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rono City Council considers
<br />classic car showroom in Navarre
<br />By Laura Ehramjian
<br />“A car is a car is a car,”
<br />Mayor Gabriel Jabbour stated
<br />during the discussion of a
<br />proposed Classic Car Sales
<br />business.
<br />And councilmember Diann
<br />Goetten offered, “There’s not
<br />much of a difference between
<br />used cars, from a junker all the
<br />way up to a Mercedes.” Or is
<br />there?
<br />“Will the business resemble
<br />to\. t losely a used car lot, and do
<br />we w ’.'t it in Navarre?” These
<br />were questions that the Orono
<br />City Council tried, unsuccess
<br />fully, to answer at the council’s
<br />Nov. 10 meeting.
<br />Dick Bury, President of
<br />Classic Sales Inc., is hoping to
<br />purchase the Bay Furniture
<br />building at 3850 Shoreline Drive
<br />for a showroom and office for
<br />classic/collectible cars. It was
<br />unclear whether the district’s B-5
<br />zoning would allow this type of
<br />business, or whether an
<br />amendment would be necessa.'y.
<br />And the exact nature of the
<br />business, now and in the future,
<br />was the most troubling issue for
<br />the council. Bury told them he
<br />has conducted similar operations
<br />in two other locations with no
<br />problems and feels that the area
<br />residents would be interested in
<br />this type of vehicle.
<br />Though most of the business
<br />would be by mail and phone or
<br />take place inside the building.
<br />Bury says it is necessary to have
<br />some cars sitting outside for
<br />people to see.
<br />“The cars parked outside of
<br />the building was the planning
<br />commission’s only concern,”
<br />commissioner Lili McMillan told
<br />the council. And it was the “cars
<br />parked outside” that put the
<br />used-car-lot scare into the mayor
<br />and some of the councilmembers.
<br />“To me, selling classic cars
<br />is a whole different thing,” said
<br />Councilmember Richard Flint.
<br />“I think it’s a reasonable use
<br />and you made a good point about
<br />ell the neighboring businesses
<br />having cars in front of their
<br />buildings,” Jabbour told Bury.
<br />“At the same time, the
<br />nightmare of use cars...”
<br />Goetten felt it could be an
<br />opportunity to welcome a new
<br />and good business neighbor.
<br />Councilmember Charles
<br />Kelly summed it up with, “We
<br />know his (Bury’s) intent, but we
<br />don’t know his intent a few years
<br />from now. And if he sells the
<br />business, we don’t know the
<br />intent of the next owner.”
<br />After the discussion, the
<br />council decided to table this
<br />item. They directed the staff to
<br />draw up a conditional use permit
<br />(CUP) for the sale, at the
<br />Navarre location, of only classic
<br />collectible cars. The permit will
<br />allow a maximum of five cars
<br />allowed outside at a time, in a
<br />specified location and all
<br />business conducted inside the
<br />building.
<br />Tempers on both sides
<br />showed early warning signs
<br />during a discussion of the park
<br />dedication fee required from
<br />Marc and Tracy 'tVhitehead.
<br />Though Tracy Whitehead was
<br />present at the meeting, her
<br />attorney, John Winston, spoke for
<br />her. He appealed the amount of
<br />$13,374, which was established
<br />by the city assessor, based on
<br />eight percent of the fair market
<br />value for the Whitehead
<br />subdivision.
<br />Orono has <*" ordinance
<br />requiring this fee, in lieu of a
<br />properly donation, which helps to
<br />pay for the local parks, trails and
<br />open spaces.
<br />V.’ir.stcr. proposed that the
<br />Whiteheads should only pay 25
<br />percent of the amount, or $3,344.
<br />He called the required fee “a
<br />prohibitive amount ” and accused
<br />the council of changing the fee
<br />after a particular meeting, or as
<br />he put it. “after the fact.”
<br />Senior planning coordinator
<br />Mike Gaffron refuted this,
<br />saying, “The Park Dedication
<br />Fee has not changed since that
<br />meeting.”
<br />Councilmember Richard Flint
<br />said, in his opinion, the council
<br />had already made substantial
<br />compromises regarding this i*
<br />subdivision agreement, arid '
<br />added, “I would strongly oppose
<br />lowering the fee.” '
<br />Jabbour was equally adamant
<br />"Now is the time to figure out if
<br />our law is bad or good. I feel very
<br />frusuated and don’t want to allow
<br />most of our park dedication fees
<br />to be spent on legal fees.”
<br />As Whitehead and her
<br />attorney were leaving the council
<br />chambers, Winston told the
<br />council, “We just thought you
<br />might want to make some
<br />changes and avoid a lawsuit ”
<br />“We did make some
<br />changes,” said Jabbour. “There is
<br />now a cap to our ordinance.”
<br />Winston threw out a last
<br />remark, “You can ’t undo what ’s
<br />been done, but what ’s been done
<br />is not right.”
<br />The council approved the
<br />language changes in the
<br />preliminary plat approval
<br />resolution.
<br />The council also approved the
<br />agreement with Long Lake for
<br />1998-2000 Orono Police
<br />Services. Councilmembers also
<br />approved an agreement, covering
<br />the same period of time, with
<br />Long Lake for lake Lake ’s Fire
<br />Department Service, though with
<br />slightly less enthusiasm. Kelly
<br />didn’t like how they were being
<br />charged for fire service and
<br />questioned if they were receiving .
<br />Uie proper reports.
<br />Orono’s share of the fire
<br />department budget was increased '
<br />from 68.8 percent to 69.9 percent
<br />due to “significant increases in
<br />market value and fire rescue
<br />calls."
<br />’Tm questioning the wisdom
<br />of charging market value,” said
<br />Kelly.
<br />City Administrator Ron
<br />Moorse pointed out that there has
<br />to be some measure of the
<br />amount of property. Jabbour said
<br />that this contact was similar to
<br />the police contract and added ;
<br />that for both police and fire
<br />protection, “Commercial prop
<br />erty is more at risk.” j
<br />"PioMeec.
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