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ZONING & PLANNING COMMISSION
BILL WATSON CONFERENCE ROOM
3800 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
MEETING MINUTES
December 10, 2009
MEMBERS PRESENT: Steve Brown, DeDe DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Bob
Higley and Dick Yehle
MEMBERS ABSENT: Lauren Griffith and Sam Parikh
COUNCIL: none
STAFF PRESENT: Debbie Scarcella, City Planner and Josh Golden,
City Legal Counsel
Call to Order - With quorum present at 6:21 p.m., Steve Brown called the meeting to
order and those present introduced themselves.
1. Notices, Rules, Etc. There was discussion concerning electronic distribution of
agenda packets versus distribution of paper packets. Consensus was that paper was
preferable.
2. Minutes.
November 12, 2009. Approval of the minutes from the November 12, 2009 regular
meeting was deferred to the January regular meeting.
3. Fences. Steve Brown reminded the members of the joint public hearing with City
Council scheduled for December 14, 2009 at 6:30 pm. He briefly explained the
procedure to be followed. Debbie Scarcella provided a copy of the draft PowerPoint
presentation and asked for input from the members. There was a short recap and
discussion of the proposal for information and clarification purposes.
4. Basements. Steve Brown and Bruce Frankel reported on a meeting of the basements
ad hoc committee held prior to the regular ZPC meeting at 5:00 pm. Two members
of the Building and Standards Commission (BSC), the Chief Building Official, City
Planner and Steve Brown and Bruce Frankel comprise the committee. After
discussion with several structural engineers, the BSC basically concluded that if
basements are allowed, the economical costs of the additional structural requirements
plus perpetual maintenance costs, as well as the higher risk of water intrusion issues
will prohibit the viability of construction of basements from an economic standpoint.
This result is not what City Council initially envisioned with their instruction to the
joint commissions. The ad hoc committee asked staff to craft a report to council
outlining the new information gathered concerning structural, insurance industry and
legal perspectives and request a workshop session to garner either support or new
3800 University Boulevard 9 West University Place, Texas 77005-2899 0 713.66804441 0 www.westu.org
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direction from council to proceed with a new plan. The ZPC affirmed the ad hoc
committee's plan of action.
5. Other Issues. Steve Brown and Debbie Scarcella discussed that this agenda item will
be added from time to time in order for new issues to be introduced that the
commission will then decide (after input from staff and possibly city council) to place
on a fixture ZPC agenda for discussion. Debbie Scarcella informed the commission
that staff has several "clean up" issues to bring forward in the next few months for
consideration. The ZPC instructed staff to bring forward a list of those items for
discussion.
A brief discussion ensued concerning the rezonining application and upcoming
agenda item requesting a public hearing on December 14. Staff plans to ask council
to call for the public hearing on January 25, 2010 at 6:30 pm.
6. Adjournment. Bruce Frankel made a motion to adjourn. Dick Yehle seconded.
Ayes: Steve Brown, DeDe DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Bob Higley and Dick Yehle
Noes: none. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
PASSED THIS DAY, OF LhU-(;,t , 2010.
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Steve Brown, Presiding Officer
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SaPlanning Assistant