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OS/lS/2002 12:08 FAX 612337S601 DAGBLGR SHARDLOW L UBAN 121002 <br />n,\i ii.(,;ria' <br />SI I/\K1 )|,( A\' <br />AN i) I ! 1 IAN <br />IMCOliFe RATIO <br />CONSULTING PLANNERS <br />LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS <br />300 FIRST AVENUE NORTH <br />SUITE 210 <br />MINNEAPOLIS, MN SS401 <br />612-339 3300 <br />May 15.2002 <br />Orono Planning Commission <br />C/o Michael Gaffron, Planning Director <br />City of Orono <br />Post Office Box 66 <br />Crystal Bay. Minnesota 55323 <br />RE: Orono Plaza PUD Concept Plan <br />Dear Mike and Commission Members: <br />At your request, vie have completed a cursory review of the Sketch Plan for the proposed <br />Orono Plaza PUD. Let me begin by sa>ing that there are many very positive elements to <br />this concept and some aspects of the design are very well conceived. There are numerous <br />important details that would have to be addressed in the design refinement process. The <br />normal human tendency is to leap to those details, because they are so important and we <br />all want to make sure that they get identified. The problem b fiiat when all of these issues <br />get thrown out, their relative importance gets obscured. The better approach is to focus on <br />the fundamental issues first, and only after they have been addressed to your satisfaction, <br />move on to the other details. <br />There is no more fundamental issue than the fact that this proposed PUD is inconsistent <br />with the Orono Comprehensive Plan. The proposed land uses to the south of the stretch of <br />Kelley Parkway are Afferent than those shown on the adopted Land Use Plan. We <br />strongly recommend that you focus on these inconsistencies first, and be as clear and <br />direct as possible with the developer about what you could support and what you will not <br />support, as departures from the adopted Plan. <br />The adopted Plan does not allow retail and it does not show residential south of Kelley <br />Paricway. For as long as 15 years ago, we have been aware of the City of Orono's resolve <br />to guide the development of the Highway 12 Corridor aivay from an expansion of strip <br />commercial extending from Long Lake. That resolve was reaffirmed in the recently <br />adopted Comprehensive Plan. Some of the reasoning behind the Land Use Plan was to <br />avoid the appearance and character of strip commercial and another important aspect was <br />to support ^e economic health of Downtown Long Lake as it redevelops. <br />-A