09-12-2016 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, September 12, 2016 7:00 o'clock p.m. 20. #16-3854 ASHISH AGGARWAL ON BEHALF OF APEX HOLDINGS, LLC, 2635 KELLEY PARKWAY, SKETCH PLAN REVIEW (continued) Aggarwal stated there is always a trade-off with any property. Aggarwal stated they wanted to create a quiet community. Aggarwal noted land in Ramsey would be cheaper than Orono and that there is always a trade-off. Aggarwal stated people will have their own preferences and that this facility does not cater to everyone but is available to people who want to stay in Orono. Aggarwal noted there are some trails in the area and that they are close to the schools and some of the businesses. McMillan stated she understands the need for 72 units but that she has a concern about the density and the lack of open space. McMillan stated she is not sure what the right density is for this site and that she would need to consider that a little bit more. McMillan commented she gets a number of people asking about rental property and not senior citizen facilities. McMillan indicated she is torn about having a more intense care facility on this site. McMillan noted Trails of Orono has expanded their memory care and that she is concerned about the hospital or critical care piece of the facility. Gori noted this is not critical care and not a hospital but rather an assisted living facility. Gori noted the memory care is also part of the assisted living. Gori stated if anyone requires critical care, they are moved to the hospital. Gori stated the reason he fords this site appealing for senior housing is the location. Gori indicated there was a study done by Maxfield Research that shows a trend for seniors moving toward areas with high visibility, which keeps seniors actively engaged with what is going on. Gori stated seniors would rather look at traffic than deer. Walsh noted some of the units at Stonebay look at the same view as this building would and that he does not have a problem with the use and the density. Walsh stated Maxfield Research type of information would be helpful in determining whether the site should be rezoned. Walsh stated open space and parking are not as big of a demand for this type of use and that they might want to consider reducing the parking. Walsh noted there are three stories across the street and that he would be more comfortable with two stories. McMiIlan stated there is a feeling of open space at Stonebay given the wetlands and that even though the use is intense, it does not give that appearance since there is a lot of open space. McMillan commented she would like to have a dense development but not necessarily a big building with a little bit of green space around it. McMillan stated she is a little bit concerned about packing the site full. McMillan asked if the City would receive credit for all the units. Gaffron noted the City would receive credit for 48 based on the facility having kitchen facilities. McMillan stated that also concerns her. McMillan stated unfortunately the Metropolitan Council does not count memory care as a residential unit, which is also a concern. Levang asked whether underground parking is a possibility. Gori indicated there is underground parking on the east side under the independent living side. Page 28 of 34