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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,April 21,2003 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> (#11 #03-2889 RAVIA REAL ESTATE,LLC, Continued) <br /> areas from the potential impacts of a proposed commercial/office development, as well as <br /> enhance the quality of such development. <br /> Originally, Gaffron reported, the property was part of a 7-acre tract that was platted into <br /> two lots for development in 2001. The easterly lot (Lot 2, 4.5 acres) was rezoned to RPUD <br /> and is now the site of Orono Woods Senior Housing. The west 2.6 acres became Lot 1, <br /> Orono Ambar, and was rezoned to B-6 Highway Commercial District. Lot 1 is the subject <br /> of the current application. <br /> Gaffron continued with a brief history of the parcel, noting that development of a 25,000 <br /> s.f. office building on Lot 1 was granted General Development Plan Approval via <br /> Resolution No. 4704 on October 22, 2001, subject to the provisions of Planned Unit <br /> Development Agreement No. 2A. PUD Agreement No. 2A established that the only <br /> permitted principal structure on Lot 1 is a 25,000 gross s.f. 2-story office building with <br /> underground and surface parking per the approved site plan. Permitted uses of that <br /> building are general office uses which may include business and professional offices of a <br /> general nature, and may include a clinic for human care on an outpatient basis only. The <br /> building may not be used for general retail use, but accessory retail uses could occur in up <br /> to 20% of the gross floor area of the building. <br /> Developer Frank Dunbar subsequently concluded that there was insufficient demand for <br /> the office building, and filed Application No. 02-2771 with the City in March 2002, <br /> proposing a 50-unit Phase II of Orono Woods Senior Housing for Lot 1. That application <br /> resulted in a public hearing during which the adjoining neighborhood expressed significant <br /> opposition to the project based on the size, orientation and intensity of the proposal. <br /> Dunbar did not proceed with that application, and has now sold the property to Wara Real <br /> Estate (one of the principal current applicants) contingent upon City approval for the <br /> proposed office project. <br /> With regard to the surrounding land use, Gaffron pointed out that directly to the north of <br /> the subject property is a residential neighborhood called "Sugarwoods". The only buffer <br /> between the applicants' office site and the residential use in Sugarwoods is a 40' wide <br /> platted outlot that is owned by the Sugarwoods Homeowners Association. Restrictions <br /> were placed on each lot within the Sugarwoods neighborhood that prohibits removal of <br /> trees greater than 2" in diameter within the rear setback for those lots located closest to the <br /> proposed development. The 40' buffer outlot is generally wooded. <br /> The subject property is located on Highway 12 and the Orono Ambar Senior Housing <br /> development is located to the east. Two parcels that are located west of the subject <br /> property are developed as the Orono Shopping Center and Conoco gas station; the lot <br /> directly adjacent to the west and surrounded on two sides by applicant's property contains <br /> nonconforming residential and industrial uses, including a welding shop. <br /> PAGE 18 of 40 <br />