[00:00:01]
OKAY, WELL, IT'S FIVE 30, TWO LET'S.
THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF CONTENT ON THIS AGENDA.
IT IS, UM, FIVE 32 ON DECEMBER THE EIGHTH.
[Call to Order]
CALLING TO ORDER THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING FOR DECEMBER BREAK.UM, OUR FIRST ITEM IS THE, UM, OH YEAH.
SO SINCE WE CASES BEFORE, UM, THE, UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE LISTED FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
AND LET ME CHECK MY MESSAGES TO SEE WHO THEY ARE AGAIN.
UM, WALTER HARISSA, IS THIS PERSON IN THE ROOM? CAN CITY STAFF HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
I'M LOOKING FOR DAVE ANDERSON.
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS DAVID ANDERSON.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, UH, ONLY HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON YOUR AGENDA, JUST TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, OH, YOU'RE NOT EVEN OPEN TO COMMUNICATION.
UH, THERE, IS THERE ANYONE HERE EVER CITIZENS' COMMUNICATION FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
STAFF WOULD KNOW THAT I HAVE A QUESTION.
HOW DOES CITIZENS KNOW WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA? I MEAN, WHEN WAS THIS POSTED? I SAW IT, UH, A COUPLE OF DAYS, MAYBE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY OR YESTERDAY.
UM, CASEY WOULD BUILD INTO THAT BETTER.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, I THINK 72 HOURS AHEAD OF THIS MEETING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND WAS IT, I DIDN'T CHECK THAT MATERIALS AHEAD OF TIME.
[1. APPROVAL OF October 13, 2020 MEETING MINUTES]
OKAY.WELL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 13TH, 2020.
UM, IF YOU HAVE THOSE MINUTES IN FRONT OF YOU OR WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES TO APPROVE LAST MEETING'S MINUTES.
THAT WAY, UH, IS FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T SEE, IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THOSE AMENDMENTS, SAY AYE, OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE SEVERAL HANDS, UM, SAMWELL AND DAN HENNESSY.
DO YOU WANT TO SAY HI, IT COMES UP, UH, AND SEMI ALL FRANCO STAY THERE.
ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT, CASEY.
I'LL HAVE YOU GOT THAT? BECAUSE THAT WAS UNANIMOUS AS ALL THE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT.
[2.A. Relocation of Samsung Blvd and associated right of way Vacation-Discussion and action required]
MOVE ON TO THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS ITEM, A RELOCATION OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD AND ASSOCIATED RIGHT OF WAY.UM, MR. FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW COMING UP, CHAIR.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHO'S PRESENTING THIS, UH, DIRECTOR, ROB SQUARELY.
IT IS YOUR SHOW JUST MADE ROB SPILLER PANELISTS.
[00:05:01]
OKAY, GREAT.THERE'S NOTHING MORE HELPLESS THAN FEELING THAN SITTING THERE WAITING TO BE UN-MUTED AND YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH.
IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND PULL UP THE POWERPOINT AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, AVI, IF YOU COULD HELP THERE PLEASE.
HE MAY ALSO BEYOND, YOU MAY NEED TO BRING HIM IN AND, UH, SHOULD YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, BUT THEN ALSO DAVE ANDERSON, WHO WAS INTRODUCED PREVIOUSLY AS A, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER, UH, IS HERE TO REPRESENT SAMSUNG.
SHOULD THERE BE A QUESTION THAT, UH, I CAN'T ANSWER, UM, COMMISSIONERS, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A REQUEST FROM SAMSUNG, UH, TO, UH, ABANDON THE RIGHT OF WAY OF EXISTING SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, UH, A VACATION, UH, THAT, UH, IS ADJACENT TO THEIR CURRENT PROPERTY.
UH, THEY RECENTLY BOUGHT PROPERTY THE ENTIRE PROPERTY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PIECE OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD THAT YOU SEE THERE IN RED, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO ASSEMBLE THEIR PROPERTY AND, UH, IN DOING SO MOVE EXISTING SAMSUNG BOULEVARD.
UH, JUST AS AN OVERVIEW, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALL REVIEWED THIS REQUEST, THE TWO APPLICATIONS TO VACATE THE STREET RIGHT AWAY OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, UH, AND HAVE APPROVED THAT, UH, WE'RE ASKING UTC TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL AS WELL.
AND WE'RE TAKING THIS REQUEST TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL IN JANUARY, BUT SIMPLY STATED IT AS A MOVING OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD TO A NEW ALIGNMENT SLIGHTLY TO THE EAST.
IT IS WITHIN THE MOBILITY SERVICE RANGE OF THIS, UH, LARGE GENERATOR OR PRIMARY GENERATOR, UM, WHICH IS THE ONLY GENERATOR THAT THIS PART OF, UH, SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, UH, SERVES.
UH, IT WILL LINE UP WITH, UH, THE FUTURE REGIONAL ARTERIAL, A FACILITY THAT, UH, BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO DELIVER.
AND SO IN THE FUTURE, THIS PIECE OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, THE NEW PIECE THAT I'LL SHOW YOU HERE SHORTLY WE'LL AS SENSE BE ARTERIAL A, BUT IT WILL BE SAMSUNG BOULEVARD UNTIL THAT OCCURS.
UM, THE APPROVALS OF COURSE ARE CONTINGENT.
THERE ARE PUBLIC UTILITIES IN SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, AND SAMSUNG IS MORE THAN WILLING TO ALLOW US TO RETAIN THOSE EASEMENTS UNTIL THE NEW CORRIDOR IS BUILT AND THAT WE CAN MOVE THOSE UTILITIES OVER THERE.
UH, MANY OF THOSE UTILITIES SERVE SAMSUNG ITSELF.
SO, UH, IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY WOULD ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN PLACE UNTIL THEY GOT A REPLACEMENT CORRIDOR.
ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE SIGNED OFF ON IT, AND WE ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE PROPOSER ON, UH, THE MOVE.
IF HE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY, THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING AN EXTENSION OF BREAKER LANE.
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF THIS HERE SHORTLY.
SO IF YOU'RE MADLY LOOKING ON GOOGLE MAPS FOR A MAP, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A MAP.
UH, WE ARE, UH, EXTENDING BREAKER LANE OR DESIGNING IT TO EXTEND, TO, UH, CONNECT WITH THE FUTURE ARTERIAL A AND SAMSUNG BOULEVARD.
UM, THE PROJECTS IN THE SAMSUNG AREA WILL EXPAND THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK CONSISTENT WITH THE ADOPTED FSMP.
AND THE PROJECT WILL BENEFIT SAMSUNG AS THE MAJOR TRIP GENERATOR.
AGAIN, THEY'RE REALLY THE ONLY TRIP GENERATOR ON THAT PART OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD AS IT APPROACHES PARMER LANE.
UH, SO THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WILL REALLY COMPLETE THAT GRID OF THE NETWORK IN AN AREA THAT HAS NO GRID REALLY TODAY.
AND THIS GIVES YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OVERALL, UH, GRID NETWORK THAT'S OCCURRING.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THE, UH, UH, VERY NARROW YELLOW LINE REPRESENTS THE LAND ASSEMBLAGE BY, UH, SAMSUNG, UH, THE GREEN LINE THAT IS SOLID THERE AS THE BREAKER LANE EXTENSION THAT THE CITY IS, UH, NOW, UH, WORKING ON TO DESIGN AND BUILD PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING THE DESIGN OF THE SOLID LINE.
UH, THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE DASHED GREEN LINE.
UH, AND SO THAT GOES ON TO THE EAST, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
UH, THE RED LINE IS THE, THE, THE, UH, PIECE OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD THAT WE ARE RELOCATING TO THE ORANGE CORRIDOR.
UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT SAMSUNG WILL BUILD THE PIECE OF BREAKER LANE FROM THE EXISTING INTERSECTION WITH SAMSUNG BOULEVARD TO THE NEW INTERSECTION, WITH SAMSUNG BOULEVARD, AND THEN NORTH UP TO HARMER.
UH, AND AGAIN, THAT ORANGE LINE,
[00:10:01]
THE NEW SAMSUNG BOULEVARD WILL ALL BE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF BOSTON.AND WE'LL ALL BE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE PROPERTY NOW OWNED BY SAMSUNG.
UM, SO THAT IS, UH, THE RELOCATION.
UH, I WOULD OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
NOW, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE NETWORK PLANS IN THIS AREA, UH, AND WILL MAINTAIN THE, UH, ACCESSIBILITY TO THIS PRIMARY LAND USE HERE, UM, NORTH OF THE FUTURE BREAKER IN SOUTH APARTMENT LANE.
I WAS JUST REARRANGING SO I COULD SEE ALL THE COMMUNICATORS.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS, BUT DAN AND SAMWELL AND MENDOZA, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE VIDEOS.
SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR VOICE ALL GOOD.
IS THERE A MOTION TO, UM, THIS IS LISTED FOR A DISCUSSION AND AN ACTION.
IS THERE A MOTION, DAN? I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE THE REQUEST.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE MOTION? OH, NEVERMIND.
THERE'S CHRISTIAN OR WHETHER IT BE ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS UNANIMOUS.
WAS THERE ANYONE WHO DID NOT VOTE? IF THERE'S TWO PEOPLE? I CAN'T SEE.
OH, THE ONLY ONE THAT I CAN'T SEE NOW.
SO THAT IS PASSED A UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, QUICK TO GET THESE THINGS OFF THE AGENDA, RIGHT? UM, NEXT UP COMMISSIONERS OR DIRECTORS FILLER AGAIN, ERIC, WE'LL LOOK IN MY TREMBLE FOR EITHER TO FIVE.
OH, WAIT, DID WE HAVE A SPEAKER? I'M SORRY.
DID WE HAVE A SPEAKERS? WALTER POSA HERE, CITY HALL CHAIR.
GIVE ME ONE MINUTE TO FIND THEM, UM, SAY IT ONE MORE TIME.
THE NAME WALTER, AND THEN CHECK MY TEXT AGAIN.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FROM OVER HERE? UM, THE LICENSING, WELL, I'LL BRING UP THE PRESENTATION IF YOU DON'T MIND UNMUTING WALTER PERSON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE JUST AS A CITIZEN OR IF YOU'RE HERE ON AS THE PLAINTIFFS.
ARE WE A, I MISSED YOU JUST NOW.
OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THAT PICTURE BACK UP.
[2.B. I-35 Capital Express Central Project- Briefing and Possible Action]
SIR.SO, SO I REPRESENT, UH, ACTUALLY I HAVE TWO CLIENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT.
I'M WORKING ON THE CIVIL ENGINEERING FOR THE PROJECT TO THE NORTH, JUST ACROSS PARMER LANE FROM THIS, AND THEN A SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISION AT THE SOUTH WHERE EAST BREAKER LANE AND THE NEW SAMSUNG BOULEVARD COME TOGETHER.
UM, WE THINK THIS IS A FANTASTIC IDEA.
UM, I WOULD ASK THOUGH THAT YOU ALL ASK OR, OR HELP US TO GET SAMSUNG TO COMMIT TO MATCHING THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AT EACH END OF THEIR PROJECT ON THE NORTH THAT'S THE EAST VILLAGE PROJECT.
UM, WE HAVE THE, THE SUBDIVISION PLAT HAS BEEN FINALIZED AND RECORDED.
THE CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON A ROAD, WHICH OUGHT TO BE, BECOME A FOUR WAY INTERSECTION WITH PARMER LANE WITH THE NORTH NORTH END OF SAMSUNG BOULEVARD.
UM, AT THE SOUTH END, SIMILARLY, THERE'S, THERE'S A RECORDED PLAT, UH, SHOWING RIGHT OF WAY THAT, THAT LOOKS TO BE JUST A FEW FEET OFF FROM WHERE SAMSUNG'S THE NEW SAMSUNG BOULEVARD OF TYING TO EAST BREAKER.
AND WE'D RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THEY LINED THAT ONE UP AS WELL.
UM, I SEE, UH, DREXEL, I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN A VOTE ON THIS, BUT, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THOSE, UM, THIS QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS? UM, YES.
UM, SO THE REQUEST, UH, I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU CONTACT, UH, ME OR MY STAFF, ERIC BOLLOCK HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND WE WILL WORK WITH YOU, UH, COLLABORATIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY ATD.
THAT IS, UM, THE AMOUNT OF DESIGN THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS JUST WHAT YOU'VE SEEN A CRAYON MARKER ON A POWERPOINT SLIDE.
[00:15:01]
UH, THERE'S PLENTY TIME TO COORDINATE AND, UH, THE NORTH END FOR SURE.THE SOUTH END, WE PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, UH, TO DO, UH, UH, MR. HOYT, I BELIEVE WAS THE NAME AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU.
WE'LL GET AN EMAIL OUT TO YOU AND ERICA THIS EVENING DIRECTLY.
WE KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF YOU.
UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, COMMISSIONER OR CHAIRMAN.
THANKS FOR COMING TO GIVE YOUR OPINION AND TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HOLDING THIS PUBLIC FORUM INTERVIEW.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORKED AT MEET THE TEXAS OPENS MEETINGS ACT REQUIREMENT AND POSTED BY 10:00 AM ON FRIDAY.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD FOR THAT.
UM, ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON NOW TO THE NEXT AND THE ITEM, WHICH IS ALREADY ON THE STREET.
I BELIEVE IT IS THE SAME SPEAKERS.
UH, SO, UM, NO NEED TO GO BACK.
WE'RE READY TO GO ONTO THE SLIDE.
UM, YOU HAD ASKED, UH, UH, THE COMMISSION HAD ASKED, UH, FOR US TO BRIEF YOU ON I 35 AND STAFF'S INTENT WITH REGARDS TO THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A PROPOSED MOTION AND ACTION TODAY, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE END.
UH, BUT I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT
UM, I'M GOING TO PROVIDE TO YOU JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HERE AT THE CITY UNDERSTANDS THE TIMELINES, UH, THE DESIGN ALTERNATIVES, UM, WHAT OUR CURRENT GOALS ARE AS A PARTICIPATING AGENCY.
I WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS, UH, AND THEN TIMELINE AND NEEDS FOR SCOPING DELIVERABLES AND TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN, STEVE AUSTIN IS A PARTICIPATING AGENCY.
UH, THAT MEANS THAT, THAT WE ARE A JURISDICTION THROUGH WHICH THE PROJECT, UH, PASSES, UH, TXDOT BY LAW IS REQUIRED TO COORDINATE WITH US.
UH, IT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE VETO OR ANY KIND OF, UH, SUPER, UH, NATURAL AUTHORITY OVER, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE, I THINK, UH, AS AN ENTITY, AN IMPORTANT ENTITY TO COMMUNICATE, UM, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, PARTICIPATING WITH US AND WE WITH THEM, UH, VERY COLLABORATIVELY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
MANY OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT THIS ACTUALLY GOES BACK AS FAR BACK AS 2010 AND 2012, WHEN THE CITY INITIATED A, A PLANNING SCOPING STUDY, IF YOU WILL, TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT AND MAKE THE COMMUNITY AWARE THAT THE
UH, AND SO, UH, THE CITY HAS BEEN AT THE TABLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH, AND I WILL COMMUNICATE TO YOU THAT I THINK TEXTILE HAS BEEN A, A EXCELLENT PARTNER THUS FAR, BUT AT THIS POINT, THIS IS WHERE THE CITY DOES HAVE TO REPRESENT OUR, UH, IMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR JURISDICTION AND COMMUNICATE OUR NEEDS CLEARLY AND ARTICULATE OUR, UH, WISHES WITH REGARDS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, THE CONCERNS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS.
AND, AND WE HAVE AS STAFF ON BEHALF OF THE ENTITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, THROUGHOUT HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME THINGS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED BLUE, UH, AND THAT COMES STRAIGHT FROM A TECH STOCK WEBSITE.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT'S THE SOURCE OF ANYTHING YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE.
SO IF I COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND MOBILITY, 35, UH, ACTUALLY STEMS FROM A CONCEPT CALLED MY 35 THAT STRETCHES THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF TEXAS, IF YOU WILL.
BUT MY 35 MOBILITY 35 PROGRAM HERE IN WILLIAMSON, TRAVIS, AND REACHING DOWN INTO HAYES COUNTY EVEN, OR THE EDGE OF HAYES COUNTY, UH, REALLY STANDS FOR THREE STANDALONE PROJECTS REACHING FROM STATE HIGHWAY 45 IN THE NORTH TO STOP, UH, TO STATE HIGHWAY 45 IN THE SOUTHEAST, UH, UH, COLLOQUIAL.
WE CALLED IN NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH, UH, THE NORTH AND SOUTH PROJECTS, UH, WE'LL START CONSTRUCTION IN 2022.
UH, THE REGION COMMITTED, UH, ROUGHLY A BILLION DOLLARS OF LOCAL FUNDING TO GET THOSE PROJECTS ACCELERATED.
UH, THE CAPITAL EXPRESS OR CENTRAL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION, UH, IS SCHEDULED TO START SOMETIME AROUND 20, 25 AND 17.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH ALL THE OTHER REGIONAL PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE REGION,
[00:20:01]
ONE OF THE FOCUS THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH ALL THE REGIONAL PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THE TIMING OF THE DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION, UH, ALLOWS US TO STILL MOVE AROUND, UH, WHEN THINGS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE THIS OF COURSE IS NOT THE ONLY PROJECT IN THE REGION, UH, UNDER CONSTRUCTION.FORTUNATELY ONE 83 WILL BE WELL COMPLETED.
UH, MOPAC SOUTH WILL PROBABLY BE, UH, GOING TO CONSTRUCTION OR, OR, UH, FACTOR INTO THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL.
UH, AND THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS IN THE REGION.
OF COURSE, OUR QUARTER PROGRAMS, THERE'LL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION DURING THIS SAME KIND OF TIMEFRAME, HOPEFULLY COMING TO COMPLETION ABOUT THE TIME, UH, THE CENTRAL GOES UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE CAPITAL EXPRESS PLANS FOR THE
UM, IT DOES INCLUDE THE FLYOVERS TO CONNECT TO
THAT IS WHAT, UH, TXDOT DEFINES IT AS, UH, THE LIMITS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE, AS YOU CAN SEE, U S TWO 90 TO 71, IT'S APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MILES THAT THIS GOES THROUGH THE HEART OF OUR CITY.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN COORDINATED, THE GENERAL CONCEPT WITH THE PIECES TO THE NORTH AND THE PIECES TO THE SOUTH.
SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, IN THE CENTRAL SECTION, THERE ARE TWO HOV LANES OR TWO MANAGED LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, BUT AT TWO 90 THOSE SPLIT.
AND SO ONE OF THOSE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION GO TO THE FLYOVER AND ONE CONTINUE ON NORTH, UH, ON
AND THE SCOPING TIMEFRAME STARTED NOVEMBER 12TH AND ORIGINALLY WAS TO END ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2020, UH, THE CITY ALONG WITH MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REQUESTED AN EXTENSION OF THAT SCOPING PERIOD.
AND SO THAT'S NOW BEEN EXTENDED TILL THE END OF DECEMBER, UH, THE LAST DAY OF DECEMBER.
UM, WHEN I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT WHAT THEY ARE SCOPING RIGHT NOW IS THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND NEED, AND THE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THIS IS THE START OF THE NEPA PROCESS.
AND SO THERE'LL BE ADDITIONAL SCOPING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
UH, TXDOT WILL ALWAYS ACCEPT COMMENTS, UH, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE DEADLINES SO THAT THEY CAN PUBLISH, UH, VARIOUS DOCUMENTS, MID MIDWAY DOCUMENTS.
AND THEN THE FIRST DOCUMENT THAT THEY WILL PUBLISH IS THEIR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND NEED AND RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IN THIS SECTION OR PORTIONS OF THIS SECTION ABOUT FREEWAY LIDS IN TXDOT HAS INDICATED THAT LIDDING OR COVERING WITH A SOLID SURFACE.
SOME PEOPLE WILL THINK OF PARKS OR OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT GO ON TOP OF IT.
UH, BUT THEY'VE INDICATED THAT LIDDING IS A PROJECT BETTERMENT OR A SEPARATE PROJECT THAT COULD BE FUNDED LOCALLY.
THEY'RE JUST SAYING IT'S A SEPARATE PROJECT FROM THE MAIN PURPOSE AND NEED AND PROJECT THAT IS UNDERWAY HERE.
UM, THEY'VE INDICATED THAT, THAT THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OR THE ABILITY TO ADD THE LID, THAT THEY CAN PREPLAN AND PREDESIGN INTO THE
UH, SO WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IS MAKING SURE THAT IF THEY'RE DEPRESSING THE FREEWAY, THAT THE EDGE WALLS ARE SUFFICIENT TO HOLD UP STRUCTURE TO ALLOW LIFTING LIDS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT NEPA PROCESS.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT, UH, EVEN IF THE PROJECT DEVELOPS MITIGATION CONCEPTS, IF IT'S NOT, IF THAT WOULD BUILD LIGHTER BRIDGES OR LIDS, IF THAT IS NOT PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS, UH, AT THE BEGINNING, UH, IT WOULD EXTEND THE PROJECT UNTIL THAT COULD BE ADDED.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON AS STAFF IS TRYING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER POTENTIALLY MITIGATE SOME OF THE UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS, UH, WITHIN THE CORRIDOR OR POSSIBLY ON A LID IN THE FUTURE.
IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, SCOPING PROCESS WILL EVALUATE, UH, A RANGE OF IMPACTS TO THE HUMAN AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
[00:25:01]
SOME PEOPLE SORT OF SOMETIMES MISUNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT SAYS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.THEY ONLY THINK OF THE, UM, UH, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A MAJOR, UH, COMMUNITY ISSUES THROUGH THIS CENTRAL CORRIDOR THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON NOT ONLY BE IMPACTS TO EXISTING DEVELOPMENT, BUT CERTAINLY THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THIS CORRIDOR IS IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW THAT THIS CORRIDOR, UH, RUNS A LONG WAY, UH, WAS PART OF THE CITY'S, UM, UH, STATUTORY ESTABLISHED RED LINE.
AND SO WE THINK THAT, UH, THIS ROADWAY NEEDS TO, UH, RESPOND TO THOSE ISSUES AND CONTEXTUALIZE THE IMPACT THAT IT HAD IN TERMS OF DIVIDING PORTIONS OF AUSTIN, UH, FROM EMPLOYMENT AND CENTRAL AUSTIN, UH, DESTINATIONS.
AND SO WE THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND PART OF THIS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, GUY 35 EIS PROJECT TIMEFRAME, UH, THIS SORT OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THEY'RE HEADED THE SCOPING PROCESS, REALLY DEFINING, UM, WHAT THE ALTERNATIVES ARE, WHAT THE PURPOSE AND NEED IS AND WHAT THE RANGE OF, OF POSSIBLE, UM, AREAS OF FOCUS SHOULD BE, ARE REALLY FROM FALL TO SPRING.
UH, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WILL, UH, THE ANALYSIS PROCESS, YOU CAN THINK OF THAT AS SORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS THAT GOES ON TO QUANTIFY WHAT HAPPENS WILL BE SPRING 2021 THROUGH FALL OF 2022.
I THINK WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT IS AS MUCH A DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT AS IT IS ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, IT IS TO DISCLOSE WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ARE.
CERTAINLY, UH, THE CITY STAFF.
AND I KNOW TXDOT STAFF ARE VERY INTERESTED IN AVOIDING IMPACTS WHEREVER THEY OCCUR.
UH, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH A MAJOR URBAN AREA.
AND SO IT'S PROBABLY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOME IMPACTS.
THEIR NEXT GOAL WILL BE TO MINIMIZE THOSE IMPACTS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE QUANTIFIED HERE IN DISCLOSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND THEN MITIGATE.
AND SO THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS IS TO DOCUMENT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MITIGATE THOSE UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS.
A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IS EXPECTED IN FALL 2022, WHERE THERE WILL BE FORMAL PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND THEN SOMETIMES IN SUMMER 2023, UH, THERE WILL BE ACTUALLY A RECORD OF DECISION, UH, THAT WILL, UH, BIND IF YOU WILL, THE REGION AND THE STATE AS TO HOW THEY'RE GOING TO MITIGATE AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD AND THE ALTERNATIVE, ET CETERA, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC OUTREACH.
I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY INCLUDING THIS COMMISSION TO BE INVOLVED AND STAY INVOLVED.
I REALLY DO BELIEVE THE TECHSTOP WANTS OUR INVOLVEMENT, UH, JUST BASED ON MY INTERACTIONS WITH THEM THUS FAR.
UM, THERE, THERE IS NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT.
THIS FREEWAY IS AT THE END OF ITS ITS USEFUL LIFETIME, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE REPLACE IT AND WHAT FORM THAT REPLACEMENT TAKES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROCESS IS GEARED TO DO IS TO HELP US AS A COMMUNITY, DEFINE THAT ALTERNATIVE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE AND HOW WE CAN MITIGATE THAT.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY STRAIGHT OUT OF THE, UH, DOCUMENTS THAT TXDOT SENT IT IS THE PURPOSE AND NEED.
SO YOU'LL SEE WORDS LIKE THE PROJECT IS NEEDED BECAUSE, UH, TO MEET CURRENT DESIGN STANDARDS AND CURRENT AND FUTURE TRAVEL DEMAND TO IMPROVE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHS WITHIN THE PROJECT LIMITS, UM, THE PURPOSE IS TO RECOGNIZE THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL THOROUGHFARE THAT IS, UH, ENHANCE THE SAFETY MANAGED CONGESTION, IMPROVE OPERATIONAL FIST EFFICIENCIES, UH, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DEPENDABLE AND CONSISTENT ROUTE FOR THE TRAVELING PUBLIC, UH, INCLUDING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND TRANSIT.
UH, IF I CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I AM NOT INTENTIONALLY RUSHING THROUGH, BUT THERE'S A FEW MORE SLIDES I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF, UH, SOME OF THE EARLY INFORMATION.
AND WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, THAT THE TRAVEL DEMAND AND OPERATIONAL DEFICIENCIES, THIS ROADWAY, UM, UM, ARE NOT, UH, THROUGH ROUTES.
UH, YEAH, MOST OF THE TRAVEL ON
NOW WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT DOESN'T MEAN LOCALLY TO DOWNTOWN.
IT MEANS LOCALLY TO THE REGION.
SO THE PROBLEM IS US, UH, AND, UH, UH,
[00:30:01]
THIS IS SORT OF THE, THIS IS THE TRIP CHARACTERISTICS.AND SO THE ALTERNATIVES REALLY NEED TO RESPOND TO THIS KIND OF TRAVEL.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU SEE STOCK FOCUSED ON MANAGED LANES AS THE PRIMARY, UH, CAPACITY, UH, RESPONSE IN THIS CORRIDOR, UH, AND HOPEFULLY SOMETHING THAT RESPONDS TO, UH, TRAVEL TOWARDS THE MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS, UH, THAT CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE TRANSIT AND CAN CARPOOLS AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT, UH, THROUGH THESE CORRIDOR.
I KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS CORRIDOR, WE OFTEN THINK, OH MY GOSH, IF WE COULD JUST GET RID OF THE TRUCKS, BUT AS YOU'LL SEE, IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TRIPS MOVING THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR OR TRUCKS.
AND SO AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO, WE'VE SEEN THE PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM IS US HERE IN THE REGION.
WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AS PART OF THE PROJECT NEED, UH, WE NEED NO THAT THERE IS DRAMATIC NEED FOR BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS CORRIDOR.
UM, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT I BELIEVE THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MORE THAN JUST ACCOMMODATE BIKES, THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY TREAT BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS AS AN IMPORTANT MODE.
UH, ONE OF THE TENANTS THAT THE CITY HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED IN AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE THAT IS THAT EAST-WEST TRAVEL ACROSS THIS CORRIDOR IS AS IMPORTANT AS NORTH SOUTH TRAVEL IN THIS CORRIDOR AND THAT THIS CORRIDOR HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, ADDRESS BOTH OF THESE, BOTH FOR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE AND, UH, OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODES.
IF WE COULD GO ONE MORE SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THEY'VE PRESENTED A RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES, A NO BUILD.
UH, THIS IS A STANDARD ROUTINE.
MAINTENANCES IS WHAT THEY'RE USING TO DEFINE THE NOBEL.
UH, WE ALWAYS, ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVES WILL BE COMPARED BACK TO THE NO BUILD.
I DON'T THINK THAT THEY ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE NO BUILD IS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, BUT THEY'RE USING THAT AS THE MEASURING STICK AGAINST WHICH ALL THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES WILL BE EVALUATED.
UM, THEY'VE PRESENTED THREE DIFFERENT BUILD ALTERNATIVES, AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY ALL HAVE MANAGED LANES.
UH, ALL OF THEM WILL ADDRESS THE, UH, UPPER DECKS FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING, NORTH TO AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
UH, UH, REALLY WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS, IS A DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY STACK OR CONFIGURE, UH, THE VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING, UM, THE HOV LANES.
UM, ONE THING THAT, UH, IS OFTEN A FRUSTRATION, I WILL TELL YOU FOR CITIZENS AS WELL AS FOR, UH, PROFESSIONALS, IS THAT RAMPS, ALTHOUGH THEY SEEM VERY IMPORTANT OR OFTEN, UH, SORT OF DESIGN OPTIONS.
UM, BUT WE THINK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN RAMPING IS VERY IMPORTANT IF WE CAN'T IMPROVE, UH, THE ACCESS TO, AND FROM OUR MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST DOWNTOWN AS THE CAPITOL COMPLEX, IT'S THE UNIVERSITY TO REALLY EVERYTHING BETWEEN THE RIVER, IF YOU WILL.
AND SOMEWHERE AROUND OUR PORT BOULEVARD, IF WE CAN IMPROVE THE ACCESS, WE REALLY CANNOT, UM, ADDRESS THE CONGESTION THAT OCCURS IN THAT CENTRAL AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEING A PRACTITIONER AND SOME OF YOU I KNOW, OR OUR TRAFFIC PRACTITIONERS, OR HAVE BEEN AROUND TRANSPORTATION LONG ENOUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR CONGESTION THAT WE HAVE IN THAT CENTRAL AREA IS DRIVEN BY THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS OF
AND SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT THE RAMPING CONFIGURATION ACTUALLY BECOMES PART OF THE ALTERNATIVES, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO ACHIEVING OUR OVERALL GOALS OF, OF IMPROVING MOBILITY WITHIN THIS AREA, UH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE, QUITE HONESTLY, AS WELL.
IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THE RANGE ALTERNATIVES, ALL THE BUILD ALTERNATIVES WITH, AS I SAID, REMOVE THE UPPER DECKS, UH, RECONSTRUCT THE BRIDGE ACROSS LADY BIRD LAKE THAT IS REQUIRED, UH, UH, AN NECESSITY AGAIN, THAT FACILITY'S REACHED THE END OF ITS LIFE.
UH, AND SO THERE'S A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR A STATEMENT TYPE BRIDGE THERE.
IF THE COMMUNITY DEMANDS IT, UH, IT WILL IMPROVE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATIONS.
UH, IT WILL ACCOMMODATE CURRENT AND FUTURE CAP.
METRO ROUTES, UH, ONSITE AND OFFSITE DRAINAGE FACILITIES WILL BE AN ISSUE AND POTENTIALLY ACCOMMODATE A DECK PLAZA IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, FUNDED BY HEATHER'S, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE DOWNTOWN, UH, DECK OR, UM, LID AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S ON THE NEXT SLIDE OR NOT.
UH, THE CITY IS PARTNERING WITH THE DAA TO EXAMINE AND DEFINE POSSIBLE, UM,
[00:35:01]
DESIGN PARAMETERS, UH, THAT WERE NEEDED TO DEFINE WHAT THAT WOULD BE IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.AND MIKE TREMBLE IS LEADING THE CITY'S COORDINATION EFFORT ALONG WITH ERIC.
AND THEY'RE BOTH ON HERE, UH, WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UM, WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND AGAIN, IS THE CURRENT CAPITAL EXPRESS PROJECT, UH, PROPOSES IN TO, UH, IMPROVE THE CTI 35, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ADAC PLAZA.
AND SO I THINK IT'LL BE IMPORTANT THAT WE AS STAFF ON THAT ELEMENT, THAT WITHOUT THAT DECK PLAZA OR THE LIDDING OR WIDE BRIDGES INCLUDED IN THE CONCEPT, UH, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THOSE STRUCTURES FOR POSSIBLE MITIGATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, WITH REPLACING THE
UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, THAT THEY FIND A WAY TO ESSENTIALLY BUILD A NEW PARK ADJACENT TO THE ROAD CROSSINGS THAT WILL OCCUR THROUGH
I THINK WE WOULD GET MORE PARKLAND OUT OF THE SAME VALUE, UH, BY BUILDING NEW PARKLAND, IF YOU WILL BUILDING THE LAND, UM, THE INDEPENDENT SEPARATELY FUNDED OUR FUTURE 35 INITIATIVES BEING PROPOSED BY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
MANY OF YOU ARE I'M SURE AWARE IN COORDINATED WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN D THE DA HAS BEEN COORDINATING WITH TXDOT, UH, SINCE THE FALL OF 2019.
UH, AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT TO DO THAT.
AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENT HAS FUNDED A $500,000 CONTRACT WITH A CONSULTANT TO DEVELOP THE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, WE HAVE A WILLING PARTNER THAT'S WILLING TO BUILD IN THE STRUCTURAL CAPABILITY, BUT WE HAVE TO TELL THEM HOW HEAVY THIS THING IS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPT FOR WHAT THIS MIGHT WAY SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD THAT IN.
UH, AND WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THE DA TO DEVELOP US DESIGN PARAMETERS.
UM, IF MIKE, IS THERE, MIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? ALL RIGHT.
WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE THEN? I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE'S ON OR NOT, BUT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
HEY ROBIN, HERE, CAN I GIVE THEM TO EVERYONE? UH, MY TRIMBLE, UH, WITH QUARTER PROGRAM OFFICE, BUT PROJECT LEAD ON, UM, THE CAPTAIN STITCH PROJECT, WHICH IS THE LID THAT ROB IS REFERRING TO.
I'LL JUST KIND OF SUPPORT WHAT ROB IS SAYING.
AND THE REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS TO GET SOME PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WORK DONE ON THE CAP.
TXDOT HAS AGREED TO CARRY THAT INTO THE NEPA PROCESS IF WE CAN GET THEM THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE GETTING THAT WORK DONE BY THE SUMMER OF 2021, WHICH IS THE TIMEFRAME THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE ANALYSIS WE'LL BE DOING.
THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK AFTER THAT TO REFINE CONCEPTS WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCOPING WORKING GROUP AND THE DA TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT THAT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF THE FIRST STEP IS TO GET SOME INITIAL ENGINEERING, JUST LIKE ROB SAID, I'M DONE AND GET THAT OVER TO TEXTILE.
SO, UM, THIS IS SORT OF, THEY'RE GIVING YOU A PEEK AT HOW WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS COORDINATING THOSE COMMENTS SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK AS ONE AGENCY.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT GIVEN WE'RE A PARTICIPATING AGENCY, UH, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE.
UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR POLICYMAKERS AND WE KNOW FROM THE COMMUNITY FROM, UH, ENGAGEMENT IN THIS PROJECT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, THAT
OUR GOAL AS STAFF, UH, AND REPRESENTING THE CITY IS TO TRY TO MAKE THE
UM, UH, AND TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPT OF A PROJECT.
UH, WE ARE FOCUSED ON MOVING PEOPLE, GOODS AND SERVICES VERSUS VEHICLE PRIORITIZATION.
AND SO, UH, YOU WILL LIKELY SEE IN OUR FORMAL COMMENTS TO TEXTILE, UH, FROM THE CITY, UH, A REQUEST TO, TO THAT THE GOAL SHOULD BE ABOUT MOVING THE MOST PEOPLE, UH, AND FREIGHT AND GOODS
[00:40:01]
AS OPPOSED TO REDUCING CONGESTION.UH, WE HAPPEN TO THINK THAT REDUCING CONGESTION TENDS TO FOLLOW GOOD DESIGN FOR MOVING THE MOST PEOPLE.
IT ALSO PRIORITIZES, UH, MODES SUCH AS TRANSIT AND CARPOOLS AND BICYCLES AND SO FORTH.
THAT HELPS US GET CLOSER TO OUR 50 50 GOAL THAT WE'VE SAT THROUGH THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE CENTRAL CORE DOWNTOWN, UH, IMPROVING TRANSIT ACCESS TO THE FACILITY AND THROUGH THE FACILITY, UH, OBVIOUSLY IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE AND OTHER TRAVEL ACROSS THE FACILITY AND FOCUS ON BOTH THAT NORTH, SOUTH AND EAST WEST MOBILITY.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING THAT SINCE THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE PARTICIPATED IN.
SO THAT WILL NOT BE A SURPRISE BECAUSE X, Y UH, WE WANT THEM TO AVOID AND MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO WE WANT THEM TO USE CONTEXT-SENSITIVE DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, UH, AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING THIS, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, BY THEIR OWN POLICIES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND WE WANT THEM TO POP UP FRONT, AS PART OF THE PROCESS IS TO COMMIT TO USING, UH, CONTEXT-SENSITIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES.
UM, WE WANT TO MITIGATE UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS, PARKS, TRAININGS, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, NOISE, ET CETERA.
AND WE WOULD LIKE THAT MITIGATED WITHIN THE CORRIDOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS OPPOSED TO, UH, SOMEWHERE MORE DISTANCE OR NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CORRIDOR.
UH, WE WANT THEM TO ADDRESS THE HISTORICAL IMPACTS CREATED BY THIS.
YOU KNOW, PROJECTS ARE PRODUCTS OF THE TIMES THEY'RE LAUNCHED, AND WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE I THINK OUR COMMUNITY AND THE NATION, UH, IT HAS A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO CONTEXTUALIZE, UH, THE IMPACT THAT THESE FACILITIES HAVE MADE IN THE PAST ON OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO RECONNECT EAST, WEST AND CENTRAL AUSTIN.
UH, WE SUPPORT THE DEPRESSED HIGHWAY OPTIONS OF WIDE BRIDGES AND LIDDING, UM, WHERE POSSIBLE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, TECHSTOP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE THIS COMPLETELY.
UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY LIKE TO MAKE GUYS THE AMOUNT OF LIVING THAT'S NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE BY MAKING SURE THOSE BRIDGES ARE AS WIDE AS THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE THEM.
UH, AND THAT COULD BE A PLACE WHERE THEY WOULD ACHIEVE SOME OF THEIR MITIGATION, BUT WE DO WANT TO CONSIDER FUTURE LID AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN THE OPTION TO MITIGATE, AS I'VE SAID, UH, THAT MEANS INCLUDING THEM AS PART OF THE BASE CONSTRUCTION IN NEPA PROCESS AND THOSE PORTIONS OF THE PROPOSED EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS DIRECT IN QUARTER MITIGATION.
AND SO I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE PARKS IMPACT FOR INSTANCE, BUT WE KNOW DOWNTOWN HAS A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL AS DOES EAST AUSTIN.
AND SO THOSE ARE SENSITIVE RECEPTORS FOR NOISE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A CHURCH IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE NORTHBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD.
AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT NOISE IN AND AROUND THOSE FACILITIES ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, I'M NOT PROPOSING SOUND LAWS, BUT I'M CERTAINLY SUGGESTING THERE ARE METHODS TO NEGOTIATE OR TO, UH, MITIGATE THOSE.
AND THEN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION, UH, OUR COMMITMENT TO TXDOT AND TO THE CITY IS TO TRY TO ANSWER WITH ONE VOICE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PUT IN PLACE NOW IS TO DEVELOP GODS FOR A ONE SYSTEM RESPONSE.
UH, AND SO YOU'LL SEE A, UH, COORDINATED RESPONSE FROM THE CITY, UH, AND ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE REALLY, UH, JOINED IN COMMUNICATING, UH, THROUGH THAT ONE VOICE AS THEY ARE ON HELPING US DEVELOP THE CONCEPTS FOR THE LIDS, SO THAT IT REALLY IS A TEAM EFFORT.
SO JUST TO REITERATE NEPA DEADLINES, SO YOU ALL HAVE THE RIGHT AS CITIZENS TO COMMENT, YOU ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT AS A COMMISSION TO COMMENT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A, UM, ITEM TO CONSIDER TODAY WHERE YOU MAY PASS A RESOLUTION.
UH, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT OF COURSE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, BUT, UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF ONE VOICE, WE WILL INCORPORATE YOUR COMMENTS AS AN ATTACHMENT TO OUR STAFF COMMENTS.
AND SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE THAT A, THAT A CITIZEN BOARD HAS TAKEN ACTION.
AND I'M ASSUMING YOU DO TAKE ACTION.
WE WILL THAT AS PART OF OUR COMMENTS, BUT I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO INDIVIDUALLY, UH, COMMENT AND COMMUNICATE WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU WORK WITH A COMMENT AS WELL.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE
UM, AND AGAIN, INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS, UH, SHOULD COMMUNICATE BY DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, AND TEXTILE HAS COMMITTED TO ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS IN EARLY 2021 WHEN THERE'LL
[00:45:01]
BE REALLY TALKING TO US ABOUT, WELL, WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING IN TERMS OF IMPACTS AT THAT POINT? I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE NEXT, LAST SLIDE, BUT CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, CLICK THAT THOUGHT ANOTHER SLIDE, SIR.SO I'LL JUST OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THAT GIVES YOU A BASIS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
UM, I CAN SEE A FEW OF YOUR SCREENS.
UH, YOU WILL HAVE TO RAISE YOUR VOICE.
UH, YEAH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT THERE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ATTACHMENT, UH, THAT YOU SHOULD RECEIVE FROM THE BAC PDC.
WHO'S, IT'S A PRETTY DEEP ANALYSIS ON IT IS, UH, OTHER DIGITAL CITIZEN GROUPS, BUT, UM, LET'S OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ROB IF I COULD.
UM, SO, SO TWO, I GUESS, TWO SETS OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, AND I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE, CAUSE YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THEM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ALTERNATIVE, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY CROWDSOURCED, UH, EXPERT ADVOCATES, PROPOSALS, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS SUCH AS RECONNECT AUSTIN.
UM, SO, AND EVEN PROPOSALS TO JUST TEAR OUT
AND TURN FROM THIS BACK INTO A CITY STREET OR BOULEVARD.
UM, I'D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON THE CITY, THE CITY'S POSITION ON THOSE TYPES OF PROPOSALS, IF ANY, VERSUS THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE'VE SO FAR SEEN FROM TECHSTOP.
THE SECOND LINE, THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS RELATING TO RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS RELATED TO SOME PRETTY RECENT CHANGES, I GUESS, WITH THE TEXAS, UM, STATE GOVERNMENT AND STATE POLITICS IS THAT I'M TOLD LANES ARE NOT INVOKED RIGHT NOW WITH A LOT OF LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO SORT OF TEXT ON HIS SORT OF ELIMINATED THE IDEA OF TOLD LANES, UM, THAT WE WERE PURSUING PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY HERE IN AUSTIN FOR AWHILE.
UM, SO TALKING ABOUT THESE NEW MANAGED LANES AS BEING HOV LANES, I'VE HAD SOME PRETTY HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.
WHO'VE SAID OUR COMMUNITY CAN'T SUPPORT THIS.
IF IT'S NOT TOLD LANES, WE, YOU, WE REALLY, UM, WE JUST FEEL LIKE THE HOV MANAGED LANES WILL, UM, NOT BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, THAT'S REALLY GONNA WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, SO, SO THOSE TWO THINGS, NUMBER ONE.
WHAT ABOUT THESE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS THAT ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE TEXT DOT? UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE WHAT'S THE CITY STAFF POSITION, CITY GOVERNMENT POSITION ON THOSE? AND THEN SECOND SET.
SECOND QUESTION IS WHAT'S THE STATUS OF TOLL LANES WITH TXDOT RIGHT NOW AND ALSO WITH CITY STAFF AS FAR AS POLICY, IS THAT, UM, A LINE IN THE SAND FOR US, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, BODIES LIKE THIS AND CITY COUNCIL NEED TO PUSH FOR THAT? UM, IF WE WANT THAT.
SO YEAH, THERE'S A LOT PACKED INTO THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
LET'S TAKE THE ALTERNATIVES PIECES.
SO, UH, AS SEA STAFF, WE WILL NOT BE RECOMMENDING THOSE, UM, NON FREEWAY ALTERNATIVES, UH, AS CONCEPTS, UH, W YOU KNOW, UM, AS HIS STAFF WHERE WE HAVE TO USE OUR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT AND REPORT ON, UH, AND SO DOING AWAY WITH THIS FACILITY, OR SIMPLY REASSIGNING IT, UH, TO A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW,
AND I THINK THAT'S PROVEN UP BY 85% OF THE TRAFFIC BEING LOCAL TO THE REGION.
THAT REGION IS A FIVE COUNTY REGION.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST DOWNTOWN, PLEASE BE AWARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF IMAGINATION TO SAY, MORE PEOPLE GO BY DOWNTOWN, THEN YOU GET OFF AND DOWNTOWN, THAT'S TRUE.
BUT AS YOU TAKE THAT CONGLOMERATE OF NEIGHBORHOODS BETWEEN SOMEWHERE BEEN WHITE AND SOMEWHERE NORTH OF AIRPORT, A LOT OF THOSE TRIPS COME AND GO.
AND SO IT REALLY IS OUR LIFELINE.
SO, UM, STAFF WILL, WILL COMMENT ON THE QUALITY OF THE ALTERNATIVES AND THE EXTENT OF THE CURRENT ALTERNATIVES, UH, AND THE DESIGN OF THOSE ALTERNATIVES GOING FORWARD.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS, THAT IS OUR BEST PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I CAN'T STATE POLICY, I DON'T MAKE POLICY, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT IT, THAT'S MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR BETTER FOR WORSE, UH, UH, AUSTIN IS, IS ACCUSTOMED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THROUGHPUT THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR.
AND THAT'S HARD TO REPLACE WITH A NINE FREEWAY TYPE CORRIDOR.
I KNOW OTHER OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE,
[00:50:01]
HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DONE THAT.UH, BUT TYPICALLY MY EXPERIENCE IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DETAILS, UH, IT IS NOT THE SAME AS A NAME THREE WAY THAT GOES THROUGH THE CENTER OF TOWN.
UH, AND SO, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UM, BUT CERTAINLY WE'RE, WE'RE.
WE WANT TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS THAT THIS ALTERNATIVE CAUSES AND TRY TO PUT THE COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, UM, BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THIS OUR MAIN STREET, IT'S THE MAIN STREET IN TEXAS IN TERMS OF TOLL IS THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
UH, SO AGAIN, PROFESSIONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THE CHOICE TO NOT USE TOLLS AND SPECIFICALLY VARIABLE TOLLS USER FEES AS A MECHANISM TO MANAGE THIS, UH, DRIVES A DIFFERENT FOOTPRINT FOR THE FACILITY AND THEREFORE, UH, CHANGES THE IMPACT PROFILE OF THIS ALTERNATIVE.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? WELL, IF YOU HAVE HOV LANES, IF YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO PRIORITIZE TRANSIT IN AND OUT OF THIS CORRIDOR, YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE SEPARATE TRANSIT RAMPS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE OTHER VEHICLES USE.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT'S ANOTHER FOOTPRINT THAT YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH, WHEREAS IF IT WERE OLD, UM, YOU CAN MANAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP BY TOLL MEANING YOU COULD MAKE IT REALLY EXPENSIVE IF YOU'RE NOT A TRANSIT USER TO USE THAT, UH, AND SLIM UP IN A SENSE, THE CORRIDOR I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THAT IF WE HAVE HOV, DO WE NEED TO HOV LANES ALL THE WAY THROUGH DOWNTOWN, MOST HOVS CARPOOLS ARE HEADED FOR YOUR MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS, NOT THROUGH THE REGION.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S DESIGNED THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE A THROUGH CORRIDOR, IF YOU WILL, UM, I'M SCRATCHING MY HEAD TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT FOCUSES ON THE HOV TYPE SYSTEM.
SO THAT MIGHT SUGGEST A DIFFERENT, UH, LANE CONFIGURATION AS YOU COME INTO YOUR MAJOR EMPLOYMENT FACILITIES.
AND SO STAFF WILL BE COMMENTING ON THAT AS WELL.
UH, SO, UM, I ALSO AM CONCERNED THAT, THAT, UM, THE STATE HAS, IT STARTS TO FACE, UH, FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE FUNDING TO SPEND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ONE REGION AS IT DOES.
UH, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT HOUSTON IS REBUILDING MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE, DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO AS WELL.
AND SO THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF DEMAND FOR THE SCARCE RESOURCES AND, UM, A TOLL REGIME COULD PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SCENARIO WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE POLITICS OF WHETHER TOOLS ARE GOOD OR BAD.
UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THEY COULD HAVE A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL IT'S LIKE IF, IF I COULD EXTEND THAT FOR A QUESTION WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE POLITICS, IT'S A GOOD OR BAD GIVEN THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE IS KIND OF AGAINST IT.
IS, IS IT A IT'S, IS IT A VIABLE STRATEGY FOR THE CITY TO, UH, MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE CENTRAL PORTION IF THE NORTH AND SOUTH PORTIONS GO A DIFFERENT WAY, BECAUSE WHICH REALLY LEADS INTO MY, MY CORE QUESTION.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A RUSE IN MY MIND THAT THERE'S A, THAT THERE'S THREE SEGMENTS OF INDEPENDENT UTILITY TO KIND OF USE THAT LANGUAGE, THOSE LANES THAT AREN'T GOING TO STOP IT, THEN WHITE.
IT COULD SEEM SUPER UNLIKELY, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PICK UP AGAIN NORTH WHEN THOSE OTHER SEGMENTS GET STARTED FIRST IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST A SHELL GAME THAT NOW CENTRAL HAS TO GO THIS WAY.
SO I HAVE THE CITY FEEL ABOUT THAT AND ARE THEY ADDRESSING THAT IN SOME WAY? SO ACTUALLY, UM, UH, THE STATE DID, AND IN, UH, EARLIER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES STUDIES WHERE THEY, UM, UH, ESTABLISHED THAT THESE ARE INDEPENDENT PROJECTS, UH, INDEPENDENT PROJECTS DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT A, YOU KNOW, ELAINE, PAT DOESN'T PASS FROM ONE SECTION TO ANOTHER SECTION, BUT THAT YOU COULD BUILD THE OUTER TWO SECTIONS AND, AND LIVE WITHOUT THE CENTRAL SECTION.
AND SO, UM, IT IS A, A VERY PARTICULAR TERM.
SO, UM, WE THINK THAT, THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY, THAT, THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME, I GUESS, FROM THE TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, BUT IN TERMS OF MAKING THOSE LANES, WHETHER THEY'RE MANAGED OR TOLD THE ABILITY TO HAVE SOME SWAY ON THAT, IF, IF THEY THE, TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH END UP IN ONE CHARACTER, THE CENTRAL PART WILL INDEPENDENCE AND CHARACTER.
UH, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT'S, I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSITY.
UH, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE, YEAH, YEAH.
[00:55:03]
I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A NECESSITY.I THINK THAT YOU CAN CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AS LONG AS PEOPLE HAVE A WAY TO GET IN AND OUT OF THOSE, UM, I WOULD SAY, I BELIEVE THIS IS A NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT NEPA STUDY.
AND SO I THINK IF THERE'S A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, UH, THAT HAS DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS, UH, THAT THEY'RE AT LEAST OBLIGATED TO SAY WHY THEY'RE NOT ANALYZING IT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO COMMUNICATE THAT, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, OKAY.
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
TWO WOMEN RAISE A HAND, OR RAISE A VOICE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE CAMERAS ON.
WELL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH IT WITH AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION THEN OF THAT, ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR THE CITY.
SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS TAKING SOME PRETTY BOLD STANCES, IN MY OPINION, ESPECIALLY FOR A CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS ALLEGEDLY THE WIDEST FREEWAY IN THE WORLD.
AND, UM, THEY'VE BEEN, UM, TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO NOT HAVE VEHICLE PRIMACY IN THE KIND OF TXDOT PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE.
IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AUSTIN STAFF OR AUSTIN LEADERSHIP AND HOUSTON STAFF AND HOUSTON LEADERSHIP ABOUT HOW THEY DEAL WITH A TEXTILE AND COMMUNITY IMPACT TO GET TO POSITIONS THAT AREN'T THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE ASSUME IS GOING TO BE OBVIOUS OUTCOME THAT WAS GOING TO BE A FREEWAY OF THIS SIZE AND THIS SCALE CAUSE THAT'S THE TEXTILE WANTS.
IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES? UH, WELL, SO HOUSTON'S INFORMATION IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, SO WE'VE BEEN ABSORBING IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE CURRENT ALTERNATIVES AS DEFINED ARE THE PRODUCT OF ABOUT 10 YEARS WORTH OF STUDY THAT'S PART.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY WERE JUST PULLED OUT OF THE HAT IF YOU WILL.
SO THEY'VE EVOLVED THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS TO GET HERE.
UH, AND SO IN DEFENSE OF THE OVERALL PROJECT, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INPUT ALREADY.
UM, BUT WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, YES, WE'RE READING EVERYTHING WE CAN OUT OF HOUSTON.
WE TALKED TO OUR PEERS IN HOUSTON.
HOW ARE WE COLLABORATING? I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD USE THAT WORD.
CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ABOUT THE TOLLS? SO ARE, WOULD YOU SAY THAT CITY STAFF IS, IS ADVOCATING FOR THAT TO BE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE IT? YOUR ANSWER IS A VERY CLEAR, THANK YOU.
UM, WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULD CITY STAFF WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE TOLL OPTION TO BE STUDIED JUST TO SORT OF MINIMIZE THAT FOOTPRINT AND IMPACT? UM, AS FAR AS THE EAST-WEST AND CONDUCTIVITY, I THINK WE ARE RAISING THE ISSUE THAT WE THINK THAT, THAT, UH, A TOLL REGIME WOULD REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOOTPRINT OF THE ALTERNATIVE AND BASED ON THAT WOULD LIKE THAT AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THE STUDY TEAM ON THAT.
I'M PARSING WORDS, BUT PARSE WORDS.
I KNOW THE, UM, KRISHA SUMMERS HAS A PROPOSAL.
ARE THERE OTHER DISCUSSION ELEMENTS BEFORE WE, WE MOVE INTO POTENTIAL ACTIONS? YEAH.
I HAD MY HAND UP IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CHAT BOX, BUT I GUESS, UH, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY VIDEO TODAY WILL COME UP, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE, I JUST HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION AS FAR AS, UM, SO YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR, FOR REPLACING PARKS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY IF WE REBUILD
IS THAT, THAT BEING KIND OF A ONE FOR ONE SWAP? AND I KNOW YOU DIDN'T SAY ONE FOR ONE SWAP, BUT JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR EASINESS, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THOSE A ONE FOR ONE SWAP THERE AND WE CAN BUILD PARK AS OPPOSED TO BUYING MORE LAND FOR PARK.
COULD YOU GO A LITTLE, THIS IS A TWO PART QUESTION, BUT COULD YOU GO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED AS FAR AS WHO WOULD ULTIMATELY OWN AND OPERATE THAT PARK BECAUSE THAT, THAT WOULD STILL BE TECHSTOP RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED THROUGH.
WHAT'S CALLED THE FOUR F UH, FEDERAL PARKS IMPACT PROCESS, UH, AND COULD CERTAINLY BE DEFINED.
AND I WILL POINT TO DALLAS WHERE, UH, A LID WAS BUILT OVER A REGIONAL FREEWAY THERE, AND THERE WAS A, UH, UH, KLYDE WARREN FREEWAY, UH, STATE FREEWAY.
AND, UH, THERE'S A LOCAL CONSORTIUM THAT OPERATES AND PROGRAMS AND MAINTAINS THAT FACILITY AS A PARK.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M GOING WITH THE ANSWER, I GUESS IS MY POINT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY WITH THAT, WITH THAT, OR FOR THAT QUESTION, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS QUESTION IS THAT, UM, SO ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE USED THE NAME, THE TERM CAP AND STITCH, AND THAT CAPTAIN'S DITCH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW,
[01:00:01]
HOW THEY, THEY MEAN THAT THE STITCH PORTION, WHETHER IT'S A PHYSICAL STITCH OR AN EMOTIONAL STITCH, BUT I NOTICED IN YOUR, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU DID, YOU DID MENTION A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORICAL IMPACTS OF I 35.AND, UM, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO TAKE NOTE OF, BUT THAT LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, NOT SURE WHAT ALL, UM, WHAT ALL OUTREACH.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN DOING OUTREACH, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS TWO THINGS.
ONE, WHAT ARE SOME OF, IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THAT OUTREACH YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN PERFORMING OR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMING AND TO, FOR THE STITCH TO BE POSSIBLE, THERE'S GOTTA BE TWO PLACES TO STITCH AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS ONLY OVER DOWNTOWN.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ON THESE HISTORICAL COMMUNITIES ON THE EAST SIDE THAT ARE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STITCH AND, AND GUARANTEEING THAT A, THEIR INPUT IS BEING HURT AND B ULTIMATELY, WHATEVER, WHATEVER GETS BUILT THERE, IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL PARK BUILT THERE, UM, HOW THE OPERATIONS OF THAT PARK BENEFIT BOTH SIDES OF
ALSO, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THAT, ROB, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, UM, ON THE, THE CABIN STITCH, SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STITCH COMPONENT, UM, THAT REALLY IS A WIDENED BRIDGE THAT ALLOWS FOR A BETTER CONNECTIVITY, UH, BETTER COMBINATIONS OF BY CONDITION FACILITIES, UH, POSSIBLY GREEN SPACE, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL, THAT WOULD GO, UH, GO, UH, COMPLIMENT THE LIDS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO, UM, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY ULI IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DAA AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
UM, AND THAT LED TO, TO RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT SOME INITIAL CONCEPTS ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE WHERE THOSE LIDS WOULD, WOULD GO, UH, WHERE THE STITCHES WOULD GO AS WELL, AND THEN SOME KIND OF NEXT STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING IN THE CONTEXT OF, OF THE NEXT STEPS OF THAT STUDY.
SO WE ARE INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY IN A PARTNERSHIP ROLE, NOT JUST THE STAKEHOLDER ROLE, BUT REALLY TRYING TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE DA AND THE COMMUNITY VIA A SCOPING WORKING GROUP THAT'S BEEN FORMED, UM, TO, TO REALLY WORK ON THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO SOME OF THE INITIAL, UH, PRIORITIES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS, UH, RIGHT, GO BACK TO, UH, LEGACY ISSUES RELATED TO WIFE'S 35, UH, YOU KNOW, RACIAL DIVISION SEGREGATION.
UH, THE, THE 1928 PLAN HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE DONE OVER THE SUMMER, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE HEALING THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY HAS COME UP MULTIPLE POINTS AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
THE SCOPING WORKING GROUP IS TAKING SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF THOSE INITIAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND STARTING TO FORMULATE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES THAT CAN BE BROUGHT INTO, UH, INFORM AND INTEGRATE INTO, UH, THE PLAN FOR THE LID AND WHAT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GOES ON THE LID, WHAT THOSE CONCEPTS ARE, AND THEN ACTUALLY, WHAT, WHAT GETS DESIGNED.
MY LAST COMMENT IS JUST ULTIMATELY, AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YEARS AWAY FROM NOW, BUT ULTIMATELY IT IT'D BE, IT'D BE BEAUTIFUL TO SEE, UM, THE OPERATION OF THAT PARK BEING A VERY, UH, DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE INPUT AS FAR AS WHAT THE OPERATIONS OF THAT PARK LOOK LIKE.
AND I ANTICIPATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP WE'LL GET FEEDBACK, NOT JUST ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS THE CONCEPTS FOR WHAT WOULD GO ON THE LID OF WHAT ACTUALLY GETS DESIGNED, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT'S OPERATED AND MAINTAINED OVER THE LONGTERM.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS ROBIN IN TERMS OF, OF USING THIS FACILITY'S CONTEXTUALIZATION AS WELL TO, TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WHICH HAS HAPPENED, UH, THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR.
THERE'S OTHER ELEMENTS THERE, THERE, THERE WILL BE RETAINING WALLS THAT CAN BE USED AS ART CANVASES.
THERE ARE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THIS CORRIDOR, UH, TO REALLY HELP IT, UM, UH, MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE, UH, PAST DIVISIONS THAT IT'S CAUSED TO CREATE THAT, UM, UH, HEALING, AS MIKE SAID, YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER PLACES USE THEIR FREEWAYS TO, UM, REALLY, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE NATIVE AMERICANS THAT WERE DISPLACED THE SURROUNDING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE ARTWORK THAT'S PUT INTO THE WALLS, BUT CERTAINLY THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT HELPS.
IT IS ANOTHER PART OF THE CANVAS TO THINK ABOUT AS WE DESIGN THIS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE WHOSE HANDS THEY DON'T SEE, UM, DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A SAY BEFORE WE MOVE INTO SOME MORE SPECIFIC DISCUSSION ON THAT POTENTIAL ACTION.
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KAREN'S NOT HERE, BUT I BELIEVE THE PROFITS IS, UH, SUSAN.I THINK YOU CAN BASH MAKE A MOTION, RIGHT? YEAH.
YOU MAKE A MOTION FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND THEN WE CAN WE DISCUSS IT.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE, I SUBMITTED A RECOMMENDATION IT'S ON THE, UH, WEBSITE WITH OUR AGENDA WAS EMAILED OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS EARLIER TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE, UM, THAT WE, UM, PROVE THAT IF I GET A SECOND, I'LL INTRODUCE IT A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
SO LET ME, LET ME JUST INTRODUCE IT.
UM, SO I WAS TRYING TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE SOMETHING.
UM, HOW DO YOU WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT I 35, RIGHT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S LIKE A BEHEMOTH, UH, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS.
AND SO, UM, I WAS LOOPED IN, ON A GROUP OF, UH, CITIZENS AND FOLKS FROM THE, UM, SORT OF OUR SISTER COMMISSIONS IN THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT WERE WORKING ON, UH, UM, A MOTION RECOMMENDATION.
AND I THOUGHT WHAT THEY HAD WAS SO GOOD.
I KIND OF BASICALLY, IT WAS LIKE, LET'S JUST DO THAT, BUT ADD LIKE A COUPLE THINGS.
SO I BASICALLY, UM, IF YOU'LL SEE, I THINK THE DRAFT RETAINED THIS, WHAT I SENT IN TO CASEY TO DISTRIBUTE WAS BASICALLY THEIR LANGUAGE.
I REPLACED VAC PAC WITH UTC, AND I ADDED IN SOME, WHEREAS IS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BROADER.
THEIR FIRST FEW WERE AS IS REALLY DEALT WITH THE PURPOSE AND MISSION OF BAC PAC IN ARE A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT BROADER HERE.
UM, SO I ADDED IN A FEW MORE ELEMENTS THERE AND THEN I ADDED IN, I THINK, ONE BIT IT RESOLVED.
AND I CERTAINLY, UM, WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE HAVE OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT THEY THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL, I CERTAINLY CAN'T SAY THAT I'VE CAPTURED EVERYTHING.
I THINK WHAT A BAC PAC REALLY THE WORK THAT THEY DID WAS REALLY QUITE REMARKABLE WHAT THEY PULLED TOGETHER.
UM, BUT THEN I ADDED IN A FEW MORE THINGS.
THERE'S MORE THINGS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT WANT TO PUT ON THE TABLE OR DISCUSS.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T THINK THIS HAS ANY IN ANY WAY, LIKE A PERFECT ENCAPSULATION, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MANY ISSUES AT PLAY WITH
IT IS A LOT FOCUSED BECAUSE IT'S COMING OUT OF BAC, PAC IT'S A LOT FOCUSED ON THE, UM, PROBABLY ALONG THE CORRIDOR ON FOOT AND BIKE BLOCK FOCUSED ON SAFETY, WHICH I KNOW WE HAVE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I POINTED OUT BY THE BAC PAC, I THINK BAC HAS ASKED THIS YET, THEY'RE GOING TO HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS POINTED OUT, BUT IT SAYS IT IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES.
HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UM, UH, AT WAY, UM, WHEN YOU GET SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S, UH, A LOT WHAT THEY HAVE IN THERE.
I ADDED IN A FEW THINGS ABOUT TRANSIT AND SO ON.
AM I FROZEN? I DON'T KNOW, KIND OF FROZEN, YOU WERE FLICKERING OUT THERE AT LEAST ON MY SCREEN.
I SEE I'M GETTING SOME WEIRD MESSAGES ON MY END, SO LET ME TURN OFF MY VIDEO THAT MIGHT HELP.
BUT, UM, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE OUT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY WANT TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT, UM, OR I DON'T KNOW, YOU'LL TELL ME, SO I WANT TO JUST ADD ONE COMMENT.
UM, UM, IT IS A LOT THIS, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE MAKE SOME MOVES TODAY, BUT WE ALSO NOT ENTIRELY LIMITED.
WE CAN DO A WORKING GROUP AND WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME IN A WORKING GROUP TO PRODUCE A, UM, A MORE FLESHED VERSION OR MORE, UM, FOCUSED TO UTC ISSUES.
I, I W I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS, THE PRESENTATION THAT, UH, UH, ROSSVILLE OR GAVE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF THE COMMISSION, THE RECOMMENDATION AS SUBMITTED, DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY WE SUPPORT EXACTLY A DEPRESSED HIGHWAY WITH A LIVING OPTION.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE, THE CON THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, UM, UH, IT HAS SOME OUTCOMES, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE VERY TACTICAL ANSWERS.
AND I THINK THAT I PERSONALLY WOULD BE OKAY WITH SAYING ABOVE ALL, IF POSSIBLE, A DEPRESSED HIGHWAY WITH THE LID AND WIDE BRIDGES WOULD BE GREAT IF THAT'S THE KIND OF DETAIL THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO GET INTO.
I THINK WE CAN PROPOSE A WORKING GROUP, IF NOT,
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WE CAN DEAL WITH SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE BROAD.AND I WOULD DEFINITELY, I WOULD ACTUALLY BE WILLING TO ADD THAT INTO MY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD VOTE FOR AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ADD THAT.
AND ALSO ONE THAT WOULD SAY EVEN SOMETHING ABOUT TOLLS, I JUST WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT OUR APPETITE WOULD BE.
BUT SUSAN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TOLLS, ARE YOU, I'M THINKING LIKE HOLES TO GET INTO THE CITY? UM, ONE OF LIKE, THERE'S A MOM THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED OR MORE LIKE A, A WAY ONE 30.
I MEAN, WE COULD DO IT IN LONDON AND PARIS WOULD SHOW THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT CONNECT PROCESS, THEY WERE DOING SOME PLANNING THAT WAS GOING TO INCLUDE SORT OF LIKE, UM, UH, WHAT WAS DONE SOMEWHAT ON THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANES, BUT LIKE MORE, EVEN MORE AND BETTER, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS GOING TO INCLUDE LIKE SOME BUS FACILITIES, RAPID BUS FACILITIES.
I WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE CRITICAL OF SOME OF THAT PLAN, JUST BECAUSE THE COSTS THAT TXDOT WANT, WANTED TO CHARGE CAP METRO TO BUILD THAT I THOUGHT WAS SORT OF, UM, LUDICROUS TO ASK CAP METRO TO PAY THAT AMOUNT FOR THE BUS FACILITIES THAT THEY WERE ASKING.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS AN ORIGINAL, LIKE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN THE STAGE OF PLANNING THAT WE WERE AT, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING SORT OF THESE MANAGED TOLL LANES THAT WOULD BE HEAVILY TRANSIT.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, USERS WOULD PAY, UH, JUST LIKE THEY WENT ON THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANES.
I THINK THAT WAS SORT OF THE CONCEPT VARIABLE TOLLS FOR USERS WHO WERE NOT TRANSIT, UM, VEHICLES.
AND SO, UM, THAT BASICALLY GOT SCRAPPED DUE TO THE, THESE SORT OF POLITICAL CHANGES WHERE TOLL LANES SORT OF LOST THEIR, I GUESS, CACHE AT THE HIGHER LEVELS OF STATE GOVERNMENT.
BUT, UM, I, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD GET TO A REGIME WHERE WE WORK, UH, I THINK THERE'S EVEN SOME FEDERAL PROBLEMS WITH COMPLETELY TOLLING AND INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD RUN INTO PROBABLY SOME OF OUR STAFF PEOPLE CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I KNOW AT LEAST AT ONE TIME I'M NOT ANTI THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO BE SPECIFIC BECAUSE I USE AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A, AT LEAST WITH LIKE LITTLE PARKWAY.
UM, IF YOU ADD A TOLL, THERE'S A LAW THAT YOU HAVE TO
I CAN ANSWER PART OF THAT QUESTION.
IT, UM, I THINK THE, THE, THE RULE OF THE LAW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THE TEXTILE WON'T CONVERT EXISTING LINES TYPICALLY.
AND SO IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE TAX LINES, BECAUSE REMEMBER NOTHING'S FREE, IF THERE ARE TAX LANES, LANES SUPPORTED BY TAXES, NOW THEY HAVE TO BE PRESERVED WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO BUILD THE SAME NUMBER OF TAX LINES AS TOLD LINES, IT'S YOU CAN'T REMOVE ONE FOR THE OTHER.
SO THIS QUESTION HASN'T COME UP YET.
JUST ONE QUESTION THEN WHOEVER'S HAND IT WAS, CAN, YOU CAN JUMP IN AFTERWARDS, UM, THE, THE SORT OF 2019 LANE TO 20 LANE, UM, SCHEMES, UH, I DIDN'T THINK THE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER IS THE CITY PROPOSING OR IS IT TOO EARLY OR IS IT, IS THIS THE RIGHT THOUGHT THE RIGHT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT SIZE? DO WE NEED 20 LANES? DO WE NEED BIKING LANES? CAN WE, CAN WE DO SOMETHING SMALLER? I DON'T THINK I SPOKE TO HOW MANY LANES, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I ACTUALLY HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE LANES THAT THEY'VE PROPOSED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S 19 OR 20 LANES ON THERE, BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, I THINK THAT, UH, IN ONE OF THE PROPOSALS, THERE, THERE IS 19.
UM, SO WHEN IS THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE LITERAL SIZE OF THIS PROJECT? WELL, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THEY'VE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES.
AND SO IF THE COMMISSION CHOOSES TO, TO HAVE A STATEMENT ON THE ALTERNATIVES NOW WOULD BE THE TIME, UH, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT AS YOU GO FORWARD AS WELL.
UM, I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THE SPEAK UP WHEN I STARTED AND FOR ME, THAT WAS IT TOO.
NOW I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATIVES, UM, IS THE TIME PASSED WHERE WE CAN SUGGEST OTHER ALTERNATIVES, UM, SUCH AS WHAT COMMISSIONER SUMMERS WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, CONVERSION OF, UH, INTO A PARKWAY.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU SUPPORT, UM, AT THE
[01:15:01]
CITY STAFF LEVEL, BUT, UM, IS THAT A RECOMMENDATION THAT'S EVEN USEFUL AT THIS POINT? OR ARE WE JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS AND WE'RE BETTER OFF, UM, TRYING TO FIX, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US? UH, SO TO BE CLEAR, I SAID, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT ALTERNATIVE.UH, BUT YES, NOW IF YOU WANT TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE, UM, ALTERNATE ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVES NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF WE'D WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE FOR A MINUTE, UH, YOU KNOW, I AS WELL LOVE THE IDEA AS WELL.
DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T TEXT, THAT'S BEEN X AND BILLIONS IN X YEARS WITH
THE PRESENTATION SHOWED THIS AS WELL.
MOST OF THE TRAFFIC ON
YOU KNOW, I DON'T USE IT THAT OFTEN, BUT I DO TO GO VISIT FRIENDS IN MUELLER OR, YOU KNOW, UM, TO INFLUENCE IN HYDE PARK, UH, OCCASIONALLY.
AND, UM, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY NEED FOR GETTING THAT FAR OUT OF THE WAY.
AND IF THE DATA IS TRUE, WHICH I ASSUME IT IS THEN, UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A NON-STARTER JUST BECAUSE IT REALLY WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, WHAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO ON I 55 COULD ASK THE QUESTION.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE COMMENT PERIOD DOES END ON DECEMBER 31ST AND MARIO, I LOVE THE IDEA OF A WORKING GROUP THAT WOULD WORK ON THIS, BUT IT'S ACCURATE.
I MEAN, FOR THE CITY STAFF THAT ARE HERE, I MEAN, IS THAT DECEMBER 31ST DEADLINE? I MEAN, I KNOW ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE PUSHED BACK FARTHER, BUT DO YOU, DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY PRETTY FIRM? SO LIKE IF WE, IF THIS BODY WANTS TO COMMENT AT THIS STAGE OF THE PROCESS SORT OF NOW, OR LET'S SAY BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST IS OUR OPPORTUNITY, YOU THINK, UH, SO COMMISSIONER, LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THE DEADLINE MEANS.
THEY HAVE TO PUBLISH A CALLED THE PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT OF PURPOSE IN NEED.
AND SO THE DEADLINE IS FOR GETTING YOUR COMMENT AND TO THAT PUBLICATION, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE YOUR COMMENTS, UH, UNTIL THEY PUBLISH THE RECORD OF DECISION, UH, IN 2022.
AND SO THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, IF THIS COMMISSION WANTS TO PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP AND, AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, I'M SURE TXDOT WOULD RECEIVE THOSE COMMENTS.
IT'S JUST THAT THEIR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND NEED MIGHT ALREADY BE PUBLISHED.
AND SO YOUR COMMENTS WOULD GO INTO WHATEVER THE NEXT DOCUMENTATION, UM, IT WOULD BE PUBLISHING WOULD BE SO BIG.
IT REALLY IS JUST ABOUT, DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE OFFICIAL COMMENTS OR DO YOU WANT TO PUT IT IN AND THEN EVENTUALLY IT'LL GET INTO THE DEIS OR A FUTURE DOCUMENT? YEAH, CLARIFY MY PROPOSAL.
IT WOULD BE A WORKING GROUP SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORDSMITH THIS DOCUMENT IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
IT WOULD BE ROOTED IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS OR LESS, YOU KNOW, SO BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS BREAK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO THAT WE CAN GET IT TO STAFF AND TIME TO MAKE THE PRE PURPOSE, IT NEEDS A COMMENTARY AND SHORTLY SHORT-LIVED WORKING GROUP.
AND AGAIN, MY COMMITMENT TO YOU COMMISSIONERS IS THAT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET IT TO ME BY THE DEVIL, YOU KNOW, AS SOON I WILL ATTACH IT TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND INDICATE THAT A CITIZEN GROUP HAS, YOU KNOW, PASSED A RESOLUTION AND HERE IT IS, UH, OR YOU CAN SEND IT IN DIRECTLY YOURSELF, OF COURSE, UM, OR INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS COMBINATION OF BOTH.
I MEAN, IT, IT WILL SIMPLY BE A PRESENTATION OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
IT WILL NOT BE AN ENDORSEMENT OR HOLD ANY MORE WAY.
UH, YOU GUYS BOTH THE SAME WAY THAT I DO IN TERMS OF PROVIDING COMMENTS.
WELL, UM, SO LET'S GET DOWN TO SOME VERY SPECIFICS.
DO WE WANT TO TRY AND WORDSMITH THIS RIGHT NOW? OR, OR CAN I SEE A SHOW OF HANDS FOR, I THINK WE NEED THREE ON A WORKING GROUP OR SOMETHING I'M GONNA GET THAT NUMBER FROM WAY BACK WHEN I DID TRAINING YEARS AGO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL TRUE.
UM, WE NEED, AT LEAST THE, AT LEAST A COUPLE LET'S TAKE AT LEAST THREE OR WHOEVER WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THIS BAC PAC ONE MOLDED A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY.
AND, UM, IN MY COMMENTARY RECENTLY TO MOBILITY COMMITTEE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP IS IT, WE SHOULD BE VERY SPECIFIC.
LIKE THE MORE SPECIFIC WE CAN BE THE BETTER, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I THINK THIS DOCUMENT COULD DESERVE A PASS.
IT, WE CHOOSE THE DIG, UH, THE CAP, THE WIDE BRIDGES THAT ALLOW PROTECTED BIKE LANES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT PROTECTED BIKE LANES ALLOW THIS, ET CETERA.
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IS THERE AN APPETITE FOR SOMEONE JOINING A WORKING GROUP? SURE.LET'S SEE, UH, MR. SANDERS, I DON'T SEE YOUR CAMERA ANYMORE, BUT, OR, UH, DAN, IT WOULD BE A CA THIS WOULD BE IN THE, LIKE IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU REMIND ME MARIO, THE POLICY WITH, UM, WITH THESE WORKING GROUPS, LIKE WE COULD SAY THIS GROUP DECIDES FOR US, OR DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL TO CONFIRM WHAT THEY DID OR THAT'S WHERE A PARLIAMENTARIAN IS NOT AROUND, BUT WHAT I RECALL, UM, AS A GROUP, WE CAN AGREE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP OR AS A COMMISSION, WE CAN AGREE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP AND WE CAN STILL COMMUNICATE THROUGH EMAIL, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S TOTALLY HANDED OFF AND SAY GO, UM, WE CAN EVEN VOTE IF I RECALL.
UM, AND IN SOME SORT OF PUBLIC WAY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED A FULL, SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UH, BUT WE CAN SUBMIT THOSE COMMENTS AS THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, WHETHER IT'S, WHAT I THINK IS, IS ROB'S PROBABLY SAYS WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE, UM, STAMPED IN SOME WAY, THEY ARE STILL OUR COMMENTS THAT GO INTO THE RECORD.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T EVER GET WEIGHTED AS, AS, UM, SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT.
BUT, UM, CASEY ALEXANDER, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW, IS IT PART OF YOUR TRACKING? OKAY.
I CAN GOOGLE IT REAL QUICK IF YOU WANT, BUT, WELL, WE'LL TEXT EMILY OR, UM, ONE OF THE COUNCILMAN IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT MIGHT BE, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST WE CAN, WE ALMOST CERTAINLY COULD SAY, UM, LET'S MAKE A MOTION, COULD IT BE FINISHED? THIS WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE THE OUTPUT OF THE WORKING GROUP, UM, AND, UM, SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK I TEND TO AGREE AS FAR AS JUST, I THINK WE NEED A MORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE HONED IN, UM, RECOMMENDATION OR MAYBE TWO SEPARATE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TOO MUCH, THIS ONE THAT WE HAVE IS THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY SPECIFIC, WHICH ARE GREAT COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT'S GOOD TO HAVE ON RECORD, BUT THEN ALSO HAVING A MORE SPECIFIC VISION OF OUR, UH, KIND OF A STANCE AS FAR AS OUR PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE.
I THINK THE PROPER THING TO DO.
I AGREE THE FISHER ALVARADO, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER SUMMERS, ARE THERE OTHER FOLKS WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTAKE IN THE NEXT? AND I WOULD SAY LITERALLY PRE-CHRISTMAS JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET IT DONE BECAUSE CHRISTMAS TO NEW YEAR'S IS GONNA BE THE LAST WEEK.
UM, SO THOSE THREE ARE, IS THERE PEOPLE WANT TO RAISE A HAND, THERE'S A VOICE CALL YOU UP MY NAME'S COMMISSIONER RUDENESS.
YOU CAN TELL ME HENNESSY SAMWELL, ANYONE.
I UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T TO, TO BEING ON A WORKING GROUP AT THIS TIME.
I WILL SAY THOUGH, I DO LIKE THE IDEA AND I SUPPORT IT, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY OF THE WORKING GROUP ONLY BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD INFORMATION IN HERE IN THIS RESOLUTION.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S ALSO ATE A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, ME PERSONALLY, IF WE HAD A VOTE TONIGHT, I WOULD HAVE TO ABSTAIN ONLY BECAUSE I'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND REREAD THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO UNDERSTAND FULL OF FULL THE FULL SCOPE OF IT.
BUT I THINK IN GENERAL, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALL SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF IT, BUT JUST IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, I COULDN'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS LIKE 30 DIFFERENT, UM, RESOLUTIONS THAT GOT SENT TO US AT ONE O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE OF YOU FOR THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN TO PASS IT, YOU'LL HAVE TO CALL IT A SPECIAL CALL ME.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING WITH ONE AGENDA ITEM IN THE NEXT? UM, I MEAN, I GUESS AGAIN, AS LONG AS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, I WAS SAYING BEFORE CHRISTMAS, JUST, I THOUGHT THAT'D BE EASIER, BUT WHATEVER'S EASIEST.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL OR, YEAH, I THINK IT JUST DEALS WITH, UM, IF THE RECOMMENDATION AFFECTS SOMETHING UPCOMING.
SO SINCE THIS HAS TO BE DONE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DAYS, I THINK YOU COULD CALL A SPECIAL CALLED BEANIE.
ARE YOU AMENABLE TO, UM, UH, SORT OF TABLING IT FOR NOW? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM IS YOUR PROCEDURE IS.
UM, OR MAYBE YOU RECALL THE RECOMMENDATION AND THEN WE'LL MAKE A, UH, WORKING GROUP.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY EVEN HAVE, I MEAN, MULTIPLE MATERIAL, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE.
OUR INTENT IS TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS, WHATEVER THAT PROCESS WOULD BE.
I THINK, UM, WE DON'T REALLY VOTE IT DOWN.
I THINK WE JUST SORT OF RECALL IT,
[01:25:01]
UM, TOO BAD COMMISSIONER DAVIS ISN'T HERE.IMAGINE WE SAID THE MAGIC WORDS.
UM, SO NOW LET'S DO THE SHOW OF HANDS FOR A WORKING GROUP AND I THINK WE NEED, SO IT WOULD BE MYSELF, UH, DANIELLE ALVARADO'S THERE'S IN SENATORS, UH, RUDENESS COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE ARE YOU INTERESTED? AND WE CAN HAVE UP TO ONE MORE.
SO GIVEN THAT GROUP, I GUESS THEN AS A, UH, I WILL MAKE A MOTION, ASSUMING THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT WILL BY DECEMBER 31ST AND A SPECIAL CALLED SESSION, PRESENT A FINAL RECOMMENDATION AROUND
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT RECORD, TO THAT MOTION SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR OF CREATING THIS WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMITTEE CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST ASK THAT, UM, IF WE COULD, YOU, ONCE, ONCE THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION IS DONE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING, UH, OTHER WORKING GROUP FROM EMAILING THAT TO US.
WE JUST, WE, WE COULDN'T NECESSARILY DISCUSS IT AS A GROUP UNTIL THE BOARD MEETING OR THE COMMISSION MEETING RATHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE I'LL START LOOKING AT THIS INFORMATION, BUT WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE THAT, IF YOU GUYS COULD SEND IT TO US PRIOR TO THAT SET OURSELVES A GOAL OF, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FIVE DAYS, FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO SO THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE A TIME TO REALLY DIGEST IT.
UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THE RESULT WILL BE.
AND FROM WHAT I HEARD ROB SAY, UM, MR. SPILLER SAY, IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY NEEDED IT BEFORE THEN TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE OR ADD THAT TO THEIR COMMENT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING A TOTALLY SEPARATE? NO, THAT WAS TO BE ADDED TO THE COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE SHOULD JUST GET SPECIFIC DECEMBER 30TH, WHAT THOSE DEADLINES WOULD BE, WHICH MIGHT BE NEXT WEEK, OR, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT SAGE ADVICE.
THE SOONER, THE BETTER I HAVE TO DELIVER TO TECHSTOP BEFORE THE 31ST.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO DELIVER IT, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT IT'S THE HOLIDAY SEASON, UH, CERTAINLY BETWEEN THE 25TH AND THEN THE END OF THE WEEK, IT DOESN'T GO BACK TO COUNCIL OR ANYBODY ELSE.
THIS IS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION COMMENT, STAFF COMMENT.
I WOULD JUST SIMPLY ATTACH YOURS AS A REFERENCE.
UM, AND SO I WOULD ACTUALLY RECOMMEND TO YOU MR. CHAIR, THAT SEPARATE FROM ME THAT YOU SEND IT IN TO TEXTILE WEBSITE AS YOUR OWN DIRECT COMMUNICATION.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ATTACH IT, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THAT THERE'S A CITY POINT, A CITIZEN COMMISSION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THEM INFORMATION.
AND THEN, SO THANK YOU FOR THE SPECIFICITY.
AND, UM, SO AS PART OF THE FIRST DECISIONS OF OUR WORKING GROUP, WE'LL, WE'LL PICK A TIMELINE, I'LL GO BACK TO THE PRE-CHRISTMAS TIMELINE AND I'LL GET WITH, UM, KATIE ALEXANDER AND SEE IF WE CAN ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING QUICK ON THE BOOKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THAT WAY WE CAN GET TOGETHER FOR WHATEVER TIME IT TAKES TO READ THROUGH IT.
THE DESIRED OUTCOME WOULD BE, UM, SIMILAR TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SEE IN FRONT OF US, UM, THE WAY HOME TO DOWN WAY FOCUSED INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, TAKE SOME OF THE GOOD IDEAS, BUT ALSO GET INTO SOME DETAIL LEVEL THAT MAKES IT, UM, SPECIFIC ENOUGH TO, UM, NOT JUST BE GOOD PLANS, BUT THAT GIVES YOU OKAY.
SO AGAIN, TO SORT OF RESTATE THE, UM, THE MOTION, UM, UH, A MOTION TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP CONSISTING OF MARIO CHAMPION, ALLIE, WE'RE GOING TO, AS, UH, AS SUSAN SUMMERS, SUSAN SUMMERS AND DANIEL GERALDO, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF PRODUCING A MORE FINELY HONED, A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT
HI GREG, ANY DAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS OR NONE? UH, CASEY, BELIEVE THAT WAS UNANIMOUS.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS IN, IN, IN Y'ALL'S PROPOSAL.
SO I, YEAH, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE GOOD TO SEE HOW WE CAN WRAP THIS TOGETHER.
[2.C. Alley aerial right of way vacations abutting 60 Rainey (File Numbers 10285-2006, 10286-2006, and 10287-2006) – Discussion and Possible Action]
WE ARE GOING TO NOW MOVE ON TO THIS, UH, ACTION PACKAGE AND LET'S SEE IT IS, UM, ITEM TWO C AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER HENNESSEY[01:30:01]
NEEDS TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THIS ONE.YES, I AM PART OF THE APPLICANT'S TEAM ON THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS ITEM.
WITH THAT SAID, UM, CITY HALL, BRINGING UP ITEMS, SEE, UM, ALLEY AREA RIGHT AWAY, VACATIONS, I THINK 60 REGISTRY AND, UM, AMANDA SWORE TO THE SCREENAGERS PANELISTS NOW AND THEIR PRESENTATIONS COMING UP.
IT'S OUR HIGH COMMISSIONER IS I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE PRESENTATION COMES UP AND THEN START, SORRY.
IS STEPHANIE STILL INTRODUCING, UM, PART BEFORE YOU DO YOUR PRESENTATION? YES.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S ACCURATE.
AND STEPHANIE, YOU JUST NEED TO PAGE NINE, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YES.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE ROY AND I'M WITH LAND MANAGEMENT AND I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE THREE APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TO VACATE THE AREA RIGHT AWAY IN THE ALLEY OFF OF RIVER STREET.
THAT'S IN BETWEEN RAINEY STREET AND EAST AVENUE.
UM, THIS LOCATION MAP RIGHT HERE SHOWS THE FIRST OF THREE THAT ABUT THESE THREE PROBLEMS WHERE THE ALLEY ABUTS THESE THREE PROPERTIES.
AND IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, UM, THIS IS 69 RAINEY STREET.
AND THEN BEFORE THAT WAS SUCCEED EAST AVENUE, UM, THESE THREE APPLICATIONS COLLECTIVELY VACATE 1,769 SQUARE FEET OF AERIAL RIGHTS.
AND, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THEM, AS YOU CAN SOMEWHAT SEE ON THE SURVEY, IT STARTS, THE VACATION STARTS AT 20 FEET AT THE FRONT OF THE ALLEY AND WILL RUN TO 18 FEET IN THE REAR.
UM, THEY'VE ALREADY RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM 24 OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO STAFF SUPPORTS THIS VACATION.
SO, UM, WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I CAN TURN IT OVER TO AMANDA.
SHE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE PRISONERS.
UH, IF I COULD GET THE PRESENTATION PULLED UP THAT HAS THE BLACK SCREEN THAT STARTS WITH RIVER STREET RESIDENCES.
PARTIAL VACATION IS THE AB TECH COMING RIGHT UP.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME'S AMANDA SWORE WITH TURNER GROUP AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE PARCEL ALLI VACATION APPLICATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIVER STREET RESIDENCES PROJECT.
I DO HAVE ON THE LINE WITH ME REFEREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CIVIL ENGINEERING TEAM AND THE OWNERSHIP TEAM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN'T ADDRESS WHEN WE WRAP UP THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU IS STAFF STATE STATE OF THIS EVENING IS FOR SUPPORT FOR A PARTIAL ALLEY VACATION.
AND THIS VACATION IS FOR AERIAL RIGHTS.
ONLY THE REQUEST AS STAFF MENTIONED, HAS CLEARED ALL COMMENTS AND RECEIVED STAFF SUPPORT.
I'M GOING TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE ALLEY VACATION, BUT I DO WANT TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REQUEST.
MY SLIDES DID GET A LITTLE JUMBLED SOMEHOW WHEN THEY CAME IN.
SO WE CAN SKIP THIS ONE AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL COVER IT WITH THE OVERALL PROJECT OVERVIEW.
SO AS STAFF MENTIONED, THIS PROJECT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING IS LOCATED AT 61 AND 69 RAINY STREET, AS WELL AS SIXTIES AVENUE COMBINED.
THOSE PROPERTIES OUTSIDE OF THE ALLEYWAY ARE JUST OVER HALF AN ACRE THERE'S ZONE, CENTRAL BUSINESSES, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND LOCATED IN THE RAINY STREET SUB-DISTRICT OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND LOCATED FROM THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY.
THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS A RESIDENT RESIDENTIAL PROJECT THAT CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY 408 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND ASSOCIATED GROWING FOR RETAIL.
I GIVEN THE PROPERTY'S LOCATION, THIS PROJECT WILL, UH, MAY DEVELOP WITH UP TO AN EIGHT TO ONE, FOUR TO AREA RATIO AND HEIGHT WITH THE PROVISION OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE
[01:35:01]
HOUSING OR FAN LU, UH, AS REQUIRED BY THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY RAINY STREET PROGRAM.THE PROJECT IS ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND WITH PARTICIPATION, THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSING A FORD AREA RATIO OF JUST UNDER OR JUST OVER 21 TO ONE NEXT SLIDE AND INTO VISUALLY ON, ON WHERE THIS SITS OUT.
SO THIS PROPERTY IS FOUND ON THE EAST SIDE EAST AVENUE ON THE SOUTH BY RIVER STREET AND ON THE WEST BY RANDY STREET.
AND THE AREA THAT IS TO BE VACATED ON THE GROUND OR AERIALLY, WHICH WILL STILL OPERATE ON THE GROUND, RUNS NORTH SOUTH IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS SLIDE.
AS I MENTIONED THAT THIS PROJECT IS PARTICIPATING IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND AS PART OF THAT, WE'LL PROVIDE BOTH ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FEE IN LIEU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TOTALING IT WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, 15,179 SQUARE FEET OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT 25 UNITS AS WELL AS A FEE IN LIEU OF OVER $1.2 MILLION.
NEXT YEAR, PLEASE FOCUSED ON THE ALLEY VACATION COMPONENT, WHICH IS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, THIS IS AN IMAGE OF THE EXISTING ALLEY.
AND AS YOU SEE, THE ALLEY IS CURRENTLY OFTENTIMES A MUD PIT AS IT IS AN UNPAVED AREA.
IT IS SUBSTANDARD WITH WHERE IT SITS AT JUST OVER 16 FEET.
AND IT IS ALSO SANDWICHED WITH OVERHEAD UTILITY POLES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ALLEY, SIGNIFICANTLY ENCOURAGING INTO THE USABLE SPACE AND SEVERELY IMPACTING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE ALLEY.
THIS PROCESS, WE WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND MANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CONFIGURATION OF THIS PROPOSED ALLEY.
THE PROCESS WILL RECONFIGURE AN ALLEY THAT IS WOEFULLY SUBSTANDARD AND CREATE AN ALLEY THAT HAS A MINIMUM CLEAR WITH OF 26 FEET COMPARED TO THE 16 FEET THAT EXISTS TODAY.
THAT WILL INCLUDE A MINIMUM DRIVE DRIVE WITH OF 26 FEET AND IS PROPOSED TO BE FLANKED ON BOTH SIDES BY THREE FOOT PEDESTRIAN ZONES.
IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A MINIMUM CLEAR HEIGHT OF 18 FEET WITH THAT THEIR HEIGHT EXCEEDING TO 20 FEET AT THE FRONT END.
WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE ABILITY TO POTENTIALLY ADD SIGNAGE IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS KNOWN AS A PUBLIC ALLEY.
SO WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS A CHANGE FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY, UH, UH, A VERY SUBSTANDARD ALLEY THAT IS ITS STRUGGLES TO FUNCTION AT MANY TIMES, TOO.
WITH THIS AERIAL VACATION, IT WILL ALLOW FOR DEVELOPMENT OVER THE ALLEY, BUT EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE GROUND FLOOR WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC ALLEY, AND IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY BY THIS PROJECT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, JUST TO SHOW YOU AGAIN, HOW THAT OPERATES, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE GROUND, THE ALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO RUN NORTH SOUTH, UM, ON THE, ON THE PROJECT.
SO IN SUMMARY, THIS IS A PARTIAL ALLEY VACATION WITH AN AERIAL ONLY VACATION.
THIS REQUEST WILL VARY OVERHEAD UTILITY LINES, PAVED AND UNPAVED ALLEY AND WIDEN THAT AREA BY OVER 10 FEET.
SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO STOP.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE COMMISSIONERS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON PEOPLE'S SCREENS? ANYBODY GIVE UP? WE DON'T HAVE THE CAMERAS ON.
UM, SO THIS IS POSTED FOR A, UM, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
IS THERE A MOTION SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE ANYBODY ALL RIGHT.
I THINK A MOTION THAT WE CONSIDER APPROVAL.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AMONG COMMISSIONERS ON THIS VACATION? OKAY.
LET'S JUST TAKE IT TO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THIS VACATION.
THE COMMISSIONER HENNESSY IS GOOD.
ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS? NO.
THAT CATHOLIC ENTITY HAS AN EXTENSION OR NOT, BUT HE DIDN'T INTERACT.
UH, SO CASEY, THAT WAS UNANIMOUS FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS WHO, UM, ACTED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[01:40:01]
GOOD LUCK.[2.D. Draft Transportation Criteria Manual- Briefing and Possible Action]
LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM D DRAFT TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL LISTED FOR A BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION.IT SAYS PRESENTERS, UH, DANIELLE MORAN AND JACOB COULDN'T PINCH THE END.
CAN WE HARDEN PRESENTATION COMING UP? THANKS FOR PATIENTS FOR SURE.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE TCM UPDATE PROJECT.
UM, MY NAME IS DANIELLE MOREN AND I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER.
I'LL BE PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PCM PROCESS ALONG WITH SOME INFORMATION REGARDING OUR WEBSITE AND FEEDBACK OPTIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE, AS YOU MENTIONED, KIMLEY-HORN WHO IS OUR CONSULTANT, ASSISTING US WITH THIS PROJECT ON THE LINE TO ASSIST WITH ANY TECHNICAL Q AND A'S AT THE END.
THE SITE TO, TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE CITY CURRENT TCM WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 1980S A WHOLE LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN, UM, WHICH HAS NECESSITATED A MAJOR UPDATE TO THE TECHNICAL DOCUMENT.
THE UPDATED MANUAL THAT WE HAVE, UM, RIGHT NOW POSTED IS MEANT TO REFLECT THE LATEST NATION STANDARDS AND TO BRING IT UP TO DATE, UM, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING IT TO BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH FOR FUTURE CHANGES.
AS NEW MANUALS ARE ADOPTED WITH REFERENCE STANDARDS, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES INCLUDE BRINGING THE DOCUMENT IN ALIGNMENT WITH S AND P GOALS, INCLUDING PRIORITIZING SAFETY, UH, FOCUS ON MULTIMODAL ELEMENTS AND, UM, TRYING OR ASSISTING US TO ACHIEVE OUR 50 50 MODE SPLIT GOALS.
SO THE QCM PROJECT HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, IT BEGAN IN EARNEST IN 2018.
WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DRAFTING AND REFINING THIS DOCUMENT ALONG WITH MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS OVER THIS TWO YEAR PERIOD.
UM, AND WHICH HAS GOTTEN US TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WE PUBLISHED THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN WEBSITE AND AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, WHICH IS ALLOWING FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENTS, UM, AND THIS WILL REALLY ASSIST US IN REFINING OUR DRAFT DOCUMENT EVEN MORE SO BEFORE WE BEGIN THE RULES POSTING PROCESS IN THE SPRING OF 2021, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
BUT I WANTED TO QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT THE TCM TABLE OF CONTENTS JUST TO ILLUSTRATE HOW THIS DOCUMENT DOCUMENT IS SEPARATED BY TOPIC.
THESE SEPARATIONS HAVE ALLOWED US TO CREATE A DOCUMENT THAT'S MORE USER-FRIENDLY, UM, THAN THE CURRENT TCM SETS SET UP.
IT ALSO BUNCHES TOGETHER, UM, CRITERIA THAT'S MORE PREDICTABLE TO THE USER AND PROVIDES A DOCUMENT THAT'S JUST EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED HYPERLINKS THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT SO THAT WHEN A FIGURE OR TABLE IS REFERENCED USER CAN SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK AND VIEW THE REFERENCE CRITERIA.
SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE UPDATED FIGURES AND TABLES THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT DOCUMENT.
UM, AND THESE ARE REALLY EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND BY ALL USERS.
THE NEW FIGURES INCLUDE MULTIMODAL ELEMENTS AND THE TABLES USE A NEW TERMINOLOGY TO BETTER ALIGN WITH THE ASM P STREET CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
SO AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, WE'VE CREATED A WEBSITE THROUGH BIG UP AUSTIN PAGE WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE FULL DRAFT DOCUMENT EITHER IN ITS ENTIRETY OR IN, UM, WE'VE ALSO SEPARATED IT BY EACH CHAPTER.
THE WEBSITE WILL BE LIVE THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.
UH, WE'VE ALSO ADDED A BUNCH OF VIDEOS THAT HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT STAFF.
UH, THESE VIDEOS HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE DOCUMENT.
UM, AND THEY'RE REALLY NEAT RESOURCE JUST TO VIEW SOME POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS BY, YOU KNOW, OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
UH, THE WEBSITE ALSO ALLOWS FOR COMMENTS ALONG WITH EACH SECTION, UM, AND THESE COMMENTS WE'LL BE USING TO COMPILE, TO EDIT THE DOCUMENT IN JANUARY PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE ROWS POSTING PROCESS.
I DID WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
UM, I URGE YOU TO UTILIZE OUR SPEAK-UP AUSTIN WEBSITE, UH, TO REVIEW ALL OF THE TCM DRAFT DOCUMENT
[01:45:01]
THAT WE'VE PROVIDED AND ALSO TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL, UM, OUR RESOURCE ACCOUNT AT TRANSPORTATION CM AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
SURPRISINGLY QUICK FIRST CERTIFICATE.
UM, THIS IS LISTED FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
UH, THERE IS A, UM, RECOMMENDATION, I THINK, UH, DAN ARE THE PRIMARY AUTHOR ON THAT ONE.
DO, UM, DO WE WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSION BEFORE WE ARE, I GUESS, ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF STAFF WHO WAS HERE BEFORE THEM INTO KIND OF THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION? UM, I MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO MARIO, JUST TO HELP FRAME THE CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT.
UM, DANIELLE BASED ON READING THE TCM, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD SUPERSEDE OR FULLY ADOPT THE, UM, DRAFT AUSTIN STREET DESIGN GUIDE.
IS THAT THE INTENTION OF THE TCM THAT WHATEVER WITHIN THAT DOCUMENT AND THE FEEDBACK YOU'VE GOTTEN ON, THAT WOULD BE THE TCM.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE.
WE USED, UM, THE AUSTIN STREET DESIGN GUIDE, ALL OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THE PAST FEW YEARS TO HELP INFORM AND CREATE THE CROSS SECTIONS THAT YOU SEE IN THIS DRAFT.
IT LOOKED LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF INCORPORATION OF FEEDBACK THAT THIS BODY AND OTHERS HAD GIVEN, SO THAT ALL LOOKS GOOD.
MAYBE THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION, MARIO.
UM, ARE THERE OTHERS, UM, HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.
WELL, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? UH, SURE.
UM, SO I WENT THROUGH THIS IN PRETTY FINE DETAIL OVER THE LAST WEEK OR SO I PUT MOST OF MY TECHNICAL COMMENTS ON THE WEBSITE, BUT THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THIS BODY AND THAT WERE, UM, BIG PICTURE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE UTC.
UM, AND SO ESSENTIALLY IT HIGHLIGHTS, UH, FOUR THINGS.
ONE IS THAT I WILL, UH, MOVE TO, UH, ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION IN 2020 1208 OH TWO D.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS ONE THEN? SO THE FOUR PARTS ARE, ARE ALL FAIRLY SIMPLE.
AND I THINK IN LINE WITH THINGS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED BEFORE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE THE FIRST ONE, UM, SO THE FIRST ONE THIS CITY HAS IN THE PAST REQUIRED, PARTICULARLY TRAFFIC ANALYSIS TO BE DONE BY LICENSED ENGINEERS.
UM, THE DRAFT TCM NOW ALLOWS CERTIFIED PLANNERS TO DO CERTAIN TASKS, BUT NOT OTHERS.
AND I'VE ALWAYS FOUND THAT REQUIREMENT TO BE UNNECESSARY AND LIMITING OF THE POOL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK IT PROVIDES MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET OF THEY SMP.
UM, AND SO I'D LIKE THE, UM, EITHER THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER REQUIREMENT REMOVED OR WHAT I'VE SUGGESTED IN THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ALLOW, UM, THE AICP CERTIFIED PLANNERS, THE SAME, UM, PERMISSIONS TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION, UM, THAT THE ENGINEERS HAVE.
SO THAT IS ONE, UM, TWO IS IN THE RESPECT TO THE SECTIONS THAT DANIELLE MENTIONED.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UH, STANDARD CROSS-SECTIONS THAT HAVE LANE WIDTH GREATER THAN 12 FEET.
UM, I THINK, AND ACTUALLY I THINK THE MAXIMUM IS 12 AND A HALF FEET, BUT, UM, STILL CONSISTENT WITH OUR PAST DISCUSSIONS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S NEED FOR, ESPECIALLY IN THE URBAN AREAS AND THE MOSTLY URBAN AREAS THAT WE HOPE OFTEN, UM, WILL CONTINUE TO BECOME THAT, UH, FOUR LANES GREATER THAN 12 FEET IN WIDTH.
UM, THREE AND FOUR ARE KIND OF CONNECTED TOGETHER.
AND ESSENTIALLY I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ENOUGH OF CHAPTER 10, UH, WITH REGARD TO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TO, UH, TO REALLY KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE.
I JUST DON'T THINK THERE'S ENOUGH SPECIFICITY IN IT.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT WE'VE WRITTEN IN PAST RECOMMENDATION.
SO RATHER THAN REWRITES THOSE PAGES OF RECOMMENDATIONS, I JUST LISTED THEM THERE, UM, TO KIND OF SERVE AS A REFERENCE TO, UH, OUR PAST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT
[01:50:01]
WAS, UH, WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAD RECOMMENDED REGARDING, UM, KIND OF TRANSPORTATION REVIEW AND THE TYPES OF ANALYSES AND REQUIREMENTS THAT, UH, THE BODY WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF IT.AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I COULD NOT CLEARLY DELINEATE HOW THIS, THE NEW REVIEW REQUIREMENTS, THE STREET IMPACT FEES, UH, AND THE CURRENT ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY REQUIREMENTS ALL GOT MARRIED TOGETHER BASED ON THE TCM.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT THE INTENTION IS FOR THOSE TO BE ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THERE CAN BE LOTS OF, UH, HORSEPLAY WITH HOW YOU DO THAT.
NOT TO SUGGEST THAT THAT'S STAFF INTENTION, BUT TEACHER, STAFF MIGHT THINK DIFFERENTLY THAN THIS ONE.
AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER, BUT THAT TYPE OF THING IS CODIFIED RATHER THAN, UM, ADMINISTERED ADMINISTRATIVELY.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE BASIS FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT OR IN THE, UH, DOCUMENT? COULD I ASK THE STAFF, PEOPLE WHO ARE PRESENT TO SPEAK TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE LAST FOUR ITEMS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER HENNESEY WENT OVER? YEAH, I CAN DEFINITELY, UM, RESPOND TO THOSE.
I THINK I'LL PROBABLY TAKE THE FIRST ONE AND JAKE CAN HOP IN FOR THE OTHER, THE LAST THREE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY NEAT RECOMMENDATION TO ALLOW EICP THE SAME PERMISSIONS AS PES.
UM, I'M NOT SURE OF THE TECHNICAL REASONS WHY WE WOULD WANT A PE VERSUS THE AICP.
I KNOW, UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME LEGAL ISSUES SURROUNDING THAT.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT AND DEFINITELY NOTE THAT AS A RECOMMENDATION AND SPEAK WITH ATD STAFF TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO OR NOT.
AND THEN YOU'RE LIKE, I CAN PICK UP FROM YOU AND RAN OUT A LITTLE BIT ON THE FIRST ONE.
WE DID ACTUALLY DISCUSS THAT QUITE A BIT, UM, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE, AND THAT'S WHY WE DID WORK IN THE RECOMMENDED OR THE AICP FOR THE, UH, TDM PLAN COMPONENT.
THAT'S IN SECTION 10 THAT, BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THAT WAS, THAT DID NOT NEED TO BE A PE UM, SOME OF THE DISCUSSION IS AS COLOR BACKGROUND FOR THAT, UH, QUESTIONING COMMENT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE TA PROCESS SUCH AS SIGNAL WARRANTS, UH, THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENGINEER TO DO THAT.
SO I'M SURE THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION COULD BE TAKEN IN THAT LIGHT.
MAYBE THERE'S WAYS TO PIECEMEAL THINGS OUT, BUT AS FAR AS, UM, THERE, THERE ARE STILL ELEMENTS OF THAT PROCESS THAT, UH, DO BY, UM, SPECIFIC STATE REQUIREMENTS AND THE MANUAL AND UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL CONTROL DEVICES WOULD REQUIRE AN ENGINEER TO DO CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THOSE STUDIES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY WE DID HAVE THAT IN THERE.
UH, AND THEN I'LL, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO TWO, THREE AND FOUR, UH, FROM THAT RECOMMENDATION, DAN, UH, FOR THE CROSS SECTION SPECIFICALLY THE 12 AND A HALF FOOT LANE WIDTH.
AGAIN, LOTS OF CONVERSATION ON THIS ONE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT REALLY WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
AND I BELIEVE IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK INTO THE DETAILS OF IT, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PROVISION IN THERE.
UH, IT'S REALLY RELATED TO THE EFFECTIVE LANE WIDTHS TO S CITY OF AUSTIN, TYPICALLY CONSTRUCTS ASPHALT WITH A ONE AND A HALF FOOT GUTTER PAN.
AND WHEN DISCUSSIONS WITH CAP METRO, UH, TALKING THROUGH THAT, THE SPECIFIC INSTANCE THAT THAT IS ACCOUNTING FOR IS COLLECTOR STREETS WITH TWO LANES OF TRAVEL.
AND THEY TOLD US FOR TWO BUSES TO PASS EACH OTHER, THERE NEEDED TO BE 11 FEET OF EFFECTIVE LANE WIDTH, UH, IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT 12 AND A HALF FOOT COMES FROM.
IT'S 11 FEET OF EFFECTIVELY WITH PLUS A FOOT AND A HALF GUTTER, UM, FOR THE OUTSIDE LANE BEING 12 AND A HALF FEET.
SO THERE WAS A PROVISION THAT I MENTIONED IN THERE WHERE THAT COULD GET, UH, BASICALLY, UH, ALTERED THROUGH, THROUGH A, UM, A VARIANCE.
AND THAT'S WHEN YOU COULD DO RECESSED INLETS, WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE KIND OF A DROP OFF IN THE GUTTER PAN GOING INTO INLETS ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
SO THERE'S A SPECIFIC DESIGN THAT ALLOWS FOR THERE TO BE A FLUSH CONNECTION THERE WITHOUT DIPS, THEN THAT CAN BE MOVED LOWER TO PROBABLY MORE IN THE RANGE YOU WERE EXPECTING FOR THAT ONE.
SO THAT'S THE SPECIFIC TECHNICAL BACKING AND REASONING, UH, IN COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAP METRO OF WHY THAT 12 AND A HALF FOOT WORKED ITS WAY IN THERE AND IS GREATER THAN 12 FEET.
J COULD THAT BE WRITTEN SUCH THAT IT'S 12 FEET STANDARD AND 12 AND A HALF IN SITUATIONS WHERE CAP METRO BUSES MIGHT HAVE TO PASS ONE ANOTHER? YEAH.
UH, I'M SURE THAT COULD BE WORKED IN THERE.
WE JUST HAD TO, FOR THE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF, WE, WE, WE KEPT IT AT 12 AND A HALF AS THE, AS THE RECOMMENDED, BUT YEAH, I THINK I'M SURE THAT THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT, UH, TO DROP INTO THE PLATFORM THAT WE COULD CONSIDER.
UM, AND THEN, UH, NUMBER THREE, ON THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW CHANGES
[01:55:01]
AND NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH IN DEFERRING TO THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES, I GUESS WAS KIND OF, IS THAT CORRECT FOR THE KIND OF THE GENERAL COMMENT THERE? YEAH.SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS KIND OF OVERARCHING, UH, IN THE APPROACH TO THIS DOCUMENT, NOT JUST SECTION 10 ON THE TA AND TDM WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS MORE OF A TIMELESS DOC LEADING TO KIND OF DANIELLE'S, UH, INITIAL STATEMENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN SINCE THE EIGHTIES AND IT, IT IS QUITE A MONUMENTAL EFFORT.
IT SEEMS EVERY TIME TO TRY TO UPDATE THIS, THIS DOCUMENT.
UM, SO SOME OF THE INTENT WAS TO STRUCTURE THINGS IN SUCH A WAY WHERE, UM, SPECIFIC DETAILS THAT MAY CHANGE WITH TIME, SUCH AS THINGS LIKE LOOKING AT LEVEL OF SERVICE AND VEHICLE MILES TRAVEL, WHICH I KNOW HAS BEEN DISCUSSED MANY TIMES, UH, AND, AND THESE FORUMS, UH, COULD BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THOSE KIND OF CHANGES WITHOUT GOING BACK THROUGH THE RULES POSTING PROCESS.
AND IT'S A MORE DEFINED WITH LESS SPECIFICITY THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY WORKED IN INTO THIS.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT'S A TOTALLY VALID POINT.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPECIFIC THINGS LIKE WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND HOW POWER ARE WE GOING TO SET THOSE BOUNDARIES, SO TO SPEAK ON THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THAT THE THAT'S A VALID COMMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR SURE.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE PROCESS BE FOR ADOPTING THE FULL GUIDELINES? WOULD THAT, WOULD THOSE GO BACK THROUGH, SAY UTC PLANNING COMMISSION AND, OR CITY COUNCIL I'M GOING TO DEFER BACK TO DANIELLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFICS ON WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES ADOPTION, IF YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT ONE.
I, I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE A ROLE POSTING PROCESS.
UM, BUT I CAN, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU DEFINITELY ON, ON SPECIFICS.
UM, AND YEAH, JUST MAYBE, MAYBE MORE SUMMARILY, I MEAN, I WAS READY TO WRITE A SIX PAGE RECOMMENDATION ON THIS AND ONLY CAME UP WITH THOSE FOUR THINGS.
SO JUST OVERALL KUDOS TO BOTH OF YOU AND YOUR TEAMS FOR WRITING A MANUAL THAT MADE A LOT OF SENSE AND CERTAINLY IMPROVES ON THE THING THAT WE HAVE NOW.
UM, AND KUDOS TO THE CITY ON I'M WORKING THROUGH THAT TOO.
UM, I DID WANNA ADDRESS NUMBER FOUR.
THE IMPACT FEE TCM REF PROPORTIONALITY.
I CAN STATE THIS, THAT THE INTENT OF THE CITY IS TO GET ALL OF THAT LINED UP.
THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THAT THE STREET IMPACT FEE SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHICH IS ALSO BEING LOOKED AT AS A POTENTIAL, UM, REPLACEMENT AS A WAY TO MEASURE ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY, UM, THROUGH SOME OF THE OUTPUTS OF THAT STUDY, UH, THAT IS STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS EVEN AS OF THIS WEEK, IT'S CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR THIRD READING ON THURSDAY, UH, AND GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF THE, THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING FROM COUNCIL AND THE CHANGES TO THAT ORDINANCE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND EVEN UP TO THIS LAST WEEK OR TWO, UM, THE INTENT WAS TO WAIT UNTIL THAT HAD MADE IT MADE ITS WAY THROUGH COUNCIL WITH ALL THE AMENDMENTS AND THEN COMBINE THE TDM WORK SHEET THAT WAS ONLINE WITH IT.
IN FACT, THE ESTIMATION WORKSHEET AND REP PROPORTIONALITY ALL IN ONE PLACE SO THAT IT DOES MAKE SENSE AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT ALL TIES TOGETHER.
SO THERE IS SOME STUFF THAT'S IN DRAFT FORM.
IT JUST HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET.
AND WE'RE WAITING TO CONFIRM, UH, WHATEVER COUNCIL DECIDES, UH, ON THE IMPACT FEED BEFORE THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER.
UM, IT'S KINDA HARD TO GET ALL THREE OF THOSE STARS TO ALIGN, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE INTENT HERE SHORTLY, UH, DANIEL.
UM, AND I HAVE TO SEE WHAT, UH, DO YOU WANNA MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT? DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE THE W HOW DO YOU WANT TO PROCEED? UM, I STILL THINK THAT THESE ARE, I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT THESE STILL ARE IN THE VEIN OF WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN CHANGES THOUGH.
I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO MAKE ANY BASED ON WHAT I JUST HEARD.
UH, DO OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS FOR LANGUAGE IF THEY CARRY SO DEEPLY OR ANYONE? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION, UH, UM, WE CAN JUST TAKE THIS UP FOR A VOTE.
SO YES, THE VOTE, WHENEVER WE WANT REBUILDING WITH THE VOTE IS TO APPROVE THIS AS IS.
AND, UH, THIS BECOMES A, A RECOMMENDATION IN THIS LAST, WHEREAS THIS IS FOOD RECEIVES THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, JUST
[02:00:01]
YEAH, PERCEIVES IT.AND THEN MOST OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS GO TO COUNCIL ALSO.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD GET IT TOO.
SO THIS IS THEN UP FOR A VOTE, NOT SEEING ANY QUESTIONS.
ALL IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDATION, UH, FISHERS ENTITIES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FRUSTRATION CRITERIA MANUAL.
UM, ALLIE, DID YOU SPEAK UP? SORRY.
UM, WELL, I'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT I THINK THERE WAS EVERYBODY THAT'S STILL HERE.
UM, ANY OF THOSE THEY DAY ABSTENTIONS.
UH, WHAT IS THE COUNT REAL QUICK? ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX.
SO I JUST NOTICED SAMWELL FRANCO LEFT.
UM, THIS RECOMMENDATION PASSES AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU STAFF FOR YOUR TIME.
AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA REALLY QUICK.
DID ANYBODY HAPPEN TO NOTICE WHEN COMMISSIONER FRANCO JUMPED OFF? WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD QUORUM ON THE LAST ITEM.
WELL, I HEAR THIS THING'S RECORDED, SO I GUESS WE WILL FIND OUT.
I HAVE TO ADMIT ANYONE ELSE NOTICE.
[2.E. Approval of the Urban Transportation Commission 2021 Regular Meeting Schedule – Discussion and Possible Action]
ITEM IS FAIRLY SIMPLE, UH, AGENDA ITEM E APPROVAL OF THE IRRITATION COMMISSION, 2021 REGULAR MEETINGS SCHEDULE, UM, THAT WAS SENT TO US.AND I THINK A WORD DOCUMENT THAT MAYBE, UM, TO HALL HAS THAT TO SHARE TOPIC LOOKS LIKE, THANK YOU.
I THINK OUR PROCESS IS AS SIMPLE AS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THIS OR TO CHANGE THIS, I GUESS WE HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FIRST AND THEN WE CAN MAKE CHANGES IF WE HAVE TO DEBATE IT.
IS THERE A MOTION I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS? I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I GUESS IT'S, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING THAT I KNOW THAT OUR MEETINGS HAVE BEEN MOVING AROUND A LOT.
A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE NOT DOING OUR REGULAR MEETINGS AND WE'RE DOING SPECIAL CALL TO ACCOMMODATE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
AND AS LONG AS, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE KEEPS RENEWING THOSE ORDERS, UH, FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS, I GUESS WE WOULD ANTICIPATE CONTINUING THIS MODE MODALITY OF MEETING.
UM, I MEAN, I GUESS WHEN I, I GUESS KIND OF WHAT I'M ASKING IS LIKE, DO WE THINK WE COULD STICK TO THE SCHEDULE OR DO WE THINK THAT IT'S FOR CASEY? DO WE KIND OF THINK THAT REALISTICALLY THIS WOULD BE OUR CALENDAR, BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE UNDER THE ORDERS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE PANDEMIC THAT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF BE NIMBLE ON OUR FEET WITH OUR MEETING TIMES.
IS THAT GONNA JUST KIND OF BE OUR NEW REALITY FOR ANOTHER FEW MONTHS? WE THINK? YEAH.
SO WITH THE EXTENSION, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL STILL BE KIND OF DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, THE LAST FEW MEETINGS.
SO THIS IS OUR SCHEDULE QUOTE UNQUOTE, BUT IT MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
I KNOW WE TRY AND GET THE AFTER-WORK MEETING TIMES FOR Y'ALL, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THOSE AS WELL.
UM, SO I WILL FIND OUT IF ANYTHING CHANGES, BUT AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS, WE'RE STILL ON THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, 5:00 PM OR FIVE 30 TIMELINE JUST HELPS ME A LOT.
UM, I HAVE IT LISTED AS 5:00 PM JUST SINCE THAT WAS, I GUESS WHAT Y'ALL HAD BEEN DOING BEFORE I STARTED AS LIAISON.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT TO FIVE 30, I CAN REQUEST THAT TIME AS WELL.
AND IF I WORKED FOR ME, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN IT COMES UP AND WE HAVE TO BE NIMBLE TO THE WAND AND THE TWO PMS AND STUFF, IT JUST, THERE, THERE WILL BE TOUGH FOR PRETTY CONSISTENTLY, BUT FIVE, FIVE WORKS FOR ME.
HOW ABOUT OTHERS? HOW ARE PEOPLE DOING WITH THIS KIND OF, UM, THIS IS HIS EVENING BETTER? UM, YES.
I PREFER 5:00 PM, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL.
I WILL MENTION THOUGH, I WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THE JANUARY 12TH DAY AND ABOVE FOR SURE, BUT LET'S JUST ONE TIME, BUT
[02:05:01]
IF WE COULD CHANGE IT, THAT'D BE GREAT TOO.DO YOU HAVE A SUGGEST, LIKE A DAY LATER WOULD BE GOOD? YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST HAD ANOTHER, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN AN IDEAL WORLD WE'D MAKE THIS JANUARY 13TH AND THE REST REMAIN THE SAME AS, AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SUSAN MAY HAVE TO BE A LITTLE NIBBLE ON OUR FEET SOMETIMES.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ANY MORE THOUGHTS? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, PROVING THIS SCHEDULE WITH A SUGGESTION FOR JANUARY 13TH, INSTEAD OF THE POLITICS POSSIBLE, SAY AYE, OR RAISE YOUR HANDS CLEAR.
UM, DELIVER TO EVERYBODY, BUT FOR PROCESS, UH, L OPPOSED SAY NAY AND THE PETITIONS ALRIGHT.
IS UNANIMOUS OF THE PEOPLE HERE.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK THAT IS OUR LAST AGENDA
[3. STAFF AND COMMITTEE Briefings]
ITEM.BEFORE WE GO INTO THE KIND OF, UH, REGULAR, UM, UM, BRIEFINGS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, IF YOU HEAR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, RIGHT, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION DID NOT MEET BECAUSE IT WASN'T POSTED IN TIME.
SO, UH, THE, UH, NOVEMBER AGENDA WILL BE MERGED WITH THE DECEMBER AGENDA AND THAT WILL BE THE 16TH, BUT THEY WERE GONNA, UH, UH, BE LOOKING AT REALLY NOTHING COME THAT CONTAINED TRANSPORTATION THINGS OTHER THAN THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION THAT WE JUST ACTED ON.
UH, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY LEAVE THAT'S COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
WHO'S NOT HERE, HIGH ADVISORY AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY.
UM, CASEY, EMILY SMITH IS ALWAYS UPDATING SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS FALLEN TO YOU OR NOT.
DO WE HAVE A MEMBER? AND THE ONLY UPDATE I HAD GOTTEN WAS FROM PAC ABOUT
UM, I MEAN, I GAVE A LITTLE BIT, WELL, I GUESS THE SAME THING THAT SUSAN HAD, UM, UM, I HEARD, UM, AIDEN WALKER BLACK ABOUT THEIR DISCUSSION OF
UM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S USUALLY ON HERE, THE PROJECT TECH AMBASSADOR NETWORK.
UM, BUT IT IS NOT LISTED HERE.
DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE THAT LISTED? DID YOU SAY FOR PROJECT CONNECT? YEAH, I AM UNSURE.
I THINK IF IT FALLS UNDER ONE OF THOSE BRIEFINGS YOU'RE OKAY.
IF WE, IF WE MAKE SURE TO JUST INCLUDE NEXT TIME, JUST SO WE AREN'T ACCIDENTALLY DOING SOMETHING.
UM, SUSAN, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? YOU WERE AT THE LAST ONE? I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS AT THE LAST I WAS AT THE LAST ONE.
UM, IT WAS SORT OF, IT BASICALLY THE MAJOR TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WAS THAT WE PASSED A HUGE HISTORICAL THING AND THAT, UM, IT WAS TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT APPLICATIONS, WHICH THOSE APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED AND ARE BEING PROMOTED.
SO THAT'S THE INDEPENDENT OR BODY THAT WILL, UM, ADMINISTER ALL THE MONEY AND CONSTRUCTION AND EVERYTHING.
AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TIMELINE DISCUSSION, UM, BUT NOTHING, NOTHING THAT WAS NEW, NO, NOTHING, NOTHING MIND BLOWING, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE RAMPING UP THEIR HIRING AND STARTING ALL THEY'RE KICKING OFF ALL THEIR PROCESSES.
SO, AND THE NEXT STEP TO THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY ADVISORY TO SEE IF IT'S COMMISSION OR COUNCIL THAT WILL ALSO ADVISE THE ATP.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD APPLY TO GIVE SOME INPUT ON THAT.
AND IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THE CAC WILL, UM, HAVE A LOT OF INPUT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ELEMENTS THAT INCLUDE IT.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW TOO.
UM, I DID ATTEND TO ITEM E THE ABILITY TO ME, I DID 10, THE ABILITY TO COMMITTEE GAVE HIM A, UH, UH, AN UPDATE AND WE DISCUSSED A BIT THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN DISCUSSION.
AND SO WE GET TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I'LL BRING THIS UP, BUT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT REFINING THAT DOCUMENT AS WELL.
UM, IT WAS, UM, YEAH, WE, WE, WE
[02:10:01]
TALKED ABOUT IT.UM, UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, GETTING MORE SPECIFIC, FRANKLY, THAT'S FOR WHY I BROUGHT IT UP AS WELL TODAY.
UM, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY ME GIVING THEM AN UPDATE IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS.
[4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
THEN LET'S MOVE TO THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I SEE THERE'S ONE ITEM LISTED QUARTER MOBILITY PROGRAM UPDATE.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THROW ON THERE A CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN REFINEMENT SLASH UPDATE IS TODAY COMMISSIONER DAVIS ISN'T HERE, BUT, UM, UM, I HAD AN ADDITIONAL MEETING WITH ANN KITCHEN AND DONNA TEAM, AND AFTERWARDS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE HAD, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY BIG DOCUMENT AND THEY NEED WAYS TO GET THROUGH IT.
AND, UM, IT JUST SORT OF CAME UP THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, IT WOULD BE IN OUR INTEREST TO BE AS, UM, ACTIONABLE AS WE CAN IN RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT COME TO PASS, BUT THAT'S AN ITEM THAT THEY CAN LITERALLY THEN MOVE FORWARD AND THEN IT CAN GET WRANGLED.
UM, AND WHEN THEY ARE MORE DESIRED OUTCOMES, IT'S, IT'S HARDER FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY MAKE A MAKE MOTION ON IT.
SO THAT WAS A GOOD BIT OF ADVICE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE A B LET'S REFINE THAT I'M AN EQUITY PLAN, AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING TO JUST GET THROUGH THE EITHER FIRE PLAN.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS ON PEOPLE'S MINDS THAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT THEY WANT US TO WEIGH IN ON? WELL, IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING, EMAIL IT, UH, MYSELF OR CASEY OR BILL OR MYSELF, AND THEN SUSAN OR CASEY, AND WE'LL GET IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND I GUESS THERE'S ALWAYS, CASEY'S THINGS COME UP, JUST EMAIL HIM AND WE'LL MAKE AN AGENDA.
ANY OTHER PARTING WORDS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE FINAL AGENDA ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
FINAL ITEM IS A JOURNAL THAT, UM, I THINK WE CAN JUST DO THIS BY DECREE, UH, SEEING NO OBJECTIONS.
UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED IS SEVEN 45.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME WE GOT THROUGH A LOT, AS I THOUGHT IT MIGHT TAKE EVEN LONGER.