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HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z MINUTES APRIL 22, 2010 1 Commissioners Attending; City Staff and Others: Winston Dyer – Chairman Val Christensen – Community Development Director Ted Hill Thaine Robinson Natalie Powell - Compliance Officer Mary Ann Mounts Dan Hanna Elaine McFerrin – P&Z Coordinator Scott Peterson Nephi Allen Scott Johnson – Community Development Economic Gil Shirley Jedd Walker Facilitator Work meeting on the Comprehensive Plan Chairman Dyer opened the meeting at 7: 02 pm. Planning and Zoning Commissioners in Attendance: Winston Dyer, Thaine Robinson, Ted Hill, Jedd Walker, Scott Ferguson, Nephi Allen, Mary Ann Mounts, Dan Hanna, Gil Shirley Richie Webb and Josh Garner were excused. Unfinished/Old Business: 1. Comprehensive Plan discussion The Commissioners had been provided with 3 maps – the current zoning map, the current Comprehensive Plan map (Preferred Land Use map), and the 2004 Comprehensive Plan map (Preferred Land Use map). Chairman Dyer said there were two issues for discussion: 1) the legend/land use name designations used on the Comprehensive Plan Map – make those useful – the Comprehensive Plan document would also need to be modified if they recommend changes; 2) Looking at the map itself and possible change recommendations- go to the actual map to see how it would apply and what changes may need to be made. Once there is enough input information, after having at the Commission has a session or two concentrating on these issues, changes may be ready to move forward to City Council. Map legend - Val Christensen said they are looking at the categories - on the 2004 Comprehensive Plan map, there were only 2 instead of 3 residential land use designations. Currently the Comprehensive Plan map names closely resemble the zoning map names – they would want to get away from that. It is confusing. Thaine Robinson felt the old Comprehensive Plan map was much clearer. Chairman Dyer said the planning consultants who worked on the map may not have understood the difference between the zoning and the Comprehensive Plan map. Val Christensen said the Comprehensive Plan map is a tool of ideas, not specifics. The zoning map gets specific. He said that some time in this examination process by the Commission of the maps, some of the zones that are never going to be used could be eliminated. The current zoning map was 35 North 1st East Rexburg, ID 83440 Phone: 208.359.3020 Fax: 208.359.3022 www.rexburg.org Planning & Zoning Minutes April 22, 2010 2 shown on the overhead screen. Regional Business Center and General Business Center have not yet been used. Chairman Dyer suggested starting with looking at the designations. The Comprehensive Plan map tracks the Zoning map too closely, which creates confusion. Val Christensen suggested that the Comprehensive Plan map legends revert back to how they used to be, at least in residential designations (Low-Moderate and Moderate- High), as this would be positive, changing it from the 3 existing designations into the 2 designations as it used to be. The current Comprehensive Plan map is almost more detailed than the zoning map. Chairman Dyer said on each land use designation, the plan is to note which zones are allowable under each designation. The current Neighborhood Commercial /Mixed land use designation allows everything the Downtown Commercial has, but it is not the other way around. Currently, there is only 1 Industrial land use designation – should it remain that way, with light industrial and heavy industrial zones under that 1 Industrial land use designation? Regarding Light Industrial, Mary Ann Mounts felt that it is not intrusive – she would keep it in a separate category than heavy industrial for the Comprehensive Plan map. Light industrial fits in with heavy industrial, but heavy industrial does not fit in with light industrial. Val Christensen reiterated that the Comprehensive Plan map is less specific than the Zoning map. The Comprehensive Plan map is a planning tool of ideas and is less prescriptive. Nephi Allen prefers the old Comprehensive Plan map (less land use designations). Individual issues can be taken care of through the Zoning map. Chairman Dyer said the allowable zones could overlap in the Comprehensive Plan land use designations. That gives some degree of flexibility. There were nine land use designations on the old Comprehensive Plan map, and there are twelve land use designations on the current Comprehensive Plan map Industrial - Ted Hill asked what heavy industrial business exists currently. Basic American is heavy industry. Ted Hill asked, why do we want heavy industry within City limits? It was expressed that they do not heavy industry in the City. Mr. Hill sees railroad and lots of semi trucks as involved in heavy industry. There is already a traffic problem. Why compound the problem? Val Christensen said the current Comprehensive Plan map does not have a Heavy Industrial land use designation, so this map has already gone in that direction. The area near Basic American could possibly be seen as one for an industrial park in the future. The Commission focused on the legend/map key on the current Comprehensive Plan map. Chairman Dyer said the question is, do we need to drop back to Low- Moderate and Moderate- High (the 2 residential land use designation names on the old Comprehensive Plan map) rather than Low Residential, Medium Residential, and High Residential with attached number classifications( 3 the 3 residential names on the current Comprehensive Plan map)? There was a little overlap in the planning land use designations and there was additional overlap in the zones that were allowed. The majority of the Commissioners agreed with simplifying the legend on the Comprehensive Plan map. Residential - Chairman Dyer felt the numbers attached to the land use designations on the Comprehensive Plan Map should be eliminated, as they are confusing. It was suggested that the Comprehensive Plan map’s land use designations change as follows: Low to Moderate Residential, and Moderate to High Residential. There was consensus of the Commission in support for this change. Mixed Use - Val Christensen said the Neighborhood Commercial/Mixed Use land use designation allows Mixed Use zones, as does the Downtown Commercial land use designation. Leaving the words “mixed use” in the designation would help to clarify. Nephi Allen suggested the name Downtown Mix. Jedd Walker thought a clear name would be Downtown Commercial Mixed Use ( emphasizes that it is predominantly commercial in nature but we allow residential) The decision was made by Commission consensus to call the land use designation “Downtown Commercial Mixed Use” (in place of the current “Downtown Commercial”). In addition, leave the Neighborhood Commercial/ Mixed Use designation name as it is currently. Commercial – The decision was to have just one Commercial land use designation on the Comprehensive Plan map, called simply “Commercial” (eliminate Highway Commercial and Business Park land use designations - they both will fall under the 1 Commercial designation – broader). However, in addition, keep the Downtown Commercial Mixed Use as was discussed earlier tonight, as it allows commercial. Chairman Dyer said they are creating greater flexibly, but the Commission needs to have the fortitude to be able to say that something may not work here, but may be better there. Jedd Walker said if he was a developer the first thing he would do would be to look at the zoning map and the preferred land use map to see what may be done. He would make his decision for development based on these documented maps. Val Christensen said the Comprehensive Plan language needs to say that the Comprehensive Plan map is seen as a broad general planning tool. The zoning map designations are where the issues get very specific. Chairman Dyer recommended that they change the language of the Comprehensive Plan document to clarify that zones listed are the zones which may be considered under a Comprehensive Plan land use designation, rather than just saying these are the allowed zones. Val Christensen said the language preceding the listed table of preferred land use designations and the zones under them could say that these are the potential zone uses allowed/considered with Planning & Zoning/City Council approval. The Comprehensive Plan map does not give rights; only the zoning map gives rights. 4 Val Christensen said the current zoning map is a positive one. The problem lies with the Comprehensive Plan map – it is too specific, with legend names that are too similar to the zoning map. Discussion reverted back to Industrial– Ted Hill had earlier this evening made the suggestion that they only have Light Industrial in City limits. Val Christensen said there is a large heavy industrial area on the zoning map. Possibly at the City boundary line they could have commercial and leave industrial as it is. He said they need to look at: 1) do they see Basic American going away in 10 years – no. 2) do they see houses coming near this industrial area– no. They may want another zone. They discussed the need to look at long-term preferred land use. There would be the need to buffer. They also need to look at what is reasonable. They need to be in the driver’s seat to direct where they want designations, etc to go. Chairman Dyer said the question before them is: are they going to split industrial into light and heavy? The current Comprehensive Plan was supposed to be used until 2020 as the vision for the City. Ted Hill reiterated: why should there be a heavy industrial land use designation. A land use designation for Heavy Industrial could be listed. A land use designation for Light Industrial would be allowed in City limits. A Heavy Industrial designation could give greater protection for the community. Scott Johnson asked how heavy industrial is defined. He sees a lot of light industrial and wants to encourage some of that for the City. The definition of the term Heavy Industrial was read aloud. The decision was not to have a Comprehensive Plan land use designation for Heavy Industrial. Anything considered heavy industrial could be examined under Light Industrial through a conditional use permit process. There was Commission consensus on this decision. Comprehensive Plan map land use designations of Open Space, Public Facilities, University - these 3 zone designations - no change. Comprehensive Plan Map designation of “Agriculture/Rural cluster” - change to “Agriculture.” Leave nodes as they are currently shown on the Comprehensive Plan map. Val Christensen will incorporate the changes discussed for the Comprehensive Plan map land use designation names (legend) on a draft map. Chairman Dyer asked the Commissioners for any other problems they have noticed on the current Comprehensive Plan map. Gil Shirley - property at 208 East 3rd South is a small spot on the map. It has a Comprehensive Plan map land use designation of Medium Density Residential with a zone of Low Density Residential 2.They suggested that it go back with rest of the block on the Comprehensive Plan (based on discussion tonight of name changes- Low-Moderate). City Council did not approve the property for a rezone. 5 Val Christensen said that as time goes by and as the road gets more and more use, South 2nd East may become more like East 17th in Idaho Falls – just because there are some homes along it, it does not mean the area will stay single-family residential in the future. Jedd Walker - east of 1st East and south of 2nd South – the block is only half Pedestrian Emphasis Zone (PEZ) – make it match with the PEZ map – west half of block – the 2 houses on the north do not show in the PEZ - the consensus by the Commission was to make it consistent. Make the west half of those two blocks mixed use. Chairman Dyer said the P&Z Commission’s and the City Council’s focus should be on what is right for the community. Chairman Dyer and Mary Ann Mounts - East 2nd South/North 1st East - should not be designated as Downtown. Change it to a Commercial land use designation, or expand the Mixed Use. Where is the University to go next when they get 5,000 additional students? The Commission needs to look at where this growth is going to go or where do they want to see it go? The P&Z Commission directed Val Christensen to make the discussed proposed changes to a draft Comprehensive Plan map, which will be brought back before them for review, eventually to move to City Council for adoption. The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 pm.