04-19-2004 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, March 15. 2004 6:00 o ’clock p m_____________ («14. #<04-2997 CITY OF ORONO, BIG ISLAND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, VARIANCES-Continucd) formerly used on the north side of the wetland. That access w as on pr.\ ate properly, and the owner recently converted it to lawn area The City has long held that the City has an obligation 10 provide reasonable access to the interior roads on the island for the occasional serv ice vehicle, and for the needs of the few inland properties that do not abut the lakeshore The driveway will constitute filling of 25 cubic >'ards of grav el m tlie 0-75' zone, requiring a CUP, and will constitute approximately 750 s f or 12*;* impervious surface in the o*75’ zone. These impacts are unavoidable in order to provide suitable access, and have been niininiized by limiting the width of the dnvew ay to 10’ With passage of the WCA, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District w as designated by the City as the responsible Local Government Unit (LGU) for administering tlie WCA regulations. These regulations provide degrees of flexibility for certain t>pes of wetland alteration activities, w Inch are seen as positive ratlier than delnmcntal, and they provide for mitigation of negative impacts when they are unavoidable. The appropriate applications are being made to the MCWD before the project may commence. MCWD approval shall be required Gaffron noted that this application w as prepared by Public Serv ices Director Greg Gappa w ith the assistance of John Smvih, W'atcr Resource Specialist wit’.i Boncstroo & Associates, the City’s engineering and environmental consultants Because wetland alterations are not allow ed by Orono CcKle except by variance, the activity is required to be justified via tlie demonstration of a hardship. The commission w as asked to review the hardship statements w ithin the application packet The need for access to inland properties is a valid hardship that supports this variance request. The locations of the few access points to the island were platted a century ago, before motorized vehicles were common. The access points generally were platted at low points in the topography, for obvious reasons This is one of the only potential access points for the north half of the island, and the proposed w ork is necessary from a public a safety standpoint, as well as to prov ide access to mland lot owners Access cannot be provided wiihoui work in the 0-75’ zone. Gaffron stated that staff recommends approval of the variances and CUP to allow the wetland alteration and driveway construction project, including filling of a portion of the w etland, excavation withm 26' of the w etland, and filling and hardcover within the 0-75’ setback zone per the revised plan, subject to establishment of a Conserv ation and Flow age Easement over the w etland, a:^ subject to MCWD permit approvals pnor to commencement of constiucuon activities. Page 41 of 48