01/20/2009 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Tuesday,January 20,2009 6:00 o'clock p.m. 5. The property abuts the Luce Line Trail,which as it traverses Orono,has a completely different feel than it does in Plymouth to the east; a rural feel rather than a suburban feel. Development of higher density or high-visual-profile residential uses on Site E would be out of character with the surroundings. 6. Residential development at a density of two or more units per dry buildable acre would be inconsistent with existing and expected residential development surrounding the property. While the property in Long Lake to the north is zoned to allow up to four units per acre, it has developed in the past with a wide range of lot sizes and at a substantially lower density than it is zoned for. The proposed senior assisted living facility will fill a gap in the senior"continuum of care"opportunities available within Orono. The services focus on the social,residential,rehabilitative and supportive needs of individuals as well as needs that are essentially medical in nature. The property was added to the Metropolitan Urban Service Area in 1987-1988 as part of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment No.2 pursuant to the Highway 12 Corridor Study. The inclusion was based to a great extent on the site limitations for on-site systems and the potential proximity to municipal sewer and water from the City of Long Lake. The development as proposed would require the extension of urban services to the site, including municipal sewer and water. The property is more than one mile from the urban services considered in the 2000-2020 CMP as critical to development of higher density housing, such as nearby commercial uses and public transportation. The applicants have indicated that proximity to urban services and public transportation are not factors affecting the proposed assisted living facility. The property is located between old Highway 12 and the new Highway 12 freeway corridor, separated from the adjacent single-family neighborhood in Long Lake by the Luce Line Trail which looks down on the site. Access to the property is solely from Wayzata Boulevard via a long driveway at the SE corner of the site,in order to allow for adequate sight distance from the Luce Line Bridge. Access to the site makes use of turn lanes and was difficult at certain times due to traffic levels prior to the recent opening of the new Highway 12 corridor. Additional site specific factors the Planning Commission should consider: 1. The property is to some extent an"orphan"with relatively little relationship to the development that surrounds it. It is surrounded on three sides by transportation corridors; it is topographically disconnected from the residential uses to the north; and it abuts a cemetery on the south. While the property in Long Lake to the north is zoned to allow up to four units per acre,it has developed in the past with a wide range of lot sizes and at a lower density than it is zoned for. A recent subdivision at the south end of Lindawood Road created a total of five single-family lots from 4.2 acres of land, a density of just over one unit per acre. 2. The day-care use at the site apparently had minimal success in its waning years, due to factors not fully lrnown to Staff but potentially related to vehicular access difficulties. The recent opening of the Highway 12 freeway segment has substantially reduced levels of traffic on Wayzata Boulevard. Because of the assisted-living nature of the proposed use and the relative immobility of its residents as well as the anticipated staffing levels,applicants have indicated that the trip generation for such a 46-unit facility is generally relatively low. PAGE 5