03-08-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, March 8, 2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. ( #10 -3442 THE EMILYPROGRAM, 2180 NORTHSHORE DRIVE, Continued) Marcus Blue, 2160 Crystal Avenue, stated that he has been hearing a lot of emotional stories tonight and that it was his understanding the residents are here to talk about the conditional use permit. Blue stated he sobered up in 1974, but that does not mean he wants a treatment center in his back yard. Without the treatment center, he would have been dead or in jail and he is thankful he was able to go to treatment. Blue indicated he has helped a lot of people in his life and that he feels for people with this disorder. Every person has a chance to live a good life. Blue stated he has nothing against Dr. Miller except that he is the type of person that if you tell him no, he will sue the city. Dr. Miller is a man that is not willing to give up and is willing to fight. In addition, Dr. Miller has been playing on the Council's emotions. Since sobering up, Blue indicated he has gone through a lot of things and had a hard life, but that he made it. He is currently a business man and a pastor. Dr. Miller can play on people's emotions all he wants, but the facts are that the building size does not meet code. When a resident applies for a permit, they ask you what kind of property you have and what is the land use going to be. The residents need to meet hardcover restrictions. Blue indicated he was told that he could not have excessive hardcover when he came in to apply for a permit. This building does not meet anything that is required but yet the City is willing to give them a 50 -foot setback. This facility does not fit this neighborhood. There are a number of buildings in Orono that are bigger and better. The photos displayed tonight show that they can adapt to a commercial zone. Blue stated it could be the finest program in the world, but if the property is too small, the property is too small. n U Debbie Lewis, 2355 Abingdon Way, stated she has resided in Orono for 23 years. All of the objections that • she has read and heard do not pass the logic test and some are blatantly deceptive. The residents do not appear to have a land use problem with the Art Center or the school, which is strange. Lewis commented that in her view the Art Center is a big and rather ugly building and is not a house. It has a large, busy parking lot with lots of cars and lights. People are coming and going at all times. They hold classes six days a week year - round, which includes the summers and during school breaks. Lewis noted also at the Art Center there are people going there and working there that the neighbors don't know. In addition, there are fire hazards all over the Art Center building. They have oil paint, paint thinner, rags, and firing kilns, which does not seem to be an objection. Lewis asked how it could not be objectionable to the neighbors to have a school that could have 100 kids. It would certainly generate lots of traffic, teachers, janitors, lots of people, lots of cars, lots of commotion. Lewis stated the slippery slope argument also applies to the CUP that the school was granted. There could be a school of any particular kind at this location and that she is sure there are some types of schools with some types of students that someone will disagree with. Lewis questioned how the current property values are not impacted by the Art Center or the school. There are lots of people who do not like to buy next to a school. Lewis stated that what is different in this situation is that the people the Art Center and the school serves are different from the people who might go to this treatment center. If there is enough land for a school to have kids out for recess, then there is enough land for 10 people to be in that treatment facility. Lewis commented she is also embarrassed by the code words that keep getting used, such as, it's only a land • use problem. I know lots of people with this type of disorder. Lewis commented it is that kind of attitude that she hears going on here and that she is rather embarrassed by that. Lewis indicated she is also at this point really annoyed by the subtle intimidation that is going on here with Mr. Printup wearing his official uniform. --{ Page 12 of 23 1