Westminster Planning & Zoning Commission

CITY OF WESTMINSTER PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING SUMMARY Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 7 PM City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane A meeting of the City of Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission was held at City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane in Westminster, Maryland 21157, on February 8, 2018, at 7 PM. Vice-Chair Kevin Beaver, Councilmember Benjamin Yingling, Commissioner Ross Albers, and Commissioner Tom Herb were present. City staff Andrew Gray, Bill Mackey, and Samantha Parthree were present. Mayor Joe Dominick and City staff Barbara Sardi were present, as members of the public. The following were present and signed in: Joe Heisler and Kelsi Thrasher. There were other members of the public present; however, they did not sign in. Vice-Chair Beaver opened the meeting at 7:00 PM. Vice-Chair Beaver asked newly appointed Commission members Albers and Herb to introduce themselves. Vice-Chair Beaver thanked Peggy Bair and Lori Welsh-Graham for all of their years of service on the Commission. Vice-Chair Beaver requested a change to the minutes of the meeting on January 11, 2018, to remove the statement pertaining to the County Zoning Code in the County Liaison’s Report. Councilmember Yingling made a motion to approve the minutes from January 11, 2018, with the requested edits. Commissioner Albers seconded. The motion passed. Vice-Chair Beaver opened discussion of Old Business – Report and Recommendation on Ordinance No. 885 re Firearms Safety Training School. Mr. Gray provided a staff summary and mentioned that if approved the report would be submitted to the Mayor and Common Council for consideration. Councilmember Yingling abstained from voting due to the matter going before the Mayor and Common Council for a final vote. Commissioner Albers made a motion to approve the recommendation. Commissioner Herb seconded. The motion passed with one abstention. Vice-Chair Beaver opened discussion of Old Business – Report and Recommendation on Ordinance No. 886 re Tattoo Parlors in Business Zones. Mr. Gray provided a staff summary and mentioned that if approved the report would be submitted to the Mayor and Common Council for consideration. Councilmember Yingling abstained from voting due to the matter going before the Mayor and Common Council for a final vote. Commissioner Albers made a motion to approve the recommendation. Commissioner Herb seconded. The motion passed with one abstention. Vice-Chair Beaver introduced New Business Item A – County Liaison Report. Ms. Moser presented the information requested during the January meeting regarding the Westminster Community Pond and its surrounding trail. The park property is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, and these hours of operation are posted in two places. No complaints have been made to the County regarding the trail. Vice-Chair Beaver opened an informal discussion for a proposal at 580 Baltimore Boulevard, site of the Heritage Honda dealership. Mr. Mackey explained that the property owner was going through building renovations and site plan changes, and was requesting an informal review. Mr. Mackey then introduced Joe Heisler, the architect who is working on the building renovation. Mr. Heisler cited the lack of current ADA compliance with the site and that the property owner was planning to maintain the same building footprint. Mr. Pete Podolak requested leniency from the Commission regarding the requirements in the landscape manual. There was discussion on how the developer could meet the planting requirements. Commissioner Herb asked how the water usage would decrease. Mr. Heisler replied that the new, low- flow fixtures being installed would cut back on the total amount of water required for the operations use. Councilmember Yingling requested an increase in colorful vegetation to highlight the property as a gateway into the City of Westminster. Vice-Chair Beaver opened discussion on Commission elections, stating that all members should be present for a formal vote. Vice-Chair Beaver also suggested rotating the Chair and Vice-Chair positions among all Commission members, so everyone could have equal opportunity to fulfil the roles. Mr. Gray noted that there will be an upcoming Board of Zoning Appeals meeting regarding an application for a dog training/event facility use on March 6, 2018, at 6 PM in City Hall. He then provided updated copies of the Zoning Code to the Commission. Councilmember Yingling made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Albers seconded. The Commission adjourned at 8:04 PM. Adopted on April 12, 2018 Page 2 of 2