Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-01-11 P&Z Minutes*'~ KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 - 7:00 P.M. City Hall Council Chambers Chairperson Pat Nault, Presiding 1. ROLL CALL 2. APPROVAL GF AGENDA 3. PERSONS PRESENT SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of December 14, 1988 6. OLD BUSINESS a. Discussion: Proposed Water & Sewer Rates for RV Parks b. Discussion: Final Draft of Proposed RV Ordinance Set for Public Hearing `t 7. NEW BUSINESS t Gi'. f~.ureu) d'~ /gccsi,~,,s e N Did l oul~ve _ L..o ~i' G d~C ('~J C DIa( T c~~ c /'Yl aJ 8. PLANNING J/ a. Goals & Objectives for 1989 9. REPORTS a. City Council b. Borough Planning c. City Administration 10. PERSONS PRESENT NOT SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD 11. INFORMATION ITEMS a. City Council Agenda b. Borough Planning Agenda c. Planning Magazine for November and December 12. COMMISSION COMMENTS & QUESTIONS 13. ADJOURNMENT PLEASE BE SURE TO BRING YOUR CODE BOORS AND COMP PLAN BOORS. 'i KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 - 7:00 P.M. City Hall Council Chambers Chairperson Pat Nault, Presiding 1. ROLL CALL Present: Nault, Brown, Bryson, Glick, Roberts Absent: Bannock, O'Reilly (excused) Also Present: Councilman Smalley 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA a. Planning Specialist Loper requested an addition; review of construction in TSH Zone and election of officers. The agenda was approved with the addition b. Election of Chairman Chairman Nault opened the nominations for Chair MOTION: Commissioner Brown nominated Pat Nault, seconded by Commissioner Bryson There were no further nominations VOTE: Motion passed unanimously Chairman Nault opened nominations for Vice Chair MOTION: Commissioner Roberts nominated Phil Bryson, seconded by Commissioner Bryson There were no further nominations VOTE: Motion passed unanimously 3. PERSONS PRESENT SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD None 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS None KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 2 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of December 14, 1988 Minutes were approved as submitted 6. OLD BUSINESS a. Discussion: Proposed Water & Sewer Rates for RV Parks Planning Specialist Loper: This item returns to the Commission as a request from the Council for formal comments and recommendations. Councilman Smalley: The Finance Director had called around to other cities that have RV parks and based on the input of the volume of water used during use season he came up with these rates. He also made comparisons between other businesses that would use similar volumes of water. The sewage use was computed in the same manner. I didn't ask him but I would assume that RV parks could put in a meter and run it through there. Chairman Nault: Nothing else is metered is it? Answer from Commission yes. Nearly all businesses. Commissioner Glick: According to this if you have a 2" line coming in you have to meter. Commissioner Bryson: Was the wording on this modified slightly? Councilman Smalley: The concern that came up .last meeting was the off-season. He said that was specified in there, they would be charged a standard rate for the whole park. Commissioner Bryson• It's clear in this but it didn't seem clear last time. Councilman Smalley: It was a rough draft last time. Planning Specialist Loper: Nothing changed in the actual chart, what changed was the Finance Director's cover memo to you. Commissioner Roberts: You know that I'm in this business but I have a problem with these rates. The RV park business is not a lucrative business. I attended the Economic Development Commission meeting prior to deciding to put in this RV park and they were very strong in their comments to each other to do things to give incentive to help establish RV parks in the City. To me this has got several problems. The first is that it's too high if you have the spaces full every month. The second is that I've only witnessed one year of having RV campers in the park. By the end of July it was full and by the second day of August we had two. From there to the next ten days we averaged three. From then on it was less than one. I don't know what it would be like early in the season but I have a feeling you would have a better early season then you will late season. The way he has it set up right now is for five months of paying full water and sewer rates. I know I'm certainly a minority here but I have to say what I think about it and I don't think its an incentive to go into the RV park business. KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 3 ,,~ If one could make his land payments from the gate he would be very fortunate. I don't think you could pay out in ten years. Commissioner Glick: Since you are in that business, what size service do you have to have for 20 spaces. Commissioner Roberts: I don't know what that service is because it was already there but our service when we hook on to the City is 3 1/4". Commissioner Glick: Is that adequate? Commissioner Roberts: We go down to 5/8" at the end of twelve and it should go the other way, but you do have more than you need. RV park participants are not going to use that volume of water. Commissioner Roberts: I didn't look to see the rate for sewer for a single family but I'm guessing about $10. Councilman Smalley: $26.99. Commissioner Glick: But that's water and sewer together. Commissioner Brown: About $16 I believe. Commissioner Bryson: From our own experience in business, when we hooked on to the City system in East Addition, we were looking at the same thing and wondering why it was so high and in going in to talk to them they explained two systems, metered and non-metered. For example for an office building they charge $10 for water and $25 for sewer. Assuming there were two businesses in our building we would be paying $70. By putting in a meter it would be $29 or ~ half. In a little over two months you pay for the meter. Commissioner Roberts: I understand that and it certainly is probably what I will do. For no longer than this is it isn't going to make or break a business, but I do want you to know how I feel about it and I am concerned about the season, it is definitely too long. The Commission discussed the seasons as being defined by the Finance Director. Commissioner Roberts: If you're on the river this is a different situation. People are going to stay down there and fish. Chairman Nault: Well, even on the river the season is June, July, and August. Commissioner Roberts: A lot will stay on the river after that. Last year when king season was over so was the RV business. Councilman Smalley: As an RV operator did you contact Charlie and ask him about this, answer no. Commissioner Bryson: The definitions of summer and winter are different than what is practical. That may be fine for some other business. Commissioner Roberts: The winter rates you can't complain about that. Commissioner Brown: Is he charging the demand charge also during the summer. Answer yes. So during the summer if you don't have any spaces you .... Commissioner Bryson: You pay that same thing, if you're non metered. Commissioner Glick: It doesn't matter if KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 4 the park is full or not if you 20 spaces you're going to pay for those 20 spaces. Commissioner Bryson: So you would be paying almost $300 per month for water and sewer service in the summer. Chairman Nault: As they define summer. Commissioner Brown: What does a septic system cost for 20 spaces. Commissioner Bryson: It looks like $5 to $7,000. Commissioner Brown: If you live in the City as a resident and say you live on an acre lot and you have an option of well and septic or hooking up City utilities because it would take up to 20 years to pay off that capital expense of drilling. However, if you're in an RV park and you have the same option and you compare what your monthly expense is compared to putting in a well and septic and you can pay it off in three or four years, it sounds like the rates are too high. If you take $300 per month for five months that's $1500 and in three years that's $4500 if all you're looking at is summer rates. You could pay for your sewer system in three years. Commissioner Bryson: Off the cuff it appears that commercial users subsidize this, whether .... Commissioner Roberts: Did you say he did some research and these rates are in line with what other places are doing? Councilman Smalley: "That's what his indication report to Council was, based on the research he had done." And based on comparisons with the existing businesses in town. And again, I do agree with you, I'm not too sure the length of season is the correct definition for.an RV, but on the other hand the difference in location is going to be different too. An RV in your area will probably use, of that six month season considerably less than someone on the river. Commissioner Glick: But we don't have that available to a park on the river. Maybe the only thing we need to do is recommend a different length of season rather than change the rates. Commissioner Roberts: As far as the rate, we can always put in a meter. MOTION: Commissioner Bryson moved to request administration review the definition of summer and winter for the purposes of RV and camper parks and bring it in line with the period in which they will be utilized, seconded by Commissioner Glick. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Roberts abstaining. b. Discussion: Final Draft of Proposed RV Ordinance Set for Public Hearing Planning Specialist Loper: Before you is the same copy of the proposed RV ordinance as presented at the work session. You had asked for an amendment and since no action can come of a work session, it is back before you to formalize and set for public hearing. The amendment is still in handwritten form. KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 5 \) Councilman Smalley: Will this answer the question with regard to RV parks, what the Council appears to want. At the last Council meeting I had a difficult time answering their questions because they wanted to know why we weren't site specific, rules & regulations of the operations of the park, location, etc. I suggested that the Commission had received the list of RV park regulations from the Foster Brothers as to what they proposed for their facility but the Commission at this point in time had not addressed specific regulations. Planning Secularist Loper: If I remember right when both Dan and Jim Bookey were here for their hearings on their parks, they both stated that either state or federal regulated RV parks. Commissioner Roberts: State. Councilman Smalley: There is some reference under section 2b to maintenance, but we weren't that specific. Planning Specialist Loper: I think he may have been confused because when we were going over this a year ago, we had a report from the Bicentennial Commission that was site specific but that was city-owned. Commissioner Roberts: I agree, or the EDC which is where I heard it first. This ordinance also has the clause that the City NTanager may designate an area such as the caravans and the circus. Commissioner Roberts: At this time is it required that a RV park has to have a building permit. Planning Specialist Loper: At this point we have no regulations at all outside of whatever may fall under the building permit process as designated by Howard. ~ Commissioner Roberts: Perhaps that is what the Mayor is after. Commissioner Bryson: I'm still confused. Are we supposed to be looking at operational guides in general or are we talking about a site ... Planning Specialists Loper: If I understand you right, that's where the Mayor was getting confused. Councilman Smalley: I agree. Planning Specialist Loper: This ordinance does not speak to site specific. Councilman Smalley: It is site specific as far as zones in which they may be placed. I think that is sufficient. I think he was confused in that he wanted it to specifically speak to that and I don't think you could write an ordinance that tight. MOTION: Commissioner Glick moved to set the amended proposed ordinance for public hearing at the next meeting of January 25th, seconded by Commissioner Bryson Commissioner Brown: I'd like to ask if the 30 days is annually or consecutive. We talked about consecutive but then we said if it was consecutive then you could move it out for a day and bring it back. However, if it was annually should it be within a calendar year. Councilman Smalley: I would suggest leave the wording as it is and when you need someone to interpret it is when there is a problem. Commissioner Brown: Then it could be there for 60 days ~ but as long as they're not a problem it wouldn't be heard. The Commission agreed. KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 6 Chairman Nault: As long as leaving it at 30 days doesn't render it unenforceable then it should be ok. Planning Specialist Loper: Until we've had a season using it, we're not going to know how it will work. Commissioner Glick: If there's a problem we can amend. it. It's a start. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously Commissioner Brown: I'm not sure I'm going to be here for the next meeting and I would like to interject some food for thought. Regarding the last item where the City Manager has the right to temporarily designate portions of the City for RV parks, the City is encouraging RV parks and we're encouraging them as a Commission by granting conditional use permits and then private enterprise goes out and expends capital and then in comes a large caravan, the City Manager allows them to park on City proper and to heck with the RV parks. Chairman Nault: And don't pay water & sewer fees. Commissioner Brown: Perhaps there could be some language in there that would give the City Manager the latitude as long as the RV parks were full. Councilman Smalley: I think the word "may" will speak to that and also, there are no parks on the peninsula at all that could handle one of the caravans that come through. At this point in time I think you're right, when and if such a facility would find itself available then he would not do that. Unless you want to lock up every RV park in town, then this works. I think if we ever have a facility that will be big enough to hold that many then you won't find the city interfering. Chairman Nault: I remember asking Bookey that since his area is going to be so close to where the caravans park if there would be a problem and he said it didn't bother him. Commissioner Roberts: We realize that those people are not going to split up. They won't come to Kenai if the have to do that and we want them to come to Kenai. They spend money here. Some of these small groups we may be able to handle them eventually, but during peak season they can't handle them. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Development in Old Towne - Old Towne Mall Lori Every is planning to put in a beauty shop in the Old Towne Mall and to do so will require a building permit. According to the TSH portion of the zoning code, anything requiring a building permit is subject to review. The room in the mall that she will be setting up requires only an additional water line and electricity for the shampoo bowls and hair dryers, however it does require a building permit. A copy of the floor plan is provided. There is no major renovation to the mall or the room other than the necessary plumbing. Commissioner Roberts: I realize this is a little off the subject, but is there anything the city can do to clean up some of the junk KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 7 that's in Old Towne. Planning Specialist Loper: We have an ordinance that deals with abandoned vehicles and one for garbage. Commissioner Roberts: We've seen so much of it over the years, Bookey too. It's bad for tourists. MOTION: Commissioner Bryson made a motion of finding that the proposed modification to the Old Towne Mall for the beauty shop leased by Lori Every is in harmony with the Old Towne Historic plan, seconded by Commissioner Roberts VOTE: Motion passed unanimously 8. PLANNING a. Goals & Objectives for 1989 The Commission will discuss this at more length at the next meeting. 9. REPORTS a. City Council ~ Councilman Smalley reported on the airport auction, removal of old buildings including TCC, money for road project , the Dairy Queen lease, and the snowplowing ordinance. b. Borough Plannina Commissioner Bryson reported on several items of interest but not city related. c. City Administration None 10. PERSONS PRESENT NOT SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD None 11. INFORMATION ITEMS a. City Council Agenda b. Borough Planning Agenda c. Planning Magazine for November and December No comments 12. COMMISSION COMMENTS & QUESTIONS There were several questions, all of which were answered and no action was necessary. KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION January 11, 1989 Page 8 13. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. G i~~ ~~ ~~ Janet A. Loper, Planning Specialist Secretary to the Commission KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION A Roll Call DATE : , ~ /~ ' Chairman Pat Nault ~ ~ ~~ Vice Chai r .Margaret O'Reill Duane Bannock Dave Brown Phil Bryson_ ~. Carl Glick Dan Roberts C ouncil Rep. Hal Smalley TO DO