Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Oh, mine is. Hello. This one's working. Mine's working. All right. Hello. Okay. Woo. All righty. See, this is why I keep the mic so far back. All right. Do I need to like call it to order again and everything? Probably for records. No. Um, we broke. Gohead. You can. Okay. So, we're just going to pretend all that didn't happen for the folks down in Austin, and we're going to start over again. Uh, so it is uh 6:03 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9th. I'm going to call to order this meeting of the city of Sagenol Planning and Zoning Commission. All right. Uh, place number one, Vivian Anderson.

Present. Place number two, Benjamin Guty. Present. Place number three, Peter Drle.

Place number four, uh, Melinda Julian, not present. Uh, place number five, Valvesas, also not present. Uh, John Hardy, our first alternate. And second alternate, Daniela Fernandez is not present. All right. Now, uh, section 1B, audience participation. If anyone in the audience would like to speak on an agenda item and is not listed as a representative for that item, uh please proceed by filling out an audience form um to speak on that item. It's over there at the end of the deis and um please turn it in your filled out form to the planning manager who will pass it on to myself uh who will call on you at the appropriate time. Thank you,

Mr. Chairman. Additionally, I just want to let any of you know um for some new members um every time you wish to speak, if you just press the button on your microphone, it should turn green. And if you can just speak directly on into the mic, it will allow us to have great audio on the recording. So, your assistance is appreciated. Thank you. All right. Now, we're going to go to question to city staff because I know that we are approving the minutes for the last meeting. Do I do that before business or no?

Mr. Chairman, those meeting minutes have already uh the previous one have been approved. Okay. Uh this one would be for the previous minutes and those would be what is next? Yes, sir. Um and that would be business under business. Got it. Okay. All righty. to a consideration and action regarding approval of the minutes. It's our meeting from uh June 10th, 2025. Does anyone on the panel uh have any changes that need to be mentioned? Okay. Uh

Mr. chairman. Um I think that the last meeting was the July one and so it looks like the wrong ones were attached. So we'll just have to bypass that. Got it. Okay.

Okay. So, do I have a motion to approve the minutes? We We would have to bypass it.

Oh, so we're Because the date's wrong, we're just going to skip it for now. It's not the proper one. Okay, got it. So, we're going to bypass 2A for now. Okay. Three, public hearing. So, 3A, consideration and action for a zoning change from single family SF4 to neighborhood commercial at 124 West Southern Avenue. Mr. Chairman, so this item is located at 124 West Southern. It was previously known as 425 South Hampshire Street. Um, it is currently an existing structure. It was originally constructed in the late 80s, early 90s, and at the time of construction, it was zoned commercial. Um, since then it appears that in 2002 there was a city master reszoning where this parcel was reszoned to single family for. However, since then it has kept in a commercial setting. um one because it was considered a non-conforming legally conforming use. Um and then also every time that a new owner or not new owner but a new lease or new owner both come they have to fill out a CO application um and at that time zoning is verified. Um, unfortunately with some of the uses, the recent uses for this one, it was caught that it was never reszoned and that in fact it was zoned

in 2002. Um, we can't testify as to why in 2002 it was reszoned. Um, but what I assume is all of the neighboring to the left is single family. Um, but because the commercial up front towards Sagno Boulevard, I assume that it was already originally commercial and so it kind of just kept that. Um, however, it is still commercially being used. So, we just wanted to make sure that in order for the owner to not have any issues, she's requesting it to be zoned community or neighborhood commercial. Um, and that way the neighborhood commercial is a little bit more compatible since it is adjacent to the single family. Um, but it's still adjacent to the commercial as well. So, it would just be a good middleman in terms of zoning. We do have the property owner here as well as some other staff members um for you to have any questions or if you would like them to say anything in regards to the business and how long, let us know. So, so just to be totally clear, so currently it's zoned single family 4, but that was somewhat from what I'm hearing that was somewhat of a oversight from a previous kind of blanket zoning that happened on that district in 2002. But since then, there's been businesses operating in there. I remember a laundry mat in there um that I had used at one point and now I believe there's a party business operating in there.

Yes. Like a party supply business. So in 2002 I was not here so I don't know if it I assume it was on purpose but I can't testify to that. Okay. Um however since then it was overlooked on um staff for some and then on others there is certain parts of the language where if the use isn't intensified or if it's the same it can remain the same. So there's a combination of that. However with the uses that are being proposed today they're not of that they're not intensifying the usage. Yeah. Okay. Well, they would be. That's why they're they're reszoning.

It would just be easier for them to reszone and that way issues because then they would have to come to you every time. Yep. Through an SP. Okay.

Well, uh neighborhood commercial city attorney. Um, it's a little like like city manager or like city staff was stating that it's more there's not a wide type of business that can operate in neighborhood commercial. Correct. So like if we reszone it to this, it can't become like a vape store or a um some you know uh what type of businesses can can go into neighborhood commercial is I guess what I'm getting at. Let me give you all some definitions from your code.

So, it's good 51 and your permitted use.

Okay, hold on. So, think of neighborhood commercial. Um, as I pull this up, I'm just gonna neighbor the intention behind neighborhood commercial is to act as a way for people who live in houses and apartments to be able to access commercial without storefronts, without like a Walmart being able to go in. So, the way that your code the way that your code talks about neighbor neighborhood. Yeah. Neighborhood commercial. Um it it's most things are still going to need um permitting. But looking through here,

so if another type of business was to come in, even if it's reszoned as neighborhood commercial, most likely they would still have to come before council or PNZ to get uh an occupancy. Mr. Mr. Chairman, no. So, so the way that the zoning works, um, if you can see on your screen, we pulled it up. It should be on your individual diets as well. Okay.

Um, the way that the permitted use table works is that on top you have the zoning and within the land use designation, you have different types of uses that are allowed within the entire city. So if there is a P under the column for that zone, then it would be allowed. If it's an S, then that requires a specific use permit, and that's the only time they would come before you. If it's allowed by right, they don't have to get any additional permitting when it comes to just the zoning aspect of it, but they still have to go through permitting or through a civil process or through an architectural process. Um, but if it's if there's no letter at all, then that just is not permissible whatsoever. Correct.

So, the difference between neighborhood commercial and community commercial is that it would be a less denser intensified usage. So, for example, a car lot would not be something that would be allowed in NC, but it would be something that perhaps would be allowed in community commercial. And the city attorney, I think, has found the scripture. She she got it now. So, um, yeah. So, the main thing that happens when you switch into a neighborhood commercial, you're moving from the left side of chart to the right side. So, there's a lot of things that would never be allowed in a residential area that could be allowed. So, a lot of things are going to just be permitted. So, say for example, a bank wanted to move in or an office space wanted to move in, um, professional offices are permitted in that area. um real estate offices, um things like that, a bakery could move in. So, there's there's a long list of things that are allowed just by right once you switch that zoning to move in. You're not limiting it to a laundromat or whatever it is. Um but it is still the lightest version of a commercial use that y'all allow. So, um the majority of of things are still it's still a pretty limited use, okay, in that area. What does OP stand for?

Office professional. Office professional. Okay. Got it. Got it. So, this is So, this is the lowest commercial. Um, I guess it's designed to be in a neighborhood or around a neighborhood, like a flex zone, that barrier where it allows the neighborhood to have hopefully ideally some uses that they can utilize. So for in this instance it would be um or not this instance but the next item don't want to go too into that obviously but um that is something that the neighborhood could use closely.

Um so that would be the service of neighborhood commercial but it's there to protect the residents so that it's not an intense version of the commercial. Well, without going to the next uh item because we like legally can't um you know does anybody on the deis anybody else on the board want to ask anything? What my kind of two cents on this is the property has already been used as such um at least since I've lived in the city. So I think 15 years. Um and so this is just kind of bringing them uh legally up to standard where it's already been. Um yeah, that's my two cents. So if does if anybody wants to say anything, please feel free to otherwise I'll ask for a motion uh to approve.

I have one question. Sure. Business, are they required to get an inspection by the fire? Yes. Yes. Okay. So, for any zoning change that's going to happen in the city, they are going to have to go through all the normal um compliance issues for it. So, there is going to be um yeah, they're going to have to get their stuff checked out before they can do anything there. But importantly for this, you're not approving on this item. You're not approving any particular use or building or owner. You're just approving the zoning change. All right. So, do I have a motion to approve? I make a motion to approve.

Hold on one moment. We're doing a zoning change. So, I'm going to revoke that motion. Um, since we're doing change, we had done a sort of general if one wants to talk on an item, let's open it. But because it's a zone change, let's go ahead and open a public hearing, make an announcement, see if anyone wants to talk about it. All right. I'm going to open up a public hearing for item 3A at 6:18 p.m. Does anyone uh want to speak on this? And then also I was going a little too fast. I need to read through see if there's any letters.

Mr. Chairman, we don't we have not received any. Yeah, I don't see any for 3A. Okay. All right. Then at 6:18, I'm going to close the public hearing on item 3A.

Now y'all can do your your Okay. So, does one of us need to make like read out the motion and then ask for a second? Okay. Uh, I make a motion to approve 3A, uh, consideration and action for a zoning change from single family SF4 to neighborhood commercial at 124 West Southern Avenue. Do I have a second? Pause one more time. Sorry. Because you're the chair, you're going to ask for someone to make that motion. Ask for someone to make the motion. You already said the word. I read it out. Does anyone want to motion for what the chair has just said? I make a motion. Yes. Okay. And then I'll second. Perfect. All right.

And then a vote. Is it I can't see all. Yeah, they'll come up in a minute. The should be showing up now. Okay. I just need more people to cast their vote. Do you guys see it on your screen? No. We have that screen.

Are you ready?

All righty. And the motion passes. Okay. On to 3B. Consideration and action regarding a request for a specific use permit to allow the operation of a laundry, dry cleaning, pickup, and receiving station at 124 West Southern Avenue, Sweet 300. Um, sir, um, so, Mr. Chairman, this is a specific use request um to allow the operation of that laundry dry cleaning pickup station. So, I do want to note that this does not include the cleaning of the garments. This will only be the pickup and drop off of all of the clothes. So, we do have the owner here present. The suite is currently vacant. So, this is a potential vendor that um is requesting to go into that suite and they are currently a vendor in the city of Sagenol. They are just moving locations and you can see um examples of what their their establishment looks like in your packet if you scroll through your attachments. See if I can pull them. Staff did not receive any reply forms for this item and currently staff will remain neutral.

Mhm. So technically is this um I know that they're currently operating in another location. So is this kind of a Huh. So, this is Longhorn Cleaners. That's next door to um Albertson's. Yes. Got it. Okay. They are in that um shopping center. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Got it. And there will not be a dry cleaning plant on site, so we don't have to worry about chemicals or any of that kind of stuff. This is just drop off pickup um alterations, I believe, too. Yes.

All right.

Okay. So, I'm gonna chime in really quick. So, this is a little bit I just want to make sure that we understand what has just happened here. I think everyone has, but I want to make the record really clear so that when the council's looking at it. So, we have just changed the zoning for this area. So before this was a non-conforming illegally non-conforming use in this area which limited them pretty heavily on what they could do as far as repairing, expanding, utilizing things. Um now the zoning has changed. So it is still a non-conforming use because it does not have the permit. So, it is allowed in the zoning area only if a special use permit is issued allowing this particular use because of how y'all's use chart is set up. So, um in order for the laundromat to be able to operate, a special use permit needs to be issued. For a special use permit, there's a couple of ideas or um qualifications that need to be satisfied. The main thing it really comes down to though is does this fit in with the zoning? Like does it fit in with the surrounding area? Is it beneficial to the surrounding area or harmful to the surrounding area? And does that benefit outweigh any harms? Um, and you can consider all sorts of things in this. Um, anything that has to do with signing, I'll ask you not to consider um because we deal with that on our end. the city will handle that. Uh but uh as far as parking, as far as traffic, as far as hours, um because it's a special use permit, you as the planning and zoning can recommend that certain conditions be placed on this use as well, and they will be tied to this permit. Any questions?

So, I have a question. How will how will the traffic impact this area? The proposed traffic. Do we want to have the applicant come up? Yes. Nelly, if you could go up to the podium. We have the owner present. Good afternoon. Y Hello. Good afternoon. Hi. If you could just state your name, please.

My name is Annalie Perez and I'm the owner at 124 West Southern Avenue and I'm here to get re resone this uh commercial property. Okay. So, you're the owner of the commercial prop. Well, now commercial property. Yes, sir. Um, so, uh, one of my colleagues has a question about traffic. I'm familiar with the building cuz I know that this is around the corner from Dollar General, right?

Um, and it comes out where Valero and the old fire station used to be. So the street kind of already has people exiting the neighborhood and people kind of coming into the front part of it for that business. But yeah, we have questions about traffic.

Well, I think the dry cleaners is not a I don't think it will impact with a lot of traffic coming in and out because the hours I don't know what their hours are going to be. I think 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Um, I don't see any, you know, impact on big heavy traffic coming in and out. People already come through that street a lot because we have main street, you know, right off the commercial property. So, I don't I don't see a big harm on the traffic either. We do have the law the big laundry mat right next to me as well. Yeah.

Just around the corner from us. Yeah. And that faces Belmont, I believe. So, I don't Yeah. I don't think that would affect Southern. Yeah. Yeah. Again, this is a drop off, correct? Yeah. It's a pickup at drop off station. So, do you have an So, how long can you stay there to pick up and drop? No. Do you do you know a number of people that come by and do a drop off every day? Because that's what your traffic input is there. Those people aren't there right now. Let's just to be honest, they're not coming by right now, right? Right. They they will be in the future. Is it a hundred uh good tennis? You know, is it a is a 100

that I will not be able to answer because that's, you know, I'm just a landlord. Um it's not a big business. It's, you know, it's owned by one of our um sagal residents. I don't know how big of of of a clintel they have. Do you know how many square feet suite 300 is? About 1,000 square ft. Okay. And the whole building, if this um if this kind of drawing is somewhat correct, is about 5,000 ft. Yes, sir. So, the Camila's party supplies that's currently occupying suite 400 and 500. That's about uh 2,000 square ft

about. So, if you lease this, you're going to be about 60% full of the building cuz suite 100 and 200 will currently be empty. Well, I'm going tell you, um, the party supplied is I mean, we probably get three, four customers a day. Okay. Yeah, we don't have and it's been there 3 years already. So, that we have no I mean traffic whatsoever there.

Okay. And then my personal experience with um I use a lot of dry cleaning personally for I travel a lot for work and dry cleaning is I use a lot of dry cleaning and um it's typically when certain hours because um it's like drop off before a certain time and then pick up after a certain time. So t I don't know how Longhorn Cleaners does because again they're not here unfortunately just the landlord is. But at the cleaners that I use, you have to drop off before 9:00 and then your pickup time is after 5. So I don't think it would like interrupt with like any school or any and also, you know, they're usually closed on Sundays. Again, we don't know this exact business's hours, but I'm just kind of inferring things from normal cleaners. And the cleaners I use is um has uh has a plant on site, which is more busy because there's work vans coming in and dropping off from multiple locations. This one isn't going to have a plant. This one's just going to be one time a day pickup, one time a day drop off in a van and then customers coming, I guess, for alterations and such. Um

and to a credit, if you look at if you look at Google Maps, it looks like there is plenty of parking there. We do have I I'm not sure how many we exactly have, but it goes all around the building. You can see. Yeah. So, and also Peter, if you scroll, I know you don't have a printed packet, but if you if on your screen, if you you can actually look on this, they they have a site plan of this, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. have any questions?

Got personal experience with Longhorn by Albertson. Uh the only issue that I see up there is a gentleman that always that's delivering stuff that always the handicap um for me is a problem because I earned a handicap bled for a handicap but uh I don't see any potential issues here. I mean, this was zone commercial one time opinion. It should have never been changed, but that's an opinion.

Yeah. I lived in Sageno for 20 years myself, and we currently own the meat market as well, right next to a Dollar General, and I seen so many businesses come in and in and out from that building as well. We used to uh wash our aprons and stuff at the laundry mat that was there at one point as well. We used to watch our comforters there. Yeah. I mean there there has been barber shops, there has been church, uh just a lot of businesses. And when I bought this, you know, I was in the belief that it was sewn as neighborhood commercial, but you know, apparently not. Well, it is now. Um Okay.

And you know, um we want more businesses to to come to Sagena and to stay in Sagena. Um, you know, I wish this business was here to to speak for themselves, but um, you know, you're familiar with this business. I think that they'll have a much better parking situation because at the current place, you know, there's like two spots for each business. It's like, you know, two for Pro Cuts, two for the liquor store, two for Joe's, you know, and so it's a very tight parking situation where they're currently located. And here it appears like they'll have much better parking. Um, not only because half of the center is not currently leased, but the other half isn't as busy, so I don't I don't see an issue with parking or traffic at this time. Yeah.

Just wanted to ask. Okay. No, no, no. I mean, it's good to bring it up. Yeah. Yeah. No problem. Okay. Um, does anyone have any questions? Anyone else have any questions for her? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Before we have a motion, let's go ahead and formally open a public hearing. Okay. I know it's empty, but

Yeah. All right. I'm um going to open up a public hearing at 6:32 p.m. We do not have any letters to read. Does anyone from the audience want to speak on this item? All right, I'm going to close audience uh participation on this item at 6:33 p.m. Okay. Uh unless there's any further discussion needed. Um does someone want to make a motion to approve? And if you do make the motion, you have to read off 3B in its entirety. I make a motion.

Mr. Chairman, can you please Oh, yeah. Yeah. Get a little bit closer to the mic. Yep. I make a motion consideration and action regarding request for uh specific use permit to allow the operation of a laundry, dry cleaning, pickup, and receiving station at 124 West Southern Avenue, Sweet 300. Do we have a second? I'll second. voting should be showing up when your screen's okay.

All right. And the motion has passed. Okay. Now, we're going to go to for staff report 4A project updates for August 2025. Okay, Mr. Chairman, thank you and good afternoon everyone. So, these updates are provided by our utility inspector, Bill Hurst. Um, as recent as of August, uh, we have some new ones from previously reported. Um, one of the newer ones is Blue Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Keep in mind that this is a text project, so it's not city- le. Uh we are just attending the meetings to be in the loop as to what will be going on at that intersection that is right at the boundary of our city. Last update we had was that a pre-construction meeting was held on July 7th. The estimate estimated start date was set to be July 21st, but at this point they're still being held up uh on forwards and just waiting for permitting to be approved. Next, uh, one of our newer project that started off this last month is Bailey Buswell Professional Project, which will be located on Bailey Buzzville, closer to Basswood. Um, they've started site clearing and excavation. No new updates at this point. For our Falcon Distribution Center, um, what has been completed so far is just sanitary sewer, water, and parking lots. and they are at a 90% completion rate for storm drain. Um the contractor has started lime um stabilization on fire lanes and has begun working on the overall building structure for nose from the section of macaroid to woodrest. The contractors removing uh vegetation and weeds and placing top soil for uh final grass installation from Meroy to Longhorn.

They're working on uh finishing up sidewalks, ramps, and paving blocks at Mustang and Nordon. 850 is also working on relocating those communication boxes and ADMIS has relocated gas lines at a couple of addresses that were pending. Um from Westnos and Macroy um the Macroy intersection that is was closed earlier this year. I believe they're currently waiting on utility poles to uh finish being relocated by Encore so that they can complete those ramps, ADA ramps and sidewalks at that intersection as well. So overall, that's the process so far. Um but yes, Longhorn traffic signals where they're working on painting uh road lines to make it clear for people driving by. And another new one that started recently is the a Southern Avenue sidewalks. The pre-construction meeting was held last month and they were given a notice to proceed. At this point, we're waiting on the contractor to begin and give us a notice of that. Wayside Middle School still as scheduled. The contractors working on general building structures to hopefully have the students move in early January. And that's just kind of main ones, especially newer ones that popped up this last month. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Yeah. Well, I'm very uh excited about nullles being done. Um and I was also happy to see uh a lot of the trees get planted and the sidewalks pop up the last couple weeks. So, that's very exciting. Um, the Bailey Boswell Professional Center for anyone that drives on Bailey Boswell, it's right before the shopping center that has uh all like the doctor's offices and eye care places in there. And um that's it's really exciting. I would like to see more office parks in the city cuz there's a lot of small businesses, optometrists, lawyers, um architects, um chiropractors, um that you know um start their businesses in those types of places. So happy to see that. Um yeah, lots of cool things happening in the city. Yep. And uh Sagenol Library and Senior Center. I saw the city posted that the mayor is going to have a uh come talk with the mayor thing in a couple of weeks there. So that must mean it's like really coming along. So yeah, excited to see that. All righty. Well, uh we are going to go into Do we have executive? We're going to go into executive session this evening. No. Okay. Well, skip that. And unless anyone else has anything to say, I'm going to call this meeting uh adjourned at 6:39 p.m. Oh, did I go did I go too early?

Oh, I make a motion to adjourn at 6:39 p.m. Do I have a second? All in favor say I. All right. All right. Now I get to hit it. Got it. Thanks everyone. Have a good night.