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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-15-2018 regular meeting City Council of Peachtree City Meeting Minutes February 15, 2018 6:30 p.m. The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, February 15, 2018. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King, Kevin Madden, and Phil Prebor. Announcements, Awards, Special Recognitions The Mayor asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of those who died and were injured in the February 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Fleisch called Marianne Dias and Peggy Dillie to the front and honored them with gifts in recognition of the work they have done in organizing a firefighter appreciation day for the past four years and expanding it to include the police this year. The Mayor presented Debbie Britt and Mary McFarland of Piedmont Fayette Hospital with a proclamation in recognition of Women's Heart Day. She also presented Ward Standridge with a proclamation designating March as DeMolay Month in Peachtree City. Public Comment Edward "Edge" Gibbons introduced himself as a candidate for the District 3 County Commission seat this year. He said he was a retired Army colonel and asked for the community's support. Al Yougel, director of Keep Peachtree City Beautiful, told council this month marked the 10th anniversary of the group's organization and that it was still going strong in its mission of controlling litter and promoting recycling. Agenda Changes Ernst moved that Consent Agenda item 4, Consider FY 2017 Budget Amendments, be moved out of the Consent Agenda for discussion. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Minutes February 1, 2018, Regular Meeting Minutes King moved to approve the February 1, 2018, regular meeting minutes as written. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Agenda 1. Consider Alcohol License- NEW - PTC Concessions, LLC; The Fred 2. Consider Stormwater Maintenance Agreements- Paschall Business Center, Delta Credit Union, Prospirian, LLC, and Integrity Fusion Products, Inc. 3. Consider Purchase of Amphitheater Lighting Equipment-Global Production Services King moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1, 2, and 3. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. CA 4 - Consider FY 2017 Budget Amendments City Manager Jon Rorie explained that part of the budget amendment item was to allocate funds to rebuild the Shakerag Knoll Picnic Shelter that was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irma in the fall. Rorie said quotes for replacement of the shelter began at $160,000, but had finally been settled to around $90,000. The Council memo included a request to allocate $85,000 for the project, but he wanted Council to consider another idea. Rorie said the shelter at Shakerag Knoll was minimally used.The other building at Shakerag Knoll, the gazebo, had previously been used as office space for Southern Conservation Trust, but the Trust had relocated, leaving the gazebo available for special event use. It was currently being remodeled, Rorie added. City Council Meeting February 15,2018 Page 2 Rorie also noted that changes were planned for other recreation facilities, such as the relocation of the skate park. On February 20 bids would be opened for the Drake Field Pavilion. The bids would be for construction of the building, but not landscaping and other necessary items. He said the City was also currently in the design build phase of the bridge between the Drake Field/All Children's Playground. In light of these projects, Rorie proposed that Council approve the $85,000 budget amendment, but instead of using the funds to rebuild the shelter at Shakerag, use the money to move forward with completing the special events venue at Drake Field. He said special events occurred 11 times a year at Shakerag, and on those occasions, a tent could be rented for about$300 and charged to the event organizer. Rorie said he felt investing the $85,000 into the Drake Field project would make more financial sense for the City than rebuilding a seldom-used picnic shelter. He recommended that Council approve the budget amendment, but designate the $85,000 to go to Drake Field instead of towards rebuilding the Shakerag Picnic Shelter. Prebor asked if this meant there would be no picnic area at Shakerag, and Rorie assured him there would be picnic tables placed there under the trees. Madden asked what renovations were planned for the Shakerag Gazebo. Rorie replied that staff was working on plans as time permitted. Painting had begun, and there would be new carpeting and electrical work. Quotes for a roof were being solicited, he noted. King moved to approve Consent Agenda Item 4, FY 2018 Budget Amendments, with the stipulation that the $85,000 be moved to the Drake Field projects. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Old Agenda Items 02-18-02 Public Hearing-Annual Re-adoption of Peachtree City Zoning Map Planning & Development Director Mike Warrix said each year Council must re-adopt a revised zoning map that reflected rezonings, annexations, and text amendments that took place during the previous year. He said maps had been made available for public inspection. The Mayor opened the public hearing, and there were no comments. The Mayor then closed the public hearing. Ernst moved to approve Old Agenda Item 02-18-02, Annual Re-adoption of Peachtree City Zoning Map. Prebor seconded. Motion carried unanimously. 02-18-04 Public Hearing- Rezoning Request, AR to LUR, 279 Senoia Road Warrix explained that this was a request to rezone 6.5 acres from Agricultural Reserve (AR) to Limited Use Residential (LUR-17) for a 16-lot subdivision, noting that Jerry Peterson was representing Chadwick Homes, the applicant. The property owner was the estate of Jacquelyn Jones.The City land use map designated the property for low-density single-family residential use, Warrix noted. He showed slides indicating the property's location. The Town of Tyrone bordered the property to the north and west; Saranac subdivision was to the south, and Ardenlee subdivision was to the east. Warrix clarified that the future land use plan called for lots of an acre or larger in size for this property. Zonings compatible with that would be estate-residential (ER) or R-43, which was one- family residential. He displayed the future land use map to show the property in relation to other properties and the zonings of those properties. Warrix noted that this rezoning request came before the Planning Commission in December, and the Planning Commission recommended denial. Peterson reiterated what Warrix had said and noted the property had about 580 feet of frontage on Senoia Road. He said there was a 20-foot greenbelt to the south, then the Saranac subdivision, City Council Meeting February 15, 2018 Page 3 which had 60-foot wide lots, just as the proposed subdivision would have. Saranac was also built by Chadwick Homes, the company that would be building in the proposed development. To the east was a 25-foot greenbelt, then the Ardenlee subdivision, which had lots that were 75-and 80- feet wide. In Tyrone, to the north,was a commercial park,with Senoia Road to the west, then the railroad tracks and a large commercially-zoned tract in the Tyrone town limits. Peterson reported that in the past,this property had one house, now vacant, and a couple of out- buildings. A 1.5-acre pond was the main feature of the property, Peterson pointed out. He said the property was lower than Saranac, and all stormwater drained to the north. The southern part of the site was level, he noted. Peterson said the plan called for 16 60-foot wide lots, along with a single street about 600 feet long with a park at the end. Half the lots would be on the pond,with half on the other side. A minimum 50-foot buffer along Senoia Road was planned. A 20-foot City-owned greenbelt lay to the south that would be added to the existing 20-foot buffer to make a 40-foot separation from Saranac. The park would be on the eastern edge of the property and would wrap around to the north and the west, which was steep with thick undergrowth and would probably be left untouched as a buffer from the commercial area to the north. Peterson commented that would make an attractive entry to the City.The dam had been maintained with a soft trail that went about a third of the way around the pond. An arbor or gazebo could be built. He said an asphalt trail on the Saranac side would tie into the City path system, running 300 feet through a City-owned greenbelt. Peterson noted that the homes would be a farmhouse-type design, 2,200 to 3,000 square feet, one-and two-story.The prices would be in the$400,000s, he estimated. An entry sign was planned, as was a shelter for the cluster mailboxes. Peterson commented on the objections raised by the Planning Commission regarding the request's non-conformance with the City land use plan, pointing Council to an addendum he had made to the original request. Peterson noted that the land use plan currently showed one-acre lots, but a previous plan had showed cluster housing. He said one-acre lots were no longer compatible with this area, with cluster housing on two sides, a commercial area on another and a railroad track nearby. If only two or three houses were built on this property, the price would be more than $1.5 or$2 million and no one would pay that for the location. He said the land use plan needed to be updated to a more appropriate zoning. The addendum, Peterson said, also addressed the topic of step-down zoning, which was designated in the original land use plan for the edge of the City. He showed a drawing from the 1985 plan that showed lower-density zoning to the east and northeast, but not to the west,with its adjacent high-traffic, high-density, and industrial/commercial areas. Also, he included a map showing the high-activity corridors and how it applied to the east, but not the west. Density was another concern, Peterson said, pointing out that this property would average 2.4 units per gross acre, about the same as Saranac, with 2.7, and Ardenlee, which had 2.0 units per acre. He said this showed proposals for cluster housing were not out of line with the area. Peterson summarized his request by saying AR zoning was no longer suitable here, and some of the permitted uses under AR would not be appreciated by the neighbors. The proposed project would be a good transition to the commercial area in Tyrone. The builder already had several inquiries from potential buyers, Peterson noted. Engineering and concept plans were still needed, and would be done after the zoning was approved, to address water detention and cart paths. City Council Meeting February 15,2018 Page 4 Attorney Brad Sears of Sanders, Haugen and Sears in Newnan also spoke for the applicants. He reflected on how he saw Peachtree City develop from farmland in his youth, noting that change was inevitable.He reinforced the idea that the 1985 land use map designated the area in question as single-family medium. Sears said the 2006 map showed it designated for single-family cluster homes and kept it that way on a revised map. A 2010 map designated this property as single- family low density, Sears commented, noting that single-family cluster was shown as light yellow in color on this map, while single-family medium, the designation for the property containing Ardenlee and Saranac on this map,was a brownish color. The colors changed back on the 2017 map to show Ardenlee and Saranac as single-family cluster, Sears remarked. The zoning map showed this land in question as AR, Sears said, but Saranac was zoned LUR, and Ardenlee was multi-family (GR-4). Sears pointed out that the Tyrone zoning map showed commercial development to the north and to the west across Senoia Road. The idea of step- down zoning, Sears explained, was for adjoining areas in the unincorporated county that did not have sewer and that required one-acre lots. The property in question here did not adjoin any property zoned for one-acre lots. Sears said the Planning Commission based its recommendation to deny on the land use map that showed the property designated for one-acre lots,which he said reflected the use of the property at that time, with the one house on it, but did not reflect the land use of adjacent properties. He said this was the first time Council had ever been asked to rezone this property and that it did meet the City's vision with cluster home development consistent with adjoining development. Sears said the applicant would agree with the conditions put forward by staff. He asked Council to approve the rezoning as requested. Fleisch opened the public hearing. Mike Nevarre of Saranac said he could support the development, but was concerned about possible drainage issues and the density of the proposed development. He noted that the last four homes in Saranac sat below the property being discussed, and poor drainage could be a problem. Marian Spencer, another Saranac resident, said she was in favor of homebuilding in the area, but also felt drainage could be a problem. She said she and other neighbors had had numerous drainage issues and she was concerned additional homebuilding in the area would make their problems worse. Density was also a concern, Spencer noted, pointing out that two acres of the site were taken up by the pond and the park, leaving only four acres for 16 homes. She said she lived in a Chadwick home and loved it, but these were her concerns. Cindy Kilpatrick, also a Saranac resident, expressed worries about potential drainage problems, saying water sat in an area behind her home right now, so adding 16 homes might make the water issues worse. The proposed golf cart trail would be behind her house in an area where she had planted 17 Leyland cypress trees that were now 20 feet high.She said there was not room for a path in this area. Sheri Sussman of Ardenlee said her house was right behind the planned park. She noted that her property sat lower than the property in question, and when it rained, water flowed from that property into her yard and the lot beside her home. Sussman said an additional 16 houses and a road, with no retention pond, would cause major problems. The 40-foot greenbelt should be between the road and Saranac to absorb any water runoff. Brian Tyree of Saranac said his home was on the east side of Saranac. His wife had been president of the Saranac Homeowners Association, so he was very familiar with ongoing drainage issues in the neighborhood. Tyree said water followed a trail through several yards. Some houses had City Council Meeting February 15, 2018 Page 5 required retaining walls, and he and his neighbors had spent about $16,000 to combat erosion. Other neighbors had needed to add fill dirt to correct drainage problems, and he felt there was not room to add 20 feet to the existing trail that followed the path water took through the neighborhood. Christina Tyree said she loved her Chadwick home, and she supported the rights of property owners. She asked if these plans could be put on pause to ensure that drainage issues in Saranac and Ardenlee were not created or worsened by developing this property. She said she would like to see these questions answered before proceeding. Peterson said drainage problems would be worked out in the engineering phase, which could possibly rectify some of the existing problems. Brian Tyree said he was an engineer and wanted to point out that there were nine houses affected that had suffered since the subdivision was built. There were no further comments, and the mayor closed the public hearing. Fleisch summarized that, as she understood it, there was no overwhelming objection to this rezoning from neighbors. She said the engineering phase would come after rezoning, and asked City Attorney Ted Meeker if there was an onus on the developer to consider drainage on adjacent properties. Meeker said the developer could not make existing drainage worse but had no duty to improve existing issues. Fleisch said it was concerning that the zoning had to be approved before engineering studies were conducted. Meeker said the developers could not increase runoff onto adjacent properties, but it was difficult to determine the drainage plan prior to conducting engineering studies. Madden said he had walked the property in question and met with several Saranac residents to examine their yards. He confirmed that drainage problems in Saranac were severe, noting that Council had emails from Ardenlee residents about water flowing through their backyards from the property in question. He questioned Peterson's statement that water from the property drained into the pond. He said the area in question was much higher than Saranac. Madden noted that he observed drainage systems in Saranac and Ardenlee and found them to be poorly planned. He agreed the trees behind the Kilpatrick's house did not allow space for a multi-purpose path. Madden concluded by saying the proposed rezoning would not be in the best interests of Ardenlee or Saranac residents and would go against the City's comprehensive land use plan. King said he, too, had walked the property, and the elevations relative to the neighbors varied. King said the drainage direction of the property sloped to the north, he felt, going into the pond, which had a spillway. The dam needed improvement. Eastward was a ravine that went through Ardenlee, eventually going to Lake Kedron. There were issues on the southern side, but the property got higher a little further in. Engineering could mitigate some of these issues and move water to the ravine, King noted, pointing out that a lot of the water coming from the southern and eastern sides was from the impervious surface. His hope was to fix the drainage issues and let this property be utilized. The number of homes might need to be reduced, but he was willing to work with developers. Prebor pointed out that drainage seemed to be the main issue. Fleisch noted that the people in Saranac would be okay with the development if their drainage was fine, but reiterated that that the developers had no obligation to correct existing draining issues in Saranac and Ardenlee. King said a pond must be permitted from the Corps of Engineers to be used as a retention pond, and if that permit was obtained, it might clear the way for the rezoning. However, as Fleisch again stated, the property owner could not be forced to obtain this permit prior to rezoning. Ernst said he could not approve a zoning change until the drainage issues were addressed. City Council Meeting February 15,2018 Page 6 Prebor asked who would own the dam and the pond. Meeker said it would be dedicated to the City upon completion. Peterson indicated that Chadwick intended to keep them as association property, but Meeker said City ordinance required it be dedicated to the City if it was used for the stormwater. He said a variance could be granted, but it was more practical for the City to own them in the event repairs were needed. Peterson said this pond might not be used for detention. Chad Floyd of Chadwick Homes said when the property was developed and graded, the drainage problems in Ardenlee should be alleviated because there would be a swale and detention area to divert water flow. He said there was room for the greenbelt area. Floyd noted they could grade the land to divert water away from Saranac as well. He said he did not see anywhere on this site that would cause water to flow into Saranac or Ardenlee and could possibly divert some water to remedy their problems. He offered to begin engineering work and bring findings about drainage back to Council if they wanted to delay making a zoning decision. Floyd said he did not want to spend a lot of money on this, but would provide some information. Meeker asked staff to work with Floyd. Madden asked Stormwater Manager Mike Madison if a separate retention pond was needed. Madison said he did not believe the Corps of Engineers would approve the existing pond for stormwater retention. City Engineer Dave Borkowski commented that a preliminary grading plan should not be too expensive for Floyd to obtain,adding that the topography information required to produce a concept plan should be sufficient. Meeker said the agenda item could be continued to a set date and still meet the legal advertising requirements because the hearing had been held. Floyd agreed that he could have an answer by the March 15 Council meeting. Ernst suggested Floyd meet with Ardenlee and Saranac residents to share his findings. Meeker also noted that if a detention pond were to be required, it would have to be dedicated to the City. The existing pond could remain the property of the homeowners association. Prebor moved to continue Old Agenda Item 02-18-04, Rezoning Request, AR to LUR, 279 Senoia Road, to the March 15, 2018, Council meeting. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. New Agenda Items 02-18-11 Consider Bid for Golf View Stormwater Project- Ronnie D. Jones Enterprises Madison explained that the Golf View Drive Drainage Improvement Project consisted of replacing and enhancing existing drainage systems along Golf View Drive, Oakmount Drive, and Pinemount Drive. He reported that the existing system was failing, resulting in multiple occurrences of sinkhole development, yard flooding, street flooding, and structural flooding. Three qualified contractors submitted bids to the stormwater department, and Ronnie D. Jones Enterprises was the apparent low bidder with a bid of $1,157,452.90. Madison recommended Council award the bid to Ronnie D. Jones Enterprises. Fleisch clarified with Madison that these drainage systems were installed in the 1970s and that the Stormwater Department would be working with the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA),which would be doing sanitary sewer work at the same time with the same contractor. Prebor moved to approve New Agenda Item 02-18-11, Consider Bid for Golf View Stormwater Project to Ronnie D. Jones Enterprises, in the amount of $1,157,452.90. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously. 02-18-12 Consider Certification of Fayette County Service Delivery Strategy Agreement Rorie said at the last Council meeting, the City approved participation in the intergovernmental City Council Meeting February 15, 2018 Page 7 agreements with Fayette County, and this was the next step, authorizing the Mayor to sign the certification for the strategy. The certification verified Peachtree City's agreement that: • The agreements referenced in the strategy had been implemented and the attachments accurately reflected the agreed upon strategy; • The strategy promoted the most efficient, effective, and responsible manner of delivering each service; • The strategy addressed water and sewer fees charged to customers outside the geographic boundaries of a service provider were not arbitrarily higher than those charged within the service area; and the strategy ensured that the costs of services provided by the County primarily for the benefit of residents of the unincorporated area are borne by those receiving those services. Rorie said the Fayette County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to adopt the strategy at its February 22 meeting, so Fleisch could sign for the City on February 23. Madden moved to approve New Agenda Item 02-18-12 to certify the Fayette County Service Delivery Strategy Agreement. King seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Council/Staff Topics Crosstown Cart Path Crossing Borkowski updated Council on the Crosstown Cart Path Crossing, No. 13 on the list of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) projects. He presented a map that showed the location as being near Wendy's. Borkowski noted that the Police Department provided figures showing that 85% of the motorists through that area were traveling at 46 mph or less,with the remainder going faster. About 19,000 vehicles traveled through the area each day, with peak times averaging 1,500 vehicles per hour. Only SR54 and SR74 had higher traffic volumes in the City. Due to those high traffic numbers, Borkowski said simply striping a crosswalk would not be sufficient. In addition to the striping, they would install a HAWK (Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon, which would allow a pedestrian to press a button that signaled traffic to stop and let them cross. He said plans for connecting cart paths in the overall area meant this path crossing would be increasingly used. Also, studies showed that crosswalks were insufficient for pedestrian use on busy roads. A third reason for the HAWK system was that this intersection met the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices guidelines. Lastly, current traffic volumes, with business egress and ingress, meant there were seldom sufficient gaps in traffic for pedestrians and carts to cross safely. He said this would be the safest and most practical option. Rorie noted that this was an approved SPLOST project and was needed as part of the long-term path connectivity plan for the City. The HAWK signal alone would cost about $95,000, and the total project could total around $200,000. However, it was time to get the project done for planning and safety reasons. Fleisch said the HAWK signal was the same as the one that had been placed on Rockaway Road. She asked about the timing for the project. Rorie said there were a number of ongoing projects, and weather was always a factor. March 6 Retreat Workshop - Master Planning, Economic Development, and Future Annexation Rorie said Council Retreat workshop sessions were planned for March 6, April 3, and May 1. Master planning economic development and future annexation would be on the March 6 agenda, and Rorie noted were long-needed topics for discussion. City Council Meeting February 15,2018 Page 8 I There being no further business, King moved to adjourn. Madden seconded. Motion carried unanimously.The meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. L' }� ... <=-__ Martha Bar sdale, Recording Secretary Vanessa Fleisch, Mayor