CITY OF BRENHAM STAFF SEEK PROJECT DIRECTION FROM PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission held discussion with city staff regarding the Commission’s plan of work for 2020 at its meeting Monday.
Commissioners met with Development Services Director Stephanie Doland and Project Planner Shauna Laauwe, who asked the Commission to give them direction on what projects to research and pursue in the remaining calendar year and in the next year.
Some of the projects mentioned by name were continuing work on the previously proposed historic preservation ordinance, which was last discussed in February before the COVID-19 pandemic; a corridor market study for Market Street; and bufferyard standards.
Doland said the purpose of this discussion was to get feedback from the Commission on what projects it deems to be most important.
Elaborating on the Market Street study, Doland said it would be performed ahead of the planned changes to the cloverleaf interchange on Highway 290. She said the study would address the expected increase in traffic on Market Street due to the amount of construction at the cloverleaf likely redirecting travelers from the normal way into downtown via Main Street. She said if the city were to receive CARES Act funding, it could more immediately perform the study, which would cover topics such as medians, sidewalks, landscaping, and possible land acquisition.
Discussion at Monday’s meeting was very general, with no priorities established or clear direction given to city staff. Doland and Laauwe said they will put together more resources and come back to the Commission with follow-up discussion at a future meeting.
During staff reports, Doland announced the city recently received an award from the Central Texas section of the American Planning Association for its work on the Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted last September. Doland said there will be an awards banquet held later this year, likely in September, but more details are still being figured out.
It was also announced that Commissioner Leroy Jefferson has submitted his resignation from the Commission due to health issues. Staff said they have received a few recommendations for a replacement to his position on the Commission.
Also in session Monday, commissioners approved:
- A replat request for two lots totaling a little over two acres of land on East Rosedale Drive and Gun and Rod Road in Brenham.
- A request for a specific use permit for an accessory dwelling unit in a mixed residential zoning district in the Woodlawn Heights Addition in Brenham.
Don’t ask the question Why Not? Just answer Why! The answer is obvious. Brenham has big government for our small town. The population in city hall quadrupled in ten years and the population of Brenham has not even grown fifty percent. The big Brenham government cannot even slow spending during a pandemic. Big Brenham government is making up excuses for all of their ill spending and blaming it on the pandemic. Now, obviously that is Why Not.
Why doesn’t the city plan to pay the workers back for the week of unpaid vacation they were required to take? The money they are spending on projects could wait.
Texas highway department will plan for the required detours when the cloverleaf construction is underway. Why is the city spending city tax dollars to do the duties of the highway department. Why was Texas highway department not present at the meeting? I hope elected politicians are not backing this unnecessary spending of local tax dollars. Sounds like city is overemployed during these tough economic times if they are dreaming up stuff like this.
The proposed study would appear to be part of an application for federal funding. Those funds are allocated to specific purposes and if the City of Brenham can be chosen to receive them, then that’s federal money that will otherwise go to a different applicant in a different city/state.
If my understanding is correct, then the City owes it to its constituents to claw back as much money from Washington D.C. as it can get, just as our U.S. congressmen and our president owe it to the City and to all Americans not to set up these wasteful pork barrel shenanigans in the first place.