12-08-1997 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Brush Disposal Fires The West Hennepin Public *^^fety Department issues permits and monitors burning for both the Cities of Independence and Minnetrista. Brush disposal fire are allowed by permit with a 30-day time period for permits Brush disposal fues that are larger than 25' x 25' x 10' high require the approval the fire department having jurisdiction. The permit guidelines contain a list of requirements '“'^r types of materials that can be burned, 50 foot setbacks from buildings, and safety etc. All burn sites are inspected by West Hennepin Public Safety before a burning permit is issued. The only discussion on size of brush piles is the requirement of fire department approval for piles over 25' x 25' x 10' high. Both Independence and Minnetrista are more rural than Orono, and these regulations have been deemed to be appropriate for this area. Orono is more densely developed than these two cities. Our recommendation is to change our ordinance to allow brush disposal fires in Orono, with size limitations that are appropriate to our development conditions. The proposed ordinance allows for 8' diameter by 4' high brush disposal fire with a minimum lot size of 2 acres. A 15' diameter by 6' high brush disposal fire woula be allowevi with a 5 acre minimum lot size. The west Hemiepin Public Safety Department has had very few problems with their burning regulations, and their director indicated that the proposed regulations for Orono are reasonable based on our more developed conditions. Permit Time Period and Fees The staff recommendation is to require a 30-day permit for brush disposal fires with no permit renewals allowed. We are not proposing any changes to the permit fee structure for brush disposal fire permits. There is no charge for permits until an applicant requests more than 3 permits in one year, then there will be a $100 annual fee. The intent is to have free permits to encourage people to get permits. The fee f'i numerous permits will encourage people to plan their burning to reduce the number of occurrences and permits required. Below is a summary of the open burning requirements for various lot sizes. Recreational Fires Minimum Lot Size: Allowed on any size lot if all other permit requirements are met. Maximum Fire Size: 3' diameter by 3' high Building Setback: Minimum 50’ setback from buildings Property Line Setback: 25' setback from property lines Permit Time Limit: Permits valid for 1 year Inspection Requirements: Inspection before permit issuance, inspections not required for each bum Notification Requirements: Notify Orono Police Department before each bum