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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/16/2008CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES January 16, 2008 1. CALL TO ORDER The City of Apple Valley Planning Commission meeting was called to order by Chair Jeannine Churchill at 7:00 p.m. Members Present: Jeannine Churchill, Tom Melander, Frank Blundetto, Tim Burke and Keith Diekmann Members Absent: David Schindler and Thomas Helgeson Staff Present: Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist, City Planner Tom Lovelace, Associate City Planner Kathy Bodmer, Associate City Planner Margaret Dykes, City Attorney Sharon Hills, Assistant City Engineer David Bennett and Department Assistant Barbara Wolff 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Churchill asked if there were any changes to the agenda. There being none, she called for approval of the agenda. MOTION: Commissioner Burke moved, seconded by Commissioner Diekmann to approve the agenda. The motion carried 5-0. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 2, 2008 Chair Churchill asked if there were any changes to the minutes. There being none, she called for approval of the minutes. MOTION: Commissioner Melander moved, seconded by Commissioner Burke, to recommend approval of the minutes of the January 2, 2008, meeting. The motion carved 5-0. 4. 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE/ACTIONS Rusty Fifield, project manager from Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc., addressed the Planning Commission. The goal is to have the Comprehensive Plan Update completed in draft form by June 2008. The draft vision statement can be seen on the City website by the beginning of next week. A form will also be added to encourage people to offer feedback. Fifield will also be adding updated mapping and demographic information. The website, regarding the Comprehensive Plan, will be receiving updates more frequently in the coming months. Over the next six weeks, the Planning Commission will be working on the draft Land Use Plan. This is the core of the Comprehensive Plan and a public workshop will be held on this in early to mid April. This will give people the opportunity to engage directly with the Planning Staff and the Planning Commission. The workshop will be advertised with plenty of advance notice. S:\planning\PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes\011608m.doc 5. CONSENT ITEM --NONE-- 6. PUBLIC HEARING --NONE-- 7. LAND USE/ACTION ITEMS --NONE- 8. OTHER BUSINESS A. PD-290 Zoning Amendment Sketch Plan -Sketch plan review of a proposed amendment to allow for clothing sales as a permitted use in zone 1 of Planned Development 290. Associate City Planner Margaret Dykes stated that the property owner of 15030 Glazier Avenue (the U.S. Mortgage building) is requesting the City review a possible amendment to PD-290, Zone 1 to allow for tailoring, and retail sales of clothing and accessories. The property owners wish to lease a portion of their building to a full service bridal boutique. In order to lease the bridal boutique space, the zoning ordinance must be amended. The U.S. Mortgage building is located at the northwest corner of County Road 42 and Glazier Avenue. The bridal boutique, Weddings by Tess, is currently located on the southeast comer of 145`n Street and Granada Drive. The store owner is interested in relocating the business to the U.S Mortgage building because it has better visibility from County Road 42. PD-290, Zone 1 allows for a mix of office uses, restaurants, and public facilities. Also permitted are "art, interior decorating, photographic or music studio provided no retail sales are made of products not manufactured on the site." Over-the-counter retail sales are currently not permitted. The bridal boutique would sell bridal gowns and formal dresses, bridal accessories, as well as tailor bridal dresses and formal gowns. Most of the dresses would be made off-site, though the boutique would alter the dresses and do some manufacturing of a limited number of dresses on site. The store would have dresses on display and would occasionally sell these display dresses. The bridal boutique is considered over-the-counter retail sales. County Road 42 and Cedar Avenue divide Downtown Apple Valley into quadrants. The Downtown Design Guidelines, which are part of the zoning ordinance, list uses that should be emphasized within each quadrant. T lie riortl-ieast quadrant, w.:icl-i is wl-.ere u.c applicant wishes to locate the bridal boutique, is to be the location primarily for banks, offices, government facilities, and evening food/entertainment activities. The City determined retail sales should not be located in the northeast quadrant, and designed PD-290, Zone 1 so that the uses perritted in the zoning district would reflect the policies in the Downtown Design Guidelines. S:\planning\PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes\011608m.doc Dykes said staff thought the zoning code should not be amended to allow for clothing sales in PD- 290, Zone 1. There are a number of other locations in Downtown that are zoned for retail sales where a bridal store could be located. PD-290, Zone 1 was established primarily for office uses and did not anticipate retail sales in the area. The applicant is requesting feedback on the possibility of amending the Planned Development zoning district. Commissioner Diekmann asked if this use is similar to interior decorating. Dykes replied that interior decorating studios have much less over-the-counter retail sales. The applicant can expand on this, although with wedding sales, it is much more of a dress shop. Commissioner Diekmann said he understood that. His point was that when he thinks of the permitted uses, art, interior decorating, photographic, etc., he thinks of limited retail business zoning. Diekmann stated that this may fall in that category because people are not going there on a frequent, continuous basis, and this would be different from a general retail business, such as a Target store. Diekmann said a wedding dress shop would fall more into the limited retail business zoning classification. Dykes replied that if it were limited more to the manufacturing of the wedding dresses, staff would be more comfortable. But, staff is concerned given that there are a number of items associated with a wedding that might be sold over the counter. Commissioner Blundetto clarified whether it's sales or rentals. Dykes replied that the store does some rental of tuxedos and limited sales of wedding dresses The petitioner, Tess Henderson, owner of Weddings by Tess, stated that they are a specialty shop with little traffic, which takes place mostly on the weekends. Henderson stated there is not that much volume and people only come in when they're going to get married. The store is not very big so they are not able to accommodate many people in the store itself. Mostly, the volume is by appointment, although there are some walk-ins. Chair Churchill asked how much product is actually in the store. Henderson stated that there are sample dresses there for brides to see and try on. They don't actually buy the gown that is on the rack; they order it. Chair Churchill stated that if these dresses are for display, it is somewhat akin to an art gallery and ordering a print and/or a frame. Henderson replied the shop also alters gowns ordered by a bride. Also, if a dress is discontinued, they WOiiid piit that vri a Saie rack acid Seii it. Wiener aiiy, th0iigh, Siie dOeS nGt Sell gGwnS Gff tiie rack. She also designs and makes custom gowns. That is what she did for 30 years out of her own home before she opened her shop. Commissioner Diekmann asked if all the alterations and manufacturing of the dress are all done on site. S:\planningU'LANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes\011608m.doc Henderson confirmed that it is. Diekmann asked if her shop would be occupying the whole building. Vanessa Kahle, the owner of the building, said their shop would only occupy about a third of the L- shaped building. Commissioner Melander stated that it seems that staff is concerned there are other areas within the zoning district where the shop could locate. Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist wanted clarification of square footage. Kahle estimated 800-1,000 square feet. Commissioner Blundetto asked about the size of the current store location. Henderson stated that the current store is larger than the new space would be Chair Churchill said she had a hard time differentiating between an interior designer shop and the proposed wedding shop. Dykes replied that the intent for the original intent of the ordinance was to have larger offices where artists, photographers, and interior designers would have some manufacturing space and display space. Staff would be more comfortable with more manufacturing happening on site, and if there weren't many over-the-counter sales. Dykes also said there are ways to craft an ordinance amendment so that there are limited clothing sales, no more than "x" amount of square footage, etc. Dykes expressed concern that a precedent maybe set that will increase the number of general retail uses in the area. Chair Churchill said she thought the shop could be located 153~d and Galaxie Avenue. Commissioner Blundetto expressed support for staff unless new information is provided. Commissioner Burke agreed. Commissioner Melander had mixed feelings. He said he could see it from both points of view. It could set a precedent when there are other options available. Commissioner Diekmann also had mixed feelings, and wished the zoning ordinance had more clearly defined permitted uses. Chair Cllurciuii stated ihat `finis is j ust a sketch piari so if tl'ie petitioner decides to bring it back wi` : a formal petition, she may. Henderson thanked the Planning Commission for taking the time to listen. S:\planning\PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes\011608m.doc C. Review of upcoming Schedule and other Updates Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist asked for some feedback regarding a special Comprehensive Plan meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, which is not a regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting. He asked if the Commission was available on that date for a special meeting. Chair Churchill polled the Commission and the consensus was that the date was acceptable for a special meeting regazding the Comprehensive Plan. 9. ADJOURNMENT Chair Churchill, hearing no further business from Staff or the Commission, asked for a motion for adjournment. MOTION: Commissioner Melander moved, seconded by Commissioner Burke, to adjourn the meeting at 7:31 p.m. The motion carved 5-0. The Planning Commission adjourned to an informal work session, discussing the Legacy project, in the Regent Conference Room immediately following. S:\planning\PLANCOMM\Z008 agenda & minutes\011608m.doc