06-19-2000 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MAR'-IO-OO 10:41 AM FREHCHY e 1 24T 1 0«i.e4 P . 02c 3iihcfdcco My neighborhood Out at the end of Casco point is a narrow little road called Ivy Place. It a cull-de-sac or dead end. Very few people drive it’s full length, previous dead ends wind up turning around in someone ’s driveway. That’s an embarrassment few are willing to risk. Since we live almost at the very end of that "dead end" the only traffic wc get is guests,neighbors, and a rare real-estate junkie. To the west of our home,across the street is a large shrub line,overgrown with grapevines and dense foliage. As that area is within the 73ft. Setback fVom Lake Minnetonka there is NO chance that any one could ever build there. To the Northwest is Casco Cove and it's wildlife island that shields the view any of the residents might have of my home while affording me an interesting and peaceful view of nature. Directly north of my home is a view of Casco Point Overgrown with large mature trees, brush, and grapevines it too is an interesting view of birds, rabbits, a beaver, an occasional pair of Bald eagles etc. As most of the area falls in the 73 ft. Setback and the little land that does not is too small to build on, it too will remain as God made it. To the northeast approximately 25 ft. away is the back of my neighbors house. Fortunately [since they live so close] they are very nice people and we get along well. Lake Minnetonka is East of our home about 100 ft. from Carmens Bay. The view to the southeast is restricted by 5 large mature ttecs which also affords us privacy and prevents those cruising on the lake from seeing into our side and back yard. South of my home is my other neighbor, the placement of my home offset towards Ivy Place gives both of us privacy and since both neighbors have little view out the back of their homes anything in my back yard has no impact My only other neighbor, to the southeast, across the road has the side of his garage facing our home. In addition his house is uphill about 15 ft. higher than mine. Any view out the side of his home has to look over my neighbors garage Lake Minnetonka has no universal or common Architectural style however within three lots of my home or about 130 ft. is a house with the same roof pitch that I propose. Ivy Place as well as Casco Point if dominated by 50ft. Lots so most houses are like mine in that we are too large for the lots and as such we are ''Existing non-conformn^ structure" While wc don ’t conform to the cuncni rules, wc should not be punished for that. Please remember the rules were put into place long after most of our houses were built. Nor sttouid what wc do impact the rest of Oronr V/c are after all zoned LRIC which is ‘/a acre lots or smaller. As most of Orono is zoned LRIA or RRl^VH [lots 1 acre or larger] allowing home owners a reasonable level of self determination is not only fair it is in the best interest of the city.