Saline Township Planning Commission
Regular Meeting, September 13, 2006

Members Present:
Richard Zahn, Neil Bohnett, Trudy Feldkamp, Keith Girbach, Laurie Leinbach, Chuck Rankin

Members Absent:
Denny Zink

Others Present:
Jim Marion (Supervisor), approximately 12 others

Meeting was called to order by Chairman Zahn at 7:35 pm.

Roll was taken; six members present; quorum established.

Pledge of Allegiance was led by Girbach.

Approval of Minutes, August 16, 2006: motion by Rankin, supported by Bohnett; vote unanimous to approve.

Approval of Agenda, September 13, 2006: motion by Bohnett, supported by Rankin; vote unanimous to approve.

Announcements:
None.

Public Comments:
None.

New Business:

1. Board Issues
   1. Wireless Washtenaw, testing equipment.
   2. Mr. Rose; cornmaze and fun house. Board ok'd, open only until 11 pm.
   3. Mohart Road, no gravel.
   4. Bills for Reading, $30,000 still in question (Austin Commons eskrow).
   5. Biltmore, $17,000 application fee for all units. Per fee schedule. Maybe change fee for rezoning be lot size dependent.
   6. New cemetary ordinance. Cremation doesn't need as large a lot.
   7. Zoning map error. Will be corrected during the review/update of Plan process.
      

Old Business:
Continued work on Plan update. Text discussed. Don Pennington
would like to schedule additional working meetings to complete the updates. Decided to meet:

October 11 - regular meeting, work session following

October 26 - work session, 7:30 pm

November 8 - regular meeting (scheduled a week early due to conflicts of several Planning Commission members)

November 29 - work session, 7:30 pm

Rankin moved to have the November 15 regular Planning Commission meeting rescheduled to November 8 due to conflicts. Support by Bohnett; vote unanimous in favor of the motion. This change in the schedule will be publicized in the Saline Reporter.

Rodney continued with the zoning district material that was discussed at the last meeting. Distributed "Summary of Policy Issues" sheet. This covers areas that need work. Due to changes in case law, waste water systems should be regulated as opposed to only disallowing. This allows limiting of effects and location. Community systems have some advantages over individual - more oversight, review, etc.

Quoted/bold print items come from the initial draft.

Reviewed sheet. Initial response, to these options. Initial draft is very restrictive.

In other areas: York has PUD only; Pittsfield has a brand new ordinance; others as special use; control, conditions, is preferable; PUD provides more control than special use. Board is involved in PUD, which also includes a development agreement. Development agreement verbage will be added to ordinance.

May want to review sliding scale. We will discuss other options.

"Dimensional Standards", anything underlined is new, items crossed out are suggested to change. An area for manufactured housing should be designated.

Can add single family home requirements. R3 is a change - designated for "urban" residential, for higher density. Discussion on whether to eliminate the R2 district.

Consider larger setbacks along US12; setbacks calculated from planned right-of-ways.

Page 3 - section X.202 - our current sliding scale
section X.201 - our current ordinance

Sign regulations need to be updated. Will include temporary signs.

Page 7 - section X.207 - Frontage required on private or public road. Primarily for emergency vehicles.

Page 8 - Corner clearance zones, new item, clear vision issue. Does not apply to farming areas.

Private Road Ordinance - not reviewing at this time; but should be reviewed soon, as well as subdivision ordinance

Suggestion: Compile all stand alone ordinances in one binder

Items to look at - off-road racetracks, wind power, noise, wetland protections, dumping

Drain commissioner approval of developments along rivers/streams. Will add to site plan review. Additional setbacks for ponds.

Public Comments:
Reconsider 10 acres. Citizen has 15 acres and is perfectly happy. Rodney explained that it does not protect farmland and is a planning issue. Is an important area, deserves consideration.

Girbach moved for adjournment; Leinbach support; meeting adjourned, 9:10 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on October 11, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. at the Township hall.

Trudy Feldkamp
Saline Township Planning Commission, Secretary