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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />WORK SESSION, WTIDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1993 <br />The Planning Commission met on the above date with the following members present: Chair <br />Maureen Bellows, Candy Rowlette, Stephen Peterson. Jeff Johnson, and Ed Cohen. City staff <br />was represented by: Building & Zoning Administrator Jeanne Mabusth and Asst. Planning & <br />Zoning Administrator Michael Gaffron. Debra Breneman representing North Shore Drive <br />Marina was also in attendance. The meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m. <br />Gaffron started with a brief review of the B-2 Zoning District history, noting that the B-2 <br />standards were a point of much discussion prior to adoption of tlie 1975 zoning code. At that <br />time, the marina owners were concerned that the standards proposed for adoption could not be <br />realistically met by the existing marinas. He noted that a review of the minutes suggest that the <br />City recognize that flexibility in enforcement of the B-2 standards would be necessary. Gaffron <br />also noted that landscaping was the only code provision requiring a staged time-frame for <br />eliminating or reducing the degree of non-conformities. Most other existing non-conformities <br />were henceforth only dealt with at the time a variance or site plan approval was requested in <br />conjunction with application for a building permit. He further noted that a thorough review as <br />part of a major site revamping had been done within the last five to six years with three of our <br />six marinas. In each case, the City approved a site plan and felt that it gained certain upgrades <br />in conformity which offset the variances for setbacks or hardcover which were needed in each <br />case. <br />Gaffron went on to note that aside from site related issues, there are concerns related to the <br />operation of marinas which have been brought forth by members of the public in recent years. <br />He related that an attempt was made by the City in 1985 to make marinas a conditional use in <br />the B-2 zone, but that met with much resistance from the marinas. This CUP proposal was the <br />result of some marinas not complying with certain code sections, the City denying licenses for <br />those marinas but not forcing them to cease operations. He noted that while some but not all <br />marinas had been issued licenses in the last two years, the Council had recently concluded it <br />would be more appropriate to issue licenses to all marinas who apply and then deal with issues <br />through the zoning code. He suggested that the current zoning code language probably does not <br />contain the necessary mechanisms to require upgrades in many of the non-conformities that the <br />public might want to see happen. <br />Cohen noted that the marinas have existed at their present location for many years and probably <br />are protected to a great degree as pre-existing non-conforming situations. He further noted that <br />our code seems to be legislating for future new marinas and does not relate very well to the <br />existing marinas. Bellows agreed, and suggested that we may need to adopt some realistic <br />standards. Cohen indicated that the assistance of the marina operators would definitely be <br />needed in order that the Planning Commission understand what is realistic.