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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br />Monday, July 15, 2013 <br />6:30 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br />  <br />Page 13 of 23  <br />  <br />would have negative environmental impacts and would not be in keeping with the intent of the <br />Comprehensive Plan. As a result, Staff would recommend denial of the lot area and lot width variances; <br />denial of the side street setback variance; denial of the rear setback variance; denial of the average <br />lakeshore setback variance as proposed; and denial of a conditional use permit and variance for <br />grading/excavation and fill within the 0-75 foot zone. <br /> <br />Schoenzeit asked if the neighbor properties are connected to city sewer. <br /> <br />Gaffron indicated they are. <br /> <br />Schoenzeit asked if this property is connected to the city sewer. <br /> <br />Gaffron indicated it has sewer available but it has never been connected. The property was assessed a <br />front footage charge but not the unit charge. The applicant would need to pay the current unit charge, <br />which is approximately $13,000. <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if there is a fire lane in this area. <br /> <br />Gaffron stated it is a platted right-of-way to the lake and that a fire lane is one of the terms that could be <br />used to describe it. The road is 60 feet wide and is paved. Gaffron indicated he would probably <br />characterize it as a city road since it is open to the public and a city lift station is located at the end of it. <br /> <br />Schoenzeit asked if there are any restrictions on what can be done at the end of that right-of-way. <br /> <br />Gaffron stated without looking at the Comprehensive Plan, it is his impression it is likely used for a <br />snowmobile access. Gaffron stated he is not aware of it being used as a beach in recent years and that it is <br />not used like some of the other fire lanes. Gaffron noted there is a bit of a drop-off down near the lake. <br /> <br />Landgraver stated when he visited the site today, there were a couple of people with kayaks in the area. <br /> <br />Landgraver asked if there are any other setbacks that are driven by the public utilities. <br /> <br />Gaffron stated to his knowledge there are not. <br /> <br />Paul Larson, Applicant, stated he has built several homes and lived in Orono for many years. Larson <br />indicated he has been in real estate for 30 years and that he has been in front of the Orono City Council <br />several times. Larson noted there has been a tremendous amount of work done by Staff on this <br />application and that Staff has a tremendous amount of correspondence and documents going way back on <br />this property. <br /> <br />Larson indicated he did find a plan that would fit within the setbacks, would be under the structural <br />coverage, and be under the City’s hardcover limits. For years the property owners were told that there <br />was no sewer there, but after some investigation, it was found out there is sewer and a stub for this <br />property. In addition, the land was assessed for lateral sewer. Larson indicated they do not know for sure <br />when the Pfeffers bought the property that variances had previously been denied in 1978 but it was <br />determined there was a $150,000 loan on the land that was found in the archives. <br /> <br />Item #01 - PC Agenda - 08/19/2013 <br />Approval of Planning Commission Minutes 07/15/2013