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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes MINUTES Planning & Zoning Commission CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS October 3, 1996 7:00 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Hawthorne and Commissioners Smith, Massey, Gamer and Lightfoot. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Gribou and Parker. STAFF PRESENT: City Engineer Laza, Planning Technician Thomas, Graduate Civil Engineer Homeyer, Senior Planner McCully, Staff Planner Dunn, Assistant City Engineer McCully, Assistant Director of Management Services Shear, Energy Auditor Battle, Energy Auditor Roman and Assistant City Attorney Reynolds. AGENDA ITEM NO.1: Approval of minutes from the meeting of September 11, 1996. Commissioner Gamer moved to approve the minutes from the meeting of September 11, 1996 as written. Commissioner Massey seconded the motion which passed unopposed (4 - 0). AGENDA ITEM NO.2: Approval of minutes from the meeting of September 19, 1996. Commissioner Gamer moved to approve the minutes from the meeting of September 19, 1996 as written. Commissioner Massey seconded the motion which passed unopposed (4 - 0). AGENDA ITEM NO.3: Public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow the College Station Public Library to be located on tract A-I through A-22 of the Southwood Valley Section 30 Subdivision, near the southeast corner of Welsh Avenue and F.M. 2818. (96-710) Senior Planner McCully presented the staff report and stated that a Library Task Force: has been charged with the planning of the new facility and the submitted site plan includes the recommendations of that group. The goal of the site planning is to create aesthetically pleasing views from any point on the grounds. These goals are to be met by preserving trees in the floodplain area; screening of parking, dumpsters, and other offensive areas; and creation of an open green area for passive recreational activities. The Zoning Ordinance does not contain a parking requirement for libraries and the Commission must therefore set one as a part. of approval of the site plan. The applicant has submitted a letter supporting the proposed number of parking spaces. The Project Review Committee reviewed the site plan on September 25th and had several comments. If the Commission approves the use of the property, Staff recommends that all PRC comments be met as conditions of approval. Commissioners Gamer and Massey expressed concern for the lack of pedestrian and bicycle accessibility to the library site. There does not appear to be acceptable access to the library from the high school or the Southwood Valley residential area. Assistant City Engineer McCully stated that there is an existing sidewalk along Welsh Avenue. There is also a future plan to provide pedestrian access from Balcones Street through the existing park. However, there is no funding at this time for the bridge connection that would be required. Chairman Hawthorne stated that the intersection of F .M. 2818 and Welsh needs to be studied further based on current traffic congestion and the poor pedestrian and bicycle access. He expressed concern with encouraging pedestrian and bicycle traffic at the intersection with its current design. Chairman Hawthorne suggested that access be pursued through the adjacent park to the residential area to the south. Chairman Hawthorne opened the public hearing. Seeing no one to speak in favor of or in opposition to. the request, he closed the public hearing. Commissioner Gamer moved to approve the conditional use permit request with the condition that the applicant look into a plan for providing a sidewalk to allow for pedestrian accessibility. Commissioner Massey seconded the motion. Chairman Hawthorne suggested a sidewalk along the south side of the access drive off of Welsh to access both pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Access to Balcones should also be facilitated as soon as possible. The motion to approve the use permit passed unopposed (4 - 0). AGENDA ITEM NO.4: Consideration of two variance requests for the proposed convenience store to be located on the northeast corner of the Highway 30 and Highway 6 intersection including a variance to the maximum driveway width along the Highway 6 Frontage Road and the location of an interior parking island. (96-412) City Engineer Laza informed the Commission that the applicant has submitted two appeals to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The first appeal is of a decision by the City Engineer regarding the width of the main driveway, and the second is to a requirement by the Project Review Committee (PRC) to change the configuration of a rear driveway. Variance 1: Driveway width of the main entrance from the East Bypass. The first appeal is to the width of the main driveway into the site from the East Bypass Frontage Road. The applicant wishes to construct a 40' wide driveway. This is 4' wider than the maximum allowable of 36' in the driveway ordinance. The basis for their request is increased maneuverability and safety for vehicles moving into and out of the site. The architect has provided a letter citing specific reasons for the. additional width. The City Engineer denied their request as shown. The applicant is appealing that decision. The applicant has not demonstrated the need for an additional 4' of driveway at this location; thus, staff recommended denial of the variance request. P & Z Minutes October 3, 1996 Page 20f4 PROJECT REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT September 20, 1996 TO: Brett McCully, Assistant City Engineer City of College Station Charlie Shears, CIS Manager City of College Station Hidell Associates 2811 McKinney Avenue, Suite 207, Dallas, TX 75204 FROM: Mike Hester, Hester Engineering 7607 Eastmark, Suite 253-B, College Station, TX 77840 Project Review corruru~ttee Jane Kee, City Pia er Kent Laza, City En . NatalieThomas, Planning Techni' . . . Tony Michalsky, Electrical Operations Coordinator Shirley Yolk, Development Coordinator Pete Vanecek, Senior Parks Planner Laverne Akin,. G.T.E. Representative Conditional Use Permit - College Station Library; proposed public library facility to be located on lots Al through A22 of the Southwood Valley Section 30 Subdivision, just east of the Welsh Avenue and F.M. 2818 intersection. (96-710) A Project Review Committee meeting was held Wednesday, September 18, 1996 to discuss the above mentioned conditional use permit request. City EngineerLaza moved to recommend approval of the proposed site plan with the following conditions. SUBJECT: The following is a list of ordinance requirements identified by the Project Review Committee. This list does not relieve the applicant of total compliance with all current ordinance requirements. CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: Discretionary Items: The PRC recon:unended approval to the Commission to allow thec.onstruction of the access easement even though the floodway has not been determined. If after further study, it is determined that the drive is:tQ&at~q within the floodway, the City will commit to a drainage projectwit~.tlle~reek "'_"~f the drive fr.om thefloodway. If the access easement cautiot be built before the study is completed, it will hold up the private development.on the southeast comer of Welsh and F.M. 2818. PRC Report C.S. Library Case #96-710 Page 2 013 CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: Discretionary Items: Gates are required to screen the dumpster from Welsh Avenue. After discussions with the project managers, the dumpster can be angled differently but will still require gates to screen from the proposed activities area in the rear of the building. Ordinance Requirements: Site Plan Related: Clearly show the boundaries of the proposed development and note if any of the improvements will be constructed in phases. (It is difficult to. tell from the site plan what is being constructed with the library and what is being constructed with the convenience store. ) There is no detention shown for the proposed development. If the drainage report reveals that detention is needed, the site plan may have to come back before the Committee for further review. Add. a general note that Zoning Ordinance Section 9.2.A7 pertaining to the minimum square footage for th~ parking islands is met. Landscape Plan Related: Show the boundaries of the development for the landscaping calculations. Staff cannot determine if the point requirement is accurate depending upon the total acreage of the site. Provide screening of the two parking areas visible from F.M. 2818. This screening could be accomplished with vegetation, a berm or a combination or both. Note that any areas disturbed during construction will be seeded or sodded. (Note the type of ground cover to be used throughout the site.) Note the tree sizes in calipers and not gallons. Make sure the site and landscaping plans match especially in terms of the drive entrance along F .M. 2818 and the dumpster location. Non-Site Plan Related: On the waterline improvements sheet (page 2 of 7), there does not appear to be enough separation distance between the water ~d' sewer lines. Verify if TNRCC regulations allow such a separation. PRCReport C.S. Library Case #96-710 Page 3 013 Comments/Concerns: Coordinate electrical service details with Electrical Operations Coordinator Tony Michalsky at (409) 764~3660. Telephone service to the library will be provided from Welsh Street. The developer is responsible for providing a1ld placing two 4" conduits with pull string from the Welsh Street right-of-way to the outside building termination. Also included in this placement is the crossing of the 28 'access easement at Welsh. The conduit should ell up 4" at the outside building termination and 6" at the Welsh Street right-.of-way, both ends should be capped. The conduit should not have any sharp bends. The building termination should be located within 20' of the power service multi-ground and no closer than 36". If termination is not within 20' of power, a8' x 5/8" copper ground rod must be placed at the base of the termination. The conduit can be placed in the same trench as power providedthere is proper separation. .G.T.E. requires 2' of cover and 2' of separation from p.ower. Coordinate details with G.T.E. Representative Laverne Akin at (409) 821-4723. P&Z Representative Gamer seconded the motion to recommend approval of the site plan with the above mentioned conditions which passed unopposed (3 - 0). SUBMIT 10 COPIES OF THE REVISED SITE & LANDSCAPE PLAN BY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1996 TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION PACKETS FOR THE 7:00 P.M. MEETING ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1996. THE MEETING WILL BEHELD IN THE COUNCIL ROOM OF THE COLLEGE STATION CITY HALL LOCATED AT 1101 TEXAS AVENUE SOUTH. APPEAL PROCESS: An applicant may appeal the decision of the Project Review Committee to the Planning and. Zoning Commission within five days after the PRC Committee meeting. Failure to appeal the PRC action shall constitute a contractual acceptance of all conditions imposed, and a waiver and surrender of all complaints, defects, or potential invalidity, whether under'state or federal law. An applicant appealing the decision of the PRe shall file ten copies of the final site . plan as .approved by thePRC, showing all changes and requirements. imposed by the PRC, and accompanied by a written explanation of those items being appealed. Until said copies are on file, no further development approval shall occur, and no. further action by the Commission shall take place. An applicant may appeal only' certain aspects of site plan review, and in the absence .of discretionary revi~w by the Commission, or review pursuant to a petition, aJll other aspects of the site plan shall be. final. Any notice of appeal. shall state with particularity the aspects which are to be appealed. Coordinate appeal process through Development Coordinator Shirley Yolk at (409) 764-3741.