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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-08-13 Hearings Board MINASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 13, 1996 CALLTO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Peter Finkle at 1:35 p.m. Other Commissioners present were Howe and Giordano. Staff present were Molnar, Madding and Yates. TYPE II PUBLIC HEARINGS PLANNING ACTION 96-096 REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONVERT A PORTION OF AN EXISTING RESIDENCE FOR USE BY THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 543 N. MOUNTAIN AVENUE APPLICANT: MARJORIE & OGDEN KELLOGG Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts Site visits were made by all. STAFF REPORT Madding reported that the uses surrounding the site are indicated on an area map that is included in the record. Most of the uses relate to SOSC. The area to the south is primarily residential. The applicant wishes to enclose the carport which will leave an area for about 50 seats in the upstairs. The remainder of the upstairs will remain the same. The downstairs rooms will remain the same but be more of a church use. There will be a caretaker on site so the residential character will be retained. Meeting times are Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until noon. During the week there are about two to three meetings with fewer members in attendance. With 50 seats, 12 parking spaces are required. The applicant has worked with SOSC and they have agreed to allow the church to park in their lot. The target use of the zone is one residential unit. The surrounding uses are heavily Impacted by parking and traffic for SOSC. Staff feels the parking impact by people attending meetings during the week will be minimal. The most intense use will be on Sunday which is the day SOSC is least impacted. Staff is requesting that the applicant ask their parishioners to park in the SOSC parking lot on Sunday. There is no sidewalk on the street. The applicant will be required to install a sidewalk since transportation is required to and through the development. Staff has recommended approval of this application with the three attached Conditions. Giordano wondered if the City should require a formal agreement asking for use of the parking from SOSC. Molnar said it could be added as a Condition. This is a Conditional Use Permit and if the college ever rescinded their parking agreement, that would invalidate the CUP or other arrangements would need to be made for parking. PUBLIC HEARING MARJORIE KELLOGG, 2180 Sardine Creek Road, Gold Hill, OR and VINCE OREDSEN, 640 Pracht Street, Ashland, OR were available for questions. Kellogg said parking is available at the Neuman Center even for non-students. At present, their group does not meet in the evening. They are looking into the future for maximum needs. Giordano wondered if it would be difficult to get a formal agreement with SOSC regarding the parking. Kellogg assumed it was on file and a binding agreement. Oredsen noted that the SOSC parking lot is totally vacant on Sunday morning. BEATRICE NEWBY, 149 Almeda, agreed with the statements that have been made. COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION AND MOTION Howe said as far as impacts the church is already meeting close by and a half block is not going to have that much impact. Even if there was an agreement for ten to 15 years, it would be highly unlikely to get an agreement in perpetuity. Is it a valuable project without the SOSC parking? Finkle lives in the neighborhood and during the week, the lots and streets are filled with college students cars. There are very few cars on Sunday and even without the parking lot, it would be less impact on the neighborhood. Giordano will go along with an approval but he believes the parking agreement is too loose and a cause for concern. Molnar suggested wording for a Condition: That the applicant provide some additional information prior to occupancy of the use of how the formal arrangements for parking and permitting of vehicles on SOSC property will occur. RE-OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING KELLOGG said when she talked with SOSC they said the letter was all they needed as no one patrolled the parking lot on Sunday anyway. COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION AND MOTION Howe suggested Staff approve any additional agreement between SOSC and Friends Society to address the use of the parking lot. Giordano moved to approve PA96-096 with the added condition. Howe seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. PLANNING ACTION 96-100 REQUEST FOR A MINOR LAND PARTITION TO DIVIDE A PARCEL INTO TWO LOTS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE ALLEY BETWEEN MORTON AND HARRISON STREETS. A VARIANCE IS ALSO REQUESTED TO CREATE A NEW LOT WITHOUT FRONTAGE ON A PUBLIC STREET (OTHER THAN AN ALLEY). APPLICANT: ERIK WALLBANK Site Visits or Ex parte Contacts Site visits were made by all. STAFF REPORT This parcel is located on an alley between Morton and Harrison Streets. It is currently a vacant, land- locked lot with public street frontage. The zoning is R-2 but the neighborhood surrounding the parcel ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 13, lgg6 appears to be single family residential. The alley is the property's only access. The right-of-way is 16 feet, however, the driveable portion of the alley in some places is only 12 feet. There is a lot of vegetation growing into the alley. The base density of the whole lot is five units. In dividing the way the applicant is asking, pamel I could hold two lots and parcel 2 could hold three. The overall density will not necessarily reduce the density. A variance is required since the lot does not have public street frontage. There are unique and unusual circumstances that apply to this site because of alley access. The parcel was created many years ago, therefore, the conditions of this property have not been willfully and purposefully self-imposed. Staff believes that by dividing this lot, the outcome may not be that much different than by developing the entire lot. By having two lots, it will create the opportunity possibly for two single family homes. The applicant has agreed that if a house is built on the lot, he will go to the Historic Commission for approval as well as approval from the Staff Advisor. The Fire Department is requiring the alley be improved to its full width. Additionally, the applicant maintain the alley in a driveable form during construction of the service lines and at the end of construction, grade the alley in addition to signing in favor of alley improvements at a future date. Molnar explained that partitioning does not require paving but if further development takes place (more than one single family residence on each lot) then the alley would require paving. Add a sixth Condition that the applicant sign in favor of paving the alley. PUBLIC HEARING ERIK WALLBANK, 2025 Tolman Creek Road, said he has no plans to build more than two single family residences on these two lots. He checked with the neighbors who accessed the alley and along the approximately 800 lineal feet of the alley, five neighbors did not want the alley paved, one wanted it paved, and one neighbor was indifferent. By dividing the lot in this manner, the lot sizes will be similar to the lots in the area. Wallbank agreed to have a hydrant installed at the comer of the alley and Morton. He has made provisions for other services. Giordano wondered what the address would be (Morton or Harrison Street or something else). TOM FRANTZ, 237 Fourth St., said his mother-in-law's home adjoins this lot and they have looked at this area as a meadow. He is happy about Erik's development because he has been concerned about maximum density. It is nice to have historic quality override the infill. CARMEN FERGUSON, 670 Siskiyou Blvd., stated she favored the proposal with a reservation. She said the alley is very poorly maintained. All of the alleys from Harrison to the library with the exception of a quarter of a block is paved. She feels that the alley portions that are currently paved are better maintained with less trash, less dog droppings; people seem to respect the paved portions more. It is a congested area because everyone parks on the alley and it can be muddy. CAROLE HOWSER, 192 Harrison, said she prefers an unpaved alley with open greenery, not hot asphalt. No paving should encourage slower driving. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 13, Rebuttal WALLBANK talked to all the neighbors and heard comments from people who have lived them a long time say they did not want the alley paved. They have watched the town change so much that it is a little bit of nature left between the streets. Most thought cars would drive faster if the alley were paved and more people would use it to get from one place to another. Molnar said a Condition could be added to resurface with gravel and grade to the full physical width. Wallbank thought it was important not to end up with a spongy gravel alley that is different than all the other alleys. He would like to work with Staff to see how much gravel is necessary. Molnar thought after a ditch is run, the alley might need to be patched with something matching the granite already in the alley. COMMISSlONER,~ DISCUSSION AND MOTION Giordano moved to approve PA96-100 and add to Condition 5 that the alley be graded and resurfaced. Add Condition 6 to sign in favor of future alley improvements. Howe seconded the motion and it carried. TYPE I PLANNING ACTIONS PLANNING ACTION 96-059 REQUEST FOR A MINOR LAND PARTITION TO DIVIDE THE PROPERTY INTO TWO LOTS WITH THE REAR PARCEL BEING A FLAG LOT. AN APPROXIMATELY 26 FOOT WIDE DRIVEWAY EASEMENT PRESENTLY EXISTS FROM CLAY STREET. 702 CLAY STREET APPLICANT: DOUG NEUMAN This application was approved. PLANNING ACTION 96-093 REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS FROM SiX TO SEVEN WHICH INCLUDES THE OWNER'S UNIT. 451 NORTH MAIN STREET. APPLICANT: WAYNE E. AND ELISABETH M. JONAS This application was withdrawn. PLANNING ACTION 96-097 REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO OPERATE A THREE UNIT (INCLUDES OWNER'S UNIT) TRAVELLER'S ACCOMMODATION LOCATED AT 467 SCENIC DRIVE. APPLICANT: CYNTHIA WRIGHT AND PETE JAEGER This application was approved. ASHLAND PLANNING C~MMI~ION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 13, 1996 PLANNING ACTION 96-098 REQUEST FOR A SITE REVIEW TO CONSTRUCT A TWO STORY BUILDING, INCLUDING 1784 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND TWO RESIDENTIAL UNITS (500 SQ. FT. EACH) ON THE SECOND FLOOR. 190 OAK STREET. APPLICANT: DOYLE BRIGHTENBURG This application was approved. PLANNING ACTION 96-102 REQUEST FOR FINAL PLAN APPROVAL, UNDER THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OPTION, FOR PHASES II AND III OF THE SKYCREST HILLS SUBDIVISION. INCLUDES A MINOR AMENDMENT INVOLVING THE SHIFTING OF SOME INTERNAL LOT LINES AND BUILDING ENVELOPES. 200 SKYCREST DRIVE APPLICANT: CHARLES WILEY This application was approved. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Howe moved to approve the July 9, 1996 meeting. Finkle seconded and the Minutes were approved. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES AUGUST 13, 1996