Planning Commission

COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES MARCH 26, 2018 The Cookeville Planning Commission met on Monday, March 26, 2018 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 45 E. Broad Street, Cookeville, Tennessee. MEMBERS PRESENT: Jim Stafne, Judy Jennings, Chris Wakefield, David Webb, Jim Woodford, Kay Starkweather, Leslie Sullins Draper, Tracy Cody, and Jim Cobb. STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: James Mills, Jayne Barns, Ken Young, Jon Ward and Mike Davidson. OTHERS PRESENT: Sherry Chaffin and Jerry Gaw. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL MOVING ACTION ITEM #6: CONSIDER FOR ACTION REVISED PRELIMINARY PLAT OF THE EYE CENTERS OF COOKEVILLE REDIVISION OF TRACT 2, PHASE III, 1 LOT LOCATED ON OLD WALTON ROAD FROM STUDY TO ACTION. Kay Starkweather made the motion to approve moving Action Item #6 from Study to Action. Jim Woodford seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED MOVING FROM STUDY TO ACTION. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. Jim Woodford made the motion to approve the agenda as amended. Leslie Sullins Draper seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 26, 2018. Kay Starkweather made the motion to approve the minutes of February 26, 2018. Jim Cobb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED. CONSIDER FOR ACTION REZONING A PORTION OF 1680 HAWKINS CRAWFORD ROAD ADJACENT TO TENNESSEE AVENUE (TAX MAP #71, P/O PARCEL 108.01) FROM RS20 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO CI (COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL MIXED USE). REQUEST SUBMITTED BY STEVE NASH. STEVE NASH HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS ITEM BE WITHDRAWN. Jim Woodford made the motion to approve the withdrawal of the rezoning request. Chris Wakefield seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED WITHDRAWAL OF REZONING REQUEST. CONSIDER FOR ACTION SIX (6) MONTH EXTENSION OF PRELIMINARY PLAT OF RESUBDIVISION OF LOT 4 OF 10TH & FISK PROPERTIES, LLC DIVISION, 10 LOTS LOCATED AT 1020 FISK ROAD. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY MATT DAVIDSON ON BEHALF OF TENTH AVENUE PARTNERS, LLC. Ken Young stated that Mr. Matt Davidson on behalf of Tenth Avenue Partners LLC has submitted for approval a COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 2 MARCH 26, 2018 request for a six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat of 10th & Fisk Properties LLC Division, Re-subdivision of Lot 4, a 10 lot single family attached development of their property fronting Fisk Road. The Subdivision Regulations provides that up to two (2) six month extensions of preliminary plat approval may be requested by the developer. The initial preliminary plat for this development was conditionally approved by the Planning Commission on March 27, 2017. The subject property is identified on Tax Map 40L Group K as Parcel 13.03. The property is zoned CN, Neighborhood Commercial and consists of approximately 1.03 acres. Adjacent properties to the south and west are also zoned CN, and remaining properties to the north are zoned RS-10, Single-Family Residential. The proposed development consists of nine (9) building lots and Lot 10 will encompass the remaining common areas. On January 12, 2017 the Board of Zoning Appeals granted a variance to reduce the total square footage per dwelling unit to allow a maximum of nine (9) dwelling units to be constructed on the site based on the submitted site plan. There have been no changes to the plat as previously approved. Staff recommended approval of a six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the March 27, 2017 meeting. Leslie Sullins Draper made the motion to approve the six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat of Resubdivision of Lot 4 of 10th & Fisk Properties, LLC Division, subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the March 27, 2017 meeting. Jim Cobb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED SIX (6) MONTH EXTENSION. CONSIDER FOR ACTION RESUBMITTAL OF THE FINAL PLAT OF BROADWAY APARTMENTS PHASE II, 3 LOTS LOCATED OFF WEST BROAD STREET. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY SCOTT WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES. Ken Young stated that Scott Williams on behalf of developer Broadway 2014 Apartments LP has resubmitted for approval the Final Plat of Broadway Apartments Phase II, a four (4) lot subdivision of property owned by Broad Street Properties fronting West Broad Street with rear access to Petite Drive. The preliminary plat received conditional approval by the Planning Commission on October 26, 2015 as the Re-division of Lot 2 of the Burgess, Burnett and Elkins Final Plat. The plat name was changed administratively to Broadway Apartments Phase II in May 2016. A six (6) month extension of the preliminary plat was granted by the Planning Commission on October 24, 2016. A second six (6) month extension was granted on May 22, 2017, which expired on November 22, 2017. The Planning Commission granted 90 day conditional final plat approval on October 23, 2017, which expired on January 23, 2018. The primary subject property is identified on Tax Map 39 as Parcels 13.00 and 157.02 and contains approximately 30.9965 total acres. Lot 1 contains approximately 10.64 acres and Lot 3 contains approximately 3.19 acres and both are zoned CL, Local Commercial. Lot 2 contains approximately 13.16 acres which is zoned RS-20, Single Family Residential. The remainder of the property adjacent to Petite Drive is zoned RS-15, Single Family Residential and is identified on Tax Map 39K as Parcels 13.00 and 13.01. Adjacent properties to the east COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 3 MARCH 26, 2018 of the subject property are zoned CL and RS-15. Adjacent properties to the west are zoned CL and RS-20. Properties to the north are zoned RS-15. Lot 1 contains the newly constructed 88 unit Broadway Apartments which necessitated two points of ingress and egress. The plat depicts the newly constructed public street named Broadway Avenue that connects West Broad Street to Petite Drive. A new sidewalk five (5) feet in width has been constructed along the length of one side of the new street adjacent to the Broadway Apartments site. New water and sewer lines have been installed as well as three (3) new fire hydrants to provide adequate coverage for fire protection. The developer has submitted “as-built” plans for the water and sewer components. The developer has submitted a two (2) year letter of credit in the amount of $10,000 as a Warranty of Improvements. There have been no changes made to the plat since the final approval was granted in October 2017. Staff recommended approval of the resubmitted Final Plat subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the October 23, 2017 Planning Commission meeting. Jim Cobb made the motion to approve the resubmitted Final Plat of Broadway Apartments Phase II, subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the October 23, 2017 Planning Commission meeting. Jim Woodford seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. CONDITIONAL FINAL PLAT APPROVAL. CONSIDER FOR ACTION REVISED PRELIMINARY PLAT OF THE EYE CENTERS OF COOKEVILLE REDIVISION OF TRACT 2, PHASE III, 1 LOT LOCATED ON OLD WALTON ROAD. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY RKB GROUP LLC. STAFF HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS ITEM BE MOVED FROM STUDY TO ACTION. MOVING THIS ITEM FROM STUDY TO ACTION REQUIRES THE APPROVAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. Ken Young stated that the RKB Group LLC has submitted for approval a new Preliminary Plat of the Re-division of Tract 2, Phase III Revised Plat of the Eye Centers of Cookeville, a one (1) lot commercial development located on Old Walton Road between Neal Street and South Maple Avenue. Although only one (1) new lot is proposed, the project requires the extension of utilities, improvements to an existing substandard street and the construction of a new street with a cul- de-sac. Therefore, the submission of a preliminary plat and consideration by the Planning Commission is required by the Subdivision Regulations. The plat was initially approved on November 28, 2016 and a six (6) month extension was granted on November 27, 2017. Since that time a portion of the site at the corner of Neal Street and Old Walton Road was subdivided into one (1) new 3.64 acre lot that was subsequently purchased by the City of Cookeville and is intended to be the site of a new Police Department facility. The proposed subdivision creates one new 2.25 acre tract from a portion of Parcel 33.00 shown on Tax Map 66. The remainder of the Parcel 33.00 is not required to be platted because it is greater than five (5) acres. It is likely that this remainder will be further developed in the future. The entire property is zoned CR, Regional Commercial as are all adjacent properties. The proposed development requires the widening of Old Walton Road to three (3) lanes from COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 4 MARCH 26, 2018 Neal Street to south of a proposed new street extending eastward from Old Walton Road. A new five (5) feet wide sidewalk is also to be constructed along Old Walton Road. These improvements are required in anticipation of future traffic demands. The new public street (currently unnamed) would extend approximately 560 feet eastward and terminate in a cul-de- sac that will serve both the developer’s property and the City of Cookeville property. This new street is to be 36 feet in width and include a sidewalk five (5) feet in width. Water, sewer, gas and electric service is to be extended along the new street. As a condition of the sale of the lot on the corner of Neal Street and Old Walton Road to the City of Cookeville, the City will complete all required street improvements to Old Walton Road and will construct the new street off Old Walton Road as well as all of the proposed new sidewalks. RKB Group LLC will be responsible for installing all required utility improvements and providing all engineering plans for the street, utility and related improvements. FES Consulting is in the process of designing the utilities plan as well as the street construction plans. The Electric Department stipulates that a 20 feet wide easement be provided for all power and the conduit must be installed per their specifications. The Gas Department reports that natural gas is available to the site. Staff recommended conditional approval of the revised Preliminary Plat subject to the following: • Developer must schedule and attend a pre-construction meeting with all the appropriate city departments, • Developer must submit a street construction plan and profile with storm sewer and sidewalk details to the Department of Public Works. Plan shall include typical street section, subgrade, base width, asphalt width and 3:1 slopes, • Developer shall submit a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to the Department of Public Works, • Developer must submit water and sewer plans to the Water Quality Control Department, • Developer shall submit plans for the installation of underground electric per the Electric Department design requirements , • Developer to submit plans for the installation of natural gas to the Gas Department if gas service is desired, • Developer to provide all conduit for underground communications facilities, CAD files and electrical layout plan to Frontier Communications, • Developer shall provide all utility easements as required by the Electric, Gas and Water Quality Control Departments, and • Completion of corrections or additions to the plat as determined necessary by the Planning Department and/or other appropriate city departments. Chris Wakefield made the motion to grant conditional approval of the revised Preliminary Plat of the Eye Centers of Cookeville Redivision of Tract 2, Phase III, subject to staff’s recommendation. Jim Woodford seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE REVISED PRELIMINARY PLAT. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 5 MARCH 26, 2018 CONSIDER FOR ACTION RESUBMITTAL OF THE FINAL PLAT OF SOMERVILLE PHASE I, 22 LOTS LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF EAST 10TH STREET AND BREEDING AVENUE. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY JERRY C. GAW. Ken Young stated that Aaron Bernhardt has resubmitted the Final Plat of the Somerville Phase I subdivision, a 22 lot single family attached (townhouse) development of his property located at the corner of East 10th Street and Breeding Avenue. The subject property is identified on Tax Map 40M Group B as a portion of Parcel 8.00 and Phase I contains approximately 1.43 total acres and is primarily zoned CL, Local Commercial as is the adjacent property to the east. The small remainder of the parcel along the southern boundary is zoned RS-15, Single Family Residential as is the adjacent property to the east of that portion. Section 221.3 of the Zoning Code stipulates that single family attached dwellings (townhouses) are allowed in the CL zone as a use permitted on review, subject to the submission of a plat in accordance with the Cookeville Subdivision Regulations. Phase II consists of single family detached lots that has already been approved and recorded. The plat was granted conditional 90 day final approval on November 27, 2017. However, due to unforeseen delays the developer was unable to complete the project within the time allowed. Phase I consists of 21 single family attached building lots and the construction of a private street with new interior sidewalks. Lot 22 is the remaining common area and is not a building lot. The new private street is named Somerville Court and all of the lots are accessed from this private street with no direct access to Breeding Avenue or East 10th Street. Water service connects to the existing six (6) inch water line located in the right-of-way of Breeding Avenue and the lots are served by a master meter. Sewer has been connected to the existing eight (8) inch gravity sewer line also located within the Breeding Avenue right-of-way. There is one (1) existing hydrant on Breeding Avenue and the dwelling units are sprinkled to the 13D standard. Public Works requires that the storm water detention pond be completed as per the approved plan and the rain garden must be stabilized. In addition, Public Works requires that all street, curb and sidewalk construction and landscaping must be completed as a condition of final plat approval and must include repair of the existing sidewalk on Breeding Avenue that was damaged during construction. The developer must install street and stop signs or pay Public Works to do so. All common areas, streets and other infrastructure improvements are private and will be maintained via a homeowner association agreement that will be required upon final plat recording. No portion of the subject property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area according to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for the area, nor are there indications of Sinkhole Retention Areas according to the available GIS data. There have been no changes made to the plat since the approval granted in November 2017. Staff recommended conditional approval of the resubmitted Final Plat subject to the completion of the improvements and sidewalk repair as required by Public Works, the installation of signage, installation of required landscaping, additions and/or corrections to the plat as required by the Planning Department or other city departments and the submission of the homeowner’s association agreement. Jim Woodford made the motion to grant conditional approval of the resubmitted Final Plat of Somerville Phase I, subject to the completion of the improvements and sidewalk repair as COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 6 MARCH 26, 2018 required by Public Works, the installation of signage, installation of required landscaping, additions and/or corrections to the plat as required by the Planning Department or other city departments and the submission of the homeowner’s association agreement. Tracy Cody seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE RESUBMITTAL FINAL PLAT. CONSIDER FOR ACTION 30 DAY EXTENSION OF THE PRELIMINARY PLAT OF WHEELER/CALDEMEYER SUBDIVISION PHASE II, 3 LOTS LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF NEAL STREET & VETERANS DRIVE. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY RYAN WILLIAMS OF J & S CONSTRUCTION ON BEHALF OF DR. DALE WHEELER AND DR. CORTLAND CALDEMEYER. Ken Young stated that Ryan Williams on behalf of Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Caldemeyer has submitted a request for a 30 day extension of the approval of the Preliminary Plat of the Wheeler/Caldemeyer Subdivision Phase II, a three (3) lot commercial development located at the intersection of East Veterans Drive and Neal Street. The plat was initially approved on March 27, 2017 as four (4) lots. On December 29, 2017 the lot containing the new doctor’s office under construction on East Veterans Drive was detached and recorded separately as Phase I. The remaining property was re-platted as three (3) lots and renamed as Phase II. The subject property is identified on Tax Map 66 as Parcel 32.00 and consists of approximately 6.00 acres. The subject property as well as all adjacent parcels are zoned CR, Regional Commercial. The Planning Commission previously granted a variance to allow one flag lot which is numbered as Lot 1-B on the plat with a 25 foot wide access strip to Neal Street. The remaining lots have frontage on existing public streets. When the Phase I lot was platted there was a shift of the common lot line with Lot 1-B, subsequently enlarging it from 1.14 acres to 1.20 acres. Otherwise, there are no other changes to the plat as revised for Phase II consideration. Staff recommended approval of the request for a 30 day extension of the conditional approval of the Preliminary Plat, subject to the original terms and conditions stipulated at the March 27, 2018 meeting. Leslie Draper made the motion to approve the 30 day extension of the Preliminary Plat of Wheeler/Caldemeyer Subdivision Phase II, subject to the original terms and conditions stipulated at the March 27, 2018 meeting. Jim Woodford seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED 30 DAY EXTENSION. CONSIDER FOR ACTION SIX (6) MONTH EXTENSION OF PRELIMINARY PLAT OF EDGINGTON COURT, 25 LOTS LOCATED ON WEST BROAD STREET AND CHESTNUT AVENUE. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY AARON BERNHARDT. Ken Young stated that Mr. Aaron Bernhardt on behalf of his partners Jerry Gaw and Tim Stover has submitted a request for a six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat of Edgington Court, a 25 lot single family attached development of their property fronting West Broad Street and Chestnut Avenue. The plat was initially approved on March 27, 2017. The Subdivision Regulations provides that up to two (2) six month extensions of preliminary plat approval may be requested by the developer. To date, no work has begun on the site. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 7 MARCH 26, 2018 The subject property is identified on Tax Map 53B Group P as Parcel 5.04. The property is zoned CL, Local Commercial and consists of approximately 1.77 acres. Adjacent properties to the north and northeast are zoned MS, Medical Services, remaining properties to the east are zoned CL as are two (2) parcels to the west. The remaining parcels to the west are zoned CL and RD, Single-Family and Duplex Residential respectively. The proposed development consists of 24 building lots and Lot 25 will encompass the remaining common areas. Lots 1-19 will front an existing ingress/egress street proposed to be named Edgington Drive which will be private. An additional ingress/egress area is proposed for construction to serve as frontage for Lots 20-24. Public Works has confirmed that the existing street section has been cored and meets city street standards. Public Works requires that the developer submit plans for street and sidewalk improvements as well as showing the detention structures on the plat. All units are planned as two (2) bedrooms and off street parking is calculated at the rate of 1.25 spaces per bedroom for a minimum total of 60 parking spaces to be provided. 62 spaces are shown on the plat. The plat depicts the proposed construction of a new four (4) foot wide sidewalk along one (1) side of the existing private street. There is an existing five (5) foot sidewalk along West Broad Street. All of the dwelling units are to be outfitted with sprinkler systems that meet the National Fire Protection Association design standard 13D. In addition, two (2) existing fire hydrants are within the required proximity for fire protection. The Water Quality Control Department has stipulated that the new sewer connect to the existing manhole located in the southeast corner in order to access the eight (8) inch gravity sewer line located in the West Broad Street right-of-way. They also stated that water meters are to be set in the right-of-ways of either Chestnut Avenue or Broad Street to connect to the existing six (6) inch water lines also located in the street right-of-ways. The Electric Department requires that all electric is to be installed underground per CED specifications and easements are to be provided. The developer stated his intention to provide solid waste management using dumpsters and has advised that Clinton Engineering is working to determine the number and location of the units. The developer also stated the project would not include the use of natural gas. All of the property including the driveways, parking areas and other common areas and infrastructure components are private. Repair and maintenance of all common elements will be covered under a homeowner’s association agreement that is to be submitted in a timely manner after the final plat is recorded. Staff recommended approval of a six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the March 27, 2017 meeting. Jim Woodford made the motion to approve the six (6) month extension of the Preliminary Plat of Edgington Court, subject to the original terms and conditions specified at the March 27, 2017 meeting. Tracy Cody seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED SIX (6) MONTH EXTENSION. CONSIDER FOR ACTION AMENDMENTS TO THE OFFICIAL STREET MAP. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY STAFF. James Mills stated that amendments to the Official COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 8 MARCH 26, 2018 Street Map are necessary due to the construction of four (4) new streets, the extension of one (1) existing street, the renaming of portion of two 2) streets, the closure of one (1) street and portions of three (3) others, and the addition of dedicated right-of-way along one (1) street in 2017. The purpose of the Official Street Map is to depict the streets for which the City of Cookeville is responsible for maintenance and to reflect the official names of these streets. The recommended amendments are included in your information packet. Broadway Avenue, Cross Pointe Drive, Ealey Avenue and Foundation Drive were constructed and Bradford Trace was extended as part of new subdivision developments. Portions of Buffalo Valley Road were renamed to Dickinson Lane, Hughes Street and West Stevens Street as a part of the realignment of West Stevens Street and Buffalo Valley Road and a portion of Mine Lick Creek Road was renamed to Ginger Medley Lane as a portion of the I-40 Interchange construction project. Armstrong Avenue and portions of West 8th Street, West 9th Street and North Whitney Avenue Drive was closed and abandoned and sold to Tennessee Tech University through Ordinance No. O17-02-02. The owners of a parcel in the Highlands Business Park have requested that the dedication of a portion of their property as additional right-of-way for Lee Seminary Road, which was required for approval of the creation of their parcel through the subdivision process, be approved as an amendment to the Official Street Map. Staff recommended approval of amendments to Official Street Map. Jim Cobb made the motion to approve the amendments to the Official Street Map. Kay Starkweather seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED AMENDMENTS TO THE OFFICIAL STREET MAP. Kay Starkweather made the motion to take the following items for study. Jim Woodford seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. STUDY ITEMS. (1) CONSIDER FOR STUDY REZONING 10.11 ACRES ON BUFFALO VALLEY ROAD (TAX MAP #54, PARCEL 93.03) FROM RS20 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO RS10 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL). REQUEST SUBMITTED BY ODESSA NELSON ON BEHALF OF DIANNA COLLINS. (2) CONSIDER FOR STUDY REZONING 1200 BOYD FARRIS ROAD FROM CI (COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL MIXED USE) TO LM (LIGHT MANUFACTURING). REQUEST SUBMITTED BY DAVID RONALD SLAGLE ON BEHALF OF UPPER CUMBERLAND RENTAL & SALES. (3) CONSIDER FOR STUDY REZONING PROPERTY LOCATED OFF NORTH WILLOW AVENUE (TAX MAP #40B-A-38.01) FROM RD (SINGLE FAMILY & COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 9 MARCH 26, 2018 DUPLEX RESIDENTIAL) TO CL (LOCAL COMMERCIAL). REQUEST SUBMITTED BY RANDALL RAMSEY. (4) CONSIDER FOR STUDY AMENDMENTS TO ZONING CODE SECTIONS 204, 207, 220, 223 AND 235. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY STAFF. (5) CONSIDER FOR STUDY PRELIMINARY PLAT OF 700 BROAD, 43 LOTS LOCATED ON EAST BROAD STREET. REQUEST SUBMITTED BY CHAD GILBERT. STAFF REPORTS: (1) MINOR PLAT APPROVALS: • WILLIAM & PAULA DUNN DIVISION – 1 LOT LOCATED AT 1100 WALL AVENUE – WILLIAM & PAULA DUNN AND TTU FOUNDATION. • BURGESS FAMILY PARTNERSHIP LOT LINE REVISION – 2 LOTS LOCATED AT 750 EAST SPRING STREET – BURGESS FAMILY PARTNERSHIP. • COMBINATION OF SPRING PARK ADDITION BLOCK 16 LOTS 3-8 – 1 LOT LOCATED AT 1824 LEE AVENUE – GENTRY BROTHERS PROPERTIES. • AMENDMENT BURGESS FAMILY PARTNERSHIP LOT LINE REVISION – 2 LOTS LOCATED AT 750 EAST SPRING STREET – BURGESS FAMILY PARTNERSHIP. (2) DOWNTOWN PARKING UTILIZATION STUDY 2018. Jon Ward gave the following summary of the 2018 Downtown Parking Utilization Study: The downtown area is defined as an area within the City zoned as Central Business District (CBD) that includes what has been historically identified as the two (2) downtown areas of Cookeville, “The Square” and the “West Side”. Parking has been perceived as an issue in the downtown area for some time. Initially, merchants and property owners in the downtown area began indicating to the City that parking was a problem. Also, nearly 60 percent of respondents to the 2003 Cookeville Citizen Survey indicated that downtown parking was a moderate to serious concern. In 2004 the Cookeville Planning Department completed a complete inventory and analysis of parking in the downtown area. This was the first known comprehensive study of parking in the downtown area. The study included an inventory of how many parking spaces were available, and further provided a classification of public and private parking. This initial study provided a baseline for future parking trends. Parking demand for the study area was determined by analyzing the land use of existing buildings and determining the parking need based on the requirements per square footage included in the Cookeville Zoning Code. Again, for the 2010 Citizen Survey, Downtown parking was most frequently rated as fair or poor. The 2004 Downtown Parking Study was updated with another Downtown Parking Study of similar scope completed in 2016. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 10 MARCH 26, 2018 Both of the 2004 and 2016 Parking Studies indicated that the downtown area had a parking deficit based on applying a parking ratio to the square feet of existing land use and comparing the results with the available parking supply. The 2016 Downtown Parking Study indicated that the deficit had increase since 2004. Both downtown parking studies recommended that a parking utilization study be completed. A parking utilization analysis is a common method for further evaluating whether the parking supply is adequate for the parking demand. In late June/early July 2016 and in April 2017, parking utilization was determined within each of the nine (9) sub areas at four (4) times of the day (9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 6:00 PM) for a given three (3) day period. Due to inclement weather, data collection was postponed for 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, 2017, and rescheduled for 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, 2017. Otherwise, weather did not have a perceived effect on the study. For this study period, there were a total of 3184 parking spaces in the CBD. Parking utilization was inventoried and analyzed for public/private parking combined, public parking and private parking separately. Appendix A of the Parking Utilization Study contains illustrations of the highest observed utilization for each sub area. Appendix B includes a complete analysis of parking utilization with 2016 and over 10,000 data points, illustrated by the observed times and days of the week. An occupancy threshold is typically used to determine whether a parking shortage is present. Reviews of parking utilization studies from other cities indicate ranges from 75 to 90 percent occupancy are used to evaluate parking availability. A high occupancy rate may indicate a shortage of parking while a low occupancy rate may indicate an abundance of available parking. For the purposes of this study a conservative occupancy threshold of 75 percent was selected to indicate a possible shortage in available parking. For the most recent utilization inventory the 9 sub areas of CBD consisted of 226 parcels containing approximately 92.6 acres. Findings include the following: Sub areas 3, 1 and 7 consistently have the most utilized parking. During the 2016 and 2017 study periods, there were nine (9) observed instances of parking utilizations above the 75 percent threshold, all of which were of utilized public parking. Three (3) of the instances above 75 percent were in Sub Area 2 and 4. Neither of these sub areas primarily rely on public parking to serve demand. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 11 MARCH 26, 2018 Sub Area 7 had six (6) observed instances over the 75 percent threshold. And also an additional seven (7) observed instances over 60 percent occupied, but less than 75 percent occupied. One of the highest observed occupancies for SA 7, was of public parking, and occurred on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, 12:00 PM 109 of 121 spaces, 90.1 percent occupied, with 12 vacant public parking spots. At that time there were five (5) occupied public parking spaces out of the 53 available in a nearby public parking lot adjacent to Loxx Salon in Sub Area 9. During the 2017 inventories, parking at the proposed Hotel/Convention Center site was observed. This was not included in the parking study due to this is not considered available parking; and the area could be unavailable at any time. Average parking in that lot was 15 cars. The highest observed number of cars parked in the lot was 45. When there were 45 cars observed in this area, there were 94 occupied public parking spaces in Sub Area 7, which is 78 percent occupied. This occurred on Wednesday, 4/19/2017, at 6:00 PM. At this time there were 36 vacant parking spaces in the nearby public parking lot adjacent to Loxx Salon in Sub Area 9. Sub Area 3 ranks in the top three (3) of utilization for public/private combined, and public and private parking separately. Although Sub Area 3 had not observed parking above 75 percent, it did have eight (8) instances over 60 percent occupied, but less than 75 percent occupied. The highest observed occupancy for SA 3, was of public parking, and occurred on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, 3:00 PM, 217 of 321 spaces occupied, 67.6 percent, with 104 vacant public parking spots. Sub Area 1 had six (6) instances over 60 percent occupied, but less than 75 percent occupied. The highest observed occupancies for SA 1, which consist of entirely public parking, occurred on July 7, 2016, at 9:00 AM, 178 of 270 spaces occupied, 65.9 percent, with 92 vacant parking spots. Sub Area 6 had four (4) instances over 60 percent occupied, but less than 75 percent occupied. The highest observed occupancy for SA 6, was of public parking, and occurred on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, 6:00 PM, 134 of 186 spaces, 72.0 percent, with 52 vacant public parking spots. This coincided with Wednesday evening worship services at First Baptist Church. Recent Developments: A proposed hotel/convention center located adjacent to Sub Area 7 will provide 529 parking spaces, with 317 of these located in a five (5) story parking garage. Developers have indicated that the parking garage will be available for general parking for persons other than hotel guest with a fee. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 12 MARCH 26, 2018 The City of Cookeville partnered with Cookeville First Baptist Church to enter a long term lease to provide additional public parking partially within and directly adjacent to Sub Area 6. This new parking lot is located at the southeast corner of East Spring Street and South Walnut Avenue. An additional 135 parking spaces were installed for a total of 185 parking spaces. Some of these additional parking spaces will be reserved to serve employees of Science Application International Corporation (SAIC), which established a Technology Integration Gateway Center in the Regions Bank Building located at 10 West Broad Street in 2017. The company plans to employ approximately 300 people at this center. The additional parking spaces will be available for public parking on evenings, weekends and holidays. In December, 2017, the Cookeville City Council adopted updated Municipal Code regulations for parking in municipal owned and controlled parking lots and within public right-of-ways. The new parking provisions addressed several concerns, including an issue with commercial fleet vehicles, trailers and merchandise occupying parking in city owned or controlled parking lots. The updated regulations prohibit overnight parking of commercial fleet vehicles in public lots. Also, trailers and merchandise that had been stored in public parking spaces were also prohibited. These issues were particularly evident in Sub Area 7 and the new regulations should improve parking availability in this sub area. Other provisions were updated in the Municipal Parking Code in anticipation of increased future demand providing necessary measures to encourage parking space turnover in the downtown area. Overall, parking utilization rates increased for each sub area from the 2016 to 2017 inventory periods. This is indicative of a vibrant downtown area. With the exception of Sub Area 7, the downtown area as a whole does not appear to be suffering from a parking deficit, but rather from a lack of perceived convenient parking. There are periods during the day that the first choice parking location may be occupied, requiring the parking patron to seek an alternative spot. For a number of utilization intervals, public parking in Sub Area 7 had peak observed occupancies exceeding the 75 percent threshold. However, additional underutilized public parking exists in other sub areas that could sufficiently serve the demand. Parking availability within two (2) to three (3) city blocks to reach a desired destination is typical for most vibrant downtown areas. Special event occurrences can also have significant impacts on parking utilization, but these occurrences are irregular. Additional public parking installed by Cookeville at the corner of East Spring Street and South Walnut Avenue should positively impact parking availability to accommodate special events and evening and weekend demand. The parking garage proposed with the downtown Hotel/Convention Center should also have a positive impact on utilization rates for Sub Area 7, providing additional parking options. The recent Municipal Code updates prohibiting commercial fleet vehicles, trailers and merchandise from occupying parking in city owned or controlled parking lots should have an immediate positive impact on parking availability in several sub areas and particularly in Sub Area 7. Field data strongly shows that existing supply is meeting the overall current parking demand, with the exception of Sub Area 7. While Sub Area 1, Sub Area 3 and Sub Area 6 COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 13 MARCH 26, 2018 are reaching levels of concern, the utilization data indicates current available parking supply in these sub areas is meeting demand. To ensure that adequate parking will continue to be available in the Cookeville Downtown the following recommendations are presented for consideration: • Increase capacity in select areas with caution. Be mindful of opportunities to acquire property in or near high parking occupancy areas. • Reevaluate Sub Area 7 to see if Municipal Code amendments have made positive impacts on parking availability. • Educate the public about parking options. This can be accomplished through public service announcements on the City of Cookeville website or other modes of communication. • Improve signage to increase public awareness of public parking locations. Some public parking lots have no identifying signage. Installing wayfinding signs and signage at entrances to public parking lots would increase awareness of available public parking. • Prioritize parking for shoppers and visitors. Business owners and employees should utilize less desirable parking spots further away from business entrances. • Enhance pedestrian crossings. • Evaluate and re-configure existing public parking lots if feasible to maximize parking spots, while still maintaining safe and effective ingress and egress to public streets. • Pave and stripe existing parking areas that are currently not paved and if paved not striped. • Re-stripe existing parking areas to increase the number of spaces. • Improve enforcement of existing time-restricted public parking. • Increase the number of time-restricted public parking spaces. • Install parking meters to encourage turnover of convenient parking. • Construct additional public surface parking areas. • Evaluate the feasibility of constructing a public and/or private parking garage. • Implement a transit system to shuttle downtown visitors and customers at remote parking areas to and from the downtown. • Require the provision of off-street parking for all new development in the downtown area. • Require new developments in the downtown area, which cannot or choose to not provide off-street parking, to pay an in-lieu of fee that would be utilized to pay for the provision of additional public parking. • Establish a Downtown Improvement District in which downtown property owners are assessed a fee or a tax to pay for parking improvements. COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION 14 MARCH 26, 2018 James Mills wanted to commend Jon Ward for all of his hard work, along with Ken Young, who helped with the field work, and Terry Clark, who did all of the maps for the study. ADJOURNMENT: 6:15 P.M. SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL SUBMITTED FOR RECORDING ____________________________ _________________________________ JAYNE BARNS CPS JIM STAFNE, CHAIRMAN PLANNING ASSISTANT COOKEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION