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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,June 19,2017 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> can get into that line. If they want to take a left turn,they are taking their life into their hands because <br /> they have to cross traffic that is going north. Lowe stated unless Hennepin County is going to do <br /> something about this intersection,something drastic is going to happen. <br /> Lowe stated he questions the veracity of the traffic study because it looks like the traffic numbers were <br /> pulled out of a book somewhere. Lowe stated they need to go there at 5:00. Lowe jokingly stated that if <br /> this project is approved,he is going to try to get Old Beach Road opened up so traffic can get out that <br /> way. Lowe stated the traffic situation is very serious. <br /> Lowe stated he also believes the zoning should stay as it is. <br /> Dave Schneider, 2540 Old Beach Road, stated this is not about Old Beach Road but that the proposal will <br /> impact the entire area and will affect everyone that lives there. Schneider stated it is not about opening <br /> Old Beach Road again. Schneider stated he is not a traffic engineer or an environmental engineer,but <br /> through a grassroots campaign they have gotten over 200 people that are against this project through <br /> petitions and meetings. <br /> Schneider commented the residents have to remember that Navarre is finally,after 30 years,changing <br /> with the dental office, Bridgewater Bank, and Byerly's, but that he does not know if this will help with <br /> that transformation. Schneider stated once there is a real transformation at 19 and 15,there may be an <br /> opportunity to develop this area. Schneider stated he is not opposed to development but that he is <br /> opposed to this project. <br /> Ralph Kempf, 3675 Toga Road,stated the preferred choice of the residents would be to leave it natural, <br /> but the fact of the matter is that Navarre is one of the two urban destinations of Orono and this lot will get <br /> developed at some point. Kempf stated he had mixed feelings when he saw it was up for redevelopment <br /> since it would put a high density of people very close to the main intersection of Navarre. Kempf stated it <br /> is a given that people on the sidewalks are the building block of a community,and to date,Navarre is <br /> transforming and going very much in the right direction in his view. <br /> Kempf stated he would ask the Planning Commission and Council to pay attention to something that has <br /> been overlooked in Navarre,which has made the business district basically a no pedestrian zone. Kempf <br /> stated in his view it is necessary that the City consider a way that people can easily walk to downtown <br /> Navarre, and that the way things are set up now is that the people who are going to live on this site will <br /> get in their cars to drive to downtown Navarre. Kempf stated hopefully the Council will look at a <br /> pedestrian connection between the Navarre Park,the Navarre business district,and the Dakota Rail Trail <br /> since there is not currently a safe pedestrian access to downtown Navarre and that trail. <br /> Kempf commented it is unfortunate that this development did not happen before the Freshwater <br /> redevelopment took place because somebody would have made sure that there was some sort of trail or <br /> sidewalk along the road in this area. Kempf noted the City advocated for and got Hennepin County to <br /> agree to redevelop the intersection in 2019 and that it would be wonderful if the City could figure out a <br /> way to incorporate pedestrian friendly methods of travel. <br /> Kempf stated in his view this kind of development is a good one in the overall larger picture. <br /> Page 13 of 17 <br />