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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Tuesday,November 12,2019 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> there a public interest in the property. With the cul-de-sac and with an easement connecting Smith to the <br /> road, Staff can't support the vacation of the balance of the right-of-way because it does not serve a huge <br /> purpose at this point.The item has raised quite a bit of interest raised in the neighborhood.The Planning <br /> Commission recommended denial; Staff,reviewing the response to the Planning Commission comments, <br /> can support a vacation request subject to a couple of tweaks as mentioned in the report. <br /> Walsh said there are a lot of old street easements in Orono, and the goal is to clean them up and they have <br /> done the ones that have made sense. He has met with the applicant and some neighbors and walked the <br /> property. The current easements that go to the trail are incredibly steep,which is why people are cutting <br /> through the applicant's property,which is a nice, easy trail. He appreciates the applicant in his emails said <br /> he would keep the trail open if people wanted to use it.His opinion is there needs to be a turnaround and <br /> it needs to meet City Codes and something Staff would support.He does not have a problem with <br /> vacating all the different easements but does not think the extra easement to get to Orono Orchard Road is <br /> needed. He would like to create a permanent easement where that path is in now in exchange for doing <br /> the other stuff. Right now,there is direct access to Luce Line Trail and he does not want to give up direct <br /> access, so it would be swapping out some things to make it better for everybody and make it official so it <br /> can't ever leave. <br /> Crosby asked if any improvements would be made on the easement. <br /> Walsh thought, since it would be a permanent easement,the City would be able to make improvements <br /> such as gravel because presently it is a trail with big logs all the way there and is pretty worn.He would <br /> want to keep that trail by giving up the other stuff to continue to have direct access for neighbors, etc. <br /> Printup noted it would be City property to access the trail so it could not be touched. <br /> Walsh concurred it would be a City easement and a permanent easement of record on the title.Right now, <br /> technically the applicant could close the trail;then the only way through there is to go through buckthorns <br /> and it is really steep,not something people would want to go through, which is why he thinks people are <br /> not using that path.The City would have to do some major work to improve that path. <br /> Crosby stated it would be a City easement,not City property. <br /> Walsh said it would be a right that would not go away and so basically City property. He clarified it <br /> would be a swap-out to keep the direct access. The other vacations help clean up everything. It gets <br /> everything together, a cul-de-sac and a turnaround, and direct access to the Luce Line is kept. <br /> Printup commented there would not be future disruption to the neighborhood because once the access is <br /> there, it's there. <br /> Walsh said he knows there are a lot of people present but wanted to give direction of what his common <br /> sense tells him would make the most sense for the neighborhood, because it solves a lot of issues. <br /> Johnson asked if the zoning district was a 2-acre zone. <br /> Barnhart answered it was a 2-acre zone. <br /> Johnson asked, with the easement and two parcels, if that would bring the total to six acres. <br /> Page 3 of 17 <br />