HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-17-09 work sessionMeeting Notes
Planning Commission Work Session
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Marion Conference Room
The Planning Commission work session commenced at 6:00 p.m. in the Marion Conference
Room at City Hall.
Commissioners Present: Chair Davis, Drotning, Glad, Grenz, Lillehei, Pattee, and ex- officio
Bussler.
Staff Present: Planning Director Daryl Morey, Associate Planners Allyn Kuennen and Frank
Dempsey, and Planning Consultant Daniel Licht of NAC.
2009 Zoning Ordinance Update (Sections 23-37)
Chair Davis opened the work session.
Daniel Licht reviewed his September 11, 2009 memo. The Planning Commission made the
following comments:
1. Under Section 11- 26 -9.G, add "public" in front of "park- and -ride shelters and walkways"
as essential services that are exempt from the zoning district right -of -way setback
requirements.
2. Under Section 11- 29- 3.D.9, change "WECS under two hundred feet (200')" to "WECS
under one hundred seventy -five feet (175')" to be consistent with the maximum height
allowed under Section 11- 29- 3.D.1.a(2).
3. Under Section 11-29-5.C.1.a the proposed height of the roof mounted solar energy
system in relation to the pitch of the roof is too low for buildings in Minnesota. The
proposed regulation would also require specific staff knowledge of solar energy system
installation. Instead, the Planning Commission recommended that roof mounted solar
energy systems be regulated only to not exceed the building height requirements for the
respective zoning district.
4. Under Section 11- 30 -11: Accessory and Secondary Use Antennas, spell out "TVROs
5. Under Section 11- 30 -17, requested that City staff research adding more specific
language defining the requirement that an applicant provide a "coverage /interference
analysis and capacity analysis" to meet the spacing needs of the personal wireless
service system to provide adequate coverage for the entire city. When considering
applications for personal wireless antenna towers, the City should consider the potential
impacts of fewer, taller towers versus more, shorter towers.
6. Under Section 11- 32 -7.L, eliminate the 15 foot guest parking vehicle setback
requirement for home occupations and instead require that the guest parking vehicles
not block any sidewalk or trail.
Planning Commission Work Session
September 17, 2009
The Planning Commission reconsidered staff's recommendation, discussed at the July 23, 2009
work session, to allow electronic changeable copy signs only for City and School District
facilities in order to serve a community purpose. Chair Davis polled Planning Commission
members on this recommendation (because she was unable to attend tonight's work session,
Commissioner Adler e- mailed her position on this matter to staff prior to the work session). Five
of the Planning Commission members supported allowing electronic changeable copy signs to
serve a community purpose, however, two of the five Commission members are reluctant to
extend that allowance to School District facilities citing concern that every school could
potentially install an electronic changeable copy sign. Two Planning Commission members did
not support only the City and School Districts being allowed electronic changeable copy signs if
businesses were not given the same sign allowance.
The work session was adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
spectfully submitted,
Daryl 'rey, Plannin 'rector