03/15/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, March 15, 2004 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#11. #04-2994 LANDFORM, STEVE JOHNSTON, REPRESENTING SWERVO DEVELOPMENT, 875 W. WAYZATA BLVD., COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT-Continued) Gaffron indicated that Staff recommends denial of the request, for the following reasons: • The basic characteristics used to establish the areas recently re-guided higher density residential use are not present at this site. Primarily, the site is not near a commercial area that can provided the urban services, nearby shopping, public transportation, walkability, etc. that were compelling reasons for the recent re-guidings. • Insertion of higher density housing into the defined Rural Area for a property that the owner finds difficult to develop does not necessarily promote or advance the City's housing goals of providing life-cycle housing where appropriate services can be provided. • The property does have a variety of potential uses under the current Rural status and RR- 1B zoning, and the fact that the property will now have a freeway along its SW boundary does not in itself suggest that those uses are no longer viable. Frankly, if the site is acceptable for multi-family housing units, why isn't it acceptable for single family units as currently guided? • The development of housing at a density of 6 units per acre on this site, or potentially as many as 18 units of townhomes, would be totally inconsistent with surrounding development. • The potential negative visual and related activity impacts associated high-density residential development abutting the Luce Line Trail would be inconsistent with the City's vision for the Rural Area. • The areas re-guided for higher density housing in the 2000-2020 CMP have yet to be developed, and it is premature to consider additional areas until those initial areas are developed. Applicant had an opportunity to talk about the project. He said that he is fine with tabling this application after a little discussion this evening and if the decision is to wait until there are higher density developments in place that would also be fine with him. He explained the daycare facilities didn't work on this site because after parents picked up their children they found it very difficult to turn left (west) onto Highway 12 because of the heavy flow of traffic. Public member, Alfred Bronte, 925 W. Wayzata Blvd., is not interested in having townhomes on this property. He stated the area is all residential. It is planned for single-family homes. Public member, Dick Reinhart, 985 Old Long Lake Road, asked if traffic flow didn't work for the daycares, what makes the applicant feel it would work for multi-family housing. Applicant responded that the large majority of traffic leaving the site would turn right (east) because it would largely be commuter traffic. Page 32 of 48