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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-21-2011 Planning Commission Minutes REGULAR MEETING July 21, 2011 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Vice-Chairwoman Kempf. POSITION MEMBERS PRESENT MEMBERS ABSENT No. 1 Michael Levin No. 2 James Hay No. 3 Andy Anderson No. 4 Alecia Greenaway No. 5 Joe Cruz No. 6 Kurt Lukins No. 7 Zahra Khan No. 8 Jana Kempf No. 9 Lisa Gemig APPEARANCE OF FAIRNESS: Vice-Chairwoman Kempf read a statement about the appearance of fairness for hearings on land use matters. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf asked if any Commission member had anything to declare. There were no declarations. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf then asked the audience if there were any objections based on conflict of interest or appearance of fairness questions regarding any of the items to be discussed this evening. There were no declarations. ADMINISTERING THE OATH: Vice-Chairwoman Kempf explained that State law requires testimony in quasi- judicial hearings such as those held by the Planning Commission be given under oath or affirmation. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf swore in all those desiring to speak. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Greenaway moved to adopt the June 16, 2011 minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Lukins. The motion passed unanimously. -1 - OLD BUSINESS: A. Preliminary Plat Preliminary Plat approval for Columbia Villas, a 100-lot subdivision located at the northwest corner of Sandifur Parkway and Road 76 (Big Creek Land Company) (MF# PP 2011-002) Vice-Chairwoman Kempf read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Rick White, Community and Economic Development Director, stated a legal opinion was submitted to the Commission from the City Attorney on the role of the Planning Commissions as fact finder in quasi-judicial hearings. A representative for the property owner has requested time to prepare a legal opinion. Extending that opportunity to the property owner necessitates the opportunity be extended to the Pasco School District as well. Therefore staff requested the matter be continued to the August 18, 2011 Planning Commission meeting to allow for legal opinions from the property owner and the Pasco School District. The City Attorney will then have time to review those opinions and ensure that no new evidence is received since the public hearing was closed at the last hearing. If the Commission moves in that direction then two opinions will be in the packet for the August meeting and a recommendation can be made at that time. Commissioner Hay moved, seconded by Commissioner Greenaway, to continue the public hearing to allow for legal opinion to be submitted from the Pasco School District as well as the applicant. The motion passed unanimously. B. Special Permit Location of a Parking Lot in an R-3 (Medium Density Residential Zone (424 & 428 W. Shoshone Street) (Northwest Agriculture Products, Inc.) (MF# SP2011-007) Vice-Chairwoman Kempf read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Dave McDonald, City Planner stated staff had no further comments. Commissioner Khan moved, seconded by Commissioner Gemig, to adopt the Findings of Fact and Conclusions therefrom as contained in the July 21, 2011 staff report. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Khan further moved, seconded by Commissioner Gemig based on the Findings of Fact and Conclusions therefrom the Planning Commission -2 - recommends the City Council grant a Special Permit to Northwest Agriculture Products, Inc. for the location of a parking lot at 424 West Shoshone Street with conditions as contained in the July 21, 2011 staff report. The motion passed unanimously. NEW BUSINESS: A. Special Permit Location of a Community Service Facility in an I-1 Zone (300 block of South 5th Avenue) (Saint Vincent de Paul Society) (MF# SP 2011-008) Vice-Chairwoman Kempf read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Dave McDonald, City Planner stated the application was for the location of a food bank and clothing distribution center on a site north of "A" Street between Stn gy 6th Avenue. The Saint Vincent de Paul Society has provided services for the residents in Pasco for 50+ years. They have been located on West Lewis Street for the past 30+ years. The city is purchasing the existing Saint Vincent de Paul property in preparation for the construction of the new Lewis Street overpass. The type of activities the St. Vincent de Paul Society engages in fall within the definition of a community service facility and as such a special permit is required. The new facility will include a fully landscaped and paved parking lot. The site will provide ample parking and a queuing area for recipients versus the current site which lacks parking and a queuing area where recipients stand in a line on the sidewalk. The facility will be open one day per week and staff/volunteers will be on site sporadically to prepare for the weekly distribution. Sina Pierret, 2 Daisy Court, stated the new facility will provide more safety for recipients than the current facility by providing a staging area for recipients versus standing on the city sidewalks. They will have enough parking on their site for staff, recipients and vendors. The location of the new site is near the current site and is also on a bus line which will provide easy access for recipients traveling on the bus. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf asked if Saint Vincent de Paul will provide a collection/drop-off location on site. Ms. Pierret stated not at this time. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf called for further public comment and with no response, the public hearing was closed. -3 - Commissioner Lukins moved, seconded by Commissioner Greenaway, to close the hearing on the proposed Level Two Community Service Facility and initiate deliberations and schedule adoption of Findings of Fact, Conclusions and a recommendation to the City Council for the August 18, 2011 meeting. The motion passed unanimously. B. CDBG 2012 Community Development Block Grant Allocations (Citywide) (MF# BGAP 2011-003) Vice-Chairwoman Kempf read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Rick White, Community & Economic Development Director stated this is the second public hearing and staff has outlined 16 requests for the Community Development Block Grant which were received for the 2012 year. The requests total approximately $1.47 million and the estimate of available funding is $981,000. At last month's meeting there was discussion involving a subrecipient requesting funds for public services. Staff provided an explanation of the public service cap required by Federal CDBG regulations and City of Pasco Resolution No. 1969 which limits public services to those operated by the City for recreational programs. The matrix in the packet shows the funding breakdown. The agency is listed with a numbering system and the estimated non-Community Development Block Grant match is provided in the next column, the requested amount is listed by agency and the staff recommendation is also listed. The Planning Commission recommendation will be added to the final column and will move forward to City Council for workshop discussion in August and a decision on August 15. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf opened the public hearing. Commissioner Lukins stated referring to the public service cap that even if the Commission wanted to fund two public service applications they would not be allowed. Mr. White stated yes; if the Commission followed Resolution #1969 then that would be the case. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf stated their hands are basically tied with what they have. Mr. White explained the public service cap for six items and noted ten other items for brick and mortar type of projects for consideration. -4 - Commissioner Lukins stated the only point of contention he had beyond staff's recommendation was the public service issue and it is moot now. Commissioner Greenaway stated she would like to see funding for PowerZone pulled from somewhere and asked how they could make that happen. Mr. White stated you would disregard Resolution 1969 and take money from the other public service allocated funding. Commissioner Lukins asked if staff could explain the background of Resolution # 1969and whether it was binding or not binding. Mr. White stated the Resolution provides guidelines for the City's use of Block Grant funds. He stated this happened long before his time with the City. There was a Community Development Block Grant board which entertained requests for funding and those recommendations from that board were not in a focused manner that provided community improvement the way the elected officials wanted to see the funds used for. Council adopted a Resolution which provided the guidelines for the recommendations from that group. That group has since been replaced and the Planning Commission is now the body that provides recommendations to the City Council for use of Community Development Block Grant funds. It is simply a matter of using the funds to make the most visible, longest lasting difference in the community. Mr. McDonald stated when the Block Grant program was initiated in 1974 it consolidated a number of Federal grant programs and most of them were related to brick and mortar type activities such as water lines, sewer lines, and street improvements. There was no authority back then for community service facilities to receive funding. That has since changed and the former committee would frequently try to help community service organizations and the program became over weighted with community service activities. The Resolution was created to provide guidance for the committee to make recommendations to City Council and it also provides guidance for the Council and how to distribute the funds. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf asked for discussion on whether the Planning Commission wanted to ignore the Resolution or to make the recommendations as provided by staff. Commissioner Greenaway asked where the money would be taken from if they were to recommend something different. Commissioner Lukins stated from item 2, 3, and 4. Commissioner Khan questioned if the Block Grant Administrator would be available to advise the applicants how to acquire other grants which are available for social services. -5 - Mr. White stated he thinks so; there are resources available in all communities that can provide that type of advice. It is still a matter of getting in cycle with funding opportunities and being successful when applying. Commissioner Gemig asked if they are allowed to allocate $78,000 then why are they only allocating the $70,000. Mr. White stated that cushion was put in for unforeseen circumstances. The City has to be extremely careful because if the cap is exceeded then they receive an audit finding on the City's part and that is a big deal. Carol Shuhe, 1202 W. Lewis, thanked the City for their consideration. Louisa Alaniz and Kim Lowe, Charity Training Center, stated they have developed a youth organic farming co-op for troubled youth for 10 teens in partnership with the Juvenile Center. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf called for additional comments from Commissioners. Commissioner Gemig stated she wanted funds to be available for PowerZone and did not know how to make that happen. Commissioner Lukins stated the Commission should ignore the Resolution and take 10% off the other recommended projects and give the funding to PowerZone. Commissioner Gemig asked if they needed to ignore the Resolution. Vice-Chairwoman Kempf stated yes. Commissioner Greenaway stated she was in favor of ignoring the Resolution. Commissioner Gemig moved to close the public hearing. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Lukins moved, seconded by Commissioner Greenaway, to accept the fund summary dated 7/21/11 with the exception of decreasing items 2, 3, and 4 by 10% and the savings then be moved to item 7. The motion passed with one dissenting vote from Commissioner Hay. OTHER BUSINESS: With no further business, the Planning Commission was adjourned at 7:38 p.m. David McDonald, Secretary -6 -