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L <br />MINUTES OF THE ORONO <br />JOINT CITY COUNCIL. PLANNING COMMISSION, <br />AND PARK COMMISSION WORK SESSION <br />Thursday, September 12,2002 <br />S:30 o ’clock p.m. <br />became a way of life, a culture, which has become synonymous with Orono, now, a recognized <br />progressiva City. Jabbour indicated that thanks to those early efforts to create this purposeful <br />living document, the Comprehensive Plan is now linked to the financial well being of Orono. By <br />not allowing the development of Big Boxes in Orono, this same Comprehensive Plan has limited <br />the impact that might have occurred on traffic, roads, the overall preservation effort, etc. <br />In answer to the question, why do she and others work so hard at maintaining this philosophy. <br />Mayor Peterson indicated that her resporua would be that it must start somewhere, and that <br />somewhere is the Comprehensive Plan. She stated that the lake is what Orono has to offer and it <br />must be preserved, if she can contribute even just a little to that end it would be worth it. Mayor <br />Peterson added that each representative has their own reason for being a member of his/her <br />committee, the common link is that we all love our community and want to educate everyone <br />and keep the message of preservation alive. She indicated that her goal was to continue with the <br />plan laid out so well for Orono by those original visionaries. <br />Jabbour concurred stating that as visionary a document as it was; the City Council of its day <br />voted 100% to make the Comprehensive Plan a permanent document. <br />Murphy pointed out that the quintessential historian, Mike Gaffron, boiled the Comprehensive <br />Plan down to one main purpose, saving the lake; however, there is more, and other areas back <br />out from that point. <br />Gaffron presented Orono ’s Community Philosophy: <br />To preserve the Ltdce, the water quality, and its recreational assets <br />Protect and preserve our many natural resources and open spaces <br />Preserve our district urban and rural land use patterns and lifestyles <br />Preserve our local character and identity <br />Gaffron reported that, during the early years, many people moved to the lake area between 1940- <br />50, which created the need for sewer plants, 7 of which were built by 1960 to service the lake <br />area. Due to the high levels of phosphorous being put into the lake it became polluted; therefore, <br />by 1980 all of the sewer plants were eliminated in favor of connecting to the metro sewer system. <br />Gaffron continued that the key to cleaning up the lake was eliminating the phosphorous and <br />urban runoff problems. Since Orono had sufficient wetlands to take care of 90% of the <br />phosphorous from runoff under a low density scenario, that explains why Orono has required <br />two acre zoning for 70% of the City on up to 5 acre zoning, in order to limit runoff. Gaffron <br />noted that Orono is getting close to full development, which will affect how the City continues to <br />develop. <br />Mayor Peterson questioned whether Gaffron felt the Met Council would allow Lake Elmo to <br />continue its move towards low density' and inquired how Mooney Lake affects Lake Minnetonka. <br />PAGE 2