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' � RECEIVED 12/6/2010 Melanie Curtis DEC p 6 2010 Planning&Zoning Coordinator City of Orono CITY OF ORONO 2750 Kelley Parkway Orono, MN 55356 � Dear Ms Curtis, We have received your letter of denial for our building permit and are quite perplexed. While we are pleased with your quick response,we aze dismayed at the anemic government reply we received. In this age of burgeoning renewable energies and concerns over global warming,we expected more from our city than an impudent denial which displays little knowledge of the subject matter. You,as the Planning&Zoning Coordinator for the City of Orono, are attempting to deprive us of our property rights without any due diligence. We have read the zoning code for the city and our LR-1 B district and see nowhere where wind generators,photovoltaic systems and solar hot water systems are even mentioned other than to provide the right for variance for access to solaz energy. It would seem that your zoning code is lagging at least 20-30 years as renewable energy systems have been around for quite some time. . The city of Orono tries to categorize a wind generator as a conditional use or accessory structure, neither could be further from the truth. Conditional uses relate to how a properly may be used for other uses then what is zoned for in a specific area. We will still have a residence at our location which will not change. VVe are not proposing knocking down our house and installing a wind farm. Thus,there is no conditional use involved. As for classifying the wind generator as an accessory structure,there aze many sma11 units on the mazket which can be roof mounted,mounted on an outbuilding or with their own pole. All can be mounted without receiving a building permit as they are no more obtrusive than an antenna or satellite dish,which the zoning code allows, and you have nothing in your code that we can find to prevent or control it. The city of Orono also allows powered attic ventilators as well as wind operated rotary attic ventilators which are no different than a sma11 roof mounted wind generator. The city of Orono dces have setback requirements for some property activities,but does a11ow certain things to be built right on a property line,regardless of a neighbors objections, such as fences. Thus allowing one neighbor to enter another neighbors property for maintenance. The Orono zoning code has many holes in it as it does not even consider,but allows similaz items in the city with or without a building pernut such as: ➢ Emergency Generators � An electrical generator wluch can be quite loud and disturbing to neighbors � Creates hardcover � Not considered an accessory structure � Located not closer than 5'from property line ➢ Flag Poles � Height restrictions can be increased by CUP � Creates noise in windy conditions � Not considered an accessory structure � No building permit needed � Location not defined in the zoning code