Planning Commission Minutes 02-01-1994
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MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO PLANNING COMMISSION
Tuesday, February 1, 1994 - 7 p.m.
Members Present: Cindy Lemm, Richard Martie, Jon Bogart, Brian Stumpf, and
Richard Carlson
Members Absent: None
Staff Present:
Gary Anderson, Jeff O'Neill
1.
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Cindy Lemm at 7:01p.m.
2.
A motion was made by Brian Stumpf and seconded by Jon Bogart to
approve the minutes of the regular meeting held January 4, 1994. Motion
carried unanimously.
3.
Public Hearing---Consideration of a variance to Section 3-9 E: 2 (b) ii of the
Monticello Zoning Ordinance which would allow display of two additional
premise identification signs. Applicant. Holidav Stationstores.
Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, explained Holiday Stationstores'
request to be allowed three premise identification signs on their building
exterior walls. The plan as proposed does not show any product
identification signs in addition to the three proposed premise identification
signs. The ordinance allows two product identification signs and premise
identification sign in addition to a freestanding pylon sign. Holiday
Stationstores' request does not exceed the maximum square footage that
would be allowed, that being 100 sq ft.
Chairperson Cindy Lemm then opened the public hearing.
Mark Nelson, representing Holiday Stationstores, questioned the existing
sign ordinance by today's standards where theirs would be a unique
situation, that being frontage on Highway 25, West 7th Street, and also
Walnut Street. With the ordinance being specific to one premise
identification sign, Holiday Stationstores is stuck to only specific wall on
which to display the Holiday Stationstore identification sign. Mr. Nelson
explained in his request that with the unique situation where they are
located and the chances of additional properties requesting this are probably
very slim. So if the Planning Commission would be looking at an ordinance
amendment to allow situations with buildings where they have more than
two public right-of-ways which serve their property, they should be allowed
to be granted additional signage to display their business fronting each of
these public right-of-ways.
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Chairperson Cindy Lemm then closed the public hearing and opened the
meeting for discussion amongst Planning Commission members.
The discussion brought up by Commission members was as follows. The
existing Flickers business location being allowed to have more signs than
what the ordinance allows. Staff responded that Flickers had gone through
two or three different variance requests to allow the additional wall signage.
The signage as proposed does appear to be a much cleaner use of the
signage in relationship to the size of the building and in its location. There
should be no change needed, as one pylon sign and one wall sign should be
sufficient to advertise your business name at your site.
There being no further discussion amongst Planning Commission members,
a motion was made by Jon Bogart and seconded by Richard Carlson to table
the variance request to Section 3-9 E: 2 (b) ii of the Monticello Zoning
Ordinance, which would allow display of two additional premise
identification signs for the City staff to research a possible ordinance
amendment which would allow certain businesses with more than two
public right-of-ways which serve their properties to be allowed additional
premise identification signs. Motion carried unanimously.
4.
Public Hearing---Consideration of a variance request which would allow two
curb cuts where street frontage is less than 250 ft. Applicant. Libertv
Savings.
Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, explained Liberty Savings' request to
be allowed two curb cuts along existing street frontage having less than the
minimum allowed by ordinance, that being 125 ft of street frontage along a
public right-of-way per curb cut. O'Neill highlighted on the overhead
transparency the proposed alternates that the City staff had come up with
in relationship to the ingress/egress from the proposed remodeled location
for the new Liberty Savings building off of East Broadway.
Alternative #1 was to create a right-in only off of westbound East Broadway
and a right-out onto westbound East Broadway, and allow two-way traffic
on site out to Palm Street. Alternative #2 was to place a curb cut in the
center of the two proposed driveway curb cuts to allow a right-in off of
westbound East Broadway and a right-out onto westbound East Broadway.
Alternative #3 was to leave the curb cut in place where the one is proposed
to service the parking lot with the drive-through drive area to be redesigned
to utilize this same curb cut for a right-in only off of westbound East
Broadway and a right-out onto westbound East Broadway. Alternative #3
was to utilize the two new proposed curb cuts as proposed to allow a right-
in off of westbound East Broadway into the parking lot and a right-out out
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of the existing parking lot onto westbound East Broadway and a right-out of
the drive-through onto westbound East Broadway. Alternative #4 was to
allow the two curb cuts as proposed which would allow crossing traffic to
cross eastbound East Broadway and go eastbound on East Broadway or to
go westbound on East Broadway.
Cindy Lemm then opened the public hearing.
Mr. Mark Braggleman, representing Liberty Savings, introduced the design
team of Don Miller, President of Miller Construction, and Mr. Stuart Bailey,
Miller Construction's staff architect. Mr. Braggleman highlighted the
utilization of the proposed design as presented allows the customers to
choose to go right out of the drive-through and the parking lot westbound
onto East Broadway, or it also allows the customer to cross the center
median and go eastbound on East Broadway out of the drive-through curb
cut and also out of the parking lot curb cut. It also allows the customer in
the parking lot to go from the parking lot into the drive.through driving
aisle to proceed through the drive-through lane. The site plan allows for
customers to enter only from Palm Street into their building site to go
through the drive-through aisle or out into the parking lot.
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Mr. Braggleman explained Liberty Savings' position in Monticello. Liberty
Savings has experienced a considerable amount of growth in the mortgage
department service out of their Liberty Savings location in Monticello. It is
the intent of Liberty Savings to preferably stay in a downtown location
rather than go out to a new site and build a new building. Liberty Savings
has spent a substantial number of dollars of investment into their
downtown location in St. Cloud off of Division Street and would, therefore,
like to put a substantial investment into the acquisition and demolition of a
portion of the existing former funeral home business building and totally
remodel the interior and the exterior of the building to more resemble a
savings and loan business building. At this time, Liberty Savings is not
proposing to get into the banking business, but they are looking at that as
an option. That is the reason for the drive-through portion of the building
to be added onto the existing building. It approximately takes two years
from initial application until you actually receive approval from a federal
deposit insurance company to establish a banking facility at this proposed
location.
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Chairperson Cindy Lemm then closed the public hearing and opened the
meeting for comments from the Planning Commission members.
Commission members dealt at great length trying to come up with a
proposed solution to accommodate Liberty Savings' development need in
relationship to what the minimum requirements of the ordinance would be.
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Therefore, a motion was made by Richard Carlson and seconded by Brian
Stumpf to recommend the alternative utilizing a proposed driveway curb cut
for the parking lot to be a right~in only westbound off of East Broadway and
a right~out only westbound on East Broadway. The drive~through to have a
right-out only onto East Broadway. Motion to approve variance based on
the finding that two driveway access points are acceptable due to the fact
that one of the driveway access points is limited to one way out traffic only.
With this proposed alternative, it should limit the congestion in this area.
It is further recommended that the recommendation be referred to the
County Engineering Department for their final design approval. Motion
carried unanimously.
5.
Public HearinghConsideration of a 12~ft variance to Section 3~9: C7 of the
zoning ordinance. which would allow a sign to be set back 3 ft from the
right-of-way. Applicant. Liberty Savings. AND
6.
Public Hearing-~Consideration of a variance to Section 3~9: D2 of the zoning
ordinance which would allow a non~conforming sign to be changed to
another non-conforming sign. Applicant. Liberty Savings.
Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, explained Liberty Savings' site plan,
which includes development of a pylon sign proposed to be located 3 ft from
the Broadway right~of-way. The ordinance requires the pylon sign to be
located no closer than 15 ft from the public right-of~way. The existing sign
that was used in conjunction with the funeral home use provides the best
location according to Liberty Savings to provide the best visibility for their
site.
Cindy Lemm then opened the public hearing.
Mr. Mark Betterman, representing Liberty Savings, questioned some
existing signs in the downtown locations where the signs are being allowed
to be constructed closer than 15 ft from the public right~of~way.
Cindy Lemm then closed the public hearing and opened the meeting for
input from the Planning Commission members.
Planning Commission members recognized Mr. Betterman's statement that
there are other signs which have been allowed to be placed closer to the
property line. However, the Liberty Savings proposed request would have a
larger sign square footage than the maximum allowed, that being 50 sq ft,
but would meet the proposed 18-ft maximum height. City staff proposed
that the Planning Commission members look at an ordinance amendment
that would be similar to the ordinance amendment that was done to address
signage along Highway 25. That signage related to the amount of street
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frontage which abutted the public right-of-way to get the maximum that
would be allowed, that being 100 sq ft where the minimum that would be
allowed is 50 sq ft.
Therefore, a motion was made by Jon Bogart and seconded by Richard
Martie to table the consideration of a 12-ft variance request to Section 3-9:
C7 of the zoning ordinance, which would allow a sign to be set back 3 ft
from the public right-of-way, and to table the consideration of a variance
request to Section 3-9: D2 of the zoning ordinance, which would allow a non-
conforming sign to be changed to another non-conforming sign. Motion
carried unanimously.
Additional Information Items
1.
Chairperson Cindy Lemm read a letter which she would like to have
distributed to Council members at their next regularly scheduled meeting
regarding their position for an appointment to the Planning Commission.
Cindy felt she had done a respectable job in her position as a Planning
Commission member and also as Chairperson of the Monticello Planning
Commission and felt that should not be counted against her as criteria for
Planning Commission member reappointments.
2.
The next regular scheduled meeting is proposed to be for 'l'uesday, March 1,
1994, at 7 p.m. It was the consensus of the five Planning Commission
members present that that be the next date for the regularly scheduled
Planning Commission meeting.
3.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Richard Carlson
and seconded by Richard Martie to adjourn the meeting. The meeting
adjourned at 9:48 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Ga y Ariderson
Zoning Administrator
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