Planning

Subcommittee Name & Area	Recommendation	Status	Next Steps
Suburban--Mixed Use Areas	Create a Mixed Use Area (MUA) designation that will foster mixed use, high density development that reduces auto-dependency and create a high-quality, pedestrian-friendly transit-supportive environment	Draft Concept Developed Draft regulatory requirements developed Investigate Sugarland TownCenter	Establish MUA working group to refine concept and draft ordinance Private sector funding for position to help one PD staff position
Suburban--Courtyards	Establish working group to examine potential performance standards to encourage use of courtyards as a means of creating more pedestrian friendly communities	Draft concept and performance standards developed How do you ensure the greenspace is maintained--fund set aside to cover O&M Public safety for police and fire is a concern	Establishes working group to refine concept and performance standards
Suburban-Amenities	Adopt point system for calculating the proportion of required detention that can also satisfy required compensating open space	Draft concept developed including proposed point system	PD test the concept and report back to committee Draft guidelines
Suburban--Reserves	Revise requirements for creating reserves and promulgate those requirements clearly in Chapter 42 Code of Ordinances	Draft reserves matrix created; modifications to reserves proposed	Legal Department prepares amendment to Chapter 42 PD presents draft ordinance to Planning Commission and Council
Development Impacts--Financing Infrastructure Improvements	Recommend a combination of builder impact fees and a city sponsored financing entity	Concept plan drafted: PD & Public Works (PWE) identify zones and assess existing infrastructure in and around the zone. PWE prepares plan for upgrading the infrastructure to meet needs of new development. Infrastructure financing and implementation plan would be created that incorporates builder impact fee and some commitment from COH to match revenues from fee for project meeting certain criteria.	PWE and PD identify areas
Development Impacts--Drainage Impacts	Amend Chapter 9 of the Infrastructure Design Manual to address single family parcels currently excluded from the detention requirements and require detention at a rate of 0.5 acre-feet per acre of increased impervious area for tracts being subdivided in less than an acre Develop sub-regional detention facilities that would mitigate storm water runoff impact of development within the neighborhoods where it is occurring.	Proposed amendments drafted Need additional study to identify 2 or 3 candidate projects within 9 months	PWE to identify candidate projects
Development Impacts--Public Notification-Platting	Improve public notification by including original plat names for each replat application on the Subdivision Plat Summary Report and further expand e-mail notification to neighborhoods	PD revised Subdivision Plat Summary (SDS) Report to include the original subdivision plat names on replats and created SDS E-Report and notified super-neighborhoods & civic clubs Developed flyer for civic clubs	Completed
Neighborhood Preservation--Prevailing Building Line/Prevailing Lot Size PVLS	Lower the threshold of qualifying lots from 75% to somewhere between 51% and 60% to allow more older neighborhoods to remain intact Change basis of calculation on PVLS to area rather than number or lots Forward technical amends to the Legal Department to draft ordinance amendments Allow neighborhoods to preserve the existing lot sizes, regardless of whether a prevailing size exists by calculating character on area.	Propose calculations prepared PD proposed amendments sent to Legal for review	Convene working group to review proposed amendments to the PVLS--Get input from GHBA--PD to work with Legal
Neighborhood Preservation--Neighborhood Character	Define a menu of options (lot coverage, height, side setbacks, garage location) for preserving character across an entire neighborhood or lesser portion. Criteria and process will mirror PVBL and PLS	Draft matrix developed	Establish working group to further define the elements of neighborhood character and propose criteria for preserving such character. PD will work with committee & Legal on drafting ordinance
Neighborhood Preservation--Performance Standards	Planning Commission should conduct a thorough testing of possible scenarios follwoing a two pronged approach: Prevent businesses from locating on streets in areas that are predominately SFR Study the effect of mitigation where predominantly SFR is adjacent to commercial development along streets		Reconvene joint committee working group and invite additional neighborhood reps to further refine concept
Long Range Planning	Issue: Houston no longer relies on growth by annexation. This change in Houston's growth model places greater emphasis on Houston's need to compete with other metropolitan areas for the attraction of new economic development opportunities. The success of economic growth is increasingly dependent on the quality of life offered by the city. The city needs a strategic plan which defines its current condition and identifies opportunities and threats for its future.
Long Range Planning--Strategic Planning	Commit to the development of a Strategic plan that address the symbiotic relationship between economic growth and quality of life. Such a plan should define the current condition and identify opportunities and threats for the future	Committee developed draft revisions to Chapter 33 of the Code of Ordinances enabling comprehensive planning in Houston.	Reconstitute a committee that develops strategic goals for development in the city: Housing; Industry-suggest industry location and capacity to serve the industries that the city seeks to attract; encourage growth yet balance quality of life Develop housing gap analysis (demand generator)
Long Range Planning--Focus on Mobility	Mobility planning needs to be part of the economic growth strategy to promote growth of property values and sales tax bases while serving the needs of the community in housing and services		Establish new, long-term focus on planning, agency coordination, scheduling and identification and securing funding opportunities through a transportation liaison in PD--PD to hire person
Long Range Planning--Focus on Drainage	The city should have a dedicated focus on drainage and flooding with attention to the coordination of improvements with HCFCD and other agencies. This should include the identification and securing of leveraged funding opportunities and develop an understanding of the requirements of the mandated storm water quality programs and their impacts on the drainage system.		Develop a policy with input from Planning Commission, PWE and private sector--topics to be included: sub-regional detention impervious cover neighborhood drainage funding sources
Long Range Planning--Comprehensive GIS	Develop a geographic information system (GIS) that is coordinated with the data provided by others to identify quality of life and economic growth opportunities	Mayor's Geo Spatial Committee is meeting to develop a seamless approach using common architecture. Recently hired city GIS staff to assist with this effort--start date March 27	Utilize updated GIS to conduct gap analysis and identify and foster strategic growth. Recognize that the GIS is a marketing and informational tool
Long Range Planning--Capital Improvement Plan	The CIP is a manifestation of the strategic plan. Its projects should largely serve the strategic goals. The city should consider adopting a ten year view of the CIP with two components: long range programmatic improvements (representing the bulk of the CIP) and Shorter term responsiveness to citizen calls for action	Revisions to Super Neighborhood Program requires neighborhoods to identify short term CIP items	Create 10 year CIP (5 years funded) based upon 10 year project plan
Urban Core--Transit Corridor Plans	Issue: There are no rules or standards to respond to the needs of development along the transit corridors (setbacks, pedestrian access and parking) The Planning Commission considers parking and setback variances without any framework.
Urban Core--Transit Corridor Plans	Planning Commission convene a working group composed of all stakeholders to develop a pilot plan by May 2006 centered on Main Street Corridor light rail stations with recommended rules reflecting the different corridor segments	Transit Corridor Plan concept drafted	Establishes working group to define scope of pilot plan, evaluate plan and develops implementation plan
Urban Core--Right of Way Dedication	Issue: As development occurs, the PC is regularly asked to grant variances not to dedicate ROW on existing streets. In many cases the pavement is very narrow, there is open ditch drainage and homes setback only 10' from the ROW. The result is a patchwork of ROW dedication.
Urban Core--Right of Way Dedication	Planning Commission should further define the street hierarchy classification system to include local streets Analyzed performance standards for local streets in specific areas in terms of ROW and Paving		Reconvene subcommittee to define criteria for hierarchy and develop performance standards for specific areas Move to Neighborhood Preservation
Urban Core--Additional Considerations	Reconvene Urban Core to consider Routine variances Delineating recommendations that stimulate the development of affordable housing remainder tracts standards to stimulate pedestrian friendly development Establish coordination practices with PWE Encourage planning of green space Establish flexible standards for central city commercial opportunities Parking for infill development		Planning Commission reconvenes subcommittee to work on routine variances.
Parking--Texas Medical Center	Issue: Continued growth in the Medical Center area and the need for structured parking is straining capacity of the area's roadway system. The combination of TMC's location along Main and Fannin Streets and the increasing development with in the Medical Center are resulting in daily gridlock on streets.
Parking--Texas Medical Center	Expand TMC parking management area (PMA) to include new properties and require traffic studies for proposed development location in congested areas Establish a max. parking ration or ceiling for congested areas within the TMC PMA Encourage partnerships with City, County, Metro to build remote structured parking facilities at strategic locations along Main Street light rail line		PD parking management office and TMC establish new boundaries and amend PMA PD parking management and TMC explore concept of parking rations or ceilings. If feasible, proposed amendment to PMA to require ratios as requested by TMC
Parking--Decal Program	Notification of decal parking application should be mailed to both owners and tenants of properties within 200 feet of the proposed decal parking area Special events permits should be given to residents upon request Contractor/builder permits should be made available	Ordinance amended 10/2005 to require notification Special events permits are available to residents upon request Permits are available upon request	All Completed
Parking--Guest Parking	Issue: As density increase in urban and suburban areas, on-street and off-street guest parking becomes scarce. This condition is often exacerbated when infrastructure in older neighborhoods is not adequate. Chapter 42 does not require guest parking for residential infill.
Parking--Guest Parking	Establish incentives for providing guest parking Encourage single entry driveways to preserve on-street parking Encourage shared driveway entrances Re-institute paving assessment program to replace open ditch with curb and gutter Anticipate the need for neighborhood parking lots Development impact subcommittee drafted concept to spread cost of infrastructure improvements		Establish working group to further consider guest parking If consensus reached, PD presents proposal to PC Amend Chap 42 to require quest parking for large scale development
Parking on Transit/Commercial Corridors	Issue: Retail and mixed use projects proposed in the Main Street Corridor have requested reduced parking based on the proximity to light rail stations. There is little data available to substantiate arguments in favor of granting variance for reduced parking. There is concern that overflow parking will spill onto adjacent properties and the possibility of establishing a retail environment that is certain to fail.
Parking on Transit/Commercial Corridors	PC should study establishing parking grids based on need. Some areas may have a ceiling and some areas may have alternative parking ratios		Public/Private partnerships to develop parking structures at strategic locations along rail look at highly dense corridors with residential and commercial development develop parking rations for development near LRT and BRT

West Houston Association Issues

Planning & Development

2006 General Plan Report