10-28-2019 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,October 28,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. Printup moved Johnson seconded,to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 7038,a Resolution Approving a Variance from Municipal Zoning Code Section 78-1279,for the property located at 3129 Casco Circle. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. 17. LA19-000069 GORDON JAMES CONSTRUCTION ON BEHALF OF DALE AND JONMARI OLSEN,3315 CRYSTAL BAY ROAD Curtis noted the City Council reviewed this application at their October 14 meeting. The applicants were directed to make reductions in structural coverage and hardcover. The applicant's revised plan still requires a number of variance approvals and an interim use permit. The updated plan provided today clarifies the hardcover number and removes the duplication of an entry terrace in that calculation. The structural coverage that is currently proposed is 2,891 square feet or 26 percent. The total site hardcover proposed is 4,586 square feet, which is 39.7 percent of the site. Additional public comment was received today and was included in the record. Staff continues to recommend denial of the application as proposed. The variance to permit structural coverage in excess of 20 percent of the adjusted lot area results in a house which is out of character with the neighborhood and small lots in general. Staff does support redevelopment of the property with variances provided the structural coverage is at a conforming level. Tonight the Council should review the revised plans and direct Staff to draft a resolution reflecting the Council's decision. John Quinlivan, Gordon James, stated since the last time they were here,they have brought the structural coverage from 3,454 square feet down to 2,891 square feet,which is 26 percent of the adjusted lot coverage. If Crystal Bay Road is considered a practical difficulty, it brings it down to 20 percent. The initial plan was 31 percent. From a hardcover perspectival,the initial plan was at 49.5 percent,which has been reduced to 39.4 percent Currently the existing home is approximately four feet from the rear property line and encroaches on the easement. The proposed home is 6.3 feet from the rear property line and will not encroach on the easement. The side yard setbacks are proposed at 34 and 34.2 feet. The lakeside setback meets the required setback,which is approximately a 5-foot improvement over what exists today. The road counts for 23.3 percent of the total lot coverage. The road, for most of the other houses in the neighborhood, is between 13, 14, and 15 percent of the total lot coverage. The road is a larger burden on this property. At the last meeting the Council provided direction to leave the road as is. The road is wider in that area. A discussion with had with Staff and the property owners have agreed to remove the roadside curbs to improve the ability of the Public Works Department to plow in that area. The homeowners are also agreeable to no parking on either side of the street due to the narrowness of the street. Walsh stated because the lot is wide and shallow,the Council thought the road was a practical difficulty and directed them to reduce the structural coverage down to 20 percent, which they have done. Previously the Council had approved a home in this neighborhood at 22 percent structural coverage and 39.9 percent hardcover. Page 7 of 9