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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/03/1996 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning Commission• MINUTES Planning & Zoning Commission CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS October 3, 1996 7:00 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Hawthorne and Commissioners Smith, Massey, Garner 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 Garner 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 Garner 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-1 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 Garner 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 Garner 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 2 of 4 _- Variance 2: Raised island along the rear access drive. At the rear of this site is the entrance/exit driveway from Furrows to Highway 30. This • development has a rear entrance off the Furrows driveway. In their initial submittal to the PRC, the entrance was shown to be 117' wide with striping to indicate the traffic flow into the site and lane designation for the drive-through window. The PRC asked that a raised island be constructed to better define the circulation patterns for vehicles. Upon resubmittal, the applicant has shown a 10' diameter island at this location. The applicant argues that the island cannot be any larger because it will adversely affect the ability for vehicles leaving the Furrows site to enter the lane for the drive-through window of the convenience store. Staff does not believe this new design meets with the intent of the PRC's comments because the driveway widths are still too wide and the circulation patterns are poorly defined. Our position is that the small island does not sufficiently separate traffic at the entrance and there is a great potential for vehicular conflicts from opposing traffic leaving the site. Increasing the size of the island and changing its shape would provide better lane delineation and reduce confusion by vehicles entering and exiting the site in the rear. Staff recommended denial of the appeal of the PRC's decision. Constantin Barbu approached the Commission and explained that he is the architectural representative of the property owners. He stated that the driveway along the Frontage Road must be 40' wide in order to have a safe intersection with the appropriate turning radii. Mr. Barbu stated that he wrote a letter explaining the reasons why the larger driveway is needed; however, the City never proved to the property owners why they could not have the additional 4' in width. The additional driveway width is necessary to facilitate the traffic from the subject lot and the adjacent property to the north. Mr. Barbu explained that at the PRC meeting, they were told that it is up to the property owner to control traffic • along the rear access drive. The City requested a larger raised island that would prevent the traffic from Furrows to enter the drive-through because of the turning radius. The smaller island accommodates everyone since it controls traffic and also allows traffic from Furrows to utilize the drive-through. Dawn Springer of 1700 Sterling informed the Commission that she is the owner and developer of the subject property. She expressed concern of vehicle traffic hitting the pumps near the front of the site if the additional driveway width is not allowed to provide the necessary turning radii. Ms. Springer stated that at the Project Review Committee meeting, they were told that the large raised island was only a suggestion; but, the City could not enforce that requirement. City Engineer Laza stated that the raised island was a discretionary item required by the PRC to address traffic circulation. With respect to the driveway width, the ordinance provides for a maximum of 36' which staff feels is adequate for the proposed development. The applicant has not proved that the additional 4' is needed. Commissioner Massey questioned staff as to the potential problems that could result in allowing the larger driveway proposed by the applicant. City Engineer Laza stated that he knew of no adverse impacts the larger driveway could create; however, the applicant has not proven that the driveway ordinance cannot be met at this location. • Commissioner Massey moved to grant variance 1 to the driveway width of the main entrance from the East Bypass to 40' and deny variance 2 with respect to the raised island along the rear access drive and uphold the Project Review Committee's decision. Commissioner Garner seconded the motion. P & Z Minutes October 3, 1996 Page 3 of 4 Chairman Hawthorne stated that the site plan submitted is very crowded with all of the uses proposed for the property and the raised island should be installed in some form for traffic control. He stated that • he's not sure if it must be in the exact shape shown. He suggested that the applicant work with staff to see if the island can be configured such that cars are directed into the line of stacking traffic for the drive-through. The island could be reconfigured to be more directive for vehicular traffic and still allow the traffic from Furrows to enter the drive-through. Commissioner Massey agreed that the island should be installed to provide some sort of delineation in the back and to help with cars backed into the access drive waiting for the drive-through. The motion passed unopposed (4 - 0). (Commissioner Lightfoot amved during the discussion phase of the two variance requests.) AGENDA ITEM NO. S: Other business. There was no other business. AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Adjourn. Commissioner Lightfoot moved to adjourn the meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion which passed unopposed (5 - 0). • APPROVED: TTEST: Planning echnic ,Natalie Thomas ~-; ., .: , `r~~_--.1 - _- Chairman, Kyle Hawthorne P & Z Minutes October 3, 1996 Page 4 of 4 • i• PCanninB ~' Zoning Commission Guest register Date ~~i~ ~~ s1 cfrfress 2. 3. 4. S. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. IS. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. _ 25.