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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, May 10, 2021 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 5 of 34 <br /> <br />9. LA21-000023 – MARK PRUETER, 3215 CRYSTAL BAY ROAD, VARIANCES RESOLUTION <br />NO. 7197 – Continued <br /> <br />Walsh said if the applicant wants to keep the non-conforming they could rebuild it the size that it is. If the <br />applicant wants to make it bigger from a height perspective, they must conform on size which gives a 20 <br />foot garage. <br /> <br />Mr. Prueter pointed out they are asking for 82 square feet. He asked for 92 square foot addition of an <br />entryway in 2007 and he was at the podium for an hour arguing that, which came to approval. He would <br />imagine in driving the street the Council has seen some new construction; several homes have gone in <br />that have doubled the size of the existing structure on property that is much smaller than his. He knows <br />they all have their limitations for properties. He feels what they are asking for is reasonable and they tried <br />to do it in a respectful manner, managing the setbacks they could for both neighbors and the City, and <br />increase the garage size. If they are going to invest the money to build this, they would like to increase the <br />space and be able to open the doors of the cars to get in and out. They are asking for additional height for <br />additional storage as currently things are stacked in the rafters and the integrity of the rafters is no better <br />than the foundation. The height is to allow for sufficient storage and for Mr. Prueter to be able to carry it <br />into place. He noted the neighbors are supportive of the project. <br /> <br />Walsh asked how big the lot is. <br /> <br />Mr. Prueter replied at lakeshore it is 60 feet, rear is 35 feet, and about 140 feet deep and is a pie shape. <br /> <br />Walsh said it is about ¼ acre. He noted it is already a practical difficulty with a small lot and setbacks; it <br />would be about another foot of encroachment. Going up on a lot that is quite small – Walsh said every lot <br />there is substandard from a zoning perspective and there has been a lot of leeway, especially with new <br />construction. <br /> <br />Crosby stated there is some height to the garages back there. <br /> <br />Walsh said in the end, the applicant is trying to make a better placement by centering the garage and <br />getting a little more space. He noted cars are not getting any smaller. Walsh acknowledges Johnson’s <br />issues but he knows the lots in this area are very tight and tiny from a width perspective. He thinks the <br />applicant is trying to make the property better, and is still in compliance on one side, and just a bit of <br />extra space is more benefit and the Council should give credit for that. He would be supportive of the <br />application. <br /> <br />Johnson said there is nothing preventing this from going farther back and closer to the house. For space, <br />the garage can also go deeper. When they allow the massing increases on these very narrow spots, they <br />get complaints about the water shedding off the roof onto the neighbors. <br /> <br />Mr. Prueter asked to address those issues. His neighbors at 3205 Crystal Bay Road have a sizable garage <br />with a similar design and height to what he would be achieving. He does not think they would outpace the