HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/15/1994 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning CommissionMINUTES
Planning & Zoning Commission
CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
December 15, 1994
7:00 P.M.
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COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Acting Chairman Hall, Commissioners Lane, Garner,
Gribou and Lightfoot.
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Chairman Hawthorne and Commissioner Smith.
STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Kee, Assistant City Engineer Morgan,
Project Engineer McCully, Staff Planner Kuenzel,
Staff Planner Dunn, Transportation Planner Hard
and Development Coordinator Volk.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Approval of minutes from the meeting of December 1, 1994.
Commissioner Garner made a motion to approve the minutes. Conunissioner Gribou seconded the motion
which carried unanimously (5-0).
AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Consideration of a request for variances to the driveway throat
length, curbing of a section of the parking lot and the location of a landscaping island (as required by
the Driveway Ordinance and the Zoning Ordinance) in a proposed parking lot to be located at 315
Church Street. Request for the variances is in the name of Paul J. Clarke.
Engineering Project Manager McCully identified the subject property on a slide and gave the staff report
referring to the memo enclosed in the packets. He explained that the first variance he would address would
be the driveway throat length, and pointed out that while the ordinance would require 25 feet, the size of
the lot allows only 12 feet. He added that due to the small size of the site and the negative impact on site
circulation strict adherence to the ordinance would cause, staff would recommend approval of this variance.
He then addressed the second variance request, that of allowing this lot to be built without curbing along
the frontage with Second Street. He pointed out that while some sites in the Northgate area do not have
curbing, staff feels very strongly that curbing should be required as parking is developed in the area to help
preclude a probable drainage problem which could be caused by using only wheel stops, to promote better
visual and maintenance aspects on this site, and to better define the driving area on the street from the
parking area on this lot. He stated that staff strongly opposes this variance because of the probable
negative impact on appearance and drainage in this highly congested area of the City.
Mr. McCully then briefly addressed the third request, that of allowing the "end" island to be placed at a
spot other than the end of a parking row. He stated that while moving the island to the end may cause
backing out of the last space a little more difficult, staff would reconunend denial of the request because the
zoning ordinance is based on defining parking areas, and softening the end view of parking rows helps
avoid that "car lot" appearance.
Chairman Hall recognized that while this item is not a public hearing item, he would still open the meeting
to the public, and did so.
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Applicant for the variance requests, Paul J. Clarke, came forward and explained his reasons for asking for
the request were both for practical reasons, as well as financial He stated the he would not linger on the
subject of the throat length because staff had already addressed all pertinent facts, but went on to the
curbing variance request. He explained that while he would admit that curbing might help control drainage
from the site, and he has been informed that he would have to provide some detention in the parking lot
anyway, so some curbing would be required, he would like to point out that the grade difference between
the driving surface of Second Street and the surface of his parking lot is quite steep, and he thi-ilcs curbing
up high on the parking lot would look funny with a sharp drop-off to the street level. He said it would be
difficult to install landscaping in that small, steep area as well. He then skipped on the third request -that
of allowing a parking space between the island and the fence and explained that because of the "tightness"
of the site, and the angle of the fencing in relation to the angle of the parking space, the chances of someone
backing into the fence become greater with the island on the end than they are with a parking-on~the
end designated for the handicapped. ~~-~ ~~ ~;'
`.../
After brief discussion, Commissioner Gribou stated that he would like to make three motions; one for each
request, rather than to make one motion all inclusive.
He moved to approve the request for a variance to the throat length. ConUnissioner Lightfoot seconded the
motion which carried unanimously (5-0).
Commissioner Gribou then moved to deny the request for variance to the curbing. Commissioner Lightfoot
seconded the motion. Commissioner Gribou asked Mr. McCully for clarification as to the location of the
required curbing. Mr. McCully responded by pointing it out on a slide. Votes were cast with the result
being a vote of 5-0 in favor of denying the request.
Commissioner Gribou made a motion to grant the request for variance to the island location.
ConUnissioner Garner seconded the motion. Conmiissioncr Gribou then explained that in his opinion, due
to the design of this site, the only choices are to eliminate the space completely or to leave the design as
submitted. Conunissioncr Lightfoot stated that repairs to the fence and curb would be required
continuously if the island were placed on the end, and thinks more damage and unsightly appearance would
be the result. Votes were cast with the result being ~-0 in favor of granting the request.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Other business.
There was no other business, but everyone wished everyone else a happy holiday season.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Adjourn.
The meeting was adjourned.
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Pla ing Tec ician, Natalie Thomas
P & Z Minutes
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APPROV
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Chairnla-i, Kyle Hawthorne
December 1 S. 199-
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