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/r- <br />HArdcover Standards <br />December 4, 1990 <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />able Fabric - <br />Regarding the issue of permeable geotechnical fabric as an <br />underliner for landscape materials, staff is confident that most <br />of the fabrics currently sold for this use indeed allow <br />absorption into the ground while inhibiting weed growth. <br />Certainly, plastic sheeting (which is not permeable until it has <br />aged and decayed) could be considered hardcover from the <br />standpoint that it does not allow direct rainfall absorption. <br />Note however that many landscape beds have a plastic underliner <br />which allows water to puddle and evaporate rather than forcing it <br />to run overland off the site. <br />The intent of plastic and fabric underliners is to inhibit <br />weed growth. Absent any underliner, the two remaining available <br />methods for eliminating weed growth are regular hand pruning or <br />mowing, and the use of chemicals. Because most people install <br />decorative landscape beds in areas which are difficult to mow or <br />which are not condusive to growing grass, and because most <br />homeowners do not want to physically pick weeds out of their rock <br />beds, the use of chemicals could be anticipated. In the scheme <br />of things, it may be more detrimental for tne lake for everyone <br />to use weed killer on their rock beds than to be using passive <br />weed control methods such as permeable fabric. <br />miR Shoreland Regulations - <br />Department of Natural Resources is requiring that Orono and <br />all other shoreland cities adopt specific shoreland regulations. <br />The DHR proposes that for all properties within 1,000 feet of the <br />shoreline, hardcover be limited to 25% of the lot area. Most <br />other cities that have a hardcover ordinance currently allow 30%. <br />Orono is the only city which divides the 1,000 foot shoreland <br />district into incremental areas with various hardcover <br />allowances. <br />Exhibit E-l shows that, when taking the entire 1,000 foot <br />shoreland district as a whole, Orono allows about as muc^. <br />hardcover as other cities and more than the DNR would propose to <br />allow. However, Orono is less restrictive at points far *rom the <br />lake, and more restrictive near the lake, than other cxties or <br />the DNR wou}-* require. <br />Staff f suggesting that Orono reduce the number of zones to <br />just twos <br />A) All properties which abut the lakeshore. <br />B) All non^lakeshore properties located within 1,000* of <br />the shoreline.