Columbia County Board of Adjustment Post Office Drawer 1529 Lake City, FL (386) MINUTES August 23, 2007

Transcription

1 Columbia County Board of Adjustment Post Office Drawer 1529 Lake City, FL (386) MINUTES August 23, 2007 Board Members present were: Alex Hinely, Jock Phelps, Heather Johnson, Koby Adams, and Clay Feagle. Also present were Brian Kepner, County Planner, Connie Scott, Secretary, and Marlin Feagle, County Attorney. Presentation scheduled by Jim Stephenson, Ichetucknee Springs Basis Working Group, was cancelled due to illness. V #260 Jeffrey Carr & Nicole Ponce Nicole Ponce presented a request for a variance to reduce the side setback requirements on her lot located in Three Rivers from 25 to 23. Request was a continuance from the July 26, 2007 meeting due to no one being in attendance at that meeting to present the request. Hinely: Motion to approve Johnson: Second Motion V #261 Wee Care Todd Doss agent for Wee Care presented a variance request to reduce the West side setback requirement from 25 to 10. Property located on corner of 240 and 47. Existing building has a 10 setback and has been grandfathered in. Two roads were closed to allow for expansion of the daycare facility and are requesting that the expansion has the same setbacks as the existing building. Adams: Motion to approve Feagle: Second Motion V #262 Brian Blake Mr. Blake presented a request for a variance to reduce the South side setback on his property from 25 to The mobile home setup people did not place home on his lot properly.

2 Adams: Motion to approve Hinely: Second Motion SE #465 Joe and Barbara Bullard Aaron Nickelson, agent for Joe and Barbara Bullard presented a request for a special exception to allow for a billboard to be placed on the Bullard s property. Request is continued from the June 28, 2007 meeting. Mr. Nickelson again stated that the billboard would be 10 ½ X 36, single stack sign, 35 in height. Phelps: What is the difference between what is being requested and what the new ordinance is proposing? Feagle: Can grant special exception and put conditions in place. Three choices for approval could be: 1. Grant with restrictions 2. Grant 3. Deny Phelps: I would have to approve with restrictions that are proposed. Kepner: Off-site signs would be prohibited. The type and size allowed would be limited. Feagle: There is not a moratorium in place. Can t deny for any other reason than those in Section 12. Phelps: Until new ordinance is accepted we need to work with what s in place now. Adams: If we approve will this set a precedence or will ordinance take over and prevent future signs? Feagle: If you approve you can place restrictions. If you deny you must use reasons in Section 12. Phelps: CI zoning? Feagle: Yes. Mr. Feagle then read the conditions for denial in Section 12. Brian Blake: I drive that way every day. I don t wish to see another sign. Barbara Lemley: I disagree since there is no policy, should table or deny until new ordinance is in place. Nickelson: This request does meet current criteria, is smaller than other signs, is closer to commercial area than others. It is a small piece of property 55 X 57 next to the Bingo Station. We build attractive signs that fit with the commercial area. Adams: Motion to approve based on: 1. Meets current LDR s 2. Compatible with adjacent property 3. Property use in conformance with comp. plan 4. Will not adversely affect property values 5. Will not adversely affect use of property Johnson: Second motion MOTION CARRIES WITH 3-2 VOTE

3 SE #467 John W. Evacheck S. Austin Peele, agent for John Evacheck presented a request for a special exception to place a self-contained wood chipping and mulching machine on 40 acres east of town relatively isolated off Price Creek Rd. No processing would be required other than to keep moist for composting. Ingress is public road which is 300 from property line. Neighborhood is Rayonier timberland on 3 sides. Trucks will not come in and load and unload 24/7. Normal business hours will be observed and will require minimal lighting. Request is in compliance with the neighborhood and relieves use of the land fill and serves an environmental purpose. Service will be available to the public but will not advertise. Hinely: What happens to the chips? Peele: Hauled off and sold in bulk. Hinely: What quantities? Semi-loads? My concern is traffic and amount. Peele: No idea of total number of pickup and dump truck loads but will be available to the public. Daphne Carroll: I live off Weeks Rd. He now burns piles of limbs. The machine is already there and already being used. Twice this past week I have had to wait for his trucks blocking the road. I drive a bus. Wes Evacheck: The grinder is out there now is just a demo. Burn permits are obtained monthly. We have to stop for her and she stops for us not a lengthy process. Rick Carroll: His idea is a good one but we don t want a big mega business. Didn t like the smoke but understood. Just don t want a big business in our quiet neighborhood. Jason Love: I oppose. My wife s family owns property adjacent for 30 yrs. Main entrance is Weeks Lane ¼ mile from the stop sign. Already have trucks coming in. This will increase trucks and road is already terrible. More wear and tear on road. Trucks would impede emergency vehicles. Most business intent is to grow. Don t know if noise will be a problem. I have been around other wood chipping and it smells. Would affect property values, would be more difficult to develop or sell our properties with a wood chip plant next door. Burning could continue in spite of this machine being on the property. Lloyd Pierce: I have been in the area 7 years. Main entrance Weeks Rd. goes to approx. 100 homes. Could hear the chipping machine operating ¾ mile away. Will deter property values. Roadway is approx. 20 wide and full of pot holes. Rebecca Wilson: I was at the corner of Weeks Rd. and 245. A large truck trying to make the turn missed my car by 1. Road is too narrow for large trucks. Letter of protest from Winton Worswick was read. Rick Carroll: I work in the auto lube industry. Equipment and trucks break down. Servicing and maintaining them will have fluids that will spill and contaminate the site Austin Peele: There will be no storage of trucks on site, only wood chips. There will be no chemicals used on treating of the chips. Not planning on having a manufacturing facility. Rayonier has 8,000 acres and silvaculture. Haz mats not required because chips are not permanently stored.

4 Evacheck: Machine is self-contained and moveable. Hunter Oil and Catepillar Ring Power service the machinery professionally. The road has always been in the current shape. Trucks are the same size as the school bus that Ms. Carroll drives. Mulch is a natural compost, no chemicals. Phelps: What business are you in? Evacheck: Tree surgeon business. Lloyd Pierce: 1. How much processing annually? 2. How many trucks daily? 3. Impact on mulch sitting. 4. Noise factor. 5. How much water will be pumped out of ground to moisten product? Evacheck: 1. Don t have an estimate. I have been thinking about this for 8 yrs. I hope it does grow trips per day. 3. No way to contain. Leeching out not an issue, a natural product. Not like a dust, wouldn t float or blow. 4. Gate is not even opened. Machine has not run since Sunday. Willing to run hours that would make neighbors happy. 5. No water required. Hinely: Is there a well on the property? Evacheck: No Lemley: Wes is a generous person, he donated land clearing to Habitat and this is a good idea. Hinely: Motion to approve Adams: Second motion. It was then decided upon by the Board that the November meeting will be held on November 29 th and the December meeting will be held on December 13 th. MEETING MINUTES: Adoption of Minutes from July 26, 2007 Adams: Motion to approve Johnson: Second Motion

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6 Columbia County Board of Adjustment Post Office Drawer 1529 Lake City, FL (386) MINUTES August 23, 2007 Board Members present were: Alex Hinely, Jock Phelps, Heather Johnson, Koby Adams, and Clay Feagle. Also present were Brian Kepner, County Planner, Connie Scott, Secretary, and Marlin Feagle, County Attorney. Presentation scheduled by Jim Stephenson, Ichetucknee Springs Basis Working Group, was cancelled due to illness. V #260 Jeffrey Carr & Nicole Ponce Nicole Ponce presented a request for a variance to reduce the side setback requirements on her lot located in Three Rivers from 25 to 23. Request was a continuance from the July 26, 2007 meeting due to no one being in attendance at that meeting to present the request. Hinely: Motion to approve Johnson: Second Motion V #261 Wee Care Todd Doss agent for Wee Care presented a variance request to reduce the West side setback requirement from 25 to 10. Property located on corner of 240 and 47. Existing building has a 10 setback and has been grandfathered in. Two roads were closed to allow for expansion of the daycare facility and are requesting that the expansion has the same setbacks as the existing building. Adams: Motion to approve Feagle: Second Motion V #262 Brian Blake Mr. Blake presented a request for a variance to reduce the South side setback on his property from 25 to The mobile home setup people did not place home on his lot properly.

7 Adams: Motion to approve Hinely: Second Motion SE #465 Joe and Barbara Bullard Aaron Nickelson, agent for Joe and Barbara Bullard presented a request for a special exception to allow for a billboard to be placed on the Bullard s property. Request is continued from the June 28, 2007 meeting. Mr. Nickelson again stated that the billboard would be 10 ½ X 36, single stack sign, 35 in height. Phelps: What is the difference between what is being requested and what the new ordinance is proposing? Feagle: Can grant special exception and put conditions in place. Three choices for approval could be: 1. Grant with restrictions 2. Grant 3. Deny Phelps: I would have to approve with restrictions that are proposed. Kepner: Off-site signs would be prohibited. The type and size allowed would be limited. Feagle: There is not a moratorium in place. Can t deny for any other reason than those in Section 12. Phelps: Until new ordinance is accepted we need to work with what s in place now. Adams: If we approve will this set a precedence or will ordinance take over and prevent future signs? Feagle: If you approve you can place restrictions. If you deny you must use reasons in Section 12. Phelps: CI zoning? Feagle: Yes. Mr. Feagle then read the conditions for denial in Section 12. Brian Blake: I drive that way every day. I don t wish to see another sign. Barbara Lemley: I disagree since there is no policy, should table or deny until new ordinance is in place. Nickelson: This request does meet current criteria, is smaller than other signs, is closer to commercial area than others. It is a small piece of property 55 X 57 next to the Bingo Station. We build attractive signs that fit with the commercial area. Adams: Motion to approve based on: 1. Meets current LDR s 2. Compatible with adjacent property 3. Property use in conformance with comp. plan 4. Will not adversely affect property values 5. Will not adversely affect use of property Johnson: Second motion MOTION CARRIES WITH 3-2 VOTE

8 SE #467 John W. Evacheck S. Austin Peele, agent for John Evacheck presented a request for a special exception to place a self-contained wood chipping and mulching machine on 40 acres east of town relatively isolated off Price Creek Rd. No processing would be required other than to keep moist for composting. Ingress is public road which is 300 from property line. Neighborhood is Rayonier timberland on 3 sides. Trucks will not come in and load and unload 24/7. Normal business hours will be observed and will require minimal lighting. Request is in compliance with the neighborhood and relieves use of the land fill and serves an environmental purpose. Service will be available to the public but will not advertise. Hinely: What happens to the chips? Peele: Hauled off and sold in bulk. Hinely: What quantities? Semi-loads? My concern is traffic and amount. Peele: No idea of total number of pickup and dump truck loads but will be available to the public. Daphne Carroll: I live off Weeks Rd. He now burns piles of limbs. The machine is already there and already being used. Twice this past week I have had to wait for his trucks blocking the road. I drive a bus. Wes Evacheck: The grinder is out there now is just a demo. Burn permits are obtained monthly. We have to stop for her and she stops for us not a lengthy process. Rick Carroll: His idea is a good one but we don t want a big mega business. Didn t like the smoke but understood. Just don t want a big business in our quiet neighborhood. Jason Love: I oppose. My wife s family owns property adjacent for 30 yrs. Main entrance is Weeks Lane ¼ mile from the stop sign. Already have trucks coming in. This will increase trucks and road is already terrible. More wear and tear on road. Trucks would impede emergency vehicles. Most business intent is to grow. Don t know if noise will be a problem. I have been around other wood chipping and it smells. Would affect property values, would be more difficult to develop or sell our properties with a wood chip plant next door. Burning could continue in spite of this machine being on the property. Lloyd Pierce: I have been in the area 7 years. Main entrance Weeks Rd. goes to approx. 100 homes. Could hear the chipping machine operating ¾ mile away. Will deter property values. Roadway is approx. 20 wide and full of pot holes. Rebecca Wilson: I was at the corner of Weeks Rd. and 245. A large truck trying to make the turn missed my car by 1. Road is too narrow for large trucks. Letter of protest from Winton Worswick was read. Rick Carroll: I work in the auto lube industry. Equipment and trucks break down. Servicing and maintaining them will have fluids that will spill and contaminate the site Austin Peele: There will be no storage of trucks on site, only wood chips. There will be no chemicals used on treating of the chips. Not planning on having a manufacturing facility. Rayonier has 8,000 acres and silvaculture. Haz mats not required because chips are not permanently stored.

9 Evacheck: Machine is self-contained and moveable. Hunter Oil and Catepillar Ring Power service the machinery professionally. The road has always been in the current shape. Trucks are the same size as the school bus that Ms. Carroll drives. Mulch is a natural compost, no chemicals. Phelps: What business are you in? Evacheck: Tree surgeon business. Lloyd Pierce: 1. How much processing annually? 2. How many trucks daily? 3. Impact on mulch sitting. 4. Noise factor. 5. How much water will be pumped out of ground to moisten product? Evacheck: 1. Don t have an estimate. I have been thinking about this for 8 yrs. I hope it does grow trips per day. 3. No way to contain. Leeching out not an issue, a natural product. Not like a dust, wouldn t float or blow. 4. Gate is not even opened. Machine has not run since Sunday. Willing to run hours that would make neighbors happy. 5. No water required. Hinely: Is there a well on the property? Evacheck: No Lemley: Wes is a generous person, he donated land clearing to Habitat and this is a good idea. Hinely: Motion to approve Adams: Second motion. It was then decided upon by the Board that the November meeting will be held on November 29 th and the December meeting will be held on December 13 th. MEETING MINUTES: Adoption of Minutes from July 26, 2007 Adams: Motion to approve Johnson: Second Motion

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