PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
MINUTES

12425 W. BELL ROAD, SUITE D-100
SURPRISE AZ 85374
REGULAR MEETING
March 20, 2001
7:00 P.M.

Commissioner Bails was elected by the attending commissioners to serve as acting Chairman.

Acting Chairman Bails called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioner Martha Bails, Commissioner Bob Gonzales, Commissioner Dan Morris, Commissioner Tony Segarra.

STAFF PRESENT: Interim Director of Community Development John Guenther, Deputy City Attorney Ted Mariscal, Senior Planner Scott Phillips, Planner Desmond McGeough, Planner Jim Atkins, Planner Grant Penland, Administrative Assistant Jenifer O’Melia.

Minutes of the March 6, 2001 regular meeting were approved.

A-1. Public Hearing – Application CUP00-169
Floyd Ervin on behalf of Hicks Investments Unlimited, property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Conditional Use Permit for a mini-storage facility located at 15701 N. Reems Road. (Surprise Mini-Storage)

Planner Atkins made a presentation for Application CUP00-169.

Commissioner Segarra had concerns with items 12 and 13 on the staff report. He also had a concern with the north gate and wanted the gate to slide sideways to help with emergency vehicles entering the property. He added this as stipulation "k."

Planner Atkins stated that item 13 should be deleted.

SPEAKER: Don Kramer 707 W. Missouri Ave., stated that he will change the gate to slide sideways.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know how the 2020 General Plan will overlay this project in terms of land usage.

Planner Atkins stated that the 2020 General Plan shows this site as low density residential.

Commissioner Morris stated he felt this was not a neighbor friendly project, and he objects to this project.

Acting Commissioner Bails opened the hearing to the public.

SPEAKER: Peter Yachimski of CRA entitlements 5070 N. 40^th St. stated that he is one of the project managers on the Orchards project, and he read a letter into the record. (Please see attachment)

SPEAKER: Don Kramer read a letter into the record from Radiant Church, which is a neighbor of this project. (Please see attachment)

Commissioner Bails closed the hearing to the public.

Commissioner Morris had concerns with the retention area in regards to where it is, if it has been approved, and what it looks like.

SPEAKER: Don Kramer stated that the retention plans have been submitted to the Engineering Department.

Acting Chairman Bails stated that item 16 in the staff report states that per the Engineering Department there are no problems with the retention area.

SPEAKER: Floyd Irvin property owner, stated he had sent a letter and pictures for the commissioners to show the landscaping.

Councilman Roy Villanueva had a concern with a special stipulation in regards to the 12-inch water line.

Planner Atkins replied that Rich Williams of Water Service Department included this stipulation.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know what, if any development of curbing and sidewalks was the applicant going to do.

Planner Atkins stated that the applicant has not included any sidewalks, and there are no plans for improvements.

A-2. Consideration and action on Application CUP00-169
Floyd Ervin on behalf of Hicks Investments Unlimited, property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Conditional Use Permit for a mini-storage facility. (Staff Recommendation - Approval)

Commissioner Morris made a motion to deny the application.

There was no second on this motion.

SPEAKER: Don Kramer read a letter into the record from the City of Surprise Engineering Department. (Please see attachment)

Commissioner Morris made a motion to table this application until April 17, 2001. Commissioner Segarra seconded the motion.

B-1. Public Hearing – Application PP01-08
Richard Schwartz of Stanley Consultants, Inc. on behalf of Del Webb Home Construction Inc., property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Preliminary Plat for a subdivision to be known as Sun City Grand – Park Place, located on the northeast corner of Mountain View Dr. and Sunrise Blvd.  (Sun City Grand – Park Place)

Planner McGeough made a presentation for Application PP01-08.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know what the exception parcel is and what is actually on the land. He is concerned with the setbacks on the property.

Planner McGeough stated that the exceptional parcel is vacant and zoned C-2. He stated the city code will have to be maintained when a building is put on the exception parcel.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know if there is a perimeter wall on the property line.

SPEAKER: Tom Cheney of Del Webb 14780 W. Mountain View Blvd., replied there is a six-foot masonry wall proposed along the property line.

Acting Chairman Bails opened the hearing to the public. There were no questions or comments from the public. Acting Chairman Bails closed the hearing to the public.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know if the trail system throughout Sun City Grand was going to continue through this subdivision. He also wanted to know what sort of activities the ballpark is going to have, and if it’s going to be lighted.

SPEAKER: Tom Cheney stated that this was not going to be part of the trail system. He stated the ballpark will not be lighted.

Commissioner Gonzales wanted to know if there was going to be landscaping on the Grand Avenue side of the wall.

SPEAKER: Tom Cheney replied the landscaping will be continued to coincide with the rest of the landscaping around the perimeter wall.

B-2. Consideration and action on Application PP01-08
Richard Schwartz of Stanley Consultants, Inc. on behalf of Del Webb Home Construction Inc., property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Preliminary Plat for a subdivision to be known as Sun City Grand – Park Place. (Staff Recommendation - Approval)

Commissioner Morris made a motion to approve Application PP01-08, subject to stipulations a – I attached hereto as Exhibit A. Commissioner Gonzales seconded the motion.

Acting Chairman Bails stated for the record she is a Sun City Grand resident, but that there is no conflict of interest with this application.

C-1. Public Hearing – Application SP01-05
Michael Emilio and Jeff Lockhart of Wescor General, Inc. on behalf of Rick Mandreas, property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Site Plan for a preschool building, located at 15815 Desert Sage Road. (CPLC Headstart)

Planner Penland made a presentation for Application SP01-05.

Commissioner Morris had concerns with the lack of architectural and design theme for the building and the original town site.

Councilman Villanueva stated that there should be a committee set up in the original town site to help determine design themes and architecture.

Acting Chairman Bails opened the hearing to the public. There were no questions or comments from the public. Acting Chairman Bails closed the hearing to the public.

C-2. Consideration and action on Application SP01-05
Michael Emilio and Jeff Lockhart of Wescor General, Inc. on behalf of Rick Mandreas, property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Site Plan for a preschool building. (Staff Recommendation - Approval)

Commissioner Segarra made a motion to approve Application SP01-05, subject to stipulations a – j attached hereto as Exhibit B. Commissioner Gonzales seconded the motion.

D-1. Public Hearing – Application SP01-02
Robin Harpster of EKN Engineering, Inc., on behalf of Bell Grande, L.C., property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Site Plan for a big box retail store, located south of Bell Road and west of Grand Avenue within West Pointe Town Center. (Major "E" at West Pointe Town Center)

Planner Atkins made a presentation for Application SP01-02.

Commissioner Morris had concerns in regard to circulation in the parking lot and the lack of pedestrian walkways. He also had concerns with the architecture and how it needed to be improved.

Commissioner Bails had concerns with circulation and pedestrian walkways also.

Planner Atkins replied that there is a minimum requirement of parking spaces on the site and to change the parking lot layout would eliminate too much of the parking required by the city ordinance.

SPEAKER: Rod Jarvis 2575 E. Camelback Rd., stated that the retail center is already established, the anticipation market return, and timing all put constraints on what they can improve. He also stated that outdoor storage will be prevented.

SPEAKER: Jack Swanson of Kurt Reed Associates, 7400 E. McDonald Dr., stated that the bumper canopy entrance set fifty-six out from face of building. In regards to the garden center and the exposed trusses, it is the roofed over area and the joists that are painted white and do not stand out. The garden center fencing is chain link fencing and on the back is the black windscreen cloth.

Commissioner Morris wanted to know why the joists are exposed.

SPEAKER: Jack Swanson stated the joists are left exposed for economical reasons.

Commissioner Segarra had concerns with noise at the truck bays. He also wanted to know if there were any usage of forklifts, and if there were going to be night deliveries.

SPEAKER: Jack Swanson stated that there will be barely any noise at the truck bays, and that they will try to not have any night deliveries.

Acting Commissioner Bails had concerns with the lack of pedestrian friendly walkways.

SPEAKER: Jack Maudel stated that there is a wide walkway in front of the store. The walkway is about thirty-five feet wide.

Commissioner Morris had a concern with traffic circulation in regards to traffic leaving the parking lot and heading east on Bell Road.

SPEAKER: Chuck Wright stated they do not anticipate any circulation problems.

Commissioner Morris and Commissioner Gonzales both had a concern with traffic on Bell Road.

Interim Director of Community Development John Guenther replied that ADOT have done traffic analysis on Grand Avenue and he will get the result to the Commissioners.

Acting Chairman Bails opened the hearing to the public. There were no questions or comments from the public. Acting Chairman Bails closed the hearing to the public.

Commissioner Morris had many concerns with the architecture. He clarified the architecture concerns including; the garden center, framed glass curtain wall, and the side view of the lumber yard entry.

SPEAKER: Jack Swanson replied that they can rise the feature on the garden center to make it more architecturally acceptable. In regards to the framed glass curtain wall he stated they can frame it into the front of the building better. With the lumberyard entry, they will carry the metal roofing further back.

D-2. Consideration and action on Application SP01-02
Robin Harpster of EKN Engineering, Inc., on behalf of Bell Grande, L.C., property owner is requesting consideration and action on a Site Plan for a big box retail store. (Staff Recommendation - Approval)

Commissioner Morris made a motion to approve Application SP01-02, subject to stipulations a – n attached hereto as Exhibit C.

Commissioner Segarra seconded the motion.

Interim Director of Community Development stated the Citizen Participation Ordinance is in draft form and will be coming in front of the commission soon. He also stated there will be a hiring of a consultant to help set up a task force for the revitalization of the original town site. On the task force they would like one Council member and one Commissioner.

Planner McGeough stated the revisions from the commissioners and a few changes in the context have been made.

Commissioner Segarra wanted to know what the staff has done in regards to Home Depot because it is still a disaster.

Planner Phillips stated that the code enforcer has begun to fine Home Depot.

There was no further business. On a motion duly made and seconded. Active Chairman Bails declared the meeting adjourned at 9:15.

Carl Cox, Chairman
Planning and Zoning Commission

John Guenther, Interim director
Community Development