Saline Township Planning Commission
Regular Meeting, December 13, 2006

Members Present:
Neil Bohnett, Trudy Feldkamp (arrived 7:35), Keith Girbach, Laurie Leinbach, Chuck Rankin, Richard Zahn

Members Absent:
Denny Zink

Others Present:
Jim Marion (Supervisor), Dan Cabage, Don Pennington, Rodney Nanney, approximately 10 others

Meeting was called to order by 7:33 pm.

Roll was taken; five members present; quorum established. (Feldkamp arrived at 7:35 pm).

Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of Minutes, November 8, 2006: motion by Bohnett, supported by Zink; vote unanimous to approve.

Approval of Agenda, December 13, 2006: Motion by Bohnett to approve agenda, supported by Girbach; vote unanimous to approve.

Announcements:
None

Public Comments:
None.

New Business:

1. Board Issues
   Bohnett reported on the December Board meeting. Included Wireless Washtenaw, Saline water tower, John Marion grain elevator, Biltmore (high density on the northern part of the development, lower density on the southern portion).
   

Old Business:

Continued work on Plan update. Additional work is needed on the
graphics.

Articles 7 (Off-Street Parking, Loading , and Access), 8 (Screening and Land Use Buffers) & 10 (Exterior Lighting) were distributed for the next meeting. Highlights to review:

Article 7: Updated substantially, brought up to date with current regulations and standards. Minimum has been lowered - better use of area. Created a maximum limit amount of paved surface. Planning Commission can require more parking, reserve, or shared with another use. Page 7-5, middle column is new, "Paving Required", for consideration. Page 7-17, graphics added.

Article 8: Transition strip requirements, technical verbiage, current language expanded. Page 8-4, Section 8.04, Methods of Screening - addition to ordinance. Page 8-14, graphics; flexibility built in.

Article 10: All new. Protect nighttime sky from light pollution.

Standards in all three articles apply to site plan review only, not to residential or ag use. Intensity standards have been included. We can require a lighting plan with the site plan. Exceptions included (page 10-5), but should be a rare case; the Zoning Board determines.

Article 14, plan was to review with graphics. Most is current, change to density and slight procedure changes.

We should receive the remainder of the draft articles in January. January 10 meeting should have some graphics ready, as well as articles and parts. Work session is scheduled for January 25.

Public Comments:
Dan Cabage stated that he is still working on the Austin Commons issues.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will schedule a public hearing on the Biltmore issue.

Girbach moved for adjournment; Leinbach support; meeting adjourned, 8:25 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on January 10, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. at the Township hall.

Trudy Feldkamp
Saline Township Planning Commission, Secretary