10-26-1998 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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H ardship smTEMB'KJT We wish to apply for a variance for the construction of a garage with a family room above due to the following hardships that exist on our property. When we signed our purchase agreement for our home in October 1996, we were led believe by the sellers’ realtor that we would be able to construct a garage on our property. Being that we were not residents of Orono or owners of our property at 500 Hanlon Avenue at the time, we were barred from the application process to determine whether we would be able to construct a garage. We relied on the representations made by the sellers’ realtor. Although we have not had a garage on our property for the past year and a half, we have come to realize the problems posed by lacking a garage. First, our cars parked in the front gravel pseudo-driveway are dangerous. We must back our cars onto Dickenson with traffic moving at up to 30 plus miles an hour at a time. We lack the visibility as we back out of our driveway, putting ourselves in danger of an accident. Second, the location of our parked cars are hazardous to pedestrians, namely small neighborhood children. We constantly fear that our soon-to-be-toddler or one of the neighbor children will dart out between cars in front of an unsuspecting driver or biker. Third, the lack of garage poses a threat of a health hazard. We lack a place to properly store our garbage. As our infant grows, our use of diapers and waste increases. Currently, we must store our garbage outside underneath our deck. There have been several mornings, despite our careful efforts, when we wake to find cur garbage strewn about the yard. This not only poses a threat to our health, but to the neighbors as well. Fourth, there is potentially dangerous pooling of water. Due to the current gravel driveway, during rainstorms, run-off tends to pool in the intersection of Dickenson and the alley along the east side of our property. This pooling of water is particularly hazardous with the current threat of encephalitis-carrying mosquitoes. Lastly, the lack of a garage is a major hardship for our eight-month-old child. Placing our child in a car, which must be parked outside in cold Minnesota winters or hot and humid summers, is a hardship. Our baby was bom on December 15,1997. In order to take her to our doctor’s appointments, we had to leave the baby unattended while we scraped off the ice and snow eind warmed the car to an appropriately warm temperature. Thi.-^ problem will only continue to worsen as our child becomes more and more mobile, putting her in more risk of harm while left unattended. We have the additional hardship in that the lot on which our house sits is only .15 acres. We are limited in areas in which to put the garage. We believe that by placing the garage to the east of the house, we will be able to use less ground cover and keep the construction within the spirit of the existing home. Being that our home, which was constructed in 1945, already sits in violation of the current zoning codes were it a new construction, any additional construction would naturally be a continuation of that variance. // r -.I v"'• ; • • r. f\