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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/07/2008 B A K E R S F I E L D Rhonda Smiley, Zack Scrivner, Chair Assistant to the City Manager/P.I.O. Harold Hanson For: Alan Tandy, City Manager Ken Weir Rick Kirkwood, Management Assistant AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Thursday, February 7, 2008 — 1:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room — Suite 201 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA The meeting was called to order at 1:04:50 PM. 1• ROLL CALL Present: Councilmember Zack Scrivner, Chair Councilmembers Harold Hanson and Ken Weir Staff present: John Stinson, Assistant City Manager;Mana er, Rhonda Smiley, Assistant to the City Manager / P.1.0; Rick Kirkwood, Management Assistant; Steven Teglia, Administrative Analyst III; Ginny Gennaro, City Attorney; Bob Sherfy, Deputy City Attorney; Raul Rojas, Public Works Director; Dianne Hoover, Recreation and Parks Director; Steve Hollingsworth, General Services Superintendent; Phil Burns, Building Director; Jim Movius, Planning Director; Marian Shaw, Civil Engineer IV; Ken Trone, Park Construction and Facilities Planner; Tony Martinez, Community Relations Specialist Others present: Dave Dmohowski, Premier Planning; Marvin Dean, Kern Minority Construction; Jeanette Richardson, Arts Council of Kern; Barry Hibbard, Tejon Ranch; Cassie Daniel, HBA of Kern County 2. ADOPT THE NOVEMBER 1, 2007 AGENDA SUMMARY Planning and Development Committee February 7, 2008 Page 2 Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS Cassie Daniels of HBA of Kern County provided a handout for the Committee's consideration, which addresses the issue of deferring builder impact fees until a certificate of occupancy is issued. Dave Dmohowsky of Premier Planning, reiterated Ms. Daniels request and asked that the Committee take this matter into consideration. Committee Chair Zack Scrivner stated that the matter needs to be referred by a Councilmember at the next City Council meeting to be placed as a discussion item on the next Committee Agenda. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Committee Recommendation regarding Amending and Adopting the 2008 Committee Meeting Schedule - Smiley Committee members adopted the schedule as submitted, with the understanding that meeting dates may be amended should scheduling conflicts arise. B. Discussion regarding Construction Workmanship Levels Cassie Daniels of Home Builders Association (HBA) stated that the Association is looking to do something similar to what the City of Clovis proposed regarding construction defect litigation (referring to the City of Clovis Building Division Memorandum). Ms. Daniels requested input from City Attorney Ginny Gennaro regarding any legal issues that would arise. City Attorney Gennaro advised that the City of Bakersfield does not have an epidemic of defect litigation, and was concerned that following the three courses of action stated in the Clovis Memorandum could expose the City to a civil process with great potential liability. Building Director Phil Burns noted that staff spoke with Steve Baker, Building Official for the City of Clovis and was told that the memorandum was initiated due to numerous lawsuits in their city. The memorandum was an informative process, but no formal policy ordinance was adopted by the City of Clovis. Ms. Daniels indicated she would inform the HBA of staff's comments. C. Discussion regarding Block Walls Along Freeways— Rojas/ Movius This item was initiated by Committee Chair Scrivner to address graffiti on block walls at the corridors of the community. Committee Chair Scrivner suggested that staff should set standards for block walls around the new freeways and expressways that will be built. Planning and Development Committee February 7, 2008 Page 3 Planning Director Jim Movius provided a background of the Metropolitan Bakersfield Freeway Beautification Master Plan and the long range strategy for improving aesthetics and the ambiance of principal arrival gateways and transportation corridors. The plan primarily dealt with Highways 99, 58, 178, and the Westside Parkway and was not specific in regards to wall designs and criteria. The walls brought forth by Council are walls required as part of sound mitigation on subdivisions in various parts of the City, and are installed primarily by private development. Public Works Director Raul Rojas added that the walls built for sound mitigation were inadvertently not included in the plan's category for freeway beautification. Two suggestions staff initiated were adding fencing or shrubbery, and texture to the walls to deter graffiti. However, walls located directly against the freeway pose another issue for the City to consider. City trucks used for graffiti removal cannot access these walls. The same accessibility issues holds true for installation and maintenance of landscaping. Staff has contacted Caltrans to provide some input on which direction to take regarding these walls. Committee Chair Scrivner added that in his discussions with Caltrans, they would be willing to let the City take over maintenance, providing such maintenance would not require lane closures. At Committee Chair Scrivner's request, Jeanette Richardson of the Arts Council of Kern presented to the Committee examples of block wall art and murals within the City and various areas in California, works from local artists, and children's art from weekend workshops facilitated by the Arts Council of Kern. Currently, The Bakersfield Californian website provides a map of murals located in the downtown area. Ms. Richardson stated that murals are effective tools to deter graffiti and also create an attractive entrance into the community. Committee Chair Scrivner asked staff to come back to the next scheduled meeting with suggestions for standards in regards to right-of-ways and setbacks for block walls, as well as security and standards for the block walls. For the mural project, Committee Chair Scrivner requested staff contact Caltrans and make sure they would be in agreement with such a project and what locations would be acceptable. Committee Chair Scrivner asked Jeanette Richardson to meet with him to discuss involvement from the private sector for the mural project. Committee member Ken Weir asked staff to provide at the next meeting a plan for deterring graffiti on the block and sound walls currently being built along the Highway 178 interchange. At the request of Committee Chair Scrivner, the discussion regarding traffic impact fees will be referred at the next Council meeting for discussion at the April Committee meeting. Dave Domohowski of Premier Planning and Cassie Daniels of HBA agreed with the decision. Planning and Development Committee February 7, 2008 Page 4 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS None 8• ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1.58 p1 PM. cc. Honorable Mayor and City Council members