MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MIDLAND CITY PLANNING COMMISSION,

WHICH TOOK PLACE ON TUESDAY,

AUGUST 14, 2007, 7:00 P.M.,

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, MIDLAND, MICHIGAN

 

1.   Roll Call

PRESENT:  Brown, Eyre, Hanna, Kozakiewicz, Mead, Senesac and Svenson

VACANCY:  One

ABSENT:    Gaynor

OTHERS PRESENT: Keith Baker, Director of Planning & Community Development, Daryl Poprave, Deputy Planning Director; Cheri King, Community Development Specialist, and 7 others.

 

2.   Approval of Minutes

Mr. Senesac added one more contingency on page 5, “7.  There will be no inappropriate water standing in the play area as determined by the City Engineering Department.”

Moved by Senesac, seconded by Hanna, to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 24, 2007 as corrected.

 

3.   Public Hearing

 

      a.   Site Plan No. 261 for Communications Family Credit Union – a request for site plan review and approval for a 6,329 square foot proposed building located at 100 Joseph Drive on 2.04 acres. 

     

      Mr. Poprave showed an aerial photograph showing the location of the proposed site.  It is located east of Jefferson Avenue and south of Joseph Drive.  The Bickford House is to the north and Chemical Bank is to the west, currently under construction.  The zoning map shows this property is zoned Office Service and is adjacent to Office Service.  Across the street is Office Service, the soccer fields to the south are zoned Community, and there is Regional Commercial to the east.  This property requires a full site-plan review because there are two new curb cuts being added to the property.  The site is undeveloped, largely void of vegetation.  The proposed landscaping does meet the minimum requirements.  The building height is limited to 28 feet.  They will be 30 feet high, due to the style of the building.  The ordinance requires they add an additional 12 feet on each side and they are adding an additional 18 feet on all sides.  There is a shrub line between this property and the soccer field.  They will maintain this screening between their building and the soccer fields.  The Fire Department stated there is adequate access to this property.  Both curb cuts meet the requirements of the zoning ordinance.  Pedestrian sidewalks will be constructed on the west side of Jefferson.  This building will require 34 parking spaces and the developer has provided 38 spaces.  The city requires a minimum of three stacking spaces for the drive-thru and they have provided four.  They will be doing underground detention on this facility.  Adequate utilities currently service this site.  Proposed signage complies with Article 8 of the zoning ordinance. 

 

      Al Vegter, 28 East South State Street, Ann Arbor.  Mr. Vegter stated for the most part, cars can see someone exiting the credit union property.  Stormwater detention will be accommodated with an underground system located under the proposed parking lot.  Mr. Vegter showed a drawing of the proposed building and pointed out that the top of the peaked roof is what exceeds the maximum height requirement. 

     

     No one spoke either in favor of or in opposition to this rezoning request.

           

4.   Public Comments (not related to agenda items)

 

      None

 

5.   New Business

 

      None

 

6.   Old Business

     

      a.   Zoning Petition No. 544 – Initiated by the Greater Midland Community Centers, Inc. for property located at 2009, 2021, 2025, 2105, 2111, 2113 Jefferson Avenue from Residential A-4 to Community. 

 

      Mr. Baker showed an aerial photo showing the six individual parcels that face Jefferson Avenue, running north and south.  The Midland Community Center owns the property just south of the properties in question.  The zoning of this area is RA-4 and the requested zoning is for Community.  There is an office and neighborhood commercial zoning area at the corner of the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Arbury Place.  The parcels that are currently used as single family are part of the petition this evening, and there are single family parcels to the south.  The master plan shows this area as public/quasi-public zoning.  The public park open space shown on the drawing is Central Park.  The proposed amendment is consistent with the City’s Master Plan.  The proposed amendment will be in accordance with the intent and purpose of the Zoning Ordinance.  The amendment will not result in unlawful exclusionary zoning.  A public hearing was held on July 24th.  The staff report does identify and recommend a positive decision on this zoning petition. 

 

      Chris Tointon, CEO of Midland Community Center, showed a timeline for the City of Midland’s actions.  Midland Community center is looking to join and consolidate their campus.  They want to create outdoor recreation space, reconfiguration of parking, reduced traffic and more parking for senior citizens who use their facilities.

 

      Mr. Kozakiewicz asked if the outdoor basketball court will be lighted.  Mr. Tointon stated that it will.  They are going to make sure they place it in the right location that they will meet the requirements of the zoning ordinance related to lighting. 

 

      No one spoke either in favor of or in opposition to this request.

 

      Mr. Eyre stated this seems to be a good program.  They own all the property and it will make an excellent facility.  Mr. Kozakiewicz agrees. 

 

It was moved by Eyre and seconded by Brown to recommend City Council approval of the Zoning Petition No. 544:

     

      YEA:          Brown, Eyre, Hanna, Kozakiewicz, Mead, Senesac and Svenson

      NAY:         None

      ABSENT:  Gaynor

 

      The motion was approved 7-0.

     

b.    Master Plan Project: 

 

1.   Review public review period, public hearing and plan adoption process

2.   Review comments received to date

3.    Discuss Public Hearing

 

Robert Cramer, from LSL, is here to give an overview of where we stand with the Master Plan process and comments that have been submitted.  The Master Plan At-A-Glance shows that the mater plan is required by Michigan law to support zoning.  It analyzes demographics, economy/market trends, and existing conditions.  It provides a sound basis for subsequent regulations, policies, and programs designed to achieve goals.  It will serve as a guide to manage growth, development, and redevelopment.  It includes an additional focus on transportation. 

 

The MUGA includes areas of seven townships adjacent to the City of Midland, with the boundary established in 1969 and periodically expanded.  The City plans in these areas to ensure coordinated development patterns if and when areas decide to annex into the city.  The City Master Plan designations are only applicable as properties are annexed.  Properties must annex (by choice) to receive City water and sanitary sewer services.  City Future Land Use designations are often more intense than Township designations because they reflect the type of development that requires City water and sewer services.

 

Mr. Kozakiewicz asked how often the Master Plan has to be updated.  Mr. Cramer stated that, by law, the Planning Commission must at least take a look at their Master Plan at least every five years and document their comments on it.

 

 

      Review of Comments:

For the most part, the comments received were regarding the Light Industrial areas of the proposed Master Plan.  There is quite a bit of light industrial future land use land, especially in Ingersoll Township. 

 

Ingersoll Township has concerns about additional light industrial future land use designations within the MUGA boundary.  Areas that are currently agricultural have a future land use that is not agricultural.  The future land use plan does not apply to these lands unless they are annexed into the city.  There is also a significant wooded area that they would like to have remain as open space.  The MUGA/”proposed annexation” includes the Township’s largest industrial designated area.

 

Midland County Planning Commission has concerns about the abundant light industrial outside the city limits.  It is adjacent to and includes active agricultural land.  The proposed light industrial is adjacent to river frontage, residential property values are a concern, purchasing of large land area with intent to annex is a concern, and there appears to be sufficient undeveloped light industrial land in the city limits. 

 

In light of the comments and correspondence submitted by both Ingersoll Township and the Midland County Planning Commission, the City of Midland Planning Commission directed staff to contact representatives of Ingersoll Township and schedule a meeting to discuss the city’s master plan future land use designations and the township’s concerns relative to the level of light industrial identified within Ingersoll Township. 

 

What comes next?

We are now at the end of the review period.  We can now set the public hearing.  We need to establish the date of the public hearing, whether the Planning Commission wants a single reading or at multiple meetings.  Would the Planning Commission be comfortable adopting the plan at the same meeting (if no significant changes are needed)? 

 

Motion by Senesac, seconded by Hanna to set September 11, 2007 as the public hearing date for the Master Plan.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

7.  Communications

 

    The Planning Commission received two issues of “Planning and Zoning News” and a booklet about public utilities.

     

8.  Report of the Chairman  

 

It is that time of year to seriously think about attending the Michigan Association of Planning Conference.  Please let the Planning Department know if you wish to attend.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Report of the Planning Director

 

CITY COUNCIL                                                                                              

 

August 13th  

                        PUBLIC HEARINGS & ACTION                  

 

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 Midland Zoning Ordinance.  (Approved)

 

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.  (Approved)

 

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. (Approved)

 

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. (Approved)

 

5.     Conditional Use Permit No. 23 - A request by 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. (Approved)

                       

 

 

 

 

PLANNING COMMISSION

 

August 28th      

            PUBLIC HEARING

 

            1.   Site Plan No. 263 from MSARI Holdings, LLC, a request for site plan review and approval for a 5,800 square foot proposed industrial manufacturing building at 1905 Mark Putnam Road.

 

 

 

            ACTION ITEMS        

 

1.    Site Plan No. 261 for Communications Family Credit Union, a request for site plan review and approval for a 6,369 square foot proposed building located at 100 Joseph Drive on 2.04 acres

 

2.    Zoning Code Amendments – Continue discussion and review of proposed amendments to the City of Midland Zoning Code.

 

September 11th

            PUBLIC HEARING   

 

1.    2007 City of Midland Master Plan

 

                        2.   Site Plan No. 262 from Three Rivers Corporation on behalf of the City of Midland Currie Golf Course, a request for site plan review and approval for a 11,070 square foot proposed golf cart building located at 1116 Currie Parkway.

 

            ACTION ITEMS        

 

1.    Site Plan No. 263 from MSARI Holdings, LLC, a request for site plan review and approval for a 5,800 square foot proposed industrial manufacturing building at 1905 Mark Putnam Road.

 

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

 

August 21, 2007 Meeting

 

No. 07-10 – David Keyser of Dow, Howell, Gilmore, and Associates on behalf of

Thomas Feige, Jr. for an area/dimension variance to allow the construction of a new attached garage with a gross floor area of 913 square feet at 1009 West St. Andrews Road.

 

No. 07-11 – Arthur J. Fisher for an area dimension variance to permit a previously constructed storage facility to exist within required mobile home setbacks at the Alpine Mobile Home Park located at 7401 Sturgeon Road.

 

PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE SITE PLAN REVIEWS

 

Administrative Site Plan #34 – Midland Community Tennis Center

A 935 square foot “annex addition” and 25 additional parking stalls.  The addition includes new restrooms, front entrance, circular drop off area and interior foyer.  

 

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

 

August 28, 2007 is next the regular Planning Commission meeting. 

 

The public can view the Master Plan Update by accessing the City’s website at www.midland-mi.org and going to the Master Plan Update link on the homepage.

 

The annual Michigan Association of Planning conference is scheduled for October 17-20, 2007.  The conference is being held in Traverse City at the Grand Traverse Resort.  As a Planning Commission member, you are eligible and invited to attend.  The City of Midland will cover the cost of registration and accommodations for up to three commissioners.  Please let Deputy Director Poprave or Director Baker if you are interested in attending. 

 

Numerous site plan reviews are on the horizon.  Projects include the new $60 million dollar Harlow wing of the Mid Michigan Medical Center, the Midland Community Center campus project, the Midland County Jail, Mid Michigan Energy Generating Station, and a new 100 stall parking lot for Dow Chemical among others.    

 

Planning staff would like the Planning Commission to consider setting a public hearing to consider the proposed zoning text amendments that have been previously identified and discussed. 

 

City staff is preparing the 2008 City Calendar and would like to confirm the meeting schedule for the 2008 Planning Commission monthly meetings.  Unless otherwise recommended by the Planning Commission, the meetings will be scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month with the exception of December during which only one meeting on the second Tuesday will be scheduled. 

 

The Planning Commission is being asked to consider what goals or projects should be considered during the next fiscal year as an initial step in the new budget preparation process.  Planning staff will make a presentation at the September 11, 2008 meeting and lead a discussion as to the proposed goals for the commission for the coming year. 

 

Planning Commission packets are now available on-line on the City of Midland’s web site.  Meeting agenda items are highlighted and residents can “click” on the link to view all of the supporting documentation.  The city’s web site address is www.midland-mi.org. 

 

10.  Adjourn

Adjournment at 8:50 p.m. was unanimously approved.

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Keith Baker, AICP

Director of Planning and Community Development

 

MINUTES ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION