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PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR CITY MANAGER
Lawanna Tsoulos Diane Schleicher
PLANNING COMMISSION
Barry Brown, Vice
Susan Hill, Vice Vice
Charlie Brewer CITY ATTORNEY
Sandy Chandler Edward M. Hughes
Bill Garbett
Honor Hutton
Gene Kindrick
Chuck Powell
MINUTES
Planning Commission Agenda Meeting
December 11, 2006 – 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Vice Chair Barry Brown called the December 11th agenda meeting to order. Other
Commissioners present were Charlie Brewer, Sandy Chandler, Bill Garbett, Susan Hill, Honor Hutton, and Chuck
Powell. Absent were Gene Kindrick and Chair Lawanna Tsoulos.
Vice Chair Barry Brown reminded the Commissioners to review the Minutes of the November meetings for
approval at the meeting on December 19th. City Manager Diane Schleicher told the Commissioners that City
Attorney Bubba Hughes would be attending the meeting on the 19th.
Maryann Dudley represented petitions for Site Plan Approval and a proposed Text Amendment to the Land
Development Code Section 4-050 (F), District Use Regulations, for Chris Chandler to allow assembly halls in the
C-2 district for property at 1126 Highway 80, PIN 4-0026-11-023, Zone C-2. Sandy Chandler recused himself
due to the petitioner being his relative. Bill Garbett stated that the revised proposed Text Amendment received
from Harold Yellin on 12/07/06 fell considerably short of what was requested. He cited occupancy needs, buffer
requirements, parking issues, and various other concerns that were not addressed. Dudley said they have 19
parking spaces on the Chandler lot and an agreement with the owner of a vacant lot to park about 20 cars there.
Garbett said that lot was not Chandler property. Dudley said no, but 19 spaces were more than they needed
based on the square footage of the house. Vice Chair Barry Brown asked about the lower floor of the house.
Dudley said it was not finished. Charlie Brewer said this was a new use being placed in C-2 so they need to
develop a set of conditions for that building to be used as an assembly hall. He said just saying that the square
footage fits an existing profile is not applicable because a total analysis was needed. The group discussed a letter
dated 11/31/06 from Chatham County Fire Inspector Eric Phillips. Garbett asked if the Fire Inspector determined
the maximum number of occupants. City Marshal Chuck Bargeron said he recalls 150 persons being discussed
between Chandler and Phillips. Dudley said they do not advertise for more than 125 people, have never had an
event that went over 125, and have never had to park on Butler Avenue. Brown asked about hours of operation.
Dudley described a typical event and said that because of the noise ordinance they stop the music at 10:00 p.m.
Brown asked Dudley to have the DNR flag the buffer and have surveyor Bert Barrett mark it on the Site Plan
because parking may not be allowed in the 25-foot buffer. Garbett asked Dudley to be prepared to explain the A3
(amusement, arcades, art galleries, etc.) rather than A2 (banquet hall) selection. All agreed there were a lot of
questions to be answered but the petitions would be on the December 19th agenda.
Hubert Ellzey represented a Zoning Variance from Section 3-090, Schedule of Development Regulations, of the
Land Development Code for 1 Shipwatch Circle, PIN 4-0021-17-017, Zone R-1-B. Ellzey asked for a zero lot
line variance. City Manager Diane Schleicher said City Council would like a drawing of what the stairs would look
like, and it would be good to provide that to the Planning Commission. Schleicher and Vice Chair Barry Brown
recommended to Ellzey that Whitley Reynolds revise the survey to show the proposed steps. The item was placed
on the December 19th agenda.
Bart Skaggs represented a Minor Subdivision of Land petition for 24 Pulaski Street, PIN 4-0001-09-006, Zone
R-1. He said they are proposing splitting the property in half because there were two existing structures on it
when they purchased the property. He said the only drawback is that one of the lots would be a couple of
2
hundred square feet under the minimum requirement for a single-family dwelling but it is the old Fort Screven
area where there are substandard lots everywhere. Skaggs said one side would be 3 feet from the line to the
house, and the other side would be 6 feet, which is more than some of the properties in the area. Vice Chair
Barry Brown asked if they recently purchased the property. Skaggs said they have owned it about 5 years. Brown
asked if it was R-1 when they purchased it. Skaggs said yes. He said they remodeled house number 1 and that is
their residence. Brown stated that the minimum lot size in R-1 is 12,000 square feet. Skaggs said maybe he
misunderstood. Brown told Skaggs he was going to create two substandard lots of record. City Manager Diane
Schleicher asked if it would trigger a variance. Setbacks were discussed. Skaggs referred Brown to the 1991
survey. Chuck Bargeron said the houses in that area predate zoning. He said a subdivision would be with the
nature and character of all the other surrounding buildings other than those like the house that was built up on
the battery and maybe the one next to it. Bargeron said almost all of them are nonconforming to today’s Land
Development Code or requirements for R-1. Brown said with Skaggs creating a subdivision he would have to
meet today’s standard. Schleicher agreed with Brown and added that Skaggs would have to get a variance if not
meeting the requirements. Bargeron said that because it was not a simple subdivision it could not be handled
administratively. Sandy Chandler asked about the closeness of the two buildings and if there was an issue with
the Fire Marshal. Bargeron said it would not be creating something; it is already there. Bargeron said Skaggs has
folks in the other units now that rent. He said it could be separated with a fence, a firewall, or fire sprinkler; there
may be stipulations put on it. Skaggs stated the carport on the house on the battery is within a foot of the
property line. Brown said a carport could go to the property line. Skaggs said the house that is behind it is less
than 5 feet from the property line. Skaggs said they have more room between their two houses than most in the
area. He said as far as safety, there is more than adequate access. He said they have adequate property. Brown
asked the width between the two buildings. Skaggs said 9 feet. He said all the houses in the area are close
together. He talked about a firewall taking up space between the structures. Brown asked about the paperwork.
Schleicher said Skaggs needs to go for variances on each lot. The item was placed on the agenda.
No one was present to represent a Zoning Variance from Section 3-090, Schedule of Development Regulations, of
the Land Development Code for Jack Hogan for Lot 8, 1605 Chatham Avenue vicinity, PIN 4-0010-04-012,
Zone R-2. The request was for a 5-foot variance on each side yard setback and a 5-foot front setback variance.
Vice Chair Barry Brown stated that the front property line is the center of the road. Bill Garbett requested a larger
copy of the drawing. The Commissioners requested that the Zoning Variance application state what was being
requested. The petition was placed on the agenda.
Vice Chair Barry Brown reminded the Commissioners that they will be addressing the Recodification of the
Land Development Code at the December 19th meeting.
Vice Chair Barry Brown reminded the Commissioners whose terms are ending January 31, 2007 to submit their
resumes to Clerk of Council Vivian Woods by January 4, 2007 if they want to seek reappointment. City Manager
Diane Schleicher encouraged those whose terms were ending to recommit.
Commissioners interested in attending the GAZA Winter Conference on February 7 to 9, 2007 at Athens were told
by Chuck Bargeron to submit their registration forms to him as soon as possible. Bargeron also told the
Commissioners to let him know if they want to attend the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Erosion and
Sedimentation Workshop Road Show in Savannah on January 18, 2007.
Chuck Bargeron talked about the Skaggs subdivision petition. He gave an example of a house on Officer’s Row
that was subdivided. Bill Garbett asked if that was larger. Vice Chair Barry Brown said that was a large house, not
two separate structures, and there was a lot of land that almost met the minimum lot size requirement. Bill
Garbett suggested they delay this discussion until the Public Hearing.
Chuck Bargeron told the Commissioners that the March 14, 2007 Property Maintenance and Housing Inspector
Course was code enforcement and not something the Commissioners would use.
City Manager Diane Schleicher invited the Commissioners to the Master Plan Project Team meeting on December
12 at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting adjourned.