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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-07 -08 CPC MIN"Ir ti . • PLANNING COMMISSION July 8, 1996 Present: Jerry Fontaine, chairman Glenna Bealka, Dave Charpentier, Kirk Roetman, Don Valsvik, Darwin Wald, Thomas Wiedner, and Terry Zoller Others: Steve Russell, Community Development Director Absent: Rob Hamlin Chairman Fontaine called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Mr. Wald, seconded by Mrs. Bealka, moved approval of the minutes of June 10, 1996; all in favor. Case No. V/96-38 A variance for a 2-1 /2 x 4 foot sign located at 901 S. Third St. in the RB-Two Family Residential District. Pastor Don R. Hargate, applicant. Pastor Hargate was present for the discussion. He said he had been working with staff in developing new signage. The new sign will be • downlit. He said the church will be repainted and requested the use of the existing sign until the building has been repainted and the new sign installed; the existing sign is being turned off at 10 p.m. A neighbor, Peter Young, 821 S. Third St., said the situation has improved since the light is being turned off at 10 p.m. He said his only concern is with the overall brightness of the new signage. Mr. Russell noted it will be relatively easy to control the brightness by changing the wattage of the lights; staff will review the new sign/wattage. Mr. Young said he would defer to Mr. Russell's judgment on the issue. Mr. Wald, seconded by Mr. Valsvik, moved approval as conditioned; all in favor. Case No. SV/96-44 Petition for a street vacation for a portion of East School Street along the south side of East School Street east of North Third Street. Dorothy Thueson, applicant. Tom Thueson was present representing the applicant. He said the request is to vacate only that portion of the street where the fence has been built. • The vacation will not affect plowing of the street. Mr. Russell noted the Public Works Department has reviewed the request and has no objection. Mr. Valsvik, seconded by Mrs. Bealka, moved approval of the petition; all in favor. Case No. SUB/96-45 A minor subdivision of 52,894 square feet into a 15,666 square foot parcel and a 37,178 square foot parcel at 450 N. Main Street (Staples Mill) in the CBD, Central Business District. Kellison Company, applicant. Mr. Russell explained that the subdivision is necessary to separate the two parcels in order to identify the parcels for taxing purposes. Mr. Valsvik, seconded by Mr. Roetman, moved approval of the subdivision; all in favor. Case No. V/96-46 A variance to the sign ordinance for a freestanding, temporary, lighted (blinking light) 20 square foot kiosk sign without required setback located at 1910 S. Greeley St. in the BP-C, Business Park Commercial District. Stillwater Knights of Columbus, applicant. • Paul Mahoney, gambling manager, was present for the discussion. Mr. Wald abstained from the discussion. Mr. Mahoney explained the sign was the most cost effective way to get people to attend. He said half of the gambling proceeds go back to the community; without the sign, he said the operation would likely have to leave the hall. Upon questioning by Mr. Roetman, he said typically the sign is only in place from Friday morning until Friday evening. Mr. Russell noted flashing lights and kiosk signs are prohibited according to the city's ordinance; also the requested sign does not meet setback requirements. The existing Knights of Columbus sign was granted a variance due to size. Mrs. Bealka asked what type of signage could be used. Mr. Russell suggested that a sandwich board type sign, such as the Teen Center uses on occasion to advertise dances, might be an alternative. Mr. Valsvik noted the Knights of Columbus is a fine organization, but the Commission needs to hold to the ordinance. He suggested looking into what is the Teen Center uses for its temporary advertising. . Mr. Roetman, seconded by Mrs. Bealka, moved to deny the request; all in favor. Recommendation regarding-___ liquor license referendum for the Market Square area. The request before the City Council is to place a referendum question on the November ballot asking for up to three additional liquor licenses for the Market Square development. Mr. Zoller noted that based on population, Stillwater should have 13 liquor licenses; the city currently has 17. Mr. Zoller said he did not think the city should encourage liquor-serving establishments in that area. To do so, he said, would be a disservice to the city's downtown area. He said if the city was having difficulty in securing development in the Market Square area, that would be another matter. Mr. Wiedner argued that if liquor licenses are transferable (which they are) enabling the owner of a downtown establishment with an existing liquor license to move to "the hill," it would be unfair not to allow a liquor license in the Market Square area. Mr. Russell suggested that Mr. Zoller's point is more of a business development issue than a land use issue. Several members suggested that the request for three additional licenses seemed excessive. Mr. Valsvik, seconded by Mr. Roetman, moved to recommend that the City Council not place a referendum seeking three additional liquor licenses on the November ballot. Vote was 7-1, with Mrs. Bealka voting against. Stillwater Trolley complaint Mr. Russell said the city has received a complaint from a homeowner who does not want the trolley stopping in front of her home. He said the matter involves the issue of access on public streets, and he has asked for an opinion from City Attorney David Magnuson. Mr. Valsvik, seconded by Mr. Wald, moved to consider the complaint and refer the matter to Mr. Magnuson for his opinion; all in favor. Home Occupation Permits 0 s R Mr. Russell said the city will likely be getting more and more requests for Home Occupation Permits. He suggested forming a subcommittee to look into the issue with the possibility of developing a new home occupation ordinance in order to protect the integrity of residential areas. Members agreed it would be wise to look at the issue. Mr. Roetman, Mr. Wiedner and Mr. Wald agreed to work on the subcommittee. Village Commercial and Campus Research and Development District regulations Present for the discussion were Robert and Paula Kroening, land owners and representing Newman Realty, and Marc Putnam, Charles Cudd representative. Mr. Russell went through the changes that were made as a result of the June 19 Planning Commission special meeting. Paula Kroening asked that the wording in the Village Commercial District Purpose section, which defines the center as serving an area within one- half mile radius of the proposed district, be changed. She said the center needs to address drive-by traffic as well in order to be viable. It was agreed to eliminate that language and replace it with language that the is center is to "primarily serve" the nearby residential neighborhood. The last word in the Purpose section was changed from "required" to "needed." There was considerable discussion regarding the Special Use Permit section. General store and deli-coffee shop were added to the listed uses. The Kroenings asked that restaurant be added. The Kroenings and Mr. Putnam asked that options for use be kept as open as possible in order for the center to be viable and able to respond to the marketplace. Mr. Russell noted the city is more concerned with design than the specifics of marketability -- that is the owners' job, he said. It was the consensus of members that the Use Determination section will provide flexibility in future usage. Also in the Special Use Permit section, second level only was added to residential uses. In the Use Determination, the word "any" was removed from the first sentence; zoning administrator was changed to "Planning Commission." In the last sentence, reference to subdivision was changed to "this section." 0 In the setback requirements, "to non C-D use" was added to the side yard setbacks; interior setback were eliminated as was provision "f". Front yard and rear yard setbacks will have language indicating setbacks are from roadway right-of-way. In the additional setback requirement section, "20 feet from the street" was changed to "20 feet from a publicly dedicated street." In the other requirements section, the language was changed to "when appropriately screened and located and designed as approved by the planning commission." Regarding the Campus, Research and Development District permitted uses, Mr. Zoller said the intent was to not allow tax-exempt uses in that district. It was agreed to remove "institutions of higher learning and classrooms for business and professional schools" from the permitted uses. The maximum height was changed to 35 feet for all structures, with No. 2 removed from that section. Several minor corrections also were noted. Members agreed to set a public hearing on the proposed regulations for Aug. 12. Mr. Wald, seconded by Mrs. Bealka, moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:10 P. M. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Baker Recording Secretary C