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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Monday,March 16,2020 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> not more. The conversion of Lot 9 in Block 3 is making it possible. The owners of Lot 8 and the owners <br /> of Lot 9 are willing to combine the two lots and convert the entire buildable lot to conservation. He said <br /> that, in addition,they are proposing to change other conservation areas. Pointing to a dark green shaded <br /> area in Lot 17 of Block 3 of the plan,he stated the septic sites are towards the front of the lot and there is <br /> basically no way to grade the lot. He said it should never have been designed that way and is not very <br /> workable. He is proposing to flip-flop the building pads,and noted the green area would be put into <br /> conservation and the building pad moved off of North Arm Drive. It still leaves a continuous conservation <br /> area.He pointed out the areas of conservation and land that will be removed in the conservation area to <br /> make the lots more workable and gradable. There will be a net of 16,000 square feet of conservation area <br /> added to the project. He stated this will help the builders get through the project quicker and make the lots <br /> more saleable,buildable, and usable. They started with 46 lots and have 14-15 left, so the project has <br /> performed about as expected. <br /> Doepke asked whether the intent is to change the property line for Lot 17,go diagonally to the northeast, <br /> and the remaining portion of Lot 17 will be buildable. <br /> Mr. Hiller stated he was correct, indicating the hash mark area on the plan will be the buildable area. He <br /> said the existing line for Lot 17 does not meet the 200-foot front minimum. The only way to do so was to <br /> carve a triangle into Lot 20, into its conservation area,to create the appropriately-sized buildable pad. <br /> Both lots remain the required 2 acres, so all zoning standards are being met. <br /> Doepke stated there is a stream slightly within the conservation district going from north to eventually <br /> southeast on Lot 13 and the withdrawal of the triangle of the conservation area would make the buildable <br /> part of Lot 13 closer to the stream, which is closer than Lot 14's distance from the same stream. He asked <br /> how that situation came about. <br /> Mr. Hiller explained there is a 20-25-foot drop-off from the street to the stream and a conservation area <br /> around the stream for its protection. The area was so close to the building pad that it did not allow for the <br /> site to be graded. The change allows the lot to be graded properly. <br /> Chair Ressler opened the public hearing at 6:12 p.m. <br /> There were no public comments relating to this application. <br /> Chair Ressler closed the public hearing at 6:12 p.m. <br /> Ressler stated the main consideration is whether this would have been approved had it been in the initial <br /> application. If so,the Commission would not have a reason not to accept it. <br /> Gettman said he is familiar with the area, and 16,000 square feet is actually 'A of an acre,which is <br /> minimal. He is not comfortable with any changes,adding that it was a pushed-together agreement that has <br /> already upset a lot of people and wondered why the Commission would continue to upset more people. <br /> He anticipates the vacated area on Lot 17 being taken over by Lots 16 and 18. He already sees people <br /> doing activities like snowmobiling in the area, so he does not see it as being"conserved land." <br /> Bollis echoed Gettman's thoughts. He is fine with minor changes that make the lots more buildable,but <br /> said flipping Lot 17 takes a lot of buffer from North Arm Drive and changes the dynamics. He does not <br /> know if it would have been approved originally since he was not present when it was presented earlier. <br /> He is fine with the rest of the changes. <br /> Page 2 of 16 <br />