06/18/2012 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Monday,June 18,2012 6:30 o'clock p.m. ' Gozola stated the new overlay district will be called the Stormwater Quality Overlay District. Gozola noted the current code was amended in 11 different areas. The ordinance includes a map that specifically identifies all parcels that are to be regulated. The map also identifies all of the parcels that are currently regulated under the existing ordinance,which basically comprises essentially all of the properties that are within 1,000 feet of the lakeshore or 300 feet of streams. That map demonstrates there are gaps in the current system of parcels that are unregulated even though they are completely surrounded by regulated parcels. The parcels shown in purple are the parcels that are proposed to be regulated under the new ordinance. Gozola noted this is a slight increase in the total number of properties that would be regulated. , As it relates to the ordinance language itself, Section 78-1 of the zoning chapter includes various defmitions 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. The proposed definition 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. 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. Gozola noted that the initial definition of permeable lining had 100 percent and that he would suggest that number be removed from the draft ordinance. The hardcover definition has a minor change to the language to make it an "and/or statement"rather than an "and statement" since the goal is to allow one or the other. Section 2 of the ordinance is the first example of how the current hardcover regulations are being moved from other sections of the code into the new overlay district. Section 78-626 (6) is proposing to remove , the hardcover regulations in that section in its entirety and place those regulations into the overlay district. Subdivision 14 has a change from the use of the term hard surface materials to hardcover. Section 3 of the ordinance also changes the term hard surface to hardcover. As it relates to Section 4 of the new ordinance,that language cleans up existing Section 78-825. The first change was that the language in its existing form does not contain any subsection headings. To be consistent with the rest of the code, Gozola indicated he is proposing that that section be clarified as well as eliminating the industrial district hardcover regulations since those will be moved to the new overlay district. As it relates to Sections 5,6, and 7,similar changes have also been made. Since a new hardcover • definition has been established in the main section of the zoning code,the existing definition in 78-1211 will be eliminated by Section 5. Section 78-1288,which is the section that contains the majority of the . City's existing hardcover regulations, is proposed in Section 6 to be deleted in its entirety and replaced by language stating that hardcover on lots within the shoreland district need to adhere to the new overlay � district. Section 7 removes some existing language that allows for the transfer of hardcover between the hardcover zones. That language will no longer be necessary since those zones will not exist under the new ordinance. Page 3 .