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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, July 27, 2015 7:00 o'clock p.m. 6. #15-3744 JOHN BRUNELLO,190 ORONO ORCHARD ROAD SOUTH, VARIANCES — RESOLUTION NO. 6527 (continued) Curtis indicated that is a driveway that will be used during construction and will be removed following construction. Delaney stated the one thing about the Planning Commission meeting was that every application before and after this was all about trees. Delaney stated to her knowledge only one Planning Commissioner has reviewed the property and that there needs to be some further discussion about what is being proposed. Delaney noted the neighbor on the other side of the subject property is also here tonight. Delaney stated following this project, there will hardly be any trees left on the property and that the tree on the landscape plan to the east is a boxelder tree. Delaney stated none of the trees are tagged on the property so it is difficult to know which ones the applicants are referring to. Delaney noted some of the proposed landscape is also within the City easement. Delaney stated the applicants are applying for a variance and that she is wondering if it needs to be that much since everything that is being planted is within the easement. Delany questioned whether granting a variance based on a large city easement is fair and that she is not going to get the same kind of consideration since her easement is only three to four feet. Delaney noted the Council's packet says that given the large city easement is one of the reasons Staff would recommend granting the variance. Joseph Rokke, 180 Orono Orchard Road, stated he has lived in this neighborhood since 1973 and that he is happy someone is thinking about putting a house on this piece of property since it has been sorely neglected for a number of years and currently is a haven for squirrels, raccoons and mice. Rokke indicated he studied art in college and became a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, who always said you should build the house that is right for the land. Rokke stated if the garage were moved to the other side of the house towards Woodhill, it would change the configuration and that it is now all hardcover. Rokke stated he has eight steps from his garage up to his kitchen level, which he understands is not the current trend, and that they have to have the garage at the same level as the living area. Rokke stated in his view it would not take a lot of work to change the plans and save the trees. Rokke stated he also did a walk-through of the lot. Rokke pointed out a 48 -inch oak tree on the overhead and stated that in his view it is 150 years old and that there is another one that is 44 inches. Rokke noted there are trees shown on the survey plan, but there is not one tree shown on the survey plan in the front of the house. Curtis stated the trees are shown on the plan that was submitted but do not show up on the overhead. Curtis indicated the survey does represent the trees on that portion of the property. Page 8 of 29