Agenda - View Meetings (All) (2487392008)

MINUTES

The Development Services Committee of the City of Garland convened in regular session at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 14, 2023, in the Work Session Room, 200 North Fifth Street, Garland, Texas, with the following members:

Present:

Dylan Hedrick, Chair

Jeff Bass, Mayor Pro Tem

Deborah Morris, Council Member

Staff Present:

Andy Hesser, Assistant City Manager

Shawn Roten, Sr. Assistant City Attorney

Bob Goodwin, Assistant to the City Manager

Will Guerin, Planning Director

Brita Van Horne, Building Official

Eric Lovett, Fire Assistant Chief

Rick Barker, Code Compliance Director

Ziad Kharrat, Parks Special Projects Administrator

Letecia McNatt, Downtown Development Office BusinessDevelopment Manager

Shawn Weinstein, Code Compliance Manager

Courtney Vanover, Secretary

AGENDA:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Approval of the Minutes of the July 17, 2023 meeting.

Motion was made by Council Member Morris to approve the minutes as presented and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Bass. The motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENTS
Persons who desire to address the Committee on any item on the agenda are allowed three minutes to speak. Testimony may be held until the item is considered or given at the beginning of any committee meeting. Invited testimony may also occur at any time, subject to a request of the Member of the Committee and with the approval of the Committee Chairperson.

ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION

Discuss Policy Options for the Re-use of Vacant Commercial Buildings

Brita Van Horne, Building Official, and Rick Barker, Director of Code Enforcement briefed the committee regarding Policy Options for the Re-use of Vacant Commercial Buildings and requested direction from staff.

Staff requested direction on how the Committee would like to add value and safety regarding this concern. Implementing a method to locate and track vacant commercial properties through Code Enforcement or other possible mechanisms was suggested as an option. Manually, posing the question, what is the direction the committee would like to proceed on this issue.

There was discussion between the Committee and Staff, and it was determined that this subject could be addressed and further discussed during the upcoming Code Master-Plan process.

The committee requested this item be presented to Council.

Auto Repair Uses in Community Retail Zoning

Will Guerin, Director of Planning, provided the committee with an additional update regarding Auto Repair Uses in Community Retail Zoning.

Mr Guerin stated that the item description had to do with car washes converting into auto repair. Through further discussion, the following examples were found in Community Retail Zoning, which was identified as the core of the issue. In reference to the general allowance of Minor Auto Repair and Community Retail. Mr. Guerin stated that at a previous meeting, the possibility of removing this use from the the Community Retail Zoning or making it a SUP Use.

There was discussion between the committee and staff.

The committee requested that they were in support of becoming a SUP, and this item be presented to Council.

Review the Current I-30 Corridor Zoning for District 3

Will Guerin, Director of Planning, briefed the committee regarding the Review of the Current I-30 Corridor Zoning for District 3.

Mr. Guerin stated that in Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Moore's absence, he would not speak for him, but understood that he wanted the Committee to take a look at the zoning in this area. It was stated that the previous item regarding Auto Repair Uses in Community Retail will take care of a lot of issues and concerns for this item. The topic of Self-Storage Facilities was also brought into the conversation, as it is currently allowed by SUP and Community Retail and SUP as well as Light Commercial and by right as well as Industrial. The change to the GDC took place in 2016, to only allow Self-Storage Facilities by SUP in Light Commercial. It is not allowed in Multi-Family or CO that is Community Office Self-Storage would not be allowed. Auto Repair as the Committee directed, will bring forward to allow Minor Auto Repair by Minor would be allowed by Right.

There was discussion between the committee and staff, and it was stated that regarding the I-30 District there is money in the budget for a new Comprehensive Plan, therefore there will be no changes to this item at this time.

Parking for Bicycles in the Downtown Area

Ziad Kharrat, Parks Special Projects Administrator, and Letecia McNatt, Business Development Manager, briefed the committee regarding Parking for Bicycles in the Downtown Area.

As requested by the committee, Mr. Kharrat provided the following updates in reference to the bike lockers: Ziad noted that two additional bike racks were added at State and Fifth and at Fifth and Main. Cycle Staff was provided as an example of a potential company to be used. It was determined that three bike lockers would be able to fit in the parking garage. The Transportation Department confirmed the bike boxes will not impede on any site lines for vehicles entering or exiting the garage.

Mr. Kharrat requested that the commtitee provide any other proposed ideas for bike racks on the Streetscape.

There was discussion between the commitee and staff. The committee requested that staff reach out to property managers of the apartments for potential property partnerships.

The committee requested this item be presented to Council.

ADJOURN

There being no further business to come before the Development Services Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 4:57 p.m.

CITY OF GARLAND, TEXAS

/s/ Dylan Hedrick, Chair

/s/ Courtney Vanover, Recording Secretary