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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, July 16, 2018 6:30 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. LA18-000102 MARIA LARENAS AND CHARLIE AND CO DESIGN, 2455 NORTH SHORE DRIVE, VARIANCES/INTERIM USE PERMIT, 7:39 P.M. – 7:50 P.M. Maria Larenas, Applicant, and Corbin Benson, Builder, were present. Curtis stated the owners of the property have retained an architect to design a new home on the property. Their goal is to reduce the number of nonconformities to setback and hardcover while designing a functional home for the property. Due to the existing lot size and width, the project requires variances to lot area, lot width, average lakeshore setback, hardcover, and an interim use permit for grading activity within 75 feet of the lake. Previously this interim use permit would have been reviewed as a conditional use permit. The applicants are proposing to construct the home to conform to all setbacks, including the 84.7-foot average lakeshore setback as determined by the home to the west at 2465 North Shore Drive. The home to the east is currently vacant and does not contain a principal structure. The plan reflects a raised terrace/patio area which is situated partially within the previous/existing home footprint. The portion within the existing home footprint qualifies as an in-kind improvement. However, there is a narrow portion which does not qualify. This elevated terrace encroaches, at most, approximately 5.5 feet lakeward of the average lakeshore setback line. Further, the terrace is an encroachment due to the applicants’ grading plan for the lake yard which proposes to balance out the side-sloped yard. The proposed home will have a first-floor elevation of 950.5’, which is 4.5 feet lower than the first floor of the home to the west. Curtis noted the red line on the sketch illustrates the first-floor elevation of the home to the west. The proposed terrace, including the curved wall, sits at about 951.5 feet, which is 42 inches from the new grade and 3.5 feet lower than the first floor of the home to the west. The interim use permit is requested to allow approximately 315 cubic yards of fill within the 75-foot setback and for the establishment of new engineered grade elevation. The applicants do not wish to modify the grade to result in a taller home than what is allowed but, rather, they wish to balance the slopes on the lake side from an aesthetic and drainage standpoint. The terrace exceeds 42 inches from existing grades within the average lakeshore setback as a result. The current property has a 29.6 percent hardcover level, including 772 square feet of hardcover in the 75- foot setback. The applicant is proposing 29.3 percent hardcover, which is a 176 square foot reduction, including removal of all of the existing non-conforming hardcover in the lake yard. A total of 2,320 square feet of driveway is proposed, not including the car court area. The applicants have attempted to reduce the impact of the home and the proposed structural/building coverage is 1,547 square feet less than the maximum footprint allowed. This is being done to reduce the total hardcover on the site. The driveway accounts for approximately 16 percent of the proposed hardcover and 4.74 percent of the site. Public comments were received and have been included in the Planning Commissioners’ packets. Staff finds practical difficulties inherent to the property’s shape, size and orientation which support the requested variances for lot area, lot width, average lakeshore setback, and possibly hardcover based on the length of the driveway and the shape of the lot. Therefore, Staff recommends approval of the lot width,