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HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z MINUTES OCTOBER 19, 1994DATE: (101994) Planning & Zoning Public Hearing 10/19/94 6:30 P. M. Those Present: Chairman: John Millar Members: Davawn Beattie John Watson Jim Long Mary Ann Mounts Jerry Jeppesen Marsha Bjornn Councilman: Bruce Sutherland City Clerk: Rose Bagley Attorney: J. D. Hancock Engineer: Joe Laird Members of the City Council attending: Jim Flamm, Glen Pond, Farrell Young, Kay Beck, Nyle Fullmer. RE: PUBLIC HEARING FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A NEW NURSING HOME ON 2ND SOUTH - C.U.P. APPROVED TOPIC: (300,104,,,PUBLIC HEARINGS,NURSING HOMES,C.U.P.,2ND SOUTH) John Millar opened the Public Hearing and welcomed everyone. A Public Hearing regarding a proposed issuance of a conditional use permit, to provide that the owner of the property on 2nd South be granted a conditional use permit for construction of a nursing home (Licensed Long Term Care Facility) in Rexburg, Idaho. As this is a Conditional Use Permit, it is not a zoning change and will not be considered as such. The current zone that they are proposing this facility to be in does allow for a rest home with the issuance of a conditional use permit. This public hearing is required by the requirements of the conditional use permit. As such there is certain criteria that must be met. He reviewed the criteria. The Planning & Zoning Commission has the authority by the ordinance if so deems fit by the ordinance to issue the conditional use permit. It does not require approval of the city council on this issue. If there are other thoughts that are not in agreement, the ordinance does have provision where by the Planning & Zoning's decision can be appealed to the City Council in writing within 15 days. Joe Rude- Gave a presentation and showed the plans for the nursing home. He had with him the architect. This facility will be a 85 bed nursing home, designed as a two story structure, it will be on-grade from the south side which will be the main entrance to the facility. sixty-two beds will be on the upper lever approached from the main entrance, the lower level will have 23 beds and approachable on the north side of the building. Basically you will have an approach from the north and one from the south. He explained the interior of the building and the services it would provide. The parking for the employees will be approached from he south side of the property.- T ,~, sr' ~ The architect explained the design and site development. They have been working with Joe Laird on the design. They have addressed additional hydrants on the property, drainage, sanitary sewer, buffering along any parking lots adjacent to any residential property, and parking back of the setback area. With the beds we have there would be required 22 parking places and they are providing 52 parking spaces, with 5 handicapped spaces. They plan to use residential scale to blend into the neighborhood. They plan to put in a 5 or 6 foot sidewalk and plan to repair the adjacent curb and gutter. On the property that they are not going to develope, they will plant lawn on the property. Robert Vande Merwe- Administrator of the Rexburg Nursing Home- He would like to discuss the need of a new nursing home. There has been a trend of health care to over build. They have 119 beds in the Rexburg Nursing Home and are running at 75~ capacity. Joe Rude's company has looked into purchasing the Rexburg Nursing Home in the past and the last request was made about 6 weeks ago. Steve Parkinson- Has anyone done an evaluation of the effect on traffic? Is the sewer line capable of handling the nursing home and how the construction would affect the storm drain? Has there been a financial check done on this company? John Millar stated that a traffic study has not been done in detail, Joe Laird has looked at that. It is not a high traffic generator. Sewer line is adequate and they are working with Joe on the storm drain and it will be worked out to everyone's satisfaction. Our ordinance does not require that a financial check be done. Larry Thompson- His question was about the construction traffic, with cement trucks accessing the construction site, with Dr Crouch's office located just above this property. Tony Perkins- He disagreed about the number of cars going past the area. If people are going to work at 8:00 A. M. that is roughly 35 cars. If the nursing home has 60 cars coming to work with delivery trucks, postal service, and visitors. It is obvious that the traffic will increase. The traffic will be going to work at the same time our children are walking to school at 8:00 A. M. We have complained a lot of times about not having sidewalks and having a narrow road. He asked that the decision if they get a conditional use permit be given to the city council for further review and if they are allowed to get the permit that they make some concessions as far as furthering the sidewalks on Birch Avenue or providing somekind of a traffic control system allowing children to get across 2nd South. Jim Long- He told Tony as he looked at the plan they are providing the sidewalk half way to Tony's house. Bruce Sutherland- speaking as a citizen not as a city councilman, he lives closer than Tony, and he would like to see an L.I.D. go in and would like to put a sidewalk all the way down the street. It is not their responsibility to put sidewalks along our property, it is our responsibility. Tony- with increased traffic, he feels it would be the best to get the kids off the street. The nursing home would generate the increased traffic, and he felt they are responsible for adding the sidewalks. Jim Long- asked ~l F ~~ Tony if he was asking them to pay for the sidewalk in front of his house. Tony answered that he was proposing that they do that. Mary Ann asked Mr Rude to discuss the hours of their employees. This is a 24 hour facility with 60 plus employees on site. This is 60 plus employees that are working in three different shifts. They are not all going to come to work at once and they are not all going to leave at the same time. Typical in their business a day shift starts at 6:00 A. M. and is over at 2:00 P. M. Mr Rude said they have the ability to pick a schedule as to start the shift early or later as to make sure we can control that issue of the traffic and safety. He would think their traffic would come from the west end of town. They have the ability as an employer to direct our employees to stay off certain roads. In terms of the truck traffic, the school generates more truck traffic that the nursing home. The question about the traffic with construction, they can tell them, if you want to work on our project, you will not drive on certain streets. He felt we could manage most of the issues that have been talked about. After we have finished with the project, the neighborhoods are usually surprised at how invisible they become. The people in the nursing home are elderly and like to see the children from the schools. Joe Laird- He had been working with them closely to make sure all the' engineering and zoning matters have been taken care of. To the best of his knowledge they have met all of our zoning requirements. They will have to put in a new man hole and will take care of storm drainage. He felt they had taken care of everything. John Millar turned it back to the Planning Board for discussion. Jim Long stated that they could build 10 nursing homes and we have no say. Marsha- A gentleman from that neighborhood called her and asked what if it doesn't work aut, can it be turned into student housing. No, unless the Zone is changed. John Watson- Regarding traffic, college students and others go to the nursing homes for service projects which would generate traffic. He asked if they would rely on community physicians and what were the specializations? Mr Rude explained they would use local physicians unless requiring specialists not available in the community. As you add additional facilities, it would add special recruits into the area. He explained the level of therapy, physicians, and nurses. They would have a local physician for a director. Davawn asked about the maintenance schedule? Mr Rude explained it would be very well maintained with two maintenance people one for outside and one for inside. John Millar read two letters regarding the Conditional Use Permit, one from John Bowen and one from Richard and Georgia Arnold. {copy attached) ~' r~ ~ ;F ~,• !~ Davawn expressed that as long as he has lived here, all that has been on that property was skunks and weeds. Is there a reason why no one has built on that property? Bruce Sutherland stated when we went through the hearings for Dr Crouch's property, one of the problems that was addressed was putting the road Ash through to 2nd South. To develope and improve the property, it would not merit the price it would cost for each lot because of the lava rock. He had lived by that lot that .was infested with grass hoppers and weeds for 29 years and he would be glad to have something as nice as this on the property. Dr Crouch- He is a co-owner of the office building to the north. His concern is there is a lot of cut through traffic that uses his parking lot and goes through that lot to 2nd. He was concerned that with more parking lots, it would increase the traffic. He suggested that there be a fence. Mr Rude stated that they hoped that the trees they are putting in would stop the vehicle traffic. Nyle asked if the property was contiguous with Dr Crouch's property? It is contiguous with the three acre piece where his office is built. The architect of the project pointed out they had done another project where there was residents around it, a church and a school, which had a room with large windows. The people in the nursing home loved to look out the window at the school. John Watson- It is not fair for this group to impose upon the developer i ~ correcting all the problems the city has. Joe Rude- He had talked to Mr Hazelbaker six years ago about buying the existing nursing home and he did not want to sell. The other day he called Mr Rude and asked if they wanted to buy the existing nursing home. Steve Parkinson- Asked if the residents could vote on the issue. He was told they could not vote but should voice their opinion. He felt that Tony's opinion about sidewalks was a valid point. Robert Birch- The parking is adjacent to his property. He asked if it could be moved in the center of the project? We could require them to add more screening or require the parking to be moved. The architect explained the plan. John Millar closed the Hearing. He explained the ordinance that this board could deny the permit or add stipulations, or approve it as it stands. We need to .state the reasons we are approving or disapproving it. Jim Long-He responded to screening for the office overlay but he has not screened it from the residents. Mr Rude- He understood there was some existing screening on residential properties, and his understanding was that screening was adequate, but they were open to putting more screening in on the other sides. 1 ~~~ ~' t~. John Watson felt we should not impose upon them flip flopping the parking, but the screening would serve the purpose. A motion was made by Jim Long to approve the Conditional Use Permit with the provision that he submit a planting plan designed by an Idaho Licensed Landscape Architect. Seconded by John Watson. All Aye A motion was made by Jerry Jeppesen and seconded by Marsha Bjornn to adjourn. All Aye • •