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4-9— a�5 <br />To: Mayor Mary C. Butler and Members of the Orono City Council <br />Re: City Hardcover Definitions <br />We have been asked by the City Zoning Administrator to write this note <br />concerning the definition of what constitutes hardcover for the purpose of <br />issuing building permits. We feel strongly that the current definition is, in <br />many respects, inconsistent with she presumed intent of the ordinance. We are <br />distressed that the vagueness of the current definition of hardcover has caused a <br />major inconvenience for us and will add significantly to the cost of securing a <br />building permit. We would sincerely hope that the Council will take this <br />opportunity to examine and clarify the present definition of hardcover so that it <br />can be applied fairly and uniformly to other residents of our area who are <br />seeking to improve their homes. <br />We believe that the purpose of the hardcover restrictions is, and should <br />continue to be, to: (1) prevent excessive run-off into the Lake and thereby <br />protect the quality of this recreational resource; and (2) to control <br />overbuilding in the City and protect its aesthetic qualities. To accomplish the <br />first part of this purpose, the operative definition of hardcover should be: <br />Any artificial surface that causes rainwater to <br />run-of4 that surface into the Lake, or tributaries <br />of the Lake, rather than to be absorbed into the <br />soil and filtered or to be retained and evaporated. <br />If you accept this definition of hardcover, then there are certain <br />landscaping features which should n o t c o n s t i t u t e hardcover: <br />o Spaced, porous wood decking which has an absorbar t, <br />porous natural surface beneath i!, i.e. no plastic <br />sheathing. <br />c Landscaping rocks with either no plastic beneath or <br />with plastic that forms a basin in which the rain- <br />water is captured and evaporated. <br />o Stairs and retaining malls on steep slopes l Greater <br />than a 33 degree incline directly to the Lake) that <br />io ne crease the amount of run-off which would <br />r►ormally reach the Lake. <br />