05-18-1998 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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V To: From: Date: Chair Smith and Planning Commission Members Ron Moorse, City Administrator Michael P. Gaffron, Senior Planning Coordinator May 11,1998 Subject: Proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment - MUSA Boundaiy’ List of Exhibits A - Notice of Public Hearing B - Informal Letter of Request to Met Council Staff 4-7-98 C - Map: Existing MUSA D - Proposed MUSA Additions Discussion The City Council has directed that staff proceed to make an application to Met Council for expansion of the MUSA (Metropolitan Urban Service Area) to include areas northeast of Maxwell Bay. The attached letter to Tom Caswell at Met Council provides details as to the City's motivation to expand the MUSA, in order that sewer might be provided to serve existing and proposed developments within the Shoreland District. Exhibits C and D show the existing MUSA boundary and the areas proposed to be included. The intent of the letter to M’* Caswell was to get a sense of whether Met Council staff might recommend approval of such an amendment, and what related or unrelated conditions they might attach to it. The verbal response we have received is that because this is intended to allow sewering of lakeshore areas, they will support the request. However, Met Council views Orono's 2-acre and 5-acre zoning as inefficient use of land that ultimately results in premature extension of the metro sewer system (because efficient high-density development will leap-frog past Orono to the next tier of developing areas and be more difficult and expensive to serve). For this reason, and for all the other reasons that high-density residential housing is being promoted by Met Couiicil (affordability, life-cycle options, etc.) Met Council staff has suggested we should identify how we are accomodating other types of higher density housing types in other areas of the City. Staff will identify all areas where this type of development is possible in Orono. However, the lack of services and high costs of land tend to make the creation of new affordable housing difficult in Orono. Process The public hearing is the first step in tlic process for completing a Comprehensive Plan amendment to revise the MUSA. Once Planning Commission has completed the Public Hearing ^d recommended approval, a Resolution will be presented to the City Council for conditional adoption of the amendment subject to Met Council approval. The proposed amendment will be submitted to the Met Council on their standard forms widi supporting information, and also submitted to adjacent municipalities for comment. Once Met Council has approved the amendment, the City can formally