Minutes of the
regular meeting of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission, held Wednesday,
May 17, 2006
Meeting called to order by
Chairman Honderd at 7:30 p.m.
Present: Honderd, Poskey, DeGood, South,
Stasiak, Huizinga
Absent: Pearson
#060517-01 - Agenda for May 17, 2006
Moved by
South, seconded by DeGood, to approve the agenda for May 17, 2006, as
presented.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060517-02 - Minutes of the April 19, 2006 regular meeting and the May 3, 2006 work
session meeting
Moved
by Stasiak, seconded by DeGood, to approve the minutes of the April 19, 2006 regular
meeting, as submitted.
MOTION
CARRIED.
Moved
by South, seconded by DeGood, to approve the minutes of the May 3, 2006 work session meeting,
as submitted.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060517-03 – Unfinished Business- Planned Unit
Development (PUD0601) Riverview Trails
The
applicant has obtained an additional 12 acres and the materials have been
forwarded to the planner for a review.
Notice for the public hearing has not been published. No action was taken and no site plan was
available for review.
#060517-04 - Unfinished Business - (ST0602)
Jore Retail-2400 Chicago Dr.
After
the last meeting, the applicant was contacted and he reported that they have
decided to not proceed. Although the withdrawal
was requested to be put in writing, nothing had been submitted. This is the second month under old business.
If no new information is submitted and if no revised site plan is submitted
addressing the concerns raised by the Planning Commission by the regular
meeting in June, the site plan could be denied since it does not meet the
requirements of the Planning Commission and it is the PC’s policy to act on
items under old business after three months.
#060517-05 - Ordinance Amendments Sec. 25.6(A),
Chapter 24 footnote (k) and (m)
The
Planning Commission left the item tabled until the next meeting.
#060517-06 - Preliminary Plat of Crosswinds,
cul
de sac
Steve
Smit, Focus Engineering, represented the applicant and presented the request.
The
zoning administrator presented a review.
The site is located at the southeast corner of Baldwin and 48th
Ave. and the parcels are zoned LDR.
Water is available to the site; however, dry sewer will be installed
since sanitary sewer is not available to the site at this time.
SUMMARY
a.
A stub street was
provided to the northwest. A note was
added that the property at the northwest of the site could possibly be
developed in the future as a PUD with the intention being that the density of 2
to 3 units remain, but with duplexes rather than single family homes.
b.
The decel lane
has been removed. Brett Laughlin, Ottawa
County Road Commission, indicated that the Road Commission preferred that the
decel lane be removed since this area would be widened into five lanes in the
future.
c.
A note was added
regarding the removal of the existing driveway and sidewalks added.
d.
The Planning
Commission should determine if they want to recommend a variance for the 1,350
lineal feet of road which exceeds both the maximum of 600 for a cul de sac.
e.
Lot 27 (which is
now lot 26 and the number should be revised) no longer shows the building
envelop abutting the easement. A note
was added stating that any deck for lot 28 would be within the building envelop
so as to not extend into the drainage easement.
However, the lot numbers have been shifted and the lot number should be
corrected to read lot 27.
f.
Note 13 states
that lots 1 and 28 do not have access to Baldwin and will maintain the parkways
on Baldwin. The note should be revised
to be lot 27.
g.
The applicant
should provide documentation that a plat restriction will require all property
owners to hook up to sewer within six months from the time it is available.
Following
is a summary of items presented at the last meeting.
a.
Radii should be
shown on the plan.
b.
The temporary cul
de sac is shown as 1,350 lineal feet and Sec. 50-51(3)(c.) in the Code of
Ordinances allows a maximum length of a cul de sac to be 600 feet. Sec. 50-52 permits the Planning Commission to
recommend a variance and the Board to grant a variance.
c.
Lots 27 and 28
show the building envelop right up to the drainage easement. The applicant stated that any decks
constructed would have to be within the building envelop.
d.
A temporary cul
de sac is proposed for the south end of Berens Lane and the decision was made to
have the sidewalks installed up to the cul de sac since the Road Commission did
not have enough of an easement for the sidewalks to go around the pavement
safely. At such time as the road is
extended, the sidewalks would be required for lots 14 and 15.
e.
A note should be
added to the plan that this existing sidewalk is to be removed. The driveway to the west of this area should
also be noted on the plan to be removed even with note 13.
f.
A general
ordinance was adopted requiring an association to maintain parkways that abut a
major street when the lot has no access to that street. Note 14 states that an association will
maintain these parkways (as per direction given to the applicant). However, after reconsideration, the note
could be revised to state that the property owners of lots 1 and 28 will be
responsible to maintain the parkways along Baldwin (unless the developer wants
an association). Note 13 states that
lots 1 and 28 will not have access to Baldwin.
g.
According to
Chapter 24 footnote (d), dry sewer fulfills the requirement of sewer. Documentation should be provided that a plat
restriction will require all property owners to hook up to sewer within six
months of the date that it becomes available.
Stasiak
said that the determination had been made at the last meeting that the sidewalk
should be extended to the cul de sac.
The
applicant indicated that he had thought that the determination was made to
leave them alone since they would have to be removed when the road was widened.
Honderd
said that development of this property would be best to occur at a time in the
future when Baldwin Oaks Campground is developed and the two properties
developed as one. He said that it was
common sense that the sidewalk extends to the cul de sac.
The
chairman opened the public hearing.
Linda
Kraak, 4700 Baldwin, said that she owns Baldwin Oaks Campground and was
initially contacted about the development of Crosswinds. She said that she would like to sell her
property for development and that it made sense to develop the sites
together. She said that they had
presented her with three different drawings.
She said that she would like to see the property combined and she could
possibly be an investor.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission can not require them to buy her property and
that the application would be approved if it met the standards.
The
applicant stated that he is unaware of the discussion that his client may have
had and he does not recall any plan ever having a stub street to the east. He said that they may have modified the plan,
but they have asked to press forward with this plan.
Linda
Kraak said that the plan she saw had a lake in the corner.
Honderd
said that the plan she saw may have been one with smaller lots and a lake for
water detention.
The
applicant explained that the detention was for the temporary holding of water.
Honderd
said that a majority of the time the area would be dry.
Linda
Kraak asked if they could be required to oil the road during development to
regulate the dust.
The
zoning administrator said that the mining ordinance was the only place in the
ordinance she was aware of such a requirement.
She said that the Road Commission could be contacted with such a
request.
Honderd
said that the Planning Commission would not handle that.
The
chairman closed the public hearing.
The
zoning administrator explained that the Planning Commission could table the
request to give the applicant time to explore the possibility of developing the
site in combination with the campground.
She explained that the property could not be developed as a PUD since
sewer is not available to the site. The
zoning administrator stated that there were a few issues remaining with the
plan that still needed to be corrected, including correcting the lot numbers in
number 15 in the General Notes and correcting the lot numbers from lots 1 and
28 to lots 1 and 27 in number 13 in the General Notes, and extending the
sidewalk to the cul de sac as requested by the Planning Commission.
Moved
by Poskey, seconded by Stasiak, to table the item.
MOTION
CARRIED.
Poskey
said that the sidewalk should be extended to the cul de sac, the two notes
should be revised, documentation should be provided for the plat restriction,
and tabling will give the applicant time to get together with the owner of the
campground. He said that they should
wait to act on the revised plan.
Honderd
said that he agrees with Poskey’s reasons and that a stub street should be
added to the east along with the one to the south. He said that the Planning Commission should
see how the streets layout in regards to the surrounding land. He said that the purpose of the pubic hearing
was to take public comment to get other ideas and other information.
Stasiak
said that he voted to table the item so that the plan could be cleaned up and
revised with the necessary corrections.
He said that he also wanted to provide time for the applicant to talk to
their neighbor.
The
applicant stated that he had talked to Brett Laughlin at the Ottawa County Road
Commission and a street stub to the east was not required.
Honderd
said that sometimes the Township was stricter than the Road Commission.
The
zoning administrator stated that the Road Commission will go along with
Township wishes in such regards.
#060517-07 - Other Business - Meijer Pharmacy drive-in
window
Greg
Heath, Meijer, 2929 Walker, said that he was requesting to change the approved
site plan to reverse the flow of traffic for the drive-in pharmacy window.
Mike
Kinstall, Meijer Vice-President of Real Estate, said that this is the first
reverse flow they have done and up to half of the prescriptions do not flow
through the tube. He said that there
were issues with the customer flow with the entrance and there was significant
congestion. He said that this was not
typical stacking associated with a bank or drive-in restaurant. He said that due to the traffic flow, safety
issues with the entrance and the tube not working, they were requesting to
remove the tube and reverse the flow of traffic to access the drive-in
pharmacy.
The
zoning administrator said there had been major improvements already made to the
site. She said that she had visited a
Meijer store in Holland and drove to a pharmacy drive-in window there. She said that she had not seen the signage
and that she had a difficult time accessing the window. She said that the revisions proposed for the
store in Georgetown Township would provide an easier access to the window.
Mike
Kinstall stated the following. The
Holland store only allows movement in one direction and their customers learn
the system. There is signage to direct
the customer. U-turns and left turns
were not permitted there. People do not
always abide by the signage. If the flow
was changed here it would allow access from all directions. As previously approved, the customers would
have to make their way through the parking lot from the east. With the proposed revision customers could
make the turn from every direction. Even
SUVs would not have trouble making the turn.
Plus there was a concern with congestion.
Huizinga
said that there was a big improvement.
Poskey
abstained from all discussion and voting.
South
said the following. This was a bad
location for the pharmacy window and that the Planning Commission had wanted it
moved when they first came for approvals.
He would rather have traffic flow from west to east. He had been there and this was the best of a
bad location and it might be better.
DeGood
said that this was probably a better alternative. He asked how many cars would
use the window per day.
Mike
Kinstall said that they averaged 28 to 35 per hour during the peak times which
were 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Stasiak
said that he had seen a newspaper article about another Meijer store in Grand
Haven.
Mike
Kinstall said that they held off on the tube system in Grand Haven and the
store in Jenison is the first to have it.
He said that the tube system does not work, but more importantly, the
traffic flow does not work. He said that
the choice was to either revise the traffic flow or not have the drive-in
window.
Stasiak
asked if any other stores had a similar traffic flow.
Mike
Kinstall said that eight stores had a similar drive-up including 3 new stores
and four or five stores that had remodeling done or additions.
Stasiak
said that, as stated at the previous meetings when the plan was first reviewed
by the Planning Commission last year, the window should be located in another
area further away from the congestion.
Mike
Kinstall said that Standale, Gaines, Knaps Corner and Cascade had similar
setups.
Stasiak
said that he understood the problem with the tub and their urgency to resolve this
issue; however, he said that the Township would be better served if they took
more time to thoroughly review the plan and observe the site.
Greg
Heath said that this was a congested area with the garden center.
Mike
Kinstall said that the current circulation pattern impacts the main entrance of
the store and the garden center more than the proposed revision would because
the proposed pattern eliminates one conflict point, but there would still be
the garden center traffic.
The
chairman opened the floor to public comments.
One
member of the audience asked if they only planned to change the direction and
what impact that would have on the structures.
Greg
Heath said that they would have to change the signage and striping, and that
they had previously received approval to go from west to east. He said that the Planning Commission is in
place to look out for the best interest of the community and they were looking
out for the best interest of their customers.
Mike
Kinstall said that they would have to take the tube system out and put a drawer
in the window. He said that curbing
would have to be added to create an exit.
The
chairman closed the floor to public comments.
Greg
Heath said that they are ready to make the change.
Stasiak
asked if the decision had to be made tonight because he would like more time to
visit the site and review the issue since this was only presented to them a few
days ago.
Mike
Kinstall said that the pharmacy is done and has already been relocated. He said that they still had to order the
window and the problem is that people think that the drive-in window is open.
South
said that he has been there and this is a bad location, as the Planning
Commission had stated when it was reviewed for the first time. He said that where the pharmacy is located is
an area that is too congested and a situation that brought more people to that
area should be avoided.
Stasiak
said that since the tube does not work, there are not many options. He said that the option existed to not
approve the revision.
Greg
Heath said that if the revision was not approved there would be no pharmacy
drive-in window. He said that the tube
was only one issue because by shifting the access to the east, congestion would
be relieved and it would improve the plan.
Huizinga
said that he was in favor of the change.
Moved
by Huizinga, seconded by South, to approve the general layout and have the
applicant return with a more detailed plan.
Honderd
said that this area was too congested.
He said that they were not qualified to determine the best traffic
circulation and they should not make a decision on something that they are not
informed.
Yeas: Huizinga, South
Nays: DeGood, Stasiak, Honderd
Abstained:
Poskey
Absent: Pearson
MOTION
DEFEATED.
Moved
by Stasiak, seconded by DeGood, to table the item for more time to evaluation
the site and to have the revised plans reviewed by the planner.
The
applicant was directed to return with a complete site plan for evaluation by
the planner.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#060517-08 - Michigan Zoning Enable Act (to be
effective July 1, 2006)
Highlights
of the new act were presented.
#060517-09 – Adjournment
The
chairman adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m.