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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,August 17,2015 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> big nuisance and that in his view it should be a matter of equity since the residents have to look at this <br /> project. Mithun stated the development sounds like a very nice development but that the City needs to <br /> look at the safety, overall nuisance, and overall equity of the matter. <br /> Kevin Kokesh, 1399 Orono Lane, stated he is representing Dr. Kelly Kromer, who lives in the <br /> neighborhood at the end of Heritage Lane. Kokesh stated most everything has been said already, but that <br /> he would like to stress that this unimproved right-of-way is really stunningly unimproved. Kokesh stated <br /> it looks like no man has ever touched it and that it is full of trees, hilly, and marshy. The trees look like <br /> they have been there for 200 years and it is the most pristine looking property you have ever seen. <br /> Kokesh stated the developer keeps talking about the bluffs on Mr. Jacobs' property and how difficult it <br /> would be to put a road through there. Kokesh stated putting a road through the right-of-way is also not <br /> going to be easy and that he is not sure how they will get around cutting trees down in there. Kokesh <br /> stated he would ask the Planning Commission to try to find an alternative access and that it would be <br /> really disappointing to see that area denuded. <br /> Kelly Rische, 1180 Heritage Lane, stated she has two of the 16 children that reside in the neighbor and <br /> that her son just turned 10. Rische stated her son was going to speak tonight but that he was not able to <br /> make it through the meeting. Rische stated the first thing he said once he heard about the development <br /> was, how is the school bus going to get through and how is that going to affect me getting to school. <br /> Rische stated she would echo the remarks of the other neighbors. <br /> Greg Coward, 1950 Heritage Drive, noted he is not part of the association and that their driveway used to <br /> come off of County Road 15. Coward stated he would like to address the impact the construction traffic <br /> will have on his ability to access County Road I 5. Coward stated while the construction traffic will not <br /> be directly in front of their house,the problem is that there is traffic coming from both directions, which <br /> includes large trucks, an that there are blind spots coming from both the east and the west. In addition, <br /> there is a short turn lane in to Heritage Lane. Coward stated a person should not try to get onto County <br /> Road 15 when a car is turning because there is a telephone pole, an electric box, and sometimes tall grass, <br /> all of which can blind a person to traffic coming from the west. Coward noted concrete trucks do not <br /> accelerate very well and will have a difficult time getting out. <br /> Melanie Flessner, 1190 Heritage Lane, stated according to Hennepin County, this area experiences <br /> approximately 30,000 vehicles per day on County Road 15. Flessner stated they do end up with other <br /> situations with the traffic in addition to the difficulty getting in and out and making left and right turns. <br /> The residents also experience people being rear-ended as they enter the neighborhood. Flessner stated <br /> this is a high collision area and that it is very difficult to get in and out with a vehicle, much less a large <br /> construction vehicle. Flessner stated she does not recommend it. <br /> Dennis Libby, 1000 Heritage Lane, stated in addition to the packet he submitted,there is another photo he <br /> would like to draw the Planning Commission's attention to. Libby noted the cul-de-sac is the turnaround <br /> for the school bus. Libby stated as the children are picked up and dropped off on a daily basis,the school <br /> bus backs up into his driveway and then goes back out. Libby stated if there is any removal of that part of <br /> the cul-de-sac, the City will need to figure out how the school bus is going to turn around. Libby stated in <br /> his view they should try to avoid any part of the cul-de-sac being removed. <br /> Libby stated he is also a member of the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce and that they take great pride in <br /> the preservation work that has been done with the Historical Society. Libby stated they helped with the <br /> Page 34 of 43 <br />