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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20220418_PC_MINUTES.pdfMarie Gooding DavidSusan Hill Elaine McGruder Whitley Reynolds RodriguezMarie Martha Williams Planning Commission MINUTES April 18, 201 Chair David McNaughton called the April 18, 2022, Commissioners present were Marie Gooding, Susan Rodriguez and Martha Williams attended via zoom. Consideration of Minutes: Chair David McNaughton asked for consi made a motion to approve. Elaine McGruc Disclosures/Recusais: Chair David McNaughton asked if there were Old Business: Appeal: tree ordinance — 2 Horsepen Point D George Shaw stated applicant Terry Timmons, each case it's a paha very close to a live oak. Tr one significant tree over another. And it doesn't So it was not clear to us how to interuret that. Ir the opinion that it is better to remove the the palm because the palm was not goinj the four palms. Terry Timmons, who li stated he noticed a fifth palm that would to look at that fifth tree. Elaine cGruc looks at the fifth tree and decides it can 1 6-0. IS of the March 21, 2022, meeting ded. Vote was unanimous. . — 40015 02001— Zone R-2 — T Georgeiw >n meeting to order. Reynolds, Marie Marie Rodriguez none. Timmons ty Arborist Brent Levy and I revisited the property and in Jem with our ordinance is it doesn't specify a preference of `y anything about the health of trees when they're competing. of the cases the palms were smaller than the oaks so we took ms. And in the fourth case the oak was going to get much bigger than get much bigger. Staff recommends approval of the appeal to remove at 2 Horsepen Point Drive, approached the Planning Commission and d to come out also. George Shaw stated the arborist may have to visit nade a motion to approve the five trees with the condition that city staff ;moved. Martha Williams seconded. Vote was unanimous to approve, New Business: Site Plan approval: 923 Bay Street — Water & Sewer new modular lab building — City of Tybee George Shaw stated that the water and sewer plant has a water testing lab. This current lab is in bad need of major repairs and will have to be demolished. This new building will replace the old building and will be moved to the other side of the property. There is plenty of separation space from the Captains Row neighborhood. Also the drainage will be able to drain the same way it has been draining towards the wetland area. Jim Klutz, who lives at 1 Officers Row, approached the Planning Commission and asked if the modular building will have to follow the same codes as the rest of construction on Tybee. George Shaw stated it will have to follow all state building codes. Elaine McGruder made a motion to approve. Whitley Reynolds seconded. Vote was unanimous to approve, 6-0. Discussion item: chane to tree ordinance — Sec. 7-060. — Removal of significant trees. Martha Williams stated the reason I brought this up was basically the first issue we visited this evening and that was the tree ordinance there is no mechanism in the existing ordinance for city staff to use their best professional judgement. And we have a registered arborist on staff. So I took it upon myself to add another condition and get it as close to final fonn as I possibly could for your consideration and for possible consideration by City Council. The reason for this is it's never a good practice to govern by exception and I can see that every time there is a conflict where it could go one way or another but it doesn't fit neatly into the existing criteria but we're going to get more cases before us where we have to revisit this and it causes what I call churning which means somebody has to come in and explain it to us answer all our questions, perhaps go through additional information, come back to another hearing and then go before City Council and explain the whole thing over again and that is something that could be taken care of very simply if city staff were allowed to use their professional judgement so I added a condition which reads "Ire accordance with overall tree conservation objectives detailed in Section 7-020 and in alignment with best practices of the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) International Society of Arboriculture body of'knowledge, as recommended by the zoning administrator. The rationale for the removal recommendation shall be documented and included in each permit granted by the city; and" So it is very straight forward and it's very common to refe the only registered agency that governs arborists that I cou education, agreement to a code of ethics and I used that as you determined that you had the latitude to choo discussion item and because of Mr. Timmons' is lets go ahead and approve the tree removal of the no sense in going forward with this that we are c this but it will call the question basically. Marie there would be no variance reauest. Martha Wi professional judgement. David McNaugh be reviewed and updated. Marie Gooding this would be a toe in the water to see if Ci more changes. Adjournment; Lisa L. Schaa.J a professional society's body of knowledge. This was ;nd. And it consists of professional task, experience, standard. Marie Gooding asked George Shaw how ;e one tree from another.`` George Shaw stated because of this ;ue it's going to have to be determined by City Council. So we said palms and get it to council. If they disagree with that then there's iscussing'now. I don't know how strictly they want us to interpret Gooding asked Martha Williams if your proposal will means that fiams stated no variance needed and they use their best ted there are numerous sections in the tree ordinance that needs to a motion that we move Martha's recommendation forward, and Ancil is willing to even contemplate before we go back and ask for e was unanimous to approve, 6-0.