A regular meeting of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 24th day of March, 2008 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
Roll Call: Commission members present were John Knowles, Julie Feuling, Russ Niskanen and Larry Steidl. Also present was Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk, Jeff Kuhn, Township Engineer and Ryan Leister, Township Zoning Administrator. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Knowles at 6:30 p.m.
Agenda:
Steidl, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes:
Feuling, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 2/25/08 meeting as written. Commissioner Niskanen abstained. Motion carried.
Motion by Niskanen, seconded by Feuling, to recess the meeting at 6:31 p.m. to open up the public hearing on the Preliminary Plat and Conditional Use of LeHomme Dieu Estates Townhomes and the Preliminary Plat and Conditional Use of Eastgate, (PUD) and to reconvene at the end of the public hearing. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting recessed at 6:31 p.m.
Public Hearing:
The public hearing opened with comments from Brad Nyberg of Nyberg Surveying. Mr. Nyberg was representing Robert Bugher, applicant for the preliminary plat and conditional use permit for LeHomme Dieu Estates Townhomes. Mr. Nyberg circulated copies of a re-drawn plat which in essence moved lot 1 (a single unit) to the southern end and lots 6 and 7 (joined units) to the northern end. All of the driveways back out onto Lakecrest Road. Safety concerns were raised about the driveways for lots 6 and 7 and their proximities to the intersection of Lakecrest Road and Pinewood Lane. The applicant chose to move lot 1 to this congested area as the single unit’s driveway could be positioned more appropriately and thus avoid a hazard.
Mr. Nyberg stated that their calculations place open space at 50 percent. There is an existing drainage easement. The applicant plans to begin with the northernmost two units, lots 6 and 7.
Commissioner Niskanen inquired as to whether there would be any covenants. Mr. Nyberg stated that those had not yet been drafted.
Chairman Knowles opened the meeting to the public. He recognized Jeanne Barlage of 3042 Pinewood Lane. Ms. Barlage said that she has covenants from when they first built the development (LeHomme Dieu Estates). She said that those covenants stipulate that there are to be only single-family homes built. Ms. Barlage had a copy of said covenants and gave them to the commission to copy and review.
Kristy Langenfeld, 3383 Lakecrest Road NE, stated that the landowners had no knowledge that this area was being re-platted.
Rob Schroeder, 3050 Pinewood Lane, said that when they first purchased their homestead, this area (the townhomes plat) was included in that original plat.
Motion by Niskanen, seconded by Steidl, to table this application until the next meeting so a legal opinion can be rendered on the covenant issue. Roll: Niskanen – yes, Steidl – yes, Feuling – yes, Knowles – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
Even though the motion had been made to table the application, Chairman Knowles asked for further discussion to ensure that all aspects had been addressed. Commissioner Niskanen inquired as to the traffic hazard of the driveways backing out onto the township road. Engineer Kuhn said it was a common practice and of no particular concern. He also stated that the intersection was no longer a concern since the applicant moved the single unit to that area.
Engineer Kuhn stated that the stormwater plan had been approved with the previous platting of the property. The applicant will use the existing pond as part of the stormwater plan.
With regard to impervious calculations, Mr. Nyberg stated that on this proposed development, the impervious surfaces will meet the maximum allowable, while maintaining the minimum 50 percent required open space restrictions. The applicant intends to include in the covenants that no additions can be made onto buildings, etc. New owners will be made aware of this restriction. He also acknowledged that landscaping would be addressed for final plat.
John Nicholson, 3021 Pinewood Lane, asked a question concerning the open space requirement.
Kristi Langenfeld asked whether the original development plat could be changed, since everything was platted out at that time. How did this new plat happen?
John Smith, 3056 Pinewood Lane, stated that the original plat goes all the way to Highway 29, encompassing the area of the new plat.
Being no further comments, Chairman Knowles closed the public portion and reiterated that the motion had been made to table this plat for further information.
Feuling, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to close this portion of the public hearing and advance to the next item for hearing purposes. Motion carried.
Chairman Knowles invited Rod Eldevik of Eldevik Land Surveying, and Dennis Conn, applicant for the preliminary plat and conditional use permit for Eastgate , First Supplemental CIC Plat, to make their presentation.
Mr. Conn stated that the existing building currently has three (3) lots and he intends to add three (3) more. He also intends to construct another building which would house eleven (11) lots. At the previous meeting, he had a different water retention plan. The pond will now be to the west, where previously it had been delineated to the east. This new water retention plan will enable him to have access from his adjoining property to the west.
In reviewing the conditions outlined in the staff report, Mr. Conn asked about condition no. 3. Could he build a berm along the southern edge of buildings 1 and 2 until he would need to come in for additional building permits? The consensus was that until they hit the one-acre impervious coverage minimum (and buildings 1 and 2 would come just under that) instead of requiring the applicant to complete the pond, the applicant would need to have a plan approved by the township engineer. The pond would be implemented after the 1-acre impervious “trigger”.
The accumulated dirt, which sits on the site of the pond, would either be used for landscaping or sold. Chairman Knowles asked if the delineated wetlands would be disturbed and if a new wetland area would need to be established. Mr. Eldevik assured the commission that the wetland would not be impacted.
Commissioner Feuling asked Engineer Kuhn to further clarify the issue of utilizing a smaller pond, or berm, and whether that would be sufficient. Chairman Knowles instructed Zoning Administrator Leister to summarize condition no. 3. Leister also noted that the stormwater plan could consist of berms, swales, a silt fence, etc.
Zoning Administrator Leister broached the topic of condition no. 2 regarding the holding tanks. He said that it would be hard to enforce the holding tank requirement after the plat has been approved. Further discussion ensued regarding conditions nos. 2 and 5. Perhaps put in language to review the need for installation of the holding tanks.
Feuling, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion that condition no. 2 be amended to read: “That the applicant installs an adequately-sized holding tank(s) to serve all units that will have sewer lines stubbed into them. This shall be done prior to final plat approval and include the existing building on the property”; and that condition no. 11 be changed to include the phrase “prior to final plat approval”. Roll: Feuling – yes, Steidl – yes, Niskanen – yes, Knowles – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Knowles opened the meeting to the public for comment. Hearing none, he brought the issue back to the commission and asked for a motion concerning the plat.
Niskanen, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to approve the plat with the conditions recommended by staff, and to include the changes made to conditions nos. 2 and 11.
Roll: Feuling – yes, Steidl – yes, Niskanen – yes, Knowles – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
Zoning Administrator’s Report. No comments from the commission.
New Business:
Chairman Knowles asked for discussion relative to open space requirements in PUD’s. Questions were asked about what the county’s requirements are? Are they less or more stringent than the township’s 50% minimum? Is the township’s 50% minimum a detriment to development? The zoning administrator was asked to do more research and bring back to the commission at their April meeting.
The commission also requested that the zoning administrator establish a policy regarding covenants.
Old Business:
Chairman Knowles asked for discussion regarding sewer requirements in the UR district. It was agreed to bring this topic up at the next meeting. The zoning administrator will bring examples of ghost-platting as well.
Adjournment:
Being no further business, Steidl, seconded by Feuling, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m.
Respectfully submitted….
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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk
Approved this _______day of ________, 2007
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John B. Knowles, Chairman