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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ 1989-01-26 Minutes . MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS JANUARY 26, 1989 - 7:30 P. M. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, John Schwinger, at 7:30 P.M. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Members Alt. Member Dir. Economic Dev. Dir. Planning/Dev. P & Z Coordinator John Schwinger Mark Wood David Barfield Don Bowen Ron Lueck James Brock David Greene Pat Marin C.A. Sanford George Tucker Wanda Calvert Since all members are present, Alternate Pat Marin will not vote. . CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 12, 1989 Mr. Bowen made the motion to approve the minutes as written. This motion was seconded by Mr. Barfield and the motion carried 6-0 with Mr. Lueck abstaining since he was not present at the meeting. 1. PZ 89-1 Public Hearing for discussion of proposed revisions to the Zoning Ordinance ¡I1080. Chairman Schwinger read the proposed revisions: . 1. R-1 Single Family District Increase side yard requirements from seven feet each side to 10 feet on one side and six feet on the other side. Only side or rear entry garage will be allowed. Reduce minimum lot size from 13,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet. Minimum house size to remain at 1,800 square feet. Page 2 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . 2. R-2 Single Family District Increase side yard requirements from six feet each side to ten feet one side and six feet on the other side. Only side or rear entry garages will be allowed. Minimum house size to remain at 1,600 square feet. 3. R-3 Single Family District Be allowed only as a buffer zone. 4. R-5-D Duplex District Delete from Ordinance. R-4-SD District to remain and fill gap with minimum dwelling unit size increased from 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet. . 5. R-6-T Townhouse and Garden Home District Garden home use be removed from the District. Minimum lot width be increased from twenty feet to thirty feet. Minimum dwelling unit size be increased from 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet. 6. R-8 Zero Lot Line District Allowed only as a buffer zone. . 7. Special Development Controls Add Section - Sidewalks required in all districts with exception of AG on all public streets. Add Section - Side or rear entrance garages required in R-1 and R-2 Single Family Districts. Add Section to allow model homes with restrictions. Apply restrictions on rodeo type activities on lots or tracts containing less than five acres. Add wording to allow swimming pools to be constructed adjacent to an easement upon approval by Building Official. Add wording to allow non-sight barring fences in front yards. Fences to be wrought iron not over four feet in height. Page 3 P & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . Change wording - Accessory building not to exceed ten foot eave height. Chairman Schwinger stated there were no dramatic changes, just ascetics. Chairman Schwinger opened the Public Hearing and called for those wishing to speak to please come forward. . Charles Parish, 715 Barbara Lane, Keller, came forward. He stated he is a Home Builder with offices located at 5505 Davis Boulevard. Mr. Parish said he is confused as to why these changes. He said some cities are real strict, some are lax, but North Richland Hills is the middle of the road on restrictions. Mr. Parish said he felt the present restrictions are sufficient. He asked if the side yard change was requested by the fire department or some other enity. David Barfield said it was to gain access to the back yard. He said we have continual problems trying to keep cars off the street. He said he did not feel it would make a major problem for builders. Mr. Parish said this would not stop the problem. He said you did not say you can't have trees or other obstruction in this area. Mr. Parish said with a 70 foot lot and take away 16 feet for side yards would require narrow houses. Mr. Parish said coming from Keller, we want houses to look larger, not skinnier. He said you are telling the builders you want narrower houses. . David Barfield said some have said that North Richland Hills has too many small houses. He said we are no Colleyville. He asked Mr. Parish how can we encourage the builders to build Page 4 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . nicer houses. He said if we require side or rear entry garages, it would look nicer. He asked how could we up grade the city. Mr. Barfield stated he felt we should already have enough small lots already zoned in areas not developed. He said he felt we need to have something nicer, now. Mr. Parish stated he doesn't consider 2,000 and 2,200 square foot houses with front entry garages as trashy. He said he builds in Meadowview Estates. He said he thinks zoning is a way to build larger houses. Charles Scoma, 8300 Cardinal Lane, came forward. He stated he had prepared a hand-out package for the Commission and he has a slide presentation. Mr. Scoma read a letter to the Commission: . "Dear Members of the P & Z Commission: On behalf of an organization known as Citizens for North Richland Hills, we wish to express our appreciation for the time and efforts you devote to the City of North Richland Hills to help make our city a better place to live. In recent weeks you developed a list of concerns and recommendations which have been expressed over the past years by concerned citizens of NRH. You are to be commended for your willingness to breach the potentially controversial subject of zoning ordinance revisions. We have prepared for your consideration the attached document which outlines our response to the proposed P & Z changes along with our rationale and recommendation. We will be happy to discuss any part of this document with you in detail should you so desire. Sincerely, Charles Scoma.tI . Page 5 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . Mr. Scoma stated he was a developer for many years and he does not want to demean the developer. Mr. Scoma stated there is a need for a definition for tlgreenbelt". He suggested "A belt of landscaping bordering property designed to prevent undesirable encroachments and enhances the aesthetics of the property." . Mr. Scoma, for R-l zoning, showed slides for side and rear entry garages. He said you needed 1,134 square feet for additional parkway or turn around area. He said which had you rather have, turf or concrete. Mr. Scoma said the Commission recommends 6 foot side yard on one side and 10 feet on the other side, but we recommend 15 feet on one side and 10 feet on the other. He said at least we will have 25 feet on one side between the houses for landscaping. Mr. Scoma also stated they recommend increasing the lot size from 13,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. Mr. Scoma said for R-2, they recommend to increase the side yards to 10 feet and 15 feet; increase the lot size from 9,000 to 11,000 square feet. Mr. Scoma said for R-3, they feel this classification should be kept. He said the average house is $85,000, and the average age is 28 years old. He said R-3 will continue to be important. He said the Citizens for NRH recommends you increase the side yard from 6 feet on each side to 12 feet on the drive side and 6 feet on the other side and allow only side or rear entry garages; increase the lot size from 7,500 square feet to 9,000 square feet; and the minimum house size remain at 1,400 square feet. . Page 6 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . David Barfield asked Mr. Scoma if he had looked at the amount of lots there are already zoned R-3. He said there is more than enough. Mr. Scoma said with the Grandfather Clause of two years, he feels it is important to keep the R-3 zoning. Mr. Tucker stated if the property is zoned and platted, it would stay R-3, but if it was only zoned, it would be good for only 2 years. David Barfield said the majority of the cities only have one zoning classification with a minimum of 1,400 square foot houses, but they work with the developers. . Mr. Scoma said he could see no reason why anyone would not want to build in North Richland Hills. He said when jobs are here, streets are here, water and sewer are here, they will build. He said you have to set the standards. Mr. Scoma said for duplexes, they recommend increasing the size from 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet; allow only side or rear entry covered parking; increase the lot size from 3,500 to 4,500 square feet. Mr. Scoma said for R-1-S, since this zoning classification specifically deals with the keeping of livestock in a residential setting, we believe certain modifications should be considered. They recommend they have a minimum of 50% in pasture land and "feed lots" should be prohibited under this classification. He said they . also recommend a house size of 1,600 square feet. . Mr. Scoma said they concur with P & Z to delete the R-5-D duplex zoning. Page 7 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . Mr. Scoma said for R-6-T Townhouse zoning, they recommend increasing the lot width from 20 to 30 feet; have 15 foot side yard for rear and side parking; increase the living area from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet; and increase the lot size from 3,000 to 3,500 square feet. Mr. Scoma said they also recommend they be required to have 20% rear yard. Mr. Scoma said for R-8 zoning, they recommend they increase side yard from 6 feet to 10 feet; increase the lot size from 4,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet; and increase the lot width from 40 feet to 50 feet. . Mr. Scoma said for Multi-Family, they should have a greenbelt with a minimum of 25 feet in the front and rear; increase the side building line from 15 feet to 25 feet; recommend no parking in landscaped area; and allow only side or rear parking. Mr. Scoma said they recommend that R-1-S, R-4-SD, and AG Districts be given set backs and limitations. Mr. Scoma said they would suggest that in Industrial, Commercial, and Office zoning to change the acceptable south pressure level for different times of day. He said you need to look to see if the commercial area backs up to residential. He said they also are asking for greenbelts in these classifications. Mr. Scoma said some times in these areas there are trucks that back up to the back property line to turn around. . Mr. Scoma said the Association wanted him to address the buffers as greenbelts, and they think sidewalks should be required in every subdivision. Chairman Schwinger thanked Mr. Scoma for his effort. Page 8 P & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . Mr. Lueck asked Mr. Scoma where he got the figure 28 years old. Mr. Scoma said it came from an Urban Study done last year. He said the mix would be an average of 28 to 28 1/2 years old. He said they have to have a place to start. Mr. Lueck said it looks like Mr. Scoma is requesting R-1 to be Super R-1, R-2 to be R-l, and R-3 to be R-2. Mr. Scoma said not necessarily. He said it takes so much for side and rear entry garages and you would have concrete instead of a green area. Mr. Lueck said Mr. Scoma's definition of a buffer is different from his. . Mr. Scoma said a greenbelt is more desirable. Mr. Lueck said he thinks of a block of houses as a buffer. Mr. Bowen said it is a transition area. Mr. Tucker said it is transitional zoning. Mr. Bowen said he was of the op1n10n that R-I-S was to have the same minimums and setbacks as R-1. Mr. Tucker said that was the intension, but it did not get put in. . Kathy Robinson, 6463 Chilton Drive, came forward. She stated she is the Chairman of the Beautification Committee. Ms. Robinson said there needs to be a definition of landscaping. She read from the dictionary. She said she would like to see more green areas to draw more people to North Richland Hills. Page 9 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . RECESS Chairman Schwinger called a recess at 8:35 P. M. BACK TO ORDER Chairman Schwinger called the meeting back to order with the same members present at 8:40 P. M. John Barfield, 416 Lovella, Hurst, TX, came forward. He stated he is a builder and developer. He said he knew the developer who built Thornberry in Colleyville and for 3 years nothing happened; then it turned around and was a success. Mr. Barfield said Colleyville has their problems, too. He said trends come and go; he said we need to have an overall mix of zonings. Mr. Barfield said if you increase the lot sizes, it would cost more and we would have to pass the increase on to the customer. . Mr. John Barfield said the developer will go where the people are buying. He said if you require side or rear entry garages, you would have to have 30 feet. He said the lots would have to be 80 feet wide. Mr. Barfield said he likes to put side or rear entry garages "if he wants to". Mr. Tucker said these recommendations are from the Commission, not from the City Staff. He said the garage can be open to the street, but in the rear. Mr. John Barfield said it could be a detached garage. Mr. Tucker said it could be. He said this would give more parking. Mr. John Barfield said if R-3 zoning is a buffer, he has a piece of R-3 and a lady has about a 30 foot strip of AG next to it, then there is more R-3. He asked could she get R-3 there. . Mr. Tucker said he felt like she could. Page 10 P & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . Mr. Lueck asked Mr. Barfield which would sell better, houses with rear or side entry garages or front garages. Mr. John Barfield said he knew the rear or side entry garages would be more expensive. Mr. Lueck asked Mr. Barfield if he would be able to sell them at the price needed. Mr. John Barfield said Fox and Jacobs prefers R-3. He said they have some R-3 and R-2 next to his R-l. He said they were interested in purchasing some of the land, but they would not consider R-1. He said they might consider R-2. Mr. Barfield said people now are looking for smaller lots and larger houses. . Matt Speight, Bedford, came forward. He said he builds 2,200 to 2,600 square foot houses with front garages. He said people are more concerned with the size of the house than they are the garage. He said such additions as Meadow Lakes became desirable because of what is around it, the golf course and lakes. David Barfield asked Mr. Speight what his suggestion would be to get cars off the street. Mr. Speight said you have a 2 car garage plus 2 places to park. He said the main problem is most people use their garage for storage. He said he feels you should upgrade the houses and not worry about the parking. Mr. Bowen said there is a city ordinance against parking on the street at night. He said it is not enforced. . Page 11 p & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . J. B. Sandlin, 405 Woodbrier Court, Bedford, came forward. He said he has been building in North Richland Hills for many years. He said he does not see anything wrong with North Richland Hills, he thinks it is a fine city. Mr. Sandlin said he also builds in Colleyville. He said there is a very limited demand for houses and lots in Colleyville. He said he is building $130,000 to $150,000 houses with front garages. He said if it is the right location, they will sell. Mr. Sandlin said he plans to build 500 houses this year in Tarrant County. . Mr. Sandlin said that Bedford and Hurst do not have all these requirements. He said we are having a real problem with people being against the Birdville School District. He said they want to be in HEB School District. Mr. Sandlin said what the Commission has recommended, R-1 is okay; R-2, he is opposed to the rear or side entry garages and the 10 foot and 6 foot side yards, you haven't solved the problem. Mr. Sandlin said he has no problem with the minimum size of the houses; he said most of his are 2,000 to 2,200 square feet. Mr. Sandlin said R-3, we need affordable houses. He said he would hope the Commission would not zone out our children, the firemen, and city people. Mr. Sandlin said sidewalks are nice, but expensive. . Alice Scoma, 8300 Cardinal Lane, came forward. She said Mr. Barfield and Mr. Sandlin both said that North Richland Hills is a wonderful city, but neither of them live here. She said she used to live in the same area as Mr. Tucker, which is a very nice neighborhood. She said when you have a lovely home in a desirable Page 12 P & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . neighborhood with rear entry garages, it will sell right away. Ms. Scoma said the problem with Birdville School District, they have many minorities in the western area. She said there are Asian children who cannot speak English who have to take those Team Tests; then the School gets a low rating. Mr. Parish asked if he could speak again. He said you are going to have street parking regardless if you have a front, side or rear entry garage. Mr. Sandlin came forward. He said he wants to make it clear that he was not critizing Birdville School District. He said he loves BISD, but people will request other schools. Mr. Sandlin said BISD is lax on Public Relations. . David Barfield said we have problems with subdivision fences, the ones the developer puts up and only lasts until the last lot is sold. He said he felt the control of the fences should be in the ordinance. He said if it were built to code, it would last 25 years. David Barfield said there should be a way to build 50% masonary with glass, etc. He said they might consider a I-lot PUD or they might could go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Mr. Bowen said this Commission takes no issue pertaining to the school. Mr. Bowen said in all residential uses we have conditional uses such as churches. He said he feels that churches should be required to rezone to a "U" classification so people in the neighborhood will have a say in what goes in next to them. . Page 13 P & Z Minutes January 26, 1989 . . ADJOURNMENT ~~~£L7 '-..1'"' .......~ .__< '..._ , . Secretary Planning & Zoning Commission . Mr. Wood stated he had a call from Dr. Tom Duer who was unable to attend, but wanted to say he supports the rear and side entry garages. Mr. Sanford said in regard to the one lot PD, he feels we do not need to start that, we do not need one lot subdivisions. Mr. Lueck asked David Barfield about the fences he was speaking of. David Barfield said they are common throughout the city. He said if they would build the base according to code, they would last for many years. Chairman Schwinger closed the Public Hearing. The meeting adjourned at 9:25 P. M. /'~/~ 17 ~ ,.,. _-. ,f'/ /~./" f///' / C. "'.' . ...... . ....._----: -~'. . / cq·;~~:::~~;·'i!~~~-:::::