the residents of Orono. For example, fire trucks and ambulances need adequate access <br /> and turnarounds to serve Orono homes and residents. <br /> The road proposed in the Jacobs subdivision is well over 1,000 feet long. Further, concern was <br /> expressed at the City Planning Commission meeting about traffic, the addition of a right turn lane <br /> with a possible shoulder, and parking (See the recording of the City Planning Commission Meeting <br /> dated August 17, 2020 at approximately the 2:43:30 mark.) <br /> What happens when there are large gatherings at one or more of the seven homes that have <br /> parking spilling over onto the private road, and an emergency vehicle needs access to the same <br /> or another home in the development? Circumventing normal safety standards will be to the <br /> detriment of the owners of these lots and any adjoining properties that may be impacted by <br /> delayed or compromised emergency services (such as fire trucks needed to put out a ground fire). <br /> It is also not clear what impact the addition of a westbound turn lane will have on the Burwell <br /> property, but it appears that such a turn lane will be in close proximity to traffic on and off Millston <br /> Road, creating a bottleneck of vehicular travel. This is a significant safety concern. <br /> Mrs. Burwell is also concerned is that a west bound turn lane is inevitable to accommodate a seven <br /> lot neighborhood, so Mrs. Burwell is concerned that the City's decision about this preliminary plat <br /> will eventually cause Hennepin County to require a portion of the south end of Ms. Burwell's <br /> property to be dedicated to widening Shoreline Drive to accommodate turn traffic. Mrs. Burwell <br /> objects to a high-density development. The City cannot promise that a west bound turn lane will <br /> never be required. The only solution is to eventually a consider a very low density subdivision, <br /> not a six lot or a seven lot subdivision. <br /> There are also many trees that run along the common boundary of the Burwell/Jacobs property. <br /> Based on recent staking, it is clear that most of the trees, some belonging to Ms. Burwell, will be <br /> damaged or removed to construct what appears to be a zero-lot line road along the common <br /> boundary. It is not clear if these trees will be replaced and at whose expense. <br /> The proposed road includes a cul-de-sac that exceeds the maximum length permitted under code <br /> and requires a variance. <br /> Arbitrary modification of the ALS lines and approval of a non-compliant subdivision is being <br /> requested so the Jacobs Family Trust can obtain a better return on the sale of their property, <br /> ignoring safety, health and welfare concerns and ignoring the Jacobs Family Trust's recent sales <br /> of adjoining lots when buyers paid price premiums for their parcels. <br /> 7 <br /> 6573570v1 <br />