MINUTES OF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING

February 9, 2006

A meeting of the Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission was held at Westminster City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, on the evening of February 9, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.  Chairperson Bair; Members Albert, Beaver, Palmer, and Graham; City Attorney Walsh; Manager of Planning and Development Davis; Assistant Town Planner Fisher; GIS Technician Rogers; County Planner Graf; and members of the public were present.

On motion of Mrs. Albert, seconded by Ms. Graham and duly passed, the minutes of the meeting of January 12, 2006 were approved as amended.

Mr. Fisher presented the Preliminary Plan and Final Plat for Jameson’s View.  Mr. Fisher stated that the plan proposes the creation of two new building lots, plus a lot for the existing home on the 1.42 acre parcel.  The property is located behind the College Square Shopping Center at 301 West Main Street, and is zoned “R-10,000” Residential.  Mr. Fisher stated that the front setback lines are pulled back to match the front yards of the existing homes on adjacent parcels.  Staff recommended conditional approval of the Preliminary Plan and Final Plat.  Mr. John Lemmerman of R.T.F., Inc., the consultant for the project, requested that the Commission waive the sidewalk requirement due to a lack of nearby sidewalk and low pedestrian volumes.  Mr. Beaver remarked that, in the future, the character of the neighborhood could change to a point where sidewalks become more important.  Mr. Fisher noted that there are several vacant parcels awaiting development in the vicinity of the site.  Mrs. Albert stated that the Commission should consider the legislative intent of the sidewalk ordinance.  On motion of Mrs. Palmer, seconded by Mrs. Albert, the Commission conditionally approved the Preliminary Plan for Jameson’s View, including the provision of sidewalk along West Main Street and the satisfaction of agency review comments.  On motion of Ms. Graham, seconded by Mrs. Palmer, the Final Plat for Jameson’s View was approved, conditioned upon the satisfaction of agency review comments.

Mr. Fisher presented the Final Plat for the R.J. Maring property.  Mr. Fisher stated that the plan proposes the creation of four residential lots on the 1.71 acre property.  The lots would access Uniontown Road from Maring Drive, a proposed 14-foot paved use-in-common driveway.  The drive would include a bypass lane in front of Lots 1 and 2 to allow vehicles traveling in opposite directions to pass.  Mr. Fisher noted that the plat conveys a 0.037 acre parcel to the City for stormwater management and a number of easements that will allow for maintenance of the utility lines.  Staff recommended approval of the Final Plat and stated that the Plat is in conformance with the Preliminary Plan previously approved by the Commission.  In response to a question from Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Fisher stated that the houses are intended to face Maring Drive.  Ms. Bair expressed concern with the ability of fire trucks to maneuver in the subdivision, and the lack of acceleration and deceleration lanes on Uniontown Road.  Mr. Fisher stated that the City did not receive a response from the Fire Company concerning the Plat, and that the County’s Fire Protection Engineer had no major issues with the proposal.  Mr. Greg Hull of CLSI, the consultant for the project, noted the provision of a fire hydrant at the end of the driveway.  On motion of Ms. Graham, seconded by Mrs. Palmer, the Commission tabled the Final Plat for the R.J. Maring Property to allow for clarification of prior Commission discussion in regard to fire protection.

Mr. Davis briefed the Commission on staff efforts to develop a new overlay zoning district for older neighborhoods in the City.  Mr. Davis stated that existing zoning in these areas results in suburban-style development that is inconsistent with the character of the neighborhoods.  The Compatible Neighborhood Development overlay district would use the existing neighborhoods as the standard for review of new development proposals.  Single family detached, semi-detached, and townhouse units would be permitted; however, no commercial uses would be allowed.  Mr. Davis stated that the Commission would review and approve architectural elevations in conjunction with the subdivision plans.  In response to a question from Mr. Beaver, Mr. Davis explained that the overlay district does not change the current underlying zoning, and that property owners could choose to develop or operate under either set of procedures.  Mr. Fisher responded to a question from Mrs. Palmer by stating that the overlay would prevent the demolition of historic structures during development unless no viable alternative exists.  Ms. Bair asked if the overlay district would encourage the subdivision of side yards in neighborhoods where many lots are larger than required by zoning.  Mr. Walsh responded that proposals not compatible with the general character of the neighborhood could be denied by the Commission.  Mr. Walsh remarked that, without the overlay district, the only way to build in character with some older neighborhoods is by obtaining a slew of administrative adjustments.  In response to a question from Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Fisher cited several examples of similar zoning in other jurisdictions.

Mr. Davis briefly updated the Commission on the status of the Heritage Area plan and improvements to MD 97 North.

Ms. Bair asked if the City could require the unused pole sign at Enterprise Car Sales to be removed.  Mr. Fisher stated that staff would review the issue.

Ms. Bair remarked that the new stop signs on Mall Ring Road are not serving the purpose intended when they were required by the Commission, because the new parking lot was never constructed.  The Commission directed staff to prepare a letter requesting that the mall remove the signs.

Ms. Bair expressed her opinion that the recent improvements to the funeral home on Willis Street are not compatible with the residential character of the street.  She requested that staff review the building permit to determine if the location of the awning was approved by the City.

Mrs. Palmer noted a recent article in the Baltimore Sun about water supply challenges in Carroll County.  Mr. Davis mentioned that the City’s Water Capacity Analysis will provide highly detailed information specific to Westminster’s system.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. by consensus of the Commission.

Respectfully submitted,

ERIK N. FISHER
SECRETARY