06-11-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, May 21, 2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. 5. LA18-000041 CITY OF ORONO, TEXT AMENDMENT— GATES, 7:07 P.M. — 7:33 P.M. Curtis stated Staff has been asked to review the regulations regarding entrance gates and the City's required 75 percent transparency minimum. Gates at driveways are permitted but must meet certain conditions, including a 5 -foot setback from all property lines. Gates and entrance monuments are permitted up to eight feet in height and fences are allowed up to 42 inches in height adjacent to the street. A 6 -foot fence is allowed in a yard abutting a county highway on a lakeshore lot. Fences may be 100 percent opaque. Staff has provided a draft ordinance for Planning Commission review and comment. The draft ordinance removes the requirement for transparency. In addition, the draft ordinance proposes a formatting modification for gates to be permitted where entrance monuments do not exist. In these instances gates would not be permitted to extend higher than the permitted fence. Thiesse noted the requirement for a building permit has been struck in the draft ordinance and asked whether it is still required. Curtis indicated she added it as Item i under Item 9 and eliminated it under Item l Of(i) in the draft ordinance. Curtis stated the gate does not require a building permit but monuments do. Chair Thiesse opened the public hearing at 7:10 p.m. Gerald Ferrer, 1560 Hunter Drive, stated he is building a house at 980 Heritage Lane and that he wanted to add a gate to the driveway. Ferrer indicated in the beginning he did not know the opaqueness rules and came up with some designs that were then shown to Mr. Barnhart. Ferrer stated he would like to know why the gates needs to be 25 percent opaque and 75 percent open since the gate is for security and privacy. Thiesse stated the Planning Commission will be discussing that this evening and making a recommendation to the City Council. Ferrer stated at certain cases he can see the need for some openness but at his property all someone has to do is walk around the monuments. Ferrer asked whether the requirements will be changed. Barnhart stated the direction from the City Council is to remove that requirement and that it will likely be on the June 11 City Council agenda. Ferrer stated he was not sure whether it has something to do with people possibly getting hurt but that technology has evolved and that most gates will have sensors preventing the gate from closing on someone. Ferrer noted gates also have to hinge from behind the back so when the gate closes, nothing can be crunched between the gate and the pillar. Libby stated he recently dealt with a gate in his neighborhood and that in talking to traffic engineers and police officers, they indicated the opacity is sometimes really more important for line of sight for people turning out. Libby noted there are a lot of people walking in this area and the opaqueness makes it easier for drivers to see pedestrians. Ferrer noted the gates have to open in toward the residence.