HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 1538 - public hearing / amend zoning / porches
ORDINANCE NO. 1538
AN ORDINANCE CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSAL TO
AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST
UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS RELATING TO PORCH PROJECTIONS;
PROVIDING FOR NOTICE, CONTAINING FlNDINGS AND
PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT, AND DECLARING AN
EMERGENCY.
WHEREAS, the Zoning and Planning Commission ("Z&PC") of the City of West
University Place, Texas ("City") has submitted a preliminary report on a proposal to amend the
comprehensive zoning ordinance of the City, as last reformatted and readopted by Ordinance No.
1493, adopted December 19, 1994 ("Zoning Ordinance"), which report is attached as Exhibit A
and made a part of this ordinance by reference; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to call a joint public hearing on such proposal;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS:
Section 1. The City Council hereby calls a joint public hearing before the City Council and
Z&PC on the proposal described in Exhibit A. The hearing shall be held in the Council Chamber
of the Municipal Building, 3800 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77005 during the City
Council meeting set to begin at 7:30 p.m. on November 11, 1996. The hearing may be r~cessed
and continued to the City Council meeting set to begin at 7:30 p.m. on November 25, 1996.
Section 2. The purpose for the hearing is to provide an opportunity for parties in interest
and citizens to be heard in relation to the proposal described in Exhibit A.
Section 3. The procedures for adoption of the proposal shall be as follows: (1) notice as
required by this ordinance, (2) hearing as called by this ordinance, (3) report by the Z&PC, and
(4) vote by the City Council on the question of adoption. The procedures for enforcing the
proposal shall be as set out in the existing Zoning Ordinance. The proposal described in Exhibit A
is hereby submitted and re-submitted to the Z&PC for its consideration.
Section 4. The City Council shall give notice of such hearing as prescribed by this section.
The notice shall be in substantially the form set out in Exhibit B, which is attached and made a
part of this ordinance by reference. The notice shall be published in the City's official newspaper
at least once on or before the fifteenth day preceding the date of the hearing. The notice shall also
be posted at five public places in the City, one of which must be the place used for posting notices
of City Council meetings. The notices shall be posted on or before the tenth day preceding the
date of the hearing. The City Council specifically approves giving combined notice of two or
more hearings in a single notice document, as this would save money and also provide better
information about the full scope of possible amendments to all interested persons.
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Section 5. The City staff is authorized to make all necessary arrangements for the hearing
and to assist the Zoning and Planning Commission and the City Council.
Section 2. If any word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, section or other part ofthis
ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall ever be held to be
invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this ordinance
and the application of such word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, section or other part of this
ordinance to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. All ordinances and
parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict only.
Section 7. The City Council officially finds, determines and declares that sufficient written
notice of the date, hour, place and subject of each meeting at which this ordinance was discussed,
considered or acted upon was given in the manner required by the Open Meetings Law, Chapter
551, Texas Government Code, as amended, and that such meeting has been open to the public as
required by law at all times during such discussion, consideration and action. The City Council
ratifies, approves and confirms such notices and the contents and posting thereof
Section 8. Because the proposal to amend the Zoning Ordinance is vitally important and
should be considered at the earliest possible date, a state of emergency is declared requiring that
this ordinance be read and adopted finally at this meeting. Accordingly, this ordinance shall be
adopted finally on first reading and shall become effective immediately upon adoption and
signature.
PASSED AND APPROVED on first reading, this ot;1~y of (Cl~~ , 19~
Voting Aye:
Voting Nay:
Absent:
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Biltw atson, Mayor
ATTEST:
(Seal)
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Reviewed:
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.,
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City Attorney
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Exhibit A
Zoning & Planning Commission
City of West University Place. Texas
3800 University Boulevard
Houston. Texas 77005
(9~ lY
, 19-1k
Honorable Mayor &
Members of the City Council
City of West University Place
3808 University Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77005
Subject:
Preliminary report on proposal to amend the zoning ordinance of the City
of West University Place, Texas ("City") relating to porch projections
To the Honorable Mayor & Members of City Council:
The Zoning & Planning Commission of the City submits this, its preliminary report, on the
subject proposal, for the assistance of the Council as well as other interested persons.
Scone of Pro no sa 1. The proposal would limit the volumetric size of porches allowed to
project into front yards and increase the allowed column widths. The exact wording is attached to
this report. The volumetric limit should help to prevent overcrowding and overloading the City's
infrastructure. It should also help to preserve light and air circulation. The column width increase
should allow greater design flexibility for porches.
Preliminarv Recommendation. Based on the limited review given this matter so far, and
subject to further review following public hearing, the Commission: (i) finds that the proposed
amendment, if adopted, would be in the public interest, (ii) makes a preliminary recommendation
favorable to the amendment, and (ill) recommends that the City Council call a joint public hearing
to consider this matter. The Commission invites all interested persons to participate in the joint
public hearing.
The Vote.
Commissioners
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Respectfully submitted:
ZONING AND PLANNING COMMI$SION OF THE
CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS
By: ZAn1)_ cfM
For the Cortunission
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AMENDMENT RELATING TO PORCHES
Amend Table 7-6 asfollows:
Table 7-6. Projections Schedule, page i
Projections Schedule
Type Of Structure
Buildings
And Attached
Structures
Items above ground level:
Eaves, cornices, roof
extension:;, "greenhouse" and
bay windows (no floor space),
window sills, cantilevered
building space, window
boxes, beh courses, window
air conditioners and siiniIar
llart.s of buildings.
Items at and above ground
level: Chimneys/fireplaces
(with cross-sectional areas of
8 square feet or less) and
similar parts of building<!.
Porcheslplatfonnsldecks
higher than 14 inches, and
similar structures attached to
a building.
Steps not higher than the first
floor level.
are allowed to "project" into
open and pervious areas
the "Open & Pervious f\reas"
Special Rules For
Calculating Open &
Pervious Areas
The area does not count as
open area.
The area does not COWlt as
either open or pervious
area.
The area does not COWlt as
either open or pervious
area. The area beneath a
deck may COWlt as pervious
area if rain is allowed to
pass through the deck.
The area does not COWlt as
either open or pervious
area.
GeneralRule: This schedule describes certain structures which
yards (or setbacks). It also provides special rules for calculating
affected by such structures. See the "Yards (or 'setbacks'" and
tables.
Maximum Allowed Projection (In Inches), Measured From
The Inside Ed~e Of The Yard
Front Yard
IS"
IS"
0, but see
Note 1.
120"
Side Yard
24" except that no
item below the
eave may be closer
1han 36" to the
SPL
12" except that no
item below the
eave may be closer
1han 36" to the
SPL
0
0
Rear
Yard
SF Buf..
feryard
IS"
IS"
IS"
IS"
o
o
o
o
Note 1. Porch In Front Yard. A porch may project up to 120 inches ifit meets all of the following criteria:
ill It is neither designed nor usable for motor vehicles; - - - --
(m The volume of the vroiecting Dart of the Dorch does not exceed 50 cubic feetper foot of front
street line (Examole: the maximum oroiectingvolume on_a 52~-foot wide site would be SO
cubic feet x 52.5. or 2.625 cubic feet).
ilill It The porch's outside perimeter is open and unobstructed M'Otlrl.d it3 entire f'eIimctcr,except
for the following features: (a) Ordinary window screens. (b) The pm-hO.ll. of thG perimeta
3hmg OI bchirtd thG ifflnt sctbac;k Jin~ ooctlpicd 0, 1:hG Ie..aain<k.l ofthcbtti:lding to "bieh it io!
attaGhed. eel Sttpportmg .crti-Gal oolt1!im3 .if cithcr oflhG follo~ing t\.o eiretm'1314nee3 i3
ptGSe-nt. lht; total (i) the tood width oflk ootGr flleG3 ",fthe ooltlm!'l3 i31l.vt g..Gllt"l thc!l:n ten.
percent ofthG pore-h's opel!. paimclcr OI eii) thcrG 3rG lI.t) more thm h.o oolttrrm8 in the
projectin:g part of the porch, Mld ndt:hcr OOhl:mfl is more 1hml 12 taGhG3 t:bkk, .ll.lGl13t1t'Gdl.tl: its
thic.kGst point 1tbthG J.5 fed abMG the porch flool ll11d along its grG3tGst diameter (l,hieh
~d.SG dill~llHy ~~ Gll3Gof a rechmgtl:lllt" oohmm.). (d) A solid or partlally open safety
rail not higher than 3.5 feet above the porch floor. (c) SuppOrtlng vertical columns if the total
width of the outer faces of the columns does not exceed either ""'5U"/o ot the outsl<le peffiiietei'Of
the vorch or 25% of th;-theoretical outside perimeter ofii'iii"'aXiillum-SiZeapoFCh. 1 he Wldtll
of a colmnn is measured at its thickest noint above 33'feet above the porch floor, . the
"maximum-sized vorch" is 120-inches deep and extends from one side'Yird lme to the other.
but it is limited bv~eonen area requirement for the front Xard The "ffiitSi&pennl'eier"Of' a
Dorch is the vortion of the verimeter out in the frontyafa: It does nof"iiiCliiOe the portion or the
Derimeter adjacent to_a building or lvingalong; the frOiit setOiiCk Me.
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EXHIBIT ..A...
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Exhibit B
NOTICE OF ZONING HEARINGS
The Zoning & Planning Commission and the City Council of the City of West University Place,
Texas ("City") will hold joint public hearings in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Building,
3800 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77005 during the City Council meeting set to begin
at 7:30 p.m. on November 11, 1996. Each hearing may be recessed and continued to the City
Council meeting set to begin at 7:30 p.m. on November 25, 1996, at the same place. The purpose
for the hearings is to provide an opportunity for parties in interest and citizens to be heard in
relation to proposals to amend the City's Zoning Ordinance, as follows:
1. Porch Proposal. Limit the volumetric size of porches allowed to project into front yards
and increase the allowed column widths.
2. "Framed Area" Restriction. Restrict the "framed area" of buildings on each site in the
SF-I, SF-2 or SF-3 District to 90% of the size of the site. For example, the maxnnum
"framed area" of buildings on a typical 50 x 100-square-foot site would be 4,500 square
feet. The "framed area" is rougWy the square footage of buildings, on all floor levels.
3. Townhouse Design. This proposal would apply in the TH District and the townhouse
Planned Development Districts (pDD- THI through PDD- TH7)[It would: (a) increase the ---.
maximum number of stories from 2 ~ to 3 ; (b) allow upper parts of buildings (above eight
feet) to project into front yards or setback areas, if the projecting parts are cantilevered (or
suspended); and (c) allow fences up to seven feet high in front yards.
Additional details on the proposals as well as the Zoning Ordinance are all available for public
inspection in the Municipal Building, 3800 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77005. The
proposed amendments would be generally applicable within the City, and any person interested in
such matters should attend the hearings. Each proposal may be adopted only after notice and
hearing, and it would control over any inconsistent provision in the current Zoning Ordinance.
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