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Regular Planning Commission Meeting <br />Minutes – Wednesday, March 5, 2014 <br />Page 4 <br />Mr. Callaghan stated that both he and his neighbor had similar noise issues; and when <br />149 <br />he heard that they were planning a major remodel of the campus, he presumed that they <br />150 <br />would need to do so under current City Code. If that was the case, Mr. Callaghan <br />151 <br />questioned why the sound system was not required under a Conditional Use at this time, <br />152 <br />and why it remained grandfathered in if the entire thing was being moved. <br />153 <br />Mr. Callaghan noted the senior housing units across Lydia Avenue from the college, and <br />154 <br />with removal of trees, it left no sound barrier between those memory care and nursing <br />155 <br />home units and the college. Given the steep slope and topography of the area, Mr. <br />156 <br />Callaghan opined that the trees were not nearly as tall as the proposed lights, and would <br />157 <br />instead be way above his land and other adjacent properties. Mr. Callaghan advised that <br />158 <br />the light levels shown have no meaning to him, and needed to be provided to him in foot <br />159 <br />candles that he could understand. <br />160 <br />At the request of Chair Gisselquist, Mr. Callaghan responded that he had not had <br />161 <br />problems with lighting on the fields in the past, as the fields were not currently provided <br />162 <br />with lights in the current PUD. Mr. Callaghan opined that the new football stadium shown <br />163 <br />in the PUD was not there before and represented a new and significant change. Mr. <br />164 <br />Callaghan further noted that the addition of six new tennis courts on this site, which had <br />165 <br />never been there before, was also a major change and opined that it was not consistent <br />166 <br />with the PUD and didn’t look anything like the arrangement they’re proposing for the site. <br />167 <br />Mr. Callaghan expressed confusion with the conditions proposed by staff. Since he and <br />168 <br />other neighbors had experienced noise issues at least twenty times per year over the last <br />169 <br />twenty-five years, and no one from the college had even called him attempting to seek <br />170 <br />resolution, Mr. Callaghan opined that of all the neighbors coming and going during that <br />171 <br />time period, Northwestern was the worst neighbor. <br />172 <br />Mr. Callaghan further questioned if the City had done anything to-date to enforce its <br />173 <br />current ordinances, or instead suggested that a false statement had been presented by <br />174 <br />the City if staff was interpreting the code by not bringing up this proposal as a major <br />175 <br />development. <br />176 <br />Chair Gisselquist clarified that the noise issue was not the focus of tonight’s discussion. <br />177 <br />Chair Gisselquist advised that staff could be asked to look into that issue if so desired by <br />178 <br />Mr. Callaghan and audience members as indicated; however, the lights were the focus of <br />179 <br />this discussion, and other issues should be handled by staff, not the Planning <br />180 <br />Commission. <br />181 <br />Mr. Callaghan responded that staff had not done so before. Mr. Callaghan asked <br />182 <br />specifically if the lights would be off no matter what by 10:00 p.m. each night. Mr. <br />183 <br />Callaghan advised that he suffered a stroke four years ago, and needed a sufficient <br />184 <br />amount of sleep or he could not effectively work or function; and opined that his health <br />185 <br />would be seriously affected if the lights were not off by 10:00 p.m. Mr. Callaghan noted <br />186 <br />that part of staff’s analysis included health impacts; and alleged that his health would <br />187 <br />certainly be affected if the lights were not off by 10:00 p.m.; and suggested that be <br />188 <br />included as an additional condition. <br />189 <br />At the request of Chair Gisselquist for clarification, Mr. Paschke advised that there were <br />190 <br />no City Code requirements for lighting in this situation. <br />191 <br />Mr. Callaghan noted that there had been significant discussions and conditions applied to <br />192 <br />the Walmart development. <br />193 <br />Mr. Paschke noted that the requirements of the Walmart development required <br />194 <br />submission of the photogenic lighting proposal as displayed and indicating 10ths of a foot <br />195 <br />candle. Mr. Paschke advised that there were minimum standards for parking lots, but not <br />196 <br />standards for field lighting; and were based on common sense and review by staff <br />197 <br />according to each specific proposal and use. While Mr. Paschke noted that Mr. Callaghan <br />198 <br />may be able to see the lights from his property, the installation as proposed in the plan <br />199 <br />would have no foot candle on his property and no light would spill off from the fields. <br />200 <br /> <br />