Planning and Zoning

Approved PLANNING COMMISSION / BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS OCTOBER 18, 2022 MEETING MINUTES Commissioners Present: Cowman, DeGrande, Maurer, McLean, Parks, Upshaw Commissioners Absent: Scott Others Present: Randi Shannon, Stephanie Marler, and Leigh House - City of Paola, Dylan Medlock - Mammoth Sports Construction, Brian McCauley - Miami County Republic, LeAnne Shields, Jim Pritchard, Alan Hire, David Baldridge Item 1: Pledge of Allegiance. Item 2: Introduction of New Planning Commissioners City Manager Randi Shannon introduced Kristi Maurer and Trent Upshaw as new members. Item 3: Consideration of minutes from the September 20, 2022 meeting. Commissioner Cowman called the meeting to order. The next order of business was the consideration and approval of the minutes from the September 20, 2022 meeting. Commissioner McLean made a motion to approve the September 20, 2022 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Parks and all voted aye. The motion passed 6 to 0. Item 3: Consideration and vote to recommend approval of final site plan for Paola Synthetic Turf Ballfields, Mammoth Sports Construction, applicant. City Manager Randi Shannon presented information about the synthetic turf project including site plan application, Civil plan set, lighting plan, light pole spec sheet, and a parking plan. The site plan shows the planned project of two new synthetic turf fields replacing one existing natural turf field in Wallace Park. The site plan was submitted by Mammoth Sports Construction and completed by CEI Engineering Associates, Inc. The City of Paola requested the professional services of Wilson and Company to review the site plan. Mammoth Sports Construction has submitted the required Notice of Intent (NOI) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan to KDHE. The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan has been approved and the Notice of Intent is still under review. City Manager Shannon states NOI review notifications are received daily from KDHE. Comments were received from Wilson and Company and Mammoth/CEI is in the process of satisfying those. Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 1  Approved Background information given by the City Manager Shannon states the required site area is 4 acres and the area of disturbance is 4.06 acres. Parking requirements are one (1) space per every four (4) feet of bleachers or thirty (30) per field, whichever is greater. In the case of this project, thirty (30) per field is greater. The north side lot will park approximately sixty-seven (67) but will vary due to the lot being gravel and depending on how people park. The west side lot will park approximately thirty-two (32). Not shown on the parking plan, the City will be installing a trail from the pool parking lot to the expanded north side lot. The pool parking lot has approximately ninety (90) spaces. With the pool closing at 6 pm this should alleviate some parking issues. There are three (3) handicapped space requirements and the City will provide signage for those spaces. According to 12.430 C, gravel may be considered for parking areas associated with outdoor recreation facilities. The lighting plan provided shows seventy (70’) foot light poles which conform to the maximum permitted post height of eighty (80’) feet. Extra lighting will be installed at forty (40’) feet on one pole directed toward the north parking lot only with a dusk to dawn setting. City Manager Shannon stated Dylan Medlock was in attendance representing Mammoth Sports Construction. It was also noted that the Planning Commission makes a recommendation or denial that is then sent to the City Council for final approval or denial. Commissioner Upshaw clarified if the handicap spaces were three (3) total or three (3) per field. City Manager Shannon stated it was three (3) total. Commissioner DeGrande asked if the three (3) handicap spaces were in addition to the parking requirement of sixty (60) or included. City Manager Shannon stated it was included in the sixty (60) spaces. Commissioner DeGrande asked if the handicap spaces should be hard surfaced to the facility. City Manager Shannon stated she had not found anything stating that with the approved parking plan and the existing surface is gravel. Commissioner Cowman asked about a drain on the east side and if it will drain one or both fields. Dylan Medlock stated it will drain both fields. Commissioner Upshaw asked where the two field drains tie together. Dylan Medlock stated the northeast corner of the west field comes in and ties to the northwest corner of the east field. Commissioner Cowman asked how much higher the drain was in relation to the bottom of the drainage swale. Dylan Medlock stated there was about five (5’) feet to the bottom. Commissioner Cowman reminded the audience this was not a public hearing and the Commissioners were not taking public comments after audience interruption. Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 2  Approved Commissioner Cowman asked that if the swale fills up and the ballfields don’t drain, will there be any damage to the ballfields. Dylan Medlock stated there is a six inch (6”) aggregate layer beneath the turf and the fields are designed to flood. Occasionally with rapid moving water there will be some infill loss. A number of cities who have worked with Mammoth have placed athletic fields in floodplains and floodways. Sometimes with flooding there will be sediment left behind. Commissioner DeGrande asked how to clean sediment out of the base rock. Dylan Medlock clarified the question of base rock or the turf infill. Dylan Medlock stated the infill can be cleaned with equipment similar to a vacuum. Commissioner DeGrande asked how thick the total drainage system is. Dylan Medlock stated there is a two inch (2”) fine aggregate layer and a coarse aggregate layer of four inches (4”), the subgrade elevation gets deeper, up to one foot (1’) of aggregate, as it goes towards one of the drainage ditches. Commissioner DeGrande asked what if the aggregate does take on silt or sediment. Dylan Medlock stated it would have to take it on somehow from the outfall and the backing of the turf doesn’t allow for sediment to get into the aggregate layer but it would mix in with the infill but there is a machine that sucks that from the turf. Commissioner DeGrande asked where the aggregate layers and outlet tube are in comparison to the floodplain. Dylan Medlock stated they were in the 500 year floodplain. Commissioner DeGrande asked what would stop water from backing up into the aggregate from the outfall tube. Dylan Medlock state check valves could be installed however it is in the 500 year floodplain. Commissioner DeGrande stated the floodplain is listed as 857 and the outlet tube is 851. Commissioner Parks stated to Commissioner DeGrande the water flows outward and the drop is due to the water needing to drain from the fields. Dylan Medlock stated you would probably see some standing water in the outfield of the eastern ballfield but the western field wouldn’t see anything. Commissioner McLean asked what the difference was between floodplain and floodway because recreation facilities are not allowed by the LDO in a floodway. Dylan Medlock stated floodways are federally regulated areas. Commissioner Parks asked with the construction of the turf fields how much does that raise the elevation of the fields from what it currently stands. Dylan Medlock stated the perimeter will be matched and everything else will be within 6” to 12” of existing grade. Commissioner DeGrande asked how the retaining wall would be placed. Dylan Medlock stated on the field side, there will be infill against the retaining wall. Commissioner McLean asked what would keep gravel from the north parking lot from washing onto the field. Dylan Medlock stated the outfield fence sits in a concrete curb and would help keep it from washing onto the field and he does not see it as a major issue since the existing lot is gravel. Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 3  Approved Commissioner McLean asked what effect the Legion would have on parking for a Friday night ball game. City Manager Shannon stated this was taken into consideration and citizens would be able to park at the pool, south across Wallace St. the fence would be removed to access that lot, and the thirty-two (32) spots west of the fields. Commissioner Cowman asked if the City owned the parking lot. City Manager Shannon stated that was correct. Commissioner Cowman asked if the Legion owned the parking lot to the north of their building. City Manager Shannon stated that was their own private parking and they also have access to the public parking at the ballfields. Commissioner Cowman asked if there would be signage to help citizens differentiate the two. City Manager Shannon stated there is a legal agreement that cannot be discussed at the moment but signage was included in that. Commissioner Cowman asked if you would still be able to drive around the Legion building after construction of the ballfields due to emergency access. City Manager Shannon stated the City contacted their Fire Reviewer and the alley along with Delaware St. were designated as emergency access. Commissioner DeGrande asked about parking overlapping with bingo at the Legion on a Friday night and multiple games. City Manager Shannon stated that there was parking available onsite, at the pool, and across the street to help. There is a Phase II that will also include more parking to the south of the new fields. Commissioner Cowman asked how many existing spaces were south of the fields at the original Legion baseball field. City Manager Shannon didn’t have an exact count but stated that it was an existing gravel parking lot. Commissioner DeGrande asked if there were any plans to renovate Delaware St. City Manager Shannon stated that there is always discussion of what roads need to be paved but that is not currently a priority. Commissioner McLean stated a gas line goes under the middle of the west ballfield. City Manager Shannon explained Public Works (PW) Director Kirk Rees has been in contact with the gas company. Dylan Medlock stated if the gas company verified the depth wasn’t enough then it would possibly be rerouted. Commissioner Parks asked if the existing ballfield was over the gas line currently. City Manager Shannon stated it runs right along the existing field. Commissioner DeGrande asked about concession stands and restrooms. City Manager Shannon stated those were not with this phase and there are existing restrooms across the Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 4  Approved street. City Manager Shannon also stated the previous youth sports commission did not have anyone to clean the restrooms so that is why they chose to use port-a-johns. Commissioner Cowman clarified that after Planning Commission approval of the site plan it would have to go to City Council for final approval. Commissioner Cowman also asked how long it would take to get a response from the gas company. City Manager Shannon stated that the PW Director Rees had been in contact and told the gas company of the plans and it was PW understanding that if there were any issues the gas company would be in contact. Commissioner Cowman stated there are two big concerns, the gas line and the parking arrangement with the Legion. Commissioner DeGrande asked if part of the west field outfield fence was near Legion property. City Manager Shannon stated that was part of a legal agreement that could not be discussed and was not part of site plan approval. Commissioner Parks asked if there had been any issue with the gas line in years while the existing field was in use. City Manager Shannon stated she was unaware of any issues but would agree with Commissioner Cowman to place conditions of resolving the gas line and parking concerns to approve to Council. Commissioner Cowman made a motion to recommend approval of the final site plan for Paola Synthetic Turf Ballfields, Mammoth Sports Construction, applicant, with the following conditions. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Upshaw. The motion passed 4 to 2 with Commissioners Cowman, Parks, Upshaw, and Maurer voting aye and Commissioners DeGrande and McLean voting nay. Conditions: 1. Resolution of gas line issue 2. Finalization of the Legion Legal Agreement Item 4: Community / Economic Development Director Report City Manager Shannon presented the following: 1. LDO text amendment for Article 3 was approved by City Council 2. 2018 Code adoption Public Hearing at last month’s City Council meeting had no public comment. It will be adopted at next month’s City Council meeting. 3. 398 building permits for the year 4. T-Mobile retail store passed final building and fire inspections 5. Deborah Hays filled Trent Upshaw’s Ward 2 Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 5  Approved Item 6: Adjournment Commissioner Cowman made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Commissioner McLean and all voted aye. The motion passed 6 to 0. Paola Planning Commission Minutes October 18, 2022 6