06-25-2012 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 25, 2012 • 7:00 o'clock p.m. (3. #10 -3491 CITY OF ORONO -HARDCOVER REGULATIONS AMENDMENT, Continued) McMillan asked as it relates to the people who have been added to the overlay map, whether they would be given notice prior to adoption of the ordinance. Gozola stated no special mailing has been sent out to those property owners but that the City can notify those residents. The parcels that have been identified as gaps are located on the outside portions of the current regulations and would fall into the least regulated tier. Of the three tiers that are being proposed, probably 100 percent of those additional parcels fall into the 35 percent tier, which are not the parcels within Orono that generate hardcover variance requests. McMillan commented that a notification is something the City should think about doing prior to adopting the new ordinance. Gozola stated as it relates to the ordinance language itself, Section 78 -1 of the zoning chapter includes various definitions such as building footprint, building coverage, hardcover; lot coverage, and permeable lining. The definitions of building footprint and building coverage were simplified in the new ordinance. An example of building footprint would be the footprint of one particular structure. Building coverage would be the total of all structures. Lot coverage and the regulation of lot coverage was not a focus of this ordinance review and the City's existing approach was not changed. The proposed definition of lot coverage was taken directly from the wording that is used in current Sections 78 -825, and 78 -1403. • Adding this definition should not change how lot coverage has been regulated over the years. City Staff did recommend eliminating the proposed definition for building coverage. The concern is that people looking for a definition of lot coverage might be confused with the definition of building coverage. Gozola stated he would support eliminating that definition. Rahn asked if the definition of building coverage is similar to today's structural coverage definition or whether that is different because decks over six feet are considered structural coverage. Gozola stated typically that is defined as lot coverage which has now been defined with the new definition. As it relates to building coverage, they were attempting to describe multiple buildings on the lot. Gozola stated the new ordinance proposes some amendments to the existing definition of hardcover. Currently the existing definition says anything that does not allow water into the ground is considered hardcover. The new definition will exclude certain things such as permeable landscape fabric, the first 100 square feet of permeable patio or deck with pervious surface below, handicap ramps would be excluded provided there is permeable surface below it, and retaining walls would no longer count as hardcover. Bremer asked if that applies to items outside the 0775 foot zone. Gozola indicated it does. • Bremer commented she has a concern about retaining walls since people tend to use that as a generic term and install retaining walls that are not required but merely are for aesthetic purposes. Bremer stated the City has regulated those in the past by counting them as hardcover. Page 3 of 15