Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

out and combine it with parcel K. But here's, you know, the planning department, we're always finding something. And part of the problem is parcel K some years ago was reszone to downtown and it's now zoned downtown mixed shoes, too. and the parcel there that's going to be cut out is zoned PD. So, they combine the two lots so that the parking will be on the lot um and be an accessory use to that lot. It needs to be the same zoning district. So, they're asking that you reszone just that portion, not the whole, let me see, just the yellow box. That's what you're asking to be reszoned there. Just that yellow box to be reszoned to downtown mixed juice. None of the other stuff would be reszoned. And once that is reszoned, then they can combine it and move forward with putting the parking in that area. Um the engineering department when we reviewed the plans for the site uh reviewed you checked the wetlands the distances from the uh ponds and that type of stuff. So it this is really kind of closing that loop on parcel K that's kind of been through the network. Any questions for me? I think that that part makes sense to me. I'm curious in that last picture it shows like half of this is in the water.

Is that and and part of it is but is that just cuz I'm curious myself and I'm sure others might have questions. Are they planning on changing the lake there? No sir. Okay. So that's going to stay the same. That's just how the parcel happens. That's correct. Okay. Any other questions? M Paradise. So the additional spots in theory be removing some trees or we're allowed to do that because when we look at the topo like the satellite one yes that where where does it go

that they're they're going to need to move some trees. Um that's more or less what it looks like but they'll that's the last one I got. But the um there will be some tree removal and some grading in there. Um but we did do the plan review when it came through with parcel K. So really the parking lot's been through the site plan review already. Um and it's going to be three or four spaces. Mr. Young is here from the developer Brooks Young. Um, I don't really remember exactly how many parking spaces, but it's like three or four. Um, it just makes up that little bit of gain that they would have made from the perpendicular um, parking along Lafayette. All right. If there no other questions for Mr. Paradise, we'll ask the applicant to come forward. Brooks Young, 2316 Betty Court, Atlanta, Georgia. Uh, and Tommy, thanks for the intro there. I mean, you really outlined it very well what we're trying to do here. Um, if you all will recall on parcel K when we came through for the reasonzoning there. This was actually shown as part of that plan. This parcel was a separate land seller. So, it did not we did not close on it at the same time as partial K. That's why it's kind of lagged behind and why we're in front of you now. But Tommy, he laid it out really well there. The the intent and the reason we are doing this is to maintain design intent within the village whereby it's just parallel spaces, no head-end parking. So, in order to maintain that, we made a deal with Hammonds Ferry to purchase a little lot there you see behind Kay and build the six parking spaces that we would

have lost going from headend to parallel spaces along Lafayette. And to the tree question, we you there will be some trees impacted, but it's mostly brushy kind of scrubby stuff in the part we are talking about. We are maintaining all buffers to the pond. So the the big pretty oak trees that are in the buffer on the pond, we won't be touching any of that. Any questions? Will those six spots be reserved for the residents of Hammonds Fairy or of the Parcel K unit? They will be for partial care for the residents of partial care.

Any other questions for the applicant at this time?

Okay. Um we're going to have a public hearing. So if you could uh have a seat and then we'll ask the public to come forward. Okay. All right. So again, we're opening this up now for a public hearing. If there's anyone from the public who has any questions or comments, uh, please come forward to the microphone, give your name and address, and again, we ask that you keep your comments to about two minutes. All right, there being no responses, we are closing the public hearing portion. All right. Uh, commissioners, um, thoughts, motion, and it's for recommendation to city council.

Yeah, I make a motion to recommend council. I don't I don't see a big problem with it. Second. Thank you. It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? Okay, there being none, all those in favor, please say I.

I opposed. All right. Thank you. All right. Next on the agenda, we have a text amendment, which is a request to amend uh the allowed signage to remove the use of neon tubing from downtown MCU one and two. And this is um while I signed the application, I signed it on behalf of planning commission. This is a request from the June meeting um that the planning commission had is to bring a text amendment back for regarding the u deletion of allowing or allowing neon tubing in the downtown mix use and mix two. Um, this is just proposed wording. The planning commission if y'all want. You can approve it. You can disapprove it. You can change it. This was just u whenever I looked at the code, I thought it would work and get what I thought y'all's intention was. But this is I do uh remind y'all that this is a planning commission action request, not staffs.

Are there any questions for Mr. Paradise or concerns or changes to the requested text amendment or further discussion? Okay, there being none, um, is there a motion for the proposed text amendment to be read? Go ahead. Do you want to ask the public to say anything? Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry. I skipped that part.

I'm thinking that was just us. Are there any questions for the public or comments? Okay. All right. There being none, we'll end the public hearing portion. All right. Commissioners, now is there any questions or um further discussion for the consideration of the text amendment? So, a motion. Yeah. I'll make a motion for uh to recommend recommend Council to change that text to read. If you don't mind reading

uh the text amendment um to amend section 9.6.3.2C allowed signage of North Augusta development code to remove the allowed use of signs in which the letters or graphics are constructed of neon tubing in the downtown mixuse one downtown mixuse 2 zoning districts. Do I have a second? Second. All right. It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All right. All those in favor please say I. I opposed.

Thank you. All right. Uh we are moving on to major subdivision preliminary plat uh a request by CSR development for PP24-002 Hawks Vista. All right, Mr. Paradise. This is, as you see, this is two parcels. Smaller one zoned R seven. The large one zoned R5. And it's a long, rather thin parcel. There you guys trying to get the layout for you. Um, it's 10.67 acres. It's on East Pina Vista. Um it's primarily R5 with a portion of R seven. The developer is looking at putting 69 69 excuse me 69 single family attached homes and one duplex. Um it there will be a connection to I think it's East Avenue. You see the connection there in the back. They'll be making that. That is something that staff has um pushed for. Um the applicant received a variance from the BZA in 2023. So you see where I've got my old code book here. This is in the old code. um from the minimum lot width for the R seven um residential zoning district uh to allow the proposed lots to vary in size from 20 ft to 40 ft with approximately 20 of the 69 lots being 20 ft wide. In reviewing this, they would need

several waiverss for the design they're looking for. One is from table 14-2. Maximum block length of 950 ft. And I got my streets wrong. It's Elm Street. Um, and part of that is because you have the connection with Elm, um, that reduces the block length and really, uh, provides a secondary entrance for both this development and Elm Street. If something were to happen to the entrance there, they also need a waiver from 7.2 multifamily residential design, specifically 7.2.4.2 and 7.2 regarding vehicle parking areas and 7.2.5 concerning garages. And the waiver for the parking area says that vehicle parking area should not be located in the front setback or between any structure including a building's porch or porches and an adjacent sidewalk or street. Parking may be provided in the side or rear yard. And when you look at the linear um the way the lot's laid out, it there, you know, we talked with the developer in putting a back alley in for back access the number when I say numbers, I think of money. The distances wouldn't wouldn't work. I don't believe they would work. You know, when you fit that in there and hook that out a lot size on each side, you know, 20 ft, that that would push everything in. And then

the garage purpose uh that is basically um you know the street the the percentage of the uh length of the street facing the garage less than 20% length of the building facade is that they've got the um garages facing the street. Um that is you know a large portion of the front facade of the home. In talking with the developer today he there was some discussion about what if he deleted the garages and um that may be an option. It may not be. Um but then you still have the cars that would be parking in the front. So those are the waiverss that would be needed. Um and there's several conditions there that if if you approved it and um that maximum block length by table 142, you know, you approve both of the waiverss and we recommend the conditions of the approved waivers only apply to this phase of the subdivision and will not apply to any future development on the site should this plan not be developed. If the site plan is substantially revised, the site plan and any additional waiver will require planning commission approval as determined by the planning director. In other words, it it's just for this plan. The approval in includes the certification and the use of the road name bold halt claim that is part of the approval as well name in the street and then the uh the catchall final approval of the major subdivision preliminary plat application will be granted by staff when the plans are in substantial

compliance with the requirements of North Augusta development code in any proposed conditions recommended by the planning commission in regard to the waiver request. And I will tell you that, you know, as far as meeting the regulations, that's not a problem. It's the nickel dime stuff we're down to now. It would not be before y'all. Um, do you have any questions for me? driveways in this plan don't match up with the elevations as far as the sidewalks going in. Is that this an older concept that's just have a sidewalk going up like maybe a double parking pad up front? No way to get into the garage based on that drive that's submitted. Yeah.

And know if they were planning on getting rid of those driveways or getting rid of the garages or Yes, I'd ask the developer. Okay. All right. So, if there are no other questions from Mr. Paradise at this moment, we'll have the developer come up and then we'll you have plenty of time for questions from Paradise. All right. Keith Lawrence, excuse me, 656 Bank Drive, Evans, Georgia 3089. Your question. Sorry, R was um related to the site plan not matching up there

this the site plans do it's probably just a glitch on the on the plans we our plan was and let me let me drop back on the the waiverss real quick which is unfortunately the width of this property as you as you're driving into the site is about we've got those lots about 100 foot deep and then you've got the wall and you got the buffer and so there it's There's absolutely no way to put an alley on the on the site. Uh we you know we looked at the you know could you do single family on there but again a 100 foot deep lot wouldn't work for single family either on that side. So the town homes when we came back for the reszoning in front of you for you guys that's why we proposed the the uh front entry garages and when talking with Tommy I know there was some concern. I mean, if we wanted to look at like, you know, say 20% couldn't have garages. I think that would be up to you guys. Um, but we would still have the parking pad in the front on those for sure on there. I particularly like the garage because it gives a chance whether they people park in there or not. There's that opportunity to get that car off the street. Um, which we particularly like, but I think we would be open on that side. Um, we would have loved to have done this with alleyways. I think they they look better. It's better street facade. Um but on this particular one, I don't think it was it was impossible on there. Um you know, we worked really hard to get that second connection, which was part we worked out before the um resoning, but I think it gives a good flow through there. And I think the block width um there's actually no other point for under the connection to to shorten that uh block length on this one uh on there. Um but, you know, we would have driveways, we would have sidewalks on that side that would connect to the houses. And even if we did, even if you guys decided that we you would like to see less garages, I think we there's still going to be that car parking pad in front on that side. And we just appreciate if you guys, you know, considering the waiver requests in the construction plans as well.

Is there anything else you'd like for us to know about this site? No, we've just been working hard to get it. I think it's going to be a great project for the city of North Augusta. It's all this is this is not a build for rent. This is a for sale product. I'll just say that right off the bat. Um, on that side, what price point are you all thinking about? I don't know that we'll get below 270. They'll be 270 and above if I had to guess based on construction, everything else on that and everything would be twotory. No thoughts on one story?

We would love to, but we couldn't get them with a 20 foot width. You really got to have about a 26 to do the to do the one story. And what we found is most of the one-story ones that are being built are twobedroom, you know, probably 1,200 ft² and then the price point on those is around 220 225 on there. We think that this location's, you know, I think the buyers are going to want a little bit more because I mean I think it's a great location close to everything on that side. Been working on it for a while on this project. Are there uh any other questions for Mr. Lawrence at this time? Okay. Thank you, M. We're going to open it up and then proceed.

All right. At this moment, would like to open it up for the public. Are there any questions or comments with regards to this application?

All right. There being none, are there any other questions for Mr. Paradise? or comments, discussion. Okay. Is there a motion? And please, if you're making a motion, please be mindful um to include the conditions as listed. And if there are any additional conditions, please um share those at those time at that time as part of your motion. Oh, sorry. I hit I thought I hit the button. Y'all gonna have to learn to do some of this stuff. Um, I will make a motion to recommend uh find the number here. This is going to be PP24-00002 Hawks Vista, a major subdivision plenary plat. Um, and approving the uh waiverss for the maximum block length permitted by table 14-2, I'm sorry. Uh, street design criteria for local street elements of 7.2 multif family residential design including section 7.2.4.2 vehicle parking areas and 7.2.5 garages. And the conditions would be the approved waiverss apply only to this phase of the subdivision and will not apply to any future development on the site should this plan not be developed. If the site plan is substantially revised, the site plan and any additional waiverss will require planning commission approval as determined by the planning director.

This approval uh includes certification of the use of the road named Bold Hawk Lane. Uh and then final approval of major subdivision preliminary plat application will be granted by staff when the plans are in substantial compliance with the requirements of the North Augusta Development Code and any pro uh proposed conditions recommended by the planning commission in regard to the waiver request. It's a mouthful. It is. Is there a second? Second.

Okay. Any further discussion? Um and only one comment I should have made before which is I appreciate the connectivity. So I think in trying to figure out how to to make the best of this lot I appreciate um the connectivity so that we have a couple ways and out and understand we may have to give some things for that. All right that being said all those in favor please say I. I. All opposed.

Thank you. All right. And so we have a major subdivision preliminary plat um for PP25-00001. Mr. Paradise, anything you'd like for us to know about this application?

Uh yes, ma'am. This is Allade section 1B. It's 47.3 acres and zone plan development. Y'all are probably probably pretty familiar with the name Allate. Um it's been before you several times. The current application is for section 1B of the allade plan development for the major subdivision and the subdivision request includes 88 single family detached lots in track E of the plan development. The density will be 1.86 dwelling units per acre and and 15 dwelling units per acre is allowed. Just as background, um the applicant has previously been approved for section 1A of the Allaid plan development, which is 230 single family detached homes and 324 town homes that's located in track C and D of the planned development. um a recommendation uh the um based on the recommendation of the traffic impact analysis that Kimberly Horn did that the planning department will require a signal warn analysis once 300 lots have been platted. This development is in conjunction with section 1A phases one and two and expected to yield 271 lots. Um, any questions? Let me get this down here to where it's at.

Okay. Just because I don't remember seeing it. Are they predicted to get to the 300? I guess how many over the 300? Not with this. Okay. So, once they get to 300 lots, we won't approve anything past that until they do the signal warrants on the intersection there on Beverdale Sheerwater Road. Okay. So, I'll ask the developer, I guess, about the next Okay. About the projected and remember Yeah. Okay.

All right. All right. If uh the applicant can please come forward. Fine. Cranston Engineering, 452 Ellis Street, Augusta, Georgia. Um, this is section 1B of the Alidate development and it's relatively straightforwarding 88 lots on 47 acres and it is the first portion of the 163 acres located south of Old Slo Lake Road to be de that's proposed to be developed. Um, this is a pretty straightforward subdivision, but the overall development is a lot of moving parts. So, happy to answer any questions you all.

I guess I just had a question around the timing and I guess this is going to get to 271. Any thoughts on when you all will hit? So, I'm assuming the next phase will put you into the 300. Is that

Yes. So section 1A and section 1B will be constructed. The goal, the developer's goal is to have two contractors working on either section simultaneously on either side of the road. Um and section 1A is much larger and will take about four years to complete construction and is broken into four separate phases of construction. So once phases one and two of 1A get section 1A get constructed along with section 1B, we will be at 277 lots at which we will have to conduct a signal warn analysis um at the schools at Buchanan Parkway and Belvadier Clearwater Road where the school's entrance was constructed um to determine if a signal was needed at that time. Um, based on the assumptions made in the traffic study, we expect a signal to be required after 300 lots. Um, but assumptions made on schools uh growth and the traffic generated there as well as how many homes will be occupied at that time is not known and DOT would prefer not to have a signal in place if it's not required. So, we will run another warrant analysis at that time. Thank you. Any other questions for the applicant?

All right, Mr. F, if you can have a seat and we'll open it up to the public and then they call you back. Thank you. You're welcome.

All right. Are there any questions or comments from the public? Okay. There being none, any conversation or um consideration of a motion at this time. Please remember to turn your mic on All righty. I'll make a motion to approve um PP25.

Yes, the PP25-00001 Allid section 1B. The conditions will be this approval includes certification of use of the road names Upland Drive, Footland Hills Drive and Rim Rock Run based on the recommendation of the TIA prepared Kenny by Kimberly Horn. The planning department will require signal warrant analysis once 300 lots have been platted. This development in conjunction with section 1A phases one and two are expected to yield 271 bots and any outstanding technical comments will be addressed to the satisfaction of city staff.

Second. Any further discussion or comments? Okay. There being none, all those in favor please say I. I. All opposed. All right. Thank you. All right. So, Mr. Paradise, we are getting to the area that I was trying to jump to earlier, which was the discussion of halo lighting. So, we thank all of you all for coming who joined us um for the applications if you decide to leave. We're going to discuss halo lightings and then storage units. Okay.

Yes, ma'am. The um as y'all may remember, Board of Zoning Appeals has heard several variance requests for halo lighting um in the downtown mixeduse 2 zoning district and both of them have been approved. They requested that the planning commission take a look at halo lighting uh to determine whether y'all thought it might be appropriate in the downtown mixuse one and downtown mixuse 2 and if so to make that recommendation to city council. At the last meeting, I tried my best. Um, but lighting is a limited knowledge source of mine. So, we have um Miss Heather Dye. She's with AAA signs here tonight. And I think I'm just going to let her come up and um she can tell you about the um lighting. You have some u a packet there on the dis of information that she furnished. A lot of a couple of them you've seen before and um and just kind of go with it if that's okay with y'all.

All right. All right. Thank you, Miss Thank you for um for sharing this with us today. If you could please give your name and address. My name is Heather Dye and um I live at 10007 Emerald Place in Evans and I work for AAA Science.

Probably want to kind of explain to them what it is and

Okay, halo lighting is um you have two different types of like building signage like you see with the swank here. You have internally illuminated uh channel letters which you will see down at SRP Park over the entrance. Those are considered internally illuminated. There's a face over the front and that illuminates but the lighting inside of the letter um is what illuminates illuminates it. So um halo illumination is a soft lighting that is behind a letter. We recently just did the nor um um North Augusta public safety building and did several signs on the front of the building and those are considered channel letters with halo lighting. Um halo lighting can be controlled um all different types of colors. You can have colors, you know, red, green, blue, all the colors. Um and then even the white lighting behind the letters, there's temperatures. Um, so you may have like a a really really soft gold halo. Um, maybe a little bit brighter. I know in one of the pictures we did a Jify Lube and the Jify Lube is a little bit more brighter than versus, you know, um, the North Augusta Public Safety. There was another example in there for um, Evans Dermatology. We did that a few years ago and that's more of a soft softer lighting. So, there's all different types of temperatures that you can use and like I said, different colors that can be used. Um, we did some lighting um in a plastic surgeon's office in uh Evans and he wanted the multiple color. It's an interior sign, but he wanted multiple colors cuz he wanted it to be white at night um in normal days, but then when it's cancer awareness month, he wanted it to be

pink. And you know at Christmas he usually does like green you know and and you can just see he has all windows in front of his building similar to that. So it just shows off from the inside. But um it's a LED lighting. It's a cool lighting. Um so it's um very coste effective to illuminate signs like this. Um so those are kind of the different examples. And like I said, we did Brink. Well, we didn't do Brinkleys, but there's Brinkleys and the Swank and then this one. And there's just other locations if you have, you know, questions in the future. Um, Jiffy Lube that tends to be their, you know, all their locations have the halo lighting. It's just a it's a classier look as you can tell with Brinkley's, you know, and then down in that area. It's just a it's a nicer finish to a sign versus a sign that's, you know, kind of bright from the inside and looks a little bit more commercial where the halo lighting looks a little bit more professional, a little bit more classy um lighting. Other questions?

So, when we had our discussion, the the warmness of the light was something too because we didn't want it like super bright white. Um it it I guess that's something you know do we restrict on that and I think our other question was lumens like how bright you know can you get we don't want Vegas how bright can it get and and that's where we kind of think those were two maybe I think our vision was like if you're coming up Georgia Avenue we don't want to have like a purple one and a one and a green one or maybe even right next door you have someone who chose the stark white and then someone who chose the like the lighter softer yellow light.

So, what would you recommend to us? Like, can we regulate lumens and colors? I mean, you recommend that or can you make any recommendations to us if we wanted to stick with just a whiteish, right?

This this Brinkley's is a more of a cool light. So, it has kind of a blue hue. I know when we have Christmas trees or Christmas decorations in the yard and you go by somebody's yard and their lights are white on like a front yard ornament and that's just a cooler LED. Whereas then some you see are more yellow, you know, and it's just the temperature of the lighting. I'm not quite sure how many different styles of temperatures you have, but I think it's the range is real broad. So, you know, it's just a matter of, you know, if you just want to uh choose and pick, you know, a certain temperature. Um I do know that, um with the North Augusta Public Safety, we illuminated the letters per the um developer request. Um and when we got it up there, they were like, "Oh, no. That's not what we thought it was. We want a different color." So they actually we had to go take them all down and put different lighting in. Um so and it's a more cooler um light um that that North Augusta Public Safety has. So yeah, there's lots of different options um with the temperatures and colors and things like that.

Have you ever Oh go ahead. No, no, go ahead. Have you ever dealt with any specific codes written in ways that would limit certain things? cuz like I don't necessarily want it all to be just one color cuz as a business owner I don't I mean like Hilton Head or Myrtle Hilton Head where everything has to look exactly the same. I'm not necessarily going for that. I like to have some differentiation but we don't want like too much, right? So it's hard like how much do we regulate without So I think like last time we we like the idea of the signs just getting into the details of what do we allow what do we not because like I said I won't say it has to be this light and this bright and this color only right

um so would you have any being in that world have you ever seen or do you have any thoughts on recommendations of how we might get and again this is just for our downtown area

so we want to keep it classy is really kind of the I would just say probably a warm warmer light. Um, you know, this, like I said, this is a cooler light and it may come off as blue. Um, you may want to stay away from that. Um, I'm I'm thinking the color was it it was considered 3000 um for North Augusta Public Safety. There's just and one would be like 2,000 and that's what it's referred to as. But it also it also has a lot to do with the company. you buy the lighting from. Um, at AAA signs, we we build a premium product. So, everything we use, we use like car paint basically when we paint things so that you know it it stands up to the heat and the sun. Um, and and lighting, we use a premium um just kind of one of the top choices in uh LED lighting. It comes with a a warranty. Um, we provide a warranty because it is a good product, a labor warranty. So if there's any issues, you know, we'll provide a labor warranty for certain amount of time. So, um I think just maybe um you know, I can get some research and get, you know, a different classes of colors and temperatures for you and pass it on to Mr. Paradise. And um you know, I guess it's just a decision if you want to eliminate colored lighting and just make it a requirement white lighting and then that could be very broad. It could be more yellow. It could be more blue. Let me have a question for you on both maintenance and kind of the um construction of these signs. So, is it typical that a portion so will you will we potentially have a light where say the K and the L could go out on the Brinkleys and they're individually lit and so then it's dependent upon business owners to replace.

Yes. So they're indiv So each letter is individually lit. Well, each letter typically has a line of electricity for each letter. Okay. Um I don't know like this one here. Um each letter is screwed into the wall and the electrical goes through the brick and and then it's housed behind the wall where all the wires are collected together. Um, now in the case of the North Augusta Public Safety, they wanted a something that we call a raceway and it houses all of the electrical. So, if you look at that picture, you'll see just a very fine bar up underneath the letters

and the letters are attached to it. I you could probably see it more on the rendering that I provided.

Um, and that's called a raceway. and they didn't they didn't want that many holes in their brick. You know, let's say the court changes to another portion of the building 10 years down the road, you don't want, you know, a hundred holes in the brick, you know. So, with a raceway, um, then we only have one power, you know, one area where all the wiring comes through and gets connected to a power source behind the wall. Um, so there's, you know, different ways, but yes, there has been times when, you know, like a Jify Lube sign, maybe the eye isn't illuminating, um, after seven, eight, nine years. Then we just go out and repair the lighting behind that.

Last question. You said public safety was 3,000. I'm thinking it was 3,000. It's 3,000 what? Like kilowatts or Yes, that's it. I'm sorry. Caught me off guard Kelvin. This one, the rendering one, it says LED light upgraded to 3000. There we go. So, the 3000 was a softer, lighter color. The the original ones, I believe, might have been like 2,000 and they were brighter. Okay. If if I'm not the lighting expert, but I believe Kelvin's is the temperature rating. We talked about different. So just like lumens is brightness, Kelvin is home.

So the higher the temperature, the softer the light. Um yes, there there's just all type of ranges. And I can get, you know, send you an email tomorrow, the next day with a range of colors.

And like I said, that also depends on the quality of the light. I mean, we use Able Lighting. It's a It's the premium lighting, but we could order some from China online and you know, it doesn't come with any type of warranty and they may be out in 60 days, you know, so that you get what you pay for. So, this is less maintenance for us. And like I said, the the company that makes the lighting provides a 5-year parts warranty. So, if anything happens within five years, they replace it. And then we provide a 2-year labor warranty. So we don't charge a trip charge if we have to come out first two years.

So is there when you guys go quote you know something like this is there a recommendation on you don't want to exceed like this number of lumens because that again going back to we don't want it too bright either. Yeah, and that's something that when I provide a list for um Tommy, I can give you your lighting temperatures, like if it's softer, if it's a brighter, it's more of a blue LED versus a softer yellow, softer white. Um like you said, if they order something from China, right? Yeah. Can't guarantee that it's even going to be the same. It's hard. It's a hard thing to and I think maybe I would ask Tommy um we appreciate you doing this.

This is what we do. Um but would ask Tommy if maybe we could get the specs on the North Augusta public safety or miss staff if you could include that so that we have that as a reference point because that's not a bad that's not a bad place for us to start because it would be leading up to that and it looks very nice. Yeah, I I'm really proud of that job. It turned out super nice. Is there anything we should be asking you or not asking you?

No, I mean it's it's, you know, everything that we've just talked about is, you know, you've got your different brands, you've got your different temperatures. Um, you obviously can do different colors. You know, you can even get them where they they race, you know, kind of like a Christmas tree. You know, they can do all kinds of functions. So, that might be something you Was that on our list? That's that's my question. Well, steady light. That's good though. Well, but I mean I think that we do also need to think when we think about it, not think about it in just best case scenario, but to also realize that people based on budget are going to Yes.

Um and that um and I know sometimes with some of the less expensive ones even replacing them may or may not happen. And so folks may have to replace the entire sign. So just to be aware of those kinds of Yeah. Depending how it's built, you know, you could it could just be one letter and that's easy to fix, but um you know string of them go out then it's difficult to locate just kind of like the Christmas tree you know and you're trying to find that one bulb that we appreciate you and your time. Yeah. Anytime. Anytime. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Any other questions? All right. So Mr. Paradise. I think um Z is going to get you some additional information and then maybe start with what's done at the municipal the North Augusta building public safety building. Okay, good. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Yes, ma'am. It is.

It It does. Uh I can tell you we what we get on the plans and what we approve. And then when it comes to lumens or whatever that other word is, you know, and measuring that that that can get into some difficulty for enforcement. That's just part of the nature of the beast. Is there anything in there now about flashing lights or racing lights? Yes, ma'am. Yeah, we do. We don't allow flash. Okay.

So, that would cover even if we said halo lights are okay, would that still cover or would we need that separate word? It would. I'm sitting here thinking um from a strict interpretation, devil's advocate. Blinking lights that go off and on, off and on, off and on. And then you've got racing lights. They're never actually off. That are never off. Right. That's one. So, it might be good to have a clarification in there. We say solid.

Yeah. I'm, you know, I'm trying to think of like that happy medium of like it's I don't believe it's our job or or your job or the government's job to completely nail down what you can do with your own property, but it is our job as a planning commission to have some guidelines to keep it from being outrageous. And so trying to find that balance of not too much control, but enough to keep it where we want it. um you know, as a business owner in downtown like I've got to think of these things like how much I mean the at some point the city's just going to have to build all the businesses because you got that control anyway. Um so that's that's kind of where I'm at with you know even with the colors like I'm not really against you know how like I said I don't want all of them exactly the same white white because then it just looks like it's all the same business I like. Now, I also don't want red and green or pink and orange or, you know, whatever it might be. Although, like for for orange otter, to be honest, a business that's down there, a little orange otter sign with orange lighting that's not super bright, I don't think it would look bad. So, there's so much to think about and to to figure into. And I think some of it and I don't know how this would be in writing or on the plan, but when it does come down to like I just had to get a sign approved and they had to know the details. Would some of that be case by case in that and say we allow halo lighting and then no flashing or something?

Yeah. Well, flashing lights are not allowed. They're prohibited. Um just like internally illuminated is prohibited right now. Um you know but when we review the sign or we review anything what does the book say? And if the book says that the public can do it

then councelor said this is allowed. If they say they cannot do it then they cannot. And that's y'all's recommendation in city council's decision. Now, when you talk about signage, I always remember every time I have a conversation about signage with a group like this, what a planning commissioner uh stated many years ago uh that signage is like visual noise.

And you know, the trick is is this is not his words. This is mine now. Is the trick is is to allow that noise but don't let it get overpowering. What is that fair balance and what is the u the individual of the different businesses their rights? But when does their signage become so loud visually that it's impacting their neighbors? And that is why we have great minds like y'all and city council because that's a that's a tough one to go tough standard to develop.

So I think that if you get the information then we may need to do a separate study session and maybe invite a couple of sign providers if we have some recommendations and I don't know if there's anywhere you would like to benchmark if there's another municipality but and I I would tell you Jesse I'm the exact opposite. I think that the colors would be a nightmare because if you because then you have no control. So if somebody bought one side and then everybody wanted to make sure theirs stood out while you say orange is great now then if everybody decided well I want to be purple, I want to be green, I want to be right then you got all of that and then is that in keeping with what we've talked about with downtown being more walkable, more kind of um slowing down traffic. Is that also then what we want for that area? Right. So I think um is it consistent with the other planning decisions that have been made about and it's not in general right because if you're passionate about having an orange and purple light then that's not maybe the location for you right there other so it's um so I probably different

all right but um given that if there are any other things I think so it sounds like a maybe a more detailed work session come um with some examples and if there's another municipality. Sounds good. We'll look into it further. Okay. All right. And then we have the U mini warehouse of storage facilities memorandum that you shared.

Yes, ma'am. Y'all had asked me to look into this and and you know possible changes. One of the things I did was looked at what we have now and they're allowed in the general commercial and thoroughfare commercial by special exception and they're allowed in the um industrial by right and and looking at it you know you have a line for self storage over here and there's a line for warehousing self self storage mini warehousing here and then another use table you have warehousing for commercial warehousing and that's allowed uh by writing in the industrial and special exception in the UFAR commercial but it's not allowed in the general commercial and it is a conditional use I have there what the conditions are and since 2020 um we've had three site plans for self storage approved 24 417 storage units, excuse me, storage units, 292 under canopy spaces. These were like boats and trailers with a total of 2709 total units. And I have those listed there for you. Uh Mr. Bigger did note to me this afternoon that I had omitted one on here on East M. I believe it's East Martintown. And the reason it's not on here is because it's not located in the city.

Um that is in the county. It's a donut hole. But there is another um self storage proposed there. There's a sign out there advertising it. And I wanted to be honest with you. I was trying to figure out a way to annex them so it'd be in the city and couldn't get contiguous. Um but there in looking at this there's a strong correlation between the um smaller houses and more storage um and we're seeing a lot of that in North Augusta with town homes um in apartments and that type of thing. um 21% of renters and 25% of those that who rent single family do single have u rental units that they use. So, you know, that's kind of an idea of what some of the industry may look at be looking at and when they look at North Augusta, of course, we've got a lot of that going on. Um, some of the things that we could do or planning commission could recommend if you wanted to is uh distance from another self storage facility. uh you can increase the pvious surface required with 70% impervious surface in the general commercial thoroughare and 90% in the industrial districts is what we have now. Uh you could limit the use to the industrial district sort of thorough fair commercial in industrial district. You could limit this one was interesting is limiting the number of buildings on a single parcel to one. um that

but that that also allows for that condition space large box shell but then you don't have all the um canopy storage. Um you could put additional restrictions from wetlands and that type of thing. I don't really see that as an issue here. We've got a 50 foot and and you could um there there's currently u architectural elements that you could require um they're required in the general commercial but not the thoroughfare or industrial. Um, and of course, one of the things that you could do also is if you wanted to um change the use table and and this is just an idea is allow them only in thoroughfare, commercial and industrial and save the general commercial land for a higher use of um business activity. whether that be restaurants, retail, yeah, whatever that may be. Um, because they do eat up a lot of acreage. One question I had about the options that you were just listing there. Would those if we made changes like uh the limiting number of buildings, would that be for only for storage units or would that be for anybody in those zones?

No. Well, you could do it either way. What I'm looking at is right now it's a conditional use.

So, you would put that as a condition in conditional use. Um you could do that one is say you you um you could do that so that it applies only in a particular zoning district. So like it's a general commercial you could only have one building but you could have multiple buildings in thorough affair commercial and industrial or you could limit them to one building and all three. It's all in how you craft that. you pretty you've got a pretty wide latitude there.

I think I I what I'm just want to make sure we don't do is make some stipulations that's going to affect any business, not just the one we're looking for. Well, right now, and this y'all tell me if I'm looking at this wrong, is that I feel like the directive that I've gotten from the planning commission is looking at self storage. Yeah. So I'm staying focused on keeping whatever regulations it is limited to just that use. That's what I want to make sure that we It's not for general. Okay. We're not doing not messing with the code on industrial back to the

because if we look at the planned units in total because I know not all these are built yet, right? Um then we look at your percentages you guys have on here. 21% of renters, 25% of single family, we're we're about not quite 50, we're about 40 something% o oversaturated, I think. You know, that's just saying with what's permitted in coming. So, um I do like the better, higher use of kind of nicer real estate if we can do it somewhere else.

Yeah. No. And and I I so And I don't know how we need to um if we need to ask you to take a draft. I mean I I personally like the distance from another self storage unit so we don't have a village. Yes. Right. So I I particularly like that one. I also like the pvious surface of maybe there's some fencing and then I like um the kind of GC maybe by not allowing a GC but then um thoroughare and industrial personally keeping it to those two. Oh, along the lines of the architectural design elements, could we

we could put some code in there that says can't garage doors or doors or bays can't be seen from the main road through landscape buffers and longer entrance drives. So, I think keeping it in thoroughare commercial, I'd like to see setback and screen from the road in the thoroughare. Yeah, very much so. I mean, I personally like one and three um distance from the other and then limit it to industrial. No, no, I'm fine with just being industrial to be honest. It sounds cleaner to me. I mean, we have three huge ones. The the North Ridge Drive one is complete, right? The one Austin Greyel. Yes, ma'am.

That one's done and it looks nice. And then the one we just approved at Jefferson Davis, that site plan looked very nice. And then the other ones behind Quick Trip, if I pulled the parcel up correctly, the stream storage, the 930 Edgefield Road. Yeah, correct. Correct. So, they haven't even broken ground or anything on that. Do they have a timeline? Do you know like we haven't even done a site plan for them? I don't think we we have before my time if I believe. I I don't I don't don't remember. I don't believe that had to come to y'all. Okay. Good deal. Let me ask this. Is there anybody that's passionate about keeping them in thoroughare commercial or is everybody okay with just

Well, going back to the new one on Jefferson Davis, obviously that's a blighted property and that's TC. I mean, we didn't change that zoning when we approved it. Well, they had already gotten uh they had gotten um special special exception already from the So, if we that was it was out of our hand. And if there was a lot and they could still come for a labor can't bury a use

so I mean are you in favor of thorough and I will tell you that was what made me think about it was because so we get that that's been blighted but 10 years from now 20 years from now we want the thorough fair to be right and I track but you know that's a commercial area. So, so that that would be thoroughare versus industrial. Whereas if they go further down where the u past like the Tommy can correct me past where um turn right

cars. Yeah. Turn right and all of that's industrial, right? So, it would just be a matter of them going up and over. So I yeah that's just there's plenty of industrial in that. Um but I mean that's a personal and I also probably because of the vote the last time paid attention when driving in other parts of the state and it's a lot of self storage on highways on thorough affairs and I don't know

well it's just prime real estate. It may not be prime real estate now, but in 10 years that very well could be prime real estate um right there. So that's why I was thinking to me a storage building is an industrial vehicle. So that's I guess my thought. And then when it comes to distance, do we need to say a distance? Like we need to come up with a we we will need a distance there and how that is measured. Um, is that something that y'all want to um or do you want me to do some more research?

So, I'll say that if if we So, personally, if we were to keep it to industrial, then I think distance is less issue, right? But if it is thoroughare, then I think distance does become an issue. You don't want two blocks straight of it, right? So, I think um I think there's maybe kind of Let's do this. Let's take a stab at um given how you've heard us share what our sentiments are, what you think would be a choice maybe A and B. Is that is that does that make sense? Yeah. Well, and and what I'm hearing is um

you may want to keep them in third fair commercial or may not, but if if thorough affair commercial, you'd want to put a distance. Industrial, you wouldn't, right? And what that distance is, we don't know yet. Um, and I'm also hearing, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that y'all are leaning and doing away with them being in general commercial. Yes, definitely for that. I I would be good with industrial. Just just thinking of Yeah, I do want to see highest and best use of what we do have out there. Um, do we have anything on the horizon? We don't know about more storage units.

I don't not that I'm aware of. Now, having said that tomorrow, you can walk in the door tomorrow. Well, we haven't been talking to anybody. And let me say this. I think averages we're going to always potentially be a candidate for higher usage because of the military population as well, right? So, a lot of them come with 20 years of storage. um trunks, right? So, I just think that and I think as more people have moved into this area who, you know, have then I think that's part of what we

Well, I know a lot of the proposed apartments are smallerish. They're not, you know, big threebedroom. So, I do think, you know, when you look at the percentages, you know, we Americans like our junk. So, we have to store it somewhere. But, you know, if we have potentially 1500 units based on these numbers, we've got 2,800 planned. Yeah, I don't know that we need to saturate it either.

Um, and but if Tommy, please don't also I guess if we are industrial, I think some of the architectural but the buffering things also less of an issue. Well, I think if we would say anything facing road frontage, maybe just, you know, if you see it down the side, but if it's facing road frontage, maybe we could add some. Would that be in the in the industrial industrial as well? Do we have any requirements for like fact for any of the other industrial uses to because I don't I don't I don't remember where they are if they are close to front and I have I don't remember an industrial use since I've been here but I don't know of any but whenever I ride in the industrial districts

they're boxes there all of those are you been there a while so it would have been before most of these regulations Whenever it comes to industrial, we're talking about for self storage because we also want to be careful that we don't overregulate and um kick oursel in the foot on recruitment of the industrial base.

Yeah. No. And I but but I think industrial like they're different very different considerations because you do want everybody to park next to their self storage whereas industrial want people typical right is gonna want people to park near where they have to come in right so it's I think um so I yeah I think looking at the requirements and setbacks because I don't remember those for industrial off with the setback requirements I don't have that off the top of my head but we it may be sufficient, right? We don't I don't know what it's probably sufficient because you don't want

because I mean that the the complaint from citizens is we just have too many that we're all going to see with our naked eyes when we drive through North Augusta. So, you know, if it's tucked back somewhere, you know, we're not saying no to business. We're just Yeah. when you look at the parcel behind QT, I mean, it's it's back there and it's it's a little wedge shaped, you know, it's like almost like what else would even So, it's like that was okay, but you know, eventually North August is going to run out of really good land, like prime real estate at some point. So,

where we have like our job is to keep it from not being all Just on your left.

Oh, grocery store.

There's a public storage. If if if you're getting off number one coming this way, when you come up to the stop sign, it's right there on the light. The um rear yard and sideyard set back in industrial is 25 ft and the minimum is 30 feet in the front. That's a good little ways. Yeah. So then that

the And just so you know the uh the moratorum, you know, you've got to hang your hat on something. I think somebody asked about a moratorum for these. And a moratorum is only for a short snippet of time while you make regulations to accommodate it. And I don't know that the community saying, "Oh, we just got too many." I don't know that that would suffice for legal challenge.

Yes. So I I think I think you I think we've kind of come to somewhat of a um agreement on what we like. So I think if we look at what it would look like to put it in industrial that takes care. All right. So what I'm hearing now is only in industrial. Yeah. Okay. I mean if a rental community does the math we're doing they're going to come to the same conclusion. So, you know, if I had units, I don't know that I would be knock on the door right now. Right now, there's still a county. I mean, somebody could still put them a little further. Well, we got some coming in the county, I'm sure. No, there's right there at

on East Marktown. Oh, yeah. Find the donut. Okay. I will try to craft something and put it together and have it for next month and then y'all can um scratch through it, trash it, manipulate it and come out the other end. Sounds perfect. And um anything else you'd like to share? You all have been busy as always, so we thank you and thank you for um the followup with both the Halo signs and this discussion on storage facilities. appreciate your work on this. Um, is there there I don't have anything else.

Okay. All right. Well, as always, we'd like to thank you and um the rest of your team for um helping us to grow into a better North Augusta. And with that, I would like to adjourn our meeting. So, all right. Thank you.

All right. This was You're scared going be Well, you were