02-24-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 10, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 15 13A. REQUEST TO STATE SENATOR DAVID OSMEK TO ADD $350,000 IN FUNDING FOR BIG ISLAND PARK TO THE STATE BONDING BILL – RESOLUTION NO. 7069 Crosby moved, Seals seconded, to approve the Consent Agenda as revised, with Item No. 11 being removed from the Consent Agenda and Item No. 13A being added to the Consent Agenda. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT 11. LA19-000105 – JOHN KRAEMER, 855 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD SOUTH, VARIANCES – RESOLUTION NO. 7072 Staff presented a summary of packet information. Walsh said this is generally a boathouse structure within the 0-75 feet, and the City has not done a volume expansion within that. Barring any practical difficulty, the property owner has to stay within the same volume they presently have, they can't move it outward, because that would open a Pandora's box. Printup stated the Council could allow this project but it reminded him of a situation where a property owner wanted to put solar panels on a new shed and the Council suggested the owner put them on an existing shed instead. This goes against some other applications the City Council has denied. Walsh said people can't create their own practical difficulty. They could go back to the same sloped roof, or build the flat roof but it's got to come back in a bit so the volume isn't any bigger. Otherwise, everyone will be coming in to change their volume and maximize what they have in a 0-75. Crosby asked to hear the applicant's explanation regarding their changes and then have a discussion. Johnson stated he was prepared to leave it on the Consent Agenda. The actual peak height was reduced and it is insignificant in overall size. It dropped down ½ foot and the sides came up 1½ feet to probably aesthetically match the house plan. He is fine with the slight adjustment since overall height is reduced. Mr. John Kraemer said they are really not expanding the footprint of the structure; they are just bringing it up two feet to get it out of the floodplain. Crosby asked if there was a particular reason he was changing the slope of the roof. Mr. Kraemer said the change is to match the architecture of the home they are building. Walsh and Crosby noted that does not mean it is a practical difficulty. Johnson asked Staff if the peak outlined on the diagram is based on the original floor height. Curtis stated it was.