Minutes of the work session of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission held Wednesday, September 7, 2005

 

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

 

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

Absent: none

 

The work session, which formulated the agenda for September 21, 2005, included the following items to be placed on the agenda, discussion, and action:

 

I.                    Approval of agenda

 

II.                 Approval of minutes of the August 17, 2005 regular meeting and the September 7, 2005 work session meeting

 

III.       Unfinished Business

#050907-01 - (REZ0503) To change from (I) Industrial to (HS) Highway Service Commercial a parcel of land described as P.P. # 70-14-22-450-016, located at 1720 Chicago Dr. (REZ0504) To change from (I) Industrial to (HS) Highway Service Commercial a parcel of land described as P.P. # 70-14-22-450-017, located at 1720 Chicago Dr.

 

The zoning administrator stated that at the Township Board meeting on August 22, 2005, the rezoning requests were referred back to the Planning Commission for another recommendation. 

 

Todd Stuive, Exxel Engineering, represented the applicant and presented the request.  He stated that the area was capable of handling uses in the HS district and the water and sewer were available.  He said that the sites bordered primary roadways.  He said that at the time the Master Plan was done, the Planning Commission thought that the area was not developable.  He said that to the east was property in a conservation easement for Sunset Manor and would not be developed, and to the west the property was owned by Sunset Manor and was in the floodway and floodplain.  He said that there has been no public opposition.

 

Lee Dykema, partner with Hannenberg, provided a historical background including that he had purchased the propped in 1989 without knowing the use.  He said that he brought sewer there and helped with the road when they had the railroad crossing permit.

 

The planner referenced the previous review from August 16, 2005.  He said that the decision to rezone would have to be weighted against the fact that it would be inconsistent with the Master Plan.  He said that the request for HS should be acted upon and if the Township wants a different zoning, the Township should initiate it with separate action.

 

South provided written comments and stated that the Master Plan had been reviewed and newly adopted in May 2004.  He said that the rezoning would be inconsistent with the Master Plan and Industrial zoning is consistent with the adjacent area and across the road.  He said that 18th Ave. had been put in to expedite traffic to the south out of the main part of Jenison.  He said that a study had been done on 44th St. and Port Sheldon.  He said that the commercial districts of the Township have already been identified as Port Sheldon/28th Ave. and Chicago Dr./Main St. areas.  He said that the uses permitted in the proposed zoning district are too intense and will generate excessive traffic that would cause congestion on a road that had been put in for the reason of carrying traffic in and out of the Township.

 

DeGood said that this was a short and busy stretch of land and the decision would be easier if they knew the use that would be proposed.  He said that since they did not know the use, they had to consider the uses allowed in the HS district and most are too intense for the area.

 

Stasiak asked the planner about the recommendation that he had provided at the August 17, 2005 meeting.

 

The planner stated that he had recommended approval for HS because Industrial zoning did not make sense and that since the area was surrounded by HS he didn’t have a problem with HS zoning. 

 

Honderd asked the planner if he had taken into consideration the past history of Planning Commission actions for rezoning requests in the area when he’d made his recommendation, and the planner said that he had not.

 

Huizinga said that the property owners had the right to develop the area even though it would be nice to have the sites left vacant.  He said that he preferred the less intense uses allowed in the OS district, but HS would be okay.

 

Poskey said that the reason that 18th Ave. had been put in was to move traffic in and out of the Township more effectively.  He said that the uses permitted in the HS district were too intense and would generate more traffic and cause congestion that would slow the traffic flow.  He said that the uses in the HS district were contrary to what had originally been discussed when the investment was made to put 18th Ave. in.  He said that it would not be prudent to allow uses that would make this area busier and interfere with the traffic flow.  He said that he would rather see the uses allowed in the Industrial district that were currently permitted because those uses would not generate increased traffic like a gas station would.

 

Pearson said that the planner had talked about control measures that the Township would have and he asked about those in the HS district.

 

The planner said that some uses were permitted by right and others with a special use permit, and those with a special use permit could be approved with conditions.  In response to the question of the use of a gas station, the planner said that a gas station would be permitted by right, without a special use permit, and no control measures would be available for that use.  He said that controls would be available for the use of vehicle repair.

 

Pearson said that since a gas station would be allowed without a special use permit, it would be hard for the Township to enact control measures.

 

The chairman opened the floor to public comments.  No one was present to make comments.  The chairman closed the floor to public comments.

 

Todd Stuive said that the sites will be developed and traffic will increase.  He said that the amount of traffic increase would be small because they won’t be inviting traffic, rather people who are already there would stop.  He said that the increase in traffic and congestion would not be significant.  He said that the traffic would already be there and this was a controlled intersection.

 

Jim Holtvluwer, representing the applicant, said that he sat on this board and did not remember hearing that they did not want traffic on 18th Ave..  He said that 44th St. has nothing to do with this area and that the study had nothing to do with M-21.  He said that these corners became developable because of Sunset Manor and no one will drive to this site.  He said that he doesn’t believe that there will be extra cars and the light is a control mechanism. 

 

Moved by Poskey, seconded by South, to recommend to the Township Board denial of (REZ0503) To change from (I) Industrial to (HS) Highway Service Commercial a parcel of land described as P.P. # 70-14-22-450-016, located at 1720 Chicago Dr., and (REZ0504) To change from (I) Industrial to (HS) Highway Service Commercial a parcel of land described as P.P. # 70-14-22-450-017, located at 1720 Chicago Dr., for reasons previously stated, which include: the proposed zoning designation is not consistent with the Master Plan; the HS zoning district would allow uses by right and with special use permits that are too intense for the area; the area could be used as currently zoned and those uses now permitted would not generate additional excessive traffic; uses allowed in the HS district would generate increased traffic and even possible backups along a road that has consistently been viewed as a way to carry traffic in and out of the Township.

 

Poskey said that he is not convinced that the proposed uses in the HS district would not generate increased traffic and become a destination.  He said that the proposed uses in the HS district would significantly increase traffic in an area that was designated to specifically move traffic out of the Township.  He said that uses in the HS district would inhibit the traffic flow.  He said that some of the more intense uses were permitted by right and even those allowed with a special use permit would have to be approved if the standards were met and there would be no grounds to deny them.

 

South said that 18th Ave. was put in to move traffic to 44th St. and Chicago Dr., not for uses to be constructed near it that would impede traffic.  He said that the Planning Commission has to take into consideration that the uses in the HS district are too intense.

 

Stasiak said that most of the traffic would be up and down Chicago Dr. and it was capable of handling the increased traffic.  He said that even if the traffic increased, it would not be detrimental.

 

DeGood said that it would be unlikely that any use on these corners would be allowed to have driveway access to Chicago Dr. and that the access would most likely be off 18th Ave. causing traffic to slow down on 18th Ave.

 

Yeas:    South, DeGood, Honderd, Pearson, Poskey

Nays:   Stasiak, Huizinga

 

MOTION CARRIED.