08-19-2019 Planning Commission Packet

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Re: 2605 North Shore Drive, Orono, MN Eskuche Design Group Peter Eskuche,AIA 19 June 2019 Variance Application Honorable Plan Commission, City Council Members and City Planner, We appreciate your consideration for the variance request to permit a replacement home at 2605 North Shore Drive. We have worked diligently with our Client and have met with the City Staff to develop this proposal to achieve its highest and best use balancing the client's needs, a cohesive architectural layout, and the city's planning guidelines. We received and listened to the feedback from the city and as a result have made modifications to the drawings to address their concerns. The lakeside setbacks are the primary practical difficulties.We have provided a site plan showing the conforming building area which illustrates clearly how the unusual, irregular shape would create a completely dysfunctional home. In addition, French Creek flows through the property creating an additional shoreline from which to set the house back. This water body occupies a large portion of the Westerly portion of the property. The existing property has a very small amount grass area in which to recreate. The creek divides the property making all of the upland area nearly inaccessible and what area is left is needed for vehicles to access the home. The existing home is almost completely within the lakeshore setback, being less than 28' from the lake at the closest point and only 88'at the furthest point. The current home's floorplan is obsolete with room arrangements and a layout that no longer meets the needs of today's marketplace and the current homeowners. The existing home is a negative eyesore devaluing the shoreline of Lake Minnetonka as well as the neighbors. Our proposal reduces the proposed lakeside encroachment from 27'-10"to over 47' at the closest point of the home's structure. If the average lakeshore setback was considered, the proposed home would be conforming because of the setback of the adjacent homes. Our proposal reduces the massing of the property.We have provided before and after visuals to show that the proposed structure steps back in layers away from the lakeshore, reducing the height and proximity to the lake. Due to the extent of the setbacks,the design of the proposed home is narrower than the existing home by 9'. Our proposal reduces the proposed hardcover by 2903 square feet and is conforming. Our proposal reduces lakeshore hardcover by over 33%. Not including the lakeshore gravel covering,the current landscaping includes well over 9600 s.f. of hardcover within the lakeshore setback. Our proposal was reduced to 6,340 and returns all of the gravel