01-23-1989 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 1989 • 1989 APPOINTMENTS CONTINUED Peterson, Goetten and Nettles agreed. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: MARINA LICENSING PROCESS - 1989 Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator Gaffron explained that there were three issues involved with this matter. Should there be a Marina Committee; should the City continue to license marinas (Orono's codes require licensing to occur); and whether marinas should be an allowed use in the B2 zone or should they be a conditional use. When this third issue was previously raised, it was met with opposition from the marina owners. The owners felt they were losing some degree of security in their business by changing marinas from an allowed use to a conditional use. The City Staff believes that past marina committees have dealt with specific issues, but have not had the authority to negotiate with the marinas as they were not established as a legitimate body within the code. They were not effective in dealing with the issues. It is also Staff's opinion that the licensing process has not been very effective in that marinas have been allowed to operate without a license. If the Council feels that there should be a marina committee, Staff would •request that the committee be created by resolution and be given some specific authority and direction as to their goals and intent. There are three factors that support discontinuation of licensing: 1. The City has limited jurisdiction over dock use areas, layouts, number of slips and dredging. The City's main jurisdiction lies in land use controls. 2. Marina licensing duplicates existing regulations. Anytime a marina requests a change in land use, or its operation, a land use application is normally required. 3. Denial of licenses has not been an effective reprimand. The lack of a license has not stopped marinas from operating or selling their business. At this time, licensing represents little more than a paper work process. Councilmember Goetten stated that the licensing was the only control the City has had. She agreed with Gaffron that the marina committee was only a recommending body with less authority than the Planning Commission. She suggested that perhaps the authority given to the marina committee needs to be enlarged. Goetten felt that the City should have a number of subcommittees •addressing concerns such as marinas, shoreline regulations, etc. She felt that if the committee had some authority it could assist the Zoning Department. 11