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Planning Commission Meeting <br />Minutes – Wednesday, February 03, 2010 <br /> <br />Page 6 <br />the application as the applicant had requested additional time to continue <br />251 <br />gathering information in support of his application. Mr. Lloyd further noted that <br />252 <br />one member of the public from the neighborhood was in attendance at that <br />253 <br />meeting and was allowed to comment for the record as he would be unable to <br />254 <br />attend the continued public hearing when the request would be discussed in <br />255 <br />more detail. <br />256 <br />Mr. Lloyd noted that, in 1997approval for a Conditional Use Permit for parking to <br />257 <br />accommodate a veterinary clinic was allowed; and that the parking was allowed <br />258 <br />to remain until such a time as the City determined that the parking spots were <br />259 <br />hazardous to traffic, at which time the original conditions could be enforced for <br />260 <br />removal of that parking. Mr. Lloyd advised that, due to staff turnover, the <br />261 <br />condition had not been enforced until current staff’s research had found this <br />262 <br />previous Conditional Use Permit and conditions when reviewing the parcel for an <br />263 <br />Interim Use application in March 2008 for a deli use at the site. Mr. Lloyd advised <br />264 <br />that, as part of that Interim Use approval in 2008, as a separate action, the City <br />265 <br />Council required that those parking areas be removed, as it had been determined <br />266 <br />by staff and the City Council that it would be hazardous to continue their use, <br />267 <br />even if not often. Mr. Lloyd advised that, since 2008, staff had been in discussion <br />268 <br />with the property owner to remove that parking, to no avail; and Mr. Hussain’s <br />269 <br />request for an amendment to the existing Conditional Use to allow the parking <br />270 <br />areas to remain being a legitimate option at Mr. Hussain’s disposal. <br />271 <br />Mr. Lloyd advised that, in the Planning Commission’s review of conditional use <br />272 <br />criteria, two were of importance: that of traffic and circulation around the property; <br />273 <br />and advised that there was no way to use the parking areas except for <br />274 <br />ingress/egress based on their proximity to Lexington Avenue and impacts to <br />275 <br />Autumn Street. Mr. Lloyd advised that it continued to be staff’s recommendation <br />276 <br />that those parking spaces are too dangerous to remain in use and recommended <br />277 <br />DENIAL of the proposed Conditional Use amendment pursuant to City Code, <br />278 <br />Section 1013.01, based on the comments and findings of Sections 4 – 5, and the <br />279 <br />recommendations of Section 6 of the staff report dated February 3, 2010. <br />280 <br />Discussion among Commissioners and staff included County Road requirements <br />281 <br />for a vehicle to turn around on site before accessing a County Road, and a <br />282 <br />similar case on Autumn Street based on potential safety considerations, as <br />283 <br />repeatedly expressed by residents along Autumn Street during past hearings. <br />284 <br />Commissioner Gottfried expressed consternation that the property owner had not <br />285 <br />complied with previous City Council findings requiring removal of the parking <br />286 <br />areas; and why staff had been unsuccessful to-date in enforcing this Council <br />287 <br />provision. Commissioner Gottfried noted the waste of taxpayer dollars in staff <br />288 <br />time in attempting to remedy this situation, when the property owner had been <br />289 <br />asked repeatedly to bring the property up to City Code. Commissioner Gottfried <br />290 <br />spoke adamantly in support of DENIAL of the applicant’s request. <br />291 <br />Further discussion included whether the property owner had violated the <br />292 <br />conditions of the original Conditional Use Permit, with the CUP remaining with <br />293 <br />the property; and if this were a newly-developed property, the condition would not <br />294 <br />be allowed under today’s City Code and ordinances. <br />295 <br />Mr. Paschke advised that the property owner had not been amenable to <br />296 <br />removing the parking areas due to costs of removing the blacktop and installing <br />297 <br />concrete curb; and that staff continued to work with the City’s legal counsel to <br />298 <br />remedy the situation that had been ongoing sine 2008; however, those <br />299 <br />processes took time. <br />300 <br />Mr. Lloyd concurred, and noted that the applicant was not concerned with the <br />301 <br />use of the parking areas, but was more concerned with the expense related to <br />302 <br /> <br />