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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 01-17-2018Approved Minutes 1 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2018 Approved Minutes Planning Commission Meeting January 17, 2018 MEMBERS PRESENT: Acting Chair Bryan Oakley, Commissioners Julie Witt, Donovan Saba, David Witte and Kira Vanderlan MEMBERS ABSENT: Chair Marc Anderson STAFF PRESENT: Planning Manager Barb Thomson, Senior Planner Shawn Drill, Senior Engineering Technician Trevor Quast OTHERS PRESENT: 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. PUBLIC FORUM 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Commissioner Witte, seconded by Commissioner Saba, to approve the January 17, 2018 Planning CommissionAgenda. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 3, 2018 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MOTION by Commissioner Witte, seconded by Commissioner Vanderlan, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. VIKING DEVELOPMENT, LLC (2017109) Acting Chair Oakley introduced the request by Viking Development, LLC for a preliminary plat, site plan, conditional use permit and variances for the construction of a Gardner School preschool building for property located at 505 State Highway 55. At the request of the applicant, Acting Chair Oakley opened the public he aring and continued it to the February 7, 2018 Planning Commission meeting. 5A Approved Minutes 2 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2.018 B. SERENITY ON THE GREEN, INC. (2017105) Acting Chair Oakley introduced the request by Serenity on the Green, Inc. for a rezoning and preliminary plat for a residential subdivision to be called "Plymouth Reserve" on property located at 5330 Vicksburg Lane. Senior Planner Drill gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Witte asked if the proposed resolution included the conditions recommended by staff. Senior Planner Drill confirmed that the proposed resolution included the conditions recommended thus far. He noted that a final plat would come forward in the future and may contain additional conditions. Acting Chair Oakley introduced Dave Gonyea, representing the applicant, who stated that the plan was revised to reduce the number oflots to 13. He stated that originally there were 80 -foot average lots, but with the reduction, the average lot width is now 100 feet. He stated that they would not be in favor ofreducing further to 12 lots. Commissioner Witte asked if the revised plat has been discussed with staff previous to tonight's meeting. Mr. Gonyea stated that there have been discussions and noted that the plan was just recently updated and shared with staff prior to the meeting tonight. Senior Planner Drill replied that this revised plan would meet or exceed the zoning requirements and would comply with the condition that the plat must be revised to comply with the 2014 traffic study. Commissioner Saba referenced the stubbed road at 52nd Avenue and asked what would happen to the traffic study results when that road is further developed. Senior Planner Drill replied that the math would still work to meet the 2014 traffic study results. Commissioner Witte referenced Lot 9 and asked if there are drainage easements that run under that lot and whether the lot line extends to the other side of Shenandoah Lane. Mr. Gonyea provided additional information, noting that the land on the other side of the line would be sold to the adjacent builder. He identified the watermain loop that serves that area. Commissioner Saba asked why 13 lots would be better than 12. Mr. Gonyea replied that 100 -foot wide lots are big lots to start with, noting that ideally you would have 65 foot lots in this area because of the proximity to the railroad tracks. He stated that the traffic study included the two adjacent five -acre parcels which were developed with 27 homes, which equates to 13.5 homes per each five acres. He said he was unsure why that Approved Minutes 3 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2018 development was allotted additional homes. He stated that this is less dense per buildable acre than the adjacent property. Acting Chair Oakley opened the public hearing. Acting Chair Oakley introduced Henry Olson, 15605 53rd Avenue, who stated that one of his concerns is tree removal. He noted that he purchased his home because of the number of trees in the area and stated that this new development will remove more than 50 percent of the trees. He noted that he is also concerned with traffic, and does like the proposal to keep the development within the 2014 traffic study results. He noted tha t the parcel that is coming forward in the next few weeks is not finalized and could come in with a higher number of lots. He stated that he would like more trees, less traffic and less density. He said he believed that removing trees, increasing density, and increasing traffic counts will decrease the values of homes in the area. He stated that he would support 12 lots on this development, with four lots on the top row to match the existing development bordering that area. Acting Chair Oakley introduced Jason Hooper, 5320 Terraceview Lane, who stated that safety is a point that has been heavily debated as there is only one entry point into his development. He stated that there would be another emergency access point, if an adjacent parcel is developed. He noted that there is only one entry point into this development and is concerned with safety. He referenced traffic and noting that if the area is completely built out, the traffic counts would exceed the traffic that the road was built to handle. He state d that if traffic is increased, there are safety concerns for the children in the neighborhood and safety risks for the residents. He stated that as proposed, there would be a temporary cul -de-sac until future development occurs. He stated it is his understanding that a cul-de-sac is limited to 500 feet in length and therefore the proposed cul-de-sac would require a variance. He said he also believes that the density requirements of Taylor Creek should be met in order to maintain property values. Acting Ch air Oakley introduced Dr. Kelly A. Decker, 15525 53rd Avenue, who stated the residents of Taylor Creek have spent a tremendous amount of time talking to the City, including the mayor, about these concerns, which still exist. She stated that her issue is wi th the study that was done in 2014, noting that was four years ago and done prior to Vicksburg Lane being upgraded. She stated that the study was done in June, when a lot of property owners are on vacation. She stated there are more families and homes in t he neighborhood now. She noted that she purchased her home because of the quality of development and the family composition. She noted there are children everywhere in the development and there are more vehicles coming in and out, which poses a safety risk . She stated it is very difficult to come out of their development and fears there will be a fatal accident. She stated that additional homes will only increase the problems that exist today. She identified a temporary cul -de-sac that will be eliminated and asked where the bus will turn around that currently uses that area as a turn around. She noted when she purchased her home, they were not made aware of the future development and advised that her property value has already decreased since she purchased her property because of the adjacent development. She expressed a high level of concern for the safety of the children in the neighborhood because of the traffic patterns. She asked that an accurate traffic study be done that would allow the City to make a n educated decision. Approved Minutes 4 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2018 Acting Chair Oakley introduced Jeff Dotseth, representing Lonie Dotseth, property owner to the north, who stated that he is in favor of the development. He stated that the developer has done an excellent job working with the City to develop a project that would enhance the property. Mr. Olson asked for clarification on items on the map. Staff clarified that one area is a pond/wetland an d the other area is proposed for infiltration. Acting Chair Oakley introduced Tara Miller-Hochhalter, 5320 Ranchview Lane, who stated that she supports the comments made by the other residents in Taylor Creek. Acting Chair Oakley closed the public hearing. Senior Planner Drill provided additional details on the traffic study that was completed in 2014, which identified a maximum of 1,200 daily trips. He noted that study took into account that Vicksburg Lane would be upgraded and that this land would all be developed and therefore the study results are accurate. He noted that the daily trips count from 2014 is still used today and therefore redoing the traffic study would not yield different results. Planning Manager Thomson stated that the traffic study took into account that there would be greater traffic with the upgrading of Vicksburg Lane. She stated that the study uses the common standards that are used throughout the industry. Acting Chair Oakley stated that the estimated daily trips per unit are actually estimated very high, in the 80th percentile. Senior Planner Drill stated that with the proposed development, buses would be able to travel down Shenandoah Lane, which they cannot currently do, as the road will loop around through the development. Planning Manager Thomson noted that the term "restricted" does not mean thatdevelopment of the property is restricted, it simply means that a zoning consistent with the City's land use plan has not yet been selected for the property. Senior Planner Drill provided details on the tree ordinance, which allows removal ofup to 50 percent of the trees. He noted if more than 50 percent of the trees are removed, replacement would be required. He stated that in this case there will be reforestation. He stated that the plan does not show the total amount of replacement and therefore either additional replacement will be needed or payment into the tree replacement fund required. He provided additional details on cul-de-sac length, noting that a variance is not required but advising that there are requirements associated with the different thresholds, depending on the length of the cul -de-sac. He noted that this is a temporary cul -de-sac and staff does not have any concerns with the length of the cul -de- sac. Planning Manager Thomson stated there are other recent developments that have had temporary cul-de-sacs of similar sizes. Approved Minutes 5 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2018 Mr. Hooper asked for the locations of future developments and the number of units that would be proposed. Senior Planner Drill identified other parcels that are proposed for development and the number of lots proposed thus far. He identified other properties that may come in for development in the future, but an application has not yet been submitted; Mr. Hooper asked the number of units that would be proposed for the parcels not yet proposed for development. Senior Planner Drill replied that 16 lots would be allotted for future development of those parcels. Dr. Decker stated that currently there are three bus stops within the Taylor Creek development and identified the locations. She stated that although the road is beautiful, it is dangerous because of the blind spots. She stated if Shenandoah Lane is extended, it would be safe to say that additional vehicles would travel through the development and would pose a safety hazard to the children waiting at the bus stops. She stated that perhaps the Taylor Creek neighborhood could pay for a new traffic study, as she does not believe the 2014 study is accurate. Commissioner Witte asked if the timing of when a traffic study is done during the year is relevant or whether the study is done assuming maximum development of all the adjacent areas. Senior Planner Drill stated that although the study may have been done on weekdays in June, that would not have an impact. He stated that the traffic study looks at the full picture under a full development scenario and therefore a new traffic study would not provide new information. Commissioner Vanderlan asked if a traffic study takes into account the location of turn lanes and stop signs. Senior Engineering Technician Quast replied that a traffic study does not look at the exact placement of turn lanes and stop signs, but looks to determine the maximum traffic volumes. Commissioner Vanderlan stated that she lives in the area and can echo the comments regarding the difficulty to get onto the road from the development. She asked whether there are stop signs in Taylor Creek, along 55th Avenue. Senior Engineering Technician Quast replied with the locations of nearby stop signs, but noted there is not a stop sign on 55th Avenue at that location in Taylor Creek. Commissioner Witt stated that the area does appear to be very dense. She stated that this area is lovely, but this is what happens when there is open land available. She stated when people purchase their homes, developers are often not forthcoming with the information that further development will occur. She stated that when there is vacant land, you have to have the t hought that land will be developed. She stated she loves the idea of reducing the development to 12 lots. She stated this will be a good use of the property but perhaps a few tweaks could be made to make this a safer neighborhood. Approved Minutes 6 of 6 Meeting of January 17, 2018 Senior Engineering Technician Quast stated that Engineering does not review for stop sign locations at the stage of preliminary plat. He stated typically that type of review is done during final plat stage. Commissioner Vanderlan stated that her neighborhood came to the City Council to request additional stop sign placement, which would be an option for the Taylor Creek neighborhood. Acting Chair Oakley stated that this is a developer that is complying with all elements of the zoning code. He stated that although the neighborhood may wish more trees remain on the lot, the developer would need to comply with the same standard that all developments are held to. He stated that the density of this development is actually half of what it may be, had this property been in a different location. He stated the resolution states that the lot number should be reduced to 12 lots. He noted that density is not an issue in his mind and neither are trees as this would comply with the ordinance as written. He stated there are legit imate concerns with safety. He noted that the school sets the bus stop locations in areas they believe to be the safest. He stated this looks like a good development and fits well with the character of the development that exists. He said he recognizes th ere are times when a road does not go all the way through because of the staging of development. He stated that he would support the proposal and would ask for input on the number of lots the commission would support. Commissioner Witte echoed the comments of the Acting Chair. He said he recognized that there has been an increase in traffic since Vicksburg Lane has been improved, noting that some of that traffic may be coming from neighboring cities. He said he recognizes the adjustment that occurs when land thatwas vacant now develops, but stated that is the challenge that comes with staged development. He stated that while he would like to see 12 lots, he would support 13 lots. MOTION by Commissioner Witte, seconded by Commissioner Saba, to approv e the request by Serenity on the Green, Inc. for a rezoning and preliminary plat for a residential subdivision for 13 lots to be called "Plymouth Reserve" on property located at 5330 Vicksburg Lane, with Condition 3 of the resolution revised to eliminate t he words "to 12." Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION approved. 7. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Acting Chair Oakley, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 8:07 P.M.