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Building a Better Community with You PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES NEWSLETTER 1101 Texas Avenue P.O. Box 9969 College Station, TX 77842 Phone: 979.764.3570 Fax: 979.764.3496 www.cstx.gov
AUGUST 2010 Volume 11 Issue 8 WATER MASTER PLAN 1 TRACKING THE NUMBERS 1 LONG RANGE PLANNING AWARD 2 NEW FEMA RATING 3 BUILDING PERMIT TOTALS 4 REZONING SCOOP 5 BUILDING INSPECTIONS
5 CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES 5 COMMUNITY CARES 5 STAFF MEMBER PROFILE 6 POPULATION 7 CHARTS 7 PLANNER ON CALL FAQ 8 AGGIE UP & NOISE ABATEMENT CLASSES 9 GREENWAYS PROGRAM & MAP 10-11
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR 12 Inside this issue: New Single-Family Homes: YTD 1 yr YTD 2 yr 1% 7% Year-to-date, single-family home permits increased in quantity when compared to last
year at this time, August 2009, and decreased when compared with two years ago, August 2008. New Commercial: YTD 1 yr YTD 2 yr 42% 28 % Year-to-date, new commercial per-mits experienced
a increased in quantity when compared to last year at this time, August 2009, and a decrease compared with two years ago, August 2008. Total Permits: YTD -1 yr YTD -2 yr 10 % 16% Year-to-date,
total permits ex-perienced an increase in quantity when compared to last year at this time, August 2009, and experi-enced a decrease when compared with two years ago, August 2008. TRACKING
THE NUMBERS WATER MASTER PLAN infrastru
cture for the next 10 years. The master plan is a critical component in �
�posed land use and character identified in the Comprehensive Plan. Specifically, the Water Master Plan reflects water lines that are needed as
development oc-curs to serve newly annexed areas, growth corridors, and existing areas where water lines are in need of replacement or upsizing. The updated master plan also identifies
major water line connections needed within the existing system that will allow the water distribution system to operate more efficiently and under all state and federal regulations.
As part of the creation of the water master plan, line locations and sizes were determined through system models produced by engineering consultants in coor-dination with the City of
College Station staff. Annual and five (5) year reviews will be performed by City of College Station staff in order to evaluate growth trends, potable water demands, future water supply
options and the water distri-bution master plan map. After a public hearing, the City Council adopted the Water Master Plan as a sec-
2010. For more information regarding the Water Master Plan, please contact College Station Utilities
at 979.764.3660.
Page 2/August 2010 /www.cstx.gov CS PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECEIVES LONG RANGE PLANNING AWARD Planning and Development Services recently received the Long Range Planning Award from the
Central Texas Section of the American Planning Association in July during the annual awards dinner for the section. The award is in recognition of the Central College Station Neighborhood
Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in June as part of the ongoing implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. The Long Range Planning Award is given to an outstanding plan that
concentrates on one or more long range elements. Criteria include innovation, transferability, quality, implementation and comprehensiveness. The Central College Station Neighborhood
Plan represents ten months of work by a variety of City staff, neighborhood representatives, students, CSISD representatives, and business owners within the area. The plan addresses
issues and opportunities for protecting and enhancing the quality of life for residents in the area through a seven-year implemen-tation program. -winn
ing plan and find out more about the on-going efforts of the Community and Neighbor-hood Planning program, visit www.cstx.gov/ndcplanning. About The American Planning Association The
American Planning Association is a nonprofit public interest and research organization representing over 39,000 practicing planners, officials, and citizens involved with urban and rural
planning issues. The Mission of the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association is to advocate the profession of planning, pro-viding expertise and processes that empower citizens
to be engaged in the development and sustainability of Great Communities in Texas.
Page 3/August 2010 /www.cstx.gov COLLEGE STATION'S NEW FEMA RATING TO LOWER RESIDENTSFLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS The City of College Station has been classified as a Class-7 Community
in the Federal Emergency Management �
� �
� with goals of reducing flood losses, producing accurate insurance ratings, and promoting awareness of flood insurance. The City of College Station was cited
for its efforts to go beyond minimum floodplain management requirements. As a result, flood insurance rates will be reduced 15 percent for structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas and
5 percent in 500-year Areas. (Note that Preferred Risk Policies are already at reduced rates and do not have additional premium reductions). Homeowners can review their insurance policy
or contact their insurance agent to determine if they live in an affected area. Innovative activities implemented by the city include the use of digital flood maps, conducting outreach
projects, requir-ing disclosure of flood hazards, preserving open space, administering a stormwater management program, and using freeboard for new construction. �
� The Texas Water Development Board presented a special recognition plaque
to city officials at the July 8th City Coun-cil meeting for achieving a Class 7 in the Community Rating System. Special acknowledgment goes to Donnie Willis as the CRS Coordinator. For
more information regarding local flood-plain management please refer www.cstx.gov/floodplains or contact Donnie Willis at dwillis@cstx.gov.
Month of August 2010 Type of Permit Permit Unit Total Sq. Ft. Heat Sq. Ft. Amount Permit Unit Amount Single Family Home 24 24 71,190 55,835 $4,016,508 43 43 $6,005,771 Duplex 0 0 0 0
$0 0 0 $0 Tri-plex/Four-plex 0 0 0 0 $0 0 0 $0 Apartment 0 0 0 0 $0 0 N/A $0 Residential Addition 4 N/A 902 588 $59,000 6 N/A $309,830 Residential Remodel 12 N/A 4,308 4,308 $208,144
7 N/A $231,754 Residential Garage/Carport Addition 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 1 N/A $18,000 Residential Demolition 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 5 N/A $14,500 Residential Slab Only-SF 2 N/A N/A N/A $7,138
0 N/A $0 Residential Slab Only-DP 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Residential Slab Only-3&4 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Residential Slab Only-Apt. 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Hotel /Motel /Inn
0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 New Commercial 6 N/A 19,598 18,476 $2,779,108 2 N/A $615,000 Commercial Remodel 4 N/A N/A N/A $1,300,500 11 N/A $511,137 Commercial Addition/Retaining Wall
4 N/A N/A N/A $272,273 2 N/A $22,915 Commercial Demolition 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Commercial Slab Only 0 N/N/A N/A N/A $0 1 N/A $400,000 Swimming Pool 4 N/A N/A N/A $330,000 2 N/A
$50,000 Sign 15 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 N/A N/A Moving & Location 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Storage /Accessory 14 N/A N/A N/A $41,500 2 N/A $4,518 Roofing 3 N/A N/A N/A $22,082 26 N/A $110,312
TOTALS 92 24 95,998 79,207 $9,036,253 110 43 $8,293,737 Month of August 2009 January 1, 2010 -August 31, 2010 Type of Permit Permit Unit Total Sq. Ft. Heat Sq. Ft. Amount Permit Unit
Amount Single Family Home 377 377 945,419 739,197 $52,225,737 376 376 $51,289,214 Duplex 1 2 2,300 2,080 $137,280 0 0 $0 Tri-plex/Four-plex 0 0 0 0 $0 0 0 $0 Apartment 2 0 10,944 10,608
$796,450 1 21 $1,800,000 Residential Addition 45 N/A 18,562 12,922 $1,369,524 48 N/A $1,898,183 Residential Remodel 77 N/A 16,255 13,563 $1,417,989 55 N/A $1,041,697 Residential Garage/Carport
Addition 3 N/A N/A N/A $49,500 5 N/A $76,600 Residential Demolition 9 N/A N/A N/A $35,000 17 N/A $44,850 Residential Slab Only-SF 18 N/A N/A N/A $1,572,148 3 N/A $18,700 Residential
Slab Only-DP 0 N/A A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Residential Slab Only-3&4 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Residential Slab Only-Apt. 8 N/A N/A N/A $768,732 0 N/A $0 Hotel /Motel /Inn 1 N/A N/A N/A
$100,000 2 N/A $6,000,000 New Commercial 44 N/A 274,641 270,140 $145,953,873 31 N/A $16,205,736 Commercial Remodel 38 N/A N/A N/A $4,831,509 66 N/A $16,869,134 Commercial Addition/Retaining
Wall 18 N/A N/A N/A $1,923,438 10 N/A $3,540,215 Commercial Demolition 9 N/A N/A N/A $181,700 7 N/A $211,636 Commercial Slab Only 3 N/A N/A N/A $199,900 1 N/A $400,000 Swimming Pool
42 N/A N/A N/A $1,579,574 39 N/A $1,635,232 Sign 81 N/A N/A N/A N/A 70 N/A N/A Moving & Location 0 N/A N/A N/A $0 0 N/A $0 Storage /Accessory 25 N/A N/A N/A $79,600 24 N/A $240,888 Roofing
81 N/A N/A N/A $463,907 44 N/A $136,492 TOTALS 882 379 1,268,121 1,048,510 $213,685,861 799 397 $101,408,577 January 1, 2009 -August 31, 2009 www.cstx.gov /August 2010 /Page 4 BUILDING
PERMIT TOTALS:
www.cstx.gov /August 2010/Page 5 REZONING SCOOP: Project Number Location of Land Acres Request P&Z Date Status Council Date Status 10-500119 4101 State Highway 6 South 2.97 AO to C1
15-Jul Approved 12-Aug Approved 10-500143 101 Luther Street 5.10 M1 to R6 19-Aug Approved 9-Sep 10-500157 College Hills Woodlands 115.14 Neighborhood Prevailing Overlay 2-Sep Approved
23-Sep MONTH BUILDING PLUMBING ELECTRIC MECHANICAL LAWN SIGN POOL TOTAL JANUARY 277 233 192 112 18 13 6 851 FEBRUARY 291 214 194 131 3 10 12 855 MARCH 365 290 289 150 5 12 13 1124 APRIL
364 294 201 185 22 9 19 1094 MAY 384 316 235 216 56 3 14 1224 JUNE 440 333 236 254 6 11 10 1290 JULY 414 329 261 208 52 6 15 1285 AUGUST 369 283 212 250 53 12 7 1186 BUILDING INSPECTIONS:
MONTH HEALTH & SANITATION PROPERTY MAINTENANCE PUBLIC NUISANCE FIRE PROTECTION TRAFFIC CODE SANITATION UDO/ZONING RENTAL REGISTRATION MISCELLANE-OUS TOTAL JANUARY 129 40 38 19 20 172
90 575 362 1445 FEBRUARY 130 73 77 17 48 156 87 66 430 1084 MARCH 463 43 111 55 31 88 108 16 725 1640 APRIL 654 31 64 50 22 89 135 7 389 1441 MAY 475 37 56 75 40 118 241 3 255 1300 JUNE
637 21 47 12 18 115 121 6 428 1405 JULY 462 14 54 12 28 59 159 31 442 1207 AUGUST 142 4 35 1 8 10 111 802 141 1254 CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES SUMMARY: COMMUNITY CARES PROGRAM A new
program, Community Cares, was recently created with the goal of assisting local citizens with minor prop-erty maintenance issues. The program is administered through Keep Brazos Beautiful
(KBB) with assistance from
Through the Community Cares program, volunteers from KBB will provide assistance to one property a month be-ginning in October 2010. The volunteers
will assist property owners with various minor exterior building mainte-nance or yard projects as identified through the Code Enforcement Divisions of each city. There will be be six
projects selected in Bryan and six projects selected in College Station annually. Applications for assistance will be available by contacting Keep Brazos Beautiful directly or via a
link on the City
Code Enforcement Of-ficers from both cities will also be supplying applications to citizens identified as possible candidates. There are no income, age, or location restrictions for
the program and each application will be judged on its merits. If you would like more information concerning the Community Cares program, please contact the College Station Code Enforcement
Division at 979.764.6363 or KBB at 979.775.3569.
STAFF MEMBER PROFILE: JENNIFER PROCHAZKA, AICP Jennifer Prochazka is a Senior Planner who began her career with the City of College Station in May of 2000 as an intern. She was hired
on as a Staff Planner in June 2002 and was promoted to her current position in May of 2005. �
�
alma mater.
Her vet studies only lasted a year as she came to the realization that working on injured animals screaming out in pain was not her calling. Since Jennifer enjoys drawing, she decided
to continue her studies at A&M
As part of her studies at A&M, Jennifer was fortunate enough to travel to Australia where she studied existing suc-cessful
eco-developments. The knowledge she gained assisted her in producing documentation on how to create successful eco-developments like the ones she observed in Australia. During her ten
years with the City, Jennifer has not only acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge and experi-ence applying planning and development codes to developing properties, but she is also
a valuable resource in help-ing to update and create new ordinances that help keep College Station a desirable community. Jennifer is commit-ted to continuing her education as evident
in receiving her American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification
Plan, which included many meetings with citizens and developers, gathering
valuable input that was incorporated into the plan. �
�ordinance requirements; as well as presenting informative development proposals to the Planning
& Zoning Commis-sion and City Council after thorough research and review of each project. She also reviews new development submit-tals, which includes researching the history and background
of each property and ensuring the proposals meet the
role of project manager, using her creative abilities to closely collaborate with developers
in an effort to produce at-tractive and sustainable development while complying with City ordinances. Jennifer enjoys being involved in and watching the development process from inception
on paper to actual construction on the ground. She has reviewed over 340 projects since joining the City over ten years ago. Not only does Jennifer enjoy the staff she works with, but
she also enjoys the opportunities she gets interacting with both citizens and developers in helping to create desirable growth in College Station.
training of other staff members, have earned her numerous nomi-nations for our Department Awards, which were
submitted by her Teamwork, and the distinguished Employee
of the Year Award. As part of her role as Senior Planner, Jennifer is committed to looking for resourceful ways to involve citizens in the develop-ment of our community, while working
closely with developers to ensure successful and quality development in College Station. www.cstx.gov /August 2010 /Page 6
Page 7 /November 2009 /www.cstx.gov NEW SINGLE FAMILY PERMITS 3 YEARCOMPARISON BY MONTH P E R M I T S B Y T Y P E Y E A R T O D A T E NEW COMMERCIAL PERMITS 3 YEARCOMPARISON BY MONTH
TOTAL PERMITS 3 YEARCOMPARISON BY MONTH Type of Permit Permit Unit Amount Single-Family Home 377 377 $52,225,737 Duplex 1 2 $137,280 Tri-Plex/Four-plex 0 0 $0 Apartment 2 0 $796,450
New Commercial 44 N/A $145,953,873 Commercial Remodel 38 N/A $4,831,509 www.cstx.gov /August 2010/Page 7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 Jan. Feb. March April May
June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2008 2009 2010 POPULATION: The August 2010 population estimate is 94,281. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 Jan. Feb. March April May
June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2008 2009 2010 05 10 15 20 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2008 2009 2010
Page 8/August 2010 /www.cstx.gov PLANNER ON CALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION The Planner on Call system helps over 1800 people a year that call, email, or come into the P&DS office with
questions related to planning and development. This section highlights some of the more common questions. If you have questions for the Planner on Call, please contact us at 979.764.3570
or POC@cstx.gov. Q: I submitted a new project to the Planning and Development Services Department and received a memo �
�
A: As you may be aware, the submittal deadline is every Wednesday by 10:00 am (approximately every other Wednesday if the project is to go the Planning & Zoning
Commission). After the submittal is re-ceived, it is routed through through a process called completeness review. This process allows Staff to determine if the project was submitted
with the minimum documentation to begin the review. If the submittal is com-plete, it will be assigned to a planner the following Tuesday. If it is not, you will receive a memo from
the Planning Administrator or delegated planner stating what information is still lacking. When this required information is submitted by 10:00 am on a Monday, it will be assigned for
review that week. The appli-cant has 45 days to submit the required information before the application will expire. Some of the most common documents that are not initially submitted
include a proof of authority for the per-son signing the application, tax certificates for final plats, and development permit applications to accompany site plans. An easy way to avoid
receiving a memo of incompleteness is to double check that the check list on the first page of each application has been satisfied completely. If you are in doubt whether or or not a
docu-ment is required for your submittal, feel free to contact the Planner on Call. After the Planning Administrator deems your submittal ready for review, the assigned planner then
has five business days to review the item; or, if need be, the planner may also deem the submittal incomplete if there is a substantial lack of information provided for review outside
of the checklist previously mentioned.
�
�tion began to offer a Noise Abatement class to students that received loud party or noise citations. The cur-�
�dent Life. The goal of the class is to offer students
who received noise violations an opportunity to receive de-ferred adjudication if they take the Noise Abatement class. The class focuses on civic responsibility, being a good neighbor,
understanding neighborhood dynamics and respect for your neighbors. Staff from Code En-forcement, Fire, Municipal Court, Communications and Neighborhood Services each developed a section
of the class. The classes are held on Saturday mornings once a month throughout the academic school year, with about 15 -20 students per class. However, demand for the classes has grown.
This summer, classes were added to ac-commodate the growing number of students that want to take the class. Since the classes began in 2009, nearly 150 students have completed the class.
The classes are scheduled monthly for the academic year 2010-11. The classes and the Aggie Up group were developed as a result of the Neighborhood Integrity stakeholder meetings convened
by the City of College Station in 2008, in response to concerns about the rise in noise, code violations and parties in residential neighborhoods. The students pay a fee to take the
four-hour class on Saturdays. Students can only participate in the class once, even if they get other noise violations. Classes are facilitated by staff members of the TAMU Dept. of
Student Life. The Aggie Up group continues to meet monthly to work on projects together and keep each other informed of important events and issues. Also, in 2009, 2009, the City of
Bryan joined the Aggie Up partnership. Both cities along with TAMU Student Life staff participate in Walk and Talks, where important city information is distrib-uted in areas heavily
occupied by students or neighborhoods where there are high numbers of noise viola-tions. Through the Walk and Talks, information is distributed to over 500 residences annually. To find
out more about Aggie Up, contact Barbara Moore, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at bmoore@cstx.gov or at 979.764.6262. AGGIE UP & NOISE ABATEMENT CLASSES www.cstx.gov /August 2010
/Page 9
COLLEGE STATION GREENWAYS PROGRAM The College Station Greenways Program seeks to preserve a network of natural corridors along rivers, streams, utility corridors, and rights-of-way.
Some corridors in the system include multi-use paths and others remain vegetated corridors with no improvements for human access. Greenways are a resource that serve a variety of functions
including but not limited to floodplain manage-ment, protection of open space, and the provision of wildlife and plant habitats. Multi-use paths within a greenway can provide alternate
transportation routes for pedestrians and bicyclists, recreation, and health benefits. Multi-use paths also create connections to parks, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, cultural
and his-torical areas, and shopping centers. To date, the City has protected over 600 acres of greenways and constructed 8 miles of multi-use paths. In �
�for a future
multi-use path to follow the Gulf States Utility Easement. This was in collaboration with the re-
plant for irrigation at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex. Recent purchases
and dedications are highlighted in the map on the following page. For more information about the greenways program, visit www.cstx.gov/hikeandbike or please contact Venessa Garza by
phone at 979.764.3674 or by email at vgarza@cstx.gov. www.cstx.gov /August 2010 /Page 10
www.cstx.gov /August 2010 /Page 11
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Why Plan? We all do it to some extent, whether it is with our family, our business, or our church. That is, we all plan, to some extent. We plan on how to save
for college, take that next vacation, or remodel the kitchen. We plan on how to market our products or services, when to expand a product line, or to move to a new location. We plan
on how to reach others in our community with our message, how to conduct a capital drive, and how to conduct Sunday services. Why should a city be any different? Why should we plan for
the future of our city? In its simplest form, we should plan together for the future of our city, so that we can achieve a desired future and do so as efficiently as practical. Really,
when you think about it, we should plan for the future of our city for the very same reasons we plan for our families, businesses, and churches. We want to get somewhere or accomplish
something, and we want to do it the best way we can and with as little waste as possible. We all benefit when we get together and decide where we think things are headed over the next
couple of �
�maximizing the opportunities offered by trends for example recognizing the benefits of the projected
selves for the impacts of trends for example
identifying what types of streets we will need to accommodate new residents, where the streets need to be located, and how we best pay for their construction. And some-�
� for example identifying the risks of building in ar-eas prone to flooding and how to best reduce
such risks. The good news is that the citizens of this community have for nearly 75 years been doing a great job of plan-ning. We are a great place to live, conduct business, raise our
families, get an education, and worship. Na-tional and regional publications consistently list College Station as the best in a variety of categories. The great parks, wonderful street
system, top-tier school system, outstanding police and fire protection, etc that we all enjoy and benefit from, are because the citizens of this community have come together time and
time again, to gain an understanding of current and future trends, identify where they want to go, and chart a path for actions that will take them there. So why plan? We plan together
to continue to have a city that remains a great place to live, work, and play! Robert S. Cowell, Jr., AICP, CNU-A Director of Planning & Development Services Page 12/August 2010 /www.cstx.gov