Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-04-12 Planning MINASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m by Chairperson Barbara Jarvis. Other Commissioners present were Hibbert, Bingham, Armitage, Cloer, Medinger, Thompson, Powell, and Carr. Staff present were McLaughlin, Molnar, Knox, and Yates. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS Hibbert moved and Armitage seconded approval of the Minutes and Findings of the March 8, 1994 meeting. PUBLIC FORUM McLaughlin introduced Kelly Madding, Associate Planner/Affordable Housing Officer for the Department of Community Development. TYPE II PLANNING ACTIONS PLANNING ACTION 94-032 REQUEST FOR A MINOR LAND PARTITION TO DIVIDE A PARCEL INTO THREE LOTS LOCATED AT 1632 ROSS LANE. TWO OF THE PARCELS WILL BE ACCESSED FROM PEACHEY ROAD. A 1.5 FOOT (APPROXIMATELY) LOT WIDTH VARIANCE IS ALSO BEING REQUESTED TO ALLOW A LOT WITH A WIDTH LESS THAN 75 FEET. APPLICANT: RICHARD LUCAS Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts All Commissioners, except Thompson, had a site visit. STAFF REPORT Molnar entered into the record the letter from John and Gloria Tredway requesting a 30 day postponement of the hearing. He noted that the information was available to them 20 days before the first hearing. Jarvis asked the applicant if he was willing to agree to a postponement. RICHARD LUCAS did not wish to postpone the hearing. Hibbert moved to proceed with the hearing. Carr seconded the motion and it passed. Medinger abstained. Molnar continued with the Staff Report. The criteria for a Minor Land Partition was sent out with the notice. Molnar explained the history of lot splits in this area. The neighbor's main concerns during previous hearings was with increased traffic along Harmony and Ross Lanes. This application will have access to Peachey Road, not Ross Lane. Staff has recommended approval with the attached four Conditions. PUBLIC HEARING RICHARD LUCAS, 1632 Ross Lane, repeated several points he had made in his application. He said his neighbor was granted a Variance just like the request he is making. He feels the lots he is creating have been designed taking into consideration trees, utilities, light, etc. Hibbert believes he addressed the Tredway's concern about access to Lot 1. Medinger does not believe this is the proper way to do land use planning by developing parcel by parcel. The argument can be made there is a driveway going from Peachey and Ross Lane. His concern is that by leaving a 21,780 sq. ft. parcel, that it makes it possible that parcel could be divided also. Lucas said it could be but they would have to move the house. Medinger wondered if Lucas would agree to moving the middle boundary line so the lot would be less than 21,000 sq. ft. and making it undividable. Lucas said he would not agree to that and even though he himself does not intend to split the lot, he wants to maintain the right. Medinger would like to have looked at the area as a whole, but Jarvis pointed out that in order to subdivide a larger piece, someone would have to acquire several lots. Thompson thought part of the problem might have been when the property was annexed, there should have been a transportation (street, pedestrian) plan to which the property owners had to agree. McLaughlin disagreed with Medinger and stated that given this area between Ross Lane and Peachey Road with existing streets and the depths of the lots, the way the parcels are being developed is appropriate. The subdivision process is used when a new street is developed and a whole new grid pattern or a street transportation network would be designed within a neighborhood. The existing streets have more or less mandated the development of this area. The transportation issues are what should have been addressed. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 Lucas wanted to apologize in advance for any construction noise that might occur during construction. Staff Response Molnar added that if the Commission decides to approve this application, Staff recommends adding a Condition that a conservation easement be provided along the riparian area along the west property line within 20 feet of the creek channel. Lucas agreed. COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION AND MOTION Medinger expressed his objections to development by Minor Land Partition. Could there be a driveway design that would be better than what the applicant is showing? Medinger discussed the possibility of a pedestrian path from Peachey Road to Ross Lane. Thompson wondered about a pedestrian path running along the property line from Peachey Road to Ross Lane (the east side of Lot 600). RE-OPEN PUBLIC HEARING Thompson asked the applicant if the neighbor was happy with the position of the garage? Lucas said he has discussed this with his neighbor but nothing has been decided. Armitage moved to approve Planning Action 94-032 with the attached five Conditions (includes the conservation easement). Hibbert seconded the motion. There was further discussion about a pedestrian path. Medinger thought there should be an easement for a path when these properties are developed, giving a way from Peachey to Ross. If the garage was never removed, there could still be a path easement from the middle of the parcel to Peachey Road, with a new path easement attached to Lot 500 that reaches to the middle. It would be halfway between the Catholic Church and Walker. Some of the Commissioners favored that idea. Armitage did not wish to amend his motion. The motion carried with Bingham, Armitage, Hibbert, Jarvis, and CIoer voted "yes" and Carr, Medinger, Thompson, and Powell voting "no". ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 PLANNING ACTION 94-057 REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND SITE REVIEW FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF MOUNTAIN AVENUE NEAR HERSEY STREET. APPLICANT: CITY OF ASHLAND Site Visits or Ex Parte Contacts All Commissioners had a site visit. STAFF REPORT The City has been involved for the past couple of years looking for an electrical substation site. Through a lengthy process, the property on Mountain has been selected. The City also purchased the area surrounding it for a 28 acre park. A Minor Land Partition and Boundary Line Adjustment were approved in December that created the two acre parcel that is the substation site property. Staff displayed maps showing the substation location, landscaping around the substation, and the park area. Staff believes the impact for the substation would be less than a 9-lot subdivision as outlined in the Staff Report. There will be a heavy landscaping buffer around the fenced perimeter of the substation. The substation height will be approximately 17 feet. Staff has recommended approval of this application. Carr wondered about night lighting. BOB LAFFEL, Bonneville Power Administration, District Manager, 86000 Franklin Blvd., Eugene, OR 97405, said they can be flexible with what they do about night lighting. However, if they have to do maintenance on the substation at night, they would have to have the lights on. He will comply with whatever conditions are necessary. There are certain lights that remain on at night. Bingham said that since BPA is exempt from our land use process, even if the Planning Commission decided to say "no" to this application, they could go ahead anyway. McLaughlin said BPA has chosen to work cooperatively with the City and surrounding property owners. Bingham wondered about the buzz that is normally heard at substations. Laffel said a substation does make a low hum, however, they will comply with any noise laws. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 4 Medinger asked where the feed lines run. AL WILLIAMS, Director of the Electric Department, said one line will run down Hersey and two will run up Mountain Avenue in order to keep fewer lines running up Mountain. Sixty foot poles will be installed to keep everything away from homes as much as possible. The lines will be configured the best way they possibly can. The lines will go underground from the substation to Mountain Avenue. PUBLIC HEARING MARIE MOREHEAD 310 N. Mountain Avenue, submitted photographs from 1966 showing the area near the substation under water. She wondered if someone could explain how the substation will be kept out of the water. McLaughlin said the flood plain area does not come up as far as the substation. Laffel said an environmental analysis was done on this property and the land does not lie within the 100 year flood plain. If land is in the flood plain, the land would elevate the station to mitigate the problem. If the substation gets wet, it goes out. McLaughlin read a letter into the record from Jill Murphey, 492 Lynn Street objecting to the approval of this application. He also noted a letter from Mark Murphey and a letter from Robert Williamson that were written at the time of the Minor Land Partition. AL WILLIAMS, stated that the EMF (Electromagnetic Field) will be lower because the power lines will be on higher poles and because of the line configuration. In the park, there will be a buffer zone to protect the park. Powell asked what happens to the EMF when the wires are buried underground and why are these not underground. Williams responded that lines running underground are not as reliable, they don't last as long, and it is expensive to place them underground. Also, the EMF is higher when three feet deep because a person would be closer to the wires. Armitage wondered if a vegetation buffer had been proven to reduce the EMF. Williams said the park play area would be further away and the substation will not be putting out that much of an EMF. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 MIDGE THIEROLF, said the park being planned is an active park. There will be a large planting to buffer the site, not the EMF. They have tried to remove the play areas as far away as possible from the substation. The parking area will be about 100 feet away from the fencing around the substation. Thierolf assured the Commission that Brian Almquist, City Administrator, is willing to put a fair amount of money into planting larger trees. There was discussion about planting trees along the edge of the road along Mountain Avenue, in the area that comes down the hill, to help with screening because the substation could be seen from the top of the hill. Thierolf said AImquist has been supportive of this type of screening. Laffel said there would be an eight foot high chain link fence with wood slats to obscure the view of the substation. MOREHEAD, questioned if BPA owns the land, is the City doing the landscaping and would they be responsible for maintenance of substation. Laffel said a contractual agreement will be made where the City will provide the landscaping and maintenance of the area. COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION AND MOTION Cloer thought it would be a good idea to add a Condition stating: that additional landscape screening and trees be provided along Mountain Avenue south of the substation site on park property. The purpose is to provide additional screening from the higher elevation area of Mountain Avenue. The additional landscaping will be irrigated. Carr moved to approve Planning Action 94-057 with the addition of Condition 4 as stated in the last paragraph under the Public Hearing. Hibbert seconded the motion and it carried with Thompson abstaining. OTHER Planning Commission Rules The rules will be for all new Commissioners and will handed out when they are appointed. Two weeks notice has to be provided prior to adoption of the rules. could be scheduled for the next meeting. This Election of Officers are in May now. The rules have been changed so elections would be held in January in order to give new Commissioners an opportunity to get to know ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 the people and the process before voting on a Chairperson, etc. Under item 8, "Deadline for Consideration of Agenda Items", McLaughlin will reword this to fit our ordinance. The footnote "Terms of Office" will become #13. It was suggested that when the Commission has a new member, it would be important to take 15 minutes at the first Study Session to talk to the new member about rules and procedures. There was consensus on the above items. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES APRIL 12, 1994 7