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� . , <br /> � August 28, 1996 <br /> Page 2 <br /> via said document wherein each of the benefitting lot owners covenants and agrees to permanently <br /> maintain and pay the costs of maintenance for the private road. <br /> Attachment 3 should appeaz as an easement of record in the chain of title of each of the benefitted <br /> Lots, including those later created when Outlots B and C were subdivided. <br /> It would have been prudent for the subdivider to create on behalf of the benefitted parcels a <br /> homeowners association at the time the subdivision was created. One benefit of such an association <br /> would be that ownership of the road could have been transferred to the association, allowing the <br /> developer to relinquish all control of the road to the association. However,this apparently was not <br /> done. It still can be, and perhaps should be. Absent a homeowners association, title to the road <br /> could be transferred to one of the benefitted property owners, however this might be less attractive <br /> from a liability standpoint. <br /> Absent any transfers of title currently unknown to the City,it is the City's position and understanding <br /> that title to the private road outlots is still held by the Estate of Hildur Hollander. The fact that the <br /> County tax records show"City of Orono" as taxpayer for the road outlots, is in our opinion an error <br /> due to the County tax department's inconect interpretation of the underlying easements. <br /> In 1982-83 Mrs. Hollander attempted to have the City take over ownership and maintenance of <br /> Hollander Road. That request was not approved by the City. It has been City policy since 1980 or <br /> earlier that rural subdivisions be served by privately owned and maintained roads. Enclosed are <br /> excerpts from the Orono Communitv Manaeement Plan (CMP) addressing rural transportation <br /> policies (Attachment 4). Most rural subdivisions approved in Orono since the mid-1970's rely on <br /> private roads platted as outlots. <br /> The only significant difference between your private road situation and the majority of others in the <br /> City, is that Hollander Road is a "through" road, rather than a cul-de-sac. However, Rural <br /> Transportation Policy No.4 on page 7-12 of the CMP suggests that private "through"roads will only <br /> be taken over by the City when a)the "through" configuration provides a general public benefit,and <br /> b) where the number of residences justifies public maintenance expense. It appears that the only <br /> benefit of the "through" configuration is to the 17 residences abutting Hollander Road, but not to the <br /> public in general, since it provides no connecting link between other roadways. The City has not <br /> established a threshold level as to the number of units served that would trigger conversion to public <br /> road status. There are at least two other 17-lot subdivisions in Orono served by private roads, one <br /> of which is also a "through" configuration(Fox Bend), hence your situation is not unique. <br /> Finally,I would draw your attention to City Ordinance#77, Second Series adopted January 8, 1990 <br /> (Attachment 5)which requires that "private roads must be opened to all people who own homes on <br /> that road and their invitees and to all people who could reasonably be expected to use that road to <br /> get to their private residences and their invitees." Additional regulations regarding private roads will <br /> �- <br />