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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />November 20, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 1 of 6 <br /> <br />ROLL CALL <br /> <br />The Orono Planning Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: <br />Acting Chair Jon Ressler, Commissioners Dennis Libby, Ted Schultze, Bob Erickson, and Gary Kraemer. <br />Commissioners Chris Bollis and Mark McCutchen were absent. Representing Staff were Community <br />Development Director Laura Oakden, City Planner Melanie Curtis, and City Planner Natalie Nye. <br /> <br />Acting Chair Ressler called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. <br /> <br />APPROVAL OF AGENDA <br /> <br />Libby moved, Schultze seconded, to approve the Agenda. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. <br /> <br />APPROVAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 16, 2023 <br /> <br />Kraemer moved, Schultze seconded, to approve the minutes of the Orono Planning Commission <br />meeting of October 16, 2023. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. <br /> <br />PUBLIC HEARINGS <br /> <br />1. LA23-000045 ELLETTE ANDERSON AND JAMES & MELISSA EASLEY, 1250 <br />SPRUCE PLACE & 1260 SPRUCE PLACE, REQUEST VACATION OF THE <br />ADJACENT UNIMPROVED RIGHT-OF-WAY OF "LAKE STREET". <br /> <br />City Planner Curtis gave a presentation on the item, stating the applicant is requesting to vacate the <br />unimproved right-of-way situated between 1250 Spruce Place (owned by James & Melissa Easley) and <br />1260 Spruce Place (owned by Ms. Anderson, the applicant). This unimproved right-of-way is also known <br />as “Lake Street” on the plat of Saga Hill, Revised, and it terminates at the High Water Level of North <br />Arm Bay. There are no City utilities within the right-of-way, however there are riprap spillways <br />facilitating overland drainage from Spruce Place and approximately 900 square feet of the Easleys’ <br />driveway. The City Engineer does not recommend vacating the right of way as the site serves as a <br />draining way for the area and has also been identified as a possible future public accessway to the lake. <br />The City does not have any Park improvements in that area. The access has a public purpose because of <br />the drainage way, Curtis said. There are identified lake access points in this area including Sandy Beach <br />located to the south, which is established as a swimming beach, and the City’s fishing dock off of Loma <br />Linda Avenue to the north. Both access points are less than 500 feet from this location. Curtis explained <br />the challenge with vacating rights-of-way is that vacation is final. Should the public or the City have <br />access or utility needs in the future, the cost to taxpayers to reacquire the property will be at a premium, <br />she said, so vacation reduces options for the City in the future. The Department of Natural Resources <br />(DNR) also opposes the vacation as it does not provide a public benefit and does not protect future public <br />use of the land to access the lake. Public comments in support of the vacation were received. Staff <br />recommends denial of the request to vacate the right-of-way at this time as there is currently a public <br />benefit for drainage purposes and the future purpose of the land is undetermined. <br /> <br />Libby asked if the area is served by City water or private wells. <br /> <br />Curtis said the parcels have private wells. <br /> <br />3