11-17-2025 - Agenda Packet Planning Commission - Full Packet

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Date Application Received: 07/23/2025 Date Application Considered as Complete: 09/22/2025 120-Day Review Period Expires: 01/20/2026 To: Chair Bollis and Planning Commission Members Adam Edwards, City Administrator From: Laura Oakden, Community Development Director Date: 17 November 2025 Subject: LA25-000033, Hennepin County, 3700 North Shore Drive ("North Arm Public Boat Launch") Public Hearing: Vacation, Variance, Conditional Use Permit and Interim Use Permit Application Summary: The applicant is requesting City approval to redesign the County -owned North Arm Public Boat Launch. The redesign includes requests for the following: 1. Vacation of public right-of-way for the eastern 20 feet of Part of Cherry Ave and Alley; 2. Variances for total hardcover, hardcover within 75-feet of the OHWL, and building and structure setback within 75-feet of the OHWL; 3. Conditional Use Permit to reconstruct a seawall; and 4. Interim Use Permit to allow grading over 10 cubic vards within75-feet of the OHWL. Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends approval. Background The North Arm Boat Landing is located near the intersection of Shadywood Road (CSAH 19) and North Shore Drive (CSAH 51) at 3700 North Shore Drive. The man-made property was created through the placement of fill in the 1960s with approximately 500 linear feet of shoreline on Lake Minnetonka and has been used as a Hennepin County -managed public boat access since that time. The ±1.58-acre property is located in the LR- 1C, One Family Lakeshore Residential zoning district; its use as a public boat access is legally nonconforming as it existed prior to the adoption of the City's zoning regulations in 1975. Undeveloped, platted rights -of - way bisect the parcel. The site serves as an public access to Lake Minnetonka with a boat landing and parking along with site amenities which include signage, portable restrooms, foot paths, dumpsters, fencing, fishing areas, benches, and utilities which support Met Council's sanitary sewer and Hennepin County's Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) programs. The property's use as a public boat landing requires that the associated improvements are in close proximity to the lake. The majority of the property is located within 75 feet of the ordinary high-water level (OHWL) which is environmentally sensitive and heavily regulated. Orono's Shoreland Regulations are in place to protect natural resources from the negative impacts resulting from intense development. The LR-1C residential zoning district provides for uses such as medium -density residential development, limited agricultural activity, and other compatible uses. According to Orono's Comprehensive Plan, the property's existing land use is classified as: Park, Recreational and Open Space. The property's current use as a public boat landing appears to be consistent with the existing and future land use guidance within Orono's Comprehensive Plan. The County's plan is a reinvestment in the site to promote safety, accessibility and environmental stewardship. The project scope includes the following: • Reconstruction of the parking lot area and boat launch, 9