As stroms entered the West Texas region on Thrusday evening, the City of Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Lubbock was hosting a scheduled meeting at Citizens Tower.
However, only 55 minutes into the meeting to discuss its recommendation on the proposed Unified Development Codes amendments to the city council, sharp emergency signals rang out from everyone’s phone notifying that the city was placed under a tornado warning that was advising to seek shelter.
This prompted the commission to push discussion of the amendments and a few other zoning cases to its July hearing, putting a hiccup into the city’s plan to pass the amendments in full by July.
But before the commission was dismissed due to the emergency, the commission members heard from 10 people who voiced their support for or opposition to a few of the proposed amendments.
Five people voiced their opposition to Amendment 31 in relation to wall signs on parking structures — which was a contentious point during a joint public hearing on the amendments in May.
As mentioned during the May public hearing, Amendment 31 aims to help the Raider Park Parking Garage — the 108 parking structure north of Jones AT&T Stadium. Citizens point to the wall signs already on the garage, not as “wall signs” but rather as billboard advertising.
As architect and Lubbcok resident Stephen Faulk put it, wall signs are meant to be used by tenants of a structure, according to the UDC, noting that H-E-B and Gene Messer are not tenants in that building.
Additional citizens requested that the commission not favorably recommend Amendment 31, as it would create “spot-zoning” in Lubbock and only benefit one business rather than the community.
Other citizens vouched for several amendments, including 31, while others pitched their drafted amendments to the UDC for consideration.
While citizens could talk about the UDC amendments, the commission did not before it had to adjourn early due to the inclement weather.
Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock zoning commission adjourned early for weather, postponing UDC amendment discussion
Reporting by Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
