The regularly scheduled meeting of the
Pooler Planning and Zoning Commission
was held on Monday, February 9, 2004 at
6 p.m. Members present were: Larry
Olliff, Charles Archer, Tim Lovezzola,
Debbie Ryan Watts, Wilson Roberts,
Dennis Jones and Don Taylor.
Councilwoman Rebecca Benton, City
Planner Robbie Byrd and Zoning
Administrator Jackie Carver were also in
attendance. Chairman Debbie Ryan
Watts called the meeting to order at 6
p.m.
Don Taylor gave the invocation and
Dennis Jones led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
The minutes of the previous meeting were
approved as printed upon a motion made
by Larry Olliff, seconded by Charles
Archer and passed with no opposition.
PUBLIC
HEARING:
-
Barry Morton, owner of 325 East
Whatley Street has petitioned the
City of Pooler for a 7’8” variance
on a building lot width to allow the
construction of a single family
residence.
Holly Young
presented the variance request for
property owner Barry Morton who was
unable to attend. The two
sub-standard lots combined will have
a lot width of 72.04 feet and
contains 10,806 square feet. In the
older section of town, many of the
existing lots do not meet the
minimum 80’ lot width requirement.
Commissioner Don Taylor questioned
whether this request met the
criteria for granting a variance.
Mrs. Young stated that because of
the narrowness of the lot and an
allowable use on the lot, the
request meets at least two out of
the three requirements for granting
a variance. Therefore, Wilson
Roberts made a motion to recommend
approval of Barry Morton’s request
for a 7’8” lot width variance to
allow the construction of a
single-family residence. Motion was
seconded by Dennis Jones and passed
without opposition.
NEW
BUSINESS:
2.
1.
Site Plan /Landscape Plan Review of an
office building proposed on Lot 10,
Pooler Park of Commerce ( 135 Canal
Street). Marc Mahnke
presented the proposed site plan to the
board for their review and comments.
The proposed project consists of one
15,000 square foot office building (3
stories at 5,000 square foot each).
Commissioner Wilson Roberts questioned
if the building would front on the
Pooler Parkway. Mr. George Weeks of D.
J. Development stated that the building
will face the Pooler Parkway and will be
accessed from Canal Street. Commissioner
Dennis Jones asked about the location of
the dumpster site. Mr. Mahnke stated
that the dumpster site will be bricked
like the office building and will be
screened with landscaping. With further
comments, Wilson Roberts made a motion
to approve the site plan for a proposed
office building on lot 10, Pooler Park
of Commerce. Commissioner Larry Olliff
asked for the number of trees required,
to be placed on the landscape plan.
Commissioner Dennis Jones stated that
the board recognizes there are flaws in
the tree ordinance and questioned the
number of trees on the landscape plan
that is on the preferred tree list.
City Planner Robbie Byrd
stated that 13 trees are preferred trees
and 12 are palm trees. With no other
comments, Dennis Jones made a motion to
approve the landscape plan for a
proposed office building on lot 10,
Pooler Park of Commerce. Motion was
seconded by Don Taylor and passed
without opposition.
3.
2.
Site Plan/Landscape Plan Review of Crest
Quality Homes – a proposed office and
model home at 1108 East Highway 80.
Bruce Greenspan of Crest Quality Homes
presented the proposed plan to the board
for their review and recommendation.
There is an existing curb-cut to this
lot. A motion was made by Larry Olliff
to approve the site plan for Crest
Quality Homes. Motion was seconded by
Dennis Jones and passed without
opposition. The landscape plan exceeds
the tree ordinance requirements.
Therefore Larry Olliff made a motion to
approve the landscape plan. Motion was
seconded by Charles Archer and passed
without opposition.
4.
3.
Sketch Plan review of Pooler Town Homes
– proposed location is south Rogers
Street.
Michael Hussey of Fred Williams
Homebuilders presented a proposed sketch
plan to the board for their review and
comments. This is a 40 unit Town Home
Development on a 4.2 acre tract on south
Rogers Street. The property is zoned
R-3A and the project meets the density
requirements of 12 units per net acre.
The Town Homes will be individually
owned, but not condominiums and there
will be a Property Owners Association (POA).
Commissioner Wilson Roberts has concerns
about the traffic in and out of the site
off Rogers Street and the lack of
turn-around space for trucks within the
project. Mr. Michael Hussey stated that
additional traffic from 40 units would
not be a major impact on a roadway.
Furthermore, the opening of the Pooler
Parkway and the improvements at U.S.80
and Rogers Street should alleviate some
of the traffic on Rogers Street. The
board also expressed concerns about
curb-side garbage collection. Mr.
Hussey stated these issues could be
addressed with the engineering
drawings. Councilwoman Rebecca Benton
asked if each town home would have
designated parking spaces. In response,
Mr. Hussey stated the parking would be
common area maintained by a homeowners
association. Ms. Benton stated that in
the sub-committee meeting and at the
retreat it was discussed that the
Planning and Zoning Commission needed to
come up with a long-range plan to
improve the sub-standard streets in
Pooler. Commissioner Wilson Roberts
stated at one time the City of Pooler
required additional right-of-way for the
widening of sub-standard streets. Mr.
Hussey stated they would be willing to
dedicate additional right-of-way if
needed to improve Rogers Street.
Commissioner Don Taylor recommends a
traffic study to determine how this
project will impact this area. In
response, Mr. Hussey stated they would
do a traffic study, if required, but he
believed it would show only a minor
impact on Rogers Street. Chairman
Debbie Ryan Watts stated that she
believes the opening of the Pooler
Parkway will alleviate some of the
traffic on Rogers Street. Commissioner
Dennis Jones is concerned about the
other tracts of land along Rogers Street
that are zoned for multi-family being
developed and how it would impact this
area due to the traffic and inadequate
infrastructure. In response, Zoning
Administrator Jackie Carver stated that
the City has made an effort to begin
addressing the problem with the existing
multi-family zoned tracts that are
accessed by marginal streets where
traffic problems already exist. A
meeting was held last year with the
property owners to make them aware of
the problem in hopes they would petition
the City for a different zoning. In
an analysis prepared by the Coastal
Georgia RDC, they recommended that the
City of Pooler begin working on updating
both its Comprehensive Plan and Land
Development Regulations prior to the
2007 deadline mandated by Georgia
Department of Community Affairs (GDCA).
Citizen Billie Tyler is concerned about
the additional 80 vehicles and how it
will impact this area. Citizen Leo
McDonald is worried more vehicles will
be cutting thru the neighborhoods to
avoid the intersection of Rogers Street
and U. S. 80. Citizen Holly Young
reminded the board members that this
property was one of the tracts involved
in a lawsuit and questioned if the board
has conferred with the City Attorney
about recommendations regarding this
project. With no other public comments,
Wilson Roberts made a motion to
recommend approval of the sketch plan
for Pooler Town Homes subject to the
following: dedication of additional
right-of-way for Rogers Street,
multi-drive access in and out of Rogers
Street, widen approach at the entrance
to the project, address problem with
internal traffic flow to accommodate
trucks and garbage trucks, traffic study
on Rogers Street to determine how this
project will impact this area and
address concerns regarding curb-side
garbage collection. Motion was seconded
by Tim Lovezzola and passed with Dennis
Jones opposing.
5.
4.
Amendment to PUD Master Plan/Final PUD
Approval for Godley Station Multi-Family
Tract (Forest Lakes Townhouses located
on Forest Lakes Drive West of Godley
Station Blvd).
Chairman Debbie Ryan
Watts excused herself from any
discussion on this item. Terry Coleman
of Kern-Coleman and Company had
presented
this project to the PUD Review Board
prior to this meeting. To accommodate
this project the property owner is
requesting an amendment to the PUD
Master Plan to extend the multi-family
zoning across Forest Lakes Drive to add
an additional 6 acres. Co-Chairman
Dennis Jones reminded the board that a
PUD Review Board Meeting was held today
at 5:30 p.m. wherein the amendment to
the PUD Master Plan was approved. With
no public comments, Charles Archer made
a motion to approve the amendment to the
PUD Master Plan to extend the
multi-family zoning across Forest Lakes
Drive to add 6 acres to the original 35
acres (41 acres). Motion was seconded
by Tim Lovezzola and passed without
opposition. Based on an earlier
approval by the PUD Review Board, a
motion was made by Wilson Roberts for
final PUD approval of the Godley Station
Multi-Family Tract (Forest Lakes
Townhouses). Motion was seconded by Don
Taylor and passed without
opposition.
6.
5.
Acceptance of Performance Bond/Approval
of Final Plat for The Villages at Godley
Station, Northern Tract, Phase V (The
Arbors)
Chairman Debbie Ryan
Watts excused herself from any
discussion of this item. Terry Coleman
of Kern-Coleman and Company presented
the plat to the board for their review
and recommendation. The developer has
posted a performance bond in the amount
$71,458.80 to cover the improvements not
in place in order for the plat to be
recorded. With no public comments,
Larry Olliff made a motion to accept the
performance bond and approve the final
plat for The Villages at Godley Station,
Northern Tract, Phase V (The Arbors).
Motion was seconded by Charles Archer
and passed without opposition.
7.
6.
Acceptance of Performance Bond/Approval
of Final Plat for Barrington Estates,
Phase 6B. Michael Hussey
of Fred Williams Homebuilders presented
the plat to the board for their review
and recommendation. The developer has
posted a performance bond in the amount
of $343,612.00 to cover all of the
improvements in order for the plat to be
approved for recording. With no public
comments, Dennis Jones made a motion to
accept the performance bond and approve
the final plat for Barrington Estates,
Phase 6B.
Motion was seconded by Don Taylor and
passed without opposition.
Councilwoman Rebecca Benton reminded the
Board members of the need to start
working on long range plans to address
the sub-standard streets in Pooler that
are constantly causing development
problems. Regarding multi-family
developments, she would like the board
to review the following concerns:
insufficient parking and refuge
collection.
Chairman Debbie Ryan Watts announced
that beginning in March the board plans
to hold workshops to work on the tree
ordinance and other issues of concern.
Commissioner Dennis Jones asked that the
City write a letter to the Architectural
Review Board of the Pooler Park of
Commerce explaining the board’s concerns
regarding the location of the buildings
and dumpster pads that can be seen from
the Pooler Parkway, requesting that
they make aesthetics a part of their
review regarding above issue. Mrs.
Carver will request a copy of these
standards so the board can review them.
She also recommended having someone from
the Architectural Review Board attend
our next meeting to discuss their
policies and procedures for reviewing
these plans.
There being no further business to come
before the board, a motion of
adjournment was made by Tim Lovezzola
and seconded by Dennis
Jones.