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� 1 <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD JUNE 24, 1991 <br />( #8)HARDCOVER REVIEW.. CONTINUED <br />that the approval was of a conceptual nature and more detailed <br />standards would be discussed. She indicated that she would like <br />to have more definitive standards incorporated into the Ordinance <br />Amendment, and suggested referring the issue to the Planning <br />commission. <br />Butler stated that Council may wish to prohibit use of the <br />non -woven fabric within the 0 -75 foot setback area. <br />Mayor Peterson stated that she, too, was of the <br />understanding that some restrictions would be incorporated into <br />the Ordinance Amendment. She added that she had not intended to <br />allow the use of the non -woven fabric within the 0 -75 foot <br />setback area. <br />Callahan, who had -voted against the motion to allow the use <br />of non -woven fabric, indicated that his understanding of <br />Council's action was that non - woven, geotechnic fabric, would not <br />be considered as hardcover. <br />Jabbour suggested assigning a certain percentage for which <br />non -woven fabric would be considered as hardcover. He said, "If <br />we assign as certain factor to the non -woven fabric, we can more <br />easily control the extent of its use. If it is considered as <br />even a fraction of a percent of hardcover, it cannot be used in <br />the .0-75 foot setback area at all, as we do not allow anything <br />there. He asked Gaffron to comment on his proposal. <br />Gaffron indicated that he would prefer that a hardcover <br />factor not be assigned to the non -woven as it would further <br />complicate an already complex calculation, that from experience <br />seems often impossible for anyone but City Staff to do correctly. <br />He said, "If it is Council's wish to have nothing but trees, <br />shrubs, and grass within the 0 -75 foot setback area, then that <br />should be stated, though there will be numerous Variance <br />requests." <br />Mabusth noted that geotechnic fabric has been used as a <br />method of stabilization for steep, eroding banks along the <br />shoreline. <br />Callahan stated that for the most part, the requests that <br />have come before Council involving landscaping plastic has had to <br />do with its removal as a trade -off for the addition of hardcover <br />elsewhere on that property. . He said, "I do not recall an <br />instance where someone has requested a Variance to install <br />landscaping plastic. It may be appropriate to' establish a policy <br />stating that non -woven fabric cannot be used as a trade -off for <br />other forms of hardcover. <br />It was the consensus of the Council that this issue should <br />- 7 - <br />