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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Tuesday,February 19,2002 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> (#02-2749 Thomas Egan,Continued) <br /> Gaffron inquired whether the residents were surprised after the survey was done in terms of the actual <br /> location of the cabins in relation to lot lines. <br /> Egan stated before he purchased the property, a survey had been completed which showed the property <br /> as depicted on the new survey. Egan stated the surveyor is also the same on both surveys. <br /> Hawn inquired whether there was further public comment regarding this application. <br /> Egan stated Rick Hanson, 340 Big Island,had to leave the meeting,but requested that the vacation be <br /> taken all the way to the edge of the road and up the adjacent road. <br /> Hawn stated she has one reservation regarding this. Hawn stated there may come a time in the future <br /> when some members of the general public would like to walk on Big Island, and if this easement is <br /> vacated,they would no longer have that right. Hawn stated the Planning Commission should discuss <br /> preserving the right of pedestrians to walk somewhere in this area. <br /> Egan asked if public meant landowners in the area. <br /> Hawn stated she means any person. <br /> Egan stated the landowners in the area do not want members of the general public walking around Big <br /> Island,noting some of the roads have been closed to prevent people from walking around their cabins in <br /> the wintertime and summertime. Egan stated he is unsure what the intent of the platted roads were at <br /> the time they were originally platted,but that the property owners would prefer that members of the <br /> general public not walk through their properties on Big Island. <br /> Hawn noted they are public roads, and if they are vacated, the general public would not be allowed to <br /> access certain parts of Big Island. <br /> Egan stated the public has not been able to use that road since approximately 1960,when the cabin was <br /> originally built. <br /> Hawn stated theoretically the public has the right to use that right-of-way. Hawn stated she would like <br /> the Planning Commission to look at ways to preserve the public's right to walk in that area. <br /> Egan stated there is a road located behind the cabin that touches every one of the lots, so there would <br /> still be access available to the general public. Egan stated in his view those platted roads were not <br /> designed to allow members of the general public access to every lot of the island but rather were <br /> designed to allow the property owners the ability to travel around the island. <br /> Hawn stated all public roads in Orono are open to the general public. <br /> Egan stated since these are not developed roads and are difficult to recognize, he personally would not <br /> be comfortable with the general public walking around Big Island. <br /> PAGE 27 <br />