Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Gity..C;ouncilRegularJy.1eeting Wednesday, ...Novernbe:r<20,........1991 Page 10 The.....motion....to......approve...Ordinance.........No.. ...1.929.... .c:arried ....uI1.an.imously, ....7-0. Ager1.da. Item. No.lS-c:ozislder8.tIon()f&nordJrLanceamendfnvOrcUnanc- No. 1786.. adopt$don NOvemh8r.lO.1988,an(flUn8lLditlv Cha~ter8of the COde by addlngs.ctton l()..F. which d.awscenam. emi.B~..ofthe. city. y/ho..have terrtdnat$d previo11S~'DSmTMRSto:redeDOslt the sums WIthdrawn. witha:nnualWlthdraW81charges. GouncUmanBirdweU moved to appr()ve QrdinanceNo. 1930. Theimotion was seconded.. .by .Gouncilman...Schneider. which carried unanimously , .7-0. Agenda Item. No.ll- Conslderatlon ofanarnendm.ent to Chapter 9. Section 6 of the City Code <SuhdlvIsionRegulations) tohtcreasettme reQuJ:rf:KI for preDmJnary plat submtttalstoclty. ~ ~lmpact study.su.bm1tta1requJrements and reDlace ..sections.. describJng..the. ..mel1rnJnarvDlat. flDngprocess. Councilman ..Brown..moved .approva16f Ordinance No. 1931. ..The motion was seconded by Councilman McDhaney. Councilman Birdwell asked how much time is added to the . process. Ms. Veronica Morgan replied that the time required was changed from ten to twenty days and it is . not cumulative. The motion carried unanimously, 7-0. Agenda Item. Na. IS - consideration afan appeal ta the Clty Engineer'sdectslon to denyRJeftturn inll movements from Texas Avenue to theprol)Os$d driveway to the First .American Bank to be locat$datthenorthwest comer of Texas Ave. and Mmer's. Lane (FM2818 Extension). Intersection. City Engineer David Pullen .. addressed the Council. ...Mr..Pullen described the location .of.the.property.Staff.has.recommendedthat a driveway.providing for right-turn in and right turnout access be provided at this location. The developer has requested a left. turn in access. ......Staff Iooke.d .atthis in regard to policies which they are in the process of developing . and presenting to the Planning and Zoning Commission. These policies are specified in greater detail than the current policies. Mr. Pullen further stated thatthe decision was based on the.new standards. Mr. Pullen presented slides. Councilman McTIhaney asked Mr . Pullen to describe the . location of the Pagell Gity..Collncil....Regular/Meeting Wedn.esday,November....20,.......1991 proposed curb cut > Mr. Pullen cla.rifi.edtllatth.edriveW'a.yis .ma.rked by.> stakes with orangefiags. GouncilInan. BroVVIlasked rorthe.distancefroIl1lMil1~J:'sLa.netotheproposed . left turnarea.lVJr.Pullenreplied appro,dtna.tely140r~et.Mr.Br()wnasked for the dist~cefromMilleI"s 1.Janeatthe Exxon station tOci~$ dr;ive\Wy on Texas. Mr. Pullenr~pliedaPJ>roxilnatel'Y200 feet... ..He. further explained. that this project .wa.s established at a. periOd in time when the city used a setback policy or 200 feet from. any major street. Gouncilinan Gardrierasked~the proposed properwsite has an ingress from MiIler's Lane to.the east..MJ:. Pullen replied tllatt)'lereis an. ingress/egress driveway . approximately 400... feet from Texas Avenue. Gouncilman Schneider.. presented. a scenario... If some.one traveling south on Texas Avenue to the bank; how would they access the property if there is no front. .access.. .. Mr.. Pullen replied that the motorist. would take a. .Ieft at the. traffic light and travel approximately 400 .fe~t to. the . proposed entrance. . Councilman Schneider.. asked if there are . other. areas. to locate a curb cut. Mr. Pullen replied that....there.is..not. currently because of..the..existing.. development., Councilman Birdwell asked what would happen if the driveway is built as staff recommends, and Stanley Investments decides to develop on their property, would the city ...exclude them from having a driveway and a . left turn off of. Texas Avenue. Mr. Pullen replied that there are underlying factors involved with this property. He.. explained that this. ..propertyis ...asingle platted subdivision lot divided. by metes and bounds. He added that the staff would recommend curb cuts .so the properties.would be accessible. . Councilman Birdwell asked if the property has been. platted. ..Mr. PuIlenrepIied... that the ...property. was ..platted. as.. a. single lot. Councilman Birdwell noted that the property owner. violated the ordinance and sold the lot by metes and . bounds. Gity Attorney Locke clarified that thestarfhas beenhUormecl that the property was. sold in parcels . by metes and . bounds since . the subdivision plat was approved and therefor.ethere was a violation to the ordinance. Mr. Fain McDougal,ofTACRealtyrepresenting First American Bank addressed the Council. He introduced Mr. Jack Cumpton, project architect, and Switzer Deason of Stanley Investment Group. Mr. McDougal.statedthat an agreement has been reached between First American Bank and Stanley Investment Group regarding the joint driveway but in Page 12 orqerforit. tobe..succ=essful~..itJ:nllstha'Vealeft turn lane off.TexasAvenue. from southbound traffic. Mr. Gumpton,.4103 S()uth'l'exas,addressE!d the Qc>uncU. He referred to the city policy... regarding.. driveways. . and presented. slides. Mr. Switzer Deason E!xplained\ that Stari.ley Jnvestment Grpup fully supports First JUriericanBankfor.. a jointCurbcutbetw'een the two properties.. . But there isa proviso, theStanieyInvestmentgrC?upneedsaleft handtum from southbound traffic on Texas Avenue and if there is not left tu.rn. accessfrornTexasAvenue, thenextaltemative is aqcess off Millet's Lane. . FIe emphasized that if there. is not a .lefttllrn lane off of Texas Avenue .that it. will. severely limit the commercial viability of the tract, it will eventually eliminate it. Councilman. Birdwell asked.. Mr. DeasonifStanley..Investment. Group would be asking. for. an.. additional qurb cut. Mr. Deason replied that this curb. cut is sufficient. Stanley Investment Group. will fund half..the .cost of the..curb.cut. Mr. Cumpton stated that it is not good planning for the bank if there is not an entrance into the parking lot at the front of the parking lot. He remarked that if this. request is..not..approved, .the facility may not be .builtatthis..site. He noted that..additional..acres .abutting this tract .isowned..bythebank., The driveway would serve the entire acreage as well as . Stanley . Investment Group. Mr. Cumpton showed. slides of other businesses in the city in which the driveway access does .. not meet city policy standards. City Engineer Pullen explained that the points Mr. Gumpton made to the exceptions of the policy are certainly well taken and should be understood to be that.every .time staff.looks..at.property, each.is considered...as a.. unique situation. In . some. cases, there are existing .drives and Iimitationso! property frontage, and differences.. in . volume of traffic. .He.... explained.. that.. the question with.respect to where driveways should be located is . nota. simple question, if is ans\Vered from a standpoint of. safety and. from traffic management. With respect to this site, the staff. has . recommended the.... driveway . on.MillersLane~...... ..Thedriveway on. Texas Avenue is in a free moving right turn lane.. The distance from making the turn entering Texas Avenue from. Millers LaIl.enorth is 140 feet. At . the same time, a vehicle traveling at 30 mph and not aCCTl~rating,as one would normally do, would pass the intersection. . He further;ppirtted out that the turning movements from 2818 onto Texas Avenue are not ~Clge slowly. Again, if we add in this intersection at this close proximity anot~~~movement for a vehicle to look at, the left turning of the vehicle will severely~gI'~ase the risk of accidents in the area. In some parts of the city, that has beenl~e~.ognized in places where the city has granted driveways. And to the publip. E!~:prnse, median.. barriers have been erected to eliminate the left turn. For instance, State Highway 30 . and Texas GityG9uncil Re~l~r~eeting Wednesday, Noveniliez-....20,.......1991. Page 13 Mr.Pullen~tronglyrecoInInendedtothe Gouncilto. deny the appeal on the basis thatifit is appr9Vfjd and a drlvfj1Nayisinstall7datthis location, at some point in the nearfuture1Nh~n2818 iseJ{tfjncledand a~develoPrn.eIlt grovvs ... on the east side... of the Bypass, the traffic: ..volume.vvill. so .incr~asein that intersection,.. a median will be installed to. prohibit (ileft.turn . and thiswill.bea. public expense. GouncilmanMcDltaney..a.sked if theSH 6 eXPansion included an ..additional.lane. Mr. . Pullen. repliedth~t.there . are no immediate. (2...3.year). planS to ..widen . Texas Avenue with respect to the Highway Department; however, it i$.in the long range plan. to . widen Texas Avenue. Go unc ilman Schneider asked if there.areany legal ramifications. Gity Attorney Locke replied that under current Texas law, the city has immunity for street design, and there is .noliabilityfor granting the left turn lane. Gouncilman.Gardner asked about the...cllrbcut . access .toStanley Investment property. Mr. Pullen remarked that the Stanley property must be platted before a buildingpemUt . can. bei$sued. ... The staff will recommend to the council when t~eplat is presented, . that access easements be granted. to all of the . properties. so access can be made. Councilman Crouch . asked if there is. a possibility to have . the Stanley .property curb cut further north. . Mr. <Gumpton replied that this is analtemative, but not favorable. . Mr. Pullen. remarked that the risk .. isreducedn. it is located north. Mr . Cumpton disputed Mr. Pullen's comments about the speed factor. He referred to this..area as the' future downtown College Station. He suggested that as development continues to grow, the speed zone should be 30 mpll, rather than 40 mph. .He also suggested that a stop sign be. placed at Miller's . Lane rather than. a yield sign. ' GouncilmanMcDhaney comrnentedthathermain concern at this intersection is · the safety factor. of motorists. GouncilmanBirdwell moved to grant the request for the curb cut with the left turn in and no left turn out, with the following conditions: 1) Stanley Investment Group agrees to one curb cut sharedwith.FirstAmericanBank to serve their property; and, 2) Not extend a driveway through to the adjoining vacant property from the rear of the bank property. Councilman Schneider seconded the motion. Page 14 Mr....GtimPtonr~mClrkec3....th.athe . YVPu.ld vvithdtawithe application if American.. Bank was. not.allowed....acgess.to.the.... back property. City Manager · R~gland asked for.. ela.rification... GouncllmanBirdwell. remarked that if the deyeloper ;moved the. trafficiIlaU~ig zag"pattem to the. rear access, this would> be...... acceptable. lMayorRinger added that theobjectioniStqWard.the.. straight path for customers to.. access the back .property. Mr. Gumpton mentioned that thecitystaffha~ allowed one additional curb cut and. it is located atthe.rear .of the vacant property on Millers Lane. Mr. Deason of Stanley In,vestment Grouprernarked that he would he amenable to the action of thec;ouncil, but. would not agree if in the future a median would be . erected to. prohibit the left turn .lane. Mayor Ringer replied that his position would be that if a raised median was placed thereto prevent lefttums, it would be considered asa change inthe condition that Stanley Group agreed 'upon; and therefore, they would be allowed to request an additional curb cut. He added that he cannot predict a future council's decision. Mayor Ringer clarified the intent of the motion is to not allow the driveway from the Texas Avenue curbcut toextendin.a straight line from the bank property to the adjoining property, thereby creating a street. But the back property can be served by access at anotherlocati.on on the property. . GouncUman Birdwell remarked .that. he does not object .to ...internalcirculation if the traffic makes a.. turn movement. CounciIinanGardner . asked if there are any. provisionswith.respect to pedestrian walkways~ Mr. Gumpton replied that pedestrian walkways . have been considered.Mr . Gardner alsoinquiredabo1.ltValley View onto Texas. Avenue if m~dians . were. constructed. in . the . future... Mr.i Gumpton pointed. out that Valley ViewfTexas.Avenue and...the end. of the Stanley.. Group. property is .approximately 275 ft. Mayor Ringer restated the motion as follows: Grant the appeal and approve the left turn. into the property with the curb ... cut to be built and shared betWeen the bank property and Stanley Investments subject to two conditions: I. Stanley Investment agrees that as long as lefttumlanes are allowed at the intersection, they will not have a curb cut on any location on their property; .and2)the drive created..by.the curb cut not be extended in a straight line to serve the 4.88<.acres to the east. " , CityiCouncilR~gplcirJYIeeting "W~dnesday,...Noverriber20,...199] The'Votewast(lkenandthernotjoncarried bY.i a vote. of 4-3. FOR: .Mayor.Ringer,......Councilmerrib~rs....Birdwell,... Schneider,......Brown Assistant City Attorney Neal Coates addressed this .item. Councilman BirdweU remarked that Section 24 may need to be rewritten for the public to better understand the intent of the proposition. He aIso referred to Article. VII, Section 69with>respect . to . the Director of Finance's responsibility. The ordinance will be. considered in at the February. meeting. .Agenda Item.No.17-Urxiateon ConneD Issue No.6 - Street MaIntenance. Director of Public Services Joe LaBeau presented this item. CounciIman..Birdwell moved to defer this.. item to..a future . council meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilman Brown. After council discussion, the Mayor asked staff to make a brief report. Asst...Public .Services..Mark.Smithmade a.briefpresentation. He. reported that 98% of the streets are in good condition, with 2% of the streets in poor condition. He mentioned that the staff sent out to the citizens a survey for their. opinion about the condition of the streets. The results were that the streets are 94% good to fair condition. Councilman Birdwell commented that. the.surfaceof Dominik is not.a...smooth street. He also mentioned that there are potholes along the curb of streets. " Mr. LaBeau mentioned that the results of the survey showed that the streets are 94% good to fair. He added that the pavement management system is going well. The general consensus of the council is that the streets are in good condition. ".Agenda Item. No.18-Councfi Comments. Councilman Gardner mentioned that he is happy about the beginning construction. of the "Wolf Pen Creek project.