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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.20.17 P&Z Minutes 1 Commissioners Attending; City Staff and Others: Heidi Christensen – Chairman Brad Wolfe- City Council Liaison Mark Rudd Melanie Davenport Natalie Powell - Community Development Compliance Officer Rory Kunz Colton Murdock – Community Development Intern Gil Shirley Tawnya Grover – P&Z Administrative Assistant Darrik Farmer Kristi Anderson Chairman Heidi Christensen opened the meeting at 6:33 pm. Community Development Director Val Christensen was excused. Roll Call of Planning and Zoning Commissioners: Attending: Rory Kunz, Kristi Anderson, Mark Rudd, Chairman Heidi Christensen, Gil Shirley, Melanie Davenport, and Darrik Farmer Bruce Sutherland, Steve Oakey, John Bowen, and Greg Blacker were excused. Heidi mentioned the Density Bonus Points worksheet Tawnya attached to the back of the June 15, 2017 minutes. She suggested the Commissioners keep this document. This will help clarify this section of a PUD for the Commissioners to be better informed next time. Minutes: 1. From Planning and Zoning meeting – June 15, 2017. Pg. 6 regarding Rory’s marks. This is what Val was intending. I just requested that we get to the motion. Rory motioned to approve the Planning & Zoning minutes of June 15, 2017 with the suggested changes. Darrik seconded the motion. None opposed. Motion carried. Darrik read from the City of Rexburg Vision “2020” Comprehensive plan pages 14-15: A Comprehensive Plan sets out to capture and articulate a common vision for residents, businesses, property owners, and city and County staff and officials for future growth and development of the community. It is a guiding document adopted by the community to help decision-makers evaluate development proposals and implement a desired future for the community. According to The Practice of Local Government Planning, First, it is a physical plan. Although reflection of social and economic values, the plan is fundamentally a guide to the physical development of the community. It translates values into a scheme that describes how, why, when, and where to build, rebuild, or preserve the community. A second characteristic of the comprehensive plan is that it is long-range, covering a time period greater than one year, usually five years or more. 35 North 1st East Rexburg, ID 83440 Phone: 208.359.3020 Fax: 208.359.3022 www.rexburg.org Planning & Zoning Minutes July 20, 2017 2 A third characteristic of the comprehensive plan is that it is comprehensive. It covers the entire city geographically – not merely one or more section. It also encompasses all the functions that make a community work, such as transportation, housing, land use, utility systems, and recreation. Moreover, the plan considers the interrelationships of functions. Finally, a comprehensive plan is a guide to decision-making by the Planning Commission and City Council, mayor, and/or manager. The Comprehensive plan also gives Madison County an opportunity to plan for anticipated ch anges in community priorities, transportation options, and changing demands for various land uses such as housing, commerce, and open space. Chairman Christensen explained the procedure for a hearing:  Every citizen has a right to be heard on a given request  Treat the presiding body with respect  When it is your turn to speak, please approach the podium  State your name and address for the record  Try to focus on the facts and potential impacts  Speak to the decision makers; the Commissioners  The time limit for an oral testimony is usually 5 minutes  Once the hearing is closed, no public participation can occur When we get to that part of the public hearing, we will start with the people in support, those who are uncommitted, those who are against, and then the rebuttal of the applicant. Chairman Heidi Christensen invited the applicant to come forward. Public Hearings: 1. 6:35 pm – Ringel – Comp. Plan Map Change – Approximately 20 South 12th West – Requesting a change of the Comprehensive Plan Map from Commercial to Low-Moderate Density Residential for the Ringel Parcel of approximately 25 plus acres less a strip of land 250 feet wide adjacent to 12th W and Hwy 33. (see Comp. Plan p.13-15: Using and updating the Comprehensive Plan; Dev. Code p.219 6.13c) Rod Jones -3720 W. Mountain View - representing the Ringel family. We are requesting for the piece to go for the remaining for the remaining part of the ground to go to low to moderate density. The first 250’ on the east end will be commercial. Community Development Compliance Officer Natalie Powell did not have additional comments to clarify the request. Craig reminded the Commission that the 250’ that fronts 12th West was kept commercial when the Commission did the annexation. The 250’ is not changing from commercial. The commercial is consistent with the comprehensive plan. The current comp plan for the remaining parcel is commercial. 3 Chairman Christensen opened the public input portion of the hearing. In Favor: None Neutral: None Opposed: None Written Input: No written input received. Rebuttal: Chairman Walker closed the public input portion of the hearing. Craig said the staff recommendations talked about zoning, but have been revised. The staff notes changes recommends approval of this change. This change is consistent with the overall direction and objective of the comprehensive plan. Public reports there is adequate water and sewer for the development. Kristi wondered if the Economic Development department had any reservations about giving up the commercial ground so close to the highway. Craig has not heard any reservations from staff. He says one of the things we risk is having commercial strung out along that highway all the way out to the new airport. The message we send right now is this area is the commercial entry to our city. There is adequate commercial already zoned for years to come. Mr. Shirley looking at the map and the zoning to the North and East in consistent with the comprehensive plan. All of the piece will change from low to moderate except for the first 250’. Derek Since this is one parcel and it is residential, how will this affect the zone change? Can they view the entire piece as residential and go all the way out to the street? Craig answered the intent is clear. Natalie said this commercial area will be broken down into separate lots for commercial as this project progresses. MOTION: Rory motioned that we approve the recommendation to change the comprehensive plan map because the request fits with the surrounding neighborhoods and it seems to fit with the intent of the City’s layout over the next several years. For those reasons, I recommend we approve the request. Darrik seconded the motion. VOTE: Favor: Heidi, Mark, Melanie, Rory, Gil, Darrik, Kristi None opposed. Motion carried. Chairman Christensen thanked the applicant for coming. Unfinished/Old Business: None New Business: None Compliance: None Non-controversial Items Added to the Agenda: 1. Discussion of expansion on West side of the Highway – Craig Rindlishbacher from Planning & Zoning is presenting. 4 Craig is talking about growth in the Ringel area. The concerns he is hearing are  Are we providing adequate housing? The comp. plan says it is our goal to develop attractive, efficient, affordable housing. We want housing that will meet all stages of the life cycle of people. This is everything from students to starter homes to senior housing. (Ch. 6, Goal 1, Obj. 1.4)  What does development do to infrastructure costs? (Ch. 6, Goal 3, Obj. 3.1)  Are the land uses compatible? Do we end up with conflicts beside each other? (Ch. 6, Goal 1, Obj. 1.2-1.3)  Traffic impacts are a part of the discussion. (Ch. 6 Goal 3, Obj. 3.1) He is working on a map of housing in development. There are 4,228 community housing units in the impact area. There is a lot of development going on right now for community housing. It shows the patterns of housing growth. There is a lot of community housing integrated throughout the community. Community housing is multi-family rental housing or married housing. The map is a work in progress and will be refined and presented again before the Commission. Some of the strategies found in the comprehensive plan to deal with these concerns or challenges. These strategies include the extension of the traditional grid, neighborhood centers, clustering neighborhood housing together, and transitioning from higher to lower levels of activity to avoid conflict. He reads from the comprehensive plan. Preserve future rights-of-way extending from, and complimentary to, the historic grid as the City grows to: 1. Ensure neighborhood connectivity, 2. Provide for efficient emergency response, and 3. Provide multiple travel routes to prevent and minimize traffic congestion on a select few roadways. (Ch.8, Goal 2, Obj. 2.1) Encourage the development of a “green grid” plan identifying pedestrian and bicycle routes connecting neighborhoods… (Ch. 8, Goal 2, Obj. 2.2) Craig shows a map of Rexburg. He shows the 660 blocks. The comp. plan talks about how a grid system is an advantage for the community. We have done a good job of connecting the community. In the Ringel area he identifies 4 square miles. Without a grid system, a city ends up with unconnected developments, causing congestion, funneling the traffic to the main arteries. The comp. plan talks about the grid system to disperse traffic and encourage neighborhood connectivity. He shows a map of the development of Summerfield. The comp. plan also talks about neighborhood centers. It may be a school and a park, etc. The comp. plan encourages areas with higher activity to be clustered together. It encourages us to put higher density next to those centers. He shows Summerfield again to illustrate this idea. Housing for people in different stages of life are within this development: single-family, twin homes, and multi-family. There is also an idea about buffering commercial from low density residential. He shows an example from the North side of town; showing the idea we are seeking. We have three large commercial nodes near the Ringel property. The nodes land on peoples’ property. This is a conceptual map. We have three neighborhood commercial nodes on the West side of the highway. Craig reviewed the ideas from the comprehensive plan: extension of the traditional grid, neighborhood centers or nodes of activity, clustering neighborhood housing together, and transitioning from higher to lower levels of activity to avoid conflict. These ideas are relevant to the land uses coming before the Commission. 5 Melanie thanked Craig for the presentation. She has a question about growth in general. Is anyone monitoring the need for the growth or measuring how much growth should happen at one time in housing? The map Craig referred to earlier as the “map in progress” works towards this need. When the City is asked a question, Planning is working on a map to show what is happening right now. Do you allow growth just to happen regardless of people to fill that space? Is that a function of Planning and Zoning? He said no. We are here to inform and define a vision of where the community wants to be. We might say no to a developer because we don’t have the infrastructure or a development is too costly to support. Rory looks forward to seeing the numbers and balance of housing. Craig says there is more than we thought. Is anyone working on a study to show the needs that might occur in the city of Rexburg? The City is in constant communication with the University to see what they are anticipating. Craig is not aware of any of these studies. Craig expressed the hope that the presentation is helpful. He wants to listen to the commission and let them know their opinions are important to planning & zoning. Chairman Heidi Christensen let the Commission know as of right now there are no land use actions for a meeting on August 3rd. Report on Projects: None Tabled Requests: None Building Permit Application Report: None Darrik motions to close the meeting. Gil seconded the motion. Meeting was adjourned on 7:08p.m.