HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-03-10 work sessionMeeting Notes
Planning Commission Work Session
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Marion Conference Room
The Planning Commission work session commenced at 6:43 p.m. in the Marion Conference
Room at City Hall.
Commissioners Present: Vice Chair Brooks Lillehei, Joe Blee, Karl Drotning, Jason Glad, Gerry
Grenz, and Linda Maguire.
Staff Present: Planning Director Daryl Morey, Associate Planner Allyn Kuennen, and Assistant
City Engineer Zach Johnson.
Vice Chair Lillehei opened the work session.
MUSA Expansion Area A Studv
Associate Planner Kuennen presented staff's study related to the timing of MUSA Expansion
Area A and highlighted several points raised in the May 28, 2010 planning staff memo. He
stated the City completed a similar study in 2005, the last time a five -year increment of land was
brought into the current MUSA. The 2010 study includes an analysis of the number of single
family lots and townhome units preliminary platted but not yet final platted, the number of
approved final platted single family and townhome lots that have not yet been built upon, and
the number of acres of undeveloped unplatted residentially zoned land located within the current
MUSA.
The analysis identifies an approximate 6 -7 year surplus of available single family lots and an 18
year surplus of attached and detached townhome units given the average absorption rates for
single family homes and townhome units that occurred over the past 10 years. As such, staff
will recommend to the City Council that MUSA Expansion Area A not be brought into the current
MUSA in 2010 due to the large surplus of approved residential lots and undeveloped
residentially zoned land in the current MUSA. A follow -up to this study will be completed in
2011 to determine if the surplus of residential lots /units and the absorption rates have reached a
point where the opening of MUSA Expansion Area A is justified.
The Planning Commission made the following comments:
• Expressed concern about the effects that pushing out the timing of MUSA Expansion
Area A may have on the timing of MUSA Expansion Area B, especially if the housing
market continues to struggle for a few more years.
• Asked if a process has been established for notifying the owners of land within MUSA
Expansion Area A of the results of the study and staff's recommendation and for gauging
the property owners' expectations regarding when their land might be brought into the
current MUSA.
Planning Commission Work Session
June 3, 2010
• Asked if the City would consider bringing one property at a time from MUSA Expansion
Area A into the current MUSA based upon the merits (public need) of a specific request.
• Discussed the problems that have been experienced with attempts to extend trunk
sanitary sewer from the Crossroads development across Cedar Avenue to serve the
properties between Cedar and Highview avenues that are located within the current
MUSA.
• Stated that the 2011 update of the MUSA Expansion Area A timing study should also
include an analysis of the commercial and industrial zoned properties located within
MUSA Expansion Area A.
The Planning Commission concurred with staff's recommendation not to bring MUSA Expansion
Area A into the current MUSA in 2010 and to prepare a follow -up study in 2011 to include all
property within MUSA Expansion Area A.
The work session was adjourned at 7:13 p.m.
pectfully submitted,
"Plangnt Director
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