Planning Commission Study Meeting

WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION Study Session May 17, 2017 The meeting was called to order at 3:35 p.m. by Chair Meaders at 3600 Constitution Boulevard, West Valley City, Utah. WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS David McEwen, Brent Fuller, Darrick Porter, Mathew Lovato, Clover Meaders, Cindy Wood, and Harold Woodruff ABSENT: Martell Winters WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING DIVISION STAFF Brock Anderson, Ryan Harris, Jody Knapp, Lee Logston, Steve Pastorik, and Brenda Turnblom WEST VALLEY CITY ADMINISTRATION Brandon Hill ZONE TEXT CHANGE APPLICATION ZT-2-2017 PETITION BY WEST VALLEY CITY REQUESTING A ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CREATE THE HUNTER TOWN CENTER (HTC) ZONE AND TO MAKE OTHER TECHNICAL CHANGES TO TITLE 7. (STAFF - STEVE PASTORIK AT 801-963-3545) Planning Commission Study Session May 17, 2017 Page 2 Discussion: Steve Pastorik explained this application was continued from the last public hearing. Today we will further discuss what uses should be allowed in the HTC zone. At the last meeting, Alex Winder asked if storage units, an assisted living center, or residential could be allowed on his property behind the Kmart building. Steve Pastorik acknowledged if we modify the text of the HTC zone to allow these, it would apply to other areas of the HTC as well. We will also discuss whether there should be a density cap and, if so, what it should be. Steve Pastorik pointed to a map showing 18 existing storage unit locations within the City. Two more storage units are underway. We already have quite a few storage units within the City. Steve Pastorik related that City staff does not think storage units are a good fit for the HTC because they won’t draw people in to the area like retail units and restaurants will. Commissioner Wood asked why the HTC allows a nursing home in the NE corner of the zone and not assisted living. Steve Pastorik said a nursing home tends to be more commercial and assisted living is more residential. However, Steve Pastorik is not opposed to allowing assisted living in the HTC zone. Commissioner Meaders also has no objections. Steve Pastorik feels townhomes or apartments would not be appropriate behind the loading dock of the Kmart building. Staff is steering residential towards the SE corner of the HTC where there are mostly vacant properties with residential neighbors away from Mountain View Corridor. Steve Pastorik showed a mock-up of what a high density development similar to the Pinnacle at Highbury would look like on the SE quadrant of the HTC. Commissioner Lovato asked if there are existing four story residential properties within the City. Steve Pastorik answered there are four story apartments behind WinCo. Commissioner Lovato questioned if it is desirable to have to go up four flights of stairs to get to a residence. Steve Pastorik said it is probably not ideal, but there is nothing in the Code prohibiting four stories. Buildings with five stories are required to have an elevator. Commissioner Lovato said we must strike a balance between allowing a developer enough units and creating a development that fits well within the community. Commissioner Lovato asked Steve Pastorik what density limit he would recommend for the 16 acre SE quadrant of the HTC. Steve Pastorik said he is leaning towards a density limit of 20 units per acre, depending whether the Planning Commission wants to limit residential developments to three stories or if they want to encourage more height for the buildings around this intersection. Steve Pastorik reported that he received a letter from the owner of the 16 acre property, and he is against a 100’ building height restriction within 100’ of existing residential and a density cap. Steve Pastorik related that the HTC zone as written now has a height limitation of Planning Commission Study Session May 17, 2017 Page 3 2 stories in the 100’ buffer near existing residential. Outside the buffer is a building height cap of 60’, which is roughly 5 stories, with no density cap. Steve Pastorik asked Planning Commissioners for their thoughts regarding density in the HTC. Commissioner Lovato lives near Pinnacle Highbury and feels the density is about right there. However, he feels four stories would be too high. Commissioner Wood agrees nothing above three stories. Commissioner Woodruff likes the idea of the 100’ buffer, but thinks a density above 20 units per acre will allow more opportunities for different types of projects. We already have a lot of 3 story projects within the City. We should allow a higher density as we get farther away from existing housing, up to four stories. Commissioner McEwen asked why we are not rezoning the entire property currently zoned Agriculture. Steve Pastorik said staff chose not to up-zone the properties zoned Agriculture so that when an applicant comes in to request a rezone, the City can use a development agreement to negotiate enhancements to the properties. Commissioner Woodruff sees the HTC as a coherent entity of things that relate to each other. Commissioner Fuller said the only way to have the HTC developed properly is if the property owners surrounding the Kmart building work together. Steve Pastorik affirmed that is our goal. What makes the goal challenging is that we have fractured ownership of properties. We have met with the Kmart owner and Alex Winder to get them to work together to redevelop their properties. The neighboring Vasa owners just put in around $2,000,000 into their building, so it will not be going anywhere in the foreseeable future. We could design around the Vasa building to redevelop the area. Steve Pastorik mentioned the HTC is mostly developed property. The ability to get a quality, well thought out project is contingent on how much of it gets redeveloped. Steve Pastorik confirmed the HTC ordinance allows the Kmart building to be repositioned if they put money back into the property. The HTC plan is a 20 year view, it is common for a retail tenant to have a ten year lease. It is possible that the Kmart building could be improved and reused for a time and redeveloped later. Commissioner Wood asked what the owners’ plan is for the Kmart property. Steve Pastorik said they plan to sell. The property is under contract. Commissioner Fuller feels that if the Kmart building remains and an assisted living unit is built behind it, it will create a modge podge of properties. Steve Pastorik said if the Kmart property is not developed, we must have viable uses for the property behind it. We can’t make them wait for ten years. We are looking at what commercial uses the City would be comfortable with and are appropriate for the entire area. Commissioner Meaders asked if there will be public comment on this application Planning Commission Study Session May 17, 2017 Page 4 at the May 24 public hearing. Steve Pastorik said the public comment period was closed. It is up to the Planning Commission if they want to reopen it. This application will not be re-noticed. We told those present at the last public hearing that this petition will be re-addressed on May 24th. ZONE CHANGE APPLICATIONS Z-6-2017 PETITION BY WEST VALLEY CITY REQUESTING A ZONE CHANGE FROM A (AGRICULTURE, MINIMUM LOT SIZE ½ ACRE), C-1 (NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL), AND C-2 (GENERAL COMMERCIAL) TO HTC (HUNTER TOWN CENTER). THE PROPERTY IS IN THE VICINITY OF 3500 SOUTH AND 5600 WEST ON 51.7 ACRES. (STAFF - STEVE PASTORIK AT 801-963-3545) Discussion: See above. Z-7-2017 PETITION BY DAVID WALDRON REQUESTING A ZONE CHANGE FROM A (AGRICULTURE, MINIMUM LOT SIZE ½ ACRE) AND A-2 (AGRICULTURE, MINIMUM LOT SIZE 2 ACRES) TO RE (RESIDENTIAL ESTATE). THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 3264 WEST 3100 SOUTH ON 3.3 ACRES. (STAFF – STEVE PASTORIK AT 801-963-3545) Discussion: Steve Pastorik stated the applicant wishes to create a new subdivision on this property. There is one existing home and the applicant wishes to create six more homes. This will be the third RE zone created within the City. There is a minimum frontage width of 100’ for lots in the RE zone. In order to make six new lots fit on this property, through a development agreement we could reduce the frontage to a minimum 90’. This will allow enough width for a 70’ house with 10’ setbacks on both sides. Several of the lots in this subdivision are shorter, but the lot sizes are well over the minimum 15,000 sqft. The average lot size will be about 18,000 sqft. CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION C-11-2017 PETITION BY RELIANT-UTAH LLC REQUESTING AN EXCEPTION TO THE HIGH IMAGE ARTERIAL LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR BOULDER PINES. THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 4040 SOUTH 1534 WEST ON 12.80 ACRES AND IS ZONED RM (RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY). (STAFF - JODY KNAPP AT 801-963- 3497) Discussion: Jody Knapp reported this property was approved in 1970 under County jurisdiction. Substantial rehabilitation will be done to the 40 four-plex buildings and clubhouse existing on the property. This is an affordable housing project financed with tax exempt bonds that receives federal low income housing tax credits. Planning Commission Study Session May 17, 2017 Page 5 Jody Knapp reported the valuation on the building permits submitted for the rehabilitation of the site are just under $8,000,000. Anything over $50,000 must comply with landscaping requirements along high image arterials. The south edge of this property aligns with 4100 South, a high image arterial. The Landscaping requirement along a high image arterial is 20’, however the owner is requesting to keep the landscaping on the property as it is. It would be difficult to move landscaping due to the main thoroughfare into the center of the property. Doing so would eliminate most of their parking area. It is Jody Knapp’s understanding that Boulder Pines maintains the City right of way. We could ask them to add trees, one every 30’ along the right of way. The narrowness of the park strip past the bus shelter will prohibit trees from being planted there. There are overhead powerlines that will limit the height of the trees that can be placed along the right of way. There are some flags in the City right of way that need to be removed. We can ask that a masonry enclosure be placed around a large dumpster existing on the property. No changes are planned for a nonconforming sign on the property. PLANNING COMMISSION BUSINESS Annual Planning Commission Training (Brandon Hill) Discussion: Brandon Hill reminded Planning Commissioners of the importance of open meetings and to keep discussions of City topics on the record. He showed an ethics video. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _______________________________________ Brenda Turnblom, Administrative Assistant