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Home My WebLink About2014-07-08 Planning MIN ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES July 8, 2014 CALL TO ORDER Chair Richard Kaplan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street. Commissioners Present: Staff Present: Troy J. Brown, Jr. Bill Molnar, Community Development Director Michael Dawkins Maria Harris, Planning Manager Richard Kaplan April Lucas, Administrative Supervisor Debbie Miller Melanie Mindlin Tracy Peddicord Lynn Thompson Absent Members: Council Liaison: None Mike Morris, absent ANNOUCEMENTS Community Development Director Bill Molnar stated the City Council’s goal setting session is scheduled for this weekend. He also announced the Council passed second reading of the medical marijuana dispensary ordinance and voted 3-1 to have staff prepare an ordinance on short term home rentals and take it to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. AD-HOC COMMITTEE UPDATES Downtown Parking Management and Circulation Ad Hoc Advisory Committee: Commissioner Kaplan stated at the July meeting the committee reviewed the consultant’s draft report and the key take-a-ways were that parking is at capacity most of the time, although it is not uniform with some areas under capacity and others at or above; and that employee parking is not as severe as originally thought, with many workers parking in residential areas. Kaplan stated there are six policy options the group will be discussing, including: better signage, incentive programs for employee parking, regulations, satellite lots and trolleys, and pricing/paid parking. SDC Review Committee: Commissioner Brown announced the group has finished their work on water sdc’s and sewer and transportation are still pending. Their next meeting is scheduled for August 4, 2014. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approval of Minutes. 1. June 10, 2014 Regular Meeting. Commissioners Brown/Miller m/s to approve the Consent Agenda. Voice Vote: all AYES. Motion passed. \[Commissioner Thompson abstained\] PUBLIC FORUM No one came forward to speak. Ashland Planning Commission July 8, 2014 Page 1 of 3 UNFINISHED BUSINESS A.Approval of Findings for PA-2014-00307, 777 Oak Street. Commissioner Thompson questioned if the Findings should better address the code requirement in 18.62.070.E, which states to the maximum extent feasible structures will be placed outside floodplain corridor lands. Commissioner Peddicord noted the tree protection zone factored heavily into why the applicants could not move the home further away. Commissioner Mindlin felt this was addressed appropriately in the findings and stated the Commission’s other rational was that putting the home further from the floodplain could cause water to back up. Thompson commented that by omitting this code section someone could argue that the Commission was not aware of this requirement. Mr. Molnar suggested adding “with respect to the standard in 18.62.070.E” to the end of the first sentence in Section 2.2 of the Findings document and the group voiced their support for this amendment. Commissioners Dawkins/Peddicord m/s to approve the Findings for PA-2014-00307 as amended. Voice Vote: all AYES. Motion passed unanimously. B.Approval of Findings for PA-2014-00734, 1163 Iowa Street. Commissioners Mindlin/Dawkins m/s to approve the Findings for PA-2014-00734. Voice Vote: all AYES. Motion passed unanimously. C.Approval of Findings for PA-2014-00737, Oak Street Right-of-Way. Commissioners Miller/Mindlin m/s to approved the Findings for PA-2014-00737. Voice Vote: all AYES. Motion passed unanimously. DISCUSSION ITEMS A.Pre-Adoption Review of the Unified Land Use Code. Planning Manager Maria Harris handed out Section 18-4 and provided a matrix with the latest recommended language changes. She clarified this is the adoption ready draft and all the comment boxes, strike-outs and highlights have been removed. She noted the Commission last reviewed this document in March and since that point staff has revised the document to ensure consistent use of terms, consistent formatting, added and verified cross references, and added new graphics and tables. Ms. Harris provided a short review of the changes made to the Unified Land Use Code since the last draft:  Nonconforming Developments: Added the text “except for non-residential nonconforming development subject to Site Design Review.” Ms. Harris clarified this is an existing standard.  Vision Clearance Area Requirements: Added the text “Street lights, posts or poles supporting streets signs, traffic control signs or devices, utility poles, on-street parking, and street trees exceeding 2.5 feet may be located in vision clearance areas, unless the cumulative impact of the placement results in an obstruction to vision.” Ms. Harris clarified this language was taken from the state model code.  Porous Pavement Exemption from Lot Coverage for Residential Zones: Ms. Harris stated the focus group brought up this issue and the Planning Commission recommended staff make this change.  Density Calculation for Multi-Family Residential Zones: Ms. Harris stated staff recommends striking the fractional portion language, which makes this requirement clearer and less confusing.  Building Height Exemption in Commercial and Employment Zones: New language has been added which states “Parapets may be erected up to 3 ft. above the maximum building height.” Ms. Harris clarified this was recommended by the focus group and noted this is not entirely new language and similar language already applies to the Croman Mill District.  Allowed Uses in Croman Mill District: Language from the state model code was included in this section to provide consistency with the other districts addressed in 18-2.2.030.  Development in Pedestrian Place Overlay in Residential Zone: “Mixed-Use Buildings” was added to clarify that if a property develops in solely residential uses, the building and intensity should reflect the base residential zone requirements. Ashland Planning Commission July 8, 2014 Page 2 of 3  Single Family Dwelling Parking Requirements: The language “Except for single family dwellings” was added to clarify current requirements.  Private Drive Requirements: The language “that serves three or less lots” was added to clarify that residential units can be located on flag lots.  Ashland Street Corridor Standards: Ms. Harris clarified the street tree area and sidewalk widths listed in the code were updated to ensure consistency with the existing street design standards for a boulevard.  Preliminary Grading and Drainage Plan: Ms. Harris clarified the language regarding temporary and permanent erosion control measures was moved to grading plan requirements, rather than the landscape plan requirements as recommended by the focus group.  Preliminary Partition Plat Criteria – Exterior Unimproved Streets and Accessways and Enforcement Fee for Tree Removal Violation: These sections were deleted because they are repetitive and are already addressed in the code requirements.  District, Zone, and Land Use Ordinance Definitions: Definitions for these three terms have been added to the code. Ms. Harris commented on the upcoming public hearing on July 22 and clarified the Commission will receive a matrix that lists all of the substantive changes, a staff report, and any written comments that are submitted. She noted staff will be sending out postcards to approximately 300 people and the newest materials have been posted to the project page on the city’s website (www.ashland.or.us/unifiedcode). Commissioner Mindlin noted a correction to page 2-21, 4.b; the third line down should read “waive the requirement to dedicate and construct a public street…”. She also questioned if the wording in 4.h would prohibit garden fences. Ms. Harris stated she would check into this and offered to include a cross reference to the deer fencing section. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Submitted by, April Lucas Administrative Supervisor Ashland Planning Commission July 8, 2014 Page 3 of 3