Erie Planning Commission Meeting - April 24, 2024

[Note: The source materials indicate the meeting occurred on April 17, 2024, but the provided date for this summary is April 24, 2024. This discrepancy is noted.]

The Planning Commission met to consider two public hearings: proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC) regarding manufactured homes, home occupations, definition of family, and development standards; and a resolution to create a new Reserved Open Space zoning district as required by the Home Rule Charter. The Commission also approved the previous meeting's minutes with a correction and received a staff report.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved unanimously.
• The minutes of the March 20, 2024 meeting were approved unanimously after a correction to Chair Burns' title.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during either the general public comment period or the public hearings for both agenda items.

Discussion Items

Item 24-147: UDC Amendments – Manufactured Homes, Home Occupations, Family Definition, and Development Standards

• Staff (Kelly Driscoll, Planning Manager) presented the proposed changes to Title 10, including:
  • Bringing manufactured home regulations into HUD compliance, including skirting requirements for non-permanent foundations and 180-day notice for ownership changes.
  • Clarifying home occupation standards: storage areas (e.g., sheds) will not count toward the 25% or 1,000 sq ft maximum for home occupation use.
  • Removing occupancy limits from the definition of "family" to align with recent state legislation and make the definition more inclusive of unrelated persons living together.
  • Cleaning up conflicting applicability statements in development standards (landscaping, parking, etc.).
• Commissioners discussed: implications of denial (HUD compliance risk), public notice in Hometown Weekly, the term "housekeeping unit," grandfathering, HOA authority, and storage for home occupations.
• No public hearing comments.
• Motion to approve Resolution P24-05 passed unanimously.

Item 24-149: Reserved Open Space District (RO)

• Staff presented the creation of a new zoning district to comply with Article 11 of the Home Rule Charter, which requires a distinct open space district. The district allows limited uses: open space, park, and parking lot (proposed as permitted by right).
• Dimensional standards: no minimum lot size, setbacks similar to existing open space district.
• Commissioners discussed: whether structures are allowed (accessory structures only), legal implications of denial (non-compliance with charter), and concerns about parking lots as a permitted use. Several commissioners expressed concern that a parking lot could be paved over a large area without public input, potentially conflicting with the purpose of open space.
• After discussion, a motion was made to approve the resolution with an amendment to change parking lot from a permitted use to a use requiring a Special Review Use, which would require a public hearing. The motion passed 6-1, with Commissioner Booth voting no.

Key Outcomes

• Item 24-147: Resolution P24-05 recommending the UDC amendments to Town Council was approved unanimously. The ordinance will be considered by Town Council on May 14, 2024.
• Item 24-149: Resolution P24-06 was approved with a modification to require a Special Review Use for parking lots in the Reserved Open Space District. The vote was 6-1 in favor. The recommendation will be forwarded to Town Council for their May 14 meeting.
• No other votes or decisions were made.

Staff Reports

• Kelly Driscoll noted that the Planning Division now has two interns, and the Comprehensive Plan engagement on scenarios has begun. Upcoming pop-up events and an Arbor Day booth were mentioned.

Commissioner Reports and Discussion

• Discussion of upcoming events: Earth Day/Arbor Day on April 27, 2024, and a reception for boards and commissions on April 25, 2024.
• Reminder about excused absences and attendance requirements.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.