Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, February S, 2016 <br />7:00 o'clock p.m. <br />PUBLIC COMMENTS (continued) <br />Kurtz indicated they hope to also raise money for the Homeless Hands Operation, which operates a <br />homeless shelter in Chanhassen. <br />Kurtz stated they would like the City Council to pass a resolution declaring April as teenage homeless <br />awareness month in Orono. Kurtz stated they hope the proclamation will help give hope and <br />encouragement to the homeless teens in the school district. The proclamation will be used during the <br />competition. <br />McMillan stated she looks working to hearing more about this issue in the future. <br />Levang asked if he has a resolution already prepared. <br />Kurtz requested the City prepare one. <br />McMillan recommended he pass any information he would like included in the resolution to the City <br />Administrator. <br />T.J. Bonnett, 40 Smith Avenue, noted he used to reside at 60 Smith Avenue. Bonnett stated three <br />variances to remodel 60 Smith Avenue were granted to add a second story bedroom and attach a garage. <br />Bonnett indicated a good portion of the house has now been removed. Bonnett asked when a remodel <br />becomes a teardown and why variances are granted to complete a home remodel in which the home no <br />longer exists. Bonnett noted the neighbors expressed minor concerns in prior meetings that were <br />dismissed and that unfortunately the fears of both neighbors are coming to fruition with this extremely <br />misguided project. <br />Bonnett stated the concerns the neighbors raised at the onset of construction were handled by the mayor <br />and City Staff attentively but ineffectively. Bonnett stated it seems as though this project is being a little <br />bit manipulated by the builder and owner, who are making a mockery of the City of Orono's permitting <br />system. Bonnett stated during the variance process, the concerns of both neighbors who are directly <br />impacted were ignored and there was a mutual understanding that this would not be a full teardown but a <br />remodel, to use the owner's and engineer's words on their application. Bonnet stated the Mayor, the <br />Blackwalls, and himself were all surprised to see that the house was gone last week since there was no <br />indication in any of the plans that it would be a full teardown and a rebuild. Bonnett stated had they <br />known that, they would have engaged in the variance process more vigorously but that they did attend the <br />two meetings to look into the variance issues further. <br />Bonnett stated being a former resident of this home and currently living in a home at the same time that <br />was constructed by the same builder, he knows through inspections that this house had a sound <br />foundation. Bonnett stated in his view the City is being manipulated and that it is the Council's job as the <br />governing body for this type of construction to regulate what is going on and to make sure that the laws <br />are being enforced and that the decisions that are made are followed through with. Bonnett stated so far <br />the builder and owner have an apparent disrespect for these laws, the Council, and the people who live <br />nearby and that it seems as though they are acting first and asking permission second after the neighbors <br />have complained. <br />Page 5 of 32 <br />