06/14/2000 P&Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • RICHARD S. CARLSON & ASSOCIATES 7671 Central Avenue * Fridley, MN 55432 * (612) 786 -1218 Fax (612) 786 -1219 June 7, 2000 Mr. Jeff Smyser, City Planner Planning Commission and City Council Members City of Lino Lakes 600 Town Center Parkway Lino Lakes, MN 55014 RE: Lino Lakes Tree Preservation and Replacement Ordinance. Dear Mr. Smyser, I am appreciative of the opportunity to review and discuss your tree preservation ordinance. I would ask that you hand out copies of my letter, included, to the Planning Commission and City Council members. I am in total agreement that the City of Lino Lakes should implement a tree preservation plan to minimize loss and preserve the integrity of your existing woodlands during the preliminary planning process, but, I respectfully disagree with portions of this draft for the following reasons. 1. In order to protect large areas of wooded property and to encourage the developer and property owners cooperation, the City of Lino Lakes should allow planned unit development attached to this ordinance in areas of high concentrations of woodlands. 2. Reforestation or replacement should not be required of the developer for park land, park trails, dedicated road right of ways or city owned easements. 3. Flexibility should be considered for wetland mitigation in city park land and park trails, and road right of ways. 4. 1 believe your preservation and reforestation plan should incorporate all residential development including open areas that have been stripped of trees by property owners for farming and other reasons prior to development. This could be accomplished by the ordinance requiring a minimum number of trees planted on each residential lot whether open or wooded according to the zoning example RIX =7 trees minimum. Attaching this formula to your ordinance would allow some flexibility in areas where high volume of trees exist and a reasonable net loss occurs using your replacement formula.