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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/11/1992 City Council MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 11, 1992 The Work Session of the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of The Colony, Texas was called to order at 7:10 p.m. on the llth day of February, 1992 at City Hall with the following Council roll call: Bill Manning, Mayor Present Mike Lynch, Councilman Present Billy Sharp, Councilman Present Dale Therio, Councilman Absent Rob Burchard, Councilman Present Joel Marks, Mayor Pro-tem Present PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEMBERS Carol Chabinak-Ball, Chairman Present Julie Bottke, Member Present Tom Bogan, Member Present Robert Woodard, Member Present Bob Salerno, Member Arrived 7:30 p.m. David Salmon, Member Present Cathy Bock-Wood, Member Present and with five Council members and six members of Planning and Zoning present, a quorum was established for both bodies and the following items were addressed: 1. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT FOR 154.306 ACRES IN THE SOUTH PLANNING UNIT IN THE COLONY AS PRESENTED BY CENTEX REAL ESTATE CORPORATION Mayor Manning stated that this is to answer questions of both P & Z and Council. At this time (7:15 p.m.) Planning and Zoning Member, Cathy Bock-Wood removed herself from the discussion due to a conflict of interest. Councilman Burchard asked if the law requires Ms. Wood to leave the room, and Mayor said the law requires her to refrain from discussion or action, but the decision to leave the room is left up to the member. Councilman Sharp asked if approved how soon this development would be built. Derek Earle, Fox and Jacobs/Centex (F&J) representative said there is no set schedule but referring to previous developments in the City, stated that F&J has developed everything that has been zoned. Mr. Earle went on to say that he and Dennis Jerke with Carter and Burgess will answer any questions. Mr. Earle said his company has looked at re-zoning this property for over a year, noting that in the mid eighties F&J requested the property be zoned Business Park, thinking it would be marketable as such. Going on, Mr. Earle said 2 the property has not been marketable as B.P. and since Lakeridge is the last bit of single family zoning in The Colony, his company desires to change zoning on these tracts to single family. Mr. Jerke said the property is approximately 152.69 acres bounded by FM 423 to the east, a large commercial tract to the south, Corps of Engineer property to the west, noting there is access to the development from 423 and potential access to the north. Mr. Jerke said 18% of the property will be dedicated to parks and open spaces, noting this is a good location with natural buffers, stating the zoning request is 4 units to an acre with transferability requested. Councilman Sharp asked if the 18% is in the flood plain, and Mr. Jerke said it is in the Corps flowage easement, but there will be roads and parks, with no houses. Mr. Earle noted that just to the west of the area is a tract of land which is in the City of Lewisville, zoned Light Industrial, which F&J would like to have annexed imo The Colony. There followed a lengthy discussion regarding density transferability. Councilman Sharp asked if they would come in with all tracts SF 4 and Mr. Earle said it would be considered, but that he feels that is not the best use for the area. Going on Mr. Earle said if they go with straight zoning, the city has no control, bm Planned Developmem (PD) allows flexibility for the city and the developer. Mr. Earle noted there is no zoning classification in the city for 50 foot lots therefore the PD is necessary to build those homes. Chairman Ball asked if a market study had been done regarding 50 foot lots, to determine if there are people out there interested in them. Mr. Earle said no study had been done, but he feels these houses will sell. Member Bogan said there are enough starter homes, asking for 1700 square foot minimum. There followed a discussion regarding the density in Northpointe, with notes that there are 425 homes built out in 4 years, with the average size being 2600-2800 square feet. Mayor Manning asked if, based on the experience with Northpointe the developer felt 5000 square foot lots will build out. Mr. Earle said the two cannot be compared, noting the price of the homes has increased $20,000, going on to say he estimates the average size of the home which would be built on the proposed 5000 square foot lots to be 2000-2200 (in today's market). There followed a lengthy discussion regarding the minimum size homes to be allowed, after most of the members agreed with a minimum of 1500 square feet. There was also a brief discussion regarding the proposed from emry garages. Mr. Earle said these homes can be built attractively and to change them to rear entry would require retaining walls at a large expense, going on to say there would probably only be 50- 60 homes with front entry garages and only in the green belt area. In regard to traffic in the area, Mr. Earle said the Master Thoroughfare Plan of the city calls for a north south roadway from Lakeridge south to Hwy 121. Mr. Earle said he has no objection to building the roadway through the south planning unit, but he does object to building the roadway to the north and to Hwy 121, noting the cost estimates are from $300,000 to $800,000. Mr. Earle said to put the road through the business property to the south will sub divide the tract and lessen its marketability. Mayor Manning said the road would not be needed until the development is built out, which is 6 - 7 years, and asked if Cemex would build the road at that time. Mr. Earle said he would check with Mr. Bilheimer, but he would rather tie the road construction to the development of the large 3 piece of business property to the south, not this residential development. Going on, Mr. Earle said there are two entries into the development planning from 423. Mr. Earle went on to say the buyer of the property to the south should determine where the road to 121 should be built. Mayor Manning said if Mr. Bilheimer (Centex) will not commit to build the roadway at some point, then he (Manning) will vote against this project. Councilman Lynch said a signal light at 423 and Cougar Alley needs to be included in this agreement, using the effect Northpointe traffic has had on the need for signalization at Paige and North and South Colony Blvds. Mr. Earle noted that F&J has put in all streets in this city and that he is against F&J paying for the entire cost of this signal light, noting he is willing to pay a percentage of the light, going on to say the city needs to take responsibility for its own infrastructure. Councilman Sharp noted it is this development that is creating the need for the signal light. Bill Hall stated that the developer of Wynnewood has committed to a left turn lane and signal light when that property develops, and noted the city must look at these issues. 8:50 Recess 9:05 Reconvene - P & Z Member Salerno left the meeting at this time. Mr. Earle said he does believe Centex will pay a percentage of the signal light, but he thinks the city should participate as well. Mayor Manning asked if the State would help fund the light and Mr. Hall said only if the warrant shows the need, reminding everyone that the light at Paige and N. Colony was a condition of the Northpointe development. Mr. Earle said F&J had contacted the State who had indicated they would install the light if they found it necessary. Summarizing the issues, there needs to be a commitment to build the road to the south, and Mr. Earle desires to tie the construction of that road to the development of the business property not this residential development. Councilman Sharp suggested a bond attached to the zoning such as that attached to the Business Park Zoning in Ordinance No. 357 passed in 1985. Chairman Ball noted there needs to be two entrances and exits to and from 423, but she agrees the business property to the south should not be divided by the roadway. Mr. Earle asked if this zoning request was for a commercial facility which would create much more traffic impact, would the city be asking the developer to cut the density 10%. Mayor Manning said probably not, but Mr. van Til said the same is asked of every developer. Mayor Manning asked for a consensus on the north/south roadway. Should it be required at the time this property develops or should it be required when the business property develops. Councilman Lynch noted that 121 expansion will probably be done before this development is complete, and then the land on 121 will probably develop and the roadway will be built anyway. Bill Hall stated that 121 will probably be done before the house is even built, due to the lengthy installation of sanitary sewer into the area. All agreed the construction of the road could be postponed. There was discussion as to when, and Councilman Burchard suggested between the time 121 is complete and this 4 residential development is complete, stating then we will know the real impact, the market value of property along 121, etc. Mr. Earle stated that if the roadway is tied to the development of this residential property then this development will not work, however, if the roadway is tied to the development of the commercial property, then it might work. Member Bogan said there needs to be traffic study so we will know if the north south roadway is needed now or later. Mr. Jerke said the issue is timing; there is a combination of things that will happen - the signal on 423, the expansion of 121 and the road to the south. Mr. Jerke said phasing is necessary in a logical sequence, going on to say the traffic problems will be solved in time, but it can't be solved now by one developer. Chairman Ball said she believes we (city) have been asking F&J for something no other developer would do and that we are being extremely restrictive. Councilman Marks said the bottom line is, do we want homes in this area or not, going on to say he does not see the need to require the road for this development, but he agrees there are two exits onto 423 needed, and we need an answer to whether the road will be built through the business park property later. Councilman Burchard said we should require 1) two exit/entrances onto 423, 2) a commitment to build the north/south road to Hwy 121 when the business property develops. Mayor Manning, Chairman Ball, Councilman Marks and Members Bottke and Woodard agreed. Bob van Til said the questions concerning the need of the road would be answered by a traffic study and it would then become a valuable tool to the council and P & Z. Mayor Manning asked what it would tell us that will help with this decision. Mr. van Til said it would tell traffic assignments, real time counts, etc. There followed a lengthy discussion regarding traffic studies in general and what information they provide. Chairman Ball said the heavy impact of traffic will not be until the end of the development which will be 1997 at the earliest. Mr. van Til said without a traffic study, then we will fall back on the thoroughfare plan. Mayor Manning and Councilman Marks both agreed the study may not be needed. Councilman Burchard suggested the study might be the answer. Mr. Earle said the company will not do a traffic study, because they have already provided the city with all the information that a traffic study would provide, and it should be enough to make a decision. Mayor Manning said he feels the discussion should end at this time and directed the City Secretary to schedule another joint work session in the near future. APPROVED: William W. Manning~ 5 ATI'EST: Patti A. Hicks, City Secretary 6