06-12-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FOR MAY 24, 1995 CONTINTJATION OF PUBLIC HEARING: PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF ZONING CODE TO ALLOW DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTER AS A CONDITIONAL USE IN THE R-IA OR B-4 ZONING DISTRICTS Items 4 and 5 suggesting that if the City Council is presented with evidence that the CUP or other State and local ordinances, sututes and regulations are being violated that the Council may review the CUP. Planning Commission agreed that this was appropriate. Chair Peters-on at this time asked for comments from the members of the public who were present, iarr .acobson of 2328 Olive Avenue indicated that it was his preference that the shelter ordinance not be expanded to allow anything other than domestic abuse shelters. He noted that he had never received written notice. Mabusth advised that his name is on the list and there is no record of a notice being returned in the mail. Mr. and Mrs. John T. Larson of 3225 Lafayette Ridge Court indicated they were present representing themselves as well as the Lafayette Ridge Homeowners’ Association, a portion of which is in Minnetonka Beach. Tliey noted that the Minnetonka Beach residents had not been notified of this hearing, although they are relatively near the proposed shelter site. The Larsons indicated that they were here to object to the proposed use. and that their Homeowners’ Association doesn’t see a shelter as the best use of the Navarre site. They indicated that their neighborhood is directly linked to the proposed site by Navarre Lane. They indicated they had not been present during the earlier review sessions, and Peterson noted that minutes were available for those meetings for any member of the public who requested them, so that the public could see the depth of the Planning Commission’s review which has occurred to date. Clair Rood of 2215 Kenwood Way noted that he had been at the last meeting and it is his impression talking to his neighbors that they really don’t know anything about the process that is occurring. He commented that while a domestic abuse shelter may be needed somewhere around Lake Minnetonka, he felt the Navarre site was not the appropriate location for it. He suggested that the Navarre area needs more commercially zoned land, and this site would be a logical expansion of the commercial area. He suggested that Navarre does not necessarily provide the wide range of services that might be needed by a shelter. He questioned why this multiple family-type use was being suggested for a single family residential zone or a commercial zone. He also questioned ownership of the building, whether it would be a private owner or an organization owning it. He noted that the high price he believes was paid for the adjacent commercial zoned gas station site was much greater than is being paid for the residential shelter site. Rick Meye*-s of 2195 Bay view Place questioned whether the Planning Commission had reviewed the shelter in relation to the Comprehensive Plan, noting that in the Urban Housing Policies, CMP 5-12, wording indicates that residential areas of urban Orono are primarily suitable for single family homes. He questioned why a multiple family-type use is being proposed for a residential area. It was noted that in the B-4 alternative, similar uses such as nursing homes, rest homes and retirement homes are allowed.