Minutes of the
regular meeting of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission, held Wednesday,
October 4, 2006
Meeting called to order by
Chairman Honderd at 7:30 p.m.
Present: Honderd, Poskey, DeGood, South,
Pearson
Absent: Stasiak, Huizinga
#061004-01 - Agenda for October 4, 2006
Moved by
Pearson, seconded by South, to approve the agenda for October 4, 2006, as
presented, with the public hearing for the rezoning to be first, a site plan
for Randy Rottschaffer to be second and Crosswinds plat to be third.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#061004-02 - Minutes of
the September
20, 2006 regular meeting
Moved
by DeGood, seconded by South, to approve the minutes of the September 20, 2006 meeting,
as submitted.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#061004-03 - Rezoning (REZ0606) To
change from (AG) Agriculture to (LDR) Low Density
Residential a
parcel of land
described as P.P. # 70-14-08-400-025, located at
Todd
Stuive, Exxel Engineering, represented the applicant and presented the
request. He stated the following. To the east of the subject site is Boulder
Ridge plat, to the south and west is vacant land, to the northwest is the water
tower and across Bauer Road is Lowing Woods plat. The property is open farm land. The rezoning is consistent with the Master
Plan, compatible with the area and the trends of development, and capable of
sustaining the uses since sewer and water is available.
The
zoning administrator presented a review as follows.
SUMMARY
The
request is to rezone 18.5 acres of property zoned Agriculture to Low Density
Residential. The request has been
evaluated according to the three C’s as follows:
1.
Consistency: is the proposed zoning and all of its permitted uses
consistent with the recommendations of the township land use plan?
The Future Land Use Map
designates this property as LDR and the site is adjacent to LDR property in the
Boulder Ridge Plat. This is consistent with the
requested zoning designation. The
property is currently vacant and the applicant has indicated that he plans to
pursue splitting the property for single family homes (although the proposed
use is irrelevant to the consideration of rezoning).
The
text of the Master Plan states that good access management techniques are to be
practiced on the major roads (including Bauer Rd.) and the text also
specifically states that this is a rural area in transition to urban
residential. The text further states
that conventional subdivisions that simply divide the land into lots with no
amenities and little regard for the natural character should be discouraged,
and that the area should be developed in the form of PUDs or open space
preservation.
2. Compatibility: is the
proposed district and all of its allowed uses compatible with the surrounding
area?
The
proposed district (LDR) allows the following permitted uses: detached single
family dwellings, parks, family daycare homes, adult foster care family homes,
foster family homes and state licensed residential family facilities. Special uses include: Churches, municipal
buildings, public utilities, group daycare homes, private non-commercial
recreation, golf courses, non-commercial schools, cemeteries, commercial soil
removal, bed and breakfast establishments, daycare centers, commercial wireless
communication towers and adult foster care homes. To the east are single family homes and lots
in the LDR district in the Boulder Ridge Plat.
A street from that plat has been stubbed to connect to this
property. To the north are single family
residential homes in the RR district. To
the south and west are larger sized AG/RR lots, some vacant and some with
single family homes. A water tower is
located to the west of the site.
3. Capability: is the property
capable of being used for a use permitted within the existing zoning district?
Public
utilities are available to be brought to the site. Bauer Road is already constructed.
4. Other considerations: will
the rezoning require an inordinate expenditure of public funds (road
improvements, utility extension, etc.) to make the development feasible?
Public
utilities are available to be brought to the site by the developer and the
street already exists. No public funds
are required to extend utilities into the proposed development.
5. Will the rezoning cause development
to “leap frog” other undeveloped areas in the same zoning district and
necessitate premature extensions of services to rural areas of the township?
The
proposed development is surrounded by vacant land and by single family
residential homes and would not necessitate premature extension of services to
rural area of the Township. Utilities
are available to be brought to the site from the existing development to the
east.
6. Is there sufficient vacant
land already zoned in a specific category (e.g., industrial, multifamily,
commercial)?
Although
there is amply land already zoned LDR, this rezoning will continue the LDR
district to the west to meet up with the Eastbrook Development.
The
chairman opened the public hearing.
Phil
Cramer, 8200 36th Ave., said that his property backs up to the
subject site and asked about what the Master Plan calls for the rest of the
area. He was shown the Future Land Use
map.
The
chairman closed the public hearing.
Moved
by Pearson, seconded by DeGood, to recommend to the Township Board to approve
Rezoning (REZ0606)
To change from (AG) Agriculture to (LDR) Low Density Residential a parcel of
land described as P.P. # 70-14-08-400-025, located at 3358 Bauer Rd. based on
the findings that the LDR zoning district is consistent with the Master Plan
and Future Land Use Map, compatible with the surrounding area and capable of
sustaining the uses allowed in the LDR district.
MOTION CARRIED.
#061004-04 – Site Plan for Randy Rottschaffer
On July
16, 2006, a revised plan was approved for Randy Rottschaffer (ST0606) for 610
Baldwin for additional paving on the west side of the building to connect the
pavement at the north of the building to the accessory building at the south of
the building. The Planning Commission
had denied a request for an additional curb cut to Thomas St. Randy Rottschaffer was asking to pave an
additional area to the west of the approved driveway. The zoning administrator asked if the
Planning Commission would determine the proposed revision to be a minor change
since they had previously been sensitive to the extension of the driveway.
The
consensus of the Planning Commission was that the revision was minor according
to Sec. 19.8 and could be approved by the zoning administrator.
#061004-05 - Unfinished Business Preliminary Plat of Crosswinds
Drew
Thorpe, developer of Crosswinds plat, asked if the Planning Commission would
discuss the issues relating to the plat.
The
zoning administrator related the information that the Township Board denied the
request by Crosswinds to install dry sewer.
An excerpt as follows was presented.
#060925-06 - Crosswinds Plat Request to
Install Dry Sewer
Moved
by
1.
The locations and
elevation of a future required lift station are not yet determined. The location and depth of the lift station
will determine the length and depth of sewer main to get to the site. Building dry sewer at this time will eliminate
potential options for the best place to build the lift station;
2.
Unknown
elevations of sewer mains between the development and the lift station and any
future extensions beyond the development;
3.
Unknown
elevations of sewer laterals required in the area between the development and
the future lift station. The depths that
will be needed to serve these customers are not known at this time.
Note: The Water/Sewer Committee
recommends denial
MOTION CARRIED.
The
zoning administrator stated the following.
Chapter 24, footnote (d), which is applicable to the LDR district,
requires larger widths (95 feet) and areas (13,300 square feet) for lots that
do not have sewer and water available.
Although dry sewer fulfills the requirements, the developer is not
permitted to install dry sewer since the Board denied the request. Therefore, the Planning Commission would have
no authority to approve the plan as presented since it does not meet the
ordinance requirements for widths which are shown as 85 feet and areas do not
meet the 13,300 square feet requirements.
Drew
Thorpe stated that he had spoken with
The
zoning administrator said that the present plan should not even be discussed
until those issues are resolved since the lots do not meet ordinance
requirements.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission has been very clear to Steve Smit, the applicant’s
representative from Focus Engineering, as to what the Planning Commission wants
to see for the plat and direction has been clearly given.
Poskey
said that concerns had been mentioned multiple times regarding a connection to
the property to the northwest to eliminate curb cuts on 48th Ave.
and Baldwin for access management reasons.
He said that initially the plan did show such a connection, but it was
dropped on later versions of the plan.
The
rest of the Planning Commission concurred.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission had recommended that the site be developed as
a PUD and that the Planning Commission had been open to attached dwellings in a
PUD.
Steve
Smit said that they needed sewer for a PUD.
Honderd
said that they were premature in the development of this land since sewer was
not available and when sewer was available the Planning Commission might be
open to a higher density.
There
was discussion regarding to a stub street that would access the three
properties to the northwest. The
applicant proposed a private street or alley.
The Planning Commission said that it was not the Planning Commission’s
responsibility to design a plan, but it was up to the developers to design a
plan according to direction by the Planning Commission and in compliance with
the ordinance.
Pearson
said that he had raised a question as to how the stub would provide access to
the three lots and it was noted that it was the developer’s responsibility to
design a plan with interior access as directed by the Planning Commission.
Drew
Thorpe suggested an easement and an alley drive.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission has not allowed such an access in the past.
Drew
Thorpe suggested using the existing curb cut.
Pearson
said that they were trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission was trying to encourage development of the
site as a whole to limit curb cuts at this busy area.
There
was discussion regarding a driveway to access two of the parcels. The zoning administrator noted that the
definition of a private street was one that provided access to two or more
parcels and private streets were not allowed unless in a PUD.
Steve
Smit said that a similar situation was provided in the Rozeveld Ridge plat.
The zoning
administrator suggested a cul de sac to connect to the property to the
northwest. When the applicant stated
that there was not enough room to put in a cul de sac long enough to meet Road
Commission standards, she suggested that they pursue a variance from them.
Steve
Smit said that he did already get a variance from the Road Commission for the
location of the entrance street to be 541 feet from the intersection rather
than the 660 required by the Road Commission.
Honderd
suggested that they purchase additional property to the south of the northwest
property.
The
applicants asked to remain tabled for the next month.
#061004-06 – Adjournment
The
chairman adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m.