02-19-2002 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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#2755 Long Lake Fire Station Site February 15,2002 Page 5 Sewer & Water Service. Sewer and water scr\ ice to the site will be provided by Long Lake. Water lines will come from the ea.st and be looped north along Willow to the e.xisting Long Lake water tower. Lots 1 and 2 will be served with sewer by an extension of Long Lake lines from the east. The sewerAvater lines have been located to allow for the most efficient layout possible for Lot 2 given all the necessary encroachments. The preliminary plat as proposed leaves approximately 1.6 acres in Lot 2 unencumbered by w etlands, buffers, stormwater ponding or sewerAvater easements. A future roaJ/'driveway in Lot 2 could be constructed above the sewerAvater lines. Because the sewer and water lines will be tied into the Long Lake systems, no sewer or wat"r connection charges w ill be due to Orono for the fire station site. Sew er and water connection charges for future development of residential uses on Lot 2 will have to be coordinated with Long Lake. Woodlands . The site is mostly open, w ith some w ooded areas along the creek beds near the south and cast boundaries of the property. The City ’s goal will be minimize tree removals w hen the stonnw ater pond is expanded to serve Lot 2. Park Dedication . The Orono Comprehensive Trail System Plan includes a future trail link along Willow Drive from Hackberry Park northward to a future trail that would parallel the new Highway"l2 route westward to County Road 6 and Baker Park. In addition, the City has had discussions w ith MnDOT regarding a trail connection along the south side of the new 12 corridor cast from Willow, connecting fr relocated Holbrook Park in Long Lake, which abuts the cast boundarv of Lot 2. Park Commission should review this preliminary' plat and make a recommendation as to whether any land dedication or trail casements arc necessary from this property. The City Council will ultimately decide whether park dedication will be waived for part or all of this plat, given the public ow nership of the site. 11. Fire Station Setback Variance The setback variance for the fire station is directly attribu'able to the occurrcnccof linear wetlands along the south property boundary. These wetlands must be preserved to the greatest extent possible, and a 16' buffer is additionally required. Due lO minimum City requirements for road and shoulder w idths, the road driveway corridor had to be widened to 60' as it enters the site fror Willow, and even wider to minimize wetland impacts ’oward the rear of Lot 1. Nevertheless, a road corridor is necessary' to access the rear of the site. A road corridor along the north lot line would be undesirable from a safety standpoint due to proximity to the Willow Drive Bridge over new 12 coupled w ith the dual fire apparatus return accc^s and residential use this corridor must scr\e. The most feasible location for the road corridor is south of the station, and the characteristics of the land dictate ihc location of the corridor. The location of the fire station is relatively fixed based on the need for parking lot access and parking stalls on the north end of the building, minimum setback requirements, and the required length of the building to serve the needs of the fire department. Moving the building an additional 10’ northward to avoid the variance would have resulted in re-design of the site plan and the building.