Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on the Request by the City of McKinney on an Ordinance Amending the Screening and Buffering Requirements of Chapter 142, of the Subdivision Regulations
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Direction for Strategic Growth
MEETING DATE: June 2, 2015
DEPARTMENT: Engineering
CONTACT: Emily Braht, RLA, Landscape Architect
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
· Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments to Screening and Buffering of Chapter 142 of the Code of Ordinances.
ITEM SUMMARY:
· Staff is proposing an amendment to the Screening and Buffering requirements. Currently, screening and buffering shall be provided in the form of a common area wherever a residential lot would otherwise back or side to a street. The common area width is determined by the right-of-way width of the public thoroughfare adjacent to the single family lot and whether the lots are backing or to the side of a street.
· This amendment is in response to single family residential products, primarily single family townhomes, which back or side a perimeter street or alley that is not only internal to the development but also immediately adjacent to an existing public thoroughfare.
· The consequence of single family residential products that place perimeter roads and alleys immediately adjacent to the public thoroughfare has created an ability to circumvent the screening and buffering ordinance as currently written. This in turn allows for no visual screening of garages, side yards and individual wood fences by screening walls or ornamental fences. Landscape material that not only screens but adds a visual quality for the development property and the city as a whole is also not required.
· Amendments of the Screening and Buffering are suggested with the provision added that it is not necessary that the back or side of a residential lot physically touch or be immediately adjacent to the public thoroughfare in question or its right-of-way for compliance. Rather, the rear and/or side of any such residential lot shall be screened and buffered if any part or portion of the rear or side of such residential lot is visible from a nearby public thoroughfare.
· Notwithstanding, if the portion of the residential lot is within an internal phase of the development that will be screened by future phases the lot or lots in question do not have to place screening and buffering.
· The attached redline copy of the ordinance highlights the proposed changes.
FINANCIAL Summary:
· The financial benefit to the City of McKinney is intangible by nature, but not by the visual quality of development for the neighborhoods themselves and the City as a whole.