February 3, 2003

El Lago City Council

El Lago City Council voted to amend more than a dozen zoning ordinances to better reflect current zoning trends and new building requirements. Some of the zoning changes, according to Mayor Brad Emel, have been in the works for eight years.

Only one proposed zoning amendment failed.  

The city’s planning and zoning commission had previously reviewed a request for a single parcel of land to be zoned multi-purpose, including marina equipment (jet skis), marina accessory sales, antique car sales and minor car repairs at a site on NASA Road One.

“I am personally opposed to this amendment,” said Council Member John Tully, who is the city council’s liaison to the planning and zoning commission.  He said passing such a resolution would allow used car lots to get their foot in through the backdoor with this ordinance, resulting in used car lots popping up along NASA Road One. 

Brooks Wemberly, representing two homeowners associations, told the city council that both of his clients were opposed to the mixed-use antique car facility so close to both the Marina Bay and the Yacht Club residential areas.

When Emel asked council for a motion on the proposed amendment, there was none.  Thus the issue died without a vote.

The city council unanimously approved the following amendments to the city’s zoning ordinances:
 - creation of a new zoning category, Zone E, to be referred to as a Residential Reserve;
 - declaring the property at 101 Cedar Lane Circle as a Residential Reserve because the home’s backyard (which contains a cargo container that is painted like a railroad caboose and doesn’t meet city zoning requirements) is in Taylor Lake Village;
 - requiring special use permits for bowling alleys, skating rinks, billiard parlors, arcades or gaming establishments, tarot card readers, palm readers, psychic readers, and similar establishments;
 - requiring the exterior finish or construction of all single-family residences be at least 51 percent brick, brick veneer, stone or other masonry finish, including stucco; but not permitting Hardiplank siding;
 - requiring a new two-hour rated firewall between any two dwelling units as required by the National Fire Protection Association code;
 -  changing the wording of a city ordinance related to the serving of alcoholic beverages at bars and restaurants, which are currently prohibited within the city;
 - two amendments intended to update the city’s ordinance dealing with sexually oriented businesses;
 - implementing miscellaneous revisions to the city’s zoning ordinances including typographical errors, references to outdated structures such as bomb shelters and fallout shelters, and at the same time, updating all state laws into El Lago’s zoning ordinances;
 - allowing dry cleaning establishments where on-premise cleaning takes place that are not operated as wholly contained closed circuit dry cleaning facilities;
 - revisions to an ordinance that would prohibit towed vehicles from being parked within five feet of a lot line;
 - defining what is a swimming pool, pier, and bulkhead as part of the city’s zoning ordinances;
 - requiring both detached and attached garage dwellings to have a five-foot setback;
 - allowing the permitting of manufactured homes in Section B-4 of the city.

The city council voted 4-0-1, with Natalie Ong abstaining, to define "mobile home", "manufactured home", and "modular home". 

The city council voted to support a request by the Clear Creek Watershed Steering Committee for FEMA funds for flood insurance rate maps that will be updated and remapped to cover Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston counties.