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From:Melissa Kjolsing <br />To:Melanie Curtis <br />Subject:Comments for 215 N Arm Lane (Idyllvale Shores) from 350 N Arm Lane <br />Date:Thursday, November 14, 2024 7:00:43 PM <br />Hello Melanie, <br />Below are the comments we'd like to formally submit to the City of Orono. Can you confirm <br />that our comments will be included in the Orono Planning Commission packet for this coming <br />meeting on Monday, November 18, 2024? <br />Thank you, <br />Melissa and Michael <br />COMMENTS: <br />As nearby residents of the proposed development at 215 N Arm Lane, we have serious <br />concerns we want to share with Orono's Planning Commission. The area under discussion has <br />abundant wetlands to support natural habitat for numerous native species. They thrive on this <br />land because it's removed from dense traffic, noise pollution and human activity. To see it <br />taken away due to a development is heartbreaking and frustrating, and we are against moving <br />forward. People move to this area because of the cohabitation with nature and wildlife. We <br />feel this development directly contradicts the values of the nearby community and the <br />previous owners of the property who left it undeveloped. We and other neighbors have <br />expressed time again that we are eager to preserve the state of the property through <br />significant financial investment including purchasing the property for preservation. The <br />current plans drastically change the property experiences for nearby residents with the addition <br />of roads, cars and services traveling to and from the proposed properties. <br />In addition to our concerns, we see an opportunity for the city to purchase this property to <br />support community access to natural space between N Shore Drive W and West Branch Road. <br />This community currently has no other public spaces that are accessible by pedistrations <br />without having to cross busy and fast-driving roads. There are approximately 100 homes in <br />this community that would benefit from this space while continuing to support its values of <br />preservation and coexisting with wildlife. <br />Lastly, we have fears about the natural resources of this lakeshore residential district being <br />compromised by the proposed plan and that the quality of the stormwater runoff into the <br />wetlands and Lake Minnetonka is endangered. We have reviewed the Minnehaha Creek <br />Watershed District rules and regulations and have identified a number of concerns: <br />1. The wetland buffer rules either are not followed or cannot be verified to be followed. <br />a. According to article XI, division 3 of the Orono Code, wetland buffer rules from the <br />Minnehaha creek watershed district (MCWD) shall apply where established. The wetlands in <br />the plan are classified as “preserve” according to the City of Orono Wetlands and Drainage <br />Districts map, accessed November 11, 2024. The MCWD Wetland Protection Rule 5 effective <br />April 29, 2024 has established buffer widths for wetlands based on wetland management <br />classification, including those classified a “preserve”. Such wetlands have a setback base <br />width of 75 feet, with a minimum of 67 feet depending on favorable slope or soil conditions. <br />The plan does not signify the width of the wetland buffer. This resident questions whether the <br />174