07-27-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, July 13, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 19 the Council for their consideration of the variance request. He said Carrie and he recently bought a lot on 2645 Casco Point Road. It is a dream lot for them. They are asking for a variance request for hardcover which is 2% over the 25%. Casco Point Road is a very busy road, and he said there is a sign the City recently put up that says “Share The Road With Pedestrians” and there is only one way in and out. Currently, a driver has to pretty much pull over to the side to let another car by. They were looking at having a driveway straight down so they don’t have to park cars on the street. He said Carrie has a 15 - year -old and a 12-year -old daughter, close to licensing age, and with the shuffling around of cars, they thought a driveway straight down would eliminate having to park on the road. There are blind spots on the road. He stated their neighbors, Dustin and Casie, sent an email in favor of the variance. One of their children was hit by a car because of biking in and out of the road from the driveway. He said the variance request is mostly a safety issue. They came up with a good-faith effort with proposing to have the house set back six feet from the setback line to the lake which will give better views for the neighbors. They are also looking at paver steps going up to the front entrance in the amount of 140 square feet although they would only get credit for 100 square feet. They are also being conscientious in the landscape design with hardy trees and plants that have root systems that absorb more water and create less runoff to the lake. Ms. Carrie Noble noted it is busy with a lot of traffic, the paths are very close, and there are a lot of walkers and runners, both adults and children. She said she feels it will help to keep the cars in the yard. In addition, the design would allow for storage of lake toys in the garage. Crosby asked if a three-car garage was planned. Mr. Hanson stated it is a three-car garage but is very thin and would be a tight fit for three cars. It is not oversized and there would not be space for paddle boards or other things; it has limited space. Johnson said he read the Planning Commission minutes and he understands the Applicants are trying to address safety, but at the same time it is new construction on a vacant lot. They are under the 20% for the structural coverage, but the Council has been very rigid regarding the hardcover number in particular on a new construction house. He could not support a variance for that hardcover. Walsh noted 7-8 years ago a homeowner did not get to have the 0-75 square footage in the hardcover calculation. 60 feet of shoreline gives them 4,500 feet in the 0-75, which means they would not have had 1,125 square feet of hardcover they now have. The changes were made to give people more flexibility to stay within the 25%. A few years ago, the structural coverage was changed from 15% to 20% to give everyone more flexibility so there are less variances. This is not a choice between a two-car or three-car garage. You get 25%; you design your house. When there is a blank slate, the Council opinion has been the owner has to stick to the 25% because the rules were changed so everyone could fit into that. He noted safety is always an issue. He lives on a one-car road. If anyone is coming, you have to go on the neighbor’s grass to get by. Everyone has to be cognizant of who is coming and going; they have kids in the neighborhood as well. When he bought his house 20 years ago, it was 29%, which was above what it was supposed to be. With the changes, it brought his house down to 19%. It was a big change for people so they could build bigger garages, bigger houses, bigger decks. He would also stick with the 25%. It is up to the Applicant how he wants to allocate that 25%. Seals stated she also agrees with 25%. It is a different issue if the roads are dangerous and people are driving too fast which should be addressed. A perfectly designed lot is not going to fix the road problem. Crosby asked what square footage the 2% is adding.