10/15/2012 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, October 15, 2012 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 and establishment of 35-foot wetland buffers and buffer setbacks will be triggered for lots containing wetlands. The original home and a bridge over the drainage creek exists on Lot 3. There is also a barn on Lot 4 that is proposed to be removed. The existing driveway will be abandoned and an outlot will be platted west of the driveway which will serve as the private road/cul-de-sac. A stormwater pond is proposed to be created straddling Lot 1 and Lot 2 to address new stormwater from the new hardcover. The property has an area of existing woods along County Road 6 and the eastern property line. In addition, there is a large wetland with an open view shed over the wetlands from County Road 6. A Conservation Design report has been submitted by the applicant, which indicates the trees along the creek, the north property line, and County Road 6 should be preserved. The applicant should provide conservation easements for protection of the trees for the road noise, sound buffering, screening, and erosion protection purposes. An access permit is required from Hennepin County in order to relocate the property access and create a new private road. The City will require standard perimeter, drainage, and utility easements around all property boundaries as well as Conservation and Flowage easements over the delineated wetlands and wetland buffers. Tree conservation easements should be provided to protect the trees. At the sketch plan review, the Planning Commission recommended the applicant dedicate a trail easement along the north side of County Road 6 as part of the plat. The plat is subject to the standard park fee and stormwater drainage trunk fee. The property is not located within the MUSA and the lots are proposed to be served by septic systems and private wells. Septic system designs have been submitted to the City and have by approved by the septic inspector. The developer has prepared a Conservation Design report that identifies areas where trees and positive views should be preserved. The plan also outlines invasive, nonnative species to be removed. The report indicates the developer should either preserve the existing pine stand along the old driveway or remove the trees and establish an area of turf. Staff would propose a different option, which would be a modification of option one and create less disturbance. Staff would suggest the developer preserve the existing pine trees, leave most of the wheel strip driveway as is but remove the driveway curb cut at County Road 6 and restore the ditch area. This option would make the wheel strip driveway “invisible” from County Road 6 and preserve the stand of trees. The developer could do a similar treatment to the north end of the driveway where Lots 3 and 4 meet. Staff recommends approval of the preliminary plat to create four buildable lots. The City Engineer has reviewed the preliminary plat application materials and his comments have been included in the packet. The developer should prepare a final plat application that responds to and incorporates the recommendations of the City Engineer. Schoenzeit requested the photos of the site be displayed on the overhead. Landgraver asked whether Staff’s recommendations include the review conducted by Bolton & Menk. Curtis stated the City Engineer’s recommendations are essentially standards that the development needs to be held to and address drainage calculations, road design, easements and conservation design requirements.