Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-31-1997 Planning PacketCITY OF ORONO 2750 Kelley Parkway, P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323 Phone (612) 473-7357 Fax 473-0510 NOTICE OF CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC HEARING REVISED NOTICE (POSTED 3/26/97) In regards to zoning application #2209, Spring Hill Golf Club's request for variances and conditional use permits for construction and operation of a private golf course: The Planning Commission public hearing held on March 17 has been continued to Monday, March 31,1997 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will commence at 6:00 p.m. at the intersection of Spring Hill Road and East Long Lake Road for the purpose of conducting a site inspection, then relocate to the Orono Council Chambers, 2780 Kelley Parkway, at approximately 7:00 p.m. All parties are responsible for their own transportation. This is a public meeting, and a quorum of the City Council may be present. All persons wishi.ng to be heard are encouraged to attend the meeting. Written comments are solicited. Plans are available in the City offices for review, by appointment (473-7357). City of Orono By: Planiiiug Commission Asst. Planning & Zoning Administrator Posted at: City Hall Crystal Bay Post Office Long Lake Post Office Navarre Post Office To;Planning Commission Members From:Ron Moorse, City Administrator and 1Greg Gappa, Public Services Director Date:March 31,1997 Subject:Spring Hill Golf Course Access / The current access to the Spring Hill property is directly off County Road 6. The access proposed for the Spring Hill Golf Course is from Spring Hill Road. The question whether using Spring Hill Road as the access to the golf course is a good solution is an important issue to be addressed in the development review process. The following is an analysis of the two access alternatives. A.County Road 6 Access 1. Advantages a.) Keeps the majority of traffic related to a commercial type use on a major arterial roadway versus on a residential roadway. 2.Disadvantages a.) Golf course traffic coming from the south on East Long Lake Road and Spring Hill Road would need to turn left onto County Road 6 then turn left from County Road 6 into the golf course. Requiring two left turns ia.conflict with traffic on a major arterial is not a prefened solution in terms of traffic safety. B.Spring Hill Road access 1. Advantages a.) Enables traffic from the south to enter the golf course without the need to use County Road 6. b.)The ingress and egress movements onto and off of County Road 6 from the golf course and from residential traffic on Hunter Drive and Sprin g Hill Road can be combined, creating one intersection with left turn lanes versus creating two similar intersections on County Road 6. 2.Disadvantages a.) Requires traffic related to a commercial type use to use a residential roadway. 1 ■TTM- ■■ Spring Hill Golf Course Access Road Functions and Traffic Volumes County Road 6 is a high speed arterial highway designed for movement of higher volumes of traffic. Spring hill road is a low speed collector roadway designed to carry lower traffic volumes, and to provide access to adjoining properties. Sound traffic engineering practice is to use local collector roads to provide access to adjoining properties and direct traffic onto arterial highways at limited access points. The purpose of this concept is to reduce the number of conflicfpoints along arterial highways that are carrying higher volumes of traffic. " The Hennepin County Highway Department was asked to review this project. Their review comments are for the elimination of access points along countyJiighway 6 and for the golf course access to be provided from local streets. This reconunendation is in conformance with the previously described traffic engineering principles. For comparison purposes peak hour traffic volumes are listed below for both roads. These volumes were obtained fi:om traffic studies completed by the Minnesota department of Transportation for the proposed Highway 12 relocation project. Projected volumes for the year 2015 with the new highway 12 located along the north side of the railroad tracks are as follows. County Highway 6, West of Spring Hill Road 703 Vehicles per Hour (Both Directions) County Highway 6, East of Spring Hill Road 1050 Vehicles per hour (Both Directions) Spring Hill Road- 328 Vehicles per Hour (Both Directions) These traffic volumes show that the county road is carrying more than double the traffic of Spring Hill Road. Also the traffic speeds on County Road 6 are higher than on Spring Hill Road. Road Network Layout Thejouthemacoess4o the project area from the Highway. 12 corridor is a concern. East Long Lake Road is narrow and winding along the eastern edge of Long Lake. The road width and alignment are constrained by a steep bluff on one side and the lake on the other side of the road. Projected traffic volumes in the EAW indicate 50 daily trips to the site from the south. If the golf course was to change to a public course in the future, the number of daily trips from the south would increase several times. The amount of traffic that will use East Long Lake Road to access the golf course is more a function of the area transportation network than a function of the location of the golf course access. Traffic in the Long Lake Highway 12 area will tend to use East Long Lake Road because the alternative north/south roadways are out of the way both to the east and to the west. 1 t To:Chair Lindquist and Planning Commission Members Mayor Jabbour and City Councilmembers Ron Moorse, Cit> Administrator From:Mike Gaifron, Asst. Planning & Zoning Administrator Date:March 31,1997 Subject: Additional Spring Hill EAW Comments Received A number of additional comments have been received on the Spring Hill EAW: -Metropolitan Council -Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis -Native American Rainbow Network -Greenpeace Minnesota These and previously received comments have been forwarded to Marshal Braman of Schoell & Madson, who will work with slafi to prepare appropriate responses at the completion of the comment period. The last day of the comment period is April 9. The Council must make a formal decision on whether an El S is needed, and respond to the comments, no later than May 9. These comments are provided to the Planning Commission because they may be of assistance in your review of the CUP and variance issues. J f 4^ Metropolitan Council Working for the Region, Planning for the Future March 24,1997 I CITY OF _ I ORONO JUSEBO^S Mike Gaflfron Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator City of Orono P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323 MAR 2. 7 1S9T EAW Review Spring Hill Golf Club in the Cities of Orono and Medina Received by the Council for Review on March 10,1997 Metropolitan Council District 3 Referral File 16482-1 Dear Mr. Gaffron: Council staff has reviewed the environmental assessment worksheet(EAW) for the proposed development of Spring Hill Golf Club on land situated on the north shore of Long Lake in northeast Orono and southeast Medina. The total project area of 195 acres, which encompasses the former Spring Hill Conference Center would include a new golf course and a clubhouse remodeled from the existing conference center. Access to the facility would be from County Road 6 and Tamarack Drive. Wastewater will be treated by using the existing on-site septic system which serviced the conference center. The Golf Club is proposed to be open for use in the spring of 1999. The EAW raises no metropolitan system impact issues and an EIS is not necessary for regional purposes. Generally what is in the EAW was well prepared. However, staff finds the EAW incomplete in the assessment of environmental issues and the relationship of the golf club construction proposal to woodland protection goals contained in both the Council ’s Regional Blueprint and in the Medina Comprehensive Plan. 11. Fish, Wildlife and Ecologically Sensitive Resources Further study should be done with regard to the impact the golf course will have on the Big Woods forest tract located on the site. Council staff is specifically concerned about the proposed location of golf course holes 8-13 within one of the three tracts of Big Woods trees located in the northwest comer of the proposed site. Less than 1% of the original Big Woods forest tracts are in existence today. This forest has regional significance, and every effort should be made to preserve all three tracts. The Metropolitan Council ’s Regional Blueprint, adopted December 19,1996, under Action Step D states: "The Council will encourage the protection of the region ’s significant woodlands and the long-term management of the urban forest." Based upon the site plan, the siting and layout of golf holes 8-13 will significantly alter the forest ’s environment by disrupting the continuity of the forest. The EAW states that the project wilt transform the forest tract into “...forest fiinge type of community.’’ This would permanently alter the forest ’s envirorunent, making it uninhabitable for sortie species of plants, trees and song birds. The extent of 230 East Filth Street St. Paul. Minnesota 55101-1634 (612)291-6359 Fax 291-6550 TDO/TIY 291-0904 An Equal Opportunity Employer Metro Info Line 229-3780 Mike GafBron 3/25/97 page 2 the impact this alteration would have on speciHc plants, trees and wildlife was not thoroughly discussed in the EAW. The developer should design the golf course in such a manner that the impact to the Big Woods tract located within the site plan is minimized, and natural characteristics are maintained. Forestry specialists within the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should be consulted on a design that would minimize impacts as well as to offer protection strategies to follow in the course of site development. 18. Water Quality - Surface Water Runoff This section cites a study written by John Barten, Suburban Hennepin County Park District, regarding the storm water runoff from golf course sites. As the Barten study concentrated only on four metropolitan area golf courses, was conducted over a limited period (one year) of time, and the courses were self-selected, the RGU should be cautious in applying the conclusions of that study on the proposed golf course. Runoff and nutrient exports should be managed by incorporating NURP basins into the project, ^ ^ adopting best management practices (BMP) for turf management and other types of storm water ' ^ ^ ^ management practices. Reliance on BMPs \\ill help assure that increased pollutant loads to Long Lake are minimized. The Coimcil has adopted Action Step 4A. in the December 1996 Regional Blueprint, which states; " The Council will work to protect natural watercourses, such as lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, natural drainage courses and the critical adjoining land areas that affect them, to maintain and improve water quality, and to preserve their ecological function. ” The EAW has done a good job of describing the existing wetlands, but mitigation plans to replace 1.4 acres of wetlands including the affected basins, are vague. It appears that the developer plans to drain existing wetlands and create irrigation ponds in their place. These irrigation ponds are proposed to serve a dual purpose: reduction of future pollutant loading and irrigation. According to the EAW water levels will be supplemented by groundwater pumping to maintain water levels in the irrigation ponds. The EAW states “..that the average water depth will increase by one foot.” It is not clear from the EAW if the water levels will be increased in all wetlands, or the irrigation ponds only. The Council has a number of concerns with this proposal. Using groundwater to supplement surface water levels for aesthetic reasons is a poor use of the resource. Altering a wetland for the purpose of creating a detention pond is also unacceptable. Wetlands already function as areas for stormwater detention and filtration. In addition, maintaining relatively constant higher water levels in NURP basins may destroy their function. If there is a significant rainfall, the amount of water detained in the basin may compromise the basin ’s ability to retain all the water and allow pollutants to settle out. *1 he RGU should take precautionary measures to protect the existing wetlands to the greatest extent possible, and minimize any changes in conditions that could alter the local ecological environment. 28. Compatibility with plans As proposed the golf course would remove a substantial part of the forest tract. This appears to be incompatible with the city of Medina ’s Comprehensive Plan, Sections 2 and 4. r . rr « # Mike Gaffron 3/25197 page 3 In Section 2.A., which discusses how natural features influence development, the city has a section on woodlands which states; ‘Preservation of woodlands is important both aesthetically andfunctionally. Section 4.A.P3, General Development Policies, also encourages the preservation of natural resources; “Allow low-density, rural residential development if no damage would be done to natural resources and adequate permeable soils are available to meet the City‘s on-site system requirements." The above issues should be fully addressed in order to complete the EAW. This letter concludes the CoimciTs review of the EAW. No formal action on the EAW will be taken by the Council. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Marcia Honold, at 229-2066. Sincerely, Helen A. Boyer Division Director Environmental Services cc:Mary Hill Smith, Council District 5 Roger Scherer, Council District 1 Keith Buttleman, Director, Environmental Planning and Evaluation Department Thomas C. McElveen, Deputy Director, Housing Development and Implementation Marcia Honold, Bob Davis, Tom Caswell, Linda Voge, Metropolitan Council Staff r m Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis PO Box 3801 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 crrvoF ORONO )—> V J iniSEfinMi mar 2 7 1997 The Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis would like to acknowledge with deep gratitude, the Conley Brooks and Bruce Dayton families for their generous contributions of the Wolsfeld Woods and Wood>Rill Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs), respectively. These families ’ generous contributions protect remnant parcels of the increasingly rare and fragmented “Big Woods” ecosystem, providing deep and meaningful benefits not only for the citizens of Orono, Media and the surrounding suburbs, but all of MN as well. The proposed Springhlll Golf Course will be a 185-member private course encompassing approximately 200 acres. Compared to higher impact developments such as traditional housing projects, (as opposed to a lower-impact clustered housing project) the proposed golf course may have some merit as a relatively low-impact buffer between Wolsfeld Woods and Wood-Rill SNAs, If the developers use native plant species landscaping that mimics the natural ecology, and if lawn chemicals are used only on an extremely sparing basis. However, this is in reference to the approximately 155 acre ex-farmland portion of the course. It is very unfortunate and with deep regret that we notice a 43-acre BIg-W oods remnant slated to be criss-crossed with fairways resulting In a 50% loss. This large loss of crown-cover will destroy the moist, densely-shaded understory habitat, characteristic of a maple-basswood forest, resulting in the Introduction of non-native plants, and the loss of fragile wildflowers, ferns, mushrooms, etc. The interior forest habitat, vital for many songbirds, will be destroyed. Make no mistake about it, this will not preserve the remnant woods; the result will be another golf course with big trees. The Big Woods Is a climax forest of hardwoods dominated by sugar maple, basswood, elm, and red oak. At the time of settlement, 1.9 million acres existed in Minnesota. Today only 5-10 thousand acres, (less than 1%) remain, mostly in small, isolated parcels. This tract has particular ecological significance because of its relatively large size, (43 acres), and close proximity to Wolsfeld Woods and Wood-Rill SNAs. Remnants such as this are important preserves for native flora and fauna biodiversity. . -I ^ . . > " J .V. ■•** Representing the National Audubon Society in Greater Minneapolis Printed with soy ink on paper 50% recycled, 20% postconsumer waste. # Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis PO Box 3801 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 % 1 '•* V Page 2 As natural wilderness ecosystems like the Big Woods become increasingly rare, golf courses, on the other hand, are much more common. There are an estimated 15,000 golf courses nationwide, carpeting 1.68 million acres in turf-grass. In Minnesota, there currently are more than 380 golf courses, with more being built every year. Within a 20-mile radius alone there already exist a large number of golf courses. We appeal to the golf course developers to avoid this forest entirely. We also urge the citizens and city councils of Orono and Medina, as well as prospective golf course members, to value this woods. Springhlll Golf Course will undo what a it took nature hundreds, if not thousands of years to create. The neighboring communities of Eden Prairie, Plymouth and Maple Grove, have Implemented public buyouts of ecologically significant tracts such as this. Perhaps it’s not too late for Orono and Medina to consider this option. Any reference to the New York Audubon Society and the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System in the EAW should not be confused with the non-profit National Audubon Society. To clear up any misconceptions, the National Audubon Society does not design or endorse golf courses. -The Board of Directors, Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis . •*. • . ■’ - i- f • • »i ■ i.- » s . \ • . > • ^ r t*. • ‘ . ».■ k •«; f. • ; > I . i . - . ■ .«*• Representing the National Audubon Society in Greater Minneapolis Printed with soy ink on paper 50% recycled, 20% postconsumer waste. .* CITY OF -v v ORONO 1 Uli[lE[iO^ *r«» MAR 2 7 m ;> ‘ • . V!^*v to.; ' ' •:• f/- r /.v:' ?< . ,p/ i>. • •' ■ •( riyj* N ative A merican Rainbow Network A HiLU sivui/ MAni^ J ^ ik^MOxY/^ 4t -J- d )U> th. ......... •• •. f. *>•,• i -.V ; •• tJ. . VT-' :,.:?1;S.V 1 •Vy"v.-« '/« kV-t ■• .*J- 'is '•4 ^ r UmTT^ ///.) rk^r/A^ /jW^aiv ^ ^Jaoy^s ^ n,.J 7^ ^«~4 " -^/i/ ^ yi n?^i» . i r'/A- 3//J ivifAk*'/ '’ fi ^ mil n ■ A.:;*' \fi ‘ 1%-v.-V-'- :'•>;: . rin'r ■n -r% •ii*' •i t'* .i5nv..-;*fw ^>/^>'. • .; .r,5f ‘ ^ . r'< K -vV-'v:- •• • . ^ • ^ 'r\.jiTy :;.^ ,. ' I ^ re.-w**_ /. A. r?'jPHiuhl (i) X----- Wnwk '. aj A’ tn^nd*i99^ cjnensu /y'^5 U iH- £ f^^"f/’'<^, ^It -^M>l«« M.K.«a i-iC* -•I. '- k I'/ J-lu/<ii/Ui,lL IkSniU^cd -A^d< •*.». ' ■.' i" ' ^ * •! •* ■v ^M¥■■ ,.;•> > .U’ ^UWf&rffJ /A Ap ,\^ ^jf/t. ^*7 A- HjuC ■ fe-T/ m March 27,1997 MikeGafiGron City ofOrano Post Office Box 66 Ciystal Bay. MN 55323 i^Afi-3 1 i;... •C f Dear Mr. Gaffi ’on, Please consider this letter official comment on the proposed 18 hole private golf course to be constructed by Spring Hill Golf Chib in 1997-98. Given that there are veiy few examples of Big Woods remnants left in Minnesota and virtually none left in the Twin City Metropolitan Area. and Given that there are already more than 100 Public and Private golf courses in the Twin City Metropolitan Area. I believe that no action should be taken to advance this project. Thai^ you for the opportunity to comment on this veiy important matter. I expect to be kept apprised of all actions taken on this sale and all communications regarding this matter, including but not limited to other comments. Sincerely, Bill Busse, Director Greenpeace Minnesota 212 Third Ave. N. Suite 350 • Minneapolis. MN 55401-1434 • Tel (612)333-1917 iI Argentina • AustraTia • Austria • Belgium • Brazil • Canada • Chile • Czech Repubfic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Guatemala • Ireland * Italy Japan • Luxembourg • Mexico *The Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Russia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Tunisia • Ukraine • United Kingdom • USA Printed on chlorine-free paper using ran-heavv metal-based soy inks To:Chair Lindquist and Planning Commission Members From:Michael P.Gaffron, Asst. Planning & Zoning Administrator Date:March 26, 1997 Subject: #2209 Spring Hill Golf Club - March 31 Meeting Exhibits:A - March 20 Big Woods discussion memo B - March 19 Letter from Hennepin County C - March 20 Letter from Richard C. Krueger D - Notice of Planning Commission Action/ 60-day Review Period Extension We will be meeting on Spring Hill Road at the intersection with East Long Lake Road, and parking on the shoulder, the intent is to view the bluff area, the proposed new road entrance just to the east, the condition of Spring Hill Road, and then move up to Tamarack to view the Big Woods and maintenance facilit>' site. Since daylight will be waning, it would be helpful if you can arrive around 5:45 pm so we can complete our inspection before it gets dark. We will relocate to the Council Chambers around 6:45 or 7:00. Please bring the items in this packet along with your March Meeting Packet information, which should include: * February 5 Staff Memo & Exhibits r February 18 'Additional Information' Packet f March 13 staff memo - Supplemental Info on Variances r March 14 staff memo- Supplemental Info on EAW/CUP r Big Plan Sets and EAW Copy Staff is currently working towards formulating recommendations on the many issues surrounding this project. I would hope we will spend time discussing the following topics on the 31st: 'Bluff Impacts (Variance) Wetland Impacts (Variance) Maintenance Facility Impacts (Oversize Structure Variance) Big Woods Impacts Spring Hill Access Road Location Once these topics are addressed. Planning Commission may wish to address other issues related to this project at your discretion. I would anticipate a continuation of this meeting to your regular April 21 meeting. And finally, GO GOPHERS! \ i V / mV ' • ^ I 4 To:Chair Lindquist and Planning Commission Members 2.1.-“in From;Michael P. Gafiron, Asst. Planning & Zoning Administrator Date:March 20,1997 Subject: Spring Hill Golf Club - Big Woods Discussion First, some numbers: O How much of the 43-acre Big Woods remnant is in Orono vs. in Medina? Orono 1/3, Medina 2/3 How will the golf course tree removal and grading compare to the same work that would be needed to accomodate 2-acre unsewered housing? Area typically cleared for house: " " ” driveway: " " " " initial septic system: Area cleared for roadway (per 200' lot): 100’X 150' = 15,000 sf 30'X 150’ = 4,500 sf 60'X 120' = 7,200 sf 25’ X 200’ = 5.000 Total clearing *= 31,700 sf 31,700 sf / 87,120 sf lot = 36% of lot cleared (vs. 50% clearing for golf course) Only 1,100 acres of the original 154,000 acres of Big Woods remained in Hennepin County as of June 1995. Next, some discussion of Big Woods impacts: The DNR's mpsLrecent letter acknowledges the Big Woods is within the site and will be impacted, not merely 'adjacent to the site and not impacted' as the DNR's letter in the EAW suggEsb/TTestroying 50% of this 43-acre fragment by regio^g strips of trees to create fairways, will change the nature of th is high quality maple-bassi^dJTorest. In general, it ceases to be a big woods remnant since a big woods community requires an unfiragmented ‘ fore^anopy. To some degree, this remnant is already fragmented due to the interspersed wetlands and small areas which were cleared in the past. What are the specific impacts of fragmenting this Big Woods remnant by interspersing it with fairways (or w ith homes)? Cool, moist, shady forest interior is altered; Shade-tolerant species at forest floor are replaced by species typical of open habitat and forest edges; Displacement of native forest shrubs by aggressive exotic species; Decline in the diversity of native forest shrubs and herbs due to increased susceptibility of smaller remaining populations to pollution and physical damage. r* Big Woods Discussion March 20,1997 Page 2 What protective measures does Orono have available? Orono has no tree/forest preser\ation ordi^ce which covers this project, since it is not in a designated Shoreland district and is not a subdivision. Orono's only tree/forest regulations are in the following code sections: 10.22 Subd. 3: Protects 6"+ diam. trees within 75' of lake shorelines. 10.56 Subd. 16 1 (1): (Same as 10.22 Subd. 3) 10.56 Subd. 16 1 (2): Prohibits intensive vegetation clearing within 75' of lake and on steep slopes and bluff impact zones within the defined Shoreland district. 11.60 Subd. 1 & 2: In the case of a subdivision process, requires developer to pr#*serve trees to an undefined extent, and requires developer to plant trees within subdivision as required by the City. Further, since approximately 2/3 of the Big Woods tract is in Medina, Orono cannot regulate that portion. There are no known State or Federal regulations prohibiting the proposed work which impacts the remnant. What are the opportunities for and ramifications of the Ci*y attempting to prevent fragmentation of this Big Woods remnant? Denial of the golf course use CUP for the Big Woods remnant portion of the site may result in the golf course not being built. Denial might alternatively result in attempts to squeeze the course into the remaining acreage with less buffer areas possible around the perimeter; and perhaps bypassing the Orono Big Woods portion but still impacting the Medina portion. If the golf course doesn't happen, unless someone comes up with the cash to purchase the land to preserve it, the potential is always there to turn it into 2- acre housing, which would similarly destroy the big woods and have potentially more serious consequences for wildlife habitat. Under current ordinances, the City might be able to stop a subdivider from ^ destroying this Big Woods tract using Section 11.60, but he likely would claim a 'taking'... One possibility to avoid a 'taking' claim is to allow clustered housing on the / perimeter via a PRD, maintaining the 2-acre density. This would be difficult Big Woods Discussion March 20, 1997 Page 3 without having municipal sewer available...and, since the remnant is mostly in Medina, Orono cannot independently deal with all the zoning issues... How does the Orono Comprehensive Plan address preservation of woodlands? / Overall Goals and Policies, Planning Goal #4, Page CMP 2-2: "TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR MANY NATURAL RESOURCES INCLUDING ALL LAKES, CREEKS, MARSHES, WETLANDS, WOODLANDS, GROUNDWATER AND STEEP SLOPES" (emphasis added). Rural Area Goals and Policies, Rural Planning Policy #3, Page CMP 2-7: "RURAL DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE CAREFULLY SCREENED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY. Most of Orono ’s rural land includes major or minor drainageways and wetlands all intricately tied into Lake Minnetonka. Therefore, each rural development will require particular care to prevent encroachment on these vital resources and to ensure protection of the soil, vegetation and drainage patterns. In addition, consideration will be given to protection of woodlands and special open vistas having general public benefit." (emphasis added) Environmental Protection Goal #8, Page CMP 3-18: "TO PRESERVE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF NATIVE WOODLANDS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ORONO’S HERITAGE." Environmental Protection Goal #9, Page CMP 3-18: "TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF NATURAL WILDLIFE HABITAT IN WOODLANDS AND WETLANDS." Rural Area Policies for Natural Resource Management #2, Page CMP 3-23: "RURAL LAND USE DENSITIES WILL ALLOW MAXIMUM RETENTION OF PRIVATE WOODS AND OPEN SPACE. Low' rural densities will accomodate homesites without affecting the traditional vistas of open fields and woods. The retention of these woodlands and marshlands will then assure permanent habitat for our abundant wildlife." General Land Use Policies #13, Page CMP 4-15:"FUTURE DEVELOPMENT MUST ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT. Land development should respect and enhance the unique natural features of the site and the general environmental assets of the community. Preservation of natural views, Big Woods Discussion March 20,1997 Page 4 vegetation, drainage and general respect for unique site features always produces more aesthetic results and lasting value for the property owner and the community than does wholesale alteration of the landscape or mathematical division to the highest possible density." Rural Land Use Policies #9, Page CMP 4-21: "RURAL LAND USE DENSITIES WILL ALLOW MAXIMUM RETENTION OF PRIVATE WOODS AND OPEN SPACE. Low rural densities will accommodate homesites without affecting the traditional vistas of open fields and woods. The retention of these woodlands and marshlands will then assure pennanent habitat for our abundant wldlife. Public open space will be provided on a large-scale or Park Reserve basis, but neighborhood or mini-parks are unneccessary because of the large amount of available privately owned and maintained open space." - Also see: CMP Page 3-6 Environment: "Orono's Native Vegetation Is As Varied As Its Land Forms" (attached). - Also see: CMP Map 5 - Woodlands (attached). - Also see: CMP Chapter 8, the Park and Open Space Plan (attached). Applicant has indicated the course cannot be developed on the property without impacting the Big Woods. Applicant is prepared to demonstrate the steps taken to date to minimize those impacts. Fred Harris of the DNR has indicated he will be present at the March 31 meeting to provide input on the Big Woods issue. Attachments:A - CMP Page 3-6 B - CMP Map 5 - Woodlands C - Orono Park and Open Space Plan (1980) D - Big Woods - Prior to Golf Course Development E - Big Woods - After Golf Course Development F - Code Sections 10.22/10.56/11.60 G - DNR letter March 3, 1997 H - Maple-Basswood Forests Flyer /I i: fnvironment JUNE, 1980 ORONO'S LAND FORMS ARE HIGHLY VARIED AS THE RESULT OF FOUR SEPARATE GLACIAL SCOURINGS. Surface features Include islands, peninsulas, narrow land bridges, the lakes, bays and marshes, and a few shallow outwash basins. The highest elevations range from about 1060 feet above mean sea level in the northern part of the City down to the normal water level of Lake Minnetonka at elevation 929.4 MSL. Steep slopes and numerous glacial depressions add Interest to the City's landscape but cause developmental limitations. The soils in the City of Orono originated from drift materials deposited by meltwaters of the glaciers. Due to the range in type and location of deposited materials, the composition of the soils are complex and highly varied. Generally, the soil types consist primarily of clay materials on the uplands and organic, wet materials in the lowland areas. Con- sequently, the ability of each soil type to adequately accommodate development varies considerably in Orono. Careful examination of each site is needed to determine the most appropriate land use for individual properties. ORONO’S NATIVE VEGETATION IS AS VARIED AS ITS LAND FORMS. Orono and Lake Minnetonka are at the intersection of two very different Minnesota landscapes. Northern Orono, and many areas along Minnetonka's shore, contain vestiges of Minnesota's Big Woods with hardwood forests of Oak, Maple. Elm, and Basswood. Much of these have been thinned into scattered stands, as shown on Map No. 5, but major forests remain in north central and north east Orono, especially around Lydiard Lake and in the Mn. DNR's Wolsfeld Woods nature area. In addition, 100 year old settlements have by now added mature stands of various evergreens and other decorative trees and shrubs. Western Orono, on the other hand, shows traces of Minnesota's once vast prairie. Years of farming have caused loss of prairie grasses and the artificial growth of windbreak woods, but open vistas still stretch westward from North Arm Bay. Throughout Orono, the many drainage areas and marshlands support a bountiful variety of wetland vegetation ranging from grasses, bullrushes and cattails to sumac and willow. The sum effect of these varied landscapes is a seasonal variety of color and an abundant habitat for wildlife including deer, fox, racoon and beaver, ducks, grouse, pheasants and innumerable species of smaller birds and animals. CMP 3-6 Bf S pnd '■ iMHLR 'i;#/ X’ .% w ^ Ife?’ 1'^' y fta«i I L, I tmmwmmmmmn'" i -7 • /■■.? f \ \/,....'^4 i I ''/ • ■• / "I? '3 l»l j -^-y ll^' ^^■!.*V-^Jr*aKl ■■ #\/>J». pf: I Igjf . ,.w. .V .'7 \ ^ ''• I ^ ^ ^1 ii’ k 4gl ? ^^'.' •;*; ■?!.■■*■• •“ •=! ^ ' $t^rr:^.iiy"^,.:^ i !-.♦— ■-■i .•s-sr 'Sk, 1.& - (D ■<?'./ KpSi!\\ * W ..................J 1 - '\lt4®'#'*''*H:'5f / ■ I ■ 7’p^ J/pt ---------------/'y.^ ■i c^Sp:iM9 m^.A 'trr cmt.’^.t^-.-rTSS-sr •<r - ^ \V\ Ift i i fcSi\vL :|^^£i:cp / rWf?;rmhm n CITY OF ORONO COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT PLAN PART II CHAPTER 8 I a L 1 PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN INTRODUCTION The provision of adequate parks and open space areas in a city is an essential element in making a city more "liveable". The increased leisure time, higher incomes and greater awareness of physical fitness among the population has resulted in increased demands for adequate recreation areas and facilities. Thus, it is important for a city to develop a total strategy for meeting these needs in an efficient, economical manner. This Park and Open Space Plan is a refinement and restatement of the ongoing planning practice of Orono citizens. It respects and maintains the historic development patterns of the City. It continues the basic open space concepts established by the first organized comprehensive planning attempts in the mid 1960's and is an updated version of the 1974 Orono Village Comprehensive Guide Plan. This Plan is prepared and presented for the following purposes: 1. THE PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN IS INTENDED TO IDENTIFY AND LOCATE THE RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE NEEDS OF THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS. Park, recreation and open space requirements are directly related to a community's land use plans. Public recreation needs are also related to the availability of alternative leisure time activities. Thus, Orono*s urban neighborhoods are seen to require different forms of open space and park land than our rural areas. 2. THE PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE A MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR CITY OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, AND OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING, MAINTAINING AND MANAGING RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES IN ORONC The Park and Open Space Plan indicates to citizens and local officials the location, type and function of the various parks, open space areas and recreational facilities available in the City, and indicates relative priorities in the use and improvement of these facilities. The Plan can assist in reviewing development proposals for areas impacting existing facilities. The Plan can identify future open space requirements and can assist in planning for acquisition of additional properties either for immediate improvement or to protect areas designated for parks and open space from being converted to other land uses. CMP 8-1 —n.T-i-v, .TDCT. ' PARKS JUNE, 1980 i 3. THE PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN IS THE RECREATION OPEN SPACE ELEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT PLAN, DESIGNED TO ADDRESS AND CONFORM TO ALL THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL'S DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK GUIDE. For this purpose, this Plan is completed in sufficient detail to explain how Orono's plans and facilities are consistent with our local needs and with the planned metropolitan facilities located nearby. This purpose and content is consistent with the other elements of the City's Community Management Plan, with the requirements of the 1977 Mandatory Land Planning Act and with the local "systems statement" issued to Orono by the Metropolitan Council. SCOPE THE TIME FRAMEWORK OF THE PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE REGIONAL PLANNING PERIOD OF 1980 THROUGH 1990, AND WITH THE CITY'S PERMANENT PLANNING POLICY FOR RURAL ORONO. The goals, policies and expected recreation and open space requirements contained in this Chapter are set in the context of the legislative mandate to plan for regional needs through the year 1990. In many respects, however, this Plan must extend its effects well beyond that arbitrary planning date for three reasons: 1. Park land not acquired when available will be difficult if not impossible to acquire later. 2. Park land once acquired becomes the permanent responsibility of the City, or another government agency, for continuing maintenance expense, and for permanent loss of tax income. 3. Orono's urban area is essentially fully developed and Orono's rural area land use plans are intended to be permanent. 3 3 3 \ n 4 3 3 £3 S i » PARKi JUNE, 1980 PARK AND OPEN SPACE CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES THE PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ORONO’S COMMUNITY management plan. although THE STATISTICS AND DETAILED POLICIES APPLY QPPriFICALLY TO THIS ONE ELEMENT OF COMMUNITY PLANNING, THE OVERALL rOALS AND OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN DERIVED FROM JOINT AND CONCURRENT CONSIDERATION OF ALL COMMUNITY PLANNING ELEMENTS. THEREFORE,- THE POLICY DECISIONS RELATING TO ORONO’S FUTURE RECREATIONAL FACILITY ^OUIREMENTS COMPLEMENT AND BALANCE REGIONAL PLANS WITH LOCAL CONCERNS for historic DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GENERAL LAND USE. PARK AND OPEN SPACE NEEDS ARE FOR BOTH ACTIVE AND PASSIVE PURPOSES. Active recreation areas are oriented toward sports and recreation activities such as baseball, football, tennis, hockey, etc. On the other hand, passive recreation areas are oriented towards leisure activities such as environmental and nature areas, cultural and historic sites, wildlife habitat areas and open vistas. Ideally, a variety of active and passive recreation facilities will be provided within a city to ensure that all needs of the entire community are met. Typical outdoor recreation activities include the following; PASSIVE -walking, sitting, scenic viewing, observing wildlife, photography, art (such as painting) , card playing, picnicking, historic preservation or documentation, crafts. ACTIVE _jogging, tennis, baseball, softball, soccer, football, hockey, skating, skiing, fishing, boating, campxng, swimming, playing on special equipment such as slides, swings, sandboxes, etc. REGIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES ARE. INTENDED TO SERVE A WIDE area and a large number op users. Aesion.l 'tab to provide facilities for outdoor activities which are not normally a in neighborhood parks or local municipalities. This might ® .. inique features Is a soo, or a river, or simply more space for picnicking, boating, hiking or experiencing an uncompromised sense of nature. Use these facilities is typically infrequent for any one f distant because of the special effort necessary to reach the Pf ^ neighborhood and/or the infrequent desire to participate in the special activity. CMP 8-3 PARKS JUNE, 1980 Orono residents have been blessed with at least three regional recreational assets close enough to be used on a regular basis. Morris T. Baker Park Reserve offers general recreation and a major natural area; the DNR's Luce Line Trail offers hiking and horseback riding to many Orono residents on a dally basis; and Lake Minnetonka provides a multitude of active and passive recreational opportunities. LOCAL PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES ARE INTENDED TO SERVE A RELATIVELY SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD ON A FREQUENT USE BASIS. These facilities should provide sufficient open space and/or special equipment to provide recreation and athletic activities not possible on typical residential properties. Local parks and recreation areas should be designed and located to serve individuals on a familiar, almost daily basis. The service area should be relatively small as should the number of users at any one time. Typical features might include playground equipment, ball fields, tennis courts and gardens or pathways. PRIVATE OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION FACILITIES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO COMPLEMENT PUBLIC FACILITIES. Beyond the provision of public recreation facilities at the regional and local level, the private sector provides a large share of the outdoor recreational opportunities, especially in Orono. Examples include several golf courses, riding stables, and commercial marinas offering access to Lake Minnetonka for persons not owning lakeshore. These private facilities lessen demand for Investment in public facilities, produce tax revenue, stimulate secondary services, provide services not available publicly, and provide direct employment opportunities. In addition, the individual ownership of open space on residential lots provides the most accessible, most frequently used recreation opportunity for all citizens. ORONO IS PARTLY IN THE METROPOLITAN URBAN SERVICE AREA AND PARTLY IN THE RURAL SERVICE AREA. Areas generally located along Lake Minnetonka have been developed to urban densities for many years. Areas away from the Lake have remained rural in density and character. The citizens of Orono have determined that a long range planning objective of the City is the permanent retention of the rural community. The Community Management Plan is not a staged growth plan and urban density will not be spread into the rural area. CMP 8-4 n 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 II I I I 3 a 4 3 I 1 3 J 1 ] t ■.» PARKS JUNE, 1980 ORONO'S LAND USE PLAN CALLS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN BOTH THE URBAN AND THE RURAL PORTIONS OF THE CITY. The urban area is expected to have new residential development on existing vacant lots and undeveloped parcels similar to the forms of development projected for the closer-in suburbs. Overall u£ban population is expected to remain very close to the existing numbers because of the limited land available for development and because developed density is limited by the ecological considerations of proximity to Lake Minnetonka. The rural area is expected to have continued residential development on lots of 2 to 5 acres each with gross developed density limited to about 1 unit per 7 acres because of the large percentage of wetlands, steep slopes and public open space. Total population forecast is indicated in the following table. CITY or oroNO - population projections POPULATION FORECASTS HOUSEHOLD FORECASTS YEAR 1970 1980*1990 2000 SATURATION 1970 1980*1990 2000 SATURATION Urban Area 4160 4250 5120 5900 7200 1400 1450 1740 2000 2400 Rural Area 2627 3040 3220 3640 3800 746 980 1040 1180 1267 TOTAL CITY 6787 7290 1340 9540 11000 2146 2430 2780 3180 3667 •1910 to b« verifitd by census in progress Source: 1970 Censusj 1980 City Records; 1990-Ssturstion, City end Metropolitan Council Projections 3-31-78 ORONO'S URBAN AND RURAL NEIGHBORHOODS REQUIRE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. The urban areas of Orono have sufficient land use and population density to allow placement of parks and playgrounds within walking distance of a reasonable number of users. The rural areas of Orono have the population dispersed enough that typical urban parks or playgrounds would not be accessible to very many citizens on a regular basis. In addition, the cost of acquiring and maintaining local playgrounds must be justifiable by the number of benefited property owners within use-distance of the facility. MOST ORONO RESIDENCES HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE RECREATION. The majority of Orono's urban neighborhoods have reasonable and usable open space around every residence because of environmental limitations on excessive hardcover. In addition, a great many of Orono*s urban residences are built on lakeshore property with immediate accessibility for boating, swimming and fishing through out all of Lake Minnetonka. Orono*s rural residences have ample amounts of open space on each property and are frequently blessed with woods or wetlands serving as wildlife habitats and additional passive open space. Many rural homes have quick access to either Lake Minnetonka, Long Lake, or the trail system leading to Wolsfeld Woods or Morris T. Baker Park Reserve. CMP 8-5 PARKS JUNE, 1980 A PRINCIPAL GOAL OF ORONO'S PLANNING PROGRAM IS THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AMENITIES, PARTICULARLY THE WATER QUALITY OF LAKE MINNETONKA. The Environmental Protection Plan emphasizes Orono's unique environmental position in relation to the long-term health of Lake Minnetonka. This is vital to Orono's recreation plans because Lake Minnetonka is the single most used, most significant recreational facility available to Orono residents, and to many other citizens of the metropolitan area. If Lake Minnetonka's water quality diminishes, recreational use of the Lake for fishing, boating and swimming will be lost. LAKE MINNETONKA IS AN UNPARALLELED RECREATIONAL FACILITY. Lake Minnetonka, as shown on Map No. 1, is actually a series of lakes or "bays" inter­ connected by narrows or channels. Some bays are up to 90 feet deep while other areas are extremely shallow. Lake Minnetonka outlets at Grays Bay in the City of Minnetonka into Minnehaha Creek and eventually into the Mississippi River. LAKE MINNETONKA IS THE TENTH LARGEST LAKE IN MINNESOTA. Lake Minnetonka has a surface area of approximately 21.5 square miles and a capacity of 400,000 acre feet of water at the normal lake elevation of 929.4 ft. MSL. One third of the lake surface is in Orono as are 40 miles of its over 100 miles of shoreline. LAKE MINNFTONKA HAS SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC VALUE AS A RECREATIONAL ASSET, as an environmental resource and as a setting for private residential development. Lake Minnetonka's closeness to Minneapolis combined with its size have long given it a unique status among the lakes in Minnesota. In the 1880*s, Minnetonka became a nationally known resort area and has been a favorite locale for summer and suburban homes for generations. From the viewpoint of the fisherman, the lower lake resembles the more northern waters of the state, whereas the upper lake and its bays resemble southern Minnesota waters. The large size of the lower lake is a major attraction for sallboaters while the variety of bays, channels and water routes offer attraction to the casual boater. THE AMOUNT OF LAND IN ORONO * DEVOTED TO PARKS AND OPEN SPACE FAR EXCEEDS THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL'S STANDARDS. The Metropolitan Council has adopted a classification system to describe different types of parks as related to their facilities and their service area. At the present time, there are many public and private parks and open space facilities located in the City of Orono. The recreation and open space facilities make up a total of 676 acres of which 310 acres are public and 365 acres are private. CMP 8-6 a r ■} m n 35 31 J a M a m a PARKS JUNE, 1980 The following table compares, by classification, the amount of land in Orono devoted to recreation facilities compared to federal standards for open space requirements: PARK NEEDS ANALYSIS IN ORONO Type of Park Standard Acres Per 1,000 population Standard Required Acres in Orono* Actual Orono Acreage Mini Park .5 3.6 9 Neighborhood Park 2.0 14.6 14 Community Playfield 1.5 10.9 100 Community Park 3.5 25.5 Special Use Park --141 Regional Park 15.0 109.5 250 + 22.5 acres/1,000 164.1 acres 474 acres public 645 acres *1980 Population - 7 ,300 private 1119 acres In analyzing the existing parks and open space system in Orono, it is clear that the total parks and open space area exceeds the standards for the existing and proposed population in the city. It should be noted that much of the parks and open space area in the city consists of golf courses or regional parks. This is balanced by the fact that a great majority of the land area in Orono is rural in nature and will remain so in the future. Urban neighborhood park requirements are already met quite nicely by the amount of land already provided. Thus, there does not appear to be a great need to acquire additional land for parks and open space purposes in the foreseeable future. CMP 8-7 PARKS JUNE, 1980 PARK AND nPFN SPACE GOALS AND POLICIES Orono's Park and Open Space Plan is based upon the following Goals and Policies, which in turn are consistent with the other elements of Orono's Land Use and Community Management Plans: PARK AND OPEN SPACE GOALS 1. TO PROVIDE OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DIVERSIFIED ENOUGH TO SERVE ALL ORONO RESIDENTS. 2. TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS AND WILDLIFE HABITATS. 3. TO PROVIDE CITY PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES NECESSARY TO COMPLEMENT REGIONAL AND PRIVATE FACILITIES. 4. TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE GOALS WITHIN THE FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES OF THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS. GPNERAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE POLICIES 1. EVERY RESIDENCE SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN PRIVATE OPEN SPACE. Individual open space can be tailored to individual recreational desires. Individual open space is the most accessible place of outdoor recreation, affording frequent use and therefore improved community health. i>rlvate open space is the least expensive form of outdoor recreation, both to homeowner on a use basis, to the nation on an energy conservation basis, and to the public on a total-cost basis. This policy is consistent with the city's environmental commitment to preserve open space and to limit and improve the quality of surface water runoff. 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO COORDINATE PRIVATE OPEN SPACE WITH PUBLIC RECREATIONAL PLANS. This includes providing complementary land uses and complementary recreation facilities. This includes encouragement for providing a private trail system coordinated with the public bike- hike and Luce Line trails. CMP 8-8 -•7.T4 0 J iJ m m m m I PARKS.JUNE, 1980 3. ORONO WILL PROTECT AND PRESERVE NATURAL RECREATIONAL AND OPEN SPACE AMENITIES INCLUDING LAKE MINNETONKA, OTHER LAKES, MARSHLAND, WETLANDS, AND NATURAL WOODLANDS. This recreation policy works hand in hand with Orono's Environmental Protection plans and policies. Once preserved for environmental purposes, these areas provide excellent wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities for all citizens. Orono citizens rely on these natural amenities for a major portion of their outdoor recreational activity. 4. ORONO WILL COORDINATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. Duplication of programs and facilities will only be a burden on the taxpayer without providing any new benefits. Orono will actively encourage all school districts to coordinate their programs and facilities and to open them to the public at all reasonable times. Orono will actively support joint school district - city coordination of community service recreation programs and will coordinate the location and type of recreational facilities with those provided by the State Department of Natural Resources, Hennepin County Park Reserve and the local school districts. 5. ORONO WILL CAREFULLY LOCATE ACTIVE-USE PARK AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SO AS TO BENEFIT NEIGHBORING LAND USES. All park facilities, and especially community facilities that are expected to draw citizens from outside the immediate neighborhood, will be carefully designed and located so as to serve the best interests of all citizens without disrupting or disturbing established neighborhood lifestyles or traffic patterns. 6. ORONO WILL ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE OPEN SPACE AND DISCOURAGE THE ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OPEN SPACE. As can be seen on Map No. 16 and in the table of existing facilities, Orono already has an inordinately high percentage of land area devoted to recreation open space. When this is added to the large amount of unbuildable wetlands, there is little developable or taxable property remaining. Therefore, Orono will discourage the conversion of any additional large parcels of private land into public ownership, except for the eventual control of Big Island by Hennepin County Park Reserve. This policy does not preclude the creation of small neighborhood or mini-parks necessary to directly serve local residents within the urban area of the city. * CMP 8-9 n. I t; I » I i i I• • PARKS JUNE, 1980 7.LAND DEVELOPERS MUST PROVIDE FOR RECREATIONAL SPACE IN ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS. Land subdivisions or any new development that results in increased land use density, and hence increased demand for recreational services, will be expected to include public dedication of lands necessary for additional parks, playgrounds and open space. if the individual development's density increase or impact is relatively small in lieu of lands the developer will be required to contribute funds for the municipal purchase of such lands or improvement of existing recreation facilities proportionate to the cumulative effect of such density increase. THE ESTABLISHED PARK DEDICATION FUND WILL BE USED FOR PURCHASE OP ADDITIONAL PARK LAND AND/OR FOR IMPROVEMENT 0F EXISTING UNDEVELOPPn PARK LAND. Consistent with Minnesota Statutes, this ^^'^‘•vt.LOPED fund will not be used for any park maintenance or recreation operating expense. This fund will not be used for typical physical improvements normally placed in the annual budget. The intent is for the fund to accumulate to a level sufficient for a large scale activity as may be determined in the future. URBAN PARK AND OPEN SPACF PQLICTFS 8. 1. 2. THE CITY WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT RECREATION FACILITIES IN THE EXISTING PARKS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL URBAN RESIDENTS. The existing park facilities will be improved to provide a wide range of diversified recreation opportunities. New park locations will be limited to small tot-lots or mini—parks designed for special purposes to serve small neighborhoods not adjacent to existing facilities. THE CITY WILL DEVELOP RECREATION PROGRAMS IN COORDINATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS. The City does not have the capability to institute its own recreation program but the City will cooperate and participate in the community service programs offered through the local school districts. This will include improving and making available City park facilities for such activities as swimming lessons and field games. CMP 8-10 II i « i f I) PARKS JUNE, 1980 3. THE CITY WILL IMPROVE LOCAL ACCESS TO AND BETWEEN RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. The City will work toward improving neighborhood access to all recreation facilities including especially provisions for safe walking and bicycling within the immediate area of each park. The City will work toward linking all public recreation facilities with an expanded bike-hike trail system. RURAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE POLICIES 1. PROVIDING FOR RURAL AREA OPEN SPACE WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OP EACH LANDOWNER. There is sufficient open space provided on each rural lot to accommodate all passive and many active forms of outdoor recreation. No City or public investment is necessary. 2. RURAL RECREATION FACILITIES MUST NOT REQUIRE URBAN SERVICES. Major emphasis will be on passive recreation areas that do not attract large numbers of people because urban services such as sewer, water and frequent police patrolling are not available in the rural service area. 3. RURAL RECREATION AREAS WILL BE COORDINATED BETV7EEN THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND THE STATE. The principal rural recreational facility provided by the City is the bike-hike trail system which is intended to link urban and rural neighborhoods with the DNR's Luce Line Trail and Morris T. Baker Park Reserve. 4. THE CITY WILL ENCOURAGE THE PARK RESERVE TO CONTINUE ITS EXISTING SERVICE LEVELS AT MORRIS T. BAKER PARK RESERVE AND AT NOERENBERG GARDENS. Neither facility has any significant activity level and Orono will encourage that this limited usage continue as appropriate to Orono's rural land use plans. Orono will encourage retention of the natural open space and nature areas in the Orono portion of Morris T. Baker Park Reserve. Orono will encourage the existing conservancy and limited use aspects of Noerenberg Gardens. Orono will discourage extensive development in either location. CMP 8-11 PARKS JUNE, 1980 5. THE CITY WILL ENCOURAGE THE PARK RESERVE TO COMPLETE ACQUISITION AND CONTROL OF THE LAKE MINNETONKA ISL/^DS. As discussed at length in the Land Use Plan, Chapter 4, Orono does not have the capability of providing public services and facilities to residents on the islands. The City encourages eventual public ownership of the islands as recreational resources for general lake users. Orono encourages the Park Reserve to continue an active program of land acquisition as it becomes available, but not to encourage condemnation or forced conversion. Orono will work with the Park Reserve in preparing a long range plan for use and management of the islands. 6. THE CITY WILL ENCOURAGE THE STATE DNR TO RESTRICT USE OR ALTERATION OF WOLSFELD WOODS. This is a unique nature area that should not be developed for active use, but should remain in its natural state. In addition, access and traffic control is extremely limited from County Road 6. 7. THE CITY WILL ENCOURAGE THE STATE DNR TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE LUCE LINE TRAIL, AND TO MANAGE ITS USE CONSISTENT WITH THE RURAL RESIDENTIAL AREA IT TRAVERSES. The City will encourage extension of the trail, especially on the eastern end, and interconnection with other city or regional trails to provide a coordinated linkage between a wide variety of recreational facilities. The City will encourage the DNR to limit motorized trail usage to west of McCulley Road and the new trail access area. 8. THE CITY WILL ENCOURAGE RETENTION ANP CONTINUED OPERATION OP THE PRIVATE GOLF COURSES. These private facilities provide major active recreation in the City and in addition provide aesthetic open space and open vistas to the benefit of all adjacent property owners and the public alike. The City will discourage conversion of these facilities into non-recreational land use because of the benefit of this recreational opportunity and because the City has limited public services necessary for accommodating any other use. CMP 8-12 I •I 1 I 1 I A1 EARKa JUNE, 1980 PARK AND OPEN SPACg Pt AM MAP NO. 16 INDICATES THE LOCATION OF PARK, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN ORONO. Parks, open space and recreational facllltierin Orono are provided under jurisdiction of private organizations, the City, School District, County and State agencies. Facilities are provided in the full range of classifications identified as desirable for accommodatinq the needs of all citizens. THE FOLLOWING TABLE IDENTIFIES AND CLASSIFIES PARK, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE FACILITIES IN ORONO. A commonly accepted way to describe and analyze recreational opportunities is through a classification system which indicates different levels of services, different levels of Improvement and different service areas. The following classification plan conforms to the regional system developed and adopted by the Metropolitan Council as applied to the types of recreation facilities available in Orono. PARK OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION FACILITIES IN ORONO HINI-PARXS Intended as smell, often specisl purpose facilities that serve a limited population or a specific group such as tot lots or specific neighborhoods. »JURISDICTION SAME OR IDEKTIFICATION LAND use SERVICE AREA SIZE FACILITIES Private Bohns Point Urban 1/8 mile 1/2 acre playground equipment i City Antoine (Fagerness Pt.)Urban 1/4 mile 1-1/2 acres playground equipment m open field area 1 City Chevy Chase Urban 1/8 mile 1/2 acre undeveloped ]City Crystal Bay Rural •Cluster 1/4 mile 5 acres playground equipment t open field area - now located on Art Center property 1f City Carman Circle Urban 1/4 mile 1/8 acre open play area City Cygnet Rural 1/4 mile 1 acre undeveloped City Forest Arms Urban 1/4 mile 1 acre lakeshore open space ! City Navarre (Lyric Ave.)Urban 1/4 mile 1/2 acre undeveloped - playground equipment to be relocated from parking lot TOTAL 8 Areas 10-1/8 acres CMP 8-13 PARKS JUNE, 1980 WEICHBORHOOD PARKS Intended for moro active utt than wini-parkst with areas provided for field ^ames or special activities that serve store than the Inniediate neighborhood. JURISDICTION WAMg OR IDENTIFICATION LAND USE SERVICE AREA SIZE City Rederwood (Stubbs Bay Road) Rural Northern Orono I acres open field area with future ball fields City Casco Beach (Casco Point Road) Urban Casco Point 1/8 acre swimning beach City Casco Rink (Casco Point Road) Urban Navarre - Casco Point 1 acre open field area winter skating rink City Hackberry (North Willow Drive) Urban- Rural Northern Orono 4 Long Lake 4 acres open field area soccer field playground equipment City Lydiard Beach (Rally a Lydiard) Urban Relly- Shorehills 1/2 acre awimming baach City • Sandy Beach (Maple Place 4 Cherry Avenue) Urban Saga Hill Fagerness Point Shadywood 1/4 acre Bwimming beach TOTAL i Areas 14 acres COMMUNITY PLAYPIELD Intended for intensive active-use recreation, oartieuiariv organized athletic events, fields and equipment. Includes specialized athletic JURISDICTION NAME OR IDENTIFICATION LAND USE SERVICE AREA SIZE • FACILITIES City Orono Golf (Orono Orchard Road) • Rural City 4 Lake Area 45 acres 9 hola golf course School District 271 Orono School Campus (Old Crystal Bay Road 4 Waysata Boulevard) Urban- Rural Northern Orono* Long Lake* School Dist. 279 35 acres football field* running trackt baseball 4 softball fialds* tennis courts* playground equipment* open field areas Private Lakeview Golf (North Arm Drive) Open to Public Rural Lake Area 160 acres 18 hole golf course Private Wayzata Country Club (Wayzata Boulevard) Private Rural Metro 4 Lake Area 200 acres 18 hole golf course* tennis courts* gym* swimming pool Private Woodhill Country Club (Shoreline Drive) Private Rural Metro 4 Lake Area 200 acres 18 hole golf course* tennis courts* swimming pool TOTAL 5 Areas 80 acres public ^ 560 acres privste REGIONAL PARK • • RESERVE Intended as a natural area for quality outdoor activities*includingsome special use area*. JURISDICTION NAME OR IDENTIFICATION LAND USE SERVICE AREA SIZE FACILITIES Hennepin Cty* Park Reserve Morris T. Baker Park Reserve (Cty. Rd. 19- Nedina- extends to Highway 12 in Orono) Rural Metro Region 250 acres in Orono Orono section is intended to remain a natural area - only facility is a bike-hike trail- Camping* swimming* boating activitiaa available at Laka Indtpandanca 2 milaa north * connected by trail to Orono- CMP 8-14 a & ’4 1 1 ii 3 J 3 3 I 4 3 4 PA^RS JUNE, 1980 MATURE AREAS Intended for passive use recreation such as walking and as conservation areas for natural open space. or hiking • JURISDICTION NWIE OR IDENTIFICATION LAND USE SERVICE AREA SItE • FACILITIES Private (Nature Conservancy) ferndale Marsh (Shoreline Drive) Rural None 50 acres in Orono natural wetlands wildlife habitat city Casco Circle (Casco Point) Urban Southern Orono 0 acres woods and open fields City Casco Cove Island Urban N/A 3/4 acre wetlands • wildlife area City Highwood Nature Trail (North Shore Drive) Urban Central Orono 12 acres woods and wetlands wildlife habitat City Shadywood Road Urban N/A 20 acres wetlands - wildlife area City Summit Landing Rural Northern Orono 5 acres woods lakeshore on Long Lake School District 278 Lake Classen Rural School District NW Orono 5 acres^natural wetlands duck ponds wildlife study area adjacent to school campus Hennepin Cty. Park Reserve Morris T. Baker Park Reserve Rural NW Orono Metro See Park Reserve Classification Hennepin Cty. Park Reserve Big Island Rural Lake Users 40 acres wetlands and woods State DNR Woltfeld Woods Rural Metro 20 acres in Orono original native hardwoods trail system TOTAL 10 Art.s 45-3/4 acres city ♦ 115 acres controlled by others SPCCIJ.L_USI^HI^ Int.nd.tf for . p.arUcuUr outdoor ui< provided with f.cllrti., for qtrtraj iccroitir • or actiVIty use-.aric riut JURISDICTION NV-Hf. OP IDDNTiFlCATlON la.\d usn SFPVICL AREA • siir Private Veteran's Association Big Jrlattd Vitt^ran's Camp Rural StiJtc Wide 30 acres l‘/MLJTI Kf overnight camj and r-assivc rvcrcution for veterans Temple Itree1 Camp Teko Hennepin Cty. Nourenberg Memorial fark neserve Cardens (North Shore Drive) Urban Fural Private Groups Metro 20 acres 80 acres day-use and occasional overnight camp with lake access State DNR Luce Line Trail woods and marshland with nature trails Lctanical gardens and conservancy for passive appreciatIon Rural Metro t City Wide Lin%*ar City-County bike-Hike Trails regional trail tied into local parks and trail system ^ *cre - access and parkino area at McCulley Poad 10 acres - rest area at Willow Drive Urban 4 City 4 Lake Area Rural Linear located along most-traveled routes to tie together all local parks with Park Reserve 4 Luce Line Trail. TOTAL 2 Areas ♦ Trails 141 acres ♦ Trails CMP 8-15 1 r PARKS JUNE, 1980 SPECIAL USE LAKE ACCESS Because of our location on Lake Minnetonka, number of special lake access facilities of purposes. Orono has a large various types and JUmSDZCTlON MAKE OR IDEHTiriCATlON lANO USE SERVICE AREA SIZE rAClLITY rrlv«t« BUfiMt* a Commercial Marinas Urban Meto-Lake Users S acres boat launching, service, repair, fuel, supplies, boat storage Private Cli^s Minnetonka Po%rer Squadron (Big Island) Bural Hetro-Lak* Users 1 acre dock and swimming beach Waysata Yacht Club (Big Island) s Rural Metro-Lake Users 1 acre dock end swimming beach Hennepin County North Ann Access (North Arm Bay) Urban Metro 2 acres paved parking area a boat launch ramp Hennepin County Spring Park Access (Spring Park Bay) Urban Metro 2 acres paved parking area a boat launch ramp - access located in Spring Park, but adjacent to Orono with overflow parking in Orono Hennepin County Coffee Bridge (Shadyvood Hoad) Urban Metro 1/2 acre parking area and fishing access located on Spring Park side of road Hennepin County Noerenberg Bridge Rural Metro -roadside parking and fishing access Hennepin County Brovns Bay Rural Metro -roadside parking and fishing access City (Walking accesses on platted fire lanes) Carman Street Urban Neighborhood m summer only with fishing pier •Park Avenue Urban Neighborhood -summer fishing pier/wintsr road •Lome Linda Urban Neighborhood -• •Stubbs Bay (Road)Rural Neighborhood -■ m m m m •Long Lake (east end)Rural City Wide -summer walking access only winter ice road access m Crystal Bay (North Shore Drive) Urban City Wide -• • • » « m Crystal Bay (Baldur Park) Urban City Wide -• » • • ■ ■Crystal Bay (North Shore Drive f Old Crystal Bay Road) Rural City Wide -• ■ • • « •Crystal Bay (Old Crystal Bay Hoad) Urban Neighborhood -• • • • • Maxwell Bay (Fox Street)Rural Neighborhood -• m m m m •Smith Bay (Spates)Rural Neighborhood -m m m m m TOTAL LAXJS ACCESSi t Major Points/lS Minor Points CMP 8-16 I 1 I ! •*.» 1 1 a I 1 1 j 1 (i a f I I 3 ! 1 } 1 PARKS JUNE, 1980 4 THE CITY IS PURSUING AN ACTIVE PROGRAM FOR PARK AND OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS AS little as four years ago, very few city facilities were developed to any* degree of improvement. Major improvements are well underway at Antoine Bederwood and Hackberry Parks and in completion of key bike-hike trail segments. The City Council and Park Commission are currently involved in a major city-wide park improvement poll of neighborhood needs that may alter current improvement plans. The City is not currently planning for the acquisition of any additional park land because of the fact that there is already a large amount of parks and open space areas in the City and that the City is expected to experience only a modest increase in population. Rather, the major focus of the Parks and Open Space Plan will be on the protection of passive recreation amenities such as wetlands, woodlands and other private open space, and on the physical improvement of the existing public park facilities. scopfo“?«s improvements within the 1.BEDERWOOD PARK - Scheduled for construction of a Babe Ruth size ball field, improvement of an off-street parking area and additional landscaping in 1980. 2.LUCE LINE TRAIL ACCESS - The City and DNR are cooperating in development of a parking area and trail access point at McCulley Road; expected for improvement in 1980 or 1981. 3.NAVARRE AREA MINI-PARK - Existing playground equipment is located City commercial parking lot. Newly acquired tax forfeit land in the residential area has been cleared. The City will relocate the playground equipment and improve the land for park purposes between 1980 and 1985 so as to improve access, safety, usability and aesthetics of the facility. 4.CRYSTAL 9AY MINI-PARK _ Existing playground equipment is located on the private grounds of the Minnetonka Art Center as a carryover from when this facility was a public school. The City will work toward moving the equipment to city-owned property in coordination with consolidation and improvement of the City administrative center in the neighborhood. 5.BIKE-HIKE TRAILS _ The City will continue working toward completion of the total bike-hike trail network on all City streets, and will encourage Hennepin County to complete the segments located along several County roads. CMP 8-17 PARKS JUNE, 1980 7. Comaission^wiirbrreiLiino^ PLANS. The Council and Park and Will b. worbln, on provision of a small mini-park type changes, more extensive development^ althJSqh thi^ area, or some major thrust to be na?„ral ana used for mini-parks and play“«irfor“thor^* h® acquired neighborhoods that do not h.?e Lch arefrwlJh? "walking distance. areas within a reasonable CMP 8-18 . QOQOOaO ________ ) so. FT.ioo0 0 0009^ 9 ACRCSooocsaaaa aoooaaooQGQOoo ooaaoaooaoaaao oaoaoaoooooaoQQ ooaoooQODQoa ano .O G □ □ O □ □ O □ □ O G O G G G G GJ^d^XTa Q ^ O G O G O G G G G G G G G cVuG G G G O G G GGGGGOGGOOGQGG GGGGOGGGGGOOa GGGGGGOGGQGO GOOGGGGGQG GGGGGGGGG yy///y /////////,/r GGGGGGG GGGGGGQ GGGGGGG GGGGGG WETLANO V7 • safisss^;-; • • • # • • * * Y0SSS«8S8 X»^^ r«f • • • VfMggQQQQQQyQQQQyySHRj^^ \ > '.V.^^^^V.V.V.V.^V.^^V.^V.V.V.!.!.V.V.W V*V#V >w/**/.% V.V w*v. mmmi . v.*5 v.%%v•w•^.w•^v. J oo WETLAND 19-^ I4M.I >0 noiuoi taa m • \ Vl , -Vv V J .WETlANO^ • TWl A fl.< M3 0 BIO WOODS OOOOOQOO > SO. njoooooootQ A(!Rrsaoaaooaa0: laoQOQOOooQOOQ^[DOQaOQOOOOQQaO ioooaaooooiiooaao OOQQOOOOQOOO 0^0 .□□aaaaooooo^ ^□□OOOGGO ^ a O G G G G^_^_ O G G G G Q G G G O Q O aOGOGGOOGGGOOG aaOGGGQGGGQaO OGGGQGGGGQOO GGGOOQGOOO QOGOOGOGG a o □ o o o o a o v.v. • •••••••••♦•* • ••••••••••• • ••••••• • •••••••• • •••••••• • •••••••• • •••••••* 'WETLANO *1*7* • • • jDGOO ^GOO ^ G G □ Q C v.y/i> %v.vv.v > £x$ mm wetland 13 •m mv.v. MjtiiJ «. n. , 2.3f2U «CflCt v.v VVV.VVVV.!':. >0g0L i i:-x:v>:v!:!:v:!:!:!:w^ K<i. BIO WOODS ;S8? ii ■.V.VVVi ♦%%%%- OO WETLAND 19 i.M.t as n aa>oi ioa Oo forestid v* S 10.22 Subd. 3. Tree Removal Regulations. No live tree within 75 feet of the shoreline with a diameter of six (6) inches or more shall be removed without first obtaining a permit from the City. Such permits shall be issued by the City staff provided that at least a like number of replacement trees of a size and nature found acceptable to the staff are planted^ any question involving the number of trees to be replaced will require approval. Source: Ordinance 26, 2nd Series Adopted: 7-14-86 SEC. 10.23. LR-IA ONE FAMILY LAKESHORE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT Subd. 1. Purpose. The ’’LR-IA" One Family Lakeshore Residential District is intended to provide a district which will allow a combination of low density residential development and limited agricultural activity. Planned residential developments may be allowed by conditional use permits. The proposed land use may not endanger the quality of storm water runoff into Lake Minnetonka or Long Lake. Because of the location of the district uear Lake Minnetonka or Long Lake, special regulations are necessary to protect those natural resources from the effects of dense development. ORONO CC 283-1 (4-1-84) S 10.56 4. Stairways, lifts and landings may be either constructed above the ground on posts or pilings or placed into the ground, provided they are designed and built in a manner that ensures control of soil erosion. 5. Stairways, lifts and landings must be located in the most visually inconspicuous portions of lots, as viewed from the surface of the public water assuming summer, leaf- on conditions, whenever practical. 6. Facilities necessary to provide shore area access to physically handicapped persons shall be allowed provided that the dimensional and performance standards of subitems 1-5 are completed in addition'to the requirements of the Minnesota Regulations, Chapter 1340. 7. A building permit shall be obtained for construction of stairways, lifts and landings regardless of whether such improvements are constructed above, at or below grade. G. Steep Slopes. Any applicant requesting a permit for construction of sewage treatment systems, roads, driveways, structures, or other improvements on steep slopes, shall provide ade'^uate information to allow the City to evaluate possible soil erosion impacts and developmentvisibility from public waters before such permit may be issued. When determined necessary, conditions shall be attached to issued permits to prevent erosion and preserve existing vegetation screening of structures, vehicles, and other facilities as viewed from the surface of public waters, assuming summer, leaf-on vegetation. H. Height of Structures. No structure within the Shoreland Overlay District shall exceed the height limitations set forth in the standards for the underlying zoning district. ^ I.Vegetation Alterations. n cj.A"1. No live tree within 75 feet of the shoreline/\with a diameter of 6 inches or more (or 19 inches in circumference or greater) measured 3 feet above the ground may be removed without first obtaining a permit from the City staff provided that at least the equivalent number of replacement trees of a size and nature found acceptable to the staff are planted at the same setback from the shoreline as those removed. Appeals of staff determinations as to type, size and quality of the trees to be replaced will be to the Council. Removal of trees that are dead shall not require a permit but such trees must be inspected by City staff prior to their removal. ORONO CC 376-13 (2-24-92)* value S 11.60 RESERVATION OF NATURAL FEATURES AND AMENITIES. Subd^.^. General. Existing features which would add tfrs^^^ential development or to the City as a whole# such as trees, as herein defined, watercourses and falls, beaches, historic spots, and similar irreplaceable assets, shall be preserved in the design of the subdivision. No trees shall be removed from any subdivision nor any change of grade of the land effected until approval of the preliminary subdivision has been granted. All trees on the subdivision plan required to be retained shall be preserved, and all trees where required shall be welled and protected against change of grade. The vegetation map shall show the number and location of existing trees, as required by this Chapter and shall further‘indicate all those marked for retention, and the location of all proposed shade trees required along the street side of each lot as required by these regulations. Subd. 2. Shade Trees Planted by Subdivider. A. As a requirement of subdivision approval, the City may require that subdivider plant shade trees on the property of the subdivision. Such trees are to be planted within five (5) feet of the right-of-way of the road or roads within and abutting the subdivision, or, at the discretion of the City, within the right-of-way of such roads. One (1) tree shall be planted for every forty (40) feet of frontage along each road unless the Council, upon recommendation of the City staff shall grant a waiver. B. New trees to be provided pursuant to this Chapter shall be approved by the City and shall be planted in accordance with the specifications of the City. Such trees shall have a minimum trunk diameter (measured twelve (12) inches above ground level) of not less than two (2) inches. Only Oak, Honey Locust, Hard Maples, Ginkgo, Ash or other long-lived shade trees, acceptable to the City shall be planted. SEC. 11.61. NONRESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS. Subd. 1. General. If a proposed subdivision includes land that is zoned for commercial or industrial purposes, the layout of the subdivision with respect to such land shall make sucn provision as the Council may require. A nonresidential subdivision shall also be subject to all the requirements of the site plan approval set forth in the Zoning Chapter of the City Code. Site plan approval and nonresidential subdivision approval may proceed simultaneously at the discretion of the Council. A nonresidentia subdivision shall be subject to all the requirements o is Chapter, as well as such additional standards required by tn Council, and shall conform to the proposed land use and standards established in the Comprehensive Municipal Plan, and Zoning Chapter of the City Code. ORONO CC 469 (4-1-84) m Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55155*40 March 3, 1997 received MAR 0 6 1997 q\TV of OROWO Mike Ga^ron City of Orono P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay Minnesota 55323 Re: Known locations of rare features in the vicinity of a proposed golf course within the cities of Orono and Medina (T118N R23W E section 26 and SW section 25) Dear Mr. Caffiron: The Minnesota Natural Heritage database was reviewed in November of 1996 determine if any rare plant or animal species or other signiHcant natural features are known to occur within an approximate one-mile radius of the above referenced project. At that time a letter and print-out with the results of the search was sent to Marshall Braman at Schoell & Madson, Inc . • - • Due to new information that has been brought to our attention, the need to comment further on this project is necessary. Three high quality m^ple-basswood forest communities are located within the vicinity of the proposed project and mentioned in the previous letter. Only one of these forest communities is likely to be effected by the proposed golf course development. This maple-basswood forest is located not adjacent to, as previously thought, but within the boundary of the proposed course in section 26. This 40-acre forested tract is a significant remnant of maple-basswood forest. In Hennepin County, only about 1100 acres remain of this particular forest type and it is very important that the few remaining tracts be protected. Fragmentation of forests in the metropolitan area has resulted in loss of habitat for breeding woodland warblers, as well as other forest songbirds. Additional woodland plants and animals are also being impacted by forest loss and fragmentation. Therefore, it is highly recommended and encouraged that actions to preserve the existing community without fragmentation as well as any others within the boundaries of the project be incorporated into the project design. A fact sheet on maple- basswood forests in Hennepin County is enclos'^d for your reference. We hope that this new information nrovided will be incorporated into any documentation needed for further review of this project V/ e regret the misunderstanding and hope that this additional information will not delay the project pn Thank you for consulting us on this matter, and for your interest in minimizing impacts on ptuine* ii’s rare resources. Please be aware that review by the Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program focuses only on rare natural features. It does not constitute review or approval by the Department of Natural Resources as a whole. DNR Information: 612*296-6157. 1*800*766*6000 • TTY: 612*296*5484. 1*800*657*3929 An Etjual Opponuniiy Employer Who Values Diversity 4fV Printed on Recycled Paper Containing a %m9 Minimum of PoM-Consumer Waste Maple-Basswood forests OF Hennepin county : A Threatened habitat June 1995 1#^ ne-hundred fifty years ago, Big Woods forest V-/ covered close to one-half of Hennepin County. Today the forest persists only in isolated patches. Unless actively protected, these small remnants are likely to be destroyed within the next few years by suburban development. In 1856, when John Brunius and E. N. Darling of the United States General Land Office Survey divided Hennepin County into sections to sell to farmers, railroad companies, and speculators, they recorded that 154,000 acres of land in the county were covered by Big Woods (see map). The Big Woods were moist, shady forests of tall, straight elm, sugar maple, basswood, and red oak trees. In the cool shade beneath the trees grew such distinctive herbs as ginseng, trout lilies, and spring beauties. In 1995, just 140 years after Brunius and Darling surveyed these primeval forests, the Big Woods have all but disappeared from Hennepin County. About 1,100 acres, or less than 1% of the 1850 acreage of Big Woods, remain. The original extent of Big Woods in Hennepin County (shaded), as interpreted by Frances J. Marschner using Public Land Survey records from 1853-55. The Minnesota County Biological Survey has found that less than 1% of the Big Woods remains in 1995.Much of the Big Woods, or maple-basswood forest as it is now often called, was cleared for farmland in the early decades of Euro-American settlement. It is hard to give precise figures for how rapidly this clearing took place, although aerial photographs indicate that by the late 1 930s the Big Woods had been reduced to a patchwork of mostly 40- to 80- acre parcels. What is very clear, however, is that in the decades following World War II the remainder of the county’s maple-basswood forest has been steadily eroded by spreading suburban development. In fact, more than 10% of the maple-basswood forest remaining in the county is slated for development within the next few months. While much of rural Hennepin County is experiencing high development pressure, forested sites appear to be especially t^geted because they make shady, secluded and scenic lots for new homes. The ecological distinctiveness of a maple-basswood forest is dependent on its dense, nearly continuous tree canopy. When the tree canopy is fragmented by driveways, houses, and trails, the cool and moist conditions characteristic of the shady interior of the forest are altered. More sunlight reaches the forest floor and the shade-tolerant specie.s typical of the forest are replaced by species more typical of open habitats and forest edges. This forest fragmentation also promotes displacement of native forest shrubs and herbs by aggressive exotic species such as the ornamental shrubs common buckthorn and Tatarian honeysuckle. In addition, fragmentation leads to a decline in the diversity of native forest shrubs and herbs because the smaller populations that remain are more likely to be destroyed by pollution and physical damage. These include herbicide- and fenilizer-laden runoff from lawns and erosion or compaction of soils during construction. The end result of development, even where patches of trees are spared, is conversion of the maple-basswood forest into a degraded woodlot with houses in it. Growth in Hennepin County appears to have reached the point that it is now economically viable to develop all but the few remaining maple-basswood forests present on steep slopes. Therefore, unless they are deemed worthy of protection by citizens or local governments, most of the remaining unprotected forests will be developed over the next few years. The citizens of Eden Prairie last year overwhelmingly approved a referendum to raise $3.5 million through taxes to buy and protect land supporting native habitats, including one of the best remaining unprotected maple-basswood forests in southern Hennepin County. Residents of Maple Grove and Plymouth passed similar referendums this spring to purchase land for open space. Some of the parcels being considered are good-quality remnants of maple-basswood forest along Elm Creek, one of which will otherwise be developed soon. There is no immediately life-threatening reason to worry about the loss of more maple-basswood forests from Hennepin County. If the remaining maple-basswood forests in the county were bulldozed away tomorrow and replaced by subdivisions or malls, few people would perceive the difference. But the county would be more biologically impoverished, we would have lost some of our natural heritage, and we would have destroyed sites that provide unique aesthetic and educational opportunities. The Minnesota County Biological Survey, a Department of Natural Resources Program charged with inventorying and mapping Minnesota ’s native vegetation, is working at a rapid pace to provide citizens and local governments with information on remaining native habitats statewide. This information is intended to help make informed decisions on where and how development occurs, ideally guiding it away from biologically sensitive or unique areas. Survey of the remaining maple-basswood forests and other native habitats of Hennepin County is part of the County Biological Sur\'cy’s efforts this summer. Hopefully the information gathered will help to preserve a few more acres of the Big Woods that once covered Hennepin County. maple-basswood forest For more information on maple-b't'-wood forests and other native habitats in Hennepin County, contact: Fred Harris, Plant Ecologist (282-2683) or Daniel Wovcha. Plant Ecologist (297-7264), Minnesota County Biological Survey Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road, Box 7 St. Paul. MN 55155 ©1995 Stale of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources g 5- 20 '~1 '> m Hennepin County An Equal Opportunity Employer J RECEIVEU March 19, 1997 M^R 9 4 1997 , Or OROMO Mr. Michael P. Gaffron Ass’t. Planning & Zoning Admin. City of Orono P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323 Re: Spring Hill Golf Club -• CSAH 6 - Development Issues Mike: Thanks for the opportunity to review the above noted proposal so that we can comment on development issues in a timely manner. Please be aware tnat Il-'nnepin County is also preparing a separate response to the March 1997 Environmental Assessment Worksheet. Regarding development issues we hnve several concerns which we describe in the following paragraphs. These issues will need to be addressed prior to the county issuing its roadway related approvals. Administratively, a cooperative agreement will be required between Hennepin County and the City of Orono, to identify legal and technical responsibilities for the golf cart/pedestrian underpass, or culvert. This agreement will become the long-term instrument addressing subjects such as liability, periodic inspection, routine maintenance of the road and culvert and any other logistical concerns. While the city may in turn choose to reassign certain obligations to the golf club, procedurally the county contracts with the city, a public entity which represents the public interest into perpetuity. On the technical side, the culvert issues include but are not^imited to: - type of construction (poured, pre-cast, etc.) - culvert length to attain appropriate roadside slopes to preclude need for guardrail (or provisions for guardrail if absolutely necessary) - need for 4 feet of cover under roadway/shoulder area - drainage provisions - potential for security lighting within and at entrances - whether any public or private utilities might go through the culvert - whether the proposed municipal bikeway system might utilize the culvert since their current proposal indicates crossing CSAH 6 in this vicinity. - detour plans (if necessary) during construction Department of Public Works 320 Washington Avenue South Hopkins, Minnesota 55343'8496 (612)930-2500 FAX:(612)930-2513 TDD:(6l2)930-2696 f(tcydei?apf Mike Gaffron March 19, 1997 Page 2 Regarding the overall proposal, there are traffic-related issues to be resolved. First, if the city is contemplating improvements at any of the intersections (Tamarack, Hunter, Spring Hill east/west), additional right of way dedication will likely be necessary. This need might be satisfied via easements for roadway purposes, as well as utilities, drainage, and trails. Any roadway improvements would not be the county’s responsibility since they would be development driven. Secondly, the existing conference center oriveway does not provide adequate sight distance. Hennepin County hereby strongly recommends for safety reasons the closure and removal of all current field entrances and driveways abutting the site on CSAH 6 and that all access be via city streets. The field entrance immediately east of Tamarack is especially troublesome; it worsens an already poor situation. Finally, since activity within the right of way, other than the culvert, will require county permits, close cooperation among the city, the developer, and the county will be necessary. Again, thank you for this timely opportunity to give our viewpoints as a guide in the continuing development of the proposed facility. Please feel free to call Bruce Polaczyk at 930-2523 with further questions or discussion regarding agreements, or culvert details. Sincerely, Thomas D. Johnson, P.E. Transportation Planning Engineer cc: Greg Gappa, City of Orono Jim Grube, Hennepin County Ted Hoffman, Hennepin County Bruce Polaczyk, Hennepin County 1 c March 20, 1997 Richard C. Krueger 1175 Willowbrook Drive Orono, MN. 55391 RECEIVED MAR 2 1 1997 Mr. M. Gaffron City of Orono 2750 Kelley Parkway, P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN. 55323 CITY OF ORONO Dear Mr. Gaffron: I am a resident of 1175 Willowbrook Drive, and my property is adjacent to the proposed Spring Hill Golf Course. In response to the Springhill Environmental Assessment Worksheet, I have two major concerns regarding the golf course project: 1) The Medina 26 Big Woods is one of the few significant segments of Big Woods remaining in Hennepin County, and is a critical link between Wolsfeld Woods and Wood Rill Scientific and Natural areas. It has been identified by the Minnesota DNR as a very important segment of the Big Woods, and they have “highly recommended and encouraged that actions to preserve the existing community, without fragmentation, be incorporated into the project design." The golf course as currently designed, will destroy the Medina 26 Big Woods. Only iso}.>'ed woodlots will remain. I urge the cities of Orono and Medina to consider the possibility of facilitating the acquisition of this property, along with the Springhill property, as a nature preserve through a combination of public and private financing. I realize this may sound impractical, but consider the fact that most major park acquisitions, including many of our national parks, were viewed as farfetched at the time. It was only after establishment of the parks, that the public officials who created the parks were no Ir -er seen as impractical, but as farsighted. I also sugg . that you ask DNR officials to inspect “Medina 26 ” in May to insure that there are no endangered plants or animals living on this property. Schoell and Madson said they walked through the Big Woods in the fall of 1996. Autunm is not the best time to determine whether there are any endangered or threatened species of plants or animals. 2) If the golf course is approved, the wetland on my property will be negatively impacted by the small dam placed at the southern end of Wetland 17. Asa result of this dam, the wetland on my land will be significantly drier than before. I discussed this with Mr. Brahman of Schoell and Madson, and he said that the dam will restore my wetland to pre- 1940 conditions. He bases this assertion on aerial photographs, which he says indicate n channel was dug to faciiitate drainage in the 1940 ’s. If this is true, which I question based on examination of aerial photographs in the EAW, it is of no c».nsolation to me. L The fact is, ♦he dam will reduce water flow through my property, and consequently, will affect my wetland and the wildlife it supports, including various waterfowl, deer and other animals. ! urge you to protect the wetland on my property. I appreciate the opportunity to express my concerns regarding the proposed Spring Hill Golf Course to you. Please provide copies of this letter to the members of the Planning Commission and City Council, the Mayor and the City Administrator. I look forward to receiving your response. Sincerely, Richard C. Krueger cc: City Administrator Mayor Members of the City Council Members of the Planning Commission 1 ; CITY OF ORONO P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323 473-7357 TO: Spring Hill Golf Club do Andy Hunter Hunter Keith Industries 5100 IDS Center Mpls., MN 55402 ZONING FILE #2209 NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION DATE OF NOTICE: March 21,1997 COPIES TO: Ken Adolf Schoell & Madson 10580 Wayzuia Blvd. Minnetonka, MN 55305 Thomas M. Crosby, Jr. Faegre & Benson LLP 2200 Norwest Center 90 South Seventh Street Mpls., MN 55402-3901 Tim Johnson Spring Hill Golf Club 700 Spring Hill Road Wayzata, MN 55391 TYPE OF APPLICATION: Variance/Conditional Use Permits DATE OF MEETING: 3/17/97 VOTE:5 FOR 0 AGAINST Planning Commission recommends the following: Public Hearing continued to March 31,1997 at 6:00 p.m. per the attached notice. NOTES AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS: The public hearing was continued in order that Planning Commission may inspect the site and then review and discuss the application without the time constraints imposed by additional agenda items at the regular meeting. The mailing list , property owTiers and others requesting notice will be notified of this continuation. If you desire certified copies of the official Planning Commission minutes, they are available from the City Recorder afire review and approval by the Planning Commission. State law requires that local governments must act to approve or deny a request related to a zoning matter within 60 days of receipt of the completed application. The law also allows the City to extend the 60 day deadline by providing written notice of the extension to the applicant. The City hereby extends the deadline to June 27, 1997 for the following reasons: 1. State statutes Chapter 15.99 Subd. 3 (d) extends the deadline to 60 days after completion of the last EAV/ process. The earliest the City Council could reasonably take final action on the EAW is at the regular meeting of April 28. Therefore, 60 days following April 28 is June 27,1997. 2. The complexity of the review is sufficient reason to extend the deadline. 3. The application remains technically incomplete pending receipt of a certificate of survey and a septic system site evaluation report for the maintenance facility.