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583 a property line, while a roadway easement may not have as many limitations for <br />584 the private property owners as a right-of-way. <br />585 <br />586 Mr. Schwartz noted that platted rights-of-way were generally used for a public <br />587 purpose (e.g. sidewalks), while easements typically had a specific use (e.g. utility <br />588 or roadway) depending on how they were written, and sometimes prohibiting that <br />589 area for another type of use. As an example, Mr. Schwartz advised that, the City <br />590 may have a sanitary sewer easement, but it could not put in a water main in that <br />591 area unless it acquired easement rights specifically for that purpose. <br />592 <br />593 Mr. Culver advised that any newly platted property included a drainage easement <br />594 around the new property for drainage and utility purposes; however, a sidewalk <br />595 would require additional rights being granted. <br />596 <br />597 Member Cihacek asked if the propert owner was responsible for rights-of-way <br />598 and easement maintenance. <br />599 <br />600 Mr. Schwartz advised that, legally, the City could not force a private property <br />601 owner to mow a city -owned right-of-way if it was actually owned by the City. <br />602 However, Mr. Schwarz noted that a property owner often did so to make their <br />603 property look good; even though in rare circumstances, property owners have <br />604 refused to do so, and the City did so. However, Mr. Schwartz advised that the <br />605 City did minimal mowing in those situations for the purpose of reducing the <br />606 height of the grass and/or weeds, and it would not be to standards for most front <br />607 yards in Roseville. <br />608 <br />609 At the request of Member Cihacek, Mr. Schwartz responded that code language <br />610 prohibited some and dictated what type of landscaping a property owner could <br />611 install, such as not reducing or eliminating sight lines, or hampering snow <br />612 plowing, etc. However, Rain gardens are frequently allowed, and the property <br />613 owner may even be eligible for cost participation if it helps to reduce drainage and <br />614 runoff on a roadway, with many such project costs reimbursed under best <br />615 management practices (BMP's) with the Ramsey Conservation District and area <br />616 watershed districts. <br />617 <br />618 <br />Member Cihacek questioned if that affected a lot's permeability enough to allow <br />619 <br />expansion of a home or garage or changing requirements. <br />620 <br />621 <br />Mr. Culver advised that, if you go over the 30% impervious surface cap, you had <br />622 <br />to mitigate that with extra BMP's in some way, with a rain garden being one of <br />623 <br />several options available, and the calculation based on the amount of additional <br />624 <br />impervious surface being added and dictating the size of the BMP required. <br />625 <br />626 <br />However, Chair Stenlund noted that such a BMP could not be installed in a right - <br />627 <br />of -way as it could not have dual uses in one area. <br />628 <br />Page 14 of 19 <br />