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) Daniels stated in his view this is a good project and that he would ask the City Council to move ahead on the Comprehensive plan amendment and keep the application moving forward. Stephen Hosmer, 1040 West Cove Lane,Minnetrista, stated he and his wife moved out to this area for the open space. The area is beautiful and is a jewel in the crown of Orono. A site like this is not found anywhere else in the City. Hosmer stated the presentations by the potential developer were excellent and provided a vision of what the development could be. Hosmer stated he would like to step back for a minute and go back to the first part of the application, which is the Comprehensive Plan amendment. The Comprehensive Plan was done in the form of a promise to the community and the surrounding communities that this is what the people in the community could expect going forward. It says if open space becomes available,the City should attempt to acquire that open space. What has happened is that a group of concerned citizens have gotten together to come up with alternatives to the housing development and retain the open space. Hosmer stated the only way that can happen is if the residents are given an opportunity to come up with their own concepts. Hosmer noted the consultant indicated retaining the current open space is not viable,but is that known for a fact. Hosmer asked whether residents have been given an opportunity to see if there are other ways to retain the open space. The consultant also said that continued use of the golf course is not feasible. Hosmer stated while the current way of running the golf course may not be feasible,there perhaps are other ways that it could become financially feasible. Hosmer stated the last point the consultant said was that the City cannot compel a single property owner to provide public area or space. Hosmer noted the group is not asking the Council to compel the owner to maintain this open space but that they are requesting an opportunity to acquire the space from him and make him financially whole. The group is saying they will find a way where his needs will be met and the directives of the Community Management Plan can also be followed,which is to keep,encourage,and acquire open space. Hosmer stated the Mayor indicated on the previous application that the development would be a short- term gain for the developer which sometimes comes at the long-term expense of the City or words to that effect. Hosmer stated in his view that is the case here. The developer will come in and be gone but Orono will be left with that property. If you look over this contiguous section of approximately 120 acres consisting of woods and open space,it will not be the same as houses clustered between roads and cul-de- sacs. The City Council has a responsibility to consider that under the Community Management Plan and how it will affect the community going forward. The City Council owes it to the residents to give them 60 days to come up with alternatives. The residents only just became aware of the proposal recently and that the decision should be tabled for 60 days so the residents can develop something on their own. Page 21 of 36