10/18/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,October 18,2004 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#04-3063 WJM Properties, Continued) Leslie inquired why the entire perimeter of the property would not be fenced in. Johnson stated the perimeter is 1,200 feet on the side and 900 feet on the backside. Johnson indicated MN DOT might be fencing in the backside of the property with a 25-foot high retaining wall. On the west side a seven-acre pond is being constructed, with an open drainage ditch on the east side. Kempf stated in his view lighting is essential when there is a substantial amount of property sitting out and is a good deterrent to crime. Kempf pointed out this property is not located in rural Orono. Jurgens stated the property might not be located in rural Orono but that the lighting could possibly be visible for a number of miles. Jurgens stated he resides in rural Orono but still has a clear view of the golf dome and all the lights that are currently there. Jurgens stated with the addition of more lights, that area will be even more lit up and will impact the rural character of Orono in other geographical locations. Jurgens stated he would also like to know what the impact would be on the other side of new Highway 12. Jurgens pointed out that in addition to the downcast lighting,there will also be reflective light coming from this property. Jurgens stated he would like to have more information than what has been submitted. Johnson stated a lumen study has been submitted, and to his knowledge the lighting near the perimeter would be .1 or .2. Jurgens stated that lighting could still impact areas further away. Gaffron commented Orono's lighting code specifies that a person should not be able to see the source of the light from outside the property lines. Gaffron stated he is unsure whether this plan meets that code,noting that the code does not address reflective lighting and does not include lumen limits or requirements. Gaffron stated he would prefer the City Engineers review the plan to allow them to make some recommendations. Gaffron stated the minimal amount of commercial development in Orono has not required Staff to review and revise the code,but that this is a situation that could potentially have a huge impact on the neighboring properties if not handled appropriately. Rahn indicated he is in agreement with Staff. Johnson noted their site plan only depicts the north side of the site because the south side of the site is 10 acres of grass and trees. Johnson pointed out Highway 394 and the railroad are in close proximity to this site and that the residents would probably be impacted greater by those two items than by the lighting on this property. Johnson stated he would like the Planning Commission to work with him and to move the application forward. Johnson noted they are delaying moving the inventory onto the property until the lighting has been installed. PAGE 33 •