04-26-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 26, 2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. (7. ORONO 2010 -2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, Continued) Printup asked if the Art Center/Hill School could be defined as school/institutional. Gaffron stated the Metropolitan Council would have an issue with the City calling them something other than institutional but that the City Council could place specific guidance on that type of property. Printup asked whether other newspapers could be notified of the meetings. Printup noted the City's newsletter came out after the Comprehensive Plan meeting and that the public has not had the opportunity to digest the full extent of its ramifications. Last week the Planning Commission meeting was standing room only with the majority of the residents being opposed to the guiding of the high density near the fire station. Printup stated in his view it would be unfair to the citizens for the City Council to accept the land use being reguided at this point since there will be future discussion on it as it relates to the CommonBond project. Given the fact that the Comprehensive Plan has a huge importance and impact on the City, Printup stated in his view it would be appropriate for the citizens of Orono to be given more notification. The Comprehensive Plan will impact this community for the next 10 to 20 years but yet has only been discussed for the past months. Printup stated he would like the residents to have additional time to review and discuss this. Mayor White closed the public hearing at 8:15 p.m. • White noted the owner of the NAPA store has not contacted the City about the mixed use designation and that it does not affect the City greatly if they remove it from that district. White indicated he is not sure • what the intention is of the property owner for the future of that property but that the City does have the ability to add it back in later. White stated he would prefer to have the input of the property owner, especially given the comments of the neighbors McMillan asked whether it could become 100 percent residential and override the retail portion. Gaffron stated the City has not attempted to create a mixed use overlay district. The City has the opportunity over the next six months to create standards for a mixed use overlay district. Pure residential would be allowable in a mixed use. One of the City's stated goals is not to allow properties that are residential to become mixed with some commercial. That specific site could potentially become totally residential, but it would be directed through an ordinance after the Comprehensive Plan is adopted. McMillan stated keeping retail is also important to a residential neighborhood. Franchot stated his concern is that the Navarre area is a problem area already basically due to the traffic and the ability of the neighbors to live comfortably and happily but that the City would be missing an opportunity to address a significant problem area if it is taken out of the mixed use overlay district. Franchot commented that if someone comes to the City with a plan to change this part of Navarre into a way that will work, that nothing in this Comprehensive Plan precludes the City from doing that. Franchot stated he would prefer to expand the mixed use district in this area to give the City more flexibility since nothing that has been discussed to date has improved the situation. Given that, it may be time to consider other options for that area. Franchot asked how limited the City would be if that one parcel is removed from the mixed use overlay district. is Page 8 of 15