03-09-2015 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, March 9, 2015 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 30 of 43 (11. #14-3700 CITY OF ORONO – AMEND ZONING CODE – AMEND SECTION 78-1379: WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEMS (WECS) FIRST REVIEW, continued) Cornick asked if the Council should place some restrictions on how close it could be to the structure. Cornick asked if someone could install one five feet from their house. Gaffron stated under the City’s accessory structure ordinance, it would need to be ten feet away. Gaffron indicated he has not seen any other city code that requires a setback to someone’s house for a WEC system. McMillan stated in her view that would be covered under the building permit but that Staff should perhaps take a closer look at that. McMillan asked if the Council has anything else on the commercial or industrial areas. McMillan stated the City does not have a lot of commercial or industrial property. Gaffron stated the industrial zone near Highway 12 consists of approximately 40 acres and only one of those properties has more than ten acres. Almost all commercial properties within the City are within the half-acre to three quarter acre. McMillan suggested Staff make the revisions to the residential sections and that the Council can think about the industrial/commercial areas. Gaffron stated the revisions he has noted are the requirement of 10 acres, 100 feet to lot lines, and at least within 150 feet of own house. Gaffron indicated he will make those revisions and mold the ordinance around those standards. Walsh noted the Council also talked about a flicker report or shadow and light report. Mattick stated it would be helpful to talk to someone about what a flicker report covers. Levang moved, Cornick seconded, to table Application No. 14-3700 , City of Orono, Amend Zoning Code Section 78-1379: Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS). VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. 12. #15-3708 CITY OF ORONO – AMEND ZONING CODE SECTION 78-1405(A)(8) – STANDARDS FOR FENCES AS A NON-ENCROACHMENT Gaffron stated the proposed amendment is intended to clarify how fence height is measured in order to address the permanence of fencing materials and to establish standards for the use of temporary fences. In addition, the average setback applicable to fence construction on lakeshore lots is clarified. The Planning Commission reviewed various diagrams of how various fence configurations might be measured and concluded that measuring fence height perpendicular to the slope rather than vertically. A potential issue for discussion is that on a steeper slope it is not likely someone would build a fence with angled posts.