November 2, 2005

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Bill Marino, Chair
Bunny Malm
George Brown III
John Plotkin
Tracy Simmons
Michael Rohr

STAFF PRESENT
Becky Clark, Director of Planning & Development
Vince Harris, Planning Manager
Paul Rice, Senior Planner
John Padon, Traffic Engineeer Technician
Anne Heine, Lead Development Review Engineer
Dieter Magin, Civil Engineer III
Vicki Kaufman, Planning Commission Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________

Following are the minutes of the November 2, 2005 Lakewood Planning Commission Public Hearing. A permanent set of these minutes is retained in the office of the City Clerk and a tape recording is located in the Department of Community Planning and Development, City of Lakewood.
____________________________________________________________________________________
INDEX
ITEM 1: RZ-05-005 Page 1 Request of Lakewood Fordland to rezone property from 3-C (Community Commercial) zone district to PD (Planned Development) zone district in order to construct an auto dealership. The property is located at 11595 West 6th Avenue.

ITEM 2: OA-05-002 Page 7 Request to consider adoption of the Lakewood Performance Based Review Process materials by resolution of the Lakewood Planning Commission
****************************************************************************************************
The roll having been called, a quorum was declared. The Chairman gave information on public hearings before Planning Commission. The following business was conducted:

ITEM 1: CASE RZ-05-005
RON HOISINGTON of CRH Development Specialists, 3281 Alkire Court, Golden, Colorado, 80401, is representing the applicant. Bob Leidel, owner of Lakewood Fordland, Chris Rundel of Baseline Engineering, Jim Weber with Concepts West Architects, Christian Powell, landscape architect with Staller and Henry, Mark Perrino, construction consultant, and Bill Reitler and Ralph Jacobsen, consultants for this project, are here for questions and to show the total effort of the team. Mr. Hoisington thanked Staff for their efforts as well. Lakewood Fordland is allowing West Metro Fire District to use the existing buildings on the site for training, in an effort to be a good neighbor. This is a 6.1-acre site located on the northeast corner of 6th Avenue and Simms Street. The plan is to build a 67,329 square foot auto dealership. Lakewood Fordland is proposing 94 parking spaces on the top deck of the proposed two-story building. All infrastructure improvements will be on site and there should be no problems with environmental concerns or lack of infrastructure. Lakewood Fordland worked with Economic Development Division in locating a site for relocation and this location was the preferred site. Lakewood Fordland has been working quite closely with Rick Tate, who is the owner of the Dent Clinic, on easements that border both properties. Mr. Tate and Lakewood Fordland have negotiated a U-turn on the south driveway. This design will be incorporated into the Final Site Plan and subject to Mr. Tate's approval and Staff's approval. There is a proposed access way on the north edge of the site coming off of Simms Street and another proposed access off of 6th Avenue Service Road. The accesses have been designed to accommodate truck traffic coming into the site. Views of the area were shown.

PAUL RICE, SENIOR PLANNER, entered into the record the Staff Report, case file and associated materials for Case Number RZ-05-005.

RICK TATE of 1140 Garrison Street, Lakewood, Colorado, 80215, is owner of the Dent Clinic. He wanted to say he is working with Lakewood Fordland on the easement issue, a circle drive in the middle of the easement, or some extra parking on the north side of the Dent Clinic. They are working together in a positive manor.

COMMISSIONER BROWN asked if there would be speakers set up so people will hear broadcasts over a loudspeaker system?

MARK PERRINO of 6415 W. Cherokee Drive, Sedalia, Colorado, 80135, said the paging system would be used only for after hours to notify patrons that the dealership is closed. The sales staff will have individual pagers and the intercom system will only be within the building itself.

COMMISSIONER BROWN wondered about the retention pond on the southeast corner: How deep would it be; would the area be fenced; what the holding capacity would be, etc.?

MARK PERRINO said the retention area on this site would be underground to allow for additional parking for the dealership itself. There is a large capacity of water storage, which would eventually go through porous landscape detentions to filter the water for quality and then the water will flow into the storm drain system.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN asked where the U-Turn would be on the site and what it's purpose would be?

COMMISSIONER MARINO asked if Staff had reviewed the new drawings for the U-Turn area handed out to the commissioners, their secretary and Staff at this meeting?

PAUL RICE said Staff has seen some conceptual drawings and is aware of the discussions between Lakewood Fordland and Mr. Tate. Staff was waiting to see what the two landowners worked out because it was presented to Staff after the information was sent out in the commissioner's packets.

MARK PERRINO explained there was an agreement to appease Mr. Tate's needs for southbound traffic to enter into the Dent Clinic site. However, after further discussion with Mr. Tate, Exhibit B might allow additional vehicle parking on the access easement to the north, giving him more use of his property. At this point these are only conceptual and have not officially been agreed to by Staff.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN asked if this, then, is an issue between two adjacent landowners?

MARK PERRINO verified Commissioner Plotkin's assumption.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN went on to say he is familiar with the area around this site and is aware of northbound versus southbound traffic problems. He asked if he's correct in saying traffic coming out of the 6th Avenue Frontage Road or directly onto Simms Street is going to go north and then turn around? Any significant traffic increase would only cause more problems in an area that already has traffic issues.

MARK PERRINO said right now there are people making illegal U-Turns at the entrance of the frontage road. Lakewood Fordland has tried to accommodate Mr. Tate's needs by making a U-Turn motion on their property for Mr. Tate's customers. The only way to correct the traffic problems related to 6th Avenue Frontage Road or Simms Street would be if CDOT and/or the City would allow a full motion access on the northern side of the property on Simms Street. What they intend to ask Lakewood Fordland customers to do, by conversation, is turn east on 8th Avenue, go to Quail Street, come across to the 6th Avenue Frontage Road and into the dealership. Traffic issues may need to be addressed at a later date.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN asked Staff if the Dent Clinic traffic issues have been addressed?

PAUL RICE said conceptually they have been.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN wondered where the semi trucks would be coming into the proposed site and unloading cars?

MARK PERRINO said the semi trucks would come in off of Simms Street and unload on either the northern or eastern boundary of the proposed site. Lakewood Fordland has a 50' easement on the northern boundary to allow semi trucks to maneuver the turn.

COMMISSIONER SIMMONS asked what is the reason for the move?

RON HOISINGTON said the new RTD light rail station is planning to take about 50% of the existing southern boundary of Lakewood Fordland, which is a leased site. The lease is due to expire and RTD as well as Staff want to see the light rail go in there with a Park-N-Ride. The balance of the site would be retail stores. So Economic Development showed Lakewood Fordland three sites that could potentially be car dealerships and this site is the one Lakewood Fordland chose. Lakewood Fordland is an older car dealership, run down and in need of refurbishing so this move would be better for all. Mr. Leidel purchased this new site.

COMMISSIONER ROHR asked what the fire department asked the applicant to change on their plans to accommodate the fire trucks?

MARK PERRINO said the original request was to widen the proposed access drive isles so the fire trucks could make a complete loop through the proposed project efficiently and to add one fire hydrant.

COMMISSIONER ROHR asked about the lighting, acknowledging that there is no residential area close by but lighting might disturb some of the hotel guests across the street.

JIM WEBER of Concept West Architecture, whose address is 202 West Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80216, said the City of Lakewood doesn't have any formal lighting standard so he created a lighting pattern and, as he understands, is acceptable to Staff. The proposed site lighting would have 25 to 28 foot candles with zero spillage off of the site. All the fixtures are cut off fixtures. They have full standards as well as fixtures on the building. There are full lighting fixtures proposed on the top of the building but it should not have any lighting spillage either. At night they can use time clocks, which would shut off a percentage of the lights. The proposed lighting poles are only 24' high including the base and they will have light shields on the street side. So no one will be looking directly into the lights especially from the hotels.

COMMISSIONER ROHR said some of the parking lot is sinking in the northeastern section of the site and he is concerned about drainage issues. And the huge hill on the backside of the property is steep and eroding now. Is the applicant working with the abutting property owners to avoid erosion of the hill?

JIM WEBER said the civil engineer has designed the site to drain into each porous landscape detention drainage area, which will eventually drain into the storm sewer system, and the northeastern area will be raised about 8' to correct the drainage issue.

CHRIS RUNDELL of Baseline Engineering, 1658 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado, 80401, is the civil engineer and said for long term stability the northeast corner of the site will be raised 8' and there would be a retaining wall approximately 2' tall to provide stability and prevent any degradation of the hill.

COMMISSIONER MALM asked if the engineering plans had been submitted to the City Engineering Division for review and approval by engineering, including the area of the site under consideration in this discussion?

CHRIS RUNDELL said yes, the preliminary engineering and drainage reports were approved. There weren't any concerns raised by Staff and Baseline Engineering had no concerns with stability either.

JIM WEBER wanted to explain, the site would be completely demolished and re-graded (except for the Dent Shop). In the re-grading the building will be on the upper portion of the site and on the northeast corner, which is where the concern for the steep slope is, there will be retaining walls going from the top section down in about three tiers. What will happen is all the drainage that is captured there will drain down each level of the retaining wall. Most of the slope is on the property to the east and that property owner is here tonight if you want to ask him questions. The drainage from the proposed site should not cause any further erosion to either property.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN asked why there is such an extensive list of permitted uses on the Official Development Plan including medical clinics and laboratories, motels, printing establishments, pharmacies, etc.? He said he is uncomfortable with such a long list of uses.

PAUL RICE said the uses listed are permitted uses in the 3-C Zone District, which is what the property is zoned as right now with the addition of an auto dealership and some automotive related uses so that if the site is to redevelop at a later date, developers would have different options. Also, the Union Boulevard corridor is redeveloping with the possibility of extending further north. He said most Planned Developments are not rezoned for one use because that would limit the site to one use only.

COMMISSIONER MARINO explained that in years past he has been involved with other land use cases and has seen Planned Developments with many uses, which are selected very carefully to be compatible with the surrounding land uses for future redevelopment. Also, the Chairman wanted to point out that the commission is not approving Lakewood Fordland but approving a Planned Development with the stipulations listed.

PAUL RICE said it is correct that Staff does not want the site limited to just one or a few uses, which would cause another developer to have to rezone at a later date. The commission is voting on the zoning of the property only.

COMMISSIONER MALM said the commission is not establishing precedent tonight because that has been done in the past. This is the accepted practice, is it not?

PAUL RICE said generally the applicant comes in and selects a zoning district and then the applicant and Staff go through and eliminate uses. However, this rezoning, because it is a less intense commercial district, is actually adding uses.

COMMISSIONER MARINO said the instruction to the commission tonight is to consider the list of uses carefully as they cast their vote. Remembering that the commission is voting for a Planned Development and not Lakewood Fordland.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN said he isn't registering a strong objection and does not mean for it to be an impediment to this project. He feels Lakewood Fordland is being proactive and looking at redeveloping in the City of Lakewood and has submitted an attractive, sensible project. However Commissioner Plotkin finds it interesting that the long list of uses are possibilities of what may or may not be built on this site. The list of uses is appropriate for the site but he is struck by the fact that the commission is not being asked to approve Lakewood Fordland but an Official Development Plan that contains a lot of different uses that actually may be built on this site now or in the future.

COMMISSIONER BROWN asked if there was any neighborhood input?

PAUL RICE said he was not working at the city in 2004 when this project came in. The planner who was here at the time kept records indicating that Mr. Tate, owner of the Dent Clinic, and another property owner in the area did attend the neighborhood meeting but there were no other comments at that time. Official Neighborhood Notices were sent for the meeting tonight with no other comments except for the discussions and phone conversations between himself and Mr. Tate. Paul a change should be made to the motion regarding the agreement between the two landowners.

COMMISSIONER MARINO said he travels the frontage road every day and is aware of problems already as vehicles merge from the west frontage road onto northbound Simms Street. Is the City Traffic Engineer comfortable with the change allowing traffic to turn into the proposed dealership? Would John Padon object to onsite signs?

JOHN PADON, Traffic Engineer Technician, said, as he understands it, what is being asked is if the city can change the traffic patterns to allow patrons to turn onto Simms Street easier than they can today by making a left turn onto Simms Street going southbound. If that is the question, the answer is that the median that is in place was put there by CDOT who has the right of way to the northern property line all the way to 8th Avenue. CDOT would not allow a left turn due to the close proximity to the frontage road and the off ramp at 6th Avenue and Union Boulevard. It's not easy but patrons can go eastbound on the 6th Avenue frontage road, north on Quail Street to 8th Avenue and safely turn left onto Simms Street. There could be signage but CDOT has very restrictive sign requirements about how to exit a site. There could be a private sign on the proposed site itself to explain how to get out and go south. Staff would support those signs. He added there is actually very little trip generation at a car dealership. John also mentioned that Staff has not seen everything regarding the U-turn, the parking, or whatever is decided on. He would prefer to have the two property owners reach an equitable agreement and bring it in for review.

COMMISSIONER BROWN asked if West Metro Fire Department would have to agree on the final plan for the U-turn?

JOHN PADON said the U-turn area would have to meet Fire Department standards but John is not concerned because the car dealerships semi trucks would also need to go through that same drive.

MARK PERRINO said the roundabout would be a raised concrete island without landscape so semi trucks or fire trucks could drive right over it if necessary.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN made the motion saying Planning Commission, on the basis of recommendation, summary, and findings; recommend the City Council APPROVE rezoning Case No. RZ-05-005 subject to:

1. The applicant shall submit a signed correction free photographic Mylar of the proposed Official Development Plan to staff before the case is scheduled before the City Council; and;

2. The Final Site Plan submittal shall incorporate a design that will permit U-turn type movement at the drive entrance off of the 6th Avenue frontage road or other equitable alternatives acceptable to the Dent Clinic.

COMMISSIONER MALM seconded the motion.

Motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

ITEM 2: CASE OA-05-002
COMMISSIONER MARINO said the Planning Commission met in a Study Session this evening to again review the materials associated with the Performance Based Review Process. The commission made a few minor edits that Staff noted and the commissioners are now ready to adopt the materials.

COMMISSIONER MALM said, based upon the commissions lengthy and in-depth consideration of this matter over a long period of time and the review process the commission has engaged in, she moves for ADOPTION of the Performance Based Review Process with a resolution to that affect drawn up by Staff.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN seconded the motion.

Motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

COMMISSIONER PLOTKIN said he feels Staff has done a terrific job, as usual, in helping the commission put the Performance Based Review Process materials together. Commissioner Marino has driven the process effectively and decisively. All the commissioners past and present have given input. The final result is a terrific product.

COMMISSIONER MARINO said he would like to thank the commission. He feels everybody put a little blood, sweat and tears (including Staff) into getting this document and the already approved Performance Based Review Process adopted.

Motion passed 6-0.

ITEM 3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes from August 31, 2005 Special Planning Commission Public Hearing and October 5, 2005 Planning Commission Public Hearing were approved by a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays.

ITEM 4: GENERAL BUSINESS
COMMISSIONER MALM asked if the commissioners would want to send a card to Commissioner Urbanowski, whose mother passed away October 31st, and if she had permission to sign for all of them. All the commissioners agreed. Staff would see that flowers/plant are sent.

ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 P.M.

Vicki Kaufman, Secretary to the Planning Commission

	Home | Search | Contact Us | Privacy Policy Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Notice © City of Lakewood, 480 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood, CO 80226, 303-987-7000