02-22-2021 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 8, 2021 6:03 p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 16 of 26 19. LA20-000048 - TIMOTHY WHITTEN O/B/O I. JACOBS/A. JACOBS REVOCABLE TRUST, 1700 SHORELINE DRIVE, PRELIMINARY PLAT - RESOLUTION – Continued the word shenanigans but that is kind of how she feels. She is just trying to understand to protect her property and get on with life. She noted she has gone through a lot of changes in the last six years, losing her husband, and her children are getting older and she just wants to be able to enjoy this. She is asking the City Council to think about the individuals that have been there for a long time, as opposed to the neighborhood, and by the way, she does like Mr. Rogers. Mrs. Burwell said she sincerely hopes that on the grounds of safety, security, welfare, and happiness, that this is more than just density. The more density in the area equals more problems and all she has to do is point to just one problem which is clearly a road and cars and human beings coming down from what is currently a single family dwelling. She thanked the Council Walsh asked if anyone else would like to speak about this before he brings it back to the Council. There were none. Crosby thinks Mrs. Burwell made some important points. He has always felt being elected the City Council’s responsibility is to the people that are here primarily, the citizens. He would like to be sure all of the lots proposed are completely conforming lots and if they are not that is a problem. Travelling across that road, yes it is dangerous, there are a lot of people along Shoreline and people along Shadywood and North Shore Drive have similar issues and safety is always the utmost for Crosby and is a huge concern. He does not think the number of lots becomes the issue there, it is whether they are conforming or non-conforming in what they are trying to do. Walsh noted they have also guided this for a certain density within the City code and it is very specific and like any other development nobody likes having more houses next to them but if people have had open space they are never guaranteed to have open space forever. If people come in and meet the code they have the right to develop their property as the Council cannot tell them they do not have the right. From Walsh’s standpoint on the Hennepin County road, they would require the Applicant to have that (turn lane) and it is subject to Hennepin County. Walsh noted Hennepin County cannot require someone to give up land so either it can or cannot be done, but no one goes through engineering drawings and gets approvals up front; that is a very, very expensive process and he does not know that even Hennepin County would do that without knowing that this development is going forward. They would not put the time and energy in to it, either. Walsh clarified some things have to get done and that is why they have conditions and those conditions have been pretty well spelled out from the engineer comments to the turn lane and the ALS lines. Crosby stated they should refer to it as average lakeshore setback (ALS) as people could be watching who have no idea what an ALS is. Walsh agreed that it is dangerous going across the street, absolutely, but there are 5, 6, 7, 8 miles of people walking across the street all the time. He noted people from Heritage and said there are 15-20 docks over there. Crosby said to him the worst house to cross on Shoreline is the one up on the hill on the curve. Walsh clarified that is not a reason to say that they cannot develop.