BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO ACT ON CLUSTER HOUSING PROPOSAL

  

The Brenham City Council will meet Thursday to take up a proposal for a cluster housing development. 

The council’s consideration will come after Brenham Planning and Zoning Commissioners voted 6-1 last week in favor of a Planned Development District designation for 5.73 acres at 708 Seelhorst Street.  Jeremy and Chelsea Bowie of Chelsea Build, LLC are seeking to build 32 single-family residential units as part of a development called “The Cottages Downtown”.

The project is slated to incorporate several community 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 right-of-way dedication for the widening of Seelhorst Street.

The commission’s recommendation to the council called for requirements that the developer erect an 8-foot-tall privacy fence along the west property line; set minimums of 80 percent brick, stone or masonry-like materials for each home and build the homes with 30-year asphalt shingles or equivalent; and work with the city to ensure a dumpster is not placed within 30 feet of the west property line. 

Developer additions such as the privacy fence and the increasing of parking spaces from 60 to 64 came in response to feedback from citizens, who have expressed concern about traffic, drainage, the lack of a bufferyard between the development and the single-family uses to the west, and the density of the project.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the council will look to accept a bid for bad power pole change-outs and a line upgrade project on Old Chappell Hill Road.  The scope of work includes replacing 34 existing electric poles, as well as the upgrade of an existing two-phase, overhead power line by replacing conductors and 16 poles along Old Chappell Hill Road.  The city received eight bids from the project, with 5 Star Electric, LLC being recommended by city staff for the project as the low bidder at $248,323.

Additionally, the council will consider a professional services agreement with Public Management, Inc. for application and administration services.  The agreement, which is not to exceed $169,500, pertains to the Texas Water Development Board’s Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant Program and the city’s project for an elevated storage tank along Highway 36 South.

In other business, the council will:

• Act on a change order adding $56,700 to the cost for the project to rehabilitate the wastewater treatment plant and process aeration blowers.  City staff says the change order is to reflect repairs not included in the original scope of the project.
• Take up a proposal from Vortex Services for $128,310 for lift station rehabilitation at Henderson Park.
• Hold an executive session for discussion regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation and duties of a new city manager.  No action is scheduled to be taken.

The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.

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