City of Watertown, SD 2021 Board of Adjustment & Plan Commission Meetings, 8 Jul 2021

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From YouTube: Plan Commission 7/8/21

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Plan Commission 7/8/21

A

All right sounds good I'll, go ahead and call the order. Then thursday july 8 2021 watertown city plan commission meeting. Can I get a roll call.

B

A

B

A

B

Here, targus johnson, here, spire here and cohen, brink, ford and k's are absent. We have a quorum.

A

All right, thank you. Brandi uh item three on the agenda is the invitation for public comments. Participants submittal. I don't see anybody online, but if anybody's in the room there to sign up um we'll have time at the end of the agenda, is anybody in the room.

B

A

Moving on to item four, the approval of the agenda, can I get a motion for.

C

Approval I'll make the emo that motion.

A

We have a motion. Do I have a second I'll? Second, any discussion on the agenda before we take a vote.

A

Okay, we'll vote on that motion.

B

A

B

Yes, oletsky, yes, targets johnson, yes,.

C

A

Yes, okay, agenda's approved moving on to item five on the agenda. Is the approval from the minutes of the june 24 2021 meeting.

C

I'll make that motion to approve the minutes.

C

A

Promotion in a second any discussion on those minutes before we approve okay, we'll take a roll call vote.

B

A

B

Hansen. Yes, yes, targets johnson, yes, spire.

A

Yes, okay, those minutes are approved. Moving on to item 6a on the regular agenda is a consideration for resolution. 2021-31 brandy.

B

Yes, thank you blake. So this is a zoning text, amendment to chapter 2405, general requirements and design standards of the revised ordinances of the city of watertown, and so title 24 is our subdivision of land ordinance and if you guys recall late last year, we brought an amendment forward to chapter 2406, which is the subdivision procedure.

B

And now this is a a minor amendment to 2405, because we noticed we had a conflicting language in regards to what is being shown and required on platts. And so, when we amended chapter 2406, we added language and I'll show you I'm going to walk you through where it like how it is in the ordinance today.

B

So the plot requirements within 2406.

A

I'm not sorry randy, I'm not sure if it's just me, but the share is really blurry, um so I don't know if we're capturing it that way. On the uh on the.

C

B

A

Yeah it's kind of coming through now, and it might be just a I'll.

B

A

Yep that'll work. Thank you. Okay,.

B

Yep, sorry about that, thanks for letting me know so: 2406 1 6 for plot requirements. We did add language that was not in there before, because we felt this was the appropriate place for when somebody is me trying to meet the plot requirements that this be in this section instead of 2405..

B

So we put here that for properties within the special flood hazard area reference, the effective flood insurance rate map, the firm date, the community and panel number so, and that I did discuss with fema and our crs specialists to make sure that we're in compliance with everything, because the inconsistency came in.

B

2405 and so then it was under areas subject to periodic inundation which, when you're looking at plot requirements, it's um not necessarily where you would look so then we have, and here under two development review in flood zones. It says right here if a subdivision proposal or other proposed new development is within a flood prone area. The floodway and flood plain shall be shown on the platte and elevations must be shown.

B

So that's where basically they're saying that it doesn't say boundary necessarily, but it just it's inconsistent and it's saying that you need something on the plat. So we just want to strike that language and then rely on what we have already added to chapter 2406 for what is being shown on the flap and then also just striking that such development would be allowed by the zoning ordinance, because that's also a kind of a random bit of information in this section.

B

So that's title 21 stuff more so, but we already have that in the in 2406 for the subdivision process. So all of the the concept plan, the prelim plan- all of that the zoning would also conform to our comprehensive land use plan. So it's covered and I just thought it was unnecessary in this section.

B

So with that I'll open it up for questions.

A

You mentioned in the background information randy that these uh reference points can also change over time. um The situations that would cause that to change is what a a survey review uh elevation review.

B

Yes, so any loam, like aloma letter of map, amendment a loma, well, not a loma, a lomar f, so if somebody's bringing in phil and then they are bringing that property out of the floodplain and obviously a just a lomar in general as well, even if it's not phil, but then we also have map updates and that's another thing that, like we're going through a map update right now with fema, and so what firm that they're referencing on the face of the plats today, when some of that area, some of the land is within the special flood hazard area.

B

That may also not always be. It won't, always be effective. But what concerns me with showing the boundary is that a potential buyer, because the reason for showing this is for potential buyers so that they are aware that there could be some of this land could be within a special flood hazard area.

B

Just to try to have any information on there to to get that information or to get that out there for the public. That might not be aware, and then um but the thing that concerns me was showing the actual boundary is that for one, the surveyors are showing a a boundary that they did not survey and showing that, on the face of the plot with the willow creek watershed, we have multiple. We have the willow creek study and then we also have fema's a zone designation.

B

So there's discrepancy between which flood plain boundary do they show, and so what we did like the lakes of willow creek that was just approved. We had them reference both documents, so um so that it was out there and then somebody would know to call and and then say that the maps were also updated by the time. Somebody does call we.

B

We would be able to tell them that so it's just more of a um a guidance to reach out and find more information out, instead of just assuming that this is the boundary that you're seeing on the plat, because it might have changed, and especially with if we're using the lakes of willow creek, for example, they are planning on bringing bringing in phil. So then they will take a lot of those properties out of the floodplain.

C

So then, on these new flood maps, the ones that have the loma, where they brought their property up like at lake compesca- and you know all over town- you know so that will be designated not in flood zone. A then on the maps.

B

They never they so when an actual loma or lomar any loam c any map change they'd. Never they don't update the maps because they do happen.

C

No, what I'm saying on the new maps that they're doing now that anybody between 2009 and whenever the new map is done and they get the lomas and they send it in, and so everything is fine there on these new maps, then they won't be in the zone. A yes they'll, be in the zone c, okay,.

B

Yep zone eight, the ae, zom yep.

C

So we should have the actual elevation um floodplain elevation established with the new maps.

B

Yeah for any a zones, then we- and we already have that for a lot of many parts of town we already are within the ae zone with so they we do have the elevations, but any areas that were a or ao. Then we are getting ae, which is the elevation then so that will be helpful. So.

C

They'll be in zone c or whatever they won't.

B

Be in this zone.

C

B

And they might be, they might not be an x at all. It just depends on where, where their elevations are and when fema reviewed, but.

C

It won't be in the zone eight where they have to get the flood insurance right. Okay,.

B

Yep- and that is the the ae zone 100 year- flood plain well, I would say sometime in 2022, but we need to receive the preliminary maps from fema still, which was supposed to be early 2021, so it I'm just going to say anywhere in 2022, but we need to get once we get those maps. We need to get it out to the public and have review. You know, set up meetings, public open houses to get that information out there and how they would affect people. The community.

A

Does that get loaded to the the gis as well.

B

uh Yes- and we do have the discovery map currently on first district's website for the gis- that's open to the public to use, and then we also have it on our website. So there's uh good information on there. uh If people are interested, I would encourage them to to check that out and see.

A

If that's a great resource out there.

B

A

Don't think enough people know about that either. So I'll.

B

A

Do we link to that from our engineering page to the the cutting to gis.

C

B

Yeah um and maddie has been updating the website, so hopefully we can easily find.

C

It it has the zoning and everything that is just a great resource.

B

Yeah on the first district website- yes, so now, let me find it.

B

Oh okay, actually.

B

So then, if you go to engineering actually we have it under their departments, public works and then engineering. And then, if you go floodplain information and then we have our current firms and then the um the additional.

B

Information: okay: we used, we used to have the discovery map on here.

A

Is it under the maps section.

C

A

Navigation over to the left.

A

C

Okay, yeah well, we'll certainly lift it into that and see if we can get that put up again. It's preliminary, it's not finalized per se, but we do have a a bit of confidence. Fema has let us know it is fine to release the data to the public, so so.

B

It is on the website and you just have to search discovery and then, but we will link it back to this page.

C

B

But yeah what I did is just typed in oops. I don't think I spelled it and then it's the second link here so that'll get and then, but we will get that link.

C

So fema requires to be built out of flood zone right or is that a city ordinance.

B

That is a fema requirement and city ordinance. We adopted it and then we have a higher standard as the city that you have the one foot free board. So fema says that you have to be above the base flood elevation. We say that you have to be another, an additional foot.

C

And do we or do they anybody uh dictate on basement, then.

B

Yes and so there's there's a lot of the your lowest finished floor has to be a foot above the base. Flood elevation, so if you most likely will not be able to have a basement if you're in a flood plain what.

C

About a crawl space, doesn't the crawl space have to be above the flood, the lowest point of the crawl. The well and there's.

B

C

Many, uh it gets pretty complex, um there's a lot of different drawings. They go up to blue dog lake and they have a sorry. They have a couple of homes where they have the gates.

B

Yeah and that's what we have here too, that if you are or if you are going to be building and you can't your crawl space, there's it's just it's very um it's the word, I'm looking for complex. So if you're a residential property, you can have a portion of your crawl space, be within the floodplain area.

B

As long as your lowest finish floor is still a foot above, but then and then you can put those vents in and you well you have to, and then a commercial or a non-residential property can wet flood proof and then so they could just build their lowest finished floor could be below the base flood elevation, but then they would have to wet flood proof to the foot above still and then have the vents so that the hydrostatic pressure could could alleviate in an event or they could drive flood proof.

B

So there's many options and we definitely anybody that is you know. Looking at building or remodeling anything in the flood plain, we will work with you and see what situation you're you're looking at and then you would submit the elevation certificate and that really shows us elevations before we would permit so.

C

Yeah and we do look at these on a case-by-case basis, just um as I'm sure you, um commissioner, letski and dargis johnson and others if you're familiar with this, it does get pretty complex, but we do look at it on a case-by-case basis. So, but thank you.

A

Certainly a lot of complexity to uh to flood zone areas, but uh I guess re-centering us to what's before us today in this proposed change on chapter 2405.

A

um What we're doing is simply striking statements that are either contradictory to other recently passed uh changes in 2406 or redundant with other other statements in title 21.

A

We're not adding any additional language, we're just striking the conflicting information.

C

A

A

Any any additional questions or discussion from the board.

A

Do you have anybody to make a motion on this resolution.

C

Yeah make a motion to prove this uh resolution as submitted.

A

C

A

Second, second, by dargis johnson, any additional discussion before we take a vote.

A

All right we'll do a roll call vote.

B

All right, spire.

C

B

Targets? Johnson, yes, yes, hanson, yes, dolly.

A

Yes, okay, that resolution passes moving on to uh seven, which is open public comments. I don't think there was anybody there to speak. Nobody on teams any new business.

B

None that I have.

A

Any from the board, no any old business.

B

None that I have again and none from they're shaking their heads, no.

A

All right any reason for executive session.

B

A

All right, then, I will take a motion for adjournment I'll make a motion to adjourn I'll. Second, all in favor aye any opposed all right. We're adjourned appreciate the time.