06/16/03 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday, June 16, 2003 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#6 #03-2907 JEFF AND CARA ZIEBARTH, Continued) Mr. Otteson stated that the height of his peak falls within the 75-250' zone and that their home also is 20-30' from either side lot line. He pointed out that they had to go to great lengths to work with staff to meet the setback requirements and staff recommendations. Chair Smith indicated that it would be in the applicants best interest to have the Commission table their application in order to allow them time to work with staff to review the revised design. Zugschwert moved,Mabusth seconded, to table Application #03-2907,Jeff and Cara Ziebarth, 720 North Arm Drive, to allow for review of the new designs. VOTE: Ayes 6, Nays 0. (#7) #03-2908 NED AND LORNA BUTTERFIELD, 3745 WATERTOWN ROAD, VARIANCES, 8:20—8:40 P.M. Tern Clark and Todd Butterfield, the applicant's children, were present. Gaffron reported that the applicant has requested lot area and lot width variances to allow an existing residence to be moved onto the property, which consists of 4.84 acres where 5.0 acres is required and 185' in defined width where a lot width of 300' is required. He noted that staff recommends approval of the area and width variances, subject to proof that a suitable septic system and alternate site can be provided for the proposed residence. Gaffron explained that the applicants' home was destroyed by fire earlier this year, and that the applicants wish to replace it with an existing home to be moved onto the property. The home that was destroyed was nonconforming in location and the new residence is proposed to meet all required setbacks of the 5-acre zone. This property had historically been the site of a mixed use: a residential homestead with a commercial greenhouse operation involving a number of buildings. This use was issued a "Nonconforming Use CUP" in 1968, which was limited in scope in 1985 by conditions of a CUP for an additional greenhouse. That 1985 CUP eliminated any retail sales of flowers from the property. Gaffron pointed out that in 1996 the greenhouses and auxiliary buildings were removed from the site, and in 1997 a land alteration CUP was granted to allow up to 2,000 cubic yards of fill to be placed in the excavation from the greenhouses, and to prepare for a future residence on the site. While no commercial greenhouse operation has existed on this site since 1996, within the last year Mr. Butterfield has constructed a small (approximately 30 x 50) frame greenhouse near the center of the site in which he grows flowers for his contract gardening work. The site appears to have intermittent vehicle storage activity to the rear which staff has not fully investigated at this time. Page 14 of 22