Planning Commission Agenda & Minutes

MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING FRUIT HEIGHTS CITY 910 South Mountain Road May 28, 2024 WELCOME: Chairman Kevin Paulsen called the meeting to order at 7:02 pm. PLEDGE & OPENING CEREMONY: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Commissioner Clark Moss with Commissioner Heidi Murdock offering a word of prayer. PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Kevin Paulsen, Commissioners Member Justin Wright, Clark Moss, Brian Bare, and Heidi Murdock. Council Member Gary Anderson was absent CITY STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Darren Frandsen, City Planner Jeff Oyler, Public Director Layne Leonard, and Deputy Recorder Hailee Ballingham. VISITORS: Dave Rendon, Susan Darger, Cynthia Denker, Lynda Stapp and Virginia Cate. PRESENTATION: NONE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS: March 26,2024 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Clark Moss made a motion to approve March 26, 2024, Minutes with the clarification about the letter that was read in the public hearing. Commissioner Justin Wright seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission (0:6:17) April 30, 2024, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Justin Wright made a motion to approve April 30, 2024, Minutes. Commissioner Heidi Murdock seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission (0:7:59) May 6, 2024, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Brian Bare made a motion to approve May 6, 2024, Minutes. Commissioner Clark Moss seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission (0:9:28) PLANNING COMMISSION BUSINESS: 5.1 Public Hearing. Rezone from R-S-12 to R-1-6 Located at 1357 E 650 N (East Mountain Townhomes) Commissioner Clark Moss made a motion to open the public hearing. Commissioner Justin Wright Seconded the motion. The commission unanimously approved the motion. (0:10:12) City Planner Oyler gave a history of this rezone. The city council has instructed staff to create an R-1-6 zone, allowing for up to six units per acre. The developer, Mr. Christiansen, plans to build exactly six units on .854 of an acre with no public street. Cynthia Denkers wants to understand the purpose of zoning and how it benefits communities. She expresses concerns about a proposed development of townhomes that she believes will lower property values. Cynthia mentions the possibility of future developments in the area and worries about the negative impact it will have on the neighborhood. Cynthia questions why the residents' petition opposing the development is being disregarded and expresses frustration towards the mayor's support for the project. She firmly opposes the development due to the potential economic devaluation it may bring to the neighborhood. Linda Stepp is opposed to the rezoning proposal for several reasons. Firstly, she believes Joe was dishonest as he initially claimed he would only construct single housing dwellings, but now wants to build townhomes instead. She is concerned that this may lead to the construction of additional condominiums/townhomes and further development in the area. She questions whether the Planning Commission's responsibility includes designating specific zoning areas throughout the city to avoid surprises for neighbors in the future. She also expresses the lack of transparency surrounding the project. Joe previously stated that Brandon Green approached him with the idea for the townhomes, but Brandon denied this. She questions the motive behind these conflicting statements and raises concerns about the mayor's involvement. She believes the lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding the project is not in the best interest of the community and calls for a more open and consensus-driven approach. Despite differing opinions, she emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and invites constructive discussions. Dave Rendon is directly north of the proposed development. Although he is against it, he will remain civil. He received calls urging him to insult Joe, but that won't achieve anything. Joe and Dave discussed installing a privacy fence and trees to minimize the impact. While he strongly opposes it, this is the least intrusive option so far. He appreciates Joe's efforts to minimize the impact on his family. Joe Christiansen is confident that the new development will greatly benefit the city and its residents. As the developer, he has made significant efforts to accommodate as much as possible, despite changes and evolving ideas. Initially, the plan was for single-family homes, but circumstances led to a variation. He has tried to minimize the impact on neighboring properties and utilize the space efficiently. Susan Darger stated the way I feel about the property is that it has a very special zoning right now. The R-1-12. You never get it back, ever. You change the zoning. That's it. So, I am totally opposed. Commissioner Heidi Murdock made a motion to close the public hearing. Commissioner Justin Wright Seconded the motion. The commission unanimously approved the motion. (0:27:13) The Commission has discussed the request for rezoning several times before, including the current iteration of R-1-6. They appreciate the concerns raised and the research on zoning's purpose. Zoning aims to promote economic growth and maintain a strong and vibrant community for residents and businesses. Given our limited land availability, providing housing for younger families is beneficial. Chairman Paulsen has seen the negative impact of communities growing out and becoming unaffordable. Having a range of housing options, like Cherry Hill with its mix of single-family homes, condos, and manufactured homes, brings economic diversity and benefits the city. Commissioner Moss opposed this rezone due to concerns about removing half of a new subdivision where properties have already been sold and developed. He strongly feels that the townhomes will continue going up in this area if we let these go in. He can understand theinvesting of anxiety in a valuable house and property and not know what’s going up around you. The commission talked about our city being built-out with about 50 acres of undeveloped land. They feel we are entering in the next phase of our city’s lifecycle, which is infill. They agreed with the comments made about designating spots through our city for the R-S-3 and R-S-6 zones in the General Plan. Commissioner Brian Bare made a motion to approve the Rezone from R-S-12 to R-1-6 Commissioner Justin Wright seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 (Brian Bare, Heidi Murdock, Justin Wright, Kevin Paulsen) Yes to 1 (Clark Moss) No. (0:46:24) 5.2 Discussion on backyard chickens to get survey questions. The Commission liked the idea of having a survey. They think it should be no more then 10 questions. They came up with a few and asked staff to make and push out the survey and then they can review those answers in the next month. Commissioner Moss suggested having a formula based on lot size. CALENDAR: June 26, 2024, Planning Commission Meeting ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Brian Bare made a motion to Adjourn. Commissioner Justin Wright Seconded the motion. The meeting ended at 8:03 p.m. Not approved until signed. /s/:_______________________________ Hailee Ballingham, City Deputy Recorder Date approved by City Planning Commission: July 30,2024