2016 06-02Meridian Planning and Zoning Meeting June 2, 2016
Meeting of the Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission of June 2, 2016, was
called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairman Steven Yearsley.
Present: Chairman Steven Yearsley, Commissioner Gregory Wilson and
Commissioner Ryan Fitzgerald.
Members Absent: Commissioner Rhonda McCarvel and Commissioner Patrick
Oliver,
Others Present: Machelle Hill, Andrea Pogue, Caleb Hood, Josh Beach and
Dean Willis.
Item 1: Roll-Call Attendance:
Roll-call
__X___ Gregory Wilson __X__ Patrick Oliver
__X__ Rhonda McCarvel __X__ Ryan Fitzgerald
__X__ Steven Yearsley - Chairman
Yeasley: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. At this time we would like to call
to order the regularly scheduled meeting of the Meridian Planning and Zoning
Commission for the hearing date of June 2nd, 2016, and let's begin with roll call.
Item 2: Adoption of the Agenda
Yearsley: Thank you. First item on the agenda is the adoption of the agenda. I
have no changes to the agenda, so with that I would entertain a motion .
Fitzgerald: Mr. Chair?
Yearsley: Commissioner Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald: I would move for adoption of the agenda as printed.
Wilson: Second.
Yearsley: I have a motion and a second for the adoption of the agenda as
printed. All in favor say aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Thank you.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Item 3: Consent Agenda
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June 2, 2016
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A. Approve Minutes of May 19, 2016 Planning and Zoning
Commission Meeting
B. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law for Approval
for Chinden and Linder Crossing - Retail Shell (H-2016-
0046) by Nate Hosac Located Northwest Corner of
Chinden Boulevard and N. Linder Road Request:
Conditional Use Permit Approval for a Drive-Thru
Establishment in a C-C Zoning District Within 300 Feet
of Another Drive-Thru Facility and Existing Residences
C. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law for Approval
for Sonic (H-2016-0045) by White-Leasure Development
Company Located 1535 Celebration Avenue Request:
Conditional Use Permit for a Drive-Thru Establishment
on 0.84 of an Acre in a C-G Zoning District
Yearsley: Next item on the agenda is the Consent Agenda and we have three
items on that agenda today. The first one is to approve the minutes of the May
19th, 2016, Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The Findings of Fact and
Conclusion of Law for the approval of the Chinden and Linder Crossing Retail
Shell, file number H-2016-0046. And the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of
Law for approval of Sonic, file number H-2016-0045. Can I get a motion to
approve the Consent Agenda if there are no changes?
Wilson: Mr. Chair?
Yearsley: Commissioner Wilson.
Wilson: I move we approve the Consent Agenda.
Fitzgerald: Second.
Yeasley: I have a motion and a second to approve the Consent Agenda . All in
favor say aye. Opposed? Motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Yearsley: Before we go onto the next item I kind of want to explain how this
process will go today. We will open each item one at a time. The staff -- we will
start off with the staff. They will present their findings regarding how the items
adhere to our Comprehensive Plan and Uniform Development Code with staff
recommendations. After the staff has completed their presentation the applicant
will come forward to present their case for approval, their application, and
respond to any staff comments. The applicant will have up to 15 minutes to do
so. After the -- after that we will open it up to the public for public testimony.
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June 2, 2016
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Anybody wishing to testify -- there is a sign-up sheet in back -- will be given three
minutes. If they are speaking for a larger group, like an HOA, they will be given
up to ten minutes. After the audience has had a chance to testify we will invite
the applicant to come back up and to respond to any comments and they will be
given up to ten minutes to do so and, then, at that time we will close the public
hearing and -- as the Commission and have an opportunity to discuss and
deliberate and hopefully make a recommendation or approve on this item.
Item 4: Action Items
A. Public Hearing for Starbucks Meridian Road (H-2016-
0051) by Verdad Real Estate Located 1870 S. Meridian
Road
1. Request: Conditional Use Permit for a Drive-Thru
Establishment Within 300 Feet of a Residential Use
and Another Drive-Thru on 0.80 of an Acre in a C-G
Zoning District
Yearsley: And so with that I would like to open up file number H-2016-0051, the
Starbucks in Meridian and let's begin with the staff report.
Beach: Good evening, chair, commissioners. This is, as you said, a conditional
use permit application for a Starbucks restaurant. The reasoning for the
conditional use permit is they are within 300 feet of a residential neighborhood,
as well as another drive-thru, which requires a conditional use permit application.
So, the site consists of .80 of an acre of land. It's currently zoned C-G and is
located at 1870 South Meridian Road. To the north is commercial property
zoned C-G. To the east is also commercial property, which is a recently
approved auto repair business currently being constructed. Also zoned C-G. To
the south is a dental office zoned C-G. And to the west is South Meridian Road
and single family homes in the Elk Run Subdivision, which is zoned R-8. The
subject property was granted preliminary plat approval in 2003 and final plat
approval for Southern Springs Subdivision No. 2 was approved in 2005. The
Comprehensive Plan future land use map designation for the property is
commercial. The applicant has submitted an application for, as I said, a
conditional use permit for a 2,200 square foot restaurant with a drive-thru for
Starbucks, located in a C-G zoning district. The hours of operation are expected
to be from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. As I said, a conditional use permit is required
per the UDC because the proposed drive-thru is located within 300 feet of an
existing residential use. Running Brook -- Running Brook Estates to the east, as
well as a drive-thru cleaners to the north. Access is proposed from the shared
driveway for the commercial development via South Meridian Road. Direct lot
access is prohibited via South Meridian Road. There is a 35 foot wide landscape
buffer that currently exists along South Meridian Road, which is an arterial street,
that was installed with the Southern Springs Subdivision No. 2. All existing
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June 2, 2016
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landscaping is required to be protected during construction. Parking lot
landscaping is required to comply with the standards listed in UDC. In
discussions with the applicant there are a couple of areas on the site plan that
need to be improved slightly, but that's something we can get with a certificate of
zoning compliance definitely, as well as there are some specific use standards
required for drive-thru establishments and the proposed site plan meets those
requirements. Building elevations were submitted for the proposed structure
shown here. Primary building materials consist of stucco, six inch fiber cement
board, a glass store front, brick veneer and metal awnings. Because the site is
located on an entryway corridor staff believes additional design elements shoul d
be incorporated into the overall building design to insure compliance with the
architectural standards manual and as you see in the staff report staff has
indicated a number of areas with the architecture could be beefed up and the
applicant has acknowledged seeing that as well and those are things that we can
get through with the certificate of zoning compliance as well. Final design should
substantially comply with the conditions of approval. And be consistent with the
design standards listed in UDC and the architectural standards manual. Did not
receive any written testimony on this application and staff is recommending
approval of the application with the conditions in the staff report. I will stand for
any questions you have on the application.
Yearsley: Thank you. Are there any questions? With that would the applicant
like to come forward.
Boomer: I would. My name is Terry Boomer. I'm with Civil Consulting Engineers
in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been working with Josh now probably on this project
for about five months. We had another project in -- in play and this is the site that
Starbucks selected based on location, visibility, and traffic. It's a good site. It's a
small site, although it's .8 acres, the usable acreage is just under .6, because the
property lines go to the center of the roadway. So, we were kind of hindered in
our design and when you're putting a 2,200 square foot box on and there is --
and a .6 acre site, there is not a lot of give and take. We acknowledge the staff
write up and the comments and we have no objection to that. I'm here with
Michael Sagline with Verdad Vertical that can answer any operational issues or --
I don't want to give away the bank. If I promise that I will do everything that they
say, I want to make sure that he confirms that. But I didn't see anything in the
staff report that was objectionable. We have got good circular flow and the
subdivision that the lot has been vacant for quite some time and I think we got a
good user and a good economic use for -- for the parcel.
Yearsley: Thank you. Are there any questions?
Fitzgerald: Mr. Chairman?
Yearsley: Commissioner Fitzgerald.
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June 2, 2016
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Fitzgerald: Sir, where is the -- on the drive-thru aisle -- I know you have an
escape route to get out. Is there a -- where is the squawk box on the --
Boomer: If you will look in the very --
Fitzgerald: It is right there?
Boomer: -- portion of the -- correct.
Fitzgerald: Okay.
Boomer: Yeah.
Fitzgerald: Just wanted to make sure. Okay. Thank you.
Boomer: Yeah.
Yearsley: Any other questions? With that -- thank you very much.
Boomer: Thank you. Appreciate you hearing our case.
Yearsley: So, I have two people signed up. Is it Terry Boomer -- you're already
there. And, then, Michael -- so with that is there anybody else that would wish to
testify on this application? Please come forward. If you would, please, state
your name and address for the record.
Jardine: My name is Barry Jardine and I'm the owner of the dental office right
next to this lot and my concern was just -- I didn't know if I could get a copy of
that plat to look at the parking, because that's our issue. A few years ago there
was, you know, talk about trying to put a Sonic in there and they had allocated
four parking spots for the whole restaurant, which all the parking would have
overflowed into the dental office and the orthodontist office that was there and so
that's just my concern is -- was to be able to look at that a little bit closer to see
what the parking allocation for the Starbuck is, so that we are not having constant
overflow into the dental and orthodontist parking.
Yearsley: Really quickly, Josh. How many parking spaces are provided?
Beach: Based on the size there is 19, including two handicap accessible spaces.
Yearsley: Okay. So, there are 19 spaces.
Jardine: And that 19 spaces includes staff parking, as well as patron parking?
Beach: Correct. They would have to. So, our code requires that pretty minimal
parking actually. Commercial requires one for every 500 square feet. So, you're
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June 2, 2016
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right, in this case they would only be required about five parking spaces. They
have included, you know, quite a bit more based on -- based on their need, but it
definitely exceeds the requirement of the code.
Jardine: Okay. I was just hoping if I could maybe -- I don't know. I need to talk
to --
Beach: Yeah. Sure.
Jardine: -- get a site plan of that?
Beach: Yeah.
Yearsley: Okay.
Jardine: Thank you.
Yearsley: Thank you. Is there anybody else wishing to testify? I guess with that
would the applicant like to come back and -- and respond or at least verify that
you have adequate parking.
Boomer: Sure. Well, you know, hopefully --
Yearsley: Into the mike, please, so --
Boomer: Hopefully, every business is so successful that we are overparked, but
in this one we feel that this is not a destination, so much as a drive by and that
we are not going to get to the -- the traffic in the same time frame that he is open
for his business and the majority of the traffic is in the morning. They're going to
drive by, they are going to get their coffee, go through the drive-thru and get on
down the road to work hopefully. I do have a plan that I would like to give you
and we will -- as we work with our neighborhood meeting together we will work
through -- through whatever concerns he has as well.
Yearsley: Okay. Thank you. Are there any last questions? No. Thank you.
Boomer: Thank you.
Yearsley: W ith that can I get a motion to close the public hearing on file number
H-2016-0051?
Wilson: Mr. Chair?
Yeasley: Commissioner Wilson.
Wilson: I move we close the public hearing.
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June 2, 2016
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Fitzgerald: Second.
Yearsley: I have a motion and a second to close the public hearing. All in favor
say aye. Opposed? Motion carries.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. TWO ABSENT.
Yearsley: Any comments or thoughts?
Fitzgerald: Mr. Chairman?
Yeasley: Commissioner Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerld: No, I think it -- I mean I think the -- it fits where it's going. I think the
escape route that they have is good to let people get out if they need to. I
appreciate the applicant's efforts to work with the neighbors on the parking issue.
I know that's a big deal. But I think it -- it's a good fit and I think it will be -- it will
do well in the traffic pattern that it's in. So, I think it looks great and I think -- as
Josh said, the zoning compliance issues will take care of the architectural outside
look, but Starbucks always does a nice job of putting together a nice product.
So, I'm in favor.
Yearsley: Thank you.
Wilson: I agree, Mr. Chair. I think it looks good and I will be supporting it also.
Yearsley: Thank you. No, I think it looks good as well. I appreciate the applicant
and the work that they have done and staff and so -- so with that I would
entertain a motion.
Fitzgerald: Mr. Chairman?
Yearsley: Commissioner Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald: After considering all staff, applicant, and public testimony, I move to
approve file number H-2016-0051 as presented in the staff report for the hearing
date of June 2nd, 2016.
Wilson: Second.
Yearsley: I have a motion and a second to approve file number H-2016-0051.
All in favor say aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Congratulations.
MOTION CARRIED: THREE AYES. TWO ABSENT.