September 10, 2007
Oct 22nd, 07
Pennfield Charter Township
Planning Commission Meeting
Minutes of September 10, 2007
Chairman Lindsay Draime called the Planning Commission meeting to order at 6:33 p.m.
Present were Lindsay Draime, Jay Weiss, Jon Bartlett, Jack Pooler, Elaine Walter and Paul Anderson. Brad Messenger was excused.
Others Present: Rob Behnke, Township Supervisor; Carole Bammer, Township Clerk; Russ Wicklund, Township Planner; Barb Darlington; Russ Valvo and other Representatives of Deep Lake Lodge; Representative of Access Vision and several residents.
Meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Public Comment
No public comment
Additions or Deletions to the Agenda
No additions or deletions to the agenda.
Meeting Minutes of May 7, 2007
It was moved and seconded by Paul Anderson and Elaine Walter to approve the May 7, 2007 meeting minutes. Motion carried.
Unfinished Business
No unfinished business.
New Business
Public Hearing for Deep Lake Lodge Special Use Request in order to develop a planned unit development (PUD) on approximately 283 acres in Section 11 and Section 14. This applicant has previously acquired special use approval for a similar development. This new application is directed at an expanded residential setting, with a range of site condominium units (20 units), detached (69 units) and attached (48 units) condominium units developed in residential clusters off a centralized road layout. The calculation of overall density supports the 137 units at one unit per every two acres allowed within the Agricultural District.
The applicant also proposes an educational conference center and a nature studies campus, with these areas integrated with the residential development through walking paths or nature trails. Because of the mixed use nature of the PUD, all of these various uses are to be considered as part of one special use application with recommendations associated with the overall development. The nonresidential elements of the development will be considered as secondary and accessory to the primary residential use. The educational conference center will be considered as a special use under “private schools”, but incorporated under the overall PUD process.
Paul Dickinson, President of Integrated Architecture, and Russ Valvo, part of the ownership of Deep Lake Lodge LL, presented exhibits showing land use plan for Deep Lake Lodge. This development was described as similar to a living community on a golf course without the golf course but with a learning and conference club house/community center. Residential units will range from $170,000 to $500,000 and will be built to meet energy and environmental designs. The plan shows access off Pine Lake, Crase and Clear Lake Roads. Pine Lake Road will be the main entry, Crase Road will be used for residential access and service road and Clear Lake Road access will be used for the nature studies area with a parking area.
Residents expressed concern about removal of mature trees, possibility of increased use of Clear Lake and possible opening up Deep Lake into Clear Lake, increased use of Crase Road which is a dirt road, location of access off Pine Lake Road, amount of buildings planned for this site, type of septic system that will be used, and if there is a demand for this type of housing with the current market. Concerns about screening/greenbelt requirements will be addressed with site plan.
After much discussion it was moved and seconded by Paul Anderson and Elaine Walter to approve Deep Lake Lodge Special Use Request for a Planned Unit Development as proposed with the following conditions:
1. All conditions specified under the ordinance for a Special Use/Planned Unit Development be met.
2. All Calhoun County Departments, where applicable, give approval on the site plan.
a. No more than four access entrances shall be permitted as follows:
The primary visitor access drive shall located along Pine Lake Road;
a secondary visitor access drive shall be allowed along North Clear
Lake Road; an additional service or access drive shall be permitted
along Pine Lake Road; and one service drive shall be permitted along
Crase Road. The location of these drives in relation to the public
right-of-way shall be subject to review and approval by the Calhoun
County Road Commission, shall meet the Township standards for
private roadways and alternate drive surfaces to be approved by the
Pennfield Township Fire Department. Access and service drives, per the
zoning ordinance, require conformance to the private road standards,
requiring a 66 foot easement and an improved 24 foot paved surface for three
or more parcels, lots or units. This development is not serving multiple
parcels or lots, but is serving multiple uses and units, a 24 foot paved
service road shall be required, with 15 foot height clearance, in order to
allow access for emergency vehicles to all residential and non-residential
buildings within the PUD. Two points of access shall be established and
approved, prior to occupancy of more than five (5) equivalent single family
units.
b. Well and septic systems shall be subject to review by the Calhoun County Health Department prior to submission of site plans identifying the location of such systems and facilities they are intended to serve. A well designated for fire suppression will be part of the plan and approved by the Pennfield Fire Department.
c. Soil erosion and sedimentation permits shall be obtained from Calhoun County Road Commission for any site excavation work.
3. All Michigan State Departments, where applicable, give approval on the site plan.
a.The delineation of wetlands and any associated setbacks and permits shall be subject to review and approval by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality(MDEQ).
b.Campground facilities and educational facilities shall be subject to any laws of administrative rules imposed by the State of Michigan associated with such facilities.
4. Copies of all permits shall be forwarded to Pennfield Township for our records relating to this special use approval.
5. A 300 foot setback shall be maintained along all public road frontage (Pine Lake, Clear Lake and Crase Roads) with the exemption of a minimum 100 foot setback for improved entrances and 50 foot setback along all other private property lines, consistent with the rear and side yard setback required for principal buildings within the Agricultural District. No buildings or structures attached to permanent foundations shall be permitted within these setback areas. The main school buildings shall be setback at least 100 feet from any property line and be connected to required parking by sidewalks or paved surface for pedestrian movement. Loading and unloading areas shall be clearly marked and not impede either vehicular or pedestrian movement. Approved lanes for fire suppression approved by the Pennfield Fire Department. Fencing, gates, signage, trails, or access drives may be permitted in these areas, although the primary intent shall be to maintain such areas as natural open space. A greenbelt will be considered at site plan review.
6. The maximum height for any buildings (residential and non-residential) shall be
35 feet to the eave except for Section 3 of the Land Use Area Diagram associated
with the conference center development.
7. Clear Lake access shall be restricted to one single family dock.
8. All electric, cable, telephone or other public utilities shall be located underground
with the exception of alternative energy source.
9. Alternative drive surface to be approved by the Pennfield Fire Department.
Motion carried. This recommendation for approval with conditions will be forwarded to the Township Board for final consideration.
Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments - Russ Wicklund, Township Planner and Zoning Administrator distributed a memo with attached text amendments to initiate the process of reviewing the zoning ordinance over the next several months. These initial proposed amendments may reflect concerns raised over the last 6 weeks in terms of processing applications or to simply get more input from the Planning Commission on policy that was considered when originally adopted. Russ explained that in general this process for review should take place during meetings with fewer agenda items. He requested commissioners to contact him to discuss issues they would like to see addressed during this review and amendment process.
Public Comment
No public comment
Commissioners Comments
Elaine Walter - Nice to have Chalk-a-Latte in Pennfield. Welcome Jack Pooler to the Planning Commission.
Jack Pooler - New to the Planning Commission and hopes to be a help.
Paul Anderson - Welcome Jack to the Planning Commission. I have asked before and am asking again for an updated copy of the zoning ordinance since it has been updated a couple different times since his last updated copy. It would be nice to have it in a word file, it would make it easier to do a word search when looking in the zoning ordinance. Have recent pictures of Capital 94 PUD if anyone would like to see the pictures. The Capital 94 project is the reason he was asking some of the questions during tonight’s meeting.
Lindsay Draime - Next meeting will be October 1st. He will not be able to attend.
It was moved and seconded by Paul Anderson and Jon Bartlett to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried and meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Barbara Darlington
From the notes of Jay Weiss and recording of the meeting
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