Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting

Meeting Agenda

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Meeting Minutes

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING
CITY OF BALLWIN – 300 PARK DRIVE
March 7, 2011

The meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission was called to order by Chairman Michael Wind at 7:00 p.m.  Members in attendance were:
 
PRESENT                                                                        ABSENT
Chairman Michael Wind                                Commissioner Pat Apel
Secretary Frank Karr                                       Commissioner Mark Weaver
Commissioner John Schwent 
Commissioner Sue Theodore 
Commissioner Mike Utt 
Commissioner Chris Wright 
Alderman Frank Fleming 
Mayor Tim Pogue  
Assistant City Administrator Thomas Aiken 
City Engineer Gary Kramer 
Acting City Attorney Robert C. Jones 

Approval of Minutes

A motion was made by Secretary Karr and seconded by Commissioner Utt to approve the minutes of the February 7, 2011 meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission as submitted.  The motion received un-animous approval from the Commission members present. 

Z 10-09 – Zoning Change (Add Manchester Road Revitalization Overlay Zoning)
 Fifth Third Bank, 15200 Manchester Rd, Ballwin MO  63011
 Petitioner:  Ms. Pam Holmes, Fifth Third Bank, 503 Richley Drive, Chesterfield MO  63017 

Brian Nickus of Arcvision addressed the Commission, requesting approval for the proposed development.  Mr. Nickus said the petitioner will comply with all the recommendations in the petition review report. 

Alderman Fleming asked City Planner Aiken about the need for the petitioner to go to the Board of Ad-justment for a variance on the queuing lanes for the drive-through.  Mr. Aiken said the MRD requires 15 stacking spaces for a drive-through window, but doesn’t address the situation of having multiple win-dows.  It requires 15 stacking spaces for each window.

The traffic study provided by Crawford, Murphy & Tilly included an analysis of the petitioner’s queuing needs for the drive-through lanes.  The maximum queue length that is expected to occur is 4-5 vehicles on a busy Saturday morning at each of the five drive-through spaces.  City Planner Aiken said he does not dispute this analysis; however, the ordinance does not give the Planning & Zoning Commission the au-thority to waive the 15 required spaces.  If the Commission is inclined to recommend approval of the peti-tion to the Board of Aldermen, it can do so, subject to approval of a variance from the Board of Adjust-ment.

Chairman Wind said he doesn’t feel that queuing will be an issue.  He has not observed it to be a problem at other facilities, and said that many people do their banking online.  Mr. Wind said that he wants to make sure that the interior security issues discussed in the petition review report are resolved before any construction takes place. 

Mayor Pogue asked if the MRD can be utilized to allow the waiver of the queuing requirements.  City Planner Aiken said the MRD can be used to waive the regulations of the underlying district, but does not grant the authority to waive its own provisions.  However, if the Planning & Zoning Commission chooses to interpret the MRD regulations differently, Mr. Aiken said that he is not in a position to challenge that interpretation.  The traffic study supports less queuing needs.

Chairman Wind asked if there are plans to construct a cross-access easement connecting to the McDo-nald’s parking lot at this time.   Mr. Nickus said that it will be constructed.  Secretary Karr suggested con-structing a sidewalk along the south edge of the parking lot from Old Ballwin Road to the McDonald’s.  This would work towards fulfilling the Great Streets program.  The petitioner agreed to construct the si-dewalk at the rear of the property.

Commissioner Schwent noted that the current curb cuts onto Old Ballwin Road are such that cars scrape their bumpers entering and exiting the property.  Will the site be graded to eliminate this problem?  Mr. Nickus said that the property will be regraded and repaved, which will correct this issue.

Chairman Wind opened the public hearing and asked there were any opponents who wished to speak in opposition to Petition Z 10-09.  There were none.  Chairman Wind asked if there were any proponents wishing to speak in favor of the petition.  There were none, and Chairman Wind declared the public hear-ing closed.

Chairman Wind made a motion to recommend approval of petition Z 10-09 to the Board of Aldermen, provided the petitioner comply with the petition review report recommendations, obtain a variance to the queuing requirements, and construct a sidewalk at the rear of the property from Old Ballwin Road to the McDonald’s parking lot.  Commissioner Utt seconded the motion, which received unanimous approval from the Commission members present.

Z 10-08 – Zoning Change (Add Manchester Road Revitalization Overlay Zoning)
 SUB 10-05 – Subdivision
 CAP Carpet Consolidation Sub., 14932-14940 Manchester Rd, Ballwin MO  63011
Petitioner:  Mr. Richard J. Bloomer, CAP Carpet Inc, 535 S. Emerson St., Wichita KS 67209

The petitioner was not in attendance.  Per the petitioner’s request in the form of a letter to the Planning & Zoning Commission, Chairman Wind made a motion to table petition Z 10-08 until the April 4, 2011 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and to hold the public hearing open.  Mayor Pogue seconded the motion, which received unanimous approval from the Commission members present.

Chairman Wind made a motion to table petition SUB 10-05 until the April 4, 2011 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and to hold the public hearing open.  Mayor Pogue seconded the motion, which received unanimous approval from the Commission members present.

Other Business

Chairman Wind asked about the status of the Schnucks development.  City Planner Aiken said that City Administrator Bob Kuntz received a call from Schnucks, indicating that roadway plans have been submit-ted to MoDOT.  Mr. Aiken said that Schnucks is also proceeding with plans to remodel the existing store on Manchester Road in Ballwin Plaza. 

Chairman Wind said he attended a meeting held at the request of the representatives for CAP Carpet, as well as  City Planner Aiken, Secretary Karr, and two aldermen.   The petitioner has redesigned the build-ing to keep it in line with financial restrictions, and this revised drawing will be presented to the Commis-sion at the April 4, 2011 meeting.  While the property owners to the east are still working with the peti-tioner on a cross-access easement, Schrader Funeral Home is not interested in participating in cross-access to the proposed development. 

Chairman Wind noted that the Commission members had received a draft copy of the Great Streets Plan.  Larger maps will be provided at the April 4, 2011 meeting, showing all five cities along the Manchester Road corridor.  City Planner Aiken encouraged the Planning & Zoning Commission to look at the eco-nomic development section, and to keep the entire Great Streets Plan in mind when petitions come before the Commission. 

Commissioner Utt asked if Rothman Furniture has been contacted in regards to moving elsewhere in Ballwin.  City Planner Aiken said that agents for several property owners in the city have done so. 

Chairman Wind asked if the City of Ballwin has considered hiring an economic development coordinator.  Alderman Fleming said it has been brought up, but hasn’t had serious discussion.  Mr. Fleming said he would be in favor of having that position.  Mayor Pogue noted that City Administrator Kuntz does quite a bit of that work.  Alderman Fleming said that Mr. Kuntz does it as he has time; he would like to see a staff person dedicated to that task. 

Mayor Pogue asked City Planner Aiken if the St. Louis County Planning Workshop on Sustainable Ener-gy Efficient Zoning is something that the Planning & Zoning Commission members would benefit from.  Mr. Aiken said he would look into it.

Alderman Fleming asked Mr. Aiken if there are items in the MRD that need to be revisited by the Com-mission, such as the two-story mixed use requirement.  Rather than having true mixed-use developments, petitioners are proposing one-story buildings that look like two-story buildings.  Maybe having true mixed-use isn’t feasible. 

Adjournment

A motion was made by Secretary Karr and seconded by Mayor Pogue to adjourn the meeting.  The mo-tion received unanimous approval, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Michael Wind, Chairman
Planning & Zoning Commission