Posted: 7/17/07
CJC progress hits the skids
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Progress on the 82,000 square foot criminal justice center (CJC) Houston County has proposed to locate in downtown Caledonia hit a 60-day speed bump Wednesday, July 11 when the Caledonia City Council indicated no decisions on the four zoning variance and two street vacation requests would be made until late September or early October.
Mayor Mike Morey made that announcement to a crowd of about 150 persons attending a public hearing at the city auditorium on the variance requests. Morey said no action would be made concerning the CJC requests until a traffic study could be made and reviewed after public and parochial schools are back in session this fall.
The August 4 variance and street vacation request deadline was extended 60 days and the continuation of the public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the city auditorium.
Current CJC plans require variances for four zoning ordinances and the vacation of portions of two city streets.
Four variance requests
ïA 20 foot setback on the south (front) property line. City ordinance calls for a 30 foot setback, while the CJC plans would locate the building 10 feet from the property line.
ïRequired parking stall dimension are 10 feet wide by 25 feet long. The proposed parking stall dimensions are 9 feet wide by 18 feet long, requiring variances of one foot on width and seven feet on length.
ïVariance on number of parking stalls required from 590 spaces to 179, as specified by the plans.
ïA variance on exceeding the 35 foot building height limitation by 10 feet to a height of 45 feet.
Street vacation requests
ïA half-block portion of Washing Street from the west right of way line of Pine Street westward to the Courthouse Square.
ïA half-block portion of Marshall Street from the north right of way line of South Street northward to the Courthouse Square.
Citizens speak out
Morey told the crowd at the outset of the meeting the public hearing was to receive input from local residents dealing with the variance and/or street vacation requests, and not other issues that have cropped up with the controversial CJC project. For the most part, persons attending the two-and-one-half-hour public hearing adhered to Moreyís request.
Parking and traffic issues were the two main topics brought up at the hearing. Residents living near the Houston County Courthouse expressed concern CJC plans do not include enough parking stalls, and the overflow will spill out onto South Marshall and South Pine streets. CJC plans call for two courtrooms, which could be used simultaneously, office space for the Sheriffís Department, County Attorney, and Court Services. Many in the audience they would see a drastic increase in traffic.
"I live two blocks south of the courthouse on Marshall Street, which is a very narrow road," Don Bennewitz said. "I have a very difficult time backing out of my driveway now. When cars or trucks park near my driveway, it makes it very hard for me to see if anything is coming. Iím concerned the added traffic and people parking along that street will make it nearly impossible for me to get out of my driveway."
Ruth Klug said she was concerned with the reduced size of parking stalls. "I have a hard enough time getting out of my car without banging the one next to mine with my car door. I donít feel you should approve that variance," she told the council.
Larry Salm asked why the area didnít have to be rezoned. "Is a prison a permitted use in an R-2 zone?"
City Administrator Bob Nelson responded that the city did check into that issue and fire stations and police departments are permitted uses in an R-2 zone.
"Are you trying to tell me an 80-bed prison is comparable with a city fire station?" Salm countered.
"According to the cityís interpretation of the ordinance, yes," Nelson replied.
Todd Roesler, president of Merchants Bank, said he was concerned the 179 parking stalls called for in the CJC plans wouldnít be enough to accommodate everyone. "Will the overflow end up in the parking lot at the bank or at St. Maryís School?" he asked.
Mark Beyer of Johnson Controls, who serves as the CJC project manager, stated the current court house parking situation is way out of compliance. "With the head counts we have taken, the small increase of employees, and increase in persons coming to the court house and CJC, what weíre adding will be a vast improvement. Weíre adding over 60 more parking stalls and estimate the increase in number of employees to be less than 10. So there should be more than enough parking stalls," Beyer said.
Beyer added the requirement of one parking stall for every 200 square feet of space isnít really applicable for a facility like the CJC. A large portion of the square footage is mechanical and the cell block. "People in jail wonít have their cars parked in the lot," he pointed out.
Morey asked if the CJC plans included potential growth when it came to the number of parking stalls. Beyers responded the current plans call for more stalls than would be needed now, and felt growth factors were built into those plans.
Bob Klug said he conducted a parking stall count of his own and he figures the county currently has 157 parking stalls in the lots around the court house. "So if youíre proposing even 190 stalls, thatís only 33 more than you have now. I really donít think 33 more parking stalls will handle the increases," Klug said.
Klug also asked if there would be additional county employees moving to the court house if the CJC becomes a reality, as the County Attorneyís office and Court Services would move into the new facility.
County Board Chair Ann Thompson said county government is currently overcrowded and facing numerous privacy issues in Court Administration and Social Services. The space being vacated by some departments moving into the CJC would be dedicated to current staff. She added the Extension office could be relocated in the courthouse, but that would only be one full time, one part time and one floating position.
"We havenít made concrete plans on the existing courtroom," Thompson said. "There is a possibility we could make offices out of it. But right now, we donít have any set plans for that."
At the beginning of the hearing City Attorney Tim Murphy explained what criteria was taken into consideration with variance requests. The two major considerations were if the variance would impact neighboring properties and if denial of the variance would be a hardship.
Salm reminded the city council of this criteria and asked councilmembers to remember just how many people turned out to voice their opposition of the variance requests. "And as far as a hardship, the county wouldnít have any hardship if they would buy a piece of land on the outskirts of town and put the CJC there."
Salmís comments were greeted with a loud round of applause.
Morey asked Beyers about noise pollution issues. Beyer replied they have to comply will all state and federal noise regulations and most of the air handling louvers would be facing north towards the existing court house and the parking lots, away from homes and businesses.
Morey then asked about storm water runoff. Beyer stated the studies they conducted indicated the existing storm water system was adequate to handle the additional run off. He added the existing openings to the system arenít adequate and are not maintained. The installation of proper collection baskets and maintaining the system would be a big improvement over the current system.
Bob Klug pointed out the county had denied a variance request brought before the county board because the proposed business would have affected neighboring property values in a negative way. "I feel that criteria should be reviewed when considering these variances as well," Klug said.
Cathy Krupa asked why the county had gone as far as they had with the plans without first checking the cityís zoning ordinances. Beyer explained plans had to be drawn up first, and then brought to the city to have them reviewed by the fire chief, the city planner, and other city staff. Without detailed plans, no one would know what was in compliance.
Councilman Paul Fisch asked Thompson what the county plans to do if the variances are not approved.
Thompson said she felt the plans could be altered to bring at least two of the issues into compliance with city zoning ordinances, but not all of them. The county board hasnít formulated a plan, according to the board chair.
"The city council is here to represent the residents of Caledonia," Morey told the group. "We wonít be making any decisions on these variance requests until a traffic study is done once school is back in session. If you have concerns or wish to comment on the proposed project, please talk to one of us," he said, looking at his fellow councilmembers.
Next public hearing
The council then approved a motion to extend the countyís requests for variances and street vacations for 60 days and scheduled a continuance of the public hearing for Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the city auditorium.
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