A regular meeting/public hearing of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 23rd day of March, 2009 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
Roll Call: Commission members present were John Knowles, Julie Feuling, Russ Niskanen, Larry Steidl and Lyle Hammerschmidt. Also present was Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk, Ben Oleson, Township Zoning Administrator, and Jeff Kuhn, Township Engineer. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Knowles at 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: Niskanen, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition of Jack’s Family Recycling Center under Old Business. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes: Hammerschmidt, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 2/23/09 meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
New Business: Zoning Administrator Oleson explained that a major subdivision plat would be presented to the commission at its April meeting. Upon reviewing the plat, Oleson determined that certain questions arose concerning public infrastructure improvements. Of particular concern are lots which would not be the primary beneficiary of any proposed new infrastructure. He asked that the commission discuss the establishment of a policy to address these occurrences.
Chairman Knowles stated that he would rather see the township develop a general policy rather than address each occurrence on a case-by-case basis.
Items for consideration: a) who should be responsible for costs; b) public safety; and c) stormwater management. Engineer Kuhn remarked on the standard “best management practice” versus regional stormwater management. He also addressed turnarounds, cul-de-sacs, and the number of driveways allowable from a private road.
Commissioner Feuling inquired as to whether ghost platting would be appropriate in these occurrences.
Zoning Administrator Oleson was directed to consult with other entities on their established policies.
Old Business: RCR District. Zoning Administrator Oleson asked if the zoning subcommittee should meet now rather than wait until the end of the year to discuss possible changes to this classification. The consensus of the commission was to have the zoning subcommittee commence discussions now.
Jack’s Family Recycling Center (JFRC). Zoning Administrator Oleson reported that he had spoken with the owner, Kathy Hodges, regarding the roll-offs to the west of the property. Ms. Hodges contends that it has been a common practice to “store” the roll-offs for a limited period of time in this area. The commission felt that a definite distinction exists between the area allocated for the commercial business and the property to the west. The commission directed Oleson to contact Ms. Hodges about not expanding to the west. In addition, the existing roll-offs to the west of the property need to be removed by the end of June 2009.
Chairman Knowles closed the meeting to open the public hearing.
Public Hearing: The public hearing was to be comprised of two matters for discussion, 1) proposed amendments to Douglas County’s Subdivision Ordinance, and 2) proposed amendments to DNR Shoreland Rules.
Zoning Administrator Oleson stated that the county is preparing for a public hearing on the draft of the subdivision ordinance and is soliciting comments from various entities before the final draft is completed. A summary of the draft was provided.
Under the “metes and bounds” portion, the draft read, “plat exceptions no longer to include lot line adjustments between previously platted lots (still allows them on unplatted lots)”. The consensus was that platted lots should still be allowed “over the counter”.
Regarding subdivisions, the draft read, “all subdivision (except metes and bounds) applications would be required to go to the DRT (voluntary now) – includes PUDs”. Commission consensus was that minor subdivisions should not be included.
Regarding outlots, the draft depicts a change to the definition of “outlot”. The commission discussed requiring outlots to be re-platted. The draft signified that no permits are to be issued on an outlot. The commission asked just what type of permits are being alluded to?
Zoning Administrator Oleson stated that the State is preparing for public comment on the draft of the amendments to the DNR shoreland rules. Oleson presented a summary for the commission’s review. Oleson said that the DNR is moving towards utilizing the public hearing process.
The commission instructed Oleson to submit their comments to the appropriate agencies.
Since there was no public present to comment, Chairman Knowles closed the public hearing and re-convened the meeting.
Zoning Administrator’s Report: The commission discussed a violation that, despite the repeated efforts of Zoning Administrator Oleson, has not been resolved. The consensus was to have Oleson turn this violation over to the township attorney for resolution.
Adjournment: Being no further business, Feuling, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted….
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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk
Approved this _______day of ________, 2009
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John B. Knowles, Chairman