Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay. So, it's 5:30 and I'll go ahead and call the planning commission meeting to order for May 13, 2026. Miss Martinez, could you please call RO? We have uh Madam Chair Salisar Garza here. Uh Vice Chairman Munoz is absent at the moment. Um Commissioner Miller will be absent. Commissioner Hedrickk here, Commissioner Bud here, Commissioner Canu here, Commissioner Tykeleman is absent, Commissioner Sparza here, and Commissioner Jackson here. We have a quorum present to conduct the meeting. Thank you. And uh could you uh read us the rules for public comment, please?

Yes, ma'am. Citizens will be allowed to attend and make public comments in person at the city planning commission meetings. The public is invited to speak on any agenda item and any other item that pertains to the planning commission. Comments are limited to 3 minutes if you choose to speak during this period. You will not be allowed to speak again when the specified item is being considered in order of the agenda. Thank you. So, at this time, I'll go ahead and open up the public comment and ask anyone if they'd like to come and speak on anything under on anything other than tonight's agenda. If not, then I'll go ahead and close a public comment and move on to the approval of absences for Vice Chairman Munoz. Miss Cynthia, can you just pull your mic down? They can't hear you on the bracket.

Sorry. Um, moving on to the approval of absences for Vice Chairman Munoz. I'll move that we approve the absences of uh, Commissioner Vice Chairman Munoz for the previous meeting. Second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. Motion passes. Moving on to the approval of minutes for April 29, 2026. I'll make a motion we approve the minutes from April 29, 2026. Second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no.

Motion passes. Moving on to the consent public hearing discussion and possible actions for items A and B.

Thank you, Madam Chair. For the record, Andrew Deeus with Development Services. Reading in tonight's consent agenda, which begins with letter A plats, item number two, a replat of Lamar Park 6, lot 9A, block 20. And item number three, a replat of country estate subdivision number two, lots 23A, 23B, 24A, 24B, block 2. Staff and the technical review committee have reviewed the two plats, determined they are in compliance with the Texas Local Government Code as well as the Unified Development Code, and have recommended approval. item or I should say letter B under zoning which is item number four zoning case ZN8979 Gulf Shores joint venture located in district 4. The property is located at 14902 St. Bartholomew Avenue. The request is from the CR2 resort commercial district with the island overlay to the CR2 IOP which stands for resort commercial district with the island overlay and a planned unit development. Staff recommends approval. That concludes tonight's agenda and be happy to address any questions.

Thank you, Andrew. Uh, commissioners, do we have any questions for staff on items two, three, and four? So, I have a question on number three. So, this is getting replatted and it says the plan is to develop two family homes and town houses. Um, now that zoning right now is RSTF and now for that you have to have a minimum square footage lot size of 6,000 square feet, but it looks like those lots are all under 6,000 square ft. So, are they going to have to reszone this property or or what's the plan with that?

So, the project is currently being reszoned. It was heard by council on first reading yesterday and received an approval recommendation. Uh, hopefully on second reading it will be approved as well. The catch with the RSTF district in the UDC, it states you can either do one whole lot of 6,000 square feet or you can do two halves. So long as the site is 6,000, each half of the house can sit on a 3,000 ft lot. So those individual slivers were all like 5700 square ft. Correct. So they they will have to share a common wall to meet the requirement of either being a townhouse or if they want to do individual duplexes.

Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. Okay. Any other questions for staff on items two, three, and four? I had a question on the zoning. Um, you went over it earlier, but I just wanted everybody to Sure. Not a problem. Okay. So, um what is the reason that they want a PUD being the fact that the other areas are just the CR two uh island overlay?

Correct. So, the the main things when it comes to a PUD is you're asking for and I'm sure I've said this story many times to the commission, but uh PUDS are the purpose of creating your own independent mini zoning ordinance for a specific site. in this case and you're going to outline how you wish to deviate from the UDC and list those specific deviations on this specific property. Uh they're asking flexibility to allow multiple housing types within specific blocks. Uh two is to allow single family homes which is currently not allowed in the CR2 district. Uh third also some flexibility on uh the number of lot sizes. So 4500 versus 6,000. And then lastly, uh some adjustments of the roadway widths to allow some alleys and to allow reduced roadways, which are very common among past puds where we've seen them go as small as 22 ft wide. Of course, they still have to pass fire and traffic engineering as well as solid waste to make sure services can be provided, which they did uh go through that review with the technical review committee and received all thumbs up. So the PUD is basically because of the um single family home that they want to

that is the primary issue but it also allows mixed developments. It allows uh those other reductions that are being requested and these single family homes um I think I heard you say earlier um was the like the RS4.5 it would mirror the RS4.5 district. Correct.

So they won't be any smaller than that or he's allowed to make them smaller. the minimum if a single family use and this is where it's important because you may have cottages, you may have single family homes and then town homes. The single family home is what's being reduced to 4500. Uh the district already allows condos, apartments, town houses that can go smaller. So just on the previous plat where we talk about halves and we talk about more of the poster stamp lots, the CR2 district allows that. But if I want to have a traditional single family home lot, one, the district doesn't allow it, and two, even if it did, it would be at larger 6,000 square feet. So that is why they're requesting the addition of the use one and the reduction to 4500, which mirrors the 4.5 district.

Okay. Andrew, can you refresh us on the time frame for special permits and what needs to be done to keep the special permit alive? So separately u so in this case a pud has a can be between a 12 and 24month time frame uh as a plan development special permits which are another type of zoning tool in our toolbox. The code limits them to 12 months but they can be extended as part of an ordinance. Uh only on special permits do you have to pull a building permit within 12 months to keep it you know so to speak alive is what we like to call it. So, we're confident this developer is going to fulfill that.

Well, he's asking for a PUD, so that's a little bit different. It still has a time frame of you have to get started. You have to go through the platting process. The reason PUDs are a little bit easier to keep alive, you know, so to speak, is because you're still going through the platting process, you're installing public improvements. Those things keep the ball rolling and moving forward. You would almost have to have zero progress. So, think of a plat where they ask for time extensions. If you have zero progress on your public improvements, there has been no forward initiative to develop the site. Right. So, at least if they get started with on-site infrastructure, things like that. Obviously, it's all that keeps the stay alive. Yes, sir.

So, so you're saying though this developer plans to do that themselves as opposed to just getting the zoning and trying to flip it to someone else? I haven't heard anything of flipping, but the they're very excited and uh like every other developer, they're ready to break ground yesterday. So, we're doing the best we can to to keep them on expedited path. I know they're in the audience if you want to address any specific questions to them uh during the public comment phase. Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. I got one more question. So, I'm just noticing here real quick on the master preliminary plat. Um, could you bring it up? Sure.

Sure. It It's the only PowerPoint if I can. It can pull it up, please. And it'll be slide, let's see, one, it'll be slide five. It's because some of this is so small and tiny. Thank you. You know. Yes, ma'am. And I was just wanting to know. Okay. So, since he's got this um how many entryways does he have and exits?

So, by code, and this is where it gets into how other codes aside from the unified development code. So in in our world of development services, we're not only contending with the UDC at the land use development level. Uh when it gets to building, we have to contend with fire, we have to contend with uh your international residential code, mechanical, electrical, and so forth. The fire code requires that when you cross 50 units, you must provide at least two points of access. In this case, the development is actually providing three.

Oh, okay. Well, that's good because I always I believe a lot in the safety and the safety to me is making sure that there's entrances and exits so that the ambulances and uh fire trucks can get in and out. Something that they don't have to come in and do a turnaround which is hard for the big um fire trucks. Okay. Any other questions? No. Then um I'll go ahead and uh open up the public comment for items two, three, and four if anybody would like to come and speak on these items. No. Okay. And I'll go ahead and close a public comment and entertain a motion.

I move that we approve items 2, three, and four as presented by staff. Second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. Motion passes. Moving on to director's report. Uh, luckily no report tonight. Great. Okay. So, no future agenda items as well? No. All right. Meeting adjourned. Thank you.