Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the August 27th meeting of the City Plan Commission. My name is Lauren Hanson, chair of the commission, and I call this meeting to order at 1.32 p.m. Can we please hear the public statement?

Staff, are there any changes to the agenda today?

Can I have a motion for those changes the agenda? Any discussion all in favor aye All opposed motion carries. Thank you Do we have anybody in the public that would like to speak on any items that are not on the agenda today? And if someone is on the phone that is star six to unmute Again if there's anybody here that would like to speak on something that is not on the agenda today, I Okay, public comment is closed. We will move on to the consent agenda. Before we approve that, a few meetings ago, we had an item which we voted no action on. It was Sierra Crest Replat. That has been, before we vo

Okay. Does anybody have any other changes to the consent agenda within the board or have any comments about that addition to the minutes? Okay, can I have a motion to accept those?

All opposed? Motion carries, thank you. And that was the motion to accept the changes. Now do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? All opposed? Motion carries, thank you. We move on to the regular agenda, which is starting with item number three and seven to be heard together.

Will you be presenting the zoning as well? No. No, okay. I guess we'll hold off for questions until the other one is presented as well. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, I have a question about the first presentation. Were there three versions of the staff report? Yes. Okay. The version I have shows a request for a waiver of one foot of planter strip within the subdivision as well. That was removed? That was removed. Okay. I believe that was my only question. Does anybody else have questions for staff on either presentation?

I do. Through the chair. zero setbacks between the residential houses on each side so if somebody wants to um go from the front to the back of their property there's not going to be any room through the site is that my understanding zero setbacks on the sides

I'll chime in because I know the detailed site development plan isn't pulling up right now. It does specifically say, and the site plan is binding, that the side setback is either zero or 10, the street side setback is either zero or 10, the front setback is 10 feet minimum, and the rear is 15 feet minimum. So I have this, if anybody wants to see it, I know it's not coming up.

Thank you Anyone else any questions for staff? Okay. Thank you. Can we hear from the applicant please?

Any other questions for the applicant? The two foot request for Montoya is to match existing conditions of the subdivision.

OK. Thank you. And I believe number seven is a public hearing. Yes. Is there anybody here that would like to speak on number seven. Either here or on the phone. Again it's star six to unmute if you're on the phone. Okay, we'll close public comment. Can I entertain a motion amongst the commission for number three and number seven together?

All opposed? Motion carries, thank you. Number four is Desert Bloom Casitas.

The subdivision to the southwest, that one has the same sidewalk variance?

And that was approved within the last two years or so? Yes. Thank you. Any other questions for staff?

I do. Any concerns against the sidewalk? Isn't it the new city requirement that all new developments have a six foot sidewalk?

Yeah, but there's nothing abutting it on the railroad side.

I do. Railroad, is that City Street or TxDOT?

Okay, so with what you said right now is that it creates problems for the future as far as railroad driving, correct, with drainage and whatnot. If that's the case, then why are we already building there if the infrastructure there is not correct? Because that eventually, those costs to build the infrastructure are gonna be passed on to the taxpayers. And I thought that it was the builders that's supposed to take care of those costs and not just build and leave that for the taxpayers in the future.

Anything else? Okay, can we hear from the applicant please?

The subdivision to the south that you were just discussing and this one, what's going between them?

And are they planning to own it? Is this like a master plan thing?

I don't think that lots of space between a high speed roadway and the sidewalk is an argument against the sidewalk. That makes the sidewalk safer. One of the things that the city considers for recommending approval is that 50% of the lots within the area had the same condition. And the reason that 50% of the lots within the area had the same condition is because the southern subdivision was also granted the sidewalk request. So if the city of El Paso has no current plans to upgrade this road, I mean, yes, they might have to take the sidewalk down later, but I don't, I don't,

Through the chair. In the presentation, they said that in and out to this proposed site will be from both sites, from railroad and from Dyer, okay? And then you say that people won't need to use railroad because it's substandard. Once it's built, people are gonna use it, no matter what, okay? And my concern is that This site goes up, people start using railroad, because a lot of times it's a lot easier, and I've traveled through there many times, it's easier going through railroad than through Dyer, and Dyer is just up ahead where railroad ends, is that once the site is built, then those peopl

Any other questions for the applicant? If I may.

I'm gonna interrupt you real quick. I have a question for staff and I'm gonna interrupt you. In my mind, what he just said is what I, think is best, which is the rock wall of the ultimate home buyer and then the sidewalk right there. Is that what would be required if we didn't grant this request?

The rule is that it's abutting the residential lot line, not that it's abutting the planter strip, which is abutting the road. I know that it kind of ends up being both, but what is the rule there?

Okay. Did I just hear you say that you were fine with doing the rock wall and then immediately touching the rock wall on the side with railroad, a sidewalk right there?

but are you okay with putting immediately next to the rock walls?

Okay, that is a different issue than the pavement but

But for the double frontage lots along railroad is what I'm asking that you would have they would have sidewalk in front of them and then there would be their lot like fronting the inside street they're not fronting so that'll be their backyard wall. Yes their backyard wall there would be the lot line of their backyard and then on the railroad right-of-way side, immediately abutting their rock wall would be six feet of sidewalk or five feet of sidewalk. Okay, thank you.

One more question. So what you're asking is for us to approve a new facility, but these residents or whoever buys these houses are gonna have to live with a substandard road. Is that correct?

Any other questions for the applicant? Okay, thank you. I will take a, oh, is this a public comment? No, okay. I will take a motion and then we'll open it up for discussion.

Okay open for discussion. I do not think it's a reasonable expectation or ask to ask them to bring the entire 120 foot right of way up to standard especially because it'll just be one section. But I do think it's reasonable to ask that they put the immediate sidewalk. So that would be one of the two exceptions. Who else would like to make a comment discussion.

the chair i totally disagree because we're in the 21st century and we have to protect the residents and we've gone through this before in other areas and they're going to allow the residents of that area to go in and out through railroad And being that it's a substandard road does not mean that the resident's gonna say, hey, well, it's a substandard road, I'll just go through dire all the time. Their kids, and we've talked about this before, their kids are gonna run around through there, and it's gonna be substandard. So again, it's about safety. Why are we building subdivisions when the roads

We have a motion to approve with both conditions. All in favor.

Okay, motion fails. Can I entertain another motion?

Do I have a second? Okay, without a second, the motion dies. I will entertain another motion. Staff, what do we do in absence of a motion?

Okay. With that in mind, I will entertain a motion. Or I guess we declared that one failed. I will entertain a motion. Okay, I will lay out the options. We've already tried approving all. That was four to three. I think if we try approving only with the roadway exception, we're gonna get maybe three to four the other way. And if we do not approving at all, I think we'll get two to five. So I don't think it's gonna get denied anyway, or denied altogether. I personally don't think that they should be required to build the roadway, but I'm not sure I can even make a motion for that. So that would

Okay. Not yet. OK the applicant would like to say something else. Are we allowed to hear the applicant.

Do you have anything to say that you haven't already said.

Perfect. We have a completely new item to vote for. It is number four, Desert Bloom Casitas, and one exception of not having to improve the entire roadway.

Seven and a half feet of additional roadway.

Did you just say aye to oppose? Aye. Okay wait. Not in opposition. All in favor? All opposed? Motion carries. Thank you very much. Okay, we're moving on to Mijares subdivision, which is a resubdivision combination.

Thank you. Why recommending denial. We recommended approval for the exception for the exception.

Okay, so now it's recommended for complete approval. Yes.

So, here we go again. On that area, if you could pull up the picture where it shows the matching of the streets, right there. The city came in and redid those sidewalks, put in those planters and the street, am I correct? Yes. Not too long ago. But they didn't do the very end because it wasn't developed. So here is another developer coming in and asking to change the way this is designed. They don't want to put in that planter strip. Am I correct?

Because I didn't see the planter strips in the, which you put up there.

Any other questions for staff? Okay. Thank you. Can we hear from the applicant, please?

We're accepting the proposal for the planters.

I mean. Do you agree with all staff comments? Yeah. You do. OK. Thank you.

Thank you. Any questions for the applicant. Thank you. OK. This one is also a public hearing. Do I have anyone here or on the phone that would like to speak on this item. Again that's star 6 to unmute if you're on the phone. All right. We'll close public comment. I will entertain a motion amongst the commission.

Hold on, you said with the exception, correct? With the exception. And you're approving with the exception? You're seconding with the exception?

Thank you Mr. Smith for clarifying that.

Thank you. Do we have any questions for staff?

Those pecan trees, you said they're 100 years old or older? But they don't produce pecans anymore, huh?

Through the chair. One moment. Were you able to protect all of the trees?

through the chair, Mr. Huff, define helical piers.

And that's why the reason for that... I don't want to say odd, but different design that we saw to protect the trees and...

Good, and the last comment I'll make is that I'm all for trees. preserving trees, planting more trees, El Paso needs a plan, a million more trees, because we live on an island of heat, as we know when we step out of this nice cool building. So, thank you.

I did want to clarify. Do you agree with all staff comments.

Thank you. OK, I think we're going to open it up for public hearing. Is there anybody here or on the phone that would like to speak on this matter?

OK, before you start, you have three minutes to speak. It sounds like you said your first name. Could you please say your full name?

Okay, go ahead and start, you have three minutes.

Thank you. Is there anybody else here or on the phone that would like to speak on this item? Again, that's star 6 to unmute if you're on the phone. All right. Public comment is closed. Legal, I know we received this from Mr. Ordonez as well. He did ask us to read it in full. And I know you read it and probably have some thoughts on it. Can you go ahead and let us know?

OK. And there were some comments about easements ditches things like that. Do you have any comments about that.

Okay. I will have some questions for the applicant. One of them is that the driveways are permeable, correct? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Correct.

Okay. And you're well aware that anything within an easement, whoever holds that, whether it's a full utility easement or one specific, they can come and tear it up with a backhoe if they feel like it.

Is there anything else that you heard in that comment that you would like to address before we go to discussion?

All right. Any discussion? I just want to say this is amazing. I think this is a wonderful thing. I would bend over backwards to help y'all, but it seems like you have figured it out. So amazing. Of course. This is an exciting project for me personally, so thank you. Aye. All opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. We have no more items on the agenda today. You look like you're ready to speak.

Thank you very much. We always appreciate you. Congratulations.

All opposed. Y'all have a great afternoon.