12-12-2005 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, December 12, 2005 7:00 o'clock p.m. (6. #05 -3131 STEVE BOHL OF BORLAND DEVELOPMENT, INC., 190 WILLOW DRIVE NORTHAND 177 GLENDALE DRIVE, Continued) Services, to address the conservation design goals and objectives. The topics addressed by AES include forest preservation, forest enhancement and expansion, wetland preservation, wetland enhancement and expansion, vegetated buffer establishment, stormwater management, and ecological restoration and management. The Planning Commission concluded that the RPUD standards for SFR development are generally appropriate for this site, with a few minor revisions. The proposed SFR development for eight homes has an average dry buildable lot area of slightly under 16,000 square feet, with no new building lots less than 14,000 square feet as recommended by the Planning Commission. This fits into the general range of lot sizes in the surrounding neighborhood. The Hackberry neighborhood directly to the west in Orono has existing developed SFR lots generally ranging in size from 17,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet. The Planning Commission has recommended that the new road be a private cul -de -sac road. This is reasonable, even though this is becoming an "urban" area of the City, because of the rezoning to RPUD and because only a small number of homes will be served, with minimal potential for connection through to another road. However, underlying City road and utility easements should be granted, so that if the church property is someday further developed and connects a through road to Glendale Drive, the option to make it public will exist. Because this will be an urban development, the City will ultimately own and maintain the sanitary sewer lines. The RPUD standards require that each RPUD development shall provide a minimum of ten percent of the gross project area in private recreational uses for project residents. The Planning Commission determined that the church lot is not considered part of the RPUD development, meaning that 0.5 acre must be devoted to private recreation area. Staff finds that this rezoning/subdivision proposal has been revised a number of times and has generally or specifically addressed all concerns raised by Staff and the Planning Commission. Staff would recommend that Council direct Staff to draft a resolution for General Concept Plan Approval for review at the January 9°i Council meeting. Steve Bohl stated he did compile a list of questions that he would like addressed. Bohl stated he would like the trail addressed and whether the street should be public or private. Bohl stated typically in his experience this type of road would be a public road rather than a private road. Bohl recommended the developer construct the trail and questioned whether an outlot should be created or whether the land the trail is on should be dedicated to the City. Bohl stated if the trail is to be a public trail, he would like the long -term maintenance of the trail to be assumed by the City. Bohl also questioned who would assume liability if something happens on the trail. Murphy questioned whether the Planning Commission or Staff has a definite idea of how the trail system within this development would connect to the outer world. Murphy questioned whether a trail crossing in front of the fire station would be the ideal situation. Gappa stated the reason the east side of the road was selected is because the City controls the fire station property and the land to the west is fully developed and there is no chance of obtaining easements at this PAGE 6 of 20