HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z Minutes 2021-04-22 RegularCITY OF FRIENDSWOOD
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 - 7:00 PM
Minutes
MINUTES OF A FRIENDSWOOD REGULAR MEETING HELD AT 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD
DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AT
7:00 P.M.
STATE OF TEXAS
CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD
COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS
APRIL 22, 2021
1.CALL TO ORDER
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD PLANNING AND ZONING
COMMISSION THAT WAS HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021, AT 07:00 PM 910 S.
FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS
CHAIRMAN JOSEPH MATRANGA
VICE-CHAIRMAN RICHARD SASSON
COMMISSIONER RICHARD CLARK
COMMISSIONER TRAVIS MANN - VIA VIDEO
COMMISSIONER LISA LUNDQUIST
COMMISSIONER MARCUS PERRY
COUNCIL LIAISON ROBERT GRIFFON
CITY ATTORNEY MARY KAY FISCHER
DIRECTOR OF CDD/PLANNER AUBREY HARBIN
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR BECKY BENNETT
COMMISSIONER TOM HINCKLEY WAS ABSENT FROM THE MEETING.
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.
Cindy Fish of 98 El Dorado said she has lived in El Dorado Subdivision for 7 years where it is quiet.
She spoke against the replat of The Golden citing an increase in traffic, construction noise, and
flooding.
Robert Darling of 31 El Dorado said the area is peaceful and not really a subdivision but an area
prone to growing orchards and keeping bees. He said the additional house, on a lot smaller than
two acres, will detract from the rural aesthetic. Mr. Darling mentioned the property owner would not
be living there but selling the lots instead.
Stephanie Darling of 31 El Dorado explained she bought her property in 2016 and was told deed
restrictions were in place by the realtor. She said the neighbors do not want to live in an area with a
home owner association. Darling said the lots are more like mini farms. Darling stated a former
mayor is the listing agent and not accepting cash offers from the neighborhood. She said the deed
restrictions expired 25 years ago and the neighborhood is trying to reinstate those restrictions to
prevent subdividing.
Steve Hobbs said he has been a resident for 23 years and has the mindset to maintain estate type
lots.
Dale Dunn stated he bought his property, from Paul O'Farrell whom was a former mayor, because
he had six kids and needed the acreage. Dunn said subdividing a lot into two, one-acre lots will
devalue the remainder of the neighborhood.
John Maynard of 72 El Dorado opined the property owner just wants to make monies.
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 so requests in which case the item would be
removed from the consent agenda and considered separately.
**Chairman JOSEPH MATRANGA moved to remove The Golden plat from the Consent Agenda.
Seconded by Commissioner Dick Clark. The motion was approved unanimously.
B.Consider and take possible action regarding the Golden Final Plat.
**Chairman JOSEPH MATRANGA moved to approve the Golden Final Plat. Seconded by Vice-
Chairman Richard Sasson. The motion was approved unanimously.
Harbin explained the application is to subdivide a single, two-acre lot into two, one-acre lots. She
said the city's minimum lot size is 120 foot width at the right-of-way. Harbin confirmed the plat
meets the lot size requirements set forth in the city zoning ordinance.
Matranga commented there is one existing house already. He stated the application meets all legal
requirements of the city and the state therefore it must be approved.
Matranga asked if the deed restrictions, whether expired or not, have any bearing on the plat
approval. City Attorney Fischer stated deed restrictions are separate from the city subdivision and
zoning ordinance.
Sasson asked although the neighborhood cannot stop this application for subdividing, what could
they do in the future. Harbin suggested hiring a real estate attorney to reinstate the deed
restrictions. She said another option is to change the zoning district of the neighborhood to Single
Family Residential-Estate (SFR-E) which requires a minimum two acre lots. She explained each
owner would need to submit a zone change application.
Clark asked if it would it violate the commission's ministerial duty to table the item. Harbin answered
the commission has no legal cause to table the plat.
Matranga told the audience he understands and listened to their concerns, putting himself in their
shoes. He stated one more house does not appear to have significant impact on the area and the
commission has a legal obligation to approve the plat.
A.Consider approving the minutes for the Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
held Thursday, April 8, 2021.
**Commissioner Marcus Perry moved to approve the minutes for the Planning and Zoning
Commission Regular Meeting held Thursday, April 8, 2021. Seconded by Vice-Chairman Richard
Sasson. The motion was approved unanimously.
4.Discussion Items
A.Discussion and update regarding Future Land Use Map.
Harbin stated the planning subcommittee met with the Community and Economic Development
Committee a few times and they suggested no major changes to the map.
Perry presented a slideshow outlining the proposed changes, some of which had already been
discussed with whole commission. He said the Timber Creek Golf Course area had been changed
from open space to industrial. Harbin explained the future land use map is made to depict what the
city would like to see or could see in the future, regardless of the current use. Perry said the
Whitcomb property was updated to reflect the approved PUD. He said Lake Friendswood was
changed from residential use to a park.
Perry said the property at 801 W Parkwood Ave was changed from residential use to retail use so it
would align with the FM 528 corridor plan. He reminded the commission this property had recently
applied for a zone change from residential to commercial.
Perry explained the area towards Alvin, FM 528 frontage near the PSC Gun Range, was amended
from industrial to office and business park use because otherwise there is no buffer between the
industrial area and the residential area. Harbin further explained Business Park (BP) zoning
includes 25 foot setbacks which would help buffer. She said the Cline Elementary site is already
zoned residentially and the school will be demolished eventually.
Perry said major thoroughfare intersections are usually targeted as retail but wanted to discuss the
future intersections for Friendswood Parkway. Matranga commented that, coming through League
City, the area is mostly residential but there are pockets of retail, day cares, etc. Harbin said Falling
Leaf Drive shows to be widened eventually which creates a natural intersection. She stated the
future Friendswood Parkway has three possible routes and whomever develops first will have an
advantage in the placement of the road. Perry commented any changes regarding the road location
and zoning would be purely conceptual. He said he is okay with leaving that aspect of the map
alone for now. Harbin suggested adding comments into the written portion of the comprehensive
plan to address the future parkway area.
5.Consideration and possible action regarding future Planning and Zoning Commission
meeting dates
A.Consider setting the next Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meetings (i)
Thursday, May 13, 2021 and (ii) Thursday, May 27, 2021.
6.Communications
A.Receive information from Commissioners to include but not limited to suggestions for
future agenda items, general comments and/or updates from liaison assignments.
Sasson said he attended the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District (GCCDD) meeting
on the 13th where GCCDD approved the Dude Stop plat and drainage plan. He said they also
tabled two variance requests. Sasson announced 114,000 loads of dirt had been removed from
Imperial Estates and is 85% complete.
Lundquist said Keep Friendswood Beautiful was awarded the Governor's Community Achievement
Award.
B.Receive an update on tasks from the Planning Subcommittee.
C.Receive an update on tasks from the Ordinance Subcommittee.
D.Receive general comments and communications from City Council from City Council
Liaison, Robert Griffon.
Councilman Griffon said City Council started diving into the budget process at the last council
meeting. He announced a mariachi band would be playing on Cinco De Mayo for the senior
luncheon in Stevenson Park.
E.Receive information from Staff regarding commercial and residential project updates,
City Council action and ordinance updates.
Harbin said the League City boundary changes are in process and explained it is a land donation,
not a land swap. She said the two cities will split the ad valorem taxes for a period of 20 years.
Bennett stated the tree ordinance changes were underway along with amendments to the
subdivision ordinance.
7.ADJOURNMENT
This meeting was adjourned at 08:08 PM.