09-23-2019 Council Work Session Packet

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CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM DATE: September 23, 2019 TO: Dustin Rief, City Administrator FROM: Jeremy Barnhart, AICP, Community Development Director RE: Slope Stabilization Councilmember Johnson noted the time it took to process a slope stabilization permit for a property on Fagerness Point (1905 Concordia) and inquired as to possibilities to speed up that process. Currently, slope failure repair involves an Interim Use Permit (IUP) due to grading work exceeding 50 cubic yards in the 0-75 lake yard. Some repair proposals involves the placement of structures in the 0-75, which triggers a variance. The 1905 Concordia project proposed an underground retaining wall system to stabilize the slope; a variance and IUP was processed. The applicant for 1905 Concordia applied for a land use permit on June 19th, which was approved by the City Council on August 12th. The applicant applied for the permit to do the work on August 30, the permit was issued on September 10. Total process from land use application to permit issuance was 84 days, of which 55 was the land use application process and 18 were the period between LU approval and the application. To speed up the process, a possible solution is to have the IUP process not apply to slope failures. This would require an ordinance amendment, potentially one where staff would review the proposal with certain parameters, including a certified civil engineer approval of a solution to provide confidence in the solution and to avoid shore land grading under the guise of slope failures. With direction, staff will begin the development of an ordinance amendment.