2016_09.06 BOA-BBA Minutes ic
KENNEDALE
Board of Adjustment
www.cityofi<ennedale.com
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT& BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
September 6, 2016
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 405 MUNICIPAL DRIVE
REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Clark called the meeting to order at 7:02 P.M.
II. ROLL CALL
Present? Commissioner
X John Clark
x Brian Cassad
x Jeff Madrid
x Patrick Vader
x Martin Young
Alternates
x Jeff Nevarez
x Lana Sather
Vacant
Mr. Clark noted that all regular members were present; a quorum was present. Mr. Clark
explained the process for Board of Adjustment hearings.
IV. MINUTES APPROVAL
A. Consider approval of the minutes from the August 2, 2016 Board of Adjustment
meeting
Mr. Vader made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Mr. Madrid. The motion passed
with all in favor.
V. VISITOR/CITIZENS FORUM
No one registered to speak.
III. SWEARING IN OF SPEAKERS
Ms. Roberts swore in the speakers.
VI. REGULAR ITEMS
A. CASE # BOA 15-05 to receive comments and consider action on a request by James Vick
for a Special Exception as required by City Code Section 17-421, Schedule of Uses and Off-
Street Parking Requirements, to allow a welding shop in Sub-District 4 of the Old Town zoning
district at 537 W Kennedale Pkwy, more particularly described as Woodlea Acres Addition Block
2 Lot 11 R.
Ms. Roberts gave an overview of the case and recommended approval with the following
conditions.
1) The parking lot shall be paved with asphalt or concrete and in accordance with city
regulations, and parking spaces shall be striped, subject to city approval, within 90 days of the
special exception being granted.
2) All welding operations must take place within the existing building, and the building
footprint shall not be expanded except to allow additional office space or similar activities or
storage of non-hazardous materials or equipment, rather than welding and its allied activities. If
the building is expanded for those permitted purposes, it shall be done in compliance with the
Old Town zoning district design regulations.
3) The special exception shall expire in three to five years from the date the special
exception was granted. If the applicant does not re-apply for a special exception at expiration or
if the board does not grant an additional special exception at that time, the use shall be deemed
illegal, and the business shall be required to cease operations.
Roger Heath, attorney for the applicant, addressed the board. He said the building was built in
1964, and Mr. Vick began leasing it in 1990. He said just across Dick Price Rd is Industrial
zoning, in which welding would be allowed by right. He said it's not as though the welding shop
is going to be miles away from an Industrial zoning district and that it's not particularly
obstructive to the area to have the welding shop.
Mr. Heath went through the various standards for special exceptions. In terms of lighting, Mr.
Vick is 71 and is primarily wanting to operate for this one special exception period, they're
asking for a special exception for five years, and Mr. Vick doesn't operate at night any more.
He's had a recent fire inspection, and the only two chemicals he keeps are acetylene and
oxygen, and neither of these is particularly combustible in a way to get out of hand. He says
they're kept chained and separated as required. As for fumes, it is a small scale operation, and
Mr. Vick is the only one who works there, so there's not any more welding being done there
than what he does.
Addressing standard two, he says there is a salon across the street, but it's across a 5-lane, 40-
mile an hour road, so there's a natural barrier, and the salon is next to North Texas Granite. He
said that as welding shops go, it's a nice-looking one, he has proper screening and fencing, and
he keeps all the metal on racks.
For the third special exception standard, he said based on his understanding of the city's vision
and plans, he believes a five-year special exception wouldn't impede any development coming
to Kennedale. Mr. Heath said that staff noted the building contributed to the area's character by
being close to the street, but it has long been the plan of the land owner according Mr. Vick to
demolish the building after Mr. Vick moves out, and everyone can recognize that's not the
future.
For standard four, he said the city utility staff came out to check on the property and confirmed
that the property is served by sewer.
As to parking and access conditions, Mr. Heath said they do understand, given all the changes
and progress in town in recent years, why this would be required. He asked, since the business
is going to be there no more than five years, and in all likelihood the building is going to be torn
down, if it might not be better right now to leave it as road base with crushed asphalt. He said it
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doesn't get muddy and serves its purpose. He knows financial burden isn't something the board
can consider, but he thinks they can think of it in a substantial justice kind of way.
Ms. Roberts added that since the business generated little traffic, and the business owner is not
the land owner, staff is comfortable allowing a road base for now and bringing the case back to
the board if the business changes hands or has an increase in parking.
For standard five, Mr. Heath said he visited there dozens of times and has never had an issue
getting in or out. On standard six, he said the building is not going to be expanded, and another
welding business is not going to come in.
Mr. Clark asked if Mr. Heath had any witnesses he wanted to bring forward. Mr. Heath said he
did not unless the board feels he hasn't presented enough information.
Mr. Vader asked about parking, asking if people drop off and pick off and don't spend a lot of
time there. Mr. Hearth said he's never seen more than three cars there at one time.
Mr. Clark asked if Mr. Vick keeps large projects behind the fence and said that he had seen
barbeque equipment out front. Mr. Heath said that was part of a commercial operation going on,
and that they would build something and put it out for display, but they don't generally sit out
there. He added that Mr. Vick has adequate fencing and can keep everything behind the fence.
Mr. Clark asked if anyone had signed up to speak, and Ms. Roberts said no. Mr. Clark closed
the public hearing.
Mr. Clark explained the board's process and said that the board has to have a vote in favor of
four board members to approve. If there are not four members in agreement, the motion is
denied.
Mr. Heath asked if he could ask Ms. Roberts a question. Mr. Clark said he could. Mr. Heath
asked if Ms. Roberts would agree that it wouldn't be a big deal not to pave the parking area, and
Ms. Roberts said she would agree.
Mr. Madrid said the board has no guarantee the building will be torn down, and if this business
closed after two years, another welding shop could go in. Mr. Clark said that historically, the
board has handled that through a timeline and that the board could set the special exception for
a five-year timeline.
Mr. Vader said his biggest concern is not this set of circumstances set for Mr. Vick but the
precedent; however, by limiting the time period, they would at least address that as far as an
exception to the recommendation.
Mr. Clark said historically they've granted special exceptions for two or three years and then
come back and looked at it. He said he doesn't have any reason to believe what has been
represented isn't correct, and the use hasn't really been detrimental to the city. He said perhaps
the way to address the major issue, which is parking, is to address it in two or three years.
Mr. Young said the board could approve it for three years and address it then. He said he didn't
think parking is a big issue for now. Mr. Cassady said if Mr. Vick came back in two years, it's not
a huge process.
Mr. Madrid said that based on the evidence and testimony provided, the proposed use meets
the standards for a special exception under certain conditions, and he made a motion to
approve on the following conditions.
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1) All welding operations must take place within the existing building, and the building
footprint shall not be expanded except to allow for additional office space or similar activities or
storage of non-hazardous materials or equipment, rather than welding and its allied activities. If
the building is expanded for those permitted purposes, it shall be done in compliance with the
Old Town zoning district design regulations.
2) The special exception shall expire in two years from the date the special exception was
granted. If the applicant does not re-apply for a special exception at expiration or if the board
does not grant an additional special exception at that time, the use shall be deemed illegal, and
the business shall be required to cease operations.
Mr. Young seconded the motion, which passed with all in favor.
Mr. Clark asked Mr. Heath if he understood the motion that was passed, and Mr. Heath said he
did.
B. CASE # BOA 16-04 to receive comments and consider action on a request by Ned Webster
for a Variance to City Code Section 17-405, Zoning districts generally, to allow encroachment
into side setback by 15 inches in an "R-2" Single Family district at 937 Little School Rd, more
particularly described as Rocking H Ranch Addn Lot 1 Blk 1.
Ms. Roberts gave an overview of the case. Based on action taken by the board the previous
time this case was heard, staff recommended postponement but added that the staff
recommendation if the property owner was not able to obtain additional land would be to deny.
No one signed up to speak.
Mr. Cassady made a motion to deny, seconded by Mr. Vader. The motion passed with all in
favor.
C. CASE # BOA 16-05 to receive comments and consider action on a request by Armando
Gonzalez for a Variance to the City Code Section 17-405, "Zoning District Generally," to allow a
reduction in side yard setback from 15 feet to 13 feet and in the front yard setback from 50 feet
to 40 feet in an "R-1" single family residential zoning district at 911 Shady Oaks Dr, more
particularly described as Hilldale Addition Block 2 Lot 17.
Ms. Roberts gave an overview of the case, saying this lot had been platted years ago with
smaller lot size and minimum house size than currently required in R-1 zoning. She said the lot
is much smaller than R-1 lots are now required to be, and most R-1 lots in Kennedale are much
larger. She said most of the other houses on this street have smaller setbacks, and the property
owner did not create this situation. She said the owner isn't able to build the same kind of home
that could be built on other R-1 properties. She recommended approval.
Mirna Gonzalez told the board they bought the property and have been paying taxes on it and
have been planning to build a house. They've been trying to find a house that would fit the 15
foot setback, but it would be too small, so that's why they requested the side setback to be
reduced two feet. She said the house would still be in line with other houses in the area, and
she thought that would be look better to be at the same setback. She said the street in front of it
is R-3 zoning, so all the houses have the same requirements for an 8-to 10-foot side setback.
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Mr. Clark clarified which street the property was on. He asked Ms. Roberts if she had received
any comments about the case, and she said she had received some phone calls, but no one
had said they were opposed to it.
Mr. Vader asked Ms. Gonzales if she was going to build a house to live in or to sell. Ms.
Gonzalez said it would be either for her son to live in or to sell. Mr. Vader asked if the property
to the west was all one big piece of property. Ms. Roberts said it was two properties; one is
same size and used to be owned by same [prior] property owner and had a house, and this one
had a shed. The other one on Little School Rd is a different lot.
Mr. Clark asked about the plan that had been submitted with the application—is the proposed
40-foot setback from the house or the garage? Ms. Gonzalez said it was from the garage. Mr.
Vader asked if 1,500 square feet meet the minimum size for homes in R-1 zoning, and Ms.
Roberts said yes.
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The board discussed how much of the lot the house would take up. Mr. Clark said his only
concern is the side setback. Mr. Madrid said if the house is shifted, it would sit oddly on the lot.
Mr. Clark said he was concerned the next lot there is going to have the same problem, and also
if the board grants the variance, the house plan they were shown isn't necessarily the house
that's going to be built on it.
As there was no one else present to speak, Mr. Clark closed the public hearing.
Mr. Cassady said they can change the house plans, so the board would have to set a side yard
and front yard setback. Mr. Madrid said if the board sets the side yard setback at a minimum of
13 feet, that would give the property owners 9 inches of leeway.
Mr. Cassady made a motion to approve a variance for a side yard setback of a minimum of 13 3
feet on either side and a 40-foot front yard setback. Mr. Vader asked for clarification, was the
front setback to the front-most part of the building? Mr. Cassady said yes. Mr. Vader seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimously. a
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VII. REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ms. Roberts said the public safety open house would be on October 22nd, beginners' bird
workshop would be on October 15th, and the KKB bring-it recycling event would be on October
22nd as well. The police department drug take-back and the Trunk or Treat and Pumpkin
Palooza, as well as a Senior Center craft fair would also be that day. She said the historical
society is having a membership dinner that night. She said the Christmas tree lighting will be on
December 6th
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Madrid made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Young. The motion passed
unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:03 P.M.
ATTEST:
John dark, Chairman Rachel Roberts, Planning Directors
Date Date
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