Planning Commission Zoning Public Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission convened via video teleconference on June 24, 2021, at 1:30 PM, with Larry Forester presiding as the meeting chair. The commission addressed seven agenda items during the session, covering routine administrative matters, zoning issues, and public hearings on zoning ordinance text amendments.

The meeting proceeded through standard procedural items including the approval of minutes from previous meetings and updates on postponements and withdrawals of pending cases. The commission conducted public hearings on proposed zoning ordinance text amendments, which were ultimately approved following deliberation. Additional time was allocated for zoning items, commission business, and staff reports to keep members informed of ongoing planning and development matters.

Throughout the session, the commission took eight formal votes on various matters before them. No members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment periods. The meeting format utilized video teleconferencing technology, reflecting continued adaptations to remote participation protocols during this period.

Attendance

The meeting on June 24, 2021 had full attendance with all 11 members present. No members were absent from the session.

Present: • Larry Forester • Ivy Barksdale • Headley Bell • Zach Davis • Anthony de Movellan • Janice Meyer • Bruce Nicol • Frank Penn • Carolyn Plumlee • Graham Pohl • Bill Wilson

Absent: None

Late Arrivals: • Graham Pohl • Carolyn Plumlee • Ivy Barksdale

Three members arrived late to the meeting, though all eventually participated in the proceedings. The remaining eight members were present at the scheduled start time.

Votes and Decisions

The commission took action on eight items during the meeting, with most receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support.

PLN-MAR-18-00023 3:00: Frank Penn motioned to postpone the LATA, LLC zoning map amendment to July 22, 2021, seconded by Anthony de Movellan. The motion passed by voice vote with 9 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

PLN-MAR-21-00005 55:00: Headley Bell motioned to approve the Fountains at Palomar zoning map amendment, seconded by Graham Pohl. The motion passed by voice vote with 9 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 abstention.

PLN-MJDP-21-00020 56:00: Headley Bell motioned to approve the Hoover & Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association Property development plan, seconded by Graham Pohl. The motion passed by voice vote with 9 ayes, 0 nays, and 2 abstentions.

PLN-MAR-21-00007 1:20:00: Bill Wilson motioned to approve the WEK JR. Investments, LLC zoning map amendment, seconded by Zach Davis. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote with 11 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

PLN-MJDP-21-00026 1:22:00: Bill Wilson motioned to approve the Valley Park development plan, seconded by Zach Davis. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote with 11 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions, with the condition to resolve dumpster location at final development plan.

Variances for WEK JR. Investments, LLC 1:24:00: Bill Wilson motioned to approve variances for WEK JR. Investments, LLC, seconded by Zach Davis. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote with 11 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

PLN-ZOTA-21-00003 1:40:00: Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve amendments to Article 6-1 and Article 21-4 regarding Traffic Impact Studies, seconded by Ivy Barksdale. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote with 11 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

BOAR 2021-2 2:00:00: Frank Penn motioned to postpone the Jessica and Gary Houck appeal to July 8, 2021, seconded by Graham Pohl. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote with 11 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

Appointments

The council addressed two resignations from the Urban County Planning Commission during the meeting.

• Carolyn Plumlee resigned from the Urban County Planning Commission
• Bill Wilson resigned from the Urban County Planning Commission

Both resignations were acknowledged by the council, resulting in two vacant positions on the Urban County Planning Commission that will need to be filled through the standard appointment process.

Call to Order

0:00 Chair Larry Forester called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. via video teleconference on June 24, 2021.

The meeting was conducted remotely using video teleconference technology, reflecting the continued use of virtual meeting formats during this period. Chair Forester presided over the proceedings as the meeting commenced at the scheduled time.

Approval of Minutes

1:00

The board considered approval of the minutes from the May 27, 2021 meeting as agenda item II.

Key speakers during this discussion included Anthony de Movellan and Bill Wilson, who addressed the minutes review process.

The minutes from the previous meeting held on May 27, 2021 were presented to the board for formal approval. Following the discussion, the board voted to approve the minutes as presented.

Outcome: The minutes of the May 27, 2021 meeting were approved.

Postponements and Withdrawals

3:00

The meeting addressed requests for postponement and withdrawal of various agenda items. Bruce Simpson presented information regarding these requests during this portion of the proceedings.

The primary matter discussed was a postponement request for LATA, LLC's zoning map amendment. This item was among those being considered for deferral to a future meeting date.

The discussion served an informational purpose, allowing the board to review and acknowledge the various requests for postponements and withdrawals that had been submitted. This agenda item is typically used to formally recognize when applicants or staff request to delay consideration of specific matters or when items need to be removed from the current meeting's schedule.

No formal action was required on this agenda item, as it functioned as a procedural update to inform attendees about changes to the meeting schedule and which items would not be heard as originally planned.

Zoning Items

55:00

The commission reviewed several zoning-related matters during this agenda item, with presentations and discussion led by key speakers Hal Baillie and Tom Martin.

The discussion covered two main categories of zoning matters:

• Zoning Map Amendments - The commission examined proposed changes to the official zoning map, including specific properties and districts requiring rezoning consideration.

• Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments - Review of proposed modifications to the text of existing zoning ordinances that would affect development standards and regulations.

Two specific projects were highlighted during the discussion:

• Fountains at Palomar - This development project was presented for zoning consideration, though specific details about the proposed amendments were not detailed in the available materials.

• WEK JR. Investments, LLC - Another development matter requiring zoning review, with this entity seeking amendments related to their proposed project.

Hal Baillie and Tom Martin provided technical presentations and analysis of the zoning matters, walking the commission through the various amendments under consideration. The discussion appeared to focus on the procedural aspects of the zoning review process and the specific requirements for each proposed amendment.

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal votes or decisions made during this portion of the meeting. The commission used this time to review the technical details of the proposed zoning changes and discuss any preliminary concerns or questions about the amendments before they would proceed to formal consideration at future meetings.

The zoning review process allows the commission to ensure that proposed developments and ordinance changes align with the community's planning goals and regulatory framework.

Public Hearings on Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments

1:40:00

The council conducted a public hearing on agenda item C, which addressed a petition for zoning ordinance text amendments to Articles 6-1 and 21-4. The proposed changes were designed to simplify and modernize regulations related to Traffic Impact Studies.

Jimmy Emmons served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the details of the proposed text amendments to the council and public attendees.

The petition focused on updating existing zoning ordinance language to make Traffic Impact Study requirements more streamlined and current with modern planning practices. The amendments targeted specific sections within Articles 6-1 and 21-4 of the zoning ordinance.

Following the presentation and public hearing process, the council voted to approve the zoning ordinance text amendments. The approval will result in updated regulations that are intended to be more user-friendly while maintaining appropriate oversight of traffic impact assessments for development projects.

The successful passage of these amendments represents an effort to modernize the municipality's zoning code and improve the efficiency of the development review process, particularly as it relates to traffic studies required for various types of development projects.

Commission Items

2:00:00

Chair Larry Forester opened the Commission Items portion of the meeting, announcing that any item a Commission member would like to present would be heard at this time.

No Commission members brought forward any items for discussion during this portion of the meeting. The agenda item served as an opportunity for commissioners to raise additional matters not covered elsewhere on the agenda, but no such items were presented.

This was an informational item with no action taken.

Staff Items

2:10:00

Staff presented updates on various planning activities during this informational agenda item. Jim Duncan served as the primary speaker for the staff presentation.

The staff report covered ongoing planning initiatives, with particular focus on:

• Long-range planning activities currently underway
• Proposed zoning ordinance text amendments under consideration

This agenda item was designated as informational, meaning no formal action was taken by the governing body. The presentation served to keep officials updated on the status of various planning department initiatives and upcoming regulatory changes.

The staff updates provided transparency on the planning department's ongoing work and allowed for any questions or clarification from board members regarding current planning activities and proposed ordinance modifications.