Minutes of the regular meeting of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission, held Wednesday, June 18, 2008

 

Meeting called to order by Chairman Honderd at 7:30 p.m.

 

Present:           Honderd, South, VanDenBerg, Blouw, Huizinga

Absent:            Pearson, Stasiak

 

#080618-01 - Agenda for June 18, 2008

 

Moved by South, seconded by VanDenBerg, to approve the agenda for June 18, 2008 as presented.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

#080618-02 - Minutes of the May 21, 2008 regular meeting  

 

Moved by South, seconded by Blouw, to approve the minutes as presented.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

#080618-03 – Site Plan (ST0806) Hillman Properties/Office Building, 7706 Georgetown Center Drive

(site plan)

 

Brian Kwekel, Corridor, represented the applicant and presented the request.  He noted that Hill Hoolsema was also present.  He stated that the building would be “green” in regards to being environmentally sensitive. 

 

The zoning administrator presented a review as follows.

 

REQUEST

 

(ST0806) The request is to construct a 5,300 square foot office building at 7706 Georgetown Center Dr.

 

SUMMARY

 

a.       A Storm Water Drain Permit (written approval from the Drain Commissioner’s Office) will be required to be submitted to the Township Office at the time a building permit application is submitted.

 

The following documentation details compliance with ordinance requirements:

 

I D number

SUP0806

 

 

 

Date

5-30-08

 

 

Name

Office Building

 

 

 

 

 

Address

7706 Georgetown Center Dr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use

Office Use

 

SUP required

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REQUIREMENT

 

 

 

 

 

PROVIDED

 Needs or Comments

Date, north arrow, scale

 

 

 

 

X

 

Name, address of preparer

 

 

 

 

X

 

Name, address of property owner or petitioner

 

 

X

 

Location sketch

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Legal description

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Size in acres of the property

 

 

 

 

X

 

Property lines and required setbacks shown and dimensioned

 

X

 

Location of existing structures, drives, parking areas within 100 ft of boundary

X

 

Location and dimensions of existing and proposed structures

 

X

 

Location of existing and proposed drives (dimensions and radii), circulation

X

 

Sidewalks, non-motorized paths-select streets, accel, decel lanes

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Signs, exterior lighting

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Curbing, parking areas, dimensions of typical space, number of parking spaces

X

 

Calculations of parking spaces, unloading areas

 

 

X

 

Location, pavement width, ROW of all abutting roads, easements

 

X

 

Existing zoning, and zoning and use of abutting property

 

 

X

 

Location of existing vegetation-parkway association

 

 

 

 

NA

 

Location, type, size of proposed landscaping, streetscape, greenbelt

X

 

Location, height, type of existing and proposed fences and walls

 

X

 

Size, location of proposed, existing utilities, connections to water/sewer

X

 

Location, size of surface water drainage facilities

 

 

X

a.     Permit

Existing, proposed topo contours, max 5 ft intervals

 

 

X

 

Rec/common areas, floodplain areas

 

 

 

X

 

Special Use Standards, general and specific

 

 

 

NA 

 

Residential development extra requirements-attached garages

 

 NA

 

 

South asked about the “green” roof.

 

The applicant stated that there would be small plants and grasses that require no maintenance and that it would reduce the storm water drainage by reducing runoff from the roof.  In response to a question, he provided elevations of the building.

 

No one was present in the audience to make comments on this item.

 

Moved by Huizinga, seconded by Blouw, to approve the site plan dated “05/13/2008” based on the finding that all applicable standards of the ordinance have been met and that a Storm Water Drain Permit (written approval from the Drain Commissioner’s Office) is to be submitted at the time an application for a building permit is submitted.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

#080618-04 – Other Business-Signs-electronic messages

 

At the last meeting, the Planning Commission gave direction that the regulations pertaining to moving lighting on electronic message centers be reviewed. 

Sec. 25.7       ILLUMINATION. 

There shall be no flashing, oscillating or intermittent illumination of any sign, except time and temperature signs with no other intermittent illuminated message.  All illuminated signs shall be designed and located to prevent the light from being cast upon adjoining residences or abutting roadways and shall be located at least one hundred (100) feet from any residential use.  The illumination of any sign shall not be detrimental or annoying to surrounding property nor constitute a safety hazard, as determined by the Zoning Administrator.

 

The zoning administrator stated that the ordinance was currently interpreted to mean that the message could change periodically during the day, just not constantly.

 

Honderd said that it may be beneficial to permit businesses to constantly change messages, though there may be a concern for safety if a motorist is distracted by reading the message.

 

The consensus of the Planning Commission was that ordinances from other municipalities should be compiled and presented to the Planning Commission for review at the next meeting.  The Planning Commission will wait to initiate an amendment until after more review and discussion.

 

#080618-05 - Other Business-PUD time requirements for construction

 

At the June 9, 2008 meeting, the Township Board requested the Planning Commission to review a Zoning Ordinance amendment to increase the timeframe that a PUD should be under construction after approval.

 

The following is an excerpt of the minutes:

#080609-10 – Request Review of Zoning Ordinance

 

Moved by Daniel Carlton, seconded by Dale Mohr, to request the Planning Commission to review a Zoning Ordinance revision for the time frame that construction of a PUD must begin, to either extend the time frame from one year to two years or to provide a second option for an extension.

 

Daniel Carlton noted that there seemed to be problems with requiring construction of a PUD to begin within one year.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

The following is an excerpt of Sec. 22.13 of the Zoning Ordinance:

Sec. 22.13     TIME LIMIT FOR APPROVED PUD DISTRICT.

 

Each development shall be under construction within twelve (12) months after the date of approval of the PUD final development plan, except as noted in this Section.

A.                The Township Board may grant one (1) extension of up to an additional twelve (12) month period if the applicant applies for such extension prior to the date of the expiration of the PUD or PUD phase and provided that:

1.      The applicant presents reasonable evidence that said development has encountered unforeseen difficulties beyond the control of the applicant; and

2.      The PUD requirements and standards, including those of the Zoning Ordinance and Master Plan that are reasonably related to said development have not changed.

 

The zoning administrator presented two possible options to extend the time, one relating to the initial construction time frame and the other to allowing the Board to grant two extensions, as follows:

 

Each development shall be under construction within twelve (12) twenty-four (24) months after the date of approval of the PUD final development plan, except as noted in this Section.

A.                 The Township Board may grant one (1) extension of up to an additional twelve (12) month period if the applicant applies for such extension prior to the date of the expiration of the PUD or PUD phase and provided that:

 

Each development shall be under construction within twelve (12) months after the date of approval of the PUD final development plan, except as noted in this Section.

A.                 The Township Board may grant two extensions, each one (1) extension of up to an additional twelve (12) month period if the applicant applies for such extension prior to the date of the expiration of the PUD or PUD phase and provided that:

 

Moved by VanDenBerg, seconded by South, to initiate a Zoning Ordinance amendment as follows because 3 years is enough time to wait for construction, with the legal notice to be published at the same time as the notice for the revision for the illumination for signs.

 

Each development shall be under construction within twelve (12) months after the date of approval of the PUD final development plan, except as noted in this Section.

A.                The Township Board may grant two extensions, each one (1) extension of up to an additional twelve (12) month period if the applicant applies for such extension prior to the date of the expiration of the PUD or PUD phase and provided that:

 

It was noted that the notice for a sign revision would not be published until the Planning Commission reviews possible revisions and both amendments (signs and PUD time frame) would be published at the same time and discussed at the same meeting.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

#080618-06– Adjournment

 

The chairman adjourned the meeting at 7:54 p.m.