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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2022 - Public Hearing and WorksessionMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN OF VINTON PLANNING COMMISSION HELD ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022, AT 6:30 P.M., IN THE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT THE VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING MEMBERS PRESENT: Keith Liles, Chairman David “Dave” Jones, Vice Chairman Robert “Bob” Benninger Sarah Reid STAFF PRESENT: Nathan McClung, Assistant Planning and Zoning Director Fayula Gordon, Associate Planner Julie Tucei, Planning and Zoning Coordinator AGENDA WORK SESSION—6:30 P.M. I. Call to Order—Roll Call II. Briefing 1. Briefing on an ordinance repealing in its entirety the Vinton Town Code, Appendix B - Zoning Ordinance as adopted by Ordinance 634, enacted December 19, 1995, with amendments, and adopting by reference the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Vinton, Vinton, Virginia. III. Comments of Planning Commissioners and Planning Staff IV. Adjournment REGULAR SESSION – 7:00 P.M. V. Call to Order—Roll Call VI. Consent Agenda: 1. Review/comment on the following: a. Planning Commission 2021 Annual Report b. Joint Public Hearing with Council, December 17, 2019 c. Joint Work Session with Council, January 18, 2022 d. Joint Work Session with Council, February 1, 2022 VII. Approval of Minutes: 1. Consider approval of the minutes: a. Work Session and Public Hearing, November 19, 2020 b. Work Session, March 25, 2021 c. Work Session, July 15, 2021 VIII. Public Hearing to receive comments concerning: 1. An ordinance repealing in its entirety the Vinton Town Code, Appendix B - Zoning Ordinance as adopted by Ordinance 634, enacted December 19, 1995, with amendments, and adopting by reference the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Vinton, Vinton, Virginia. a. Chairman opens public hearing • Report from staff • Receive public comments • Commissioners discussion and questions b. Chairman closes public hearing c. Commission takes action on whether to recommend the adoption of the proposed Zoning Ordinance IX. Adjournment PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION/PUBLIC HEARING FEBRUARY 24, 2022 PAGE 2 Mr. Liles welcomed everyone to the work session and called it to order at 6:31 p.m. He asked Ms. Tucei for the roll call. Ms. Tucei called the roll, and all members were present. The following members of Town Staff were present: Nathan McClung, Fayula Gordon, and Julie Tucei. Mr. Liles announced the first item on the work session agenda which was the briefing on an ordinance repealing in its entirety the Vinton Town Code, Appendix B - Zoning Ordinance as adopted by Ordinance 634, enacted December 19, 1995, with amendments, and adopting by reference the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Vinton, Vinton, Virginia. Mr. McClung provided them with a hard copy of some information that they had discussed during the previous Town Council joint meetings on the ordinance. He explained the changes that had been made to the sign ordinance portion of the ordinance since those meetings. Mr. McClung said the only changes that will be made between now and Town Council’s approval, after this meeting, will mainly be grammatical changes and formatting changes. He mentioned that staff is also still checking the reference notes for accuracy. One of the changes that had been made since the Council work sessions was to the section governing inflatable signs and windblown signs. Those signs will now be permitted for special events only. Mr. McClung also explained the exempted items from this section. He said that these special event signs will be allowed for only 12 days per calendar year, and the sign permit will be updated to have a space to note what days these signs will be used. He said they will have to be placed 15 feet from street or property lines and cannot be illuminated or use lights. Chairman Liles asked if the pricing is listed for the sign permits in the ordinance. Mr. McClung stated that fees have historically been listed within the Town Code; however, there is currently some consideration for removing them from Town Code and placing them in the town budget document instead during the budgetary process each year. He stated that, on the existing sign permit, the temporary sign section will be changed to special event signs for $25, and there will be no exemptions for new businesses. Chairman Liles mentioned that new businesses will get only the 12 days rather than getting 12 days plus the 14 days for free as they are allowed currently. He said potentially someone could do 24 days in a row if they do it at the end of December and beginning of January. Vice Chairman Jones asked how many permits are in the works right now for signs. Mr. McClung said usually staff sees those for new businesses. Vice Chairman Jones stated that he meant temporary signs for businesses. Ms. Tucei said very few and that generally we only have a few businesses who come in on a regular basis to get temporary sign permits. Chairman Liles asked if churches will have to get permits for temporary signs, too. Mr. McClung said churches will be required to because the Town cannot differentiate between businesses and churches. Mr. Benninger asked how the Thrasher Church “HOPE” sign is treated. Mr. McClung stated that it is treated as a “work of art”. Mr. McClung reminded them that the Town cannot regulate signs on their content. Mr. Liles asked if the bible school children could create a sign for the bible school as art. Mr. McClung said that situation would be complex. Being that it was close to 7 p.m., the discussion on signs was concluded, and it was decided that the impoundment lot discussion could take place during the public hearing. The next item on the agenda was the comments of Planning Commission and Planning Staff. There were none. A motion to adjourn the work session was made by Vice Chairman Jones and seconded by Mr. Benninger. The work session was adjourned at 6:56 p.m. Mr. Liles called the regular session to order at 7 p.m. He asked Ms. Tucei for the roll call. Ms. Tucei called the roll, and all members were present. The following members of Town Staff were present: Nathan McClung, Fayula Gordon, and Julie Tucei. PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION/PUBLIC HEARING FEBRUARY 24, 2022 PAGE 3 Under the consent agenda, there were several items for them to review and suggest corrections. No vote was needed on these items: Planning Commission 2021 Annual Report; Joint Public Hearing with Council, December 17, 2019; Joint Work Session with Council, January 18, 2022; and the Joint Work Session with Council, February 1, 2022. There were no comments or corrections for any of those items. The next item on the agenda was the consideration of the approval of minutes from the following meetings: Work Session and Public Hearing, November 19, 2020; Work Session, March 25, 2021; and the Work Session, July 15, 2021. There were no comments or corrections for any of those items. Mr. Benninger made a motion to approve all three sets of minutes as presented, and Ms. Reid seconded that motion. A roll call vote was taken, and all members voted in favor of the motion. Next, Chairman Liles announced the beginning of the public hearing to receive comments concerning an ordinance repealing in its entirety the Vinton Town Code, Appendix B - Zoning Ordinance as adopted by Ordinance 634, enacted December 19, 1995, with amendments, and adopting by reference the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Vinton, Vinton, Virginia. He opened the public hearing at 7:03 p.m. Mr. McClung presented the staff report, a copy of which will be made a part of the permanent record of this meeting. He explained that, in the new ordinance, most of the zoning districts have been formatted with tables to make it easier to see what uses are permitted. Some uses will also have supplemental regulations, and that will be noted in the table. He briefly went through each section for a high-level view of it. Mr. McClung reiterated that there are more tables and graphics in the new ordinance that make it more user friendly. Another important topic for discussion is the impoundment and vehicle storage lot. In late January, a business owner came to the Planning Department and requested to operate a tow lot on a lot zoned M-2 Industrial, which is the Town’s heaviest intensity district. However, in the current ordinance, a tow lot was only permitted as a special use permit in M-2. This is because of the stacking uses from lower intensity districts in the ordinance. Mr. McClung said it makes sense for by-right uses, but not for special uses for high intensity districts. He provided them with a fact sheet to help with this discussion, a copy of which will be made a part of the permanent record. Mr. McClung stated that he researched old Special Use Permits (SUP) for tow lots. He found that the only conditions placed on them in the SUP was for screening and to keep the property and fencing in good condition. He believes that the special use permit could have been required previously because the town did not have a robust screening regulations in place. He mentioned that in the new ordinance, there are robust screening requirements for various types of uses. For instance in the old ordinance, only restaurants have to screen dumpsters, but in the new ordinance all businesses will be required to screen dumpsters. Vice Chairman Jones mentioned that the only tow lot in the Town that had a SUP that he knew of was called Big Johns. He said that is the only place he could think of, and that one did mostly police and repossession work. Chairman Liles asked about the lot behind the Exxon that is on Madison Avenue, and Mr. McClung said that one is grandfathered as it has been there for a long time. He stated that Big Johns is now Scorpion Towing. Vice Chairman Jones said the lot was not maintained well, so that is why conditions were placed on them. He said it was the only way to control what happened there. He mentioned that there are really no neighbors nearby, and it is mostly an industrial area. Vice Chairman Jones said there are likely 3 tow lots in Town, and Nathan said there are only 2 in terms of permitted lots. Vice Chairman Jones asked how the lots near the Public Works and in Midway are defined. Mr. McClung said those are considered PLANNING COMMISSION WORK SESSION/PUBLIC HEARING FEBRUARY 24, 2022 PAGE 4 automobile graveyards. He stated that the standards say the tow lot cars cannot stay there more than 120 days at a time. He also mentioned that automobile graveyards will still require a special use permit in the new ordinance. For the tow lots, in the supplemental regulations, it will be stated that the cars will not be allowed to stay on the lot more than 120 days and screening will be required. Chairman Liles asked if there are any additional questions or comments. No one had additional questions or comments. Vice Chairman Jones stated that he felt the new ordinance makes it clear what can and cannot be done within the Town with the way it has been rewritten. Mr. McClung said enforcement of the new regulations will be the key. Mr. Benninger asked if there is a standard timeline for localities to update zoning ordinances. Mr. McClung stated that the ordinance has been continually amended along the way since being adopted in 1995. Chairman Liles said we just need to keep up with the times. Next, it was mentioned that no members of the public were present at the meeting, and that no comments had been received by phone or email by staff. Ms. Reid stated that the new ordinance looks great, and that it was nice that the towing issue was caught at just at the right time. Vice Chairman Jones said that we have one of the best planning teams in place now. Mr. McClung said we could not do it without our Council and the Commission. Chairman Liles mentioned that it has been a long process, but the end product is really good. He said it will bring us into the future. Vice Chairman Jones asked if the Town attorney gave some oversight, and he wanted to know how that process worked. Mr. McClung stated that staff worked on the ordinance and then at the very end the attorneys reviewed it. Vice Chairman Jones asked if there were many comments from the attorneys. Mr. McClung said the state code references and the sign section were critiqued heavily by the attorneys; however, there were not too many revisions necessary beyond these two subject areas. Chairman Liles closed the public hearing at 7:37 p.m. A motion to recommend that Town Council approve the Zoning Ordinance was made by Vice Chairman Jones, and Ms. Reid seconded it. A roll call vote was taken and all members voted in favor of it. With there being nothing further to discuss, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Mr. Benninger, and it was seconded by Mr. Jones. The meeting was adjourned at 7:38 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Anita McMillan Planning Commission Secretary