Minutes of the work session of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission held Wednesday, June 2, 2004

 

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

 

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

Absent: none

 

The work session, which formulated the agenda for June 16, 2004, included the following items to be placed on the agenda, discussion, and action:

 

I.                    Approval of agenda

 

II.                 Approval of minutes of the May 19, 2003 regular meeting and the June 2, 2004 work session meeting

 

III.               Unfinished Business-none

 

IV.       New Business

 

A.                 Site Plans

a.         (ST0406) Fellowship Reformed Church-6610 36th Ave.

 

Ed Zwyghuizen, Verburg & Associates, represented the applicant and presented the request.  He said that the new addition would architecturally match the main structure and would be the final phase.  He said that parking was proposed for the old detention area and a new detention area would be provided. 

 

The planner stated that a special use permit was granted on 8-25-03.  He stated that the following issues had to be addressed on the revised plan: the seating capacity provided to calculate parking requirements, note the removal or relocation of the existing Walnut tree, show and dimension all required setbacks, note the use of all properties abutting the subject property, show the location of all handicapped parking spaces, show the location of bike racks, show required landscaping for the greenbelt and streetscape, provide lighting details, provide building material details, indicate signage, and note location of the dumpster.

 

The planner stated that the existing spruce trees were 30 feet apart and more had to be added so that they were no more than 20 feet apart.  He also noted that everything within the 100 feet from the centerline of 36th Ave., including pavement for parking and landscaping, would have to be removed and relocated when the road is widened.

 

            b.         (ST0407) Visser Plumbing-1991 Pineridge Dr.

 

Ron VanSingel, Nederveld Associates Inc., represented the applicant and presented the request.  He said that the proposed 12,212 square foot building would be constructed on a 1.31 acre parcel in the Industrial district.  He said that the use would be for a warehouse and wholesale for a plumbing contractor.   He said that land to the south, east and west is zoned Industrial and the land to the north is LDR.  He said that 17 parking spaces were provided, but only 14 marked.

 

He said that the sign would be in front and sidewalks would be provided as required.  He said that lighting would be wall mounted.

 

The planner stated that details of fences and walls should be shown, as well as a typical elevation.  He said that Sec. 25.6(C) states that no sign in the Industrial district shall be located nearer than one half times the required setback and the sign should be 22.5 feet from the property line.  He said that the streetscape and greenbelt must be shown according to requirements in Sec. 3.11.

 

B.         Public Hearings

 

1.                  Special Use Permits

A.                 (SUP0405) Claude Meppelink, 4210 Baldwin, is requesting to have an agricultural operation (greenhouse), under Sec. 7.3(C), on a parcel of land described as P.P.# 70-14-18-400-003, located at 4210 Baldwin, in a (RR) Rural Residential District

 

Ron VanSingel, Nederveld Associates Inc., represented the applicant and presented the request.  He said that the proposal is for a building addition of 1536 square feet on a 4.9 acre parcel in the Rural Residential district.  He said that the addition would consist of a greenhouse and a warehouse.  He said that to the east, north and south was LDR and the church was located on the other side.  He said that no parking places and no signs were proposed.  He said that the sidewalk is existing, and utilities are in and buried.  He said that the current use is residential and a storage business exists on the site.  He said that there was no retention because of the sandy soils.  He said that no fences were proposed because hardwood trees bordered the site and no dumpster was proposed.

 

The planner said that the proposed addition would be attached to the existing pole barn.  He said that the new addition meets the setback requirement of 50 feet from the property line.  He said that there are no non-conforming issues because the addition meets the ordinance requirements and the section on non-conformity states that the structure may be enlarged if the alteration conforms to the requirements of the ordinance.

 

The planner stated that the greenhouse is less than one third the size of the total proposed building and the rest is to be a warehouse.  He said that verification should be obtained that the proposed use of the warehouse is storage for the agricultural operation.  He asked the applicant what the uses were proposed to be in the warehouse section of the building.

 

The applicant stated that the warehouse would only be used for the storage of agricultural items for the greenhouse.

 

The planner stated that a note should be added to the site plan stating that the proposed warehouse would only be used for the agricultural operation.

 

                              2.         Rezonings-none

 

3.         PUDs-none

 

4.         Plats

a.         Preliminary Plat of Hunters Meadows

 

Ron VanSingel, Nederveld Associates Inc., represented the applicant and presented the request.  He said that the plat would be constructed in two phases and sidewalk would be provided adjacent to all paved streets including 36th Ave.

 

The planner stated that the opportunity exists for a better site design with greater circulation and the streets should connect instead of ending in three cul-de-sacs.  He said that lots 6, 8 and 48 need revisions to the building envelopes.  Specifically lot 48 should have a rear yard.  Lots 6 and 8 each have a portion of the side yard that should be shown as rear yard.   In addition, all lots should meet lot width requirements and corner lots should have the extra width as required in the ordinance.

 

It was noted that all lots that have access to interior streets should not have driveway access on Rosewood, as has consistently been the practice in the past.

 

5.         Ordinance Amendments-none

 

V.        Other Business

 

Roger Cotner introduced himself as a candidate for the Ottawa County Circuit Court judge position.

 

VI.       Commissioner Comments

VII.      Staff Comments

VIII.     Adjourn

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 p.m.