2001.12.19 PC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Meeting December 19, 2000- page 3 Rezoning of Molitor/Cheeta Properties The Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for property located west of Fenway Boulevard, south of 1401h Street, and north of the Bald Eagle Townhomes. This was a City initiated rezoning request because over the past year, several Council members had indicated a desire to examine the City's supply of industrial land. The City's Comprehensive Land Use Plan designates the subject property as Urban Development. To consider a rezoning of the property to General Industrial, the Planning Commission needed to also consider a land use guide plan amendment (Comprehensive Plan Amendment) from Urban Development to Commercial/Industrial. To assist the Planning Commission in the review of the Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning, staff had prepared four options for their consideration, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Option A would rezone the entire area to Office/Light Industrial. Option B would rezone the Molitor property (northerly parcel) to Office/Light Industrial, but would leave the Tschida property (southerly parcel) zoned Urban Residential and Multi -Family. Option C would rezone the Molitor property and a portion of the Tschida property to Office/Light Industrial, but would leave the western portion of the Tschida property zoned Urban Residential. This option would allow the front part of the Tschida property to be developed as Office/Light Industrial. The final option presented was to leave the properties as currently zoned. Schumann opened the public hearing. Jim Tagelia representing Norlakes, 13615 Fenway Boulevard, supported the rezoning of the Molitor property to Office/Light Industrial. Tagelia said that the Norlakes site had a continued impact with people as more families moved into the area, and would like to see the Molitor property be developed as industrial and not residential. Steve Ach, Land Development Manager for Centex Homes, requested that the Planning Commission recommend leaving the current zoning of the Tschida property. Centex homes had recently entered into a contract with Cheeta Properties to purchase 49 acres for residential development. Ach provided the Commission with aerial photos depicting the natural separation of land uses, and said that rezoning the Tschida property to industrial would have negative impacts on the existing residential property to the south and that the features of the area provided a natural wetland buffer to north. Ken Tschida, Cheeta Properties, said he wanted his property to remain zoned multi -family housing and urban residential, and that he would be losing money on his investment should he be unable to sell the property to Centex for residential development. Tschida said he would be looking to the City of Hugo for reimbursement should this happen. Tom Junnila, President of The Junnila Company, Inc., provided the Planning Commission a letter on behalf of Joel and John Schwieter of Schwieters Properties, LLP, located in the Bald Eagle Industrial Park. The Schwieters endorsed the rezoning of the Molitor property to Office/Light Industrial to extend the development of manufacturing that had begun with the creation of the Bald Eagle Industiral Park. Schwieters also recommend the Tschida site maintain its current zoning to allow the development of much needed housing.