Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manvel staff previews zoning and subdivision ordinance amendments on tree preservation, medical-use hours and townsite boundary
Summary
City staff outlined proposed changes to Manvel's zoning and subdivision ordinances including tree-preservation rules, a clause to accommodate state-mandated 24-hour medical facilities, an update to NAICS references and an expansion of the original Manvel townsite boundary to include more residential properties.
City staff on Monday outlined a package of proposed zoning and subdivision ordinance amendments that would add tree-preservation standards, clarify procedures for medical uses that must operate 24 hours, update NAICS references and expand the city's original townsite boundary.
The proposals matter because they would change how new development is sited and regulated across parts of Manvel, affect permitting and variances in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and could allow additional residential parcels to qualify for asphalt-road improvements.
Joe (city staff member) told the council the zoning changes will add "tree protection during construction activities," a permitting requirement for removal of certain protected trees, exemptions and credits that developers may use toward landscaping requirements. "We've put together that draft version," Joe said, adding staff will refine the language before the public hearing and has coordinated with the Planning, Development and Zoning Commission and the parks board.
The proposed zoning amendments also address special-use-permit (SUP) conditions for medical uses and some personal-care services after the council previously reviewed an application for a freestanding emergency room. Joe said staff will add a clause so SUP hours-of-operation may defer to a state requirement when one exists: "if there is a state requirement for 24 hours operation, that'd be factored in." He said the change responds to input from the city attorney and the Texas Occupations Code.
Councilman Lance said he worried the language might "paint ourselves in a corner" and limit the council's future discretion. Joe replied the clause would apply only where the state requires 24-hour operation and that "any land-use decision that is made, it's solely the council's decision to determine whether that particular proposal is appropriate for that location."
On subdivision rules, staff proposed changing the boundaries of the "original Manvel townsite" to extend north to Lewis Street and south to Jordan Street, bringing additional residential parcels into a zone that allows continuation or improvement of existing asphalt roads. Joe said the change would allow more residential properties to qualify where the ordinance now focuses on commercially zoned parcels.
Staff also flagged recurring issues in the subdivision code where the city must apply rules in both city limits and the ETJ: county-owned rights-of-way in the ETJ can create conflicts and force applicants into a variance process. Joe said staff will propose clarifications to avoid unnecessary variances and will clarify lot-width measurements that now use the right-of-way line and can yield odd results on cul-de-sac lots.
The draft redline and additional details are in the packet and staff expects a joint public hearing with PD&Z next Monday; the planning commission will make a recommendation and council could consider the amendments at a subsequent meeting.
If adopted, the changes will proceed through the formal public hearing process; no votes were taken on the draft language at Monday's workshop.
