07-13-2015 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, July 13, 2015 7:00 o'clock p.m. Gaffron stated there is nothing like this proposed development currently in Orono and that the proposal is showing virtually no common areas at this point other than the road. Gaffron stated the City Council should determine whether the proposed density at 51 -units is appropriate, whether the roadway should be private or public, and the general design and orientation of the dwelling units in relation to the minimal lot sizes and setbacks. Tom Gonyea, Applicant, stated they were in front of the Planning Commission a couple of weeks ago and that their original plan was a 51- unit plan for approximately four units per acre. The feedback from the Planning Commission at first was that it seemed like a lot of units. Gonyea indicated they have worked with Staff to show what the current density would be at eight units per acre and then with 65 -foot lots and standard setbacks of five and ten feet. Gonyea stated they wanted to put those options forward to see which one the City Council would prefer. Gonyea noted the Planning Commission was not in favor of higher density. Gonyea indicated the color rendering on the overhead shows the 65 -foot lots. Gonyea stated there would be some variation in lot size and house size. Gonyea stated there is a project over in Plymouth that is a good example of what this product will look like. Gaffron displayed the development in Plymouth. Gaffron noted in this development there is 10 feet between the homes. Ian Peterson, David Weekly Homes, stated they will likely be the builder on the project and that he can speak to the specifics of the product. Peterson stated the Plymouth property was a unique project from a topography perspective. Peterson noted the site was actually zoned and guided for multi -family and that they came up with 60 -foot lots and 10 feet in between the buildings. The neighborhood is different from a typical suburban development in how they set back from the road and the traditional 3 -car garages. Peterson indicated they also came up with three different garage variations, which helps break up the streetscape. Peterson stated this layout allows a more traditional back yard, wider houses, and a shallow back yard to allow for more of a family setting. Peterson stated on the 50 -foot products, they make sure the house and the garage are on the same plane so there is not a snub nosed garage where the garage is way out in front of the house, which allows for a better visual. Peterson stated on the 45 -foot wide lots, there would be ten feet between the buildings. Peterson stated the 45 -foot lots limit the garage options and that these units would be a two -stall garage. If a third stall is added, it would need to be tandem. Peterson stated from a streetscape perspective, the 45 -foot lots limit what can be done in terms of the front fagade. Peterson stated to his recollection on a 45 -foot lot, the home would be 35 feet wide and 75 feet deep. Walsh asked what the typical square footage would be on this project and what the square footage was on the Plymouth project. Peterson indicated on the project across from Wayzata High School, the units ranged from 2,400 to 3,200 square feet. The largest home was 3,700 square feet. Peterson noted the square footages do not include a Page 20 of 28