AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider a recommendation to the City Council regarding text amendments to the San Marcos Development Code to address recommendations from the Alcohol Conditional Use Permit Committee, the Housing Task Force, the Historic Preservation Commission, and recommendations from City staff concerning application processing and requirements, block perimeter standards, Certificate of Appropriateness appeals, Concept Plat applicability, right-of-way dimensional standards, building type definitions, Neighborhood Density District zoning regulations, Character District zoning regulations, a new Special Events Facility use, multifamily parking standards, accessory dwelling units, neighborhood transitions, durable building materials, detention and water quality requirements for plats of four residential lots or less, detention requirements outside the Urban Stormwater Management District, delineation of water quality and buffer zones, channel design for water quality zone reclamation, sensitive geologic feature protection zones, geological assessment waivers, and Qualified Watershed Protection Plan applicability, and adoption of Appendix Q of the International Residential Code (S. Caldwell)
Body
Meeting date: June 9, 2020
Department: Planning & Development Services
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: n/a
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Fiscal Note:
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Background Information:
A joint workshop between the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council was held in June 2019. The purpose of the workshop was to allow City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission the opportunity to review the proposed changes and provide staff direction on which requests should be reviewed and brought back with a recommendation. At that time, the Commission and Council identified items that they would like staff to analyze and bring back for further discussion and items that would not be considered as part of this annual update. For specific amendments, the Commission and Council also provided additional direction and items that should be considered in staff’s analysis.
In November 2019, the Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed and provided a recommendation on proposed Phase 1 amendments which consisted of typos and technical errors, policy items that the joint committee directed be expedited at the June 2019 workshop, and amendments related to House Bills approved during the 2019 Legislative Session. These amendments were reviewed at the December 3rd City Council meeting and approved upon second reading at the December 17th City Council meeting.
At this time, City staff is presenting amendments proposed by City Engineering staff and several City Boards and Commissions. These amendments and their timing are in alignment with staff’s recommendation at the June 2019 workshop the proposed next steps discussed during the Commission’s review and action on Phase 1 amendments. In addition to these amendments already discussed at the workshop and during Phase 1, staff is presenting amendments related to policy items that have been expedited at the request of the City Council, additional needed amendments identified by Planning & Development staff since Phase 1, and amendments in response to a developer request.
Section 2.4.1.3 of the San Marcos Development Code requires the Planning & Zoning Commission to make a recommendation regarding the text amendment(s) to the City Council. Below is a summary of the process and key dates.
Development Code Amendments Process Summary
• City Council provides initial authorization to further consider or alternatively, rejects the proposal (3/3)
• Planning & Zoning Commission considers the amendments and recommends approval, approval with conditions, or denial of the text amendments (6/9)
• City Council holds a public hearing and first reading of ordinance (8/4)
• City Council holds second reading of ordinance (8/18)
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Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the proposed Land Development Code text amendments as presented.