Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,July 21,2014 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Schoenzeit stated it sounds like the applicants are saying that Orono's Code concerning the definition of <br /> the basement is missing the word adjacent floor as opposed to the floor on the opposite side of the house. <br /> Schoenzeit stated when the majority of the basement calculation worksheets are completed, Staf typically <br /> uses the height of the floor outside where the land is being measured. <br /> Gronberg stated the definition is not very clear when measuring multi-level homes. In this case more than <br /> 50 percent of the floor is the main living floor and not the garage floor. <br /> Schoenzeit stated when he looks at the plan that has been submitted,the floors are ten,ten, and ten, and <br /> then there are 2-foot floor systems. Schoenzeit stated the applicants could easily take off four feet from <br /> the house by reducing the height from ceiling to floor by a foot. Schoenzeit stated he does not believe <br /> that what has been submitted is 30 feet and that he sees it as being 34 feet plus the roofline. <br /> Gronberg stated the average height of the building is less than 30 feet. <br /> Thiesse stated on the cross section he has 12 feet, 12 feet, 10 feet, and then a roof. <br /> Schoenzeit stated in his opinion there are opportunities to re-engineer the house to reduce the height. <br /> Gronberg stated he did not design the floor plans but that he understands there are some difficulties with <br /> floor height and clearance and the number of steps. <br /> Dean Johnson, Builder, stated he does not believe the average height is a problem. <br /> Gaffron stated the height of the house has a peak height from the lowest grade to the peak of 44.5 feet. <br /> Staff then takes the average of the highest peak, which would reduce it by four feet, and then ten feet <br /> above the lowest level, which would result in a 30-foot elevation. Gaffron noted the existing grade at the <br /> entrance to the garage is more than 10 feet above the grade at the low side. By definition Staff uses 10 <br /> feet above the low side for defining the height, and as a result,you would end up with 44 minus four for <br /> the average of the highest peak and minus ten for the grade. Gaffron stated that calculation would result <br /> in a defined height of 30 feet. Gaffron indicated Staff does not have an issue with the defined height but <br /> that it is the number of stories. <br /> Schoenzeit stated to his understanding both issues are at play since there are three 10-foot floors and two <br /> 2-foot floor systems. <br /> Gaffron asked if the point is that the floor system or the height of rooms can be reduced. <br /> Thiesse stated that is not the problem and that the problem is the number of stories. <br /> Schoenzeit asked if the floors are required to be a certain height. <br /> Leskinen stated they are limited to 2-1/2 stories. <br /> Schoenzeit stated if the City did not care what the height of the floors were,the building could be higher <br /> than 30 feet but still be 2-1/2 stories. <br /> Page 14 of 30 <br />