HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z Minutes 1994-06-23 SpecialSPOCIAL MEETING
PLANNING AND ZONING <XM-1ISSION JUNE 23, 1994
A SPOCIAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDSvKX:>D PLANNING AND ZONING CCMMISSION WAS
HELD ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1994, AT 6:00 P.M. IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL
CHAMBERS. THE FOLI..CMING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
BAKER -CHAIRMAN
DICKSON
FINGER
CRESS
DICKEY -LIAISON
HOOVER -CITY PLANNER
HENRY -DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
KNEUPPER -CITY ENGINEER
BRINKMAN -SOCRETARY
DUNKIN -CONSULTANT
WITH A QUORUM PRESENT, McHUGH, WASSON AND JORDAN ABSENT, CHAIRMAN BAKER
CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE CONSULTANT
REGARDING THE CCMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
J. T. DUNKIN ADDRESSED THE CCM-1ISSION STATING THAT HIS PURPOSE WAS TO
DEVELOP A ru1PREHENSIVE PLAN THAT �UULD INCORPORATE THE CITY'S PLANS
FOR VISUAL CORRIDORS, PARKS, WATER/SEWER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, MAJOR
THOROUGHFARES, AS WELL AS THE NEED FOR BICYCLE TRAILS, SIDE.wALKS, AND
C(M,IDNITY FACILITIES. HE PRESENTED MAPS WHICH INDICATED EXISTING LAND
USE IN ru1PARISON TO THE CURREN!' ZONING MAP. THE CCMMENT WAS MADE THAT
THE BASIC MOCHANICS OF THE CCMPREHENSIVE PLAN ARE KNOivN AND AGREED
UPON, Bur THAT THE PURPOSE IN MEETING WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING
<XM-1ISSION WAS TO ADDRESS THE GOALS AND OBJOCTIVES AND REFINE THEM. HE
REXXMMENDED THAT THE CCMMISSION GO THROUGH THE MAP, SECTION BY SOCTION,
TO REVIEW FOR PROJECTED LAND USE. THE CITY HAS A LARGE RATE OF
ABSORPTION FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES AND LI'ITLE FOR CCM-1ERCIAL OR
INDUSTRIAL. THE <XM-1ISSION WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS HCW MOCH, IF ANY,
CCT-1MERCIAL (RETAIL) PROPERI'Y WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ANY GIVEN AREA AS
FRIENDSWOOD IS IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MALL.
CHAIRMAN BAKER ASI<ED HCW OTHER CITIES HAD MANAGED TO GET PUBLIC CCMMENT
WHILE WORKING ON THE CCMPREHENSIVE PLAN. DUNKIN � THAT THERE
v.UJI.D BE NEWSPAPER ARI'ICLES AND EVENTUALLY A PUBLIC HEARING. HE ASI<ED
THE CCMMISSION IF THEIR GOAL WAS TO CCMPLETE THIS PROJECT IN SIX MONTHS
AS THEY HAD ORIGINALLY INDICATED. THE CCM-1ISSION AFFIRMED THEIR
DOCISION. C<Mv1ISSIONER FINGER ADDED THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT PUBLIC
INPur EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
GRCM.I'H CON'I'ROL WAS DISCUSSED AND DUNKIN CCM-1ENI'ED THAT IN ORDER TO
CONI'ROL GRCWI'H, THE CITY � HAVE TO DENY BUILDING PERMITS OR DENY
APPROVAL OF PLATS. THE ONLY WAY THIS COUID BE DONE IS FOR THE CITY TO
MAKE THE STANDARDS SO HIGH THAT DEVELOPERS COULD NOT MARKET THE
PROPERI'Y AND ROCEIVE A PROFIT AS WELL. THIS WOULD FORCE THEM TO
DEVELOP IN NEIGHBORING CITIES. HE STATED THAT THE CITY COULD NCfI'
CONTROL THE MARKET PLACE. CHAIRMAN BAKER REMARKED THAT THOSE PERSONS
HAVING LARGE PIOCES OF PROPERTY COU1D Nor CONI'INUE TO PAY THE HIGH
TAXES AND MANY WERE CONSIDERING SUBDIVISION OF THEIR PROPERI'Y.
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DUNKIN STATED THAT THE PRESSURE FOR SMALLER UY.I'S CAN ALSO PUI' A STRAIN
ON THE CITIES WATER/SEWER CAPACITIES AND THAT WOULD ALSO HAVE 'ID BE
ADDRESSED. HE SAID THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7500 ACRES OF VACANT LAND.
HE FURTHER STATED THAT STATE LAW SAYS "IF YOU ZONE PROPERI'Y, YOU MUST
HAVE A LAND USE PLAN" • HE SAID THAT THE FU1'URE MUST BE CONSIDERED. IT
viOlJLD BE WRONG 'ID ASSUME THAT 50 YEARS FRCM TODAY THAT PAYSON PLACE
WOUID STILL EXIST WITH IT'S LARGE ACREAGE. IDRE THAN LIKELY, THE LAND
WILL BE PURCHASED BY SCMOONE WHO WILL SUBDIVIDE THE PROPERI'Y. THE SITE
COUI.D HOUSE 15 'ID 20 RESIDENCES ON LARGE UY.I'S. CCMMISSIONER CRESS
ASKED IF SUBDIVISION COULD BE CON.I'ROLLED. HE CCM1ENTED THAT PEOPLE
CONTINUE TO SUBDIVIDE LARGE Lal'S IN EXISTING SUBDIVISIONS, CREATING A
GREATER DENSITY THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROJOCTED. MR. DUNKIN STATED
THAT IF THE CITY HAD LAID A WATER LINE FOR EXISTING PROPERTIES, AND IF
CONI'INUED SUBDIVISION WOULD ENDANGER WATER PRESSURE OR viOlJLD PREVENT
ADmt}ATE SERVICE, THE SUBDIVISION COULD BE DENIED. HE REITERATED THAT
THERE MUST BE A LEGITIMATE REASON 'ID DENY A PLAT. CCMMISSIONER CRESS
STATED THAT SCMETHING MUST BE DONE WITH THE ORDINANCE GOVERNING
DEAD-END STREEI'S.
PROJOCTED GRCWI'H CAPACITY FOR THE CITY OF FRIENDSVXX>D IS 60,000. THERE
WAS SCME DISAGREEMENT AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS NUMBER, BUI' WAS
DECIDED THAT IT WAS A LOGICAL FIGURE IF DENSITY IS NOT SCMEHCW
CONTROLLED. DUNKIN R™ARKED THAT SCME CITIES WANTED A LAND USE PLAN
THAT HAD MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY, OTHERS DESIRED A PLAN THAT COULD NCYl' BE
FLEXIBLE. CCMMISSIONER FINGER STATED THAT THE CITY NEEDED 'ID STAR!'
WITH GROUND RULES. HOOVER Ca-1MENTED THAT STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, ONE
viOlJLD HAVE TO CONSIDER THE CCMMERCIAL RE>;JUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL
GRatl.I'H. THIS IS CCM10N FOR ccwruNITIES WHO ARE DISTANCED FROM LARGER
CITIES. HavEVER, BECAUSE OF FRIENDSWCX)D' S CLOSE PROXIMITY 'ID CLEAR
LAKE AND BAYBRCX)K MALL, MORE CCMMERCIAL AREA MAY NCYl' BE NECESSARY. HE
FURTHER CCMMENTED THAT HE WOUID LIKE TO SEE THE CCMMISSION DO SCMEI'HING
WITH THE OBD (ORIGINAL BUSINESS DISTRICT).
MR. DUNKIN SAID HE WAS GOING 'ID PREPARE A MAP THAT WOUID SHCW WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN LEAGUE CITY AND IN PEARLAND AWNG FRIENDSVXX>D' S BORDERS.
THE CCMMENT WAS MADE THAT FRIENDSWCX)I) WOULD DO WELL 'ID HAVE SCMEI'HING
LIKE SPECIALTY SHOPS AS IN OLD 'l'CftlN SPRING OR AS 00 THE STRAND IN
GALVESTON WHERE PEOPLE WOUID CCME AND SHOP , THEN LEAVE. ANCYl'HER
CCM-1ENTED THAT THEY WOULD NCYr ENVISION EVER HAVING SCMEI'HING LIKE
SPECIALTY SHOPS. THERE WERE OTHER CCMMENTS REGARDING LARGE ENGINEERING
FIRMS OR WAREHOUSES. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THOSE FIRMS WOULD NCYl' LOCATE
IN FRIENDsvmD, PAY THE LARGE TAXES AND HIGH OVERHEAD, WITHOUT SCME
KIND OF TAX INCENTIVES. ONCE THE INCENTIVES WERE MADE, THERE WOULD BE
NO NEED TO HAVE THOSE TYPES OF BUSINESSES IN TGvN AS THERE WOULD BE NO
TAX BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
DUNKIN SAID HE NEEDED 'ID ARRIVE AT A POSITION EVERYOOE WOULD FEEL
ro-1FORTABLE WITH. CCMMISSIONER CRESS CCM-1ENTED THAT HE HAD NCYr SEEN A
REVISED SCHEDULE AND IT APPEARED 'ID HIM THAT THE PROCESS WAS MOVING
VERY SWN. HE EXPECTED 'ID HAVE SCMEI'HING IDRE CONCRETE AND ASKED
DUNKIN IF THIS WAS A "FISHING EXPEDITION". DUNKIN STATED THAT IT
WAS, AND THAT HE WAS TRYING 'ID GET A HANDLE 00 WHAT THE CCMMISSION
WOUID FEEL MOST CCMFORTABLE WITH. LAND USE, DENSITY STANDARDS, AND
POPULATION ISSUE WERE THE CONCERNS HE WAS HEARING AND THESE WERE THE
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ITEMS THAT v.UUID HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR
THE ca-1PREHENSIVE PIAN. ca-1MISSIONER CRESS STATED HE DIDN'T WANT TO
WASTE A rm OF TIME DRAWING A rm OF MAPS. DUNKIN STATED HE ¾QUID LIKE
TO REVIEW THE CITY, SECTION BY SECTION, PERHAPS STARI'ING WITH THE
SOUI'HERN QUADRANT OF THE CITY BELON THE CANAL. HE SAID HE ¾QUID SHCW
WHERE CITY SERVICES ARE, INDICATE PRQJEC'I'ED GRCW!'I-1, AND PRQJEC'I'ED LAND
USE OF THE ADJACENT CITIES OF LEAGUE CITY, PEARLAND AND ALVIN. DUNKIN
HAD DIVIDED THE CITY INTO 1 7 QUADRANTS. THE CCM1ISSION AGREED WITH THE
CONCEPT. DUNKIN WILL SEND TEN COPIES OF THE MAPS AND OUI'LINES AND WILL
MEET WITH THE CCMMISSION AT 6:00 P.M. ON THE 7TH OF JULY, 1994.
W?-:'.;' FURTHER COMMENT, CHAIRMAN BAKER ADJOURNED THE MEETING,Ula�_
Claudia L. Brinkman, Secretary