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Judson and Aleya Champlin <br />2643 Thoroughbred Lane, Orono, MN 55356 <br />612-240-8100/612-419-0200 <br />June 2, 2021 <br />Jeremy Barnhart <br />Community Development Director <br />City of Orono <br />2750 Kelley Parkway <br />Orono, MN 55356 <br />Re:Follow-Up to Orono City Council’s May 24th Proposal <br />Director Barnhart: <br />In view of the City's new May 24th proposal to install a City-owned dock at a public <br />right-of-way on Big Island, we are providing additional comments objecting to the new proposal. <br />Under this new proposal,it is not clear whether the City-owned dock would be a municipal dock <br />or a private dock under LMCD rules,as the Council indicated that the dock would only be <br />available to Big Island interior lot owners requesting a dock license.The City,however,would <br />be purchasing the dock and paying for its operations,such as installation, removal and storage. <br />Our objections to a private dock on the public right-of-way at Bay Place are on the record.We <br />are now providing additional objections if this new proposal is for a municipal dock,owned by <br />the City,on the Bay Place public right-of-way.These new objections supplement our prior <br />objections that apply to any dock on the public-right-of-way at Bay Place,including setback <br />limitations (see attachment for details on the setback objections). <br />Special Density License <br />As noted previously,a special density license would be required from LMCD,as the City plans <br />to accommodate two boats on a single dock at the 37 foot Bay Place right-of-way,which exceeds <br />LMCD’s one boat per 50 feet of shoreline ordinance.(See,LMCD Code §2-4.05 Subd.1.) <br />Further,as a general matter,LMCD Code §2-4.11 Subd.1 notes that one watercraft per 50 feet <br />of shoreline at a specific site is appropriate for Lake Minnetonka. <br />LMCD Code §2-4.11 Subd.1 provides an exception to the 50-foot rule under a “special density <br />license”where,“increased watercraft storage density may be clearly demonstrated to be a benefit <br />to the Lake.”A dock at the Bay Place right-of-way offers no benefit to the Lake and in fact will <br />result in environmental degradation to the Lake due to damage to shoreline caused by a dock and <br />increased boat traffic in an area which provides natural filtration to water runoff from Big Island.