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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Monday, September 17, 2018 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br /> <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if it is screened on all four sides. <br /> <br />Schultz indicated it is screened on all four sides, with the back side being accessible from the walkway. <br /> <br />Gustafson indicated they are retractable screens and would only be visible when they are down. <br /> <br />Thiesse asked if the L-shaped retaining wall currently exists. <br /> <br />Curtis indicated it does. <br /> <br />Gustafson noted the current stairs are made out of timber. <br /> <br />Schultz stated the stairs are currently in poor condition. <br /> <br />Libby commented despite all of the prohibitions about buildings being located along the lakeshore, <br />boathouses are historic characteristics of lakeshore living. Libby stated in his view a porch above this <br />structure would be very beneficial to the owner and would look complimentary to the lakeshore. <br /> <br />Gustafson stated they are doing two of these in the City of Minnetrista at the present time in areas where <br />the structures do not currently exist. Gustafson stated if they are called water oriented accessory <br />buildings, 160 square feet of structure is permitted <br /> <br />Chair Thiesse opened the public hearing at 7:11 p.m. <br /> <br />There were no public comments related to this application. <br /> <br />Chair Thiesse continued the public hearing to the October 8 City Council meeting. <br /> <br />Thiesse stated the boathouse is not that large and is tucked in nicely. Thiesse stated in his view porches in <br />Minnesota without screens could be considered a practical difficulty. <br />Lemke noted it is a nonconforming structure and can be replaced in-kind, but that this structure is not <br />being replaced in-kind since they are adding to it. <br /> <br />Ressler agreed the applicants are adding structure and that replacing it in-kind is different than adding to <br />it. Ressler asked whether Staff has any recollection of other similar structures being added on to. <br /> <br />Curtis stated she cannot come up with an identical scenario but noted the City does allow expansion of a <br />nonconforming structure. Generally the structures the City has looked at in the past are not located on <br />adirectly on the lakeshore, and the Planning Commission should look at any expansion of a <br />nonconforming structure by considering the practical difficulties and how the request is balanced out. <br /> <br />Thiesse stated he would also look at the intent of the ordinances, and in his view the intent is to protect <br />views from the lake and for the neighbors. Thiesse commented he is not sure if the neighbor could even <br />see it with a roof on top of it since it is tucked in nicely from the lake. <br />