City of Aiken, SC Planning Commission Meetings, 13 Jul 2021

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From YouTube: Planning Commission Meeting July 13, 2021

Description

Planning Commission Meeting
July 13, 2021
6 PM

Call to Order
Minutes

Old Business
none

New Business
A) Application 21- 20021 Annexation Request, TMP 121- 17- 22- 001, 775 Westover Drive, by Morgan Merritt and Meagan Moates
B) Application 21- 20022 Annexation Request, TMP 122- 09- 02- 018, 1754 Two Notch Road, by Chrissie Alexander
C) Application 21- 60004 Rezoning Request, RMH and GB to PR, TMP 104- 08- 03- 010, 011, & 047, Majestic Oak Way, by Austin Allen.
D) Application 21- 22004 Concept Plan Approval Request, TMP 104- 08- 03- 010, 011, & 047, Majestic Oak Way, by Austin Allen
E) Application 21- 60005 Rezoning Request, GB to PC, TMP 122- 17- 07- 002, 2285 Whiskey Road, by Carter Engineer Consultants, Inc.
F) Application 21- 23001 Concept Plan Approval Request, TMP 122- 17- 07- 002, 2285 Whiskey Road, by Carter Engineer Consultants, Inc.

Adjournment

A

Let's, um let's call this uh tuesday july 13th 2021 meeting of the city of aiken planning commit commission to order. It's now six o'clock.

A

um First item of business approval of the minutes of the june 15 2021 work session and regular meeting. Do I have a motion? Second? Second, all right, any discussion of these minutes additions, deletions, etc. Okay, all in favor of adopting the minutes as read, raise your right hand opposed like sign. Okay, we're good, no old business on the uh schedule tonight, just for the information that of the board they are, they were the interviews for the new planning director have been temporarily suspended.

A

They met with one guy and apparently didn't work out too well and they've suspended the meetings or whatever they. Whatever process stewart was doing, has been submitted and they're going to cost begin it again in september right.

A

So that's not good news: uh okay, new business, 3a application, number, 21-200, annexation, request, 775 west overdrive by morgan, merritt and megan moats.

A

uh Anybody here want to speak on behalf of that. Anybody here want to speak in opposition to that. Okay, we have a motion. Mr.

B

Chairman in regards to application, 2-1-2-0-0-2-1 annexation request for tax partial one.

B

121-17-22-001, a move that we approve and recommend to city council.

A

Nice second discussion: okay, all in favor raise your hand oppose okay, you get that passed unanimously uh item three b, also, an annexation request. Application number 21-2022, 1754, two notch road. Anybody want to speak on behalf in favor of that anybody want to speak in opposition.

A

Okay, do I have a motion.

C

Mr chairman, in regards to application, number 21-200-2222 annexation requests tax question number.

C

122-09-02018 I moved that we send us the city council for approval, there's no possible conditions: okay, okay,.

A

Thank you. Second, okay, discussion.

A

Okay, all in favor raise your hand post okay, that is passed unanimously. All right three c and d c is a rezoning request. Application number, 21-6004 and 3d is application. Number 21-22004 concept plan approval request on this is apartments on the university parkway.

A

Anybody want to speak on behalf of these.

A

Yes, sir, come up state your name, please, sir.

D

My name's, uh william ratchford 165 south york street gaston north carolina 2805.

D

Good evening, uh once again, uh this is uh project grand oaks apartments uh by southwood realty, I'm a vice president of southward, realty and triangle real estate, uh both started by my grandfather and are currently owned by my uncle my father. uh We currently manage run and build apartments in north carolina. South carolina and georgia currently run 21 000 units we currently we've owned in aitkin for the last three years with trotter's run and we have just taken over grand oaks.

D

uh Our our plan uh on this project is to take the 2008 product of grand oaks of its uh of its two built buildings and incorporate it into a new complex rename reskin the skin the project and make it as a long-term hold, with uh with permanent materials of uh brick, hardy board uh treks uh for the decks nine foot ceilings granite, countertops and uh rent range nine to four uh 1400.

D

uh In that same time, we will fix up the original part of grand oaks to match it.

D

uh We are still working out on vendors and changing everything out now the grass got cut between five and six o'clock now, if anybody needs to know uh the- uh and that's that's basically it for the company, the company itself performs, as the builder we build a thousand fifteen hundred units a year, a similar product.

D

uh We keep uh superintendents on staff and then we keep uh local, regionals and uh and uh 24-hour maintenance that this property has not currently had. Our hope is to gate this project and to put and either temp, either fire lock gate between the original grand oak subdivision and make it more of a separate community to preserve the integrity of grand oaks, brick subdivision and create a new entrance to keep the community of grant of the apartment complex as as its own community as well.

D

uh The engineer austin allen will speak about the about the particulars of the.

E

Cycling, olsen allen, 10 williams, street greenville, south carolina. um I am a representation of the engineer, I'm the designer of the project, a planner um william, did a great job presenting that project to you, I'm more or less here for questions. um You know, I think the two biggest kind of things that y'all may have had was the density and traffic. Potentially, like said before, at the meeting that the traffic impact study is is being put together, we will adhere and follow the recommendations and the requirements of that study.

E

We have provided space to make necessary improvements if those are being called for. You know the density just to touch on that. You know. I think the goal is is to not overcrowd the site.

E

The goal is to allow a product be able to include everybody who may need to stay in this, and if one bedroom works out better, then they have that ability appreciate you all having us. It's been a pleasure working with your staff so far, y'all do very well down here. So thank you for your consideration. Okay,.

A

uh You're asking that we increase the density to 13 dwelling units per acre right, that's correct and, and your rationale for that tell us identify that rationale again for me. So.

E

Based off of uh the building plans that we use on different sites, um we had originally planned for uh all the new buildings being two and three bedrooms. Some all too. We just wanted to provide a building that had some single bedroom uses in it.

E

That was the that is the one building. That's the all one bedroom unit. That just happens to be how many units are within that building. So um you know we we like to think we are. You know, since we're double parked, uh we're way above parking standards. You know no matter what happens to that building if, if, for whatever reason, we do not get the variance or the waiver for the density, we're not going to reduce parking or anything like that, it's not going to the building size will roughly be the same.

E

It is just a so we can provide everybody with a product.

A

uh And you've seen the conditions that the planning department has recommended right. uh The possible conditions you've seen those.

A

It's about page three or four here in the back, the sidewalk, uh the d.o.t has got to do the uh encroachment permit impact study that kind of thing yes, sir. Yes, sir, we.

E

uh We usually we do encroachment permitting when we get into engineering the traffic impact studies underway um in regards to a project we'll comply with landscape tree preservation with zoning ordinance. Yes, we plan to make sure that that meets and exceeds the requirements sidewalk added to access for the clubhouse. That's something that I could put on the site plan before the city council meeting.

D

E

For what we're used to on moving forward so are.

A

You talking about get you putting on about putting a gate in where's the gate. Where would the gate go? It would go off the bypass.

D

So the gates would come in. Can you go back to the cyclone.

D

So the gates would come up past the clubhouse, where those two islands are so the first island would be your keypad yeah and then the second island would start your gates and then you would bring it around the storm water pond allow access from the grand oaks way. I would not gate the the natural park because we're going to use it for the both the subdivis for the house subdivision and make it a commun true community park. So it will be not gated. So you have some ac.

D

You have a you, have a code access for the residents and then we gate around the entire property and then bring it back to the clubhouse around where the pool is and then bring it. That's where you get. It probably would connect up between that garage and to the clubhouse into the pool building and then bring it from the clubhouse back to back to the original gate area. So the front seems open for parking.

D

You don't want to cause any type of traffic and you need stacking, the proper stacking for the uh and then it would be a six foot. uh So basically, a six foot, aluminum fence and then typically it's put with whatever buffer requirements are, as part of as part of the project.

B

Okay, I know you said you're not going to gate um the open space dog part on the dog park on the right side of grand oaks way. But are you going to have a um a gate for the sidewalk on the left side? So you know so that.

D

So that gate would be probably either be fobbed or it would be coated for the resident, so they can so they can get back into the community and free access and then try to match it, because grand oaks has their gated entrance should be right at the property line, and we can you know we can make a similar uh a similar look to them.

A

Questions any anyone else, any questions of these two gentlemen. Here I'm.

F

Mr chair, I do in terms of the uh the dumpster I think we talked in the work session you're preparing uh to use the existing compactor. Basically that that's there as the main dumpster area for the entire complex is that correct.

D

In the same it'll be a new facility in the same existing area.

F

How about the two existing there's two dumpsters there now so the.

D

Two eight yards will be pulled up and they'll be put temporarily in the parking lot to build the 30 yard and then you'll build a 30-yard self-compactor for the trash area and then we'll build a separate area for bulk trash that we would also put the brick screening around.

D

So you know if anybody leaves- and you know they forget their or leave their couch on the third floor or the mattresses or whatever you can put that in us in an area where it's hidden from view from public view, until the proper authority um until we properly send the right crew to pick it up.

F

So I would like to make that a condition or recommend a condition that the.

F

Thing compactor will be enclosed in a brick wall. I think the gentleman showed me a picture or so uh there'd be a wall. Brick wall around it.

D

That'll match the buildings.

F

Basically, screen screen the compactor.

A

What we would do, pete, if you want that, uh then we that would need to you need to make a number eight and make that part of your motion. Okay, see you follow me, we got the.

G

Are we making that potential condition for.

H

G

Dumpster or from the new facility going in, I don't, there's no need for them to make an existing screen for something they're going to increase in size.

F

Well, there's no screen there now at all. It's that it's a big metal container, that's sitting right out in the open, they're proposing to enclose it right. So I basically I'm just asking that that be a condition. So it's it's not just they're, proposing it they're actually going to do it. Yeah make.

D

It as a good condition of the first co yeah so make it make it make it some part of so make it some part like that, because we're going to have to uh we're going to have to rebuild the concrete for the parking you know for the type of the you know for the way the uh trash truck, picks up and redevelop. It.

G

Yeah that thing that's what I'm getting to is that there's no need for you to go in there and build a brick fencing around something that you're gonna potentially.

D

So if we could, if we could trigger it, like, I know, buncombe county, we just uh we just hit it on where it was triggered that it had to be in and completed prior to the first ceo of the project right.

A

Yeah, I noticed just you've got some of these buildings have garages the.

D

What is that? The buildings don't have garages themselves, the two buildings on either side have garages the thought behind the clubhouse and then all the way, the there's a six unit garage right beside grand oaks way and it's a single story, structure.

A

Is that just first come first served I mean it's, not it's not. You reserve one of those or what oh.

D

They're, rented they're, rented separately uh for you know, based on first, come first serve. uh What we have decided to do typically in the last, is with the upgrade you know, with the use of teslas and other electronic vehicles, we pre-wire them for the electric vehicle and it kind of gives us. The way of this is the spot for that person's electric vehicle to charge and that's becoming more and more critical on these sites that so all of them are pre-wired, but not every electric charger is the same too.

D

So we have to verify what what vehicle they are charging because teslas don't work with the other electric vehicles yeah. They got something.

A

D

So, basically, we rent them. Typically, we rent them somewhere between 125 175 dollars, okay for the month and basically somebody who moves as a I'd say: they're very rarely used for cars, but they're either used for cars or they're used for somebody who has a moving from a house to an apartment back to a house and at nine o'clock at night when their five-year-old needs something that's in the storage unit.

D

They use the garage they rented the garage that's across the street from their unit instead of having to go two miles down and pick it and pick through their existing storage unit. Okay,.

A

I

F

Any other questions.

A

F

The only other comment I would like to see that the applicant would look at the intersection of their access into the new complex with university parkway that there be, I think I think it's required, that there be an entrance island separating uh incoming traffic and outgoing traffic and that the outgoing traffic would have two lanes, a left turn lane and a right turn lane. So you don't have one person backing up everybody.

A

All right, let me ask tomorrow, would that be? Is that would that be required or do.

I

We need to put that into motion. The entrance island is part of the the landscaping now the the the two drives, that's something you can put in the condition you can put both if you wish yeah.

A

A

We can discuss those once we have a motion. Okay, um anything else, questions anyone, okay, thanks thanks!

A

Okay, do we have a motion on this.

B

Maybe someone wants to speak against it.

A

Yeah I mean I'm sorry, I I didn't see anybody wanting to speak, but does anybody want to speak against it again? Do you want to speak about it about okay? Come on up since there's not come on up here you we need to get you up to the mic and uh give us your name and.

J

Address my name is tom darr and I live at 224 grand oaks way: okay in aitkin, okay,.

A

So you live out there in the current.

J

Areas- and I just had a couple informational questions: okay, we were told by our hoa that they were going to be condos, but it sounds like they're going to be apartments which will they be asking.

A

Can you all address that.

D

So they were originally condos in 2008 and they were and now they're ran as apartments and now they're currently to rebuild. Is it to be fully apartments and create a separate apart, a true apartment.

J

Structure without.

D

With an on-site maintenance and.

J

D

Team, instead of somebody five miles away.

J

You're going to renovate the buildings that are down there right now now uh I have a question about majestic oakway. Will that be cut off? So no traffic can go we're.

D

Suggesting to get it with, uh we can't we need to get. We need to access for fire. Just like you all may need the access for fire so we're talking about putting a gate there with a with a knox box lock. But so basically, the fire truck or emergency vehicle can go through, but not the apartments from one way or the.

J

Other that would be our concern that it's not an entrance for apartment doors.

D

Now you do have now, you all do have a irrigation well on our site.

J

And you all still.

D

Have access to that as well.

A

H

D

Of the hoa- and it's still it's on this current site that y'all would still have access to so we'd have to give something to the aua as well to access that. Well,.

J

Okay, uh the purple buildings are the new buildings and how many uh are not.

J

There's 144 okay, so uh it majestic will have a a gated cut off there right.

D

J

By emergency, correct.

D

Somewhere somewhere within that 20 feet from where our property line starts, you know either way to get enough room.

J

Okay, that was a concern. We had a big concern because there are small streets and people cutting through. That's really all I had okay.

A

J

Okay, good! Thank you very much. Yes, sir.

A

Okay, anyone else want to speak pro or con or any other way. Okay. Okay, do I have a motion.

F

Yeah, since I have some conditions here might as well start, it uh sure I'd like to make a motion that we approve the concept plan as provided.

F

F

As submitted the application number 21 6004 for the rezoning and number 21-22004 of the concept plan um for the rezoning constant plan, approval tax, parcel.

F

104-08-03-010, comma, zero, eleven and o forty seven by uh applicant austin, allen and owner of southwood realty company um and with the conditions as proposed in staff's memo dated july 8 21. I would like to add a few and maybe make a slight uh condition on number three.

F

Instead of saying that a sidewalk is added that sidewalks be added there, I think uh at the work session, in my mind, just trace where there's a resident building and then make sure they can walk to the clubhouse via a sidewalk right hiding without having to walk in the street. So just saying that sidewalks be added I'd like to recommend that we add an addition, uh comment number eight and that an enclosure be constructed around the existing uh compact and compacted compaction unit uh in the existing area.

F

I I'd like to add a comment: uh condition that number nine: that a right turn and left turn lanes be added at the intersection of the new street with university parkway, along with any required access island, as per the ordinance.

F

And also we, as we talked before in the work session number 10, that the pedestrian path in the open space area be constructed with asphalt.

A

Okay, have you got that, have you you got it tomorrow? Yes,.

I

But that's one thing on the that the compact enclosure with masonry based on the first co.

F

Yes, thank you for adding that they be completed prior to the first co. Okay of the new units.

A

Okay and the right turn and left turn lanes into uh uh on to university parkway. In other words, the exits. The exit right.

A

Okay, we have a second second, we got a second discussion.

B

Yeah, real quick, um you know the people who live in the uh previous subdivision brought it up and they've also said themselves that they're open to it, putting basically closing off the entrance into a majestic way and having that just be an emergency fire exit. Since there's been some concern and honestly personally, I think it would be important to separate the two as well. Do we maybe want to take it from them? Thinking about it to a possible condition.

I

The only caution I would add there is because we have not gotten scdot encroachments yet onto university parkway.

I

I can assume they will not have a problem, but they could say they want them to only access through grand oaks. So at this particular juncture, it's a little bit of a question mark if they will even be granted that one.

I

So we can condition it based upon having that access from the university.

B

So condition it.

I

On these conditions, sadot.

A

I

A

Well, we have the scdo dot approval already in the conditions.

A

Do we need to do? We need to further uh delineate that I mean they're planning on doing it? Y'all are planning on doing that.

D

Yeah, I would just suggest that we make that on the lassio of being gated so that we can work between asphalt and paving of the existing area and until while they're doing construction on the front that the current residents can still use their existing.

D

You know, and then it goes back to the fire department. We have to give them to get the knox box locked and then the fire department actually has to build a lock which we pay for it, but that would I would just suggest that it be done. Last.

A

Yeah yeah prior to final walk through you want to do you want to put that you want.

B

To well he made the motion. Doesn't he.

A

Have to I mean well, if you want to mend the motion, you will understand.

F

That you're willing to add that.

A

Right to add, now you put straight on exactly what it is tomorrow.

I

That's correct, but I'm still going back to the fact that they still we. Yes, they have to get scdot encroachment permit. But if you condition that they have to gate it and then it turns out that they don't have the entrance onto university parkway.

B

Well, there's there's no harm in just putting in pending d.o.t.

I

That's what I was saying just.

F

Add that correct yeah we need to get fire safety approval on this or no they're good with it.

I

They they like to have those secondary dated access.

G

It didn't get approved on a university that would be the issue right.

A

And it's the okay, so he's amended the emotion he's agreeable, making out of many emotions, you're agreeable to amending the second ryan who seconded that. Did you say that? Okay and you agree with it, agreed with the amendment?

A

Okay, anything else, no discussion.

A

Okay, uh all those in favor aye opposed. Okay, it's passed.

A

A

Okay, that's c and d: all right.

G

In regards to this application, I'm going to recuse myself.

A

Okay, e and f e and f: you are recusing yourself. Okay, all right application. Number e is 21-6005 rezoning request and.

A

21-320-23001 concept plan approval enf. Anybody want to speak on behalf of this come on up.

H

Good evening, I'm jeff carter with carter, engineering, consultants, 3651 mars hill road in watkinsville, georgia, and I'm here representing zak speech tonight. They have looked for several years at trying to do something with their very small site there on whiskey road and fortunately have found this property and it's uh they're proposing to build a really a brand new look for zaxby's. So I think it'll be a really nice addition to the city.

H

I don't think there's any one of them that are actually built yet like this, so it's really a new new prototype for them and they're really excited about coming and I'll, be glad to try to answer any questions that you that you have we're good with conditions um yeah. Thank you for your time.

H

A

Have any questions.

A

uh So I assume you'll be closing the one. That's there now.

H

Yes, sir, that that is the plan. That's the plan! Yes, all right everything, but right now it's yeah! That's that's the that's the plan. Yes, okay,.

A

Okay, any questions uh or comments about the conditions or anybody who's got any questions of this. This man.

F

Mr chairman, in terms of um I guess, there's two things: one is the landscaping plan. I think our planner uh will require this anyway, but I thought I'd mention it that the dumpster that is facing uh whiskey road should be made out of block material and attractive material that you know won't be just would be acidically, pleasing people driving on whiskey road and maybe some evergreens screening around the back of it so again to block any view on whiskey road. I think that probably will be required anyway, but I thought I'd mention it.

H

It will match the building the dumpster enclosure in.

F

Terms of masonry and.

H

All that so yeah you'd be glad to do that.

F

uh The other issue was um in reduction of parking spaces and looks like you have an ex excessive number of parking spaces. uh We do have a stormwater problem downstream of this, and any reduction of impervious pervious surface would be a benefit to that. uh Can you speak upon it.

H

uh Yes, sir, we well first of all just to make sure everybody's clear, where I think we are that, like this is a uh ruby, tuesday, old, ruby, tuesday site and they have, they do have a lot of parking and we didn't really want to come in and just nuke the whole site and start over.

H

We wanted to utilize as much of the asphalt as we could, but we are significantly reducing asphalt, so I do think it will improve the situation and you know we tried to create some green space islands and the existing parking parking lot. So we feel good about the reduction, but you know I certainly understand the concern.

A

So y'all will be, you will be reducing the amount of uh parking area. Yes, sir, you know you don't need that much.

H

Parking, no, we don't we don't, uh and so we are, you know we. We have created some landscape islands there and some larger ones and what's existing.

A

Okay, anything else, any other comments or questions.

A

Okay, we have a motion.

B

Mr chairman, in regards to application number.

B

21-6005 rezoning and application number 21-23001 the concept plan for tax, partial.

B

122-17-07-002, a move that we approve and recommend to city council with the possible conditions. As listed.

A

Okay, second, discussion: okay, all in favor bring your hand pose like sign; okay, good, we're good. All right have a motion for adjourn. Second, okay: okay, we're good.