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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03_March PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES NEWSLETTER Building a Better Community with You P OPULATION : T HE M ARCH POPULATION ESTIMATE IS 117,790 BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND GREENWAYS MASTER PLAN UPDATE 1 BUILDING PERMIT TOTALS 2 TRACKING THE NUMBERS 3 BUILDING PERMIT CHARTS 3 BUILDING INSPECTIONS 4 RESIDENTIAL PERMIT TOTAL 4 TAMPER RESISTANT 4 CONCRETE WASHOUTS 5 ADOPTED REVISIONS TO THE CITY’S OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS 6 PROMOTING PROPER DRAINAGE BETWEEN BUILDING LOTS 7 MPO CORRIDOR STUDIES HELP BUILD ON CURRENT CAPTIAL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS 7 Inside this issue: PO Box 9960 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, TX 77842 979-764-3570 Fax: 979-764-3496 www.cstx.gov MARCH 2018 Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan Update The City of College Station is updating its Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenways Mas- ter Plan. This Plan is designed to provide guidance and a framework to implement the community’s desire to create a bikeable, walkable, and environmentally aware and active city. Since adoption, the City has grown and changes have occurred that warrant evalu- ating additional needs of the community. Over the past year, staff has been work- ing to update the Plan. A staff resource team and the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board were a part of the process to create recommendations based on public input received. Public engagement consisted of a community meeting in February 2017 along with online input using an interactive map and survey. Hundreds of comments received were reviewed and a second round of online comments sought for recommended changes. Staff also met with the Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Bryan and Texas A&M University to re- view proposed changes to ensure coordination and connectivity across the region. Map books with zoomed-in comparisons of each change have been created and are available for viewing online at cstx.gov/bikepedgreenways. The proposed changes are scheduled for a public hearing and consideration at the following meetings which will be held at City Hall located at 1101 Texas Avenue: •Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board – April 9, 2018 •Planning and Zoning Commission – April 19, 2018 •City Council – May 14, 2018 If you would like more information, please visit our website at cstx.gov/ bikepedgreenways or contact Venessa Garza, Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Senior Program Manager at 979-764-3674 or by email vgarza@cstx.gov. BUILDING PERMIT TOTALS Month of March 2018 Month of March 2017 Type of Permit Permit Unit Total Sq. Ft.Heat Sq. Ft.Amount Permit Unit Amount COMMERCIAL ACCESSORY 1 0 2,094 0 $50,000.00 2 0 $81,000.00 COMMERCIAL NEW 7 0 186,718 173648 $16,378,900.00 3 60 $4,427,900.00 COMMERCIAL TENANT FINISH-OUT 1 0 3,000 3000 $450,000.00 1 0 $110,000.00 DEMOLITION 7 61 0 0 $0.00 3 4 $0.00 MULTI-FAMILY 0 1 36 $1,032,948.00 POOL 9 0 0 0 $490,000.00 2 0 $98,000.00 REMODEL / RENOVATION 12 5 14,999 15863 $1,173,681.62 17 8 $1,987,690.00 REROOF 35 0 0 0 $491,446.23 4 0 $28,500.00 RESIDENTIAL 45 45 148,888 112865 $10,170,898.00 62 63 $11,741,112.00 RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY 3 0 768 0 $38,700.00 8 0 $96,200.00 RESIDENTIAL ADDITION ATTACHED 3 2 1,742 432 $35,425.00 3 0 $42,000.00 SIGN 14 0 0 0 $0.00 10 0 $0.00 SLAB ONLY 3 0 18,200 0 $210,000.00 65 0 $13,148,413.00 TOTALS 140 113 376,409 305,808 $29,489,050.85 181 171 $32,793,763.00 January 01, 2018 - March 31, 2018 January 01, 2017 - March 31, 2017 Type of Permit Permit Unit Total Sq. Ft.Heat Sq. Ft.Amount Permit Unit Amount COMMERCIAL ACCESSORY 1 0 2,094 0 $50,000.00 7 0 $382,655.00 COMMERCIAL NEW 8 0 193,124 179,858 $17,378,900.00 10 60 $51,929,600.00 COMMERCIAL TENANT FINISH-OUT 6 1 18,136 18,136 $1,320,060.00 7 0 $856,000.00 DEMOLITION 30 85 0 0 $0.00 30 87 $0.00 MULTI-FAMILY 3 11 24,065 21,473 $2,055,000.00 11 138 $11,437,948.00 OTHER STRUCTURES 0 1 0 $7,790.00 POOL 24 0 0 0 $1,174,643.00 13 0 $803,000.00 REMODEL / RENOVATION 49 53 179,073 168,932 $5,903,890.18 43 27 $4,809,990.00 REROOF 45 0 0 0 $600,525.55 12 0 $106,114.47 RESIDENTIAL 167 168 457,073 355,267 $29,536,298.00 256 299 $43,623,687.84 RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY 6 0 2,048 0 $93,700.00 14 1 $615,600.00 RESIDENTIAL ADDITION ATTACHED 3 2 1,742 432 $35,425.00 9 3 $217,435.00 SIGN 39 0 0 0 $0.00 27 0 $0.00 SLAB ONLY 3 0 18,200 0 $210,000.00 78 0 $15,936,988.57 TOTALS 384 320 895,555 744,098 $58,358,441.73 518 615 $130,726,808.88 Page 2/March 2018/www.cstx.gov Tracking the Numbers New Single-Family Homes:New Commerical:Total Permits: YTD - 1 yr YTD - 2 yr - 22%- 39% YTD - 1 yr YTD - 2 yr - 20%- 47% YTD - 1 yr YTD - 2 yr - 26%- 46% Year-to-date, single-family home permits experienced a decrease in quantity when compared to last year at this time, March 2017, and decreased when compared with two years ago, March 2016. Year-to-date, new commercial permits experienced a decrease in quantity when compared to last year at this time, March 2017, and decreased when compared with two years ago, March 2016. Year-to-date, total permits experienced a decrease in quantity when compared to last year at this time, March 2017, and decreased when compared with two years ago, March 2016. Page 3/March 2018/www.cstx.gov Page 4/March 2018/www.cstx.gov With the new TRAKiT software our residential permit types have been combined. The table below provides additional details to show the Residential Subtypes. Residential Permit No. of Permits Issued Valuation Single-Family (Detached) 45 $10,170,898.00 Townhomes 0 $0 Duplex 0 $0 BUILDING INSPECTIONS: MONTH BUILDING PLUMBING ELECTRIC MECHANICAL LAWN SIGN POOL TOTAL JANUARY 342 289 173 171 32 12 13 1,032 FEBRUARY 429 377 191 180 35 21 12 1,245 MARCH 538 329 251 208 56 15 12 1,409 TOTAL 1,309 995 615 559 123 48 37 3,686 Tamper Resistant Receptacles Tamper-resistant receptacles are designed to prevent the insertion of any small object such as a paper clip, into one side of the receptacle. Both blades of an attachment plug must be inserted simultaneously to open the protec- tive shield and allow connection to electricity. The code requires that all 125-volt, and 15-, and 20-ampere recep- tacles installed in areas mentioned in the National Electrical Code must be listed as tamper-resistant. These provi- sions primarily intend to reduce the number of electrical shock injuries to children. The code requires general-purpose receptacle outlets in all living areas of the dwelling until, including bath- rooms, laundry areas, hallways, and foyers. In addition, this section prescribes the locations for receptacle outlets in basements, garages, outdoors at the front and back of the dwelling, and at all decks, porches, and balconies ac- cessible from the dwelling unit. Exceptions recognize that receptacle outlets located in areas that are not accessible to small children do not need to be tamper-resistant. Receptacles located more than 5 ½ feet above the floor do not count as contributing to the required receptacle locations and generally are not required to be installed. When they are installed above the pre- scribed height they are out of reach for small children. This first exception commonly applies to receptacle outlets for garage door openers, but may also apply to receptacles for clocks, mantels, or wall-mounted home electronics. The second exception clarifies that the code does not intend to require tamper resistance for receptacles that are part of listed appliances or luminaires, and these receptacles typically are not accessible to children. Exception 3 allows receptacles that are not tamper-resistant to be located be- hind such appliances as refrigerators and freezers because these locations also are not accessible to children. Contact the City of College Station Building Division at 979- 764-3570 with any questions. Brian Binford C.B.O. Building Official Page 5/March 2018/www.cstx.gov DID YOU KNOW: Concrete Washouts With the renewed Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Commercial General Permit (CGP) TXR150000 enacted this March, rules about concrete washouts have been reinstated. Directly discharging concrete washout water to surface waters of the state, including any storm sewer system, is prohibited by the CGP. Washing out of concrete trucks during rainfall events shall be minimized. It is the opera- tor’s responsibly to ensure that the Best Management Practices (BMPs) in place are sufficient to prevent the dis- charge of the installed concrete truck washout. Discharges shall not cause or contribute to groundwater contami- nation. If a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) is implemented, the SWP3 shall include concrete wash out areas on the associated site map. The common argument made in the field is “it’s just water”. The truth is concrete washout water is a slurry con- taining toxic metals which are caustic and corrosive. Stormwater, polluted with concrete washout, can transport the concrete wash water to local waterways. This caustic wastewater can harm aquatic life’s ability to breathe, see, and reproduce. It may also percolate into the soils and affect the soil chemistry, plant growth or contaminate groundwater. Wet concrete and washout should be handled with caution as it may cause skin irritation and eye damage to humans and animal life. Best management practices include having an identifiable concrete washout area for use by contractors. The washout area must be maintained to allow for use. A full washout area would need to either be replaced or properly dis- posed of. It is preferable that concrete washout areas be lined with plastic to ensure no percolation of chemicals into the soil. During rain events, effort must be made to ensure the washout area does not fill with stormwater or overflow and unintentionally discharge. At a minimum, structural controls are necessary to prevent discharge into surface waters including storm sewer systems, swales, or nearby detention ponds. If you have questions about your existing concrete washout or would like more information, please contact the Planning and Development Department’s Engineering Program Specialist, Debbie Stickles or the Drainage In- spector, Caroline Ask at 979-764-3570. Page 6/March 2018/www.cstx.gov Adopted Revisions to the City’s Off-Street Parking Requirements In August 2017, City Council adopted revisions to College Station’s off-street parking regulations. These revisions are meant to provide flexibility for developing properties to increase their economic development viability by reducing the regulatory barriers that contribute to underutilized parking areas. To accomplish this goal, the ordinance amendment enacted the following changes:  For shopping centers, the restriction that only 25% of a shopping center could be used for intense uses was eliminated. The result of this change is that the parking requirement for shopping centers will be based on a set ratio of 1 space per 250 square feet for General Commercial, Suburban Commercial and Wellborn Commercial properties and 1 space per 350 square feet for Commercial Industrial properties regardless of the land uses of the tenants that occupy them.  A new demand-based parking option now allows commercial and multifamily properties to propose an alternative parking plan based on the demand they generate. This reduction in parking would need to be justified with a parking study prepared by a professional engineer or transportation planner.  The distance eligibility requirements for which a site can propose providing shared or off-site parking increased from 250 feet to 500 feet.  To assist the development potential of smaller sites, a general reduction of two parking spaces was granted by exempting an amount of floor area from parking requirements for certain non -residential uses. This reduction provides an extra 585-774 sq. ft. of site flexibility depending on parking configura- tion.  For large sites, the City eliminated the requirement that developments over 120 parking spaces must choose between one of three parking lot concepts. The City’s normal parking requirements now also apply to large sites.  After studying the multi-family parking requirements for its 16 peer cities, College Station reduced the parking requirement for a 2-bedroom multi-family unit from 3 parking spaces to 2 parking spaces. The text for these parking changes can be found at http://cstx.gov/index.aspx?page=3841 and questions or clarifications regarding any of these new changes can be directed to Justin Golbabai, Planning Administra- tor at jgolbabai@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-3826. Page 7/March 2018/www.cstx.gov Promoting Proper Drainage between Building Lots One of the most common complaints the City of College Station hears about is “lot to lot” drainage. One neighbor complains that another lot or lots are draining directly to their property and now there’s a pool of standing water in their yard. If the “lot to lot” drainage is extreme enough, it may even cause localized flooding or flooding to several downstream neighbors. There are many creative ways to solve this problem such as French drains, swales, and dry creek placements. Local landscapers are even willing to help alleviate the problem with creative landscaping plans, but it’s important to note that many times these problems could have be avoided. Home builders are our first proactive defense from “lot-to-lot” drainage is- sues. They can see the properties nearby, and many times experience rain events during the build to know the ‘low spot’. Builders should remember to build responsibly. A key note to building responsibly is not to build or grade within 10 feet of the property line. This will allow for a drainage flowline between the homes. For more information about building responsibly, drainage concerns, or if you would like more information regarding flooding, please contact the Planning and Development Department’s Engineering Program Specialist, Debbie Stickles or the Drainage Inspector, Caroline Ask at (979)764-3570. MPO Corridor Studies Help Build on Current Capital Improvement Efforts The Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) recently completed two planning studies of major corridors within Brazos County. The first involved the FM 2818 (Harvey Mitchell Parkway) corridor and the second studied bicycle and pedestrian connectivity needs along FM 60 (University Drive/Raymond Stot- zer Parkway) between Easterwood Airport on the west and FM 158 (Booneville Road) on the east. The City of College Station is a member agency of the MPO and City staff helped provide feedback in the development of the studies. The FM 2818 corridor is one of the major north-south corridors in our community and development along and contributing to it has resulted in significant traffic demand and congestion. The TxDOT Department of Transpor- tation (TxDOT) is currently constructing a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at the intersection with FM 60 to improve safety and capacity at that intersection with an anticipation completion in Spring 2019. TxDOT is also in the design process to widen FM 2818 from that area to the south to FM 2154 (Wellborn Road) to improve safety and help relieve traffic congestion along the section. The MPO corridor study builds upon these improve- ments and proposes numerous conceptual alternatives for various intersections and segments along the corridor as well as for roadway networks supporting it that will receive consideration to help meet future mobility needs. Texas A&M University and the Northgate district have experienced substantial growth over the last decade. The City of College Station is in the process of constructing improvements along University Drive in Northgate to help meet the existing bicycle and pedestrian demands in the area. As the Northgate area, Texas A&M Universi- ty and other areas along the FM 60 corridor are anticipated to continue to grow and provide increased bicycle and pedestrian demand along the corridor, the MPO initiated the FM 60 Bicycle & Pedestrian Connectivity Study. The study identifies potential grade separation alternatives that could be utilized along the corridor to sep- arate bicycle and pedestrian traffic from vehicular traffic. This would be a continuation of similar grade separa- tion efforts completed by Texas A&M University along the Wellborn Road corridor. Most notably, the study proposes a conceptual grade separation through the Northgate area that would depress the through vehicular lanes below ground to remove much of the conflict with bicycles and pedestrians while still maintaining at -grade vehicular circulation and access. TxDOT and the Texas A&M University System are planning further study to evaluate the feasibility and implementation of these concepts. For additional information and to view each of these studies, visit the MPO’s website at www.bcsmpo.org/200/ Studies.