[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6569952,"mediaKeyId","3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871","parentId",3206035,"title","At-a-glance: Planning Commission actions May 6 — deferral, LTUs and a zoning text amendment","audioSeconds",269,"startMs",3669000,"endMs",3938000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871&start=3669&end=3938","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871/thumbnail_3669000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6569952/Galveston/Galveston-County/Texas/At-a-glance-Planning-Commission-actions-May-6-deferral-LTUs-and-a-zoning-text-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569952-de069fed4124945efa6fd62f5ac0972a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203905&Signature=Obi4VwGaYm3Pp6wIc~qNUTSWwx5-2v0mdqSzognkRQAKE97DdODHMnsKjrGFdAn1mOh0AUp-izobs9G8WuWiL11wY6D3hBLnOsbfuw26ZfqVbowG~m8CPPAWxLtuLdFvQFVBp6Mm-vwCIMun1Bbct89h~uv-YmBCCI8mGyYVKZdYN2FhXvy390wlAYaJtdrczhufVugLyjpuOK63OTorr44ekxBMqXQHHqvqNsHodvPbxWWSqnK2SOlSsJt1jitDdff8ptjQGZUkRcrmAMYNWR0e25aCuH9NFcIBEwUpYWzXf7cqnUcUNrqHttJ-3RR-ZR0W4KuUxjEfXnhm1DXfaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Galveston","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","At its May 6 meeting the Galveston Planning Commission took the following formal actions (motions and outcomes):

25P-015 — Abandonment request (adjacent to 30330 First Street): Staff requested and the commission approved a deferral to the May 20, 2025 meeting so the applicant could provide additional information and respond to staff comments. The deferral was approved unanimously. Public speakers including Roslyn Jackson and Lillian McGrew opposed full abandonment of the alley, saying the alley supports local businesses and community activities.

25P-016 — License to Use (adjacent to 10 Compass Circle): The commission approved a permanent license to use to allow a retaining wall in the right-of-way. Staff recommended approval with specific conditions 1–4 and standard conditions 5–10; the applicant, Mark Coyle, said the wall will tie into existing retaining walls at 9 and 11 Compass Circle. The motion passed unanimously.

25P-017 — Applicant withdrawal (3312 Seeley): The applicant withdrew the request after completing construction and removing a dumpster from the alley; no commission action required.

25P-018 — Temporary License to Use (22209 Market): The commission approved a temporary license to use for scaffolding and fenced construction activity along a building frontage to facilitate façade renovations; staff recommended approval with conditions and the applicant (Brian Yates) said most sidewalk fencing will be short-term and some work will be completed with a scissor lift to avoid obstructing the alley. Motion passed unanimously.

25ZA-002 — Text amendment to Galveston Land Development Regulations, Article 3: The commission recommended approval to add 2102 Ursuline Avenue to the list of parcels in San Jacinto where corner-store uses are permitted under the Urban Neighborhood addendum. Staff’s historical research (Sanborn maps) showed commercial use as early as 1889; the motion passed unanimously and will proceed to City Council on May 22 for final action.

Each of the above items had staff reports and standard permit conditions where noted. Several items were approved unanimously; 25P-014 (the Harborside PUD) was discussed separately and failed to achieve the commission’s required approval threshold.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Galveston - Planning Commission - May 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Galveston Planning Commission on May 6 deferred an abandonment request, approved three license-to-use requests or permits, recorded one withdrawal, and recommended a text amendment to add a historic corner-store parcel to the San Jacinto list for City Council consideration.","taxTitle","Galveston , Galveston County, Texas","taxId",5145,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6569957,"Architects and residents urge caution on regulating Galveston alley-access lots",491,47000,538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871&start=47&end=538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871/thumbnail_47000.jpg","/articles/6569957/Galveston/Galveston-County/Texas/Architects-and-residents-urge-caution-on-regulating-Galveston-alley-access-lots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569957-1fb0b4ae7f72fb60f1858bef4e06716e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203905&Signature=ezrSp9i7udn~06m1esNQAct6VIhEtEmBes8Eq0NLcp4EmlWuQwN0MrUS~ErqXX5fDw4eBoBp1vEQ6zS8Ij-D1JeBO8bal5mXgWgZ5l02HALl5UtVXlJkhzHFIbCh4deq23-Ay4KiFfL4uGZEw~nk1jaOjFeKMQ~yW1XeKClsZ8kCMAGVuinrWG~DHax6BAwRPD98WLt95qod2nXYjA9~ZYBbbsdZ1uvJM8LFDqOfMKNWu4u5tQerJvjDXy9lL0AZjBvo708GBkqJBduEg-DExdiMpOwo9fGW~wCtcwrMBwNoCIbwb9ZUa8vY7KZIBLSIVo33xRabjeIogWFskSxEuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents and local design professionals used the public-comment period at the May 6 Planning Commission meeting to urge caution in any regulatory changes to alley-access lots, saying the pattern of rear dwellings and garage apartments is a long-standing part of Galveston’s urban fabric and may support homeownership and workforce housing.

Brax Easterwood, a local architect and planner, told commissioners the alley-access pattern is a “historical pattern that’s unique to Galveston,” and asked the commission to weigh cultural and housing impacts in addition to technical and public-safety considerations. Easterwood said he sees little difference between an alley-access lot and a garage apartment on the same parcel, and suggested stricter rules could reduce options for lower-cost ownership or rental units.

Several residents asked whether proposed regulations would affect existing occupied alley lots. One speaker who gave an address on Avenue M asked whether owners of properties with rear apartments would be affected and voiced concern about the city splitting lots; the commission’s chair and staff declined to answer during public comment and offered to meet after the meeting with Tim Tejens and Catherine (staff) to discuss details.

Taris Woods echoed Easterwood’s remarks, saying alley-access apartments have existed for decades in Galveston and that residents need clearer explanations about which lots would be affected. Woods also raised a separate concern about a recent increase in water-tap fees, referencing a prior tap cost of about $6,700 and suggesting current costs had risen to roughly $3,500 (the transcript records the exchange but does not provide an authoritative fee schedule).

Commission staff reminded speakers that the public-comment period is not a forum for direct responses and invited attendees to speak with staff after the meeting. Staff did not provide policy changes at the hearing; several speakers said they had attended the workshop series and wanted more clarity on which lots (vacant vs. occupied) would be affected by any forthcoming code amendments.

Ending: Staff offered to meet individually with speakers after the meeting; no formal action was taken during the public-comment period. If the commission moves forward on code changes related to alley-access lots, the transcript indicates staff and commissioners expect follow-up workshops and formal hearings.","During public comment at the May 6 Galveston Planning Commission meeting, residents and a local architect urged the commission to consider the city’s historical development pattern and potential housing impacts before tightening rules on alley-access lots.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6569962,"Planning commission fails to approve Harborside PUD for former Lipton T site (25P-014)",2002,515000,2517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871&start=515&end=2517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206035-fc8c512d931c92c458cc69e73c277871/thumbnail_515000.jpg","/articles/6569962/Galveston/Galveston-County/Texas/Planning-commission-fails-to-approve-Harborside-PUD-for-former-Lipton-T-site-25P-014","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569962-3b0309814a09878131935dc60bde280a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203905&Signature=kbuXaraZelrP7ax2SPPgSn3wmBK2I0B3JNPV3i0jbiS-tnpCQ7zu9O7uMrZ~YhhD24datbZXQai77Bq1jTmtlaX~6z3RL6c8msqfI~sXvq84D56REYn3qwopSsqq1KCnMB4bCU9JsJhXw4me0UwdQmBCVZ3lVi5NK8YvIE0~w27kKdLP6O7QP7KVwgCMpUD1XFZz-hyG5P8aI1FOxkyBj4-plgsGMF3P2gFPaNYi02BsP3pHaCQGnJCB~XOCR~bwmHm6FcPgX5n0r87OklkSWKuR1cSrUPzUgXbfrBMZRCEQcL1of4BRBpzOruW78moMxnS8gVLtEEiuVGCn79fWaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Galveston Planning Commission on May 6 voted 3–1 against approving application 25P-014, a planned-unit development (PUD) request to convert the former Lipton T building site on Harborside into a commercial surface parking lot serving nearby cruise facilities.

Tim Tejens, director of Development Services, told commissioners the 4.255-acre site is owned by Harbor Properties Incorporated and was recently demolished. Staff described the request as a PUD to allow an alternative landscape design that would shift interior parking islands to the perimeter; staff reported the applicant proposes additional perimeter landscaping beyond code minimums and that public works requires an approved final drainage plan as a condition of permitting.

The applicant, identified in the hearing as Shea Joe/Apartment Properties, said the proposal would provide about 445 parking spaces and shift roughly 8,500–9,308 square feet of required landscape area from interior islands to expanded perimeter planting. The applicant argued interior islands pose problems for long-term parking because “birds tend to roost in trees and do what birds do and damages paint in cars,” and said perimeter landscaping would be substantial and visible to Harborside visitors.

Commission discussion focused on two competing priorities: (1) preserving interior parking islands that the commissioners and some speakers said reduce heat, provide stormwater benefits and help beautify Harborside Drive, and (2) the applicant’s goal of maximizing contiguous parking supply for long-term users. Commissioners noted the city’s beautification objectives for Harborside and the Seawall, questioned whether the applicant’s perimeter planting would adequately replace the environmental and aesthetic functions of interior islands and asked staff whether other nearby PUDs had waived similar landscaping requirements. Staff said one smaller approval at 14th and Harborside had waived landscaping but had not yet been constructed.

Planner and public commenter Steve Schultz, a professional land-use consultant, urged the commission to treat the PUD as negotiable and said conditions could be imposed if the commission approved.

A motion to approve 25P-014 with conditions carried on the roll 3–1, but failed under the commission’s procedural requirement for this hearing that a majority of the four commissioners present (all four) approve the item. The record shows no roll-call names associated with the yes/no tally in the transcript.

Clarifying details recorded during the hearing include: the site area (4.255 acres); staff’s statement that the applicant would provide 9,308 additional square feet beyond minimum landscape requirements (staff); the applicant’s repeated figure of about 8,500 additional square feet and a parking count of approximately 445 spaces (applicant); applicant estimate that complying strictly with interior island standards would reduce capacity by “at least 80” spaces; existence of two drainage easements across the parcel and a requirement that the final drainage plan be approved by Public Works before permit issuance; Wharf Road adjacent to the site is owned by a public agency (the port) and is not a city street; sidewalk widths discussed include a 12-foot north sidewalk and a proposed 7-foot south sidewalk on Harborside fronting the site.

The application deviated from internal parking-island requirements in Galveston’s Land Development Regulations (staff cited Article 9 and specific LDR sections). Staff noted no objections from city departments or private utilities except that Public Works requires an approved drainage plan.

Outcome: motion to approve failed (tally 3 yes, 1 no); item was not forwarded as an approved PUD. The commission discussion identified issues the applicant could address if the project returns for further consideration, including a finalized drainage plan, more detail on interior versus perimeter landscaping, and concessions to meet the city’s Harborside beautification objectives.

","The Galveston Planning Commission on May 6 declined to approve a planned-unit development to convert the former Lipton T. building at Harborside into a long-term commercial parking lot after a 3–1 vote fell short of the commission's requirement for all four members to approve.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

At-a-glance: Planning Commission actions May 6 — deferral, LTUs and a zoning text amendment

Architects and residents urge caution on regulating Galveston alley-access lots

Planning commission fails to approve Harborside PUD for former Lipton T site (25P-014)