Minutes of the work session of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission held Wednesday, February 5, 2003

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Honderd at 7:30 p.m.

 

Present:            South, DeGood, Stasiak, Poskey, Honderd, Huizinga, Jansma

Absent: none

 

The work session, which formulated the agenda for February 19, 2002, included the following items to be placed on the agenda, discussion, and action:

 

I.                    Approval of agenda

 

II.                 Approval of minutes of the January 22, 2003 regular meeting and the February 5, 2003 work session meeting

 

III.       Unfinished Business

1.      Special Use Permit (SUP0208) Unity Motors (Vander Kodde Construction Co.), 828 Chicago Dr. is requesting permission to have an open air business (for vehicles sales) under Sec. 16.3(H) and to have vehicle repair under Sec. 16.3(B), on a parcel of land described as P.P.# 70-14-23-250-027, located at 828 Chicago Dr., in (HS)

 

The ZBA plans to act on the item at the February 26, 2003 meeting.  The item was left tabled.

 

2.      Special Use Permit (SUP0213) Harbor House Ministries, 7683 Cottonwood Dr., is requesting permission to have a convalescent home, under Sec. 8.3(D), on a parcel of land described as P.P.# 70-14-26-200-066, located at 861 44th St., in a (LDR)

 

Todd Stuive, Exxel Engineering, represented the applicant and presented the request.  He stated that the proposal for the five acre parcel included three buildings with twelve units each, for a total of 36 beds for a state licensed adult foster care facility.  He said that sidewalks were added, along with additional trees to meet the streetscape ordinance.  He said that all buildings have a 40 foot rear yard setback and the accessory garage has a ten foot side yard setback.  He said that the buildings would be one story with a brick façade. 

 

It was noted that the site meets ordinance requirements.  There was a question regarding the lack of lighting in the parking lot and if it would be beneficial to connect the sidewalk in the rear yard to the sidewalk on 44th St.

 

The applicant stated that the facility would house severely and multiply impaired people who have limited mobility.  He stated that the residents would not be able to walk on the sidewalk and would only be able to go outside with the help of an employee.  He stated that the sidewalk in the rear yard was more for family members to use and there would be no benefit to connect it to the sidewalk on the street.


It was noted that that drop-off area on the east was for one-way traffic and should be marked on the pavement and with signage.

 

The Fire Department supplied a memo stating that the twelve foot wide drive on the south side should be widened to 24 feet to accommodate the width of the aerial truck with its outriggers extended.  In addition, the turning radius of the west end turnaround should be changed to accommodate the turning radius of the aerial truck, which is 270 inches.

 

The applicant stated that the State has licensing rules regarding the maintenance of Adult Foster Care Facilities.  He also state that they would get approval from the Drain Commissioner’s office.  He said that the plan had already been approved by the Road Commission and they will work with Harbor House Ministries when 44th St. is widened.

 

The applicant was asked if there was a better location for the dumpster and the decision was that this would be the best location.

 

The Planning Commission directed that the request be advertised for a public hearing at the next meeting.

 

3.      Preliminary Plat of Alward Estates West overall layout

 

No revised plans have been submitted.  At the January 27, 2003 meeting, the Township Board approved the preliminary plat of phase one and phase two, and tabled the overall layout.

 

IV.       New Business

#030205-01 - Site Plan (ST0302) Fair Haven Church-2900 Baldwin (revision)

 

Edward Zwyghuizen represented the applicant and presented the request.  The revised plans show the accessory building in a different location than was shown on the previously approved site plan.  He stated that the accessory building had been moved to its current location and the request was to leave it there.  More parking spaces are provided than the required by the ordinance. 

 

Moved by Jansma, seconded by DeGood, to approve the site plan dated received 1-17-03, as submitted.

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

B.         Public Hearings

1.                  Special Use Permits-none

                              2.         Rezonings

a.       (REZ0301) To change from (RR) Rural Residential to (LDR) Low Density Residential parcels of land described as P.P.# 70-14-17-400-026; 70-14-17-499-001, -002, -003, -004, and part of 70-14-20-237-001, located at 7090 36th Ave., and 3267, 3263, 3259, 3255, 3251 Primrose Dr.

 

Todd Stuive, Exxel Engineering, represented the applicant and presented the request.  The assessor discovered that a ten-acre piece of land in High Point Acres No. 9 was never rezoned to LDR.  The application for the plat stated that all land was LDR.  The plat has already received final plat approval from the Board. 

 

5.                  PUD’s-none

6.                  Plats-none

                              7.        Ordinance Amendments

 

Sec. 20.4(E)    Church (in residential districts only)

(1)               Minimum lot width shall be two hundred (200) feet

(2)(1)   Minimum lot area shall be two (2) acres; plus an additional fifteen

thousand (15,000) square feet for each one hundred (100) seating capacity or fraction thereof in excess of one hundred (100).

(3)(2)   The property location shall be such that at least one (1) property line with

a minimum lot width of two hundred (200) feet abuts and has access to a collector, major arterial, or minor arterial street.

 

The Township Board initiated the Zoning Ordinance amendment to clarify this section because they believed in the past that it had been adopted with this intention and this is the way they thought it should read.

 

Chapter 24 bi   McClelland

 

Chapter 24 bii  48th Ave.

 

Chapter 24

biii        In all districts, required setbacks along any of the following streets shall be measured from a point 70 feet from the centerline of the street, if the public right-of-way measures 70 feet or less from such centerline.  Streets upon which this requirement applies include the following:

48th Ave.

 

Sec. 26.3         DRIVEWAY AND PARKING LOT REQUIREMENTS.

(I)                 In all districts, the Planning Commission shall determine driveway access to streets listed in Chapter 24, bi, bii, and biii.

 

The Planning Commission initiated the Zoning Ordinance amendments at the meeting on January 8, 2003.  The first is to eliminate McClelland from the list of streets where setbacks are measured from a point 50 feet from the centerline of the street because McClelland is a winding street and likely will not be improved to be used as a collector, major arterial or minor arterial street.

 

The next two delete 48th Ave. from the list that requires that setbacks be measured from a point 60 feet from the centerline of the road.  A third list is created, consisting at this time of 48th Ave., requiring that setbacks be measured from a point 70 feet from the centerline of the road.

 

After reviewing the plans to widen 48th Ave., the Planning Commission initiated an ordinance amendment to provide a way to limit access to all major streets. 

 

#030205-02 - Other Business-Sec. 6.2(J) referred back to Planning Commission by Board

 

The following is a motion made and approved at the Township Board meeting on January 27, 2003:

 

Moved by Daniel Carlton, seconded by Stanley Sterk, to table the Zoning Ordinance amendment for the AG district as follows and refer it back to the Planning Commission

To add:

Sec. 6.2(J)       Municipal building/use. and to delete (Sec. 6.3(H)     Municipal buildings.)

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

There was discussion regarding allowing municipal buildings in the AG district by right.  Some members of the Planning Commission stated that the AG district is a residential district and they preferred that a public hearing be held.

 

Moved by Poskey, seconded by Jansma, to recommend to the Board denial for the second time of the zoning ordinance amendment as follows:

Sec. 6.2(J)       Municipal building/use. and to delete (Sec. 6.3(H)         Municipal buildings.)

 

A member of the Planning Commission directed that the Board be informed that the reason for the recommendation of denial is because the AG district is a residential district and they thought that a public hearing should be held.

 

Yeas:    Poskey, Honderd, Jansma, DeGood

Nays:   Huizinga, South, Stasiak

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

VI.       Commissioner Comments

VII.      Staff Comments

VIII.         Adjourn

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.