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> j.*.: <br />Orono to consider boat <br />storage regulations <br />By Ruthanne Lange <br />A common sight in the country is <br />a tractor parked near the barn, and <br />in the desert noone would be surpris­ <br />ed to see a dunebuggy in the drive. <br />Around Minnetonka most <br />neighborhoods sport at least a cou ­ <br />ple of properties with boats of <br />various sizes cuddled up next to a <br />tree, trying to look Inconspicuous. <br />Manv of them are assuming the <br />low profile because the zoning or ­ <br />dinance covering exterior storage in <br />residential districts says boats stored <br />over the winter on private property <br />must be under 20 feet in length. That <br />ordinance further states that all <br />mobile materials and equipment shall <br />be stored Arithin a building or fully <br />screened so as not to be visible from <br />adjoining properties, except boats <br />and unoccupied trailers, less than 20 <br />are stored to the rear of the house <br />and a distance of ten feet or more <br />from any property line. _ <br />That ordinance was written m <br />1975 but the habit of storing boats <br />in private property, whatever .heu <br />size, is deeply ingrained in the peo <br />pie of Orono. According to the ci­ <br />ty's zoning administrator. Jean <br />Mabusth. until recently ‘h* "■ <br />dinance has not been strictly enf^- <br />ed because nobody ever complained. <br />In the past few months, however, <br />there have been two complaints of <br />large boats stored on private <br />tv and the residents making the <br />compI«'"« r/.the ordinance and make the boat <br />cont. on page 3 <br />Orono boats <br />from front page <br />owners move their boats. <br />The city staff and some of the <br />council members believe that the or ­ <br />dinance as it is written is not en ­ <br />forceable. For one thing, there arc <br />too many offenders to enforce it <br />equally, they feel. Building Inspec­ <br />tor Tom Jacobs went over the pro ­ <br />cedure for answering a complaint. <br />When a complaint is filed, the first <br />thing the city does is make an inspec ­ <br />tion of the property, and. if <br />necessary, write a letter to the of­ <br />fender asking for compliance. That <br />letter if followed by a seconad letter <br />if the first one is ignored. The of ­ <br />fender is then tagged, if that does no <br />good, the offender can be charged <br />with a misdemeanor which carries <br />up to a S750 fine or 90 days in Jail. <br />The question seems to be. should <br />the city of Orono make a concerted <br />effort to enforce the boat storage or ­ <br />dinance by inspecting and tagging <br />the considerable number of of ­ <br />fenders. or should u.s council amend <br />or change the ordinance to reflect the <br />boat storage habits within the city. <br />This issue w ill be considered at the <br />city’s next planning commission <br />meeting. Jan. 21. 7 p m.. Orono <br />CouiKil Chambers.