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02-14-1989 ~ ---"-.<~"""_.~_~~'",U<""'V,,-,1=...... ,:...: ' j- - -, PLANNING AND ZONING MINUTES The Schert:z Planning and Zoning Commission :convened In a regular session on Tuesday, February 14, 1989- ~t r:OO P.M. in the Municipal Complex Conference Room, 1400 ~chertz Parkway. Those present were as follows: PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION OTHERS PRESENT TY BRISGILL, CHAIRMAN MARY MARSH, VICE-CHAIRMAN MERWIN WILLMAN BOB ANDREWS GEORGE VICR JOE POTEMPA KEN GREENWALD, COUNCILMAN MAYOR EARL SAWYER JIM SHRIVER, SCHERTZ BUSINESS CLUB JEAN V. POTEMPA BOB MCLAREN, CAPITAL CONVERSIONS CHRIS TRAMPE, THE HERALD MEMBERS ABSENT CITY STAFF KEITH VAN DINE, SECRETARY STEVE SIMONSON, ASST. CITY MANAGER NORMA ALTHOUSE, RECORDING SEC'Y. #1 CALL TO ORDER Chairman Brisgill called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. #2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A. Regular Session January 24, 1989 B. Special Session February 7, 1989 A. Regular Session January 24, 1989 Bob Andrews made a motion to approve the minutes for the regular session January 24, 1989 . Joe Potempa seconded the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: M. Marsh, M. Willman, B. Andrews, G. Vick, J. Potempa NAYS: None ABSTENTIONS: T. Brisgill Motion carried. B. Special Session February 7, 1989 Mary Marsh asked that for clarification, on Page 5, Paragraph 9, first sentence, the words "Texas Chapter" be added before conference. Merwin Willman made a motion to approve the minutes, as amended, for the special session February 7; 1989. Mary Marsh seconded - the motion and the vote was_unanimou's in favor. Motion carried. , 13 CITIZENS' INPUT OTHER THAN AGENDA ITEMS There was none. #4 CONSIDER AND MAKE RECOMMENDATION: of Ordinances Proposed Change to Code Chairman Brisgill had written up a proposed change to the code of ordinanc~-s r'egarding the height of" fences and other fence-type structures surrounding residential or commercial pools. Mr. Brisgill had recommended the minimum height requirement be changed from 4 feet to 6 feet. Mary Marsh asked Chairman Brisgill why he wanted the height requirement changed from 4 feet to 6 feet and Mr. Brisgill replied because he does not think 4 feet is sufficient enough to preserve the safety of children and animals near a pool. Mary Marsh pointed out to Chairman Brisgill that the majority of people with a" pool have a fenced-in yard. Mrs. Marsh further stated it is aesthetically unattractive to have a six foot fence around a pool when the pool is in a yard that is not fenced. Chairman Brisgill once agaln mentioned the said he had learned to live' with the 4 requirement here and in other areas. safety factor, but foot fence height Mary Marsh commented that safety, after all, is a principal consideration. Referring to the 4' requirement, Steve Simonson remarked that most normally a real small child cannot cl imb over a 4 foot fence. Mr. Simonson went on to say there are a number of in-ground pools and also above-ground pools where the yards have only a chain link fence. Merwin Willman said he knows that insurance companies require either a 6 foot or 8 foot fence around a pool and will not insure one with a 4 foot fence. Mr. Willman also said he can see the point of Chairman Brisgill's proposed change in areas where there is just a 4 foot chain link fence, but doesn't see the need if there is already a 6 foot pr i vacy fence, and he thinks the 0 rdinance shoul d ref 1 ect that differentiation. Joe Potempa acknowledged he can go along with the safety factor of 6 foot, but wondered if this change were approved, would those people who already have 4 foot fences have to change to 6 foot fences. steve Simonson replied that would be up to the Planning and Zoning Commission. -2- Mary Marsh commented on the expense of changing from a 4 foot "fence to a 6 foot fence. Joe Potemp~asked Chairman ~risgill if he proposes to grandfather those who already have 4 foot fences. Mr. Brisgillreplied he left that out of his proposal on purpose because he wal1ted to"get the thinking of the Commission. George Vick also remarked on the expense it would involve unless those already with 4 foot fences were grandfathered. Merwin Willman noted they probably would be grandfathered or perhaps a time given by which they would have to comply. Bob Andrews informed the Commission he is in favor of a 6 foot chain link fence on commercial property because of the extended time periods when no one is there, but not in favor of it necessarily in a residential area because normally someone is there. Mr. Andrews did add, however, that he thinks there should be some type of fencing 1n a residential area. Mr. Andrews also said, old enough to climb a going to stop him. from a safety standpoint, if a child is 4 foot fence~ then two more feet is not Chairman Brisgill asked for a consensus from the Commission. Councilman Greenwald asked if the present ordinance makes a fence mandatory if you have a pool and was informed yes it does. The consensus of the Commission was that this proposed change lS not needed. Chairman Brisgill withdrew his proposal. 4a. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION: Bob McLaren, on Behalf of Capital Conversions, Request for an Exception to the Sign Ordinance Bob McLaren was at the meeting to represent this request. Bob McLaren informed the Commission his company has signed a six- year lease on the property (approximately six acres of land and the first building south of Keebler Cracker) and is 1n the process of remodel ing. Mr. McLaren al so said the company has access to the front part and will be putting in a blacktop road through the center. The company sells closeout products. Bob McLaren commented that part of the remodeling process involved a 10' x 40', well-constructed, on-premise sign which is why they are asking for a variarice to the Sign Ordinance - the sign is larger than the ordinance allows. Mr. McLaren admitted they should have checked on City ordinances .before going ahe~d w-ith the sign-, but _ they didn~t and h~ has. :al.ready: paid- for it. Mr.- McLaren- -said it is. -.a' quality sign made by Gunnarson Sign in' -3- , San Marcos, all the' colors 'on .the signage and .on the building will be coordinated, it will be the only signage separate from the building, and because the road takes a dip in that area, they need 'the sign for: good visibility from the interstate. .steve Simonson asked how high the slgn will be and Bob McLaren replied 33 feet at the very top. Steve Simonson commented the sign does meet the height regulation of the Sign Ordinance, but it is 150 square feet over the area regulation. Bob Andrews than asked how far back from the road the sign will be located and Bob McLaren replied 20 feet from the access road. Mary Marsh asked how far from the building the sign will be located and Bob McLaren replied approximately 190 feet. steve Simonson reminded the Commission there is a semi-screening of trees between Mr. McLaren's property and Keebler. Bob Andrews asked if the sign will be I ighted and Mr. McLaren replied it will be indirect - there will be lights on the ground shining on the face of the sign. Chairman Brisgill inquired as to whether the business is wholesale or retail and Bob McLaren replied that in the past they had always deal t in wholesale, but they are hoping to capture some retail business. Bob Andrews asked Bob McLaren what the life expectancy of the sign is projected to be and Mr. McLaren replied he would expect it to last at least as long as the six-year lease on the property. Bob Andrews made a motion to grant an exception to the Sign Ordinance to Bob McLaren for installation of a 10' x 40' on- premise sign at 17051 IH-35 North with the stipulation that at the end of six years, the sign be brought into compliance with the City of Schertz Sign Ordinance. Merwin Willman seconded the motion and the vote was unanlmous In favor. Motion carried. After the vote was taken, Chairman Brisgill informed Steve Simonson he would like to have Bob McLaren fill out the City of Schertz "Request for Sign Variance" form. Bob Andrews welcomed Bob McLaren to the City of Schertz .arid informed him of the current work being done-by the Schertz Business Club regarding business input to the Sign Ordinance. Mr. .McLaren said - he has already met Jim Shriver and plans on ~ttending the Schertz Business Club me~ting. -4- #5 CONSIDER AND MAKE RECOMMENDATION,: Upda'ting City Pian A. Discussion of Civic Leaders Panel Mary ~Marsh-, noting that City Council had appointed 9 member"s to the. Civic Leaders Panel, asked if- they had all' been notified of their; appointment. Councilman Greenwald repli~,,"d he did not know, he assumed City Manager, Mr. Sweatt, had sent them a letter. Mary Marsh asked if everyone appointed had agreed to serve on the panel and Mayor Sawyer replied yes they had. Chairman, Brisgill asked if City Council had set up a timetable for the panel to get together and it was determined they had not. Mary Marsh asked Mayor Sawyer if Council had appointed a chairman and Mr. Sawyer said no, the panel will work under the direction of Planning and Zoning. Chairman Brisgill then noted we need to asslgn two people from Planning and Zoning to serve on the panel. Steve Simonson asked if general guidelines and/or rules are needed for the panel. Mr. Simonson reported that the surveys are comlng in, but so far we have received less than 100. Mary Marsh, reminding the Commission that a general schedule had been set up when the idea for the survey originally went to City Council, filled the Commission in on the way she envisions the schedule gOlng. Mrs. Marsh said after the final cut-off date for the surveys to be turned in, the Staff will computerize the results and bring them to Planning and Zoning for review. Two Planning and Zoning members will then get together with the panel and give them the computerized results and instructions. It will then be the work of the panel to determine where the City wants to go. The panel will give this information to Planning and Zoning for them to mull over, to add, delete, etc. and then the information will go to the department heads and to Staff. George Vick emphasized that somewhere along the line we need to look at the cost. Mary Marsh said that would be the work of the department heads and Staff and then all that information will come back to Planning and Zoning. Chairman Biisgill asked Mary Marsh if she -would consider being one of the Planning and Zoning liaisons and Mrs. Marsh replied yes. ...;;5- t ~ Joe Potempa _ a-sked when this group will be meeting and Mary Marsh replied probably around the second week of March. Jim Shriver a.sked if all the surveys had been distributed and- steve Simonson said they are in the process of being distributed.- Mary Marsh indicated she would like for George Vick to volunteer to be the other Planning and Zoning liaison and Mr. Vick agreed' to do so. Mrs. Marsh said she and George Vick will have a list of duties for the panel prepared by the next meeting. #6 GENERAL DISCUSSION Joe Potempa asked what the status lS on Sal vage Enterprises. steve Simonson said Mr. Besch has been notified that Planning and Zoning recommended denial of the request for a Specific Use Permit. Mr. Simonson.said Mike Besch is also aware that the City is going ahead with the prosecution on the citations. George Vick asked about the private home on IH-35 that looks like a junkyard and what is being done about it. Steve Simonson replied the Staff has been busy updating and rewriting the nuisance ordinance and junk vehicle ordinance. Mr. Simonson said the City Manager is reviewing them at the moment and then they will be sent to our legal advisors for further review, and if after that they are approved and passed by City Council, then they will be enforced vigorously. Mary Marsh commented she would like to brief the Commission on a new group that has been formed called the Economic Development Task Force. Lou Borgfeld is the chairman and Chuck Sharpe is the Vice-Chairman. The task force will consist of three teams - (1) a marketing team which is headed by Bob Booth with Mary Marsh as the alternate, (2) a contact team which is headed by Lee Boswell and (3) a community relations team headed by Chuck Sharpe with Jim Shriver as the alternate. Mrs. Marsh said they also decided they needed a public relations person and Jim Shriver was selected to be that person. Mary Marsh remarked that the marketing team will be meeting tomorrow morning with Kerry Sweatt and will begin work on a logo and on a slogan for the City of Schertz. Mrs. Marsh said the various teams will give their suggestions to the task force chairman and then the suggestions will go the the Assistant city Manager, then to the City Manager, and then to City Council. Mary Marsh informed the Commission that Mr. Sweatt's wife will be working on putting together a video which will promote the City. Mrs. Marsh noted that In August - the Economic Development Task Force will be bringing in some commercial people for a tour of the City and a briefing. -6- .. . . Bob Andrews asked if Planning.and Zohing could, as .~ courtesy, be included in the chain of command to receive a copy of the suggestions made by the t~Bk force. Mrs. Marsh replied y~s they could. Mary Marsh asked steve Simonson if he had checked on whether or not a let.te~ was sent to the APA telling them the Co'mmission would like more small city participation, especially in the Texas Chapter. Mr. Simonson said he had checked and a letter was never sent. Mrs. Marsh said that if they' can't volunteer for a workshop this year, at least they should make their desires known to the APA. steve Simonson said he would try and get a letter sent to the APA. Chairman Brisgill reminded the Commission to be thinking about the possibility of creating a Public Use District and coming up with a definition for adult entertainment. Mr. Brisgill also informed the Commission he had written a letter to the City commending the street department for their excellent work during the icy weather. Mayor Sawyer commented that the Grand Opening for the Jack-in- the-Box is February 26, 1989 from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Mayor Sawyer further stated that he and Mr. Sweatt will be attending a breakfast this Thursday with the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. #7 ADJOURNMENT Chairman Brisgill adjourned the meeting at 8:04 P.M. The next regularly scheduled meeting is February 28, 1989. -7-