05-20-2002 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 20,2002 6:30 o'clock p.m. (#02-2782 KARL BERG, Continued) Rahn felt that a six foot span of sidewalk was adequate and believed that green space is more desirable than sidewalk. Gaffron asked the Commission whether they were comfortable with the access lane circling the building. Mabusth stated she was inclined to support their request as they've already met and exceeded greenspace requirements. Fritzler maintained that as a safety precaution and for security reasons he would be inclined to support the perimeter drive. Smith complimented the applicants on the design and believed it coordinated or complimented the nearby City buildings nicely. Hawn did however question the need for such a large sign. Dr. Berg pointed out that the sign will identify several service businesses located within the building and his concern was their visibility to people driving by on Highway 12 if they were printed on a smaller sign. Hawn encouraged Dr. Berg to supply them with a better rendition of the signage and keep it as close to code as possible. The Commissioners were all in support of the design concept of the building,the two way sides of the signs, and their location. Gaffron asked for Commission comment regarding the proposed landscaping. Smith indicated that she liked what was being proposed but questioned the landscaping and spacing the City would like to see along the Parkway. She suggested extending the park theory,used throughout Orono parks,which supports asymmetrical plantings in order to make things appear as natural as possible. Rahn questioned if the space between the trail and parking was sufficient,noting that snow storage could be an issue if the trails were plowed. Dr. Berg inquired over the possibility of delaying the installation of sidewalks along Highway 12 until plans for the neighboring sites are determined. PAGE 14