Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

the traffic mitigation fee. So that's been between our council and Augustus council. Got you. So it's going to happen or Okay. Thank you. Additional questions, commissioner. All right. Chair will entertain a motion. Motion to approve. It's been moved and seconded to approve um final plat the Highland Springs final plat. All in favor? I. Any oppose? All right, that motion passes. Uh, thank you, sir. Let's move to item number three.

For the next item, item number three, it doesn't appear that the applicant is present. Um, so do you would you guys want to move this item to the end to allow for them to arrive? Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, we'll u move item number three to the end to give the petitioner opportunity to um to get here. So, we'll we'll go with item number four now, the special exception.

Okay. Item number four is SE 2604. This is a petition by Tom Lewis on behalf of Georgia Waste Systems in INC uh requesting a special exception per section 24-2A of the comprehensive zoning ordinance to develop an indoor waste sorting and transfer station affecting properties containing approximately 10.33 acres located at 3946 and 39 46A GIA Industrial Industrial Boulevard. This property is zoned uh heavy industrial and staff will present.

Rachel Martin, planner with planning and development. This special exception applies to two parcels totaling roughly 10.33 acres situated in the hi heavy industrial district. The properties front go industrial boulevard. The parcels include additional parking areas, vacant land, a warehouse, and a detention pond. According to the Augusta Richmond County Tax Office, the main building was constructed in 1995. The request seeks approval to return to the existing municipal solid waste transfer station located at 3946 Gan Industrial Boulevard to active operations as permitted under the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's permit by rule PBR-121-16TS. The findings for the case are as follows. Indoor waste sorting and transfer stations are not permitted by right in the HI zone but may be granted with the approval of a special exception. In 1995, the Augusta Commission granted a special exception to allow the operation of an MSW transfer station on the property located at 3946 Gan Industrial Boulevard. A development of regional impact review was submitted to the CSR regional commission. It was determined that because this site was operated as a transfer station previously, the DRRI review would not be needed. Section 24-2A of the comprehensive zoning ordinance allows garbage, OLAL, and dead animal reduction or dumping in the HI zone by special exception subject to general compliance with the following criteria. The site must be um at 300 feet or more away from a residential zone. This site

is over 800 feet from the nearest residential zone. The maximum height of a building or structure in a hi zone shall be 300 ft and meet the minimum setback requirements of 40 ft in the front, 10 ft on each side, and 25 ft in the rear. The main structure that was built in 1995 stands less than 50 foot in height and the setbacks are as follows. The front is about 612 ft. The rear is about 530 ft and the sides are two about 200 feet and 40 ft respectively. The building complies with the required height and setback requirements. All street parking um shall conform to section 4 of the ordinance according to the zoning ordinance. Parking for industrial establishment is calculated at one space per each 40,000 square ft of floor area as the floor area is 87,120. This site will require about two parking spaces and meets that requirement as the existing site has multiple garages. A plan illustrating compliance with the above requirements shall be committed, I'm sorry, shall be submitted to the planning commission before the proposal is placed on the agenda. The proposed site plan meets all requirements for industrial establishments as established and outlined in the zoning ordinance. The properties have nearby access to public portable water and sanitary sewer systems. The Georgia Department of Transportation function classification map of 2017 classifies Gan Industrial Boulevard as a local road. The proposed development must satisfy the minimum off- streetet parking requirement, which it does. Transit is not currently available near the subject property and according to the FEMA flood insurance

rate maps, the property is not located within a special flood hazard zone. Also, according to the Augusta Richmond County GIS layer, there are no wetlands located on the property. The surrounding zone zoning districts are hi on all sides of the subject property. The property is situated in the South Augusta character area, which states any new construction or exterior improvements are subject to planning and development review and site plan approval. The proposed special exception would be consistent with the 2023 cons comprehensive plan and at the time of completion of this report staff have not received any inquiries regarding this petition as advertised. We did not receive any traffic engineering comments regarding this petition or utilities comments. We did receive engineering comments regarding um a need for a letter of consistency and a copy of the renewed industrial permit shall be provided to the engineering department. And that completes my presentation. Thank you.

Thank you. Is the petitioner present? All right, sir. If you can come forward, give us your name, address, and any um additional details on your petition. Hi, thank you all very much. My name is Michael Stowe. Uh I am the South Atlantic area uh environmental compliance manager for WM. Uh work alongside Mr. Tom Lewis. He apologizes he can't be here today on behalf. Uh my address is 300 uh Colonial Center Parkway, Sweet 230 Roswell, Georgia 300076. Um so as um Miss Rachel presented on that end of it, Waste Management operated this uh transfer station back in the mid 90s to probably around 20067 time frame at that point. Uh it was a MSW transfer station designed built in accordance with all of the Georgia EPD state regulations uh design criteria and things of that nature. Um, in 2007, uh, Waste Management decided to not operate that, uh, transfer station on that end of it and then actually leased it to the city of Augusta as that was part of their recycling and, uh, transload system for their recycling program there. Uh, it's my understanding that the city of Augusta operated it as this same function probably until about 2020 or 2021 on that side. Uh since that point in time, the building has been vacant on that end of it. Uh at this point in time, Waste Management would like to explore the options of reopening the existing building. Uh we're not doing any changes to the exterior. We're not expanding anything on that end of it. Um given the fact that it's sat idle and hasn't been used, we may do some maintenance and repairs, re, you know, regraveling the roads on that end of it. Um maybe doing some work on the interior to make sure our drains are clean and functioning on that side. Um, we might replace the scale building that's there and the scales there. Uh, there was some

damage from the hurricane to the front gate. We might do a a replacement and repair of a gate so we can have access and security to the property on that side. Um, we're looking to be a partner with the city to allow another area for solid waste disposal on that end. Um, you know, that will help minimize traffic across town and do everything like that. It gives another disposal location. Uh we feel like we're a similar business in the area, similar type of industrial activity. We're in a good spot. Uh it's an industrial um heavy industrial area. There's similar like businesses around it. Um as you heard Miss Rachel say about the setbacks. It's got pretty good setbacks and tucked away in a good area. Um it will be a benefit to the community. It'll decrease turn times uh and and be more efficient in collection and disposal options for all of your citizens on that end of it. Um obviously in the trash business, the more efficient you can be with your turning of the trash and keeping trucks off the road, criss-crossing town and everything else, there's less accidents, there's all kinds of there's safety reasons, so it's a benefit. So I will pause there and if y'all have any questions.

Thank you, sir. Um commissioners, do you have any questions of the petitioning? Hi, Commissioner Mills. Hey there. Um, I was just curious. So, there's not going to be any overnight storage or trash or any anything on that site? No, ma'am. So, what we typically do, we're anticipating this site to run anywhere around 200 to 250 tons a day. Um, per the Georgia EPD permit by rule, we have to move that trash every 24 hours on that side. Um the goal and the optimal side is that we will have trailers load. We will have live load trailers. They will dump on the floor and we will load it on that end of it. Um but the trash will turn within 24 hours.

Okay. Thank you. Additional comments or questions from commissioners? All right. Seeing none. Oh, okay. Commission Knight. It's it's solid waste. So, we're not talking about anything that could contaminate the the water system around there.

No, sir. Uh it's going to be basically just regular um municipal solid waste, which would be really residential waste, household garbage on that end of it. Uh and commercial garbage. Um while the state of Georgia does permit doesn't necessarily exclude special waste, waste management does not run special waste or any kind of manifested non-hazardous waste through our transfer stations. it makes our paperwork muddy and it's difficult to do on that end of it. So, it will be garbage and whether it be commercial or um residential. Can Can I'm sorry. Can you clarify the 24-hour turn? So, so trash could be there for 24 hours before it's moved or you're just moving cyclical.

So, in the it's it's really a cyclical cycle. If it was dumped at two o'clock in the afternoon, it had to have been gone by two o'clock the next. Nine times out of 10, we're really running early in the morning. So, we're running, you know, really 12 hour shifts on that side. So, if the trucks come in at 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning, they'll be it'll be gone by 5:00 that that same day on that side of it. Okay. If we have a truck that dumps at, you know, 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening, it may be 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning before we get it out. So really, it's a 12-h hour cycle, but it it's it kind of depends on when it hits the floor. Okay. We have logistical timelines when we can go to the landfill, how far, you know, things like that,

right? Okay. So, with that explanation, it's possible that there could be trucks there overnight with um solid waste in them. Uh we'll have to talk with the operations on that side. It is there is an opportunity that we do what they call preloads where they will put them inside the trucks inside the containers tarp them and then they'll they'll haul them in the morning. Okay. But they will it won't be on the floor. It will be contained inside a truck and at that point it's almost like in transit. Okay. All right. Commissioner O'Neal.

Yeah. I'm trying to make sure I can word this correctly. So what you had said earlier that this being a benefit to the community by having this transfer station there allows your trucks to collect the trash and get it to this location versus hauling it to another location. So you have more places your trucks can pick up trash from the community, put it into this center and then you all process it to go to somewhere else, a landfill or wherever that is, right?

Yes, sir. So to that point where we have refu from the public so it can be odorous, it can have what are we doing as far as the materials that's dumped on your floor there cuz this was a recycling area. This wasn't for organic material, right?

Uh originally it was for MSW organics back in the 1990s to 2000s. Okay. Correct. Yes. So when you go in there and you're going to have um the the public's trash, the municipality's trash put onto that floor to convey it to wherever else it goes. In this 24-hour period, what happens with the smell that comes out of there? Is this is going I mean, I know you have a buffering around it. We're counting on that to not be um um making the neighbors noses go up. What What are we doing as far as the odor?

So it is contained inside a building. Obviously, we try to move it uh as rapidly as possible and put it in the trucks as rapidly as possible on that side. Uh if there is a particular waist stream that is more odiferous, you find your farmers markets that have these places that sit out in in your grocery stores that have their bad produce on that side. Their compactors sit outside and become odiferous on that end of it. Uh we can load that trash a little bit. You know, our operators are trained to know what it is. They can load that first and get that truck gone and out of there so you don't have that persistent odor on that.

Gotcha. because I'm starting to see more chatter in the social media with the citizens speaking about the odors that they're detecting around the area and I'm wondering are we about to create another hot spot for that but it sounds like you already aware of those issues and have a plan for it

and the being inside the building this building is actually a better designed building than most a lot of our transfer stations or transfer stations in general they they're only three-sided so the front door is open so you get a lot of wind on that side this transfer station's a little different they actually have bade doors so you don't get that cross wind so you don't get a lot of that air movement on there. Um uh you know garbage does generate odor. It's why we all get told to take out the trash from time to time on that side. Uh but uh you know we do things to mitigate that and minimize that as much as possible. And because you're in and out of the 24 hours we're not having to worry about methane. Correct. That is correct. Okay. That is correct. All right. Thank you.

I got one more. So is all all these trucks are going to be contained inside the structure at night or so the way the structure are you or are you saying that it's always going to be inside the structure and not not stored outside the structure the waste

ideally we have all the trucks that leave and go to the landfill on that side. If you notice on the back side of the building on the drawing where it kind of the road narrows and goes in that's actually a picture of two truck bays. So we can load two tractor trailers in there backed in. Uh and then we would load out the front on that end of it. So um we don't anticipate having a whole lot of storage on site on that side of it. There may happen from time to time if logistics and things like that, but uh that's not our intent.

I was thinking about saying, okay, it's great if as long as y'all keep it inside the the transfer structure, but but it sounds like you're intending on possibly being outside the structure at times, too. So once the trailer gets loaded inside there, it'll be tarped inside there and then it may be pulled out to load another trailer. Um depending on how the haulers do and haulers set up on that side, whether it goes straight to the landfill or whether it gets pulled to the side for another tractor to get to get it. We do that. We do both operations. So Okay, I understand. Commissioners, additional questions. All right, seeing none, staff recommendations.

All right. Planning and development staff recommends approval of the special exception to establish an indoor waste sorting and transfer station with the following conditions. There are five and still trying to figure out how to word the fifth one. So, we'll have to kind of bear on this one. The first one is waste management must submit a letter of consistency to the Augusta engineering department for review. The letter must be approved by the Augusta Commission before any permits or license can be applied for. Um this uh special exception would not be would not be valid until the Augusta Commission approves the letter of consistency. Number two, the development must comply with all aspects of the Augusta tree ordinance. Number three, approval of this special exception request does not constitute approval of the concessional site plan submitted with the special exception application. Uh the proposed development shall contain uh obtain a site plan approval and compliance with the site plan regulations of Augusta, Georgia prior to construction commencing on the property. Number four, the development of the property shall comply with all development standards and regulations set forth by the city of Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia as amended at the time of development. Number five, still trying to work iron this one out, but there should be no trash and or storage kept outside of the building. But you mentioned something about uh temporary trucks being parked out and and staged um for pickups and and so I'm trying to find a way to word that aspect. So

just like just like it is outdoor storage. Okay. No trash. Okay. And so we're just going to reiterate that there should be no outdoor trash or storage kept outside of the building and that would be our final condition at it based on the conversations from our premeating. Was that supposed to be for overnight or at all? Period. Okay. Yes. That concludes staff's uh recommendation to the petition. Do you accept those recommendations from staff? Uh I will. Yes. Yes. Okay. Um, chair will entertain a motion. Motion to approve with conditions. Second.

Second. It's been moved and seconded. Yeah. O'Neal and Commissioner Malice. Well, I second it, too, but yeah, kind of. All right. Um, all in favor? I. Any oppose? Okay, you got that one, Amber. Okay. All right. Thank you, sir. I believe that um item has been approved. Thank you. Thank you.

All right, commissioners. We're going to go back to what was originally item number three. We have Commissioner Cooks on the line, but we also have the petitioner on the line as well. So, we're going to conference them in which is allowable and um we'll hear this item.

You want me to go ahead and Yeah, sure. All right. Last uh item here for uh consideration is Z-2604. This is a petition by Keon Williams on behalf of Jack Stewart requesting a resoning from zone LI light industrial to R um 3B multiple family residential to develop five attached dwelling units. This is affecting properties containing approximately 0.34 uh acres and located at 8277 street. Um staff will present

Amanda Cruz, planner one. Uh the applicant is requesting to reszone a 0.34 acre parcel from light industrial to multiple family residential to develop a five or to develop five town home units. The site is currently partially vacant with only a small commercial building which was once used for a family business which is no longer operating. The site has frontage along 7th and Taylor Streets. The concept plan submitted with the resoning application includes the following elements. Five town units, which comprises of one duplex building with two one-bedroom units and one triplex building with three two-bedroom units. 10 off- streetet parking spaces, eight of which are garage spaces and then two additional parking spaces and an overall density of approximately 17.3 acres per or units per acre. According to the 2023 comprehensive plan, the property is within the old Augusta character area. The vision for this character area uh reflects to maintain and enhance its historic character and unique mix of land uses while maintaining stability in established neighborhoods. Redevelopment should include the removal of deteriorated and dilapidated structures. construct um or rehabilitation of single family housing, new medium and highdensity housing, additional commercial and office development, new civic and institutional facilities. Um therefore, this is consistent with the recommendations of the 2023 comprehensive plan update. There has been no recent zoning history for this property. The applicant applied to the development review committee and comments from the applicable reviewers are listed um at the bottom of this report. The property has nearby access to both water and sanitary sewer systems. The Georgia Department of

Transportation functional classification map of 2017 classifies 7th and Taylor Streets both as local streets. Based on the preliminary traffic impact worksheet, traffic engineering has conducted or concluded that the um traffic study and analysis will not be required for this proposed development. The proposed development meets the minimum off- streetet parking requirement of two spaces per dwelling unit. The nearest bus stop is approximately 800 ft from the subject property. According to FEMA flood insurance rate maps firm, the property is located within a moderate to lowrisk special flood hazard area. According to the Richmond County GIS map layer, there are no wetlands located on the properties. Um, adjacent zoning districts include general business to the north, one family residential and general business to the east, one family residential and general business to the west, and one family residential in the south. Um, as stated, the change in zoning to R3B would be consistent with the 2023 comp plan. At the time of completion of this report, staff have not received any inquiries regarding the petition as advertised. And the comments that we had received from engineering and utilities departments did come from that development review committee uh review. Traffic engineering stated that they are to provide an ADA ramp at the corner of 7th and Taylor. engineering commented that any work within the public road shall be per ADA and G dot specifications. Um they need to adjust the driveways at the triplex uh to Taylor Street frontage which they did do um on the most recent update to their uh plan which we can see in the images. The Beans Lane alleyway must be evaluated for use by the duplex residents. No detention shall be required. Existing curb cuts not being used must be replaced with curb and gutter. Any road repair due to utility

installation must meet county standards. Driveways are to be extended out to the street. Um and utilities stated that there's a 2-in water line on Beans Lane. There's no sewer on Beans Lane. However, there is um a 10in and a 12-in sewer line on Taylor Street as well as a 6-in water line on Taylor Street that's available for their use. Uh, AUD would suggest that one water tap and one sewer tap be used for this location to feed all of the houses. And this concludes staff presentation.

Thank you. I know the petitioner is joining us by phone. Um, does the petitioner have anything additional to add to the um presentation? Mr. Williams, you can speak. Good afternoon everybody. Uh, my name is Keon Williams. I'm here with my wife, Ashley. And do your address? My address is 4795 Silver Lake Drive, Evans, Georgia 30809. And you can speak on your petition.

Uh, thank you for hearing me everybody. Hope everybody's doing well. Uh, just a little background about myself and and and the reason why, you know, the wife and I, we want to move forward with this. Um, we we are both disabled veterans. We always wanted to, you know, live in a downtown environment. We we we figured, you know, we want to downsize from our current residents. It's it's it's close to, you know, all the VA hospital facilities. We we always wanted to, like I said, live downtown and basically just enjoy the the downtown experience and environment. uh we we realized there's really no housing in that area that will you know accommodate uh small smaller families. Uh we looked around the area that there's there's really nothing around and and and no one's really investing in in building up in the area. So we wanted to take the opportunity especially with all the the the available options we had for you know VI VA financing to build you know small uh communities you know for the infill. It's just something we always wanted to do and strongly look forward to doing it. We found a perfect area that it's looks pretty dilapitated and namble. You know we want to beautify it up and move in and just call it call downtown our home. We've been in Georgia for about seven years now, uh, living in this area, but you know, we want to make downtown our home and thank you for hearing us and we look forward to any questions, comments, or concerns.

All right. Thank you, sir. Um, commissioners, are there any questions or comments you want to relate to the petitioner? I seeing none, staff recommendations. All right. Planning and development staff recommends approval of the reszoning uh to R3B multiple family residential with the following conditions and there are five. Um the very first one is uh sidewalks are required on 7th and Taylor Streets. Number two, development must comply with all aspects of the Augusta tree ordinance. Number three, a 10- foot undisturbed tree buffer shall encompass the overall site along the side and the rear boundaries. Number four, approval of the resulting request does not constitute approval of conceptual site plan submitted with the uh resing application. The proposed development shall obtain site plan approval in compliance with the site plan regulations of Augusta, Georgia prior to construction commencing on the property. And finally, the number five, the development of the property shall comply with all development standards and regulations set forth by the city of Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia as amended at the time of uh development. And that concludes staff's recommendation. All right, Mr. Williams, do you All right. The petitioner has accepted the recommendations from staff. Um chair will entertain a motion.

Move to approve. Second. Second. All right. It's been u moved and seconded to approve um this agenda item. All in favor? I. All right. Any oppose? All righty. Thank you.

Anything from the legal session? There's nothing from legal. All right. Can I get a motion to approve the March minutes? Motion to approve. Chairman. All right. It's been moved and seconded um to approve the March minutes. All in favor? Opposed. All right. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? All right. Everybody stay safe during Mast's week. If anybody got a couple of tickets, you know, um I'm a good I'm a good date. I'm a good date.