St. George


Planning Commission

Tuesday, November 28,2006
Minutes



CITY OF ST. GEORGE
WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH
PLANNING COMMISSION
November 28, 2006 - 4:00 p.m.

PRESENT: Chairman Gil Almquist
Commissioner Ross Taylor
Commissioner Mike Nobis
Commissioner Ron Bracken
Council Member Gail Bunker
Commissioner Julie Hullinger
Commissioner Chapin Burks

EXCUSED: Commissioner Kim Campbell

CITY STAFF: Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston
Community Development Director Bob Nicholson
Planner Ray Snyder
Engineer Jay Sandberg
Engineer Cathy Hasfurther
Deputy City Recorder Linda Brooks

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman Almquist called the meeting to order, welcomed those in attendance. Chairman Almquist led the flag salute.

CONSENT ITEMS - FINAL PLATS

A. Consider approval of a final plat for Southgate Hills Phase 6 with 15 single-family lots located at approximately Sir Monte Drive and Windsor Drive. Mr. Marc Brown, representative. Case No. 2006-FP-098

B. Consider approval of a final plat for Rocky Bluffs with 3 single-family lots located at approximately 2350 East and 2100 South. Mr. Clay Tolbert, representative. Mr. Clay Tolbert, representative. Case No. 2006-FP-095

C. Consider approval of a final plat for Twin Creeks Phase 2 Amended to extend lots 79 and 80 southwesterly twenty-five (25'). Located at approximately Dixie Drive and Stardust Drive. Mr. Brandon Anderson, representative. Case No. 2006-FP-096

D. Consider approval of a final plat for Cottages (Fossil Hills) Phase 2 a twenty-four (24) unit townhome subdivision. Located at approximately the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road. Mr. Roger Bundy, representative. Case No. 2006-FP-105


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E. Consider approval of a final plat for Cottages (Fossil Hills) Phase 3 a fourteen (14) unit townhomes subdivision. Located at approximately the intersection of Brigham Road and River Road. Mr. Roger Bundy, representative. Case No. 2006-FP-104

MOTION: Commissioner Hullinger made a motion to recommend to City Council approval of final plats A through E read into record and authorize Chairman to sign. Commissioner Taylor seconded the motion. All voted aye.


CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT

Consider a request for a conditional use permit for permission to construct a 133,935 sq. ft. climate controlled storage building that would exceed thirty-five (35') ft. in height. The building would have five floors; three above ground and two below. The building footprint would be 27,469 sq. ft. and requires a site plan building review. In addition to the storage facility is proposed a 1,500 sq. ft. office and a 4,000 sq. ft. residence. The property is approximately 5.02 acres. The zoning is C-3 (General Commercial). The property is located at 700 South Street and Bluff Street. The applicant is Mr. Denis Lyman. Case No. 2006-CUP-026

Planner Ray Snyder said this item was tabled by Planning Commission on the October 24, 2006 meeting. The applicant was requested to submit a new color scheme that would be more in harmony with the hillside. Also requested to provide driveway slope design for review, add facade changes, and provide additional landscaping against the building face. The height of the building was also discussed and an increased height may be submitted for consideration. The Planning Commission informed the applicant that only one manager unit would be permitted. A site visit by the Planning Commission was scheduled and occurred on Wednesday, November 1, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. The applicant has submitted a revised proposal.

Ray stated that Planning Commission has several key issues to consider;
1. Height elevation and method of calculation.
2. Site Plan and Building Elevation Design
a. Vehicle access and parking lots property designed for safety, efficiency and beauty. Parking lots should be landscaped with shade trees throughout the lot to avoid major heat islands, and to break up large asphalt areas.
b. Landscaping of the project site to promote community appearance.
c. Building facades should have windows and a varied front wall plane with insets and projections to avoid long, unbroken wall segments which give the building an uninteresting appearance.
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d. Building colors shall be subdued earth tones, with bright, dark, or white colors limited to trim.
3. Permitted Use: A storage rental business is a permitted use in the C-3 zone.
4. Parking: Determine the number of spaces required for indoor storage facility.
5. Landscaping.
6. Lighting: Determine lighting placement and illumination levels.
7. Residence in a commercial zone: Only one manager unit is a permitted use, a second residence is not permitted.
8. Hillside: Determine Hillside permit requirements.
9. Lot Merger: Merge the lots together legally.
10. Improve the street(s) to the satisfaction of the City Traffic Engineer; this involves at a minimum 1) design for 8% slope and 2) meet master plan roadway ROW. Both the termination of 700 South and the outer highway road (approximately 200 West St.) is involved. A cul-de-sac is required at the termination of 700 South.

Ray presented a slide presentation of the location and color rendering of the building layout.

City Traffic Engineer Rick Snyder said there are a couple issues that City staff is concerned about. The applicant is showing the westerly driveway closed up with landscaping. The City would definitely want to keep that open for circulation for the Surgical Center. Rick said it was suggested by City Traffic Engineer Aron Baker to put in a round-about in this westerly area. Which would allow for the moving trucks to make a turn-around.

Gerald Minich the architect on the project presented a 3D slide presentation. Gerald said they took the landscaping on the 1-1/2 slope. He pointed out the private easement for their two access points on the sides. He indicated that in their redesign of the project they were able to lower the building by 8 ft. They will change the colors to dark earthly colors. Gerald said they have corrected the road and have made it 66 ft. wide. The biggest truck they will allow on the site would be 27 ft. in length. They will not allow any semi-trucks. He said the building will be tucked into the hillside.

Reid Pope from Pope Engineering pointed out that the Surgical Center has two accesses. The suggestion from the City for a turn-around will make the site difficult to work with. The building has already been platted for 700 South. He said there will not be a lot of traffic due to the storage units to promote a turn-around.

Commissioner Nobis asked for clarification regarding that the storage units would not promote enough traffic for a turn-around. Reid replied that there is not a great deal of incentive to require one. There would be far greater uses that would generate more traffic than storage units.

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Rick Snyder said the City is in the planning process in widen Bluff Street into 7 lanes. This will be one of the release valves in order to have 700 South a through street.

Council Member Bunker asked if the round-about would really be that much value seeing that 700 South will be tying into Blackridge Drive. Rick replied that the round-about would allow trucks to get through, and in putting that round-about they could keep the entrance open to the Surgical Center. Rick said the City has made concessions to the applicant.

Mr. Denis Lyman the applicant explained how other trucks have been unloaded in his other locations. He believes the round-about is not needed.

Commissioner Taylor their concern is that this street becomes a public street and has to meet the public’s traffic. The City’s traffic engineer has to consider that a truck may come up that road not necessarily to their establishment but he would be using the public street.

Reid Pope said he doesn’t believe 700 South would be a choice for the truck drivers due to the steepness of the road and the 90 degree turns of the road.

Commissioner Taylor said how many buildings on the west side of Bluff Street would project above the ridge as you drive down Bluff Street? Gerald said they would see none. You would still be able to see the ridge behind the building.

Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said they can have an office with no living quarters in it. The applicant has indicated that there will be a 4,000 sq. ft. manager’s living quarter separate from the office space.

MOTION: Commissioner Bracken made a motion stating that he finds that this does fit the legal ramification of the City Ordinance. He finds this can move forward and with staff recommendations added. Only one living quarter in the building should be allowed and the office would not have any living quarters in it. Commission Bracken said he does not want to see any shades of red in the colors of the building. That there is somewhat dark brown coloring for the building, and recommends dark rendering. He is concerned about the roadway in the front and feels that before they get to City Council they need to review that with City staff. Commissioner Burks seconded the motion.






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DISCUSSION ON MOTION
Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said they should add to the motion that only the manager or the security personnel can live there that is what the ordinance states.

Commissioner Bracken said that staff should make sure that they meet that subject to the ordinance.

Ray Snyder asked if it is understood that part of the motion states that this would not go to City Council until it is resolved with traffic issues? Commissioner Bracken said that is what he has put into the motion.

Two of the conditions are as follows; 1) the City Traffic Engineer receives and approves street designs that comply with the master road plan and standard design criteria for 700 South Bluff Street and the frontage street (200 West Street behind Dixie Lube) and 2) that the request be reviewed by the Hillside Review Board.

Bob Nicholson said it should go through the Hillside Review Board before it goes to City Council. Commissioner Bracken said they should go through Hillside before going to City Council so that everything is resolved.

Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said they need to submit their findings on how this fits in the surrounding hillside and other buildings in the adjacent area.

Commissioner Bracken added the discussion items into the motion. Commissioner Burks seconded that. All voted aye.


ZONE CHANGE - PUBLIC HEARING (5:00 P.M.)

Consider a zone change request from Open Space (OS) and Mining and Grazing (M&G) to PD (Planned Development Residential and Planned Development Commercial) and C-2 (Highway Commercial Zone) on 516 acres for the future Atkinville Interchange (Milepost 2). The site is located near the existing Utah Visitor’s Center and Sun River development. SITLA applicant, Mr. Gary Wood, EDAW Inc., representative. Case No. 2006-ZC-023

City Planning Director Bob Nicholson said this is around the Milepost 2 interchange. He said the interchange is in the design phase now. It will go out to bid early next spring (2007). Their application request is PD Commercial, PD Residential and C-2 zones. They are also asking for special consideration for a two-step approval process. First the uses will be approved at this

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point and then the building elevation and site plan would be approved by Planning Commission when a developer is ready to proceed. Staff is suggesting that the 516 acres all be zoned PD which would require a design review by Planning Commission and City Council.

Commissioner Burks asked if the uses could be changed tonight. Bob replied yes.

Bob said the visitor center which is planning area 4.3 would be traded or donated to the City. Council Member Bunker asked if for the uses on area 4.2 could they pick and choose those Conditional Uses? Bob said the City is trying to minimize the amount of Conditional Uses.

Mr. Gary Wood from EDAW, Inc., said he has been working almost 3 years on this Milepost 2 project. Gary said some of the key items in the over all view would be interchange and southern parkway funding where the State Trust Lands is dedicating right-of-way and is contributing $4M in cash to the funding and constructing two miles to the east to River Road. Processing a General Plan amendment for all of the south block area will be done later. There would be temporary selective local mining permits in the area to get fill material to support the overall interchange construction. Refinement to the southern parkway alignment, location of intersections and even a relocation of a segment of the Atkinville Wash is part of the overall plan. The land use plan is identical with the General Plan Amendment and involves creating areas for residential, employment, visitor serving commercial, mixed use, and welcome center site. It also deals with the trail system, and the phasing plan is a very general phasing plan. The area will take about 10-15 years to build out. Staff’s recommendation is for a PD zoning for the entire area. Gary feels the C-2 zone would be very good for the defined areas. He said it was suggested that the commercial buildings should face I-15. They felt that was a good comment and they have implemented that into their plans. There is a comment that the visitor center should be incorporated into this plan and they feel it should be with the C-2 uses. They want to move this forward. Gary said there is an access management plan in their document.

Council Member Bunker asked if there is any objections to having the C-2 to be zoned PD? Gary replied they see the overall design dealing with colors and the use of rock accents. This is what they want to bring to this master plan area.. The design plan will carry through with the C-2 and the PD zone. Gary said if there is design guidelines it will be respected for the C-2 and PD zones. The applicants will adapt to those standards.

Curt Gordon from SITLA asked what is the concern? Council Member Bunker said she would like the City to have control on what the size and rendering would look like in these areas. Curt said they would be happy to bring back the design of the buildings and show these to the board. Curt said the guidelines would apply to the whole area.


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Gary Wood said they don’t want commercial to dominate this area. They want to have an effective town center in the south block.

Commissioner Burks asked about the signage? Gary said the City will control the signs by their current sign ordinance. Curt said they could bring back a plan for Planning Commission to look at when it comes to the signage.

Commissioner Burks asked about the list of uses, he asked about the VC1 and VC2. Gary said the only difference between the two is a travel plaza which would be allowed in the VC2 to be located at an interchange. It was identified that this was the best place for one. Commissioner Burks asked about Employment 1 and Employment 2. He questioned whether an alcohol servinig location would be allowed in Employment 1 sites. Gary said it is there because it is close to the highway such as a hotel.

Council Member Bunker asked about Employment 1 being located near Pioneer Road. She feels it is an area to be protected.

Chairman Almquist asked about large billboards for the I-15 area. Gary Wood said that is not in the list of uses in the matrix. This could be incorporated into this signage requirement as Curt Gordon indicated.

Curt Gordon said when you look at the entrance to the area SITLA is not interested in having billboards cluttering that area.

Commissioner Burks asked Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston if the City can have a different sign ordinance for a different areas. Paula replied they could do it by zone. Gary Wood said they could make this an extension to the zoning requirements.

Chairman Almquist asked Bob Nicholson about leaving control with some of the areas with the Planning Commission. Bob said the C-2 would allow C-2 uses but in the C-2 zone there are different design standards. The C-2 zone requires a 20 ft. setback, you could have landscaping or parking lot within the setback. The PD zone requires landscaping within the front 25' setback and you don’t have parking. Bob said the sign ordinance states that there can not be any billboards in a PD zone unless approved with a site plan which would cover a PD zone request.

Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said they could also have outdoor storage in a C-2 zone where it would not be allowed in a PD zone.

Gary Wood said on the issue of setback, if there is a 25 ft. landscaping required for the PD zone he feels it should be included in the C-2 zone also.


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Bob Nicholson asked what the down side would be to zoning it all PD? Curt Gordon from SITLA said there is not a down side.

Curt Gordon said if this important to the board then make a recommendation to have the area zoned PD. But they will come back to address the uses in the C-2 area.

Robert Knudson a resident of Sun River asked about the proposed road that will be in front of the residents homes. How would they protect the existing homes from the traffic and lighting? How do you mesh those two together?

Mike McFarlin a resident of Sun River said he is far more in favor of the open space for this location. He would be in favor of the PD zone. His concern is about the area designated for a truck stop and making that a right turn in only. He has a concern about the gateway to southern Utah. What is going to happen to downtown if you make this a gateway to southern Utah. He feels that the St. George Blvd area will die. He is concerned about the retired residents for Sun River and their privacy and ability to look at the stars. With the lighting coming in that ability will go away. He feels that there are better answers.

Jerry Strawn lives in Sun River and said there should be some buffer zone between the homes and the commercial area. He said he will not have any privacy whatsoever when something is built there. He ask the board to consider the people who have purchased their homes in Sun River

Stee Halfacre said they have backyards that face Arrow Head Canyon Drive. They have concerns about the mixed use area and how that will affect their backyards.

Leslie McFarlin she feels there should be a 100 ft buffer to Sun River. They feel safe and it is quiet in this area. They feel that their home right now is safe from vandals. She feels that commercial business would bring in a feeling of not feeling safe. Traffic, noise and lighting.

Colleen Cohne is worried about the elevation of the buildings. What about the employment area and what kind of people it will bring in?

Rudy Foresta said the neighborhood is concerned. They want to live in harmony with what will come. But the City has to realize their concerns.

Bill Hunter is on the board of trustees of Sun River. He would like to see certain areas aged restricted west of I-15.

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Gary Wood replied to the questions from the Sun River residents. Part of the mixed use area now belongs to Sun River. So they are just extending that use with what Sun River puts in for this area. That particular area is not under SITLA’s control. He said the only point of access to the areas is from Arrow Head Canyon. There is no other access for these parcels.

Gary Wood said the height for the buildings would not exeed 35 ft. which is the City’s standard. The access point for the truck stop would be off the ramp. This has been reviewed by the City, UDOT and SITLA. It was specifically design for the flow of truck traffic.

Commissioner Burks asked if they envision the trucks will overnight there? Gary Wood said they don’t have overnight accommodations. He believes that it is not just geared for semi-trucks but it would be for RV’s and other trailers.

Council Member Bunker said most of the residents concerns are along Arrow Head Canyon Drive. She would like to see a buffer for them on that road. Gary Wood said the reason the employment is where it is - is because of the access and the visibility.

Council Member Bunker asked about the mixed use areas. Gary Wood said part of the mixed use piece next to Arrow Head Canyon Drive is not owned by SITLA, but is owned by Sun River.

Darcey Stewart said the planning that has gone into this area is good planning. What Sun River residents need to is that SITLA will need to come back before this board for approval.

MOTION: Commissioner Taylor made a motion for approval as a PD zone for the entire area rather than part as C-2. Commissioner Bracken seconded the motion.

Commissioner Taylor said the C-2 uses would be alright in areas originally proposed for C-2 zone, but to be zoned PD Commercial. Commissioner Bracken seconded that into the motion.

Commissioner Burks said he would not approve a truck stop in this area.

All voted aye, except for Commissioner Burks. Motion carries with a vote of 4 to 1.


AMENDMENT TO ZONING REGULATIONS - PUBLIC HEARING (5:00 P.M.)

A. Consider proposed amendments to the City of St. George Code, Title 10, Zoning Regulations, Chapter 17, “Conditional Uses”. City of St. George, applicant. Case No. 2006-ZRA-005


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Bob Nicholson said this is a followup from the last meeting. They are responding to the changes put out by the State Law. If the applicant can meet these new conditions then it could be done as an approved use.

Bob Nicholson mentioned Section 10-17-7: General Standards for Approval of Conditional Uses. Bob said the noise, dust and odors which are similar to the Code Enforcement ordinance. Bob continued to go through the rest of the items which consisted of aesthetics, safety, traffic, height, hours of operation, saturation/spacing, maintain character & purpose of zone and public health. He said they removed lighting on a City wide basis. Bob said that is the heart of the changes for this chapter.

Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said the new additions are as detailed as we would like but this is a starting point for the City so they can develop stronger standards from this point on.

Commissioner Nobis questioned the height. He said they spoke on putting a height on the residential and commercial within 500 ft. Commissioner Nobis asked if they could put 200 ft. for residential and 500 ft. for commercial? Bob felt it would be better to make them both 500 ft. radius.

Deputy City Attorney Paula Houston said on a conditional use they are going to put in a lighting restriction on all commercial areas.

MOTION: Commissioner Burks made a motion to recommend to City Council approval of the proposed amendments to the City of St. George Code, Title 10, Zoning Regulations, Chapter 17, “Conditional Uses”. City of St. George, applicant. Commissioner Taylor seconded the motion. All voted aye.


B. Consider proposed amendments to the City of St. George Code, Title 10, Zoning Regulations, various chapters and sections regarding conditional uses. City of St. George, applicant. Case No. 2006-ZRA-013

Bob Nicholson said they have gone through each use for this chapter. The change is to make school’s and churches permitted uses. The State has said that Charter Schools will be permitted uses. Staff feels that having the schools and churches be conditional uses is a waste of time.

Staff and Planning Commission went over the permitted uses for Commercial zones.

MOTION. Commissioner Burks made a motion to recommend to City Council approval for proposed amendments to the City of St. George Code, Title 10, Zoning Regulations, various chapters and sections regarding conditional uses, with conditions that there be further research by the City Attorney and that staff comes back and ask for any future changes. City of St. George, applicant. Commission Hullinger seconded the motion. All voted aye.