12-12-2022 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION November 21, 2022 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Johnson, Applicant, shared regarding Hattie Place that all utility providers were notified and the power line that comes down is overhead. There is also a manhole at the beginning of the driveway. He has been talking with the utility company about burying that power line to give more stability. Mr. Johnson understands that utility easements will run that entire length of the property and clarified none of the other vacation requests has a utility on them. He stated they did not request vacation of the southern portion which the other neighbors all received. Libby asked Mr. Johnson about the old garage that encroaches on the easement and if that would remedy it. Mr. Johnson replied it would remedy it as it puts the garage in compliance. He was looking at remodeling the rambler for his parents and would not be able to attach a garage on that property because of the easement which runs right up next to the house. It cleans up the fact that the City allowed that garage there and it would get rid of the non-conformity. Libby thinks it is very important for people to speak their mind during public comments. He thinks it is unfortunate when they take time with hearsay and conjecture that is not empirically based in fact. Libby has been a real estate broker for 35 years and during Covid when they did not have the ability to register deeds the deputy registrars were months behind. He clarified when one is not seeing a deed filing it is because they are still catching up from being months behind during Covid. He believes it was a wrong pursuit to try to discredit another property owner in Orono because one could not find the deed as it was not the property owner’s fault. Ressler summarized he is in support of the vacation due to precedence and does not see a way that it would be suitable for the City’s public use without substantial investment in some sort of imminent domain because it is landlocked. If there is an amount of money to be exchanged and settled upon, he is fine with that and thinks that is reasonable but he is not qualified to determine how much that would be. Utilities have been addressed this evening and the easement will remain intact. Ressler would generally be in support as long as there are no rights being given up for the City to provide utility. This is the ability to clean up some parcels and supports the application as applied. Chair McCutcheon is in support of the yellow area and thinks there is a sticking point on the orange area. Kraemer thinks Ressler said it well. Ressler moved, Kraemer seconded, to approve LA22-000050, 1003 Wildhurst Trail as applied. VOTE: Ayes: 4, Nays 0.