04-19-2021 Planning Commission Packet

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday,March 15,2021 • 6:00 o'clock p.m. Ressler agrees with Bollis. The term licensed might need to be registered,because he believes registration tabs are how watercraft are identified. He thinks about how some people have fish houses that turn into storage sheds and if they maintain their registration on the fish house,they can keep their storage shed so that becomes a bit of slippery slope with a boat. Somehow,he has an idea of someone that has a giant cabin cruiser that they are using as a guest house all of a sudden. Not a perfect scenario under any circumstances but perhaps something to be cognizant of. He understands that the operable condition is a very difficult thing to regulate and he thinks striking that language eliminates some vulnerabilities and some costs for every complaint that is issued. Ressler would like the Commission to look at some other means to measure, whether it is a timeline of any craft without being relocated or something other than the registration. He again said,picking on fish houses that turn into storage houses or auxiliary buildings. Barnhart thinks it is reasonable to suggest from the Commission that the Council consider changes or regulations related to fish houses and the like. Ressler said he cannot speak on behalf of the whole Commission but that is part of his recommendation. Kirchner would be supportive of that. He knows it is a stretch, but for instance someone had a watercraft fire and got it extinguished and it was towed out of the lake on to a trailer and parked in their front yard. Technically, if they went through the registration for a boat that is completely burned out on a trailer it would be acceptable the way this is worded right now. He believes the operable condition is something he would still like to see in there; it would be consistent with junk vehicle ordinances for many cities around . and how that is enforced. He agrees there is a neighboring community to the south and every time he drives down a certain County Road Kirchner passes a sailboat on the side of the road in someone's yard that has been there for the last 6-7 years. He is hesitant to do away with the operational condition and is not necessarily supportive of just saying it needs to be registered because there are ways to skirt around that. Ressler thinks so too. He has an idea that may be a happy compromise. Operable versus inoperable for a boat versus a vehicle might be more difficult to prove; perhaps they could strike the language of operable versus inoperable but retain the language talking about a period of time and define that time by whether it is relocating it to a different location or lot altogether. Is there something they can use as a measurement that does not have to do with registration as that seems like an easy work around. Barnhart stated inoperable is nearly impossible to prove. To Ressler's point,the junk car is usually defined as missing key components such as tires,hood, and windshields. He thinks they may expand that to apply to boats with a hole in the hull, etcetera. Barnhart said he cannot prove that something is moved because he does not check every day. The goal is to try to keep it reasonable and simple. McCutcheon is thinking of those who are restoring a boat because it is technically not licensed yet or operable yet. He is sure that is probably a small subset and perhaps even zero but one would hate to take that away from a citizen whose lifelong dream was to retire and build a boat. Barnhart noted they cannot do it and store it outside. McCutcheon noted if one is building a 30-foot boat,not many people can accommodate that. Barnhart understands and that is part of the balance. While one has the right to develop their boat, the . neighbors have a right to not have boat construction right next door for an indefinite period of time. Page 2 of 5