Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

And welcome to the Westland Planning Commission for Wednesday, 12/17/2025. I'd like to call this meeting to order, and let's call the roll.

Alright. Commissioner Kaczorowski. Present. Commissioner Schulte Hillen. Present. Commissioner Watten. Here. Commissioner Jones. Present.

All right. With that, we'll move on to public comment related to land use items not on the agenda. Do we have any public comment for tonight?

None.

Okay. Thank you. That brings us to the main item, which is a public hearing, a quasi judicial hearing for MIS C-twenty five-four, proposal for a temporary use permit to operate a sales office for new home construction at 17324 Hillside Drive. And I'll turn it to staff for their presentation.

Chair Medlin, I believe you have a script for a

You're right. Where's my script?

Can I interrupt for just a moment to make sure that everybody's on mute? We can go ahead and get

some feedback.

Yeah. A new script. We'll pause one second while we get a script.

Okay. We're pausing again while, we get a script for the, the chair. So hold on. Is that a script there? Okay.

Alright. Now we can resume. Tonight, we are holding a public hearing regarding application number MISCDash25DashO4 for a proposed one year temporary use permit and one year extension location located on Lot 20 in the Upper Mid Hill Estates subdivision for a temporary sales office. This is a quasi judicial decision. Unlike in legislative hearings where personal opinion may come into play, quasi judicial rulings must be grounded in the relevant code.

And if the application meets the code, the commission must approve it. The hearing will proceed as follows. After the preliminary legal matters, staff will make a presentation followed by the applicant, then by citizens who wish to address the issue will be given the opportunity. Finally, there'll be time for rebuttal by the applicant. The applicant will be given twenty minutes initially plus ten minutes for rebuttal.

All requests to speak during public testimony have been received. Commission members may ask questions of the staff of the applicant, staff, or anyone else who testifies. Remember to use the hand icon if you wish to ask questions. Please keep yourself on mute until you're ready to speak so everyone is clearly heard clearly. I now call to order, the public hearing, and I will now ask the city attorney to cover the preliminary legal matters.

Thank you, chair Metlin. I will begin with the legal matters first starting with the burden of proof criteria and appeals right. The applicant has the burden of proving the application is consistent with the city of Westlands community development code, comprehensive plan, and any applicable and any applicable municipal code provision. The criteria that must be addressed in this hearing are CDC chapter 14 r 4.5 zoning, CDC chapter 35 temporary structures and uses, CDC chapter 99, quasi judicial decision decision making procedures. As the planning commission is sitting quasi judicially, any testimony, argument, or evidence that speakers give us must be directed at these criteria or at some other criteria in the code or comprehensive plan which you believe should apply to this decision.

If your testimony be would be repetitious but you would like the opportunity to appeal the decision, please email city staff. Only those who have appeared before the planning commission in person or in writing will have standing to appeal this item to the city council. Prior to the conclusion of the first public hearing on an application, the applicant or anyone who takes part in the hearing may request a continuance or ask that the record be left open to present additional information. If there is such a request, the Planning Commission will either continue the public hearing to a date certain or leave the record open for at least seven days for additional written evidence, argument, or testimony. Failure to raise an issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to allow the commission and the parties an opportunity to respond to the issue precludes appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals based on that issue.

Now I'll move on to conflicts of interest. Do any members of the Planning Commission wish to declare a potential or actual conflict of interest or bias? Seeing none, I note for the record that no commissioners wish to declare a potential or actual conflict of interest. Ex parte contacts. Do any members of the Planning Commission wish to report any site visits or ex parte contacts?

Seeing none, I note for the record that no ex parte contacts are declared. Challenges to planning commission's jurisdiction. Does any member of the audience wish to challenge the jurisdiction of the planning commission to hear this matter? Seeing none, I note for the record that no challenges have been made. Challenges to impartiality of any planning commission member. Does any member of the audience wish to challenge the impartiality or ex parte disclosures of any member of the planning? Seeing none, I note for the record no challenges to impartiality have been been made. Chair Mettlin, that concludes the legal matters.

Great. Thank you. Alright. Now let's proceed to the staff presentation.

Thank you. Thank you, chairman Allen. Commission, good evening. Tonight, we're here. Lynn? Alright. Could you pull up the yeah. Tonight we're here to discuss a temporary sales office MISC 25 Dash 04 at 17324 Hillside Drive. This was a subdivision that was approved quite a few years ago and they're looking to install a sales office to sell the homes. So the applicant here tonight is Pulte Homes.

This is a temporary use permit for one year plus a one year extension so it would be two years total. This again this is a sales office for selling of single family dwellings. So it's located on Lot 20 as you can see on the map there, which is just sort of at the entrance of the subdivision and then the parking is going to be on the neighboring lot which is Lot 19 as well as just the front driveway spaces that they would utilize on Lot 20 in front of the garage. Excuse me. So here's just a rough site plan of of what was provided showing the the home.

They look to convert the garage in the future home that they will eventually sell but will act as the sales office. Just convert that garage to a sales office utilizing the driveway as parking and then the neighboring lot for any access parking during that time. So here's a clear shot of that. Okay. And then some of the approval criteria.

So chapter 14 is the the zoning chapter or the underlying 4.5 zoning. Temporary uses are allowed under the prescribed conditions of chapter 35. So there's no lot changes, height changes, setbacks or anything. Like said, intend to use an existing dwelling that will the garage would be converted to the sales office for the duration of these two years. So the approval would last till December 2027 if approved tonight and the parking is all paved and like I said contained on the the Sites Lot 19 and Lot 20.

So we're recommend staff is recommending approval tonight with just a couple standard conditions in there. I'm here to answer any questions and I know that there's a couple members of the applicant team here as well who can answer questions after we're all done here as well.

Right. Thank you. Questions for staff? Yeah. Commissioner Walbodny.

Thank you, chair. This particular, subdivision has a long history before the planning commission has started ten years ago, basically. The first application for development was in 2015 and it's gone through an appeal to city council, redirect from luba. It's had extensions. So the question I've got right now is, among the the various permits, that have been issued in extensions, I just wanna make sure that that the applicant is aware of whatever requirements were conditions were placed on this property for development in the past and that those carry forward through the extension process for the upcoming development.

So I'm not sure if staff have had this conversation with the applicant or the representatives, but I just want to make sure that's going to be a question either for staff or for the applicant when they make the presentation.

Okay. Great. I'm sure the applicant can maybe speak to that a little bit better, but I can say that they're not proposing any changes to the existing subdivision and the approvals that go along with that. I know that they do have some permits in line to to eventually start building here fairly soon, but there's as part of this proposal here tonight there's no modifications to the existing approvals from 2015, I think you said, and then they had two or three, I think, extensions. Yeah, there's they're not proposing any modifications to those. So, but I I think the applicant would be better to speak to that.

Okay. Thank you. I just want to make sure that we cover that ground because we've been through situations there have been changes in ownership. Pulte is a new owner to this property, last I knew. And and so I think they're about the third owner of this during this past ten years. So I just wanna make sure everyone is aware and that these permits are being passed down through the ownership as well because I've seen this happen before where a new owner did not abide by the permit and we had to go through hoops to bring things back into alignment. So thanks.

Darren?

Yeah, excuse me. Yeah, can actually answer that question for you. So the I don't remember how many conditions or conditions of approval were attached to the subdivision approval, but all of those conditions were met and the plat was recorded that's the sort of the stick that the city holds right. We will not allow them to record the plat until the conditions have been met and that was achieved I believe last year. So yes, so now they're at the point of now pulling building permits to actually build out the subdivision.

Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, so the plan has been recorded and now they are at the position of pulling building permits to actually build out the homes on the subdivision. All the other conditions of approval were met previously.

Any other questions for staff? Alright, seeing none let's go ahead and move on to the applicant's presentation.

Good evening everybody. My name is Rosvan with Pulte Homes. I am together here with Richard, my manager and Ryan Stokes, who is our division president. And in the room, my colleague, Nguyen from the land department is representing us in person. I have prepared a quick three slides and I would like to share them with you if I may. Let's see.

Should have

Will you please let me know, are you able to see my screen?

Yes, we are.

Okay, great. So some of these items have been touched on by the previous gentleman presenting. You can see a Lot 19. So our main entrance will be through Upper Hill Drive parking lot and sales office. The parking lot itself will contain of three standard parking spaces, one ADA spot and then an accessible restroom.

We will provide an ADA compliant path of travel to the sales office, which as mentioned before will be located inside the garage of Lot 20. We have a building permits on this lot. There are no structural changes. All the walls will be partition walls. There's nothing changing as far as erosion control or the building of the

structure

itself. The actual sales office will contain of a storefront entry assembly that has been reviewed and approved by the building department. There will be a gallery space in the front and then two private offices or potential homebuyers to discuss with our sales team. And that's basically what this whole thing, this application is about. And we will be active.

We have 34 lots. We'll be active there hopefully less than the two years with the extension. But of course, that depends on how we help the sales market goes. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Are there any questions for the applicant about their proposal? Commissioner Wolvotny.

Thank you, Chair. So, just falling back on the question I had before and the point I made. So, there were some requirements relevant to improvements to the intersection on Highway 43. Without going back and going through, you know, other the other permit conditions. I just want to make sure that those requirements are still carrying through or did did previous owner provide funding for in for the improvements at the intersection or at least their share of those improvements?

We'd have to go back and look at the conditions of approval sheet. That was at Merrillhurst I believe it was, was the intersection which is now being built out with the

Actually it was further to the north. So I'd have to look at the map.

Yeah well we can I can follow-up with you and get you those details but all conditions of approval were met that's the reason they were allowed to record the plat and again now they're at the stage of constructing the home? So I can get you that information of how that condition was met.

Okay.

Any other questions for the applicant? K. I'm not seeing any, so we move on to public testimony. If you're signed up to testify during this hearing, please wait until called, and then state your name and city of residence for the record. If you have up to five minutes to speak. If have any written material or other evidence you'd like us to see, please make sure it is provided to staff. The staff will distribute it to members of the commission and the applicant as well as placed in the record. Do we have any speakers? Are you signed up

for tonight? Here to speak?

No. Don't

Okay. No. We do not have any

Okay. Members of the public. Thank you. So we have no public comment. Applicant has time for rebuttal even though there was no comment. Does the applicant have anything to add or for this presentation?

No. We have nothing to add. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. Okay. Now we move on to addressing requests for continuances. Do we have any requests for continuances? I'm not seeing any. Okay. So then let's go ahead. We can move on to any last any questions of staff now again. This application from the commission.

Okay. Alright. Then with that, I believe we can close the public hearing. So I'll now close the public hearing. Does any commissioner wish to comment or make a motion? As a reminder, we can make a motion to approve, a motion to approve with conditions, etcetera, or deny. Is there any discussions or anything y'all would like to talk about? I'd also be happy to have a motion from someone. Commissioner Wolbotany.

Thank you, chair. Without having my staff report pulled up here. Just a sec. Okay.

So

I will make a motion to approve with the conditions that are laid out in the staff report. Thank you. I don't think I have this. This will make it easier. So I have moved to approve MIS C twenty five zero four as presented and direct staff to prepare a final decision in order based on the findings in the 12/17/2025 hearing staff report. And I guess I will leave it at that.

Okay. We have a motion. Do we have a second? Whoever wants to second.

I second the motion. Good.

Alright. We have a motion and second. Any discussion or clarification on the motion? Seeing none, let's go ahead and call the vote. Commissioner Jones.

Approve. Yes. Aye. Sure.

Commissioner Kaczorowski. Aye. Commissioner Schulte Hiller. Aye. Commissioner Wattenberg.

Yes.

Vice chair Wabotney?

Aye. Yes.

And chair Metland?

Yes. Alright. The motion is passed. And so we'd like to thank all of you who have testified tonight. Your comments have been very helpful. If you'd like to appeal this decision to the city council, you must file an application with the community develop community development department within fourteen days of the signing of the final decision. So thank you all. Alright. With that, we'll move on in our agenda. Yes. Thank you. To our work session on the Planning Commission annual report. Assume I'm turning that over to you, Darren.

Alright. Thank you, Chairman Matlins. So as you will remember, back on December 3 brought forward a draft version of the annual report that the council asks all community advisory groups to submit at the end of the year. There were several comments made by the planning commissioners and suggested edits to the report and I have compiled those into an updated draft which I supplied to you in your packets. So just looking for any last adjustments to that or a thumbs up that it looks good and then I will get it sent off to council by the end of the year.

I will turn it over to any further additions or edits you might wanna make to it.

Does anyone have any further edits or comments about the annual report? K. I'm not seeing any.

Alright. I will take the draft stamp off of it and get it sent off to city council for their goal setting sessions.

Great. Thank you. Next agenda item, Planning Commission announcements. Does any commissioner have an announcement to make tonight? Okay. Then let's move to staff announcements.

Alright. Thank you again, Chair Metland. All right. So a few things. So we have our next meeting is scheduled for January 7, which is the first Wednesday in January of course.

At this point we are proposing to cancel that meeting. We have nothing ready for the Planning Commission at that time. So with the Planning Commission's blessing we would just cancel that first meeting in January. As far as the makeup of the Planning Commission, so Commissioner Schulte Hillen was reappointed by City Council to the Planning Commission, so congratulations. And we all know that commissioner or chair Mettlin is terming off this time and Elizabeth Dietz was appointed to the Planning Commission by council.

So we will have a new member at the second meeting in January. Commissioner Evans is going to continue on into the New Year. He will eventually resign from the Planning Commission when he sells his house and moves, but he's going to continue on into the New Year with us. As far as things coming up in the new year, we do have two conditional use permits that we anticipate will be before the Planning Commission probably in February or early March. So those would be the first big items that will come to the Planning Commission next year.

We also will need to elect a chair and a vice chair at the January 21 meeting. So something to give some thought to if anyone has interest in being the chair or the vice chair, reach out to staff and we can facilitate those conversations amongst the commissioners. And then my last item is big a thank you to Chair Mettlin for almost ten years of volunteer service on the Planning Commission. Also serving as Vice Chair for two of those years and the Chair for this year. I think I can speak for the community on this one that we really appreciate your measured approach to decision making that you've showed over the years.

It's always appreciated and from a staff perspective pleasure to work with you all these years and your presence and experience will be missed definitely. And I put together some fun facts just to wrap

up. That's great. Okay. Here you go.

So you you mentioned this a couple weeks ago, but your first meeting was the public hearing for the Chen Blanc 34 lot subdivision. And your last meeting is being on the sales office in the Chen Blanc Subdivision. So it bookends quite nicely. So I went back and looked and the planning commission has averaged about 18 meetings a year over your tenure. So that's about a 180 meetings you've attended.

How many years were Around a 180. There were about 60 quasi judicial hearings in that timeframe, 26 legislative public hearings where recommendations were made to the city council. And then many, many work sessions and briefing including large projects such as Vision 43, the Waterfront project, House Bill 2,001 code amendments, House Bill 2,003 zone changes. So you've been engaged in lot of meetings, a lot of decisions, and a lot of big projects. Again, congratulations on your tenure.

And with that said, we do have a certificate of appreciation signed by the mayor to give to you, and and I believe we have some cake and refreshments for everyone to enjoy. So do that, and then we can adjourn the meeting after the cake and refreshments.

We have to adjourn the meeting after the cake and refreshments. Oh, just joking. So far, it can be televised for everyone as the cake eating. Oh, I really appreciate it. Those are quite some facts. Even though we you didn't mention transportation system plan update. That was another big one. I really appreciated being on this commission and getting to know a lot of folks and our town differently. There's still properties that drive by, I'm like, oh, hey. I remember that one.

It's some random issue about a culvert or something. Right? It was was all the problem. Yeah. It's been interesting to see the balance between trying to move forward development that's beneficial, but also respect the the rights and needs of the people that are living in the vicinity or the the city.

It's it's we've done a pretty good job, I think, of finding balance along the way, that's in large part to the people that have volunteered their time to staff working with applicants. To all of the people that came in over those years and sometimes just packed this room and kept us here until, like, eleven at night, I really appreciated all of that. That was how democracy is supposed to work, and I'm very proud to have been a part of that and to have had, like, Gary here the whole time. He's still gonna be here after I'm gone. So I was like, there's just the institutional knowledge that gets passed on too has been really important.

Because there were times where we were like, why did anyone put this in the code? Right? And it's really helpful to have that context and have folks who stick with this work. So I appreciate you, Gary, and you all for your service. So thank you again. It's been great, and I appreciate it. With that, I will adjourn the meeting so that we can have cake. So this is the adjourning meeting at 06:35PM, and that's it for tonight. Thank you all.