[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
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IT IS NOW FIVE OH ONE AND I'M GONNA CALL THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING FOR MAY, UH, TO ORDER AND MAY I WOULD ASK YOU TO CALL OR CALL AUGUSTINE.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, LOST A MEMBER OF OUR COMMISSION AS OF TODAY.
UH, SPENCER CORNS HAS, UH, DIED AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HIS HONOR.
[a. Consider approving the meeting minutes of the April 19, 2022, Planning and Zoning Commission regular meeting.]
OF BUSINESS ARE TO, UH, CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES.CHELSEA, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING.
AM I JUST BEING QUIET TODAY? YOU THINK SO? UH, APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 19TH, 2022 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
MITCHELL IS YOUR MIC ON? IT'S NOW SO MUCH.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS CONCERNING THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT AND THEREFORE I WILL READ THE FOLLOWING ONE TIME AND IT APPLIES TO ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES FOR THEIR COMMENTS.
PLEASE BE CONCISE AND SPECIFIC.
THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER AS THIS LIST WILL PROVIDE THE SPEAKING ORDER FOR THE HEAR FOR THE HEARING.
IF YOU'RE A GROUP OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT A SPOKESPERSON TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME AND I WILL TRY TO GET THEM ANSWERED.
[a. Conduct public hearing and consider making a recommendation concerning a request to amend the official zoning map to rezone an approximately 0.079 acres at 2111 Ontario avenue from a General Commercial (GC) to a Mixed Residential at Low to Medium Densities (SF2) Zoning District.]
CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING A REQUEST TO ATTEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO REZONE AN APPROXIMATELY 0.079 ACRES AT 2111 ONTARIO AVENUE FROM A GENERAL COMMERCIAL TO A MIXED RESIDENTIAL OR LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITY ZONING DISTRICT.AND I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS LAMIA SALEM PLANNER TWO WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND I WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
THE, UH, SUMMARY OF PLANNING STAFF REPORT ON THE PROPOSED ZONING MAP AMENDMENT LOCATED AT 2111 ONTARIO AVENUE.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ONTARIO AVENUE AND ROBERT C LINEAR DRIVE WITH 24 FEET OF FRONTAGE ON ONTARIO AVENUE AND 106.5 FEET ON ROBERT C LINEAR DRIVE.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY VACANT WITH A LOT AREA OF 3,469 SQUARE FEET.
THE SURROUNDING AREA IS PRE PREDOMINANTLY CHARACTERIZED BY RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS AND RESIDENTIAL ZONING.
HOWEVER, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AND IT S ABUTTING PROPERTY TO THE SOUTH ARE DESIGNATED GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
IN 2017, THE PROPERTIES ON ADJACENT BLOCKS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE RED CIRCLES RECEIVED ZONING MAP AMENDMENT APPROVAL
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FROM GC TO SF TWO SURROUNDING USES RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS ON ONTARIO AVENUE COMMERCIAL BILLBOARD ON ADJACENT PROPERTY TO THE SOUTH.FAIRLY RECENT CONSTRUCTED DWELLINGS ON WEST GULF AVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2017 REZONING.
THE REPORT TOUCHED BRIEFLY ON THE CREATION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY BY ORDER OF A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION AND AS A RESULT OF THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION IN IMMINENT DOMAIN.
THE SCREENSHOT ON THE RIGHT SIDE SHOWS THE REPL OF THE LARGER CENTRAL HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION WITH THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION.
THE CLOSEUP ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AND THE IMMINENT DOMAIN.
HOWEVER, PLANNING STAFF TOOK THE APPROACH OF WHAT IF A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WERE TO OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, GIVING THE SIZE LIMITATION WITH A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN GC ZONE MEET DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OR FIT WITHIN THE SURROUNDING USES.
STAFF REPORT ELABORATES ON THE PROS AND CONS OF A DEVELOPMENT IN THE CURRENT AND THE PROPOSED ZONE.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS SITE PLAN PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT.
THE PLAN SHOWS THE GARAGE PORTION FRONTING ON ONTARIO AVENUE WITH A SETBACK OF 20 FEET.
THE DASH RED LINE IS WHERE THE BUILDING WOULD NEED TO BE CONTAINED IF NO OTHER VARIANCES WERE SOUGHT.
THE APPLICANT MAINTAINED A STANDARD SIDE YARD SETBACK OF FIVE FEET TO ADJACENT NEIGHBOR ON ONTARIO AVENUE.
HOWEVER, STREET SIDE SETBACK AND GARAGE SETBACK WILL NEED ZONING VARIANCES IN THE FUTURE.
PLANNING STAFF ADVISED THAT THE PROPOSED REZONING IS CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDING DOCUMENTS, FUTURE LAND USE MAP, AND COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA.
STAFF RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED ZONING MAP AMENDMENT TO MIXED USE AT LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITIES SF TWO ZONE, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANYBODY? SO THERE'S NO PLAN TO SUBDIVIDE THE PROPERTY? NO, SIR.
WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THIS PUBLIC HEARING, SO I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSION FOR RECOMMENDATION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE REZONING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE, TO APPROVE IT.
SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
[a. Conduct a public hearing and consider making a recommendation concerning the adoption of Comprehensive Plan 2040.]
INTO FOUR A, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, AND I'M DELIGHTED TO BE BACK WITH YOU TONIGHT TO TALK ONCE AGAIN ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2040
SO, AS YOU KNOW, 16 MONTHS AGO, WE KICKED OFF THIS PLANNING PROCESS, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND SINCE THEN, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS SELECTED BY CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE TO ENSURE THIS PLAN CAPTURES THE SPIRIT AND DESIRE OF OUR CITY.
SO WE ARE NOW COMING TO THE END OF THIS PROCESS AND HAVE BROUGHT A DRAFT TO YOU.
UM, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE DRAFT THAT WE SHOWED YOU BACK IN MARCH.
IT DOES INCORPORATE SOME CHANGES THAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND OTHERS.
UH, OUR PLANNING CONSULTANTS, KKC, UH, ARE HERE TONIGHT AND THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU ANOTHER PRESENTATION ON IT.
UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SET UP HER PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
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GOOD EVENING COMMISSION.IT'S A PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2040 AND YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR RECOMMENDATION OF PLAN APPROVAL.
MY NAME AGAIN IS MEREDITH DANG.
I'M THE PRACTICE LEADER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING FOR KENDA KEITH COLLABORATIVE.
WE'VE BEEN ASSISTING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN IN DEVELOPMENT OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.
AGAIN, AS YOU ARE FAMILIAR, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS A LONG RANGE PLANNING DOCUMENT IN THIS CASE THAT'S LOOKING OUT TO THE YEAR 2040.
THE PLAN FOCUSES ON PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF BAYTOWN, INCLUDING LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOBILITY, HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND IT IDENTIFIES GOALS AND ACTIONS IN THOSE KEY AREAS.
IT IS A POLICY DOCUMENT RATHER THAN A REGULATORY DOCUMENT, AND IT DOES ACT AS AN OVERALL UMBRELLA DOCUMENT THAT ALL THE OTHER PLANNING THAT THE CITY DOES, LIKE THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS, CORRIDOR STUDIES, ARE ALL INTEGRATED INTO THIS OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS BEEN A, UH, LONG PATH TO TONIGHT AND WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE DETAILS, BUT JUST WANTED TO KIND OF REMIND YOU ALL, UH, HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL PHASES OF WORK, INCLUDING THE EXISTING CITY PHASE WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS IN BAYTOWN TODAY BEFORE WE TURN TO THE FUTURE CITY COMPONENT, WHERE WE STARTED TO IDENTIFY THE PLAN'S, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND FINALLY THE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND FINALIZATION STAGE WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
THAT INCLUDED A MONTH LONG OPEN HOUSE AT THE STERLING MUNICIPAL LIBRARY WHERE WE RECEIVED COMMENTS ON THE FINAL PLAN, AS WELL AS A MONTH LONG FORMAL ONLINE COMMENTING PROCESS IN WHICH WE RECEIVED ABOUT A DOZEN FORMAL COMMENTS AND DID UPDATE SOME PORTIONS OF THE PLAN IN RESPONSE TO THOSE PRIMARILY CON, UH, CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY AND DID ADD IN A NEW GOAL AND NEW ACTION ITEM RELATED TO, UH, CREATING A MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE BAYTOWN.
THE ENGAGEMENT FOR THE PLAN HAS BEEN ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE PLAN PROCESS, AND WE'VE UTILIZED A, A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANNING METHODS.
SOME, UH, WERE PURELY ONLINE AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN OUR, UM, COVID-19 JOURNEY AND OTHERS WERE HYBRID.
UH, BUT WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT ON MANY OF OUR EVENTS, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET, UM, IN PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, INCLUDING OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, MR. BALLOU, FOR ALL OF THEIR GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THIS PLANNING PROCESS, WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, A, A GREAT RESPONSE TO A SURVEY AT OVER 2,700 RESPONSES.
WE ALSO UTILIZED THE BAYTOWN ENGAGE SITE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PLAN PROCESS.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE ELEMENTS, UH, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INCORPORATE WAS A YOUTH ART CONTEST WHERE WE HAD, UH, THE YOUTH, UH, IMAGINE WHAT BAYTOWN WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE YEAR 2040.
UM, UH, IN 20 YEARS THIS WILL BE, UH, THEIR CITY.
AND WE GOT A TON OF GREAT RESPONSES AND WE'VE INCORPORATED THESE AS THE COVERS OF EACH OF THE PLAN SECTIONS.
AGAIN, UH, THE PLAN TOUCHES ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AND IS, UH, ORGANIZED BY THESE IN, IN THE PLAN ITSELF.
THE PLAN IS AN ONLINE PLAN, WHICH IS, UH, I THINK GOING TO HELP MAKE THE PLAN MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO, TO THE PUBLIC AND IS DIVIDED INTO THE EXISTING CITY.
AND THEN THE FUTURE CITY PORTION.
AN EXISTING CITY, AGAIN, LOOKS AT JUST THE EXISTING CONDITIONS IN BAYTOWN, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY AS IT IS TODAY THROUGH THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
THESE TOP SEVEN THEMES, UH, ROSE UP, AND THEN THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FUTURE CITY ARE BASED ON THESE.
SO IN NO PARTICULAR PRIORITY ORDER, UH, THESE INCLUDED PROACTIVELY PREPARING FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENHANCING MOBILITY AND ACCESS, DIVERSIFYING BAY TOWN'S ECONOMIC BASE, PUTTING THE BAY BECK AND BAYTOWN BOLSTERING BAY TOWN'S IMAGE AND APPEARANCE, FOCUSING ON RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE AND ADVANCING PLAN PRIORITIES THROUGH NEW AND IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS.
THE FUTURE CITY IS WHERE REALLY GETS INTO THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH OF THESE SECTIONS.
WE TIED IT BACK TO WHAT WE HEARD, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF BAYTOWN SAY, AND EACH PLAN SECTION ALSO HAS A MATRIX THAT SUMMARIZES THE MORE IN DEPTH RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PLAN SECTION.
THAT INCLUDES A PRIORITIZATION BY YEAR.
SO THIS IS A LONG RANGE, 20 YEAR PLAN, BUT THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT BUBBLED UP TO THE TOP AS BEING
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PERHAPS SHORTER TERM IN NATURE.SO YOU'LL SEE SOME ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SHOULD BE LOOKED AT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
OTHERS ARE FIVE TO 10 YEARS AND OTHERS TRULY ARE THOSE 10 TO 20 YEAR OUT.
WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL PARTNERS, UH, FOR THE CITY, WHETHER THAT'S, UH, INTERNALLY SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS OR OTHER PARTNERS AS WELL, WHETHER THAT'S, UM, STATE AGENCIES SUCH AS TXDOT OR OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
SO EACH OF THE STRATEGIC ACTION PRIORITIES CONTAINS, UH, DETAIL ABOUT WHAT ALL THAT WOULD ENTAIL IF THE CITY DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION.
AND THERE'S ALSO CALL OUT BOXES FOR CERTAIN TOPICS THAT PROVIDE EITHER A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH EXPLANATION.
THE ONE YOU SEE HERE IS WHAT IS ECOTOURISM.
SO IF A RECOMMENDATION CONTAINS SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH, UM, THAT'S WHAT THOSE CALL OUT BOXES ARE FOR AS WELL AS BEST PRACTICES.
OKAY, I WANTED TO TURN TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS A KEY COMPONENT OF ALL COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
SO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, IT SHOWS THE EXPECTED GENERAL FUTURE LAND USES, AGAIN, NOT NECESSARILY THE LAND USE THAT'S THERE TODAY, BUT LOOKING OUT TO 20 YEARS, WHAT SORTS OF LAND USES MIGHT WE EXPECT IN THE FUTURE? IT'S NOT REGULATORY MAP LIKE THE ZONING MAP IS.
AND CRITICALLY, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND THE ZONING MAP ARE NOT THE SAME.
THOSE ARE, UH, TWO SEPARATE MAPS, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WHILE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP GOES ALL THE WAY OUT, EXCUSE ME, TO THE CITY'S EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, UH, ZONING OF COURSE IS LIMITED TO THE CITY LIMITS, SO THERE IS NO ZONING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
UH, ONE THING YOU'LL NOTICE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS, UH, THAT PURPLE COLOR.
THAT PURPLE COLOR IS INDUSTRIAL, AND THERE'S A LOT OF IT IN THE ETJ PORTION, THAT'S THE EASTERN PORTION.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT LAND IS ALREADY OWNED BY THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES.
OR I JUST LOST MY SCREEN HERE, BUT LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET IT BACK.
AND, UM, ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS INDUSTRIAL OVER TIME.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT, UM, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A REGULATORY MAP, UM, IT DOES NOT SET THE USES AND IT DOES NOT, UM, PRECLUDE ANY USES.
SO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DOES HAVE EIGHT CATEGORIES THAT RANGE FROM RURAL, UM, UP TO INDUSTRIAL.
THERE ARE ALSO FOUR, UM, WHAT WE'RE CALLING SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS THAT ARE DENOTED ON THE MAP.
THESE ARE AREAS THAT, UH, WARRANT KINDA A DEEPER LOOK.
AND, UH, THOSE INCLUDE ON GATEWAYS, WHICH ARE THE ENTRYWAYS TO THE CITY, THE SAN JACINTO AREA, UH, DOWNTOWN, AND THE EVERGREEN WATERFRONT AREA.
SO SOME OF THESE AREAS HAVE ALREADY HAD, UH, SPECIAL PLANS DONE FOR THEM, LIKE DOWNTOWN AND OTHERS LIKE THE EVERGREEN AREA ARE ALREADY GOING THROUGH A CONCEPTUAL PLANNING PROCESS.
SO THE, UH, THESE DEMAR UH, NOTATIONS ON THE MAP ARE INTENDED TO KIND OF SIGNAL, HEY, THIS IS AN AREA THAT NEEDS SOME SPECIAL ATTENTION, AND THEN REFER YOU TO THOSE PLANNING EFFORTS.
SO IN THE PLAN DOCUMENT, UH, FOR EACH OF THE FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES, THERE IS A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT ALL THAT, UH, TYPICALLY ENTAILS, INCLUDING THE TYPES OF LAND USES YOU WOULD TYPICALLY FIND IN AN AREA, UM, DESIGNATED AS AS SUCH.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE AT THIS SCALE, BUT THIS IS WHAT THE, UH, CURRENT ITERATION OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, UM, LOOKS LIKE.
SO HOW WILL THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BE USED? WELL UPON ADOPTION, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS USED AS A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT, UH, BY CITY OFFICIALS AND STAFF DURING YOUR NORMAL, UH, CITY BUSINESS.
THINGS LIKE THE ANNUAL BUDGETING PROCESS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, PLANNING AND BUDGETING, UH, DEPARTMENT WORK PLANS, UH, GRANT PURSUITS, UH, LAND AND FACILITY PLANNING THAT THE CITY UNDERTAKES, UM, IMPORTANT TO TO YOU ALL AS A COMMISSION, UH, REVIEWING ZONING AND SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS.
AND THEN CONSIDERATION OF DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
AGAIN, UH, AS A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT.
UH, ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY, UH, TRIGGER ANY, UH, ALLOCATION OF, OF FUNDS OR COMMITMENTS TO PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PLAN WOULD STILL NEED TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE NORMAL CITY PROCESSES OF APPROVAL BY COUNCIL, UM, EITHER, UH, BUDGET ALLOCATIONS OR ADOPTING NEW ORDINANCES OR APPROVING CONTRACTS,
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UH, GIVING THE GREEN LIGHT FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS.SO ALL THE NORMAL STEPS THAT, UM, THE CITY TAKES.
SO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION SECTION, ONE THING YOU'LL SEE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE ACTION AGENDA.
SO THERE ARE, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIONS IN THIS PLAN OVER, UM, OVER A HUNDRED.
AND WE, UH, WHITTLED THAT DOWN TO KIND OF A TOP 20 LIST BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC AS THEIR TOP PRIORITIES, UH, FOR THE CITY TO FOCUS ON IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
WE THEN, UH, TOOK THAT ACTION AGENDA OUT TO THE PUBLIC, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE UNK OPEN HOUSE, AND THEY IDENTIFY THEIR TOP PRIORITIES IN EACH OF THOSE, UH, PLAN SECTION TOPICS.
SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, YOU SEE HERE, UM, IN LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT.
THE TOP, UM, ACTION AGENDA PRIORITY WAS TO UPDATE THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND GROWTH CAPACITY IS TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR REGIONAL STORMWATER DETENTION FACILITIES AND HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS IS TO WORK TO REVITALIZE AND PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OLDER ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS AND TRANSPORTATION TO ANALYZE KEY INTERSECTIONS TO EXAMINE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC FLOW, TO IDENTIFY NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS AND RECREATION AMENITIES TO CREATE REGULATIONS TO PROTECT LARGE TREES AND SUPPORT LOW MAINTENANCE DROUGHT AND HEAT TOLERANT LAND LANDSCAPING, AND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO FOCUS EFFORTS ON REVITALIZING COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, INCLUDING SITES AWAY FROM GARTH ROAD.
SO AFTER TONIGHT, UM, THE, THE PLAN IS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA NEXT WEEK FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
AFTER YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT, I WILL PAUSE THERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS BY ANYBODY? MARTIN, YOU HAVE COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOMETHING THAT MEREDITH WAS TALKING ABOUT.
MEREDITH, CAN YOU TAKE IT BACK TO, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE 12? SURE.
SO THIS, THIS MEREDITH ADDED, UM, SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON, ON THIS SLIDE TODAY BECAUSE WE DID HAVE SOME CALLS FROM SOME PEOPLE, UH, IN CHAMBERS COUNTY.
UM, AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER COLS AS WELL THIS AFTERNOON.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THIS IS NOT KIND OF GLOSSED OVER, BUT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WE'RE TRYING TO REITERATE IT, IT IS NOT A ZONING MAP.
WE DON'T HAVE AS A CITY ANY ZONING AUTHORIZATION IN THE, IN THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.
SO ANYTHING BEYOND OUR CITY BOUNDARY, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT 20 YEARS OUT, SHOULD THOSE PROPERTIES ANNEX INTO THE CITY OVER TIME, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT, WE DON'T KNOW.
UM, IF THEY DO, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE A, A GUIDE THAT TELLS US, OKAY, WHAT WOULD THAT COME IN, UM, TO THE CITY AND BE ZONED.
AS ALL THAT SAID, THIS MAP CHANGES.
OUR LAST MAP CHANGED FROM 2008 TO TO TODAY TO TODAY HALF A DOZEN TIMES.
SO THOSE THINGS CHANGE AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE TO US AS A CITY.
BUT UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU SEE A BUNCH OF PURPLE ON THAT PRO ON THAT MAP, IT REALLY IS BECAUSE THOSE PROPERTIES ARE ALREADY OWNED BY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPERS.
SO AGAIN, SHOULD SOMETHING CHANGE IN THE FUTURE AND WE SEE A LARGE LANDHOLDER AND THAT CHANGES AND THEY SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO DO A BIG, UH, A BIG HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OR A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE WOULD EXAMINE THAT AND LOOK AT THE HISTORY AND LOOK AT HOW THAT, THAT HAS KIND OF HAPPENED OVER TIME.
AND THEN WE WOULD INITIATE THEN, OR ASK THEM TO INITIATE A CHANGE TO THIS MAP TO SAY, OKAY, WE WANT TO ANNEX IN OR DO SOME, SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS NO LONGER AN INDUSTRIAL IN, IT'S NO LONGER IN OUR FUTURE AS INDUSTRIAL.
WE WOULD WANT TO CHANGE THAT TO SOMETHING MORE APPROPRIATE AT THAT TIME.
AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE SEE AS STAFF AND THE CONSULTANT, WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, THESE ARE ALREADY OWNED BY COMMERCIAL, OR EXCUSE ME, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPERS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THE CONFUSING THINGS IS THE OLD MAP.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, UM, THE, THE PLAN FROM 2013, THAT MAP SHOWS THAT ALL AS GREEN AND WHICH THAT THAT IS DENOTED AS EITHER URBAN OR, UH, OR VACANT OR EXCUSE ME, RURAL OR VACANT.
UM, AND UM, AND SO NOW REALLY WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO IS WE UNDERSTAND ALREADY THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S PART OF THE BIG INDUSTRIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, 15,000 ACRES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND OUT THERE, IT MAKES SENSE TO NOTE IT ON THE MAP AS INDUSTRIAL LAND.
SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED MEREDITH TO DO IS ADD SOME THINGS TO THE, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP ITSELF SO THAT THAT'LL BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT MAP.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY BOUNDARY IS, IS, UH, NOTED, UM, PRETTY CLEARLY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL CHANGE OVER TIME AND THAT WILL BE
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REFLECTED ON OUR GIS THAT IS ONLINE.SO YOU CAN BRING UP THAT LAYER.
UM, ONCE, ONCE THIS IS DONE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BRING UP THAT, THAT LAYER ON OUR GIS AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IT IS IN THE MAP AS IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AS.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING WE'D LIKE TO PUT ON THE MAP IS SOMETHING THAT REITERATES SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT TO SAY THIS IS NOT TO BE NOTED AS ZONING.
THIS IS NOT TO BE, UM, IT'S NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THESE THINGS WILL JUST HAPPEN.
SO, UM, SO AGAIN, I WANTED TO REITERATE THAT 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND I WANT MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND, AND THAT THAT WAS NOT OUR INTENT TO MAKE THAT LOOK SCARY TO ANYBODY.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT IT WAS SO, UM, BUT THERE YOU GO.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE I CALL THE PUBLIC? YEAH, ACTUALLY I DO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT STRUCK ME IN THE PRESENTATION WAS, IS THE PICTURES THAT YOU SELECTED FOR THE ART CONTEST, UH, ONE OF THEM SAID, I BELIEVE YOU SAID TECH AND THEN APPLY NOW.
DO YOU SEE WHERE THIS, UH, PLAN IS IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM DESIGNED TO ATTRACT COMPANIES HERE THAT ARE HIGHER TECH PERHAPS, OR, UH, DRIVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES WITH THOSE KINDS OF COMPANIES, MAYBE HIGHER INCOME ENABLE, YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS TO BUY HIGHER PRICE HOMES, WHICH DRIVES ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUES? YES.
SO IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTION, UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, SEVERAL SPECIFIC ACTION PRIORITIES THAT RELATE TO THINGS LIKE, UM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, UH, CREATING THE TYPE OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD ATTRACT THOSE TYPE OF INDUSTRIES.
SO IF YOU, UH, REMEMBER THIS, UH, WHERE WAS IT? SORRY FOR ALL THE FLIPPING, UM, THAT, UH, THIRD ONE THERE, DIVERSIFYING BAY TOWN'S ECONOMIC BASE.
SO THAT'S STARTING TO GET AT SOME OF, UM, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ATTRACTING DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDUSTRIES.
AND THEN THE COROLLARY PIECE TO THAT IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO ATTRACTING CERTAIN, UM, TYPES OF INDUSTRIES THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, CERTAIN THINGS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AS AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, A LARGE PORTION OF THIS PLAN TOUCHES ON THINGS THAT RELATE BACK TO QUALITY OF LIFE, WHETHER THAT'S, UM, HOUSING CONDITIONS, UM, THE PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM OR THOSE AMENITIES THAT, UM, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR, WHETHER THEY'RE SELECTING TO MOVE THEIR FAMILY THERE OR MOVE THEIR BUSINESS THERE.
SO THINGS LIKE THE PUTTING THE BAY BACK IN BAYTOWN, SO CREATING THIS, UH, UTILIZING, UH, THE, THE WATERFRONT HERE.
SO, UM, I'D SAY THERE, THERE ARE, UM, THOSE PIECES THERE.
ANYONE ELSE? I HAVE THREE PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR THIS EVENING, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY COMMISSIONER BILLY COMBS.
THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT COMMISSIONERS.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO COMMEND Y'ALL FOR THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING AND DOING YOUR 2040 PLAN.
YOU KNOW, I I TRULY WISH I COULD GET MY COMMISSIONERS TO DO THE SAME THING.
AND I ALSO, I WANNA REACH OUT.
I WANNA THANK MARTIN FOR TAKING MY CALL TODAY AND WORKING WITH ME.
UH, YEAH, IT, IT IS KIND OF SCARY WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THAT PURPLE AND I'M GONNA SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS THAT ARE IN, UH, YOUR ETJ, THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF CHAMBERS COUNTY.
IT IS SCARY AND WHAT'S REALLY SCARY ABOUT IT, I HAVE THE EXACT SAME THING ON MY GOOGLE EARTH BECAUSE I'VE GOT ALL OF OUR INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND STUFF OUTLINED IN PURPLE, AND THAT MAP IS VERY ACCURATE.
IT DOES IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY EITHER INDUSTRIAL PARKS DOING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OR OWNED BY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPERS THAT WE FEEL WILL GO IN THAT DIRECTION.
THERE MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO LITTLE THINGS IN THERE THAT COULD GO EITHER WAY, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT'S, IT'S, IT IS VERY, VERY ACCURATE.
AND, UH, BUT IT, IT IS SCARY ENOUGH THAT IT PROMPTED ME A FEW WEEKS AGO TO DRAFT THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WE CALL OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY.
AND, YOU KNOW, CHAMBERS COUNTY HAS BEEN VERY, UH, HOW DO I SAY THIS? WE'VE BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH OUR TAX ABATEMENTS AND IT'S PAID OFF.
WE HAVE RAISED OUR TAX, UH, OUR APPRAISAL RATES, OUR VALUES PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, SIX, 700% OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND A LARGE PART OF IT IS DUE TO OUR ABATEMENTS THAT WE'RE GIVEN, BUT WE'RE TO THE POINT RIGHT NOW.
OUR INDUSTRIAL IS ENCROACHING IN ON OUR RESIDENTIAL AND IT IS VERY CONCERNING TO OUR COURT.
IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO OUR RESIDENTS.
UH, AND I REACHED OUT TO MARTIN AND SOME OF BAY, UH, BAYTOWN, YOU KNOW, EARLIER WEEK OR TWO AGO.
WE WANT TO START WORKING CLOSER WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU, WE WANT TO, WE HAVE A
[00:30:01]
LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR ETJ, UM, BUT WE WANT TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE PARTNERS IN IT.AND WHAT, I WANT TO GO AWAY, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TONIGHT TO CHANGE YOUR MAP, MARTIN, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOU MAKING THE IDENTIFICATIONS ON IT AND STUFF.
YOU KNOW, I'M WELL AWARE YOU DO NOT HAVE ZONING RIGHTS IN YOUR ETJ, NOR DOES THE COUNTY COUNTIES CANNOT ZONE.
SO PEOPLE CAN BUILD WHAT THEY WANT TO BE DO OUT THERE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE WORKING ON OUR TAX ABATEMENTS.
AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO USE THAT AS A TOOL TO, UH, GET GREEN BELTS, TO GET BUFFER ZONES.
IF THEY CAN'T BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR THEN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE CAN'T STOP 'EM FROM COMING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO ENTICE 'EM OR REWARD 'EM FOR DOING SO.
SO WHAT I WANT TO ASK OF Y'ALL TONIGHT IS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN AREAS THAT'S IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF CHAMBERS COUNTY, THAT IS HUGE TAX DOLLARS TO THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
A LARGE PORTION OF YOUR REVENUES COME FROM WEST CHAMBERS COUNTY AND OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, BUT BE COGNIZANT OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT'S IN THAT AREA.
AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD BE FOR YOUR RESIDENTS HERE IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, JUST REALIZE WE'RE LIVING OUT THERE TOO, AND WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS.
OUR SECOND BERE, LINDSEY SHARP, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? I'M A LITTLE SHORT.
MY ADDRESS IS 51 0 3 DRIPPING SPRING AVENUE.
I LIVE IN COVEN COTTON CREEK AT UM, OFF OF 31 80 IN CHAMBERS COUNTY.
I AM ALSO A LOCAL REALTOR IN TOWN.
UM, SO I'VE REVIEWED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF 2040 AND HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE PROPOSED INDUSTRIALLY INDUCED IN CHAMBERS COUNTY THAT BORDERS 31 80 AND 2354.
I HAD BUYERS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN A HOME IN NORTH POINT THAT WAS VALUED OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, BUT THEY DECIDED NOT TO MAKE AN OFFER FOR FEAR OF WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE BUILT ON THE WEST SIDE OF 2354 ACROSS FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY IN APRIL THIS YEAR, AS COMMISSIONER COMBS STATED THAT THEY DRAFTED THE GOOD NEIGHBOR RESOLUTION IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF THE LIFE OF RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA.
THE RESOLUTION DID STATE THAT THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IS ENCROACHING ON RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND ENDANGERING THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS.
THIS WAS THE CASE BACK IN 2012 WHEN BAY 10 BUSINESS PARK WAS BEING ZONED AND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN AND THE RESIDENTS OF LEGENDS BAY, SEVERAL CHAMBERS COUNTY OFFICIALS MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD BACK THEN IN REGARD TO THE PROPOSED ZONING FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USE THAT WOULD BACK UP TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AN AGREEMENT WAS MADE WITH THE DEVELOPER TO ZONE THE LAND CLOSEST TO LEGENDS BAY AS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL INSTEAD OF HEAVY INDUSTRIAL.
AND THEY ALSO AGREED TO ADD A BUFFER TO THAT DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HAD RESIDENTS NOT VOICED THEIR CONCERNS, THE DEVELOPER WOULD'VE ALLOWED HEAVY INDUSTRIAL TO BE BUILT DIRECTLY BEHIND THAT RESIDENTIAL AREA.
TODAY I'M HERE VOICING THE SAME CONCERN WE HAD BACK IN 2012 OVER THE YEARS.
I CONTINUE TO SEE THIS CONCERN REGARDING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH MANY BUYERS AND SELLERS AS IT'S AN ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE COULD IMPACT PROPERTY VALUES OVER TIME.
IF PROPERTY VALUES WERE TO DECREASE THE CITY OF A TOWN WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT.
AS RESIDENTS WHO BORDER THESE DEVELOPMENT AREAS PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN CHAMBERS COUNTY AND THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS, AS OUR AREA CONTINUES TO GROW, I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THAT THE CITY OF OAKTOWN DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ITS NEIGHBORS WHO BORDER THE ETJ AND THE IMPACT THAT THEIR DECISIONS MAKE ON RESIDENTS.
WE MAY NOT LIVE IN CITY LIMITS, BUT WE WORK AND WE SPEND MONEY HERE AND IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY FOR THE BETTER.
WE JUST ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME IN RETURN WHEN WORKING WITH INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS.
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL ZONING IN THE ETJ, BUT WE HOPE THAT YOU CAN RELAY OUR CONCERNS TO INDUSTRIAL OWNERS JUST AS YOU DID IN 2012 FOR THE BAY 10 BUSINESS PARK.
OUR THIRD SPEAKER IS TRACY ELAM.
I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, SO I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED AS FAR AS SPEAKING, BUT WHEN I HAD A CHANCE, WE'RE ONE OF THOSE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOLKS, WE'RE ON BEACH HAVEN STREET.
SO WITH THAT LITTLE YELLOW STRIP THAT STICKS RIGHT INTO THE PURPLE EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP TO THE SOUND OF BULLDOZERS GOING FORWARD AND BACKWARD.
I SEE ALL THE WILD ANIMALS RUNNING THROUGH MY YARD 'CAUSE THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO.
OKAY? WE HAVE ALL THE WILD ANIMALS.
WE HAVE LIVE ON THE, THE MIGRATORY BIRD ZONE, AND I JUST SEE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LAND.
THE LAND IS LITERALLY BEING RAPED, CLEAN
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IS RIP CLEAN, AND WE'RE RIGHT THERE AND WE'RE HAVING THE, THE AIR POLLUTION FROM ALL THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON THERE, THE LIGHT POLLUTION.AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THE ANIMALS HAVE NO PLACE TO GO.
AND WE HAVE OUR PROPERTY VALUES TO CONSIDER DOWN THE FUTURE IN THE FUTURE HERE.
'CAUSE WE PLAN ON SELLING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS WELL.
AND WE'RE AT THAT LITTLE STRIP OF YELLOW RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PURPLE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WHO TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS, BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE THAT TO KEEP IT FROM ENCROACHING ALL THE WAY INTO OUR BACKYARDS BECAUSE WE'RE LITERALLY RIGHT THERE ON THE EDGE.
AND I HOPE THERE'S GOING TO BE A BUFFER ZONE, AND I HOPE THAT'S BEEN CONSIDERED, AT LEAST TO KEEP OUT, YOU KNOW, THE NOISE AND, AND THE POLLUTION AND THE, AND THE SITE.
I WALKED INTO MY CUL-DE-SAC THE OTHER DAY AND I LOOKED ACROSS WHERE THERE USED TO BE SOLID TREES.
I COULD SEE THE FLOOR DECOR SIGN MILES FROM MY HOUSE, FROM THE CUL-DE-SAC.
AND IT STARTED TO LOOK LIKE CHANNEL VIEW OUT THERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT CHANNEL ONE SAYS, HEY, LET'S GO CHANNEL VIEW.
OKAY? SO IF THAT'S WHAT YOUR PLAN IS FOR BAYTOWN IS TO BEAUTIFY BAYTOWN, IT'S NOT HAPPENING OUT THERE AND IT'S AFFECTING ALL OUR RESIDENTS.
AND I HOPE YOU TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION, WHATEVER, WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, I HAVE COMMENT.
UH, I NOTICED IN THE PLAN THAT NUMBER TWO IN THE LIST OF ACTION ITEMS WAS REVOLVING AROUND DRAINAGE.
AND AS MR. COMBS KNOWS, WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES THAT ARE GONNA DEVELOP ALONG THE, UH, GRAND PARKWAY.
AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A GOOD COOPERATION BETWEEN CHAMBERS COUNTY AND THE CITY IN LEVERAGING WHATEVER MONIES WE CAN GET FROM HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL OR FEDERAL TO START WORKING ON WATER CONVEYANCE BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE A, A HUGE AMOUNT OF NEW WATER THAT'S GONNA SHOW UP, UH, ONCE THAT DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT.
UH, LAST YEAR ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY I GUESS IT WAS 2020.
I'M MATT JOHNSON, THE, UH, INTERIM CITY ENGINEER.
UM, AND, UH, IN 2020 WHEN WE WROTE, REWROTE OUR FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCES AND WE DEVELOPED CHAPTER 1 0 9 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, UM, WE TOOK THINGS LIKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, THE CITY HAS A STANDARD REQUIREMENT.
IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING GREATER THAN AN ACRE, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE DETENTION AND IT'S A FLAT RATE DETENTION, WHETHER IT'S IN CHAMBERS COUNTY OR HARRIS COUNTY.
AND IN ACTUALITY, WE TOOK CHAMBERS COUNTY'S POINT HIGHER 0.65 ACRE FEET PER ACRE REQUIREMENT AND PUT IT INTO, UH, AND APPLIED IT TO THE HARRIS COUNTY SIDE OF BAYTOWN AS WELL.
UM, THE WAY THAT THE CHAPTER 1 0 9 IS WRITTEN, IF THE ENGINEERS FOLLOW THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STORM SEWERS, IT'S UM, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO CAUSE A FLOOD IN THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, THE OFFSITE, UH, DRAINAGE IS ALSO BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH, UM, ESPECIALLY DOWN ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION AROUND TRI-CITY BEACH AND EVERGREEN.
UH, AND THE, THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON WITH ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS, UM, ALSO AS AN EFFECT, UM, AND I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED WHEN I FOUND OUT FROM THE COUNTY ENGINEER IN CHAMBERS COUNTY THAT CHAMBERS COUNTY HAS ACTUALLY ADOPTED FOR INSIDE OF OUR ETJ, OUR DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS.
SO OUR STORM SEWER AND DETENTION REQUIREMENTS ARE THERE STORM SEWER AND DETENTION REQUIREMENTS INSIDE THE ETJ.
SO IT'S UNIFORM NOW, UM, WHICH WILL HELP, UM, UH, REDUCE SOME OF THOSE FLOODING CONCERNS AND, AND, UH, UM, ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP.
AND AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THE DETENTION, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT THERE NEEDS TO BE CONVEYANCE AND YES.
AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY COULD WORK TOGETHER ON AND, AND ABSOLUTELY DECIDE AHEAD OF TIME HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT CONVEYANCE.
AND THAT IS, UM, WE HAVE, UH, APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED SEVERAL PARTNERSHIP GRANTS WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND FLOOD CONTROL TO, UM, FACILITATE THAT.
AND, AND JUST TO, TO CLARIFY WITHIN, SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT BEING PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK WHERE WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, PARTNERING WITH OUR, WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COUNTY BEING A HUGE ONE, UM, IN, IN EFFORTS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE ARE REFERENCES THROUGHOUT THE PLAN TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE? WE'RE BEING ASKED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2040 MOVE TO ADOPT SECOND, SECOND MOTION, AND A SECOND TO ADOPT.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
[00:40:01]
LIKE, SIGN.I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO OUR CHAMBERS COUNTY NEIGHBORS THAT WE ARE COGNIZANT OF THE ISSUES AND ALWAYS TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS.
[a. Consider making a recommendation to the City Council regarding proposed text amendments to Chapter 109 "Engineering and Construction Standards", Article III - "Streets", Section 109-76 - "Geometric Standards".]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, BUSINESS ITEMS. CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION CITY COUNCIL REGARDING PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 1 0 9, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.ARTICLE THREE STREET SECTION 1 0 9 THROUGH 76 GEOMETRIC STANDARDS.
UM, I AM MATT JOHNSON IN TERMS CITY ENGINEER AND ALSO THE CITY'S TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
UM, WHEN GOING BACK TO WHAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, WHEN WE REWORKED OUR FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCES AND OUR, UM, AND CREATED CHAPTER 1 0 9, 1 OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO WAS ALSO, UM, MODIFY OUR CURRENT RIGHT OF WAY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE MINIMAL.
UM, THEY DON'T REALLY MATCH UP OR ARE NOT ON PAR WITH OUR SISTER CITIES, UM, AROUND THE REGION.
UM, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT NECESSARILY HELP TO CREATE THE TYPES OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AND ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, AS THE VISION FOR BAYTOWN.
UM, AND SO WE ARE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020, UM, TO INTEGRATE THIS IN.
IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH STUFF GOING ON AT ONCE.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE, UH, STARTING TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT NOW.
UM, THE PART OF WHAT WE'RE, UH, PLANNING ON DOING IS, UM, CONSOLIDATING AND EXPANDING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ENDED UP CONSULTATING AND EXPANDING AT THE SAME TIME, BUT, UM, ESSENTIALLY ADDING A CLASS OF ROADWAY AND, UM, MINIMIZING SOME OF THE, UH, THE OTHER CLASSES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE COMP PLAN FOR THE MTFP, WE HAVE MULTIPLE LAYERS OF, UM, UH, OF ROADWAY CLASSIFICATIONS.
BUT THE FIRST THAT WE'LL HAVE IS WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE LOCAL RESIDENTIAL STREET, AND I'LL GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING A RESIDENTIAL COLLECTOR, WHICH IS A HYBRID BETWEEN OUR STANDARD COLLECTOR AND THE LOCAL STREETS.
UM, THEN OBVIOUSLY THE COLLECTOR AND THE ARTERIAL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE DOING IS ADDING AN ADDITIONAL TWO FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY REQUIREMENT FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTIAL STREET TO ACCOMMODATE WIDER, UM, PAVEMENT.
WE KNOW THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH PEOPLE PARKING ON THE STREETS AND THEN EMERGENCY VEHICLES NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH.
AND THIS WOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE THAT.
THE, UM, OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES FOLKS HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, YEAH, THAT'D BE ENOUGH ROOM FOR US TO GET THROUGH IF WE HAD A STANDARD CAR ON EITHER SIDE AND POTENTIALLY EVEN ONE OF THE BIG TRUCKS AND A CAR ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, THIS ALSO WILL ESTABLISH THE FACT THAT, UM, WHERE THE SIDEWALKS ARE TO BE LOCATED GENERALLY, UH, WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY ON THE LOCAL COLLECTOR OR THE RESIDENTIAL COLLECTOR WILL HAVE TWO POTENTIAL VERSIONS FOR IT.
ONE WITH A MEDIAN SO THAT YOU'D HAVE SEPARATED TRAFFIC FLOWS, ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WOULD HAVE A TWO-WAY LEFT TURN LANE, UM, AS THE ALTERNATE.
UH, ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RESIDENTIAL COLLECTOR AND A LOCAL STREET IS THAT ON ONE SIDE IT'LL HAVE AN EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK SLASH SHARED USE PATH, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IT'LL HAVE A FIVE FOOT.
UM, THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS, FOR ADDING THIS IN IS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS IN TOWN THAT ACT AS A COLLECTOR, BUT IT'S INSIDE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT IF WE WOULD'VE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHEN THOSE SUBDIVISIONS WERE DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE A BETTER FLOWING, UM, UH, WELL BETTER FLOW FOR OUR TRAFFIC AND FOR OUR VEHICLES AND, AND, AND GETTING PEOPLE IN AND OUT.
UM, THEN WE WILL, UH, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE COLLECTOR RIGHT OF WAY FROM 60 FEET TO A HUNDRED FEET, WHICH IS ON, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH ALMOST ALL OF OUR SISTER CITIES.
UM, AND IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR TWO LANES EACH DIRECTION WITH A MEDIAN, WHICH WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AS A REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND SO IF Y'ALL KNOW, UH, BUSH ROAD, IT'S FOUR LANES, IT'S FAST, PEOPLE SPEED DOWN IT AND THERE'S NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TRAFFIC THAT IT'S A COLLECTOR.
THIS WOULD HAVE PROVI IF WE'D HAD THIS, UM, CROSS SECTION, IT WOULD'VE PROVIDED FOR A SAFER FLOW OR A SAFER EXPERIENCE FOR OUR
[00:45:01]
TRAFFIC.ALSO, IF YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT HAS, UM, A 10 FOOT SHARED USE PATH AND A FIVE FOOT TRAIL, UM, OR FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE 16 FOOT WIDE MEDIAN WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, IF A MEDIAN OPENING IS NECESSARY OR A LEFT TURN LANE IS NECESSARY ON THE COLLECTOR, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CUT IT IN AND THEY WON'T HAVE TO.
UM, IT WON'T CAUSE TOO MUCH OF AN ISSUE WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, UM, FOR BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE BUSINESSES ON EITHER SIDE.
FOR THE ARTERIAL, CURRENTLY OUR ARTERIAL REQUIREMENT IS BETWEEN 80 AND A HUNDRED FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY.
IT'S NOT SPECIFIC AND IT DOESN'T GIVE ANY CONDITIONS FOR WHAT, WHEN A HUNDRED FEET REQUIRED AND WHEN 80 FEET REQUIRED.
UM, AND SO WE, UH, TOOK THE, UH, A VERY SIMILAR CROSS SECTION TO WHAT HARRIS COUNTY HAS FOR THEIR ARTERIALS, WHICH IS HAVING AN, UM, A STANDARD 16 FOOT MEDIAN AND THEN ADDING 12 FEET ON EITHER SIDE OR ON BOTH SIDES SO THAT IT, UH, IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN ADD, OOPS, SORRY, ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LANES BY GOING TO THE INSIDE RATHER THAN HAVING IT TO GO TO THE OUTSIDE AND POTENTIALLY HAVING TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THIS WOULD PUSH US TO 120 FEET, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN SOME OF OUR SISTER CITIES, BUT IT'S IN LINE WITH, UM, WITH WHAT IS AROUND US.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY IT WILL HAVE A 10 FOOT, UH, SHARED USE PATH ON ONE SIDE AND A FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK ON THE OTHER.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I THINK YOU KIND OF ANSWERED MY QUESTION TOWARD THE END WHEN YOU SAID WE'RE PUSHING IT TO ONE 20, WHICH IS MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE.
'CAUSE I WAS WONDERING, UM, AND I'M SURE THERE'S A VERY GOOD ENGINEERING REASON WHY WE CAN'T HAVE 10 FEET OF SHARED WALKWAY ON BOTH SIDES.
IT COULD BE INSTEAD OF 10 AND FIVE, IT'S JUST, IT, UH, IT, IT IS JUST A 10 FOOT IS REQUIRED ON ONE SIDE.
NOW ALSO, JUST TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY MORE BUILT ARTERIALS IN THE CITY.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR, OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN, IT, IT'S NOT LIKELY THAT A BRAND NEW ONE IS GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED.
UM, BUT JUST IN CASE IT DOES OR IF WE, UM, DECIDE TO USE THIS CROSS SECTION IF WE'RE REDEVELOPING A, UM, AN EXISTING ARTERIAL.
AND, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ON THE ARTERIALS.
UM, LAKE CITY IS A HUNDRED TO 120.
MISSOURI CITY IS A HUNDRED TO 120.
CAROLINE'S A HUNDRED TO 120, AND SUGARLAND IS A HUNDRED TO 150 ON THE ARTERIALS FOR THEIR RIGHT OF WAY WIDTHS.
AS ROADS ARE REWORKED, ARE THERE PLANS TO ACQUIRE THAT EXTRA PROPERTY OR TO STAY WITH THE EXISTING SIZING ON THE MAJORITY OF THE ROADWAYS? WHENEVER WE'RE DOING A, UM, A RECONSTRUCTION OF A ROADWAY, UM, IT'S ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION THAT WE'LL HAVE AS TO DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO ACQUIRE THE ADDITIONAL RIGHT OF WAY? ARE WE GONNA BE PUT PUTTING THAT CURB A LITTLE TOO FAR TO A HOUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND SO THOSE ARE ALWAYS CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE AND IT MAKES SENSE AND IT MEETS WITH THE, THE INTENT OF THE ROADWAY RECONSTRUCTION, THEN YES.
UM, HOWEVER, IT TO BE AS DISRUPTIVE AS POSSIBLE OR TO BE AS MINIMALLY DISRUPTIVE AS POSSIBLE, UM, IT WON'T BE.
CAN WE GO BACK TO JUST THE RESIDENTIAL STREET, LOCAL RESIDENTIAL? YES, MA'AM.
GOING FROM 50 TO 52, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT'S ENOUGH? UM, WE, UH, IN ORDER TO, UM, HELP OUR DEVELOPER FRIENDS AND NOT CREATE TOO MUCH OF A, UM, A PROBLEM FOR THEM, WE, WE, WE KEPT IT TO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THAT WE COULD.
UM, IT, IT, IT, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE PRETTY PICTURES AND TO WANT TO DO THESE THINGS, BUT IF IT'S TOO MUCH, THEY'RE GONNA STOP DEVELOPING AND THEY WON'T BECAUSE THEY WON'T GET THEIR, THEY WON'T GET THEIR LOT YIELD IF WE, IF WE PUSH IT OUT TO 60 OR 62 FEET.
UM, SO 52, IT GETS EVERYTHING IN THAT WE NEED.
UM, WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO PUSH THE PAVEMENT ANY WIDER THAN 32 FEET BECAUSE THAT BECOMES CONFUSING FOR DRIVERS.
[00:50:01]
DRIVING TOO SLOW, THEY'LL GO AROUND THEM, EVEN WITH CARS PARKED AND YOU CAN'T SEE PEDESTRIANS OR CYCLISTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT COMING OUT IN BETWEEN, ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS.UM, AND SO IT, IT, IT'S A GOOD BALANCE.
UM, WOULD I LIKE TO HAVE A FEW MORE FEET? YES.
I THINK IN MOST INSTANCES WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, A FIRE TRUCK CAN'T GO THROUGH THERE.
AND TWO, FEET'S NOT GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF YOU GOT CARS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
MY, MY CAR BARELY GOES THROUGH THERE.
WELL, THE CURRENT PAVEMENT WIDTH IS ACTUALLY 28 FEET.
AND SO, UH, THE CURRENT PAVEMENT WIDTH IS 28 FEET AND WE'RE MAKING IT 32 FEET.
SO WE'RE ADDING FOUR FEET OF PAVEMENT.
WE'RE JUST ESTABLISHING WHERE THINGS GO.
AND THE 32, THE 52 FEET GETS US TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE, UH, FIVE FOOT SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES AND HAVE THINGS, UM, OFFSET ENOUGH SO THAT WE CAN STILL HAVE, UH, POWER POLES IF WE NEED IT, OR UTILITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT RUNNING UNDERNEATH THE SIDEWALKS AND SIDEWALKS ARE COVERED UP BY CARS IN THE DRIVEWAY.
SORRY, THAT'S JUST WHAT IT'S I KNOW IT.
SO I I I, THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION, IT'S BAD.
AND IT'S THE NEWER SUBDIVISIONS THAT ARE SO BAD.
DO WHAT? I SAID, THERE'S NO EXTRA PARKING ON THE COMMUNITIES.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WELL, EVEN IF WE DID WIDEN THE RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S NOT IN A, IT'S NOT GONNA FIX PEOPLE PARKING ON THE SIDEWALK.
UNTIL WE DO SETBACKS, IT'S NOT YOU'RE RIGHT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
TO CLARIFY THIS ITEM, MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 0 9 AT CITY CODE, WHICH DOES NOT REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT DOES REQUIRE RECOMMENDATION.
DOES REQUIRE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD TO CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE A A THANK YOU MARK CHOICE.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SEC, UH, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
[a. Receive a report on the projects programmed by the Houston and Beaumont Districts of the Texas Department of Transportation within the City of Baytown.]
SIX REPORTS RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE PROJECTS PROGRAMMED BY THE HOUSTON AND BEAUMONT DISTRICTS OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WITHIN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.UM, THEY, UH, BEAUMONT DISTRICTS AND HOUSTON DISTRICT BOTH HAVE QUITE A FEW PROJECTS PROGRAMMED.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE ON THEIR TAIL END, SOME OF THEM ARE SPREADSHEETS THERE.
YOU GOT MARTIN TAKING CARE OF ME.
UM, THERE WAS ONE PROJECT THAT I DID MISS ON THIS, AND THAT IS THE SAN JACINTO BRIDGE.
UM, HOWEVER IT, UH, OVER, UM, ON I 10.
UM, THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT IT'S NOT PROGRAMMED FOR CONSTRUCTION FOR UNTIL THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S STILL A WAYS OUT THERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I, I NOTICED WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM PROJECTS, UM, A LOT OF THESE, THEY APPARENTLY HAVE MEANT UPDATING THEIR PROGRAMMING BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE EXPIRED TWO YEARS AGO, BUT THIS WAS STILL THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR, UM, ON, ON THEIR SYSTEM FOR PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND MAJORITY OF THESE ARE RESURFACING PROJECT, UH, RE PROJECTS, UM, LANDSCAPING.
THERE ARE SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, UM, WHICH ARE, UH, PROBABLY OF IMPORT TO Y'ALL.
UM, ONE BEING THE GRAND PARKWAY, UM, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN UP THE MAIN LANES OF TRAFFIC ON THE GRAND PARKWAY ON MAY 19TH.
AND THEN TOLLING WILL BEGIN, UM, TWO DAYS AFTER THAT AT MIDNIGHT.
UM, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, LEMME SEE.
UM, YEAH, ON THE 21ST, TOLLING BEGINS ON THE GRAND PARKWAY, SO THE MAIN LANES WILL BE OPEN.
UM, THE OTHER ONE THAT, UH, PROBABLY OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO Y'ALL IS THE,
[00:55:01]
UM, CONSTRUCTION OF THE 1 46 BRIDGE FROM, UM, ITS CURRENT TERMINUS, UH, MAINLAND TERMINUS TO FERRY ROAD, OR JUST A LITTLE BIT PAST, UH, FERRY ROAD, UH, THAT'S PROGRAMMED.UM, LET'S SEE, WHERE IS THAT? UM, I HAVE IT IN HERE.
WHERE IS IT? UM, TO BEGIN WITHIN IN THE NEXT, UH, FOUR YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW MEETINGS WITH THEM ABOUT UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA LET THE CONTRACT FOR THAT.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, MAJOR PROJECT IS GONNA BE THE 5 65 REALIGNMENT, UM, EAST OF 1 46, WHICH DOES EXTEND OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, BUT IT'S, UM, STILL ONE OF A, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT.
UM, THAT'S ALSO SUPPOSED TO BEGIN WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
THEY'VE ALREADY DONE SOME OF THE REALIGNMENT, BUT IT'S THE WIDENING IN THE BRIDGE OVER THE RAILROAD THAT, UM, IS COMING IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
UM, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT OR ROADWAY THAT Y'ALL WERE CURIOUS ABOUT? I HAVE QUESTION.
I, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF PLANS FOR, UH, ALEXANDER MM-HMM
FROM TEXAS AVENUE GOING NORTH.
SOME OF THEM HAD SOME PRETTY DRASTIC CHANGES TO THE WAY THE MEDIAN ALLOWED TRAFFIC TO GO THROUGH.
HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? UM, NO SIR.
WE, UM, WE HAVE SOME INTERNAL PLANS FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.
UM, AND HONESTLY IT'S A BUSINESS 1 46 T DOT DOES.
THEY KIND OF JUST LET IT GO SINCE IT'S UNDER OUR MAINTENANCE.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE RENDITIONS I SAW CONVERTED MOST OF THOSE MEDIANS TO EITHER A TURN FOR ONE SIDE ONLY MM-HMM
OR A TURN FOR THE OTHER SIDE INSTEAD OF ALLOWING BOTH TO TURN THROUGH.
I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T BEEN PRIVY TO THOSE, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
UM, LEMME SEE, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE KIND OF DISRUPTIVE TO LOCAL BUSINESS IF YOU COULDN'T TRAVEL AS FREELY BETWEEN THOSE.
IT, UM, ADDING ACCESS MANAGEMENT IN A LOT OF CASES ACTUALLY INCREASES THE, THE, UM, TRAFFIC TO THE BUSINESSES BECAUSE IT, UM, MINIMIZES THE AMOUNT OF CONFLICTS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CROSS THE, THE ROADWAY.
UM, AND PEOPLE FEEL SAFER WHEN THEY DO THAT.
UM, ONE, SOME OF OUR PROJECTS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN OUR CIP TO REPLACE, UH, AND RELOCATE ALL THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS ALONG NORTH ALEXANDER.
UM, AND WE'RE DOING THEM TWO AT A TIME PER YEAR, SO STARTING ON THE SOUTH END.
UM, AND, AND GETTING THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS OUT OF THE MEDIAN AND PUTTING THEM ON THE CORNER WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ALSO SOME PLANS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT, UM, FOR, UH, SOME ROADWAY LIGHTING, UM, ADDITIONS TO NORTH ALEXANDER.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH TXDOT, UM, TO UPDATE OUR MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
THE ONE THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, THE, WITH THE HOUSTON DISTRICT IS ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD AND IT'S NOT UNDER THEIR CURRENT FORM.
THE, UM, WITH THE ONE THAT WE HAVE AT THE BEAUMONT DISTRICT IS UNDER THE CURRENT FORM AND GIVES US A LOT MORE LEEWAY AND ABILITY AND AUTHORITY TO ENACT PROJECTS AND DO THINGS LIKE RELOCATE THE SIGNALS WITHOUT ANY HASSLE.
SO IN, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING MAJOR HAPPENING THERE IN THAT CORRIDOR ON ALEXANDER? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO SIR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
[a. Discuss proposed text amendments to the Unified Land Development Code of the City of Baytown to amend the current allowance for residential uses in the Mixed Use (MU) zoning district.]
ADAM, NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSS PROPOSED TAX AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TO AMEND THE CURRENT ALLOWANCE FOR RESIDENTIAL USES IN MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT.CHRIS, GOOD EVENING COMMISSION.
UH, SO STAFF HAS HAD A NUMBER OF INQUIRIES ABOUT USING THE MU DISTRICT FOR RESIDENTIAL USES.
HISTORICALLY, UH, THE MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT WAS PRETTY MUCH A CATCHALL FOR THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS THAT WERE COMPLICATED TO PUT INTO ONE SINGLE
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ZONING DISTRICT WHERE THERE WAS COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL.SO, UH, THIS MAP KIND OF INDICATES WHERE THOSE AREAS ARE AND WHERE MU IS EXISTING CURRENTLY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE CORRIDORS LIKE BAYWAY, CORRIDORS LIKE PRUITT, THOSE AREAS ALONG NORTH MAIN OR SOUTH MAIN STREET, UM, AND ALEXANDER DRIVEWAY, UH, ALEXANDER DRIVE ARE AREAS THAT GENERALLY HAVE THAT MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ALONG THEM.
THE CHALLENGE WITH THE MU ZONING DISTRICT IS THE FACT THAT IT IS A COMMERCIAL DESIGNATION IN NATURE, UM, IN THE ULDC, BUT DOESN'T, DOESN'T EASILY ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTIAL USES.
SO WHAT STAFF WANTS TO DISCUSS WITH YOU ALL IS THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING RESIDENTIAL USES INSIDE OF THE MU ZONING DISTRICT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REDEVELOP SOME OF THESE SMALL LOTS THAT ARE ALONG THESE CORRIDORS, UM, IN THE FASHION THAT THEY DESIRE TO DO.
UM, WHAT STAFF IS PROPOSING AT THIS TIME, AND WHAT WE WANT TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON IS, UH, ALLOWING, UH, DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTS SUCH AS DUPLEXES AND ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS INSIDE OF THE MU ZONES.
UM, OF COURSE THESE WILL COME WITH CONDITIONS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SIZE OF THE LOTS AND THEIR, UH, PROXIMITY TO COMMERCIAL, UH, ZONING DISTRICTS.
BUT, UH, WE FEEL THAT RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S VERY STRINGENT AND VERY HARD FOR ANYONE WITH A SMALL LOT INSIDE OF THE MU ZONE TO WANT TO USE IT FOR A RESIDENTIAL PURPOSE.
IT'S NOT QUITE LIVING UP TO THAT MIXED USE STANDARD OR THAT MIXED USE NAME THAT IT HAS.
IT'S OPERATING AS A SOLELY COMMERCIAL, UM, ZONING DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A DISCUSSION, NO ACTION IS GONNA BE TAKEN TONIGHT.
STAFF JUST WANTS TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU WITH A PROPOSED SET OF, UH, UH, TEXT AMENDMENTS, UM, THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, AGAIN, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NUMBER OF CORRIDORS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE BAYWAY CORRIDOR OVER HERE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY MARKET STREET WHERE YOU HAVE THE, THE POST OFFICE AND THE, THE BAYTOWN CAFE ON THE END.
AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE CORRIDORS THAT WE WANT TO REVITALIZE AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON.
AND WE HAVE INTERESTED PARTIES IN DOING SO, BUT THEY CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THE MU DOESN'T ALLOW.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO POSE THE QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL PRODUCTS INSIDE OF THIS ZONING DISTRICT, PARTICULARLY IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN PURPLE ON YOUR MAP? I LIKE THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TYPES.
I THINK IT GIVES A VARIETY, UH, FOR FOLKS THAT WANNA MOVE HERE TO CHOOSE FROM, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT SAN JACK.
THE, THAT, UM, THE INITIAL PROJECT, THE COTTAGES, YES.
AND SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED THAT VARIETY HERE.
AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT A LOT OF THESE LITTLE LOTS, UM, WOULD GET SOME ATTENTION AND MAYBE IN MASS, UM, MAYBE IN GROUPS, MAYBE ASSEMBLAGES OR SOME YOU, SO I I AGREE 110% WITH THIS.
I THINK THE ONLY THING I'D BE CONCERNED ABOUT, NOT CONCERNED, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TOO, UH, WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE DECIDE WHETHER I'M GONNA BUILD A HOME OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE INSIDE AN AREA THAT'S ALREADY INDUSTRIAL, LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL, WHATEVER, AND THEN LATER ON COMING BACK COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NOISE OR COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC OR, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD, IF, IF, IF WE DECIDE TO DO THIS, THEY SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THIS IS EXISTING ALREADY.
DON'T COME BACK TWO YEARS LATER COMPLAINING ABOUT, WELL, THERE'S TRUCK TRAFFIC OR THERE'S NOISE, OR, YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
YOU WILL BE BUYING INTO THE AREA.
SO THE MAP THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW, IT SHOWS THE PROXIMITY OF MIXED USE TO THE EXISTING SF TWO ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE AREA.
UM, SF TWO IS OUR MOST DOMINANT SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, UH, ZONING DISTRICT.
AND OF COURSE WE DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE SINGLE FAMILY FRONT FACING HOMES ON THE CORRIDORS THAT WE HAVE.
SO WHAT STAFF IS SAYING IS THAT WE FEEL THAT WITH THE PROXIMITY TO THE ARTERIALS AND BEING ADJACENT TO THE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, THAT A, A PRODUCT LIKE A DUPLEX OR A PRODUCT LIKE AN ATTACHED TOWN HOME MIGHT
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BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAN YOUR STANDARD SINGLE FAMILY LOT FACING THE ARTERIAL ROADWAY.SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MUCH INDUSTRIAL IN, IN THE AREAS THAT MU ALREADY EXISTS.
UM, BUT I DULY NOTED IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LIVING PRODUCT, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONDITION, UM, THAN WHAT WE TYPICALLY BUILD CURRENTLY.
SO MAYBE THINK OF WHAT YOU USE A DIFFERENT, EITHER NORTH MAIN OR ALEXANDER OR ONE OF THOSE AREAS MM-HMM
WHERE, WHERE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE AREAS? UM, SO I, I, AS CHRIS SAID, WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING FOR SINGLE FAMILY, UM, DETACHED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, LITTLE HIGHER DENSITY PRODUCTS THAT, THAT COULD MAKE SENSE THERE, DEPENDING.
SO MAYBE WE COULD GO WITH THE LAVENDER, BECAUSE NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE PURPLE AND THE FUTURE LANDUS QUESTION.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU CONCEIVING SOMETHING LIKE A BUSINESS FRONTAGE WITH THE RESIDENTS ON THE BACK? UH, THAT, THAT COULD DEFINITELY BE A POSSIBILITY.
YOU CAN HAVE THE HORIZONTAL, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HORIZONTAL MIXED USE, UHHUH,
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO CONSIDER VERTICAL MIXED USE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MIXED USE BUILDING PRODUCT, UM, THAT IS IN THE SAN JACINTO BOULEVARD AREA.
AND WE CAN PROPOSE TO PUT THAT INSIDE OF, UH, I LIKE THAT CONCEPT 'CAUSE THAT MIGHT PROMOTE SOME DIFFERENT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW.
THE ODD PART TOO IS THAT WE HAVE A ZONE THAT'S CALLED MIXED USE.
ANYWAY, SO WE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT IT AND AS PLANNERS TOO, CHRIS AND I LOOK AT MIXED USE, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PEOPLE DO, BUT WE SEE MIXED USE AND WE THINK THAT THAT, UH, LET'S SEE SOME, SOME BUSINESSES ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND SEE SOME RESIDENTIAL OR OFFICES OR SOMETHING ABOVE IT.
WELL, THE, THE CURRENT ZONING JUST DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT.
AND SO OUR MIXED USE IS, IS MIXED TYPE PROPERTY TYPES.
OUR MIXED USE ZONE WAS BROUGHT ABOUT AS A CATCHALL FOR ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T FIT IN COMMERCIAL IN GENERAL COMMERCIAL OR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING COMMERCIAL.
BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY LIKE THAT.
IT WAS ALREADY LIKE THAT WHEN WE GOT ZONING IN 2014.
SO IT, THAT IS ALSO WHY IT STATES IN THE ULDC THAT WE CANNOT USE THE MIXED USE ZONE GOING FORWARD.
YOU AND THE CITY COUNCIL ARE NOT ALLOWED BY THE CODE TO DESIGNATE ANY NEW PROPERTIES AS MU.
AND SO IS THAT A PRODUCT OF, AGAIN, A CATCHALL CATEGORY OR IS IT A PRODUCT OF WE'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF THESE USES AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
SO THE, I THINK THERE MIGHT'VE BEEN, AGAIN, I WASN'T HERE EIGHT YEARS AGO, SO I, I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UM, SOME CONFUSION IN THE, THE CONVERSION OR THE, WHAT'S THE WORD I WANT, UM, IN, IN TRANSLATING FROM WHAT IT USED TO BE OR WHAT, WHAT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE AND HOW DOES THAT LOOK IN OUR ZONING CODE BECAUSE IT, IT IS KIND OF CONFUSING, UM, ESPECIALLY TO HAVE A MIXED USE ZONE THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A TRUE MIXED USE.
SO IT JUST DOES BECOME ANOTHER SORT OF CATCHALL COMMERCIAL ZONE THAT, THAT IT, IT'S FINE FOR WHAT'S ALREADY THERE, BUT YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING NEW, YOU WANNA REVITALIZE, WHAT DO YOU DO? WELL, I'M, I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE ALL I KNOW IS WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD.
SO THIS, THIS WOULD HELP OPEN THAT UP A LITTLE BIT AND AGAIN, WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME OF THAT MIXED USE TYPE STUFF.
UM, BUT, BUT NOT SINGLE FAMILY.
THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS.
BUT, UM, BUT SHORT OF THAT, A LOT OF OTHER THINGS COULD BE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO INTRODUCE SOME FLEXIBILITY INTO THAT ZONE.
UM, AND IF THERE IS STILL A DESIRE OVER TIME TO PHASE OUT USE OF THAT ZONE, THEN WE FACE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THIS IS KIND OF SETTING THAT UP AS WELL.
A COUPLE OF CONCERNS IN REGARDS TO THIS.
UM, I, I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT IN, IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING OF.
BUT, UH, IN SOME OF OUR OLDER AREAS, AND I'LL, AND I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE THERE, THERE'S BECOME AN ISSUE BECAUSE IF, IF YOU, I HAVE A FEAR THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ALLOW A DUPLEX AND ONE DAY THAT DUPLEX GOES AWAY, YOU CAN'T GO BACK TO BUILDING SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A, A, A NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING BUSINESS.
AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I LIVE IN, IN WEST BAYTOWN, AND YOU KNOW, AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LIVES IN PELLY.
AND SO I LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE, WE JUST, WE'RE GETTING A BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL OVER THERE.
WELL, I EXPECT THERE TO BE MORE DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR CERTAIN AREAS TO HAVE DUPLEXES TO HAVE, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER NEEDS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
RIGHT NOW WE LIVE IN A, IN A FOOD DESERT.
UM, THOSE TWO AREAS SPECIFICALLY ARE FOOD DESERTS.
AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU, IF YOU GO UP MAIN STREET, YOU LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS, I MEAN, A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS OUR WALKERS.
[01:10:01]
A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE LITTLE BUS THAT THE COUNTY HAS.AND THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE BUS TO GO TO THE CLOSEST STORE, WHICH IS FOODTOWN MM-HMM
AND EVEN THEN, THEY'RE LIMITED IN WHAT THEY CAN BRING.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IS THAT ONE DAY SOMEBODY WILL WAKE UP AND SEE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S MONEY THERE, THERE'S COMMUNITY THERE.
AND, AND I'M ALWAYS AFRAID THAT ALLOWING MORE OF OPPORTUNITY, WHETHER THERE BE DUPLEXES, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY NOT PROMOTING APARTMENTS, BUT HAVING THOSE KIND OF BUSINESSES, OR I'M SORRY, THOSE KIND OF DEVELOPMENTS LIMITS THE AMOUNT, THE TYPE OF BUSINESS OR THE TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT THAT THE COMMUNITY REQUIRES, THAT JUST BECAUSE SIMPLY IT'S NOT AN AREA OF, OF HIGH DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, NORTH SIDE OF TOWN, THAT SOMETIMES THOSE AREAS GET FORGOTTEN.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF BUSINESS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T DENY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A NEED IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO, UM, I HAVE, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN WITH, WITH THIS.
I, I DO REALIZE THAT THERE'S LOTS, WELL, I MEAN, MAYBE WE LOOK AT IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
LET'S, LET'S MAKE IT FOR PEOPLE TO, LET'S MAKE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO MAYBE USE THOSE LINES TO CREATE A BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY IT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS PEOPLE WANT TO PUT UP A BUSINESS.
IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY LIKE FIGHTING CITY HALL, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY'S A CHICK-FIL-A OR RAISING GAINS.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THERE'S A LOT OF MOM AND POPS THAT WANNA DEVELOP BUSINESSES IN THOSE LITTLE LOTS THAT AREN'T ALLOWED TO BECAUSE OF THE STRINGENT THAT I KNOW WE WANT TO BE THE BEST CITY WE CAN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE IN AN AREA WHERE IT'S EASY FOR SOMEBODY TO NOT, THAT DOESN'T WANT TO GET ON THE BUS OR HAVE TO DRIVE OUT OF TOWN TO GO DO SOMETHING WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY TO HELP THEIR COMMUNITY FLOURISH AND KEEP THAT ECONOMY MOVING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, I MEAN, THOSE ARE MY ONLY CONCERNS WITH, WITH THIS IDEA, HONESTLY.
SO, CHRIS, I'M, I'M THINKING MAYBE IT MIGHT HELP US TO DO, UM, TO GET, GET A LAYOUT ON SOME OF THOSE STREETS YOU REFERRED TO THAT SHOWS US HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL, HOW MANY BUSINESSES, WHAT, HOW MANY VACANT LOTS.
SO WE GET A FEEL FOR VISUALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I UNDERSTAND BAYWAY 'CAUSE I GO UP AND DOWN A LOT, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT FITS THERE, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
NO GROCERY STORE, THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO AMENITIES ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN.
SO THAT MIGHT HELP US VISUALLY TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR IT.
IT'S, IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPT FOR US AND THE THOUGHT THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WHAT KIND OF HOUSING GETS DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
WE, WE UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT A SINGLE FAMILY, BUT DOES SOMEBODY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW UP A DUPLEX THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT WE THINK IT OUGHT TO BE? RIGHT.
AT SOME POINT, ISN'T THIS WHOLE THING GONNA CHANGE? I MEAN, WE HAVE LOTS OF STREETS IN BAYTOWN IN THE OLDER SECTIONS OF BAYTOWN THAT HAVE MIXED USE.
THEY MAY NOT BE DESIGNATED MIXED USE.
I MEAN, WE DID IT WITH CEDAR VALLEY ROAD, THAT, THAT WAS DEFINITELY MIXED USE.
THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES AND A LOT OF RESIDENTS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF IT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND I KNOW THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES DESIGNATED MIXED USE, BUT IT JUST NEEDS TO BE, I GUESS, A LITTLE MORE VISUAL FOR US.
AND JUST TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE CONCERNS, WE'RE NOT TAKING AWAY ANY OF THE ADDITIONAL, THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL STANDARDS THAT ARE PERMITTED IN MU RIGHT.
AGAIN, THIS IS SIMPLY ABOUT, UH, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, FLEXIBLE IN ITS CURRENT CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
CURRENTLY IT'S COMMERCIAL HEAVY.
YOU CAN DO A LOT OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY AND IT'S ALMOST WRITTEN IN A FASHION TO WHERE RESIDENTIAL IS BAD
IT IS LIKE YOU GOTTA BUFFER YOURSELF FROM COMMERCIAL AS A RESIDENTIAL USE.
SO, UH, WE WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT, BUT DULY NOTED, I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT LOOKING AT THE MU DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION, UM, ABOUT HOW IT COULD BE DIFFERENT THAN A GC THAT IS UP NORTH TOWARDS GARTH AND TOWARDS HUNT, ET CETERA.
AND, AND I THINK ALSO STAFF WANTS TO BE THOUGHTFUL AS WELL ABOUT IN THE LAND USE, UM, IN THE LAND USE TABLE THAT'S IN THE ULDC, THERE ARE MANY USES WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS HAVE CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO THEM.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ALSO LOOK AT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE LESS CONDITIONS THAN TO HAVE, UH, THIS TYPE OF RESIDENTIAL PRODUCT THAN IN SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
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WE WANNA BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT PLACES.BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A DISTRICT THAT NOBODY IS ABLE TO ZONE TO.
THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING.
THERE ARE ALSO, A LOT OF 'EM ARE VERY SMALL LOTS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE FAIRLY HIGH DENSITY IN, IN THAT WAY.
AND SO DOING REZONES IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT, UM, TO SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S KIND OF STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE FROWN ON, ON SPOT ZONING.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME, WE, WE DON'T EXPECT FOR THOSE CORRIDORS TO JUST BECOME RESIDENTIAL, THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT IS A COUPLE OF THE, THE LOTS THAT ARE HERE AND THERE THAT ARE EITHER VACANT OR BECOMING VACANT WOULD MAYBE, AGAIN, WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS BE A GOOD PLACE TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ESPECIALLY WHERE MAYBE A, A COMMERCIAL OPERATION WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL, THERE'S LOTS OF THOSE THROUGHOUT THERE.
SO VERY SIMILAR TO THE LOT THAT WE SAW EARLIER TODAY.
YOU HAVE A 3000 SQUARE FOOT LOT, A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS THAT NEEDS PARKING OFF STREET JUST WON'T FIT.
SO I PUT MY BUILDING ON IT, WHERE DO I PUT MY PARKING? YOU CAN'T PARK ON THE STREET
SO WHAT DO YOU DO? AND THAT'S, UH, A LOT OF THE MU SITUATIONS.
MAY I ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TRADITIONAL MIXED USE WITH THE RETAIL ON THE BOTTOM AND APARTMENTS, NOT APARTMENTS OR CONDOS EVEN ON TOP, OR, I THINK THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL IN SANEL BOULEVARD.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT IN, IN BAY TOWN.
REALITY, IT WON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN AREA THAT WOULD, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT MS. WHEELER WAS SAYING.
IT, IT'S NOT AN AREA THAT LENDS ITSELF, YOU KNOW, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT BAYWAY.
WHAT KIND OF DUPLEXES ARE WE GONNA GET? WHO'S GONNA LIVE IN THOSE DUPLEXES? AND THOSE, WE HAVE AREAS WHERE WE, I LIVE IN AN AREA AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THAT AREA AND, AND I WILL CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THAT AREA TILL I'M NOT HERE ANYMORE.
BUT, UM, BUT IT'S AN AREA WITH, WITH SOME ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, GOOD AND BAD.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT KIND OF BUILDING HAPPENING ANYMORE.
I MEAN, IT WAS IN, UH, A GROUP OF, UH, CITY GROUP BE WAY BEFORE THIS ONE DECIDED TO, TO KNOCK A LOT OF IT DOWN.
SO TO REBUILD THAT KIND OF STRUCTURE IN MY COMMUNITY WOULD BE, I THINK, TOO MUCH OF A CHALLENGE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE A CONCERN.
I MEAN, WHO WOULDN'T? RIGHT? IT LOOKS VERY NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
IT LOOKS VERY CHIC, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT IN CONSIDERING THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WHERE, WHERE ARE WE IN, IN GETTING A TRADITIONAL MIXED USE NAME? LIKE I KNOW WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND WHERE, WHERE ARE WE AS A CITY COMING UP WITH? UM, OR ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THAT? THE, THE RETAIL ON THE BOTTOM CONDOS OR APARTMENTS ON TOP IN TERMS OF ZONING DISTRICT AND, AND, AND, YES.
UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T USE MIXED USE.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, IT'S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW THAT HAD RESIDENTIAL ON SITE WITH COMMERCIAL.
WE, WE HAVE THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, THE UDS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SUCH.
THAT'S, THAT'S A RARE EXCEPTION.
AND THEN THE ACE DISTRICT AS WELL, WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT HAPPEN.
SO, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE NOT SEEING IT HAPPEN.
THERE ARE ZONES SUCH AS THE DOWNTOWN ACE DISTRICT THAT CURRENTLY PERMITS SOME, UH, COMMERCIAL AND, UH, VERTICAL MIXED USE.
SO A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE, I COULD THINK IT'S THE DELMONT HOTEL DELMONT 1, 2, 3 DFE THAT REVITALIZATION OCCURRED.
SHE HAS THE COMMERCIAL UNITS ON THE BOTTOM AND THEN EIGHT UNITS ON TOP.
SAY IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE.
AND INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR A BIG DEVELOPER TO TAKE A LARGE BLOCK OF LAND, MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE TO THE SMALLER LOTS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, AND INSTEAD OF DOING MAYBE A 3000 SQUARE FOOT LOT, PUT FIVE, 10 OF THEM TOGETHER AND DO THE, AND THEN YOU'D HAVE THE PARKING.
THE, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX BECAUSE I AGREE WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO ALL PARTS OF OUR TOWN JUST NOT CONTINUING TO PACK UP GARTH ROAD AND GOING TOWARD I 10.
WE REALLY STAFF FEELS THAT THIS COULD HELP TO REVITALIZE SOME OF THOSE AREAS.
THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF, IF, IF I WERE, IF I WERE ABLE TO GO IN ONE OF THESE AREAS AND BUILD A MODEST BUILDING, OR EVEN THEY'LL SAY THAT THERE'S A BUILDING THERE THAT I COULD RENOVATE AND, AND MAKE WORK, THAT IF I WAS LIKE, I KNOW THAT I CAN PAY THE RENT ON A PLACE TO HAVE A BUSINESS, OR I CAN PAY THE RENT ON A PLACE TO BUILD OR TO, UH, TO LIVE, BUT I CAN'T DO BOTH.
'CAUSE I'M A MODEST BUS BUSINESS OWNER.
WELL, MAYBE IF I BOUGHT THIS BUILDING AND I COULD LIVE UPSTAIRS AND OPEN A BUSINESS DOWNSTAIRS, WE COULD HAVE SOME SORT OF LIVE, WORK, UM, TYPE PRODUCT THAT, THAT COULD BE VERY, UM, VERY BENEFICIAL TO AREAS LIKE THAT.
WHERE THERE'S NOT A TON OF MONEY FLOWING IN.
[01:20:01]
AGAIN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE HIGH IN THE SKY TYPE IDEAS BECAUSE SOMEBODY EVENTUALLY HAS THAT THOUGHT AND SAYS, I WANT TO DO THIS.SO AGAIN, WE, WE JUST WANNA MAKE IT FLEXIBLE AND, AND ABLE TO DO IT.
UM, IN TERMS OF, I THINK DONNA, YOUR, YOUR, UM, QUESTION, WE, WE DO SEE PUD TYPE, UM, PROPOSALS ON OCCASION.
WHAT WE'VE NOT SEEN IS THE RIGHT ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO REALLY BRING THAT FORWARD.
AND, AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN A WHOLE LOT OF SMALL PROJECTS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE THAT, THAT JUMP RISK.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF LARGER PROJECTS THAT WE DID PUDS FOR LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT THOSE HAVE NOT STARTED BUILDING YET.
AGAIN, THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IS SUCH THAT THEY'RE KIND OF BIDDING THEIR TIME AND DECIDING, OKAY, WHEN'S THE RIGHT, WHEN'S THE RIGHT TIME TO JUMP? AND, AND THOSE MAY OR MAY NOT MOVE FORWARD AS FAR AS WE KNOW THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE FOR THOSE.
UM, BUT THE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE LIKE BIG BIGGER PROJECTS WHERE YOU'VE GOT A MIXTURE OF THOSE TYPES OF USES AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME, WHAT WE CALL THAT HORIZONTAL MIX OF, OF USES THAT, THAT, AGAIN, WE'VE NOT PRESENTED AS A CITY A AN OPENNESS TO THE CLASSIC MIXED VERTICAL MIXED USE OTHER THAN IN THE ACE DISTRICT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT, THAT USED TO BE ALL OF IT.
AND SO THE ACE DISTRICT, OF COURSE, HAS ITS CHALLENGES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, DO WE, DO WE AS A SAY, I AS A BUSINESS OWNER WANT TO GO IN THERE AND, AND INVEST IN THAT AREA, BUT I DON'T SEE THE INVESTMENT HAPPENING HERE OR HERE, THEN UH, I'M GONNA BE IFFY ABOUT THAT.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR, I THINK ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES AS A CITY IS TO SEE HOW CAN WE HELP THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT AREA OR PROPERTY OWNERS IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
BUT WE HAVE A LONG, LONG WAY TO GO.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT SOME PROPERTIES DOWN, DOWN AROUND SQUARE AND, AND IT'S A CHALLENGE.
SO, UM, SO WE, WE WANT TO PROVIDE THAT, THIS, THIS WOULDN'T AFFECT THAT.
'CAUSE THAT AREA IS ALL DIFFERENT DISTRICT.
BUT, UM, BUT IT MIGHT OPEN PEOPLE UP TO SOME IDEAS.
AND I THINK A GOOD PLACE TO START IS WITH THE FOLKS THAT LIVE THERE THAT HAVE BUSINESSES AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ASSIST TO HELP THEM LIVE WORKPLACE, SAME AREA, SAME LOCATION.
MAY I ASK ONE QUESTION, IS UNRELATED, IS MARKET STREET, IS THERE AN EXPANSION PLAN FOR MARKET STREET? DID I READ THAT OR HEAR THAT? THE ROADWAY SEVERAL, SEVERAL MILES.
WHERE ARE WE IN, WHERE'S THE CITY IN THAT? IS THAT A, WE DON'T KNOW QUESTION, ROADWAY EXPANSION OR MORE SO A ROAD DIET, IT'S A FULL RECONSTRUCTION AND DIFFERENT TYPE OF ROADWAY.
UM, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR MARKET STREET IS ACTUALLY TO REDUCE IT FROM THE FOUR LANES TO, UH, TWO LANES WITH THE PATHWAYS ALONG IT.
THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION DOESN'T WARRANT THE EXISTING VOLUME ON THAT STREET.
SO WE FEEL THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, RECREATE HOW WE USE THIS RIGHT AWAY.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE ARE GETTING OFF THE AGENDA.
HOW ABOUT IF, HOW ABOUT IF WE, UM, WE GRAB THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS ON THAT ONE AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET MATT COME BACK AND GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, THERE, IT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THESE ARE PRETTY HIGH END AREAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIVE, WORK AND PLAY FOR THAT MATTER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE SANTA CENTER HUNT ROAD, JUST FINAL POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT OVER THERE, IT WAS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TEACHERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GETTING JOBS HERE.
THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EITHER AFFORD A HOME YET, OR THERE MAY NOT BE HOMES AVAILABLE.
AND I THINK FOLKS LIKE THEM, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THEM.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION.
WE'LL, UH, GIVE YOU A DRAFT, BUT HOPEFULLY BY THE NEXT TIME WE SEE YOU.
[a. Receive a report regarding action taken by City Council on planning and zoning items.]
ARE AT ITEM EIGHT DIRECTOR'S REPORT.I'M COMING DOWN HERE THIS TIME BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A REGULAR REPORT HERE OTHER THAN, UM, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY.
UM, WELL, UH, I AM GOING TO, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN REQUESTED TO GIVE YOU YOU GUYS A, AN, UM, A REFRESHER ON THE SAN JACINTO OVERLAY DISTRICT.
UM, SO AS WE WERE KIND OF HAVING THAT LAST CONVERSATION AND, AND REFERRING TO THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO, UM, THE REGULAR DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO THAT.
UM, SO WE DID HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS GO TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT LAST WEEK.
UM, WE HAD A SPECIAL EXCEPTION ON NORTH MAIN, UM, THAT WAS A, UH, FOR THE U-HAUL, IT'S BEHIND THE U-HAUL PROPERTY THERE.
UM, THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN ON THAT, SO THERE WAS NO APPROVAL.
[01:25:01]
COMING BACK, UH, IN JUNE TO, UH, TO REWORK THEIR PROPOSAL AND THEIR, THEIR ARGUMENTS AND, AND SEE IF THEY CAN, UM, GET SOMETHING OUTTA THAT.AND THEN THERE'S SPECIAL EXCEPTIONAL ON KILGORE PARKWAY.
UH, THAT WAS, UH, THAT'S A LITTLE MORE, UM, INDUSTRIAL.
UM, AGAIN, THAT WAS MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING SETBACKS AND HOW THAT WORKS WITHIN THAT AREA.
AND THAT WAS APPROVED, UH, FOR THAT APPLICATION AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING, UH, GO TO OR, AND NOTHING WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN SINCE LAST MONTH.
SO LET ME GO TO OUR SAN JUSTINO OVERLAY.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS REQUESTED THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WEREN'T HERE WHEN THIS WAS DONE.
UM, BUT ALSO JUST TO GIVE A REFRESHER, BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP IN RECENT, UH, MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE OVERLAY.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, AGAIN, WE HAVE AN OVERLAY THAT IS IN THAT SAN JATO BOULEVARD AREA.
AND I'LL, I'LL BRING UP A MAP HERE IN A MOMENT THAT IS IN ADDITION TO OUR OTHER ZONING, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
IT DOES MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO BUILD AND DEVELOP IN THAT AREA.
BUT IT'S ALSO, WE HAVE SOME PURPOSES TO THAT.
AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE KIND OF THE, THE, THE VERY, UM, ACADEMIC PURPOSES WHERE YOU SAY TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLBEING RESIDENTS BY ENCOURAGING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, GREATER SOCIAL INTERACTION, PROMOTE HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE AREA WITH A DI MIXED USE, AGAIN, WITH A DISTINCT CHARACTER TO ALLOW SELECT RESIDENTIAL TYPES IN COMMERCIAL ZONES AND TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT THAT EXHIBITS A COHESIVE PHYSICAL DESIGN CHARACTERISTIC.
WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS WE WANT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE PLANNED WELL, IS ALL GOING TO HAVE A DISTINCT CHARACTER TO IT, IS WHAT, WHAT WE CALL PLACEMAKING, WHERE WE REALLY WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE IN AND PEOPLE WILL HAVE SOME OF EVERYTHING LIVE, WORK, PLAY, UM, AND, AND THAT IT'LL ALL BE DESIGNED TO OPERATE AND WORK TOGETHER.
SO THAT AREA IS OUTLINED IN ORANGE ON YOUR MAP, ON YOUR SCREEN.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS THE OVERLAY.
SO, AND I'M ALSO GONNA GO BACK TO THAT, UH, LAND PLAN THAT YOU GUYS SAW LAST YEAR THAT, THAT BRETT, UH, ELLA CAME IN AND, AND HAD PRESENTED.
SO I'LL KIND OF COME BACK TO THAT.
BUT REMEMBER THAT THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THE OVERLAY ITSELF, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT, AND, AND I'LL USE THE ARROW, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN SEE THIS.
IT INCLUDES THE MAJORITY OF, UH, SAN JACINTO FROM, UH, I BELIEVE THAT IS, UM, SAN TAVI ON THE SOUTH END, OR THAT'S SAN TAVI RIGHT THERE.
SO A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF SAN TAVI ALL THE WAY UP TO, ALMOST TO THE INTERSTATE, BUT NOT QUITE.
AND THEN ON THE, UM, WESTERN SIDE, IT EXTENDS OUT TO, UM, JOHN MARTIN AND OUT TO THE EAST.
IT EXTENDS OUT TO KIND OF THE BACKS OF THOSE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT, UH, THAT FRONT GARTH ROAD.
WHAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE IS ANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES ON GARTH ROAD.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MALL SITE.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE FRONTING THAT I 10, UM, FRONTAGE ROAD EITHER.
SO, UM, AND, AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, IT WAS DISCUSSED THE SAN JACINTO COTTAGES, THAT'S THIS PROPERTY RIGHT HERE, SO THEY'RE KIND OF ON THE SOUTH END OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THE CROSS HATCHED AREA THAT IS, OH, AND I MISSED PART OF IT.
UM, THE CROSS HATCH AREA IS THE, THE OVERLAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, HERE'S THAT, HERE'S THAT SAN JUSTINO COTTAGES.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, UM, SOME OTHER AREAS IS APARTMENT COMPLEX HERE, AND ONE OVER HERE THAT'S JUST OUTSIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT KIND OF BUTTS UP TO A LOT OF RED, WHICH IS THAT GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
THE BLUE UP HERE, WHICH IS, UH, THIS, THAT LIVING THE MALL, THAT LIVING CENTER OR LIVABLE CENTERS, I'M SORRY, UM, WHICH MOST OF THE AREA THAT'S IN THE ACTUAL OVERLAY IS ALSO UNDERLYING, UH, LIVABLE CENTERS.
AND THEN TO THE NORTH, YOU CAN SEE IS COMMERCIAL.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE, UM, THIS IS BUCKY'S OVER HERE, UM, AS WELL AS A SMALL AMOUNT OF, UH, SF TWO.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE LOWER DENSITY RESIDENTIAL HERE AS WELL.
IF IT DOESN'T HAVE A COLOR ON IT, IT MEANS IT'S NOT IN THE CITY.
SO OUR GENERIC, UM, OVERLAY KIND OF CROSSES OVER THESE AREAS, BUT TECHNICALLY THOSE AREAS ARE NOT WITHIN, NOT WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, OKAY, SO BACK TO THE AERIAL OF THE AREA.
[01:30:01]
IS SPLIT UP INTO THREE TIERS.AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS YOU HAVE A TIER ONE, WHICH IS THESE CIRCLES HERE, WHICH IS MEANT TO BE A MORE URBAN TYPE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN, UH, TIER TWO, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THAT URBAN AND THE, UM, AND, AND MORE SUBURBAN TYPE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN THE AREAS WITHIN THE ORANGE THAT DON'T HAVE A COLOR ON THEM, THOSE ARE IN TIER THREE, WHICH AGAIN, THAT'S MORE LIKE, UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME KIND OF SINGLE FAMILY TYPE RESIDENTIAL, IT WOULD GO IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, SO I MENTIONED LAST YEAR, UM, A LAND USE PLAN WAS PRESENTED TO YOU GUYS, UH, REGARDING, OKAY, SO WE HAVE AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, BUT NOW WHAT DO WE HAVE A VISION FOR THAT AREA? AND SO, UM, EHRA, UH, WAS, WAS BROUGHT IN AS A CONSULTANT TO KINDA GO THROUGH AN EXERCISE TO SAY, OKAY, AS THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN, IN THE OVERLAY AND IN THE AREAS AROUND IT AS WELL, UM, WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS THE VISION FOR THAT AREA? AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A LONG SAN BOULEVARD, A LOT MORE OF THE RED, WHICH IS RETAIL.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THOSE AREAS WITH, UH, THE VERTICAL MIXED USE.
SO YOU'D HAVE EITHER RESIDENTIAL ABOVE IT OR, OR MAYBE OFFICES.
AND THEN AS YOU GO BACK AWAY FROM THE MAIN ROADWAY, IT GETS LESS AND LESS INTENSE, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF TIED TOGETHER WITH, WITH GREEN AREAS, WITH, UM, IT'D BE NICE IF WE HAD THAT WITH UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS TYPE OF, THIS IS A, A DRAINAGE, A DRAINAGE PROJECT THROUGH HERE, BUT IT WOULD ALSO SERVE AS AN AMENITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AGAIN, TO TRY AND KIND OF TIE EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
AND THEN AS YOU GO CLOSER TO THE INTERSTATE, I LOST MY ARROW THAT YOU'D SEE SOMETHING LIKE, UH, THIS WOULD BE A, A A PROBABLY A HOTEL OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE TALLER, A LITTLE MORE PROMINENT RIGHT THERE BY THE INTERSTATE, AS WELL AS SOME TALLER OFFICE BUILDINGS THAT COULD BE OVER HERE.
AGAIN, KIND OF NEAR, UH, GARTH, BUT ALSO NEAR, UH, THE INTERSTATE.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, SO THAT WAS JUST KIND OF CONCEPT PLAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE SOLID.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS CONCEPT, IT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT THIS PROVIDES THAT VISION, IT PROVIDES THAT GUIDANCE AS WE AS STAFF ARE HELPING PEOPLE FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
UM, AND, AND SO WE SAY, WELL, THIS IS REALLY KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
DOES THIS FIT INTO THAT VISION? AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE SORT OF OFFICE BUILDINGS AND RETAIL AS WELL AS A HOTEL OR A HOSPITAL IN THIS AREA, OFFICE BUILDINGS HERE, UM, FACING SAN JUSTINO BOULEVARD, PARKING BEHIND.
UH, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A, UM, UH, A DETENTION AMENITY HERE THAT WOULD BE MADE INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, UH, A REAL AMENITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU DO SEE SOME, THESE WOULD BE, UM, PROBABLY MORE OF A MULTIFAMILY TYPE, EITHER COTTAGES OR, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS AS WELL AS YOU GET DOWN FURTHER AWAY FROM THAT, THAT CENTRAL LOCATION AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THOSE TYPES OF USES.
SO, UM, THIS AGAIN WAS JUST TO KINDA SHOW, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL WHERE YOU HAVE THAT DETENTION AMENITY FOR THE COMMUNITY ITSELF AND WHAT, WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH THAT? WHAT, WHAT KINDS OF THINGS COULD YOU USE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THAT AREA? AND JUST SOME CONCEPT DRAWINGS ON WHAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST SOMETHING AS HERE'S KIND OF WHAT WE ENVISION SOME SORT OF ESSENTIAL ART PIECE WITH, WITH, UH, UH, GREEN AROUND IT AND WATER AND, AND SOMETHING THAT WOULD GET PEOPLE TO, TO, TO GO THERE AND USE IT, THE SPACE.
UM, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE, THE, UH, SINO BOULEVARD SIDE OF THINGS.
I'M GONNA KIND OF FLIP THROUGH THOSE.
YOU SEE THE PHOTOS ON THE LEFT, AGAIN, CONCEPTS AS WELL AS WHAT THAT, THAT AREA MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO, UM, SUGARLAND, THEY'RE A LITTLE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THIS HAS A VERY MUCH SUGARLAND FEEL TO IT.
OKAY, SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THE OVERLAY ITSELF? SO AGAIN, THAT WAS ALL CONCEPT STUFF.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THE OVERLAY? WELL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWING CERTAIN USES IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THOSE COULD, THOSE COULD DRIVE AWAY SOME OF THE MAIN USES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE IMPACTFUL TO THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, YOU'LL SEE KENNELS, GAS STATIONS, CAR WASHES, DRIVE THROUGHS.
WHY NOT DRIVE THROUGHS? WELL, DO YOU WANT FAST FOOD THERE? DO YOU WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE HIGH, HIGHER END? UM, VEHICLE REPAIR, UM, WAREHOUSES.
WE'VE, I'M TALKING ABOUT WAREHOUSES.
UM, SMALL BOX DISCOUNT RETAIL.
AGAIN, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT, UM, I I DON'T WANT TO USE A, UH, ANY KIND OF DOLLAR STORE TYPE THING.
DO WE WANT THOSE IN THIS AREA? WE ARE REALLY PRESSED TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE YOU CAN OR CAN'T GO TO THESE AREAS OF TOWN TO HAVE THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
[01:35:01]
WE HAVE AREAS OF TOWN, SO THIS WAS A LITTLE MORE RESTRICTIVE.ALRIGHT, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT THE OVERLAY REALLY IS, IS HARD ON THE DEVELOPERS ABOUT IS THOSE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, THEY GOTTA BURY ALL THE UTILITIES.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE GARTH ROAD DOESN'T HAVE ALL THOSE HIGH LINES GOING THROUGH, UH, GOING DOWN THE ROADS.
YOU'RE ALSO, AGAIN, I'M GONNA POINT AT GARTH ROAD AND SAY YOU DON'T HAVE THESE BIG POLE SIGNS OUT THERE.
UM, WE DO ENCOURAGE THE MIXED USE BUILDINGS.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA SEE IN THAT AREA.
IT'LL LIMIT THE BLOCK SIZE BECAUSE THE, THE, THE LARGER THE BLOCK, THE THE YOU, YOU'RE GETTING THESE BIG SORT OF EXPANSIVE TYPE, UM, USES THAT.
WE WANT TO SEE MORE VARIETY, WE WANNA SEE MORE CHARACTER.
AND AGAIN, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE TIERS ONE, TWO, AND THREE, THE BUILDING SIZES ARE REQUIREMENTS ARE DIFFERENT.
SO MOST OF OUR ZONES DON'T HAVE A BUILDING SIZE REQUIREMENT.
AND IT BASICALLY SAYS IF YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE TIER ONE, THEY CAN ONLY BE THIS SIZE.
UP TO THIS SIZE, THEY'RE GONNA BE IN TIER TWO.
THEY CAN ONLY BE UP TO THIS SIZE.
AND THEN ALSO BUILDING FORM AND PLACEMENT.
SO WHAT DO I MEAN BY BUILDING FORM? IT'S KIND OF THE, THE, UM, THE, THE CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING ITSELF.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? HOW DOES IT FIT IN WITH THE OTHER BUILDINGS? HOW DOES IT CREATE THE SPACE IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IS IT A BIG SQUARE BUILDING? IS IT A A WEIRD ROUND BUILDING? IS IT A DOES IT HAVE GLASS, DOES IT, ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS GO INTO IT.
AND THEN THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO WE CAN SPECIFICALLY SAY, THIS HAS TO FACE THIS WAY, THIS HAS TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF THIS ROADWAY, OF THIS OTHER FEATURE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE IN TOWN.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DESIGN ASPECTS TO THIS TOO.
SO THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS IN THE OVERLAY THAT SAY YOU GOTTA HAVE A PROMINENT ENTRANCE FEATURE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AWNINGS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UM, IT DOES TALK ABOUT BUILDING MATERIALS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S NO LONGER SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ENFORCE IN OUR REGULAR ZONING.
IF WE HAVE A PUD, IF WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, ALONG WITH A PIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE CAN HOLD THEM TO CERTAIN BUILDING MATERIALS BECAUSE THAT'S CONSIDERED VOLUNTARY IN THIS AREA BECAUSE IT'S JUST PART OF OUR ZONING.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ENFORCE AT THIS TIME.
IT'S STILL IN THE CODE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL HOPEFUL THAT THERE MAY BE SOME RELAXING OF THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND RATHER THAN TAKE IT OUT AND TRY TO PUT IT BACK IN, WE'RE JUST LEAVING IT THERE AND SORT OF IGNORING IT FOR NOW.
SO IS IT ONE BIG STRAIGHT WALL THAT LOOKS LIKE THE SIDE OF A, OF A PRISON? OR DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE, THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE A A, A CUT IN TO THAT WALL OR ARTICULATION OF THE, OF THE ROOF, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, AGAIN, THOSE ARE NOT RELATED TO BUILDING MATERIALS AND WE CAN REGULATE THOSE THINGS.
SO IN, IN THE ORDINANCE IT CALLS IT GLAZING.
SO GLAZING SAYS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE FIRST FLOOR ALONG THESE AREAS.
HAS TO HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF, OF WINDOWS.
SO AGAIN, THAT IS TO PROMOTE RETAIL, THAT IS TO PROMOTE RESTAURANTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT IT DOESN'T END UP BEING, UM, RESIDENTIAL ON THAT FLOOR.
AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE CAN'T REALLY REGULATE AT THIS TIME, BUT WE'D LIKE, AND AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE ANYBODY COMING TO THIS AREA, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE, UM, HAVE THAT IN YOUR MIND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE COORDINATED.
EVERYTHING NEEDS TO KIND OF FIT TOGETHER AND, AND THAT REALLY NOT ONLY HELPS THOSE COMING IN AFTER YOU, BUT THAT HELPS YOU AS WELL AS A BUSINESS OWNER TO KNOW KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO.
AND THEN FENCES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE ALSO, UM, REGULATE THAT IN THE OVERLAY.
UM, CIRCULATION AND CONNECTIVITY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SITE DESIGN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS DESIGNED IN AND OF ITSELF.
IT ALL HAS TO RELATE TO EVERYTHING AROUND IT.
IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO EVERYTHING AROUND IT.
WE WANT THIS TO BE WALKABLE, WE WANT IT TO BE BIKEABLE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
YOU, WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THAT.
IF WE WAIT FOR THAT TO GO BY ITSELF, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UH, PARKING AGAIN, WE'D RATHER SEE THE PARKING BEHIND THE BUILDINGS.
WE WANT CENTRAL PARKING WHEN AVAILABLE.
LANDSCAPING, AGAIN, LANDSCAPING CAN BE, UM, FROM THE SITE ITSELF OR EVEN AGAIN TO KIND OF COORDINATE WITH THE OTHER SITES.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING FITS TOGETHER.
AND THEN, UH, SITE LIGHTING AS WELL.
UM, NOT ONLY ON THE SITES BUT HOW THAT WE WANT IT ALL TO BE COORDINATED.
AGAIN, I'VE SAID THAT A BUNCH OF TIMES, BUT THAT, THAT'S REALLY THE KIND OF THE THEME OF THAT, OF THAT WHOLE THING.
SO THAT WAS THE 10 MINUTE VERSION OF THAT.
AND THAT'S AN A LOT OF INFORMATION.
[01:40:01]
I EXPECT QUESTIONS.I'M IN SUGAR LAND ALL THE TIME, JUST OUT OVER THERE, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE OLD MINUTE MAID BUILDING.
OF COURSE IT'S A NEW BUILDING THAT MINUTE MAID SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY ON AND THEN NEVER MOVED IN 'CAUSE OF COVID AND IT OVERLOOKS THE TOWN SQUARE WHERE CITY HALL IS.
AND I STOOD THERE AND SAID, WOW, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS IN BAYTOWN.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I SEE IN THIS.
NICE, UH, WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT, THAT IT WILL BRING EXACTLY THAT GOOD JOB.
AND, AND I CAN'T TAKE ANY CREDIT.
THIS ONE WAS HERE WHEN I GOT HERE, SO, UH, SO, BUT, BUT IT, IT DOES HELP ALL OF YOU TO, TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHERE THIS CAME FROM AND, AND WHAT IT ENTAILS SO THAT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE, WE CAN TELL YOU YES, THIS IS PART OF THE OVERLAY AND THEN WE CAN REMIND YOU A FEW OF THESE THINGS.
BUT HOPEFULLY NOT TO GO INTO, YOU KNOW, MAJOR DETAIL.
BUT YOU, YOU GET THE GENERAL FEEL FOR IT.
YEAH, I LOVE THAT IT HAS THE CLASS A OFFICE SPACE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WILL ATTRACT SOME OF THE COMPANIES WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
I KNEW THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HADN'T SEEN IT AND FELT LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE IT, SO YEAH, DEFINITELY.
UM, AND WITH THAT, THAT UH, CONCLUDES MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT.
AND WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, WE'RE ADJOURNED.