02-19-2002 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 19, 2002 6:30 o’clock p.m. GatTroii stated development of the fire station site results m approximately 60 pereeni of Lot I being hardsiirfaced and will require some stormwater ponding Smith inquired whether the tower could be further explained GafTron stated the tower is located in the southeast comer of the site Tlie hose lower height is ncccssarx for it to perfonn a number of functions Its primarx purpose is for firefighter training, and will contain stairwas s. windows and a door to the riH>f that will allow for a varietx of realistic firefighting and rescue scenarios to be staged Its secondary use is to ele\ate hoses for dry ing (iafTron noted this tower w ill only be constructed if the budget allows GafTron stated hose towers are sometimes treated as an important architectural design element of fire stations where the location makes it suitable for use as a clock tower or signature design feature Hie Long Lake Station will be located m a neighborhood setting ratlier than a "town center" setting, and reducing the prominence of the tower will mmimi/x' its v isual impact on the iieighborluKid CialTron stated the tower is proposed to be .3,'v ’ tall where .^0' is the normal maximum allowed Its flat roof w ill extend approximatelv 12’ above the 23' fiat roof height of the maiority of the station building The 20 by 22' area of the lower :overs just under 3 percent of the total roof area of the station and is a rclativ cly small feature in tfic context of the ov erall v isual impaet of the station StalT is recommending that no signage be allowed on the tower and that its fayade materials match the rest of the building so that It does not become unnecessarily noticeable, and the tower itself will not be lighted Gabriel Jabbour. Building Committee, stated the exterior materials are similar to the bricks utilized on the Pioneer Museum SmiUt inquired vvlut impact there would be on the training if the height of the tower is kept to 30' Jabbour staled at the present time the sixth bay and hose lower may not be constructed unless the budget allows for it lollovving opening of the bids Jabbour stated the eommittee did discuss reducing the heigfil of the tower, but noted the costs to construct a smaller tower are hmher PAGE 20