Lakewood Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Lakewood Town Hall
Call to order: Commission Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Bob Wolfe called the monthly meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.
Present: Chair Wolfe, Ann Cutts, Phil Halverson, Dick Bodine, Robin Downs, Chris Roningen, Al Eastman, Recorder Shannon Ostazeski, and public (see attached registrar).
Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America was recited by all present.
Minutes of Previous Meetings:
Bodine: Points out that Lipe is misspelled in the minutes from October 31, 2006. Bruckelmyer is also misspelled.
Roningen: Leider called and wanted to clarify that his intent was that he wanted to make sure that only the applicant can appeal decisions.
Halverson: Points out corrections for 7.03 A and 7.02 A. The last sentences should be identical.
Eastman: In this meeting were you not following Roberts Rules? Wolfe was out of order when he made a motion during the last meeting. I intend not to vote to accept these minutes.
Wolfe: At this point we are just looking to approve the minutes.
Motion by Halverson to approve the minutes with these corrections. Second by Cutts.
Downs: We agree it should not have happened but we are voting on approving what actually happened that night.
Motion passes. Minutes accepted with those changes.
Select Representative to December 6, 2006 Board of Supervisors Meeting: Chris Roningen.
Zoning Administrator Report- Wolfe giving the report in Mears absence
There is a desire to get an opinion from the attorney about what the fine will be for Lipe Brothers Construction and Great Lakes Stone. Clint Massie came in and asked about his land use classification. Based on what GLS sells Mears interpreted the classification as being under concrete storage. This classification is not allowed in any of the zones in the Township.
There were no permits issued last month.
There is a workshop Friday the 8th at the Town Hall on Conflict Resolution.
Public Comment: Request from Clint Massie
I wanted to talk about the concrete products and get your opinion because I don’t want to get rejected at the last step. I know I have to be out of there by June. My opinion and the opinion of our lawyers is that the reason we have to get out of there is because of the lease but we may find that is not the case. But in the end if I can’t sell concrete products that is another thing. Back in 1972 I am sure they would not have found what I am doing as intrusive. This is a contractor’s product. Is it a cement product or is it a construction material? The stone we cut is not a concrete product
Wolfe: It is not up to us to determine when you have to move out. There may be a fine. All these decisions will be up to the Town Board and the Zoning Administrator. Whether or not you can lease is up to the lawyers and the Town Board. I don’t know what they intended back in 1972 when the Ordinance was written but it says sales and service of concrete and cement.
Bodine: The document contradicts itself. We are allowing concrete septic tanks sales and service in the LIU. As far as a business goes GLS fits into our CLU. It looks to me like they made these rules before your product was even available.
Massie: What is my next step? I haven’t had any complaints.
Wolfe: The Zoning Administrator has the right to make the decision. You may appeal to the Board. That seems to be the process. We are not in the loop.
Short recess called for five minutes. Meeting reconvened at 9:00 p.m.
Unfinished Business:
November 2nd Variance Meeting: Ostazeski
Town Board Meeting Report: Wolfe
I was not present at the meeting so I’ll just review the minutes with you. They are putting it on the ballet for the March election on how many Supervisors there will be. We will also vote on whether to appoint rather than elect a clerk and treasurer for the Township. They decided not to put the election date change on the ballet.
Driveway Definition Text Change Proposal
Halverson: I felt that Mears had amended the part where the driveway hits the road. The road authority has jurisdiction over the part he was talking about. We need to amend a different part of that section. I have two suggestions for Section 1.05.
Add the following to the end of Section 1.01 J. 3 c. 5:
A private driveway may not be construed as two or more driveways by widening its driving surface. For example, a private driveway with a 24 foot wide drivable surface shall not constitute two private driveways.
Section 14.03 changes:
The applicant shall if
possible, be encouraged to make use of common driveways to limit
the number of access points to any road.
Bodine: How far apart do the driveways need to be?
Eastman: What is better for safely and aesthetics? Do we really need this? Do you see a problem with a double driveway?
Halverson: There was debate over private citizens making a road plan for the Township. They can be all of the concerns the fire dept. raised. This is one tool of the Township.
Wolfe: If you can get enough people to petition they could make a road. Is this an actual fear?
Eastman: That would be a question for Stromme. I don’t think it has ever happened here.
Downs: But if they have to have road frontage then why are we worried about this? I don’t see the concern about building up the interior.
Halverson: People would be making long driveways that you couldn’t get a fire truck up.
Eastman: If we do this we must make a lot more criteria for these cases.
Wolfe: What about a triple driveway?
Eastman: Regardless of where they access if they have the road frontage the Zoning Administrator will issue them a permit.
Halverson: Is there any criteria for the Variance Commission?
Eastman: Article VIII Section 8.6 D: Criteria for Decisions.
Wolfe: We are not going to come up with the answers. Lets table this.
Bodine: Are we going to contact Kerry Leider about his proposal? Are we going to reintroduce it?
Wolfe: Based on the discussion and the vote I would say it is a done deal. If Kerry wants to appeal it I don’t have a problem with that.
Other:
CLUP Update—Board of Supervisors accepted a proposal to facilitate from Center for Rural Planning. Process to begin on Dec. 4th.
Announcements: No December Meeting Planned—as decided at October meeting.
Next Monthly Meeting—Tuesday, January 30th, 2007; 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall
Motion to adjourn by Bodine. Second by Halverson. Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Shannon Ostazeski
Township Recorder