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Commission recommends council approve Westlake Dermatology site plan, grants two waivers
Summary
The Snyder City Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend city council approve a site and NPS plan for Westlake Dermatology at 14418 State Highway 71, including two drainage waivers; staff said engineered measures and TxDOT review mitigate peak-flow concerns.
The Snyder City Planning and Zoning Commission voted April 7 to recommend that city council approve the site and NPS plan for Westlake Dermatology, located at 14418 State Highway 71, and to recommend associated waivers tied to stormwater treatment and points of analysis.
Staff presenter Giancarlo Batinho said the property is grandfathered under the Unified Development Code and that the existing impervious cover is about 47.45%, with the proposed build increasing impervious area to roughly 49.36%. He told commissioners the project adds about 700 square feet of impervious surface and relies on a detention/water-quality pond, a bioscape (rain-garden style) filter, a trench drain and a vegetative filter strip to treat runoff.
Why it matters: Batinho said the first waiver addresses a localized increase in peak discharge at the applicants point of analysis. "Existing conditions is 19.35 and... with their developed site they're actually increasing it to 27.72 cubic feet per second," he said, adding the projects downstream controls reduce peak flows back to or below existing levels at farther points of analysis. He also said TxDOT reviewed the applicants hydraulic models and "support[ed] that there is no adverse impacts to the ditch capacity within the right of way." The second waiver concerns a smaller drainage area the applicant cannot practically capture into the onsite pond; the developer proposes a trench drain to divert that flow into a vegetative filter strip.
Commissioners probed maintenance and effectiveness. Commissioner Vickery asked about plant selection and long-term performance given drought conditions; Batinho said the vegetative treatment could use native grasses or turf varieties and that "part of the requirements of submitting a site and MPS plan is for the applicant to submit the maintenance of the water quality systems and detention system," adding maintenance obligations are recorded in deed restrictions and that the city conducts annual inspections and can issue notices of violation.
The commissions motion recommended approval of the site and NPS plan and the requested waivers; Commissioner Davis moved the recommendation and Commissioner Vickery seconded. The motion passed by voice vote and will be forwarded to city council for final action.
The next step: council will consider the commissions recommendation; the transcript and staff report note the applicant provided hardship documentation supporting the variances and that utilities will be served by the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. The commissions approval is a recommendation, not final permitting; council review and any required permit approvals remain pending.
