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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/02/2008 CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES January 2, 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, Keith Diekmann, David Schindler and Thomas Helgeson Members Absent: Staff Present: Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist, Associate City Planner Kathy Bodmer, 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 Helgeson moved, seconded by Commissioner Melander to approve the agenda. The motion carried 7 -0. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF DECEMBER 19, 2007 Chair Churchill asked if there were any changes to the minutes. There being none, she called for approval of the minutes. MOTION: Commissioner Helgeson moved, seconded by Commissioner Melander, to recommend approval of the minutes of the December 19, 2007, meeting. The motion carried 6 -0. Commissioner Schindler abstained. 4. 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE /ACTIONS Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist reminded the Planning Commission that there is an informal session with Rusty Fifield of Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16 Chair Churchill asked for confirmation of the informal session with City Council on Thursday, January 10 at 6:00 p.m. Nordquist confirmed the date and time and stated that the items on the agenda that evening will be the Comprehensive Plan, the Affordable Housing element and residential parking. t S: \planning\PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes \010208m.doc 5. CONSENT ITEM -- NONE -- 6. PUBLIC HEARING -- NONE -- 7. LAND USE /ACTION ITEMS A. East Valley Plaza Coffee Shop Drive -Thru Window — Consideration of conditional use permit to allow for drive -thru window in conjunction with a Class III restaurant (coffee shop) in an "RB" (Retail Business) zoning district. Associate City Planner Kathy Bodmer stated that the petitioner, Clear Choice Properties, is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) for a drive -thru window in conjunction with a Class III restaurant (coffee shop) in a retail business zoning district at East Valley Plaza, 14050 Pilot Knob Road. Clear Choice Properties, LLC, requests a CUP to operate a coffee shop with a drive -thru window on the southwest side of the shopping center building. The zoning code was recently amended to allow a drive -thru window for a Class III restaurant in a retail business zoning district by conditional use permit (CUP) provided certain conditions are met. The site plan shows that the existing 30' wide entrance on the southwest side of the shopping center site will be modified to accommodate the drive -thru lane. The entrance lane is shifted slightly west, creating a 24' wide entrance drive to the shopping center and a 12' wide drive -thru lane. The parking area on the front of the building is reconfigured to channel traffic around in a loop to face south so that the drive -side of the car is adjacent to the building. Once past the building, the drive - thru lane turns east and connects to the rear parking lot of the shopping center where vehicles may exit the site to the north or the south. The Traffic Engineer reviewed the December 13, 2007, revised site plan and stated that the turning radius for the drive -thru lane still needs to be modified to ensure that vehicles can make the complete turn without crossing over the center lane of the drive aisle. The Foxmoore Ridge townhouse development abuts the shopping center property. The nearest home is located 250' from the proposed drive -thru window and is somewhat screened by a 6 -8' drop in elevation. The townhome across 141 Street is approximately 290' from the proposed window. The revised plans show that a 48" high screen wall and landscaping will be installed to block headlights. However, it appears that there is a gap that may allow headlights to shine onto the front of the townhome across 141 Street. Staff recommends that the City require both a wall and 6' Black Hills Spruce trees to screen the headlights. The screening treatment will need to be extended further south to ensure complete blocking of headlights. The petitioner will need to demonstrate that he has addressed this concern. The public hearing for the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) was held on December 19, 2007. The following issues were brought up at the meeting along with responses from City Staff. S:\ planning\PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes \010208m.doc 2 1. Concern about peak traffic at New Horizon Daycare and proposed coffee drive -thru. Staff response: The New Horizon Daycare located at 14088 -141st Street was constructed in 2004. The traffic study done for that project related to a request for locating the drive entrance to the daycare site directly across from the shopping center entrance. This required a variance to allow the driveway to be located closer to 140th Street. A traffic generation and distribution study was not done for the development because the daycare already existed in the East Valley Plaza shopping center. The daycare was simply relocating to a stand -alone building along 140th Street. Tom Sohrweide, the City's Traffic Engineer, stated that vehicles driving from the daycare to the coffee drive -thru were more likely to exit the daycare site and proceed straight across to the shopping center entrance and directly into the drive -thru lane from there. Because the driveway to the daycare and the shopping center are aligned, it would be most convenient to simply drive forward into the shopping center site and into the drive -thru lane from there. He stated that turning left (south) onto 141st Street through the neighborhood, then entering the shopping center from the south, then looping around to enter the drive -thru lane, would be less convenient because entering from the south requires several more turns than simply entering from the north. Commissioner Diekmann said his original question was whether a traffic study had been done on the potential impacts the daycare might have on traffic on 141 Street. Bodmer stated the traffic counts would likely have shown if there was a burden to the surrounding neighborhood. 2. Stop signs should be installed on the site to make traffic circulation safer. Staff response: Mr. Sohrweide stated that the judicious use of stop signs is necessary in order for them to be effective. He stated that stop signs are effective where they are warranted. If stop signs are placed at locations where they are not needed, drivers are not likely to obey them. Adding more stop signs will not increase the likelihood that drivers will stop for them. Mr. Sohrweide said that given the low traffic volumes, stop signs would not likely be needed. He advised that the shopping center may wish to wait and if traffic volumes increase and conflicts become noticeable, the owners may wish to install stop signs at that time. 3. The screening wall fence should be compatible with the building. Staff response: § 155.346 of the City Code requires that materials shall be those "which are found in what is generally accepted as good architectural design and which are found to be compatible with nearby existing buildings." In this case, staff is recommending that a solid 48" high maintenance -free fence that is compatible in color with the building be required along with a dense planting of 6' high Black Hills Spruce. A combination of a screening wall and evergreen trees are currently used to screen the shopping center dumpsters from the adjacent residential properties. Chair Churchill clarified that just the three parking spots marked as "relocated" would be the only ones that would be removed. Bodmer said yes. Commissioner Helgeson said he feels a stop sign should be located where the traffic exits the drive - thru onto 140 Street. Residents in this area have said there are no sidewalks and people are forced to S: \planning \PLANCOMM\2008 agenda & minutes \010208m.doc 3 walk in the street. Stop signs might help to reduce the possibility of accidents, as well as give police the ability to enforce the stop sign. Bodmer stated that it may be state law that a person must stop when exiting a private parking lot onto a public street. Commissioner Helgeson replied that the City could remind people with a stop sign. Commissioner Schindler agreed with the location of the stop sign. He also wondered if the screening wall would impede the ability of the person coming out of the drive -thru to see on- coming traffic on 141s He asked if the screening was going to be just vegetation. Bodmer replied that it would be a combination of wall and vegetation. The fmal configuration of the screening may depend on the available space for the installation of the screening. Commissioner Schindler said he is not excited about this project. He was concerned about the road being narrowed between the building and traffic circulation in the parking lot. He went on to say it helped when the Walgreen's was constructed because the parking lot better defined, but that adding a drive -thru to an existing building will create more conflict. He also said he does not believe the drive - thru is the best use for the shopping center. Dean Madson, 4930 -142 Path, architect for the petitioner, commented on the drive -thru road dimensions and curb cut. The proposal narrows the existing curb cut from 30' to 24'. The standard road width is 24', which is also the same dimension as a standard parking aisle. He said the access to Walgreen's behind an island within the parking lot is less than 24'. Commissioner Blundetto stated that he is comfortable with this proposal and he will be supporting this. Commissioner Helgeson asked for clarification on whether the wall to block headlights is part of this proposal. Bodmer stated that it is not in the plans and that one of the conditions of approval would require the Natural Resources Coordinator to review and approve the screening. Additionally, the petitioner must demonstrate that the lights are fully blocked. Commissioner Diekmann asked if staff and the traffic engineer are comfortable with the possibility of cut -thru traffic driving through the retail center to head southbound on Pilot Knob Road. Bodmer replied said staff feels that the primary movement will be to the north so southbound traffic should be less of a concern. City Attorney Sharon Hills commented on the enforcement of stop signs on private property. She said a stop sign in a private parking lot is not enforceable by state law. The police will not be able to enforce any violations. S: \planning\PLANCOMM \2008 agenda & minutes \010208m.doc 4 Commissioner Helgeson said he will make the stop sign part of the motion. He also thinks that there should be a "wrong way /do not enter" sign for anyone trying to enter the shopping center through the drive -thru lane exit. Chair Churchill asked for a motion. MOTION: Commissioner Helgeson moved, seconded by Commissioner Blundetto, to approve a conditional use permit for a drive -thru window in conjunction with a Class III restaurant (coffee shop) at East Valley Plaza, 14050 Pilot Knob Road, as shown on the plans received in City Offices on December 13, 2007, and in compliance with all City Ordinances and construction standards with the following conditions: 1. The plans shall be modified to address the concerns raised by the City Traffic Engineer in his December 14, 2007, memo. 2. A combination of 6' high Black Hills Spruce trees and a 48" high maintenance -free fence shall be installed south of the drive -thru lane and east of the rear parking lot so that headlights are completely blocked from shining onto adjacent residential properties. The spruce trees shall be planted in a staggered layout 10 -12' apart. The final Landscape plan shall demonstrate that there will be no headlight trespass. The final landscape plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Natural Resources Coordinator. 3. A pedestrian connection shall be installed from the sidewalk in front of the shopping center to the west to the trail along Pilot Knob Road. 4. The three parking spaces shown inside the triangular shaped island northwest of the stacking lane for the drive -thru lane shall not be installed, but shall be landscaped. 5. A stop sign shall be installed at the southeast entrance to the shopping center as it exits onto 141 Street. 6. A "Do Not Enter /Wrong Way" sign shall be installed on the drive -thru exit lane where it intersects with the shopping center's east parking lot. The motion carried 7 -0. 8. OTHER BUSINESS Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist requested that the Chair make a motion for the schedule as presented in the agenda. MOTION: Commissioner Burke moved, seconded by Commissioner Schindler for approval of the upcoming Planning Commission schedule. The motion carried 7 -0. 9. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Commissioner Melander moved, seconded by Commissioner Helgeson, to adjourn the meeting at 7:31 p.m. The motion carried 7 -0. S: \planning\PLANCOMM\ 2008 agenda & minutes \010208m.doc 5