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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,April 17,2017 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> 10. #17-3932 GORDON JAMES CONSTRUCTION ON BEHALF OF YMCA OF THE <br /> GREATER TWIN CITIES, 135 ORONO ORCHARD ROAD, SKETCH PLAN <br /> This item was removed from the agenda at the request of the applicant. <br /> 11. #17-3922 CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: WETLANDS PROTECTION, 10:20 <br /> P.M.— 11:40 P.M. <br /> Barnhart stated the wetland regulation was the sixth highest priority identified by the Planning <br /> Commission and City Council last year. The Development Process Review Committee has provided <br /> some guidance and suggestions for amendments to those regulations. It has been noted by people over <br /> the years that the City's regulations are stricter than the Watershed District and that some possible <br /> modifications might be in order. The first main area identified by Staff where the City and the Watershed <br /> District differ is when wetlands are required to be delineated and the type of delineation. The second <br /> main area is the requirement of a setback beyond required buffer or when no buffer is required. Barnhart <br /> noted the City has an additional buffer in addition to the Watershed District in some situations. <br /> The goal behind the buffer setback is to establish ground features to help filter the water prior to entering <br /> the wetlands. The City also has an additional setback so there is some additional separation. For <br /> example, if there is a 25-foot buffer requirement imposed by the Watershed District,the City requires that <br /> extra 10 feet in order to provide people some room to move around their house. <br /> From a wetland delineation standpoint,the Watershed District makes it clear that a wetland delineation is <br /> only required when someone is constructing a new principal residential structure or are doing a project <br /> that proposes impacts to a wetland. A true wetland delineation requires field work and a licensed <br /> surveyor visiting the site. Normally that delineation cannot be done until May when the vegetation starts <br /> growing so the surveyors can observe that, which provides someone only six months to obtain a <br /> delineation. there is also a 15-day waiting or comment period on the delineation. <br /> The City will require a wetland delineation as part of a subdivision, on a new principal residential <br /> structure, a project that proposes impacts to a wetland, or when other rules related to stormwater <br /> management or waterbody crossings are triggered. The City also currently requires a wetland delineation <br /> when hardcover or grading is proposed within 150 feet of a wetland. The City allows a desk delineation <br /> for projects that are clearly not impacting the wetland, which is usually when the improvement is below <br /> the wetland and/or separated by extreme distances. <br /> Barnhart stated the idea that Staff had in terms of drafting an ordinance was to make the City's rules more <br /> consistent with the Watershed District's. A full delineation is required for new principal residential <br /> structures, subdivisions,and other projects triggering Watershed requirements. A Tier 1 or desk review <br /> delineation may be accepted by the City for all other projects regardless of distance from the project area. <br /> If the applicant disagrees with the City's interpretation of the wetland boundary, a full delineation may be <br /> provided. Other smaller projects, such as decks or patios, require a verification through a desk review or <br /> a Tier 1 review. <br /> The second issue that was addressed relates to the buffers. The Watershed District establishes a buffer <br /> when a wetland is impacted or when a wetland is downgradient of work triggering the Wetland Protection <br /> Rule. A buffer is a no-touch area surrounding the delineated wetland. Additions to existing homes, <br /> Page 36 of 48 <br />