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JANUARY 17TH, 2024.IT IS NOW 3:32 PM MY NAME IS THERESA FEDERER GEISER.
AND AS THE HEARING OFFICIAL, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING ORDINANCE PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES.
FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY, PLEASE SILENCE YOUR DEVICES.
THE MEETING IS BEING RECORDED.
RAISE YOUR HAND AT THIS TIME IF YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS SUCH AS ANY TRANSLATION, AND WE'LL SEE IF WE, HOW WE CAN BEST ASSIST YOU.
YOU STAR SIX ON MOST CELL PHONES TO MUTE AND UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AFTER STAFF PRESENTS THE ITEM, I'LL RECOGNIZE KNOWN SPEAKERS FIRST, THEN ASK FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.
THE TEAM'S CHAT IS ONLY MONITORED FOR NEW SPEAKER SIGNUPS AND ALL COM COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY MUST BE AUDIBLE.
THE THE DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT APPOINTED ME TO CONDUCT THESE MEETINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 28 DASH 3 0 3 L.
CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE PARKING AND YARDS ORDINANCE IN JANUARY OF 2009 TO ADDRESS ROWING CONCERNS ABOUT THE PARKING OF VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT IN THE FRONT AND SIDE, YARDS OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
IN SO DOING, THEY IDENTIFIED THREE SPECIFIC REASONS WHY THIS ORDINANCE WAS NECESSARY.
ONE, TO PREVENT THE, THE POTENTIAL DECREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES WHERE THE PRACTICE OF PARKING VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT ON LAWNS IS PREVALENT.
TWO, TO ADDRESS THE DETERIORATION OF THE AESTHETIC APPEARANCE OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHERE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PARKING OF VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT ON THE LAWNS.
THREE, TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE WEIGHT OF VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT PARKED ON LAWNS.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS ONE APPLICATION THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY A RESIDENT ORGANIZATION.
THIS HEARING WAS SCHEDULED BECAUSE AT LEAST ONE PROTEST WAS FILED REGARDING THE APPLICATION AREA ON TODAY'S AGENDA, TODAY'S AGENDA CONSISTS OF THE APPLICATION OF GLENWOOD FOREST COMMUNITY CIVIC CLUB.
THE APPLICATION INCLUDES 458 LOTS WITHIN SECTION ONE THROUGH SIX OF THE GLENWOOD FOREST SUBDIVISION.
AT LEAST ONE PROTEST LETTER WAS RECEIVED.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS TO DETERMINE IF THE APPLICANT HAS MET CERTAIN CRITERIA WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR THE ORDINANCE TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
A FINDING AT THIS HEARING THAT THESE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET AND THAT THE APPLICATION SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION IS NOT THE FINAL STEP OF THE PROCESS.
ONLY THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PASS THE ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE PARKING OF VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT ON THE FRONT AND SIDE YARDS.
THIS ORDINANCE APPLIES TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES ONLY AND DOES NOT APPLY TO COMMERCIAL OR MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURES.
THE ORDINANCE ALLOWS THE HEARING OFFICER TO CONSIDER THREE SPECIFIC CRITERIA.
ONE, WHETHER THE APPLICATION COMPLIES WITH THE SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS IS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE.
TWO, WHETHER THE RESIDENTIAL AREA DESCRIBED IN THE APPLICATION CONTAINS AT LEAST FIVE CONTIGUOUS BLOCK FACES.
AND THREE, WHETHER THE CURBSIDE PARKING AREAS WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION ARE SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT TYPICALLY PARKED WITHIN THE AREA.
IF THESE THREE CRITERIA AND THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TODAY DEMONSTRATES A LIKELIHOOD THAT ONE OR MORE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT PROMPTED THE CREATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IS PRESENT, THEN THE APPLICATION WILL BE FAVORABLY RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL.
THE DECISION ON THE APPLICATION WILL BE SET FORTH IN WRITING.
THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING ON TEAMS. SO I'M GONNA GO BACK.
THERE'S A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY HEARING THIS, UH, MEETING ON THE UH, BROADCAST TEAM.
SO WE'RE GOING TO PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT TILL THAT'S RECTIFIED.
THE DECISIONS ON THE APPLICATION WILL BE SET FORTH IN WRITING AND COPIES OF THE HEARING RESULTS WILL BE MAILED TO THE APPLICANTS AND PROTESTORS WHOSE NAMES WE HAVE ON RECORD.
COPIES WILL MADE BE MADE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST TO ANY OTHER INTERESTED PARTY SPEAKERS.
EACH PERSON WHO HAS SUBMITTED A
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SPEAKER SIGN-IN REQUEST WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.EACH SPEAKER SPEAKS ONLY ONCE.
AT THE START OF THE HEARING, I WILL GIVE THE APPLICANT OR THE CO-APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT THE OPTION OF SPEAKING EITHER FIRST OR AT THE END.
THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE SPEAKER ALLOWED PER HOUSEHOLD AND THERE WILL BE NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR REBUTTALS.
PLEASE NO AUDIBLE DISPLAYS OF SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION.
THIS INCLUDES NO APPLAUDING, NO BOOING OR SPEAKING OUT UNLESS YOU ARE AT THE SPEAKER'S PODIUM.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SPEAKING, WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO ME AND NOT TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
WHEN YOU ARE MAKING YOUR STATEMENT, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ANY DISPARAGING REMARKS AND KEEP YOUR COMMENTS RELEVANT TO THE MATTER AT HAND.
IF SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY MADE THE POINTS YOU INTENDED TO MAKE, YOU MAY SIMPLY APPROACH THE PODIUM.
STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND STATE YOUR POSITION.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHETHER YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE THE APPLICATION OF THIS PARKING ORDINANCE TO YOUR AREA.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE HEARING.
MAY I HAVE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT? MS. SAWYER, GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS TANYA SAWYER WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROHIBITED YARD PARKING AREA FOR GLENWOOD FOREST SUBDIVISION SECTIONS ONE THROUGH SIX.
THE APPLICATION AREA CONSISTS OF A TOTAL OF 458 LOTS, WHICH INCLUDES 451 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES REPRESENTING 98% OF THE APPLICATION AREA.
THE APPLICATION AREA INCLUDES A MINIMUM OF FIVE BLOCK FACES.
A LETTER SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GLENWOOD FOREST COMMUNITY CIVIC CLUB WAS SUBMITTED.
NOTICES WERE MAILED TO PROPERTY OWNERS BY STAFF ON NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023.
THE APPLICANT PROVIDED NOTICES BY THE POSTING OF SIGNS AND FLYER DISTRIBUTION, WHICH WAS VERIFIED BY STAFF ON NOVEMBER 27TH AND 28.
ONE VALID PROTEST WAS TIMELY FILED PRIOR TO THE DECEMBER 4TH DEADLINE, THE APPLICANT SUBMITTED PHOTOS OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE AREA WHERE SUCH OFFENSES ARE TAKING PLACE.
AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK TIMED BY STAFF.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR POSITION.
ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST THIS PROHIBITED YARD PARKING APPLICATION? THEN MAKE ANY COMMENTS AND SHOW ME ANY EVIDENCE.
WE'LL HAVE A DOCUMENT CAMERA AVAILABLE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
IF, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHOW THAT TO ME, STAFF CAN HELP YOU SHOW THE EVIDENCE EXHIBITS ON THE SCREEN.
MARETTE IS THERE AND UH, CAN ASSIST YOU.
UH, JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE PODIUM, MR. PJ JONES, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST OR LAST AS THE CO-APPLICANT? I'D LIKE TO GO FIRST.
YOU HEAR ME PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
FIRST, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AS WELL AS WE GET READY LUNCH OFF UNTIL 2024.
UH, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK THE OFFICERS AND I ALSO ALSO WANNA THANK THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
UH, I'M FORMERLY, I'M FORMERLY THE GLENWOOD FOREST COMMUNITY CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT, UH, BETTER KNOWN AS THE G-F-C-C-C.
I RESIDE IN GLENWOOD FOREST, IN WHICH I'VE BEEN IN GLENWOOD FOREST ALL MY LIFE.
SO I WOULD TELL MY AGE FOR 44 YEARS.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT APPLICATION P 2 3 0 7 0 1, IN WHICH I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF WHAT WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT IS PROHIBITED YARD PARKING.
THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTY VALUES, PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TO STOP THE DEBT, THE, THE DEGRADATION OF AESTHETICS, APPEARANCE OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS, PARKING OF VEHICLES ON ANY UNAPPROVED SURFACE IN FRONT OF OUR SIDE YARD WITHIN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS WILL BE PROHIBITED WHERE A PROHIBITED YARD PARKING REQUIREMENT AREA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
AND GUYS, IN CASE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, GLENWOOD FOREST IS A VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
ALSO, I HAVE PROVIDED PICTURES AS WELL TOO, DOCUMENT CAMERA.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND STILL PROCEED AS WE, UH, THE PICTURES WOULD
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COME UP.NINE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, NINE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIT ON FOR GLENWOOD FOREST TODAY WITH THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING.
ACTUALLY, THIS WAS JUST YESTERDAY.
AND THIS IS BECOMING A, A PERPETUATED SITUATION.
IT'S CONTINUING ON AND ON AND ON.
NINE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE PROPERTY VALUE PROTECTION, THE INFRASTRUCTURE PRESERVATION, AESTHETIC APPEARANCE, ENHANCEMENT PRESERVATION, PRESERVING RESIDENTIAL CHARM, COMMUNITY COHESION, SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
WHAT I WANT, COULD YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE PLEASE? IF YOU DON'T MIND.
WHAT, WHAT WE SEE HERE, AND I WANNA DIRECT YOU GUYS OF COURSE TO THE ATTENTION OF THESE PICTURES.
THIS CONTINUES TO GO ON AND ON.
OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL AS YOU CAN SEE.
SO A FEW THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROPERTY VALUE PROTECTION, THE PROGRAM AIMS. THIS PROGRAM CO FITS.
IT IS A PERFECT FIT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UPHOLD, TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY BEAUTIFUL AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY VIBRANT.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO SAFEGUARD NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTY VALUES.
UNAPPROVED SURFACE PARKING CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OVERALL AESTHETICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, POTENTIALLY LOWERING PROPERTY VALUES, INFRASTRUCTURE PRESERVATION, PROTECTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE.
PARKING ON UNAPPROVED SERVICES MAY LEAD TO SOIL EROSION.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN CARS BE PARKED ON THE DRIVE IN, IN A QUARTERING SIDE ACROSS THE YARD WHEN IT'S RAINING.
WE HAVE SEEN THE RESIDUE FROM THESE CARS LEAKING, ALL RUNNING INTO OUR DRAIN DRAINAGE AND OTHER ISSUES THAT CAN COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE CITY'S UNDERGROUND SYSTEM.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED.
I MAY ASK FOR EXTENSION OF TIME.
IN CONCLUSION, I ASK THE PERSON THAT COMMIT THESE INFRACTIONS, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN GLENWOOD? HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE G-F-C-C-C? DO YOU WANT YOUR COMMUNITY TO BE BEAUTIFUL? AND IF THIS WAS RIVER OAKS, I BELIEVE WE WOULD NOT BE HERE.
I WOULD LIKE THE G-F-C-C-C, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE RESIDENTS OF THE G-F-C-C-C, EAST HOUSTON RIVERWOOD CIVIC CLUB, CLAREMONT PLACE, AND THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. FRANK ALLEN.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY 53 YEARS.
I'VE SEEN THE GOOD AND THE BAD RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE, UH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF WHAT MR. PJ JONES JUST STATED.
THAT'S WHAT I'LL, I'LL ARREST MY CASE ON WHAT HE JUST SAID.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE IS VICKI MARTIN.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50.
I RESIDE IN THE CLAREMONT PLACE CIVIC CLUB, OUR AREA.
AND WE ARE THE NEIGHBOR TO GLENWOOD FOREST.
UH, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS ORDINANCE FOR THE GLENWOOD FOREST CIVIC CLUB.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOT BE REDUNDANT AND SPEAK ON THESE ISSUES.
NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A PROLIFERATION OF VEHICLES IN YARDS THAT HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL.
NUMBER TWO, VEHICLES LEAK ALL AND FLUIDS INTO THE SOAR.
THEY DAMAGE THE GRASS, THE TREES, AND POSSIBLY THE BURIED UTILITY LINES.
NUMBER THREE, THE MOISTURE SEEPAGE.
WHEN A CAR OR VEHICLE IS PARKED ON THE GRASS BECAUSE OF THE MOISTURE SEEPAGE, IT MESSES WITH THE, UH, IT DETERIORATES THE, THE METAL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLES.
THREE IS UNATTRACTIVE AND IT DETRACTS FROM THE BEAUTY AND THE AESTHETICS OF THE COMMUNITY.
FOUR, THE RESIDENTIAL INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED.
PROPERTY VALUES ARE COMPROMISED.
SOME YARDS HAVE GASLIGHTS IN THEIR YARDS AND THEY'RE NOT ACTIVE.
AND SOME ARE ACTIVE, BUT THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
SO NUMBER SIX, SOMETIMES WHEN VEHICLES ARE PARKED IN GRASS AND IN YARDS, THEY CREATE RUTS IN THE YARD.
AND WHEN THEY CREATE RUTS, THAT MEANS THAT WATER IS NOT ABLE TO DE UH, TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT MAKES MOISTURE HOLDING WATER, STAGNATED WATER AND MOSQUITOES.
ALSO VEHICLES EMIT CARBON DIOXIDE.
SO BECAUSE OF CARBON DIOXIDE, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES ARE PARKED UNDERNEATH THEIR LIVING ROOM AND
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THEIR, THEIR BEDROOM WINDOWS.SO THAT IS A ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, HEALTH, AND A SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE.
SO IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THIS APPLICATION.
WE ARE IN FULL SUPPORT AND WE HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE REASONS AND WE ARE ECHOED THE REASONS THAT YOU'VE HEARD HERE TODAY.
THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS I HAVE SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE.
IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND, SEEING NO FURTHER SPEAKERS.
THE HEARING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE IS NOW CLOSED.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE WERE MET AND THAT ONLY THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PASS THE ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE PARKING OF VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT IN FRONT AND SIDE YARDS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PLANNING AND DE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ARE HERE AND AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
AND WITH THAT, THE PROHIBITED YARD PARKING HEARING FOR TODAY IS ADJOURNED AT THREE 50.
THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND FOR GETTING INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.