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04-11-00KALISPELL CITY -COUNTY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES OF MEETING APRIL 11, 2000 CALL TO ORDER AND Jean Johnson called the meeting to order at approximately ROLL CALL 7:00 p.m. Members present were: Jean Johnson, Rob Heinecke, Greg Stevens, Don Garberg, Don Mann, Don Hines, Bill Rice and Brian Sipe. Randy Ek was excused. Narda Wilson represented the Flathead Regional Development Office. There were approximately five people in the audience. APPROVAL OF MINUTES On a motion by Stevens and seconded by Mann the minutes of the meeting of March 14, 2000 were approved unanimously, corrected as follows: Page 13: Stevens suggested that the city council could establish a street district to assess for street and sidewalk improvements. LEE ANNEXATION AND A request by Gwenn Lee for annexation into the city of Kalispell INITIAL ZONING and initial zoning designation of B-2 on 3.548 acres on the west side of Meridian Road. LEE PRELIMINARY PLAT A request by Gwenn Lee for preliminary plat approval of a seven lot commercial subdivision known as Lee's Meridian O Business Park on 3.548 acres on the west side of Meridian Road approximately 200 feet south of Appleway Drive. STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson gave a presentation on staff reports KA-00-2 and KPP-00-3 in which staff recommends a B-2, General Business zoning classification upon annexation, and preliminary plat approval subject to conditions. She stated that this property is just south of the development on the north side of Appleway Drive that the board had looked at in March. The request for annexation was filed in conjunction with an application for preliminary plat for Lee's Meridian Business Park. The request for commercial zoning does comply with the master plan map designation of urban residential. However, it does further some of the goals and policies of the plan which encourages new commercial to be an expansion within existing areas. It is currently zoned County R-1. Full city services are being proposed. There are no environmental constraints. A new subdivision road will access onto Meridian Road that aligns with West Center Street. This will create a new four way intersection. Wilson submitted a letter of opposition to the annexation and commercial zoning from Thomas Woytus. Wilson stated that the staff would recommend that the following conditions be added: • That an additional ten -feet of right-of-way along Meridian Road be indicated on the final plat. • That a 60-foot right-of-way easement between proposed n Lots 5 and 6 be indicated on the final plat for future roadway extension. That a "no access to railroad" strip be indicated on the final plat along Lots 1 through 5. That a buffering be provided along the southern boundary of the subdivision which complies with the Kalispell zoning ordinance, i.e. a six-foot site obscuring fence or coniferous hedge. Sipe asked if the additional conditions recommended by staff had been discussed with the -,developers and Wilson answered no, she had been unable to reach them prior to the meeting. Heinecke asked and Wilson answered that there is an eight - foot asphalt pedestrian trail to the north which runs parallel to the railroad tracks with a sidewalk that would connect to the trail. The sidewalk from this subdivision along Meridian Road would connect to the new sidewalk to the north. She noted that a sidewalk has recently installed up against the curb on the east side of Meridian Road. Stevens asked and Wilson answered that the required greenbelt n separation between the residential and commercial areas on \� J the south boundary of the subdivision would include a six-foot site obscuring fence or dense coniferous hedge. Sipe asked where Woytus lived and Wilson stated that he had Lot 5DD which is to the east of this proposed development. Johnson asked about the attached curbing and Wilson answered that the recommendation is for a detached sidewalk despite that the preliminary plat indicates an attached sidewalk around the cul-de-sac on. The developers did not ask for a variance and there is no hardship to provide a basis for one. The condition relating to that states that the developers would be required to build the roadways in accordance with the City Design and Construction Standards, which would require a detached sidewalk. PUBLIC HEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak on the application. PROPONENTS Dan Henderson, agent for the property owner, spoke in favor of the application stating that this commercial subdivision lends itself easily to the area. He believes there would not be a problem with the applicant complying with the conditions as amended and recommended by staff. Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 2 Gerald Young, adjacent property owner, spoke in favor of the application stating that he couldn't see any problems with this proposal. Tom Cowan, with Carver Engineering, spoke in favor of the application stating that he was there to answer technical questions and does not see any major problems other than the traffic analysis, which they anticipated would be required by the Kalispell Public Works Department. OPPOSITION Becky Bower, 14 South Meridian, spoke against the proposed commercial designation for the subdivision stating that as an area resident she believes there is too much commercial in the area already. She added that Randy Vaught and other neighbors had told her that they were also opposed to the application. She stated that she had not had time to prepare any specific comments, however she did want to note her opposition. No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. BOARD DISCUSSION Mann asked about the sidewalk along the west side of Meridian and Wilson 'stated that the sidewalk would connect to the pedestrian trail to the north and eventually down to Second as those lots come into the city. The sidewalk would connect to O those planned to the north, and to the south this sidewalk could be connected to by new developments. Stevens asked and Wilson answered that a traffic engineer would do the traffic study. She stated that there are levels of service assigned to roadways based on several factors. The study could show that upgrades might be needed due to the creation of the four-way intersection and the addition of traffic from this subdivision. Dan Henderson noted that an outside consultant would have to be hired to complete a traffic study, which would give recommendations on improvements necessary to this development. Hines asked and Wilson answered that the Public Works Department wants this study submitted in conjunction with the utility design because the roadway construction and specifications may be changed as a result of mitigation recommendations from the traffic study. Hines stated that he believes there are only two firms in the State that do traffic analysis and that they are two years out in their schedule. Wilson stated that she knows there is someone locally that is Uqualified to do a traffic study and she does not know about others or a two year delay. Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 3 Rice stated that he believes that a commercial zoning �. designation would work well with the surrounding area. He added that a traffic study would make recommendations that would mitigate the impacts on traffic from this commercial business park. Stevens pointed out that there would probably be more commercial uses developed south of this development. He sees this as a transition area and those residential property owners should probably note. that the city is expanding in this area when making improvements to their property and that this could be described as a transition area. Geraldine Young stated that she is an adjacent property owner and with the Appleway development and this development, her neighborhood would become an island of residential zoning amongst the commercial zoning. She questioned whether they could come into the city under both of those projects and be designated B-2. Wilson stated that once these areas are annexed, she could petition to annex under a commercial zoning designation to be consistent with these other properties in the area. It would be anticipated that this area would be annexed as commercial and be developed to something other than residential such as small offices. Or the neighborhood could ask for a designation that would allow either residential or commercial uses and maybe have duplexes, small apartments, or an apartment / office combination. MOTION Mann moved and Stevens seconded to adopt staff report KA- 00-2 as findings of fact and, based on these findings, recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the subject property be zoned B-2, General Business, upon annexation. On a roll call vote all members voted Aye. The motion to recommend B-2 zoning passed unanimously. Rice moved and Sipe seconded to adopt staff report KPP-00-3 as findings of fact and, based on these findings, recommend that the Kalispell City Council grant preliminary plat approval subject to the conditions as amended by staff. Heinecke stated that he would want the traffic study deleted from the conditions, noting that if a problem develops at some point in the future then the City could do a more comprehensive traffic study. Heinecke moved and Hines seconded to amend the motion to delete condition six relating to the traffic analysis. Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 Garberg stated that adding a condition for a 60-foot easement is in line with a traffic study. Wilson stated that as developers come in and develop those lots south of this development they would then have access. The lots to the west were created in such a way that they don't have roadway frontage. This would provide a connection to those lots. Garberg stated that requiring a traffic study would be a superfluous request, as it would not make any difference. Wilson stated that the Public Works Department is recommending the traffic study to determine if there should be upgrades to that intersection, due to this development, and to insure that it would continue to function as adequately. Garberg stated that this would be at the expense of one landowner, not knowing the cost or how much time it would take or how much relevance it would have. The City has ways they can budget for that, not the developer. Wilson noted that the impacts would be generated from this development. C� Rice stated that adding another street to an intersection would have some impact to that intersection. He does not think that the board should determine how to treat that. He would be more inclined to have the traffic study by professionals that would make recommendations on any needed upgrades to this intersection. Wilson stated that she understood the traffic study to be limited to this intersection. Johnson stated he does not know how a traffic study could be done on seven empty lots that are designated business. Those might or might not be high -density traffic lots and a traffic study would be premature. The motion to amend the main motion by, deleting condition six passed unanimously on a roll call vote. The amended main motion to recommend approval of the preliminary plat, subject to the staff and board amended conditions, passed unanimously on a roll call vote. OLD BUSINESS Wilson stated that the applicants for the Bee Hive Homes assisted facility has withdrawn their application and the property owner to the south is interested in purchasing the property. Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5 Sipe asked what the status is on the master plan. Wilson stated that it is her understanding that the city manager has scheduled a work session with the council on Monday April 24th. This meeting will probably continue to be about the process for adoption, such as does it go back to the planning board, do they approve it, do they hold public hearings, and do they amend it, that type of thing, not about looking at the details of the plan itself. Sipe asked and Wilson answered that staff would be in attendance at that work session. Hinesstated that the planning board should be invited to the council work session. The board agreed that they should be included in any and all work sessions held by the council and/or the commissioners dealing with the plan update. Sipe moved and Heinecke seconded to direct staff to forward a letter to the city council and the commissioners stating the board's wish to be involved in any and all work sessions on the master plan. The motion to have staff forward a letter passed unanimously on a roll call vote. NEW BUSINESS: FRDO ANNUAL WORK Narda Wilson presented a memorandum to the board with the PROGRAM staff recommended work items for the coming year, some of which represents the priority goals of the Kalispell City Council from a recent work session. Garberg asked what role if any does the planning board have on the city services extension policy and Wilson stated that they could make recommendations on what that policy should be. Hines stated that a financial burden is placed on potential development by not having a city services extension policy. Johnson stated that in the years that he has been on the board they have never met with the city or the county as to the roles or objectives of the board. He stated that once the work program is written down the board never hears of it again. In the past year they discussed having a joint session to look at where they are going, but they never have. Johnson asked and Wilson answered that the board makes a recommendation for a work plan and that is forwarded to the council and then to the CAB. Sipe asked and Wilson answered that this is the list of work items which the board can amend as they see fit. Then the board sets priorities. And as time allows the board then sets Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6 up work sessions on these items, in addition to completing the master plan. After completing their work on a particular item -- they then forward recommendations . to the council or commissioners. Johnson suggested including an item on a policy for sidewalks, curbs, gutters, boulevards and lighting. The board discussed this and generally concurred that such a policy are site specific. Hines stated that the City should have some kind of a policy for a budget to make upgrades and improvements to roadways and sidewalks, etc. because the burden should not be on the developers. Stevens reported that the CAB raised all of the application fees. He noted that no CAB members were present that would face an election, and he believes that the CAB should be made up of elected officials only. He stated that even though the board had no authority in this, he felt it should be a matter of record anyway. Only elected officials should consider or decide whether to raise citizen fees. He believes the CAB structure is inappropriate as far as oversight of the community. Heinecke stated that he believed that the FRDO should be directed to research the issue of sidewalks, curbs, gutters and C lighting, etc. There should be a general policy in place. The board was in general agreement that the efforts and time spent on these work items may be futile in that the council or commissioners may not listen or act on their recommendations; however, they did agree that it was their responsibility to make recommendations to those entities anyway. The board discussed the work items list at length and agreed that the board members should consider this issue more extensively and present their thoughts on a work program at the next meeting. Johnson reported that Heinecke had been elected chairman of the Kalispell Board of Adjustment. There will be a parliamentary procedures workshop on Saturday, April 29th at the Justice Center Conference Room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wilson reported that there are nine applications for the May meeting. Due to that volume the board agreed to start their summer hours in May (begin the meetings at 6 p.m.) and to have two meetings, one May 9+h and another on the 23=d. Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 7 ADJOURNMENT The next regular meeting will be May 9, 2000 at 7 p.m. The 0 meeting was adjourned by motion at approximately 8:50 p.m. Jean A. J��ns'on, President r Approved a submitte corrected: /00 ricia La e, ecording Secretary Kalispell City -County Planning Board April 11, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 8