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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Monday, November 18, 2019 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 15 of 46 <br /> <br />Libby noted Mr. Robb would probably be one of the best sources for the proper pronunciation of the First <br />Nation's name of this island and asked him to pronounce it. <br /> <br />Mr. Robb stated there is a thing called Mapiyata but that is not the Big Island. He pointed out Morris <br />Island, Big Island, and Mapiyata on a map and said it used to be a separate island. The channel was built <br />because the O'Searles, who had lavish estates on one end, and the Morrises, at the other end, didn't get <br />along. O'Searles brought some people in to dig the channel to define the property line. <br /> <br />Libby commented there is really no launch access for the residents that are on the island. Libby asked <br />whether there was any common launch anywhere for someone who was landlocked to actually launch a <br />boat even as a day dock. <br /> <br />Mr. Robb stated Ms. Fieger is the only place on that half of the island that's completely landlocked. There <br />was no common launch. <br /> <br />Erickson asked how a boat would get there. <br /> <br />Mr. Robb said one would have to have a car or a truck permanently stationed on the island in order to do <br />that, which nobody does. <br /> <br />Mr. Web Hill, 620 Big Island, said his understanding of the Easement is for fire, safety, police, barges, <br />those types of things. If there is a dock there, a big barge can't come in. Firemen can't come up there with <br />their boats and their equipment or trucks from barges. It really brings an element of safety as well, putting <br />the dock in the Easement that was really stipulated for public utilities, fire and police type of things. <br />Also,12-13 people agree that the right solution is a variance and to allow an Easement from Tom Robb to <br />Ms. Fieger. <br /> <br />Mr. Hill noted that variances happen all the time. He asked why the City would not allow a variance here <br />when the community that lives here are all supporting that variance and it enables the safety that everyone <br />is looking for. <br /> <br />Ressler stated an emergency vehicle could commandeer anybody's dock for putting out a fire and they do. <br />The other application is a little bit different because they own the land already; it's just placement of the <br />dock. Regarding emergency vehicles, it appears that the right-of-way where the dock was going to be and <br />now is not going to be does not seem easily traversed to access anything to extinguish a fire, which could <br />be a difficulty as well. He hears Mr. Hill is in support of it and the Commission appreciates that. The <br />Commission has to come up with reasons to approve other than the general public in the immediate <br />area/surrounding area support it. <br /> <br />Mr. Eric Adams, 600 Big Island, said he wrote the Commission a letter. He said he could show the <br />Commission multiple pictures of construction vehicles which come by barge that are dropped off and