HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutesso specific to schoola is to` preclude businesses such as a jazzercise facility.:. from
requesting a variance.
Nlr. Dresser clarified his understanding; of the situation: after building the school anc~
necessary parking there is not enough land left for planting.
Kee said that school parking lots do not typically .have... islands to landscape... She said
that it is very difficult for schools to meet landscape point requirements; it almost hides
the building.
Mr. Dresser said that this predicament is created because the site is too small.
Nls. Kee said that a larger ite would require more landscaping,
There was a general discussion of other .school sites.
Mr. Dresser thought that this amendment goes against the very .::intent of the ordinance.
Chairman Sawtelle asked if the recreational field counts toward the andscape point
totals.
Ms. Kee said hat just he area presented as part of the site is considered for
landscaping points; a larger site would require ~ more landscaping.
Mr. Esmond asked if :.all portions of the Zoning `Ordinance provide for an appeal
process through the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
II/!s. Kee that all portions do not have access to ZBA. The Zoning Ordinance is very_
specific to what may be appealed, She said that the landscaping section does not
currently provide the appeal process.
Mr. Esmond asked. how Blinn :College in the woodstone Shopping-:Center was exempt
from landscaping.
Chairman Sawtelle said that Blinn would not be responsible for landscaping because
they are a tenant of the shopping center.
There was discussion as to whether Blinn would be considered, a public school.
Someone- else asked about the Woodbine. Nlr. Callaway said that they were not
regulated by the :City because it is` University owned...
I11lr. Dresser asked if for example, a school ike. Allen Academy could. be built without
landscaping.
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Nls, Kee .said that it could conceivably:: happen. However, ,ZBA could not grant a .
variance to allow no landscaping unless the request met .all of the .criteria they
typically look for. (ie: hardship, special conditions, ordinance .intent...}
Mr. Dresser questioned Staff as to whether the landscape .ordinance needed to be
fixed to allow a variance procedure for all.
~ ' . c e ordinance is well written and
1VIs. Kee said . hat ~n her opinion, the lands ap
establishes reasonable landscape :requirements.
! Mr. Dresser said that he agreed with Ms. Kee; the landscape ordinance is one of the
City's assets,
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~' Ms. Kee said that `the restrictive wording of the amendment. was because Staff was
afraid that otherwise, there would be too many reques#s.
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Kee said that the Commission should decide if at some point, the .landscaping. point
requirement should be lowered, based on the building's size.
~ Mr. Colson said that he would like to see .less par .,king and more trees.
Mr. Dresser said that': this amendment goes against the very intent not to build this
way.
Mr. Colson asked if the Commission already approved .the site plan for the school.
Mr. Callaway said that he thought that a landscape plan was submitted and ;approved;
the School District ran into problems during implemen#ation of the plan.
Mr. Colson said #hat i~ the Commission already approved it, the School District ought
to be held to if.
Mr. Hall was not very sympathetic either.
Mr. Dresser did not like the proposed amendment. He -said that :ahe School -District
does not ever like what they have to do. He said that they hould:-be se#ting the
example :instead of trying to get around the rules at the last:. minute.
Chairman Sawtelle opened. ~~he public hearing. Seeing. no one come :forward,: she
.closed the public hearing.
Mr. Colson made a motion to approve the dormitory definition but not the section
regarding the landscaping ordinance.
Ms. Kee showed the ;Commission the previously approved andscape plan which had
been' retrieved from the files.
There :was. general discussion of the plan.
Mr. Esmond asked if ahe could re lat the la' round ..area ands read out the
y p p yg p
planting.
Nls: Kee said hat this area shows. the area #hat the :plan was based on.
j - Mr. Dresser seconded the motion as made by Mr. Colson.
Mr. Michel had more concerns about the dormitory definition.. He wondered about the
intent of ahe portion which is being. deleted. He wanted to rethink why all of .the
current definitions are necessary. (Ie rooming house, fraternity house, .group
housing, dormitory.}
`Ms. Kee reminded the Commission that a rooming house requires a resident family
which is why the definition for group housing was added. The dormitory definition
excluded: his type of housing because of the required .:.University affiliation.
Mr. Callaway said that `when the current dormitory definition was written, the other
types of housing.: probably:-did not ;exist.
There was a general:discussion of the definition.
Ms. Kee said that stiff intended to clean up this definition when Edsel Jones' proposal
came ~r~t.
Mr. Dresser asked what University: Towers was ciassi~ied as.
Ms. Kee said hat it is classified as an apartment/hotel:
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Mr. Colson said that the definition hould be shortened or it is: confusingL
Mr. Dresser asked if the residents of a dormtory ..must be :students under this
definition.
Mr. Michel said that there must be a reason for the 3.5 lines of verbiage.
~~! Ms. Sawtelle said that she believed that it was just trying to limit the definition to the
University as the, responsible party.
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~~ Mr, Michel said :that careful consideration should be given o deletion of this part of
the definition.
The :Commission voted to recommend 'amending the dormitory: definit-ion as presented
by staff (4-0-2) . Mr. Esmond and Mr Michel abstained. The Commission
.recommended to deny the.. amendment to allow a procedure for landscape variances
for schools.
~ Mr. Half said that the School District would not like it if we went back and tried #o
enforce stricter landscaping requirements, so why do they hink that they should be
j able to come. back after the P&Z .already has an approved landscape plan.
1VIr, Dresser agreed.
AGEIITDA I7~E11IY N0. S Other Business.
Ms. Kee asked the Commission if they: believed bingo is art appropriate use in the
Wolf Pen Creek zoning district, She said that someone has approached he new
owners of the former Lowe's building :for leasing space at that ite..:for bingo..
Mr. Dresser pointed out that the number of parking spaces needed for bingo may. be
too great 'for this cite.
Ms. Saw#elle did not believe that bingo is an appropriate use for that location.
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'Mr. Dresser asked what staff is requesting of the Commission.
Dev. Review Coordinator Volk said that the man proposing the :bingo just wanted to
get 'the Commission's -reaction: before proceeding with his plans.
111lr. Callaway said that he just wants to know if it is an impossible dream.
The Commission seemed in agreement that they would note like to see bingo in the'
~lV'olf Pen Creek zoning district.
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Mr. Hall said that he combined uses of the bowling alley and bingo would require a
j _ tremendous amount of parking.
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Dresser asked if :the parking enforcement :ordinance will be ready in time :for football-
season. He did not seem at all pleased to-hear tha# it would .not.
Council Liaison Gardner who was in the audience further depressed Mr. Dresser bar
a ' that Geor a Bush Drive would not be available for parking ` his season.
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The Commission received new ,schedules. for P.R.C.'s.
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~ ~iGENDA ITEM N0. S: Adjourn.
Mr. Dresser made a motion #o adjourn. Mr. Colson seconded the motion and the
meeting was adjourned.
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