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Home My WebLink About2020-11-17 Planning Board Minutes COMMUNITY&ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DIVISION PLANNING BOARD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020, 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL MEETING MINUTES Board Members Present: Ken Huhn, Chair Don Meagher, Asst. Chair Michael Bazinet Ted Brush Ronda Hogan John Kenney, Assoc. Member Reese Perkins Lisa Shaw City Staff Present: Melissa Bickford, Development Asst. Anne Krieg, Planning Officer Joshua Saucier, Asst. City Solicitor John Theriault, City Engineer Chair Huhn called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. __________________________________________________________________________ 1. MEETING MANAGEMENT No updates. LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND MAP AMENDMENT 2. Contract Zone Change –183 Harlow Street –Map-Lot 041-096–Community Housing of Maine–To amend the Land Development Code by reclassifying a parcel of land located at 183 Harlow Street, (Map-Lot 041-096), from Urban Service District (USD) to Contract Downtown Development District (DDD).Said parcel of land containing approximately 1.44 total acres, and being more particularly indicated on the map attached hereto and made part hereof. Contract Conditions: 1) Schoolhouse Apartments shall maintain a parking space/unit ratio of 0.5 or better with onsite and offsite spaces, 2) Schoolhouse Apartments will construct and maintain no less than 32 onsite parking spaces for tenant use, City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes 11.17.20 3) Continue the terms of the leased offsite parking from the site of Bangor, this lease is valid through 2039, at such time, Schoolhouse Apartments must agree to continue the lease with the City of Bangor or make other arrangements to maintain the agreed upon parking space to tenant ratio.Applicant, Community Housing of Maine Bree LaCasse, Development Officer at Community Housing of Maine (CHOM) presented the item. CHOM develops, owns, and manages 81 properties around the State. They are currently housing 1,000 people,working with local service providers to provide wrap-around services for tenants. CHOM has a Purchase & Sale agreement with current owners to acquire and rehabilitate the property. Rehabproject will result in 21 new affordable units, for a total of 66 units of high quality permanent rental housing. There will be onsite amenities. All units will be made available to low incomes at 60% AMI or less. The building currently has 45 affordable, 15 market-rate units,and 11 commercial suites. All units to be converted to affordable housing, and will be adding residential units to vacant spaces. There are planned life safety upgrades, including a new sprinkler system. There will also be accessibility upgrades, with 6 new accessible units. A new accessible entrance and elevatorare planned, as well as energy efficiency upgrades.Other deferred capital needs include masonry repairs and a new roof. Current building does not have community spaces so there will be a kids play area, community rooms, and they are restoring original auditorium, andalsocreating resident and service provider meeting spaces. CHOM will be utilizing low income housing tax credits, state and federal tax credits. There is an existing 38 onsite parking spaces, and 22 spaces leased from City ofBangor. The SchoolHouse is already non-conforming, as not meeting parking ratio in Urban Service District (USD) for 35 years. CHOM site plan adding corresponding accessible parking spaces, creating 30 on-site spaces, and 22 off site spaces for 52 total spaces. Planned ratio is.79 spaces per unit. Based on CHOM's experience in area, this ratio is more than sufficient. School House Apartments currently leasing 45 units, and only 25 units own vehicles. CHOM looks for buildings that are in walkable locations, along public transportation routes. Allows tenants to not be burdened with vehicle expenses. In Bangor area specifically; Village Center in Brewer, has 48 units, and only 14 parking spaces are used. Maine Hall at 288 Union Street in Bangor has 28 units, 28 parking spaces are available and only 5 are used. Other than the restoration work (masonry and restoration to concrete), exterior won’t change significantly. Retaining wall in back to adjust grading to accommodate 6 new parking spaces, and accessible entrance. Parking area will look essentially the same. Page 2 | 5 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes 11.17.20 Member Perkins inquired if the zone change was driven by the parking issues, or the building issues. Assistant City Solicitor Saucier indicated that was the main reason. No proponents, no opponents to item. Planning Officer Krieg provided staff review. Member Shaw moved to recommend to City Council amending the Land Development Code by reclassifying a parcel of land located at 183 Harlow Street, (Map-Lot 041-096), from Urban Service District (USD) to Contract Downtown Development District (DDD).Said parcel of land containing approximately 1.44 total acres, and being more particularly indicated on the map attached hereto and made part hereof. Contract Conditions: 1) Schoolhouse Apartments shall maintain a parking space/unit ratio of 0.5 or better with onsite and offsite spaces, 2) Schoolhouse Apartments will construct and maintain no less than 32 onsite parking spaces for tenant use, 3) Continue the terms of the leased offsite parking from the site of Bangor, this lease is valid through 2039, at such time, Schoolhouse Apartments must agree to continue the lease with the City of Bangor or make other arrangements to maintain the agreed upon parking space to tenant ratio, seconded by Member Brush. Roll call vote: Meagher, yes; Bazinet, yes; Shaw, yes; Perkins, yes; Hogan, yes; Brush, yes; Huhn, yes. 3. Text Amendment Change -To Amend Chapter 165, Land Development Code, of the Code of the City of Bangor, Attachment 2, Schedule A Urban Developed Area by changing some of the dimensional controls in the Urban Service District (USD). Planning Officer Krieg provided overview of the staff led effort to review theMain Street and State Street corridors for zoning solutions to reduce conformity. Some properties in districts are looking to redevelop. Citywide, we are trying to be more pedestrian friendly in business districts. for positive recommendation to reduce setbacks. No questions from the board. No proponents, no opponents. Member Meagher moved to recommend to City Council the Text Amendment Change -To Amend Chapter 165, Land Development Code, of the Code of the City of Bangor, Attachment 2, Schedule A Urban Developed Area by changing some of the dimensional controls in the Urban Service District (USD), seconded by Member Hogan. Roll call vote: Meagher, yes; Bazinet, yes; Shaw, yes; Perkins, yes; Hogan, yes; Brush, yes; Huhn, yes. LAND DEVELOPMENT PLANS 4. Site Development Plan –450 Essex Street –045-009-C–Momentum, Inc. -Land Development Permit approval for site development plan for construction of 28’ x 30’ garage, reconfiguration of parking area and traffic flow of the property located at 450 Essex Street, (Map-Lot 045-009-C), in a Government & Institutional Service (G&IS) District. Applicant, Momentum, Inc. Page 3 | 5 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes 11.17.20 Request made by Brian Ames, PE, to table motion due to non-conforming issues. Requesting to table item until December 1, 2020. Member Shaw moves to table request to December 1, 2020, seconded by Member Hogan. Member Perkins felt that project seemed to conflict with Penquis CAP project approved on the other parcel behind building, and applicant should take this into consideration. Project quite possibly could occur at the same time, concerned about exacerbation of neighborconflict. Doesn’t feel that it would affect the Planning Board’s vote, but should be considered important that applicant consider this. Roll call vote: Meagher, yes; Bazinet, yes; Shaw, yes; Perkins, yes; Hogan, yes; Brush, yes; Huhn, yes. OTHER BUSINESS 5. Land Development possible changes update Planning Officer Krieg advised earlier this evening, the Business & Economic Development Committee reviewed two possible changes within Land Development Code,and she wanted to get informal comments from Planning Board members. Two items included reduction of minimum lot sizes in certain districts and refining the process for Zoning Amendment requests. In March of 2019, Affordable Housing Work Group prepared a set of recommendations for zoning changes to help foster and support the creation of affordable housing units in Bangor. Reduction in lot sizes was one of these recommendations. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Bangor, like many communities nationwide,increased lot sizes and reduceddensity in neighborhoodzones. This action was the method at the time to curb growth. Larger lot zoning and single-familyzoning were added to Bangor’s residential neighborhoods. The unintended consequence was a radical shift to non-conforming lots and structures in these zones. Over long periods of time, non-conformity can often lead to neglect and blight. Property owners that cannot renovateor add to their properties under the non-conforming situations often give up. This relief will encourage property owners to add and renovate their properties as they will be able to conform to zoning with more ease than before. Reduction in dimensional controls in residential districts will also allow for more units and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) to be built. This is due to the lifting of some of the constraints of property development in lot coverage and setbacks as well as the minimum lot area. Additionally, refining the process for zoning amendment requests wasdiscussed for two reasons. First is that applications for zoning district changes are often dropped off. Staff has no prior knowledge of possible requests which proves problematic. Page 4 | 5 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes 11.17.20 Staffcould be of assistance to find correct district that is in keeping with the City’s current land use policy found in Comprehensive plan, and 2) applicant might be able todevelop their parcel the way they want with some modifications to their plans under the current zoning. Once the application is received, the process has to commence and Staff doesn’t have the opportunity to work with property owners as efficiently and effectively as possible. Currently, we use the pre-application process forsite plan and subdivision reviews. This works very well to best serve both applicant andprocess, as well as respecting land use policy found in the Comprehensive Plan. The posting requirements conflict with state statute. We can be more restrictive; posting more than number of days required in the state statute, but not less than the state. This language will make the city consistent with the state. There was noadditional comments from Planning Board. 6. Meeting Minutes –October 6 & October 20, 2020 Meeting Minutes for Review Member Bazinet motions to approve both setsof meeting minutes, seconded by Member Brush. Roll call vote: Meagher, yes; Bazinet, yes; Shaw, yes; Perkins, yes; Hogan, abstain (not present at one of the meetings); Brush, yes; Huhn, yes. Meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Bickford Development Assistant Planning Department Page 5 | 5