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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,October 17,2016 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Thiesse asked if there is a maintenance agreement for the gravel driveway. <br /> Barnhart stated it would be part of the easement but that he has not seen an easement at this point. One of <br /> Staff's recommendations would be to monitor the gravel drive at the beginning of the project and then <br /> verify at the conclusion of the project that it is within the same standards. If the majority of the <br /> construction occurs during the winter,damage to the gravel driveway would be minimized. <br /> Casey Chermak,Pillar Homes, stated Staff has been very forthright and has helped guide him along the <br /> way. The location of the water main was pointed out to them very early on in the process and was a <br /> driving force in what is being proposed for the property. Chermak stated the location of the water main <br /> was not known prior to the purchase of the property and that the larger setback is more onerous on the <br /> property owners. <br /> Chermak stated based on Staffs request for an easement, it seemed fair to pull the garage forward. The <br /> size of the garage has also been reduced and was set forward a little bit to hold the grade up on the north <br /> side. The south side of the garage would act like a landscaping retaining situation,which also enabled n <br /> some of the trees in the front near the gravel road to be retained. <br /> Chermak stated if they look at the survey,they modified the grade where the utilities are very minimally <br /> so that access to that area would be easy. Some of the architectural things that were done were driven by <br /> that easement and that they attempted to make the house fit into the neighborhood. Chermak noted the <br /> new house to the south is a two-story house and fits very well in the area. Chermak stated they wanted to <br /> blend this house in with the older house to the north and the newer house to the south. <br /> As it relates to the structural coverage,the proposal is just slightly over the limit. Chermak stated in his <br /> calculation he might have accidentally included the 88 square feet for a front stoop and that there is no <br /> structure proposed for the front stoop. Chermak stated it is his belief that might not have needed to be <br /> counted in the structural coverage. Hardcover was kept at 25 percent and structural coverage is proposed <br /> at 17 percent. <br /> The Planning Commission had no questions for the applicant. <br /> Chair Thiesse opened the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. <br /> Greg Blasko,Applicant,commented the property and the water main has been a little bit of a challenge <br /> but in their view they have done a good job of working within the bounds and the project will improve the <br /> property. <br /> Chair Thiesse closed the public hearing at 7:41 p.m. <br /> Thiesse asked if the City will be requiring an easement over the water main. <br /> Barnhart stated Staff is recommending an easement over the water main and that in Staffs view the water <br /> main is justification for the variance. <br /> Thiesse asked if the existing house is already within the 0-75 foot setback. <br /> Barnhart indicated it is. <br /> Page 14 of 19 <br />