05/17/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004 6:00 o'clock p.m. (13. #04-3015 ROBERT LUND ON BEHALF OF WILLIAM AND BONNIBEL BYERS, Continued) Curtis recommended the following approvals: 1. Approval of the average lakeshore setback variances in order to add a balcony to the second story of the eastern side, and to remove the front deck, change the roofline and add a witch's hat feature to the western portion of the lake side of the home. 2. Approval of a side setback variance in order to construct an open balcony over an existing sitting room where roof currently exists 26.4' from the property line where 30' is required and 26.4' setback currently exists. 3. Approval of the conditional use permit for lakeshore alterations. Heavy duty silt fence with steel t- posts should be installed along the shoreline once construction begins to protect the exposed slope. The silt fence should be maintained throughout the construction process and remain in place until the slope is stabilized and vegetation is established. 4. Implementation of the recommendations of the City Engineer. With respect to the hardcover variance to allow 28.31%where 29.48%exists and 25%is allowed Curtis recommended that the Planning Commission deny this variance and ask the applicants to reconfigure the proposed driveway(or other hardcover)to meet the 25%hardcover requirement. Robert Lund,architect for the Byars'project at 1389 Orono Lane,illustrated the site's constraints, emphasizing the following: a. The existing 4-car garage at the north end of the property on Orono Lane is over the property line and needs to be removed. He pointed out that if the garage were moved just south of the 50' setback off Orono Lane it would increase hardcover in the 75'-250' setback zone. b. The vegetation on the lot's western side effectively screens the western house(neighbor) from the Byars' property. c. The topographic features constrain the driveway and parking layout, as there the proposed driveway leads the level area to be used for parking. d. The well location is within the level area proposed for parking. Mr. Lund asked the Planning Commission to review the project as a whole,recognizing that the garage is proposed for the 75'-250' setback zone and its drastic increase of hardcover burden in that zone. He explained that currently there is parking for four cars in a garage in the 250'-500'setback zone and surface parking for four cars within the 75'-250' setback zone. What the applicant is proposing is to reduce the garage from a 4- car garage in the 250'-500' setback zone to a 2-car garage within the 75'-250 setback zone and reduce surface parking for four cars to only three cars. To accomplish this, Mr. Lund explained a lot of groundcover would be removed on the eastern side, on the southern side and the existing driveway and parking along the northeastern portion. Overall,he stated that hardcover would be reduced in the 250'-500'setback zone by 1,064 s.f.reducing hardcover in the 75'-250' setback zone by 310 s.f. and there is really no hardcover change to the 0'-75' setback zone. Overall hardcover reduction for the project is 1,374 s.f., structural coverage is reduced by 109 s.f., and the hardcover for the lot as a whole remains essentially the same by increasing 10.5 s.f. In addition,Mr. Lund pointed out the owner's strong environmental concerns and proposes to construct a rain garden to handle surface water run-off in the 0-75' setback zone that should more than handle the extra amount of run-off brought on by the proposed hardcover increases. Chair Mabusth asked for public comments. Mr. Byars, applicant, explained their attempts to reduce hardcover by reducing from the four car garage to a two car garage and removal of the back stoop and front deck. He added there is a need for some surface Page 30 of 40