Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

You're on.

All right, we'll call our plan commission meeting to order. All council members are present and Mrs. Teal and uh I was able to get some information regarding resoning. Let me try to pull it up here. Maybe it's installing yet. Okay. So, I'm sorry if I've screwed any of this up, but my memory was that you all wanted to understand the process of resoning better. And so I asked the attorney to just kind of give us a list and we can have this printed out. This uh I I'll make sure you all have this. Um but uh there'd be an application and then a hearing date would be set. There'd be notice published um and then all neighboring properties uh would have to be notified. um

and they would be able to come to a public hearing regarding the the the your desire to reszone and uh after the hearing. um this plane commission would make a determination as to whether uh it seemed like it was uh reasonzoning made sense in that circumstance I guess. So you all probably already kind of knew that. Um but it's not as simple as us here saying okay to what you all want. Um, beyond that, then once you reszone, you'd have to go before the board of zoning appeals to get a variance to allow you to use it for what you want to use it for. That's one of those special exemption uses. Um, and I believe I gave you guys the the zoning classification that we were looking at. I can't remember which one it was.

Door, do you know the timing between the application public hearing? Does it have to be publicized for 30 days or it's probably something along those lines but I don't know precisely. So there'll be there will be a wait period between the letter has to go out and then there's a waiting period. People have to have time to to you know observe the notice and then um you know plan to come to the meeting. Excuse me. By publicized, do you mean put in paper? Because there's not Yeah. Around Indianapolis Star or There's a Hamilton County paper. Oh, is there with the current that I don't Hamilton County reporter? Yeah, they uh Okay.

Yes. Sure. I know they publish that online uh not seven days a week, but I believe their public notices typically come out on Monday. Do you take that? I take it Monday. It seems like there's some every day, so it just depends on when they come in. I know there's a large batch of them on usually on Mondays. Yes, on Monday for the weekly. Yes. So, and that should suffice. I believe is is I know I believe Jennifer isn't that who you use for any public notices that the reporter Yes. Okay.

I was just trying to set expectations. It's not going to be tomorrow and we have to send out a letter. We have to we have to get an application send out a letter and then we have to wait x amount of time. Set a public hearing. Set a public hearing. In the meantime, all the neighbors have to I don't know there's a timeline for that. Again, I'm sorry I don't have specifics. When you say neighbors, do you mean like the direct neighboring? Uh I don't remember if it's the exact the the property or to too deep, you know, certain things for the BCA. It's too deep. So I'm not sure, but at least the adjoining properties. So by registered mail, return copy received. Yes.

Okay. So, I can if if that's something you're still wanting to pursue that I can try to nail down specifics and get you a very detailed Sure. outline of how that would happen. Um, but I would it would probably be a good idea to talk to somebody on the board of zoning appeals too to see I mean I don't know what kind of a variance they've been given lately for different things, but it is a special exception use. I wouldn't think there'd be a problem with it, but you you you even if we were to do this, there's no guarantee that you'd get through the board of zoning appeals either.

I thought it wasn't allowed use under C2. It's a special exception you simply uh see from three to or two to three was it from one of them we looked at it last time one was res residential and commercial it's just that the screening was different because you needed more acreage between the C2 and the C3 but I thought it was use but I could be mistaken on commercials.

So if it's special exception, then it has to go through the BPA. Correct. Yeah. A permitted use, you just use it for any of those uses, but it's a special exception use that would be that would require a variance. Okay. And then is Kevin back still? He is. And that would be something where Jennifer could uh you know have him contact you all. You can talk through it with him if you'd like.

Okay. Automobile truck storage outdoor. Yeah. C2. It's a special exception. Yeah. Automobile truck storage outdoor. And I think somewhere in there it also says you have to have a fence. Right. It does. Well, I I'd like to throw something out there just to if I need to speak at the podium. I don't know. We'd like to uh actually that would be helpful. We're trying to do this microphone deal. It's I'm Mark. I'm Jaclyn's father.

Well, I bought the property in 2003. So, we've owned it for been over for about 22 years now. Um, talking it over with my daughter. Uh, of course, nobody likes paying higher taxes. Uh, currently it's own agricultural which keep farmers in business taxes and uh, unfortunately the assessor did get to look back with me. It's not the assessor. It's the the name for this department. that I got transferred two or three times, but I was trying to figure out the exact tax rate on C2 and uh Jack had spoke with somebody a couple weeks ago and apparently the other gentleman that has a storage facility in Atlanta is paying I think uh his 2.7 acres and I I think he's paying couple thousand 2700 something like that. So uh currently Jacqueline 2 acres agricultural it's either 75 or 150 a year. So even at depending on how it was assessed I mean if it was assessed for 10,000 the taxes would roughly be about four times higher. It was assessed for 20,000 they'd be about eight times higher. Um and but that's okay. Jacqueline, we we want to be good neighbors. We want to be, you know, she's operated the business there for many years. And prior to me buying it used to be a little antique store with the old red barn there. Um, and as we mentioned earlier, we have a lot of natural screening there. Um, but what

we would like to propose is if we voluntarily annex in into Atlanta so that the tax dollars can stay here and it would be a lot more tax dollars than we're used to paying uh to as a sort of an a way to we would like to have get a variance at least for now for the screening to have the the same standards as C3 because technically there are three acres there. They're just not a join. And again, for tax reasons and stuff, it'd be better probably not to adjoin it, but we would be we would meet all the requirements of the C3 zoning with the screening if if the property were a joint because we would have the frontage, we would have the the acreage requirements and all that. Um, now, not to say fencing out, it's just that we're taking a gamble on this whole thing. It's it's you know there may only be five five boats there for 10 years. I mean there's all kinds of places around that do offer it now. We're going to I mentioned to Jack on it that I think it should be extremely affordable. I'm talking like 30 bucks, you know, starting out 30 bucks and you know and if it's over 30 feet maybe 40 bucks. But make it so that people have an alternative than paying at at my storage facility on Greenfield Avenue. My minimum is $90 for a 12 by30 spot and for a 12x40 spot it's 120 and and I'm been full and will be uh it's uh

unfortunately there's just not enough zoning in this county really unless you know your U-Haul down there on 37 that charges $30 and some dollars and they have a little cover over the top. It's not really a close, but it is screened well and they're U-Haul. Um, but everybody in short of there are some farmers that are doing this. I think there's one on Cumberland Road north of 206 Street and that's great people, you know, as long as they're buying belly eggs. I don't know if it's totally legal because there's own agriculture. Well, maybe they got American side and that's we don't really care. Uh but but you know with the everybody has expenses and with campers if they're making a payment they have insurance and all this you know a lot of times people don't even think about storing until but if they live in a neighborhood they don't have a choice you know those HOAs will force them to probably and so we would like to be an avenue and being that the location is not called 19. I imagine it would almost probably only serve Atlanta residents. Now Atlanta's burrowing and all that kind of stuff. But it may come a time where, you know, you might enact an ordinance where you could say no more than two cars in the driveway because people start piling a bunch of stuff in their yard, boats and RVs and very soon there's no grass because they got the whole thing filled full of stuff and and that's just, you know, a wild guess, but I mean it it could be. And that way if people complain, you can say, "Well, you you know, for 30 bucks a month, come right over here. And that shouldn't break the bank. But we we know,

you know, we like Atlanta, been here a long time, never had any issues. Um, and we know Atlanta, you know, deserves and would enjoy getting the tax revenue for it. It's not going to be a great deal of money, but everything counts. And then as a compromise, we would we would just like to maybe, you know, since it's already going to require a variance, getting a second variance uh for just having the same restrictions that the C3 specifies as far as screening with the understanding if it becomes a success, especially if anybody can start generating complaints, then we over the expense enough of putting up a fence. We could do it anyway because it's just a matter of finances. You know, if you have, you know, things more there, more income, then you have something more to work with.

Are you talking about only doing vehicle storage, like vehicles and trailers, RVs and trailers, things like that? RVs, boats, and trailers. Nothing that's not on wheels. Okay. Excuse me. Oh, no. Um, and you even got to sort of be careful. I made the mistake once to a roofer. I don't know how much hundreds of nails are just you just can't let anybody in there, but you know, the roofer because they just drop everywhere.

Want to see truck and that would also C3 back The way that we're both reading this, that's C3,

both C3 and C2, it looks like, maybe we overlooked it last time, automobile or truck storage is a allowable special exception use without a fence. Without what? Without a fence. Right. that we I think they require so many trees, so many feet that Yeah, you would have to do the landscaping, right? But not necessarily the fence, right? And and I understand the fence is what you were just talking about as being the large expense and not really

and and what I'm saying is the way that we're both sitting here reading this, if it's something on wheels, if it's a vehicle of some kind, I don't think you need a fence anyway. Oh, okay. I think that the the the u the fence comes in if you have one of those pod things that you have to right store things in. Um and then like so so the way that I understand this to be you wouldn't necessarily need a fence if it's again something on wheels we wouldn't need to request the variance to have a see standard. Well, you still need special use. Correct. But we it wouldn't meet an additional amount.

Yeah. Yes. So I I believe that you would just have to plant the trees that are required and you know abide by all your setbacks and things that you should be able to do what you're talking about doing. Okay. Without a fence as as as I'm reading this anyway. Does that seem like that's that's the way I read it too when I was and I don't know how we missed that at the last meeting but I saw outdoor storage and just kind of zoomed in on that and this time seeing to put a six foot you know like shadow box fence up on two acres. I know I know it's it's costing tens of thousands of dollars. Is that application online?

I don't know. Uh I can I don't think so. I can uh do you all want to find out more about the zoning the or the board of zoning appeals? Yeah. That process too before you So you've got the BCA one. Do we have a plan commission application, a zoning application? Okay. I'll get with our attorneys and try to nail down that process and what that application is this week and we'll get it over to you. I'd like to see Do you guys have any questions for us?

Obscure review, but something we actually know what they're they're wanting to do. So, some kind of a uh that's probably a good idea. Neil schematic. She was saying maybe some kind of a rough drawing. Oh, sure. Could be help. I did talk to Kevin a while back a couple months ago or three months and he was that this had nothing to do with him and that it would all be through the planning commission. He probably didn't us. Okay. The special exception any kind of a variance is that and none of the council can have anything to do with a variance under any circumstances. None of us can be on the BCA

and we haven't had a BCA meeting since that either. Okay. Okay. You guys have any questions of us? Well, I think we're just wanting to be very careful to do this our book just so that we don't set a precedence. Absolutely. And you know, it would be easy. I mean, I understand completely what you're trying to do and not necessarily opposed to it. I think, you know, it's a need and but, you know, with our with our rules, our ordinance and such, you know, we just want to make sure that

I know we've we've dragged folks out for a couple of months. Well, wheel progress turns. I do think we need some kind of drawing though. It doesn't have to be not people say one thing and do another and then we don't have any recourse to say that's not what we thought. And it would be helpful if you did move forward at you know if there was a public hearing so people could kind of visualize just kind of what you're talking about. Do you all have anything specific that we can try to do for you other than that?

No just So, first I need to do the application. Yes. Which Right. I can't give it to you today, but I'll make sure you have it by the end of the year. And Jennifer will ask so that he can't do anything anything until the property we're resent. Okay. So, I don't need to worry about that. We we could get it on his radar that you're moving in that direction, but yeah, obviously we'd have to go through the rescess before we get there. Okay. So, so would we do the reszone then before we do the variance? Yes. Okay. So, then

he doesn't have anything to do a var he doesn't have the ability to grant a variance for something that hasn't even been resil. Okay. So then at our next meeting, could we do the uh res? Um we'd have to get it publicized

publicized and the notification to the neighbors and the public hearing set. Um, so I'm not precisely sure of the timeline on that, but like we'll try to get get the ball rolling because I know you all have already been kind of working this way for a while and like Fred said, we've delayed you long enough. So I apologize for that, but u it's not something that we can make happen like at the next meeting or something. Sure. We'll try to make it where whatever the required time is doesn't get keep getting bumps. I think the county might require like when you do reser county I think the public notice has to be at least 15 days before I'm not I'm not sure about that.

Yeah, we'll I'll have the uh our attorney nail down the very next meeting if we jump on it. It would be it would be nice to move as quickly as we can. Okay. So yeah, if you could find that out, how long the notice has to be published and then we to give us time to get on the docket and all that good stuff. Absolutely. All right. Thank you so much. Yeah, we'll get working on it. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Is there any other bank initi? I make a motion we second. All in favor say. What page is it?