Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02121974 ZPC Minutesg REGULAR MEETING ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION FEBRUARi' 12i 197+ The Zoning and Planning Commission of the City of West University Place met in regular session at the City Hall on Tuesday, February 12, 197+ with tre following members present: E. Gene Hines, chairman, presiding; Members 0. C. Bartholomew, Roland Darlin, W. Peter Lipscomb, and. H. Allen Weatherby. ~~ The Chairman ascertained from the secretary that proper notice of meet- ing had been posted on the bulletin board at the City Hall three days ~ prior to the scheduled meeting as required by HB3, Amending 6252-17 V.C. ' J S. V V Mr. B. M. Knight, District Manager, and Mr. Russell Arinkman, Manager, of .the MO-hawk Exchange of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company located at 6707 Academy, appeared before the Commission to discuss application for zoning changes of certain lots for a parking lot to which they have recently acquired title. Mr. Knight: We appreciate the `opportunity of being here. We have for a number of years experienced a severe problem with parking on the streets. We talk to citizens and Booth feelings of both employees and citizens. The last thirty (30) days I have talked with Chief Kesselus and the City Manager and they advise thev also receive many calls from citizens with complaints of parking on the streets and requests for NO PARKING signs. In February 1970 we made the first step by purchasing four (~+) lots and obtaining perm~tssion to use the same for parking facilities, and as of last Friday we have purchased two (2) additional lots contnguou~s to the present parking lot and legally described as Lots 5 and 6, Rlock 25 College Vi w First Addition- City of West University Place. The existing parking lot provides 80 parking spaces and these two addit- Tonal lets will provide parking for another ~+0. We are glad to have the purchase behind us and respectfully request your consideration to change the zoning of these two lots from single-family residential Gtatus to parking, exclusively. The following questions were directed to Southwestern Bell representatives by Commission members: Mr. Hines: This is a verbal request and not-an official request? Mr. Knight: It is official for us, but we will be happy to do other paper work required and to proceed as directed by you gentlemen. Mr. Hines: Will these additional parking spaces take care of your parking needs? ~s94 Mr. Knight: Not entirely. We .have a work force of about 260 in the building, although some of them are on shift work - the building is operated and occupied six days each week. We, of course, will work with the city in all areas of levelling and beautifying the parking lot and in making safe egress and ingress .into the parking area. Mr. Hines: you stated 260 employees? Are these all in the build- ing at one time? Mr. Knight: No, they rotate from various hours. Prime time is from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the business office and the clerical staff are there. Mr. Hines: What is the prime time count? Mr. Knight:. At ~+ p.m. today there were 67 cars within a two block area in other than the parking lot - and with, the parking lot full. Mr. Weatherby: These lots then will not satisfy your needs? Mr. Knight: No, but we have started preliminary negotiations for leasing space on existing property and in doing so it will relieve our parking problem for several years. We tried leasing property at a nearby church - but unfortunately in bad weather. the employees would not park and walk two blocks in the rain, therefore, it was decided that we would try to get our parking facility and I person- ally feel ~+0 cars off the street will take the bite off the street parking. Mr. Hines:• Are-,your negotiations where parking is now allowed. in West University Place or Houston? Mr. Knight: yes, but it is limited, and we really want to get the cars off the streets. Mr. Hines: Will you have a varying number of workers indefinitely? Mr. Knight: We have brought in from other areas and other parts of the Country additional work forces. Nine Hundred and Thirty (930) people from outside Houston are here or on their way here by train, bus, plane and company vehicles. Some of these are only borrowed, temporarily and for the most part do not come in their own automo-. biles to this building. Most of them arrive at the building in company vehicles. Mr. Hines: At the time the addition was put on, it was my recollect- ion that there would be no appreciable increase of employees in the building and that in fact it would result in redirection of all forces. Mr. Knight: We have had a few move outside the building, but have had a traffic group that just vacated about 13 cars. We have had some migration but are cramped for space still. We have had an in- crease in personnel in the business office, but our work force is now at about the August, .1973 work level and I think we are stabi- lized. We are full - and I don't know where we would put anyone else. 1 ~] 1 t t~, Mr. Hines: Are you at your present equipment capacity, if not, would the addition of future equipment mean additional personnel? Mr. Knight: I cannot give an exact answer, but to the best of my knowledge with the installation of the sophisticated equpemnt, we have no plans to further expand the building. Mr. Weatherby: If application is accepted, do .you plan fencing or screening on the east side of the parking area: Mr. Knight: We ant to do what would make the area most attractive and since I am in complete control, I can tell my people what to_do and we will have screening and.. shrubs to beautify the parking lot. ~' Mr. Dahlin: What is the geographic boundaries of the MO-hawk exchange? ~ Mr. Knight: I don't know if I can answer that fully because of diver- gent areas, but we serve the West Central District which includes West V V University Place, Southside Place, Bellaire, Bellaire Blvd apartment complexes, south in some areas toward South Maid. Street and Missouri City. Mr. Dahlin: There is certainly room to grow.. What is the population count you serve? Mr. Knight: 'Wit3~~the~new eleetranic, switching equipments I feel we can serve and grow because of the condensed equipment... My personal opinion is that we have the capability to grow within. the confines of our own equipment now. We serve approximately 86,000 phones. One of the things that b thers me is that I know from early visits, we have had so many complaints. We .:have tried to purchase property to alleviate this problem, but we have not been successful. We went up and down the streets and tried to purchase property at least two blocks from our building. I was in favor of purchasing conti~u.ous property and for. your information one of the houses now located on the lots we purchased is vacant and the other will be vacated February 22nd. Mr. Hines: Do you kno~- who owns any of the balance of that block - any commercial interests? Mr. Knight: My information is second hand and rumors only. I do not. know personally that any of the homes are: under contract at the present time. According to the grapevine, it is possible. Mr. Hines: My information is of similiar nature. Mr. Knight: I think the additional lots will benefit the city and alle- viate our long standing problem. Mr. Hines: This particular area has been under consideration for zoning changes. We .held a Public Hearing in June last year and all property owners were notified, including the telephone company.- No telephone com- panv representative .:attended the meeting that we were aware of. One of the considerations was to allow use as parking, but this was not done by a request from the telephone company but action of the Zoning and Planning Commission. As I see it, this request almost puts us in the position of not making a reco~nendation to the City Commission because we rave had a :9 request for rezoning for an area being considered and included in the pending recommendation.. As I see it, if this application is ~+ccepted, we have to have another Public Hearing. Mr. Knight: Our minds did turn from consideration of this property to other properties, but I do know we .did have a need for parking now and in June of 1973. I way not aware that Public Hearing was being held for zoning c~"anges in this area. It i^ news to me. Mr. Hines outlined the procedure to be followed in making application for a zoning change - application to Zoning and Planning Commission who calls a Public Hearing and then make recommendation to the City. Commission who in turn calls Public Hearing and makes final decision. Mr. Knight stated he would do anything that was needed and that the Zoning and Planning Commission should feel free to call on him for whatever was needed concerning this request. Mr. Hines advised because of the time element involved with their pre- vious Public Hearing on the area in w~^ich the two lots in question are heated and the impending..recommendations from the Zoning and Planning Commission to the City Commi^sion concerning .zoning changes in this area and others of the city, it was the opinion of the Commission trat any further action should be delayed until the Zoning and Planning ,Commis- ion clariP~es with the City Attorney what procedural action should "-~e instigated at this time, and that, Mr. Knight would be notified. as Roon as this information was received as to the next step that should be taken by him representing the telephone company. Mr. Knight and Mr. Brinkman left the meeting at this time. Mrs. Bea Wright arpeared before the Commission for information as to whether or not the Zoning and Planning Commission plans any changes in zoning for Lot 18, Block 10, Virginia Court Addition. Mr. H-lnes advised Mrs. Wright that this lot was in an area which was in- cluded in a Public Hearing held May 29, 1873 and is under consideration for rezoning for townhouses, cluster houses, single-family residences, and business and professional office buildings. He further advised that the Zoning and Planning Commis^ion ~s working on a recommendation for this area and other areas of the city ..for rezoning changes but that it has not been formulated at this time. Mrs. Wright thanked the Commission and left the meeting. The following letter was presented to the Commiss~on_for di^cussionc CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED January 25, 197+ Zoning and Planning Commission City of west University 3800 University Boulevard Houston 77005 1 r I 1 2 1 !~ tD '~ V I,1 RE: Subdivision of Lot 2, Block ~+0 West University Place First Addition, 6636 Buffalo Speedway I hereby demand a certificate in accordance with Article 97~+(a), Section 3, V.A.T.S., and Article XXV (City Planning and Zoning) to the effect that I submitted an application to subdivide or plat the a~ove described prorertTr into two 50 x 150 foot lots on 3-23-73 and that the Zoning and Planning Commission did not act on said application until 5-1-73, and that the date of filing such application i4 deemed. approved by operation of law. Failing to provide such certificate immediately in recordable form shall neceGsitate my taking all available legal action to enforce my rights against the Board, .the City of West University, and the Board members indi- vidually. Sincerely, /s/ `Doy ~; Myers 3762 Dru~nond Housto°, Texas 77025 WDM:ac cc: CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUTSTED Mr. E. Gene Hines 37+8 Rice Houston, TexaG Mr. Roland Dahlin 3310 Sunset Houston, Texas Mr. 0. C. Bartholomew 3618 Corondo Court Houston, Texas Mr. W. Peter Lipscomb 362+ Plumb Houston, Texas Mr. H. Allen Weatherby 2808 Wroxton Houston, Texas Mr. Charles F. Cockrell Attorney at Law C,ulf Building Houston, Texas 77002 1 Mr. Whitt Johnson City Manager 3800 University Blvd. Houston, Texas 77005 98 The letter and copies were written.on the letterhead of Dearman, David and Wanzong, Attorneys at .Law, 1100 Cullen Center Bank Building, 600 Jefferson at Louisiana, Houston, Texas 77002. Mr. Hines advised he had contacted by telephone City Attornev Charle s F. Cockrell who told him he had talked ry telephnne to Mr. Myers' attorney and that Mr. Myers' attorney expresQed surprise ,the letters had been mailed - he had Gent it to Mr. Myers' for review rather thAn to re mailed.- Mr. Cockrell requested him orally to cite the authority to demand this certificate for relief. Mr. Myers' attorney said.he could not cite``t then, but that he would respond to the request. As of 2-11-7~+, Mr. Cockrell said re had not as yet received a response. Mr. Hines stated that he asked Mr. Cockrell to give the Zoning and Planning Commission,.- in writing, this information and his opinion as to action the Zoning and Planning .Commission should institute, and Mr. Cockrell suggested that the above informati^n be put in the minutes of the Zoning and Planning Commiss'on pending written information and that his advice to the Zoning and Planning Commission was to await the attor- ney's response to his request of ..the authority and that Mr. Cockrell. would render to the Zoning and Planning Commission an opinion of the proper course of action. Motion by Mr. Bartholomew, seconded by Mr. Lipscomb,. that the verbal request for information concerning questions relevant to the request of Mr. Doy D. Myers' request for certificate of failure to act within thirty (30) days be made in a letter to Mr. Cockrell and made a part of these minutes. Voting Aye: All Voting No: None The following is the letter drafted as per the above motion: February l~, 197+ Mr. Charles F. Cockrell, City Attorney City of West University Place 2+05 Gulf Building Houston, Texas. Dear Mr. Cockrell: The letter from Mr. Doy D. Myers, dated January 25, 197+, addressed to the Zoning and Planning Commission, City Manager and City Attorney, demanding a certificate of failure of the Zoning and Planning Commis- sion to act within thirty (30) days on his application fnr a subdivis- ion has raised several questions. Will you please furnish us your written opinion answering the follow- ing questionsY ~i7e~ 1. Whether the applicant. is entitled to a certificate as re- quested in his letter? 2. Whether by submitting a second application, the applicant was estopped from questioning the procedure of the first application? 3. What are the applicant's rights against .the Zoning and Planning Commission members individually? ~+. What is the liability of the City, Zoning and Planning Com- mission, Zoning and Planning Commission members individual- ~`'~ 13'? ~ 5. What action, if any, should be taken by the Zoning and Planning Commission at this time? U {,) yours very truly, ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION By E. Gene Hines, Chairman cc: Mayor Don E. uarris City Manager, Whitt Johnson The minutes of the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board on January 11+, 1971+, were presented to the Zoning and Planning Commission for their information. The minutes of the reg»lar meeting of the Zoning and Planning Commission ~ on January 8, 1971+, were presented for consideration and were approved with minor corrections. The Commission selected Monday, February l8, 1971+, and Tuesday, Febr»ary ~9, 1971+, for special "workshop" meetings at"the Citv Hall at 7:00 p.m. With no further business to come before the Commission at this time, upon motion duly made, seconded and carried the meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m. Chaa ~rnan ATTEST: Secretary