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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Tuesday,February 16,2016 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> The draft ordinance removes the 150-foot notification boundary for variances and expanding the <br /> boundary to 350 feet. Going forward, all properties within 350 feet of a subject property would receive a <br /> notification. The advantage is consistency with all notification boundaries. <br /> The draft ordinance also removes the portion of Paragraph B that discusses the acquisition of the land. It <br /> implies a 6-month period in which no permit is issued in the event the City wants to purchase the land. <br /> Staff is recommending approval of the ordinance as drafted. <br /> Thiesse stated variances a lot of times are on small properties that are 40 or 50 feet wide. In those <br /> situations, Thiesse stated 350 feet is too far. Thiesse questioned whether they can give notice to up to <br /> three properties, which does not specify a distance. Thiesse stated he is not sure what the answer is, but <br /> in his view up to seven properties is too far away. <br /> Schoenzeit commented more notice is good and gives people the opportunity to participate in the process. <br /> Schoenzeit asked whether there is any penalty Orono has if someone removes the sticker to prevent <br /> someone from receiving notice. <br /> Curtis stated the City receives a page of labels and a page of printed addresses. <br /> Schoenzeit stated he has seen examples where people who should have been notified were not notified. <br /> Curtis indicated the City gets a printout of those addresses. Curtis stated usually the labels are not <br /> removed and is a full sheet. <br /> Leskinen stated the person doing the mailing has to certify it, and if a label is missing, the City can rectify <br /> it. <br /> Schoenzeit stated he favors the increased notice area. <br /> McGrann stated he also is in favor of it. <br /> Barnhart noted the ordinance only expands the boundary for variances. Barnhart stated Staff can take it <br /> off the table if the Planning Commission is not comfortable with it. Barnhart noted the notice would also <br /> be published in the City's legal newspaper. <br /> Schoenzeit stated in his view this is a good change but noted there are other conditions that also do not <br /> have good notice coverage, such as fire lanes. Schoenzeit asked if those notice distances can also be <br /> expanded. <br /> Barnhart stated the City follows state statute in those instances. <br /> Landgraver stated he initially had the same reaction as Commissioner Thiesse and that he became <br /> comfortable with it because it puts the burden on the Planning Commission to place certain weight on the <br /> complaint depending on how far away the property is located but it avoids the public's complaint that <br /> they did not know about it. <br /> Chair Leskinen opened the public hearing at 10:10 p.m. <br /> Page 28 of 30 <br />