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MINUTES
Planning & Zoning .Commission
.CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
April 21, 1994
~', 7:00 P.M.
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COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Hawthorne; 'Commissioners Smith, Lane and Hall.
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners .Herring, Mariott and Gribou.
'~ STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Kee, Planning Technician Thomas, Staff Planner Kuenzel
and .Staff Planner Dunn.
AGENDA TTEM NO. L• Approval of minutes from the meeting of Apri17, 1994.
Commissioner Hall moved to approve the minutes .from the meeting of April 7, 1994 as written.
Commissioner Smith seconded: the motion which passed: unopposed (4 - 0).
AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Public .hearing to comsider a conditional use permit to allow a sorority
house to be located on the corner of Rhetf Butler .and University Oaks, lot 4 of the Tim ber Ridge
Addition: (94702)
` Staff .Planner Kuenzel presented-the staff report and informed the Commission that-the applicants
are ..applying for the use only .and will .follow with a .site plan at a later date. .This plan will also
come before the Commission. The subject property is zoned R-6 which allows apartment buildings
at up to twenty four dwelling units per acre with the option of higher densities if approved by City
Council. The applicant does nott intend to exceed the. maximum density. The area has developed
as a mix of mostly student housing with a concentration of apartment .buildings and
sorority/fraternity houses. The request is keeping in with the zoning and land use patterns in the
area. Several property .owners of the R-1 zoned .area have voiced concern regarding this request.
Apparently, the existing .sorority houses generate a large amount of street parking especially during
rush time. In some areas, the roads become blocked by cars, preventing the passage of private and
emergency vehicles. Most of the other sororities in the area were built before a change in the
Zoning Ordinance that made parking ,more restrictive. There are. twelve sorority houses im this area,
only two of which: were built .under .the current requirement of one space per resident plus one
space for every 'thirty .square feet of meeting room. The requirement before the 1986 change was
only one space per dwelling unit. According to one resident, the parking problem is aggravated
during rush week by not only the additional parking generated. but also by the fact that the parking
lots are blocked off and that parking is forced into the streets. The applicant has explained that the
front areas of the houses are used for outdoor activities, but that parking in the rear is allowed.
~' Staff will take this information to the next meeting of the Traffic Management Team for discussion.
~ This particular site will have the parking in the rear and~will-meet the current parking requirement
_ ,f by providing 100 spaces. The Commission does have the discretion to place conditions on approval
of the use and site plan. -
Chairman Hawthorne opened the public hearing.
µ it -
Paul Clarke of Clarke and- Wyndham Investments and representative of the owner of the property
approached the Commission and stated that the property is currently zoned R-6 for apartments. In
terms of density and traffic, the proposed sorority use is less intense and would be less detrimental
to the surrounding single family. homeowners.
Julie Garth. of 6923 Kelsey Rae: Court in Houston, informed the Commission that she is purchasing
the. property to construct ..the Alpha Phi sorority house. The current facilities along Athens are too
small and the chapter is continuously growing. .The current facilities cannot be expanded so the
chapter would like to relocate and build a bigger facility in the neighborhood. There will be forty
eight women living in the house and a house couple to manage and maintain .the property.. The
project is planned for 10,000 square feet in the first phase with plans to finish out the third floor of
3000 square feet for a meeting :room.
Peggy Brannon of 1102 Hardwood Lane approached the Commission and .expressed her frustration
and the frustration of .the surrounding property owners in dealing with the sororities in the
neighborhood during "Rush Week". During this week, the sororities close off their parking .lots and
force parking along. the street. Vehicles are parked along all streets .including Hardwood and deny
access to private driveways.. If there was an ...emergency during this time, afire truck or an
ambulance could ,not drive down Hardwood Lane. Ms. Brannon stated that. the neighbors have
worked with the individual. sororities and the Greek Council in trying to eliminate the problem but
nothing has been done. The local police and fire departments have also been made aware of the
.situation and still nothing has. been done.
Chairman Hawthorne closed the public hearing.
Commissioner Hall moved to grant the conditional use .permit for the. use only to allow a sorority
.house to be located on the corner of Rhett Butler and University Oaks, lot 4 of the Timber Ridge
Addition. Commissioner Lane seconded the motion
Commissioner Hall informed Ms. Brannon that the neighborhood has legitimate concerns; however,
the .Commission -.does. not have the authority to address the problem. The proposed sorority house
.would. be less -intense as far as traffic is concerned than high density apartments which are currently
allowed. Commissioner Hall requested that staff place the item on the next City Council meeting to
.allow the problem to be discussed in an open forum.
Jennifer Chavez, the President of the Rush Committee at Texas. A&M, presented a revised parking
policy for "Rush Week" and stated that- the Committee is looking into providing a bus system for
`.1994. She agreed to meet with Ms. Brannon after the meeting to see if an agreement could be
reached.
The motion to grant the conditional use permit passed unopposed (4 - 0).
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Public hearing to .consider a conditional use permit to allow a cellulaz
telephone facility to be located. along Highway 6 South, tract 22 totalling 1.76 acres in the S.W.
'Robertson Survey. (94-703)
Staff Planner Kuenzel presented the staff report requesting a permit to allow a cellular telephone
communications facility and tower to locate on a .triangular lot along the frontage of Highway 6
.South on Tract 22 of the S.W. Robertson Survey. The lot is a triangular fragment of an older tract
that, due to its shape, is unlikely to develop as 'a larger commercial use. It abuts a public utility
substation and the request is in line with the existing and future .land uses. Six surrounding property
owners were notified with no response.
Chairman Hawthorne opened the public hearing.
P & Z Minutes Aprr121, 1994 Page 2