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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018 <br />6:30 o'clock p.m. <br />The Planning Commission should discuss whether the applicant has met the standards for a practical <br />difficulty to warrant a variance and whether the applicant has made an attempt to meet the City standards <br />for stair access to the lake. <br />Staff is recommending approval of the project, with screening of all the retaining walls be required to <br />preserve the natural look of the shoreline when viewed from the lake. <br />Schoenzeit asked whether there are any elevation drawings. <br />Oakden stated there are no cross-sections of the plans but that essentially the applicant is looking to install <br />stairs that would be embedded into the slope. The retaining walls are being requested to hold back earth. <br />Schoenzeit asked if the retaining walls exceed four feet. <br />Oakden stated the elevations vary but none of the rocks will exceed four feet. <br />Dale Gustafson, applicant, stated he is the landscape designer for this project and that this lot is a typical <br />kind of problematic lakeshore lot with a steep bank. Currently the slope is just a collection of weeds and <br />invasive trees and that there is the typical problem with trying to maintain that. In addition, the existing <br />stairway is beginning to deteriorate and needs to be replaced in some shape, manner or form. The walls <br />that were originally installed were substandard and the stairs going down to the boathouse are sinking and <br />are not very safe or useful. <br />Gustafson stated it is the property owner's plan to resurface and redo the boathouse and then install the <br />stones more into the ground. Gustafson indicated they are anticipating using granite slabs. The retaining <br />walls are simply to retain the soil on either side of the stairs. Gustafson noted as someone comes up the <br />stairs, the wall might be nonexistent on one side and on the other side it could be two feet high. <br />Gustafson stated the idea is to plant vegetation around the retaining walls and stairs so they are not very <br />visible. <br />Oakden displayed a picture of a sample stone stairway. <br />Gustafson indicated it would consist more of stone outcroppings to control the slope. <br />Thiesse asked if it will be similar to what is depicted. <br />Page 11 of 23 <br />