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Minutes_Zoning Advisory Commission 2 5 14THE CITY OF DUB buquc Masterpiece on the Mississippi MINUTES ZONING ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR SESSION 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 5, 2014 City Council Chamber 350 W. 6th Street, Dubuque, Iowa PRESENT: Vice Chair Tom Henschel, Commissioners Stephen Hardie, Martha Christ and Michael Belmont; Staff Members Kyle Kritz and Guy Hemenway. ABSENT: Chairperson Pat Norton and Commissioner Ron Smith. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying that the meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law. MINUTES: The minutes of the January 8, 2014 meeting were approved unanimously as submitted. PUBLIC HEARING /AMEND INSTITSUTIONAL DISTRICT: Application of Finley Hospital to amend Finley Hospitals ID Institutional District to permit the construction of a 25,000 square foot addition. Brian Sandeman, Invision Architects, representing Finley Hospital, discussed the Finley Hospital addition project. He said the project requires removal of two buildings, reconfiguration of the parking lots and changes to the access to Grandview Avenue. He said the Emergency Department will be relocated to the Grandview Avenue access and that the Surgery and Heart Departments would be relocated into the addition. He said that the addition would be four stories in height and approximately 25,000 square feet per floor. He reviewed the submitted parking study, proposed signage package, and traffic study. He said that Finley would be relocating the 125 square foot wall- mounted sign and will re -use the existing monument signs. He noted the addition of two signs on the building and a new monument -style sign along Grandview Avenue. Frank Belcastro, 285 North Grandview Avenue, expressed concerns with relocation of the helipad and the noise it may generate. He said he also had concerns regarding the signage on Finley's campus needed to direct people to the emergency room and main Minutes — Zoning Advisory Commission February 5, 2014 Page 2 entrance. He also discussed other signage that he felt should be placed on adjacent city streets to adequately direct out -of- towners and others to the hospital in general and the emergency entrance in particular. He said he had spoken directly with representatives of Finley Hospital, and he praised them for their efforts. Mr. Sandeman noted that Finley had initially planned to relocate the helipad to the rooftop, but that building construction issues made it more attractive to attach the helipad to the building sometime in the future. Commissioner Belmont had questions regarding Finley's monument signage. Mr. Sandeman said that the signage could be designed so as to safely direct people to the new emergency room entrance. Commissioner Hardie expressed concerns with traffic stacking from the intersection of North Grandview Avenue and Delhi Street, and its impact on safe access for emergency vehicles to the new emergency room entrance. Mr. Sandeman said that this issue was discussed with Engineering staff and could be considered. Staff Member Hemenway addressed the emergency access issue comparing it with the existing access taken from Delhi Street. He discussed the relocated North Grandview Avenue emergency and parking lot entrances. He discussed the parking plan for Finley's campus, noting how parking requirements for the hospital are determined. He said that the Institutional District regulations enable the Commission to approve specific parking requirements for each district. He discussed historic aerial photos which showed availability of parking both in Finley's ramp and surface parking lots and on the adjacent public streets. He reviewed the memo from the City Engineering Department written in response to the traffic study submitted by Finley's engineers. He said that the memo noted that Finley Hospital's access changes and the small amount of additional staff should have very limited impact on the overall traffic at the surrounding intersections. He reviewed the signage package proposed by Finley, noting that the City Engineering Department and Finley Hospital will review directional signage on the public right -of -way. Commissioner Hardie asked why the helipad would not be constructed as part of the current project. Mr. Sandeman said that the helideck system was costly, and that the elevator tower would have to be extended above the roof. He said that Finley Hospital would consider relocation of the helipad at a future date. Commissioners discussed Finley's request and felt it was • appropriate. Motion by Hardie, seconded by Belmont, to approve the amended Finley Hospital Institutional District to permit the construction of a four -story addition to the west side of the Minutes — Zoning Advisory Commission February 5, 2014 Page 3 hospital building as per Exhibit D. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye — Hardie, Christ, Belmont and Henschel; Nay — None. By consensus, Commissioners asked that Planning staff forward a letter to the City Council recommending that on- street parking be removed from the northbound side of North Grandview Avenue between 3r Street and Delhi Street to facilitate improved access to the emergency room entrance. PUBLIC HEARING /REZONING: Application of Dee Ann Ballard to rezone property located at 1342 Forest Lane from R -2 Two - Family Residential to OR Office Residential. Dee Ann Ballard, 1342 Forest Lane, reviewed her request, noting that the change would allow her to open a massage therapy business. Cecil Pfeiffer, 1310 Forest Lane, said that he was not concerned about the current owner and her plans, but that he is worried about subsequent owners, and how the business use of the property may evolve. He asked the Commission if they could place a sunset clause on the rezoning so that it would revert to the original zoning if ownership changed. Cindy Kane, 795 Laurel Lane, stated that she and her husband owned the dentist office at 1340 Delhi Street. She expressed concerns about the demand on parking that may be generated by the new business and the amount of signage permitted. Mrs. Ballard noted that because all appointments are scheduled there would likely be no more than two cars at a time at her business. She said the vehicles could easily be parked behind the detached garage. She said she plans on having very little signage for the business. Staff Member Hemenway reviewed the request, discussing the width of Forest Lane, available on- street parking, and the surrounding mix of uses. He noted that the lot is relatively small and that there is a lack of easily accessible on- street parking in the neighborhood. He also said that because of the lot size and consequent lack of off - street parking, the subject property was limited to number and intensity of businesses that could operate there. Commissioner Belmont asked if the applicant's proposed use would meet the current parking regulations. Staff Member Hemenway said yes, as presently proposed by the applicant. Commissioners discussed the request and felt that, due to the limited lot size, it was unlikely that the property would be developed for an intense commercial use. Minutes — Zoning Advisory Commission February 5, 2014 Page 4 Motion by Henschel, seconded by Hardie, to approve the rezoning from R -2 Two - Family Residential to OR Office Residential. Motion was approved by the following vote: Aye — Hardie, Christ, Belmont and Henschel; Nay - None. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kyle L. Kritz, Associate Planner Adopted