07-27-2015 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, July 27, 2015 7:00 o'clock p.m. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT *3. #14-3678 ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN ON BEHALF OF BRET AND JENNIFER RIEMENSCHNEIDER, 835 FOREST ARMS LANE, VARIANCES —RESOLUTION NO. 6525 Levang moved, Cornick seconded, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 6525 , a Resolution Granting Variances to Municipal Zoning Code Section 78-1279(6), for the property located at 835 Forest Arms Lane. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. 4. #15-3712 CITY OF ORONO, AMEND CITY CODE SECTION 86-70 BUILDING PERMIT EXPIRATION — ORDINANCE NO. 151 Community Development Director Barnhart stated earlier this year the City Council and Planning Commission reviewed some potential changes to the building code and directed Staff to look at the time period for when building permits expire. At times the length of time between the start and finish of a building project can cause negative impacts to the neighborhood, such as erosion, vandalism, and other issues. The existing code, entitled Permit Expiration, regulates the time period for which building permits are valid. Its requirement that building, both interior and exterior, be completed within a specified period of time may be difficult to enforce as the building code does not give cities that authority. As a result, Staff is proposing this draft ordinance which requires that the exterior of the building be completed within 180 days. This is intended to protect neighborhoods from the disruptive nature of ongoing exterior construction. Interior modifications could continue to occur as long as the work continues as required by the building code. An abandoned permit, which includes a building permit in which no work has been completed within 180 days, would require a new building permit to be issued and fees paid. Staff recommends approval of the ordinance as drafted. Council Member Levang noted under Section 1, Item b (1) includes the language "according to the approved landscape plan." Levang asked whether that means there has to be a landscape plan anytime someone is building. Barnhart stated currently there are rules regulating the minimal stabilization of soils during construction, which is basically grass to prevent erosion. At times there is also a larger requirement for an overall landscape plan. Barnhart stated his interpretation of b(1) relates to minimal stabilization of the soils. Page 2 of 29