Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/18/1996 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning CommissionMINUTES Plannin & Zonin Commission g g CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS January 18, 1996 7:00 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Hawthorne and Commissioners Gribou, Smith, Hall and Garner. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Lane and Lightfoot. STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Kee, Senior Planner Kuenzel, Graduate Civil Engineer Homeyer, Planning Technician Thomas, Transportation Planner Hard and Development Coordinator Volk. (Council Liaison Bill Fox was in the audience.) • AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Approval of minutes from the meeting of January 4, 1996. Commissioner Gribou moved to approve the minutes from the meeting of January 4, 1996 as written. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion which passed unopposed (4 - 0); Commissioner Hall was not present during the approval of minutes. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Public hearing to consider a conditional use permit request to allow a Veterinary Clinic in an existing building located at 2668 Barron Road. (96-700) Senior Planner Kuenzel presented the staff report and stated that the applicant is proposing to convert a 600 square foot garage into a small animal clinic. The primary use of the property will remain residential but will add a second principal commercial use. The parking restrictions would require two parking spaces (1 per 300 square feet), which will need to meet current development requirements including paving and landscaping. A site plan must be submitted at a later date so that the Commission can determine that all standards have been met. At this time, the Commission is requested to rf;view the use only of a veterinary clinic for compatibility with the area. Dr. Sims will be the only employee and estimates that about 25% of her business will be conducted on site; the remaining 75% will be on a call- out basis. The house and garage are located on the southwest corner of the property and activities will be limited to the garage area. There is no outside activity proposed and the applicant is not proposing to board animals at this time. The closest home is located roughly 250' from the garage. Therf; are two other homes in the vicinity, one is located over 400' from the garage and one is over 5(10'. The surrounding area is rural residential with large, agricultural lots. The applicant is proposing two low profile signs for the proposed clinic. Approximately seven surrounding property owners were notified of the public hearing with one letter received in opposition to the request. • Chairman Hawthorne opened the public hearing. Applicant Dr. Kellie Sims approached the Commission and offered to answer any questions pertaining to the use permit request. Chairman Hawthorne closed the public hearing. Commissioner Gribou moved to grant the conditional use only permit as outlined by staff. Commissioner Garner seconded the motion. Commissioner Hall expressed concern that the proposed vet clinic may not pose a problem now; however, in the future, there could be a problem with forcing R-1 zoning adjacent to an existing veterinary clinic. The motion to grant the use only permit passed (4 - 1); Commissioner Hall voted in opposition to the motion. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Public hearing to consider the proposed Longmire Education Center to be located at 2718 Longmire Drive in the Southwood Valley Section 5-A Subdivision, in a C-N zoning district. (96-800) Senior Planner Kuenzel presented the staff report and stated that the subject site is zoned C-N Neighborhood Commercial, which requires Commission approval. In order to approve the use and site plan of a C-N proposal, the Commission must find that the purpose of the district is met. Tlie Zoning Ordinance states the purpose of this district as follows: "This district provides small commercial sites for residential com~enience goods and ser~~ice businesses. No use shall be allowed which would adversely affect the health, safety, we, fare, or residential character of the neighborhood. The use shall be a low traffic generator and shall not create any noise, light, or odors abnormal to the neighborhood. No outside storage or display of goods or materials shall be allowed. " • Senior Planner Kuenzel stated that the Project Review Committee reviewed this project on January 3, 1996 and recommended approval with the conditions outlined in the report. Approximatesly fifteen surrounding property owners were notified of the public hearing with several inquiries and no opposition. Chairman Hawthorne opened the public hearing. Seeing no one present to speak in favor of or in opposition to the proposed education center, he closed the public hearing. Commissioner Gribou moved to grant a permit to allow the proposed child care and education center to be constructed on a site zoned for neighborhood commercial uses, 2718 Longmire Drive with the Project Review Committee conditions. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion which passed unopposed (5 - 0). AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Consideration of a sidewalk variance request along Medina Street for the West Knoll Phase II final plat. (95-213) Graduate Civil Engineer Homeyer informed the Commission that in May of 1995, the final plat for West Knoll Section II came before the Commission and Council for approval. The plat was approved with the condition that sidewalks be placed on Dexter and Medina Streets in front of the lots being subdivided, in accordance with the City of College Station's Subdivision Regulations. The applicant is requesting a variance to this requirement on Medina Street only, as the applicant is willing to construct the sidewalk along Dexter. The applicant submitted a petition and comments from the adjacent property owners. The sidewalks constructed along Dexter and Medina would be continued into the • neighborhood in front of existing single family residential homes, with future City sidewalk funds. P & Z Minutes Jarniary 18, 1996 Page 2 of ~ Graduate Civil Engineer Homeyer stated that property owners or renters of three of the four lots (lots 8 - I l) that would be directly affected by the construction of the sidewalk, have signed the petition in • opposition to the sidewalk being continued through the frontage of their lots. The petition is also signed by three property owners in the immediate area, all which oppose the construction of the sidewalk. Although not signing the petition, staff did talk to most of the renters in the duplexes constructed on the West Knoll lots, most of which said they were indifferent to the sidewalk., and only two said they did not want a sidewalk there, none of the residents polled said they definitely wanted a sidewalk. Staff also received one phone call from a property owner on Medina who was iti favor of having a sidewalk on Medina. Although the City's Subdivision Regulations would require the construction of the Medina sidewalk, staff would support this variance request for the following reasons: (1) The opposition expressed by property owners in the area, who would ultimately use the sidewalk. (2) With the opposition expressed, the adjacent piece of sidewalk, which would be constructed by the City, would be very difficult to complete leaving a sidewalk from Southwest Parkway through only a portion of Medina. (3) The fact that there are alternate routes for future sidewalk construction for school children to get to South Knoll school from the neighborhood. (4) This plat was "infilling" an area and as such it is sometimes difficult to adapt "ne;wer" standards to surrounding existing development. • Applicant and developer Glenn Thomas of Thomas Pro erties a roached the Commission a.nd stated p pp that when the final plat went before the Project Review Committee, the sidewalk issue was raised in order to comply with the Subdivision Regulations. There did not seem to be a need for the sidewalk that would dead-end into an existing residential neighborhood. Mr. Thomas stated that he can see a need for the sidewalk along Dexter and that it will eventually tie into the park; however, the Medina sidewalk will not serve any purpose and the residents in the neighborhood do not want the sidewalk. Commissioner Hall moved to grant the sidewalk variance request along Medina Street as p;~rt of the West Knoll Section II Subdivision. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion. Chairman Hawthorne stated that this sidewalk issue seems to come up quite a bit where the Subdivision Regulations require sidewalks where they are not always appropriate. He stated that he understands the issue of older areas and current requirements versus newer areas and current requirements; however, the sidewalk placement is not always appropriate. Commissioner Garner stated that in this particular case, the sidewalk will connect to Southwest Parkway and be used by residents of the area. She stated that the sidewalks along Dexter and Medina should be installed and the City should stick to the plans for the future. The motion to grant the sidewalk variance request along Medina for the West Knoll Section II • Subdivision failed (2 - 3); Commissioners Smith, Gribou and Garner voted in opposition to the motion. P c~: Z Minutes Jarn~ary 18, 1996 Page 3 of S AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: Consideration of a preliminary plat for the Jordan Subdivision totaling 23.1 acres along the south side of State Highway 30 between Linda and Pamela Lanes. (96-300) City Planner Kee presented the staff report and recommend approval of the preliminary plat with comments from the Presubmission Conference. Subdivisions have occurred on this property over time without benefit of platting as required by the Local Government Code. Old plats of the Harvey Hillsides subdivision refer to this property as "block 4", as if it were platted, but not part of the plats of the adjacent areas. Mr. Jordan purchased 5.84 acres (shown as lots 1, 2 and 3 on this proposed preliminary plat) in 1993. He is now wanting to develop or sell his property, but upon a search of records, it was discovered that "block 4" was never really legally platted. Therefore, Mr. Jordan is being required to submit a preliminary plat accompanied by impact studies for the entire "block 4", with the acreage he currently owns designated as lots 1, 2 and 3 and the rest of the unplatted property previously referred to as block 4 shown as "Reserved for Future Development". Mr. Jordan will then be able to come in with a final plat of only his property at his convenience, and the owners of the remaining property can come in with either final plats or additional preliminary plats of their properties, whichever applies. Since the staff report was written, the applicant is requesting a driveway variance. Transportation Planner Hard is prepared to address this variance at tonight's meeting; however, since there was no information concerning the variance request in the packets, the Commission has the discretion to either consider the request or table the request to a future meeting. Transportation Planner Hard explained that in discussions with the applicant, it was agreed that the City will allow a shared driveway between lots 2 and 3 as shown on the preliminary plat, and a single curb cut on lot 1. Staff recommended that the variance be denied and that the two curb cuts previously • agreed to by the applicant be granted in order to consolidate the driveway openings in this area.. Applicant and property owner Weldon Jordan approached the Commission and stated that in this particular case, three individual curb cuts should be allowed. The subject property is located in a rural area and the lots are a minimum of two acres in size. Mr. Jordan stated that he plans on building a personal office building for his contracting business on one lot and the other two lots will be similar in use. He stated that there are very few driveways in this rural area and the proposed three curb cuts would not conflict with the existing driveways. The driveways would be located in the center of each lot so there will be a minimum 190' separation between the curb cuts. Commissioner Hall moved to recommend approval of the preliminary plat for the Jordan Subdivision with the condition that the driveway variance issue be addressed at the time of the final plat. Commissioner Gribou seconded the motion which passed unopposed (5 - 0). AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Other business. Commissioner Hall suggested that either staff or the HOK consultants take a step back and look at the individual zoning districts that are in place now. For example, the possibility of placing a square footage requirement on the size of a food service area in a convenience store in a C-3 zoning district as opposed to requiring C-1 zoning for a convenience store with a small food service area. He also informed the Commission that Texas Digital Systems met with several homeowners around the Sebesta • Road and East Bypass area to discuss the possible rezoning and development of that area. P & Z Minutes January 18, 1996 Page 4 of S Chairman Hawthorne suggested that the City look at ways to better address outside storage issues when cases come before the Commission. If there is any way that the Commission can become more involved • in addressing the aesthetics of outside storage such as Walmart and the Tractor Supply place;, then the Commission needs to be made aware if outside storage is being requested. City Planner Kee informed the Commission that the next Comprehensive Plan public meeting is a joint Parks Board and Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting on Wednesday, February 7, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Room. At the meeting the two boards will discuss the Land Use Plan, Parks and Open Space Plan and elements of the Thoroughfare Plan. She also stated that on March 12, 1996, there will be a planning workshop at the Brazos Valley Development Council on 29th Street. The City will pay the $25 fee if the Commissioners are interested in attending. The workshop will include discussions between planners in both the private and public sectors. Transportation Planner Hard informed the Commission that there will be two public meetings to discuss the special event parking program in both the East Gate and South Gate areas. The South Gate meeting will be on January 31, 1996 and the East Gate meeting will be on February 5, 1996. Both meetings will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Conference Center. AGENDA ITEM NO. 7: Adjourn. Commissioner Gribou moved to adjourn the meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Commissioner Hall seconded the motion which passed unopposed (5 - 0). • 1 APPROVED: ~`` ~ L n L~r ~'~ Chairman, I y eta -bi-ne ATTEST:' ~ ~ - < j ~ /. Planning Technician, Natalie Thomas U P & Z Mznutes .Ian~uary 18, 1996 Page S of S Registration Form (For persons who wish to address the Commission) t _ %" Date of Meeting - ~ ~ `-` Agenda Item No. Name ~ r r ~~ ;~ ,, ~ r, ;; ~~ ~ d ,~~: ~:,; ~, ~ < >! ~~ Address ~ ;. ~ "~ -r~ ~~ ~ ~ i ~~ ~ ~ --~ If speaking for an organization, Name of organization: -.-- -, , ,___ . , ',~ ,E~,~,„~ .~ ~ ,~~ a ~. .. > Speaker's official capacity: _, ~'S' F. ~ r ,-~ } ~ ~ z Subject on which person wishes to speak: _~_ ~ '~ ., °lease remember to step to the podium as soon as you are .recognized by the chair, hand your completed registration form to the presiding officer and state your name and residence before beginning your presentation. If you have written notes you wish to present to the Commission, PLEASE FURNISH AN EXTRA COPY FOR PLANNING FILES. Z'lannin~ ~' Zoning Commission Guest 7~eBister • • J • Dat 1{ rfrfress _-.__~_.T--___ I _' .. ,~ ___ ~~ . ~ _ ~- , r 4. s 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. IS. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. - zs