05-11-1999 Council Minutes Special City Council Meeting

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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 11, 1999 conditional use permit. The 1968 conditional use permit, however, did not specify whether Woodhill is Avenue would continue to be used as a secondary access, and it was unquestioned that County Road 15 was to be the access to the Country Club. Gaffron commented that the 1968 conditional use permit contains the following language: "Approximately 150 acres in Orono. Club house and various buildings for entertainment. Private club." In 1980, Woodhill Country Club closed off its Woodhill Avenue driveway access to most vehicular traffic and placed a chain across the entrance which became accessible only if the chain was removed by the Club. The Club informed the City in writing of its intent to voluntarily close the driveway, and stated that the Club reserved the right to use the entrance should it choose to do so in the future. In 1987, Woodhill Country Club, in conjunction with a private developer, subdivided the property south of Woodhill Avenue and created the five lot residential plat of Woodhill Ridge. The subdivision resulted in the following actions which are pertinent to this review: 1, created a new private road to serve Lots 1, 2, 4, and 5, extending southward from near the east end of existing Woodhill Avenue; 2, resulted in expansion of the dedicated right -of -way at the east end of Woodhill Avenue, apparently to incorporate the unused driveway leading from Woodhill Avenue into the Club property, so that said driveway would be within a public right -of -way rather than within one of the private residential lots; 3, resulted in upgrading of the existing Woodhill Avenue from Orono Orchard Road to a point just past the intersection with the new private road serving Woodhill Ridge, ending approximately 65 feet west of the Club's property boundary, but apparently to provide a connection to the old chained -off driveway; and 4, resulted in the City's granting an access easement in favor of Lot 3, Woodhill Ridge over Club property to Woodhill • Avenue in the event that County Road 15 access is blocked. In 1988, Woodhill Country Club applied for and was issued variances and a conditional use permit for a new maintenance building to be located approximately 160 feet east of the Woodhill Ridge subdivision and adjacent to the old driveway connecting to Woodhill Avenue. The only reference in the Planning Commission and Council minutes as to use of the old driveway was a negative response from the Club's surveyor to Zoning Administrator Mabusth's question whether the Woodhill Avenue connection would have to be opened during maintenance building construction. Gaffron stated he will let Mr. McCarthy and the Club representatives address the reasons why a secondary access is needed, and the traffic impact to County Road 15 and the secondary access. City Staff has identified some potential drainage and grading issues, and portions of the proposed gravel driveway have a relatively steep grade and therefore are subject to possible erosion. The rates and volumes of stormwater runoff generated by this access driveway do not warrant_a storm drainage pond nor other extensive stormwater management facilities. City Staff is recommending a paved driveway in that it would be less susceptible to erosion and sedimentation. City Code requires, since this is a business driveway, that all portions of the driveway in the right -of -way are required to be paved with bituminous material. Other potential neighborhood impacts identified by City Staff include dust from the proposed gravel driveway. A resolution to this problem may be to limit the traffic speed to ten miles per hour as proposed and periodic watering or calcium chloride treatments could also be utilized. Staff feels the additional traffic generated by this access will have little noise impact on the • Page 4