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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-21 Planning Commission Minutes MINUTES Town of Pulaski Planning Commission December 13, 2021 Commissioners Present: Kevin Meyer, Chair; Janet Jonas, Vice-Chair; Terry Hale; Chris Conner; Tracy Belcher; Luke Seigfried; David Hall Commissioners Absent: Town Staff: Brady Deal, Planner/Economic Developer/Zoning Administrator 1. Call to Order Chairman Meyer called the Planning Commission to order at 6:03 p.m. 2. Roll Call of Commission A quorum was determined since all of the commissioners were present. 3. Review and Approval of Minutes Mr. Deal had just sent out the minutes that day and so the review of the minutes for November 8, 2021 were tabled until the end of the meeting. Ms. Belcher motioned to table the review of the minutes until the end of the meeting, seconded by Mr. Seigfried. The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote: Chairman Meyer – Mr. Hale – Aye Ms. Jonas – Aye Mr. Hall - Aye Ms. Belcher – Aye Mr. Seigfried - Aye Mr. Conner – Aye 4. Public Hearing a. Case 2021-11SE – a request from Bimmerworld Properties, LLC for a special exception for property located at 1000 Memorial Drive Page 2 of 6 / December 13, 2021 Chairman Meyer asked Mr. Deal to provide the staff report. Mr. Deal stated the Town received a request from Bimmerworld Properties, LLC for a special exception for property located at 1000 Memorial Drive for the Light Industrial Use, Industry Type 1. He stated Bimmerworld was located in Dublin, Virginia and is looking to expand their operations which is why they are interested in this property. Mr. Deal stated that Bimmerworld is a racing team and parts manufacturer that competes and sells products across the globe. He stated that the most intense aspect of their operation is the use of a dyno machine. Mr. Deal stated that the machine would be located indoors and would be within its own room to limit sound. He stated that the definition for Industry Type 1 is in the agenda packet. He finished by saying that the main operation would be located in the old Magic Mart space but that some of the other spaces in the shopping center may be used for accessory related uses. Chairman Meyer asked if any of the commissioners had questions. Mr. Conner asked if the entire operation would be moving from Dublin to Pulaski. Mr. Deal stated that it was his understanding that the entire operation would be located in Pulaski. He took a moment to further elaborate on the aspects of his zoning review of the current facility including the assessment of sight, sound, and smell factors. None of the other commissioners had questions at that time. Chairman Meyer asked if there were any submitted comments from the public. Mr. Deal stated no and that no one had signed up to speak that evening. Two individuals representing the organization were present. James Clay, CEO of Bimmerworld, spoke regarding their operation and stated that they were the industry leader in what they do. He stated that they will run their operation is a top-notch manner and be considerate of their neighbors. He mentioned that they were planning to implement multiple mitigation measures to limit the sound emission from the dyno machine. Chairman Meyer asked if they machine their own parts and if they bring vehicles in from other teams or street cars. Mr. Clay stated that what is seen on television is about 10% of what their operation entails. He stated that they are the industry leader in selling/distributing BMW parts. He stated that they do light manufacturing and machining. Mr. Clay stated that they do have a parts pick-up window but do not focus on storefront retail. Page 3 of 6 / December 13, 2021 With no further questions, Chairman Meyer asked for a motion. Mr. Conner motioned to recommend to Town Council approval of the special exception and Ms. Jonas seconded the motion. The motion passed on the following roll call vote: Chairman Meyer – Mr. Hale – Aye Ms. Jonas – Aye Mr. Hall - Aye Ms. Belcher – Aye Mr. Seigfried - Aye Mr. Conner – Aye 5. Old Business a. Comprehensive Plan Update i. Transportation Element Aphi asked the commissioners if they received the maps of the transit routes. She also passed out a document with information on crash data. Aphi reviewed the functional classification of the roads in the Town of Pulaski. She stated that there are about 17 miles of arterial roads, 25 miles of minor roads, 10 miles of collector, and 92 miles of local streets. She then reviewed the average daily traffic counts for the Town and reviewed a volume to capacity map. She stated that all of the main roadways have capacity for more volume. She then reviewed the routes that the Pulaski Area Transit (PAT) serves to the residents of Pulaski. She mentioned that the commissioners had mentioned the need for expanded transportation opportunities and asked if they had any thoughts regarding the map that depicts the PAT routes. Aphi asked if there was a sidewalk map for the Town. Mr. Deal stated that there was not one to his knowledge but that a sidewalk map and masterplan layout is thoroughly needed. Ms. Belcher mentioned that there are a lot of sidewalks that abruptly ends which force people to walk on the roadway. She referenced Memorial Drive as a prime example. Ms. Jonas stated that there are sidewalks near her house that abruptly end which force people to use the streets for walking. Aphi asked if the commissioners had any comments on the PAT routes, existing stops, and or needed additional stops. Ms. Jonas asked about multipurpose trails/roadways in the Town. Page 4 of 6 / December 13, 2021 Aphi stated that the New River Trail is the only documented multi-purpose trail but that there were sharrows and multi-purpose trails proposed in the NRV Bike, Ped, Paddle Plan. Mr. Conner stated that a good location for sharrows would be Memorial Drive. Ms. Jonas stated that a significant issue present is the pedestrians from multi-family housing complexes accessing food stores with limited transportation resources. She stated that connecting these housing areas with shopping areas needs to be considered in future multi-purpose trail planning. Ms. Jonas mentioned that the Local Food, Local Places plan reviewed some of the local “trails” that residents have overtime created to get from point a to point b including a trail from Meadowview to the YMCA. Ms. Jonas stated that another area where transportation improvements should be considered is at the end of Commerce Street near Kersey Bottom. Aphi asked if the commissioners had any input on the visibility of the bus stops and condition of the stops. Chairman Meyer asked what mechanisms could be used to encourage PAT to add stops for a temporary period of time to determine the interest and usage. He also asked who would pay for the expansion of services. Aphi stated that the town provides funding to PAT and that the organizations could work together to run some expansion routes/stops that may better serve residents that are currently not served. Chairman Meyer stated that since the Town and County provide funding to this organization, they should have some say in how PAT functions in serving the community. Aphi stated that another topic she wanted to bring up was the entrance routes to the Town and how the survey included responses from individuals that were concerned with the lighting coming into tow. Mr. Deal stated that there were a number of street lamps out and that the Town Manager has been working to get those back lit. He also stated that there was an effort to light both sides of Main Street. Mr. Hale mentioned that he has struggled to get AEP to fix street lights near his home and that AEP would be responsible for this throughout the town. Page 5 of 6 / December 13, 2021 Aphi discussed some of the other repetitive comments that were received in the survey process regarding transportation including streets that need paving, pot holes, traffic patterns, etc. Mr. Seigfried mentioned that a sharrow on the southside of town would be beneficial since a lot of residents on that side of town already use bikes as a primary mode of transportation. He also mentioned that this could serve to connect Calfee Park to downtown. Aphi thanked the commissioners for their input and then mentioned that there would be an Economic Development Focus Group meeting the next day at 10:00 a.m. in the Train Station. b. Properties Improperly Zoned Chairman Meyer then asked Mr. Deal to provide an overview of the properties that staff have identified as improperly zoned. Mr. Deal stated that there were multiple properties on Bob White Blvd. that are zoned B- 2 General Business but have single-family residential land use. He stated that these properties are technically considered non-conforming and therefore are unallowed to expand their use, including adding a shed or deck etc. Mr. Deal then mentioned properties on Valley and 2nd Street that face a similar issue but are zoned I-2 Heavy Industrial and have single-family residential land use. Mr. Deal then mentioned the hospital and health center off of route 11 and that they are zoned R-1 single-family residential and should be changed to a more commercial zoning and/or a residential office zoning. Chairman Meyer stated that he feels all of those properties off of route 11 should have a similar zoning designation. Mr. Deal then mentioned the Meadowview complex as another area that is not zoned properly in that it is zoned R-2 which does not permit multi-family dwellings. Chairman Meyer stated that he feels the properties that are residential and considered non-conforming should be rezoned because it limits their ability to adequately use their property. Mr. Deal mentioned the commission would need to consider the impacts and processes surrounding downzoning, particularly for the lots that are zoned Industrial. Mr. Deal stated that was all that he had for that item but did mention that they were making an offer to an individual for the Planner position and that the individual selected would work directly alongside himself. Page 6 of 6 / December 13, 2021 6. Adjournment Prior to adjournment, Chairman Meyer asked for a motion to untable the minutes review and approval. Ms. Jonas motioned. Chairman Meyer stated if there are any corrections needed please mention them. Mr. Seigfried motioned to approve the minutes as submitted. Mr. Hale seconded the motion. The motion passed on the following voice vote: Chairman Meyer – Mr. Hale – Aye Ms. Jonas – Aye Mr. Hall - Aye Ms. Belcher – Aye Mr. Seigfried - Aye Mr. Conner – Aye Ms. Jonas then provided an overview on the progress of the Pulaski Middle School redevelopment project which will likely be 95 apartment units. With there being no further business to discuss, Chairman Meyer adjourned the meeting at 7:17 p.m. _________________________ Kevin Meyer, Chair ATTEST: _________________________ Brady Deal, Zoning Administrator