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PH Minutes 2019-09-03 PRATTVILLE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER: The Prattville City Council met in public hearing on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Council President Striplin called the meeting to order. Roll was called and all were recorded as being present. 1. RESOLUTION: To Authorize the Mayor to have Various Weeded Lots Abated per Title 11, Chapter 67 of the Code of Alabama, 1975, as Amended. (Sponsored By: Councilor Starnes) No one was present to speak for or in opposition of the resolution. 2. ORDINANCE: To Adopt Proposed Amendments to the City of Prattville Code of Ordinances, Appendix A-Zoning, Article 1, Section 10; Article 6, Sections 68, 69.1, 69.2, and 69.3; Article 7, Sections 71 and 76. (Sponsored By: Council President Striplin) HELD FROM JULY 16, 2019 No one was present to speak for this ordinance. Dr. Jerry Cimis, 141 Chestnut Street, Spoke in opposition to this ordinance. Dr. Cimis provided the City Clerk with a handout containing the comments he made on this item. That handout has been attached and made part of the official record. 3. ORDINANCE: To Zone Property Located at 1324 Upper Kingston Road to R-5 (Patio Garden Homes) (Petitioner: James B. Marshall, Jr.) (Owner: Randall & Martha Doyle) (Representative: Larry E. Speaks and Associates, Inc.). (Sponsored By: Councilor Jackson) HELD FROM AUGUST 6, 2019 Greg Gillian, Larry Speaks and Associates, explained that the petitioner is requesting this property to be pre-zoned. There will be a detention pond as a buffer between this development and existing homes. City Planner Scott Stephens added that once the zoning is approved the petitioner will have 180 days to annex the property into the city limits. The following individuals spoke in opposition to this ordinance: Jon Lee Finnegan, 211 Deer Trace. Ms. Finnegan is opposed to the Dawson’s Mill Phase IV R-5 Zoning request. This was originally advertised as a request to zone the property as PUD, but was changed to a recommendation for R-5 during a Planning Commission meeting. Ms. Finnegan asked that the Council amend the ordinance to rezone this property as R-3 (Single Family Residential). Rezoning this property to R-5 or PUD would have adverse effects on the surrounding home owners’ property values and worsen the traffic congestion in the area. Janet Stinson, Jamestown Drive. Mrs. Stinson concurred with Ms. Finnegan’s points. Councilor Starnes asked Mrs. Stinson if she was against patio homes or homes in general being built in this area. Mrs. Stinson answered that she was against the proposed number of patio homes. Randall Hunt, 1331 Crows Pass. Mr. Hunt stated that the R-5 zoning it is not consistent with the area. The City should ask the developer to construct sidewalks and bike lanes to allow students safe travel to and from the school. Councilor Starnes asked Mr. Hunt if he was against patio homes or homes in general and Mr. Hunt responded that he was against the proposed number of patio homes. Robert McGonagle, 1326 Kingston Oaks. Mr. McGonagle expressed his concern for the decrease in property value of surrounding homes and increased traffic in the area if this ordinance is approved. Students already use the neighborhood as a cut through to get to the high school and this zoning would only worsen that issue. Mr. McGonagle is against the proposed number of patio homes. Jonathan Easterling, 1548 Upper Kingston Road. The roads are not able to handle more traffic and there is already an issue with students speeding. The proposed number of homes is too many for this area. The lack of sidewalks will be a safety issue for students. Councilor Starnes asked Mr. Easterling if he was against any new housing and Mr. Easterling answered yes. Wilson Bryant, 1310 Crows Pass. Mr. Bryant is against any new housing in the area. There are too many wrecks in the area. Pam Bryant, 1310 Crows Pass. Mrs. Bryant is opposed to R-5 and R-3 zoning in this area. Mrs. Bryant echoed the comments of Ms. Finnegan and Mr. Hunt. The safety of children and citizens walking in the area is a concern for her. If more homes are going to built the infrastructure needs to be improved to handle additional traffic. Councilor Starnes asked Mrs. Bryant if she was against patio homes or homes in general and Mrs. Bryant answered that she is against the proposed number of homes and patio homes. Dr. Jerry Cimis, 141 Chestnut Street. Dr. Cimis stated that he was speaking on behalf of a neighbor that could not make it to the meeting tonight. The concerns mentioned were whether or not the Planning Commission followed the process for this zoning correctly. Dr. Cimis also noted that the R-5 zoning conflicts with former City Planner Joel Duke’s staff report. R-3 is a more consistent zoning for this area. Dr. Cimis doesn’t believe the Planning Commission properly advertised the public notice for this item and therefore the entire process should start over. Councilor Starnes asked Dr. Cimis if the Council were to amend the zoning in this ordinance, would it then need to go back to the Planning Commission. Dr. Cimis responded that it would either need to go back to the Planning Commission or that the Planning Commission would have to change its bylaws which sets out the advertising requirements. Greg Gillian, Larry Speaks and Associates, stated that the main entrance would be off of Moses Road. The percentage of residents that will be traveling towards the high school from this development is small. Council Cables asked Mr. Gillian what the size of the lots would be and Mr. Gillian responded that there would be a blend of lots with 60ft, 50ft and 45ft lot frontage. They are considering lots with 47ft lot frontage currently and that number may go up. Councilor Strichik asked Mr. Gillian if there were any plans to incorporate sidewalks or greenspace into this development and Mr. Gillian responded there will be sidewalks throughout the subdivision and that the detention pond is considered greenspace. Councilor Boone asked how many bedrooms would the homes in this development have and Mr. Gillian responded that they would be 2 – 3 bedrooms. Councilor Cables asked why the developer did not request R-3 instead of R-5 and Mr. Gillian responded that the developer does not sell homes with over 60ft lot frontage. Council President Striplin pointed out that there did not seem to be much room for right-of-way on Moses Road and Mr. Gillian responded that is correct and that they have dedicated a 10ft strip of right-of-way for future improvements along Moses Road. Councilor Strichik asked City Engineer Robby Anderson to comment on the traffic concerns. Mr. Anderson stated that its obvious the Prattville High School is a huge traffic generator and pointed out that Moses Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Road are county roads. Adding homes in the area will increase traffic, but the difference in the traffic increase between R-5 and R-3 would be minimal. A majority of the traffic would go towards the interstate, not the high school. If the Council approves a development of 60 new homes anywhere in the City, you could expect a 15% increase in trips towards the high school. Councilor Cables asked Planning Director Scott Stephens why his staff recommended R-5 opposed to PUD. Mr. Stephens responded that the application submitted by the petitioner did not request the flexibility that is characteristic of a PUD zoning. Councilor Cables asked City Engineer Robby Anderson if it were possible for the City to add sidewalks on Moses Road and Mr. Anderson responded that if the Council so desired that it would be looked into. Councilor Starnes asked why the Planning Department staff did not recommend R-3 and Mr. Stephens responded that they felt the R-5 recommendation was reasonable because the existing development that is zoned PUD has extremely similar uses to R-5. Councilor Starnes requested a show of hands from the audience if opposed to this rezoning. 4. ORDINANCE: To Rezone Property Located at 2091 Fairview Avenue from FAR (Forest, Agricultural, Recreation to B-4 (Highway Commercial) (Petitioner: Long –Lewis of the River Region, Inc.) (Representative: Professional Engineering Consultants). (Sponsored By: Council President Pro Tempore Brown) HELD FROM AUGUST 6, 2019 No one was present to speak for or in opposition of the resolution. 5. ORDINANCE: To Zone Property Located in the Glennbrooke Subdivision (Plats 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E & 4A-Partial) as R-3 (Single Family Residential) (Petitioner: City of Prattville). (Sponsored By: Council President Pro Tempore Brown) HELD FROM AUGUST 6, 2019 City Planner Scott Stephens explained that this is another one of the properties annexed into the City by local legislative act and the City wishes to establish the zoning of said property. ADJOURN: There being no further comments, Council President Striplin closed the Public Hearing at 6:45 p.m. APPROVED: ___________________________ Cathy Dickerson City Clerk ___________________________ Albert Striplin, President Prattville City Council SUBMITTED BY: ___________________________ Jamie-Lynn Clayton Assistant City Clerk