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• CITY OF ORONO <br /> PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,May 15,2017 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> All property owners within 350 feet were notified of this application. To date,no public comments have <br /> been received. <br /> Barnhart displayed pictures of the existing site. Barnhart stated the biggest issue seems to be parking of <br /> the buses outdoors and the fuel island. Staff does not view vehicle parking as outdoor storage but there is <br /> a concern with yellow buses visible from the street and the residential/commercial properties to the north. <br /> It is suggested a berm and landscaping be installed since this is preferable to a fence as fences tend to <br /> degrade over time.The Planning Commission should discuss location options and possible berming and <br /> screening with the applicant. <br /> Staff recommends approval subject to the following five conditions: <br /> 1. No bus washing improvements since SAC and WAC charges are associated with water usage, <br /> which will impact the City,and bus washing will result in debris and oil before it enters the City's <br /> sewer treatment system. <br /> 2. No repair work outside of the building is to be performed. <br /> 3. The fuel island should be located in the side or rear yard. <br /> 4. Staff does recommend,rather than six pine trees,a berm and landscaping should be added to be <br /> approved by Staff. <br /> 5. Compliance with the City's Fire Code. <br /> Thiesse asked how tall a bus would be. <br /> Barnhart noted he is not suggesting the berm to be as tall as the bus. <br /> Justin McCoy,Coordinator of Facilities and Safety for the Orono School District,stated Staff has done a <br /> good job and the School District is in agreement with Staffs recommendations. <br /> Thiesse asked how the traffic situation will work for the school district at the new location. <br /> McCoy stated there will be some vehicles that will have to cross traffic but that there is full access into <br /> the building with right and left-hand turn lanes. McCoy stated they do not really see any challenges since <br /> the buses will leave before rush hour. <br /> Schoenzeit asked if this is an upgrade or a downgrade in terms of number of buses. <br /> McCoy indicated it would be an upgrade since it is a larger building and is fully sprinkled. The buses <br /> stored outside would be more charter buses and the buses that are used on a daily basis would be kept <br /> indoors. <br /> Thiesse asked if the site has been maximized or whether additional buses could fit on the site. <br /> McCoy stated 33 buses are more buses than the school district currently needs. <br /> Chair Thiesse opened the public hearing at 7:17 p.m. <br /> Page 7 of 23 <br />