[Call to Order]
[00:00:02]
OKAY.HELLO?
DID YOU GUYS MAKE SURE YOU'RE ON MUTE EXCEPT FOR THE CHAIR? WHO'S ABOUT TO START THE MEETING? COULD EVERYONE PLEASE MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON MUTE? IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THROUGHOUT THE MEETING.
HEY AARON, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND CALL ROLL PLEASE? YES.
THIS IS PATRICK FROM DESIGN COMMISSION CHAIRMAN CAROL PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER FRANCO, RESIDENT COMMISSIONER PLATO.
COMMISSIONER WATLEY AND COMMISSIONER ROLISON.
I DIDN'T HEAR MY NAME CALLED MINORS.
[Item 1A]
OKAY, WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS THEN.ITEM NUMBER ONE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER TOWER FIVE SEE ADDRESSED AT FOUR 15 COLORADO STREET COMBINES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IS THAT TEAM READY TO PRESENT? WE ARE.
PLEASE GO AHEAD FIRST OR WOULD YOU LIKE US TO PROCEED FIRST? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PROCEED.
DO WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION PLEASE? ERIN, DO WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION?
COULD YOU PROVIDE THAT PRESENTATION?
WE'RE STILL ON THE LINE FROM THE CITY.
IT'S JUST WE'RE PULLING UP A PRESENTATION SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING, NO OTHER SOUND HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A HARD TIME HEARING A LOT OF NOISE.
YEAH, THERE IS A COLOR THAT IS NOT MUTED AND THAT'S GIVING US SOME FEEDBACK.
SO WE'RE DOING SOME MANUAL MUTING, BUT IF YOU GUYS KEEP IN MIND, YOU NEED TO BE MUTED IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING RIGHT.
[00:05:05]
YEAH.SO MICHAEL WHALEN, THE CAP OF THE APPLICANT ON POWER FIVE C IN COLORADO.
UH, WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH A DAY TO BLOOM WITH GENSLER IS GOING TO GO THROUGH IT.
AND GEORGE, I'LL BE DOING NEXT SLIDE, SO THAT'S GOOD.
AND THEN CHRIS JACKSON TOO, FROM TBG.
WE'LL BE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GROUND FLOOR.
UH, WE PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE MEETING WITH THE WORKING GROUP AND HAVE INCORPORATED MUCH OF WHAT THEY SUGGESTED AT OUR MEETING.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JORDAN.
IS THERE ANY WAY, MICHAEL, YOU CAN MOVE, GO TO FULL SCREEN WITHOUT, SO WE DON'T SEE THE, UH, YOUR WORKSPACE.
UH, MY SCREEN IS FROZEN SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO STOP AND THEN REDO IT ONE SECOND HERE.
UH, THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING US AND MEETING WITH US.
UM, LIKE MICHAEL SAID, I'M GEORGE BLOOM.
UH, I'M AN ARCHITECT AND A DESIGN DIRECTOR WITH GENSLER AND THE DESIGN DIRECTOR OF THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR.
UH, WE DID APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
I SAY A FEW OF YOU ON THE CALL OVER AT THE WORKING GROUP THAT DAY.
UM, WHEN ON MICHAEL, TELL US WHEN HE'S READY.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE MY SCREEN AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE ME THE PRESENTER, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THAT ABILITY.
IT'S JUST WE'RE TRYING TO PULL IT UP.
I MEAN, ANYONE, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN SHARE IT IF YOU WANT TO, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE IT UP IN JUST A SECOND.
ALL I SEE IS A BLACK SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
CAN YOU GO TO VIEW, DO A CONTROL L IN ACROBAT CONTROL L WOULD BE PERFECT.
ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S A TAB AT THE TOP THAT SAYS VIEW.
ANY MEAN AS AB STAFF HABIT?
HE'S GOING TO OPEN IT UP JUST A SECOND.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRELOADED, SO I'M NOT SURE.
EVERYONE CAN SEE A FULL SCREEN.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
I WILL NAVIGATE PER YOUR QUEUE.
AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS GEORGE AND I THINK YOU GUYS CAN SEE ME WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT.
UM, AGAIN, THANKS FOR HAVING US AND WE REALLY TOOK THE WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE ALL PRETTY AWARE OF THAT.
A CORNER TO DOWNTOWNS, BEST-KNOWN STREETS.
UH, AND OUR GOAL FOR THIS PROJECT WAS ALWAYS TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL AND A UNIQUE, YOU GO TO THE NEXT LINE.
[00:10:01]
FIRST OF ALL, THE SITE IS UNIQUE.UH, IT BACKS UP ON THE SOUTH TO AN ADJACENT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
MOST, UH, THOSE TOWERS AT LEAST THAT I'VE PERSONALLY WORKED ON IN AUSTIN, ARE USUALLY, UH, HAVE A PERIMETER ON ALL FOUR SIDES WITH SOME FORM OF RIGHT AWAY, EITHER STREETS FOR ALLEYS.
UH, SO OUR ALLEY IS ON THE EAST SIDE.
WE HAVE TWO STREETS ON, UH, THE NORTH AND WEST.
THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY IN COLORADO.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, THE SOUTHERN PROPERTY LINE IS A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER PROJECTS JUST IMMEDIATELY TAKING THAT POSITION OF TRYING TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF, AT LEAST WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WAS INSTEAD OF DOING A TYPICAL CENTER, CORE OFFICE BUILDING, WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN WHAT WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE.
A SIDE CORE, UH, OFFICE BUILDING.
SO THIS ALLOWS FOR A MUCH MORE OPEN AND COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE THAT SORT OF SPILLS NORTH FROM THAT SOUTHERN CORE.
AND THERE WERE LOTS OF OTHER BENEFITS TO DOING THAT.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY CONSIDER THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE PROJECT AND HOW IT INTERACTS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE STREET CORNER ITSELF.
SO INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FORCE OR CRAM, UH, SEVERAL PUBLIC FORWARD FACING FUNCTIONS WITHIN WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE 45 TO 50 FEET, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE AS MUCH ADVANTAGE OF THAT STREET CORNER AND REALLY, UH, OPEN THE DOORS TO THE PROJECT, IF YOU WILL, UH, TO THAT STREET CORNER UP IN COLORADO ITSELF.
UH, SO AS NOTED IN THE WORKING GROUP, WE HAVE A RETAIL SPACE TO ACTIVATE THE NORTHEAST CORNER.
UM, THAT'S NOTED HERE AS RETAIL B, UH, THAT, UH, THAT WOULD, THAT'S LIKELY A GOOD LOCATION FOR A RESTAURANT.
UH, BUT OF COURSE IT COULD BE SORT OF RETAIL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, MOST RETAIL IS OBVIOUSLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WANTED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THE WORKING GROUP, UH, SAD ABOUT THAT SORT OF PERCEPTION AND THE IDEA THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT OUR IDEAS BEHIND RETAIL A WERE.
SO RETAIL IS ON THE LEFT IS THE OTHER PINK ONE, AND THIS ONE'S A LITTLE MISLEADING.
UM, THAT FOOTPRINT ALONE THAT SAYS RETAIL A IS SIMPLY A COUNTER SERVICE.
UH, THAT'S COMPARABLE IN SIZE TO THE JOE'S.
UH, THE ORIGINAL JOE'S ON SOUTH CONGRESS.
THAT'S KIND OF THE IDEA HERE, THAT IT IS A JOE'S COFFEE, BUT FROM AN INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE, UH, THAT CAN SERVE COFFEE, GRAB AND GO FOOD, WINE, BEER, ET CETERA.
UH, AND INSTEAD OF HAVING A FORMAL DINING AREA THAT HAS A SENSE OF EXCLUSIVITY, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THAT RETAIL WAS TREAT THE LOBBY AND THEN THIS COVERED PATIO THAT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE AS OUR DINING ROOM.
SO INSTEAD OF A, THIS IDEA OF A PRIVATE DINING ROOM, THIS IS THE IDEA THAT THIS PROJECT BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT BELONGS TO EVERYONE.
AND EVERYONE'S INVITED TO COME IN AND EXPERIENCE THE PROJECTS WITH THE REST OF US.
AND, UH, YOU COULD GRAB A BEER OR, UH, SOME NICE FOOD AT THE COUNTER AND, UM, JUST LOUNGE AND LOITER AND HANG OUT IN THE LOBBY.
OR YOU COULD, UH, GO TO THE PATIO ITSELF AND WHAT WE WERE, WHAT OUR GOAL IS, IS TO FILL THOSE SPACES INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WITH AS MANY SEATING OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE TO REALLY MAKE IT INVITING AND EXCITING AND ACTIVE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
UH, I FAILED TO MENTION A SECOND AGO, I SAID THE COVERED PATIO IN THE NORTH.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT, UH, WE REALLY WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN AUSTIN SINCE THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS ESSENTIALLY SHADED BY THE BUILDING CORE ON THE SOUTH.
WE WANTED TO CREATE AS MUCH OUTDOOR SPACE AS POSSIBLE ON THE GROUND LEVEL AND MAKE IT FEEL VERY PERMEABLE AND ORGANIC AND LIVELY.
UH, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THE STREET CORNER, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ALMOST THIS IDEA THAT PEOPLE WALK THROUGH THE CORNER AND THEY'RE SORT OF PERMEATING THROUGH THAT CORNER.
AGAIN, REALLY JUST REINFORCING THIS IDEA THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN, UH, THE DAILY SORT OF GOINGS ON OF THE PROJECT.
UM, ALSO ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE, YOU'LL NOTICE I WAS LISTED AS THE BIKE LOBBY.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
AND THAT'S FOR USE FOR, UH, THE BUILDING OCCUPANTS.
UH, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PROMOTE ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE PROJECT, UH, AND TO PURSUE A SORT OF HIGHER LEVEL OF SUSTAINABILITY EXCELLENCE.
AND WE'RE PROVIDING SHOWERS, UH, THAT HELP PROMOTE THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY AS WELL.
SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU CAN SEE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURAL ELEMENTS REQUIRED
[00:15:01]
ABOUT A TOWER OF THE SIZE, THE, UH, EGRESS, THEIR REQUIREMENTS, AND ALL THE ELEVATORS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE A BUILDING, UH, THE SORT OF, UH, INNOVATIVE AND, AND COMPLEX TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.ADDITIONALLY, THE OTHER BACK OF HOUSE REQUIREMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE LOADING DOCK, TRASH, UH, AND MEP, UH, FACILITIES, THOSE ARE ALL LOCATED ON THE ALLEY.
SO WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE COULD TO TRY TO REALLY GET THESE UNWANTED ELEMENTS OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ABOUT PUSHING THE ACTIVATION UP TO THE STREET CORNER ITSELF, UH, THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS.
I MENTIONED THAT CHRIS JACKSON FROM TBG, UH, HE'LL FOLLOW UP.
UH, HE'LL EXPLAIN MORE OF THIS, WHAT WE'RE GIVING BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE, UH, THE LANDSCAPE.
I ACTUALLY DON'T SEE HIM AS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
I DON'T SEE THEM EITHER DIALED IN AS A SPEAKER.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING ANYONE LOVES, IT'S WHEN AN ARCHITECT TRIES TO BE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
SO WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE, UH, TO PROMOTE THIS NORTHERN FACING EXPOSURE AND THIS MORE, UH, SORT OF ORGANIC PROCESS AND THAT IDEA OF SORT OF FLOWING AND PERMEATING THROUGH THE SPACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING FUN WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR DESIGN CHARRETTES INTERNALLY WAS LET'S NOT TREAT THIS AS A TYPICAL OFFICE BUILDING.
THAT WAS SORT OF THE MINDSET THAT WENT INTO THE CENTER CORE VERSUS SIDE POUR AND HOW WE WIND UP WITH THE SIDE FOUR AND YOU'LL SEE IN A FEW MINUTES HOW THAT INFORMED THE BUILDING ARCHITECTURE ITSELF.
WE REALLY WANTED THAT TO UM, BECOME SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING TO AT THE GROUND LEVEL.
UM, NOBODY WANTS TO GO INTO AN OFFICE BUILDING.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE OFFICE BUILDING YOUR DAD WENT INTO.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING FUN WE WOULD SAY WAS WHAT AT? THIS WAS LIKE A BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN RIO INSTEAD OF AN OFFICE BUILDING.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO WORK THERE.
EVERYONE WOULD LOVE TO WORK THERE.
AND WE WERE REALLY INSPIRED BY, UH, THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN OF ROBERTO BIRLA MARKS.
HE HAS THESE BEAUTIFUL CONTRASTING PATTERNS OF PAVING AND A GREAT USE OF LUSH GREEN PLANTS AND SORT OF A TROPICAL VARIETY OF PLANTS TO REALLY MAKE SOMETHING FEEL SPECIAL AND ALIVE AND, AND A SORT OF FANTASTIC WAY THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS USED TO SEEING, UH, THE UNIQUE, UH, SOLO ORIENTATION OF THE SITE.
AGAIN, HAVING THE BUILDING FACE NORTH, HAVING THIS COVERED PATIO IN THE NORTH, AND THEN THE BUILDING CORE ITSELF, SHADING FROM THE, UH, THE SOUTH, UH, NOT TO MENTION THE SKYSCRAPERS ON THE WEST.
THAT COVERED PATIO SPACE AT THE INTERSECTION THAT FITS IN COLORADO, UH, IS REALLY IN A UNIQUE POSITION IN TERMS OF A MICROCLIMATE FOR, UH, ANYWHERE IN AUSTIN.
SO INSTEAD OF USING THE TYPICAL NATIVE PLANTS THAT WE WOULD SEE, UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE MORE ADAPTED SPECIES, UH, THAT ARE, UH, PERMITTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, TO USE THOSE ADAPTED SPECIES THAT ARE SHADE LOVING, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE TROPICAL.
UM, AND YOU GET A SENSE OF, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING SORT OF DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE NORMALLY WOULD SEE IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE IMMEDIATELY THE SORT OF DEDICATION TO THIS LUSH SORT OF GREEN SPACE USING THESE UH, SHADE, LOVING, BIG LEAFY GREEN TYPES OF MORE TROPICAL PLANTS EVEN ON THE STREET ITSELF TO CREATE THIS NICE SORT OF GARDEN EXPERIENCE BLOCKING THE UH, THE STREET TRAFFIC, THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FROM THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON THE SIDEWALK.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW WE WERE EXPERIMENTING AND REALLY GOT EXCITED WITH WANTING TO SHARE THIS, THIS DESIGN ETHOS AND THE SYSTEMATIC OF THESE FLOWING SORT OF BURLEIGH MARKS, PAVING PATTERNS AND EXTENDING THOSE INTO THE STREET ITSELF.
THAT WAS SOMETHING WE GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM A CITY, FROM JORGE AND OTHERS SET THE CITY ON.
SO THIS IS SORT OF A VIEW LOOKING THROUGH THAT PERMITTED SPACE.
SO THERE'S THIS IMMEDIATE SENSE THAT I COULD WALK THROUGH THERE.
UM, MY FRENCH IS HORRIBLE AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WERE, THIS WAS EVEN THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF THIS WAS LIKE A, LIKE AN ORGANIC SORT OF MAYBE PSYCHEDELIC PLASTIC BOASTS, UH, IF, IF, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO PARIS, YOU KNOW, THOSE BEAUTIFUL COLONNADES YOU PASS THROUGH FILLED WITH PEOPLE AND LAILA ACTIVITY AND TABLES AND CHAIRS AND PLANTS.
[00:20:01]
THE SENSE OF, UH, IT'S GREAT TO WALK OUTSIDE THE COLUMNS, BUT IT'S ALSO GREAT TO WALK INSIDE THE COLUMNS.YOU REALLY HAVE THE CHOICE AND IT'S LIVELY IN EITHER SENSE.
AND, UH, YOU JUST FEEL THIS NEED TO JUST PASS THROUGH HERE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND, AND THAT'S, UH, EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL WELCOMED TO COME THROUGH HERE.
THE LOBBY ITSELF IS, UH, ON THE LEFT THERE.
AND AGAIN, EVEN WITH THE GEOMETRY OF THE LOBBY, WE WERE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING MORE ORGANIC, SOMETHING NOT QUITE AS STAID, UH, AS OTHER OFFICE PROJECTS WE MAY HAVE SEEN.
YOU KNOW, WE WANTED THIS, AGAIN, THIS DEDICATION TO BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU CAN SEE HERE HOW THE CORNER IS OPEN AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE FEELING THE SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COME IN, YOU'RE WELCOME HERE.
WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS A, WE'RE ALL SORT OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THESE PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
UH, WE REALLY WANTED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE WORKING GROUP SAID.
LIKE I WAS MENTIONING BEFORE, UH, JUST TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF SUCH A COMPLEX PROJECT.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO PUSH ALL THAT ACTIVITY TO THE STREET CORNER OF FIFTH AND COLORADO, UH, AND PUSH THOSE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURAL, UH, CODE REQUIRED ELEMENTS TO THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE SIDE, UH, THAT WAS RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS WE ADDED, UM, TEXTURED PAVING AT THE SIDEWALK TO HELP DELINEATE THE ENTRY TO THE GARAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SENSE OF SAFETY THERE, UH, FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC GOING IN AND OUT OF THE GARAGE ITSELF.
AND THEN FINALLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE, LIKE I WAS MENTIONING, JUST CRAMMING, UM, THOSE ELEMENTS TO THE SOUTH, UH, CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A MURAL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DEVELOP.
AS WE PROCEED THROUGH DESIGN, UH, USING, UH, A MURAL TO HELP, UH, CONCEAL THOSE ELEMENTS ON THE INTERIOR GIVEN THE NEXT LINE.
SO HERE WE ARE WITH THE OVERALL ARCHITECTURE.
IT'S LIKE CHRIS JACKSON'S EMAIL.
UM,
AND WE WENT THROUGH A LONG INTERNAL DESIGN CHARRETTE PROCESS AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST DO A GLASS BOX.
WE WANTED TO MAKE A SHAPE THAT HAD SOME, UH, EXCITEMENT, SOMETHING THAT FELT A LITTLE MORE ORGANIC AND SOMETHING THAT FELT VERY UNIQUE.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE SORT OF TAPERED THE CORNERS OF THE BUILDING AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM WE ALSO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THIS NICE CARVED CUT AT THE TOP.
UH, THAT HELPS US ALSO WITH, UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY A RESPONSE TO THE SOUTHERN CORE.
THE CORE IS ALWAYS THE TALLEST PART OF A SKYSCRAPER AND, UM, ELEMENTS THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE FRANKLY ON THE ROOF OR TYPICALLY ON TOP OF THE BUILDING CORE.
SO BY AIMING THE ROOF LIKE THAT, UH, WE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, UH, VIEWS INTO THE TOWER AND WE CONSIDERED VIEWS OF THE TOWER FROM
AND WE WENT OUR WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF THOSE UNWANTED MOMENTS ARE VISIBLE.
SO BY HAVING THE SLICE TIPPED UP TO SOUTH, THAT'S SORT OF AN ENUNCIATION OF THAT, THAT CORE, UH, BEING ON THE SOUTH.
AND LIKE I SAID, JUST HELPS US SHADE THOSE, UH, SHIELD, UH, VIEWS INTO THOSE UNWANTED ELEMENTS.
YOU CAN SEE TWO CUTS ON THE BUILDING.
UH, WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THE AMENITIES SPACES, OFFICE BUILDINGS TYPICALLY THESE DAYS HAVE A SORT OF ROBUST AMENITY PACKAGES.
AND TYPICALLY THEY'RE SORT OF LOCATED IN SIMILAR LOCATIONS.
WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE.
SO ON THE LOWER DECK WE HAVE A YOGA STUDIO.
UM, AND THE UPPER DECK RIGHT NOW WE ARE DESIGNING THAT AS SORT OF A DUPLICATE OF THE GROUND LEVEL.
SO WE WANT THESE IDEAS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
THESE AREN'T ONE OFF MOMENTS THAT HAPPEN WHEN THE, THE SORT OF DEDICATION TO AN OVERALL AESTHETIC AND AN IDENTITY FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT.
SO THAT AMENITY TERRACE IS DESIGNED IN A SIMILAR WAY WITH A SIMILAR SORT OF BURLEIGH MARKS, UH, PATTERNING AND SORT OF ORGANIC, LUSH, UH, GREEN SPACES.
BUT FROM A VANTAGE POINT, ALMOST 300 FEET IN THE AIR.
SO HERE YOU CAN START TO SEE HOW THE GEOMETRY WORKS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH, THE BUILDING IS PRACTICALLY A RECTANGLE AND IT'S ELEVATION.
[00:25:02]
SO I THINK WE FORGET FREQUENTLY THAT JUST BECAUSE AN BUILDING DRAWN IN ELEVATION AND STRAIGHT LINES LOOKS STRAIGHT, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT IS STRAIGHT.UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE LINES AND THE CORNERS SORT OF SPLAY AND TAPER OUT AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S THAT GEOMETRY COMING INTO PLAY AND THAT'S HOW THE PUBLIC CAN SORT OF SEE AND EXPERIENCE THAT GEOMETRY PULLING APART AND CURVING ORGANICALLY AT THE GROUND, BUT ALSO FROM A SKYLINE PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
SO WE WERE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE IDENTITY OF THE BUILDING SHAPE, UM, IN THE OVERALL CONTEXT OF DOWNTOWN.
WE WANTED TO THINK ABOUT HOW IT WOULD RELATE AND YOU KNOW, PLAY WELL WITH OTHER ICONS.
FROST IS OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE SORT OF ICON OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
MOST PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY AND THIS VIEW WAS REALLY EXCITING.
WE WANTED TO REALLY CONSIDER, UM, THE SHAPE AND THE GEOMETRY OF THE BUILDING, UH, IN RELATION TO MOMENTS LIKE THIS.
IT'S GOT A GREAT SORT OF PRESENCE AND LOCATION IN RELATION TO CONGRESS.
UH, SO THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO SEE AND JUST ENJOY THAT CURVING GLASS AT THE TOP AND AS THAT, HOW IT SLICED OFF, YOU KNOW, FROM DIFFERENT POINTS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND AS I MENTIONED, AS YOU APPROACH IT, YOU'LL SEE THOSE SIMILAR MOMENTS, EVEN AT THE GROUND LEVEL AS IT COMES DOWN TO THE GROUND AND BECOMES THAT COLONNADE.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S OUR GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE DESIGN.
UH, SORRY, CHRIS COULDN'T GET ON.
UM, AT THIS POINT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE GROUP.
I PROMISE I WASN'T TAKING A CSM, BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S SOME SORT OF FIREWALL THAT WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO SPEAK EARLIER, BUT, UM, GEORGE, GREAT JOB JUMPING IN AND, UM, YEAH, WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT QUESTIONS FOLKS HAVE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS?
WHAT WERE THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS? I DON'T SEE, I CAN'T FIND THEM ON A MEMO OR IN THE APPLICATION FORM.
AND THEN, UH, WE LOOK AT COMMISSIONER.
UH, WERE YOU LOOKING AT THE APPLICATION? UH, YEAH, BUT IT SAYS TO LOOK AT THE BETTER
SO I THINK THE
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE FOCUSED ON IN TERMS OF, UH, MEETING THE, THE SPECIFIC GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL, UH, DESIGN GUIDELINES, TRYING TO HIT EACH ONE OF THOSE IN A, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, WHICH IS WHY WE ATTACH THE MATRIX TO OUR APPLICATION.
BUT I THINK PRIMARILY THE PLANTER SYSTEM AND OUTDOOR SEATING SYSTEM AND THEN THE INVITATION TO COME IN TO THE SPACE WITH THAT RETAIL BE ADDED, UH, UH, IN A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY.
I THINK WE'RE THE, THE TAKING OUR PUBLIC, UH, FACING, UH, BENEFITS.
ANYONE ELSE? CAROL? YES, GO AHEAD.
I STATED THIS IN THE FIRST TIME THIS WAS PRESENTED THAT I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT
A LOT OF THAT LIES WITHIN THE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION.
WE'RE NOW HAVING OUR GREAT STREETS PROGRAM
[00:30:01]
AT ONE POINT, I BELIEVE ON THIRD AND COLORADO AND ON FOURTH AND COLORADO, THE PUBLIC REALM HAD REMAINED PART OF THE COLORADO STREETSCAPE AND NOT SPECIFIC TO THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.UM, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, SUPPORT OF THIS DESIGN.
I HAVE NO EXCEPTION WITH DESIGN.
MY CONCERN LIES IN FUTURE PROJECTS THAT IF EACH PROJECT REFLECTS THE ARCHITECTURE OR ANY TYPE OF STRONG, UH, DESIGN EXPRESSION THAT WILL HAVE A HODGEPODGE OF DESIGN SOLUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC REALM.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S A BRIEF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REVISIT.
BUT I JUST WONDER WHO STATE THAT THAT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH DESIGN.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT, BEAUTIFUL DESIGN.
BUT AGAIN, I HAVE CONCERN WITH FUTURE PROJECTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE A GALLERY INSPIRED PROJECT THAT WE WOULD HAVE A BODY SOLUTION IN ONE BLOCK, EARLY MARKS ON ANOTHER AND SO FORTH.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE TO THE COMMISSION AS A CONCERN.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH, CHIME IN IF I CAN.
UM, UH, SO I WAS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP AND I SEE THAT YOU'VE MADE SOME CHANGES, UH, PARTICULARLY TO THE, WHAT DOES THAT, THE WEST SIDE.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THAT SIDE REALLY QUICK JUST SO WE CAN SEE KIND OF WHERE THE MURAL IS?
SO I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE MEETING AS A WORKING GROUP, THERE WERE SOME CONSTRAINTS AS FAR AS THE FACADE WAS CONCERNED.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, HOW DID YOU CLEAR THAT? UM, AND, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MURAL ITSELF, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY SUGGESTIONS WAS TO TRY TO KIND OF REWORK THE STAIRWAY BEHIND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE KIND OF EQUIVALENT TO THE RETAIL SPACE THAT YOU HAVE INSIDE, YOU KNOW, AKIN TO JOE'S COFFEE SHOP.
UM, SO I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE EVOLUTION OF THAT, OF THAT CONVERSATION AND HOW DID YOU LAND HERE? UM, THERE'S A MICRO, MAYBE, UH, WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT GROUND FLOOR, UH, PICTURE, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE HOW CRAMMED IT IS.
AND I'LL LET, UH, GEORGE, UH, ANSWER THAT SPECIFICALLY.
YOU CAN GO BACK TO THAT GROUND FLOOR.
KEEP GOING TO THE, TO THE SCHEMATIC GROUND FLOOR.
UH, JUST IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BUILDING FUNCTION AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE, UM, WE TOOK THOSE COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION AND WE REALLY DID BANG OUR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD, UM, WORK THAT IN OR IF WE COULD CONSOLIDATE ANY OF THE CORE, UM, SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS ULTIMATELY WOULD HAVE BEEN PROHIBITIVE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT.
AND ULTIMATELY WE WEIGHED THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT AGAINST THAT SMALL POINT.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO REVEAL TOO MUCH, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE REWORKED THE CORE TO THAT LEVEL, WE MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AT ALL.
UM, SO JUST TO FOLLOW UP QUESTION THAT STAIRWAY THAT'S THERE IS, IS THAT GOING ALL THE WAY UP THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING OR IS THAT IT MOST CERTAINLY IS ALL THE WAY TO ALL THREE GO TO THE VERY TOP OF THE BUILDING.
SO THE BUILDING IS A, IT'S CONSIDERED A SUPER HIGH RISE OR THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.
UM, THAT MEANS IT'S OVER ITS LAST OCCUPIABLE FLOOR.
UM, MSL IS OVER, UH, AVERAGE MSL MEAN SEA LEVEL IS MORE THAN A 520 FEET ABOVE, UH, ANY ACCESSIBLE, UM, LOCATION FOR THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT ESSENTIALLY.
UH, SO AS A RESULT, WE'RE FORCED TO DO THREE STAIRS.
UH, I'LL BORE YOU FOR A SECOND.
THIS IS A RESULT OF SEPTEMBER 11TH.
UM, PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 11TH, UH, YOU COULD TYPICALLY JUST DO TWO STAIRS AND ANY BUILDING REGARDLESS OF ITS HEIGHT.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD REALLY AFFECT THAT WAS THE OCCUPANCY OF THE BUILDING.
UM, SO WE'RE FORCED TO DO THIS THIRD STAIR.
UH, IN ADDITION, WE NEED ALL THESE ELEVATORS TO EFFECTIVELY MAKE THE BUILDING, UH, FUNCTION AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE KEEP THREE STAIRS, SO BE IT.
CAN WE GET RID OF ELEVATORS? IF YOU GET RID OF ELEVATORS, UM, YOU EFFECTIVELY WOULD BE GETTING RID OF THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO MUCH INTO ECONOMICS, BUT YOU REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING PROBABLY DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
AND WE COULDN'T GET RID OF ELEVATORS NOW WHEN ONLY TWO PEOPLE PER ELEVATOR ARE ALLOWED TO GO UP.
AND THEN TO MY OTHER QUESTION,
[00:35:01]
WITH REGARD TO THE FACADE, DID YOU HAVE LIKE A WAIVER FROM THE, WAS IT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, HOLDING YOU TO THAT FACADE? YEAH, THIS IS MICHAEL WHALEN.WE, UH, AND I'LL TURN THIS BACK TO STAFF BECAUSE STAFF WAS INVOLVED WITH THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THE PRESERVATION OFFICER.
AARON ALSO DID TO CONFIRM THAT THE MURAL CONCEPT WOULD BE ONE THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
I'LL, I'LL LET AARON RESPOND SINCE HE TOO HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS INDEPENDENTLY.
I THINK THAT THE HOST, JUST, UM, YOU WHITNEY, UM, AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, WE DID SPEAK WITH THE, HE, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MURAL HE HAD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAD HOPED TO SEE IS THAT THE MIRROR WITH SOMEWHAT HOMAGE TO THE PAST OF, UH, WHATEVER WAS THERE PRIOR.
UM, BUT HE WOULD RATHER SEE, I BELIEVE ORIGINALLY THERE WAS SOME SORT OF FACADE DIFFERENTIAL THAT YOU GUYS HAD ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.
UM, BUT HE WAS ON BOARD WITH A MURAL PROPOSAL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A NICE UPGRADE FROM THE CONSTRAINT THAT YOU PREVIOUSLY HAD.
UM, SO OVERALL I LOVE THIS BUILDING.
I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE ARE OBVIOUSLY JUST THE ACTIVATION STILL ON THAT EAST SIDE, UM, THAT NOW THERE'S LIKE AN, IT LOOKS LIKE INGRESS.
UM, IS THAT AN EMERGENCY EXIT? WHERE THERE, WHERE THOSE STAIRS ARE OR IS THAT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
YEAH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, GOSH, SOUTHWESTERN NORTHEAST.
SORRY, I'M SO FLIPPED AROUND IN THAT I USUALLY WORK DOWNTOWN.
I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN THERE FOR THREE MONTHS, SO I'VE LOST MY GIRLS.
BUT YEAH, ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE MURAL IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LITTLE AREA NEXT TO THE STAIRS BY WHERE THE MURALS PROPOSED TO GO.
WHAT NOW IS, UH, IS THAT LIKE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THAT, THAT ENTRANCE OR IS THAT EMERGENCY EXIT? NO, THAT IS THE EMERGENCY ACCESS.
UH, THAT'S THE WHAT? THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED THE EXIT AND DISCHARGED FROM THE MEANS OF EGRESS OR THAT STAIR TOWER.
UM, THERE WOULD BE A CARD READER ON THERE.
UM, AND I WOULD, UH, I WOULD, I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THE ABILITY OCCUPANTS WILL LIKELY, UH, SOMETIMES USE THAT AS A SORT OF FAST ENTRY INTO THE BUILDING TO GET TO THEIR ELEVATORS MORE QUICKLY.
UM, NO, IT'S NOT THE PUBLIC ACCESS, I WOULD SAY.
AND THEN MY FINAL POINT, AND THEN I PROMISE I WILL, UH, YIELD.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TOO, WITH THE, THE RETAIL THAT'S INSIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN THAT IT WOULDN'T BE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE AS BEING ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU KNOW, IT MAY SEEM LIKE AN AMENITY FOR THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING, ARE THERE ANY CONSTRAINTS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A SIGN THAT CONNECTS TO THAT RETAIL ON THE OUTSIDE? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
THIS WAS, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE STUDIED A REALLY AMAZING PRECEDENT FOR THIS.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING IN SAN FRANCISCO CALLED TWO 22 SECOND STREET.
IT'S THE NEW, IT'S THE CURRENT HEADQUARTERS FOR LINKEDIN.
IT'S BY A WELL KNOWN ARCHITECT NAMED TOM FEIFFER.
IT'S A LOVELY BUILDING AND THAT LOBBY IS PHENOMENAL.
THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF ART INSIDE.
AND WHAT THEY DID WAS SOMETHING SIMILAR WE'RE PROPOSING HERE.
UM, THEY HAD A COFFEE SHOP AND IT WAS BUILT INTO THE WALL OF THE LOBBY ITSELF.
IN FACT, IT WAS FAR MORE HIDDEN THAN EVEN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, BUT UH, SO THE IDEA IS WAS IF IT EVER SHUTS DOWN, THEN SOMEHOW THE WALL WOULD CLOSE AND IT'S LIKE, IT WASN'T EVEN THERE.
SO IT WAS LIKE THIS BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL, LIKE THE LOBBY WALL WAS OPENING TO REVEAL THIS SORT OF JUUL INSIDE.
AND IT HAS SIGNAGE ON THE OUTSIDE INDICATE ANYWAY.
SO IF YOU'RE EVER IN SAN FRANCISCO OR I RECOMMEND LOOKING IT UP ON GOOGLE, IT'S A VERY ACTIVE COFFEE SHOP AND THAT IS THE A, THAT'S WHAT HELPS THE LOBBY BE SO ACTIVE THERE.
THEY HAVE LOTS OF GREAT SEATING OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT LOBBY.
AGAIN, IT WAS A BIG INSPIRATION FOR US AND WE JUST NOTED THE SUCCESS OF THAT SPACE AND THAT PROJECT AND WE REALIZED THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HADN'T REALLY BEEN DONE IN AUSTIN, UM, AT LEAST TO THAT SUCCESS THAT I'D NOTICED.
AND WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE.
[00:40:02]
BUT YES, I TOTALLY AGREE.WE CAN USE SIGNAGE, HOWEVER WE NEED TO TO HELP, UH, BETTER INDICATE, UH, THE RETAIL INSIDE.
AND IF YOU WERE TO LAND, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR OCCUPANT WHO, UH, WAS A PREDOMINANT, UH, TENANT OF THIS BUILDING, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT THEY COULD KIND OF RESTRICT THE HOURS OF OPERATION OF THAT LOBBY? IS THAT NEGOTIABLE? UH, I DON'T, I DON'T REPRESENT THE OWNER, UM, BUT, UH, THAT WE MOW A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS FREQUENTLY WORK THAT WAY.
UM, IF AN ANCHOR TENANT WOULDN'T BE GOOD ENOUGH, I'M PROBABLY REVEALING A LITTLE TOO MUCH ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY HERE.
UH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A FULL BUILDING TENANT TO TRULY CONTROL THE LOBBY TOP TO BOTTOM.
AS THE PROJECT I WORKED ON THIRD AND THE SHOAL, THE MAJORITY TENANT THERE IS FACEBOOK, SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SECURITY, UM, CO-MANAGING THE ENTRY DESK WITH THE BUILDING OPERATOR.
UM, SO THERE ARE WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU CONTROL THE MAJORITY OF A BUILDING, YOU CAN SOMEWHAT CONTROL THE LOBBY, BUT YOU CAN'T COMPLETELY LOCK IT DOWN.
SO IF YOUR CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, UM, IF THERE'S AN ANCHOR TENANT, UH, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO RESTRICT THE PUBLIC FROM GOING IN? THEY'RE UNLIKELY.
IF IT'S A FULL BUILDING TENANT, IT'S POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S AN, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF THIS IS A PUBLIC AMENITY AND PART OF THE SELLING POINT, UM, AS ADDING, YOU KNOW, UM, ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC, IF THAT DOES SOUND ACCESSIBLE, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MISSED THE MARK.
LET ME DO ONE FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
MAKE IT SOUND LIKE, UM, UH, CURSING IT.
UM, HAVEN'T, IT'S LIKE FACEBOOK OR GOOGLE, UM, LARGE TECH COMPANIES THAT ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION, EMPLOYEE RETENTION, GETTING THE BEST TALENT POSSIBLE.
UM, I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOUNG EDUCATED, UH, PROGRESSIVE, UM, MILLENNIAL, UH, PROFESSIONALS ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THE AMENITIZED PROJECTS WHERE THEY WANT TO WORK AND THE COMPANIES THAT THEY WORK FOR AND WHAT THOSE COMPANIES STAND FOR.
IF I WAS A LARGE TECH COMPANY AND I AT LEAST THIS WHOLE BUILDING AND I TOLD THE BUILDING OWNER, GET RID OF THAT RETAIL, PRETTY SURE MY EMPLOYEES WOULD BE VERY UPSET, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
COMMISSIONER, I WOULD ADD ONE OTHER THING.
THE OUTDOOR SPACE AS, UH, A LEVEL OF PERMANENCE TO IT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC INVITATION.
YOU CAN SEE HERE A LITTLE BIT, THERE'S ACTUALLY BENCHES THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE PLANTER DESIGN.
CHRIS JACKSON, UH, ELEVATED THAT AS A, YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY THOSE FROM THE PUBLIC, IF YOU WILL IN TERMS OF THERE IT IS.
IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY TO, UH, USE THAT PUBLIC SPACE.
SO I, I THINK YOU'VE GOT A SENSE OF PERMANENCE THERE REGARDLESS, AND THE BUILDING OWNERS CAN TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE TRY TO, UH, ENSURE THAT THE GROUND LEVEL IS AS ACTIVE AND PUBLIC FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE REGARDLESS OF THE LEASING.
I JUST, I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS BEING TAKEN OVER AND THEN HAVING ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC EITHER SHUT OFF OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, HAVING HOURS OF OPERATION THAT LIMITED TO THE WORKDAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN AN AREA THAT DOES HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE STILL LEFT IN IT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE MY KEY TRENDS IN ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DO TO, UM, ADDRESS THOSE WITH, UH, THE OWNER WOULD BE GREAT.
I WOULD EVEN RECOMMEND TO MY CLIENT, THE OWNER THAT, UH, PROHIBITING THE SUCCESS OF THOSE RETAIL ACTIVATED SPACES IS PROHIBITING THEIR SUCCESS.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS MYSELF.
UM, THE PARKING, UH, I DON'T SEE THAT ADDRESSED ANYWHERE.
IS THAT ALL UNDERGROUND? ABOVE GROUND? IT'S ALL ABOUT GRID, ALL ABOVE GRADE.
AND, UH, HOW ARE YOU PARKING IT? I MEAN, HOW MANY SPACES
ARE YOU DOING REDUCED PARKING? AND HOW MANY SPACES ARE YOU INCLUDING? UH, IT'S SLIGHTLY REDUCED.
TYPICALLY DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, YOU'D SEE A TWO TO 2.25 FOR NET RENTABLE SQUARE FOOT PARKING RATIO.
IT'S NOT THE LARGEST REDUCTION, BUT IT IS, OR IT IS STILL REDUCTION.
UM, WE CAN ONLY BUILD SO MUCH PARKING PHYSICALLY AND FRANKLY FINANCIALLY.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A QUARTER BLOCK, AGAIN, A VERY UNIQUE CONDITION.
AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT A CONVERTIBLE GARAGE.
UH, WE DIDN'T, UH, EXHAUSTIVE STUDIES.
[00:45:01]
GARAGE, WE'D GET LIKE 10 SPACES A LEVEL.AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A DEAD PROJECT RIGHT THERE.
UM, THE PARKING IS ALL ABOVE GRADE.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO CURB CUTS ON FIFTH STREET.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, AUSTIN, UH, ATB ALSO DID NOT WANT ANY CURB CUTS ON FIFTH STREET.
UH, SO IT BEHOOVES US TO DO ONE CURB CUTS AND ONE CURB CUT ALONE.
AND, UH, JUST OUT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM ATD, WE HAD TO PUT IT ON COLORADO, BUT WE WANTED TO GET IT AS FAR AWAY FROM, UH, THAT STREET CORNER AS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO THAT'S ALL ABOVE GRADE PARKING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
UM, AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT.
IF YOU, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE RENDERINGS AS WELL, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO CONCEAL THE GARAGE.
IT'S COMPLETELY COVERED IN SPANDREL GLASS.
UM, WE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW IT WAS THERE.
IT'S A MECHANICALLY VENTILATED GARAGE.
THERE IS, UH, NO PERFORATED METAL, NO SCREENING, NO NOTHING.
IT IS COMPLETELY CONCEALED TO LOOK LIKE THE REST OF THE BUILDING.
UH, EVEN THE GRID OF THE CURTAIN WALL ITSELF MATCHES THE GRID OF THE OFFICE ABOVE.
UH, FRANKLY IT'S KIND OF A MAGIC TRICK TO MAKE YOU THINK THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT LOOKS LIKE AN OCCUPIED SPACE.
AND JUST THE OTHER COMMENT I HAD WAS JUST, I, MMM.
I REALLY LIKED THE CORNER, UH, FIFTH AND COLORADO, HOW IT'S BEEN CUT AND YOU KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH THAT SPACE OR THAT LANDSCAPING.
BUT MY CONCERN WITH THAT SPACE IS THE DOUBLE HEIGHT.
UH, IT DOESN'T REALLY PROVIDE A GOOD SCALE FOR PEDESTRIANS, ESTIMATORS, RENDERINGS VERY MOST CAVERNOUS.
UM, COMPARED TO THAT HEIGHT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MAYBE 35 FEET OR MORE, UH, TO, TO THE SOFFIT THERE.
I JUST WONDER IF THERE WAS ANY THOUGHT, UH, TO BRING THAT SCALE DOWN SOMEHOW AT ALL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE WORKING GROUP, BUT, UM, I JUST FIND THAT HELP THAT HELPS TO ACTIVATE SPACES A LITTLE MORE WHEN THERE, WHEN MORE RELATABLE SCALE THAN THESE, YOU KNOW, TALL, TALL COLUMNS AND SHEETS OF GLASS IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, NO, THAT WAS NOT BROUGHT UP IN THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, IT'S A 25 FOOT CLEAR SPACE TO BE CLEAR.
UM, AND THIS IS CHRIS JACKSON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN.
UM, ONE THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS, UH, PART OF THE REASON THAT KIND OF KEEP THAT HIGHER TO, UM, IN ORDER TO GET NATURAL LIGHT INTO THE VEGETATION AREAS, WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT EXPERIENCE BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND DESIRABLE FROM A HUMAN COMFORT STANDPOINT.
UM, THAT THAT ALLOWS BETTER KIND OF LINES OF, UM, LIGHT ACCESS INTO THE SPACE IN THE MORNING, UH, TO THE EAST COMING KIND OF DOWN THE FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR.
UM, AND THEN IN THE AFTERNOON TO THE WEST, UM, TRYING TO GET THAT SUN IN THE, IN THE LATE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE SUN MOVES BEYOND THE WESTERN BUILDINGS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND.
UH, I'M WONDERING THOUGH, UM, IF I CAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION TO SUGGEST THAT THE OWNER, UM, ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC SPACE REMAINS PUBLIC.
UM, SO THAT'S KINDA MY ONE QUESTION IS IF I CAN MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO JUST ENSURE SOME SUCCESS THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'D BE WILLING TO, TO ENDORSE IT A HUNDRED PERCENT AND I'M KIND OF ENDORSING IT, UM, A LITTLE BIT UNDER A HUNDRED PERCENT AT THIS POINT.
WELL, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR SURE, BUT THAT'S ALL IT WOULD BE, IS A RECOMMENDATION.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE COMMISSION OF THE MOTION, INCLUDE A FINDING.
OR COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OR NOT.
[00:50:03]
SO I, OKAY.I THINK YOU'RE COMMISSIONER MINORS.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO FIND SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE BUT ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THAT RETAIL BUSINESS LOOK AT THEIR HOURS EXTENDED BEYOND THE REGULAR BUSINESS HOUR A DAY? YEAH, I JUST REMAINING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL TO HAVE IT EXTEND BEYOND THOSE, THOSE HOURS.
BUT UM, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, VOTE ON THIS, THIS MEETING THE GUIDELINES AND THEN YOU KNOW, HAVE THE TENANT SAY, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR PRIVATE USE OR RESTRICT THE USE.
DOES ANYONE WANT TO SECOND THAT MOTION? OKAY, I'LL SECOND IT MYSELF THEN.
WELL THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION.
NEED TO BE ACCEPTED AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR BECAUSE IT WAS MADE BY THE PERSON MAKING THE MOTION.
THE MAKER OF THE MOTION INCLUDED THAT AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, JUST ENCAPSULATED AS PART OF THAT MOTION.
I BELIEVE THERE'S OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU WANT TO COMMENT WHO, WHO WANTS TO CUT THROUGH ONCE.
UM, THEN WE'LL PUT IT TO VOTE.
UM, DOES EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO VIDEO? WOULD HELP IF I COULD SEE FOR THIS? UM, I, I DON'T HAVE THIS TIME.
ARE YOU OKAY RIGHT NOW? THOSE OPPOSED? I THINK
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
WHAT, UH, WHAT ITEM ARE WE ON? THIS IS CHRIS.
[Items 1B & 7]
WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM ONE B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE EMS STATION.YEAH, THIS IS CHRIS PGL AND I'M HERE FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND I'VE GOT A SLEW OF, UH, UH, THE TEAM.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ON IN COMBINATION BETWEEN THE FIVE ONE TWO NUMBER, WHICH IS THIS ONE AND THE FOUR OH EIGHT NUMBER.
UM, BUT UH, YEAH, THERE'S THE FLOW OF CITY OFFICE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, FIRE EMS STAFF AND UH, CONSULTANTS AS WELL.
AND UM, I'LL GIVE THE BULK OF THE INITIAL PRESENTATION AND THEN, UM, I THINK FROM THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, NOBODY COULD HEAR THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND HE MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE FOUR OH EIGHT NUMBER.
AND SO WHEN I HEARD THAT I FLIPPED FROM THE FOUR OH EIGHT NUMBER, THE FIVE ONE TWO NUMBER.
AND UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE INDEED THAT FOUR OH EIGHT NUMBERS CAN'T BE HEARD.
UM, AND I KNOW SOME OF MY CREW IS ON THAT FOUR OH EIGHT NUMBER.
UM, BUT UM, BUT AT LEAST I'M ON HERE AND I CAN GIVE THE INITIAL PRESENTATION FOR SURE.
IS THE PERSON AT CITY HALL AVAILABLE TO BRING UP THAT PRESENTATION?
[00:55:05]
HELLO? ONE SECOND.WE'RE COMING UP ON 30 MINUTES, SO WE'RE GOING TO REALLY NEED TO PICK UP THE PACE HERE A LITTLE BIT TO TRY AND GET THROUGH THE AGENDA.
AT LEAST GET THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AND A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THOSE PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN WE CAN POSTPONE THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR A FUTURE DATE.
HE HAS SEE THE PRESENTATION YET? I DID.
CAN YOU SEE A BIG, YOU SEE A BIG RED PAGE? OKAY.
I DON'T, I, I'VE GOT IT ON MY MACHINE SEPARATE NET AND SO DOES THE REST OF MY TEAM.
I'VE GOT A BIG PAGE NUMBER AT THE TOP RIGHT THAT WE CAN USE IF WE GET LOST.
UM, AS WE GO, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, NEXT PAGE AND THEN IF, LIKE I SAID, WE LOSE TRACK.
I'VE GOT A PATIENT NUMBER IN THE TOP RIGHT.
UM, SO WE, I'VE GOT 27 PAGES, I CAN MOVE PRETTY QUICK.
SO GO AHEAD AND GO TO PAGE TWO.
LET'S DO IT TO THE BIG PICTURE.
UM, THE, HE HAD DONE THE DESIGN BUILD CONTRACTOR.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY TO DO FIVE FIRE EMS STATIONS.
WE PRESENTED ACTUALLY ON MAY 20TH OF LAST YEAR, THE FIRST FIRE STATION, WHICH WAS BUILD ALLEY.
THAT PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WILL BE DONE IN A COUPLE MONTHS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE SECOND, UM, AND IT IS IN PREVIS COUNTRY, WHICH IS UM, UH, JUST WEST OF MOPAC ALONG TWO 90.
UH, WE ARE IN RIGHT TOWARDS THE BACK END OF SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AND UH, ARE ABOUT TO START PUTTING A MAC GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE, UH, FOR THIS STATION.
WE'RE SUBMITTING FOR BUILDING PERMIT, UH, EARLY JUNE.
UM, SO IT IS A 50,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, STATION WITH FOUR APPARATUS PHASE.
UM, IT IS SUBJECT TO SOME CHAPTER II, WHICH DROVE SOME OF THE, UH, DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR SURE.
UH, IT'S GOT A, UH, IT IS A TWO LEVEL STATION.
SO WE UH, FIRING THIS ONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND IT'S GOT A TRAINING TOWER FEATURE.
UM, AND THEN IT HAS ALL THE OTHER PIECES AND PARTS OF A FIRE STATION.
UM, SO WHEN YOU GO TO PAGE THREE, I'VE GOT SOME SITE CONTEXTUAL IMAGES.
THAT LITTLE RED DOT ON PAGE THREE IS, UM, THE SIDE, THE SIDE.
AND LIKE I SAID, JUST WEST OF MOPAC ALONG ON THE NORTH FEEDER OF HIGHWAY TWO 90, UH, NEXT PAGE.
IT'S SURROUNDED BY OFFICE BUILDING, UH, SOME RETAIL, UM, KIND OF A MIXED BAG OF, UH, ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.
UM, UH, NEXT PAGE, A LITTLE SITE, UH, EXCELLENT THEM BIRDS BIRDSEYE ACT.
SO, UM, THE BUILDINGS AROUND ARE, YOU KNOW, UP TO TWO STORIES.
[01:00:01]
IT'S A VERY STRONG ORIENTATION IN RELATION TO THE THEATER AND THE HIGHWAY.UM, SIX PAGE, UH, SITE CONTACT IMAGERY, UH, TWO IMAGES OF THE FEEDER ROAD, UM, RUNNING RIGHT ALONG THE SITE.
I'M SORT LOOKING FROM THE THEATER ROAD INTO THE SITES.
YOU'LL NOTICE, UM, THE SITE HAS SOME EXISTING ASPHALT ON IT.
UM, THAT EXISTING ASPHALT, UH, KEY, UH, FACTOR WAS THERE WAS ENOUGH DAY ONE ASPHALT ON HERE TO PUT THE SITE INTO A CLASSIFICATION THAT IT WOULD BE REDEVELOPMENT WAS REALLY ALLOWED.
UH, I THINK THE PROJECT THAT HAPPENED FROM A CIVIL ENGINEERING, UH, BOSTON DEVELOPMENT CODE STANDPOINT ALSO DOES HAVE SOME, UH, EXISTING ASPHALT TO LOOK, GET REMOVED AND UH, RECONFIGURES AS GO NEXT PAGE.
UH, SAME, JUST ANOTHER PHOTO OF THE SITE LOOKING BACK TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY IN THE FEEDER ROAD.
UH, NEXT PAGE, PAGE NINE, UM, SURVEY, UM, SHOWING THE 1.4 ACRES AND UM, NEXT PAGE, PAGE 10.
THIS IS UM, WELL WE STARTED WALKED THROUGH SOME OF THE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, UM, SITES SLOPED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON THIS PAGE.
UH, PUTTING THE NEED FOR THE WATER QUALITY, UH, TREATMENT AT THE UM, OR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SITE, UH, FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE PETER ROAD.
UM, THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS OLD PATH IS A HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL MASTER PLAN, UM, SIDEWALK.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S BEING ACCOMMODATED RIGHT THERE ALONG THE THEATER.
UH, IT IS A TECH STOP THEATER ROAD.
SO THAT DROVE, UM, THE REALITY THAT WE COULDN'T DO ANY ADDITIONAL CURB CUTS.
YOU'LL SEE IT LABELED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIPELINE, PRIVATE DRIVES.
THAT'S GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE ACCESS, UM, TO AN IN AND OUT OF THE APPARATUS SPACE AND STAFF PARKING.
SO THAT'S, THEY FEEL THE PRIMARY ACCESS.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF SESSIONS AWARE OF UP INTO THE, UH, OFF THE PRIVATE DRIVES, ENDECA SUCH A BIG BASE WOULD BE, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT 100 FOOT STEP BACK.
SO THESE ARE BASICALLY THE CONSTRAINT, UH, THAT DROVE THE WAY THE SITE PLAN RESOLVES ITSELF.
PAGE 11, BASICALLY STARTS TO SHOW HOWEVER HE WAS GOING TO RESOLVE ITSELF.
UM, WATER QUALITY BECAME, UH, TO SORT OF MAXIMIZE THE SITE AVAILABLE TO FIRE EMS AS YOU BECAME A WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.
UH, BOTH FEATURE THERE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER.
UH, STAFF PARKING GOT TO THE REAR OF THE SITE AS IT WERE GOING TO END UP USING THE BUILDING TO CONDUCT A MASK IT AND MAKE IT MORE PRIVATE.
UH, FIRE EMS WAS INTERESTED IN, UH, TRAINING SPACE.
UH, SO WE ALLOCATED A TRAINING AREA, WHICH YOU'LL SEE KIND OF TIE INTO THE, WHERE THE TRAINING TOWER PLAYS OUT.
UM, SO IS IT JUST SORT OF THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF HOW THE SITE STARTS TO LAY OUT? OKAY.
UH, JUST I RANDOMLY SHOWS, UM, STARTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A VISIBLE PUBLIC ENTRANCE, UH, FROM THE FRONT OF THE ROAD FOR SOME CHAPTER II.
UM, YOU SEE THE STATION STARTS TO LAY OUT ON THE SITE WITH THE APPARATUS BAYS, THE ACCESSIBLE OFF THE, UH, ENTRANCE BAY DRIVE OFF THE PRIVATE DRIVE, UM, AND HOW THE PARKING WILL BE AT THE REAR, KIND OF RELATED TO THE, UH, STATION ITSELF.
MY NEXT PAGE, PAGE 13, I AM HERE, YOU START TO SEE, UM, THE WAY THE SITE PLAN PLAYS OUT.
UM, AFTER FURTHER DIALOGUE WITH THE CITY, OUR SORT OF INITIAL A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK CONSTRAINT TO THE START OF THE INTEREST BASE.
UM, UH, GOD, UH, UH, CHANGE THE 75 FEET, WHICH HELPED, UH, UH, GET A GOOD ACCESS IN AND OUT OF THE APPARATUS SPACE.
UH, SO BASICALLY
UM, AND THEN THERE'LL BE A PUBLIC ENTRANCE ACCESSIBLE WITH SIDEWALKS, UH, FROM THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND THE, UM, BIKE AND HIKE TRAIL OR PATH ALONG THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
[01:05:01]
PLAN A BIT FURTHER RESOLVED.UM, THE FIRE EMS STATION ITSELF IS A TWO STORY VOLUME AND THEN THE BAYS, UM, OKAY.
OR IT'S SOME SORT OF OWN VOLUME AT A, YOU KNOW, HIGH VOLUME, ONE STORY SPACE FOR THE HEIGHT OF THE TRUCKS.
UM, SO THERE'LL BE KIND OF A FRONT YARD IN RELATION TO THE THEATER ROAD AND THEN THE BUILDING AND THEN THE STAFF PARKING AND SORT OF A BACKYARD, UH, FOR THE STAFF TO USE FOR TRACING AND COOKING AND RECREATIONAL AREA ALONG AN EXERCISE, UM, AS SORT OF A BACKYARD.
NEXT PAGE, PAGE 16, I QUICK LOOK AT THE FLOOR PLANS.
UH, FIRST FLOOR IS REALLY DEDICATED BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY APPARATUS AND SPELLS.
AND THEN FROM A FUNCTION STANDPOINT, IT'S THE DAY ROOM KITCHEN, UH, GYMNASIUM, FOOD PANTRY.
UH, ALL THE RELATED HERE, UH, STORAGE.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND STORY VOLUME OF THE TWO STORY RECTANGLE IS ALL DEDICATED TO THE FIRE, EMS AND UH, SLEEP ROOMS, UH, OLD STUDIES AND LIBRARIES AND ALL OF THE UH, SHOWER, UH, RESTAURANT FACILITIES YOU SEE IN THE PLAN ON THE RIGHT EDGE OF BOTH PLANS, UH, SORT OF A SQUARE, A STAIR AND AN ELEVATOR.
THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE PIECES THAT FORM A HIGHER, UH, TRAINING STAIR THAT THEY CAN USE TO TRAIN, KIND OF ACCESSIBLE FROM THE STAFF PARKING AND THE EXTERIOR LAWN SPACE AND THE SPACE.
PAGE 16, UM, STARTING TO LOOK AT THE VOLUME OF THE BUILDING.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A REFLECTION OF THE TWO STORY VOLUME.
UM, AND THE STORY AND I HAVE VOLUME OF THE BASE.
UH, PAGE 17, IF YOU FLIP PAGES BASICALLY CHRONICLES ALL THE THINGS THAT THE ARCHITECTURE NEEDED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MAP AND, UH, DESIGN THE FACADE.
UH, WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, OVERHANGS FOR SUB CHAPTER E ON THE GLAZING AND ENTRANCE THAT'S FULL AND VISIBLE FROM THE PUBLIC, UM, PROTECTION OF ENTRANCES.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE WAY THE GLAZING OR THE OPENINGS PLAY OUT IN THESE FACADE, RIGHT, THE SUBJECT OR A CHRONIC CHRONICLES.
UM, THOSE THINGS WE HAD TO TAKE CONSIDERATION.
UM, AS WE TALKED, UM, AS A PROJECT TEAM, THE CONTEXT OF THE SITE CERTAINLY DIDN'T LEND A CERTAIN STYLE AND AESTHETIC.
AND SO EVERYONE AGREED THAT THIS WAS A STATION THAT COULD, UM, KIND OF BE ITS OWN PIECE ARCHITECTURALLY.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE ARCHITECTURE BECOMES PRETTY MODERN AND DISTINCT.
UH, WE BELIEVE, UH, SO HE FLIPPED TO THE NEXT PAGE, PAGE 18, UH, YOU'LL SEE THE FIRST ARTICULATION OF THE FACADES, UH, WITH THOSE SAME BULLET POINTS SHOWING THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THE WAY WE PLAY OUT THE SUB CHAPTER E GLAZING PERCENTAGES IN THE FACADES.
UM, AND, UH, SO IT BECAME A PRETTY MODERN, UH, MANIFESTATION OF, UH, HOW WE ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UM, SO YOU FLIP PAGE TO PAGE 19.
YOU'LL SEE THE ADDITIONAL MATERIALITY, UM, HERE TO SEE THE UH, UPLOADING MATERIALS.
ONE BEING A, UM, UH, CORRUGATED MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT WORD, BUT, UH, UH, METAL PANEL, UM, WITH SOME PROFILE, UH, AT A SLIGHT ANGLE.
AND THEN, UH, THE DARK COLOR IS GOING TO BE A DARK MASONRY, A COMBINATION OF, UH, DARK CMU AND DARK BRICK.
UM, AND, UH, SO THAT'S SORT OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS STATION AND YOU'LL SEE IT FROM THE FEEDER ROAD.
LONG TWO 90, NEXT PAGE, PAGE 20, UH, JUST A DIFFERENT VIEW.
UM, THIS IS THE LONG SOCIETY YOU SEE ON THE LEFT EDGE OF THIS SITE IS THE ONE FACING, UM, A NEIGHBOR AND ALONG THE SORT OF PRIVATE SLEEP ROOMS ALONG THAT FACADE.
OKAY, NEXT PAGE, PAGE 21, THIS IS FROM THE BACK.
ASP TRAINING AREA, EXERCISE AREA, PATIO AREA.
AND THERE YOU SEE THE UH, PROTRUDED OUT, UH, FRAME STARE.
YOU SEE IT'S KIND OF CARVED UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO STAFF, UH, SORRY, MISSING TRAIN UP AND DOWN THAT STAIR, UM, AND CLIMB UP TO THE ROOFTOP.
AND UH, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF A SEPARATE LITTLE PROTRUSION SERVING AS THAT TRAINING STAIR.
UH, REALLY THAT FRONT YARD, UH, BETWEEN THE STATION
[01:10:01]
AND, UH, THE FRONTAGE ROAD, UM, UH, BECAME A SORT OF COMBINATION OF, UH, A FOREGROUND THAT'S MUCH MORE NATURAL.AND THEN AS WE GET CLOSE TO THE BUILDING, IT TRANSITIONS TO A SORT OF, UM, LINEAR LINES OF DIFFERENT PLANTING ZONES THAT SORT OF, UH, SORT OF COMBINE OR PLAY OFF OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND THOSE, UH, RIBBON WINDOWS OR STRIP WINDOWS OF THE MAIN FACADE.
UM, PAGE 23, THE NEXT PAGE SHOWS A VIEW OF THOSE LANDSCAPE BANDS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PLANNING ZONES AND GAVE YOU A WELL THAT CAN POTENTIALLY SERVE AS SEATING AREAS AS WELL FOR ANY PUBLIC OR, UM, STAFF COMING IN AND OUT OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S HOW THAT PLAYS OUT ON THAT FRONT FACADE.
UH, NEXT PAGE, PAGE 24, UM, HERE'S A PICTURE OF THAT SORT OF MORE NATURAL FOR ZONE, UH, WITH THE MORE GRITTED OR, UH, REGIMENTED LANDSCAPE, YOU KNOW, ON IT AND THEN THE BUILDING BEYOND IT.
THE PRESENTATION INCLUDES, UM, SOME, UH, INITIAL PLANTING IDEAS FOR, UH, THOSE ZONES.
UH, ONE OF THE FIRE EMS, UH, UH, STRIVES TO HAVE THESE AS LOW MAINTENANCE AS POSSIBLE.
SO HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THAT, UH, IN SOME OF THESE SELECTIONS.
SO PAGE 25 AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE, PAGE 26, UH, SO SOME OF THE, UH, CONTROL TREES, UH, PAGE 27, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEWS.
SO, UH, THIS ONE IS, UM, OUR DELL VALLEY STATION IS DOING AGB CERTIFICATIONS.
THIS ONE IS GOING TO, UH, WORK TOWARDS THE LEAD SILVER AND IN THE LEAD 4.0 IT'S, UH, BECOME INHERENTLY UNDERLYINGLY TRICKIER.
UM, BUT WE ARE, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, HITTING THE LOW ENDS OF SILVER, UH, CREDITS WHERE LOOKING INTO IT TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE CUSHION IN THAT LOW 50 POINTS ARE INTENTIONAL THAT WE COULDN'T CLAIM BIKE TRAIL AS LINKING TO, UM, GREATER TRANSPORTATION AND GETTING SOME CREDIT THERE.
AND THEN TRYING TO APPEAL TO THE RAINWATER, UH, CREDITS IN RELATION TO THAT.
WE'RE PLAYING, WE'RE DEALING WITH A CIVIL HAND GIVEN US TO BY CITY REGULATION THEN, UH, WORKING WITHIN THAT.
AND SO, UM, WOULD BE TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE POINTS IN RELATION TO GETTING THEM A MORE EFFICIENT AND IT'S 50, BUT WE ARE, UH, HEADED TOWARDS THE SILVER AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO THERE ARE FIRE EMS STAFF ON THE CALL, YOU KNOW, CITY OF AUSTIN, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, LANDSCAPE CIVIL.
AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHO CAN SPEAK AND YOU CAN'T SPEAK.
UH, BUT UH, UM, THEY'RE OUT THERE FOR POTENTIAL ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, YEAH, FEEL FREE TO, UH, UH, GIVE US ANY FEEDBACK AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE ONE CHAIR.
MY QUESTION IS REGARD REGARDING THE ACCESS FROM THE FRONTAGE ROAD VIA SIDEWALK.
RIGHT NOW IT'S SHOWN AGAINST THE DRIVEWAY CURB CUT IN FRONT OF THE ENTRY SIGN.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO MOVE THAT OFF THE BACK OF CURB OR A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY STANDPOINT TO HAVE A MORE SIGNIFICANT SHADED ENTRY COMING OFF OF THE FUTURE URBAN TRAIL ALONG TWO 90.
THE PRESENTER GOES TO THE NAVY TO PAGE 14.
YOU GUYS ON PAGE 14 NOW? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS UH, THAT SIDEWALK, THE ONE RIGHT AGAINST THE PRIVATE DRIVE, UM, VERSUS TEACHING.
UM,
IN FACT, I THINK MAYBE AT TIMES WE'VE DRAWN IT DIFFERENTLY THAN THIS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S A FAIR COMMENT AND WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND UH, I BELIEVE THE ROUTE WAS SELECTED BECAUSE WE NEEDED, WE ARE VERY TIGHT ON IMPERVIOUS COVER AND WE NEEDED TO GET THE ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE FROM THAT PARKING SPACE THERE.
SO IT, IT HELPS WITH IMPERVIOUS COVER TO ROUTE IT THAT WAY.
[01:15:02]
OKAY.WELL I DON'T THINK I'M TALKING ABOUT ADDING IMPERVIOUS COVER.
IT'S MORE OF THE ALIGNMENT, JUST THE WAY IT ENTERS THE SITE FROM THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
YOU HAVE SUCH A LUSH AND INVITING LANDSCAPE AND YET THE SIDEWALK TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE DRIVEWAY.
WHY CAN'T WE JUST BRING IT FURTHER WEST INTO THE SITE, KEEP THE SAME AMOUNT OF THEM AND MAKE SURE IT'S SHAPED AND MAKE SURE IT'S SHADED.
IT WAS UNCLEAR TO ME BECAUSE WE ZIPPED THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE PLAN PRETTY QUICKLY, WHETHER THAT WAS A SHADED SIDEWALK OR NOT.
SO MY ISSUES ARE TWOFOLD FOR THE LOCATION AND MAKING SURE IT'S STRAIGHT.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION SINCE I HAVE THE MICROPHONE IS, IS THERE AN OUTDOOR SPACE NEAR THE FRONT DOOR THAT HAS SHADED FOR PEDESTRIANS AND IS THERE AN OUTDOOR SPACE FOR THE, THE USERS OF THE FIRE STATION TO HAVE SHADED OUTDOOR SPACE FOR THEIR COMMUNAL USE?
AND UM, THERE ARE THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, SHADE TREES ALONG THAT PATH AND UH, UM, ALONG THE WAY, UM, AND THEN EMPLOYEE TO SEE IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE CAN SEE IT, BUT I DON'T SEE IT.
ANYBODY SEE PAGE 23?
YEAH, THE SIDEWALK HITTING TWO 90.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE RESPONSE TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION ABOUT THE ENTRY.
IS THERE A BENCH OR SOMETHING THERE? SO MIKE, YEAH.
THEY UM, AS THEY GET CLOSER TO THE BUILDING AND UH, THERE'S A GAPING WALL FOR POTENTIAL SEATING AND THOSE TREES THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S A BIT OF A CANOPY AS YOU GET RIGHT TIGHT INTO THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
AS FAR AS SHADE FROM THE FIRST SEGMENT OF SIDEWALK, UM, I BELIEVE IT'LL SAY YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE RECEIVED THAT, ARE WE NOT? WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE TREES ALONG THE FRONT OF HER ON A TWO 90.
IS THAT TRUE? THAT'S, THAT'S NOT MINE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
I'M REFERRING TO FROM TWO 92 THE FRONT DOOR.
SO PEDESTRIAN ALONG TWO 90 ACCESSING OUR SITE IS THAT LONG STRETCH OF SIDEWALK JADED.
RIGHT NOW IT'S AGAINST THE DRIVEWAY.
I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN MOVE IT WEST.
SO PAGE 24 IS PROBABLY THE BEST AND FOR YOU TO SEE THAT.
SO PAGE 24, THE FIRST SECTION, SIDEWALK, THE ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS TRYING TO GET OFF THE ROAD IS NOT SHADED.
SO KEN, THAT MOVE WEST AND THAT MOVE WEST AND HIT THE VISITOR PARKING LOT SIDEWALK.
AND THEN PUT, THEY PUT TREES TO SHADE IT.
IF WE CAN OR CANNOT DO SOME SHADE ON THAT FIRST SEGMENT OF SIDEWALK FOR THE SAKE OF, UM, TEXTILE OR ANYTHING, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
YEAH, I THINK WE COULD TOTALLY DO THAT.
WELL, UH, YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S NO ISSUE WITH SHADING A PRIVATE SIDEWALK WARRANTS.
AND THEN MY, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, IS THERE AN OUTDOOR SHADED EMPLOYEES SPACE? YEAH, YES.
AT THE LEAR, UM, BACK TOWARDS THE TRAINING AREA.
UM, ON THE PLAN WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING, THERE'S SOME SHADE TREES ALONG THE FENCE LINE AND THEN THERE'S A BIT OF A COVERED AREA.
WE'LL HAVE A BARBECUE AND UM, OUTDOOR FURNISHINGS.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GLANCE AT THAT AND PLAN VIEW THEN, PLEASE? YEAH, PLAN VIEW WOULD BE PAGE 22
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET, WHEN YOU SEE PAGE 22, THERE'S BASICALLY A THIN ZONE BETWEEN
[01:20:01]
THE EDGE OF THE BUILDING AND THE PROPERTY LINE.AND SO THEY CAN COME OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND DAY ROOM INTO THE ZONE WHERE THERE BE SEATING.
AND UH, SO THERE'LL BE THE BUILDING AND THOSE SERIES OF TREES TO CREATE A NICE SHADED ZONE AND THE NET ZONE LEADS TO THE BIGGER LAWN, WHICH IS, UH, ACCESSIBLE BY THE TRAINING TOWER FROM THE STAFF PARKING.
AND THE GYM SPACE IS GOING TO HAVE AN OVERHEAD DOOR THAT OPENS ONTO THAT BACK, UH, CORRECT SQUARE OF THE LANDSCAPE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE KIND OF A VARIED ACCESS TO A BACKYARD.
I'VE KINDA, I'VE GOT A FEW COMMENTS MYSELF.
UM, ONE IT SAYS ON THE APPLICATION IT SAYS YOU COMPLY WITH SUB CHAPTER II.
UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS LIKE WOULD THE BUILDING PLACEMENT THAT DOESN'T APPEAR TO COMPLY, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT?
WELL IT DOESN'T, IT DOES, IT'S NOT PLACED ANY ANYWHERE NEAR THE PRIVATE DRIVE OR THE THEATER ROAD.
AND THAT REALLY DID PUSH, UM, THE STATION, YOU KNOW, BACK INTO THE SITE, UM, TO THAT DEGREE.
UM, AND SO CERTAINLY THAT WAS A CONSTRAINT THAT, UH, UH, WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, AND SO IF WE HAVE ANY VIOLATIONS IN RELATIONSHIPS AND DISTANCES FROM THE FRONT OF THE ROAD AND THE PRIVATE DRIVE, UH, WE'D HAVE TO DO, UH, ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE I'D IMAGINE.
BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, WE WERE CERTAINLY DRIVEN BY THAT SETBACK OFF TO THE PRIVATE DRIVE TO TURN INTO THE APPARATUS SPACE.
UM, YEAH, CAUSE TO ME IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO COMPLY.
UH, SO I THINK YOU MIGHT NEED A NISI.
UM, ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T MUCH DISCUSSION OR MUCH DESCRIPTION OF THE OUTDOOR AREA THAT, UH, THAT ELSA REFERRED TO WITH THE BARBECUE AREA.
UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DEVELOPED A BIT MORE.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE, I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED ON A HANDFUL OF FIRE STATIONS AND, AND, UH, THOSE BUILDING USERS REALLY LOVE THE BARBECUE AND THEY USE IT ALL THE TIME.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK POSSIBLY EVEN, EVEN A SHADING STRUCTURE OUT THERE WOULD DO WELL.
UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE FOR THOSE TREES TO GROW UP AND PROVIDE ANY SHADE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
UH, BUT OVERALL I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LANDSCAPING.
UM, I LOVE THE MEADOW IN FRONT AND I THINK IT'S AS STRIKING A BUILDING THAT YOU DESIGNED THIS.
CAN I INTERJECT SOMETHING HERE? THIS IS BURTON JONES, THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR PUBLIC WORKS FOR THIS PROJECT.
UH, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF HELP ANSWER THAT FIRST QUESTION YOU HAD ABOUT, UH, THE FACT THAT IT, OKAY.
I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, WE WOULD LIKE THE BUILDINGS GENERALLY TO BE CLOSE TO THE STREETS AND PLACE THE PARKING AND SO ON BEHIND THE STREETS.
SO WE ANIMATE AND THEN AND ACTIVATE THE STREETS.
SO THE REASON THIS HAS TO BE BACK WHERE IT IS, AND CHRIS TOUCHED ON THAT IT'S TOO, THERE ARE TWO THINGS DRIVING IT.
ONE IS THAT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR THIS PROJECT WAS VERY, VERY TIGHT.
WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO THE LIMITS AND WE CAN'T ADD ANY MORE PAVING.
SO, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE, WE HAVE TO GET THE DRIVES FAR ENOUGH AWAY FOR FIRE TRUCKS, THOSE LARGE VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER.
SO WE, IF WE HAD PULLED THE BUILDING UP CLOSER TO TWO 90, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS KIND OF THE, WHAT'S YOUR THINKING? NO, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU HERE BECAUSE WE'RE A BIT SHORT ON SOMETHING, BUT I WASN'T ADVOCATING FOR IT AT ALL AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND PROBABLY AGREE WITH WHERE YOU HAVE THE BUILDING.
I WAS JUST POINTING OUT THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU, YOU COMPLY AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS YOU GO FOR THIS
[01:25:01]
PERMITTING.WELL IT SAYS THAT YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR AN AEC, BUT I THINK YOU MIGHT NEED ONE.
THAT'S ALL I WAS POINTING OUT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, WAS ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THEN? DON'T EVERYONE SPEAK AT ONCE? OKAY.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN MAKES THE MOTION, UH, COMPLIES WITH THE, UH, NOT WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THE CITIES, YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES.
GUIDELINES WITH THE SIDEWALK HAS RELOCATED TO DIVIDED SHADED ACCESS FROM HIGHWAY TWO 90.
WELL, OKAY, HERE'S IT'S WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND THIS BEFORE, UH, AARON AND JORGE, BUT THIS PROJECT REALLY DOESN'T COMPLY WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IT'S REALLY MORE OF A NOT JUST THE CITY DESIGN STANDARDS.
THIS IS MORE OF A CITY PROJECT.
YOU ARE RIGHT BECAUSE THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH OF A PUBLIC GROUND TO IT.
SO YES, YOU WERE CORRECT IN YOUR ASSESSMENT.
SO, SO COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, UH, SO IT WOULD BE BASICALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS PROJECT, UH, COMPLIES WITH THE CITY STANDARDS.
MY MOTION IS THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS PROJECT GENERALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS UNDER THE STIPULATION THAT THE SIDEWALK IS RELOCATED, PROVIDE SHADED AND SAFER ACCESS FROM THE PUBLIC REALM ALONG HIGHWAY TWO 90.
COMMISSIONER FRAIL YOU SECOND TIME.
DID WE LOSE COMMISSIONER FRAIL AND AGREE WITH KOSHER COLEMAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS? OKAY.
ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, WE'LL TAKE IT TO A VOTE.
UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE PERSON RUNNING THIS AT CITY HALL.
DO WE? CAN WE HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES OR WE GOTTA BE KICKED OFF? UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S ANOTHER MEETING AT THREE, SO WE'LL HAVE TO GET SET UP FOR THAT ONE.
WELL THEN WE WILL HAVE TO PUSH, UH, THE REST OF THE ITEMS TO A FUTURE MEETING.
WE WILL CONCLUDE THIS MEETING.
HOW LONG HAVE TO SING?