12-07-09 Regular Meeting and Workshop of the La Porte Planning and Zoning Commission

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Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes of December 17,2009 Members Present: Hal Lawler, Dottie Kaminski, Les Bird, Richard Warren, Kirby Linscomb Jr., and David Janda (Alt 1). Members Absent: Paul Berner, Doretta Finch, Lou Ann Martin (Alt 2). City Staff Present: Director of Parks and Recreation, Stephen Barr; City Planner, Masood Malik; City Attorney, Clark Askins; and Planning Assistant, Shannon Green. Others Present: 1. Call to Order. Meeting called to order by Chairman Hal Lawler at 6:00 p.m. 2. Consider Approval of the August 20, 2009, regular meeting minutes. Motion by Dottie Kaminski to approve the regular meeting minutes of August 20, 2009. Second by Richard Warren. The Motion carried. Ayes: Hal Lawler, Dottie Kaminski, Les Bird, Richard Warren, Kirby Linscomb Jr., and David Janda (Alt 1). None None Nays: Abstain: 3. Open Workshop to discuss landscaping, tree preservation, tree replacement, and establishment of tree fund provisions of the City's Code of Ordinance. Chairman Hal Lawler opened the workshop at 6:02 p.m. Masood Malik, City Planner; addressed the Commission. Current ordinances require minimum landscaping to be 6%. Total area of landscaping is calculated as follows: a. Compute total developed site area. b. Deduct total area of roofed over improvements from the developed site area. c. Minimum landscaping requirement (6%) is based on the total remaining developed site area. Suggested Requirements: Minimum landscaping requirement of 6% is amended as landscaping must be provided along the front property line and along the side property lines in a minimum of four feet wide planting strip with a combination of trees and shrubs. Minimum 2" caliper tree at 20ft on center and minimum 5 gallons shrub in between trees at 3ft on center are suggested. Currently the City's Tree Preservation requirements allows the city control only within 15 feet of the street right-of-way (ROW) line or easement line abutting front yard or within 10 feet of the street right-of- way line or easement line abutting required side yard with a trunk exceeding six inches in diameter at a point 18 inches above the natural ground level, should be protected until the city declares it hazardous to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The current suggestion is that the city should have overall control of developed site area. The Tree Fund is a new concept. Current provisions in the current code of ordinances have no requirement for tree fund. In case there is no room for the trees to be planted at site, cash in lieu of trees, donations or grant monies shall be deposited into the tree fund. The Commission members reviewed a list of approved trees and shrubs and the draft changes to the ordinance.