02-22-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 22, 2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. (4. #10 -3442 THE EMILYPROGRAM, 2180 NORTHSHORE DRIVE, Continued) current building, such as the drainage pool and fire code/building issues, that the City Council, revoke the CUP and revert the property to conforming. LaQuey reiterated his request that the City Council impose a moratorium on increased traffic and revoke the CUP. LaQuey stated there will be medical waste generated at this facility and there will be an increased danger of fire, which relate to the local issues of fire and safety and valuations, which are reasons why the CUP should be denied. Gregg Steinhafel, 2265 North Shore Drive, stated he is a board member of Tree House, which is a local nonprofit that serves troubled youths between the ages of 14 and 18, so he is very familiar with troubled youth and their needs. Steinhafel indicated he sympathizes with them as well as the patients at The Emily Program. On behalf of many Orono homeowners in opposition to The Emily Program, Steinhafel indicated he has a statement he would like to read. "First of all, we, the neighbors, have great admiration for the kind of work that is being done at Emily's Program, and in no way do these comments reflect anything other than this fact. However, we believe that the decision to grant CUP to Emily's Program should be unanimously denied for the following reasons: First, not all neighbors have received timely due notice of Emily's Program's desires to operate this medical facility in the Hill School property. • } Second, due diligence has not been completed by the neighbors or the City. There has not been enough time to thoroughly examine and understand the risks and benefits of this mental health facility being located in our neighborhood. Additionally, we need more time to understand the facts versus fiction since there are so many contradictions and accusations that have surfaced. Three, Emily's Program and Dr. Dirk Miller should address the neighbors and City's concerns in writing and for the record. Fourth, the City should allow the Art Center and its neighbors more time to explore other alternative uses for the Hill School property. And fifth, and this is the most important reason to deny the conditional use program for Emily's Program. First of all, let me repeat, this is not about Emily's Program. The question is whether to open this lot up to hospital, nursing care, restroom, sanitarium, medical clinic and medical outpatient usage; in other words, general medical uses. Granting the request, the requested variances and the conditional use permit, will create rights that run with the land. Let me repeat. With the land, not Emily's Program, and allow the medical uses mentioned previously and other similar medical uses. This lot is too small for medical uses. The setback requirements in the zoning code for medical uses protects nearby homes by providing a buffer between the residential uses and the medical use. Granting the variances will significantly reduce the buffer to the detriment of the neighborhood. Before any vote on this application, all the draft conditions to be placed in the conditional use permit should be in writing and circulated to all interested parties. No vote should be taken while conditions are `still being • reviewed and not ready for inclusion in the staff report.' Circulation of the draft conditions should occur well before the City Council meeting where the votes will be taken so all interested parties have sufficient time to review the conditions and to develop additional conditions if needed. Page 6 of 19