HomeMy WebLinkAbout01142010 ZPC Minutes
City of West University Place
A Neighborhood City
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ZONING & PLANNING COMMISSION
BILL WATSON CONFERENCE ROOM
3800 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
MEETING MINUTES
January 14, 2010
MEMBERS PRESENT: Steve Brown, DeDe DeStefano, Bruce Frankel,
Dick Yehle, Sam Parikh and Lauren Griffith
MEMBERS ABSENT: Bob Higley
COUNCIL: none
STAFF PRESENT: Debbie Scarcella, City Planner; Sallye Clark,
Planning Assistant and Josh Golden, City Le«,ll
Counsel
Call to Order - With quorum present at 6:15 p.m., Steve Brown called the meeting to
order and those present introduced themselves.
1. Notices, Rules, Etc. There was discussion concerning completion of required board
training for appointed officials. The deadline is Monday February 1, 2010.
2. Minutes.
November 12, 2009 Bruce Frankel made a motion to approve the minutes as
amended. Motion was seconded by Dick Yehle. Ayes: Steve Brown, DeDe
DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Dick Yehle and Sam Parikh. Noes: none. Minutes
approved.
Lauren Griffith arrived (it 6:23 p.ni. during agenda item ?after November 12, 2009
minutes were approved.
December 10, 2009 De De DeStefano made a motion to approve the minutes as
written. Motion was seconded by Sam Parikh. Ayes: Steve Brown, DeDe
DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Dick Yehle, Lauren Griffith and Sam Parikh. Noes: none.
Minutes approved.
3. Rezone Request for 5800 Kirby Drive. The ZPC discussed the joint public hearing
scheduled for February 8 and were reminded that a quorum of members is needed for
the hearing to be held.
4. Fences. Nelson Harbison, 6700 Belmont #7 and Peiter Vrancken, 6700 Belmont #12
spoke in reference to concerns about requiring access for residents within a
townhouse district and the five year grandfather clause.
3800 University Boulevard • West University Place, Texas 77005-2899 0 713066804441 • www.westu.org
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Debbie Scarcella informed ZPC that Steve Ralls, Fire Chief let her know via email
that the Fire Department (FD) has adequate access through all of the common
driveway gates to the townhome properties in the City. It is not necessary to have FD
access emergency portals in the fences on these dwelling units. The emergency
portals in the stone, masonry, and stucco fences on single family dwelling properties
should be the focus of the proposal.
Dick Yehle suggested breaking down the ordinance amendment into three sections
for discussion purposes
1. Emergency Access Portals
2. Fence like hedges
3. Site Visibility and Conforming
After discussion of Emergency portals, ZPC asked staff to redraft and revise section
18-208 with a final report and bring back to next month's meeting with the focus on
single family residential and to cover legal issues that may be of concern in a
townhome district.
Jeff Raizner, 4141 Tennyson spoke in reference to his concerns with hedges and a
grandfather clause. Steve Brown read the definition that a fence-like hedge means a
contiguous arrangement of vegetation or foliage, whether occurring in a straight or
curved line (1) having the characteristics of a fence; (ii) forming a physical barrier
greater than 50% of the width of the lot; and (iii) growing higher than five feet above
Standard base level. After discussion, Dick Yehle made a motion to affinm the
existing draft amendment with the exception of the changes they requested staff to
make regarding emergency access portals. Motion was seconded by Bruce Frankel.
Ayes: Steve Brown, DeDe DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Dick Yehle, and Sam Parikh.
Noes: Lauren Griffith. Motion passed.
The site visibility sections were discussed. As pointed out during the hearing, the
street visibility provisions will need to be revised to conform to the specifications
recommended by the City's traffic safety engineer. Additional discussion centered
around the possibility of extending the triangle dimensions and the effects of this on
corner lots. Council's comments concerning enforcement were discussed and a copy
of the hearing minutes was provided. Staff was instructed to gather information from
the public works staff and possibly the traffic safety engineer and revise the wording
accordingly. A suggestion was made that Dave Beach; General Services
Superintendent might make a recommendation or attend the next meeting.
5. Basements. This item was tabled until the next meeting.
6. Other Issues. A brief list of staff recommended "clean up" issues to bring forward in
the next few months for consideration was provided.
7. Adjournment. DeDe DeStefano made a motion to adjourn. Bruce Frankel seconded.
Ayes: Steve Brown, DeDe DeStefano, Bruce Frankel, Sam Parikh, Lauren Griffith
and Dick Yehle. Noes: none. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
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PASSED THIS DAY, OF &"L&)L-t Q.,U. , 2010.
Steve Brown, Presiding Officer
ATT T:
C
Sallye A. Clark, d tanning Assistant