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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION <br />Monday, October 21, 2013 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br />  <br />Page 34 of 42  <br />  <br />Schoenzeit asked what the land valuation is for one to two acres or one to five and how much it is worth <br />as a golf course. Schoenzeit asked which one would be more valuable. <br /> <br />Hiller indicated they have not made that evaluation since it is not their intent to continue it as a golf <br />course. Hiller noted the golf course is currently a failing business and that the underlying asset is the <br />land. Two acre lots would be more valuable versus the five are zoning but that he does not have the exact <br />numbers. Hiller stated from a pure mathematical standpoint, it would be more valuable with higher <br />density. The highest value to the landowner is the two acre density and the clustering on the site from a <br />developer standpoint might not have much difference in value. <br /> <br />Schoenzeit asked if it is worth 25 million as a cluster, 10 million with five acre sites, or 2 million as a <br />golf course. <br /> <br />Hiller stated anybody who looked at the property would have a different answer depending on how they <br />envision it. Hiller stated he would prefer to keep how they value the property private. <br />Schoenzeit asked if it has less value as a golf course than a developed site. <br /> <br />Hiller indicated that is correct. <br /> <br />McGrann asked Staff for clarification on when notice of the public hearing first went out. <br /> <br />Gaffron stated the standard notice is mailed out on the Friday a week ahead of the Monday meeting to <br />meet the 10-day requirement. Quite often those notices show up on a Saturday. In this case, if it did not <br />show up on Saturday, it would have been Tuesday. Gaffron noted the notice is mailed out to residents <br />within a 350-foot radius and that there was quite a list of people who were notified. <br /> <br />Leskinen asked how the Planning Commission feels about the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if this is a conditional purchase based on a change in the zoning. <br /> <br />Hiller stated the property is under contract and that it is conditioned upon receiving approval since it <br />would not be practical to purchase it without a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Hiller indicated they do <br />have a time line to follow in order to move it along based on the decision tonight. <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if there is a right of last refusal. Landgraver asked if the people who believe there is <br />another alternative have the ability to beat that price. <br /> <br />Hiller indicated there is no language of that sort in the contract. <br /> <br />Thiesse stated in his view the application should be tabled. <br /> <br />Leskinen noted the underling zoning is the RR-1B , which would be the Comp Plan Amendment. <br />Leskinen asked if this proposal is subject to the 60-day rule. <br /> <br />Gaffron indicated it is and it would expire on November 26. The City has the ability to extend that for <br />another 60 days upon notification to the applicant, which would take it up to approximately January 24. <br /> <br />Thiesse requested an outline for reasonable uses of open spaces in the City of Orono be provided. <br />Item #01 - PC Agenda - 11/18/2013 <br />Approval of Planning Commission Minutes 10/21/2013 <br />[Page 34 of 42]