Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Planning Commission 1985-12-17BRADFORD PUBLISHING CO.RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS / Planning Commission December 17, 1985 Commission; Attending: Also Attending Absent: Chairman A1 Sager, Members Duane Blair, Mark Brown, Mike Dickinson, George Hix, Steve Komito, Richard Wood Chairman Sager, Members Brown, Dickinson, Hix, Komito Town Administrator Hill, Town Attorney White, Town Engineer Widmer, Town Planner Stamey, Secretary Heifner Members Blair, Wood 1. Minutes of the Planning Commission meeting held November 19, 1985 were submitted and approved. 2. Set Public Hearings. a. It was moved and seconded (Hix-Brown) to set public hearings for the January 21 Planning Commission meeting and January 28 Town Board meeting regarding the rezoning request. Lot 17, South Saint Vrain Addition, from R-1 to R. The motion passed unanimously. b. It was moved and seconded (Komito-Hix) to set a public hearing for the January 21 Planning Commission meeting regarding an amendment to the Estes Park Comprehensive Plan - adoption of Estes Valley Trails Plan. ■The motion passed unanimously. 3. Downtown Parking a. Review of Mike Haber/Louis O'Riordan parking proposal. Planner Stamey stated he had reviewed the Haber/01Riordan proposal and referred to a Staff memo dated December 12 which includes the following Staff response; 1. Staff agrees with the concept of creating a SID or GID for parking improvements. Staff believes, however, that an improvement district should be contiguous with the C-D District. The parking problem is downtown, not in outlying areas. Properties in the C-0 District are required to provide on-site parking, and they have historically done this. 2. Should an improvement district be created, the C-D parking requirement should be repealed. 3. A current count indicates that there are 110 commercial properties in the C-D District. Staff does not have an exact count of the number of businesses. 4. Staff agrees that the Birch-Bikle property would be an excellent location for a new parking lot. Approximately 170 parking spaces could be developed at an estimated cos of $957,000. The old lumber yard property should be considered as an alternate, which would yield 95 spaces at an estimated cost of $438,000. 5. Proponents are suggesting a one-time fee of $2,000 per business. There are several other potential assessment methods which staff believes are overall more equitable. An easy approach would be to base the assessment or fee on value of the property, or on building square footage. BRADFORD PUBLISHING CO.RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Planning Commission - December 17, 1985 - Page two Louis O'Riordan stated that the realtors and several downtown merchants want the $2,000 fee/space replaced with an alternate proposal and that all commercial properties in Town should be assessed — not just the C-D District. O'Riordan also voiced concern over the Chamber of Commerce advertising budget — privately-owned motels and attractions receiving advertising at taxpayers' expense. Neil Rosener stated that there are some inequities with the Haber/0'Riordan proposal, such as attempting to measure the the amount of impact each business creates on parking. Attorney White said that the Haber/O'Riordan proposal is not legally justifiable. The Courts, however, have recognized assessments based on building square footage. Chairman Sager stated that the Town and Planning Commission are actively seeking other methods to finance downtown parking. b. Parking discussion - options, alternatives. Planner Stamey referred to a staff memo dated December 12, 1985 re: parking, which included information on downtown parking demand and presented several potential options for off-street parking. Stamey recommends a repeal of the C-D District parking requirements when merchants and property owners in the C-D District support the creation of an improvement district, participate in some of the direct costs to create more parking in the C-D District, and constructively pursue some of the other available options. Stamey also stated that the staff and Planning Commission would be available to meet with merchants and interested persons in an exchange of ideas. Following comments and discussion from the Commission and audience. Chairman Sager directed Staff to pursue setting up workshops with the public in the near future. 4. County Referral a. Olympus Lodge - Variance and special exception, for RV parking. Request Jim Littlejohn spoke, representing David and Katherine Mizer, owners of the Olympus Lodge property. He stated that the property is zoned B-Business, not E-Estate. The applicants are requesting a use variance from the Larimer County Board of Adjustment to permit the installation of six recreational vehicle hookups and parking sites. Planner Stamey indicated that, although the property is zoned B-Business, a use variance is still required from the county. Stamey read letters from several adjoining property owners (Olympus—Bellevue Property Owners Associa­ tion, Crosby, Clements), who voiced strong objections to this proposed variance. Elwood Shirling, President, Olympus-Bellevue Property Owners Association spoke in opposition to the proposed variance. EVIA has indicated that they have no objection to granting the proposed variance provided certain conditions are met. Staff Recommendation - Denial of the variance request. The applicant should pursue, through Larimer County, an amendment to the zoning regulations which might allow this type of limited RV use as an accessory use to motels, for example. BRADFORD PUBLISHING CO.RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Planning Commission - December 17, 1985 - Page three After further discussion from the Commission, it was determined that; 1. There are significant concerns with respect to visual impact. 2. The county does not provide for this use in this particular zoning area. 3. A change in zoning rather than "changing rules to fit the circumstances" should be pursued. It was moved and seconded (Brown-Dickinson) that the Planning Commission not recommend this application to the Larimer County Board of Adjustment. The motion passed unanimously. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. Donna Heifner, Recording Secretary