11-12-2013 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE � ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday,November 12,2013 7:00 o'clock p.m. (8. #13-3638 and 13-3639 SOURCE LAND CAPITAL,LLC(PAT HILLER) OB/O GRANT WENKSTERN(LAKEVIEW GOLF), 405 NORTHARMDRIVE, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT AND SKETCH PLAN REVIEW, Continued) Bell stated his specific request to the City Council tonight is to ask that the approval deadline be extended for 60 days as permitted by Minnesota Statutes to allow for an adequate amount of time to explore reasonable and economic viable alternatives for the golf course and to properly vet the environxnental issues. The seller is maintaining and the Planning Commission seems to be supporting the concept that the golf course is no longer economically viable. Bell noted he has not seen any facts on the record to support this premise and there does not seem to be any factual basis to support three of Staff's fmdings on this matter. Bell noted approacimately a dozen years the City,the DNR,and a group of private residents were able to save and preserve significant acreage in the Orono Saga Hill area and turn it into permanent park land. The Saga Hill battle took a lot of hard work and creativity. While this developer mentioned leaving a legacy,the City should ask whether the kind of legacy they want to leave is like that of Saga Hill or whether they want to create a legacy where Orono starts to look a lot like Plymouth or Edina. Bell stated the development is out of character with the neighborhood,the City,and inconsistent with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan. Bell stated that principle is at stake depending on what action the Council takes tonight and in future meetings and that everyone has a moral and legal obligation to prevent a quick decision on something that is irrevocable that may affect future generations, if not centuries to come. George Daniels, 1375 Park Drive, stated over the years he has walked his dog past the golf course and he always thought,what a beautiful spot, and that he could envision a high-end residential community going in there some day. Daniels stated nobody wants to see a business go downhill and that they all love the open land and open space. Daniels stated the people who want to preserve the golf course, from what he has read,do not make a lot of sense since they already have the Orono Golf Course. Daniels stated in his view there are plenty of places to play golf and that they ought to be looking at the people that are coming forward tonight. Daniels stated the developers have hired the best landscape architects and are very qualified. The developer wants to construct a viable,upscale,beautiful comxnunity, and that they are asking to cluster � the houses to get 59 units in there so it is not two-acre lots all over the place. Daniels noted there is appro�mately 142 acres of land available and 118 buildable acres. Daniels stated from what he knows about the land development business,it is a long process and that they have to go through a number of government agencies,which does not happen overnight. The local residents knew the golf course was there,but now that people have stepped forward who want to take a risk,they want to delay it. Daniels stated in his view the residential development is a good use of the property. The golf course does not provide that much revenue to the City but 59 housing units will. If each lot generates$10,000,that is a lot of revenue for Orono. Page 20 of 36