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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Tuesday,January 18,2022 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> evening because they claim they need a permanent home. The fact is that they have a permanent home <br /> here within our community with over 50%of the members within the community. They are under no <br /> threat to lose their home, they have ample, safe, no-charge space to store their equipment, they have <br /> already afforded community members health benefits and a fun activity to join on Long Lake. Team <br /> members have learned how to be part of a team and how to do many successful things like winning <br /> competition and even earning scholarships.All this exists today with or without a club house.Please do <br /> not listen to any misinformation that they need a club house when what they really want is a private club <br /> house. They claim their equipment cannot be stored outside;I have reached out to boat manufacturers <br /> who have said it is perfectly fine to store them outside.I have connected with authors in regards to <br /> rowing equipment who also said it is totally fine to store them outside. I strongly caution the Planning <br /> Commission and the City Council to take the time to understand why this is not in our community's best <br /> interest and tonight, deny both applications. The Daytons left their legacy by leaving the public this park <br /> and the City of Orono as the guardians. Tonight,you decide to make your own legacy or to change the <br /> Dayton's. <br /> Larry Carlson has lived on Old Long Lake Road for 34 years.It was his honor and privilege to work for <br /> Bruce and Ruth Dayton as their caretaker and property manager for 26 of those years.They had many <br /> discussions about how to preserve the main property along Old Long Lake Road and how to keep it in its <br /> natural state.Through their vision and generosity it became Wood Rail Scientific and Nature Area and <br /> will remain undeveloped and enjoyed by all in perpetuity. In 1980 Bruce donated the Summit Beach <br /> property to the City of Orono and Mr. Carlson is convinced his vision for it is to remain as a natural space <br /> and more importantly for it to remain a public space.I cannot envision any scenario where he would view <br /> an 8,000 square foot private-entity building and a huge dock complex as maintaining natural and public <br /> spaces.Mr.Carlson read parts of a letter from Ron Bowen,the founder of Prairie Restorations,Inc.,and <br /> also a former employee: <br /> In my years of working at Wood Rail for Bruce, I came to know all his property very intimately. The <br /> property down on the lake has met with Bruce's vision of becoming a public space. It seems <br /> inappropriate to me that the space would now become available for a rowing facility as it would serve a <br /> relatively small number of people. This would not meet with Bruce's original vision. He was very fond of <br /> providing this outdoor amenity for all of the public. He did not have the vision that it would become a <br /> private rowing club. I hope you will seriously consider these factors and maintain an optimum amount of <br /> access to the general public.Much of it has been used for the last 40 years in this way and it should be <br /> maintained as it was intended. Sincerely, Ron Bowen <br /> Mr. Carlson does not view this as a case of"not in my backyard"but as a sincere desire to maintain an <br /> unfettered public space per Bruce's vision,generosity,and foresightedness. <br /> Sonja Lockman, 115 Luce Line Ridge,has studied and worked in the realm of human behavior since <br /> 1990.Today she has come to express her concern with what is a seeming pattern of the Council behaving <br /> in a manner that does not follow typical human behavior. Specifically there seems to be a pattern of <br /> giving away public land for the great benefit of a small, select,few,private organizations and their <br /> members. These people are often not even citizens paying taxes into or able to vote within the City of <br /> Orono.Indeed,the actions of the Council could create adverse impact to the environment and citizens of <br /> Orono and Long Lake. She keeps hearing the guise of public-private partnership as the reason for these <br /> actions.However,true public-private partnership creates notable, obvious benefit for both sides.Think of <br /> the Trump Administration providing funds and guaranteed orders to potential creators of urgently needed <br /> Covid vaccines or private companies that maintain segments of public roadways and receive a small toll <br /> Page 5 of 11 <br />