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Home My WebLink About2002-12-11 Planning & Zoning MinutesCITY OF KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS December 11, 2002 - 7:00 p.m. AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER: a. Roll Call b. Agenda Approval c. Consent Agenda *All items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine and non-controversial by the Commission and will be approved by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commission Member so requests, in which case the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda as part of the General Orders. 2. *APPROVAL OF MINUTES: *November 13, 2002 3. SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT: 4. CONSIDERATION OF PLATS: 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS: a. PZ02-67-A Resolution of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Kenai, Alaska, recommending to the Council of the City of Kenai, Alaska, that KMC 14.20.280(c) be amended to remove the requirement that notification of Fublic Hearings be sent via certified mail. b. PZ02-68-An application for a Variance Permit from KMC 14.20.250 -Off-street Parking Requirements for the property known as 605 Marine Avenue, East Addition Townsite of Kenai, US Survey 3025 A&B, hot 2, Block 3, hot 3, Block 3, Kenai, Alaska. Applicant is seeking a variance of 5 parking spaces from the required 10 spaces. Application submitted by Glenn E. hockwood, D.D.S., P, O. Box 2403, Kenai, Alaska. 5. OLD BUSINESS: 7. NEW BUSINESS: 8. PENDING ITEMS: 9. CODE ENFORCEMENT: 10. REPORTS: a. City Council b. Borough Planning c. Administration 11,. PERSONS PRESENT NOT SCHEDULED: 12. INFORMATION ITEMS: a. Zoning Bulletin (11/ 10/02 & 11/25/02) b. Commission Meeting Schedule - 2003 13. COMMISSION COMMENTS & QUESTIONS: 14. ADJOURNMENT: CITY OF KENAI PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS DECEMBER 11, 2002 - 7:00 P.M. CHAIRMAN RON GOECKE, PRESIDING MINUTES ITEM I: CALL TO ORDER Chairman Goecke called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1-a. Roll Call Roll was taken and confirmed as follows: Commissioners Present: Bryson, Tunseth, Goecke, Nord, Osborne, Amen, Glick Others Present: Councilman Bannock, City Planner Kebschull, Deputy Clerk Harris 1-b. Agenda Approval MOTION: Commissioner Osborne MOVED to approve the agenda as presented and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Commissioner Glick SECONDED the motion. There were no objections. SO ORDERED. i-c. Consent Agenda MOTION: Commissioner Bryson MOVED to approve the consent agenda and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Commissioner Glick SECONDED the motion. There were no objections. SO ORDERED. ITEM 2: APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- November 13, 2002 Approved by consent agenda. ITEM 3: SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT -- None ITEM 4: CONSIDERATION OF PLATS -- None ITEM 5: PUBLIC HEARINGS 5-a. PZ02-67 A Resolution of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Kenai,, Alaska, recommending to the Council of the City of Kenai, Alaska, that KMC 14.20.250(c) be amended to remove the requirement that notification of Public Hearings be sent via certified mail. MOTION: Commissioner Nord MOVED to approve PZ02-67 and Commissioner Osborne SECONDED the motion. There were no public comments. City Planner Kebschull stated for clarification that administration was directed to either increase fees or reduce costs as the financial situation at the City of Kenai was being more closely monitored. Postage costs for sending a single certified notice averages aver $4.00; a significant cost to the City. Kebschull stated the Commission has approved the removal of this requirement in the recent past and wanted to reiterate there is no legal requirement stating notices must be sent certified. Furthermore, Kebschull told the Commission, an even larger reason for removing the requirement of sending notices via certified mail is the amount of complaints received by the recipients of the letters. Kebschull has been made aware of a general resistance to certifed mail recipients standing in line at the Post Office, as they feel it a great inconvenience. VOTE: B son Yes Tunseth Yes Nord Yes Osborne Yes Amen Yes Glick Yes Goecke Yes MOTION PASSED UNANIMOULSY. 5-b. PZ02-68-An application for a Variance Permit from KMC 14.20.250 -- Off- street Parking Requirements for the property known as 605 Marine Avenue, East Addition Townsite of Kenai, US Survey 3025 A&B, Lot 2, Block 3, Lot 3, Block 3, Kenai, Alaska. Applicant is seeking a variance of 5 parking spaces from the required 10 spaces. Application submitted by Glenn E. Lockwood, D.D.S., P.O. Box 2403, Kenai, Alaska. Commissioner Bryson stated he would be abstaining from participation in this item as a Commission member. MOTION; Commissioner Osborne MOVED to approve PZ02-68 and Commissioner Glick SECONDED the motion. Glenn Lockwood, 605 Marine Street, Kenai, addressed the Commission and requested approval for a variance due to a building addition at the Kenai Redoubt PLANNING 8~ ZONING COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 11, 2002 PAGE 2 Dental Clinic. Currently, he is six feet away from code. Lockwood stated he could avoid the necessity of a variance by clear-cutting the trees on the side of the building to provide parking; but would much rather prefer to keep the trees where they are. Additionally, clearing the site would be a tremendous burden on the business. Lockwood also stated the parking area in question is for patient use only; staff utilizes off street parking areas and walks the short distance to the building. Phil Bryson, 609 Marine Street, Kenai, stated his business is adjacent to Dr. Lackwood's and has no objections to his request for a variance and recommends the Commission approve his request with the addition of staff recommendations. There were no more public comments. Commissioner Tunseth inquired if the Alternative School parks on that same street and if these businesses and the school would produce a significant increase in vehicular traffc. Lockwood, Bryson nor administration stated they did not anticipate a considerable increase. Kebschull stated there have been no complaints received by the street crew and recommends approval with the condition that if a significant amount of complaints are received, the applicant either find additional parking by way of tree removal or obtain parking permission from an adjacent lot owner. Kebschull also stated that proving any such complaints are the direct fault of the Kenai Redoubt Dental Clinic would require close monitoring and would be time consuming. Councilman Bannock urged the Cornmissian to be cautious of placing additional requirements on variances. VOTE: Nord Yes Osborne Yes Amen Yes Glick No B son Abstained Tunseth Yes Goecke Yes MOTION PASSED. Chairman Goecke stated anyone wishing to appeal could do so at the City Clerk's Office within l5 days. ITEM 6: OLD BUSINESS -- None ITEM 7: NEW BUSINESS -- None ITEM 8: PENDING ITEMS -- None PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 11, 2002 PAGE 3 ITEM 9: CODE ENFORCEMENT -- None ITEM 10: REPORTS 10-a. City Council -- Councilman Bannock provided a recap of council action items. Additionally, Bannock stated he supports the Commission's recommendation to remove the certified mail requirement and will assist this issue on a council level. as he did the last time this item was an issue. Bannock stated administration would be preparing documents (including the current documents) to show council this is not a customer-friendly program. Bannock stated, measuring this resolution on both customer satisfaction and monetary scales, this resolution passes unanimously. Bannock stated he feels requiring the public to stand and wait in line at the Post Office is neither `customer friendly' nor cost effective. Bannock urged Commission members to attend the upcoming council meeting to support this issue. Commissioner Bryson stated he felt the only difference between certified and regular mail is that you get a return receipt. Bannock stated there is one potential alternative; a gentleman in the audience informed Council about a verification program the Post Office offers and stated the whole idea with certified mailing was to assure that everyone got the notice. Bannock stated he was unaware of the alternative program. Bannock stated even if an alternative exists, it doesn't change the necessity of passing this resolution. Chairman Goecke stated the only alternative he could think of was a return receipt requested, which still requires standing in line. Commissioner Osborne stated it could be useful to see how many, if any, of those who received the notices have actually come to any of the Commission meetings as a show of interest. He stated, to the best of his memory, maybe two or three have come unless in direct opposition. Commissioner Tunseth stated he realizes sending certified mail isn't a huge money issue, but year after year it adds up to a great deal of money. If every city department can shave the cost of sending certified mailings, the savings would be noticeable. 10-b. Borough Planning -- Bryson reported on the last two Borough Planning and Zoning meetings. 10-c. Administration -- City Planner Kebschull reported the following: • The owner of the state-regulated daycare facility at the end of Fidalgo has requested administration reconsider the Conditional Use Permit requirement on the facility. Kebschull stated administration would be proposing an amendment as facilities of this sort are fully regulated by the state. • The businesses along Frontage Road are addressed using Kenai Spur PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 11, 2002 PAGE 4 Highway addressing and Administration will be working with those businesses at the beginning of the new year to change the addresses to the Frontage Road address system (from five-digit addresses to three-digit addresses). ITEM 11: PERSONS PRESENT NOT SCHEDULED -- None ITEM 12: INFORMATION ITEMS I2-a. Zoning Bulletin (11/1x/02 & 11/25/02) 12-b. Commission Meeting Schedule - 2003 ITEM I3: COMMISSiON COMMENTS 8a QUESTIONS -- None ITEM 14: ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m. M}nutes prepared and transcribed by: '' ~~ -'~ Sharon M, Harris, Department Assistant PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 11, 2002 PAGE 5