09-14-2015 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 24, 2015 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 of 13 Walsh commented the last time the Council reviewed the concept plan he was uncomfortable with the 5-foot setbacks. Walsh asked whether anything has changed on that. Gonyea stated in this plan the side setbacks are 10 and 5 feet so it is more of a standard setback that someone would see like in Maple Grove or Plymouth. Gonyea stated they have 22-foot setbacks on the smaller units and 30 feet on the bigger units. Walsh asked if there would be a 5-foot setback on one side and then ten feet on the other side. Gonyea indicated that is correct. McMillan stated there would be 15 feet between houses. Gonyea stated on the previous concept plan the setback was decreased both in the front and on the sides. Walsh stated the small setbacks was his main concern and that in his view 10 and 5 might work okay. McMillan noted the house pads are 50’ x 65’ and asked how much square footage the homes would have. Gonyea stated the typical square footage would be in the low 2,000s to low 3,000s, with the owner having some opportunities to increase that by finishing the basement or adding a 3-season porch or deck. McMillan stated the City is interested in getting some more entry-point homes and that the attractive thing about this site would be a single-family home with a back yard that allows young families to take advantage of the school across the street. McMillan stated she would love to see this area be a young family area, and that what appeals to young families is back yards and a functional house. McMillan stated Orono seems to have a fair amount of families moving into the City but that they tend to be more established and in their 40s who can afford a house over half a million dollars. Gonyea stated Stone Bay has a pretty affordable component if someone wanted to find their way into Orono. Gonyea stated from a new product standpoint, there really are no new options on the market currently. Gonyea stated these homes would likely be considered the next step up and that Orono might be missing a step in the 400 to 500 range. Gonyea stated in his view the target market for this development will primarily be young families and that the twin homes in Stone Bay provide for the people who want to be empty nesters or have a simple life. McMillan stated Stone Bay tends to be an older crowd and that there can be quite a bit of cost associated with belonging to a homeowners association. McMillan stated she would hope this development does not need a homeowners association since there will be public roads. McMillan commented Stone Bay has less of a back yard feel and that there are not very many young families in Stone Bay. McMillan asked whether this development could be built without a homeowners association. Gonyea stated right now the only common elements that might require a homeowners association is a picnic area and a small tot lot, which could be public or private. Gonyea stated in the past he has included the berm areas in with the lots. Walsh asked what the lots would sell for.