Planning Commission

COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 28, 2008 The Cookeville Planning Commission met on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 45 E. Broad Street, Cookeville, Tennessee. MEMBERS PRESENT: Judy Jennings, Dr. Roy Loutzenheiser, Nina Lunn, Don Prince, Jim Stafne, Chris Wakefield, Ryan Williams, and Tod Williams. MEMBERS ABSENT: Dr. Angelo Volpe. STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Jim Shipley, James Mills, Jayne Barns, and Ken Young. OTHERS PRESENT: James Patrick, Harold Ray and Don Calcote. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL THE AGENDA AS SUBMITTED. Don Prince made the motion to approve the agenda as submitted. Nina Lunn seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL THE MINUTES OF MARCH 28, 2008. Don Prince made the motion to approve the minutes of March 28, 2008. Ryan Williams seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED. CONSIDER FOR ACTION VARIANCE FOR A FLAG LOT AND FINAL PLAT OF HAROLD RAY DIVISION, 2 LOTS LOCATED ON VIVIAN DRIVE IN THE PLANNING REGION. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY HAROLD RAY. James Mills stated that Mr. Harold Ray has submitted for approval a request for a variance for a flag lot subdivision and a Final Plat of the Harold Ray Division, a two (2) lot subdivision of his property located off Vivian Drive. The subject property is identified as Parcel 64.08 on Map 39 and consists of 5.02 +/- acres. Article X, Section G of the Subdivision Regulations provides that flag lot divisions may only be permitted upon the approval of a variance by the Planning Commission subject to certain specific conditions. A flag lot is a lot which is accessed by a strip of land with a width less that the required street frontage which is behind a lot that meets the required street frontage. The submitted plat indicates that all of the required conditions for the creation of a flag lot would be met. The property proposed for subdivision is located outside city limits, but within the planning region. Public water is available. Public sewer is not available. The lots have existing houses with existing septic tanks. Each of the proposed lots has frontage on Vivian Drive. The proposed division complies with the lot size requirements for lots located in the planning region. Staff recommended approval of variance request and conditional approval of the Final Plat subject to the approval of the applicable departments and utilities and to the completion of minor corrections to the plat as determined by the Planning Department. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 2 APRIL 28, 2008 Tod Williams made the motion to approve the variance for a flag lot and grant conditional Final Plat approval of the Harold Ray Division subject to staff’s recommendation. Don Prince seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED VARIANCE FOR FLAG LOT AND GRANTED CONDITIONAL FINAL PLAT APPROVAL. CONSIDER FOR ACTION CLOSURE AND ABANDONMENT OF A PORTION OF ASHWOOD DRIVE FROM SOUTH WILLOW AVENUE TO GREENLAND AVENUE. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. (MOVING THIS ITEM FROM STUDY TO ACTION REQUIRES THE APPROVAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.) James Mills stated that this item requires approval to move it from study to action. Don Prince made the motion to move this item from study to action. Chris Wakefield seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED MOVING THIS ITEM FROM STUDY TO ACTION. James Mills stated that the Cookeville Public Works Department has submitted a request that the portion of Ashwood Drive located between South Willow Avenue and Greenland Avenue be closed as a city street. The portion of the right-of-way of Ashwood Drive proposed for closure is approximately 350 feet in length with a width of 40 feet. Three (3) parcels are contiguous with the portion of the subject right-of-way. Parcels 2.00 and 37.00 on Map 66A, Group G, both owned by Community Bank of the Cumberlands, are contiguous on the south side of the right-of-way. Parcel 1.00 on Map 66A, Group G, owned by Salon Consulting Group, LLC, is contiguous on the north side. The primary reason for the requested street closure is to improve traffic safety. The centerline of Ashwood Drive at its intersection with South Willow Avenue is approximately 80 feet south of the centerline of Orchard Street at its intersection with South Willow Avenue. The Cookeville Subdivision Regulations require that where local streets intersect with arterial streets the minimum spacing from the centerlines of the local streets shall be a minimum of 500 feet. Currently Ashwood Drive is signalized at its intersection with South Willow Avenue. A new street on the west side of South Willow Avenue is being constructed to access the new Putnam County E911 center and Health Department. Since this new street will more closely align with Orchard Street, creating a four-way intersection, the Public Works Department intends to relocate the signal from Ashwood Drive to this new intersection. The separation between the two intersections is not enough to meet the requirements for additional signalization. In addition to the imminent relocation of the signal, TDOT has recently announced plans to resurface South Willow Avenue from Stevens Street south to Interstate 40. The resurfacing is scheduled to be started in May. If Ashwood Drive is to be closed, now COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 3 APRIL 28, 2008 would appear to be the appropriate time to physically do so. This would allow the work to be coordinated with the planned resurfacing and avoid damaging a newly resurfaced street. The procedure for the closure and abandonment of streets is specified in the Cookeville Municipal Code. When such action is initiated by the municipality the abandoned right-of- way is divided among the adjoining properties at no cost to the owners of those properties. The deeds would specify that the abandoned right-of-way would become a part of the existing parcels. Staff recommended approval of the closure and abandonment of a portion of Ashwood Drive. There was discussion by the Board concerning the safety issues and hazards of Ashwood Drive not being closed at Willow Avenue. They also discussed closing only a portion of Ashwood and allowing the bank customers to continue using the driveway on Ashwood so that the customers could turn right and take Greenland Avenue to Orchard Street. Don Calcote, Community Bank of the Cumberlands, stated that he was not for or against the closing, but was concern about the traffic flow of his customers getting in and out of the bank property. James Patrick, Salon Consulting Group, stated that he was also not for or against the closing and would work with the City. His main concern was that if the customers from the bank cut across his parking lot to get to the light at Orchard Street, it would create a hazard for the pedestrians shopping at his store. Dr. Roy Loutzenheiser made the motion to close and abandon half of Ashwood Drive at South Willow Avenue and leaving the remainder of Ashwood Drive open to Greenland Avenue. The formal design to be approved by the City Manager, the two property owners affected by the street closing, and the City Council members. Tod Williams seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED CLOSING AND ABANDONING A PORTION OF ASHWOOD DRIVE AT SOUTH WILLOW AVENUE. Don Prince made the motion to take the following items for study. Judy Jennings seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. STUDY ITEMS. (1) CONSIDER FOR STUDY UPDATE OF TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS AND PLAN ELEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY STAFF. (2) CONSIDER FOR STUDY REZONING 118 EAST 1ST STREET FROM RS15 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO CN (NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL). REQUEST SUBMITTED BY MELANEY MADEWELL AND CRAIG FICKLING. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 4 APRIL 28, 2008 STAFF REPORTS: (1) MINOR PLAT APPROVALS: • BURGESS SUBDIVISION – 2 LOTS LOCATED ON EAST 6TH STREET – WILENE BURGESS. • RIVERSIDE SUBDIVISION – COMBINATION PLAT OF LOTS 26 & 27 – 1 LOT LOCATED ON BAY VIEW DRIVE – ZANE MOSELEY. • BUCKINGHAM PARK – REDIVISION LOTS 21 & 22 – 2 LOTS LOCATED ON BUCKINGHAM PLACE – PLANTATION PROPERTIES. • DUNCAN & GOOLSBY DIVISION – 2 LOTS LOCATED ON BROWN AVENUE – FREDDY DUNCAN. • ODIS MASON DIVISION – 2 LOTS ON MILLER ROAD – ODIS MASON. (PLANNING REGION) The Planning Commission welcomed new Planning Department employee KenYoung. ADJOURNMENT: 6:21 P.M. SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL SUBMITTED FOR RECORDING ____________________________ _________________________________ JAYNE BARNS CPS JIM STAFNE, CHAIRMAN PLANNING ASSISTANT COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION