07-15-2002 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,July 15, 2002 6:30 o'clock p.m. (#02-2791 DAVID AND JODI RAHN, Continued) that a large portion of the center of the property was located within the floodplain. Variance #2390 (1998) approved allowing additional hardcover on the property to construct a 20'X20' detached garage at street level. At that time, Weinberger indicated that the Council had felt the applicant should have considered the issue of a garage in 1997. Later in October 1998, Jim Hafner, District Technician for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, visited the site and made a finding that the area on the property below 931.5' elevation was, in fact, not directly connected to the 100-year floodplain of Lake Minnetonka after all. Weinberger shared other approvals allowed in the Rest Point Road neighborhood. He stated that staff recommended the proposed lot coverage be limited to 15% of the lot area, which, based on new calculations lot area is at 14.8%,thus not requiring a lot coverage variance after all. Staff also agreed that the existing garage is not the safest access to the property. Variances are still needed, however, to allow the connection between the house and new garage and additional hardcover. Weinberger questioned if the determination that the area below 931.5' elevation as not part of the 100-year flood elevation of Lake Minnetonka, changes how the Planning Commission considers new development on this property. There were no public comments. Smith questioned Rahn whether the designation as a flood plain back in 1997 affected their decision to develop the property the way they did and how the original plans might have been different if that determination had never been made. Rahn stated that in 1997, he did not wish to move the structure due to the floodplain and mitigate for it. If he had known it were not a floodplain, he stated that he could have seen moving the home back 20' from lakeside and having an attached garage. In hindsight, Rahn indicated that had he looked at the designation further and pursued other options things would be different. Smith inquired what would make up the second story shown on the overhead. Rahn indicated that the bonus room located above the garage, has no designated use as of yet, while a hallway adjoins it to the rest of the house. Smith further questioned how the property had evolved from originally having no garage to now PAGE 3 of 36