Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z Minutes 2001-08-06 Special! l Minutes of the Friendswood Planning and Zoning Commission August 6, 2001 A special meeting of the F1iendswood Planning and Zoning Commission was held Monday August 6, 2001 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 910 S. F1iendswood D1ive, Friendswood, Texas. Tom Burke Zekie Mc Veigh Tom Samson Mark Clark Frank Frankovich Niels Aalund Diana Steelquist-Development Coordinator Mike Hodge -Community Development Director Mike Dominguez -City Planner With a quornm present, the meeting was called to order by Chairman Burke to consider the following: Call to Order: Docketed joint public hearing: 1.To receive public input, either oral or written, regarding the following: A.Request for Amending Specific Use Permit -Church for Mary Queen Catholic Church located at 606 Cedarwood Drive, a 14.188 acre tract of land out of Lots 1 and 15, Block 3, Ftiendswood Subdivision, Galveston County, Texas. Mr. Ken Sykes, Real Estate Director for the Church Diocese, addressed the Council and the Commission while waiting for the church architect to arrive. Greg Turner, the architect, displayed a colorized site plan. The Family Life center will be the first phase built. The second phase will consist of the new sanctuary. The site plan was designed to tty and preserve the existing landscaping and trees around the proposed family life center by placing the building fifteen feet from the end of Queen's Lane. The proposed detention/drainage will flow south to the rear of the property Mayor Whitaker wanted to know if Queen's Lane was a public street. Mr. Turner indicated that a portion abutting Cedarwood Lane was public. Councilman Brizedine was concerned about the set backs around the family life center and the proposed lighting. Mr. Turner answered that the proposed building was set back -1 - 08/06/01 P &Z about 75 feet on the south side and 100 feet on the west side. He also stated that a photometric layout had been submitted with the site plan and that there would be zero light at the property lines. The lights used will also have glare cut-off type fixtures. Brizedine also questioned the lack of sidewalks along Stones Throw and Cedmwood. Mr. Turner stated that the Church would consider installing sidewalks. It is also the Church's intent to leave as many trees as possible around the drainage swale. Commissioner Frankovich expressed concern that the proposed eight foot privacy fence will block the flow of gr ound water near Cedar Oak. rvir. Turner did not think it would restrict the flow as it is next to the drainage swale. However, the Church will move or remove the fence if asked by the Commission. Chairman Burke questioned whether the sidewalks referenced in staff comments' item 'k' had been addressed. The applicants believed this to be a comment referring to sidewalks around the family life building which had been added per this comment. Chairman Burke also expressed concern about adequate parking and traffic patterns around the proposed sanctuary and family life center. Mr. Turner responded that the Church has not done a traffic study. They have also based the parking requirements on the seating capacity of the new sanctuary which will require more parking than the family life center. The family life center is a youth oriented facility and its parking needs will not be used at the same time as the sanctuary's. CmTently, there are no film plans as to what the old sanctuary will be used for in the future. In response to questions about drainage into Coward's Creek, the engineer for the church, stated that the drainage pond and detention had been designed to meet the City's Design Criteria. The pond is designed for a 100 yr. flood. No one spoke in favor of the Specific Use Permit amendment. There were several who were opposed. These included Clifton and Katha Black of #2 Queen's Lane. Ivfr. Black presented the Council with a copy of his deed restrictions for the Lunney Subdivision which state all lots must be residential in use along with a w1itten statement from him opposing the SUP amendment. He is also opposed because the change in land use will cause surrounding land values to fall. Currently, he and the other families living off Queen's Lane have problems accessing their homes. He stated that the addition of a family life center and larger sanctumy will only make access worse. Mrs. Black restated that the current church members block the access to their home. She is concerned about the effect on trash pick up on Queen's Lane. Mr. Grego1y Crinion spoke as the attorney for Mr. & Mrs. Cleary of 1402 Oak Hollow Drive. Mr. Ciinion expressed concern on several issues including additional safety risks, pedestrian safety, building height violations, the access -2 - 08/06/01 P &Z ! l l problem for residents on Queen's Lane, increased surface flooding, the violation of the Lunney deed restrictions, predicted illegal parking along Queen's Lane, kitchen h·ash and odors ath·acting rodents, the family life center being to close to Queen's Lane at 15 feet. He also stated that the detention pond would not work and that the water would not flow south into the pond, and that the detention pond does not comply with the Lunney deed restrictions. Mr. Greg Herring of 207 Cedar Oak, opposed the request. He was concerned about any future phased development which might effect Cedar Oak, a private street. He did not want anything other that residential next to Cedar Oak. He also objected to the eight foot fence on along Cedar Oak proposed on the site plan. He was concerned that the additional concrete on the site plan would cause more flooding and urged the Commission and Council to stop the building. Chailman Burke explained that additional phases of constrnction or new buildings on the church prope1ty would require fuither amendment to the SUP and that more public hearings would be required. i\tlrs. Cindy Walthall, 807 Stephen Court, expressed concern about increased traffic along Cedarwood. She stated people ente1ing and exiting the church were often speeding and she recommended a stop sign be installed. Mr. Turner, rebutted some of the comments in opposition by stating that the family life center was not set back 15 feet off a public street but rather it is a driveway. As to building heights, the church has already received a ZBOA vmiance. Further, that the drainage and detention pond have been correctly engineered to the City's and Drainage Districts' c1ite1ia. He also stated that the Church may be willing to pmt with a 25 foot wide access at the end of Cedar Oak to provide access for families off Queens Lane. The City Attorney recommended that the public hearing be recessed to allow public comments and discourse to continue throughout the SUP process. Mr. Herring questioned if the Church would be required to maintain the private road if they provided an access easement from Cedar Oak. Chairman Burke requested written comments be submitted before the next Planning and Zoning meeting. With no further comment, the joint docketed public hearing was recessed. Diana Steelquisf - Community Development Coordinator - 3 - 08/06/01 P &Z