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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 16, 2005 Page 8 1 Martin Marek, 2907 30th Avenue NE, stated that he lives adjacent to the property adding that he 2 is against the egress window. He stated that this is a safety concern for other residents noting 3 that the window would be adjacent to his driveway. He referenced verbiage in the Concept 4 Review noting that he would prefer that it state that the egress window would be `considered' not 5 `permitted'. He expressed concerns stating that when it snows there is approximately three to 6 four feet of snow that accumulates in this area due to his driveway. He noted that his garage is 7 setback from the property line and is within the five feet adding that he has lived here for over 8 twenty-three years and is concerned that the snow would block the egress window. He stated that 9 he is also concerned about the possibility of people falling into the well in addition to the 10 possibilities of carbon monoxide going in through the window during the winter when he is 11 running his car. He stated that he would not appreciate the construction encroaching on his 12 property adding that the driveway is the focal point of his property and people come around to 13 the back door. He stated that the house is too close to property line adding that the area has also 14 had some flooding in the past into the backyard, which was alleviated. 15 16 Chair Stromgren asked Mr. Marek if the idea of a fence or barrier would work. Mr. Marek stated 17 that he would not be in favor of a fence or barrier. He stated that the egress window would be 18 difficult to use if a fence is installed and expressed concerns that the area would be difficult to 19 get to in the event of a fire. 20 21 Mr. Marek expressed concerns that this would affect his driveway noting that he recently placed 22 a new driveway a garage. He explained that he has to turn around in the backyard in order to get 23 into his garage and had he known that he could have used the five feet he would have used it to 24 move his driveway and garage over further for better access. He asked the Planning Commission 25 not to recommend approval of the variance request. 26 27 Mr. Steadman acknowledged Mr. Marek's concerns regarding safety adding that they had 28 considered a protective cover for the window until the contractor explained that an egress 29 window should not be covered. He referenced Mr. Marek's concerns regarding the accumulation 30 of snow stating that it would be their responsibility to ensure that the area is clear and that they 31 window could be used properly. He stated that it is his belief that the egress window could be 32 constructed based on what the contractor has recommended. He stated that they are considering 33 installing a privacy fence along that area to address the aesthetic concerns noting that it would 34 also help to address any concerns with carbon monoxide. He stated that he does not believe that 35 carbon monoxide would be an issue, especially with a privacy fence noting that he does not 36 believe that his daughter would leave the window open during the winter. 37 38 Vice Chair Hanson asked if the windows on that side of house are currently operational. Mr. 39 Steadman stated that they are very old windows with slide latches noting that they do open but 40 with difficulty. 41 42 Fire Chief Malenick stated that egress windows are life-saving devices noting that there are also 43 building codes that address this. He stated that from a Fire Department's perspective, egress 44 windows are a must. 45