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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, March 23, 2015 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br />  <br />Page 10 of 18  <br />  <br />(6. #14-3700 CITY OF ORONO – AMEND CITY CODE SECTION 78-1379, SMALL WIND <br />CONVERSION SYSTEMS (WECS) SECOND REVIEW continued) <br /> <br />Printup stated he would like to see the industrial/commercial area be more flexible. Printup noted the <br />City will be having an application coming before them once the ordinance is passed and that they will <br />have to deal with it then. <br /> <br />Levang asked what he would like to see instead with the commercial. <br /> <br />Printup stated he would like similar setbacks to the residential. <br /> <br />Levang stated if the standards are so loose, it would be difficult to tighten it later. <br /> <br />Mattick stated under the draft ordinance someone would need to meet the height and setback restrictions <br />in addition to 10 acres. If the acreage requirement is removed, the questions to ask would be related to <br />setbacks, shadow flicker, and height. Mattick noted commercial activities have more intense activities <br />and the question becomes whether a WECS would stand out more in a commercial area than a residential <br />area. <br /> <br />McMillan stated on the west end the commercial area does not have a lot of residential around it, but that <br />on the northern end the commercial area has residential next to it and a lot of those commercial sites are <br />under five acres. McMillan stated if the acreage requirement is reduced to five acres for commercial, they <br />would only be adding a couple of properties. <br /> <br />Levang noted the Otten property is 6.4 acres but that there is residential properties close by. <br /> <br />Printup stated he has a hard time with the ten acres on both the commercial and residential sites. Printup <br />noted the federal tax code is all semantics and is full of loopholes. Printup stated in his view the City will <br />be talking about loopholes and that it is a property rights issue. <br /> <br />Levang indicated she would be willing to reduce it to five acres in the commercial areas. <br /> <br />McMillan stated she would like to get the ordinance approved tonight if possible. <br /> <br />Mattick recommended the changes be incorporated and Staff will back before the Council in two weeks. <br /> <br />Gaffron noted what is before the Council is not the final version for publication and that it would make <br />sense to bring back the final version. <br /> <br />Mayor McMillan asked if anyone in the audience would like to comment on this application. <br /> <br />There were no public comments. <br /> <br />Levang moved, Cornick seconded, to direct Staff to make the zoning code changes that have been <br />discussed this evening as to both residential and commercial areas for Section 78-1379, Wind <br />Energy Conversion Systems, and to bring back the final ordinance at the next City Council <br />meeting. <br />Item #03 - CC Agenda - 04/13/2015 <br />Approval of Council Minutes 03/23/15 <br />[Page 10 of 18]