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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/06/2004 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning Commission (2)AGENDA ` a • Workshop Meeting Planning and Zoning Commission Thursday, May 6 2004, at 5:00 p.m. College Station - Council Chambers, College Station City Hail Embracing the Past, Exploring the Future 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, Texas COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Shafer, White, Reynolds, Davis, Williams, Hall, and Trapani. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Maloney. CITY STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Kee, Development Manager Ruiz, Assistant Development Manager George, Senior Planner Fletcher, Staff Planner Reeves, Prochazka, and Hitchcock, Graduate Civil Engineers Thompson and Cotter, Transportation Planner Fogle, Assistant City Attorney Nemcik, Action Center Representative Kelley, Economic Development Director Foutz, Parks and Recreation Director Beachy and Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Ploeger, Senior Customer Service Representative Rodgers, and Staff • Assistants Smith and Hazlett. Chairman Shafer called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. 1. Discussion of consent and regular agenda items. Questions regarding consent and regular agenda items were answered and clarifications made. Staff Planner Prochazka provided additional information to the Commission for Regular Agenda Item No. 8 and distributed a letter from a property owner. 2. Discussion of minor and amending plats approved by Staff. • F.S. Kapchinski Amending Final Plat, Lots 911 and 1011 (04 -87) Graduate Engineer Thompson, Engineering Services, stated that this item involved readjusting a lot line in order to create two lots. 3. Consideration, discussion and possible action on a proposed connectivity Index and pedestrian access ways In residential subdivisions. This discussion could potentially lead to amendments of the City's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and Subdivision Regulations. Ken Fogle presented the Staff Report. Mr. Fogle explained that connectivity represents the degree that the different elements of a neighborhood roadway • network connects and supports each of the streets in the neighborhood. He gave examples of neighborhoods with the benefit of having good connectivity as compared to those neighborhoods with a low level of connectivity. Mr. Fogle requested P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 1 of 5 direction from the Commission in determining the criteria for the Connectivity Index • and whether or not requirements for both the Subdivision Regulations and the Thoroughfare Plan are desired. When taking a poll of the connectivity issue, Commissioner Trapani reported that some citizens /neighborhoods do not want connectivity. Commissioner Reynolds asked which neighborhoods, under these standards, would not be allowed to develop or meet the requirements today. Mr. Fogie pointed out three. Commissioner Davis expressed concern regarding add -on developments in existing cul -de -sac neighborhoods, which results in difficulty getting in and out of the subdivisions. Commissioner Hall believes topography will prove how effective this tool could be. Chairman Shafer spoke positively of the idea and encouraged the trend and supports a greater level of connectivity. Mr. Fogle briefly spoke regarding access ways. City Planner Kee commented on the continuance of the process. The Commission asked Mr. Fogie to conduct an analysis to determine the connection quality of several local subdivision street networks to the College Station thoroughfare network and recommend a standard. Commissioners Hall and Davis will serve as subcommittee members for this study. • 4. Consideration, discussion, and possible action regarding the Greenways Master Plan as It relates to the Parkland Dedication Ordinance, ET3 development and overall greenway, bikeway, sidewalk and trail connectivity. Greenways Program Manager, Kristen Clan, presented the Staff Report. Ms. Clan stated that she was seeking feedback from the Commission as they go forward with some of the master plan updates. She stated that the status of the update on the greenways acquisition and dedication program has not changed since last reported. She went over the list of items that is currently being worked on and considered regarding the direction of the Greenways Program. • The definition of greenways needs to be reiterated. Much of the focus has been on floodplain storage rather than on the connectivity or the corridor part of the definition of greenways. • New Maps showing the current acquired and dedicated greenways. These will include an overlay with the bikeway /pedestrian master plan and the current parks held by the parks department. This should assist us in determining the needed connections. She expressed a desire to obtain greenway connections that are not just in the floodplain in order to build trails. • Creating a greenways maintenance plan. • Creating a greenways article in the UDO. • Continuing the current Educational program. • • Creek frontage and greenway frontage. • Developing Trails. • Adding a greenways section to the project review checklist. P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 2 of 5 Doing so would open opportunities to speak with developers during the pre- Commissioner Davis stated that as work goes forward in these areas, a distinction • between greenways and green space and the accessibility and usability of the areas should be spelled out. He was supportive of reconvening the Greenways Implementation Task Force. Commissioner White and Chairman Shafer concurred. S. Consideration, discussion and possible action on the University Preserve drainage Issues. Engineering Services Graduate Civil Engineer Thompson presented the Staff Report. Mr. Thompson stated that he revisited the site in response to citizen concerns regarding drainage in the area. Mr. Thompson reported that the development has improved the drainage overall on the site. The development rerouted much of the existing drainage to their detention pond. He added that street construction caused some shifting in the drainage that should have decreased the amount of water in particular areas. In reference to the fence, a few areas looked like drainage had collected and concentrated in passing under the fence. The City requested the 5' drainage easement along property line. When the lots develop, the building will fill to place the house pad on it and this will take the drainage from the front part of the lots to the street and what is left is the back part where the yards will be leveled and sod with grass. Overall, this area will be improved. In the meantime some of these areas can be leveled out so the drainage is more sheet -flow and is not concentrated. The City is working with the property owner and the engineer to do this. Further discussion ensued. • 6. Discussion of Subcommittee Reports. P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 3 of 5 development stage in order to address the greenways at that time as well as to discuss connecting them to the parklands that are dedicated. • A plan to identify connections and how to go about obtaining those. • Using the greenways as a component of the Connectivity Index. • Voluntary Greenways Dedications by forming a focus group and reconvening the Greenways Implementation Task Force. • Storm Water Prevention Management Plan to include the Greenways and Floodplain storage issues • Capital Improvement Projects for the Hike and Bike Trail • Public Surveys, Ecological Mapping, Re- prioritizing • National Trails Day, June 5 at Lick Creek Park • Carter Creek Floodplain Mapping in cooperation with the City of Bryan which would be a FEMA Partnership • Formation of a Brazos Valley Land Trust • Defining a process to develop landowner incentives for greenway dedications or requiring greenway dedications • Greenway acquisitions and dedications throughout other communities in Texas • Working in concert with the various departments and elements to ensure the meshing of The Greenways Master Plan, The Bikeway /Pedestrian Master Plan, and The Recreation and Parks Open Space Master Plan • Inventorying the Greenways and Drainage Areas • Receive direction from the Planning and Zoning Commission • Categories of Greenways, Urban vs Suburban vs Rural Commissioner Davis stated that as work goes forward in these areas, a distinction • between greenways and green space and the accessibility and usability of the areas should be spelled out. He was supportive of reconvening the Greenways Implementation Task Force. Commissioner White and Chairman Shafer concurred. S. Consideration, discussion and possible action on the University Preserve drainage Issues. Engineering Services Graduate Civil Engineer Thompson presented the Staff Report. Mr. Thompson stated that he revisited the site in response to citizen concerns regarding drainage in the area. Mr. Thompson reported that the development has improved the drainage overall on the site. The development rerouted much of the existing drainage to their detention pond. He added that street construction caused some shifting in the drainage that should have decreased the amount of water in particular areas. In reference to the fence, a few areas looked like drainage had collected and concentrated in passing under the fence. The City requested the 5' drainage easement along property line. When the lots develop, the building will fill to place the house pad on it and this will take the drainage from the front part of the lots to the street and what is left is the back part where the yards will be leveled and sod with grass. Overall, this area will be improved. In the meantime some of these areas can be leveled out so the drainage is more sheet -flow and is not concentrated. The City is working with the property owner and the engineer to do this. Further discussion ensued. • 6. Discussion of Subcommittee Reports. P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 3 of 5 �J ■ Neighborhood Task Force Commissioner Reynolds reported that the subcommittee has completed its assignments. CHARGE I: Review number of unrelated persons allowed in a single - family dwelling and the impact associated with lowering the current number of four. RECOMMENDATION: No change. Number to remain at four unrelated. CHARGE II: Review the impacts of infill development in older areas. RECOMMENDATION: Establish overlay district for primarily pre-1970 developments and allow those overlay districts to address the infill development issues that are relevant to their districts. CHARGE III: Review the application of property maintenance codes to single - family homes and the need for and effectiveness of a rental property registration and /or inspection program. RECOMMENDATION: Establish a no -fee rental registration program and impose stiff fines for failure to register. Do not establish a rental inspection program at this time. CHARGE IV: Review existing city ordinances related to infill development and property maintenance issues. • RECOMMENDATION: Add additional staff as required to enhance code enforcement and to utilize code enforcement more proactively to address problematic issues. CHARGE V: Review the economic impact on all effective parties for the listed topics. COMMENT: Discussed throughout the entire process of all the previously mentioned topics. Recommendations will be presented to the City Council on May 27, 2004. ■ Blue Ribbon Committee Commissioner White reported that the committee has agreed to complete the task within 180 days and determined that testimony from different aspects of the community will be heard. He reported that the committee is moving forward with these interviews. • Land Use and Development Subcommittee City Planner Kee reported that the subcommittee has not yet met and that they are waiting to hear from the City Council in order to do so. • Senior Planner Fletcher stated that there has been some discussion about the sequence of development in buffers, etc. and some of the City Council Members were raising questions because some of the decisions would impede the process P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 4 of 5 or the development scenario. This will be a subcommittee of City Council Members working with a subcommittee of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Commissioner Davis and Williams volunteered to serve on this subcommittee. Commissioner White will serve as the alternate in place of Chairman Shafer until his return. 7. Discussion and possible action on future agenda Items — A Planning and Zoning Member may Inquire about a subject for which notice has not been given. A statement of specific factual Information or the recitation of existing policy may be given. Any deliberation shall be limited to a proposal to place the subject on an agenda for a subsequent meeting. Commissioner White made a minor correction to the April 15, 2004 minutes. The correction was noted and changed. S. Adjourn Commissioner White motioned to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Trapani seconded the motion, which carried 7 -0. FOR: Shafer, White, Trapani, Hall, Williams, Reynolds, and Davis. AGAINST: None. The meeting adjourned. C� APPROVED: Chairman, Scott Sh er ATTEST: Sdipn azle tall Assistant P &Z Workshop Minutes May 6, 2004 Page 5of5 � /d /aY Pfz W.1 ROADWAY NETWORK CONNECTIVITY • Connectivity represents the degree that the different elements of a neighborhood roadway network connect and support each of the streets in the neighborhood. It can be assessed with various measures. One approach is to add the number of neighborhood street links, then divide that number by the number of nodes (i.e., intersections and dead -ends) in a neighborhood. The more links there are relative to nodes, the more connectivity found in the neighborhood street network. 13 The roadway network shown in Figure A -1 illustrates an example calculation of network connectivity. In the illustration, the "stars" represent nodes and the "dots" represent links. There are 20 links and 16 nodes. The connectivity index is therefore calculated to be 1.25 (20 links divided by 16 nodes). As reported in Florida's `Best Development Practices," this index of connectivity has been computed for six developments in Florida. Three of the developments are Figure A -1. Illustration of Network Connectivity Calculation Source: Kenneth Spitz "Measuring Neighborhood and Development Street Connectivity, " TTE Compendium of Annual Meeting Technical Papers, August 2000 17 Text wu adapted from MMIWA 7hok Cahwna State of the Practice (Aural 1999).