Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />Monday, October 21, 2019 <br />6:30 o'clock p.m. <br />ROLL CALL <br />The Orono Planning Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: <br />Chair Jon Ressler, Commissioners Chris Bollis, Bob Erickson, Matt Gettman, Dennis Libby, Mark <br />McCutcheon, and John Thiesse. Representing Staff were Community Development Director Jeremy <br />Barnhart, City Planners Melanie Curtis and Laura Oakden, and Recorder Jackie Young. <br />Chair Ressler called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. <br />APPROVAL OF AGENDA <br />Thiesse moved, Libby seconded, to approve the Agenda for the October 21, 2019, Planning <br />Commission meeting. VOTE: Ayes 7, Nays 0. <br />APPROVAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 <br />Gettman moved, Erickson seconded, to approve the minutes of the Orono Planning Commission <br />meeting of September 16, 2019, as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 7, Nays 0. <br />NEW BUSINESS <br />1. LA19-000074 WILLIAM GRIFFITH ON BEHALF OF TJ BONNETT, 40 AND 45 SMITH <br />AVENUE, RIGHT-OF-WAY VACATION AND VARIANCE, 6:33 P.M. — 7:44 P.M. <br />William Griffith, Attorney -at -Law, and TJ Bonnett, Property Owner, were present. <br />Barnhart stated the property owner is requesting the City vacate a portion of Smith Avenue and <br />additional, unimproved rights-of-way adjacent 40 to 40 and 45 Smith and to the Luce Line State Trail. <br />The property owner owns 40 Smith Avenue as well as 45 Smith Avenue located across the street. The <br />desire is to vacate the rights-of-way adjacent to these lots, which consists of Smith Avenue, Almo Place, <br />and Almo Lane. The ultimate desire is to subsequently subdivide or rearrange the lot lines. <br />Part of the challenge that Staff has in these types of applications is that the Council must find that there is <br />no public interest in the right-of-way. Staff does not support the vacation at this time primarily due to the <br />utilities that are located in the rights-of-way. If Smith Avenue is vacated as proposed, 40 Smith will not <br />have the requisite lot width and a variance would be required. The applicant is deferring the variance <br />application until the Council decides on the vacation request. <br />If the Planning Commission finds that the unimproved Almo Place and Lane serve no purpose, the <br />Planning Commission should recommend it be vacated. Without plans for the provision of a cul-de-sac, <br />an approved method to accommodate the lot width issue and a plan to accommodate existing public <br />use/improvements within the right-of-way, Staff does not support the vacation of Smith. Staff could <br />support to vacate portions of Smith as part of a larger development plan, subject to the following: <br />1. Provision of a cul-de-sac city standard turn -around for users of Smith. <br />2. Inclusion of sanitary sewer improvements within retained right-of-way. <br />3. Inclusion of a trail easement from Smith Avenue to the Luce Line. <br />Page 1 of 20 <br />