Town of Seven Devils

Planning Board Minutes

April 16, 2007

 

 

 

Call to Order

 

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 pm by Chairman David Hooper. Other members present were Vice Chairman Bob Haugh, Loren Williams, George Ehlinger, Mike Tarlton, Butch McLean and Sarah Manning.  Also present was Town Manager Brad Lambert and Zoning Administrator Don Fulkerson.  Town Clerk Karen Daniels recorded the minutes.

 

Adopt Agenda

 

Chairman Hooper stated he wanted to add two items under VII.  New Business –

(D) Report on the Water Meeting

(E) Report on the Golf Course Meeting

 

Loren Williams made a motion to adopt the agenda as amended.  Mike Tarlton seconded the motion.  The members agreed unanimously.  

 

Approval of Minutes of March 19, 2007 Regular Meeting

 

Butch McLean stated he was present at the March 19, 2007 meeting.  The Town Clerk stated she would correct the minutes.

 

Mike Tarlton made a motion to approve the March19, 2007 minutes as amended. Loren Williams seconded the motion.  The members agreed unanimously.       

 

Citizen Comments

 

Mayor Pro Tem Richard DeMott made an announcement that the Watauga County Fire Marshall Steve Sudderth will be present at the next Town Council meeting on May 14, 2007 to discuss fire safety concerns.  The Town Council encourages any Planning Board members that are interested to attend. Chairman Hooper stated it sounds like a meeting the Public Safety Committee would be interested in attending. 

 

Tom Bookstaver, 231 Snow Cloud Drive stated “I have a question regarding the March 13, 2007 meeting at Valley Cruses when you reconvened at 10:00 am.  When Karen Smith and Kristy Carter gave a presentation, one of your legal issues – Planning Board Members trespassing on property as part of duties, where in your minutes did you state how Ms Smith or Ms Carter addressed this question?  Also, I would like to make a comment on the November 20, 2006 minutes under Citizen Comments (Marybeth Yoder-White Woodwinds Subdivision stated she strongly recommend the board consider what we might do to keep property as it is now.  This was regarding the Blair Mountain properties.  I'd just like to say if she wants to keep it as it is now she is welcome to purchase it.  Everything does have a price on it.  I remember when Woodwinds was causing quiet a bit of havoc but she didn't have a problem with that.  She purchased there but now she doesn't want anyone to develop past her place.” 

 

Chairman Hooper stated that regarding Planning Board Members trespassing on property as part of duties is, the Planning Board Members have to be invited or have permission to go on the property.  It could be set up with the property owner by the Zoning Administrator.  Planning Board Members do not have blanketed rights to go onto anyone's property.  They have to get authorization from the owner.     

 

Administrative Comments – Don Fulkerson

 

Sarah Manning asked the Zoning Administrator about the status of the house on Skiview and Swiss Lane that is called ‘The Ruins’?  The Zoning Administrator stated it is still under construction.  Sarah asked hasn't the year passed for the outside to be completed?  The Zoning Administrator stated they have eighteen months to complete the outside and believes they are close to having the outside completed. 

 

Old Business

 

  1. Handling of fire in tall buildings in town – The Board continued discussions concerning how to handle fires in condominiums and tall buildings.  The Zoning Administer was asked if Sugar and Beech require sprinkler systems in condominiums.  The Zoning Administrator stated they cannot, although they would like to.  Under state law sprinklers are regulated by the state building code and Towns can not supersede that.  He stated the Town can encourage it and fund it but the Town can not require it.  Several ideas concerning how the Town would fight such a fire were suggested and Chairman Hooper stated he would make a list of Board Members recommendations to give to the Public Safety Committee.       - CLOSED –

 

New Business

 

  1. Possible rezoning of transitional land at end of golf course property and edge of town –            Sarah Manning presented notes on evaluating transitional zones and stated that she is concerned about erosion, sedimentation and run off along Valley Creek.  She referred to the map to show the Planning Board the five plats to be considered for rezoning and stated rezoning to LDR would better protect the Creek, contain runoff and encourage single family homes.  Bob Haugh asked the Zoning Administrator what the process would be if the Town wanted to change the property from transitional to LDR.  The Zoning Administrator stated the Planning Board would make a recommendation to the Town Council.  The property owners would have to be notified and the Town Council would hold a public hearing.  The Zoning Administrator stated the Planning Board may want to contact the owners and get their feelings prior to making a recommendation to rezone.  Butch McLean agreed that it would be advantageous for the Planning Board to contact the owners to tell them the Planning Board is considering rezoning and get their input into the Planning Boards recommendation to the Town Council. Vance Duggan asked Sarah Manning if the road to the described property was the road above the treatment plant that can be accessed through Hanging Rock Villas.  Sarah Manning stated yes it is.  Mr. Duggan said that this is golf course property.  Chairman Hooper asked the Zoning Administrator to contact the owners of all five plats and see if the Planning Board can get permission to go on the properties because of concerns about erosion.  He also requested the Zoning Administrator get a topo map of the properties. – OPEN –

 

  1. Form to send recommendations from Planning Board to other groups in town – Chairman Hooper presented a recommendation form from the Seven Devils Planning Board.  This is to clarify to the Town Council, Board of Adjustments, etc., exactly what our recommendations are.      

 

            Sarah Manning made a motion to accept this form for submitting             recommendations made by the Planning Board. Butch McLean seconded the             motion.  The members agreed unanimously. – CLOSED -

 

  1. Discussion and possible action of having Zoning Regulation 11.4.2.3, Storm Drainage Facilities, apply to single family homes. – Chairman Hooper stated this issue came up at a training session at a class he attended a couple of months ago on Best Management Practices/Low Impact Development.  He is concerned about the water supply and water run off.  No one really knows how much water the Town has and he would hate to see so much building that we run out of water.  His thought was to start enforcing that part of our Zoning Ordinance to require new construction to meet requirements whether it is a single family house or a condo.  The Zoning Administrator stated Chairman Hooper is talking about enforcing a regulation that is already in our Zoning Ordinance.  Up until now we had interpited this as applying to multi family or commercial projects but not single family dwellings.  If we are going to apply it to single family development, everyone needs to study that chapter of the ordinance.  The Board Members agreed that the best day to have the Town Engineer present would be on a date of a Public Works meeting.  Chairman Hooper, the Town Manager and the Zoning Administrator agreed to meet and gather the necessary information to present to the Town Engineer prior to the meeting.

   

  1. Report on Water Meeting - Bob Haugh stated a grant of approximately seventy thousand dollars was approved through the USGS and there is testing and studies being done on the Seven Devils wells to determine how much water we have.  This study will take a few years and involves other wells besides Seven Devils wells.   He stated there is another meeting scheduled for June 4th.

 

  1. Report on Golf Course Meeting – Bob Haugh stated there was a discussion regarding ways to help potential developers keep the golf course.  Multi family housing around the golf course and a couple of duplex townhouses on each hole as well as using some of the transitional property around the perimeter of the golf course was discussed.  Chairman Hooper stated closing the ski slopes and rezoning it for housing and keeping the ski slopes verses keeping the golf course was also discussed.  Butch McLean stated two years ago the National Ski Area Association published a report that said every skier that visits a ski slope spends approximately $109.00 per day.   That money comes into the community through the motels, restaurants, and rentals.  In the winter time it is difficult to find full time employment and Beech, Sugar, Appalachian, and Hawks Nest are providing full time employment within our communities.  If we could revisit this issue with a better attitude perhaps the Town could reap the benefits of having a golf course, ski slope and incur more tax benefits by letting our industry expand.  Chairman Hooper stated one of the problems is the ski slopes benefits the owners of the ski slopes and it cost the Town money to police the traffic, etc.    Chairman Hooper stated the study shows it will cost a lot of money to fix the golf course up and apparently there are developers who would consider fixing the golf course up if they could make enough money off of something else.  Chairman Hooper asked if there are any further comments on this subject.  There were none.

 

Board Member Comments

      

None

 

Adjourn

 

At 7:29 pm, Sarah Manning made a motion that the Planning Board adjourn.  Loren Williams seconded the motion.  The members agreed unanimously.

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________                            ____________________________

David Hooper, Chairman                                              Karen E. Daniels, Town Clerk