02-24-2014 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 24, 2014 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 14 (6. #14-3649 DEREK AND KELLY PRCHAL – 4705 WATERTOWN ROAD – VARIANCE – RESOLUTION NO. – TABLED, Continued) Prchal stated as far as the storage is concerned, he is not constructing a building larger than his house and that a property likes this requires a bunch of equipment in order to maintain it. Prchal indicated his family has been storing his bobcat and that he would like to store that and his company vehicle inside. Prchal stated he is definitely in need of space and that he would prefer to have the items stored inside rather than store it outside for everyone to see. Levang stated the difficulty for the City Council is that most people would like to have additional storage space and that the Council needs to determine what is fair and equitable. Levang indicated she is having difficulty agreeing with the large structure and that the question is what is practical and what is necessary given the fact that a variance is being requested. McMillan stated the applicant is basically talking about putting a storage facility on his property and that she does not want to encroach any more than what already exists. McMillan stated there are a number of people who would like to have a storage unit on their property but it would not be in the best interests of the City if they allowed everyone to build as much storage as someone wants. McMillan stated it gets to a point where the City Council has to make decisions on aesthetics versus storage. Prchal noted it will not be a commercial storage unit and that it will not be rented out. Prchal indicated the structure will only be used for personal vehicles. Prchal noted the house was constructed in 1956 and has a one-car attached garage. McMillan stated the applicant could add on to the house as well. Gaffron noted the rear setback is 100 feet and the applicant would require a rear setback variance in order to attach anything to the house. McMillan noted the whole house is located within the rear setback and that if it is a matter of a garage stall that is a consideration the Council would be willing to look at. Prchal stated in his view adding a stall to the house would disturb the look of the property more so than this building. Prchal noted once the trees are more fully grown, the building will not be noticeable from the road. Levang stated he is proposing to place a large structure close to the road and that the Council would prefer the building not be quite so large. Levang stated if the structure was being placed to the side or to the rear, it would not be an issue, but because it is in front of the principal structure, it becomes a visibility issue and a size issue. Printup stated he understands the desire to save the trees and the need to avoid the overhead line. Printup asked why he does not want to move it to the east. Prchal indicated he is moving it to the east by 10 feet to get away from being under the power lines.