06-27-2005 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 27, 2005 7:00 o'clock p.m. 5. . #05 -3097 Hashem Abukhadra,1745 Fox Street — Subdivision, Continued 2. Lot 6 as a back -lot — In order to eliminate as many accesses onto Fox Street and to allow the existing house to use the existing driveway, proposed Lot 6 has been suggested to be considered a back -lot; therefore, the lot and existing house meets the 150% setback requirements. 3. Elimination of the existing accesses onto Fox Street — The applicant has expressed his desire to keep the existing access onto,Fox Street for the guest house; whereas, staff and the Planning Commission have recommended that it and the existing driveway access to the western end be eliminated at the time the new road is completed. 4. Septic Sites for proposed Lot 6: Lot 6 contains the main house and guest house — Since the existing septic sites are not adequate and non - compliant the applicants should be directed to submit a design for 2, 7- bedroom sites, which would require a variance from the Septic Code. 5. Rural Oasis Study — Gundlach encouraged the Council to consider whether this property should or could be required to. undergo additional planning steps prior to final plat based on preliminary conclusions of the Rural Oasis study. • McMillan asked whether the parcel contained enough acreage to support the main house and guest house. is Gundlach acknowledged it did. With regard to the Rural Oasis study, Murphy asked whether the City might like to see swales as opposed to curb and gutter in this development. Mark Gronberg, Gronberg & Associates, stated that the engineer had encouraged them to direct the storm water to the NURP pond via buffer strips, and various treatment methods. He indicated that engineering swales would cost them this entire construction season, as well as, be difficult to accomplish due to the grades near Fox Street. Murphy maintained that the City had been studying alternatives to curb and gutter over the past year, and that he would prefer the construction process be slowed in order to allow the applicant adequate time to consider other treatment methods. Gronberg pointed out that curb and gutter would only impact 8 acres, while an additional 13 acres would be treated in other ways. In addition, Gronberg indicated that by using retaining walls near the curb and gutter, they avoid losing numerous mature trees that would be lost to swales. Sansevere cautioned the Council that what is decided in this instance might be precedent setting and questioned what has been discussed with regard to the Rural Oasis study and how it could be implemented. Moorse pointed out that what has been discussed with regard to the Rural Oasis Study must be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan and put into Ordinance form before the Council can enforce its vision. Sansevere urged this and other developers to incorporate the Council's sentiments with regard to the Rural Oasis • study into their developments until which time they are put into Ordinance form. Page 4 of 12