Planning & Zoning

A G E N D A Planning & Zoning Commission City Council Chambers – 800 Municipal Drive February 12, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. Item Page 1 Call Meeting to Order 2 Approval of the Agenda 3 Approval of the Minutes of the January 29, 2015 P&Z Meeting 27 4 Petition No. ZC 15-02 – a request from Sell-Well Holdings, LLC, represented by 1 Brand Hartsell, for a Zone Map Amendment (rezoning) to change zoning from Industrial (IND) to Mixed Use (MU) for two parcels located at 215 W. Elm St and 504 S. Behrend. (Steven Saavedra) 5 Petition No. ZC 15-03 - a request from San Juan IPA, represented by Casey Crotty 13 for a zone change from the RE-1 Residential Estates-1 district to the OP Office & Professional District for approximately 7.50 acres located at Saguaro Trail. (Sam Montoia) 6 Business from: Floor: Chairman: Members: Staff: 7 Adjournment The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to be considered at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26  MINUTES PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 29, 2015 The Planning and Zoning Commission met in a regular session on January 29, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. in the City county Chambers, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, New Mexico P&Z Members Present: Chair, Joyce Cardon Clint Freeman Cheryl Ragsdale Paul Thompson Cody Waldroup P&Z Members Absent: Shay Davis Rory Jacques Kristin Langenfeld Del Washburn Staff Present: Mary Holton Cynthia Lopez Sam Montoia Steven Saavedra Karen Walker Others Who Addressed the Commission: John Anderson Stacie Biel Joe Schrag Paul Silverman David Sypher Charlie Trask Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 3:03 p.m. by Chair Cardon. There being a quorum present the following proceedings were duly had and taken. Presentation of the Agenda There were no changes to the agenda. Approval of the Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Cody Waldroup and seconded by Commissioner Clint Freeman to approve the minutes of the November 13, 2014 P&Z Meeting. This motion was approved unanimously by a 5-0 vote. 27 Those wishing to speak on Petitions were sworn in by Karen Walker. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PETITION REPORT Petition ZC 15-01 - Zone Change from SF-5 to GC South of the East end of E. 22nd St. Planning & Zoning Commission Discussion of Petition ZC 15-01 on January 29, 2015 Associate Planner Sam Montoia presented the staff report. Zone Change 15-01 is a request from Robert Morris for a zone change from the (SF-5) Single Family District to the (GC) General Commercial District for approximately 0.71 acres located at the end of East 22nd street and north of Advantage Dodge to be developed as an overflow parking area for the dealership. The Comprehensive Plan shows this area is straddled by areas recommended to be residential and commercial. There is currently a nonconforming razor wire fence on the south boundary of the property. This fence cannot be moved or expanded, as razor wire is not allowed in the (GC) General Commercial District. There is also an existing wood fence behind Hobby Lobby and Hastings along the residential properties. Staff recommends approval with conditions that commercial traffic not be allowed on E. 22nd St. Commissioner Freeman asked if the property was already a separate plat or part of a larger plat, and if the zone change would require a replat. Associate Planner Montoia said the only property in question was the south lot which was approximately 20 ft. south of the extension of E. 22nd St. Senior Planner Cynthia Lopez stated that Mr. Morris was in the process of subdividing the parcel. Commissioner Freeman inquired as to why the property line was stopping short of E. 22nd St. Director Holton said 22nd St. as proposed appeared to be more of a loop system, and 22nd St. would continue and probably require additional right-of-way. The recommendation would be with the condition of no access from East 22nd Street for this property. Commercial traffic would need to come from the GC traffic of the adjoined property to the south. That would be required during the plat process in terms of a separately recorded instrument and an access easement on the plat. Commissioner Thompson expressed his concern about the small strip of land that was not included in the zone change. Associate Planner Montoia stated that it was a concern that was submitted with the summary plat. Commissioner Thompson hoped the petitioner could address that issue. Chair Cardon asked about the City Engineer’s concern about drainage for the paved lot. Associate Planner Montoia said that issue had been addressed as the property to the east is an existing drainage facility. Chair Cardon stated that the property in question would leave adjacent property landlocked as the Advantage Dodge property would only be accessible from their parking lot with no egress. 28 Commissioner Freeman asked if Advantage Dodge would have to replat their lot to include this property. Director Holton said that the site must install residential protections, and Advantage Dodge would only need to replat if they were to consolidate the lots to build a building across the current lot lines. Commissioner Freeman expressed concern that there would be no access from 22nd St. He stated that the fear would be that Advantage Dodge would sell the property off and a commercial building would be built. Director Holton said that this issue was mentioned in the staff memo. She explained that with the variety of uses allowed in General Commercial and the differences in retail, it would make sense for Advantage Dodge to absorb the parcel and to have it not be developed for anything other than that use. Director Holton stated that it could be made a condition for Advantage Dodge, but it would be up to the P&Z Commissioners to recommend it to the City Council. Associate Planner Montoia said the petitioner had submitted a purchase agreement with submittal of this application. Commissioner Thompson asked Stacie Biel, who resides at 4405 Bella Vista Circle, Farmington, NM, the petitioner’s representative, why the North line did not line up with the property line to the West. There is a strip of land that would be behind the fence of the Advantage Dodge property. Ms. Biel said that Mr. Melloy, of Advantage Dodge, would like to have as much property as possible. Mr. Morris felt that by moving that line back, it would not adversely affect any of the homes with respect to their driveways and the front of their houses. Mr. Morris felt it would be better for neighbors in the neighborhood. Ms. Biel stated that the current fence along the property line was littered with trash and debris. She said the purchaser would put in a brick wall and improve the look of the neighborhood. Commissioner Waldroup inquired as to who would be responsible for that small strip of land, and would that person landscape the area. Ms. Biel stated that Mr. Morris would be responsible and he could put in gravel. She said that Mr. Morris wanted that small strip of land to be a buffer between the neighborhood and the parking lot for Advantage Dodge. Commissioner Waldroup asked if Mr. Morris would maintain that strip of land forever. Ms. Beall said that it would be the same as anyone else who owned land where the owner is responsible for upkeep. Mr. Joe Schrag, of 2201 Terrance Ave., Farmington, NM, a homeowner in the neighborhood off 22nd St., expressed concerns about the issue. He felt that if Advantage Dodge owned that land, it would deter the building of homes at the end of 22nd St. He stated that he had been under the impression that the street would become a cul-de-sac. He presented a petition from numerous homeowners opposing the purchase of the land by Advantage Dodge. Commissioner Cardon questioned if Mr. Schrag felt the land would be better taken care of if it were owned by Advantage Dodge. Commissioner Freeman inquired as to whether it would improve the situation if the property line was moved further back to include the small strip of land. Commissioner Freeman also stated that he felt it would be better to assign the strip of land to somebody and to match the lot line to run east and west in the same line as the existing fence. They could make the fence line up to the front of the houses. Mr. Schrag said he felt 29 that would be worse because somebody’s front yard would have a wall up next to it. Commissioner Freeman asked if a block wall would be more pleasing to the neighborhood. Mr. Schrag said it would be better, but he felt homes and a cul-de-sac would be even more preferable. Ms. Biel said no one who built in the neighborhood was ever told there was going to be a cul- de-sac at the end of 22nd St. The submitted plan was always for a loop street. Ms. Biel stated that the owner had considered putting multi-family homes or apartments on the property being considered to allow a buffer between the residential area and the commercial area. When Mr. Melloy proposed buying the property, Mr. Morris felt it would help the business owner and create the buffer that he wished to provide for the neighborhood. Commissioner Thompson asked Ms. Biel if Mr. Morris would landscape the north side up to the 22nd St. right-of-way. Ms. Biel said Mr. Morris would put a lining and gravel. Commissioner Freeman asked if the deal with Advantage Dodge would be void if the plat was moved back to match the fence line at the back of the houses. It would actually shrink that property to match the line that goes behind Hobby Lobby. Associate Planner Montoia said that would reduce the property depth to approximately 60 ft. as opposed to 133 ft. Ms. Biel felt the deal with Advantage Dodge might be void because Advantage Dodge is currently landlocked and they need this area for their growing business. The setback was proposed to make the area nicer for the neighborhood and still give Advantage Dodge as much property as possible. Mr. Schrag voiced a concern from neighbors about the noise from vehicles on the Advantage Dodge lot that currently exists. The concern was that the noise would become worse. Commissioner Freeman asked if the P&Z Commission was allowed to approve a motion to reduce the lot from 133 ft. to 60 ft. Director Holton said the commissioners had the ability of recommending a reduction in size for a rezoning, but they could not enlarge it. Director Holton said Residential Protections would require a screening fence which would most likely be a wood or chain link fence with slats, but the Commissioners could recommend a different type of fence Planning & Zoning Commission Action of Petition ZC 15-01 on January 29, 2015 A motion was made by Commissioner Freeman and seconded by Commissioner Waldroup to approve Petition ZC 15-01 the property line to approximately 60 ft. to match the fence line to the West of the plat and that residential screening be a split block fence as approved and recommended by staff. The motion passed by a 4-1 vote. AYE: Chair Cardon, Commissioners Freeman, Ragsdale, and Waldroup, NAY: Commissioner Thompson Abstained: None Absent: Commissioners Davis, Jacques, Langenfeld, and Washburn Motion passed 4-1 30  COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PETITION REPORT Petition PD 15-01 - Planned Development La Plata Ranch Amendment to PD 14-02 & PD 09-02 North of Pinon Hills Blvd and East of La Plata Hwy Planning & Zoning Commission Discussion of Petition PD 15-01 on January 29, 2015 Senior Planner Cynthia Lopez presented the staff report. Planned Development 15-01 is a request from La Plata Holdings, LLC represented by Paul Silverman for an amendment to the Planned Development (PD) 14-02 for property located north of Pinon Hills Boulevard and east of La Plata Highway across from the Farmington Sports Complex. The Petitioner is requesting an amendment to the Master Plan that was approved last September for PD 14-0.2 A Planned Development Master Plan was also approved in 2009 as PD 09-02. Both previously approved Master Plans show the 3 access points for the development. They show one full access, a right- in-right-out access on Pinon Hills Boulevard, and a full access to La Plata Highway. Mr. Silverman is now requesting that the full access at La Plata Highway be amended to be an emergency access only. It would be built at 20 ft. wide and be of gravel with a crash gate for emergency purposes only. The original Planned Development called for a maximum of 761 dwelling units. The current plan that was approved last year calls for a maximum of 1,135 dwelling units, plus skilled nursing, Alzheimer’s care, assisted living, and independent senior apartment facilities. Mr. Silverman increased the number of dwelling units by over 300 units. Staff felt this wasn’t an issue because at the time there were 3 access points. Section 6.4.6(B) requires that any subdivision of 250 lots or greater be required to provide 3 access points for the development. Senior Planner Lopez continued to say that on the Master Plan that was recently approved, there was full access at La Plata and 2 access points on Pinon Hills Boulevard. The proposed amendment to PD 14-02 still shows 2 access points on Pinon Hills Boulevard, but it is showing a change to the La Plata access point. The Housing and Urban Development plan (HUD), using the 2010 Consensus Brief, shows 2.58 people per household as the medium household size for the City of Farmington. With 1135 dwellings, that would be close to 3,000 residents in this neighborhood. Senior Planner Lopez went on to state that there is also a pipeline easement that runs through the development. This pipeline separates most of the dwelling units from the neighborhood center. The pipeline easement has a pressure gauge running now at a normal operating pressure of 190 P.S.I. (Pressure per Square Inch), and can go up to 500 P.S.I. Another pipeline runs through the Sports Complex on the South side of Pinon Hills Blvd. It has the same pressure gauge. In the staff report there are many comments from Fire and Police regarding safety. The issue is the ability to get people in and out of the development in the case of an accident on Pinon Hills Boulevard or if something would happen to a pipeline and Pinon Hills Boulevard was 31 closed. For safety, a development of this size absolutely needs 3 access points. Staff recommends denial of this proposed amendment. Commissioner Thompson asked if the only issue was with the access or if the change in the number of units was an issue. Senior Planner Lopez stated that there were also issues with the way the design was shown in regards to the connection to the Pinon Hills Corridor Plan. Bayless Street and the other street are shown coming into Pinon Hills Boulevard with full access with a light at the exit across from the Sports Complex. Bayless Street is shown as a right-in-right-out. On the south side of Pinon Hills Boulevard, 2 access points that are not part of this subdivision are shown. It is very concerning when we consider that the Pinon Hills Boulevard Corridor Plan is access restricted. These other access points as shown are not part of the Planned Development and they do not meet with the Corridor Access Plan. Staff feels the drawing needs to be resubmitted. Director Holton affirmed that these two southern access points needed to be removed from the Planned Development exhibits because the area is not part of the Planned Development. The Staff Memo stated that this particular exhibit needed to be revised to eliminate the south side. The developer owns the land, but it is to be developed commercially. It has never been part of the Planned Development. Anything having to do with traffic configuration is part of review by staff and is done administratively. The Traffic Impact Analysis is reviewed by the City’s Traffic Engineer. Commissioner Thompson asked if Mr. Silverman had submitted another plat plan for the additional dwelling units. Senior Planner Lopez stated that it was the same Planned Development as the original Master Plan submitted, other than the access points. Director Holton pointed out that this tract of land had not yet entered into the platting phase. This is an amendment to the Master Plan of the Planned Development that is being proposed. Commissioner Waldroup asked if the road materials were an issue. Senior Planner Lopez stated that the issue was with the 3 access points. The road requirement would have to meet street paving regulations. Petitioner Paul Silverman of 6211 San Mateo, Albuquerque, NM, reviewed the history of the project which began in 2007. From the summer of 2007 to January of 2010 the annexation, zoning, application and other documentation was being worked out. In 2007 the housing market was good, but it was not good in 2010. By 2013 the market had improved and La Plata Holdings went back to work on the original planning concept based on the hierarchy of the transportation network. In 2013 La Plata Holdings decided to reconfigure the subdivision plan to meet current needs. In 2010, Mr. Silverman explained that he met John Anderson of andersonkim Architecture and Urban Design. Mr. Anderson’s firm was expert on Smart Growth 32 design and development. Mr. Silverman went on to explain that Smart Growth is a planning regime that relies on a network of streets that allow for the elimination of the original spine road with a configuration of smaller blocks to work your way through the subdivision. That also means narrower streets, which means slower traffic. It means rear access instead of driveways on the main street which would eliminate a lot of conflict with people backing in and out of driveways into public streets. Mr. Silverman felt this made the streets more available for bicycles, good sidewalks, and better curb view of the development. Mr. Silverman continued to explain that part of the original proposal was that they would provide a Traffic Impact Study. On August 12, staff was given documentation prepared by Terry Brown. According to Mr. Silverman, Mr. Brown has been doing traffic studies in New Mexico for 30 years. Mr. Brown felt the problem was with the primary access being off Pinon Hills Boulevard. Mr. Brown looked at trip distribution and the socioeconomic standpoint of where people work and live and identified that only 1% of traffic out of the subdivision is north bound on La Plata Highway. He determined that 2 access points on Pinon Hills Boulevard would be more than adequate mechanically to make things work. The 10 acres on the south side of this property is owned by partners to Mr. Silverman. Mr. Silverman put together a Public Infrastructure Development (P.I.D.) agreement that had been preliminarily submitted to the City. It included both parts of property covered by the Planned Development and the 10 acres on the other side of the street. Mr. Silverman felt he had an obligation under a partnership agreement that not just the 250 acres, but the entire 260 acres would be designed so that they could work together. So the major concern, Mr. Silverman felt, when doing access on Pinon Hills Boulevard, would be to think about both sides of the street. Mr. Silverman went on to state that besides the discovery that they would not need the third leg from a traffic operations standpoint, they would need it for a life safety standpoint. Mr. Silverman said he is looking further at the operation of how Pinon Hills Boulevard would work and realized that the Pinon Hills Corridor Plan was an important document and only called for one signalized intersection. According to Mr. Silverman, Mr. Brown stated that the best traffic for this property would be to move the signalized traffic intersection to the east to Bayless Road because that intersection was halfway between Pinon Hills and 30th Street. With a signalized intersection, the Sports Complex would not have continuous traffic movement. Mr. Brown, according to Mr. Silverman, advised that if a roundabout was put in at that intersection, traffic would have continuous movement. Mr. Silverman said that after he came to the Planning & Zoning Commission and got approval of a new Master Plan from the City Council and from the Planning & Zoning, the Public Works Department said they did not have time to review the document that he had delivered about 3 weeks before the current hearing. Mr. Silverman said that on January 5 he had delivered the document to Public Works for their review and this was the 2nd analysis that Public Works had 33 requested for the traffic study. He went on to say that on the prior Friday he had received 35 written comments on the traffic study complaining about 2 things. Those 2 things were what he was here to talk about. Mr. Silverman said that the Traffic Engineer for the City and Mr. Silverman’s Traffic Engineer had a conversation the previous night, and as of this morning Mr. Silverman’s Traffic Engineer had submitted a supplement for the traffic study. This supplement said that the 2 access points on Pinon Hills Boulevard would allow development to operate on a sufficient level. In Mr. Silverman’s conversation with David Sypher, Mr. Silverman said that Mr. Sypher had said it would work mechanically. Mr. Silverman felt the issue now was about settling 2 issues. One issue was about the 3rd access point. Mr. Silverman said he would provide a 3rd access point, but he did not feel it needed to meet operational standards. It needed to meet life emergency standards. Chair Cardon asked Mr. Silverman if he had submitted the Traffic Impact Analysis and subsequent submittals into the Commission’s record. Mr. Silverman said everything had been delivered to Public Works. Chair Cardon said it needed to be submitted for the record. Mr. Silverman said he only had one copy at this time, but would provide what was necessary. John Anderson, residing at 300 S. Broadway NE, Albuquerque, NM and who is working with Mr. Silverman on the development, stated that previously the Planning & Zoning Commission had approved the proposal submitted but requested a Traffic Impact Analysis. Mr. Silverman then came back with a proposal to have the primary access on Pinon Hills Boulevard and the 3rd access on La Plata Highway to be used as an emergency access on La Plata Highway. Mr. Anderson felt the situation was covered in part by the fire code and the UDC code. He went on to state that the fire code says there is a need for only 2 points of access, but they needed to be separated by a certain distance. The UDC code states that when you have 250 houses, you are required to have 3 points of access. Mr. Anderson suggested that 200-250 units could be built with the 3rd access for planning purposes until further need. He continued to say that once building came out of the south end and the project became larger, then one access would need to be on Pinon Hills Boulevard and the other on La Plata Highway. Mr. Anderson proposed to follow that suggestion and make the 3rd access all-weather gravel or crushed stone as the UDC section 6.5.3 says that gravel or crushed stone is an acceptable all-weather improvement for properties in a rural setting in Tier 2. Mr. Anderson asked for adjustments to allow them to do a more rural approach coming from the La Plata Highway and have it as an emergency access and not a big thoroughfare. It would be there if needed for emergency situations. Mr. Anderson felt that the timing of this improvement could be negotiated as it may not be needed for several years. Commissioner Freeman asked if the issue had to do with the amount of money it would cost to put in the 3rd access point. Mr. Silverman responded that the reason had to do with the 34 crossing of the La Plata River to make it a permanent tie onto La Plata Highway. It would involve the Army Corps of Engineers and the State of New Mexico. He stated that he had worked out a plan with Public Works and the Fire Department to put in a 20 foot wide bridge over the river bed to satisfy the 10 year storm. The need for the access involved life safety and access for fire trucks and emergencies, but the cost of a very expensive piece of infrastructure would take time and money that was not necessary at this point. Mr. Anderson commented that the original proposal was to make the access appropriate for emergency use. At that time, the thought was to build a more expensive undervalve on Pinon Hills Boulevard that would add value to the project and be beneficial to the Sports Center. That plan was put in place and amended under the original plan because there was a collector road going through the project and it was Mr. Anderson’s understanding that if they could come to a resolution with Public Works that the next step would be amending the Corridor Plan. Mr. Silverman commented that it was also a marketing issue in terms of the overall community. Mr. Silverman stated that he had concerns in regards to safety if there was access to La Plata Highway. He felt that a lot of activity can take place that is not conducive to this type of development and if people had to go through the Pinon Hills Boulevard access, it would allow more people to observe what was happening. Commissioner Freeman said that Mr. Silverman had made reference that Mr. Silverman’s Traffic Engineer had stated that a small percentage of traffic headed north. Commissioner Freeman asked if the access on La Plata was intended to be a north bound exit only. Mr. Silverman responded that the exit was originally designed to be a two-way access. He went on to say that the Department of Labor kept track of where people lived and worked and according to their study accessed on the website onthemap.ces.census.gov, only 0.6% of people that lived in Farmington worked in Durango, and only 0.2% worked in Cortez. Commissioner Freeman asked about the traffic that would be south bound from a La Plata exit. Mr. Anderson said that the Traffic Engineer based traffic on an infrastructure with the most flexibility. Commissioner Thompson asked if the bridge would support a fire truck. Mr. Silverman said that a bridge for life safety required a nationwide permit. A bridge for a major road infrastructure falls under a 404 permit. Commissioner Thompson asked if Mr. Silverman was proposing to do the minimum as a first step and to upgrade as the development grows and hits the UDC requirements for a 3rd exit. Mr. Silverman said that he didn’t want to be forced to do that because his traffic study said they would not need a 3rd access point for transportation purposes for the development to work 35 from a traffic perspective. Mr. Silverman continued to say that they would dedicate land and have the right-of-way available so that when the development was 80% finished, if there was a decline in houses due to difficulty from getting in and out of the subdivision, or if another development hooked onto this development from the north or east, then they would think about upgrading. Commissioner Thompson asked Mr. Silverman why information was not available in time for staff to review. Mr. Silverman said that staff did not make information available in time for him. He had gotten 35 comments just the Friday prior to the meeting and the earliest time that he could get together to discuss those comments was the night before the meeting. Mr. Silverman said that as far as the Pinon Hills Boulevard was concerned, the Corridor Plan was written in 1980 and he felt things had changed. He would like to see a roundabout go in at one entrance to the subdivision on La Plata Highway and to move the stoplight from the intersection to the Pinon Hills entrance that will be across from the Sports Complex. Mr. Silverman said that National Highway Safety states that a roundabout is much safer than a signalized intersection. Mr. Silverman felt that staff and the City Council needed guidance from the Planning & Zoning Commission to give recommendations to the Corridor Plan. Commissioner Freeman wanted to know the distance between Bayless and the other subdivision street. Mr. Silverman said it was 650 ft., and 1380 ft. from the La Plata Ranch Road entrance. Mr. Silverman said he wanted to suggest a more modern technology for Farmington. He continued to state that he would be willing to chip in money to make that happen. He was also willing to make a roundabout as big as necessary to get a drilling rig around it. Commissioner Freeman asked if this plan had been submitted to staff. Mr. Silverman said that proposal had been shown on one of the drawings from a previous meeting. Commissioner Freeman then wanted to know what part of the Traffic Impact Study Public Works had issues with. Director David Sypher advised that he is very familiar and favorable with roundabouts, and he said that Public Works had provided and received comments to the first Traffic Impact Analysis around the middle of August, 2014. They received a response from the petitioner on January 9, 2015. Each comment was discussed the evening before the P&Z Meeting. Director Sypher stated that TIA issues do not go to the Planning Commission. The situation on Pinon Hills Boulevard is that people travel around 50-55 mph and a roundabout would not work. Also, to make a proper diameter, Mr. Sypher said you needed to have the area available. Mr. Sypher felt the P&Z Meeting was not the place or forum to discuss the Traffic Impact Analysis. Mr. Sypher’s recommendation was to come up with an improved Traffic Impact Analysis before staff could give recommendations. In an updated study from Mr. 36 Brown, Mr. Sypher said the study listed that 46% of traffic would use the La Plata exit, and Mr. Sypher had concerns if it was to be eliminated to make an emergency exit only. Chair Cardon asked Mr. Sypher if he would recommend tabling the issue until the Traffic Impact Analysis was ready to be presented to the P&Z Commissioners. Mr. Sypher said his understanding was that the Planning Commission did not have authority in regards to the Traffic Impact Analysis. It was a separate issue that would be handled by staff. City of Farmington Traffic Engineer Charlie Trask said the legacy of this issue had to do with 3 access points. He said it was clear in August 2014 that the Traffic Impact Analysis did not comply with requirements. Mr. Trask felt a roundabout at Bayless would be dangerous because it was on a 7% downgrade and on a curve. There were also bluffs blocking the intersection. His recommendation was to not place anything but a right-in-right-out in that intersection. A roundabout for the Sports Complex was sized too small to meet guidelines from the Federal Highway Administration. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) issued documents that a traffic signal would have to be put on each lane for pedestrians to cross if a roundabout was put in. Mr. Trask went on to state that the second submittal did not indicate that the traffic suggestions would work because the accesses were less than 500 ft. apart. The comment that Mr. Trask received January 9, 2015 showed a study that did accommodate a traffic signal at the Sports Complex. It showed full access for the access west of Bayless with a right-in-right-out hooded left turn at Bayless. It also showed the intersection at Pinon and 30th as un-signaled. Mr. Trask said he asked in October of 2014 to meet with Mr. Brown or the developer to talk about the distribution of traffic. The commercial area of the subdivision shows a mixture of fast food and other commercial properties. Mr. Trask felt the traffic would trickle through the residential streets and would have to fight the commercial traffic to get out to Pinon Hills Boulevard. Mr. Trask said he would recommend a full city street to La Plata Highway that was built to city standards. Commissioner Thompson asked if Mr. Trask would object if an emergency access to La Plata was put in at this point with the understanding that once the development got going, they would upgrade. Mr. Trask did not have issue with that suggestion. Commissioner Freeman asked why a stoplight would not be recommended at Bayless. Mr. Trask said that east of Bayless, Pinon Hills Boulevard had a curve and a bluff that would give inadequate sight distance. From the west people would be coming too fast down the hill. A hooded left turn into Bayless would be considered but it was not on the last draft of the Traffic Impact Analysis. Mr. Trask also stated that the hill was on a 7% grade and the regulations put a 5% grade at the limit. Director Holton asked to address Commissioner Thompson’s concerns regarding the timing of the 3rd access. She stated that it was not a requirement to have the 3rd access until the fire 37 code or UDC required it. It would be a situation that it would have to be built when it was needed, not before. Mr. Anderson said that he felt that it would be alright for a trigger to be in place for a time when a full improvement would need to be made connecting La Plata Highway based on the level of service to the other two intersections and a concern for emergency access. He said this could be worked out with staff and brought back to the Commissioners. Mr. Anderson felt that he and staff could come to a resolution, and asked that the petition be tabled.. Planning & Zoning Commission Action of Petition PD 15-01 on January 29, 2015 A motion was made by Commissioner Paul Thompson to table PD 15-01 to allow staff and petitioner to reconcile differences. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale. The motion was passed by a 5-0 vote. AYE: Chair Cardon, Commissioners Freeman, Ragsdale, Thompson, and Waldroup. NAY: None Abstained: None Absent: Commissioners Davis, Jacques, Langenfeld, and Washburn Motion passed 5-0 Business from the Floor: There was no business from the Floor. Business from the Chair: Chair Cardon stated that the petitions would go to the February 10, 2015 City Council Meeting. Business from the Members: There was no business from the Members. Business from Staff: Senior Planner Lopez introduced Karen Walker again as the new Administrative Assistant and Steven Saavedra as the new Associate Planner for Community Development. Adjournment: The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of December 11, 2014 was adjourned at 5:17 p.m. 1st-Commissioner Waldroup, 2nd- Commissioner Thompson. ____________________________ _____________________________ Joyce Cardon Karen Walker Chair Administrative Assistant 38