05-08-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION April 17, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7. LA23-000019 AS DESIGNS, 1940 SHADYWOOD ROAD, VARIANCE Curtis said the property is along the Coffee Channel and is completely within the 75-foot Lake setback. The applicant is requesting variances in order to construct a new home on the existing foundation with a full two-story design including variances for side lot hardcover, 75-foot and average lakeshore setbacks. The applicant has identified the existing home location, the lot’s orientation to the channel, its small size and the mature oak and maple trees near the channel as practical difficulties supporting their requested variances. Curtis said the lot has no buildable envelope for conforming development. The small lot size and the owner’s desire to preserve the mature trees along the channel also create development obstacles. A lot area variance is also required in order to develop the property consistent with other existing developed properties in the neighborhood. The plan will increase the hardcover from 27.9% to 28.9. Staff recommends the planning commission discuss whether it is reasonable to permit the further expansion for a second story so close to the property line and whether the second story should be required to be pushed slightly to the south in order to align with the majority of the homes. The applicant is here. Libby said he had received a note from the adjoining property owner concerned about the possible loss of the large trees along the channel. He asked if they had had an arborist look at them. William Moline,1940 Shadywood, Orono, the applicant, said the professional opinion of people who have looked at the construction was that if we move the house any further, that that would impact the root structure and that could have a catastrophic effect on the trees. And that's why we were recommended to build on the existing foundation. He said he would be willing to have a tree professional look at them as well before any construction. McCutcheon said he saw a lot of advantages to the property owner and the neighborhood of protecting the trees, so I appreciate you trying to keep those trees where they are during the construction process. Chair Bollis opened the public hearing at 7:45 p.m. There were no public comments. Chair Bollis closed the public hearing at 7:45 p.m. McCutcheon noted other homes in that area had been expanded by building vertically. Alethia Sadowski with A Sadowski Designs said when she saw the trees her goal was to design a home that was modest enough to accommodate the owner’s needs and still maintain the existing conditions. She said she thought the trees probably contributed to the stability of the entire channel at that point. She indicated they found out about all the other nonconforming issues along the way. She also said the house is currently not even a full story and a half. Bollis said in his opinion the applicant has demonstrated what we'd like to see in a lot of these applications where you're building on the foundation. It's pretty modest design, and I'm personally for this one.