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View Agenda for this meeting
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
Approved
CITY OF NOVI
Regular Meeting
September 12, 2012 7:00 PM
Council Chambers | Novi Civic Center |45175
W. Ten Mile
(248) 347-0475
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
VOICE VOTE ON THE AGENDA APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY MEMBER GRECO AND SECONDED
BY MEMBER ANTHONY:
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
CORRESPONDENCE
COMMITTEE REPORTS
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR REPORT
CONSENT AGENDA - REMOVALS AND APPROVAL
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1.
ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT 18.263
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
Planner Campbell said the City of Novi continues
to make strides toward a greener, more energy efficient and sustainable
community. The City has made a number of energy efficient improvements to
this building and two other facilities throughout the city.
We have recently made Text Amendments to
our Zoning Ordinance to encourage green measures on private property.
We also have a Text Amendment addressing
solar panels and wind turbines on private property.
The City continues to enforce the woodlands and
wetlands protection ordinances as well as the storm water management and
soil erosion prevention ordinances.
The Text Amendment before the Planning
Commission tonight for Public Hearing is consistent with those on-going
efforts.
It is a Text Amendment to the off-street
parking requirements to Section 2505 of the Zoning Ordinance and the intent
is to provide reasonable standards for the design and siting of electric
vehicle charging stations and the parking spaces that go along with them.
Previously, this draft text amendment was brought
before the Planning Commission at the meeting of August 8, 2012.
Following that presentation, the Planning
Commission opted to schedule a Public Hearing for tonight’s meeting.
The proposed text amendment applies reasonable
standards for the design and installation of charging stations and spaces in
commercial parking lots.
The City favors and encourages private
developers installing these measures.
What we want to avoid is having these
stations installed in a location where they may impede pedestrian access,
barrier-free access, or where they might encroach on a set-back requirement.
For the purpose of calculating minimum parking
requirements, these spaces would be treated as standard parking spaces.
The intent would be that a developer or
applicant would not be penalized for putting these spaces; they would not
have to meet the minimum parking requirements for standard spaces in
addition to including these types of electrical charging spaces.
The City would require that the spaces and
the station have the State and national standard sign and pavement marking.
As a general policy, the Planning staff would
encourage private developers to, if not necessarily put the stations in when
they are developing a new site or expanding an additional parking lot, staff
would encourage developers to at least put the infrastructure underground
prior to paving the paving lot.
Conduit could be placed underground in
anticipation of future electric vehicle charging stations.
At some point in the future, it would be an
easy addition to run the wire through the conduit and install the stations.
The alternative being an expensive
retrofit, where someone would have to dig up their parking lot, curbing,
sidewalk, landscaping, or some combination thereof to put in the charging
stations.
The draft Ordinance is based on research and
review of a similar ordinance that was recently adopted by the City of
Auburn Hills.
The Clean Energy Coalition is encouraging
other communities to take similar measures.
The intent is that this could be seen as a
regional economic development measure to attract those technology-based
companies that seek out locations in green communities which Novi strives to
be.
The Clean Energy Coalition is nearing completion
of the “Plug-In Ready Michigan” plan that was funded by the US Department of
Energy. What
is proposed tonight is very consistent with what the Clean Energy Coalition
has drafted to serve as the statewide model.
The Planning Commission is asked to hold the Public
Hearing tonight for the proposed Text Amendment, and following the Public
Hearing, to make a recommendation to the City Council. Chair Pehrson stated that seeing no one in the
audience, there is no audience participation for the public hearing, and
then asked if there was any correspondence. Member Greco answered that there was no
correspondence. Chair Pehrson then closed the public hearing and
turned the matter over to the Planning Commission for consideration or
questions.
Member Greco stated that he had reviewed the
ordinance, as well as the presentation by the Staff, and thought it was
excellent that the City of Novi is joining the charge with other leading
communities and the Ann Arbor-based CEC.
Member Greco believes it is the right
direction for the community to go in and that it encourages private
development to plan and install the infrastructure. Member Greco would like to make a motion to recommend
to the City Council to approve this proposed Text Amendment 18.263 relative
to public electric vehicle charging stations and spaces.
Moved by Member Greco, seconded by Member Anthony:
ROLL CALL VOTE ON MOTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF
TEXT AMENDMENT 18.263 TO CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE STANDARDS FOR THE LOCATION
AND DESIGN OF PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND SPACES, MADE BY
MEMBER GRECO AND SECONDED BY MEMBER ANTHONY:
MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION
1.
APPROVAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION CALENDAR FOR 2013
Deputy Director McBeth reviewed the memo and
calendar for next year anticipating possible dates for Planning Commission
meetings.
Staff again looked primarily at the second
and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
We note that the Library Board has meetings
on the third Wednesday of the month in the Council Chambers.
There are several months where there did
not appear to be a possibility to hold two meetings with various holidays in
March, September, November and December of 2013. Chair Pehrson asked if there were any comments from
the Planning Commission and asked if we needed a motion for approval.
Chair Pehrson said that you also have a
recommendation for the tentative meetings of various Committees.
Deputy Director McBeth said that the Planning
Commission Committee meeting dates are provided in the memo similar to what
we have had in years past. Chair Pehrson asked Deputy Director McBeth if they
could send out that email once again with the various Committees showing
their members and dates and times of the meetings. Deputy Director McBeth answered yes to that request. The Planning Commission had no concerns and approved
the calendar as proposed for 2013.
2. APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 8, 2012 PLANNING
COMMISSION MINUTES
ROLL CALL ON MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 8, 2012
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES MADE BY MEMBER GRECO AND SECONDED BY MEMBER
ANTHONY:
CONSENT AGENDA REMOVALS FOR COMMISSION ACTION
MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
SUPPLEMENTAL ISSUES
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
ADJOURNMENT
VOICE VOTE ON MOTION TO ADJOURN MADE BY MEMBER GRECO AND SECONDED BY MEMBER
ANTHONY:
The meeting adjourned at 7:13 PM.
Transcribed by Juanita Freeman
September, 2012
Date Approved: October 24, 2012
(Signature on File)
_______________________________________________________________________
Richelle Leskun, Planning Assistant
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