Agenda No. 16.
CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
| City Council Meeting: | October 15, 2024 |
| Department: | Planning & Community Development |
| Subject: | Workshop regarding Planned Development Districts (PDDs) (B.James/L.Wood/E.Delgado) |
BACKGROUND
Based on discussions at City Council, this will be a workshop regarding Planned Development Districts (PDDs) including information from the Unified Development Code, discussion on existing PDD's within Schertz, and a discussion on how Planned Development Districts should be utilized moving forward. That being said, the core issue may be less about the particulars of how PDDs are utilized and more about how the City evaluates rezoning proposals in light of the vision we have for our City in the future. As part of the recent conversations during the development of the Strategic Plan somewhat different visions and philosophies emerged. These different visions and philosophies can be seen in comments made at public hearings during zoning cases. Some comments emphasize the desire for the City to develop quickly while other comments emphasize sacrificing the rate of development for development that is more in line with community desires and goals, even if this means not approving a particular zoning case.
It is not uncommon for cities to have different approaches in considering zoning cases, with some being more apt to approve a rezoning request if it does not create significant problems, while other cities evaluate the degree to which a proposed request improves the situation - not only for the larger city in the long term but also the immediate area in the near future.
Often it comes down to whether to deny a rezoning request because it is not the right project in the right place, meaning at a different location the project would be viewed positively, but the location the developer has chosen causes it to not be.
A comment often mentioned at Council is that property owners have a right to develop their property. Under State Law, property owners have a right to develop their property as allowed under the current zoning. They don't have a right to develop their property however they wish - unless Council chooses to approve a rezoning to a zoning district allowing that use.
At the end of the day it is really about where we choose to set the bar in considering rezoning requests and establishing development standards and to what degree we are willing to say no to requests that don't fit that vision.
It is not uncommon for cities to have different approaches in considering zoning cases, with some being more apt to approve a rezoning request if it does not create significant problems, while other cities evaluate the degree to which a proposed request improves the situation - not only for the larger city in the long term but also the immediate area in the near future.
Often it comes down to whether to deny a rezoning request because it is not the right project in the right place, meaning at a different location the project would be viewed positively, but the location the developer has chosen causes it to not be.
A comment often mentioned at Council is that property owners have a right to develop their property. Under State Law, property owners have a right to develop their property as allowed under the current zoning. They don't have a right to develop their property however they wish - unless Council chooses to approve a rezoning to a zoning district allowing that use.
At the end of the day it is really about where we choose to set the bar in considering rezoning requests and establishing development standards and to what degree we are willing to say no to requests that don't fit that vision.