02-23-2005 PC MIN - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . . Planning Commission Minutes Febru<uy 23, 2005 Page 2 4. Planning Commission Representative to Attend City Council Meeting Commissioner Stevens will attend the March 21, 2005 City Council meeting. 5.1. Request by Suburban Northwest Builders Association for Conditional Use Pennit to allow Use of Home (Energy House II) as office in Nordic Hills. Public Hearing - Case No. CU 05-03 Staff report presented by Building & Environmental Administrator Steve Rohlf. The Suburban Northwest Builders Association (NSBA) requests an interim use pennit to allow them to office from Energy House III demonstration site and model home. Mr. Rohlf noted that it has been difficult to monitor the results of Energy House I and II, since no one was at either of these sites on a regular basis. Mr. Rohlf explained that the house is proposed to be opened for the 2005 Fall New Home Tour and Parade of Homes and cease being used as the SNBA office in March of 2008 (2;1 years). Mr. Rohlf reviewed information regarding the reason for the request, the site, Energy City participation, City involvement, and issues which were discussed at the neighborhood meeting. These issues included traffic, hours of operation, lighting, number of employees and employee parking, use of adjacent lot for parking, and the type and number of functions which would be held at the site. Mr. Rohlf provided detailed information regarding each of the residents' concerns including details regarding the Energy III house (appearance, materials used, etc.), projected traffic and hours, signage, and screening and landscaping. He stated that staff recommends approval of the request, and reviewed each of the proposed ten conditions. Commissioner Stevens asked if there were any issues with Energy House I and II. Mr. Rohlf stated that they were not utilized as much as they hoped, and that the larger lot size and location made them difficult to find. Commissioner Stevens asked if any complaints were received. Mr. Rohlf stated there were no complaints regarding the Energy I and II homes. Chair Ropp asked what the status of the adjacent lot was that would be used for parking. Mr. Rohlf explained that the lot is owned by a builder and that the builder will tty to keep it open as long as he can, but that it could be sold at any time. If this happened, the NSBA members would need to carpool or shuttle to the site. Mr. Rohlf noted that the home will be sold at the end of the time period. Chair Ropp opened the public hearing. Neal Christy, 19488 Boston Street - Expressed his concern for increased traffic related to the use. He was concerned for safety of the children in the neighborhood, since there are no sidewalks in this area. Mr. Christy asked how many tours there would be per year. Mr. Rohlf stated that they hoped to have twelve tours, but that in reality there may only be six or seven. He noted that there were four or five per year at Energy Houses I and II. He stated that the board members would not be there as often as staff's traffic study suggests, but that he estimated the "worst case" scenario. Mr. Christy disputed staff's note that single family homes generate ten trips per day. He stated he was opposed to the request because of traffic concerns. Tom Osberg, 19496 Zumbro Street - Asked if the lot was proposed to be rezoned to commercial. Mr. Rohlf stated no, and that the use is proposed as interim use with a specific start and end date. Mr. Osberg expressed concern that the integrity of the neighborhood