[A. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:19] >> DR. DERRICK HUNT. >> PRESENT. >> VICTOR MENDOZA. >> PRESENT. >> CYNTHIA STALEY. REBECCA SPEARS. >> PRESENT. >> BRIAN OLGUIN. >> PRESENT. >> RALPH GONZALES. >> PRESENT. >> BRADEN ROBERTSON. >> PRESENT. >> WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO [B. Communication] REMIND US THIS MEETING IS BEING SIMULCAST VIA TV15 AND WE WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK ONLY TO THE ITEMS NOT LISTED FOR PUBLIC HEARING? IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM NOT LISTED FOR PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. CITIZENS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I SEE THAT WE HAVE MR. MICHAEL. >> GOOD EVENING. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT LOW-INCOME HOUSING, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOW- INCOME HOUSING TO FEEL SAFE AND I THINK THE TRAILER PARK OWNER AT 2204 EAST NORTH STREET AT VICTORIA OAKS SHOULD DO BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE TENANTS. ONE TENANT, HE SERVED 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DOING DRUGS AND ALSO BURGLARY OF A HABITATION, AND JUST RECENTLY, THE S.W.A.T. TEAM, ALONG WITH THE VICTORIA POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY DID A DRUG RAID ON HIM, AND HE DID PLEA BARGAIN. THEY DISMISSED THE DRUG CHARGES AND GOT HIM FOR CONCEALING EVIDENCE AND TWO COUNTS OF FIREARMS, AND THEY GAVE HIM FIVE YEARS, AND HE'S UP FOR PAROLE IN MARCH, AND I FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE BY HIM BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC, AND HE PUT UP LOTS OF CAMERAS, SO HE WOULD KNOW WHEN THE POLICE COME AND HE'S ALSO GOT A CAMERA THAT RUNS ON SOLAR POWER ON THE TELEPHONE POLE AT THE END, AND I DO WISH THEY WOULD DO BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE PEOPLE AND ON MANAGEMENT BECAUSE ONE MANAGER WAS BUSTED BY THE SPECIAL CRIMES UNIT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND THEY NEED TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR THE TENANTS, BECAUSE PEOPLE DO HAVE A RIGHT TO PEACE AND ENJOYMENT. THANKS, AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. >> THANK YOU, SIR. AT THIS TIME, IF WE HAVE NO MORE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE [1. Amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)] WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, AND WE WILL GO TO OUR FIRST ITEM. THE AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, THE UDO. CELESTE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. AS Y'ALL RECALL, WE ADOPTED THE UDO BACK IN LAST FEBRUARY OF 2024. WE RECENTLY BROUGHT SOME AMENDMENTS TO Y'ALL BACK IN JULY TO ADOPT THE NEW FEMA MAPS. WELL, AS STAFF HAS CONTINUED TO USE THE UDO ON A DAILY BASIS, WE'RE COMING TO YOU AGAIN WITH SOME ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS. SO, LET ME GO AHEAD AND START. THE FIRST AMENDMENTS WE ARE SUGGESTING ARE TO OUR LAND USE TABLE. WHEN THE UDO WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED, IT WAS -- HAD CLUSTER HOMES WITH THE 4,000-SQUARE- FOOT LOT. HOWEVER, THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS FOR A CLUSTER HOME LOT IS FOUR. SO, INADVERTENTLY, THE 4,000 WAS A MISTAKE. SO, WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING IS TO INCREASE IT TO A 12,000-SQUARE-FOOT LOT. ANOTHER ONE THAT WE ARE SUGGESTING TO ADD TO THIS RESIDENTIAL USE IS COTTAGE HOMES. COTTAGE HOMES WAS IN OUR PREVIOUS SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. TYPICALLY, WE HAVE COTTAGE HOMES IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS. THEY HAVE THE SMALLER LOT SIZE OF THE 4,000 SQUARE FEET. AND BASICALLY, WHAT WE DID WAS COPY AND PASTE FROM OUR OLD ORDINANCE INTO THE NEW ONE, BUT TO PUT IT INTO OUR LAND USE TABLE. THE OTHER ADDITION IN THE LAND USE TABLE THAT WE ARE SUGGESTING IS UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE LOT, TO ADD DATACENTERS. IN PARTICULAR, THESE ARE DATACENTERS AND CRYPTO MINING FARMS. AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED, WE ARE SEEING THAT IT IS NEEDED FOR US TO ADD THIS INTO OUR LAND USE TABLE AND KIND OF START PUTTING SOME REGULATIONS ON IT. WE HAVE HAD THE MOST RECENT ONE ON MAIN STREET AND SO ON OUR NEXT ONE, I'LL KIND OF GO INTO THE USE- SPECIFIC STANDARDS, KIND OF TO OUTLINE WHAT [00:05:04] WE'RE SUGGESTING TO USE FOR THAT DATA CRYPTO. SO, FIRST, FOR GOING BACK TO THE SPECIFIC USE STANDARD, THESE ARE THE COTTAGE HOMES. LIKE I SAID, WE BASICALLY COPIED AND PASTE OUR OLD SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE REGULATIONS FOR COTTAGE HOMES INTO OUR NEW UDO SECTION. SO, THE COTTAGE HOMES WILL ONLY BE FOR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN INTERLEVEL -- ENTRY -- FRONT ENTRY WITH A COVERED PORCH, AND THEN IF THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A GARAGE, IT HAS TO BE SEVEN FEET BEHIND THAT FRONT BUILDING FACADE TO KIND OF KEEP IT LOOKING UNIFIED. SO, THIS PARTICULAR USE STANDARD IS FOR THOSE DATACENTER CRYPTO MINING FARMS. SO, WE HAD LOOP DO SOME RESEARCH FOR US, KIND OF SEEING WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. WE FOUND OUT THIS IS A NEED, AND OTHER CITIES ARE NOW TAKING THIS APPROACH TO ADD IT INTO THEIR ORDINANCES AS WELL. SO, FOR THESE DATADATA CRYPTO FARMS, WE ARE MAKING THEM MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN REGULATION WITH VICTORIA COUNTY, THE STATE, FEDERAL AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS BEFORE ANY APPROVAL. ALSO, THE DATA FARMS TEND TO HAVE A DECIMAL OF 60 THAT REALLY KIND OF START AFFECTING THE SOUND LEVEL AND NOISE LEVEL. WE'RE SUGGESTING TO TAKE IT TO 55 BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO START OUT AT THAT PROBLEM, DECIBEL. LASTLY, WE'RE DOING THE SEPARATION STANDARD OF 500 FEET FROM RESIDENTIAL USES, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO SEPARATION, IT'S ALSO FROM THAT PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE. AGAIN, TO HAVE THAT. >> QUESTION? >> YES. >> I'M -- I CERTAINLY DON'T MIND THE DATACENTERS, AND I THINK THAT THEY WON'T BE A PROBLEM. THE ONLY ISSUE I CAN SEE IS THAT THEY CREATE A CREOSOTE FOREST IN THEIR WAKE. IF YOU LOOK AT MAIN STREET, IT'S A FOREST OF POLES OUT THERE. AND AS THE OLDER UTILITIES BEGIN TO MOVE THEIR PRODUCT, THEY'LL MOVE TO THOSE NEW POLES, I UNDERSTAND, SO WE WON'T, AT LEAST, HAVE DUPLICATION. IS THERE ANY FORCE THAT THE CITY HAS TO GET THEM TO DO THAT? >> RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE NOT COME UP WITH -- TO DO THAT JUST YET. THIS WAS OUR FIRST STEP OF KIND OF REGULATING THIS, AND THAT PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT IS KIND OF WHAT IS DRIVING US TO ADD THIS IN. WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED HAVING A DATACENTER WANTING TO COME HERE. THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE. AND WE WEREN'T THAT FAMILIAR WITH IT. SO, THEY'VE KIND OF DRIVEN -- WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO ADDING ABOUT THAT UTILITY POLE FOREST AND THAT'STHAT'S KIND OF WHY WE WANT TO GET THEM SEPARATED AWAY FROM RESIDENTIAL, KIND OF PUSHING THEM OUT FURTHER BECAUSE IF THEY DO HAVE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN'T CONTROL, BECAUSE THEY DO TAKE UP A LOT OF ENERGY THAT WE HAVE HEARD. SO, WE ARE TRYING. WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT THE BEST WE CAN ON WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM SO FAR. >> COULD BE A COMPLEX ISSUE. >> WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING INTO THAT. >> COMPLEX. THANK YOU. >> YES, SIR. >> IN OUR LAND USES, WE HAVE OUR OVERLAYS IN SPECIAL AREA DISTRICTS. ONE SUGGESTION WE ARE NOW LOOKING IS TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE ORIGINAL TOWN SITE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND TAKE IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOWN SITE. ORIGINALLY, THEY HAD CUT IT OFF AT WATER STREET TO ALLOW FOR MOBILE HOMES BELOW WATER STREET A LITTLE BIT. HOWEVER, WITH THE REVITALIZATION OF THE SOUTH SIDE AND SUCH AND ALSO THAT BEING IN A FLOODPLAIN AREA, MANUFACTURED HOMES DON'T NECESSARILY DO VERY WELL IN THAT AREA. SO, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS TAKING THE ORIGINAL TOWN SITE BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES, WHICH IS BOUNDED BY NORTH STREET WEST OF WEST STREET, AND THEN EAST BY EAST STREET. SO, TAKING IT BACK TO THAT ORIGINAL TOWN SITE. LASTLY -- NOT LASTLY. THE LANDSCAPING, ONE THING THAT WAS OVERLOOKED WAS WHEN WE DID THE AMENDED SITE PLANS, WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE CONSISTENT. WE HAD LEFT IT WHERE WE DID AMENDED SITE PLANS ARE NOW REQUIRED AT 30%, BUT IN OUR LANDSCAPING, WE WERE DOING 25%, SO THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT THEY WEREN'T -- THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO AN AMENDED SITE PLAN BUT THEY WERE HAVING TO AMEND THEIR LANDSCAPING PLAN, SO TO TRY TO KEEP SOME CONSISTENCY, WE WENT AHEAD AND MOVED EVERYTHING TO THAT 30% TO TRIGGER NEW CALCULATIONS AND SUCH. IN OUR RELIEF PROCEDURES, WITH OUR VARIANCES, WE DID DO WHERE WE NOTIFY THE RESIDENTS SURROUNDING THE [00:10:02] EFFECTIVE VARIANCE PROPERTY WITH 200 FEET. HOWEVER, NOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE SEPARATION STANDARDS TO SINGLE- FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, WE WANTED TO BE MORE CONSISTENT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEND NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS WITHIN 200 FEET OF THE VARIANCE, BUT ALSO, THE AFFECTED SINGLE- FAMILY RESIDENTIAL THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THAT SEPARATION STANDARD. SO, THAT WAY, THEY'RE ALL IN THE KNOW AND WILL GET THAT NOTIFICATION AND HAVE THEIR CHANCE TO SPEAK ON IT. SO, OUR LAST AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS JUST UPDATING OUR DEFINITIONS. WE FOUND OUT THAT WE LEFT OUT THE -- THAT ACCESSORY USE WAS LEFT OFF OF OUR DEFINITIONS. WE'VE ADDED CRYPTO MINING, THE DATACENTER DEFINITIONS, COTTAGE HOMES, AND THAT'S ALL I GOT. AND I WILL TAKE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS Y'ALL MAY HAVE FOR ME. >> I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN, IF YOU COULD, WHAT A DATACENTER IS AND WHAT IT DOES. >> I AM STILL NOT TYPICALLY FAMILIAR WITH IT. I JUST KNOW THAT SUPPOSEDLY THEY'RE THE RECEIVING CENTER THAT KIND OF HELPS ONCE THAT CRYPTO -- I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY DO. DO YOU REMEMBER FROM YOUR RESEARCH? >> I CAN EXPLAIN IT A LITTLE BIT. >> LUKE DID MY RESEARCH. I'M GOING TO LET HIM EXPLAIN. >> ALMOST LIKE A BIG SERVER ROOM. >> A DATACENTER IS JUST GOING TO BE LIKE A PROCESSING CENTER, AND IT'S ALL LIKE THE INTERNET AND STUFF IS GOING TO GO INTO THAT DATACENTER, AND IT JUST GETS DISTRIBUTED. BUT A CRYPTO MINE IS PEOPLE. SOMEONE COULD BE WAY ACROSS THE WORLD BUYING CRYPTO, AND IT GOES TO THAT CRYPTO MINE LOCATION, AND IT'S -- THEY'RE SIMILAR, BUT THEY'RE DIFFERENT. >> THINK ABOUT IT AS A BIG HUB SERVER CENTER. SO, BASICALLY, SOMEBODY -- IT'S LIKE SERVERS AND DATA COLLECTING INSIDE THAT AND THEY'RE JUST USING THAT -- LIKE WHEREVER THIS AREA TO BE, A HUB OR A FACILITY WHERE THAT DATA IS COMING. BUT IT'S A LOT OF ENERGY, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT GOES THROUGH THAT. >> APPRECIATE YOUR ATTEMPT AT CLARIFICATION, BUT I THINK IT FAILED. >> OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE USE COMPUTERS NOW, SO WE HAVE THE SERVERS WHERE IT CONTROLS ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GET ON THE INTERNET AND ALL THAT. SO, BASICALLY, IT'S LIKE A BIG SERVER ROOM WHERE A WHOLE BUNCH OF DATA, BECAUSE IT'S JUST COLLECTING DATA, AND IT'S LIKE A BIG JUST FACILITY THAT -- JUST IMAGINE A WHOLE BUNCH OF SERVERS. >> YEAH, THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS SERVER FARMS AT TIMES. >> SO, WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW? >> NOTHING. THIS IS A, I GUESS, A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT IS -- THAT'S COMING AND DOING IT. I NOTICE THERE IS SOME BUILDOUT OVER THERE. IT USED TO BE JESUS CHURCH PROPERTY AND NOW THEY'RE BUILDING, LIKE -- I CALL IT A ELECTRICITY -- >> THE AAP SUBSTATION. >> YES. >> SO, THE AAP SUBSTATION IS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE DATACENTERS. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING WITH THE DATACENTER IS, BASICALLY, IT'S COLLECTING DATA AND SENDING IT BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD TO THE DIFFERENT AREAS. >> THAT'S AS GOOD AS ANY. THANK YOU. >> SO, I HAD A QUESTION. DEALING WITH THE -- THE CHANGE OF THE REGION OR DEALING FROM WATER TO SOUTH, AGAIN, FORGIVE ME, I'M TIRED, BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOMES THERE NOW? IF SO, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THEM, OR WILL IT NOT AFFECT THEM? JUST ONLY NEW? >> IT WOULD NOT AFFECT ANY EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOMES IN THE AREA. IT WOULD JUST AFFECT ANY NEW ONES COMING INTO THAT AREA. SO, BASICALLY, ANY EXISTING ARE ALLOWED TO STAY LEGALLY NONCONFORMING BUT IF THEY EVER WERE DEMOLISHED, REMOVED, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BRING ONE BACK IN. >> I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, IF I MAY. I WISH THAT I HAD CALLED YOU IN ADVANCE TO ASK YOU TO BRING A PICTURE OR TWO OR THREE OF A CLUSTER HOME. I'M HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT IS. >> THE CLUSTER HOME? TYPICALLY, WHAT A CLUSTER HOME IS, YOU KIND OF HAVE A COURTYARD, AND ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THOMAS HINCKEY SENIOR LIVING? THAT'S NOT A TRUE CLUSTER HOME, BUT IT'S ALMOST WHAT A CLUSTER HOME LOT WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO, BASICALLY, YOU HAVE A CENTRE COURT YARD IN THE CENTER AND THEN ALL YOUR HOMES ARE FACING THAT COURTYARD THAT HAVE THAT COMMON AREA TO SHARE. SO, EVERYTHING -- IT'S KIND OF BASED ON BUILDING A COMMUNITY, A SMALL COMMUNITY IN THERE. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THOSE -- >> ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENTS, LIKE IN SAN ANTONIO. LIKE ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENTS, THOSE COMMUNITIES. >> YEAH, AND THEY'RE NOT ALL ASSISTED LIVING. THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE MULTIFAMILY OR YOU CAN JUST HAVE THOSE SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING UNITS AROUND IT. [00:15:01] >> THERE ARE OSTENSIBLY SOME PLACES IN THE COLLEGE PARK ADDITION THAT MIGHT ACCOMMODATE SUCH A PLACE? >> IF THE LOT IS BIGGER. LIKE, WITH THE CLUSTER HOMES, SO, THOSE ARE STILL CONSIDERED MULTIFAMILY. SO, WITH THE CLUSTER HOMES, YOU ARE LOOKING AT HAVING THEM DEVELOP A SITE PLAN. SO, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THEIR PARKING, THEIR DRIVE AISLES, NO REVERSE PARKING. THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR PARKING LOTS FULL ON THE PROPERTY, KIND OF NOT AFFECTING ANYTHING ON THE ROADWAY, PER SE. >> I SEE. THAT HELPS. THANK YOU. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. WE'RE ASKING FOR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AMENDMENTS FOR THE UDO. DO I HAVE A MOTION? >> MOTION. >> I HAVE A FIRST. DO I HAVE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> I HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. [D. Consent Agenda:] THANK YOU, MS. CELESTE. WE'RE NOW UP TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. THERE'S ONE ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS THE MINUTES FOR THE DECEMBER 19, 2024, MEETING. I'M ASKING FOR A MOTION TO ACCEPT. DO I HAVE A MOTION? >> SO MOVED. >> ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SO MOVED. SO, MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. [E. Other Business:] WE'RE TO OTHER BUSINESS AND THAT IS THE MONTHLY DEVELOPMENT REPORT. MAY WE HAVE THAT PRESENTED, PLEASE? >> FEBRUARY 2025, THERE ARE 132 PERMITS ISSUED, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN WHAT THERE WAS LAST YEAR. FOR THE MEP PERMITS, THERE'S A TOTAL OF 111, WHICH IS LESS THAN LAST YEAR. AND FOR THE PERMIT FEES COLLECTED, WE HAD $37,596, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN LAST YEAR AS WELL. AND THERE WERE TWO SITE PLANS AND THREE SITE MODIFICATION PLANS SUBMITTED IN FEBRUARY, AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. >> I GOT TO ASK A QUESTION. WHEN WE PASSED THE UDO, DO WE NEED TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING? >> YES. SORRY. WE NEED TO -- >> I'M SORRY. OKAY. THE MOTION HAD ALREADY PASSED, AND SINCE I CAN DO IT ONON BUT WE KNOW IT'S NOBODY IN HERE. >> NO, BUT I JUST THINK WE OUGHT TO -- I THINK WE NEED TO CALL ONE. >> I WOULD REOPEN -- I WOULD OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TABLE THE MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, THEN CLOSE IT, AND THEN YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR ORIGINAL APPROVED MOTIONS. >> OKAY. SO, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND REOPEN THE AGENDA FOR DEALING WITH THE UDO FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. LET ME SEE. WE HAVE NOBODY, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE'LL GO WITH THE MOTION THAT STOOD OF PASSING. ALL RIGHT. NOW, WE GO TO OTHER -- WE DID OTHER BUSINESS. [F. Items from Planning Commissioners:] AND NOW WE DID ITEMS. ANY ITEMS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT HAPPY NEW YEAR BECAUSE WE HADN'T SEEN EACH OTHER SINCE LAST YEAR. AND I'M TRYING TO WORK ON SAYING THAT. IF THERE'S ANY OTHER BUSINESS, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN. ALL RIGHT. TIME IS -- I DON'T HAVE THE TIME. 5:33. MEETING ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.