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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-07-10 Planning MIN ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 10, 2001 CALL TO ORDER Chair Mike Gardiner called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Other Commissioners present were Kerry KenCairn, Russ Chapman, John Fields, Chris Hearn, Alex Amarotico, Mike Morris, and Marilyn Briggs. Ray Kistler was absent. Staff present were John McLaughlin, Bill Molnar, Maria Harris and Sue Yates. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS Chapman moved to approve the Minutes of the June 12, 2001 Regular Planning Commission meeting. Fields seconded and the Minutes approved. Chapman moved to approve the Findings for Planning Action 2001-053, the motion was seconded and the Findings were approved. PUBLIC FORUM - No one came forth to speak. TYPE II PUBLIC HEARING PLANNNIG ACTION 2001-058 REQUEST FOR SITE REVIEW APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN APPROXIMATELY 17,300 SQUARE FOOT, TWO- STORY ADDITION TO THE EXISTING ASHLAND FAMILY YMCA 540 YMCA WAY APPLICANT: ASHLAND FAMILY YMCA Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts - KenCairn had a site visit and did volunteer design work for the project. She has not had financial involvement in the project. She stated she could review the criteria in an objective manner. Hearn, Fields and Chapman also had a site visits and made volunteer efforts for the project. They can review the criteria and application in an objective manner in making a land use decision. The remaining Commissioners had site visits. STAFF REPORT McLaughlin reported the Site Review criteria (18.72) were mailed with the notice to property effected property owners in the surrounding area. January of 1989 was the first approval on this project. This is Phase 4 of a master plan facility and will provide additional space for Y programs. It gives the building a footprint just under 44,000 square feet. This is in the Detailed Site Review Zone and effected by the “big box” ordinance. The Council has interpreted in their approval of the Shakespeare plans, that the 45,000 square feet noted in the ordinance applies to the footprint. Next month an ordinance amendment will be coming forward to clarify that issue. Therefore, this application is in compliance with the “big box” ordinance. Staff believes this project complies with the standards. There is a parking analysis provided by the applicant. There are 195 spaces available for Y use. This is a combination of the Y lot and the adjoining parking lot for the soccer fields. There is adequate parking to meet needs. The parking analysis indicates that even on peak days, at least 15 percent of the parking spaces available are vacant. McLaughlin stated there are adequate public facilities and it is appropriate to continue with this project. Staff believes the frontage of the building along Tolman Creek Road needs some relief through the use of vertical landscaping features (Condition 6) to give that wall some relief. They would also like to increase the sidewalk width and include a five foot strip of landscaping between the building and the sidewalk. This might require modification of Conditions 6 and 7. Overall, Staff believes this application is appropriate and is recommending approval with the attached Conditions. Briggs asked which plans were the correct plans. The plans on the wall are different than the plans in her packet. McLaughlin recommended Briggs ask the applicant. PUBLIC HEARING KEN OGDEN, YMCA Board Member and Project Architect, 2950 E. Barnett Road, Medford, OR, introduced MICHAEL DONOVAN, 110 Westwood Street. Ogden said the renderings and the model were done some time ago and are here tonight just to represent a conceptual massing. The packet contains what is being requested in terms of the overall definitive aesthetics. Ogden explained that they are trying to bring the front of the building down to a more human scale. The expansion will achieve an increased lobby and administration control point on the upper level and expansion of the fitness area and some isolated areas for some private fitness activities. On the lower level they are accommodating some multi-purpose rooms and conference room space. The purpose is not to increase membership but to help facilitate the programs and membership they already have. Since adding the natatorium, the membership has more than doubled. They were not expecting the overcrowded situation this soon. They are incorporating materials that replicate of the natatorium expansion. They have allowed for various articulations of form and breaking up of forms with some space in between the building areas. The intent of this design is to help mitigate just having one largebuilding. He has tried to design it in such a way to bring it back down to human scale. There is a color definition introduced to help break up the vertical planes. Ogden said with reference to the landscape requirements along Tolman Creek Road, he would like to introduce some tree wells rather than have a narrow sidewalk and then a narrow planting strip. If they work with a wider sidewalk and tree wells, this might allow an opportunity to introduce seating areas and enhance the public space and still get the relief of the landscape forms along the vertical surface. KenCairn liked the idea of larger tree wells and not the narrow planting strip. Briggs asked if the horizontal window configuration was a slider. Ogden said they are fixed windows. If they are not fixed, it can wreak havoc with the mechanical system. Briggs said it looks very residential on the drawings in the packet, but the color renderings on the wall look more like the windows belong in a commercial zone. Why did they leave the concept? Ogden said it was due to a tight budget. McLaughlin suggested re-wording the first sentence of Condition 6. That a ten foot wide sidewalk with four square foot tree wells be located on the east wall of the addition and that change be indicated on the revised site plan before issuance of a building permit. The second sentence of Condition 7 would read: The plan shall incorporate appropriate trees in the tree wells within the sidewalk on the east side of the building, intended to break up the east wall building mass. KenCairn asked if there is still an adequate sidewalk if the wells are five feet instead of four. Ogden thought that would work. McLaughlin changed the tree well size to “five square feet”. Fields wondered about the use of tree grates and noted for the scale of the building there is no real plaza. McLaughlin said they tried to improve what is there and use this as an opportunity for transit amenities and better outdoor spaces with larger tree wells and a wider sidewalk. McLaughlin does not visualize this area as a place for “hanging out”. Tree grates would be functional because of the number of people walking this area. The grates make a better walking surface. Fields asked about an outdoor employee break area. Ogden said there is an adjacent neighborhood park that has covered eating areas, concessions and restrooms available for employees. They looked at the remaining site available and there are some areas between the lower Y parking lot and the city park parking lot but felt it would be better to leave these areas landscaped. There is a small playground area by the main entrance but it is not really a public space. Ogden said they have introduced a pedestrian path from the sidewalk to the building facility. This area has the potential for seating areas that could be more isolated for the few employees that would be taking a break and would be more immediate to the front doors. McLaughlin added to Condition 6: That there be an approximately ten foot wide sidewalk with five foot tree wells with grates. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 2 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 10, 2001 COMMISSIONERS’ DISCUSSION AND MOTION Hearn moved to approve PA2001-058 with the attached Conditions and modified Conditions 6 and 7. KenCairn seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. PLANNING ACTION 2001-046 REQUEST FOR SITE REVIEW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN APPROXIMATELY 4,482 SQUARE FOOT ADDITION TO THE ASHLAND COMMUNITY FOOD STORE. 237 NORTH FIRST STREET APPLICANT: ASHLAND COMMUNITY FOOD STORE Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts - Fields stepped down because he has a conflict of interest and was involved in the design of the project. KenCairn has a conflict of interest as the project landscape architect and also stepped down. Both Fields and KenCairn left the meeting. The remaining Commissioners made site visits. STAFF REPORT Harris reported this planning action has been properly noticed with the criteria from Chapter 18.72, Site Review. The existing building is approximately 13,000 square feet. There are two parking lots that serve the structure, one with 30 spaces and one with 12 spaces. There are also 12 diagonal spaces in the First Street right-of-way. The Community Food Store gave First Street some right-of-way to build those spaces and accommodate the sidewalk. The site is in the Detailed Site Review Zone and the Historic District. The proposal is to add an L-shaped addition on the south and west side of the building. It is equally divided retail and storage space. The applicants have strengthened the orientation of the building to the street. A door has been added that can be seen from First Street. There is a large pedestrian canopy extending over part of the building. There is also a plaza area with a series of pedestrian walkways from the public right-of-way. The Historic Commission’s comments ask that the northwest wall be broken up with an offset of 18 inches. The applicants will address this issue. The parking meets the parking requirements. With the spaces on First Street , there are more spaces than required by City standards. There are public facilities in place to serve the project. It is well connected. The main issue is the trees on the property. There are 33-34 trees and the proposal is to relocate seven of those trees and remove four or five. There has not been enough justification to show the four to five trees should be removed. The Tree Commission has raised the possibility of taking some of the trees slated for removal and looking at placing them along a planting strip on the southern edge of the property. There is a striped off parking space where people are not parking that might be a good place to put in a planter with a tree. The Tree Commission has recommended they relocate all the trees that are to be removed on-site. Harris noted that four Conditions have been added. Pedestrian scale lighting be added along the A Street frontage to match the pedestrian scale lighting on the rest of the street. There is a small portion of the property next to the driveway on A Street that needs curbing and potentially a sidewalk. A screened area shall be provided for trash and recycling. There are shopping cart stoppers along A Street making the pedestrian right-of-way somewhat constrained. A Condition has been added to remove those and asking the applicant look for a new way to incorporate them. Staff believes this proposal meets the criteria for approval and has added ten Conditions. PUBLIC HEARING DOYLE BRIGHTENBURG, Project Designer, 545 A Street, Suite 3, ERIK WALLBANK, Project Manager, 162 Harrison, and CARLOS DELGADO, Project Designer, 555 A Street, Suite 2. Brightenburg said the Ashland Community Food Store wishes to add 2,094 for storage and 2,239 retail. They sought, through the design of the entry, to provide a much better relationship to First Street and to the parking lot directly to the south. The higher roof structure symbolizes a more prominent position, providing better lighting. The overhang will protect patrons and the eating area. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 3 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 10, 2001 Wallbank explained the shopping cart stoppers. They estimated a runaway cart can move up to 20 miles per hour before getting to the hardware store. ACFS considered it a liability issue and without the “stoppers”, there is nothing to stop a cart. There is also a space on the stopper to store carts. When people are finished with their carts, they have to put them somewhere. Even with the devices, there is still five feet of sidewalk. Wallbank addressed the Tree Commission’s recommendation to relocate and save all the trees. He wondered how many businesses are asked to remove and replant all of their trees. Brightenburg explained with a drawing, how all the trees would be relocated. Wallbank said one of the trees looks unhealthy and Kerry KenCairn wants an arborist to look at it. The trees will have to be taken out and stored at a nursery and brought back. The trees cannot stay where they are because every bit of space is needed in the area produce is unloaded. They are planning to double the store’s produce space and meat department. They plan to have a full-service deli. The trees will have to be removed from the western area. With the exception of any unhealthy trees, they have the potential to move, store and replant the trees. Delgado said they have worked well within the Detailed Site Review Zone and have exceeded the plaza requirements by over 50 percent. There is a lot of public seating area in the front area. There are eleven foot wide walkways in the front of the store. They have worked closely with the Historic Commission in addressing the compatibility of matching the old building. Chapman asked if there will be a loss or gain of trees? Delgado said the total number will remain the same. Briggs asked if the moved trees die, would they be willing to replace the trees? The applicants said they would be willing to replace them. Wallbank mentioned the bank might narrow their drive-up window area and increase the landscaping. The ACFS would take some of the driveway at their expense and landscape it for the bank . That would make it much easier to get the trees out because that would give them a better way to access them. Chapman suggested adding to the Conditions that any trees that do not survive the move will be replaced. Harris said that can be added to Condition 8. Briggs mentioned a letter contained in the packet. The writer mentions a spring. Wallbank said the building will have no impact on the former spring. He believes it was capped off. It occurred to Briggs it might be nice in the plaza development to have two rectangular re-circulating pools that pay homage to Twin Plunges (on this site prior to the Food Store). DAVE HARD, Fire Chief, said he will be required to have a fire apparatus access for the building since part of the footprint will be more than 150 from the street. From the drawings, he does not see a particular problem but they will have to upgrade the driveway on the south side. If it does not support fire apparatus now, it will have to be upgraded to do so. JIM LITTLE, 234 First Street, said that Ashland Community Food Store has not been a good neighbor. Since they made First Street a one-way, people continually speed down the alley. The neighbors have talked to the Traffic Safety Commission and they have installed signs but people ignore the signs. There is no enforcement. He is not opposed to this action, but he is concerned about the traffic and the fact there is no enforcement. Gardiner asked Little what he would suggest the co-op do to resolve this? Little said his solution should be to make the alley one-way but people might even ignore that. Rebuttal Wallbank is very sympathetic. Their business and the Railroad District’s traffic has increased so much and he knows people are unhappy about traffic and parking. They are going to propose to the next Traffic Safety Commission that the parking along First Street be made one-hour parking. He believes a "One Way" or "Do Not Enter" sign would be helpful on the alley. COMMISSIONERS’ DISCUSSION AND MOTION Harris recapped the amendments to the Conditions. Condition 2, add “and providing a fire apparatus access” after “...fire sprinkler system to the addition”. Condition 8, after the first sentence, “That the four trees initially proposed for removal shall be relocated to shade the parking areas on-site. That any trees that may be injured or eliminated during the moving process or ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 4 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 10, 2001 construction shall be replaced with similar species. There shall be no net loss of trees on the property.” Add Condition 11, “That the curbing and sidewalk shall be installed to the northwest of the driveway along the parking frontage. A curb and sidewalk improvement plan shall be submitted for review and approval of the Staff Advisor prior to issuance of a building permit.” McLaughlin said Staff would send a memo to Traffic Safety expressing the concerns raised at the hearing. Gardiner mentioned the cart stops and cart corral. Did Harris believe the sidewalk is too narrow? Harris responded that the sidewalk area seemed constricted although she did not measure it. If there is five feet clear, then their argument seems logical. It is up to the Commission to decide. Gardiner thought it made sense to have stops for the carts especially on the slope. Briggs moved to approve Planning Action 2001-064 with the attached Conditions and amendments. Chapman seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. OTHER McLaughlin noted the letter from Les Schwab asking they withdraw their appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of their project. They've chosen to withdraw the project completely at this point. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 5 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 10, 2001