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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Monday, March 18, 2019 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Lensing indicated she does not know that. There are some significant areas of concern with the existing <br />house and that the hope is the addition will improve the functionality. The lot makes the options very <br />limiting and in her view this is the best option. <br /> <br />Lensing noted currently her laundry room is in the garage and that she needs to bring laundry baskets <br />down one whole flight of stairs and then open and close the garage entry door as well as the laundry room <br />door. This addition would allow the laundry room to be located on the main floor level. In addition, the <br />master bedroom has a very small closet and the addition would allow a small walk-in closet. Between her <br />and her fiancé, they have six children, and they would like to put some bunkbeds on the upper floor to <br />accommodate some of the children when they visit. <br /> <br />Lensing indicated she has worked very closely with the Hennepin County Rail Association and the <br />building code inspector. With regard to the encroachment, there is a 5’ x 5’ shed that was there when the <br />property was purchased. Lensing indicated she is willing to remove that. Further, Jessica from the Rail <br />Authority noted that it appears there is currently a shed encroachment on HCRRA’s property adjacent to <br />3339 Crystal Bay Road and that remedying this encroachment would mitigate their concern about the <br />0-foot setback clearance. <br /> <br />Lensing noted the building official had listed four bullet points on one of the attachments. The architect <br />has stated he will change the plans so these four requirements will be met. <br /> <br />Chair Thiesse opened the public hearing at 7:28 p.m. <br /> <br />There were no public comments. <br /> <br />Chair Thiesse closed the public hearing at 7:28 p.m. <br /> <br />Thiesse asked if the basement or foundation level will be two feet shorter and the house itself will <br />cantilever over. <br /> <br />Curtis stated that is what the architect is indicating can be done. <br /> <br />Ressler stated the biggest issue he is struggling with is going closer to the property line and that he is <br />undecided on the addition as a whole. Ressler stated it is a small house on a small lot but he can see the <br />merits of the addition. <br /> <br />Thiesse asked if the City has an obligation to provide room for a person to stay on their property to <br />perform maintenance. <br /> <br />Landgraver noted the City decided it was okay on the buffer zone. <br /> <br />Landgraver stated when you first look at it, the reaction is no way, because the homeowner cannot <br />maintain their addition without trespassing on somebody else’s property. On a relative basis, it looks like <br />a little bit of a buffer was added in when they sold them the land, but that is also right on the edge of the <br />lot. Overall, for the neighborhood, it does not seem as egregious and the applicant is not asking for <br />something that is radically different from the neighbors. Invariably, however, the neighbor on the left is <br />going to rebuild and they will ask for the same thing. Given the number of homes in the neighborhood <br />that are in a similar situation, he is predisposed to approving it.