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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-03-17 PZC MINUTES• • • CITY OF ENGLEWOOD PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MARCH 17, 1992 I. CALL TO ORDER . The regular meeting of the City P l anning and Zoning Commission was called to order by Chairma n Schultz at 7:00 P. M. in the City Council Chambers of Englewood City Ha ll. Members Present: Members Absent : Also Present: Tobin, Co v ens, Draper , Dummer, Glynn , L eonard, Schultz, Shoop L. Mart in , Ex -officio None Gerlick, H. J. Stitt , Neighborhood Services Adminis- trator II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. March 3, 1992 Chairman Schultz stated the Mi n utes of March 3, 1992, were to be considered for approval. Dummer moved: Tobin seconded: The Minutes o f Ma r ch 3 , 1992, be approved as written. AYES: Covens, Draper, Dummer, Ge r lick, Glynn, Leonard, Shoop, Tobin, Schultz NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion carried. III. SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER CASE #2-92 Planned Development Amendment #3 Mr. Schultz stated that the Public Hearing o n Amendment #3 of the Swedish Medical Center Planned De v elopment was o pened on March 3, and continued to this date. Mr. Schultz s e t f orth the procedure that will be followed in the conduct of the Hear ing. Mr. Schultz asked that staff make the initial presen t a t i on . Mr. Stitt, previously sworn in on March 3, test ified that the is- sue before the Commission is Amendmen t #3 to the Planned Develop- ment for Swedish Medical Center. Mr. Stitt distributed the lat- est revision of the proposed amendment to members of the Commis- sion, and directed their atte nti o n to the last page of the revi- sion. Mr. Stitt discussed the a c ce ss for delivery trucks to the h os pita l; the initia l a p prova l of the Planned Development by the Co mmission had truck traffic enter i ng and exiting from South Lo- 1 gan Street. This was revised by City Council to prohibit truck • traffic accessing from or exiting onto Logan Street, and the point of ingress/egress for truck traffic was moved to East Hampden Avenue. The present plan provides access to the lower level of the parking structure from Logan Street, and truck traffic will still access and exit from East Hampden Avenue. Access to MOB IV will also be from East Hampden Avenue; valet parking will be a service offered to the patients coming to MOB IV. The valet parking will exit onto Hampden Avenue, turn right onto South Logan Street, and into the lower level of the parking garage. staff is recommending the return of valet parked vehicles "internally", thus avoiding possible left-turning movements onto South Logan, from Logan onto East Hampden, and from East Hampden into the drive in front of MOB IV. Mr. Stitt demonstrated the staff recommendation for the return of the valet parked vehicles; this would entail another point of exiting from the existing parking facility, but would avoid an "X" intersection for vehicles entering and exiting the parking facility at the same point. Mr. Stitt addressed the issue of the traffic impact analysis. The Traffic Division staff has run preliminary numbers, but has not yet completed their review. Mr. Stitt stated in that light of this, he would suggest that the Commission hear testimony from Mr. Rhyne, architect, and other SMC representatives, and continue the Hearing to April 7th. Mr. David Rhyne, Davis Partnership, was sworn in. Mr. Rhyne also • reviewed the original Planned Development layout, and the truck ingress/ egress point from South Logan Street. Mr. Rhyne agreed that this original point of ingress/egress was modified at the direction of the City Council, and the proposed Amendment #3 will retain the truck traffic access from East Hampden Avenue. Mr. Rhyne indicated the routing for the return valet parked vehicles, and noted that the existing grades will not be changed, but will be realigned to tie in with the proposed new point of exit from the parking facility. The hammerhead turn around will remain un- changed, as will the landscaping that is to the north of the apartment house on South Logan Street. Mr. Dummer inquired about the width of the truck entrance. Mr. Rhyne estimated 2 6' width. Mr. Dummer inquired whether there would be sufficient width for passing movements of the delivery trucks and the vehicles of clients frequenting MOB IV. Mr. Wey- land, a partner in MOB IV, stated that there will be sufficient passing space. He estimated there would be three to four trucks per hour, and the majority of those delivery trucks are not the large semis. Mr. Rhyne stated that there are seven semis per day which deliver to SMC; the remainder of the vehicles are smaller delivery trucks and vans. Ms. Tobin inquired whether the valet parking is voluntary or mandatory. Mr. Rhyne stated that it is a service which is being • offered; it will not be mandatory. 2 • • • Mr . Shoop asked where a patient who chose not to use valet park- ing could park his vehicle. Mr . Rhyne s t ated that the parking garage would have to be used ; the patient could access MOB IV via t he proposed bridge from the parking facility t o the MOB. Mr. Rhyne stated that the height of the parking garage will be in- c reased by another 2. 5 stories to accommodate the additional parking generated by MOB IV. Mr. Schultz ask ed if a patient p a rking his own vehicle will be able to use t he lower level of the parking garage accessed from Logan. Mr . Rhyne stated that the lower level will be designated f or valet parking only during the day. Patients parking the ir own veh icle will have to access the parking garage from South Pennsylvan ia Street. Mr. Covens inquired at what level the bridge wo uld be constructed in the garage. Mr. Rhyne stated it wo u ld be constructed at the fourth level, and would be served by elevat or. Mr . Shoop inquired about the grade of the bridge. Mr. Rhyne est imat ed i t would be approx- imately 30 ft. elevation --well above the required 15 foot mini- mum requirement. Ms. Tobin inquired whether the parking garage would have sufficient height clearance to allow vans. Mr. Rhyne stated that the Building Code requ i res seven foot (7') clearance, which is what the parking facility has and wi ll have on the addi- tional floors. Mr. Draper asked if there is a delivery point on the north side of the hospital; he noted that s everal t imes he has driven on East Girard Avenue and there has been a very large semi parked on-street. This vehicle impedes t he free f l ow of traffic on Gi- rard, and is a hazard. Ms. Tobin s t a t ed that she has also seen the semi Mr. Draper has referred to. Mr. Rhyne stated that there is no delivery point on the north s ide o f t he medical center that he is aware of, and that Craig Hospita l has t h e ir delivery access on South Clarkson Street. He stated that h e will check into this further and report back to the Commi s sio n. Mr. Draper stated that the semi will remain for a period o f t hree to four hours. Mr. Weyland asked if Mr. Draper or Ms. T obin noted any company designation on the semi. He stated tha t t h i s appears to be a vi- olation of delivery policy, and t h a t he wi l l be on the lookout for this vehicle. Neither Ms. Tobin nor Mr . Dr aper could recall a company designation; Ms. Tobin stated t h at s h e d i d recall some red on the vehicle. Mr. Stitt reported that he had met with Eng ineer ing Manager Kahm and Traffic Engineer ing Analyst Vestry r egard i ng the traffic impact analysis. Mr. Stitt pointed o u t t hat condit i ons imposed on SMC when the original Planne d Development was approved included upgrading signalization at k e y int e r sections serving the hospital. He emphasized that there isn 't a lot that can be done given the constraints of the traffic system we have to work with. The traffic analysis won't r eal ly a f fect the placement of MOB IV. Mr. Stitt stated that the major traffi c problems have to do with U .S. 285, which is beyond the ability of SMC to d eal with. Staff will be working with the State Department of Transportation on 3 improvements to the highway and signalization, and will encourage • SMC to participate in these discussions and studies. Mr. Draper asked if left turning movements from the parking fa- cility onto to South Logan will be prohibited, and will it be posted. Mr. Rhyne stated that the ingress/egress to the parking facility will be posted for right-in/right-out movement. Mr. Schultz stated that he travels South Logan Street daily on his way to work, and frequently sees someone traveling south on Logan make the left-turn into the parking facility. This is a hazard, and impedes the flow of traffic. Mr. Rhyne stated that the designation of the lower level of the parking facility for valet parking during the day should eliminate this situation. Ms. Leonard asked who is using the parking facility. Mr. Rhyne stated that staff presently uses the facility. With the addi- tional two and one-half levels to be added to the facility, it will be used by hospital staff, MOB IV staff, and MOB IV pa- tients. Mr. Dummer asked where staff will park if the lower level is used for only valet parking. Mr. Rhyne stated that upper levels will be designated for staff parking. Mr. Rhyne stated that during the evening and night shift, the lower level will revert to staff parking only. This is for security reasons for the employees. Mr. Weyland pointed out that at the present time the parking fa-• cility is free-standing --not connected to any other building. When MOB IV is constructed, there will be a connection via the bridge, and there will be better security and staff parking can be designated for upper levels and still have security. Ms. Tobin inquired if there is a security officer on site at night, or does the hospital rely on camera security and lighting. Mr. Weyland stated that they do provide an on-site security offi- cer, and will improve lighting. They do have TV monitoring. Mr. Stitt stated that staff does support the proposed Amendment #3, with the provisions that the traffic analysis shall be ad- dressed. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for April 7, on which date the Commission has scheduled a Public Meeting regarding shingle recycling operations. Mr. Stitt stated that he does not know how long the public meeting may take -- whether an hour would be sufficient or not. He suggested that if time limits are established, adjustments could be made. Mr. Stitt suggested that the Commission could continue the Public Hearing on MOB IV to April 7th, at 7:30 P.M., inasmuch as the Public Meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 P.M. Brief discussion ensued. It was the consensus of the Commission that the Public Hearing on Amendment #3 to the SMC PD shall be continued to April 7 at 7:30 P. M. 4 • • • • Mr. Schultz made note of the copy of Publ i c Notice of Public Hearing which was published in t he Englewood Herald. Mr. Stitt stated that the property has b e en posted , but he does not have the pictures certifying this post ing wi th him. IV . PUBLIC F ORUM . Mr. Stitt stated that Mr. Wm. Foringto n ha s purcha s ed 2280 West Evans Avenue. This property was formerly owned by a Mr. Kurtz, and was then taken over by Omni Bank. Mr . Ku rtz was before the Board of Adjustment & Appeals r e g arding h i s use of and the condi- tion of the property on nume rous occasions. The property fronting on West Evans Avenue i s zoned B-2 , Bus i ness. These own- erships are quite deep, and extend south to West Adriatic Avenue, extended. The rear portion of the o wnerships is zoned R-2-C, Medium Density Residence. The development along West Evans Av- enue is varied, with a number o f aut omot i ve related uses on both sides of Evans Avenu e. Mr. Stitt stated that staff had tried to work with Omni Bank regarding t he d e vel o pme n t or redevelopment of the subject site, and the rezoning o f the rear portion of the site was discussed. The Bank determined that they d i d not want to pursue rezoning the area and t he issue was dropped. Mr. Forington has now purchased t he p roperty from the Bank, has cleaned up the site, and finds that he cannot lease the property for the purposes that prospective tenants have in mind, such as auto body repair, or a canvas manuf acturer. Adjacent properties in Denver do allow auto body shops . The B-2 Zoning itself does not permit auto body work, nor doe s i t p e r mit manufacturing; the situation is further compounded by the f act t hat the building en- croaches ever so slightly into the R-2 -C, Medium Dens i ty Resi- dence District. West Adriatic is not fully ded ica t ed and is not developed west of South Vallejo Street; t here f o r e, the property owners in this block have no access to the r ear of the i r owner- ships from the south. Mr. Forington addressed the Commission, a n d d i s c ussed the cleanup efforts and improvements he has made since h e p u r chased the prop- erty approximately six months ago. He is now f aced with the problem of not being able to rent the b uildi ng a nd i s not getting any revenue from the site. Mr. Forington s t ated t hat he has re- ceived a number of inquiries from peop le i nte r e s t ed i n leasing the site, but when they find out wh a t the z on i n g is and what the restrictions are on the uses permitted, they find t he situation "unworkable". Mr. Forington stated that the s ite wa s a literal junk yard for at least 16 years, and tha t t he former o wner used the back part of the lot as storage for v e hicl e s, tires , and junk even though it is zoned for residential deve lopment . Mr . For i ng- ton stated that he is proud of what he ha s done with the prop- erty, but needs the support of the Com miss i on to make t he prop- erty attractive to other people so t hat it can be l e a sed or sold. Mr. Forington stated that the inquiries he has rece i ved range from auto body work, to truck painting, to c anv as ma nuf acturing; this last prospective busines s fabrica tes the meta l frames that 5 support the awnings that are all over town. Mr. Forington stated • that he "can't do anything with the existing zoning." Mr. Schultz asked if Mr. Forington's request was to rezone the south one-half of the site, or the total property to some zone district other than the B-2 and R-2-C. Mr. Forington stated that his concern is the total site. He stated that some of his neigh- boring property owners also want the zoning changed. He empha- sized that auto body repair uses abound in the immediate area, and the majority of inquiries seem to be regarding this use. The location of the structure on the site was further discussed. Mr. Stitt stated that the building appears to encroach slightly into the R-2-C Zone District. Mr. Forington stated that this is an 8,200 square foot building. Mr. Covens inquired whether there was some residential develop- ment on the south one-half of the block. Mr. Forington stated there is a "hodge podge" of uses in the block. He stated that he has not talked to nor even met the people who own the residences. Mr. Stitt stated that there are some options which might be con- sidered. The staff will have to explore these options more fully and develop a staff report encompassing the options. Some of these options include revision of the B-2 District to allow auto body work, but this would apply to any area that would be zoned B-2; Mr. Stitt pointed out that the Commission should keep in • mind the "character" of the West Evans Avenue strip as compared to the Broadway/Hampden B-2 zoned areas. A second option could be to rezone to an industrial classification, which would allow auto body work and the canvas manufacturing operations. A third option would be to maintain the status quo. A fourth option is to come up with a new zone district which could be designed to address the specific area. Mr. Schultz discussed the policy of breaking zone boundaries on alley lines, or requiring a buffer zone between two incompatible districts. Mr. Stitt stated that when the initial rezoning was considered during the ownership of Omni Bank, a 25 foot strip on the north side of Adriatic Avenue in addition to the width of the street, extended, was considered an adequate buffer. This buffer was to be a heavily landscaped area, and not the rear parking lot for the businesses fronting on West Evans Avenue. The extension and development of West Adriatic Avenue west of South Vallejo Street was discussed. Mr. Stitt stated that it does not appear there will be additional dedications of right-of- way, which would mean the City will have to purchase the right- of-way if the street were to be extended. Mr. For ington also pointed out that Public Service Company will have to relocate their lines, which now go down the centerline of the street, if extended. 6 • • • • Mr. Shoop asked if Mr. Forington would be satisfied with B-2 zon- ing. Mr. Forington stated that the B-2, as presently written, will not allow him to rent the property for the uses that are be- ing proposed. Modifications will have to be made to the B-2 Dis- trict for it to allow auto body repair and vehicle painting. Mr. Schultz asked if Mr. Forington planned to use the rear one- half of the site in conjunction with the front half. Mr. Foring- ton stated that he did; he has no plans to sell the rear half separately. Mr. Gerlick asked if auto body shops were permitted in B-2. Mr. Stitt stated that auto repair is a conditional use; however, auto body shops are specifically prohibited in the B-2 District. Mr. C. J. Glynn excused himself from the meeting at 8:05 P.M. Mr. Forington stated that some of the other property owners have said that if they "raise the hood on a car, it's considered a 'junk' car" and they can't work on them. Mr. Schultz emphasized that the Commission must look at what is best for the total city vs. one specific property. He appreci- ated that Mr. Forington took of his time to attend the meeting to discuss the problems he is experiencing with the Commission. Mr. Schultz stated that the staff needs to do a written analysis and report to the Commission for their further consideration. Mr. Schultz asked if staff had any estimate on when the Commission could expect this back on the agenda. Mr. Stitt suggested that early May would probably be the earliest it could be back to the Commission. Mrs. Tobin inquired of Mr. Forington whether he had checked into the zoning of the property prior to purchase. Mr. Forington stated that he "knew what [he] was buying into"; he commented that Englewood has always been willing to work with him in the past, and he felt the City would be fair with him in this regard. In response to an inquiry, Mr. Forington indicated he would pre- fer to see the canvas manufacturing business lease the site; he discussed the work he has done in auto body shops, and in his opinion it isn't a "healthy business" to go into. The area that might be encompassed in a potential rezoning was considered. Mr. Stitt indicated by rough sketch what the rezon- ing might encompass. Discussion ensued. Mr. Schultz asked if staff would contact other property owners in the area to deter- mine their opinion on a potential rezoning. Mr. Stitt stated that staff would do so. Mr. Dummer asked when Mr. Forington had purchased the property. Mr. Forington estimated six to seven months ago . Brief discussion ensued. 7 v. TRI-CITIES REPORT Mr. Covens stated that he and Mr. Shoop represent the Planning Commission on the Tri-Cities Planning Group. The issues this group, composed of representatives from Sheridan, Englewood and Littleton, are addressing are issues pertaining to South Santa Fe Drive and the South Platte River corridors from the north Engle- wood boundary south to C-470. A strategic plan was adopted on March 4. This strategic plan, along with a proposed resolution ratifying the strategic plan, has been sent for the consideration of the Commission and ultimate referral to the City Council. The resolution is in support of the continuing efforts to prepare programs for implementation of the plan in a cohesive manner. Mr. Covens pointed out that approval of the Plan and the proposed Resolution will allow all three cities to present a united front to entities such as the Department of Transportation, etc. Brief discussion ensued. Shoop moved: Tobin seconded: The Planning Commission endorse the Strategic Plan and recommend to City Council the adop- tion of A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL RAT- IFYING THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE SANTA FE DRIVE AREA AS PREPARED BY THE TRI-CITY PLAN- NING GROUP. AYES: Dummer, Gerlick, Leonard, Shoop, Tobin, Covens, Draper, Schultz NAYS: None ABSENT: Glynn ABSTAIN: None The motion carried. VI. DIRECTOR'S CHOICE Ms. Martin reported that City Council had considered air quality issues at a study session on March 16. City Council was support- ive of programs outlined, including woodburning bans, adjusting timing of signals during late evening/night hours in an effort to eliminate some pollution created by vehicles waiting for signals to cycle; also under consideration are street sanding/street sweeping operations. All of these issues will be considered by City Council as individual ordinances. The issue of CFCs is also being considered. The staff is working to find a new location for the Farmer'~ Mar- ket, which has outgrown the South Acoma Street site. One possi- ble location is the Home Club/Office Depot parking area. • • Mr. Shoop inquired about further discussion of "cedar mountain" by City Council. Ms. Martin stated that Council is awaiting the • outcome of the public meeting before the Commission, and that she 8 ... • • • anticipated several of the council members will attend that meet- ing. Mr. Schultz stated that he had received a telephone call from the Englewood Herald regarding the public meeting; they will be represented at the meeting, also. This issue will also be the focus of the reader's opinion poll this week or next. VII. COMMISSIONER'S CHOICE Ms. Tobin brought in articles pertaining to the zoning code revi- sions in Littleton. It was suggested that copies could be made for a future meeting. Mr. Draper discussed his concern with the activities at the Gothic Theatre, and the problems motorists and pedestrians expe- rience driving or walking through the area before, during and af- ter some of the concerts. He stated that he has had patrons hit his vehicle as he was driving down Broadway, bottles have been thrown at motorists, and other misbehavior has been noted. Dis- cussion ensued. Mr. Stitt stated that the office has a file on the Gothic Theatre, but pointed out that Mr. Draper's concerns are police-oriented issues. Neighborhood Services deals with complaints on parking, noise control, etc. He suggested that perhaps the City should have a higher level of police patrol on evenings of concerts. Mr. Stitt further pointed out that a num- ber of the acts that are booked into the Gothic attract the type of patron that are not typical of the Englewood resident . Ms. Tobin pointed out that Englewood is "a real dead town for kids'', and that not everyone in Englewood is old. Mr. Schultz discussed some of the personal reports he has re- ceived, also about bottles being thrown across Broadway, trash, litter and refuse being left on streets and private properties. The conduct of the patrons is a threat to people on the street, and a danger to people driving by. Mr. Schultz also pointed out that the patrons frequenting the Gothic are not "school kids", but young people in the early to mid-twenties. Mr. Stitt reiter- ated that these complaints are police-oriented. This department had a meeting with the owner of the Gothic, and he agreed to hire people to clean up following the concerts. Ms. Martin stated that she will transmit the concerns of the Com- mission to Safety Services Director Stanley, and see if the po- lice patrols cannot be beefed up on nights of concerts. Ms. Mar- tin cautioned that the concerts at the Gothic cannot be prohib- ited because of a possible violation of First Amendment rights. She agreed that the Gothic owner has agreed to clean up following the concerts, and to pay for police patrol. Ms. Tobin pointed out that part of the problem may be that of timing; when the concerts get out, shifts on the police depart- ment may be changing and they cannot provide the full contingent of officers needed for adequate patrol. Mr. Schultz stated that he has seen people lining up to get in by 4:00 P.M. 9 . . Discussion ensued. Ms. Tobin urged "friendly persuasion" be tried because of the potential of the patrons to make everything • much more difficult if we really come down hard on them. Brief discussion ensued. The meeting was declared adjourned at 8:50 P.M. Gertrude G. w€lty Recording Secretary 10 • •