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Commission approves IUP to remediate and cap contaminated soils at Lake West site; commissioners seek berm limits
Summary
A large interim use permit to excavate, consolidate and cap contaminated soils at a Lake West Development site on Wayzata Boulevard was approved with conditions; commissioners asked staff to seek possible limits on the proposed consolidation berm's height and requested landscaping/rehabilitation plans.
The Orono City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of an interim use permit (LA 24-38) allowing Lake West Development to excavate, consolidate and cap contaminated soils across a large site at 3245 Wayzata Boulevard.
Planning staff (Miss Oakton) described a project that would disturb roughly 9.6 acres, excavate about 67,000 cubic yards of material, and consolidate contaminated material into a proposed 4.2-acre berm to be capped and seeded in accordance with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) guidance. Staff recommended approval provided all external permitting requirements are satisfied.
Kelsey Thompson, project representative for Lake West Development, said the work is intended to clean up long-standing buried organics and household garbage found on the site and to restore wetland contours after cleanup. “We plan to restore the wetlands to their original contours. This is really just a grading permit to allow us to clean up the contaminated soils on-site,” Thompson said. She added the applicant would submit a landscaping and planting plan to staff for later review.
Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on two central issues: the size and final height/shape of the consolidated berm and the trigger for returning to the commission if project parameters change. Staff and the applicant said MPCA oversight governs contamination remediation methods and that the IUP regulates the disturbance footprint; staff agreed to consult the city attorney and present language to council limiting the berm’s height to within 10% of the proposed elevation as part of a conditional approval.
The commission approved the IUP by voice vote with the condition that council consider limiting berm height (10% of proposed elevation) and that all MPCA and Watershed permits be satisfied.
