Liberty Hill planning commissioners approve consent agenda, postpone membership-question item; staff reports multiple development projects

Commissioner Ernesto Barreras called the vote and announced the consent agenda passed 3-0, then commissioners postponed consideration of a process item to Feb. 4.

Planning staff reported several active development items, including a rezoning request described as Monroe (also called Fort Tumbleweed) seeking to change from a planned unit development to a C‑3 zoning district; a resubmitted site plan for Oaks at Liberty Hill; a Rio Ranch Phase 1 replat of Lots 3 and 9 noted as a residential development in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction with Georgetown providing water and septic services; and a small subdivision plat to split the parcel where the Quick Car is on Highway 29 into two lots.

Why it matters: the commission’s actions and staff updates set the near-term review schedule for multiple land‑use applications and flag items that will appear before the City Council, including infrastructure and code matters.

Commissioner Ernesto Barreras presided when the commission voted on the consent agenda. "All in favor? All opposed. It passes 3 0," Barreras said after the motion and second. The record shows Commissioners Devin Viner and Chad Cormac voted in favor. The motion and second were not named in the record.

An unidentified commissioner requested that the agenda item described as "making recommendations into formulating questions for prospective new members" be postponed because Commissioner Elaine was not present. "I wanted to request that this be postponed to the next meeting on February 4 since Elaine is not here," the commissioner said. The commission agreed to postpone the item to the Feb. 4 meeting; no roll‑call vote on the postponement is recorded.

In the Projects in Motion report, planning staff said, "we currently have a rezoning request that y'all will see soon. It's called Monroe, but it's Fort Tumbleweed. They're gonna propose to go from the PUD that they currently have to a C 3 zoning district." Staff also described the Oaks at Liberty Hill site plan as a previously submitted plan that expired and is being resubmitted, and said the Rio Ranch Phase 1 replat may be an amending plat and that wastewater is not a city responsibility because Georgetown will provide water and septic. On the Quick Car parcel, staff said the platting purpose is to create two lots at the existing Quick Car on Highway 29.

During the Planning and Development Department comments, staff summarized recent and upcoming items: the Henrietta retail site plan (Target) was approved at the Jan. 7 meeting; upcoming City Council agenda items include the wastewater master plan, changes to water and wastewater impact fees, and a Unified Development Code (UDC) contract award with authorization for staff to negotiate. Staff also said legal reviewed a "veil shop ordinance" and provided comments that will be discussed Feb. 4, and that staff is working with Kenley Horns on a "sidewalk family ordinance" with an aim to bring that back in March.

There were no other recorded votes or formal actions during the meeting. With no further items, the chair adjourned the meeting at 6:35 p.m.

Next steps: the item on commissioner candidate questions is scheduled for Feb. 4; legal comments on the "veil shop ordinance" will be discussed at the Feb. 4 meeting; staff expects to return on the sidewalk family ordinance in March.