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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttachmt 7 Minutes from 06-27-2006 PC Study Session Planning Commission Study Session Minutes CALL TO ORDER A special meeting of the City of Dublin Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, in the Council Chambers located at 100 Civic Plaza. Chair Schaub called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. ATTENDEES Present: Chair Schaub; Vice Chair Wehrenberg; Commissioners Fasulkey and King; Jeri Ram, Community Development Director; Mary Jo Wilson, Planning Manager; Erica Fraser, Senior Planner; and Rhonda Franklin, Recording Secretary. Absent: Commissioner Biddle Commissioner Fasulkey recused himself from the Study Session due to financial conflicts. 1.1 Study Session - Lowe's at Grafton Station Ms. Erica Fraser, Senior Planner, presented the specifics of the project as outlined in the Staff Report. Mr. David Chadbourne, with McKay & Somps, spoke on behalf of the Applicant. He introduced the development team and discussed the project's surrounding areas and traffic circulation in detail. Chair Schaub asked where the delivery trucks would enter the site, and Mr. Chadbourne pointed it out on the circulation plan. Mr. Chadbourne stated that truck traffic would be prohibited on Grafton Street. Mr. Dean Williams, Landscape Architect with GLS, discussed the landscape plans in detail. Vice Chair Wehrenberg asked about the type of Eucalyptus trees that would be planted. Mr. Williams stated that he was not sure. Chair Schaub asked that the development team discuss the types of trees in detail at the upcoming Planning Commission meeting, and Mr. Williams stated that they would comply. Chair Schaub asked if there would be any reason for pedestrians to be in the area of the bioswale, and Mr. Williams said no. Mr. Christopher Koch, Architect with William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc., discussed the architectural plans for Grafton Station in detail. Cm. King asked about the architectural elements of the "Main Street" that would be incorporated into the design for Grafton Station. Mr. Koch stated that they would be Attachment 7 taking architectural elements from several historical eras in trying to develop a "Main Street" that would naturally develop over time. He described some features of a typical "Main Street." Ms. Laura Orlich, Project Architect with S.S.O.E., discussed the architectural design for Lowe's in detail. Chair Schaub asked if the design would differ from the traditional Lowe's prototype. Ms. Orlich stated that the internal floor plan would be the same; however, the outside of the store would be different in order to match the surrounding area. Chair Schaub presented photos of established Lowe's stores to show examples of current landscaping, bioswales, parking areas, and outdoor display areas. He cited the following concerns: 1) excessive outdoor displays; 2) non-prosperous landscaping; 3) unkempt pick-up areas with excessive stacking; 4) unprotected bioswales; 5) advertising signage placed on the outside walls of the store; and 6) non-pedestrian friendly parking areas. He also showed photos of other commercial centers that were designed to match the architecture of the surrounding area. Chair Schaub stated that this project does not look any different than the traditional Lowe's design and does not match the architecture of the surrounding area. Cm. King stated that although the project is nice, it is not distinctive enough. He suggested that the developer be more creative with the design, and place emphasis on a more distinct and creative roofline. Vice Chair Wehrenberg stated that overall she likes the style of the project. She said she likes the landscaping, but is concerned about the planting of Eucalyptus and Oleander shrubs. She stated that although tall trees in the parking area are a good idea, the trees should not be too tall as to make it look like a freeway. She stated that she would like to see the outdoor storage area maintained neatly and safely. She further stated that she would like to see the entire site landscaped as soon as possible without waiting for buildout of the site. She suggested using false windows, as opposed to green screens, on blank walls to break up the wall mass. Ms. Fraser asked for Planning Commission feedback on the freeway sign. Chair Schaub questioned the height of the sign. Ms. Jeri Ram, Community Development Director, stated that the height is the same as the Hacienda Crossing freeway sign. Chair Schaub asked how many freeway signs of this size are in the City, and Ms. Ram stated that there are currently three; however, there may be more as other commercial sites are developed. Vice Chair Wehrenberg and Commissioner King stated that they had no concerns with the freeway sign. Ms. Fraser asked for Planning Commission feedback on the phasing plan of the site. Vice Chair Wehrenberg asked about the timeline for the phasing plan. Ms. Fraser said that the phasing plan shows the order of development, but does not show the timeline of the development. Chair Schaub commented that landscaping for the entire site would make Lowe's more appealing to consumers. Vice Chair Wehrenberg and Cm. King both stated that they did not have any problems with the phasing plan. Ms. Fraser asked for Planning Commission feed back on the Conditional Use Permit for the outdoor display area. Vice Chair Wehrenberg asked if the items on display would remain outdoors on a full time basis. Mr. Al Montes, with Lowe's Site Development Division, stated that some items would remain outdoors on a full time basis; however, a lot of the items are on casters and are intended to be rolled indoors after hours. Chair . Schaub expressed concern over allowing Lowe's to conduct business outdoors, while other businesses in the City are restricted to conducting business indoors. Mr. Montes stated that the outdoor display items are determined by the geographical region and time of year. He further stated that they would work with the store manager to maintain order, neatness, and organization at the Dublin store. He stated that the development team is attempting to mitigate the visibility of the outdoor display areas by installing screen walls around the areas. Chair Schaub stated that he would not like to see outdoor display items in the parking areas on a regular basis. Mr. Montes stated that Lowe's would apply for a Temporary Use Permit for seasonal items to be displayed in the parking areas. Vice Chair Wehrenberg asked about the total square footage of the outdoor display areas. Ms. Orlich stated that the total square footage for the outdoor display areas includes the walkways; however, the walkways would be kept clear of display items. Ms. Fraser asked for Planning Commission feedback on the architecture. Chair Schaub stated that he does not see how this Lowe's differs from the traditional Lowe's design. He stated that the "big box" design needs to be redesigned to match the surrounding architecture. Cm. King stated that he is pleased with the differences in the elevations, with the depth of the various sections, and that the loading zones are concealed. He also commented that the signage is okay. Cm. King further stated that he can see an effort to make the project exciting, but encouraged the developers to be more creative. Vice Chair Wehrenberg suggested that pilasters could be used to break up the wall mass and to put more detail into the architecture. She stated that the colors, stone wall, and awnings are good. She suggested that false windows be substituted for the green screens. Chair Schaub stated that he would like to discuss truck traffic within the project in more detail at the upcoming Planning Commission meeting. Chair Schaub thanked everyone for being present. The meeting was adjourned at 7:01 p.m.