01-06-2014 Council Minutes Special Meeting

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MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 6, 2014 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 27 (1. #13-3638 and #13-3639 SOURCE LAND CAPITAL, LLC (PAT HILLER) O/B/O GRANT WENKSTERN (LAKEVIEW GOLF), 405 NORTH ARM DRIVE – COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT AND SKETCH PLAN REVIEW, Continued) Printup noted the City’s Comprehensive Plan came about in the mid-1970s, and that he is struggling with the strength of the Comprehensive Plan versus the land use and zoning of properties. Printup noted that reconciling those two appears to be causing a number of people some issues. Gaffron stated the zoning of Orono did not start until 1950. In November of 1950, the area where Lakeview exists was zoned the Forest Lake District, which required a 15,000 square foot minimum lot size and a 75-foot lot width. Over the next 10 years, the City required that all new developments have larger lot areas and lot widths. In 1960, the requirements for the majority of the City became one acre lots with a 140-foot lot width. In 1967, the City rezoned large portions of Orono, with roughly the northwest half of the City being zoned R-1C, which consisted of single-family, one-acre minimum lot sizes and 145-foot lot widths. That zoning was changed again in 1975 to RR-1B, which is the City’s typical rural residential two-acre minimum. That two acre zoning exists today. Gaffron stated in terms of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the first plan was adopted in 1974, and shows lakeshore residential lot for the southeasterly three-quarters of the properties and rural residential for the northwesterly three-quarters of the properties. That 1974 plan also indicated recreation facilities of metropolitan significance. Gaffron stated his assumption is that it means a recreation area that drew more than just the local residents, such as the different golf courses. In 1980, the City adopted a new Comprehensive Plan. The land use plan showed various areas as park and recreation areas, including all public and privately owned golf courses. In the 2000-2020 Comprehensive Plan, it listed a category for park, recreation and open space. The City’s 2008-2030 Comprehensive Plan had the same designation. Gaffron stated the City’s Comprehensive Plans over the years contained zoning that allowed residential development as early as 1950 and it has been zoned residential ever since. Gaffron noted the City did not have a guide plan until 1974, but that guide plan has always shown this property as a park and recreation area. Anderson asked if a different type of weighting was given in 1995 to the primary land controls in the Comprehensive Plan versus the City’s zoning ordinances. Gaffron stated she is probably talking about the Comprehensive Plan versus zoning and the hierarchy of one over the other. Mattick stated there was some discussion back then about which takes priority - the Comprehensive Plan or the City’s zoning to the extent they are inconsistent. Mattick stated in some of the materials that have been submitted tonight, it suggests that the Comprehensive Plan controls. Mattick stated in his view the history of the City’s Comprehensive Plans is important, but in terms of the hierarchy and which one controls, that does not really matter at this point. Mattick stated in his opinion, based on the MN Supreme Court and the state statutes, it is more important for the City to get them in alignment with each other. Mattick stated whether that is accomplished by changing the Comprehensive Plan or zoning ordinances does not matter but that they need to be consistent.