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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday,October 8,2018 <br />7:00 o'clock p.m. <br />Barnhart stated in his view the City will have sufficient buffer to absorb these lots. <br />Jim Koch, Contractor, stated this is a unique piece of property and consists of almost 15 acres. The ten- <br />acre side of the property is located in the RR-1B District, and the eastern four lots are zoned LL-RB, <br />which is the 5-acre zoning. In coming up with the sketch plan,they tried to follow current zoning <br />requirements,the Comprehensive Plan designations, lot size requirements and land use density <br />requirements. Some initial engineering and environmental studies have been completed and they have <br />met with the Watershed District on some of the wetlands and a potential stormwater management plan. <br />The overall goal of the project was to try to come up with a plan that met as many of the City's <br />requirements as possible rather than trying to ask for more lots as has been done in previous applications. <br />Koch indicated it worked out perfectly to have the road go down the middle of the site, which gave them <br />the opportunity to keep the zoning requirements intact on each side as well as meet the lot size <br />requirements and most of the frontage requirements. <br />Koch noted they did not request initially changing the MUSA boundary but some of the Planning <br />Commissioners did indicate it would be a great opportunity and would help preserve more of the trees and <br />be more environmentally friendly. Koch stated they recently asked Staff whether they could do an <br />exchange with Saga Hills for extending the MUSA but apparently that is not possible. Koch indicated <br />they would be open to anything they can do to help facilitate sewer on the western side of the road. <br />As part of the project,an analysis on the Conservation Design was completed, and stormwater <br />management and conceptual designs for the roads were studied to ensure they had positive views for all <br />the lots. Even though there is some elevation on the back side of the site, in their view the proposed plan <br />makes for a better elevation for views and being in the MUSA would allow them to preserve more of the <br />trees. <br />Koch stated from their standpoint,they wanted to propose a concept that met most of the requirements <br />and that they attempted to minimize the need to rezone. Some flexibility on the road frontage is <br />necessary but overall the lots are well over the size minimum. Koch indicated they would also like some <br />flexibility to vacate the road rights-of-ways. A plat from 1949 was found that showed several hundred <br />lots, which is where the road rights-of-way came from. Koch stated they are looking for guidance on <br />those two elements. <br />Chris Morgart, 1003 Wildhurst Trail, displayed the 1949 plat, and noted that in the early 1960s a number <br />of rights-of-ways were vacated except for two areas. Morgart pointed out a section of the site that used to <br />be part of the park but is now private land. Morgart commented he is not sure the City needs another <br />entrance to the park. <br />Walsh stated he would be in favor of looking at expanding the MUSA boundary to include the western <br />lots,but from a blank slate point of view,unless there is some inherent practical difficulty demonstrated, <br />the City will want the plan to follow the frontage requirements. If the City Council says 200 feet can now <br />be 140 feet with this plan,what they would be saying is that they are in favor of increasing the density <br />and changing the standards. If the project does not work economically, it does not work economically. <br />Walsh noted the City's Economic Development Committee reviewed the codes and eliminated some but <br />the ones that remain the City Council likes to enforce. <br />Page 9 of 18