05/19/03 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, May 19, 2003 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#5 #03-2889 RAVIA REAL ESTATE,LLC, Continued) 4. Additional screening is added along north and northeast boundaries of site to buffer from adjacent residential uses. 5. Applicant is suggesting the new plan has 42,000 s.f. gross square footage but contains only 21,000 net square feet for parking calculation purposes. Using ITE standards, applicant suggests parking needs are 2.79 stalls per 1000 s.f of gross floor space; 2.79 x 42,000/1,000 yields a 114 stall requirement. Gaffron stated that he was comfortable with 10 stalls per unit. 6. Applicant has had discussions with the City Engineer and Public Services Director regarding the grades for the service road and parking areas. The grades recommended by the City Engineer provide difficulties for designing the walkout concept proposed. Although applicant has indicated that they will accept the `approval of the City Engineer' as a condition of approval, we do not have a revised plan that meets the City Engineer's recommendations. 7. Applicants have had discussions with the manager of the Orono Shopping Center and have gained his general agreement to a 20' driveway connection to the north end of the property, subject to no runoff additions to the OSC property. After reviewing 16 issues for discussion, Gaffron indicated that the plan revisions would appear to be addressing some of the major concerns brought up by the public and the Planning Commission at the April meeting. Gaffron reported that staff believes the mix of owned/leased office spaces proposed is an appropriate and relatively low-intensity use of this site as compared to other possible B-6 uses. The design of the buildings is attractive and of a residential character. Staff is less concerned about the parking needs given the reduction in units and the data supplied. We still need to consider potential traffic flow impacts to the adjacent commercial use. Despite applicant's hope that the road grades can be worked out to allow the walkout use intended, the proposed road and parking lot grades are still an issue, and applicant should be advised to submit a revised grading plan addressing the City Engineer's recommendations. Planning Commission should address and if possible reach a final conclusion on site planning issues, including but not necessarily limited to the following: a) Is the scale and character of the buildings appropriate for the site, in terms of: - appropriate intensity of use and resultant impacts to surrounding properties, traffic, etc. -building setbacks, height, number of stories -basement/walkout exposure and elevation views - driveway layout, site access, interior circulation PAGE 18 of 39