Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982-03-24 Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting• • • MINUTES OF THE JOINT PUBLIC HEARING AND SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE LA PORTE CITY COUNCIL MARCH 24, 1982 1. Meeting called to order by Mayor D4eza at 7:00 P.M. Members of the City Council Present: Mayor Meza, Council- persons Norman L. Malone, John Longley, Gus Faris, Douglas Latimer, Tom Simons, Deotis Gay, Don Skelton, Linda Wester- gren Members of the City Council Absent; None Members of Planning & Zoning Commission Present: Pat Muston, Karl Johnston, R. J. Blackwell, Dallie '.Vright, Andy Wilson, Ragan Franks Members of the City Staff Present: City. Attorney Knox Askins, City Secretary Betty T. Waters, City Manager Jack Owen, Parks Director Stan Sherwood, Fire Chief Joe Sease, Fire Marshal Paul Hickenbottom, Chief Inspector David Paulissen, Graduate Engineer John Joerns, Police Chief H. F. Freeman, Director of Public Works Jerry Hodge, Personnel Coordinator Mary Davis. There were 28 citizems present. 2. Mayor Meza called for public input on a request to rezone 23 acres north of the Highway 225 and 146 intersection to Indus- trial with a "Special Use Permit" to permit containers. The request is from Decker McKim. Mr. Ken Smit came forward to speak in favor of the rezoning and to answer any questions from the public and City Council. Smit: I have 25 acres inside the Port of Houston and I own a company in Houston called Maritime Services, Inc. I operate a three-way business; I store, repair and truck containers. ~9hen I started in Houston some 5 years ago, my son and I started the business with one acre. We now have 25 acres and employ 110 employees. We have customers and would bring cus- tomers to our project and would anticipate an equal number of employees. • Westergren: From this plat that we have, can you tell me, uh, this shows the existing area where it's already Central Freight Lines. The area you are referring to is to the west of that? Or is it the entire tract? • • • Minutes, Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 2 Smit: It's the entire area. Central fenced 8 acres. Skelton: Is any part of this on 225? Smit: Yes, sir. Oh, no, sir - 146. Skelton: How about the access road to 225 from 146. Is any of it on the curve? It is not within view from 225 at all? Smit: No, sir. Gay: This is right behind Central and adjacent to DuPont. Is this in that area? Smit: Yes, DuPont is one .neighbor and across the street on Strang Road is Union Carbide building that new plant. We will probably make the entrance off Strang Road into the property. • Skelton: On this property you are planning to have a green belt on 146 only? Smit: If that would be agreeable, yes, sir. Skelton: None on Strang Road? Smit: Well, I hadn't, but, ah, I surely wouldn't be adverse to it. My neighbor behind comes right up to Strang Road. Skelton: I think a lot of this property would be in view of 225 as you drive down that way. Westergren; How far off of 225 is it? Isn't General Electric in there somewhere? Simons: Westinghouse. Smit: Maybe 150-200 yards. I would think, no, I'm sure, it's more than a football field. Westergren: But you do plan to use Strang Road for your entrance? Smit:. Yes. • Latimer: As far as the general market on .this thing, you know, when any business comes in you always want it to be good and stable. You sound like you are in a pretty strong position as it is. Our whole market, as I see it, particularly • • • Minutes, Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 3 in containers, seem to be not nearly at an equalibrium. Do you really think the demand is greater than the supply in this area? Or are we going to be faced with some yards operating on a marginal basis? Not able to keep their prop- erties up to full capacities and in nice shape because of red ink. Smit: I surely wouldn't think so. You know they are building terminal number four now. There was a big article in the Houston Business Journal last week about what they intend to do down there. Instead of stopping with terminal number four they are going to complete number five and six. They really have a need for it. Now, if we really had our preference, the big steamship lines would be terminating the containers in Barbour's Cut and somehow getting .them up to Houston where suppliers would be picking them up. That can't always go .that way. From everything the companies that I deal with, some of the companies and some major steamship lines, they can't possibly do that. All the big companies are here. Like my property inside the port, I worked many vessels inside the port. P7e no longer do that because all the big vessels • no longer carry containers up there. Many of the smaller companies would like to be here, but we don't have the berthing room for them. Latimer: I believe we have two container yards under construc- tioT n right now, and yours is going to be a third one. You feel like there is going to be that much demand in the future? Smit: Well, everything that I see. I go according to what the port tells me, and they say the need is here. For one thing, they don't want the empty containers in the gates of the port. Westergren: You're in the empty container business? Smit: Yes. Westergren: You don't have any -------- or anything like that? Just empty containers? Smit: Yes. Meza: Is there any input from the public? Faulkner: If this gentleman brings in 120 employees, what is • the average wage scale in this type of business? • • • Minutes, Jpint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 4 Smit: I break it down this way: 22-23 big 18-wheelers, owner operated, their wage scale is much higher than the average employee. Frankly, I'm non-union up there, and I pay $9.50 per hour for laborer. Here, I will be union, then you're looking at $14 or $15 per hour. Faulkner: You're looking at a union contract? Smit: Yes. Rebecca Terry, 803 North 11th: I don't believe we need any more containers. We are looking like a garbage dump now. We don't want to live in Houston on the port. Which is what we are fast becoming, and I, for one, would like to see us stop. I live over on that side of town. Coming into our City it looks awful. We had a pretty City, and now it is being ruined. Bridge: My name is Martin Bridge, 611 South Iowa. My ques- tion is, what constitutes a green belt? Is it grass, is it shrubs? Is it specified what size? Are they hidden from view? I agree with the lady that just spoke. The town is beginning to look like a garbage dump. When you come into it, all you see is containers stacked up everywhere. Askins: In the ordinances .that have been passed is a 5 foot green belt on the highway 146, to be densely planted and continuously maintained as a visual screen using pine trees and shrubbery. Failure to keep the green belt would result in revocation of the permit. Now. we have had dis- cussion at the staff level of a general ordinance on con- tainer yards; one of the things that will be regulated would be a green belt, and to perhaps go into more detail. We have considered getting the advice of a landscape engineer or somebody with some expertise in this matter, and perhaps better define a green belt. Mrs. George Sharp: We have a container yard on East Main, and they don't have a green belt there. Their fence is falling down; it looks terrible. I think we have enough containers in La Porte. Meza: Yes, m'aam, the container yard came into La Porte before we passed this ordinance, and that is the reason the attorney and the staff are working on a green belt ordinance, so that we can enforce a green belt around our existing container yards. • • • Minutes, Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 5 Mrs. Sharp: Can't you make them put their fence back up? It's falling all over the street right-of-way. It's dan- gerous, if some child walks in there, it's going to be too bad one of these days. Meza: Thank you. I'll have Mr. Owen and the Inspection De- partment to have a look at it to see what can be done to cor- rect it. If there are no further comments, we will go on to the next item on the agenda. Bridge: I have one more comment. I'd like to say that T'd like to see no further container permits issued until this green belt issue can be straightened out. As it stands right now, we don't have any clear definition of what a green belt is. In my opinion, a 5-foot green belt, densely planted with pine trees, is not going to hide anything. A fully grown pine tree doesn't bear any leaves, if you would like to call them that, until it's about 20 feet high. Driving down the road you are going to see right underneath it. Latimer: Planning and Zoning. has looked at this. Do they have any position on container yards? From what he is say- ing, there are going to be a lot more of them wanting to get in here. I'm sure you have discussed it plenty of times. What do you see, what do you think? Muston: Well, I'm sure that there will be an increased demand for port-related business of all kinds. We are trying to keep container yards located in this place and perhaps one other place, rather than have them scattered all over town. That's been our main concern in trying to set aside a dist- rict. So far, we agree this district should be north of Barbour's Cut. Meza: Our next item would be to continue with our public hearing and we invite input on a request to rezone a 4.5 acre tract on McCabe Road from Residential to Commercial by Mr. Gerald Teel. Dominy: Mr. Mayor and City Council, T am Jerry Dominy. Mr. Teel, one of my partners, is out of town tonight. This re- quest concerns a 4.5 acre tract of land we have bought on McCabe Road just west of Highway 146, surrounded primarily by a mobile home park that was put in prior to the Federal Insurance Act. Our problem is that we now would have to build about 10 feet off the ground if we put mobile homes in. • Which we had hoped to do. We don't think it is economically • • • Minutes, Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 6 feasible to jack any mobile homes ten (10) foot in the air, so we are asking to have this rezoned to commercial. We do have a potential purchaser who is in the environmental pro- tection business as an engineer and would be willing to put his office up in the air. But we do not have a contract at this time. It is impossible to use the land for residential, and to get it on the tax roll at its proper value, property values are quite high along McCabe Road, that we do need commercial zoning in order to sell the property. Simons: What's going to be put in out there? Dominy: We don't know for sure. But there is a car wash on the corner and there is a mobile home park. The rest of the property is vacant. The asking price is from $13,000 to $20,000 an acre, and we know that it cannot be residential. This was annexed, as T understand it, by the City, and every- thing got zoned residential until such time as it could be rezoned. It is just not an area that is conducive to single family or any kind of residential use, really, because of the elevation of the property. Tt is about 10 feet below ~- the flood plain. We feel like it's got to be some kind of commercial use. This particular potential purchaser, and T feel like it's about 50-50 or probably 30-70. I don't think he will buy it, but he wants to put his office in there to do whatever. He's an engineer. He wants his office in there and would also like to keep some of his other equipment there that he uses. We would. have to get a special use permit for him, I understand, if he did that, but we need it zoned com- mercial if possible. westergren: What kind of equipment are you referring to that would require a special use permit? Dominy: Well, I'm a little confused. Prior to the zoning hearing I thought there was a category of Commercial, Light Industrial, and I asked for that. And I understand that' not true. Just Commercial, and if you ask for anything other than commercial, .you got to come back and get a permit to use it. I don't think we are going to get a grocery store or a fast food service in there because of the location, but I understand you have to come back and get a permit to do it for anything else. I may be wrong about that. Maybe Mr. Askins can answer that question. Askins: That's essentially correct. Commercial would be • only for stores, shops and offices. • • • Minutes, Joint Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 7 Dominy: We're not trying to push any particular use right now; but no containers. Westergren: You recognize it, too. Dominy: Not that I'm against them. Don't misunderstand me. Meza: On commercial use, the only use they would have would be for office use, stores and/or apartments, isn't that cor- rect? Dominy: I understand that is correct, but I understand that special use permits can be issued. I don't think we are going to get a store down there, really and truly. And I think that if this guy is interested in buying it, that's probably going to be the best use for it. I understand that he wants to put his office there and you questioned his equipment; I understand he has a back-hoe and a truck and four pick-ups. So it's not heavy equipment storage or any- thing like that. But we are not asking for that approval. We are just asking to have it rezoned to commercial. I don't know who we will sell it to. We may always own it. Westergren: Well, undoubtedly, it's not a perfect piece of property for residential zoning, anyway. Meza: Are there any further questions from the Council? Are there any further comments from the public? Since there are none, we will recess to permit Planning and Zoning to confer on a recommendation on the information they have heard here tonight. The Council recessed at 7:20 P.M. 4. Mayor Meza called the Special Called Meeting of the La Porte City Council to order at 7:30 P.M. 5. Mayor Meza asked Chairperson Muston to come forward to make their recommendation to Council concerning the 23 acre tract north of Highway 225 and Highway 146 to Industrial with a "Special Use Permit." Muston stated that since that general area of the City has been approved for such use in several instances recently, Planning and Zoning considers the area appropriate for further such development. (P & Z recommendation is a part of the official minutes.) ~ • • Minutes, Joint Public hearing and Special Called Meeting La Porte City Council, March 24, 1982, Page 8 Muston further stated that on the 4.5 acre tract on McCabe Orad, that it be rezoned to commercial because the land is not suitable for residential use. 7. Mayor Meza stated the Council would now consider manning and Zoning's recommendations and the topic is open for discussion. Faris: Mr. Mayor, in light of several events that are oc- curring here in La Porte, one of which is the nearing comple- tion date of our Planning and Zoning plan and Ordinances and another one, and I think in this particular incidence, the more important event is the fact that one, two, three, four, five of us are up for reelection this next week or ten days. And there is a possibility that the next time we have a meet- ing there may be five new faces sitting here. I would recom- mend at this time we table these two issues until the next Council meeting and allow the new Council to make a decision on the matter. Malone: I would second that motion. Meza: Are you covering both item number 6 and item number 7? Faris: Yes, sir, both items. Meza: I have a motion to table Item no. 6 and Item no. 7 until the next Council meeting and a second. All in favor of this motion will answer "aye." Ayes: Councilpersons Malone, Longley, Faris, Latimer, Simons, Gay, Skelton, Westergren Meza: Those opposed will answer "nay." There were none. Meza: The Items no. 6 and Items no. 7 are tabled until the next Council meeting. The Special Called Meeting of the La Porte City Council was adjourned at 7:57 P.M. • City Secretary Passed & Approved this the 7th day of April, 1982 J. J. Meza, Mayo Resp tfully ubmitted tty Waters UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SEF•S NORTH TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY P.O. BOX 5344, N.T. STATION DENTON, TEXAS 76203-5344 CHERIE BLACF< ASST. CITY SEC. CITY ~?F LA P~~RTE R • t7 ~ e=~x 1115 LA Pt7RTE, TX 77571 Nonprofit Organization U. S. POSTAGE PAID Denton, Texas Permit No. 455 HUMAN RELATIONS--THE SCARCE COMMODITY "To appreciate is to esteem the full worth of." SEMINAR SITE:. LUBBOCK HILTON INN September 9-10, 1983 NORTH TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES Telephone: 817/565-3488 or 817/565-3484 GRADUATE INSTITUTE (no course credit) *Although this seminar is labeled "Graduate Institute," it is not limited to graduates. We urge any city clerk/secretary to attend. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1983 5:00 - 7:00 Welcome Pool Area, Hilton Inn Reception Registration THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1983 8:15 Registration Governor's Room, Hilton Inn 8:45 Introductions and Announcements 9:00 MEGATRENDS AND THE IRD WAVE (Or, "Stop the d, I May Want to Get Off") 10:00 Coffee Break 10:30. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MY CITY, MY JOB? 12:00 Luncheon 2:00 OTHER THAN YOUR PAYCHECK, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR JOB? 3:30 Coffee Break 3:45 FINDING OUT WHAT YOUR STAFF WANTS/NEEDS, OTHER THAN $ 4:45 Adjourn 6:30 Dinner FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1983 9:00 ARE YOU A MANAGER OR LEADER OR BOTH? 10:15 Coffee Break 10:30 YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG ONCE, BUT YOU CAN BE IMMATURE INDEFINITELY 12:00 Lunch 2:00 THE MANIPULATIVE EMPLOYEE City Hall is a Building. It's the People Inside That Count! 3:30 Coffee Break SEMINAR SPEAKER fin. Be~.tye Mye~us Dr. N~yers is a well-known workshop leader who is in demand for seminars, not only in Texas, but in many other states as well. By popular demand, this is her fifth Graduate Institute for the Municipal Clerks and Secretaries Certification Program. She has covered a broad range of subjects at past Institutes, including: "THE DYNAMICS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE WORK PLACE," "BURN OUT--NEW NAME FOR AN OLD PROBLEM," "IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT, WHEN WILL YOU HAVE TIME TO DO IT OVER?," and "DO IT YOUR WAY? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!" Some comments from past participants: "This being my first seminar, I have acquired much more information than I expected. I'm looking forward to attending following seminars to further my knowledge." "Tao often I tend to look for a check list of items to accomplish tasks. I needed to realize--again--that flexibility, or the willingness to change, is the key to getting things done. This seminar was a re-affirmation of that idea." "How to be able to instruct others. (other department heads, etc.) what we learn in these seminars. They need to go and to learn, too, how to deal with various subjects and situations, as well as managing, communicating, and letting others know what is going on, and why." "I would like to be able to sit through a full semester with Dr. Myers." A member of the faculty of Texas Woman's University since 1961, Dr. Myers has a broad knowledge of the field of psychology and the vital role it plays in society today. ****** GRADUATE INSTITUTE OFFICERS Chairperson June Krause (1981-1 Directors Wilma Thomas (1982-1984) Joyce Pemberton (1982-1984) Audrey Nichols (1981-1983) ****** ACCOMMODATIONS - A block of rooms is being held for you at the Lubbock Hilton Inn until August After this date, rooms will be released to the public. Reserve your room early! Mention this seminar (Municipal Clerks Graduate Institute) when making your re- servation and when you register at the hotel. The address is: Lubbock Hilton Inn, 50'5 Avenue Q, Lubbock, TX 79401. Phone: 806/747-0171. Price before August 24: single, $38.00; double, $38.00 ($19.50 per person). ****** REFUND POLICY - Refund of registration fee (except for $10 handling charge) will be made if request is received by September 2. Upon request, registration fee may be transferred to a subsequent seminar. ****** REGISTRATION FORM - GRADUATE INSTITUTE Registration fee is $75.00 (pre-registration requested). This fee includes all instruc- tional materials, coffee services, two luncheons, and dinner Thursday. It does not include other meals, refreshments, or lodging. Please make check payable to NORTH TEXAS STATE. UNIVERSITY. Return to the University Center for Community Services, North Texas State University, P.O. Box 5344, Denton, TX 76203-5344. NAME TITLE CITY ADDRESS ~ i CITY OF LA PORTS INTER-OFFICE N~'IORANDUM TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CO DATE: 4-30-82 FROM: BOARD OF INSPECTION RE: STATUS, DANGEROUS BUILDINGS • THE BOARD OF INSPECTIONS RESPECI~'ULLY RECONfl~tDS THAT DEI~'B~LITION ORDINANCES BE PASSID ON THE FOI~nTIl~TG STRUCTURES 2009 Crescent Shores Drive, Crescent Shores Addition, Blk. 1, Lots 5-6 Mrs. Michael Montalbano, 6042 Riverview Wav,Houston, Tx. 77057 213 North 7th, Blk. 68, Lots 23-24, La Porte Albert Archie, P.O. Box 1390, La Porte, Tx. 77571 205 Forest, Sylvan Beach Addition, Blk. 4, Lots 9-Z10 Wyndham R. Rhoden, 201 Forest, La Porte, Tx. 77571 1306 East Main, Bayfront Addition, Blk. 85, Lots 1-5 Mrs. L.B. Walker, 777 South "R", La Porte, Tx. 77571 218 Nortti~5th, Blk. 65, Lots 8-9, La Porte Victoria White, Green Oaks Apts., 316 N. 2nd, La Porte, Tx. 77571 215 North 5th, Blk. 66, Lots 23-24, La Porte Lena Smith, 7210 Scott, Apt. 4b, Houston, Tx. 77071 • 200 Blk. N. 10th, Blk. 71, Lots 31-32, La Porte L.E. Anderson, 208 W. Main, La Porte, Tx. 77571 516 North 3rd, Blk. 106, Lots 9-10, La Porte George Raney, P.O. Box 714, La Porte, Tx. 77571 800 Blk. Brownell, Blk. 19, Lots 12-16, Bayfront George Polk, 744 W. 43rd, Houston, Tx. 77018 222-220 North 7th, Blk. 67, Lots 22-24, La Porte Eama Bullock, 1930 Glynn Court, Detroit, MI 48206 •