Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Mhmm

Good evening. The Planning Commission meeting for this evening, March for this evening, April 7, is called to order at 6PM. Mister Michaud, would you please call

the roll? Thank certainly. Commissioner Rose? Here. Commissioner Nasekeis? Here. Commissioner Dickman? Here. Commissioner Curtis? Commissioner Covington? Here. Commissioner Brown? Here. And chair George Ellis? Here. We do have a quorum.

Thank you so much. So at at any time this evening, we may go into executive session to to get some legal advice on these matters. The the meeting tonight is gonna be streamed, so please use your microphones. So this meeting will be available later for review if anyone wishes. This evening on our agenda, we have an approval or amendment of minutes.

We have one public hearing action item and an election of chair. Does anyone have any comments about the order of meeting? Hearing none, let's move forward to the approval of minutes. This is item 26 dash o seven three, approval of the 03/17/2026 Planning Commission minutes. Do I have a Do I hear a motion?

So moved.

Thank you. Commissioner Brown, do I have a second?

I'll second.

Thank you, Commissioner Nasekez. Do we have any discussion? No discussion having having been heard. All in favor of the minutes?

Aye. All

opposed? Hearing none opposed, the minutes are Our unanimously second item in the agenda is item 26 dash zero seven nine, discussion and possible action on Phoenix Country Day School Intermediate Special Use Permit Amendment, SUP 25 dash o six. At 3901 East Stanford Drive. Mister Burton?

Yes, good evening chair and commissioners. Amendment for the Phoenix Country Day School. And it consists Okay. Of three items, to renovate the existing baseball field, add a new wellness center building, and add two additional digital information signs with one sign placed in each of the two parking lots. So for the agenda for this evening, I'll briefly go over the background, the scope of the request, ordinance twenty twenty six dash o one, and the action for this evening.

The school is located on the Southwest Corner Of 40 Street in Stanford, And the scope of the request requires intermediate amendment, which is basically a three step process. Council issues a statement of direction, which identifies where they want the commission to focus their study on, planning commission review and then forward a recommendation to council which will be done this evening and then the last part is town council review and action. So the statement of direction

that was issued is included in

the packet identifies that the commission shall review the visible and operational effects improvements may have on neighbors and the commission shall complete the review by April 21. This was first reviewed by the commission at the March 17 work study session and the commission inquired about the height of additional digital information signage drainage associated with improvements, and directed the applicant to provide a construction staging plan. There's consensus that the height of the signs was acceptable, and the applicant also provided a preliminary staging plan, which was included in the packet. Looking back at the drainage report and the preliminary grading drainage plan, the drainage report identified that there's no adverse drainage impacts to the downstream properties or drainage ways and then on-site flows conveyed to on-site detention facilities. Also, once they go through building permit process, the County and Drain Division will do another review on the G and D.

So the first part of the improvement is to renovate the existing baseball field. That's set back 28 feet from the western property line. Currently, there's a dirt fire lane that surrounds the baseball field that will be surfaced with asphalt. And again, it's replacing a lot of woods there. They're to replace the grass and the turf, replace the existing six foot tall chain link fence that circles the diamond, put a new backstop in, replaced the bleachers and canopies, which are 14.5 feet tall.

The primary changes or additions are they're going to add a third set of bleachers and canopy, and also two new foul ball locations at the either end of the field. Currently the field is not illuminated and they're not proposing to do so. It will only be used by the school and the typical baseball times are from two p. M. To 6PM with occasional Saturday games which will end by dusk.

On the left hand side is the aerial photo of the existing field and on the right hand side is the site plan. So you can see the improvements pretty much mirror what's there today. This is a copy of the elevation of the baseball field improvements. And this rendering in elevations of the proposed bleachers with the canopy over it at 14 and a half feet tall. And the photographs on the bottom are what is there today on top of the photo simulations with the improvements.

And then this slide just shows the two yellow circles on the right hand side of the location of those fall ball poll locations they are 20 foot tall but they are collapsible so when the field is not used they can take them down. Next part is the new wellness center building this is set back a three forty four feet away from the West property line it's 22 feet tall. We'll meet the open space criteria about 7,800 square feet in size and with some improvement will increase the lot coverage from 17.4 to 18.4%, which is below the 25% recommended lot coverage. And the architecture of the building matches that of the campus. So the building will provide a workout facility for students and faculty.

It will serve as a multi purpose room for dance classes and other physical education programs. It does have a concession stand for athletic events and will have a two locker rooms one for school and the visiting teams. And on the left hand side aerial photo the outline shows the approximate location of the building and on the right hand side is the location on the site plan. This is the elevation showing what it's going to look like with the renderings on the left hand side. I just want to draw attention that it will have several signs a logo on the West side of the building.

Donor name along with the sign above the concession stand and then a market identifying the building number for life safety. Emergency responders. All the lights that are on the building do comply with their code they will be hooded and shielded so light source is not visible and it's setback so far we'll have zero foot candle output at the joining property lines. The applicant will be placing some plum trees and Texas ash around the building which does match landscaping on campus. And the next part of the post improvements are the digital information The first sign against can be placed in the North Parking lot setback about a 200 feet away from Stanford Drive and the other.

Some will be placed. The 40 Street parking lot setback 100 feet away as well. The screen or the sign will be mounted to 12 foot tall monument wall. And the purpose of that of the sign is to provide parents with school information during drop off and pick up. We'll be at a static display of messages, pictures, and graphics.

They'll be illuminated Monday through Friday, 7AM to 7PM. And if they have any night events, they'll go till no later than 10PM, and then they'll have similar requirements for any weekend events. Left hand side the circle show the location of the signs and parking lot and right hand side is the site plan. Top half of this slide shows the elevations and the bottom shows the photo sense of what those digital signs will look like. They did provide a photometric.

The output on the signs will have 0.03 foot candles to the property line. Again, our code recommends a maximum output of 0.75 at the property line. In accordance with the commission's request the applicant provided a construction staging plan which still use the northwest corner of the Camelback Bobble Church parking. They won't have any deliveries during student drop off and pick up and the plan does show where they're gonna have their construction trailer and the fencing and dumpster for construction. So, including the packet is ordinance twenty twenty six dash zero one which has the draft stipulations for these improvements.

It's comprised of 19 stipulations. In summary just identifies that all improvements shall be in compliance with the submitted plans and documents. The use of the portable audit. Audio system or PA system for the baseball game shall not exceed the town's noise requirements. The baseball fields shall not be illuminated.

The new landscaping must be maintained. Regarding the digital information signs, it shall display static text, messages, pictures, and graphics to cycle through with unobstructed transition. I did make one modification and read I added no advertising is permitted. They shall operate from 7AM to 7PM Monday through Friday. And if the town receives a complaint about it being too bright, community development director can visit the sign and then ask the applicant to adjust the brightness or hours of operation.

And lastly, all existing stipulations shall remain in effect unless modified by this amendment. We did receive comment from two neighbors the East Side Of 40th Street. First neighbor was concerned and opposed to anything which would result more parking in his neighborhood. Second neighbor just identified concern about congestion at the roundabout of 40 Street in Stanford and asked if the digital signs were gonna help with those traffic congestions. Staff did contact them and explain the scope of the request as well as the applicant, and I did not get a response back after leaving messages for both of those neighbors.

So tonight's meeting is to get input from the commission regarding the ordinance and if you want any changes to those draft stipulations, staff is recommending the commission afford ordinance twenty twenty six dash zero one with the recommendation of approval. And that leaves for three potential actions this evening to afford the application to counsel the recommendation approval. As amended with that additional stipulation about no advertising on the digital signs. For the reckon recommendation of denial to the council or continue this hearing to April 21 for further review. And I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, mister Burton. I do have a question about the the cycling of the I understand that these are static signs, but they will change. How quickly will that cycle through? Do you have that information?

I don't, but the applicant is here, maybe they can address that. Okay. The

other question Well, did anybody else have any other questions this evening?

Yes. Question, the wellness center, does that have typical operating hours? Is it consistent with the opening and the closing of the school?

I believe it mirrors the school And hours of then again if they have any sporting events it has a concession stand which will be one in 10. Exactly.

Alright. Thank you. Thank you. Do we also know about the we saw a logo that was gonna be on the wellness center. Do we have sizing of that?

I don't have dimensions on that, no. I can ask the applicant to provide it, But it does cover most of that. Western face. Probably about three quarters of it.

Ask a question.

Absolutely

great so can we go back to I think it was '28 maybe or somewhere around '28 where it showed what I'm looking for is the staging, the parking, and the construction staging.

So the parking's gonna construction parking's gonna be on the Northwest Corner of the Camelback Bible Church

So, we're not showing that here?

No. No. Let me see if I have an aerial photo of that.

So, all of the contractors will all of the contractors will park in the church?

They're gonna park at the church and then walk over.

Okay. And then, so where is the staging of the construction and the dumpsters and the porta potties and all those kinds of fun

Here's the the job site trailer. They have the dumpster here and then their material yard is over here.

Okay. I'm just seeing about porta potties near the homes where are they?

The porta potties actually doesn't identify them. So I'm not sure.

That's kind of important. You don't want them too close. I don't think.

Yeah. I think To

the front doors.

Correctly. I think it might be I don't know if these are the porta potties, these two little yellow spots.

Okay.

We can certainly indicate that they stay within that fenced area as opposed to over by the neighbors.

Know how close that is to the neighbors that fenced

areas of the way

it's the other side of baseball

the smells don't care if there's a fence there not

yeah, the wellness building is three forty four feet away from the West property line. Okay to this point here.

Okay so not close to any residents.

Not close to the residents. I'm sorry

not close to the resident,

no no not close and

thank you. Thank you, chair.

Mister commissioner Rose, the logo on the wellness center, is that visible from the street?

Not not the street, no, because it's gonna be facing westward. I'm gonna go back to their photo sim on the baseball field because it is partially visible here in that photo sim. And that's standing probably where the fire lane is around the current baseball field.

Thank you. Could you show that in plan so we can see where wellness center is?

Yep, it'll be on this side here.

On that side, okay.

Because the wellness center is east of the baseball field and then that is the baseball field is east of the homes. The PV homes are are west of of that fire lane. Mister Burton, I do have a question about volume. You said that there was gonna be some ability to have some kind of adjustment so that if there were noise complaint on the volume of the the announcing that.

So the Can

situation adjust the stipulation for that?

Yeah. So the adjustment was for the digital signs. Again, we just noted for the existing PA system that has to comply with the noise ordinance. If commission would like, we can expand upon that stipulation.

Okay. And what have we done in the past in terms of any kind of noise complaints relating to that? Or it just is covered?

I checked with the the chief. He doesn't have any noise complaints on record. Okay. But typically with other SUVs like resorts, if we get a noise complaint, we'll especially if it's documented by PD, we'll send them a notice of violation that they exceeded the noise levels and then put them on notice to to comply. Most of our SCPs have the similar stipulation that they're bound by our noise ordinance.

Okay. Okay, so I guess the one thing that I would like to understand more of is how these signs are going to work and how quickly it's going to cycle through because, I mean, what what our materials essentially say is that it's static, but it's it's really not. It's something that continues on a loop. So it could be like Yeah. Like a

like a slideshow. Right. The applicant does have a presentation. Maybe they can address it during that time to see. And if the commission wants to try to put a stipulation on how fast or how slowly those slides transition.

Okay. So before we move forward, I just want to make a quick announcement. I know that Alex Hosmar is here on behalf of the applicant this evening. And Alex's parents live in my neighborhood and I'm close family friends with the entire family. I don't find that that's anything that caused me to be not to be fair and impartial, but I just wanted to put that on the record. So does the applicant wanna speak now or are you gonna speak during the hearing? What is the suggestion from staff?

Typically the applicant speak now unless they wanna take public comment first. Public comment first, okay.

Okay. Well, it it anyone have any other comments this evening? Any other discussion from the commission? No? Okay. So I'm gonna go ahead and open open the hearing. Is anyone here who would like to speak on this matter this evening? Okay. Have you okay. So do we have slips or anything in terms of identifying who's gonna be speaking this evening? I know that you are here on behalf of the applicant. So Okay. That sounds perfect.

Okay. With my colleague Alex Hosmer. There's been a bunch of us who've been working on this project and proud to represent Phoenix Country Day School and very proud to work with staff and you all on this project. I actually don't have a presentation to give you tonight because frankly, I believe staff has done a really good job answering the questions that we were going to address tonight. But I'm up here before you to answer any questions that you might have.

And Madam Chair, if you don't mind, I want to directly address the question you have regarding the sign. So when we say the signs are static, it means that the signs are going to just have one display for that event because they're going to be event specific. As you saw earlier, up above, staff said that there's gonna be no advertising. There's gonna be no cycling through of different messages. It's just to provide direction for people who are on campus for that evening or that afternoon for that specific reason. So if one day there's a volleyball game or another day there's a basketball game or another day there's a play, the sign will provide direction and information for that event. So it's more event specific and that's why they say it's static.

Okay. Yeah. It just seemed based on the presentation that there may have been some cycling within, you know, within the day so that it would continue to

No, it will not be a distraction or not serve to inhibit traffic in any which way or to inhibit or to impede traffic and definitely not be a distraction for anyone in the street. It's to provide direction to people who are on campus for a specific event.

Okay. Thank you so much. I appreciate you

clarifying question. Thank you.

Does anyone have any other questions for the applicant? No? Okay. Thank you so much. I appreciate your presentation and answering my question.

Thank you. And I'll fill out a slip where I can. Okay. Thank you.

Did anyone else have comments this evening? Do we have any other slips, mister Michaud?

We do not.

Okay. Thank you so much. I am going to go ahead and close close the hearing. Okay. Do do I have a can you please put up the the recommendations this evening?

One moment. Okay. I apologize. Forgot to put the recommendation in there. So staff recommendation is for ordinance twenty twenty six dash o one to counsel with the recommendation of approval including the modification of no advertising on digital signs. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, mister Burton. Do I have a motion?

Sure, I'll make that motion. Forward ordinance twenty twenty six dash zero one to council with recommendation of approval parenthetically with any modifications from PC.

Commissioner Rose second.

Thank you, you commissioners. All in favor?

Aye. Aye. All

opposed? Hearing none, the motion unanimously carries and I think, mister Burton, you'll just note that there was that one adjustment. Correct. Right. Okay.

Thank you. Our next item this evening is item 20 six-eighty three, discussion and possible action to modify Camelback Land's eight lot split stipulation, which was originally 5102 North Wilkinson Road, now 5076 North Wilkinson Road, and 5032 North Wilkinson Road. Mr. Burton, I believe you're presenting.

Yes. Thank you. So today's goal is review and action on the modified stipulation for the subdivision to modify stipulation number three, is regarding requirement to install a fire hydrant. So briefly go to the background scope of the request recommendation in action. So the subject property is located near in the garden and Shop Chappell Road.

And it was subdivided back in 2025 where they turned one property into two lots. Right. When this went through at the time, when we do either building permits or a land modification like a lot split or subdivision, we make them meet current fire code requirements. Old fire code back in 2022 or prior to that, stated that anytime you did a lot split or development, you're gonna have a fire hydrant within 400 feet of the property, one would have to be added. Because of that, staff added the stipulation that one would be required since the closest fire hydrant was four twenty feet away.

However, we're not informed that the fire code changed in 2022 and that distance requirement change from 400 feet to 600 feet. The applicant has recently submitted permit for a new home. They did have some issues with EPCOR, but they also noted that the code requirement is 600 foot instead of 400 feet. So since it was stipulated, only the commission can amend that or modify that stipulation. Staff is supportive again of that modification since they do have two fire hydrants in the area.

Again, the furthest one away is four twenty feet and the other one is two ninety six feet away, which is compliant with that 600 foot distancing requirement. So basically, this is a modified stipulation area and weather we struck out. So the stipulation now read the installation of the water and sewer infrastructure is complete, including inspection by the town. So again, this is up for action for tonight and again, staff is supportive since both lots are compliant to that 600 foot limit. You can either approve as amended, modify that stipulation, deny it, or continue for further review. I'd be happy to answer

any questions. Does anyone have any questions or comments?

This is commissioner Dickman. Just a comment that I don't think we're in the business of trying to enforce obsolete codes, so I don't have any problem with this if this is meeting the current code.

And mister Burton, I think what you're saying is it meets the current code.

Correct. Okay. Is compliant.

Thank you miss Thank you commissioner Dickman. Anyone else?

This is commissioner Covington. Just a question on the addresses listed here. Yes. The one used to be 5102 and now will be 5076 and the other lot will be 5032. Correct. Okay. Having said it myself, I understand it. Thanks.

Anything else from commission? Hearing nothing more, do I have a motion on this matter?

So move to adopt the staff recommendation as presented.

Thank you Commissioner Dickman. Do I have a second? I'll second. Thank you Commissioner Brown. Any other I'm assuming no other discussion? No other discussion? All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Hearing none, that carries unanimously.

And our next item on the agenda is twenty six-eighty two election of chair per section two-five-two of the town code. Mr. Michaud.

Thank you, chair. Yes. So, the planning commission every April at your first meeting needs to select a chair designate. Chairs can serve up to two full terms. Our current chair served one full term. This will then go whatever the selection is. We'll move on to town council for their final approval.

Okay. Thank you. Do I have a motion as to chair the commission?

I think our current chair has done a great job and I'd make the motion that we continue with our current chair.

I'll second that.

Thank you, Commissioners Brown and Rose. Any discussion? No? Seeing no discussion, all in favor?

Aye. All

opposed? Hearing none.

Question is, are you in favor?

Was opposed.

It wasn't opposed.

I noticed that, I saw that.

I guess I could, just to make it interesting, right? Okay. Next, thank you so much. I appreciate your support in this matter. I like the collegiality of our commission and the fact that we come together to address difficult issues at times. So thank you so much and I will try and do my best going forward. Appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you for your leadership.

Okay. So staff reports. Do we have any staff reports this evening?

Chair, there are none.

Okay. Thank you. Any public body reports? There are no public body reports. Future agenda items.

Yes. Chair and commissioner. So your next scheduled meeting is April 21. We are gonna be going ahead and canceling that meeting. We don't have any items that would be ready for that meeting. That would make your next available meeting May 5. There's a very high likelihood we will probably cancel that meeting. However, you do have a couple items that are coming up. For sure, you're definitely gonna have your June meetings. We have the Franciscan Renewal Center, which is getting a statement of direction at council right now, then moving before you.

It's regarding just parking shade, solar canopies. It's a major amendment simply because it's just a lot of that in the existing building. Small. We also have a minor SUP that has just come in or recently come in for PB Doubletree. So that might hit the May, certainly will hit in June.

Thank you so much. I think the last item on our agenda is adjournment. Do I have a motion to adjourn?

I'll make that motion, commissioner Covington.

Thank you, commissioner Covington. Do I have a second?

I'll second that.

Thank you Commissioner Nasekez. All in favor? Aye. Aye. All opposed? Hearing none opposed. We unanimously approve adjournment Thank of the you so much everybody.

Thank you.