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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, October 12, 2015 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 16 of 37 9. #15-3774 MICHAEL STEADMAN ON BEHALF OF IRWIN JACOBS, 1700 SHORELINE DRIVE, PRELIMINARY PLAT (continued) Dennis Libby, 1000 Heritage Lane, stated he and his wife own the lot that is the longest contiguous lot next to the Jacobs’ property. Libby stated they were aware that the extension to the cul-de-sac was there, and that despite that, they have come to the reality and acceptance of the fact that there will be three new neighbors that traverse Heritage Lane. Libby noted he is an officer of the Foxhill Homeowners Association and that his function is to manage the common areas. There are some common areas that have to be mowed and taken care of during the course of the summer months. One of the things that is an expression of the pride of ownership in the neighborhood is the beautiful setting. Libby stated he would like to repeat some of the statements he made on August 12 to the Planning Commission. Libby stated some of his comments have been taken to heart and some have been ignored. Libby indicated he also has given Staff some visual aids that will provide the Council with a different perspective on what their neighborhood is like rather than some black and white drawings. Libby stated based on the second opinions having to deal with engineering, grading and conservation, some of those opinions are very contradictory to the City Engineer’s recommendations and the Planning Commission’s recommendations to the City Council. Libby stated he would strongly recommend the Council delay the decision to approve Heritage Lane as the primary construction route for this project. Libby stated far too many purely engineering approaches have been taken in this case and there has been far too little of the human and safety elements and the foot hazards to foot and driver traffic taken into consideration within this mature neighborhood that should be self-evident to everyone. Libby stated he is not sure how many of the Council members or Staff have visited their neighborhood or walked the Jacobs’ property to see the physical evidence of what has been referred to as a legacy property. Libby stated there will be the daily physical movement of materials and construction traffic, the idling and parking and waiting for vehicles that will not be able to move in a bidirectional route on Heritage Lane due to the limited street width. Libby stated it would be intrusive, impractical, and outrageously inconvenient to the balance and synergy of their neighborhood, not to mention the diesel fuel exhaust and other environmental factors that would be intrinsic to this type of a project. Libby stated those type of hazards should always be avoided in a mature residential neighborhood. Libby stated despite his grief and sense of loss after coming from a funeral, as soon as he drove into his neighborhood and saw the beauty of the area and the school bus full of young children, he immediately saw what makes their neighborhood a neighborhood. Libby stated children and family make communities and that communities make up the core of their culture. Libby stated he would like to have Staff show the Council the evidence of the school bus pulling into their neighborhood and the normal parking of a single car, the lawn mowing and grooming service that the residents perform. City Planner Curtis played the video referred to by Mr. Libby. Libby stated Heritage Lane is only about three blocks long. Libby noted the construction equipment that will traverse down their road will be ten feet wide on average and some of them will be 75-feet long carrying 36-ton excavation equipment. Libby pointed out the cul-de-sac that the City has advised the developer to remove the pavement on either side.