Laserfiche WebLink
Brief Factual Narrative - Maeser Property <br />The following is summaiy of facts to consider in allowing the Maeser property to be lot <br />line rearranged to allow for two single family lots; <br />1. When revie*.ving the history of the Maeser property at 372 W. Lake Street, the City of <br />Orono consistently allowed and accepted an on going and non conforming commercial <br />usage of said parcel. This acceptance continued through changes in the single family <br />zoning status of the property from 1 acre to 2 acre minimum lots. This allowance of <br />commercial usage of this parcel continued through multiple different ownership's including <br />the final sale to Mr. Maeser in 1985. Throughout such ownership change the City <br />continued to allow »uch commercial usage even though per the City's own testimony, <br />such usage should have been stopped by the City in January of 1978. <br />2.The City issued the prior propertie's Owner a permit in 1980 to enlarge and enhance the <br />existing drain field to allow for the multiple dwelling units even though such drain field <br />existed in a non conforming condition. <br />3.1t took until the Spring of 1995,for the City of Orono to require that Mr. Maeser must <br />finally conform and subsequently suffer financial hardship by closing his cabins, connect to <br />City Sewer, and pay the City's sewer connection 'c. o. The order did not allow Mr. <br />Maeser, who is not a real estate professional, any reasonable alternative. <br />4.Mr. Maeser purchased this property in 1985 believing, due to the properties history, that <br />such commercial usage was in fact tolerated by the City of Orono. In fact the City allowed <br />Mr. Maeser to operate his property status quo through Spring of 1995. A period of ten <br />years. <br />5.The property was considered by the Orono Council in years 1967 through 1969 that it <br />should be placed into two (2) one acre parcels, with the only condition being that only one <br />dwelling unit per parcel be allowed. <br />6.The property is served by two (2) sewer stubs (connections), indicating that this parcel <br />was allotted for as two parcels with two dwelling units when sewer capacity was <br />considered. <br />7.The proposed lot line rearrangement and subsequent development is a significant <br />improvement over the current condition yet it matches the character of the neighborhood <br />where the bul'* >f the existing dwelling units of this built-up neighborhood are on (.7) <br />seven tenth* of an .ncre parcels. <br />S.The council recently allowed a neighbor to combine two (.7) acre parcels, armd <br />significant variances, to create a 1.4 acre parcel with one dwelling unit. (1.4 acre being <br />less than the 2.0 acre minimum). <br />9.This lot line rearrangement meets the majority of City of Orono ordinances, including <br />hard cover and Lakeshore set backs. The dwellings are placed to minimize impact on the <br />neighbors and in fact significantly improve such visual impact on the adjacent neighbors.