01/20/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Tuesday, January 20, 2004 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#04-2973 MINNETONKA CUSTOM HOMES INC.,4753 N. SHORE DRIVE, AFTER-THE-FACT VARIANCE AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT— Continued) 4. Reduce the replaced existing wall on the lake side of the home to the previous height. 5. Remove the northerly wall on the lake side of the home. 6. Removal of fill along the side and lake side of the home and require the construction of swales. 7. Approval of the steps on the lake side of the home as they are needed due to the steep grade of the slope(once the fill is removed). 8. Grant a minimal additional hardcover variance to allow the above The above recommendation shall be implemented prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. This house is intended to be in the Parade of Homes and the revisions need to be completed ASAP to avoid buyer surprises. Mr. Saxton stated that after being given approvals for the original home, and during the permitting phase, the City Engineer indicated that he had not ever seen the plans. He indicated that they ended up with a two-tiered wall versus one 10' high wall, and a side entrance with wall which directed the water flow to the street, unlike the original plan which directed water towards the lake. Saxton maintained that the understanding was that the side access would be on the east side, which had been overlooked during the permitting phase. In addition,he noted that he was unaware a conditional use permit was necessary for the walls and indicated that a landscaper would fix and move the walls over. Acting Chair Mabusth questioned why the walls were added to the west side and a second tier down below. In an effort to try to avoid one very high 10' tall wall, Saxton stated that they chose to tier the walls for safety, as well as, facilitate drainage. He indicated that it would have been his preference to create a swale versus going to the added expense of building retaining walls, had he felt they would suffice. Gundlach stated that the City Engineer, in his review, acknowledged that a second tier wall was necessary. Rahn asked when the plan was changed to reflect a side entrance and how they went over on their hardcover levels. Saxton stated that they lost hardcover when the side entrance was mandated by the City Council which made the house more narrow. He maintained that, while some increases in hardcover were necessary to keep the retaining walls, he acquiesced that they would be PAGE 29 of 53