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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2-16-09 PC MinutesMINUTES REGULAR MEETING AND JOINT PUBLIC HEARINGS PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL City Council Chambers February 16, 2009 A Regular Meeting and Joint Public Hearings of the Planning Commission and City Council were held on February 16, 2009 with the following members present: Commission members present: Vice Chairman Patrick Gibbs Commissioner Glenn Bodwin Commissioner Sina Nejad Commissioner Marty Craig Commissioner Ted Moor Commissioner Chris Reed Commissioner Randall Collins Commissioner Eddie Senigaur Commission members absent: Chairman Lynda Kay Makin Commissioner Walter Kyles Commissioner Greg Dykeman Commissioner Steven Johnson Councilmembers present: Mayor Becky Ames Mayor Pro-Tem Audwin Samuel Councilmember-at-Large W. L. Pate Councilmember Alan Coleman Councilmember Nancy Beaulieu Councilmembers absent: Councilmember-at-Large Gethrel Williams -Wright Councilmember Jamie Smith Also present: Stephen Richardson, Planning Manager; Jill Cole, Recording Secretary; Adina Ward, Planner; Chris Boone, Community Development Director; Joe Sanders, First Assistant City Attorney; Danny Daniels, Interim Building Official; Kyle Hayes, City Manager APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES i Commissioner Craig made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting and Joint Public Hearings held January 26, 2009. Commissioner Senigaur seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. Planning Commission February 16, 2009 REGULAR MEETING 1) Preliminary Plat - Willow Creek Parkway Right -of -Way: Consider the Preliminary Plat of Willow Creek Parkway Right -of -Way; 4.249 acres out of the S. Stivers League, Ab. 51. Applicant: Fittz and Shipman, Inc. Mr. Richardson announced that the Preliminary Plat of Willow Creek Parkway Right -of -Way was deferred. ROLL CALL JOINT PUBLIC HEARINGS Mayor Ames called the Joint Public Hearings of February 16, 2009 to order and explained the purpose of the joint hearing process and then turned the meeting over to Vice -Chairman Gibbs. He explained the policies and procedures for the hearing process. 1) File 1975-Z: Request for a zone change from RS (Residential Single Family Dwelling) District to GC-MD-2 (General Commercial -Multiple Family Dwelling-2) District. Location: 5050 Eastex Freeway Applicant: Kerry Moncla Mr. Richardson presented the staff report. Northwood Christian Church owns the subject property. Of the 6.4 acres, the church would like to sell 3 acres and keep the remaining 3.4 acres for its current church operations. The church feels that the property, under its current zoning classification, would not be developable. Due to the property's freeway location, single family residential is not the highest and best use of the property. The City's Comprehensive Plan designates the subject property as an Activity Corridor. As such, commercial uses are recommended. GC-MD-2 zoning would require that any use that is proposed for the subject property would require that a specific use permit be approved by City Council. Mr. Richardson recommended approval of the zone change. Twenty-four notices were mailed to property owners within 200 feet. One response in favor and none in opposition were returned. Slides of the subject property were shown. 2 Planning Commission February 16, 2009 Vice -Chairman Gibbs opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant's comments. George Flower, 10040 Jacob Court, addressed the Commission on behalf of the church. Vice -Chairman Gibbs asked for comments in favor or in opposition. Harry Bankston addressed the Commission on behalf of Treadway Road residents. Vice -Chairman Gibbs closed the public hearing. Commissioner Senigaur made a motion to approve a zone change from RS (Residential Single Family Dwelling) District to GC-MD-2 (General Commercial - Multiple Family Dwelling-2) District at 5050 Eastex Freeway as requested in File 1975-Z. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. 2) File 1976-P: Request for an amended specific use permit to allow a drinking place in the CBD (Central Business District). Location: 493 Pearl Street Applicant: Joey Crawford Mr. Richardson presented the staff report. This item is a request for an amended specific use permit to allow a drinking place in the CBD. The property is located at 493 Pearl, In October, 2007, Joey and Tanya Crawford received a specific use permit for a coffee house. For the last 11 months, the Barking Dog Coffee Lounge has operated at this location. The Crawfords would now like to add the sale of beer and wine to the menu. With the sale of beer and wine, the coffee shop is broadening its customer base which will, in turn, broaden the appeal of downtown as an entertainment destination. Mr. Richardson recommended approval of the request. Nine notices were mailed to property owners within 200 feet. No responses in favor or in opposition were returned. Slides of the subject property were shown. Vice -Chairman Gibbs opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant's comments. Joey Crawford, the applicant, addressed the Commission. Planning Commission February 16, 2009 Vice -Chairman Gibbs asked for comments in favor or in opposition. No comments were made. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Reed made a motion to approve an amended specific use permit to allow a drinking place in the CBD (Central Business District) at 493 Pearl Street as requested in File 1976-P. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. 3) File 1978-Z: Request for a zone change from GC -MD (General Commercial - Multiple Family Dwelling) District, LI (Light Industrial) and HI (Heavy Industrial) District to CBD (Central Business District) and from LI (Light Industrial) District to RCR (Residential Conservation and Revitalization) District. Location: 1076-1460 Calder,1045-1475 Broadway,1054-1428 Liberty,1065-1438 Laurel, 1168-1358 South, 798-1060 Bonham, 500-1000 Blocks of Crockett, 500 - 1000 Blocks of Fannin, 500 -1000 Blocks of Bowie, 1000 Block of Forsythe, 967- 978 Wall, 702-995 College, 100-500 Blocks of Forrest, 105-500 Blocks of Center, 100-500 Blocks of Ewing, 100-500 Blocks of Oakland, 100 - 500 Blocks of M. L. King Parkway, 700-900 Blocks of Holmes, 300-600 Blocks & 800-900 Blocks of Archie, 300-600 Blocks and 800-900 Blocks of Jefferson, 500 - 600 Blocks & 800- 900 Blocks of Trinity, 200-300 Blocks & 500 Block of Neches, 200-400 Blocks of Elizabeth, 300-400 Blocks of Pine, 200-300 Blocks ofTevis, 400 Block of Walnut, 100-400 Blocks of Cypress, 700-800 Blocks of Main. Applicant: City of Beaumont Mr. Richardson presented the staff report. This item is a request for a zone change from GC -MD, LI and HI to CBD and from LI to RCR. The 160+ acres are west of downtown and located just north of Calder to MLK on the west and to Gilbert on the south. Due to ongoing private and public investment, Downtown Beaumont is continuing its revitalization. As the City continues to reinvest in Downtown, the need to protect current and future investments has increased. One important way to help protect current investments and to attract new interest is to provide enhanced control of land use. More than $l00 million in private and public money has been invested in Downtown Beaumont over the past 15 years. Also, the City is in the process of building its new Downtown Event Center and Park. In order to protect these investments and provide a level of security of investment for future developers, enhanced land use controls are needed. Currently, large parts of Downtown Beaumont are zoned for heavy and light industrial uses. These zoning categories permit such uses as mobile home dealerships, paper and steel mills and chemical plants, some without any requirement for approval by the Planning Commission and City Council. While these uses are certainly needed in our community, locating them in our revitalizing downtown may not be for the best. Also, while solve of these uses are currently in our downtown, their location on the periphery and their limited numbers make them somewhat compatible to current levels of 4 Planning Commission February 16, 2009 redevelopment. However, limiting future uses to the core of downtown and closer to the new park, allows for future redevelopment that would be better suited to a revitalized Downtown Beaumont. To this end, Planning staff recommends expanding the CBD zoning as illustrated on the downtown rezoning map. In addition, there is one lot in Block 11, Beaumont Addition, that is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont. The entire block is the site of a new chancery being built by the church. Lot 5 is zoned LI while the rest of the lot is zoned RCR. 458 notices were mailed to property owners of the subject property and within 200 feet. Responses from three individual property owners in favor and three in opposition were returned. Chris Boone, Community Development Director, addressed the Commission. Slides of the downtown area were shown. Vice -Chairman Gibbs opened the public hearing and asked for continents in favor or in opposition. Boyd Wells of Wells Peyton Law Firm addressed the Commission on behalf of Eastham Forge. Jimmy Ortego addressed the Commission. Mr. Ortego owns the Jack's Tire Company property on College Street. Tom Adams addressed the Commission. Mr. Adams owns the former Sears warehouse on Laurel. Helen Thomas, 610 Madison, addressed the Commission. Ms. Thomas owns properties on Jefferson, Wall and Trinity Streets and requested that they be included in the rezoning. Mike Vaughn addressed the Commission. Mr. Vaughn owns Beaumont Bolt and Gasket, located at 1060 Fannin Street. Alfonso Estrada addressed the Commission. Mr. Estrada owns the property at 1308 South Street. Jake Plaia addressed the Commission. Mr. Plaia owns the property at 1134 Laurel. Eddie Bates, C & I Oil Company, addressed the Commission. Mike Matthews addressed the Commission. Mr. Matthews owns the property at 400 Neches. Planning Commission I Y February 16, 2009 Vaughn Ayres addressed the Commission. Mr. Ayres owns property at Archie and College Street. Discussion followed between the Commission, Council and staff. Vice -Chairman Gibbs closed the public hearing. Commissioner Nejad made a motion to approve a zone change from GC -MD (General Commercial -Multiple Family Dwelling) District, LI (Light Industrial) District and HI (Heavy Industrial) District to CBD (Central Business District) and from LI (Light Industrial) District to RCR (Residential Conservation and Revitalization) District, subject to waiving the application cost for specific use permits over the next two years for the current property owners within the boundaries of the subject property. Commissioner Reed seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. 4) File 743-OB: Request for amendments to Chapter 30, City of Beaumont Zoning Ordinance, to regulate allowable building types within the City of Beaumont. Applicant: City of Beaumont Planning Division Chris Boone addressed the Commission and Council City staff proposes to create a new Sec. 30-35.1 that would prohibit accessory buildings in the absence of a main building. In addition, this section would require that all main buildings must be located on a permanent foundation, as defined by the Chief Building Official of the City of Beaumont. Mr. Richardson recommended approval of the amendments. Discussion followed between the Commission and staff. Danny Daniels, Interim Building Official, answered questions. Vice -Chairman Gibbs opened the public hearing and asked for comments in favor or in opposition. No comments were made. The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Senigaur made a motion to approve amendments to Chapter 30, City of Beaumont Zoning Ordinance, toregulate allowable building types within the City of Beaumont as requested in File 743-OB. Commissioner Collins seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. OTHER BUSINESS THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 5:05 P. M. C