Planning & Zoning Commission

CITY OF TALLMADGE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 7:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Chair Patrick Larson called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Commission Members present: Patrick Larson Julie Oliver Kevin Heilmeier Bob Kostko A motion to excuse Mr. Ryder was made by Mr. Larson and seconded by Mr. Heilmeier. All members voted in favor. (4-0) Administration present: Dave Kline, Mayor Megan Raber, Law Director Helene Hussing, Planning and Zoning Manager ADOPTION OF MINUTES A motion to adopt the June 1, 2023 minutes was made by Mrs. Oliver and seconded by Mr. Heilmeier. All members voted in favor. (4-0) AGENDA ADDITIONS None CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS Elevation plan dated 8/4/23, Revised Site Location Sheet dated 9/5/23 and Memo from City Engineer dated 8/30/23. AGENDA ITEMS FILING Case PZ 23-09-01 Amendment to the Zoning Text Applicant: City of Tallmadge Zoning Text: Section 1104.05 D Commercial Uses Table Section 1104.07E(8) Use Regulations: Automotive-Car Wash Public Meeting: October 5, 2023 CASES Case PZ 23-09-02 Site Plan Review: New Construction For Review and Determination Address: 4482 Crystal Parkway (PN 49-020-00-00-016-049) Applicant: Jason Cheshire, Parsons Concrete Contractors, Inc. Owner: Cheshire Holdings LLC  Planning and Zoning Commission September 7, 2023 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mrs. Hussing gave a summary of the case. The representative for the case, Mike Wohlwend, gave more information on the case according to the submitted plans. DISCUSSION Mr. Larson: There was a comment made in the Staff Report about a private utility easement in the rear. Does that affect anything that you're doing? Mr. Wohlwend: Thats a drainage easement. We recorded that when we did the lot split because everything drains to the northeast and what our concern was, at the time, is if the northern piece, if they built that, we wanted to make sure there was an adequate storm water outlet left along that eastern side where the topography goes. Mr. Larson: There's nothing else going to be built on this parcel? Mr. Wohlwend: Not at this time. Mr. Larson: Is there room to build something else on this parcel? Mr. Wohlwend: Yes. Probably only half the property is being built on, so yes. Mr. Larson: I have a question about the contractor segment of this building. What is actually going to be done inside there? Mr. Wohlwend: They are a concrete construction company, so they have dump trucks, backhoes, bob cats, trailers, supplies, mesh… So it's all the supplies that they use for their business that they don’t want to sit outside. And it’s areas for them to work on their trucks. Mr. Larson: I did visit their current facility and there was a lot of stuff outside so, all that stuff will be contained now inside the building? Mr. Wohlwend: That’s correct. We’re not anticipating any outdoor storage. The facility they're in now is a temporary building while this gets built. Mr. Larson: They have contractor vehicles that will be parked inside the building. So when the employee comes to work to take one of those trucks to a job site, what does he do with his vehicle? Mr. Wohlwend: Eight employees come to the office and shop every day. The rest of the 45 employees that were referenced go directly to the job site. So, there is enough parking on this site to function for the employees that come to that facility every day. Mr. Larson: So, the parking spaces that are in front of the office building are not just for the office? Mr. Wohlwend: In a company like this, the guy’s float between the field and office work, so it's enough to function for this facility whether they’re just office people or they're floaters between the office and the field. Mr. Larson: I guess I'm still a little bit puzzled how you’re going to have all this equipment and all those employees and not have any need for any additional parking. We don’t have any provisions for parking in that lot in front of the building. Mr. Wohlwend: No, that’s room for the trucks and trailers to come in and back into the facility. Mr. Larson: So, there is no intention of doing any parking out there? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2  Planning and Zoning Commission September 7, 2023 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Wohlwend: The owner of Parsons Concrete has told me that 8 employees come to this facility every day. Mr. Larson: Ok. Mrs. Oliver: That was my concern as well, the amount of parking there. I realized that that additional concrete, or whatever surface you're going to have, is utilized in getting those trucks into those bays, so none of that really could be used for parking if it was necessary. Well, I supposed some of it could on the north side. Mr. Wohlwend: On the north side, there’s probably some area there that could be used for parking if necessary or there is plenty of property that they could extend that and put parking up on that north end also, if it becomes necessary. Mrs. Oliver: I guess I'm not concerned just for the simple fact that there is some spots there that you could fill in if you needed to and there is additional land if they had to extend it. Mr. Heilmeier: I don’t have any problem with it. Mr. Kostko: The way the business is run, there are no customers or clients coming in. It's truly just the employees coming in quick and heading out to a job site. Mr. Wohlwend: That’s correct. Your Zoning Code only allows parking based on that maximum number of people per shift times 120% so, with only having 8 employees at this facility, they're only allowed to have between 8 and 10. Mr. Larson: A couple things on the variance. There is no issue with the plantings, correct? Mrs. Hussing: That’s correct. Mr. Larson: The first variance is for parking and they’ve addressed the parking lot screening in a revised plan to show that the hedgerow will actually be carried out to the end of the parking spots. I think the question is, do we need to have screening on the opposite side of the parking lot where there is no parking spots? What are we screening against? If there were cars that were actually parked up there, I could understand, but I personally don’t feel the need to have bushes to go across that northern part of the driveway and that’s the variance we’re looking at for parking screening, correct? Mrs. Hussing: That’s correct. They're installing trees there as well, which will grow quite large. Mr. Wohlwend: And it's over 150 feet from the property line as well. Mr. Larson: The second item was the screening for the building, called a foundation screening, on the southeast and north sides of the building. You can’t do anything on the warehouse section of the building because you’ve got the overhead doors. So, we’re basically talking about the eastern portion and the southern portion. There is no screening on the building to the south. That building exists right now and there is no screening on the back of that building. We don’t know because the Apollo building is not done and I asked Mrs. Hussing and I don’t believe we determined that there is any screening on the south side of that building, is that correct? Mrs. Hussing: They do have some plantings on that side but it's not as full as we would expect it. I don’t have those plans in front of me. Their driveway is on the south side of the property. Mr. Larson. Right. So, I agree that it's an industrial area and the other buildings that are there are not providing that. The only question I have is, at some point, to the east of that building, those are lots that are off of Mogadore Road, is that correct? Mr. Wohlwend: Correct. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3  Planning and Zoning Commission September 7, 2023 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Larson: So, there could eventually be some building there. I just don’t know if it makes any sense. Mrs. Oliver: I fully agree. Is that the back of a building? Or a side? Mr. Wohlwend: I think the doors are on the south side if I'm remembering correctly. Mr. Larson: The north side is just a blank wall. Mrs. Oliver: Even though this is an industrial park, we certainly want it to continue to maintain a very pleasing appearance, but we also have to keep in mind that under the circumstances, a lot of the things that are in the code are not completely necessary because of the circumstances, and I would say that’s the case here. So, I agree with both those variances. Mr. Heilmeier: I would agree with the variance. Mr. Kostko: I also agree with it. Mr. Larson: If they would feel the need for extra parking, would we require them to come back in with a new parking plan? Or would they just be able to park vehicles… Mrs. Hussing: I think they should be allowed to expand their parking lot if their shifts increase and if they present a plan that’s complaint, I'm not sure they need to come back. If the Fire Department approves the emergency access etc.… Mr. Larson: That was my big question. Mrs. Hussing: If it really changes the whole site plan by a lot, if they're adding a lot of concrete to the site, then we’d ask them to come back. We can make that decision when they apply and you'd see it back on your agenda. Mayor Kline: Keep in mind that the back portion of this building is approved for commercial parking inside the building. So, as an employee comes in to take out a commercial truck, I would think he’s going to park his personal vehicle inside the building. So, every truck that goes out, a personal vehicle would probably go inside. Mr. Larson: You will comply with all the requests from the Fire Department from the Staff Report? Mr. Wohlwend: Yes. We’ve already worked through most of the issues with the Fire Department . We’ve complied with most of those items as of today and will comply with the remainder of them. The following motion was made by Mrs. Oliver and seconded by Mr. Heilmeier: I move to approve the Site Plan Review Application for Case PZ 23-09-02, applicant Jason Cheshire – Parsons Concrete Contractors, Inc. and owner Cheshire Holdings LLC at 4482 Crystal Parkway (PN 49- 020-00-00-016-049) for a Contractor Services Building based on the application and plans submitted August 4, 14 & 16, 2023 to the Planning & Zoning Department, subject to the following approvals, conditions, modifications and/or amendments, based on the evidence presented: 1. Hours of construction shall comply with city ordinances; 2. Application for signage is submitted to the Planning & Zoning Department for approval; 3. Approval by Summit County Department of Building Standards; 4. Approval by the Tallmadge Fire Department; 5. Stormwater and Water Quality review and approval by City Engineer and Portage County Soil & Water Conservation District; 6. Lighting Plan with Photometrics review and approval by City Engineer; __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4