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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20090818_PC_mtg_min 1 PLANNING COMMISSION CITY MANAGER James P. Boyle, Chair Diane Schleicher Randi Bryan Jay Burke PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER George Dausey Jonathan H. Lynn Lisa McKenzie Anne Miller CITY ATTORNEY Whitley Reynolds, Vice Chair Edward M. Hughes MINUTES Planning Commission Meeting August 18, 2009 – 7:00 p.m. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds called the August 18, 2009, Planning Commission meeting to order. Other Commissioners present were Randi Bryan, George Dausey, Lisa McKenzie, and Anne Miller. Absent were Chair James Boyle and Jay Burke. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds asked for a motion on the July 21, 2009, Planning Commission meeting Minutes. George Dausey motioned to approve. Lisa McKenzie seconded. The vote was unanimous. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds asked if there were any Disclosures. Lisa McKenzie said that on the first item she was a friend with the people that lived behind it so it would be best for her to recuse. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds opened a Public Hearing for a Site Plan at 1116 Highway 80, PIN 4-0026- 11-011, Zone C-2. Lisa McKenzie recused. The petitioner was Evelyn Ballinger, represented by Mark Boswell, site engineer. The request was for a car wash. Jonathan Lynn said that it was an empty lot and the use was permitted by right after Site Plan approval. George Dausey asked if it was a franchise-type car wash. Lynn said that there would be people to hand wash cars; there would not be a machine. Anne Miller asked where the water would be draining. Downer Davis, the City’s consulting engineer, said that there would be a roofed structure to shed the rainwater; the wash water would go to the sanitary sewer system. Dausey asked if the City put water restrictions on residents, would it put water restrictions on the car wash. Lynn said that he did not know the answer; that would have to go to George Reese. He suggested working with the car wash so they could use a purple pipe system to reclaim water. Davis said that there were no water restriction guidelines in the Land Development Code. Whether restricted water usage days applied to a car wash was discussed. Davis said that he thought the state’s restrictions did affect car washes and landscaping businesses. He said that would be enforced by others. Dausey asked if there would be a surcharge on the water that would go to the sewer system if it were over the limit. Davis said that sewage was based on water usage and that was one of the reasons why Reese did not want stormwater going into the sanitary sewer system and why the roof over the car wash ar ea was added. Davis said that there was a tiered rate for water usage. Dausey asked if the car wash could use all of the water it wanted without a surcharge. Davis said yes, as could any other business. Miller stated that Council had pulled the showers at the beach. She said that they needed to think long and hard if the car wash was not going to recycle water. Boswell asked if Dausey meant restrictions on watering grass, or for using a toilet or a shower. Dausey said restrictions on using water. Boswell said that there was no way to restrict a homeowner from using water in their house. He said that they could be restricted from watering grass. He asked if water could only be used Monday, Wednesday and Friday, was he going to use his shower and toilet on Tuesday and Thursday. He asked if the hotels would be told that they could not use water. Dausey said that they cut the water on Thirteenth Street so people cannot take showers. 2 He said that the people coming off of the beach were more important than the car wash. Boswell said that was not a private residence or a business; they cut off the shower for a public use. He said the car wash was a business. Dausey said that there was a correlation between a shower and a car wash. Boswell said that one was a business and they were paying for it, and the other was free and they were not. Randi Bryan asked if there had been calculations of how much water the car wash anticipated using or what other businesses use. Boswell said that there was nothing on Tybee to compare the car wash to. He said the water would go through an oil/water separator. Davis said that nozzles would use less water than a garden hose; there were ways to conserve water. Boswell said that they intend ed to use a pressure washer system with special nozzles. Davis discussed fees. Dausey asked what would be done with the waste separated from the water. Boswell said that a certified person would pump it out per the maintenance schedule on the plan. Bryan commented on water restrictions and water usage. Reynolds asked if anyone wanted to speak in favor of or in opposition to the petition. He closed the Public Hearing. Reynolds asked for a motion. Miller motioned to deny. Dausey seconded. Bryan, Dausey and Miller voted in favor of the motion. McKenzie had recused. The motion to deny passed with a 3-0 vote. Lynn said that the petition would be heard by City Council on September 10. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds opened a Public Hearing for Site Plan with Variance at 1518 Butler Avenue, PIN 4-0008-03-014, Zone C-1. The petitioner was Diversified Designs for Bikinis, Inc. Representing the petitioner was Jon Hart, attorney. The Site Plan was for awnings and the Variance was for signage. Jonathan Lynn said that the attached awnings would be non -retractable and one of the signs would extend 2-1/2 to 3 feet above the wall. He said that according to the Sign Ordinance it would only be allowed to extend 2 feet above a parapet. Lynn said that there was an angled roof, not a parapet. Hart said that they could build a parapet but they did not want to change the appearance of the building. He said they would like to extend the sign so it would stay out of the way of things. Hart spoke of the potential of someone carrying an object that may cause an accident or possible groundin g. He said that they were also asking to put up awnings similar to The Breakfast Club. Hart listed several businesses with awnings. He said that they think the awnings look good and dress the area up. Hart said that City Attorney Bubba Hughes was of the opinion that the third paragraph of the Overhead Structures section of the South End Policies and Procedures was directed at canopies and umbrellas, not necessarily awnings. He said that the last sentence of the paragraph had a word left out and they could not discern what the word was supposed to be. He said there was some ambiguity and they would ask that the Commission approve the awnings and give a variance for the signage. Lisa McKenzie asked why the awnings had to be retractable. Lynn said that they were technically required to be retractable according to the South End Policies and Procedures. He read the section. McKenzie asked if awnings at other locations were retractable. Lynn said that those were installed before the Policies and Procedures were in place. Hart spoke of his interpretation of the Overhead Structures section. McKenzie asked what the awnings were made of. Hart said canvas. McKenzie asked if there would be writing. Hart said that he did not believe so. McKenzie asked if the awnings would include the two stores to the east on Tybrisa Street. Hart said that he did not think so. McKenzie and Hart discussed the 48-foot length of that awning, the look of a café, and opening of the windows. McKenzie asked how far the sign on the corner would jut out. Hart said that from the wall mount to the end of the guitar it was 5 feet, 3 inches. McKenzie asked if the awning would come out 6 feet on Tybrisa and 3 feet on Butler Avenue. Lynn said yes. McKenzie asked about the Sign Ordinance. Lynn said that a sign could not be higher than 2 feet above a parapet roof. McKenzie said that next door at the old pizza place the sign looked to be higher . She suggested it may have been before the rules. Lynn said that he would assume that was correct. McKenzie confirmed the color of the awnings was khaki. George Dausey asked if the colors could be changed. Hart said that if there was a change they would probably have to come back. Lynn said that the City does not have the authority to regulate color. Colors were discussed. Dausey commented that he liked what had been done in the building and the proposed awnings. He said they had a band and he 3 walked by the next morning, and the garbage, cigarette butts, cups, and all of the other trash outside the bar was disgraceful. He asked Hart to convey to the owner that he should be responsible for keeping the place clean. Hart and Dausey discussed. Reynolds asked if anyone from the public wished to address the petition. He closed the Public Hearing. McKenzie motioned to approve. Anne Miller seconded. Voting in favor were Randi Bryan, Dausey, McKenzie, and Miller. The motion to approve passed with a 4-0 vote. Lynn said that it would be heard on September 10. Water conservation was briefly discussed. Vice Chair Whitley Reynolds asked for a motion to adjourn. George Dausey so moved. Randi Bryan seconded. The vote was unanimous. The meeting adjourned.