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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,December 9,2019 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> In response to questions from Johnson, Barnhart stated the City does not measure from the edge of <br /> pavement,they measure from the property line. From a setback standpoint, it does not change on one <br /> property. It does decrease the setback for the existing property, but the property is already <br /> nonconforming. Chances are, if the property was to redevelop,they would either meet the new setback or <br /> request a variance. <br /> Johnson asked if they would need a variance to keep it in the location it is now. <br /> Barnhart said they would not unless they wanted to redevelop. <br /> Johnson said if you pretended the house was not there and the owner wanted to put it exactly where it is <br /> now, it would require a variance. <br /> Barnhart confirmed his statement. <br /> Johnson wanted to make sure everyone understood the City would be making it nonconforming in that <br /> location. <br /> Walsh clarified that it makes the house nonconforming. <br /> Johnson agreed with Walsh's statement. <br /> Johnson noted if the cul-de-sac is pushed to the back of the property line,you don't have those issues. <br /> Seals commented that is a good point to bring up, because historically decisions have been made and then <br /> the City Council is forced to have other conversations because it is nonconforming and the City Council <br /> is who made it nonconforming. <br /> Barnhart said the City is not changing anything,that it's a nonconforming structure from a setback <br /> perspective now regardless of where it is put. <br /> Walsh stated the question is whether the City wants to clean the area up in terms of dead-end streets and <br /> putting in a cul-de-sac and making sure the City has a permanent easement for the right location to get <br /> down to the trails. Right now, people are going through the applicant's property,and he could say, "You <br /> can't come down here. You've got to go down the huge hill through all the buckthorn."It would be a big <br /> investment on the City's part to deal with that. Having the trail on the applicant's property is not the right <br /> solution. If the City is going to clean it up,the City wants the right solution for the trail. <br /> Seals noted it would be good to hear from the residents, because if they don't want the cul-de-sac there, <br /> then it becomes part of the City's job to fix where the correct trail is right now. <br /> Walsh stated that if the City Council didn't do anything else,they still need to do that, because it needs to <br /> get off the applicant's property. <br /> Seals said, from reading residents' emails, she did not feel like there was an overwhelming desire to put a <br /> cul-de-sac in. <br /> Page 10 of 34 <br />