MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION,
WHICH TOOK PLACE ON TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2004, 7:00 P.M.,
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL,
1. Roll Call
PRESENT: Baker, Kozakiewicz, Max, Mead, Senesac, Svenson
ABSENT: Dowling, Geisler and Wieland
(excused)
OTHERS PRESENT: Jon Lynch, Assistant City Manager;
Mark Ostgarden, City Planner; Sally Sutton, Zoning Board of Appeals Member and
9 others.
2. Approval
of Minutes
Regular Meeting of
It was moved by Max and supported by Baker to approve the minutes of
April 27th as corrected. The
minutes were unanimously approved.
3. Public
Hearings
Special
Use Permit #13 – Consideration of special use permit approval requested by
Dow-Howell-Gilmore-Associates,
Inc. to construct a new office building on the north
side of Sugnet Drive at
Whiting Drive. [See transcript]
4. Public
Comments (not related to agenda items)
None
5.
Old
Business
A. Site Plan
No. 240 – Consideration of site plan approval requested by Ayres
Associates
for a proposed 14,820 square
foot Walgreens Pharmacy and a 6,600 square foot
office building at the
southeast intersection of Eastman Avenue and North Saginaw Road.
Mark
Ostgarden reintroduced the site plan with the comparison of two plans with
reference
to the site analysis of the site engineering comments. The plan was not
prepared
by the City of Midland but was developed by the petitioner in response to
comments from the City’s traffic engineer.
He made reference to the neighborhood concerns
about the
site.
Commissioner
Baker wanted to know if Walgreens would accept either the original plan or
the
revised plan. It was noted that
Walgreen’s preferred the original plan.
Commissioner
Senesac stated that the drive entrance can be elsewhere.
Jon Lynch
held a discussion of zoning district boundary lines, noting that the revised
plan would allow a portion of the office building to be used for commercial
activity.
Commissioner
Mead wanted to know the proximity of the revised drive to the
existing
drive (roughly 95’ apart).
Commissioner
Senesac discussed what happens when the southbound traffic turns left into the
site. No left turns at the Eastman
driveway on the original plan met with approval of the traffic engineer and has
potential to address concerns of residents on Burrell Court.
Dave
Pruder, petitioner from Agree Realty, Farmington Hills, Michigan stated that
the
left turn
restriction may compound problems as it forces traffic onto Saginaw Road. Accessibility is
critical
for success. Three abutting residents
prefer the original plan.
Commissioner
Svenson stated that there is a 20 minute back up at around 5:00 but
at other
times it is not an issue. With plan two
could the building entrance be facing
Eastman?
Dave Pruder stated that at
Walgreens the busiest days are Mondays.
He anticipates
less volume than the existing
South Saginaw Road store today.
Commissioner
Senesac wanted to know if they looked at moving the building and expanding
the drive
way.
Dave
Pruder stated that movement of the drive would result in a loss of 12’ in
design.
This seems
to be the best plan for circulation. No
they cannot move the building
because of
the fire department access.
Public
comment for new information:
Mike
Fales, 7 Burrell Court, second lot in, one of three with common boundary. The
new
building would be 33’ closer to him. It
is very important to him in light of change
of zoning question
and turning it around would make it worse than before. He showed
Illustrations
from Bill Knapp’s and from his deck. He
requested the number of accidents
at the
corner of Burrell and Bill Knapp’s. The
revised site plan does not satisfy the
approved
standards but the original plan does. He
disagrees with the traffic
engineer.
Leo
Stapleton approves the first plan and objects to the revised plan. Keep trucks and
buses away
from nearby houses. Traffic would
increase on Burrell Court and the Commission should take those factors into
account.
Chris
Lauckner, 3 Burrell Court, agrees with Mike and the second proposal would
be very
difficult with respect to loss of privacy and he wants number one approved.
Commission
Max stated that moving the entrance south from the original plan takes the
emphasis
from Walgreens and puts it on the secondary building. Site plan isn’t the
problem it
is the location of the entrance.
Commissioner
Svenson questioned if moving closer to Burrell Court would cause
more
problems.
Commissioner
Baker likes the first plan.
Commissioner
Mead stated that moving makes little difference but the double yellow
for center
line should be addressed.
Commissioner
Kozakiewicz favors the original plan, moving the entrance creates
more
issues then it revolves. Number two
isn’t the best plan for the residents or
the
business.
Commissioner
Senesac thinks these are safety issues with traffic on Eastman. Both
plans
improve with three drives to one. He respects
Stan’s comments and can’t
believe
that farther north is better than farther south. Farther from intersection is
better. The Shell station at Patrick and South
Saginaw Road works and it was
controversial
Commissioner
Max stated that it would be more inconvenient to Burrell Court and
makes for
more traffic.
Commissioner
Svenson stated that with no left turn we are shifting the safety issue.
Commissioner
Mead said that right turn only creates other issues that don’t’ make sense.
Commissioner
Max stated that just as important, moving brings the rezoning
question
back into the picture and puts traffic along the wall and nobody wants
that.
It was
moved by Max and seconded by Baker to recommend approval of Site Plan No.
240 with
the following contingencies:
1. Storm
water retention plans are reviewed and approved by the City of Midland
Engineering Department.
2. Site
lighting shall not cast illumination off site.
3. If
site irrigation is planned, a separate water service is required.
4. Sign
construction is in accord with the Zoning Ordinance.
5. The
refuse receptacle is identified.
6. East
and west of the proposed office building there will be evergreen landscape
material 5’ in height for screening.
The vote proceeded as follows:
YEA: Baker, Kozakiewicz,
Max, Mead, and Svenson
NAYS:
Senesac
ABSENT:
Dowling, Geisler and Wieland
B. Consideration
of draft language to include in the new Zoning Ordinance to allow
parking in residential zoning districts by conditional use permit for
adjacent
commercial and office zoning district uses.
It was moved by Svenson and seconded by Max to extend the meeting until
9:45 pm.
The vote proceeded as follows:
YEA:
Kozakiewicz, Max, Senesac and Svenson
NAYS:
Baker and Mead
ABSENT:
Dowling, Geisler and Wieland
The City Planner presented draft language to include parking in
residential districts as a conditional land use in residential zoning districts
that would be part of the new Zoning Ordinance.
The draft described how the use would be permitted with a number of site
development standards in addition to the conditional use permit requirements.
The Planning Commission thought the draft acceptable and the consensus
was that a public hearing should be scheduled for community input on whether to
include the language in the new Zoning Ordinance.
6. New Business
None
7. Communications
None
8.
Report of the Chairman
None
9. Report of the Planning Director
The City
Planner reported on the following matters:
May 10th
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
ACTION
ITEMS
May 20th
SPECIAL
MEETING
Joint
meeting with City Council –
May 25th
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
None
ACTION ITEMS
Special Use
Permit #13 –
May 18th
10. Adjourn.
Adjournment at approximately 9:35 PM was moved by Mead, seconded by Max
and
unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Jon Lynch, AICP
Planning Commission Secretary
MINUTES ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION