09-23-1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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em- ^ Orono Planning Commission 2780 Kelley Parkway Orono. MN. 55356 July 8,1996 Dear Commissioners; On May 20, 1996 Orono Planning Commission chose to table a request for 5 variances concerning the Edna Albce Estate at 1575 Long Lake Blvd. This letter intends to show hardship for those 5 variances. The purpose of a variance is a means for improving older properties so people can continue to live there. When rules change variances are meant to allow improvement and modernization to property rather than force people from the property. At 820 square feet of living area and constructed in 1938, my mother’s house does not meet many of today’s criteria for modem-da\ living. We are proposing a modest addition to this house in order to bring it closer to today’s standards. All of this proposed addition would be done between the house and garage minimizing excavation and any impact on the lake or nearby wetlands. We believe aesthetically it is the best approach to expansion on this house and also is consistent with other homes on the lake m this area. Side lot setback - 30 '. The original house needs to be preserved as much as possible due to the fine hand-~^ cut limestone work on both ends of the house and a fireplace of the same material. The garage needs to be offset from the front of the house more to provide an aestheticallv pleasing front entry from the road. Leaving the garage where it is blocks the whole front of the proposed entry rendering it unsightly and perhaps unfunctional. Moving the garage to the west and detaching it would involve monumental dirt work on such a slope, require a 12-15 ft. retaining wall (unsightly from the lake) and totally block the view of the lake from the neighbors and road. Also, many mature trees would need to be removed further causing erosion problems and more unsightliness. In order to attach a garage we will need a few feet in the 30 ’ side lot setback. We have moved the garage as much possible to the west and awa> from the road. Mr. Bigham to the east has taken exception to this variance but we propose his view would not be altered much as he is looking at the back of the existing garage and we have a line of mature arborv itae planted near the east lot line to ease his view. Road setback - 50’. As my mother’s house sits 32 ’ from the road on a 30% slope there is no way we can comply with ordinance on this. The existing garage is 2 inches into the road now We feel we have adjusted the garage as best we can to get it further from the road. Septic System. We have permission for a state approved gravel-less trench system for this site for a 3+ bedroom house already worked out with Orono. This site was approved before state regulations of March 31,1996 requiring an alternate site for a septic system went into effect. We do not wish to install a septic system nor do we wish to incur costs for landscaping restoration as city sewer has been proposed for this area within a year. Rather could a covenant be added promising to hook up to city sewer and a pumping agreement be reached to fill the gap before the city sewer arrives? Lakeshore - 75 ’ and Bluff Zone. Most of the existing house sits w ithin the lakeshore setback and the bluff zone. Adding a second story and building toward the road encroaches the least on this lake setback and bluff zone. Hardcover. Our plans has reduced hardcover to within acceptable parameters for this property^. In closing, our mother passed away in April of 1995. She lived here for 57 years and developed this landscaping for her property over many of those years. It is aesthetically pleasing and drainage for this slope is well considered. Her heart and soul went into her home on Long Lake. This property has been on the market for one year. It has been sold twice and each time the City of Orono ’s demands have caused our |V’ ' ''\ <■