Planning Commission

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 23, 2019 MINUTES Green arrows in minutes are hyperlinks to the recording PowerPoint Presentation Attachment 1—Staff Report Attachment 2—Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) PowerPoint Presentation Attachment 3—Mr. George Freeman map Present: Joseph Wren, Chair, Roy Neal, John McNeill, Rodly Millet, Kathy Smith, George Gates Absent: Tripp Cuttino, Peter Lehman, DeAudre Gregg. Staff: Jeff Ulma, Brad Morrison, David Pagliarini, Lee Cave, Kent Prause, Kevin Mitchell, Liz Boyles, Eddie Bernard, Austin Rutherford, Lynnette Lynes Mr. Wren called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. 1. Approval of the Agenda Mr. Millet moved for approval of the agenda. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. All in favor. 2. Approval of Minutes from December 19, 2018 Meeting Ms. Smith moved for approval of the minutes with the following correction: ➢ Page 5—should be Mr. McNeill Mr. Neal seconded the motion. All in favor. 3. Update on Planning Commission Recommendations Mr. Rutherford reviewed Town Council decisions with the Commission. Mr. Neal stated that he spoke at Town Council in opposition of inclusion of ADUs in the Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS). He stated that during the meeting he was asked why there was not a recommendation to have the issue deferred back to the Planning Committee. He stated that his understanding is that the Commission does not have the purview to refer items to another entity and that the Commission should make a recommendation to forwarded to the Planning  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 2 of 12 Committee. He asked how many permits have been issued to date. Mr. Ulma answered that there have been a number of permits issued, but fewer than what was issued this time last year. Mr. Neal asked if the number of permits issued was limited to 25 per development. Mr. Ulma answered in the affirmative. He stated that this is being tracked and a report on the BPAS will be provided to Town Council every six months. Mr. Wren asked if the Pepper Tract request was deferred. Mr. Rutherford answered in the affirmative. 4. Correspondence All correspondence received was sent to the Commission and linked on the agenda. 5. General Public Comment Mr. Walter Brown, III, 437 Venning Street, stated that he is opposed to the request to rezone the water tank property. He stated that he would like the water tank preserved and asked that the request be denied. He suggested that there is not a sufficient fall zone for the monopole. He suggested that the monopole is proposed to be 170 feet and if it is to move forward, then it should be placed on the Jasper Green football field. Mr. Bruce Koedding, 2853 Rivertowne Parkway, member of forum, stated that the forum did a tremendous amount of work and thanked staff for facilitating the work on the Comprehensive Plan. He asked that the hard work of the Forum should be recognized and no significant changes should be made. 6. Requests A. R-01-19, Request to rezone from PI-2, Public Institutional-2 District, to LI, Light Industrial District, one parcel in its entirety, located at 520 King Street / between Greenwich and Simmons Street. TMS No.: 532-01-00-227 Mr. Prause reviewed staff comments with the Commission (attachment 1). Mr. Wren asked if the tower would currently meet the fall zone. Mr. Prause answered in the negative and stated that there were not requirements for a fall zone at the time the water tower was installed.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 3 of 12 Ms. Smith asked why the rezoning would be necessary. Mr. Prause answered that a co-location can be done for any existing structure as a permitted use. Mr. Neal asked if Board of Zoning Appeals (BOZA) approval would be required. Mr. Prause answered in the negative and stated that it would be a Conditional Use approval under Light Industrial zoning, which is a staff level approval. Mr. Neal asked about landscaping or buffer requirements for PI-2 zoned property. Mr. Prause answered that the landscaping and buffers would be required based on staff review. He stated that the cell tower would have some specific requirements such as fencing and screening as stipulated for the Conditional Use requirements. Mr. McNeill asked if the buildings would be removed as well. Mr. Prause answered that his understanding is that only the water tank would be removed. Mr. McNeill asked if the fall zone requirement could be met. Mr. Prause answered that verification of meeting this requirement would have to be submitted prior to approval. Mr. Wren asked what the tax assessment would be for industrial property. Mr. Prause answered that it would be dependent on the use, but typically it is a 10% assessment. Mr. Clay Duffie, MPW, reviewed the request with the Commission through a PowerPoint presentation (attachment 2). Ms. Smith asked about the fall zone for the proposed monopole. Mr. Duffie answered that the pole is designed to collapse within itself, so the proposed fall zone would be sufficient. Mr. Gates asked the reason for the additional height. Mr. Jonathan Yates, attorney for cell carriers, answered that the additional height would be to allow service for the three carriers. Mr. William Hamilton, LowCountry Transit, thanked the Town for support of transit over the past several years. He stated that improvements in rapid transit are coming to fruition. He thanked the citizens and the Town for support.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 4 of 12 There being no further comments, Mr. Wren closed the public hearing. Mr. Neal asked if the height would be under the purview for the zoning request. Mr. Prause answered in the negative and stated that the only issue before the Commission is the zoning. Mr. Neal asked about landscaping and who would build the tower. Mr. Duffie answered that the monopole would be contracted out. He stated that the monopole and ground equipment would be fenced and landscaped for screening. Mr. Neal asked if there would be additional carriers from those existing. Mr. Duffie answered that they have long-term contracts in place with the different carriers. Mr. Neal suggested that this would generate some revenue for the Town. Mr. Wren asked about the other water tank. Mr. Duffie answered that this would remain in effect and does have towers on them. Mr. Millet asked the distance between carriers. Mr. Yates answered that the pole will accommodate the existing carriers. Mr. Millet asked if additional carriers could be added. Mr. Yates answered that additional height would be needed. Mr. Millet asked about the petition to save the water tank and if there is a possibility to preserve the tank. Mr. Duffie answered that it is too cost prohibitive to maintain and have the water tank remain. Mr. Millet asked how long the tank could remain. Mr. Duffie answered that he is not sure at this time. He stated that he would have to refer to the engineers and their study of the water tank. Ms. Smith suggested that additional information on the fall zone would be helpful going forward. Mr. Neal asked if funding was received, could the water tank be saved. Mr. Duffie answered that he is open to preserving the water tank if there is funding identified for the maintenance and upkeep. He stated that he is not in favor of increasing rates in order to preserve the water tank. Mr. Gates asked why it is considered a concealed monopole. Mr. Duffie answered that the antennas are concealed within the pole as opposed to the antennas being outside of the pole. Mr. Gates asked if the monopole would be camouflaged. Mr. Duffie answered that it would be difficult to conceal the height.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 5 of 12 Mr. Wren asked what the coverage area would be for the monopole. Mr. Duffie referred to the coverage maps included in his PP presentation. Mr. Neal moved for approval of the request including all staff comments. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. Mr. Neal stated that the pole is a critical need and preservation of the water tank is too cost prohibitive. Mr. Wren suggested that PI should include cell service. Mr. Gates suggested that the staff comments should not be included in the motion. Mr. Pagliarini suggested that the motion could be amended if desired. Mr. Wren called for a vote on the motion. All in favor. B. R-02-19, Request to annex and zone AB-2, Areawide Business-2 District, an approximately 0.66 acre tract of land comprised of three parcels, located at 1251 and 1259 Foxtail Lane. TMS Nos.: 560-02-00-013, -014, -015 Mr. Rutherford reviewed staff comments with the Commission (attachment 1). Ms. Smith asked what the Hughes rental property is zoned. Mr. Rutherford answered that it is zoned AB-2. Ms. Smith asked if the property would be aggregated. Mr. Rutherford answered in the affirmative. Mr. John Burn reviewed the request with the Commission. There being no comments, Mr. Wren closed the public hearing. Mr. Millet moved for approval including all staff comments. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. All in favor. C. R-03-19, Request to annex and zone AB-2, Areawide Business-2 District, one parcel in its entirety. Also request to amend the Comprehensive Plan  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 6 of 12 Future Land Use Map designation from Community Conservation to Commercial, located at 1713 Halls Pond Road. TMS No.: 558-00-00-893 Mr. Rutherford reviewed the request with the Commission (attachment 1). Mr. Neal asked if Halls Pond Road is a town road. Mr. Rutherford answered in the negative and stated that it is a private ingress/egress easement. Mr. Millet asked if there are any residential homes on Halls Pond Road. Mr. Rutherford answered in the affirmative. Mr. Millet asked if the owner is responsible for maintenance of the road. Mr. Rutherford answered in the affirmative. Mr. Millet asked if the property is currently being used for heavy equipment. Mr. Rutherford answered that he is not sure. Mr. Millet asked if the current owner was aware that Halls Pond was a private road. Mr. Ronnie Pitts and Tim Goodrich, owners, answered in the negative. He stated that the property was originally rented before it was purchased. Mr. Neal asked if the use would change. Mr. Pitts answered in the negative. Mr. Goodrich stated that they have an offer from a neighbor to buy a portion of the road. Mr. Millet expressed concern with changing the character of the neighborhood. He suggested that the owner of the road should be identified before moving forward. Ms. Sarah Jacob, 1152 Village Creek Lane, expressed concern with changing the zoning and suggested that the zoning should not be changed from what the Comprehensive Plan recommends. Ms. Pat Sullivan, 1002 Plantation Court, expressed concern that the property is currently residential in the county and is being used as a commercial use. She expressed concern that there are residential uses nearby. She expressed concern that this could jeopardize the preservation of the settlement communities. She asked that the request be denied. Ms. Diane Lauritsen, 705 Bradburn, expressed concern with preservation of protected trees. She also expressed concern with the traffic in the area and that this could increase traffic in the area.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 7 of 12 There being no further comments, Mr. Wren closed the public hearing. Mr. Goodrich stated that there are two residences at the end of the road. He suggested that there would not be any additional traffic in the area as they do not have customers on the site. Mr. Neal moved for approval including all staff comments. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. Mr. Neal stated that the business exists on the property and is an opportunity to receive additional tax revenue. Mr. Wren suggested that annexation would provide more Town control over future development of the property. Mr. Millet suggested that there is a disservice to the settlement communities when property is slowly annexed and the zoning changed from residential uses. Mr. Wren called for a vote on the motion. Motion passed on a 4 to 2 vote with Mr. McNeill, Mr. Wren, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Neal in favor; Mr. Gates and Mr. Millet opposed. D. SP-01-19, Request approval of Sketch Plan for 2 single family residential lots. Also request Waiver from Land Development Regulations (LDR), located at 621 Dupre Lane / Ryefield Subdivision. TMS No.: 535-00-00-037 Mr. Bernard reviewed staff comments with the Commission (attachment 1). Mr. Lewis Seabrook, civil engineer, stated that they have addressed all comments except for the critical line. He reviewed the request with the Commission. Mr. Neal asked about the LDR waiver and if it is out of the norm for this type of request. Mr. Bernard answered that this is an irregular-shaped property. Mr. Neal asked about drainage. Mr. Mitchell answered that this is atypical of other property subdivisions. He stated that there are no drainage impacts with the subdivision.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 8 of 12 Ms. Smith asked if there would be an access easement. Mr. Seabrook answered in the affirmative and stated that there is an existing access easement. Mr. Millet moved for approval including all staff comments. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. All in favor. E. Approval of street name for 1539 Ben Sawyer Boulevard. Street name to include Silver Palm Lane. F. Approval of street name for Mathis Ferry Place. Street name to include Dunloe Court. Ms. Smith moved for approval of items E and F. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion. All in favor. The Commission convened for a short break at 6:37 pm and reconvened at 6:47 pm. G. To hold a Town Hall Public Input Meeting on the Comprehensive Plan Update. Mr. Ulma reviewed the Comprehensive Plan process and Ms. Boyles reviewed the draft Comprehensive Plan with the Commission. Mr. Morrison reviewed the mobility element of the Comprehensive Plan with the Commission (attachment 3). Mr. George Freeman, 1450 Bowman Road, reviewed a map with the Commission showing the road alignment proposed by the Hwy 17 Task Force (attachment 3). He suggested that this proposed roadway is included in the Capital Improvement Plan and Long-range Transportation Plan and would help to alleviate traffic on US17. Ms. Brittany Lavelle-Tulla, Historical Commission member, suggested that the 1988 Cultural Resource survey should be updated and included in the Comprehensive Plan update. She suggested that updating this inventory would be beneficial in preserving the historic properties in the Town.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 9 of 12 Ms. Pam Ireland, 820 Fiddlers Point Lane, referred to suburban sprawl and that there should be a more coastal character with lower building heights. She suggested that the density, height, and scale does not have to be increased to achieve the vision and goals. She stated that the draft plan echoes the sentiment of many of the residents and should not be wholly changed. Mr. Jimmy Bagwell, 41 Vincent Drive, and representative of Save Shem Creek Corporation, suggested that the urbanizing of Coleman Blvd was a wrong decision. He suggested that open space should be increased and there should be additional bike paths. He suggested that the multi-family moratorium should be extended. Ms. Maria Moretto, 1133 Liberty Court, suggested that more emphasis on the arts should be included in the Comprehensive Plan. She stated that there should be an arts center, theatre, and rehearsal spaces throughout the Town. She suggested that the arts are economic drivers and increase the quality of life. She asked that a cultural master plan should be included as part of the Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Nancy Wicks, 1551 Ben Sawyer Blvd, expressed concern with the inclusion of hubs in the plan. She suggested that the lowcountry views are being destroyed with higher buildings and increased traffic. Mr. Paul Mounts, 1481 Center Street Extension, suggested that there is overdevelopment and that the Comprehensive Plan encourages infill and redevelopment. He suggested that the hubs would increase traffic in the Town. He suggested that the regional hubs would not encourage pedestrian or bike traffic, but would increase vehicular traffic. Ms. Leslie Evans, 983 Cliffwood, expressed concern with the proposal of the corridor overlay districts. She expressed concern with current residential areas moving to more transitional areas. She suggested that residential areas should be preserved and that close attention should be paid to the transitional areas and making sure that the transition area is not expanded, overtaking residential areas. She also suggested that there should be more recreational uses. Ms. Lucy Gordon, 1551 Ben Sawyer Blvd, expressed concern with the draft Comprehensive Plan. She suggested that there is conflict with the goal of preserving town character. She expressed concern with commercial hubs and  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 10 of 12 that more moderate alternatives should be considered. She suggested that inclusion of mixed-uses as an automatic use in hubs should be reconsidered. Mr. Dave Shimp, 1551 Ben Sawyer Blvd, expressed concern with the draft plan and that it is confusing. He suggested that it focuses more on developing rather than addressing overdevelopment. He suggested that infrastructure should be completed before development. Mr. Matt Jones, 3044 Ashburton Way, and member of the Comprehensive Plan Forum, expressed concern that the work of the forum would be changed as the process goes forward. He stated that the forum was not in agreement with all of the sections in the draft plan, but the draft plan was brought forward as a compromise. He suggested that the efforts put forth by the forum members should be respected. Ms. Julie Hussey, 329 N. Shelmore Blvd, forum member, suggested that the Town is addicted to large scale growth. She suggested that the large scale growth currently accounts for approximately 30% of the funding for the town. She suggested that the tax base should be built and diversified to support the infrastructure. Mr. William Hamilton, 32 Sowell Street, stated that base density for bus service is approximately eight units per acre. He suggested that transportation services are vital for diversity of the community. He suggested that transportation services support those that cannot drive because of age, disability, or economic reasons. He suggested that this should be kept in mind for the future of the Town. Mr. Dennis Boyd, 610 Pelzer Drive, expressed concern with some of the aspects of the draft plan. He suggested that more urbanization is not desired, but a more coastal community. He suggested that a clear analysis of the fiscal impact on homeowners has not been included. He expressed concern with hubs. Mr. Robert Boyles, 601 Coral Street, suggested that the goal of the forum was to create a vision for the future. He suggested that the zoning code and development ordinances are where the details are determined.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 11 of 12 Ms. Sarah Jacob, 1152 Village Creek Landing, supports the ideas of hubs. She suggested that the hubs allow for small housing developments that are close to services and provide areas for seniors and young professionals to live. She suggested that infill does not have to be “ugly”. She suggested that there should be diversity of the community. Ms. Christina Karl, 660 Bank Street, expressed appreciation for the inclusion of the community and residents in this process. She thanked the forum for their thoughtful review of the draft plan. She suggested that there should be decreased speed limits for secondary streets to have more pedestrian friendly and bike friendly neighborhoods. She suggested that the quality of life should be preserved. Ms. Christy York, 3217 Morningdale Drive, expressed concern with the extension of American Blvd through the entrance of their neighborhood and that it would impede the neighborhood traffic. Ms. Andrea Moultrie, Awendaw, expressed concern with the growth of the town and gentrification. She suggested that the African-American communities should be preserved. Ms. Pat Sullivan, 1002 Plantation Court and forum member, stated that one concern was the preservation of cultural land such as Boone Hall Plantation. She suggested that Boone Hall should be protected. She suggested that there should be an alternative to widening Longpoint Road that would not impede on our cultural land. Mr. Grant Gilmore, 626 Ruby Drive, stated that as a forum member, he appreciates the work and process that has been taken with this plan. He stated that the forum worked and compromised to complete the draft plan. He suggested that revamping zoning could be one solution for the future. He suggested that the plan should be sustainable. He suggested that there should be sustainable financial future and the hubs are one way to accomplish this. Mr. Wren thanked the public for all of the comments. He thanked the forum for their work on the draft Comprehensive Plan.  Planning Commission January 23, 2019 Page 12 of 12 Ms. Boyles stated that the next meeting would be Jan 30th at 11 am. She stated that the Commission would begin discussion on the plan. 7. Other Business A. Adoption of Bylaws Mr. Neal moved for approval of the bylaws as submitted. Mr. Millet seconded the motion. All in favor. B. Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman The Commission voted by secret ballot for Mr. Wren as chair, Mr. Neal vice- chair. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:03 pm. Submitted by, L. Lynes 01232019