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Peter & Nicole ThomAS <br />1385 Orono Lane <br />HanUhtoReaneatt <br />Our house is very unusual because it is located on a large bluff with significant elevation changes throughout <br />the property with lots of steep slopes, hills, and ridges. These severe elevation changes are creaUng two major <br />hardships for us. <br />Safety for young children. <br />#2 Erosion control and soil rctentloa. <br />We have a sixteen month old daughter, and we hope to have several more children, so the safety of the property <br />is large concern for us. We just purchased this old home (built in 1929), the house is in excellent condition, <br />however, there are a lot of landscaping issues that need to be shored up for safety and erosion reasons. We just <br />had a very detailed topographical survey of the property completed, and we found out that within the 75-250 <br />foot setback lines, the main areas that we would like to address, we are over the allowed hardcover percentage <br />by .45%. Therefore, we arc seeking your permission for the following improvements through the Variance <br />Application process. There arc eight projects that we would like to do to help improve these hardships, they arc <br />all listed in great detail in the following pages. The requests arc divided into sections A-H. The summary for <br />Hardship Requests for the projects are; <br />Section A & B To the North side of the driveway there is a sleep ridge that leads down to the lawn. <br />Approximately 8-lOft in elevation drop. We arc very concerned that a young child could bicycle / rollcrblrH-/ <br />fall down this ridge and incur serious injury. Therefore, we are trying to build up a retaining wall around J. ^ <br />driveway, and put a small iron fence on top of the wall to prevent anyone from falling dow n the ridge. Mix <br />additions to hardcover area. <br />Section C On this same ridge between the driveway and the lower lawn, we would like to put in <br />some steps so that children and elderly adults would be able to safely walk down to the bwn w ithoul getting <br />hurt by falling down the ridge. <br />Section D We would like to do some repair and maintenance of a retaining wall at the bottom of the <br />same ridge to help improve soil retention and prevent erosion. Minimal addition to hardcover. <br />Section E On the West side of the home, there is a very significant hill to get from the front to the <br />back of the house. This slope is approximately 12-15 feet high. There are existing steps to help walk up a^ <br />down this steep grade, but the steps are very old and falling apart The steps are so beaten up and narrow that <br />they are almost not functional. We would like to redo these steps for the safety of young children and older <br />people to be able to walk from the front to the back of the house. Minimal addition to hardcover. <br />Section F Repair existing retaining walls on the East and West sides of the home which are built <br />into the side of a hill. The walls are old, cracking, and in need of maintenance. No addition to hardcover. <br />Section G Rebuild an old wall that is built into the side of a hill next to the boathouse. The wall is <br />so old and in such bad shape that it is cracked and buckling. By rebuilding this wall we will preserve the soU <br />retention of the hill and pi event erosion. Minimal increase to hardcover. <br />Section H Repair the stone walkway on the slope at die bottom of the hill next to the boathouse. <br />The stones arc very old, cracked, and sunken. Repairing this walkway will help improve the erosion control of <br />the hill. No increase to hardcover.