Planning & Zoning

A GENDA Planning & Zoning Commission City Council Chambers – 800 Municipal Drive May 14, 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 April 30, 2015 P&Z Meeting 39 4 Petition No. SUP 15-02 – a request from Wal-Mart #3428 for a Special Use 1 Permit for an additional area of outside storage at 1400 W. Main Street. (Steven Saavedra) 5 Petition No. ZC 15-04 - a request from the City of Farmington, Socono, LTD, and 21 Mike English, for a zone change from R-4 to GC General Commercial, LNC Local Neighborhood Commercial and SF-10 single-family Residential for 24.35 acres of vacant/undeveloped land located across Main Street from the Animas Valley Mall and south of Beckland Drive. (Cindy Lopez) 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, May 26, 2015. ATTENTION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: The meeting room and facilities are fully accessible to persons with mobility disabilities. If you plan to attend a meeting and need an auxiliary aid or service, please contact the City Clerk's office at 599-1101 or 599-1106, prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made. 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 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38  MINUTES PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION April 30, 2015 The Planning and Zoning Commission met in a regular session on April 30, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, New Mexico P&Z Members Present: Chair, Joyce Cardon Shay Davis Clint Freeman Kristin Langenfeld Cheryl Ragsdale Paul Thompson Cody Waldroup Del Washburn P&Z Members Absent: Rory Jacques Staff Present: Mary Holton Cynthia Lopez Sam Montoia Steven Saavedra Karen Walker Others Who Addressed the Commission: Daniel Anglin Sherry Blackmon Chuck Hesser Elizabeth Kaime Ester Ludwick Jeff Purcell Shellie Purcell Call to Order Chair Cardon called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. 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 39 A motion was made by Commissioner Langenfeld and seconded by Commissioner Davis to approve the minutes of the April 16, 2015 P&Z Meeting. This motion was approved unanimously by an 8-0 vote. Swearing in of Witnesses All parties that wished to speak on behalf of any agenda item were sworn in by Karen Walker. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PETITION REPORT Petition PP 15-02 – Preliminary Plan for Sunrise No. 12 Subdivision, Replat B Planning & Zoning Commission Discussion of Petition PP 15-02 on April 30, 2015 Associate Planner Saavedra presented the staff report for PP 15-02, a request from Ron Bliss, represented by Sakura Engineering and Surveying. This is a Preliminary Plan for a proposed 5- lot subdivision located at 4423 Casa Bonita Dr. on 1.98 acres. Currently, the property has 2 lots approximately 46,000 square feet and 39,000 square feet. The subject property is located in SF-7, Single Family zoning which requires a 7,000 square foot minimum lot size. The 5 lots that are planned meet the zoning requirements. Staff recommends approval of Petition 15-02 subject to following conditions: A. The shared driveway into the proposed subdivision will require a turn-around, hammerhead, or cul-de-sac, in accordance with the City’s Fire Code. B. Ownership and maintenance of the shared driveway and utilities in the Access and Utility Easement by the five (5) lot owners must be included in a plat note. C. A plat note indicating that none of the five (5) lots shall have direct access to Casa Bonita Drive is required. D. The developer is required to install sidewalks along Casa Bonita Drive adjacent to Lots 5B and 1B. Commissioner Washburn asked what a shared driveway was verses a road. Mr. Saavedra responded that a shared driveway is owned by and maintained by the homeowners association and the homeowners. Commissioner Washburn asked why the Fire Department’s recommendation of a cul-de-sac or hammerhead did not appear on the plat. Director Mary Holton responded that this was an initial proposal subject to the conditions and technical changes proposed today. This petition is still a work in progress at this stage. 40 Commissioner Langenfeld commented on Public Works statement in the Memo that shared driveways should provide access to no more than 3 single-family residential lots; this request is approved in accordance with UDC. Ms. Holton responded that the section of the UDC provides the Director of Public Works, David Sypher, the authority on shared driveways. Ms. Holton said in a discussion she had with Mr. Sypher, it was stated that Mr. Sypher was alright with 5 lots sharing this driveway, but that a revision to the UDC needed to be considered so that there was a limitation placed at no more than 3 lots. Currently the UDC does not restrict the number of residential lots on a shared driveway. Commissioner Freeman asked what staff felt the pros and cons were to having a shared driveway. Ms. Holton stated that the reason staff was recommending Condition B, (ownership and maintenance of the shared driveway and utilities in the Access and Utility Easement by the five (5) lot owners must be included in a plat note), was not only for an access from one point for all 5 lots, but utilities as well. Ms. Holton stated that if the properties were sold in the future, new owners might not understand that it is their responsibility for maintenance. A lot of businesses have shared driveways because of restrictions on curb cuts, Ms. Holton said. This is the same type of concept. Commissioner Freeman asked if any of these houses would come straight out onto Casa Bonita Dr. Ms. Holton stated that Condition C, (a plat note indicating that none of the five (5) lots shall have direct access to Casa Bonita Drive is required), specifically responds to that issue. Commissioner Ragsdale inquired if the homeowners for these 5 lots would have a separate Homeowners Association. Ms. Holton stated that the current owner is a member of the Homeowners Association and the owners of the 5 lots should maintain the shared driveway because they would be the only ones served by the shared driveway. Sherry Blackmon of Sakura Engineering and Surveying, 125 W. Main, stated that the history of this property began when the current owner purchased it to build his own home. Initially the 2 lots, about 1 acre each, were part of a lot consolidation. The owner has since purchased a home elsewhere. Ms. Blackmon stated that home builders today want smaller lots. The properties would have to abide by the restrictions in the Homeowners Association as far as size of home, height restrictions, and lot size of a minimum of 9,000 square feet. The supplemental document Sakura Engineering and Surveying will create will be in addition to the Homeowners Association and will not supersede it. The document will only be between the 5 lot owners and will be for maintenance and operation of the shared driveway and utilities, said Ms. Blackmon. The shared driveway will not look like a public road. It will look like a driveway and will not 41 have a curb or gutter, nor will it have sidewalks. Ms. Blackmon stated that it will look like any residential driveway except that more than one lot will be utilizing it. Sakura Engineering and Surveying is not opposed to some lots having access from Casa Bonita, however, the 2 lots closest to Casa Bonita have encroachments that will not allow a house to actually face Casa Bonita because of the depths of the lots. It will be best if the houses faced the shared driveway. The utilities will already be there as well. Commissioner Washburn asked Ms. Blackmon what the plan was to meet the fire code in regards to the cul-de-sac or hammerhead. Ms. Blackmon responded there were a couple of options, but it will more likely look like a hammerhead and not a cul-de-sac due to the depth of some lots. Sixty feet is needed for a hammerhead and there is enough room for that. Ms. Blackmon stated that the next version of the plans will have the hammerhead at the end of the driveway for turn around. Commissioner Washburn asked about drainage issues. Ms. Blackmon responded that all 5 lots will naturally drain toward the shared driveway. Commissioner Freeman stated that some of the letters from residents referred to this area as an active wash. Mr. Freeman inquired as to how that was to be handled. Ms. Blackmon stated the area is a natural low area, but not necessarily a wash. Drainage will be directed toward the shared driveway and then to Casa Bonita. Commissioner Waldroup stated that some of the resident’s letters voiced concerns about privacy. Mr. Waldroup asked if these lots were lower than the lots to the north. Ms. Blackmon stated the 5 lots are lower, and there is natural sandstone on the higher properties to the north. Those properties do not have fences in their backyards. Ms. Blackmon stated that fencing will probably have to be engineered due to the sandstone. Shellie Purcell of 733 Sunrise Court asked why there will not be sidewalks on the shared driveway. Ms. Holton responded that the shared driveway was not a local street. The requirement for sidewalks is only along local streets. Ms. Holton said the sidewalks will only be along Casa Bonita Dr. Ms. Purcell stated that she thought the look will affect the neighborhood if the driveway did not have sidewalks. Ms. Purcell had additional questions on engineered fencing for the back of her property. She is concerned about the expense and who will have to pay for the fencing. Ms. Holton stated that fencing is usually negotiated between both property owners. Ms. Holton also noted that fences and walls have to be approved by the developer of the subdivision. Ms. Holton went on to 42 explain that when someone wants to build a wall or engineered fence, it goes to the development review team which includes City Staff from Public Works, Engineering, the Chief Building Official, and Planning. Everyone is brought to the table to review the plans and ensure it is done correctly. Any fencing has to be permitted because the Planning Division looks at setbacks. Ms. Purcell said she is also concerned about property value going down. She stated she was aware of the 2 lots when she purchased the house and that did not bother her because they would be related to Casa Bonita Drive and would not be directly behind her property. Paul Martin of Sakura Engineering and Surveying located at 125 W. Main St. stated that he has had conversations with Terry Gould, the owner and managing partner of Sunrise Subdivision. Mr. Gould has reviewed the plans and is satisfied at this point in time. Mr. Martin said that he has written covenants for Mr. Gould and other clients. He also stated that when homes are developed and constructed, the City and Staff review the plans for drainage and walls. A licensed professional engineer has to do the plans on retaining walls 3’ or higher and fences 6’ or higher. A fence on top of a retaining wall has to be designed by a structural engineer. As far as the view, Mr. Martin stated that if you live inside the city, you are going to have neighbors. The house that Dr. Bliss was going to build on the property was 4,000-5,000 square feet with a pool house and a pool. Mr. Martin stated that these 5 houses will be taking up about the same amount of area. Mr. Martin stated the area is not an arroyo. It is a low area. The issue of a hammerhead at the end of the driveway involved access to the property to the west. That property is owned by Kevin and Betsy McCord and they asked to have access to the back of their property to get to their tennis court. Jeff Purcell of 733 Sunrise Court stated his problem is with fencing. He stated he would have to put in a large retaining wall and fence to keep neighbors from looking into his backyard. Ester Ludwick of 805 Sunrise Court stated there is definitely a wash that runs through the middle of the area. She does not believe it is just a low area. Ms. Ludwick’s concern is with fencing and safety for children who might climb on the sandstone behind her house. She is also concerned about the noise and lack of privacy. Daniel Anglin of 4106 N. Dustin said he owns lot 3A on Casa Bonita. Mr. Anglin is concerned as to whether the shared driveway will have enough drainage. He is also concerned about additional traffic on Casa Bonita because there will not be room for parking on the shared driveway. People will have to have someplace to park if someone on the shared driveway is having a get-together. Mr. Anglin stated that when he purchased the property, he had one of 43 the bigger lots because he liked neighbors further away. Mr. Anglin stated that he might not build on his lot and he is concerned about the property value of the lot. Commissioner Ragsdale inquired as to how large Mr. Anglin’s lot is. Mr. Anglin stated it was approximately 28,382 square feet. Commissioner Freeman asked what the lot sizes were on Sunrise Court. Ms. Blackmon stated Mr. Anglin would have the largest lot if the 5 lots were approved, but the 5 lots that were being proposed were as large or larger than most of the lots in the subdivision. Mr. Anglin asked if it is possible to make the shared driveway wider so there will not be parking on Casa Bonita. Ms. Blackmon stated each lot will have 25 feet or more off of the shared driveway to park. Chuck Hesser of 3701 Knollcrest Drive stated he used to live at 805 Sunrise Court. He pointed out a Pinion tree that he said is over 100 years old. He asked that the tree not be cut down. Mr. Hesser is also concerned about the sandstone and the direction of water run-off. Commissioner Washburn asked if this preliminary plan will come back for final approval. Senior Planner Lopez stated it will go to City Council. Then the final plat, with technical corrections and the conditions included, will come back to Planning & Zoning Commissioners for a final decision. Commissioner Langenfeld asked how much parking is available at each individual lot. Ms. Lopez stated if homeowners move back 25 feet with a driveway going to their garage, and have a 2 car garage according to the covenants, they will be able to park 6 cars. The garage will accommodate 2 cars and the driveway will park 4 cars. The shared driveway will have shoulders and could accommodate some parking. Planning & Zoning Commission Action of Petition PP 15-02 on April 30, 2015 A motion was made by Commissioner Waldroup and seconded by Commissioner Washburn to approve Petition PP 15-02 with conditions A-D as recommended by staff. AYE: Chair Cardon, Commissioners Davis, Freeman, Langenfeld, Ragsdale, Thompson, Waldroup, and Washburn. NAY: None Abstained: None 44 Absent: Commissioner Jacques. Motion passed 8-0 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PETITION REPORT Petition PP 15-03-Preliminary Plan Van Belle Subdivision Replat B Planning & Zoning Commission Discussion of Petition PP 15-03 on April 30, 2015 Senior Planner Lopez presented the staff report, a request from Elizabeth Kaime, for a street dedication and lot adjustment for property located on Lot 2A east of Alexander Court in the Van Belle Subdivision. The petitioner requests approval of a road dedication and recommends it to be named Quintillion Lane. The road will be approximately 50 feet wide and 138 feet long and will give access to a property owned by the petitioner to the east of the subdivision. Lot 2A will be reduced in size from approximately a ¾ acre lot to a ½ acre lot to allow for the road dedication. There are utilities in Alexander Court. Ms. Kaime also owns property to the east of this property. This will allow her to have access to that property. Ms. Lopez stated that before permits are pulled for the lots to the south, Ms. Kaime will have to make improvements to Alexander Court. Staff recommends approval of Petition PP 15-03, a road dedication to Quintillion Lane. Commissioner Langenfeld asked if there was any downside to the reduction of lot 2A from ¾ to ½ acre. Ms. Lopez answered that the lot is in SF-7 Single Family District. One-half acre is over 20,000 square feet. This allows plenty of room for a residential building on that site and it has access to utilities which currently exist on Alexander Court. Ms. Kaime, owner of Lots 2A and 2B in the Van Belle Subdivision said she was satisfied with the recommendations of staff. Planning & Zoning Commission Action of Petition PP 15-03 on April 30, 2015 A motion was made by Commissioner Langenfeld and seconded by Commissioner Waldroup to approve PP 15-03 with conditions as recommended by staff. AYE: Chair Cardon, Commissioners Davis, Freeman, Langenfeld, Ragsdale, Thompson, Waldroup, and Washburn. NAY: None Abstained: None 45 Absent: Commissioners Jacques. Motion passed 8-0 Business from the Floor: There was no business from the Floor. Business from the Chair: There was no business from the Chair. Business from the Members: There was no business from the Members. Business from Staff: Senior Planner Lopez said at the May 12, 2015 City Council Meeting Petition PP 15-01, a preliminary plan for Little Creek Phase IV Subdivision passed on consent. PD 15-01, a planned development for La Plata Ranch Subdivision, was approved as recommended by Planning & Zoning. There was a second item on La Plata Ranch Subdivision that dealt with the two accesses to Pinon Hills Boulevard. City Council approved both items. Ms. Lopez reminded the Commissioners that the NMLZO was May 6, 7, and 8. The 7th was Board Training. Blue Zones is coming back May 15-19. An important meeting for Commissioners to attend is the May 16th 8:30 am-12:30 pm meeting at the Civic Center. At that meeting they will be looking for feedback on what the community wants for their downtown Main Street. A photo montage will be presented to give ideas on what can be done with Main Street to make it more aesthetically pleasing, help with economic development, make access to all users and still keep traffic moving. Ms. Lopez asked Commissioners to invite their friends and family and help get the word out. Commissioner Washburn said after he listened to the mayor’s budget reviews that it didn’t sound like a lot of money was available. Ms. Lopez said this is still in the planning stage and Blue Zones will do designs that can be implemented in phases. The funding for the Gateway project is already approved. Construction drawings for the Gateway are ready. Ms. Lopez said they will be looking for different funding sources which could include writing for grants to get funding. Commissioner Cardon said that work on the Complete Streets project has been coming together for the past 3 years. Adjournment: The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of April 30, 2015 was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. ____________________________ _____________________________ Joyce Cardon Karen Walker Chair Administrative Assistant 46