08-18-2025 - Agenda Packet Planning Commission - PC packet

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3435 County Rd. 101 | Minnetonka, MN 55345 | (952) 475-2097 | boyerbuilding.com Date: July 31, 2025 To: Orono Planning Commission & City Council Applicant: Kimberly Fletcher Owner: Jack & Suzy Bohn Address: 1440 Baldur Park Road, Orono, MN 55391 Re: Request for Variance Dear Planning Commission Members and City Council, The current owners (Jack & Suzy Bohn) have owned this property for 21 years. The original home was built in 1920. Our clients have given the current property life respecting the lot and cherishing the memories they’ve made while watching their three sons grow and learn about life on the water during their weekend getaways. The home is currently non- conforming to the city requirements and has challenges for full-time living. Our client’s hope is to make this their forever home with considerations toward aging in place on the bay. The Bohn’s intend to build a new home that fits well with their property, the community, and the city of Orono as a whole. They intend to keep the home modest but practical while improving its conformity to city ordinances. This site provides several hardships and challenges that must be overcome to make reasonable use of the property. • First, the lot is very small (only 7,895sft). This is well below modern sizing requirements and makes several code requirements impossible to meet and others very difficult. Because of the small size of the lot, hardcover requirements are unrealistic and in conflict with massing allowances. Per section 78-1685 of the City Code lots less than 10,000 sq ft may have a total combined footprint of all principal and accessory structures, not to exceed 2000 sq ft. If we were to build a new structure this size it would result in 2,720sft of hardcover or 34.5% just for the building. However, we are not proposing to do this, rather we are proposing a modest 1,698sft home. This hardship is shared by many of the neighboring properties along Baldur Park Rd so we know there are reasonable precedents to solve these issues. • Secondly, the property is within the flood plane and the existing home and garage are right at the flood plane level with no rescue bench considerations (as are the two adjacent properties). • Thirdly, the current structures on the property are non-conforming in several ways. o The current structures (cabin, detached garage, and associated hardcover) do not respect the average setback requirements and the existing deck sits about 15’ closer to the lake than the neighbors as shown on the as-built survey. o Doesn’t meet the 75’ lake setback requirement. Currently the home is only 56’ from the lake. o Doesn’t meet the side or street setback requirements. o Doesn’t meet hardcover standards. Hardcover currently add up to 31.99% per the surveyor’s hardcover calculations based on as-built survey dated January 24, 2025. • In addition to these challenges, the existing home has multiple floor height changes and ingress/egress hurdles making it unsafe for aging in place and the garage is detached and dilapidated. 18