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«f04-3007 <br />May 10, 2004 <br />Page S <br />4.General issues; <br />- Wliat value to the City or the public is gained or retained by not allowing the lot tc be developed <br />for a single family residence? What value is gained by allowing it to be built on? <br />- Was the City’s designation of the site as wetland in 1974 intended to preserve its remaining <br />functions as a nmoff collection point for the neighborhood? Or was it intended to preserve <br />the site for fliture wetland restoration? <br />- Docs it matter whether the property owner was unaware of the wetland designation for this <br />property for the last 30 years? <br />- The property was purposely not assessed for sewer in the recent sewer project that served the <br />neigliborhood, because the City believed this lot is unbuildable wetland. However, a sewer <br />stub was installed to avoid digging up the road if the lot became buildable in the hiture, <br />• Applicant states in his letter of request that theparccl was purchased as abuffer in 1974. Based <br />on information we have gleaned from the County records, applicant purchased it for a <br />minimal sum. The 1974 and 1975 tax records show a value on i» of S2.700. <br />-How docs the history of tax valuation affect the Planning Commission’s view of this site? WTiile <br />the assessor’s land valuation for this vacant parcel increased steadily from $5,400 to <br />$18,000 during the period 1980 to 2002, for 2003 it jumped to $90,000. During the same <br />22-year period, the homestead parcel land value went from $ 17,500 to $78,000, with a <br />substantial (but not five-fold) increase in 2003 to SI 09,000. It appears the assessor has <br />concluded tlic vacant lot is buildable, since it has been assessed at approximately the same <br />value as the land portion of the applicants’ homestead parcel next door. <br />Merits of Lot Area Variance Request <br />The following table illustrates how this lot conforms to the LR-1A standards: <br />LR-1 A Lot Area Defined Lot Width <br />Required 87,120 s.f. dry buildable (2.0 acres)2CD' <br />Actual 29,700 s.f. dry buildable (0.69 acre)290’ <br />Setbacks: <br />LR-1 A Required <br />Front (North)50’ <br />Rear (South)50' <br />Side (East and West)30' <br />Welland 26'(Orono); 16''’(MCWD) <br />Drainageway easement O' (but not in casement) <br />Resulting buildable envelope 50' deep x 90-100’ wide