PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

1. Call to Order

The regular meeting of the Fremont Planning Commission was held at City Hall in the Council Chambers. The meeting was called to order at 3:18 PM.

2. Roll Call

Present: Dale Hansen, Chairman

Mike DeKuiper

John Frens

Jack Butterick

Lon Vredeveld

Absent: Charles Whitman

Robert Goscicki

Others Present: Joan M. Obits, Sherman Township Supervisor

David J. Lue, Sheridan Township Supervisor

James M. Rynberg, Fremont Mayor

Cheryl Scales, Progressive Engineering

Steve Langworthy, LSL Planning, Inc.

Ryan Coffey, Land Use Educator, MSU-Extension Office

Chris Yonker, Fremont City Manager

Richard Rought, Fremont Zoning Administrator

Michele Ribant, Fremont Director of Neighborhood & Economic Development

3. Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the March 22, 2005 Planning Commission meeting were approved as presented.

4. Site Plan Approval: Arby’s Restaurant

Chairman Hansen indicated that plans for an Arby’s Restaurant to be located at 1408 W. Main Street have been provided to the City. Richard Rought confirmed that the plans submitted satisfy the basic requirements in the Zoning Ordinance.

Cheryl Scales of Progressive Engineering presented the Arby’s plan to the Commission. She indicated that the Arby’s would be a 74-seat restaurant with 52 parking spaces and 8 drive-through stacking spaces. The dumpster located on site will be enclosed with a masonry structure with doors. The landscaping would serve as a screen between Arby’s and the residential properties to the south. She stated that the developer would connect the proposed sidewalk to the end of the sidewalk just east of this lot, which was not shown on the submitted site plan. She also clarified that the proposed lighting would be fully shielded so as not to allow glare to impact adjoining properties or the roadway.

John Frens inquired whether Arby’s would be willing to provide cross access from its site to the McDonald’s site to the east and to the undeveloped site to the west. Ms. Scales indicated that her client would be willing to permit cross access between the McDonald’s property and the undeveloped property to the west of the proposed Arby’s. She noted that one way to ensure that such a cross access would happen would be for an access easement to be secured from property line to property line on the proposed Arby’s site.

Mike DeKuiper made a motion to approve the Arby’s plan as presented and clarified, with the proviso that landscaping not obstruct the proposed future cross access point that would align the northerly east/west drives of the proposed Arby’s site and the McDonald site directly east. Jack Butterick seconded the motion, and the motion carried.

5. Planning & Zoning Training Session

Mr. Steve Langworthy of LSL Planning Inc., the City’s planning consultant for the new zoning ordinance project, conducted a training session on the principles of form-based zoning. This was the initial effort under the company’s contract with the City to educate the Commission on this new concept in zoning that will be used in creating the City’s new zoning ordinance.

6. Reports

Mike DeKuiper inquired as to how the City could acquire more liquor licenses. Mr. Yonker indicated that the number of “quota” licenses issued to a City is based upon population and that those licenses have been issued. Mr. Yonker indicated that another way to obtain a liquor license is to acquire a resort class C liquor license, which can be bought and transferred to an owner of an establishment in Fremont . Mr. Yonker indicated that there may be other ways (e.g., allotments by the State LCC to a DDA) to acquire liquor licenses.

7. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:34 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Richard Rought

Zoning Administrator