Rezoning and parking ordinances, an agreement with the city of Frisco, an application from Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC to amend its distribution cost recovery factor to increase rates within the city and action related to the request, and a 380 agreement highlight the Sulphur Springs City Coucil’s May 4 meeting agenda.
Zoning Ordinances
The City Council will hold a public hearing for the second and final reading of an ordinance which would rezone property at the northwest corner of Rockdale Road and State Highway 19 from single family to heavy commercial.
Donnie and Allen Wisenbaker in March asked the Planning & Zoning Commission to consider rezoning the 11.74 acres, which consists of three tracts, to accommodate existing uses and future uses along the SH 19 corridor.
The Wisenbaker property is surrounded by a mix of zoning designations, from light commercial to the east and the south, to single family to the west, and light industrial to the north. City staff told the P&Z Commission at the March meeting that given the context of the area, heavy commercial is an appropriate use for the property. The request was approved by the Commission, who along with city staff recommended it to the City Council for approval on first reading during the April City Council meeting.
The Wisenbaker zoning request was approved by the City Council in April and is scheduled to be read for second and final approval at the 7 p.m. council meeting on May 4 in Sulphur Springs Municipal Building (City Hall), 201 Davis St.
The City Council will also be asked Tuesday evening to consider a request made by Larry and Linda Evans to rezone their property at 1340 South Hillcrest Drive from single family to heavy commercial to better fit the existing uses and potential use of the 0.9-acre property along the State Highway 19/Interstate 30/Loop 301 corridor.
This request is similar to one made the Wisenbakers. Essentially, when property in the area of Wildcat Way was annexed into the city, some properties received a single family place holder designation. The property is also currently surrounded by a mix of zoning designations, from light commercial to the north, east and south; and heavy to light commercial to the west. City staff recommended heavy commercial as an appropriate use given the context of the area, Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski told the Planning and Zoning Commission at their April meting.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the request in April, sending the request to the City Council with a recommendation for approval during the the May 3 council meeting.
Chuck Sickles too at the same April 2021 Planning and Zoning meeting asked that 2.5 acres of property at 1079 Rockdale Road and 1084 Rockdale Road be rezoned from single family to heavy commercial.
Sickles currently operates body shop facilities on the properties, which have split zoning across property lines on the lots. In order to clean up the zoning, Sickles asked that the property be zoned heavy commercial, which is consistent with the body shop use, which the property frontage is zoned.
Surrounding the Rockdale Road properties are a mix of zoning designations: heavy commercial to the west and south, and single family to the north and east. Niewiadomski noted that rezoning the Rockdale Road properties to all heavy commercial would be an appropriate use given the context of the area and the fact that it fits the land use plan of commercial property along I-30 and Rockdale Road. The P&Z Commission approved the request in April, sending it to the city council for first reading on Tuesday evening.
Parking Ordinance
The City Council on May 4 will also hold a public hearing for an ordinance which would restrict parking in the 200 block of Tomlinson Street.
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell asked the City Council during their April 2021 meeting to consider restricting parking along that block to provide accessibility for trash service pick up and for emergency vehicles on the narrow street which runs between Davis and Gilmer Streets.
Ordinance 2779 as proposed would also prohibit parking on the north side of Tomlinson Street from a point beginning 35 feet east of the Davis Street intersection and ending 100 feet east of the Davis Street intersection. A violation of the ordinance could draw a fine of up to $500 for the Class C misdemeanor parking offense.
The City Council approved the request on first reading during the April council meeting, and will be asked again following the public forum to approve the proposed ordinance on second and final reading.
Other Agenda Items
The May 4 City Council agenda also includes three resolutions.
Resolution No. 1239 asked the council to consider approving an interlocal agreement between the City of Sulphur Springs and the City of Frisco for purchasing goods and services commonly used by both cities.
Resolution 1241 asks for a 380 agreement for property at 316 Towne Street. Typically, these are infill housing agreements, for which the city agrees to reimburse certain city fees and waive outstanding city taxes upon completion of a single family home on the property.
Resolution No. 1240 includes numerous items including and related to Oncor’s request to amend it’s distribution cost recovery factor to increase distribution rates within the city. The agenda items reads as follows:
Discussion/action on Resolution No. 1240 finding that ONCOR ELECTRIC DELIVERY COMPANY LLC’s application for approval to amend its distribution cost recovery factor to increase distribution rates within the city should be denied; authorizing participation with OCSC; authorizing the hiring of legal counsel and consulting services; finding that the city’s reasonable rate case expenses shall be reimbursed by the company; finding that the meeting at which this resolution is passed is open to the public as required by law; requiring notice of this resolution to the company and legal counsel
