MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MIDLAND CITY PLANNING
COMMISSION,
WHICH TOOK PLACE ON TUESDAY,
JUNE 12, 2007, 7:00 P.M.,
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, MIDLAND, MICHIGAN
1.
Roll Call
PRESENT: Brown,
Eyre, Gaynor, Hanna, Mead, and Svenson
ABSENT: Jocks, Kozakiewicz , and Senesac
OTHERS PRESENT: Keith Baker,
Director of Planning & Community Development, Daryl Poprave, Deputy
Planning Director; Cheri Standfest, Community Development Specialist, and 4
others.
2. Approval of
Minutes
Regular Meeting of May 22, 2007.
It was moved by Eyre and supported by Brown to
approve the minutes of May 22, 2007. The
minutes were unanimously approved as presented.
3.
Public
Hearing
Conditional Use Permit No. 23 – the
request of J.S.W. Holding, LLC for a parking
Lot for hospital administration at 4815 Christie Court. This property is located in a Residential A-1
zoning district.
Mr.
Baker presented a general overview, the conditional land use review criteria,
both non-discretionary and discretionary, the process and the recommendation to
City Council. The property is at 4815
Christie Court, located just north of North Saginaw Road, just west of Christie
Court. It is just north of an existing
office building. The property is
currently zoned RA-1 and shows its proximity to existing RA-1 to the north,
east and west and Regional Commercial to the south. The future land use map identifies the
property within the Office Service District adjoining residential property to
the north and the east. To the south and
west is identified as Office Service. In
relation to existing land use, we have office to the south, directly adjoining
the property, and a large commercial shopping center to the east.
There
are two sets of review criteria – the non-discretionary standards and the
discretionary standards. A drawing of
the proposed parking lot was provided.
Non-discretionary standards include landscaping, screening, utilities,
lighting, and storm water retention.
This is proposed to be a parking lot so it must meet the standards in
Article 5.01. The box-style striping
must be used and staff has recommended the handicap-accessible parking spaces
be moved to the east. The proposed
screening along the north side of the property will screen the property from
the residential uses to the north. The
Fire Dept. has requested the access lane between this parking lot and the
parking lot to the south have 20 feet for a turning radius. Staff has also requested a drawing that will
include not only the parking lot in question, but also including the building
this parking lot is slated to serve.
Discretionary
standards include the protection of public health, general welfare, location of
outdoor storage, hours of operation, placement of any materials or storage of
any materials on that property, detrimental effects regarding how it will
affect the public and adjoining properties, how it will impact traffic,
compatibility of the natural environment and compatibility with the master plan
and future land use plan.
A
public hearing will be held at this meeting and there will be the opportunity
for deliberation at the next Planning Commission meeting. City Council is also required to have a
public hearing on this conditional use permit.
Ms.
Brown asked how many parking spaces will be in this parking lot and is that
number sufficient for the building they are to serve. Mr. Baker stated approximately 14 spaces will
be provided. These will be calculated
prior to the next Planning Commission meeting.
Only
one individual sent in a comment regarding this conditional use permit.
Jeff
Weckesser, 3920 Haskin Drive, Midland, Michigan, is the petitioner for this
parking lot. The company name is JSW
Holding. The use for this would be for
the hospital accounting department. The
hours of operation should be until 4:30 p.m.
There could be some weekend traffic, but this would not be the norm.
Ms.
Hanna asked about the hours of operation because this is close to residential
areas and there are restaurants in this area.
Would the restaurants in the area be tempted to use this parking lot for
their customers during evenings and weekends?
Mr. Weckesser stated that he has not seen, in 25 years, the parking lots
for the restaurants in the area need extra parking. Ms. Hanna asked about the possibility of
using something other than impervious surfaces for the parking lot. Mr. Weckesser stated he was under the
assumption that that was one of the choices he had. The retention for the run-off has been taken
care of so he would not be required to use a more pervious surface. Mr. Eyre asked if the trees to the north are
on this subject property. Mr. Weckesser
stated that they are. This will be a
lighted parking lot. The lighting will
not go beyond the property lines. Mr.
Gaynor asked about the need for this parking lot. Mr. Weckesser stated the hospital is
projecting they will need additional parking for future developments out in the
front of this property. Mr. Weckesser stated
the hospital was asking for approximately 55 parking spaces. He thinks there are 44 or 46 spaces here.
Stephanie
Bayshore, 4901 Christie Court, spoke.
She lives next door to this property and she works at the hospital. She just purchased her house about a year
ago. One of the things that appealed to
her was the row of trees to the north of this property and it is a buffer from
the traffic on Saginaw Road. She very
much wants that row of trees to stay as they are.
No
one spoke in opposition to the petition.
Jeff
Weckesser stated that Mr. Baker stated in his report that the “trees be
maintained”. This was good wording so
that if the trees were to die off for whatever reason, they will be
maintained. The wall will help, but the
trees also help to buffer the noise from Saginaw Road.
4. Public
Comments (not related to agenda
items)
None
5.
New
Business
2007 Midland Zoning Ordinance Revisions - Overview
·
The Zoning Ordinance became effective
on January 1, 2005
·
Section 2.03 – Definitions
A
new definition was created to describe what a flag lot is.
Retail
strip centers are now defined to match new use and parking
Standards.
·
Section 3.03 – Accessory Buildings
·
Section 3.03B(3)
Permits
attached garages to exceed 800 sq. ft. in size
The
size of detached accessory buildings remains unchanged
·
Section 3.03E – Accessory Structures
Adds
private and public utility cabinets as an example of an accessory structure –
Provides for height restriction if located in the front yard
·
Section 3.09 – Yard and Bulk
Regulations
·
Section 3.09A(3)
Adds
flag lot requirements (part of an administrative decision)
·
Table 5.3 – Minimum required
off-street parking
Housing
for the Elderly
Senior
Apartments
Retail
Strip Centers
Warehouses
and Storage Buildings
Removes these uses from
a larger category
Parking reflects more
closely operations with fewer employees
and customers (eg.
Central Warehouse)
·
Table 6.1 – Summary of minimum
landscaping requirements
·
Table 7.1 – Required Obscuring Wall or
Fence Height
·
Adds double frontage lots to zones
which permit 6 ft. tall fences if it is the general condition of the
neighborhood (e.g. Wheeler, W. Wackerly, Saginaw Road)
·
Table 8.1 – Temporary Sign Standards
Adds
Banner Signs as a new type of sign
Permitted only in commercial and
industrial districts
32 sq. ft. maximum size
30 day time limit
Changes previous Banner to Real Estate signs which are
already permitted via footnote “h” but now more explicitly stated.
·
Section 8.05D(3) Wall sign height
Removes
a confusing definition and replaces it with simple verbage at the request of
the Zoning Board of Appeals
·
Table 8.4 – Ground Sign Setbacks
Adds
ground sign setbacks for AG and RA Districts
·
Building Height Issues – Various
Districts
Adds
building height restrictions to the following Districts:
·
Community – the taller the building
the greater the setback
·
Office Service – 2 story maximum
height (28 ft.)
·
Community Commercial – 2 story maximum
height
Article
21.1 – Table of Permitted Uses
·
Dressmaking added as “P” in CC and RC
·
Retail Strip Centers added as “P” in
C, NC, CC and RC
20,000 sq. ft. maximum building size
in NC
·
Commercial Bakeries changed to “C” in
D and C
·
Offices, 1st floor changed
to “P” in D and D-O
·
Residential Inpatient Treatment
Centers removed from NC and CC
·
Cultural Facilities removed from
Recreation Uses as it already appears I Public/Institutional Category
·
Parks removed from Recreation uses as
it appears in Public/Institutional Category
·
Housing for the Elderly removed from
Residential Uses as it already appears in Public/Institutional Category
Article
21.03 – Development Standards
·
Changes Downtown front yard setbacks
from 25 ft. to 5 ft. to better reflect existing conditions and not render the
entire downtown nonconforming.
·
Removes Downtown Overlay maximum front
yard from 15 feet, as this is the only district with a maximum front yard.
·
The small lot size of most downtown
buildings already limits construction away from the property line (e.g. Ashman
Court Hotel renovations).
Article
23 – Industrial Districts
·
Table 23.1 – Table of Permitted Uses
Other
policy topics:
·
Changes PA 207 of 1921 – State Zoning
Act to PA 110 of 2006 per change in State law.
Section
27.20(b)(2) – Site Plan Not Required
Section
27.04E(1) – Modifications to Approved Plan
Changes language to reflect the new
standard
Article
26 – Schedule of Regulations
Section 26.02 – Schedule of
Regulations
Removes maximum front
yard column
Adds height standards to
Community, Community Commercial
and Office Service
Changes
front yard setback requirements in Downtown and Downtown-Overlay
Adds front yard setback for permitted residential homes
in the Downtown District to reflect existing conditions.
Requested
Action:
Staff
is seeking comments and suggestions from the Planning Commission on all of the
proposed revisions.
If
changes are sought, staff will report back on June 26, 2007.
Once
Planning Commission is satisfied with the 2007 revisions, please direct staff
to schedule a public hearing to formally consider these amendments.
6. Old Business
None
7.
Communications
The “Michigan Planner” was provided to
Commissioners at the meeting.
8. Report of the Chairman
Ms. Svenson appointed a
nominating committee of Mr. Gaynor, Ms. Svenson and Ms. Brown to bring
recommendations to the Commission.
9.
Report of the Planning Director
June 11th
PUBLIC HEARINGS None
ACTION ITEMS
SP# 260 – A request by Three
Rivers Corporation, on behalf of Chemical Bank, for site plan review and approval for a 3,785 square foot proposed
building located at
June 25th
PUBLIC HEARINGS None
ACTION ITEMS None
June 26th
PUBLIC
HEARING
1. Zoning Text
Amendment No. 144A, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy,
LLC, to consider the inclusion of “Electrical generating stations” as a
Principal Permitted Use in the Industrial B district in the City of
2. Zoning Petition No. 542, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy,
LLC for property owned by the City of Midland to zone property on 4389 South
Saginaw Road, west of Waldo Avenue from Residential A-1 to Industrial B.
3. Zoning Petition No. 543, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy,
LLC for property owned by The Dow Chemical Company to zone property on
4. Planned Unit Development No. 2, a request by Harcrest
Woods Condominiums, to install traffic control gates at the east entrance to
the complex (Harcrest Drive just west of Thornberry Drive), in accord with the
provisions of Article 24, Section 24.06D of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of
Midland.
ACTION
ITEM
1. Conditional Use Permit No. 23 - A request by J.S.W. Holding, LLC for a
parking lot for hospital administration at
2. Zoning Code Amendments – Continue discussion and review of
proposed amendments to the City of
July 10th
ACTION
ITEM
1. Zoning Text
Amendment No. 144A, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy,
LLC, to consider the inclusion of “Electrical generating stations” as a
Principal Permitted Use in the Industrial B district in the City of
2. Zoning Petition No. 542, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy,
LLC for property owned by the City of Midland to zone property on 4389 South
Saginaw Road, west of Waldo Avenue from Residential A-1 to Industrial B.
3. Zoning Petition No. 543, initiated by Mid-Michigan Energy, LLC
for property owned by The Dow Chemical Company to zone property on 4249 South
Saginaw Road, west of Waldo Avenue from Industrial A to Industrial B.
4. Planned Unit Development No. 2, a request by Harcrest
Woods Condominiums, to install traffic control gates at the east entrance to
the complex (Harcrest Drive just west of Thornberry Drive), in accord with the
provisions of Article 24, Section 24.06D of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of
Midland.
5. Zoning Code Amendments – Continue discussion and review of proposed
amendments to the City of
June 19, 2007 Meeting
Agenda
1. No. 07-07 – Georgina Winslow and Scott Leach for an area/dimension
variance to allow an attached
garage to encroach within the side yard setback at
2. No. 07-08 – Todd Beebe for multiple area/dimension variances to allow a
new
home addition, detached shed and 6 ft. privacy fence to encroach
within the side
and rear yard setbacks at
None.