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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,May 8,2017 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> 16. #17-3922 CITY OF ORONO,TEXT AMENDMENT: WETLANDS REGULATIONS— <br /> ORDINANCE NO. 196,Third Series.—continued <br /> A1 Winston,Long Lake, stated he and his wife support the current regulations. <br /> Kelly Lowe, 105 Orono Orchard Road, stated she supports the 35 and 10-foot setbacks. Lowe stated she <br /> also supports keeping the density as is and not increasing it. <br /> Jane Davidson, 1020 Old Long Lake Road, Long Lake, stated she has resided in this area for four years <br /> and that she is very impressed with Orono's strong environmental push with regulations. Davidson stated <br /> this is a bad time to be considering changing environmental protections since there is growing pressure <br /> for land use in the westem suburbs and that those residents who live on Long Lake are witnessing the <br /> water quality decrease. Davidson noted it takes decades to remediate the damage at a very high cost and <br /> that everyone needs to be very cautious in changing the rules. Davidson stated reducing the setbacks <br /> would have huge impacts on the water quality and that it would relax the City's commitment to the <br /> environment. <br /> Davidson encouraged the City Council to stick with Option 1. Davidson stated variances work pretty <br /> well and gives the neighborhood an opportunity to speak. Davidson stated she applauds Orono for their <br /> leadership. <br /> Davidson commented there are also different types of fire pits and that she was allowed to have a fire pit <br /> by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District since it only consists of six stones in a circle. <br /> Crosby noted there is a standard size fire pit. <br /> Jay Kinve noted variances are not easy to get and are not always based on common sense. Kinve noted <br /> this regulation is four years old and that the residents have not lived under this regulation their entire <br /> lives. <br /> Gaffron stated the regulations have changed many times over the years but four years ago it was changed <br /> again to what it is currently. Up until four years ago,the City had a buffer requirement but the Council <br /> decided to let the MCWD regulate the buffers and the City would only establish a setback. Going back to <br /> 1975,the City had a 26-foot setback that was in place for two or three decades. <br /> Kinve stated approximately 2006 was the next major revision to the wetland ordinances. Kinve stated <br /> changing ordinances is not new and that there are no studies that show what was done four years ago was <br /> good or bad. <br /> Kinve noted the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is the environmental authority in this area and they <br /> are the experts. Kinve stated the MCWD's concern regionally is the same as Orono's and that Orono <br /> needs to think regionally as well since water flows elsewhere. Kinve stated the MCWD provides <br /> protections for Orono as well as other nearby cities and that they are the experts. Kinve stated if the City <br /> wants to impose additional setbacks,that is okay,but that variances are not that easy to obtain. Kinve <br /> stated he would implore the City Council to adopt something that is protective and incentivizes property <br /> owners to make things better than what exists today. <br /> Page 29 of 34 <br />