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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03152012 ZBA Minutes0 The City of West University Place A Neighborhood City ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MUNICIPAL BUILDING 3800 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES March 15, 2012 1 MEMBERS PRESENT: Samantha Brantley (voting), Don Culbert (voting), Donald Yurewicz 1 (voting), Sandy Hellums (voting) and Ed Sobash (voting) II. MEMBERS ABSENT: Carole Steen, Priya Coffey, Milton Frankfort and Katherine Brem III. STAFF PRESENT: Debbie Scarcella, City Planner and Jolie Lenz, City Legal Counsel IV. CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 pm. Agenda Item Discussion Action 1 Call the regular Samantha Brantley called the meeting to order at Samantha Brantley administered the meeting to order and 6:30 p.m. Samantha Brantley asked the members oath to all witnesses. Protocol. and staff to introduce themselves. Samantha Notices, Rules, Etc. Brantley stated that since there were five members present, all would be voting members. Samantha Brantley stated that since the public hearing had already been closed last meeting regarding Docket 12 -03, the deliberations would be continued with an allowance for the applicant to present technical information regarding the durability of the oyster shell only. Swearing in of witnesses. 2 Docket No. 2012 -03, Debbie Scarcella gave a brief synopsis of the facts Sandy Hellums moved to close the regarding property at related to Docket 2012 -03 for the benefit of the additional evidentiary portion of the 5320 Sewanee members not present during the public hearing. deliberations. Motion was 2nd by Ed Avenue, West The building site at 5320 Sewanee is located in a Sobash. Ayes: Samantha Brantley, University Place, single family residential zoning district about one Donald Yurewicz, Don Culbert, Ed Texas 77005, (Special block south of Bissonnet. The house was Sobash and Sandy Hellums. Motion Exception). constructed on the site in 1983 and has a 2 car carried. Continuation from 2- attached garage located at the rear of the site with After deliberation, Sandy Hellums moved 16 -12. Public hearing a side entry driveway. The driveway connects the to grant the special exception to allow the regarding the following garage to the street and the end of the driveway oyster shell as an alternative material. matters: Alternative has a short maneuvering area for backing out of Motion was 2nd by Don Culbert. Ayes: paving material. the garage. Last year, the applicant removed the Samantha Brantley, Donald Yurewicz, Applicant requests a portion of the driveway starting from even with Don Culbert, Ed Sobash and Sandy special exception to the front of the house and back to the garage and Hellums. Motion carried. allow the use of an replaced it with oyster shell. The applicant did not alternative impervious obtain a permit. paving material for a Table 7 -5a requires that paving for driveways and portion of the driveway required maneuvering spaces in single family and maneuvering area. zoning districts be hard surfaced or pervious Deliberation, decisions, pavement Hard surfaced pavements are generally other action, etc. those such as concrete or asphalt and pervious Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes March 15, 2012 Meeting 2 regarding the preceding pavement is defined as pavers with granular fillers matters. in the interstitial spaces. The oyster shell does not qualify as either material. The purpose for the regulation is to ensure that a useable driveway will connect the street to the garage and will provide a durable driving surface. The applicant has demonstrated that the driveway configuration meets requirements for ingress and egress into and out of the garage and meets the requirements for maneuvering area. The only issue for consideration is the use of an alternative material. At the last meeting during deliberations, the ZBA had additional questions regarding the durability of oyster shell as it compares to approved pavement types. The applicant was instructed to bring in technical evidence and documentation in support of the durability of the oyster shell. The applicant has submitted several documents that he feels support the ZBA's request. Table 7 -5a, Note 4 of the Zoning Ordinance gives the ZBA authority to grant a special exception for the use of an alternative material if it finds that the material is of equal or better durability to the approved types. In order to authorize the exception, the ZBA must find that the request is in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance and that the request will not cause any significant increase in on- street parking or traffic, traffic congestion, or an unreasonable burden upon public utilities or services. The burden is on the applicant to present evidence to the Board to support each finding and determination required for the issuance of this special exception. If the Board grants the special exception, the Board can attach conditions. The applicant, Ralph Pokluda, 5320 Sewanee presented his new information including a mock- up of the layering system he used to construct the oyster shell driveway. He started with a layer of select fill, topped with a layer of decomposed granite, and topped off with a layer of the oyster shell. Each layer is separated by landscaping sheeting to help with grass and weed control, while still allowing water absorption through the materials. Katherine English, a local sustainability architect, assisted Mr. Pokluda by explaining a chart detailing the durability of four main types of paving materials including concrete, asphalt, pea gravel and oyster shell. A technical discussion of the paving "system" and how it operates in rain ensued. The applicant then handed out a report based on Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes March 15, 2012 Meeting APPROVED THIS I Wh DAY OF 2012. 0"0 �' — �' I z � �' Carole Steen, Presid g Officer ATTEST: allye A. Clark, fanning Assistant engineering formulas used to determine the strength of different materials. This report was calculated based on information provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The calculations showed the oyster shell system to be just as stfioat% a d1A rtble. concrete. 3 Meeting Minutes. Approval of meeting minutes of February 16, Don Culbert moved to approve the 2012. minutes as corrected. Motion was 2 "d by Ed Sobash. Ayes: Samantha Brantley, Donald Yurewicz, Don Culbert, Ed Sobash and Sandy Hellums. Motion carried. Adjournment. Sandy Hellums moved to adjourn the meeting. Motion was 2nd by Ed Sobash. Ayes: Samantha Brantley, Donald Yurewicz, Don Culbert, Ed Sobash and Sandy Hellums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. APPROVED THIS I Wh DAY OF 2012. 0"0 �' — �' I z � �' Carole Steen, Presid g Officer ATTEST: allye A. Clark, fanning Assistant