09-19-2016 Planning Commission Packet

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• The proposetl plan will provide better stormwater and phosphorous control than a Rural Area tlesign • The Character of the area will not be altered due to the project but complimented with similar style lots, both along the lake and along Brown Road. • The site abuts the Urban Area designation and is across from Sugar Woods, a similar style development. • The site borders the Urban Area designation to the west, Long Lake to the east, commercial properties and high density to the South and Southwest • The site is within the MUSA and easily accessible to sewer and water services. • The site is within the Developing Area designation of the Met Council • The site is within the Low-Density designation of Orono's Land Use Plan and not within the Rural designations • The development is at the low end of the density range for low density residentiai • There are several subdivisions within the Rural Area that are as developed or more developed than the proposed plan. The Comprehensive Plan guides the Property"Low Density Residential." This land use designation has a corresponding density of 0.5 units per acre to 2 units per acre. The Property(including both PID's) has a total gross land area of 27 acres and a buildable (net area)of 20.92 acres. Density is calculated on the developable or net acres of land on the Property. The total number of housing units that this Property could support while complying with the Comprehensive Plan is 40 total housing units. We understand that the city's Comprehensive Plan and its policies will determine what is the appropriate density for the site. Because of the property's unique and limiting factors such as creek, lake and wetlands; we realize that a far less number of lots are best suited for the site. The property, and the market alike, desire less density and therefore the Plan shows 25 lots. The large lots on the lake and creek will maintain the rural character of the lake and the land to the north while the remaining land will transition to smaller lots to complement the existing development along Brown Roatl. The overall density, in gross calculation, is near the same as Sugar Woods across Brown Roatl, which is a very successful PUD development. In order to assist in untlerstanding our proposed density, since there are a variety of lot sizes, the Owners have put together an illustration (Exhibit E)that compares Sugar Woods to our Plan. We understand that Sugar Woods was developed at a much different time than current codes and that it contained no wetland nor does it provide stormwater, open space or environmental improvements. Our comparison is strictly to demonstrate the similarity in density between the two sites. Sugar Woods across the street: 32.1 gross acres (approx.)with 25 lots= 0.78 units per acre [in MUSA, labeled urban, has sewer and water, no wetlands and no storm water management, in the Shoreland Overlay of Dickey Lake, great tree preservation, luxury homes) Our Plan: 27 gross acres(approx..)with 25 lots=0.93 units per acre [has wetlands we will restore and enhance, Dickey Creek and Long Lake we will improve with enhanced Storm Water technology, has trees we will work towards saving to the extent possible] The proposed project will meet the environmental goals of the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Management Plan by implementing stormwater techniques that minimize phosphorus runoff and provides restoration to the degraded natural features within the site. By resolving the environmental concerns of the � Comprehensive Plan we believe that the density concerns, as raised in the plans, are also resolved. The site is � � �