Planning & Zoning Commission

Agenda Request

Agenda Of:

October 26, 2006

Agenda Request No:

III A

Initiated By:

Kathy Munoz,

Executive Secretary

Responsible Department:

City Secretary

Presented By:

Glenda Gundermann,

City Secretary

Department Head:

Glenda Gundermann,

City Secretary

 

 

Additional Department. Head (s):

N/A

Subject / Proceeding:

Minutes Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting October 10, 2006

Approve Minutes

Exhibits:

Minutes October 10, 2006

 

Clearances

Approval

Legal:

N/A

DIRECTOR OF PlannING:

Recommended Action

 

Approve the minutes of Planning & Zoning Commission meeting October 10, 2006.

 

Exhibits

 

 

STATE OF TEXAS

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COUNTY OF FORT BEND

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CITY OF SUGAR LAND

§

 

CITY OF SUGAR LAND

Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission MEETING

tuesday, october 10, 2006

 

REGULAR MEETING

 

The City of Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission convened in a regular meeting open to the public and pursuant to notice thereof duly given in accordance with Chapter 551, Government Code, Vernon's Texas Codes, Annotated, as amended, in Sugar Land City Hall within said City on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 5:30 o'clock p.m. and the roll was called of the members; to wit:

 

Joe Zimmerman, Chairman

Jesse DeLaRosa, Vice Chairman

James Shaw

Carl Stephens

Bridget R. Yeung

Ahmed Farha

Marlena Berger

Paula Stansell

James Wong

 

QUORUM PRESENT

 

All of said members were present.

Also present were:

Meredith Wilganowski, Assistant City Attorney

Grace Tamez, Assistant City Secretary, and

A Number of Visitors and Staff

 

CONVENE MEETING

 

Vice Chairman DeLaRosa convened the session, open to the public, to order at 5:40 o’clock p.m.

 

ORIENTATION

 

Vice Chairman DeLaRosa introduced orientation and training for members of the Commission.

 

Ms. Sabine Somers-Kuenzel, Director of Planning, introduced staff from various departments who interact with the Planning and Zoning Commission followed by a review of the authority of the Planning and Zoning Commission under Texas statutes, City Charter and the Development Code.

 

Planning and Zoning Commission

·         Chapter 211

·         Chapter 212

·         Chapter 213

 

Role of Planning and Zoning Commission

·         Make recommendations on Comprehensive Plan

·         Make recommendations on zoning requests

·         Make final decisions in platting process

 

Is City Required to Plan?

·         Historical – physical need to separate land uses; address congestion

·         Property values, nuisances, identity (character) of a City – philosophical need

 

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

·         Where we are now

·         Where we want to be in the future

 

What is a comprehensive Plan – Common Characteristics?

·         Physical plan – how and where to grow

·         Long range – assumes total build-out of all or portion of a city

·         Comprehensive – involves all aspects of city

·         Statement of policy

 

What is a comprehensive Plan? Element

·         Inventory

·         Vision statement

·         Land Uses

·         Circulation

·         Public facilities & infrastructure

 

Land Use Plan Implementation

 

Community Development-Goal Topics

                    I.      Safe and Beautiful City

                 II.      Economically Sustainable City

               III.      Effective Land Use

              IV.      Redevelopment

                 V.      Transportation & Mobility  

              VI.      Infrastructure

            VII.      Annexation

         VIII.      Airport Development

              IX.            Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Open Space

                 X.            Cultural Arts          

              XI.            Historic Preservation

            XII.            Community Involvement

         XIII.            Planning for the Future

 

Future Land Use Map

 

What do City Planners do?

·         Plan the City?  NO!

·         Facilitate long range planning – oversee in-house or manage contracts

·         Coordinate and encourage public input

·         Educate public/decision makers

·         Coordinate implementation of plan once adopted

·         Regulate (development review)

 

What are the benefits of planning?

·     Represents the Community’s Values

·     Communicates Policy Direction to Planning and Zoning Commission and Staff for physical development of the City

·     Provides Notice to Citizens and Developers

·     Provides Notice to Citizens and Developers

·     Empowers and Obligates the City to Sustain and Build upon the Quality that Exists Today

·     Has Staying Power

 

How do we implement the Comprehensive Plan?

·         Zoning/rezoning

·         General Plan approval

 

§         Thoroughfare plan

·         General Plan approval & subdivision approval

·         CIP projects

§         Goals, Objectives, & Strategies

·         Zoning/Rezoning

·         General Plan approval

·         Code amendments

·         Operational policies

·         CIP projects

·         Other elements

 

What is the difference b/w a land use plan and zoning?

·         Plan is more conceptual

·         Plan is not legally binding

·         Plan happens prior to zoning

·         Plan should change in response to changing conditions

·         General Plan Review

·         Proposed land uses

·         Residential

·         Commercial

·         Mixed

·         Buffers

·         Parkland/Open space

·         Schools & public

·         Proposed major streets

 

Zoning Review

·         Land Use Plan

·         Impacts to existing and future land uses

·         Impacts to infrastructure

·         Legislative action – high level of discretion

 

Conditional Use Permit

·         Similar to zoning

·         Site-by-site determination

·         Impact to immediate area

o       Denial if impacts cannot be mitigated

o       Approval with specific, usually site-related conditions (buffering, landscaping, screening, etc.)

 

Subdivision Review

·         Subdivision regulations

·         Previously approved plans/plats (if none, elements of Comprehensive Plan)

·         Administrative action – objective

·         General Plan

·         Preliminary plat

·         Final plat (includes replats)

 

Preliminary Plat Example

 

Behind the Scenes

·         Staff review – DRC

·         Traffic impact analyses

·         Drainage review

·         Other technical review