Regular Meeting
1/14/2015 Planning Commission Meeting
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF GARFIELD
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 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. Election of Officers
3. Minutes
December 10, 2014
4. Correspondence
5. Reports
a. Township Board
b. Planning Commissioners
6. Business to Come Before the Commission
a. PD 2015 - 03 La Franier Road Rezoning Application - Public Hearing
b. PD 2015- 04 Arbors of Traverse Major PUD Amendment –Public Hearing
c. PD 2015- 05 Frank Hayes Conditional Rezoning Request - Introduction
7. Public Comment
8. Items for Next Agenda – January 28, 2015
a. PURD Draft
b. Master Plan discussion
c. 2015 Annual Report
9. Adjournment
Joe Robertson, Secretary
Garfield Township Planning Commission
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
January 14, 2015
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, Kit Wilson, Joe Robertson, Terry Clark, Gil Uithol, and John Racine
Absent and Excused: John Nelson
Staff Present: Rob Larrea
1. Review and Approval of the Agenda – Conflict of Interest: (7:01)
Clark moved and Wilson seconded to approve the agenda as presented.
Ayes: Clark, Wilson Uithol, Cline, Robertson, Racine
Nays: None
2. Election of Officers 7:01
Uithol moved and Cline seconded to re-elect Racine and Planning Commission Chair for the 2015 year.
Yeas: Uithol, Cline, Wilson, Robertson, Clark, Racine
Nays: None
Wilson moved and Robertson seconded to re-elect Nelson as Vice Chair of the Planning Commission for the 2015 year.
Yeas: Wilson, Robertson, Uithol, Cline, Clark, Racine
Nays: None
Wilson moved and Cline seconded to reelect Robertson as Planning Commission Secretary for the 2015 year.
Yeas: Wilson, Cline, Robertson, Clark, Uithol, Racine
Nays: None
3. Minutes
a. December 10, 2014 Minutes (7:02)
Clark moved and Wilson seconded to adopt the December 10, 2014 Regular Meeting minutes as presented.
Ayes: Clark, Wilson, Robertson, Uithol, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
4. Correspondence (7:03)
None
5. Reports:
a. Township Board (7:03)
Wilson reported that the Township Board approved the Premier Manor major amendment and appointed Lanie McManus as Township Clerk effective February 1, 2015.
b. Planning Department (7:04)
Larrea said that the Planning Commission Annual Report should be ready for the next meeting. He also proposed a joint meeting between the East Bay Township Planning Commission on February 25th and said that discussion would most likely center on the Hammond Road corridor.
c. Planning Commissioners (7:05)
No Reports
6. Business to Come Before The Commission
a. PD 2015-03 LaFranier Road Rezoning Application – Public Hearing (7:05)
This application requests a rezoning of approximately 30 acres of land from the A-1 Agricultural District to the R1-M Multi-Family Residential District. The application affects four properties along LaFranier Road about ¼ mile north of Hammond Road. The subject properties are currently vacant and are abutted by medium to high density residential development on the north/northwest, and by vacant or low density residential uses on all other sides. The applicant indicated that the intent of the rezoning application is to allow the future construction of a development similar to a 232 unit project brought to the Planning Commission in November of 2014. Larrea stated that the request appears consistent with the Master Plan. Mark Oppenhuizen from Oppenhuizen Architects spoke about the proposed rezoning and said that the proposed rezoning would conform to the master plan and that adjacent properties are also zoned R-1M.
Racine opened the Public Hearing at 7:09 pm.
Kathleen Ruin of Garfield Township expressed concern that there was no fencing proposed on the lands to be rezoned. Racine indicated that this was only for the rezoning of the land, and that no building was being proposed at this time.
Racine closed the Public Hearing at 7:11pm.
Clark moved and Robertson seconded THAT the Findings of Fact for Application Z-2014-02, attached to PD Report 2015-03 and forming part of this motion, BE APPROVED.
Yeas: Clark, Robertson, Uithol, Wilson, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
Clark moved and Uithol supported THAT application Z-2014-02, submitted by Midwest MFD, LLC, to rezone lands along LaFranier Road to the R1-M Multiple Family Zoning District, BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL to the Garfield Township Board based on the approved Findings of Fact and for reasons set out in Report PD 2015-03
Yeas: Clark, Uithol, Robertson, Wilson, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
b. PD 2015-04 Arbors of Traverse Major PUD Amendment Application – Public Hearing (7:14)
The application requests a major amendment to the Arbors at Traverse Planned Unit Development to expand the project boundary and to add 32 additional parking spaces. The Arbors complex is located along Hammond Road and was initially approved in 2002 for 468 total apartments. In 2014, the Planning Commission approved construction of the remaining 78 units. Architect Mark Oppenhuizen represented the project and stated that this application is intended to supplement the overall development by providing an area for overflow parking. Setbacks would still be maintained and the proposed overflow lot will be located at the Southeast corner of the property.
Chairman Racine opened the Public Hearing at 7:18pm and seeing no one wishing to speak, closed the public hearing.
Larrea already discussed the trespass issue on the Miller Creek Nature Reserve to the north and anticipates an amical agreement. Larrea added that the proposed landscaping may be a bit shy around the parking area and additional landscaping may be needed. Commissioners asked to add condition #5 which states that the applicant will work with staff to address landscaping issues and the light trespass associated with the parking area. Oppenhuizen presented a grade map indicating how the parking area would look from a person on Hartmann Road.
Wilson moved and Robertson seconded THAT the Findings of Fact originally adopted for Special Use Permit #2002-03 do not require modification as they remain current and valid for major amendment application #SUP-2002-03-D.
Yeas: Wilson, Robertson, Uithol, Wilson, Clark, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
Wilson moved and Uithol seconded THAT application SUP-2002-03-D, BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL to the Township Board, subject to the following conditions:
1. The applicant shall secure all necessary agency review and approvals prior to the issuance of a land use permit.
2. The applicant shall work with Staff to come to an acceptable solution to inhibit vehicular trespass on lands to the north of the project area.
3. Approval is subject to final stormwater review by the Township Engineer.
4. The applicant shall provide two (2) full-sized plan sets, one (1) 11” x 17” plan set, and one electronic plan set copy (in PDF format) with all updates as required by the conditions of this approval.
5. The Applicant shall work with staff to address landscaping issues and the light trespass buffer associated with the parking area.
Yeas: Wilson, Uithol, Clark, Robertson, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
c. PD 2015-05 Frank Hayes Conditional Rezoning Request – Introduction (7:31)
The applicant proposes to rezone the property for the C-2 General Commercial District to the General Mixed-Use Industrial Business District. The subject property is located at 3100 Keystone Road and measures approximately 3.7 acres.Scott Hardy, on behalf of Frank Hayes spoke to the project and said that all activity will take place inside the building. This facility would take juice which has already been processed and refine the product to remove sugars and glucose, greatly reducing caloric content and preserving nutritional product. His goal is to fit in with light industrial currently in the area. Traffic will be minimal and there will be no disposal issues on site. Only the water from the sanitation onsite will be disposed of in the sewers. Less than ten employees will be at the site and no retail will be onsite. Noise should not be an issue. The applicant proposes that if the manufacturing concept does not work, the land could revert back to a C-2 zoning.
Clark moved and Wilson seconded THAT application Z-2015-01, submitted by Holcomb Masonry CO LLC to conditionally rezone lands along Keystone Road from the C-2, General Business District to the MUIBD-G, Mixed-Use Industrial Business District (General), BE ACCEPTED; and further
THAT application Z-2015-01 be scheduled for public hearing at the regular meeting of the Garfield Township Planning Commission to be held on February 11, 2015.
Yeas: Clark, Wilson, Robertson, Uithol, Cline, Racine
Nays: None
7. Public Comment (7:49)
None
8. Items for Next Agenda – January 28, 2015 (7:49)
a. PURD Draft
b. Master Plan Discussion
c. 2015 Annual Report
9. Adjournment:
Wilson moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:51pm.
________________________________
Joe Robertson, Secretary
Garfield Township Planning Commission
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684