HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Boards of Adjustment - Meeting Date: 4/13/2006 MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF GLENDALE
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
GLENDALE COUNCIL CHAMBERS BUILDING
CONERENCE ROOM B-3
5850 WEST GLENDALE AVENUE
GLENDALE,ARIZONA 85301
THURSDAY,APRIL 13, 2006
7:00 P.M.
The regular meeting was called to order at approximately 7:10 p.m. by Chairperson Gallegos,
with the following members and representatives present:
BOARDMEMBERS PRESENT: Moe Gallegos, Chairperson
Yvonne Knaack, Vice-Chairperson
Sandy Burrell
Merry Lutz
Rodney Passmore
Michael Schroth
BOARDMEMBERS ABSENT: Hugh Leonardo
CITY STAFF: Ray Jacobs, Zoning Administrator
Jon Froke, Planning Director
Jim Flenner,Deputy City Attorney
Thomas Ritz, Planner
Sally Melling, Recording Secretary
Boardmember Schroth made a MOTION to RECESS and RECONVENE in Council
Chambers. Vice-chairperson Knaack SECONDED the MOTION. The motion PASSED
by a vote of 6 to 0.
Chairperson Gallegos reconvened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
Chairperson Gallegos explained the Board's policies and hearing procedures.
Chairperson Gallegos called for approval of the February 9, 2006 minutes.
Vice-chair Knaack made a MOTION to APPROVE the minutes from the February 9, 2006
meeting. Boardmember Schroth SECONDED the MOTION. The motion PASSED by a
vote of6to0.
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 2
Chairperson Gallegos asked staff if there were any requests for withdrawals or continuances.
There were none.
Chairperson Gallegos called for public hearing items.
Chairperson Gallegos thanked those present for attending the meeting. He advised that, due to
the size of the group, the Board will limit the public input period to 15 to 20 minutes on each
side of the issue. He asked those who speak to limit their comments to the required findings.
Mr. Flenner explained that Board members who were not at the November 11, 2005 hearing can
vote on the matter if they have studied the record of the hearing. He stated members who have
not yet studied the record have the option of making a motion to take the issue under deliberation
and placing the item on next month's agenda for their discussion.
APPLICATION NO.: VAR05-06
REQUEST: A request by Beus Gilbert PLLC, representing the
Vineyard Christian Fellowship, for a variance to increase
the maximum building height to 45 feet where 30 feet is
permitted in the R1-6 (Single Residence) zoning district.
The purpose of the variance is to allow the construction of
a new worship auditorium at an existing church. The
property is located at 6250 West Peoria Avenue. Staff
Contact: Thomas Ritz (Barrel District).
Mr. Ritz presented the application,reviewing the site and request.
Chairperson Gallegos asked for examples of other churches that have similar requests to exceed
the 30-foot heights. Mr. Ritz said the Baptist Church on 59th Avenue and the Community
Church of Joy both have similar heights.
Paul Gilbert, applicant's representative, asked how long he has to present his case. Chairperson
Gallegos asked Mr. Gilbert to restrict his comments to 15 to 20 minutes, stating they will then
have 15 to 20 minutes of public input on both sides of the issue. Mr. Gilbert asked if he will
have time for rebuttal after the public input portion of the hearing. Chairperson Gallegos
responded yes.
Mr. Gilbert introduced Philippe Zubia, a planner from his office, who passed out a packet of
information Mr. Gilbert referred to during his presentation. He also introduced the Senior Pastor
of the Church, Brian Anderson and the Director of Operations, Jim Hummel. He stated Dick
Shiffer and Elory Brown from RNL Design are also available to answer technical questions the
Board may have.
Mr. Gilbert stated the applicant has modified their request since appearing before the Board in
November 2005, lowering the height of the building from 50 feet to 45 feet. He said the
reduction in height is significant and complies with the city's requirement that they ask for the
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 3
very minimum variance needed. He referred to Exhibit 2 in his handout, stating it shows the
location of the approved Conditional Use Permit. He stated, while they have a 320-foot setback
for the existing 30-foot tall sanctuary building, the subject application which requests an
additional 15 feet of height moves the sanctuary back even further. He clarified the sanctuary
itself is 53,560 square feet, despite references in the Board's materials that indicate it is much
larger. He showed the proposed footprint of the facility at full build-out, stating they will talk
more about setbacks, traffic and landscaping at a future use permit hearing. He said the focus of
tonight's meeting is on the variance request, pointing out a plethora of testimony was given at
the last meeting that dealt with other issues. He explained the Sanctuary is 570 feet from the
residential property to the north and their landscape buffer starts at 82.5 feet, reduces to 52'feet
and then increases to over 100 feet on the east property line. He expressed his opinion the 570
foot setback renders the height of the building to minimus in terms of its effect on the residential
property to the north.
With regard to the four required findings, Mr. Gilbert said the large size of the property makes a
30-foot height restriction unreasonable by not permitting an allowed use to reasonably develop.
He emphasized the 30 foot height limit is designed for a 6,000 square foot lot, whereas they are
proposing a 570 foot setback and asking for merely 15 additional feet in height. He stated strict
enforcement of the 30-foot requirement would cause the property to be grossly underutilized and,
thereby, reduce the property rights the church has to develop their 32 acres. He said the size
constraint is not self-imposed and staff concurs with the applicant's position with regard to the
first finding. He noted in three previous cases the Board has granted height increases for
churches, which sets a precedence for satisfying the first finding. He stated they are being asked
to meet the height requirement for a typical R1-6 lot which has a setback of only 20 feet. He
pointed out their setback is 2,800 percent more than the required setback and yet they are only
requesting a height variance of 15 feet.
In response to the second required finding, Mr. Gilbert compared their project to three other
churches in R1-6 or R1-7 districts. He noted all three were variances granted by the Board of
Adjustment in the City of Glendale. He said the first is the Glendale Nazarene Church which has
zoning of R1-6 and an approved height of 46 feet. He noted the setback in that case was only
163 feet and the church provided no landscape buffer. He stated the First Southern Baptist
Church has R1-6 zoning and a height of 45 feet. He said the church has a 300-foot setback and a
10-foot landscape buffer. He noted the site only measures nine acres. He clarified the Mountain
Ridge Baptist Church involved primarily the height of a spire. He stated, in that case, the 4.62
acre property was zoned RR-45 and the height was approved at 45 feet. He said there was a 361-
foot setback and a 30-foot landscape buffer. Mr. Gilbert said these cases show that the city has
granted other variances under circumstances that were not as good for or protective of the
neighborhood as the case they are presenting.
Mr. Gilbert said when designing a sanctuary two primary issues determine the functional roof
height. He stated the first is the acoustical characteristics of the space require a minimum
acoustical volume based on the number of seats in the room. He noted in the case of the
proposed worship center, given the number of seats planned, the optimum roof height exceeds 50
feet. He said the vertical space required to adequately accommodate proper functioning
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 4
technical systems is the other issue they have to take into consideration. He explained technical
systems include the sound and lighting systems and, in this particular case, an absolute minimum
height of 45 feet is required.
With regard to the third required finding, Mr. Gilbert said a persuasive precedence was set by the
approval of requests from other churches that have the same issues and problems. He pointed
out their request meets every other requirement in the R1-6 zone.
In terms of the fourth finding, Mr. Gilbert said their variance request does not have a detrimental
impact to the property. He provided a list of other churches in the valley where similar variances
have been granted.
In answer to questions brought up during the previous hearing, Mr. Gilbert said a sight line study
of the north boundary showed very little visual impact to the neighbors. He explained the
building has been depressed approximately 3.5 feet below grade; however, that is as far as they
can go. He noted none of the other churches for which the Board approved variances depressed
their buildings. He stated the speaker platform has to be at grade for purposes of accessing
equipment and ensuring emergency exits are accessible. He reiterated the applicant's position
that their request meets the four required findings, stating staff also believes the findings have
been met. He asked people present on behalf of the church to stand, explaining they intended to
address the Board, but were asked by the applicant not to do so given the time constraints of the
meeting. He clarified not all of those present on behalf of the church live in the neighborhood;
stating, however, they have circulated petitions throughout the neighborhood. He submitted a
petition containing 63 signatures of those who live in the immediate neighborhood, pointing out
they limited their signatures to one per household.
Boardmember Schroth asked Mr. Gilbert if the determination that they could not depress the
structure any further was reviewed by an engineer or other qualified person. Mr. Gilbert said at
the first meeting he asked if there was anything they could do to further depress the building;
noting that was the meeting where they agreed to lower the structure by five feet and depress it
3.5 additional feet. Dick Shiffer, Applicant's architect, explained depressing a building further
than 3.5 feet results in exiting problems, stating it is financially infeasible for the applicant to
construct the stairs and ADA compliant ramps that would be required to service the depressed
exits.
Boardmember Schroth asked how deep the audience area is from the front row to the back. Mr.
Shiffer stated there are approximately 30 rows of seats spaced three feet apart with 12 to 15 feet
in the front, another 10 feet in the back and cross isles of eight to ten feet for a total of about 125
feet from the stage to the back of the room.
Mr. Shiffer clarified for Boardmember Schroth that the existing elevation at the backstage is
1185 and for proper drainage it will be filled to 1187.5. Boardmember Schroth asked about the
ADA slope requirements. Mr. Shiffer stated they have an eight percent slope which is the
maximum, but it flattens out to a six percent slope.
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 5
Vice-chair Knaack asked how far was the central building from the north line under the 1997
Conditional Use Permit. Mr. Garcia said 320 feet. Vice-chair Knaack asked how many of the
existing 1,425 parking spaces will remain. Mr. Shiffer said the number of spaces has reduced
slightly.
Chairperson Gallegos opened the meeting up for public comment on this case. He read the
names of those opposed to the case, Larry Flatau, Greg Donovan, Ed Christ, Don Yeven, Denise
Perry, and Stacy Christ, noting all may not speak.
Larry Flatau, 6107 West Desert Cove Avenue, Glendale, said it is noted in the April 13, 2006
Summary of Fact provided by Mr. Ritz as well as the applicant's Citizen Participation Report
that the facility is designed similar to a performing arts theater. He stated Vineyard is indicating
at this time that their sanctuary will be 68,604 square feet, which is 500 feet more than
previously reported. He stated the First Southern Baptist Church and Glendale Nazarene Church
measure about the same size when combined. He said approximately 75 percent of the structure
will be above 30 feet in height with more than 50 percent of that area 38 to 45 feet in height. He
stated, furthermore, the starting elevation is on a built-up pad and will be about three feet higher
than the existing;grade on the west end of Desert Cove. He said, unlike the First Southern
Baptist Church, the applicant's variance is not for a single point on the roof's design. He
explained approximately 175 feet on the north side and 194 feet on the east side of the facility
will exceed the 30-foot requirement. He stated no other R1-6 property enjoys the same privilege;
therefore approval of the application would represent the granting of special privileges. Mr.
Flautau reported in 1997 Vineyard sought a conditional use permit to build a church on the
property and they were happy to receive the 70,000 square foot building area approved at that
time. He said the sanctuary they are requesting now totals 68,600 square feet for a total build-
out of 174,000 square feet. He stated seating capacity in 1997 was 1,800, but will expand to
2,314 seats if the expansion is approved; noting Phoenix Symphony Hall seats 2,316. He stated
Community Church of Joy has a current membership that is double that of Vineyard Church and
they have seats to accommodate 1,800, while the First Baptist Church and Glendale Nazarene
Church have a combined expandable capacity of 4,500 seats. He said staff's report also indicates
the backstage load area requires heavy and large amounts of stage set elements and theatrical
props; causing him to draw the conclusion they are constructing a performing arts theater rather
than a church. He expressed his opinion the applicant fails to meet Condition 3 because they
have not looked at all of the alternatives available to seat people for worship services. He stated
the configuration and special circumstances are self-imposed by the applicant, pointing out other
churches are able to accommodate much larger memberships with less seating capacity and
smaller buildings. With regard to landscaping, Mr. Flatau noted the church stipulated in 1997
that they would provide 750,000 square feet of landscape buffering, while their current proposal
calls for 560,723 square feet. He stated the traffic report indicates a level of service will exist at
some points on Sunday, with delays of up to 80 seconds per vehicle. He said, furthermore, the
applicant is requesting a ratio of 1.65 seats per car, while the city's standard is approximately 4
to 5 seats per car. He stated, not only is the applicant's request for parking far in excess of the
city standard, it creates the potential for traffic issues. He stated the church made promises to
residents in 1997 and the Board has an opportunity to ensure the applicant lives up to those
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 6
promises. He stated the variance request fails to meet the required findings and he asked that the
variance be denied.
Vice-chair Knaack said the original permit was 397 feet from the north line and the building.was
30 feet high. She asked what the difference would be with 560 feet from the north line at a
building height of 45 feet. Mr. Flautau agreed 560 feet is an improvement; stating, however, the
original building was proposed at 31,640 square feet which is less than one-half of the proposed
structure.
Greg Donovan, 6108 West Desert Cove Avenue, Glendale, noted the Nazarene Church
purchased the complete acreage from 61St Avenue to 59th Avenue, from Cactus to the high
school, and then sold the land off to the land developer who built and sold houses knowing full
well what the buffer would be. He stated, while improvements have been made to the setbacks,
the fact remains that the building will be four stories high in a residential neighborhood. He
pointed out the Nazarene Church dumps all of its traffic onto two main arterial streets. He asked
the Board to deny the applicant's request.
Boardmember Schroth asked if the Nazarene church was built prior to the subdivision. Mr.
Donovan responded yes.
Chairperson Gallegos read the names of those who submitted cards in favor of the request,
pointing out some may choose not to address the Board: Jim Hummel, Barbara Davies, Chris
Hide,Ted and Linda Burrows, Daniel Debon, and Brian Anderson.
Daniel Debon, 6608 West Desert Cove Avenue, Glendale, voiced his support of the applicant's
request. With regard to comments made during the last hearing concerning the condition of the
property, he said he has never witnessed the church ever in a state of being unkempt. He said the
grounds are cleaned bi-weekly, if not daily. He pointed out the church is 500 feet away from the
nearest home. He dismissed concerns that property values will decrease because of the church,
stating his house has almost tripled in value. He said the church hosts community events and he
is proud of what the church has come to mean to the community. He questioned whether traffic
will go through the neighborhood, pointing out Desert Cove and Cholla are the only two
throughways between 63rd and 67th Avenues. He expressed his opinion the expanded facility
will result in less traffic during the day because of the reduced number of services. He stated the
church has gone to great lengths to work with the neighborhood. He said a police officer is
present every Sunday to help with traffic and, if needed, the officer will continue to be there on
Sunday's to direct traffic.
Chris Hyde, 6237 West Shagri La Road, Glendale, said he is a member of the church and lives
three streets to the north. He said the proposed building is 560 feet away from the closest
residential building and will cover approximately 11 percent of the 33 acres. He pointed out the
parking lot will reduce significantly the amount of dust generated on the site. He expressed his
opinion the neighborhood is positively influenced by the church, stating the expansion will allow
the church to service even more residents within the community. He asked the Board to approve
the applicant's request for an additional 15 feet.
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 7
Ted Burrows, 10440 North 63rd Avenue, Glendale, voiced his support of the proposed variance.
He stated moving a building an additional 200 feet away will make its presence appear much
smaller. He explained the church is requesting the variance because their congregation has
grown. He said, while they understand the concerns expressed by residents, it is important to
keep in mind that the church serves a purpose. He stated he has lived in the area since before the
building was constructed and believes the church has brought a lot of positive things to the area.
Boardmember Passmore asked for information concerning the church's growth patterns. Mr.
Burrows was unable to comment on the church's current membership size; stating, however, it
has grown considerably since moving to the new building.
Brian Anderson, 4922 West Hatcher, Glendale, said he is Senior Pastor of the Vineyard. He
apologized for not getting the neighbors on board with the planning of the expansion earlier in
the process, stating it was not intentional but due to ignorance on his part. He pointed out there
was no opposition when they applied for their original Conditional Use Permit. He explained he
and his wife started the church about 20 years ago with 20 people in their home. He said as they
grew they moved to larger and larger facilities until finally purchasing the subject property in
1997. He stated they had not looked to purchase 33 acres at the time since at that time they only
had about 1,500 members. He said they held a three-year capital campaign to pay for the
property and broke ground in 2000, during which time their congregation grew to about 2,200
members. He reported today they have about 4,000 people in attendance at their six weekend
services. He said the proposed building is intended to accommodate their ever growing
congregation. He reiterated it never crossed his mind that their expansion would be problematic
for their neighbors, stating he wished he had involved the neighbors from the beginning. He said
since the meeting in November they have increased the size of the buffer and lowered the
building as much as possible. He said they have held multiple neighborhood meetings and
offered to meet privately with neighbors if they wish. He expressed his opinion the plan before
the Board represents and win/win situation for the church and the residents.
Barb Davies, 6009 West Desert Cove, Glendale, said she supports the variance. She concurred
with comments made by previous speakers in favor of the variance, adding that the church has
had a positive impact on the community. She said she is proud to be a member of the church and
of its outreach programs. In response to accusations that the sanctuary will be nothing more than
a performing arts center, she stated extravagant concerts and programs will not be held. She
explained the height will allow the church to better serve and minister to the people that come to
their services. She expressed her opinion the church has been a good neighbor and has made
many accommodations.
Paul Gilbert, applicant's representative, stated their comparison to the Glendale Nazarene
Church was accurate, explaining the Nazarene Church has been approved to 60,000 square feet
and its rooftop extends for 120 feet. He stated, in comparing the grade level of Mr. Flautau's
residence with the sanctuary, they found the sanctuary is one foot lower. He stated, while they
may not know of any other R1-6 lots that enjoy a 45 foot height, the standard they have to meet
is what other similarly situated properties located in R1-6 have been granted a variance. He
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 8
admitted it would be ludicrous for the applicant to request a 45 foot height if the property were
6,000 square feet; stating, however, it is equally ludicrous to hold a 32 acre property to the same
standard as a 6,000 square foot lot. He pointed out the issue of the building's square footage is
not up for consideration by the Board, stating it will be discussed during the Conditional Use
Permit hearings. He said it is unfair to compare the proposed sanctuary to Symphony Hall,
noting Symphony Hall has a height of 85 feet and it pains the applicant to be characterized as a
performing arts theater. He said he has personally been impressed with the applicant's sincerity
and devotion and the sanctuary is intended to be and will be nothing other than a church. He
stated the argument has been made that the church should hold additional services to
accommodate more members. He pointed out the church already holds six services on Saturday
and Sunday. He said the applicant has provided more buffering than any other church in the city
and is relevant to finding that the project will not be detrimental to the neighborhood. He stated
concerns about traffic will be addressed during the Conditional Use Permit; however, they have a
traffic engineer available to answer questions if the Board so desires. He assured the Board that
the statement that they currently have a Level of Service F is inaccurate. He noted the proposed
plan calls for fewer parking spaces than are approved under the current use permit. Mr. Gilbert
said the church has been accused of putting a too intense use on the property; however, in his
opinion, lot coverage is a good determinant of intensity. He pointed out Glendale Nazarene and
the proposed plan both have 12 percent lot coverage. He stated, while the First Baptist Church
has half the square footage, they have a total of nine acres compared to the applicants 32.9 acres.
He confirmed that the homes built behind the Nazarene Church were purchased after the church
was built, stating that fact supports their position that the proposed sanctuary will not cause a
detrimental effect on the neighborhood. He expressed his opinion suggestions that the church
build multiple buildings are unfair. He pointed out 63 households from the neighborhood have
signed their petition of support. He stated, while there are more signatures on the opposition's
petition, the applicant limited their petition to one person per household. He noted the
opposition has only 45 signatures if they take only one signature per address. He said their
strong neighborhood support is the direct result of the applicant's outreach to the neighborhood.
He reiterated the applicant and staff agree that the proposed project meets the required findings,
stating the applicant feels they meet the criteria better than in other cases where similar variances
have been granted. He asked the Board to grant the requested variance.
Boardmember Schroth asked the applicant's architect what the distance is from the existing
buildings to the front of the worship center. Mr. Shiffer said about 63 feet at it narrowest point
up to 90 feet. Boardmember Schroth asked about the grade differences between the property and
the roadway. Mr. Shiffer pointed out the plan shows existing grades, stating as part of the
Conditional Use Permit the applicant may be required to fill and raise the road. Boardmember
Schroth clarified he is not opposed to the height, but he is opposed to how the structure sits on
the property. He suggested they could be more aggressive in lowering the top elevation of the
building. Mr. Shiffer pointed out the building height is measured from the base of the building.
He confirmed once they prepare the grading plans the building could drop an additional two feet.
Boardmember Schroth asked Mr. Flautau what the applicants would have to do to make the
homeowners happy. Mr. Flautau said in a perfect world the applicant would uphold the
commitment he made in 1997; however, the homeowners are willing to compromise. With
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 9
regard to comments concerning the homes built near the First Baptist Church, he pointed out
those homeowners had the choice to purchase their homes knowing the church was going to be
there. He stated they supported the church's initial Conditional Use Permit based on promises
made by the church and stipulated by the city. He said those promises have not been kept, noting
drainage plans stipulated in the original case are substantially different from what exists today.
Boardmember Schroth asked for confirmation that in 1997 the residents had no objection to the
30-foot height. Mr. Flautau confirmed there were no objections. Boardmember Schroth asked
what height the homeowners would accept. Mr. Flautau said he is not comfortable speaking for
the whole neighborhood, although he is certain 30 feet would be fine. He said architectural
changes could be made that will allow the sanctuary to accommodate the seats they need without
the additional height and they believe the architects should revisit their plan. Boardmember
Schroth asked Mr. Flautau if he finds the proposed plan unacceptable, pointing out it is five feet
lower than the original plan submitted to the Board in November. Mr. Flautau disagreed that the
building height has been lowered five feet, stating the beams have been dropped only 1.5 to two
feet. He expressed concern that drainage requirements will actually result in the ground being
raised rather than lowered.
Chairperson Gallegos commented it is critically important to hear all sides, stating he thanks
everyone for their patience and respectful demeanor.
Chairperson Gallegos closed the public hearing.
Boardmember Burrell asked if the two new members feel comfortable voting. The new
members indicated they are comfortable making a decision.
With regard to comparisons to the Glendale Nazarene Church, Boardmember Burrell pointed out
residents in that area had an option that the residents in the subject neighborhood do not have.
She stated the Board has to consider each variance on an individual basis, not based on what has
or has not happened in the past.
Boardmember Schroth concurred with Boardmember Burrell's comments, stating they need to
consider the variance on its own merits. He pointed out no one currently serving on the Board
served on the Board at the time the variances were approved for the other churches
Vice-chair Knaack said she would like to know the sight lines at 30 feet with a 380-foot setback
and 45 feet with a 583-foot setback.
Boardmember Burrell stated increasing the height, but doubling the setback, should result in
little change in the sight line. She said the concern seems to be the size of the structure, pointing
out the other churches' variances were for a spire and a ridgeline.
Chairperson Gallegos said he initially felt the hardship was self-imposed since the church has the
choice to expand. He stated, however, the discussion concerning the impact of a 30-foot height
on a 6,000 square foot lot versus a 45-foot height on a 170,000 square foot lot has helped him to
better understand the criteria.
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 10
Vice-chair Knaack noted she has lived in the subject neighborhood for 22 years and can see both
sides. She reiterated that the Board is limited to considering the height variance only, stating
traffic, pollution, buffers and so forth will be addressed at a later date.
Chairperson Gallegos commented there has been a decline in attendance at the neighborhood
meetings.
Boardmember Schroth said he can see many opportunities for a lower vertical height, yet the
applicant is proposing a level height. He asked if a motion could be made that requires the
applicant to give serious consideration to further lowering the height of the building, stating in
his professional opinion the structure could be lowered.
Chairperson Gallegos said, while he respects Boardmember Schroth's expertise and knowledge
in such matters, he believes they owe it to the applicant and neighborhood to make a decision.
He said the Board should continue the matter if it feels it is missing vitally important
information; otherwise it should take the time it needs to make a decision.
Boardmember Burrell said the applicant has stated 45 feet is the absolute minimum height they
need for the sanctuary; however, she is not convinced that a structure of the proposed size cannot
meet the needs of its membership with a lower roofline. She expressed her opinion a 30 foot
height is acceptable, stating lowering the roofline to 30 feet would negate the need for a variance
altogether.
Boardmember Lutz commented churches are symbolic and part of their grandeur comes in their
height. She pointed out several commercial uses, including Home Depot and the college have
increased heights. She said she sees no reason to deny the application.
Chairperson Gallegos said he walked behind the apartment buildings and was surprised to find
the building did not appear very large. He assured the residents that he shares their concerns,
stating that is why he is struggling with the decision. He said, however, the applicant is
providing a huge setback.
Boardmember Passmore agreed with Chairperson Gallegos, noting he has visited the site
numerous times.
Boardmember Burrell made a MOTION to APPROVE VAR05-06, subject to the site plan
dated March 1,2006. Boardmember Lutz SECONDED the MOTION.
Chairperson Gallegos asked if there was any more discussion.
No further comments were made.
Chairperson Gallegos called for a Roll Call Vote. The MOTION PASSED by a vote of 6 to
0.
April 13, 2006
Board of Adjustment
Page 11
Chairperson Gallegos called for Other Business.
Vice-chair Knaack made a MOTION to VACATE the Board's June 8, 2006 regular
meeting. Boardmember Passmore SECONDED the MOTION. The motion passed
unanimously.
Chairperson Gallegos called for the Planning Staff Report.
No report was given.
•
Chairperson Gallegos called for Board Comments and Suggestions.
No comments were made.
As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.
_
Sally Ming, Recording ' -cretary