City of Aurora PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 16, 2013

Transcription

1 City of Aurora PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 16, 2013 The Aurora Planning Commission met in a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2013, in Council Chambers of Aurora City Hall. The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. by Planning Commission Chairman Maria Hydell. ROLL CALL: Present: Ken Dombroski Maria Hydell Joe Kastelic Dennis Kennedy Also Present: Thomas Reitz, Law Advisor Richard Wehrenberg, Planning, Zoning & Building Director Denise Januska, City Planner Justin Czekaj, City Engineer George Horvat, Councilman, Ward Four Kathi Grandillo, Councilman, Ward Five Corinne Craine, Commission Clerk Mr. Reitz swore in those in attendance who wished to speak this evening. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA: To approve the meeting agenda of January 16, 2013, as written APPROVAL OF MINUTES: To approve the meeting minutes of January 2, 2013, as submitted Mr. Dombroski moved; Mr. Kennedy seconded, and the motion carried, 4-0, on a roll call vote. Yeas: Mr. Dombroski, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kastelic, Mrs. Hydell AGENDA ITEMS:

2 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 2 Aurora Events LLC, 50 Trails End Conditional Zoning Certificate / Party Center ( ) Thomas Steinbauer and Don LoPresti of Aurora Events LLC, Bainbridge Road, Solon, Ohio, were present to answer questions. They are seeking a conditional zoning certificate to operate a party center at 50 Trails End. The property includes the former Aurora Golf Course clubhouse, swimming pool, and parking lot and is located in a C-1 zoning district. Mrs. Hydell noted that the Commission just held a public hearing on the conditional zoning request and heard the applicant s presentation and the citizen comments. She then gave the applicant an opportunity to provide any further information. Mr. Steinbauer stated that some of the biggest concerns seemed to be about noise, parking and traffic flow. He pointed out that the clubhouse was used as an event center in the past when it was part of the Aurora Golf Course. He said that there was plenty of parking for catered events, such as weddings and bridal showers. As far as the traffic issue was concerned, he didn t think there would be any change in the traffic flow because the property had previously been used for events. Regarding excessive noise, he was not aware of any police complaints in the past. Mr. Steinbauer stated that if noise was in fact an issue, he would consider limiting the time that a band plays or the volume of the music. Mr. Steinbauer also wanted to address the concerns that the residents had about the funeral home. He explained that his funeral home in Solon is currently handling many funerals for Aurora residents. He said that in order to provide better service to the Aurora residents, he would operate a funeral home in the former clubhouse, which is a larger and nicer facility than his Solon funeral home. Mr. Steinbauer pointed out that most funeral homes are located in residential areas and are usually very wellmaintained properties. He does not intend to use the facility for embalming purposes because that function would be handled by his Solon facility. Mrs. Hydell had questions about the actual building and whether or not there would be any changes to the structure. Mr. Steinbauer stated that the footprint of the building would not change. The only changes would be interior items, such as carpeting, lighting, and painting. Mrs. Hydell also wanted more information about the operation of the party center. Mr. Steinbauer said that most events would occur on Friday and Saturday evenings. He expected that 250 people would be the maximum capacity for an event, such as a wedding. Given the size of the building, he thought that it would be impossible to handle two weddings at the same time. Mr. Steinbauer also explained that the funeral home would be available on an as-needed basis. He said that funerals can happen any day except on Sundays and generally it is rare to have any visitation services on Saturdays. Mr. Kennedy asked whether or not there were code limitations on capacity. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that once the occupancy inspection is approved, then a maximum capacity for the building would be determined. Mrs. Hydell wanted to know about the plans for the swimming pool. Mr. Steinbauer said that the pool has not been used in five years and he has no plans for it right now.

3 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 3 Mr. Dombroski asked about the safety concerns brought up at the public hearing, specifically, the road not being wide enough. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that one of the standards called out in Section is the impact of the conditional use on the existing infrastructure, so that is something that needs careful review. He said that the engineering and service departments would be involved in reviewing these issues. Mr. Reitz commented that there were some questions that were raised this evening that still need to be researched by staff. He said that the Planning Commission has ninety-five days, starting today, to consider this application before taking action. Joe Keckan, 140 Ben Shaw Road, wanted to know the hours of operation for the party center. Mrs. Hydell said that there is no answer right now, because the Commission would be reviewing the operation hours and the impact on the surrounding area. Barb Able, 198 Trails End, wanted to know the best way to stay informed as this application is being reviewed by the Planning Commission. Mrs. Hydell suggested that concerned residents should attend the Planning Commission meetings which are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Richard Foote, 471 Fox Hill Drive, was concerned about large funerals taking place at the clubhouse. He said that the parking lot would not be sufficient and it would have a negative impact on the area. Courtney Micatrotto, 150 Trails End, had questions about the signage. Mr. Steinbauer said that he intends to have two signs. One sign would read as LoPresti-Steinbauer Funeral Home and the other would read as Aurora Events. Also, Mrs. Micatrotto wanted a clarification of the conditional zoning request. Mr. Wehrenberg explained that the applicant is seeking approval to operate a party center which is a conditional use. On the other hand, the funeral home is a permitted use in a C-1. If the conditional zoning request for the party center is denied, then the funeral home would still be allowed to operate. George Heisler, 233 Trails End, questioned whether the city code was followed regarding the ten-day notification procedure for public hearings. He wanted to know what dates and in what newspapers the notification appeared. Mr. Wehrenberg said that the notification procedures were properly followed. He then suggested that the resident come into the office and review the records. P. J. Shankman, 229 Ben Shaw Road, suggested that the applicant work with the residents to find a compromise solution which would be agreeable to all parties concerned. Tony Pfenning, 232 Trails End, wanted to know whether or not a conditional zoning certificate could be transferred to a future property owner. Mr. Wehrenberg said that a new owner would have to submit a request to the Planning Commission for approval of the transfer. Also, Mr. Pfenning wanted to know how someone would be able to change the zoning of a specific property. Mr. Wehrenberg suggested that Mr. Pfenning meet with his staff and they could go over the proper procedures.

4 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 4 Mark Burkhart, 334 Trails End, was concerned about the additional traffic to Trails End. He suggested that the Commissioners review the traffic and safety issues of this neighborhood before taking action on this request. Mrs. Hydell said that there was good discussion tonight and the members now have ninety-five days to review and discuss this application in detail. Aurora Events LLC, 50 Trails End Minor Subdivision / Lot Split ( ) J. Hunter Banbury of Aurora Recreation LLC was present to discuss the application. He is seeking approval of a minor subdivision which would split an existing 5.6 acre parcel into two parcels: 3.6 acres and 2 acres. The property is located at 50 Trails End which is in a C-1 zoning district. Mr. Wehrenberg provided some background information on this property. He stated that last November, the Planning Commission had approved a minor subdivision of the Aurora Golf Course property, which split the 206-acre parcel into four parcels: 1.2 acres, 5.6 acres, 6 acres, and 194 acres. He said that the applicant is now requesting another minor subdivision for the 5.6-acre parcel, which is zoned C-1. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that staff reviewed the plans and it meets all the code requirements. Mr. Banbury explained that his company is selling the larger parcel to Aurora Events LLC, which includes the former Aurora Golf Course clubhouse, swimming pool, and parking lot. He said that the smaller parcel will be retained by his company. Mr. Banbury stated that there are some parties interested in the smaller parcel but there was nothing definite at this time. Mr. Kennedy wanted some information about the old pro shop property to the north. Mr. Wehrenberg explained that the pro shop property is a separate 1.2 acre parcel which is zoned commercial. He said that there are no specific plans for that property at this time. Mrs. Hydell asked for further comments from the Commissioners and there were none. Barb Able, 198 Trails End, said that she was confused by all these minor subdivisions for the Aurora Golf Course property. She did not understand the planning process for this property. Mr. Wehrenberg explained that whenever a minor subdivision is submitted to the Planning Commission, it is reviewed based on the requirements of the zoning code. He said that the property owner is allowed to split up parcels as long as the new parcels comply with the code requirements for size, setbacks, and frontage. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that when a development plan for a specific parcel is submitted to the Planning Commission, then it is evaluated according to other code criteria such as structure size, parking, noise, traffic, and other criteria. P. J. Shankman, 229 Ben Shaw Road, was concerned about the parking for the funeral home. He said that the funeral home may not have enough parking as required by the city code. Maureen Burkhart, 334 Trails End, wanted to know the location of the entrance and the parking lot for the city park, which is proposed for the 194-acre parcel.

5 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 5 Mr. Wehrenberg stated that the city park proposal is not finalized and so he could not comment on it. Mrs. Hydell asked for further comments and there were none. To approve the minor subdivision/lot split Hawthorn of Aurora, Rt. 43 & Aurora Lake Road Revised Development Plan ( ) Hawthorn of Aurora, Plum Creek & Aurora Lake Road Re-Plat of Cluster Site 4 ( ) Ken Hejduk of Hejduk-Cox and Associates was present to answer questions about both applications. The applicant is seeking approval of the revised Hawthorn development plan and the re-plat of cluster site 4. The subdivision is located in a PD (planned development) district. Mr. Hejduk explained that the applicant has decided to change a cluster condo site, which could be units depending on the condo style, to seven single family home sites. He said that this change will reduce the actual number of homes being built. Mr. Wehrenberg pointed out that a revision of this type requires an updated development plan so that is the reason that the Commission is reviewing both plans together. He stated that the plans meet the planning and zoning code requirements. Also, Mr. Czekaj stated that he completed the engineering review and has approved the plans. To forward a positive recommendation to City Council for the approval of the revised Hawthorn Development Plan To forward a positive recommendation to City Council for the approval of the Re-Plat of Hawthorn Cluster Site 4 Progressive Aurora Real Estate LLC, So. Chillicothe & Aurora Hudson Road Final Site Plan (Assisted Living) ( ) Eitan Flank of Progressive Aurora Real Estate LLC and Marc Cohen of North Coast Architects Inc. were present to discuss the application. The applicant is seeking a final site plan approval for a new skilled

6 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 6 nursing and rehabilitation facility on property located at South Chillicothe and Aurora Hudson Road, which is in an R-3 zoning district. Mr. Cohen explained that his client, Progressive Aurora Real Estate, is proposing to construct a 74,000 square foot skilled nursing facility at 425 S. Chillicothe Road. The one-story building will include ninetyeight private suites, a dining room, kitchen, lounges, a full physical therapy room, beauty shop, and offices. This will be the third nursing home facility for his client and it will be called The Avenue of Aurora. The other two facilities are located in Medina and Warrensville Heights. Mr. Wehrenberg provided some background history of the property. He explained that this property, which is adjacent to the Independence Village assisted living facility, is part of a court settlement agreement which took place in 1999 (Case No.99 CV 00915). The settlement agreement included new setbacks and easements and the approval for an assisted living use. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that staff reviewed the plan and it complies with the planning and zoning codes and the terms of the settlement agreement. He said that the plan still needs to be reviewed and approved by the City Engineer. Mrs. Hydell wanted to know the time frame for this project. Mr. Cohen said that construction would start in late spring or early summer and it would take about fourteen months to complete. Mr. Kennedy wanted to know how many people would be hired to staff this facility. Mr. Cohen said that there would be employees. Mr. Dombroski wanted to know whether or not there were any special storm water provisions that were part of the court settlement. Mr. Wehrenberg stated that the settlement specified certain locations for basins. Mr. Czekaj added that the plan has to comply with current city and Ohio EPA regulations. To accept the final site plan for study Mr. Dombroski moved; Mr. Kennedy seconded, and the motion carried, 4-0, on a roll call vote. Yeas: Mr. Dombroski, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kastelic, Mrs. Hydell Master Plan Update Mrs. Hydell introduced the consultant, John Cieszkowski of McKenna Associates, and thanked him for attending tonight s meeting. She explained that Mr. Cieszkowski was hired to help the Master Plan Review Commission through the process of updating the master plan. Mr. Cieszkowski stated that he was asked to provide a brief overview of the master planning process for the benefit of the new members. Per the City Charter, this was an eight month process with the MPRC that began last February. It consisted of eight meetings, as well as, five focus group meetings and one public workshop. He stated that his role in the process was to help facilitate the planning process and then put together the document. Mr. Cieszkowski said that compared to the old 2008 master plan,

7 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 7 there was much more emphasis placed on public participation throughout the process. He stated that the public input was important so that the final plan would be championed by the residents of Aurora. He urged the Planning Commissioners to stay involved as the plan moves through Council. Mrs. Hydell commented that McKenna Associates did a professional job in producing a quality document. She was especially pleased with all the public input and she thought that greatly enhanced the master plan. She then requested that the former Planning Commission members, Roy Shafer and Kathi Grandillo, be included under the acknowledgment section of the document. The other Commissioners also complimented Mr. Cieszkowski for the fine efforts in putting together this document. To forward a positive recommendation to City Council for the approval of the Master Plan Update MISCELLANEOUS: No miscellaneous business. ADJOURNMENT: Mr. Kastelic moved to adjourn at 9:12 p.m.; Mr. Dombroski seconded, and the motion carried on a unanimous voice vote. Maria Hydell, Chairman Corinne Craine, Clerk