03-11-1985 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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front yard areas of the Pheasant Lawn neighbo.-hood along Pheasant Road. The boat is stored less than 35 feet from the street in the side/street yard. A boat less then 20 feet could be stored in the location in conformance with the code. If you review the staff exterior boat storage survey of the sur- rounding area, note that only one other Pheasant Lawn resident stores an oversized boat on their property (Area 1). The boat is stored 10 to 15 feet off Pheasant F.oad screened by a small shrub. The remaining residents of Pheasant Lawn store their boats off site. The boat stored in Area 2 is located in the front/street side yard. The boat stored in Area 7 is located in a lakeshore/front yard. My windshield survey reveals a total of eight oversized boats stored in the Pheasant Lawn, Shore Hills and Narrows area of the City. This is the first variance application to the exterior storage section of the code to be reviewed by the City. Mr. Eller claims his rear yard cannot be considered because of the topography. There is no feasible site on the property to store a boat of this size in addition to meeting the screening requirements. Eller claims he cannot move the boat and cradle at this time of year. I have asked Jim Dunn of Chaska Marina to confirm El ler's claim. Dunn is aware of the Eller boat because of the newspaper article and con- firms that the boat could sustain severe damage to the hull because of the age of the wooden cradle, age of boat, type of boat construction and time of year. At the two Planning Commission meetings reviewing their applica- tion, the neighbors have been very vocal in opposing the boats' storage location. They have found a nearby neighbor who has agreed to allow storage of the Eller boat until the spring. Eller is grateful but he claims that moving the boat at this time of year is unthinkable. The neighbors fail to communicate directly with Eller - once again, the City has stepped in as mediator. Eller confirms in writing that he does not plan to store the boat on his property in the future (see Exhibit G). Staff offered the following approving recommendation to the Planning Commission: To allow a boat in excess of 20 feet to be temporarily stored at its present location 10'+/- from side/west lot line and 20'+/- from side/street lot line until April 15, 1985 and that in the event the subject boat is not moved by the specified deadline date, a citation will be issued to the owner. Applicant has agreed in writing to store the subject boat off site in the future but in the event a future owner wishes to store a boat in excess of 20' on the property that he/she be forewarned that there may not be a suitable site on the property for winter boat storage and to contact the Orono staff for current setback standards and screeninq requirements. Approval of the variance application is based on the following hardships and findings: