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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes__________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 1 September 6, 2016 PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES September 6, 2016 PRESENT: David Borsuk, Ed Bowen, Thomas Fojtik, Steve Cummings, Kathleen Propp, Donna Lohry, Robert Vajgrt, Karl Nollenberger EXCUSED: Jeffrey Thoms, John Hinz STAFF: Darryn Burich, Director of Planning Services; Jeffrey Nau, Associate Planner; James Rabe, Director of Public Works; Steve Gohde, Assistant Director of Public Works; Mark Rohloff, City Manager; Deborah Foland, Recording Secretary Chairperson Fojtik called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. Roll call was taken and a quorum declared present. The minutes of August 16, 2016 were approved as presented. (Vajgrt/Nollenberger) I. GRANT UTILITY EASEMENT AT THE STATE STREET PARKING LOT LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF STATE STREET AND WAUGOO AVENUE The City of Oshkosh requests the granting of a private easement through the State Street parking lot to allow for additional electric and other private service to be provided to 105 Washington Avenue. Mr. Nau presented the item and reviewed the site and surrounding area and the zoning classifications in this area and stated that the subject site was within a city owned parking lot. He discussed the rehabilitation of 105 Washington Avenue and reviewed a map depicting the proposed easement area. He explained the reason for the easement request which is to provide services to 105 Washington Avenue such as Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, AT&T, Time Warner and other private utility providers. He further stated that this area was included within the Tax Increment Financing District #30 recently approved by the Common Council. Mr. Burich added that this was the first step in implementing the TIF project plan which also includes a land disposition to the developer of a portion of the State Street parking lot. The proposed easement is a short-term easement only as once the land transfer is complete the City will no longer have interest in the utility easement. Mr. Burich further explained that the easement was necessary as the developer needs to get power to the structure as soon as possible. The land disposition would be presented to the Commission at a later date once other details are worked out. Mr. Borsuk questioned if all the utilities would be placed underground. Mr. Burich responded affirmatively. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 2 September 6, 2016 Motion by Vajgrt to approve granting a utility easement at the State Street parking lot located at the northeast corner of State Street and Waugoo Avenue. Seconded by Nollenberger. Motion carried 7-0. Mr. Bowen arrived at 4:06 pm. II. PUBLIC HEARING: 2017 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Staff requests review and acceptance of the 2017 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The purpose of this review is for the Plan Commission to make a determination of consistency of the proposed programs and activities in the 2017 CIP with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. official maps, or other planned activities. Mr. Nau stated that Planning Services staff has reviewed all of the projects in the document and did not find any projects that would be in conflict with the City’s Comprehensive Plan or other planned activities and was recommending acceptance of the 2017 CIP as presented. He stated that the Common Council would be reviewing the CIP at the November 22nd meeting and displayed a map depicting most of the City’s major improvement projects included in this document, Mr. Borsuk stated that the Quarry Park landfill has $500,000 allocated for gas mitigation and questioned what the cumulative costs were over the last five years for this site and what it would have cost to excavate everything from the property instead. Steve Gohde, Assistant Director of Public Works, explained that this site was actually two different landfills in the past. Mr. Borsuk discussed the purchase and removal of homes in this area and other costs related to this issue. Mr. Gohde stated that the homes would have to have been removed to excavate the site as some were built in areas that were previously part of the landfill and that excavating the landfill would have been much more costly than the measures that are being taken to address the gas mitigation. Mr. Borsuk questioned how much of the storm water work is to address flooding issues versus storm water quality. Mr. Gohde responded that the storm water quality is being addressed only in the Westowne Avenue area and the rest of the projects were to reduce flooding issues however they strive to address both concerns. Mr. Borsuk commented that as a city, the taxpayers continue to pay money for storm water management however the largest contributors to the quality of runoff issues do not do their share in regard to treating the storm water runoff for solids and phosphorous. He also questioned how the South Park lagoons interact with the working quarry in the vicinity. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 3 September 6, 2016 Mr. Gohde replied that the quarry discharges water 24 hours a day which maintains the water quality well at South Park. It is not creating any flooding concerns. Mr. Borsuk also commented on the street reconstruction of Murdock Avenue and New York Avenue and how it will impede north to south access and if the city looks at overall traffic control when planning street improvements. Mr. Gohde discussed the improvements and stated that Murdock Avenue picks up going east and that Harrison and Main Streets are open at this point and that work will continue west of Main Street next year. He further explained how the work is scheduled and that it is planned to not impede the north to south traffic flow and discussed the streets to be opened and closed at different times to complete the necessary improvements. Mr. Borsuk commented that 50% of the pollution is generated from agricultural uses and that the city has to continue to control phosphorous and solids however no preventive measures are in place for agricultural uses. Ms. Lohry questioned if East Central Regional Planning is working on these issues. Mr. Cummings stated that the matter is currently being look into. Mark Rohloff, City Manager, commented that the City had met with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, (DNR), last week and explained that the federal government regulates the DNR through the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), and that 80 to 90% of the pollution issues in Wisconsin waterways are due to agricultural uses. He further explained that there are two different standards for municipal and agricultural uses and some of the issues occur naturally in Lake Winnebago. He felt that we need to reconcile these issues however the EPA does not address it and the DNR helps as much as possible. This issue is being worked on with the Common Council and DNR and has been for more than a year and he hopes to reach an agreement on the matter. Ms. Lohry commented that this should be a state-wide effort as it affects more than just our municipality. Mr. Rohloff explained that there is an ongoing debate on whether the runoff from our community is discharged to the lake or river as the lake has more stringent regulations than the river and that the DNR has been very cooperative in this matter however the EPA is causing the issues and that the situation has been very frustrating to deal with. Mr. Bowen stated that there is a section in the CIP related to wetland mitigation bank development which appears to be a new item and questioned how it functions and how it is funded. Mr. Gohde explained the basic process which would be to create a wetland bank for either the City’s own projects and for other development projects and that the City was working in __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 4 September 6, 2016 conjunction with the City of Neenah on this effort. He further explained the process of locating an appropriate site and receiving DNR approval and turning the land back into a wetland state which can then be sold back to the City for our use and continued to discuss the costs involved with the James Road detention basin. Mr. Bowen commented that it was like buying wetland futures. Mr. Rohloff commented that both the City of Neenah and the City of Oshkosh are within the same watershed and further explained the buying ratio involved. He continued to discuss how this would allow for providing less mitigation when provided for by the municipality and that the use of areas outside of the city does not take away area from the industrial park lands for these purposes. He further discussed the costs of land acquisition for storm water management and how this approach makes more economic sense as it is not as expensive. Mr. Bowen commented that the concept seems to be to allow developments to use wetland areas by purchasing other wetlands in another location and questioned if this can be conveyed to a third party. Mr. Gohde indicated that this would be an economic development tool that would allow the City to either issue or sell wetland credits. Mr. Rohloff added that this concept received the highest rating for economic development purposes in the CIP ranking. Mr. Bowen discussed the cost breakdown in the CIP and questioned how the portion designated as “other” would be funded, Mr. Rohloff responded that it may be funded from the Aviation Business Park TIF or some other Tax Increment Financing Districts. Mr. Borsuk discussed the potential of creating 40 acres of wetlands and questioned how large of a parcel the City was looking to acquire. Mr. Gohde replied that the size of the parcel would depend on what is available and suitable as well as what land is adjacent to it and discussed the advantage of purchasing one large parcel or a parcel that can be connected compared to purchasing numerous smaller parcels. Mr. Rohloff added that any land acquisitions would come before the Plan Commission and Common Council for approval. The public hearing was opened at 4:27 pm. Gary Gray, 815 W. Linwood Avenue, questioned if the wetland bank concept would help to address the phosphorous issue. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 5 September 6, 2016 Mr. Gohde responded that it may have some effect. Mr. Gray continued to discuss Dane County and how they are dealing with this issue. Mr. Gray then questioned if the South Park area detention basin is in agreement with the South Park master plan. James Rabe, Director of Public Works, discussed the issue and stated that there was a lot more to it than just the reconstruction of the lagoons such as combining and reducing outlets and several other aspects of the South Park master plan. Mr. Gray then commented that TIF #29 had some repairs on the streets in the district however he did not see that in the CIP document. Mr. Burich responded that those items will be future improvements and a final planned development has not yet been submitted and this is a placeholder in the TIF plan at this time. Mr. Gray commented on the renovation of Oregon Street and that two blocks are not being reconstructed as the area from the river to 6th Avenue is included in the TIF plan and 8th Avenue to 28th Avenue are referenced in the CIP. He stated that he did not see any reference to the reconstruction between 6th and 7th Avenue in the CIP. He also commented that Oregon Street is scheduled for work in 2017 and 2018 between 8th Avenue and 16th Avenue and voiced his concerns with this street not being usable for a two year time period. Mr. Rabe replied that the Oregon Street construction scheduled for 2017 involves a deep storm sewer project and discussed the technology to be used for it which takes place underground. He explained that contractors for this type of work are very difficult to schedule and that the City needs to hold off on the reconstruction project until the storm sewer work is completed. Mr, Nollenberger commented that the Commission’s responsibility is to make a determination of consistency of the proposed programs in the 2017 CIP with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and he does not see anything that would be inconsistent. The public hearing was closed at 4:35 pm. Motion by Nollenberger to accept the 2017 Capital Improvement Program with a finding that listed projects are not in conflict with the City of Oshkosh’s Comprehensive Plan. Seconded by Borsuk. Mr. Bowen questioned if the Commission was voting on the 2017 CIP only or if future years would be included, he would abstain from voting on this item. Mr. Burich responded that the future years included in this document are for planning purposes only and the approval is for the 2017 CIP activities only. Motion carried 8-0. __________________________________ Plan Commission Minutes 6 September 6, 2016 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at approximately 4:36 pm. (Vajgrt/Borsuk) Respectfully submitted, Darryn Burich Director of Planning Services