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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-20-2014 Planning Commission Minutes-1- REGULAR MEETING March 20, 2014 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chairman Cruz. POSITION MEMBERS PRESENT MEMBERS ABSENT No. 1 Tim Hoekstra No. 2 Tony Bachart No. 3 Andy Anderson No. 4 Alecia Greenaway No. 5 Joe Cruz No. 6 Loren Polk No. 7 Zahra Khan No. 8 Jana Kempf No. 9 VACANT APPEARANCE OF FAIRNESS: Chairman Cruz read a statement about the appearance of fairness for hearings on land use matters. Chairman Cruz asked if any Commission member had anything to declare. There were no declarations. Chairman Cruz then asked the audience if there were any objections based on a conflict of interest or appearance of fairness question regarding the items to be discussed this evening. There were no objections. ADMINISTERING THE OATH: Chairman Cruz explained that state law requires testimony in quasi-judicial hearings such as held by the Planning Commission be given under oath or affirmation. Chairman Cruz swore in all those desiring to speak. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Bachart moved, seconded by Commissioner Hoekstra, that the minutes dated February 27, 2014 be approved as mailed. The motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS: A. Preliminary Plat Preliminary Plat for northwest corner of Convention Drive and Sandifur Parkway (Hayden Homes) (MF# PP 2014-001) Chairman Cruz read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. -2- David McDonald, City Planner, discussed the preliminary plat for the northwest corner of Convention Drive and Sandifur Parkway. He stated that there were no additional comments from the previous meeting. Commissioner Kempf asked if the sewer hook-up had to be located on Clemente Lane or for further clarification. Mr. McDonald responded that according to a recent study the developer will be able to connect at Three Rivers Drive and Convention rather than coming up from Clemente Lane. Commissioner Hoekstra inquired about parks and open spaces, specifically the Sunny Meadows Park and future Three Rivers Park. He asked where that future park would be located. Mr. McDonald answered that the park will be located directly to the north of the new school located on the corner of Sandifur Parkway and Road 60. Commissioner Hoekstra asked if there has been any consideration given to the area that is in the RT Zone. Mr. McDonald responded that eventually the RT Zone will be phased out. The RT (Residential Transition) Zone is a holding zone for properties until utilities become available. In the future, following the Comprehensive Plan, those RT properties will be rezoned to either multi-family or commercial. There were no further questions or comments. Commissioner Khan moved, seconded by Commissioner Kempf, to adopt findings of fact and conclusions therefrom as contained in the March 20, 2014 staff report. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Khan moved, seconded by Commissioner Kempf, based on the findings of fact and conclusions as adopted, the Planning Commission recommend the City Council approve the preliminary plat of Three Rivers West with conditions as listed in the March 20, 2014 staff report. The motion passed unanimously. PUBLIC HEARINGS: A. Special Permit Location of a Wireless Communication Facility in an RS-12 (Suburban) Zone (AT&T) (MF# SP 2014-001) Continued from the February 27, 2014 Meeting Chairman Cruz read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Shane O’Neill, Planner I, discussed the special permit application for the location of a wireless communication facility in an RS-12 (Suburban Zone). Mr. O’Neill stated that -3- the applicant was unable to attend the public hearing but wished for the hearing to still take place. The site is located at Argent Road and Road 100 and is approximately 1.65 acres and contains a church that is roughly 10,000 square feet in size. AT&T is proposing to locate cellular antennas on an attachment to the roof of the existing church building. They are also proposing a ground level equipment enclosure of approximately 276 square feet. Typically cellular facilities propose to locate equipment enclosures at the ground level by their towers and usually fenced. The plans submitted with the application didn’t indicate fencing, however, staff is suggesting the permit be conditioned with fencing standards meeting the I-182 Corridor design requirements. The applicant is aware of the proposed condition and is agreeable. Mr. O’Neill briefly reviewed the code criteria for locating wireless communications facilities for the benefit of the Commission. Commissioner Bachart asked for clarification on an approval condition regarding the height exceeding 55.4 feet. Mr. O’Neill responded that it shall not exceed 55.4 feet. Commissioner Hoekstra questioned why Ms. Cope has been unsuccessful in obtaining a signature. Mr. O’Neill answered that the church has a board that serves to make decisions about the church. He is uncertain of the reason but perhaps the board was unable to reach an agreement internally. David McDonald, City Planner, clarified that staff does not know why Ms. Cope has not obtained a signature from the church. Typically the applications come with the signature of the applicant and the property owner. Staff felt that with this application it would beneficial to getting the process started and if the property owners don’t sign then the application can be withdrawn. Commissioner Hoekstra asked for clarification on what type of fencing would be required as a condition. Mr. O’Neill responded that the I-182 Overlay District requires a decorative solid screening for equipment enclosures so staff is leaning towards a block wall. Mr. McDonald stated that if the Planning Commission feels it is important enough to condition the special permit with the block wall fencing requirement then that can be done in order to preserve the character of the neighborhood. Chairman Cruz asked if the applicant intended on having a generator that would produce noise. Mr. O’Neill responded that there is no mention of a generator but there is an -4- equipment enclosure and sometimes the electrical devices may produce a humming noise. Chairman Cruz stated that they are pre-fab looking boxes and due to the public location, a block wall would be suggested to make the area more aesthetically pleasing and remove noise concerns. Chairman Cruz read an email from the applicant, Julie Cope, into the record stating that she was fine with the hearing proceeding and the tentative approval conditions. She mentioned the antennas enclosed adding on to the top of the church and embedding the antennas in the add-on and there are no FAA lights. With no further comments the public hearing was closed. Commissioner Khan asked staff about a line in bold in the staff report regarding the PMC and if the church was publicly owned. Mr. O’Neill stated that it was not publicly owned. Mr. McDonald clarified that it only had to meet one of the requirements listed from the PMC. Commissioner Kempf moved, seconded by Commissioner Polk, to close the hearing on the proposed cellular wireless facility and initiate deliberations and schedule adoption of findings of fact, conclusions and a recommendation to the City Council for the April 17, 2014 meeting. The motion passed unanimously. B. Special Permit Location of a Preschool in a C-1 Zone (Bethel Church) (MF# SP 2014-002) Chairman Cruz read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Rick White, Community & Economic Development Director, discussed the special permit application for the location of a preschool in a C-1 Zone. In September 2012, Council approved a special permit for the church to locate in the outlet mall that is roughly 18,000 square feet. Special permits are required for preschools, which is what the applicant is applying for. They plan to use roughly 2,000 square feet of the church for the preschool. Commissioner Bachart asked if there was any more concern with the church continuing to operate on this property along with the daycare and if there will be an influx of traffic. Mr. White answered that he believes the preschool will operate six days per week. Commissioner Bachart asked if the other tenants have raised any issues with the additional cars. -5- Mr. White stated no. Chairman Cruz added that most of the other tenants are retail, the gym and Charter College which have more evening activity so there shouldn’t be an issue with traffic during the preschool hours. The applicant stated that they did not wish to speak at the public hearing. With no further comments the public hearing closed. Commissioner Kempf asked the applicants about outdoor play space for the children. Chairman Cruz re-opened the public hearing to allow the applicant to respond. Amanda Stueckle, 6216 Devon Court, responded that there is a grass area to the east of the building that they hope to fence in but they will need to get clearance from the landlords. Chairman Cruz asked if it will have to be cleared with DHS. Ms. Stueckle stated that they are not a daycare so do not need clearance through DHS. David McDonald, City Planner, added that since they are not a daycare they do not need a license through the state, however they will need a fence at least 4’ tall or higher. Commissioner Hoestra asked if the preschool will be open to the public. Ms. Stueckle responded that it will be non-discriminatory and open to the public and will operate 5 days a week. At most there will only be 32 children, with two classrooms. Commissioner Khan stated that operating hours are around the peak hours for Charter College and the gym so there is some cause concern for traffic on Sandifur. Mr. White responded that the preschool will generate less traffic than a retail store would if it located in the same location so traffic concerns should not be an issue. Commissioner Polk commented that the staff report mentioned the outlet mall is about 29% vacant. She asked if staff knew how adding a preschool would impact business in the outlet mall. Mr. White responded that it may not impact the business activity in the outlet mall. There was concern when the church applied for their special permit with this -6- location being a prime retail location. Whether the church continues their use there or not, staff does not know but he doesn’t see affecting other business. Chairman Cruz added that he didn’t believe the preschool would affect the business growth since there is already a church operating at this location and the preschool will be contained in the church that is already operating. Traffic also did not seem to be an issue. There will be traffic peaks, in the morning and evening, but he feels the evening is worse. Commissioner Hoekstra asked for clarification of the Planning Commission’s role on the land use and activity that would be occurring and safety concerns for this special permit. Mr. White responded that from a land use stand point, the applicant will need to apply for a city business license and go through that regulatory process. The state has an inspection process for preschools, although they may not be licensed in the terms normally thought of, such as with daycares. He stated that he didn’t have any issues from a safety stand point. For land use, the code speaks about the appropriateness of the special permit process for a number of uses in any zone. Staff does not feel that there is anything extraordinary about this particular special permit application. Commissioner Khan asked if there are crosswalks between the sidewalk of the outlet mall to the parking lot or signage that might go up to warn drivers that there are children and a speed limit to be posted accordingly. Mr. White answered that at this point there are not crosswalks or signage. Chairman Cruz added that the preschool is the southeastern corner of the outlet mall and nobody goes around the backside and children will not be walking through the parking lot. With no further comments the public hearing closed. Commissioner Hoekstra moved, seconded by Commissioner Polk, to close the public hearing and schedule deliberations, the adoption of findings of fact and development of a recommendation for City Council for the April 17, 2014 meeting. The motion passed unanimously. C. Special Permit Expansion of a Storage Facility (Sound Investment Group LLC) (MF# SP 2014-003) Chairman Cruz read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Shane O’Neill, Planner I, discussed the special permit application for the expansion of a storage facility. The applicant is proposing to expand their existing storage facility significantly at 9335 Sandifur Parkway. The site is zoned C-1 and is located -7- in the I-182 Corridor Overlay District. The current facility has been developed to meet the design requirements of the Overlay District. In the C-1 Zone, storage facilities are listed under permitted conditional uses, meaning they are not regularly permitted and are required to go through the special permit process. The site plan submitted with the application shows 8 new storage buildings of various sizes. The Pasco Municipal Code requires a 10 foot landscaped buffer along the northern property line were the site adjoins a residential zoning district. The applicant has stated that the current hours of operation are 8:00am-11:00pm, however they do allow 24-hour access for customers who wish to pay for that additional costs, meaning there could be some noise disturbance from time to time. Commissioner Kempf asked about curb and sidewalk requirements. Mr. O’Neill responded that there is currently curbing but no sidewalks. The sidewalks are not required since the applicant is reconfiguring their boundary lines and development will not occur along the frontage of the property. Commissioner Khan asked if staff had received any complaints or police reports for the current storage facility. Mr. O’Neill answered that staff has not received any complaints. Staff has not looked any to police reports. Commissioner Bachart asked if there was any discussion regarding building heights for the covered carports used for RV’s. Mr. O’Neill responded that the zoning district structures to 35 feet in height. Commissioner Bachart asked if the current structure on the property is fairly tall. Mr. McDonald stated that the old ice arena was fairly tall and could reach up to the 35 foot level. Commissioner Bachart wanted to make sure that the carports wouldn’t look out of place. Mr. McDonald replied that they would not be seen from Sandifur Parkway and would not look out of place. Chairman Cruz added that the structure will be set back far enough and the structure will not have occupancy for people to look into the neighboring backyards. There is a generous enough buffer. Nicholas Cameron, 3308 Riverhaven, spoke on behalf of his application and explained the lot configuration. He stated that the RV and boat covers won’t be any taller than 25 feet. They don’t expect much of an increase of traffic. As for security, -8- they have a one-way access gate for the tenants to use with a key card, alarms and a camera with overall security system. At this time they have not had any security problems. The facility is also used for canine police training. Commissioner Hoekstra asked about the setbacks on the north end of the property and who would be responsible for maintaining the piece of land between the fence the adjoining property. Mr. Cameron answered that it will depend on the requirements by the City. They intend to do low maintenance landscaping, rocks, shrubs and trees and don’t plan on having irrigation as they don’t wish to plant grass. Mr. McDonald added that the Pasco Municipal Code specifies the required landscaping and will be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain. Chairman Cruz stated that it doesn’t have to be grass but could be rock or other landscaping. Mr. O’Neill replied that it is not a typical landscaping strip but rather a buffer between the residential homes. With no further comments the public hearing closed. Commissioner Hoekstra discussed the landscaping buffer and was in agreement with the conditions. Commissioner Kempf moved, seconded by Commissioner Hoekstra, to close the public hearing and schedule deliberations, the adoption of findings of fact and development of a recommendation for City Council for the April 17, 2014 meeting. The motion passed unanimously. D. Code Amendment Highway Follow-Through Signs (MF# CA 2012- 011) Chairman Cruz read the master file number and asked for comments from staff. Rick White, Community & Economic Development Director, discussed the code amendment for highway follow-through signs. Staff asked the Commission previously to look at the ramifications if the signs would only be applicable to the two locations originally in the ordinance; Road 68 and Road 100. Staff has been advised that doing so would provide a selective advantage that doesn’t have any basis in logic. Staff is requesting discussion of eliminating the selective advantage potential and seeking input on the applicability of this proposed ordinance within Pasco, not just a long Road 68 and Road 100. There could be nine possible interchange areas. Staff would propose that the language in the ordinance could map out each of the nine locations. -9- Chairman Cruz was in agreement in expanding the code amendment to expand beyond Road 68 and Road 100. The Commission was in agreement. With no comments for the public hearing, the hearing closed. No motion was required. Mr. White explained that this item will come back to the Planning Commission as another public hearing with more specifics. COMMENTS: Rick White, Community & Economic Development Director, reminded the Planning Commission that the Volunteer Reception for all board members and volunteers is April 24th. With no further discussion or business, the Planning Commission was adjourned at 7:52 p.m. Respectfully submitted, David McDonald, City Planner