Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

We're going to go ahead and call the meeting to order and ask staff to read the statement of Open Meetings Act.

Good afternoon and welcome to the November 21, 2025 in-person meeting of the City of Fort Worth City Plan Commission. The commission meets monthly in open session to conduct public hearings on advertised cases. Specific rules and procedures governing these hearings include the city's subdivision ordinance, city plan commission rules, regulations and bylaws, and related provisions of Texas state law. The commission's primary responsibilities are to review and act upon subdivision plans and plots, street and alley right-of-way vacations, enclosures, annexations, comprehensive planning, and other land development issues affecting the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction area. The commission is made up of 11 Fort Worth citizens, each of whom is appointed by the city council. A quorum of six of the 11 members must be present in order to conduct the commission's business. Six members are present today. Therefore, the hearing may proceed. Seated at the center of the table is Mr. Jim Tidwell, the chair of the city planning commission. Other commissioners present today are Commissioner Lambert, Commissioner Johnson, Commissioner Sims, Commissioner Farta, and Commissioner Reed. Staff present today are Alex Parks, Paul Rodriguez, Alex Johnson, Michelle Pena, Barbara Siltero, and I don't see Leo. And then we have a host of other folks here from our DRC. My name is Stephen Murray, Interim Planning Manager and facilitator of today's meeting. Copies of the meeting agenda and staff reports are included in the commission's docket and are available on the city's website. The staff reports have been compiled by the city's Development Review Committee to inform the commissions and applicants of city code requirements and technical issues associated with the cases to be heard. Today's public hearings are being documented by cable television and streamed on the internet. To achieve an orderly and timely hearing, we request that you observe the following rules and procedures. All cases are called. Applicants and others in support of the case will be asked to present their testimony first for a total of five minutes. Opposing testimony will follow and be given a total of seven minutes. The applicant will be allowed two minutes for rebuttal. Each side will be allowed a collective total of seven minutes for initial presentations. We have Barbara keeping time today. Clearly state your name and city prior to addressing the commission. All dialogue will occur between the speaker and the commission upon the chairman's initial closure of the case. The commission will remain in open session to discuss and vote upon the case. No further public testimony or commentary will be allowed. Be advised that the commission's decision on platting matters is final. Action on other docket items constitutes a recommendation to the city council. If you need additional information about a particular case, please call the Development Services Department at 817 3928027. Thank you for your attention. Mr. Chairman, commissioners, the first order of business is the approval of the minutes from the November 7th meeting.

Thank you. If everyone's had an opportunity to review the minutes, could I have a motion, please?

Moved that we approve the minutes from last meeting. Second.

We have a motion and a second to approve the minutes. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Opposed? None, that's unanimous. First case, please. First and only case, please.

First case, VA 25023, vacation of Normandale Street right away between St. Circle and Alameda Street with All Saints Episcopal School Edition subdivision, Council District 3, general location is south of Interstate 30, west of Alameda Street, and east of Longview Avenue. Applicant is Rachel Piercy.

Is the applicant here, please? Mr. Powell?

Good afternoon, commissioners and city staff. What we're looking at here is a section of Normandale Road. It stretches between Alameda on the east side and the existing All Saints property line on the west. We're seeking this vacation because the school has run into some security issues with this road where it is essentially a long driveway to the existing campus. We tend to get people that are not dropping off, picking up, or working there. They get stuck on this roadway. It causes congestion at the security facility right there at the property boundary. So we are looking to take control of this roadway in order to better secure the campus. And let's see, I guess as a note, the school already owns both sides of the roadway. They own the large L-shaped track that you can see there to the west and the south. They own that block between Normandale and I-30. So right now the combined lot would still have available frontage along Longview to the west and along Alameda to the east. So additional TxDOT driveways shouldn't be required or needed. We're gonna be working with storm, there is existing utilities in the street, water, storm sewer, we're gonna be working with those departments to make sure they get adequate easements for protection of their facilities. That's part of the plat comments you all have probably seen. But if you have any further questions on this, I'd be happy to answer them for you.

Any questions for the applicant? I don't see any.

Thank you. Thank you.

More comments from staff? Anyone else in support? Anyone in opposition? Seeing none, we'll close the public hearing. And I'm gonna need a motion, please.

Mr. Chairman, I motion to recommend to the City Council for the approval of a vacation of the Normandale Street Right-of-Way located north of Lot 1R of the All Saints Episcopal School addition south of Interstate 30. west of Alameda Street and east of Longview Avenue. Second.

Thank you. We have a motion and second to approve a recommendation to City Council to grant the vacation. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, would you please call the vote?

Commissioner Lambert, how do you vote? Yes. Commissioner Johnson, how do you vote? Yes. Commissioner Sims, how do you vote? Yes. Commissioner Fordow, how do you vote? Yes. Commissioner Reed, how do you vote? Yes. Chair Tidwell, how do you vote? Yes.

That concludes our business today. We are adjourned.