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06-13-00KALISPELL CITY -COUNTY PLANNING BOARD MINUTES OF MEETING JUNE 13, 2000 CALL TO ORDER AND Jean Johnson called the meeting to order at approximately ROLL CALL 6:00 p.m. Members present were: Jean Johnson, Rob Heinecke, Don Hines, Bill Rice, Don Garberg Brian Sipe, Dale Pierce, and Don Mann. Greg Stevens was absent. Narda Wilson represented the Flathead Regional Development Office. There were approximately 20 people in the audience. SEATING OF NEW Dale Pierce was welcomed to the board. MEMBER APPROVAL OF MINUTES On a motion by Mann and seconded by Sipe the minutes of the meeting of May 23, 2000 were approved unanimously, as corrected, amend Page 2, "Jim Moore spoke in opposition to the application...". SALVATION ARMY A request by the Salvation Army for a conditional use permit to CONDITIONAL USE allow the operation of a day care center in an H-1 zoning PERMIT district at 110 Bountiful Drive. STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson gave a presentation on staff report KCU-00-5, in which staff recommends the planning board adopt the staff report as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the conditional use permit be granted subject to six conditions listed in the report. PUBLIC HEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak on the application. PROPONENTS Lt. Monte Jones, 216 Glenwood Drive, Kalispell, Corporate Officer of Salvation Army spoke in favor of the project. Lt. Jones read a story "How Much Do Miracles Cost". He listed the many services the Salvation Army provides to the meet the community needs. He explained that the Salvation Army wants to provide a safe environment for working parents, and that this daycare would be providing a much needed service. Steven Staneart, 471 Cougar Trail, Whitefish, Center Director for the Salvation Army. Staneart read a list of 12 names of people who had submitted letters in support of the project. Steven discussed the impacts to the community in the way of noise, and traffic. There would be an increase in noise but that it would be the noise of happy children. The traffic increase would be less than a 5% change. The bulk of clients would arrive early morning or late evening, not peak times of offices in the area. They are very willing to accommodate with buffers. Staneart noted the H-1 district has the greatest concentration of ladies working than any other area in the valley and this would be. a great service to those people. Staneart clarified which area on the site plan would be utilized as a play area. Kathy Walker, 213 Lakeshore Drive, director of the Sugar and Spice the daycare, explained they were interested in being adopted by the Salvation Army. She explained that in March they were informed by the Christian Center they would be remodeling and that the daycare would be closed. She approached the Salvation Army, and was immediately embraced with enthusiasm. The daycare currently has 75 — 80 families using the daycare and these families would have a difficult time finding other daycare. School District 5 provides busing services to and from local schools. Walker explained the past history of the daycare and noted that the daycare originally started 25 years ago in what is now the Health Promotion Center. They have 20 employees currently who they want to keep employed and serving this area. This is a well -structured daycare run a lot like a school. Sharon DuVall, one of the parents of two children currently in Sugar and Spice, spoke in favor of the application. Does not feel that traffic impact will be more. She works for Northwest Health Care, the corporation that owns the hospital. She would qualify for their daycare but there is a waiting list. There is a lack of this type of daycare in this area and taking away this daycare that is offered by Sugar and Spice would be very detrimental to the community. Feels it would be a great asset to allow them to move to the Salvation Army location. O Lt. Jones asked to speak again. He added that they are making a commitment to the project and there is a $95,000.00 worth of remodeling costs to the building. The reason they are looking at doing this is the fact that there is a critical need. They investigated the available spots for this number of children should Sugar and Spice close and found options would be very limited to numerous parents. This daycare is a vital need to the community and there are not a lot of other agencies in this community that have the available 10,000 square feet of needed space to accommodate this type 'of facility. OPPONENTS Jeff Little, 64 Buffalo Hill Drive, spoke in opposition to the application. Little is not opposed to daycare or children but against having this in their neighborhood. Moving this daycare would make it very close to the Buffalo Hill residential neighborhood. He feels the infrastructure is not capable of handling this impact. Thinks it would negatively impact property values, the approach and entrance to emergency room, and traffic on the Hill and on Hwy. 93. He asked that should this application be approved they would like additional conditions to be considered. These conditions would include: a restriction of 50 children, fencing by their residential neighborhood of six foot and eight foot privacy fencing, limit the age of children to 10 years, and restrict access to alley from Salvation Army and Lutheran Home, a change of signage to alleviate the traffic problems. The people that live in this Kalispell City -County Planning Board June 13, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6 neighborhood are very concerned about the traffic problems n and would like the board to consider their concerns. =' Rosalie Heinecke, 61 Buffalo Hill Drive, grandmother, great grandmother, loves children, loves the Salvation Army, loves the Lutheran Home and going there before much longer. Has lived in the neighborhood before a lot of the existing facilities were there. Heinecke's main concern is the elderly people and alley between the Salvation Army and Lutheran Home and the impact to the old people. The elderly people need sidewalks, wider streets, and help before an accident occurs. Heinecke stated she is for the daycare and old people and kids are good together, but this project needs to be thought out and how it is handled. Neil Hart, 164 Charlotte Ave, spoke against the proposal. He believes the Salvation Army is doing a great job at the present time taking care of people in need. Would like the board to consider the type of clientele the Salvation Army serves and the mixing of children with these types of people. At the present time, residents of this neighborhood have to call the police to have these people removed from camping under their carports and trees. Would like the board to carefully consider this issue. Dean Jellison, 116 Crestline, lives in a house right at the end O of Claremont. Jellison explained the location of their house and the problems related to traffic in the area and in particular the intersection of Claremont and Crestline. Jellison stated that when Bountiful Drive was created, it was contemplated that Bountiful Drive would be extended to the highway. He felt that in the course of this application it should be strongly recommended to the City of Kalispell that this extension of Bountiful be created. This would be a much safer access on to the highway and would decrease the safety hazards considerably. Jellison added that Jeff Little is the President of Highland Park Homeowners Association, which voted unanimously that he come and protest. No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. BOARD DISCUSSION Don Garberg made a motion and Don Hines seconded that the AND MOTION board adopt staff report KCU-00-5 as findings of fact and, based on these findings, recommend that the Kalispell City Council grant the conditional use permit, subject to the amended conditions. Garberg wanted it on the record that he was making this motion so that the application could be discussed. UGarberg agreed with Jellison that the board recommend to City Bountiful Drive be extended. Kalispell City -County Planning Board June 13, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6 Rice asked if there was right-of-way on Bountiful and was answered there was not. _! Heinecke questioned hours of operation to which Lt. Jones answered they could never extend hours of operation due to interference with other programs. Lt. Jones further explained that there would be penalties in place if children are picked up late. Heinecke asked for verification on number of children Sugar and Spice is currently handling and Kathy Walker responded that there are currently 75 children when school is out and possibly 85 in summer. Heinecke asked if this number would greatly increase if the daycare were moved. Lt. Jones stated that the state would limit' them for the number of children allowed and the top number would be around 100 - give or take 10 children. Staneart noted this based on the 10,000 square feet available in the facility. Board members asked for the age limitations on children and Walker responded that they are licensed for children 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Rarely take any children up to age 12. Hines questioned how children are transported currently from various schools to the daycare. Walker said school district No. 5 currently has bussing available to transport the children. Heinecke voiced his concern about safety, especially along the alley. He encouraged discussion about the traffic problems. Narda Wilson offered language in the form of a new condition No. 7 to address restricting access. Garberg moved to add this condition Rice seconded. On roll call all voted unanimously in favor. Further discussion was held on the application. Johnson stated he felt there is a lack of traffic pattern to receive and dispatch children. Walker stated this is staggered traffic and these children do not all come at once, the parents park and children are walked in and signed in by parents. Heinecke verified drop off procedure. Wilson called attention to site plan and parking locations indicated. Wilson suggested adding of a condition that loading and unloading area be clearly delineated at the entrance of the building. Mann suggested that a facility that has been operating for 25 years without any problems doesn't need the boards help in this ^ll area. �J. Kalispell City -County Planning Board June 13, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6 Rice asked that someone address Mr. Hart's concern regarding transient clients serviced by the Salvation Army. Lt. Jones addressed this issue, indicating on the site plan how this issue has been addressed with the licensing agency and state. Doors will be locked that only open from the inside with panic bars in case of fire, eliminating the chance of clients getting in. They looked at security for this portion of the building very closely and have developed a way to secure off this portion of the facility. The exit straight off the back of building in case of fire also has emergency sounders on it so that clients cannot even go to the back yard to look at the children. Keys to this part of building are very limited to the staff and even if the janitor wants to enter this part of the building he must go back around and come in through the doors of the daycare and check in. Last thing he would do is put children in danger and he wants them to be safe. Walker added comments noting the office is located right in the back door and has full view of the playground, that internal policy for picking up children governs that any non -parent picking up a child must stop at office where they are identified and are issued a slip they must give the teacher and have signed by the teacher before the child is released. On a roll call vote all members voted Aye. The motion to recommend granting the conditional use passed unanimously. UKALISPELL A text amendment to the City of Kalispell Subdivision SUBDIVISION Regulations to bring them into compliance with HB300 passed REGULATIONS TEXT by the 1999 State Legislature, which changes the major AMENDMENT subdivision review period from 60 calendar days to 60 working days and the minor subdivision review period from 35 calendar days to 35 working days. STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson gave a presentation on staff report KSTA-00-1, in which staff recommends that the Kalispell City -County Planning Board adopt staff report as findings of fact and recommend the following course of action to the Kalispell City Council that the Kalispell Subdivision Regulations be amended to change the term "days" to "working days" when used in the context of describing the amount of time allotted to the local governing body in the review of major and minor subdivisions. PUBLIC HEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak on the application. PROPONENTS / No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. OPPONENTS MOTION Discussion was held on how this text amendment would change the time frame of an application. Kalispell City -County Planning Board June 13, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6 " Mann moved and Hines seconded to adopt staff report KSTA- 00-1 as findings of fact and, based on these findings, '1 recommend that the Kalispell City Council that the Kalispell Subdivision regulation be amended. On a roll call vote Dale Pierce, Rob Heinecke, Don Garberg, Don, Mann, Jean Johnson and Bill Rice voted Aye. Brian Sipe and Don Hines voted Nay. The motion to recommend approval of the text amendment passed on a vote of 6 to 2. OLD BUSINESS Johnson mentioned that the City Council will be having a public hearing on July 10th adopt, deny or amend the Growth Policy Plan resolution. Johnson felt the board members should attend this meeting and pass on their comments regarding the growth policy. NEW BUSINESS Heinecke stated he had recorded a show on PBS called "Urbanism, Suburbanism and the Good Life" that discusses urbanism, open space and urban sprawl. He made a copy for the planning board members to view and pass around. Narda asked if the board wanted to do anything with Bountiful Drive extension recommendation. The board asked that a letter be sent to the City that the feasibility of extending Bountiful Drive to Highway 93 is looked into, especially for the safety of children. Johnson updated the board members regarding the meeting a ADJOURNMENT The next regular meeting will be July 11, 2000 at 6 p.m. The meeting was adjourned by motion at approximately 7:20 p.m. Approved as submitted/corrected: / % i /00 sa Simmer, Recording Secretary Kalispell City -County Planning Board June 13, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6