11-23-2015 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, November 23, 2015 7:00 o'clock p.m. consist of a mix of Tudor style, northern craftsman, and then a more contemporary look. The homes will be traditional two-story homes on the 55 -foot lots, with a master on the main level for the traditional two-story. Levang asked how many different variations of homes there will be. Peterson stated there are seven different floor plans and each of those floor plans will have three to four variations. Levang asked if they have any idea how many people will want the smaller homes, the mid-range and then the higher end. Peterson stated typically a lot of people are interested in a rambler plan or one -level living, which is more expensive to build than a two-story home since the builder has to put most of the money into the foundation. Peterson stated typicallyl0 to 15 percent of the buyers will buy a main level living plan and the interest range for a rambler or one -level living is around 30 percent. Levang stated she likes the Tudor style and the one -level living plans. Walsh stated he is a believer in a minimum of 10 -foot setbacks. McMillan noted one side will be 10 and the other side will be 5. Walsh stated he is not in favor of any 5 -foot setbacks. Printup stated he would like to see the 10 -foot setbacks as well and that the 5 -foot setbacks are too close McMillan noted the City has a fair amount of lakeshore homes that have 5 -foot setbacks. McMillan stated she would really like to see single-family homes in this area but that it may be necessary to have some higher density. McMillan stated in her view what is being presented here looks like it would be a good product and that in her view the issues can be worked out. Printup stated another thing that comes to mind when they talk about density is the impact it will have on the school if this development brings in a lot more starter families. McMillan noted Orono has 25 percent open enrollment right now and that they adjust it every year. Printup stated the City is only going to be growing in that area and he is not sure if the other governmental entities need to talk about this. McMillan stated there are a number of developers who really want to develop homes in the Orono School District and that there is a very strong demand. McMillan noted there is not that much land left in the Orono School District to develop. Levang stated the Orono School District has been aware that those properties would someday be developed and that in her view the City is not operating in a vacuum. Levang stated what she likes about the plan is the fact that there is privacy in the back yard. Levang stated with this plan they have been very careful about protecting that privacy and have done a very good job with that. Levang stated the City Page 39 of 41