ASHLAND TREE COMMISSION

MINUTES

May 3, 2007

CALL TO ORDER –Chair Laurie Sager called the Ashland Tree Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on May 3, 2007 in the Siskiyou Room in the Community Development and Engineering Services Building located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Siewert/Cruser m/s to approve the minutes of April 5, 2007. Voice vote:  all AYES, Motion passed.  The minutes of April 5, 2007 were approved as presented. 

PUBLIC FORUM

None present

PUBLIC HEARINGS

PLANNING ACTION: 2007-00578-Request for Site Review approval for an internal addition to add office space to an existing hangar building and the construction of a new building consisting of a commercial hangar and office space at the Ashland Municipal Airport at 443 and 455 Dead Indian Memorial Road. The request includes a Variance to the 20-foot height limitation within the Airport Overlay Zone in order to allow an approximate 24-foot building height, and an Administrative Variance to the Site Design and Use Standards’ to allow the proposed construction without required landscaping, parking lot landscaping, or parking lot trees due to the proximity to operating aircraft.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Airport; ZONING: E-1/Airport Overlay Zone; ASSESSOR’S MAP & TAX LOT: 39 1E 12 301, 307, 308, 309, 310, 312 and 39 1E 13B 2001.

Angela explained the Planning Action noting that the staff report states that the applicant shall install an equivalent amount of landscape material to that which would otherwise be required for the current proposal (or approximately 1,350 square feet of landscape material) elsewhere on the Airport property within twelve months of the date of this approval. 

Applicant Testimony – Joanne Krippaehne, Madrona Architecture was present to represent the applicant. Ms. Krippaehne explained that Mr. Brim has an aviation business at the airport occupying one hanger.  Mr. Brim leases the ground but does not own the building, the City of Ashland does. Mr. Brim has plans to build another building 8 feet away from the one he currently occupies.  There would be another 80 x 80 foot lease pad.  In his proposal he will be developing 22 parking spaces.  The reason they are asking for a variance from the parking lot standards is because the hanger faces onto aircraft taxi lanes and the notion is that putting any significant vegetation in the vicinity of operating aircraft presents a hazard to other aircraft and bystanders who might be on the ground in the vicinity.  They do not feel that area is an appropriate area for vegetation. 

The Commissioners discussed the Planning Action.  Sager suggested the applicant contribute to a fund to be used in the future for landscape installation and maintenance.  Rinaldi commended that sometimes the lease structure is that they might be contributing already to the landscaping. 

Siewert suggested that in the future when the City landscapes and plants trees that a much larger canopy tree like a Zelkova or trees that would shade asphalt should be encouraged.  Drought tolerant trees with a larger canopy that wouldn’t get hurt by the aircraft should be planted. Angela said her understanding is that the Airport Commission is working on overall planning for the airport.  Normally they would require landscaping so the potential to mitigate that requirement is appropriate.

Recommendation: 

1) That the applicant should contribute to a fund to be used toward future landscaping and should not be required to install landscaping elsewhere on the site as required by condition #2.

PLANNING ACTION: 2006-01787-Request for Site Review approval for a two-story, mixed-use building located at 479 Russell St., comprised of retail and office space on the ground floor and five residential units on the second floor. The proposed building is approximately 7,762 square feet in size. The property is located in the Detail Site Review Zone, and is also subject to the Large Scale Development Standards. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION:  Employment; ZONING: E-1; ASSESSOR’S MAP #: 39 1E 09 AA; TAX LOT: 2803.

Sager recused herself because her company is working on the project  at 479 Russell St. Siewert chaired the remainder of the meeting.

This item was continued from the April 2007 meeting to allow submittal of additional landscape details by the applicants. The public hearing will be reopened to allow testimony in response to the newly submitted materials. 

Applicant Testimony – Kerry KenCairn said that the previous landscape plan was already approved by the Tree Commission over a year ago.  The two revisions were landscaping to the parking lot area and added landscaping to the front along with revisions to the patio area. 

The Commissioners reviewed the changes and had no recommendations.

ACTION ITEMS

Type I Review Sign Up

June – Rinaldi, Cruser, Siewert

July – Siewert

August – Cruser

September – Cruser

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Heritage Tree Program –Siewert explained that the program is about identifying nice trees within the city and giving them a certain protection through the heritage tree program.  Once a home owner has a tree on the heritage tree list they have a certain obligation to keep the tree healthy.  The Commissioners felt the program should be more of an honor instead of an obligation. The Commissioners decided to work on a revision of the program and discuss it further next month when more of the Commissions are present.

Back Page Articles –Topics discussed were Proper Planting and Care of Trees, Spring interest trees and Bark Beetle kill. 

Revision of Street Tree Guide – Angela confirmed that the money for the revision of the Street Tree Guide comes out of the general fund.  Robbin Pearce, City of Ashland Water Conservation Auditor, would like to be on the committee that works on the revisions.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Liaison Reports – None

New Business – Welcomed John Rinaldi Jr. to the Commission.

Current Balance – $4.35

Education and Outreach – Siewert and Collin did a tree walk last Saturday.  Only one person attended.  Siewert recommended that the next tree walk should go back to the Railroad Park.

Earth Day – Had a very good turn out in spite of the cold windy weather. 

ADJOURNMENT - Commissioner Siewert adjourned the meeting at 8:09 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener, Account Clerk