BRENHAM PLANNING & ZONING TABLES ACTION ON CLUSTER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AGREES ON CODE AMENDMENTS FOR CAR WASHES & DATA CENTERS

  

The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday moved to table an item assigning special zoning for a proposed cluster housing development, while also approving a set of code amendments adding new restrictions for car washes and data centers.

The commission tabled a request for a Planned Development District for 5.73 acres at 708 Seelhorst Street, where Jeremy and Chelsea Bowie of Chelsea Build LLC seek to build 32 units of single-family homes as part of a development called “The Cottages Downtown”. 

The Bowies said the two-story cottages, which are anticipated to price in the high $400,000s to low $500,000s, would be accompanied by several amenities like a retention pond with a water fountain feature, a walking trail, dedicated green space, bike racks, a pavilion, community storage buildings, a fire pit area, a central trellis sitting area, and a community garden or dog park.  The developer also plans to provide over 2,000 square feet in right-of-way dedication for the purpose of widening Seelhorst Street.

Residents who spoke at the meeting indicated support of the concept, but they presented concerns about the effects on infrastructure, such as the amount of traffic the development would add to the immediate area and how it would affect drainage.  They requested that the developer consider reducing the number of housing units at the site as a way to lessen those impacts.

The commission’s vote included direction for the applicant to meet with nearby property owners to further evaluate the overall density of the development, the parking – in order to achieve a ratio of two spaces or more per dwelling – and an increased west side bufferyard.  The item will return for discussion at the commission’s meeting on May 26^th.

Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners agreed with city staff’s proposals for amendments to city code regarding car washes and data centers, with some changes to the initial proposals for car washes. 

The amendments requiring new car washes or existing ones that undergo a large renovation to utilize water recycling systems, low-flow spray nozzles or other means to limit water usage to 55 gallons per vehicle wash were upheld by the commission.  The water usage limit does not apply to car washes using private water well systems, since they are not using city water. 

The proposed distance requirement disallowing car washes to locate within a two-mile radius of one another was replaced with a recommendation to require all car washes to obtain a specific use permit.  Additionally, the commission moved to allow the car wash that has been in the planning stages at the intersection of the Highway 290 feeder road and Ryan Street to be grandfathered. 

For data centers, the new amendments will provide official definitions for data centers and designate them as specific uses in industrial districts, meaning they would have to go through two public hearings and a property-specific analysis.  Further, data centers will be subject to prohibitions on using water-based cooling methods, as well as requirements to submit electric demand reports; screen all ground-mounted equipment; adhere to a minimum of one off-street parking space per 300 square feet of floor area used for office, meeting, training or security personnel uses; and maintain at least 300 feet of distance between any data center building or ancillary equipment and the property line of a residential or public institutional use.

The Brenham City Council will vote on the commission’s recommendations at its meeting next week.

Commissioners also approved a replat of 0.35 acres addressed as 402 Cottonwood Street and 405 Botts Street.  The property owner, the Bevers Family Trust, wished to replat the property to create two lots.  The portion of the property addressed as 402 Cottonwood Street has a single-family home and a garage with an upstairs accessory dwelling unit, while the portion of the property addressed as 405 Botts Street is developed with a duplex.

Click here to view the agenda packet for Monday's meeting.