1988-09-26 Budget Public Hearing and Regular Meeting

Browse Search

.. . . .- Mr. Robert T. Herrera City Manager April 11, 1988 Page 2 alleys by the City of La Porte, and public utilitie~'holding franchises from the City of La Porte. Recent examples are the U.S. Post Office, and La Quinta. Appropriate safeguards could be placed in an ordinance granting such a license to McDonald's, as in the two examples given. I understand that 1., in order.. for: the City of La Porte to license the surface use of,the alley, the City would need to negotiate a suitable license fee with McDonald's. Even when the alley remains open, I understand past policy on license agreements has been to value the surface use of the alley in the same manner as if an alley closing were occurring. An appraisal would be required consistent with the City's street and alley closing ordinances. 3) The City of La Porte could likewise license sufficient space in the northwest corner of the alley, for the relocation of La Porte State Bank's "GUS" sign. This sign is 18' foot high and 14' wide.' The National Electric Code would require that this sign be so. constructed, that any point on the sign have a ten .foot.linear clearance: from any energized lines. Houston /,i.:Lighting' &':Power has indicated that the clearance could be attained (if not already sUfficient) by virtue of a utility pole relocation. This would be the responsiblity of the developer, and would require an approximate expenditure by the developer of $2,000.00. The "GUS" sign is presently located at a point'which;would'impede a driveway planned by McDonald's. McDonald's requires that the sign be relocated. Again, the use of space in the City of La Porte alley by La Porte'State Bank, for the "GUS" sign, could be the subject of an ordinante granting a license to the Bank. The City of La~ Porte would need to consider an appropriate license fee for sign, and would also need to insure that La Porte State Bank (and McDonald's) would appropriately indemnify and hold the City of La Porte and the franchise utilities of the City of La Porte harmless for any utility construction or repair work required in the alley. 4) The proximity of the proposed location'to Cedar Bayou raises two concerns. First, the Flood Zone Map needs to be checked to ascertain what the required elevation of the development needs to be, or whether development would be prohibited altogether due to the existence of a Flood Way on the proposed tract. Second, staff needs to ascertain whether an additional setback off of Cedar Bayou is required due to the existence of Cedar Bayou as a designated conservation area on the Land Use Map. .