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IT IS 2 37, THURSDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2026.
TODAY'S MEETING OF THE HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL COMMISSION, HAHC TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES IS CALLED TO ORDER.
I'M COMMISSION CHAIR DAVID HICK TO VERIFY WE HAVE A QUORUM.
I'LL CALL THE ROLE THE CHAIR IS PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER COSGROVE PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER ELL IS NOT IN THE ROOM.
COMMISSIONER BROBECK? NOT HERE.
COMMISSIONER GARCIA? NOT HERE.
AND, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROBERT WILLIAMSON.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE, UM, UH, THE CHAIR OF REPORT.
AND THE FIRST THING I JUST WANNA SAY IS, WELCOME EVERYONE.
UM, THIS IS A DAY WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN A FREQUENT, UH, VISITOR TO THESE SESSIONS, UH, WE'VE LONG ANTICIPATED A DAY, UH, WHEN WE'RE WORKING, UH, TO ACHIEVE DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS AND ESPECIALLY IN NOR HILL.
AND SO I AM VERY PLEASED THAT THIS DAY HAS COME AND I KNOW THERE'LL BE SOME, UM, PASSIONATE CONVERSATIONS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS, WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THAT WE HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR.
AND, UM, THIS PROCESS WILL BE, UM, COMING TO A CONCLUSION VERY SOON, BUT THIS IS STILL ANOTHER STEP IN THAT PROCESS AS WE'LL BE DISCUSSED SHORTLY.
UM, I JUST WANNA MENTION, UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF TO THE COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, THE STAFF, UM, AFTER, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND QUESTIONS, UH, HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, I WILL OPEN, OPEN THE PUBLIC FORUM, UM, AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ALLOWED TO SPEAK AND THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK, UH, FOR TWO MINUTES.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL MOVE ON, UM, TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I'M ROBERT WILLIAMSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ACTING SECRETARY FOR THIS COMMISSION.
THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO RECEIVE COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC ON THE DRAFT NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES.
ONCE TODAY'S COMMENTS ARE REVIEWED BY STAFF, OR REVISED DRAFT WILL BE RESUBMITTED TO THIS COMMISSION FOR A VOTE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT NOR HILL IS A SPECIAL PLACE AND NEEDS ADDITIONAL PROTECTION IN THE FORM OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THE DRAFT BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT WITH TREMENDOUS WORK BY OUR TEAM AND SIGNIFICANT INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS OF NOR HILL.
THAT SAID, NOT EVERYONE IN THE PROCESS WILL GET WHAT THEY WANTED.
AT ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM, OVERLY AMBITIOUS HOMEOWNERS AND INVESTORS WILL HAVE TO WORK WITHIN CLEARLY DEFINED PARAMETERS THAT PER PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF NOR HILL.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, PRESERVATION ADVOCATES WILL NEED TO ALLOW GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CHANGING NEEDS OF GROWING FAMILIES.
FORTUNATELY, THERE'S PLENTY OF MIDDLE GROUND WHERE EVERYONE AGREES, AND THE RESULT WILL BE HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT MAINTAINS ITS INTEGRITY WHILE ACCOMPANYING THE NEEDS BY ACCOMMODATING THE NEEDS OF TODAY'S RESIDENTS.
LIKE IT OR NOT, NOR HILL IS NO LONGER THE MODEST WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE.
TODAY IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED, DIVERSE COMMUNITY WITH RESIDENTS IN EVERY STAGE OF LIFE, FROM RETIREES OR EMPTY NESTERS TO YOUNG COUPLES WITH GROWING FAMILIES THAT ARE DRAWN TO NOR HILL'S STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO WANT THE OPTION TO EXPAND RATHER THAN MOVE WHEN THEY OUTGROW THEIR SMALL BUNGALOW.
ADOPTION OF THESE GUIDELINES WILL HELP ENSURE NOR HILL CONTINUES TO THRIVE AS A DESIRABLE COMMUNITY CENTRIC HISTORIC URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSE TO HOUSTON'S CENTRAL CORE.
AND I BELIEVE IT ALSO CONCLUDES, UM, ITEM A, UH, ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, UM, FOR OUR WELCOME AND, UM, AN OVERVIEW.
AND WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM B, UH, TERRANCE.
UM, UH, IF YOU WILL NOW PRESENT THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES TO THE COMMISSION AND TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, I'LL JUST, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, I'M THE ONLY FACE Y'ALL WILL BE SEEING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, SO BEAR WITH ME OR THE BACK OF MY HEAD.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE HHC AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
THIS IS STAFF PERSON TERRENCE JACKSON.
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TODAY, STAFF IS PRESENTING THE NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES TO THE HHC FOR STAFF TO RECEIVE THEIR COMMENTS.THERE WILL BE NO VOTE AT THE END OF THE MEETING, AS STAFF WILL NEED TO REVIEW THE COMMENTS OF THE HHCN, THE PUBLIC.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO COMMITTED AN COMMITTED AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF HOURS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE GUIDELINES.
ALTHOUGH ALL BUT ME OF THOSE WHO ORIGINALLY BEGAN WORK ON THIS EVER-CHANGING DOCUMENT ARE NO LONGER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I CANNOT STAND HERE AND PRESENT THIS WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR HARD WORK.
DURING THOSE TIMES, ALL OF US LOST SOMEONE WE LOVE, AND WE BELIEVE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE BONDED OVER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SETBACKS IN RIDGE HEIGHTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM ALL FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS DOCUMENT AS I STAND HERE AS THE LONE PLANNER OF THE NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES TEAM, THOSE, UH, PLANNERS WERE ROMAN MCALLEN, JASON LIAL, AND KARA QUIGLEY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OVER THE YEARS.
I SUBMIT TO YOU THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE NORTH HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG VIA PHONE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN OR ON THE SHEETS PROVIDED.
SO, THE NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINE PROCESS, THIS PROCESS BEGAN, SOMETI BEGAN SOMETIME IN 2017 BEFORE ANYONE YOU SEE HERE WAS EMPLOYED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE VERY FIRST MEETING FOR ME ON THIS PROJECT WAS ON DECEMBER 4TH, 2023 AT PROCTOR PLAZA TO ANNOUNCE TO A VERY, TO THE VERY EAGER RESIDENCE OF NOR HILL THAT WE WOULD BE BEGINNING THIS, THE PROCESS OF CREATING THEIR GUIDELINES.
AND YET HERE WE ARE FULL CIRCLE WITH A NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS IN BETWEEN.
AND STAFF FEELS CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE A GOOD DOCUMENT THAT WE HOPE WILL REQUIRE MINIMAL EDITS AND OR AMENDMENTS TO SATISFY THE HHC.
THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE SURVEY, I'M SORRY, NEXT SLIDE.
THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE SURVEYS, WHICH INCLUDED A TOTAL OF 404 PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN THE TWO.
THE FIRST SURVEY SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TWO SEPARATE TIMES WITH ONLINE AND HARD COPY RESPONSES.
AND THE SECOND SURVEY WAS DONE IN AN ATTEMPT FOR THE NEWLY APPOINTED ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF TO VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING WAS DONE PROPERLY.
THE SECOND SURVEY WAS AN ONLINE SURVEY WHERE ALL RESIDENTS WERE CONTACTED VIA MAIL, MAIL OUT TO ALL 855 NOR HILL OWNERS.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT ALL 855 OWNERS WERE CONTACTED ON THE VERY FIRST SURVEY.
EXPLAINING THE WEIGHTED AVERAGES, PLEASE SEE THE QUESTION ON THE SCREEN.
WHAT WOULD BE THE ACCEPTABLE MINIMUM DISTANCE OF A TWO STORY ADDITION FROM THE FRONT PROPERTY LINE ON AN INTERIOR LOT TO THE LEFT, YOU HAVE A PIE CHART SHOWING THE RESULTS OF THE RESIDENT SELECTIONS BELOW THE PO PIE CHART, YOU WILL SEE THE SELECTIONS OF THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND, AND THE, AND THE ANSWERS THAT THEY CHOSE.
SO I WILL GO THROUGH THE WEIGHT ITS AVERAGES.
SO AS YOU SEE IN THE CHART, WE HAVE A 40 FOOT SELECTION, WHICH 70 RESIDENTS, UH, SELECTED THE 40 FOOT SETBACK, WE DIVIDED THAT NUMBER BY 180 TOTAL, NINE RESIDENTS SURVEYED TO GET A 37%.
WE TAKE THAT 40 FEET, MULTIPLY IT TIMES A 37%, AND YOU GET 15 FOR THAT WEIGHTED AVERAGE.
SO AS YOU SEE SO ON AND SO FORTH, IF YOU GO, IF YOU FOLLOW THE BOLD TEXT, UH, THAT SAYS 70 85, 18 7, AND NINE, THOSE ARE THE SAME SELECTIONS, NUMBER OF SELECTIONS THAT THE RESIDENTS SELECTED.
SO THE TOTALS FROM THE SURVEY ADDED TO GET THE RESULTS.
SO WE GOT 15 PLUS 20.25 PLUS FIVE PLUS TWO PLUS THREE, IT GIVES US 45.3 FEET.
SO THAT IS HOW WE CONDUCTED THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE MATH FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT THIS WAS REQUIRED.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES SHOW THE RESULTS FROM THE, UH, 2024 AND 2025 SURVEY CHART.
ONE ON THE LEFT HAS THE RESULTS FROM THE 2025 RESURVEY CHARGE TWO IN THE MIDDLE HAS THE RESULTS FROM THE 2024 ORIGINAL SURVEY.
AND THE LAST, WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT, SHOWS THE RESULTS FROM STAFF COMBINING THE SURVEYS TO DEVELOP THE FINAL NUMBERS FOR THE FLOOR TO AREA RATIOS AND SETBACKS.
AND THIS IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF THOSE RESULTS.
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NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.SO THE NOR NOR HILL POLL RESERVE SURVEY, I WANNA TAKE A MINUTE BEFORE I GET INTO THE ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION THAT EVERYONE IS ABOUT TO CONSUME.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THERE WILL BE NO VOTE TAKEN AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
STAFF WILL NEED TIME TO REVIEW AND ADDRESS THE COMMENTS OF THE HHC AND THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE GET TO THAT STAGE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WITHOUT READING EVERY QUESTION ON EACH SLIDE, WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THE ORIGINAL POLL SURVEY QUESTION AT THE TOP WITH THE RESULTS AND AT THE BOTTOM WITH THE RESULTS.
AND AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL FIND THE RESURVEY IN THE 2025 WITH THIS CORRESPONDING RESULTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE BEGIN WITH QUESTION NUMBER THREE.
THE REASONING FOR THAT IS DUE TO THE FIRST TWO QUESTIONS, ASKING THE NAME AND THE ADDRESS OF THE RESIDENCE.
THIS WAS USED TO CROSS REFERENCE WHAT WAS LISTED IN HCAD TO VERIFY THAT THE RESULTS FROM THE RESIDENCE WERE AUTHENTIC.
YOU MAY ALSO NOTICED THAT WORDING AND SEC SELECTIONS WERE CHANGED.
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RESIDENTS DIRECTOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AND STAFF, RECOGNIZING THAT SOME CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE.
YOU CAN JUST START THROUGH THE SLIDES.
I'LL START WITH THE QUESTION ON PAGE 11.
WHAT WOULD THE ACCEPTABLE MINIMUM DISTANCE OF A TWO STORY ADDITION FROM THE FRONT PROPERTY LINE ON AN INTERIOR LOT? SO THAT IS THE FIRST QUESTION FROM 2024.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE CAME OUT TO A 45.5 FOOT, UH, RESULT.
NOW, THE CORRESPONDING QUESTION, WHICH WAS ON THE SECOND POLL OR THE RESURVEY AS I'LL REFER TO IT, UM, THE QUESTIONS, SOME QUESTIONS WERE REWARDED DIFFERENTLY FOR BECAUSE WE HAD DISCUSSIONS AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
SO THE SECOND QUESTION, THE TYPICAL NOR HILL HOME HAS A 15 FRONT SET, 15 FOOT FRONT SETBACK FROM THE STREET, WHAT SHOULD BE THE MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK FOR A TWO STORY EDITION? SO WE ASKED THEM TO REVIEW THE, TO REVIEW VIEW THE GUIDELINES FOR THE VISUAL REFERENCE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WAY THE RESULTS WERE 43.4 FEET.
UM, SO YEAH, YOU MAY NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN RESULTS ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ON PAGE 12 IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD THEN TAKE THE TWO SUMS AND DISCUSS IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CHANGE OR IF WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP AN AVERAGE FROM THE TWO RESULTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY OF THE ANSWER REMAINED CLOSE IN P PROXIMITY OF ONE ANOTHER.
THE RE THE RESURVEY ALSO ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF WINDOWS, DOORS, AND SIDING.
FINALLY, YOU'LL NOTICE AS WE ALSO USE THIS METHOD TO DEVELOP THE NUMBERS FOR THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO RESULTS WITH THIS FIRST SURVEY RESULTS COMING IN SLIGHTLY OVER 2200 SQUARE FEET AND THE RE RESURVEY COMING IN SLIGHTLY OVER 2,400 FEET, CAUSING THE FINAL NUMBER FOR A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT TO BE 2300 SQUARE FEET.
SO JUST TO EXPLAIN, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO, EVERYONE IN HERE IS VERY SMART AND INTELLIGENT, BUT, UM, WE JUST DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO COMBINE THE TWO, AND IF WE WERE USING WEIGHTED AVERAGES, THEN WE NEEDED TO USE AVERAGES FOR THE TWO SEPARATE SURVEYS, AND THAT WAS STAFF'S THINKING.
UM, AS FAR AS THAT GOES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SURVEYING? OKAY, ALL HAC DRAFT GUIDELINE REVIEW.
SO TO KEEP THE PRESENTATION AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE, SECTIONS 1, 2, 3, I'M SORRY, 1, 3, 4, AND FIVE WILL BE DONE DIFFERENTLY FROM THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
STAFF WILL NOT GO THROUGH THEM SECTION BY SECTION AS WE WILL WITH THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
SO WE ASK IF ANYONE IN THE HAAC HAS ANY COMMENTS ON SECTION ONE, WHICH INCLUDES SECTION 1.1, INTRODUCTION, 1.1 A BACKGROUND 1.1 B WORK, 1.2 DEFINITIONS.
IF SO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STATE YOUR COMMENTS AND OR CONCERNS.
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MY TYPE OF PARTY.UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE CHART IN 2.2 OR DID, SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SECTION ONE.
SO I, I MEAN, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I ASK THE QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, STAFF HAS RECEIVED A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
BUT DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT ANY OF THE DEFINITIONS? I DO.
UH, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT ONE OF THE DEFINITIONS.
SPECIFICALLY THE DEFINITION OF MASSING.
UH, MASS OR MASSING? IT'S ON PAGE NINE.
UH, FOR THE PUBLIC I'LL READ IT.
UH, A COMBINATION OF BUILDING VOLUME, HEIGHT, TIMES WIDTH, TIMES DEPTH, AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF SHAPES, FORMS THAT MAKE UP THE BUILDING, EACH DIMENSION ALSO CONTRIBUTES INDIVIDUALLY, INDIVIDUALLY TO THE OVERALL VISUAL EFFECT OF THE BUILDING.
SO I AM CONCERNED THAT IT'S TOO VAGUE THAT MASSING IN MY EXPERIENCE OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT COME BEFORE THE HAHC MASSING IS OFTEN AN ISSUE.
SO, UH, I WOULD JUST PROPOSE THAT WE EDIT AND REFINE THAT DEFINITION, UH, TO SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY TO SOMETHING, SOME FIND SOME WAY OF ASSESSING THIS 'CAUSE IT'S QUITE QUALITATIVE, MASSING.
AND I GUESS MY PROPOSAL IS THAT WE, UM, INTRODUCE PROPORTIONS INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINE IN SOME WAY.
AND THEN, SO I DON'T HAVE A, A SOLUTION RIGHT NOW TO PROPOSE, BUT I WANTED TO FLAG THAT AS A PLACE WHERE I THINK WE OKAY.
WE WILL DEFINITELY, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND TERRENCE, I WAS GONNA MAKE A QUESTION OR A STATEMENT.
THE POLL SURVEY IS A RESPONSE TO AN INDIVIDUAL QUESTION ABOUT AN ASPECT OF AN APPLICATION, LIKE VARIOUS KINDS OF SETBACKS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS AND SO ON AND SO ON.
AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY GET INTO THIS MORE INTENTLY LATER IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT I GUESS I'LL JUST MENTION, OBVIOUSLY WHAT THE COMMISSION LOOKS AT IS A TOTALITY OF MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA.
SO, UM, ONE MIGHT APPLY, BUT NOT ALL OF THESE MIGHT APPLY, LIKE, DEPENDING ON EACH CASE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A, UM, SO I'M CURIOUS HOW WHEN WE, WE GET TO THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO JUST IN TALKING ABOUT HOW FAR YOU CAN START OR HOW FAR YOU CAN BUILD BACK, ALL OF WHICH COULD HAPPEN INDIVIDUALLY, BUT IF, IF ALL CASES WERE DONE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T, YOU WOULDN'T MEET FAR IF YOU DID THE, YOU KNOW, THE WEIGHTED FRONT SETBACK AND THE WEIGHTED REAR SETBACK.
SO IT'S STILL SUBJECT TO THE FAR SUBJECT TO THE PROPORTIONS, IF YOU WILL, AND OTHER FACTORS.
BUT JUST MAKING THAT CLEAR AS A, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE EACH IN A SMALL AMOUNT SHOWING THE APPETITE OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS OR THAT.
WHICH IS, WHICH IS HELPFUL TO KNOW.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO PUT THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER, LIKE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE ACTUAL PRODUCT.
UM, AND JUST SO, I MEAN, I, I DIDN'T WANNA GIVE A WHOLE HISTORY LESSON OF HOW WE GOT HERE, BUT, UM, UM, I WAS ORIGINALLY HERE, AND I'M SORRY, I'LL GET TO YOUR QUESTION IN JUST ONE SECOND.
UM, I WAS ORIGINALLY HERE IN 2020, UM, AND GIVEN THIS PROJECT AND, UM, ARCHITECTURE FIRM CAME CALLING AND, UH, I WENT RUNNING.
UM, AND THEN, UM, SO THE, THE PROJECT JUST SAT FOR A MINUTE, RIGHT? AND THEN WHEN THE CITY CALLED BACK AND, AND WANTED ME TO COME BACK AND, UH, EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AND I GOT BACK, I MEAN, THE, THE GUIDELINES WERE SITTING HERE WAITING ON ME.
SOME THINGS HAD BEEN WORKED ON.
UM, SO THE TEAM THAT I THEN PUT TOGETHER, WE ALL WENT THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
SO A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS EVENTUALLY STARTED FROM A BASE WHEN I WAS GONE.
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LOOKED AT 'EM, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS.THERE WERE, UM, UH, WE HAD ONE MEMBER, ONE PLANNER OF STAFF THAT WENT AROUND, UH, NOR HILL AND SURVEYED EVERYTHING THAT HE COULD FOR EVERY EXISTING HOME.
UH, SO SETBACKS AND, UH, RIDGE HEIGHTS.
WE LOOKED AT, UH, RIDGE HEIGHTS FROM PROJECTS THAT WERE, THAT HAD BEEN, UH, THAT HAD COME THROUGH STAFF, UH, THROUGH THE HHC.
WE, WE, WE TOOK AVERAGES OF ALL THESE THINGS.
SO ALL THE LEGWORK WAS DONE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY STARTED GETTING THESE QUESTIONS TOGETHER.
SO, UM, I DON'T WANT ANYONE, WHETHER IN THE PUBLIC OR THE HHC TO THINK THAT WE JUST CAME UP WITH AR ARBITRARY NUMBERS.
THEY, THEY WERE DRAWN FROM PROJECTS THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED PROJECT THAT, THAT, UH, THE HAC DIDN'T APPROVE.
AND FROM, UH, UH, JUST US GOING OUT AND SURVEYING AND OBSERVING WHAT'S THE TYPICAL SETBACKS AND EVERYTHING WERE IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ADD A WORD TO THE DEFINITIONS.
UM, THE CONCEPT OF COMPATIBILITY, IT APPEARS THROUGHOUT THE GUIDELINES, BUT IT'S NOT CLEARLY DEFINED 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD, UM, TO DEFINE THAT.
UM, BUT SINCE IT'S A PRIMARY STANDARD USED TO EVALUATE THE ALTERATIONS IN ADDITIONS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION, IF WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF WHAT COMPATIBILITY MEANS IN PRACTICE, THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH, WITH INCONSISTENCY.
SO WE NEED AN EXPLAN OR A DEFINITION OF COMPATIBILITY, BUT IN EACH TIME THAT THE WORD IS USED IN THE GUIDELINES, WE NEED TO EXPLAIN HOW THAT, UM, WHAT COMPATIBILITY IS FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, CRITERIA.
I HAD A, UH, I HAD A METICULOUS PLANNER THAT DID NOT WANT TO LOSE ANYTHING.
IF THAT IS ALL THE QUESTIONS, THEN UM, WE WILL GET TO THE, UH, HHC DRAFT GUIDELINE REVIEW.
AT THIS POINT, IT IS TIME FOR US TO REVIEW THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS PORTION OF THE NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES.
STAFF HAS ALLOWED THE HHC AND THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW THE CURRENT DRAFT, WHICH WAS POSTED IN MID-FEBRUARY.
TODAY, WE PLAN TO HEAR THOSE COMMENTS FROM BOTH THE COMMISSION MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC.
THESE MEETINGS ARE RECORDED, THEREFORE, WE WILL REVIEW THE RECORDINGS, COMMENTS SENT IN AND COMMENTS MADE HERE TODAY, AND TRY TO COME BACK WITH AN EDITED VERSION THAT ADDRESSES THE THINGS THAT WEREN'T ADDRESSING.
AGAIN, THERE WILL BE NO VOTE FROM THE HC.
THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT AND GIVE STAFF THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE DRAFT GUIDELINES IN THEIR CURRENT STATE.
SO SECTION TWO, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON 2.1? THE INTRODUCTION? OKAY.
UH, 2.2 SIZE AND IT, AND IF I DON'T, IF YOU DON'T NEED ME TO GO THROUGH EACH AND EVERY SECTION, I CAN JUST GO BY THE MAIN SECTION.
I DON'T NEED TO GO BY THE TOP THE SUBSECTIONS, BUT, UM, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA NATURALLY GO THROUGH THE SUBSECTIONS WHEN WE GET TO SIZE AND THE HEIGHTS.
UM, SO, UM, SECTION 2.2 IS SIZE.
I'M MERELY STATING THAT FOR THE, UM, PUBLIC, SO 2.2 A IS RESIDENCES, WELL, I'M SORRY, SIZE.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE FAR CHART? OKAY.
UM, SO THE FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS WE'VE BROKEN INTO STANDARD LOTS AND NON-STANDARD LOTS.
UM, AS, UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES MATHEMATICALLY, YOU COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF DOING THE, UM, THESE TRANCHES, THE WAY THAT YOU, THE WAY THAT THEY'RE ON HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, A 5,250 SQUARE FOOT LOT WILL RECEIVE A SMALLER ALLOWABLE ALLOWABLE HOUSE THAN A 5,200 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
UM, AND A 56 50 SQUARE FOOT LOT WOULD RECEIVE A SMALLER ALLOWABLE HOUSE THAN A 56 16.
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MATH AND IT'S THE, UM, IT'S IRREGULAR.AND SO IT WON'T, IT DOES NOT COMPUTE SMOOTHLY.
AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY, UM, WE DIDN'T USE YOU THE HEIGHTS BAR STANDARDS, UM, BECAUSE THEY, THEY ACTUALLY START IN THE SAME PLACE.
UH, YOU ARE ASSUMING THAT THE MOST COMMON THING IS 5,000 SQUARE FEET FOR 2300.
SO YOU'RE USING THE SAME BASIS, BUT THEN FOR YOUR INCREMENTS, UNLESS YOUR INCREMENTS ARE EVEN, THEN YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH POTENTIALLY A PROBLEM WHERE YOU HAVE A, WHERE YOU HAVE SOME HOUSES THAT WHERE THE PRODUCT DOES NOT, UM, MAKE SENSE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO ANSWER THAT BEST I CAN.
UH, AND PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.
SOME OF THEM WILL HAVE TO COME BACK AND ADDRESS AT A LATER MEETING.
BUT, UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO ADDRESS ALL YOUR QUESTIONS THAT I CAN, UM, TO THE COMMENT THAT, UM, WELL, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHY WE DIDN'T START WITH THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDELINE BASE IS BECAUSE NOR HILL HOMES AND LOTS ARE SMALLER THAN THE HOMES AND THE HEIGHTS.
RIGHT? SO WHAT WE DID TO GET THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IS WE SURVEYED THE RESIDENTS ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS TO A, I BELIEVE IT WAS 5,999 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
AND THEN WE SURVEYED THE RESIDENTS ON 6,000 TO 6,999 SQUARE FOOT LOTS.
AND THEN WE USED THAT SINCE THOSE WERE GONNA BE THE TOP NUMBERS, WE USED THOSE AS OUR BASIS TO START WITH, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO USE SOMETHING FROM THE HEIGHTS THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO NOR HILL.
WE WANTED TO GET THE RESIDENTS INPUT.
AND THEN ONCE WE GOT THE RESIDENT'S INPUT, THAT'S WHEN WE MODIFIED THE FAR, UM, WHEN I INITIALLY GOT THIS PROJECT, THE FAR, UH, FOUR OR 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LIGHT WAS 1900.
SO WE THEN SURVEYED THE RESIDENTS AND REALIZED THAT THE RESIDENTS WANTED US BIGGER HOW HOME THAN THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I AM NOT ARGUING WITH THE NUMBERS OR WHAT THEY SHOULD BE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT MATHEMATICALLY.
YOUR TRANCHES DON'T WORK COMPLETELY.
SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT THE MATH OKAY.
AND THEN CORRECT THE ISSUES THAT WHERE YOU HAVE INCONSISTENT RESULTS.
SO IF I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUE IS, YOUR ISSUE IS THAT WHEN YOU GET TO THE LARGER LOTS, THE FAR GETS TOO SMALL? NO, IT'S NOT.
I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SIZES AT ALL.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT MATHEMATICALLY WITH YOUR, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR, UH, YOUR GROUPINGS.
UM, ON THERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN ORDER.
UM, YOU, YOU CAN'T, IF YOU, LET'S LOOK AT IT.
52 50 SQUARE FOOT LOT, UM, UNDER THE, UH, IS GOING TO GET A SMALLER ALLOWABLE HOUSE THAN A 5,200 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE MATH WORKS.
I'M JUST SAYING CORRECT THE MATH.
COULD I, COULD I MAYBE ASK A QUESTION? YES.
COULD WE MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE FAR AND LIVING AREA? BECAUSE LISTENING TO YOU, OKAY.
THE LIVING AREA DOES PROGRESSIVELY GO UP AS THE FLOOR AREA INCREASES, BUT THE FAR SOMETIMES GOES DOWN.
I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S A RATIO.
AND THE FAR SHOULD GO DOWN AS THE LOT SIZES GO UP.
THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A QUIRKY THING.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO CHECK IT.
WE'LL, WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE A LOOK.
WE WILL DEFINITELY TAKE A NOTE OF TAKE NOTE AND, UH, AND, AND RESPOND TO THAT ACCORDINGLY.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, FAR CHART? DID THAT INCLUDE THE CALCULATIONS OR WE GOT GOTTEN TO THAT? OH, WE, IT'S ON THE SAME PAGE, SO YEAH, LET'S, LET'S GO TO THE CALCULATIONS.
ALRIGHT, SO I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, ATTICS OR GARAGE STRUCTURES THAT ARE FINISHED AS WELL AS CONDITIONED.
SO WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THE, UH, AHEAD OF WHAT MAY TO, MAY BE TO COME, BUT STAFF IS CONSIDERING REMOVING THE TERM FINISHED.
AND IF IT'S CONDITIONED, THEN WE WOULD, WE WOULD MAY ALLOW IT TO, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO HAVE LONGER CONVERSATIONS AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS MEETING
[00:30:01]
BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE WILL HAVE AN ANSWER.BUT, UM, FINISHED WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE REMOVED.
IT WOULD BE MY OPINION THAT IT, IT SHOULD BE REMOVED, BUT ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE CONDITION? YES.
I BELIEVE THAT IF SOMEONE HAS ATTIC SPACE THAT CAN BE FINISHED WITHOUT PENETRATING THE ROOF.
THAT THEY SH THEY SHOULDN'T BE APPLIED FAR.
IT CHANGES NOT THE SCALE OR MASS OF THE HOUSE.
AND SO, AND THE SAME WITH A, A GARAGE, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO AIR CONDITION THEIR GARAGE, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE IT WHERE THE GARAGE IS PLACED ITS SIZE OR ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S GOT COOL AIR BLOWING OR NOT, SO.
I, I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT IS SOMEONE SHOULDN'T BE PENALIZED FOR.
UH, SO THAT'S INCLUDED IN FAR CALCULATIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE EXCLUDED FROM FAR CALCULATIONS.
SO IF ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY, UM, COMMENTS ON THAT SECTION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
TERRY SAID, I'M JUST GOING TO JUST FOLLOW UP AGAIN ON OUR LAST POINT WITH COMMISSIONER DAVIS IS THE QUESTION IS REALLY RE RELATING TO LOTS THAT ARE LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
IS THAT WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M LIKE, LIKE, LIKE, UH, ONE THING I'M LIKE, AT LEAST I QUESTION I HAVE IS AT 5,000 SQUARE FEET FOR A STANDARD LOT, UH, IT'S 0.460 AND THEN AS THE LOTS GET LARGER, THAT NUMBER STARTS TO GO DOWN EVER SO SLIGHTLY, RIGHT? YES.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THE NON-STANDARD LOTS WHEN WE'RE AT 52 50 OR LARGER, IT'S MORE OKAY.
THE NUMBER, THE NUMBER STARTS.
I SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, NUMBER STARTS TO GO DOWN.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU'RE ON A REALLY SMALL LOT AND YOU HAVE A CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A STRUCTURE ON IT, AND NONETHELESS WOULD NOT THE FAR FOR THE LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT BE MORE SIMILAR TO THE 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT OR EVEN SLIGHTLY OVER THAT NUMBER? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHETHER THAT'S A ACCURATE OR THAT'S A, OR I, I'M JUST, JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW THAT, FOR ME, HOW THAT ONE NUMBER WAS CREATED OF 0.400.
UM, YEAH, UM, UH, I, I, I WILL HAVE TO LOOK IN MY NOTES TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT, UH, HOW WE EXACTLY CAME UP WITH THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I DON'T REALLY, AND THAT'S FINE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE THAT IF WE HAVE A REALLY SMALL LOT, WE WE MIGHT ALLOW SOMEONE A LITTLE BIT MORE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON IT TO MAKE IT LIVABLE, RIGHT.
FOR FAMILY, UH, GIVEN IT'S A SMALL LOT AND IT'S NOT A HUGE LOT.
UM, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHERE I'M TRYING TO GET AT.
AND ALSO I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THIS EXERCISE, SINCE THERE ARE ONLY SIX LOTS TO KNOW THE SIZES OF THOSE SIX LOTS.
BECAUSE IF ONE IS 4,900 SQUARE FEET AND ONE IS 2,500 SQUARE FEET, THEY YEAH.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST AS IF THOSE SIX LOTS WOULD NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT INDIVIDUALLY.
INDIVIDUALLY DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE.
BEFORE WE CAN JUST ASSIGN A SPECIFIC PROPORTION TO THEM BECAUSE LIKE, I MEAN, OVER A HUNDRED FOOT DIFFERENCE IN A LOT, YOU'RE TELLING THEM THE 300 FEET OF HOUSE IS REDUCED AND THAT, THAT DOES NOT SEEM PROPORTIONAL.
UH, SO SECTION 2.2 B, PORCHES, 2.2 C, DETACHED GARAGES ENCLOSED STORAGE AND OTHER OUTBUILDINGS 2.3 SETBACKS.
AND IF ANYONE NEEDS TO COME BACK TO ANY OF THESE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME BACK.
I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE I'M RACING THROUGH IT.
THERE'S NO PLACE I'D RATHER BE.
WELL, LEMME JUST, JUST FOR THE CLARITY FOR THE 2.2 B PORCHES.
UM, SO PORCHES WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS PART OF FAR UNLESS THERE'S CONDITION SPACE ABOVE THEM.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN, BUT THAT ALSO, THERE'S A CAVEAT THAT GOES IN MORE ABOUT THE PROPORTION OR THE, OR THE SIZE, SORRY, THE SIZE OF THE PORCHES.
ARE, ARE GRANTED BASICALLY 240 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND THEN IF, IF SOMEONE WANTS A PORCH LARGER THAN TWO 40, THE ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE WOULD COUNT TOWARD THE FAR RIGHT.
SO I'M JUST STATING WHAT'S WRITTEN.
I DON'T, DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT.
[00:35:01]
EVIDENT TO EXPLAIN IT.I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS STAFF'S WAY OF, UM, CREATING SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT ALLOWED US THE ABILITY TO PREVENT THE BEACH HOUSE TYPE OF LOOK ON REAR PORCHES.
UM, SO WE, WE, WE FELT THAT, UM, SINCE WE HAD TO DO A, UH, POLICY FOR THE HEIGHTS, WE FELT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT IN THE ACTUAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR NOR HILL.
UH, 2.2 DETACHED GARAGES, ENCLOSED STORAGE AND OTHER OUTBUILDINGS 2.3 SETBACKS.
I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SETBACKS, BUT I'M SORRY, CAN I GO BACK TO 2.2 B PORCHES? MICROPHONE, UM, MIC, MICROPHONE, MICROPHONE.
SO WE HAVE TO, IF THERE IS LIVING SPACE OVER THE PORCH, THEN THAT SPACE IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED IN FAR.
AND I GUESS I QUESTION THE REASON FOR DOING THAT.
WE KNOW THAT THESE HOMES IN BUNGALOWS, PORCHES ARE, UM, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS AND HAVING, BEING ABLE TO PUT A LIVING SPACE OVER A PORCH JUST MAKES ALL KINDS OF SENSE.
IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOUR MASSING, DOESN'T AFFECT ANY OF THOSE OTHER FACTORS.
SO TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE THE AREA IN FAR, I'M JUST, UH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHY THAT IS.
UM, SO, UM, THE POLICY THAT I WAS REFERENCING THAT WE HAD TO WRITE FOR THE HEIGHTS, UM, CAME FROM, UH, DURING COVID.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO BE OUTSIDE, BUT THEY WERE CREATING THESE LARGE PORCHES AT THE REARS OF THEIR HOME AND NOT STANDARD TO A TYPICAL, UM, HISTORIC PORCH, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND SO THEY WERE PUTTING THESE LARGE SQUARE FOOTAGES ABOVE THESE PORCHES, WHICH IS WHY WE INCLUDED THE 240 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND IT WAS A CREATED, IT WAS CREATING A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD A BUNCH OF HOMES OR A BUNCH OF PROJECTS THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY BELONGED ON A BEACH FRONT.
UM, SO THAT'S THE REASONING WHY THE 240 SQUARE FEET IS GIVEN.
SO IT'S, SO LET TO PUT IT PLAINLY, IF YOU HAD A 200 SQUARE FOOT PORCH AND YOU PUT SQUARE FOOT AND YOU PUT SQUARE FOOTAGE OVER THAT IT WOULD NOT COUNT TO YOUR FAR.
IF YOU DID TWO 30 IT AND THEN YOU PUT SOMETHING OVER, IT WOULD NOT COUNT TO YOUR FAR.
BUT ONCE YOU GET TO TWO 40 AND YOU START PUTTING SQUARE FOOTAGE OR TWO 40 AND ABOVE AND YOU PUT SQUARE FOOTAGE ABOVE YOUR PORCH, THEN THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD COUNT TO FAR.
AND, AND I'LL JUST SAY, BECAUSE FOR THOSE OF US, OR AT LEAST A FEW OF US THAT WERE HERE WHEN THE HEIGHTS WENT THROUGH AND THE PORCHES CAME THROUGH, UM, HISTORICALLY, MOST HOMES IN MANY OF OUR DISTRICTS ONLY HAD ONE PORCH AS ON, ON THE FRONT OF THE HOME.
AND THEN SOME OF THEM HAD A REAR PORCH THAT, THAT SOMETIMES THEY'D BEEN ENCLOSED AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SLEEPING PORCH OR SOMETHING IN BACK IN THE DAY.
BUT, UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY LIKE IN NOR HILL, THERE ARE VERY FEW TWO STORY STRUCTURES.
AND ALSO IN THE HEIGHTS OR JUST IN THE, THE, THE IMMEDIATE AREA AROUND, IF THERE WAS A TWO STORY STRUCTURE AND IT HAD A PORCH, UM, TYPICALLY IT EITHER HAD A PORCH THAT WAS STUCK ONTO THE MASS, OR IF IT HAD A TWO STORY PORCH, LIKE, LIKE A DOUBLE DECKER PORCH, IT WAS A PORCH ABOVE A PORCH.
AND, AND THOSE DON'T COUNT TOWARD THE FAR BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE A VOID.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, UH, SOLID MASS.
AND SO PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT WHEN YOU, WHEN IF YOU DON'T TACK ON A PORCH, WHICH IS HOW PORCHES WERE GENERALLY ALWAYS USED IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AND YOU PUT, SO NOW YOU INTRODUCE SOMETHING ABOVE IT THAT IT HAS MASS, THEN IN FACT WE ARE MAKING THE MASS LOOK BIGGER THAN THE FAR WOULD, WOULD, WOULD ALLOW.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS IS IN PART A REACTION TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE HEIGHTS AND WHY THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, BECAUSE IT WASN'T PART OF HOW THAT THOSE GUIDELINES WERE CONCEIVED AND IT WAS SORT OF BEING ABUSED.
SO IT IS, IN A WAY, IT'S TRYING TO KEEP THE FAR WHAT YOU SEE FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REAR, LIKE IF, IF YOU'RE AT THE RIGHT OF WAY LOOKING AT A NEW TWO STORY EDITION ON SAY A HOME IN NOR HILL, YOU CAN'T SEE THE FIRST FLOOR.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS A SECOND FLOOR MASS THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN PUSHED UP.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THIS, THIS LANGUAGE WAS DERIVED AS A WAY TO BE FAIR TO ALL, TO ALL SIDES TO ALLOW, ALLOW THAT.
[00:40:01]
BUT LIKE, LET'S SAY THIS PERSON IN NOR HILL WANTED TO HAVE A REAR TWO STORY PORCH, LIKE A, A PORCH ABOVE THE PORCH OFF OF THAT SECOND FLOOR MASS.THEY WOULD NOT, THAT WOULD NOT COUNT TO THE FAR EITHER.
AND SO, 'CAUSE IT'S STILL A VOID.
IT HAS A COLUMN, IT HAS A ROOF, BUT IT'S STILL, YOU COULD SEE THE OPENNESS THERE.
AND, UM, THAT'S I THINK HOW THIS LANGUAGE GOT CREATED IS, IS MY, UM, THAT'D BE, THAT'S MY, THAT THAT'S MY BEST SENSE ABOUT WHY THIS IS STATED THE WAY IT IS.
THAT THAT'S ALL IF, IF, IF I WAS HELPFUL.
I DO, I DO WANT TO, UH, BEFORE I GET TO, UH, MOVE TO THE NEXT SECTION, UH, POINT OF CLARIFICATION, I NEED, ARE WE FINE WITH THE STANDARD LOT SIZES WITH FAR, IT'S JUST THE NON-STANDARD SIZES THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT? I, BECAUSE I, I, I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION.
I THINK AS FAR AS THE, THE, LET'S JUST SAY, CALL IT THE BABY BLUE SECTION, I THINK IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE FINE WITH WHAT'S UP TOP.
IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT'S AT THE BOTTOM IS WHAT STAFF NEEDS TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? WELL, MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE BLUE SECTION AND THE, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF HOMES ARE 5,000 SQUARE FEET IN TERMS OF 63%.
SO, YOU KNOW, A CLEAR MAJORITY.
AND MY, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE FAR THAT YOU, THAT YOU'RE SHOWING IS BASED ON THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M NOT SURE YOU COULD, IF YOU CAN GO BACK AND JUST STATE WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE WAS, BUT WHAT, BUT THAT'S COMING FROM THE, FROM THE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND SO, AND THEN, UH, IT, IT MAKES, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT AS YOU GET LARGER THAT FAR MAY GO DOWN SLIGHTLY SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A SUPER OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, LARGE STRUCTURE THAT JUST STICKS OUT IN A WAY.
MY ONLY POINT WAS, AND SO IT SEEMED TO ME THAT WHEN YOU APPLIED TO THESE SMALLER LOTS, YOU, YOU ALLOWED LESS SQUARE FOOTAGE, SORT OF LIKE GOING DOWN A SLIDING SCALE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT.
I JUST THINK, UM, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY OF THEM.
AND IN ORDER TO GIVE A A, A FAMILY TODAY, THE ABILITY TO RAISE A FAMILY AND HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, MEANINGFUL ROOMS AND SO FORTH, IT, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO, TO, TO RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION FOR THESE SUPER SMALL LOTS.
IF, IF, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE FAR, YOU KNOW, MUCH, FAR LESS THAN 5,000.
JUST TO GIVE THEM, TO MAKE THEM A VIABLE FOR CONTEMPORARY USE, I GUESS.
UM, THERE'S STILL GONNA BE A SMALLER STRUCTURE, I MEAN IN TERMS OF OVERALL SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT THAT, THAT'S ALL.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I, I'M NOT SAYING WHAT SHOULD BE, I'M JUST JUST TRYING TO EVALUATE IT AND SEE IF Y'ALL CAN LOOK AT IT AND YOU KNOW, THE SIZES OF, OF THOSE LOTS THAT ARE 1%.
UM, OKAY, SO SORRY FOR THE DISTRACTION, BUT GOING, SO 2.3 SETBACKS, ANY COMMENTS? AND THEN IF NOT, WE CAN JUST GO RIGHT INTO THE 2.3, A INTERIOR LOT ONE STORY REAR ADDITION.
OH, THERE IS SOMETHING DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
SO I'M JUST, WHATEVER YOU GOT.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, WHICH ISN'T ABOUT SPECIFICALLY 2.3 A OKAY.
BUT ABOUT A KIND OF NOTATION THAT'S USED THAT SEEMS TO APPEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2.3 A, WHICH IS THIS USE OF, UH, OKAY, EAST, WEST AND NORTH SOUTH.
ARE THESE ABSOLUTE EAST, WEST AND NORTH SOUTH? NO.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT NO, NO, NO.
YEAH, IT WAS, THIS WAS NOT, THIS WAS NOT ABSOLUTE, THIS WAS, UM, UH, THIS WAS JUST PUT ON HERE AS A POINT OF REFERENCE JUST IN, JUST IN CASE SOMEONE WAS LOOKING AT IT IS, BUT IT'S NOT.
UM, AND I CAN, WE CAN 100% REMOVE THAT IF THAT'S GONNA CAUSE SOME TYPE OF CONFUSION.
IT WAS MEANT TO BE THIS IS PLANNED EAST OR WEST OR THIS WILL BE PLANNED NORTH OR SOUTH, THAT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS MEANT FOR.
I JUST THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTH JUST SWAPPING THOSE 'CAUSE IF I RECALL CORRECTLY.
OR WHAT'S THE MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THE LOTS ARE ORIENTED THE SAME WAY.
I BELIEVE SO, SO MAYBE THIS TERMINOLOGY COULD BE THE ACTUAL DIRECTIONS, WHICHEVER APPLIES TO THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSES.
I GUESS, UH, TERRANCE, JUST TO STATE THE OBVIOUS, WHAT I'LL REFER TO THE FRONT SETBACK JUST IN, IN THIS COMMENT,
[00:45:02]
UM, FROM THE RESULT OF THIS MEASURING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE TYPICAL SETBACK TO THE FRONT WALL OF THE CONDITION SPACE IS WHAT I TAKE THIS OF.DO YOU MEAN NOT, I SAID NOT GOING TO THE PORCH.
WELL, IT SAYS THAT TYPICAL HOMES AND NOR HILL HAVE A 15 FOOT FRONT SETBACK.
WAS THAT 15 FEET TO THE FRONT OF THE PORCH, OR 15 FEET TO THE FRONT OF, OR THE, TO THE BACK OF THE PORCH IF, IF IT WAS TACKED ON TO THE FRONT AND NOT, AND NOT SORT OF, UH, TO THE SIDE.
SO BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU ALSO ALLOW, LIKE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A PORCH, YOU IN FRONT OF THE 15 FEET, YOU CAN, BUT YOU CAN'T GO MORE THAN SIX FEET FORWARD OF THAT LINE.
SO, SO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND, AND I WILL, IF IF THIS IS WRONG, I WILL CORRECT IT, BUT FROM WHAT I RECALL, IT'S 15 FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE TO THE ACTUAL WALL THAT HAS AIR CONDITION ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF IT.
SO, UM, SO SOMEONE WANTED TO BUILD AT 15 FEET JUST FOR THE FRONT DOOR AND PUT A SIX FOOT PORCH IN FRONT OF IT AND TOWARD THE STREET RIGHT AWAY.
THEY COULDN'T BUILD A SIDE ROOM AROUND THE SIDE OF THE PORCH.
SO THAT'S, YOU JUST WANT TO, I'M JUST STATING THE OBVIOUS.
UH, SO WE JUST, IN CASE ANYONE IS LOST, WE'RE ON 2.3 A INTERIOR LOT, ONE STORY REAR EDITION.
UH, MOVING ON TO 2.3 B ENTRY OR LOT ONE STORY SIDE EDITION QUESTION.
IS THAT MINIMUM 35 MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK ON THAT? IS THAT CORRECT OR IS THAT SHOULD BE SO YES, FOR THE, BUT THAT'S FOR THE ACTUAL SIDE THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO IF YOU'RE DOING AN ADDITION FOR, IF YOU'RE DOING A SIDE ADDITION, THAT ADDITION CAN'T, CAN ONLY START 35 FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE.
2.3 C INTERIOR LOT TWO STORY REAR ADDITION, 2.3 D CORNER LOT ONE STORY REAR ADDITION, 2.3 E CORNER LOT ONE STORY SIDE EDITION 2.3 F CORNER, LOT TWO STORY REAR EDITION 2.3 G INTERIOR LOT, PORT RICOCHET, CARPORTS AUXILIARY BUILDINGS, AND GARAGE CONSTRUCTION EDITION.
I HAVE A, JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, IN MOST OF THE SCHEMATICS THAT SHOW A SIDE DRIVEWAY, UM, THEY'RE LIKE 12 AND 13 FEET WIDE.
AND IF THE REQUIREMENT FOR A PORTER CCHE IS TO BE FIVE FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, THAT WOULD RENDER IT USELESS.
THAT WOULD ONLY LEAVE SEVEN FEET OF DRIVEWAY
SO REPEAT THE, YOU SAID, SO IT SAYS THE OUTSIDE FACE OF THE SUPPORT COLUMN SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF FIVE FEET FROM THE SIDE PROPERTY LINE.
IF THE DRIVEWAY'S ONLY 12 FEET AND I'VE GOTTA COME IN FIVE FEET FROM MY COLUMN, THEN I'M ONLY LEFT WITH SEVEN FEET.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PREVAILING DRIVEWAY SIZE IS, BUT THE SCHEMATICS USED IN HERE ALL SHOW 12 OR 13 FEET.
AND I MEAN, THESE WERE JUST DRAWN FOR, I MEAN, BUT DRAWN TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS VERSION LOOKED
UM, I WILL, I WILL LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE DIFFERENT NUMBER OF SIZES OF LOTS, UM, IT'S HARD TO PROVIDE A SCHEMATIC FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
UM, SO, UM, WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL GO AND CHECK THE MEASUREMENTS ON THE DRIVEWAYS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALIGN MORE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S REALISTIC.
UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, ALL THE SETBACKS, I MEAN THESE, THESE DIAGRAMS WERE, WERE JUST
[00:50:01]
YEAH.THEY WERE DONE TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER THAN WHAT WAS WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD.
AND UM, I, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE DRIVEWAYS, UM, AS I WAS DRAWING THEM IN AUTOCAD, I WASN'T NECESSARILY THINKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE DRIVEWAY.
IT WAS MORE SO THINKING OH, I KNOW.
I MEAN, I JUST KNOW NOR HOW WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT MOST DRIVEWAYS ARE PRETTY NARROW.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY JUST BETWEEN THE STRUCK TO HOME AND THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND I'M THINKING THAT IF YOU LOOK AND YOU SURVEYED THE HOUSES THAT DO HAVE PORT RICOCHETS, MOST OF THEM ARE PROBABLY ALL THE WAY OVER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST FROM A CONSISTENCY STANDPOINT, I MEAN, IT MIGHT RENDER IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO DO IT AND IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING AT LEAST TO LOOK AT.
AND THEN, UM, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO IN AND EDIT SOME OF THE WORDING AND MAKE THIS A SITUATION WHERE, AND IT'S A PORT DE CLICHE AND CARPORTS AND AUXILIARY BUILDINGS.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THAT WON'T BE A SCENARIO WHERE IT COULD BE A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND WE REVIEW HOW WE APPROACH IT.
2.3 H CORNER LOT PORT CHE CARPORTS, AUXILIARY BUILDINGS AND GARAGE CONSTRUCTION EDITION.
YOU KNOW, IF WE KEEP THIS UP, I'M GONNA THINK WE GOT A GOOD DOCUMENT HERE,
UM, NO, SERIOUSLY, NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO 2.4, THE HEIGHT, I MEAN HEIGHTS.
UM, AND IN THIS SECTION WE HAVE ROOF, ROOF PITCH ONE STORY EDITION, TWO STORY EDITION GARAGE PORT OF CACHET CARPORT CONSTRUCTION EDITION.
UM, I'LL JUST OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR WHATEVER SECTION YOU GUYS WANT TO ADDRESS.
UH, SO SECTION 2.4 HEIGHTS, 2.4, A ROOF PITCH.
OH, WHY DON'T YOU GO FIRST? WHERE DID I GO? OH, UH, COMMISSIONER BROWNING.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS SECTION AND THROUGHOUT THE REFERENCES TO CARPORTS MM-HMM
AND FLAT ROOFS, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM TO STRIKE ME AS CONSISTENT WITH THE TIME PERIOD.
SO I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE THINKING WAS IN EXPRESSLY PERMITTING FLAT ROOFS FOR CARPORTS.
UH, IT, I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHOT AND SAY THAT, UH, UM, THIS WAS BASED ON WHAT WAS OUT THERE IN NOR HILL ALREADY, UM, PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND THEN I WANT TO THINK THAT THE, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT I RECALL HAVING WITH, UH, ROMAN WAS, UM, IT DIDN'T, DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CARPORT TO HAVE A HIGHER RIDGE THAN THE HOUSE AT SOME POINT.
UM, BUT THIS DEFINITELY CAN BE LOOKED AT.
I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA PUSH BACK ON THAT.
IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT.
UM, AND MAYBE, UM, IF THERE, I MEAN, UM, FROM THE CONVERSATION I HAD, IF THE RIDGE POINT, I MEAN THE RIDGE HEIGHT WAS THE ISSUE, THEN MAYBE IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S WRITTEN THAT SAYS THAT THE, THE, UH, ROOF PITCH NOT EXCEED THE HEIGHT, IT COULD EITHER MATCH OR NOT EXCEED THE HEIGHT OF THE EXISTING CONTRIBUTING ROOF.
UM, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REASONABLE THAT I THINK THE HOMEOWNERS WOULD BE OKAY WITH NO PROBLEM.
UM, I, I NOTICE UNDER RUTH PITCH THAT SHED ROOFS ARE NOT MENTIONED AND YET I DO SEE PAST PROPOSALS COME UP FOR THE HEIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HAVE SHED ROOFS SO SLOPING IN ONLY ONE DIRECTION.
IT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ALLOW SHED ROOFS IN NOR HILL.
I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY, I MEAN, THAT COULD POSSIBLY JUST BE AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART.
I THINK SHE SHOULD STIPULATE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
PERSONALLY, I THINK MAYBE SHED ROOFS SHOULDN'T BE PERMITTED, BUT MAYBE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD BETTER THAN I HAVE SEEN SHED ROOFS AROUND THERE.
I, I MEAN, I, I DON'T REMEMBER EVERY PROJECT, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROPOSED PROJECTS WHERE THE ROOF WAS SHED OR A DORMER A SHED ROOF DORMER WAS ADDED ON ONTO A NOEL PROJECT.
UM, BUT LIKE TYPICALLY THEY'D BE IN THE REAR OF THE STRUCTURE MOST TIMES.
AND IT WOULD BE LIKE A CLASSIC, YOU BUILD A GABLE FORM AND THEN LATER, LIKE THE OLD CLASSIC FARMHOUSE IN TEXAS AND THEN YOU BUILD A REAR ADDITION.
OH, YOU, WELL ACTUALLY YOU HAVE A REAR PORCH 'CAUSE IT'S TOO HOT TO BE INSIDE WITHOUT AC AND THEN LATER IT GETS ENCLOSED SOMETIMES.
SO I, I THINK, UM, I THINK IF, I THINK IT DOES COME UP LIKE WITH A PROPORTION, LIKE YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT IF, IF ALL THE HOUSES HAVE A CERTAIN PROPORTION AND NONE OF 'EM HAVE SHARED ROOFS ON THE FRONT, THEN THE, WE WOULD MAINTAIN THOSE PROPORTIONS OF, UM, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OUTLIERS ON THEIR REAR PERHAPS, I GUESS FROM,
[00:55:01]
THAT'S WHAT I MAYBE CAN RECALL.SHOULD WE PERHAPS STIPULATE THAT SHED ROOFS ARE PERMISSIBLE IN DORMERS OR SUBORDINATE ROOF OR REAR REAR ADDITIONS, BUT NOT IN THE SORT OF MAIN ROOF OF EITHER A MAIN BUILDING OR ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.
EXCUSE ME A QUESTION ABOUT TWO FOUR C.
WITH REGARDS TO CALLING OUT THE MAXIMUM, UH, PLATE HEIGHTS YES.
UM, IS THERE A REASON IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE OVERALL HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING MIGHT TAKE CARE OF KEEPING SOMETHING FROM BEING TOO TALL AND THESE NUMBERS ALMOST SEEM TO ME LIKE WE'RE TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO ON THE INSIDE OF THEIR HOUSE.
UM, SO STAFF HAS HAD THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, I, I BELIEVE IN THE NEXT DRAFT THAT YOU SEE, UM, WE WILL JUST BE REFERRING TO THE RIDGE HEIGHT VERSUS CEILING HEIGHTS AND PLATE HEIGHTS.
UM, I, IT'S, WE'LL HA WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION BECAUSE, UM, I'M, OKAY, WELL I UNDERSTAND CALLING OUT THE PLATE HEIGHTS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND CALLING OUT CEILING HEIGHTS.
BECAUSE IN THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDELINES, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE PLATE HEIGHTS THAT ARE CALLED OUT PLATE HEIGHTS AND RIDGE HEIGHTS.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO A ONE STORY, WE CAN CALL OUT THE ONE STORY PLATE HEIGHT, IT'S GONNA DO A TWO STORY, WE CAN CALL OUT THE TWO, THIS, UH, SECOND STORY PLAY HEIGHT AND THEN THE RIDGE HEIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT'LL ALLOW ARCHITECTS THE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE.
THAT WAS A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE REMOVED WERE, UM, THINGS THAT WE FELT WERE NOT ALLOWING TO ARCHITECT THE ARCHITECT TO BE AS FULLY CREATIVE TO, TO, UH, FULFILL HIS POTENTIAL IN CREATIVITY, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND WE WERE TELLING THEM, LIKE YOU SAID, WHAT TO DO ON THE INSIDE.
SO, UM, THE NEXT DRAFT THAT YOU SEE WILL PROBABLY HAVE SOME OF THESE THINGS ELIMINATED.
SO FRANCIS, YOU, YOU COULD VAULT THE CEILING, UH, LONG AS YOU MAINTAIN THE PLATE HEIGHT, YOU COULD EVEN MAINTAIN THE PLATE HEIGHT AND RAISE THE CEILING 18 INCHES LIKE IN RIVER OAKS AND STILL HAVE A, A SMALL AREA SLOPING, BUT THEN GO TO A FLAT ROOF.
AND SO THERE IT'S REALLY THE PLATE HEIGHT AND SO ON.
UM, I I HAD A QUESTION ON, ALSO ON, UM, 2.4 POINT C REGARDING, UM, FINISH THE, THE FIRST FLOOR FINISHED FLOOR HEIGHT.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW TWO FOOT FOUR MAXIMUM MAX WAS, WAS, UM, CREATED? YEAH, SO, UM, WE, WE DID SOME, WE, WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UM, TO, TO THE HAHC.
UM, AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT THOSE, UM, FINISHED FLOOR HEIGHTS WERE.
AND THEN WHEN, WHEN, UH, JASON WENT OUT TO RESURVEY, HE ALSO WOULD STOP OCCASIONALLY AND MEASURE SOME OF THE, UH, SO TO THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM ON HIS PROPERTY, ON THEIR PROPERTY.
BUT HE WOULD STOP AND HE WOULD MEASURE THE FINISHED FLOOR HEIGHT.
AND, UM, SO IT WAS DEVELOPED FROM THERE.
UM, NOW, I MEAN, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REMOVING THESE THINGS, THEN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I'M I'M NOT SAYING TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AT THE, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION TYPES IN THE HIGH, IN, IN THIS, NOR IN NOR HILL RIGHT.
THESE HOMES IS MY UNDERSTANDING ORIGINALLY ARE BALLOON FRAME.
SO, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE WOULD, A BUILDER WOULD TYPICALLY BUILD A NEW HOME TODAY IF IT WAS P AND BEAM, WHICH WOULD BE WESTERN FRAMED.
SO THE, SO THE TYPE OF STRUCTURE AND THE, AND THE, SOME OF THE DIMENSIONS OF THAT STRUCTURE CAN BE DIFFERENT.
AND SO, AND OF COURSE THIS GUIDE, THIS DIAGRAM IS REALLY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, IF YOU WILL.
AND, AND, UH, THE KEY THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, THE CITY CODE, UH, FOR CONSTRUCTION REQUIRES AN 18 INCH AIRSPACE BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOOR SYSTEM.
UM, ANY WOOD THAT'S CLOSER THAN 18 INCHES HAS TO BE TREATED.
UM, AND SO, AND IT'S GENERALLY A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE 18 INCHES OF SPACE ALSO JUST TO GET FOR AIR TO BREATHE.
SO ONE, ONE YOU CAN CRAWL IN YOUR HOUSE AND FIX YOUR BROKEN PIPE IF, IF YOU HAD A BREEZE.
BUT ALSO, UM, THE BIG ISSUE I, I HAVE SEEN IS JUST THESE OLDER HOMES OR EVEN NEWER, NEWER HOMES, UH, ESPECIALLY NEWER HOMES WITH, WITH THE WOOD, THE GROWTH RING'S NOT AS CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT FROM TERMITES IS THAT YOU WANT IT, YOU WANT YOUR, YOUR WOOD TO DRY OUT UNDERNEATH THE HOME.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE WET WOOD, IT'S A ATTRACTION FOR, FOR PEST.
UM, IF IT'S, IF YOU'RE ALLOWED TO, YOU KNOW, YOU
[01:00:01]
WANT THAT WOOD TO DRY.AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT AS I SEE FROM, FROM WHAT I DO BEFORE MY DAY JOB, IS JUST THAT SO MANY HO EXISTING HOMES THAT ARE ORIGINALLY BUILT OVER TIME THROUGH MOWING THE GRASS OR ADDING FLOWER BEDS, IS THAT UNDER THE HOME, THE GROUND IS TYPICALLY LOWER THAN OUTSIDE THE HOME, UNLIKE YOUR DIAGRAM.
AND SO WHAT WHAT I SEE IS THAT THERE'S MOISTURE ALWAYS FORMING UNDER THE HOUSE THAT'S, THAT'S CAUSING THE FLOOR SYSTEM TO DETERIORATE.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS RECOMMENDING THAT THEY FILL IN THOSE HOLES.
UM, AND I'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE, THESE OCCURRING IN NOR HILL, AND WE STILL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT 18 INCH AIRSPACE.
SO I WOULD JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE, LIKE, I KNOW COMMISSIONER DALE'S NOT HERE, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW HIS THOUGHTS ON, UM, WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD THIS CURRENT TO CURRENT STANDARDS AND IF IT WERE 30 INCHES IN HEIGHT, IS THAT AN ISSUE? I GUESS IT'S, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH 2.4, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN SOMETIMES SUGGEST 30 INCHES IS EASIER TO ACHIEVE ALL OF THESE GOALS.
UM, MANY TIMES THESE EXISTING HOMES ARE MUCH LOWER RIGHT.
THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT IN MANY CASES, THEY NEED TO BE RAISED YES.
AND SO FROM DETERIORATION, SO THE, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF MAYBE, UM, WE COULD ASK COMMISSIONER DEL, GIVEN HIS EX EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION, UM, I KNOW THAT WE DID A SIM WE DID A SIMILAR ANALYSIS WHEN THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDELINES WERE BEING EVALUATED MM-HMM
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO RUN, RUN, RUN SOME TRAPS ON THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.
SO WOULD, WOULD IT MAKE MORE SP SENSE IN OTHER, IN NOT TO USE THE GROUND AS ONE OF YOUR, UM, STANDARDS, BUT TO USE THE, UM, UNDERSIDE OF THE JOISTS OR THE TOP SIDE OF THE JOIST AND USE YOUR MEASUREMENTS FOR YOUR PLATE HEIGHTS GOING UP FROM THERE BECAUSE YOU ARE, UM, WE DON'T KNOW HOW HIGH THAT HOUSE IS GONNA BE OFF, YOU KNOW, THE GROUND AS YOU'RE SPEAKING, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING TO THE 18 INCHES.
IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE ALMOST NOTHING AND IT NEEDS TO BE RAISED, BUT, SO WHY NOT JUST MAKE THE STANDARD BE FROM THE, UM, FROM THE JOIST INSTEAD OF FROM THE GROUND? SO THERE'S ANOTHER CAVEAT ABOUT GROUND.
SO GROUND ITSELF IS A, I MEAN, UH, CAN BE A HUGE ISSUE.
SO THE GROUND IS GENERALLY ESTABLISHED AS SORT OF THE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, WHAT NATURAL GRADE IS, AND I'M JUST MAKING A POINT WE, THAT THESE HOMES HAVE LOW SPOTS UNDERNEATH, WHICH NEED TO BE FILLED UP.
BUT WHAT WE SEE OFTEN IS THAT FOLKS WILL JUST BRING IN 12 INCHES OF SOIL AND RAISE THE GROUND, AND THEN THEY BUILD ABOVE THAT.
AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S A HOUSE NEXT TO YOU ON A HILL.
AND THAT'S ALSO, THAT BECOMES AN ISSUE.
SO I THINK THE, I THINK GROUND SHOULD BE, IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.
AND IT SHOULD BE LIKELY, MAY, MAY BE SEATED LIKE, UH, THE, UH, THE PREEXISTING NATURAL GRADE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN WHERE FOLKS MANIPULATE GROUND AND IT CAUSES OTHER ISSUES DIFFERENT FROM JUST THIS TOPIC TOPIC.
BUT, UM, BUT PERHAPS WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT THIS AND WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, WE CAN GET A, GET A REF, GET SOME WORDING BACK.
'CAUSE I, I'M, YEAH, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S, UM, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
AND THEN, I MEAN, WHO'S TO SAY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED A COA TO RAISE YOUR HOUSE EIGHT INCHES, RIGHT? SO THE RA RAISE YOUR HOUSE ONE BLOCK, YOU DON'T NEED A COA.
SO, UM, WHO'S TO SAY SOMEONE DOESN'T PRESENT A PROJECT, GET IT APPROVED, AND THEN THEY COME IN AND THEN AFTER EVERYTHING'S DONE, WHICH PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAPPEN, BUT THEY WOULD GO AND RAISE EIGHT INCHES.
WELL NOW THEY'VE GOT A TALLER HOUSE THAN WHAT WAS APPROVED.
UM, SO I THINK IF YOU USE THE GRADE, IT BASICALLY GIVES YOU AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND, AND BRINGS IN, UH, A FOOT OF SOIL.
SO, UH, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY DISCUSS IT AND, AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND THE, AND THE FOOT OF SOIL ISSUE IS ALSO, UM, A BIG ISSUE IN NOR HILL AND OTHER ALL PARTS OF HOUSTON IS JUST THE MOMENT SOMEONE RAISES THEIR GRADE MORE THAN THE NATURAL GRADE, THEY PUSH THEIR WATER ON THEIR NEIGHBOR.
WHICH, WHICH, SO, WHICH IS NOT ALLOWED BY CITY CODE, BUT, BUT INADVERTENTLY IT DOES HAPPEN, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT IN A FLOODPLAIN.
AND SO IT'S, EACH OF THESE THINGS CAN AFFECT ANOTHER, AND, UH, MAYBE
[01:05:01]
IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO ADD GROUND TO THE DEFINITIONS.SO THAT CAN BE SET AS LIKE SOME KIND OF AVERAGE GRADE IN THE CONTEXT AREA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO SECTION 2.5, NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.
I'VE GOT A, JUST A QUICK NOTE ON THIS
SO AT THE BOTTOM IT TALKS ABOUT THE STYLES OF HOUSING THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER AND IT ON SECTION FOUR MM-HMM
OF THE DOCUMENT, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A WHOLE DISCUSSION ON ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.
AND IT WOULD BE MY OPINION THAT THAT THAT SECTION FOUR TO ME IS UNNECESSARY IN THIS DOCUMENT AS THE HISTORY OF NOR HILL IS ALREADY PUBLISHED IN THE PUBLIC RECORD WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS ESTABLISHED.
BUT THAT PART OF IT SEEMS IMPORTANT TO THIS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT THOSE STYLES ARE THAT THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERING WHEN DESIGNING A HOUSE.
SO, UM, TAKE SECTION FOUR ABOUT THE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION IN NOR HILL AND PUT IT BENEATH YEAH.
THE NEW RESIDENCE, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY THINK WE NEED THE, HI.
I MEAN, AS I SAID, THE HISTORY OF NOR HILL IS ALREADY ALREADY KNOWN.
I MEAN, THIS IS A DOCUMENT TO HELP PEOPLE DESIGN A HOUSE.
UM, PRESUMABLY THEY ALREADY HAVE CHOSEN NOR HILL.
UM, AND THEN I, I, I THINK THE SENTENCE THAT HOMEOWNERS SHOULD ENSURE ANY ADDITIONS OR SYMPATHETIC TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN AESTHETIC IS, IS OKAY.
I, I THINK WE WE'RE TRYING TO DEFINE WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWING JUST A WILD INTERPRETATION.
'CAUSE WHAT SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THE DESIGN POLICE, SO WHAT SOMEONE LIKES, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT NOT LIKE OR YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE, BUT RIGHT.
I FIND THAT SENTENCE TO BE UNNECESSARY.
IF I COULD JUST ADD ON TO THAT COMMENT, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAD AN ISSUE I WAS GOING TO RAISE IN SECTION FOUR.
I THINK PART OF WHAT'S AT STAKE THERE IS THE QUESTION OF WHAT'S MEASURABLE.
LIKE WHAT DOES MEASURABLE MEAN AND WHAT CAN BE MEASURED AND WHAT CAN'T BE MEASURED.
UM, I THINK RELATING TO THE, THE POINT I RAISED EARLIER ABOUT MASSING MM-HMM
UH, THE QUALITATIVE SIDE, UM, OF COMPATIBILITY AS COMMISSIONER DAVIS POINTED OUT, IS REALLY NOT WELL DEFINED.
SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE VERY HELPFUL LIST OF STYLES IN SECTION FOUR MM-HMM
THAT, UH, FOR EACH STYLE, UH, FLOOR PLAN BE ADDED WITH DIMENSIONS SO THAT THE PROPORTIONS THAT ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF EACH STYLE CAN BE, UH, TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE DEVELOPER OR THE ARCHITECT.
UM, SO THIS SOUNDS MAY SOUND A BIT SORT OF EXTREME, BUT, UM, AFTER CONSULTING WITH, UM, THE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS, I REALIZED, OR ACTUALLY GINGER, BERNIE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT NOR HILL IS MOSTLY MADE UP OF HOUSES THAT CAME FROM PATTERN BOOKS.
SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS NOT SORT OF ARCHITECTURAL WORKS MM-HMM
IN THE SENSE THAT SOMEONE STARTS WITH A BLANK DRAWING PAGE AND DEVELOPS IT, BUT SOMETIMES LIKE HOUSE KITS THAT WERE ORDERED AND, UM, CONSTRUCTED.
AND MEANWHILE, TODAY WHAT WE OFTEN HAVE OUR DEVELOPERS WHO CUT AND PASTE A STANDARD FLOOR PLAN ONTO THE SITE.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING AT ARCHITECTS TRYING TO MATCH AN EXISTING STYLE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW, I MEAN, WE, MEANING THE HAHC HAVE TO RULE ON HOW TO MAKE ONE DEVELOPER CULTURE PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT'S COMPATIBLE WITH THE PRODUCT OF ANOTHER DEVELOPER CULTURE.
SO WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS I SUPPORT COMMISSIONER COSGROVE'S SUGGESTION OF PUTTING THE INFORMATION ON CHARACTER AND STYLE IN SECTION TWO, BUT IN ADDITION, ADDING FLOOR PLANS AND PROPORTIONS.
AND ACTUALLY I PREPARED A SORT OF DUMMY PAGE, UH OKAY.
THAT MAYBE MIGHT EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
JUDGE, SHOULD WE PUT THAT ON THE DOCUMENT CAMERA JUST SO EVERYONE CAN SEE DOCUMENT CAMERA PLEASE.
[01:10:06]
PARTY.PARDON MY HANDWRITING THERE, BUT BASICALLY I TOOK SECTION FOUR, SO I TOOK A PAGE FROM SECTION FOUR, AND IF YOU LOOK AT, AT SECTION FOUR, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT GOES SORT OF FOUR TWO A CRAFTSMAN FOUR, TWO B, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER STYLE AND ANOTHER STYLE AND ANOTHER STYLE.
EACH OF THOSE STYLES ACTUALLY CORRESPONDS TO A STANDARD PATTERN BOOK HOUSE.
UH, SO, UM, THERE ARE SOURCES IN THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE ACTUAL FLOOR PLANS OF THAT HOUSE TYPE, WHICH WILL CLOSELY MATCH THE EXISTING.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT SOMEONE COULD, WITHIN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, FIGURE OUT OR FIND A POINT OF DEPARTURE IN TERMS OF THE PROPORTIONING OF PARTS OF THE HOUSE IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE MASSING BECAUSE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I TRIED TO INDICATE LIKE A AND OR LIKE B AND C OR F AND GF IS LIKE THE OVERALL WIDTH OF THE HOUSE AND G IS LIKE THAT PROTRUDING ROOM.
SO THE PROPORTION OF THE WIDTH OF THAT PROTRUDING PART TO THE OVERALL HOUSE, THOSE KINDS OF PROPORTIONS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE ESSENCE OF SORT OF ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER.
SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD SUPPORT THAT KIND OF MODIFICATION.
I'M HAPPY TO TALK WITH ANYONE ABOUT, UM, CLARIFYING WHAT'S, JUST SOMETHING I JUST QUICKLY DREW UP THERE.
I DIDN'T, I WASN'T AWARE ABOUT THAT BIT OF INFORMATION.
AND WELL, AND I WELL, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I DID READ IN THE INTRODUCTION IT MENTION, IT DOES MENTION THAT NORE IS MUCH OF NORE IS BASED ON PATTERN BOOKS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, JUST LIKE WESTMORELAND HAS A NUMBER OF OLDER PATTERN BOOK, UM, DESIGNS THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED.
MY QUESTION FOR GINGER IS ARE THERE PATTERN BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY COLLECTION OF ACTUAL HOMES BUILT IN NOR HILL? AND COULD FOR JUST FOR REFERENCE, COULD, COULD WE GET A, LIKE, PUT A PAGE OR, OR ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THOSE ACTUAL BOOKS INTO THE GUIDELINES TO REFERENCE WHAT THAT MEANS? JUST SO, NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO COPY IT NECESSARILY, BUT JUST, BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE AND MAYBE PUT LANGUAGE INTO THE GUIDELINES, THAT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT THE LIBRARY.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A GUIDELINE CRITERIA, BUT MAKING, BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE THAT THAT WAS THE CASE THAT WAS IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UM, I DID SOME QUICK GATHERING OF RESOURCES, UM, AND, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE HISTORY OF NOR HILL, IT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS THE CRANE READY CUT HOUSES.
AND THE LIBRARY HAS TWO ORIGINAL, UM, BOOKS.
UM, FROM THE CRANE READY CUT COMPANY, WHICH IS A HOUSTON COMPANY THAT, THAT MADE THOSE HOMES.
UM, AND IT IS FULL OF ALL THE DESIGNS, INCLUDING THE FLOOR PLANS.
UM, SO THESE ARE FROM THE TWENTIES AND THE THIRTIES.
UM, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE COPIES, MAKE IT AVAILABLE.
UM, I ALSO KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A FEW OTHER POSSIBILITIES, BUT THOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY THE MOST VALUABLE, UM, MATERIALS.
MAYBE TERRANCE, THERE'S A, I'M NOT SURE, I KNOW THERE'S SOME PLACE ON YOUR WEBSITE FOR FACTS AND CONTACTS, BUT MAYBE IF THE LIBRARY CAN PROVIDE SCANS OF THESE THINGS, PERHAPS THERE COULD BE A LINK ON THE WEBSITE AND THE DESIGN GUIDE, LIKE DESIGN GUIDELINES MIGHT REFER TO THE LINK.
JUST SO THAT THEN APPLICANTS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT, YOU COULD HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE IN, IN THE GUIDELINES, LET'S SAY.
BUT THEN HAVE A REFERENCE WHERE, WHERE YOU COULD GO TO GET MUCH MORE INFORMATION, WHICH WOULD THEN MAKE NEW CONSTRUCTION LIKELY BETTER PROPORTIONS AND COMPATIBLE, BECAUSE THERE'D BE SOMETHING TO KIND OF, TO WORK OFF OF.
COULD I ADD ONE MORE PLEASE? UH, FRIENDLY SUGGESTION.
IN THE, THE STAFF REVIEW OF COA APPLICATIONS, THERE'S A PAGE THAT TYPICALLY INCLUDES A SANBORN MAP FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDING, AND A LIKE A WHAT ELSE? LIKE AN ARCHIVAL PHOTO FROM HARRIS COUNTY, I SUPPOSE.
[01:15:01]
IT'S, I WONDER IF FOR, UM, THERE MIGHT BE SPACE IN THE COA APPLICATION FOR NOR HILL IN SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS TO INCLUDE A PATTERN BOOK REFERENCE ON THAT PAGE ALONG WITH THE SANBORN AND SO FORTH.BUT THAT'S JUST A, A SUGGESTION.
MY ONLY WORRY WITH THAT IS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ENDED UP BEING ACTUALLY PRODUCED IN THE END.
WE KNOW WHAT THE PATTERN IS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY THE, ULTIMATELY THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THE HOME AND BUILT IT MAY HAVE MADE CHANGES.
ONE MORE THING TO ADD TO THAT.
WHEN WE MENTIONED THE SANBORN MAPS, THERE'S FOR NOR HILL, YOU CAN SEE IN THE 1920S VERSION, YOU CAN SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF NOR HILL, WHEREAS THE LIBRARY HAS THE 1960 SANBORNS, WHICH ARE FULLY COMPLETE AND REPRESENT THAT YEAR.
IF ANYBODY EVER WANTS TO COME AND LOOK AT THOSE, THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY.
OH, CAN WE HAVE ONE MORE? SORRY, MR. BROWN.
UM, NOT FROM A, UH, PERSONAL PREFERENCE POINT OF VIEW, BUT MERELY FROM A LEGAL POINT OF VIEW.
I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER COSGROVE'S COMMENTS IN SECTION 2.6, POINT A, UM, PARTICULARLY AS A LAWYER, THE WORD SYMPATHETIC IS VAGUE.
UM, SO THAT MIGHT BE ADDRESSED IF COMMISSIONER BLAKELY'S GOOD SUGGESTION ON A DEFINITION OF COMPATIBILITY IS ADDRESSED.
UM, AN ALTERNATIVE, AND I'M SURE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS BETTER VERSED AT THIS THAN I AM, WOULD BE IF YOU CAN'T HAVE A DEFINITION OF COMPATIBILITY, YOU TAKE THE STYLES THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS EXAMPLES AND LIST THE APPLICABLE STYLES THAT MUST BE PROVIDED FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT MUST BE A CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW, IT MUST BE A PRAIRIE STYLE.
IT MUST BE THIS, THIS, AND THIS, WHICH WOULD THEN BE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, GINGER'S COMMENTS AS WELL.
OR, YEAH, OR IT MIGHT SAY IT MATCHED THE PROPORTIONS INSTEAD OF MATCHING, MATCHING THE PROPORTIONS OF, SO THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE DESIGN, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S THE STILL, IT'S THE MASSING, UH, AND HOW BIG IT IS IS A BIG PART OF IT.
UM, SO THAT WE'RE IN 2.5, RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UH, DO WE NEED ANY COMMENTS FOR 2.6 MATERIALS AND DESIGN? I'LL START WITH 2.6, A CHARACTER AND STYLE, 2.6 B DOORS AND WINDOWS 2.6 C, ROOFS, ROOFS, AND EAVES.
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF TOWARD THE REAR OF THE HOUSE.
I THINK THESE ARE GUIDELINES AND WE SHOULD DEFINE A CERTAIN DISTANCE BACK THAT THE DORMER CAN BE PLACED.
I MEAN, IT, IT JUST SEEMS ARBITRARY TO SAY TOWARD THE REAR.
SO YOU MEAN LIKE, IS IT THE HEIGHTS THAT SAYS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE? YEAH, JUST, I, I THINK JUST DEFINE WHAT TOWARD THE, TOWARDS THE REAR IS LIKE IF IT'S 60% BACK, WHATEVER.
I MEAN, WHAT IF THERE ARE OTHER, THERE ARE EXISTING DORMERS, WHERE DO THEY FALL IN THE DISTRICT? UM, OKAY.
2.6 E PAINTING OF HISTORIC BRICK.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO 2.7 SITE PLAN ELEMENTS AND 2.7 A IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE.
THE A AND B TO ME, I'M NOT SURE THEIR NEED IN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SINCE NEITHER OF THEM FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE OR OUR, OUR JURISDICTION.
I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T REGULATE FENCES AND I, I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK AS MUCH AS I APPRECIATE WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS DONE TO HELP GET THIS GOING, THAT THEIR DESIRE OF A BODY THAT WILL EVOLVE OVER TIME SHOULD BE STATED IN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
[01:20:01]
REGULATE EITHER OF THESE, I'M NOT SURE.UH, IT'S NOT EVER SOMETHING SOME, IT'S GOING TO COME TO A VOTE IN FRONT OF US.
I CAN, I, I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE AGAINST A SHORTER DOCUMENT, THAT'S FOR SURE, BUT JUST COMMISSIONER CON, UH, COSGROVE, I MEAN, THE STATEMENT REALLY IS JUST TO SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU, YOU AND I MAY KNOW THAT, BUT LIKE AN APPLICANT MAY NOT KNOW.
I MEAN, I READ THIS JUST JUST TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT, IT, IT'S EXEMPT FROM THE C OF A, THEREFORE IT'S NOT, IT'S JUST, IT'S MORE OF AN INFORMATION THING.
MAY MAYBE IT COULD BE SIMPLIFIED, BUT, BUT IT IS JUST, UM, SO MAYBE NOT.
SO IF IT WORKS I DAY, COULD IT GO UNDER, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THE 3.4 EXEMPTIONS NO COA REQUIRED OR I MEAN, IF IT WERE TO STAY, WHICH IS PROBABLY MENTIONED HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LIST THAT MENTIONS WHAT NEEDS TO GO IN FRONT OF A COA AND WHAT DOESN'T.
IT COULD EASILY BE ADDED IN THERE.
JUST NOT IN THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS IS, IS, YES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
I DON'T SEE IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT IF WE, UH, IF WE, UM, NEED TO ADD IMPERVIOUS COVER, WE WILL, UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO LEGAL ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE MENTION OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THAT AS WELL.
SO YOU ARE NOT USING LOT COVERAGE AS A STANDARD IN NOR HILL.
WHAT WAS THE CONSIDERATION ON THAT? WELL, IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER IS DONE BY THE, NO, I'M NOT IMPERVIOUS COVER TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF ONE AND THE SAME AS FAR AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOING TO LOOK AT THE IMPERVIOUS, THE IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE.
UM, WE FELT THAT, UH, THE WAY THE FAR THAT WAS DONE, IT WAS GONNA HANDLE IT.
UM, AND I MEAN, NOR HILL DOESN'T HAVE HUGE LOTS.
LIKE THERE ARE SOME IN THE HEIGHTS.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T THINK THAT, UH, THAT THAT WAS NECESSARY, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK, I THINK IT WAS MORE SO AN IDEA OF NOT HAMSTRING HAMSTRINGING THE OWNERS AND THE ARCHITECTS WITH SOME ON SOME OTHER MEASURABLE STANDARD WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO TO WORRY ABOUT.
UM, AND PLUS THAT BEING THAT YOU'RE ON A SMALLER LOT, UM, THAT WAS OUR THINKING.
BUT THE HEIGHTS GUIDELINES DO HAVE A IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THERE'S A FAR AND, AND THERE'S ALSO AN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THERE IS A FAR AND AN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
WE DIDN'T SEE THE NEED TO ADD THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON ON THIS ONE.
YOU DID? IT'S JUST A DEF DEFINITION.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S JUST SAYING 65%, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S CITY OF HOUSTON STANDARD, SO IT, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE JUST ARBITRARILY DEVELOPED.
UM, 'CAUSE WELL MAYBE YOU STATE MID 65% STANDARDS AND WILL DO.
IT'S JUST NOT BY THIS BODY, I GUESS.
UM, SO AGAIN, AS I STATED AT THE BEGINNING, UM, UM, HOLD ON AT THE, WELL, I'M SORRY.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON SECTION THREE, FOUR OR FIVE? I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT ON SECTION THREE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
THE CITY HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHILE WE NEED TO STAY FLEXIBLE AT THE CITY AND RESPOND TO CHANGING THINGS IN A QUICK MANNER THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THIS PLAN DO GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
AND, UM, GO THROUGH SOME SORT OF PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS BEFORE THOSE CHANGES ARE ARE SIGNED OFF ON.
COMMISSIONER DAVIS, A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, 3.5 ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, APPROVALS.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE ON PAGE SEVEN WE SAY THAT, UH, THE GUIDELINES REMOVE ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS OF SHALL APPROVE ADDITIONS.
UM, AND, BUT WE STILL HAVE THIS SECTION IN HERE,
[01:25:01]
RIGHT? SO DOES EVERYTHING NEED TO COME TO THE, TO THE COMMISSION NOW? WELL, WELL, UH, SO YES, THAT IS THE PLAN.UM, BUT THE REASON WHY ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS ARE IN THIS SECTION IS BECAUSE THIS IS A FULL, I MEAN, TO BASICALLY SUM THIS UP, SECTION THREE IS BASICALLY THE ORDINANCE AND BASICALLY GIVING YOU, UH, A CLIFF NOTES VERSION, IF YOU WILL, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
SO 3.5 ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS IS IN THERE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL IS.
IT ISN'T MEANT TO SAY, OKAY, WELL WE'RE AGAINST ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS IN, IN, IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT, OH, SORRY.
SO SHELL APPROVES IS WHAT'S BEEN REMOVED AT MY PRESERVATION OFFICER JUST EXPLAINED TO ME, ME WITH HER LOVELY OUTFIT, UM,
UM, SO SHALL PROOFS HAVE BEEN REMOVED, BUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS ARE STILL THERE.
UM, SO THE SHALL PROOF IS BASICALLY, UM, YOU COULD DO A, UM, A SIDE EDITION OR A REAR EDITION THAT OF, OF AN EXISTING HOME THAT HAD, DOES NOT HAVE THAT DONE, HAS NOT HAD THAT DONE BEFORE, AND THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE DIRECTOR FOR APPROVAL.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OLD SIX WARD ALSO PRACTICES AS WELL, EXCEPT FOR THEY DO NOT ALLOW ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS AT ALL.
AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE SHELL APPROVALS THAT THEY MADE THAT PROVISION FROM MY UNDERSTANDING.
UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I CLARIFY THAT THIS DOCUMENT OR, OR, OR THIS DOCUMENT WILL NOT ALLOW THE SHELL APPROVE.
IT WILL STILL NEED TO COME TO THE COMMISSION, BUT ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS ARE STILL, SO, SAY FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO PUT A PORCH ON THE BACK OF THEIR HOME, THEY STILL CAN DO THAT.
AND THAT'S STILL AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL IF WE CAN SEE IT OR IT'S EXEMPT.
UM, SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE STILL IN THERE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS SECTION THREE IS BASICALLY JUST A CLIFF NOTES VERSION OF THE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY IT'S THERE.
UM, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR SECTION FOUR OR COMMENTS? I'M SORRY.
I WANNA MAKE A, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT, UH, REQUIRED US TO, UH, ADDRESS IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE MAP.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE MAP AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CORRECT.
UM, SECTION FIVE, OH, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS ON SECTION FIVE.
IS THIS SECTION FOUR OR SECTION FIVE? SECTION FIVE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS ON SECTION FOUR.
GOT YOUR THOUGHTS ON SECTION FOUR.
SO SECTION FIVE, SINCE THESE ARE GUIDELINES.
AND SO THIS IS TO HELP SOMEBODY PLAN THEIR PROJECT.
AND WHILE I THINK LIKE STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE IS AN IMPORTANT THING, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE OF A RESOURCE THAN INTEGRATED INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES BECAUSE I THINK IT MUDDIES THE WATER A LITTLE BIT IN WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A HOMEOWNER.
I MEAN, WE DO NOT REGULATE THE MAINTENANCE OF A HOUSE IF SOMEONE CHOOSES NOT TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY, THEY GET IN TROUBLE FOR FROM THIS COMMISSION, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT KIND OF STRETCHES THE DOCUMENT OUT, RIGHT? WHERE IT COULD JUST BE A RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE, LIKE OF GOOD PRACTICES FOR MAINTAINING THEIR, THEIR HOME.
BUT BURIED WITHIN THIS SECTION ARE A COUPLE LITTLE NUGGETS THAT I THINK TEND TO BE MORE OF THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS OR, OR, OR SOMETHING WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING OF PEOPLE.
AND MOST NOTABLY PROBABLY IN THE REPLACEMENT OF WINDOWS, WHICH ARE REFERENCED IN HERE.
AND I MEAN, I, I DON'T HAVE EVERY DETAIL MEMORIZED, BUT, AND ALSO WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH A DUPLEX PROPERTY, HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THE, WHAT, WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DONE WITH TWO FRONT DOORS.
AND TO ME THOSE FALL MORE UNDER THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS AND LESS UNDER MAINTENANCE OR WHATEVER THE TITLE OF SAID STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE, THAT THOSE ARE REQUIREMENTS OF PEOPLE IF THEY'RE BUYING A DUPLEX, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT SECOND DOOR.
RIGHT? SO I WOULD MAYBE TAKE THE REQUIREMENT PARTS OF THE SECTION FIVE AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SO THAT IT'S CLEAR SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE, YOU, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, I, I THINK THAT COULD BE MORE OF A RESOURCE RATHER THAN PART
[01:30:01]
OF THE DOCUMENT.SO, UH, WE'VE HAD, WE DISCUSSED BEFORE THIS DRAFT, BEFORE THE LAST TWO DRAFTS WENT OUT, WE DISCUSSED, UM, MAKING THIS SECTION ITS OWN DOCUMENT.
UM, SO, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE REMOVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S VALUABLE AND, UM, AND THEN LEAVE THE REST OF THE STEWARDSHIP MAINTENANCE FOR, UH, FOR RESIDENTS AS A, AS A RESOURCE LIKE YOU SAID, I THINK THAT'LL, THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP.
AND YEAH, IT'LL MAKE IT SHORTER.
WELL, UM, ANYONE ELSE? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS.
THE SITE EDITIONS AND BUMP OUTS.
IS THAT IN FOUR? IS THAT IN THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE? OOH, SO I HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THOSE.
I'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENT AND THEN I'LL GO FIND IT.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A, OKAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.
THE GUIDELINES APPEAR TO DISCOURAGE OR PROHIBIT THE SIDE CERTAIN SIDE EDITIONS AND CERTAIN THINGS.
UM, AND I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE JUST RECENTLY WE HAVE APPROVED SIDE BUMP OUTS, UHHUH
UM, AND IS A DESIGN APPROACH THAT HAS PROVEN COMPATIBLE WITH THE DISTRICT.
SO I'M WONDERING WHY WE ARE ELIMINATING THAT IN THE GUIDELINES.
WELL, WELL, IT, I, I THINK I, I DO NOT THINK IT IS ELIMINATED.
I THINK THAT IT MAY MENTION THAT IT IS DISCOURAGED BECAUSE I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE'S A SECTION FOR, YEAH.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SECTION 2.3 E IS CORNER LOT ONE STORY SIDE EDITION, AND THEN 2.3 B, WE HAVE INTERIOR LOT ONE STORY SIDE EDITION.
SO, UM, MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IF THE WORDING, UM, MAY BE MISLEADING BY SAYING IT'S DISCOURAGING SOMEONE TO DO SO, BUT IT'S, WE DO NOT, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE IT HERE IN THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS, UM, WITH ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, SETBACKS AND, UH, MINIMUMS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO FOR, OR THAT WE SUGGEST TO THEM TO DO FOR, UH, SIDE EDITIONS.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT, FIND WHERE WE DISCOURAGE IT AND, AND MODIFY THAT WORDING A BIT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WHILE WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE TIME THIS MAY HAVE TAKEN, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE AS STAFF GOT THIS RIGHT, UM, WHERE IT MAY BE, IT, IT MAY NOT BE PERFECT AND IT MAY NOT BE WHAT EVERYONE WANTS, BUT EVERYONE'S VOICE WAS HEARD IN THESE DOCUMENTS, I MEAN, IN THIS DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIP PARTICIPATION.
AND MOST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS.
UM, I KNOW I'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN ON A LOT OF YOU GUYS' NERVES, UM, BUT HOPEFULLY I'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF YOU GUYS' QUESTIONS.
I'VE BEEN A, BEEN A MORE OF A HELP THAN A HINDRANCE TO YOU.
UM, SO STAFF WILL ASK THAT YOU KEEP ALL YOUR COMMENTS AS CONCISE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, WE ASK THAT YOU ALL KEEP THE REPETITIVE COMMENTS TO A MINIMUM.
UH, WE WILL KEEP A STRICT TIMER ON THE, ON THE COMMENTS.
THE PUBLIC WILL GET A AMEND OR TWO TO SPEAK.
WE HAVE ASKED HHC TO NOT EXTEND THE TIME OF THE PUBLIC SO WE CAN GET THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS AND GIVE EVERYONE THE SAME, UH, AMOUNT OF TIME TO SPEAK.
UM, THE PUBLIC IS ALWAYS ALLOWED TO SEND THEIR COMMENTS.
SO IF THERE'S ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT FEELS THAT THEIR COMMENTS WEREN'T RELAYED CLEARLY AFTER TODAY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM IN OR MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE COMMENTS CARDS.
UM, AND IF YOU, UH, HAVE THE, THE QR CODE, I'M SORRY, IF YOU HAVE THE QR CODE, UM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SCAN AND ADD COMMENTS THERE.
'CAUSE IT TAKES YOU TO A PAGE WHERE YOU CAN ADD COMMENTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU GUYS.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM C IN THE AGENDA, WHICH IS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, FOLKS THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL BE, UH, STARTING WITH MR. BRIAN WILSON.
[01:35:01]
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FORMALLY WRITTEN DOWN TO, TO SAY.I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, THIS, THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
UM, I'VE WORKED, WORKED AS A MEMBER OF THE NOR HILL BOARD, UM, ON THE DOCUMENT FOR MANY HOURS, UM, FULLY SUPPORT THE, ALL THE EFFORTS, UH, THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND THE THE NEED FOR SUCH A DOCUMENT.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE SPENT MANY HOURS IN NOR HILL, UH, AMONG THE BOARD MEMBERS OF NOR HILL, UM, GOING OVER PLANS ALL THE TIME.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN APPROVE OR NOT? UH, JUST WANNA SAY THAT I FULLY SUPPORT, UM, ALL THE, THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT AND THE NEED FOR IT.
UM, I THINK, I THINK YOU ALL WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH A LONG TIME COMING AND JUST, JUST LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE SUCCESS OF IT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS, UM, ALEXIS.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAMES, BUT I DON'T SEE IT CORRECTLY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE REASONABILITY LIVABILITY AND ENSURING THAT NOR HILL REMAINS A FAMILY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED.
IT REALLY IS AN IDYLLIC AND MAGICAL PLACE TO LIVE FULL OF WONDERFUL NEIGHBORS AND FAMILIES.
I IMPLORE YOU ALL TO RECALL THAT THESE ARE OUR HOUSES IN WHICH WE LIVE.
UM, LOOK AFTER UNRULY CHILDREN CARE FOR AGING PARENTS AND, UH, ENGAGE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
I SINCERELY HOPE WE DO NOT OVER-ENGINEER OR OVERC CREATE SO MANY RESTRICTIONS THAT IT IMPOSES UNDUE BURDENS ON HOMEOWNERS HOPING TO CREATE A LIVABLE SPACE COMPATIBLE WITH THEIR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES AS THEY ARE FOR THE MODERN WORLD.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE AGAINST THE SQUARE FOOTAGE RESTRICTIONS.
UM, IT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO RETAIN THE CURRENT SQUARE FOOTAGE RESTRICTIONS AS THOSE, THE, THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES FEEL LIMITING AND, UM, OVERLY AGGRESSIVE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A FAMILY THAT'S A, A, A HOME THAT'S FAMILY FRIENDLY.
I'M ALSO OPPOSED TO THE HEIGHT PROPOSALS, AND I, I THINK THIS WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE DISCUSSION, BUT THEY DO FEEL THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPOSE ON HOMEOWNERS WHAT TO DO WITHIN THE HOME.
I'M ALSO OPPOSED TO THE DRIVEWAY LIMITATIONS THAT WERE ALSO BROUGHT UP IN THE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATIONS, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION OF REASONABILITY AND THAT THESE ARE THE PLACES THAT WE LIVE, AND WE HOPE THAT THAT IS SINCERELY CONSIDERED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVEN BENNETT JOHNSTON.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR A COUPLE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.
UH, I, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THE WHOLE THING KIND OF BECOMES ENOUGH VERSUS THEM.
I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS ALIGNED THAT, THAT SOME GUIDELINES ARE NEEDED TO PRESERVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT EVERYONE WILLING TO BE DEDICATED TO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I THINK EVERYTHING NORTH OF I 10 AND INSIDE THE LOOP WOULD'VE BEEN RAISED AND TURNED INTO TOWNHOUSES AND APARTMENTS BY NOW.
SO IT, IT, IT REALLY IS A MATTER OF, OF HASHING OUT THE DETAILS.
UM, I LOVE THE CHARACTER OF THE HEIGHTS AND, UH, OF NOR HILL.
I I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DISRUPT THAT.
UH, THE ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE, THE NATURE OF WORK HAS CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE THESE HOUSES WERE WERE FIRST BUILT.
UH, AND NOT ONLY ARE, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY BOTH PARENTS, IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO IN A HOUSEHOLD WORKING, UH, AT LEAST ONE OF THEM IS USUALLY WORKING FROM HOME.
UH, IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, IF ANYBODY'S TRIED TO WORK FROM THEIR HOUSE WHILE THEIR KIDS ARE AROUND, YOU PROBABLY KNOW IT'S NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ANYTHING EFFECTIVE DONE IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR OWN SPACE THAT YOU CAN CLOSE OFF.
UM, SO PART OF THAT OF COURSE, MEANS ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, UH, PER PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, LARGER SQUARE FOOTAGE, UH, IN THE FAR, UH, AND PROBABLY ALSO ALLOWING THE GARAGE APARTMENTS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM FAR.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE, YOU KNOW, AM I GONNA PUT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IN THE HOUSE OR AM I GONNA SAY PUT, YOU KNOW, 500 SQUARE FEET IN A GARAGE APARTMENT? AND THEN PRETTY MUCH YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE HOUSE.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY MAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPE IS THAT THE GARAGE APARTMENT COULD BE EXCLUDED AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU.
UH, MY BROTHER WAS THE ONE YOU CALLED UP.
HIS NAME'S KASI AS WELL, AND WE'RE RESIDENTS IN NOR HILL.
AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED.
AND WHAT WE REALLY, WHAT WE REALLY FEEL, UM, IS THAT THE ESSENCE OF NOR HILL, SO NOR HILL HAS BEEN AN AMAZING
[01:40:01]
NEIGHBORHOOD TO COME INTO BECAUSE IT HAS THAT HISTORIC EFFECT THAT THE REST OF HOUSTON DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE.AND IT HAS THE CHARACTER THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT A DUPLEX OR FOURPLEX THAT'S BUILT RIGHT NEXT DOOR DOESN'T HAVE.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO BUILD OUR HOMES WITH THAT IN MIND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT ARE PROPOSED IN THE GUIDELINES, REALLY ARE CONSTRUCTING THESE HOMES TO WHERE WE CAN BUILD A FAMILY.
UM, SO THINGS LIKE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THE GARAGE APARTMENTS BEING PART OF THE HOUSE MAKE IT TO WHERE ME AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I'M UNABLE TO LIVE IN NOR HILL AND REALLY BUILD A HOME THAT MY FAMILY AND I CAN LIVE IN AND GROW INTO.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I REALLY THINK WE SHOULD ADDRESS AND LOOK INTO, AND MAYBE IF WE CAN EDIT TO BE MORE ACCOMMODATING FOR THE FAMILIES AS WE GROW THEM.
UM, SO THE OTHER NAME WAS YOU, CLAIRE, WHICH YOU JUST SPOKE, BUT YOUR, IS YOUR BROTHER HERE? UH, NO.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DWAYNE BRADLEY.
HI, I AM DWAYNE BRADLEY, A 36 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE HEIGHTS AND, UH, 26 YEAR RESIDENT OF NOR HILL.
AND, UM, I SPOKE HERE A FEW MONTHS AGO, UH, EXPRESSING MY LOVE OF THE COMMUNITY AND WANTING TO KEEP IT IN IT IN ITS CURRENT FORM AND NOT SEE IT BLOW UP THE WAY OTHER PARTS OF THE HEIGHTS I HAD LIVED IN, IN THE DECADE PRIOR TO, TO MOVING INTO NOR HILL BACK IN 2000.
UH, SO I WANNA, I WANT TO THANK TERENCE AND, AND EVERYBODY FOR THIS.
I HAVE BEEN A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROCESS.
I'VE DONE THE SURVEYS, I'VE GONE TO THE MEETINGS, I'VE GIVEN FEEDBACK.
I'VE SPOKEN TO THIS GROUP ONCE BEFORE.
UM, I'M HAPPY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INCREMENTALLY BUT POSITIVELY MOVING FORWARD.
AND, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOU, I SUPPORT THESE, UH, GUIDELINES WITH SOME OF THE MODIFICATIONS Y'ALL HAVE, UH, BROUGHT UP, WHICH I, I THINK ARE FINE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE PROCESS.
I GOOGLED, UH, CRANES CRAFT HOMES AND GOT INTO, INTO THOSE THINGS THIS MORNING.
SO, UM, I'M KIND OF SURPRISED THAT Y'ALL DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT, UM, I'M GLAD THAT, UH, TWILA BROUGHT IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
AND, UH, THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PROCESS COMING TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM TILL, MAKE SURE YOU STATE YOUR NAME.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ADAM TILL I LIVE ON PETTY STREET, UH, IN NOR HILL.
I LIVED THERE ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE PASSAGE, UH, OF THE NOR HILL, UH, DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH, THE, THE GUIDELINES OF THE RESULT OF MANY YEARS OF DELIBERATION AND DILIGENCE ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS, UH, OF NOR HILL AND PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS OF NOR HILL, UH, IT'S PRODUCT OF INTENT SURVEYING AND, UH, COMMUNITY DEBATE.
UH, SO THEY DON'T COME LIGHTLY.
THEY PROVIDE A, I THINK A VERY REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF PROTECTION OF THE CHARM, CHARACTER AND UNIQUENESS OF NOR HILL, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS CLARITY, CONSISTENCY AND FLEXIBILITY.
INCREASED FLEXIBILITY WE MIGHT EVEN SAY, UH, IN REALIZING AND RENOVATING THEIR HOMES.
UM, SO IF YOU HEAR NOTHING ELSE FROM ME, THAT'S IT.
I SUPPORT THESE AND I HOPE THEY'RE PAST.
UM, I'LL POINT OUT A FEW AREAS THAT I THINK COULD BE IMPROVED.
UM, DEFINITION OF LIVING AREA SECTION 1.2.
I THINK IT COULD BE FURTHER CLARIFIED TO SIMPLY STATE LIVING AREAS DEFINED AS ALL PORTIONS OF A PROPERTY THAT ARE CONDITIONED, PERIOD.
SO SORT OF A AWKWARD SENTENCE STRUCTURE THERE THAT, UH, DOESN'T SEEM TO ALIGN WITH WHAT WE READ LATER IN 2.2 A.
UM, WHICH I THINK IS MORE WELL-DEFINED IN MORE OF A SPIRIT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO IN THE GUIDELINE.
UM, 2.3 C INTERIOR LOT, TWO STORY REAR EDITION.
UH, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE NO RELAXATION OF THE 19 FOOT REAR SETBACK.
I THINK YOUR 45 FOOT, UM, UH, FRONT SETBACK, 19 FOOT REAR SETBACK END OF STORY ON THAT.
LASTLY, 3.1, UM, FEW SENTENCES IN THERE THAT GIVE THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT A GREAT DEAL OF LICENSE TO INSTITUTE POLICY REVISIONS OF THESE GUIDELINES AT ANY TIME.
UM, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER LANGUAGE IN THERE TO SORT OF LIMIT AND RESTRICT, UM, THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT.
AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, I MEAN, I THINK THE PROCESS FOR CHANGING THESE GUIDELINES AFTER PASSAGE SHOULD BE JUST AS RIGOROUS AS THEY'VE BEEN TO ARRIVE AT THE POINT WE ARE TODAY.
[01:45:01]
SAM NUAS CREOLE DESIGN.UH, THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT I, I WANT TO ADDRESS.
DEED RESTRICTIONS, MEASURABLE STANDARDS AND GARAGES.
THE DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE, AND Y'ALL HEAR ME EVERY MONTH TALKING ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS IN OR HILL ALLOW FOR A 15 FOOT BUILDING LINE IN THE FRONT AND A SIX FOOT PORCH ZONE IN FRONT OF THAT BUILD LINE.
THEY ALLOW A 40 FOOT RIDGE HEIGHT ON A HOUSE.
THEY, THE DEED RESTRICTIONS DO NOT PREVENT YOU FROM ATTACHING A HOUSE TO A GARAGE.
THE DEED RESTRICTIONS DO NOT LIMIT THE WIDTH OF AN ADDITION BY ANY MEANS.
UH, THE, THE DEED RESTRICTIONS SAY NO GARAGE APARTMENTS, BUT THEY DO NOT SAY NO TWO STORY GARAGES.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS TO PREVENT RENTAL UNITS IN IN THE AREA.
I'M DOING A HOUSE RIGHT NOW IN TANGLEWOOD AND THE AREA I'M WORKING ON THE HOUSE, IT SAYS ONLY ONE STORY GARAGES.
SO IT WAS VERY CLEAR ON THE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
I COULD ONLY DO A ONE STORY GARAGE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF, UH, THEY WANTED THAT IN THE DEED RESTRICTIONS, IT WOULD'VE SAID ONLY ONE STORY GARAGES.
SO I THINK TWO STORY GARAGES ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE, UM, THE WALL SECTION DOESN'T ADD UP.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SECTION IT'S ON PAGE 21, THE WALL SECTION DOESN'T ADD UP WITH TODAY'S STANDARDS.
TYPICALLY WE'LL USE AN 18 INCH TRUS BETWEEN A FIRST FLOOR AND A SECOND FLOOR IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, AREA FOR MECHANICALS.
AND, AND SO THEREFORE, THE CRAWL SPACE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WALL SECTION, I'M HAPPY TO DRAW ONE FOR SOMEBODY.
UM, THE CODE REQUIRES 18 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM, THE DIRT.
Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOOR JOISTS.
MOST OF THESE HOUSES OVER TIME, THE FLOWER BEDS HAVE BEEN BUILT UP.
AND SO THAT, THAT NUMBERS NEEDS TO BE A VARIABLE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE, LIKE IN PINEY POINT, FOR INSTANCE, THEY TAKE IT FROM, UH, FINISHED FLOOR, FIRST FLOOR FINISH FLOOR TO THE RIDGE HEIGHT.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE PLATE MATTERS.
I HAVE A HOUSE RIGHT NOW IN NOR HILL THAT THE OWNER WANTED 10 FOOT CEILINGS.
IT'S ON AN EIGHT FOOT CEILING HOUSE AND THE HOUSE IS TWO FOOT SIX OFF THE GROUND, SO WE'D LOWERED IT.
MY NAME IS RUSSELL ETHERTON AND I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S, CHIEF OF STAFF.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY 'CAUSE HE'S IN PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, AT THIS TIME, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER DID ASK THAT I COME AND JUST, UH, MAKE YOU ALL AWARE AND ARTICULATE HIS SUPPORT OF THE NOAL DESIGN GUIDELINES PROCESS.
UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ALL OF ITS ASPECTS IS HOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, LIKES TO GOVERN.
IT'S, UH, A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR HIM IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO, UM, SINCE BEING ELECTED INTO OFFICE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS, UH, BEEN INVESTED IN HELPING TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD.
THE, THE DESIGN GUIDELINES PROCESS FORWARD.
AND WHILE YOU'RE NOT VOTING ON THE GUIDELINES TODAY, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS, UH, EAGER TO SEE THE FINAL PRODUCT.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
UM, AND, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY SCHULTZ.
I LIVE ON PETTY STREET IN NOR HILL.
I'VE BEEN THERE 13 YEARS AND MANY MORE YEARS IN, UH, THE WESTERN PART OF THE HEIGHTS.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE HAVE THESE GUIDELINES FINALLY IN ALMOST FINAL DRAFT.
I'M PLEASED WITH MOST OF WHAT I'M HEARING.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, IN REGARD TO THE QUESTION OF FOOTAGE AND SETBACKS AND SO ON, WE DID HAVE LESS FOOTAGE, LESS SQUARE FOOTAGE BEFORE THESE CURRENT GUIDELINES.
AND SO I THINK IT IS AN EXPANSION THAT ALLOWS FOR ROOM FOR GROWTH FOR FAMILIES THAT DIDN'T, UM, EXIST THERE BEFORE.
THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE DECIDED UPON MUST BE GROUNDED IN A LIVED UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF WHAT NOR HILL IS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST CONTIGUOUS, STILL VIBRANT GROUP OF 1920S BUNGALOW HOUSES IN THE UNITED STATES.
IF WE MAKE THEM VERY BIG, HAVE LARGE ADDITIONS AT FRONT BACK OR WHEREVER THEY MAY BE NICE HOUSES, BUT THEY'RE NOT PART OF THIS GROUP OF BUNGALOWS.
AND AS I SAID, I THINK THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR SOME EXPANSION THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY THOUGH, HOWEVER, IS THAT I, UH, CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY FOR THE ARDUOUS WORK OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, ALSO, I REALLY APPRECIATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE TODAY, AND I HOPE THAT TO SEE THE END PRODUCT OF YOUR WORK.
[01:50:01]
YOU.NEXT SPEAKER IS VIRGINIA KELSEY.
NO ONE COULD BE MORE THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY THAN ME AND TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD.
NOR HILL IS DESPERATE FOR PRESERVATION.
IT IS NOT DESPERATE FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT.
WE LACK MEANINGFUL PROTECTION.
THE GUIDELINES SHOULD BE A CLEAR, PREDICTABLE PATH FOR THE PRO, FOR ANY PROJECTS APPROVAL AND, BUT HOWEVER, MUST NOT BE TREATED AS A FLEXIBLE DOCUMENT SUBJECT TO INCONSISTENT OR SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION.
THE GUIDELINES PROPOSED ARE A CLEAR AND EQUITABLE STANDARD FOR JUDGING APPROVALS.
THEY ALLOW FOR A LOT OF GROWTH.
ALTHOUGH WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THESE, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THESE GUIDELINES.
I DO SUPPORT A, DO NOT SUPPORT A PLANNING DIRECTOR HAVING THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THEM AS THAT LEADS TO THEIR BEING SUBJECT TO POLITICAL CHANGES.
THE OPTION FOR TWO STORY GARAGES SHOULD BE REMOVED TO BRING THE GUIDELINES INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE NOR HILLS DEED RESTRICTIONS.
TWO STORY GARAGES CHANGE THE VERY MASSING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAT THESE GUIDELINES AIM TO PROTECT.
AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN SPOKEN TO SOME THAT THE DEFINITION OF LIVING AREA LIMITS TO ONLY AREA ATTACHED TO THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
WHEREAS SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS ARE OFTEN IN OUTBUILDINGS OR IN TWO STORY GARAGES, WHICH DO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MASSING HAVING IT SPECIFIED AS CONDITION SPACE AND LIMITED AT THAT WOULD ACHIEVE.
YOU COULD HAVE A GARAGE OR STORAGE PLACE THAT'S FINISHED, BUT IF IT'S ONCE IT'S AIR CONDITIONED, IT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED INTO THE DEFINITION.
AND I TOO AGREE THAT THE 19 FOOT REAR STEPBACK SHOULD REMAIN IN ALL SITUATIONS.
AGAIN, NOR HILL NEEDS PRESERVATION.
AND THANK YOU AND THANK EVERYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIELLE TRAILER.
I MOVED IN IN 2022, UM, BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
IT'S A, ONE OF THE TWO ONES 1100 SQUARE FEET.
BOUGHT IT FROM A FAMILY WHO STARTED, UH, STARTED TO HAVE CHILDREN, SO THEY HAD TO MOVE OUT.
MY NEXT DOOR, NEIGHBORS STARTING TO HAVE CHILDREN, THEY'RE GONNA BE MOVING OUT CATTYCORNER FOR ME AGAINST, AGAIN, STARTING A NEW FAMILY, GONNA MOVE OUT TWO HOUSES DOWN, SAME THING.
IT, AND EVERYONE WHO'S LIVED IN NOR HILL FOR A LONG TIME SEES THE SAME THING.
GREAT COMMUNITY, GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE START TO LOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN'T MAKE THE HOUSES, UM, LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE KIND OF A MODERN FAMILY.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE THE FLEXIBILITY OF, UM, WHETHER IT'S LARGER, UM, LARGER SQUARE FOOTAGE, UM, SETBACKS, WHATEVER TO, UM, TO ALLOW THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR THE MODERN FAMILY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S IT.
KEEPING, KEEPING THAT IN MIND.
OH, AND, UH, SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP SOME SPECIFICITY OF THE, OF THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPECIFICITY IN SOME AREAS, WHICH MEANS WHEN PEOPLE ARE STARTING NEW PROJECTS, THEY, THOSE PROJECTS CAN BE CUT SHORT OR CAN BE, UM, THEY CAN RUN INTO, UM, TO, TO, UM, OBSTACLES DOWN THE ROAD THAT THEY DIDN'T PLAN FOR BECAUSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH, UM, LACK OF SPECIFICITY IN THE, IN THE GUIDELINES.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS LAWRENCE FIBO.
I LIVE ON WEST COTTAGE, UM, STREET.
AND I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ABOUT 17 OR 18 YEARS.
AND I'M HERE TO OFFER MY SUPPORT FOR THESE GUIDELINES.
I IMAGINE YOU WOULD KNOW THAT ALREADY.
UM, THESE GUIDELINES MATTER BECAUSE THEY CREATE MEASURABLE STANDARDS THAT PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE STILL, UH, GIVING HOMEOWNERS FLEXIBILITY.
UH, WITHOUT CLEAR RULES, YOU END UP WITH AVOIDABLE CONFLICTS, LIKE TWO STORY BACK, UH, TWO STORY REAR ADDITIONS THAT ARE PUSHED RIGHT UP TO THE EASEMENT.
UM, STANDARDS WILL HELP PEOPLE ADD LIVABLE SPACE AND INVEST IN THEIR HOMES WHILE PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE BUNGALOW AND PROTECTING NEIGHBORS, THE PRIVACY OF THE NEIGHBORS, YOU ALL KNOW 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE THAT.
I HAVE A TWO STORY, TWO AND A HALF BATH, UM, HOUSE, AND I LOVE IT.
UM, SO I DEFINITELY SUP BUT THEY
[01:55:01]
FALL WITHIN THE GUIDELINES.SO I SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
YOU CAN STILL HAVE A LARGE, UH, DWELLING.
AS YOU KNOW, STEPH MCDOUGALL STARTED THIS PROCESS BACK IN 2016, SO NOTHING HERE SHOULD BE A SURPRISE TO ANYONE.
WHAT'S IN HERE IS VERY MATURE AND VERY SOLID.
UH, I ASK YOU THAT YOU PLEASE ULTIMATELY APPROVE THESE GUIDELINES.
I THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT DISCUSSION THAT I'VE HEARD TODAY AND THE COMMENTS FROM THE, UH, THE PUBLIC HERE.
AND, UM, WHAT WE DON'T NEED, I THINK ARE ANY MORE ENDLESS MEETINGS, FEEDBACK LOOPS, UM, AD FINIT OR LAST MINUTE CHANGES THAT ARE DRIVEN BY A FEW STAKEHOLDERS WHO REFLECT A NARROWER SET OF PRIORITIES.
SO PLEASE ADOPT THEM AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, BRETT BKU.
I LIVED, UH, I MOVED INTO MONTROSE IN 1996 AND OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT 25 YEARS, UH, MY BUNGALOW NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOLISHED, AND ALL THE HOUSES AROUND ME ARE TWO STORY.
I CAN'T GOT TO WHERE I COULD NOT SEE THE SUN FROM MY HOUSE.
I MOVED TO NOR HILL FIVE YEARS AGO, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY WERE SINGLE STORY BUNGALOWS.
AND I MOVED TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS SINGLE STORY BUNGALOWS.
IF I'D BEEN INVOLVED AT THE BEGINNING, I WOULD'VE SAID NO TWO STORY ADDITIONS, NO TWO STORY HOUSES.
EVERYTHING WOULD'VE TO SAY, UH, AS A SINGLE STORY BUNGALOW.
I LIVE IN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET AND IF PEOPLE CAN'T RAISE A HOME FAMILY AS THEY HAVE FOR DECADES, THEN YOU KNOW, NOR HILL'S NOT FOR THEM.
UM, I SUPPORT THE, UM, UH, GUIDELINES AS HAVE BEEN GONE THROUGH A GREAT DEAL.
AND I'LL ASK THAT NOTHING BE ALLOWED TO BE LARGER THAN IT IS.
AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS EMILY ARWAN.
I'M EMILY ARWAN WITH PRESERVATION HOUSTON.
UM, MOSTLY I WANT TO JUST COMMEND THE OFFICE OF PRESERVATION STAFF PAST AND PRESENT, UM, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO THIS DOCUMENT OVER YEARS.
UM, AND FOR THE COMMISSION FOR THE, THE TIME THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO REALLY THOROUGHLY REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT AND OFFER COMMENTS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PRESERVATION IN HOUSTON IN GENERAL.
UM, MY, UH, SPECIFIC COMMENTS WOULD MOSTLY BE DUPLICATES OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID ALREADY TODAY.
UM, I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE COMMENTS RAISED BY COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS SPECIFICALLY.
UM, IN 2.2 A, UM, I DO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER COSGROVE THAT MASSES MASS, WHETHER IT'S CONDITIONED OR UNCONDITIONED, BUT I WANNA SPECIFICALLY POINT OUT EXCLUDED FROM THE FAR UNCONDITIONED SPACE THAT IS PART OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, BUT DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL MASSING OF THE PROPERTY.
AND EXAMPLES OF THOSE INCLUDE DETACHED UNCONDITIONED GARAGES OR OTHER UNCONDITIONED ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.
THOSE BOTH ARE NOT PART OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE AND DO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MASS OF THE PROPERTY.
SO I THINK JUST, JUST MORE CLARIFICATION AND, AND, UM, LOOKING AT THAT LANGUAGE WOULD BENEFIT THE DOCUMENT.
UM, I ALSO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER JONES ABOUT THE, UM, COMMENTS IN 3.1.
UM, THE, THE PROCESS FOR MAKING CHANGES, UM, IS TECHNICALLY A DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINANCE, WHICH SAYS ANY AMENDMENTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AS ADOPTION OF THE GUIDELINES.
UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY WHERE POSSIBLE, BUT IF THERE'S A DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINANCE, THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE CLARITY ABOUT IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE ALLOWED AND WHAT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WOULD BE FOR IT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE MY, UH, MY COMMENTS.
UM, THIS IS, IT'S A LONG, HARD PROCESS AND IT'S VERY HARD TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE.
SO I COMMEND EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
AND WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
TERRENCE, YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? YES, I DO.
TERRENCE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ON THE AGENDA, TERRANCE.
I KNOW, BUT I DO HAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD COMMENTS FROM A MS. LETHA ALLEN.
I'M SORRY, I GOT WRAPPED UP IN ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU GUYS WANT AND I JUST FORGOT ABOUT IT.
YOU'RE BACK, YOU'RE BACK ON THE AGENDA.
SO I WANNA SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD COMMENTS FROM LETHA ALLEN.
SO IF YOU, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO READ THE COMMENTS? I CAN SURELY READ THE COMMENTS.
DEAR MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGIC ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC COMMISSION, I SUPPORT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUCH ANTICIPATED ADOPTIONS OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE NOR HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AS AN ATTORNEY WITH THE MS IN COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING,
[02:00:01]
I APPRE OH, WITH THE MS IN COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING, I APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULT TASK OF CONSIDER CONSIDERING CONSTRUCTING CLEAR WELL-WRITTEN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT ALLOW FOR MODIFICATIONS TO ADAPT TO MODERN TASTE AND EXCEPTIONS, WHILE ALSO PRESERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S CHARACTER.THROUGHOUT THIS MULTI-YEAR PROCESS, NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION HAS BEEN ROBUST AND MANY COMPROMISES HAVE BEEN MADE TO ACCOMMODATE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.
AS SUCH, THE PROPOSED SECTION, ALLOWING THE PLANNING DIRECTOR TO REVISE THE DESIGN GUIDELINES IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNDEMOCRATIC, ALLOWING A POLITICAL APPOINTEE WHO MAY HAVE NO RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS TO CHANGE THE GUIDELINES, DISREGARDS YEARS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND TAKES AWAY THE PREDICTABILITY THAT DESIGN GUIDELINES SHOULD PROVIDE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION.
SINCERELY, LETHA ALLEN 10 28 WALLING STREET.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FROM STAFF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY OR YASMINE? OH, YES.
UM, UH, SO AS FAR AS THE NE NEXT STEPS ARE CONCERNED, AND THIS IS JUST THE INFORMATIONAL FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, STAFF IS GOING TO TAKE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND ALL OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, UH, ACCORDINGLY.
UM, STAFF AND, AND THE DIRECTOR'S TEAM WILL HAVE MANY, MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND, UM, WITH THE EDITS AND HOPES THAT, UH, THE COMM, THE HAC WILL APPROVE THE CHANGES.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE A SINGLE MEETING LIKE THIS.
WE WILL DO IT AT A COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, SO IT WILL BE AN AGENDA ITEM ON THE COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE TO THOSE WHO SUBMIT PROJECTS TO WHICHEVER MEETING THAT WILL BE.
'CAUSE IT WILL BE A LONG MEETING.
UM, UM, WHAT ELSE? UH, THE PLAN ORIGINALLY WAS FOR STAFF TO COME BACK, WE'LL GO TO MAKE THE CHANGES AND COME BACK ON APRIL 23RD.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE RECEIVED AN A, AN AN ASTRONOMICAL NUMBER OF, UH, COAS FOR NEXT MONTH BECAUSE WE HAD ETHICS TRAINING IN MARCH.
SO, UM, WE WILL NOT BE PUTTING THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR APRIL 23RD.
UM, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A BEDTIME, I'M SURE.
UM, AND WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OUTTA HERE.
WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE AFTER SECURITY LEAVES.
UM, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? OH, AND THEN ONCE HAC APPROVES IT, UM, IT WILL THEN GO TO QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, FOR CITY.
I'M SORRY, WE WILL SEND IT TO LEGAL AND, UM, THEN WE WILL, IF, IF LEGAL NEEDS TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, SUGGESTED CHANGES, WE'LL MAKE THOSE CHANGES, UM, TO THE PUBLIC.
LEGAL WILL NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO MEASURABLE STANDARDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS, UM, POLLED FOR.
UM, IT WILL MAINLY BE FOR, UH, LANGUAGE AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T DO ANYTHING TO GET OURSELVES IN ANY TROUBLE.
UM, SO IT'LL GO TO LEGAL AND THEN IT WILL GO TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
ONCE IT GOES TO QUALITY OF LIFE, THEN IT WILL GO TO CITY OF COUNCIL.
THIS IS ASSUMING THAT ALL THESE THINGS ARE APPROVED.
UM, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE YOUR DESIRED GUIDELINES.
AND, UM, I'LL JUST STATE, I MEAN, I THINK THE, THE VOTE THAT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO US IS NOT TO APPROVE, BUT TO RECOMMEND FOR APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, UH, AND I THINK THE SAME AS THE TRUE OF, OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, I GUESS DEPUTY DIRECTOR WEEPS AND I MIGHT ASK, I, I KNOW THAT WHEN THIS MEETING WILL BE POSTED, UH, IN ADVANCE, UM, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THE, UH, RECOMMENDED TEXTS WILL BE POSTED ONLINE, UH, AS OTHER IN THE PAST.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN, YOU MAY NOT HAVE A DATE YET, WHEN IT WILL BE, UM, BUT PRIOR TO THE MEETING, MORE THAN JUST THE, THE NORMAL, UH, FRI YOU KNOW, FRIDAY BEFORE THE WEEK WE, WE MEET, I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS WILL GO ONLINE AT SOME POINT AND THERE'LL BE SOME YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL AMPLE TIME TO THE COMMUNITY TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
WE'LL, WE'LL POST THAT IN PLENTY OF TIME FOR PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH IT.
I MEAN, IT MIGHT NOT BE 30 DAYS AGAIN, BUT IT WILL BE MORE THAN FRIDAY, RIGHT.
WILL A VERSION BE PROVIDED IN TRACK CHANGES FORMAT? WHAT I MEAN WITH THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE, UM, I MEAN, WELL I THINK, I THINK WE'LL DISCUSS IT.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, JUST FULL TRANSPARENCY HERE, THE DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF IS FROM THE VERY FIRST DOCUMENT THAT WAS STARTED IN 2017.
SO THE TRACK CHANGES WILL BE A LOT.
[02:05:01]
WE CAN, I'M NO MICROSOFT WORD GURU, BUT, BUT SAMANTHA TERRA, I THINK HE'S SAYING JUST TRACK CHANGES FROM THIS CURRENT DOCUMENT.I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT FROM THE, FROM THE WE, WE WILL FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT, AND IF I MAY ADD, I MEAN, UM, AS I RECALL WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS THE LAST TIME, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU ALL, WHEN SETH CAME BACK, UM, WITHIN THE AMENDMENTS OR, UH, CORRECTIONS, UM, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT THOSE CORRECTIONS AMENDMENTS WERE LIKE.
WE DID, WE DIDN'T REPEAT THIS PROCESS TODAY FROM, FROM PAGE ONE TO YEAH.
EVERY, EVERY SENTENCE THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT WE REALLY FOCUSED JUST ON WHAT THE, IF THERE WAS A CHANGE, WE FOCUSED ON THOSE THINGS SO THAT THE COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC, UH, WOULD JUST BE DEALING WITH THAT.
IT'S JUST GIVEN THAT WE'VE NOW WORKED THROUGH THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES.
AND THAT, SO I MEAN, I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT, WHEN YOU GET THE COMMENTS THAT'LL BE POSTED PREVIOUS TO THE MEETING, IT PROBABLY WON'T HAVE THE TRACK CHANGES.
BUT WHEN I LAY OUT THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, I'LL HAVE WHAT WAS THERE AND WHAT WE CHANGED AT THE BOTTOM.
AND THAT WAY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE CHANGES ON THE SAME PAGE.
THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY.
WITH THAT, WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.