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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/18/2005 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning Commission., CITY OF COLLEGE ~TAI'ION Plan~t,a,~ ~De>>~d~~p,rz~~zt5rt't~ices MINUTES Workshop Meeting Planning & Zoning. Commission And Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Thursday, August. 18, 2005, at 5:30p.m. College. Station City. Hall Council Chambers 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, Texas COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Scott Shafer, Commissioners Marsha Sanford, Bill Davis, Dennis Christiansen, John Nichols and Harold Strong; PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Jodi Warner, Gary .Erwin, Carol Blaschke, Jeannie McCandless, Gary Thomas, John Crompton, Glenn Schroeder and Kathleen Ireland. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Ken Reynolds. ~ CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilman Chris Scotti. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. STAFF PRESENT:. Staff .Planners Lindsay Boyer, Jennifer Reeves and Jennifer Prochazka, Senior Planner Trey Fletcher, Director Joey Dunn, Graduate Civil Engineer Josh Norton, Assistant City Engineer Alan. Gibbs, Planning Intern Crissy Hartl, Development Coordinator Bridgette George, Transportation Planner Ken Fogle, Assistant Director Lance Simms and Staff Assistant Lindgren. OTHER CITY STAFF PRESENT: First Assistant City Attorney Roxanne Nemcik, Parks and Recreation Director Steve Beachy, Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Eric Ploeger and Public Works Director Mark Smith. 1. .Call to Order. Commissioner Shafer called the workshop meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. for the Planning and Zoning Commission. Jodi Warner called the. workshop meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. 2. Presentation, discussion, and possible action .regarding Amendments to the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9: Subdivisions, Section l0: Requirements for Park Land Dedication and Northgate Ordinance. Mark Smith, Director of Public Works, stated that he had been working on revisions to the current Subdivision Regulations and would like recommendations from the Parks and P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page 1 of 6 Recreation Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission so that changes can be made and so that it can be presented to .council. Mr. Smith stated that there are two major changes in the ordinance. The first one is to provide a process for developers to build parks within .their developments. Mr. Smith stated that the old ordinance did not provide well for that purpose. The .second major change is that in the cases of smaller park land dedication, where there are less than 3 acres to be dedicated and there is already .adequate park land in the zone that the development is taking place, the city would allow an administrative decision to accept a fee in lieu of park land dedication. Mr. Smith stated that another major difference is when floodplain is accepted as park land it will take two acres of flood plain to equal one acre of park land. Mr. Smith asked for discussion on the issues presented or anything else. in the ordinance that -the Board Members or Commissioners wanted to discuss. Commissioner John Nichols asked if dedicating the park land all at once. up front was a burden on the developers. Mark Smith stated that. it does cause somewhat of a burden for the developers when the park land is dedicated all up front. Mr. Smith states. that that causes problems with access and also with the: financing package. He also stated that currently developers can dedicate the entire .portion up front or that they can dedicate portions of park land through each phase of the`development or provide a financial fee in lieu. of park land dedication. Commissioner Bill Davis asked if this would apply to .developments that happen in the `~, ETJ. ' Mark Smith stated that this .would not apply to developments that happen in the ~ ETJ. Mr. Davis asked if there was a mechanism in place to ensure that parks will be built within development in the ETJ. Roxanne Nemcik, Assistant City Attorney, stated that there are some cities looking into park. land dedication in the ETJ.. Currently the City of College Station does not require park land dedication in the ETJ. Ms. Nemcik stated that this would need to be researched further in order to change the current requirement. Steve Beachy, Director of Parks and .Recreation,. stated that one way this could happen would be for the City to allocate funds to go out and buy land in advance of developments to ensure that park land will be available in future developments.. Mr. Beachy stated that this has happened in some cases. ~, John Crompton, .stated that. he feels that the .City Council should create a policy that the City purchase land in the ETJ and purchase .the land as a City reserve and when development occursthe developer should reimburse the City for thepark land, as their fee in lieu of park land dedication,. after the development has been completed and then continue with the park land dedication. Mr. Crompton also .stated that he thought both the Planning and Zoning Commission and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board should put together a joint committee and go out and explore with the. developers to` see if this can be done. Members of the Board and Commission agreed with this suggestion and felt it was a good idea. P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page 2 of 6 Mr. Crompton suggested for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission to meet again and discuss the issues of community and neighborhood parks and land values. He also suggested -that it may be time for the City to look at .applying a different land value for each zone. Mr. Crompton also suggested that a group of realtors be used to give the City a current and correct value of the land so that when. the City is being reimbursed for the park land fee, an appropriate amount is being paid. Chairperson Jodi Warner, stated that parks sell the property for the developers and that the developers want to get something on the ground that is useful to the development. Ms. Warner stated if -you are the first one to move into a neighborhood and you have small children, then you have to wait seven or eight years to have a park developed, when the park is on the ground the children are grown and have no interest. in the park, in most cases. Ms. Warner stated that we want to encourage, especially with the growth and diversity within the community, that the parks. be useful in the most fastidious manner. Chairman Shafer stated that Chairperson. Warner brought up a good point and that he feels that getting in front of the development may help to address this issue. Mr. Shafer felt that getting better pieces of land as .park land dedication. would turn people onto parks, they will become such nice social .places and eyes on parks make them safer and .they sell houses better that way. ~, ~ Commissioner Sanford suggested that language be inserted in the ordinance to read that a professional certified appraiser be hired in order to ensure fiscal responsibility. Commissioner Nichols suggested that staff examine other options for this and then submit to Council. Mr. Smith stated that the revised. language will read that a current professional. certified appraisal be completed. Commissioner Davis motioned for staff to examine other possibilities of ensuring fiscal responsibility, insert the appropriate language and submit to Council. Commissioner Christiansen seconded the motion, motion passed (14-0). Mr. Compton suggested that each Board/Commission meet individually and decide on ,their sub-committees. for the following. topics:. mechanism for updating land value, community parks, ETJ parks, and City to purchase land as a reserve for park land ahead of development.. It was decided by both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that they would meet individually and select their sub-committees and then meet again. 3. Presentation, discussion, and possible action. of the draft Subdivision Regulations. Mr. Smith stated that his .goal was to .get through Chapter 9: Subdivisions, Section 10: Requirements for Park Land Dedication and Northgate -0rdinance and review it with the Board and Commission and then make any appropriate revisions. He stated that at this time he did not have any additional information to review with the Commission or Board `~ regarding the subdivision regulations. P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page 3 of 6 ff Members from the Planning and Zoning Commission .and from the Parks and Recreation. Advisory Board expressed a great deal of interest regarding street trees.. Both groups felt thatthis needs to be presented to City Council as a priority. Several Commissioners stated that they would. like to review the placement of sidewalks and streets, maintenance, detention ponds and trees on one of the next workshop meetings. Kathleen Ireland motioned to adjourn the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. Gary Erwin seconded the motion, motion passed (8-0). 4. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on the City Council June '45 Policy Retreat Report and the Key Result Area of Growth Management. Joey Dunn, Director of Planning and Development Services, gave a ..presentation regarding the Key .Result Area of Growth Management. Mr. Dunn reviewed the following topics of the growth management plan. Topics were rate and timing of growth, location of growth, amount and density of growth, cost of growth, quality of growth and plan implementation. Several Commissioners requested to see a copy of the 1997 Growth Report. Mr. Compton asked Mr. Dunn if the City of College Station conducted a fiscal impact analysis. Mr. Dunn stated that currently a fiscal impact analysis is not conducted.. He ~,,i also statedthatthe City does not have an ongoing fiscal impact model that is used. Alan Gibbs,. Assistant City Engineer,.. stated that currently the impact fees are being reviewed city wide so that. the proper. burden. will be impacted by new development'. and that this will mainly be in reference to utilities. Commissioners and Board Members had discussions regarding having a plan or a vision to keep things as planned so individuals or businesses have the choice of an urban life- style within the City and also have the choice of a rural life-style so that individuals can live within the ETJ or outside the city limits. It was discussed to work on growth management as asub-committee in order to be able to present something to City Council at a later date. 5. Discussion of minor and amending plats approved by Staff. • OS-111 Richards Subdivision Phase 2 Molly .Hitchcock, .Staff Planner, gave a short presentation regarding the Richards Subdivision Phase 2. Ms. Hitchcock stated that this was one residential lot on Sterling Street, which was not previously platted; therefore, it did not have to meet the regulations for the older subdivisions. The lot is about 75' X 100'. ~--~ 6. .Presentation, discussion, and possible action of the P&Z Plan of Work. After reviewing the plan of work, Commissioners volunteered for sub-committees. P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page 4 of 6 f` ~ Sub-committee joint with the Parks. and Recreation Advisory Board: Bill.. Davis, Scott Shafer. and Marsha Sanford. Sub-committee Growth Management and Comprehensive Plan Amendment: John Nichols,. Dennis Christiansen and Harold Strong. Sub-committee for .the Comprehensive Plan Amendment joint with Bryan. Planning and Zoning Commission: John Nichols,. Dennis Christiansen,. Harold Strong and ` Scott Shafer. Commissioners also expressed interest on setting up two lunch meetings to meet with Mark Smith and go over several topics regarding the Subdivision Regulations. Commissioners wanted to meet before the draft was complete. 7. Presentation, discussion;: and possible action regarding the P&Z Calendar of Upcoming Meetings: • New Commissioner Orientation It was stated that the new commissioner ..orientation will be forthcoming and that new commissioners will be polled as to a date that worksbest for them. Alan Gibbs mentioned to Commissioners that on September 14,.2005; and on October 12, 2005, from T:OOpm to S:OOpm that there. will be meetings regarding. impact fees. --~ Chairman Shafer asked that Lisa send them a reminder and a more specific agenda as to what topics will be covered during these meetings. 8. Presentation, discussion, -and possible action regarding appointments for sub-committees. .This item was taken .care. of under item 6. Please see item 6 for individual sub- committees and members. 9. 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 Nichols suggested that an update on the. meeting regarding Sebesta Road between staff and the neighborhood be put on the. agenda for review with the Commissioners. Commissioner Davis asked for a future agenda item to discuss how the City is planning to track the appearance requirements, landscaping requirements and commercial property developments so that the City does not end up with concrete pastures. Commissioner Davis suggested that when commercial property comes in they should have a requirement like the requirement of park land dedication. `~ ~, P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page 5 of 6 Commissioner Nichols. suggested that. the Neighborhood Overlay District be put on the next workshop meeting agenda.. At than time Commissioners .will decide on representatives for that sub-committee. 10. Adjourn Commissioner Davis motioned to adjourn. Commissioner Nichols seconded the motioned, motion approved (6-0). Approved: Scott Shafer, Chairman Planning and Zoning Commission Attest: ~~,~~ Lisa Lind en Staff As tant ~' I~ Planning and Development Services I P&Z Workshop Minutes August 18, 2005 Page6of6