08-18-1993 Council Work Session Minutes

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Joint Council and Planning Commission Work Session August 18, 1993 does not encroach onto the residential area and drive property values down, flexibility should be given to operators to change as the market changes. Hurr questioned how the adequacy of parking could be considered without looking at the magnitude of the business and the potential number of boats that could go in the water. Callahan noted that the major goal in parking is to avoid parking on the street and it may be true that reference to numhers of boats may be the only was to come up with a formula for adequate parking. However, he would like to see some kind of plan developed which avoids counting boats, i.e. a site plan with envelope for parking agreed upon by both parties. Goetten stated there was a lot of confrontation between the City and Orono marinas in the early 1980's. From discussions last year, it was determined that there should be realistic expectations on both sides so they can work together, since the marinas will continue to operate in the City. She asked if the Planning Commission agrees with these ideas and what kind of changes the Planning Commission might want to see or not see, if any. Callahan agreed that hardcover and other issues should be looked at in relation to reality. He is unaware of any reports of "bad" parking problems so whatever is being done seems to be working. Hurr stated she has a problem accepting things as they are since other areas cannot do anything in the 0-75' zone. The City should try to achieve some improvements environmentally on the sites rather than accept the status quo. Because the City has such strict standards, she feels some improvements were gained in the preliminary DNR plan for Gayle's Marina and the adjacent properties. Jabbour added that a 0' lake setback is not what he wants either but a 75' setback is unrealistic for most of the marinas. Vertical density should also be addressed as the Planning Commission discusses the marinas. Cruise boats (charter boats) are looking for alternative homes and Orono should be ready to respond to parking issues for them. Studies have shown that only 20% of the boats are on the lake at one time but boat clubs have back-to-back usage, probably 50-100%. He feels the marina operator should be able to "pick and choose" how he wants to use his space. Hun suggested the Planning Commission members involve the marina owners in their discussions to get their input. She is most concerned about environmental issues such as runoff into the lake. Jabbour noted that rules and regulations help to keep pricing fair and equitable when marinas are on the market for sale. It helps the owner, buyer and City. 2