Heights discusses subdivision ordinance
Posted On: Wednesday, Jan. 6 2010 05:02 AM
By Mason W. Canales
Killeen Daily HeraldHARKER HEIGHTS – The City Council aired out several questions about revisions to the city's subdivision ordinance, which will update the process of platting, during a Tuesday workshop.
The main focus of the revisions will give the City Council oversight of the preliminary plat approval, along with the Planning and Zoning Commission. It will also change some items required by developers, who submit subdivision plats for development to the city.
"We don't want to see it at the end of the process," Councilman Mike Aycock said. "We want to be see it at the beginning, because we are ... planning the future of the city."
Most of the questions during the workshop were offered by Councilman Sam Murphey.
"I hate to be fuzzy-headed on this, but this is some very complicated stuff," Murphey said after asking questions about several of the changes.
Murphey and Councilman Rob Robinson both questioned a change that would allow developers or residents to appeal decisions about the interpretation of the subdivision ordinances to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
"(The appeal) would go back down rather than up?" Robinson asked.
Murphey argued that the city manager should see all the appeals, and that the judgment of the appeal should be done by elected officials, not an appointed one.
"I don't want one person to make that final decision," Aycock said, before the City Council agreed the wording of the draft could be changed to include both the city manager and one of the governing boards.
Also drawing questions was a requirement for placing the flood plain on the preliminary and final plat, but not requiring the elevations of where each home had to sit on a lot for the preliminary and final plats.
How are home buyers going to know "they are knee-deep in flood plain?" Murphey asked.
Title companies should inform the home or lot buyers, and it is also the responsibility of the purchasers to know what they are buying, Planning and Development Director Tommy Garcia said. Having the elevations of the foundation can be done on a lot-by-lot basis by the builder with surveyors. Having those numbers on the plat could add a lot of information to the plat.
Sidewalk requirements were also questioned, but the City Council and city staff agreed to set up an additional workshop for a later debate.
The council also discussed the proposed bonding process, which would allow developers to start selling lots before they are finished with the development's infrastructure.
This bonding process would help the city and the developer, Garcia and Aycock said.
The city would be able to withdraw the bond if the developer doesn't complete the construction of infrastructure in the development, so the city doesn't pay for the construction, Garcia said.
The bond would also allow developers an earlier chance to sell lots if they have a problem, such as bad weather delaying construction, Aycock said.
The council also discussed:
A presentation about Fort Hood from the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance.
A presentation about appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions.
Contact Mason W. Canales at
mcanales@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7554.