Planning Commissioner Meghan Morris moved from the table to the audience when her application came before the commission, and her request to remove a retaining wall and a tree was rejected. Removal of the tree and wall would have allowed the creation of additional off-street parking, and without that, the commission approved only one of the two additional units of tourist lodging she requested.
The property, at 7 Armstrong St., already has a Conditional Use Permit for two bed & breakfast units and has recently operated with three units. Morris and her husband, Ryan Morris, have lived on the property while operating it with two units of lodging. They said they plan to move to a larger B&B location, and they will have an innkeeper living at the Armstrong location.
Discussion began with the tree, a large cedar, which was described in public comments as an invasive species. Chris Fischer came to the microphone and responded, referring to cedar trees as “aggressive” and “adaptable,” but not invasive. He called the cedar in question “a worthy tree,” one of the largest of its species in the city. He opposed removing the tree to create a couple of new parking places.
Commissioner Marty Cogan immediately voiced her objections to removing a healthy old cedar tree and the retaining wall. She also said this would further validate an already noncompliant parking situation, since the tree, the wall, and the existing parking spaces protrude onto city property.
Commissioner Fergie Stewart had visited the site and expressed concern that the tree might fall and block the street. He also described the wall as “fragmented in many places,” and said one good heavy rain could bring it down. Commissioner Tom Buford said ivy threatening the tree could be cut away. “It’s been there a long time, and I think it ought to stay there,” he said.
The Historic District Commission had already approved removal of the wall, contingent on the tree-cut appeal. The fire department and Building Inspector Bobby Ray had no objection to the additional parking, and Ryan Morris said the proposal would allow more visitors downtown without adding to parking problems, since his guests could leave their cars and walk to downtown attractions.
Commissioners voted 3-2 against the request to remove the tree. The conversation then turned to the request for additional units. Commissioner Melissa Greene said she was familiar with the property, and she had a series of questions about how additional units would be created within the house.
Morris explained that the innkeeper would live in an attic apartment. Removing the tree and retaining wall would have allowed for additional parking spaces, and without those spaces, commissioners would not expand the CUP to four spaces. They granted a variance, reducing the number of spaces required for the innkeeper from two to one. A similar variance had been granted for the property in 1991. With that additional parking space available for guests, the CUP was amended to allow three units.
Chair Ann Tandy-Sallee suggested the Morrises could return with a relevant report from an arborist or an engineer, and the commission would reconsider the request to create an expanded parking area. Since the tree, the retaining wall, and the adjacent parking area are on city property, questions arose whether the Morrises could even apply to cut the tree, and whether they or the city would be responsible if the wall or the tree should fall. Historic Preservation Officer Kylee Hevrdejs will check on those issues.
In other business:
- A large portion of the meeting dealt with an ongoing discussion of residential parking. A survey was mailed to residents in the areas with the most parking problems, and others responded online. Public comments brought out some of the history of this issue, with an ordinance considered in 1995 that would have established some residential parking zones. Hevrdejs explained some of the results of the survey, and also listed some of the options available to the commission, including parking permits, overnight signs, and 24-hour parking signs. Commissioners will take the information home to study in preparation for the next meeting.
- In discussing goals for the coming year, commissioners mentioned minimum maintenance guidelines. Hevrdejs said the Historic District Commission is also working on that, but only within the historic district. The HDC has a workshop on the topic at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, and Hevrdejs said Planning commissioners arewelcome to attend.
- Some commissioners had trouble finding the complaint procedure and online complaint form on the website, and Hevrdejs said she would move it to a more prominent position.
- Hevrdejs said a Certified Local Government grant for $38,000 will include money for Geographic Information System mapping for the city. She said the GIS will help with long-range planning and decision-making.
- The commission may begin using a projector which other recent city meetings have used.
* The commission will next meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12. The agenda will include further consideration of the resident parking survey. Other topics will be home occupations and property maintenance.