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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/02/1979 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning CommissionMINUTES City of College Station Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Watson; Commissioners Behling, Stover, Sweeney, Hazen; Council Liaison Halter; Director of Planning Mayo, Zoning Official Callaway, Housing Coordinator Kee; Planning Assistant Longley. MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioners Sears, Etter. AGENDA ITEM- N0. 1 -- Aaproval of minutes - meeting of July 19, 1979. Commissioner Hazen moved that the minutes be approved. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Behling and approved with Commissioners Watson and Sweeney abstaining. A6FN~A TTFM N~_ 7 -- Haar vicitnrc_ No one spoke. AGENDA ITEM. NO. 3 -- A public hearing on the question of abandoning the portion of Holik Street running from Jersey to Anna Street. Mr. Mayo informed the Commission that Councilman Tony Jones had asked that the item be tabled because a Council committee was working with the School Board in negotiations on the property involved. Councilman Halter pointed out that the committee was considering an agreement with the school district to use some of the property involved for a community center. He explained that, if some of the property were to be used as a community center, closing the street would make access difficult. He further stated that consideration was being given to making the street "one-way".running south and that all of these considerations needed to 6e discussed with the School Board. Commissioner Sweeney suggested that Holik be cul-de-saced near the old gym. The public hearing was opened. No one spoke. The public hearing was adjourned. Commissioner Sweeney moved that the item be tabled. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Behling and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 4 -- Consideration of a petition requesting annexation of a 250 acre tract located between Highway 30 and the eastward extension of F.M. 60 from the East Bypass. The petition is in the name of Texas Instruments, Inc. Mr. Mayo showed the location of the tract and stated that the staff had worked MINUTES Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. Page 2 closely with the TI representatives and that the staff recommended approval of the petition for annexation. Commissioner Behling moved that the Commission recommend approval of the re- quested annexation. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hazen and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM NO 5 -- Consideration of a petition requesting annexation of a 184 acre tract located between Highway 30, the eastward extension of F.M. 60 and the existing eastern City Limit. The petition is in the name of F.W. Bert Wheeler, Inc. Mr. Mayo pointed out and described the tract in question. He stated that the staff had talked to Mr. Wheeler and that he planned to develop the tract with uses which would support the TI development. Commissioner Sweeney moved that the Commission recommend approval of the requested annexation. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hazen and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 6 -- Consideration of a petition requesting the annexation of a 323.2 acre tract located west of Rio Grande Boulevard and south of F.M. 2818. The petition is in the name of Area Progress Corporation. Mr. Mayo pointed out the location of the property. He stated that the devel- opment would be a continuation of the Southwood Valley type development. Commissioner Hazen asked if sewer service was available to the property. i• Mr. Mayo advised that. sewer lines would be extended from Southwood Valley and that sewer and water service were more than adequate. Commissioner Sweeney. asked what the situation was in the unannexed area to the east of F.M. 2154. Mr. Mayo stated that this property was owned by two or three other owners and that the City did not wish to annex the land at this time, but that the City did wish to see the tract annexed in the near future. Commissioner Stover moved that the Commission recommend approval of the re- quested annexation. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Behling and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 7 -- A public hearing on the question of rezoning the Sutton Place Addition from Single Family Residential District R-1 to General Com- mercial District C-1. The rezoning is initiated by the Planning and Zonin Commission. Mr. Mayo pointed out that the Sutton Place Addition was 1arg~ly in the flood plain and was not a suitable tract for commercial development. He noted that the City had allowed the developer to build a street of less than City standards; without curb and gutter and that the street would have to be brought up to City standards if the property were to be developed commercially. He added that the existing earthen dam on the shopping center propert provided an effective MINUTES Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. Page 3 buffer for the Sutton Place residential development. He stated that a person stand- ing on Sutton Place could not see the shopping center site because of the hight of the earthen dam. He added that the developers of the center had agreed to leave the dam as well as the existing plant material. Mr. Mayo added that the center developers had planned to build a Sears service center between the mall and Sutton Place and that the service center was a less intense commercial use than the mall and that a parking lot would then be located between the service center and the mall provid- ing an even larger buffer zone between the mall and Sutton Place. Chairman Watson pointed out that it would not be possible for Holleman Drive to be located on top of Sutton Place. He stated that he felt the creek made a better buffer than the dam. Mr. Mayo pointed out that the mall developers knew that they would have to go back to the Commission with a site plan approval and that they would be required to pro- vide an adequate buffer for the Sutton Place Addition. The public hearing was opened. Mr. Richard Smith, 819, Texas Avenue, College Station, spoke in-favor of the re- zoning. He pointed out that the decision to rezone Sutton Place to commercial was a compromise made by him when the remainder of the mall tract was rezoned and that he had not asked for Sutton Place to be rezoned. He noted that there were no residents in the area to object to or be harmed by the rezoning. He stated that the flood plain would not hinder commercial development on Sutton Place. He noted that the Commission had, in the past, required a zoning. buffer between residential property and commercial development and that he did not think the dam was an adequate buffer. He also said that he could not sell single family homes adjacent to the mall. Mr. Arthur Smith, 703 Francis Drive, Vice President of Brentwood, Inc.; owners of Sutton Place, spoke in favor of the rezoning. He also read a statement from Mr. L.E. Stark of 1401 Glade in favor of the rezoning. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Behling asked if Sutton Place Drive would have to be upgraded if the property were rezoned to commercial. Mr. Mayo advised that the Subdivision Ordinance and the Street Development Ordinance would require that the street be brought up to City standard. Commissioner Behling pointed out that part of the compromise between Mr. Smith and the mall developers had been that the improvement of Sutton Place Drive would be at the expense of the mall developers and that since Holleman could not be taken down Sutton Place the question was now cloudy. The Commission discussed the suitablity of Sutton Place for residential development. Commissioner Stover stated that he felt Mr:' Mayo had pointed out good reasons for leaving the tract zoned for residential development. • Mr. Mayo pointed out that no commercial tracts located in a flood plain in College Station had ever been developed and asked why the Commission should create another vacant commercial tract. Mr. Smith stated that the suitability of the property for commercial development was MINUTES Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. Page 4 his problem and that if he could not sell the property or develop it, it would just remain a vacant green area. He stated that proposed land use plans for the remainder of the Brentwood Development had showed the area adjacent to Sutton Place as residential, but that that plan was now being review and would probably be changed. Commissioner Stover moved that the Commission recommend that the rezoning be denyed. The motion failed for lack of a second. Commissioner Hazen moved that the Commission recommend approval of the rezoning to C-1. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Behling and approved with Commissioner Stover voting against. Councilman Halter asked that it be made clear to Mr. Smith that Holleman Drive would not be taken down Sutton Place Drive. Mr. Smith stated that he would be glad to donate any right-of-way necessary for getting Holleman Drive into the Sutton Place cul-de-sac if that was the wish of the City. Councilman Halter stated that City Council had allowed Sotton Place to be built as a rural section road but that the decision had been base on residential dev- elopment and that, if the property was rezoned, the road no longer existed. Chairman Watson asked Mr. Smith if he .would object to putting in curb and gutter on Sutton Place when the property was developed. Mr. Smith stated that he felt curb and gutter would improve the value and developability of the property but that he only owned half of the street and that the curbing of the north half would be up to the mall developers. AGENDA ITEM N0. 8 -- Consideration of a final slat - Resubdivision of Lots 2,3,4 and 5; Block 2, University Oaks Section 1. Mr. Mayo stated that the property to be subdivided was now zoned for apart- ments and that the staff would not object to the plat if the property were to be developed as apartments. Commissioner Hazen asked what the status of parkland dedicaiton in the area was. Councilman Halter stated that the parkland dedication for the University Oaks Addition had .been taken care of under the old parkland dedication ordinance. He said that Oaks Park represented this dedication. Mr. Mayo stated that he suspected that, if the tract were subdivided, the owners would seek commercial rezoning for the small tract on Highway 30. He stated that this would be a very poor location for a small commercial devel- opemnt from the standpoint of access and the overall development of the area on both sides of Highway 30. Commissioner Stover suggested that the small tract would create many problems. MINUTES Page 5 Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. Commissioner Sweeney moved that the plat be denied. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hazen and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 9 -- Consideration. of an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance No. 850 as it applies to detached signs, temporary signs and trailer signs. Commissioner Stover moved that the item be removed from the table. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sweeney and unanimously approved. Mr. Mayo went over the results of a survey of gas stations and their price signs. Mr. Mayo suggested that the ordinance allow gas stations to affix their portable price signs to an existing detached sign or a light standard after obtaining a permit for the sign. He suggested that the area of the price sign not apply to the total sign area allowed. Mr. Mayo stated that he had written no specific wording for this section bit that he could prepare it before presentation of the ordinance to Council. Chairman Watson stated that he felt if the portable sign did not create a traffic hazard or in some way damage the public intrest that the City should not be ,~ ~, allowed to regulate them. Mr. Mayo stated that a sign did not have to be a traffic hazard to damage the appearance of the City and that there were many citizens who are concerned with the appearance of the City. Commissioner Stover moved that the Commission recommend adoption of the ordinance with the inclusion of a statement regulating gas station price signs. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hazen and approved with Chairman Watson voting against. AGENDA ITEM N0.10 amending the Zonin scaping and safety zones. - A public hearing of the question of adopting an ordinance Ordinance No. 850 to expand the jurisdiction of the land- requirements for parking areas in commercial and industrial Mr. Mayo explained that the amendment would require all parking areas in commercial and industrial zones to be considered by the P.R.C. but that only those with 20 or more spaces would be submitted to the Commission. He pointed out that the ordinance now gave the City Engineer the .power to approve all parking lots with more than 5 spaces but that this often put the Engineer in a difficult position and it would be helpful to have the P.R.C. to back up his decisions. Chairman Watson suggested that the process would slow down the building permit process on small commercial projects. Mr. Mayo stated that P.R.C. meetings could be set up very ~~quickly and that the proposed system would not slow down the process. Commissioner Behling suggested that the City Engineer could take care of the situation as stated in the present ordinance. The public hearing was opened. MINUTES Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. s Page 6 Mr. W.D. Fitch spoke in support of the proposed amendment. He stated that the requirement of the 8 foot setback planting strip should not be a hardship on any developer and that the requirements of the ordinance improved the overall appearance of the City. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Stover moved that the Commission recommend adoption of the proposed amendment. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sweeney and approved with Commissioner Behling and Chairman Watson voting against. AGENDA ITEM NO 11 -- A public hearing on the question of adopting an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance No 850, Sections 10-C.2.1. ahd 13-B.1. to designate filing fees for rezoning and conditional use permit applications by City Council op licy. Mr. Mayo explained that the ordinance would allow the fees for permit and re- zoning applications to be set by City Council policy rather. than requiring each change to go through two public hearings for an ordinance revision. He stated that it was very unsusual for a zoning ordinance to require an amendment every time these fees are changed. The public hearing was opened. No one spoke. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Stover moved that the Commission recommend adoption of the amending ordinance. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Behling and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 12 -- Consideration of a preliminary plat - Southwood Terrace Section 2. Mr. Mayo advised the Commission that the plat was an extension of the Southwood Terrace duplex development and that the property was now zoned for such a dev- elopment. He stated that the staff recommended approval of the plat: Commissioner Hazen moved that the plat be approved-with the provision that lots having frontage on more than one street will take their access to the lesser of the two streets. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sweeney and unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM N0. 13 -- Other business. There was no other business. AGENDR ITEM N0. 13 -- Adjourn. Commissioner Behling moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hazen and unanimously approved. MINUTES Page 7 Planning and Zoning Commission August 2, 1979 7:00 P.M. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M. • APPROVED Chairman Attest Secretary