2024-09-04 · City Council · Transcript · Community Zoning Information Meeting

--- title: Community Zoning Information Meeting date: 2024-09-04 source: 2024-09-04_Community_Zoning_Information_Meeting.wav --- [0:01:30, 0:01:32]: Good evening, everyone. [0:01:32, 0:01:37]: Thank you and welcome to the community zoning and information meeting. [0:01:38, 0:01:41]: For Wednesday, September seventh. [0:01:43, 0:02:03]: We would like to start off the meeting with introduction of staff, go over rules and regulations and some procedures, departmental announcements, if there are any, and of course just introduce applicants and then we'll get into our presentations for tonight. [0:02:03, 0:02:12]: This meeting starts at 6 PM and it is an hour long meeting. So we are looking to wrap up around 7. [0:02:15, 0:02:31]: So first I want to introduce staff that are here tonight. Um we have myself, yours truly, Kidra Jatson, the chief planner. And over me is Brian Anderson. He's the director over community development. [0:02:31, 0:02:43]: We also have Linda Logan, the senior planner, and we also have Gordon Linton, planner one with the planning and zoning division. [0:02:45, 0:03:00]: Just go over some rules and regulations for tonight. Um nothing strenuous. We just ask that um you allow the applicant during his or her presentation to allow one to finish. [0:03:00, 0:03:03]: At the end of the presentation, staff will acknowledge your hand. [0:03:04, 0:03:24]: So we do ask that you raise your hand. We will then acknowledge you and allow you to speak. You may ask questions. If there are several others that are here waiting to ask questions, we ask that you just hold your questions until everyone has completed ask asking and getting their questions answered. [0:03:24, 0:03:44]: and you may um proceed to your second question at the acknowledgement of a staff member. And that is throughout all presentations for tonight. Anything that you are disagree with, you know, this is a passionate subject when it comes to new developments. [0:03:44, 0:04:00]: Um people have preference, what they would like in their neighborhoods. And we understand that some topics can get passionate. We ask that you be respectful of those that are presenting to hold all comments or um any. [0:04:00, 0:04:20]: Just outbursts. We ask that those are held. Um, if we have to speak to you more than once and we hope that it will not get to that point, then we may have to ask you to leave the building. Um over there, over overall it's it's just a [0:04:20, 0:04:22]: Simple, informal. [0:04:23, 0:04:33]: presentation tonight so you have the ability and the autonomy to ask any questions you may have of staff and the applicant. [0:04:34, 0:04:45]: As far as departmental announcements, um we do have announcements that we are looking to um begin to working on our [0:04:45, 0:05:05]: uh UDC code. So we are in the process of getting that together where we will be presenting new test amendment test amendments to the city by the city. And we ask that you just stay tuned. These test amendments may affect your development. [0:05:05, 0:05:10]: Or they may not, but y you're more than welcome to contact any staff member. [0:05:10, 0:05:12]: just to get additional information. [0:05:12, 0:05:13]: Um as you know [0:05:13, 0:05:25]: our any test amendment that we bring before a board uh such as planning commission or city council, they are advertised in um [0:05:25, 0:05:40]: in our newspaper. So we do ask that you um feel free to contact us if you have an interest or um just a question about a test amendment that we are bringing forward. Also [0:05:41, 0:05:43]: That's all I have for now. Do [0:05:44, 0:06:04]: Staff members have any announcements they would like to make? Okay. Well moving forward, we'll go ahead into the introduction of the first case. So the first case is a test amendment. It is TS das two zero two four-zero five. This is a citywide [0:06:04, 0:06:06]: [368.4, 385.0]: And that text amendment uh consists of um section two point four point four of the Stockbridge Unified Development Code to modify and augment the regulations for the multiple multiple family residential. [0:06:25, 0:06:41]: as known as MFR zoning district. Um one, the community um are invited to forums like this, which is the community zoning information meeting. Um before you get to this meeting, there is a pre-application meeting that we [0:06:42, 0:06:45]: hold with uh potential developers. [0:06:45, 0:06:48]: Then you come to this meeting, the next meeting will be the [0:06:49, 0:06:56]: planning commission meeting and that is scheduled to um happen on September nineteenth. [0:06:56, 0:07:01]: And after that meeting, any cases that will be held tonight and [0:07:01, 0:07:04]: At the September Fourteenth Planning Commission will then move on. [0:07:05, 0:07:10]: to step excuse me, October fourteenth City Council meeting. [0:07:12, 0:07:32]: Just want to make sure I have those dates correct. And um after that process, if this is a new development, it then goes through land disturbing process as well as a building process. And as you can see before you is a zoning process chart. Um, many of you may be familiar with that. If not, [0:07:32, 0:07:32]: Right. [0:07:32, 0:07:46]: Um, you're more than welcome to call staff to ask any questions, what happens at this point. Um, but this is the formal process w an application would go through to obtain its final approval. [0:07:50, 0:07:55]: So with that said, I'll go ahead and get into the MFR zoning regulations. [0:08:05, 0:08:25]: So before you is uh a proposed text amendment that will be before you. Um this is pertaining to our multiple family residential district, which mainly contain of townhomes and apartments. Um many times developers may have [0:08:24, 0:08:35]: A hardship um with this ordinance. Um it may be a developmental hardship. And so staff began to look closely to see what um [0:08:35, 0:08:49]: adjustments can we make to allow a more relaxed regulation um regarding this district? And so the changes that we are making um [0:08:49, 0:08:56]: are one to the front yard setback. So currently the front yard setback requires a fifty foot [0:08:56, 0:09:03]: setback um from the front property line. We're now amending to change that to 30 feet. [0:09:05, 0:09:25]: Our side yard currently has 15 feet, and we are looking to change that to 10 feet. So the side yard will be reduced to 10 feet with keeping the 20 feet between the buildings. Um other changes we're looking to make is to the [0:09:24, 0:09:44]: uh living space and i apologize um this is um currently not the changes that we've made but as you can see on your screen under minimum living area so studio right now is showing 800 square feet whereas the [0:09:44, 0:10:04]: The one bedroom shows a minimum living area of six hundred and fifty square feet. What staff is proposing to do is switch those to m to make it make sense. So the studio would now be six hundred and fifty square feet, whereas the one bedroom will be eight hundred square feet. [0:10:05, 0:10:25]: And the other changes that we are looking to make are more architectural changes, such as the image, the character of the building. [0:10:25, 0:10:37]: will be landscaping, those will all have um regulations into what the building will look like if one is seeking to rezone their property to MFR. [0:10:38, 0:10:48]: And that concludes this presentation. Again, you will heal hear this again at September 19th Planning Commission. [0:10:52, 0:11:12]: So what I'll go ahead and do is introduce the next case, which is a special use permit case number sp-2024-01. Um this is a public meeting for a special use request to allow a gas station and convenience store. [0:11:12, 0:11:30]: on parcel number zero three two dash zero one zero three zero zero one two. This property is located on the west side of Rock Quarry Road, across from the hospital drive. The applicant is GMI two, Incorporated, [0:11:30, 0:11:36]: Presented by Harold Buckley Jr., Esquire of the Law Firm of Wilson Brock and Erby. [0:11:37, 0:11:49]: And this property is located in land lot thirteen of District Six and it contains four point twenty six acres more or or less. I will now hand it over to mister Buckley. [0:11:57, 0:12:04]: If you were bear with me for just a moment, I'd like to just get set up really quickly and then I'll get going with my presentation. [0:13:09, 0:13:27]: Good evening, my name is Harold Buckley. As mentioned, I am an attorney and land use consultant for GMI2, which is the company that owns the property that you see in the site plan before you and the applicant in this case. [0:13:29, 0:13:49]: Uh just to orient you to the site, and as you you may have noticed, that Kedra did not read an address when she uh described my application, and that's because this property is currently undeveloped and it doesn't have an address. All it has is a tax ID number. If you look at the site plan on the screen, [0:13:49, 0:13:59]: screen and the which is the same as the handout I gave you, just in case your eyes are a little more seasoned like mine are and you find that hard to see. Um [0:14:00, 0:14:20]: Uh you will see a cul-de-sac that leaves off Rock Quarry Road. This site is on the west side of Rock Quarry Road. Uh it is directly across the street uh from the uh the hospital campus uh there on Rock Quarry Road. So if you were on that cul-de-sac and you went straight out. [0:14:20, 0:14:30]: if you went straight across the street, you would be then on the hospital property. So that's where we are talking about. Uh our property is zone C2. [0:14:30, 0:14:50]: Uh and uh the it this property is at the edge of the very large Eagles Landing commercial uh area. It's a lot of high-intensity uses, retail commercial, hotel, those sorts of things. Uh and so uh this is already [0:14:50, 0:14:55]: a a very established uh commercial node. Now [0:14:55, 0:15:15]: What we are asking for is a special use permit, because even though our uh zoning allows uh service stations, uh they're not allowed by right. We have to get site-specific approval for our use from the city council. Uh, if you will look at the rendering, [0:15:15, 0:15:35]: That I gave you, which is the second page, you will notice that although the application has connotations of a quick trip or a racetrack or a traditional standalone gas station, that is not at all what we're proposing. We are proposing what would more accurately be described [0:15:35, 0:15:55]: As a retail development that happens to have pumps on the front. And the reason I say that is because this is going to be, if it's approved, a multi-tenant retail building. There will be five retail spaces, of which the convenience store is just one. And it would occupy [0:15:55, 0:16:15]: The larger space that you see on the end. You know, what are we looking at in terms of the other spaces? We have not started marketing or targeting specific potential tenants yet because it's very difficult to market something that you really don't have the entitlements to. [0:16:15, 0:16:35]: To do. People don't tend to take you very seriously. But in a perfect world, we would have uh retail stores like a say a Verizon shop or uh small eating and drinking uh establishments uh that would go in there, uh maybe a personal [0:16:35, 0:16:55]: Service establishment like a barber could be a possibility. But we are again talking about a larger range of retail than what the term gas station would suggest. And this location is really good for that for a couple of reasons. [0:16:55, 0:17:15]: Number one, there is a lot of medical office around here. You know, the hospital campus is not just the hospital campus. There are medical office buildings where doctors have their offices. There are other residences nearby, not right up on us, that you know would be directly impacted by us at any time. [0:17:15, 0:17:35]: Any negative sort of way, but that gives us a built-in audience for the retail services and neighborhood services that would be offered on this site. It is possible that people could walk here from the hospital campus or from the nearby residential areas. I'm not going to suggest to you that this is going to [0:17:35, 0:17:55]: To turn into Midtown by any stretch of the imagination. But what I will say is the benefit of that proximity is that we have a built-in market where people can, for example, come out of the hospital property and go straight into our property to take advantage of these real retail services. [0:17:55, 0:18:11]: without getting on the road, without having traffic impacts in the surrounding area. So that opportunity in and of itself, I think, distinguishes this proposal from a typical convenience store gas station proposal. [0:18:12, 0:18:32]: The other thing that I would submit to you is that, you know, and it's a little paradoxical, but approving this convenience store actually protects this area from another convenience store because the city has minimum distance. [0:18:32, 0:18:52]: Requirements that are on the books today for you know in the zoning ordinance that would prevent another convenience store from being being able to locate in most of the rest of that commercial development node. That you know we talked about Eagles Landing. So [0:18:52, 0:19:12]: uh you know you if this goes in and this high quality way and not only is this a multi-tenant retail building but you can see in the renderings that this is you know not just say an epis or a stucco or you know some kind of low quality building proposal that we have. This is going to [0:19:12, 0:19:13]: [1154.0, 1164.8]: Uh if you look at the area behind the store, you see those two very large uh green areas with heavy tree cover. That's part of our site. [0:19:25, 0:19:45]: And we are proposing to develop that as well at some future point in time. We don't know exactly what might go there, uh, but our intent and what we have shown the city in prior iterations of our development plans are more medical office, which would make a whole lot of sense. [0:19:45, 0:20:05]: Given the proximity to the hospital and the develop the prevailing development patterns in this area. It could be that, it could be some other use, you know, office use, commercial use, and that would further reinforce the connectivity between. [0:20:05, 0:20:17]: this uh retail development and other people who are these folks would technically be off site, but they're off the gas station portion of the site. Those folks really would be able to walk. [0:20:17, 0:20:37]: Facility, which is consistent with the land use policies that you see in the comprehensive plan that are geared toward encouraging that kind of use. We're designated for mixed use development. So, for example, an office component and a retail component wouldn't meet that mixed use uh process. [0:20:37, 0:20:57]: policy priority. So for all of those reasons, uh we are asking for the city to rezone this property uh to facilitate our development proposal. We think that it that our proposal makes sense in this location. And I'll just stop there because you guys are very smart. I don't [0:20:57, 0:21:09]: need to talk at you for an hour for you to understand what we're talking about here, which is fairly straightforward. So thank you for your time. I'm happy if it's appropriate to take questions or however we go from here. [0:21:15, 0:21:16]: Yes. [0:21:22, 0:21:23]: Mm-hmm. [0:21:24, 0:21:25]: Mm-hmm. [0:21:27, 0:21:47]: So in and I don't know if everybody could hear that, but he said that if folks were walking from the hospital campus trying to cross hospital mean Rock Quarry Road, um that might be a bit of a challenge because there is no traffic signal at that location. Um and uh we don't believe that uh well in order to [0:21:47, 0:22:00]: order to get a traffic signal at this location, you would have to do a warrant study and to actually get the DOT to say that a traffic light is warranted there. I don't know that we would cross that threshold, but [0:22:00, 0:22:20]: A good thing about the the layout of our site and our development is that as I said, that cul-de-sac, which is uh you know going to serve not only the retail component, but the future development at the back, it directly lines up with the driveway to the hospital. So at some future point in time, they could signalize that. [0:22:20, 0:22:20]: Mm-hmm. [0:22:25, 0:22:27]: All right, thank you all very much. [0:22:41, 0:22:44]: Yeah. I don't know how to close a file apparently. [0:22:50, 0:22:58]: Thank you again, Mr. Buckley. So what we'll do is move on to the next case that will be before us and [0:22:59, 0:23:12]: What I'll do is just read it into record. The next case will be a special use permit SP-2024-02. And okay, so let me go to the next one. [0:23:16, 0:23:18]: Okay. Correct. [0:23:19, 0:23:39]: So the next case is a special use permit request to allow a liquor store on property at 106 Rock Quarry Road. The applicant is GRP LLC and the agent is Mr. Patel. The property is located in landlot 62 of District 12 and it contains. [0:23:39, 0:23:52]: contains less it has less than one acre more or less. So I will now open the floor to you and you may come forward. Thank you. [0:24:06, 0:24:08]: [1467.2, 1487.2]: My name is Bill Tiersey, I'm a dream hall from Herman Fink Van Horn, and uh I am not a liquor license or zoning lawyer, but I am here on behalf of one of my colleagues who's in Ireland. So uh Lisa Morshauer uh traditionally uh works these kinds of cases and represents. [0:24:47, 0:25:07]: GRP, but I will do my best this evening to assist. What I have presented to you is just a brief description of what it is that GRP is looking to do, and that is to purchase a [0:25:07, 0:25:27]: Building at 106 Rock Quarry Road. Images of it in the materials that I presented, and it's currently subdivided into three separate stores, but the plan will be to remove those interior walls and have one. [0:25:27, 0:25:40]: One building that's about twelve thousand square feet of beer, wine, and spirits sales. Um GRP has uh [0:25:40, 0:26:00]: plans to renovate the front fascia and there's some renderings of what the building will look like once that's done in the materials. Right now, this again it's been used for three separate businesses. There's parking out front, but [0:26:00, 0:26:20]: But uh GRP also has under contract a lot next to the building that's reflected in those materials that can also be developed for additional parking. Um, this is gonna be a nice store with a [0:26:19, 0:26:39]: a pretty significant selection of various beers, wines, and spirits. It's not just going to be a little corner convenience store by any stretch of the imagination. You're going to be able to get things maybe that you couldn't get at other locations. [0:26:39, 0:26:59]: GRP has plans to hire on-site security and to have off-duty police officers on site as well as video cameras for surveillance and to maintain a [0:26:59, 0:27:05]: safe and well lit parking lot. Um this is [0:27:05, 0:27:25]: uh resulting from frankly the growth in the area has resulted in additional surveys uh and and uh that show that the population is such that a another store like this is warranted. There aren't other uh beer wine [0:27:25, 0:27:40]: And package stores in the area. And with that, I am happy to try and answer whatever questions you have. And if I can't answer them, I'll commit to get the answer and get back to you. [0:27:44, 0:27:46]: All right. [0:28:06, 0:28:26]: Thank you very much. And for those that are watching, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to staff and we will get the answer to you as soon as possible. The last and final case for this evening is a special use permit SP-2024-03. [0:28:26, 0:28:38]: This special use permit request is to allow a personal care home on property at 270 She SHIELS Road. The applicant and agent is Shauna John. [0:28:39, 0:28:50]: The property is located in landlot 70, District 12, and it contains 1.47 acres more or less. I will open the floor to Ms. John. [0:28:58, 0:29:05]: Even ladies and gentlemen. Um first and falls, I'm Mr. Paul Jazz. I will [0:29:10, 0:29:30]: I said good evening, ladies and gentlemen. First and foremost, I must apologize because I wasn't aware that I had to had to preserve have a presentation until a few hours before the meeting. Um my my time here today is to ask for special. [0:29:30, 0:29:36]: special use permit to allow a personal care home at uh at my property at two seventy Shields Road. [0:29:38, 0:29:58]: I am willing to put my best foot forward and to accommodate the community, be part of the community, as to one day when I myself can be part of this home that I am trying to prepare for other people. My plan is to. [0:29:58, 0:30:18]: Have at least six clients and myself and two other workers to help care for elderly people that is unable to take care of themselves and the family are not able to accommodate them. So if I am granted this permit, I am [0:30:18, 0:30:20]: I'm willing to do the best that I can. [0:30:21, 0:30:24]: This is not a this is not a job for mi. [0:30:25, 0:30:26]: This is a passion. [0:30:27, 0:30:29]: I have been committed to [0:30:30, 0:30:30]: Served. [0:30:31, 0:30:32]: Since I was [0:30:32, 0:30:34]: young enough to even remember. [0:30:36, 0:30:38]: I started with my grand aunt. [0:30:38, 0:30:42]: that I took care of with my grandmother. [0:30:43, 0:30:47]: And this is where I learned what what I really wanted to do. [0:30:48, 0:30:51]: And the older that I get, the more passionate I get about it. [0:30:53, 0:30:58]: And today I have a personal care home in Clearland County, which I can only accommodate three people. [0:30:59, 0:31:02]: So right now they I want to extend [0:31:02, 0:31:09]: and devote my full attention and give all my care to those that will appreciate it. [0:31:10, 0:31:18]: So one day that I can receive what I have put out there. So if you all will allow me. [0:31:19, 0:31:31]: I will put my best foot forward and present what I can in order to accommodate the community and myself. [0:31:33, 0:31:37]: Anybody have any question that if I can answer, I will. [0:31:41, 0:31:45]: Yeah, six, you are six people. [0:31:45, 0:31:56]: Six people and I will have yes, yes, sir, and have two other workers, myself included, that will be free of us taking care of six people. [0:32:01, 0:32:02]: You love it. [0:32:03, 0:32:04]: It's not just gonna be [0:32:06, 0:32:07]: Yes, yes. [0:32:13, 0:32:33]: Well, um people come in and the they have visiting hours, people come in. It is a smaller version as a person um as a nursing home, but does not require all the skills and um the magnitude of people and coming in and out. [0:32:33, 0:32:41]: So it is just a smaller version of that. So there will not be all that people coming in and out every day. No. [0:32:49, 0:32:50]: Anybody else? [0:32:52, 0:32:53]: Alrighty, well thank you. [0:33:13, 0:33:26]: Thank you, Ms. John. We do thank everyone for participating tonight. Um, we understand that others may have additional questions that you may want to ask one on one. You do have that autonomy to do so. [0:33:26, 0:33:46]: Um this meeting is allotted to 7 p.m. So what if you want to approach your applicant, you can do so at this time. And if you need questions or have questions for staff, please feel free to contact myself, Linda, or Gordon. We're here tonight. And what we'll do is just open the floor for you to sub [0:33:46, 0:33:48]: Speak to us one on one. [0:37:27, 0:37:35]: So if there are no other questions or any comments for your applicant, we can adjourn for tonight. [0:37:35, 0:37:50]: The next meeting will be held here, same location, September 19th. That will be the Planning Commission meeting. That meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. The Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the city council. It's not a final [0:37:50, 0:37:53]: vote, but it's just a recommendation. [0:37:53, 0:37:56]: On October fourteenth is the city council meeting [0:37:57, 0:37:59]: Also held in this room at six PM by [0:38:00, 0:38:02]: City council will make a final [0:38:02, 0:38:03]: Boat. [0:38:03, 0:38:06]: on whether your application will move forward. [0:38:06, 0:38:13]: So that concludes our meeting for tonight. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thank you. Have a good evening.