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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.09.90 Planning Packet1. CALL TO ORDER 7:00 P.M. 2. APPROVE MINUTES a. December 12, 1989 AGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR JANUARY 9, 1990 3. PUBLIC HEARING 7:00 P.M. a. Variance Request from Jon S. Falkowski 916 8th Street for Permission to Retain an Existing Oversized Sign 4. DISCUSSION a. Downtown Housing Density Discrepancy between Market Rate and Subsidized Unit Requirements 5. ADJOURN AGENDA REPORT PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR JANUARY 9, 1990 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:00 P.M. 2. APPROVE MINUTES DECEMBER 12, 1989 3. PUBLIC HEARING 7:00 P.M. VARIANCE REQUEST FROM JON S. FALKOWSKI Dr. Falkowski installed a sign measuring 4x6 feet in front of his dental office shortly after being given permission by the Planning Commission for a conditional use to utilize the property for other than residential purposes. The property is located in an R -2 Residential District and it may have a sign 50% smaller than the existing sign as a non residential identification in a residential area. The property fronts on a frontage road which parallels Highway 3. It is situated across the highway from a shopping center and down the street from a used car lot. The structure was originally built as a church and later sold as a business use primarily because of its location. The Commission reviewed the problem at its December meeting and found no objection to leaving the sign as it is currently. Recommendation Approve the requested variance based upon the fact that the original conditional use was approved by the Planning Commission without any guiding information relative to signs, and the owner installed a sign in good faith believing that the lot was a business lot rather than a non residential use in a residential district. 4. DISCUSSION DOWNTOWN HOUSING DENSITY DISCREPANCY The attached memo was sent to the HRA Director following the last meeting of the Planning Commission. He has indicated that a formal response will be available later this week but in time for the January 9th discussion. Essentially, the original high density for the downtown area was 20 units per acre. A new category was established to accommodate Spruce Place based upon the idea that elderly residents do not need or use open space. There has been some concern voiced by staff that to increase density throughout downtown for other than elderly housing could introduce children who will have no place to play. This was a similar con- cern voiced by the HRA when the former Hagen Hardware building was proposed for low to moderate cost housing. The Parks and Recreation Director indicated that the area behind City Hall which was the location of the old City Water Tower will be developed into a tot lot in the future by the Parks and Recreation Department. A revised landscape plan drawn for City Hall showed how this area could be expanded without reducing the number of parking spaces that are available in this parking lot. The issue that is of most concern to the businesses located downtown is off street parking. Expansion of housing opportunities downtown could create a shortage of parking space for their business activity. Currently the ordinance states in Section 10 -6 -8 that the B -2 General Business District is exempt from providing on site parking space. The reason for this is that typically downtown lots are quite small, making it impossible to operate a business and offer off street parking as well. The thinking was that the parking areas along Second Street and between Third Street and City Hall would provide enough space to serve the downtown. Since then, the Milo Thompson study of downtown suggested that the parking area between Elm and Oak Streets should be extended to Spruce Street and that diagonal on street parking should be introduced whenever feasible near the business activity. From an efficient use of space point of view, all of the blocks downtown except the parking area described as Third and One -Half Street should be devoted to business use without parking. In addition, the upper levels whenever feasible should be converted to office or living space. The intensity of use this suggests will help create an active business district once again. Therefore, the City staff has no reservations about providing an equal footing between market rate housing and units for the elderly and handicapped regarding density. Recommendation Forward a recommendation to the City Council that Table I under B -2 General Business should be revised by changing the reference of gross dwelling units per acre from 20 to 25 units to 60 and 60 units for multi family dwellings. Charles Tooker Planner