MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION,
WHICH TOOK PLACE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2005, 7:00 P.M.,
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL,
1. Roll Call
PRESENT: Eyre,
Kozakiewicz, Mead, Rapanos, Senesac, and Svenson
ABSENT: Gaynor and Plotzke
OTHERS PRESENT: Jon Lynch, Assistant City Manager;
Daryl Poprave, City Planner; Cheri Standfest, Community Development Specialist;
Sally Sutton, Zoning Board of Appeals member and 6 others.
2. Approval
of Minutes
Regular Meeting of
It was moved by Mead and supported by Kozakiewicz to approve the minutes
of July 26th. The minutes were unanimously approved.
3. Public
Hearings
None
4. Public Comments (not
related to agenda items)
None
5. Old Business
A Zoning Petition No. 522 – Consideration
of a petition initiated by the Planning
Commission to rezone approximately
1.09 acres located at the south side of the
parcel at 2810 East
Wheeler Street from Midland Township Residential A-1 to
City of Midland
Residential A-4 zoning.
Mr. Poprave reviewed the petition
beginning with the location map. The surrounding
zoning includes RA-4, borders to the west with RA-1, and on the north side of
Wheeler, we have RB, high density residential.
Currently, the parcel is a farm field.
It is just south of the Jehovah’s Witness’ Kingdom Hall.
Steve Rapanos requested to be
allowed to abstain from both zoning petitions this evening as the petitioner is
his father. This was acceptable by the
Commission.
No one spoke either in favor of or
in opposition to this zoning request.
Mr. Mead does not see any problems
with how this petition currently stands.
He is in favor of it. Mr. Eyre is
also in favor of it as it is consistent with the Master Plan.
It was moved by Eyre and seconded by
Mead to recommend approval of Zoning Petition No. 522 to City Council.
The vote proceeded as follows:
YEA: Eyre,
Kozakiewicz, Mead, Senesac and Svenson
NAY: None
ABSENT: Gaynor and Plotzke
ABSTAIN: Rapanos
Motion passes unanimously.
B. Zoning Petition No. 523 – Consideration
of a petition initiated by John Rapanos
to rezone approximately
1.14 acres located at the west side of the parcel at 2810
East Wheeler Street
from Residential A-1 to Residential A-4 zoning.
Mr.
Poprave began by showing a location map of the subject property. This parcel is the one located immediately to
the west of the previous parcel. No one
spoke either in favor of or in opposition to this request.
It was moved by Eyre and seconded by
Mead to recommend approval of Zoning Petition No. 523 to City Council.
The vote proceeded as follows:
YEA: Eyre,
Kozakiewicz, Mead, Senesac and Svenson
NAY: None
ABSENT: Gaynor and Plotzke
ABSTAIN: Rapanos
Motion passes unanimously.
C. Conditional Use Permit No. 20
– Consideration of a petition initiated by Faulk
& Foster on behalf
of IPCS Wireless for conditional use permit approval to allow
collocation of
telecommunications equipment and increase of tower height at
1730 N. Saginaw
Road.
The property is all zoned regional
commercial. Since they are extending the
tower height by six feet, they must seek a conditional use permit. Mr. Poprave showed a sketch of the proposed
tower. There is a cylindrical cabinet
being added at the top. There will be
three separate cellular companies on the same tower.
Dave
Marvin, of Faulk & Foster in Grand Rapids is representing IPCS
Wireless. He thinks the opportunity for
collocation is pretty great. Height is
the concern. While the overall tower
height will remain the same, the only thing extending up over the limit will be
the canister that houses the antennae.
Although it looks like the tower is being extended, it is just due to
the canister on top. The FAA has
approved it for 114 feet. It is unlikely
they would extend this above that. The
antenna that looks like a “lightening rod” will still be there. There will be cabinets, rather than a
shelter, on the ground. This is a steel
platform that is raised about a foot.
Snow and ice will melt and fall through.
No
one spoke either in favor of or in opposition to this petition.
It was moved by Mead and seconded by
Svenson to recommend approval of Conditional Use Permit No. 20 to City Council.
The vote proceeded as follows:
YEA: Eyre,
Kozakiewicz, Mead, Rapanos, Senesac and Svenson
NAY: None
ABSENT: Gaynor and Plotzke
Motion passes unanimously.
6. New Business
A. Michigan Department of
Transportation – Presentation
by Mr. Don Mayle, Transportation Planner, regarding inputs, benefits, and use
of travel demand
modeling. Discussion
of role of Socio-Economic data in the model.
Mr. Mayle explained the following:
·
Why a regional model?
·
What is a travel demand model? This is the process of modeling what is here
now and then forecasting future travel on the transportation system.
·
Model applications, including long-range transportation
plans, capacity deficiency analysis, alternative testing, detour analysis and
land use impacts.
·
Travel demand model limitations include designed for
system-wide analysis, makes broad assumptions, and makes a 24-hour capacity
analysis. It will not reflect peak hour
problems or road conditions.
·
To create a travel demand model, you must build a
network, build traffic analysis zones (TAZs), and attach data to the network
and zones.
·
Network attributes are used to determine the
capacity of a road and to determine how traffic is assigned to the network.
·
Trip generation by purpose – the reason for making a
trip.
·
Trip distribution – links trip origin to trip
destination.
·
Traffic assignment accumulates trips between zones
to estimate volumes.
·
Base year traffic volumes are calibrated to known
traffic counts.
Currently, they are working on the
socio-economic data to establish a base for the model. The values for population and household were
added during his process. Maps of MESA
and Claritas data provided data for review.
B. 7-Eleven Report – Receive a
report regarding a request by Garb-Ko, Inc. to operate
the 7-Eleven store at 4004 North
Jefferson Avenue 24 hours per day.
Garb-Ko, Inc., the franchisee of
7-Eleven, has an interest in allowing the store to operate on a 24-hour a day
basis. Mr. Lynch presented a chronology
of events leading up to this request.
Historically, the neighborhood has been an interested party regarding
what happens at this location. It is
recommended by staff that the Planning Commission hold a public hearing to
allow input by the neighborhood.
Felicia Selesky – represents
7-Eleven on Jefferson. She has been
involved with this location for the past 5-6 years. She is the field consultant for the store.
John Zimmer – 121 E. Sugnet Rd. –
He is the new franchise owner and he lives right next door to the store. There used to be a problem with kids. He has lived there for 28 years. The problem has gone away. It is too cold in the winter time for kids to
hang around there. The shorter hours do
cost him sales.
The Planning Commission will hold
a public hearing on the hours of operation for the neighborhood commercial
zoning district.
C. Comprehensive Plan Update – Consideration
of a process by which firms responding to the City’s request for proposals to
update the Comprehensive Plan will be interviewed.
Staff recommends that two
interview panels take part in the process of evaluating these firms. The first panel will consist of the entire
Planning Commission. The second panel, a
Community Interest Panel (CIP) would represent broad interests and could be
comprised of representatives of the following groups: City Council, Entranceway Initiative
Taskforce, Homebuilders Association of Midland, Midland Area Chamber of
Commerce, Midland Board of Realtors, Midland Public Schools and Midland
Tomorrow.
7. Communications
None
8. Report
of the Chairman
Three people will be going to the Planning Conference. Commissioner Plotzke has turned in his
resignation as he has accepted a new job in Detroit and is unable to attend
meetings.
9.
Report of the Planning Director
August 8th
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
ACTION
ITEMS
§ Site Plan No. 248 – W of Hedgewood Dr. and N of Universal Dr.; Ayres Associates for Jeff & Shelly Weckesser for site of 6 duplex structures. (approved)
§ Conditional Use Permit No. 19 – 1700 E Patrick Rd.; Midland Church of Christ for CUP to allow a place of worship – set public hearing (8-22)
August 22nd
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
§ Conditional Use Permit No. 19 – 1700 E Patrick Rd.; Midland Church of Christ for CUP to allow a place of worship
ACTION
ITEMS
§ Set public hearing, Zoning Petition No. 522 – Consideration of a petition initiated by the Planning Commission to rezone approximately 1.09 acres located at the south side of the parcel at 2810 East Wheeler Street from Midland Township Residential R-1 to City of Midland Residential A-4 zoning. (9-12)
§ Set public hearing, Zoning Petition No. 523 – Consideration of a petition initiated by John Rapanos to rezone approximately 1.14 acres located at the west side of the parcel at 2810 East Wheeler Street from Residential A-1 to Residential A-4 zoning. (9-12)
§ Set public hearing, Conditional Use Permit No. 20 - Consideration of a petition initiated by Faulk & Foster on behalf of IPCA Wireless for conditional use permit approval to allow collocation of telecommunications equipment and increase of tower height at 1730 N Saginaw Road. (9-12)
August 23rd
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
None
ACTION
ITEMS
§ Michigan Department of Transportation – Don Mayle will request local approval of Midland socioeconomic data used in regional traffic modeling
§ Electronic Signs Report
September 13th
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
Hours of Operation; 7-Eleven Store (TENTATIVE)
ACTION
ITEMS
August 16th
§ 05-12 – Speedway SuperAmerica for a non-use variance to permit an increase in the amount of under canopy lighting and additional wall signage at 2500 North Saginaw Road.
§ 05-13 – Midland King’s Daughters Home for a non-use variance to permit a 32 square foot ground sign to exist in RB – Residential at 2410 Rodd Street.
§ 05-14 – Dollar Daze Inc. for an administrative review to appeal City Council screening and fencing contingencies approved as part of site plan approval at 1828 North Saginaw Road.
§ 05-15 - Richard LaPoe on behalf of Subway Inc. for a non-use variance to permit additional signage on the Wal-Mart Super Center at 910 Joe Mann Blvd.
None
§
Michigan Association of Planning annual conference
is scheduled from 9-14 to 9-17 (Eyre, Rapanos, & Svenson attending)
§
Mark Plotzke has expressed his intent to resign
from the Commission leaving two vacancies.
10. Adjourn
Adjournment at approximately 9:07 PM and unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Jon Lynch
Assistant City Manager
MINUTES ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION