06-22-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 8, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Adams said it would basically be where the current stairs are. It would be 10-15 feet. It opens up the ability for them to use the shoreline. They would like to put a low-grow grass there and keep it as natural as possible. His goal is to protect the lake, make a shoreline that looks beautiful and also in line with what Orono is trying to do, which is to eliminate or decrease hardcover. He hopes the City Council considers that and they can make a spot that is good for both of them. Mr. Crosby stated he was not able to see the property and asked Johnson to tell him more about it. He understood Johnson felt it was important to change the staircase. Johnson noted that if anyone misses one stair, they will be at the bottom of the staircase. He said that, to the naked eye, that side is not obviously less steep. He feels that getting a better stairs is good. He is wondering where the record is of what was authorized there, because there are pavers down by the lake, a shed down by the lake. Walsh said that is part of the problem; sometimes you don’t find the stuff until someone needs a variance and they come in, City Staff goes out and sees it, and wonders where all of that came from. Johnson said it is also the City’s opportunity to clean up some of these things because sheds down by the lake are not something the City is promoting. He would be careful about the long-term consequences of letting someone move one, because the City has been pretty rigid on not letting people move things even an inch. He thinks that is hard for someone new in the area to understand, but it is their job because they see a big picture of it all. He said the shed should be removed, anyway. Walsh indicated it would be possible to move the stairs around to go around the shed. He agrees that the City has not let anyone move anything in the 0-75 whether it was supposed to be there, is there, or was grandfathered in. He told Mr. Adams the good news is, he has a shed by the lake; the bad news is, he has to live with where the shed is located. He can fix it up, make it look beautiful, but he has to stay with the volume and the gable, or whatever it happens to have, as a roof. Mr. Adams asked, if the moving of the shed was going to be declined, could he still have a vote for the stairs. Walsh indicated they would be approving the stairs, but they are not going to approve moving the shed. Johnson moved, Printup seconded, to approve the stairs. If the Applicant has to move the stairs, Staff approves adjustments within reason to try to work around the shed if Mr. Adams wants to keep the shed, but the moving of the shed is denied. Barnhart noted, for the Council’s understanding, stairs are a permitted improvement. The variance is the retaining wall associated with the construction of the stairs and there might be some flexibility in terms of the location that Staff can approve. Johnson said Dale Gustafson was the landslide guy that came at one time and is a good guy trying to get things stabilized. He is assuming they are doing the right things with the retaining wall.