Germantown Design Review Commission Meeting – November 19, 2024

The Germantown Design Review Commission met on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 1930 S. Germantown Rd., following an executive session listed for 5:30 p.m. The commission established a quorum, approved the minutes from the October 22, 2024 meeting, approved a two-item consent agenda, and voted unanimously to approve the revised final site plan for Little Georgie's Daycare at St. George's Independent School.

Consent Calendar

• The chair moved two regular-agenda items to the consent agenda: (23-004) Courtyard by Marriott, 7750 Wolf River Blvd., a sign package by Williams Signs Co.; and (24-025) Germantown Presbyterian Church, 2363 South Germantown Rd., revised ground signs by Sign Matters.
• One commissioner asked that their recusal on the Germantown Presbyterian Church item (5B) be noted. No commissioner or audience member requested removal of either item, and the consent agenda was approved by roll-call vote.

Discussion Items

• (24-015) Little Georgie's Daycare, 8235 Dogwood Rd. / St. George's Independent School: Staff presented a request to convert a school-owned single-family house, used as offices since the 1980s, into an infant daycare program. The daycare is an accessory use in a single-family residential zoning district; the expansion previously went to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission, and a traffic study found the impact not significant.
• Applicant Kyle Slatery (155 Dill Place) said St. George's has operated since 1959 and is seeing demand from alumni families, including infants as young as six weeks old. No additional signage was part of this application.
• The revised site plan keeps the building layout, adds a small parking-area expansion, uses an entrance-only access off Dogwood Road, and routes drop-off traffic through the campus toward exits on Poplar Avenue or Dogwood Road. Exterior changes include gray paint with green shutters and cream trim, added landscaping along Dogwood to soften views, and parking-lot lighting with photometric values zeroing out at property lines as required by the design review manual.
• A commissioner asked about lighted gate arms on Poplar. Staff said the gatehouse and traffic arm went through administrative approval, but the lights were not part of that approval and have been turned off.
• A commissioner observed that the plan appears to double infant care and increase overall staff and students by roughly 20%. Staff cited a trip-generation report, traffic analysis, and intersection signal analysis, noting that about half of students on campus are faculty children or siblings, so 40 additional children and 9 additional staff would not necessarily mean 50 additional vehicle trips.
• In deliberation, one commissioner supported approval based on the completed checklist, landscaping, and screening; another noted the Board of Zoning Appeals had asked about operating hours, which should reduce traffic outside peak school times; a third expressed some disagreement with the "non-impact" traffic characterization but said the site has enough space to accommodate the increased load.

Old Business & Staff Updates

• Staff reported that the Germantown Village Square landscape refresh is still active; after a site meeting, plans are expected in January.
• Along Poplar Avenue, MLG&W removed damaged street trees in front of Germantown Village Square and is planting Columnar Oaks, which are expected to perform better near overhead power lines. A commissioner confirmed the new trees are in.

New Business

• A short-term task force was proposed to create a streetscape landscaping template for major thoroughfares with overhead power lines, specifically beginning with the Poplar Corridor, with the goal of gaining MLG&W buy-in. The idea was credited to Commissioner Schweikoffer. Proposed members were Chairman Bruns, the originating commissioner, Commissioner Christopher Schmidt if agreeable, and Robert Sloan. The first meeting was penciled for December 10 at 4:30 p.m.; no formal vote was requested, only consensus.

Commission Liaison Reports

• Parks and Recreation Commissioner Brian Carney reported that youth sports provider fees were approved at the last Parks and Recreation meeting after public concerns about price increases, especially for families with two or three children in multiple sports. He also noted the city provides facilities but not concession equipment, citing a parent collection to buy an ice machine; the fee issue was sent back to a subcommittee.
• Carney also reported wayfinding sign installation has started; signs marked with a white X are being replaced, and the new signs along the greenline look consistent.
• Holiday event dates were shared: tree lighting on November 29 at Municipal Pond, with festivities at 5:00 p.m. and the tree lit at 5:30 p.m.; the holiday parade on December 14 at 2:00 p.m.; and Lights on the Farm on December 7 from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m., with sleigh rides, Santa's workshop, ornament decorating, animals, hot chocolate, and more.
• Public Art Commission: Commissioner Schmidt was attending a Public Art Commission meeting, so no report was given. Other liaisons reported nothing.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes unanimously.
• Approved the consent agenda containing the Courtyard by Marriott sign package and Germantown Presbyterian Church revised ground signs, with one recusal noted on the church item.
• Approved (24-015) Little Georgie's Daycare revised final site plan. All voting members present voted yes; Commissioner Schmidt was absent.
• With site-plan approval, the applicant may submit construction drawings to the city engineer, the fire marshal, and the state fire marshal.
• The commission recessed until January; members were reminded that board re-applications are due November 30.