03/15/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

Home Browse Search

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) Fritzler stated he doesn't see this as a pressing issue to re-zone. Any construction on this site would be going on while Highway 12 is being constructed and would create more of a traffic problem. Applicant responded about the difficulty of how to engineer the site with steep banks to the Luce Line. MNDOT is trying to find a place for all the dirt that will come from Highway 12 construction and he would like to put the dirt on this site. Chair Smith stated that if the two-acre minimum remains, that the dirt placement still could happen in conjunction with the development of Highway 12. Chair Smith determined a poll of the commission was needed. Berg said she finds the site hard to see as a two-acre site and thinks it is a site for higher density but doesn't know what density. Does not see 6 units per acre for sure as that is too dense. Applicant wants to table the application, not withdraw the application. He said his client is not interested in a two-acre site. His client is not any hurry to develop the site and can come to the city every six months. Gaffron stated that if the council denies the application, the applicant couldn't come back to the commission for six months. If the commission tables the application it would be useful to provide applicant with some guidelines for what the commission would like to see for this site. Gaffron also asked if the commission would like to look at the project again in a month or two depending on the applicant's needs. Chair Smith indicated that it seems five out of seven commissioners would like the property to stay at a two-acre minimum for the foreseeable future so it may be better to deny the application. She doesn't see what would change in a month or two to change the commission's stance. Gaffron asked if the project had been brought to you at two-units per acre would that have changed any opinions. Chair Smith asked if this was an opportunity for cluster housing. Gaffron responded affirmatively. He continued by saying three houses could be placed clustered together via a PRD at a low density that doesn't take up the whole site. You could locate them on some portion of the site that is efficient and save more of the wetlands. Chair Smith said the Fleming property is cluster housing around a wetland. The applicant stated the cluster system needs more than the one septic system. Page 34 of 48