09/19/2005 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES OF THE - ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION Monday, September 19,2005 6:00 o'clock p.m. (#05-3145 ICO LANDSCAPE, CONTINUED) Bremer indicated she is fine with this application. Rahn moved,Bremer seconded,to recommend approval of Application#05-3145,ICO Landscape, LLC,on behalf of Robert and Vicky Nelson,679 Minnetonka Highlands Lane,granting of a conditional use permit subject to staff recommendations and granting of a hardcover variance for the 0-75' zone to permit 7.7 percent hardcover where 0 percent is allowed and 14.5 percent currently exists. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. 8. #05-3149 TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH,2060 SIXTH AVENUE NORTH, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT,9:35 P.M.—10:00 P.M. John Thiesse,Trinity Lutheran Church, was present. Gundlach stated the applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to allow construction of additions to the existing church operating under the controls of several conditional use permits,which also includes re-paving,reorientation, and enlargement of the existing parking lot. The proposed improvements consist of a great room, conference rooms,bathroom,nursery, and administrative offices additions and repaving, expanding, and reorienting of the existing parking lot. Also, as part of the improvements proposed under this application,the church will be hooking into city sanitary sewer and will be abandoning the existing mound septic system in the southwest corner of the property. Gundlach indicated all side and rear yard setbacks have been met,but a front yard parking setback variance would be required in order to construct the expanded parking located in the southwest corner of the site as the front yard setback proposed is 14 feet where 50 feet is required. Staff finds that due to the extensive right-of-way width along the north side of Sixth Avenue North and the topography of the lot relative to gaining more level stalls,there may be a hardship to warrant approval of a variance for construction of this parking area. The total amount of parking stalls provided on the proposal is 221 stalls,which is adequate to support the preschool program and church activities on Sunday. Gundlach noted the City Engineer did raise some issues with the size of the proposed stalls. Gundlach indicated the exterior building materials as proposed consist of a light brown brick to match the existing exterior building materials on the church. The applicant is not proposing any new lighting within the parking lot. The current parking lot does not contain any pole lighting nor would the building code require any. The applicant has indicated that only security lighting is proposed,which would be located at the entrance locations, and some minimal lighting necessary to safely illuminate the sidewalks. Gundlach indicated there are three entrance points shown on the proposed plan,with the main entrance facing Sixth Avenue North and two secondary entrances off the parking lot,which face east. Staff does not anticipate that any new building mounted lighting would be near enough to adjacent residential PAGE 27