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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 10887E NO. ~~ •R) I NANC AN ORDINANCE DIRECTING THE ZONING COMMISSION AND ANY DULY APPOINTED SUBCOMMITTEES THEREOF TO CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TO REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS EXPEDI- TIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE (APPENDIX "A" OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH), REGARDING CONDITIONS TO BE REQUIRED BEFORE A SPECIAL EXCEPTION MAY BE GRANTED BY THE BOARD OF ADJUST- MENT FOR THE OPERATION OF A SAND AND GRAVEL PIT OR OTHER OPERATION GOVERNED BY SECTION 20C(2) OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE; PROHIBITING THE GRANTING OF ANY SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS, BUILDING PERMITS OR CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY FOR NEW SAND AND GRAVEL PITS OR SIMILAR OPERA- TIONS GOVERNED BY SECTION 20C(2) OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE PENDING CONSIDERATION BY THE ZONING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL OF RESTRICTIONS GOVERNING SAID OPERATIONS; PROVIDING FOR A METHOD OF REPEAL OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR CULMINATION AND SUSPEN- SION OF OTHER ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth is a home rule municipal corporation organized and existing by virtue of the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas and by its Charter adopted by the electorate in December 1924; and WHEREAS, under Chapter 211 of the Local Government Code, municipalities are given the power to regulate the use of land "...to secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers..." and "...promote health and the general welfare..."; and WHEREAS, Section 211.008 of the Local Government Code autho- rizes the governing body of a municipality to appoint a Board of Adjustment and authorize said Board of Adjustment in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards to make special exceptions to the terms of the zoning ordinance that are consistent with the general purpose and intent of the ordi- - Hance and in accordance with applicable rules contained in the ordinance, and Section 211.009 of the Local Government Code pro- vides that the Board of Adjustment may hear and decide special exceptions to the terms of a zoning ordinance when the ordinance requires the board to do so; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Fort Worth has adopted a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Appendix "A" of the Code of the City of Fort Worth), which Zoning Ordinance provides for the appointment of a Board of Adjustment and authorization of said Board of Adjustment to grant specifically authorized special exceptions and impose conditions in connection therewith; and WHEREAS, provisions of the City's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance regarding special exceptions for sand and gravel pits or excavations and similar operations are currently being reviewed for the purpose of establishing conditions to improve the quality of land use control in the City of Fort Worth; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires that the Fort Worth Zoning Commission and any duly appointed subcommittees thereof conduct public hearings and report to the City Council as expeditiously as passible its recommendations relating to proposed amendments to provisions of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance regulating sand and gravel pits or excavations and similar operations, including Section 20C(2) concerning special exceptions; and WHEREAS, the current regulations governing sand and gravel pits or excavations and similar operations are inadequate to insure that the land subject to said operations is properly 2 restored and that the operators gi v e f i n a n c i a l a s s u r a n c e t o insure that restoration of the site will be carried out; and WHEREAS, inadequate regulations governing the operation of sand and gravel pits and similar operations within the City of Fort Worth could adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Fort Worth; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the valid exercise of police powers granted to home rule cities under the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas, the City Council deems it imperative to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the establishment of any new sand and gravel pits or similar operations governed by Section 20C(2) of the Zoning Ordinance and prohibiting the issuance of certificates of occupancy or building permits in connection therewith within the City of Fort Worth pending the expeditious consideration by the Zoning Commission and the City Council of amendments to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to restrict such operations within the City of Fort Worth. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS: SECTION 1. That the Zoning Commission of the City of Fort Worth and any duly authorized subcommittees thereof are hereby directed to con- duct public hearings and to report to the City Council as expedi- tiously as possible its recommendations relating to proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Appendix "A" of the Code of the City of Fort Worth) restricting the operation of 3 sand and gravel pits and similar operations in the City of Fort Worth governed by Section 20C(2) of the Zoning Ordinance. SECTION 2. That, pursuant to the valid exercise of the police powers granted to home rule cities by the Constitution and statutes of the State of Texas, the granting of special exceptions for new sand and gravel pits and similar operations governed by Section 20C(2) of the Zoning Ordinance as well as the issuance of certificates of occupancy or building permits in connection there- with shall be prohibited pending the expeditious consideration by the Zoning Commission and the City Council of amendments to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to better regulate such operations within the City of Fort Worth. The purpose of this prohibition is to maintain the status quo within the City until such time as the question of better regulating such operations can be con- sidered by the Zoning Commission and the City Council. This moratorium shall not apply to any legally operating and existing sand and gravel pit or similar operation which has been granted a special exception under Section 20C(2) of the Zoning Ordinance. This ordinance shall not prohibit the extension or renewal of any such existing special exception. SECTION 3. That all declarations and findings contained in the preamble of this ordinance are made a part hereof and shall be fully effec- tive as part of the ordained subject matter of this ordinance. 4 SECTION 4. That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect until , such time as the City Council adopts an ordinance repealing the same or until 120 days from the effective date of this ordinance, whichever occurs first. SECTION 5. That this ordinance shall be cumulative of the provisions of all ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, except where provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with such ordinances and such Code, in which event the con- flicting provisions of such ordinances and such -Code are hereby suspended for the period during which this ordinance is in effect. SECTION 6. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, para- graphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sen- tence, paragraph or section. 5 SECTION 7. That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, and it is so ordained. APPROVED AS TO FORM LEGALITY: C~ City Attorney 0 Date: ~ 3 ADOPTED • ~'` ~ ~ ~/ EFFECTIVE: /~ ~''~~ 6