Regular Meeting
7/9/2014 Planning Commission Meeting
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF GARFIELD
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Wednesday, July 9, 2014 7:00 pm
Garfield Township Hall
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684
Ph: (231) 941-1620
A G E N D A
Call Meeting to Order
Roll Call of Commission Members
1. Review and Approval of the Agenda - Conflict of Interest
2. Minutes
a. June 25, 2014
3. Correspondence
4. Reports
a. Township Board
b. Planning/Zoning Department
c. Planning Commissioners
5. Business to Come Before the Commission
a. Grand Traverse County Master Plan Presentation – Mr. John Sych
b. PD 2014-44 – The Crown PUD Sign Request
c. PD 2014-45 – Premiere Place PUD Amendment
d. Sheffer Farm PUD – update
6. Public Comment
7. Items for Next Agenda – July 23, 2014 Work Session
a. Crown PUD Sign Request
b. Master Plan
8. Adjournment
Joe Robertson, Secretary
Garfield Township Planning Commission
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684
CHARTER
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
July 9, 2014
Call Meeting to Order: Chair Racine called the meeting to order at 7:00pm at the Garfield Township Hall, 3848 Veterans Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Commission Members Present: Pat Cline, Gil Uithol, Terry Clark, Kit Wilson, Joe Robertson, and John Racine
Absent and Excused: John Nelson
Staff Present: Rob Larrea
1. Review and Approval of the Agenda – Conflict of Interest: (7:01)
Uithol moved and Wilson seconded to approve the agenda as presented.
Ayes: Uithol, Wilson, Robertson, Cline, Clark,
Racine
Nays: None
2. Minutes
a. June 25, 2014 Minutes (7:01)
Uithol moved and Wilson seconded to adopt the June 25, 2014 Regular Meeting minutes
Ayes: Uithol, Wilson, Robertson, Cline, Clark,
Racine
Nays: None
3. Correspondence (7:01)
a. Letter Regarding Sheffer Farms
4. Reports:
a. Township Board (7:02)
Wilson reported that the Board set up a committee to discuss a water tower for the west side of the township.
b. Planning/Zoning Department
No reports
c. Planning Commissioners
No reports
5. Business to Come Before The Commission
a. Grand Traverse County Master Plan Presentation – John Sych (7:02)
John Sych presented the completed and adopted Grand Traverse County Master Plan. He said that the plan is a fairly simple one and certainly not all inclusive. It is intended to be a document to provide networking and communications for the other community plans. He added that there were maps included for public lands and protected lands as well as a conceptual plan to identify areas slated for growth. Sych said that the Master Plan is also online at masterplan.grandtraverse.org
b. PD 2014-44 – The Crown PUD Sign Request (7:08)
The application requests approval to convert a portion of the double sided sign at West Crown Drive to an LED sign. The sign would be shared by Mulligans Restaurant and the Crown Golf Club. Ordinance language was discussed and the attorneys remain at odds over the issue of the signage. Staff is asking for direction in the matter. Commissioners agreed that the signage is not appropriate in that location and that the residential character needs to be preserved. The Commissioners concurred that the size of the LED sign would not make a difference and directed staff to draft Findings of Fact in the matter.
c. PD 2014-45 Premiere Place PUD Amendment (7:16)
The subject PUD is located along Premier Street, Woodmere Avenue and Boardman Lake. The project was first approved in 2003 and a number of single family condominium structures have been built. The PUD is currently approved for a 72 unit multi family structure called Premier Manor. Doug Mansfield of Mansfield Land Use Consultants said that there is high demand for this type of housing in the area. There will be a new drive off of Woodmere and a curb cut is already in place. The building currently approved is a 3 story building while the proposed building is 4 stories with an additional walkout level on the west side of the building. The project will feature underground storm water containment, storage and fitness areas in the walkout level and garages rather than carports as originally approved. Larrea stated that the walkway and stairs were not permitted in the treed area of the conservation easement but could be relocated to the north. Larrea also had concerns with the language of the railroad crossing and felt that it needed to be a permanent access. Commissioners had concerns with the scale, stories and height of the building as well as the location of the building in relation to the setbacks. It was acknowledged that the unit sizes have increased in size necessitating the need to enlarge the building.
Uithol moved and Robertson seconded to set a public hearing for August 13, 2014 on PD 2014-45 Premiere Place PUD Amendment.
Yeas: Uithol, Robertson, Wilson, Clark, Cline,
Racine
Nays: None
d. Sheffer Farms PUD – Update (8:13)
Doug Mansfield was present to continue the discussion on the proposed Sheffer Farms PUD. His final plan shows a relocated commons area and the addition of a cul de sac. The traffic study will be submitted once the uses and design of the site plan has been set. Mansfield addressed a letter from an adjacent property agreeing to add a naturally landscaped area or something to buffer between the single family properties in question.
Commissioners requested a breakdown of other approved PUDs and their densities to compare with that proposed. They also stated that they would like the traffic study to be reviewed with and without the south connector to the neighboring subdivision.
6. Public Comment (8:32)
None
7. Items for Next Agenda – July 23, 2014 (8:32)
a. Crown PUD Sign Request
b. Master Plan
8. Adjournment: Racine adjourned the meeting at 8:33pm.