HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z Minutes 2019-03-21 Regular PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
1. The regular meeting was called to order at 7:01pm with the following people in attendance:
Chairman Joe Matranga (arrived at 7:13) Commissioner Richard Sasson
Commissioner Brett Banfield Commissioner Lisa Lundquist
Commissioner Eric Guenther Commissioner Marc Perry
Commissioner Dick Clark Mary Kay Fischer, City Attorney
Becky Summers, Development Coordinator
Aubrey Harbin, City Planner/Director of CDD
2. Communication from the public/committee liaisons
(To comply with provisions of the Open Meetings Act, the Commission may not deliberate
on subjects discussed under this agenda item. However, the Commission may direct such
subjects be placed on a later regular Commission agenda for discussion and/or possible
action.)
None.
Action Items
According to the Planning and Zoning Rules of Procedure (R2010-09), all action of the
Commission shall be made by an affirmative vote of four (4) or more members of the
Commission present at such Commission meetings.
3. Consent agenda
These items are considered routine or ministerial in nature and will be enacted with one
motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless a commissioner or citizen so
requests in which case the item would be removed from the consent agenda and
considered separately.
A. Minutes from March 4, 2019
Motion to approve: Banfield
MINUTES OF A
REGULAR MEETING
HELD THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019
AT 7:00 PM
CITY HALL
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
910 S. FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE
FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS
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March 21, 2019 P & Z Meeting
Second: Lundquist
Vote: 6 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Action Items
According to the Planning and Zoning Rules of Procedure (R2010-09), all action of the
Commission shall be made by an affirmative vote of four (4) or more members of the
Commission present at such Commission meetings.
4. Consideration and possible action regarding a one-time, six-month extension for the
following plats: Georgetown Section 1, Georgetown Section 2, and Georgetown
Boulevard Street Dedication Phase 2
Motion to approve: Clark
Second: Guenther
Vote: 6 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Harbin said the preliminary plats were approved in October and the developer was
working through some funding issues.
5. Consideration and possible action regarding a zone classification change from Single
Family Residential (SFR) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a residential
development, “Avalon at Friendswood” being 115.998 acres located along the future
Friendswood Lakes Boulevard between West Ranch and Friendswood Lakes
Subdivisions, consisting of the following tracts: 87.774 acres, more or less, being a
portion of a called 96.944 acres tract in the Mary Fabreau Survey, Abstract No. 69
in Galveston County, Friendswood, Texas, save and except a 9.170 acre portion of
the same tract; and 28.2240 acres of land, more or less, being a portion of a called
194.21 acre tract described as Tract “A” as conveyed to Yellowstone Hill Country
Ranching, LLC, Galveston County, Friendswood, Texas
Motion to remove from table: Banfield
Second: Lundquist
Vote: 6 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Motion to approve: Banfield
Second: Clark
Vote: 4 to 3 (Sasson, Matranga, Guenther opposed) Motion Passed
Harbin said no new information had been submitted while the item was tabled. She
explained the developer was proposing 206 residential lots that would be contingent upon
the construction of Friendswood Lakes Blvd.
Kathryn Parker/Meta Planning showed an updated presentation with photographs of other
Avalon communities to demonstrate the final product.
Banfield said he planned to support the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for two
reasons: the density was kept down and the market demanded smaller than 90-foot lots.
He said baby boomers and millennials did not shop for large lot products.
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March 21, 2019 P & Z Meeting
Clark stated he was in support of the project. He mentioned the builder had a strong track
record.
Guenther asked if all residents would have access to the lakes. Parker showed the public
access points on the PUD land plan. She said the lake front owners would have prime
views. Guenther asked if the community would provide any other amenities. Parker said
the neighborhood would have open space areas.
Perry said the project fit the General Description section in the City’s Zoning Ordinance.
Lundquist asked what the price range would be for homes. Parker explained she was not
involved in the sales aspect of the project but the homes should be comparable to the
other Avalon communities. Banfield said the subdivision at Cinco Ranch began in the
$400,000 range.
Matranga stated he was struggling with the lack of amenities. He said the lake access was
not even to all residents, there are no trails provided, and felt they could do better.
Sasson said Avalon did not compare favorably against the two other PUDs in
Friendswood, West Ranch and Friendswood Trails. He said Friendswood Trails includes
trails, fifteen (15) pocket parks, as well as lakes. Parker said the reason the project does
not include pocket parks is due to the overall size of the development.
Banfield asked Parker how many 90-foot lots could be built if the lake amenities were
removed. Parker said roughly 230 lots to which Banfield explained that forcing 90-foot
lots creates more density with less amenities.
6. Consideration and possible action regarding proposed amendments to Appendix C
Zoning Ordinance “Section 8. N. 1. Geographic limits” regarding proposed
amendments to the established boundary of the Downtown District
Motion to discuss: Matranga
Second: Guenther
Motion to amend the DD Boundary: Matranga
Second: Guenther
Vote: 2 to 5 (Guenther, Matranga for) Motion Failed
Harbin stated this was a continuation of previous discussions and that staff needed
direction as to how to proceed. She said the Downtown District subcommittee discussed
amending the DD boundary, it was later taken to the full commission, then workshopped
with City Council. Harbin said staff sent courtesy notices to property owners within 200-
feet of the proposed boundary change and received one email response opposed.
Banfield said he is not opposed to expanding the DD boundary but did not feel this was
the appropriate route. He said the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process is available
if the property owners had a viable plan to develop.
Matranga agreed there were other options to rezone as commercial without amending the
boundary.
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March 21, 2019 P & Z Meeting
7. Consideration and possible action regarding proposed amendments to Appendix C
Zoning Ordinance “Section 8. F. Off-street parking and loading regulations” to
relocate DD related language to “Section 8.N.3. Parking” and amendments to
reduce the head in parking distance requirement from 400 feet to 75 feet, including
minor grammatical corrections
Motion to approve: Banfield
Second: Matranga
Vote: 7 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Harbin said the subcommittee suggested reducing the head in parking distance from FM
518 from 400-feet to 75-feet.
8. Consideration and possible action regarding proposed amendments to Appendix C
Zoning Ordinance “Section 7.I.” and “Section 8.N.4.” to allow cement fiber board
installed as lap siding in the Downtown District (DD); “Section 8.N.4.” to change the
fenestration requirements in the Downtown District (DD), and “Section 8.N.4.” to
restate that service laterals must be installed underground, prohibit garage bay
doors from fronting FM 518 in certain situations, limit exterior building colors to
earth tone colors, require that screening materials match the main structure and
add a reference to dumpster screening requirements, including minor grammatical
corrections
Motion to approve: Lundquist
Second: Perry
Vote: 7 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Lundquist said this item was nothing new from the previous discussions and she was in
favor of the change. Matranga said the agenda items were a culmination of a lot of work.
9. Consideration and possible action regarding proposed amendments to Appendix C
Zoning Ordinance “Section 8.N.8. Adjacent property, buffer maintenance and
installation” duplicating requirements for buffering from “Section I.2. Perimeter
landscaping and screening;” and amendments to “Section 8.N.3. Parking”
duplicating requirements for parking from “Section I.2.c. Off-street parking
landscaping;” and relocating language PUD modification from “Section 8.H.
Modification of standards proposed within a PUD” to “Section 7.J. PUD, planned
unit development, general purpose and description,” including minor grammatical
corrections
Motion to approve: Banfield
Second: Matranga
Vote: 7 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
Harbin said staff proposed clean up items with no substantive changes.
10. Consideration and possible action regarding proposed amendments to Appendix A Sign
Ordinance “Section 9 Prohibited Signs” to prohibit LED storefront lights
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March 21, 2019 P & Z Meeting
Motion to approve: Matranga
Second: Perry
Vote: 6 to 1 Lundquist Motion Passed
Harbin said the subcommittee suggested prohibiting LED store front lighting in the
Downtown District. She explained the ordinance would also require any existing lighting
to be removed within 90 days.
Fischer said the City could mail letters to the affected business owners with a time frame
to remove the lighting.
Lundquist suggested grandfathering the existing ones because they invested money into
the lighting.
Matranga said the lighting under discussion takes away from the look and feel of the
Downtown District. Banfield and Clark both supported the prohibition.
Sasson said he would generally agree with Lundquist about protecting the existing ones
but in this case, the financial cost was minor.
11. Discussion regarding the annual review of the Permitted Use Table and consideration
of adding NAICS use #6239 Other Residential Care Facilities to the table
Harbin said the Zoning Ordinance requires an annual review of the Permitted Use Table
(PUT). She explained that since the last review, it was discovered NAICS #6239 was
missing. She explained staff did not have a recommendation at this time as to which
zoning districts the use should be allowed in but that staff would research and come back
with an action item.
Sasson thanked Harbin for the heads up.
12. Consideration and possible action regarding future Planning and Zoning Commission
meeting dates
Harbin said a Joint Public Hearing would be held on Monday, April 1st at 6:00pm.
Motion to move regular meeting to April 1: Matranga
Second: Sasson
Vote: 7 to 0 Unanimous Motion Passed
13. Communications from the Commission
a. Commissioners – Matranga thanked Sasson for running the meeting until he could arrive.
b. Ordinance Subcommittee Update – Sasson said he would discuss with Harbin about
reconvening the subcommittee.
c. Planning Subcommittee Update – Banfield said the subcommittee was still on hiatus.
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March 21, 2019 P & Z Meeting
d. Downtown District Subcommittee Update – Matranga said the Downtown subcommittee
was done for now and also on hiatus.
e. Council Liaison – Branson said tonight’s agenda represented a lot of work and she
appreciated it. Branson was also happy the Joint Public Hearings could be coming to an
end.
f. Staff – Harbin said the February DRC report had been sent out. She also stated the
Commissioners could have city sponsored email addresses, if they would like.
10. The regular meeting adjourned at 8:08 pm.
These minutes respectfully submitted by:
Becky Summers
Becky Summers
Development Coordinator/P&Z Secretary