ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION

HEARINGS BOARD

NOVEMBER 8, 2005

MINUTES

CALL TO ORDER – Commissioner Michael Dawkins called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. at the Ashland Civic Center, 1175 E. Main Street.

               Commissioners Present:   Michael Dawkins

                                                            Mike Morris

                                                            Allen Douma

               Council Liaison:                 Jack Hardesty, absent

               Staff Present:                      Maria Harris, Senior Planner

                                                            Derek Severson, Assistant Planner

                                                            Amy Anderson, Assistant Planner

                                                            Sue Yates, Executive Secretary

APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS

Douma/Dawkins m/s to approve the minutes of the October 11, 2005 Hearings Board.  The minutes were approved.

There were no findings.

TYPE I PLANNING ACTIONS

PLANNING ACTION:  2005-01496

SUBJECT PROPERTY: 640 Tolman Creek Road

OWNER/APPLICANT:  Kurt Brombacher/Batzer Inc.

DESCRIPTION:  Site Review approval for an office and warehouse addition to the rear of the building located at 640 Tolman Creek Rd.  The addition will be approximately 9,000 square feet in size, and used for warehouse and print production by the I.P.C.O. Printing Company.  An Administrative Variance to the Site Design and Use Standards is requested to expand an existing site and building without bringing an equal percentage of the site to comply with the Site Design and Use Standards (Standard II-C-1g).

This action was approved.

PLANNING ACTION:  2005-01704

SUBJECT PROPERTY: 145 East Main Street

OWNER/APPLICANT:  145 E Main Street LLC/Northwest Drafting & Design

DESCRIPTION:  Land Partition to divide a lot into two parcels for the property located at 145 East Main Street.

This action was approved.

TYPE II PUBLIC HEARINGS

PLANNING ACTION:  2005-01474

SUBJECT PROPERTY: 893 Hillview

OWNER/APPLICANT:  Medinger Construction Co.

DESCRIPTION: Request for a Land Partition to create a flag lot from the rear of the property located at 893 Hillview Dr.

Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts

Morris read the October and November packets and watched the video from the October meeting.  He had a brief conversation with Matt Warshawsky.  Morris is prepared to participate in the hearing and there were not objections from Dawkins or Douma.

Dawkins has gone by the property since his last site visit.

Douma visited the property last month.  He had no ex parte contacts.

Dawkins said the public hearing had been closed at the last meeting.  However, there were submittals turned in by the applicant at the beginning of this meeting, therefore Dawkins will re-open the public hearing. 

STAFF REPORT

Anderson showed the applicant’s original application, or Option 1.  She showed Options 2 and 3.   All options are outlined in the Staff Report Addendum dated November 8, 2005.  The direction the Hearings Board decides to take is dependent upon the direction the applicant wishes to take. 

Other issues raised at the last meeting requesting further information are as follows:

• Determination of Physical Constraints Review is dependent upon the classification on which the land is placed according to ALUO 18.62.050.  This lot is not regulated under that ordinance. 
• Ground water collection is not regulated by the local land use regulations but by the Oregon Building Code.  There has been no evidence of a private easement addressing the existing French drainage system submitted to Staff.  The Stormwater Master Plan does not identify issues with storm water collection in the vicinity of this property.
• ALUO Chapter 18.76.060 requires the partition to be in conformance with the Street Design Standards outlined in ALUO Chapter 18.88.  The generation of ten vehicle trips per day will not have a negative impact on traffic generation on Hillview Drive.

Harris said shortly before the meeting, the City’s Legal Department let the Planning Staff know that in their review of the materials, they do not believe that Option 3 is something the Hearings Board should consider.  They felt the interpretation and opinion they had given in their memo (included in packet) is the only choice the Hearings Board has in terms of reviewing the ordinance.  Staff recommends the Hearings Board not entertain Option 3 or discuss it and limit their review to Options 1 and 2.  The Legal Dept. has interpreted “front lot line” as requiring a Variance for having a lot width greater than its depth so the applicant would need to agree to continue the application and amend the application to include a Variance.  Or, Option 2 is not wider than it is deep. 

PUBLIC HEARING           

LARRY MEDINGER, 115 Fork Street, just heard about the communication from the Legal Dept.  He would be willing to continue the hearing in order to prepare further.  He’d like to come back with something as polished and workable as he could. 

After reviewing the video, Morris noted this is not the place to decide whether or not infill/density is right.  Medinger is close with his site plans.  Planning is not a science, it is an art. 

Medinger said he would prefer continuing this one more month.  He’ll bring another site plan and a Variance request.  He still thinks the best land use planning for this lot is Site Plan A.  Morris said he would prefer not to have to make a choice.  He would rather just see one application.

The Commissioners favored a continuance and leaving the hearing open.

Medinger said he would submit additional materials by November 23^rd. 

ADJOURNMENT– The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by

Susan Yates, Executive Secretary