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MEETING.IT IS 5:00 PM I NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND ASK NA TO CALL ROPE AUGUSTINE.
[2. CITIZEN COMMENTS Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, prohibits the Planning and Zoning Commission from discussing, deliberating, or considering, subjects for which public notice has not been given on the agenda. Issues that cannot be referred to the administration for action may be placed on the agenda of a future Planning and Zoning Session.]
THE PURPOSE OF CITIZENS' COMMENT IS TO GIVE CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.ANYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD HAVE SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER.
EACH CITIZEN SHALL GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON ONE MINUTE TO SPEAK.
A CITIZEN MAY PASS THEIR TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
HOWEVER, NO CITIZEN'S REMARKS SHALL EXCEED THREE MINUTES.
THE ONE OR THREE MINUTE LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE COMMISSION.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE COMMISSION CANNOT DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE ON ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ON THIS AGENDA.
ISSUES THAT CANNOT BE REFERRED TO ADMINISTRATION FOR ACTION MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR PLACEMENT ON THE AGENDA OF A FUTURE PLANNING AND ZONING ZONING AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYBODY WISHING TO SPEAK? I THINK HE, I THINK, UH, MARTIN
SO SIR, YOUR ITEM, IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT ITEM.
DO YOU HAVE THE I'LL THANK YOU.
THERE BEING NO ONE DESIRING TO SPEAK.
THIS CONCLUDES THE CITIZENS' COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA MINUTES.
[a. Consider approving the meeting minutes of the April 16, 2024, Planning and Zoning Commission regular meeting.]
CONSIDER APPROVING THE MIN UH, THE MEETING MINUTES FOR APRIL 16TH, 2024.PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, REGULAR MEETINGS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[a. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for a subdivision variance on approximately 0.94 acres at 2504 Massey Tompkins Road to allow for a lot without lot frontage on an improved public right-of-way.]
TO FOUR PLATS SUBDIVISION VARIANCES.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 DESIRED TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE LIST.
AS THIS LIST WILL PROVIDE THE SPEAKER ORDER FOR THE HEARING.
EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THIS HEARING.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE CONCISE.
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.
A AGENDA I KNOW I CAN'T CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR A SUBDIVISION VARIANCE ON APPROXIMATELY 0.94 ACRES AT 2 5 0 4 MASSEY TOMPKINS ROAD TO ALLOW FOR A LOT WITHOUT LOT FRONTAGE ON AN IMPROVED PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
I'LL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE? GO AHEAD.
UM, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED NORTH OF MASSEY TOMPKINS ROAD AND, UH, EAST OF CROSS B CEDAR BIO.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 0.94 ACRES OF LAND.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO, UM, TO CREATE ONE LOT FOR RESIDENTIAL, UH, DWELLING.
THIS PROPERTY DOES NOT HAVE AN ACCESS OR A FRONTAGE ON A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT'S WHY IT'S COMING FOR A SUBDIVISION VARIANCE.
BEFORE YOU, UM, AFTER THE SUBDIVISION VARIANCE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE PLAT.
SO IF THE SUBDIVISION VARIANCE FOR THIS PROPERTY IS APPROVED, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAT.
THIS IS THE SECTION OF THE CODE THAT, UM, REQUIRES A FRONTAGE ON AN IMPROVED PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
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THE SUBJECT PROPERTY HAS, UM, AN ACCESS EASEMENT, UH, PRIVATE ACCESS EASEMENT.IT'S 26 WHITE THAT BEEN CREATED FOR, UH, SINCE 1980S.
UH, FOR THIS PROPERTY IS, UH, FOR THIS ONE AS WELL AS THE ONE TO THE SOUTH, THE NORTH AREA WILL BE THIS WAY.
AND, UM, STAFF, UH, RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR THE SUBDIVISION VARIANCE.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK? NO.
AND THERE'S NO ONE THAT'S BEEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE COMMISSION? OKAY.
CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF THE NORTH, EXCUSE ME, MARTIN AND HERRERA, FINAL PLAT, APPROXIMATELY 0.94 ACRES LOCATED AT 25 0 4 MASSEY TOMPKINS ROAD.
I WILL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
SO, UM, THIS IS THE, THE PLAT, UH, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE, THE SUB, THE SUBJECT VARIANCE, UH, THAT WE EXPLAINED.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AND THE APPLICANT HAS, UM, CREATED DASHED HERE, UH, FOR THE, UM, THE ACCESS EASEMENT.
IT'S PRIVATE ACCESS EASEMENT AND IT HAS ALSO PUBLIC UTILITIES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE, UH, WE'RE APPROVING THIS PLAT LIKE TO MOVE, APPROVE.
AND THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT.
ITEM C, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING.
CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR A SUBDIVISION VARIANCE ON APPROXIMATELY 0.73 ACRES AT 2 9 3 5 RAIL WOOD STREET TO ALLOW FOR THE CREATION OF TWO LOTS WITHOUT LOT FRONTAGE ON AN IMPROVED RIGHT OF WAY.
I'LL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
THIS IS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMIT, UH, PROPERTY.
THIS IS IN THE ETJA AND UM, IT'S APPROXIMATELY ZERO POINT, UH, SEVEN THREE ACRES OF LAND.
IT HAS ONE EXISTING HOUSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE, THE PROPERTY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND THIS SUBDIVISION HAS BEEN ALSO THERE FOR, UH, FOR LONGER, UM, TIME.
AND THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO HAVE, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, THIS IS, UM, DOES NOT HAVE FRONTAGE ON A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
IT HAS A FRONTAGE ON A PRIVATE RIGHT OF WAY ACCESS AND UTILITY.
AND THIS WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY.
THE, THE COUNTY HAS APPROVED, UH, THIS SUBDIVISION OF LAND AND THIS IS, UM, THE PROPOSAL TO SUBDIVIDE THE LAND INTO TWO LOTS.
UH, ONE THAT HAS THE EXISTING, UH, HOUSE.
THE OTHER ONE IS THE NEW LOT CREATED ON THIS SUBDIVISION.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE AERIAL THAT MOST OF THE LOT ADJACENT TO THIS, UM, UH, RESIDENTIAL LOT HAS SIMILAR LOT FRONTAGE.
SO THEY, UH, THEY MAINLY HAVE, UM, A HUNDRED FOOT WIDE FRONTAGE OR LESS AND THEY'RE ALL, UH, FRONTING ON THIS PRIVATE 60 FOOT WIDE EASEMENT.
AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK? NO.
THERE HAS BEEN NOBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION? CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? TO APPROVE? SECOND.
[d. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for the Gonzalez Manor Final Replat on approximately 0.73 acres at 2935 Railwood Street.]
ON TO D.CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR THE GONZALEZ MANOR FINAL REPL ON APPROXIMATELY 0.73 ACRES AT 2 9 3 5 REDWOOD STREET.
I WILL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
SO THIS IS THE PLAT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBDIVISION VARIANCE, UH, ON RAIL WOOD STREET.
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THE APPLICANT IS CREATING, UM, TWO LOTS WITH 100 FOOT WHITE FRONTAGE ON PRIVATE ACCESS EASEMENT AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AND THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION? CAN WE GET A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.
[a. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request to amend the official zoning map to rezone approximately 0.11 acres at 2700 North Main Street from Mixed Residential at Low to Medium Densities (SF2) to a General Commercial (GC) Zoning District.]
ON TO FIVE ZONING.FIVE A CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY POINT 11 ACRES AT 2,700 NORTH MAIN STREET FROM MIXED RESIDENTIAL AT LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITY SF TWO TO A GENERAL COMMERCIAL GC ZONING DISTRICT.
I'LL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY APPROXIMATELY 0.11 ACRES OF LAND.
IT'S AT THE BACK OF THE SUBDIVISION, THE EXISTING SUBDIVISION ON, UM, ONE STATE HIGHWAY 1 46 AND IT'S EAST OF NORTH MAIN STREET.
THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY RIGHT NOW.
IT WAS OWNED BY THE CITY SINCE, UM, IT'S, IT'S LOCKED FROM THE SUBDIVISION AND IT DOESN'T HAVE FRONTAGE EXCEPT ON THE HIGHWAY.
UM, SO IT WAS OWNED BY THE CITY AND IT WAS SALE, UM, SOLD TO THE APPLICANT.
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATES THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES AND THE, UM, THE ADJACENT PROPERTY FRONTING NORTH MAIN AS NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCIAL, WHICH ALLOWS FOR, UM, SMALL SCALE COMMERCIAL LESS THAN THREE ACRES OF SIZE.
AND, UH, SOME, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, COMMERCIAL USES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS, UH, ZONING DISTRICT.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO, UM, AND OF COURSE THE, THE CURRENT ZONING IS RESIDENTIAL.
SO HAVING THIS PROPERTY AS, UH, RESIDENTIAL, IT'S, IT'S ONLY THE, THE TRIANGLE SHAPE HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO HAVING IT AS RESIDENTIAL IS NOT GOING TO, UH, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DEVELOPED AS RESIDENTIAL.
IT DOES NOT HAVE, UM, THE SIZE OR THE, THE MEANS TO, TO BECOME A HOUSE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO, UM, ADD THIS PIECE OF LAND TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT ON NORTH MAIN AT THE CORNER OF NORTH MAINE AND, UH, STATE HIGHWAY 1 46.
AND THAT'S HOW UH, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO DEVELOP THIS, UM, PIECE OF PROPERTY.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN ACCESS FROM 1 46 THAT WOULD, UM, UH, FACILITATE THIS DEVELOPMENT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE AND GAS STATION AT THE CORNER OF NORTH MAIN AND 1 46.
AND THAT'S THE, THE PROPOSED, UH, ZONING MAP AND STAFF, UH, DECIDE THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS MEETS THE INTENT OF THE CODE AS WELL AS THE GUIDING, UH, UM, PRINCIPLES FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
LANA, IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK? NO.
THERE'S NO ONE THAT'S SIGNED UP.
SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
SO THAT PROPERTY IS, THE OTHER PORTION OF THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOWED AND SOMEBODY'S WANTING TO DEVELOP IT.
IS IT ALL BEING OWNED WITH THE CITY RIGHT NOW? SO THIS IS THE, THE ONLY, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S IT'S BEEN SOLD TO THE DEVELOPER ALREADY AND UH, AND THIS IS PRIVATE, PRIVATE OWNED, SO, OKAY, SO WHAT WILL THEY EVER PUT ANYTHING IN THAT LITTLE PIECE OF LAND THERE THAT LAND FLOODS OFF? I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THAT AND IT FLOODS REGULARLY THERE.
SO THEY WILL HAVE TO, UM, TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CITY CODES AND ENGINEERING STANDARDS.
AND THEY ARE, UH, PROPOSING, UM, TO HAVE 20 FOOT OF OPEN SPACE, UH, AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY ON, ON THE SITE PLAN BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR THEM
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BEING ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL UNITS.IS THAT GONNA CREATE ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE COMING DOWN THERE TURNING RIGHT ON NORTH MAIN? THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AT THAT INTERSECTION.
YEAH, BUT THIS WILL BE WORKED OUT AT THE SITE PLAN WITH THE ENGINEERING.
WHEN WE GET THE, UH, THE SITE PLAN, UM, PERMIT, WE CAN UH, DISCUSS THIS WITH ENGINEERING.
I THINK WHAT THEY SAID, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE, UH, THE MEDIAN HERE AS SHOWN ON THE SITE PLAN, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UH, ENGINEERING STANDARDS.
SO THIS, UM, ACCESS ALIGNS WITH THE ACCESS ON THE WEST SIDE OF NORTH MAINE.
REMEMBER TOO THAT THE, THAT ACCESS POINT OFF OF 1 46 IS CONTROLLED BY T SO ULTIMATELY IT'LL BE UP TO THAT.
SO WAS THERE ANY OTHER POLLING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEHIND THEM BESIDES THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES AND THE, AND CITY? I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY COMMENTS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS OPPOSING TO THIS DEVELOPMENT.
QUESTION, UM, IS IT ALREADY DETERMINED THAT HE'S GONNA WORK WITH THE GAS STATION AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT? YES, BECAUSE IT'S, UH, YEAH THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO PLA THOSE, UH, THREE LOTS.
ONE HERE, THE BIG ONE AND THIS TRIANGLE PIECE AS ONE LOT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DEVELOP ANY, SO THAT COULD DETENTION.
'CAUSE I DON'T SEE DETENTION ON THIS, UH, GAS STATION, BUT GOOD.
DETENTION SO THAT THEY HAVE MORE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NO, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE PLA WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PLAN THAT IT, IT'S A DRIVEWAY TO GO INTO THAT GAS STATION FROM 1 46, RIGHT? YES.
I NEED A, TO BE VERY CLEAR, THE FOLKS THAT ARE DEVELOPING THE GAS STATION ARE, THEY HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE SEPARATE IN ANY WAY.
IT IS PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
ALL OPPOSED LIKE SIGN THE MOTION CARRIES.
[b. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for a Special Use Permit (SUP) on approximately 1.21 acres at 907 Bob Smith Road to allow for the reconstruction of a nonconforming single-family residence that was destroyed by fire. ]
B, CONDUCT A PUBLIC[b. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for approval of the Martin and Herrera Final Plat, approximately 0.94 acres located at 2504 Massey Tompkins Road.]
HEARING AND CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SUP ON APPROXIMATELY 1.21 ACRES AT 9 0 7 BOB SMITH ROAD TO ALLOW FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A NON-CONFORMING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE THAT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.I'LL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND THE COMMISSIONERS TIM CHI HERE WITH CITY'S UH, PLANNING AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A SPECIALIST PERMIT APPLICATION.
THE SUBJECT SITE IS LOCATED AT 9 0 7 BOX SMITH ROAD.
THE LOT IS APPROXIMATELY 1.21 ACRES AND LIES IN THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT IS APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A FIRE DISTRACTED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNIT DESTROYED BY FIRE LAST YEAR WAS THERE PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CURRENT CITY CODES OF ORDINANCE.
SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WITH THE SAME ZONING ALSO CONTAINS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
THE APPLICANT IS APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO REPLACE THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNIT THAT WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES SPECIFICATIONS.
HERE IS THE, UH, FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WHICH SHOWS YOU THE AREA IS ACTUALLY DESIGNATED AS LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AREA.
SO THIS IS ALSO SUPPORTING, UM, THE APPLICATION OF THE SPECIALIST PERMIT.
HERE'S THE SITE PLAN SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT.
THE UPPER PORTION SHOWS THE EXISTING CONDITIONS AND THE LOWER PORTION SHOWS THE PROPOSED, WHICH IS THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNIT ON THE SITE.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK? I THINK THE NAME ON THE SHEET IS THE APPLICANT, SO.
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GAR GARMA.PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I'M THE PROPERTY OWNER OF 9 0 7 BOSS SMITH ROAD.
AND THE REASON WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE, LIKE HE SAID, BUT IT'S BEEN MY HOME SINCE 2009 AND, UH, WHEN IT WAS DESTROYED THERE WAS NO, IT COULDN'T BE REPAIRED SO IT, IT WAS BEST TO TEAR IT DOWN AND, AND REBUILD.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO GET THIS PERMIT.
WELL WE'RE VERY SORRY THAT YOU WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UM, UH, CAN WE ASK QUESTIONS TO HIM OR NOBODY? YES.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
NO, I JUST, I JUST ALSO WANT TO SAY I'M, I'M SORRY, I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT STUFF.
THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION? YEAH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ULDC RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT EVER BECAME COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ALONG IN THERE.
'CAUSE IT'S ALL RESIDENTIAL ON THAT SIDE.
I KNOW HOW BEHIND THEM THAT FACES LANIER IS COMMERCIAL, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE EVER DID THAT WHOLE SECTION AS AND CAN YOU PUT THAT ON THE, THAT ZONING MAP? THE, THE NEXT SLIDE? YEAH, RIGHT THERE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THAT A VERY LARGE PORTION OF THAT IS ALL RED.
IT'S ALL THAT GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET ON BOB SMITH IS ALL, UH, LOW DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY.
IT IS, UM, IT KIND OF, IT PREDATES, UH, UH, PRETTY MUCH ALL OUR STAFF MEMBERS OF THIS STAGE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, TIM, IF YOU CAN GO FORWARD ONE MORE SLIDE TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP SHOWS THAT ENTIRE AREA OVER TIME BEING, UM, RESIDENTIAL.
SO WE HAVE ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENING THERE.
ONE IS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS INCORRECT OR THE OTHER IS THAT THE ZONING MAP NEEDS TO BE TWEAKED AND ADJUSTED.
SO, UM, SEEING THINGS LIKE THIS KIND OF BRINGS THAT FORWARD TO TELL US THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL LIKELY COME BACK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE TO DO ONE OR THE OTHER, EITHER CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP OR CHANGE THE ZONING.
ONE OF THE TWO, BUT NOT TONIGHT.
I KIND OF WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
MY FAMILY IS OWN PROPERTY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 1 46.
AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THEM WHERE THEY WERE ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL AND THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT WAS SO SMALL AND THERE REALLY, THERE WASN'T ACCESS FROM 1 46.
AND, UM, SO I REALLY DO, UH, THINK THAT THAT MIGHT, THAT IS WORTH LOOKING AT.
YEP, IT IS AT THOSE LIKE POCKET AREAS.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY.
AND AGAIN, AS EVERYBODY ELSE HERE, WE'RE SO SORRY FOR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND, AND THANKFULLY THE COAT DOES CURRENTLY HAVE THIS STIPULATION FOR EXACTLY THESE, THESE, UM, SITUATIONS.
SO, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS, IS GOOD WITH THIS AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE.
[c. Conduct a public hearing and consider the city-sponsored rezoning to amend the official zoning map to rezone approximately 13.0 acres of land located along Massey Tompkins Road between Crosby Cedar Bayou Road and Hardin Road, from Low Density Single-family Residential Dwellings (SF1) and Mixed Residential at Low to Medium Densities (SF2) to a Mixed Use (MU) Zoning District.]
C, CONDUCT[c. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request for a subdivision variance on approximately 0.73 acres at 2935 Railwood Street to allow for the creation of two lots without lot frontage on an improved right-of-way.]
A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER THE CITY SPONSORED REZONING TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY 13 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ALONG MASSEY TOMPKINS ROAD BETWEEN CEDAR BIO, EXCUSE ME, CROSBY, CEDAR BIO ROAD AND HARDIN ROAD FROM LOW DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING SF ONE AND MIXED MIXED RESIDENTIAL AT LOW TO MEDIUM DENSITY SF TWO TO A MIXED USE MU ZONING DISTRICT.I'LL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
I WILL START BY, UM, THIS IS, UH, A REZONING THAT IT'S PROPOSED BY THE CITY.
THERE IS NO EXTERNAL, UH, APPLICANT'S INVOLVED IN THIS REZONING, UM, INITIATIVE.
UM, THERE ISN'T ANY OFFICIAL DECISION YET UNTIL, UH, CITY COUNCIL PROVIDE THEIR FINAL DECISION.
UM, WE HAVE HAD A, UM, A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, THAT WENT BEYOND THE, THE NORMAL ENGAGEMENT.
WE, UH, WE GIVE TO A REGULAR REZONING APPLICATIONS.
WE HELD A, UH, PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE ON MARCH 5TH, UH, ON STEVEN F. AUSTIN SCHOOL.
IT WAS ATTENDED BY 12 PEOPLE OF THE RESIDENCE.
AND, UH, ONE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, REPRESENTATIVE SHOW UP TO THIS MEETING.
UM, AFTER THE, UH, THIS, UM, HEARING, UM, THE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT WILL TAKE THE NORMAL PROCESS, WHICH WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS ONLINE
[00:25:01]
AND IT'LL GO TO CITY COUNCIL.UM, WE SPONSORED, THE CITY SPONSORED THIS THREE ZONING BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE AREA AND ITS SURROUNDING.
UH, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, EXISTING PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT HAS A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL USES AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL USES THAT IT, THAT ARE, UH, NON-CONFORMING COMMERCIAL USES WITHIN THE SUBJECT AREA.
WE WANTED TO UTILIZE THOSE VACANT LANDS, UM, UH, WITHIN THE SUBJECT AREA THAT HAS BEEN VACANT FOR DECADES, AND WE WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME UNIFIED, UH, AND GUIDELINES, UM, TO THE, UM, THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THIS AREA, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL.
THE SUBJECT AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 13 ACRES.
IT'S 20 PROPERTIES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF MASSEY TOMPKINS, AS WELL AS THE SOUTH SIDE OF MASSEY TOMPKINS.
UM, THE ADDRESS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF MASSEY TOMPKINS IS, UM, 24, UH, ZERO ONE MASSEY TOMPKINS, ALL THE WAY TO 26 15 MASSEY TOMPKINS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MASSEY TOMPKINS.
IT'S 25 26 ALL THE WAY TO 26 14.
AND THERE IS ALSO AN ADDRESS HERE FOR 26, 14 AND A HALF.
UH, ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, FROM MASSEY TOMPKINS.
IT'S, UH, ONE PROPERTY WEST OF HARDIN ROAD, AND IT CONTAINS, AS I SAID, VACANT LAND, UH, AS WELL AS OCCUPIED PROPERTIES THAT ARE, UH, RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS NON-CONFORMING COMMERCIAL USES.
THE SURROUNDING AREA, THIS IS A, UM, IT HAS ACCESS TO MEASURE, UH, HIGHWAY, UH, 1 46 IN HERE.
IT'S WELL SERVED BY SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC PARKS, UM, AS WELL AS IT DOES HAVE A VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES.
IT HAS, UH, MANUFACTURE HOME, IT HAS RV PARK, IT HAS NEW SUBDIVISIONS, OLDER SUBDIVISIONS, AND WE CAN SEE SOME DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON ON THIS AREA.
AND ITS SURROUNDING, UM, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
AS I SAID, ALL OF THEM HAVE ACCESS FROM, UH, MESSI TOMPKINS.
THEY, UH, CONTAIN NON-CONFORMING, UH, USES, UH, HERE IN THE RED STAR AND SOME VACANT LANDS ARE STILL THERE.
UH, THE CURRENT ZONING, UH, LIMITS THE EXPANSION OF THOSE NON-CONFORMING USES.
UM, SO UNLESS THEY APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, AS YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE ME, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR A, A REZONING APPLICATION.
IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OF CROSBY, CEDAR BIO, AND, UM, WE WEST OF HARDEN ROAD.
THIS IS THE CURRENT ZONING MAP.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SUBJECT AREA, IT'S ZONED SF TWO.
AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE IT'S ZONED SF ONE.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE SF ONE AND SF TWO IS ABOUT THE LOT FRONTAGE AND THE, THE LOT SIZE, BUT THEY BOTH ACCOMMODATE, UM, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, UM, SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED OR TOWN HOMES.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT IT'S, UH, ALLOWING, UH, MANUFACTURE HOMES AND WE HAVE, UM, SINGLE FAMILY ESTATE
SO THESE ARE, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL ZONES WITHIN THE SUBJECT AREA.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO COMMERCIAL ZONES, WE ONLY SEE, UH, THE RED COLOR HERE FOR GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
BUT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'M GOING TO SHED SOME LIGHTS ON OTHER, UH, COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY THAT MAY FIT WITHIN THIS, UH, SUBJECT AREA.
[00:30:01]
UH, THE MIXED USE ZONE IS INTENDED, UH, AS IN THE, UH, ULDC.IT'S INTENDED FOR, UH, SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCIAL AND, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UM, USES THAT COULD BE DUPLEXES OR TOWNHOMES.
UM, IT HAS, IN JULY OF 2022, UH, COUNCIL ADOPTED A TEXT AMENDMENT TO, UH, MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE INTENSE USES IN THIS AREA AND TO MAKE IT MORE, UH, TAILORED TO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, UH, A MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT WOULD ALLOW FOR A, A DUPLEX LIKE THIS ONE ON NORTH, ON WEST MAIN OR A TOWN HOMES, UH, LIKE THIS ONE WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL.
SO THE CURRENT ZONING, WHETHER IT'S SF ONE OR SF TWO, IT COULD ALLOW FOR THESE TWO TYPOLOGIES RIGHT NOW IF IT MEETS THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN TERMS OF SIDE SIZE OF THE PROPERTIES AND THOSE, UH, SETBACKS AND STUFF.
THE OTHER TWO, UH, TYPOLOGY HERE, WHICH IS THE LIVE WORK UNIT, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT HAS BEEN ADDED TO MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT.
SO YOU CAN HAVE ONE STRUCTURE IN THE PROPERTY THAT HAS A, AN OFFICE OR A A RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL ED GRADE AND HAVE A UNIT ON TOP OF THIS STRUCTURE.
IT COULD BE A MULTIPLE STRUCTURES IN MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN HAVE ONE STRUCTURE FOR, UH, YOUR OFFICE OR BUSINESSES AS WELL AS RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON THE SAME PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS, UH, A MORE FLEXIBLE OPTION TO THE, TO PROPERTY OWNERS GIVING THAT.
THE EXISTING, UM, USES ARE A MIX OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL RIGHT NOW WITHIN THIS AREA.
UH, THIS IS ALSO A SMALL SCALE OF, UM, OFFICE TYPE, UH, UNITS, UM, AT THE GROUND FLOOR AND, UM, AND RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON TOP.
SO THIS IS, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE, UH, ZONING DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED, UM, ZONING MAP, UH, FOR THIS PROPERTY.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO HAVE A, UM, MIXED USE ALONG ALL THE PROPERTIES ON THE SUBJECT AREA.
AND I'M TALKING NOW ABOUT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATES THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS YOU SEE, AND ALL OF THE SURROUNDING AS LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL SOME.
SO I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN WHY IT'S, UH, THE, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS, UH, DESIGNATING THE SUBJECT AREA AS LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
AND WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING MIXED USE.
SO, UM, THE PRIMARY LAND USE, UH, IN LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL IS RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
COULD BE, UM, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, COULD BE DUPLEXES, COULD BE TOWN HOMES.
THE, UH, THE SECONDARY LAND USE WITHIN LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, ACCORDING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCIAL, NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCIAL MEANING AN AREA OF, UH, THREE ACRES OR LESS.
AND IT DOES ALLOW FOR SOME COMMERCIAL USES, BUT, UH, IT ACCOMMODATE THE, UH, EXISTING CHARACTER OF THE, UM, THE AREA.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SMALL SCALE, UH, TYPE OF USES OR RETAIL, OR IT COULD BE A SMALL, UH, RESTAURANT, IF YOU WILL.
SO, UM, IT DOES HAVE SOME CONDITIONS FOR US TO APPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE COMMERCIAL WITHIN THIS LOW DENSE RESIDENTIAL.
UH, THESE ARE THE LOCATION CRITERIA.
ACCORDING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU COULD BE LOCATED ON AT THE INTERSECTION OF TWO ARTER ROADWAY OR, UH, ON, UH, AT THE INTERSECTION OF A COLLECTOR IN AN ARTERIAL ROAD.
UM, AND YOU ARE, UM, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD, ALL OF WHICH, UH,
[00:35:01]
THESE CRITERIA ARE ACTUALLY MET ON THIS SUBJECT AREA.ALL OF THEM ARE FRONTING ON ARTI ROAD, ACCORDING TO TODAY IS, UH, UH, SUBDIVISION, UH, CODE.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWING RESIDENTIAL, UH, UNITS TO FRONT ON ARTI ROAD.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THE, THE SCALE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AND THE MIX OF USES IN THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR EXISTING APPLICANTS.
UM, EXISTING, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAS RESIDENTIAL HOMES, THEY CAN KEEP THEIR RESIDENTIAL HOMES AS IS.
THEY CAN MAINTAIN IT, THEY CAN REMODEL IT, THEY CAN ADD UNITS TO IT, THEY CAN ADD SOME COMMERCIAL UNITS, SMALL COMMERCIAL UNITS IN THE SAME PROPERTY.
THEY CAN SUBDIVIDE THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ACCOMMODATING MOST OF THE, THE NEEDS IN THIS AREA.
THE, UM, IN TERMS OF NEW, UH, VACANT PROPERTY, THEY CAN, AS I SAID, UM, IN THE EXAMPLE, THEY CAN DO MIXED USE.
THEY CAN DO, UH, LIVE WORK UNITS, THEY CAN DO TOWN HOMES, BUT ALSO THE EXISTING ZONING ALLOWS FOR TOWN HOMES AND ALLOWS FOR DUPLEXES AS WELL AS, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UM, I'M, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT ON BAYTOWN ENGAGE.
WE HAVE CREATED BAYTOWN ENGAGE BEFORE MARCH 5TH OF ON THE OPEN HOUSE, AND WE HAVE RECEIVED NINE, UH, UH, PARTICIPATION FROM, UH, PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY, AS WELL AS TWO PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK.
ONE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY OPPOSES TO THE IDEA OF HAVING THIS AREA TO REZONE TO MIXED USE.
AND ANOTHER PROPERTY OWNER IS EQUALLY, UM, ACTUALLY SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING THE, THE REZONING OF THIS PROPERTY.
SO FOUR OBJECT, FOUR PEOPLE OBJECTING, UM, TO THIS REZONING AS OF RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THEM IS A PROPERTY OWNER AND FIVE PEOPLE HAVE SUPPORTED THIS, UH, REZONING, INCLUDING ONE, UH, ONE PROPERTY OWNER.
WE STILL HAVE THE, UM, BAYTOWN ENGAGE UP ON THE WEBSITE AND PEOPLE STILL CAN PROVIDE THEIR COMMENTS UP UNTIL JUNE 7TH, ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, HEARING.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS TO, UH, TO FINALIZE THOSE, UH, FEEDBACK AND PRE PRESENT THEM TO CITY COUNCIL ON, UH, ON JUNE, UH, 13.
AND WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REZONING OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FROM SF ONE SF TWO TWO MU.
NOW, MR. LONNIE WHITFIELD, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS, UH, LONNIE WHITFIELD, AND I LIVE ON 24 33 MASSEY TOKIN.
UM, MYSELF AND MY FAMILY OWN A LARGE PART OF ALL OF THIS PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, A BIG CHUNK OF IT.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY ALL OF IT, BUT WE'VE LIVED BACK THERE TILL THE SIXTIES.
AND, UH, I'M CLOSE FRIENDS WITH MY, ALL MY NEIGHBORS.
MOST OF THE REST OF THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THAT PROPERTY AND THE REZONING OF THIS PROPERTY WILL DO NOTHING BUT HURT US.
I MEAN, IT, IT'LL MAKE OUR ALREADY HIGH PROPERTY TAXES EVEN HIGHER.
AND LIKE I SAID, UH, MOST PEOPLE BACK THERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL RETIRED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE.
THAT'S INCLUDE MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY FATHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF THI IF THIS IS APPROVED, THERE'D BE A DUPLEX BUILT RIGHT IN MY FRONT YARD.
YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO AVOID THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAD TO SAY.
OKAY, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
ANY DISCUSSION BY THE COMMISSION? I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE MAP WHERE YOU'RE SHOWING THE ORIGINAL RIGHT THERE IS FINE.
THERE'S LIKE A BIG GAP THERE FOR LOW DENSITY SINGLE, UH, BUT THEN YOU HAVE GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND THEN MIXED USE.
SO THAT LITTLE PART IS SANDWICHED DENT, UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S SOMEBODY'S HOUSE, UH MM-HMM
SO, AND ACROSS THE STREET YOU HAVE PEOPLE'S HOUSES.
WHY IS THAT PART JUST THERE? SO THIS IS, UH,
[00:40:01]
WAS THIS CORNER WAS REZONED RECENTLY IN, UH, 2022 TO GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UM, AS WELL AS PORTION OF, UM, UH, THIS PROPERTY HERE ON MASSEY TOMPKINS AS WELL.BUT THIS IS, UH, SUPPOSED TO BE A SUBDIVISION FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, UH, YET AN APPLICATION FOR THIS SUBDIVISION.
BUT WE HAVE RECEIVED A PERMIT FOR, FOR THIS CONVENIENCE STORE AND GAS STATION AT THE CORNER.
SO WE, THAT'S WHY WE DID NOT INCLUDE THIS BIG SUBDIVISION, UH, WITHIN THE PROPERTY, ASSUMING THAT THEY WILL HAVE ONLY ONE ACCESS FROM MASSEY TOMPKINS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, TO SEE IN THERE, UH, AS, UH, OPPOSED TO, UM, EXISTING SMALLER LOTS THAT HAS MULTIPLE, UH, ACCESS ON MASSEY TOMPKINS.
AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN YOU WEREN'T HERE LA LAST TIME, MARTIN, AND, UH, WE HAD, AND PLEASE EVERYBODY CORRECT MY MEMORY IS YOUR MIC, THAT THE PROPERTY TAXES WOULD NOT GO UP, THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN AND THAT, UH, IT, IT WAS OUR THOUGHT THAT THE HOME CURRENT HOMEOWNERS MIGHT ACTUALLY SEE, EXCUSE ME, SEE A LITTLE BUMP IN THEIR VALUE IF IT GOES TO MIXED USE OR COMMERCIAL.
THAT THAT IS YES, BASICALLY CORRECT.
UM, THE, THE CITY DOESN'T TAX THE PROPERTIES DIFFERENTLY, SO THE, THE TAXES JUST FROM A REZONE ARE NOT GONNA GO UP.
BUT OVER TIME WE, WE WOULD, AGAIN, JUST, I'M, I'M NOT A, I'M NOT AN ASSESSOR, BUT WE WOULD KIND OF EXPECT THOSE PROPERTY VALUES TO GO UP, UM, OVER TIME, WHICH ARE GONNA BUMP YOUR TAXES AS YOUR, AS YOUR HOUSE IS ASSESSED HIGHER, BUT IT ISN'T GOING TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAXES.
AND, AND IT WOULD GIVE THE CURRENT HOMEOWNERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD TO THEIR LOT TO BUILD ON IT AT ADDITIONAL SPACES, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY.
SO THEY CAN, IT'S ZONED RESIDENTIALLY NOW, SO THEY CAN DO SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
NOW, THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME OTHER, UM, SOME OTHER TYPES OF USES IF THEY WANTED.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT LANYA WENT OVER, EXCUSE ME, IN TERMS OF IF YOU WANTED TO DO A, A LIVE WORK OR SOME SORT OF A MIXED USE TYPE BUILDING WHERE YOU'D HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, AN OFFICE OR A RETAIL OR SOMETHING COMING OUT OF YOUR, THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU ALSO LIVE IN OR AN ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE MIXED USE.
THE OTHER ITEM THAT, UH, I KNOW MR. WHITFIELD UM MENTIONED WAS A WORRY ABOUT DUPLEXES.
I THINK LAMIA ALSO MENTIONED YOU CAN DO DUPLEXES ON THOSE PROPERTIES NOW IF YOU MEET ALL THE, THE, UM, THE REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT WOULDN'T CHANGE.
I WILL ALSO, UM, JUST ADD THAT, UM, MR. WHITFIELD, WE MET WITH HIM LAST WEEK, UH, AND, UM, WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS AND, AND, AND, UM, UH, I KNOW THAT HE WAS GONNA GO BACK AND TALK TO SOME OF THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS AFTER THAT.
SO, UM, WE WE'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT, UM, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THOSE BASES ARE COVERED.
SO HOW MANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES MARTIN HAVE RESIDENTIAL ON THEM NOW? CAN YOU GO TO THE ARIEL? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ON, I'M JUST BEING QUIET OR ACTUALLY, UH, LA YOU GO TO THE ONE WITH THE STARS ON IT.
SO THE, THE RED STARS ARE WHERE THERE ARE COMMERCIAL, UH, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS GOING ON OF SOME SORT.
THERE'S THREE OF THEM, THEN THERE ARE FIVE, THE BLUE STARS, THOSE ARE VACANT, SO THE REST OF 'EM HAVE HOUSES ON THEM.
AND, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME TOO, THAT THE, THE LOT SIZES ARE, ARE SUCH THAT NO LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL IS GONNA COME ON ANY ONE LOT THAT'S CORRECT.
OR TWO, TWO THAT WE, THAT WE COULD SEE NOW THAT WE, THEY COULD COME IN AND AMASS SOME LOTS AND REPL THEM AND DO SOMETHING LARGER THAT, THAT COULD HAPPEN.
UM, THE, THE OTHER, UM, I'M SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
AND SO WHAT WAS OUR REASONING FOR PROPOSING THIS? DO WE HAVE SOME VACANT PIECES OF PROPERTY PER SO REALLY, UM, IT, IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN THAT ENTIRE AREA, WE'RE SEEING SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE.
REMEMBER WE DID, UM, BLUE, BLUE HERON PARKWAY LAST YEAR AND IT WAS KIND OF A SIMILAR DEAL, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS ALL OPEN SPACE REC AND SO THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING THERE.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A SIMILAR DEAL, UH, IN THAT WE ARE SEEING A MIXTURE OF, OF PRESSURES.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE SEEING, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN OUT THERE MORE THAN ANYTHING, IS PROBABLY THE HOUSES THAT ARE THERE MIGHT CONVERT TO SOME SORT OF A BUSINESS.
YOU'LL SEE SOMEONE COME IN AND THEY'LL DECIDE TO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS,
[00:45:01]
THIS WAS A HOUSE AND NOW I'M GONNA MAKE IT A REAL ESTATE OFFICE, OR I'M GONNA MAKE IT A, A HAIR SALON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.SMALL BUSINESSES, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, PUSHING A BIG DEVELOPMENT OF ANY SORT OR LARGE USES.
THESE WOULD BE THESE LITTLE TYPES OF, UM, SORT OF MOM AND POP SHOPS IS THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I DO, SO I JUST COUNTED, AND I THINK I COUNTED THEM ACCURATELY, 21 PROPERTIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS, AND ONLY THREE OF THEM ARE NON-CONFORMING.
UM, I, I, I GUESS THAT ALSO THAT KIND OF SITS OUT THERE FOR ME IS THE, THIS IS OVER THREE PROPERTIES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE NON-CONFORMING VERSUS WHEN I COUNT IT OUT AGAIN THE OTHER WAY, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE NOT VACANT AND SOMEONE'S LIVING THERE.
AND IT, I, I GUESS MY QUESTION ALSO IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MR. WHITFIELD THAT MADE IT, BUT THE ONE OTHER, YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE FOR AND AGAINST, BUT I'M, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, YOU SAID ONE, FOUR AND ONE AGAINST MM-HMM
THE ONE THAT WAS FOR AND AGAINST.
CAN YOU SHARE WHAT THEIR COMMENTS WERE? DO YOU HAVE THAT? I DO HAVE THEIR FEEDBACK, THEIR COMMENTS, AND, UH, YES, I DO HAVE THEIR COMMENTS.
AND WAS THAT MR. WHITFIELD'S OR IS THAT SOMEBODY COMPLETELY, THAT'S MR. WHITFIELD, UH, THE OPPOSING, UH, PROPERTY OWNER, UH, FOR THE REZONING.
AND, UH, THE LARGER, UM, PROPERTY WITHIN THIS, UH, SUBJECT AREA IS SUPPORTING, UH, A REZONE, UH, WHICH HAS EXISTING, UH, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, STRUCTURE.
IT HAS THE, UM, REALTOR WITH THE, UH, WITH SOME PARKING UP FRONT.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALREADY, UM, BEEN USED AS COMMERCIAL AND THEY'RE LOCKED IN WITH THIS 1.7 ACRE, UH, PIECE OF LAND.
UM, OTHER, UM, UH, RESIDENTS AROUND THE AREA HAVE SUPPORTED THIS, UH, REZONING AS WELL.
SO I GUESS TO CLARIFY, THE ONE THAT WROTE IN COMMENTS THOUGH, FOR IT IS ALREADY USING THE PROPERTY IN A WAY THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USING IT.
THEY'RE, IT'S LEGAL NONCONFORMING.
SO THE USE PREDATED THE CODE, WHICH WAS IN 2013.
AND PREDATED THE, THE CURRENT ZONING MAP.
SO IT'S LEGAL FOR THEM TO, UM, UH, TO USE IT AS, UH, COMMERCIAL, BUT THEY WOULD NEED TO COME, IF THEY WANTED TO EXPAND, UH, OR REZONED, THEY WOULD NEED TO COME AND, AND PUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION, UH, FORWARD FOR US TO APPROVE IT, UH, TO APPROVE THEIR EXPANSION.
AND, AND NOTHING WOULD STOP THEM THOUGH FROM DOING THAT TO, TO COME AND APPLY FOR THEIR OWN PROPERTY TO BE REZONED FOR COMMERCIAL, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO AND USE AS THEY WISH ON THEIR PROPERTY.
BUT THIS WILL LEAD US TO THE SIMILAR SITUATION.
WE HAVE A MIXED USE, UH, DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS STREET, AND IT'S SURROUNDED BY, UH, OTHER, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER, UH, FOR, UH, FOR, FOR THIS PROPERTY OWNER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE IT'S SURROUNDED BY RESIDENTIAL FROM THE OTHER THREE SIDES.
UH, BUT ALSO, UM, THEY, THEY CAN DO IT IF THEY GET, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, SUPPORT.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT IT FROM, FROM THE CITY SIDE OF THINGS IS THAT, I MEAN, WE'D RATHER, WE'D RATHER SEE COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
SO WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE, UM, CAN YOU SHOW THE LARGER MAP THAT HAD THE OTHER STARS ON IT? I THINK IT'S THE ONE BEFORE THAT WE SEE THIS KIND OF PRESSURE IN THIS AREA FROM A DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE COMING, WHETHER THEY HAVE STARTED IT OR NOT.
AND THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT AMI SHOWED WITH THE STARS ON IT FOR NON-CONFORMING, UM, USES, WE'VE GOTTEN MORE REQUESTS THAN THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND SO WE ARE SEEING THAT PRESSURE.
WE WOULD RATHER SEE THIS AS, AS WE SEE IT, OKAY, IT'S GOING TO COME IN, THERE ARE GOING TO BE REQUESTS.
WE WOULD RATHER SEE IT DONE IN A COORDINATED EFFORT SO THAT EVERYTHING KIND OF LINES UP AND CONNECTS AND, AND, AND WORKS TOGETHER WELL RATHER THAN PIECEMEAL, BECAUSE WHEN IT'S PIECEMEAL, IT COMES IN
[00:50:01]
LOOKING LIKE OTHER AREAS OF THE TOWN THAT JUST DON'T WORK WELL TOGETHER.SO THAT IS AGAIN, UM, CITY SEEING SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING AND TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THAT.
UM, AND THIS WAS THE OPTION THAT REALLY, UH, PROVIDED THE, THE, THE MOST FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS OUT THERE.
BUT ALSO, UM, WHEN WE DID THE PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS WE SHOWED THEM MORE THAN ONE SCENARIO, AND THIS WAS THE SCENARIO THAT, THAT HAD THE, UM, THE MOST SUPPORT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, IT ISN'T SOMETHING WHERE I THINK, UM, THE CITY DIRECTLY BENEFITS FROM IT.
IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS TOO WHERE WE LOOK AT IT AND GO, OKAY, IF WE WENT OUT THERE AND WE JUST GOT A TON OF, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS COME OUT AND SAID, WE DON'T LIKE THIS, I THINK, UM, CITY WOULD'VE JUST SAID, OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS A MIXED BAG.
AND, UM, FRANKLY, WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM AS MANY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE YELLOW THAT AS WE'D HOPED, WE'D LIKE FOR ALL OF THEM TO HAVE SOME CONTACT WITH US OF SOME SORT.
WE DID SEND NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO THEM AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
UM, SO THEY'VE BEEN INFORMED, UH, I KNOW MR. WHITFIELD DID MENTION THAT SOME OF THEM ARE ELDERLY AND PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, JUST DIDN'T, THEY JUST DON'T COME OUT TO TO, UH, TO SPEAK TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO, UM, ALL THAT SAID, WE WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TO THE AREA.
UM, WE DO THINK THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE THAT FORWARD AS THESE DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS COME IN BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT'S INEVITABLE.
AND BEFORE Y'ALL BROUGHT IT, OH, SORRY, EXCUSE ME.
ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT'S EAST WEST THOROUGHFARE PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE OTHER THAN MAJOR HIGHWAYS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE SEEING MORE COMMERCIAL CROP UP ALONG THAT AREA AND ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THAT.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THERE'S HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, AND IT IS THE ONLY ONE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM 1 46 OVER TO THREE 30.
WHEN Y'ALL BROUGHT IT TO US BEFORE Y'ALL BROUGHT IT TO US AS GENERAL COMMERCIAL THOUGH, RIGHT? CORRECT.
OR WAS IT BROUGHT AS A EXCUSE BEFORE? EXCUSE THE FIRST ONE.
YEAH, WE DID THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL FROM THAT POINT ON WEST TO, TO, UM, YEAH.
YEAH, THAT'S ALREADY DONE TAKEN CARE OF A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
BUT I, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING A LOT MORE COMMERCIAL A LOT IN THAT AREA.
AND THE, THE MIXED USE IS KIND OF, AS YOU SORT OF SEE YOU HAVE GENERAL COMMERCIAL, WHICH IS, IS A MORE INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL.
MIXED USE IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SMALLER SCALE COMMERCIAL, AND THEN YOU GO ONTO YOUR RESIDENTIAL, IT'S NOT QUITE A STRESSED, IT'S KIND THAT GRADIENT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN, IN GOOD LAND USE.
UH, SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING RESIDENTIAL BUDDING UP RIGHT.
AGAINST GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND DUPLEX CAN BE BUILT THERE ON UNDER HIS CURRENT ZONING? THAT THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
MIKE, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, I DO HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION IN THE COMMENT.
THE PROPERTY THAT'S SOUTH ON, UH, MASS TOMPKINS, THE BIG AREA THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS, YOU SAID THAT'S GONNA BE A RESIDE THAT'S PROPOSED TO BE A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT HASN'T ANY NO PLANS ARE IN YET.
YEAH, WE DIDN'T GET ANY, UH, PLANS FOR, FOR THIS SUBDIVISION YET.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE, THE OPEN HOUSE THAT YOU HAD AT THE 1220 PEOPLE? 12.
CAN I ASK MR. WHITFIELD A QUESTION? IS THAT POSSIBLE OF THE, IS THAT A ALLOWED TO HAPPEN? YES, JOE? YES.
OF THE 26 PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED, HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY OWN? UH, RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER.
CAN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, SIR? I CAN POINT OUT TO THE, YOUR PROPERTY.
IT'S, UH, 20 PROPERTIES ALTOGETHER.
SO RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER, THAT'S A CONVENIENCE STORE.
WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU? THIS IS MINE AND THIS IS MINE RIGHT HERE.
CAN YOU SHOW US ON THE, WITH THE MOUSE, PLEASE? YES.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE CONVENIENCE STORE IS YOURS? NO, NO, NO, NO.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT, YEAH, I WAS USING THAT AS A POINT OF REFERENCE.
SO RIGHT THERE WHERE THE MOUSE WAS AT.
SO THIS ONE, THIS ONE, THE, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A FLAG LOT.
AND HE ALSO OWNS THE, THE ONE AT THE BACK, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF THIS, UH, SUBJECT AREA.
WHERE'S YOUR GRANDMA'S HOUSE? IT IS, UH, YOU SEE WHERE THAT ALE IS? WHERE THE MOUSE IS? IT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER.
THIS, THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY GRANDMOTHER'S.
AND THAT, THAT OTHER LARGE PLACE THAT YOU SAID'S NOT PART OF THE THE AREA.
SO THAT'S HIS FATHER'S HOUSE? YES.
MY GRANDMOTHER LIVES RIGHT HERE, AND WE OWN ALL OF THIS.
[00:55:03]
THAT'S TWO, TWO LOTS BASICALLY.BEHIND THAT PART OF THE, IT'S ONE LOT WITHIN, WITHIN THE HATCHED AREA.
IT'S HOW MANY LOTS DO YOU OWN? TWO.
BUT THIS ONE'S ONE, THIS ONE, THIS ONE IS YOURS, RIGHT? YES.
THAT'S, BUT THIS IS OUTSIDE THE, THE PROPERTY, THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES.
IT'S OUTSIDE THE HATCHED AREA, THE SMALL ONE.
THIS IS OUTSIDE THE HATCHED AREA.
WE ONLY TOOK THE PROPERTIES THAT HAS ACCESS OR DRIVEWAY ACCESS TO MASSEY TOMKIN, WHICH WE INCLUDED ONLY THE FLAG LOT THAT HE OWNS.
AND THIS PROPERTY OWNER IS DIFFERENT THAN HIS.
HE'S NOT THE SAME PROPERTY OWNER.
SO HE OWNS ONE PROPERTY FROM THIS HEDGED AREA ON THE NORTH SIDE.
DAD'S, GRANDMA'S, HE MIGHT NOT OWN THAT, BUT HIS GRANDMOTHER DOES.
SO, AS A, AS, AS A GENERAL, I, I KNOW I'M NEW ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS COMMITTEE FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'VE LIVED IN BAYTOWN FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
AS A GENERAL RULE, I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WHEN WE GO FROM A RESIDENTIAL AREA TO A MIXED USE AREA WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THAT MIXED USE AREA.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE HOMES THERE, I SUSPECT SOME OF 'EM HAVE, THEIR HOUSES ARE PAID OFF.
THEY'VE LIVED THERE A VERY LONG TIME.
THE WAY THE CITY, WE'VE SEEM TO DO THIS A LOT IN THE CITY.
WE WANT TO GO FROM A RESIDENTIAL TO A MIXED USE, AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA END UP IN THAT AREA UNTIL SOMEBODY APPLIES AND DOES IT.
SO I, I ALWAYS A LITTLE HESITANT WHEN, WHEN I SEE THAT KIND OF GOING ON AND WHEN IT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER AREAS, I'VE GONE TO MY COUNCIL PEOPLE AND SAY, HEY, I KINDA GOT A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS, IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF YOU'D HAVE HAD MORE ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETINGS AND YOU HAD MORE, UH, RESPONSES.
PARTICULARLY AS HE SAID, THERE'S, I SUSPECT THERE'S A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE, UH, LIVING IN, I DRIVE BY THAT AREA ALL THE TIME, LIVING IN THERE.
UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE, LIKE, SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS LIVE AROUND ME, THEY DON'T GO TO MEETINGS AT NIGHT,
AND SO, UH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE MORE THERE.
I I CERTAINLY SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU NOT WANTING THE POSSIBILITY OF A BUNCH OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ENDING UP IN YOUR BACKYARD OR YOUR FRONT YARD.
UH, 'CAUSE I LIVE WITH THAT FOR A WHILE, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
IN FACT, I'M LIVING WITH THAT RIGHT NOW AND, AND WE'RE GOING IN.
SO, UH, BUT HOWEVER, THAT PROPERTY, THAT AREA IS DEVELOPING, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY TO, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP THAT.
AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME, SOMEBODY'S GONNA BUY THAT LAND AND THEY'RE GONNA BUILD SOMETHING THERE.
AND WHAT I DON'T LIKE CHANGING THEM, IT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY HAVE SOME CONTROL DOWN THE ROAD OR WHAT MAY BE PUT THERE SO THAT WE DON'T GET, WE DON'T GET SOME KIND OF UNRESTRICTED THING GOING IN.
IN FACT, THERE'S PROPERTY THAT WE THINK MAY BE A RESIDUE, A SUBDIVISION GOING IN, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THERE'S A SUBDIVISION GOING IN, YOU KNOW? UM, I'M GLAD THAT'S NOT PART OF THE, THE, THE, THE PROPOSED ZONING CHAIN.
'CAUSE I WOULD'VE VOTED AGAINST THAT, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GONNA GO IN THERE, BECAUSE THAT'S A LARGE TRACK OF LAND, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE HERE, MATTHEW TOMPKINS IS ALREADY A RACEWAY.
I MEAN, THE TRAFFIC ON THERE IS HORRIBLE, UH, AND PARTICULARLY IN MORNINGS AND EVENINGS AND SCHOOL TIME ZONES.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE THINK THE TRAFFIC DENSITY MAY CHANGE WITH SOME OF THESE GOING IN? ARE IT JUST A SPECULATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME? NO.
WE, WE, WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS MAKING MASSEY TOMPKINS, UH, KIND OF A PAIN IN THE REAR IS THE FACT THAT, UM, I THINK ON THAT OTHER, THAT OTHER MAP WITH THE, UH, THE STARS ON IT, YOU COULD SEE ALL THOSE TRIANGLES.
THOSE ARE ALL DRIVEWAY, UH, CUTS ONTO MASSEY TOMPKIN ALREADY.
UM, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERY LOT HAS A DRIVEWAY.
ALL THOSE BLACK TRIANGLES, THOSE ARE ALL DRIVEWAYS ONTO MASSEY TOMPKINS.
SO, UM, THE, THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY A LITTLE BIT MORE COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT, YOU'D GET RID OF SOME OF THOSE DRIVEWAYS.
YOU'D HAVE, UM, SOME SHARED, UH, ACCESSES AND, AND IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, DOABLE IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC.
AGAIN, WE WON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE TRAFFIC LOOKS LIKE UNTIL SOMETHING IS PROPOSED.
AND AT THAT TIME, UH, THE CITY WILL ASK FOR A TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE WILL HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, I, UM, UM, ALL OF BAYTOWN IS A RACEWAY AT THIS POINT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, A STREET THAT YOU DON'T RUN UP AND DOWN JUST DROVE MY GRANDDAUGHTER AROUND TODAY AND WE, EVERYBODY WAS FLYING PAST US.
UH, BUT I, I, I, UM, BEING A REALTOR, I RESPECT HOME OWNERSHIP AND LAND VALUES AND WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND IF, UM, THIS WERE MY MOM, MY HOUSE, AND MY GRANDMOTHER AND
[01:00:01]
MY DAD AND BROTHERS, I WOULD TELL THEM TO BUY INTO THIS MU BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU WILL LIKELY NOT GUARANTEED, BUT YOU WILL LIKELY GET A LITTLE BUMP IN YOUR VALUE AND GOING ON INTO THE FUTURE, IF YOU HAVE 3, 2, 3, 4 LOTS CONTIGUOUS, THAT COULD MEAN SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO YOUR FAMILY IN TERMS OF A COMMERCIAL SALE.UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DEVELOPERS LOOK FOR, OR CONTIGUOUS LOTS, NOT THAT YOU WANNA MOVE OR LEAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE CITY HAS, UM, SOME PRETTY HIGH BUFFER STANDARDS THAT HAVE TO BE MET.
SO ANYBODY THAT BILLS NEXT TO YOU, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUILD THEIR DUPLEX.
OR ELSE I WOULD VOTE AGAINST THIS IF IT WOULDN'T WORK FOR MY FAMILY, THEN I DON'T THINK IT WOULD WORK FOR YOURS.
BUT, UM, THAT THEY, SO, SO THERE ARE ARE CERTAIN CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED, THIS AREA IS DEVELOPING AND EVENTUALLY IT'S GOING TO COME ABOUT.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU DO IT COLLECTIVELY LIKE THIS, YOU GET MORE ECONOMY OF SCALE THAN IF YOU DO IT INDIVIDUALLY.
IT'S WORTH LESS THAN WHEN IT'S COLLECTIVE, IN MY OPINION.
SO WOULD THE MIXED USE ALLOW THEM TO, AND THE, THE, WELL, YOU'RE NOT, THAT'S NOT BEING DEVELOPED, NEVERMIND THE PROPERTY THAT'S AT THE INTERSECTION, THE SOUTH SIDE ON BOTH SIDES OF, UH, CEDAR BAYOU.
AREN'T THEY BUILDING A BRAND NEW GAS STATION OR SOMETHING THERE ON ONE OF THOSE CORNERS? THEY ARE, THEY ARE BUILDING.
WHICH, WHICH CORNER IS THEY BUILDING THAT ON SOUTH? THIS IS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER RIGHT HERE.
IT'S ALREADY ZONED GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
UM, WE HAD SOME THING, AND WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN CROSBY, CEDAR VALLEY, WE HAD ALL THE PEOPLE COME UP AND SPEAK AND WE'RE ADDING TO THIS.
AND, AND I FEEL MR.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO, IN THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW, THREE OR FOUR YEARS, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME DILEMMA THAT, I MEAN, EVEN I THINK, UH, ONE OF ANGEL BROTHERS CAME UP HERE SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW, I BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY WAY OVER HERE.
I MEAN, AND, AND THE CITY'S GROWN EXPONENTIALLY.
UM, I THINK WE'RE THE LAST AREA IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED.
BUT ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION TO THE CITY IS, IS THERE'S A, THERE'S VALID POINTS TO, TO WHAT THE OWNER'S SAYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN, WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING THIS, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT ON CROSBY SITTER BAYOU, BUT THESE ARE ANOTHER REASON WE HEARD, I THINK LAST MONTH AND TWO MONTHS AGO, HOW CROSBY SITTER BAYOU, THERE'S NO PLANS TO DEVELOP IT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT IT'S A DA CROSSING, A DEGRADED CROSSING.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S STILL OKAY, BUT, AND, AND WE'RE PUTTING MORE HOMES.
BUT THIS IS JUST A, A COMMENT TO THE CITY THAT, THAT THESE ARE THE REASONS THAT THIS IS AN AREA OF, OF, YOU KNOW, I LIVE DOWN HERE, THIS DOESN'T AFFECT ME.
I, I GO MORE TO PASADENA THAN I GO HERE.
BE A LOT OF THE TIMES BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.
AND THIS IS JUST A COMMENT THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THESE AREAS AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE DEVELOPING, BECAUSE THE, AS AS TRACY SAID, FROM 3 31 46, THIS IS IT.
AND YOU GO FROM NORTH TO SOUTH CROSBY, CEDAR BAYOU IS ONE OF THE ONLY ONES.
UM, I JUST WANT US TO REALLY CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTIES GETTING BOUGHT UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A, WE JUST HAD TWO MONTHS OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT WANTED TO PUT THE HOUSES THERE.
IT'S JUST A COMMENT THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT OUR, OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CITIES.
I MEAN, SORRY, STREETS AND AVENUES IN THIS AREA.
OKAY, WELL, I WILL SAY, MR. WHITFIELD, I'M A LITTLE BIT JEALOUS 'CAUSE MU IS MY VERY FAVORITE ZONING DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE.
YOU HAVE SO MUCH FLEXIBILITY, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RESELL YOUR VAL YOUR PROPERTY FOR WAY MORE THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT.
BECAUSE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO COME IN AND DO LITTLE SMALL THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO UP AND DOWN MASSET.
UM, I, I HEAR YOUR CONCERN, BUT I, I WAS HERE FROM THE CONCEPTION OF MU AND MU JAZZES ME UP.
I LOVE IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN DO.
AND IF YOU STAY IN THAT HOUSE AND YOUR PEOPLE STAY IN THAT HOUSE, THEN YOUR PROPERTY VALUE WON'T GO UP ANY MORE THAN THE REST OF US IN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE GROWTH AND THE, THE MOVEMENT AND THE PROGRESSION.
AND ALL OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING UP TO THAT, TO THAT, UM, UH, EXTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M SURE YOU MIGHT SEE LIKE, WHAT WOULD THE REST OF US SEE? BUT HONESTLY, I, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE AWAY, DIG INTO THAT MU AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IT.
[01:05:01]
A MOTION TO APPROVE.[a. Consider a request to recommend approval of the Downtown Arts District Blueprint.]
CONSIDER A REQUEST TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT BLUEPRINT.I WILL ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THIS ITEM.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
RYAN
UM, I'LL GO QUICKLY INTO SORT OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE PLAN DOES.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE OUR CONSULTANT FROM KEN AND KEITH, UH, COLLABORATIVE THAT IS ALSO ON THE LINE, UH, WHO CAN ANSWER ANY OF THE, UH, MORE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS.
UM, SO AS MANY OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE, UH, THE CITY DOES HAVE A CURRENT DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
IT WAS ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004, SO IT IS ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD.
SO IN, UH, THE PLANNING WORLD, THAT'S, UH, IT'S TIME TO UPDATE THE, THE PLAN.
UM, AND NEARLY THE 20 YEARS OF EXISTENCE OF DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, UM, IT HAS LED TO SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC INVESTMENT, UH, DOWNTOWN, UH, WITH THE HOPE THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT WOULD FOLLOW.
UM, YET PRIVATE INVESTMENT HAS BEEN SLOW, UM, ALBEIT STEADY.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN MAJOR INVESTMENT MADE DOWNTOWN.
UM, AS PART OF THAT, UH, DOWNTOWN BAYTOWN, UH, IS GROWING, UM, UH, PROFILE REGIONALLY AND STATEWIDE AS A BURGEONING ARTS AND CULTURAL, UH, HUB, AS WELL AS A, A GROWING PREFERENCE, UM, FOR MANY PEOPLE TO, UH, KIND OF COME BACK TO THE CITY, MOVE BACK TO, TO DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A POPULAR, UM, IDEA FOR, UH, THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS.
UM, SO BECAUSE OF THIS, UM, UH, THE CITY DID, UH, PARTNER WITH, UH, KENNY KEITH COLLABORATIVE IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, UH, TO UPDATE THIS PLAN, UM, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, ANOTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, WHICH THIS PLAN TIES INTO.
UM, SO THIS, UH, THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT, UH, PLAN, AS I MENTIONED, IT DOES, UH, SERVE AS THE MASTER PLAN TO GUIDE THE REDEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, THIS PLANNING PROCESS, UH, WAS NOT DONE IN A VACUUM.
UH, IT WAS, UH, INCLUDED A STEERING COMMITTEE OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, THE PUBLIC, UH, WAS ENGAGED IN SEVERAL FOCUS GROUPS.
UM, THERE WERE TWO OPEN HOUSE EVENTS, ONE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, AND ANOTHER IN APRIL OF, UH, THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, THERE WAS WORK SESSIONS WITH BOTH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL BACK IN APRIL.
UM, SO, UH, THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT DONE IN A VACUUM, AND, AND WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT IT HAS, UH, RECEIVED, UH, QUITE A BIT OF PUBLIC INPUT.
UH, SO THIS FIRST SCREEN HERE, UH, KIND OF SHOWS THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT AREA.
SO IT REALLY STRETCHES FROM THE GOOSE CREEK WATERFRONT, UM, PAST, UH, MAIN STREET, UM, A COUPLE BLOCKS JUST TO THE EAST OF MAIN STREET THERE.
UM, SO THIS PLA EXAM, UH, EXAMINED SEVERAL, UH, REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW TO LINK THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TOGETHER TO CREATE SYNERGY FROM THE GOOSE CREEK WATERFRONT, UM, CREATING A POTENTIAL CAMPUS VILLAGE AROUND LEE COLLEGE, UM, AND A FULL TOWN SQUARE CONCEPT IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN.
UH, THE POINT OF THIS IS TO LINK, UM, THESE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WILL HELP CREATE A VIBRANT URBAN DISTRICT WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
UM, THE INTENT OF IT IS TO CREATE WHAT IS CALLED A 16 HOUR DOWNTOWN.
UH, SO REALLY A PLACE WHERE, UM, PEOPLE CAN, UH, THE DISTRICT IS ACTIVATED IN BOTH THE DAYTIME AND THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.
UM, THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS.
I'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH THOSE REALLY QUICKLY HERE.
SO THIS FIRST ONE IS THE GOOSE CREEK, UM, WATERFRONT AND THE LEE COLLEGE, UH, CAMPUS VILLAGE AREA.
THIS AREA ENVISIONS A WATERFRONT PARK, UH, WITH, UH, SOME RESIDENTIAL ALONG, UH, GOOSE CREEK.
UM, THERE WOULD BE, UH, MIXED USE IN COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL SHOWN ALONG DECKER DRIVE, AS WELL AS NEAR, UH, THE PROPOSED, UH, MARKET STREET AND TEXAS AVENUE, UH, ROUNDABOUT.
UM, THAT IS AN ITEM THAT IS IN THE CITY'S, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND I BELIEVE ACTUALLY, UH, STARTS, UH, WORK LATER THIS YEAR.
UH, THE ROUNDABOUT THERE, UM, INTERNAL TO THE AREA WOULD BE A MIX OF MORE RESIDENTIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USES FOR LEE COLLEGE.
UM, THE INTENT WOULD BE THAT PEDESTRIAN TRAILS WOULD LINK THE AREA TO THE WATERFRONT, AS WELL AS, UH, GOING EAST, UH, TYING INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, SO THE CITY REALLY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY WITH LEE COLLEGE.
IT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING, UM, UH, TWO YEAR SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UH, POTENTIALLY
[01:10:01]
INCREASING SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMS TO FOUR YEAR PROGRAMS. SO THIS IS REALLY A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY, UM, TO REALLY, UM, UTILIZE, UH, AND, AND PARTNER, UH, KIND OF AN UNDER, UM, UNDERUSED, UH, RESOURCE IN THE COMMUNITY.UM, REALLY KIND OF DRAWING THOSE PEOPLE, UH, THE STUDENTS, UM, ENCOURAGING THEM TO, TO KIND OF STAY CLOSE TO CAMPUS AND CREATE KIND OF THAT CAMPUS VILLAGE.
UM, MOVING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER INTO THE DOWNTOWN, UM, CORE.
THIS WOULD BE WHERE, UM, TOWN SQUARE PARK IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UM, ALTERNATIVES DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.
UM, THERE IS ALTERNATIVE ONE, UM, WHICH IS KIND OF SHOWN HERE ON THE SCREEN, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, A DOWNTOWN QUAD WITH A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND POTENTIAL CIVIC USES, POTENTIALLY LIBRARY, CIVIL, UH, CITY SERVICES, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WHICH WOULD REALLY ACTIVATE THE DOWNTOWN DURING THE DAYTIME AS WELL AS KIND OF, UH, BEGIN TO, UH, REASSERT DOWNTOWN BAYTOWN AS KIND OF THE HEART AND THE CORE OF, OF THE CITY, UM, AS WELL AS SOME COMMERCIALS SURROUNDING THE TOWN SQUARE PARK AREA.
UM, ON YOUR LEFT, YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR SCREEN IS, UH, WHAT IS SHOWN AS ALTERNATIVE TWO.
UM, THIS AREA WOULD ENVISION A M OR PERMANENT EXPANSION OF A TOWN SQUARE PARK.
UM, AND THEN WHAT YOU SEE ON, UH, THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN IS, UH, WHAT IS CALLED ALTERNATIVE THREE IN THE PLAN, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING A CONTAINER PARK OF POTENTIAL BUSINESSES, RECREATION AREAS, AND ART INSTALLATION.
SO THESE WOULD BE MORE TEMPORARY IN NATURE.
UM, AGAIN, UM, THIS WOULD ALL BE DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THIS AREA WOULD DEVELOP PERMANENTLY.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THE INTENT IS WE REALLY WANT TO ACTIVATE THIS AREA, UM, TO REALLY, UH, GET PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, UH, KEEP THEM DOWNTOWN AND, AND KEEP IT IN TOP OF THEIR MIND, UH, FOR AREAS WHERE THEY WANT TO, UM, GO SEE.
UH, THE FINAL AREA OF THIS DOWNTOWN, UH, UH, REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS AREA THREE.
UM, IT'S INTENDED TO ACTIVATE THE DOWNTOWN EAST OF MAIN STREET.
UM, THIS AREA WOULD, UH, OR COULD INCLUDE, UH, ADDITIONAL NEED OF RESIDENTIAL, UH, UNITS DOWNTOWN WITH SOME COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE LOCATED CLOSER TO MAIN STREET IN TEXAS AVENUE.
ONE THINGS YOU'LL SEE HERE, ONCE AGAIN, UH, THROUGHOUT ALL OF THESE AREAS IS RESIDENTIAL.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, UM, AS ONE OF MY FORMER CITY MANAGERS SAID, YOU HAVE TO HAVE WALLS AND PURSES ON THE STREET TO REALLY KIND OF ACTIVATE AND REALLY MAKE THAT, THAT AREA, UM, BECOME A VIBRANT, UM, AREA AND, AND TO, UM, GIVE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE INVESTING DOWNTOWN KIND OF THAT CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE CUSTOMERS THERE.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, AS I DID MENTION, STAFF DOES RECOMMEND, UM, UM, THAT PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, PROVIDE A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION OF THIS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE, UM, OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, FROM KKC THAT ARE ON THE LINE AS WELL, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS.
SO THIS IS JUST A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THEM TO CONSIDER DOING THIS.
I RECOMMEND, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
NOW, DOES THIS PLAN INCORPORATE THAT PORTION OF MARKET STREET WHERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE ALL THOSE LITTLE VACANT BUILDINGS ARE ALONG THERE, THAT GOES DOWN TO THE MM-HMM
I'M NOT SURE WHICH AREA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SEE, I DON'T THINK, I THINK WE OVERLOOKED THAT AREA AND THAT AREA COULD FACE THE WATER.
THERE'S WATERWAY ALONG THE BACKS OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT WE DIDN'T ADDRESS IN THIS PLAN.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN FRONT OF IMPACT HIGH SCHOOL, ERNIE CLARK HIGH SCHOOL? YES.
UH, NO, THAT, THAT AREA DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T REALLY ADDRESS MUCH OF THAT.
UH, WHAT YOU'D BE SEEING WOULD BE MORE OF THE TENNIS COURTS OF THE NORTH, THE NORTH SIDE OF, OF MARKET STREET, UH, NOT SO MUCH BICENTENNIAL PARK OR ANY OF THOSE AREAS OVER THERE.
UM, AT THIS POINT, I THINK, I THINK THE, THE PLANE YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS, IS SOMETHING WHERE WE, IT HAD TO MAKE SENSE WHERE YOU HAVE THESE CONNECTIONS MM-HMM
AND YOU HAVE, UH, AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE COLLEGE AND YOU HAVE THE DOWNTOWN, AND THAT SORT OF, THOSE WERE SORT OF THE BOOKENDS, UM, TO THE PLAN WITH THE CONNECTIONS IN, IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, AND I JUST THINK FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, AS WE TALKED THROUGH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, 'CAUSE THAT WAS OUR FIRST CON, OUR FIRST CONVERSATION WAS, WHAT DO WE INCLUDE IN THIS? AND I THINK THE VERY FIRST CONVERSATION WE HAD DID NOT INCLUDE THAT WATERFRONT PIECE.
ANYTHING, UH, WEST OF THE, THE PROPOSED ROUNDABOUT.
WHEN THE CONSULTANT CAME IN AND STARTED TO TALK THROUGH IT, IT MADE MORE AND MORE SENSE.
AGAIN, WE, WE WANT TO THINK, SO THE MAP IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE WANT TO THINK ABOVE THE MAP AS WELL.
WE WANNA THINK BEYOND THE MAP INTO CONCEPTS, AND JUST HAVING A GENERAL VISION FOR THAT AREA, AND THEN HAVING SOME SORT OF A, UM, A, A BLUEPRINT TO GET TO THAT VISION, WHICH IS NOT,
[01:15:01]
AGAIN, WE HAD THE 20-YEAR-OLD PLAN, AND THERE, WHERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED OUT OF THAT PLAN WILL, NOW IT'S, IT'S TIME TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE 20 YEARS LATER BASED ON THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE INTERIM.SO IT, IT, WE COULD EXPAND IT TO INCLUDE HALF OF THAT PART OF TOWN, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYS FOCUSED AND THAT, THAT THOSE CONNECTIONS MAKE SENSE.
AND, AND SO THE, THE CONSULTING COMPANY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, ASSEMBLING ALL THESE LOTS.
NO, NOTHING IS BEING ASSEMBLED.
I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S REALLY CLEAR ON THAT.
THE CITY'S NOT BUYING PROPERTIES THERE, THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THIS PLAN THAT MAKES ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS UP TO THE CITY, UP TO STAFF AND UP TO CITY COUNCIL, AND SOME EXTENT THIS BOARD AS WELL, BECAUSE THE REZONES MAY NEED TO HAPPEN FROM THAT OTHER, UM, AGAIN, NO ASSEMBLAGES ARE BEING HAPPENED.
NO DEVELOPERS ARE BEING APPROACHED.
ARE BEING ESTABLISHED BY THIS PLAN.
I KNOW THAT CERTAIN RECENT PUBLIC PART, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE LEAVING A BAD TASTE IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MOUTHS.
THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT IT IS A BAD WAY TO DO BUSINESS.
IT IS TO SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE IT TO THE BEST OF, OF OUR CITY'S ABILITY THAT I'M TRYING TO READ
I'M TRYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M, SHUT UP.
DETAILS IN THIS PLAN THOUGH, THAT SHOWED PUTTING TOGETHER THERE STUDY COMMITTEES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO LOOK AT THIS PROGRAM AND HAVE A MARKETING PLAN TO MARKET IT.
AND SO I THINK PART OF THAT IS A REALLY GOOD PIECE.
SOME OF IT'S A LITTLE, UH, OVERWHELMING.
WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW ONE OF THE, THE JOKES IN THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN THAT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S FOCUSED ON IT IS LIKE, YOU GOT FOUR SAILBOATS OUT FRONT, A YACHT.
IT'S A VISION, WHETHER IT'S THREE PADDLE BOATS OR 16 YACHTS.
IT'S, IT'S THE CONCEPT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AND SOMETHING THAT WILL, WILL NOT ONLY SPUR US TO THINK A A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST, BUT ALSO ANY DEVELOPER POTENTIAL LANDOWNER THAT COMES IN THAT THEY WILL THINK IN THOSE TERMS AS WELL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE MADE INTO SOMETHING REALLY GREAT.
UM, AND EVEN IF WE WALK DOWN THERE NOW AND GO, THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS EVER GONNA HAPPEN,
AND THIS IS NOT, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
AND PART OF THE ISSUE IS INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP.
AND I'VE SAID FOR YEARS, UNTIL WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO COME IN HERE AND BUY A BIG PIECE, NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
UH, AND IT'S HARD FOR THE CITY.
THE CITY TRIED IT AT ONE TIME THAT HOW WE GOT TOWN CENTER, UM, BUT WE HAVE SOME HOLDOUTS OVER THERE THAT WE COULDN'T ACQUIRE MM-HMM
AND I THINK THEY'RE STILL HOLDING OUT NOW.
UM, BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT I'M NOT GONNA GO IN THERE AND PUT IN A BUSINESS WHEN I HAVE TWO RAMSHACKLED BU BUSINESSES ON EITHER SIDE OF ME.
SO IT HAS TO BE SOMEONE WHO CAN INVEST A LOT OF MONEY TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO DO IT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UM, ONE OF PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS PLAN IS IF, IF YOU LOOK AND IT'S ACTUALLY IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, UM, IT'S THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX.
UM, YOU SEE THERE THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PIECES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM, UM, DOING, UH, THE ROUNDABOUT MONUMENT.
UM, AND JUST WITH THAT, I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WE HAVE TO PARTNER WITH TDOT, THE CITY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PLANNING IN PUBLIC WORKS, ARTS DISTRICT BOARD PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UM, I MEAN, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HERE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES THAT HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY, UM, CAN PUT TOGETHER, UM, YOU KNOW, A PROSPECTUS OF LIKE, HERE'S A GREAT PLACE TO DEVELOP.
HEY, DEVELOPERS, MAYBE YOU WANT TO KIND OF COME TO TOWN AND LOOK, LOOK AT THIS.
UM, LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING THINGS LIKE A REVOLVING LOAN FUND, WHICH CAN HELP, UM, KIND OF PROVIDE THAT, UH, THAT FILL THAT, UH, CAPITAL GAP THAT A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING AT.
A REDEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE AGENCY, A BUSINESS INCUBATOR.
SO THIS IS, THE LAST PLAN WAS A 20, A 20 YEAR LONG PLAN.
THIS IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST A, A 10 TO 15 IF NOT LONGER YEAR PLAN.
SO THESE THINGS ARE NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
UM, AS MARTIN SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT FIRING UP THE BULLDOZERS TOMORROW.
THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE A, A, A, A LONG-TERM PROCESS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A VISIONARY DOCUMENT, SO IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY TOO.
SO WHEN THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD, LIKE YOU SAID, IF IT'S, IF IT'S IF BETWEEN TWO PROPERTIES, IF THEY, IF THEY SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN AND OKAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S, THERE'S MORE AVAILABLE, THEN THIS IS SOMETHING AGAIN,
[01:20:01]
THAT KIND OF SHOWS, OKAY, WE AS A CITY THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD DIRECTION TO GO.DOES IT MATCH? DOES IT MATCH EXACTLY.
IT, IT PROBABLY WON'T, BUT AS LONG AS IT KIND OF MOVES US IN THIS GENERAL DIRECTION, THEN, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
THAT'S GOOD FOR STAFF TO HAVE.
IT'S GOOD FOR CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE, IT'S GOOD FOR OUR PLANNING COMMISSION TO HAVE.
UH, AND, AND IT REALLY HELPS ALSO IF THERE, THERE ARE STEPS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WE SEE AS STAFF.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DOING BUDGETING FOR NEXT YEAR.
IF THERE WAS A MARKETING PLAN THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, WE WOULD START THINKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT RIGHT AT THIS MINUTE BECAUSE THE PLAN HASN'T BEEN ADOPTED.
BUT IF IT WAS SOMETHING WHERE WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, OKAY, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD FOR STAFF TO UNDERTAKE NEXT YEAR, OR TO LOOK FOR CONSULTANT, WE WOULD BASE OUR NEXT ACTIONS ON THAT PLAN TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT FORWARD.
BUT AGAIN, NOTHING IS, NOTHING IS BEING PURCHASED AT THIS TIME.
IF THE CITY AT SOME POINT DECIDES THAT THERE IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, THEN, THEN THAT'LL BE DISCUSSED AT THAT TIME.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE EQUATION.
UM, MARTIN, I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS AND A QUESTION.
UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT, MAYBE V VISIONS IS A VISION OF SOMEWHERE WE CAN STRIVE FOR.
UH, NUMBER ONE, LIKE TRACY SAID, UH, MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH SEX AVENUE IS, IS I FEEL, AND I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE IN AND OUT, BUT I FEEL THERE'S PEOPLE THAT OWN A COUPLE BUILDINGS THERE THAT DON'T TAKE CARE OF 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO GIVE 'EM A BIG PAYOUT.
WELL, YOU CAN'T DEVELOP IF YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT DEVELOPMENT MINDSET.
THAT BEING SAID, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES DOWN THERE IS JUST A FAMILY THAT WENT OUT AND DID IT.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LITTLE ICE CREAM SHOP RIGHT THERE, THAT THAT GUY JUST DOES IT.
YOU KNOW, AND HE'S HAD SUCCESS.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S ONE, ONE THING.
NOW, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, IF THIS GETS APPROVED TONIGHT, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE OTHER ENTITIES ALONG THERE, UH, THE COLLEGE GOOSE CREEK, TO DO THEIR PART BECAUSE, AND THE BUILDINGS ARE JUST VERY PLAIN.
THEY NEED TO DO THEIR PART TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY FOLLOW THE AESTHETIC OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A CITY IN IN MEXICO CALLED NAMED AKA, AND I LOVE THAT CITY, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S A UNIFORMITY.
AND EVEN THE SMALLER TOWNS, THEY'RE CALLED, UM, UH, MAGICAL TOWNS IS WHAT THEY'RE PART OF MEXICOS.
THERE'S A UNIFORMITY TO THOSE, TO THOSE PLACES.
THERE'S AN AESTHETIC THAT YOU GO AND, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT CITY'S BEEN NAMED A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE BECAUSE IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.
EVEN THEIR CABLES RUN UNDERGROUND.
THERE ARE ELECTRIC CABLES THAT GO UNDERGROUND.
IT LOOKS VERY COLONIAL, VERY BEAUTIFUL CITY.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT, THAT I THINK WHEN YOU, WE HAVE THESE KIND OF VISIONS THAT, THAT I THINK ARE GOOD FOR OUR CITY, THAT THEY BE SHARED, AND THAT WE GET SOME, SOME COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP FROM THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT, THAT HAVE BUSINESSES OR BUILDINGS HERE THAT THEY FOLLOW THESE KIND OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S HAS THEIR BUSINESS AND IS FREE TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE COLLEGE, PLACES LIKE GOOSE CREEK HAVE, I THINK A RESPONSIBILITY TO THAT.
THE QUESTION I HAVE, I WOULD SAY STAFF AND THE PLAN BOTH AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT.
UM, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UM, I WENT TO SEVERAL MEETINGS ABOUT THAT MARKET STREET CORRIDOR, WHICH YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, ABOUT HOW WE WERE DEVELOPING ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE THROUGH MARKET TO THE, TO THE ENTRANCE OF BAYWAY.
THIS IS NOT GONNA STOP THAT FROM ALREADY, THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
IT, IT, IT USES THAT DESIGN, UH, AS, AS YOU CAN SEE THE, THE TWO, THE LARGER ROUNDABOUT AND THE SMALLER ONE, AND THE, THE, YOU SEE A MEDIAN KINDA GOING DOWN, UM, MARKET STREET, THAT THAT'S ALL PART OF THAT, THE INITIAL, UM, CONCEPT PLAN.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF GREG HAD ANYTHING TO ADD.
SAY, GREG, CAN YOU HEAR US? YEAH, I CAN SORT OF HEAR YOU.
UM, I THINK YOU, YOU, MARTIN AND RYAN DID A GREAT JOB OF SUMMARIZING THE, THE PLAN.
I'LL JUST SAY I, I KNOW, AND I, YOU KNOW, JUST ENCOUNTERED IN HAVING WORKED THERE THE LAST EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS, UM, YOU KIND OF JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T QUITE PULL THIS OFF KIND OF A THING.
AND I, I CERTAINLY ADMIT THERE'S A LOT HERE, AND IT IS PROBABLY A 20 YEAR PLAN, BUT THERE ARE CITIES AND WE WORK WITH THEM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHO'VE GOT A LOT FEWER ASSETS THAN YOU ALL HAVE WHO ARE DOING SOME PRETTY COOL THINGS.
I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE THINK THAT BAYTOWN IS KIND OF BRINGING THE OPPORTUNITY AND THESE THINGS ARE VERY REALISTIC AND CAN BE DONE AT THE CITY, UH, PUTS ITS MIND TO IT, UH, APPLIES RESOURCES TO IT.
NONE OF THE, THE, THE IDEAS THAT I THINK WE PRESENTED ARE MOONSHOTS.
I THINK THEY'RE ALL VERY REALISTIC.
UM, AND I THINK THEY CAN BE DONE.
AND IN TERMS OF THE LAND ASSEMBLY ON THE, THE WATERFRONT, I AGREE THAT'S A MAYBE A LONG-TERM PLAY.
THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DOES OWN A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT ALREADY.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING TO, TO BUILD ON THE OLD HOSPITAL SITE THERE.
[01:25:01]
AND, AND SOME OF THE PROPERTY AROUND THE TOWN SQUARE PARK IS ALSO CITY OWNED.UM, SO YOU, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND A LOT OF, YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF HEADWAY ALREADY WITH THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO LOOK AT THIS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE, LOOK FOR WHEN THEY'RE APPROACHING A CITY LIKE BAYTOWN? AND SO WE, WE DEVELOPED A PLAN WITH THAT LENS IN MIND.
BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, I THINK THIS IS VERY REALISTIC.
I THINK YOU COULD ALL CAN DO IT.
AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, BAYTOWN ISS A PRETTY SPECIAL PLACE, AND ALL THESE THINGS ARE, ARE DEFINITELY WITHIN REACH.
THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAD TO OFFER.
BUT THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'LL BE DEAD AND CREMATED AND FLOATING IN TRINITY BAY BEFORE THIS PLAN COMES TO FRUITION.
AND IT, I, I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT A SMALLER PORTION OF THE PLAN THAT'S MORE REALISTIC THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WITH SOME KIND OF TIMEFRAME AND PUT A TIMEFRAME ON IT.
AND GETTING BUY-IN FROM THESE BUILDINGS DOWN HERE.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT FOR 30 YEARS OR MORE IN THE PROCESS.
I DON'T LIKE THE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
AS YOU SAID, THEY, IT'S JUST NOT THE RECENT ONES.
THE OLDER ONES HAVEN'T WORKED OUT.
WE HAVE A HISTORY OF THOSE SPELLING IN THIS TOWN IN THE PROCESS.
AND I REALIZE WE MAY NEED TO GO IN THERE AND FIX INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE WE CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT WE NEED TO FIX INFRASTRUCTURE ON MARRAL DRIVE.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE WATER PRESSURE ONE DAY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED THERE ALMOST 40 YEARS IN THE PROCESS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT OTHER AREAS OF THIS TOWN THAT NEED TO HAVE SOME SERIOUS ALEXANDER SERIOUS LOOKS AT IT.
WHAT'S THAT? WE DON'T HAVE ANY FIRM PLANS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN, IN REDEVELOPING THOSE AREAS.
THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS, SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M A HUGE LIBRARY PAGE, UH, GOING THAT PROCESS.
THE, THE BIGGEST INCUBATOR THING, WE DID THAT ONCE DOWN THERE, PROBABLY BEFORE YOUR TIME.
WE DID THE FACADE PROGRAM AND PAID MONEY FOR THE PAINTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT WENT OVER
BUT BUSINESS OWNERS DOWN THERE FOR WHATEVER, AND THAT WAS FREE MONEY.
THAT'S, THAT'S STILL A PROGRAM.
NOT, NOT JUST DOWNTOWN IN DIFFERENT WEST CITY.
WELL, YOU CAN'T TELL MUCH OF IT DOWN THERE AND IN THE PROCESS.
SO THAT, AND THEN SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE IN BRINGING SOME OF THESE THINGS INTO TOWN, WE'VE GIVEN AWAY THE BANK IN, IN TAX REBATES AND, AND REAL ESTATE.
MUCH STRONGER TERMS THAT I THINK THEY PROBABLY NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND I REALIZE THAT SOME OF THESE BIG DEVELOPERS ARE GONNA LOOK FOR THAT, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
BUT, SO THERE'S JUST SOME, SOME GENERAL THINGS ABOUT THIS PLAN.
I DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED.
I, WE, I FOUGHT IT FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, I'VE HAD CON UH, CON CON UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE.
UH, I JUST THINK THIS PLAN NEEDS TO BE CONDENSED DOWN TO SOMETHING THAT'S REALISTICALLY CAN BE SOLD TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT HAS A REAL TIMEFRAME THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISHMENT AND THEN GO AFTER THAT TIMEFRAME.
'CAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT, THEN IT'S JUST A PIPE DREAM AND EVERYBODY'S WASTING THEIR TIME TALKING ABOUT IT.
UH, IN THAT PROCESS, UH, ANY, ANYTHING THAT HAS PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS IN THE PLAN, I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST UNTIL THE CITY GETS A BETTER JOB OF CONTROLLING HOW THEY, HOW THEY'VE HANDLED THOSE.
UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE SHOULDN'T GO DOWN THERE AND FIX INFRASTRUCTURES IF THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
WATER, SEWER, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE ONGOING PROCESS IN THAT AREA.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, BUT THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
I, I WOULD SAY, REMEMBER THAT THE, THE PLAN DOESN'T LOCK US INTO ANY KIND OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
IT MERELY SUGGESTS THAT IF THEY'RE DONE RIGHT, THAT THESE COULD BE OF A BENEFIT TO THE CITY AND TO THE EFFORTS DOWN THERE.
AND, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT A, AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR PLANS, WE DO LOOK AT A 20 YEAR WINDOW, BUT WE ALSO, WE BREAK THAT UP INTO CHUNKS.
SO YOU WILL SEE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT THE FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT ONE THAT'S LIKE THE FIRST THREE YEARS.
WHAT CAN WE GET DONE IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS? WHAT CAN WE GET DONE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? SO WE, WE ALWAYS, SO AS PLANNERS, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRAINED AND EDUCATED TO DO, IS LOOK OUT LONG TERM.
BUT THEN WHAT CAN WE DO ALONG THE WAY? WHAT SHOWS THAT WE ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL ALONG THE WAY? ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED WAS INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION IN THE PLAN THAT WE LOOK AT, OKAY, HOW CAN WE MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK BETTER IN DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN'T, UM, THE FACT THAT THOSE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT WITH NO ALLEYS, THAT YOU CAN'T DO A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE YOU COULD IN A, IN A CONVENTIONAL DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE WHAT ARE YOU GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA PUT A, A POWER BOX ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR WHERE THE, THE WATER THAT, THAT, UM, THAT POWERS YOUR FIRE SPRINKLERS HAS GOTTA COME FROM A, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE STREET, STREET DOWN THE BLOCK THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO BURY IT AND GO, YOU KNOW, TUNNEL UNDER THE STREET.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
THIS PLAN ALSO HELPS WITH THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:30:01]
THINGS BE ADDRESSED PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYBODY BY THE CITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, THOSE THINGS WILL BE IN PLACE AND READY TO ROLL.BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT.
AND, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT IT'S, IT'S ABOUT MAKING THAT A PRIORITY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IT, THAT ALSO IS NOT A PRIORITY.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE GONE IN, UM, I SAY THEY, THE CITY HAS GONE IN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IS, IS FIXING THE DRAINAGE.
UM, WE'VE GONE IN AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TORN DOWN SOME BUILDINGS, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S AN ITERATIVE PROCESS AND IT TAKES TIME.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I, I THINK THE PARTNERSHIP THING, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S LEFT A BAD TASTE IN PEOPLE'S MOUTHS.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I DON'T BLAME PEOPLE FOR THAT.
UM, THEY'RE, THOSE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS ARE BEING USED IN OTHER CITIES AND OTHER, UH, MUNICIPALITIES TO GREAT SUCCESS.
SO WOULD I SUGGEST THAT WE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THOSE IN THE FUTURE? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT WOULD I, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THAT WE NOT PURSUE THOSE TYPES OF, OF, UM, PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE I DO THINK THEY'RE BENEFICIAL.
THEY CAN BE BENEFICIAL IF THEY'RE DONE CORRECTLY.
I THINK ANOTHER PART OF RESPONSE TO THAT, MIKE, IS THAT, UM, WE DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
AND WE ALWAYS NEED TO LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE AN AMENITY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, UNDERSTANDING WE ALL HAVE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, AND WE NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE BRINGING THINGS INTO THIS COMMUNITY THAT BRINGS US INTO THE FUTURE.
AND NOT JUST TODAY, BUT LONG TERM.
AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THE HOTEL FITS IN THAT CATEGORY.
THE WALNER PARK FITS INTO THAT CATEGORY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE GOLF COURSE FITS INTO THAT.
BUT, BUT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THOSE THINGS TO DRAW PEOPLE TO THE COMMUNITY AND GROW IT AS WE GO ALONG.
WE CAN'T JUST SETTLE FOR WHAT WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING IN THAT AREA.
I JUST DON'T THINK THIS GRANDO PLAN THAT WE'RE DOING, IF WE REALLY WANNA ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WITHIN OUR LIFETIMES, WE NEED TO GO DOWN THERE AND, AND GET SOMETHING CONDENSED THAT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN AND MOVE FORWARD TO IT.
AND THEY CAN ALWAYS HAVE A SECONDARY PLAN.
BUT PIECES OF IT HAPPEN, MIKE, LIKE SOME HAS HAPPENED DOWN THERE ALREADY.
UH, IT'S A LOT BETTER THAN IT WAS WHEN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MOVED FROM TEXAS AVENUE.
SO SOME THINGS ARE HAPPENING, AND WE, AND AS MARTIN SAID, IF YOU TAKE IT BY PIECES, THEN ONE FEEDS OFF THE OTHER.
SO IF WE GET A PORTION OF IT DONE, THE NEXT PORTION COMES ALONG.
AND YOU ALSO DO THINGS THAT BRING THOSE OUTSIDE PEOPLE IN TO INVEST THEIR DOLLARS.
YOU'RE NOT JUST SITTING HERE WITH A DOWNTOWN THAT'S JUST GONE TO HELL, BASICALLY.
AND SO I THINK, YES, IT'S A GRANDIOSE PLAN, BUT EVEN IF A PORTION OF IT GETS HANDLED, WE'RE BETTER OFF THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND.
YOU KNOW, IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, THE CITY WOULD'VE NOT MOVED THE UTILITY BILL, UH, BILLING, UH, BUILDING DOWNTOWN.
WE WOULD'VE NOT HAD TOWN SQUARE PARK.
WE WOULD'VE NOT HAD OUT ART ALLEY IN THE SCULPTURE WALK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, AS MARTIN SAID, I MEAN, THIS PLAN WILL, IF IT'S APPROVED BY COUNSEL, HOPEFULLY WE'LL FACTOR INTO BUDGET CONVERSATIONS OVER THE NEXT 10, 15, 20 YEARS, UM, OF, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO TO, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANS ARE IMPORTANT, UM, OBVIOUSLY BIAS AS A PLANNER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DO HELP KIND OF SET THAT TONE AND SET THAT TENOR, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WE, WE DO WANT SOMETHING BETTER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BAYTOWN IN 2004 WAS 60,000 PEOPLE, 50,000 PEOPLE.
WE'RE PUSHING 90,000 PEOPLE NOW, AND WE'RE GROWING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE, THEY WANT TO SEE THESE TYPE OF AMENITIES.
THAT'S WHAT WILL DRAW PEOPLE HERE.
THAT'S WHAT WILL DRAW, UM, THAT HIGHER END HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH AGAIN, FOLDS INTO A LOT OF THE OTHER, UM, POLICIES AND GOALS, UM, THAT NOT ONLY THE CITY HAVE, BUT THE CHAMBER HAS, AND OTHER, UM, ENTITIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT ALL IS KIND OF ONE BIG PIECE HERE.
SO, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU KINDA LOOK AT A PLAY, YOU'RE SAYING, YEAH, THIS, THIS IS DIFFICULT.
THIS IS', UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS A PIE IN THE SKY TYPE OF THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PLANS ARE, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF MEANT TO SORT OF CHALLENGE AND, UM, AND, AND BE, UH, BE A VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
COMMISSIONER BEARD, I ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT
[01:35:01]
PLANNING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.I'M GONNA SAVE THAT FOR MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT SO I DON'T MUDDY THE WATERS HERE.
UM, CAN YOU SHOW ME WHERE THE LIBRARY'S GONNA BE? WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE AT THIS POINT.
ALL WE JUST A, A GENERAL IDEA THOUGH.
CAN YOU, I MEAN, BECAUSE, BECAUSE I DID READ THROUGH THE WHOLE PLAN MM-HMM
AND IT DOES LEAD TO THE DIRECTION OF TEARING DOWN THE LIBRARY.
THE, THE THOUGHT OF IT WOULD BE THAT IT, IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY IN THE TOWN SQUARE AREA.
NOW AGAIN, THAT, THAT THERE, THERE'S NO PLANS TO MOVE THE LIBRARY.
THAT IS JUST, AGAIN, A, A POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLAN IS THAT, AGAIN, IF WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT IS TO MOVE SOME OF THE, THE CITY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY NEEDS TO INVEST IN, IN ITS OWN DOWNTOWN AS WELL.
SO THAT'S WAY I REMEMBER SEEING PICTURES OF, OF, UM, SORT OF STREET SCAPES THAT SHOWED A LIBRARY FACING YEAH.
A TOWN SQUARE LIKE THAT, LIKE AN OPEN SPACE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS IN, UM, GREG'S PRESENTATION BEFORE.
UM, SO WE WOULD, IF, IF YOU'RE THINKING THAT THE IMPLICATION IS THAT WE WOULD JUST GET RID OF THE LIBRARY, NO, THAT'S NOT IN ANYBODY'S
SO, AND I KNOW THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW LONG AND FAR DOWN THE ROAD THIS WOULD BE, AND I'M SURE IN A LOT OF PLACES.
UM, BUT I'VE ALSO LOOKED AT THE TIMELINE MM-HMM
ON THIS THAT BRINGS, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE FIRST LOAN BECAUSE, AND I DID READ ABOUT THAT, HOW WE WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A LOAN PROGRAM, AND EVEN THOUGH WE JUST KIND OF PUT A PAUSE ON THE BIG MM-HMM
BECAUSE THE MDD IN THE HOTEL DRAINED IT MM-HMM
BUT NOW HERE WE ARE GONNA BE A BANK.
UM, I'M ALSO REALLY CONCERNED OF THE 10 YEAR ABATEMENTS, ACTUALLY 10 PLUS YEARS, THE GOING BEYOND THE 10 YEARS, AND WITH THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, AND NOT 10 YEAR ABATEMENTS, I MEAN, 10 YEAR ABATEMENTS HAPPEN, BUT 10 YEAR, 100% ABATEMENTS, NOT INCREMENTAL ABATEMENTS.
SO THAT TELLS ME RIGHT THERE ALSO THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE RECOUPING OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO THEN IT WOULD, I'M ASSUMING THIS WOULD BE A SALES TAX DRIVER STORES AND PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE THERE THAT WOULD FUND OUR MVD IN OUR HOTEL.
BUT, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS WHAT IS THE TARGET MARKET OF THE, I SEE A COUPLE RESTAURANTS, CAFE, WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WHAT TYPE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ARE WE WANTING TO BRING IN THERE? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RECOUP MONEY SOMEWHERE IN, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT RUNNING A CHARITY
GREG, DO YOU WANNA FIELD THAT ONE? YEAH, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY.
UH, WHAT PART OF THE, THE, THE VISION, UH, THE PLAN DOCUMENT YOU'RE REFERRING TO PROBABLY THE WATERFRONT AREA.
AND I WOULD JUST, UH, IT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY, BUT I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE POINT, BUT I THINK EVERYONE'S GETTING FIXATED ON THIS, KINDA LIKE THE CENTERFOLD GRAPHIC OF THIS PLAN, WHICH IS THE, THE 20, 25 YEAR ASPIRATIONAL VISION.
WHEREAS MOST OF THE PLAN, 90% OF IT IS REALLY DISCUSSING THE INCREMENTAL STEPS YOU NEED TO GET TO, TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO DON'T GET TOO HUNG UP ON THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT MAJOR GRAPHIC WHEN IN FACT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CONTENT THERE THAT'S REALLY NOT QUITE AS, UH, GRANDIOSE.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DIDN'T DO A MARKET STUDY IS ARE THIS, UH, COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKETS ARE A HUGE FLUX ALL OVER THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
UM, 'CAUSE OF E-COMMERCE, COVID, REMOTE WORK AND THE LIKE.
SO IT COULD BE, WE DEFINITELY SEE POTENTIALLY A MARKET FOR A SMALL BOUTIQUE HOTEL DOWNTOWN, UH, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, UH, WE, WE SEE KIND OF THE, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE COLLEGE TO SPILL OVER AND PRE KIND AN OFF CAMPUS ATMOSPHERE.
MAYBE A BOOKSTORE, MAYBE FLYING THE LEE COLLEGE FLAG, OR NOT A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN MERCHANDISE THINGS, BUT DEFINITELY RESTAURANTS, HOSPITALITY RELATED TYPES OF THINGS.
UH, POTENTIALLY LIVE WORK UNITS, OFFICE SPACE, MAYBE COWORKING, I COULD SEE WORKING DOWN THERE.
UH, BUT MO MOSTLY THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
NOT LARGE OFFICES, YOU KNOW, NOT MAJOR HOTELS, A LOT OF SMALLER FORMAT RETAIL AND A LOT OF, A LOT OF HOUSING, QUITE FRANKLY.
A LOT OF MORE RESIDENTIAL USE.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP DURING THE WHOLE ECONOMIC, UH, PROSPERITY ROADMAP, WHICH IS KIND OF A SECONDARY PLAN TO THIS, UM, WAS KIND OF WHAT DOES DOWNTOWN LOOK LIKE AND WHAT, WHAT NICHE DOES IT FILL? AND, UM, REALLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY IS, IS THEY WANT SOMETHING UNIQUE.
THEY DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY KINDA HAVE GARTH ROAD, WHICH HAS YOUR, YOUR BIG BOX NATIONAL RETAILERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH DOWNTOWN'S NATIONWIDE RIGHT NOW IS, IS THOSE THINGS WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T GET IT ON AMAZON.
[01:40:01]
THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE MORE OF AN EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE, UM, WHERE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, IS, IS WILLING TO DRIVE FROM SPRING OR KATY OR, YOU KNOW, PASADENA OR PLACES LIKE THAT TO COME TO BAYTOWN BECAUSE THERE'S A UNIQUE SHOP HERE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T GET ELSEWHERE OR THAT THING THEY CAN'T BUY, UM, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY ON AMAZON.SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I THINK AS, AS WHAT GREG, YOU KNOW, SAID, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT OF THIS WOULD BE YEAH, KIND OF THAT MORE SMALLER, UH, UNIQUE, UH, BOUTIQUE TYPE OF EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT YOU REALLY AREN'T GONNA GET ON GARTH ROAD.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CANNIBALIZE GARTH ROAD THAT HAS ITS PLACE IN THE CITY'S ECONOMIC, UM, DEVELOPMENT, UH, SPHERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT, WHAT MAKES DOWNTOWN UNIQUE, WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE NOT ONLY JUST FROM BAYTOWN, BUT FROM THE REGION, UM, TO WANT TO COME TO DOWNTOWN BAYTOWN.
AND I, I GET THAT AND, BUT WE ARE STRUGGLING GETTING FIDELIS TO GO VERTICAL
THE, SO THEN I GUESS IN, IN ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, THE TENURE ABATEMENTS THINGS, IT, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S A LOT OF RETAIL AND, AND MONEY, BUT I, I DO THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND I THINK THAT IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, BUT I ALSO STRUGGLE WITH THE REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE PLAN, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WHAT'S BEING SAID REALLY MATCHES WHAT THE TEXT SAYS IN THIS WITH THE TIMELINE.
I, I KNOW THAT BUILDING AND HAVING IT FULLY, YOU KNOW, DONE 20 YEARS DOWN THE LINE, BUT I LOOK AT WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR WORK TO GAIN CONTROL OVER THE ENTIRE 100 BLOCK OF TEXAS AVENUE.
THAT DOES SEEM LIKE IT IS MOVING KIND OF FAST IN, IN THE PLAN OF THIS, OF WHEN IT WOULD AND NOT A LONG TERM.
AND I, THERE'S PROS AND THERE'S CONS TO THAT, BUT THEN IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT THE DOLLAR SIGN IS, AND THEN YOU MENTION THE BUDGET.
AND SO I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S ON, GOES FROM HERE STRAIGHT TO CITY COUNCIL IN TWO DAYS, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON BUDGET COMING UP, AND Y'ALL NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAN IF THIS IS A PART OF THAT.
AND I GUESS I, MY QUESTION IS, IS WHO DECIDED TO PUT ON THE AGENDA THAT WE ALREADY VOTED TO PASS IT BEFORE THE MEETING EVER STARTED? I'LL ADDRESS THAT.
UM, WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, THE WAY THE, UH, WE, WE USE A PROGRAM TO SET ALL OUR AGENDAS, TO SET ALL SETS, ALL THE AGENDAS, UH, IN, WITHIN THE CITY STRUCTURE.
UM, WITHIN THAT, WE HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING INTO THE SYSTEM ON A CERTAIN DATE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE HITTING VERY RAPIDLY.
WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, THE, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
WE HAVE THE ULDC UPDATE THAT'S COMING, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TO THAT.
THEN WE HAVE BUDGET TIME THAT WILL COME IN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL IN AUGUST.
SO WE HAD A LOT OF PUZZLE PIECES THAT HAD TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY.
SO, UM, IN ORDER TO PUT SOMETHING INTO THE SYSTEM, WE HAD TO TAKE A BEST GUESS.
AND THAT IS, IF WE GET TO CITY COUNCIL FOR SOME REASON, THIS BOARD DID NOT, UH, DID NOT VOTE APPROVAL, THEN THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT WE WOULD SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS GIVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
SO IT WAS REALLY A TIMING ISSUE WITH THE SOFTWARE AND THE WAY OUR SYSTEMS WORK.
THAT AGAIN, WE JUST, WE WE'VE, WHEN THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY LIKE THAT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, WE'LL TAKE OUR BEST SHOT AT IT.
AND IF IT'S, IF IT'S WRONG, THEN WE'LL JUST ADMIT IT UPFRONT AT THE MEETING.
SO IT, IT MIGHT BE WORTH CONSIDERING LEAVING THAT SENTENCE OUT.
AND I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IT'LL BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS ALL HYPOTHETICAL.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ASPIRE TO AND HOW IT'S GONNA PLAY OUT IS HOW IT'S GONNA PLAY OUT.
WE HAVE NOTHING IN CONCRETE YET.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY, THE TIMELINES ARE HYPOTHETICAL.
UM, THE, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY TYPES ARE HYPOTHETICAL.
THIS IS JUST A, A GOOD OVERLOOK OF WHAT COULD MIGHT HAPPEN IN BAYTOWN.
I THINK COMMISSIONER KOSTICK WAS CORRECT.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME DETAILED PIECES TO IT.
UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU START PUTTING THOSE PIECES TOGETHER, IT WOULD SAY, OKAY, THAT MEANS WE GOTTA DO THIS, THIS, AND THIS, AND THERE'S MONEY INVOLVED.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS DOESN'T APPROVE ANY OF THAT MONEY.
IF WE GET TO THE BUDGET TIME AND THAT JUST DOESN'T FALL INTO THE PRIORITIES OF CITY COUNCIL, THEN IT JUST WON'T HAPPEN.
OR IT COULD BE ELIMINATED ALTOGETHER.
WE COULD GET TO THE END OF THE 20 YEARS AND NONE OF THIS HAS HAPPENED.
THAT MEANS WE DIDN'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB AT THAT POINT,
BUT, UM, BUT, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN TOMORROW TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE, UH, ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE TO CHANGE
[01:45:01]
THE FOCUS OF WHERE EVERYTHING GOES IN BAYTOWN.THIS IS OUR BEST ATTEMPT AT GETTING THE CRYSTAL BALL OUT AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT, NOT ONLY CAN WE SEE HAPPENING, BUT WE CAN SEE IT HAPPENING BASED ON ALL THE INPUT THAT WE GOT FROM RESIDENTS, FROM, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS, FROM, UH, FROM LEE COLLEGE.
LEE COLLEGE WAS A, FROM LEE COLLEGE.
AND, AND SO WE'VE HAD INPUT FROM ALL OF THOSE BODIES AS WELL AS FROM OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS DOWN THERE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE, WE TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE ALL THOSE BASES ARE COVERED.
UM, WE'RE NEVER GONNA HIT IT A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THAT'S OKAY.
UM, BUT WE LIKE TO THINK THAT IF WE GET 30% OF IT DONE IN 20 YEARS, I, I'D FEEL ALL RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE BIG ONES.
UM, I THINK IT WAS, UM, COMMISSIONER WHEELER THAT, THAT POINTED OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THAT, WITHOUT THAT 2004 PLAN, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO, UH, AND THERE WERE BIGGER THINGS IN THAT PLAN THAT NEVER CAME TO FRUITION.
AND THAT, AND AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO I THINK THAT IF WE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I'M WASN'T A BIG FAN WHEN THE FIRST PART OF TEXT AVENUE STARTED COMING OUT.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS GOING IN AND, AND, AND, AND I WASN'T MUCH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S YOUR PROPERTY, FIX IT.
BUT AS I'VE, AS WE'VE GONE FORWARD, I, I GO DOWN THERE A LOT MM-HMM
I'M DOWN THERE TOO, TRAFFIC TOO MUCH ACTUALLY ON TEXAS AVENUE.
UM, I, I LOOK AT CITIES LIKE, LIKE, UM, I WAS ON LAPORTE THIS WEEKEND AND I WAS LIKE, THIS COULD BE US AND LAPORTE'S A SPECK.
YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK AT, AT KIMMA AND I, AND I'VE GONE ROUND AND ROUND WITH MY, MY COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE AGREE ON.
THERE'S THINGS WE DON'T AGREE ON.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE HOTEL AND I WAS LIKE, REALLY? I MEAN, COME ON.
AND THEN WE HAD THIS WHOLE THING WITH BRINGING THE TEXAS DOWN HERE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE CAN COMPETE WITH THIS.
WELL, OKAY, YOU WON'T BE THE NEXT CHEMA.
MAYBE THE US IS TEXAS WASN'T IN OUR CONTROL, WENT OUT, BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
'CAUSE YOU GO DOWN KEAH, IT'S NOT JUST THE KEAH BOARDWALK.
GO DOWN KEAH WHERE YOU PARK AND KEEP WALKING.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT MASSEY TOMPKINS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, AND I THINK ABOUT VISTA ROAD ON IN, IN PASADENA.
I THINK ABOUT THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, AND, AND I WANT THAT TOO.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE'RE NOT GONNA HIT IT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVEN THE INTENT.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE A VISION OF WHAT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, I I LOVE THE LIBRARY TOO.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING, WHAT IT COULD BE, AND WE'LL JUST GOING OUT THERE SHOOTING IN THE DARK, I, I CARE ABOUT MY TAXES.
I CARE ABOUT MY PROPERTY TAXES.
MY FAMILY'S BEEN IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 1924, YOU KNOW.
UM, AND MY KIDS HAVE NO INTENT LEAVE
BUT I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT I SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WAY SMALLER THAN US THAT STARTED AS, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER PARA LAND WAS IN PARA LAND WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
AND NOW YOU LOOK AT PARA LAND, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING AND WE'RE HERE AT THE, AT THE BASE LEVEL OF SEEING THAT, OF BEING PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO I, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE AREA JUST ORGANICALLY SORT OF HAPPEN AND, AND MOVE ON ITS OWN.
UM, WE SEE WHERE THAT'S GOTTEN US.
IT, IT HASN'T, IT HASN'T GOTTEN US VERY FAR.
SO, UM, SO THIS, IF, IF WE WANTED, IF WE WANNA MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN, THEN, THEN THIS IS, THIS IS HOW THIS HAPPENS.
CAN WE RECALL THE QUESTION? I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, SO MARTIN, ASSUMING WE APPROVE THIS, RIGHT? CAN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS LIKE STEP ONE, TWO, WHAT WE THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT? BECAUSE HONESTLY THE CITY HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB DOWN THERE.
EVERYTHING THAT'S BEAUTIFUL DOWN THERE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DELMONT HOTEL, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEAUTIFUL IS IS CITY PROPERTY, ICE CREAM SHOP, TEXAS.
BUT, BUT TEXAS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TOO.
BUT ANYWAY, SO MY POINT IS, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF TAKING THE LIBRARY DOWN THERE.
I THINK WE SHOULD LEAN INTO THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK IF THE CITY ONCE AGAIN DOUBLE DOWN AND CREATES THAT SCENARIO, IT'S GOING TO HELP THE NEXT STEP.
AND WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT, SIMULTANEOUSLY WORK ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S THE NEXT BIG THING FOR ANY PRIVATE THING.
AND I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE TRACY AND THE CHAMBER TO FIGURE ALL THESE MOVING PIECES OUT FOR US LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, BECAUSE I NEED SOMEBODY TO COME TO ME AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU.
BECAUSE THESE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE NOT HAPPENING FOR US.
US BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY'RE HAPPENING
[01:50:01]
FOR OTHER PEOPLE.SO WHEREAS IN IF I WAS OFFERED A DEAL LIKE THAT, IT WOULDN'T GO SOUTH.
SO, SO I THINK THE IDEA OF, IF I, IF YOU GUYS COULD KIND OF BECOME A REALLY STRONG PARTNER FOR ALL OF US LOCAL BUSINESSES TO GAIN ACCESS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT TAX ABATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TWO MILES DOWN THE ROAD, CAN I GET SOME TAX RELIEF? YEAH.
LIKE I, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO APPROVE THIS AND, AND THEN MAYBE JUST ASK THE CITY, CAN THIS BE YOUR STEP ONE? I THINK YOU HAD A CALL FOR THE QUESTION.
WELL, I THINK THE, THE, THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER THEY CAN ADD A RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT AS PART OF A MOTION TO APPROVE IF YOU WANT IT.
UM, IF, IF YOU GET A VOTE ON IT.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU SHOULD ASK IF THERE'S ANY MOTIONS AT THIS TIME OR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
BUT DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE I SECOND MOTIONS PASSED ANY, WELL, NO, WE SAY I WELL YOU ASK IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION IF ANYBODY HAS ANY OTHER, ANY DISCUSSION.
AND DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE CITY LOOK AT DOING THE LIBRARY AS THE FIRST THING OFF THIS PLAN, THE FIRST INFRASTRUCTURE RUNNING PARALLEL.
OH, I THOUGHT IT WAS TO HAVE INPUT.
THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MOTION
'CAUSE WE, BECAUSE WE WERE TA TO BE FAIR, MULTIPLE PEOPLE SAID WE NEED TO GET STARTED.
WE NEED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN HERE.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WHAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING WITH THE, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, WITH THE BRUNSON, WITH TOWN SQUARE, EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND SO IF WE WANT THE CITY TO SEE FORWARD MOVEMENT, I THINK THE LIBRARY RELOCATION WOULD BE A WONDERFUL FORWARD MOTION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AS, AS A POINT OF DISCUSSION, I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT WOULD BE A HIGH DOLLAR ITEM AND WOULD, YEAH.
I DON'T, I WOULDN'T WANNA SEE THAT GET IN THE WAY OF SOME OTHER, LIKE SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS HAPPEN OR OTHER POLICY TYPE THINGS HAPPEN.
MAKING IT THE FIRST PRIORITY TO ME SEEMS LIKE IT COULD GET IN THE WAY OF OTHER THINGS HAPPENING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MAYBE RECOMMENDATION.
THAT'S A GREAT, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S BE A CONSIDERATION.
SO YOU, YOU WOULD WANNA ADD THAT AS A A, AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
AND TRACY, YOU MADE THE, THE MOTION.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO SEE IF, IF THE MOTION MAKER WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS AMENDMENT TO YOUR MOTION.
I MEAN, I AS MARTIN YEAH, I THINK THE, I THINK REALLY THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND.
I THINK YOU GOTTA VOTE ON IT THEN IF IT DOESN'T PASS, THEN YOU CAN DO AN AMENDMENT AND VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT AND SEE IF THAT PASSES.
ALL OPPOSED LIKE SIGN? NO, REALLY.
WAS THAT TWO? THAT WAS FOUR TO TWO.
BUT NOW, SO NOW THE MOTION'S PASSED.
SO MAKING ANY KIND OF AMENDMENT TO IT IS, IS IF IT MUDDIES THE WATER, I'LL WITHDRAW IT.
I LIKE IDEA IF HAVING INPUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN ADD THAT TO MINUTES, OUR PRESENTATION TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL ON THURSDAY AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE'RE, BUT THERE WAS DISCUSSION.
IT ALSO TAKES UP A LOT OF THAT PART.
LET'S SAY THAT THAT PART OF TEXAS AVENUE IS NOT THAT BIG.
SO IF YOU TAKE, TAKE A BIG PORTION OF THAT AND TURN IT INTO A LIBRARY, WHICH WOULD BE A BIG PORTION.
ARE YOU TAKING UP MORE THAN YOU SHOULD WITH A MUNICIPAL BUILDING? MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE LOOKING FOR NEW BUSINESSES TO COME IN, THAT DOESN'T LEAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PROPERTY THERE TO DEVELOP NEW BUSINESS.
SO I THINK I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE WE'RE WORKING WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITIES NOW THAT ACTUALLY DO RESIDENTIAL ON TOP OF LIBRARIES.
SO IT'S A MIXED USE BUILDING ON TOP HOUSING ON TOP OF LIBRARY.
OR MAYBE IT'S EVEN SOME RETAIL ON, ON THE SIDE OF IT.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF HOUSING ABOVE BUSINESSES.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT'S THE LIBRARY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIG ANCHOR ON THAT SIDE THOUGH ALSO.
SO VICE, VICE CHAIR SCOTT, UM, WE, WE HAVE, UH, HAD A MOTION THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MOVE THE CONVERSATION ALONG.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT DISCUSSION OUT, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT STAFF, UM, DOES BRING THAT TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL'S ATTENTION THAT THAT WAS A POINT OF CONVERSATION WITH THE GROUP.
[01:55:01]
WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.[a. Consider a recommendation of approval for renaming a portion of Bayway Drive to Brown Loop.]
SEVEN BUSINESS ITEMS SEVEN A CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL FOR REMAINING RENAMING A PORTION OF BAYWAY DRIVE TO BROWN LOOP.I'LL ASK STAFF TO PLEASE SUMMARIZE THE ITEM.
MEMBERS OF THE, UH, COMMISSION, UH, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS A, UH, STREET NAME CHANGE, UM, UH, REQUEST.
UH, IT IS TO, UM, REQUEST THE RENAMING OF THIS SECTION.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, THAT IS LABELED BROWN LOOP, UM, FROM BAYWAY DRIVE TO BROWN LOOP.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE.
SO GOOGLE MAPS, UM, AS WELL AS HISTORICALLY THE PLAT FOR THE TOWNSIDE OF WOOSTER NAMED UH, THIS STREET AS BROWN LOOP, UH, HCA AND OUR INTERNAL, UH, MAPS SHOW IT AS BAYWAY.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HERE,
IF YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, YOU SEE A SIGN THAT SAYS THE CORNER OF BAYWAY AND BAYWAY
UM, AND SO, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK HERE, UH, UP HERE AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN IS THE ACTUAL MAIN LANES OF BAYWAY.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE AT THE CORNER OF CROW AND BAYWAY OR BROWN LOOP, UM, AGAIN, IT IS, IT IS NAMED AS BAYWAY.
UM, THERE ARE NO RESIDENTS, THERE ARE NO ADDRESSES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED ON HERE.
SO THERE WOULD BE NOBODY WHO'D HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR ADDRESS.
UM, BUT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF CHANGING THIS SECTION HERE, UM, TO WHAT IT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY KNOWN AND WHAT SOME MAPPING SERVICES CALL IT AS BROWN LOOP.
UM, STAFF BELIEVES THAT WILL ELIMINATE SOME OF THE CONFUSION.
UM, AS WELL AS HONOR WHAT IT WAS HISTORICALLY NAMED.
SO
I GUESS ANY QUESTION IS THAT NOT A HOUSE THAT ON THE NORTH END OF THAT PICTURE ON, ON THE STREET, IS THAT AN INTERSECTION THERE, RIGHT? NO, ON THE LEFT.
GET THE STREET RIGHT HERE AT THE STOP SIGN.
GOES STRAIGHT NORTH RIGHT THERE.
IS THAT NOT A HOUSE RIGHT THERE? THAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, THE LIQUOR STORE.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY ON, UM, THAT IS ON BAYWAY.
THIS LIQUOR STORE THAT IS ON BAYWAY.
SO NOBODY'S HAVING TO PAY THE COST OF CHANGING CORRECT ADDRESSES.
WE MADE, WE MADE SURE A BANK, BANK STATEMENT.
I WENT THROUGH THAT FRESH STAR.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED BY SOMEBODY WHO CAME TO A COUNCIL MEMBER AND SAID, WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GONNA FIX THIS? BECAUSE WHY ISN'T SIGN THIS BAYWAY IN BAYWAY? I'D LIKE TO MOVE FOR APPROVAL.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S ALSO AN ITEM THAT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL 'CAUSE IT'S AN ORDINANCE, UH, THAT HAS TO CHANGE THAT, THAT STREET NAME.
BUT WE'LL GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
[8. CONSENT]
ITEMS. I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.ARE WE ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT BEFORE WE DO IT? IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PULL EIGHT A, B, OR C, YOU CAN SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.
EIGHT A I'M GONNA REITERATE MY CONCERN ABOUT THE TYPES OF SUBDIVISION WE'RE APPROVING.
SO YOU WANNA PULL THAT ONE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? YEAH, I MEAN THAT, THAT MARTIN'S CORRECT.
JUST RIGHT NOW YOU'RE JUST PULLING IT FOR DISCUSSION.
AND SO THEN YOU CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE REMAINING ITEMS. OKAY, SO EIGHT A IS BEING PULLED.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINING ITEMS. B AND C MOVE FOR APPROVAL.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WHAT? OKAY, NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO EIGHT A.
AND RYAN IS PULLING UP THE MAP.
NOW AGAIN, READ THE, READ THE ITEM AND THEN OKAY.
ASK IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION.
CONSIDER APPROVING PELLY PLACE, SECTION ONE, FINAL PLAT, APPROXIMATELY 19.50 ACRES LOCATED ON NORTH MAIN STREET, NORTH OF EASTVILLE ROAD.
UH, STAFF WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUMMARIZE? SO, UM, THIS IS THE FINAL PLAT THAT HAS BEEN, UM, UH, APPROVED FOR, UH, FOR PRE PRELIMINARY PLAT.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN, UM, APPROVED FOR ALSO, UH, SITE WORK, UH, ON THIS PLAT.
AND IT'S PART OF AN AMENDMENT TO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, SO THE PLAT IS, UH, PROPOSING TO HAVE 83 LOTS AND FIVE RESERVES IN
[02:00:01]
THREE BLOCKS.UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, CONCERNS? YEAH, MY, MY CONCERN IS TO CONTINUE OUR CONTINUANCE OF DOING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND DO LESS THAN WHAT WE ARE.
THE MA MAXIMUM FRONTAGE IS 50 FEET.
NONE OF THESE ARE THAT AMOUNT.
WE'RE PUTTING MORE HOUSING ON LESS LOT AS WE MOVE ALONG.
AND LONG TERM THAT THAT IS GOING TO NOT BE GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE SUBDIVISIONS WHERE FIRE TRUCKS CANNOT GET INTO THEM ANY TIME OF THE DAY.
THE PEOPLE ARE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
THE LOT SIZE IS SO SMALL, THERE'S NO SETBACK TO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
AND I'M JUST SAYING WE DO DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAY IN IT.
PLANNING AND ZONING, IT'S ALREADY SETTLED AND WE'RE ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND BUILD THESE HOUSES ON LOTS THAT ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BUILD HOUSES ON.
AND SO I I, I'M NOT SAYING WE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT, IT WAS A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
BUT I'M OPPOSED TO DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT ALLOW THAT.
AND I'M, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO VOICE THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THE MORE WE APPROVE THESE SUBDIVISIONS WITHOUT WHAT THEY OUGHT TO HAVE IN THEM, THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE SETBACK.
THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE WIDER STREETS, AND THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE PARKING AREAS BECAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT USE THEIR GARAGES ANYMORE.
TH THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE ETJ.
THIS IS FRIENDSWOOD DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN IT CAME THROUGH CITY COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TWO YEARS AGO, UM, STAFF IN A WORK SESSION, A POST THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UM, THAT WENT AWAY.
UM, CITY COUNCIL DENIED IT AT THAT TIME.
ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER IT CAME BACK AND THEY HAD CLAIMED, UH, THE DEVELOPER HAD CLAIMED THAT THE, UM, THE MARKET SITUATION HAD CHANGED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE ONLY WAY THIS WAS GONNA GET DONE IS IF THEY AGREED TO THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT, I'M NOT PUTTING WORDS IN PEOPLE'S MOUTHS.
UM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, CITY COUNCIL DECIDED AT THAT TIME THAT THE SITUATION HAD CHANGED ENOUGH THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS TO THE CITY'S BENEFIT TO APPROVE THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NOTHING HAD REALLY CHANGED SINCE THE FIRST ONE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, PLANNING IS, IS PLANNING STAFF IS INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION ON A PERIPHERAL, UH, LEVEL OR HAS BEEN, UM, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT
UM, ALL THAT SAID, THIS MEETS THE, THIS MEETS THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE LAID OUT FOR THIS PROPERTY.
UM, IN THAT CASE, THIS IS A MINISTERIAL ACT AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS TO APPROVE IT.
I JUST HAVE TO, I KNOW YOU DO
BUT WE'VE JUST DONE IT TOO MANY TIMES.
I, I THINK WHAT TRACY IS SAYING IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE NOW LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT IS MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSING.
THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN FOR THE FUTURE.
SO WE DO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE ROADWAYS BEING TOO CONGESTED BECAUSE OF THAT.
I MEAN, IS THERE AT SOME PLACE WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS POSSIBLY WIDENING THE ROADS WITH EVERY NEW DEVELOPMENT TO ALLOW FOR THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR AND FIVE VEHICLES PER HOME IN EVERY NEW HOME THAT IS BUILT? BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IS A VERY, VERY VALID POINT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE, LOOK, WE'RE DOING A MAJOR UPGRADE TO THE UPDATE TO THE CODE NOW.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK FROM THE COMMUNITY IS, DO YOU WANT 60 FOOT WIDE STREETS? WELL, I THINK WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE DOWN A STREET.
UM, I, I DON'T, I DON'T ARGUE WITH THAT.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY? IS THAT A 60 FOOT WIDE STREET? IS THAT, UM, NO PARKING ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET? IS THAT, UH, I DON'T, THERE'S, THERE'S 15 DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO THAT PROBLEM.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT CAN CERTAINLY BE ADDRESSED.
UM, IT'S NEVER GOING TO ADDRESS THE OLD NEIGHBORHOODS.
THOSE ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE THE WAY THEY ARE UNDERSTOOD.
UM, AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE ETJ, WE HAVE LESS CONTROL OVER THAT AS WELL.
I AGREE WITH BOTH MY COLLEAGUES, UM, BECAUSE THE HOUSES START LOOKING LIKE TOWN HOMES.
THEY CAN JUST REACH OUT YOUR WINDOW.
CAN I HAVE SOME SUGAR? PLEASE, MA'AM.
[02:05:01]
AND, UM, NOT RIGHT.SO, UM, WE'RE GETTING LESS YARD SPACE AND YES, UH, SOMETIMES IT SPEAKS TO THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE HOMES, BUT I THINK YOU COULD GET A 50 FOOT WIDE LOT STILL MAKE 'EM AFFORDABLE.
AND, UM, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
SO JUST NORTH OF THIS, ON ON MAIN, THERE'S TWO MORE DEVELOPMENTS GOING IN ON RIGHT LEFT OF HOUSING ON SOME SORT.
THAT'S AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S UM, JUST NORTH OF THE, THE CREEK.
RIGHT THERE YOU GO PAST MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL ON MAIN, YOU KEEP GOING PAST WALLACE VILLE AND YOU MIGHT GO PAST IT WHAT USED TO BE THE TURF FORMS. THERE'S DEVELOPMENTS OF BOTH SIDES OF THERE GOING IN.
THEY AT LEAST, AT LEAST THEY LOOK OR THEIR APARTMENTS, THEY'RE PIPED IN AWAY.
THEY SO ARE THEY NOT IN THE ETJ? DID THEY NOT COME IN FOR PLANS? WELL, THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE IN THE ETJ, THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR CODE.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT SUBJECT TO ZONING.
BECAUSE WHAT I SUSPECT IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME THING.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, TRACY.
MY DAUGHTER LIVES DOWN GARTH AND VILLE AND THE SUBDIVISION ON YOUR RIGHT, RIGHT THERE.
AND I WAS OVER HERE ONE NIGHT THAT LITERALLY HAD A, A GUY HAD A HEART ATTACK AND THEY COULDN'T GET AN AMBULANCE DOWN THE STREET.
THE AMBULANCE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH THREE FRONT YARDS TO GET TO THE HOUSE.
AND IT'S LIKE THAT NOW, WHEN WE VOTED ON OR DIDN'T VOTE ON LAST TIME, WE, YOU'RE ON A NARROW MAIN ROAD AND BUSES HAVE TO STOP ON THAT MAIN ROAD BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKE A TURNAROUND.
AND SO ALL OF THE PARENTS ARE CONGESTED RIGHT THERE, THE BEGINNING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA LEAVE THEIR KIDS DOWN THERE BY THEMSELVES.
SO IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT, EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN'T GET IN.
AND WE'RE ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE BUILDING HOUSES ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH OUR APPROVAL.
NO, WE DON'T NEED IT SO BAD THAT WE ALLOW THAT TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK AT THIS TIME, IT'S PROBABLY A REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN AROUND THE C THE CODE.
UPDATE AND ANYTHING THAT, THAT MIGHT NEED IT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT PRIOR TO THAT, WE CAN PUT IT ON AN AGENDA AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK IN THIS CASE, I'M, I KNOW, I KNOW.
THIS ONE DOES MEET THE LETTER OF THE REGULATIONS.
IF WE DO NOT, THEN WE OPEN OURSELF UP TO SOME ISSUES.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ON THAT, THAT INSTRUCTION.
UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE LIKE IT.
I TOTALLY DOESN THAT'S WHY IT WAS UNCONS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T VOICE CONCERNS.
AND THE DEAL, BECAUSE GOOSE CREEK HAS GOTTEN TO WHERE THEY WON'T EVEN GO IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ANYMORE.
THE SUBDIVISION THAT MY DAUGHTER LIVES IN, THE CHILDREN NOW COME TO THE STREET.
THEY'RE 14 BLOCKS, EITHER DIRECTION TO CATCH A BUS ON A MAJOR STREET.
THE OTHER DAY WE HAD THE STORM, THOSE KIDS WERE OUT IN THE RAIN, THE LIGHT, AND THEY WALKED IN THE STORM BECAUSE THE BUSES CANNOT GET DOWN THE STREET.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT PAST GARTH ROAD ON THAT SUBDIVISION OTHER SIDE OF NORTH OF WALNUT FIELD, THEY'RE BUILDING ANOTHER TWO MORE DEVELOPMENTS THERE.
SO NOT, NOT TO IMPLY THAT YOU, THAT YOU CAN'T VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.
THAT WASN'T MY, MY POINT WAS JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SEPARATE THE TWO.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF US TALKING ABOUT IT MORE LATER BECAUSE I LIVED IN ONE OF THOSE COOKIE CUTTER NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHEN I IT'S NOT GOOD IS IT? AND I WAS VERY INTENTIONAL WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE WHERE WE DO NOW WITH HOW WIDE THAT ROAD IS AND THE NIGHTMARE OF IT.
BECAUSE NO, IT WAS ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, I REMEMBER HALLOWEEN, IT WAS DANGEROUS.
IT WOULD JUST, I MEAN, EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK THAT YOU DRIVE DOWN, MAN, DRIVE IS DANGEROUS.
WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING LESS THAN WHAT WE DESERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BETTER BUILDERS WILL COME IN IF YOU HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANT TO, FINE, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND BUILD IT.
MY MY LAST COMMENT IS, I GUESS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE A CHILD GET RUN OVER IN ONE OF THOSE SUBDIVISIONS.
LIKE WE, BECAUSE DOES SOMEBODY HAVE A HEART ATTACK AND NOT GET AN AMBULANCE? WELL, YOU KNOW, THE STREETS HAVE GOTTEN SO BAD AND THE CHILDREN RUN BACK AND FORTH AND THEY GOT BASKET.
I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE IF FOUR WEEK MAKE SOME OF THESE, WHAT I CONSIDER GREED AND SO MANY DEVELOPMENTS ABOUT, LET'S SEE HOW MANY, LET'S SEE HOW MUCH SQUARE FOOTAGE WE COULD CRAM INTO A ONE ACRE.
MARTIN, DO I HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION? WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEXT THING? YOU NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE? I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE EIGHT A I I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
[a. Receive a report from the Planning Director.]
KNOW THAT ONE WAS BETTER.[02:10:01]
THREE MINUTES.CAN YOU GET MY SCREEN THERE? THERE WE GO.
I CAN'T HEAR YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE MOW THE LAWN.
SO GO AHEAD AND HIT THE NEXT ONE.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, UH, THAT THAT SEVEN ACRES ON CROSBY, CEDAR BY ROCHE DID GET APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, REZONE TWO, SF TWO.
UM, THE, UH, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER ITEM I HAVE SPECIFICALLY OFFICIALLY WAS WE WANTED TO WELCOME, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER OF THE BOARD TONIGHT.
UH, MIKE BEARD IS HERE AS A NEW COMMISSION MEMBER.
AND UH, OSCAR CHOPPA HAS ALSO BEEN NAMED TO THE BOARD.
UM, HE WAS NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT 'CAUSE HE IS DOING SOME TRAVELING.
SO, UM, ALSO I WANTED TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP, UM, RIC HARLOW IN YOUR THOUGHTS.
HE'S HAD SOME HEALTH ISSUES RECENTLY AND UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE, HE IS GETTING THE, THE LOVE FROM EVERYBODY TO, WHAT WAS THAT, MARTIN, RICK HARLOW, YOUR CHAIR.
SO, UM, THE, THE OTHER ITEMS I DID HAVE, LIKE, THERE WERE TWO OTHER THINGS.
I THINK, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER BEARD AND COMMISSIONER SEK BOTH HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS DURING THE, THE DOWNTOWN, UM, OR DURING ONE OF THOSE, THOSE, UM, ITEMS. ONE WAS YOU TALKED ABOUT OTHER AREAS OF, OF THE CITY THAT MIGHT NEED SOME ATTENTION.
REMEMBER THAT AS A BOARD YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STAFF THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'LL HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY, DOESN'T MEAN IT'LL HAPPEN.
BUT IF THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD THAT SAYS, HEY, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ANOTHER PLANNING, UM, EXERCISE.
LET'S SEE NORTH ALEXANDER HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WATERFRONT HAPPEN.
LET'S SEE SOMETHING ELSE WITHOUT THAT DIRECTION, STAFF IS GONNA KIND OF TAKE THINGS AS WE SEE THEM AND TRY AND FIT THEM INTO OUR DAILY SCHEDULE.
UM, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE TAKING STEPS, UM, STAFFING WISE AND ORG CHART WISE TO SEE THAT WE FREE UP A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT TIME TO DO THOSE EXERCISES.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE TRAINED TO DO.
AND SO, UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC AREA THAT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU AND THE BOARD AS A WHOLE THINKS THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, YOU CAN ALWAYS BRING THAT, UM, TO STAFF'S ATTENTION.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS REMEMBER THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER REALLY SEEN IT HAPPEN OVER THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE
UM, BUT THAT ALSO COMES TO UH, UM, CODE CHANGES AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW TWO OF TONIGHT AND WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY AND WHERE THERE IS, UH, SOMEBODY WHO'S LANDLOCKED AND THEY CAN'T GET TO A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THEY CAN'T DEVELOP OR DO ANYTHING WITH, THEY CAN'T EVEN BUILD A HOUSE 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T GET TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO WE ALLOW IT AS PART OF A, A, A RECORDED EASEMENT, A PRIVATE EASEMENT.
UH, AND BECAUSE THERE REALLY IS NO GOOD WAY AROUND THAT AT THAT POINT THEY DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE OTHER PROPERTIES AND THE CITY ISN'T WILLING TO COME IN AND BUILD A PUBLIC ROADWAY OR CAN'T.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WE'VE SEEN A BUNCH OF THOSE.
WE NEED SOMETHING IN THE CODE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE CERTAIN THINGS INTO ACCOUNT AND LET US DO THOSE ADMINISTRATIVELY WITHOUT COMING BACK TO THE BOARD EVERY TIME THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
WE DO THE SAME THING WITH BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
IF SOMETHING COMES IN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE SEE THAT AS A RED FLAG.
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE CODE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT AND MAYBE ADDRESSING IT.
IN THIS CASE, THAT'S JUST AN EX, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THING I THINK CAN BE PROBABLY, UH, ADDRESSED.
UM, THEN THE OTHER ONE, UM, COMMISSIONER ICK, YOU MENTIONED THE MALL SITE IN PASSING.
UM, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING WITH THAT SITE.
IT ISN'T QUICK, IT ISN'T GONNA BE QUICK, BUT THAT IS OWNED BY A PRIVATE ENTITY AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND THE CITY IS WORKING TO HELP THEM GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
UM, YOU WILL SEE SOME ZONING STUFF COME IN BEFORE YOU REGARDING THAT SITE, AND I EXPECT THAT TO BE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
BUT AGAIN, THINGS ARE NOT MOVING QUICKLY.
UM, BUT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN AS A CITY TO HELP MOVE THEM ALONG.
WE'RE ALSO DOING WHAT WE CAN AS A CITY TO GET THEM TO, TO UH, UH, KEEP THE PROPERTY TIDY.
AND, UH, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO PUT UP SOME NO TRESPASSING SIGNS AS WELL.
SO, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY IN THIS GROUP THAT THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT PUBLIC.
UM, AND I CAN'T GET INTO A TON OF DETAIL, BLESS, BUT I WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
IT'S NOT STAGNANT, IT JUST TAKES A LONG TIME TO COORDINATE A PROJECT OF THAT SIZE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, THAT'S MY REPORT AND I'LL QUIT RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE SIX MINUTES.
THIS CONCLUDES TODAY'S MEETING AND SINCE ALL AGENDA ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.