04-25-2016 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 25, 2016 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 12 of 22 15. BIRCHES MN SPRING RIDE EVENT – HENNEPIN COUNTY WATER PATROL (continued) Other distances shore to shore include Tealwood at 1,953 feet, Underhill Circle to the east is 1,500 feet. The area to the right of that is 1.067 feet. The west bay of Long Lake is 3,000 feet at it’s widest and the east bay is 2,500 feet at its widest point. Adams stated Mr. Diveck’s revised proposal allows for approximately 700 feet setback from Tealwood, 400 feet from the cemetery, Birches and Summit Beach. At last week’s Long Lake City Council meeting Mr. Diveck said he would like to see 500 or even 1,000 feet, which is closer to the center of the lake. Regardless, how will this be accurately measured or enforced. Adams stated given the diagram, her property and that of the other residents would be considerably less than 700 feet from this zone. Also from the diagram it appears the residents are looking at less than 400 feet and it could likely be less than 300 feet given the path of the tow boat. The residents’ docks extend out another 40 feet, leaving approximately 260 feet between the dock and the proposed course. Adams stated it will be difficult for the tow boat to maintain the same exact path for every run and that maintaining the approximately 75-foot setback distance as stated by Mr. Diveck allows for a variance, so it could be up to 100 feet. Adams questioned who will be monitoring this for accuracy. Adams indicated a friend of hers who has a master’s degree in fluid dynamics did some basic calculations. While the calculations are too complicated to present this evening, the basic premise of those calculations is that waves can travel around the world and they don’t stop until they hit something. Adams stated his best logical guess is over 400 feet, the waves would dissipate by 15 to 20 percent. This event is to be staged in front of Birches. Since Birches has been opened, there have been growing pains and compromises, but overall it has been a positive and welcome addition to the community. The local residents all want him and Brenda to have the greatest success. Adams stated if she were Birches, she would exploit every opportunity to stage events in front of her business and that he is probably actively looking for activities year-round as any savvy business owner would do. Adams stated as word gets out, others will be coming to him. Adams stated approving this will set a precedent and unduly affect the most vulnerable areas of the lake as well as the most densely populated area of the lake. Adams stated Birches has not been on the lake long enough to understand how quickly and badly the shore can be damaged until they are forced to repair it. Long Lake is a welcoming lake for all users but violations of state laws are frequent. Adams stated unfortunately there is little to no enforcement on the lake. The lake is small and the Water Patrol has greater things to do than worry about Long Lake. Many of the residents have made calls to the Water Patrol over the years and it is usually the case of a little too late or no response at all. Many outside boaters know this and exploit it to their advantage. Adams thanked the Orono City Council for their attention and patience and that she would sincerely ask that they vote no to this permit. If the Council elects to approve the permit, she would request that they place some restrictions on the permit, such as Water Patrol supervision and relocating the line to the center of the lake.