By Carl Helton, LC staff member
The Municipal Planning/Design Review Commission (MPC/DRC) met Thursday (1.16.20) at City Hall with all Board members in attendance. The December meeting was cancelled due to lack of a quorum.
Link to agenda: https://tn-lakeland.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/904
First item on the agenda was for a sign package for The Lake District. The applicant, Yehuda Netanel, pulled the sign package/policy and the item was removed from the agenda. Lakeland resident Bill Morgan had signed up for public speaking on the subject and the Commission allowed him the floor even though there would be not Board discussion with the applicant on the matter.
Mr. Morgan’s concern was the height of one of the signs and not necessary the design. He welcomed the idea and design but he felt the height exceeded what was allowable in the City and would find it acceptable at the height of 35’.
The second item on the agenda was the Lakeland Commons project already under site construction on U.S. Highway 70 and Seed Tick and Memphis Arlington Roads.
Lakeland Commons Planned Development (PD) has an extensive history with the City of Lakeland including prior approvals, litigation and a consent order. The most recent approval of the PD for Lakeland Commons was by the MPC in 2011. The BOC (Board of Commissioners) approved a development contract for Lakeland Commons Planned Mixed Use Development, Phase 1 May 1, 2019.
The applicant sought approval from the DRC on related items including the site plan, landscape plan, lighting plan and building elevations. A future phase of Area D will include townhouse development but is not included in this DRC submittal.
The staff recommended Commission members approve with conditions.
Proposed Motion: To approve the DRC application for Lakeland Commons PD, Phase 1, subject to the Commission’s discussion, staff comments and conditions in the staff report, and the documents and plans submitted with the application. Staff recommended the Commission approve with conditions.
Commission members asked the developer about mailboxes, detention, shingle design, canopy fabric, fire truck accessibility as well as the quality of building materials being used. After the discussion the motion was brought up for a vote and the vote was unanimously in favor for approval.
Staff comments
The applicant has revised the plans to shift the asphalt trail that was previously shown extending westward along Memphis Arlington Road from the north-south connector street to run adjacent to Scotts Creek in the stream buffer zone. Connections have been provided internally to the development with a terminus shown at Memphis Arlington.
The staff felt this is a better design which saves the tree buffer along Memphis Arlington Road but still provides a needed connection to the future residential development.
The third item on the agenda was approval of a time extension for Evergreen Planned Development (PD). Applicant Bill May of May Investments LLC, on behalf of property owner Betty Axton, requested to extend the approval for the Evergreen PD which was previously extended in 2007, 2010 and 2014. Due to sanitary sewer capacity issues, the plan has remained dormant. It is now being brought back by a new development group. The plan has 140 lots in 5 phases. The minimum lot size is 8,050 square feet. In addition to the extension, the applicant requested to revise the phasing. A second point of access would be required by Phase 2 construction. As a result, they have designated the second phase as being accessed from Evergreen Road.
The Evergreen PD is located at the northwest corner of Evergreen Road and Old Brownsville Road. It is approximately 80 acres. The plan was first approved by the BOC in 2007 and extended August 5, 2010 and extended again November 10, 2014. The PD expired in 2017.
The Board of Sewerage Commissioners (BOSC) has the responsibility of monitoring the sewer system and ensuring that sewer capacity exists when reviewing development proposals. The main concern with extending approval of developments in this part of the City is the lack of capacity in the Clear Creek Interceptor. Once the new interceptor construction has begun, there will not be an issue granting sewer approval for developments in this area. As such, the
BOSC should grant approval contingent on the construction of the new Clear Creek Interceptor.
The “alternate layout” provided with the submittal reflects the most recent (2014) approval by the MPC and BOC. The primary difference from the previous approved plan was the change from parkland to COS in SE corner. The PD Booklet contains several plans that were approved with the overall development in 2010 but were not updated with the changes made in 2014. These changes include landscape plan, stream buffer management plan and street tree plan, among others.
Staff recommended approval of the application for a 3-year time extension, subject to the Commission’s discussion, staff comments and conditions in the staff report, and the documents and plans submitted with the application.
Commissioner Richard Gonzales and resident David Patterson addressed the Commission during the public speaking portion. Both had concerns about drainage as well as Evergreen being a tiny road and unsafe to drive on and that it would not be able to handle the traffic for the new development.
Several Commission members had in-depth questions about Highway 70 and the ability to enter from the Highway. Cindy Reaves and Bob Sweeny with SRC Consulting, LLC answered questions from the board. Commissioner Laessig addressed the speed limit on Highway 70 and how it could be reduced as it will be an issue with this and future proposed subdivisions.
Mayor Mike Cunningham had issues with clear-cutting, stating when he went door to door last year speaking to citizens, one of the main concerns discussed was clear-cutting for developments. He asked if existing trees could be kept. The applicant stated that the majority of the existing trees are already incorporated into the design. Mayor Cunningham also had concerns with Evergreen at this area bottlenecking and not being adequate to provide the demanding traffic. After discussion there was a motion to vote. Motion passed with a vote of 6 to approve and Commissioner Clint Starnes voting not to approve.
Last item on the agenda was to approve the amendment to the subdivision regulations modifying Article I, Section 4.E.5e & Article I, Section 4.E.6e(1) regarding Plat Signatures subject to the Commission’s discussion.
A request was made by MPC Vice Chairman Scott Carmichael to amend Lakeland’s subdivision regulations pertaining to final plat signatures. The amendment will require all necessary signatures.
… Photos by Carl Helton and Jim Willis, Lakeland Commons
