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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 mins planning board FINAL -�4 S I Regular Meeting ti G LANSING PLANNING BOARD December 4, 2018 •- 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street x 1 , MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Josh Hovey, Tony Cox, Katie Alexander, Lynne Martinez & Marta Cerna b. Absent: Farhan Bhatti C. Staff: Bill Rieske, Susan Stachowiak, Doris Witherspoon & Ronda Oberlin Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Ms. Alexander to grant an excused absence for Dr. Bhatti. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Rieske asked to have "Act-8-2018, 3418 Pleasant Grove (NE Corner), Easement for SWAG Public Art" added to the agenda under"New Business". Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Ms. Alexander to approve the agenda with the addition of "Act-8-2018, 3418 Pleasant Grove (NE Corner), Easement for SWAG Public Art" under"New Business". On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 3. COMMUNICATIONS Ms. Stachowiak stated that she received the following communication in opposition to Z-8-2018:' Letter from Elaine Womboldt on behalf of Rejuvenating South Lansing, 4815 Tressa Email from Nancy Mahlow, 430 N. Fairview Avenue Email from Marilyn Irvine, 5211 Tulip Avenue 4. HEARINGS A. Community Needs Public Hearing Ms. Witherspoon stated that this is the time for a public hearing which will provide an opportunity for citizens to identify housing and community development needs and express preferences for the use of federal funds to address those needs in the City of Lansing in preparation of the City's action plan for fiscal year 2019 covering the time period July 1, 2019 —June 30, 2020. The action plan is the annual application that the City of Lansing submits to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to request federal funds, specifically, Community Development Block (CDBG), HOME and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds. CDBG funds provide funding for community revitalization purposes and can only be used to fund activities that fulfill at least one of the three national objectives: Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 2 (1) Benefit persons of low and moderate income, (2) Elimination of slum and blight, or (3) Urgent community need. Ms. Witherspoon said that CDBG funds can be used to fund activities such as: housing rehabilitation, public service programs, and economic development. She said that the HOME program provides funding for activities such as down payment assistance and new construction. ESG eligible activities include: rapid re-housing, homelessness prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter (shelter operations), HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) and administration. Ms. Witherspoon stated that last year, the City received increases in both CDBG and HOME dollars and less than a 1% decrease in ESG funds. She said that it is important that we address our community's priority needs and that we use funds strategically so as to maximize the impact of federal resources available to the City of Lansing. Ms. Witherspoon said that any person in the audience that wishes to address the Planning Board on these matters should come forward, state their name and address and provide their comments. She said that written proposals and requests will also be accepted for consideration. She also said that it is required that all verbal proposals made at this time be submitted in writing to the City's Development Office prior to January 15, 2019. Hope Lavell, no address given, BlueStar Development/Wada Group, stated that here company is interested in renovating the former school at 2130 W. Holmes Road into a mixed use building consisting of offices, affordable housing, entrepreneurial space, a music program, etc. She stated that CDBG funds would be very helpful in seeing this project through to fruition. Angela Pruitt, Closing the Digital Gap, 809 Center Street, Suites 7B and 8B, stated that this group, which focuses on digital literacy, has been in operation for 16 years. Ms. Pruitt said that that they provide computer training and access to the internet for seniors, youth, veterans, disabled individuals, and others. She said that her organization is requesting funding to assist with their program. Ms. Moreno, no address given, stated that she has 10 years of experience in providing multi-media training to students/young people to teach skills in film making, editing and writing. They give back and are engaged in the community. Ms. Moreno said that the purpose of the program is to allow young people to "tell their story", expand their minds and obtain specialized skills. Joy Gleason, 1133 E. Malcolm X Street, stated that she is part of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation of Metro Lansing economy team. She said that she does not have a formal proposal but stated that her group focuses on making positive changes in housing with regard to disparity for people of color. Ms. Gleason said that Lansing is one of the most difficult cities in the country with regard to home ownership for people of color in comparison to other races. She said that they will be working on a formal proposal within the next 4 years which will involve studying what other communities are doing to close this divide. Ms. Gleason extended an invitation to the Planning Board to attend one of their meetings. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing. Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 3 Ms. Witherspoon reminded those who spoke to submit their proposals in writing to the City of Lansing Development Office. B. Z-8-2018, 5400 S. Cedar Street, Rezoning from "F" Commercial & "J" Parking districts to "G-2" Wholesale district Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by AMERICO Real Estate Company to rezone the property at 5400 S. Cedar Street from "F" Commercial & "J" Parking Districts to "G-2" Wholesale District. The purpose of the rezoning is to permit the property to be used for self- storage, U-Haul truck and trailer sharing and a moving and storage retail store. She said that the staff recommendation is to deny the request based upon its inconsistency with the surrounding zoning and land use patterns, the goals of the master plan and proper planning principles in general. Ms. Stachowiak said that the intent of both the Zoning Ordinance and the Master Plan is to concentrate the most intensive commercial land uses along major arterials, such as S. Cedar Street, where they receive maximum exposure to the highest volumes of traffic. Storage facilities, by contrast, are more appropriately located in areas where they are accessible from but not located directly on a major arterial. Ms. Stachowiak stated that while the subject property adjoins a "G-2"zoned parcel of land to its west that is accessed via Perry Robinson, the vast majority of the properties along S. Cedar Street, including those that surround the subject property on 3 sides, are zoned "F" Commercial. Therefore, the proposed zoning would still be considered a "spot zone" of"G- 2"Wholesale zoning along S. Cedar Street. She said that spot zoning is typically considered to be an inappropriate zoning practice because it affords development options to a single land owner that are not available to the adjoining properties and creates inconsistent land use patterns. Ms. Stachowiak stated that S. Cedar Street is zoned, master planned and designed for customer-oriented, commercial uses that generate a high volume of traffic on a daily basis. She said that S. Cedar Street is intended for the types of uses that benefit from and in fact, depend on exposure to high volumes of traffic in order to provide a strong customer base for their businesses. The primary concern with self-storage uses is that they are not customer oriented businesses and as such, they generate very little traffic on a regular basis. Self- storage facilities are destination type uses that do not depend on pass-by traffic to create and sustain a customer base. Ms. Stachowiak said that the majority of the time, the parking lots are mostly vacant, with the exception of trucks and equipment that are available for lease, which detracts rather than contributes to a healthy commercial environment. She said that the other concern is that approval of the rezoning will set a negative precedent for future requests to rezoning commercial properties to the "G-2" Wholesale district to accommodate more self-storage facilities as there seems to be a lot of interest in doing so at this time. Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing. Jonathan Gilmore, President, U-Haul Western MI, spoke in support of the request. He said that U-Haul is a national retailer that has converted other vacant K-Mart stores in the state into self-storage facilities. He provided photographs of those projects. Mr. Gilmore said that it will not just be a self-storage facility but a retail facility as well providing packaging supplies and renting equipment and vehicles. He said that the plan shows an outlot near the northeast area of the site for another business that would generate even more activity. Mr. Gilmore stated that his team met with Councilman Garza who is supported of the request. He said that they will bring investment, employment, stability and security to an area that really needs it at this time. It will be well-lit and well-maintained with 24/7 security and they Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 4 will improve the appearance of the site and add greenspace to the sea of asphalt that currently exists. Mr. Gilmore stated that U-Haul is already investing a lot of money in south Lansing. He also said that they have been a member of the community for decades, have earned awards from the Southside Commercial Association and would like the opportunity to turn the property at 5400 S. Cedar Street from its current state into what would be a real asset to south Lansing. Ms. Alexander asked if U-Haul has looked at other sites in the City. Mr. Gilmore said that the subject property is an ideal location for the business as it located in an area where it gets a high volume of exposure to traffic which is necessary because U- Haul does not advertise. He said that the size of the property also fits in with U-Haul's business model. Mr. Ruge said that people want to see retail uses near the street. He asked Mr. Gilmore if they would be willing to create more outlots or reserve additional space near Cedar Street for that purpose. Mr. Ruge said that what he would like the applicant to consider is a plan where there is a row of commercial businesses close to Cedar Street with a drive leading back to the U-Haul facility. He suggested that the applicant work with City staff on a revised proposal that would address some of the concerns and bring it back to the Planning Board at its next meeting. Mr. Gilmore said that the outlot shown on the plan is more than what they would normally desire as they do not want to be hidden back behind other businesses. Ms. Stachowiak stated that providing for more retail space along S. Cedar Street would not change the staff recommendation as it would not sati§fy some of the concerns described in the staff report. Bruce Gershenson, 31500 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, spoke in favor of the request. He said that he is the owner of the property and he has reached out to many retailers over the past 2'/2 years, none of whom are interested in the property. Mr. Gershenson stated that reality changes things and the nature of S. Cedar Street has changed as well. He referenced the conversion of the former Builders Square building to a church a few years ago. Mr. Gershenson said that there has been a lot of interest in converting the building into a medical marijuana grow operation but they want something that there that the community can be proud of and this proposal would fulfill that objective. He said that it will bring investment, jobs and revitalization to the property and to the area in general. Kathy Miles, 1128 Woodbine, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that the City is reaching a saturation point with self-storage facilities, particularly in south Lansing. Ms. Miles stated that self-storage facilities provide very few jobs and the nature of the business is contrary to the goals of revitalizing the area. Don Horton, 5747 Ridgewood, spoke in opposition to the request. He said that he is involved with Rejuvenating South Lansing which is a group dedicated to the revitalization of the area and feels that another self-storage facility would be contrary to its efforts. Mr. Horton expressed concerns about other businesses that have closed in the area and the potential for them to be converted to self-storage rather than retail or other customer-oriented commercial businesses. Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 5 Rick O'Connor, no address given, spoke in support of the request. He said that he has been working with Mr. Gershenson over the past 2'/2 years to find a new tenant for the property and despite a huge effort, they have not been able to find anyone that wants to be located on S. Cedar Street in Lansing. Mr. O'Connor said that U-Haul is a great operator and the alternative is to leave the site vacant, thus allowing it to deteriorate and become subject to vandalism. Joy Gleason, 1133 E. Malcolm X Street, stated that it was a mistake to allow the former EDS building to become a self-storage facility. She said that she would rather see that type of business located on the subject property and being run by U-Haul. Ms. Gleason said that with the new facilities coming in to the area, at some point the area will become oversaturated and the buildings will return to being vacant. Mr. Gilmore said that self-storage is one of the only growth industries right now. He said that a lot of people are downsizing and millennials prefer smaller houses but still need a place to store their belongings until they eventually obtain much larger living quarters. He said that they live small now but dream big for the future. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Hovey closed the public hearing. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None 6. RECESS — Not taken 7. BUSINESS Mr. Rieske stated that Act-9-2018 is a request by the Board of Water and Light to grant an easement along the east side of Canal Road to Consumers Energy for gas service to its proposed natural gas power plant. The gas line is located along the west side of the LBWL property at that location. Mr. Rieske said that the Board of Water and Light plans to phase out its Erickson Power Plant in 2025, and eventually replace it with a natural gas-fired power plant at the site of the Erickson Plant in Delta Township. He said that the easement with Consumers is necessary for the transition from the coal- fired Erickson plant to the new plant. Mr. Rieske said that Act-10-2018 is for sanitary and storm sewer easements to permit the development of the new McLaren Hospital on Collins Road. A. Consent Items (1) Minutes for approval: November 7, 2018 (2) Act-9-2018, Consumer's Energy Easement on LBWL land (3) Act-10-2018, McLaren Hospital Development, Sewer Easements Without objection, the consent agenda was approved. B. New Business (1) Z-8-2018, 5400 S. Cedar Street, Rezoning from "F" Commercial & "J" Parking districts to "G-2" Wholesale district Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 6 Mr. Ruge said that he would be in favor of tabling the request to give the applicant an opportunity to work with City staff on a revised proposal that would be received more favorably. Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Ms. Martinez to table Z-8-2018 to give the applicant an opportunity to amend their request. On a voice vote, the motion carried (5-1). Ms. Cerna cast the dissenting vote. (2) Hazard Mitigation Plan Ronda Oberlin, City of Lansing, Hazard Mitigation Coordinator, stated that hazard mitigation is the process of reducing the impact of hazards and while no community will ever be completely safe from all hazards, steps can be taken to make a community more resilient to the effect of a disaster. She said that the goal of this plan is to make Lansing's residents, businesses, and infrastructure better able to withstand and recover from the effects of a disaster. Ms. Oberlin said that good mitigation is sustainable and fiscally responsible. She said that research shows that every dollar spent in mitigation save at least 4 dollars in damage and response costs when a disaster occurs. Ms. Oberlin said that the goals of this plan are to: Identify mitigation priorities Identify pre-disaster mitigation opportunities Prepare Lansing to take effective advantage of post-disaster mitigation opportunities Ms. Oberlin said that the City's original hazard mitigation plan was developed in 2005 by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and addendums to the plan were developed for flood and wildfire by local planning teams. The plan was then fully revised by the City's Emergency Management division in 2015. This was done in collaboration with other City departments, community stakeholders, experts, elected officials and member of the public. Ms. Oberlin said that there are several types of projects that will be considered for hazard mitigation including preventive measures, structural improvements, property and natural resource protection, risk communication and improving emergency response capabilities. She stated that under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, local emergency management jurisdictions are required to submit a hazard mitigation plan for FEMA approval every five years. Ms. Oberlin said that the MI Municipal Planning Act requires a community to review its master plan every five years. She said that the planning cycle for the two plans overlay which enable the two documents to be updated simultaneously. Ms. Oberlin said that this ensure that priorities from one plan are represented in the other. Ms. Martinez made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hovey to approve the Hazard Mitigation Plan, as presented. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). (3) Act-8-2018, NE Corner of 3418 Pleasant Grove, Easement for SWAG Public Art Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 7 Mr. Rieske stated that the Southwest Action Group (SWAG), the City, LEAP, and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing have been working together on the placement of public art in the business district at Holmes and Pleasant Grove. He said that SWAG and the City are proposing a public open space, with landscaping and a sculpture, on a SWAG-owned parcel split from the NE corner of 3418 Pleasant Grove. Mr. Rieske said that the Southwest Action Group (SWAG) wishes to convey an easement to the City over the entire property for the placement of public art. He said that the City would own and maintain the sculpture, and SWAG would own, maintain, and insure the property. Ms. Martinez asked if there are any concerns with regard to utilities on the area of the site that would be covered by the easement. Mr. Rieske said that the proposal was reviewed by the City's Public Service Department and no concerns were expressed. Mr. Hovey said that he is a big fan of public art and this project will be a great compliment to the other good things that have been happening in this area, including Beacon Field. Ms. Miles stated that the art piece shown on the rendering in the packet is being built right now. Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of Act-8-2018, an easement to the City for the purposes of installing public art at 3418 Pleasant Grove Road. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 9. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 10. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON - None 11. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS Mr. Hovey said that the art work on Pleasant Grove will be a great compliment to the area. He stated that there will be funding campaign kick-off in the near future for a playground, walking path, native plant garden and other amenities to improve the area. Lynne Martinez stated that the Arcadia on E. Michigan has virtually no parking on the site. It is drawing a large amount of traffic that is not only taking up the commercial parking in the area but people are now parking on the side streets which is causing a lot problems for the residents. She said that there are other businesses in the area that need to be able to share the on-street parking on E. Michigan and the parking lots in the area in order to sustain their businesses. Ms. Martinez said that people are blocking driveways and parking in a manner that limits visibility at intersections. She also said that the new Gillespie development will make matters worse as they will not have much on-site parking either. Ms. Stachowiak said that the property is in an overlay district which means that very little on-site parking is required. Ms. Cerna said that other communities do not require much parking. She said that the businesses are doing well and people get used to vehicles parking on the side streets as that is part of living in an urban environment. Planning Board Minutes December 4, 2018 Page 8 Kathy Miles stated that her main objection to the Form-Based Code is that it will not require enough parking. She said that it is very difficult to find parking in Reo Town and Old Town because they are overlay districts. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the City is aware of the issues with parking for the Arcadia and is trying to find a way to mitigate the problem. 12. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m. S f Regular Meeting ti G LANSING PLANNING BOARD November 7, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street H 1 MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Hovey called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. a. Present: Josh Hovey, Farhan Bhatti, Katie Alexander, Lynne Martinez & Marta Cerna b. Absent: John Ruge & Tony Cox C. Staff: Susan Stachowiak Ms. Alexander made a motion, seconded by Ms. Cerna to grant an excused absence for Mr. Ruge. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS - None 4. HEARINGS A. Z-6-2018, 522 Lesher Place, Rezoning from "A" Residential district to "D-1" Professional Office district Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by Neogen Corporation to rezone the property at 522 Lesher Place from "DM-3" Residential District to "D-1" Professional Office District. The purpose of the rezoning is to permit the building at this location to be used for additional office space to support the Neogen Corporation offices already existing in the area. Ms. Stachowiak stated that staff is recommending approval of the request. She said that the rezoning is consistent with the land use pattern being advanced in the master plan and with the zoning and land use patterns already established in the area. In addition, she said that no adverse impacts on vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the environment or future patterns of development are anticipated to result from approval of the rezoning. Ms. Stachowiak said that there is already a very strong presence of office zoning and land uses in this area. In fact, the property located directly north of the subject property is currently zoned "D-1" Professional Office district and is owned and utilized by the Neogen Corporation. Ms. Stachowiak said that the Neogen Corporation has been an excellent neighbor of the east side of Lansing for many years. The company is actively involved in several neighborhood organizations and the business has had a positive impact on the neighborhoods in which it is located. Ms. Stachowiak said that the Neogen operations have also proven to be very compatible with adjoining residential uses, as they are low impact uses that do not generate much traffic, noise and other potential nuisances. She said that there are several properties owned and operated by Neogen on the east side of Lansing Planning Board Minutes November 7, 2018 Page 2 and most, if not all, are located in predominantly residential neighborhoods. There have been no complaints of any kind with regard to any of Neogen's properties/operations. Ms. Stachowiak said that while the subject property is too small to accommodate the required parking spaces, Neogen owns the office building directly north of the subject property and the former school building one parcel north of that. Both properties have more than enough parking to accommodate the required parking spaces for the uses located thereon as well as the 4 parking spaces required for this proposal. Mr. Hovey opened the public hearing. Jim Houthoofd, Treasurer, Neogen Corporation, 620 Lesher Place, spoke in support of the rezoning. He said that they have experienced significant growth over the years and now have about 700 employees. Mr. Houthoofd stated that 522 Lesher Place is a 4-unit residential building at this time and has been used to provide housing for visiting employees from all over the world. He said that they would like the ability to use the building for overflow offices but may maintain its rental license so that it can also be used for some residential occupancy. Mr. Hovey asked if Neogen owns the adjoining properties. Mr. Houthoofd stated that Neogen owns the properties to the east and north of the subject property at this time. He said that they may purchase more buildings in the area, in part to control the maintenance and the activity that takes place on surrounding properties. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Hovey closed the public hearing. B. Z-7-2018, Northwest Corner of W. Cavanaugh Road & Lowcroft Avenue, Rezoning from "A" Residential district to "C" Residential district Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by Andrew Pauly to rezone the two vacant parcels of land at the northwest corner of W. Cavanaugh Road and Lowcroft Avenue from "A" Residential District to "C" Residential District. The purpose of the rezoning is to permit the construction of a duplex on the subject property. Ms. Stachowiak said that staff is recommending approval of the request based on a finding that the requested rezoning is consistent with the existing zoning and land use patterns in the area. She also said that the proposed rezoning will have no negative impacts on traffic patterns, the environment or future patterns of development in the area. Ms. Stachowiak said that since the property is currently surrounded on two sides by "C" Residential zoning, the proposed rezoning will not result in a "spot zone" which is typically considered to be an unacceptable planning practice as it affords land use rights to one property owner that are not afforded to the adjoining property owners. In this case, the properties to the west and south of the subject property are already zoned for duplexes which is a land use right that is not permitted for the applicant's property, even though it is an equally appropriate location for a duplex. Ms. Stachowiak said that under the existing "A" Residential zoning, a single family residence could be constructed on each of the two parcels. If the rezoning is approved, the two parcels will have to be combined in order to comply with the lot size requirement to permit the construction of a duplex. Two residential units, therefore, are the maximum number of units that could be constructed on the subject property under both the existing and the proposed zoning designations. A duplex, as opposed to two single family Planning Board Minutes November 7, 2018 Page 3 dwellings, would make for a more viable use of the site given its location on a collector road (Cavanaugh) which carries a higher volume of traffic than a typical residential street. She said that multi-family residential uses generally serve as buffers between higher volume streets and low-density single family residential uses. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the applicant's proposal is representative of this type of transitional or step-down land use pattern which is a widely accepted planning and zoning practice. Mr. Hovey opened the public hearing. Andrew Pauly, 1535 Ridgewood Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823, spoke in support of his rezoning. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Hovey closed the public hearing. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None 6. RECESS — Not taken 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items (1) Minutes for approval: September 4, 2018 (2) 2019 Planning Board Meeting Schedule (3) Z-5-2018, 136 E. Malcolm X Street & the Vacant Parcel to its West, Rezoning from "DM-4" Residential & "J" Parking districts to "G-1" Business district5 (4) Z-6-2018, 522 Lesher Place, Rezoning from "A" Residential district to "D-V Professional Office district (5) Z-7-2018, Northwest Corner of W. Cavanaugh Road & Lowcroft Avenue, Rezoning from "A" Residential district to "C" Residential district Dr. Bhatti made a motion, seconded by Ms. Alexander to approve the items on the consent agenda. Motion carried (5-0). B. New Business 9. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 10. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON - None 11. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS - None 12. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 6:41 p.m. S 1 Regular Meeting v G LANSING PLANNING BOARD September 4, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street C' F1 1 G MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Hovey called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Farhan Bhatti, Tony Cox, John Shaski, Katie Alexander & Marta Cerna b. Absent: Josh Hovey & Lynne Martinez C. Staff: Bill Rieske & Susan Stachowiak Dr. Bhatti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shaski to grant excused absences for Mr. Hovey & Ms. Martinez. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS - None 4. HEARINGS A. Zoning Ordinance Amendment, Parking Lot Lighting Requirements Ms. Stachowiak said that the intent of the ordinance amendment is to provide requirements for parking lot lighting. She said that the only regulation on parking lot lighting in the current ordinance is a requirement that lights have to be shielded to prevent lights from glaring beyond the property lines on which it is location. Ms. Stachowiak said that the ordinance does not require parking lot lights. She said that she has received complaints in the past, particularly from apartment complex tenants when the parking lot lights have gone out and the landlord was not replacing them. Ms. Stachowiak said that there was nothing she could do to compel the owner to replace the lights. She said that the ordinance only applies to new lights as existing lights will be grandfathered in/legally nonconforming. Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing. Kathy Miles, 1128 Woodbine, representing Rejuvenating South Lansing, spoke in support of the proposed ordinance. She said that one of the issues with Logan Square is that it has been a haven for criminal activity because there are no working lights in the parking lot. Ms. Miles said that this ordinance is essential from a safety standpoint, including for the police when they have to enter a site where there is potential threat. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing. Mr. Ruge said that in addition to requiring lights to be shielded to prevent off-site glare, the light should also be shielded to prevent it from glaring into windows within the site. He said Planning Board Minutes September 4, 2018 Page 2 that this could be accomplished by adding the following language to end of paragraph one on page 2 "..., and to prevent lights from glaring into windows within the site." Dr. Bhatti questioned why the ordinance will not apply to existing parking lot lights. Ms. Stachowiak said that it was a determination by the City Attorney's Office. Dr. Bhatti asked that language be added to the document allowing its provisions to be applicable to existing parking lot lights as well as new ones going forward. He said that if that is not acceptable to the City Attorney's Office, he would like to request an explanation as to why. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Kathy Miles, 1128 Woodbine, representing Rejuvenating South Lansing, spoke in opposition to the proposed Form-Based Code. She said that it focuses on the building rather than on the site and the uses. Ms. Miles stated that Emly Horne, who serves on the Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals for many years, stated that the Form-Based Code would destroy neighborhoods and be detrimental to the development of the City in general. She said that of particular concern is eliminating parking space requirements which will result in over-use of parking on neighborhood streets. 6. RECESS— Not taken 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items (1) Minutes for approval: August 7, 2018 Without objection, the minutes from the August 7, 2018 meeting were approved, as presented. (2) Zoning Ordinance Amendment, Parking Lot Lighting Requirements Without objection, proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment establishing requirements for parking lot lights were approved with the following conditions: a. The following language be added to the end of paragraph 1 on page 2: ..., and to prevent lights from glaring into windows within the site." b. Recommend that the ordinance contain language allowing it to apply to existing parking lot lights, as well as new one going forward or if found not to be acceptable to the City Attorney's Office, receipt of a written explanation as to why. B. New Business (1) Act-6-2018, LaBelle Street ROW Vacation Planning Board Minutes September 4, 2018 Page 3 Mr. Rieske said that Frederick Frank, on behalf of Complete Hitch and Welding Company, 6283 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., is requesting that the City vacate that portion of the LaBelle Street right of way (ROW), located west of Edgewood Blvd. and east of 1-96. The subject ROW is .48 acres in size, it is currently vacant and undeveloped and located one block east of S. M.L.K. Blvd. off Edgewood Blvd. Mr. Rieske said that Public Service has reviewed the Act 33 request and found that there are no underground utilities within the ROW. At the west end is a culvert, however, that outlets the drainage for the area. He said the natural drainage pattern toward that outlet should not be allowed to change with future development of the site. Mr. Rieske said that the LaBelle ROW extends through the current Edgewood Blvd ROW and the portion to be vacated should be in line with the west Edgewood ROW line extended through the LaBelle ROW. Mr. Rieske said that staff is recommending approval of the request based on the following findings: • All properties on the north and south sides of the subject ROW are owned by Complete Hitch. The west end terminates at the north 1-96 ROW line. • The proposal is to assemble property for eventual development. • The Design Lansing Comprehensive Plan designation is for Suburban Commercial. • One adjacent property, zoned "A" Residential, will need to be rezoned if it is to be incorporated in a commercial development. Mr. Shaski made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of Act-6-2018, a request to vacate that part of the LaBelle Road right-of-way that lies between the west line of Edgewood Boulevard (if extended through LaBelle Road right-of-way) and the eastern right-of-way line of 1-96. On a voice vote, the motion carried 6-0. 9. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER A. Update on Form-Based Code and Comprehensive Plan Mr. Rieske stated that there have been some changes to the proposed Form-Based Code since it was last presented to the Planning Board. He said that the City engaged neighborhood organizations, commercial organizations, developers, realtors and many others in developing the consolidated plan and the Form Based Code is a continuation of that work. Mr. Rieske said that It incorporates the goals of the Plan, and implements the Plan's land use recommendations. He said that the form-based code was strongly recommended in the Design Lansing Comprehensive Plan as the most effective way to achieve the urban form envisioned by the Lansing citizens. Mr. Rieske said that a form-based code (FBC) is a zoning approach that addresses the relationship between buildings and the street, the form and mass of buildings in relationship to one another, the pattern of blocks and streets and the location and type of public spaces. He said that the FBC also regulates land uses just as it does in the current zoning ordinance. He also said that the FBD would replace the current Zoning Ordinance in its entirety. Planning Board Minutes September 4, 2018 Page 4 Mr. Rieske reviewed the various sections of the proposed FBC and stated that one of the differences between the FBC and a traditional zoning ordinance is that the FBC considers the appearance of the community while still regulating land uses and all other aspects of planning and zoning that are addressed in the current zoning ordinance. He said that the intent, in many areas, is to bring commercial development closer to the streets with all or most of the parking located to rear in order to define the streetscape and eliminate the unsightly appearance of large seas of underutilized parking lots. Mr. Rieske said that staff may schedule a public hearing for the next Planning Board meeting on the FBC because of the substantial changes that have been made to the document since the last public hearing was held. Mr. Shaski asked how other plans, such as "Shaping the Avenue" have intertwined with the development of the FBC. Mr. Rieske said that all of the recommendations of the various local and regional planning endeavors have been considered. He also said that the City of Lansing was an active participant in the development of the "Shaping the Avenue" and all other plans affecting Lansing and the region in general. Mr. Shaski told Ms. Miles that he shares her concerns about the negative impacts on a neighborhood that can be caused by reducing on-site parking requirements. He said that drivers end up parking on residential streets, often times blocking driveways and creating other problems for the residents of the neighborhood. 10. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON - None 11. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS Ms. Alexander said that it is nice to see the MSU urban planning graduate students in attendance. 12. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 p.m. 1� S I Regular Meeting ti G LANSING PLANNING BOARD August 7, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street x 1 G MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Hovey called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. a. Present: Josh Hovey, Tony Cox, Lynne Martinez, John Shaski, Katie Alexander & Marta Cerna b. Absent: John Ruge & Farhan Bhatti C. Staff: Susan Stachowiak 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. PRESENTATION — Christine Spitzley, OHM Advisors, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Groundwater Management Board Update Ms. Spitzley said that she is attending Planning Commission meetings for several municipalities in the region to give a presentation on regional water resources and groundwater planning. She said that the intent is to share the purpose and the mission of the Groundwater Management Board,frame the broader context of regional water protection, increase visibility and engagement, educate the public, identify opportunities for future funding/shared costs and to build relationships. She said that the intent is also to seek connections to civic groups that they can present this information to as well. Ms. Spitzley said that the City of Lansing is a founding member of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Groundwater Management Board. She said that the City has a wellhead protection plan and a checklist of items to identify potential groundwater threats during site plan reviews. Ms. Spitzley stated the City pays dues to the Board and those funds are used to leverage additional funds through grants. She said that the wellhead protection plan is due to be updated in 2019. She spoke about a best engineering practices document to protect groundwater with respect to geothermal heating and cooling systems. Ms. Spitzley stated that there was an audit conducted 2 years ago to ensure that municipalities in the region are doing things consistently with each other and to identify issues that still need to be addressed. Ms. Spitzley said that the Tri-County Policies and Program Guide was funded by a grant through MDEQ for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of current local wellhead and groundwater protection. She said that the tri-county region is almost one hundred percent groundwater dependent for its drinking water needs and depends on the protection of all water resources to maintain a high quality source. Ms. Spitzley said that the Guide examined how well the region was working together to protect local water resources and recommended actions and strategies to protect water resources in the region. These include: Maintain Groundwater Management Board membership and attendance Review Environmental Permit Checklists Update Wellhead and Groundwater Audit in 2010 Planning Board Minutes August 7, 2018 Page 2 Examine Tri-County Polices and Program Guide for issues of local concern and policy operation changes Be aware of emerging concerns Invest in your infrastructure and people Build and maintain local, regional and state relationships Engage and educate your community Mr. Hovey asked if Tri-County is focusing any of its efforts on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) contamination. Ms. Spitzley said that she is not aware of anything as their program focuses on groundwater contamination. Mr. Hovey said that PFAS is a chemical that is in a lot of pots and pans, fast food wrappers, pizza boxes, etc. It is a flame-retardant, non-stick substance and everyone has it in their body. He said that the effects on the body have not been determined and it is not used as much as it used to be. Ms. Martinez asked if Tri-County is focusing on groundwater pollution caused by animal waste. Ms. Spitzley said that they have not focused on animal waste as a contaminant. She said that she would email Ms. Stachowiak her Powerpoint presentation so that she can pass it along to the Planning Board members. She also said that she would welcome any suggestions relative to civic groups in the area that she could give this presentation to. 4. COMMUNICATIONS - None 5. HEARINGS A. PRD-1-2018, Planned Residential Development, 3600 Dunckel Road Ms. Stachowiak said that the applicant is requesting approval of a Planned Residential Development plan consisting of 4 multiple family residential buildings that would contain a total of 286 apartment units on 9.6 acres of the property at 3600 Dunckel Road and the vacant lot north of 4600 Collins Road. She said that the plan is currently being reviewed through the City's administrative site plan review process. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the overall plan for development of the former hotel property is to utilize the south 9.6 acres for the residential development that is the subject of PRD-1-2018, leaving the north 4.2 acres for future commercial development. She said that this plan represents an appropriate land use pattern wherein the commercial development is concentrated along the primary thoroughfare with the residential development to its south, serving as a buffer between the commercial uses and the lower impact use of the property to the south (post office). She also said that the proposed plan demonstrates compliance with all dimensional requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. Ms. Stachowiak stated that staff is recommending approval of the request. Ms. Martinez said that she is concerned about the lack of amenities to accommodate families with children that may live in the complex. She said that the plan provides for a dog park but does not provide a park for children. Mr. Kowieski said that the can take Ms. Martinez's concern back to the team to determine if some kid friendly amenities can be added to the site. Mr. Hovey opened the public hearing. Planning Board Minutes August 7, 2018 Page 3 Nick Kowieski, Monroe Residential Partners, spoke in support of the request. He said that the development will be a 286 unit, class A, market-rate, apartment complex. Mr. Kowieski said that they are not targeting students and in fact, the development will not be very appealing to students given the rental rates, unit sizes and the lack of amenities for people of that age. He said that the intent is to appeal to young professionals, empty-nesters and young families. To that end, 50% will be 1-bedroom units, 45% will be 2-bedroom units and 5% will be 3-bedroom units. Mr. Kowieski said that there will be a club house, pool, courtyard, and all of the buildings will have elevators in them. Mr. Shaski asked if there is any way to prevent too many students from occupying the units. Mr. Kowieski said that they cannot restrict it but they are not targeting students either and will do a good job of screening tenants and ensuring that they have enough income to rent their apartments so that they get long term renters. Mr. Shaski said that judging by the high end vehicles driven by a lot of the students in the area, renting high-end apartments does not seem too far-fetched. He said that he thinks the site will be very appealing to students. Ms. Cerna said that she was hoping for more owner-occupied development and all of the units will be rentals. She asked if the developer commissioned a market study to determine the need for more rental units in the area. Ms. Kowieski said that they did obtain a market study and it revealed that there is a market for an average of$1.50 per square foot rentals units. He also said that the study revealed a shortage of 1,000 units over the period from 2018-2023. In response to a question from Mr. Hovey, Mr. Kwieski said that the study did not address the amount of income taxes that would be paid to the City by the residents of the development. Ms. Alexander asked if the tenants would likely be existing residents of the City or if it would draw new residents that do not currently reside in the City. Mr. Kowieski said that the study did not address that either. Ms. Alexander asked about sidewalks in and around the development. Mr. Kowieski said that they are going to be required to install sidewalks along Collins Road. Ms. Stachowiak pointed out that the plans show interior sidewalks throughout the development that would connect to the sidewalk along Collins Road. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Hovey closed the public hearing. 6. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None 7. RECESS — Not taken 8. BUSINESS A. Consent Items Planning Board Minutes August 7, 2018 Page 4 (1) Minutes for approval: July 10, 2018 Without objection, the minutes from the July 10, 2018 meeting were approved, as presented. B. New Business (1) PRD-1-2018, Planned Residential Development, 3600 Dunckel Road Ms. Martinez said that she would like to condition the approval on the applicant adding some outdoor amenities to the site for families with children. She asked her fellow board members if they would be agreeable to such a condition. Ms. Martinez said that her son lives in Chicago and the apartment complexes there do not provide any outdoor space for kids to play and parents to sit and watch them play. Mr. Shaski said that he thinks the apartments are ripe for student housing rather than families with children. He said that he does not think that the apartments will be desirable to employees of the new hospital or to young professionals and empty- nesters in general as they typically do not like to live in the same complex with a lot of students. Ms. Stachowiak said that if families with children do not feel that the development is family friendly, they will simply go elsewhere. Mr. Hovey asked if the developer is going to keep the existing tennis courts. Mr. Kowieski said that the tennis courts will be demolished. Mr. Shaski made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of PRD-1-2018, a request by Waypoint Residential Services, LLC for a 286 unit, planned residential development at 3600 Dunckel Road and the adjacent vacant parcel located north of 4600 Collins Road, consisting of 4 multiple family residential building with related site improvements, as depicted on the plan dated June 6, 2018 and last revised on July 4, 2018, based on the findings of fact as outlined in this staff report. On a voice vote, the motion carried 5-1. Mr. Shaski cast the dissenting vote. (2) Act-5-2018, McLaren Hospital Development ROW Vacations Austin Holcomb, Kramer Management Group, stated that McLaren is combining the functions of its Greenlawn and Pennsylvania campuses into a larger hospital facility it is constructing in the University Corporate Research Park, which is located between U.S. 127 on the west, and Collins Road on the east, just south of Forest Road. To accommodate this development, McLaren is requesting the vacation of Alliance Drive and a portion of Technology Boulevard. The street ROWs will be combined with land currently owned by the MSU Foundation to form the site for the new hospital. Mr. Shaski asked if the Hospital has secured all of its licenses and approval from the State of Michigan. Planning Board Minutes August 7, 2018 Page 5 Ms. Stachowiak said that she does not know as the City only deals with its own approvals. Mr. Hovey asked if the vacations will not become effective until all other approvals have been obtained. Ms. Stachowiak said that the vacations are effective as soon as the Act request is approved by the City Council. She said that the without the vacations, the hospital cannot be built and the applicant cannot close on the property until all approvals, including the vacations, have been finalized. Mr. Shaski said that if they do not get their approvals,the roads will already be vacated which would negatively impact the subject property for future use as well as the existing parcels in the area that are already developed in terms of access. He said that until all approvals from the state are in place and the hospital has closed on the property, approval of the vacations is premature. Mr. Holcomb stated that the plans for the hospital are continuously moving forward. Mr. Cox said that the plans for the new hospital seem to be pretty secure and he is comfortable with moving forward on the vacations so as not to derail or delay the project. Ms. Cerna asked about the plans for the existing hospital sites on S. Pennsylvania and on Cavanaugh once they are vacated by the hospital. Mr. Holcomb said that McLaren is working with LEAP and other local organizations to determine how to repurpose those sites. Ms. Cerna made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of Act- 5-2018 to vacate Alliance Drive and that portion of Technology Blvd. indicated on the sketch prepared by PEA, Inc., dated 4/10/2018. On a voice vote, the motion carried 5-1. Mr. Shaski cast the dissenting vote. 9. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 10. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON - None 11. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 12. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m. I� S I Special Meeting G LANSING PLANNING BOARD July 10, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center �� 600 W. Maple Street CH 1 G MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Lynne Martinez, Farhan Bhatti, John Shaski, Josh Hovey, & Katie Alexander b. Absent: Tony Cox & Marta Cerna C. Staff: Susan Stachowiak 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS Letter from Loretta Stanaway, 546 Armstrong Road, regarding Act-4-2018 Additional information regarding Act-4-2018 from City of Lansing Parks & Recreation Director, Brett Kaschinske 4. HEARINGS — None 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Pamela Dutcher, 504 W. Cesar Chavez, spoke in opposition to SLU-1-2018 &Z-4-2018. She said that she was happy that some of the buildings on the MI School for the Blind property have been demolished as it has been the site of a lot of drug and other criminal activity. Ms. Dutcher said that it has gotten better in the neighborhood since construction began on the new building. She said that she is concerned about bringing people into the neighborhood with drug problems as the facility will not have enough staff to continuously monitor them and they will walk freely through the neighborhood. Ms. Dutcher stated that there are party stores in the area that sell alcohol. She also stated that there are not enough restrooms in the building for 14 residents and she does not want to see the building changed to where it may eventually have to be demolished. Kathy Miles, 1128 Woodbine Avenue, spoke in opposition to Act-4-2018. She said that the Mayor has talked about a meeting to discuss the future of the city market and there does not seem to be any reason to move the ballot proposal forward until that takes place. Ms. Miles stated that the Mayor said that he would listen to the citizens before making any decisions and if that does not happen, it means that he has already made his decision. She said that she is not sure exactly what the NCU-1-2018 request is about but the neighbors have not been given enough the opportunity to have enough input into the proposal for 1141 N. Pine Street. Bryan Crenshaw, 213 E. Harris Street, spoke in opposition to Z-1-2018 & SLU-1-2018. He said that he is an Ingham County Commissioner and is on the Land Bank Board. Mr. Crenshaw said that he voted against the decision to sell the property at 1141 N. Pine Street to MMRS as the facility will Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 2 not fit into the neighborhood. He said that the Land Bank, MMRS and the realtor have not done their due diligence in informing the neighborhood of this proposal, seeking feedback and looking for other locations that would be more appropriate. Patrice Drainville, 535 N. Cedar Street, Apt. 201, said that the property at 325 City Market Drive is designated parkland and once it is sold, the citizens cannot get it back. She stated that the Mayor has said that the citizens would have input into the sale and future use of this property and that all options would be explored. Rina Risper, 503 W. Cesar Chavez Avenue, spoke in opposition to Z-1-2018 & SLU-1-2018. She said that she has lived in the area for 30 years and there is nothing in the area that could be considered a benchmark. Ms. Risper asked how the County Board of Commissioners could have thought that this was a good use to be located next to a pre-school. She said that the neighbors in the area will feel less safe with this facility in their neighborhood. Ms. Risper said that there are already other substance abuse treatment facilities in the area and if this one is approved, there will be approximately 60 beds in the area for individuals dealing with addiction issues. Mr. Ruge asked about Teen Challenge. Ms. Ripser said that while they are currently not in operation as a substance abuse treatment facility, they could reopen at any time. Elvin Caldwell, 307 N. Sycamore Street, stated that he works at the Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy at 730 W. Maple Street and he is opposed to the proposal for 1141 N. Pine Street. Mr. Caldwell said that the City's Master Plan promotes sustainability and placemaking and this proposal is contrary to those objectives. He said that the City should be working with the region to address the opioid problem and preserve the integrity and history of the School for the Blind property. Mr. Caldwell said that this proposal would be a step backwards for the property. He said that the goal should be to retain existing residents in the neighborhood and attract new one. He said that the facility will also hinder economic and land use competitiveness between this area and other areas of the City. Ryan Smith, 3705 Parula Drive, East Lansing, spoke in opposition to Act-4-2018. He said that parks are not intended to generate revenue for a municipality but to enhance the quality of life for its residents. Mr. Smith said that the city market has not done well over the past few years but that could be attributable to a lot of factors including its management by LEPFA. Mr. Smith said that professionals need to be brought to the table to determine what needs to happen to make the market more successful. He said that there is no reason to rush getting this matter on the ballot until other options have been considered and the citizens have had a chance to provide additional input. Wendell Hill, 327 W. Kilborn Street, spoke in opposition to Z-1-2018 & SLU-1-2018. He said that he believes in rehabilitation but there are already substance abuse treatment facilities in the neighborhood and they can only take so many. Mr. Hill said that he drove around before this meeting and there are a lot of children playing outside and he is concerned about their safety. Jessica Lamson, Mid-Michigan Recovery Services, 913 W. Holmes Road, Suite 200, spoke in support of Z-1-2018&SLU-1-2018. She said that she cannot convince the neighborhood that MMRS is a viable and reputable organization that has the professional staff and programming to effectively manage the proposed facility and make it successful. Ms. Lamson stated that their clients are not able to just freely walk away from the facility. She said that their clients are there voluntarily because they want to get help for their addiction. Ms. Lamson said that part of the problem is that their clients Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 3 know that people do not want them in the neighborhoods. She said that addiction is a health care issue and their clients want to get help without feeling separated from the community. Ms. Martinez asked Ms. Lamson if it is against the rules of the facility for a client to just walk away from the property and how many people have done that at their other facilities. She said that addiction recovery is not easy and people do fall off the wagon. Ms. Lamson said that 78% of the clients at MMRS follow through with a full course of treatment and there are many reasons why the remaining 22% may not complete the program. She said that the people in their program are chronic and it typically takes about 6 courses of treatment in total. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Chairman Ruge closed the public comment period. 6. RECESS — Not taken 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items (1) Minutes for approval: June 5, 2018 Without objection, the minutes from the June 5, 2018 meeting were approved, as presented. B. New Business (1) Act-4-2018, 325 City Market Dr., Market the Lansing City Market for Sale Brett Kaschinske, City of Lansing Director of Parks & Recreation Department, stated that this is a proposal to put the sale of the City Market property (land and building)on the ballot for voter approval. Mr. Kaschinske said that the subject property is dedicated parkland which means that, according to the city charter, it cannot be sold unless the voters of Lansing approve the sale. He said that the vote would just give the City the option of selling the property but any sale would have to be approved by the City Council. Mr. Kaschinske said that the City Council has not budgeted money to subsidize the market so something needs to happen as it cannot function without the subsidy. He said that all options for the property will be considered, including selling the property if authorized by the voters. He also said that the intent is to put the issue on the November ballot and for that to occur, City Council would have to authorize the vote at its August 13'h meeting, at the latest. Mr. Kaschinske showed the Board some aerial photos and maps that depict the actual property to be considered for sale. He said that it does not include any of the parking that currently exists, all of which would continue to be available to the public. He also said that easements between the current city market building and the apartment building to the east would be required. Mr. Kaschinske said that this proposal will go before the Parks Board on July 11'h at 7:00 p.m. at the Foster Community Center. Mr. Hovey asked if the City is considering other options for the property besides selling it. Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 4 Mr. Kaschinske said that the sale is just one option and all options will be considering. He said that there are several options, all of which will be considered. These include leasing the building, a change in management and options for public space. Ms. Alexander asked if the City has to sell the property if the voters approve putting it on the market for sale. Mr. Kaschinske said that Council would still have to approve the sale itself and they do not have to sell it at all or even put it on the market, even if it is approved by the voters. Ms. Alexander asked when the last time would be for the Planning Board to consider this request. She asked if Planning Board action on this proposal could be delayed until after the Parks Board meeting and there is more input from the public. Mr. Kaschinske said that this is the last opportunity for the Planning Board if this matter is to be on the November ballot. He said that otherwise there would have to be a special election and that is not a viable option. Ms. Alexander asked why it is important for this matter to be on the November ballot. Ms. Alexander said that with the reduced subsidy for the market, it cannot wait as there will not be enough money for it to continue operating. Mr. Hovey said that it is Council's decision to reduce the subsidy that has created the need for something to be done with the market, whether that is a sale or some other option, as soon as possible. Ms. Martinez said that there is nothing prohibiting the building from being leased or used for some other purpose besides a city market which continuing to be dedicated park land. Mr. Kaschinske said that if it continues to be parkland, there will have to be funding in place to maintain it. Mr. Ruge said that there is a City ordinance stating that if there is to be a city market, it has to be in its current location. He asked if Council is considering revoking that ordinance. He also asked if there is an ordinance requiring a city market. Mr. Kaschinske said that the City Attorney is working with the City Council with regard to the ordinance issues. He said that this particular market was deemed to no longer be considered a city market years ago. Mr. Ruge asked how many markets currently exist in the City. Mr. Kaschinske said that he does not know the number but that there was a good article in the City Pulse not long about the markets. He also said that city markets in other communities are having difficulties as well. Ms. Martinez said that she is not ready to vote on this matter as she would like more information and would like for the matter to receive more input from the public. Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 5 Ms. Martinez made a motion to table Act 4-2018. The motion failed for lack of support. Mr. Ruge said that this does seem to be moving quickly but he understands the issue with regard to the subsidy and the timing for getting this matter on the November ballot. He said that while he does not like to lose parkland, he is hoping that this issue will result in something positive for the city market or the property thereon. Dr. Bhatti said that he is confident that there will be multiple opportunities for public input on this matter before any decisions on the market are made, whether that is a sale or some other option. He said that approval of this Act case does not marry the City to anything where the city market is concerned. It simply allows it to be put on the November ballot so that if the voters approve the proposal, the City has the option to sell the property, after considering all other options as well. Dr. Bhatti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shaski to recommend approval of Act-4-2018 to place the sale of the property at 325 City Market Drive on the ballot for consideration by Lansing voters. On a roll call vote, the motion carried 5-1. Ms. Martinez cast the dissenting vote. (2) NCU-1-2018, 200 Friendship Circle — Class A Nonconforming Status Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by Attorney Richard Pennings on behalf of FHC Twelve Friendship Manor Limited Dividend Housing Association Limited Partnership to obtain a Class "A" Nonconforming Status for the property at 200 Friendship Manor Circle. She said that the subject property contains a 6-story, 170 unit (155 1-bedroom units and 15 2-bedroom units) senior citizen apartment building and 115 parking spaces. Ms. Stachowiak said that the nonconformities associated with 200 Friendship Manor involve the density and the building height. She said that the purpose of obtaining Class A Nonconforming status is to lift the cap on the amount of money that can be put into the building for repairs and rehabilitation. As a Class B Nonconformity, the amount of money that can be put into a building is limited to 35% of its value. Without an appraisal, the value is determined by the assessed value which is $2,743,400 (2 x the $1,669,200 SEV minus the $595,000 land value). 35% of this value is $960,190. The applicant is proposing to invest $4,766,635 into the property. Ms. Stachowiak said that Section 1294.04 of the Zoning Code lists the criteria to consider in evaluating requests for Class A status. She said that this request complies with all of the criteria as described in the staff report and thus, staff is recommending that it be approved. She also said that there is a section in the report that describes the floodplain issues associated with the site, just so that the applicant is aware that they exist. Ms. Stachowiak said that Planning Board's approval for Class A requests is final. These requests do not go to the City Council. Ms. Martinez said that 200 Friendship Manor is a nice building that provides good housing to a lot of low-income older people and she would like to make sure that they are able to make improvements to the building. Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 6 Ms. Martinez made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hovey to approve NCU-1-2018 to grant the request for Class A Nonconforming Status for 200 Friendship Circle. On a voice vote, the motion carried 6-0. C. OLD BUSINESS (1) Z-4-2018 1141 N. Pine Street, Rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office District to "DM-1" Residential District Ms. Stachowiak said that she was asked to provide additional information on this request at the last meeting. She said that according to the State of Michigan Licensing & Regulatory Affairs(LARA)website, there are 3 inpatient substance abuse treatment facilities in the City of Lansing that have an active license, 2 of which are owned by the applicant, Mid-Michigan Recovery Services. 419 N. ML King — MMRS 3300 S. Pennsylvania Avenue — MMRS 810 W. Saginaw Street—The Recovery Center Ms. Stachowiak said that there are some smaller inpatient treatment facilities, such the Rise House at Saginaw but since the occupancy at those facilities is 6 or less, they are not required to be licensed and they do not require a special land use permit. She said that Teen Challenge is not in operation at 510 W. Willow Street as a substance abuse treatment center. Ms. Stachowiak said that the LARA website shows the status of the license for Teen Challenge as "closed". She said that a visit to site as well as information obtained from on-line research confirmed this status. Ms. Stachowiak said that there is no way to determine, based on available information, whether crime in a particular area is directly linked to a specific use in that area. The City of Lansing Police Department was able to provide to provide data on the number of reports for each of the 3 existing facilities: 419 N. MLK Jr. Blvd. —no reports for this location 3300 S. Pennsylvania Avenue -1 report in 2016 involving fraud 810 W. Saginaw Street-1 report in 2017 and 2 in 2018 Ms. Stachowiak stated that the petition that was received contains a total of 106 signatures in opposition to the proposal 2 of the signatures are from property owners within the 300 foot notification area 55 are from individuals who reside within the general vicinity of the subject property 1 provided no address 1 only listed a street name 12 do not live in the City of Lansing 25 live south of Saginaw Street 5 are from students of the charter school at 730 W. Maple and listed this location as their address Approximately 20 of the signatures appear to be from young children Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 7 Jessica Lamson, Mid-Michigan Recovery Services, 913 W. Holmes Road, Suite 200, said that the smaller facilities like the Rise House are licensed through the State as transitional housing. Mr. Shaski asked if 6 bed facilities are permitted by right in residential zoning districts. Ms. Stachowiak said that they are permitted without restriction in residential zoning districts. She said that they are treated the same as a single family dwelling. Dr. Bhatti stated that he is a physician and has a lot of patients that deal with substance abuse issues. He said that there are not enough beds in the area or even in the State to meet the need. Dr. Bhatti stated that there MMRS has had a facility at 3301 S. Pennsylvania since 1991. There is a liquor store across the street, a school in the vicinity and a child care center next door and there have been no complaints to the City about the facility and it having any negative impacts on the surrounding area. Dr. Bhatti said that he makes decisions based on science and data and there is no evidence to suggest that the proposed facility will be a nuisance for the neighbors or reduce property values in the area. Based on that, he said that he intends to vote in favor of the request. Ms. Martinez said that she appreciates all of the concerns from the neighbors. She said that she has friends that are graduates of MMRS and are living a life in recovery. Ms. Martinez said that MMRS has a stellar record with its substance abuse treatment program and a professional staff to properly manage the facility. Mr. Hovey said that he is also inclined to vote in favor of the request for the reasons stated by Dr. Bhatti. He said that he appreciates the concerns expressed by the neighbors and does not take this matter lightly. Mr. Hovey said that he encourages MMRS to be a good neighbor and get involved with the neighborhood. Mr. Martinez made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shaski to recommend approval of Z-4-2018 to rezone the property at 1141 N. Pine Street from "D-1" Professional Office district to "DM-1" Residential district. On a roll call vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shaski to recommend approval of SLU-1-2018, a special land use permit to allow a 16-bed, inpatient, substance abuse treatment, residential care facility at 1141 N. Pine Street with the condition that the capacity of the facility is limited to the number of beds that can be accommodated in compliance with the parking requirement of Section 1284 of the Zoning Ordinance. On a roll call vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Chairman Ruge said that he is not happy with how the City deals with detention basins as they are ugly and surrounded by chain-link fences. Ms. Stachowiak said that she and Mr. Ruge could work on developing some language for the form- based code to address this matter. Planning Board Minutes July 10, 2018 Page 8 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m. 1� S I Regular Meeting ti G LANSING PLANNING BOARD June 5, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Lynne Martinez, Farhan Bhatti, Marta Cerna, Josh Hovey, & Katie Alexander b. Absent: Tony Cox C. Staff: Susan Stachowiak 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS Ms. Stachowiak stated that she received 12 letters in support of the request, 6 letters in opposition to the request and a petition signed by more than 100 individuals. She said that many of the signatories are people who live in south Lansing, do not live in the at all City, are minor children or people who did not provide a valid address to determine where they live. Mr. Ruge asked Ms. Stachowiak to count the signatures from people who live in the general area of the property in north Lansing. 4. HEARINGS A. Z-4-2018 & SLU-1-2018, 1141 N. Pine Street, Rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office District to "DM-1" Residential District&Special Land Use Permit for a Residential Care Facility Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by Mid-Michigan Recovery Services, Inc. to rezone the property at 1141 N. Pine Street from "D-1" Professional Office District to "DM-1" Residential District. The applicant is also requesting a Special Land Use Permit (SLU-1- 2018) to allow a 16-bed, inpatient, residential, substance abuse treatment facility in the building at this location. Ms. Stachowiak said that the proposed "DM-1" zoning is consistent with the surrounding zoning pattern. She said that the property to the south and west of the subject property is currently zoned "DM-1". Ms. Stachowiak said that the reason the applicant is requesting the rezoning is because the proposed residential treatment center is not permitted at all in the "D-1" Professional Office district but is a use permitted by special land use permit in the "DM- 1" Residential District, if the following minimum conditions can be met: (1) The residential care facility shall provide a minimum lot area of not less than 1,000 square feet per resident. (2) Twenty-four hour supervision shall be maintained by a sponsoring agency. Planning Board Minutes June 5, 2018 Page 2 (3) The proposed residential care facility is located more than 1,500 feet from an existing residential care facility which provides care for more than six persons. Ms. Stachowiak said that the request complies with the minimum criteria, thus allowing the applicant to pursue the SLU. She said that an evaluation of the request in accordance with the criteria listed in Section 1282.03(f)(1)-(9) of the Zoning Code supports a positive recommendation for granting the SLU. Ms. Stachowiak said that the Zoning Ordinance requires 1 parking space for each 2 beds in the facility. She said that since there are 7 parking spaces on the site, the SLU would have to be conditioned upon limiting the capacity of the facility to 14-beds. Jessica Lamson, Mid-Michigan Recovery Services, 913 W. Holmes Road, Suite 200, spoke in support of the request. She said that with the opioid epidemic, there is an even greater need for the services that they provide. Ms. Lamson said that substance addiction is a health care disorder and thus, their facilities are operated and managed by licensed and appropriately credentialed staff. Ms. Martinez asked about the number of beds in the MMRS facility on S. Pennsylvania and if that facility will remain open. She also asked about the adequacy of the parking at 1141 N. Pine for the proposed use. Ms. Lamson said that they will repurpose the facility on S. Pennsylvania but it will not continue to be used for an inpatient facility. She said that their patients agree to not bring vehicles on the property. Ms. Lamson said that they have 3-4 vehicles on the site during peak times and 6-7 at the most when they hold staff meetings periodically. Ms. Martinez asked about the size of the S. Pennsylvania facility in comparison to the building at 1141 N. Pine Street. Ms. Stachowiak said that she would provide that information. Mr. Hovey asked where people go when they leave the facility. Ms. Lamson said that some go home, some go to transition facilities. She said that they work with case managers to facilitate a long term plan. Ms. Lamson said that the clients stay on the property and are continuously monitored by on-site staff. She also said that they would do community work in the area if there is a desire from the community for them to do so. Mr. Ruge asked if the clients are working at a job while seeking treatment. Ms. Lamson said that they are not working as they are in need of intensive support and treatment. She said that addiction is a neurological defect and thus, a large part of the treatment is building behavioral skills and providing intensive therapy. Ms. Lamson said that most addictions begin at a very early age and so they have to retrain the brain to function without drugs or alcohol. Ms. Alexander asked about number of inpatient treatment facilities in Lansing and if there have been any issues associated with them. Ms. Lamson said that they had one noise complaint at the facility on S. Pennsylvania and immediately corrected the problem. She said the facility on S. Pennsylvania not only adjoins a single family residential neighborhood to the east but also adjoins a child care center to its Planning Board Minutes June 5, 2018 Page 3 north, without incident. She also said that they will be happy to provide contact information to the community so that if they have any concerns, they can be addressed without delay. Chairman Ruge opened the public hearing. Pamela Dutcher, 504 W. Cesar Chavez, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that she lives just about a block away and she wants to see the area bloom. Ms. Dutcher said that the building at 1141 N. Pine Street would make a great home for somebody as opposed to offices or the treatment facility. She said that she lives alone and does not want this facility in her neighborhood, particularly since they already have a problem in the neighborhood with panhandlers. Versey Williams, Vice-President, Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy, 730 W. Maple Street, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that she is a chaplain and has worked with many people over the years who are addicts and her concern is with the people who relapse and do not stay in the facility. Ms. Williams said that when someone is not ready for recovery and decides to walk away from the facility, they will be looking for people to prey on and there are a lot of children and seniors in the area that would be easy targets. Craig Emens, 1208 N. Pine Street, spoke in opposition to the request. He said that they are alreadyjust a couple of minutes away from Teen Challenge which is still in use. He also said that there will not be adequate parking on the site. Mr. Emens stated that in addition to Mid- Michigan Leadership Academy, there is a Willow Elementary School to the north and the Head Start Program to the south which means that there are a lot of children in the area that may not be safe when someone walks away from the facility or when they are not being properly supervised. Bryan Crenshaw, 213 E. Harris Street, spoke in opposition to the request. He said that he is representing himself only, even though he is an Ingham County Commissioner and is on the Land Bank Board. Mr. Crenshaw said that he voted against the decision to sell this property to MMRS. He said that the Land Bank/MMRS has not done it due diligence in informing the neighborhood of this proposal and seeking its feedback. Jody Washington, 15t Ward Council Member, 521 Nantucket, spoke in opposition to the request. Council Member Washington stated that addiction is a huge problem in general and affects most families in one way or another. She said that her concerns is that all of these facilities end up in Lansing instead of spreading them out amongst other municipalities. She also said that this is a challenged neighborhood that has a lot of low-income housing and it is not fair to continue adding to its challenges. Peter Randels, 2926 Mt. Hope Road, Okemos, stated that he is an alcoholic in long-term recovery and has thus,taken an interest in recovery for others. He said that there is a serious substance abuse problem in Lansing and an equally serious lack of resources to address the needs. Mr. Randels said that other communities across the country are addressing these needs in all types of neighborhoods and they can be a real asset to the areas in which they are located. Ginger Vincent, 1009 N. Walnut Street, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that she recently bought a house that she loves across from Niowave and is concerned about having this treatment facility in the neighborhood. Ms. Vincent stated that she had 2 husbands that had substance abuse issues. She said that the facility cannot continuously keep an eye on the people in the facility and as a result, the kids in the neighborhood will not be safe. Planning Board Minutes June 5, 2018 Page 4 Elaine Womboldt, Rejuvenating South Lansing, 4815 Tressa Drive, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that a residential treatment facility should not be located in such close proximity to a school (Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy). Ms. Womboldt said that the proposal is contrary to the goals of the City's Master Plan, the LEAP plan, and to proper land use planning principles in general. She also said that the Rise House has 2 inpatient treatment facilities just as few blocks away near the Quality Dairy on Saginaw Street. Ms. Womboldt stated that Rejuvenating South Lansing stands with and supports the Walnut Neighborhood in its request to deny the rezoning and special land use permit. John Bippus, no address given, stated that he is the real estate broker that has this property listed. He thanked the Board members for their service and stated that there has been a lot of good engagement from the community on this matter. Mr. Bippus asked that the Planning Board consider the staff recommendation. Rina Risper, 503 W. Cesar Chavez, spoke in opposition to the request. She said that she has lived in the area for almost 30 years and there is nothing to be proud of in the Walnut Neighborhood. Ms. Risper said that some of the signatures on the petition were from students who have a vested interest in the neighborhood. She said that if the concerns from people who do not live in the neighborhood are eliminated, so should the letters of support from people who do not live in the neighborhood. Ms. Risper said that there are still people at Teen Challenge and that facility has created problems in the neighborhood over the years. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Chairman Ruge closed the public hearing. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Craig Emens, 1208 N. Pine Street, stated that there has been an issue lately with vehicles in the neighborhood being broken into. Chairman Ruge suggested that Mr. Emens speak to his Council representative, Brian Jackson, who was present at this meeting. 6. RECESS — Not taken 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items (1) Minutes for approval: May 3, 2018 Without objection, the minutes from the May 3, 2018 meeting were approved, as presented. B. New Business (1) Z-4-2018, 1141 N. Pine Street, Rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office District to "DM-1" Residential District Chairman Ruge asked the Board members if they would like any additional information regarding this request. Dr. Bhatti asked if there is any data to show that crime rates are higher in the areas surrounding these types of facilities. He stated that operates a medical clinic in the Planning Board Minutes June 5, 2018 Page 5 City and as a physician, he treats patients who are dealing with substance abuse. He said that there is a shortage of treatment facilities in the area. In fact, he recently had to send as patient to a facility is Ohio because that was the nearest one that had an available bed. Dr. Bhatti said that there is a half-way house in close proximity to his house. He said that the data that is being requested may show that a lot of the fears that have been expressed regarding the safety of children in the area and an increase in crime as a result of the facility are unfounded. Dr. Bhatti said that if that proves to be the case, he will likely vote in favor of the request. Ms. Stachowiak said that she should be able to get crime data for the areas surrounding treatment facilities in the City. Ms. Lamson said that the crime statistics may be skewed as a result of medical marijuana dispensaries near the facilities. Ms. Martinez said that how these facilities are managed needs to be taken into consideration. She asked for more information on the status of Teen Challenge. Chairman Ruge asked if Ms. Stachowiak will be looking at all of the residential treatment centers in the City. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the City cannot regulate facilities that have 6 or less beds. She said that she will try to get data on the 7+ bed facilities in the City and will take the medical marijuana facilities into consideration. (2) SLU-1-2018, 1141 N. Pine Street, Special Land Use Permit for a Residential Care Facility Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Ms. Martinez to postpone Z-4-2018 and SLU-1-2018 until the July meeting. Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Dr. Bhatti to reschedule the July 3, 2018 to July 8, 2018. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Chairman Ruge thanked everyone for attending and stated that he appreciates the sincere thoughts regarding this matter. 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m. P� S1 � ti G LANSING PLANNING BOARD May 1, 2018 r " 5:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Lynne Martinez, Farhan Bhatti, Tony Cox, Josh Hovey, & Katie Alexander b. Absent: Marta Cerna C. Staff: Bill Rieske & Susan Stachowiak Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Dr. Bhatti to grant an excused absence for Ms. Cerna. On a voice vote, the motion carried (6-0). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS - None 4. HEARINGS— None 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE — None 6. RECESS — Not taken 7. BUSINESS A. Minutes for approval: April 3, 2018 Dr. Bhatti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to approve the minutes from the April 3, 2018 meeting, as printed. On a voice vote, the motion carried (6-0). B. Z-3-2018, 1048 Pierpont Street, "DM-4" Residential to "G-2" Wholesale Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by AMERCO Real Estate Co. to rezone the property at 1030 Pierpont Street & the west, approximately 3.1 acres of the property at 1048 Pierpont Street from "DM-4" Residential to "G-2" Wholesale District. The purpose of the rezoning is to permit the conversion of the building at this location into a self-storage facility and a truck and trailer sharing facility with related retail uses. Ms. Stachowiak stated that staff is recommending approval of the rezoning based upon it consistency with the land use pattern being advanced in the master plan and with the existing zoning and land use pattern in the area surrounding the subject property. Planning Board Minutes May 1, 2018 Page 2 Ms. Stachowiak stated that the 2 properties that are the subject of this request are the only properties on Mercantile Way that are not currently zoned "G-2" Wholesale. She said that it is unclear as to why 1030 and 1048 Mercantile are zoned "DM-4" when the uses located thereon (motel, office building, parking lot) are not permitted uses in that district. The "DM- 4" Residential district is a high density multiple family residential zoning designation that does not permit commercial or office uses or parking lots that do not serve a use permitted in the "DM-4" district. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the "DM-4" district is not an appropriate zoning designation for the subject property as it essentially only permits apartments which would not be a desirable land use for the subject property, given the surrounding zoning and land use patterns in the area. She said that the "G-2" Wholesale district, by contrast, allows for commercial, office and storage/warehouse uses which would be compatible with the surrounding area. Ms. Stachowiak stated that self-storage facilities qualify as light industrial uses, thus consistent with the suburban commercial land use category as defined and described in the master plan. She said that such uses should be located in areas where they are easily accessible from but not located directly on a principal arterial. Since storage facilities are not customer-oriented businesses per se and do not generate much traffic, they can result in holes of little activity, with detracts rather than contributes to the vibrancy of commercial corridors. Ms. Stachowiak said that the subject property is an ideal location for the proposed storage facility as the site is located on a secondary, non-residential street in close proximity to but not directly on S. Pennsylvania Avenue, which is a principal arterial. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the public hearing on this request was held at the May 1, 2018 meeting, at which there was not a quorum. No comments were received at the public hearing. Mr. Ruge asked about the driveway from the site to S. Pennsylvania Avenue. Ms. Stachowiak said that it is in an odd location but given the light volume of traffic that is generated by self-storage facilities, it should not create any problems from a traffic standpoint. Jonathan Gilmore, 1048 Pierpont Drive, U-Haul, spoke in support of the request. He said that the proposal is to convert the building to self-storage units and to offer truck rentals and other services typically offered by U-Haul. Mr. Gilmore said that they have sustained vandalism to the building and will be installing security cameras and making substantial improvements to the site/building. He said the site is a perfect location for their operations. Mr. Ruge asked if the applicant will be utilizing the entire building for self-storage and if they will just use the hotel rooms for the units. Mr. Gilmore said that they will be deconstructing the inside of the building to convert it to storage units. He said that the walls for the hotel rooms are not load-bearing walls and are therefore, easy to remove and will not impact the structural integrity of the building. Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of Z-3-2018 to rezone the property at 1030 Pierpont Street & the west, approximately 3.1 acres of the property at 1048 Pierpont Street from "DM-4" Residential district to "G-2" Wholesale district. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). Planning Board Minutes May 1, 2018 Page 3 C. Act-2-2018, Sale of Parcels in Glenburne Subdivision Mr. Rieske stated that Act-2-2018 is a request by the City's Development Office to sell four vacant parcels located on the south side of Glenburne Blvd. to a qualified 501(C)(3) nonprofit for the purpose of constructing single family homes to HOME standards. The homes will then be resold to qualified low or moderate income families. Mr. Rieske said that this is an opportunity to infill a stable neighborhood in southwest Lansing and the City intends to provide HOME investment funds to subsidize the new builds. Mr. Rieske said that the properties that are the subject of this request went into tax foreclosure in Eaton County and the City did not refuse the acquisition of them as it typically does with all tax foreclosed properties. He said that the properties are zoned "C" Residential which permits single and 2-family residential uses but they will be developed into single family homes. Don Kulhanek, Development Office Manager, said that the City intends to sell the properties to the Capital Area Housing Partnership (CAHP) which will construct the single family homes to be sold to a qualifying low-moderate income buyer. He said that the City has some funds available to assist with constructing the homes. Mr. Kulhanek said that the City unintentionally acquired the properties through the tax-foreclosure process as the City did not really want them and this is a good opportunity for the City to dispose of them. Safe Hales-Ho, CAHP, spoke in favor of the request. She said provided a photograph of a house that CAHP constructed on Shepard Street and sold to a low-moderate income buyer. Ms. Hales-Ho stated that low-moderate income is $54,650 for a family of four. She said that CAHP will use a house design that fits with the Glenburne neighborhood. Ms. Martinez asked if a 2-story home would fit in with the Glenburne neighborhood. Ms. Hales-Ho said that the area is characterized more by ranch style homes. She said that the amount of funding will factor into the decision as to whether the houses should be one or two stories as it is more expensive to build ranches. Ms. Martinez asked if there is still a $5,000 down-payment assistance program. Mr. Kulhanek said that down-payment assistance can go as high as $40,000 depending on the circumstances. He said that the City can utilize funds to subsidize non-profits to construct infill housing that will benefit not only the purchasers but the neighborhood in which they will be located. Ms. Martinez asked if the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition was given an opportunity to acquire the lots. Mr. Martinez said that the City chose to sell the properties to CAHP to get things moving on the development of the lots and get them back on the tax rolls. He said that the City is always willing to work with other organizations such as GLHC but the City does not want to have to maintain these properties. Ms. Alexander asked if the properties are vacant. Mr. Kulhanek said that they are currently vacant and in fact, have never had a house on them. Planning Board Minutes May 1, 2018 Page 4 Ms. Martinez made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hovey to recommend approval of Act- 2-2018 to authorize the sale of four vacant parcels located on the south side of Glenburne Blvd. to a qualified 501(C)(3) nonprofit for the purpose of constructing single family homes to HOME standards. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). D. Act-3-2018, Sale of 1609 Larch Street, BWL Substation Mr. Rieske stated that Act-3-2018 is a reconsideration of Act-16-2007 by the LBWL to sell the Larch St. Substation located at 1609 N. Larch. He said that this proposal was approved by the LBWL Board of Commissioners by Resolution 2007-9-14, and was recommended for approval by the Planning Board in 2014, but no sale took place. Mr. Rieske said that the property remains vacant and since 2014, a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment and a market analysis have been conducted. The market study concluded that the building is functionally obsolete, and may be removed. MDOT granted an easement for access to and servicing/maintenance of the property, which "will terminate when the power sub-station is no longer located on the premises" east of the easement. Mr. Rieske said that the BWL recently received a purchase offer from Drew LLC, 2547 W Main, Lansing MI 48917, and proposes to move forward on the sale of the property. He said that he does not know what the proposed use is for the site but that staff is recommending approval of the request as it did back in 2014. Ms. Alexander made a motion, seconded by Mr. Cox to recommend approval of Act- 3-2018 to authorize the sale of the BWL substation located at 1609 N. Larch Street. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON — None. 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m. TN S I Regular Meeting LANSING PLANNING BOARD April 3, 2018 -- 6:30 p.m., Conference Room Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street C x 13 MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Marta Cerna, Tony Cox, Josh Hovey, and Katie Alexander b. Absent: Lynne Martinez, Farhan Bhatti C. Staff: Bill Rieske 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS —An e-mail from Joslin Monahan, attorney for the Z-2-2018 applicant, requesting that action on Z-2-2018 be postponed to a subsequent meeting. 4. HEARINGS A. Z-2-2018, 2519 N. Grand River, "G-2"Wholesale to "H" Light Industrial Mr. Rieske introduced the case. This is a proposal to rezone a flag lot surrounded on three sides by "F" Commercial. The proposal would rezone the property from"G-2"Wholesale to "H" Light Industrial to permit a medical marijuana grow facility. He reported that the Design Lansing Comprehensive Plan designates the subject property for"Urban— Mixed-Use Corridor" land use. The old North-East Comprehensive Plan (1984) designated the property as "Commercial", so apparently the master plan for that property has always been commercial. Elaine Wombolt 4815 Tressa Drive, spoke in opposition to the proposal. She questioned why there was a G-2 parcel surrounded by 7" Commercial in the first place. She added that "H" Light Industrial zoning would be unfavorable to the surrounding businesses, and be contrary to the Comprehensive Plan. Karla Barber, 2205 N. Grand River, spoke in opposition to the proposal. She said that she has lived in the neighborhood for forty years. The neighborhood consists of about 75 homes and is being threatened by development. A previously approved zoning case resulted in the clear-cutting of a stand of trees that was supposed to provide a buffer from the external effects of that proposal. She added her concerns about odor control, as well as the future of Gregory's and the Pro Bowl. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Planning Board Minutes - DRAFT April 3, 2018 Page 2 Elaine Wombolt 4815 Tressa Drive, requested that Planning Board members recuse themselves in cases when a conflict of interest exists. Mr. Ruge stated that it is the standard Planning Board practice. 6. RECESS — None. 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items 1. Minutes for approval: February 6, 2018 Without objection, the February 6, 2018 meeting minutes were approved as written. B. New Business 1. Z-2-2018, 2519 N. Grand River It was moved by Ms. Alexander, seconded by Mr. Cox, and CARRIED (5-0)to table Z- 2-2018 until the next meeting. 2. 2019-2024 Capital Improvement Program Mr. Rieske provided a brief overview of the CIP document. He then introduced Angela Bennett, Finance Director, who discussed the CIP proposals in greater detail. Ms. Alexander asked if the drive-through window at the S. Washington Complex will be installed prior to the November election. Ms. Bennett said that was the plan. Ms. Bennett said that the CIP would be considered by City Council as part of the budget process. It was moved by Mr. Hovey, seconded by Mr. Cox, and CARRIED unanimously (5-0) to accept the CIP. 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON — None. 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. N S I Regular Meeting ti C LANSING PLANNING BOARD February 6, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room A Neighborhood Empowerment Center �Tf 600 W. Maple Street C MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Marta Cerna, Tony Cox, Josh Hovey, and Katie Alexander b. Absent: Lynne Martinez, Farhan Bhatti, Tony Cox C. Staff: Bill Rieske, Susan Stachowiak & Doris Witherspoon Mr. Hovey made a motion, seconded by Ms. Alexander to grant excused absences to Ms. Martinez, Dr. Bhatti and Mr. Cox. On a voice vote, the motion carried (5-0). 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA— The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. 3. COMMUNICATIONS — None 4. HEARINGS A. CDBG Resources - FY 2018 Proposed Funding Allocations Ms. Witherspoon said that this is an opportunity for citizens to examine and comment on the proposed objectives, goals and projected use of Community Development Fund Resources, including the Community Development Block Grant, HOME and Emergency Solutions Grant Programs, to be included in the City's annual action plan submission for FY 2018 (7/1/2018 — 6/30/2019). She said that entitlement grant awards for FY 2018 (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019) have not been announced by HUD as of the date of this date. Ms. Witherspoon said that the amounts proposed for FY 2018 CDBG, HOME and ESG activities are based on prior entitlement awards. If the grant amounts HUD actually awards to the City of Lansing for CDBG, HOME and ESG are different from the amounts shown above, adjustments will be made to the budget amounts proposed for each activity. She said that the City has received a slight increase in CDBG funds (less than 1%) and a slight decrease in HOME and ESG funds for the past 2 years. Ms. Witherspoon said that the primary objective of Lansing's Housing and Community Development Program is the development of a viable community which will provide standard housing in a suitable living environment, principally to benefit low and moderate income persons, preserve and expand existing businesses and industries, Planning Board Minutes February 6, 2018 Page 2 and create an atmosphere conducive to stability in neighborhoods. She said that the CDBG funds are used to provide programs for low to moderate income households through activities such as housing rehabilitation in eligible areas of the City. CDBG funds are used for activities such as: housing rehabilitation, weatherization, and promoting economic development/opportunities. HOME funds are used for activities such as: promoting home ownership through downpayment assistance and new construction. ESG funds provide activities such as homeless prevention assistance and to support emergency shelter facilities. Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing. Angela Pruitt, Closing the Digital Gap, P.O. Box 21, East Lansing, stated that funding for technology has not been included in the Action Plan for the last 3 years and she is asking that it be considered for inclusion in the Plan for the upcoming fiscal year. She said that Closing the Digital Gap provides training and access to computers for low to moderate income individuals. Ms. Pruitt said that computer skills are essential for purposes of obtaining employment and without access to computers/internet, low to moderate income individuals are at a significant disadvantage in this regard. Terrion Maxwell, Executive Director of Closing the Digital Gap, 806 Center Street, Suite 8B, Lansing, said that there is a digital divide in Lansing and the intent of the services that they provide is essential closing the divide/gap. She said that when individuals do not have equal access to technology, it create a divide in the community. Ms. Maxwell stated that the library provides very limited access to computers and the internet and a lot of things cannot be done with a cell phone. She said that those individuals receiving public assistance area required to seek employment and many cannot do so with computer skills or access to the internet to find jobs and communicate with potential employers via email. Ms. Maxwell said that access to technology is also necessary for students that have little or no access to computers to complete their work, senior citizens who may need to pay bills on-line and for prisoners who are reentering society. She asked that the City consider providing funding through the CDBG program to support the services that Closing the Digital Gap provides to the community. Sage Hales-Ho, Capital Area Housing Partnership (CAHP), 1290 Deerpath, East Lansing, stated that CAHP is a non-profit organization that works with the City to develop strong, diverse neighborhoods with a focus on affordable housing, homeownership and financial security. She said that their strategies for achieving these goals include building a foundation of financial and home buyer knowledge, providing down payment assistance programs and/or creating exceptional, affordable housing stock for their clients. MS. Hales-Ho said that their programs are designed to keep people in their current homes by providing foreclosure intervention and homeowner renovation programs. She said that they are certified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NISHEC) for housing counseling, credit counseling, financial literacy training and foreclosure prevention. Ms. Hales-Ho said that improving housing stock f Planning Board Minutes February 6, 2018 Page 3 not only provides affordable housing but improves neighborhoods. She asked for the City's continued support of CAHP. Mr. Hovey pointed out that technology is addressed in the Action Plan. He said that there is $129,060 designated for economic development activities in the proposed allocations which includes providing technical assistance and training for low to moderate income owners of and persons developing micro-enterprises. Seeing no one else wishing to speak, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing. B. Z-1-2018 & Act-1-2018, Rezoning of property in the 600 block of E. Michigan Avenue & Alley Vacation Ms. Stachowiak stated that these are requests by GG Acquisitions, LLC to rezone from "H" Light Industrial district to "G-1" Business district, the property bounded by E. Michigan Avenue to the north, Barnard Street to the south, S. Larch Street to the west and the railroad right-of-way to the east, with the following exceptions (property not included in the rezoning): 628 E. Michigan Avenue Vacant parcel at the southeast corner of E. Michigan Avenue & S. Larch Street 629 Barnard Street & the adjoining vacant parcel to its east Ms. Stachowiak said that this is also a request to vacate the east/west alley that runs south of the parcels of land that front along the south side of the 600 block of E. Michigan Avenue and the north/south alley directly east of 628 E. Michigan Avenue that connects the east/west alley to E. Michigan Avenue. Ms. Stachowiak said that staff is recommending approval of the request. She said that the intent of the rezoning and alley vacation is to allow for a future mixed use building with associated parking. Ms. Stachowiak said that a mixed use development on the site would provide a renewed sense of vitality to the area and is a strategic location for the realization of the overall mixed land use pattern being advanced in the Master Plan. She said that the land involved in the rezoning is currently zoned "H" Light Industrial which is an inappropriate zoning designation for property located in such close proximity to the downtown. Ms. Stachowiak said that while the existing industrial/quasi- industrial uses on the site are valuable businesses to the City, they would be more appropriately located elsewhere. She said that the proposed "G-1" Business zoning is specially designed for the downtown in that it has no setback, height or lot coverage limitations and no parking requirements. Ms. Stachowiak said that from a practical standpoint, the developer will have to provide parking for customers, employees and occupants. She said that the Stadium District to the west was rezoned from "H" Light Industrial to "G-1" Business to accommodate that mixed use development and the developer provided adequate parking behind the building to support the uses. Ms. Stachowiak said that the vacation of the alley is essential in providing adequate land for redevelopment. She said that the lots north of the alley are not deep enough to accommodate development. Ms. Stachowiak said that all of the utility companies and Planning Board Minutes February 6, 2018 Page 4 relevant City departments have reviewed the request and none have expressed any concerns that would prevent vacation of the alley. Mr. Ruge asked if the City would want to allow unlimited height of a building at this location. Ms. Stachowiak said that if a building exceeds a certain height which she believes is 55 feet, it has to be of steel rather than wood construction which drives the cost up astronomically. She said that is why new buildings are usually 5 stories or less or well exceed 5 stories because if a developer is incurring the cost of steel construction, they would want to get enough stories/height to make it worth the cost. Mr. Ruge asked if the site is likely contaminated as a result of existing and former uses. He asked if there would be any liability on the part of the City relative to contamination in the alley to be vacated. Ms. Stachowiak said that the City Attorney's Office would ensure that the City is held harmless from any issues involving the vacated alley as part of transferring the ownership. Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing. John Fifarek, Lasky Fifarek P.C., 120 North Washington Square, Suite 625 stated that he is Counsel for and will be speaking on behalf of the applicant. Mr. Fifarek said that the alley vacation is essential to being able to develop the property. He said that the City would have had nothing to do with creating any contamination that may exist in the alley. He said that there is likely to be a significant degree of contamination on the entire site that is involved in this request, including the alley. Mr. Fifarek said that there has been some contamination clean-up and they will be working with the City to obtain Brownfield funds to have the site cleaned-up to developable standards. Ms. Johnson asked if the applicant has purchase agreements for all of the parcels involved that are included in the rezoning request. Mr. Fifarek said that the applicant does have purchased agreements for all of the parcels included in the rezoning request. He said that they also have a purchase agreement on the parcel at 628 E. Michigan which is already zoned "G-1". He also said that the applicant has ownership interest in the parcel at the southeast corner of Michigan and Larch which is also currently zoned "G-1". Mr. Fifarek stated that there are 2 parcels along Barnard Street that are not included in the rezoning and if the applicant were to acquire those properties, they would only be used for parking which is allowed under their current "H" Light Industrial zoning. Steve Owen, Foster Swift, Collins & Smith, 313 S. Washington Square, stated that he represents the property owners that have entered into purchase agreements with the applicant. He said that they are supportive of the proposal to redevelop the site but if the developer does not end up purchasing the properties, the owners do not want to be stuck with "G-1" zoning. They would want to continue being zoned "H" Planning Board Minutes February 6, 2018 Page 5 Light Industrial. He said that they also would not want the alley to be vacated. Mr. Owen said that he does not know if the rezoning can be conditioned upon the applicant purchasing the properties that are included in the rezoning and if he does not, the zoning would revert to the current industrial zoning. He said that they are supportive of the rezoning and alley vacation but do not want to waive their rights to their property, should the developer not end up purchasing the properties involved. Ms. Stachowiak said that the City cannot condition a rezoning on ownership of the land. She said a rezoning can only include conditions restricting the uses of the property or regulating the physical development of the property. She said that the City will not get involved in the purchase agreements but if a property owner informs the City that they do not want their property to be rezoned, the City will not rezone it. Mr. Rieske said that the alley vacation would be contingent on the parcels that are accessed solely via the alley being assembled into one parcel with frontage on a public street in order to eliminate any land-locked parcels of land. Ed Carpenter, owner of Liskey's at 119/124 S. Larch Street, stated that only the north 16.5 feet of his property at 119 S. Larch Street should be included in the rezoning. He said that the remainder of 119 S. Larch and the 2 parcels that he owns to the south are not part of the rezoning. Mr. Carpenter said that he is supportive of the project but the area included in the rezoning needs to be corrected on the maps and in the staff report. Ms. Stachowiak stated that she would make the necessary changes to the map and the staff report. She also said that the actual property to be rezoned can be stated in the motion for approval so that the rezoning can move forward. Seeing no one else within to speak, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Wendell Parsons, 154 S. Larch Street, stated that his business involves manufacturing and he heard Ms. Stachowiak say that the area is not appropriate for industrial businesses. He said that he would like to meet with someone in the City to discuss this matter and find out what the City's long term plans are for the area. Mr. Rieske provided Mr. Parsons with his contact information so that they can set up a meeting. 6. RECESS — None. 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items 1. Minutes for approval: January 9, 2018 Planning Board Minutes February 6, 2018 Page 6 Without objection, the January 9, 2018 meeting minutes were approved as written. 2. CDBG Resources - FY 2018 Proposed Funding Allocations Without objection, the FY 2018 CDBG Resource Proposed Funding Allocations were approved subject to adjustments being made to the budget amounts based on actual grant award funds from HUD. 3. Act-1-2018, Alley Vacation Without objection, Act-1-2018 was approved to vacate the alley commencing at the southwest corner of Lot 19, thence south 16 feet, east 348.82 feet, north 16 feet, thence west to the point of beginning; and Lot 4, except the east 10 feet of the north 51.5 feet thereof, Connard's Subdivision of Lot 1, Block 242 of the Original Plat of the City of Lansing. 4. Z-1-2018, Rezoning from "H" Light Industrial District to "G-1" Business District Without objection, Z-1-2018 was approved to the rezone the property bounded by E. Michigan Avenue to the north, Barnard Street to the south, S. Larch Street to the west and the railroad right-of-way to the east, including the vacated alley, with the following exceptions (property not included in the rezoning): 628 E. Michigan Avenue Vacant parcel at the southeast corner of E. Michigan Avenue & S. Larch Street 629 Barnard Street & the adjoining vacant parcel to its east 119 S. Larch Street, except the north 16.5 thereof 2 parcels located immediately south of 119 S. Larch Street B. New Business — None 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER - None 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON — None. 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meetingwas adjourned a 7:24� t p.m. �1 S 1 Regular Meeting v G LANSING PLANNING BOARD January 9, 2018 6:30 p.m., Conference Room A Neighborhood Empowerment Center 600 W. Maple Street C �� tG MINUTES 1. OPENING SESSION Mr. Ruge called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. a. Present: John Ruge, Farhan Bhatti, Marta Cerna, Tony Cox, Josh Hovey, and Katie Johnson b. Absent: Lynne Martinez (excused) C. Staff: Bill Rieske & Susan Stachowiak 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA—The agenda was approved by unanimous consent. It was moved by Mr. Hovey, seconded by Ms. Cerna, and CARRIED unanimously, to grant an excused absence to Ms. Martinez. 3. COMMUNICATIONS — Letter from Jeff& Sheryl Landgraf regarding Z-8-2017 4. HEARINGS A. Z-1-2017, 4215 N. Grand River Avenue, Rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office District to "F" Commercial District Ms. Stachowiak said that this is a request by Emerge Holding Company to rezone the property at 4215 N. Grand River Avenue from "D-1" Professional Office District to "F" Commercial District. She said that the purpose of the rezoning is to permit commercial use of the subject property. Ms. Stachowiak stated that the subject property is currently being used for a medical marijuana dispensary but since the property is zoned "D-1" Professional Office, the dispensary is in violation of the newly adopted ordinance regulating such uses. She said that the applicant has applied for a license to operate a dispensary on the subject property and will be eligible for consideration if the rezoning is approved. Ms. Stachowiak said that staff is recommending approval of the request. She said that the adjacent property to the east is already zoned "F" Commercial and therefore, the proposed rezoning will not result in a "spot zone". Ms. Stachowiak stated that the proposed rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office to "F" Commercial is consistent with proper land use planning principles. She said that N. Grand River is classified as a "principal arterial" and is one of only seven in the entire City. From a planning perspective, commercial uses should primarily be concentrated along principal arterials as they are designed to carry the highest volumes of traffic. Office uses, by contrast, Planning Board Minutes January 9, 2018 Page 2 which typically do not generate nearly as much traffic as commercial uses, should primarily be concentrated along minor arterials. Ms. Stachowiak said that the proposed "F" Commercial zoning is consistent with the "Suburban Commercial" land use development strategy being advanced in Design Lansing Master Plan. She also said that the proposed zoning will have no negative impacts on traffic patterns, the environment or future patterns of development in the area. Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing at 6:40 p.m. Joslin Monahan, 3001 Orchard Vista Drive, SE, Grand Rapids, MI stated that she is the attorney representing the applicant. She said that the subject property directly adjoins a property to its east that is already zoned "F" Commercial and is being used for a party store. Ms. Monahan said that the medical marijuana dispensary at 4215 N. Grand River has been in operation since prior to the moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries that City Council put in place. She said that the applicant has applied for a license for a dispensary at 4215 N. Grand River but for a different location as well in case this one is denied. Ms. Monahan said that the rezoning is consistent with the Master Plan and there have been no issues with the facility since it has been open. Mr. Ruge asked how long the dispensary has been operating. Ms. Monahan said almost 3 years. She said that it has changed ownership during that time. Mr. Ruge said that there seems to be a fear that medical marijuana facilities attract a bad crowd and cause problems in the areas in which they are located. He asked if there have been any problems at this facility. Ms. Monahan said that there have been no issues whatsoever. She said that it is monitored around the clock, including on-site security. Seeing no one else wishing to address the Board on this matter, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing at 6:45 p.m. B. Z-8-2017, 3440 N. East Street, Rezoning from "F" Commercial District to "G-2" Wholesale District Ms. Stachowiak stated that this is a request by Jeffrey & Sheryl Landgraf, FTZ Laboratories, LLC to rezone the property at 3440 N. East Street from "F" Commercial District to "G-2" Wholesale District. The purpose of the rezoning is to permit a medical marijuana safety compliance (testing) facility on the subject property. She said that under the City's new medical marijuana ordinance, testing faculties are permitted only in the "G-2" Wholesale, "H" Light and "I" Heavy Industrial zoning districts. Ms. Stachowiak said that, as evidenced by the map included in the packet, the subject property is located in an area that has no consistent zoning or land use patterns. Since the property to the west is already zoned 'G-2", rezoning the subject property to the "G- Planning Board Minutes January 9, 2018 Page 3 2"district would not be considered a "spot zone", even though the sites are located on opposite sides of the street. In fact, the majority of the properties in the 3400 and 3500 blocks of the west side of N. East Street are currently zoned "G-2" Wholesale and thus, the proposed rezoning will be consistent with the general zoning pattern in the area. Ms. Stachowiak said that staff is recommending approval of the request. She said that given the eclectic mix of existing land uses, it is not anticipated that the proposed medical marijuana testing facility will be incompatible or disruptive to the surrounding area. Ms. Stachowiak said that medical marijuana safety compliance (testing) facilities typically do not generate much traffic, noise, odors or other nuisances and do not involve hazardous materials that would be detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the community. Such uses are generally in operation during normal business hours only, traffic is limited to employees or small delivery trucks and all activities are confined to the building with controls in place to prevent odors/fumes from emanating outside. Mr. Ruge said that the site appears to be larger than the dimensions provided in the staff report. Ms. Stachowiak said that the applicant owns the 2 vacant lots immediately south of 3440 N. East Street although they are not part of the rezoning request. She said that the vacant lots could be used for parking. Mr. Ruge said that he glad to see that the proposed plan provided for landscaping along the east property line. He asked if a fence will be installed in that area as well. Jeff Landgraf, 110 N. Market Street, Dewiit, MI, spoke in support of his request. He said that they do not intend to install a fence but will be putting in some plants. Mr. Landgraf said that the proposed testing facility will fit in well with the area. Mr. Ruge asked about security. Mr. Landgraf said that they will have both on-site and at home monitoring. He said that there are state laws governing security for medical marijuana facilities that they will be required to meet. He said that they will be able to see the facility from their home. Mr. Ruge said that the house at 3440 N. East Street is very nice and appears to be well maintained although it looks like it would be very easy to break into. Sheryl Landgraff, 110 N. Market Street, Dewitt, MI, said that it is to their benefit that the structure does not look like a testing laboratory. She said that the building will be secure. Ms. Cerna asked if the applicant will have signs advertising the testing laboratory. Mr. Landgraf said that they will have a small sign identifying the name of the business and the address, primarily so that delivery trucks will be able to locate them. Planning Board Minutes January 9, 2018 Page 4 Mr. Ruge opened the public hearing at 6:47 p.m. Seeing no one wishing to address the Board on this matter, Mr. Ruge closed the public hearing at 6:47 p.m. 5. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE — None. 6. RECESS — None. 7. BUSINESS A. Consent Items 1. Minutes for approval: December 5, 2017 Without objection, the December 5, 2017 meeting minutes were approved as written. 2. Z-1-2017, 4215 N. Grand River Avenue, Rezoning from "D-1" Professional Office District to "F" Commercial District Without objection, Z-1-2017 was approved. 3. Z-8-2017, 3440 N. East Street, Rezoning from "F" Commercial District to "G-2" Wholesale District Without objection, Z-8-2017 was approved. B. New Business 1. Acts-4 & 5-2017, LBWL and WWTP properties, Easement for Consumers Energy Gas Pipeline Mr. Rieske said that Consumers Energy Company is requesting an easement over four City of Lansing/Board of Water and Light properties for a 16" gas distribution line. He said that the gas line is part of the North Lansing Pipeline, a gas distribution line extending from North Grand River Ave., then southwest under the Grand River and across a City of Lansing/LBWL parcel to Melvin Court, then south along the east side of Sunset Ave., then west to run southward, west of and parallel to a Lansing Manufacturers (A.K.A. Jackson and Lansing) Railroad right-of-way to end south of 1-496. Mr. Rieske said that the proposed gas line passes Westside and St. Joseph Parks, but does not encroach upon them. The proposed easement also crosses a City parcel at 1620 Sunset Avenue (Act-5-2017). He said that the LBWL Board of Commissioners, by Resolution 2017-07-01, voted to recommend that the Lansing City Council grant an easement to Consumers Energy Company over property occupied and maintained by the Board of Water and Light, for monetary consideration in the amount of$107,500. Planning Board Minutes January 9, 2018 Page 5 Mr. Rieske said that a review of the request resulting in the following findings: The easements are located in an industrial area, with "H" and "I" industrial zoning, and the proposed gas line is separated from residential areas by the railroad ROW, • The gas pipeline will be installed underground, so the effect on the character of the surrounding area is negligible, • The width of the proposed easements (15' min.) is necessary and appropriate to protect the gas pipeline and surrounding facilities, and will not adversely affect City operations. Based on these findings, Mr. Rieske said that staff is recommending approval of the request. Mr. Ruge asked about the depth of the proposed pipeline. Courtney Killeen, Consumer's Energy, stated that the pipeline will be approximately 30 feet below ground and below the other utilities so that it is does not interfere with them in any way. She said that there are some existing utilities that are about 20 feet deep right now and the pipeline has to go below them. Mr. Ruge asked if there are residential properties along Sunset and stretch of Willow that would be affected by this proposal. Ms. Stachowiak said that Sunset and the affected area of Willow Street are entirely industrial. Ms. Killeen said that the proposed pipeline route was selected because it does not impact any residential properties. Mr. Hovey asked why there are 2 Act cases associated with this proposal. Mr. Rieske said that that one is for the City of Lansing properties and the other is for the Board of Water& Light properties. Ms. Johnson asked what the new pipeline connects to. Ms. Killeen said that it connects to other existing pipes. She said that it is a distribution line that operates under pressure and is coated to prevent rust and to last about 1000 years. Ms. Killeen said that the existing line runs through the airport property and it is very old. She said that Consumers would like to retire that old pipeline. Dr. Bhatti made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hovey, to recommend approval of the requests by Consumers Energy to obtain easements up to a maximum of 15 feet in width for the installation of a 16 inch gas Planning Board Minutes January 9, 2018 Page 6 distribution line across the following 4 parcels of land owned by the Board of Water & Light (Act-4-2017): Parcel No. 33-01-01-05-351-001 Parcel No. 33-01-01-08-102-031 Parcel No. 33-01-01-08-102-101 Parcel No. 33-21-01-19-230-026 and across Parcel No. 33-01-01-08-102-041 which is owned by the City of Lansing (Act-5-2017), subject to review and approval by the City Attorney's Office. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously (6-0). 8. REPORT FROM PLANNING MANAGER Mr. Rieske said that the new Mayor has renamed the Department of Planning & Neighborhood Development to the Department of Economic Development and Planning. He also said that the Mayor has appointed Brian McGrain as director of the Department. 9. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON — None. 10. COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS — None. 11. ADJOURNMENT—The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m..