03-17-2003 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Wendy Botlcnbcrg, City Planner Chair Smith and Planning Commissioners. From: Mike Gaffron, Planning Director Dale: March II. 2003 Svbjcct: Proposed Vacation of Alley Adjacent to 3753 Casco Avenue Mr. Kail has requested that the 14* alley located between his property and the adjacent property at 3721 Casco Avenue be vacated. The apparent purpose of the vacation is to gain land as credit toward the 15% lot coverage allowance, to allow construction of a larger residence This alley was dedicated in the plat of Casco Heights in 1 91 1. The alley was dedicated for the public use. and while it may have seen minimal public use in the past, certain aspects of its location suggest potentially greater use in the fulure: 1 . The alley provides a 14* wide continuous straight corridor between Casco Avenue and Casco Point Road. 2. It provides a potential pedestrian connection from the Casco Avenue / Caroline Avenue / Ethel Avenue neighborhood to the City beach at Carman Asenue. 3. \\1iile a portion of the alley south of the Kail site may be wetland, the possibility for use of the alley in the future via a walkw ay through the wetlands, or for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing access to the Lake via the beach in the winter, should not be minimized. 4. The property adjacent to the alley directly behind the Kail site is City-owned undeveloped land, used for stormwater drainage purpose.^. We cannot predict the value of this alley as a corridor for future stormwater needs, but w e shouldn ’t eliminate any possibilities. Likew ise. as City land, the area behind Kail may have potential park uses that are currently not on the radar screen, and this alley provides potential access for such use. 5. Post utility use of the alley may be minimal. How ever, we cannot predict the need for future utility use of the corridor, and because it connects tw o main residential streets, there are likely possible future uses for public utilities (such as sew er & water, gas, telephone, electric, cable TV, or other communications needs) that we cannot now envision. The City Council in recent yvan* has expressed a strong awareness of the value of public access to the lake. This corridor has potential to provide connectivity betw een an off-lake neighborhood and the lake. In recent years the Council has expressed a general reluctance to vacate public rights-of- way that are in use. especially in Orono ’s defined Urban Area (the Vt- acre and 1-acrc zones, including Casco Point). V.’Uile this alley may have had minimal use in the past, it has significant potential for future public use. I would refer >x>u to the attached excerpts from Orono ’s 2000-2020 Community Management Plan, Pages 4A-32 & 4A-33 regarding preservation of lake access, which has applicabilit). even though tiii;> alley does not directly abut the lake. Vacation of this alley’ would in my opinion not be in the best interests of the City.