Jun 16, 2026 Planning Commission

[00:00:01]

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF GALVESTON STARTED.

[1. Call Meeting to Order]

IT'S A LITTLE HOT FOR JANUARY. SO WE'LL FIRST WE TOOK ATTENDANCE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM. DOES ANYBODY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST. WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT IF ANYBODY HAS A PUBLIC COMMENT TO MAKE ON A NON AGENDA ITEM,

[4. Public Comment]

NOBODY WANTS TO MAKE A NON-AGENDA COMMENT SO WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL MOVE TO 5.A THAT'S 26BF-002.

[5.A.1 26BF-002 (24575 FM 3005) Notice of mitigation for disturbance of dunes and dune vegetation. Property is legally described as Abstract 121, Hall & Jones Survey, Tract 8-1, 3.350 Acres, in the City and County of Galveston, Texas. Applicant: Frank Friesenhahn Property Owner: FPS Land Development LLC]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR [INAUDIBLE] DUNE MITIGATION.

FOR DUNE MITIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTY ON THE WEST END.

MITIGATION IS REQUIRED FOR UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS TO THE DUNE AND DUNE VEGETATION THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE SITE DEVELOPMENT.

THE ADDRESS IS 24575 FM3005. THE PROPERTY IS LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS ABSTRACT 121 HALL AND JONES, SURVEY TRACT 8-1 3.350 ACRES IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF GALVESTON ISLAND OR GALVESTON, TEXAS.

VACANT PROPERTY IS LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ARE LOCATED TO THE EAST OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, AND A BEACH AND DUNE SYSTEM IS LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.

ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, THIS AREA IS STABLE.

STAFF HAS PREPARED PHOTOS OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR YOUR VIEWING.

FIRST, WE HAVE THE FIRM IN BEG MAP SHOWING THE DISTANCE OF THE STRUCTURE FROM THE DUNE SYSTEM AND ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE PROPERTY SURVEY SHOWING THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE SITE.

AS YOU CAN TELL, THIS IS A, HAS TWO DUNES AND A DUNE SWELL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY.

THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE PROPERTY SURVEY SHOWING THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE.

YOU NOTICE THE BLUE LINES ARE SHOWING DRAINAGE OFF OF THE SITE TO THE NORTH, OFF OF THE DUNES, AND THEN THE DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS THERE. AND THE DUNE PROPOSED DUNE AT THE DUNE MITIGATION AT THE SOUTH END OF THE OF THE PROPERTY. ON THE FOLLOWING SIX SLIDES WE HAVE PLANS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON THE PROPERTY SHOWING THE DUNE RELOCATION AND MITIGATION CROSS SECTIONS.

THIS FIRST SLIDE HERE IS AN AREA WHERE THE THE NORTHERN DUNE IS GOING TO BE RELOCATED.

THE AREA FILLED IN. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS SHOWING A CROSS SECTION OF THE PROPOSED DUNE MITIGATION IN THAT AREA.

NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY SHOWING THE DUNES TO BE RELOCATED, THE AREA TO BE FILLED IN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.

NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS JUST A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DUNE MITIGATION IN THAT AREA.

NEXT SLIDE. AND THIS IS JUST THE THIRD KIND OF CROSS SECTION OF THE AREA SHOWING THE DOOM TO BE RELOCATED.

THE AREA WILL BE FILLED. AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE WILL SHOW THE CROSS SECTION OF THE DOOM MITIGATION.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROPOSED, LOOKING AT RAISING THE DUNE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 3 TO 4FT DOING MITIGATION ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY. NEXT WE HAVE JUST SOME REPRESENTATIVE PHOTOS OF THE SITE.

THIS IS THE WESTERLY VIEW OF DUNE ONE. THIS IS A NORTHERN DUNE.

THIS IS JUST THE EAST EASTERLY VIEW OF THE OF THE DUNE ONE.

WESTERLY VIEW OF DUNE TWO. THIS IS A MITIGATION.

THE SOUTH SOUTH DUNE. THE EASTERLY VIEW OF THE DUNE TWO MITIGATION AREA.

AND THEN THIS IS JUST LOOKING BACK TO THE EAST, THERE IS ALSO SOME PROPOSED DUNE MITIGATION PLANTING SOUTH OF THE OF THE DUNE ON THE SAND.

SO THIS IS JUST A PHOTO OF THAT. THIS CONCLUDES STAFF REPORT.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALRIGHTY. THANK YOU.

AND THIS IS JUST A PUBLIC HEARING. SO THERE'LL BE NO ACTION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? YEAH I DO. I HAVE A QUESTION. SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS RELOCATING THE DUNE IS SO IT MAKES THE LAND BUILDABLE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE DUNES ARE IT THERE'S NO BUILDING WITHIN THAT AREA. SO WE'RE SHOVING THE DUNES TOWARD THE OCEAN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS PROPERTY TO BUILD ON.

IS THAT CORRECT? SUMMARY. HAS THE APPLICANT BE GIVEN A COPY OF THE LETTER AS WELL? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SO THEY, THEY. WE HAD VARIOUS ITERATIONS BACK AND FORTH WITH THE GLO, WE, WE SENT SOME PLANS UP TO THEM THEY HAD COMMENTS, WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMENTS.

SO THE, THE YELLOW LETTER THAT'S IN YOUR, THE SENIOR PACKET IS ABOUT THE THIRD LETTER THAT WE GOT FROM THEM.

[00:05:09]

YES, MA'AM. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE APPLICANT FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE EXPECTATION IN THIS PROPERTY.

YES, MA'AM. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO BE MONITORING IT. YES.

THANK YOU. KYLE, IS THE, IS THE NORTH TOE OF THE DUNE INSIDE THE PROPERTY LINE? YES. WE HAVE TWO NORTH TOES OF THE DUNE. WE HAVE TWO NORTH. THOSE TWO DUNES.

YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A SOUTH DUNE AND YOU HAVE A NORTH. OH, WE SURE DO.

OKAY. THAT ONE FOR SURE IS SO. THE ONE CLOSEST TO THE BEACH IS ALSO INSIDE THE.

YES, SIR. THE PROPERTY BOUNDARIES. OKAY. THANK YOU.

YEAH. ANYTHING. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW HOW THIS PROPERTY ZONED.

THAT'S KIND OF JUST A RANDOM. FROM MY OWN KNOWLEDGE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT. NO, SIR. AND I GUESS JUST FOR ONCE AGAIN, FROM MY OWN KNOWLEDGE, HOW DO WE WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR ONE OF THESE PERMITS? BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S REALLY JUST STAYS AT THE STAFF LEVEL. YOU DO A PUBLIC HEARING.

WHAT'S THE. WELL, YEAH, THEY THEY COME, YOU KNOW, THEY COME TO US.

THEY, THEY WE WORK WITH THE APPLICANT ON DEVELOPING SOME TYPE OF PLAN.

WE, ANYTHING THAT WE ISSUE, WE COORDINATE WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THEY COMMENT, WE CONSIDER THEIR COMMENTS, WE MAKE THE FINAL DECISION, BUT WE, WE CONSIDER COMMENTS.

LIKE I SAID THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS THAT WE SUBMITTED BACK TO US.

WE KIND OF EVALUATED AND THOUGHT, YEAH, MAYBE THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

AND THEN WE WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT. I SAID, WE SENT 2 OR 3 VARIATIONS OF THE, OF THE MITIGATION PLAN UP TO THE, THE GLO FOR THEIR, THEIR COMMENTS AND REVIEW.

AND THEN ONCE, ONCE GLO MAKES THEIR COMMENTS, WE MAKE A DECISION AND, YOU KNOW, ISSUE THE BEACH FRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE.

GOTCHA. THANK YOU. SO A SO THE EXISTING DUNES WILL BE DESTROYED AND NEW NEW DUNES BUILT.

THEY'LL TAKE THE. THEY'LL TAKE THE DUNES. NOT ALL OF THE DUNES WILL BE.

THEY'LL. THEY'LL BASICALLY, THEY'RE COMING UP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL TO BUILD IT UP.

SO THE. THE DUNE IS ON ABOVE THAT ELEVATION WILL BE MOVED TO THE OTHER DUNE TO ENHANCE IT AND TO BUILD IT UP FROM BASICALLY 8FT TO 12FT. SO THERE'LL BE SAND THAT'LL BE MOVED FROM THERE TO CITY PROPERTY.

NOT CITY PROPERTY. WELL, THERE IS A THERE IS SOME THERE IS SOME CITY PROPERTY THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING TO PLANT ON.

THEY'RE NOT BUILDING. NOT BUILD A DUNE ON. BUT THE PLANTS TO HELP ACHIEVE THEIR MITIGATION.

PART OF MITIGATION. YEAH. AND WE HAVE ALLOWED PEOPLE TO TO DO THAT.

RIGHT. YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGEMENT BASICALLY, I'LL WRITE A LETTER TO THE CITY MANAGER SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, TO HELP OFFSET THIS MITIGATION THEY'RE PROPOSING TO, TO PLANT, YOU KNOW, ON THIS PROPERTY, CAN WE GIVE THEM AUTHORIZATION? AND. AND THE NEW SAND IS JUST COMING ONTO THIS PROPERTY ONCE THE LEVELING IS DONE AND INFILL AND ALL THAT STUFF.

YEAH. YES, SIR. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

I KNOW I'VE RAISED THIS QUESTION BEFORE. SO THE BUYOUT LOTS THAT PEOPLE SOLD FOR, YOU KNOW, PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR AFTER HURRICANE IKE. ARE ANY OF THOSE LOTS SOLD BACK TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT? NO. WE THE WE CAN'T BUILD LIKE STRUCTURES ON THEM.

WE CAN'T WE CAN'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE A GREEN SPACE OR, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GO OUT THERE AND LIKE BUILD, YOU KNOW, NOT BUILD, BUT HELP, YOU KNOW, PLANT DUNES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

WE DO HAVE, WE'RE WORKING WITH LIKE SPANISH GRANT THAT'S WANTING TO DO SOME PLANTING OUT THERE TO HELP BUILD THE DUNES ON, ON SOME OF THOSE LOTS WE CAN DO LIKE OPEN SPACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE CAN'T PUT ANY TYPE OF STRUCTURE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ON IT.

SO THEY CAN'T BE RESOLD TO THE PUBLIC AT ANY TIME? NO, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. IT'S PROHIBITED BY THE AGREEMENT.

YEAH. YEAH. BUT WE DO ALLOW PEOPLE, LIKE I SAID, SPANISH GRANT.

WE HAVE QUITE A FEW AROUND THERE. AND THEY APPROACHED US ABOUT REPLANTING THAT AREA TO HELP BUILD THE DUNES.

AND SO WE. YEAH, WE WANT DUNES ON THE PROPERTY TO HELP PROTECT THE PROPERTY AND TO HELP PROTECT SPANISH GRANTS.

SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE CAN ALLOW ON THERE.

SO KYLE, WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR BUILDING ON THIS PROPERTY, DOES IS THIS JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OR DOES THIS COME BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION? WELL, IF IF THEY BUILD WITHIN 75FT FROM THAT NEW NORTH TOE OF THE DUNE, IT'LL BE COMING IN FRONT OF Y'ALL.

OKAY. ANY. ANY. IT'S JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE DEVELOPING THIS DOESN'T THEY STILL HAVE TO COME TO US AND GET ANY FUTURE BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE FOR ANY STRUCTURE THAT'S PUT OUT THERE. DEPENDING ON WHERE IT SITS. YES, SIR.

IF IT'S WITHIN 20. IF IT'S WITHIN 75FT FROM NORTH DUNE.

YES, SIR. THE NEW NORTH TOE. YEAH, THE NEW NORTH TOE.

YES, SIR. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHTY. WELL, THEN I GUESS WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.

IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S IT. DID I MISS SOMETHING? ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.

[6.A.2. 26P-028 (1602 Broadway / Avenue J) Request for designation as a Galveston Landmark. The property is legally described as Abstract 628, M.B. Menard Survey Lots 8, 9 and East Part of Lot 10 and Adjacent Abandoned Alley (8-0), Block 196, in the City and County of Galveston, Texas. Applicant: Melody Van Kay Property Owners: R. Douglas and Melody A. Van Kay]

[00:10:07]

AND WE'LL HEAR FROM STAFF. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO YEAH, THIS IS AT 1602 BROADWAY. AND THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A GALVESTON LANDMARK DESIGNATION.

THERE ARE 18 PUBLIC NOTICES SENT. TWO OF THOSE RETURNED, BOTH OF THOSE IN FAVOR.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS HOUSE. IT'S A MONTEREY REVIVAL STYLE HOME BUILT IN 1929 FOR DOCTOR ALBERT AND WILLIE DEAN SINGLETON.

AFTER THE PASSING OF HENRY MARTIN TRUEHEART IN 1914, HIS DAUGHTER, SALLY TRUEHEART WILLIAMS, WHO OF COURSE IS DESCENDANT OF THE OF JOHN OVERTON TRUEHEART A YOU KNOW, KIND OF A GALVESTON FOUNDER.

SHE DEMOLISHED THE FAMILY MANSION AND BUILT THE HOUSE ADJACENT AT 1616 BROADWAY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A CANDIDATE FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION AS WELL.

AND THEY SOLD THE REMAINDER OF THE PROPERTY TO THE TO THE SINGLETONS WHO BUILT THEIR HOUSE.

WACO ARCHITECT CAMERON FAIRCHILD DESIGNED BOTH THE SINGLETON HOME AND THE SALLY TRUEHEART WILLIAMS HOME TO THE WEST.

HE WAS BORN IN WACO, BEGAN HIS ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE IN HOUSTON IN 1925.

HE'S PRETTY WELL KNOWN FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES OR RESIDENTIAL PLANS IN AFFLUENT HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS SHADOWLAWN, BRAESWOOD AND RIVER OAKS, ESPECIALLY WITH RIVER OAKS.

HE ALSO DID A NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL PROJECTS IN HOUSTON THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER.

ALBERT SINGLETON WAS BORN IN WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS, EDUCATED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN, FINISHED HIS MEDICAL DEGREE AT UTMB. AND THERE MET HIS WIFE, WILLIE DEAN BLEVINS, WHO WAS A NURSING STUDENT.

HE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF MULTIPLE MEDICAL BOARDS OF SURGERY IN THE UTMB SINGLETON SURGICAL WARD IS NAMED AFTER HIM AS WELL.

THIS HOUSE IS A MONTEREY REVIVAL STYLE. MUCH MORE POPULAR IN CALIFORNIA.

QUITE UNUSUAL IN GALVESTON AND MOST OF TEXAS.

IT'S CHARACTERIZED BY THE HOME'S BUFF COLORED MASONRY TILE ROOF AND DEEP, FULL WIDTH BALCONIES FEATURING SQUARE COLUMNS AND SIMPLE BALUSTRADES.

YOU CAN SEE THAT KIND OF IN THE PHOTO HERE. NOW THE PROPERTY IS IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, IS INELIGIBLE FOR THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES.

LANDMARK COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST AT THEIR JUNE 15TH MEETING.

CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE THE FINAL DETERMINATION AT THEIR JULY 23RD MEETING.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL WITH STANDARD CONDITION ONE AND WE HAVE THE PHOTOS HERE.

ONCE AGAIN, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND THE PROPERTIES TO THE EAST.

SOUTH AND THEN TO THE WEST OF COURSE IS THE SALLY TRUEHEART HOUSE.

ALSO A GALVESTON LANDMARK DESIGNATION NOMINEE.

AND THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DANIEL. AND I'LL NOTE NO RELATION, EVEN THOUGH MY GRANDFATHER'S NAME IS ALBERT SINGLETON.

WELL, I GUESS OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THE APPLICANT PRESENT? WOULD THEY LIKE TO COME UP AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR PROJECT AND SIGN IN AND STATE YOUR NAME? HELLO, I'M MELODY, MY HUSBAND DOUG. I WILL LET DOUGLAS SPEAK.

HE'S AN ARCHITECT, SO IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BETTER COMING FROM HIM.

NO NO NO. YEAH. WE JUST KIND OF WANT TO ENSURE THIS HOUSE IS PRESERVED AND MAINTAINED.

WE WE ACQUIRED IT ROUGHLY EIGHT YEARS AGO. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE HOUSE AS, AS PART OF THE PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, RESTORING WHAT WE CAN RESTORE ON IT.

AND WE JUST WANTED TO BE SURE IT'S HERE IN PERPETUITY, THAT IT'S PROTECTED AND TAKEN CARE OF.

THAT'S THE THAT'S THE BIG PITCH. ALRIGHTY. WELL, COOL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I GUESS DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? NO. YOU GOT ANYTHING? ALL RIGHT, THEN I GUESS WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR A MOTION.

I MAKE A MOTION WE APPROVE 26P-028 WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.

THERE YOU GO. WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL TAKE ACTION. EVERYBODY IN FAVOR? IT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I GUESS THAT'S THE END OF OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.

SO WE WILL ADJOURN. THANK YOU. WHO ARE THE NEW FACES OUT HERE? OH. I'M SORRY. YES. YOU MOVED SO QUICKLY. WE DO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

WE HAVE A NEW PLANNER, JEANNIE LEE. SHE JOINED US JUST YESTERDAY.

SO SHE'S THE SECOND DAY ON THE JOB. SHE'S A RECENT GRADUATE WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PLANNING FROM A&M.

SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER. AND THEN I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE MET MARLEY.

MARLEY IS THE COASTAL RESOURCES INTERN STARTED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

OKAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. WHO'S THAT? OH, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TREVOR.

SORRY. TREVOR FANNING'S BEEN HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

HE'S STARTING TO SHADOW DONNA ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

HE'S ALSO A CITY ATTORNEY. OKAY. GLAD EVERYBODY.

[00:15:01]

THANKS FOR COMING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.