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ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />Tuesday, January 21, 2020 <br />6:30 o'clock p.m. <br />Oakden said she is not sure of the size of the line but thought Mr. Mueller was referring to the service line <br />that is connected to the main line. <br />Mr. Mueller stated he was referring to the service line and thought it was a four -inch line. <br />Libby noted he was referring to the one just serving the Mueller property. <br />Mr. Mueller agreed and said the applicant's house is serviced through the back also. <br />Libby stated it was municipal sewer and asked if it was a pressurized line or a gravity line. <br />Oakden and Barnhart believed it was a gravity line. <br />Mr. Mueller said he thought it was a gravity line and they lined the main part of it this summer. He <br />indicated the City still has to have access to the manhole. <br />Erickson asked if it was the hookup the Muellers were concerned about. <br />Mr. Mueller indicated it was. He said the sewer goes through the middle of the applicant's property, and <br />his line goes to his property and then goes across. It was a different owner before and nothing was said <br />because the other driveway was there and nobody was planning on doing anything back there at that time. <br />Barnhart stated he thought it was a valid concern from the neighbor in terms of impact to the service line <br />and Staff could provide additional information for the Council moving forward. His understanding is the <br />service line goes through another person's property, connects to the sanitary sewer, and is not protected by <br />an easement. The property owners would need to work together to protect the sewer line. He noted the <br />question in front of the Commission is, is it appropriate to grant a variance from the lot size requirements <br />to allow for an access easement to the back. Whether the Commission denies or approves it, there still can <br />be hardcover over the portion of the property that the neighbors are concerned about. <br />Erickson asked if there was anything the City could offer when the driveway is constructed and inspected <br />as far as amount of gravel or insulation, et cetera. <br />Barnhart said it is worth noting the neighbors have a concern about their service line. The City Engineer <br />indicated the service line is a normal depth; it's eight -ten feet deep. Staff can share the concerns with the <br />City Council and the applicant and incorporate those as part of a resolution of approval if that is the <br />direction of the Council. It is a private improvement and an agreement from an easement standpoint <br />between two private properties which the City doesn't normally involve itself in. The City provided the <br />sewer line through the area so the City will likely help as much as it can, but it is not really a City issue. <br />McCutcheon stated the core issue is the two -acre minimum and the lot is getting smaller than two acres <br />with the change. <br />Oakden indicated the lot is currently smaller and the applicant is asking for it to be a little smaller per the <br />City definition and zoning code. The actual lot size won't change, they're not asking to move property <br />lines, but the driveway easement cannot be counted as part of the lot area per the City's definition. <br />Page 4 of 14 <br />