Session 06-12, a Special Meeting of the Homer Advisory Planning Commission was called to order on May 11, 2006 at 7:36 pm by Vice Chair Hess at the City Hall Cowles Council Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

 

PRESENT:       COMMISSIONERS HESS, PFEIL, LEHNER, KRANICH, FOSTER

 

ABSENT:        COMMISSIONERS CHESLEY, CONNOR (Both excused)

 

STAFF:            CITY PLANNER MCKIBBEN

                        DEPUTY CITY CLERK JACOBSEN

 

APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND ADOPTION OF CONSENT AGENDA

All items on the consent agenda are considered routine and non-controversial by the Planning Commission and are approved in one motion.  There will be no separate discussion of these items unless requested by a Planning Commissioner or someone from the public, in which case the item will be moved to the regular agenda and considered in normal sequence.

 

            A. Time Extension Requests

            B.  Approval of City of Homer Projects under HCC 1.76.030 g           

            C.  KPB Coastal Management Program Reports

            D.  Commissioner Excused Absences

                       

The agenda was approved as presented by consensus of the Commission.

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Commission conducts Public Hearings by hearing a staff report, hearing public testimony and then acting on the Public Hearing Items.  The Chair may prescribe time limits.  The Commission may question the public.

 

 

A.        Staff Report PL 06-45, CUP 06-06 Homer United Methodist Church, 770 East End Road

 

City Planner McKibben read the staff report.  She noted that there should be a third recommendation that the lighting be compliant with the Community Design Manual.

 

Glenn Green, the applicant’s representative, said he had no specific comments, but was available for questions.

 

There was brief discussion regarding the parking area.  It was confirmed that the parking area will be 200-250 feet from the building and a walkway will be developed between the two.  The design and materials used for the walkway have not been determined yet.  It was clarified that the large trees will stay in place and only the trees that have to be removed to accommodate the parking area will be taken out.  Mr. Green said that the traffic coming in and out of the lot will be one way in and one way out.

 

Commissioner Lehner expressed her appreciation for their efforts to maintain the large trees.

 

The drainage was discussed and Mr. Green commented that the drainage is not anticipated to change.  He said there is a natural runoff that comes from the football field that has been an issue for the church in the past, but they had done work previously to help resolve the issue.  He said that a new culvert has been put in and the drainage runs under East End Road and drains out across the street. 

 

There were no other public comments and Vice Chair Hess closed the public hearing.

 

LEHNER/PFEIL MOVED TO ACCEPT STAFF REPORT PL 06-45 AND APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR EXPANSION OF THE METHODIST CHURCH WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINDINGS. 

 

STAFF COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS:

Staff recommends approval and adoption of findings with the following conditions. 

  1. The applicant to amend the site plan to replace the 8 parking spaces that abuts East End Road in the proposed east parking lot with landscaping.  Applicant to ensure that the remaining parking spaces are in compliance with the parking design requirements, HCC 7.12.030.
  2. The project will meet all other applicable local, state and referral requirements.

 

LEHNER/KRANICH MOVED TO MODIFY FINDING UNDER H SO THAT IT READ “THE OUTDOOR LIGHTING SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY DESIGN MANUAL APPLIES IN THE URBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT”.

 

Commissioner Lehner commented it would bring it into compliance with the Community Design Manual.

 

VOTE:  NON OBJECTION:  UNANIMOUS CONSENT

 

Motion carried.

 

LEHNER/FOSTER MOVED TO ADD STAFF RECOMMENDATION THREE THAT NEW AND EXISTING OUTDOOR LIGHTING WILL COMPLY WITH THE COMMUNITY DESIGN MANUAL.

 

There was brief discussion supporting the motion.

 

VOTE:  NON OBJECTION:  UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

 

Motion carried. 

 

 

 

LEHNER/KRANICH MOVED THAT STAFF RECOMMENDATION ONE BE EDITED TO MAKE MINOR CHANGES, “THE APPLICANT AMEND THE SITE PLAN TO REPLACE WITH LANDSCAPING, THE 8 PARKING SPACES THAT ABUT EAST END ROAD…”

 

Commissioner Lehner commented this is just for clarification. 

 

VOTE:  NON OBJECTION:  UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

 

Motion carried. 

 

Commissioner Lehner noted for the record that staff recommendation 2 has a typo and the word referral should be changed to federal.

 

Vice Hair Hess commented that he had looked at the site prior to the meeting and referenced the code citation HCC 21.44.050(b) which states:

Drainage:

1. The development shall provide a drainage system that is designed to deposit all runoff into either an engineered drainage system or into a natural drainage in conformance with the City's drainage management plan.

 

Vice Chair Hess asked Public Works Director Meyer if the City has a Drainage Management Plan.  Mr. Meyer responded that the City has a very dated study and there are requirements in the Design Criteria Manual, but there isn’t a specific drainage management plan.  Vice Chair Hess commented that the Commission needs to address drainage issues in the future. 

 

VOTE:  YES:  FOSTER, PFEIL, LEHNER, KRANICH, HESS

 

Motion carried.

 

B.         Staff Report PL 06-49, Homer Animal Shelter Public Sign

 

City Planner McKibben read the staff report.

 

Administrative Assistant Livingston, staff member assigned to the Public Arts Committee, was in attendance to answer questions. 

 

PFEIL/LEHNER MOVED TO ACCEPT STAFF REPORT PL06-49, THE HOMER ANIMAL SHELTER PUBLIC SIGN.

 

Commissioner Kranich asked what the overall height from the ground to the top of the sign is. City Planner McKibben responded 7 ½ feet. 

 

There was discussion that in the future it would be nice to have a drawing of what the completed sign would look like for reference.

 

VOTE:  YES:  LEHNER, HESS, FOSTER, PFEIL, KRANICH

 

Motion carried.

 

C.        Staff Report PL 06-50, Downtown Homer Public Sign

 

City Planner McKibben summarized the staff report.

 

There were no public comments. 

 

PFEIL/LEHNER MOVED TO ACCEPT STAFF REPORT PL06-50 WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.

 

Recommendation

Planning Commission approve the CBD/Downtown Homer Business District public sign.

 

There was discussion regarding the location of the sign and it was questioned whether it met the 300 feet distance requirement between signs.  It was determined that it did.  The Commission agreed that they would like to have a review of the sign code added to their worklist for future work. 

 

VOTE:  YES:  KRANICH, FOSTER, LEHNER, PFEIL, HESS

 

Motion carried.

 

Commissioner Kranich questioned the dimensions of the animal shelter sign and whether it met the 32 square foot requirement.  There was discussion that the public art portion of the sign was not calculated as part of the sign area and whether approving signs in that manner sets precedence.  City Planner McKibben recalled prior instances where this has been an issue and commented that the display of the hot tub on top of a building was inappropriate as it is something that could be taken down and used, which is different than the cups displayed at Café Cups.  She explained that if a commercial message is not displayed, the display is not counted as a sign.    

 

Further discussion ensued that the Animal Shelter sign was done through the 1% for art process.  A request for proposals was done and followed through to approval of the work through the art selection committee.  A majority of the sign is public art, but not all of it.  The staff report states the sign is twenty four square feet and the art portion is 10 square feet in area.

 

COMMENTS OF THE AUDIENCE

Members of the audience may address the Commission on any subject.  The Chair may prescribe time limits.

 

There were no audience comments.

 

COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION

Commissioners may comment on any subject, including requests to staff and requests for excused absence.

 

There were no Commission comments.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Notice of the next regular or special meeting or work session will appear on the agenda following “adjournment.”

 

There being no further business to come before the Commission the meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm. The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for May 17, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.  There will be a worksession at 6:00 p.m. prior to the meeting.  There is a Special Meeting Scheduled for May 31, 2006 at 7:00 pm.

 

 

 

                                                                                   

MELISSA JACOBSEN, DEPUTY CITY CLERK

 

Approved: