07-22-2002 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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To: Orono Staff, Planning Commissioners, Mayor and City Council This variance application is to construct an attached, 24x24 garage to the east side of our existing home. It will meet all setbacks and be under the allowed structural coverage of 1 S%. The current detached garage was built in 1998. The r straints applied to this garage have m;>de it both impractical and unsafe. We cunently back out onto a one lane street, in the middle of a steep incline. We are completely blinded to on coming traffic by a 7' tall fence to the north. These conditions have caused many near misses, and will undoubtably cause an accident someday. An even more dangerous component of the current garage however, is the full flight of exterior stairs. Our lot rises in elevation as it nears the street, requiring the stairs. We have had many minor incidents on these stairs involving friends and family members. Most recently, my Mother-in-Law fell down the stairs while visiting us on Easter Sunday. An ambulance was called and we feel fortunate that she wasn’t more seriously injured than she was. There have been times over the past winters that we have had to just "close" the stairway because of ice and snow. This then leave us only the street as a path of travel to our home. The proposed garage will resolve these safely issues. It will also resolve another problem, space. Our current home has no basement due to the water table. This causes much of our 940 square foot first floor to be used up by uiility/storage rooms. The second floor is mostly bedrooms. Included in this request is to have a "bonus room" above the proposed attached garage and add two dormers on the north side of the e.xisting roof. The current walkway between the house and existing garage will be removed along with the stairway and approximately one half of the current asphalt driveway. It is my understanding that the only variance required for this project will be for "hardcover". WTren visiting the site, you will see that the lot is "soupbowl" shaped. This will allow the majority of the runoff to dissipate throughout the low lying sandy soils and severely lesson the impact of additional hardcover. It is my hope, that because of the unique elevation of this lot, a..d the necessity to resolve the safety issues, that this application will be considered in a fair and reasonable manner. Sincerely, Dave Rahn 952-472-5796 Home Days 612-508-7803 Cell E-mail drahn1?ci.minnetonka.mn.us O <1 • i A*’*/ n y • I r > N