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� MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Tuesday,January 16,2007 <br /> • � 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> (#07-3250 Philip Carlson,Continued) <br /> 800 buildings,with possible connections southward to 12Brimhall, or west through the Otten Brothers <br /> property to willow Drive. The applicants are proposing no connection to Outlot D,but have designed the <br /> parking lot so that such a connection would be reasonably feasible in the future. Applicants have asked <br /> that cross-easements for public ingress/egress over the property and the senior housing site be established, <br /> as the current easements may be only for private use. ' <br /> The cities of Long Lake and Orono have been meeting for more than two years on a regular basis in <br /> � preparation for the turnback of Highway 12 to the County. An important aspect of this process is defining <br /> how existing Highway 12 will function once the bypass is opened. A full-turning-movement access <br /> directly across 12 from Shaughnessy Avenue is contemplated as one of two potential such intersections ' <br /> on 12 between Brown and Willow. This would provide a much more direct access to the applicants' site, <br /> especially for eastbound traffic desiring to enter the site, which could avoid having to go all the way to <br /> Brown, do a U-turn or drive through the senior housing driveway system. <br /> Gaffron stated critical to making access to the site work is the ability to make all turning movements <br /> feasible within the site. The proposed connection across the front of the site requires awkward,if not <br /> impossible,turning movements due to the acute angle between the service drive and the parking lot <br /> entrance. A driver exiting the office condos would have severe difficulty turning to the west,while a <br /> driver entering from the west would also have difficulty. This issue is called out by the City Engineer in <br /> his January 10 comments and should be adequately addressed. It may require a complete redesign of the <br /> connection. <br /> The applicant has chosen the current proposal in hopes of avoiding having to lower the entire site an <br /> additional two to four feet,which may be necessary in order to make the connection functional while <br /> maintaining acceptable parking lot grades. The costs of such additional lowering were the basis for the <br /> applicant's resistance to this suggestion in 2005. It also has implications on retaining wall heights, <br /> building exposures, drainage, etc.,which would have to be addressed. <br /> Staff feels this application at the present time is incomplete and would require a number of plan revisions , <br /> , and submittals necessary to allow the City to determine whether the plan as submitted is feasible and that <br /> he is not able at this time to say whether the items submitted today by the applicants would satisfy the . <br /> requests of Staff for additional information. <br /> Chair Rahn inquired whether the applicants have addressed the City Engineer's comments. <br /> Shopek indicated they just received the comments from the engineer earlier today but that they appear to <br /> be minor in nature. Shopek stated the main issue is the access to the site and the circuitous route from <br /> Wayzata Boulevard through the site and that they would be addressing that issue. Shopek stated they <br /> would like to make the revisions prior to the Council meeting and have all the issues resolved prior to <br /> moving forward to the City Council. Shopek stated they could create a 90-degree turn-in,turn-out. <br /> Gina Carlson,Interspace West, stated their plan is not totally accurate as depicted and that they have <br /> made revisions recently based on the comments by Staff and the City Engineer. <br /> PAGE 8 <br />