During a public hearing Monday, Dec. 5, Planning Commissioners deferred an item, denied an application and approved two items.
The first item heard was a zoning ordinance amendement that would limit the parking of commercial vehicles on residential property.
Commissioners deferred that item until a Jan. 9, 2006 public hearing. The commercial vehicles in question include box trucks, step vans and panel vans exceeding 12,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. If the amendment is approved, owners of such vehicles must apply for a conditional use permit to request approval from the commission and then Town Council to allow the vehicles in their neighborhood. The item was deferred until the commission's scheduled Jan. 9 public hearing.
Site Plan Denied
Commissioners denied, 4 to 2, with Ralph Beard, vice chairman Jay Donahue, Ted Hochstein and Bill Tirrell opposing, an application by Commerce Bank for approval of a site plan. Commissioner Paul LeReche recused himself because of conflicting interests.
The site plan proposed a freestanding bank with drive-through service located at the Elden Street Marketplace Shopping Center. Located at 1228 Elden Street, the property is 7.58-acres and is zoned highway commercial. Commissioners denied the application because of the site's impact on traffic at an already busy intersection — Herndon Parkway and Elden Street — and because of poor internal circulation at the actual site.
Subdivision Approved
Next commissioners unanimously approved an application for a preliminary subdivision to be developed. Called the Young Avenue Estates, the proposed subdivision would divide two existing lots into eight parcels of land. Seven of the lots would be developed with single-family detached homes, while the last lot would be designated to the town for open space or flood plain space.
The land is designated residential, is 314,939-square feet and is located north of the Herndon Parkway, west of Monroe Street and south of Young Avenue. One parcel is addressed as 1191 Monroe St., the other lot is not addressed.
Comprehensive Plan Review Approved
The final agenda item, a comprehensive plan review, was approved 6 to 1, with LeReche opposing. Town planning staff requested the commission review a proposal to vacate a portion of an unimproved outlet road located between Kmart and the Winchester Homes property at Grant and Van Buren Streets. Staff recommended a trail to be added to the road in question, but commissioners denied that request. Commissioners did not like the idea of a trail running behind homes so that people would be walking near residential backyards when a sidewalk would be in place.
The next Planning Commission meeting is a work session scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19. All items approved or denied at the commission level will advance to Town Council.