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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, July 28,2003 <br />7:00 o ’clock p.m. <br />(GARY GERMUNDSEN, 4101 HIGHWOOD ROAD, Continued) <br />support of his application. Germundsen also pointed out that his neighbors on either side <br />protrude 15-25* further into the average lakeshore setback than his home. Finally, he stated <br />that due to the narrowness of Highwood Road, parking is a hardship that deters him from <br />being able to eliminate any more of his driveway than necessary. He repeated his request <br />for approval of the deck which would protrude a mere 9' from the house structure. <br />White questioned why the home was built further back than the average lakeshore setback. <br />Gaffron pointed out that the steep drop in the topography of the site limited the building <br />pad, as did the desire to keep the driveway short to obtain more space for the home itself. <br />Sansevere asked staff if they had heard anything from the applicant which would cause <br />them to change their opinion or recommendation. <br />Gaffron stated that the home should have been designed smaller from the beginning to <br />accommodate a deck. He maintained that early decisions in the design precluded the <br />applicant from adding a deck now and that no viable hardship exists to support the request. <br />Murphy stated that, having sat in on the Planning Commission discussion, he concurred <br />with their opinion that the lot had been maxed out. While the lot is narrov/ and he could <br />appreciate the applicant’s desire for a deck, there was no where to reduce hardcover or no <br />viable hardship. <br />Mayor Peterson recalled the original 2001 application and questioned whether the sliding <br />doors were present and how they would be blocked off now. <br />Gaffron stated that the sliding doors were not part of the original plans and that they would <br />need to be blocked off with a rail system 6 ” out. <br />Germundsen stated that the other planner he worked with in 2001 indicated that he would <br />likely be able to apply for a variance for his deck later, once his original plans were <br />approved. <br />Gaffron stated that the conversation the applicant was referring to had not been <br />documented; therefore, he could not comment why this would have been said. Gaffron felt <br />that recommendation was out of character from what planners typically suggest. <br />Mayor Peterson questioned the need for safety access. <br />Germundsen asked to be allowed an additional emergency exit to his second story living <br />space. <br />PAGE 4 of 18