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of use allowed in an Open Space. The ordinance allows individual drainfields <br />to be located within the Open Space, why not the wetland treatment systems. <br />The Streets section of the Ordinance is another area that should be looked at. <br />In paragraph 6., the street pavement standards need to be updated. The <br />experience of the prior OP Developments tells us that some of the street <br />widths are too narrow, while some of them are too wide. A 14 foot wide <br />one-way street is too narrow when people park on one side of the street. The <br />prior developments that have featured 16 foot wide one-way streets have even <br />experienced problems with parking on the street. The answer is not to <br />prohibit parking. People need the flexibility of having a family gathering or <br />party on occasion, and allowing parking on the public street. The best example <br />of these problems is when the homes are being constructed. Workers park <br />their pickup trucks on the street and cars have a difficult time passing without <br />jumping the curbs. This problem is compounded in the winter when snow <br />plowing cannot always clear the entire street surface. A 14 foot wide single <br />lane divided entrance road would be adequate when there are no homes along <br />it. On some low volume two way streets, 26 feet wide is too wide. 24 feet <br />wide would be an acceptable width where the street is not in an area where <br />traffic is circulating throughout the development. Perhaps 24 feet wide on <br />dead end and cul-de-sac streets. While I am not generally a proponent of rural <br />section streets, to prohibit their use seems to be too restrictive. There are <br />circumstances when a rural section street with shoulders and ditches is <br />appropriate. Let us remember that Lake Elmo has many of these rural section <br />streets serving the public well. <br />This memo is not intended to berate the Staff and Planning Commission in <br />their efforts to improve the ordinance. It is only the observations of one <br />Developer's Representative. I intend to be available at the Workshop <br />scheduled for April 21, 1999 to answer any questions the City Council may <br />have. Thank you for your consideration of my views. <br />1815 Northwestern Ave. 3 <br />Stillwater, MN 55082 <br />651-439-8833Office <br />651-430-9331 Fax <br />ffdmrvQatt.uct <br />