Laserfiche WebLink
� � , ; �{�-1�-T' � � <br /> William H.and Laura D.Koch <br /> Variance Application <br /> 3251 Casco Cirole <br /> July 20,2011 <br /> Page 1 of 5 <br /> ATTACHMENT A <br /> . Practical Difficulties Documentation Form <br /> Introduction <br /> We bought our house in November 2008. The house had earlier been built by Dwell <br /> Development (Mark Gaylord), and had been subject to a prior resolution (Resolution No. 5436) <br /> by the City regarding hardcover. . <br /> We are not seeking any improper use of our property. Our request is in keeping with the <br /> local community, and will not impair anyone's enjoyment of their own property or the lake. The <br /> requests will also not threaten water quality. � <br /> We would like to replace/reconstruct a paver driveway system that has failed in two <br /> ways. First, the actual pavers are falling apart in places. We have spoken with the manufacturer, <br /> Cobble Systems (Tal Shuford), out of Florida and, while they aclrnowledge they had improper <br /> moisture content in some batches of their paver manufacturing process that has led to failures, <br /> they offered only limited assistance. Additionally, we are concerned if that product was ever <br /> proper for a cold climate environment. Second, the pavers have sunken quite considerably in <br /> areas, such that we have very noticeable "waves" throughout the driveway. Our car bottoms-out <br /> no matter how slowly we exit the garage, and it is almost impossible to shovel the driveway in <br /> the winter given all of the "pockets" in the driveway surface. Additionally, the current driveway <br /> configuration is difficult to navigate from one of the garages — we are always running over the <br /> lawn in places. There is no backup apron or suitable apron depth to allow even our small Prius <br /> to enter and exit that garage without some very serious, sharp angles being employed. <br /> , We would also like to address what appears to be an original railroad-tie step and <br /> retaining wall system leading down to the lake.l This system appears quite old and is <br /> deteriorating in.places. It is also not retaining the dirt on the hill as one would hope—there are <br /> washouts and other indications of more minor failures throughout the hill. We would like to use <br /> a system that will mimic the current steps and minimize the hardcover by removing the above- <br /> ground retaining walls. And we want to replace the current slippery and dangerous steps with <br /> code-compliant steps. � <br /> ' We also wish to address the dilapidated rip-rap along our 60 feet of shoreline. We had explored the possibility of <br /> using a "Blue Thumb" natural-planting plan urged by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to augment the <br /> rather fractured rip-rap that currently exists. The vast amount of open water impacting the site, however, we were <br /> told made a planring solution inappropriate. Then, as if on cue to accentuate that determination, our neighbor a few <br /> ' houses down (and former Orono Mayor) suddenly suffered a large loss when spring winds and high water levels <br /> � resulted in the loss of many feet of lakeshore following an apparent effort to employ a Blue Thumb approach; that <br /> failure had to be addressed on an emergency manner. That same loss on our site would likely have been <br /> catastrophic given the steep slope of our hill,limited"landing"at the shore line, and the steep slope of our lakeshore <br /> —had we experienced that type of washout along our shoreline,our entire hill could have been lost. <br /> �������� . <br /> �li li 19 Z Q`� I � <br /> n1'T�/f1t� /1nr�w�� � <br />