04-19-2010 Planning Commission Packet

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MINUTES OF THE . SPECIAL ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday,Apri17,2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. options, including Lake Minnetonka Woods townhomes in Navarre, Orono Woods Senior Housing Center, and Stone Bay,which includes townhomes and condominiums. Orono's population has experienced relatively rapid growth from 1920 to 1050,followed by a declining growth rate from 1950 to 1970. Since 1970,the City has experienced slow growth of appr,oximately 5 percent per decade,which is probably a reflection of the rezoning. The future growth rate of the City is likely to increase as various housing options are developed. Gaffron noted there is little land available in the City to develop at the two acre density. Population at the present time is approximately 7600 and is expected to grow to 9400 by the year 2030. The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires the City to do comprehensive planning every ten years. The City is also required to comply with Metropolitan Council System statements within three years of their issuance. The system statements are long-range plans for Metropolitan systems, such as transit, sewer,water, and parks. The latest system statements were issued in 2005 and each of those statements has a direct impact on the City's land and development plans. The City's Comprehensive Plan must also comply with the Metropolitan Council forecasts relating to population,number of households, and employment. Gaffron indicated that employment is not a big issue at this time but that the household forecasts do pose some difficulties. Cities are required to revise their Land Use Plans as necessary to meet the benchmark numbers of the Metropolitan Council. . Gaffron reviewed the Comprehensive plan update process that the City has followed. The first meeting to discuss the Comprehensive Plan occurred in October 2007,with the City Council and Planning Commission reviewing and making appropriate changes as necessary. In June 2009,the first draft of the update was completed and posted on the City's web site. The City's Comprehensive Plan was then distributed to 12 surrounding municipalities, including school districts,fire and police deparhnents and Three Rivers Park District. Those municipalities have a six month review period in which to submit comments. Those comments are also submitted to the Metropolitan Council for an informal review. The Metropolita.n Council's informal review completed in July of 2009 indicated there were four main areas inconsistent with the systems statements. Number one, Orono's planned land use will fall short of forecasted population and household levels without significant changes to allow for greater density. Two,planned land use does not provide for Orono's assigned share of future metro-wide affordable housing need. The City must provide for 311 new affordable units by 2020. Three,planned sewered area density will not achieve an overall minimum net density of three units per acre for new sewered development. Four, continued development of Orono's Rural Area at historic two acre and five acre minimum lot sizes is inconsistent with the Metropolitan Council's Flexible Residential Development Guidelines and would require all unsewered development to occur at densities of no more than one unit per ten acres. Gaffron noted the Metropolitan Council has strengthened their rules and regulations to the point where they are requiring that any areas within MUSA have to achieve overall a density of three units per acre. The City's continued development of rural areas is inconsistent with the Metropolitan Councils guidelines. As it relates to the population inconsistencies, in 2008 the City did projections based on a parcel by parcel analysis minus the wetland areas and arrived at a projected population of 8150 by the year 2010. Metropolitan Council's forecast for housing for 2010 is 8300. The projected population by the Metropolitan Council for 2020 and 2030 exceed by 10 percent the amounts projected by the City. Page 2