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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Monday,May 18,2020 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> Mr. Michael Louwerse and Ms. Elise Kottraba,Applicants, were present but not able to be heard. <br /> Ressler asked Staff how they should handle the application since respondents were not able to be heard. <br /> Barnhart suggested the Planning Commission have some internal conversation with the hopes,before <br /> they make any motion or recommendation,the applicants would come back to the meeting. <br /> Chair Ressler opened the public hearing at 7:38 p.m. <br /> There were no public comments relating to this application. <br /> Chair Ressler closed the public hearing at 7:38 p.m. <br /> Michael Louwerse and Elise Kottraba,4731 North Shore Drive, said they would be happy to answer any <br /> specific questions that anybody has. He stated he was running around trying to get his computer to work <br /> so he did not hear all of the Commissioners'comments. As far as the shared driveway,they are not able to <br /> use their driveway because they cannot park cars there in order to allow their neighbors to get out. He <br /> believed Staff has an aerial view from Google Maps that shows the situation. He and his wife purchased <br /> the house in September, she's pregnant with their first child, and with the items you acquire living on a <br /> lake and for yard work and then with their family expanding, it would be really nice to have additional <br /> storage and keep the cars in the garage as well. It would also help them to be able to stay in the house <br /> long-term as their family grows, as opposed to having to move and find a place where they have more <br /> storage. He noted Curtis discussed what she called the deck down by the lake and pavers. They were there <br /> when they bought the house;they didn't put that in. He said the deck is a dock. It is dock material and <br /> built over the riprap, and it was also there when they bought the house. <br /> Ressler asked the applicants if there was anything further,or he could open it up for questions from the <br /> Commissioners. <br /> Mr. Louwerse indicated any questions were great. <br /> McCutcheon stated he sees what looks like a shoulder where people could park on the side of the road. He <br /> asked if there was a safety issue coming in and out of the driveway. <br /> Mr. Louwerse said the topography in the driveway is pretty sloped. Their neighbors pull in and turn left <br /> and park their car forward into their garage,which is a three-car garage. They back up all the way against <br /> the applicants'garage and then pull out forward up the driveway. It is a fairly busy road,and it would be <br /> dangerous to back out of their driveway. He said they back out of their driveway into the neighbors' space <br /> and then pull up.The neighbors have a driveway that is quite a bit bigger than the applicants' driveway, <br /> and they can park a car over to the left side of their driveway. <br /> McCutcheon stated he was glad to hear the explanation because as he looks at the area,potentially the <br /> applicant could lessen the chance of having a car in front of the garage to make coming in and out of the <br /> driveway easier. <br /> Mr. Louwerse agreed. He said the neighbor has a Yukon XL/Denali-sized car, and if the applicants have <br /> just one car in the driveway,the neighbor has a hard time backing her car in there and getting out.The <br /> neighbors have asked the applicants if they could be parked in their garage at all times. As they live in the <br /> Page 12 of 29 <br />