05-15-2023 Planning Commission Packet

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION April 17, 2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. There is a lot of paving on the property right now. So we're reducing that and replacing it with green space. Libby asked if the applicant had discussed the changes with the immediate adjoining neighbors. Mr. Demeules said his client has been in contact with them but both are out of town for the winter and were not comfortable signing any support of it until they were able to see the property in person this spring. Chair Bollis opened the public hearing at 7:16 p.m. Bruce Lee. 740 Tonkawa, said he and his wife own the property to the north. We have a shared driveway easement that would be completely encroached upon if this retaining wall goes up the way it's proposed. That's a mutually -shared easement. It looks like we still would have access to my property, however, when we back out of my garage, we back into that northerly easterly portion of that easement. So we're going to be greatly affected by a wide garage and then a retaining wall that chews up probably two thirds of that easement. He said the driveway does come down at a steep angle. And a lot of that top angle is the only way to get to my property I don't have access because of that eight -foot drop directly into my driveway. Karen Weathers, 750 Tonkawa, the property to the south, said we've got no issues with it. We've not talked to them. But looks like it's conforming from our point of view, and we don't have any issues. Chair Bollis closed the public hearing at 7:20 p.m. Bollis asked if there had been any analysis done on the easement by staff. Nye said staff was not aware of it and thought the neighbor still had adequate access to their property. They are just learning it would impact their turn -around. Kirchner said it appears there is an easement there and I would struggle to support something that would encroach upon an easement. Todd Irvine, Keenan and Sveiven, the applicant's landscape architect and contractor on the project, said if there needs to be additional pavement left in the lower right-hand corner of the easement area for backout space we could certainly look at doing that. McCutcheon noted the elevation drop and asked if any consideration had been given to rotating the garage 90 degrees so that instead of backing out into the street they would be backing out into the other neighbor's driveway.. I don't know if there's enough room. Mr. Demeules said it was considered but would have required pushing the garage to the north side. Again, there's a lot of great change there. So what we would have had to do is push the garage to the north side Page 8 of 12