County  of  Antrim

PLANNING  COMMISSION

Jill Barnard

Al Luurtsema, Chairman

Jim Gurr

Joe Allen

Tom Maleck, Vice-Chair

Laura Stanek

Barbara Bradford

Alan Martel, Secretary

Marshall  Wright

 

Terry Morris

 

Minutes

February 6, 2007

7:00 p.m.

Antrim County Building - Board of Commissioners Room

 

Members present:

 

Barb Bradford,  Jim Gurr, Alan Martel, Joe Allen, Tom Maleck, Laura Stanek, Al Luurtsema, Terry Morris, and Marshall Wright

Members absent:

 

Jill Barnard

Advisory present:

 

None

Staff and others:

 

Joe Meyers, Pete Garwood, Charlie Koop, Kent McNeil, Jerry Greene

 

 

 

1.       Meeting called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Al Luurtsema.

2.       Public Comment

 

Jerry Greene spoke on the Planning Commission.

3.       Minutes

 

Motion by Barb Bradford, supported by Terry Morris, to approve the January 9, 2007 minutes as presented.  Motion carried – unanimous.

4.       Conflict of Interest Disclosure

 

Barb Bradford indicated that she is a resident Kearney Township but felt that she had no conflict of interest. 

5.       Kearney Township Zoning Ordinance

 

Joe Meyers informed the Committee that after his review of the amendments, he felt that they had done a good job in becoming compliant to the new zoning enabling act. 

 

Jim Gurr questioned the recent court cast in Kearney Township where a variance was over turned.

 

Al Martel stated that he would like to see the old sections and the new sections of the ordinance similar to the way the Microsoft Word “track changes” feature to help him review the ordinance better.

 

Motion by Laura Stanek, supported by Marshall Wright, to recommend approval to the Kearney Township Board on their Zoning Ordinance Amendments.  Motion carried – unanimous.

6.        Elk Rapids Master Plan

 

Joe Meyers informed the Committee of his review and comments which included:

1.      Commending Elk Rapids Township for using sound planning principles throughout the entire master plan. 

2.      Page 23 – the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments puts out an Asset Management pamphlet.  This could be useful in your Transportation Section.

3.      In reviewing their 1997 Master Plan, I feel that they have updated the document very nicely, expanded their goals, and made the document much easier to read.

Barb Bradford spoke on the need to incorporate new ideas into master plans.

 

Jim Gurr spoke on the shift away from the “norm” on Page 15, Goal 1, Objective B, by amending the zoning ordinance to allow open space development as the preferred use by right.

 

Barb Bradford recommended that a night sky portion and an underground utility lines portion be added to the master plan.

 

Al Martel spoke on some of the language used in the master plan.  Al also spoke on the term rural character in regards to deer/car accidents. 

 

Discussion ensued over infrastructure in regards to growth.

 

Al Martel spoke on how people look at master plans for zoning.

 

Tom Maleck indicated that we should have a section in our master plan helping Townships deal with different planning issues.

 

Barb Bradford indicated that she would have liked to receive section 2-11 of their zoning ordinance for review because it was referenced in their master plan.

 

Marshall Wright spoke on the future land use map.

 

Motion by Marshall Wright, supported by Laura Stanek, to recommend approval of the Master Plan to the Elk Rapids Township Board with the suggestion that they look at adding a “night sky’s” and an underground utility line sections.  Motion carried – unanimous.

7.      Norwood Township Land Use Plan

 

Al Luurtsema spoke on the “Village of Norwood” and how it seemed that in certain areas the township would be permitting areas that the DEQ would be permitting.

 

Barb Bradford indicated that though “night sky’s” was a guiding principle, she would like to see more language throughout the plan.

 

Tom Maleck expressed concern on the liability of not having sidewalks in the Village of Norwood. 

 

Joe Meyers presented his review of the plan which included:

1.      Page 2-5 – Recommended using the age of 25 for the number of people not married but he felt that 15 was too young. 

 

2.      Page 2-8 – The population data in this chart are rounded down in all cases when some should be rounded up (i.e. Norwood Township).

3.      Page 3-2 – The second sentence of the second paragraph that reads, “Unfortunately, it only takes one poorly placed or designed development or structure to disrupt a view corridor”, I would like to see this sentence reworded.

4.      Page 3-3 – The Village of Norwood was founded 140 years ago.  It is over 125 years old but I feel that 140 could be used.

5.      Page 4-1 thru 4-8 – I would like to commend Norwood Township for using sound planning principles throughout this section (i.e. Agriculture Preservation and the Mixed Residential Sections).

6.      Page 4-6 – The state park is named Fisherman’s Island State Park not Fisherman State Park.

 

Al Martel questioned how many non-conforming lots the plan would create if fully enacted.

 

Motion by Tom Maleck, supported by Barb Bradford, thanking Norwood Township for allowing us to review the plan and recommended them to take under advisement adding more language for the night sky’s implementation step, look into adding an underground power line section, reviewing how many nonconforming lots the master plan would create if it would be fully enacted, and the Associate Planners recommendations including:

1.      Page 2-5 – Recommended using the age of 25 for the number of people not married but he felt that 15 was too young.  

2.      Page 2-8 – The population data in this chart are rounded down in all cases when some should be rounded up (i.e. Norwood Township).

3.      Page 3-2 – The second sentence of the second paragraph that reads, “Unfortunately, it only takes one poorly placed or designed development or structure to disrupt a view corridor”, I would like to see this sentence reworded.

4.      Page 3-3 – The Village of Norwood was founded 140 years ago.  It is over 125 years old but I feel that 140 could be used.

5.      Page 4-1 thru 4-8 – I would like to commend Norwood Township for using sound planning principles throughout this section (i.e. Agriculture Preservation and the Mixed Residential Sections).

6.      Page 4-6 – The state park is named Fisherman’s Island State Park not Fisherman State Park.

Motion carried – unanimous.

8.      Master Plan – Kent McNeil

 

Kent McNeil spoke to the committee regarding the Antrim County Master Plan. 

 

Kent spoke on how you cannot have a master plan without zoning. 

 

Kent went through the master plan and questioned how we can enforce it.

 

Al Martel indicated that the master plan is to be used for guidance and nothing more. 

 

Tom Maleck indicated that he would like this document to bring the community together not divide it.

 

Joe Allen indicated that the plan was a guide and general in nature. 

 

 

 

 

 

9.       Master Plan

 

Joe indicated that he felt that all of the local units of governments have received the master plan as of February 1, 2007.

 

Al Luurtsema indicated that he would like to have a special meeting to discuss the master plan on February 28, 2007 to discuss the master plan.

10.      Public/Member Comment

 

Terry Morris spoke on how he would like to know the law in regards to the master plan.

 

Pete Garwood spoke on the tools that can be used from a master plan

 

Barb Bradford indicated that we are on the right track with the master plan.

 

Tom Maleck noted that he hopes everyone supports the master plan.

 

Al Martel indicated that we should call the document a General Plan.

 

Al Luurtsema spoke on the process of the master plan and the newspaper articles that he attached to the agendas.  Al requested that the Coordinator/Planner's Office contact Emmet county in regards to the sexually oriented businesses.   

Meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

 

 

Submitted and Approved

 

 

Alan Martel, Secretary       Date:

Antrim County Planning Commission