2003-07-14 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing

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City Council Meeting -fly 14, 2003 - Page 4 • In listening to Reverend Spears tonight, reminding us all to think clearly of what will be best for the Community, that's what the Burchfield firm's challenge is with this particular property. There are 107 acres, bounded by residential development, Taylor Bayou, the golf course and by Highway 146. When the firm first looked at the property, it certainly bodes well to think in terms of all manners of development. Mr. Burchfield had the property reviewed by the Northrup Assosciates (environmentalists); and was informed the Community has a treasure, a drunken forest, meaning the forest has the original "Beaumont" soil (about 2000 years old). "Beaumont" soils have a very interesting characteristic of moving, and when the tree moves; then grows towards the sun, gnarls, dries and moves again, ending up with a drunken tree. The purpose of discovering this was to find a way to be fair to the owner of the property making economic use, and preserve as much property as possible to put in a wildlife preserve. The firm is working with Northrup and Associates, Harris County, State and National government, in conjunction with La Porte staff, in creating over 80 acres of wildlife park to surround a smaller residential development area. One acre of preserve, on a coast like this, supports at least 2000 acres of activity north. Northrup has been hired by the commission for the San Jacinto Monument to recreate, around the monument, the condition that existed in 1836, at the time of the battle (the area the developer wants to preserve is in the same condition of what the Monument Commission will be recreating). As a developer, this is the first time I have come to develop as little as possible, devoting as much of this to future generations as possible. In conjunction with City Staff pulling together the resources, the arboretum and the bird society; the support for this is amazing; while still being fair to the property owner, and hiding the Planned Unit Development. Peggy Antone — 8418 Collingsdale, La Porte, Texas 77571— spoke against the development of an apartment complex on McCabe Road without protecting the wetlands; Ms. Antone encourages the preservation of the wetlands. If the development is approved, Ms. Antone requests that Mr. Burchfield's firm be held accountable for their word that the property will be used as a wildlife sanctuary. Otherwise, we could change this to a PUD, take it out of R-1 Zoning, build this apartment complex, and someone could say, "Those aren't jurisdictional wetlands. We do not have to do that." The property owner could cut all the trees down and build houses; after all, it is zoned R-1. Ms. Antone would like Council to please take this into consideration. Ms. Antone is very happy to see Mr. Burchfield in support of the wildlife sanctuary. Ms. Anton feels La Porte needs amenities like this. We are supposed to be an industrial community; Ms. Antone would prefer the image of La Porte being a sanctuary for wildlife, coastline, something besides towers in the air. City Planner Gwen Goodwin explained there would be steps to accomplish the development. The rezone is critical; those 13.73 acres are needed for the developer to use the adjoining area; approximately 16 acres of PUD zone, to help make the project viable. After or depending on Council's decision about the rezone, the next stage would be to secure a Special Conditional Use Permit with a general plan; this would give the P&Z Commission an opportunity to make detailed suggestions and outline specific conditions that the developer would have to comply with; those changes and conditions would be presented to Council for final approval. Councilmember Young stated this is not in conjunction with the City's future plans. Mr. Young visited some well -planned neighborhoods in the Kemah area with no apartments or