03-25-1986 PLANNING AND ZONING PIINUTES
The Schertz Planning and Zoning Commission convened in a regular session on
March 25, 1986 at 7:00 P.M. in the Municipal Complex Conference Room. Those
present were as follows:
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT
THOMAS YARLING, CHAIRMAN DAVID ALLEN
BOB ANDREWS, VICE-CHAIRMAN
JAMES HARDEN, SECRETARY CITY STAFF
MERWIN WILLMAN
TY BRISGILL STEVE SIMONSON, PLANNING COORDINATOR
DONALD WILSON NORMA ALTHOUSE, RECORDING SECRETARY
KEN GREENWALD, COUNCILMAN
OTHERS PRESENT
JOHN KENDALL
#1 CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Yarling called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.
#2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
A. Regular Session March 11, 1986
Merwin Willman made a motion to approve the minutes for the regular session
March 11, 1986. Ty Brisgill seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous in
favor.
B. Special Session March 18, 1986
Ty Brisgill made a motion to approve the minutes for the special session March
18, 1986. Merwin Willman seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous in
favor.
#3 CITIZENS' INPUT OTHER THAN AGENDA ITEMS
There was none.
#4 CONSIDER AND MAKE RECOMMENDATION: John Kendall - Request for a Two Foot Side
Yard Variance for Construction of a New Home -
Adjacent to 611 Brooks
John Kendall was present.
Ty Brisgill commented there is a shed in the back and asked if it is on 605
Brooks. Mr. Kendall replied it is on both properties.
Ty Brisgill asked if this would interfere with the building plans for the new
home and Mr. Kendall replied it would not.
Chairman Yarling asked Mr. Kendall if he owned the property and Mr. Kendall
replied yes he did.'
Bob Andrews, pointing out that the lot is twice the size most builders build
on, asked Mr. Kendall why he needed the variance. Mr. Kendall replied he
understood he needed it to comply with the ordinance for side yard setbacks.
Chairman Yarling asked if this presented a hazard to the fire department and
Steve Simonson replied no it did not.
Chairman Yarling also asked Steve Simonson if there were any Staff comments on
the variance request and Mr. Simonson replied there were none.
Merwin Willman commented it was his understanding the reason for the variance
was to put a certain size house on the lot.
Chairman Yarling asked how this fits in with other. homes in the area. Merwin
Willman replied there was no question but that it would fit in.
Merwin Willman remarked that a variance is not needed to develop the land.
Bob Andrews pointed out that it should really be a three foot variance.
Steve Simonson confirmed this by saying he had made a mistake by indicating a
two foot variance and that, yes, it should be three feet.
Chairman Yarling asked who owns 601 Brooks and Merwin Willman replied Mrs.
Elsie Ford.
Bob Andrews asked if it was going to be a single family dwelling and Mr. Kendall
replied yes it was.
Donald Wilson stated he did not see a problem since it is not changing the
neighborhood composition.
Donald Wilson made a motion to recommend we favorably approve a three foot
variance on the northeast side of a proposed residence on Lots 11, 12 and 13,
Block 44, Aviation Heights, adjacent to 611 Brooks. Bob Andrews seconded the
.motion and the vote was as follows:
Ayes:' Bob Andrews, James Harden, Donald Wilson
Nays: Merwin Willman, Ty Brisgill
Steve Simonson asked if this .calls for a public hearing or a Board of Adjustment
action. After some discussion, it was decided it needs to go to a public hearing.
Chairman Yarling suggested we let the motion stand since it was 3 to 2 in favor
and that we recommend City Council schedule it for a public hearing.
Steve Simonson told Mr. Kendall the public hearing would probably be scheduled
for either April 15 or May 6 and that he would send him a letter to let him
know for sure.
#5 CONSIDER AND MAKE RECOMMENDATION: Zoning Ordinance - Schedule of Uses M-1
and M-2
The Commission reviewed the Schedule of Uses - M-1 and M-2 - and made their
suggestions and recommendations.
#6 GENERAL DISCUSSION
James Harden asked Merwin Willman and Ty Brisgill why they had objection to
the variance for Mr. Kendall.
Merwin Willman commented Mr. Kendall does not need a variance to develop the
land. Mr. Willman further commented a variance is usually granted to prevent
hardship on the owner, but there is .nothing in the surrounding area to prevent
Mr. Kendall from complying with the ordinance.
Ty Brisgill said he agreed with Mr. Willman and that we do have our ordinance
to go by.
Donald Wilson commented he- was happy to see a full lot.
Bob Andrews reiterated that same feeling also saying the lot had been vacant
for many years and now it would be added to the tax rolls.
Merwin Willman reminded the Commission there is a joint public hearing on
April 1, 1986 for the Coy Simmons property.
Merwin Willman asked the status of Barshop. Steve Simonson replied it is on
hold until something is settled between the state and the RIPPS.
Merwin Willman questioned whether the shoe shop on the corner of First Street
and FM 78 has any off-street. parking. Steve Simonson said he assumed there
was some in the back.
Steve Simonson reported to the Commission that Vaughan Homes has given him a
request to put up bandit signs. Mr. Simonson said he had received the request
too late to be put on the agenda.
Chairman Yarling said it needs to be put on the agenda and requested it be put
on for the special session on April 1, 1986.
Steve Simonson also informed the Commission that Vaughan Homes is no longer
interested in putting a sign at the northwest corner of FM 3009 and Live Oak
Road - they are going with bandit signs instead.
Steve Simonson asked the Commission if they remembered requiring any specific
regulations on the acceleration/deceleration lane or tapered approach for the
Lone Star Ice House on Jack Hays Boulevard. Mr. Simonson said Lone Star does
`not have a tapered approach or acceleration/deceleration lane and he can find
nothing in the minutes about it.
The Commission said there had been discussion on the line of sight and they
also .felt the tapered approach had been discussed. Steve Simonson said he would
review the minutes further in case he had overlooked it.
It was stated that the present turn in at Lone Star is dangerous and Ty
Brisgill commented we will have the same problem in Greenshire.
Steve Simonson said our ordinance does not require a taper on every entrance,
only when. driveways are closer than 300 feet and when there is a high daily
volume of traffic.
Bob Andrews asked the Commission if they had seen the brochure put out about
Greenshire. Mr. Andrews said it describes Schertz as an explosively growing
area with an estimated 92% population growth in the next five years.
Chairman Yarling commented he had been hearing some really nice radio com-
mercials about Woodland Oaks.
Steve Simonson reported that Mr. .Vaughan has acquired two pieces of property
in Greenshire. Mr. Simonson also told the Commission you can drive back in
Greenshire now and that there are some large, beautiful trees in there.
There was some discussion about the traffic on FM 3009 and traffic on Schertz
.Parkway with Bob Andrews commenting that by the time Schertz Parkway is com-
pleted, the population of Schertz will require it.
Donald Wilson asked if there was 'any feedback on the FM 1518 tour. Steve
Simonson said we need to set a date and he will present it to Mr. Gilmore.
The Commission agreed on either April 12th or April 19th as tentative dates
and suggested a school bus be used for the tour..
Donald Wilson inquired, whether as a group, we could make a statement about
the high cost of animal licenses in Schertz, commenting that our fees are the
highest in the area = $7.00 per animal.
Mr. Wilson also. commented that Dr. Harborth, for some reason, is no longer
issuing tags although he is willing to do so.
Ken Greenwald said the City had no intention of cutting Dr. Harborth off from
issuing tags.
Donald Wilson asked the Commission if they thought the fees were high.
Ken Greenwald remarked that the City is trying to make each .department self-
- sufficient - that some other cities subsidize their fees through taxes.
There was some discussion on how many animals in the City are licensed and
about the fact that people, especially new residents, are not aware that their
animals need a City tag.
Donald Wilson said he felt the fees should be based on what it actually costs
the City and does not believe any survey of the .actual cost has ever been
done. Mr. Wilson also said he felt senior citizens should be given a break on
the cost of their animal tags.
Donald Wilson said now Schertz has two distinctions,:
1. The highest school tax
2. The highest fees for animal tags
Some members of the Commission reminded Mr. Wilson that the school tax applies
also to Cibolo and Universal City.
There was a brief discussion on the quality: of education in the local school
district. Ken Greenwald commented that someone he knew attended Samuel Clemens
his senior year and said there were more drugs than you could shake a stick at.
Ty Brisgill asked if the .sign pole on FM 3009 near Southwest Precast is
going up or down. Steve Simonson replied this is a case where they are
claiming ignorance. Mr. Simonson said several letters have been sent,
and the next step is litigation.
Ty Brisgill noted he had observed the state paving FM 3009 right where
they eventually are going to cut and said, in his opinion, they were
wasting a lot of time and money.
Ty Brisgill asked if there was any limit on the number of predevelopment
signs and it was decided not if they are on private property.
Ty Brisgill also asked what happened to political signs and Steve Simonson
replied we're not interested.
Ty Brisgill asked Ken Greenwald-how this policy on the official spokesman for
the City of Schertz effects us. Ken Greenwald replied it simply means that a
department head does not have the authority to give the official opinion of
the City of Schertz.
Merwin Willman reminded the Commission members that in their package is a map
of the south end of Randolph Air Force Base and asked them to keep it for the
upcoming tour.
Donald Wilson asked if there was anything that could b.e done about streets
that become different names when they turn.
There was some discussion on this with Steve Simonson bringing up the example
of Aero, Elbel and Borgfeld Road.
There is a joint public hearing scheduled for April 1, 1986.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is April 8, 1986.
#7 ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Yarling adjourned the meeting at 8:35 P.M.