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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02022010 Planning & Zoning Minutes City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 81 CaII to Order The February 2, 2010 Regular Meeting of the Seward Planning & Zoning Commission was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chair Roach'. Opening Ceremony Commissioner Stauffer led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Roll Call There were present: Sandie Roach' presiding, and Christina Stauffer Cindy Ecklund Steven Heinrich Frank DeMarco comprising a quorum of the Commission; and Donna Glenz, Associate Planner Dwayne Atwood, Community Development Assistant Absent was: Tena Morgan - Excused City Administration Report Associate Planner Donna Glenz updated the Commission of the following business items: • Community Development Director Christy Terry was attending an entrepreneurial and small business development strategies course in Anchorage. • A request for proposals, open January 28 through February 12, 2010 for the City of Seward leased land appraisal project. The City will be seeking rent adjustments based on the appraisals, which occur every five years. • On January 12, 2010 a group of 33 City employees completed the Alaska Performance Excellence Self Assessment workshop training. • On January 14 ECI Hyer and RISE Alaska gave an update presentation to the Library Museum Committee on the design progress for the new library. The group will return on February 11 for a community update meeting, tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the library basement. • A notice was sent to the Commission that an applicant was appealing a Community Development Department finding. The Commission was informed of rules regarding ex- parte communication. • Community Development Department staff continued to work on the Dairy Hill drainage grant application. The Application was due to Homeland Security on February 8, 2010. City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 8 2 • LSC Transportation Consultants met with interested parties of the community to discuss the Seward Area Transit Plan. This group will be back in Seward in early March to keep ovij the community updated on progress. The plan will help to gain grant dollars to meet transportation needs. • Council authorized the City Administration to work with the Department of Environmental Conservation to place air monitors in Seward. The Community Development Director can provide additional information. Four monitors were to be installed. • The city manager and Mayor Willard Dunham were in Washington, D.C. working with the city lobbyist and Legislators to address critical city concerns. Other Reports, Announcements & Presentations — None Citizens' Comments on any subject except those items scheduled for Public Hearing - None Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion (Ecklund/Heinrich) Approve the Agenda and the Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous Consent The following items were approved on the Consent Agenda: January 5, 2010 Regular Meeting Minutes Unfinished Business Items requiring a Public Hearing — None New Business Items requiring a Public Hearing — Resolution 2010 -02 of the Planning and Zoning Commission recommending City Council and Kenai Peninsula Borough approval of the Two Lakes Park preliminary replat which establishes the outer boundaries of the Two Lakes Park, includes the vacation of all interior undeveloped Rights -of -Way, easements and interior platted lot lines; and dedicates additional easements and extends the Vista Avenue Right - of -Way North providing legal access to USS 1931, located predominately within the Park Zoning District Glenz reviewed Resolution 2010 -02. She noted the platting of Two Lakes Park had been a goal of the Community Development Department and the City of Seward for many years. She reviewed the replat established the exterior boundary of the park and also vacated all interior rights of way and established utility and emergency access easements. The owners of USS 1931, Bob and Patty Linville, worked diligently to accommodate the plat, Glenz explained, then outlined the conditions. City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 8 3 In response to a question from Commissioner Ecklund, Glenz explained she had received r•• verbal communication from a supporter of the replat noting they had attempted to submit written comments but the email had not been received. The supporter was responding to a notice that was provided to property owners who had a holding within 300 feet of the park boundary. Notice of public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. Seward resident Carol Griswold spoke in favor of the park plat. Griswold noted that longtime resident Pat Williams had told stories of swimming in the park as a child. Over the years, the property had generally been considered to be a park, Griswold said. Thanks were extended to everyone involved in the park effort, including former Seward Community Development Department Director Kerry Martin. Seward resident Kerry Martin said that he had worked on the park project for many years, beginning in 1980. Kerry noted the park area had been considered for a residential subdivision and other uses in the past. It was important that the land be maintained as a park, Martin said. Commissioner Heinrich requested City of Seward Fire Department Chief David Squires describe the emergency access easement route at the park boundary. Squires explained the extent of the work involved in gaining access for the emergency route. Squires said some details need to be worked out, including a plan for shared access at the northern end of the park that would not create any imposition for the adjoining property owner. Heinrich asked if the emergency route might be gated at the entry points. Squires explained the route was to be gated and the city manager had the ability to declare an emergency. In response to a question of the classification of the route and whether it was a designated right of way, Squires explained the route access was allowed via easement. It was planned that the route be regularly brushed out. Roach' said it was important to note the value of the emergency access route as part of the park plan. No one else requested to be heard and the public hearing was closed. Motion (Ecklund/Stauffer) Approve Resolution 2010 -02 Ecklund noted a typo in the resolution title and requested housekeeping change from "plated" to platted in that reference. Ecklund also asked about a letter received from adjacent property owner Carol Ann Lindsey and the concerns expressed about any potential for a southern access to the park. City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 8 4 Glenz explained condition 6 of the recommended conditions requested the surveyor remove the depiction of the historic trail from the adjoining property. She noted the historic trail depiction was only informational and did not grant public access at that point to the park. Motion Passed Unanimous Unfinished Business — None New Business -- Schedule 2010 work sessions and community meetings to update Title 15 Glenz explained the City of Seward had designated the update of Title 15 as a priority. She noted the proposed schedule for work sessions and public meetings had been requested at the January 19 Commission work session. Ecklund asked if the City Council has expressed any concerns about the proposed schedule. Glenz said City Council had not expressed any concerns about the timing of the meetings. Ecklund noted the timing of notices and advertising for the public meetings was important, in order to hold critical public meetings before some seasonal residents leave Seward in the autumn. Motion (Stauffer/Ecklund) Setting the dates for the work sessions and community meetings to update Title 15 as: Feb. 16, wind turbine work session; April 20, landscape work session; May 18, Title 15 draft review; June 15, second draft review; July 20, joint PACAB / Council / P &Z .work session; August 17, community meeting preparations; September 14 -15, community meetings. Motion Passed Unanimous Set joint work session with Seward City Council Following a lengthy discussion on the availability of commissioners for the meeting and the amount of time dedicated to the meeting, the Commission unanimously approved a session to be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 8, 2010. Informational Items and Reports (No action required) City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 8 5 Reminder of 2/16/2010 work session on small wind turbine zoning ordinance. it Glenz noted that background information for the work session was provided in the February 2, 2010 Planning Commission Agenda Packet. The Commission requested staff publicly notice and set aside time for discussion of the 2010 priorities in preparation for the joint work session with Council. In response to Commission questions, Glenz said the Community Development Department would ask that an electric utility staff member attend the work session. Reminder of 2/17/2010 American Planning Association Course Glenz stated the second portion of the course was offered from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room at City Hall. Written materials were to be provided to the Commission, whether they are able to attend the course or not. Reminder of 3/2/2010 Joint Work Session with Seward Bear Creek Flood Service Area Board Glenz reminded the Commission of the session at 6:30 p.m., followed by the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting. The joint work session was one of the quarterly meetings to be held with the Flood Service Area Board. Commission Comments Stauffer asked if the Community Development Department was providing the public with any technical information about wind energy conversion systems. Glenz said the information provided in the agenda packet was available Ecklund said she was pleased that Two Lakes Park is being formally recognized as a park. It is her hope that the community is able to benefit from the park in perpetuity, she said. Heinrich said he will be quite busy at work in the near future, but will make every attempt to attend the various meetings and work sessions. Roach' said she was very pleased with the progress that had been made with the Two Lakes Park platting effort. She also thanked staff for work completed in preparation for the meeting. The transit meeting held earlier in the month was part of an effort to improve transportation infrastructure and services in Seward. The public will determine what is needed, and eventually there will be grant funding, she added. It was very important to get a consensus from the community about what the transportation needs were. Citizens' Comments City of Seward, Alaska Planning Commission Minutes February 2, 2010 Volume 6, Page 3 8 6 Kerry Martin, in response to earlier discussion, explained the differences between a right- of -way and an easement. Carol Griswold thanked the Commission for supporting the Two Lakes Park plat. Griswold also offered several ideas for the Commission to consider during 2010, including: improving methods by which the City of Seward can create public access to public properties when they are blocked or landlocked; an ordinance requiring public input for all public building construction and large commercial projects; the City of Seward encouraging and promoting electric vehicle use. Dave Squires congratulated the Commission for supporting Two Lakes Park and approving Resolution 2010 -02. Squires also thanked the Community Development Department for soliciting input from other departments when preparing the preliminary replat. Commissions and Administration Response to Citizens' Comments Ecklund supported Griswold's request that the City get involved in promoting the use of electric vehicles. Ecklund asked Griswold to provide any information about what had been done to promote electric vehicle use in other Alaska cities. She stated she would like to take the material, if available, to the next work session. Stauffer said she had been under the impression that the Two Lakes Park area had already been formally designated as a park. She was very pleased with the recent work and thanked everyone involved in moving the park plat forward. is Glenz thanked the Commission for all their hard work, as well as former Community Development directors Kerry Martin and Rachel James for their efforts to bring the Two Lakes Park plat forward. She noted that a platted emergency access route was a major accomplishment for the community. Continuing to state the park evacuation route had been a goal of the Comprehensive Plans since the 1964 Earthquake, when portions of the Seward Highway were rendered impassable. Adjournment M:- ting adjourned ::45 p. . ,D w e A ood, Sandie Roach' Community Developpartalts iVnt Chair Q #5 (City Seal)♦ , >. . i • S L-+t i • r. •e. ”'" ♦ w • • 9 Qt'oe %e � F F P , , + '.