08-10-2015 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 10, 2015 7:00 o'clock pm. 7. #15-3763 CHRISTOPHER W. BOLLIS, 200-350 STUBBS BAY ROAD NORTH — PRELIMINARY PLAT (continued) The City does not require buffers, but the Watershed District buffers impact the develop ability of the site. Each of the lots has two acres of dry buildable land outside of the wetlands but the two acres includes area within the buffers. The buffers are not excluded from the dry buildable. Each lot is required to have two acres of dry land as well as a 200 -foot width at the 50 -foot setback line from the street. The first three lots have 100 feet at the 50 -foot line. Lots 4, 5, and 6 do not reach that width until further back on the lot, which technically requires a variance. The applicants have shown that within each of those lots there is a building envelope and septic sites that meet the required setbacks and standards based on one part of the City Code. Gaffron noted state code does not require a setback from a wetland as long as the soils meet state requirements. The City Code for septic systems requires a 50 -foot setback from the edge of the wetland. The Shoreland Ordinance also establishes that where there are buffers being required by the Watershed District, the setback has to be equal to the buffer width plus ten feet for structures and septic systems. Gaffron stated the City has not experienced in the past a 75 -foot buffer requirement. In this case there are a number of septic systems where the absorption area of the mound system meets the 50 -foot setback in all but one case but they do not meet an 85 -foot setback. The City has historically required a75 -foot setback from the wetlands, which was reduced down to 50. The state requires 0. In Staff's view a 50 -foot setback is adequate. Gaffron indicated he did speak with the Watershed District on whether a septic system can go into a buffer. While the Watershed District does not prohibit it, they do recommend against it. One of the reasons is if a 75 -foot buffer is required to be established, once the house is constructed and the septic system is put into that area, there is a 5 -year monitoring program as part of their buffer maintenance requirement. Gaffron stated each of these lots has a likely location for a well 50 feet from any septic system and that he does not expect there to be any issues with providing wells on each lot. Gaffron stated a question that has been asked is whether or not what is remaining on the lots is actually buildable. Gaffron indicated there are a number of locations where the house could move further south and Staff does not believe that will be an issue. The proposed single-family development is consistent with existing development in the surrounding neighborhood. Similar single-family lots with 2 -plus acre lot sizes exist to the north, while the lots within Kintyre Two to the immediate south range from 1.4 to 3 -plus acres. The portion of the property to be developed for new single-family lots is somewhat remote from the surrounding public roads. The property slopes downward generally from a high point at the southwest to a large wetland complex to the northeast and east. A smaller wetland to the northwest will also impact development of the site. Outlot A is part of the property that is being subdivided but the applicants are proposing at this time not to develop Outlot A. Outlot A will not be buildable until at some point in the future it is re -platted into one or two building lots. There is a potential for three and possibly four lots with access off of Stubbs Bay Road or Kintyre. Page 9 of 32