HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09/09/1991~PProve.el as ~rrcc:7ees
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September 9, 1991
1 MINUTES OF A REGULAR ADJOURNED MEETING
2 PETALUMA CITY COUNCIL
3 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER .9,1991
4
PRESENT: Read, Davis, Cavanagh;
Hilligoss, Sobel, Nelson
ABSENT: None
s A.,+i,y
9 ~y Lightner led the Pledge of Allegiance.
10
Vol. 26, Page 399
ROLL CALL 7:00 p.m.
Vice Mayor Woolsey, Mayor
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENT
11 Frank Gilner, Petaluma Youth Soccer League Director -requested the Council's
12 assistance in reducing the amount of watering of the soccer fields (they are flooded).
13 The soccer parade was rerouted. They had to install their own goal posts. They have
14 had difficulty in obtaining responses from their communications with the City. ,
15 Vince Landof, 12 Cordela Drive -Thinks the City should approach CALTRANS and
16 request a sound wall to protect the residents on Stuart .Street from out of control
17 freeway traffic. ~ He disagreed with Vice Mayor Woolsey on her voting record in' ~'
is connection with Petaluma Refuse actions several years ago.
19
COUNCIL COMMENTS
20 Bonnie Nelson -Young Joshua Cannon wrote her another letter on a subject the
21 Council is ,currently debating. He suggested putting a cyclone fence on North
22 McDowell Blvd. to prevent people from making illegal left turns into McDonald's
23 Restaurant. Valley Vista School is crowded and understaffed. If there are any
24 parents in the television audience that would like to volunteer to assist at the school,
25 they .would be welcomed. She commended the City Manager for selling his shares of
26 Waste Management stock- to preclude any perception of bias. The Press Democrat
27 did not make any mention of the presentation made by Ned Orrett at the September 3
2s Council meeting. It is important from now on to decide on a good forum for future
29 discussions about wastewater-where the public is. absolutely_involved. It is going to be
3o very important to keep this very public. Regarding the ,political contributions, look at
31 my campaign (under $100); the very worst you could do is not be here on Monday
32 nights.
33 Brian Sobel - regarding campaign contributions, I have suggested. for several years that
34 there be a curtailment m campaign contributions with a maximum to be spent. At the
35 time, the Press energetically wrote in opposition to that suggestion; now the Press is
36 taking a different stance.. What is happening here? The average municipal campaign
37 in California costs. $25,000; that is unconscionable. We have to look at campaign
38 reform on the local level.
39 Michael Davis - I sent $5,000 of my own money running for Supervisor, $3,000 of my
40 own money running for Council the first election. Last election I received
41 contributions. Believe me, it was helpful to have that financial support.
Page 400, Vol. 26
September 9, 1991
1 Linn Woolsey - When I ran for .office, Waste Management was a client. When they
2 hire me and spent more than $500 on any of the projects that I do for them, then for
3 one year from. that point, then, I abstain. I will always step down when we vote on
4 when it comes time to vote .on issues of businesses who retain- my'frm. Tfiere are; dog
s droppings all over the sidewalks of this community, and it is really getting disgusting.
6 Regarding the watering schedule in Center Park, the water is running down the street
7 a good deal of the time.
8 Mayor Hilligoss -She has asked .the City Attorney to contact the .Fair Political
~ Practices Commission. to see if she was in conflict. -She is not. She said she is .going to
so sell those shares of stock. She read a statement on .future process on the wastewater
it plant. "We. will conduct public workshops which will be designed to elicit viewpoints
i2 and concerns about the sewer plant." .
13 PRESENTATIONS -TIMBER BRIDGE AWARD
14 Ivar Skavciahl, design. engineer from Winzler and Kelly Engineering, presented an
is award for the John Balshaw Pedestrian Bridge located at the foot of Western Avenue.
16 The plague is 'from the American Institute of Timber Construction and is the First
17 Place winner in the Pedestrian =Light Vehicular Bridge category of the 1990
18 ~ .Engineered Timber Bridge competition. They will also be sending a bronze plaque
19 for the bridge. ~ ~ -
20 AUTO MALL SIGN
21 'The. City Council spent the remainder of the evening hearing from persons who shared
22 their comments and .suggestions about the Auto Mall Sign: _ '
23 Andy Lightner, 4463 Bodega :Avenue. -represented the Petaluma Area Chamber of
2a Commerce. Board of Directors who went on record to support the :fact that the City's
2s process for approving the Auto Mall sign was open, -well publicized. and was done with
26 public comment.
27 Rick Johnson; 210,1 St. Augustine Circle -where is the City going with, the planning
28 process?
2~ Jed Clark, 5 Kazen Way - I do not :accept any special circumstances. You are
3o circumventing, the General Plan. We are not anti-growth or anti-business. The sign
31 represents the antithesis of~the vision. Reduce the sign to 20 feet.. Remove the reader
32 board. Move it from the drainage ditch.
33 Lou Soloman, Santa Rosa -this precedent setting sign will spread throughout the
34 state.
3s Tim .Haddad, 6;15 North Fair - He is a planner providing planning service for PIPP as
36 a member.. In his hour presentation, he reiterated the assertions the sign is illegal and
37 he cited the General Plan, Municipal Code, Zoning Ordinance, .CEQA ,guidelines, and
38 newspaper articles as the bases for their position. He :repeatedly threatened a lawsuit
39 if the City did not "correct" the irregularities he cited.
4o City Attorney Richard Rudnansky reminded everyone that we have gone through an
a1 entire public process with notice and hearing. and the record on the issue is closed.
a2 The actual approval process has been concluded.
;. ,.
September 9, 1991 ~ Vol. 26, Page 401
1 ~Phl'Joerger, 700 Fair Avenue -the argument I have is not .that I am against the sign. I
2 am against the size~of the sigri~because a year ago the City acted. to abate a sign 1/6
3 that. size at a.gas station because the corporate structure changed -from Exxon to BP.
a Approximately 3: weeks -ago there was a request by Shell Oil before the Planning
5 Commission to change the design of a sign that would be less in size than is there now;
6 and it was basically denied. In order not to create a double standard and participate
7 in discriminatory acts, if you keep the Auto Mall sign, you should also keep the BP
s sign. He' formally requested that City staff write him a letter answering these
9 questions. He would like an answer.
so Kevin 1Vlarks, 11 Gilrix Street - I don't have an opinion on the sign. Hope the people
11 can work together in the future. He against reducing or changing the sign. I am sure
12 this will look good when all the buildings have been constructed.
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13 Frank ~ -Soccer League - I am against the sign. Things are on a human scale in
14 Europe. It makes me feel insignificant.
15 Charles. Evans, 1633 Culpepper -the sign should come down or be reduced in size and
16 moved back from the road. Now we are in competition, "I can make one gaudier than
17 you can," referring to the fuchsia. colored Auto World sign on Highway 101.
ig John Cheney, 55 Rocca - I stood up against redevelopment, stood up against the
19 factory outlef and nothing'is being done about the flood situation.
20 John Scharer; City Manager -noted the U: S. Army Corps of Engineers is supposed to
21 be reporting. to the City, on the flood .fix in October. The. City has recently
22 appropriated another $400,000 to .expedite the study through the Army Corps of
23 Engineers.
24 Diana Peterson,. 327 Stuart Drive - .move the sign to the fairgrounds to advertise
25 activities there.
26 Leslie Wise, Belleview .Avenue - it seems you don't want to admit a mistake and
27 therefore correct it.
28 Nancy Chen Ericksen; 389 Corona Road - I used to have a view of the night out there.
29 The sign is offensive: I .resent the fact the decision was made in an afternoon. I work
3o with signs, architecture and art. and waived you..I recently drove by the sign when it
31 ~ was foggy and the lights were dimmed by the fog. That is the only time I could find
32 that sign forgivable. If the sign is going to stay up there, the Tights being dimmed to
33 minimum; minimum would be one of'the only considerations. That red plastic needs
34 to be changed. It would.. show tastefulness to changing it to grey or blue-grey or a
35 variation of bluerviolet so -that it is not..that~ offensive. I also want to see the sign
36 surrounded by lame trees. She also showed the' Council photographs of a tastefully
37 designed community center in Chaska, .Minnesota.
38 Tom Williams; 52 Graylawn - (owner of the Apple Box) he has received a lot of
39 negative customer comment about the sign.
ao Bob Kline; 5300 Hessel Avenue, Sebastopol - Said, I am sure you are all married and
41 know how to back down from a thing. It impacts the environment we are all so proud
42 about, and it reminds him of the monolith in the movie, 2001.
Page 402, Vol. 26 September 9,~ 1991
1 Bob Buschart, 541 Ransville Road -unless the auto dealers take a responsible
2 approach, there maybe a'Yiig boycott of the auto mall. ~`•
3 Pam Torliatt, 1027 G :Street - we really= need fo take. a~aook9at the General .Plan and
4 stick to it. ~ _ ~_ ~ ,
5 Joe Gord, 14'89 Capri, -the sign is. really out of character-:for this area. What rare the
options that you have available ~to ygu~ I get -the sense we are past the point other
7 tharilights; paint'and a different:color.
s Deret Brown; West Street - It -is time for everyone to get together to make some
9 changes:
so Jim - 14Q Chapman Lane - if you don't get support for the dealerships; you are not
11 going to get your tax- base.
12 RECESS 9:30 to 9:45 p•m•
13 Henry Hansel of Hansel Motors -you talk about, they costs, when this is gall built,
l.a Hansel and Benson will h
15 Soon the To_ ota dealershve invested over $20 Million. The Ford dealership. is open..
16 Co or
rp ation was going to lhavella dealer in SantaeRosa and anothe~nn San Rafael.
17 After the corporate. peopl o.~sitedPtGl~.e Pr~eS~luma site and saw the: sign, they agreed to
is place a Saturn dealership hA,.X *~ ~ ^«i...D This is the positive impact the
19 sign has on prospective. dealership" s 'We did a :lot of investigation and learned a lot
20 about: signs and their importance: The sixty foot height was the recommendation of a
21. number of experts. We have limited the hours of sign operation .and increased the
22 time and temperature readings. And, when the laws have changed; we will be proud
23 to display civic messages. on that reader-board.. We plan to .have. extensive landscaping
2a at.the base of thesign.
25 Dave Haselw,ood, landscape architect -reviewed the proposed Redwood. trees;
26 Moraine Ash; Myrtle; Cotoneaster, and Shore Juniper. plantings on. the auto mall lands
27 adjacent to the freeway. He noted that the redwood trees will grow quickly and will
28 reduce; their s eed of rowth when :the watering is reduced. This is the way that
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29 CALTRANS has. hnuted the hei ht, of their redwood aree :plantings. He said that
3o although redwoods are .not normally transplanted in specimen ,size; .he `would'look into
31 the possibility of doing that. He also noted- the proposed. landscaping would "tier" into
32 the .sign. area, going;from a low Juniper to'a ,ball Redwood at the base of the .,sign.
tY P
34 991, memorandu Dt ethe City Manager in response o the rise t ons of .1VIr, tember 5,
P Haddad's
35 group,. PIPP - :People Involved, in, Proper Planning. 1VIr. Salmons' response confirmed
36 the bases for. the City's actions. on this poject.:
September 9, 1991
Vol. 26, Page 403
1 AD.TOUItN
2 At 11:05 ,p.m., the Council continued the matter to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
3 September 18, 1991.
D~
4 M. Patricia Hilligoss, Mayor
5 ATTEST:
~~
6 Patricia E. Bernard, City Clerk