Planning Commission Minutes 01-17-1989 (Special Meeting)
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MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING - MONTICELLO PLANNING COMMISSION
January 17, 1989 - 7:30 p.m.
Members Present:
Richard carlson, Cindy Lemm, Richard Martie, Dan
McConnon.
Members Absent:
Mori Malone
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Meeting was called to order by Chairman Richard Carlson at 7:33 p.m.
2.
Public Hearing - Consideration of a conditional use request to allow a
church facility to operate in an R-2 (single family residental) zone. A
variance request to allow 1) less than the minimum side yard setback
requirement; 2) less than the minimum number of off-street parking spaces;
3) no concrete curb around the parking lot perimeter; and 4) no hard
surfacing of the parking lot. Applicant, Temple Baptist Church.
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Chairman Richard carlson opened up the meeting for a staff presentation on
the proposed conditional use request. Mr. Jeff O'Neill, Assistant city
Administrator, explained briefly to planning Commission Members and members
of the audience that were present the Temple Baptist Church conditional use
request and the variance request. In Mr. O'Neill's explanation, he
indicated the previous use by the former tenant, Monticello Assembly of God
Church, had been discontinued as a church facility at this site for a
period longer than six months. Therefore, a new conditional use
application would be necessary for another church to go into this
facility. Mr. O'Neill also explained to the Planning Commission members
each of the variance requests that the Baptist Church was requesting.
Chairman Richard Carlson then opened the meeting for any input from the
public. Mr. Brad Larson, one of three partners in the prairie West
Partners, was present to explain the background which led up to the Temple
Baptist Church purchasing the former Monticello Assembly of God Church
property. Mr. Larson's concerns were that the original use of the property
by the former tenant, Monticello Assembly of God, had not been continued in
that there was still some type of activity that occurred there. In
Mr. Larson's opinion, the non-conforming use was not discontinued for a
period of over six months. Mr. Larson explained each of the variance
requests which were also to be considered by the planning Commission.
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The first address was the side yard setback on the westerly portion of
Lot 2 adjacent to Lot 3. Mr. Larson had proposed an easement to cover the
area that would be affected by the encroachment of the building roof and
the basement egress window well openings which encroach onto Lot 3. In
Mr. Larson's opinion, the encroachment easement would adequately cover any
of the encroachments which the building has onto Lot 3. In addressing the
minimum number of parking spaces as shown on the enclosed site plan,
Mr. Larson had indicated this site plan showed 27 total parking spaces
which could be accommodated on site, where the City Staff had indicated a
total number of spaces would be 42 total spaces. Mr. Larson indicated the
Baptist Church meets 80 percent of its design capacity. They then have two
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church services instead of one church service. Therefore, a design
capacity of 150 seats at 80 percent of design capacity would be 120 total
seats, divided by the one parking space per four seats, which would equal
30 spaces required; therefore, as shown on the site plan, generating 27
total spaces on site and then only 10 percent short or 3 parking spaces
short of 80 percent of design capacity. As to the hard surfacing of the
parking lot with the curb and gutter around its perimeter, Mr. Larson
indicated that two existing churches in town, the Trinity Lutheran Church
and the st. Henry's Catholic Church, were allowed to phase their parking
lots in over a period of years. He felt that as the Temple Baptist Church
membership grew, they could phase in the project and complete the hard
surfacing of the parking lot with curb and gutter around its perimeter at
some point and time in the future.
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Mr. Jim Metcalf, another partner in the West Prairie partners, was present
to elude Mr. Larson's statements on the continuance of the existing
Monticello Assembly of God Church use with the statement that other than
normal maintenance of the building or structure related to the
non-conforming use was permitted as under Section I in the Zoning
Ordinance. Pastor Merrold Sams was present to explain to the Planning
Commission members the capacity of the classroom sizes. The Sunday school
would be 92 seats and the total number of seats within the church portion
would be 96 seats. Pastor Sarns stated that they are a very small
congregation and that it takes many years to build up to a congregation of
the size noted by the City staff, being 150 seat capacity. At 80 percent
of their total capacity, the church adds an additional church service to
their existing one service each Sunday. Pastor Sams indicated their intent
was not to cause any problems with the City in their relocation and that
they do intend to stay and grow at this new facility.
Concerned residents in the area, Mr. John Haller and Mrs. Janelle lano,
addressed the Planning Commission members separately in their concerns that
they had with the proposed conditional use request. Their concerns mainly
addressed an existing parking problem with the St. Peter's Church
services. With no off-street parking there, there is parking near the
residences by people attending church service. The residences wanted to
stress the lack of maintenance that was done by former owners that had not
been properly maintained and questioned the developer as to why they did
not have a certificate of survey performed on the property before they
purchased the former Monticello Assembly of God Church property.
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Chairman Richard carlson then closed the public hearing portion of the
meeting and opened up any discussion for the Planning Commission members.
Discussion amongst the Planning Commission members was that they were not
in opposition of the proposed use of the building by the new tenant. Their
main concerns dealt with the location of the church property in
relationship to the west side lot line of Lot 2 and the failure to
accommodate the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required by
Ordinance. Commission members also recognized on the enclosed site plan
that very few additional parking spaces could be generated with the given
amount of land Which the Temple Baptist Church now owns.
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With no further input from the Planning Commission members, a motion by
Richard Martie, seconded by Dan Mcconnon, to deny the conditional use
request to allow a church facility to operate in an R-2 (single family
residential) zone. Motion carried unanimously with Mori Malone absent.
Reason for denial: Applicant, Temple Baptist Church and/or the developer,
West Prairie partnership, failed to meet the minimum off-street parking
space required at design capacity and failure to show how the minimum
parking space requirement could be met at design capacity.
The general consensus of the members present was to adjourn the meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 10:13 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Gary Anderson
zoning Administrator
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