HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 04/13/1999City of Petaluma Planning Commission Minutes - April 13, 1999
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3 CITY OF PETALUMA, CA
4 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
5 April 13, 1999, 7:00 PM
6 CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
7 CITY HALL, 11 ENGLISH STREET
8 PETALUMA, CA 94952
9 Telephone 707/778 -4301 / Fax 707/778 -4498
10 E -Mail planning @ci.petaluma.ca.us
11 Web Page http: / /www.ci.petaluma.ca.us
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13 Commissioners: Present: Barrett, Bennett *, Broad, Feibusch, Glass, Healy, Vieler
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15 * Chairperson
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17 Staff: Vincent C. Smith A►CP, Interim Planning Director
18 Allan Tilton, Traffic Engineer
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21 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
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23 APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes of March 9, 1999 were approved as printed.
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25 PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
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27 DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Draft Planning Commission Rules and Regulations.
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29 COMMISSIONERS' REPORT: Commissioner Broad - Regarding City Council
3o consideration of the Martin Historic Plaza item - Council selected an alternative plan -
31 none of the neighbors are aware of this - agendize this changed project for discussion at a
32 future meeting.
34 CORRESPONDENCE: Additional information from staff regarding Tatum Appeal;
35 letter from Nancy Chien - Eriksen regarding Parkway Plaza proposal; letter from Robert
36 M. Hunt regarding Old Elm Village.
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38 APPEAL STATEMENT: Was read.
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40 LEGAL RECOURSE STATEMENT: Was noted on the agenda.
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City of Petaluma Planning Commission Minutes - April 13, 1999
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5 NEW BUSINESS:
6 PUBLIC HEARINGS:
8 1. TATUM APPEAL; 5 01 SUNNYSL ®PE.
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10 Staff administratively approved (January 7, 1999), an application for a Tentative
11 Parcel Map for a 2 -lot subdivision at 501 Sunnyslope Road. The applicant is
12 appealing a condition of approval required by the Engineering Department
13 requiring sidewalks.
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15 Vincent Smith presented the staff report.
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17 The public hearing was opened.
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19 SPEAKERS:
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21 Tim Tatum - Objections to sidewalk requirement.
22 Pauline Rollins - Owner - objected to sidewalk, unnecessary.
23 Margie McCauley - .Measurement of easement questions; doesn't want a sidewalk;
24 believes development is preserving sidewalk need; supports Mrs. Rollins; new sidewalk
25 will create a safety problem not solve one.
26 David Strand - 288 Sunnyslope Road - No likelihood sidewalk will be extended to
27 Sunnyslope Avenue; rural character is being lost, but it is still there; believes rural
28 character would be retained without sidewalk; raised issues with undergrounding policies
29 and practices.
30 John Fitzgerald - Representing Suncrest Hill neighborhood, not developer; assessment
31 district formation process concentrated on maintaining rural character; neighborhood
32 residents want it kept rural; safer to keep sidewalk on the west side.
33 Jenny Rollins - It is dangerous to cross the street, but pointless to put in one section.
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35 The public hearing was closed.
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37 Commissioner Healy - Past action and assessment district formation, conscious effort to
38 keep sidewalk on one side of street; not adequate justification to change past
39 actions /thought; doesn't want to set precedence; if we uphold appeal it is due to special
40 circumstances.
41 Commissioner Glass Understands staff reluctance to "rubberstamp "; agrees with
42 Commissioner Healy that justification for sidewalk doesn't exist; great expense for little
43 gain.
44 Commissioner Broad - Understands why staff recommended responsibility to public
45 safety; doesn't seem to achieve purpose; without a mandate for change to Sunnyslope
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City of Petaluma Planning Commission Minutes - April 13, 1999
1 Assessment District agreements, wouldn't support; suggested narrow "off- street"
2 pathways for discussion purposes.
3 Commissioner Vieler - Support appeal; if City chooses to require in future, ok.
4 Commissioner Barrett - Supports due to public safety reasons.
5 Commissioner Feibusch - Pedestrians don't seem to walk on sidewalks; traffic seems
6 fast; idea of pathway not a sidewalk feasible; is it feasible for a stop sign and crosswalk
7 on Sunnyslope Road?
8 Allan Tilton - Supports any pedestrian improvement; there has been a pedestrian
9 accident.
10 Commissioner Feibusch - Recommends a pedestrian path; not concrete, but pathway;
11 encourage traffic calming measures; implement changes.
12 Commissioner Bennett - Supports statements from neighborhood; was involved in
13 annexation process and recalls every effort was made to retain rural character; supports
14 pedestrian pathway.
15 Commissioner Healy - Do we encourage pedestrian access with informal path ?;
16 comfortable with upholding appeal with understanding City could do project in future.
17 Commissioner Vieler - Why no crosswalks and /or stop signs on Sunnyslope Road?
18 Allan Tilton - City is looking into issues including enforcement and studying stop signs;
19 cross walks are not a solution - may reduce safety in and of themselves; need physical
20 measures to reduce speed such as "neck- down ", not road undulations; we are looking into
21 addressing issues; we need to take long term into account, get what you can done now
22 with long .term in mind.
23 Commissioner Healy - Decades before sidewalk will link up; suggested striping bike
24 lane.
25 Commissioner Bennett - Sidewalks on both sides of street will hasten suburbanization
26 character changes.
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28 A motion was made by Commissioner Healy and seconded by Commissioner Vieler to
29 uphold the appeal and to direct the Engineering staff to delete condition #1B.
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31 Discussion:
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33 Commissioner Broad - In absence of path, pedestrians in bike lane; if on north side,
34 provide a path 2 -2 1/2 feet wide; create an informal pathway.
35 Commissioner Healy - Consider if it is very informal; no more inviting than now; work
36 with City to leave space.
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38 Commissioner Vieler withdrew his second of motion.
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40 A motion was made by Commissioner Healy and seconded by Commissioner Broad to
41 uphold the appeal given the special circumstances of the location, the parcel on the east
42 side of Sunnyslope Road adjacent to land that has no development potential and therefore
43 no potential for new sidewalks, and to direct the Engineering staff to delete condition
44 #1B.
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City of Petaluma Planning Commission Minutes - April 13, 1999
1 Commissioner Barrett: Yes
2 Commissioner Broad: Yes
3 Commissioner Feibusch: Yes
4 Commissioner Glass: Yes
5 Commissioner Healy: Yes
6 Commissioner Vieler: Yes
7 Chairman Bennett: Yes
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10 COMMISSION BUSINESS:
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12 11. CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS.
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14 Commissioner Healy - Regarding Martin Historic project - site plan modification was
15 fine.
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18 111. LIAISON REPORTS.
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20 Commissioner Broad - The Petaluma Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting date at
21 which the Martin project was first discussed was the first day of Passover - try to be more
22 sensitive on scheduling in the future.
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25 ADJOURNMENT: 8 :25 PM s \pc -p1an \minutes \0413
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