08/15/2007- Ltr re permit - Laserfiche WebLink

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August 15th , 2007 Dear Evelyn and City of Orono, This past Thursday August 9th , 2007 we reviewed the files for propertys 2590 and 2598 Casco Point Road. Several issues were apparent in the file for 2590 Casco Point Road where new construction of a home is being completed. The first was that we could not find a final grading plan approved by the city of Orono. Secondly, we did not find the easement documents associated with the two propertys in the orono city files. We did then discuss the remainder of a water drain pipeline left in the rear yard of 2598 Casco Point. You (Evelyn) indicated you had some document in the files showing a disconnect at some distance from a manhole near the intersection of Casco point and Dunwoody road. We still can't conclude that removal of the drain line will affect the city system from the records you have shown us. After our meeting , friday afternoon I returned to our property at 2598 Casco Point to find some employees for the developer of the new 2590 home removing brush and trees which separated the two homes. All the brush and trees removed appeared as expected on the 2590 developing side of our adjoining lot line. Several issues, however, became apparent at this point however regarding a grading plan for completion of the 2590 property. (1) Their 2590 grading so far appears to remove a utility turn-around area immediately in front of 2598 garages. Before we used the utility corridor to turn vehicles to face the street when exiting safely. Now when the patrons and third party vehicles (mail, UPS, deliveries, etc.) arrive at 2598, they leave by backing down the curved driveway and into the intersection of Dunwoody and Casco Point roads. They have little or no way to see both ways on Casco Point when exiting in a reverse fashon. This creates more risk of injury both infront of the 2598 home and at the intersection since the truck turn-around previously availible under the shared driveway easement provided a way for the vehicles to exit facing forward when exiting 2598. We would propose that the city require the utility corridor on the lot line +/- 10 feet be returned to its historic or similar grade to allow the return of safety to drivers exiting the 2598 property and all those travelling Casco point road to/from the point. (2) Their 2590 grading so far appears to change the water dranage between the properties. (2598 is down hill of 2590) My concern here is two-fold: first(a)that in past years we have had ice-dams appear in front of our 3 car garage from excess water flows. We desire any final grading plan to assure us that this risk will be mitigated by avoiding additional watershed onto 2598 garage areas at where the historically shared driveway passed across the joint property line of 2590 and 2598 and up the 2590 hill to a crest. Addition of an impermiable edge mat to the side of the driveway their construction has created (extending below the surface a few feet ) would be a better assurance than just the tilt of a grade which will erode. We had a drain added in front of the 2598 garages to remove the ice-dam years ago but the new 2590 construction cut our driveway edge, removed some of our well maintained tar surfaces, and removed the upper portion of shared driveway surface material that was prevoiusly also diverting waters away from the 2598 garages. Secondly, (b) we had symmetrical gardens at the end of the once shared driveway which will now potentially get a depleted water supply on the north side garden and an old oak tree. Those landscape features will now be at risk from a changed water-shed area. (3)The removal of flowering plants that were along the north edge of the 2598 property and the addition of piles of dirt in grading depreciates the driveup appeal of 2598. This occurs just as we are trying to sell the 2598 home this year. We would appreciate any final grading to be sodded and re-landscaped immediately instead ofjust seeding so as to reduce the time impact