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11-14-06KALISPELL CITY PLANNING BOARD & ZONING COMMISSION AUNUTES OF REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 2006 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL The regular meeting of the Kalispell City Planning Board and CALL Zoning Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Board members present were: Timothy Norton, Rick Hull, Bryan Schutt, Robyn Balcom, Kari Gabriel, Bob Albert and John Hinchey. Sean Conrad and. Tom Jentz represented the Kalispell Planning Department. There were approximately 35 people in the audience. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Schutt moved and Gabriel seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the October 10, 2006 regular planning board meeting. The motion passed unanimously -on a roll call vote. HEAR THE PUBLIC No one wished to speak. OWL CORPORATION - A request by the Owl Corporation for annexation and initial ANNEXATION zoning of R-3 (Urban Single Family Residential) on approximately 58.5 acres located along Stillwater Road immediately north of the West View subdivision. STAFF REPORT KA-06-12 Sean Conrad, representing the Kalispell Planning Department presented Staff Report KA-06-12 for the Board. Conrad noted that this property is 58.5 acres and the requested zoning is R-3. The proposed zoning is consistent with the Kalispell Growth Policy. Staff is recommending that the Kalispell City Planning Board adopt staff report KA-06-12 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property upon annexation be R-3, Urban Single Family Residential. QUESTIONS BY THE Schutt asked for the minimum lot size in an R-3 zone and BOARD Conrad said 7,000 square feet which is typical of other areas within the city. Balcom asked if this would be an extension of Westview Estates which is just south of this property. Conrad said yes. APPLICANT/AGENCIES Eric Mulcahy, Sands Surveying stated he is representing the owners of this property. This will be an extension of Westview Estates and he added the lots that were developed in the first phase of Westview Estates are 10,000 to 12,000 square feet so they are exceeding the R-3 zoning in this area. Mulcahy said the larger lots are an attempt to create a transition to Stillwater Estates which is a County subdivision on 1/2 acre lots. Mulcahy said that they concur with the staff report as presented and they feel the staff did a good job in their report. PUBLIC HEARING No one wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. MOTION Schutt moved and Gabriel seconded a motion to adopt staff report KA-06-12 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property upon annexation be R-3, Urban Single Family Residential. BOARD DISCUSSION Hull noted that when the subdivision comes in for review the board will require additional parkland and interconnection between neighboring subdivisions. Norton said there was property set aside in Stillwater Estates for road expansion and Conrad said when they see the future phases of Westview Estates they will provide some connectivity with Stillwater Estates. Balcorn asked about the gravel pit nearby and if it will be closed. Conrad said that it will be there for the time being and he didn't know how many more years it would be in operation. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. PRIEST/RIATA RIDGE - A request from Gary Priest for annexation, initial zoning, and ANNEXATION & preliminary plat approval on a 4.47 acre property. The PRELIMINARY PLAT owner is requesting annexation into the City of Kalispell with the R-2 (Single Family Residential) zoning district. The owner is also requesting a preliminary plat to create Riata Ridge Subdivision with 16 lots each lot 9,600 square feet in size. The property is located at 736 Greenridge Drive at the southeast corner of the intersection of Greenridge Drive and Willow Glen Drive. STAFF REPORTS KA-06-06 Sean Conrad, representing the Kalispell Planning & KPP-06-09 Department presented Staff Reports KA-06-06 & KPP-06-09 for the Board. Conrad said the Kalispell Growth Policy designates this side of Willow Glen as Suburban Residential which allows up to 4 dwelling units per acre. The R-2 as proposed here would be 3 1/2 dwelling units per acre. Conrad reviewed the surrounding zoning for the board. He noted there is a city subdivision 1/4 mile south of this proposal which has been designated as R- 2. Staff was adamant about keeping the rural character of this neighborhood and the developer agreed to the R-2 zoning rather than R-3. Conrad stated the subdivision is 16 lots and access would be provided by Greenridge Drive on the north, Howard Drive on Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 2 of 18 the east and a cul-de-sac road providing access to a number of the lots. The parkland is indicated along Willow Glen Drive as well as some additional R/W where a bike path would be located. Conrad said if preliminary plat is approved the developer would be required to upgrade Greenridge Drive and Howard Drive from the center line over to the subdivision which would increase the road width to 24 feet with curb, gutter, boulevard, and sidewalks adjacent to this subdivision. Conrad added that with the upgrade to Greenridge and Howard Drive the roads would be more than adequate to accommodate the current traffic, plus the additional traffic generated by this subdivision. Conrad continued the preliminary plat shows parkland of approximately 15,000 square feet along Willow Glen Drive. The Parks and Recreation Department is recommending that the entire parkland be dedicated as land instead of cash -in - lieu, be increased to approximately 20,000 square feet, and be located away from Willow Glen in the vicinity of lots 14 & 15. The Parks Department felt with land values increasing cash -in -lieu would not be sufficient enough to purchase an adequate amount of land in the future and the relocation of the parkland would be beneficial when the property to the south was developed and could serve both developments. Conrad said that originally they had proposed a roadway that would connect Howard Drive to Willow Glen but MDT would not allow an access onto Willow Glen Drive in that location and therefore a cul-de-sac road is being proposed where the traffic would be funneled out onto Howard Drive then on to Greenridge Drive to the intersection of Willow Glen. An approach permit will need to be obtained from MDT and any necessary widening or improvements of Greenridge and Howard Drive would have to be completed prior to final plat approval. Conrad noted that the developer's consultant brought in a revised preliminary plat which is similar to the original preliminary plat provided to the board and they have incorporated some of the recommendations of the Parks Department by moving the parkland to the southeast corner of the property. However the size of the park is indicated as being only 8,500 square feet and not the 20,000 square feet requested by the Parks Department. Conrad said that their intent would be for the remaining parkland to be cash -in - lieu. Conrad reviewed the concerns of some of the neighbors which includes improving only half of Greenridge and Howard Drive to city standards and who would be responsible for maintaining the roads. Conrad said maintenance of the roads will be determined at a later date Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 3 of 18 by the Public Works Director and the County Road Superintendent. In addition concerns were expressed regarding drainage and where stormwater runoff would go. Conrad said the consulting engineer has proposed 2 plans for drainage and stormwater runoff. One was to take all the stormwater from the roadways and go underneath Willow Glen Drive near the intersection of Woodland and the other proposal was to store it somewhere on site. A condition is included that, if approved, they have to deal with stormwater per city codes and the Public Works Department would review the proposals and approve the plan. Conrad concluded by saying that this subdivision is a higher density than the surrounding properties. He said those lots were platted years ago when the city was a mile or more away. Now that the city is growing and encroaching on these rural areas what the board needs to consider is the appropriate fit. The Growth Policy designates this area as Suburban Residential, there is the city R-2 zoning district to the south and the planning staff felt the R-2 district would be appropriate in this area given the rural character of the neighborhoods close by. Staff is recommending that the Kalispell City Planning Board adopt staff report KA-06-06 and KPP-06-09 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property upon annexation be R-2, Single Family Residential and further recommend that the preliminary plat for Riata Ridge subdivision be approved subject to the 21 conditions listed in the staff report. BOARD DISCUSSION Schutt was confused on which version of the preliminary plat they were to consider. Conrad said the preliminary plat before the board is the one that they received in their packets. The revised plat distributed tonight more closely fits to the conditions in the staff report but the parkland indicated is only 8,500 square feet instead of the Parks Department's recommendation of 20,000 square feet. Schutt asked for clarification on the location of the city limits in this area. Conrad responded. Gabriel noted the roads go around the 3 sides of this property and in order to get the 20,000 square foot park even if they included another lot they still wouldn't have enough parkland. Conrad said that is correct. Hull said Howard Drive dead ends and there is no potential for hooking into Leisure Drive. Conrad said no provision was made for a future connection to Leisure Drive. Hull said that there is an unofficial road there and Conrad said when that lot develops the unofficial road will no longer be used. Hull noted that Leisure Heights is a city subdivision and not providing interconnectivity was an oversight. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 4 of 18 Hinchey asked if 9,600 feet is the minimum lot size for R-2 and Conrad said yes the lots are proposed at the minimum lot size. APPLICANT/AGENCIES Johna Morrison, Schwarz Engineering & Architecture stated she is representing the developer. She said there are 2 different layouts and she would like to speak to both. The second plat was an alternate layout as a response to the requirements of the Parks & Recreation Department Director. Morrison said .that prior to submitting this subdivision she had a lengthy talk with Mike Baker and he was in agreement with their layout as long as they provided enough improvements to make up for the parkland dedication. Morrison said they couldn't find a way to provide the required parkland no matter how they designed the project. Morrison said in response to the Parks Department's recommendation she created the second layout but by the time the roadways, R/W, cul-de-sac and boulevards were included they ended up with an 8,500 square foot park located in the southeast corner of the property. Morrison continued the reason she prefers the first layout was locating the park on Willow Glen would make it easier for the public to access. It would create a very nice vegetative buffer from Willow Glen to the houses, is easier to maintain along with the bike path, and would provide a larger park. Morrison stated she agrees with the staff report. The R-2 zone is the lowest density that is afforded in the city of Kalispell however she realizes that this is hard for the neighbors to accept. She added the city is going to grow and this property will be developed. Morrison noted if the board decides that they prefer the first plat Condition #9 would have to be amended. She added in reference to Condition # 15 and the bike path it has not been determined whether the path will be constructed on the east or west side of Willow Glen Drive. She questioned if they couldn't get an approach from MDT would it be safe to run a bike path across the road. Also if the bike path is not located on the east side adjacent to this property they would be able to dedicate additional parkland. Morrison said there is a 40 foot easement to the south of the property which would have provided a loop road and provide better site distance but MDT would not allow an access at that location. BOARD DISCUSSION Norton noted for the record the board received letters from neighbors and concerned parties, one . with 24 signatures from neighbors who asked the board members to take a look at the property and the character of the neighborhood, and an email with comments from an independent planner, Brian Wood, who was hired by the neighborhood. There were also additional letters forwarded in the board packets. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 5 of 18 PUBLIC HEARING Glen Graham - 739 Greenridge Drive, stated he lives across the street from this proposed preliminary plat. Graham noted that their planner, Brian Wood was not able to attend the hearing due to personal reasons and asked the board to table this proposal until their planner could be present. Graham said this subdivision is a square peg trying to be put into a round hole and it doesn't fit. Graham said their planner submitted a letter listing the concerns of the neighborhood. In addition, he said, to add to the confusion yet another version of the plat has been submitted which the neighborhood and their planner haven't had a chance to review. Graham reviewed Wood's comments for the board which included the improvements to half a road, maintenance of the roads, street access and design, and stormwater runoff and groundwater problems in the area. Graham noted the biggest concern is design and neighborhood compatibility. They realize that it has been a horse stable for a very long time and they know that it is going to be developed. He added that the lots in The Willows and Leisure Heights are larger than the lots proposed. Graham urged. the board to take a hard look at this proposal before they approve it. Shelly Graham - 739 Greenridge Drive said she agrees with everything her husband said. She compared the lot size with the lots in The Willows and Leisure Heights and added Riata Ridge is proposing the smallest lots in the area. She said they would look more favorably on this subdivision if the design were reconfigured to have larger lot sizes that would be more in character with the existing rural neighborhood. As far as the parkland she said they would request the full 20,000 square feet of parkland. She added there is very little parkland in that part of Kalispell. Roger Anderson - 750 Greenridge Drive stated he agrees with everything that the Graham's have said especially about the density of the proposal and if it was more like The Willows and Leisure Heights that would be more compatible with the community. Anderson said if they work together with the developer it will be a nice community to live in. His concern is the traffic and with an additional 32 cars going out on to Willow Glen with very little site distance it will be a mess. Anderson added he agrees with the plan to move the park because it would be dangerous so close to Willow Glen Road. Hugh Robertson - 545 Howard Drive stated he shares a lot of the same concerns as his neighbors. He said his concerns are with the stormwater and drainage issues. He indicated the report summarizes 2 options relating to disposing of stormwater. The least expensive option calls for installing an Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 6 of 18 infiltrator system on -site to allow absorption of the stormwater with an overflow into a drainage swale along Howard Drive. Robertson's property is adjacent to the eastern portion of the development and is reached by a driveway near the proposed interior road and cul-de-sac entrance off of Howard Drive. When the horse stables were up and going there was no asphalt or concrete on the site so there was never much of a problem. Robertson said he now wonders how much water will be collected on that cul-de-sac and interior roadway when it is paved. Even if it was funneled into a dry well or an overflow swale the water will migrate towards the Stillwater River. He asked if the eventual path of that groundwater flow would go through his and his neighbor's property. Robertson urged the board to look forward and protect their neighborhood by requiring a bond to cover any future drainage problems that could be associated with this subdivision. Allen Seiler resides at the corner of Treasure Lane and Willow Glen and stated he is there to talk about the bike path. He distributed pictures to the board that shows what happens when you don't build the bike path and you set aside an easement that will be a bike path in the future. He noted that along The Willows subdivision there is 1/4 mile of fences on the bike path R/W and when they do build they will have to negotiate with those people for over $50,000 worth of fence's and moving them. He added those people probably bought their property believing that it was part of their back yard. The rip -rap that was put in at Leisure Heights was to disperse the stormwater and was supposed to be absorbed. He noted the rip -rap is also on the bike path. Seiler said by the Toyota Dealership, another city project, they negotiated to not put a sidewalk in but set it aside to collect stormwater. That has kept them from putting in a sidewalk or using that side of the road for part of a 2 mile bike path. Seiler said he would encourage them not to use any kind of ditching, etc. in any type of developments to collect and disperse stormwater. It leaves out a lot of options in the future. He firmly believes that water, even down to the drains on houses, should go into a collection system and be taken down in this case to Woodland Creek by pipe and get it out of the neighborhood. Seiler said the State put in a water collection system for their new roadway on Woodland hill and stormwater did not collect properly. The highway department is working on this problem and added a section is over the Evergreen Sewer Main and they don't want it to slump off too much. Seiler said the county awarded a CTEP project which is 2 miles of bike path from Four Corners to the Montessori School on Willow Glen. His thinking is that if the developer can be made to put the bike path in, have him put it in and Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 7 of 18 then there will be no question about what that real estate is for. They have some cash -in -lieu money set aside in these other developments partly for bike paths but they have not reached an agreement with the city on the amount for the path. Since it has been a year and 3 months since the CTEP was awarded he would prefer to see the path built rather than see in lieu of money paid out. Sam Scull, 778 Greenridge Drive stated his concern is the density of this new subdivision. They all have large lots and nice homes and putting a bunch of houses on little lots on that corner is putting a square peg in a round hole. The Montana lifestyle is to have some space and Willow Glen is busier and busier every day. Turning left onto Greenridge is dangerous. Willow Glen will continue to get busier and to have 32 more cars on that road is not a good idea. He knows there will be a subdivision going in but 16 homes is just too many. Bob Lopp - 52 Westview Drive stated he is there to represent Flathead Audubon. Lopp said if you go to the end of Greenridge Drive and Howard there is an access to the Owen Sauerwein Nature Area. Because of its proximity to this development they want to lay out the purpose of the nature area. It was not developed as a recreational area, recreation is not prohibited it's restricted. Vehicles are not allowed and they try to eliminate bicycles as well as much as they can. It is a riparian area heavily watered in the spring and much through the summer with channels all over it to provide habitat for wildlife and birds. The problem he has with this subdivision is there will be additional subdivisions coming into the area creating a continuous strip along Willow Glen. To restrict the park area to a little over 8,000 square feet instead of the 20,000 square feet will cause the children to find other places to recreate and having this natural area nearby will be a draw for them. They would also support moving the location from Willow Glen. Lopp asked the board to consider the impact of these developments on a natural area because they don't want to lock the gate. Lorinda Baker, 801 Greenridge Drive stated she agrees with everything that her neighbors have said and added the density is the problem. They are not against the development they just think the lots should be larger so that they fit in with their rural community and neighborhood. Another concern is the width of the cul-de-sac at 28 feet will only allow one side parking which could be a problem in the future. Donald Howard - 571 Howard Drive stated his concerns are that the water drainage is not adequate and not enough study has been put into it. He described the soils and the water problems that he has experienced since putting in a new basement. Howard said at one time they had spring Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 8 of 18 runoff and the water came down and pooled along the edge of the bank. He added he doesn't think either of the options for stormwater runoff and drainage will work. Howard said that he agrees with everything else that has been said. Dorothy Merola - 801 Greenridge Drive stated she agrees with everyone here. She pointed out that the letter that the board received had 29 signatures on it which represented the entire neighborhood, 100% signed it. Merola asked the board to table the proposal and give the neighborhood a chance for their planner to represent them. Brent Mitchell - 298 Red Fox Run stated he is the manager of the Owen Sauerwein Natural Area for Flathead Audubon. Mitchell said DNRC does not want stormwater dumped on their state land. He indicated a small culvert on the map that drops into the Owen Sauerwein area. The Owen Sauerwein area is not a park it is a natural area. He noted that the Birch and Cottonwood trees are coming down in the natural area, especially in windy conditions which will create a hazard for anyone entering the area. Kids will probably wander down there and not pay attention to the signs. Mitchell reviewed his concerns with the additional traffic and he thought the fire trucks will have problems turning on the cul-de-sac because it isn't wide enough. Mitchell suggested that the proposal be tabled so that the consultant for the neighborhood can represent them. MOTION - ANNEXATION Albert moved and Hinchey seconded a motion to adopt staff report KA-06-06 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property upon annexation by R-2, Single Family Residential. BOARD DISCUSSION Balcom noted that she doesn't have any problem with the annexation and has no questions. Hinchey said that R-2 zoning is very appropriate in this area. Schutt said that R-2 is appropriate but just because they can have 9,600 square foot lots doesn't mean that size lot dictates the layout of the subdivision. Albert doesn't have any problem with the R-2 zoning. Norton agrees with Schutt regarding the lot size proposed. Norton said that they heard from the neighbors, he agrees that development will occur in this area and R-2 is the least impact that they could expect for this area. Norton does not have a problem with the annexation of R-2 into the city. Norton stated for the record that board member Gabriel had to leave the meeting but noted to him that she doesn't have a problem with the R-2 zoning designation. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 9 of 18 ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. MOTION - RIATA RIDGE Schutt moved and Norton seconded a motion to adopt staff PRELIMINARY PLAT report KPP-06-09 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the preliminary plat for Riata Ridge subdivision be approved subject to the 21 conditions listed in the staff report. BOARD DISCUSSION Balcom said she went out to the site to look around and it is a hard call to .make. She is impressed with the neighbors' unanimous opposition to the density of this proposal. Balcom said it seems to her to be too many lots on that property. There has to be a give and take and she appreciates that the neighborhood is not trying to shut the whole project down but they want the developer to work with them. Hinchey said he also went out to the site and he came down Woodland and made the jog on Willow Glen and realized he was taking his life into his hands as he was turning left into the subdivision in the wrong lane. Hinchey said traffic is a problem and he would like to see a traffic plan for that intersection, the cul-de-sac road width should be increased to 32 feet, a stormwater drainage plan should be requested, and he is adamant that they should be required to provide a 20,000 square foot park. If that is the size of parkland that the city is asking for that is what should be provided. Hinchey suggested that the plat needs to be redesigned with those amendments. Schutt said that he echoes Hinchey's concerns with the need for a stormwater drainage plan. Schutt said that he drives through the Willow Glen/ Woodland Avenue intersection every day and added the intersection of Greenridge on to Willow Glen is a safety concern. Schutt said that he would like to look at ways to connect Howard Drive to Willow Glen. He is in full support of the 20,000 square feet of parkland and he would like it moved off of Willow Glen and back to the southeast corner. Schutt said in looking at the layout he thinks that they can provide a better layout with increased lot sizes and decreased density. Schutt also agrees that a full width road is certainly appropriate in subdivisions. Albert agrees with Hinchey and Schutt on the stormwater issues. He doesn't like the improvements to half of a road it should be the whole road. Albert also agrees that the park should be 20,000 square feet. Traffic is going to be a problem and that will have to be dealt with through MDT. Albert feels the number of lots should be reduced. Hull said that, they have had this density issue before and the lots are somewhat larger than what they typically see in town, but he does see the neighbors concern. Hull said the layout is not what he would like to see and the fact that they Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 10 of 18 cannot access the subdivision south of the property makes it difficult. Hull agrees that there should be a 20,000 square foot park and the stormwater should be dealt with off -site. Norton said the board didn't touch on the future connectivity with the subdivision to the south. Norton added they made a mistake in not ensuring that Leisure Heights and Howard Drive were connected which would alleviate some of the traffic problems. Norton added that it was also Schwarz Engineering who platted Leisure Heights and there have been stormwater problems in that subdivision. Norton agrees that a stormwater plan needs to be in place. Norton said that there is a 30 foot roadway easement north of Leisure Heights but does not believes that MDT would grant access there. Hull suggested that the project be tabled and further Norton added a recommendation that the Riata Ridge consultants meet with the planner, Brian Wood, who was hired by the neighborhood. Hinchey felt that tabling the preliminary plat was the reasonable option rather than rejecting the proposal entirely. Schutt asked about the empty lot in Leisure Heights that would allow the roads to connect. Jentz said that was a significant issue when Leisure Heights was reviewed because the neighborhood did not want the added traffic coming through their subdivision. Schutt suggested that the board should start thinking outside the box when faced with a situation like Greenridge to Willow Glen perhaps Greenridge Drive could be abandoned and a new road along the south side of this subdivision be constructed that would connect with Howard Drive which would increase the sight distance. Greenridge could then be a dead end cul-de-sac to access all of the lots. Schutt added he doesn't want to design someone's project but when they box themselves in they have to start to think creatively on how to solve these issues. Norton restated the board's concerns for the development appears to be density, lot size, and the need for a traffic plan to provide interconnectivity to future. subdivisions to the south. The developer should also be required to improve the entire width of Howard and Greenridge Drive not one-half of those roads. Norton added the internal roadway width should be increased to 32 feet, a stormwater plan needs to be submitted, and the 20,000 square foot park should be required. The developer should submit a redesigned layout with larger lots, and another way to funnel traffic out of the neighborhood. Jentz said in determining whether another public hearing should be held if the project is tabled the board is asking the Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 11 of 18 applicant to complete a redesign, meet with the neighborhood and resubmit the application. Norton said he feels another public hearing would be appropriate because they would have a whole new subdivision plat for the board to review. Jentz suggested that the board table the proposal not to exceed 90 days. MOTION TO TABLE Hull moved and Albert seconded a motion to table the preliminary plat of Riata Ridge not to exceed 90 days to address the board's concerns and revise the plat. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. ROLL CALL - ORIGINAL The original motion failed due to the motion to table being MOTION - RIATA RIDGE approved unanimously. PRELIMINARY PLAT SILVERBROOK ESTATES - A request by 93 & Church, LLC for annexation and initial ANNEXATION, PLANNED zoning on approximately 325 acres located 2.2 miles north of UNIT DEVELOPOMENT, West Reserve Drive along Highway 93 North. The owners are AND PHASE I OF THE requesting the R-2 (Single Family Residential), R-4 (Two PRELIMINARY PLAT Family Residential), and B-1 (Neighborhood Buffer District) zoning designations on the property. The owners are also requesting a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Overlay to allow 466 single family residences, 120 townhomes and 12 neighborhood commercial building lots with a 2 1/2 acre site set aside for a future fire station. Along with the PUD application is a request for preliminary plat approval to create Silverbrook Subdivision, Phase 1 with 249 residential lots varying in size from 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size. STAFF REPORTS - Sean Conrad, representing the Kalispell Planning KA-06-13, KPUD-06-06 Department reviewed staff reports KA-06-13, KPUD-06-06 8� & KPP-06-13 KPP-06-13 for the board. Conrad oriented the board as to the location of this property noting that it lies a little over 2 miles from the city limits. The property is surrounded by County zoning districts which he reviewed. The PUD will cover the entire 325 acre site and the majority of land use in Phase 1 will be 249 single family residential lots averaging 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size including a 2- 1/2 acre future fire station lot. Phase 2 will include townhouse units and neighborhood commercial lots in the northeast portion of the development. The proposed zoning districts are R-2, single family residential with 9,600 square foot minimum lot size, R-4, two family residential for the townhouse units with 6,000 square foot minimum lot size and B-1, neighborhood commercial district. Conrad said a main roadway will be built from Church Drive heading south and connecting with Highway 93 at the intersection of Tronstad Road. He reviewed the street profiles for the board. Conrad noted that the roadway that will serve Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 12 of 18 the commercial lots has been proposed with sidewalks only on the outside portion of the roadway and not on the interior landscaped island. Conrad noted that in the PUD request the developers are asking for 9 deviations from the zoning and subdivision regulations, some of which he reviewed for the board. Conrad noted a majority of the deviations are site -specific and design features in Phase 2 with the neighborhood commercial. Conrad said staff is recommending as a condition that a 50 foot setback from the top of the bank along the drainage to the rear property boundary be required as well as an additional 30 foot building setback for all structures on lots adjacent to the Stillwater River hillside and its tributaries. Staff is recommending the 50 foot setback in order to ensure water quality as well slope stability along Stillwater River. The 30 foot setback was proposed by the developer and staff is recommending that it be a required setback for the homes and all accessory buildings. Staff is recommending that the Kalispell City Planning Board adopt staff reports KA-06-13, KPUD-06 & KPP-06-13 as findings of fact and recommend to the City Council that the initial zoning of the 325.1 acre site be R-2, R-4 and B-1 and further that the planned unit development and preliminary plat for Silverbrook Estates be approved subject to the 38 conditions listed in the staff report. BOARD DISCUSSION I None. APPLICANT/AGENCIES Wayne Freeman, CTA stated he is representing 93 & Church LLC and Ron & Brenda Profitt. He noted they envision a quality development on this site. He reviewed the project materials, the agency outreach program, location, surrounding and requested zoning, surrounding land uses and the project in detail. Freeman noted that all of the roads meet or exceed city standards and the developer is working with MDT to expand the Highway 93 acceleration lane to the south from Tronstad Road. In addition the developer will work with MDT to expand and develop Church Drive, MDT will be responsible for 750 feet and the developer will continue the improvements on Church Drive well past the edge of this property. Freeman stated the developer is paying for the extension of water and sewer all the way out from the city limits to the edge of this property. Additional development in the area may hook up to this extension of services which would partly reimburse the developer but he is willing to take the risk. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 13 of 18 There are 10.27 acres of parkland, which exceeds the minimum required by the city and does not include the buffer zone and the natural park area within the 100 year floodplain so a substantial amount of this project is to be left in open space. Freeman said during the summer they hired a firm to look at this project at an economic standpoint and he reviewed those findings. Freeman touched on recent comments that were provided to them at this meeting from Citizens for a Better Flathead relating to affordable housing and he said that they are providing townhomes and have designed this project as a mixed income development. While they will not be placing homes here that would be selling for $60,000 to $100,000 per unit they have addressed a variety of different approaches. Relating to transportation again they are paying for the existing facilities along Church Drive and then adding the acceleration lane. Freeman continued that the open space areas are open to the public but maintained by the homeowners association. There is a large amount of parking available not only in the commercial area but also within many of the other park areas. This is not an exclusive club they are looking to engage the community and they believe they have done so. QUESTIONS BY THE Schutt asked the difference between single family and single BOARD family estates and if that means a gated community. Freeman said the difference is larger lot sizes and added there is no gated community proposed. Schutt commended the developers and consultants on a very nice project. Hinchey asked about public access to the river/park areas and where would the public park. Freeman said at this time they haven't determined what the Parks Department wants to see within the park areas. He said parking is available within several of the areas of the development but there will be substantial parking available in the commercial area where the public can easily access the trail system. Hinchey asked for the breakdown in acreage for the commercial area. Freeman didn't have the exact figures but said what they wanted to do was to have a neighborhood commercial area that is intended primarily for use by the residents of this development and the adjacent area and to help limit traffic on Highway 93. Jentz interjected approximately 3 acres of retail square footage and associated parking is noted in the application materials. Schutt asked for the approximate distance from the rebuilt portion of Church Drive to the commercial entrance. Freeman said 500 feet. Schutt asked for the configuration of Tronstad Road intersection with Highway 93. Freeman said Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 14 of 18 that it will be a right in/right out only. Norton noted for the record that the board received letters from Pete Wessel and Citizens for a Better Flathead which both discussed concerns with the project. Norton added that a work session was held on this project 2 weeks ago, which was also open to the public. PUBLIC HEARING Hank Galpin, 1885 Stillwater Road stated that he and his wife own the farm on the west side of Stillwater River. They are delighted to see the effort that CTA and Howard Mann have put into this project. They are looking forward to being a neighbor. Galpin added their house will overlook this project and they particularly like the fact that the developers have established a mandatory setback from the top of the ridge that overlooks the Stillwater River. What he likes is that they have not only established a setback but have added additional setbacks. Galpin noted in 30-40 years Clark Drive is going to connect to Tronstad and will cross his farm and the property south of this development and intersect with Silverbrook prior to where it crosses and joins Tronstad. Although CTA and Mr. Mann do not necessarily have to address that connection the city should keep that in mind because east -west roads in this county are few and far between. Lacey Galpin, 1885 Stillwater Road said that she agrees with everything her husband Hank said. It looks like a beautiful plan and she is especially delighted to see the boulevards. She was born and raised here and she has always admired the boulevards on the east and west side of town and wondered why more subdivisions didn't include them. Galpin added she thinks it is a great project. MOTION - ANNEXATION Schutt moved and Balcom seconded a motion to adopt staff report KA-06-13 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning of the 325.1 acre site be R-2 (Single Family Residential), R-4 (Two -Family Residential) and B-1 (Neighborhood Buffer District with a PUD overlay. BOARD DISCUSSION Hull appealed to the board that he believes no matter how good this project is it is way too far outside of the city limits. He doesn't think that they should be building a string -bean city that will stretch from Old School Station to this project. The board approved Old School Station under the assumption that it would bring jobs and they haven't seen anything out there besides Fun Beverage. This proposal will do nothing more than add houses. Hull expressed his concerns that the police and fire departments will have problems serving this project so far outside the city limits. There are going to be other large projects coming in that are adjacent to the city limits and Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 15 of 18 this project will be competing for services and lot sales with those other projects. Hull disagreed with some of the findings in the economic study which he reviewed. Hull said other cities do not annex outside their city unless there is some kind of serious problem like septic pollution. Hull noted the reason that they are reviewing this project is that the county could come in tomorrow and approve it. However, the county's growth plan is at a stalemate and they would not get a quick zone change. Hull also recounted the discussions that took place that kept changing the northern boundary of the Growth Policy area which finally was moved to Church Drive and now they are looking at a project right at this northern boundary. Norton noted that only 3 board members, Norton, Schutt and Hull, attended the work session and he was glad to see better attendance at this meeting. At the work session Hull stated the same concerns and Norton understands Hull's concerns. The board has learned through past experience that the only way to gain a quality subdivision is to have a large acre parcel of land and in this case the developer is absorbing the cost of extending sewer and water to this site. They have come to the board with every question answered and beyond. Norton said he has a concern with the distance from the city for police and fire protection and he believes the city should end at Church Drive and concentrate on infill from this project back to the rest of the city. ROLL CALL I The motion passed on a roll call vote of 5 in favor and 1 opposed. MOTION - PLANNED UNIT Hinchey moved and Balcom seconded a motion to adopt staff DEVELOPMENT- report KPUD-06-06 as findings of fact and recommend to the SILVERBROOK ESTATES Kalispell City Council that the planned unit development for Silverbrook Estates be approved subject to the 38 conditions listed in the staff report. BOARD DISCUSSION Schutt said he is very pleased with the plan. He understands Hull's concerns but if they are going to get quality growth it happens better under the wing of the city of Kalispell. Schutt said the board has considered several growth policy amendments and another is coming up to the west. He wonders whether or not it will end here or will they soon be talking about Whitefish South. He is hopeful that this vision for the future of the city will be respected by this board and the city council when other developments are proposed in this area. Schutt added this seems to be a quality subdivision with great amenities. He noted this type of development is what the board has been asking for and he will be recommending approval. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 16 of 18 ROLL CALL The motion passed on a roll call vote of 5 in favor and 1 opposed. MOTION - PRELIMINARY Hinchey moved and Balcom seconded a motion to adopt staff PLAT - SILVERBROOK report KPP-06-13 as findings of fact and recommend to the ESTATES, PHASE 1 Kalispell City Council that the preliminary plat for Silverbrook Estates, Phase 1 be approved subject to the 38 conditions listed in the staff report. BOARD DISCUSSION Schutt asked where the approval of the PUD that was just voted on ends and the preliminary plat approval begins. Jentz said the board has recommended zoning to the property with . the planned unit development overlay. The PUD will set general parameters for development across the entire project. Most of them will only apply to Phase 2 with the neighborhood commercial but the residential portion of the PUD addresses fence heights, lot coverage, and setbacks. Norton stated this project has everything that the board has asked for. Hinchey noted it was his understanding that the city had set aside a green space along Highway 93 of 150 feet and this project is less than that. Conrad noted the minimum was set at 100-150 feet and this project meets the minimum requirement. ROLL CALL The motion passed on a roll call vote of 5 in favor and 1 opposed. OLD BUSINESS: Conrad said the review of the construction & design standards of the Subdivision Regulations should begin the beginning of next year, after another planner is hired and on board. Hull noted that the new subdivision requirements regarding letters received will be hard to enforce. He added the board received a lot of emails/letters regarding projects on this agenda and wondered how they would know whether or not staff or council received copies. Conrad said the ones staff received were included in the board's packets or handed out before the meeting. Schutt asked why the board received amendments to the Riata Ridge preliminary plat at the last minute. Jentz said this project had several problems and numerous changes were discussed. The new plat was an attempt for the developer/ consultant to meet the conditions imposed, but the new plat failed to address all of the conditions. Norton suggested that the consultants be asked to distribute changes during the meeting and describe the reason for the amendments. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 17 of 18 NEW BUSINESS I Discuss starting time for work sessions. The board agreed to hold work sessions separate from the regular meeting, therefore meeting twice a month, and starting the work sessions at 7:00 p.m. Norton suggested that work sessions be limited to 2 hours. Jentz reviewed the items on the next work session agenda and updated the board on projects coming before them in the future. Hull stressed the importance of having all of the board members attend the meetings and work sessions. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:05 p.m. ✓J , Timothy Norton President A work session will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2006, at the Building Department's conference room located at 411 lat Avenue West, (the old Salvation Army Building at the corner of lst Avenue West and 4th Street West) in Kalispell, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission will be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Michelle Anderson Recording Secretary APPROVED as submitted/corrected: G z / IcrZ /06 Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of November 14, 2006 Page 18 of 18