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 >> Good afternoon and welcome to the City of Denton's Planning and Zoning Commission

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 meeting for Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.

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 With the quorum present, I will call us to order at 5.05 p.m.

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 For the record, let it show that Commissioner Padrone is absent at this time.

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 With our work session, our first item on the agenda is citizen comment on consent agenda.

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 Is there anyone wishing to speak on consent?

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 Okay.

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 We'll go ahead and move to clarification on tonight's agenda.

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 The first one being our minutes from August 28th.

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 Any questions for staff on that?

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 Okay.

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 How about on the consent agenda?

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 I did have a question, and she -- might as well -- yeah, I mean, you're the first one

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 on here.

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 Because it has to do with a couple on here, but it's more of a general question, if you

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 don't mind.

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 >> Yeah.

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 Absolutely.

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 >> So on this -- it has to just do with consistency, and when we have gas well in the vicinity

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 of a residential neighborhood.

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 >> Yes.

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 >> So on this plat for Glenwood Meadows, we don't have the asterisks on the lots.

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 We do have the note, I noticed, but we don't have the asterisks on the lots, and we don't

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 have a gas well vicinity map like we do in 3E.

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 So I'm trying to understand why that is, why we do it inconsistently like that.

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 >> Sure.

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 >> Can you help me with that?

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 >> So for this one, we do ask that they identify or note the plat -- the lots within the vicinity

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 of the gas well.

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 >> I saw it on the notes.

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 >> Sure, and they did identify them on the notes.

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 >> So we just don't have a -- this is how we should do it?

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 >> They are in addition to that required too.

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 We have a standard form that needs to be provided to individuals who may be purchasing lots

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 within those areas, and they are covering the bases with that.

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 I felt comfortable with the note and that it does meet the intent of the DDC.

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 >> And I'm not questioning you, I'm questioning the process and why we do it differently.

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 >> I was going to say we have no standard regarding that.

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 >> Okay.

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 That's what I wanted to know.

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 >> We have so many plots that are reviewed and so many reviewers.

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 We have checklists and we use the DDC to ensure notations are -- the required notations are

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 on the plat.

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 >> Okay.

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 >> But each reviewer might have a little bit of a different perspective on how it's noted

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 and just looking to see, okay, is it noted?

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 How is it done?

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 Are we able to confirm that, yes, it's complying with the ordinance requirement?

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 >> I thought a while back that we -- and maybe it just wasn't put into play.

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 I thought we talked about they should all have an asterisk on them.

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 But anyway, I wish they did, because it speaks a lot clearer, a lot of people don't read

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 notes.

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 I mean, hopefully they do when, you know, they're looking at this plat in better detail.

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 But, okay, that is for my question as to why they're different.

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 >> Great.

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 >> Thank you very much.

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 Any other questions on consent?

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 Okay.

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 Items for individual consideration is -- first one is 4AFP240032.

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 That is Erin.

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 Hello.

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 >> Hello.

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 Good evening, Chair, members of the commission, Erin Stanley, assistant planner.

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 This is a final plat for the RYAL development edition.

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 They previously were requesting an extension request, their first extension, but they managed

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 to satisfy all the comments between when your packet went out and this.

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 So we are actually recommending approval tonight of this plot.

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 But I'll stand for any questions.

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 >> Did that actually come out in e-mail to us?

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 >> We did not send an e-mail, no.

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 >> Okay.

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 So we didn't see the -- so what was the change?

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 What is different than what we have in our backup NWINE?

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 >> All of the -- in the staff analysis, all of the conditions that they had not met, they

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 met all of those.

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 I can -- for the main presentation, I can detail those if you'd like.

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 But they just -- they met all of the criteria for plat approval.

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 >> Okay.

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 Questions on that?

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 >> Could I ask a follow-up question?

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 Did anything graphically change on the document?

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 >> No.

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 It was more labeling things and making sure like all -- maybe all easements are shown or

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 all -- one of the things they added was you can see these overhead electric markers, essentially.

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 It's just the zone that they need to work in or that they cannot develop in, they added

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 those because they weren't previously shown, and that's one of our checklist requirements

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 to add just mainly checklist things.

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 >> Okay.

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 Okay.

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 Okay.

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 But nothing's substantive.

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 >> No.

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 >> Okay.

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 >> Thank you.

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 Okay.

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 4B is FP240033.

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 >> Hello, Angie Manglaris, development review manager.

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 This is FP240033.

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 This is Stella Hills, phase 2A.

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 This is approximately located 1,500 feet south of East McKinney Street into the east of Laney

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 Circle.

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 This is a 21-acre tract of land.

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 The purpose of the final plat is to develop -- or to plat 85 single-family lots as well

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 as establish right-of-way and necessary easements.

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 This is part of the overall Stella Hills development, which is zoned residential 6.

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 At this time, the applicant has not met all the criteria for approval.

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 There's still some details to be met.

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 So staff is recommending denial.

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 However, staff has no objection to the requested extension, which could be granted to October

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 9th.

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 This would be their first extension request.

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 Happy to answer any questions you all may have.

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 >> Thank you, Angie.

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 Questions?

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 Okay.

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 Thank you.

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 Last individual consideration item is FP240034, that is yours as well.

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 >> Yes.

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 This is Stella Hills, phase 2B.

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 This is approximately 15 acres.

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 It would establish 52 single-family lots and open space lot as well as associated rights

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 of way and easements necessary for the development of a single-family residential neighborhood.

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 Again, there are a few remaining comments.

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 Staff is recommending denial, but has no objection to the extension request, which could be granted

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 to October 9th and would also be their first request for this item.

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 Happy to answer any questions.

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 >> Thank you.

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 >> Okay.

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 We've got two public hearings tonight.

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 First being 5A PD240002.

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 Ashley is here for a brief presentation here in work session.

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 Hi.

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 >> Good evening, Chair, members of the commission, Ashley Eckstead, associate planner.

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 This is PD242, Jefferson North Elm.

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 This is a request to rezone from a residential 2 zoning district to a planned development

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 with mixed-use neighborhood and public facilities-based zoning districts to facilitate the development

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 of a multi-family and park dedication.

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 This site is generally located on the northwest corner of North Elm Street and North Locust

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 Street.

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 The multi-family portion will include four buildings, approximately 54 feet tall, containing

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 450 dwelling units on 15.76 acres.

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 The park portion will be 10.2 acres and include tree preservation and a trail.

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 There is currently an existing farmhouse on the site that will be removed and an Evers

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 Memorial and educational area will be created in that location.

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 The existing zoning is R2 shown here and the future land use is neighborhood mixed-use.

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 Staff does recommend approval and I have a longer presentation for the public hearing

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 and happy to answer any questions.

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 >> Great.

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 Thank you.

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 What questions?

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 Well, Commissioner Villarreal.

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 >> Thank you, Chair.

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 Will staff be going over the potential historical nature of the Evers Farmhouse during the public

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 hearing?

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 >> I am going to discuss what the conclusions were -- what conclusions we came to on that,

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 which was that it had lost its historical integrity.

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 >> Got it.

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 Is that because there was too many renovations done?

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 >> Exactly.

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 Yes.

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 >> Okay.

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 And you'll be going over that?

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 >> Yes.

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 >> Okay.

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 >> Thank you.

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 Any other questions?

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 Okay.

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 Thank you.

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 Next will be 5BZ240002, Aaron's item.

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 >> Okay.

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 This is Mockingbird Lane rezoning.

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 So this is approximately 2.6 acres that they are requesting to rezone from R2 to R4, generally

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 located south of Audre Lane and east of Mockingbird Lane, and this property is undeveloped and

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 has been undeveloped since roughly its annexation in 1960.

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 Staff is recommending approval tonight.

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 Here are the two zoning maps.

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 You can see here of what they're currently and what they're requesting, and I will stand

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 for any questions you have right now.

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 I'll have a longer presentation later tonight.

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 >> Questions?

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 My hope is that you all had a chance to look at past meetings.

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 This came before us three different times for a similar -- similar and not so similar

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 request.

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 So, yeah, it's interesting that it's here again.

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 Neighborhood meeting was not held, correct, for this?

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 >> Correct.

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 The applicant's not proposing any site plan right now.

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 They have no development plans.

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 So they chose not to have a neighborhood meeting, but they did meet directly with some of the

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 adjacent neighbors.

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 >> Okay.

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 Will they be here this evening?

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 >> They will be.

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 >> Okay.

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 Any questions?

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 Commissioner Villarreal?

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 >> Do you know, at least from your perspective, I don't know if you've had conversations

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 with them about this, but why did they decide not to do a public meeting considering the

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 contentious nature of previous P&Z meetings around this?

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 >> I did tell him about that.

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 I suggested to do a public meeting, and he's here tonight to speak to why he didn't feel

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 that was necessary.

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 I think because they don't have a site plan, it's a little difficult or there's less to

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 present with a public meeting if you don't have a site plan proposed already.

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 >> Gotcha.

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00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:08,120
 Thank you.

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 I'll ask him during session.

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 >> And I assume he knows the history of what's been -- I mean, I know you weren't here, so

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 I know you have a long history with it, but --

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 >> I do not believe he's watched the previous meetings.

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 I could be wrong about that, but he's aware that this has gone before you before.

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 >> Okay.

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 Anything else?

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 Commissioner Thacker?

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 >> Thank you, Chair.

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 I'm looking in the backup appeal 1.1, and it says that there have not been significant

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 changes in the area to warrant a zoning change, only that this property is catching up with

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 rezoning in accordance to the surrounding residential areas.

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 >> I go back to kind of what Margie was saying, if there haven't been that many changes made,

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 then why are we discussing this for the fourth time?

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 >> So the property is undeveloped, and it has been since the '60s.

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00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:19,600
 And so staff has received several requests for this rezoning in the past.

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 The applicant could speak to why they're requesting it now, I suppose.

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 And the changes in the area -- I do have this map to kind of show -- when it was initially

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 zoned, I mean, there hasn't been one significant change to warrant this, but you can kind of

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 see the development pattern here, and it is a bit splotchy in the area.

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 And so that's -- what you read in the backup is kind of explaining this, the splotchy development

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 pattern and how it's developed over time.

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 >> If I could add something.

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 So the applicant also has a one-year limitation that they have to satisfy.

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 So they've done that since the last action that was considered on the property, at least

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 by the Planning and Zoning Commission, was November of 2020.

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 So when we have cases, even if they were denied, they have to wait one year, or the exception

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 to the one-year requirement is if there was a significant change in conditions that would

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 warrant bringing the case back sooner than later.

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 >> And I believe this case in 20 -- let's see, it was 2019, then it didn't go to council,

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 then it came back to P&Z and was denied.

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 And then I think it went to council, and then it was remanded back to P&Z and denied, and

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 then it never did anything.

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 I think at that time they had a 20% opposition in the neighborhood, I think, from what I

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 remember.

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 And maybe that's why they never -- because they never took it back to council then after

243
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 the denial from P&Z.

244
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 Yeah, and that was -- and they did have a site plan.

245
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 It was an R4 request with, at that time we called them overlays, but basically it -- yeah,

246
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 that attached that particular site plan to that zoning request that was denied.

247
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 You know, my big issue with this piece of land is, you know, we're trying to make it

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 akin to R4, like that south street behind maybe what's across Mockingbird, but when

249
00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:39,020
 you go to this area and when you look at it, it just sits amongst all these larger parcels

250
00:14:39,020 --> 00:14:45,920
 that have been there, and it's an odd -- it is an odd lot.

251
00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,360
 There's no doubt about that.

252
00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,800
 You know, it's certainly changed ownership many times.

253
00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:59,440
 I know the current owner has had it on the market as well for over a year, so -- okay,

254
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,440
 I don't have any other questions.

255
00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:01,440
 Anybody else?

256
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:02,440
 Okay.

257
00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:03,440
 Thank you.

258
00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:13,480
 Okay, that is our agenda review for this evening, so that'll take us to our work session report,

259
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,320
 which is 3A PZ 24184.

260
00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:18,320
 Receive a report.

261
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:23,360
 Hold a discussion regarding tree preservation, landscaping, and protection, and preservation

262
00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,600
 of environmentally sensitive area requirements for new development.

263
00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:27,600
 Hi, Chrissy.

264
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:28,600
 Hi.

265
00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:44,600
 Hi, Chrissy Upton, Environmental Compliance Coordinator, and tonight I'm going to start

266
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:49,640
 off this presentation, and then I'm going to hand it over to my coworkers.

267
00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:54,240
 So tonight we're going to be presenting on the environmentally sensitive areas and the

268
00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:59,840
 review of that tree preservation requirements, landscape and landscape code.

269
00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:00,840
 Is that better?

270
00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:01,840
 Yeah, somehow it's a little echoing.

271
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:02,840
 I'm not sure why.

272
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:03,840
 Okay.

273
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,840
 Maybe -- oh, no, I just made it worse.

274
00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:09,840
 Okay.

275
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,760
 And then Jimmy will have more fun because he's super tall.

276
00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:15,760
 Okay.

277
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:16,760
 Is this better now?

278
00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:17,760
 Okay.

279
00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:18,760
 Yeah, I think so.

280
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:19,760
 Thank you.

281
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:25,640
 So transitioning into the environmentally sensitive areas presentation.

282
00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,720
 Some of you have seen some of this information before.

283
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,320
 Just want to go back over it for everybody's sake.

284
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:38,400
 So there are benefits that these environmentally sensitive areas offer to the community and

285
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:46,760
 to landowners, including the stabilization of the banks and the streams, preventing those

286
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,440
 streams from down cutting.

287
00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:59,360
 The economic values, including the sequestration and -- of pollutants of concern, and carbon

288
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:05,080
 sequestration that especially trees offer.

289
00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:11,120
 There are four different environmentally sensitive areas identified in the development code.

290
00:17:11,120 --> 00:17:16,800
 So the development code is setting that standard into which ones we are regulating.

291
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,960
 First of all is undeveloped flood plains or flood plains are generally in their natural

292
00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:21,960
 state.

293
00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:28,480
 We have riparian buffers or land that is immediately adjacent to the waterways, those vegetative

294
00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,360
 buffers.

295
00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:36,880
 Water-related habitats include water-related -- sorry, wetlands, Corps of Engineers and

296
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:44,200
 Waters of the U.S. wetlands, and bottomland harvest forests, and then crust timbers uplands,

297
00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:51,600
 which are oak dominated savannas.

298
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:58,840
 The -- historically, the city had adopted this official ESA map.

299
00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:05,760
 This was created in the early 2000s, and when it was adopted, it was more of a placeholder.

300
00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:11,840
 Here's in general where we believe that these environmentally sensitive areas may exist.

301
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:17,760
 This information is updated by private landowners when those landowners are coming and seeking

302
00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,360
 development of their property.

303
00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:24,680
 That triggers for us to require this ESA field assessment.

304
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:30,360
 Somebody walks the site and identifies -- confirms the presence, the location, and the extent

305
00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:35,680
 of these environmentally sensitive areas on that private property at that time.

306
00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:41,840
 You can find all of the information and the current status of this map on the interactive

307
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:42,840
 map.

308
00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:47,800
 I'm going to introduce to you the development impact area at this time.

309
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:54,040
 I'm going to insert here on this because I want to share with you how our development

310
00:18:54,040 --> 00:19:01,560
 impact area definition interacts with how our site plans are designed -- how it interplays

311
00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,720
 with the site plans in the environmentally sensitive areas.

312
00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:11,760
 So the development impact area states that any man-made changes or improvements are unimproved

313
00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:18,920
 to the unimproved real estate, including construction of alterations of that land, roads, parking,

314
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:24,800
 grading, anything that essentially is a land disturbance goes into this development impact

315
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:29,680
 area as it's defined.

316
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:36,440
 So in this example, I have a site plan here that's showing you a development impact area

317
00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:43,040
 in the brownish color, and that bluish area is the environmentally sensitive area.

318
00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:53,880
 As you can see, this property owner has designed their site layout to avoid developments impacts

319
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,400
 to the environmentally sensitive area.

320
00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:03,640
 So in general, we're applying this requirement to all land within the city -- Floodplain

321
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:09,680
 and the ETJ -- and each one of those environmentally sensitive areas do have their own unique classifications

322
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,400
 and protection requirements.

323
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:19,320
 And I review each of these developments at the final plat as the final time that I'm

324
00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:25,400
 looking at it to confirm that the project is proposing a site plan that meets those

325
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,520
 criteria for approval.

326
00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,480
 I'm working with them throughout the life of the projects from the very beginning and

327
00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,360
 talking to them about how to comply.

328
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:44,040
 And there are instances where property owners identify for various reasons that they're

329
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:48,200
 not going to be able to meet that criteria for approval.

330
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:57,440
 They are seeking that flexible and discretionary approval for mitigation to offset for a deviation

331
00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:02,280
 from those protection and preservation requirements of environmentally sensitive areas.

332
00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:11,080
 This project type, the developer offers up a mitigation plan, and then it goes through

333
00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:18,280
 an approval process that is very similar to the zoning procedure, where there's two public

334
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:22,520
 hearings, one at this body and one at the city council, where you're making a recommendation

335
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:28,880
 to the city council, who is the final authority on approval of those environmental -- alternative

336
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,520
 and environmentally sensitive area plans.

337
00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:38,560
 There is a criteria for approval for those type of projects, including to either restore

338
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:46,400
 the functions or continue to offer some type of benefit that the disturbed, environmentally

339
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,640
 sensitive area offered prior to that land disturbance.

340
00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:58,240
 And in this example we have here, the property owner, they identified that they would need

341
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:04,600
 to make some encroachments in order to construct their outfalls to the center line of the channel,

342
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:10,760
 and the mitigation plan is to establish native vegetation within those areas where they had

343
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,800
 disturbed.

344
00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:21,360
 Lastly, just to let everybody know that there is a website and document that we put together

345
00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:22,360
 several years ago.

346
00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:24,120
 We called it ESA primer.

347
00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:32,040
 It's not a criteria manual, and it's not a standard, but it's rather just a guidance

348
00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:37,920
 document to provide information about all the complexities of the environmentally sensitive

349
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,120
 area and our code and how to comply.

350
00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:44,320
 And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Jimmy Holtford.

351
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,280
 Thank you.

352
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:54,200
 Hopefully that still works.

353
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:55,200
 All right.

354
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,240
 So probably you all have never met me.

355
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:58,240
 My name is Jimmy Holtford.

356
00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:03,140
 I'm one of the landscape planners I'll be presenting tonight, and my topic of discussion

357
00:23:03,140 --> 00:23:05,560
 is about tree preservation.

358
00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:10,920
 So there are two standards that we try to adhere to when new developments come in, specifically

359
00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:15,960
 when you see like a planned development or a specific use permit or SUP.

360
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,320
 The minimum preservation that we're aiming for when development initially comes in is

361
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:23,520
 30% of quality and heritage trees.

362
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:30,360
 If they cannot meet that minimum preservation, they are allowed to drop down to 20% with

363
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:35,400
 higher mitigation requirements for those quality and heritage trees.

364
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:42,840
 There's also another preservation standard for secondary trees.

365
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:47,400
 If they have just secondary trees on site, they can do a minimum preservation of 20%

366
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,560
 as well on that.

367
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:55,360
 So tonight you'll have a couple of plants that will be presented that talk about mitigation

368
00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:57,040
 on those.

369
00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:03,520
 And so at the very end of a project, say it switches hands from one owner to another,

370
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:08,920
 that future owner is going to be aware of that mitigation that was owed when they decided

371
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,120
 to purchase the property.

372
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,480
 So we'll start talking about tree definition types.

373
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:22,120
 So the first one is heritage, and heritage are all quality trees with the DBH greater

374
00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:28,960
 than 18 inches, and any post oak trees that are six inches and greater.

375
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,000
 So then that transitions into smaller trees, which are quality.

376
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:38,160
 Those are healthy non-secondary trees, except post oaks, because they all fall within the

377
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:39,160
 heritage.

378
00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,800
 They measure between six and 18 inches.

379
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:47,640
 And then finally we have secondary trees, which are your healthy ash, your boat arks

380
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:55,480
 or Osage orange, hackberries and cottonwood trees with the DBH of six inches or greater.

381
00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,440
 Then we have some non-protected trees.

382
00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:02,680
 Those are your trees, you go onto site, they're already dead or they're diseased from various

383
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,180
 insects or maybe fungal issues.

384
00:25:06,180 --> 00:25:09,280
 Trees that could pose an imminent danger, maybe they got struck by lightning all of

385
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,600
 a sudden, or maybe a windstorm came and they started leaning over.

386
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:19,520
 And then you have your crepe murals, ornamental pears, which are typically Bradford pears.

387
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,640
 Your mesquite and honey locusts, they would be non-protected unless they fall within a

388
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,240
 preserved habitat or conservation easement.

389
00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:33,800
 And then any trees listed within Texas Department of Agriculture or TDAs, noxious and invasive

390
00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,080
 plant list.

391
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,880
 Finally, we have landmark trees.

392
00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,920
 So this is actually a picture of one of our five landmark trees within the city.

393
00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,400
 It's a 40 plus inch post oak.

394
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,480
 And landmark trees are just really large trees or trees that are designated within Texas

395
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:57,880
 Big Tree Registry or that have some kind of historical significance within the city.

396
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:05,200
 So when someone submits a tree preservation plan on a new development, they're going to

397
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,800
 have to identify where the fencing is going to be installed around the trees.

398
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,900
 So this is an example of how it should look.

399
00:26:11,900 --> 00:26:15,980
 If you don't see it like this, let us know.

400
00:26:15,980 --> 00:26:19,920
 But it should go all the way out to at least the drip line of the tree or critical root

401
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:21,120
 zone.

402
00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:25,520
 And so you can see where the red is showing how far the drip line is of these two trees

403
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,520
 that are being protected.

404
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,040
 So tree replacement on a site.

405
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:39,120
 Since they are having to remove trees, they are required to meet these minimum requirements.

406
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:46,520
 So the ratio is start off for heritage quality and secondary is just showing how those ratios

407
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:50,680
 are adjusted based on the different tree types.

408
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,280
 And then you have your first ratio, which starts at the 30%.

409
00:26:54,280 --> 00:27:00,360
 And then if you drop down to 20%, you can see what the ratios are reduced to.

410
00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:05,560
 Now replacement totals are reduced to 50 and 40%.

411
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,320
 50 is for residential, 40 is for non-residential.

412
00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,440
 And that's because the state requirements.

413
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,080
 Then we have tree credits.

414
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:19,080
 So again, you have all the different tree types, your heritage, your quality of secondary

415
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:20,320
 landmark.

416
00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:26,820
 And then asterisks next to secondary because it has specific requirements since it may

417
00:27:26,820 --> 00:27:32,240
 have to have additional requirements associated with that credit.

418
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:39,800
 If there are no heritage quality trees on there, you may be restricted by getting credits

419
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:40,800
 for those.

420
00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:45,600
 Then we also have cluster credits, which allows for additional preservation for trees that

421
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,640
 are close together on a development.

422
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:53,720
 And then we give credits for street trees and all additional landscaping that is required

423
00:27:53,720 --> 00:28:00,840
 on a new development if their DBH is two inches or greater.

424
00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:08,280
 So this is an example of what the property boundary would look like on a site in red.

425
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,920
 So this is the New Denton High School site.

426
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:17,960
 And then in the hatched yellow area is showing where the DIA or development impact area,

427
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:24,760
 I roughly drew on there showing how that doesn't always line up with the property boundary.

428
00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:33,400
 And it shows in the bottom how the DIA actually avoided the environmentally sensitive areas.

429
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,840
 So we have goals for canopy coverage.

430
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,760
 That's why we're doing all of the tree assessments.

431
00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:49,120
 So for 2020 Urban Forestry Master Plan, the goal for 2040 is to get to 40%.

432
00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:55,720
 So we get there by making sure we have diverse, healthy, and equitable canopy distribution

433
00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:01,300
 across the city, not just focusing on the east or the west side.

434
00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:06,380
 So tree canopy goals are achieved by two things.

435
00:29:06,380 --> 00:29:09,320
 One is preservation.

436
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:13,680
 And second is making sure that on all new developments, they meet the landscape requirements

437
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,320
 that we have, which includes the planting of trees.

438
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:26,120
 And that leads into landscaping, which will be presented by Nellie.

439
00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:35,860
 Hi, everyone.

440
00:29:35,860 --> 00:29:37,360
 My name is Nellie.

441
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:42,560
 I'm the other landscape planner, and I'll be going over the landscape requirements today.

442
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:48,440
 So to start off, landscape requirements from multifamily and non-residential are required

443
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:53,880
 to provide a total of at least 30 points from the following chart shown on the right, which

444
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,400
 is our landscape area point system.

445
00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:01,640
 And just a quick summary, two elements are required from section A, and two elements

446
00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:07,900
 are also required from section B, and then the rest of the points can come from section

447
00:30:07,900 --> 00:30:14,820
 C. And in addition to those landscape point system, multifamily and non-residential are

448
00:30:14,820 --> 00:30:20,680
 required to meet the minimum landscape area and tree canopy percentage per zoning district,

449
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,960
 which is the chart shown on the right.

450
00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:28,120
 And I'll go over an example of how we exactly calculate those numbers.

451
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:34,600
 So in this project, the zoning district was C, suburban corridor, and the minimum requirement

452
00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,520
 for landscape was 20% and tree canopy was 30%.

453
00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,960
 And you'll see in highlight in yellow is the areas that we would calculate in square feet,

454
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:48,000
 and take that against the development impact area square feet that is shown in blue.

455
00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,960
 And as you can see, they provided 35% of landscape area there.

456
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:58,560
 And for tree canopy, the applicant provides a tree canopy calculation table where it is

457
00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:02,360
 based on the square footage on our approved landscape plan list.

458
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:08,840
 And you'll see there that the applicant has provided 59% meeting the 30% tree canopy area

459
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,160
 there.

460
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:17,400
 We also provide city resources to developers as our landscape plan checklist, in addition

461
00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,700
 to our approved plan list as well.

462
00:31:19,700 --> 00:31:26,020
 So this is information public for the developers to create their landscape plans.

463
00:31:26,020 --> 00:31:30,020
 And then for landscaping for residential, they do meet different requirements than multifamily

464
00:31:30,020 --> 00:31:32,160
 and non-residential.

465
00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:36,200
 So these are the four minimums quickly to go over them.

466
00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:41,760
 All single-family duplex and townhome lots must contain a minimum of one large shade

467
00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:43,320
 tree per dwelling.

468
00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:47,440
 All triplex and fourplex lots must contain a minimum of one large shade tree.

469
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:52,480
 And at least 30% of the front yard shall be landscaped and 20% of the rear yard shall

470
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:53,480
 be landscaped.

471
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:58,880
 And with all the plantings that need to be installed, we do have standards for those

472
00:31:58,880 --> 00:31:59,880
 plantings.

473
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:04,480
 And so one of them is the 90% of plantings shall be from the approved landscape plan

474
00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,400
 list, which was shown as a city resource that we provide to developers.

475
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:15,840
 If 20 or more trees are planted, no one species of trees may exceed 30% of that total new

476
00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:16,840
 trees.

477
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:23,560
 One example for that is if there's 100 total trees to be planted on a site, 30 of those

478
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:28,640
 can only be burr oaks, like they can't be more than another-- more to simple math right

479
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:29,640
 there.

480
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:34,940
 And at least 50% of trees planted must be native, indigenous, or adapted, as indicated

481
00:32:34,940 --> 00:32:38,000
 on the plan list.

482
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:43,240
 And one more other requirement, we also require buffer requirements here.

483
00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,400
 So all developments are required to install a buffer, as specified in the table shown

484
00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:48,400
 on the right.

485
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:53,920
 An example for that is if a multifamily is the developing use, you would go down where

486
00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:59,000
 developing use is, following the row right there, and if it's being built adjacent to

487
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,880
 a commercial and institutional, you'll see that the minimum is 20 points required and

488
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,000
 a minimum width of 10 feet.

489
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,280
 And in the following slide, I'll show the buffer requirements point chart.

490
00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:16,160
 So this is how the developers create their buffer elements from here.

491
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:20,080
 And you'll see in the buffer chart, there's different points that they can meet to meet

492
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:21,080
 that requirement.

493
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:26,040
 And the other notion for this is that the entire buffer area shall be landscaped with

494
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,440
 ground cover other than turf grass.

495
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,200
 So that's a good point there.

496
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,620
 And then lastly, we have street trees.

497
00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:38,360
 And for street trees, we required a couple of things there, one of them being that they

498
00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:43,040
 should be within the street right away or within 10 feet of the right away from there.

499
00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:48,680
 At least one street tree is required for every 30 feet of street frontage.

500
00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:54,720
 And trees shall not be planted further apart than 50 feet and no closer than 25 feet apart.

501
00:33:54,720 --> 00:34:00,840
 We want to make sure these trees grow as spaciously as they can.

502
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:05,600
 And if the requirements can't be met, we do offer an alternative landscape plan, which

503
00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:11,480
 allows a reduction in the count, configuration, or require landscape materials when the site

504
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,560
 or development are contradicting there.

505
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:22,520
 So some items that can be towards this is natural conditions, unique lot size or configuration,

506
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:27,160
 the presence of existing utility or easements that they just can't meet.

507
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,560
 So we offer this option for them to go through.

508
00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:36,160
 And then lastly, on those approved landscape plans, we do complete landscape final inspections.

509
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:42,320
 So before issuing the COs, we require an inspection, as you can see here.

510
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,880
 This is from one of our projects that we had done recently at the ERA apartments.

511
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,120
 The first inspection, we denied it as there was dead trees there and dead shrubs.

512
00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,720
 And we want to make sure that it looks beautiful here.

513
00:34:51,720 --> 00:34:56,080
 And in the second inspection, you'll see they've replanted all new species.

514
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,520
 And it looks wonderful and great and thriving now.

515
00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,800
 So this is how we're going to make it look beautiful here.

516
00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:07,660
 And any questions for me?

517
00:35:07,660 --> 00:35:08,660
 Commissioner Cole.

518
00:35:08,660 --> 00:35:09,660
 Thank you, Chair.

519
00:35:09,660 --> 00:35:14,700
 Going back to one of the earlier slides where you had the stratification of trees, you had

520
00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:17,080
 the heritage trees, you had the secondary trees.

521
00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:22,800
 And then you had a single line that was mesquite and honey locust.

522
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:27,640
 And then the line beneath that, you had invasive trees.

523
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:33,880
 So why are mesquite and honey locusts in a different, I mean, those should be under the

524
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:38,720
 lowest stratification of trees because they are invasive here.

525
00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:42,120
 Any rancher in this town is going to tell you those are no bueno.

526
00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,840
 I mean, they're just not.

527
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:49,880
 So they're considered not protected unless they fall within the preserved habitat of

528
00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,760
 a conservation or conservation easement.

529
00:35:52,760 --> 00:36:01,240
 So if they're within those areas, say you have a conservation easement that is supposed

530
00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:07,660
 to be undisturbed, we don't want people going in there essentially.

531
00:36:07,660 --> 00:36:11,440
 So we're trying to keep that habitat as is.

532
00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:18,460
 So that's why it's designated for those trees to remain in that undisturbed habitat area.

533
00:36:18,460 --> 00:36:22,560
 But everything else would be considered nonprotected.

534
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:30,160
 You know, I may come from a different perspective as far as mesquite and honey locusts.

535
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:34,640
 I mean, if you let them be, they're going to take over.

536
00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:41,920
 I mean, we went through this song and dance about six years ago.

537
00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:47,040
 And there were some on the commission that wanted to protect mesquite and honey locust.

538
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:53,880
 And I remember Richard Kanoni brought a honey locust limb, and it looked like a medieval

539
00:36:53,880 --> 00:37:03,440
 weapon with all the-- I mean, if you let mesquite and honey locust stay, they're going to take

540
00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:04,440
 over.

541
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:07,600
 And you're not going to have a single piece.

542
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:14,940
 I'm glad they're not in the protected deal, but letting them be, that's a whole different

543
00:37:14,940 --> 00:37:17,900
 ball game.

544
00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:20,840
 Any rancher around here is going to tell you, because that's what you fight.

545
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,440
 You're fighting the battle of mesquite and honey locust.

546
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:27,960
 So you should-- I mean, it doesn't matter if it's in the Easter or whatever.

547
00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:33,800
 You should be able to-- because you're going to lose your property to those two particular

548
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:45,080
 trees, if a honey locust is a tree, but why not just take them out?

549
00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:51,000
 I can add a little color if you like to that, if you want.

550
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:56,680
 So in this example here where I was showing, this is the development impact areas in the

551
00:37:56,680 --> 00:38:01,360
 brown, and the blue would be the riparian buffer, right?

552
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,960
 So we're trying to protect, ultimately, the waterway itself.

553
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,000
 That's what we're really focused on.

554
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:17,000
 And so let's say in this example, there were honey locusts and mesquites that are dominating

555
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:18,740
 the space.

556
00:38:18,740 --> 00:38:23,720
 At this time, our code doesn't require-- so all it requires is that you set that land

557
00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:24,720
 aside.

558
00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:28,160
 It doesn't require that you tackle invasive species.

559
00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:30,480
 Private would be another big issue out there.

560
00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,400
 There's no difference between private and these two.

561
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:33,400
 Totally agree.

562
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:40,240
 So if a landowner wishes to tackle some of those things and wishes to eradicate some

563
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:46,080
 of those invasive species, I'm all about providing that support and providing the information

564
00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:52,880
 that's needed in order to provide that support to them to help get it there and restore the

565
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:54,000
 land properly.

566
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:59,120
 You can't just go out and just tear out all the vegetation because you're going to create

567
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:00,760
 other problems.

568
00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:07,080
 So we do want to provide some guidance, and we want to help to make that happen in a way

569
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,680
 that would result in the best environment possible.

570
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,200
 I totally understand that.

571
00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:17,960
 And if you went back to where those mesquites and honey locusts were, if you went back 20-something

572
00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:19,760
 years, they're not there.

573
00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:20,760
 Right.

574
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:21,760
 Right.

575
00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:29,440
 I mean, every landowner in this county is fighting the mesquite and honey locust war

576
00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:30,440
 daily.

577
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:31,440
 Right.

578
00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:32,440
 That's what ranchers are doing.

579
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:36,060
 They're clearing this stuff out 24/7.

580
00:39:36,060 --> 00:39:40,560
 And whether it's part of a ... We can call it an easter.

581
00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,200
 We can call it ... It's a creek.

582
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:43,200
 Yes.

583
00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:44,200
 Yes.

584
00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:51,080
 It's a creek fundamentally, and it is the only way our wildlife gets to move up and

585
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:56,280
 down out of development freely, is that creek.

586
00:39:56,280 --> 00:40:04,120
 And we should be able to clear out mesquite and honey locusts without even going to anybody

587
00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:05,120
 or doing anything.

588
00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:06,120
 Yeah.

589
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,600
 I mean, it should be just by right.

590
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:17,360
 Unfortunately, sometimes we do see that when property owners are trying to tackle this,

591
00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,240
 they are causing damage.

592
00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:25,920
 So that's where staff is just trying to provide the right guidance to that property owner

593
00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,760
 that we aren't resulting in.

594
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:36,280
 Example, sometimes a landowner will clear everything, and what comes back is Johnson

595
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:37,280
 grass.

596
00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:38,280
 Absolutely.

597
00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:39,280
 And that's what we're trying to avoid.

598
00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:46,840
 And so we're trying to just help in a partnership with the landowner to understand why and how.

599
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:50,520
 And you can bail Johnson grass and feed your livestock off of it.

600
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,600
 That's just ... Yeah.

601
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:53,600
 Yes.

602
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:54,600
 Right.

603
00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:55,600
 Any other questions?

604
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:56,600
 Yep.

605
00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:57,600
 Commissioner Prout.

606
00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:58,600
 Thank you, Chair.

607
00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:06,960
 I'll go in order of the presentation.

608
00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:19,000
 My recollection of the timeline of the DDC and then the wildlife corridor plan and that

609
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,520
 sort of thing is roughly in that order, right?

610
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:28,880
 As far as the inclusion ... The wildlife corridor map was added to the comp plan after the 2019

611
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:34,520
 DDC and these ESA declarations were instantiated, is that correct?

612
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:35,520
 Okay.

613
00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,200
 So you're looking for the timeline of things and ... Okay.

614
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:49,800
 So the ESA code was added to the DDC in 2020, sorry, 2002, sorry, I got my numbers mixed

615
00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,120
 up, in 2002.

616
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,620
 And that was a big update that happened in 2002.

617
00:41:55,620 --> 00:41:58,600
 Everything was pretty much kept the same.

618
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:04,760
 Some modifications were made to the ESA code back in, I believe it was 2018, 2017, 2018,

619
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:06,560
 2018 timeframe.

620
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:15,320
 And then, I'm not sure when the comp plan was last updated, are you aware, Tina?

621
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:16,320
 March of 2022.

622
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:17,320
 Okay.

623
00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:23,780
 And so the code update in 2019 didn't make any changes to the ESA code.

624
00:42:23,780 --> 00:42:33,400
 So then the comp plan update added a request to identify these wildlife corridors.

625
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:41,560
 Map identified an estimation of where wildlife corridors might be occurring.

626
00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:45,920
 And essentially, what we're doing is just following where we think wildlife might go.

627
00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:52,600
 And we've created that map, but no code or other supporting documentation has come with

628
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:53,600
 that map.

629
00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:54,600
 Okay.

630
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:55,600
 No, that helps.

631
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:56,600
 Thank you.

632
00:42:56,600 --> 00:43:06,840
 So perhaps as a lay environmental person, not coming steeped with knowledge, do we have

633
00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:14,120
 ways, and I guess maybe it's the alt ESA is the way, but if an applicant, say for instance,

634
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:20,960
 a hypothetical/example, right, in this example you have up here, the ESA certainly narrows

635
00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:25,120
 down toward the south, right?

636
00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:31,800
 If it were along a wildlife corridor and after it went further south, it widened out again,

637
00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:32,800
 right?

638
00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:38,160
 Would there be benefits to doing restoration to connect those better?

639
00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:40,440
 How do we try to encourage that sort of thing?

640
00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:41,440
 Does that make sense?

641
00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:42,440
 Yeah.

642
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:49,080
 And I actually kind of blends your question with his question and the why of protecting

643
00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:58,760
 this vegetation and why staff gives input on when you're going to clear your land, not

644
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:04,680
 for ag purposes, but for other purposes that are non-ag, seeking a clearing grade permit

645
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:07,920
 and then walking through with a property owner.

646
00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:12,640
 How could you clear some of these invasive plants and issues?

647
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:22,160
 So then the end result is that we're continuing to provide both protection of the waterway

648
00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:26,040
 and provide that habitat and the continuation of habitat.

649
00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:32,240
 And the way that the researchers have explained it to us is that wildlife is traversing from

650
00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:38,480
 one high quality habitat to the other and those corridors are helping just provide that

651
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:42,880
 transportation between the higher quality habitats.

652
00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:43,880
 Okay.

653
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:44,880
 Thank you.

654
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:53,080
 And then hopefully I won't offend anybody, but I've heard some in the community that

655
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:59,920
 are skeptical of the alternate ESA plan process.

656
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:06,320
 Some of that I think is perhaps because it sounds similar to the older alternate development

657
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:09,800
 plan process that we used to have.

658
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:19,760
 And sometimes it's met with opinions that, oh, well, this must be worse rather than better.

659
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:29,920
 Can you speak to, like, does staff always have a higher bar for improving those ESAs

660
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:33,700
 with an alt ESA than it would with a standard ESA?

661
00:45:33,700 --> 00:45:34,700
 Does that make sense?

662
00:45:34,700 --> 00:45:39,000
 Yeah, yeah, I understand where you're going with it.

663
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:42,080
 So we do have the criteria for approval.

664
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:46,800
 I've summarized this in the most simple terms possible, but you can go to the development

665
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:51,640
 code and read specifically all the criteria for approval.

666
00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:56,160
 Not every development meets those criteria, every single one of those criteria for approval

667
00:45:56,160 --> 00:46:03,240
 and not all projects are the same because not all requests are the same.

668
00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:12,240
 There's such a variety of ways that the developers both seeking your requests, but also seeking

669
00:46:12,240 --> 00:46:15,560
 that deviation that started the request, right?

670
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:19,000
 So sorry, I went backwards on that thought.

671
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:28,240
 But essentially what I'm trying to say is that what I do on my end when these projects

672
00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:34,400
 start is we're identifying those deviations, then we're working with that developer to

673
00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:42,680
 try to find the best possible outcome for the city because we're looking for, again,

674
00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:49,380
 what is that benefit that the ESAs are offering to the community as a whole and how can we

675
00:46:49,380 --> 00:46:58,520
 ensure that we're getting either equitable or something that would be exchangeable for

676
00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:02,200
 the deviation from the protection requirements that are in place.

677
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:03,280
 Okay, thank you.

678
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:08,880
 And now just a couple, make sure my mind is calibrated questions factually.

679
00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:17,520
 On the, earlier on you had a chart about the monetary benefits of ESAs and there was one

680
00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:19,520
 that said avoided runoff.

681
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:26,680
 That seems like a very low number to me because I know how much drainage infrastructure costs.

682
00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:34,960
 Can you speak to what that avoided runoff bucket includes as far as the but for argument?

683
00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:35,960
 Which one?

684
00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:37,840
 Just the bottom pie chart.

685
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,640
 The bottom type, oh.

686
00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:45,480
 You know, I read these papers back in 2019.

687
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:53,280
 I haven't read them since, so honestly I do not remember, but also keep in mind that,

688
00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:58,360
 you know, these are economic values that I actually haven't gone back to look at in quite

689
00:47:58,360 --> 00:47:59,360
 a while.

690
00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:03,080
 If there's new numbers out there, I'm sure there's some really great research at this

691
00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:04,080
 time.

692
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:08,000
 We were just pulling this together to kind of help explain, you know, what we were trying

693
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:09,640
 to talk about in the primer.

694
00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:11,200
 Okay, thank you.

695
00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:26,640
 In the next, sorry, just a quick question on the, I think perhaps, and I don't want

696
00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:31,400
 to speak out of turn, but one of the reasons this came before us is when we're looking

697
00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:36,240
 at that development impact area map, if you want to pull up that, I think it was the Denton

698
00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:40,400
 High School, right, map.

699
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:45,540
 I think one of the questions was, if you have a development, ignoring the fact that it's

700
00:48:45,540 --> 00:48:52,280
 this high school for now, that has a smaller impact area like this does than the total

701
00:48:52,280 --> 00:49:03,240
 land area, is that land owner, you know, and say the majority, if not all of the 30% preserved

702
00:49:03,240 --> 00:49:07,720
 trees are not in the impact area, right?

703
00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:13,880
 Is that land owner then allowed to subdivide, you know, within the lot size requirements

704
00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:22,280
 and that sort of thing later, and then develop the previously unimpacted area and preserve

705
00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:25,440
 only 30% of that 30%?

706
00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:26,720
 Does that make sense?

707
00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:29,640
 Am I explaining that correctly?

708
00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:31,480
 30% of the 30%.

709
00:49:31,480 --> 00:49:37,640
 So if you start in time A, and you develop the high school, and you save 30% of the trees,

710
00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:38,640
 right?

711
00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:39,640
 Within the DIA?

712
00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:43,520
 Oh, okay, maybe that's my misconception.

713
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:47,400
 So in this map...

714
00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:48,800
 The property in red?

715
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:49,800
 Yeah.

716
00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:50,800
 Okay.

717
00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:58,160
 In the property in red, would the trees preserved outside of the DIA contribute to the 30% tree

718
00:49:58,160 --> 00:49:59,680
 preservation requirement?

719
00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:00,680
 Not within the...

720
00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:01,680
 No.

721
00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:02,680
 Okay.

722
00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:03,680
 They don't fall within the DIA.

723
00:50:03,680 --> 00:50:10,360
 So, the preservation only accounts for the area within the yellow.

724
00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:11,360
 Got it.

725
00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:16,680
 So, say someone wants to say that ESA goes away in the future, and there are trees there,

726
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:22,320
 then they have to figure out how to preserve 30% of those trees within the property that's

727
00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,840
 outside of the DIA.

728
00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:26,200
 Okay.

729
00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:27,200
 Thank you.

730
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:28,200
 So it's not 30 of 30.

731
00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:29,200
 Right.

732
00:50:29,200 --> 00:50:30,200
 It's just 30.

733
00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:31,200
 Okay.

734
00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:33,800
 Can I just interrupt you for a minute?

735
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:34,800
 Yeah, please do.

736
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:37,480
 Yeah, just to my brain.

737
00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:45,960
 So, dealing with the DIA is what you're dealing with when you're talking about tree preservation

738
00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:47,800
 and it has to fall within the DIA.

739
00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:48,800
 That's correct.

740
00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:57,800
 So, then the question was, so if that ESA went away and that area was going to get developed,

741
00:50:57,800 --> 00:51:01,000
 then it's a new look then?

742
00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:02,000
 That's correct.

743
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:06,680
 They are only going to be focused on developing of that portion of the site, so they would

744
00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:12,640
 draw their DIA showing that portion, and then they have to figure out a way to save 30%.

745
00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:13,640
 Of that?

746
00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:14,640
 Of that.

747
00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:15,640
 That wasn't impacted in the first place?

748
00:51:15,640 --> 00:51:16,640
 That's correct.

749
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:17,640
 Okay.

750
00:51:17,640 --> 00:51:18,640
 Sorry, Eric.

751
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:19,640
 Yeah, thank you.

752
00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:28,280
 And then, if you want to go forward to the replacement slide ratio, I was just confused

753
00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:33,620
 by the four-inch colon one tree, what is that nomenclature?

754
00:51:33,620 --> 00:51:40,280
 So you have one tree that you're actually wanting to remove that's considered secondary.

755
00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:44,640
 Regardless of what the DVH or diameter breast height is of that tree, you have to replace

756
00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:49,480
 it with a four-inch caliber of trees.

757
00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:50,480
 Okay.

758
00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:55,040
 Well, like one four-inch tree per one secondary tree removed?

759
00:51:55,040 --> 00:52:00,040
 Well, our replacement requirements is a minimum of two-inch caliber.

760
00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:02,000
 So you could replace with two.

761
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:10,640
 Say you want to remove a 16-inch secondary tree, our requirements are you could replace

762
00:52:10,640 --> 00:52:14,080
 with two two-inch caliber trees.

763
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:15,080
 Okay.

764
00:52:15,080 --> 00:52:17,360
 Got it.

765
00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:22,540
 So regardless of the size of the secondary tree you're removing, you only have to replace

766
00:52:22,540 --> 00:52:25,640
 it with a total of four inches DVH.

767
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:26,640
 Four inches total.

768
00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:27,640
 That's correct.

769
00:52:27,640 --> 00:52:28,640
 Got it.

770
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:29,640
 Okay.

771
00:52:29,640 --> 00:52:34,240
 I think that answers all of that.

772
00:52:34,240 --> 00:52:45,520
 And then last but not least, I've always had a question about the tree canopy calculation.

773
00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:52,640
 At what state of growth of the tree is that assumed?

774
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:56,000
 So that is assumed a mature canopy for those trees.

775
00:52:56,000 --> 00:53:02,680
 And on the proof plant list, it says on the left side, mature size canopy, that states

776
00:53:02,680 --> 00:53:05,200
 the large and the square feet of each tree species.

777
00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:06,200
 Okay.

778
00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:07,200
 Thank you.

779
00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:08,200
 Of course.

780
00:53:08,200 --> 00:53:09,200
 That's all.

781
00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:10,200
 Thank you.

782
00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:11,200
 Sure.

783
00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:12,200
 Other questions?

784
00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:15,800
 I'm just curious related to, do we still have a tree fund?

785
00:53:15,800 --> 00:53:16,800
 No.

786
00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:23,700
 Sorry, y'all.

787
00:53:23,700 --> 00:53:24,880
 The answer is yes.

788
00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:25,880
 We still do.

789
00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:28,680
 Do we still have people like contributing to it?

790
00:53:28,680 --> 00:53:30,240
 Is that still an option?

791
00:53:30,240 --> 00:53:31,240
 That is an option.

792
00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:34,640
 And yes, we have had recent projects actually contribute to it.

793
00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:35,640
 Okay.

794
00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:38,160
 What are we doing with the tree fund?

795
00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:43,600
 Now it's a question that would be deferred to Haywood Morgan, because he's the one who

796
00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:50,480
 handles the mitigation, unless Hayley has something different to say.

797
00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:54,920
 Well this has been, we've kind of discussed this before.

798
00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:57,840
 The man who could have answered that question perfectly left the room, unfortunately.

799
00:53:57,840 --> 00:53:59,800
 Gary was here earlier.

800
00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:03,280
 My understanding is parks, they have an ordinance that limits them to certain things that they

801
00:54:03,280 --> 00:54:04,280
 can do with that money.

802
00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:08,040
 And I believe it has to be for tree replacement projects on city property.

803
00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:12,560
 So it could be right-of-way trees for streets that we maintain or trees within parks.

804
00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:16,320
 I believe it could also be used for like purchase of land if the intent of the land was preserving

805
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:17,880
 the trees that are on it.

806
00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:18,880
 Okay.

807
00:54:18,880 --> 00:54:21,560
 So there's all parameters that are attached to the fund.

808
00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:27,000
 Do we have regular workings of using the tree fund?

809
00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:30,920
 That I'm not sure of, but we can certainly find out and get that information for you.

810
00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:31,920
 Okay.

811
00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:35,880
 Yeah, I'm just wondering how often, and maybe you have the answer, maybe you have the answer.

812
00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:38,920
 How often are people opting for that?

813
00:54:38,920 --> 00:54:42,600
 So because state law requires that we give credit for trees planted as long as they meet

814
00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:46,960
 that minimum size, a fair number of developments can offset their mitigation that's owed with

815
00:54:46,960 --> 00:54:49,640
 the plantings that they're required to do for landscaping.

816
00:54:49,640 --> 00:54:53,360
 Some of them, if they have extra room on site, will opt to even do additional tree plantings

817
00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:56,120
 beyond that just so they don't pay into the tree fund.

818
00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:59,720
 But I don't have an estimate, but I would say a fair number of projects do end up with

819
00:54:59,720 --> 00:55:03,960
 some remaining balance that gets contributed into the tree fund that they can't plant on

820
00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:04,960
 site.

821
00:55:04,960 --> 00:55:07,480
 It probably sounds like we need a work session on tree funds.

822
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,280
 I'll write that in.

823
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:12,000
 Thank you.

824
00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:13,000
 Other questions?

825
00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:14,000
 Yeah.

826
00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:15,000
 Go ahead.

827
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:21,880
 It's more of a comment, I guess, concerning the tree fund.

828
00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:25,600
 If my imagination is not true, please ignore it.

829
00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:34,360
 But I wonder whether allowing or encouraging development projects to provide off-site plantings

830
00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:41,560
 in nearby neighborhoods so that people can see the benefit of that tree mitigation money

831
00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:49,920
 coincident with the project, as opposed to four years later when Parks has the capacity

832
00:55:49,920 --> 00:55:52,260
 to go do some plantings.

833
00:55:52,260 --> 00:55:59,040
 I wonder if that would help people weigh the good with the bad with projects that come

834
00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:03,000
 through.

835
00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:06,880
 I do have one more question, probably yours, because we touched on it a little bit, because

836
00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:10,720
 I assume this has to do with what I put on the matrix of this work session.

837
00:56:10,720 --> 00:56:19,440
 We're counting it into the subdividing of commercial lots.

838
00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:28,640
 Pick a commercial lot in your brain of what we have in the city.

839
00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:38,740
 Do we get better tree preservation if we develop that all together as one, and you're dealing

840
00:56:38,740 --> 00:56:49,080
 with that development impact there as one, versus if we have a commercial plot and we're

841
00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:53,440
 carving it out and subdividing it?

842
00:56:53,440 --> 00:57:02,080
 I was going to say, I think it probably depends on the type of development situation that

843
00:57:02,080 --> 00:57:07,000
 it is and what we're dealing with, with the property.

844
00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:12,160
 And the buffer requirements.

845
00:57:12,160 --> 00:57:17,640
 We're very careful to watch where the development impact area is, where the tree preservation

846
00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:18,640
 is going to be.

847
00:57:18,640 --> 00:57:23,320
 As Jimmy said, if you're within the development impact area, we're trying to encourage people

848
00:57:23,320 --> 00:57:24,920
 to preserve it 30%.

849
00:57:24,920 --> 00:57:29,960
 They can drop it down to 20% provided they do the mitigation, as he explained.

850
00:57:29,960 --> 00:57:34,440
 But if you have a phase development, and I develop the area over on the right, and that's

851
00:57:34,440 --> 00:57:38,280
 my development impact area, and I don't touch the area on the left, and then I come in and

852
00:57:38,280 --> 00:57:42,640
 I develop the area on the left, and that's where I'm drawing my development impact area,

853
00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:47,320
 then we're evaluating the trees there.

854
00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:54,840
 If somebody tried to develop an area where we had already identified trees that are supposed

855
00:57:54,840 --> 00:58:00,080
 to be preserved, then that's where the notes on the plat come in to help us with ensuring

856
00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:04,920
 that those trees are protected so that subsequent property owners understand that that grove

857
00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:06,840
 of trees is protected.

858
00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:12,680
 So if subsequent development was happening on the site, then we would note where those

859
00:58:12,680 --> 00:58:18,000
 trees are that are being preserved, and then again, do the math calculations, but it still

860
00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:23,880
 comes out, to Jimmy's point earlier, it's still hopefully at 30% of tree preservation,

861
00:58:23,880 --> 00:58:28,520
 but they do have that ability to be at that 20%, but then again, we're mitigating that

862
00:58:28,520 --> 00:58:29,520
 delta.

863
00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:34,360
 So to their points earlier, a lot of times what we're finding is because state law allows

864
00:58:34,360 --> 00:58:40,320
 for trees planted to be calculated towards that mitigation, then we're getting the trees

865
00:58:40,320 --> 00:58:42,240
 added back on the site.

866
00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:43,580
 I don't know if you have anything else to add.

867
00:58:43,580 --> 00:58:48,280
 I'm just going to add to it, so in your example of like if it's a multi-lot commercial development

868
00:58:48,280 --> 00:58:52,960
 like say a razor wrench, bad example because they predate the tree code, but if something

869
00:58:52,960 --> 00:58:59,240
 like that were to happen today, we do our best to encourage developers to look at their

870
00:58:59,240 --> 00:59:03,760
 site comprehensively, do the tree survey up front, and account for that preservation with

871
00:59:03,760 --> 00:59:06,760
 all of the intended lots on there.

872
00:59:06,760 --> 00:59:10,040
 We do on occasion have people that insist, "No, I just want to worry about phase one,"

873
00:59:10,040 --> 00:59:15,000
 then they end up saddling a later phase with more difficult conditions because the trees

874
00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:16,000
 weren't looked at comprehensively.

875
00:59:16,000 --> 00:59:19,720
 But we do our best to do that, and to Tina's point, that's the purpose of the Platte note

876
00:59:19,720 --> 00:59:25,000
 so that we know in the future which lots contain the preserved trees so that we can always

877
00:59:25,000 --> 00:59:28,120
 hold them accountable to those original conditions that we documented.

878
00:59:28,120 --> 00:59:33,160
 And in the end, if you do the math and work it out, once we know what the total is on

879
00:59:33,160 --> 00:59:38,200
 site at the beginning of the project, the minimum 20% number is always going to be the

880
00:59:38,200 --> 00:59:41,520
 same regardless of how they work that out because we can always go back to that original

881
00:59:41,520 --> 00:59:47,120
 and say, "No, your 20% of the original 100 inches is always 20 inches," no matter which

882
00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:51,320
 lots those trees land on within the development and how those might get subdivided over time.

883
00:59:51,320 --> 00:59:52,320
 Okay.

884
00:59:52,320 --> 00:59:57,800
 Yeah, and that does help because that was going to be my question if you do try to ask

885
00:59:57,800 --> 00:59:58,800
 them to look at the entire...

886
00:59:58,800 --> 01:00:01,960
 We do our best to encourage the good behavior where we can.

887
01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:02,960
 I can see that.

888
01:00:02,960 --> 01:00:03,960
 Yeah.

889
01:00:03,960 --> 01:00:04,960
 Thank you.

890
01:00:04,960 --> 01:00:05,960
 Anybody else?

891
01:00:05,960 --> 01:00:06,960
 Yeah.

892
01:00:06,960 --> 01:00:07,960
 Go ahead.

893
01:00:07,960 --> 01:00:08,960
 Yeah.

894
01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:14,340
 I think, as you can tell, our tree preservation requirements, they're complex.

895
01:00:14,340 --> 01:00:19,040
 Our landscaping a little bit easier for being able to implement and count the points right.

896
01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:25,200
 But one of the things that our team does an excellent job with, with the development community,

897
01:00:25,200 --> 01:00:30,280
 especially in that first pre-application conference that we have with the development community,

898
01:00:30,280 --> 01:00:34,700
 we are bringing to their attention our tree preservation requirements and we're...

899
01:00:34,700 --> 01:00:39,840
 As well as our ESA requirements, we're also having conversations with them regarding if

900
01:00:39,840 --> 01:00:43,960
 properties are shown on the land preservation plan map and what that means for them, right?

901
01:00:43,960 --> 01:00:47,760
 So we're very proactive on the front end.

902
01:00:47,760 --> 01:00:52,280
 We try to encourage the development community to look at our tree preservation ordinance

903
01:00:52,280 --> 01:00:58,240
 requirements holistically, get that under control on the front end of the project, because

904
01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:02,280
 if they think that they can defer all of the...

905
01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:06,320
 Trying to figure out tree preservation on the back end, that's where they run into problems.

906
01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:11,060
 So we are very proactive in our education efforts with the development community and

907
01:01:11,060 --> 01:01:15,920
 in that regard, because we understand the complexity of our ordinance.

908
01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:20,680
 We know that our ordinance requirements are more restrictive than many other communities

909
01:01:20,680 --> 01:01:24,120
 that they've probably worked within, and we know where the challenges are.

910
01:01:24,120 --> 01:01:31,460
 So we're very fortunate that we have the teams that we do that are subject matter experts

911
01:01:31,460 --> 01:01:35,360
 in their field and being able to communicate to the development community.

912
01:01:35,360 --> 01:01:37,000
 Here's what our requirements are.

913
01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,540
 Here are some effective ways for you to be able to achieve.

914
01:01:39,540 --> 01:01:42,720
 Here's where we've seen success on some other properties.

915
01:01:42,720 --> 01:01:47,200
 These successful examples might actually be a good thing for your property that you might

916
01:01:47,200 --> 01:01:48,200
 wanna explore.

917
01:01:48,200 --> 01:01:53,280
 So we, again, I can't emphasize enough on how much of the education aspect that we do

918
01:01:53,280 --> 01:01:55,480
 throughout the development review process.

919
01:01:55,480 --> 01:01:59,960
 And then I believe it was Jimmy who touched on this is one of the things that we do is

920
01:01:59,960 --> 01:02:05,980
 part of that review is a lot of times people think I'm gonna come in, I get my plan approved.

921
01:02:05,980 --> 01:02:06,980
 I'm done with that.

922
01:02:06,980 --> 01:02:07,980
 I move on to the next step.

923
01:02:07,980 --> 01:02:11,840
 I get that set of plans approved, check that box and I go on to the next step and get that

924
01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:13,580
 set of plans approved.

925
01:02:13,580 --> 01:02:17,840
 When it comes to the tree preservation plan, one of the things that we do is we keep that

926
01:02:17,840 --> 01:02:24,000
 plan status open throughout basically the duration of the review process because we

927
01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:29,380
 realize as tweaks get made to the zoning compliance plan and as adjustments get made to the civil

928
01:02:29,380 --> 01:02:35,600
 engineering plans that there potentially could be some impacts to the tree preservation aspect.

929
01:02:35,600 --> 01:02:39,740
 So we're trying to keep that tree preservation plan as a living document, no pun intended,

930
01:02:39,740 --> 01:02:43,720
 but a living document through that review process, if you will, because of the complexity

931
01:02:43,720 --> 01:02:49,120
 of our tree preservation ordinance and to continue to ensure that the preservation requirements

932
01:02:49,120 --> 01:02:50,120
 are being met.

933
01:02:50,120 --> 01:02:51,120
 - Thank you.

934
01:02:51,120 --> 01:02:52,120
 Commissioner Brewer.

935
01:02:52,120 --> 01:02:53,120
 - Thank you, Chair.

936
01:02:53,120 --> 01:02:59,320
 I do have one additional question which wasn't really touched on in the presentation.

937
01:02:59,320 --> 01:03:03,440
 So if we need to delay this, let me know.

938
01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:10,200
 A couple of times there've been concerns in the community when a property that might be

939
01:03:10,200 --> 01:03:17,520
 a very old residential property that has a residential use, but it might be on a large

940
01:03:17,520 --> 01:03:25,600
 strangely shaped lot that could be redeveloped in the future changes ownership and then many

941
01:03:25,600 --> 01:03:36,180
 trees are removed because of the ability that state law allows in my understanding to remove

942
01:03:36,180 --> 01:03:42,040
 trees if it's a single family home use on a property, right?

943
01:03:42,040 --> 01:03:47,800
 And the concerns I've heard is that when that happens, it looks like a way to get an end

944
01:03:47,800 --> 01:03:53,600
 run around the preservation requirements, does that make sense?

945
01:03:53,600 --> 01:04:04,400
 - I've seen that and I just, my question would be, have we carefully considered whether the

946
01:04:04,400 --> 01:04:09,920
 requirements that we have do as good of a job as we can at trying to prevent that given

947
01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:13,000
 the limitations that we have legally?

948
01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:15,480
 - You know, that's a great question.

949
01:04:15,480 --> 01:04:21,240
 So the challenge with state law is one, we have to follow it, right?

950
01:04:21,240 --> 01:04:26,920
 And it's very favorable towards property owners and it has specific requirements in there

951
01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:29,440
 when it comes to addressing trees.

952
01:04:29,440 --> 01:04:42,400
 So it is when we ensure that we follow state law requirements and our ordinance, some might

953
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:48,320
 think that that's a workaround to the code, but if we know that they have plans for development,

954
01:04:48,320 --> 01:04:52,200
 we try to get in front of that and I guess Haley, I don't know if you have anything else

955
01:04:52,200 --> 01:04:57,840
 to add on that front or if I summarize that correctly, okay, so.

956
01:04:57,840 --> 01:05:04,720
 - Very good, thank you all for the presentation, it was great, yeah, very informative, much

957
01:05:04,720 --> 01:05:05,720
 appreciated.

958
01:05:05,720 --> 01:05:10,840
 Okay, with that, I'll go ahead and adjourn us at 6.10 PM and we will reconvene in council

959
01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:15,480
 chambers for our regular meeting at 6.30.

960
01:05:15,480 --> 01:05:24,080
 - Good evening and welcome to the City of Denton's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting

961
01:05:24,080 --> 01:05:28,360
 for Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.

962
01:05:28,360 --> 01:05:34,480
 With the quorum present, I will call us to order at 6.38 PM, let the record show that

963
01:05:34,480 --> 01:05:37,480
 Commissioner Pedrone is absent tonight.

964
01:05:37,480 --> 01:05:42,480
 First item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance to the US and Texas Flags.

965
01:05:42,480 --> 01:05:51,480
 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for

966
01:05:51,480 --> 01:05:58,480
 which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

967
01:05:58,480 --> 01:06:09,480
 - Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and

968
01:06:09,480 --> 01:06:11,320
 indivisible.

969
01:06:11,320 --> 01:06:16,240
 - Thank you, first item for our consideration tonight is the approval of our minutes for

970
01:06:16,240 --> 01:06:19,440
 August 28th meeting.

971
01:06:19,440 --> 01:06:20,440
 Commissioner Villarreal.

972
01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:21,440
 - Move approval.

973
01:06:21,440 --> 01:06:22,440
 - Commissioner Cole.

974
01:06:22,440 --> 01:06:23,440
 - Second.

975
01:06:23,440 --> 01:06:27,400
 - Okay, we've got a first and a second to approve our minutes from August 28th, 2024.

976
01:06:27,400 --> 01:06:28,400
 Any discussion?

977
01:06:28,400 --> 01:06:37,760
 Okay, let's vote please.

978
01:06:37,760 --> 01:06:41,160
 That motion carries five zero.

979
01:06:41,160 --> 01:06:46,280
 That will take us to our consent agenda this evening.

980
01:06:46,280 --> 01:06:47,280
 Commissioner Villarreal.

981
01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:48,280
 - Move approval.

982
01:06:48,280 --> 01:06:49,280
 - Commissioner Thaggard.

983
01:06:49,280 --> 01:06:50,280
 - Second.

984
01:06:50,280 --> 01:06:55,080
 - We've got a first and a second for approval of the consent agenda discussion.

985
01:06:55,080 --> 01:07:01,960
 Let's vote please.

986
01:07:01,960 --> 01:07:03,400
 That motion carries five zero.

987
01:07:03,400 --> 01:07:06,380
 That will take us to our items for individual consideration.

988
01:07:06,380 --> 01:07:13,640
 This being 4A, FP 240032 and Erin is here for presentation.

989
01:07:13,640 --> 01:07:14,640
 Hi.

990
01:07:14,640 --> 01:07:15,640
 - Hello.

991
01:07:15,640 --> 01:07:26,600
 - Good evening, Erin Stanley, assistant planner.

992
01:07:26,600 --> 01:07:29,840
 This is FP 24-0032.

993
01:07:29,840 --> 01:07:36,800
 This is the Ryle Development Corporation or addition final plat and this was previously

994
01:07:36,800 --> 01:07:43,080
 in your packet for their first extension request.

995
01:07:43,080 --> 01:07:46,920
 Since the packet went out, they were able to satisfy all of their outstanding comments.

996
01:07:46,920 --> 01:07:53,520
 They were primarily labeling, showing easements, checklist items.

997
01:07:53,520 --> 01:07:59,080
 The face of the plat did not change too much and this was also emailed out to you between

998
01:07:59,080 --> 01:08:02,320
 work session and now to review.

999
01:08:02,320 --> 01:08:04,840
 We are recommending approval but I'll stand for any questions.

1000
01:08:04,840 --> 01:08:06,080
 - Thanks, Erin.

1001
01:08:06,080 --> 01:08:07,080
 Any questions?

1002
01:08:07,080 --> 01:08:08,080
 Okay.

1003
01:08:08,080 --> 01:08:10,180
 I don't see any.

1004
01:08:10,180 --> 01:08:13,240
 Thank you so much.

1005
01:08:13,240 --> 01:08:19,880
 Chair can entertain a motion or discussion at this time.

1006
01:08:19,880 --> 01:08:20,880
 Commissioner Pruitt.

1007
01:08:20,880 --> 01:08:24,840
 - I'll move approval of the updated plat that was just sent to us.

1008
01:08:24,840 --> 01:08:25,840
 - Great.

1009
01:08:25,840 --> 01:08:26,840
 Commissioner Thaggard.

1010
01:08:26,840 --> 01:08:27,840
 - Second.

1011
01:08:27,840 --> 01:08:29,480
 - Second for approval.

1012
01:08:29,480 --> 01:08:30,480
 Any discussion?

1013
01:08:30,480 --> 01:08:31,480
 Okay.

1014
01:08:31,480 --> 01:08:44,180
 Let's vote, please.

1015
01:08:44,180 --> 01:08:45,960
 That motion carries 5-0.

1016
01:08:45,960 --> 01:08:51,160
 That will take us to 4-B, FP 24-0033.

1017
01:08:51,160 --> 01:08:52,720
 Angie is here for presentation.

1018
01:08:52,720 --> 01:08:53,720
 Hello.

1019
01:08:53,720 --> 01:08:56,200
 - Good evening, Chair and members of the commission.

1020
01:08:56,200 --> 01:08:58,480
 Angie Manglars, Development Review Manager.

1021
01:08:58,480 --> 01:09:01,840
 This is a final plat for Estella Hills, Phase 2A.

1022
01:09:01,840 --> 01:09:07,440
 It is approximately a 21-acre site located approximately 1,500 feet south of East McKinney

1023
01:09:07,440 --> 01:09:09,560
 into the east of Laney Circle.

1024
01:09:09,560 --> 01:09:14,960
 The purpose of this final plat is to establish 85 single-family residential lots as well

1025
01:09:14,960 --> 01:09:19,600
 as to establish streets and easements necessary for the development of a single-family residential

1026
01:09:19,600 --> 01:09:20,600
 neighborhood.

1027
01:09:20,600 --> 01:09:25,360
 It is part of the overall Estella Hills development, which is zoned Residential 6.

1028
01:09:25,360 --> 01:09:29,360
 At this time, the proposed plat does not meet our criteria for approval.

1029
01:09:29,360 --> 01:09:30,600
 Staff is recommending denial.

1030
01:09:30,600 --> 01:09:34,920
 However, staff has no objection to the requested extension to a date certain of October 9th.

1031
01:09:34,920 --> 01:09:37,680
 This will be their first extension request for this phase.

1032
01:09:37,680 --> 01:09:39,640
 Happy to answer any questions you all may have.

1033
01:09:39,640 --> 01:09:40,640
 - Great.

1034
01:09:40,640 --> 01:09:41,640
 Thank you, Angie.

1035
01:09:41,640 --> 01:09:43,040
 Do not see any questions.

1036
01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:44,040
 Thank you.

1037
01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:45,040
 Commissioner Villarreal.

1038
01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:49,360
 - Move approval of the extension request to a date certain of October 9th, 2024.

1039
01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:50,360
 - Great.

1040
01:09:50,360 --> 01:09:51,360
 Commissioner Thaggard.

1041
01:09:51,360 --> 01:09:52,360
 - Second.

1042
01:09:52,360 --> 01:09:59,800
 - Second to grant the extension request to a date certain of October 9th, 2024.

1043
01:09:59,800 --> 01:10:08,600
 Seeing no discussion, let's go ahead and vote on the board, please.

1044
01:10:08,600 --> 01:10:10,320
 That motion carries 5-0.

1045
01:10:10,320 --> 01:10:15,120
 That will take us to 4C, FP 240034.

1046
01:10:15,120 --> 01:10:16,880
 Angie here again for presentation.

1047
01:10:16,880 --> 01:10:18,720
 - Thank you, Chair.

1048
01:10:18,720 --> 01:10:20,960
 Angie Manglars, Development Review Manager.

1049
01:10:20,960 --> 01:10:23,740
 This is the final plat for Stella Hills, phase 2B.

1050
01:10:23,740 --> 01:10:26,120
 This is a approximately 15-acre site.

1051
01:10:26,120 --> 01:10:30,400
 It is situated just south of East McKinney Street to the east of Laney Circle.

1052
01:10:30,400 --> 01:10:34,560
 The purpose of this phase of the final plat is to establish 52 single-family residential

1053
01:10:34,560 --> 01:10:39,260
 lots, one open-space lot, as well as associated rights of way and easements necessary for

1054
01:10:39,260 --> 01:10:42,400
 development of a single-family residential neighborhood.

1055
01:10:42,400 --> 01:10:45,240
 Staff is recommending denial as there are still some comments to be addressed.

1056
01:10:45,240 --> 01:10:49,200
 However, has no objection to the requested extension, which could be granted to October

1057
01:10:49,200 --> 01:10:50,200
 9th.

1058
01:10:50,200 --> 01:10:52,240
 Commissioner, any questions you all may have?

1059
01:10:52,240 --> 01:10:53,240
 - Thanks, Angie.

1060
01:10:53,240 --> 01:10:55,160
 I do not have any questions.

1061
01:10:55,160 --> 01:11:00,280
 Thank you so much.

1062
01:11:00,280 --> 01:11:01,280
 Commissioner Villarreal.

1063
01:11:01,280 --> 01:11:06,520
 - I move approval of the extension request to a date certain of October 9th, 2024.

1064
01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:07,520
 - Commissioner Thaggard.

1065
01:11:07,520 --> 01:11:08,520
 - Second.

1066
01:11:08,520 --> 01:11:11,200
 - We've got a first and a second to grant the extension request to a date certain of

1067
01:11:11,200 --> 01:11:14,560
 October 9th, 2024.

1068
01:11:14,560 --> 01:11:16,160
 Discussion?

1069
01:11:16,160 --> 01:11:19,160
 Let's vote, please.

1070
01:11:19,160 --> 01:11:23,880
 - That motion carries 5-0.

1071
01:11:23,880 --> 01:11:30,920
 That will take us to our public hearings for tonight, our first being 5-A, PD240002.

1072
01:11:30,920 --> 01:11:34,800
 I will go ahead and open the public hearing, and Ashley is here for presentation.

1073
01:11:34,800 --> 01:11:35,800
 Hello.

1074
01:11:35,800 --> 01:11:41,360
 - Good evening, Chair, members of the commission, Ashley Eckstead, Associate Planner.

1075
01:11:41,360 --> 01:11:45,600
 This is PD242, Jefferson North Elm.

1076
01:11:45,600 --> 01:11:49,800
 This is a request to rezone from a residential two-zoning district to a planned development

1077
01:11:49,800 --> 01:11:54,520
 with mixed-use neighborhood and public facilities-based zoning districts to facilitate the development

1078
01:11:54,520 --> 01:11:58,400
 of 450 multifamily dwellings and park dedication.

1079
01:11:58,400 --> 01:12:02,960
 The existing zoning is R2, shown on the map on the left, and the future land use is neighborhood

1080
01:12:02,960 --> 01:12:06,280
 mixed-use, shown on the map on the right.

1081
01:12:06,280 --> 01:12:11,360
 Just to do a general overview of the proposed site, there will be two sub-districts, sub-district

1082
01:12:11,360 --> 01:12:15,400
 A, which will have an MN-based zoning, and that will be the multifamily use.

1083
01:12:15,400 --> 01:12:21,520
 That will be 15.76 acres, and then sub-district B will have the PF-based zoning and the park

1084
01:12:21,520 --> 01:12:24,440
 dedication, and that will be 10.2 acres.

1085
01:12:24,440 --> 01:12:31,840
 The overall tree canopy will be over 47%, landscape area 61%, open space at 41%, and

1086
01:12:31,840 --> 01:12:35,160
 they are currently showing 52% tree preservation.

1087
01:12:35,160 --> 01:12:41,080
 The PD does allow for a minimum 40% tree preservation to allow for any improvements that are finalized

1088
01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:45,360
 within the park, but the intent is to not remove any additional trees.

1089
01:12:45,360 --> 01:12:49,040
 The multifamily buildings will be clustered on the east side of the property.

1090
01:12:49,040 --> 01:12:55,600
 As you can see, the extent of the existing trees are on the west property.

1091
01:12:55,600 --> 01:13:00,400
 To go over the development plan for sub-district A, which is the MN base in the multifamily

1092
01:13:00,400 --> 01:13:05,920
 units, there will be 450 residences within four buildings with an approximately 45-foot

1093
01:13:05,920 --> 01:13:06,920
 height.

1094
01:13:06,920 --> 01:13:09,640
 Those are outlined here on the screen in red.

1095
01:13:09,640 --> 01:13:12,200
 They are mostly situated along Elm and Locust.

1096
01:13:12,200 --> 01:13:14,400
 There is one building internal to the site.

1097
01:13:14,400 --> 01:13:20,400
 There will be 765 vehicle parking spaces and 40 bicycle parking spaces.

1098
01:13:20,400 --> 01:13:24,560
 There is internal pedestrian paths and bike lanes throughout the site, including three

1099
01:13:24,560 --> 01:13:29,760
 individual entrances into the park, and those are circled on the plan in blue.

1100
01:13:29,760 --> 01:13:34,920
 There's also several connections to the perimeter street sidewalk, which they will also be constructing,

1101
01:13:34,920 --> 01:13:40,400
 and they will be a 10-foot wide side pass along North Locust and North Elm Street.

1102
01:13:40,400 --> 01:13:43,520
 There will be two entrances outlined here in green.

1103
01:13:43,520 --> 01:13:48,520
 The one on Elm will be right in, right out, and the entrance off of Locust will have a

1104
01:13:48,520 --> 01:13:49,920
 left turn lane installed.

1105
01:13:49,920 --> 01:13:55,760
 They'll also be dedicating 55 feet of right-of-way on their portion, which will involve a second

1106
01:13:55,760 --> 01:13:58,920
 through lane southbound.

1107
01:13:58,920 --> 01:14:03,080
 Amenities within the multifamily development are clubhouse, outdoor pool, trail, and outdoor

1108
01:14:03,080 --> 01:14:05,040
 seating.

1109
01:14:05,040 --> 01:14:10,760
 The landscaping plan for Sub-District A, they will have 39% landscape area and 43% tree

1110
01:14:10,760 --> 01:14:12,240
 canopy cover.

1111
01:14:12,240 --> 01:14:16,200
 There is detention pond landscaping, which is outlined on the plan in green, and that

1112
01:14:16,200 --> 01:14:22,360
 includes trees that are suited to that environment as well as a pond mix of native grasses.

1113
01:14:22,360 --> 01:14:26,480
 They'll also have street trees placed in the right-of-way between the side path and the

1114
01:14:26,480 --> 01:14:29,760
 street pavement, and those are outlined here on the plan in red.

1115
01:14:29,760 --> 01:14:34,040
 There was one location along Elm where existing utilities prevented the placement of street

1116
01:14:34,040 --> 01:14:37,960
 trees, and those have been relocated to other areas of the site.

1117
01:14:37,960 --> 01:14:43,240
 They also have parking lot landscaping, end caps, medians, and islands, and some of those

1118
01:14:43,240 --> 01:14:45,640
 are outlined here on the plan in yellow.

1119
01:14:45,640 --> 01:14:50,500
 Additionally, they'll have landscape burns in the 20-foot public utility easement that's

1120
01:14:50,500 --> 01:14:55,580
 required along text-dot roadways, and there's also a butterfly garden, which is outlined

1121
01:14:55,580 --> 01:14:59,600
 on the plan in blue.

1122
01:14:59,600 --> 01:15:02,020
 To go over the elevations, this is one of the buildings.

1123
01:15:02,020 --> 01:15:05,520
 This is the building that's at the intersection of Locust and Elm.

1124
01:15:05,520 --> 01:15:11,560
 As discussed, there will be four stories, approximately 54 feet tall, and some of them

1125
01:15:11,560 --> 01:15:16,020
 will have garages, as shown on the plan here.

1126
01:15:16,020 --> 01:15:22,560
 The park dedication, Sub-District B, this will have the PF base zoning and 10.2 acres.

1127
01:15:22,560 --> 01:15:28,700
 The overall landscape area for this Sub-District is 94%, and tree canopy, 52%.

1128
01:15:28,700 --> 01:15:33,160
 There will be several trails throughout the park, as well as the tree preservation.

1129
01:15:33,160 --> 01:15:36,960
 There is currently an existing house on this site.

1130
01:15:36,960 --> 01:15:42,160
 At the beginning stages of review of this project, keeping the home was considered.

1131
01:15:42,160 --> 01:15:46,000
 However, staff has walked the property with the applicant and determined that it would

1132
01:15:46,000 --> 01:15:49,880
 be financially infeasible for the city to bring the house up to the current standards

1133
01:15:49,880 --> 01:15:51,280
 for public use.

1134
01:15:51,280 --> 01:15:55,760
 Additionally, there's been several changes over the years in addition to the house, and

1135
01:15:55,760 --> 01:15:58,160
 the house no longer has historical integrity.

1136
01:15:58,160 --> 01:16:02,680
 A letter was included in the backup from the original owners of this home that detailed

1137
01:16:02,680 --> 01:16:08,320
 all those changes, such as moving doors, moving windows, addition of a second story, and an

1138
01:16:08,320 --> 01:16:11,640
 addition of additional rooms.

1139
01:16:11,640 --> 01:16:15,800
 This plan is currently conceptual, and this will be finalized with the park development

1140
01:16:15,800 --> 01:16:16,800
 agreement.

1141
01:16:16,800 --> 01:16:21,800
 That park development agreement will go to the Parks Board and City Council for approval.

1142
01:16:21,800 --> 01:16:28,440
 The developer is willing to do additional public engagement for the park improvements,

1143
01:16:28,440 --> 01:16:33,040
 and they actually have already begun that at their last neighborhood meeting.

1144
01:16:33,040 --> 01:16:39,060
 The parking will be at Evers Park, which is on the opposite side of Windsor.

1145
01:16:39,060 --> 01:16:43,080
 There has been discussions to install a hawk signal across Windsor, which is outlined on

1146
01:16:43,080 --> 01:16:45,600
 the plan here in blue.

1147
01:16:45,600 --> 01:16:49,440
 There's also an existing trail along Evers Park, and that trail would continue through

1148
01:16:49,440 --> 01:16:53,120
 this property.

1149
01:16:53,120 --> 01:16:55,280
 This does meet the criteria for approval.

1150
01:16:55,280 --> 01:16:58,640
 It would allow for the development of the property with land uses consistent with the

1151
01:16:58,640 --> 01:17:01,200
 neighborhood mixed use future land use.

1152
01:17:01,200 --> 01:17:05,640
 It also minimizes adverse environmental impacts by dedicating a park and exceeding the minimum

1153
01:17:05,640 --> 01:17:10,360
 tree preservation requirements, and it also provides a greater level of community amenities

1154
01:17:10,360 --> 01:17:14,680
 and connectivity than would otherwise be required.

1155
01:17:14,680 --> 01:17:19,400
 As stated, the future land use is neighborhood mixed use, and this applies to areas where

1156
01:17:19,400 --> 01:17:23,680
 the predominant use is residential, and also a diverse mix of housing types and densities

1157
01:17:23,680 --> 01:17:25,360
 may be accommodated.

1158
01:17:25,360 --> 01:17:29,280
 These areas should also raise a standard of design to increase connectivity and mobility

1159
01:17:29,280 --> 01:17:32,660
 options and create a sense of place within the neighborhood.

1160
01:17:32,660 --> 01:17:36,840
 There are other policies and goals of the comprehensive plan that this development would

1161
01:17:36,840 --> 01:17:37,840
 achieve.

1162
01:17:37,840 --> 01:17:43,080
 It will be 50% affordable and 50% market rate, which meets the comprehensive plan goals of

1163
01:17:43,080 --> 01:17:46,960
 developing a housing stock that meets the needs of all of our residents and expanding

1164
01:17:46,960 --> 01:17:50,160
 the availability of affordable housing choices.

1165
01:17:50,160 --> 01:17:55,100
 Other goals within the comp plans are encouraging more dense development, coordinating the acquisition

1166
01:17:55,100 --> 01:18:00,080
 of parks with goals of mobility and environmental conservation objectives, and ensuring the

1167
01:18:00,080 --> 01:18:04,000
 protection of Denton's tree canopy.

1168
01:18:04,000 --> 01:18:09,320
 There are competing interests within the comprehensive plan on this project.

1169
01:18:09,320 --> 01:18:13,280
 The comprehensive plan calls for land and tree preservation, and then also development

1170
01:18:13,280 --> 01:18:16,000
 scale to fit in with the surrounding area.

1171
01:18:16,000 --> 01:18:20,240
 The density and scale are concentrated on the eastern portion of this property and clustered

1172
01:18:20,240 --> 01:18:25,560
 to achieve that land and tree preservation with a smaller development footprint.

1173
01:18:25,560 --> 01:18:28,800
 Those building heights and scale could be considered out of character with the surrounding

1174
01:18:28,800 --> 01:18:30,120
 existing development.

1175
01:18:30,120 --> 01:18:36,760
 However, a larger development footprint would come at a cost of less land and tree preservation.

1176
01:18:36,760 --> 01:18:40,760
 The preferred land preservation and wildlife corridor map is shown here, and it's just

1177
01:18:40,760 --> 01:18:44,880
 noted that this property is not identified on either of those maps.

1178
01:18:44,880 --> 01:18:50,240
 Additionally, I've included the tree preservation plan here to show the quantity of trees that

1179
01:18:50,240 --> 01:18:54,080
 are being protected on this property.

1180
01:18:54,080 --> 01:18:58,240
 Public outreach was done, an ad was posted in the newspaper and on the website, and signs

1181
01:18:58,240 --> 01:18:59,700
 were posted on the property.

1182
01:18:59,700 --> 01:19:02,940
 We mailed out notices to everyone within 500 feet.

1183
01:19:02,940 --> 01:19:08,520
 Within 200 feet, we received six responses in opposition for 5.03%, which are shown here

1184
01:19:08,520 --> 01:19:14,480
 on this map in red, and one response in favor, 5.41%, which is shown here on this map in

1185
01:19:14,480 --> 01:19:16,600
 green.

1186
01:19:16,600 --> 01:19:23,320
 The applicant held four neighborhood meetings beginning in December of last year.

1187
01:19:23,320 --> 01:19:27,800
 Staff does recommend approval of the request as it seeks to achieve the preservation of

1188
01:19:27,800 --> 01:19:32,160
 land and trees while clustering the development on the balance of the property, and it does

1189
01:19:32,160 --> 01:19:34,520
 comply with the criteria for approval.

1190
01:19:34,520 --> 01:19:39,840
 This is tentatively scheduled for City Council on October 15th, 2024.

1191
01:19:39,840 --> 01:19:43,520
 Happy to answer any questions, and the applicant is also here with the presentation.

1192
01:19:43,520 --> 01:19:44,920
 Thank you very much, Ashley.

1193
01:19:44,920 --> 01:19:45,920
 Commissioner Villarreal.

1194
01:19:45,920 --> 01:19:49,280
 Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Ashley, for the presentation.

1195
01:19:49,280 --> 01:19:54,440
 Could you explain, I know the letter said they moved doors and windows around, but perhaps

1196
01:19:54,440 --> 01:20:00,080
 could you explain like percentage, what percentage is the original building?

1197
01:20:00,080 --> 01:20:04,280
 Our historic preservation officer toured the home, and she did not let me know what percentage

1198
01:20:04,280 --> 01:20:10,400
 the original building was, but she did state that the cost to bring it back to its original

1199
01:20:10,400 --> 01:20:15,640
 state would be prohibitive to accomplish with what was left of the structure that is there

1200
01:20:15,640 --> 01:20:16,640
 now.

1201
01:20:16,640 --> 01:20:17,640
 Gotcha.

1202
01:20:17,640 --> 01:20:22,440
 And I guess, traditionally, what wouldn't be the deciding factor on declaring this a

1203
01:20:22,440 --> 01:20:26,720
 historical building, and in this case, we're not declaring it a historical building.

1204
01:20:26,720 --> 01:20:30,600
 So I'm going to help with this one.

1205
01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:37,680
 So within the debt and development code, there are, I believe it's 13 criteria for evaluation

1206
01:20:37,680 --> 01:20:42,880
 of structures if they are designated, and so typically, property owners come forth and

1207
01:20:42,880 --> 01:20:46,160
 would request designation of their property, and we would evaluate it in accordance with

1208
01:20:46,160 --> 01:20:47,280
 that.

1209
01:20:47,280 --> 01:20:49,600
 But in this case, that did not occur.

1210
01:20:49,600 --> 01:20:50,600
 Gotcha.

1211
01:20:50,600 --> 01:20:53,120
 Thank you.

1212
01:20:53,120 --> 01:20:54,120
 Anything else?

1213
01:20:54,120 --> 01:20:56,800
 We've got Ashley up here right now.

1214
01:20:56,800 --> 01:20:58,120
 Okay.

1215
01:20:58,120 --> 01:20:59,120
 We may call you back.

1216
01:20:59,120 --> 01:21:00,120
 Thank you.

1217
01:21:00,120 --> 01:21:04,680
 I do have some cards wishing to speak on this item, the first being the applicant, so I'll

1218
01:21:04,680 --> 01:21:07,960
 go ahead and invite Amy Bissett up.

1219
01:21:07,960 --> 01:21:08,960
 Hello.

1220
01:21:08,960 --> 01:21:09,960
 Hello.

1221
01:21:09,960 --> 01:21:10,960
 Good evening, commissioners.

1222
01:21:10,960 --> 01:21:16,680
 Amy Bissett, 97 Land, 109 North Elm, 76201.

1223
01:21:16,680 --> 01:21:20,820
 And I do have a brief presentation, but I'm going to leave a lot of this presentation

1224
01:21:20,820 --> 01:21:23,000
 to my client.

1225
01:21:23,000 --> 01:21:30,800
 I do want to start by sharing perhaps a couple of personal thoughts about why I took this

1226
01:21:30,800 --> 01:21:31,800
 project.

1227
01:21:31,800 --> 01:21:38,200
 18 years ago, I was a staff member with Keep Denton Beautiful, and I drove by this site

1228
01:21:38,200 --> 01:21:42,240
 every day going to work, and I fell in love with it.

1229
01:21:42,240 --> 01:21:48,940
 The beautiful trees, the post oaks, the hill, the history of Evers Farm, and having the

1230
01:21:48,940 --> 01:21:53,600
 privilege of being a part of the parks management team at that time, I began to advocate for

1231
01:21:53,600 --> 01:21:59,520
 the city to look at acquiring the property for permanent preservation.

1232
01:21:59,520 --> 01:22:03,600
 Over the course of the next 10 years, while I worked for the city, I continued to look

1233
01:22:03,600 --> 01:22:11,720
 at funding options and explore ways to acquire the property to bring it into permanent preservation.

1234
01:22:11,720 --> 01:22:18,480
 Unfortunately, the parks department, their strategic priorities are to place parks where

1235
01:22:18,480 --> 01:22:23,640
 their currently residents don't have access within walking distance to park amenities

1236
01:22:23,640 --> 01:22:25,280
 and recreational activities.

1237
01:22:25,280 --> 01:22:33,160
 In this area, we have Evers Park, and it's not too far but distance to North Lakes Park.

1238
01:22:33,160 --> 01:22:37,880
 Just in terms of funding priorities, it didn't make sense to acquire the property at that

1239
01:22:37,880 --> 01:22:38,880
 time.

1240
01:22:38,880 --> 01:22:44,320
 However, over the course of 18 years, I've continued to watch it, and over the last few

1241
01:22:44,320 --> 01:22:50,880
 years, as a zoning consultant, I have spoken with numerous developers, engineers, and brokers

1242
01:22:50,880 --> 01:22:53,440
 who have looked at this site.

1243
01:22:53,440 --> 01:22:58,640
 To be perfectly honest, I was not willing to touch it with a 10-foot pole until JPI

1244
01:22:58,640 --> 01:23:03,600
 came along and showed me a site where they were looking at preserving as much of this

1245
01:23:03,600 --> 01:23:06,600
 property as possible.

1246
01:23:06,600 --> 01:23:09,840
 I want you to consider for a moment what they're actually doing here.

1247
01:23:09,840 --> 01:23:16,000
 They're buying 25 acres of property for a development project, and they are donating

1248
01:23:16,000 --> 01:23:21,760
 over 10 acres of that property to the city for permanent public use.

1249
01:23:21,760 --> 01:23:28,480
 That's 40% of their site, 40% of the land cost that they are willing to give away in

1250
01:23:28,480 --> 01:23:32,280
 order to preserve this property.

1251
01:23:32,280 --> 01:23:39,400
 Furthermore, I did witness extensive conversations and site visits between JPI and the city regarding

1252
01:23:39,400 --> 01:23:45,040
 the historic value of the home on site.

1253
01:23:45,040 --> 01:23:51,240
 We all made a lot of effort to look at the potential for saving it and restoring it back

1254
01:23:51,240 --> 01:23:56,920
 to its original condition, and ultimately, with it being on the property that is being

1255
01:23:56,920 --> 01:24:02,840
 dedicated to the city and the Parks Department, the ongoing maintenance of that was problematic

1256
01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:08,760
 in addition to the fact that the historic value had been compromised through multiple

1257
01:24:08,760 --> 01:24:11,480
 renovations over the years.

1258
01:24:11,480 --> 01:24:15,480
 I just want to say that I have personally watched and advocated for the preservation

1259
01:24:15,480 --> 01:24:21,060
 of this property for literally 18 years now, and not a single preservation opportunity

1260
01:24:21,060 --> 01:24:23,880
 has come forward before now.

1261
01:24:23,880 --> 01:24:30,920
 I believe genuinely that this plan development has the greatest potential to preserve as

1262
01:24:30,920 --> 01:24:34,700
 much of this site as possible.

1263
01:24:34,700 --> 01:24:37,920
 Because of that, I'm here representing it today.

1264
01:24:37,920 --> 01:24:42,480
 I do want to walk you through a few details of the plan development and the specific standards

1265
01:24:42,480 --> 01:24:44,240
 associated with it.

1266
01:24:44,240 --> 01:24:49,040
 The purpose of this plan development is to facilitate a clustered multifamily development

1267
01:24:49,040 --> 01:24:55,600
 on 15.76 acres while preserving 10.2 acres of open space and existing trees.

1268
01:24:55,600 --> 01:25:01,560
 I do want to note here that the park dedication ordinance would require a dedication of 2.4

1269
01:25:01,560 --> 01:25:10,460
 acres, so they are proposing four times the required amount of park dedication.

1270
01:25:10,460 --> 01:25:15,800
 We have written a definition of this land use in the plan development, calling it clustered

1271
01:25:15,800 --> 01:25:17,880
 multifamily development.

1272
01:25:17,880 --> 01:25:22,400
 That definition is a multifamily development in which density is allowed to be concentrated

1273
01:25:22,400 --> 01:25:26,040
 in exchange for the permanent protection of open space.

1274
01:25:26,040 --> 01:25:32,120
 The purpose is to protect sensitive lands and common open space areas.

1275
01:25:32,120 --> 01:25:38,680
 I wrote the PD standards, and I can tell you that they include enhancements to required

1276
01:25:38,680 --> 01:25:45,320
 open space, required amenities, required tree preservation and required landscape requirements.

1277
01:25:45,320 --> 01:25:49,540
 They promote the protection and enhancement of natural resources.

1278
01:25:49,540 --> 01:25:54,420
 There is some height relief written into the PD standards, specifically to be sensitive

1279
01:25:54,420 --> 01:26:00,600
 to the surrounding context, and obviously there's dedication of significant public parkland,

1280
01:26:00,600 --> 01:26:07,320
 and the construction of park amenities is provided for by the developer as well.

1281
01:26:07,320 --> 01:26:15,440
 The Denton 2040 Comp Plan, simply put, addresses the opportunity to encourage long-term sustainability

1282
01:26:15,440 --> 01:26:19,080
 by promoting compact, purposeful growth.

1283
01:26:19,080 --> 01:26:24,160
 I believe that this project meets multiple objectives within the Comp Plan, including

1284
01:26:24,160 --> 01:26:31,240
 conservation development, which is a concept that is discussed throughout the Comp Plan

1285
01:26:31,240 --> 01:26:40,680
 where it is intended to encourage clustering to, in return, preserve open space.

1286
01:26:40,680 --> 01:26:43,760
 Also, this discourages urban sprawl.

1287
01:26:43,760 --> 01:26:49,040
 It encourages infill and compact development, which is the preferred growth pattern within

1288
01:26:49,040 --> 01:26:55,560
 the Comp Plan, and encourages a broad array of housing choices.

1289
01:26:55,560 --> 01:26:59,380
 Housing choice and affordability, I do want to point out that within the last few weeks,

1290
01:26:59,380 --> 01:27:05,280
 you all had a work session on incentives for affordable housing, and one of those contemplated

1291
01:27:05,280 --> 01:27:13,480
 incentives was a density bonus, which is similar to what we're proposing here in exchange for

1292
01:27:13,480 --> 01:27:16,080
 preservation of open space.

1293
01:27:16,080 --> 01:27:19,200
 With that, I'm going to turn it over to Rich Darrow with JPI.

1294
01:27:19,200 --> 01:27:23,240
 JPI did facilitate their own neighborhood meetings, so I'm going to let them go through

1295
01:27:23,240 --> 01:27:28,480
 the details of how those went, as well as the details of their plans.

1296
01:27:28,480 --> 01:27:30,440
 Thank you.

1297
01:27:30,440 --> 01:27:33,560
 Thanks, Amy.

1298
01:27:33,560 --> 01:27:37,480
 You're good.

1299
01:27:37,480 --> 01:27:47,960
 20 minutes total, that is fine.

1300
01:27:47,960 --> 01:27:48,960
 Absolutely.

1301
01:27:48,960 --> 01:27:49,960
 Thank you.

1302
01:27:49,960 --> 01:27:50,960
 Yes.

1303
01:27:50,960 --> 01:27:51,960
 Hi.

1304
01:27:51,960 --> 01:27:52,960
 Good evening.

1305
01:27:52,960 --> 01:27:56,320
 Thank you, everyone, for letting us come before you tonight.

1306
01:27:56,320 --> 01:27:57,320
 My name is Rich Darrow.

1307
01:27:57,320 --> 01:27:58,960
 I work for JPI.

1308
01:27:58,960 --> 01:28:05,600
 Our address is 9001 Cypress Waters Boulevard in Irving, Texas, 75019.

1309
01:28:05,600 --> 01:28:06,600
 Thank you, Ashley, for your presentation.

1310
01:28:06,600 --> 01:28:10,320
 Thank you, Amy, for stepping up and discussing the property, as well.

1311
01:28:10,320 --> 01:28:14,160
 I'll go through ... I know I'm short on time, so I'll go through briefly who we are, and

1312
01:28:14,160 --> 01:28:18,380
 then I'll get into the plan and everything that we've done since, really, last October.

1313
01:28:18,380 --> 01:28:22,160
 So who JPI is ... We've been around since 1989.

1314
01:28:22,160 --> 01:28:30,560
 We have developed in 141 different cities, created 114,000 homes in across 373 different

1315
01:28:30,560 --> 01:28:31,560
 communities.

1316
01:28:31,560 --> 01:28:36,400
 We are the number one fastest growing developer in the nation.

1317
01:28:36,400 --> 01:28:39,880
 We're the number eight largest developer in the nation.

1318
01:28:39,880 --> 01:28:44,800
 We're the number two fastest growing builder in the nation, and number 11 largest builder

1319
01:28:44,800 --> 01:28:45,800
 in the nation.

1320
01:28:45,800 --> 01:28:51,000
 And that is all based off of just DFW, and then we also have an office in California,

1321
01:28:51,000 --> 01:28:55,000
 and that is just off two markets, so everything that we're competing with is our national

1322
01:28:55,000 --> 01:28:58,120
 brands, and we are just ... We're local developers.

1323
01:28:58,120 --> 01:28:59,120
 We're the market leader.

1324
01:28:59,120 --> 01:29:02,840
 Everywhere we go, we want to be the nicest product with the highest rent.

1325
01:29:02,840 --> 01:29:08,840
 Everything that we do is class A. We're always looking at the next trends, whatever we can

1326
01:29:08,840 --> 01:29:13,840
 do to make the apartment the most appealing for the new renters.

1327
01:29:13,840 --> 01:29:15,960
 We're also a one-stop shop.

1328
01:29:15,960 --> 01:29:19,440
 We find the site, we plan the site, we develop it.

1329
01:29:19,440 --> 01:29:22,080
 We construct the building and we manage it.

1330
01:29:22,080 --> 01:29:23,820
 So we're a one-stop shop.

1331
01:29:23,820 --> 01:29:29,040
 Everything is at JPI, which is also good for the city and good for control of the development.

1332
01:29:29,040 --> 01:29:31,880
 Here's a little bit of examples of what we do.

1333
01:29:31,880 --> 01:29:35,120
 So this is main leasing center.

1334
01:29:35,120 --> 01:29:38,720
 This is what you walk into, double volume ceilings.

1335
01:29:38,720 --> 01:29:43,800
 Community areas, also enough room to also have the leasing agents lease out.

1336
01:29:43,800 --> 01:29:47,960
 Here's more community areas overlooking a courtyard and pool.

1337
01:29:47,960 --> 01:29:51,920
 City of the Art Fitness Center, you have everything you can do in the fitness center, from free

1338
01:29:51,920 --> 01:29:54,880
 weights to cardio to CrossFit stuff.

1339
01:29:54,880 --> 01:29:57,520
 And then we even go above and beyond on the mail rooms.

1340
01:29:57,520 --> 01:29:59,800
 We also see this as a gathering area.

1341
01:29:59,800 --> 01:30:02,440
 A big thing for our communities is to have community.

1342
01:30:02,440 --> 01:30:08,200
 We want our residents to come together, to be together, and have a sense of community

1343
01:30:08,200 --> 01:30:10,120
 within our developments.

1344
01:30:10,120 --> 01:30:13,920
 And so our property management team, onsite property management team also has programmed

1345
01:30:13,920 --> 01:30:20,160
 events within the leasing centers and within the pool areas throughout the year.

1346
01:30:20,160 --> 01:30:22,360
 This is an example of one of our units.

1347
01:30:22,360 --> 01:30:24,000
 So I'll get into the project.

1348
01:30:24,000 --> 01:30:29,400
 I know Ashley showed a 2D image, but here's a 3D image of our elevations.

1349
01:30:29,400 --> 01:30:34,800
 This is the third iteration of elevations we've had after multiple neighborhood meetings.

1350
01:30:34,800 --> 01:30:36,360
 Now we'll get into the site location.

1351
01:30:36,360 --> 01:30:38,560
 So Amy touched on it a bit.

1352
01:30:38,560 --> 01:30:40,560
 We first found the site in October.

1353
01:30:40,560 --> 01:30:44,720
 Again, it's 25 acres, and I saw this as an opportunity.

1354
01:30:44,720 --> 01:30:48,400
 I spoke with the sellers, and they saw this as an opportunity as well.

1355
01:30:48,400 --> 01:30:51,880
 We weren't the only developers looking at this site, and they also had single family

1356
01:30:51,880 --> 01:30:57,080
 developers and bill torrent developers looking at this site, where they would go across the

1357
01:30:57,080 --> 01:31:03,120
 entire piece of land and wreck all of the trees, and they saw our plan, and they liked

1358
01:31:03,120 --> 01:31:06,640
 our plan, and they thought that had the best chance to move forward because we were consolidating

1359
01:31:06,640 --> 01:31:10,020
 the density to the southeast.

1360
01:31:10,020 --> 01:31:12,880
 As Ashley did a good job of mentioning, it's zoned R2.

1361
01:31:12,880 --> 01:31:16,040
 You could have 70 houses with no preservation.

1362
01:31:16,040 --> 01:31:20,800
 Future land use is neighborhood mixed use, which allows for multifamily.

1363
01:31:20,800 --> 01:31:23,320
 And then here's the project again.

1364
01:31:23,320 --> 01:31:29,320
 Amy went over this, but again, it's 25 acres, 450 units consolidated in the southeast.

1365
01:31:29,320 --> 01:31:34,680
 You have 10.2 acres that will be dedicated to parks, and then that will go through its

1366
01:31:34,680 --> 01:31:40,240
 own public hearing with a developer's agreement post-zoning.

1367
01:31:40,240 --> 01:31:45,800
 Within that 10 and a half acres of park land, we have a tree grove, we'll have a little

1368
01:31:45,800 --> 01:31:49,080
 meadow where there isn't any trees, and we'll have a trail around it, and we'll also have

1369
01:31:49,080 --> 01:31:50,960
 the Avers Memorial Park.

1370
01:31:50,960 --> 01:31:56,240
 All in all, this development will have 3,500 feet of meandering trails just within this

1371
01:31:56,240 --> 01:32:02,220
 portion itself, and then that doesn't include 2,800 feet of trails that we're installing

1372
01:32:02,220 --> 01:32:07,160
 both across the city land on the northeast, and then along Elm and Locust to our east

1373
01:32:07,160 --> 01:32:09,500
 and south.

1374
01:32:09,500 --> 01:32:15,680
 We're preserving 52% of the trees, which is well over the required preservation of trees.

1375
01:32:15,680 --> 01:32:17,840
 Multifamily developers have to preserve 25%.

1376
01:32:17,840 --> 01:32:23,560
 Single-family developers have to preserve 20%, and we are at 52%.

1377
01:32:23,560 --> 01:32:29,320
 All of the improvements to the park will be on our dollar in collaboration with the Parks

1378
01:32:29,320 --> 01:32:33,720
 Department, but that is what the developer's agreement will be for, so we can work through

1379
01:32:33,720 --> 01:32:36,080
 the details of what this concept will be.

1380
01:32:36,080 --> 01:32:41,400
 We've had a neighborhood meeting, the fourth neighborhood meeting we discussed with the

1381
01:32:41,400 --> 01:32:47,880
 neighbors about the Avers Memorial Park, and we've had multiple neighbors reach out to

1382
01:32:47,880 --> 01:32:53,160
 us post-meeting with ideas of what to do with that park, because we're not the most creative

1383
01:32:53,160 --> 01:32:57,080
 when it comes to something like that, so we've received some ideas of what to do.

1384
01:32:57,080 --> 01:33:01,600
 What we proposed was a shade structure with a manicured lawn and then a plaque that will

1385
01:33:01,600 --> 01:33:07,440
 commemorate the Avers family, what that land was, and it'll be a nice little gathering

1386
01:33:07,440 --> 01:33:09,480
 area for the community.

1387
01:33:09,480 --> 01:33:13,840
 This is something we received from a neighbor over the weekend, actually, and this is one

1388
01:33:13,840 --> 01:33:17,640
 of her ideas for commemorating the Avers family.

1389
01:33:17,640 --> 01:33:21,600
 To the bottom left of the picture, this is Franklin Court in Philadelphia.

1390
01:33:21,600 --> 01:33:26,360
 This is actually Benjamin Franklin's old house, and the city had wrecked it, and then they

1391
01:33:26,360 --> 01:33:31,640
 decided to put a ghost house there so people can still gather in that area and play in

1392
01:33:31,640 --> 01:33:34,360
 the courtyard and have another gathering space.

1393
01:33:34,360 --> 01:33:37,680
 On the right side of the page is in South Carolina.

1394
01:33:37,680 --> 01:33:43,420
 It's a whole plantation memorial, and this is one of the original houses on the plantation.

1395
01:33:43,420 --> 01:33:46,760
 What that is is it's showing the footprint of the house, and then if you look through

1396
01:33:46,760 --> 01:33:51,880
 that picture frame, it'll show the house through engraving on glass, so you can kind of see

1397
01:33:51,880 --> 01:33:53,480
 what the structure of the house is.

1398
01:33:53,480 --> 01:33:58,640
 That's just one of the ideas, we're open to anything.

1399
01:33:58,640 --> 01:33:59,960
 More on the trail connectivity.

1400
01:33:59,960 --> 01:34:05,380
 This touches on the 10-foot sidewalk along the entire boundary of the property.

1401
01:34:05,380 --> 01:34:07,800
 And then addressing the city need.

1402
01:34:07,800 --> 01:34:13,640
 The city did a study in February of 2024 that put together a strategic toolkit in order to

1403
01:34:13,640 --> 01:34:19,160
 help developers build moderately priced homes, because obviously in the past few years we've

1404
01:34:19,160 --> 01:34:25,480
 had a lack of moderately priced homes being built.

1405
01:34:25,480 --> 01:34:31,000
 The big boom in the last few years has been houses from 300,000 and up, and most of them

1406
01:34:31,000 --> 01:34:36,120
 really are at 400,000, and 300,000 is just the marketing price.

1407
01:34:36,120 --> 01:34:40,360
 According to the housing needs assessment done in '21, which is what this study took

1408
01:34:40,360 --> 01:34:45,520
 into account, the city can anticipate demand for approximately 4,300 moderately priced

1409
01:34:45,520 --> 01:34:50,480
 units between 2021 and 2030.

1410
01:34:50,480 --> 01:34:58,840
 More key takeaways is public-private partnerships and cities working with developers for incentives

1411
01:34:58,840 --> 01:35:03,000
 and grants and infill zoning changes, and then public-private partnership including

1412
01:35:03,000 --> 01:35:05,400
 partnering with the Denton Housing Authority.

1413
01:35:05,400 --> 01:35:09,160
 So our project fits into this because we've actually partnered with the Denton Housing

1414
01:35:09,160 --> 01:35:10,160
 Authority.

1415
01:35:10,160 --> 01:35:14,320
 This would be the third deal we're working with the Denton Housing Authority.

1416
01:35:14,320 --> 01:35:19,120
 We already have executed a memorandum of understanding with them, which is essentially like an LOI

1417
01:35:19,120 --> 01:35:22,880
 for buying a piece of property or a house.

1418
01:35:22,880 --> 01:35:27,760
 So we've already partnered with them and come to an agreement to have the 50% market

1419
01:35:27,760 --> 01:35:28,760
 rate units.

1420
01:35:28,760 --> 01:35:33,120
 So this will still be our Class A product market rate product, but we'll, because of

1421
01:35:33,120 --> 01:35:38,760
 our partnership with the Denton Housing Authority, we'll have 40% of the units serving 80% AMI,

1422
01:35:38,760 --> 01:35:43,480
 which is 80% of area median income.

1423
01:35:43,480 --> 01:35:48,400
 So 40% of those units will serve the people that are making that and then 10% of the units

1424
01:35:48,400 --> 01:35:51,520
 will be serving 50% of the area median income.

1425
01:35:51,520 --> 01:35:55,680
 So the goal here is to keep your teachers in town, your police in town, your firefighters

1426
01:35:55,680 --> 01:36:00,500
 in town, your nurses in town, but also post-grants because you get a lot of young professionals

1427
01:36:00,500 --> 01:36:04,640
 when they graduate UNT they want to stay in Denton and it's hard for them to find somewhere

1428
01:36:04,640 --> 01:36:07,920
 to live that they can afford.

1429
01:36:07,920 --> 01:36:09,960
 Now I'll go into the neighborhood outreach.

1430
01:36:09,960 --> 01:36:12,040
 We've had four neighborhood meetings in total.

1431
01:36:12,040 --> 01:36:14,920
 The first one was in December of 2023.

1432
01:36:14,920 --> 01:36:16,520
 We presented our first plan.

1433
01:36:16,520 --> 01:36:24,280
 We heard concerns about the site layout, about the house not being preserved and overall

1434
01:36:24,280 --> 01:36:26,360
 kind of what our architecture looked like.

1435
01:36:26,360 --> 01:36:27,960
 So we heard that.

1436
01:36:27,960 --> 01:36:29,500
 We took all that into account.

1437
01:36:29,500 --> 01:36:33,440
 We then went back to the drawing board with the site plan and elevations and then had

1438
01:36:33,440 --> 01:36:34,440
 a second neighborhood meeting.

1439
01:36:34,440 --> 01:36:38,120
 And that second neighborhood meeting is when we moved everything to the southeast where

1440
01:36:38,120 --> 01:36:41,760
 the least amount of trees were away from the property because our plan at that point was

1441
01:36:41,760 --> 01:36:45,440
 to preserve the Evers farmhouse.

1442
01:36:45,440 --> 01:36:49,160
 And then at that meeting as well we showed another rendering of what our elevations looked

1443
01:36:49,160 --> 01:36:50,160
 like.

1444
01:36:50,160 --> 01:36:54,360
 We still had work to do there, but then we decided we needed a third neighborhood meeting.

1445
01:36:54,360 --> 01:36:57,640
 But before that third neighborhood meeting and because of the result of the second neighborhood

1446
01:36:57,640 --> 01:37:01,960
 meeting we had, I actually had a sidewalk with the previous owner, Mike Reed, because

1447
01:37:01,960 --> 01:37:04,800
 I wanted to see since we're preserving this house I wanted to know what we're getting

1448
01:37:04,800 --> 01:37:05,800
 into.

1449
01:37:05,800 --> 01:37:07,440
 And I walked the house with him.

1450
01:37:07,440 --> 01:37:13,120
 He walked me through all the additions that had been done to the house, some by him himself,

1451
01:37:13,120 --> 01:37:15,440
 some by his wife's grandparents.

1452
01:37:15,440 --> 01:37:20,600
 And I know Jordan you had brought up kind of what the percentage was of the house.

1453
01:37:20,600 --> 01:37:24,820
 I don't have percentages exactly, but I know originally it was a four bedroom house and

1454
01:37:24,820 --> 01:37:30,040
 since then two rooms have been attached, a second story has been attached, and the wraparound

1455
01:37:30,040 --> 01:37:31,520
 porch is not original either.

1456
01:37:31,520 --> 01:37:33,720
 So you're looking at quite a bit.

1457
01:37:33,720 --> 01:37:40,400
 And in order to preserve that house, after doing a sidewalk with city staff, parks, and

1458
01:37:40,400 --> 01:37:44,520
 Cameron Robertson, the historic preservation officer, was determined in a collaboration

1459
01:37:44,520 --> 01:37:49,560
 effort with them that it's kind of you're doing more harm than good by saving that house.

1460
01:37:49,560 --> 01:37:53,920
 Because when it comes to that house you have to take off all of the additions that have

1461
01:37:53,920 --> 01:37:59,040
 been done in order to bring it back to its original state, in order for it to be historic.

1462
01:37:59,040 --> 01:38:05,340
 And then on top of that you also have to bring it up to modern codes, which modern electrical,

1463
01:38:05,340 --> 01:38:08,580
 fire lanes, more parking, more driveways.

1464
01:38:08,580 --> 01:38:12,520
 So in making the footprint of the house smaller, you're actually making it larger and eating

1465
01:38:12,520 --> 01:38:13,980
 more into the trees.

1466
01:38:13,980 --> 01:38:18,840
 So we decided that the best way of preserving the history of the family was to have a park.

1467
01:38:18,840 --> 01:38:24,280
 And so that's why we're open to ideas with neighbors and in collaboration with parks department

1468
01:38:24,280 --> 01:38:29,520
 and the city to figure out the best plan of action, which is why that'll be hammered out

1469
01:38:29,520 --> 01:38:33,920
 through a developer's agreement, which will also be going to a public hearing.

1470
01:38:33,920 --> 01:38:38,080
 I mentioned the sidewalk with staff already, and then we had the third neighborhood meeting

1471
01:38:38,080 --> 01:38:43,480
 to update the neighbors on how the house was no longer going to be there.

1472
01:38:43,480 --> 01:38:46,040
 The first two meetings we had about 40, 50 people there.

1473
01:38:46,040 --> 01:38:49,000
 The third meeting we only had six people there.

1474
01:38:49,000 --> 01:38:53,520
 So obviously didn't get much feedback there, but we told them everything that we did to

1475
01:38:53,520 --> 01:38:56,440
 get to that point.

1476
01:38:56,440 --> 01:38:58,920
 And then we had a fourth neighborhood meeting and the fourth neighborhood meeting, there

1477
01:38:58,920 --> 01:39:01,920
 was a larger turnout around 30 to 40 people.

1478
01:39:01,920 --> 01:39:06,040
 And we relate again that the existing home would not be pursued for preservation for

1479
01:39:06,040 --> 01:39:07,960
 everything that I just said.

1480
01:39:07,960 --> 01:39:12,980
 And then we asked all the attendees to give input on what they would like that gathering

1481
01:39:12,980 --> 01:39:13,980
 area to look like.

1482
01:39:13,980 --> 01:39:19,280
 And like I said before, we've received some suggestions already and we're willing to continue

1483
01:39:19,280 --> 01:39:23,400
 to work with the neighbors and parks department in order to figure out something that's best

1484
01:39:23,400 --> 01:39:31,080
 for the city, best for the neighborhood, and best for the entire area.

1485
01:39:31,080 --> 01:39:34,080
 And then here's another picture of our rendering.

1486
01:39:34,080 --> 01:39:35,520
 And that is the end of the presentation.

1487
01:39:35,520 --> 01:39:39,520
 I respectfully request your support tonight and thank you for your time.

1488
01:39:39,520 --> 01:39:40,760
 I'm here for any questions.

1489
01:39:40,760 --> 01:39:41,760
 Thank you.

1490
01:39:41,760 --> 01:39:42,760
 Commissioner Villarreal.

1491
01:39:42,760 --> 01:39:43,760
 Thank you, Sharon.

1492
01:39:43,760 --> 01:39:44,760
 Thank you for the presentation.

1493
01:39:44,760 --> 01:39:49,080
 So I know there have been parks that have incorporated historic homes into the park

1494
01:39:49,080 --> 01:39:50,080
 layout.

1495
01:39:50,080 --> 01:39:54,160
 Has that been a consideration to incorporate the historic aspects of this home, removing

1496
01:39:54,160 --> 01:39:58,240
 the additions and just incorporating what was originally there as a part of the park

1497
01:39:58,240 --> 01:39:59,240
 perhaps?

1498
01:39:59,240 --> 01:40:04,240
 Actually, what we've suggested to the neighbors and what we have been talking about, our original

1499
01:40:04,240 --> 01:40:09,240
 idea was with that shade structure to use materials from the house to build this shade

1500
01:40:09,240 --> 01:40:10,240
 structure.

1501
01:40:10,240 --> 01:40:16,240
 So you could still have, in a sense, the integrity of the house or the footprint of the house,

1502
01:40:16,240 --> 01:40:20,720
 but it would be built with obviously modern materials but as many materials as we could

1503
01:40:20,720 --> 01:40:22,360
 save from the original house.

1504
01:40:22,360 --> 01:40:28,440
 So there's no way for us to preserve the historic original building, the aspects from the historic

1505
01:40:28,440 --> 01:40:33,640
 original building, and make that a part of the park so folks can come view it, come look

1506
01:40:33,640 --> 01:40:38,720
 at the house, anything like there's parks that include those historic homes, those log

1507
01:40:38,720 --> 01:40:39,720
 cabin type.

1508
01:40:39,720 --> 01:40:40,720
 Right.

1509
01:40:40,720 --> 01:40:41,720
 Right.

1510
01:40:41,720 --> 01:40:43,920
 So in order to do that, you would have to take off all the additions.

1511
01:40:43,920 --> 01:40:46,600
 I think that's where the cost prohibition came in.

1512
01:40:46,600 --> 01:40:47,600
 I assume that was the discussion.

1513
01:40:47,600 --> 01:40:48,600
 Yes.

1514
01:40:48,600 --> 01:40:52,120
 I mean, that's also not our expertise, but that's why we were dedicating it to the city

1515
01:40:52,120 --> 01:40:55,640
 so that that could be something they could work on, which is why we had the sidewalks

1516
01:40:55,640 --> 01:40:58,440
 with them so they could see what they were getting into as well.

1517
01:40:58,440 --> 01:41:02,320
 And that's when it was decided it's more harm than good in order to save it.

1518
01:41:02,320 --> 01:41:05,280
 So we would rather take those materials that we could save.

1519
01:41:05,280 --> 01:41:08,880
 So in that case, they would have to, even if it's just part of a park, they would have

1520
01:41:08,880 --> 01:41:12,080
 to add the, they would have to modernize it, is that correct?

1521
01:41:12,080 --> 01:41:13,080
 Yeah, for safety reasons.

1522
01:41:13,080 --> 01:41:14,080
 For safety.

1523
01:41:14,080 --> 01:41:15,080
 Okay.

1524
01:41:15,080 --> 01:41:16,080
 Right.

1525
01:41:16,080 --> 01:41:17,820
 If you're offering it to the public to view, you'd have to, that's where the code comes

1526
01:41:17,820 --> 01:41:22,280
 in and all of that, because you can't, you'd have to do that for liability and safety.

1527
01:41:22,280 --> 01:41:25,640
 And if the public were to come view it and have it essentially be a statue, you'd have

1528
01:41:25,640 --> 01:41:31,000
 to have huge fences up around it and yeah, I would kind of take away from the whole serenity

1529
01:41:31,000 --> 01:41:32,000
 in the area.

1530
01:41:32,000 --> 01:41:33,000
 Okay.

1531
01:41:33,000 --> 01:41:34,400
 I think Tina has something to add to your question as well.

1532
01:41:34,400 --> 01:41:35,400
 Yes.

1533
01:41:35,400 --> 01:41:39,800
 And in addition to what Chair Ellis said, so having worked with our parks director and

1534
01:41:39,800 --> 01:41:45,020
 many other parks directors, one of the challenges that you have when you have potential structures

1535
01:41:45,020 --> 01:41:50,640
 like this being incorporated within a park, the public is very hard on structures.

1536
01:41:50,640 --> 01:41:55,620
 That's why you see structures in our parks built of much solid more, or solid materials

1537
01:41:55,620 --> 01:42:00,960
 such as masonry or CMU block a lot of times and steel and things of that nature.

1538
01:42:00,960 --> 01:42:06,920
 And so our staff, you know, as the applicant said, you know, our staff did evaluate the

1539
01:42:06,920 --> 01:42:07,920
 structure.

1540
01:42:07,920 --> 01:42:12,080
 There are opportunities for preservation associated with it as part of the park improvements.

1541
01:42:12,080 --> 01:42:16,720
 And again, you know, we concur with the applicant that based upon our assessment as well, the

1542
01:42:16,720 --> 01:42:22,160
 historical integrity of the home is no longer present in a manner also where the city would

1543
01:42:22,160 --> 01:42:27,320
 consider being able to restore that property or excuse me, restore that structure.

1544
01:42:27,320 --> 01:42:31,260
 And again, having to modernize that structure and then making that structure durable for

1545
01:42:31,260 --> 01:42:35,720
 public use, because again, the public is very hard on structures of that nature.

1546
01:42:35,720 --> 01:42:39,520
 It was not in the best interest of the city.

1547
01:42:39,520 --> 01:42:40,520
 Got it.

1548
01:42:40,520 --> 01:42:41,520
 Thank you.

1549
01:42:41,520 --> 01:42:42,520
 Thank you.

1550
01:42:42,520 --> 01:42:43,520
 Thank you.

1551
01:42:43,520 --> 01:42:44,520
 Sure.

1552
01:42:44,520 --> 01:42:45,520
 Thank you.

1553
01:42:45,520 --> 01:42:48,520
 Any other questions at this time for the applicant?

1554
01:42:48,520 --> 01:42:52,200
 Okay, we may have questions for you later, but thank you very much for the presentation.

1555
01:42:52,200 --> 01:42:53,200
 Appreciate it.

1556
01:42:53,200 --> 01:42:54,200
 Thank you very much.

1557
01:42:54,200 --> 01:42:57,320
 I do have cards wishing to speak on this item.

1558
01:42:57,320 --> 01:43:06,160
 First I have is Kim Spivey.

1559
01:43:06,160 --> 01:43:07,160
 Hi there.

1560
01:43:07,160 --> 01:43:11,220
 If you'll come down and state your name, your four minutes will begin.

1561
01:43:11,220 --> 01:43:16,160
 My name is Kim Spivey and I live in that area.

1562
01:43:16,160 --> 01:43:24,680
 I've lived there for about 20 years, driving by it every day on my way to and from work.

1563
01:43:24,680 --> 01:43:29,880
 I am not in love with having more apartments in Denton.

1564
01:43:29,880 --> 01:43:37,520
 I started going to the meetings and listening to what they had to say, and I am in favor

1565
01:43:37,520 --> 01:43:42,680
 of this project because of the tree preservation.

1566
01:43:42,680 --> 01:43:52,120
 A single family builder would just mow down all the trees, so I feel like this is a much

1567
01:43:52,120 --> 01:44:03,000
 better plan overall than the alternatives, I guess, is what I'm trying to say.

1568
01:44:03,000 --> 01:44:04,000
 Thank you.

1569
01:44:04,000 --> 01:44:06,240
 Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

1570
01:44:06,240 --> 01:44:09,040
 Next card I have is Charles Lee.

1571
01:44:09,040 --> 01:44:11,840
 You'll come forward and state your name.

1572
01:44:11,840 --> 01:44:12,840
 Your time will begin.

1573
01:44:12,840 --> 01:44:13,840
 Hi.

1574
01:44:13,840 --> 01:44:14,840
 Good evening.

1575
01:44:14,840 --> 01:44:17,840
 My name is Charles Lee.

1576
01:44:17,840 --> 01:44:24,280
 I'm saying this is the first time I live over there, and it's the first time I've heard

1577
01:44:24,280 --> 01:44:25,280
 of it.

1578
01:44:25,280 --> 01:44:26,280
 I never got no notice.

1579
01:44:26,280 --> 01:44:27,940
 You said 500 feet.

1580
01:44:27,940 --> 01:44:31,960
 That's like nothing because I never got heard of anything about this, and I think it's a

1581
01:44:31,960 --> 01:44:33,640
 terrible plan.

1582
01:44:33,640 --> 01:44:36,800
 You put 450 more people over in that area.

1583
01:44:36,800 --> 01:44:40,680
 You know how much traffic that's going to cause around in that area, and that area is

1584
01:44:40,680 --> 01:44:45,640
 completely surrounded by single family homes, all the way around it, and it'll stick out

1585
01:44:45,640 --> 01:44:49,920
 like if we have sore thumb, and you're just going to cause nothing but traffic.

1586
01:44:49,920 --> 01:44:53,000
 I really don't like it at all.

1587
01:44:53,000 --> 01:45:00,100
 This is the whole thing about the ... I spoke about this last week with this historical

1588
01:45:00,100 --> 01:45:07,800
 code that you have, so people get a 25% basement where you have to take these houses that have

1589
01:45:07,800 --> 01:45:13,400
 no historical value, but then we get some slick lawyer and some sick suit that's going

1590
01:45:13,400 --> 01:45:18,520
 to come up with some rude story to make this house historical when it really has no historical

1591
01:45:18,520 --> 01:45:24,360
 value, and you slap a 25% abatement on the property taxes, but then you have a house

1592
01:45:24,360 --> 01:45:28,960
 over here who really does have historical value, but it's not going to make any money,

1593
01:45:28,960 --> 01:45:33,760
 so let's just tear that down and just slap it around and get some slick developer that

1594
01:45:33,760 --> 01:45:38,200
 doesn't even live in that area that's going to develop it, and you're going to put 450

1595
01:45:38,200 --> 01:45:42,800
 more people in here so the town can make some more money, that they can spend it, and they're

1596
01:45:42,800 --> 01:45:44,920
 raising up all our property taxes.

1597
01:45:44,920 --> 01:45:47,980
 I'm telling you, I'm not liking this at all.

1598
01:45:47,980 --> 01:45:49,920
 We need to really clean shop here.

1599
01:45:49,920 --> 01:45:53,240
 We need to get rid of all these people on this board, because they're not representing

1600
01:45:53,240 --> 01:45:56,600
 the interests of the people that live here at all.

1601
01:45:56,600 --> 01:45:57,600
 This house is historic.

1602
01:45:57,600 --> 01:46:01,680
 It needs to be historic, and there's nothing but single-family houses to be able to go

1603
01:46:01,680 --> 01:46:08,400
 in there or to just leave it as a blank area, and what else do I have to say?

1604
01:46:08,400 --> 01:46:14,360
 Pretty much, that's all I have to say, because this whole historic thing is a bunch of nonsense,

1605
01:46:14,360 --> 01:46:19,480
 because you make stuff and all these historic labels on these houses, and they're not historic,

1606
01:46:19,480 --> 01:46:25,000
 but then we got this one house that is historic, but they forget about all about it.

1607
01:46:25,000 --> 01:46:33,640
 It's just a whole ruse, and I'm not buying it at all.

1608
01:46:33,640 --> 01:46:37,000
 Next card I have is a group wishing to speak.

1609
01:46:37,000 --> 01:46:41,260
 The name I have on it is Jacob Light.

1610
01:46:41,260 --> 01:46:58,760
 Do we all come up here, or is it just one of you?

1611
01:46:58,760 --> 01:46:59,760
 You can come up.

1612
01:46:59,760 --> 01:47:00,760
 Yeah, everybody can come up.

1613
01:47:00,760 --> 01:47:01,760
 Are you all wanting to speak?

1614
01:47:01,760 --> 01:47:02,760
 Or is one person speaking for the group?

1615
01:47:02,760 --> 01:47:03,760
 Can we all speak?

1616
01:47:03,760 --> 01:47:04,760
 Is it four minutes still?

1617
01:47:04,760 --> 01:47:11,400
 No, no, the group, I think we'll have 10, so whoever wants to go first, just state your

1618
01:47:11,400 --> 01:47:12,400
 name and your time will begin.

1619
01:47:12,400 --> 01:47:13,400
 Hello, my name's Larry Bell.

1620
01:47:13,400 --> 01:47:16,400
 And if you could talk on the microphone, yeah, just for television.

1621
01:47:16,400 --> 01:47:17,400
 Hello, my name's Larry Bell.

1622
01:47:17,400 --> 01:47:18,400
 Thank you.

1623
01:47:18,400 --> 01:47:19,400
 I'm a recent resident of Dension.

1624
01:47:19,400 --> 01:47:23,520
 I live on Gable, and I want to thank the Commission for allowing us the opportunity to speak,

1625
01:47:23,520 --> 01:47:27,140
 discuss our concerns, and possibly consider our concerns.

1626
01:47:27,140 --> 01:47:32,320
 One of the major concerns I have, and I have not seen addressed, is the increase in population

1627
01:47:32,320 --> 01:47:34,560
 density for that area.

1628
01:47:34,560 --> 01:47:41,200
 If we're going to take 26 acres, prune it down to 10 less, 15, you're going to take

1629
01:47:41,200 --> 01:47:47,880
 450 apartments with one, two, or three bedrooms, you're looking at an increase of 1,000 people

1630
01:47:47,880 --> 01:47:51,240
 in that 10-acre land, 10-acre plot.

1631
01:47:51,240 --> 01:47:58,120
 The average density right now for Dension is approximately 1,450 people per square mile.

1632
01:47:58,120 --> 01:48:05,520
 So, you're taking a fraction of an acre and increasing the density almost two-thirds.

1633
01:48:05,520 --> 01:48:11,980
 You're going from 1,450 to 1,000 in 10 acres, I'm sorry, 15 acres.

1634
01:48:11,980 --> 01:48:14,400
 I have not seen how that's a benefit.

1635
01:48:14,400 --> 01:48:16,600
 I've not seen how that's addressed.

1636
01:48:16,600 --> 01:48:21,280
 I'm not seeing how that's going to work out financially for the city or for the residents

1637
01:48:21,280 --> 01:48:23,080
 and their quality of life.

1638
01:48:23,080 --> 01:48:27,040
 If there are options out there for it, I'd like to see it.

1639
01:48:27,040 --> 01:48:30,640
 If there are other discussions, I've not heard them.

1640
01:48:30,640 --> 01:48:33,840
 As I say, we recently moved to Denton in July.

1641
01:48:33,840 --> 01:48:37,640
 We also didn't receive any information about this concept.

1642
01:48:37,640 --> 01:48:41,880
 There's no prior notice to us, and I think that something needs further discussion and

1643
01:48:41,880 --> 01:48:49,840
 evaluation above and beyond the side of the land, the preservation of the house, and the

1644
01:48:49,840 --> 01:48:50,840
 trees.

1645
01:48:50,840 --> 01:48:56,840
 The density impact on that local area in that small region is going to be catastrophic unless

1646
01:48:56,840 --> 01:49:00,480
 it's addressed and rectified or recognized.

1647
01:49:00,480 --> 01:49:01,480
 Thank you.

1648
01:49:01,480 --> 01:49:02,480
 Thank you.

1649
01:49:02,480 --> 01:49:03,480
 Hi.

1650
01:49:03,480 --> 01:49:04,480
 Hello.

1651
01:49:04,480 --> 01:49:11,040
 My name is Cody Temple, actually Larry's neighbor, representing a new homeowner within 500 feet

1652
01:49:11,040 --> 01:49:12,040
 of this project.

1653
01:49:12,040 --> 01:49:17,260
 I did receive a card a few days before the first meeting saying that would be impacted

1654
01:49:17,260 --> 01:49:19,160
 within 500 feet.

1655
01:49:19,160 --> 01:49:25,000
 So, he representing concern and opposition to this project following a lot of his same

1656
01:49:25,000 --> 01:49:30,620
 concerns, but population density and it's something I want to talk about is visual pollution.

1657
01:49:30,620 --> 01:49:35,360
 This emphasizing just looking at the quick rendering of what this is going to look like.

1658
01:49:35,360 --> 01:49:39,520
 This to the city of Denton is going to be considered a skyscraper.

1659
01:49:39,520 --> 01:49:45,000
 This thing is absolutely massive and absolutely will stick out like a sore thumb.

1660
01:49:45,000 --> 01:49:48,360
 This thing is going to be absolutely huge, giant tower.

1661
01:49:48,360 --> 01:49:53,720
 You're stacking a thousand people on a very small area with residential housing completely

1662
01:49:53,720 --> 01:49:54,720
 surrounding it.

1663
01:49:54,720 --> 01:49:56,840
 I mean, I moved to Denton three months ago.

1664
01:49:56,840 --> 01:49:59,800
 This is my first home with the intention to start a family.

1665
01:49:59,800 --> 01:50:05,640
 I went to school at University of North Texas from 2015, 2019, came back to Denton with

1666
01:50:05,640 --> 01:50:11,960
 the sole purpose of having a small town vibes with big city amenities in at the same time.

1667
01:50:11,960 --> 01:50:18,120
 But the area that I moved to is a more quieter area and this is completely going back to

1668
01:50:18,120 --> 01:50:21,680
 where I moved from originally, which is downtown Dallas.

1669
01:50:21,680 --> 01:50:25,360
 I mean, these apartments, they're calling it mixed use facilities.

1670
01:50:25,360 --> 01:50:30,600
 It's an apartment complex and with that, a lot of people in a very small area and I don't

1671
01:50:30,600 --> 01:50:33,480
 have numbers to back it up, but obviously we know when you stack a lot of people on

1672
01:50:33,480 --> 01:50:36,400
 top of each other, I mean, crime is going to increase and there's already a lot of foot

1673
01:50:36,400 --> 01:50:41,040
 traffic there and people that are moving to Denton, the houses are around this area.

1674
01:50:41,040 --> 01:50:44,160
 This is not going to be attractive for them to come here.

1675
01:50:44,160 --> 01:50:49,080
 I think it's also going to affect the future of Denton in a way of people moving here with

1676
01:50:49,080 --> 01:50:52,640
 the purpose of owning a house and starting a family.

1677
01:50:52,640 --> 01:50:53,640
 Thank you.

1678
01:50:53,640 --> 01:50:54,640
 Thank you.

1679
01:50:54,640 --> 01:50:58,200
 Last but not least, hi, my name is Jacob White.

1680
01:50:58,200 --> 01:51:04,280
 I'm also new to the area and that's kind of something I wanted to point out here.

1681
01:51:04,280 --> 01:51:07,200
 As well as the increase in traffic patterns and the density and stuff like that, that

1682
01:51:07,200 --> 01:51:11,320
 I know may or may not be being addressed.

1683
01:51:11,320 --> 01:51:16,080
 My wife and I bought a house in Gable Court right adjacent to where the apartment complex

1684
01:51:16,080 --> 01:51:18,920
 is going to go back in April.

1685
01:51:18,920 --> 01:51:22,520
 We just heard Larry bought a house, we heard Cody bought a house, there's a little bit

1686
01:51:22,520 --> 01:51:25,520
 of a consistency there.

1687
01:51:25,520 --> 01:51:30,840
 I know that the goal of this is to drive, I guess to build housing, build attainable

1688
01:51:30,840 --> 01:51:37,560
 housing in the area to kind of retain citizens and keep people in Denton proper.

1689
01:51:37,560 --> 01:51:42,120
 I think even the threat of this coming is doing the quite opposite of that.

1690
01:51:42,120 --> 01:51:48,080
 Our house sold very soon after having this issue first taking place.

1691
01:51:48,080 --> 01:51:52,720
 Our neighbor's household, I can think of three if not four houses in our little cul-de-sac

1692
01:51:52,720 --> 01:52:00,040
 of 10 houses that sold very, very soon after hearing that this was even going to potentially

1693
01:52:00,040 --> 01:52:02,480
 be coming.

1694
01:52:02,480 --> 01:52:05,040
 We moved to the area, we were local.

1695
01:52:05,040 --> 01:52:10,080
 My wife and I are from Fort Worth, Texas and wife is getting her PhD at UNT, so we wanted

1696
01:52:10,080 --> 01:52:12,840
 to be kind of local in the area.

1697
01:52:12,840 --> 01:52:16,840
 We found Gable Court, a little cul-de-sac, quiet little cul-de-sac and absolutely fell

1698
01:52:16,840 --> 01:52:21,320
 in love with it, unbeknownst to us, didn't know this was going to happen, looked across

1699
01:52:21,320 --> 01:52:22,320
 the street.

1700
01:52:22,320 --> 01:52:26,680
 We've got an 11 month old, which I know you've all been hearing her tonight, so I apologize.

1701
01:52:26,680 --> 01:52:29,400
 She's very excited to talk about government.

1702
01:52:29,400 --> 01:52:35,480
 As soon as we moved in, one of the other things that we loved is just the piece of land right

1703
01:52:35,480 --> 01:52:40,760
 across with cows and trees and things like that, things for us to, just beautiful things

1704
01:52:40,760 --> 01:52:43,200
 to see.

1705
01:52:43,200 --> 01:52:48,600
 The fact that this is a potential thing that might be happening is just causing a little

1706
01:52:48,600 --> 01:52:51,640
 bit of concern.

1707
01:52:51,640 --> 01:52:57,680
 A couple of weeks after moving in, without this apartment complex and without the increase

1708
01:52:57,680 --> 01:53:00,920
 of people moving, we're already having people walk through our neighborhood, cut through

1709
01:53:00,920 --> 01:53:01,920
 our neighborhood.

1710
01:53:01,920 --> 01:53:04,760
 I've had people in my garage scoping out things.

1711
01:53:04,760 --> 01:53:10,820
 I've had Cody the other day, I know he's walking his dog around and he's finding sleeping bags

1712
01:53:10,820 --> 01:53:14,360
 and bathing items and stuff like that around the house.

1713
01:53:14,360 --> 01:53:19,720
 Just as a husband and someone who's on the road a lot and a dad, a little bit nervous

1714
01:53:19,720 --> 01:53:23,160
 with bringing 500 to 1,000 more people into the area.

1715
01:53:23,160 --> 01:53:27,440
 Not only is it maybe not the prettiest thing in the world to look at, but now you're increasing

1716
01:53:27,440 --> 01:53:28,440
 the foot traffic.

1717
01:53:28,440 --> 01:53:32,240
 I think the attainable housing thing is also another thing that concerns me.

1718
01:53:32,240 --> 01:53:37,600
 I think that's maybe a valiant effort, but it's a little bit kind of a wordplay.

1719
01:53:37,600 --> 01:53:42,680
 I don't think that attainable housing is necessarily for first responders or maybe teachers.

1720
01:53:42,680 --> 01:53:46,120
 I know that was the other example that was put out there, but I've got a family full

1721
01:53:46,120 --> 01:53:47,120
 of first responders.

1722
01:53:47,120 --> 01:53:51,440
 When starting pay is at $80,000 to $90,000, I don't think that necessarily classifies

1723
01:53:51,440 --> 01:53:54,940
 for the 50% annual median income and stuff like that.

1724
01:53:54,940 --> 01:53:58,840
 I don't think that's ... I know it's been consistently like, "Hey, this is who's going

1725
01:53:58,840 --> 01:53:59,840
 to be moving to the area."

1726
01:53:59,840 --> 01:54:02,200
 I don't really think that's who it's going to be.

1727
01:54:02,200 --> 01:54:08,040
 Just having a house here and having this capacity going to go right across our street, just

1728
01:54:08,040 --> 01:54:11,400
 a little bit nervous with the security and the traffic and everything that else goes

1729
01:54:11,400 --> 01:54:12,400
 with that.

1730
01:54:12,400 --> 01:54:15,080
 Yeah, thank you for your time and I appreciate it.

1731
01:54:15,080 --> 01:54:16,080
 Thank you.

1732
01:54:16,080 --> 01:54:18,040
 Thank you for being here.

1733
01:54:18,040 --> 01:54:23,280
 The next card I have is Anne Howlington.

1734
01:54:23,280 --> 01:54:26,120
 Hi.

1735
01:54:26,120 --> 01:54:33,200
 You'll state your name, your time will begin.

1736
01:54:33,200 --> 01:54:36,880
 Good evening, members of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

1737
01:54:36,880 --> 01:54:39,560
 Thank you for having this public hearing tonight.

1738
01:54:39,560 --> 01:54:45,120
 My name is Anne Howlington and I am a long-time resident of the city of Denton.

1739
01:54:45,120 --> 01:54:53,920
 I lived in the house on the property and raised my family there between 1988 and 1999.

1740
01:54:53,920 --> 01:54:58,920
 We know the Jefferson North Elm project plan is to construct multi-family townhomes on

1741
01:54:58,920 --> 01:55:03,560
 the southeast portion of the property at 2900 North Elm and to donate the rest of the land

1742
01:55:03,560 --> 01:55:06,400
 to the city of Denton for a park.

1743
01:55:06,400 --> 01:55:12,720
 We are not here to express opposition to this plan for zoning, yet I along with my family,

1744
01:55:12,720 --> 01:55:17,800
 my friends, concerned citizens and interested organizations would like to propose a plan

1745
01:55:17,800 --> 01:55:21,420
 for the park in sub-district B.

1746
01:55:21,420 --> 01:55:27,960
 In your exhibition 10 related to this, note seven does state park dedication lot design

1747
01:55:27,960 --> 01:55:33,900
 is conceptual in nature and will be finalized through the development agreement process.

1748
01:55:33,900 --> 01:55:39,640
 We want to ensure that part of this process includes a meeting where we can propose our

1749
01:55:39,640 --> 01:55:41,840
 ideas.

1750
01:55:41,840 --> 01:55:47,240
 We will propose that the historic Evers country home, a large portion of which was constructed

1751
01:55:47,240 --> 01:55:53,560
 over a hundred years ago, be preserved, not restored, but preserved with the additions

1752
01:55:53,560 --> 01:55:59,040
 rather than removed and used for a horticultural native plant education center.

1753
01:55:59,040 --> 01:56:04,880
 Here meetings, classes, workshops and demonstrations related to gardening and history could take

1754
01:56:04,880 --> 01:56:06,120
 place.

1755
01:56:06,120 --> 01:56:11,440
 The house with its historic water tower, windmill and barn could also serve as examples of early

1756
01:56:11,440 --> 01:56:13,320
 20th century farm life.

1757
01:56:13,320 --> 01:56:20,960
 Though still a concept, the park area on exhibit 11 shows these as being removed.

1758
01:56:20,960 --> 01:56:24,800
 We would also like to see the creation of a community garden where citizens of Denton

1759
01:56:24,800 --> 01:56:29,840
 could grow fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers in designated areas.

1760
01:56:29,840 --> 01:56:34,720
 There are abundant sunny and shaded areas on the property for this.

1761
01:56:34,720 --> 01:56:39,340
 We are discussing these ideas with some groups who do this type of work in the Denton city

1762
01:56:39,340 --> 01:56:41,500
 and county area.

1763
01:56:41,500 --> 01:56:46,920
 The Denton County Master Gardener Association is interested in supporting this idea.

1764
01:56:46,920 --> 01:56:52,400
 We have also communicated with the Texas Native Plant Society's Trinity Forks chapter, the

1765
01:56:52,400 --> 01:56:58,300
 Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fort chapter and the Petal Project.

1766
01:56:58,300 --> 01:57:01,640
 These groups are all interested in learning more about the use of the property and its

1767
01:57:01,640 --> 01:57:07,280
 existing structures, considering how the park might benefit their missions.

1768
01:57:07,280 --> 01:57:14,540
 I have something here to give you, I am presenting each of you with a spreadsheet containing

1769
01:57:14,540 --> 01:57:21,720
 186 names with 157 from Denton city residents who signed a petition supporting the effort

1770
01:57:21,720 --> 01:57:27,560
 to help us convince the Denton city council to repurpose the Ebers Farm as a community

1771
01:57:27,560 --> 01:57:29,360
 garden and education center.

1772
01:57:29,360 --> 01:57:31,560
 Could someone pass these out?

1773
01:57:31,560 --> 01:57:38,800
 You can go ahead and give them right there to Kathy, thank you.

1774
01:57:38,800 --> 01:57:43,920
 These also include comments which are not always exactly what I would think, but we

1775
01:57:43,920 --> 01:57:47,560
 gave them an opportunity to make comments on this.

1776
01:57:47,560 --> 01:57:52,520
 In closing, we respectfully ask to schedule a meeting with the Denton Parks and Recreation

1777
01:57:52,520 --> 01:57:57,440
 Department to further discuss this proposal for the parks development, including the fate

1778
01:57:57,440 --> 01:58:03,400
 of the original home to provide, in keeping with their mission, educational opportunities

1779
01:58:03,400 --> 01:58:06,120
 that support good stewardship of the environment.

1780
01:58:06,120 --> 01:58:11,960
 If possible, we would like to visit the park area of the property to assess the feasibility

1781
01:58:11,960 --> 01:58:14,840
 of using the land and its current structures.

1782
01:58:14,840 --> 01:58:17,840
 Thank you for your time.

1783
01:58:17,840 --> 01:58:21,200
 Thank you for being here.

1784
01:58:21,200 --> 01:58:35,800
 The next card I have is Jennifer Lane.

1785
01:58:35,800 --> 01:58:41,200
 I don't have any other cards wishing to speak, but is there anyone who would like to speak

1786
01:58:41,200 --> 01:58:51,840
 who did not fill out a card?

1787
01:58:51,840 --> 01:58:52,840
 Hi there.

1788
01:58:52,840 --> 01:58:53,840
 If you'll give us your name, your time will begin.

1789
01:58:53,840 --> 01:58:54,840
 Hi.

1790
01:58:54,840 --> 01:59:01,120
 My name is Erin Elise, and I live in McKamey Evers, just off North Locust, and I'm a longtime

1791
01:59:01,120 --> 01:59:05,560
 employee of the University of North Texas at the Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department,

1792
01:59:05,560 --> 01:59:10,480
 and I have driven by this property every day going to work.

1793
01:59:10,480 --> 01:59:16,760
 I would like to voice my support for JP and this building of the apartment complex.

1794
01:59:16,760 --> 01:59:21,200
 I think it is the best use of this property that will preserve the most amount of the

1795
01:59:21,200 --> 01:59:23,200
 land and the trees.

1796
01:59:23,200 --> 01:59:27,240
 Sorry, nurse, speaker.

1797
01:59:27,240 --> 01:59:32,600
 I think that if we move with a residential neighborhood going in there, it's going to

1798
01:59:32,600 --> 01:59:38,040
 end up being what is what was built at the end of North Locust, which was very disappointing

1799
01:59:38,040 --> 01:59:43,560
 to see the quality of those homes, and the fact that some have already caught fire since

1800
01:59:43,560 --> 01:59:49,000
 their construction, and to have the thought that that's going to go in there is very disappointing

1801
01:59:49,000 --> 01:59:52,480
 compared to what they have presented in to preserve.

1802
01:59:52,480 --> 01:59:57,200
 I would like to say thank you so much.

1803
01:59:57,200 --> 01:59:58,200
 Thank you.

1804
01:59:58,200 --> 02:00:01,160
 Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

1805
02:00:01,160 --> 02:00:03,080
 Is there anyone else wishing to speak on this?

1806
02:00:03,080 --> 02:00:08,360
 Yes, come on down and you can fill out a card after.

1807
02:00:08,360 --> 02:00:15,600
 Hi, Doc, how are you?

1808
02:00:15,600 --> 02:00:16,600
 Hi.

1809
02:00:16,600 --> 02:00:17,600
 My name is Dr. Sean Treat.

1810
02:00:17,600 --> 02:00:20,280
 I did fill out a card probably for the wrong thing.

1811
02:00:20,280 --> 02:00:21,760
 You know, I do have your card.

1812
02:00:21,760 --> 02:00:23,760
 Did you mean it to me on this item?

1813
02:00:23,760 --> 02:00:24,760
 I did.

1814
02:00:24,760 --> 02:00:25,760
 Okay.

1815
02:00:25,760 --> 02:00:26,760
 Very good.

1816
02:00:26,760 --> 02:00:27,760
 Perfect.

1817
02:00:27,760 --> 02:00:28,760
 I already said my name.

1818
02:00:28,760 --> 02:00:29,760
 The clock started.

1819
02:00:29,760 --> 02:00:30,760
 Who's on the ticker?

1820
02:00:30,760 --> 02:00:31,760
 You go right ahead.

1821
02:00:31,760 --> 02:00:32,760
 I also live in the neighborhood.

1822
02:00:32,760 --> 02:00:38,040
 I drive by at Evers Park not just once a day, like two or three times a day because I'm

1823
02:00:38,040 --> 02:00:40,640
 stupid like that.

1824
02:00:40,640 --> 02:00:45,160
 One of the things that interests me about this, I've been going to the meetings since

1825
02:00:45,160 --> 02:00:50,920
 the beginning and seeing it kind of progress and been going honestly to other community

1826
02:00:50,920 --> 02:00:56,560
 meetings and seeing other things happening in other areas, right?

1827
02:00:56,560 --> 02:00:58,280
 This plan sticks out to me.

1828
02:00:58,280 --> 02:01:03,960
 I want to be in support of it because this is a unique partnership that I feel like kind

1829
02:01:03,960 --> 02:01:06,600
 of hits all the right notes.

1830
02:01:06,600 --> 02:01:13,180
 The fact that they're giving 50% back, 50% back, right?

1831
02:01:13,180 --> 02:01:16,520
 And I understand the apartments are going to go up and go tall and we see the photos

1832
02:01:16,520 --> 02:01:18,120
 and it looks a little grotesque.

1833
02:01:18,120 --> 02:01:24,160
 I mean, I grew up on a farm myself and I see it go up and it's going to be tall, but think

1834
02:01:24,160 --> 02:01:26,800
 about what's on the other side of that.

1835
02:01:26,800 --> 02:01:28,120
 There's a park.

1836
02:01:28,120 --> 02:01:30,080
 It'll be connected.

1837
02:01:30,080 --> 02:01:36,720
 Also just on the other side of the North Branch Library, there's a huge green space and so

1838
02:01:36,720 --> 02:01:42,680
 the possibility for connectivity to the city for bike trails, for walking, this is something

1839
02:01:42,680 --> 02:01:51,680
 that I feel like is a very unique opportunity to think about in terms of creating a certain

1840
02:01:51,680 --> 02:01:57,600
 attitude towards partnerships that I feel like is something that the city and this,

1841
02:01:57,600 --> 02:02:03,120
 this council here can help encourage.

1842
02:02:03,120 --> 02:02:09,880
 I've spoken recently with some very good friends about their concerns, about the romantic attachment

1843
02:02:09,880 --> 02:02:12,520
 to the farm and the cattle.

1844
02:02:12,520 --> 02:02:14,920
 I totally get that.

1845
02:02:14,920 --> 02:02:18,360
 I love driving by and seeing the cattle.

1846
02:02:18,360 --> 02:02:20,320
 Maybe we can have some cattle on the place.

1847
02:02:20,320 --> 02:02:21,320
 I don't know.

1848
02:02:21,320 --> 02:02:22,320
 I don't know.

1849
02:02:22,320 --> 02:02:27,560
 But here's the point, like the decision that's going on tonight is what we're talking about

1850
02:02:27,560 --> 02:02:34,400
 is to help rezone this so that they build it higher so that we have that green space.

1851
02:02:34,400 --> 02:02:35,520
 That's the question here.

1852
02:02:35,520 --> 02:02:38,860
 Now what happens with that green space once it goes to the city?

1853
02:02:38,860 --> 02:02:41,440
 That's the other piece that I've seen that's very encouraging.

1854
02:02:41,440 --> 02:02:49,560
 I think a citizen advisory council, this garden idea, I love this and that comes from the

1855
02:02:49,560 --> 02:02:56,080
 community and that's the kind of partnerships I think that Denton needs to think about for

1856
02:02:56,080 --> 02:02:58,340
 smart growth because we are growing.

1857
02:02:58,340 --> 02:03:01,080
 We don't have a chance for my new neighbors that are coming.

1858
02:03:01,080 --> 02:03:02,080
 Welcome.

1859
02:03:02,080 --> 02:03:03,080
 Glad to see you here.

1860
02:03:03,080 --> 02:03:08,520
 It took you this long to get here, but now you're going to be here for a bit, right?

1861
02:03:08,520 --> 02:03:11,040
 But this is one of the things that comes with this price.

1862
02:03:11,040 --> 02:03:12,320
 We are growing.

1863
02:03:12,320 --> 02:03:19,720
 We've outgrown our projected growth for 10 years within seven years.

1864
02:03:19,720 --> 02:03:21,460
 And we don't have enough affordable housing.

1865
02:03:21,460 --> 02:03:27,000
 We've got to be doing some aggressive things, thinking about some progressive ways, some

1866
02:03:27,000 --> 02:03:33,200
 interesting ways to grow it so that we can do it smart and we can do it with partnerships

1867
02:03:33,200 --> 02:03:37,560
 and people that come in with the attitude towards, hey, we want to work with our community.

1868
02:03:37,560 --> 02:03:40,880
 We want to work with the historic preservation officers.

1869
02:03:40,880 --> 02:03:44,800
 And that to me is a model to follow.

1870
02:03:44,800 --> 02:03:45,800
 So thank you.

1871
02:03:45,800 --> 02:03:46,800
 Those are my thoughts.

1872
02:03:46,800 --> 02:03:47,800
 I support the project.

1873
02:03:47,800 --> 02:03:52,120
 Thank you so much, Dr. Trink.

1874
02:03:52,120 --> 02:03:59,040
 Anyone else wishing to speak on this who has not already?

1875
02:03:59,040 --> 02:04:00,400
 I do have a card.

1876
02:04:00,400 --> 02:04:04,560
 I'll just read for the record they are not wishing to speak but are in support, and that

1877
02:04:04,560 --> 02:04:10,280
 is Brenda Stevens.

1878
02:04:10,280 --> 02:04:17,720
 I think before I close the public hearing, I have a question for probably the applicant.

1879
02:04:17,720 --> 02:04:24,280
 And it has to do with the park and the partnership, or maybe that is the question for you.

1880
02:04:24,280 --> 02:04:25,800
 I'm not sure.

1881
02:04:25,800 --> 02:04:34,680
 But there's nothing in this PD as it's written now on the portion that would be the multifamily.

1882
02:04:34,680 --> 02:04:39,640
 Well, actually, no, the PD as a whole, the PD standards.

1883
02:04:39,640 --> 02:04:44,760
 There's nothing written about how that park is going to be developed, right?

1884
02:04:44,760 --> 02:04:49,860
 It has the minimum, which is essentially the trail, the Evers Memorial, and benches and

1885
02:04:49,860 --> 02:04:51,200
 things like that throughout the park.

1886
02:04:51,200 --> 02:04:55,960
 So it has that minimum, but everything else, essentially, that can be worked through.

1887
02:04:55,960 --> 02:04:59,720
 It can be worked through with parks and the developer through additional public engagement,

1888
02:04:59,720 --> 02:05:02,200
 and then it will go to the parks board, and then it will go to city council.

1889
02:05:02,200 --> 02:05:06,080
 So there's only the bare minimum that's in there right now, and anything else that comes

1890
02:05:06,080 --> 02:05:07,240
 up could be added.

1891
02:05:07,240 --> 02:05:12,160
 And I guess why I'm asking that is just because of things we heard tonight that we do want

1892
02:05:12,160 --> 02:05:17,120
 community involvement, but how do we make sure that the community gets involved in it,

1893
02:05:17,120 --> 02:05:22,240
 and that it just doesn't become something that the city just develops and takes before

1894
02:05:22,240 --> 02:05:25,920
 council and it gets approved, and there actually isn't any collaboration, and we can't get

1895
02:05:25,920 --> 02:05:27,240
 these great ideas.

1896
02:05:27,240 --> 02:05:29,600
 So that's where my question is coming from.

1897
02:05:29,600 --> 02:05:30,600
 Tina, would you speak?

1898
02:05:30,600 --> 02:05:34,560
 So I'll answer that, and not to rat him out, but he's sitting in the back row up there

1899
02:05:34,560 --> 02:05:35,880
 at the top at that desk.

1900
02:05:35,880 --> 02:05:36,880
 I do see.

1901
02:05:36,880 --> 02:05:41,280
 So that's Gary Pack and our parks director, and I'm sure Gary has heard the message this

1902
02:05:41,280 --> 02:05:45,480
 evening of the strong interest for community engagement.

1903
02:05:45,480 --> 02:05:50,080
 From what I know with Gary, and you can either shake your head yes or no to tell me if I'm

1904
02:05:50,080 --> 02:05:53,800
 wrong, but what I've learned with Gary and his team is that they are very collaborative

1905
02:05:53,800 --> 02:05:55,940
 when they've done parks projects.

1906
02:05:55,940 --> 02:06:00,400
 They do seek public feedback related to that, and Gary, I don't know if you want to expand

1907
02:06:00,400 --> 02:06:03,360
 on some of the methods that you've done on some other parks where you've engaged the

1908
02:06:03,360 --> 02:06:04,360
 public.

1909
02:06:04,360 --> 02:06:05,360
 Hi, Gary.

1910
02:06:05,360 --> 02:06:10,760
 Good evening, Gary Pack, and Director of Parks and Recreation.

1911
02:06:10,760 --> 02:06:14,520
 When we go through the development process for a park property, we typically have at

1912
02:06:14,520 --> 02:06:17,240
 least two meetings with the public.

1913
02:06:17,240 --> 02:06:22,120
 One at the very beginning, we'll develop a concept, just get some ideas on paper, share

1914
02:06:22,120 --> 02:06:27,200
 with the community, get more feedback, go back, sharpen the pencil, move things around,

1915
02:06:27,200 --> 02:06:33,000
 add, delete, and then come back when that's done, get their final feedback.

1916
02:06:33,000 --> 02:06:35,480
 Then we take it to park board, get them to approve it.

1917
02:06:35,480 --> 02:06:39,740
 We go to them twice, and then we'll take it to city council for official adoption.

1918
02:06:39,740 --> 02:06:45,160
 Then we'll move into construction drawings, and then construction at some point in time,

1919
02:06:45,160 --> 02:06:48,160
 pending funding availability.

1920
02:06:48,160 --> 02:06:51,560
 That's our standard process that we follow with park development.

1921
02:06:51,560 --> 02:06:59,320
 Right, so I mean, I'm looking at this as a little bit more unique of a piece, I guess,

1922
02:06:59,320 --> 02:07:02,440
 because then what you're saying is you're basically going to come up with a concept

1923
02:07:02,440 --> 02:07:06,120
 and then bring that out to the public to look at it.

1924
02:07:06,120 --> 02:07:07,120
 So that's not really collaboration.

1925
02:07:07,120 --> 02:07:08,960
 I mean, it is, but it isn't.

1926
02:07:08,960 --> 02:07:15,000
 Well, the concept is just to have something to talk about, saying here's the property.

1927
02:07:15,000 --> 02:07:20,120
 It's a pencil sketch, for the most part, with lines on an aerial, saying that we could do

1928
02:07:20,120 --> 02:07:25,800
 a trail here, we could put a parking lot here, a playground here, and then use that to create

1929
02:07:25,800 --> 02:07:26,800
 the discussion.

1930
02:07:26,800 --> 02:07:27,800
 What's feasible, I see.

1931
02:07:27,800 --> 02:07:28,800
 Okay.

1932
02:07:28,800 --> 02:07:29,800
 Thank you.

1933
02:07:29,800 --> 02:07:30,800
 I think we might have a question for you.

1934
02:07:30,800 --> 02:07:31,800
 Commissioner Thacker?

1935
02:07:31,800 --> 02:07:34,600
 Thank you, Chair.

1936
02:07:34,600 --> 02:07:37,000
 My question is for the developer representative.

1937
02:07:37,000 --> 02:07:38,480
 Oh, it's not for Gary?

1938
02:07:38,480 --> 02:07:39,480
 No.

1939
02:07:39,480 --> 02:07:40,480
 Okay.

1940
02:07:40,480 --> 02:07:41,480
 Sorry.

1941
02:07:41,480 --> 02:07:42,480
 Gary, thank you very much.

1942
02:07:42,480 --> 02:07:43,480
 I appreciate it.

1943
02:07:43,480 --> 02:07:44,480
 I'll let you off the hook, Gary.

1944
02:07:44,480 --> 02:07:45,480
 Okay.

1945
02:07:45,480 --> 02:07:48,400
 Yeah, go ahead.

1946
02:07:48,400 --> 02:07:51,800
 It seems based on your presentation that you all have obviously done a lot of projects

1947
02:07:51,800 --> 02:07:53,860
 particularly in the area.

1948
02:07:53,860 --> 02:07:58,640
 Have you all acquired a property of this likeness?

1949
02:07:58,640 --> 02:08:04,160
 And if you have, can you tell us where it is so that we might look how this all played

1950
02:08:04,160 --> 02:08:07,120
 out in that particular scenario?

1951
02:08:07,120 --> 02:08:11,040
 This is actually the first property we've done like this with this much park land, which

1952
02:08:11,040 --> 02:08:16,800
 is why I've been so trying to collaborate with the neighbors as much as possible because

1953
02:08:16,800 --> 02:08:20,440
 we need the ideas, too, since this is the first time we're doing it.

1954
02:08:20,440 --> 02:08:24,240
 But also, that's answering your question and going to answer your question at the same

1955
02:08:24,240 --> 02:08:25,240
 time.

1956
02:08:25,240 --> 02:08:26,240
 Cool.

1957
02:08:26,240 --> 02:08:31,520
 For parks, in order to dedicate it to the city, obviously the PD will say that nothing

1958
02:08:31,520 --> 02:08:34,160
 can go there as far as nothing can be built there.

1959
02:08:34,160 --> 02:08:38,080
 But as far as dedicating it to the city, part of that process is the developers agreement.

1960
02:08:38,080 --> 02:08:42,560
 So if we want to dedicate it to parks department, we can only do that with the developers agreement.

1961
02:08:42,560 --> 02:08:48,840
 So that can't really start until post-zoning, which is why the plan right now is conceptual.

1962
02:08:48,840 --> 02:08:52,840
 And we're happy to, obviously, the ideas tonight have been great and the other ideas that we've

1963
02:08:52,840 --> 02:08:57,320
 heard from neighbors have been great, and we want to collaborate and we want to have

1964
02:08:57,320 --> 02:08:58,520
 as many meetings as possible.

1965
02:08:58,520 --> 02:09:03,900
 So we're happy to put in a minimal amount of meetings in the PD to meet with neighbors

1966
02:09:03,900 --> 02:09:05,760
 in order to get those ideas.

1967
02:09:05,760 --> 02:09:11,100
 Obviously, not everyone's idea is going to be able to go into it, but we at least want

1968
02:09:11,100 --> 02:09:15,080
 to collaborate as much as possible and kind of, I don't want to say be hands off on it,

1969
02:09:15,080 --> 02:09:19,800
 but allow the city and the neighbors to kind of tell us what they want it to be.

1970
02:09:19,800 --> 02:09:24,680
 - I have two more questions, sorry.

1971
02:09:24,680 --> 02:09:29,680
 I noticed in the backup that it said that you all were planning on or had projected

1972
02:09:29,680 --> 02:09:34,400
 that you would be maintaining up to 52% of the trees that are currently there.

1973
02:09:34,400 --> 02:09:37,520
 Do you all have any plans to plant more trees?

1974
02:09:37,520 --> 02:09:40,400
 - Yeah, there's trees being planted throughout the development.

1975
02:09:40,400 --> 02:09:44,560
 And then also that's another thing that's great about the developers agreement is we

1976
02:09:44,560 --> 02:09:48,560
 can, and I've talked to Sean about this as well, we can plant more trees within the park

1977
02:09:48,560 --> 02:09:55,920
 too and get an arborist or a tree, Haywood, I forget his last name, but he's a city tree

1978
02:09:55,920 --> 02:09:56,920
 guy.

1979
02:09:56,920 --> 02:09:59,760
 But we can get him out there and kind of tell us where we would be able to plant trees that

1980
02:09:59,760 --> 02:10:05,200
 will still survive and yeah, go through that whole process.

1981
02:10:05,200 --> 02:10:10,760
 - And finally, I know that because this is kind of a smaller niche little area, obviously

1982
02:10:10,760 --> 02:10:14,880
 one of the big concerns is safety and security.

1983
02:10:14,880 --> 02:10:20,720
 What type of safety and security systems do you all have for that particular property?

1984
02:10:20,720 --> 02:10:25,080
 So do you have someone that works the nights and kind of rotates through?

1985
02:10:25,080 --> 02:10:30,120
 Do you have particular cameras, lighting that's like making sure that not only the property

1986
02:10:30,120 --> 02:10:33,520
 itself is safe, but their community around it is safe as well?

1987
02:10:33,520 --> 02:10:37,240
 - Yes, so cameras on the property, lights on the property.

1988
02:10:37,240 --> 02:10:42,880
 We have a security person there at all hours, but I would say one of the biggest things

1989
02:10:42,880 --> 02:10:48,280
 for safety too is no one really ever thinks about it, but whenever you apply for an apartment,

1990
02:10:48,280 --> 02:10:51,160
 you have to go through a background check, a credit check, and an income verification

1991
02:10:51,160 --> 02:10:52,160
 check.

1992
02:10:52,160 --> 02:10:56,560
 So you actually know more about the renter coming into your building than you do about

1993
02:10:56,560 --> 02:10:59,080
 your neighbor that you're buying a house next to.

1994
02:10:59,080 --> 02:11:02,880
 So there is a lot of background checks that go into it because obviously we don't want

1995
02:11:02,880 --> 02:11:05,000
 the apartment to go downhill either.

1996
02:11:05,000 --> 02:11:07,360
 We don't want crime in the apartment either.

1997
02:11:07,360 --> 02:11:13,900
 So we have to do the background checks and then the income verification then decides

1998
02:11:13,900 --> 02:11:14,900
 which tranche they fit into.

1999
02:11:14,900 --> 02:11:18,480
 Are they the market rate renter, are they 80% renter, are they the 50% renter, and then

2000
02:11:18,480 --> 02:11:19,480
 the credit check.

2001
02:11:19,480 --> 02:11:20,480
 Are they going to be able to make their payments?

2002
02:11:20,480 --> 02:11:23,920
 Because obviously we want people to make their payments.

2003
02:11:23,920 --> 02:11:29,520
 And sorry, I'm going to talk a little longer because I'm thinking of the AMIs and that

2004
02:11:29,520 --> 02:11:34,800
 kind of segues into one of the comments earlier about service workers and firefighters and

2005
02:11:34,800 --> 02:11:40,920
 policemen making about 80 grand a year, that actually fits into the 80% because 80% AMI

2006
02:11:40,920 --> 02:11:45,640
 is roughly around 80 to $85,000 a year, so they would fit into that.

2007
02:11:45,640 --> 02:11:51,160
 And then the 50% is kind of more your teachers and people making about 50, 55,000 a year.

2008
02:11:51,160 --> 02:11:53,400
 So it's still not low, low, low income.

2009
02:11:53,400 --> 02:11:58,580
 It's just low salary or a new job or teacher, nurses.

2010
02:11:58,580 --> 02:12:04,440
 So I know I added to that answer, but I wanted to get that out there too.

2011
02:12:04,440 --> 02:12:05,440
 Thank you.

2012
02:12:05,440 --> 02:12:06,440
 Thank you.

2013
02:12:06,440 --> 02:12:07,440
 Thank you.

2014
02:12:07,440 --> 02:12:08,440
 Commissioner Pruitt, is that for the applicant?

2015
02:12:08,440 --> 02:12:09,440
 Yeah.

2016
02:12:09,440 --> 02:12:10,440
 Thank you.

2017
02:12:10,440 --> 02:12:11,440
 Okay.

2018
02:12:11,440 --> 02:12:12,440
 Sorry.

2019
02:12:12,440 --> 02:12:16,000
 All of my questions are actually for staff, so if you want.

2020
02:12:16,000 --> 02:12:17,000
 Okay.

2021
02:12:17,000 --> 02:12:18,000
 Very good.

2022
02:12:18,000 --> 02:12:19,000
 We'll hold off on that just a second.

2023
02:12:19,000 --> 02:12:20,000
 Okay.

2024
02:12:20,000 --> 02:12:21,000
 Thank you very much.

2025
02:12:21,000 --> 02:12:22,000
 Thank you.

2026
02:12:22,000 --> 02:12:23,000
 Thank you.

2027
02:12:23,000 --> 02:12:24,000
 For answering the questions.

2028
02:12:24,000 --> 02:12:25,000
 I have not closed the public hearing.

2029
02:12:25,000 --> 02:12:28,360
 I'm about to, but is there anyone else wishing to speak who has not already spoken?

2030
02:12:28,360 --> 02:12:30,560
 Okay.

2031
02:12:30,560 --> 02:12:33,800
 Seeing none, I will go ahead and close the public hearing and I will open the floor for

2032
02:12:33,800 --> 02:12:35,480
 discussion or a motion.

2033
02:12:35,480 --> 02:12:39,240
 So Commissioner Pruitt, I will call back on you and probably ...

2034
02:12:39,240 --> 02:12:40,240
 Thank you.

2035
02:12:40,240 --> 02:12:41,240
 Yeah.

2036
02:12:41,240 --> 02:12:42,240
 Have Ashley come forward?

2037
02:12:42,240 --> 02:12:43,240
 Probably Ashley.

2038
02:12:43,240 --> 02:12:44,240
 Okay.

2039
02:12:44,240 --> 02:12:45,240
 At least for the first couple.

2040
02:12:45,240 --> 02:12:46,240
 Okay.

2041
02:12:46,240 --> 02:12:50,980
 First of all, I want to thank staff.

2042
02:12:50,980 --> 02:12:57,040
 In my opinion, the vast majority of projects that come before us, especially for zoning

2043
02:12:57,040 --> 02:13:02,440
 changes, have some conflicting portions of the comprehensive plan.

2044
02:13:02,440 --> 02:13:08,120
 And almost all the time, that question is answered by there are no conflicting sections.

2045
02:13:08,120 --> 02:13:12,040
 So I want to thank staff and give you your due credit for admitting it.

2046
02:13:12,040 --> 02:13:17,640
 I think that helps this board focus on the trade-offs that we are making, as opposed

2047
02:13:17,640 --> 02:13:20,980
 to being confused and not knowing what to focus on.

2048
02:13:20,980 --> 02:13:25,120
 So thank you for that.

2049
02:13:25,120 --> 02:13:29,680
 As I'm thinking about this area, there's a library across the street.

2050
02:13:29,680 --> 02:13:32,080
 There's a elementary school to the north.

2051
02:13:32,080 --> 02:13:38,880
 There's a middle school just east of the library.

2052
02:13:38,880 --> 02:13:47,640
 The strip to the south along Elman Locust, I think, is one of the corridors of that MN-zoned

2053
02:13:47,640 --> 02:13:52,360
 area that could grow into a neighborhood shop kind of thing.

2054
02:13:52,360 --> 02:13:59,120
 Is there any other infill property that has those characteristics that you can think of?

2055
02:13:59,120 --> 02:14:06,200
 It just seems very unique to me in its placement and its ability to be that type of place.

2056
02:14:06,200 --> 02:14:08,720
 I can't think of any off the top of my head.

2057
02:14:08,720 --> 02:14:10,320
 It does seem unique.

2058
02:14:10,320 --> 02:14:12,720
 Everything about this property that I say seems unique.

2059
02:14:12,720 --> 02:14:16,200
 I can't think of anything off the top of my head that is similar to this.

2060
02:14:16,200 --> 02:14:17,200
 Okay.

2061
02:14:17,200 --> 02:14:18,200
 Thank you.

2062
02:14:18,200 --> 02:14:28,960
 The fiscal impact study, and if we don't know, that's okay, we can move forward.

2063
02:14:28,960 --> 02:14:37,460
 I don't fully understand the agreements that get made when there are projects with some

2064
02:14:37,460 --> 02:14:48,280
 affordability or public-private partnership with DHA or another entity.

2065
02:14:48,280 --> 02:14:56,080
 Are the proposed, if it does go forward with the 80% and the 50% units, and that involves

2066
02:14:56,080 --> 02:15:04,120
 some partnership with DHA, does that fiscal impact summary comprehend whatever tax abatements

2067
02:15:04,120 --> 02:15:05,120
 would occur?

2068
02:15:05,120 --> 02:15:06,120
 It does not.

2069
02:15:06,120 --> 02:15:08,600
 I would like to take that into consideration.

2070
02:15:08,600 --> 02:15:09,600
 Okay.

2071
02:15:09,600 --> 02:15:10,600
 Thank you.

2072
02:15:10,600 --> 02:15:22,840
 The internal circulation patterns, as I look at the site plan, I don't see the fence that's

2073
02:15:22,840 --> 02:15:29,880
 proposed completely encircling the area, but I also don't see anything specifically called

2074
02:15:29,880 --> 02:15:33,280
 out as a public access easement.

2075
02:15:33,280 --> 02:15:40,120
 What I'm asking, I guess, is are we sure that there's going to be a convenient path if someone

2076
02:15:40,120 --> 02:15:46,120
 does choose to ride a bicycle or walk through this property to access the 10 acres that's

2077
02:15:46,120 --> 02:15:52,600
 being donated in order to get there without walking around the entire circumference of

2078
02:15:52,600 --> 02:15:53,600
 the block?

2079
02:15:53,600 --> 02:15:57,640
 Are you saying to walk through the multifamily development?

2080
02:15:57,640 --> 02:16:02,320
 Yeah, like from the library to go have lunch over there or something.

2081
02:16:02,320 --> 02:16:04,040
 That will not be for public access.

2082
02:16:04,040 --> 02:16:05,040
 Okay.

2083
02:16:05,040 --> 02:16:08,280
 In order, if you're coming from the library in order to get to the park from there, you

2084
02:16:08,280 --> 02:16:13,480
 would cross locus and then walk on the side path to the park, but the multifamily development

2085
02:16:13,480 --> 02:16:16,640
 in itself is not open for public access.

2086
02:16:16,640 --> 02:16:18,680
 Okay.

2087
02:16:18,680 --> 02:16:24,040
 I think one for traffic and one for parks, if Gary is still here.

2088
02:16:24,040 --> 02:16:25,040
 Gary is still here.

2089
02:16:25,040 --> 02:16:29,760
 Gary's up front, so I'll ask that first.

2090
02:16:29,760 --> 02:16:34,000
 I know several comments were made about a 10 minute walk to a park.

2091
02:16:34,000 --> 02:16:40,940
 Obviously, the history of this property was probably before you came to the city yourself.

2092
02:16:40,940 --> 02:16:48,240
 It strikes me as if we're going to add 450 homes here, in some sense, that's putting

2093
02:16:48,240 --> 02:16:53,560
 450 more homes immediately next to a park.

2094
02:16:53,560 --> 02:16:59,160
 While you might not be doing that by buying parkland, you're doing it by getting it developed

2095
02:16:59,160 --> 02:17:02,320
 and bringing homes closer to the park.

2096
02:17:02,320 --> 02:17:04,080
 Is that a reasonable way to think about it?

2097
02:17:04,080 --> 02:17:09,220
 Is that a benefit as far as when we do our surveys to understand how many of our residents

2098
02:17:09,220 --> 02:17:11,960
 have good access to a park?

2099
02:17:11,960 --> 02:17:20,600
 That increases our public access to the park percentage across the city just by infill.

2100
02:17:20,600 --> 02:17:21,600
 That does occur.

2101
02:17:21,600 --> 02:17:27,040
 Obviously, the other way is for us to buy property and develop a park where there is

2102
02:17:27,040 --> 02:17:33,640
 no park in one of our hot spots where we're trying to fill in that, so yes, that is accurate.

2103
02:17:33,640 --> 02:17:43,880
 Would it be fair to say that the price of land to create a park immediately near 450

2104
02:17:43,880 --> 02:17:54,000
 homes would be rather high due to the types of places that that multifamily is developed?

2105
02:17:54,000 --> 02:18:03,280
 A neighborhood park of a couple acres is roughly $1.5 million at this point in time.

2106
02:18:03,280 --> 02:18:04,280
 That can vary.

2107
02:18:04,280 --> 02:18:08,160
 If you put a splash pad in, it's going to be a lot more, probably add another million

2108
02:18:08,160 --> 02:18:10,040
 dollars to it from that perspective.

2109
02:18:10,040 --> 02:18:14,080
 So they are costly even though they're small.

2110
02:18:14,080 --> 02:18:15,080
 Thank you.

2111
02:18:15,080 --> 02:18:29,040
 In traffic, I guess I'm confused at the purpose of the second southbound lane because as I

2112
02:18:29,040 --> 02:18:36,000
 look at the development plan which shows that lane, basically the southbound traffic starts

2113
02:18:36,000 --> 02:18:41,840
 as one lane, widens into two, and then as you get down to the next intersection, both

2114
02:18:41,840 --> 02:18:47,920
 lanes are forced to merge into a single lane to turn right on that little go-between between

2115
02:18:47,920 --> 02:18:49,640
 Elm and Locust.

2116
02:18:49,640 --> 02:18:55,640
 Help me understand how that second lane helps the flow and people's everyday lives.

2117
02:18:55,640 --> 02:19:02,840
 The southbound lane on, good evening Chair and Commissioners, Farhan Butt, Deputy Director,

2118
02:19:02,840 --> 02:19:04,760
 Transportation Services Division.

2119
02:19:04,760 --> 02:19:07,360
 So southbound lane on North Locust.

2120
02:19:07,360 --> 02:19:09,320
 Yes, that's correct.

2121
02:19:09,320 --> 02:19:15,640
 So this will be on North Locust will have full access.

2122
02:19:15,640 --> 02:19:21,040
 So that full access means that there will be left turns, there will be right turns as

2123
02:19:21,040 --> 02:19:25,160
 well and there will be traffic coming out and going again.

2124
02:19:25,160 --> 02:19:33,480
 So that southbound lane will facilitate any traffic increase or growth because of this

2125
02:19:33,480 --> 02:19:34,480
 development.

2126
02:19:34,480 --> 02:19:42,200
 Okay, so if I'm imagining I'm living there and I'm coming out eastward and I turn right

2127
02:19:42,200 --> 02:19:51,640
 to go south on Locust, then it would essentially allow more ease of access so that I don't

2128
02:19:51,640 --> 02:19:55,600
 have to wait quite as long with other traffic coming southbound?

2129
02:19:55,600 --> 02:19:56,600
 Absolutely.

2130
02:19:56,600 --> 02:19:57,600
 Okay.

2131
02:19:57,600 --> 02:19:58,600
 Thank you.

2132
02:19:58,600 --> 02:19:59,600
 That's all.

2133
02:19:59,600 --> 02:20:00,600
 Thank you.

2134
02:20:00,600 --> 02:20:01,600
 Thanks.

2135
02:20:01,600 --> 02:20:02,600
 Thank you.

2136
02:20:02,600 --> 02:20:04,840
 Any questions?

2137
02:20:04,840 --> 02:20:13,840
 We can continue discussion or we can entertain our motion.

2138
02:20:13,840 --> 02:20:14,840
 Commissioner Pruitt?

2139
02:20:14,840 --> 02:20:17,840
 Yeah, I'll move approval.

2140
02:20:17,840 --> 02:20:23,240
 I think when we talk about infill, this is what it means.

2141
02:20:23,240 --> 02:20:29,120
 It doesn't mean that everybody gets the type of candy they want from the candy store, but

2142
02:20:29,120 --> 02:20:40,880
 it means that our town gets to put more kids, more people next to the great amenities like

2143
02:20:40,880 --> 02:20:45,640
 the park and the library that we've already invested millions of dollars in.

2144
02:20:45,640 --> 02:20:46,640
 Right?

2145
02:20:46,640 --> 02:20:47,640
 Yeah.

2146
02:20:47,640 --> 02:20:50,920
 So I'll move approval.

2147
02:20:50,920 --> 02:20:52,400
 Thank you.

2148
02:20:52,400 --> 02:20:56,360
 I'll go ahead and second.

2149
02:20:56,360 --> 02:21:04,480
 I think this is a difficult piece of property to have this discussion because of its history,

2150
02:21:04,480 --> 02:21:06,720
 because of what it means and what it has meant.

2151
02:21:06,720 --> 02:21:14,600
 I think that was illustrated by many people, including the applicant, in sharing what this

2152
02:21:14,600 --> 02:21:15,760
 property has meant.

2153
02:21:15,760 --> 02:21:20,880
 I think a great deal of thought has gone into this.

2154
02:21:20,880 --> 02:21:23,360
 Neighborhood engagement has gone into this.

2155
02:21:23,360 --> 02:21:28,520
 This property can be developed right now, so it's not that it's unzoned now.

2156
02:21:28,520 --> 02:21:38,120
 I think what this plan gives is that significant preservation on the site.

2157
02:21:38,120 --> 02:21:45,400
 It gives that community engagement to work with the city on what this parkland is going

2158
02:21:45,400 --> 02:21:50,440
 to be so that we can preserve the history that we can preserve.

2159
02:21:50,440 --> 02:21:55,300
 We may not have everything that we want, like the house that is open to the public.

2160
02:21:55,300 --> 02:22:02,480
 That just may not be feasible, it just can't be done, but what can we do to preserve that

2161
02:22:02,480 --> 02:22:09,000
 history the best we can and offer that to the community going forward?

2162
02:22:09,000 --> 02:22:18,960
 It does seem to just work with housing options, with the tiered rent idea and giving people

2163
02:22:18,960 --> 02:22:27,000
 the opportunity to live so close to downtown and be able to walk to the library and walk

2164
02:22:27,000 --> 02:22:32,240
 to schools and walk to what our great city has to offer downtown.

2165
02:22:32,240 --> 02:22:39,680
 It just gives that option that there are just not very many to offer in the area.

2166
02:22:39,680 --> 02:22:43,840
 I will happily second.

2167
02:22:43,840 --> 02:22:47,140
 We've got a first and a second for approval, so we can certainly open the floor for more

2168
02:22:47,140 --> 02:22:51,480
 discussion or a vote.

2169
02:22:51,480 --> 02:22:52,480
 Commissioner Villarreal.

2170
02:22:52,480 --> 02:22:53,600
 Thank you, Chair.

2171
02:22:53,600 --> 02:22:58,920
 Thank you, 97 Land Company and the applicant for everything you're doing to reach an agreement

2172
02:22:58,920 --> 02:22:59,920
 with the community.

2173
02:22:59,920 --> 02:23:06,160
 I really appreciate the park idea, the amount of land you all are dedicating for Parkland.

2174
02:23:06,160 --> 02:23:13,480
 I would like us to try to incorporate some of the Evers Farm community garden ideas that

2175
02:23:13,480 --> 02:23:16,640
 have come forward from the neighborhood, from the folks here in Denton.

2176
02:23:16,640 --> 02:23:20,000
 I think that would be the best way to pursue this.

2177
02:23:20,000 --> 02:23:24,400
 I would like to see perhaps a way for us to include some of the structure at the very

2178
02:23:24,400 --> 02:23:26,560
 least.

2179
02:23:26,560 --> 02:23:29,600
 This is a very difficult vote.

2180
02:23:29,600 --> 02:23:33,800
 I do appreciate the amount of work you all did to reach where we're at currently, but

2181
02:23:33,800 --> 02:23:35,600
 at this current point, I'm going to vote now.

2182
02:23:35,600 --> 02:23:36,600
 Thank you.

2183
02:23:36,600 --> 02:23:37,600
 Commissioner Thagard.

2184
02:23:37,600 --> 02:23:38,600
 Thank you, Chair.

2185
02:23:38,600 --> 02:23:48,960
 I wanted to echo what you said, Chair, and just kind of there's a lot of different people

2186
02:23:48,960 --> 02:23:52,360
 that could develop this land a completely different way.

2187
02:23:52,360 --> 02:23:58,200
 I feel like, no offense to JPI, this is like the devil we know versus the devil we don't.

2188
02:23:58,200 --> 02:24:03,040
 I am one of the people that can honestly say I don't want any more apartments either.

2189
02:24:03,040 --> 02:24:09,220
 I think in this particular situation, we have an investor that's not only investing in the

2190
02:24:09,220 --> 02:24:16,520
 property itself, but also in our opinion and in our community and in terms of the gardens

2191
02:24:16,520 --> 02:24:21,200
 or even our parks department, what they may have to offer in terms of, like you said,

2192
02:24:21,200 --> 02:24:24,640
 Chair, preserving the things that we do love about the city.

2193
02:24:24,640 --> 02:24:27,360
 So, yeah, I'm voting in favor.

2194
02:24:27,360 --> 02:24:28,360
 Thank you.

2195
02:24:28,360 --> 02:24:29,360
 Thank you.

2196
02:24:29,360 --> 02:24:30,360
 Commissioner Cool.

2197
02:24:30,360 --> 02:24:33,520
 Thank you, Chair.

2198
02:24:33,520 --> 02:24:40,120
 I really appreciate with the applicant 97 land, you always do a great job.

2199
02:24:40,120 --> 02:24:45,640
 Great job outreach, great job working with staff, great job staff.

2200
02:24:45,640 --> 02:24:49,520
 This is a unique piece of property.

2201
02:24:49,520 --> 02:24:57,040
 I never thought in my life here that I would see four apartment complexes cross-race play

2202
02:24:57,040 --> 02:25:02,000
 little league baseball.

2203
02:25:02,000 --> 02:25:06,760
 The fear is, okay, if we don't go for the apartments, they're going to put two homes

2204
02:25:06,760 --> 02:25:08,560
 per acre and level everything.

2205
02:25:08,560 --> 02:25:10,600
 I doubt it.

2206
02:25:10,600 --> 02:25:14,300
 I don't think they will.

2207
02:25:14,300 --> 02:25:20,680
 You hear that a lot and I've been on this dais for, what, six years.

2208
02:25:20,680 --> 02:25:25,720
 There's always, I'm going to build up this beautiful Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae and

2209
02:25:25,720 --> 02:25:34,560
 it's going to have a massive, beautiful cherry on top, but don't look over here.

2210
02:25:34,560 --> 02:25:41,720
 I believe in people's property rights as strong as anyone, but I also know they're not going

2211
02:25:41,720 --> 02:25:49,120
 to put single family homes there, it's not going to do it.

2212
02:25:49,120 --> 02:25:53,760
 The applicant should be able to develop that property.

2213
02:25:53,760 --> 02:26:02,200
 I just, in my heart of hearts, cannot go for this apartment.

2214
02:26:02,200 --> 02:26:07,120
 If we gave every property owner a dent in carte blanche, then every square foot of this

2215
02:26:07,120 --> 02:26:10,200
 town is going to be an apartment complex.

2216
02:26:10,200 --> 02:26:11,200
 Why?

2217
02:26:11,200 --> 02:26:13,600
 Because that's the money.

2218
02:26:13,600 --> 02:26:17,520
 That's the money.

2219
02:26:17,520 --> 02:26:24,320
 Let everything else be damned, you know.

2220
02:26:24,320 --> 02:26:28,880
 I've seen a lot of change here.

2221
02:26:28,880 --> 02:26:37,720
 I've had my heart broken a thousand times seeing things that are gone.

2222
02:26:37,720 --> 02:26:42,940
 You know, I tore around there.

2223
02:26:42,940 --> 02:26:46,960
 There are ways to do, I'm for developing that property.

2224
02:26:46,960 --> 02:26:55,680
 That's fine, but for apartment complexes, it's a bridge too far for me.

2225
02:26:55,680 --> 02:27:03,200
 And I think this threat of two homes per acre is a threat.

2226
02:27:03,200 --> 02:27:08,640
 It makes you go, "Oh, well, I better go to this because they're going to do this."

2227
02:27:08,640 --> 02:27:13,920
 I've heard it 100 times in six years up here.

2228
02:27:13,920 --> 02:27:17,840
 So I can't support this.

2229
02:27:17,840 --> 02:27:29,080
 And I would love to see it develop sometime, but for apartment complexes, I can't do it.

2230
02:27:29,080 --> 02:27:30,080
 Okay.

2231
02:27:30,080 --> 02:27:33,420
 We've got a first and a second for approval.

2232
02:27:33,420 --> 02:27:35,560
 Is there any further discussion?

2233
02:27:35,560 --> 02:27:37,000
 Okay.

2234
02:27:37,000 --> 02:27:51,000
 Let's go ahead and vote, please.

2235
02:27:51,000 --> 02:27:54,920
 That motion will carry with a majority of three, two, and it will move forward then

2236
02:27:54,920 --> 02:27:59,720
 to city council on October 15th.

2237
02:27:59,720 --> 02:28:02,080
 Okay.

2238
02:28:02,080 --> 02:28:04,600
 That will take us to our final public hearing this evening.

2239
02:28:04,600 --> 02:28:09,240
 That is 5BZ240002.

2240
02:28:09,240 --> 02:28:14,520
 I will go ahead and open the public hearing, and Erin is here for presentation.

2241
02:28:14,520 --> 02:28:36,960
 Yeah, if you'll just give it a minute to while we let the chambers empty.

2242
02:28:36,960 --> 02:28:55,240
 Erin Stanley, assistant planner.

2243
02:28:55,240 --> 02:29:01,160
 This is Z24-0002, Mockingbird Lane rezoning.

2244
02:29:01,160 --> 02:29:07,060
 So this is a request to rezone approximately 2.6 acres from R2 to R4.

2245
02:29:07,060 --> 02:29:13,640
 The property is located generally south of Audre Lane and east of Mockingbird, and is

2246
02:29:13,640 --> 02:29:19,160
 undeveloped and has been undeveloped since annexation in 1960.

2247
02:29:19,160 --> 02:29:24,720
 And before I get into the previous actions taken, here is the current zoning and the

2248
02:29:24,720 --> 02:29:26,520
 requested zoning.

2249
02:29:26,520 --> 02:29:36,160
 And some of the differences here, the current zoning, R2, has a lot size of 16,000 square

2250
02:29:36,160 --> 02:29:42,240
 feet, and the requested zoning has a minimum lot size of 7,000 square feet.

2251
02:29:42,240 --> 02:29:50,520
 And some of the different uses allowed, predominantly both of these zoning districts are for single

2252
02:29:50,520 --> 02:29:53,000
 family uses.

2253
02:29:53,000 --> 02:30:00,480
 The R4 district would allow, with a specific use permit, town homes, duplexes, administrative,

2254
02:30:00,480 --> 02:30:03,920
 professional, and government offices, and bed and breakfasts.

2255
02:30:03,920 --> 02:30:10,320
 Again, those are with specific use permits, none of those would be permitted by right.

2256
02:30:10,320 --> 02:30:17,640
 So this request has come before this body before, under a different applicant and owner.

2257
02:30:17,640 --> 02:30:26,280
 In 2019, they did come before you with the same rezoning request, just exactly how you

2258
02:30:26,280 --> 02:30:31,080
 see it today, except they had a proposed site plan with it.

2259
02:30:31,080 --> 02:30:37,400
 Then it did come back with several reiterations of overlay districts, restricting to single

2260
02:30:37,400 --> 02:30:45,760
 family and then restricting the number of lots, taking out the duplexes in town homes.

2261
02:30:45,760 --> 02:30:51,440
 But ultimately, it never went to council for final approval, given some of the discussions

2262
02:30:51,440 --> 02:30:59,040
 that were had with the Planning and Zoning Commission and neighbors' comments.

2263
02:30:59,040 --> 02:31:05,160
 So staff did review this request, independent from the past, based on our development code,

2264
02:31:05,160 --> 02:31:10,920
 the criteria for all applications, as well as the rezoning criteria, and found that it

2265
02:31:10,920 --> 02:31:16,920
 is consistent with the goals and policies of the future land use map from the 2040 Comprehensive

2266
02:31:16,920 --> 02:31:23,480
 Plan, as well as the proposed zoning purpose statement for R4.

2267
02:31:23,480 --> 02:31:28,800
 No development is planned at this time, and when they come back for development, they

2268
02:31:28,800 --> 02:31:35,360
 will be required to comply with all DDC and other criteria, and this rezoning is not expected

2269
02:31:35,360 --> 02:31:43,800
 to generate significant adverse environmental infrastructure or fiscal impacts.

2270
02:31:43,800 --> 02:31:50,600
 The purpose statement of the proposed zoning district, R4, is shown here, and this request

2271
02:31:50,600 --> 02:31:55,600
 is consistent with the purpose statement, as the area is already residential and serves

2272
02:31:55,600 --> 02:32:00,520
 as a transition area between higher density residential and mixed use areas closer to

2273
02:32:00,520 --> 02:32:08,140
 the loop and 380, and transitions between that towards residential areas downtown.

2274
02:32:08,140 --> 02:32:18,520
 This also would maintain the existing character of residential in the area with the surrounding

2275
02:32:18,520 --> 02:32:28,780
 zoning of R4 to the south, and then further to the east and west.

2276
02:32:28,780 --> 02:32:35,480
 As for consistency with the future land use map, the site is designated low residential,

2277
02:32:35,480 --> 02:32:40,560
 and this is intended for predominantly single-family neighborhoods with lot sizes up to five units

2278
02:32:40,560 --> 02:32:47,880
 per acre gross density, and for distinct subdivision-style development.

2279
02:32:47,880 --> 02:32:55,880
 The proposed R4 district would allow 7,000-square-foot lots, which would equate to about six units

2280
02:32:55,880 --> 02:33:00,560
 per acre; however, this does not take into account any of the land area that would be

2281
02:33:00,560 --> 02:33:02,760
 needed for access.

2282
02:33:02,760 --> 02:33:07,960
 The panhandle portion of this lot would likely not have any residential lots on it due to

2283
02:33:07,960 --> 02:33:16,280
 the shape, and then for any access down south to reach any of the proposed lots.

2284
02:33:16,280 --> 02:33:22,540
 If you factor that area out of this, the max units they could probably fit on this property

2285
02:33:22,540 --> 02:33:29,640
 would be around 11, which would be closer to 4.23 units per acre gross density, which

2286
02:33:29,640 --> 02:33:37,640
 does fit with the low residential criteria there.

2287
02:33:37,640 --> 02:33:42,600
 This map is just to show the future land use map compared to what is current and what is

2288
02:33:42,600 --> 02:33:44,360
 requested.

2289
02:33:44,360 --> 02:33:50,920
 As you can see, there already is R2, R3, and R4 in this area, and all of these could be

2290
02:33:50,920 --> 02:33:59,660
 consistent with the future land use designation of low residential.

2291
02:33:59,660 --> 02:34:04,640
 The request does meet several goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan, including infill

2292
02:34:04,640 --> 02:34:06,680
 development.

2293
02:34:06,680 --> 02:34:10,520
 Infill development has slightly different definitions than the Comprehensive Plan and

2294
02:34:10,520 --> 02:34:16,400
 the DDC, but generally it's development of vacant land surrounded by existing development,

2295
02:34:16,400 --> 02:34:24,200
 and this property does have existing development on all sides of it, even if it varies in the

2296
02:34:24,200 --> 02:34:28,520
 density of development, all sides are developed.

2297
02:34:28,520 --> 02:34:33,720
 Since the Comprehensive Plan specifically calls out that the city should take every

2298
02:34:33,720 --> 02:34:39,080
 opportunity to ensure that as gaps in the neighborhood fabric occur, infill development

2299
02:34:39,080 --> 02:34:43,280
 is encouraged, complementing the scale and character of the neighborhood.

2300
02:34:43,280 --> 02:34:47,800
 As I previously stated, this property has been undeveloped roughly since its annexation

2301
02:34:47,800 --> 02:34:54,640
 in 1960.

2302
02:34:54,640 --> 02:35:03,560
 This proposal also is consistent with compact growth goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

2303
02:35:03,560 --> 02:35:10,040
 As shown in the graphic, the site is already served by public water and sewer.

2304
02:35:10,040 --> 02:35:15,000
 Audra as well as Mockingbird are collectors that would serve the property, and the star

2305
02:35:15,000 --> 02:35:26,960
 that you see to the west of the property is Audra Oaks Park, and that is within 1,000

2306
02:35:26,960 --> 02:35:34,200
 feet path of travel from this site, well within the Parks Department 10-minute walk goal for

2307
02:35:34,200 --> 02:35:35,520
 properties.

2308
02:35:35,520 --> 02:35:44,400
 And this would be, as infill would be, complies with the Comprehensive Plan to grow resourcefully

2309
02:35:44,400 --> 02:35:52,380
 with staged continuous and compatible growth.

2310
02:35:52,380 --> 02:36:02,560
 So this proposal also minimizes adverse impacts as well as it doesn't precisely match the

2311
02:36:02,560 --> 02:36:07,040
 growth or the current density of all the surrounding properties.

2312
02:36:07,040 --> 02:36:13,480
 The area is predominantly this similar R4 zoning density.

2313
02:36:13,480 --> 02:36:19,480
 And you can see the properties that are circled in red, so immediately to the south those

2314
02:36:19,480 --> 02:36:26,040
 are currently zoned R4 and have just over 7,000 square foot lot sizes consistent with

2315
02:36:26,040 --> 02:36:29,100
 most of the surrounding area.

2316
02:36:29,100 --> 02:36:33,480
 And then even the properties to the north, so the one single property that I circled

2317
02:36:33,480 --> 02:36:36,080
 north of this subject site.

2318
02:36:36,080 --> 02:36:41,960
 I wanted to point out that this property is just over 13,000 square feet, which would

2319
02:36:41,960 --> 02:36:47,640
 not be consistent with R2 zoning today if they were to redevelop or plat, that would

2320
02:36:47,640 --> 02:36:51,200
 not meet current R2 standards.

2321
02:36:51,200 --> 02:36:57,480
 So it would be difficult for some of these areas to develop under the current, to redevelop

2322
02:36:57,480 --> 02:37:05,680
 under the current R2 standards given the lot size that this has or the lot shape.

2323
02:37:05,680 --> 02:37:11,480
 And rezoning would facilitate harmonious development with the properties to the south as well as

2324
02:37:11,480 --> 02:37:15,360
 the general area.

2325
02:37:15,360 --> 02:37:21,360
 So this slide just shows some of the development patterns that have occurred since annexation.

2326
02:37:21,360 --> 02:37:26,560
 A lot of the development began in the '80s and you can see the splotchy sort of pattern

2327
02:37:26,560 --> 02:37:32,900
 of development and why it's expected future and future infill projects like this and this

2328
02:37:32,900 --> 02:37:41,640
 one as well, why we are seeing this more today and these requests are coming before you.

2329
02:37:41,640 --> 02:37:49,040
 So staff did notify residents and owners within 500 feet of the property and a sign was posted

2330
02:37:49,040 --> 02:37:53,160
 on the property on August 29th.

2331
02:37:53,160 --> 02:38:01,160
 Staff did receive five responses in opposition totaling 38.92% of the property within 200

2332
02:38:01,160 --> 02:38:02,160
 feet.

2333
02:38:02,160 --> 02:38:08,080
 And the applicant did have conversations with some of the adjacent residents and he is here

2334
02:38:08,080 --> 02:38:13,400
 to answer any questions if you have questions for him.

2335
02:38:13,400 --> 02:38:18,440
 And with that staff is recommending approval of the zoning change to R4 zoning district

2336
02:38:18,440 --> 02:38:23,680
 as it complies with the Denton Development Code criteria for general applications and

2337
02:38:23,680 --> 02:38:24,680
 for rezoning.

2338
02:38:24,680 --> 02:38:31,240
 And the next step would be City Council on October 15th and I'll stand for any questions.

2339
02:38:31,240 --> 02:38:33,080
 >> Thank you very much, Erin.

2340
02:38:33,080 --> 02:38:36,860
 Any questions right now for Erin?

2341
02:38:36,860 --> 02:38:38,400
 Thank you very much.

2342
02:38:38,400 --> 02:38:39,560
 This is a public hearing.

2343
02:38:39,560 --> 02:38:43,760
 I don't have any cards wishing to speak, but is there -- yep, come on up to the podium.

2344
02:38:43,760 --> 02:38:46,520
 If you'll state your name, your time will begin.

2345
02:38:46,520 --> 02:38:52,120
 >> Good afternoon, you got me up past my bed time.

2346
02:38:52,120 --> 02:38:53,120
 My name is B.J.

2347
02:38:53,120 --> 02:38:54,120
 Edwards.

2348
02:38:54,120 --> 02:39:03,200
 I've been a resident here in Denton off and on since '63, not that I really am that old.

2349
02:39:03,200 --> 02:39:09,800
 My family has the property, all the property on the east side of this development, the

2350
02:39:09,800 --> 02:39:19,760
 proposed development, and I'm here to 100% oppose the zone change from 2 to 4.

2351
02:39:19,760 --> 02:39:21,600
 They've tried to do this.

2352
02:39:21,600 --> 02:39:30,040
 This is the fourth time I've come here and probably about four years over the same thing.

2353
02:39:30,040 --> 02:39:36,320
 With I think what I've learned here is the way it's zoned now, they can put five or six

2354
02:39:36,320 --> 02:39:40,320
 homes in that 2.6 acres the way it is.

2355
02:39:40,320 --> 02:39:46,720
 There's things to be considered about the traffic we have now on Mockingbird at Audra,

2356
02:39:46,720 --> 02:39:50,980
 which is I think less than 100 feet away.

2357
02:39:50,980 --> 02:39:55,800
 It's a three-way intersection there.

2358
02:39:55,800 --> 02:39:58,860
 School buses and stuff, it's always a problem.

2359
02:39:58,860 --> 02:40:04,320
 And if you put multi-drillings in there, like an apartment building or whatever they want

2360
02:40:04,320 --> 02:40:10,080
 to call it, that's going to create a lot more traffic there, and there's no sidewalks to

2361
02:40:10,080 --> 02:40:13,960
 support it.

2362
02:40:13,960 --> 02:40:19,080
 We've got more than 20% of the bounding property there, and we do oppose.

2363
02:40:19,080 --> 02:40:26,640
 I know when it was here before this board once before, it didn't fit the criteria.

2364
02:40:26,640 --> 02:40:31,600
 And I wonder what might have changed to make it fit the criteria now.

2365
02:40:31,600 --> 02:40:36,800
 That's the last of the houses there with the big lots, and you can see straight to the

2366
02:40:36,800 --> 02:40:40,840
 south that they have all those packed in there.

2367
02:40:40,840 --> 02:40:43,360
 That's the last of them.

2368
02:40:43,360 --> 02:40:46,880
 We have one right beside of it.

2369
02:40:46,880 --> 02:40:52,600
 And all those houses you pointed out on the north side originally was part of that lot.

2370
02:40:52,600 --> 02:40:58,920
 That man died, the inheritors started selling off pieces, and so that's what happened with

2371
02:40:58,920 --> 02:41:04,000
 that one little sliver that lets them in from the west, the mockingbird.

2372
02:41:04,000 --> 02:41:06,760
 That part didn't get sold.

2373
02:41:06,760 --> 02:41:14,920
 But anyways, I just come before here and I oppose it, and those are my reasons.

2374
02:41:14,920 --> 02:41:18,160
 It's the last little green belt we got over there.

2375
02:41:18,160 --> 02:41:20,040
 Those aren't new homes around there.

2376
02:41:20,040 --> 02:41:21,740
 Those are older homes.

2377
02:41:21,740 --> 02:41:26,820
 The one I have, I think, was built in the '40s, the '50s, and the '60s.

2378
02:41:26,820 --> 02:41:31,480
 It's one of those like you were talking about, the Evers House, I hate to see leave, because

2379
02:41:31,480 --> 02:41:34,400
 Evers is part of Denton's history.

2380
02:41:34,400 --> 02:41:38,520
 I hate to see us lose Denton history, but we are.

2381
02:41:38,520 --> 02:41:43,040
 We're losing razor, we're losing bass, we're losing coal.

2382
02:41:43,040 --> 02:41:47,880
 We're losing a lot of good, and I hate to see that go, but that's different.

2383
02:41:47,880 --> 02:41:51,460
 This doesn't relate to history or historical.

2384
02:41:51,460 --> 02:41:55,480
 If you saw how the house was built, you'd think it was historical, because that's back

2385
02:41:55,480 --> 02:41:58,760
 when they had a basic house and then when they could afford it, they'd had a bathroom

2386
02:41:58,760 --> 02:42:01,000
 or they'd had a laundry room.

2387
02:42:01,000 --> 02:42:03,840
 It's built in sections.

2388
02:42:03,840 --> 02:42:09,480
 But anyways, I do oppose this, don't change, because we don't have much crime there now.

2389
02:42:09,480 --> 02:42:13,040
 Enough of it moved out there.

2390
02:42:13,040 --> 02:42:19,520
 When we revamped that nursing home for the homeless people, now we have trash where they're

2391
02:42:19,520 --> 02:42:20,640
 coming from downtown.

2392
02:42:20,640 --> 02:42:25,280
 They got them out of downtown, they take them out there, so they go back and forth.

2393
02:42:25,280 --> 02:42:29,320
 And that'll just add to more traffic, it'll add to the theft.

2394
02:42:29,320 --> 02:42:33,960
 The economy's getting worse and the theft's gonna get worse.

2395
02:42:33,960 --> 02:42:40,800
 So I'm opposed to cramming in more addresses in that very small spot.

2396
02:42:40,800 --> 02:42:41,800
 Thank you for your time.

2397
02:42:41,800 --> 02:42:42,800
 Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

2398
02:42:42,800 --> 02:42:43,800
 Appreciate you being here past the best time.

2399
02:42:43,800 --> 02:42:44,800
 Any questions for me?

2400
02:42:44,800 --> 02:42:45,800
 Do we have any questions?

2401
02:42:45,800 --> 02:42:46,800
 Thank you for your time.

2402
02:42:46,800 --> 02:42:47,800
 I appreciate it.

2403
02:42:47,800 --> 02:42:48,800
 Thank you.

2404
02:42:48,800 --> 02:42:56,320
 I don't have any other cards in front of me, but is there anyone else wishing to speak?

2405
02:42:56,320 --> 02:42:57,320
 Yeah, sure.

2406
02:42:57,320 --> 02:42:58,320
 Come on down.

2407
02:42:58,320 --> 02:42:59,320
 You take your time.

2408
02:42:59,320 --> 02:43:13,360
 Hi there, if you'll give us your name, your time will begin.

2409
02:43:13,360 --> 02:43:15,600
 I'm Melody Ostrom.

2410
02:43:15,600 --> 02:43:21,240
 I live, my driveway is right across the street from that property.

2411
02:43:21,240 --> 02:43:31,920
 And there's a house right next to it and a house right next to that that has a lot, chickens.

2412
02:43:31,920 --> 02:43:37,200
 And I just can't imagine the traffic there would be terrible.

2413
02:43:37,200 --> 02:43:41,620
 And there's a great, I don't even know how they'd configure that lot.

2414
02:43:41,620 --> 02:43:45,760
 When you go across the street, there's a great big lump that goes all the way across that

2415
02:43:45,760 --> 02:43:46,760
 street.

2416
02:43:46,760 --> 02:43:49,760
 They'd have to completely reconfigure it.

2417
02:43:49,760 --> 02:43:53,480
 And I'm opposed to it.

2418
02:43:53,480 --> 02:43:58,000
 I wouldn't like it at all, especially being right across the street from me, because I

2419
02:43:58,000 --> 02:44:01,840
 live on the corner of Auburn and Marketport.

2420
02:44:01,840 --> 02:44:07,520
 In my driveway, it's right across the street from that sign that says zoning.

2421
02:44:07,520 --> 02:44:09,640
 So I'm very opposed to it.

2422
02:44:09,640 --> 02:44:12,120
 Thank you for letting us know your thoughts.

2423
02:44:12,120 --> 02:44:15,760
 Appreciate that.

2424
02:44:15,760 --> 02:44:18,680
 Is there anyone else wishing to speak on this item?

2425
02:44:18,680 --> 02:44:19,680
 Okay.

2426
02:44:19,680 --> 02:44:23,600
 I do have one card that I'll read into the record.

2427
02:44:23,600 --> 02:44:28,240
 In opposition, not wishing to speak, and that is Shannon Koch.

2428
02:44:28,240 --> 02:44:29,240
 Okay.

2429
02:44:29,240 --> 02:44:31,880
 Thank you.

2430
02:44:31,880 --> 02:44:32,880
 Thank you.

2431
02:44:32,880 --> 02:44:33,880
 All right.

2432
02:44:33,880 --> 02:44:37,680
 Seeing no one else wishing to speak on this item, I'll go ahead and close the public hearing

2433
02:44:37,680 --> 02:44:40,480
 and open the floor for discussion or motion.

2434
02:44:40,480 --> 02:44:41,480
 Commissioner Villarreal.

2435
02:44:41,480 --> 02:44:42,480
 Is the applicant here today?

2436
02:44:42,480 --> 02:44:43,480
 Yes.

2437
02:44:43,480 --> 02:44:51,160
 I have a few questions for the applicant.

2438
02:44:51,160 --> 02:44:52,160
 Thank you for being here.

2439
02:44:52,160 --> 02:44:53,160
 Yes, sir.

2440
02:44:53,160 --> 02:44:57,740
 I guess my question is with the past contention this property's had before this commission

2441
02:44:57,740 --> 02:45:04,200
 and in front of city council, why wasn't there a public meeting held openly for what the

2442
02:45:04,200 --> 02:45:09,200
 public to have these conversations, have these tough conversations and hash it out before

2443
02:45:09,200 --> 02:45:10,200
 getting here?

2444
02:45:10,200 --> 02:45:11,200
 Yeah, absolutely.

2445
02:45:11,200 --> 02:45:14,840
 It's a great question.

2446
02:45:14,840 --> 02:45:20,200
 This project is one a little bit outside of the normal for me personally.

2447
02:45:20,200 --> 02:45:21,600
 I'm a local resident.

2448
02:45:21,600 --> 02:45:22,960
 I live here in Denton.

2449
02:45:22,960 --> 02:45:30,080
 In fact, my personal residence is less than half of a mile away from this specific location.

2450
02:45:30,080 --> 02:45:33,480
 This is a zoning without any development plans.

2451
02:45:33,480 --> 02:45:39,200
 There is no significant volume of trees or anything.

2452
02:45:39,200 --> 02:45:44,720
 Being a person that comes from a rural community myself, seeing a spot like this, I absolutely

2453
02:45:44,720 --> 02:45:50,840
 understand it's ... I would always love to keep things as rural as possible.

2454
02:45:50,840 --> 02:45:58,000
 My client specifically had purchased this land hoping to someday develop it.

2455
02:45:58,000 --> 02:46:04,800
 They did not find the opportunity to where it was feasible for them and for their business.

2456
02:46:04,800 --> 02:46:10,240
 Whenever they had asked me to bring it forward for a rezoning opportunity, it was with no

2457
02:46:10,240 --> 02:46:16,840
 intention of development, only to resell, no loss of trees, no land clearing proposals

2458
02:46:16,840 --> 02:46:23,760
 or anything of the nature, and it was conducive with everything else going on around it.

2459
02:46:23,760 --> 02:46:31,080
 I was not personally aware of past specific issues with this land, other than what was

2460
02:46:31,080 --> 02:46:37,960
 given to me from the investor who owns the land right now.

2461
02:46:37,960 --> 02:46:45,120
 He had said that from his purchase of this property that the last owners had brought

2462
02:46:45,120 --> 02:46:51,880
 it forth for a rezone, but with a application for development on it as well, and that they

2463
02:46:51,880 --> 02:46:56,080
 had seemed to have given up in the middle of the process.

2464
02:46:56,080 --> 02:47:01,640
 I saw that at one point they did bring that forward, but in this case we're looking to

2465
02:47:01,640 --> 02:47:05,720
 just simply bring the zoning and to match it with everything else.

2466
02:47:05,720 --> 02:47:12,120
 Now I will say my client is not a local resident of Denton.

2467
02:47:12,120 --> 02:47:19,960
 He was looking to, as an investor, even match the zoning to the north and east of the property.

2468
02:47:19,960 --> 02:47:25,320
 Whether off of McKinney, similar to that of Good Lane and Bayfield Drive, or there was

2469
02:47:25,320 --> 02:47:31,000
 a higher density housing multifamily home right there, I had personally advised him

2470
02:47:31,000 --> 02:47:35,680
 that in this area of town it would be much better for the local community to have it

2471
02:47:35,680 --> 02:47:40,720
 more as an R4 than pushing forward towards something like an R7 or anything similar to

2472
02:47:40,720 --> 02:47:41,720
 it.

2473
02:47:41,720 --> 02:47:47,120
 And so this is where we're at right now, but I'm happy to answer any other questions

2474
02:47:47,120 --> 02:47:50,520
 of residents or the commission.

2475
02:47:50,520 --> 02:47:51,520
 Thank you.

2476
02:47:51,520 --> 02:47:55,120
 Appreciate that, and I appreciate you not coming up with us with an R7.

2477
02:47:55,120 --> 02:47:56,120
 Yeah.

2478
02:47:56,120 --> 02:47:57,120
 All right.

2479
02:47:57,120 --> 02:47:58,120
 You know.

2480
02:47:58,120 --> 02:47:59,120
 Doin' my part.

2481
02:47:59,120 --> 02:48:04,520
 Yeah, I didn't see any other questions.

2482
02:48:04,520 --> 02:48:08,920
 Thank you very much for being here.

2483
02:48:08,920 --> 02:48:13,760
 Could I actually speak to one of the comments made also by one of the residents?

2484
02:48:13,760 --> 02:48:14,760
 Yeah, go ahead.

2485
02:48:14,760 --> 02:48:15,760
 I'll let you do that.

2486
02:48:15,760 --> 02:48:16,760
 Sure.

2487
02:48:16,760 --> 02:48:22,960
 We did do a traffic analysis report, because like I said, I personally live less than half

2488
02:48:22,960 --> 02:48:27,440
 of a mile away from this location and drive through it almost on a daily basis.

2489
02:48:27,440 --> 02:48:36,460
 The traffic analysis report, if a purchaser of this property from my client were to develop

2490
02:48:36,460 --> 02:48:41,960
 according to the housing density with all of the surrounding R4, the increase of traffic

2491
02:48:41,960 --> 02:48:48,240
 there in that area, given that there needs to be a public access road built into it from

2492
02:48:48,240 --> 02:48:55,320
 that panhandle shape, as Aaron mentioned, the density of homes would not really allow

2493
02:48:55,320 --> 02:49:02,080
 for any significant impact on the local community as far as traffic there on Audre Lane or on

2494
02:49:02,080 --> 02:49:03,080
 Mockingbird.

2495
02:49:03,080 --> 02:49:08,980
 But yeah, I just wanted to make sure that the local community even knew that was taken

2496
02:49:08,980 --> 02:49:09,980
 into account.

2497
02:49:09,980 --> 02:49:15,920
 We did do a traffic analysis report as requested and it was very nominal impact on the area.

2498
02:49:15,920 --> 02:49:16,920
 Thank you for sharing that.

2499
02:49:16,920 --> 02:49:17,920
 Appreciate it.

2500
02:49:17,920 --> 02:49:18,920
 Commissioner Perrett.

2501
02:49:18,920 --> 02:49:24,520
 A question for staff.

2502
02:49:24,520 --> 02:49:30,760
 Help me understand when we have sort of a small flag lot subdivision potential, if you

2503
02:49:30,760 --> 02:49:36,920
 will, as that goes through the development process, assuming it already had the zoning

2504
02:49:36,920 --> 02:49:50,280
 that they wanted to apply for, how would the proportionality of street improvements apply?

2505
02:49:50,280 --> 02:49:56,640
 I guess I'm thinking if this was the same acreage but it fronted Mockingbird Street,

2506
02:49:56,640 --> 02:50:02,840
 then my understanding of our zoning ordinance is that it would require adding sidewalks

2507
02:50:02,840 --> 02:50:08,100
 along that side of Mockingbird Street, for instance, or at least dedication of the land

2508
02:50:08,100 --> 02:50:12,960
 and some amount of that.

2509
02:50:12,960 --> 02:50:18,000
 Would that also be true when it's a flag lot subdivision or not?

2510
02:50:18,000 --> 02:50:22,360
 I'm not sure I know the answer to that one.

2511
02:50:22,360 --> 02:50:26,600
 Haley, keep me honest.

2512
02:50:26,600 --> 02:50:32,000
 So the proportionality comes into play typically with the permanent roadway improvements.

2513
02:50:32,000 --> 02:50:36,640
 So given that this property has frontage on Mockingbird, if we needed to have right of

2514
02:50:36,640 --> 02:50:42,440
 way dedication and street improvements, then we would evaluate those improvements in accordance

2515
02:50:42,440 --> 02:50:46,720
 with what's being proposed associated with the development to ensure the proportionality

2516
02:50:46,720 --> 02:50:48,360
 pencils out.

2517
02:50:48,360 --> 02:50:53,880
 The interior streets, like the local residential streets, that's the responsibility of the

2518
02:50:53,880 --> 02:50:55,280
 developer at that time.

2519
02:50:55,280 --> 02:50:59,480
 And so that proportionality assessment is not done because those are the local streets.

2520
02:50:59,480 --> 02:51:03,760
 That just kicks in on the perimeter roadway improvements.

2521
02:51:03,760 --> 02:51:06,280
 Okay.

2522
02:51:06,280 --> 02:51:07,280
 Thank you for that.

2523
02:51:07,280 --> 02:51:09,920
 That helps me understand.

2524
02:51:09,920 --> 02:51:20,320
 I am sensitive to the history of this area of town, be it that there were policy decisions

2525
02:51:20,320 --> 02:51:32,560
 and opportunities of where property and buildings were available to be able to build the...

2526
02:51:32,560 --> 02:51:36,640
 Or renovate the shelter out on Loop 288.

2527
02:51:36,640 --> 02:51:42,280
 I'm also sensitive to the fact that we're then putting a population out there who largely

2528
02:51:42,280 --> 02:51:49,680
 right now have to walk across Audra that has no sidewalks and then down Mockingbird which

2529
02:51:49,680 --> 02:51:53,040
 has no sidewalks until you get to Paisley.

2530
02:51:53,040 --> 02:51:54,040
 So yeah.

2531
02:51:54,040 --> 02:51:55,040
 That's for him.

2532
02:51:55,040 --> 02:51:56,040
 Thank you.

2533
02:51:56,040 --> 02:52:05,840
 Erin, while you're up there, can you put, oh, maybe you didn't have the proposed zoning

2534
02:52:05,840 --> 02:52:06,840
 in your...

2535
02:52:06,840 --> 02:52:07,840
 Proposed zoning?

2536
02:52:07,840 --> 02:52:08,840
 Yeah.

2537
02:52:08,840 --> 02:52:09,840
 This one?

2538
02:52:09,840 --> 02:52:10,840
 Yeah.

2539
02:52:10,840 --> 02:52:24,320
 This is going to be the fourth time that I have seen this request, and there's really

2540
02:52:24,320 --> 02:52:25,600
 not a whole lot different.

2541
02:52:25,600 --> 02:52:31,960
 This just doesn't have the overlay component that the other couple of times had.

2542
02:52:31,960 --> 02:52:39,880
 When we talk about trying to continue the zoning, we're not really continuing our four

2543
02:52:39,880 --> 02:52:40,880
 zoning here.

2544
02:52:40,880 --> 02:52:44,800
 We're sticking our four zoning in the middle of R2 zoning.

2545
02:52:44,800 --> 02:52:46,120
 That's really what we're doing.

2546
02:52:46,120 --> 02:52:50,200
 This piece of property is surrounded by R2.

2547
02:52:50,200 --> 02:52:54,240
 This property has sold multiple times.

2548
02:52:54,240 --> 02:53:01,120
 All of the listings that I researched today, they all say, "Come build your home.

2549
02:53:01,120 --> 02:53:08,720
 Nice home site that you can still find in Denton where you can build your home and still

2550
02:53:08,720 --> 02:53:16,560
 have some room."

2551
02:53:16,560 --> 02:53:22,120
 When this was brought before us, at best an engineer got up here and said they could put

2552
02:53:22,120 --> 02:53:24,440
 maybe nine homes.

2553
02:53:24,440 --> 02:53:28,200
 They had said then they would love to get 10, but he couldn't figure out a way to get

2554
02:53:28,200 --> 02:53:32,440
 10, so he could put nine.

2555
02:53:32,440 --> 02:53:38,720
 Again, even with that, it's not compatible with what it is.

2556
02:53:38,720 --> 02:53:43,840
 It doesn't continue any kind of zoning on the property of the south or the property

2557
02:53:43,840 --> 02:53:45,920
 to the cross-mockingbird.

2558
02:53:45,920 --> 02:53:51,680
 It doesn't do that.

2559
02:53:51,680 --> 02:54:00,000
 I don't feel that our role is to help a property owner make a profit on their investment.

2560
02:54:00,000 --> 02:54:06,000
 I just don't think that's a consideration, and I feel like that's what this request feels

2561
02:54:06,000 --> 02:54:07,920
 like.

2562
02:54:07,920 --> 02:54:14,420
 Knowing it actually has been on the market for over a year and it hasn't sold yet.

2563
02:54:14,420 --> 02:54:22,400
 Knowing that this is a straight zoning request of R4 without any kind of plan or protection

2564
02:54:22,400 --> 02:54:24,280
 in place.

2565
02:54:24,280 --> 02:54:26,280
 Townhomes and duplexes are allowed in R4.

2566
02:54:26,280 --> 02:54:29,920
 Yes, they need an SUP, but an SUP doesn't mean that that's a zoning stop.

2567
02:54:29,920 --> 02:54:31,720
 That doesn't mean that that couldn't happen.

2568
02:54:31,720 --> 02:54:37,880
 If we change it to R4, the next owner, maybe they buy it then, and they come up here and

2569
02:54:37,880 --> 02:54:41,180
 they ask for an SUP.

2570
02:54:41,180 --> 02:54:43,560
 That certainly doesn't fit.

2571
02:54:43,560 --> 02:54:46,480
 That's how you're going to make your money on that, is if you can put some duplexes or

2572
02:54:46,480 --> 02:54:49,320
 townhomes in there.

2573
02:54:49,320 --> 02:54:52,840
 That's what they're doing on Bayfield down at the end of Audra, but that's not what this

2574
02:54:52,840 --> 02:54:58,680
 piece of property is.

2575
02:54:58,680 --> 02:55:05,120
 There's no significant changes since we heard this last in 2020.

2576
02:55:05,120 --> 02:55:06,120
 Mockingbird's still a mess.

2577
02:55:06,120 --> 02:55:08,440
 It still doesn't have sidewalks like you pointed out.

2578
02:55:08,440 --> 02:55:09,880
 It's still very narrow.

2579
02:55:09,880 --> 02:55:13,560
 It's still heavily congested at school time when a bus is trying to get through there.

2580
02:55:13,560 --> 02:55:17,760
 If you're trying to get your car through there or your kids are trying to walk and maneuver,

2581
02:55:17,760 --> 02:55:18,760
 it's bad.

2582
02:55:18,760 --> 02:55:19,760
 Mockingbird is bad.

2583
02:55:19,760 --> 02:55:21,680
 We've talked about that for years and years.

2584
02:55:21,680 --> 02:55:27,200
 Unfortunately, it's down the list on our road improvements.

2585
02:55:27,200 --> 02:55:30,880
 Anyway, I just wanted to give you history because I think I'm the only one sitting up

2586
02:55:30,880 --> 02:55:35,320
 here who has heard this item.

2587
02:55:35,320 --> 02:55:41,120
 Maybe Commissioner Cole was on it then, I'm not sure, but anyway, I just wanted to share

2588
02:55:41,120 --> 02:55:46,120
 my thoughts as to where my brain is thinking.

2589
02:55:46,120 --> 02:55:49,040
 Commissioner Villarreal, I see you on the board.

2590
02:55:49,040 --> 02:55:50,840
 Yes, for a motion.

2591
02:55:50,840 --> 02:55:56,980
 I move denial for a lot of the reasons already stated today from the lack of knowledge as

2592
02:55:56,980 --> 02:56:02,520
 to what is going to be put here, to the lack of community meeting to discuss what could

2593
02:56:02,520 --> 02:56:08,200
 be put here, and of course, the fact that we're shoving this in to an R2 area.

2594
02:56:08,200 --> 02:56:13,180
 With all that being said, I am moving denial of this request.

2595
02:56:13,180 --> 02:56:14,180
 Commissioner Cole?

2596
02:56:14,180 --> 02:56:15,180
 Second.

2597
02:56:15,180 --> 02:56:16,180
 Okay.

2598
02:56:16,180 --> 02:56:18,460
 We've got a first and a second for denial.

2599
02:56:18,460 --> 02:56:21,160
 Is there any discussion?

2600
02:56:21,160 --> 02:56:22,160
 Commissioner Pruitt?

2601
02:56:22,160 --> 02:56:29,480
 I'll just say, I understand the history, I did go back and look at some of those meetings.

2602
02:56:29,480 --> 02:56:38,980
 Some of them I watched and may have called into, I don't remember exactly, so if you're

2603
02:56:38,980 --> 02:56:49,880
 interested, you can go back to the 29th, anyway.

2604
02:56:49,880 --> 02:56:54,000
 I'll just say, I do commend the request for a straight zoning.

2605
02:56:54,000 --> 02:57:03,440
 I know that we always feel happy and fuzzy with the cherry on top when we get a plan

2606
02:57:03,440 --> 02:57:14,560
 that looks like a finished building, but there is value to having clear, simple regulations

2607
02:57:14,560 --> 02:57:21,040
 behind what somebody can do with their property as opposed to something that was created.

2608
02:57:21,040 --> 02:57:30,040
 We've seen PDs and PD amendments from the '80s, and it's like a crooked, photocopied,

2609
02:57:30,040 --> 02:57:34,880
 purple print, whatever they used to call those things, stuff.

2610
02:57:34,880 --> 02:57:46,880
 Anyway, so in general, I'm for straight zonings in places that need to kind of breathe, but

2611
02:57:46,880 --> 02:57:56,080
 I also think Chair's comments about why now are very cogent.

2612
02:57:56,080 --> 02:57:57,080
 Thank you for that.

2613
02:57:57,080 --> 02:57:58,080
 Sure.

2614
02:57:58,080 --> 02:57:59,080
 Thank you.

2615
02:57:59,080 --> 02:58:01,160
 All right, first and a second for denial.

2616
02:58:01,160 --> 02:58:03,200
 Is there any further discussion?

2617
02:58:03,200 --> 02:58:19,720
 Okay, we'll go ahead and vote, and it would be a yes to deny or a no for yes, okay.

2618
02:58:19,720 --> 02:58:24,920
 That motion is going to carry 5-0.

2619
02:58:24,920 --> 02:58:34,740
 That will bring us to our planning and zoning matrix, and I will turn it over to Tina.

2620
02:58:34,740 --> 02:58:35,960
 Thank you, Chair.

2621
02:58:35,960 --> 02:58:37,560
 Not much to report this evening.

2622
02:58:37,560 --> 02:58:44,760
 I think we did go ahead and update the matrix and added just a past tense date related to

2623
02:58:44,760 --> 02:58:50,840
 the comp plan action items to document that we did that as well, and we'll go ahead and

2624
02:58:50,840 --> 02:58:55,320
 Chair Ellis, if you feel like our presentation this evening during work session addressed

2625
02:58:55,320 --> 02:58:58,480
 to your item on the matrix, we'll go ahead and remove that.

2626
02:58:58,480 --> 02:58:59,480
 Sure, sounds good.

2627
02:58:59,480 --> 02:59:00,480
 Thank you for doing that.

2628
02:59:00,480 --> 02:59:01,480
 You're welcome.

2629
02:59:01,480 --> 02:59:07,720
 In terms of council action on any cases that the commission may have seen, let's see, since

2630
02:59:07,720 --> 02:59:11,840
 your last meeting on the 28th of August, council has not had any meetings, so I have nothing

2631
02:59:11,840 --> 02:59:13,880
 to report on that front.

2632
02:59:13,880 --> 02:59:19,160
 We do have several items that are slated to go on the 17th if you're keeping track, so

2633
02:59:19,160 --> 02:59:24,240
 we've got a busy meeting there and then through the end of the year with projects, but otherwise

2634
02:59:24,240 --> 02:59:25,240
 nothing else to report.

2635
02:59:25,240 --> 02:59:26,240
 So thank you.

2636
02:59:26,240 --> 02:59:27,240
 Thank you.

2637
02:59:27,240 --> 02:59:29,360
 Is there anything else to add to the matrix?

2638
02:59:29,360 --> 02:59:30,360
 No?

2639
02:59:30,360 --> 02:59:37,760
 Tina, it's not really a matrix item, I guess, so maybe it falls into concluding items, but

2640
02:59:37,760 --> 02:59:44,960
 just bringing up my point again about platting standard, I don't know if I can get maybe

2641
02:59:44,960 --> 02:59:51,040
 a little, we could get a workup of your answer to why we don't do things the same.

2642
02:59:51,040 --> 02:59:54,520
 I know you mentioned something about different people looking at it, but I'm still a little

2643
02:59:54,520 --> 03:00:02,040
 bit fuzzy on why we don't do gas well designations on subdivision plots the same.

2644
03:00:02,040 --> 03:00:03,080
 I don't understand.

2645
03:00:03,080 --> 03:00:08,440
 So if we could get some kind of note that just clarifies that with more understanding,

2646
03:00:08,440 --> 03:00:14,400
 or better yet, how about a process for doing it all the same, even better?

2647
03:00:14,400 --> 03:00:21,600
 And then if we could get a presentation on the tree fund, I would love that.

2648
03:00:21,600 --> 03:00:27,480
 I don't know how everybody else feels about that, but I know that's something that we

2649
03:00:27,480 --> 03:00:28,480
 have discussed in the past.

2650
03:00:28,480 --> 03:00:33,280
 It's been a long time since we've discussed that, certainly before our tree code was redone,

2651
03:00:33,280 --> 03:00:34,540
 I know.

2652
03:00:34,540 --> 03:00:39,720
 So I think to just kind of get an update on how that's done, where those are going, and

2653
03:00:39,720 --> 03:00:42,040
 how often it's used, and that would be fantastic.

2654
03:00:42,040 --> 03:00:43,040
 Sure thing.

2655
03:00:43,040 --> 03:00:48,480
 We can, we'll look into your first request item, and I understand your sensitivity associated

2656
03:00:48,480 --> 03:00:51,280
 with that, and we can definitely look at something for gas wells.

2657
03:00:51,280 --> 03:00:55,640
 It's just like, you know, I have a preference for property lines being shown a certain way

2658
03:00:55,640 --> 03:00:59,480
 on plots and would love every engineer who does work within our community to draw them

2659
03:00:59,480 --> 03:01:04,200
 the way that I would like them to, but I know in that scenario, with the volume of work,

2660
03:01:04,200 --> 03:01:05,200
 that's not reasonable.

2661
03:01:05,200 --> 03:01:10,080
 But I think with respect to the gas well notations, we can definitely look at something that's

2662
03:01:10,080 --> 03:01:15,120
 a little more standardized, given the unique aspect associated with those gas wells, and

2663
03:01:15,120 --> 03:01:18,240
 then definitely we can get a presentation on Tree Fund.

2664
03:01:18,240 --> 03:01:22,640
 We'll call on our friend, Mr. Packin, to have his staff help us out on that.

2665
03:01:22,640 --> 03:01:23,640
 Sure.

2666
03:01:23,640 --> 03:01:24,640
 Great.

2667
03:01:24,640 --> 03:01:25,640
 Okay.

2668
03:01:25,640 --> 03:01:26,640
 Commissioner Pruitt.

2669
03:01:26,640 --> 03:01:27,640
 Thank you, Chair.

2670
03:01:27,640 --> 03:01:34,720
 I really appreciate those two requests, and if it makes sense, along with the Tree Fund,

2671
03:01:34,720 --> 03:01:39,540
 I would appreciate some guidance from staff and maybe feedback from this body as far as

2672
03:01:39,540 --> 03:01:49,360
 if there are ways to make sure impacts to specific neighborhoods with development, if

2673
03:01:49,360 --> 03:01:56,440
 there are Tree Fund dollars that they get used there quickly.

2674
03:01:56,440 --> 03:02:01,920
 And then on the question of the gas wells, I appreciate that.

2675
03:02:01,920 --> 03:02:12,280
 There was a question a couple of years ago, or maybe a year and a half ago, about impact

2676
03:02:12,280 --> 03:02:20,120
 when there is a gas well outside of city limits that then puts city limits property within

2677
03:02:20,120 --> 03:02:29,260
 500 feet or 1250, depending on the consideration of whether it's a reverse setback or a forward

2678
03:02:29,260 --> 03:02:31,600
 setback.

2679
03:02:31,600 --> 03:02:38,040
 I don't recall a conclusion or resolution to that item of discussion.

2680
03:02:38,040 --> 03:02:41,260
 It was something at council, and then we mentioned it here.

2681
03:02:41,260 --> 03:02:45,360
 If there already was a resolution, I don't think we need to add anything to the plat

2682
03:02:45,360 --> 03:02:49,720
 thing, but if there wasn't, I'd appreciate an update maybe along with that, since it

2683
03:02:49,720 --> 03:02:51,840
 still deals with gas wells.

2684
03:02:51,840 --> 03:02:56,600
 What we could do is we could do a presentation to the commission for your benefit, because

2685
03:02:56,600 --> 03:03:02,680
 not every day you see requests that have gas wells involved, but what we can do is do a

2686
03:03:02,680 --> 03:03:07,640
 presentation and, to your point, address that reverse gas well setback and how that comes

2687
03:03:07,640 --> 03:03:08,640
 into play.

2688
03:03:08,640 --> 03:03:12,700
 We can address it for both properties that are within the city limits, and then if the

2689
03:03:12,700 --> 03:03:17,440
 gas well is outside the city limits, how that might impact, because I think there's been

2690
03:03:17,440 --> 03:03:23,440
 some determinations made on how that applies, but we can bring you a primer presentation

2691
03:03:23,440 --> 03:03:24,440
 on that if that works.

2692
03:03:24,440 --> 03:03:25,440
 Thank you.

2693
03:03:25,440 --> 03:03:26,440
 Thank you.

2694
03:03:26,440 --> 03:03:27,440
 Thank you.

2695
03:03:27,440 --> 03:03:28,440
 Okay.

2696
03:03:28,440 --> 03:03:29,440
 See nothing else there.

2697
03:03:29,440 --> 03:03:31,560
 I'll go ahead and adjourn this at 8.36 p.m.

2698
03:03:31,560 --> 03:03:32,560
 Thank you very much, everyone.