07-24-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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From:Carol Price To:Melanie Curtis Cc:dwalsh2@ci.orono.mn; Richard Crosby; Matt Johnson; Alisa Benson; Maria Veach Subject:Comments for 2815 Casco Pt Rd Variance Request- LA22-000068 Date:Monday, July 24, 2023 11:59:40 AM Hello Melanie, Please see my comments regarding the after-the-fact variances requested under LA22- 000068. I forwarded my husband's comments earlier today as he cannot attend the City Council meeting tonight. Thank you for sending the earlier packet of information with the subject "Plans for 2815 Casco Point Road". However, I have focused my review on the Agenda Item #10 Packet of information just to be consistent with tonight's meeting. The most significant discussion at the March 13th City Council Meeting regarding the variance request for the incomplete As-Built retaining wall structure was that the plan to add 1.7 feet of height along the length to the 6th wall was not an acceptable solution. This March plan did not address the elevation gradients between the adjacent neighboring properties that would mitigate the erosion of the newly "bowl shaped" bluff. There were several comments by the council members that the As-Built retaining wall system was not "in-kind" and the natural bluff line from property to property was definitely altered. From the meeting minutes, "Council Members said they believe the new wall system has to go back to the original grade and line up with the tip of the bluff and the properties on either side." Towards the end of the meeting notes, Mayor Walsh stated "I can see that they wanted to get the bluffs down there taken care of but now they've created an entire new bluff landscape that was not part of the like in-kind. They have to figure out how to reengineer to get that grade back there, and figure that out to the best of their ability." So, that was basically the request of the City Council members to the homeowner: figure out a way to re-engineer the retaining walls such that the bluff was restored as closely to the natural flow of the bluff line and mitigate the elevation gradients to adjacent properties that were adversely affected by the restructuring of the bluff. Four months have passed since the March meeting. My general impression of the information packet is that there are very confusing site plans and surveys that are labeled "updated surveys / grading plans" that even the city engineer had difficulty reviewing. Next, Exhibit B2 is 7 pages of construction plans for an "in-kind" boathouse, deck, and stairs provided by a contractor that will not be supervising the work, doing the work, and he absolves himself of any changes that may be required once construction begins. Exhibit B3 is the Soil Information which contains graphs, but no engineering summary report. Apparently, this soil test data was completed on May 8th, but it was not given to the licensed engineer as he does not list this soil test data in Exhibit B4. The bluff landscape plan is Exhibit B5 which shows a drain tile system to lower the water to the lake on the east side of the property, but there is no similar drainage system on the west side. The following is further details and comments regarding the information packet. As stated in the current Background/Summary section, my husband and I met with Melanie C., the property owners and a representative from Valdes Lawn Care. My husband and I were primarily concerned with the stability and height of the 6th wall that contours along the side of our property as the differences in property elevations is significant. Currently, the 6th wall is