IRONWOOD, MI - Thursday, May 08, 2008 - The regular meeting of the Ironwood Planning Commission was held at 5:30 PM, CST, in the Community Development Conference Room, on the second floor of the Memorial Building yesterday, May 07, 2008.

The meeting was called to order by Planning Commission Chairman John Wyssling.

Planning Commission Secretary Jane Bowman called roll. All members were present except for Jackie Powers and Joe Karius who were excused. The members in attendance included: (1) Sam Davey, (2) John Kasieta, (3) Bob Schonberg, (4) Eric Lytwyniuk, (5) Chairman John Wyssling, (6) Debbie Bowles, (7) Mark Fitting, and (8) Margaret Rayner.

Also in attendance were Paul Raymond, Ironwood Daily Globe reporter Ralph Ansami and yours truly.

The first order of business was to approve the minutes of the April 02, 2008 Public Hearing/Meeting. The second order of business was to approve the docket. Both were approved unanimously.

Chairman Wyssling then asked if any citizens wished to addressed the Commission on Agenda Items.

COLONIAL SKATELAND

Paul Raymond asked what was going on at the old Colonial Skateland on Greenbush Street. He explained to the Commission that construction is going on there, and there doesn't appear to be any building permit. He asked the Commission how it was possible for someone to purchase the property and develop it for business without first approaching the Planning Commission. The property is zoned residential.

Wyssling told Raymond that the Commission was never approached. Commissioner Kasieta told the Commission that he asked City Assessor Dennis Hewitt about the Colonial, earlier in the week. Kasieta told the Commission that Hewitt was unaware at that time that any activity was going on there, but he would check on it.

Kasieta told the Commission that a new roof was put on the building; the front has been excavated; and they are putting in a new foundation with a block wall footing under the building. Kasieta told the Commission that no building permit had been obtained, according to Hewitt.

Dan Petersen told the Commission that he would check with Dennis to see what was going on.

Mr. Wyssling explained to Mr. Raymond that another party had previously approached the Commission requesting that the property be re-zoned from residential to commercial. He pointed out to Raymond that the Commission turned down that request.

Raymond expressed his concern that nobody knows what is going on, and that the proper procedure wasn't followed.

Today Dennis Hewitt told the Chronicle that he immediately called the new owner of the property, Bob D'Antonio, after John Kasieta spoke with him. Mr. D'Antonio told Hewitt that he had plans to remodel the structure, but no construction had yet begun. D'Antonio assured Hewitt that he would get a permit before construction started. Hewitt informed the Chronicle that D'Antonio did get a building permit, and he has now begun construction.

BONDING AND US-2 PARKING SET-BACKS

Dan Petersen then addressed the Commission to update them on the sub-committee review of the US-2 access management ordinance. He explained that the sub-committee went over the ordinance and they forwarded concerns over to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The two major concerns were (1) the bonding issue – according to the ordinance as it is written, the City is responsible for obtaining any bonds for contractors doing work on US-2. MDOT also requires a bond. Is the City therefor required to obtain two bonds?; and (2) parking set-backs – Petersen said the current set-back for car dealerships (25 feet) basically makes most parking along US-2 impractical and unusable.

The Commission went on to discuss the MDOT plans for the US-2 Corridor. According to MDOT, Margret Rayner said, consideration for improvements wouldn't even be given until 2013 at the earliest. She told the Commission she thought it was odd that MDOT would even be discussing any of these issues now. The Commission agreed that it is very unlikely, given the current economic condition that any improvements are likely in the near future.

Mark Fitting asked if the set-back issue was going through or not. Petersen told Fitting that a City ordinance would need to be passed. He explained that MDOT was making the recommendation that a set-back be put in place. The majority of the Commissioners seemed to disagree with the set-back. The general consensus of the Commission was that the set-back was too restrictive. They agreed that most of the existing businesses would lose most of their parking.

Petersen told the Commission that he would let them know when he hears from MDOT on the issue.

PROJECT UPDATES

Sexually Orientated Business Ordinance - Petersen told the Planning Commission that the City Commission would be discussing the issue at the next City Commission meeting. He said he expects a public hearing date to be set and then a final approve should be forthcoming.

Josephson's Nursing Home Expansion - Petersen told the Commission that an amended Site Plan was submitted and all twelve corrections were made.

PUD District - Petersen told the Commission that the sale of the Buda property fell through due to zoning delays. He said he spoke with Mark Silver and Mr. Silver told him that he would still like to go ahead with the PUD overlay plan for the other properties that requested the zone overlay. Petersen told the Commission that the City Commission would be considering final passage of that ordinance at their next meeting.

Gogebic County Comprehensive Plan - Petersen told the Commission that a Comprehensive Plan meeting was taking place as he spoke at the College. He welcomed any of the Commissioners to stop by after the Planning Commission meeting. He explained that he would be attending the meeting as soon as the Planning Commission meeting adjourned.

Zoning Ordinances - Petersen told the Commission that the City Commission was about to start final approval of the Zoning Ordinance, however, Petersen felt there were issues that needed to be addressed by the DIDA and others. He said he would like to have the DIDA's input on the Zoning Ordinances, and that he was going to ask the City Commission to send the Zoning Ordinances to the DIDA for their review.

Sale of City Property - Petersen told the Commission that Dennis Hewitt presented him with a proposal from a gentleman who wants to purchase a 3.5 acre parcel of City property located on Birch and Hazel Streets. He wants to build a garage first, and then a house within four years. The property is not surplus property. If the lot was to be sold, it would require an appraisal and it would need to go up for bids.

Wyssling remembered the property and he told the Commission that City infrastructure doesn't service the lot. The Planning Commission, according to Wyssling, had previously decided not to declare the property surplus. He told the Commission that it was decided that the property could someday be used for multi-family residential or other such development.

Fitting said most property that the City sells includes a "two-year build clause." He went on to say that the gentleman doesn't appear to be wanting to honor such a clause. Wyssling pointed out the building the garage first might be satisfaction of the clause.

Rayner asked if there was a "completion clause" in the City. Wyssling said the only option the City had was the "build clause." Rayner said other communities set a completion date where a complete residence must be finished by a specific date.

Hovey's Towering Pines - Bob Schonberg asked Petersen if there was any news on the Towering Pines project. Petersen told Schonberg that he spoke with Tim Hunnicutt from Hovey, and Hunnicutt informed him that he is still waiting for MSHDA approval.

Wyssling pointed out that the plans were already submitted for the project, but changes needed to be made.

CITIZENS COMMENTS

Vacant Cloverland Drive Lots - Paul Raymond asked what was happening with the properties along U.S. 2 that have remained stagnant for years. Raymond pointed out several properties along Cloverland Drive that sit empty and are so overpriced that nobody will ever develop them. He asked the Commission if the City had any "anti-speculative"ordinances in effect. He asked why the properties like the old K-Mart aren't being reassessed to reflect their high asking prices. Logically, if the property is being sold for $1.3 million, it should have a higher assessment value. He stated that other communities do things that prevent people from speculating. He said if vacant lots were reassessed at a higher value then people would be more anxious to sell them to developers.

Ahonen Lumber Mill - John Kasieta asked what can be done with the old Ahonen Lumber Mill property. He said it is contaminated and unsafe. John Wyssling told Kasieta that several actions have already been taken to clean up the property. He said the property was declared as "Brownfield Development" and that there are incentives for developers to clean up and re-use the land.

Dan Petersen said he wanted to look at the property. He asked where it was, and the Commission bombarded him with directions. He said he would take a drive by the property and check it out.

Kasieta asked why the owners of the property weren't forced to clean it up. Wyssling told Kasieta that they had already paid over $125,000 to clean it up as best they could. He explained that asbestos was removed from the buildings and the garage. He said believed that some of the structures were collapsed from snow loads, but attempts had been made by the Ahonen family to clean up the property.

Wyssling said the contaminated soil on the property can be corrected. It was in isolated areas and there is money available for developers.

Hovey & the Ahonen Mill - I took off my reporter visor for a minute and I asked the Commission a couple of questions. Was Hovey ever offered the Ahonen property? Wyssling told me that they were.

I pointed out that the Hovey application to MSHDA stated that the Ayer Street property (where they plan on building) qualified for "Brownfield" funds. What is the contamination or problem on that property? Mr. Wyssling said that there were buildings on that property at one time. He asked Kasieta to verify that. Kasieta said, "Homes!" He also stated there was a pole yard there at one time too as well as the high school football field.

Wyssling said the land was contaminated by the creosote used on the poles. I asked the Commission why the Schonberg property, directly adjacent to the Hovey property wasn't contaminated. "They did a study, an extensive study, to find out what I was buying." Schonberg said.

Old K-Mart Lot - Debbie Bowles asked if there were any serious inquiries to purchase the old K-Mart property. Mr. Wyssling said there were.

Old Hardees - Commissioner Bowles asked if there was any interest in the old Hardees as well. Schonberg told Bowles that the country is in a recession and that many companies are closing stores – not building them. He said that doesn't mean that nothing will ever come here!

Sub-Committee List - Mr. Wyssling handed out copies of a new sub-committee list that shows which Commissioners serve on which sub-committees. He asked that the Commissioners get together and work closely with one another to schedule appropriate meeting dates and times.

An email list will be compiled so that Planning Commissioners can easily contact one another to meet. Dan Petersen warned the Commission that emails fall under the Open Meetings Act, and that certain correspondence through email can violate that Act. He cautioned that messages sent to "Reply All" are, by the language of the Act, a violation of the quorum rules of the Open Meetings Act.

Adjournment - After discussing the Sub-Committee list, the fifty minute meeting was adjourned unanimously by the Commission.

AUDIO  (53:03 Minutes)

Jim Albert