Planning Commission

May 20, 2013 The Russellville Planning Commission will hold its Regular Meeting on Monday, May 20, 2013, at 5:30 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chambers. PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA Welcome Visitors 1. A request to review and approve the minutes of the April 22, 2013 Regular Meeting. 2. A request to review and approve a Large Scale Development for Southridge at Russellville Assisted Living Center, for property located at 1909 East Fairway Blvd, submitted by Dave Garza on behalf of Rick Mooney Construction. (DV.13.05.131) 3. A Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property from R-1 (Residential) to C-2 (Highway Commercial), for property located at 5187 North Arkansas Avenue, submitted by Paulette Clairday. (ZO.13.05.168) 4. A Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to A-1 (Agricultural), located on Sheppard Drive (See Survey), submitted by Bill Montgomery. (ZO.13.05.167) 5. A Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property from R-1 (Single-Family Residential) to A-1 (Agricultural), for property located off Sheppard Drive submitted by Dave Garza of Barrett & Associates on behalf of Scott Sanders and Kent Dollar. (Z0.13.05.169) 6. A Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property from C-2 (Highway Commercial) to R-3 (Medium/High Density Residential), for property located in the 3000 Block of East 17th Street, submitted by Dave Garza of Barrett & Associates on behalf of Scott Sanders. (Z0.13.05.170) 1 7. A Public Hearing to consider amending the Zoning Code in regard to Recreational Vehicle Parks. (MS.13.05.75) 8. A request to review and approve the Preliminary/Final Plat of Russellville Walmart PUD, submitted by Zach Shaw of Carlson Consulting Engineers on behalf of Walmart. (SD.13.05.260) 2  Russellville Planning Commission Minutes May 20, 2013 @ 5:30 p.m. The Russellville Planning Commission met in its regular meeting on Monday, May 20, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the Russellville City Hall Council Chambers. Members Present Chairman Dennis Boyd Secretary Aldona Standridge Vice-Chair Nick Patel Jimmy Davenport Jimmy Sims Gaylon Smith Richard Perkins Richard Harris, Council Liaison Members Absent Herschell Hargus Eric Westcott Also present: City Planner David Harris, City Attorney Trey Smith, Jim Lynch/City Corp, City Engineer Michael Oakes, Planning Assistant Lequitta A. Jones, Building Official Brian Holstein, Paulette Clairday, David Garza/ Barrett & Associates, and Bill Montgomery. WELCOME The First Order of Business was a request to review and approve the minutes of the April 22, 2013 Regular Meeting. Commissioner Standridge made the motion to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sims and passed unanimously. The Second Order of Business was a request to review and approve a Large Scale Development for Southridge at Russellville Assisted Living Center, for property located at 1909 East Fairway Blvd, submitted by Dave Garza on behalf of Rick Mooney Construction. (DV.13.05.131) City Planner Harris said the request is for a 60-unit facility on Fairway. At the Technical Review Meeting, Commissioner Perkins asked for the addition of streetlights where the interior streets intersect with Fairway and the new plans show the streetlights. The Russellville Zoning Code does not include a specific parking specification for this use, so it is up to the Planning Commission to determine if the proposed 79 spaces are adequate. Mr. Harris said that, based on his review of similar facilities in other cities, 79 spaces seemed more than adequate. Commissioner Perkins made the motion to approve the request as submitted. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Patel and passed unanimously. The Third Order of Business was a Public Hearing on a request to recommend City Council approval to rezone property located at 5187 North Arkansas Avenue from R-1 Single Family Residential to C-2 Highway Commercial. Submitted by Paulette Clairday. (ZO.13.05.168) City Planner Harris said this building has been vacant for approximately 10 years. This structure was purpose-built and previously in use as a grocery store until a few years back. It is an unlikely candidate for conversion to a non-commercial use. The site area was reduced significantly when the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department (AHTD) acquired additional right-of-way (ROW) to widen AR7. The circumstances are not perfect for a commercial location given the limited site area. Some flexibility on parking requirements will be necessary, but the proposed use/sale of second-hand goods, particularly furniture, tends to create very low traffic. There is a wide paved driveway, though it enters AR7 on grade rather than a flat approach. Even though it is a less than perfect situation, the circumstances creating the issues were beyond the control of the applicants and a denial of the request would come close to stating that this property cannot be used. We have had one call about this and it was about outside sales. Mr. Harris said he had talked with Mr. and Mrs. Clairday about the fact that they must keep inventory inside. If they decide to put inventory outside, they must apply for and be granted a Special Use Permit for a flea-market. Mrs. Clairday said it will be retail of mostly used furniture and some new items. It will be all inside sales. She further stated that they have had the building rewired to code and the sewer reworked to code. Mrs. Clairday said their shop typically had only a couple of customers at a time. The traffic will be very low volume. Several commissioners stated their concerns about the inclined driveway. Mr. Harris said this was created by AHTD when they widened AR7. Mr. Harris said customers would be able to pull on to AR 7 via a very wide driveway. Commissioner Perkins said he felt that with the driveway at that location it was an accident waiting to happen. He said when AR7 was widened the owners were compensated for the area reduction of the parcel. He didn’t think it was a good place to have a commercial establishment. City Planner Harris said technically the issue was rezoning. So you are not saying they can put a store there. You are changing the property from residential to commercial zoning. R-1 (residential) makes little sense on a property with AR7 frontage. Mrs. Clairday said they had obtained permission from CenturyTel (the adjacent building/property on the south) to use their driveway to make a circular drive. She said that provides the option of going down in front of the store and down into the circle drive. She said vehicles could go in one way and out the other way. 2 Secretary Standridge made the motion to approve the C-2 as requested. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Davenport and passed 5 in favor (Patel, Standridge, Sims, Smith, and Davenport) and 1 against (Perkins). The Fourth Order of Business was a Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property on Sheppard Drive from R-1 Single Family Residential to A-1 Agricultural. Submitted by Bill Montgomery. (ZO.13.05.167) City Planner Harris noted that this was a straightforward request with no noted concerns. Vice Chair Patel made the motion to approve the A-1 rezoning as requested. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Perkins and passed unanimously. The Fifth Order of Business was a Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to the City Council to rezone property near Sheppard Drive from R-1 Single- Family Residential to A-1 Agricultural. Submitted by Dave Garza of Barrett & Associates on behalf of Scott Sanders and Kent Dollar. (Z0.13.05.169) City Planner Harris noted that this was a straightforward request with no noted concerns. Commissioner Perkins made the motion to approve the A-1 rezoning as requested. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Patel and passed unanimously. The Sixth Order of Business was a Public Hearing requesting a recommendation of approval to Council to rezone property in the 3000 block of East 17th Street from C-2 Highway Commercial to R-3 Medium/High Density Residential. Submitted by Dave Garza of Barrett & Associates on behalf of Scott Sanders. (Z0.13.05.170) City Planner Harris said the petitioners had requested that this request be tabled. Commissioner Perkins requested that at the next meeting City Attorney Trey Smith have a “cannot do” list for the airport that the Commission could review. Mr. Smith said Mr. Day would have those reports and he would contact him. Commissioner Perkins requested that in the future any item tabled be announced at the beginning of the meeting so concerned citizens can leave. Secretary Standridge made the motion to table as requested by the petitioner(s). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The Seventh Order of Business was a Public Hearing to consider amending the Zoning Code in regard to Recreational Vehicle Parks. (MS.13.05.75) 3 City Planner Harris said currently the Zoning Code contains no provisions specifically for RV Parks, leaving just the Mobile Home Park standards to go by. Those standards are not practicable for application to an RV Park. Mr. Harris said the only change made following the Technical Review Meeting was addition of a requirement for provision of a sanitary dump facility for RV holding tanks. It is as follows: 3.23.8 Sewage/Sanitary Disposal Station (A) Every RV park shall provide a sanitary disposal station for the sole purpose of removing and disposing of wastes from RV holding tanks. Design and operation of such stations shall be reviewed and approved by the Pope County Health Department. (B) RV Park sewage facilities shall be installed and operated according to City Corporation Water and Sewer standards. Vice-Chair Patel make the motion to approve the request as submitted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Perkins and passed unanimously. The Eighth Order of Business was a request to review and approve the Preliminary/Final Plat of Russellville Walmart PUD, submitted by Zach Shaw of Carlson Consulting Engineers on behalf of Walmart. (SD.13.05.260) City Planner Harris said that while the City Council at their last meeting had tabled the Wal-Mart ROW vacation issue, he believed that the Planning Commission should review the plat without regard for the potential referendum on the Wal-Mart PUD approval Chairman Boyd noted that by continuing to follow the commission’s review procedures, it would speed up the process down the line should the Wal-Mart project eventually be approved by the voters and the City Council. Vice Chair Patel made the motion to approve the Preliminary/Final Plat as submitted. The motion was seconded by Secretary Standridge and passed with 5 in favor (Patel, Standridge, Smith, and Davenport) with Chairman Boyd casting the deciding vote, and 2 against (Sims and Perkins). Meeting Adjourned. ________________________________________ Chairman Dennis Boyd 4