Planning Commission

FAIRMONT PLANNING COMMISSION The regular meeting of the Fairmont Planning Commission was held on June 18, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Public Safety Building located at 500 Quincy Street. President Oliver called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and asked for a roll call of members. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS Members Present: Members Absent: President Oliver Commissioner Straight Vice President Majic Commissioner Miller Commissioner Parker Commissioner Richardson Commissioner Weber Commissioner Pitman Commissioner Greene City Staff Present: Director of Planning and Development – Kathy Wyrosdick Recording Secretary – Martha Richards PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE President Oliver: Motioned to approve the minutes from the May 21, 2014 meeting. Commissioner Weber: Motioned to approve minutes. Commissioner Majic: Seconded. Vote was 6-0 in favor. Motion Carried. PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR JUNE 18, 2014 None. PUBLIC HEARING #1 TO SET FOR JULY 16, 2014 President Oliver: Judson Doerfler and Blodwyn Doerfler are requesting a Right-of-Way abandonment of a portion of 12th Street between the Fairmont Box Company parking lot to the north and the Fairmont Box Company plant to the south (Tax Map 01-07, between Parcels 07-74 and 07-74.2). President Oliver: Is there anyone here to speak for this request? 1 City Planner Wyrosdick: Ms.Wyrosdick speaks on behalf of Mr. Doerfler. Mr. Doerfler owns both pieces of property adjacent to the right-of-way. He’s had the property surveyed by Norman Kronjaeger; it identifies the exact right-of-way that’s being requested. He’s trying to accommodate additional parking for the Allied Waste business. Most of it is hillside, but some of it would allow him to expand for parking for his business. We recommend that you set the public hearing. Commissioner Parker: Does he own the whole Allied Waste lot? City Planner Wyrosdick: Yes, he does. President Oliver: Any more questions for Kathy? None. President Oliver: Is there anyone to speak against this request? None. President Oliver: Do we have a motion to set the public hearing? Commissioner Weber: Motion to set. Commissioner Greene: Seconded. Vote was 6-0 in favor. Motion Carried. PUBLIC HEARING #2 TO SET FOR JULY 16, 2014 President Oliver: Debra Miller is requesting a Right-of-Way abandonment of an un- opened alleyway off of Hampton Road (Tax Map 01-32, between Parcels 49, 87, and 88). President Oliver: Is there anyone here to speak for this request? Ms. Debra Miller: Ms. Miller inherited the property from her mother. The alleyway is not on Hampton Road, the alleyway is on Moyer Way. There are two existing houses on Moyer Way, and one of the houses is owned by Tim Haddix. The first part of the alleyway on the paper has been cut out; Mr. Haddix took that out so he could have parking for his tenants. We can’t access the alleyway because of the tenant parking. Ms. Miller described the alleyway and the confusion of the location of the alleyway based on an old mining pin land stake. Her concern was about access to their property, and true dimensions of the existing alleyway. 2 City Planner Wyrosdick: Ms. Miller owns lots 49 and 88. There have been a number of encroachments into that alleyway because it’s never been opened by the city. Discussion about the HUD homes on the alleyway, built by Habitat for Humanity, and utilities crossing the alleyway, including a gas line. Habitat for Humanity will have to deal with that in the future. The City will request agency comments on this abandonment. City Planner Wyrosdick: With the abandonment, there will be an opportunity to combine those lots for better utilization of the property. Ms. Miller: I also own 471 Hampton, which is on the other side of Moyer Way. It doesn’t exist on paper. Confusion on map numbers. Mr. Ronald Dunning, father of Ms. Miller, approached the bench to clarify the location of properties on the aerial map. Ms. Miller has called to have the property surveyed. President Oliver: Is there anyone else to speak for this request? None. President Oliver: Is there anyone to speak against this request? None. President Oliver: Can I have a motion to set? Commissioner Majic: Motion to set. Commissioner Weber: Seconded. Vote was 6-0 in favor. Motion Carried. PUBLIC HEARING #3 TO SET FOR JULY 16, 2014 President Oliver: The City of Fairmont Planning Commission, on behalf of the Marion County Board of Education, is requesting a rezoning of the property located on Mary Lou Retton Drive, also known as The Woody Williams National Guard Armory (Tax Map 02- 01, Parcel 11), from Main Corridor Commercial to Educational District. This public hearing was tabled. 3 President Oliver: Do I have a motion to table? Commissioner Weber: Motion to table. Commissioner Majic: Seconded. Vote was 6-0 in favor of tabling. Motion Carried. NEW BUSINESS None. CITIZENS PETITION None. OTHER BUSINESS Commissioners Comments None. Staff Updates City Planner Wyrosdick:  City Council meeting, June 24th at 7:00 pm, Stoney Quinto hearing. There will be a work session before the City Council meeting, June 24th at 5:30 pm, regarding rezoning.  Bad Buildings update. Discussion between Oliver, Wyrosdick, and Weber. Currently, a study is underway of properties within the city that are potentially designated as dilapidated. The study will include baseline mapping, repurposing options, and identifying levels of dilapidation – are some salvageable? Auctioning abandoned buildings was brought up as an option. Discussion continued about how much time it takes to go through planning processes (e.g. demolition). “One bite at a time.”  Sidewalk rehabilitation project. Wyrosdick and Oliver discussed funding a sidewalk project. Can we apply for a grant for a sidewalk project, similar to Whitehall, to repair and/or replace the city’s sidewalks? Yes, we could apply for matching grant funds. The main corridors need to be addressed, starting with Fairmont Avenue. The Connectivity Plan includes, as part of the study, connector 4  sidewalks and possible updates to current sidewalks. Dan Weber has been “nominated” to do the research on a sidewalk repair plan.  Welcome Courtney Gillilan! She is our new Appalachian Transition Fellow, funded by the Highlander Foundation. She will be working on transitioning the Appalachian economy from a natural resources economy to a more diverse, sustainable economy. Courtney will be actively involved in the 12:30 Meetings, the Friends of the Parks program, and the community engagement piece of the Beltline program.  The Developer’s Tour, sponsored by Mainstreet Fairmont, was June 11th and 12th. It hosted approximately 40 attendees; some coming from as far away as Chicago. These business individuals networked with downtown property owners, and talked about the rehabilitation of Fairmont’s downtown area.  Commissioner Parker brought up the following topics: o Mary Lou Retton/Beverly Estates development situation. What is the status of the development? The sale took place; there is a new property owner. The City will pave and maintain some of those streets. o Fairmont Avenue paving. What is the State’s plan? Kathy does not have an update on this; she will find out. o Friendly Furniture. Has the City responded to the closing of this business? Friendly Furniture was included on the Developer’s Tour; it is definitely closing. Discussion and concern ensued over businesses closing in the City. o The need for a new City building. Do we have any other facilities we can use instead of building a new building? There is no movement forward or backward for us to go anywhere. The choices will be the Masonic building or new build. Security is the main problem, then space. ADJOURNMENT President Oliver: Do I have a motion to adjourn? Commissioner Weber: Motion to adjourn. Commissioner Pitman: Seconded. 5