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<br /> <br /> <br />To: Chair Ressler and Planning Commission Members <br /> Dustin Rief, City Administrator <br /> <br />From: Jeremy Barnhart, AICP <br /> Community Development Director <br /> <br />Date: February 18, 2020 <br /> <br />Subject: #LA19-000091, City of Orono Text Amendment Related to Grading and Land <br />Alterations <br />Public Hearing <br /> <br /> <br />Background <br />This item was introduced to the Planning Commission in January, 2020. A workshop is <br />scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. to review and discuss. <br /> <br />The City Council identified the need to review the Grading and Land Alterations (GLA) at their <br />workshop on September 23, 2019. At that meeting, a constituent noted the time it took to get <br />the appropriate permits for grading in the lake yard (slope stabilization). Virtually all slope <br />stabilization activity in the lake yard requires an Interim Use Permit, which triggers a public <br />hearing process, and typically takes 6-8 weeks, making preventative work virtually impossible. <br /> <br />In reviewing this process, staff noted that the DNR (in managing public waters impacts) requires <br />a local permit for the activity, and does not require a public hearing (IUP or CUP). Conditional <br />Use (or Interim Use) permits require a 6-8 week public review process. <br /> <br />Further, staff has long received complaints about the lack of clarity in our current ordinance, <br />specifically which activity requires a permit. <br /> <br />Lastly, regulations for grading and land alteration activity can be found in several different <br />sections of the code: Grading and Land Alterations, Shoreland Management, Interim Use <br />Permits, and Construction Site Run-Off Control. This diversity in location lends to confusion and <br />missed regulations. <br /> <br />With these issues identified, staff has developed an amendment that clarifies what actions <br />require permits, who reviews which permits, what is required for certain applications, and <br />organizes those regulations in a logical way. <br /> <br />Analysis <br />Perhaps the most prominent changes to the process and procedures are summarized below and <br />Application Summary: The Amendment revises and restates the triggers, standards, and <br />procedure for the review of grading and land alteration activities in the city. <br />Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends the Commission approve the <br />draft, subject to any changes identified during the workshop or public hearing.