HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z Minutes 2021-06-10 RegularCITY OF FRIENDSWOOD
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 - 7:00 PM
Minutes
MINUTES OF A FRIENDSWOOD REGULAR MEETING HELD AT 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD
DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
STATE OF TEXAS
CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD
COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS
JUNE 10, 2021
1.CALL TO ORDER
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD PLANNING AND ZONING
COMMISSION THAT WAS HELD ON THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021, AT 07:02 PM 910 S.
FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS
CHAIRMAN JOSEPH MATRANGA
COMMISSSIONER MARCUS PERRY
COMMISSIONER RICHARD CLARK
COMMISSIONER TRAVIS MANN
COMMISSIONER TOM HINCKLEY
COUNCIL LIAISON ROBERT GRIFFON
CITY ATTORNEY MARY KAY FISCHER
DIRECTOR OF CDD/PLANNER AUBREY HARBIN
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR BECKY BENNETT
VICE-CHAIRMAN RICHARD SASSON 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)
None.
3.Public Hearing
A.Conduct a public hearing to receive comments, both oral and written, regarding a zone
classification change located at 1715 and 1771 S. Friendswood Drive, also known as
Reserves D and F in the Howard Subdivision Partial Replat No. 2, Friendswood,
Galveston County, Texas, to change from Community Shopping Center (CSC) to
Community Shopping and Office Park District (OPD) to Planned Unit Development (PUD).
Harbin explained this is a proposed Planned Unit Development for a 4-story, Class A office building
of approximately 100,000 square feet with 296 parking spaces. She said the current land is vacant
and part of the Howard Subdivision where Chick-fil-A, the Virgata Commons strip centers,
Valvoline, CareNow, and Chipotle are all built along the front.
She stated the current zoning on the property is Community Shopping Center and the pond is
zoned Office Park District. The proposed zoning for both tracts is Planned Unit Development. Part
of the PUD is a regulation matrix which uses the Office Park District as an underlying guide for
setbacks. For the height restrictions, the proposal is a maximum 70 feet tall, 4 stories copied from
the Downtown District regulations. Additionally, the uses that would be allowed on the property is
mostly taken from the Office Park District. It would be professional offices so no restaurants and no
retail would be allowed.
Additionally, amenities around the detention pond are included with the Planned Unit Development.
The amenities include 45 large trees, 11 small trees, a walking trail, park benches, dog stations,
and lighting and landscaping to improve the pond area.
4.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.
A.Consider approving the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting
held Thursday, May 27, 2021.
**Commissioner Tom Hinckley moved to approve Consider approving the minutes of the Planning
and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting held Thursday, May 27, 2021. Seconded by
Commissioner Travis Mann. The motion was approved unanimously.
5.Action Items
According to the Planning and Zoning Rules of Procedure (R2019-15), 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.
A.Consideration and possible action regarding a recommendation to City Council for the
requested zone classification change located at 1715 and 1771 S. Friendswood Drive,
also known as Reserves D and F in the Howard Subdivision Partial Replat No. 2,
Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas, to change from Community Shopping Center
(CSC) to Community Shopping and Office Park District (OPD) to Planned Unit
Development (PUD).
**Commissioner Marcus Perry moved to approve Consideration and possible action regarding a
recommendation to City Council for the requested zone classification change located at 1715 and
1771 S. Friendswood Drive, also known as Reserves D and F in the Howard Subdivision Partial
Replat No. 2, Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas, to change from Community Shopping Center
(CSC) to Community Shopping and Office Park District (OPD) to Planned Unit Development (PUD).
Seconded by Commissioner Tom Hinckley. The motion failed unanimously.
Perry commented the only thing the PUD would be changing is the allowable building height. He
said the proposed uses are allowed in both CSC and Office Park District but are narrowed down to
the types of office uses the applicant wants to put there with the intention of restricting traffic.
Louis Tannos/President of Tannos Development said he is not interested in leasing to any
restaurant or retail uses but is targeting office uses where people come and stay and work.
Perry said the zoning ordinance, Section 7, specifically states that in no case shall a PUD be used
for the sole purpose of circumventing the intent of any of the city ordinances. He said it feels a bit
premature to look at something like this from a PUD because he feels the PUD process is being
used to bypass that height ordinance. Tannos responded he had a plan and this was the path that
seemed the way to move forward but he was not trying to circumvent any rules.
Hinckley said one of his main concerns will be traffic since there is already a lot of congestion there.
Hinckley said he likes the design of the building. Tannos said he plans on following the Virgata
building models. Hinckley asked what type of trees are being proposed around the pond. Tannos
answered all the larger trees will be oaks.
Tannos said the way the building will be situation should decrease the speeding cut through traffic.
He stated this building has a capacity of 750 people, most of which will get to work, eat lunch there,
and visit the businesses in that park. He said they are currently in talks with 5 to 7 potential tenants,
all financial, medical, petrochemical, office type uses.
Hinckley said he appreciates the retention pond plan, too. Tannos said the building has a large
covered patio area on the side facing the detention pond. The pond area will have water fountains,
landscape lighting, lighting in the trees, and 1,500 linear feet of crushed gravel walking paths.
Mann said he is excited about the project but is trying to figure out what besides the height of the
building requires a PUD. Tannos said not knowing the ordinances in and out, he presented this plan
and this was the avenue that was discussed. Harbin said including the detention pond and limiting
the uses to help accommodate the traffic would be part of the PUD process in making this fit in the
development.
Matranga said he is really very supportive of the project but is not supportive of the path using a
PUD. He said the commission has recently directed another developer to work with staff on
tweaking the project and ordinances instead of using a PUD.
B.Consideration and possible action regarding a Partial Preliminary Plat of Friendswood
Trails Section 3A, 4 and 5A, a subdivision of 62.957 acres of land situated in the Mary
Sloan, Abstract 84, and William Henry, Abstract 184, City of Friendswood, Galveston
County, Texas, also being a partial replat of Reserve "T" of Friendswood Trails Section 1,
2 and Commercial recorded in Doc. 2019069867, G.C.M.R.
**Commissioner Tom Hinckley moved to approve the Consideration and possible action regarding a
Partial Preliminary Plat of Friendswood Trails Section 3A, 4 and 5A, a subdivision of 62.957 acres
of land situated in the Mary Sloan, Abstract 84, and William Henry, Abstract 184, City of
Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas, also being a partial replat of Reserve "T" of Friendswood
Trails Section 1, 2 and Commercial recorded in Doc. 2019069867, G.C.M.R. Seconded
by Commissioner Richard Clark.
Commissioner Hinckley moved to amend the motion to approve with conditions. Seconded by
Commissioner Clark. The motion was approved unanimously.
Harbin said this is the next phase of Friendswood Trails. DR Horton is the developer and will be
building a divided boulevard over the creek. She said the next section will contain 95 lots with a few
hold out tracts. Harbin explained that after the PUD was approved, the applicant was not able to
acquire the entire property. She explained Denbury, an oil company, ended up retaining 30 acres of
land because they have wells that need to be cleaned up. The plan is for the owner to eventually
acquire the rest of the property but until then they are still complying with the approved land plan.
Harbin said there are 9 remaining comments regarding the plat that need to be addressed and
resubmitted for further commission action. Bennett said that from the time the applicant received
the current comments to now, they have begun making corrections. She said out of the 9
comments, there are no items of substance that would change the design of the plat.
6.Consideration and possible action regarding future Planning and Zoning Commission
meeting dates
A.Consider setting the next Planning and Zoning Commission regular meetings for (i)
Thursday, June 24, 2021 and (ii) Thursday, July 8, 2021.
7.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.
Perry mentioned rain delayed some public events for the future land use map outreach but would
resume Friday night and Saturday morning.
Hinckley said the Zoning Board of Adjustment has a meeting this month on June 22nd,Tuesday at
7:00 p.m.
B.Receive an update on tasks from the Planning Subcommittee
No comments.
C.Receive an update on tasks from the Ordinance Subcommittee
No comments.
D.Receive general comments and communication from City Council Liaison, Robert Griffon
E.Receive information from Staff regarding commercial and residential project updates, City
Council action and ordinance updates.
Harbin announced the Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation is having a
groundbreaking on Tuesday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m. for the Downtown District sidewalk project. She
said FDEDC sent out an RFP for their signage program and are looking for a sign company to help
design entryway signs and logos. She said the other big project to start working on is an RFQ for
the downtown lighting replacing all the downtown lighting with the new wood-look poles that the
FDEDC has selected. She reported sales tax this month was up 8.9% meaning FDEDC has broken
the $2 million mark and can use those funds to help with some of these public projects.
Harbin stated CEDC is looking at updating Vision 2020 and the FM 528 Strategy Plan while also
creating a toolkit for businesses, hopefully, outside the downtown because the downtown area is
getting a lot of support.
8.ADJOURNMENT
This meeting was adjourned at 08:28 PM.