06-12-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, May 15,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. A second option is to create a new zoning district. The challenge in that option would be to address both the larger and smaller lots, which could open up some potential problems in the sense that the City's ordinances oftentimes reflects specific zoning districts. If a new district is added, it is possible some items may not be addressed, such as stormwater or hardcover requirements. As a result, Staff is very cautious about creating a new zoning district from a practical standpoint. An additional concern with rezoning is that it invariably will add density. Barnhart noted if adding additional density is a concern, this option is probably not the way the Planning Commission and/or City Council would like to go. A third option is to modify the existing zoning district and adjusting the setback requirements in selected districts. If the setbacks are reduced for the RR -113 zoning district, it would allow some of the lots to be improved without the need for a variance. Barnhart noted the RR -113 district probably encompasses one- third of the City, and if the setbacks are reduced on the larger lots, it is likely additional density will also be added. The final option is to reduce the width requirement. In the LR -IB zoning district where the lot requirement is one acre and the lot width is 140 feet, if that lot does not have the 140 feet of required width, the side yard setback could be equal to 10 percent of the lot width. If the lot is 60 feet wide, 10 percent of the lot width would be six feet. Staff, however, is proposing a minimum of eight feet, which reduces it somewhat from the current I 0 -foot side setback requirement. Barnhart stated while that is not a major change, Staff is attempting to balance the desires of property owners to expand their footprint with the desire of their neighbors not to have a house real close to the property line. Barnhart stated if the Planning Commission feels the setbacks are an issue, they should consider one of these options. In addition, language in the draft ordinance amendment states that adjustments to the side yard setback adjacent to an unimproved street can be made. An example of that is the property located at 300 Crestview, which is located next to a right-of-way. That property owner had to go through the process to vacant a segment of the road, which reduced their setback from 3 0 feet to 10 feet. Staff is looking to get feedback from the Planning Commission and the public on the different options. Page 2 of 6