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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Monday,March 16,2020 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> Ressler asked Staff if there was a place that would have made it conducive without creating a need for a <br /> variance or if it was required because of the lot. <br /> Curtis said that is what the applicant requested and proposed. <br /> Mr.Vogstrom asked the Commission to look at the orange line on the plan and indicated there is nowhere <br /> to add on and said this location is the best spot to minimize hardcover in the 0-75. Looking at the floor <br /> plan of the basement,given the location of the electrical and geothermal rooms,they would have to move <br /> a 3-story stairway in order to expand those rooms. He did not know if that was a good option and did not <br /> know where else to put the furnace without doing a major tearout and rebuild. He noted they do not have <br /> to demo the basement,just the area around the existing utility room. <br /> Gettman asked if the companies that made the geothermal equipment in the existing footprint no longer <br /> exist. <br /> Mr. Vogstrom indicated he was correct. <br /> Gettman asked if there were similar companies that provide similar equipment that could go in the same <br /> footprint. <br /> Mr.Wahba indicated that the equipment would be larger. <br /> Gettman asked if that would be in comparison to this proposal,which is to change the entire HVAC. <br /> Mr.Wahba said they are replacing what was damaged in the fire. If they replaced the geothermal,every <br /> heat pump that is water-to-water or water-to-refrigerant is larger. With the furnaces,his plan will <br /> downsize/downgrade. <br /> Gettman noted that would be true except the sliver of area indicated on the plans. <br /> Mr.Vogstrom stated the geothermal would be a larger footprint with the new equipment. <br /> Gettman asked if the geothermal replacement would require them to go outside of the current footprint. <br /> Mr. Vogstrom and Mr.Wahba said that it would because the heat pumps are larger than the old ones. <br /> Gettman asked whether that would take space inside the house or outside the house. <br /> Mr.Vogstrom said the loops would have to be heated outside.Outside you would have loops that store <br /> water; inside the house you have to have a source to heat it.The heating source is a larger system now. <br /> Mr. Wahba said it would have to be heated with a boiler and with heat pumps outside. <br /> Doepke,referencing the diagram,asked if any consideration was given to moving the utility room up to <br /> the diagonal wall,which is to the right of the front door,because that way nothing would be within the <br /> setback and may also create a bigger space in the basement. <br /> Page 6 of 16 <br />