07-15-2002 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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II. Concept Plan Review Process GOALS OF CONCEPT PLAN REV IEW Planning Commission's concept plan review on July 15 should focus on both general and detail aspects of the development plan. The developer has presented the City with a concept plan that includes a level of detail which should allow Planning Commission to begin to visualize and understand the various plan elements. Planning Commission ’s goal should be to identify issues and concerns related to the Concept Plan, and define for the applicants (and for the City Council) the positive and negative aspects of the plan. It would then be appropriate to define a goal or intent for each aspect. These goals and should then be discussed with the intended result that you provide specific direction to the applicant as to how the issue should be resolved. For example, in identifying issues, you might conclude that “the concept plan does not provide adequate separation between buildings”. There might be a variety of functional and aesthetic reasons for that conclusion, ranging from the need to provide sidewalks for adequate pedestrian access and landscaping around the buildings, to the concept of maintaining an ‘open’ feel that is so central to Orono ’s primarily rural character. In addressing these issues, the City needs to provide the developer with clear direction as to how you expect the issue to be resolved. Such direction could result in one of two actions: revision and resubmittal of the concept plan to reflect all required changes, so that the concept plan that is approved already incorporates the changes that have been directed and is completely acceptable to the City; or insertion of the direction into the concept plan approval resolution as a condition to be met before the City will grant final development plan approval, such as “In order to gain final development plan approval the developer shall provide a plan that shows the separation between the two-story lownhome units at 25 feet rather than 10 feet”. WHEN SHOULD CONCEPT PLAN APPROVAL BE GRANTED? Staff and the applicant’s consultants have had some difference of opinion regarding at what level of the review process concept plan approval should be granted. This is to some extent due to conflicting wording and intent between the PUD and RPUD ordinances. The basic divergence of opinion is to what extent the City has committed to the development upon granting of Concept Plan Approval. Staff sees it as similar in scope to the preliminary plat approval, based on the wording of the PUD ordinance (10.53) and discussions with the City’s planning consultants. 10.53 Subd. 8 clearly states that the concept plan approval requires a public hearing by Planning Commission and a 4<'5 vote by the Council. Contrast this with the classic subdivision sketch plan review, where no hearing is held and no vote is taken. #02-2789(Revisecl) Dahhtrom Development M.C July 12, 2002 Page 3 of 13