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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday, June 16, 2003 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> (#5 #03-2906 RICHARD ROBERTS, Continued) <br /> the offending walls and apply for a building permit to construct a short 5' stairway if pedestrian <br /> access is necessary. Furthermore, staff recommends that design detail be provided by the <br /> applicant regarding the proposed wall on the house side of the street. If this wall is approved, it <br /> should be located within the property, not on the right-of-way, and screened with vegetation to <br /> soften its visual impact from the lake. The area between the wall and the road should not be <br /> paved, graveled or otherwise allowed to become a parking area, except for a 3' gravel shoulder <br /> adjacent to the existing pavement <br /> John Thimmesh, 1945 Fagerness Point Road, voiced his support of the project. <br /> Mr. Roberts stated that it was never his intent to create a gravel parking area in the 0-75' zone, in <br /> fact, he maintained that this was the only parking that accompanied the home when they first <br /> bought it. He added that he would prefer it not be there at all. Roberts explained that, last year, <br /> they obtained a permit to run water under the road to their lakeshore, at that time, the retaining <br /> wall near the home was damaged by trucks, and now he was merely trying to repair the wall not <br /> realizing he needed permission to do so. In addition, he had removed some oily old timbers from <br /> below the roadway, and replaced them with new near the lakeshore to provide them with safer <br /> easier access to the lakeshore. <br /> Chair Smith explained that the City is particularly sensitive to lake yard and access work in the <br /> 0-75' setback zone and indicated that the lake side retaining wall would need to be removed. <br /> Roberts stated that he had completed the retaining wall on either side of the steps at the lake and <br /> removed the old ties. <br /> Gaffron stated that they would recommend that the wall system be removed and the steps only be <br /> allowed to remain. He believed the slopes could be maintainable and did not constitute a <br /> dangerous slope which required retaining walls. <br /> Roberts maintained that the ground at lakeside was eroding and the timbers helped to give them a <br /> stable base to walk on. <br /> Hawn recommended the applicant restore the yard to the original grade or slope. <br /> Bremer questioned the presence of the house side retaining wall. <br /> Roberts indicated that he had spoken to Lyle Oman about placing a 4' high wall there since he <br /> would, ideally, like to round the corner and taper it down. <br /> Mabusth stated that she believed the retaining wall was necessary based on the topography there. <br /> Page 10 of 22 <br />