06-11-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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AGENDA ITEM Item No.: 17 Date: June 11, 2018 Item Description: LAI 8-42 —City of Orono Text Amendment: Notification Distance for Public Hearings — Ordinance Presenter: Laura Oakden, Agenda Planning Department's City Planner Section: Report 1. Purpose. Consider an ordinance that would alter the notification distance for public hearings from 350 feet to 500 feet. 2. Background/ Summary. Consider an ordinance that would alter the notification distance for public hearings from 350 feet to 500 feet. State Statute requires notification of property owners within 350 feet for zoning ordinance amendments. Within the zoning and subdivision chapters, the City also requires a public hearing for all conditional use permits, variances, rezoning requests, comprehensive plan amendments, wetland and subdivision requests. The intent of the notification radii is to inform those property owners that are more likely to be directly impacted by a proposal. All interested parties are notified via the notice in the official paper, and on the city's listserve/ website. The City Council should consider the following items: How residents hear about public hearings and how many give input The increased cost for postage and mailings (currently part of the recently reduced application fee) The impact an application might have on an abutting neighbor verses of neighbor 500 feet away. 3. Planning Commission Vote and Comment. The Planning Commission discussed the proposed ordinance and found the existing distance to be sufficient. Planning Commission make a unanimous motion to deny the proposed text amendment. See the attached PC Minutes. 4. Public Comment. To date, no public comments have been received. 5. Staff Recommendation. The City Council should review and discuss the proposed changes to the public hearing notification distance. If an amendment is desired, staff also suggests approval of the summary ordinance. The summary ordinance was drafted due to the length, and therefore, cost, of publishing the full ordinance amendment. COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED Motion to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the proposed text amendment. If the motion is to approve, or approve with modifications, the ordinance amendment, consider a motion to approve the summary ordinance. Exhibits Exhibit A. Draft Text Amendment for Distance of Public Hearing Notification Exhibit B. Draft Summary Ordinance Exhibit C. Examples of Notification Maps Exhibit D. Planning Commission Staff Report Exhibit E. Draft PC Minutes Prepared By: LLO Reviewed By: J. Barnhart Approved By: -Sb96Z