10-23-1989 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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Zoning File #1458 September 15, 1989 Page 3 of 5 The assumption that the lots will be combined raises the issue of use of the cabin at 324 Westlake Street as a guest house. While that building contains no plumbing, it does have electricity and a "kitchenette" i.e. contains a stove. The stove could certainly be removed, making this a non -dwelling unit, with use merely as a storage building. Ultimately, applicant notes his intent would be to expand the house at 332 Westlake Street northward, ultimately removing the cabin at 324 Westlake Street. Septic Svstem Concerns Orono's On -site swage Treatment Ordinance in Section 12.30, Subdivision 4 (E) requi.- that permits for expansion of existing buildings served by septic systems, may not be issued until the septic system has been i,ispected and certified by the City as being in compliance with this section. It goes on to state that the City may require expansion of existing systems when the "addition of bedrooms and plumbing fixtures . . .changes the character or intensity of the established" use of a structure. In this case, applicant has noted that the previous property owners used the porch as a second bedroom, hence technically this might be conceived as a pre-existing two bedroom house. Note from applicant's building plans that his proposal is for ar+two bedroom home. Inspection of the existing system, in conjunction with a review of City records regarding that system, indicate that there are two 500 gallon tanks and approximately 250 square feet of trench drainfield in three drainfield lines on the lakeshore side of the house. The most downhill drainfield line is 79' from the normal shoreline, meeting the setback requirement. The existing system appears to be functioning adequately and no seepage or evidence of past seepage is visible. From a design standpoint, the existing drainfield system is quite substandard based on current codes. The soil survey indicates kilkenny soils at this site, which commonly would be expected to have a perc rate requiring 300 s.f. of drainfield per bedroom. The existing 250 s.f. drainfield would not technically be large enough to serve a two bedroom house unless the soil was a sand or sandy loam texture with a perc rate faster than 5 minutes per inch. In general, the existing system would be expected to be capable of serving two people, possibly three on a long term basis. This also disregards the fact that Kilkenney soils typically require use of a mound system due to seasonal saturation zones near the surface. That seasonal saturation tends to decrease the useful life of a trench -type drainfield.