08-11-2016 Planning Commission Minutes

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MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION AUGUST 11, 2016 VARIANCE The City Planner stated that Lapham-Hickey Steel, at 3250 Spruce Street, REQUEST TO has applied for site plan review and reduced building setback variances for ALLOW an 18,990 square foot building expansion. He explained that the site is REDUCED zoned I -P, Industrial Park, and manufacturing and warehousing are SETBACKS FOR allowed uses. He stated the applicants purchased the vacant parcel on the BUILDING north side of their existing site and are also seeking an administrative lot EXPANSIONS AT combination in order to expand their building on to this parcel. He noted LAPHAM- that variances are reviewed to see if without the variance, the project HICKEY STEEL, would not move forward. 3250 SPRUCE STREET The City Planner explained that the applicant is seeking two setback variances to accommodate the proposed expansion. He stated the first involves a reduction in the required side yard setback from 15 feet to 7 feet, 9 inches. He explained the applicant intends to expand the building along the east property line to extend an existing steel manufacturing process and the needed equipment configuration. He noted that because the additional property acquired by the applicant results in a jogged lot line, the straight-line building expansion creates a setback encroachment for the expansion. The City Planner stated that Staff recommends approval of the setback variance for the machinery area expansion resulting in a setback of 7 feet, 9 inches. The City Planner stated the applicant has asked for a second variance in the rear corner of the building for an expansion of the breakroom. He stated that it is difficult to find the practical difficulty in this case, since staff breakrooms can be located in other parts of the building, and there are other locations on the property to add a breakroom. He stated that Staff recommends approval of the variance for the work area expansion, but not the variance for the breakroom addition. Duray asked if the applicant's street frontage will change with the new additional property and combining them together. The City Planner stated that even though their access will likely still come off of Spruce Street, Country Drive will be considered their new "front" property line. Pat Domeier, branch manager at Lapham-Hickey Steel, stated the reason for the breakroom being placed in the middle of the building is because it is better accommodations for the employees to have the restrooms and breakroom placed centrally, rather than having to go all the way across the over 400 foot length of the building. He stated the new breakroom is proposed to be approximately 12 feet by 62 feet. Buesing asked if the breakroom could be put on the west side of the building instead. Mr. Domeier stated that area is being saved for future use, and it is dangerous for employees to be going across the building and under the cranes that