Planning & Zoning Commission

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF PINETOP-LAKESIDE, ARIZONA, HELD TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015, IN THE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. Chairman Jarchow called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll call was as follows: ROLL CALL: Present Absent Present Absent John Jarchow X Timothy Williams X James Snitzer X Ken Haught X Rob Ingels X Adam Staley X _____ Richard Smith X STAFF PRESENT: Paul Esparza, Community Development Director, Mary French-Jones, Grants Coordinator and Jill Akins, Assistant to the Town Clerk. ITEM NO. 3, CALL TO THE PUBLIC: There were no requests to address the Commission at this time. ITEM NO. 4, INFORMATION/DISCUSSION/LEGAL ACTION RE: APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FOR NOVEMBER 18, 2014 AND DECEMBER 2, 2014: The items on the Consent Agenda were tabled until the January 20, 2015 meeting. COMMISSIONER INGELS MADE A MOTION TO TABLE THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINTUES FROM THE NOVEMBER 18, 2014 AND THE DECEMBER 2, 2014 MEETINGS. VICE CHAIRMAN SNITZER SECONDED THE MOTION AND IT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM NO. 5, INFORMATION/DISCUSSION RE: OPEN SPACE DEFINITION AND CLARIFICATION: Chairman Jarchow said the definition and clarification of Open Space would be discussed. He said the Commission could confirm or not confirm the definition of Open Space as a lot or larger. He said only this definition would be used for Open Space and he said everything else would have to fall under other definitions. Commissioner Williams asked if the definition would suffice for a bigger area? Chairman Jarchow said if he meant bigger than a lot and he said yes it would. Vice Chairman Snitzer said Open Space between buildings would not be considered Open Space. Chairman Jarchow said space between a side walk and a curb or space in a parking lot would not be considered Open Space. Vice Chairman Snitzer said Open Space is listed in two chapters of the Town Code. He said where Open Space appeared in the Town Code he changed the print to red capital letters. He said he would email the document to Mr. Esparza. Mr. Esparza said it would be included the packet for the next Planning and Zoning meeting. Chairman Jarchow said under definitions it is agreed Open Space would be defined as “Open Space only applies to a single lot or larger parcel it does not apply to any portions of a lot.” Vice 1 Chairman Snitzer said every time Open Space (as less than a lot) appears in the Town Code it would have to be changed. Chairman Jarchow said the Commission would have to be creative with the wording. He said this had been done once and the process was easy. Commissioner Ingels said he agrees with the definition and he said he expected the Commission would be focusing on the Zoning Code. He said a Planned Unit Development requires 30% Open Space. He said he did not want to have the same definition in the Zoning Code and he said the Commission needs to come up with other wording for Open Space. Chairman Jarchow said 30% cannot be called Open Space it could be called unbuilt space or unbuildable space. Commissioner Staley said two definitions were mentioned. He said the first one did not include the word entire lot and the second one did say the entire lot. Chairman Jarchow said the wording would be an entire lot or larger. Commissioner Williams asked if the discussion was for clarification of the Zoning Code and he said it is not specified in the wording of agenda item number five. He said he was thinking of the General Plan and designation of certain Open Space areas and how they would be affected. Chairman Jarchow said it has been a major problem since 2007 when the Open Space and Urban Trails Committee was meeting and what exactly is Open Space and what is the definition of Open Space. He said the Committee is trying to clarify the definition. Commissioner Ingels said agenda item number five Information/Discussion re: Open Space Definition and Clarification clarifies the General Plan Open Space definition is clearly for the public and the Commission had done their best to have a specific and clear definition as it applies to the General Plan. He said the Commission needs to better define what is and is not Open Space throughout the Zoning Code. He said for clarification the definition should be used for the General Plan and given to the Town Council and should remain on its own as the plan moves ahead unless the Council chooses to make changes. Chairman Jarchow said the General Plan definition should also be used in the Town Zoning Code. Chairman Jarchow said the Commission is trying to revise and clarify the Zoning Code. He said at the next Planning and Zoning meeting the Commission would go through the Zoning Code and every place in the Zoning Code where the two words Open and Space are used together, except where it applies to a lot or larger, the Commission would change the wording to a clearly definable term. Vice Chairman Snitzer’s Open Space document would be in the next meeting packet. ITEM NO. 6, STAFF REPORTS: Paul Esparza said on Thursday, January 15th the Town Council would hold a Public Hearing regarding the General Plan. He said he emailed the General Plan draft document and supporting documents to the email list from the survey responders. He said he had made every effort to notify the public. He said the General Plan draft document and supporting documents are also on the Town website and the documents are also available at the Town Clerks office. Mr. Esparza said he encourages the Commissioners to attend the Town Council meeting and Public Hearing on January 15th. Chairman Jarchow said the Town Manager asked the Planning and Zoning Commissioners to attend the meeting. Mr. Esparza said he hopes more citizens attend the Public Hearing and he said additional input is always welcome. 2 ITEM NO. 7, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Chairman Jarchow asked Mary French-Jones to give an update on the Trails Waterways Interactive Group (TWiGs). Chairman Jarchow said he, Paul Esparza, Jim Snitzer and Tom Jernigan are also attending the TWiGs meetings. He said part of the problem in putting in place a multi-model transportation system with trail connectivity where the trails cross private property. He said it has been discussed for over eight years whether it is advantageous or not to have a trail going through someone’s back yard or the back of private property. He said some people believe it enhances the property and some owners do not want others to walk on their property. He said there would have to be a discussion on ways to change the Zoning Code to enhance a multi-model transportation system and trail connectivity. Ms. French-Jones said the group came together based on their individual expertise and knowledge, and said it is a cohesive group of government and non-government individuals. She said the group has created a matrix to rate the trailheads. She said ratings for parking, connectivity, and trails on or near private property, etc. She said community members and visitors have mentioned the lack of trail connectivity and the traffic on the major thoroughfare. Chairman Jarchow said the Town could be like Durango and be able to access trails from the main highway. He said for example parking at Safeway to access a trailhead and this would mix tourism, recreation and business. Chairman Jarchow said a stumbling block had been private land holdings. Tom Jernigan said some incentive for the land owners to grant easements for the trails needs to be given. Vice Chairman Snitzer said he had incentive ideas to give to land owners. A long discussion pursued regarding incentive ideas on undeveloped property and developed properties to give public access to trails. Chairman Jarchow said this has the potential to transform the Town. Vice Chairman Snitzer said it could brand the Town and he said it would give the Town an identity. He said he has a proposal to add eleven new trailheads throughout the Town. Chairman Jarchow said it would change the character of the Town and the people who come to visit the Town. Chairman Jarchow said the group identified approximately twenty trails heads. Ms. French-Jones said the trailheads are all associated with watersheds. She said TWiGs identified logical places where a park and ride or some kind of transportation could be put in at the trailheads. She said the matrix rates the trailheads on twenty different factors. Vice Chairman Snitzer said throughout town there are trailheads at dead end streets in neighborhoods. He said he is proposing at the dead end road to put a parking lot on Forest Service Land. He said there would be a parking lot, trailhead access, kiosk and potentially rest rooms. Commissioner Ingels said someone who has chosen to live at a dead end street may not want parking lots and trail access on their dead end street. He said it would be a benefit to hikers but might not be received well by property owners. Vice Chairman Snitzer said the easiest trailhead is at the end of Pinecrest Drive. He said hikers are parking somewhere in the neighborhood. He said if you live in the neighborhood parking is a problem. Chairman Jarchow said residents in the neighborhood have mentioned seeing people relieve themselves in the forest and if there was an enclosure it would be more acceptable to the residents. Commissioner Ingels said he appreciates the conversation and explanation of the goals of the TWiGs group. He said the goals are commendable and it is important to encourage younger people to come to the community. Ms. French-Jones said the idea of pilot projects is looking at 3 short, medium and long term projects and funding. She said funding the project is a significant problem. Chairman Jarchow said not all of the trailheads are on private land. Vice Chairman Snitzer said there is a need for kids to be able to go to school without having to be on the road. Chairman Jarchow said this ties in with moving the sidewalks off of the road. Mr. Jernigan said at the Billy Creek corridor there is a transportation benefit to move people off the streets and onto the trails. He said with Vice Chairman Snitzers ideas maybe something would get done after all of these years. Chairman Jarchow said the Commission needs to think Zoning Codes are not just a means of setting rules, but said they are also a means toward accomplishing certain items. Chairman Jarchow said Zoning Codes can provide an opportunity for creative development. He said review of Open Space in the Zoning Code would be on the next agenda. The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Dated this 8th day of January 2015. PINETOP-LAKESIDE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION _____________________________________________ Jill Akins, Assistant to the Town Clerk 4