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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,October 16,2000 <br /> • (#11) #2626 WILLIAM B.AND LYNNE M.L. PETERSON,420 ORCHARD PARK <br /> ROAD,VARIANCES,8:03 p.m.—8:20 p.m. <br /> William and Lynne Peterson,Applicants,were present. <br /> The Certificate of Mailing and Affidavit of Publication were noted. <br /> Weinberger stated the Applicants are requesting approval of a variance to the five acre lot area <br /> requirement to permit construction of a new residence on the property. The property currently <br /> is a vacant parcel without direct access to a road. The property is within the RR-1A, One <br /> family Rural Residential District and consists of 4.34 acres,which is slightly below the five <br /> acre minimum requirement for this district. <br /> Weinberger noted the septic design for primary and secondary septic sites have been approved <br /> by the City of Orono. <br /> Weinberger stated another approval required before a building permit can be issued is to <br /> allow land alteration within a wetland,which may require a permit from the MCWD. Weinberger <br /> stated the small wetland basin does not appear on the City of Orono's 1974 Wetland <br /> inventory. The Applicant is currently working with the MCWD to determine whether a permit <br /> is required,with obtainment of the permit being a condition of approval should one be necessary. <br /> Weinberger stated the driveway grading plan also needs to be approved prior to the issuance of <br /> a building permit. Weinberger noted this lot does not have direct access to a public road and <br /> requires a 33 foot dedicated easement for public right-of-way to gain access to the property. <br /> The existing grade has a grade approaching 20 percent for a driveway,which will require some <br /> regrading and retaining walls in this area to reduce the slope of the driveway to 12 percent. <br /> The Applicants are also requesting an area of the public right-of-way to be vacated. The <br /> vacation would increase the size of the Applicant's property by over 31,000 square feet <br /> creating a lot of five acres. The lots within the plat of Orchard Park average 4.8 acres in size. <br /> Secondly,vacation of the right-of-way would eliminate the possibility of a driveway or road <br /> being routed around the property. <br /> City Staff is recommending that the right-of-way not be vacated until the property to the north <br /> develops and access has been secured to the other landlocked properties. <br /> Weinberger stated a lot combination has been completed on the lots to the north and <br /> surrounding this site,with the total land area of those lots being approximately 23 acres. It is <br /> possible,although not likely,that a lot could be split leaving a property north of the subject lot <br /> without any access to a right-of-way except the 33 foot dedicated on the plat of Orchard Park. <br /> no access to Jacobs Mill Road would be available due to a large wetland located on Lot 6,with <br /> the connection to the north not being possible. The Applicant has indicated he would be willing <br /> to dedicate an easement in favor of the property to the north creating a shared driveway across <br /> the 420 lot for access to Lot 7 as a condition of the right-of-way vacation. <br /> City Staff recommends approval of the variance for lot area. The lot does meet the 300' lot width <br /> required for the front property line. Staff is recommend approval subject to the following <br /> • <br /> PAGE 14 <br />