PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING - Columbus, …

Planning Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes for November 04, 2015

A meeting of the Planning Advisory Commission was held Wednesday, November 04, 2015 in the Council Chambers of the Citizen Service Center.

Commissioners Present:

Chairperson:

Kathleen Mason

Vice Chairperson:

Ed Kinner

Commissioners:

Travis Chambers, Joseph Brannan, Frank Etheridge, Robert Bollinger,

Wallace Davis, Joseph Brannan & Michael Greenblatt

Staff Members: Kevin Herrit, Principal Planner

Commissioners Absent: Paige Swift

Others Present: Jennifer Alewine, George W. Mize Jr., Jerry Chong, Beb Doway, Sun H. Lee and Yong S. Canup

CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Mason called the meeting to order at 9:00 A.M. All in attendance stood for the pledge of allegiance to the American Flag. She explained the rezoning process to the audience.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chairperson Mason indicated that there were minutes from August 19, September 16, and October 07, 2015 to approve. After a brief discussion on everyone receiving the updated minutes for September and October meetings commissioner Chambers made a motion to approve and commissioner Greenblatt seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

SPECIAL EXCEPTION USE CASES:

EXCP-08-15-1777: A request for a Special Exception Use located at 3350, 3370 & 3380 Victory Drive. Current Zoning is GC (General Commercial). The properties are proposed for automobile sales. Tom Williams is the applicant. The property is located in Council District 7 (Woodson).

Chairperson Mason read the case introduction and then asked staff to read their report (as shown below).

Subject: (EXCP-08-15-1777) Special Exception Use request to operate Automobile sales under 2 acres but more than 1.5 located at 3350, 3370 & 3380 Victory Drive.

Tom Williams has submitted an application for the Special Exception Use cited above. The property is located in a GC (General Commercial) zoning district. The site for the proposed automobile sales lot was used for a martial arts studio. The purpose of the Special Exception Use is to allow for the operation of automobile sales under 2 acres in size, but more than 1.5 acres located within the General Commercial (GC) zoning district:

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(1) Access: Is or will the type of street providing access to the use be adequate to serve the proposed special exception use?

Victory Drive is an Urban Arterial Road. Victory Drive will provide adequate free flow movement for both North and South bound traffic. Entrance and exit from this site should be consolidated into one entrance on the south side of the development and an exit located at the midpoint of the development. Consideration should be given to distances of all egress and ingress points from the intersection of Victory Drive and South Lumpkin Road.

(2) Traffic and Pedestrian Safety : Is or will access into and out of the property be adequate to provide for traffic and pedestrian safety, the anticipated volume of the traffic flow, and access by emergency vehicles?

Pedestrian safety could be maximized if the number of curb cuts is consolidated and traffic is limited to right in at the first curb cut located on 3350 Victory Drive and right out is located at the first curb cut on parcel 045-003-003 (3380 Victory Drive).

(3) Adequacy of Public Facilities: Are or will public facilities such as school, water, or sewer utilities and police and fire protection be adequate to serve the special exception use?

Services such as water, sewer, utilities, police, and fire protection will be adequate and serve the proposed use at this location.

(4) Protection from Adverse Affects: Are or will refuse, service, parking and loading areas on the property be located or screened to protect other properties in the area from such adverse effects as noise, light, glare or odor?

All service, parking and loading areas will be behind fencing. The properties are surrounded by other GC uses and the rear of the properties abuts a stream. Noise, light, glare and odor should be limited due to the use of sales and not repair of automobiles.

(5) Hours of Operation: Will the hours and manner of operation of the special exception use have no adverse effects on other properties in the area?

The hours of operation for this use will not have an adverse impact on the neighboring properties in the area. The applicant will hold normal business hours for used car sales. Monday through Friday hours should be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday should be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(6) Compatibility: Will the height, size, or location of the buildings or other

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Planning Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes for November 04, 2015

structures on the property be compatible with the height, size, character, or location of buildings or other structures on neighboring properties?

No new structures are requested at this time.

Council District: District 7 (Woodson)

Sixteen (16) property owners within 300 feet of the property have been notified by mail of the proposed Special Exception Use. The Planning Department has received comments supporting and opposing this request.

Additional Information:

There is no additional information at this time.

Chairperson Mason asked if there were any questions for staff. Commissioner Kinner asked staff if the requirements of the Victory Drive Overlay District (VDOD) would affect this development. Staff read code section 2.5.21.C.2(A) & (B) and indicated that through conversations with the Inspections and Codes Department, who enforces this section of the UDO, made a determination that this development would not meet the criteria for the Victory Drive Overlay District. Commissioner Kinner asked again if this would not meet the criteria for the VDOD. Staff clarified that the criteria for the VDOD was not met according to the Inspections and Codes department. Commissioner Greenblatt asked staff to clarify what comments the Planning Department received in both for and against the petition. Staff indicated that all the comments received were in appreciation of the process and notification efforts of the Planning Department. Commissioner Kinner asked staff what the difference was with the pedestrian safety as indicated in the staff report. On section indicated that a single entrance would be preferred and another section indicated that one right in ingress and one right out egress was recommended. Staff indicated that the section that addressed the right in and right out curb cuts was a recommendation from the City Traffic Engineer. Chairperson Mason asked if there were any more questions for staff. There being none, Chairperson Mason asked for the applicant to come forth. Tom Williams represented the case and indicated that they're going to combine the three lots into one and renovate the building to work as the auto dealerships office. Chairperson Mason then asked if there was any opposition to the case. None came forward and she asked if there was a motion on the floor. A motion was made by Commissioner Greenblatt to approve the case. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Davis to approve the case. The motion passed unanimously.

EXCP-10-15-2061: A request for a Special Exception Use located at 2395 Whittlesey Road. Current zoning is LMI (Light Manufacturing and Industrial). The property is proposed for an 85-foot telecommunications facility (80-foot monopole

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with a 5-foot lightning rod). Jennifer B. Alewine is the applicant. The property is located in Council District 2 (Davis). Chairperson Mason read the case introduction and then asked staff to read their report (as shown below). Subject: (EXCP-10-15-2061) Special Exception Use request to allow for an 85-foot telecommunications facility located at 2395 Whittlesey Road, Columbus, Georgia.

Jennifer B. Alewine has submitted an application for the Special Exception Use cited above. The property is located in a LMI (Light Manufacturing and Industrial) zoning district. The site for the proposed telecommunications facility is an Aquarius Pools commercial building at 2395 Whittlesey Road. The purpose of the Special Exception Use is to allow for the operation of a telecommunications facility located within the LMI (Light Manufacturing and Industrial) zoning district:

(1) Access: Is or will the type of street providing access to the use be adequate to serve the proposed special exception use?

Whittlesey Road is an Urban Arterial Road. Whittlesey Road will provide adequate free flow movement for both East and West bound traffic. This use will be an accessory use to the primary use of a place of business for Aquarius Pools.

(2) Traffic and Pedestrian Safety : Is or will access into and out of the property be adequate to provide for traffic and pedestrian safety, the anticipated volume of the traffic flow, and access by emergency vehicles?

Access into and out of the property in question will provide for adequate traffic and pedestrian safety. Anticipated traffic flow volumes will be low for the accessory use and consist of maintenance travel trips. Emergency vehicles will have adequate access to the principal structure and accessory use.

(3) Adequacy of Public Facilities: Are or will public facilities such as school, water, or sewer utilities and police and fire protection be adequate to serve the special exception use?

Services such as water, sewer, utilities, police, and fire protection will be adequate and serve the proposed use at this location.

(4) Protection from Adverse Affects: Are or will refuse, service, parking and loading areas on the property be located or screened to protect other properties in the area from such adverse effects as noise, light, glare or odor?

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Planning Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes for November 04, 2015

All mechanical equipment will be behind fencing and/or vegetated material. The properties are surrounded by other LMI & GC uses and the eastern side of the property abuts a rail line. Noise, light, glare and odor should be limited due to the nature of the equipment.

(5) Hours of Operation: Will the hours and manner of operation of the special exception use have no adverse effects on other properties in the area?

The hours of operation for this use will not have an adverse impact on the neighboring properties in the area. This tower should not have any foreseen hours of operation and the operation should be seamless, except for the outages and maintenance required.

(6) Compatibility: Will the height, size, or location of the buildings or other structures on the property be compatible with the height, size, character, or location of buildings or other structures on neighboring properties?

This structures height, size and location should match the uses found in other LMI properties.

Council District: District 2 (Davis)

Ten (10) property owners within 300 feet of the property have been notified by mail of the proposed Special Exception Use. The Planning Department has received no comments supporting or opposing this request.

Additional Information:

There is no additional information at this time. Chairperson Mason asked if there were any questions for staff. There being, no questions for staff she asked if the applicant would come forward and present their case. Jennifer Alewine presented the case for Verizon Wireless. Jennifer indicated that this tower would be 80 feet high with a 5 foot lightning rod. The tower was needed to provide more data band with for the area around Whittlesey Road and the shopping centers there. This tower was not to expand their network, but to enhance the needed data capacity in the area. Chairperson Mason then asked if there was any opposition to the case. None came forward and she asked if there was a motion on the floor. A motion was made by Commissioner Chambers to approve the case. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Greenblatt to approve the case. The motion passed unanimously.

EXCP-10-15-2143: A request for a Special Exception Use located at 5301 Sidney Simons Boulevard. Current zoning is GC (General Commercial). The property is

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