Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Very well, it is 5.30 p.m. on the official clock. We will therefore start the meeting. Amal Martinez, can you make the call?

President Munoz, Commissioner Hedrick.

Present.

Vice-President Hedrick, sorry. Commissioner Bud, Commissioner Cantu.

Present.

Commissioner Tickenman is absent. Commissioner Esperza.

Present.

Commissioner Jackson.

Present.

Commissioner Cervantes and Commissioner Garcia. We have the quorum required to conduct this meeting.

Perfect, thank you. Can you read the rules concerning the comments of the public?

Citizens are allowed to attend and make comments in person during the meeting of the Commission of Urbanism. The public is invited to express themselves on any point of the agenda and any other subject related to the plan. Interventions are limited to three minutes. If you choose to speak during this period, you will no longer be able to resume speaking when the specific point will be examined in the agenda.

Perfect, thank you. Is there anyone here who wants to make a public comment on a subject that is not in the agenda? No one. I therefore close the comments of the public and I receive a motion for the approval of the absences. I propose. Second. A proposal and a support. All those who are for. For. Oppositions. The motion is adopted. Very well, can we now have a motion for the approval of the September 2, 2026 verbal trial? I propose. We have a motion. Do we have a support? A motion and an approval. All those in favour? Aye. Opposition? No. The motion is adopted. Very good. Let's move on to the discussion on the public audience and on the points that are likely to be the subject of a vote for point A. M of the motion.

Good evening, Mr. Commissioner. Selena Botello, Development Services. Thank you. As always, thank you for your service. In the plans of point A, we have the PL 928. This is a shot of the Joupporte-Erse, lot 5R and 6R, ILO 8, 0VUX, Q1, Accre, located in district 2.3. We have the PL 9-9-10. This is a shot of the Cove, Alago-Vista, unit 3C, lot 20R and 22R, ILO 11, 1-92, Accre, in district 5. These plans have responded to all comments from the TRC and to the requirements of the Code of the Local Government of Texas and the Unified Development Code. Staff recommends approval.

Perfect. Thank you. Are there any questions or comments from the Commission?

Yes, I had a question on point number 2. Is this new porter's lot, is it the car zone? Who was there, as well as the field, right next to it? I just wanted to identify the exact location of the property.

It's in the middle of the house.

So it's right next to the Taco Bell, where there was the car zone, but is the field vague? These are the vacant fields, yes sir.

I don't know what they're going to build there. I don't know if we already know or not. Will there be an important flow of traffic towards this area? Let me wait for me to open the comments from the audience. I'm just trying to get some precision on the place, because I know where it is. Several shops are closed intermittently. Some have been demolished, others are still open, and so on. But I was curious about the flow of traffic. Will it be a shop? Will it be the case? Because right in front of the street, or behind, it's a residential area. So I'm just worried about what we know about the future development. We are an industrial bakery. We will wait for the comments from the public.

Yes, we will give you time to come here.

Mina Trinidad is on her way, she is the urbanist.

In fact, generally, we don't go into this detail on the project. They don't have to tell us what it is, even if sometimes we know it in advance.

For example, I think that's what I'm trying to find out. So currently, it's a CG2 area, so it will be a commercial activity. I think it's a type of coffee.

So it will rather be a coffee, nothing that necessarily leads to very important traffic.

For the moment, no. And it was just on their travel form at 2 o'clock.

It depends on what you define as traffic.

Well, I suppose that this brush generates a lot of traffic.

Very good.

And that's why we're here. So we take the two fields next to each other to combine them into one exact.

Andrew, would you like to make some clarifications when we address detailed questions like this one, not at the planning stage, but at a certain stage?

Thus, between the loting and the zoning, at the stage of the loting, we only deal with the subdivision of the property, whether it is divided or grouped. In this specific case, you have combined land. Sometimes it reveals to us what the activity could be considered. They are not obliged. Likewise for zoning, we sometimes see just a passage from zone X to zone Y and we have to anticipate a range of use. It is useful when they reveal it to us during the zoning phase because it gives an approximate idea. Do they need general trade or proximity trade, multifamily or office? This is where it is preferable for them to reveal it. In the current world, there are sometimes confidentiality agreements, and they don't want to disclose everything yet because if the sale is ongoing, they fear that someone will intervene to increase the price or blow their property. So it's not that they don't want to share the information, they have legal reasons for which they choose to wait.

So, a question, you said you could, if you knew, broadcast it to us or not? Would it be broadcast in our information or not? Broadcasting is not required.

So, if the staff were aware, it does not mean that we would know. It even happens that during preliminary assistance meetings, we had to sign agreements of non-divulgation as staff, because they ask questions to the city to obtain an honest return in good faith, but we are not free to broadcast, and this would not be required for loading or zoning.

Mais au niveau de la plateforme de planification, ce n'est pas vraiment exigé par la loi de l'État. Exactement, ce n'est pas une obligation. C'est utile, mais pas requis. Quelqu'un d'autre a-t-il des questions ou des commentaires ? Bien, n'en voyant aucun, j'ouvre maintenant le temps de parole au public. Toute personne ayant des commentaires, vous souhaitez en s'exprimer ? Vous êtes invité à s'avancer maintenant. Donnez simplement votre nom et indiquez quel point vous souhaitez aborder.

From York Engineering, this concerns the remodeling of Portal Editions. So if you have any questions, I hope to be able to answer them.

All you wanted to thank the city, it's basically that my main concern was traffic, whatever the trade that will be installed, but apparently we don't know what it is, but...

It's a coffee project.

So I agree with that.

Thank you. Does anyone else in the audience want to intervene on a point? No one. I close the comments of the public and I ask for a motion. I propose to approve points 2 and 3.

Press.

We have a proposal and 3 presses. Who is for? For. Someone is convinced. The motion is 2. Let's move on to point number 4. Public audience, discussion and action possible. For point B, zoning file.

Good evening, Commissioner. Once again, for the contribution to the ANABO India Development Services, if we could display the thank you with the presentation. The zoning file submitted to you is the ZN-NN-A401 Texan Store Properties LLC. It is located at 2060 Toloso Road. The applicant requests, it will seem strange, but to go from O.N. district office with special permit, with special permit, with special permit, Some of you who have already sat in this council will remember that this is an existing SP with various conditions. At this stage, the only thing that the applicant wants to modify is the height of the panel. So no use of the existing ground approved, I believe, in 2022 has changed. For the public notification, 16 opinions were sent by mail as required by the State. Zero in favor and zero in opposition. Once again, the conditions of the special permit do not change in relation to what was previously authorized. We simply amend, as you can see in blue highlighted. They are looking for a larger panel, a larger panel surface and a higher height. and a mass plan. It's a bit difficult to see on PowerPoint, but it's so that you can have an aerial view. And on the next slide, the staff prepared a comparison so that you can see the different existing scales, including next to a cellular tower, and what the Texan is asking for. Although the demand is inconsistent with the global plan, it is consistent with the future use of SOL. It is not compatible with the current zoning and use according to proximity, nor with the character of the neighborhood. Thus, the staff recommends a refusal for the benefit of approval of an alternative OSP, which appears on the following slide. Il s'agit d'un panneau d'une hauteur maximale de 65 pieds et d'une surface de 650 pieds carrés. Le personnel recommande l'alternative et reste à votre disposition pour toute question.

Donc nous installons un relais routier juste à côté d'un quartier. Cela a déjà été établi. Le zonage a donc déjà été établi. C'est déjà quelque chose dont nous discutons.

Yes, the zoning has been presented to this commission a few years ago. Oh, okay. So it's already zoning for this use.

The only thing that asks is an increase. Well, that. It was an in-depth discussion at the time of the initial date. Initial.

Just to give you a little context, this is where the crumbly details are. During the initial zoning, it was an old school site. The school was demolished.

Perfect.

L'un des inconvénients d'avoir cette rangée de maisons en face et que le promoteur a dû réaliser ce qu'on appelle une analyse d'impact sur la circulation. C'est une façon élégante de demander si le trafic, tout comme pour le café, sera si important à ce relais routier que nous devrons modifier la rue elle-même. So, in the context of this initial zoning and the plan, they have to enlarge a part of Toulouse Road to create a central road. Thus, you will not have a plug on both sides and will allow traffic to cross. In addition, they had to enlarge the entrances so that there is an entrance and an exit. You will not have 18 wheels trying to go down then turn around in the property. They have to enter by the first and they can only exit to return to the highway. Of course, the most difficult part is to have it respected.

But, as it was written, the initial special permit aimed to divert all traffic towards the 37 if it was an industrial vehicle or an 18.

The agreement we reached at the time concerning the signage was that we understood that it was close to the highway, but not adjacent, but not adjacent. So, on one of the slides that you presented, it shows a table that, at the very bottom of this slide on your screen, is an extract of the UDC itself. You therefore have single tenants and multiple tenants. A single tenant is like a Walgreens, a multiple tenant is a commercial center of three businesses. Multiple tenants are intrinsically authorized to have larger loans. Single tenants, of course, since you only advertise for a single company, you have the right to a smaller number of loans. When the Toloso project was presented for the airport, which is the other site we discussed, we had exchanges to say, we recognize that you are not only like a butcher, you are not only a service station, you are not only a service station, you are not only a bakery, you are not only a bakery, you are not only a business. You are really four or five small independent companies under the aegis of The Texan. It is with this understanding that we have granted them the multi-local authorization. This gives them their biggest stage. The X is that you do not obtain the maximum height above 65 feet. And to give 65 feet in this case would essentially mean that we treat you as if you were just on the edge of the highway. I can't give you 90 feet. I can give you the surface of 650 square feet. I'm happy to do it, just like we did for the other site. I'm happy to give you the maximum height allowed by the IDC, or 65 feet.

But go beyond, that's where we have questions. So the global principle is that we are discussing signage, not... Purely signage.

The reason why this could not go before the adjustment council, which is generally the body dealing with derogations, and that when a property is the object of a project having received specific conditions, via a special permit, it must go through the planning commission and the council, because it was a directive of the council. Because it was a directive of the council. It was a change of... If it was only a question of teaching without a special permit on the site, you would go to the adjustment council. However, that being said, it is the history of the property. We recommend accepting the 650, no problem with that, but we ask you to remain consistent with what the UDC authorizes for the properties on the roadside. So if they built it on critical length, they would get 65 feet.

Of the signs or companies authorized to go up to 90 feet.

That's why I have this kind of comparison. So what exists? The closest I could find is a McDonald's built, I believe, in 1986, which is practically, according to what I could estimate, about 100 feet. Violet Leopard. And it's about as high as you can go. So I understand that there is limited visibility when you arrive on the highway and because of the change in elevation, giving them the initial push at 65 feet aimed at helping them. So the Wattaburger around here, that we can see from the highway, are 20 meters high. It proves that it can be useful for advertising. One thing that worries us, as for any zoning decision, is that once we open the door to a project, someone else will come to see it. If you have allowed this group to have a bigger building, you create winners and losers by refusing me the same thing. As staff, we just have to remain impartial, without passion or prejudice. The UDC allows it, that's what we support.

Did the owner provide evidence or a study indicating that 20 meters were not enough?

J'ai vu des photos préliminaires, mais ce n'était pas un dossier officiel soumis. C'était juste un point de discussion avec des mesures depuis l'autoroute pour montrer la visibilité, mais ce n'était pas un plan d'ingénieur, pour ainsi dire.

Et Andrew ?

Quand le permis spécial ou l'exception spéciale a été accordé, il savait que 20 mètres était le maximum. C'est bien ça ?

Are there any other comments or questions?

I'm glad we're talking about it, but section 1, it's written, unless I'm wrong.

L'osso road elementary, as indicated in the annex, has a special permit on the office block with a special permit for the... It's exactly the same formulation. Why? I'm confused. Nous avons repris le même libellé pour indiquer le passage de tel point à tel point, mais c'est strictement identique. C'est exactement le même libellé. Techniquement, c'est une modification d'un permis spécial existant, mais selon la loi. Il faut mentionner l'état initial et final. Dans ce cas, vous partez du même endroit pour arriver au même endroit. Vous ne modifiez que le texte. Par le passé, nous avons ajouté des précisions. Ce serait peut-être bien pour l'avenir de dire l'intention est de modifier le texte du permis, pas d'accorder un nouveau sonnage. But to modify this text, we essentially give a new zoning, and this is where we enter the legal meanders. And the other question I wanted to ask you, is there an elevation on the property they develop that would show it? Because we compared it to McDonald's, and McDonald's is located a little higher, if I understand the elevation well. So are they all flat or are they all flat?

It's flat all the way to the highway, and Flint and the Resources have the property between the two. They bought that, I don't know. What is it? 20 years ago, they demolished a neighborhood that was there. To be honest, I think the city uses it to train garbage trucks to pick up bags. So, which is a wonder of street, of neighborhood. I prefer that they train there rather than in my street.

I agree with you. I, to be honest with you, I have no problem giving them a derogation for the 90 feet. If that's the case, because at the end of the day, it's about trade, it's about economic and economic development. But no. If they don't get it, does that mean it's going to hinder the project? Do we know that?

I haven't seen a company yet. I know there's a saying that says that a company without teaching is the sign of a lack of activity, but I haven't seen a project fail because of a teaching.

There is literally nothing between the property in question and the bus. I mean, it's a free field. C'était l'ancien lycée TM à l'époque, puis ils l'ont transformé en école primaire TM, et depuis, cela a été acheté par Flint Hills et Des Moly, et juste au sud, il y a un poste de police.

Oui, je suis d'accord. Je suis passé devant le site aujourd'hui, et il y a littéralement, j'ai cherché des obstructions, j'ai cherché des arbres, des bâtiments, des maisons, et c'est littéralement une voie dégagée depuis l'autoroute. Alors pourquoi ne pas approuver leur... Est-ce que le prochain gars peut venir et vouloir une autre enseigne de 90 pieds ?

Mais c'est pour ça que nous sommes là.

You're right. We do it because it's not because you have a case that you can accept the following.

We distance ourselves from what the urbanism code requires and from what has already been approved by them.

It's a urbanism code that limits to 65 feet. I think that the 90 feet, as you said, were built in 1987 or whenever. So I'm rather inclined to maintain what...

This McDonald's is on Leopard Street, a good half mile from the highway. And in addition, it's a strange part of the highway where this one actually passes under a bridge. So, unless you live there or know the place, you won't see this McDonald's sign unless you are really looking. Is there any other comments or questions?

No, no comments here. I give you the public comment session. Is there anyone here in the audience who wants to express himself on this point?

We don't see any. I close the public comments.

I'm waiting for a motion.

My only question is, are they ready to start construction? Is this the last step? I really hope so. It was zoned out a while ago and nothing happened, so... Are there any other obstacles apart from this one?

Not my knowledge. We are also impatient to see them start.

I propose a motion in favour of the recommendation of the refusal staff and, instead, the approval of an alternative special permit.

We have a motion and a support. All those who are for or against the motion, there are two options. Let's go to the Director's report. Not much for tonight.

I want to take this opportunity, before Mina blushes, to greet Mina Trinidad, who has been a level 1 and level 2 urbanist with us for almost three years, I think.

You know, it's probably five, but she's been with us for a while.

She's leaving for the big city of Portland to become one of their main urbanists. And we wish her the best, but we want to greet her and thank her for all the hard work she's done. She has the opportunity to make presentations now and I hope she can carry everything she's learned here in Portland.

I think she has some comments to make. Now she's rumbling. Thank you for your service and good luck in Portland.

That's all I have for tonight, Mr. President.