11-20-2000 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,November 20,2000 (#2640/2641 ORONO AMBAR,Continued) • Weinberger stated they are proposing to rezone this property,which requires a comprehensive plan amendment to change the guided land use designation for at least Lot 2. The rezoning would allow Lot 1, which is proposed to have a 23,000 square foot office building constructed on it,to be rezoned to the B-6 District. The second rezoning would be to rezone Lot 2 to the RPUD, which would establish standards for a multi-family residential senior use of the building. The Applicant is proposing to construct a three-story, 70 unit senior housing facility. The housing would be similar to other senior housing facilities. Weinberger stated the 1980 Comprehensive Plan and the revised Comprehensive Plan has this area guided for commercial use. The proposed senior housing would not fit under this designation, which results in the need for a comprehensive plan amendment for Lot 2. Weinberger stated Section 10.53 defines the standards and review process for a Highway 12 PUD,which is really the umbrella for this process being put in place to allow rezoning to occur on this property. Weinberger noted Section 10.52 defines special requirements for rezoning along the Highway 12 corridor. The Applicant has provided site plans for both projects. Weinberger noted a site plan review is required for each individual lot. Commercial site plan will typically involve all of the reviews that are typically involved in any type of site plan review, including such things as landscaping, parking, lighting,traffic flow, building height, setbacks, architectural materials, screening, and any other design or use issues that exist. Weinberger noted this is a preliminary plat application, which also involves replatting and • subdivision of the two lots. Lot 2 consists of approximately four acres in size and would house the senior housing facility. The 70 units would result in a density of 17.5 units per acre on the property,which is higher than any other zoning district within the City of Orono,therefore the RPUD ordinance would apply in this case. The RPUD would rely heavily on the Comprehensive Plan designation for the lot to guide the lot towards the type of uses and densities that would be allowed on this property. The RPUD would also provide those incentives that are consistent with Orono's housing goals and includes modifications to regular density requirements. The housing goal in this case is to provide moderately priced senior housing. Weinberger stated the office use being proposed for Lot 1 would not require a comprehensive plan amendment since the underlying land designation is for commercial use for the entire site. Lot 1 consists of 2.1 acres. Weinberger noted the Applicant are looking for a conceptual plan review and approval at this time. Weinberger stated the preliminary plat would fall under the preliminary plat standards. Because this is a non-residential plat,the City has the option of applying additional requirements that the City would help this development fit within the neighborhood and to protect adjacent areas from any nuisance uses on the property. Weinberger stated some of those provisions would include permanent landscape buffer strips and any other additional screening or design elements that would help it fit into the neighborhood better. The Applicant is proposing to plat Lot 1 as an individual lot. Lot 2 would be platted creating a building with 70 units, which would be accomplished by creating 70 separate tax parcels and PAGE 24