Orono seeks public comment on zoning changes

ORONO – Orono officials are ready to unveil the preliminary plan to revise the forestry and agriculture district that makes up more than 70 percent of the town and are seeking public comments.

A public workshop for residents to provide feedback has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the town office.The town recently reviewed its planned unit development ordinance focusing on the in-town areas, according to Orono Town Planner Evan Richert.

“At the same time they wanted to think about the forestry and agriculture district because they knew that subdivision activity was spreading out that way, sometimes with conflict with neighboring property owners,” Richert said. “They just thought that it was time to look at the forestry and agriculture district to determine whether the suburban-style development that was unfolding in [that] area was compatible with what they intended the forestry and agriculture district to be.”

A major focus of the review committee’s work was to define areas within the forestry and agriculture district that need more protection as a rural district that can support rural uses and environmental functions to reduce development potential in these areas, Richert said.

They also worked to identify other areas that are more appropriate for development because of their proximity to services and existing level of development.

The idea is to shift more allowable development to areas where resources and services are better suited to absorb it, while creating stricter open space requirements in the more rural parts of town.

The purpose of the forestry and agriculture district is to support farming, forestry and other resource-based uses, while preventing premature development of land.

The committee’s proposal would increase the required minimum lot area from 80,000 square feet to 160,000 square feet. It also would require subdivisions to follow a conservation subdivision format with a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet and a maximum of 60,000 with at least 55 percent of the subdivision parcel dedicated to open space.

There also would be a new Low Density Residential Zoning District to accommodate a variety of residential, open space, and rural uses that are compatible with a low-density residential environment.

Part of the area to be considered for this zone would run approximately between Stillwater Avenue and Taylor Road. The district would require a minimum lot area of 60,000 square feet, with separate requirements for allowable subdivisions.

It also would provide for optional clustered residential development with off-site sewer or on-site engineered community wastewater disposal system, with maximum net residential density of one unit per 20,000 square feet.

The committee also proposes rezoning an area between the basin and the Penobscot Valley Country Club where public sewer and water services are available to make it a Medium Density Residential area.

This zone would be extended along the east side of Route 2 from the golf course south to the existing Commercial-2 District boundary, but with subdivisions subject to mandatory clustering.

The goal is to encourage well-designed residential development on the river side of Route 2 while preserving the area’s existing open space.

An overlay district is envisioned along the Stillwater Avenue corridor to allow low-impact businesses that generate limited amounts of traffic and parking demands. Overlay districts require that developers meet the provisions defined in the underlying zone, but also add or remove restrictions to that definition.

“With Stillwater, the overlay is slightly more permissive,” Richert said. “Developers must meet all LDR standards, but also can do low-impact uses, meaning if you want to open a small artisan shop or software engineering, you can do it and it doesn’t have to be a home occupation as long as you meet certain standards.”

This district would stretch 500 feet on either side of Stillwater Avenue or to the boundary of the adjacent Economic Development Zone. It would overlap the new Low Density Residential District, but would allow low-impact uses limited to 2,500 square feet and also in the number of large truck deliveries and necessary outdoor storage space required.

“There’s a lot of the forestry and agriculture district that ought to be rural,” Richert said. “But there are some places where that notion isn’t really appropriate.”

adolloff@bangordailynews.net

990-8130