InstantnewsBellaire.com

The city is preparing to take the first steps to ensure that no car dealerships or other undesirable developments can rush into Bellaire’s northern industrial district before the commission can revise zoning laws to try to transform the area into an “urban village.”

Community Development Director John McDonald on Wednesday went before the Planning and Zoning Commission to get feedback on his first draft of “stop-gap” changes to the zoning codes that govern the Bellaire Research and Development District. The commission suggested a few changes, and now expects the city council on Monday to decide whether to hold a public hearing about the draft ordinance. Commissioner Jim Avioli, Jr. abstained from voting because he said he thinks the changes are too rushed.

The new Comprehensive Plan envisions the RDD as a mixed-used urban area that includes residential, retail and offices, along with METRO’s future light-rail station. But as the zoning codes are currently written, developers could construct car lots, warehouses or other things that conflict with the “urban village” idea.

“This would be a stop-gap measure until such time that a new ordinance was crafted,” McDonald said about the draft changes the commission approved.

At the Wednesday meeting, commissioners also started preliminary discussions about hiring a consultant to comb through the current codes, consider the Comprehensive Plan’s vision for the RDD, and then suggest specific changes that would allow and encourage that type of development. But hiring a consultant will take money, and the review will take time. That’s why McDonald has proposed the temporary changes — To insure no undesirable developments pop up in the interim.

The main change would be that developers wishing to construct residential, commercial or mixed-use buildings would need to go before the city in a planned development process to have their ideas approved before moving forward. The city would get a chance to review the plans, consider whether they conformed with the Comprehensive Plan, and reject any developments that did not.

“If someone came forward and said I’d like to put a 20-story building in Bellaire in the RDD, I think staff would say, good luck,” McDonald said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

If the city council on Monday decides to call a public hearing, residents will get a chance to provide feedback the proposed “stop-gap” changes in mid March. Then the Planning and Zoning Commission would discuss the changes again in late March, taking into consideration any pubic feedback. In the meantime, the commission plans to talk again about exactly what work to order from a consultant to help with making the permanent changes.

“I sure hope we can follow through and get moving on a scope of work for evaluating this area,” said Commissioner Michael Doyle. “I hope we move for council to support that to get going on that as quickly as we can.”

The area may not be known as the RDD for much longer. Soon, it may be the UVT, which stands for Urban Village Transit-Oriented Development.