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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes__________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 1 June 7, 2022 PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES June 7, 2022 PRESENT: Margy Davey, Michael Ford, Meredith Scheuermann, Mamadou Coulibaly, Justin Mitchell, Thomas Perry, Kathleen Propp, John Kiefer, Ed Bowen EXCUSED: Phil Marshall STAFF: Mark Lyons, Planning Services Manager; Kelly Nieforth, Community Development Director; Dean Smith, Police Chief; James Rabe, Director of Public Works; Justin Gierach, Engineering Division Manager / City Engineer; Brian Slusarek, Planner; Jeff Nau, Associate Planner; Chairperson Perry called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. Roll call was taken and a quorum declared present. The minutes of May 17, 2022 were approved as presented. (Davey/Scheuermann) I. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Mr. Lyons explained the Plan Commission needs to vote for officers. He called for nominations. Mr. Mitchell nominated Mr. Perry for Chair. Mr. Lyons called for other nominations. Mr. Lyons made a final call for other nominations. No commissioners made other nominations. Declaration of Mr. Perry as Chair. Plan Commission members unanimously approved Mr. Perry as Chair, 9-0. Ms. Davey nominated Mr. Mitchell for Vice-Chair. Mr. Lyons called for other nominations. No commissioners made other nominations. Mr. Lyons made a final call for other nominations. No commissioners made other nominations. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 2 June 7, 2022 Declaration of Mr. Mitchell as Vice-Chair. Plan Commission members unanimously approved Mr. Mitchell as Vice-Chair, 9-0. II A: PUBLIC HEARING: ZONE CHANGE FROM SUBURBAN MIXED USE DISTRICT (SMU) TO SUBURBAN MIXED USE DISTRICT WITH A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY (SMU-PD) FOR PROPERTY LOCATED ON SOUTH SIDE OF W PACKER AVENUE Site Inspections Report: Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Davey, Mr. Bowen, Ms. Propp, and Ms. Scheuermann all reported visiting the site. Staff report accepted as part of the record. The applicant requests a zone change from the existing Suburban Mixed Use District (SMU) to Suburban Mixed Use District with a Planned Development Overlay (SMU-PD). Mr. Slusarek presented the item and reviewed the site and surrounding area as well as the land use and zoning classifications in this area. The applicant is requesting a zone change to add a Planned Development Overlay for the subject property. Plans have been submitted plans for a “tiny home village”, which is a multi-family use and not permitted in the Suburban Mixed Use District (SMU). This request is intended to allow the applicant to apply for base standard modifications (BSMs) for the proposed use and site design. The finalized plans for the site will be addressed as a General Development Plan (GDP) and Specific Implementation Plan (SIP) at a future meeting date. Staff is supportive of the proposed rezone as it will also assist development of the site and provide further review of development plans. Staff recommends approval with the findings and conditions as listed in the staff report. Mr. Perry opened up technical questions to staff. Mr. Perry asked for any public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any statements. Will Deppiesse, 4521 Ravine Way; Board President of the Oshkosh Kids Foundation, made himself available for questions. Mr. Perry closed public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any closing statements. Cindy Pischke, 1287 Valley Rd, said she is a representative of the Oshkosh Kennel Club. She said she has belonged to the club since 1981 and is a 43 year veteran social worker from Winnebago County so she is aware of the types of situations the families who are in need are in. In 1985 they started looking at lots to build the Oshkosh Kennel Club. A lot of the lots they looked at were surrounded by residential areas and they felt that did not want to be surrounded by residents __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 3 June 7, 2022 when they have a lot of events with a lot of people. They wanted an area where they could be in a commercial or industrial type area. This property was purchased in 1986 but they would’ve never purchased it had they known there were going to be residents around it. They do have some neighbors now but they have a good relationship with them. She is urging the Plan Commission to not approve this because it is not conducive with the area. Cindy Bohnert, 3422 Bell Line Rd, Omro, is also representing the Oshkosh Kennel Club. They have done everything they can to always be compatible with the zoning around them and the commercial neighbors. They have on average 9000 exhibitors who come through their doors each year and many of them have to leave their dogs in the car. They are concerned with having 31 residents across the street and what it would do to their finances. She is also unsure of what kind of picture that is going to paint with security that people are going to feel coming to our events. They have been told first that the police were going to be there for security, but then they were told that there was just going to be a room just for the police to let the children know the police are good and to have a presence. The current plan reads that the police are going to be there for added safety. She wants to know what is going to be anticipated there that will warrant added safety. In the proposal it says the site will be close to local services, and one of them is Nova Counseling Center. They were told at the last meeting that the families that would be chosen to be here would be checked and they wouldn’t have any addictions or history of any criminal record. Being close to the Nova Counseling Center, as it is a drug and alcohol abuse center, concerns them. In the past they had an incident where someone drove through their garage door. There was no traffic study done that was shown in the proposal. During the week on Packer Ave, there is a lot of traffic on the road. The biggest concern is that this project will hinder the future success of the Oshkosh Kennel Club. There were no other public comments on this item. There were no closing statements from the applicant. Motion by Mitchell to adopt the findings and recommendation as stated in the staff report. Seconded by Davey. Mr. Perry asked if there was any discussion on the motion. Mr. Coulibaly said he would like to hear the applicant’s feedback on the concerns of the neighbors. Mr. Deppiesse said the discussion with the police department has been fluid and has been an evolving conversation over the last 8 months. Originally the police department offered to have someone occasionally come on site during the evening hours doing paperwork in the community center building. It wouldn’t be all day or every day. Part of the point is having a good relationship with the police before the residents need them. Mr. Perry reminded the Planning Commission this item is just for a zone change and more discussion can happen with the next item which involves a general development plan. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 4 June 7, 2022 Motion carried 9-0. II B: GENERAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN & SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN APPROVAL FOR A TINY HOME DEVELOPMENT LOCATED ON SOUTH SIDE OF W PACKER AVENUE Site Inspections Report: Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Davey, Mr. Bowen, Ms. Propp, and Ms. Scheuermann all reported visiting the site. Staff report accepted as part of the record. The applicant requests approval for a General Development Plan (GDP) and Specific Implementation Plan (SIP) for a tiny home development. Mr. Slusarek presented the item and reviewed the site and surrounding area as well as the land use and zoning classifications in this area. The applicant is proposing a “tiny home village”, which will consist of 31 individual dwelling units, each 478 sq. ft. in size, as well as a 768 sq. ft. manager’s dwelling unit and community center. The village is intended to offer independent housing to homeless families in the area. Site amenities will include a garden, outdoor social gathering gazebos, outdoor playground, sports field, access to storage, and multi-purpose community center including a kitchen, laundry room, and vocational style classrooms. The Suburban Mixed Use District (SMU) does not permit residential uses. Therefore, a Base Standard Modification (BSM) is being requested to allow the proposed multi-family residential land use. The applicant states that the proposed location has been chosen based on its proximity to supporting services. Staff recommends approval of the proposed BSM as this particular multi- family residential use (tiny home village) is relatively compatible with surrounding low-intensity commercial and open-space land uses. A virtual neighborhood meeting was held on November 30, 2021. Neighboring property owners voiced concerns primarily related to the proposed use and management of the site. A Plan Commission workshop was held on January 19, 2021. A second in person neighborhood meeting was held on May 19th. Plan Commission voiced general support for the proposed use of the site. Staff recommends approval with the findings and conditions as listed in the staff report. Mr. Perry opened up technical questions to staff. Mr. Bowen asked what type of materials are being used for the buildings. Mr. Lyons said the community center building meets the required material which is vinyl and the tiny homes themselves meet the residential standards. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 5 June 7, 2022 Mr. Bowen asked if there has been discussion reducing the number of the units by two to remove the need for the base standard modification for a 17 ½ foot setback. Mr. Lyons said the goal was to get this overall number of units. There are other zoning districts like SR-9 with a 15 foot setback. Trying to have a minimum quality of life for these individuals, going to a 17 ½ setback wasn’t an issue with staff and made sense to give them more space. Mr. Bowen asked if we have precedence within other zoning classifications for a principal residential structure within that type of setback and it sounds like SR-9 is comparable. Mr. Lyons said yes and SR-9 is even smaller. Ms. Scheuermann asked if there are sidewalks. Mr. Lyons said there are sidewalks on Packer Ave. Mr. Perry asked for any public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any statements. Corey Wallace, Wesenberg Architects, 240 Algoma Blvd. They worked on the community center design and could answer any questions. Mr. Lyons asked if he could talk about the exterior finishes. Mr. Wallace said they are using LP composite smart siding with asphalt shingles and quarter trim boards. Mr. Perry closed public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any closing statements. Mr. Lyons asked if they are similar designs to other larger multi-family residential clubhouses. Mr. Wallace said they recently did a project in the last few years that was similar. There were no closing statements from the applicant. Motion by Mitchell to adopt the findings and recommendation as stated in the staff report. Seconded by Davey. Mr. Perry asked if there was any discussion on the motion. Ms. Propp said she was hoping the applicant would talk about management of the site and management of kids in regards to the kennel club. She asked if there was going to be someone on site at all times. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 6 June 7, 2022 Mr. Lyons said there is a motion on the floor so they couldn’t have the applicant come back unless the commission would allow them. Mr. Bowen said he would like to hear what the applicant would like to say. Mr. Perry said to continue the questions on the motion first then we will call the applicant up afterwards. Ms. Propp asked how much space is between each unit. Mr. Lyons said its 17 feet 4 inches. Mr. Mitchell asked if Mr. Slusarek helped on this project. Mr. Slusarek said yes. Mr. Mitchell explained that when a nonstandard request comes to city hall, and he appreciates the creativeness and willingness to approach this with an open mind. The support that is provided to find solutions is helpful especially when it comes to low income populations such as this. The concerns that Ms. Pischke and Ms. Bohnert have are appropriate. Ms. Pischke is well aware of the challenges certain populations may pose, but is aware of the impact a positive environment would have on these families. He is excited to support this project. Mr. Deppiesse said that Todd Mandel, Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, 821 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI; will be answering questions with him as they will also be a co- owner with the Oshkosh Kids Foundation. Advocap is a partner agency that will have a full-time case worker on site to work with the families and what needs they have. There will be an on-site full-time live-in manager to oversee the families. The property management is contracted out to another firm for buildings and grounds and leasing activities. There will be multiple people there full-time. Ms. Propp asked if that means there will be someone there to assist neighbors with concerns. Mr. Mandel said that the person that is employed for the full-time live in position will be there to help with community development and community relations. He doesn’t think there will be an issue with kids from the tiny homes village crossing the street and bothering the dogs from the kennel club. If it does happen, there is someone there to help. Also, the traffic count on Packer Ave is 2200 cars per day which is one of the lowest traffic counts of major arteries in the city. Highway 76 has 16,000 cars a day. Mr. Perry asked if the project has program participant requirements and can’t hang around all day. Mr. Mandel said that is correct and that Advocap will help to manage that but they will be actively seeking employment, education or other needs. The goal is to get them stabilized and moved on. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 7 June 7, 2022 Ms. Davey asked for clarification on why the OPD has been involved in the discussion and the point of having someone on site doing paperwork and if it’s protection from the inhabitants or for the inhabitants. Chief Smith said it was important for them to be involved in the project because there is a density associated with the project. The clientele that will be living there are going to have programs in place to help them transition from where they currently are at to make them productive community members. The design of the building itself from the point of view from law enforcement is not only for patrolling purposes but also to maintain the safety of the community. The applicant has been receptive to every request law enforcement and the fire department has made and they were willing to make significant changes to their original plan. They are developing patrol plans to go through the neighborhood, but not as a protection from the residents or for the residents, but they become a part of the community and we have to patrol that just as we would any other part of the community. There will be programming within the facility to develop relationships and to help alleviate mistrust with law enforcement. Motion carried 9-0. III: PUBLIC HEARING: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST FOR A TEMPORARY USE PERMIT EXTENSION AT 1301 KNAPP STREET Site Inspections Report: No council members reported visiting the site. Staff report accepted as part of the record. The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to extend a temporary use permit for outdoor vehicle storage. Mr. Slusarek presented the item and reviewed the site and surrounding area as well as the land use and zoning classifications in this area. A Temporary Use Permit (TUP) was issued in November 2021 for storage of Oshkosh Defense vehicles, which expired on February 1, 2022. A Conditional Use Permit was approved on March 8, 2022 to allow extension of the TUP for storage of vehicles on the site through May 1, 2022. The applicant is requesting approval of extension of the TUP to allow for additional vehicle storage time on the site. The applicant has been using this area of the quarry for truck storage since late November. The TUP extension is needed to allow for continued vehicle storage as they have been experiencing shipping delays. Vehicles are stored at this site until they are selected for shipment. Staff is supportive of the TUP extension, provided the total storage timeframe does not exceed one year. Temporary use of the site beyond one year in duration would be considered a permanent use and would require a Conditional Use Permit along with full Site Plan Review approval. Therefore, Staff is recommending a condition that all vehicles be removed from the site by November 30, 2022. Staff recommends approval with the findings and conditions as listed in the staff report. Mr. Perry opened up technical questions to staff. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 8 June 7, 2022 Ms. Scheuermann asked for clarification on the timeline of the temporary use permit and the conditional use permit. Mr. Lyons said that the current process they are using, which is an extension of the temporary use permit via a conditional use permit caps at one year. To go beyond that, they would still need a conditional use permit, but just a different type of conditional use permit. They have encouraged the applicant to look at other options if storage is still needed in the future. Mr. Mitchell asked what the area is for notification. Mr. Lyons said it is 100 feet from the property lines. There have been no issues with neighbors. Mr. Perry asked for any public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any statements. Ryan Meyers, Oshkosh Defense, 1220 Fairfax St, said they just need a little more time to store vehicles due to shipping delays and part shortages. If it comes to having a more permanent solution we may have to do that. There were no other public comments on this item. Mr. Perry closed public comments and asked if the applicant wanted to make any closing statements. There were no closing statements from the applicant. Motion by Coulibaly to adopt the findings and recommendation as stated in the staff report. Seconded by Kiefer. Mr. Perry asked if there was any discussion on the motion. Mr. Mitchell asked if there was any costs savings to making this a permanent use. Mr. Lyons said if they did make a decision to go forward with a one-time conditional use permit it would save them permitting fees since there is a cost each time they applied for a conditional use permit or temporary use permit. Motion carried 9-0. VI. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON OREGON/JACKSON STREET BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION ALTERNATIVES Mr. Rabe and Mr. Lyons had presented different options for the Jackson in a previous workshop. There were a few options presented in a PowerPoint for Plan Commission to decide on a __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 9 June 7, 2022 recommendation to make to Council. Plan Commission discussed different the different options and their preferences. Motion by Davey to recommend for bridge option alternative C1 with the cul-de-sac. Seconded by Mitchell. Mr. Perry asked if there was any discussion on the motion. Ms. Davey made a motion to amend the recommendation to include high level fixed span with the river walk underneath and no access to Jackson St. Motion carried 7-2. (Nay Bowen and Scheuermann) PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT Mr. Lyons said that due to no action items coming in for the June 21st Plan Commission meeting, it will be cancelled and the next meeting will be July 5th. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at approximately 5:29 pm. (Kiefer/Scheuermann) Respectfully Submitted, Mark Lyons Planning Services Manager