Sep 19, 2023 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]

[00:00:20]

IT IS FIVE OH ONE AND I'LL CALL THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER TO ORDER.

UH, AND ASK AT NA WOULD YOU CALL ROLL PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.

DANNY.

HERE.

JEFF.

HERE.

RICK.

HERE.

HERE.

TRACY HERE.

THANK YOU.

[a. Consider approving the meeting minutes of the August 15, 2023, Planning and Zoning Commission regular meeting.]

MOTION APPROVE.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, MINUTES OF THE AUGUST MEETING AND SECONDED.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE SIGN.

WE HAVE,

[a. Consider approving Scotts Bend Section One Preliminary Plat, approximately 12.13 acres, generally located east of Garth Road and north of East Wallisville Road.]

IS THAT CORRECT, COLUMBIA? SURE.

THANK YOU.

SURE.

MY NAME IS LAMIA SEM, PLANNER WITH THE CITY.

AND UM, THIS IS A REFRESHER THAT I'M GOING TO GIVE TO YOU ABOUT THE, THE GENERAL PLAN.

IF YOU REMEMBER LAST COM LAST COMMISSION MEETING, WE, UM, THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE GENERAL PLAN FOR SCOTT SPIN AND, UH, LEY PLACE.

UM, AND TODAY WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT YOU FIVE SECTIONS, UM, IN THE PRELIMINARY PLATFORM.

SO THIS IS THE, UM, THE SCO BINS SECTIONS.

IT'S SECTION ONE, SECTION TWO, SECTION THREE, AND FOUR AND FIVE.

THE ALL MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF THE CODE.

AND WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR ALL OF THEM.

HOWEVER, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, ASK FOR A MOTION FOR EACH PLAT INDIVIDUAL, RIGHT? YES.

SO SECTION ONE, THE PRELIMINARY PLAT IS, UM, 12 POINT 13 ACRES.

AND IT IS TO CREATE 32 LOTS AND TWO RESERVES.

STAFF RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

WANNA DO THEM INDIVIDUALLY? DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE PLA THREE A? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE PLA THREE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE, SUN MOTION CARRIES.

[b. Consider approving Scotts Bend Section Two Preliminary Plat, approximately 14.60 acres, generally located east of Garth Road and north of East Wallisville Road.]

THE SECOND SECTION IS TO, UH, APPROVE 14.6 ACRES TO CREATE 63 LOTS AND THREE RESERVES.

AND THAT'S THE, UH, SECTION TWO SCOTT SPENT.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND.

HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

A.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE, SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK

[c. Consider approving Scotts Bend Section Three Preliminary Plat, approximately 15.23 acres, generally located east of Garth Road and north of East Wallisville Road.]

SECTION THREE.

UH, IT'S A 15.23 ACRES TO CREATE 54 LOTS AND THREE RESERVES AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND MOTION BY JEFF WALTERS.

SECOND BY TAMMY.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU.

THIS

[d. Consider approving Scotts Bend Section Four Preliminary Plat, approximately 24.12 acres, generally located east of Garth Road and north of East Wallisville Road.]

IT'S 24 POINT 12 ACRES TO CREATE 88 RESIDENTIAL LOTS AND EIGHT RESERVES.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL, MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND.

HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE 3D.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE, SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES.

[e. Consider approving Scotts Bend Section Five Preliminary Plat, approximately 15.95 acres, generally located east of Garth Road and north of East Wallisville Road.]

IT'S 15.91 ACRES TO CREATE 70 LOTS AND FOUR RESERVES.

MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE.

THREE E.

ALL IN

[00:05:01]

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE SIGN.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU LUMIA.

THANK YOU.

WE HAVE FOUR

[a. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request regarding a text amendment to Appendix A - Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) to (1) amend Section 2.09, Table 2-2, Non-Residential Uses, to remove "Warehouse and freight movement" as a permitted use in the General Commercial (GC) Zoning District as well as add a footnote of proposed conditions for the expansion of an existing warehouse use in the GC zoning district; (2) to remove Section 2.10.A.40, Land Use Conditions, Warehouse and freight movement; (3) to amend Section 1.26(e)(4)(a)(x), removing warehouse in GC from the list of industrial uses requiring a Special Use Permit (SUP), replacing with the expansion of an existing or vested warehouse in GC, and (4) to amend Section 1.27(b)(2)(a) to allow for the expansion of an existing nonconforming use with a Special Use Permit.]

ITEM FOUR.

UH, I WILL READ THE FOLLOWING ONE TIME.

AND IT APPLIES TO ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS.

PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE 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.

AS THIS LIST WILL PROVIDE THE SPEAKING ORDER FOR THE HEARING.

EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THIS HEARING.

THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.

HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU ARE A GROUP WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THE SAME SUBJECT, PLEASE SELECT A SPOKESPERSON TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME, RYAN.

OUR FIRST IS FOUR A, CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER REQUESTS REGARDING A TEXT AMENDMENT TO APPENDIX, A UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ULDC TO ONE AMEND SECTION 2.09, TABLE 2.2.

NON-RESIDENTIAL USES TO REMOVE WAREHOUSES AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT AS PERMITTED USE IN THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL GC ZONING DISTRICT, AS WELL AS AT A FOOTNOTE OF PROPOSED CONDITIONS FOR THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING WAREHOUSE USE IN THE GC ZONE DISTRICT TWO TO REMOVE SECTION 2.10 A 40, LAND USE CONDITIONS WAREHOUSE AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT.

THREE, TO AMEND A SPECIAL USE PERMIT REPLACING WITH THE EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING OR VESTED WAREHOUSE IN GC FOUR TO AMEND SECTION 1.27 B TO A TO ALLOW FOR EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING NON-CONFORMING USE WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

.

IT IS A MOUTHFUL, , AND I WILL WALK YOU ALL THROUGH EACH, EACH PART OF THAT.

SO THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UH, RYAN VILO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

UM, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A, UH, IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR, UH, SEVERAL, UH, TEXT AMENDMENTS TO THE ULDC, ALL GENERALLY DEALING WITH, UH, WAREHOUSE AND FREIGHT, UH, MOVEMENT.

SO THIS IS, UH, WAS BASED ON SOME, UH, DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL.

UM, WHEN STAFF DID PRESENT THE SUP, UH, REQUIREMENT FOR WAREHOUSING WITHIN, UH, GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UH, THERE HAS BEEN SOME PUBLIC CONCERN AND SOME COUNCIL CONCERN ABOUT, UH, THE PROLIFERATION OF THESE WAREHOUSE USES IN THE GC ZONING DISTRICT.

AND, UH, COUNCIL DID DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY REMOVE, UH, WAREHOUSE AND FREIGHT, UH, MOVEMENT FROM, UH, THE GC ZONING DISTRICT AS A PERMITTED USE.

AND THAT IS WHAT THIS DOES IN, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.

UM, ALL OF THESE SECTIONS, UH, GENERALLY TOUCH ON EITHER SUVS OR TOUCH ON, UM, THE SPECIFIC USE.

UH, SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE AMENDING, UH, SECTION, UH, 2.09, TABLE 2.2, UH, WHICH WOULD REMOVE WAREHOUSE AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT AS A PERMITTED USE IN THE GC ZONING DISTRICT.

UM, THE SECOND PART OF THIS IS TO AMEND THE LAND USE CONDITIONS, UH, WHICH IS SECTION, UH, 2.10, UM, REMOVING ALL OF THOSE LAND USE CONDITIONS, UH, FOR WAREHOUSE AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT AS THEY WERE ONLY TIED TO THE GC ZONING DISTRICT.

UM, THE THIRD PART IS AMENDING SECTION 1 26 E, WHICH WOULD REMOVE WAREHOUSE IN THE GC ZONING DISTRICT FROM THE LIST OF INDUSTRIAL USES REQUIRING AN SUP REPLACING THAT WITH, UM, THAT THE EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING OR VESTED WAREHOUSE IN GC WOULD REQUIRE A, UM, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTION OF WHY, WHY WE'RE ALLOWING THAT.

UM, AND THAT IS, UH, DUE TO, UM, THE RIGHTS OF A PROPERTY OWNER, ESPECIALLY A VESTED, UH, PROPERTY OWNER, UM, WHO HAS COME IN PRIOR TO THIS, UH, THAT THEY WOULD BE PERMITTED TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND OR TO, UH, TO DO, UH, THEIR USE, BUT WE WOULD REQUIRE AN SUP IN THOSE SITUATIONS.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY AMENDING, UH, SECTION 1 27, UH, B UM, THIS WAS AN OVERSIGHT IN THE ORDINANCE.

THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONTRADICTION.

THE ORDINANCE, UH, STATES ELSEWHERE.

UM, THAT EXPANSION OF A NON-CONFORMING USE REQUIRES AN SUP.

UM, THIS SECTION JUST CARRIES THAT OVER AND ENSURES THAT, THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY READ THROUGHOUT THE, THE ORDINANCE.

SO, UM, SO

[00:10:01]

JUST AGAIN, UH, SOME CLEANUP THAT WE NOTICED WHEN WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THESE TEXT AMENDMENTS.

UM, I DID WANT TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, WE DID WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME CONDITIONS FOR THESE EXPANDED WAREHOUSES.

UM, AND, AND SO THOSE WOULD BE FOR EXISTING INVESTED WAREHOUSE USES IN GC, THEY WOULD BE PERMITTED TO EXPAND.

THEY WOULD REQUIRE A SUP AND THEY WOULD HAVE, UH, SEVERAL CONDITIONS.

THOSE CONDITIONS ARE, YOU'D BE LIMITED, NO MORE THAN 50% EXPANSION OF ALL BUILDINGS, UH, THAT ARE LAWFULLY EXISTED OR VESTED PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL OF THIS AMENDMENT.

NOW THAT MEANS THAT IF THEY'RE AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF WAREHOUSE, THEY CAN'T COME IN AND DO 50,000 SQUARE FEET THIS YEAR AND THEN 50,000 SQUARE FEET NEXT YEAR.

IT IS A 50% EXPANSION.

UM, AND THAT WOULD BE BASED ON THE DATE OF THE APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE.

UM, THE SECOND CONDITION IS THAT, UH, WE WOULD REQUIRE COMPATIBLE HEIGHT AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AS THROUGH THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT.

SO AGAIN, IF THEY'RE AT 40 FEET, THEY CAN'T COME IN AND DO, YOU KNOW, A A 55 FOOT, UH, WAREHOUSE.

UH, IT HAS TO BE COMPATIBLE, UH, HEIGHT AS WELL AS THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN.

WE WANT IT TO, TO, UH, TO CONTINUE TO LOOK SIMILAR.

UM, SO IT DOESN'T REALLY STAND OUT AS AN, AS AN ADDITION.

UM, THEY WOULD NEED TO COMPLY WITH LI SETBACKS, WHICH AS THE, UM, THE A HUNDRED FOOT, UH, SETBACK AS WELL AS THE GC MAXIMUM LOCK COVERAGE.

AND WE WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF A 25 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER ON ALL SIDES OF THE SITE.

SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE CONDITIONS WERE CURRENTLY, IF A WAREHOUSE WAS IN GC, AND WE, UM, KIND OF PICKED OUT THOSE ONES THAT WE FELT, UM, REALLY MAKE SENSE FOR, FOR AN EXPANSION.

SO WITH THAT, THAT IS WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE ON THE 50% EXPANSION.

UM, THEY, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY WANT TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL LAND? DOES THAT KEEP THEM FROM DOING THAT? NO, BUT THEY WOULD BE CAPPED AT WHATEVER 50% OF, OF WHATEVER THEIR, THEIR AREA OF THE BUILDING IS.

SO THEY'RE ALLOWED TO PURCHASE MORE LAND AND ADD ON.

THEY, THEY COULD, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO GET AN SUP AND THEY WOULD BE CAPPED AT NO MORE THAN 50% OF WHAT, UH, IS THERE.

SO IF IT'S A 200,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE, THEY COULD ONLY ADD A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.

NOW AGAIN, THEY CAN'T COME BACK AND COME BACK TO THE WELL AND DO A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET NOW AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET LATER.

THEY'RE CAPPED AT THAT 50%, UM, EXPANSION BASED ON WHAT IS LAWFULLY EXISTING OR VESTED PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL OF, OF THIS TAX AMENDMENT.

SO, AND AGAIN, THERE WE WOULD STILL REQUIRE AN SUP BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING USE.

IS THAT IT? THAT IS IT.

THIS IS A BIG ONE.

SO, UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? APPROVE? DO YOU HAVE THE SIGN IN SHEET COMMISSIONER? NO SIGN IN SHEET.

DO WE HAVE NO ONE RIGHT HERE? NO, THAT'S, NO, SHE THERE.

BUT RYAN, I, I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A QUESTION.

IS THERE ANY ALLOWANCE FOR LIKE, PEOPLE BEING GRANDFATHERED IN? LIKE I WAS JUST, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THAT'S WHAT THIS 50% OF THE EXPANSION, UM, THAT'S BASED ON ALL BUILDINGS LAWFULLY EXISTING.

SO IF THEY ARE ALREADY EXISTING, THEY WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN.

THEY COULD STILL DO AN EXPANSION, BUT THEY'D HAVE TO GET AN SCP AND THEY WOULD BE CAPPED AT NO MORE THAN 50% OF, OF BASED ON WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.

SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE, THEN THEY FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO IT AT ALL.

GOT IT.

THAT IS CORRECT, YES.

ANYBODY ELSE? I GUESS I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, JUST BREAKING IT DOWN FOR AN AVERAGE CITIZEN MM-HMM .

WHY WOULD, WHY DID Y'ALL DECIDE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO? UH, REALLY IT'S A COUPLE OF REASONS.

YOU KNOW, GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UM, IS, IS TENDS TO BE OFTENTIMES NEAR RESIDENTIAL.

UM, BECAUSE YOU WANT RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE, A COMMERCIAL AND, AND YOU KNOW, THIS WAREHOUSING IS REALLY MORE OF A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, INDUSTRIAL TYPE USE.

AND IT'S JUST NOT REALLY APPROPRIATE IN GENERAL COMMERCIAL.

UM, THE, THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS DON'T REALLY ALLOW FOR IT.

YOU MAY HAVE CONFLICTING TRAFFIC WHERE YOU HAVE INDUSTRIAL TYPE TRAFFIC WITH A WAREHOUSE AND YOU MAY HAVE COMMERCIAL NEARBY THAT CAUSES CONFLICT.

UM, AND THEN WE'VE JUST HEARD VERY LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE, THE COUNCIL AND EVEN FROM SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT THIS BODY HAS HAD, THAT THERE IS SOME REAL CONCERN.

UM, WE DON'T WANNA CANNIBALIZE OUR GENERAL COMMERCIAL, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE USING IT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL TENDS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND, UM, THAN, THAN AN INDUSTRIAL TYPE USE.

AND THEN FURTHERMORE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL LAND ALREADY AND WE ALREADY HAVE A LARGE INDUSTRIAL PARK THAT'S SET OUT, SET ASIDE JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY FOR KIND OF THIS, SOME OF THIS WAREHOUSING.

NOW WE'VE

[00:15:01]

THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, SOME, UH, LOGISTICS CONCERNS WITH THAT.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GENERAL COMMERCIAL FOR COMMERCIAL THAT'S GOING TO GENERATE JOBS, IT'S GONNA GENERATE SALES TAX, IT'S GONNA GENERATE ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU TYPICALLY WOULD WANT TO SEE IN A GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT.

SO, THANK YOU.

YEP.

WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? MOTION APPROVE TO APPROVE.

I SECOND, SECOND TO APPROVE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY WE.

THE AYE AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED LIKE SIGNED.

GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU.

AND THIS WILL GO TO COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 12TH ONE.

OH, I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

IS IT, I DUNNO, CLOSE.

WHEN WILL THAT BECOME EFFECTIVE? SO IT GOES TO COUNCIL OCTOBER 12TH.

AND SO ANYTHING WE DO NOW DOES NOT FALL UNDER THOSE GUIDELINES.

THAT IS CORRECT, BECAUSE IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT IN, IN A, AN ADOPTED ORDINANCES.

CORRECT.

THANK YOU HONOR.

MM-HMM .

WE'LL CLOSE

[b. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for an Industrial Planned Unit Development (IPUD) for approximately 53.67 acres located east of 5814 North State Highway 146 and north of FM 1405.]

CONDUCT, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR AN INDUSTRIAL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT IPUD FOR APPROXIMATELY 53.67 ACRES LOCATED EAST OF 58 14.

NOW NORTH HIGHWAY, NORTH STATE HIGHWAY 1 46 AND NORTH OF FM 1405.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

UM, SO THIS PROPERTY, UH, HAS HAD A RATHER LONG HISTORY OF, OF, UH, FITS AND STARTS AND APPROVALS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, SO IF YOU ALL DO REMEMBER, UM, THIS PROPERTY DID GO THROUGH A REZONING REQUEST, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR THAT WAS APPROVED BY, UM, THIS BODY.

UM, AND, AND KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.

SO THE RE THE ZONING IS ALREADY IN PLACE TO DO THIS TYPE OF USE.

UM, THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ALLOWS THE CITY TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, CERTAINTY IN WHAT THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO DEVELOP.

UM, AS WELL AS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER, UM, WITH SOME OF THE, UM, WITH SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HAD, THEY HAVE PUT IN SOME MITIGATION, UH, UH, MEASURES.

AND WITHOUT THIS PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE NOTHING TO REALLY HOLD THEM TO.

SO JUST KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND.

THE ZONING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THIS BODY HAS NOT OFFICIALLY BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

WE'RE GONNA LUMP ALL OF THIS TOGETHER WITH THE ANNEXATION, WITH THE PUD AND WITH THE, UH, WITH THE REZONING REQUEST.

UM, AND THAT WILL GO TO THEM IN OCTOBER.

BUT AGAIN, JUST KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE REVIEW THIS, THAT, UM, THE ZONING IS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR THEM OR WILL BE IN PLACE FOR THEM IF COUNSEL PROVES THIS, UH, FOR THEM TO, UH, TO DO THIS USE.

SO WITH THAT, UH, HERE'S THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S AT THE, UH, NORTHEAST CORNER OF FM 1405 AND STATE HIGHWAY 1 46.

UM, A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY, THE, UH, PROPERTY, THE, THE BLACK LINE THAT RUNS NORTH AND SOUTH.

THAT AREA IS GENERALLY WITHIN THE CITY ALREADY.

THE REST OF THE PROPERTY WOULD NEED TO BE ANNEXED WITHIN THE CITY.

UM, A FUTURE LAND USE MAP, UH, CALLS FOR THIS TO BE GENERALLY INDUSTRIAL WITH SOME LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL LONG 1 46.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE THE EXISTING CITY LIMITS ARE NOW.

SO A LARGE PORTION OF THIS PROPERTY IS NOT WITHIN THE CITY CURRENTLY, UM, BUT THE PROPERTY THAT IS WITHIN, UH, THE CITY IS CURRENTLY ZONED GC.

SO THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO BUILD TWO WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS, UH, TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 745,000 SQUARE FEET.

THEY ARE PRESERVING THE UNDEVELOPED PARCEL OF LAND, UH, AND EXISTING TREES ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, UH, BUTTS UP AGAINST A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, THEY ARE THE AREA THAT IS ALREADY, THAT IS CURRENTLY ZONED GC UH, ALONG 1 46.

THEY ARE, UH, DOING AN INCREASED SETBACK LANDSCAPING IN A VEGETATED, UH, UH, DETENTION AREA ALONG 1 46 TO KIND OF SHIELD THESE BUILDINGS AGAIN FROM 1 46.

UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THEM PRESERVING THAT PARCEL, UM, TO THE NORTH AS WELL AS THOSE EXISTING, UH, TREES, UM, THEY DO HAVE SOME SITE CONSTRAINTS AND ONE OF THOSE IS, UM, CAUSING A NARROWER SETBACK ALONG 1405.

UM, SO WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO DO SOME INCREASED LANDSCAPING TO MITIGATE, UM, THAT NARROWER SETBACK.

SO ON YOUR SCREEN HERE, HERE IS A SITE PLAN, AS YOU CAN SEE PROPOSED.

UM, SO YOU SEE THE DETENTION THAT IS ALONG 1 46 AS WELL AS A RATHER LARGE, UH, VEGETATIVE, UH, LANDSCAPE AREA.

UH, YOU SEE THE TWO BUILDINGS, UM, THE DOCKS WOULD BE ORIENTED EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.

SO NOT AGAINST, UH, NOT REALLY WHERE THE, THE HOMES ARE TO THE NORTH.

THERE, THERE IS, THERE IS SOME RESIDENTIAL THAT IS TO THE WEST OF 1 46.

AND AGAIN,

[00:20:01]

UM, THEY'RE ALSO, AS I WAS SHOWING HERE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU HERE IN A SECOND, THEY ARE GONNA DO SOME INCREASING LANDSCAPING ALONG 1405.

UM, THEY COULD NOT MEET THE, UH, THE REQUIRED STANDARD OF THE, THE 50 FOOT, UM, VEGETATIVE BUFFER ALONG 1405 BECAUSE OF THEM, AGAIN, TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT UNDEVELOPED LAND AND THAT TREE, UH, THOSE EXISTING TREES, UM, SOUTH OF THE RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION TO THE NORTH THERE.

SO HERE IS WHAT THEIR LANDSCAPE PLAN IS.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, UH, THEY'RE DOING DOUBLE ROW OF LANDSCAPING ALONG 1405, UM, WITH SHRUBS, UH, AS WELL AS SOME LARGER TREES AND SOME, UH, EVERGREEN TREES.

HERE'S A COUPLE OF RENDERINGS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE, UH, STATING THAT THE PROJECT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM 1 46.

SO YOU SEE THAT THERE IS A BERM, THERE IS SOME LANDSCAPING, AND THEN THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, LANDSCAPING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND AS WELL.

UM, SO SHIELDING THE BUILDING, UH, RATHER WELL FROM 1 46.

THIS IS WHAT THE, UH, PROJECT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM UM, 1405.

NOW GRANTED THESE ARE, UH, MUCH MORE MATURE TREES.

UM, BUT AGAIN, THE INTENT AS YOU CAN SEE, IS TO HAVE A DOUBLE ROW OF TREES AS WELL AS SOME SHRUBS.

UM, REALLY AGAIN, TO KIND OF TRY TO SOFTEN THAT LOOK, UM, FROM, FROM 1405.

AND THAT IS ALL THAT STAFF HAS.

STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS.

AND I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL, AND I BELIEVE HAS A PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU.

SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT THE DEVELOPER IS HERE, IS THAT CORRECT? DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY? UH, WE DIDN'T INTEND TO, BUT, OH, OKAY.

OKAY.

THAT'S FINE.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? I, I DO.

I REMEMBER THIS WELL, ACTUALLY.

AND I REMEMBER THAT THE BIG CONVERSATION ONCE AGAIN WAS AROUND THE TRUCK TRAFFIC, ET CETERA, AT THAT CORNER.

AND WE LOVED YOUR PROJECT AND I REMEMBER WE EXCEPTIONALLY LOVED THE RESPECT THAT YOU WERE SHOWING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH.

SO, UM, WHAT DID YOU GUYS DECIDE ON THAT TRAFFIC TRUCK ISSUE? ON THE TRAFFIC TRUCK? COULD YOU, EXCUSE ME, CAN YOU COME FORWARD TO THIS? I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU TO DO THE MINUTES.

.

HI, MY NAME'S CHAD BRANTLEY.

SO YEAH, THAT THE ORIGINAL SITE PLAN HAD, UH, CURB CUTS ALONG FORT 1 46, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE THE SELLER, THE BUYER HAS WORKED AND HE'S ALSO HERE.

BUT WHAT WE CAME TO A COMPROMISE IS WE, THE BUILDINGS WERE AT A, A DIAGONAL MM-HMM .

WHICH ALLOWED MORE LEASE SQUARE FOOTAGE.

SO WE TURNED THAT NORTH SOUTH, WHICH REDUCED THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.

AND THEN, WHICH IS ONE REASON WE CAN'T, UH, HAVE A LARGER BUFFER ON 1405 'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY REDUCED SQUARE FOOT.

IT MAKES THE PROJECT IMPROBABLE FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.

BUT MAINLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, THERE, THERE WERE CURB CUTS HERE AND HERE AND THERE ARE NO LONGER CURB CUTS FOR TRAFFIC TO GO THIS WAY.

AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY WIDEN 1405, THERE'S EASY ACCESS TO COME OUT HERE AND HERE AND GO EAST RATHER THAN WEST AND UP 1 46.

SO THAT WAS THE, THE CHANGES THAT, LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASED TRUCK TRAFFIC ON 1 46.

SO THERE WAS NO REALLY CONCERN ON 1405.

YOU JUST GO TO 99 AND GO WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT.

SO THAT'S THE CHANGES WE MADE TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION YOU ASKED.

NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.

IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

SURE.

THANK YOU.

YES, THANK YOU FOR BEING CONSIDERATE TO OUR CONCERNS.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CHAD.

YEAH.

DO YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.

SO WHAT I JUST HEARD IS, IS THE WAY YOU DESIGNED IT IS, IS FOR THE TRUCKS TO BE ABLE TO GO TOWARDS NINE NINE.

BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR THAT, RIGHT? NO, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S GONNA BE MORE PRACTICAL TO GO THAT WAY FOR THE TRUCK TRAFFIC.

OH, BELIEVE ME, I KNOW FOR ALL TRAFFIC.

YEAH.

FIRST TIME THEY GO ON 1 46, THEY'RE GONNA GO ON 1405 AFTER.

YEAH.

YEAH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO, YEAH, GO AHEAD.

SO THIS UH, GREEN AREA THAT'S UP BY DEVON WOOD, IS THAT GONNA STAY INTACT OR ARE Y'ALL PLANTING MORE TREES? WE ARE, NO, WE, WE, WE ARE JUST GONNA HOLD ONTO THAT.

WE'RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE IT.

IT WAS GONNA BE INCLUDED FOR SOME DETENTION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE DECIDED JUST NOT TO INCLUDE THIS IN THIS PROJECT.

SO IT'S GONNA STAY GREEN SPACE.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE PART OF THIS PROJECT.

ANYTHING ELSE? THE, OKAY.

THE DETENTION POND IS IN THE PART THAT THE CITY CONTROLS? YES.

THAT'S GC.

SO THEY BYPASS OUR RULES TO BE ABLE BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE WAREHOUSES ON THE PROPERTY.

THEY ARE

[00:25:01]

AND, AND YOU ALL ALREADY APPROVED THE REZONING OF THE REST OF THE SITE TO ALLY? WE DIDN'T KNOW.

WELL, I DIDN'T .

UM, IT'S JUST A BAD SPOT FOR, FOR MORE WAREHOUSES IN MY OPINION.

YOU'VE GOT SCHOOLS, YOU'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU'VE GOT TRUCK TRAFFIC AND, AND, UH, LIKE HE SAID, THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT BOTH WAYS.

I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON TO BELIEVE THEY WOULDN'T.

UM, I JUST THINK IT'S A BAD DEAL.

I THINK THE CITY LET US DOWN AND I THINK THE DEVELOPER IS THERE FOR THE MONEY.

SO IF I CAN ADDRESS THAT PLEASE.

THE, THE DEVELOPER.

SO THAT PART WITH THE DETENTION IS IN THE CITY, IT'S GC RIGHT? THE PART, THE ANNEX SETTING IS FUTURE PLAN LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.

THAT'S THE WAY THE CITY'S ALWAYS LOOKED AT IT.

THERE'S INDUSTRIAL ACROSS THE ROAD AND TO THE EAST.

AND, UM, THE, THE BUYER AND THE DEVELOPER CAN BEING OUTSIDE THE CITY JUST DEVELOP THIS AS IS WITHOUT BEING ANNEXED.

BUT THE DEVELOPER WANTS UTILITIES.

SURE.

AND THE CITY WANTS SOME CONCERNS ADDRESSED.

SO IT WAS KIND OF A BARGAIN, HEY, WE, WE WON'T JUST DO IT.

AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO, THEY'LL HAVE CURB CUTS ON 1 46, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE VEGETATIVE BUFFERS, ALL THAT.

SO IT WAS KIND OF A COMPROMISE AND A DEAL BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER.

OTHERWISE THEY JUST DO IT.

AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THIS SORT OF THING.

'CAUSE IT'S OUTSIDE THE CITY.

SO IT'S A, IT, THIS PUD GIVES THE CITY SOME CONTROL TO KIND OF FORCE THE HAND OF DEVELOPER TO GET THESE, UH, CHANGES MADE.

OKAY.

WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? THIS IS COMMISSIONER SCOTT.

I MOVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND FINALIZE THE REPORT WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ZONING CHANGES AS RECOMMENDED BY CITY STAFF.

.

GOOD JOB.

TAMMY .

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? DO WE HAVE TO READ ALL OF THAT? IT'S A SECOND.

A SECOND.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO THAT I SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

DO YOU WANNA SHOW OF HANDS? NAY, PLEASE.

MOTION CARRIES.

OH, WE, ANY NAYS? NO.

YEAH.

AS OPPOSED TWO .

OKAY.

WHEN WE CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING.

THANK YOU CHAD.

UM, AND THIS AGAIN WILL, UH, GO TO COUNSEL ON OCTOBER 12TH.

OUR NEXT PUBLIC

[c. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request to approve a Special Use Permit (SUP) for approximately 2.1 acres located at approximately 5141 Garth Road, more specifically north of West Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Road and west of Garth Road to allow for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) within a General Commercial (GC) Zoning District.]

BESS WITHIN A GENERAL COMMERCIAL GC ZONING DISTRICT.

RYAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

UH, SO YES, THIS, UH, WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND OF WHY WE'RE DOING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THIS.

SO, UM, THE ORDINANCE STATES THAT INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING USES THAT ARE NOT EXPLICITLY LISTED IN THE, UH, ULDC.

UH, THE DIRECTOR HAS THE OPTION, UH, TO REQUIRE THEM TO GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

UM, THIS IS A BRAND NEW USE TO THE CITY LIMITS OF BAYTOWN.

IT'S NOT A NEW USE SO MUCH TO OUR ETJ OR REALLY TO MOST OTHER COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS.

UM, THESE ARE, ARE BECOMING MUCH MORE POPULAR.

UM, BASICALLY WHAT IT IS, IS IT'S, UH, WHEN THE, UM, THE, THE, THE NEED FOR POWER GENERATION IS LOWER.

THE, UH, POWER GOES INTO THESE BATTERIES, IT'S HELD IN IT.

AND THEN WHEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL NEED FOR ADDITIONAL POWER, IT'S KIND OF RELEASED OUT TO THE GRID.

NOW IT'S NOT SPECIFIC WHERE IT'S GONNA SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE A HURRICANE HERE IN BAYTOWN AND, UH, WE LOSE POWER.

YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T JUST FIRE IT UP.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW THE CITY HAS IT.

BUT THIS IS REALLY PART OF, ESPECIALLY IN WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 2021 WITH THE FREEZE, UM, WITH, UH, UH, OUR GROWING POPULATION REALLY, UH, ERCOT CENTER POINTS, UH, DESIRE TO REALLY STABILIZE THE GRID AND KIND OF BUILD SOME REDUNDANCY INTO IT.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.

UM, LAPORTE, I BELIEVE, UH, HAS APPROVED ONE, A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LARGER ONE, UM, OTHER CITIES AROUND THE STATE, UM, HAVE AS WELL.

AND I THINK YOU'RE JUST

[00:30:01]

THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE WE KIND OF WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYBODY IN THE PUBLIC WITH THE, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

UM, AND THAT IS WHY WE DID, UM, UH, DIRECT THE APPLICANT TO GO DOWN THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT ROUTE.

SO WITH THAT, UM, SO THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED, UM, AGAIN, ROUGHLY IN THE 5,100 BLOCK OF GARTH ROAD.

UM, IT'S THAT VACANT PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT IS, UH, JUST TO, UM, THE NORTH OF THAT, UH, LARGE, UM, MASSAGE BUSINESS THAT IS RIGHT THERE ON THE, UH, WEST SIDE OF GARTH ROAD.

UH, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP HAS THIS ENTIRE AREA AS LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL.

UH, THE ZONING AS WELL IS GENERAL COMMERCIAL.

AND I'M GONNA BACK UP HERE FOR A SECOND.

AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY THE APPLICANT LOOKED AT THIS IS THERE IS A CENTER POINT, UH, SUBSTATION ABOUT 600 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THIS SITE.

UM, AGAIN, HAVING PROXIMITY TO A SUBSTATION IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS TYPE OF USE.

UM, AND THAT IS WHY THEY, UH, WERE LOOKING AT THIS.

SO THE PROJECT SUMMARY, UH, SO THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A 10 MEGAWATT, UH, 13 MEGAWATT HOUR, WHICH IS A FORM OF HOW MUCH ENERGY THESE BATTERIES CAN STORE.

UM, A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, UH, WITH FOUR BATTERY CONTAINERS.

THESE ARE GOING TO LOOK TYPICAL TO WHAT YOU WOULD THINK OF LIKE A C TRAIN OR, OR A A SHIPPING CONTAINER.

UM, THEY'RE THE KIND OF THAT CORRUGATED METAL, UM, WITH, WITH THE BATTERIES INSIDE IT AS WELL AS FOUR TRANSFORMERS, UH, ON THE SITE AS WELL.

UH, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 15,000 SQUARE FOOT PLOT WITHIN A LARGER 2.1 ACRE SITE.

IT WILL HAVE AN OPAQUE SCREENING WALL, UM, AS WELL AS SOME LANDSCAPING TO KIND OF SOFTEN THAT WALL A LITTLE BIT.

SO HERE IS THE PARCEL IN QUESTION.

UM, THE PURPLE LINE, UH, SHOWS, UH, HOW, UM, THEY WOULD GET ACCESS TO THIS SITE.

UM, THE YELLOW IS THE AREA OF WHERE THE ACTUAL, UM, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE, UH, SYSTEM WOULD BE LOCATED.

AND THEN THE GREEN IS THE OVERARCHING, UH, PARCEL FOR THE PROPERTY.

SO HERE IS A BETTER SITE PLAN OF IT.

UH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF IT IS WHERE YOU WOULD SEE THOSE FOUR, UH, BATTERY CONTAINERS.

UM, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A 20 FOOT ACCESS, UH, ROAD FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO.

IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE PERMANENT STAFF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY MAY HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME IN FOR MAINTENANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND THEN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SITE IS WHERE THE TRANSFORMERS WOULD ACTUALLY BE, WHICH IT WOULD THEN HOOK INTO THE GRID TO GO TO THE SUBSTATION.

UM, AND SO THAT IS, UH, WHAT THEY ARE PROPOSING.

I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL.

AND, UH, MAYBE, UH, WOULD BE HAPPY, I THINK, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND MAYBE GET MORE INTO THE TECHNICAL WEEDS ON, ON THIS.

SO, UH, WITH THAT I WILL STEP ASIDE.

HEY, GOOD EVENING.

WE HAVE A, UH, A PRESENTATION THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAND OUT.

WOULD THAT BE APPROPRIATE? SURE.

AWESOME.

WELL, LET ME START.

MY NAME IS, UH, SCOTT MASON.

I'M WITH, UH, REGIS ENERGY PARTNERS, AND WE ARE HERE, UM, AS BRIAN MENTIONED, TO REQUEST A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR, UH, ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY.

THANK YOU.

I HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF PREPARED REMARKS THAT WOULD HELP YOU GUYS GET TO SPEED OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

AND THEN I HAVE A, UM, A TEAM ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROOM, UM, TO HERE TO HELP ANSWER, UM, ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

UM, SO LET ME JUST MAKE THREE QUICK, UH, POINTS TO, TO HELP YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

FIRST, LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A COMPANY.

SECOND, WHAT THE ACTUAL PROJECT, UM, IT'S ABOUT.

AND THEN FINALLY, WHY.

UM, WE AT REGIS, UM, ARE FOCUSED ON, UM, ENERGY STORAGE.

SO FIRST, UH, WHO WE ARE, REGIS.

REGIS INJURY PARTNERS DEVELOPED CONSTRUCTION OPERATES, UH, ENERGY STORAGE FACILITIES ACROSS TEXAS.

WE'RE OWNED, UH, BY TWO VETERANS OF THE, UM, UH, ENERGY, UH, COMMUNITY WHO SPENT THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS HERE IN TEXAS.

UM, AND WE'RE HEADQUARTERED IN THE ENERGY QUARTER, UH, IN HOUSTON.

UH, WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL BACKING OF A LEADING INVESTMENT FIRM ENSURING THAT WE WILL FINISH, UH, WHAT WE START.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE AT REGIS.

NOW, LEMME TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, UH, THE ACTUAL PROJECT.

SO IF YOU LOOK ON, UH, PAGE THREE OF YOUR PRE PRESENTATION, LETS, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE, UH, WHERE THE PROJECT IS.

SO IT'S ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF GARTH ROAD IN CEDAR BAYOU, UH, LYNCHBURG ROAD.

THIS FACILITY IS DESIGNED TO BE A COMPANION FACILITY TO THE, UH, ADJACENT CENTER POINT SUBSTATION, WHICH IS JUST ABOUT 600 FEET, UH, TO THE, UH, NORTHWEST.

AND THE POINT OF THIS FACILITY IS TO DELIVER CRITICAL STABILITY SERVICES, UH, TO THE, UH, THE POWER GRID.

WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, CENTERPOINT AND, UH, ERCOT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PROJECT IS DESIGNED

[00:35:01]

FURTHERMORE, UH, I'LL JUST DIRECT YOU TO, UH, TO PAGE FIVE.

THIS WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE, MORE DETAIL ABOUT HOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE SET UP THIS, UM, THIS PROJECT.

SO WE HAVE THOUGHT VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND DESIGN OUR PROJECT TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

SO FIRST OF ALL, LEMME JUST POINT OUT THAT WE'RE OVER 500 FEET, UM, FAR FROM, UM, GARTH ROAD.

AND WE'RE BEHIND SEVERAL RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.

WE, UH, WE HAVE PLANNED THE SITE WITH A WALL AROUND THE FACILITY, SO IT'LL BE MINIMALLY VISIBLE, UM, FROM, FROM GARTH ROAD, I THINK IS, IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE WANTED TO, UH, TO, UH, COMMUNICATE.

SECOND OF ALL, AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, THIS WILL BE AN UNMANNED FACILITY ONCE IT IS IN OPERATIONS.

UM, SO THERE'LL BE, IT WILL NOT INCREASE CONGESTION ALONG GARTH ROAD.

WE WILL HAVE THE PERIODIC, UM, MAINTENANCE, UH, UH, PERSONNEL COME TO THE SITE.

BUT THAT'LL BE VERY PERIODIC AND WILL NOT, WILL NOT INCREASE, UM, UH, CONGESTION.

SO THAT'S VERY BRIEFLY A FEW OF BULLET POINTS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE PROJECT.

AND LEMME JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND TELL YOU WHY WE'RE A FOCUS ON ENERGY STORAGE AND WHY WE THINK IT'S, UM, SO IMPORTANT.

UM, I'M SURE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS THAT THE TEXAS POWER GRID IS UNDER A LOT OF STRESS.

IT'S, WE HAVE A RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION.

WE HAVE AGING POWER PLANTS, AND WE HAVE INCREASING RENEWABLE GENERATION, AND THAT JUST CREATES HEAVY, HEAVY STRESS ON, UH, THE POWER GRID.

WE EVEN EVEN SAW THAT IN THE LA IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS WHERE, OR GOT VERY, VERY CLOSE, UM, UH, LAST WEEK TOO, A POWER EMERGENCY.

SO MUCH LIKE, UM, THE GENERAC YOU HAVE AND MADE SOME OF YOUR HOMES ENTRY STORAGE IS VERY UNIQUELY SUITED TO HELP STABILIZE THE GRID.

AND LET ME WALK YOU TO, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH, UM, TWO KEY REASONS WHY THAT IS.

SO, FIRST OF ALL, UM, BATTERIES CAN RESPOND ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY TO A POWER EMERGENCY.

SO, WHEREAS OTHER POWER PLANTS LIKE A COAL PLANT OR A GAS POWER PLANT, UM, ITS RESPONSE TIME IS MUCH SLOWER.

SO A BATTERY CAN RESPOND TO SAY A, UM, A, UH, A POWER PLANT TRIPPING OFF DUE TO SOME KIND OF FAILURE.

WE CAN RESPOND INSTANTANEOUSLY TO THAT AND PROVIDE BACKUP POWER TO THE GRID, WHICH IS A VERY UNIQUE FEATURE OF AN ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY.

UH, AND FINALLY, UM, BATTERIES OPERATE AS SHOCK ABSORBERS.

SO LIKE RYAN MENTIONED, THAT WAS VERY, A VERY GOOD COMPARISON.

DURING TIMES OF, OF POWER OVERPRODUCTION, UM, BATTERIES CAN TAKE THAT POWER OFF THE GRID, HOLD IT, AND THEN IN TERMS OF, UH, AND THEN IN TIMES OF PEAK DEMAND OR IN EMERGENCY, IT CAN PUT THAT POWER RIGHT BACK ON, ON THE GRID AND, UM, STABILIZE THE GRID, UM, IN THAT MANNER.

SO THOSE ARE JUST BRIEFLY TWO REASONS WHY WE AT REGIS ARE SO FOCUSED ON ENERGY STORAGE AND WHY WE THINK IT'S A VERY HELPFUL AND VALUABLE TOOL TO ENSURING THAT, UM, THAT WE SAW WE, WE HAVE A STABLE GRID THAT, THAT CAN, UM, SUPPORT THE POPULATION IN TEXAS.

THAT'S SOME VERY BRIEF POINTS.

WE HAVE MORE DETAILS IN THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.

AND I'M JOINED BY, UM, UM, UH, A TEAM MEMBER FROM CENTERPOINT, A TEAM MEMBER FROM, UH, CAC WHO'S AN EXPERT IN ENERGY SHORT OPERATIONS.

I'M GONNA JOIN, UH, BY A TEAM MEMBER FROM TELEP WHO'S AN EXPERT IN CONSTRUCTING FACILITIES AROUND HARRIS COUNTY, UH, TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT OUR APPLICATION.

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND IT.

I LOVE IT.

THANK YOU.

ARE THERE ANY SAFETY ISSUES OR HAZMAT ISSUES OR WHAT HAZARDS COME WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT REALLY IS.

UM, WE TAKE THE SAFETY OF OUR FACILITY, UM, EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY, UM, WITH UTMOST CARE.

UM, AND THAT'S, WE HAVE DESIGNED THE SITE WITH THAT IN MIND.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SAW THE 15 FEET, UM, DISTANCE BETWEEN THE, THE CONTAINERS THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, IN THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS TODAY.

UM, ACTUALLY, BUT I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST THING IS ASK MY COLLEAGUE, ROBERT, TO SPEAK A FEW MINUTES ON WHAT WE ARE DOING ON THE SAFETY SIDE TO MAKE SURE THIS FACILITY IS OPERATED ABOVE EVEN THE, THE, THE HIGHEST INDUSTRY STANDARDS.

AND WHAT TYPE OF BATTERIES ARE THEY? UM, THEY'RE A LITHIUM ION.

SO THE SAME BATTERIES YOU HAVE HAVE IN YOUR IPHONE, THE TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR IPHONES.

AND WHILE HE'S COMING UP, MAY I ASK, UM, THIS SERVES THE CITY OF BAY BAYTOWN AND THE ETJ OUR ENTIRE CITY, OR HOW FAR DOES THIS REACH? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO IT SERVES THE, UH, THE BROADER POWER GRID.

SO IT'LL SERVE ALL OF BAYTOWN, ALL THE OTHER ETJ AND THEN THE BROADER POWER GRID.

THANK YOU.

IT'S WHITE POWER.

OH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING A CODE.

I, MY WIFE TELLS ME I'D LEAVE MY SHIRT IF SHE DIDN'T LAY IT OUT FOR ME.

.

UM, I, I'M, MY NAME IS ROBERT CARVELL AND I'M WITH A COMPANY CALLED CAC SPECIALTY.

WE ARE A SPECIALTY INSURANCE

[00:40:01]

WE, WE, UH, BASICALLY DO NOTHING BUT POWER AND, AND, AND, UH, OIL AND GAS.

I'M ORIGINALLY OUT OF THE DEEP WATER DRILLING BUSINESS, BUT, UM, THIS GRAY HAIR, YOU CAN SEE I'VE, UH, I'VE BEEN, UH, OUT, OUT OUT OF THE OIL FIELD FOR A WHILE AS FAR AS GETTING DIRTY.

BUT I'M ALSO A 49 YEAR FIREFIGHTER.

AND, UH, I GOT INTERESTED IN, IN THESE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN, IN SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT HAS BEEN MITIGATED.

UM, THE THING, THE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT THESE BA THESE CONTAINERS ARE NOT, THEY DIDN'T GO BUY 40 FOOT CONTAINERS AND CUT HOLES IN 'EM AND PUT 'EM IN.

THESE ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED, UH, UH, STORAGE FAC UH, UM, CONTAINERS THAT ARE SEGREGATED.

AND YOU HAVE 12 SETS OF BATTERIES THAT GO DOWN EACH SIDE OF THE, OF THE, UH, OF THE CONTAINER.

AND IT IS TOTALLY SEALED.

AND EACH ONE OF THESE CONTAINERS HAD TO GO THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED, UH, UH, UL 95 40.

AND I, AND I, I GOT SO MANY NUMBERS IN MY HEAD, BUT THE 95 40 A FOR THEM TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A 95 40 A CONTAINER, THEY HAVE TO SET IT, THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY SET 'EM ON FIRE, ON HA HAVE CAUSED A THERMAL RUNAWAY WITHIN THAT CONTAINER.

AND IT DOES NOT PENETRATE OUT.

NOW THO THE, THE CONTAINERS THAT, THAT, UH, REGIS HAS PURCHASED MAKES ME VERY HAPPY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, WE WON'T HAVE ANY PROPAGATION.

AND SO, SO IF THERE IS A, IS SOME SORT OF AN EMERGENCY IN THERE, THEY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT SAFETY FEATURES THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE BATTERIES HAS SIX CELLS AND THERE'S USUALLY 24 TO BATTERIES TOTAL IN EACH, IN EACH ONE OF THOSE SEGMENTS.

EACH CELL IN THAT BATTERY IS MONITORED SO THAT IF THERE IS A, A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE CELLS, IT'LL GIVE A SIGNAL AND THAT'S WHEN A TECHNICIAN COME OVER AND TAKE CARE OF IT.

NOW, AS A FIREFIGHTER, I CAN TELL YOU WITH ALL CERTAINTY THAT IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN THIS, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE I NEVER WANT ANOTHER ONE OF MY BROTHERS OR SISTERS TO END UP WITH CAREER IN INJURIES, ENDING INJURIES.

SO THE OTHER THING I LIKE ABOUT REGIS IS THAT THEY, THEY'RE PUTTING THE SAME EXACT FACILITIES ACROSS TEXAS.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, THAT THAT PLOT THAT YOU SEE WITH, WITH THE NUMBER OF CONTAINERS, THE NUMBER OF, OF TRANSFORMERS AND, AND, AND, AND THE OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT GOES, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE IS SET FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO WHERE THERE'S NO ISSUE.

AND AS FAR AS FOR HAZARDOUS, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, THE ONLY THING THAT WILL ACTUALLY SUPPORT WHAT WE CALL A A A FREE FIRE IS, IS OIL IN THE TRANSFORMERS THEMSELF.

BUT IT'S, BUT IT BASICALLY ALL IT IS IS SOYBEAN OIL.

SO EVEN IF IT SPILLS ON THE GROUND, I MEAN WE, WE, THEY CAN PICK IT UP, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SOYBEAN OIL.

UM, THE BATTERIES THEMSELF, IF, IF ONE OF THEM, IF ONE OF THE BATTERIES WERE TO GO INTO THERMAL RUNAWAY, WE WOULD GET AN ALARM WAY BEFORE THAT BECAUSE EACH, WHEN THESE BATTERIES GO INTO, BEFORE THEY GO INTO THERMAL RUNAWAY, THEY GO TO WHAT'S CALLED OFFGASSING.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE CELLS THAT GETS HOT.

AND WHEN IT GET, WHEN IT OFF GASSES EMITS.

TWO THINGS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH.

ONE OF 'EM IS, ONE OF 'EM IS METHANE AND ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, GOD, OH MAN, HELP ME OUT HERE, GUYS.

THE I GOT IT RIGHT.

WEREN'T LISTENING, I GOT IT.

, , UM, HYDROGEN, HYDROGEN, HYDROGEN AND METHANE.

NOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CALL IN THE FIRE SERVICE IS THE LEL, THE LOWER LEVEL EXPLOSIVE LIMITS.

SO WHAT THESE, THE, THE, THE, UH, SENSORS IN HERE WILL PICK UP HYDROGEN AND METHANE AT 25% OF THE LOWEST LEL LIMITS.

SO WHAT IT DOES IS IT ACTUALLY, WHEN IT, WHEN IT SENSES THAT THAT 25%, IT SHUTS THE AIR CONDITIONERS OFF BECAUSE THESE BATTERIES ARE, ARE COOLED BY AIR CONDITIONERS, UH, ALL 24 7, IT SHUTS THE BATTERIES OFF THE, THE AIR CONDITIONERS OFF AND IT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGES THESE EVAC, WE CALL 'EM EVAC FANS THAT TAKE THE, THE AIR OUT, THE EXPLOSIVE LEVELS OUT SO THAT IT DOES NOT, DOES NOT, UH, EVER GET TO A A POINT WHERE IT WILL, IT WILL, UH, SUPPORT FLAME.

AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT I DO THAT I'M, THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF IS THAT I GET TOGETHER WITH THE BAYTOWN FINEST, THE FIREMEN HERE.