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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday, September 10,2012 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> McMillan stated some of the more natural boulder walls or keystone should not be included. <br /> Bremer stated retaining walls are typically keystone or boulder. <br /> McMillan stated she would rather keep them as an exclusion. McMillan asked if Staff envisions a <br /> number of people coming in and requesting a 100 square foot patio or deck. <br /> Curtis stated it is a mix and that there are a number of new homes that may not have a patio. Curtis noted <br /> they have had two variance requests this past year for a patio and the 100-foot exclusion would allow <br /> those types of requests to have a small patio. <br /> Rahn stated in his view it is important to revisit this issue in 12 months. <br /> Rahn moved,Bremer seconded,to approve Application#10-3491,City of Orono-Hardcover <br /> Regulations Amendment,with Item No. 4- Retaining Walls, being removed from the hardcover <br /> exclusions and to count them as hardcover. <br /> McMillan indicated she would like to see if there is any public comment regarding the hardcover prior to <br /> voting on the motion. McMillan opened the meeting for public comment at 7:57 p.m. <br /> Todd Kimmis, 2660 Casco Point, stated he has attended meetings regarding this item for the past two or <br /> three months and that in his opinion retaining walls and rock outcroppings should not be counted as <br /> hardcover. Kimmis stated he has not heard one person against the ordinance. In addition,the 0-75 foot <br /> zone is a killer, and if the Council is worried about people pushing the limits,there already are people <br /> who do that because the regulations are so restrictive. Kimmis stated he does not feel that will change <br /> and people will always try to get as much hardcover as they can. Orono has a staff that is very attentive <br /> to that,which is good and will help ensure that Lake Minnetonka is protected. <br /> Kimmis noted this process has gone on for over a year and that it is time to make some headway on this <br /> ordinance. The City Council can go back and forth for another two months but in his view it needs to be <br /> resolved at some point. <br /> Ralph Kempf, 3675 Togo Road, stated as it relates to retaining walls, if you have a slope that runs from <br /> the house down to the lake, that water will hit the ground and start to move toward the lake. If you have <br /> the same front yard with a retaining wall halfway to the lake, all of the water that hits above the retaining <br /> wall will not continue down the slope but will start to be absarbed into the ground at that point. Kempf <br /> stated it would not be a situation where the runoff gains momentum toward the lake. For that basic reason <br /> it would seem that retaining walls are hardcover that has a real benefit to what the Council is attempting <br /> to achieve. <br /> City Engineer Struve stated Mr. Kempf does have a point with the retaining walls, and that if the grade is <br /> reduced,the speed of the water will potentially slow down and allow infiltration prior to the lake. Struve <br /> stated there can also be instances where you have a steep slope and they place rock up and down the slope <br /> to help stabilize the slope but that it does not necessary slow down the runoff. <br /> Rahn stated he is agreeable with retaining walls that run parallel to the shoreline or the width of the lot but <br /> that the City sometimes sees walls that are utilized for other reasons. <br /> Page 4 of 26 <br />