10-27-2003 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, October 27, 2003 7:00 o'clock p.m. • 17.2530 FOX STREET DRIVEWAY— APPEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION, Continued access points to the shared drive as Options 1 and 2. Gappa explained that Option 1 has a 23% grade which is too steep for a driveway and Option 2 requires the removal of several substantial trees. Gappa noted that several issues must be addressed regarding the driveway location, the first, is the City policy in the Comprehensive Plan that driveway access should be minimized on City streets for new developments. He pointed out that this policy has been somewhat inconsistent for smaller land divisions of this type. The second issue, is tree preservation. Gappa stated that the owners request for driveway access onto Fox is based somewhat on the preservation of several large trees that would be required to be removed if the driveway accessed the private drive. The third issue is safety. While the shared driveway scenario is flat, it is restricted by a large Oak tree close to the edge of Fox Street; whereas, option 3 directly accessing Fox Street has better visibility with a steeper slope. In summary, Gappa stated that from a general City policy viewpoint, the driveway should be onto the private shared driveway. He recommended that the Council review and weigh this policy against the issues of tree preservation and driveway safety as requested by the homeowner. • Acting Mayor Sansevere stated that, based on his first impression having visited the site, the home is situated for access off Fox Street, although his preference might have been the shared private drive access. I] John Boyer, the builder, Jim McNeil, the architect, and Julie Ann Johnson, the homeowner, were present. Ms. Johnson stated that they would be moving many trees on the site to intentionally block much of the view from Fox Street. It was her desire to maintain the white pines near the shared driveway access. McNeil maintained that the access off Fox Street would provide them fewer blind spots than the other options. He acknowledged that the home was designed facing Fox Street and that they did not believe getting the access off Fox would be an issue, since the home across the street has two curb cuts. Acting Mayor Sansevere indicated that he did not object to the Fox Street access and asked staff if they would concur. Gappa stated that he had no strong objections, other than the general policy to limit curb cuts. PAGE 13 of 16