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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Planning Commission - Meeting Date: 10/21/2004 MEETING MINUTES CITY OF GLENDALE PLANNING COMMISSION GLENDALE COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5850 WEST GLENDALE AVENUE GLENDALE,ARIZONA 85301 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2004 7:00PM COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ernie Arce Bob Bohart Daniel Drew Henry Maynard Richard Schwartz Mickey Lund, Vice Chairperson Rod Beal, Chairperson CITY STAFF: Jon Froke, AICP, Planning Director Jim May,AICP,Planning Manager Craig Tindall, City Attorney Michael Bailey, Deputy City Attorney Teresa Hillner, AICP, Senior Planner John Verdugo, Planner Nathan Andrews, Planning Intern Sally Melling, Recording Secretary Chairperson Beal stated the Planning Commission is a citizen body whose members are appointed by the City Council. The Commission is empowered to make fmal decisions on certain matters, with those decisions being appealable to the City Council. On other matters, the Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Council,which makes the final decision. As the first order of business, Chairperson Beal took roll call and asked that the record reflect all Commissioners were present. Chairperson Beal dispensed with the reading of the minutes of the September 2, 2004 Regular meeting, September 9, 2004 Workshop, and September 16, 2004 Regular meeting. Chairperson Beal called for a voice vote. All minutes were approved with one correction. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 Chairperson Beal called for Business from the Floor. There was none. Chairperson Beal asked staff if there were any requests for withdrawals or continuances. There were none. Chairperson Beal called for the Public Hearing Items. APPLICATION NO.: CUP04-15 REQUEST: A request by QuikTrip Corp. to approve a Conditional Use Permit to allow a convenience store and an automobile fueling station in a C-2 (General Commercial) zoning district. The site is 1.81 acres located on the northwest corner of 67th Avenue and Glendale Avenue. (6702 West Glendale Avenue). Staff Contact: John R. Verdugo (Ocotillo District). Mr. John Verdugo, Planner, presented the application. He said the request appears to meet the required findings for Conditional Use Permit approval and should be approved, subject to the five stipulations set forth in the staff report. Mr. Mike Scarborough, Applicant's representative, stated they agree with staffs presentation and recommended stipulations. Commissioner Bohart asked Mr. Scarborough if they would agree to an additional stipulation requiring the applicant to post overnight signs. Mr. Scarborough responded yes. Chairperson Beal opened the meeting up for public comment on this item. As no comments were made, he closed the public hearing. Mr. Froke said he will add a stipulation regarding the posting of"No Parking" signs. Commissioner Bohart MADE a MOTION to APPROVE Case No. CUP04-15, subject to the following stipulations: 1) Development shall be in substantial conformance with the site plan, dated June 26, 2004, and the project narrative, dated June 26, 2004, as modified by stipulations; 2) Dedication of additional right-of-way on 67th Avenue to provide a total half- street width of 65 feet shall be made before issuing any building permits for any part of the project; 3) Dedication of additional right-of-way on Glendale Avenue to provide a total half-street width of 70 feet shall be made before issuing any building permits for any part of the project; 4) All half-street improvements, not otherwise constructed by city projects, on 67th Avenue and Glendale Avenue adjacent to the property shall be completed at the time of development. Required improvement standards are determined by City of Glendale Engineering Design and Construction Standards and the Community Development Group; 5) All overhead utilities, existing and proposed, shall be placed 173 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 underground at the time of development; and 6) Signs shall be posted prohibiting overnight parking. The motion was SECONDED by Commissioner Bohart. Chairperson Beal called for further comment on this item. Commissioner Bohart said the proposed gas station is needed on Glendale Avenue, noting most of the gas stations along the central corridor have closed. He commented QuikTrip stations he has visited have all been well maintained. Chairperson Beal called for the roll call vote on the motion. The MOTION PASSED by a vote of 7 to O. Mr. Bailey said the action taken by the Commission is final on behalf of the City of Glendale. He stated anyone wishing to appeal the action must do so by filing a written Notice of Appeal with the Planning Department within 15 days. APPLICATION NO.: GPA04-08 REQUEST: A request by Mammoth Equities to amend the North Valley Specific Area Plan (GP-89-04) as it applies to a 4.4-acre property north of the northeast corner of 79th Avenue and Bell Road (17505 North 79th Avenue). The amendment would change the allowable floor area ratio from .3 to .5 for this parcel. Staff Contact: Teresa Hillner(Sahuaro District). Ms. Teresa Hillner, Senior Planner, presented the application. She said the Planning Commission should recommend approval of General Plan Amendment GPA04-08. Commissioner Bohart asked if the amendment is considered a minor or major amendment to the General Plan. Ms. Hillner stated it would be minor text amendment to both the General Plan and North Valley Specific Area Plan. Commissioner Lund asked if the applicant is requesting the text amendment in anticipation of attracting specific businesses. Ms. Hillner referred the question to the applicant, stating she is not aware of any marketing being done. Mr. Lee Rotsheck, Applicant's representative, explained the proposed project was undertaken because of the success they had with a similar project in Scottsdale. He said the project will be a courtyard business office that caters to the local neighborhood. He stated the small offices provide a Class-A office environment for business that would not otherwise be able to afford such amenities. He explained the increase in FAR from .3 to .5 is necessary to meet the square footage requirements for the price being asked for the property. He stated they met with the Hidden Manor Homeowners Association where residents expressed concern about traffic. He said he subsequently spoke with the Glendale Traffic Department and was told a traffic light was 174 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 not planned for that location. He expressed his opinion the project will have a fairly minimal impact in terms of traffic. He stated trip generation for the same property, assuming a retail use and a FAR of.3, would far exceed the proposed office project with a FAR of.5. He expressed a desire to work with the neighborhood to address their concerns and he offered to place a certain amount of money into trust to pay for a traffic light if one is deemed warranted in the future. Commissioner Lund asked what type of businesses they expect to attract. Mr. Rotsheck said they have not been approached by any specific businesses, but this type of office space typically attracts a service-oriented clientele, such as attorneys, advertising companies, mortgage companies and so forth. Commissioner Lund asked if cameras or other security devices will be utilized. Mr. Rotsheck explained the building will be accessible 24-hours a day, therefore security lighting, keypads, and security cameras will be installed. Commissioner Arce asked what the height is of the proposed building. Mr. Rotsheck stated it will fall within the city's height limitation. Commissioner Bohart asked if they have built similar projects in business parks. Mr. Rotsheck said their projects are generally built on stand-alone sites. He said they typically try to locate in affluent areas that are close to a major thoroughfare. Commissioner Bohart asked what the property in Scottsdale was zoned. Mr. Rotsheck said the Scottsdale property was IP. Commissioner Drew asked about the operating hours. Mr. Rotsheck said the doors will be open to the public between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with access outside of that rime frame available only to tenants using a keypad. Chairperson Beal asked Mr. Rotsheck what they expect the impact to be to the surrounding area. Mr. Rotsheck said, based on the building and suite sizes, they anticipate having 85 businesses with an average of 5 employees per business. Chairperson Beal asked if they have identified any specific tenants. Mr. Rotsheck responded no, stating many people have expressed interest, but none have made a commitment. He said they anticipate it to take about one year to fill the building. With regard to traffic concerns, Commissioner Lund asked if any of the other proposed solutions discussed during the neighborhood meeting were pursued. Mr. Rotsheck said, while other solutions were discussed during the neighborhood meeting, including a stop sign at the access to the north, removing the median, removing obstacles to the left turn, and so forth, the residents overall wanted a traffic light. He reiterated the city's Traffic Engineering Department does not believe a traffic light is warranted. Chairperson Beal opened the meeting up for public comment on this item. Mr. Ken Karpola, 7638 West Villa Theresa Drive, Glendale, said traffic in the area has increased since the opening of the Sam's Club and Wal-Mart and traffic noise has driven most residents 175 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 indoors. He stated, while the proposed project may not have a significant impact, even a small impact will make the situation worse. Commissioner Bohart asked Mr. Karpola how long he has lived in Hidden Manor. Mr. Karpola said a couple years. Commissioner Schwartz asked Mr. Karpola if he would object to any proposed development for the property. Mr. Karpola responded yes. Commissioner Schwartz pointed out the property owner has the right to develop the property. He suggested Mr. Karpola and the applicant work together to reach a compromise. Commissioner Schwartz asked Mr. Karpola if he would have approved of the project had the applicant not requested the variance. Mr. Karpola stated he would like the property to remain an orchard,but he knows that is not realistic. Mr. Frank Eggan, 7737 West Villa Rita Drive, Glendale, submitted a petition in opposition to the proposed project, suggesting they could have gotten more signatures if they had had more time. He asked why the city is trying to change the North Valley Specific Area Plan, noting the city previously considered changing the area behind Hidden Manor from Limited Office to Apartments. He said the proposed project calls for a four-story building that will be incompatible with the neighborhood. He stated traffic problems will increase, suggesting the Commissioners visit his neighborhood and experience how difficult it already is to leave. He said he could approve of a FAR of.3,but he does not agree with a FAR of 5. Commissioner Lund said she can appreciate the residents' concerns about traffic and the height of the building. She stated, however, the zoning allows the proposed height and other buildings in the area are approximately the same height. She questioned whether allowing the property to develop as a shopping center would benefit the neighborhood, expressing her opinion an office space will generate less traffic than a commercial retail space. Mr. Eggan reiterated he would not be opposed to a four-story building with a FAR of .3. He expressed his opinion the city is failing to listen to the residents. He said they were originally told how nice the apartment complex the city approved would be, but now there are five or six families living in a single apartment. He stated the city is now allowing a business that will be open all night into their neighborhood. Commissioner Maynard stated denial of the proposed project would do nothing to resolve the problems on Union Hills and, in fact, the proposed office space will generate less traffic than a retail development. Commissioner Bohart asked Mr. Eggan how long he has lived in Hidden Manor. Mr. Eggan responded 18 years. Commissioner Bohart asked if the Association has a problem with a FAR of .3. Mr. Eggan responded no. Chairperson Beal closed the public hearing. 176 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 Mr. May pointed out office space is a primarily a daytime weekday use, whereas retail uses will attract weekend activity. He said the proposed project offers a good opportunity for full-time professional office uses that compliment the nearby mall and restaurants. Commissioner Arce MADE a MOTION to RECOMMEND APPROVAL of Case No. GPA- 04-08. The motion was SECONDED by Commissioner Maynard. Chairperson Beal called for further comment on this item. In response to Commissioner Bohart's question, Mr. Froke clarified IP stands for Industrial Park. Commissioner Bohart asked if there are other properties in the area designated as Business Park in the General Plan. Mr. Froke stated the office proposal would be allowed under the General Plan at the subject site, although there are other Business Park sites in the area. Commissioner Bohart commented there have been multiple General Plan Amendments, all of which he has supported. He stated, however, given the citizen opposition to doubling the space and the 24- hour access, he will not support the motion. Commissioner Arce stated he does not support the request because of traffic concerns. He expressed his opinion the General Plan should be reevaluated before any additional changes are approved. Commissioner Drew stated the traffic problems cited by the residents are the city's problems,not the applicants. He said the problems will not be resolved if the applicant's request is denied. He stated, while he does not like the idea of doubling the size of the FAR, he does not believe he can deny the request simply on the basis of traffic concerns. Commissioner Maynard agreed doubling the size of the building is the issue, not traffic problems. He expressed his opinion the proposed office complex will enhance the community. Chairperson Beal stated the Commission always weighs citizen comments as heavily as it can. He said, however, he too believes the proposed project will be good for the area and provide good paying jobs. He expressed his opinion the complex will have little impact on traffic in the Union Hills area. Commissioner Bohart stated, while he is not opposed to adding jobs, specific areas within the city have been designated for this type of use. Mr. Froke confirmed for Commissioner Drew the property has been zoned PAD for 15 years and allows an office development. Chairperson Beal called for the roll call vote on the MOTION. The MOTION PASSED with a vote of 5 to 2 (Commissioners Bohart and Arce voted nay). 177 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES October 21,2004 Mr. Bailey stated the Planning Commission's action on this item is not final. He explained that the Commission's recommendation would be forwarded to the City Council for further action at a future City Council meeting. Chairperson Beal called for Other Business. There was none. Chairperson Beal called for the Planning Staff Report. Mr. May noted the Arizona Department of Commerce's Boards and Commissions workshop will be held on November 12. Mr. May recommended the Commission vacate its November 4, November 11 and December 2 meetings. Commissioner Bohart MADE a MOTION to VACATE the Commission's November 4, 2004 Regular meeting, November 11, 2004 workshop, and December 2, 2004 Regular meeting. The motion was SECONDED by Commissioner Schwartz and passed unanimously. Chairperson Beal called for Commission Comments and Suggestions. Vice Chairperson Lund encouraged everyone to vote in the upcoming election. Commissioner Bohart referenced a letter dated Jun 7, 2004 regarding Northern Crossing asking for a brief update on the matter. Mr. Froke stated staff gave a general update on Northern Crossing at the Commission's last workshop. He reported the Planning Department has received an application for a sit-down restaurant proposed on Northern Avenue. Since there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m. Sally elling, Recordindcretary 178