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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05032022 Planning & Zoning Minutes City ofSewarc4 Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3,2022 Volume 7,Page 532 CALL TO ORDER The May 3, 2022 regular meeting of the Seward Planning & Zoning Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Presiding Officer Clare Sullivan. OPENING CEREMONY Clare Sullivan led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Clare Sullivan presiding,and Vanessa Verhey Nathaniel Charbonneau Victoria Monaco Bre Troy Staggs Comprising a quorum of the Commission; and Jason Bickling,Community Development Director Courtney Bringhurst,City Planner Kris Peck,Deputy City Clerk Excused—Homseth Absent—None Vacant—One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Carol Griswold said in regards to Resolution 2022-012,those zoning code changes should be well advertised and discussed ahead of time. There were better ways for the city to help the housing issue. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Charbonneau/Verhey) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the April 5,2022 Regular Meeting Minutes. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS—None City ofSewara Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3, 2022 Volume 7,Page 533 City Administration Report. Community Development Director Jason Bickling said he was prepping the community land use plan. Community Development had been working on a big GIS update for the whole city and would make it available to the public. PUBLIC HEARINGS Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing Resolution 2022-09,A Resolution Of The Planning And Zoning Commission Of The City Of Seward,Alaska,Recommending City Council And Kenai Peninsula Borough Approval Of The Preliminary Replat Of Fort Raymond Subdivision,Replat No. 1,Lot 12A;Located At 911 Hemlock Ave; Creating Hemlock Subdivision,Lots 1-40,And Tract A. Motion to Approve (Charbonneau/Monaco) Approve Resolution 2022-009 City Planner Courtney Bringhurst said the city had worked with R&M consultants and planned to expand city water and sewer to the proposed subdivision. The preliminary replat showed conceptual designs.This plat was still in the first stage and would need to go through City Council and then the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The city was still waiting on Geotech work to be completed. The 40 lots were the maximum this property would hold. Potentially there would be less than 40 lots in the final version.The laydown tonight showed the areas of trees that would not be cleared or touched in the replat of this property. Staggs recently walked the area and found it hard to believe 40 lots would fit with the parking. He would like to see the code that allowed the buildings to be so close together. Sullivan asked what we could expect from the final replat compared to this preliminary one. Bickling responded that drainage and fill would be considered. With that, some of the lots could be lost. Sullivan mentioned the flooding of the bike park as well as the traffic and houses being so close to the highway. Bickling responded the highway was in a 35mph zone so it was slower than normal highway speeds. Seward residents were not used to having houses right along the highway, but in places like Anchorage it would be considered normal. Sullivan wondered if the city was forced into taking initiative due to private lands not being made available. She also asked what the summer camping revenue was from Forest Acres. Bickling responded the revenue was around$80,000. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened City of Seward Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3, 2022 Volume 7,Page 534 Ron Newcome felt the subdivision was being built under false pretenses that the houses would somehow be exclusively for teachers. Peggy Ventura would like to keep Forest Acres the way it is. She compared it to Central Park in New York City.Forest Acres campground was one of the few public spaces were residents could enjoy the flat walk and listen to birds and nature. Campers in the summer paid good money for this experience.Forest Acres Campground was a treasure for all the families to be able to camp there and explore this area. She urged the city not to destroy what people enjoy, but also don't destroy the habitat where animals depend on to survive. The area was comprised of healthy old trees and old forests, and there were already many other areas in Seward that were clear cut and filled with gravel. There needed to be places for people to visit and see life and nature in balance. We should value our natural settings and be aware how this subdivision would put an ugly scar on our beautiful city. Forest Acres Campground had been undisturbed since the beginning of time. Keep the"forest" in Forest Acres. Alan Haskins said finding adequate housing for the Elementary School teachers was almost impossible.Many qualified applicants had to turn down jobs because there was no housing. He thought his job was tough as a principal,but the city had a tougher job with the housing crisis. Forest Acres would be a good start to get around 30 houses built there.If the schools here declined, the community as a whole would also decline. The best thing that he had learned about Seward was how everyone was very passionate. Hopefully a sound decision would be made. Henry Burns understood Seward was a beautiful place and people were emotional about Forest Acres.Right now he's looking at seven critical needs positions at the Seward High School. Qualified teachers were turning down positions due to lack of housing. Carol Griswold said this conceptual design was very premature and not a plat. A subdivision plat north of Phoenix Road required 60 feet of frontage. Fifteen of the lots do not have that amount of frontage. The consultant noted the property was located in a mapped flood plain. She questioned why the Geotech testing results were not included since it would contain important information on drainage issues and soil stability. Both of the proposed street names Willow and Fireweed were on the lists of Borough banned names due to being so common. Forest Acres Campground was home to magnificent large spruce trees.The commission should not approve this incomplete,conceptual drawing that was masquerading as a preliminary plat. Jonathan Sewell felt it was a terrible idea to take a valuable, revenue producing resource for a dubious private gig. During the camping season it was popular with visitors and brought in $80,000 a summer.The campground as it stands was the highest and best use of this land. Jim McCracken had lived in Forest Acres since he was only two days old. He felt this subdivision was a ridiculous idea. There were many high and dry gravel-based lots that would be more suitable. Old Mill Subdivision and other locations outside of city limits were better suited for residential development. Inside the city limits, it was very expensive for water and sewer. From Old Mill to Bear Creek,the amount of new homes being out of town was amazing. City of Seward,Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3,2022 Volume 7,Page 535 David Paperman cautioned that if this was passed,nothing would actually be built in this subdivision for years. In his experience, he had wanted to build a perfectly fine starter home on his own property. Everything he wanted to do was doable, however five different contractors told him not a chance. In terms of affordability,to build a 1500 square foot house would be $350,000 plus$100,000 for the lot if you didn't already own it.This did not equate to be an affordable house. The city's land use plan did not say to develop institutional zoning. Overall, this Hemlock Subdivision was not a good idea. Becky Dunn wanted to confirm the playground and basketball court would not be destroyed.She acknowledged there was a lack of housing for families.However,40 families would not fit in this area. She would like for the city to study different options and avoid losing camping revenue from Forest Acres. Rhonda Hubbard agreed Seward needed housing,but didn't think 40 lots would fit in this preliminary plat. She would like to maintain as much green space as possible and room for snow removal. A sound barrier fence along the highway could be a nice addition if a subdivision was built here.Her biggest concern would be the request for proposals to the builders and to make sure it was well planned and not just a mishmash of ideas. She would support changing the area to an R1 zone, but would like more review on how this would be developed. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed Charbonneau noticed some issues with the plat.He saw a couple lots that wouldn't actually fit. He felt that Rl zoning would be an upgrade over institutional. He didn't see a problem with the smaller lot size as many homes in the downtown area were on small lots. As this proposed subdivision went through, he wanted to make sure it didn't become a random collection of ideas and eyesores. Verhey commented on an issue with flooding. She added that the idea of 40 homes would be an unrealistically high number. Monaco wondered who would actually be able to afford these houses if they were built. Staggs brought up his background from Indiana and his experience with subdivisions outside of the city limits.He wondered how difficult it was currently for folks to get houses outside of city limits. Since our school served all the way to Moose Pass, it should be possible to look farther out the road instead of trying to jam everyone inside the city limits. Since moving to Seward, Staggs had always loved Forest Acres Campground and he would hate to see it go. Sullivan wondered if Forest Acres campground was the best place to be considered for a subdivision.She found it unfortunate that private land owners were not making their land available for development. She was concerned that it's being pushed too fast and too quickly. Knowing the income levels of people here, it would be unlikely that local residents could afford it. Motion Failed Yes: Charbonneau,Monaco No:Verhey,Staggs,Sullivan City ofSewarc,Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3,2022 Volume 7,Page 536 Resolution 2022-010,A Resolution Of The Planning And Zoning Commission Of The City Of Seward,Alaska,Recommending City Council Approval Of The Land Use Amendment To Rezone Lots 1-40,Hemlock Subdivision; From Institutional (INS) Zoning District To Single-Family Residential(R1)Zoning District. Motion to Approve(Charbonneau/Monaco) Approve Resolution 2022-010 Bringhurst said the area would be rezoned if the plat was approved. Single-family RI was the most restrictive zoning the city had for single family housing Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened Carol Griswold said the 2030 comprehensive plan supported retaining both the Forest Acres campground and bike park as institutional zoning. This development was not supported by the land use map nor supported by community process. There had been no work sessions or community outreach on the rezone.The city did not even mention Forest Acres in their task orders and very few people realized what was even happening. This attempt to develop the Forest Acres campground into high density housing with no traffic plan was an unrealistic idea. It was not the city's job to develop city land for housing or compete with private land owners. Griswold thought it was odd the Parks & Rec campground director was not included in the city staff checklist. She questioned the impact of displaced campers who utilized Forest Acres campground. There was no 111 guarantee that Seward residents would be able to buy these houses,as they could end up as second homes for the wealthy. David Paperman would like to deny the rezone as RI did not allow camping and it would conflict with the busy 2022 camping season that was about to begin. He wondered about seeking out vacant property where no preparation needed to be done. Paperman recalled how beautiful Seward was when he first arrived 20 years ago. He could not believe the topic of building a noise barrier was even up for discussion. Spruce trees and cotton wood trees were already a natural barrier. He felt there was a lot of other property out there that would be a better fit for this project. He appreciated the planning department and hoped this would start us on a path of community discussion which would include housing developments outside of city limits. Peggy Ventura had friends in Ashland,Oregon who had to evacuate their homes in a hurry due a fire. The fire quickly destroyed houses that were right next to each other, much like the proposed subdivision here. In Seward there was only one road that allows anyone to make an exit. Walking in the Forest Acres campground gave her peace and she loved the trees or wildlife that the area had to offer. Ventura encouraged everyone to walk the property before voting. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed Charbonneau wanted to know if it was pointless continue with this rezone, because the accompanying plat had just been failed. Bickling recommended it be voted down. Motion Failed Unanimous City of Seward Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3, 2022 Volume 7, Page 537 Resolution 2022-011,A Resolution Of The Planning And Zoning Commission Of The City Of Seward,Alaska,Granting A Conditional Use Permit To Uncle Fravis LLC To Operate The Activities Of A Social Club,On Lots 10-13,Block 23,Original Townsite Of Seward; Located At 417 Fifth Ave; Within An Office Residential(OR)Zoning District. Motion to Approve(Charbonneau/Monaco) Approve Resolution 2022-011 Bringhurst said this property had a conditional use permit in 2017 for an art school,but the owners wanted to update their CUP to a social club to better reflect their current usage of providing space for concerts and non-profit organizations. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. Carol Griswold would appreciate a definition of social club and expressed concern that it would lead to this site becoming a bar. She was also concerned about cooking smells and the commercial kitchen.The provided parking plan on page 63 was not even legible.Griswold pointed out their State of Alaska business license was for real estate and wondered why that was appropriate for a social club. David Paperman had a long history with this building when it was an Elks Lodge. More recently he had attended several different activities there and gave them kudos for making this space a cool community center. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed Charbonneau wanted to see a better parking plan,but overall didn't see any issues with the CUP. Verhey wondered what a social club was because she couldn't find a definition. She thought the parking plan drawings were hard to comprehend. Staggs liked the idea of more activities for people to do here in Seward. However, he was confused as to what is actually being proposed for the CUP. Sullivan mentioned how she worked right across the street at the American Legion and the Uncle Fravis events had a low impact to the neighborhood. She had no issues with the social club designation. Motion Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS City of Seward,Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3, 2022 Volume 7, Page 538 Other New Business Items Resolution 2022-012,A Resolution Of The Planning And Zoning Commission Of The City Of Seward,Alaska,Recommending City Council Amend Seward City Code 15.10.222 Development Requirements—Table Notes,Letter E. Motion(Charbonneau/Verhey) Approval of Resolution 2022-012 Bringhurst said the resolution was brought forward with the intention to provide more housing in downtown areas, specifically multiple bedroom apartments. There was a restriction in place that required an additional 1200 square feet per apartment of five or more units. With this resolution R3, UR, OR, AC and CB districts would be required to have the minimum of 9000 square feet per unit. Charbonneau wanted to make a motion to amend. He would like to keep the provision of 1200 square feet for R3, UR& OR, but allow the change for AC and CB. He didn't want to see people crammed into areas in R3, UR and OR zones because there should be ample room in those zoning districts. However, in AC and CB zones it would be more expected to have smaller space. Bringhurst summarized the proposed amendment would now read that R3, UR, and OR districts required additional 1200 square feet per unit of five or more units and would leave out that requirement for AC and CB. Motion to Amend (Charbonneau/Vcrhev) Amend Resolution 2022-012 by striking thru the line that allowed for this change in R3,UR& OR zones Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Main Motion Passed Unanimous Set work session topic for May 17, 2022. Bickling said the topic would be more discussion and information on short term rentals INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Reminder:May 17, 2022 Planning and Zoning work session at 6:00 p.m. Reminder:June 7, 2022 regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. CITIZEN COMMENTS David Paperman would like to see the Borough release some of their property for development. He would be happy to serve in some way to help create a subdivision at the old Air Force Rec Camp area. •• City ofSewara Alaska Planning&Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes May 3,2022 Volume 7, Page 539 Rhonda Hubbard wanted to point out the VRBOs and Air BnBs of the world were way ahead of us. This had caused some housing issues and it was difficult to keep track of people who were violating their Rl residential zones with illegal nightly rentals. She had talked to Borough representatives about properties that were eyesores and needed clean up. Lastly, the comprehensive plan had been referenced a lot tonight. Maybe it was time to bring the community back together and have a community work session to include everyone's input. Mary Beth Koster expressed concern about the high number of vacant homes downtown that were not being used for anything. BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS Bickling said every nearby community like Moose Pass and Cooper Landing had an advisory board and he recommended one for the residents outside of Seward city limits. He appreciated the work of the commissioners and emphasized that we are all in this together.Bickling wanted to clarify the seven acres in the Fort Raymond property contained a large powerline easement and was not suitable for single family housing. Charbonneau would like to thank the administration and the public for showing up. He enjoyed all the public input. Verhey also enjoyed the public input and encouraged residents to apply for the vacant seat. Staggs thanked the public for all the input and letters he had received.He thanked Bickling for mentioning the powerline easement in Fort Raymond. Sullivan thanked Community Development for all their work and how the board had learned a lot by discussing these issues. She felt private land owners should make their land available for development. Bickling said they would take inventory of empty lots and house to learn more about why people were sitting on properties and what could be done encourage development. He was considering a vacant land tax to encourage building. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 p.m. V4../ Kris Peck 00F'SE,.,�•• C e Sullivan Deputy City Clerk •"-&••.... 9 ••• Presiding Officer fti) (City Seal) • ;•. F'it;) r a • ® SEAL ` • r � c :' j %✓F1,Aq1�°P Q '••. ....•••'GJ`� ��„ P OF A`- ..• , `•