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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ 2009-06-04 MinutesMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS JUNE 4,.2009 7. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairman Randy Shiflet at 6:36 p.m. 2. .ROLL CALL PRESENT Chairman Randy Shiflet Vice-Chairman Bill Schopper Secretary Don Bowen Steven Cooper Mike Benton ABSENT Kelly Gent Mark Haynes Ex-Officio Dianna Madar CITY STAFF Director of Planning & Dev. John 'Pitstick Chief Planner Eric Wilhite Asst. 'Planner Chad VanSteenberg Dir. Economic Dev. Craig` Hulse Dir. Neighborhood Svcs. JoAnn Stout Asst. Dir. Parks & Rec. Bill Thornton Civil Engineer: Caroline Waggoner :Recording Secretary Teresa Koontz OTHER BOARDS PRESENT Economic Dev. Adv. Comm. Mike Rigby Parks and Recreation IVlarlin Miller Parks and Recreation Ricky McElroy Parks and Recreation Marty Kusmierski Substandard Building Garry Cope Substandard Building Thomas :Moreau Page 1 of 7 06/04/09 P & Z Minutes 3. Approval of Minutes from the May 7, 2009 Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting. Bill Schopper seconded by Steven Cooper, motioned to approve the minutes of May 7, 2009.. The motion was carried unanimously (5-0). 4. Public Works Design Manual Update Caroline Waggoner, Civil Engineer gave the presentation of the Public Works Design Manual. This manual dictates the standards by which new city infrastructure for capital projects and new developments are done. The purpose of the presentation is to update the manual since the last update was lengthy and significant. It is the goal to update on amore regular basis as the code changes occur. She stated the three areas which are being updated are of federal and state law changes, clarification of existing requirements and improved .development standards. The TCEQ has changed the depth of pea gravel embedment required over sanitary sewer lines from 6" to 12". The sanitary manhole diameter is being increased from 24 "to 30"due to confined space safety concerns. Clarification of existing requirements for fire hydrant spacing must be approved by the Fire Department, public paving n-iust be placed by a paving machine and overland relief required by flume at subdivision low points. There is a 70 % vegetation growth requirement throughout the disturbed areas. Regarding the area of improved development standards, Mrs: Waggoner said one of the main focuses in recent years has .been on drainage projects. Our criteria states that you can drain one residential iot onto another then it should be going into a drainage easement or public .right of way. We are trying to clarify this because some lots do not have the capacity to hold 4he vvater and could cause damage.- This would allow the city the ability to step in and now allow'this to happen. In addition, flumes and sidewalks will now be required to have concrete :ramps instead of steel plates. Some of the technical drawings include 11 pages to be included in the manual A detailed list of the updates has been sent out to one dozen engineers and .developers for their feedback and concerns. Mike Benton asked if copies of the plans could be provided for review. Caroline Waggoner said yes, it was available for distribution. Page 2 of 7 06/04/09 P 8 Z Minutes 5. Neighborhood iRevitalization Program Presentation Craig Hulse began the presentation by thanking all the board members and citizens present at the meeting. He stated that the Neighborhood Revitalization Program is a plan that will not just last'for a few months or year, but will evolve for the life of the city. City Council has identified .quality .community development -and revitalization as their number one goal for the' community. This has been .addressed by focusing in on Boulevard 26, the Loop 820 Corridor, and expansion and -redevelopment of the Calloway Creek Corridor. After-the recent council retreat, tall came back and felt the need to focus on the more mature areas of the city. The time is right at this point before the areas slip into situations we are not proud of. The vital components of the process are to tour all the corners of the city. There has been a reduction or plateau in property tax and sales .tax .revenues .for these commercial corridors.. 1n addition, increases in vacancies and or relocation of existing businesses have become an issue. This is a multi department committee consisting of Planning and Inspections, Economic Development, Neighborhood :Services, Parks and Recreation, Communications, Police, City Managers Office, Budget, Finance, Public Works and GIS. This committee has met weekly, if not bi-weekly in recent months to finalize the .details and necessary procedures to find funding forthis program. Mr. Hulse gave statistics on the' initial findings and identified how the areas would be divided and which areas should be focused on first. The dimensions of Neighborhood 1 are south of NE Loop 820, west of Boulevard 26 and east of Rufe Snow. The Land Use plan, age of the .residential :properties, police data and the distinctive original subdivisions are part of the criteria for establishing this target area. He also gave demographics of average household size, age and income.. John Pitstick continued by discussing CIP projects, street maintenance, utility projects, trail systems and other projects that are in the books in this `area.: The B.I.G. program is available to match businesses in this area to improve investments. The sign removal program will replace any pole signs with a monument sign, intersection improvements of Rodger Line, Rufe Snow and Glenview Drive intersection Concept Study, TIF expansion project are some of the improvements that are in this area. Mr. Pitstick said we are trying to get the legislature to join hands with Richland Hills and other cities and have joint TIF's to occur on both sides of Boulevard 26. The multi use trail and pedestrian trail is°being fabricated now to connect the medical office building to the North HiIIs Hospital. There have been some zoning ordinance amendment changes to proposed fence :material and requirements. We'are introducing a residential rental properties standards program to include annual inspections of all the cities' rental properties. The :Police :Department has recently been involved with a multi family housing program. In addition, #here is the CDBG or Neighborhood Improvement :Program, :.Neighborhood 'LOOKS Program and there are changes being made to the solid waste ordinance which will fielp with current nuisance and visibility issues. The Page 3 of 7 06/04/09 P & z Minutes total continuing public dollars spent in this area alone is $1.4 million dollars. The City is spending public dollars to stimulate private investment. Additionally, there are future CIP street and utility projects, sidewalk projects, land acquisitions,.protection for the single family neighborhoods in the original areas of NRH, and helping the transition al neighborhoods by assembling larger tracts of land into commercial and mixed uses. There are gateway connections' to enhance way-finding street toppers, ongoing development standards, Code Rangers Program and community Volunteer Work Days. There is also a benchmark :program to ensure we will be successful in erms of improving the value of the area. The current value on the tax roles is about $224.3 million of Target Area 1. This equates o° about 5.4% of the total city value throughout the community and 7% of the total city land. Over time we hope to show an increasedvaiue as we continue to make improvements. JoAnn Stout game forward and stated that this is a proposal for immediate action. City Council will review this at the mid year budget and we will find out then what the funding is for these programs and` plan on implementing them right away. The committee will continue to meet and develop a Tong range plan for the city. Mrs. Stout said .she completed a housing survey in January .2008 which shows approximately 4.5% of the city considered substandard. This could mean anything from weatherization to houses needed painting. Only about 8-9 fiouses throughout the city are considered substandard needing demolished. In Neighborhood 1, there are about 139 substandard homes, most of which need minor repairs or paint. Of these homes, Code Enforcement has already .worked with approximately 105 to bring up to compliance. The rest are in the process of making ..improvements or have filed for extensions. Two .Building inspectors have joined the department temporarily to focus on unoccupied commercial and' accessory buildings. 1t is our goal to stimulate the owners to bring the property up to code or entice them to sell and redevelop. They will also communicate to the property owners to contact .the Economic Development Department and hopefully benefit from the B.LG. program. Mrs. Stout explained the Neighborhood Initiative Program was started in 2004 to mainly help senior citizens, single families and persons with disabilities help with minor exterior home repair free of cost. This ..program was set up and used volunteers to mow, change light bulbs, etc. and has :been very successful In addition, the City is entitled to so much money from CBDG .each year. If a homeowner has' income below the HUD standards and they need -certain :repairs, we recommend 'them to contact Tarrant County Housing and Development. Tarrant' County administers the funds to the City and they go out and make repairs to the homes. The City of North Richland Hills wants to develop a committee that will review the applications, make sure the applicants meet the guidelines and we control `which homes get repaired "first.. We will utilize our inspectors to make sure repairs are progressing in a timely manner. Under the CDBG funds, there is also a Home Fund, which allows the individual to make repairs and the City matches it 25%. Another program we are trying to develop allows homeowners who make the minimum HUD guidelines and do not qualify for federal grants to be eligible for a program which 'has a 25% match if they .have `an appraised value of $120,000 or less. The third option we are providing', if :approved, is an incentive Page 4 of 7 06/04/09 P & Z Minutes program for all citizens. Depending on how much they spend will determine how much cash back they will .get. For instance, if a homeowner spends between $2500 and $10,000, they will get a :$300 cash back .incentive from the City. This will apply to landscaping, installing sprinklers, fience repairs, etc. 1n addition, we are looking into a community resource warehouse to :implement a program with Home Depot to bring business to them, give the citizens a break and revitalize the neighborhood. We are also meeting with churches and other volunteers #o help bring` a stronger volunteer base which will allow contractors to''drop off their unused materials` and hopefully reuse for the next project. We plan on using contractors who work or live in our city for this program. Home Depot figs also .agreed to allow contractors o enter into their bid process which will also benefit the homeowner. She said at the`mid year budget year we will know more abotat what funds are availablefiorthe programs. The timeline for these programs are to take the amendments of the fence and rental ordinance to City Council on June 8, 2009, at the mid .year ;budget review funding for future programs, in 3-6 months fiold stakeholder meetings and door to door marketing for Target area 1, hold the kickoff event and recruit volunteers and staff to assist in the programs. The inspections of vacant commercial buildings on Davis Boulevard and Rufe Snow have :been ;completed and we are bringing these to the Substandard Building Board soon. In 6 months vve are hoping to have the program fully funded and operating. In one year we will :bring back a long range'revitalization and marketing plan. Marlin Miller asked what kind of insurance coverage would be available to the volunteers working on the program? JoAnn Stout answered that all volunteers would be required to sign a waiver. She stated that in the Neighborhood Initiative Program there have not been any injuries reported. Supervisors would be onsite to oversee all volunteers. Randy Shiflet asked for clarification between the Neighborhood 1-8 and the incentive programs. JoAnn Stout answered the :incentive ..programs will be addressed in Neighborhood 1 first, .then Neighborhood 2, etc. The incentives are a one time deal. The fence and rental ordinances revisions are city wide. Funding was the main reason why the neighborhoods had to be broken down into different zones to adequately handle it through the budget process each year. Marlin Miller asked if there were going to be any historical values considered while doing the projects. JoAnn Stout stated yes,- if a fiouse is deemed historical hey would consider not changing its value or appearance.. Craig Hulse said another location that fits the criteria I is the :Mason's Hobby Lobby which was one of `the original businesses on Boulevard 26. 'It still maintains the same decor and facade and it is planned to celebrate that location and keep it's value. Page 5 of 7 06/04/09 P & Z Minutes One citizen asked what street was involved in the revitalization for the kickoff. JoAnn Stout said it was part of the kick off and cannot be revealed at this time. Craig Hulse commented that the ubcontractors involved in the program will be contracted by Home Depot. The materials they .purchase for the .program will be purchased from NRH Home Depot. 'Homeowners, subcontractors .that are located in or do business in NRH will all be required to purchase materials from with inside the city, in addition to permit fees. One citizen asked if there any plans to revitalize Target area 2 in the near future. She stated they are currently revitalized their entrance and wanted to know if they could be reimbursed. She had code violation concerns about a neighboring apartment community. John Pitstick said we have an apartment inspector who handles those complaints and he would get with her after the meeting'#o discuss. JoAnn Stout said yes, if it is in progress they would look at it, but if already completed once they start thaf area then no, they would not be considered for the incentive. She said that Target area` 1 had been reported by Tarrant County was high susceptibility to foreclosure, so that area was focused on first to make sure it does not sink any further. JoAnn Stout .said that in he ransitional .area we would 'not encourage people to upgrade, but .rather work°with Planning and relocate because this is the area we want to turn into multi :use. Funding to -help relocate #amilies and .:purchase property for redevelopment is being looked into. Don Bowen asked what was the time line for Target area 1 before proceeding to area 2. JoAnn Stout said it was not known at'this time. Craig Hulse said the benchmarking process will take over a year to review TAD valuations, sales tax revenues,°etc. 1t is not known at this time how the program will progress. Don .Bowen asked if the statics were available for all the Target areas as he had concerns about area 2 and 3 and were they based on the most need? JoAnn Stout said yes there were available. She said area 1 was selected because it was the original town and are hoping to spur some economic growth in that area. Bill Thornton said there are some projects taking .place in area 2 now. The Parks Department has a capital project to come in and introduce Neighborhood Park and Trail Services in area 2. There are projects that other departments have that fall outside of area 1 and will continue to'complete these projects. Marline Miller asked what kind of responses were received on the survey? Page 6 of 7 06/04/09 P 8 Z Minutes JoAnn Stout said they have not completed it yet because it has not been approved by City Council. Chairman Shiflet said he agreed with the approach Economic :Development is taking by not being specific regarding the fime line of the projects. Bill Schopper commented that he liked how it was being benchmarked to see if it will work. 6. ADJOURNMENT There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. Chairman Secretary Randy Shiflet on Bowen Page 7 of 7 06/04/09 P 8 Z Minutes