CITY 3 BUILDING, 801 TEXAS AVENUE WELCH ...legacy.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/_documents/City Review...2016/10/06 · 10:30 A.M., OCTOBER 6, 2016 The City Review Committee held its

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PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT, PLANNING DIVISION

CITY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

City Development Department City 3 | 801 Texas Avenue | El Paso, Texas 79901 | (915) 212-0083

[email protected] Dedicated to Outstanding Customer Service for a Better Community

Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council

District 1 Peter Svarzbein

District 2

Jim Tolbert

District 3 Emma Acosta

District 4

Carl L. Robinson

District 5 Dr. Michiel R. Noe

District 6

Claudia Ordaz

District 7 Lily Limón

District 8

Cortney C. Niland

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez

CITY 3 BUILDING, 801 TEXAS AVENUE

WELCH CONFERENCE ROOM

10:30 A.M., OCTOBER 6, 2016

The City Review Committee held its public meeting in the Welch Conference Room, City 3

Building, 801 Texas Avenue, 10:30 a.m., October 6, 2016.

The following City Review Committee members were present:

Chairwoman Laura Foster, Architect, Planning & Inspections Department

Tony De La Cruz, Chief Plans Examiner, Planning & Inspections Department

Harrison Plourde, Senior Planner, Planning & Inspections Department

The following city staff members were present:

Anne Antonini, Senior Planner, Planning & Inspections Department

Karla Nieman, Assistant City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office

The following members of the public were present:

Bob Brannon, President, Rim Area Neighborhood Association

Elsa Taracena, AT Architectural Design

Cynthia Taracena, AT Architectural Design

Jonathan W. Rogers III, resident

Irma Salom, resident

Richard Teschner, Rim Area Neighborhood Association

James Arthur Lyle, resident

Risher Gilbert, Rim Area Neighborhood Association

Ann Lilly, Rim Area Neighborhood Association

Eddie Gutierrez

John Murray, resident

Mike Gaglio, HDNP/SW

1. Call to Order / Public Comment.

Chairwoman Foster called the meeting to order at ________ a.m.

Chairwoman Foster asked if anyone present who would like to address the Committee on issues not

posted on the agenda. There was no public comment.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


2. PLRG16-00003 Lot 8, Block 6, Rim Road Addition, City of El Paso, El Paso County,

Texas

LOCATION: 1131 Rim Road

ZONE: R-3/NCO (Residential/Neighborhood Conservancy Overlay)

REQUEST: New construction of a residence

Ms. Foster gave a presentation and explained that the applicant is requesting the City

Review Committee review and authorize the release of permits for property located at

1131 Rim Road. Staff recommends approval of the proposed work based on policy

recommendations on page 21 of the Rim-University Neighborhood Plan and Design

Standards 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10 as described in the following report.

DESIGN STANDARDS are mandatory requirements, which must be met by persons who

are proposing new construction, reconstruction, or renovation of the exterior of existing

buildings, or structures within the Neighborhood that have a Neighborhood Conservancy

Overlay (NCO). These Design Standards are considered in the context of surrounding

properties, and with an emphasis on promoting visual harmony and maintaining the

unique character of the Neighborhood (page 14.)

The following Rim-University Neighborhood Plan Design Standards apply:

DESIGN STANDARDS (page 27) – Residential Uses

1. Building, Setback and Site Development

(b) Site layout, scale and mass of new construction shall be generally compatible with

existing development in the same block.

2. Architectural Styles and Materials

(a) Additions to the existing residences shall be constructed in the same architectural

style as the existing residence.

(b) The use of shapes, exterior wall colors, and design features which are substantially

different from the shapes, exterior wall colors and design features in the

Neighborhood shall not be permitted.

(d) Stucco construction shall present a smooth unbroken surface free from expansion

joints except where necessary to prevent excessive cracking.

(e) Trash containers, mechanical equipment and utility hardware on new construction

shall be located at the rear of the lot or alley or screened from public view.

(f) Garages shall not be located on the front façade unless site constraints make

compliance with this standard impossible, in which case the garage located on a

front façade shall not be a dominant feature.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


4. Front Yards

(a) The only paved areas (asphalt, concrete, brick, stone or similar materials) in the

front yard shall be fore necessary driveways and walkways.

10. Landscaping, Screening and Open Space

(a) Yard areas in public view shall be landscaped.

(b) Gravel without vegetation shall not be permitted in yards visible from public view.

(No palm trees are planned for landscape, palm trees are for renderings only)

Ms. Foster, the representative for Kerbey Street Mr. __________________________,

representatives of the architecture firm and members of the public commented.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


FOR THE RECORD

For the record, Ms. Foster suggested noting in the minutes that the permit releases

dependent on a development of a landscape plan. As the architect firm submits for permit

for the landscape plan, the plan is reviewed for compliance with the committee’s request that

the landscape plan meets the standard of conforming to traditional planting seen in the

neighborhood and incorporating native planting and conforming to the standards that

prohibit excessive hardscaping. To conclude, Ms. Foster suggested noting in the minutes

that permit release depends on submittal of an appropriate landscape design.

Ms. Risher Gilbert, Rim Area Neighborhood Association, thought since the applicant does

not have, today, the landscape plan they are asking to be approved, then the hearing should

be postponed.

FOR THE RECORD

For the record, Ms. Risher Gilbert stated the Rim Area Neighborhood Association had

requested a meeting with the owners. The Association sent a hand-delivered letter dated

September 9th, 2016, to the owner’s house requesting a meeting to discuss the proposed

construction. The owners have been given the plans for many months. In the Rim-

University Neighborhood Plan it states the owners are encouraged to talk to the

neighborhood. To this very minute, and this meeting, the Neighborhood Association still

have not had an opportunity to sit down across the table and talk to the owner. Rim Road is

a major part of this Neighborhood Plan, that we have spent years working on and lots of

shoe leather going house-to-house meeting with neighbors to get passed.

It really, in my opinion, is inexcusable that the owners building this house have never taken

the time, not five minutes, to come meet with us and we have spent hours, we’ve now spent

several hours looking at plans that keep getting revised, we have spent hours meeting in the

neighborhood meeting. We feel that we’ve been very conscientious in trying to work with

the neighbors and, to now, with less than 24 hours notice, to be told that the city has changed

its opinion by plans that we’re still not seen the final plans of and still have questions about

and still does not seem to meet the standards of the Plan, is just not acceptable.

And I think that the neighborhood would like another meeting where we can see the final

plot/landscape plan, without the palm trees, which are not indigenous, not characteristic of

the neighborhood. The Plan continually talks about … to now tell us, we have been asking

about these two areas right here (points to specific areas of the plot plan from the presentation),

and to have them flat with little fountains that spew up, that’s not, in any way, characteristic

of our neighborhood, in any way, residential characteristic, that is what they have at the

Outlet Mall, like we all know, that the kids play in and that’s just what it is.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


I want to express my concern, my disappointment that the owners are not here today. My

disappointment that they did not meet with us when we asked them to meet, that was the

entire board of our neighborhood, that was not one or two people, that was a vote of the

entire Rim Area Neighborhood Association.

And if the city is going to encourage us to draft Plans, this Plan won a State-wide award. Of

all Plans in the State of Texas we got the number one award. The city encourages

neighborhoods to have input and stay involved with our neighborhoods because we do love

our neighborhood and we do want to maintain the historical, unique aspects of our

neighborhood. And as Lars correctly pointed out it is a conservancy overlay, it’s not

historical, it’s not an historical designation and we very carefully decided to put on this

overlay because we wanted to be fair and reasonable but we also wanted to have constraints

on new construction. So this kind of construction when you tear down an existing house,

you build a new house that’s a completely different architectural style except for one house

Laura showed us that is smaller … but the Plan does talk about scale and being

complementary, that word is used over and over again, and side layouts, scale and massive

new construction shall be generally compatible with existing development in the same block.

I am happy that you all (architecture firm) made changes, I think that is encouraging. I am

sorry that we had to go through all this time to get to where we are today, cause I think we

could have been where we are today four or five months ago if the owner had just sat down

with us. But we all are here today and I want to make the best of it, but I do think it is not

appropriate to ask us to be supportive of something … and I realize that we are only one

vote, but I think exactly as Bob Brannon, President of the Rim Area Neighborhood

Association Board, said if things keep changing, all it does for the neighborhood is feel like

we can’t be certain what’s going to be built. And when we’re shown something and say oh

but this shows palm trees but that’s not what they’re going to do, that’s an error; that gives us grave

certain.

And the fact that we don’t have a face for the owner, we don’t, we have a blank, we have a

blank face for the owner; we have an extra high anxiety level about what’s actually going to

be built and what’s actually going to be put into the landscaping. I think this is going to be

one of the most high profile houses on Rim; it’s at a corner, as the corner comes out there’s

the curvature of the road and it’s a major component, the streetscape is what this Plan is all

about, it’s a major streetscape issue and I want to respectfully ask you to agree to postpone

until we can sit down with all the final plans that are initialed and dated and we feel

confident we know what we voted on and what’s going to be built.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


Ms. Foster noted the guidelines discuss landscape. A discussion regarding the Guidelines

and Design Standards for landscape was held.

Ms. Gilbert read into the record the Guidelines and Design Standards for Landscape.

CLARIFICATION FOR THE RECORD

To clarify, for the record, Ms. Risher Gilbert asked Ms. Taracena, AT Architectural Design,

who the architect known all over the world was.

Ms. Taracena responded ________________________.

Ms. Gilbert asked if this individual was a certified architect with a Texas architectural seal or

was he a designer.

Ms. explained, not an architect, the style.

Ms. Gilbert confirmed, the style, not the person signing off. There is no architect signing

these plans, is that correct.

Ms. Taracena replied, no, there is.

Ms. Gilbert asked who that person was.

Ms. Taracena replied, “oh, you mean this?”

Ms. Gilbert stated “I mean this house, these plans, signed and sealed.” She asked Ms.

Taracena if her husband was an architect with an architectural seal.

Ms. Taracena responded, “He’s a Mexican architect.”

Ms. Gilbert responded, ‘okay, that’s not Texas certified …”

Ms. Foster noted the city does not require a seal for residential, Mr. Taracena has an

architectural background.

FIRST MOTION:

Motion made by Ms. Foster, seconded by Mr. De La Cruz AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO

POSTPONE A DECISION ON THIS PERMIT RELEASE AND COME BACK TO ANOTHER

CRC.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


FOR THE RECORD

After the vote, for the record, for the minutes, Richard Teschner asked, “Does a poll not need

to be taken to postpone.”

Ms. Foster replied, yes, she was making a motion …

Mr. De La Cruz explained Ms. Foster had made a motion to approve early on. He thought

Ms. Foster should rescind that motion and then make a motion to …

Ms. Foster clarified she was recommending approval with caveats that the permit isn’t

released until the complete landscape plans were turned in and they were conforming to

what was said in the meeting. However, she changed that recommendation based on the

feedback from the meeting and because the applicant seems amenable to postponing and

doing another review in the next month with more information and more complete

documents reflecting what was talked about today.

Ms. Taracena added someone needed to mention that she had submitted all the plans and

she has complied with all the city requirements for the building. So that we just need your

approval and we can start construction like you wanted to.

Mr. De La Cruz asked the members of the neighborhood how extensive did they want the

landscape plan under residential code. The city does not require landscape, this is a review

that would go through the City Review Committee, but realistically what are you expecting.

Are you expecting a plant list, quantities … that needs to be cleared up because if they return

with something that doesn’t meet your expectation we …

FOR THE RECORD

For the record, Ms. Foster restated her motion as follows:

FINAL MOTION:

Motion made by Ms. Foster TO POSTPONE THIS CASE, COME BACK FOR REVIEW AND

THEN WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, THAT PERMIT SET, IS TURNED IN,

THAT PERMIT SET FOR THE RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE WILL INCLUDE A PLANT

LIST AND I ASSUME PLANT QUANTITIES AND ILLUSTRATE WHAT PORTIONS OF

THE SURFACE ARE HARDSCAPE VERSUS LANDSCAPE AND ALSO IF THERE IS A

WATER FEATURE, WHAT TYPE OF WATER FEATURE. STAFF WILL REVIEW THAT IN

THE NEXT CRC AS WELL.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


POINT OF CLARIFICATION

Ms. Nieman clarified the committee is requesting the property owner representatives to

submit what the committee would require any other property owner within that

neighborhood to submit for landscaping. The proposed renderings to be brought forward

for the landscaping is what every other person in Rim would be required to present at this

time.

Ms. Foster responded yes, for new landscaping and construction and the standards add

another layer of what is required.

Ms. Foster asked Ms. Nieman if she should restate her motion.

Ms. Nieman replied no.

At this time, Mr. Plourde seconded Ms. Foster’s final motion. Mr. De La Cruz voted in favor

of Ms. Foster’s final motion. Motion approved (3-0)

FOR THE RECORD

For the record, Mr. ________________ stated this is the first time I’ve been to one of these

meetings where _________________ was discussed, in other words, someone’s home or new

construction blah, blah, blah. Most of the meetings that I’ve attended addressed issues with

minor issues; this obviously is a major issue. I am deeply concerned and offended that the

city and the people in this room are allowing the NCO to dictate to someone how they

develop their property. I think that is flat wrong.

In response, Ms. Foster explained this committee administers the NCO. She was empathetic

to Mr. ____________’s concerns.

In conclusion, Mr. _________________ stated this is gross overkill, big time.

No further comments on this item.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


2. PLRG16-00004 Lot 1 & W 40 Ft of 2, Block 4, Rim Road Addition, City of El Paso, El Paso

County, Texas

LOCATION: 701 Rim Road

ZONE: R-3/NCO (Residential/Neighborhood Conservancy Overlay)

REQUEST: New hardscape and landscape at frontage.

Ms. Foster gave a presentation and explained that the applicant is requesting the City

Review Committee review and authorize the release of permits for property located at 701

Rim Road. Staff recommends approval of the proposed work based on policy

recommendations on page 21 of the Rim-University Neighborhood Plan and Design

Standards 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10 as described in the following report.

DESIGN STANDARDS are mandatory requirements, which must be met by persons who

are proposing new construction, reconstruction, or renovation of the exterior of existing

buildings, or structures within the Neighborhood that have a Neighborhood Conservancy

Overlay (NCO). These Design Standards are considered in the context of surrounding

properties, and with an emphasis on promoting visual harmony and maintaining the

unique character of the Neighborhood (page 14.)

The following Rim-University Neighborhood Plan Design Standards apply:

DESIGN STANDARDS (page 27) – Residential Uses

1. Building, Setback and Site Development

(b) Site layout, scale and mass of new construction shall be generally compatible with

existing development in the same block.

2. Architectural Styles and Materials

(c) Additions to the existing residences shall be constructed in the same architectural

style as the existing residence.

(d) The use of shapes, exterior wall colors, and design features which are substantially

different from the shapes, exterior wall colors and design features in the

Neighborhood shall not be permitted.

(g) Stucco construction shall present a smooth unbroken surface free from expansion

joints except where necessary to prevent excessive cracking.

(h) Trash containers, mechanical equipment and utility hardware on new construction

shall be located at the rear of the lot or alley or screened from public view.

4. Front Yards

(b) The only paved areas (asphalt, concrete, brick, stone or similar materials) in the

front yard shall be fore necessary driveways and walkways.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


7. Paint and Color

(a) Metallic and fluorescent colors are not permitted

10. Landscaping, Screening and Open Space

(a) Yard areas in public view shall be landscaped.

(b) Gravel without vegetation shall not be permitted in yards visible from public view.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


During the presentation, Ms. Foster noted the irrigation mark, the cistern, is permanent.

Irrigation permits usually do not require City Review Committee review.

Ms. Foster, Mr. De La Cruz, Mr. Gaglio, landscape architect for the project, Mr. Brannon,

President, Rim Area Neighborhood Association and members of the public commented and

responded to comments and questions.

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Mayor Oscar Leeser

City Council


District 2

Jim Tolbert


District 4

Carl L. Robinson


District 6

Claudia Ordaz


District 8

Cortney C. Niland


During the presentation conversation, Ms. Foster noted it is incredibly respectful, on the part

of the applicant, to have submitted these drawings to within two days of this meeting after

staff visited the site. The landscape designer, Mike Gaglio, worked with an architect in the

community to think through this and represent this respectfully with high quality materials,

not just planting. This is a very respectful addition to the house that incorporates new

technology.

Ms. Gilbert noted the house has many rounded architectural features already. She thought

as opposed to building something out, which is a lot of screening and draws attention, what

if you did something similar to the roof there on top of this tank. Then you have the whole

tank everybody can see and it doesn’t have to be hard tile. That might be less impactful to

the design lines of the house and you would still have your tank there, agreed, there would

need to be landscaping around it, but not a pergola.

MOTION:

Motion made by Ms. Foster, seconded by Mr. Plourde AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO

APPROVE WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED.

3. Approve the Minutes for the past CRC meeting: August 17, 2016

Chairwoman Foster asked committee members if they had any additions, corrections

and/or revisions. There were none.

MOTION:

Motion made by Ms. Foster, seconded by Mr. De La Cruz AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED

TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 17, 2016 CITY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING

MINUTES.

MOTION:

Motion made by Ms. Foster, seconded by Mr. De La Cruz AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED

TO ADJOURN.

Documents

CITY 3 BUILDING, 801 TEXAS AVENUE WELCH ...legacy.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/_documents/City Review...2016/10/06 · 10:30 A.M., OCTOBER 6, 2016 The City Review Committee held its