02-16-2016 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Tuesday,February 16,2016 6:30 dclock p.m. Staff has discussed this development, as well as other proposed developments, with the Metropolitan Council. Development of this property and others guided for medium density at a lower density will trigger the requirement for formal amendment of the CMP. With that amendment,there will be an expectation that other developable properties will be reguided for higher density to offset the decrease. The Metropolitan Council guidelines require an overall new sewered development density of at least three units per acre. The applicants are also requesting rezoning of the property from RR-1 B to a Residential Planned Unit Development. The current zoning has been in place since the 1975 rezoning. The RPUD district contains detailed development standards with regards to lot size and setbacks, building design, landscaping, screening and buffering, and trails and recreation. The RPUD district offers some flexibility to those standards. The third part of the application is a preliminary plat review process. Page 4 of Staffls report contains a table that shows the minimum lot size and other minimum requirements. The proposed lots range from 7,500 square feet, which is approximately half the standard,to as much as 66,000 square feet. The larger lots include a portion of the wetlands. The applicants are proposing that the wetlands be included as part of individual lots, which is not an unusual situation. As a result, a homeowners association would not be required to maintain that area. The majority of the lots are in the range of 15,000 square feet. The minimum RPUD-required lot width at setback line is 90 feet, with the majority of the proposed lots being at 65 feet. Some lots are at 45 feet due to their location on the cul-de-sac. All the lot depths are at 125 feet, which meets the RPUD standards. The minimum required front building setback is 25 feet. The applicant is proposing 20 to 25 feet setbacks. The minimum rear or side setback to Wayzata Boulevard is 50 feet, which the applicants will meet. As it relates to the side yard setbacks, the RPUD standard is 10 feet. The applicants are proposing for most of the lots a side setback on one side of five feet and ten feet on the other. Gaffron noted there will be situations where there will be a 5-foot setback against a 10-foot setback or a 10-foot setback against a 10-foot setback or a 5-foot setback to a 5-foot setback. The 65-foot lots will generally have a 10-foot setback and the 45-foot lots will have a 5-foot setback. Gaffron stated as it relates to minimum rear yard setback, the applicant is proposing rear yards that are roughly 20-plus feet in depth. Gaffron stated he does not anticipate it being an issue but the Planning Commission may wish to discuss that. The applicant will also meet the wetland building setback as well as the building height restriction. A letter from the neighboring property owners has been submitted with the request that it be included in the resolution. The intent is to ensure that the future property owners are aware of the potential consequences of living next to a working farm. The farrr►work involves the use of heavy vehicles, sprayers, pruning compressors and other metal working equipment. Machinery is parked along the east property line,which is essentially the west boundary of this development. The trees are sprayed every ten days from May to October. The farm operation involves production of potentially objectionable odors and noise. Gaffron stated the Dumas family believes those are factors that the developer and future property owners need to understand and that those are pre-existing conditions that could remain for many years to come. Page 9 of 30