APPROVED MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING

OF THE KENTWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION

MARCH 8, 2011, 7:30 P.M.

COMMISSION CHAMBERS
(return to index)

 

A.                Chair Holtrop called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

 

B.                 The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Commissioner Young.

 

C.                 Roll Call:

Members Present: Maurice Groce, John Helder, Dan Holtrop, Ed Kape, Laurie Sheldon,  Frank Vander Hoff,  Don Yokom and Johngerlyn Young

Members Absent: Ed Swanson (with notification)

Others Present: Community Development Director Terry Schweitzer, Economic Development Planner Lisa Golder, Planner Joe Pung, Staff Secretary Monique Collier, the press, the applicants and 2 residents.

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

 

D.                Approval of the Minutes and Findings of Fact

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

E.                 Approval of the Agenda

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent –

 

F.                  Acknowledge visitors wishing to speak to non-agenda items.

 

            There was no public comment.

 

G.                Old Business

 

            There was no Old Business

 

H.                Public Hearing

 

Case #4-11 Midwest Geothermal - Special Land Use for a Contractor’s Yard- Located at; 3585 32^nd Street SE

 

Planner Golder introduced the request. She stated the request is for a contractor’s yard in the industrial zone on 5 acres that is currently vacant. She stated the company installs and designs geothermal HVAC for residential and commercial. She stated there will be administration, engineering, and purchasing done on site. She stated for commercial projects they will go out to the site and residential the product will be stored on site and then moved to the residential site for installation. 

 

Golder stated they will have heavy equipment stored in the contractor’s yard. She stated at the work session there was discussion regarding the use of crushed concrete surface where vehicle and equipment are stored. She stated the City is fine with that pavement, but it will have to be graded and drained which is included in the recommendation.

 

Golder stated this site was a former battery plant years ago and there is contamination on the site. She stated the City has an EPA assessment grant and use that grant to assist the property owner in determining what materials are on the site and what has to be done to address them. She stated phase 1 and 2 environmental reviews were done and what will result is a Do Care Plan that will tell the company what they will have to do in order not to exacerbate the situation. Golder stated part of doing this work allows the company to make sure they are not held liable for something that happened before they came to the site. She stated it will allow the applicant to continue to purchase this building and sets the standard for where they can’t do any more to the site to make it worse or exacerbate what has already been done to the site. She stated the Do Care Plan is referenced in the recommendation.

 

Golder stated at the work session we discussed the landscape island and how the fire trucks couldn’t make it around to pull in front of the building. Golder stated it has been reduced in size to accommodate the turning radius of the trucks. She stated they have added trees to the front and they have changed the size of the detention pond. Golder stated they have a variance into the zoning board of appeals for a March 21, 2011 hearing to look at their building materials.

 

Golder stated she is recommending conditional approval of the special land use and site plan review as stated in her memo.

 

Chair Holtrop opened the public hearing.

 

There was no public comment.

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

 

Commission Sheldon expressed her concern about the applicant failing to personally contacting to their neighbors and stressed how important she thought it was to do. She stated she is happy with the development.

 

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

 

 Case #5-11- Rapid Kentwood Station – Site Plan Review for a Regional Commercial Transit Center in a C3 Zone – Located at 3301 28^th Street SE

 

            Director Schweitzer introduced the request. He stated the request is for a Rapid  Kentwood Station located on the Woodland Mall property. He stated this is a site plan            review. He stated the use is allowable in the C-3 zone and  is considered an essential  service for the community. 

 

            Schweitzer noted that the work session discussion where the major issues were concerning security on the site, provisions for bike racks and waste receptacles. He stated there was a meeting held on February 28, 2011 involving Woodland Mall,  Kentwood Police Department, the ITP and their consultants to discuss the security issues. Schweitzer stated the new transit center is being projected to have the same level of routes and passengers as the current bus stop just outside the Sears store. He stated camera surveillance was discussed at the meeting as well as, patrolling, and signage. He stated what was concluded and part of the condition of approval is that the approval by the police chief of the security plan for the site is going to be a desirable circumstance. Schweitzer stated he felt the meeting was very beneficial in terms of the experience that Woodland Mall has had over the years for having the stop on their property.

 

Schweitzer stated he is recommending conditional approval of the site plan with conditions 1-2 and basis point 1-5 as stated in his memo dated 3-3-11. 

 

Schweitzer stated the revised site plan elaborates on the proposed signage in terms of authorized vehicles and those that are there unauthorized will be towed by Merls towing. He stated this will provide the ITP the ability for the vehicles to be towed off at the exposure of the owner of the vehicles. Schweitzer stated they also discussed  the clockwise movement of buses as they move through this site in order to accommodate the boarding and unboarding of passengers. This direction of traffic flow is to the normal direction of traffic on the roadways and parking lots.

 

Bob Petco, with Progressive AE was present to represent the request. 

 

Chair Holtrop opened the public hearing.

 

There was no public comment.

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

 

Yokom asked about the security cameras and questioned whether they be the type to just capture and hold or will they be monitored at an offsite location Brian Pouget, ITP Operations Manager, stated they will capture and record and they are investigating the option of having it being monitored offsite. He indicated that will be part of whatever agreement they come to on the security plan.

 

 Gorce asked how patrons coming from Woodland Mall will get to the island without interfering with buses coming and going. Petco stated last year ITP installed the sidewalk on the Seoul Garden frontage and there is a crosswalk with a stop sign that leads directly to the Celebration Cinema Theater. The intent is they will cross Mall Drive. The Mall Drive crosswalk as well as the crosswalk within the site is ADA compliant. The island will have six bays for buses and 3 standard size bus shelters.  In the southwest corner of the site will be a restroom facility that is card access for the drivers only and that is barrier free. 

 

Kape asked if the Woodland Mall representative has any perspective on security for the transit center. Tony Deluccia, Manager of Woodland Mall stated there have been discussions and it is a concern at the mall. They look forward to working with the Rapid and try to come to the best resolution on security.

 

Holtrop asked if this looks to be better bus top than the current bus top. Delucchia stated he thinks this will be better. He stated this is the Rapids property and they will maintain it. He stated there is a lot of bus traffic that comes to the mall and their issue with the bus traffic is to figure out the best place for it. If it doesn’t interfere with vehicle traffic this stop should be fine. Discussion Ensued. 

 

Holtrop asked if there were any particular times and days when individuals cause problems. Deluccia stated there are issues usually right after school between 3-4pm and weekend nights. He stated right now since it is on their property they have a couple of mobile units that patrol the lot and security cameras that are actively monitored by security (a couple of which are dedicated to the bus stop). He stated they contract with the Kentwood Police to have a police officer on site Wednesday-Saturday so they help out as well. 

 

Discussion Ensued regarding Security.

 

Holtrop asked will the bus drivers be trained for pedestrians crossing in front of them. Brian Pouget stated if there were pedestrians in the crosswalk their drivers would wait in the  Mall Dr. He stated this is similar to what they have at Central Station and far more people.

 

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

I.                   Work Session

 

            There were no work session

 

J.                   New Business

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

K.                Other Business

 

1.      Master Plan Discussion 52^nd & Eastern and 52^nd & Kalamazoo

 

There was an open house prior to the meeting. Golder stated there were three plans for 52^nd Street and Eastern that were displayed, two of which were provided by Lighthouse. Golder stated any one of them could be developed and be consistent with what has been discussed as part of the planning process.  

 

Schweitzer stated at the open house the residents reinforced the desire for Grocery Store. He stated there was question about the introduction of housing into the plan and related to that he heard a lot of discussion about whether there was a need for as much commercial in the area as it is right now. The types of residential that were discussed included single family detached row houses and line-work buildings. Home ownership was stressed.

 

Chris Hennessy, Owner of Java Cone & 52^nd Street Auto Wash was present. He stated people want their grocery store and modernize the mall. He stated since Family Fare closed it had a financial Impact on his business and others in the area. He stated he didn’t hear anything about people wanting townhomes. He stated what he doesn’t like is that his business is not in the master plan and he has invested a lot into developing the property. VanderHoff stated nobody can force him to sell if he didn’t want to and would have to work around his business if they want to develop.

 

 

Yokom stated people do not want to see low income or subsidized housing.

 

The Commissioners stated they were inclined to like to see all three plans adopted into the Master Plan.

 

 

The Commissioners stated the would like to see another open house on March 22, with better notification and maybe put it in the Advance.

 

2.      Commissioners’ Comments

 

No Commissioner Comments

 

3.      Staff’s Comments

 

Schweitzer stated we should have a draft of the SIP by April 15 and we will get in contact to those who are on the committee to set up a meeting prior to the work session on March 22.

 

Schweitzer asked the commissioner to get their conflict of interest statements back as soon as possible.

 

L.                 Adjournment  

 

-          Motion Carried (8-0) –

-          Swanson absent -

Meeting adjourned at 8:46p.m.

 

 

                                                            Respectfully submitted,

 

                                                            Don Yokom, Secretary