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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09/10/1997 . . . HEARING DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE NEEDING ASSISTANCE. :f~ORT"I11!: ~O~&~ {- ("~ (j IS' r<<~ n ~T}' ~ .... ....l.A.NN'~G AGENDA CITY OF PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION 321 East Fifth Street Port Angeles, WA 98362 September 10, 1997 7:00p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Meeting of August 27, 1997 IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 1. C.ONDJTIONAL nSE-.rERMIT - C~~ GERMAN, - MeloJi~ Circle.:. Request for a permit to allow a 42-bed Alzheimer's facility in the RHD, Residential High Density. 2. PARKING V ARIANCRBEQUEST - P~.dlLGERM.A.N..JM.elQd~ C.ir.cle:. Request to permit the reduction ofthe required parking in association with an Alzheimer's facility in the RHD, Residential High Density. V. OTHER BUSINESS: 1. Request to circulate an annexation petition - CALKINS - Fey Road VI. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC VII. ST AFF REPORTS VIII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS IX. ADJOURNMENT PLANNING COMMISSION: Tim Gennan. ( Chair), Dean Reed (Vice), Bob King, Cindy Souders, Linda Nulter, Mary Craver, Fredric Hewins S1 AFF: Brad Collins, Director. Sue Roberds Planning Specialist, David Sawyer, Senior Planner. . . . MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Port Angeles, Washington 98362 September 10, 1997 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Linda Nutter, Fredric Hewins, Cindy Souders, Tim Gennan, Dean Reed, Bob King, Mary Craver Member Absent: None Staff Present: Brad Collins, David Sawyer, Sue Roberds Public Present: Larry Williams, Rod Martin, Mike Gentry APPROVAL OF l\flNUTES Commissioner Souders moved to approve the minutes of the August 27,1997, Planning Commission meeting as submitted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Nutter and passed 4 - 0 with Commissioners Craver and German abstaining. PUBLIC HEARINGS: Chair German left the meeting room as he is the applicant in the application. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT - CUP 9-'ZdJ_GERMAN, - Meludy. Circle: Request for a permit to allow a 42-bed Alzheimer's facility in the RHD, Residential High Density. Senior Planner David Sawyer reviewed the Planning Department's report. Vice Chair Reed opened the public hearing. Commissioner Nutter questioned whether the utility improvements had been completed with regard to the subdivision requirements and took exception with the use being designated as an "Alzheimer's" facility because, to her knowledge, an individual cannot be diagnosed as having that disease until a post mortem has been completed. She asked what types of provisions are proposed to ensure that residents cannot wander away from the proposed facility. In response to discussion regarding how staff concluded that parking for the proposed use is most similar to those requirements of a nursing/sanitarium facility, Mr. Sawyer explained that although the City's Parking Ordinance does not address each and every possible development use, it is predictable to assume that the site's parking needs will be much like those of a nursing/sanitarium which is specifically addressed in the City's Code. He further explained the methodology that he used in his determination that the facility should be Planning Commission Minutes - September 10. 1997 Page 2 . classified as a nursing/sanitarium for parking. He noted that given the particulars of the application, it appears that this type of use will not be one in which residents will be driving but there could be some type of mass transit use or van pool transportation service provided. Parking will be required for visitors and staff. Taking into account the Commissioners' concerns regarding the ability to restrict the use of the building to any particular type of specific care, he suggested that perhaps the applicant could further describe the specifics of the day to day operation. Vice Chair Reed opened the public hearing. Rod Martin, 1018 Tamarack Lane, Port Angeles, represented the applicant, Tim German. He believed that the applicant would agree that a "dementia" facility would be a better term to identify the proposal. There are many types of dementia but Alzheimer's is a description that the public is most familiar with. He did not believe that residents would be able to wander away from the area. The building and grounds are planned to offer a safe, open environment generally built in a court yard manner in which patients can move freely but not where they can wander outside without supervision. . Commissioner Nutter expressed concern that the convalescent uses approved in the original Highland Communities Planned Residential Development (pRD) have been amended several times and asked if the applicant is aware of further amendments that are planned for the area. Mr. Martin responded that any future proposals would be consistent and complimentary to the senior uses that exist in the area at present. Commissioner Souders asked what the mix of uses would be in the proposed facility, i.e., the number of offices and the ratio of nursing aides to patients that is expected. In response to Commissioner Souders, Mr. Martin answered that Northwest Care Management of Bainbridge Island, a management company, has been retained to manage the facility. Northwest Care Management has been in dementia care for approximately twelve years and has a fine track record. He did not believe that any physicians would be on site but could not speak with regard to the number of offices, technical management, or support professionals that are planned for the facility. Northwest Care is highly respected by other management firms around the state, he said. Detailed plans of the facility are not available due to the cost of detailing those plans prior to Planning Commission approval. There being no further testimony, Vice Chair Reed closed the public hearing. Mr. Sawyer noted for the record that the Highland Communities PRD approval has expired and therefore future plans for development in the area would not be considered as an amendment to that original approval. . Commissioner Souders said that she could not remember the Planning Commission ever considering approval of this type of facility without detailed information regarding the operation of the proposal that described the number of office uses expected, patient care personnel, floor plans, landscaping, parking areas, and general guidelines. Mr. Sawyer apologized for the lack of information. He expected that given the lack of specific detail in the initial application that the applicant would provide a detailed . . . Planning Commission Minutes - September 10. 1997 Page 3 presentation at the Planning Commission's hearing that would address specific site uses and fill in the blanks that Commissioner Souders referred to for a proposal of this type. Following general consensus by the Commission, Commissioner Souders moved to continue discussion to the September 24,1997, meeting with direction to the applicant to provide a floor plan, information regarding the number and type of staff that will be on site at a given time, landscaping, security plan, parking, and any other information that staff needs to consider the application as complete. The motion was seconded by Commissioner King and passed 6 - O. Commissioner Nutter moved to reopen the public hearing. Commissioner Craver seconded the motion which passed 6 -0. PARKING VARIANCKBEQIlEST - PKV 97-03...GERMAN , Meill~ Cir.cle~ Request to permit the reduction of the required parking in association with an Alzheimer's facility in the RHD, Residential High Density. Senior Planner David Sawyer explained that given the determination that the use will most likely function in the same manner that a nursing/sanitarium use would, a parking variance will not be required for the proposal. The Commission therefore did not consider the application but would encourage its withdrawal. Chair German returned to the meeting room and assumed the Chair. OTHER BUSINESS: Request to circulate an annexation petition - CALKINS - Fey Road Planning Director Collins presented the Planning Department's report recommending that a petition for annexation be allowed to be circulated with a revised boundary and provided a visual display of the area and surrounding properties. Commissioner German questioned the logistics of requiring the applicant to include additional properties in the annexation request if those affected property owners don't agree with the proposal. Director Collins responded that the applicant could include additional property at this time and, in the event of disagreement, those who object to annexation could be removed down to a final sixty percent (60%) petition. Commissioner Nutter agreed that due to intetjurisdictional difficulties it would be more prudent to require that the boundaries of the annexation be required to align more regularly with existing City boundaries. Commissioner Craver concurred that to include all of the area to the City's west boundary Planning Commission Minutes - September 10. 1997 Page 4 . is the more logical course of action but felt that perhaps annexation of the area in question would be a catalyst for further annexations in the area. Mike Gentry, 923 East Tenth Street, has been retained by Northwest Territories to do master planning and a conceptual design for a possible residential development on the property being requested for annexation. He encouraged the Planning Commission to forward a favorable recommendation to the City Council. He asked Fire Marshal Dan McKeen to elaborate on the Fire Department's concerns on annexation of the property in question. Fire Marshall Dan McKeen responded that interjurisdictional concerns arise when response personnel are called to provide service to an area where travel is required through areas outside a home jurisdiction due to dissimilarities in dispatch infonnation and addressing which cause unacceptable delays in response time. Planning Director Collins noted an instance involving a fatality several years ago where there was a mutual response issue to point to the fact that the concerns are real. . Mr. Gentry suggested that although the area is a peninsula new teclmologies which allow the applicant to be very forward thinking in design standards and amenities that will make this a very desirable location for residential development. He did not believe that additional property should be required by the City to be included in the petition for annexation. The property is basically under one ownership and is an easy annexation exercise without adding more people to that effort. Larry Williams, 127 East First Street, explained the history of the applicant's development plans for the area while in the County. This is a large area annexation under one ownership. The applicant is not interested in obtaining those services from the City which are the nonnal factor in annexations, i.e., sewer and water. The applicant has an adequate supply of water from the Dry Creek Water Association and is planning to serve the area with individual or a community septic system. The one development factor that the applicant is looking to the City for is the predictability of lot density allowances. The subject area is roughly ten percent (10%) of the City's Urban Growth Area under one ownership. The proposal is to develop a first class, self sufficient subdivision with walking trails, open space, and nice home sites. The site would remain self sufficient until such time as services are brought into the area. At that time, the subdivision would willingly hook up to City services. The area is raw land without development of any kind. Whatever accommodations need to be made to address fire, safety, health, and growth issues can be made by the applicant/developer. The applicant would prefer not to include additional properties in his request but did not object to including additional properties where property owners favor annexation. He did not disagree that properties north of Edgewood Drive should be included but was concerned that those ownerships could cause the petition to fall below the sixty percent required for annexation. . Commissioner King moved to recommend that the City Council allow the circulation of an annexation petition for the area proposed by the applicant including those properties located directly north of Edgewood Drive from the site to the City's boundary extending east to the City's existing west City limits. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Reed. Planning Commission Minutes - September 10. 1997 Page j . Commissioner Nutter was not against the annexation request but recognizing the Fire Department's expressed concerns regarding inteIjurisdictional problems that could be caused without a logical extension of City boundaries could not support the motion. Commissioner Reed stated that although he would prefer to see a larger, more consistent boundary created, he felt that the City has to start somewhere in its annexation of the Urban Growth Area (UGA). Commissioner Craver concurred that ideally a larger, more consistent area is more desirable, but annexation of this area may serve as the motivation for more annexation requests in this area of the UGA. Fire Marshal McKeen added that a computer aided response system that the Fire Department is implementing may aid in preventing delayed response times that are associated with inteIjurisdictional areas but noted that delays could still occur. He requested the area proposed by staff that is under motion by the Commission be supported at minimum to square up some irregular boundaries. It is important to at least attempt to square up as much as possible those boundaries that have caused concern thus far. The motion passed 6 - 1 with Commissioner Nutter voting in the negative for the reasons she expressed. . COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC None. STAFF REPORTS None. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS None. ADJOURNMENT ~~ ad Collins, Secretary The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. . PREPARED BY: S. Roberds PLEASE SIGNJN CITY OF PORT ANGELES Planning Commission Attendance Roster Meeting Date:~. /~/997 ". .~ ......--. NAME~; .... 4: .. ' . '. ... ._--:t~ ADDRESS: "\/. ~. p. ..~ .. ....:;-f~y . Ij1~^. ' '111. ftJ rt0'i- ~30h (jDG VJ.~) f>1J IJ17~1~ n:_. () II h ~7 r) U1 .... )(' J...... 1<23 ~ t~T r---l / v ''''''1 ~ ~ \ Rn\v rf\ut~ ~ .