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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,June 20, 2005 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> (#05-3121 Narrows Saloon, Continued) <br /> Alisha Butler, indicated she is the owner of the signage business located near the Narrows Saloon and that <br /> the Narrows Saloon has raised an awareness of the other businesses in the area and should be considered <br /> an asset to the community. Butler stated Jim and Cindy have raised thousands of dollars for the <br /> community that they should be applauded for. <br /> Butler stated she works sometimes until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and that the noise at that time of day <br /> from the Narrows Saloon does not equal that created by rush hour traffic. Butler stated in her view the <br /> expansion would not impact the parking in the area,noting that the busy time for the bar starts at around <br /> 7:00, 8:00 p.m. Butler suggested erecting some signs restricting parking in certain spots for the hardware <br /> store. <br /> Butler stated in her view the patio would enhance the building and the area. Butler stated currently the <br /> building is an eyesore. <br /> Lois Hudlow, 3438 Lyric Avenue, stated she does not appreciate the noise generated from the Narrows <br /> Saloon and that she has a concern the expansion will result in parking along Lyric Avenue,which is <br /> already quite narrow. Hudlow indicated she does object to the outdoor seating area due to the noise that <br /> could be generated. Hudlow raised a concern regarding the safety of children in and near the Navarre <br /> Park with the increase in traffic. <br /> Rick Rice,2700 Kelly Avenue, stated he did recently attend a neighborhood meeting and that there was a <br /> lot of exaggerated negative comments. Rice stated he routinely does a neighborhood cleanup and he has <br /> not had to pick up any garbage from the Narrows Saloon. <br /> Rice indicated he also did an informal parking study at various times of the day and that he has not <br /> noticed any problems with parking. Rice stated the traffic in the area would drown out the music from the <br /> bar. Rice indicated the Narrows Saloon cannot be assigned the blame for the noise coming from <br /> motorcycles and that a very small number of motorcycles actually are stopping at the Narrows Saloon. <br /> Rice stated a moratorium is a stall tactic and is intended to stop the expansion of the bar/restaurant. Rice <br /> commented the Comprehensive Plan could be improved somewhat for this area. <br /> Rice noted a number of non-Navarre residents do spend their money in Navarre and that this expansion <br /> would financially help the Navarre area and help lay the foundation for improving the Navarre area. <br /> David Hardten, 2515 Kelly Avenue,indicated he would like to commend the owners of the Narrows <br /> Saloon for attempting to improve the area but that he has a concern regarding the potential increase in <br /> traffic caused by this expansion, which is not in the best interests of Navarre. <br /> Hardten stated he would like to see the area improved but that he is not in support of what is currently <br /> being proposed and that indoor vestibules could be added to help with the noise situation. Hardten noted <br /> the doors are left open occasionally during the summer and that there is very limited room for outdoor <br /> seating in front of the building. <br /> PAGE 33 <br />