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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, June 11, 2018 <br />7:00 o'clock p.m. <br />16. LA18-41 CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: GATE OPACITY — <br />ORDINANCE NO. 209, THIRD SERIES — Continued <br />At their May meeting, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and discussed the draft ordinance <br />which contemplated removing the requirement for transparency. Following the public hearing, the <br />Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 on a motion to modify the proposed ordinance amendment to permit <br />gates to have up to 75 percent opacity. The dissenting Commissioner felt that there should not be a <br />requirement for transparency. <br />Comments from a resident were received during the public hearing and those related a request to have no <br />opacity requirement. <br />The City Council should adopt or amend the approval resolution. <br />Walsh stated the City Council can either require 25 percent transparency or eliminate that. Walsh stated <br />in his view the City should not be telling people how to design their gates if the purpose of the gate is for <br />privacy. <br />Seals noted fences can be complete opaque. <br />Dankey stated the gates are also far enough back that a vehicle can pull out and still see the street before <br />entering it. <br />Walsh stated the gates are also required to turn inward. <br />Crosby commented he sees it in Tonka Bay and it has a boxy and closed off feel. Crosby stated he would <br />favor some level of transparency. <br />Walsh stated it comes down to aesthetics and your rose colored glasses versus someone else's rose <br />colored glasses. <br />Seals stated someone can have a fence that is completely opaque but yet the City requires the gate to be <br />transparent. Seals questioned whether they are creating a solution for a problem that does not exist. Seals <br />commented she understands where they are coming from but that it does not seem like something Orono <br />needs. <br />Dankey moved, Seals seconded, to approve Option A and to adopt ORDINANCE NO., Third <br />Series, an Ordinance Amending the Code of Ordinances Pertaining to Gates. VOTE: Ayes 4, <br />Nays 0. <br />17. LAl-42 CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: NOTIFICATION DISTANCE FOR <br />PUBLIC HEARINGS — ORDINANCE <br />This item was removed from the Agenda. <br />Page 17 of 20 <br />