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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-22 PZC MINUTES• • • CITY OF ENGLEWOOD PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION October 22, 2002 I. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the City Planning and Zoning Commission was called to order at 7 :00 p .m . in the Englewood City Council Chambers , Vice Chairman Willis presiding. Present: Absent: Staff: Diekrneier, Roth , Schum, Welker, Krieger, Lathram , Mueller, Willis Waggoner Senior Planner Harold J. Stitt Planner I John Voboril As s istant City Attorney Nancy Reid II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES October 1, 2002 October 8 , 2002 Vice-c hair W illi s s tated that the Minutes of October 1, 200 2 were to be considered for approval. Krieger mo ved: Schum seconded: The Minute s o f October 1, 200 2 be approved as written. AYES : NAYS : ABST AIN: ABSENT : Diekrne ier, Krieger , Roth , Schum, Welker, W illis None Lath ram Mueller, W aggoner The mot io n carried. Vice-Chair W i llis stated that Minutes from October 8 , 2002 were to be considered for approval. Schum moved: Krieger seconded: The Minutes of October 8 , 2002 be approved as written. AYES: NAYS: Krieger, Lathram , Roth , Schum, Welker, Willis , Diekrneier None ABSTAIN : None ABSENT: Mueller, Waggoner The motion carried. III. FINDINGS OF FACT Case #ORD 2002 -01 -Family/Household Definition Case #PA 2002-02 -VFW Parking Agreement H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\PLAN COMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM I 0-22-02.doc 1 • • Vice-Chair Willis stated that the Findings of Fact for Case #ORD 2002-01, amendment of the definition for Family/Household, were to be considered for approval. Welker moved: Schum seconded: The Findings of Fact for Case #ORD 2002-01 be approved as written. AYES: NAYS: Lathram, Roth, Schum, Welker, Willis, Diekmeier, Krieger None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Mueller, Waggoner The motion carried. Vice-chair Willis stated that the Findings of Fact for #PA 2002-02, the Parking/Cross Access agreement for the VFW, were to be considered for approval. Lathram moved: Schum seconded: The Findings of Fact for Case #PA 2002-02 be approved as written. AYES: NAYS: Roth , Schum, Welker, Diekmeier, Krieger, Lathram, Willis None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Mueller, Waggoner The motion carried. IV. GENERAL PLAN CASE #GP 2002-01 Vice-chair Willis stated that the issue before the Commission is a Public Hearing on the General Plan. He asked for a motion to open the Public Hearing. Lathram moved: Roth seconded: The Public Hearing on Case #GP 2002-01 be opened. AYES: NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Roth, Schum, Welker, Diekmeier, Krieger, Lathram, Willis None None Mueller, Waggoner The motion carried. Vice-chair Willis asked that staff present the case. (Secretary's Note: Notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Englewood Herald on Oc- • tober 4, 2002.) H:\GROUP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM 10-22-02 .doc 2 • • • Harold Stitt, Senior Planner, was sworn in. Mr. Stitt testified that changes to the General Plan recited in the staff report were made following the study session held on October 1, 2002. Mr. Stitt stated that staff is seeking a favorable recommendation on the General Plan from the Com- mission so that it may be forwarded to the City Council. Staff is seeking affirmation of the goals and objectives set forth in the Plan -are they accurate and reflective of what the City should strive toward. Mr. Stitt likened a "goal" to a "vacation"; the "objective" was likened to "where the vacation would be", and the "strategies" were likened to "how to get to the vacation site". Mr. Stitt emphasized that the strategies will be developed following a series of public forums throughout the community. Mr. Stitt stated that there are several sections in the General Plan, and some goals and objectives are adapted from the Metro Vision 2020 Plan adopted by the Commission and City Council a couple of years ago. Mr. Stitt stated that the General Plan will be comprised of eleven "sec- tions", which are : • Introduction • History and Development of Englewood • Current Conditions and Indicators • Vision and Goals -Common Themes • Regional Cooperation • Transportation • Housing • Parks and Open Space • Business and Employment • Environmental Quality • Cultural Arts Mr. Stitt noted that Environmental Quality and Cultural Arts are new sections to the Plan. Mr. Stitt stated that staff has attempted to capture the vision for the City of Englewood, and that the General Plan can be used to guide the City for the next 20 to 25 years --what has been put together provides a broad framework to guide the planning for the future. Mr. Stitt stated it is staff's hope the General Plan will spark the interest of the community as a whole . He asked Commission members for comments and suggestions on the General Plan. Comments included: Mr. Schum: • No citation of numbers on water/wastewater issues. • What population is Englewood committed to serve with water-within the City and out- side of the City limits. (Pages 86/87) • Does Englewood own sufficient land for bio-solid waste disposal. (Page 31) • Growth depends on water provision . • Information is available from Utilities Department. Ms. Lathram commented that she understood City Council is considering improvement of the wastewater treatment plant. H:\GROUP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM I 0-22-02.doc 3 • Mr. Welker complimented staff on the General Plan document, noting that staff has successfully distilled comments from the many public forums to develop the General Plan goals and objec- tives. He had comments as follows: • • • Spell out "B & E" -reference is made with no allusion to what "B & E" means. (Page 51) Ms. Mueller entered the meeting. Ms. Lathram asked what means of publicizing the General Plan staff has used. Mr. Stitt stated that notice of the hearing was published in the Englewood Herald, presentations have been made to various service clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, other Board and Commission members , no- tice was placed on Channel 8, and a copy of the entire document is available for viewing in the Library. Mr. Stitt stated that once all edits from Commission suggestions , comments , or amendments have been made , and before Public Hearing before the City Council , the document will be placed on the City Web Page . Mr. Stitt stated that he is de veloping an article on the Gen- eral Plan for publication in the En g lewood Citi ze n. Ms . Krieger asked that Mr. Stitt emphasize the importance of the General Plan in his article. Mr. Welker suggested that staff request Mr. Munds of the Englewood Herald to do an article regarding the Plan .. Mr. Schum stated that door- to-door flyers catch the attention of citizens. Ms. Lathram excused herself from the meeting . Mr. Willis commented on references to the area west o f Santa Fe Drive . Mr. Stitt discussed a $31 ,000 DOLA Grant to stud y "influence areas " at the Oxford Light Rail Station and the Engle- wood CityCenter Light Rail Station. Mr. Stitt discussed possible redevelopment of the South Dri ve-in Theatre site, which is in Sheridan , and need for safe, efficient pedestrian mo vement crossing Santa Fe Drive to access the light rail. Mr. Stitt also noted that the Cultural Arts Com- mittee is very interested in de veloping a cultural arts facilit y in Englewood. The y have devel- oped proposals on possible configuration of such a facility , and one of the areas identified by the Committee is west of Santa Fe Drive . The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) owns five parcels of land on the west side of Santa Fe; these parcels are now being offered for sale . These parcels, combined with one or two privately owned properties such as the South Drive-in site , could provide a site of sufficient size to accommodate a cultural arts facility. Mr. Stitt stated that he did understand that a developer interested in the South Drive-in site has ap- proached the City of Sheridan with an apartment development proposal. If Sheridan approves this proposal , and the South Drive-in site is developed for residential use, the need for improved linkage to CityCenter Englewood and the light rail system becomes very important. Another area west of Santa Fe taken into consideration in the General Plan is along the South Platte River corridor. One of the goals is to retain open space along the river corridor -this could be devel- oped with hiking or biking trails, for example. Mr. Stitt emphasized that development of this corridor is a long-term goal and may take 20 to 25 years to realize. Mr. Willis pointed that a great deal of the land along the river corridor is presently devoted to industrial use ; how does conversion from an industrial use to open space or another type of use occur. Mr. Stitt reiterated H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM 10-22-02.doc 4 • • • that this is a long-term goal. This General Plan, when approved, will provide a "framework" within which to work toward the goals. Mr. Willis noted that softball fields and parks were mentioned. How will connection between existing fields and parks and CityCenter Englewood be accomplished. How will Miller Field, for instance , be connected to CityCenter Englewood. Mr. Stitt stated that the Public Works De- partment is working to develop and complete a bicycle system to provide one means of linkage to and from various public uses. A bicycle trail is proposed to connect with trail systems west of Santa Fe Drive. Mr. Stitt advised that the City is also working on development of a shuttle ser- vice to facilitate movement of people into the CityCenter. Mr. Stitt emphasized that the movement of people he has discussed are "strategies" -bicycle trail systems, shuttle systems, etc . -means to reach the objective and goal. Mr. Willis expressed concern that it appears the Plan caters to Gart emplo yees. Mr. Welker sug- gested that proposals may need to be expanded; he stated that there has been discussion of pro- viding additional means to cross Santa Fe . Mr. Willis suggested that improved circulation within the City be a focal point. Mr. Stitt stated that at one time , the possibility of bridging U.S . 285 at Elati Street to improve pedestrian movement was considered, but the cost was prohibitive. Mr. Welker stated th at he has participated on the South Platte Ri ver Open Space Committee for the last year , and there is a lot of potential for improvement along this corridor. Mr. Welker dis- cussed the participation on this committee , noting that other jurisdiction representatives are members and they seem to be supportive of the open space concept along the corridor. During the course of the year, the committee has talked to land owners in the corridor, and it appears that they understand the benefits of such a Plan. Also discussed was a potential new road system be- tween Santa Fe and the river at the very southern end of the City . Mr. Welker stated that a lot of different points of view have been expressed in this Committee. Mr. Roth stated that he had comments on several sections of the General Plan . • Page 13 -single-famil y and multi-family units -the paragraph sounds "dated", and the next paragraph addresses construction of new multi-family units . • Page 18 -cultural arts -what impact have the Museum of Outdoor Arts and the David Taylor Dance Troupe had on expenditures per capita. • Page 30 -references a chart that is not included. • Page 81 -grammatical error in third sentence ; drop last "from". • Page 89 -Goal 3 , Objective 7 -this was suggested for removal at the study session, and is still included. • Page 58-0bjective 2-7 -what does this say. • Page 91 -Objective 1-4 -what is intended by this statement. Mr. Stitt explained the intent of Objective 2-7 , noting that this is in reference to transit projects. DRCOG studied projected costs for transit improvements in the metro area to satisfy transit needs in 2020. The costs are weighed against revenues and funding sources that exist, and this "gap" between revenues/funds available and what will be needed to fund improvements need to be identified. H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM 10-22-02.doc 5 • Mr. Stitt addressed Objective 1-4, noting that the Cultural Arts Commission is interested in a "department of Cultural Arts". •• • Mr. Welker offered the following: • Page 51 -Quality of life -drop the "s" at the end of "open." • Page 2 -last sentence -last paragraph, last sentence " ... success o the past ... " should read "of'. • Will the "open space plan" that is being developed by the Open Space Committee be in- cluded as part of the General Plan . Ms . Krieger asked if the Bates Station Plan would become part of the General Plan. Mr. Stitt stated that the Bates Station and the open space plan alluded to by Mr. Welker will become part of the implementation or "strategy" section of the General Plan. Vice-chair Willis asked if there were further comments. No public was present to address the Commission. Krieger moved: Schum seconded: The Public Hearing on Case #GP 2002-01 be closed. AYES : NAYS: Schum, Welker, Diekmeier, Krieger , Mueller, Roth , Willis None ABSTAIN : None ABSENT : Lathram , Waggoner The motion carried. Vice-chair Willis asked the pleasure of the Commission . Welker moved: Krieger seconded: The proposed General Plan is referred to City Council for favorable con- sideration. Staff is directed to incorporate comments set forth by members of the Commission into the General Plan prior to transmittal to City Coun- cil. AYES: NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Welker, Diekmeier, Krieger, Mueller, Roth, Schum, Willis None None Lathram, Waggoner The motion carried. Mr. Schum asked if the Commission would see the finalized document prior to transmission to the City Council. Ms. Krieger and Ms. Mueller stated they did not need to see the total docu- H:\GROUP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM 10-22-02 .doc 6 • • • ment. It was determined that only the pages that have been modified be transmitted to the Com- mission. V. PUBLIC FORUM No one was present to address the Commission. VI. DIRECTOR'S CHOICE Mr. Stitt stated that the Public Hearing on the amended "Family/Household" definition has been scheduled for December 2, 2002 before City Council. Mr. Roth noted that the proposal received from City Council differs from the recommendation the Commission made ; he inquired about the necessity of someone from the Commission attend- ing the Council meeting to address the Council. Ms. Reid stated that the recommendation of the Planning Commission is what will be presented to the Council for consideration. She did point out that City Council has the option of accepting or amending the recommendation following the Hearing. Mr. Stitt stated that members of the Commission may attend any Council meeting. He cautioned that any member addressing the Council should take care that, unless authorized to do so by the Commission , they should not speak as a "representative " of the Commission but as a private citizen. Brief discussion ensued . VII. ATTORNEY'S CHOICE Ms. Reid stated she had nothing to bring before the Commission. VIII. COl\!IMISSONER'S CHOICE Vice-chair Willis asked if members of the Commission had anything they wished to bring for- ward for discussion. Ms . Krieger stated that she will be serving as an election judge, and will be absent from the Planning Commission meeting on November 5 1h. Mr. Welker stated that, in his opinion, this is a good General Plan -he likes the tone of it, likes what it covers, and commended the staff for doing a good job writing this Plan. Mr. Roth stated he agrees with Mr. Welker; it is a good Plan, and staff did very well. Mr. Willis stated that he had a couple of things. First, in his opinion all Commission members should have some item to bring forth for discussion or questions of staff under "Commissioner's Choice." Second, Mr. Willis asked what is going on with retail areas #5 and #6 of CityCenter - why are not businesses located in this area. Mr. Stitt stated there may be one or two reasons this area has not rented yet. It seems to be a difficult retail space to rent because of lack of visibility H:\GROUP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\Minutes 2002\PCM 10-22-02 .doc 7 • • • from the street -it 's a pedestrian-oriented location. Once the apartment units are leased up , it may be help in locating tenants for this area . This retail area is also being transferred to Miller- Weingarten , and they are looking for higher quality tenants . Mr. Stitt suggested that this may well be leased for office space initially rather than retail space. Mr. Schum suggested that "incentives" may have to be offered to encourage leasing. Mr. Willis noted that the coffee shop certainly attracts a lot of business . Mr. Stitt stated that a sign permit was submitted earlier this date for a dental office located on the second floor along the Englewood Parkway development. Nothing further was raised for discussion. The meeting was declared adjourned. 1.fr:~lrl<-~-~A J ~1/~·- • ertrude G. Welty, Recordin g Secret a r y~ H:\GRO UP\BOARDS\PLANCOMM\Minutes\M inutes 2002\PCM I 0-22 -02 .doc 8