WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH PLANNING BOARD MINUTES 321 Causeway Drive, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 June 6, 2017 The Town of Wrightsville Beach Planning Board met at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers located at 321 Causeway Drive, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. PRESENT: Chairman Ken Dull, Vice Chairman Jim Smith, Vivian Zeke Partin, Janice Clark, Jeff DeGroote ABSENT: Susan Snider, David Culp Staff Members Present: Tony Wilson, Director of Planning & Parks Danielle Villegas, Planning Technician CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order by Chairman Ken Dull at 6:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chairman Ken Dull led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Ms. Janice Clark to approve the minutes. Motion seconded by Ms. Zeke Partin and carried unanimously by a vote of (5-0).
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 2 NEW BUSINESS AGENDA ITEM A: CONSIDERATION OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION FOR 209 SOUTH LUMINA AVENUE, ST. THERESE CATHOLIC CHURCH, TO MODIFY THEIR EXISTING CUP TO INCLUDE A MULTIPURPOSE PAVILION, CONTINUED FROM MAY MEETING. STAFF PRESENTATION: Mr. Tony Wilson stated that on March 16, 2017 the Planning and Inspections Department received a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application for 209 South Lumina Avenue. He said that the property owner, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, NC, had appointed Mr. John Sawyer to serve as the authorized agent and he will speak on behalf of the CUP application and the community meeting that was held about the project. Mr. Wilson explained that this application was opened and continued at last month s meeting by the request of the applicant in order to have a community meeting about the project. Mr. Wilson stated the applicant had applied for a CUP to modify the existing church currently operating as St. Therese Catholic Church located at 209 South Lumina Avenue to add a multipurpose pavilion which would be considered. Mr. Wilson stated that St. Therese Catholic Church plans to build a 3,817 square foot multipurpose pavilion providing 2,545 square feet of open air, covered deck and 1,272 square feet of conditioned support space with seating for 180 people. Mr. Wilson further explained the zoning and parking requirements for the church and stated that the neighboring property owned by the parish hall will relocate the existing access ramp to the north side of the property along with nine (9) compact parking spaces with a landscaping buffer along the property line. Mr. Wilson presented the relevant Town ordinances and the Department comments. He also indicated that the appropriate public notices were posted and advertised. Mr. Wilson presented the Staff s recommended conditions including buffers being used during events and stated that the Board may want to consider adding additional conditions. Mr. Wilson further explained that the required parking was calculated based on church occupancy, not the pavilion. PLANNING BOARD QUESTIONS: Ms. Zeke Partin asked Mr. Wilson to further explain the height. Mr. Wilson stated that the architect would explain the height based on his presented plans. Mr. Ken Dull asked the applicant to briefly refresh everyone on the project and move on to present any new information that was not discussed at the previous meeting.
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 3 PRESENTATION BY APPLICANT: Mr. John Sawyer, the Authorized Agent for St. Therese Catholic Church, presented the renderings of the project that were shown last month, then moved on to present new aerial photos that show proposed landscaping buffers. Mr. Sawyer presented proposed parking plans, and interior design plans of all levels. Mr. Sawyer stated that after last month s meeting the applicant met with the community about their concerns. He said the community members expressed distrust concerning the accuracy of the drawings. Mr. Sawyer then proposed to the community, during their meeting, that they do a mockup of the height of the proposed structure to demonstrate what would be visible from different locations. Mr. Sawyer stated that due to bad weather, and one family s pending leave, the mockup was done quickly with a sailboat, mast, and stick to establish a line. Mr. Sawyer presented photos, and a computer model, of the mockup and explained the process. He explained that the height of the roof was 33 feet. Mr. Sawyer stated that they had another meeting with the community that lasted approximately an hour and a half. He said this meeting was moved to Mr. Ken Lloyd s house to examine the view from the pool. He said there was some concern about seeing the pool from the pavilion. He said there was discussion about open walls, movable walls, screens to allow the neighbors a better view of the ocean, or put up permanent walls for a sound buffer. Mr. Sawyer stated that he did not think anything removable would be effective. Mr. Sawyer presented the various landscaping and sound buffer plans from that angle. He stated that Mr. Lloyd seemed agreeable to this plan during the meeting. Mr. Sawyer stated that they are working with a landscaper that works with coastal red cedars and this plan would make a better buffer because they are very dense. He continued to present the possible advantages and disadvantages of the different construction and landscape buffers. Mr. Sawyer then presented the lighting plan and said that he understands the effect of light pollution and is planning a discreet light source. He said the applicant does not want to increase outdoor lighting with light poles. Mr. Kevin Small, speaking on behalf of church, is a parishioner and member of the church finance council. Mr. Small presented the plans for the use of the proposed pavilion. He stated that the plan is to improve the facility for current activities, and it is not intended to increase parishioners. Mr. Small stated that the project is fully financed by the church members and the church has no need to generate money to pay for the project. Mr. Small then presented and described the planned activities for the facility. He described the various activities and the current schedule for these events that he stated was listed in a letter that was presented to the Board. He explained that St. Therese is not a typical wedding reception destination and they do not intend to advertise the site for additional receptions. He also stated that only one meeting, that meets 4 times a year with 50-80 people, that is normally held off site will be a new event for the property. PUBLIC HEARING: Chairman Dull opened the public hearing on the proposed modification of the
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 4 Conditional Use Permit. IN FAVOR: Harvey Ader, Church parishioner, clarified that most meetings are daytime meetings. He also stated that church socials, although evening events, are usually cleaned up and done by 9pm. Tom Brown, Church parishioner and former church business manager, emphasized that the church understands parking is not ideal. He stated that there is no expectation that parking will get worse as they are not expanding. OPPOSE: Vance Forbes, 214 South Lumina Avenue, stated that he represented the adjacent property owners that opposed the project. He said that he was a part of the community meeting and that it was amicable and everyone had an opportunity to express their viewpoints, but unfortunately they were unable to reach an agreement. He asked the Planning Board to deny the request to build the pavilion. He stated that the proposed use does not satisfy the R-2 zoning ordinance because it could endanger the community due to parking and traffic issues. He also said that it does not meet the general requirements as it will reduce, damage, and impair the neighbor s property. Mr. Forbes stated that it does not satisfy the spirit of the Land Use Plan by maintaining a small town environment. Ms. Zeke Partin asked if Mr. Forbes had an ocean view from his house. He stated that he did have a view. Ms. Partin asked what would happen to his view if the church built the pavilion. Mr. Forbes said his view would be eliminated. Mr. Jeff DeGroote asked if there was any common ground during the meeting. Mr. Forbes said the meeting went well, and architects tried to come up with solutions to appease the neighbors, but he is in principal opposed to the structure in a residential neighborhood. Mr. Ken Dull asked if he represented others in the community. Mr. Forbes said that his speech was coauthored by Ken Lloyd. Paige Waltz, 210 South Lumina Avenue, stated that she has always had a good relationship with the church and helped the church during storms and with parking. She stated that she was a part of the effort to fight against the church being torn down and being turned into a parking lot in 2011. Ms. Waltz stated that she has noticed violations in the CUP in the past, and believes it will get worse. She said that the structure will be inconsistent with neighborhood. Ms. Waltz also expressed concern about people drinking during social events and driving home after drinking alcohol. She said that the parking lot is only supposed to be used during church services, but the parking lot is often used by parishioners to visit the beach.
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 5 Neil Briggi, West Henderson Street, stated that after the last meeting he tried to think about how this pavilion will affect the future. He stated that his first concern is what will prevent this from becoming a beach club where you can donate money to use the location to go to the beach. He also was concerned with what will limit the activity list from growing. Miss Nancy Faye Craig stated that she is neither for nor against the project, but asked the Board to consider conditions on lighting due to the sea turtles. APPLICANT S RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS: Mr. Sawyer stated that they tried to work with the neighbors and will continue to work with them. He stated that at the beginning of the meeting everyone agreed that everyone s presence was a benefit to all. He then explained some other buildings that are being built in the neighborhood, and stated that the church is not trying to build anything that will stand out in a negative way. He said that the church is not trying to build something that will max out the square footage allowed on the lot. Mr. Sawyer explained that funds have been raised to build the pavilion, so the church is not trying to gain parishioners, or get a better return on investment. He also stated that he feels the neighborhood is better with the church, and reminded the Board that churches are a permitted use in this district. PLANNING BOARD AND STAFF DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS: Ms. Janice Clark stated that parking is horrible all over the island, and does not see where building the pavilion will make a difference one way or another. Ms. Zeke Partin asked what percentage of the parishioners support the pavilion. The applicant stated that around 80 percent. Ms. Partin said she knows church members can park there to visit the beach and asked if a donation is required. The applicant stated that no donation is required, just a sticker. Mr. Jim Smith explained that the Board cannot oppose the pavilion due to its size because it complies with zoning. He stated that he is more concerned about noise and use, and would like to add to the conditions something about a noise complaint versus a citation. He also reminded everyone that the church was there when neighbors bought their property and the church is smaller than other structures in the neighborhood. He stated that he is concerned about wedding receptions, alcohol, and noise. Mr. Smith stated that he would be in favor of the pavilion with more restrictions and conditions. Mr. Jeff DeGroote agrees that this is a tough decision, and sees both sides. He stated that he hoped the community meeting would develop a resolution. Mr. DeGroote said that Mr. Sawyer has done great work in the past when the Methodist Church expanded and limited the impact to the neighborhood. He stated that he wants to see St. Therese be able to use their space, but sees the addition as changing the setting from R-2
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 6 Zoning to a more commercial zone. Mr. Smith asked about the Church s zoning. Mr. Wilson explained that 207 is considered R-2, and the other property is G-1. He stated that the pavilion was proposed for the G-1 portion of the property. Mr. Ken Dull asked what types of changes require the church to come before the Board. Mr. Wilson stated that any repairs do not require Board approval, but any additions to deck space or square footage requires a modification of their CUP. Mr. Dull asked if this building could replace another space in a way that does not add as much impact to site. The applicant stated that they are just moving current activities to the pavilion and that the numbers do not change. Mr. Dull said he is just wondering how much new space is actually needed and said it is important to not impact neighboring resident s rights. He then asked the opposition if there was anything the church could do that the neighbors would not oppose. One neighbor stated that the event tent they used for overflow during the summer was fine. Ms. Sue Pearson, church parishioner, stated that if they tore down the parish hall, and built a huge new structure like the neighbor s house they would be allowed, but the neighbors do not want them to do anything. Mr. Dull clarified with Mr. Wilson that any other building would come before the Board. Mr. Dull asked Mr. Sawyer if the applicant has considered a smaller structure or an enclosed structure. Mr. Sawyer said the applicant looked at many options, but they chose this because it was smaller and did not require a mortgage. Ms. Partin said due to the building s location, it seems too large and it does not seem to really fit the residential neighborhood. The applicant then said they tried to make it inviting to the eye, and not very big in relation to neighboring structures. He thinks this building will help with the noise by adding a roof to the events. He said historically, there has not been a history of noise complaints. OH Parish, 202 South Lumina Avenue, stated that he never had a problem with the size, he has a problem with it being an outdoor beach club type structure. MOTION: Motion by Ms. Zeke Partin to forward an unfavorable recommendation to the Board of Aldermen. Motion seconded by Mr. Jeff DeGroote and carried by a vote of (4-1). OLD BUSINESS None at this time.
June 6, 2017 Wrightsville Beach Planning Board Minutes Page 7 OTHER BUSINESS FROM CHAIRPERSON OR BOARD MEMBERS None at this time OTHER BUSINESS FROM STAFF None at this time. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the board, Ms. Janice Clark made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Ms. Zeke Partin, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote at 7:10 p.m. Vote (5-0). Respectfully Submitted, Danielle Villegas, Planning Technician