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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Monday, July 21, 2014 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br />  <br />Page 1 of 30  <br />  <br />ROLL CALL <br /> <br />The Orono Planning Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: <br />Chair Denise Leskinen, Commissioners Kevin Landgraver, Bruce Lemke, Christopher McGrann, Loren <br />Schoenzeit, and John Thiesse. Representing Staff were Community Development Director Andrew <br />Mack, Senior Planner Michael Gaffron, City Planner Melanie Curtis, and Recorder Jackie Young. Mayor <br />Lili Tod McMillan was present. Commissioner Jon Schwingler arrived at 6:40 p.m. <br /> <br />Chair Leskinen called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. <br /> <br />CONSENT AGENDA <br /> <br />*1. APPROVAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES OF JUNE 16, 2014 <br /> <br />Leskinen moved, Landgraver seconded, to approve the minutes of the Orono Planning Commission <br />meeting of June 16, 2014, as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 6, Nays 0. <br /> <br />NEW BUSINESS <br /> <br />2. #13-3645 GARY BRIGGS, 1905 CONCORDIA STREET, AND BRIAN SUNDSTROM, <br />1895 CONCORDIA STREET, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND VARIANCE, 6:33 P.M. – 6:52 <br />P.M. <br /> <br />Gary Briggs and Brian Sundstrom, Applicants, were present. <br /> <br />Curtis stated the applicants are requesting approvals in order to repair and restore slope failures which <br />occurred in their lakeshore yards. In July of 2013, the Briggs property at 1905 Concordia Street suffered <br />a catastrophic failure of the lake slope. The property owner has been trying to develop a restoration plan <br />that meets both the City’s and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District’s goals to stabilize the slope and <br />eliminate the sedimentation into the lake and his goals for stability, aesthetics and lake access. A portion <br />of the failure on the Briggs property extends across the property line onto the Sundstrom/Olausen <br />property at 1895 Concordia Street. <br /> <br />Mr. Briggs has recently provided the City with a plan for non-engineered, stepped retaining walls with <br />plantings to restore his lakeshore slope. He has proposed to tie his restoration into the portion of the <br />Sundstrom/Olausen property that connects with his failure area. <br /> <br />Curtis stated this past July the Sundstrom/Olausen property experienced a separate, less severe failure of <br />the top of their shoreline slope. In discussing the potential restoration of the Sundstrom/Olausen property <br />with the owners, it appears they would prefer a more natural restoration for their recent failure involving <br />minimal walls/boulders and extensive plantings. Sundstrom/Olausen has not yet provided the City with a <br />plan for their portion of the slope restoration but have hired the same surveyor and contractors as Mr. <br />Briggs in order to develop a plan that works in conjunction with Mr. Briggs’ restoration. <br /> <br />Sundstrom and Olausen have discussed their plans with City Staff and the consulting city engineer. It <br />appears the plan would result in possibly one wall at the bottom of the failure near the lake to anchor the <br />slope and primarily consists of stabilization mats and deep-rooted vegetation. <br /> <br />Item #01 - PC Agenda - 08/18/2014 <br />Approval of Planning Commission Minutes <br />[Page 1 of 30]