Submittals - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Peter and Melissa Santrach 222 Hennepin Avenue South, Apt 407 Minneapolis, MN 55401 February 17, 2016 Melanie Curtis, City Planner Planning and Zoning Department 2750 Kelley Parkway Orono, MN 55356 Re: Variance Request for 1700 Bohns Point Road We purchased this property last year for the purpose of constructing our new home. The existing structure would be demolished. We have spent nearly a year in the design phase of this project, including many hours on -site taking in the natural beauty of the land, watching the movement of the sun, and imagining our lives in a home that will be uniquely ours. This home site certainly has some challenges in shape, size, and grade, yet we feel that it has great potential given its location on Bohns Point, with its stunning view of Crystal Bay and the Arcola Bridge. With the approval of two variance requests, described below, our new home will be appropriately sized and placed, designed with just the right blend of character and timelessness, and meet or surpass the intent of all regulations now in place. Engaging the help of a highly regarded professional design team is of the utmost importance to us as we build our new home. The Alexander Design Group is providing their nationally -recognized design services, along with their proven experience with projects in this area of similar size and scope. Based on the recommendation of our design team, we are requesting an Average Minimum Building Setback (AMBS) line variance and a hardcover variance. Average Minimum Building Setback Line Variance The property as it exists today has a house on only one side, making it difficult to get a fair Average Minimum Building Setback line. In using just the one dimension, the setback line cuts deeply into the property, resulting in very little buildable depth. We are proposing a house that meets all the other setback requirements. The house meets the 75' lakeshore setback and the 3{Y street setback. It also generously meets the 10' side setbacks, with the north setback at 20' and the south setback at 31'. The house is designed to be more "compact" on the lot —which, while more energy -efficient, also allows more softscape on the sides of the house. This parcel is actually quite private, as it is essentially surrounded by trees. Sightlines are naturally impacted to a certain degree for all three properties by vegetation on both sides of our property, as shown on the survey. The impact of the new home on the lake views of the property to the north will, in fact, be improved due to the fact that the new home's northeastern corner is approximately 25' farther RECEIVED FEB 17 2016 3814 CITY OF ORONO