ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION
HEARINGS BOARD
MINUTES
JUNE 8, 2004
I. | CALL TO ORDER Dave Dotterrer called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. at Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street, Ashland, Oregon.
*KenCairn left the meeting after the first Type II hearing. |
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II. | APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS The Minutes and Findings will be adopted at the Regular Meeting. |
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III. | TYPE I PLANNING ACTIONS PLANNING ACTION 2004-070 REQUEST FOR A LAND PARTITION TO DIVIDE THE PROPERTY AT 363 HELMAN STREET INTO THREE PARCELS. APPLICANT: MARK SILBERSTEIN This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-071 This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-072 This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-062 This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-078 This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-081 This action was approved.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-074 This action was approved. |
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IV. | TYPE II PLANNING ACTIONS PLANNING ACTION 2004-052 REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND SITE REVIEW TO CONVERT A PORTION OF THE EXISTING RESIDENCE AT 904 GARDEN WAY INTO AN ACCESSORY RESIDENTIAL UNIT. APPLICANT: DENNIS GRAY AND JANE CORY-VANDYKE Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts - Site visits were made by Dotterrer and KenCairn.
STAFF REPORT
PUBLIC HEARING JEAN CRAWFORD, 923 Harmony Lane, believes this area is unsuitable for accessory units. Most homes have one car garages. Most of the garages have been converted into living spaces. Often a unit comes with two to four vehicles. She is concerned about traffic and parking impacts as well as limited privacy and no open space. GWEN DAVIES, 860 Harmony Lane, read a statement in opposition. She referred to the R-1 definition and described their neighborhood. There are no sidewalks, as well as additional parking pressures and traffic congestion. There are children at play, erosion of the family atmosphere with the increase in the number of accessory residential units. Ken Cairn explained that part of the purpose of the CUP for an accessory residential unit has been to allow aging parents to live on the same property under the care of their adult children. By denying the CUP, we might never allow parents to live on the same property as their children. Davies said she would support a family arrangement. Knox said what dictates the use of the accessory unit is the size. The proposal is for 475 square feet. This is a one person space. JOAN BALLINGER, 911 Harmony Lane, concurred with Davies' remarks. She is opposed to the application. She has college students living next door to her. The problems she has had relate to noise and the tenant's disorderly conduct. The neighborhood has changed and it is not a positive change. There is no more room on Harmony Lane for cars. She is concerned about landlord accountability. CHRIS ROBINSON, 891 Garden Way, read comments from the letter he submitted urging denial of the application. KAREN FIEGUTH, 850 Garden Way, submitted photos and read a letter in opposition. JOANNE COSTANTINO, 892 Harmony Lane, asked why the construction on the proposed property was almost finished before they received notice. It's different if you own the house and live there versus the owner living off-site. She read a letter from PATTY KNAPP, 902 Harmony Lane. JANIE BROWN, 932 Garden Way, said there is not enough room for parking on the street. She is concerned about more traffic, speeding cars and more residents in the neighborhood. LYNN COSTANTINO, 904 Harmony Lane, feels the Planning Commission has a right to put certain conditions on this action. He is not opposed to accessory units. This is going to be a duplex that is non-owner occupied. He would like to see a limit to the number of people able to live in a house. It is unrealistic to believe only one person will live in 475 square feet. The unit deserves a front door entrance. They should have a rule they can't have entrance less than six feet from the property line. A landlord should have to pay a license fee for the CUP of $250 to $300 a year and have an annual inspection. The money generated can be put into affordable housing. There should be a limit on the number of accessory residential units in a neighborhood. Harris added a potential new Condition. Staff believes the second parking space is accessible as shown, but it would be better to reconfigure it so the driveway apron is centered so both parking spaces are accessible. That also achieves the required 48 feet of frontage for an off-street parking credit. Reid said she is agreeable.
Rebuttal
COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION AND MOTION Briggs felt the criteria have been met, however, she felt the applicants need to be in full compliance with the parking requirements. Harris said by changing the driveway apron to the middle, the applicants would have three off-street parking spaces, thereby meeting the requirement. Harris understood the addition (closing of the garage) was done in the 1970's and has been in place. She checked on the number of approved accessory residential units on Harmony Lane, Garden Way, Sunset and Ross Lane. There is only one on file that has been approved. If there are second units out there, they have not gone through the City's approval process. A Condition has been added that they sign in favor of a Local Improvement District (LID) for sidewalks on Garden Way. Briggs/KenCairn m/s to approve PA2004-052 with the attached Conditions. Add Condition 13 that the driveway apron shall be reconfigured and centered to provide access to both off-street parking spaces and to provide the adjacent 48 lineal feet of street frontage necessary for one off-street parking credit. The driveway apron shall be submitted for review and approval prior to installation. A permit for work in the street right-of-way shall be obtained from the Ashland Engineering Division prior to installation. Dotterrer said he is opposed to the application based on the following Conditional Use Permit criteria: The Conditional Use will have no greater adverse material effect on the livability of the impact area when compared to the development of the subject lot with the target use of the zone. He sees this as a single family residential area and he believes single family areas should be left single family areas. Roll Call Vote: Briggs, KenCairn , YES. Dotterrer NO. Motion passed. KenCairn left the meeting.
PLANNING ACTION 2004-058
STAFF REPORT
PUBLIC HEARING LUCY EDWARDS, 1130 Tolman Creek Road, expressed her concern for the larger houses going up in the neighborhood with the footprint being filled in. She would rather see the parcel divided into only two lots. If we are going to triple the density, she is concerned about safety as there are no curbs, gutters or sidewalks along Tolman Creek Road and no traffic signal at the corner of Tolman Creek Road and Siskiyou. She would like to see the impacts diminished. DEBRA NEISEWANDER, 1159 Tolman Creek Road discussed her concerns regarding congestion, traffic and density. The thought of two large homes built on each lot is overwhelming. HOLLY FREEMAN, 1215 Tolman Creek Road, stated that upper Tolman has a more rural feeing. The building of their neighbor's home last year completely changed their lifestyle. It looms over her back yard and she has no privacy. The approval of this application will further diminish the privacy of the neighborhood. Paving of Black Oak will diminish the rural feel.
Rebuttal Mary Jacobson said eliminating a driveway should cut down on traffic congestion. One of their conditions of approval is to install sidewalks.
COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION AND MOTION |
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V. | ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. |
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