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Home My WebLink About11062008 BSC Minutes City of West University Place A Neighborhood City ® Recycled Paper Building & Standards Commission Located in the Bill Watson Conference Room, 3800 University Blvd, West University Place, Texas 77005 Meeting Minutes November 6, 2008 MEMBERS PRESENT: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, J. Denis Powers, Dave Miller, Frank Griffin, and Gerry Spedale MEMBERS ABSENT: Dr. Peter Benjamin, and Muddy McDaniel STAFF PRESENT: Building Official John R. Brown, Permit Technician Kathi Sutton, and City Attorney James L. Dougherty GUESTS PRESENT: Mr. & Mrs. Roger Pokltuda, Tom Crowder, Laurence & Judith McDowell, Yildiz Bayazitoglij and Jeff Lepow [Call to Order] Bryant Slimp called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. 1. Notices, Rules, Etc. Bryant Slimp welcomed BSC inembers, visitors and staff members to the meeting. There were introductions of BSC members, staff and visitors. Bryant Slimp stated Frank Griffin (in Muddy McDaniel's absence), Gerry Spedale and Dave Miller would be the alternate voting members for the meeting. 2. Meeting Minutes. Brian Hoogendam made I motion to approve the September 4, 2008 minutes as amended. Frank Griffin seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and J. Denis Powers NOES: None. ABSTAIN: None. Meeting minutes passed. Motion made by J. Denis Powers to suspend the regular meeting to hear variance requests. Frank Griffin seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and J. Denis Powers NOES: None. Motion carried. 3. A,-enda Item #3 Time extension for garage rebuild at 4144 Coleridge. Bryant Slimp asked John Brown to give a brief summary regarding the history of the original variance involving 4144 Coleridge. John Brown summarized that a variance had been issued for a garage located at 4144 Coleridge to either be repaired or demolished by December 31, 2008. John Brown stated the owner of 4144 Coleridge is requesting a 30 day extension of the variance to January 31, 2009. Dave.Miller posed a question to the McDowell's. Dave Miller asked what the status was in reference to the sale of the property. Tom Crowder, attorney, spoke on behalf of the McDowell's. Tom Crowder stated that the McDowell's were aware that the property needed to be sold sooner, rather than later. Tom Crowder also stated that the McDowell's were having difficulties in relation to Hurricane lice conditions, both from the buyer and sellers standpoint. 3800 University Boulevard 0 West University Place, Texas 77005-2899 0 713066804441 0 www.westu.org r Building and Standards Commission JVleeting Minutes November 00, 2208 Tom Crowder stated that there was a verbal intent to purchase the property, but that the interested party was having difficulty securing financing due to the current economic conditions. Dave Miller asked Tom Crowder if the McDowell's were going to ask for any additional extensions of the variance if this time extension was granted. Toni Crowder stated that the McDowell's would not ask for another time extension, that they would repair the roof of the garage if the property was not sold by the end of January. Dave Miller asked the Chairman that when a motion is presented, that the verbiage include that this would be the final time extension. Bryant Slimp asked the Commission for any further comments or questions. No further comments were made. Dave Miller made a motion to extend the original variance deadline to January 31, 2009, requiring that the garage either be demolished or the roof repaired by that date, and that this would be the final time extension. Brian Hoogendam seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slinmp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and J. Denis Powers NOES: None. Motion passed. 4. Agenda Item #4. Docket #08-05 Move house from 4149 Oberlin to 6522 Co►nmunity. John Brown advised that the persons requesting the variance have rescinded their request in writing. 5. Agenda Item 45. Docket #08-06 Request for a wall mounted sign at 3924 Bellaire. Bryant Slirnp swore in witnesses providing testimony in this variance request. Bryant Slimp asked Jeff Lepow to describe his request for a variance. Jeff Lepow stated that he was in need of additional signage on Stella Link for several reasons, such as; the current construction on Bellaire diverts a lot of the traffic onto Stella Link. Jeff Lepow also stated that since no signage was currently on Stella Link, that traffic would stop in the roadway to see what business was going on in the strip center and that it was a public safety concern. Jeff Lepow stated, finally, that his primary entrance to the business was cut off due to the construction in the roadway on Bellaire, which in turn has made Stella Link his primary entrance. Bryant Slimp asked John Brown to present the staff summary. John Brown stated that Firehouse Subs has one sign located on the facade on the front of the building on Bellaire, as ordinance dictates. John Brown stated that a considerably larger sign would be allowed on the front fagade than what was installed and directed the Commission to the photos provided. Bryant Slimp questioned whether the trees in the area would be impacted and John Brown stated that would not be allowed to happen. Bryant Slimp asked whether the "old" signs on the building had been removed. John Brown stated that a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy lead been issued to Firehouse Subs and that a condition of the certificate was that the previous sign and it relating parts be removed. Dave Miller asked John Brown what the current ordinance allows for as far as signage. David Flame asked what size of signage is allowed for the front facade of the business. John Brown stated that if you took the currently installed sign and added the proposed sign to it, that it still would not exceed the allowable sign size. Bryant Slimp directed the Commission to focus on the findings that need to be made in order to allow the variance. The Commission discussed the findings and came to an affinnative conclusion to all of the findings. Page 2 of 3 Building and Standards Commission Meeting 111intctes IVonember 00, 2205 Dave Miller made a suggestion that a new business opening and thriving in our area is good for the local economy and that apprising the citizens of its location is directly related to the businesses success. Dave Miller also stated that given the current circumstances of the heavy construction on Bellaire, that it creates a hardship upon the business owner unless lie can increase the public knowledge of his location. David Flame agreed with Dave Miller's statement and added that the Commission recognizes that there is a side entrance on Stella Link, which temporarily has become the main entrance. Dave Miller made a motion that the Commission has found affirmatively to all of the required findings to allow a variance in this matter. J. Denis Powers seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and J. Denis Powers NOES: None. Motion passed. Bryant Slimp asked the Commission for a motion to allow for the additional sign. Dave Flame made a motion to allow a variance for the installation of a second wall mounted sign (as submitted in photo provided by applicant) to be located on the facade facing Stella Link. The variance required that the existing sign located on Bellaire remain the same size. Brian Hoogendam seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and.l. Denis Powers NOES: None. Motion passed. Bryant Slimp closed the hearing portion of the meeting. 6. Construction Code Update. Bryant Slimp asked John Brown what progress was made towards the construction code update. John Brown advised the Commission that the new codes did not arrive in time to make any presentation at this meeting. A brief discussion was held on how the board wanted staff to present the code updates, with additional discussion regarding residential Fire sprinklers and if it will be a part of the code updates. John Brown stated that the Fire Chief and Fire Marshall wi11 present the fire sprinkler portion of the code adoption. [Adjournment] Dave Miller made a motion to adjourn. David Flame seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, Frank Griffin, and J. Denis Powers NOES: None. ABSTAIN: None. Meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m. PASSED THIS DAY OF '200/1 Bryant Slimp, Chair Za ATTEST: Ms. Kathi M. Sut on, Permit e iician Page 3 of 3