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r MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COlWCIL MEETING <br />Monday, April 12,2004 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />(20. STUDY REGARDING DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS - ORDINANCE NO. 6, <br />SERIES, continued) <br />able to begin with the pre-application meeting next week. With up to a year moratorium, it puts the <br />project at a 2006 construction commencement and precludes the ability to get the Hwy 12 road <br />project fill to raise their site. Mr. Johnston explained that if the fill is not available to the site, it <br />means that no basements could be constructed on the site due to the high groundwater table. <br />Mr. Johnston questioned what would be accomplished with a study ahead of an application that could <br />not be accomplished through the PUD process. He requested that the moratorium not be enacted but <br />to allow the PUD application to occur beginning with the pre-application meeting next week and <br />scheduling the Sketch Plan review with the Planning Commission. It was his suggestion to conduct a <br />parallel process involving research being conducted while the PUD process is progressing. <br />Mr. Tom Stokes, Brenshall Development, 2200 Shadywood Road, Orono, acknowledged that they <br />have been in conversation with Mr. James for six (6) or seven (7) months. He explained that he has <br />built and developed in Orono and the western Twin Cities area for about 20 years. He laid out a <br />description of the proposed housing for this subject site which will be an affordable housing product <br />for Orono, ranging from $350,000 - $500,000 per single family home. <br />Sanseverc commented that the Metropolitan Council definition of affordable housing is under <br />$200,000 and not the ranges proposed by Brenshall Homes. <br />Mr. Stokes replied that affordable, new construction housing for this western part of the Twin Cities <br />and in Orono is at the ranges they are proposing and are at these lower ranges because of the <br />availability of the Hwy 12 export material. He stated that constructing a single family home product <br />in Orono under $750,000 is only possible because of the Hwy 12 road project fill that can be used on <br />the site. Mr. Stokes stated Brenshall Homes with LaGran Homes were prepared to come to the City <br />with a great product that is needed in the Orono community. <br />Murphy questioned how long has it been known that there was something in the works for this <br />project site. <br />Gaffron replied that he had talked to Mr. James over two years ago about this site. <br />Mr. James cited the example of downtown Minneapolis at Riverfront with supposedly affordable <br />housing prices and that he heard conflicting information from other housing developers about <br />Orono’s interest in truly affordable homes w ith higher densities. <br />Murphy responded that he was more concerned about the timing of a moratorium related to whether <br />the city was aware that something was in the works and not the definition of affordable housing. <br />GafTron stated that the city has known from last year that Mr. James was trying to market the <br />property and that they have had numerous conversations. In the past month he was aware that it was <br />getting towards the proposal stage <br />Page 14 of 20