Jul 23, 2026 Planning & Zoning Commission

[00:00:01]

HERE WE GO. IT'S 6:00. CALL TO ORDER THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE BEDFORD PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR TODAY,

[CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL]

DOROTHY CRAWFORD PRESENT. KATE BARLOW PRESENT.

TOM JACOBSEN PRESENT. BRUCE EMERY, CHAIRMAN, PRESENT.

DUKE LOPER PRESENT. MIKE INGRAHAM PRESENT. AARON LEE PRESENT.

EXCELLENT. WELCOME, COMMISSIONERS. PLEASE STAND FOR THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SERVE OUR CITY.

WATCH OVER US AS WE WORK THROUGH TODAY'S PROCESS TO IMPROVE OUR CITY AND OUR ORDINANCES.

THANK YOU FOR OUR STAFF THAT HAS SUPPORTED US ALL THIS TIME.

WATCH OVER OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR POLICE, OUR FIRE, AND ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES.

GUIDE US IN OUR WORK TODAY. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

AMEN.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. WELCOME, EVERYONE. WE ARE TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING OF

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 9TH.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 9TH.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.

[2. Conduct a public hearing and consider making a recommendation to City Council regarding revisions to Section 5.5 entitled Screening Requirements, Section 5.6 entitled Landscaping Requirements, and Section 5.15 entitled Tree Preservation of the Zoning Ordinance Appendix B of the Code of Ordinances. ]

APPENDIX B OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. WELCOME, STAFF REPRESENTATIVE WES MORRISON.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, COMMISSION MEMBERS, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU'VE SEEN THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES, SO I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF. I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS ITEM.

ONE, WE REVISED THE TREE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A TYPO IN THE LAST ONE OR THERE WAS SOME WORDING LEFT OUT OR SPECIFIED FRONT YARD PLANTINGS.

SO WE FIXED THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT WAS A HOT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WAS THE PLANT LIST THAT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. WHAT WE DID, AS YOU RECALL, AT THE LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT TAKING THE TEXAS SMARTSCAPE PLANT LIST AND WORDING THAT AS A WAY THAT IT CAN BE. IT'S A FLUID DOCUMENT, SO IT CAN ALWAYS BE AMENDED AS IT IS BY THE COG.

SO WE DID PROVIDE YOU BECAUSE IT SEEMED I GOT THE IMPRESSION FROM SOME OF YOU THAT YOU WANTED A HARD COPY LIST TO LOOK AT.

SO WE PROVIDE YOU THE WAY IT SETS CURRENTLY TODAY, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT CAN ALWAYS BE AMENDED.

AND THAT'S REGULARLY REVIEWED BY COG AND TEXAS SMARTSCAPE PEOPLE.

AND THEN THE LAST THING, WE UPDATED THE TREE REFORESTATION FUND PROVISION TO ALLOW FOR FUNDS TO BE USED FOR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS.

IF YOU RECALL, WE KIND OF HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRYING TO DO A FEE IN LIEU OF SOME OF THE LANDSCAPING AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE ORDINANCES AND OTHER CITIES THAT DO THAT.

IT BECAME VERY CONVOLUTED. AND WE ARE KIND OF OUR GOAL FOR THIS ORDINANCE IS TO KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

BUT EVERYBODY LIKED THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DEDICATE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR TREE PRESERVATION AND MITIGATION TO BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS.

SO THAT'S THE WAY. WE'VE INCLUDED THAT WORDING IN THERE.

WITH THAT, THOSE ARE THE BULK OF THE CHANGES SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU SAW THIS.

I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS. WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT BECAUSE ASSUMING THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD TONIGHT, IT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL, HOPEFULLY THE END OF AUGUST.

COMMISSIONERS? MR. CHAIRMAN. HEY, WES. WE COULD GO TO THE NEWEST TREE LIST.

YES. THIS REALLY CAUGHT ME. THE FIRST ONE LISTED IS AN AFGHAN OR [INAUDIBLE].

OKAY? IF YOU REMEMBER MY COMMENTS FROM THE LAST MEETING, I SAID WE HAD THOSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE SPENT WELL IN EXCESS OF FIVE FIGURES TO HAVE THEM REMOVED. NEIL SPERRY HAS AN ARTICLE.

HE'S BEEN IN THE BUSINESS 50 YEARS. MY SIX BIGGEST MISTAKES.

[00:05:02]

THEY GROW NATIVELY ON THE BORDER OF AFGHANISTAN AND RUSSIA, WHERE THEY AVERAGE ABOUT 20IN OF RAIN.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE GET AROUND 33 AND THEY GROW TO A CERTAIN SIZE AND THEN THEY JUST DECLINE.

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE STRIKE THAT SO SOMEBODY ELSE DOESN'T GET CAUGHT IN THIS.

YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FOR A WHILE. AND THEN SO MANY YEARS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL REPLACED AT A CONSIDERABLE COST TO OUR HOA.

THE OTHER THING I NOTICED, THERE WEREN'T ANY HYBRID LOCUSTS IN THIS LIST, IF YOU RECALL, WHEN THE MCDONALD'S WAS BEING REDONE ON CENTRAL, THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE. I THINK HE WANTED TO GO IN WITH A SHADE MASTER AND I SAID, COULD YOU DO A SUNBURST THERE? JUST A LITTLE. THEY GET. AND HE SAID, YEAH, NO PROBLEM.

I'M SURPRISED THAT'S NOT ON THE LIST. THAT GROWS HERE AS A MAJOR TREE.

AND THEN WHEN YOU GO INTO THE SMALL AND ORNAMENTAL.

AND REALLY THE DIFFERENCE IS ORNAMENTAL BLOOMS OR GETS BERRIES OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT GREEN OR WHATEVER.

I'M REALLY SHOCKED THAT VITEX ISN'T ON HERE. YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN MID-CITIES WHEN YOU CROSS OVER FROM BEDFORD INTO EULESS, AND THEIR WHOLE PARKWAY IS LINED. THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH DONE WITH BLOOMING, BUT YOU CAN DRIVE, YOU CAN SEE THEM. I THINK THE CHAIRMAN. AND HE'LL PROBABLY TELL ME I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE CHAIRMAN OF BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION HAS THEM GROWING IN HIS YARD.

AND I CAN SHOW YOU OTHER PLACES. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SMALL TREE.

THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS A TEXAS LILAC, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO GROW LILACS EXCESSIVELY HERE.

IT'S TOO HOT. AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER LANDSCAPE? THERE'S ALSO. YOU'VE GOT. LET'S SEE, I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT.

YOU'VE GOT MEXICAN PLUM. HOPEFULLY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT HAS THORNS.

AND THEN. OKAY, YOU DO HAVE POSSUM HOLLY. THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE A REGULAR YAUPON HOLLY, EXCEPT IT'S DECIDUOUS. AND YOU SEE ALL THESE BRIGHT RED BERRIES AND IT'S A REALLY ATTRACTIVE TREE.

I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN MY FIRST PASS THROUGH, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY STRIKE THE FIRST ONE IN THE LARGE TREES, THE AFGHAN PINES. AND THEN I WOULD DEFINITELY ADD VITEX.

AND YOU COULD ADD TO THE LARGE TREES, BASICALLY JUST SAY HYBRID LOCUST, BECAUSE LOCUSTS IN THEIR NATIVE FORM HAVE THORNS AND THEY'RE KIND OF A MESS.

BUT I MEAN, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES, BUT THEY JUST SAY HYBRID.

THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION. AND I'M WILLING TO ADD THAT IN.

THOSE ARE SIMPLE ADDITIONS. HERE'S WHERE IT GETS CONFUSING THOUGH. WE'VE GOT WORDING IN HERE THAT SPECIFICALLY REFERENCES THIS SMARTSCAPE PLANT LIST.

OKAY. AND WHEN WE START MESSING WITH THAT, THEN IT GETS A LITTLE HAIRY.

OKAY. SO WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU CHOOSE. AND THAT'S FINE.

THOSE ARE EASY SUGGESTIONS AND THINGS TO DO. OR IF I WOULD PROBABLY RECOMMEND.

THE OTHER WAY IS TO CONTACT TEXAS SMARTSCAPE AND THE COG AND LOBBY THEIR HORTICULTURIST AND ARBORIST TO FIGURE OUT WHY THOSE PLANTS ARE THERE. BECAUSE WE WANT TO MATCH. IT JUST MAKES IT CLEANER THAT WAY BECAUSE ANY CHANGES THEY MAKE, THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED. OKAY.

IT'S HOWEVER Y'ALL WANT TO HANDLE IT. SINCE YOU'RE LEAVING AS OF TOMORROW, WHO DOES THAT? WHO WOULD THAT FALL ON IN YOUR WING? IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A WHILE BEFORE THAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED.

I MEAN, WE HAVE AN ACTING DIRECTOR, Y'ALL KNOW THAT, BUT IT'S.

I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE ACTING DIRECTOR AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A FLUID SITUATION FOR A WHILE.

IT'S HOWEVER Y'ALL WANT TO HANDLE THAT. RIGHT.

I GUESS FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I DON'T SEE IN COG OR ANYBODY OBJECTING.

YOU COULD SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE PUT IN FOR BEDFORD.

I MEAN, I CAN GET YOU THE NEIL SPERRY ARTICLE.

I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS FOR AMENDING THEIR LIST. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

THAT'S REALLY WHY WE TRY TO KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE COULD REALLY GET IN HERE AND NITPICK EVERYTHING.

AND I'M NOT AN ARBORIST OR HORTICULTURIST, SO YOU DON'T WANT ME PICKING PLANTS.

NOR AM I, BUT I'M JUST GIVING YOU.

LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S FIVE YEARS FROM NOW AND SOMEBODY DECIDES, YOU KNOW, AN APPLICANT COMES IN AND THEY WANT TO PLANT A BUNCH OF [INAUDIBLE] OR AFGHAN PINES, AND THE COMMISSION GOES, OKAY. AND THEN 5 OR 6 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY'RE ALL DEAD, YOU KNOW.

AND THAT'S GOING TO END UP BEING A CODE VIOLATION.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN AND FIX THAT. BUT THAT'S JUST WHERE YOU HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT PLANTINGS.

I KNOW THERE'S A GAMBLE THERE. I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.

I HAVE REAL DIFFICULTY SIGNING MY NAME TO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IS A PROBLEM GOING IN.

[00:10:05]

BUT PUTTING IN [INAUDIBLE] OR AFGHAN PINES IS A MISTAKE.

WE CAN DO WHATEVER THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO DO. SPEAKING OF VITEX, IT IS.

I HAVE IT IN MY YARD. I LOVE MY VITEX. I PUT IT IN MY SISTER'S YARD.

MY BEST FRIEND HAS IT IN HIS YARD. I LOVE VITEX.

IT'S INVASIVE. OKAY. YES, IT CAN BE. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE LIST.

OKAY. I HAVE A THOUGHT IN THE. WELL, A THOUGHT.

IT'S EARLY. IN THE OVERALL SCHEME OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE CITY OF BEDFORD.

THIS PROBABLY ISN'T A P&Z TOPIC. HOWEVER, WE HAVE VERY FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEVERAL FOLKS ON THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE, AND GIVEN THAT, I THINK THEY WOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS A GOOD PLACE TO COME FROM A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY TO AMEND THIS LIST WITH THE STATE THAT MIGHT BE A SHORTER TERM, EASIER PATH THAN TO TRY TO DO IT THROUGH P&Z AS A CITY TO PROTECT OUR CITY. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE A MECHANISM TO WHERE HERE'S A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE THAT'S DESIGNED FOR THAT, TO THEN SUBMIT THAT TO THE STATE, SAY WE SUGGEST A MODIFICATION OF THIS LIST.

AND I WANT TO STRESS THAT I THREW THAT OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR GETTING THAT AMENDED. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. NO.

BUT IT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER PLACE WITHIN THE CITY THAT COULD GET THIS DONE BASED ON THIS GREAT RECOMMENDATION TO DELETE SOMETHING.

ISN'T THIS A STARTING POINT? I MEAN, WE'RE IN BEDFORD AND YOU'RE JUST TAKING A LIST THAT'S BEEN APPROVED IN THE STATE, RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT THIS IS I MEAN, WHEN YOU SAY STARTING POINT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WELL, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS WAS AN APPROVED LIST BY HORTICULTURISTS IN THE STATE.

FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR REGION. CORRECT. BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO SPECIFY, FOR THE REGION. AND I'M JUST AMAZED THAT IT STARTS OFF.

AND KEEP IN MIND IT WAS AN EXTREMELY POPULAR TREE IN THE 90S AND THE 2000S.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS WAS DONE. I'M SURPRISED THAT HYBRID LOCUST ISN'T IN HERE, BECAUSE WE HAD AN APPLICANT COME IN AND IF HE CAME IN, ANOTHER APPLICANT ASKING FOR THE SAME THING BASED ON THIS LIST, WOULDN'T WE HAVE TO DENY THAT APPLICANT? WELL, THIS IS THE APPROVED PLANT LIST. THIS IS THE ONLY THING THEY COULD PLANT.

RIGHT. THE OTHER OPTION IS YOU CAN COMPLETELY STRIKE THE BLUEPRINT LIST COMPLETELY OUT OF THE ORDINANCE.

AND PEOPLE CAN PLANT WHAT THEY WANTED TO PLANT.

WE'RE JUST. I MEAN, IT'S. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS USER FRIENDLY AND REALISTIC DOCUMENT AS POSSIBLE.

I MEAN, IN GIVEN OUR STAFFING CONSTRAINTS, WE CAN'T HAVE AN ARBORIST OR HORTICULTURIST ON STAFF.

SO THIS WAS THE BEST OPTION WE HAD. I GET NERVOUS WHEN WE START MAKING CHANGES TO A LIVING DOCUMENT BECAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT. BUT IT'S WHATEVER THE COMMISSION WANTS AS A WHOLE.

I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR FOR MYSELF IN MY MIND, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF THEY DO PLANT THIS AFGHAN, WHATEVER, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CONSTERNATION IN THIS WHOLE SITUATION.

THAT IF IT DIES 20 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT, OTHERWISE, THAT'S AN ORDNANCE ISSUE.

THAT'S CORRECT? OKAY. THAT'S A CODE VIOLATION.

SO WE WOULD TREAT IT THAT WAY. AS IF IT WERE A CRAPE MYRTLE.

THAT'S ON THE LIST. YEAH. EITHER WAY IT DOESN'T MATTER.

OKAY. SO I MEAN, IN THE GREAT SCHEME OF THINGS, I THINK THE PLAN THAT WE'VE GOT IS TO GO THROUGH MAYBE BEAUTIFICATION OR SOME OTHER SOURCE TO GET THEM TO UPDATE THIS LIST IF THAT'S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO.

BUT IF THEY DON'T, I THINK WE'RE QUIBBLING OVER ONE TREE.

I MEAN, TO ME, THE LIST IN GENERAL SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY GOOD LIST.

AND IT'S FOR THIS REGION IN PARTICULAR. NOW MAYBE WE PICK A DIFFERENT REGION.

WE COULD DO THAT. BUT SHORT OF THAT, I THINK THIS MAKES SENSE.

I LIKE GOING WITH THIS LIST BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THINGS CHANGE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, AND I'D RATHER RELY ON THE EXPERTS TO DO IT.

THAT'S MY OPINION. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU.

OH, GO AHEAD. I ALSO THINK I LIKE THE LEGAL COVER OF A STANDARD LIST GUARANTEED BY THE STATE.

SO JUST FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT SOME COVER WITH A LIST, EVEN IF IT'S FLAWED.

I THINK I'M LOOKING FORWARD FOR SOME WAY TO AMEND THAT OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMISSION.

OKAY. AGAIN, THAT IS UP TO THE COMMISSION AS A.

THAT'S YOUR DECISION. WELL, THANK YOU, WES LET US OPEN OUR PUBLIC HEARING HERE AT 6:14.

SO ALL THE PEOPLE WILL TAKE A NUMBER AND COME FORWARD.

[00:15:04]

I'LL BRING MY GRANDKIDS IN NEXT TIME.

IN THE ABSENCE OF ANYONE COMING FORWARD TO SPEAK, IT IS NOW 6:15.

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE CAN CONTINUE WITH DISCUSSION.

OR I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ABOUT THIS ITEM AND WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL IS FOR STAFF AND TO COUNCIL. MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE BUT AMEND THE LIST AND STRIKE AFGHAN PINE.

MIC].

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GALLENSTEIN, FOR YOUR MOTION. WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND.

I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS CONCERNING THIS TOPIC.

I'D LIKE TO PUT A MOTION FORWARD TO APPROVE THIS MOTION AS DIRECTED.

I MEAN, AS IT'S WRITTEN. SECOND. I JUST HAVE ONE POINT OF ORDER.

AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. CHAIRMAN, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE NOMINATED ONE OF THE ALTERNATES TO MOVE FORWARD.

I KNOW WE DO HAVE ONE VACANCY. I DIDN'T PUT THAT IN.

SO. I'M SORRY. I JUST WANT THAT FOR THE RECORD.

YES. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING THE ORDINANCE AS UPDATED AND DRAFTED BY STAFF, RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED. ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATION PASSES TO SUBMIT TO COUNCIL AT THE EARLIEST DATE BY STAFF.

THANK YOU, SIR. WES, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP HERE IN THE MIDDLE FOR A MINUTE WHERE WE CAN ALL REACH YOU? DO YOU MIND? OKAY. IT IS 6:18. MEETING ADJOURNED.

NOW, COME UP HERE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.