Planning & Zoning Commission

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF PINETOP-LAKESIDE, ARIZONA, HELD TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015, 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, Evelyn Racette, Town Manager and Jill Akins, Assistant to the Town Clerk. ITEM NO. 3, CALL TO THE PUBLIC: There were no requests from the public to address the Commission at this time. ITEM NO. 4, CONSENT AGENDA OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FOR MAY 19, 2015: COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS MOVED TO APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FROM THE MAY 19, 2015. COMMISSIONER SMITH SECONDED THE MOTION AND IT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM NO. 5, INFORMATION/DISCUSSION/LEGAL ACTION RE: RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL ON LETTERS OF INTEREST REGARDING THREE EXPIRING PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SEATS: Chairman Jarchow said letters of interest were received from Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Smith and Mr. Errol Heslop. Commissioner Ingels asked Mr. Heslop if he would be able to attend the Planning and Zoning meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Heslop said he would be available. Commissioner Ingels said it is good to have an individual with his experience and he appreciates Mr. Heslop applying. Mr. Heslop gave a brief history of his work experience. VICE CHAIRMAN SNITZER MOVED TO RECOMMEND ALL THREE CANDIDATES TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION PENDING TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL. COMMISSIONER INGELS SECONDED THE MOTION AND IT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chairman Jarchow said the recommendations to Town Council would be held at the Council meeting on July 9, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. ITEM NO. 6, INFORMATION/DISCUSSION/LEGAL ACTION RE: DESIGN REVIEW APPROVAL FOR TACO BELL REMODEL: Mr. Esparza said Gregory Hitchens, Architect for the Taco Bell remodel is in attendance to answer any questions the Commission might have regarding the remodel. He said the revised remodel incorporates all design code requirements. He said there is a fiber board resembling wood appearance, stone on the exterior of the building reducing the amount of stucco, the exposed Spanish roof tile is covered with metal roofing 1 material and said there would be a small covered patio and a low block wall enclosure for outside seating. He said the outside seating does not encroach upon the set-backs. He said there would be awnings over the patio area and the drive through window. He said the architect had also provided a color samples and the site plan showing the new covered patio area. He said hopefully the new material provided to the commission would be satisfactory. Mr. Hitchens said he was the architect on the Show Low Taco Bell remodel done four years ago. He said he had been doing Taco Bell remodels since 1991. He said the design had stayed the same until 2012. He said since 2012 Taco Bell had gone through three different design concepts. He said the design he presented is the latest design called the explorer building. He said the design previously submitted was done for Yuma and said the design exceeded the Pinetop-Lakeside stucco requirements. He said the new design has stone around the entire building, a wood simulated material that has a weathered look and outdoor dining. He said there would be awnings at the entry to the dining room and at the drive through. He said the building square footage remains the same. He said the indoor décor would be remodeled including the bathrooms. Commissioner Williams asked for more detail on the wood material used on the exterior. Mr. Hitchens said the wood material color is custom made for Taco Bell. He said it is fire proof board material. Commissioner Smith asked where the outdoor dining would be located. Mr. Hitchens said it would be located at the front of the building. Commissioner Williams asked for the location of the awnings at the drive through. Mr. Hitchens said it would be at the ordering and window areas and would provide adequate coverage. Commissioner Ingels said he appreciates the wood look over the stucco and asked what percentage of the building would still be stucco. Mr. Hitchens said the stucco is mostly in the rear of the building. He said the front elevation is seventy-five percent non-stucco material, and said the side elevations are sixty percent non-stucco. Commissioner Ingels said he appreciates the wood look and stone on the exterior of the building. He asked if the free standing sign would remain in the front of the building. Mr. Hitchens said the sign would remain. Commissioner Ingels asked if the current landscaping would remain. Mr. Hitchens said the landscaping would remain. He said the outdoor patio would seat sixteen to twenty. COMMISSIONER INGELS MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE TACO BELL REMODEL DESIGN REVIEW SITE PLAN AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS SECONDED THE MOTION AND IT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM NO. 7, INFORMATION/DISCUSSION/LEGAL ACTION RE: REVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATIONS FROM FLAGSTAFF AND SHOW LOW IN CONSIDERATION OF DEVELOPING LOCAL REGULATIONS: Chairman Jarchow said the Town does not have a telecommunications regulation. He said they would begin by looking at the purpose of having a regulation. He said he had reviewed the City of Flagstaff and the City of Show Low telecommunications regulations, and said he is not comfortable with either of their regulations or purpose. Commissioner Williams asked Mr. Esparza if staff had had time to look through each of the cities regulations. Mr. Esparza said he had gone through them. He said he spoke with the Towns land use attorney, and said the attorney is aware that the Commission is starting to investigate a telecommunications regulation. He said the attorney advised to proceed with caution and proceed slowly. He said the Commissions regulations would be reviewed by the Town attorney. Mr. Esparza said the purpose would have to be considered and what the Commission is trying to achieve with the regulation. He said staff and the Commission would do more research. He said the attorney said to take their time, do not rush and investigate other community’s regulations. Chairman Jarchow asked Ms. Racette is she was concerned with dual tower locations. Ms. Racette said she is not concerned and said every time a variance is requested over the Town guidelines it would be a new request and past precedence would not be looked upon. She said the Board of Adjustments could always say no to a tower variance request in the future. Chairman Jarchow said in the 2 Flagstaff Telecommunications Facilities Section 10-40.60.310 there are six points. He said number one is “Establishing predictable and balanced regulations that facilitate the provision of communications services.” He said number two states “Minimizing adverse visual effects of telecommunications facilities through careful design, siting, landscape screening, height limitations, innovative camouflage techniques, and protection of view shed corridors.” He said he finds item number three “Avoiding potential damage to adjacent properties from tower failure through appropriate engineering” means the tower had fallen over. He said he could not remember a tower ever failing or falling over. He said number four states “Maximizing use of existing and future towers to minimize the number of towers needed to serve the City.” Commissioner Ingels asked how do you minimize the towers and when does it take effect once a tower is in place. Ms. Racette said a regulation would have to be correctly worded to maximize the existing towers through land use. She said all towers below sixty feet fit within the current Code. Vice Chairman Snitzer said if an applicant could demonstrate that it was cheaper to build a tower then to rent a tower it would be a good argument to build a tower. Ms. Racette said to build a sixty foot tower the current code would be followed, and said a taller tower requesting a variance the Board of Adjustment cannot use an economic advantage as a reason to consider the decision. Chairman Jarchow asked if it was possible to maximize the use of existing and future towers to minimize the number of towers needed to serve the Town. Ms. Racette said the Board of Adjustments can say no to any towers above sixty feet. Chairman Jarchow said no decisions would be made tonight. He said number five states “Locating telecommunications facilities away from residential neighborhoods and historical sites whenever feasible.” He said Pinetop-Lakeside does not have any historical sites. He said number six states “requiring compliance with the important public interest protections of this Section without taking into consideration economic considerations or cost.” Mr. Michael Knight said he spoke to the Town Council regarding the Tower. He said to consider if an individual owns multiple towers they can monopolize the cost. He said he would want the Commission to take this into consideration. Chairman Jarchow said to review the City of Show Low’s telecommunications towers purpose. He said the purpose states “Protect residential areas and land uses from potential adverse impacts of towers and antennas; encourage the location of towers in non-residential areas; minimize the total number of towers throughout the community; strongly encourage the joint use of new and existing tower sites as a primary option rather than construction of additional single- use towers; encourage users of towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the towers and antennas through careful design, siting, landscape screening, and innovative camouflaging techniques.” He said number six in section 15-1-69 states “Consider the public health and safety of communications towers.” He said he would have a hard time including this statement in the regulation unless he knew the meaning. Ms. Racette said she views this statement to mean using regional dispatch for public health and safety. Chairman Jarchow said number seven states “Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from tower failure through engineering and careful siting of tower structures.” He said would staff come back to the Commission with combined purposes and statements. Ms. Racette said she wants direction from the Commission to determine focus and purpose from them. Commissioner Williams said he would like to look at two or three more regulations from other Cities and Towns. Commissioner Ingels said minimizing the number of towers and visual impact would be important to him. Vice Chairman Snitzer said tower failure would not be an important issue to him. Chairman Jarchow said important items would be minimizing the number of towers, minimizing adverse visual effects and trying to avoid residential and significant commercial corridors. He said the code would be dealing with antennaes and telecommunication towers up to sixty feet tall, and said there does not have to be more to the Code. Ms. Racette said this is the opportunity to write good policy, and said it does not have to be lengthy. She said it could be simple Code, but said to be clear on the intentions of the Code. Commissioner Ingels said it would be important to encourage location and have the antennaes located to provide the maximum benefit to the community. Vice Chairman Snitzer said limiting 3 the amount of towers is important. Ms. Racette said she is comfortable discussing policy tonight, but said not to talk about the specific tower had already passed. ITEM NO. 8, STAFF REPORTS: Mr. Esparza said the tower site plan would possibly be available in July 2015. The Commission decided to cancel the July 7, 2015 meeting and only have the July 21, 2015 meeting. Chairman Jarchow said he and Vice Chairman Snitzer met with the Town Manager. He said they discussed a potential retreat with Mayor and Council. He said design review and General Plan implementation items would be discussed. Ms. Racette it is very difficult for staff to have a Town Council meeting and a Planning and Zoning meeting during the same week. She asked if it would be possible to discuss a different meeting time rather than the same week as Town Council meetings. Commissioner Williams suggested Thursday meetings opposite weeks of Town Council. Ms. Racette said that would be a possibility but changing the Code would have to be looked in to. Chairman Jarchow suggested second and fourth Tuesdays or Thursdays. ITEM NO. 7, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Chairman Jarchow said the Telecommunication Ordinance and discussing changing the meeting dates would be future agenda items. He said there are no other pending items unless something comes up between now and then. The meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m. Dated this 7th day of July 2015. PINETOP-LAKESIDE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION _____________________________________________ Jill Akins, Assistant to the Town Clerk 4