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83^- ^ <br />Orono Planning Commission <br />2780 Kelley Parkway <br />Orono. MN. 55356 <br />-1/ ' 16 <br />July 8.1996 <br />Dear Commissioners; <br />On May 20, 1996 Orono Planning Commission chose to table a request for 5 variances concerning the Edna <br />Albee Estate at 1575 Long Lake Blvd. This letter intends to show hardship for those 5 variances. <br />The purpose of a variance is a means for improving older properties so people can continue to live there. <br />When rules change variances are meant to allow improvement and modernization to property rather than <br />force people from the property. <br />At 820 square feet of living area and constructed in 1938. my mother ’s house does not meet many of <br />today ’s criteria for modern-day living. We are proposing a modest addition to this house in order to bring it <br />closer to today ’s standards. All of this proposed addition would be done between the house and garage <br />minimizing excavation and any impact on the lake or nearby wetlands. We believe aesthetically it is the <br />best approach to expansion on this house and also is consistent with other homes on the lake in this area. <br />Sioe lot setback - 30 ’. The original house needs to be preserved as much as possible due to the fine hand- <br />cut limestone work on both ends of the house and a fireplace of the same material. The garage needs to be <br />offset from the front of the house more to provide an aesthetically pleasing front entry from the road. <br />Leaving the garage w here it is blocks the w hole front of the proposed entry rendering it unsightly and <br />perhaps unfunctional. Moving the garage to the west and detaching it would involve monumental dirt work j, ^ . , <br />on such a slope, require a 12-15 ft. retaining wall (unsightly from the lake) and totally block the view of the V , - ^ <br />lake from the neighbors and road. Also, many mature trees would need to be removed further causing ' ’ ' <br />|V <br />f - <br />erosion problems and more unsightliness. In order to attach a garage we will need a few feet in the 30 ’ side <br />lot setback. We have moved the garage as much possible to the west and away from the road. Mr. Bigham <br />to the east has taken exception to this variance but we propose his view would not be altered much as he is <br />looking at the back of the existing garage and we have a line of mature arborvitae planted near the east lot <br />line to ease his view. <br />,•» <br />Road setback - 50 ’. As my mother ’s house sits 32’ from the road on a 30% slope there is no way we can <br />comply with ordinance on this. The existing garage is 2 inches into the road now. We feel we h? 'e <br />adjusted the garage as best we can to get it further from the road. <br />Septic System. We have permission for a state approved gravel-less trench system for this site for a 3+ <br />bedroom house already worked out with Orono. This site was approved before state regulations of March <br />31, 1996 requiring an alternate site for a septic system went into effect. We do not wish to install a septic <br />system nor do we wish to incur costs for land:>caping restoration as city sewer has been proposed for this <br />area within a year. Rather could a covenant be added promising to hook up to city sewer and a pumping <br />agreement be reached to fill the gap before the city sewer arrives? <br />Lakeshore - 75 ’ and Bluff Zone. Most of the existing house sits within the lakeshore setback and the bluff <br />zone. Adding a second story and building toward the road encroaches the least on this lake setback and <br />bluff zone. <br />Hardcover Our plans has reduced hardcover to within cceptable parameters for this property <br />In closing, our mother passed away in April of 1995. She lived here for 57 years and developed this <br />landscaping for her property over many of those years. It is aesthetically pleasing and drainage for this <br />slope is well considered. Her heart and soul went into her home on Long Lake. This property has been on <br />the market for one year, 't has been sold twice and each time the City of Orono ’s demands have caused our