#1 Authorize plant screening reduction at SSI Technologies (File Res. #2010-678)
Community Development Department Memorandum
March 8, 2010
TO: Janesville City Council
FROM: Vicky Miller, Development Specialist
SUBJECT: Action on a proposed resolution authorizing the reduction of a plant screening
requirement (from 80 to 40 feet) on property located at 3330 Palmer Drive (SSI
Technologies) (File Resolution No. 2010-678)
Summary
Excel Engineering, on behalf of SSI Technologies Inc. is requesting a reduction in the plant
screening requirement adjacent to the north property line at 3330 Palmer Drive from 80 feet
to 40 feet in order that there may be parking spaces constructed in front of the building. SSI
will be constructing a building addition on the north (front) elevation of the building which will
displace the existing parking in that location.
Department Recommendation
The Plan Commission and Community Development Department recommend that the City
Council support a motion to approve Resolution No. 2010-678 reducing the plant screening
requirement (from 80 feet to 40 feet) along the north property line at 3330 Palmer Drive (SSI
Technologies Inc.), subject to the conditions listed in the motion below.
City Manager’s Recommendation
The City Manager defers to the Plan Commission.
Suggested Motion
To approve Resolution No. 2010-678 reducing the plant screening requirement (from 80 feet
to 40 feet) along the north property line at 3330 Palmer Drive (SSI Technologies Inc.), subject
to the following conditions:
1. That the site plan review letter dated February 23, 2010 be adhered to.
2. That a copy of the recorded affidavit for the screening requirement reduction be submitted
to Staff prior to issuance of a final occupancy permit for the building addition.
Background
A. The subject property is approximately 6.57 acres and is located at 3330 Palmer Drive.
SSI also owns approximately 1 ½ acres southwest of the property which is referred to as a
“satellite site” for reserved parking should the business operations require the need for
more parking than can be accommodated on site. Both properties are zoned M1, Light
Industrial District. Surrounding properties include industrial uses to the east, west and
south and residential uses to the north.
B. SSI has operated at this location since 1978 and currently manufactures powdered metal
components. Production is approximately 80 percent automotive, globally providing parts
such as anti-lock brake parts and exhaust flanges. SSI also performs non-automotive
applications in many other industries such as military, food processing, and HVAC
equipment.
C. An 80 foot wide plant screening strip was established on a certified survey map recorded
in 1977 along the north property line (parallel to Palmer Drive) in order to buffer the
residential neighbors across the street from business and trucking traffic generated at
3330 Palmer Drive. An 80 foot screening requirement was also established along the
west property line; however, it was reduced in 1983 to twenty feet when SSI expanded
operations onto the adjacent lot at 3200 Palmer Drive (SSI no longer owns this lot).
D. SSI added onto the southwest corner of the facility in 2009 and is in the process of
applying for permits to expand again on the northeast corner with a 10,350 square foot
addition. The addition will be constructed in an area where there is currently customer
parking. Since the addition will be located outside of the existing 80 foot screening strip,
the building review is being conducted by Staff and no Plan Commission review is
required for this element. However, the Plan Commission must review the proposed site
plan (see attached) since SSI is requesting to reduce the screening requirement to 40
feet. The reduction would allow replacement of the existing parking which will be
eliminated when the building addition is constructed.
E. Attached is a copy of the proposed affidavit which would reduce the screening
requirement from 80 feet to 40 feet. That requirement was recorded as a restriction on the
original survey. Staff has included a condition in this recommendation that would require
the petitioner to provide Staff with a recorded copy of the affidavit prior to issuance of an
occupancy permit for the building addition.
F. Staff recommends approval of the proposal, subject to the conditions of the site plan
review letter dated February 23, 2010 (see attached). The conditions of the letter are
premised on an approval of the reduction to a 40 foot wide plant screening strip. (Staff’s
recommended changes are outlined on the attached revised site plan.) Highlights of the
letter include:
1. The project meets the zoning ordinance requirements for parking and greenspace.
Parking requirements will be met by showing 64 reserved stalls on the satellite site.
The ordinance requires that greenspace requirements be satisfied on the subject
parcel and in this case, they are; however, any future expansion of the building or
pavement area would likely cause a deficiency.
2. The drive aisle in front of the building must be marked as a one-way path with painted
pavement markings and a “Do Not Enter” sign from the east exit point. In addition, this
drive aisle narrows to 17 feet wide at one point and the Fire Department Inspector
emphasized that this area must be kept free of obstructions and any snow build-up
along the edges at all times.
3. The current parking lot is in need of repair and maintenance which Staff believes
should be completed along with this project.
4. Landscaping in front of the new parking stalls must include taller and more dense
screening than proposed. Staff is requiring evergreen plantings (to be a minimum of
42 inches in height at time of planting) which would remain “full” on a year-round basis.
Staff is also requiring that the landscaping around the electric transformer in this area
be modified to provide better screening on the north, east and west sides of the unit.
G. The current zoning ordinance requires a 10 foot wide landscape green area screen
opposite or adjoining a residence district. In addition, in new city industrial parks, the City
has implemented restrictive covenants to require the establishment of a 50 foot green
area screen opposite a residential district. The 80 foot screen planting area at SSI was
placed as a restriction on a certified survey map approved in the late 1970’s to screen the
industrial uses from the residential area on the north side of Palmer Drive. Since that
time, a well established landscape buffer screen has been created. The development of
the parking will have a minimum impact on this existing landscaping. Staff supports the
reduction of the 80 foot screen at this time because the applicant is willing to install
additional landscaping to further screen the parking area and building. In addition,
establishing a loop parking area in front of the building will provide a better layout for the
facility. A similar reduction was approved for 3430 Palmer Drive (Lab Safety) in 1985
when that 80 foot screening requirement was reduced to 67 feet to facilitate a building
expansion.
Staff’s role in this matter is to balance the needs of the neighbors while facilitating growth
of the business. Staff believes that the request to provide customer parking in front of the
building with the expansion of SSI is reasonable and that the increase in density and
height of the landscaping to the remaining screening area will create a balance to the
residential needs across Palmer Drive.
Plan Commission Action – 1 March 2010
Vicky Miller, Development Specialist, presented the written staff report.
A public hearing was opened and the following person appeared to speak regarding this item.
?
Bill Fassbender, 3513 Palmer Drive, voiced concerns about the reduction of parking on
the site possibly causing employees to park out on the street. He stated that he didn’t
have any other concerns with the project.
Chairperson Helgerson asked if the main reason for reducing the requirement would be to
add parking. Miller stated that reducing the setback would allow SSI to replace the parking
that would be displaced with building addition. She indicated that she had been to the site
several times, currently there isn’t a parking problem and since they are not reducing parking
spaces there shouldn’t be a problem with approval of this reduction.
The public hearing was closed.
Commissioner Zolidis asked if SSI would be adding more employees with the addition. Miller
indicated that they may possibly add 40 more people to a shift in the future but it would be a
slow growth. She added that SSI has a satellite site for parking in case they run out of
parking in the current lot.
Commissioner Perrotto asked if SSI could encourage their employees to use the existing
parking as opposed to parking on the street. Representatives from SSI were in attendance at
the meeting and indicated that they could do that. Cantrell added that there are a lot of Mercy
employees parking on Palmer Drive because those spaces are closer to Mercy than the
parking lot for that building. He added that Mercy has attempted to encourage their
employees to use the parking lot.
There was a motion by Commissioner Werner with a second by Commissioner Adams to
approve the reduction of a plant screening requirement (from 80 to 40 feet) on property
located at 3330 Palmer Drive and to forward a favorable recommendation to the City Council
subject to the following conditions:
1. That the site plan review letter dated February 23, 2010 be adhered to.
2. That a copy of the recorded affidavit for the screening requirement reduction be
submitted to Staff prior to issuance of a final occupancy permit for the building addition.
The motion carried on a 7-0-0 vote.
cc: Brad Cantrell
RESOLUTION NO. 2010-678
Action on a proposed resolution authorizing the reduction of a plant screening
requirement from eighty (80) feet to forty (40) feet along the north property line located
at 3330 Palmer Drive (SSI Technologies, Inc.).
WHEREAS, a certified survey map consisting of Lots One and Two in the City of
Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, was approved by the City Council on June 13, 1977;
and
WHEREAS, a copy of said certified survey map is attached and made part of this
Resolution; and
WHEREAS, said certified survey map was recorded in the Register of Deeds Office in
Rock County on July 7, 1977 in Volume 6, Pages 331 and 332 of Certified Survey Maps of
Rock County, Wisconsin; and
WHEREAS, a restriction was placed on Lot One of said certified survey map which
required an 80 foot screen planning strip along the north lot line; and
WHEREAS, Lot One is now occupied by SSI Technologies, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, SSI Technologies, Inc. wishes to construct a building addition onto the
northeast corner of the existing building and thus necessitates development of customer
parking in a portion of the area reserved for screen planting, thereby resulting in a 40 foot
encroachment into the screen planting area; and
WHEREAS, SSI Technologies, Inc. plans to fully landscape the parking area which will
screen this parking area from the adjoining street; and
WHEREAS, the Plan Commission reviewed and considered the proposed screening
reduction at a public meeting on Monday, March 1, 2010, and voted in favor of
recommending that the City Council approve the request subject to installing additional
landscaping along the proposed parking lot as provided in the site plan review letter and
filing an affidavit noting this screening reduction; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the neighboring properties are adequately protected
by a screen planting of forty (40) feet and that it would not be contrary to the public interest
to reduce the width of the required screen planting from 80 feet to 40 feet; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council that the 80 foot wide screen
planting restriction along the north lot line shown on Lot One of said certified survey map
be reduced to a 40 foot wide screen planting restriction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a landscape plan that screens the planned parking lot
which encroaches into the said 80 foot screen planting area from Palmer Drive be
submitted to the Site Plan Review Coordinator for approval.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon adoption of this Resolution, the City Clerk is
directed to record a certified copy of this Resolution with the Register of Deeds in Rock
County.
ADOPTED:
Motion by:
Second by:
Council member Aye Nay Pass Absent
APPROVED:
Brunner
McDonald
Perrotto
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Rashkin
Steeber
Truman
Voskuil
ATTEST:
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney, Wald Klimczyk
Proposed by: City Plan Commission
Prepared by: Community Development Department