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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/04/1987 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning CommissionMINUTES • CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS Planning and Zoning Commission June 4, 1987 7:00 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Brochu, Members Colson, Stewart, Dresser, Sawtelle, newly appointed member Moore, Council Liaison Gardner and Mayor Ringer (for the first agenda item) MEMBERS ABSENT: Member Wendler STAFF PRESENT: Director of Planning Callaway, City Engineer Pullen, Zoning Official Kee, Assistant City Attorney Banks and Planning Technician Volk AGENDA ITEM N0. 1: Administration of Oath of Office to newly appointed and reappointed Commissioners. Mayor Ringer administered the Oath of Office to newly appointed Commissioner Moore and reappointed Commissioner Dresser. He also presented a plaque to Mr. Dresser in recognition of his service on the Commission from 1985 to 1987, and thanked him for that service and the continued donation of his time and services to the City. AGENDA ITEM N0. 2: Approval of minutes - meeting of May 21, 1987. • Mrs. Sawtelle made a motion to approve the minutes; Mr. Colson seconded the motion which carried by a vote of 5-0-1 (Dresser abstained}. AGENDA ITEM N0. 3: Hear visitors. No one spoke. AGENDA ITEM N0. 4: Workshop session covering goals, objectives and development policies to be included in the 1987 Update of Plan 2000. Mr. Callaway stated that this workshop would mark the beginning of the second phase of the review and update of Plan 2000 which was prepared in 1979-81 and adopted by Council in 1982. He mentioned that the first phase was completed in February with the distribution of a report which updated the assessments and inventories of the City, the findings of which included an increase in population from 37,000 to approximately 50,000; in housing units from 21,400 to 28,900; in acres within the City from 7,800 to 8,800; substantial growth in retail activities with the opening of Post Oak Mall; and an increased labor force in the RCS area which peaked in 1984, but continued to remain higher in 1986 than at the time the Plan was prepared. He described the second phase as covering the revision of goals, objectives and development policies. He reminded the Commission that goals are statements of the future state or conditions the City desires while objectives are the intermediate/short range steps which can be taken to achieve the goals. He referred • to documents provided to use as resources in this review which include copies of goals, objectives and development policies taken from Plan 2000; copies of a draft of "revised goals and objectives" r_ompiled by staff in response to comments made by PAZ Minutes 6-4-87 Page #1 Council/Commission in a workshop; and copies of a document grouping goals, objectives • and development policies from Plan 2000 with examples of "achievement methods" currently available to staff. He mentioned that several Commissioners have suggested that goals and objectives which the City cannot affect should be eliminated from the update of the plan; that the update should concentrate on development related goals and objectives; and that a review and update should be made of goals and objectives first to ensure they are current, and then an effort should be made to concentrate on development policies. Mr. Brochu briefly described the documents provided which the Commissioners would be using in this workshop, and asked if anyone had any comments concerning any of them at this time. He then suggested that perhaps the starting place should be with the section entitled "Population" with a subsection entitled "City Size". Discussion followed concerning whether or not "regulation of growth" should be a goal and what the definition of "character of College Station" really is. Mr. Moore suggested that perhaps a study should be made of other university cities in other states to determine whether the goals and objectives contained in Plan 2000 should be retained, changed or perhaps scraped completely and replaced with others. Mr. Brochu said that a decision should be reached as to whether or not the City wants to be just a university town or if it should direct its effort to development of other major activities which would also help the economy. Mr. Moore said the answer to that question is that the City should diversify. Mr. Colson suggested that perhaps the objective should be to encourage growth which is consistent with diversification of the economy. Mr. Stewart stated that perhaps some type of "regulation of growth" should occur in that we might want to do • something to retain existing amenities as growth occurs, and therefore perhaps we should be encouraging the type of growth the City desires. Mr. Brochu said that perhaps a city should be of a certain size to ensure maintenance of a certain life style and services desired. Mr. Dresser said that maybe they were trying to go about this review in the wrong manner, and perhaps it should be looked at "backwards", that is perhaps a study should be made of the methods of ensuring objectives and policies will be carried out before setting the goals. He went on to say that in terms of "City Size", maybe the objectives we cannot carry out we should eliminate, that is, if there is no method to control an objective, it's not worthwhile to keep it in the Plan. Mr. Dresser then referred to #1 under "Methods" and asked if the City actually ever provides or withholds utility extensions to help regulate the rate, areas or types of growth. Discussion followed regarding how it might be possible for this to be used. Council Liaison Gardner offered a suggestion to use the words "guide" or "influence" instead of "regulate". Mr. Dresser asked City Engineer Pullen if it is a City policy to control development by either providing or withholding utilities. Mr. Pullen replied the answer is both yes and no, and referred to some areas in which sanitary sewer lines have not been upgraded to accommodate any additional development, citing this as an example of the City "controlling growth" in those areas by withholding utilities, adding that is happening not by policy, but rather by default. Mr. Callaway explained that access can also be used as a controlling agent. After additional discussion concerning whether or not #1 under Methods is actually used, a consensus was reached that a.ll good intentions under that item number can be overcome • by certain engineering methods or enough money, or both, and the City can actually use providing/withholding utility extensions to influence or guide growth, rather than to regulate growth. P&Z Minutes 6-4-87 Page #2 • The result of that discussion was that the first Objective should be changed to read "Guide or influence the rate, areas and type of growth through land use control and utility availability. Another result was to keep #1 under "Policies" as is, that is "The Comprehensive Plan will be utilized as the guide to the locations for future development of various types of land uses and facilities." It was also decided that #2 under "Policies" should be changed to reflect "The City will not extend utilities to facilitate development east of Carters Creek and outside the City Limits." Additional discussion of "Policies" followed with the determination made to change #6 to reflect "The City will annex all adjacent areas which develop and utilize urban services, facilities and utilities." Mrs. Sawtelle asked why the Commission is spending so much time on discussing whether the subtitle of this section should be "City Size" or "City Character", since at the workshop between the Commission and Council. over a year ago, it was decided to refer to the subtitle as "City Character" with the Goal to be "An attractive community with a healthy, diversified economic climate", and she, personally, still likes those ideas. Discussion followed regarding what should be done to facilitate this phase of the review process since all concurred that they had become "bogged down" at this meeting. No.S under "Policies" was referred to, and it was speculated that perhaps the City had not followed its own policy when it annexed the large acreage to the south of the City. Mr. Callaway stated that land had been purchased at the time Plan 2000 was prepared, with annexation following shortly after its adoption. Questions were posed regarding the cost of providing utilities to that area, with Mr. Gardner • suggesting that it might be advisable to invite the Economic Development Foundation to speak before the Commission and other Boards. All Commissioners agreed it would indeed be welcome. Mr. Moore suggested appointing a subcommittee to brainstorm and think up everything which might occur in the next 5 years regarding the thoroughfare interconnect west of the airport and then have the subcommittee bring ideas back to the Commission for discussion. All agreed something must be done to facilitate this study and Mr. Brochu appointed Mr. Dresser and Mr. Moore to work on a subcommittee to concentrate on what might occur in that area around the proposed thoroughfare interconnect west of the airport, and to bring that list back within approximately 60 days. Both agreed, and all Commissioners agreed this plan might serve as an example of how to proceed with additional studies. AGENDA ITBM N0. 5: Other business. Mr. Brochu stated that other subcommittees would be assigned at the next meeting, with workshops or repot•ts to be scheduled in July. Mr. Dresser said he would like to work on the Land LTse and the Thoroughfare subcommittees if he has a choice. Mr. Callaway reported that The Eagle has expressed a statement of concern regarding the agenda item "Other business" not being in compliance with the Open Meetings regulations. He stated that he had forwarded a memo to the Legal Department regarding that statement of concern and that nothing would be done until that department offered advice. • P&Z Minutes 6-4-87 Page #3 AGENDA ITEM N0. 6: Adjourn. • Mrs. Sawtelle made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Colson seconded the motion which carried unanimously (6-0). APPROVED: Chairman, D vid Brochu ATTEST: City Secretary, Dian Jones i• • P&Z Minutes 6-4-87 Page #4 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION GUEST REGISTER • DATE June 4, 1887 NAME 1 ADDRESS . 2. 3• 4. 5. 6. 7• 8. 9• 10. • 11. 12. 13• 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19• 20. 21. 22. 23• 24. 25.