Planning Commission Study Meeting

WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2021 The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. by Chair Meaders in the City Council Chambers at West Valley City Hall 3600 Constitution Boulevard, West Valley City, UT 84119, and using Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/95328405803 WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS Brent Fuller, Mathew Lovato, David McEwen, Clover Meaders, Darrick Porter, Harold Woodruff, Cindy Wood, and Martell Winters ABSENT WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING DIVISION STAFF Steve Pastorik, Steve Lehman, and Kirsten Hunt WEST VALLEY CITY ADMINISTRATION Brandon Hill, Assistant City Attorney ZONE TEXT CHANGE APPLICATIONS ZT-6-2021 Petition by WEST VALLEY CITY requesting a zone text change to allow inoperable vehicle parking for an automobile service use under certain conditions. (Staff – Steve Pastorik at 801-963-3545 or steve.pastorik@wvc-ut.gov) Discussion: Steve Pastorik explained that currently any outside parking over twenty-four hours is considered outside storage, which is not allowed in a commercial zone. He said that there have been many requests, mainly from automotive businesses, to have the option of leaving cars awaiting parts outside longer than twenty-four hours. Steve stated that this proposal would allow cars to be parked outside over twenty-four hours under certain conditions that are outlined in the staff report. Commissioner Winters stated that the conditions do not state how long they will be allowed to keep these cars outside, and he asked Steve if this was intentional. Steve said they did leave that out intentionally. He stated staff is not intending to have the cars parked indefinitely, and it would be challenging to track the number of days they are parked outside. Steve explained that the current ordinance has allowed Code Enforcement to look at the businesses that store a large number of cars to see which cars have been parked there for quite some time. However, this proposal addresses the companies with  just a few cars that need to remain outside until the parts arrive. Commissioner Woodruff feels this proposal could allow some situations to get out of hand. He asked if there is a car parked behind a building on blocks or missing tires, how would that be handled? Steve said that within the conditions it is stated that there can be no visible damage to the vehicle. So, the parts they are waiting for have to do with damage under the hood. He said we could be more specific if the Commission feels it is needed. Commissioner Woodruff noted that it is hard to know when to stop adding specifications, and maybe we need to see what happens with the proposed conditions first. Commissioner Lovato feels that the examples Steve presented showed the cars being well screened behind the buildings, and his concern is someone parking these cars in a more visible location. Jody said this proposal intends to allow a couple of vehicles to be parked over 24 hours, not to allow for a storage yard. She explained that these cars can not take up any required parking stalls, encouraging quick rotation of inventory. Commissioner Winters suggested that it says “adjacent street” in the condition, making the street plural encompassing the entire surrounding area. ZONE CHANGE APPLICATIONS Z-7-2021 Petition by MANDI MCKAHAN requesting a zone change from C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to R-1-7 (Single Unit Dwelling Residential, minimum lot size 7,000 sq. ft.). The property is located at 4048 South 4800 West on 0.18 acres. (Staff – Steve Pastorik at 801-963-3545 or steve.pastorik@wvc-ut.gov) Discussion: Steve Pastorik explained that when this proposal was initially submitted, the applicant was showing the subject property measuring 8,000 sq. ft. and was proposing a zone change to R-1-8. It was then determined to be shy of 8,000 sq. ft. and the application was removed from last week's agenda. He stated that this proposal was re-noticed, requesting a zone change to R-1-7 with a minimum lot size of 7,000 sq. ft. Steve presented a bit of history regarding the subject location. He explained how the subject location, consisting of two parcels and the 0.32-acre parcel to the south, was once combined and zoned C-1. Sometime in the '80s, the parcels were separated, retaining the C-1 zoning. Steve said the separate lots must not have been created legitimately where the minimum lot size for a commercial zone is 20,000 sq. ft. He noted that typically, given the parcels were not separated by the City, there would not be an option to rezone this parcel and develop the property. These parcels now have different owners, so it would be tough to put them back together, leaving them unusable. Steve stated that the applicant is requesting the zone change to build a home on the subject property. He said that staff feels this is a good option and will fit well the surrounding residential area, where the other option would be to look for an exception for a commercial business to operate on a 7,000 sq. ft. lot. Steve said that staff is suggesting a development agreement that will include granting an exception on the width of the lot, dedicating ten ft. right-of- way to the City, and provisions that the home to be built on the property meet the previous standards for an older lot. Chair Meaders asked if Steve had any neighbors reach out to him with concerns regarding this proposal. Steve said there was a gentleman that attended last week's study meeting  who seemed interested. However, he has not received any calls or emails. Commissioner Lovato asked why the two parcels in question had been split, and Steve said the .12 acre parcel was separated in the 80's and the .07 acre lot sometime after that. He explained that rezoning the two properties together or separately would still leave the acreage well under 20,000 sq. ft. The applicant is proposing to rezone both parcels. Commissioner Winters asked if the housing standards outlined in his packet are the criteria to be added to the development agreement. Steve said that is correct and explained that the Utah Legislation passed a law eliminating the housing standards minus a few exceptions during the last legislative session. Therefore, they are to be outlined in the development agreement. GENERAL PLAN/ZONE CHANGE APPLICATIONS GPZ-14-2021 Petition by BRAD REYNOLD CONSTRUCTION requesting a General Plan change from General Commercial to Medium Density Residential (7 to 12 units/acre) and a zone change from C-2 (General Commercial) to RM (Multiple Unit Dwelling Residential). The property is located at 3554 South 3200 West on 3.2 acres. (Staff – Steve Pastorik at 801-963-3545 or steve.pastorik@wvc-ut.gov) Discussion: Steve Pastorik stated that the subject property is eligible to apply for the RM zone because it is located within a half-mile of a light rail station. He explained the applicant is proposing to build a 37 unit townhome development, and each alley-loaded unit would have a patio and a 750 sq. ft. finished basement. Steve pointed out a stub street located in the southwest corner of the lot with only a portion exposed. He stated that there had been communication with Public Works about a way to connect this stub road. Steve explained that the ordinance states that sixty percent of the building can be made of fiber cement or stucco. He said the applicant is proposing approximately seventy percent fiber cement siding. Steve stated they could use different variations and colors of the fiber cement and ask for an exception. As an alternative, and could add stucco or add more brick or stone to meet the requirement. Steve stated that the applicant proposes 3.1 stalls/unit as their parking ratio, and other townhome developments have a higher percentage. He said one staff suggestion is to remove one unit to accommodate more parking stalls. Chair Meaders agrees with the need for more parking. Commissioner Winters suggested removing some trees to free up parking space. Steve said they are meeting the fifty percent landscaping requirement, so if they did remove trees, they would need to add landscaping somewhere else on the property. Commissioner Lovato is concerned about future parking issues if they build a nineteen- unit development without driveways. Commissioner McEwen agrees. Commissioner Winters asked if there was a parking requirement in the code. Steve said that there is a requirement of two parking spaces per unit, and if you look at the townhome requirements specifically, a two-car garage is required. Therefore, the applicant is meeting the parking requirement. Steve noted that the City has been pushing for more parking, and there have been conversations about changing the code. Commissioner Lovato said part of the issue could be that the garages are too small and  asked if there is a requirement for the garage size. Steve said there is a size requirement for garages regarding single-family homes but not for a townhome development. Steve said that judging from this discussion, the Commission would be interested in looking at the parking requirements for townhomes. The Commission said they would. SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS PUD-4-2021 Petition by ADAM MAHER is requesting preliminary approval for the Cypress Cove Townhomes PUD. The proposed development consists of 12 units on 1.08 acres. The townhome development is located at approximately 3540 West 4700 South and is zoned RM (Multiple Unit Dwelling Residential). (Staff – Steve Lehman at 801-963-3311 or steve.lehman@wvc-ut.gov) Discussion: Steve Lehman explained that there is an existing single-family home on the east half of the subject property that would be removed for the proposed townhome development. He stated that an existing shared access will remain off of 4700 South, and there will be a second access off of 3600 West. Steve noted per the development agreement, the existing masonry wall will be extended to the northeast corner of the subject property, and the developer will be adding a vinyl fence from the northeast corner along the east boundary. The applicant is proposing two three-unit buildings and one six-unit building. Steve noted that they did receive a landscape exception as outlined in the development agreement. He said that the developer has complied with all provisions, and staff has informed him that additional brick will need to be added to the buildings. Commissioner McEwen asked if the subject location is zoned for a multi-unit development. Steve said that it is. City Council approved a zone change for this property in August of this year to the RM zone. Commissioner McEwen asked if this proposal has the same applicant as the proposal for the rezone, and Steve said Mr. Maher was the applicant for both proposals. SMI-6-2021 through SMI-11-2021 Petition by The Valley Fair Mall has submitted six applications requesting preliminary approval for the VF Outparcel Subdivision. The purpose of which is to create individual lots for existing retail/commercial buildings. The property is located at approximately 3601 South 2700 West and is zoned C-2 (General Commercial). (Staff – Steve Lehman at 801-963-3311 or steve.lehman@wvc-ut.gov) Discussion: Steve Lehman explained that he would be presenting the subsequent six applications together for the purposes of the Planning Commission meeting. He said that the owner of the Valley Fair Mall had called him inquiring about subdividing the out parcels of the mall. Steve asked the intent behind the subdivisions. The applicant explained that some of the business owners expressed interest in purchasing the land and the building. The mall owner stated that they would use those funds to reinvest into enhancing the mall. Steve explained that there is an operating easement that will address the parking. Commissioner Woodruff asked if Granger-Hunter has expressed any concern with the subdivisions. Steve said that the mall has been operating via a master meter, so Granger- Hunter is okay with the proposed subdivisions.  Steve said he could write one staff report encompassing all six applications and have the Commission entertain a separate motion for each application. If the Commission prefers to have six independent reports, he could do that as well. The Commission agreed upon one report. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kirsten Hunt, Administrative Assistant