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<br /> <br />IDYLLVALE SHORES PROJECT NARRATIVE <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />2150 3rd Street, Suite 5, White Bear Lake MN 55110 www.bluepencilcollective.com <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />We are proposing a unique residential community in the City of Orono called Idyllvale Shores. Named after <br />the original homestead and natural habitat, and complete with access to the sought-after Lake <br />Minnetonka, this community is the last of its kind in the area. Located off North Arm Drive, the community <br />will focus on intertwining living with conservation. Natural stormwater ponding co-exists with wetland <br />preserves while native, indigenous plant and animal species thrive in a reserved oasis complete with <br />walking trails where the community can experience it all firsthand. <br /> <br />Idyllvale Shores is rich with deciduous woodland/forest, upland grassland with scattered red cedar, <br />common buckthorn-dominated shrubland, three wetlands, and one linear water body. The 25 acres will be <br />divided into five 2-2.5-acre, single-family lots and a shared lot nature preserve. Building covenants will <br />identify areas within each site that are to remain natural, wetland management areas maintained by the <br />HOA, and potential lot improvement areas. Each home will be custom and architecturally designed to <br />honor the land, views and privacy. <br /> <br />Rooted in the homeowners' longstanding connection to Orono and specifically the property, Idyllvale <br />Shores, they are dedicated to preserving the land that has been a cherished part of their family’s history. <br />Having seen the growth and development of the area, their primary goal is to protect the natural landscape <br />and ensure its beauty and ecological value are maintained. The development of Idyllvale Shores embodies <br />this commitment, thoughtfully balancing the need for housing with the preservation of the area’s <br />distinctive natural character. <br /> <br />The project’s construction will consist of site grading for infrastructure, including roads, trails, utilities, <br />stormwater facilities, and building pads within a pre-identified lot improvement area surrounded by natural <br />wetlands. Construction of the site will begin in 2024/2025. Project plans that include the existing conditions <br />and preliminary grading plan for the proposed development are included within this document. Access for <br />the development is planned via North Arm Lane, which will service the lots of the development. <br /> <br />The need for this project is to provide single-family housing in the western part of the metro area, <br />responding to the expanding residential housing market in the City of Orono. Orono has experienced <br />moderate growth over the past two decades, with a population increase of 7.4% from 2000 to 2022. The <br />city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which aims to accommodate population growth while preserving the <br />natural environment and improving public infrastructure, further supports the feasibility and necessity of <br />the Idyllvale Shores development. <br /> <br />Idyllvale Shores will be a curated, nature-driven community with six homes that fade into the landscape <br />and encourage a lifestyle of harmony. It will be a place that sets the precedent for generations to come; we <br />can coexist with nature, respectfully. <br /> <br />101