Planning & Zoning Commission
	Agenda Request
Agenda Of:	12/08/09	Agenda Request No:		v-a
Initiated By:	harold ellis, planner ii	Responsible Department:		planning
Presented By:	harold ellis, planner ii	Assistant Planning Director:		douglas p. schomburg, aicp
		Additional Department. Head (s):		n/a
Subject / Proceeding:	riverstone general plan - minor amendment no. 2 consideration and action
Exhibits:	staff report, proposed riverstone general plan (minor amend. no. 2), current riverstone general plan (amendment no. 1), original riverstone general plan
Clearances			Approval
Legal:	n/a		Planning Director:	sabine somers-kuenzel, aicp
Recommended Action
Approval of Riverstone General Plan Minor Amendment No. 2
Executive Summary
This is Minor Amendment No. 2 for the Riverstone General Plan. The Riverstone General Plan was first approved in 2003 and amended in September 2008. A summary of that amendment is included in this report. The City classifies amendments to General Plans as either Major Amendments or Minor Amendments, depending on the scope of the changes being proposed. The amendment being proposed is being considered a Minor Amendment as the proposed changes have not been deemed to be significant to the overall Riverstone Development. Changes being proposed with this new General Plan are detailed in this report. Additionally, a full-size copy of the new General Plan is attached to this report with a chart and number system showing the proposed changes. The chart indicating the changes is located in the lower right hand corner of the General Plan and the corresponding numbers are in orange in the location of the proposed change on the plan. CC: Christy Smidt, landplan@krga.com Trey Reichert, Riverstone, trey@riverstone.com File No. 11712
Exhibits

STAFF REPORT

Standard of Review:

The City of Sugar Land Subdivision Regulations lay out the standard of review and intent for General Land Plans as follows in Chapter Five, Section 5-9A of the Development Code:

“A land plan (general, master plan, concept plan) shall be submitted to the administrative officer for review by the commission and the city council, for approval of the concept, prior to or in conjunction with the submittal of any preliminary or final plat, except as noted below, for any tract of land over fifty (50) acres in size proposed for residential use or any parcel proposed for nonresidential use over thirty (30) acres. The purpose of the land plan is to allow the commission and city council to review the proposed major thoroughfare and collector street patterns, land use, environmental issues, conformance to the comprehensive plan, and the property’s relationship to adjoining subdivisions or properties.”

Key areas of proposed change for Minor Amendment 2 are as follows:

1. Addition of an approximately 5 acre man made-lake
2. Changing an elementary school site to single-family development area
3. A former 65’ buffer abutting Pecan Manor has been deeded to the Manor Road Preservation Society, and thus deleted from the plan
4. Removal of a 35’ buffer abutting property not within the Riverstone boundary
5. Changing proposed Commercial use to proposed Office use
6. Changing proposed Townhouse use to proposed Church use
7. Changing a proposed Lake area to a proposed Greenbelt area

The Comprehensive Plan:

Chapter 5, Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

The following goals from Chapter 5 of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Sugar Land were used to evaluate the currently adopted Riverstone General Plan during the review process prior to approval in September 2008, as well as the Original General Plan adopted in 2003. While the Riverstone Development is not located within the City limits of Sugar Land, it will be annexed into the City at a later date. Therefore, in order to insure development that is best in line with the Comprehensive Plan, the current proposed changes to the General Plan were revisited in staffs review of this request and are listed below:

Goal One / Safe and Beautiful City:

Preserve and enhance a beautiful city that is clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing; a city that will foster pride and appeal to our citizens, corporate community, and visitors.

Goal Two / Economically Sustainable City:

Promote a vibrant, diversified economy that enhances the quality of services while maintaining a competitive tax rate.

Goal Nine / Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Open Space:

Provide a park system that meets the total recreation and leisure needs of the community. Identify, protect, and preserve open spaces and critical natural areas.

Goal Eleven / Historic Preservation:

Preserve, protect, and enhance natural, historical, cultural, and architectural features.

Goal Thirteen / Planning for the Future:

Continue to refine and expand the vision of Sugar Land as a dynamic guide for the future.

The Goals of Chapter 5 of the Comprehensive Plan listed above provide the framework for decision-making. The Riverstone Revised General Plan is in conformance with these goals. Additionally, staff has reviewed the proposed changes and found them to be in conformance to the following approved City Master Plans, again noting that while the Riverstone Development is not located within the City limits of Sugar Land it is in the Cities best interest that the development complies with these master plans to the extent possible:

· Thoroughfare Plan

· Parks and Recreation

· Economic Development

· Riverstone Development Agreement

Chapter 6, Design Guidelines and Land Use Plan

The overall design of the approved Riverstone General Plan and the revised General Plan supports the criteria of the revised Chapter 6 Land Use section of the Comprehensive Plan, which does include Sugar Land’s Extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The revised General Plan is also in overall conformance to the Land Use Plan Map. The Riverstone General Plan land use layout combined with the major street pattern represents good planning principles as to overall buffering between intensities of uses, as well as circulation to and from neighborhoods and commercial areas. Buffering with landscaped areas, ponds, and open spaces provide separation, and the siting of most of the commercial adjacent to major roadways, easements, and ponds limits impact on residential areas.

Proposed Riverstone General Plan Minor Amendment No. 2:

Riverstone General Plan (Amendment No. 1): Approved September 2008

Changes to Riverstone General Plan for Minor Amendment 1:

· Land uses

o Multi-family

§ Two former multi-family sites now combined into a single site

§ One mid-rise condominium site has been added

§ With the elimination of the “mixed use” category, no multi-family is assumed for the former “harbor town” area

o Townhomes

§ The far western townhome site has shift the western-most boundary of the development

§ Two townhome sites have shifted from the middle of the western half of the development to the east of the power line easement

§ A townhome site has been added to the far southern area

§ One townhome site has been replaced by a mid-rise condominium site

§ Two townhome sites near Pecan Manor are now shown as single family

o Commercial

§ “Mixed Use” classification has been eliminated and replaced by commercial, office, single family, and open space

§ Three neighborhood commercial sites are now shown (labeled “day care” by the applicant) in former all residential areas

§ Office uses are now broken out of the “commercial” acreage to show two office sites

o Open space/buffers

§ The golf course has been eliminated

§ There is a slight decrease in open space/waterways

§ A buffer has been added between the development and Pecan Manor

o A second elementary school site has been added

· Roadways

o LJ Parkway o longer extends to the east through Missouri City’s portion of Riverstone but extends to the south, then connects to the east at Sienna Springs Blvd.

o The collector in the western half no longer connects to the collector in the eastern half crossing the power line easement but rather loops back to University Blvd. without crossing the easement.

· General

o Color scheme has changed to better distinguish between the uses

Original Riverstone General Plan: Approved 2003