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� MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday, September 19,2011 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Leskinen stated she would be comfortable with having the application go forward to the City Council as <br /> long as the City Engineer and Staff feels the issues are resolved. <br /> Schoenzeit noted the application will not have the feedback of the neighbors if the application does not <br /> reappear before the Planning Commission. <br /> Leskinen asked if Staff is interested in getting public comment on the location of the pond. <br /> Curtis stated neighbor feedback is helpful as it relates to historical information concerning flooding,but <br /> that the City Engineer and the applicant's engineer will be performing a technical evaluation to determine <br /> where the pond should go. The pond will need to be accommodated on the applicant's property. <br /> Schoenzeit stated the neighbors are not going to dictate the location of the pond but that there needs to be <br /> a public hearing on the proposal. Schoenzeit indicated the Planning Commission has seen other <br /> applications where the discussion at the council level was more extensive than it should have been. The <br /> proposal will be approved based on the practical difficulty standard. <br /> Curtis noted there is no variance being requested with this application. <br /> Thiesse stated if Staff does not`feel it is necessary for the Planning Commission to see the application <br /> again,then it is probably okay for the application to go forward to the City Council. <br /> Schwingler indicated he is in agreement that the application can go forward to the City Council if the <br /> ponding requirements are resolved. <br /> Curtis commented the City Council often allows public comment on an application but that it would not <br /> be an official public hearing. Curtis stated she would bring the application back before the Planning <br /> Commission if she felt that was necessary. The City Engineer has indicated that drainage in addition to <br /> the immediate site runoff will need to be directed towards this property and that he has outlined some <br /> issues for the applicant to address. <br /> Schoenzeit asked what recourse the neighbors have if the pond as designed does not work adequately. <br /> Curtis stated she is not aware of a pond that has been designed that has not worked and that they are <br /> normally designed to handle a 100-year event. <br /> Gaffron commented it is normal to get storms that a pond will not be able to handle but that does not <br /> mean the pond was improperly designed. <br /> Schwinger stated the Planning Commission can address any other questions or concerns from the <br /> neighbors outside of the drainage. <br /> Schoenzeit noted the recommendation of City Staff and City Engineer is that the pond be located <br /> completely on the applicant's property and sized sufficiently to handle the 100-year storm event. <br /> There were no additional public comments regarding this application. <br /> Chair Schoenzeit closed the public hearing at 7:44 p.m. <br /> Page <br /> 12 <br />