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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/08/24 Planning Commission MinutesCommissioners Present: Kevin Meyer, Chairman; AJ Schrantz, Van Taylor, Terry Hale, Rachel Arthur, Dustin Davis Town Staff: Summer Bork, Town Planner. 1. Call to Order Mr. Meyer called the meeting to order at 6:04 PM. 2. Roll Call of Commission A quorum was determined with all members present. Mr. Niece resigned. Ms. Bork mentioned that the town was looking for new commissioners and asked if commission members knew of suitable candidates to encourage them to apply. 3. Review and Approval of Minutes Chairman Meyer called for a review of the minutes. No changes were requested. Mr. Schrantz moved that they accept the minutes. Mr. Hale seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 5. Old Business a. Hospital Definition—Tabled The Commission had tabled the matter until the town’s attorney could review the definition. The Town Attorney had not provided comments, so the item remained tabled. 6. New Business a. Amending the Comprehensive Plan—VDOT State Compliance Ms. Bork explained that every Comprehensive Plan in the State is sent to VDOT for review. The review ensures that the town’s comprehensive plan aligns and is consistent with the Statewide Transportation Plan and other state programs. VDOT replied with several edits that they thought needed to be made, including providing more detail regarding certain specifics and adding a couple of additional projects that the state had as part of the six-year improvement plan that the town was unaware of. Ms. Arthur asked several clarifying questions concerning the nature of VDOT’s review. She was curious about what the “Bridge Replacement” project was to include and which bridge it was about. Ms. Bork replied that she was uncertain but would be glad to check with the town’s Engineering Manager (Scott Aust) and follow up with that information. Ms. Arthur mentioned that the town should investigate what it would take to move the light pole on the sharp turn on Route 11 toward downtown, as many accidents have occurred over the years in that location. Often, the accidents cause power outages within the surrounding neighborhood. Mr. Meyer called for a public hearing to consider the comprehensive plan amendment for the next month. b. Update to Town Zoning—Modular and Manufactured Housing Ms. Bork gave the staff report explaining the consideration for why the town’s definition of manufactured/modular housing is outdated and no longer in alignment with the state building code. She explained how HUD is responsible for inspecting and certifying manufactured, and DHCD oversees the same for modular housing. Mr. Schrantz mentioned that he would be interested in learning more about improvements made related to fire safety in manufactured housing since, in his experience, response time was shorter for manufactured construction compared to stick-built, and manufactured housing may require increased setbacks to minimize fire spread to neighboring properties. Other questions arose about securing the manufactured home onto a foundation and its efficacy in high-wind weather events like tornados. Other questions arose around the availability of flood insurance on manufactured homes, as many of the flatter properties in town are in or near the flood plain. Ms. Bork mentioned that she was not sure of many of these answers. She had reached out to Randy Grumbine with Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association, and he had mentioned that he was willing to come and speak more knowledgeable about these questions than she was able to. The commission members were enthusiastic about the possibility. She also mentioned that Clayton Homes in Dublin had offered a “field trip” to see some of the manufactured and modular homes on the market, but that there would be some logistical issues around the procures for public meetings she would need to work through to see if it was possible, but would be willing to look into it if it were something they would be interested in doing. The commissioners seemed very agreeable to a “field trip.” Ms. Bork reviews other considerations which would be good to consider during the discussion of this topic, including: Safety concerns associated with pre-1976 manufactured housing Transferring manufactured housing from personal property to real estate. Requirement for permanent foundations Limiting the number of homes on a lot Square footage and setback requirements The Commission was amenable to the drafted definitions and would like to see a draft of general provisions to review at the next meeting. 7. Other Business a. Nomination and Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair Mr. Bork reminded commissioners that per the by-laws, the Commission must nominate and appoint a chair and vice-chair annually. Mr. Taylor nominated Mr. Meyer to be the Chairperson for the next year. Mr. Hale seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Meyer accepted the position. Mr. Meyer nominated Mr. Schrantz as Vice-Chair. Mr. Taylor seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Schrantz accepted the position. 8. Staff Report a. Town to become a VDOT Urban Development Area Ms. Bork explained that staff had been working to get the town of Pulaski designated as a VDOT Urban Development Area, which would make the town eligible to pursue grant funding to work on a variety of projects such as improving pedestrian safety with sidewalk improvements and crosswalks improvements, and other projects which are designed to facility interconnectivity within the town. Several commissioners expressed their excitement about the opportunities that this presented to address some of the multi-modal improvements that would make the town more navigable. Stated that alternative and multi-modal transportation were considerations that are growing in the town, and if the town continues to grow, it needs to be looked into and addressed. They also expressed concern regarding wayfinding and that GPS app directions (Maps, Waze, etc.) are not providing visitors with start-forward trends, making navigating around town difficult. The concern is that visitors may miss what makes Pulaski unique and would attract a return visit. They also thought encouraging more development and revitalization along Route 11 and 99 toward I-81 would help present the town as a place people want to stop, visit, and explore. They see the need to partner with the county to improve these areas and promote economic vitality for the community. b. Justice Property Acquisition Ms. Bork explained that the town had purchased a large property near Route 11. She explained that the town intended to hire consultants to create a small area plan for the parcel. She explained that the process would involve public input and visioning similar to, but on a much smaller scale, the planning commission did during their recent comprehensive plan update. She also explained that much like the Comprehensive Plan, small-area plans had a similar weight of consideration when justifying the area's development and land use decision-making. This allowed the town some say on what goes where, would allow for provisions like recreation amenities or green space, and would enable the town to consider questions like transportation, utilities, stormwater management, and other considerations holistically. The commissioners seemed excited by the prospect of seeing the “entrance” of town from Route 11 begin to shift to a more thriving area and hoped this might catalyze development along the Route 11 corridor and create more vibrancy leading into the downtown core. 9. Commissioner Comments Mr. Schrantz mentioned that he would like to review and address town zoning related to parking minimums in the near future since it may be a deterrent to development presently. 10. Adjournment With no further business to discuss, Mr. Schrantz moved to adjourn the meeting, and Mr. Hale seconded. There were no objections; the meeting ended at 7:50 PM. Kevin Meyer, Chair Summer Bork, Town Planner