Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

[Music] Good evening. At this time, memberclair here. Member Roach Member Hartman here. Member Abbott here. Secretary here. Chair person recognizer

here. Thank you. We stand for a moment of silence. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. At this point, I would entertain a motion with regard to the minutes of the June 17th as presented in your packets.

Mary, I would just I would just like to say that on the number four, we know that it says commission will revisit the matter at the next meeting on July 15th. that was changed to to next July 22nd. Correct. Any other corrections or comments? I have a motion regarding

second motion by Brad. Second from Justin. Any other comments? None. All in favor by saying. I

Okay, we've got three zoning hearings scheduled for July 30th. At this point, I would I will not be available to represent Hammy at that meeting. if anyone of you would be able to I already discussed this with Paula who we did the agendas and I said the only other option would be if she were to be able to submit draft minutes from this meeting for their review. So if there is anyone able to attend to represent planning that is how we first zoning hearing is the clean north forest street and this is the one that was before us last month that was Um the zoning hearing was cancelled. Is that why we continued it discussed our last meeting? Correct. Yes. So since it had been cancelled prior to our meeting, we carried this over. Uh they're requesting special section presenting relief from commission 220 use of use as a place of worship as well as variance presenting relief from section 22 area 20,000 square ft and it was the tax parcel and this is in the downtown commercial Okay.

This is the last business in this property. This is across from the post office corner basically at the corner of Port and um the last use for this is it is a B property. So this is a uh church that is requesting to be able to use they're not they're only using the first floor. It's not That's what I'm getting from this. That's my understanding. I'm using the first floor of second and third floor basically house.

House. Yeah. So, at this point, it's inviting being here to answer any questions we might have. It's a big live right there. It's hotel. Yeah. Yeah. Have any information on how many people would be attending the church where they're going to park?

Yeah, because when it was the vape shop, I mean, people would just come for five minutes and go and it was sporadic, but I don't really The zoom hearing board deals with that grill about park. How many spaces they have on the end there? the people that live there parking all by one because the lady who ran the place had one parking space. She parked there. They'll I'm sure they'll get into all that. The other area board will I I don't think we have enough information. We have We're asking too many questions. Correct. With no answers to We don't know what day of the week it's going to be. We don't know frequency and Sunday. Yeah. But is it going to change?

Yeah. Is that the only day? It's going to be something different, right? Sounds like a good one for the zoning hearing board. So at this time there will be no recommendation with regard to your presenting hearing for Okay, next on the agenda is the property at 27 This is the former school.

No, no, this is the tattoo problem.

Oh, yeah. Yep. Is there anyone here regarding 27?

Go ahead. He just wanted to change turn it into a four unit apartment instead of three unit and a commercial because trying to find somebody for commercial is easier to rent it out as another apartment. So he would be converting the current into an additional res. Correct.

Yes. This is across from Yes, it is. I have had an issue, Tiff and I have had an issue with um Let's go back a little bit. When you had the people who were living there like the foxes and the liies and Mrs. Mashi and all of the different people who lived there since World War II, it was heaven on earth. And once our street began to become rental on both sides, it has become nothing short of a nightmare for us. cars coming going and going all night. As we just spoke to Gwen, there's no parking on our street. There's multiple driveways that are not driveways. However, the burrow has signs that say no parking. They're driveways. So that's two spots that are taken up and we create another unit, another housing, another apartment out of this. There's more cars, there's more people. And it it's like it's almost like Manhattan. I mean, our street used to be quiet and now it's round the clock. round the clock people coming and going all hours of the night. I know people work different shifts, but most of these people don't work. I don't know how they're paying for their rent to start my business, but they're there most of the day. There's a lot of refra

and I I personally I would rather see us not fall back. I mean, I thought that we had an ordinance for the burrow that said that we were not going to go backwards and create additional rental units at a single family homes. And Tiff had mentioned, well, I saw her earlier that Columbia 2040 was encouraging mixed use buildings and neighborhood commercial but not creating more rental units. So I I have a problem. The tattoo parlor was by appointment only. So, it was every so often you would have a car or motorcycle show up or people would walk up, but it was rather quiet as far as that. But I think hitting two or three or four more cars, we're already parking down by Holy Trinity. Uh we have a handicap spot in front for various different reasons, but on street sweeper days, we never get to park on our street ever. It's walking down to Cherry and then hiking all the way up to Holy Trinity. And you can't park in there lot. So you have to find parking somewhere along there. And it's I don't know. I guess I can speak for Tiffany. Both of both of us are not in favor of turning this into another.

I see the driveways you're talking about. So that's just somebody's grass. The backyard there. There used to be a house there many years ago. There's still foundation, but prior to years ago, still some foundation. Now they drive the car up and park it on the lawn. this house here uses it. Even though there was a house here and people parked in the street, it created that. So now that's lost parking. Six out of seven is never anyone there. And then on the opposite side by lively that's used maybe once a month. It's just independent by where Eric White I don't know who owns it now but where he

right but investment so this is all yes we as planning commission as planning commission if we want to some sort of question. So I'm assuming that this property was a rental before the number of department

above rental. Now my question is this add an additional unit. Does that change the use of that unit to now require two street parking spaces?

I don't think that would be a question I would raise because of that. So it should I mean in my in my book it should require the two off street parking spaces and they don't have any place to make the two off street parking spaces. So that would be something they would be requesting from as well. Well they don't have the sections on here do they?

No. And appeal from determination of the zoning officer is checked. So are they appealing something that the borrow said no to like correct. Okay. I believe if I recall correctly I do not due to the parking issue to spaces. Okay. retirement.

Exactly.

Yeah. And I I agree with Heather that that would have they would have to have those two additional parking spaces. I I do not see anywhere on that street because we don't have anywhere to park. this point I would be inclined also to make your recommendation and as to gratitude to your observations and what you see up there I feel that is something that you as a resident should address at presuming you're correct you could be So I, you know, unfortunately I feel that you have more weight as a resident going to that hearing board and expressing what you did this evening.

Right. So how do other members of the commission feel about this? Do we send this also? I would agree with that. I agree with you regarding recommendation.

Okay. Next on the zoning hearing is 521 locus street. They're asking for a special exception from the zoning ordinance. Short-term residential short-term rental units must be detached building. They are in a medium density residential area. the fact that our shortterm rental specifies detached dwellings. That is why they are going to zoom. Um this is the twice burnt property up street that they have.

Yes.

Um it's very nice except that they can't seem to put their trash cans out back because the alley is not big enough to get them back there. Um, the question I was curious is I think the attached building is already a long-term rental property at 519 and I'm questioning 523. I didn't have a chance to get with Paul today to ask this. I was not at home 523 which was also one of the fire properties they have. I don't know that that is occupied yet and I don't know if that is intended as a single family residence. No, that is not attached to 521.

There's a breezeway or No, that's a full separation. There's a walkway between the two unit that we found was a three unit. Yeah. Yeah. And they have actually added one to that third floor. I cannot envision that that is going to be a single family residence. They currently have one meter there, but there are bases for multiple meters of the house. And and I will tell you why I'm asking these questions.

The way this application has been submitted, the person submitting it is saying that at some point in time they will be residing there. Most of the time though, they will be using shortterm land 70% of the time. 70% of the time. It's a different land owner for 519.

Yeah. Um and she bought this property without, this is my understanding, um because we've been back and forth for a while. She bought this property with the intention of turning it into a short-term rental. Um, she at some point handed in a short term rental application, which is one week a she didn't do her homework. This is not going to be my opinion. She didn't do her homework before she bought the property, right? you can find out

could do this or couldn't do this what the code was for shortterm. So um which is what it's it's permitted in the district but it's not allowed because it's a correct duplex. Yeah.

Got it. My thoughts is if you start allowing this, the whole row is going to be short-term rentals and it's going to be a deterrent. I don't recommend that at all. I think she needs your due diligence ahead of time. Her agent should have instructed her. They didn't know the codes for Columbia and I think she's or else she's going to do it from the side which you finding people doing it on the slide. And

my biggest thing is we just we talked about it in the work session which was you know there's not a clear consensus with us or more importantly there's not a clear consensus of the council who passes the laws on how to change the short do we expand it do we you know whatever. So it's really hard for us in that capacity to recommend for it. You know, the Senate hearing board will have to, you know, do their jobs with it, but it's hard for us to suggest it when we don't even know as a body, a recommending body to council, you know, what the right approach is to the Airbnb thing.

And I think one of the things we kept falling back on is an Airbnb having form that detached building that's the most

detached building that is the most restricted and that's what we call back but then we don't want to go back up to the 600 block where the Airbnb talks from the cemetery which is the end of the row of homes it's attached on itself I think there is. Yes, because you can see across you can see across from street is the whole thing.

They don't have the garage in fact. So we going to make a recommendation or do we feel we need to make a recommendation oppos I make a motion to present opposition to grant. This is special session. [Music] special. So I have a motion from a second from special. I

I those opposed motion carries. So there will be more in opposition to that special session request.

Yeah. My my point is I think council's trying to wrestle with how they want to move forward with this and you know to recommend for an exception to it when if the if where we're going to go is to make basically make it allowed in that situation. Um that's what's that's what our elected officials are debating. I don't it's kind of hard to to recommend it given the timing.

So question. Why are all three of these requesting special exception? What are the what are the special exception that you would be asking for a variance? The person's asking for a variance as well as special exception. Right. Changing the commercial is defined.

Are they all variances? You know I think what happened here again wasn't involved. Yeah. Looks like a there's a special exception to use by special exception. Sure. And then there was a variance on it looks as though as special exceptions B and C should be variances.

Variances. That's what Yeah. And but did you know also the applicant filled this last one filled it out as requesting a special exception, but you're saying in fact this the ordinance says it's not allowed. It's about the other one. That's why when the legal ads are put in, we put both in just a couple because sometimes they'll come in and during they don't know what they're asking for and then Joselle has to add on to the application. So that way it covers it.

Okay. Where is this on the agenda? Right. I don't see

Yeah, it's under consolidation. Okay, gotcha. Old business. So is this. So at this point we will move that from this since they were here previously.

Is it? No. I didn't know till I walked in tonight. Yeah, it's in there. I didn't, you know, it was just under old business and um is it Well, I guess we'll find out. Is it, you know, like close to being ready to be approved? So, it is an action item. Yeah. Okay.

So, is everyone okay with that? All right. Oh, 77. So, it's pretty recent.

Yeah. Do you have another you all When we got it Um, good evening. I'm Ben Morton, a landscape architect uh with RGS Associates doing the site planning for this uh project. And um as Derek mentioned, we spoke with you about it uh back in March and um since that time have been, you know, working hand inand with the the architect to refine the design um going on numerous site visits to really make sure that we're dialing things in. And um just in terms of the process since that March meeting with you, I know that the architect came to uh the harb in April and then burough council approved the certificate of appropriateness um in late April. And then uh kind of in parallel with

developing the land development plans, we submitted to the Columbia Water Company as there is going to be a water main extension to serve the former freight railroad building. uh that process with them. They've conditionally approved the plan. We just need to um provide them with a main extension agreement as well as financial security. We also um have our sewer connection permit. We're going to be connecting through lateral bank avenue, but there was no capacity or permit from that on folks with glasses. So, we do have that permit now. And uh we've submitted our planning module exemption to the ADP voyage that sewage surface. Um and then as Derek mentioned, we submitted the land development plan and uh early June um been reviewing the comments over the last couple weeks starting to make revisions and um you know, we sought a couple clarifications just to help us document um our responses to the comments, but um we're not seeing any challenges with um addressing those to the engineer satisfaction. Yes, we did. Yep. And there's

a copy county. Great. Should see it. Okay. Um, so I think really at this point I guess I I'd ask if there are any particular questions that you've had since the last time we were here or um aspects of the design that you'd like me to go over or any comments in particular that you question. I'm just excited to see,

you know, I think, you know, presented the fact that what you want to do with the freight station to be able to to have if I understood at the time virtual tours of the mansion something to that extent that you would be taking the I'll say pressure off of the mansion itself for visitors and that you would be able to make that available year round is now the mansions in New York to October. So, I'm excited because that is down there. I've been through it, loved it, and to have more people be able to see what that means, I think, is and I think landscaping with that parcel down there. I brought back that out and I'll tell you what, I was surprised when that was put in the back of the mansion was able to I was able to see what questions. any key things here. I think that we have a long list of modifications here. wasn't

um that one we've worked through an alternative arrangement of how we're going to be able to we we were trying to avoid a structure at one pipe connection in order to um really from a aesthetic standpoint. Yeah. Yeah. But we but we figured out a way of where we're going to be able to shift that out of the centrality of that space and get something tucked in next to one of the trench. So number seven you're not you don't need anymore. It's the seven.

It's yeah the last one on the cover because it's under the storm water. Oh sure that chapter comes first. So all we need is basically you have seven modifications first.

So it'll be a junction. Cool. Okay. Pretty straightforward. Can we do the unless there's any disagreement? Can we do the remaining six modifications as a lump? Is there any

There's seven.

Right. There's one on the back page. So there's seven. There was eight. Yes. Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. I'm just in the same that originally came to us as a rejection that first by itself and then the rest of them into a single mesh. Is the applicant withdrawing that the request for Yes. A waiver of section 1847 G7? Yes. Okay. All right. So, that one's off the table. All right.

Okay. So, I'll make a motion to grant the modifications as referenced in the Burough Engineers review letter listed from number two to number eight and as um stated in the RGS later letter letter of June 6th. Okay, I have a motion second.

Second. motion from Justin to approve modifications numbers 2 through 8 on the CS Davidson of July 8th 2025 regarding any further comments all in favor by saying I

I happen the burough engineers July 8th letter I'll I'll make a motion to grant conditional approval um of the plan subject to the comments satisfying the comments in Burough Engineers July 8th, 2025 review letter. I have a second. A second motion from second to conditional approval to the plans for 38 second out of July 2021. Thank you very much.

Good luck.

Yep. Do you have anything else for us? All right. Um public comment questions. Nothing. Um other action items. The um just to the um review county planning on the changes to the zoning. mainly focusing on the changes to it. This is the different definitions. This is that whole package we've been working on that has been incorporated as ordinance 97 and I do see it for a final time as I would like to recommend council move forward which they have. They have already advertised between a hearing on this adoption or I think I saw that I would like to give a little more weight to it by recommending to council the I would say adoption instead of advertising. Yeah, I saw that the county had one comment but was regarding you know some

um a betteration for data center maybe maybe with the next update because the I mean we we worked on this we had a joint meeting I think we're all on the same page with how to approach CLB so because it because it's already advertised and everything I Yeah, we already decided this was going to be a permitted use. Yeah. So, that's kind of the fault. That's the big part of their comment. And so, appreciate it. But at the same time, you know, we we worked that out. I think they said something about maximum. Yeah.

Because of the electricity and everything, but yeah. I don't know. I don't know what to feel about that because, you know, they they have to work with PPL to work that out. So yeah, we don't really know how that works, but speaking for myself, I don't know how that works. The other one of their comments I like was that they like to see that we have child daycare for use. Yep. Yep. I think that was a good conversation that we had with council too. It was. So, do we want to at this time make a motion to recommend our council adoption? So, moved.

Do I have a second? I have a motion from Brad to recommend council adoption of all in favor.

Those opposed motion. All right. Um, no discussion items unless someone um we're looking for 18847. There is motion. Do I have a motion to make that recommendation to determine properties of 1847 qualify certification? So

second favor I have at this time. Um some business um I received an email today and he needs to and that he will be clarifies if he wants to resign if he needs to. So we will be looking at uh next meeting will be August 19th 2025. Uh at this time I would entertain a motion to do such a motion. Second motion second. Hi,

we are Mary. Did Jeff ask Barb if she had any interest in coming back? every part that I go.