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no trees were removed from the hillside to accommodate the <br />construction of the retaining wall/stairway/deck system. On <br />the contrary, great care was taken to build the structure <br />around existing trees to ensure their longevity. <br />4. The "zig-zag" design of the stairway is necessary <br />because of the extreme slope of the hill and provides a safer <br />means of descent to the lakeshore. The drawings submitted <br />along with this application show that the hill drops 17 feet <br />over a 36 foot span. This creates an angle of 30 degrees. The <br />zig-zag nature of the stairway and the landing room on the <br />deck, afford more protection to an individual if he were to <br />fall on the stairway. <br />5. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the retaining <br />wall/stairway/deck system does not jeopardize the integrity of <br />the locality. First, the entire structure is made of wood and <br />has remained in a natural wood color. Second, during the <br />seasons when Lake Minnetonka is most heavily used, the entire <br />structure is not readily noticeable from the water because it <br />is partially concealed by foliage on the hillside. <br />Furthermore, the structure is not visible to a good portion of <br />the main body of the lake since the property is tucked back <br />into one of the bays that comprise Big Island. Finally, much <br />of the horizontal decking material is not visible from the <br />water since a good portion of the deck is located on top of the <br />hill. <br />For all of the above reasons, I respectfully request that <br />the City approve my request for a variance so that the <br />retaining wall/stairway/deck system and the deck next to the <br />house may remain in their present positions. <br />4 --