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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,June 15,2015 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Gaffron noted the site will need to be rezoned and will likely be rezoned to RPUD. The City's RPUD <br /> Code has a number of standards for single-family lots. Pages 2 and 3 in Staffls report discuss the <br /> flexibility that would be required in order to allow this type of development to be an RPUD district. The <br /> standard for minimum lot size is 15,000 square foot lot and the applicants are proposing around 5,600 <br /> square feet. The applicant is also proposing 45 feet as a minimum lot width at the setback line and 11 feet <br /> as the minimum front setback. <br /> Gaffron stated the proposed development is not similar in character to other developments in Orono or in <br /> the surrounding area. Gaffron stated it could be considered somewhat similar to Stone Bay, but as <br /> proposed,these would be individual lots and Stone Bay has twin homes or triples that have a pad that <br /> typically extends a foot outside the building, with the rest of the areas being a common area. Gaffron <br /> stated this proposal is showing virtually no common areas at this point other than the road. <br /> The property consists of three separate parcels totaling 12.7 dry buildable acres, which is proposed to be <br /> subdivided to create 51 single-family lots. The layout of the site is dictated by a number of factors, <br /> including the location of wetlands,the collector or arterial roadways, the need to locate road access points <br /> directly across from those serving the Orono Industrial Park, and the provision for future road extensions <br /> to the Dumas property. <br /> Based on discussions with Staff, the applicants have created a concept plan that takes into account those <br /> factors and results in a site layout with two road entrances onto Old Crystal Bay Road and none onto <br /> Wayzata Boulevard. <br /> Gaffron stated one of the issues with this development is whether or not there are going to be basements <br /> and whether the area abutting the development road will be built up in order to create walkouts. Staff has <br /> asked the applicant to extend the roads going to the west all the way to the property line with a potential <br /> to have future connections to the Dumas property. Gaffron stated at this time Staff does not know what <br /> will happen with that property but at the present time there are no plans to develop it. Gaffron stated that <br /> further raises the question of whether this should be a public or private road. <br /> Gaffron stated the Planning Commission should discuss the following: <br /> 1. Is the Planning Commission comfortable with the density of the proposed 51-unit single-family <br /> development? Should the City be striving for more density or less density at this location? Is <br /> single-family housing right for this area? <br /> 2. Due to the number of units to be served both initially and potentially in the future, and given the <br /> density of the proposed development, it would follow that the road system should be public. The <br /> Planning Commission should discuss the merits of this being a public or private road. <br /> 3. The general design and orientation of dwelling units proposed and the minimal lot sizes and <br /> setbacks as compared to the RPUD standards would indicate the need for a significant level of <br /> development flexibility with this concept. <br /> 4. The minimal setbacks proposed result in extremely small yards, front, side and rear. This creates <br /> a scale of single-family detached development not currently existing in Orono. The Planning <br /> Commission should discuss this issue and determine what impacts result with the minimal <br /> Page 47 of 53 <br />