August 16, 2006 CCP - Laserfiche WebLink

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i i r Date: August 9, 2006 for the Meeting of August 14, 2006 Applicant: John & Diana Swanson/Jet Construction Location: 8320 North Hidden Bay Trail Requested Action: Section 700 Septic Setback Variances (2) Land Use Plan Guiding: SRD Existing Zoning: R-1 (Shoreland Overlay) Site history and Existing Conditions: Washington County records report the subject site to be 33,707 square feet in area (0.77 acres) containing a house of 1,384 square feet constructed in 1954. The assessor's records report this to be a 4 bedroom home. City Building Department records regarding this site begin with a. permit to construct a septic system in 1980. There is no indication in the City files as to what manner of septic treatment pre -dates this installation. The 1981 septic installation was specifically designed (sized), permitted and constructed to serve a 3 bedroom home, and with a drainfield located within not more than 2 feet from the east property lute. No additional permits or City actions of significance appear in the records of this site. A 2006 report by a State -licensed septic system inspector/designer indicates that the circa 1980 septic system serving this site is a "failing system". Staff observes that serving a 4 bedroom home with a system that had been designed to serve a 3 bedroom home (for at least a portion of the previous 26 years) may have contributed to the system failure. Discussion and Analysis: The applicants' septic designer advises that the existing system can renovated to address the present failing condition by the addition of new septic tanks and more than doubling the area of drainfield trenches. From a infiltration area perspective the design has effectively mandated a totally new drainfield — this time sized for 4 bedrooms rather than 3. Locating the new tanks and drainfield trenches in reasonable proximity to the existing septic system components — but not in the O11W setback to Lake Demontreville — results in the new dramfield trenches within 3 feet of the east property line (10 feet required) and within 3 feet of the applicants' slab floor detached garage (20 feet required). Drainfield setback standards are established by Minnesota Rules 7080, which are adopted by the City by reference in Section 700 of the City Code. While not required to support a septic variance application, we note that the neighboring property owner to the east has submitted a letter offering no objection to the proposed drainfield enlargement and variance to the yard setback.