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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br /> Tuesday,February 21,2017 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Landgraver stated even if the limit is moved to 20 percent,there will always be people pushing the limit. <br /> Barnhart stated he does not deny that people will always try to push the limit. The other side of the coin <br /> is if there is no line,there would be no limitations. Barnhart stated the concern from a Staff level is the <br /> impact on residential neighborhoods but yet still trying to accommodate what people are attempting to do. <br /> Lemke asked what the outcome was on those four variance requests. <br /> Barnhart stated to his belief all four of those variances were approved. <br /> Thiesse stated it is very likely that the other applications that were over 15 percent were directed by Staff <br /> to reduce it. Thiesse noted the 15 percent has been a benchmark for a long time. Thiesse stated if the <br /> limit is increased, the City will not have as many variance requests. <br /> Schoenzeit stated the other regulations need to be enforced more strictly so someone does not use this <br /> extra structural coverage to encroach into the setbacks. <br /> Thiesse stated the City can control it by not granting other variances. <br /> Landgraver asked how many lots would be affected by this. <br /> Barnhart stated the lots that would benefit the most would be those that consist of less than one acre. <br /> Barnhart indicated there are quite a number of those lots that are close to the lake or in the southern third <br /> of the community. <br /> Landgraver noted they are talking about a 33 percent increase in massing or a 36 percent increase in <br /> massing. Landgraver stated the City has had neighbors that have expressed concerns about how big the <br /> house will be next to them and that he does not know how this ordinance benefits those lots. <br /> Barnhart stated Staff is looking for some direction from the Planning Commission. <br /> Landgraver stated in his view the City has a process already in place and that the 15 percent has been a <br /> benchmark for years. Landgraver commented this is almost like a solution in search of a problem and <br /> that the current process seems to work, even on the four applications that the City had last year. <br /> Landgraver stated he has a problem with bumping it up to 33 percent or 36 percent. <br /> Thiesse stated he is in agreement with Commissioner Landgraver and that asking for a variance should <br /> not be an easy process. Thiesse commented people like to live in Orono and that it is easy to tell when <br /> you drive around the lake which community you are in. Thiesse stated just because someone wants a big <br /> house on a small lot on the lake does not mean it needs to be an easy process. <br /> Schoenzeit noted the City also had a similar discussion with the hardcover and that the City is seeing <br /> fewer hardcover variances as a result of the changes. <br /> Gaffron stated the City is seeing somewhat fewer requests. In the past the City would typically see a <br /> variance on a small lot for 45 percent and now the City is seeing 25 to 30 hardcover requests. Gaffron <br /> Page 26 of 32 <br />