05-20-2002 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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retail area, and to the detriment of the plans of both Orono and Long Lake to redevelop the downtown Long Lake area. It is much less risky to focus on strengthening the Long Lake downtown area and moving to the west only as the development potential in downtown is used up and the market is calling for more retail development; vs. creating a new retail node and hoping that the market is strong enough to not only support both the new retail node and the existing dow ntown area, but also to enable redevelopment of the downtown area and redevelopment west of the downtown area to create a continuous retail area stretching from downtown Long Lake to Willow Drive. Staff strongly recommends against amending the Comprehensive Plan to allow the grocery store element of the development proposal, and suggests that Planning Commission place significant focus on this element In its consideration of the concept plan. Given the uses on the three other comers of Willow/12, the applicants' other suggested retail uses of this comer (coffee shop, restaurant, etc.) arc perhaps more in tunc with the concept of serving the immediate ncighbortiood as well as area residents without having a major impact on future development. Planning Commission should consider whether the retail use is appropriate for this comer as opposed to the guided office use. 2000-2020 CMP: RESIDENTIAL VS OFFICE The final CMP issue is to consider whether conversion from office to residential is appropriate for areas south of Kelley Parkway. In recent >'cars the City has had its planning consultant, DSU, drafi concept plans for both areas as a guideline for discussions (sec Exhibit C). Two of the concept plans, “Study A" and “Study D”, became the City’s standard guide for developers inquiring about the property. "Study A" depicts 45-75 townhomcs north of Kelley Parkway, in a manner that would maximize the use of most of the dry land. This depiction locates Kelley Parkw ay with a southerly curve. “Study D“ depicts a minimized commercial area of Office uses to complement “Study A". It suggests a total of 4 building sites, each around 2.5 acres, each with a 20-25.000 s.f. office and associated parking, with green space ranging from 28-43% per site. Study D suggests a much more ‘open ’ character in the area between Kelley Parkway and Highway 12 than is proposed by the applicant, and herein lies the issue - the intensity of the proposed residential development as compared to the guided office use. “Study D“ depicts 80-90,000 s.f of office space in one- or two-story buildings south of Kelley Parkway w ith a total footprint of about 65,000 s.f The applicants' proposal for south of Kelley Parkway is 150.000 s.f of residential footprint and 38,000 s.f of retail footprint (which they feel should bump up even higher to accommodate a larger grocery). Applicants' total combined rcsidcnliayrctail footprint is 190,000+ s.f south of Kelley Parkway, or three times the amount of building mass (not even accounting for height) than the City had been contemplating. #02-2789 Dahliironi Development LLC Mav 17,2002 Page 6 of9