It took more than three hours, but Orion Pointe developers received an OK from village council members on April 11 for their revised preliminary Planned Unit Development application.
Council members spent many hours at a March meeting debating the pros and cons of constructing a medical office and condo units on property located on the west side of M-24 known as Pelton’s Pointe.
They finally approved the preliminary PUD request but asked developer Terri Winter to come back with severa l’conditions? satisfied.
The council wasn’t happy with the height of the medical building (three stories) and asked it be reduced to two stories.
Architect Steve Auger’s revised design shows a building that’s two and half stories with the half story 3,000 square feet. The height has been reduced by 10 feet.
The square footage of the entire building has been decreased from 18,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet.
‘I still look at this as being three stories,? Douglas Dendel, who was one of two councilmen who ended up voting no on the revised PUD, said.
Auger brought two different revised PUD plans to the council meeting. One included using 20 feet of village property to the north for ingress and egress to the development. The other plan didn’t use the village’s easement.
Councilmen in March were reluctant to allow Orion Pointe to use its property.
The version that didn’t use the village easement had a parking area extending out onto Pelton’s Pointe.
Council members told Auger parking didn’t need to extend onto Pelton’s Pointe because parking now exceeds village requirments because of the decrease in the building size.
According to LO Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel, the plan going back to the planning commission doesn’t include the easement owned by the village.
Attorney Gary Dovre said in March there are many issues involved in the easements in the Pelton’s Pointe area. He speculated that some where down the road ‘the implementation of the developer’s plan may require an action to revise the plat.?
Councilman Tom Albert asked that a traffic study be done before any approval be given to Orion Pointe.
‘We did a traffice study draft based on an earlier plan that was never finalized because it was withdrawn. That was done three years ago.? Winter said. ‘It showed there was no impact on M-24.?
The council asked for an updated one.
Winter has two months to submit the revised PUD plan to the planning commission. A hearing will have to take place before it eventually comes back to the village council for final approval.