Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

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e e on to um the preliminary site plan sorry oh I'm sorry do you need a roll call vote okay uh roll call yes Mr Briggs yes Mr wise yes sorry lat and I'm a yes all right thank you all right now moving forward to the preliminary site plan um case number 202 24-16 this is the application by sus County Habitat fre manity for the preliminary review and approval for the construction of a 3200 foot on story office warehouse facility the property is located at 404 Kimmy Street identified as Sussex County tax parcel number 135-146 that- 58.00 zone ub1 urban business district sir I'm going to have recuse myself the company I work for has done business with

habitat you want to help me good evening uh for the record my name is Mark Davidson I'm a principal land planner with penon Associates located just outside of Georgetown um I'm here tonight representing the applicate uh suss County Habitat for Humanity and with me tonight is Mr Kelvin Gilmore and Mr Allen star of the habitat so um as introduced uh we are here tonight present the category 1 preliminary site plan to the town as required in chapter 230 209b for the purpose to provide the Planning Commission with the information necessary for it to take action to approve the site plan for the construction of a 3200 foot one-story building for the permitted uses of office and Warehouse under sections 23076 a um as introduced again the property is identified as tax M 135 5416 parcel 58 and is approximately 2.03 Acres more or less the property is located on the east side of kimy street approximately 100 feet north of Tracy street it's in the vicinity in the vicinity of this property is the First Street Community Action property and with their permitted uses uh the Joshua pepper Memorial Cemetery the Kimmy Street Park and Townsen inks they're on the North side of this property the which is AB buts this property AB buts their uh what I believe is their old wastewater treatment facility the property is currently vacant as shown on the aerial on the screens here am I pushing the right

button I might need your help yeah just next slide so as as you can see on the um zoning map here the property is zoned ub1 Urban business residential and just a just a quick trip down the uh Memory Lane here on this property back in 2022 we presented this application to be re with a Zing Amendment uh to be rezoned to the um Urban business residential at that time we presented um this specific permitted use that we're presenting tonight um as a concept so from the time we asked for that zoning Amendment back in 2022 to today we've been working towards what we're presenting to you this evening for the uh for the site plan approval so kimy Street itself is a town owned and maintained Street and is part of a roadway Improvement project being completed by the town of Georgetown for both road construction and water utility extensions uh this project here will access off of kimy Street can we switch theor there we go this is part of the site plan here I'm going to kind of run through the site plan as it's been prepared and submitted today so as I stated the pro project is going to access off of off of Kimmy Street here um there are no Wetlands on the property the property is outside any well head and groundwater protection

areas um the property is located in a flood zone X um the building is set back from the RightWay of Kimmy Street approximately 44 ft the required front yard setb for this for ub1 is zero feet so we are 44 ft back um it is 21 ft from the closest sidey yard setback and that would be the closest sidey yard to uh the Townsen property to the north of us on that side and that required setback is 20 ft we are set back 21 on that side so the building design for this site here is about 144 square ft of this building is going to be dedicated office and the rest is going to be dedicated to uh storage and Warehouse the parking lot that we're proposing with this application the required parking spaces is for six parking is for six spaces and what we're proposing are 17 spaces and with five trailer spaces and as you can see we have we have four spaces in front of the front door over here and then there's parking spaces for uh habitat employees volunteers and then there's plenty of spes for them be able to park some of their trailers and their trucks um on this site storm water management as you can see in the back here the pond is fairly large um is an infiltration pond so the groundwater was shallow so to work within the soils that we had within the within the site we had to make the uh the pond a little bit bigger this Pond as an infiltration will also handle offsite drainage so some of the dra coming off of the new the newly uh designed Kimmy Street and that was designed by the town's Engineers verantis um some of we'll handle some of that drainage coming in under our site possibly half of that road there we have

a Swale running down the south side of our parking lot and then comes into this Pond here this Pond is also sized to handle half of the backyards of all these properties around the site here so all their backyard dra AG anything that we do in the site we're not going to affect their their private property so we actually are taking their drainage we've calculated that in to our facility and will be handled within the Basin on site so water connection again water's being there is a water line currently going down kimy street but as part of that Rehabilitation project that the town is doing there's a new water line and we will be connecting to that water line right out here um as it as it moves down timy street here sanitary sewer will be in the form of there's a force M on the opposite side of chemistry and we will be putting in a small grinder lift station out front and we will tie into that Force man with that for with that pump station Force man and toh be able to handle the waste water from the one from the bathroom that will be inside this facility the buffer type for this uh the buffer type is buffer type 3 which requires us to you uh place a 6 foot fence with Landscaping so a very aggressive Landscaping plan has been provided that meets the town's minimum requirements that's in the site plan package that has been submitted to the town uh for review and approval that uh that Landscaping will buffer goes all the way around the entire perimeter of this entire site which will buffer all the adjacent neighbors to this uh facility so with that we've received a couple of final comments from the town engineer to address up and we can have those answered uh and be ready for final

site plan approval if you should choose to approve us as a preliminary approval we have received Fire Marshall approval and we've also received approval from the Sussex Conservation District uh for our site plan with our application submission we've we've submitted three waivers and at this time if you could po thank you so we've we've submitted three R waiver requests for this particular site plan so I'm going to I'm going to go through all three waivers at this time um waiver number one is uh a waiver request for the requirement for the parking lot material um under code section 230 151a um in which states that an all weathered surface area will be a minimum of two courses of by two minutes service treatment however we did receive a note from the town engineer the town engineer State stated that in small parking areas as determined by the Planning Commission properly maintained weather resistant Stone of sufficient quantities may be used in place of bituminous surface treatment could we back up back to that site plan so what we're proposing to do is we're proposing to Asphalt pave the entrance coming in the turning movements will be coming into this site so that will be paved the handicaps the handicap uh spot and um the landing area for the handicap place will be concrete so we will do that concrete everything else we would like to we're asking for U except for the dumpster pad and the area in the back there will also be a concrete pad but everything else we're asking to be able to keep that as a stone parking lot um as for the purpose of our ation and for the purpose of this project so the site is not open to the public so this is just so with and I'll go over the

fenced in area here in a minute because that's one of our waivers but um it it'll be fenced in so there'll be no access to the public this is mainly for Habitat for Humanity uh their volunteers their employees to be able to have access so it's not we didn't think that it was necessary uh for the entire parking lot at this time to be paved so that's why we're asking for the stone requirement um it also helps provide for a more impervious surface um having loose stone and you know having that gravel there it'll help with rechar groundwater recharge it'll also help as you can tell with the the size of the pond that we've had to produce here or be able to design here and build here this will also help cut down on runoff and slow down the uh runoff before it does reach the um storm Water Management Facility so that's that's um that's waivering number one so waiver number two is a request for the requirement for the fence height in the front yard and the use of um barb wire under code section 2316 which states um that ornamental fences or walls May project into enclosed other required yards provided that such fences or in walls do not exceed a height of 6 fet provided however that no such ornamental fence or wall may be erected which shall obstruct the view of any motorist and it does state that fences and walls can be constructed at the proper line but it also states that the use of Razor Ribbon or barb wire shall be prohibited so what we're asking for if we can go back again I'm sorry back so the fence that we're asking for so part of the part of the buffer requirement requires us to provide a privacy fence along with Landscaping so we figured that since we wanted to enclos this yard for security reasons and safety reasons um we we went with

the fence option and so what we would like to do is bring that fence in the front yard is considered anything in front of the building to the RightWay line that's how the code reads but if you remember the required setback is zero we just we've elected to push this building back to 44 ft so the front yard but that's not the Technic the actual definition of the front yard states that the front yard is from the RightWay the front of the building so we want to be able to put a 6ot fence and we've angled it here and we brought it back and there's going to be an electronic gate so that the gate will open up automatically so somebody doesn't have to park there and then get out and open up the gate to be able to get in um as you can see we we show the Stop Bar here so one of the one of the requirements in the code it talks about being able to um to not block the safety of vehicles being able to see being able to see that's the reason for the 4T height rather than the 6t height so we're asking for a a 2ft waiver from 4T to 6 ft so that we can provide for that uh consistency of our fence and in the stop bars here we've angled it so that there's no there's no and then it comes back to here so this will all be open here so there will be no problem for um sight for Sight Trang or for Sight views of any traffic coming up and down kimy street uh a six foot fence w that sight triangle if you could I think it hit the ne next two the next one there so this is the fence detail that we have on the plan and part of the fence we would like to try to do is we'd like to do this bar wire that's up here it sounds like B wire but it's it's not it's not the Constantine wire you can see it's the three lines of wires going up across and that that'll stick above um that'll stick above that six foot fence area but that also adds for a a level of protection in the waiver letter that we submitted we submitted two examples

across the street um that's where the um pallet facility is you can see in the letter that we submitted um I didn't prepare a slide with that but in that letter they have a 6 foot fence they're right on top of the property line they're right on Kimmy street so they run down the property line and then the Townsen property adjacent to us their fence going around their entire Wastewater facility is a 6 tall chain fence and they have the angled wire on the top of their so it's not we're not inconsistent to what's already in the neighborhood that's waiver number two and the last waiver if we could bump let's see two more the other way yes the other way I'm sorry right there so we'd like we're requesting a waiver for the requirement of the exterior materials that shall consist of brick stone stco fiber cement composite wood clapboard and Shake type or vinyl so this isn't a code requirement but this is a requirement that's in your design standards manual so under page four your design standards manual requires that buildings have those types of materials bricks Stone stucco fiber cement this is a pole building and what we've tried to do here is we um one of the one of the comments that came out of the rezoning when we zoned this to ub1 is if we could come back and make this look like a residential building of some kind try to style it as the res as a residential building and that's what we've done here we've tried to put this together and it's going to be metal siding um different variations of colors but what we would like is for the um uh we would like the front of the building there to have this uh that the have a

stone veneer as the Wayne Co going across the front of the building that's facing Kimmy street so that that's the ask that uh that we're asking for that waiver there is to be allowed to use the metal material along with um just on along the front edge of that uh that faces Kimmy street that would face the public Street there to be that stone veneer uh going across that Wings coating there so our application tonight for your consideration encourages a positive visual experience of development of lands within the community and provides for safe access turning movements for vehicle and pedestrian traffic while Bridging the Gap between Aesthetics of the surrounding residential homes and the commercial properties and it does not otherwise impair the public health safety Comfort morals or general welfare create a nuisance diminish or impair property values within the neighborhood and with that that is uh my presentation for this evening and all three of us are here to answer any questions that you might have any questions no question what is the timeline on the kimy street Rehabilitation on that do do you guys know by chance because I thought it was one of the stipulations for the pallet shelter that that road was going to be done pretty quickly is is it no black top is going to remain it's going to remain Stone no black top it's completed it is completed now black top okay perfect I haven't been down there in a while apparently okay perfect thank you um is there anybody in the audience or online amam do you know nobody okay I I just wanted to add

a clarification for waiver request number two um it's it was our um interpretation that actually only half of it is really needed the since the required front yard is zero um the fence can be up to the the front line it the only relevant piece of that waiver request presently I believe is the is really the chain link fence aspect of it so I just wanted to clarify that for you okay well we'll move forward um let's see here uh let's go with waiver what is this uh on 3A motion can I get a motion to approve or deny the waiver of the requirement of using a by Thomas surface for the parking lot as presented motion motion by commissioner Briggs to approve correct yes to approve sorry okay I second that second by commissioner Kates roll call commissioner Briggs yes commissioner lates yes and I'm a yes so moved okay moving on um request a motion to approve or deny the waiver of the prohibition of using barbwire chain link fence as presented I make a motion we approve motion by commissioner lates second second by commissioner Briggs roll call commissioner lates yes commissioner Briggs yes and I'm a yes approv moving on motion to approve or deny the waiver of a building facade materials requirements to permit that the use of metal siding as presented uh do I have a motion or deny motion to approve motion to approve Mr second second by Miss lates roll call commissioner lates yes commissioner Briggs yes and I'm a

yes okay uh moving on motion to approve deny or table the application for preliminary site plan approval okay I want to make a motion to approve this addressing the engineers comments and obtaining agency approvals okay do have a second second that motion okay roll call yes fores yes commissioner Briggs yes and I am a yes with the stipulation put by uh commissioner Le Gates okay that's it yep thank you very much okay do you nobody in the public do I still have to read this for public comment um technically no no no okay all right since nobody's in the public here or online we will move to um Community Development departmental report all right so just a couple updates on some major um projects the um Del Marva Christian Academy had submitted their um plans for a very large addition to the property that has gone under a first level or a first round of review um so the they are um going to be needing to revise and resubmit um at least one more time um the the Georgetown Fire Company um project is also a Revis and resubmit so we probably won't see that what would that enomy it's a um it's an accessory um storage building okay and um although technically that's a category two but it needs to come for a historic review because it's in the historic um District district

yeah um so thank you to those who have um responded to the uh the doodle Poll for the joint um Town Council planning commission meeting um if you have not responded please do um I think the the date will probably be set for um Mid April I believe and uh there will also be a uh a secondary uh poll that will be sent um regarding sort of topics uh for discussion particularly about um um uh visioning for the town so so we don't have a final date yet um I believe that will be released um tomorrow I think okay um yeah so Town manager said that he would be sending out that email likely tomorrow or or Friday um but but yes we could think of topics we went discuss I mean throw them out to you or uh so so there will be a questionnaire shared um last time uh I I did see the the questioner used last time there was a series of questions regarding you know what what are some uh what do you think are some of the major issues or strengths and weaknesses of the town to sort of Spur off off some of the discussion and um okay so that will be yeah there will be opportunity to to offer thoughts in that in that vein uh before the meeting um I also wanted to share a few um the result of a of a meeting that we had with um lenar the um the developer or the Builder I guess the eventual builder for the um the Oaks at uh the Oaks at Georgetown Phase 2 which you did approve the um elevations for last meeting I'm going to pass these out yes here thank you um so if you remember the the gentleman who presented to the um board here the commission um discussed uh putting um rear decks on uh what was

what was then termed as all of the units or all all three model homes that were being presented right um at the time I transmitted our decision or the decision of the commission to the the um the applicant they said actually we we misspoke um we we we intend to provide privacy fences as a conditioned by the Planning Commission um however they they said that um even though they they spoke at the meeting suggesting that they would put decks quote unquote rear decks on all three of the units including the second or the two story units um they described that they had misspoke at that time so they offered the um the option of a revised um rear um facade right here and so right now they are proposing um rear decks or I'm sorry rear patios um which are um more fleshed out than they had been initially in the first one that you saw last meeting they're 8 by10 uh yes there would be an 8 by10 concrete patio with Landscaping as um described here and um if you look at the next page it shows that all of the deck of the three story units will be will be provided as standard as described um at the meeting oh okay and then they also provide an example of what that private defense would look like um in an existing development of theirs um so ultimately the um we at the Town had determined that for the purposes of their moving forward with their internal process the architectual elevations as per the buildings themselves were um they could move along with that approval that um though I discussed that we would consult with you Planning Commission members to um to suggest whether um they need to um come before you again for the rear um the rear treatment here to to get formal

um approval of that or if you believe that this satisfies the intent um of that condition which was placed at the um at the February meeting so what do you want us to look at first because both sides are interesting so both both sides really so it's really the front side that has the um uh the the two-story units yes that so so basically they're despite initially saying that they could put literal decks on all three units um or all three types of units um it would be impossible um according no door even to go outside well no so so so they can do it um on the on the third story on the three story unit the TW story unit um have no doorway up stairs right that's true but also specifically the first story um the elevation is too um low they would have to bury um the the um part of the deck in order to install it which would not be up to code um so a literal wooden deck um is it would not be practical um or possible and so they offered this as um as basically an opportunity to try to meet that requirement and so um which was more than they had initially um proposed as you might remember um and so so basically it's um I'm polling the board as to whether you believe they should come back for the rear for to to um get approval for the revised facade or if you believe that this meets the intent of and are we I mean we can do that without bringing them back approved well it's uh so so well yes yes so basically I'm I'm um I'm Consulting with you as to whether we should we should bring them back or not I mean I think the concrete's an improvement they would I mean I I'm okay with what I see I just from a from a town standpoint a legal standpoint Tim do I mean are we can we say okay without bringing them back yeah

I didn't I didn't have a picture right in front of me but it it seems that what they were asking for is some kind of living space off of the back instead of a deck it's going to be some kind of hardcap it be concrete Pao she said it's almost better I don't know so yeah I don't know if they even when it was approved for the deck they talked about Dimensions at all um no they did not talk about the dimensions yeah I think you certainly can approve this as non-substantial for change I have a question on the next page though okay the top picture shows all the um wood there covered and the bottom it shows all the wood exposed let's take a look at that um it looks a lot better with the wood covered instead of just the salt treated wood right there yeah but this just just an existing one that they took a picture of that's already somewhere else yeah right yes yes so the third picture be wrapped the Top's going to be WRA okay that that's my yeah yeah so so the the visuals of the deck have to match what they submitted here um it's just what they wanted to show you was the fact that they had privacy um screens and that was what they were trying to show the okay okay yeah do we Tim I mean do we have to go a motion and then a roll call or can we just as a group collectively here say okay can't H just go ahead yeah okay so I would ask for a motion from the commission to um go ahead and approve what we've been presented here tonight as far as um basically changing the twostory um units here instead of having decks just lower my chair um instead of having obviously a single story deck there off the back patio to go with a 8x10 concrete uh patio at grade as a standard do I have a motion

motion motion by commissioner wise do I have a second second second by commissioner lates roll call commissioner Briggs yes commissioner wise yes commissioner lates yes and I am a yes just it's um and this was fa minor cuz you decided it's Charing minor that's why you're letting it go but whenever you do a roll call it's a good idea to say the reasons why okay even if it's if if somebody makes a pretty elaborate or a pretty decent motion with meat on the bones you can say you know for the reason stated by the motion you know okay gotcha do you want me to redo that motion absolutely okay okay like okay you know these things it it um it's just important for the record because if you do something and it gets challenged on appeal which rarely happens for you this Commission because you're a recommending body but it's just good habit to get in on into and I guess my only other concern is just to make sure that we're clear um it was not a set agenda item tonight do we need to motion anything to have added that as an agenda item since well it was it was it was brought up in the um in the departmental report okay yeah I don't think um you basically decided that he could have approved that administratively and your your new planner is doing what I probably would do just being a little conservative about this okay that'd be fine as long as Larry doesn't get upset and kick me out next time you're doing a good job going to be competitive for this position all right well I appreciate that and that's all I have okay with that being said can I get a motion to adjourn so moved second moved in second all right thank you very much thank

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