HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.01.18 PZ Minutes
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City Staff
Brad Wolfe – City Council Liaison
Val Christensen – Community Development
Craig Rindlisbacher – City Planner
Tawnya Grover – Planning & Zoning Administrative Assistant
Chairman Heidi Christensen asked Bruce Sutherland to chair this meeting.
Commissioner Bruce Sutherland opened the meeting at 6:30 PM. He welcomed everyone.
He welcomed Jonathon McMullin’s family for coming.
Roll Call.
Present: Bruce Sutherland, Melanie Davenport, Mark Rudd, Greg Blacker, Steve Oakey,
John Bowen, Gil Shirley, Kristi Anderson, Council Liaison Brad Wolfe (Not voting).
Absent: Chairman Heidi Christensen, Rory Kunz, and Darrik Farmer.
Minutes:
1. From Planning and Zoning meeting – January 18, 2018
Kristi motioned to approve the Planning & Zoning minutes of January 18, 2017. Melanie
Davenport seconded the motion. Greg Blacker and Mark Rudd abstain from not being present.
None opposed. Motion carried.
Public Hearings:
1. Conditional Use Permit (#18 00006) to allow a parking reduction through the use of the
Pedestrian Emphasis District (PED), per the Rexburg Development Code. The zoning for the
property is High Density Residential One (HDR1). The said parcel is located at 486 South 3rd
West, the Roost, in Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho.
Jonathon McMullin – 260 W 1st N – He is coming before the Commission today again for a
Conditional Use Permit for reduced parking. The owner chose to add two new units in the
basement of the Roost, instead of using these areas as storage units. Because of this change, his
conditional use permit of 63% was not enough to cover his parking. He is coming before the
Commission for a reduced parking percentage of 57%.
Chairman Sutherland opened the public input portion of the hearing at 6:41PM.
In Favor: None
Neutral: None
Opposed: None
Written Input: None
Chairman Sutherland closed the public input portion of the hearing at 6:42PM.
35 North 1st East
Rexburg, ID 83440
Phone: 208.359.3020
Fax: 208.359.3022
www.rexburg.org
Planning & Zoning Minutes
February 2, 2018
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Greg Blacker does not have a problem with the request. He thinks this change is ridiculous. This
is the second time we are seeing Jonathon’s request. He asked about the cost for this request. It is
$550. Community Development Director, Val Christensen, told him, right now this is the process.
Val suggests perhaps next time, a range would be better, to provide a buffer, so this kind of thing
doesn’t happen.
Motion: Approve application for reduced parking for Conditional Use Permit #18-0006 as its
written, because it is a minor adjustment, and it is not setting a precedence for a lower amount.,
Action: Approve, Moved by Melanie Davenport, Seconded by Greg Blacker.
Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yea = 8).
Yea: Bruce Sutherland, Melanie Davenport, Mark Rudd, Greg Blacker, Steve Oakey, John Bowen,
Gil Shirley, Kristi Anderson.
Unfinished/Old Business: None
New Business:
1. Development Code Changes Presentation – Craig Rindlisbacher
Short Plat. The short plat process was developed three or four years ago to allow platting
without coming to the Planning & Zoning Commission for small projects that do not need right-of-
way or infrastructure. These go right to City Staff reviews, and shortens the time for approval. Staff
recommends the short plat definition has changed from 3 properties to 5 on a case-by-case basis.
The short plat process may save time and money. Greg Blacker is concerned about the size of land
this change could affect. Craig answered, this is the process of changing property lines. The
property has already been purchased and zoned, the lot lines are just being moved. Many
applications that come before Planning & Zoning with developments on several parcels. The
Assessor’s office struggles with buildings built on five parcels, because they don’t know which parcel
to assign the building to. The short plat process would be used to combine those parcels into just
one within a development. John Bowen likes the idea; he says it makes great sense.
PED Parking. We recently dealt with an application with the Ivy for visitor parking.
Based on the visitor parking study, the minimum parking requirement for visitor parking would be
6% for both areas. The minimum request would be 6%. Before this change, it was 3% in one Area
and 6% in the other. Scratch “linear interpolation”. Melanie Davenport asked if anything has
been approved at 3%. Val answered, nothing has been approved below 6%. The lowest percent
allowed would be 6% from now on. Scott shared the history of a group that requested a parking
study and their findings.
Mixed Use. Mixed Use is not a new idea. Mixed Use has grown in use as a strategy over
the years. Mixed Use works with the idea of mixing uses within the same building. Mixed Use
developments have become more the expectation, because it adds value to the development.
Sometimes street presentation is the focus and less about use. Mixed Use provides the opportunity
to increase density and lower infrastructure costs. Hemming Cedars is Rexburg’s first real mixed use
development. John Bowen asked about Hemming Cedars. Scott talked about NavEx Global
being housed in Hemming Cedars. There is a combination of retail on the bottom, then office in
the middle, and up above is community or married housing. Mixed Use projects can be challenging
for developers. There is added risk.
Objectives:
1. Flexibility for Developers
2. Market Adaptability
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3. Better Land-Use Integration – Integrate with surrounding land uses.
4. Integrated Densities
5. Lower Infrastructure Costs
6. Strengthened Community Identity
Intent of Ordinance Changes:
1. Let developers respond.to the market need for mixed use.
2. Encourage mixed-use building in targeted areas of higher density
3. Define mixed-use clusters that support existing and future neighborhoods.
Staff is recommending removing the 10% commercial requirement of the mixed use zone.
This will be replaced with a method to encourage mixed use by allowing increased densities. Staff is
also recommending removing the height restrictions. Community Development Director, Val
Christensen shared, height restrictions have already been removed in Mixed Use. Staff is
recommending the height requirement be removed from the CBD, downtown district.
Steve Oakey p.74, 3.14 “Mixed use percentages shall be maintained in perpetuity.” Suggests
language with option to change with a Conditional Use Permit.
City Planner, Craig Rindlisbacher, talked about the mixed-use clusters, and a transition to form-
based. This would be an emphasis more on the design and less on the use.
Gil Shirley asked about P.72 Hotels is highlighted. Adding. P.73 Townhomes. This is adjacent to
the right-of-way. Typically, across the nation, townhomes are required to have a set of steps up into
them. You don’t want the windows to look right in from the street. It is more of a privacy issue, by
raising the level of the windows.
Steve Oakey talked about adding this permitted use. The long list bars innovation, without the
developer doing a conditional use permit. For future use, can we think of a more general definition
to get rid of the long lists. Val suggested an area, “or as approved by the Planning & Zoning
Commission without a public hearing.”
Melanie Davenport talked about some protection built into this kind of suggestion offered by
Steve. An industry not wanted, could protect the City.
US 20 Corridor. “Rexburg is located in an area of unique Visual quality, and preservation of
key view corridors is a goal of the community. Primary views which the City may want to consider
for preservation include the Rexburg bench, the LDS temple, and Teton Mountains...Where
appropriate and necessary, the City can utilize development regulations on building height,
reflectivity, and location to ensure that key views are not obstructed or detracted from by
development (Rexburg 2020 Comprehensive Plan).” The goal is not to obstruct the views and the
City cares about the presentation of our buildings. “4.7.a.iv.” is the part in the Development Code
staff is wanting to change. Concerns expressed were the requirement doesn’t define what we are
looking for. The intent is to streamline the approval process along the corridor, protecting those
things we are interested in, and allow flexibility with the Design Review Committee. If it meets the
minimum requirements, it can be reviewed by staff. If the developer wants to do something
different or challenge that, they will go before the Design Review Committee. The decision is, does
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the Commission want to move forward with this for public hearing? Val shared that these issues
used to come before the Planning & Zoning Commission, and they would send it to the Design
Review Committee. This was changed to if issues with the Development Code requirements were
raised, the applicant immediately went to the Design Review Committee. Staff is describing a
prescriptive method that would need to be followed if the applicant does not want to go the Design
Review Committee. The intent is to take out the subjectivity and give the applicants objectivity.
Some buffering requirements are being added. The general idea is to screen storage lots from
objectionable views.
Greg Blacker asked what the recourse is if they don’t agree with the Design Review Committee.
Val answered they can go to City Council. It has been Bruce Sutherland’s experience that the
problems in Design Review usually work themselves out in that meeting.
Steve Oakey appreciates the spirit in which you are moving. Staff is trying to make things easier for
people to do development in Rexburg, maintaining some design.
Compliance: None
Non-controversial Items Added to the Agenda: None
Report on Projects: None
Tabled Requests: None
Building Permit Application Report: None
Heads Up:
February 15, 2018 Hearings:
1. Development Code Amendments
2. (#18 00020) to Rezone Medium Density Residential 1(MDR1) and High Density Residential 1
(HDR1) to Mixed Use (MU) at approximately 220 S. 2nd W., Arbor Cove, in the City of Rexburg,
Madison County, Idaho.
3. (#18 00027) to Rezone from Transitional Agricultural 1 (TAG1) to Light Industrial (LI) for 4
W. Moody Rd. in the City of Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho
Motion to close the meeting:
Motion: Motion to adjourn., Action: Approve, Moved by Kristi Anderson, Seconded by
Gil Shirley.
Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yea = 8).
Yea: Bruce Sutherland, Melanie Davenport, Mark Rudd, Greg Blacker, Steve Oakey, John
Bowen, Gil Shirley, Kristi Anderson.