2009-03-17 CC Minutes
City of Farmers Branch
City Council Meeting Minutes
City Council Chambers
13000 William Dodson Parkway
Farmers Branch, Texas
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Study Session 4:00 P.M. Study Session Room
Regular Meeting 6:00 P.M. City Council Chambers
The following members of the Council were present:
Mayor Tim O'Hare
Mayor Pro Tern Ben Robinson
Deputy Mayor Pro Tern David Koch
Councilmembers Tim Scott
Jim Smith
The following member of the Council was absent:
Harold Froehlich
The following members of the Administration were present:
City Manager Gary D. Greer
Assistant City Manager Shanna Sims-Bradish
City Secretary Cindee Peters
City Attorney Pete Smith
Director of Parks and Recreation Jeff Fuller
City Engineer Jerry Murawski
Director of Community Services Michael Spicer
Director of Public Works Mark Pavageaux
Library Director Danita Barber
Police Chief Sid Fuller
Fire Chief Kyle King
A.1 DISCUSS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA ITEMS.
City Council discussed items on the regular agenda.
B.1 INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
Councilman David Koch gave the invocation and Councilman Tim Scott led the pledge
of allegiance.
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B.2 CONSIDER ACCEPTING A DONATION OF $8,700 FROM THE FARMERS
BRANCH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY TO THE MANSKE LIBRARY AND TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION.
The Friends of the Farmers Branch Manske Library have approved a budget of $8,700 for
several projects including funding for the Summer Reading Program, replacement of
worn items in the children's area, the creation of an online page for the library's
homebound program and an electronic messaging system to be used inside the library.
The funds for the summer reading program will be used to provide additional
advertisement and incentives. The worn items in the children's area consist of
educational games and toys. The creation of an online page will allow Farmers Branch
citizens to apply for homebound services via the computer. The electronic messaging
system will allow for the timely provision of information and updates of library and the
Friends programs, events, local weather and news.
A motion by Councilman Smith, a second by Councilman Koch, all voting "aye",
accepted the donation to the Manske Library.
B.3 REPORT ON STUDY SESSION ITEMS.
The City Council gave a brief explanation on the items discussed in Study Session.
B.4 PRESENTATION OF BOARD APPLICATIONS AND BOARD AND COMMISSION
APPOINTMENTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
A motion by Mayor O'Hare, a second by Mayor Pro Tern Robinson, all voting "aye"
appointed John Tarlton and Dale Cotton to the Business Community Relations
Committee.
No one presented an application.
Mayor O'Hare stated consent items are items that are to be considered that may not need
discussion individually. Any member of the City Council or the audience may request to
withdraw any item from the consent items and place the item before the Council for full
discussion. The concept for consent items is to speed up discussion for those items that
need more time for discussion.
A motion by Mayor Pro Tem Robinson, a second by Councilman Scott, all voting "aye
approved the consent agenda as submitted.
C.1 APPROVED MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 3, 2009.
C.2 EXCUSED THE ABSENCE OF COUNCILMAN HAROLD FROEHLICH.
C.3 EXCUSED THE ABSENCE OF COUNCILMAN JIM SMITH AT THE
MARCH 3, 2009 MEETING.
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CA ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 3021 AMENDING THE CITY OF
FARMERS BRANCH CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 82, TRAFFIC
AND VEHICLES, ARTICLE II, DIVISION 5, SECTION 82-73, SPECIFYING
THE PLACEMENT OF STOP SIGN ON EASTBOUND KEENAN BRIDGE
ROAD AT DAVIS LANE.
ORDINANCE NO. 3021
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS,
AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 82 "TRAFFIC
AND VEHICLES", ARTICLE II "OPERATION OF VEHICLES",
DIVISION 5 "STOP AND YIELD", SECTION 82-73 "STOP SIGN
LOCATIONS", BY AUTHORIZING PLACEMENT OF AN
ADDITIONAL STOP SIGN ON EASTBOUND KEENAN BRIDGE
ROAD AT DAVIS LANE; REPEALING ALL CONFLICTING
ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO
EXCEED $200; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
C.5 ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 3022 AMENDING THE CITY OF FARMERS
BRANCH CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 82, TRAFFIC AND
VEHICLES, ARTICLE II, DIVISION 2, SECTION 82-34 AMENDING THE
SPEED LIMITS ON IH635 AND IH35E.
ORDINANCE NO. 3022
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS,
AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 82 "TRAFFIC
AND VEHICLES", ARTICLE II "OPERATION OF VEHICLES",
DIVISION 2 "SPEED LIMITS", SECTION 82-34 "SPEED LIMITS ON
CERTAIN PUBLIC STREETS", BY ALTERING THE MAXIMUM
SPEED LIMITS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 35-E AND
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 635; REPEALING ALL CONFLICTING
ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO
EXCEED $200; PROVIDING FOR A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
C.6 ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2009-019 ACCEPTING A GRANT OF
DIRECT AID FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS TO THE MANSKE LIBRARY
IN THE AMOUNT OF $18,570.
C.7 ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 3023 AMENDING THE STREET
IMPROVEMENT/ANIMAL SHELTER BOND FUND BUDGET AND
DIRECTING THAT CITY EXPENDITURES BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE BUDGET AS AMENDED.
ORDINANCE NO. 3023
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS
AMENDING THE CITY'S STREET IMPROVEMENT / ANIMAL
SHELTER BOND FUND BUDGET AND DIRECTING THAT CITY
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EXPENDITURES BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BUDGET
AS AMENDED.
D.l PUBLIC HEARING: CONSIDER ADOPTING ORDINANCE NO. 3020 AMENDING
THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT NO. 88 (PD-88/MERCER CROSSING CODE)
ZONING DISTRICT REGULATING PLAN BY DELETING THE "EDGE TWO"
STREET DESIGNATION FOR THE PORTIONS OF LUNA ROAD AND
KNIGHTSBRIDGE ROAD LOCATED SOUTH OF THE LBJ FREEWAY (U.S. I-635).
Mr. Andy Gillies, Director Of Planning, stated the area included in the Planned
Development No. 88 (PD-88) zoning district, commonly known as Mercer Crossing, is
located on the City's West Side. It comprises approximately 875 acres and extends from
the President George Bush Turnpike north of Valley View Lane to Crown Drive south of
the LBJ Freeway on the east side of Luna Road. PD-88 is organized around three general
districts: the Urban Center, the Urban Center Reserve, and the Commerce District. The
Urban Center district includes a detailed Regulating Plan that lays out an urban street grid
and includes very specific standards designed to produce a dense, residential-commercial
mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented center. The Urban Center Reserve provides for future
expansion of the Urban Center. The Commerce District provides comparatively more
flexible development regulations that allow a broad range of non-residential
development, including industrial uses subject to Specific Use Permit approval, generally
at a lower density.
The entire portion of Mercer Crossing located south of the LBJ Freeway, approximately
200 acres, lies within the Commerce District. It is for this portion of PD-88 that the
property owner, Prime Income Asset Management, is requesting the zoning amendment.
South of the LBJ Freeway, the Regulating Plan identifies Luna Road and Knightsbridge
Road as "Edge Two" streets. Within the Commerce District, development of lots
adjoining Edge Two streets are required to follow limited design guidelines related to
building placement, architectural standards, landscaping, signage, sidewalks and parking
lot location; however, these guidelines apply only to the first 100 feet of lot depth.
Beyond the 100 foot frontage depth, Light Industrial (LI) development standards apply.
LI standards also apply to all properties in the Commerce District that do not front either
Luna Road or Knightsbridge Road.
The proposed amendment would eliminate the Edge Two street designations for Luna
Road and Knightsbridge Road, thereby allowing property throughout the entire
Commerce District south of the LBJ Freeway to be developed under LI standards. The
amendment does not change allowable land uses, only development standards.
The Planning & Zoning Commission, by unanimous vote, recommends the Planned
Development No. 88 (PD-88/Mercer Crossing Code) Regulating Plan be amended by
" deleting the "Edge Two" street type designation for Luna Road and Knightsbridge Road
south of LBJ Freeway.
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Mayor O'Hare opened the public hearing. No one spoke.
A motion by Mayor Pro Tem Robinson, a second by Councilman Smith, all voting "aye
closed the public hearing.
A motion by Mayor Pro Tern Robinson, a second by Councilman Scott, all voting "aye
adopted the following captioned Ordinance No. 3020 amending the Planned
Development No. 88 (PD-88/Mercer Crossing Code) Regulating Plan by deleting the
"Edge Two" street designation for Luna Road and Knightsbridge Road south of the LBJ
Freeway.
ORDINANCE NO. 3020
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS
AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE AND ZONING
MAP OF THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS, AS HERETOFORE
AMENDED, BY AMENDING PLANNED DEVELOPMENT NO. 88 (PD-88)
FOR THE TRACT OF LAND GENRALLY BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY
THE SOUTHERN RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF LBJ FREEWAY (US I-635), ON
THE EAST BY THE WESTERN RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF THE CHICAGO,
ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILROAD AND ON THE SOUTH BY
CENTERLINE OF CROWN DRIVE; ON THE WEST BY THE CENTERLINE
OF LUNA ROAD AND BEING FURTHER DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A";
BY AMENDING THE REGULATING PLAN TO DELETE THE "EDGE TWO"
STREET DESIGNATION FROM THE PORTIONS OF LUNA ROAD AND
KNIGHTSBRIDGE ROAD LOCATED SOUTH OF THE LBJ FREEWAY;
PROVIDING FOR A REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVINGS
CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A
PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS
($2000.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
E.1 DISCUSS FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A NEW HOUSING INCENTIVE GRANT
PROGRAM.
Shanna Sims-Bradish, Assistant City Manager, gave a brief presentation and stated at the
January 23, 2009 City Council Retreat, members of the City Council expressed interest in
establishing a program that would encourage demolition of residential structures and the
rebuilding of high quality single-family residential structures through tax rebates or
abatements. This new program would help replace the New Home Incentive Program
that was discontinued in October 2008 due to funding limitations.
Ms. Michelle Holmes, spoke in favor of creating a new home incentive grant program.
The City Council asked that staff bring this back at the next meeting for action.
E.2 PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED IH635 IMPROVEMENTS BY THE TEXAS
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION.
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Mr. Bob Brown, with the Texas Department of Transportation gave a brief overview of
the proposed improvements to I1-1635.
E.3 CONSIDER COUNCIL TRAVEL REPORTS AND REQUESTS AND TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION.
City Manager Gary Greer reported that he traveled to Lubbock and obtained the
signatures needed for the DART Station Area project and also stated that a second project
is coming in the near future.
Mayor O'Hare stated no executive session was held tonight
G.1 CONSIDER NECESSARY ACTION ON ITEMS DISCUSSED IN THE EXECUTIVE
SESSION.
No action was necessary.
G.2 ADJOURNMENT.
A motion by Councilman Smith, a second by Councilman Scott, all voting "aye",
adjourned the Cit Council meeting of March 17, 2009 at 6:57 p.
t
Cindee Peters, City Secretary Tim O'Hare, Mayor
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