07-02-09 Site Review MinutesSITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lower Level Main Conference Room
201 First Avenue East
ATTENDING:
Charlie Johnson, Construction Manager
Tom Jentz, Planning & Bldg Director
D.C. Haas, Fire Department
Michelle Anderson, Recording Secretary
Jeff Clawson, Building Official
Chad Fincher, Parks Superintendent
P.J. Sorensen, Chairman
Guests: Tim German, Sparrow Group and Jason Hatton, Datum Design.
Hear the Public: No one wished to speak.
Performance Bond Reminders: Diamond Ridge Estates — Johnson again reported he is having
problems getting a maintenance bond for Diamond Ridge and he will be contacting them again.
Silverbrook Estates — Johnson said Howard Mann is working on Silverbrook's maintenance bond
with Schellinger Construction.
OLD BUSINESS: Spring Creek Apartments Phase 2 — Sorensen reviewed the previous
discussion at Site Review for Phase 1 of Spring Creek Apartments and the expectations of phase 2.
Phase 1: Public Works noted the fire hydrant and valve were raised and they are happy. They still
need the record drawings and the warranty bond. Public Works also will require a letter from the Fire
Department indicating they are satisfied before the C of O will be issued. Johnson said Public Works
also has concerns with the access road on the east side of the property noting the access must be a
joint access with the neighboring property to the east. German had not been briefed on that issue
either and will look into it. Johnson added there was some correspondence indicating that the access
issue would be worked out with the property owners to the east and the city has not seen this
agreement and now the utilities have been moved which will complicate the completion of the joint
access road. Sorensen noted another question related to Public Works was whether the storm
drainage facilities needed to be moved in conjunction with the removal of the fill for the floodplain.
German said there was discussion on this issue but didn't know the result.
Phase 2: Public Works would like to see a complete set of plans that would be ready for their review.
German said he came today with the thought the city had already received the complete set of plans
and he apologized and said he will find out if the entire set was delivered who the plans were
delivered to and he will pick up the plans and deliver them to Public Works. Sorensen noted the city
needs 5 copies of the complete set of plans.
Phase 1: D.C. Haas of the Fire Department noted he took the ladder truck out to phase 1 yesterday
and they are not able to ladder the building for any rescues because of the carports. German asked if
it is a 3 story sprinkler building does the Fire Department have to access the building with a ladder
truck for rescues and Haas said he doesn't have an answer for that so he will have to talk to the Chief.
Haas added there isn't access to the back either because of its proximity to the other buildings.
German said if it is determined that the ladder has to reach the 3rd story it would scratch the carports
and he would have to go back to the state and get permission to remove the carports because it is a
deviation from what the state approved. Haas said a crushed gravel turnaround has been completed
and they would be willing to sign off on the C of O. Johnson requested a letter from the Fire
Department indicating there are no unresolved issues be sent to the Public Works Department for
approval of phase 1.
Phase 2: D.C. Haas of the Fire Department noted for phase 2 the carports need to be either closer to
the building or the road moved away from the building so the ladder truck can ladder the building.
Haas indicated the location of a hydrant and road cut that needs to be moved to the south to
accommodate the emergency vehicles. Haas sent the engineer specs on the truck to the engineer.
German said he will check with the engineer to see if they incorporated that change and noted the
hydrant will be moved in phase 2. Sorensen asked if any parking spaces would be eliminated and
Haas thought one space would be affected. German said he would also check on the parking
numbers. Haas reviewed the hydrants and noted it appears there are not enough. Sorensen suggested
the plans sent to the city may not be complete and Johnson added that is why it is important that a
complete set be sent to the city. An all-weather access road will be required before any vertical
construction is started.
Phase 1: Parks & Recreation — Fincher said there are some landscaping issues but revisions were
recently made so he needs to complete a final review.
Phase 2: Parks & Recreation — Fincher said they will need information on the landscaping materials.
Phase 1: Planning — Sorensen said he needs the final certification on the floodplain from Billmayer &
Hafferman Engineering. He said they received the LOMR from FEMA that takes the building out and
the flood proofing certificates on the carports.
Phase 2: Planning — Sorensen said there is a window of opportunity where the engineer could submit
the revised metes and bounds description to FEMA for phase 2 instead of waiting for a month or
more for the floodplain development permit and resubmitting everything to FEMA. Sorensen noted
he had already talked to German regarding the parking layout.
General Comments: Tim German noted they are trying to start Phase 2 this fall so they can be
enclosed before winter and Glacier Bank is buying the tax credits which will take a bit longer than
usual to process. German said he wanted to help and improve the relationship with the city and
Johnson said they are looking forward to that too.
Montana Club - Sorensen said he had some discussions with Aaron from JCM Architecture about
their lighting and encroachment into the setback area but hasn't heard anything else at this point.
NEW BUSINESS: Bojangles — Sorensen said this project comes from the bypass construction
where Bojangles is preparing to move their parking and storage/trash container areas. Jason Hatton of
Datum Design said they are proposing having the changes built prior to construction of the bypass
and the state will connect to it. He reviewed the site plan with the committee. There was discussion
regarding the access roads, and the need for detail drawings on the access road along the north side of
the property; Public Works is also requesting a detail of the sidewalk and boulevard that will be
installed; a 5-foot buffer between the road and the existing parking would be required; there should be
3 handicap parking spots one of which is van accessible; the property is currently on city sewer with a
well and they have had discussions with city staff regarding the well and storm water issues; screening
on the north side of the property would be required however no fencing is allowed in the front
setback of a B zone; a trash enclosure will be required and Public Works asked for a detail on the
enclosure area; a parking lot lighting plan will need to be submitted that shows that the pole from
grade to the top of the fixture would not be more than 25 feet, would have to be a full cut-off fixture
and they need to submit a cut sheet for that, and it needs to show that it doesn't exceed '/z foot candle
at the property lines. Sorensen continued 5% of the parking lot area should be landscaped so it may
have to be reworked, a detail on the landscaping materials to be used will have to be submitted, and
no rock is allowed. Hatton said the landscaping along the north will be grass without irrigation. The
sign will be left as is and its current location should be shown on the site plan. A grading/stormwater
plan for the new parking lot should be submitted.
Haas asked if the hood system, which is out of compliance, will be addressed and Hatton said they are
not addressing that issue.
The detail drawings of the bypass in this location are available in the Planning Department. Jentz
noted the drawings will show the right-of-way design but the curb, gutter, boulevard, landscaping
drawings may be outdated.
PLANNING OFFICE ITEMS: Silverbrook Estates Phase 1A Final Plat — Jentz said the Final
Plat of Phase I of Silverbrook Estates is going before council on Monday July 6th. Lazy Creek is
now in the city. Fincher said he wrote the letter regarding the landscaping issues with Silverbrook
Estates Phase I and he will send it to planning.
OTHER REPORTS: Silverbrook Estates Issues - Johnson reported that the service lines coming in
to the main sewer lines at Silverbrook are failing and he will be contacting them today. He asked if all
of Silverbrook Drive is included in phase IA and Jentz said yes. Haas asked if he should be
concerned with an engine crossing the bridge in Silverbrook and Johnson said the bridge is engineered
to handle fire trucks and water tenders and clarified the bridge is maintained by the county but the city
reviews the design.
Taco Bell — There was discussion to clarify the work being done at the Taco Bell on East Idaho.
Fire Department Building Plans — There was discussion regarding the grant for the Fire
Department improvements and Haas said the grant was for the doors and the energy efficiency
work. The building will be sprinkled. The new plans removed the fire pole which Clawson said is
not permitted under the building code.
Mountain Mudd — Fincher reported he is still having difficulty contact Kirk with Mountain Mudd so
the bonding for landscaping issue will be deferred to Mike Baker and the City Attorney if Fincher
doesn't get a response from Mountain Mudd's Billings representative.
There was discussions regarding the newly vacant lot south of the Earl Bennett Building and no
plans have been submitted to the city for that lot or the materials stored there. Johnson said Public
Works wants to know the plans for the lot because there is a sewer connection there that needs to be
capped off and if they are not going to use the water the county will need to shut it off in the street.
Jentz added if they pave the lot they will have to pay stormwater impacts fees and if they don't pave it
the county will be in violation of air quality standards. Sorensen said the county has an agency
exemption (from zoning requirements) for the area and whether or not it would expand to this lot is a
question that needs to be answered.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:58 a.m.