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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGBA 2010-03-11 MinutesMINUTES t`~F THE MEETING OF THE GAS BOARD OF APPEALS OF THE CITY OF NOI'2TH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS MARCH 11,'010 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairman`Tom Duer at 6:30 p.m. _2: ROLL `CALL PRESENT Chairman Tom Duer Randy _Shiflet Garry'Cope Marty Kusmerski Kathy LuPPY CITY SZAFF Assistant Dir. Public Works Greg VanNeiuwenhuize Asst Chief Mike Rawson Fire Marshal Lt Greg Lindsey Recording.Secretary Gina :Pastre 3. Approval of November 12,2009 Gas Board of Appeals Meeting Minutes. APPROVED Randy Shiflet, seconded by Kathy Luppy, motioned to approve the minutes from November 12 201)9. The`emotion carried unanimously {5-O). 4. GB 2010-01 Public Hearing and ..consideration of a request from Chesapeake Energy Corporation fora .deviation from distance requirements ,#rom .gas wells under Section 104-6~i) (1) b.-for the proposed Graham A 3H, Higfitovver 2H, 8 Ender 4H gas wells located at 7000 Hightower Drive. Scott Castaneda, 100 Energy Way, Fort Worth,,.. TX came -forward representing Chesapeake.:Energy. We are here before you to seek hree well permits and the expansion of the existing pad site. ,The Graham pad is located on private .property with an entrance io the site from Hightower Drive. There are 4 wells that have been previously drilled. Two by Chesapeake.: and Two by Harding. We do hold one additional permit in hand for the B1 H which is expected to drill in April. We are seeking Page 7 of 4', 03/11/10 GBA minutes three `new permits for the .Hightower 2H, Ender 4H and the Graham A3H. We are also seeking to expand the pad 87 feet to the east and 105 feet to the north. The Graham pad site has the potential to produce minerals for 860 acres. Thirty two acres of which are leased to Chesapeake by the City of North Richland Hills and it also has the potential to reach over 1,900 leasers. This is the expanded surface use plat, the area shaded in green is the area where we would like the pad expanded. The Graham pad will have the potential to .:accommodate 17-20 wells. Within the 800 foot setback we have one house that is owned by Mr. Graham and to the west we :have a development property which is owned by Johnson Diversified 'Enterprises. That property does fall into the 300 and 600 foot setback. 1lVe do have a waiver and fetter of support from Johnson Diversified Enterprises and Mr: Graham. The three wells that we are asking to permit will all be drilled to the north of the pad site. Chesapeake does plan to use the previously approved transportation roue....This toute takes us from 377 north to North Tarrant Parkway and east to Rufe Snow and then to Hightower to pad site. At this time would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Randy Shiflet asked if-the 17 wells would max out the :capacity at this site? Mr. Castaneda said that they are looking at 17 but they have the potential to go to 20: Right now we are only looking at doing 17 wells. Chairman Tom Duer asked f the wells would go out m a spoke wheel radius? Mr. Castaneda said that they will be running north and south. Kathy Luppy asked if expanding the pad site allow Them to accommodate all 17 wells? Mr Castaneda said yes and would also allow them to maneuver within the pad site better. Chairman Tom Duer said -that when the well site was permanently completed the well site Ghat is there now. You came before us `with variances of dififerent sorts for shrubbery etc. If this gets approved will the wall be built first since rt will allow enough :.room to drill. Before the problem was they didn't want to put the walls up until the equipment was out of there. Now this well "site should be .big enough where you won't have that problem. Jonathan Faughtenberry, 100 Energy Way,. Fort Worth, TX with Chesapeake Energy said that they will have to build the wall #irsf before they begin drilling. They don't' have the ability to drill those wells unless that wall gets expanded Chairman Tom Duer said that he knew that: One problem that we had previously ran into was the several postponements ion doing the walls because you wanted to keep enough room to get the sizeable equipment. Now I think that two things have changed. Now it will be a much bigger site now and also the size of the equipmeint is now smaller. You don't have to have the same size'of equipment as you had before. Randy Shiflet said that they are a diiierent owner than before ,~. Page 2 of 4, 03/1'1/10 GBA minutes ~,, Chairman Tom Duer said that is also true. Will you go ahead and build the permanent walls' before you do anything else 'fo where nothing else will have to be done on the exterior? Jonathan Faughtenberry said that our plan would be to begin work on the wall as soon as they are approved for the .permit. We will be trying to get a fence permit in the next few days in order to expand that wall. We will begin~ihat construction immediately. The wall would be build before #hey drill any of those wells. Greg Van Neiuwenhuize said that the reason we are here tonight is obviously for the variance for the` setback: I just want to briefly go over what the setbacks are in North Richland Hills. You cant have a habitable structure within 600 feet from a gas well bore. The structures That we are` seeing tonight are just slightly under 600 feet. The way the North Richland Hills ordinance is set up between 300 and 600 feet if they are wanting to drill within chat distance they have to get .approval from the Gas Board of Appeals. Between' 150 and 300 feet they have to get approval from the Gas Board Appeals and the affected property owners. This is not the case tonight since they are just under 600 feet. North Richland Hills does not allow any drilling closer than 150 feet. There are two properly` owners that are affecled. One of them owns a residential subdivision to the west and the other has his residence. Chesapeake has worked it out that both of those property owners for the drilling of these three wells. There was some discussion regarding the timing for the fence. You do have the authority to make that contingent on that being done before the variance of these three. However 1 do want to point out they do have a permit in hand they could go ahead and drill that tomorrow regardless of the situation with the screening wall. If that is something that you desired to have relocated before these three you could make that a condition of the permit. With the appeals board section of the ordinance you do have the authority to act on distances and landscape variances. But at :this time they are only asking for the variance of the distance. Since the affected property owners are in agreement if would be staffs -ecommendation to approve the request for variance. I would be happy to answer any questions. Garry Cope asked i1 we received letters from both property owners? Greg Van Neiuwenhuize said yes. Marty Kusmierski asked if the ordinance is only for the drilling? Once these wells are in place there could be houses here? Greg Van Neiuwenhuize said the subdivision was actually designed around the gas well pad site. Chairman Tom Duer said that once those dwellings are built than the drilling company can't drill within 150 feet Public Hearing opened at 6:40 p.m. Page 3 of 4; 03/11/10 GBA minutes i ~' With`noone wishing to .speak Public Hearing closed at 6 42 p m. Randy Shiflet asked it they .saw a problem with them making a condition of the :permit ~ for the fence? Mr: Scott Castaneda said no. We wodld be doing the fence first. Randy 5hiflet asked it they are putting up the 38 tt sound walls? Mr: Scott Castaneda said that they aren't putting them up on every site. Chairman Tom Duer said that they have never .have had the sound walls at Graham Mr Scott Castaneda said thal he believed that the distance from everything is .pretty great so there doesn't seem to be an issue with sound. Chairman Tom Duey asked wish Graham if there were any complaints from residents on sound: Lt Greg Lindsey said that we do receive a small amounl of complaints on several of the bores but everytime we have gone out to respond 1o those they -have always been well below our noise ordinance- It we get a complaint in the middle of the night than we go out and take sound readings and make contact wish the person that called in the complaint. Once 'we have made contact with them everything has always ended up being fine. ~ Chairman Tom 'Duey asked it these three" well sites are further way. from any other residences other than Mr. Grahams? Lt. ° Greg `Lindsey said that this pad site generally does not have a lot of noise comp{ainis. Randy Shiflet seconded by Kathy Luppy, motioned to approve GB 2010-01 with the stipulation that the fence be constructed prior to permit being issued. The ...motion carried unanimously (5-0). 6. Adjournment ,:.There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Chairman Secretary Tom Duer Ka Y LuPPY Page 4 of 4; 03/11/"10 GBA minutes a i