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SO WE'LL GO AHEAD.[CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
IT'S 5:40 PM.IS THAT A REGULAR MEETING OF HIS DESIGN COMMISSION? DID YOU CALL THE LOCAL POLICE? OKAY.
THIS IS ART SOMEWHAT HONOR, WITH THE, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, CHAIR COLE, CAROL PRESENT, VICE CHAIR, NAIL ROBLERO COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER FRAIL.
COMMISSIONER FRANCO, COMMISSIONER GONZALES, COMMISSIONER WALLISON COMMISSIONER MINORS HERE.
COMMISSIONER LOGINS, PRESIDENT COMMISSIONER ATTENDED GUCCI AND COMMISSIONER WATLEY PRESENT.
[1a. Discussion and possible action to evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether 90 Rainey, addressed at 90 Rainey Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines, for the City of Austin. Amanda Swor Drenner Group; Carson Nelsen Nelsen Partners; Kim Harding Studio DWG.]
NEW BUSINESS IS DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION THROUGH A VALUE, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WHETHER 98TH STREET COMPRISES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.UM, I'M GOING TO ACCUSE MYSELF FROM THIS ITEM AND COMMISSIONER WALLY WILL WE'LL TAKE OVER THIS ONE.
DO WE HAVE A, UH, PRESENTATION AND A GROUP TO PRESENT TONIGHT ON THIS ONE? YES, WE'LL BE MOVING IN EVERYONE AND LOADING THAT UP SHORTLY.
I THINK THEY'RE LOADING IN THE REST OF OUR TEAM.
AND UM, IF AB STAFF, ONCE EVERYONE GETS IN, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO PULL UP THE PRESENTATION HAS A BLACK BACKGROUND, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
AND WHEN YOU GET STARTED, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST GOING BACK OVER THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS YOU'VE HAD WITH US FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND KIND OF GIVE US THE BACKGROUND OF HOW WE GOT HERE, WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT YOU'LL BE ASKING FOR FROM US.
IT LOOKS LIKE I'VE GOT A PRESENTATION AND I THINK THAT'S GOT, CAN SOMEONE JUST CONFIRM IF CARSON NELSON'S IN AS WELL? HE'S HE'S MIGHT TAG TEAMER.
UM, WELL COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, I'M AMANDA SWORE WITH 200 GROUPS HERE THIS EVENING TO TALK WITH YOU ALL ON THE 90, 92 RAINY STREET PRESENTATION.
I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT I'M GIVING ON THE SCREEN THIS EVENING IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS LOADED IN BACKUP.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL RENDERINGS, UM, PRODUCED AS SO, UM, WHAT YOU SEE WILL INCLUDE THOSE UPDATED ITEMS. SO IT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS IN BACKUP.
I DO HAVE ON THE LINE WITH ME, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ARCHITECT TEAM, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, OWNER, AND ENGINEER, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH, OR, UH, WHEN WE WERE ABOVE THE I CAN'T ADDRESS.
AND THEN, UM, I KIND OF COVERED MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'LL COVER IT HERE BEFORE WE START.
SO THIS IS THE 1992 RAINY STREET PROJECT.
YOU ALL, AS A FULL COMMISSION, SAW THIS PROJECT LAST YEAR AND ACTUALLY MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON IT IN DECEMBER OF 2019, THAT IT MET SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH A FEW ITEMS THAT YOU WANTED TO SEE ADDRESSED.
UH, FOLLOWING THAT 2020 HAPPENED, AND THE PROJECT HAS, UM, MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
WHEN YOU SAW THE PROJECT LAST YEAR, IT WAS A HOTEL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECT WITH GROUND FLOOR.
PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES THE PROJECT THAT IS COMING TO YOU TODAY IS A RESIDENTIAL OR LIGHT PROJECT.
UM, IT STILL DOES CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC FOR PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES.
THIS PROJECT DID GO TO THE WORKING GROUP IN NOVEMBER.
AND, UM, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WILL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION.
THE REFRESHER, THIS IS THE 0.3 ACRE PROPERTY, AND IT IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF DAVIS STREET IN RAINY STREETS.
NEXT ONE IS OCCUPIED TODAY BY THE CONTAINER BAR, WHICH IS AT 90 RAINY AND THE BUNGALOW BAR AT 92.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS ITEM CAME TO THE FULL
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COMMISSION IN DECEMBER OF 2019 AND CAME OUT WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH RECOMMENDATION.THERE WERE FOUR ITEMS THAT THE COMMISSION WANTED TO SEE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT.
AND THOSE REALLY INCLUDED THAT INCORPORATION OF A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FOOD OPERATIONS, A PUBLIC WATER VOLATILE FILLING STATION, AND THEN PUBLIC STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I MENTIONED THAT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE ITEMS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE OVERALL PROJECT.
PROPERTY, AS I MENTIONED IN 0.3675 ACRES AND 16,000 SQUARE FEET IN ZONE CBD, UH, THE PROPERTY MAY DEVELOP UP TO AN FFR EIGHT TO ONE WITH UNLIMITED HEIGHT WITH THE PROVISION OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS REQUIRED BY THE RAINEY STREET DISTRICT.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THE DOWNTOWN DNC BONUS PROGRAM.
THIS PROJECT IS FOR POSING AN FAR 32 TO ONE AND A HEIGHT OF 602 FEET.
UM, THE PROJECT WILL BE SEEKING APPROVAL FROM THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ACHIEVE THE ADDITIONAL FAR ABOVE THE STANDARD 15 TO A ONE THAT IS ALLOWED ADMINISTRATIVELY AS PART OF THE RAINY STREET, UM, SUBSECTION OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THE PROJECT WILL TOTAL 511,492 SQUARE FEET.
UM, OF WHICH THAT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 446 RESIDENTIAL UNITS WILL BE PROVIDED ALONG WITH, UH, JUST UNDER 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES AND 267 PARKING SPACES.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE, I REALLY POINT OUT THAT THIS PROJECT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ITS LOCATION IN THE RAINY STREET AREA, AND IT IS TAKING, UM, SIGNIFICANT PARKING REDUCTIONS IN PARKING AT THAT 267 PARKING SPOT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, UH, TO ACHIEVE THE DENSITY BONUS, UM, MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PROJECT IS PARTICIPATING IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AT THE GATEKEEPER RETIREMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE TWO STAR GREEN BUILDER, GREAT STREETS COMPLIANCE, AND THEN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THIS PROJECT IS ACHIEVING A THREE-STAR GREEN BUILDER, NOT JUST THE TWO STAR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS.
WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS PRESENTED TO WORKING GROUP, IT WAS PROPOSING TO PROVIDE THE RAINY STREET REQUIRED ONSITE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PAY A FEE IN LIEU FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DENSITY BONUS SQUARE FOOTAGE, WHICH IS COMPLIANT WITH CODE.
AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION, WE REALLY HEARD FROM THE COMMISSIONERS THAT THERE WAS A DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, AND FROM SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT THAT SHOULD BE ADDITIONAL SMALLER UNITS ONSITE, UM, VERSUS THE LARGER FAMILY.
SO AS A RESULT, THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 9,358 SQUARE FEET OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH ADDS APPROXIMATELY 13 ADDITIONAL ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS FOR A TOTAL OF 20 ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
UM, IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT STILL WILL CONTRIBUTE, UM, JUST UNDER $1.3 MILLION, 1 MILLION, $289,000 TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
AS PART OF THE PROJECT, AS I MENTIONED, WE WENT TO THE WORKING GROUP ON NOVEMBER 19TH AND THE WORKING GROUP MEMO CAME OUT THAT THIS PROJECT IS COMPLYING WITH 10 OUT OF THE 11 AREA WIDE GUIDELINES, SEVEN OF THE 11 APPLICABLE PUBLIC STREETSCAPE GUIDELINES AND FIVE OF THE SEVEN BUILDING GUIDELINES.
AND THAT THE CLOSET AND OPEN SPACE GUIDELINES WERE NOT APPLICABLE.
WE DID HEAR FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT THERE WAS A DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND DESIRE FOR THE GROUND FLOOR USES TO BE ACTIVATED DURING THE DAY.
SO A SUPER HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE, WE HAVE INCORPORATED, AND, AND I'LL HIT THESE IN MORE DETAIL, BUT WE, EXCUSE ME.
UM, THE ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE TRIPLING THE AMOUNT OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDING CAFE STYLE SEATING OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT AREA THAT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC INCLUSION OF BOLLARDS ALONG THE DROP-OFF AREA ON DAVIS STREET, AND THEN PROVIDING SEATING UNDER THE MURAL ON DAVIS STREET.
UM, WHAT HAS ALSO INCLUDED THAT WAS AT THE WORKING GROUP OF WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT IS THE INCLUSION OF THAT WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATION.
AND THEN ITEMS THAT DIDN'T GET ON HERE IS THAT THE OWNER HAS MADE THE COMMITMENT FOR DAYTIME USES IN THE COMFORT AREA.
AGAIN, I'LL HIT ON THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, I'M STARTING HERE, I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO CARSON AND LET HIM TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE OVERALL DESIGN CHOICES WITH YOU.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO HIT A LITTLE BIT ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
AND THEN PERSONALLY, I'LL TEXT HIM THROUGH THE RENDERINGS TO CARSON.
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I'M GOING TO TALK THROUGH THE CHANGES TO THE BUILDING AND, AND COMPLAINTS.UM, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, UH, AND I'LL POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE RELEVANT HERE.
THIS CONVERSATION, UM, WE'LL START AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, BUT, UH, WE ARE, UH, CREATING A DISTINCTIVE TOP THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE WATER WATER FUND OVERLAY DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS, UH, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES TO SCREEN YOUR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FROM THESE, FROM OTHER POTENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT MIGHT BE TALLER.
UM, WE ARE USING HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS FOR, UH, THE WHOLE TOWER FROM, FROM BASE TO TOP, UM, INCORPORATING SOME, UH, SOME VERTICAL GREENING OCCURRING, UH, LOW ON THE GARAGE PODIUM, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THEN INTO THE STREETSCAPE, UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED A LARGE AMOUNT OF DOWN FOR USE TO KEEP AN ACTIVE EDGE, UM, AND THAT STRAIN USES LONG RAINY STREET, DARKER RED, SOME AREAS THAT ARE PATIO SPACES AND THE OUTDOORS, AGAIN, EXTENDING THAT PUBLIC EXPERIENCE, UH, VISUALLY, UM, FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THESE RETAIL SPACES OUT TO THE STREETS, EXTENDING THAT ACTIVITY OUT TO THE STREET EDGE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, MAKING VERY CLEAR ENTRY POINTS, UH, THAT HAD BOTH HUMAN SCALE TO THE PROJECT AS WELL AS IDENTITY, UM, AND KIND OF THE SIGNS THAT ARE ARE NECESSARY.
UM, IT'S CREATING A BUILDING THAT HAS MIXED USE TWO OF THE OTHER THINGS I'D WANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE POINT OUT THAT WERE REALLY LARGE CHANGES BETWEEN THE PROJECT THAT THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION SAW IN THIS ONE IS THAT THE PROJECT, WHEN IT WAS A HOTEL IN A RESIDENTIAL USE HAD CURB CUT AND ALL ITS GARAGE ACCESS OFF OF DAVIS STREET, HEARING THE COMMISSION'S COMMENTS WITH A DESIRE TO REALLY PROVIDE THAT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
WHEN THIS PROJECT SWITCHED TO AN ALL RESIDENTIAL PROJECT, ALL OF THE ACCESS, WHICH TO THE ALLEY.
SO THIS PROJECT WILL NO LONGER HAVE A CURB CUT ALONG DAVIS.
IT WILL, IT WILL HAVE ALL OF ITS LOADING AND, UH, GARAGE ACCESS ON THE ALLEY.
AND THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST WANT TO POINT OUT ON THIS IS THAT THE PROJECT WORKED, UM, TO REALLY SHRINK WHAT WOULD BE A GROUND FLOOR LOBBY SO THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES ALONG THE ENTIRETY OF RAINY STREET, WRAPPING THAT CORNER WHERE SO MANY TIMES YOU SEE A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT WITH A LARGE LOBBY THAT WOULD TAKE UP A LOT MORE SPACE WITH THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, CARSON, I CAN HIT THIS ONE REAL QUICK AND THEN TOSS IT BACK TO YOU FOR THE RENDERINGS.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS THIS IS ACTUALLY A BASEMENT LEVEL.
SO IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SHRINK THAT LOBBY AND PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED SPACES, WE PUT A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD USUALLY SEE IN A FIRST FLOOR AREA IN THE BASEMENT.
SO THE YELLOW AREA IS THE BICYCLE STORAGE AND IN BICYCLE AREA, YOU'VE GOT THE MAIL ROOM AS WELL AS THE, SOME OF THE ELEVATOR AREAS.
BUT WHAT YOU ALSO SEE IS THE INCLUSION OF A SECONDARY PEDESTRIAN SPACE IN THE GROUND LEVEL.
SO TO INCORPORATE BOTH THOSE USERS, THE CONTAINER BAR AND THE BUNGALOW BAR, WE REALLY WORK TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S UNIQUE FOR AUSTIN, AND THAT YOU'VE GOT THE GROUND LEVEL PEDESTRIAN AREA, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE AN ENTRANCE ON THE GROUND LEVEL THAT TAKES YOU DOWN AND SEEKS A SECONDARY DESTINATION IN THE BASEMENT.
AND SO CARSON IS GOING TO ADD ANYTHING HERE.
OTHERWISE WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND RUN THROUGH THE RENDERINGS ALIGN.
I'M GOING TO TALK ON THIS ONE.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO THIS SITE REALLY OUTLINES A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE SUGGESTED BY WORKING GROUP THAT WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT, UM, CAFE SEATING ALONG RAINY STREET PLANTS, ADDITIONAL PLANTERS, UM, ALONG DAVIS STREET, ADDING SEATING ALONG THE MURAL ON DAVIS STREET.
UM, ADDING THAT WATER ROTATION, I'M GOING TO SHOW THESE TO YOU MORE AND RENDERINGS, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE POINTED OUT AT THIS POINT AS WE ARE, AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD IN THE INCLUSION OF THE BOLLARDS ALONG DAVIS STREET.
ALL RIGHT, PICKING OUT A FEW GROUND LEVEL HERE.
UM, WE, FROM THE COOP, FROM THE WORKING GROUP, WE MADE OUR RENDERINGS MAYBE A LITTLE LESS, UH, UH, UH, CONCEPTUAL, I WOULD SAY MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC ADDING OUT HOW BINDS MIGHT GROW FROM THESE PLANTERS UP THE COLUMNS, UH, KIND OF OUR PLAN FOR CLEANING THE BASE, THIS BUILDING.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, I THINK YOU CAN ALSO IN THE, THE INCLUSION, UM, AND SUGGESTION OF SOME PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING LIGHTING OCCURRING AT THIS GROUND LEVEL.
UM, HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE RESIDENTIAL
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IN THE FOREGROUND, UH, THE DROP-OFF WITH THE BOLLARDS, UM, CREATING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, UH, IN, IN THE RIFLE.WHAT, WHAT I WILL NOTE ON THIS IMAGE, UM, IS THAT THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE DID NOT GET, UH, UPDATED IN THE RENDERING TO SHOW THE BENCH IN THE SEATING THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE BUILDING ALONG THE MURAL.
THAT COMMITMENT IS THERE, AND IT WILL BE SHOWN AS IT IS IN THE, IN THE PLAN VIEW.
BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT PIECE THERE AHEAD, AMANDA.
UM, NEXT SLIDE HERE, WE'RE SEEING THE RAINY STREET FRONTAGE, UM, WITH THE INCORPORATION OF CAFE SEATING.
UH, THESE WILL BE MOVABLE SEATS AND CHAIRS, UM, THAT I THINK NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE, UM, AND THEN KIND OF OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, NEXT SLIDE HERE, IS THERE ANY STREET FRONTAGE AGAIN, BUT, UM, LOOKING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION I'M LOOKING SOUTH, UM, AND WE'RE SEEING THE ENTRY TO THE BUNGALOW BAR, WHICH TAKES YOU BACK TO THAT LOWER, UH, LEVEL SPACE.
SO WE, WE SEE THIS AS KIND OF THE POINT OF ACTIVATION, UM, A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER, YOU KNOW, BEFORE AND AFTER SHOWS.
UM, AND WE DO THINK THAT THIS WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD IMPACT ON THE STREET FRONTAGE, UH, AND THE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY THAT MAY OCCUR, UM, KIND OF EBBS AND FLOWS OF ACTIVITY, UM, FROM THE VENUE NEXT, PLEASE.
UH, I THINK FROM HERE, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A LOT OF VARIETY, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, INTERACTION WITH THE BUILDING AT THE END OF THE SCALE, THE SEATING, THE PLANTERS, UM, THE RHYTHM OF, OF SOME OF THESE SIDES, UM, AND THE SCALING WITHIN THOSE, UH, THAT STARTS TO BREAK DOWN INTO, UH, ENTRANCES AND DOORS, UH, WHERE YOU CAN COME INTIMATE WITH THE BUILDING.
AND WITH THAT ALL, UM, I'LL TAKE BACK OVER AND JUST TALK THROUGH WHERE WE, UM, THE ITEMS THAT THE WORKING GROUP FELT THAT IT WASN'T IN COMPLIANCE, UM, AND FOR THE AREA WIDE GUIDELINES, THIS WAS REALLY THE EXISTING BUILDING, SOC THE WORKING GROUP DETERMINED THAT THE PROJECT MEANT, UM, 10 OUT OF THE 11 GUIDELINES.
AND ALTHOUGH THE EXISTING STRUCTURES ARE NOT BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT, UM, THAT WAS AT ULTIMATELY AT THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION FROM THE FIRST, FROM THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS WENT THROUGH, THERE WAS INITIAL THOUGHT ABOUT INCORPORATING THE EXISTING STRUCTURES OR PIECES OF THEM INTO THE BUILDING.
AND IT WAS REALLY DETERMINED THAT THAT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE.
AND THIS, UM, SO WE ARE, UM, THAT IS THE REASON THAT WE ARE IN THIS LOCATION AND WE ARE WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT MAKING SPACE FOR BOTH OF THOSE USES TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND ACTUALLY OFFER ADDITIONAL SERVICES WITH THE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSED ON THE, ON THE GROUND LEVEL, WHERE THERE WILL BE DAYTIME, NOT JUST A NIGHTTIME BAR, BUT A DAYTIME INCLUSION OF, UM, YOU KNOW, COFFEE SERVICE, ONCE OPTIONS, ET CETERA.
THERE WERE FOUR PUBLIC STREET SCAPE GUIDELINES THAT THE WORKING GROUP FELT THAT THE PROJECT DIDN'T MEET AND I'M GOING TO HIT THOSE ONE BY ONE.
THE FIRST OF THOSE IS PROTECTING THE PEDESTRIAN WHERE THE BUILDING MEETS MEETS THE STREET.
AND THIS WAS REALLY HANDLED IN TWO WAYS.
THE FIRST WAS ADDING BOLLARDS ALONG THE DROP-OFF AREA THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE, IN THE DARKER GRAY WHERE THE, WHERE THE CARS COULD COME IN HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BOLLARDS IN THE, IN THE RENDERING, BUT IN ADDITION, THERE WAS MENTION OF, YOU KNOW, LOWER AWNINGS CANOPIES THINGS ALONG THAT NATURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION TO THE PEDESTRIAN.
AND THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE FIRST ITERATION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PROJECT TEAM REALLY WORKED THROUGH AND TRIED INCORPORATING INTO THE PLANS, BUT ULTIMATELY BECAUSE OF THE GREAT STREETS TREES, THE LOWER AWNINGS WERE NOT DEEMED COMPATIBLE WITH GREAT STREETS AND THEREFORE WE'RE ABLE TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BUILDING, BUT WITH THE PROJECT DID SETBACK, UM, AT THE, AT THE FIRST LEVEL SIX FEET FROM THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, I APOLOGIZE YOUR VOICE.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, REINFORCING PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY WAS REALLY THE MAIN DRIVER, UM, AND CHANGES THAT WERE MADE FOLLOWING THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, THE PROJECT, AGAIN, WE'LL INCORPORATE CAFE STYLE SEATING, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ALONG THE SIDEWALK AREA.
THIS WILL INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY 10, UH, 10 TO TOP TABLES THAT WILL RUN, UH, OUTDOOR SEATING.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'LL HAVE THE INDOOR AREA, YOU'LL HAVE AN OUTDOOR SEATING AREA THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE,
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WITH THE CONTAINER BAR USE.AND THEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE, OF THE PLANNING AREA, THAT'S REALLY REQUIRED FOR TABC STANDARDS.
YOU'LL SEE THOSE ADDITIONAL TO, UM, TEND TO TOP TABLES AS WELL AS THREE, FOUR TOP TABLES, UM, THAT THESE TABLES ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH GREAT STREETS AND THE GREAT STREETS STANDARDS WILL STILL BE THERE.
AND THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INCORPORATE A WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATION AND A BENCH SEATING AREA NEAR THE PUBLIC ART PIECE.
AND THIS IS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT A PEDESTRIAN CAN ENJOY THE STREETSCAPE WITHOUT HAVING TO BE A PATRON OF THE ESTABLISHMENT.
THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW US FROM A REINFORCED PITCH ACTIVITY.
ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE HEARD FROM THE WORKING GROUP IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE JUST A BAR IN HERE THAT WOULD ONLY BE OPEN AT NIGHT WHERE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY INTERACTION DURING THE DAY.
SO THE DAY, SO THE OWNERSHIP HAS MADE THE COMMITMENT THAT THE CONTAINER BAR USE THAT'S IN HERE WILL HAVE A DAYTIME FUNCTION, UM, COFFEE, LUNCH, THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS. IT WILL NOT BE JUST A NIGHTTIME, UM, COCKTAIL LOUNGE, AND THOSE, THOSE TABLES WILL BE ABLE TO BE UTILIZED BY ANYBODY THAT IS IN THE AREA.
I THINK I WAS ONTO THE NEXT ONE.
AND THEN CARSON, I'M GOING TO TOSS THIS TO YOU TO LET YOU TALK ABOUT LIGHTING FOR A SECOND.
THIS IS ANOTHER COMMENT WE JUST RECEIVED, UH, JUST ABOUT THE SCALE LIGHTING.
UM, SO THIS, UH, DIAGRAM HERE IS JUST SHOWING THE LEVELS OF LIGHTING, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR STREETLIGHTS INITIALLY, THEN WE HAVE, UH, LIGHTING AT GRADE AT THE TREE OF EACH STREET TREE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME, SOME LOWER LEVEL LIGHTING.
UH, THERE WERE INDICATED THAT THE COLUMNS, AS WELL AS, UH, THOUGHT THAT WE HAVE THESE LINEAR EXPRESSIONS, UH, UP AT THE SOFFIT.
SO WE THINK ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS, UH, REALLY START TO ADD A PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING TO THE SIDE.
I THINK THAT'S JUST THE NEXT LIGHTING PICTURE.
UM, AND THEN WRAPPING UP THIS SECTION REALLY GOES BACK TO PROVIDING, UH, PROTECTION FROM THE CARS AND, UH, PROMOTING CURBSIDE PARKING.
AND AGAIN, THIS PROJECT HAS INCORPORATED, UM, THE BALLERS THAT ARE SHOWN IN THE DARK GRAY, UH, NEXT SLIDE JUST AS, OKAY.
ANOTHER LARGE PART OF CARS IS THE FACT THAT WE, WE LOCATION OF THE ACCESS TO THE GUARDIAN IN GALILEE THAT WE'RE GETTING CARS, UH, IN THE PUBLIC, BY THE WAY.
I HAVE THE PLAZA AND OPEN-SPACE GUIDELINES WERE NOT APPLICABLE FOR THE MEMO.
NEXT SLIDE, AND WRAPPING UP, UM, GOING INTO THE BUILDING GUIDELINES AS WE COULD SHOW THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THE WORKING GROUP DETERMINED THAT THE PROJECT MET FIVE OUT OF THE SEVEN BUILDING GUIDELINES, UM, HITTING, UH, EXCUSE ME, UM, BUILDING GUIDELINES FOR ENVISIONING OF LOCAL CHARACTER AND THEN HUMAN BUILDING SCALE.
UM, I'LL ADDRESS BOTH OF THOSE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
CARSON, CAN YOU HIT THIS FROM YOUR MOUTH? LIKE I PROBABLY MENTIONED IT A MOMENT AGO.
UM, JUST THAT THE ENTRIES, UM, THE DOORS, THE SCALING, UH, THAT OCCURS AT THESE ENTRIES, THE PLANTERS, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL ELEMENTS WORKING TO, UH, ADD A SENSE OF HUMAN SCALE, UH, TO THE BUILDING AT THE BASE JUST TO SUMMARIZE.
AND, UM, WE CAN, THE REST OF THESE ARE, UM, ALSO INCLUDE THE, FROM THE LOCAL CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE REALLY WORKED TO DO WAS INCORPORATE THOSE ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS ALONG THE BUILDING, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED BY GREAT STREETS.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, GOING TO BE UTILIZED WITH THE NATIVE PLANTINGS AS SHOWN IN THIS IMAGE.
UH, CARSON TOUCHED ON THE, THE HUMAN SCALE ASPECTS OF THIS, AND I WOULD JUST, UM, I WOULD JUST WRAP AND APPRECIATE AND TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND REALLY, UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US PRESENT THE PROJECT AS YOU THINK.
UH, IT WAS VERY CLEAR PRESENTATION, UM, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WHY DON'T WE START OUT WITH SOME QUESTIONS YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO DELIBERATIONS.
I THINK THE PRESENTATION WAS FAIRLY CLEAR ON WHAT'S CHANGED SINCE THE WORKING GROUP MEMO THAT WAS ISSUED IN NOVEMBER, WHICH FOUND THE, UH, PROJECT TO NOT BE IN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
I THINK THEY'VE HIT THOSE POINTS, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE OR THE PROJECT IS ALL, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS NOW.
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COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.UM, CAN YOU POINT OUT WHERE THE BENCH OCCURS IN PLAN VIEW? JUST SO IT'S CLEAR TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN SECONDLY, THE BUNGALOW, THE BUNGALOW SPACE OF AR IS THAT OPERABLE DOOR SYSTEM TO THE STRUCTURE, OR IS THAT TENANT SPECIFIC? IF WE COULD PULL THE PRESENTATION BACK UP, I CAN PROBABLY ANSWER THAT FROM WHERE WE STOPPED A BIT STILL CUTE, RIGHT.
WAS I WOULD SAY IT'S PROMINENT TO THE BUILDING AND IS A KIND OF A REPEATED, UM, ELEMENT, UH, THAT'S SHARED WITH RESIDENTIAL ENTRY.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST GO TO SLIDE 40 ON THE PRESENTATION, I CAN ANSWER, I CAN ANSWER IT CONTEXTUALLY AND THEN SHOW YOU ON THE, ON THE RENDERING WHEN IT'S UP.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE, THE MURAL IS LOCATED TO THE WEST OF THE RESIDENTIAL ENTRANCE ALONG DAVIS STREET.
SO IT REALLY GOES FROM THAT RESIDENTIAL ENTRANCE TO THE, TO THE ALLEY LOCATION.
AND THAT AREA HAS THE WATER FILLING STATION.
AND IT'S ALSO ANTICIPATED THAT THERE WE WERE AT HER ADDING THE BENCH AND I CAN, YOU CAN GO TO THE, THE WHITE PICTURES, THE ONE I'M LOOKING FOR THAT HAS THE TREES ON IT, KEEP GOING THAT, UM, THANK YOU.
SO WHERE DO YOU REALLY SEE IT? UM, SO THERE'S THE BUILDING AND TRANSPLANTS IN, IN THE DARK GRAY, AND THEN THERE'S SOME PLANNERS, BUT THAT AREA HAS THE URINAL.
AND SO THE BENCHING WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE MURAL AREA CONNECTED TO THE BUILDING.
AND THAT ALSO HAS THE WATER BOTTLING STATION TO IT WELL BETWEEN THE COLUMN.
AND THEN IT GOES WEST THE HALF, HALF OF THAT LENGTH, IS THAT CORRECT? NOT THE FULL WAY BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE END OF THE BUILDING, THE PATH LENGTH OR HALF BINGE.
IF WE CAN GO BACK ONE SLIDE, I CAN SHOW IT TO YOU, PROBABLY EASIER THAT WAY.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT IS IN PLAN VIEW.
AND THEN WHERE ARE THE, SO YOU SEE THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND THE PLANNING AREAS I MENTIONED IN THE, WHERE THE MURAL IS, UH, IS WHERE THE BENCH WILL BE.
SO BETWEEN THE LAST TWO CALLS, SO THERE'S TWO SEGMENTS TO AN INTERRUPTED BY A CALL JUST TO MAKE SURE IT GOES BACK FULL NEURAL LIGHT.
MA'AM, IT'S INTENDED TO BE PLANTING PLANTS OR HAPPENS BATCH.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE LEAST AT 30 FOOT LONG BENCH.
SO WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE ARE WALKING IN? THE BACKGROUND IS WHERE THE BENCH GOES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THE FOREGROUND WHERE THE CAR IS OBSTRUCTING IS PLANTER, RIGHT.
AND AGAIN, THE BUNGALOW WITH THE OPERABLE WINDOWS THAT ARE REALLY PERMEATE YOU'LL MAKE THERE MAKES A REAL NICE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STREETSCAPE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING IS PERMANENT.
SO WE'LL ALWAYS SEE THOSE OPERABLE DOORS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, IF I MAY.
UM, SO BY THE WAY, I WENT TO THE DENTIST EARLIER TODAY AND HALF OF MY FACE IS STILL A LITTLE NUGGET HERE.
UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I APPLAUD THE ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE SEE SO MANY DEVELOPERS SKIRT AROUND THAT, AND WE KNOW WHAT THE NEED IS.
I WENT DOWNTOWN TODAY TO THE DENTIST AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST OBVIOUS THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AFFORDABILITY.
UM, SO, UH, AS FAR AS THE PARKING MOVING INTO THE ALLEY, I THINK THAT'S A BIG WIN AS WELL.
THE REDUCTION OF THE LOBBY IS GREAT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN THIS PROPOSAL FIRST CAME TO US, I, I, I DID SAY THAT IT WAS COMPLIANT WITH THE STANDARD.
UM, WAS IT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIANT FOR ME? NOT REALLY.
I REALLY, UM, FELT MOTIVATED TO APPROVE THE PROJECTS BECAUSE KEVIN, YOU KNOW, AS A, UH, RESIDENT OF DOWNTOWN AND THE STAKEHOLDER, UM, SOMEONE WHO VERY FAMILIAR WITH RING THESE STREETS T PROVIDED A VERY IMPASSIONED, UM, COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIM WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THIS FITS IN WITH AUSTIN.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY, I MEAN, RAINY STREET IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE, UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU
[00:30:01]
KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS ZONED CBD FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN ALL THESE BARS CAME, RIGHT.AND NOW WE'RE SEEING, BECAUSE THERE'S INTEREST IN THESE BARS AND THAT CBD ZONING THAT OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO, UM, NOT ONLY KIND OF CAPITALIZE ON WHAT RAINY STREET IS, BUT ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE ISSUE FOR ME IS JUST, UM, I FEEL LIKE IN SOME PIECES WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING AWAY FROM, FROM THE SPIRIT OF RAINY, IT'S BECOME, UM, IF YOU GO ANYWHERE IN THE U S YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND A BAR MADE OUT OF CONTAINERS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND, UM, A LOT OF PLACES WHERE THEY'LL TAKE A BUNGALOW AND REHAB IT AND TURN IT INTO A BAR AND HAVE PATRONS SITTING IN WHAT WAS THE BACKYARD.
SO FOR ME, I GUESS, UM, I JUST WANT UNDERSTAND, UM, UM, HOW IS THIS TAKING A STEP CLOSER TO, I GUESS, EMBRACING MORE OF WHAT RAMY CURRENTLY IS, BECAUSE AS FAR AS I SEE, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS, UH, RENDERING OR THE PREVIOUS PROPOSAL, YOU HAD A SECOND FLOOR THAT WAS A BALCONY FOR BUNGALOW, UM, WAS, UM, ACCESS TO THE POOL FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO IT KIND OF HAD THAT OPEN FEEL TOO GOOD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'M A REALLY HARD TIME FEELING TOLD THAT THIS CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF RAINY STREETS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT IS IT THAT, THAT SHOULD COMPEL ME TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS MORE ON MARK WITH THAT? SURE.
UM, KEVIN IS, UH, THIS YEAR HAS GOTTEN ME, SO YOU'VE GOT THE DENTIST AND I'VE GOT THE CEDAR.
SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, I'M A HOT MESS.
I BELIEVE THAT, UM, IF 80 COULD UNMUTE HIM AND HE COULD HELP WITH US AS WELL.
UM, SO AS FAR AS THIS, UH, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UM, RAINY STREET AND RAINY STREET EVOLVING, I WAS ADAMANT AND PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT I STILL PUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BARS IN THE GROUND FLOOR AND BASEMENT SPACE.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE PUTTING THE BUNGALOW BAR IN THE BASEMENT IS THERE'S A REAL NEED FOR MUSIC VENUES.
I THINK AS THE WORLD TURNS BACK ON A LOT OF OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES, UH, HAVE DIED IN THIS PANDEMIC.
AND I PUT IN A MUSIC VENUE IN THE BASEMENT.
IT'S GONNA FOR A LOT OF POINTS TO BE MADE WITHOUT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ALL OF THE RESIDENCES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, NOT JUST IN THIS, BUT THE RESIDENTS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET AND DOWN THE STREET, THIS PROPERTY, UH, YOU GUYS APPROVED OTHER PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN THAT REALLY DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY KIND OF TRUE RETAIL ON THE GROUND FLOOR, BUT INSTEAD, UM, GALLERY SPACES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT MIGHT BE TURNED OFF, TURNED OFF IN THE FUTURE, UH, SUCH AS THE 84 EAST AVENUE PROJECT.
SO I'VE BEEN, ABINET ADAMANT ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A GREAT PEDESTRIAN USE OF MINIMIZE THE LOBBY SPACE.
I'VE ELIMINATED ALL CURB CUTS TO THE STREET, WHICH I I'LL BE ONE OF THE ONLY TOWERS, ESPECIALLY THIS SIZE TO NOT HAVE ANY CURB CUTS TO THE STREET.
THERE'S A HUGE DEMAND FOR HOUSING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, ESPECIALLY HOW CLOSE PROXIMITY TO, UM, THE, UH, CORNERSTONE OF NEW TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN.
AS WE ALL KNOW THERE WAS A 7 BILLION, I BELIEVE, $7 BILLION, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BOND THAT WAS JUST PASSED.
AND THE, UM, THE HUB OF ALL OF THAT TRANSPORTATION WAS JUST GONNA BE A FEW SHORT BLOCKS AWAY FROM HERE.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF GOOD DESIGN, PUTTING AS MUCH DENSITY AS POSSIBLE WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WALK OF THAT, UH, MASS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND SHRINK THE AMOUNT OF THIS PROJECT, UH, AND IN A PREVIOUS WORLD WOULD HAVE CALLED FOR APPROXIMATELY 600 PARKING SPACES.
SO I'M TAKING HUGE RISKS, HARMLESS PROJECT, REDUCING MY PARKING COUNT DOWN TO THE 267 PARKING SPACES.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO DO, I'VE LISTED, LISTEN TO MY TEAM IS ALL OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR, UH, TRY AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE TRULY SPECIAL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATION.
UH, I'M COMMITTED TO BEING OPEN, UH, DURING THE DAYTIME, BUT WHICH HISTORICALLY, UH, BOTH OF THESE BUSINESSES HAVE NOT BEEN OPEN DURING THE DAYTIME EXCEPT FOR, UH, SUNDAYS DURING THE DAY AND SATURDAY AFTERNOONS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY IMPROVE THE SITE IN THAT REGARD.
[00:35:01]
RECEIVED A DEMOLITION PERMIT TO THE BUNKER POINT.SO I'M, I FEEL LIKE I'M DOING EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY CAN TO CREATE A GREAT PROJECT FOR DOWNTOWN.
UH, I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHAT I CAN DO.
UM, CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE CHOP THE TOP 20 STORIES OFF OF THIS, IT WOULD STILL LOOK THE SAME ON THE GROUND LEVEL, RIGHT? WITH A SCIFEST SMALL, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO ACTIVATE THE GROUND FLOOR, ABSOLUTELY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT THOSE EXTRA STORIES ON TOP OF THIS BUILDING ARE WHAT PROVIDE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT PROVIDES THE, UM, THE ADDITIONAL, UH, FEE IN LIEU DOLLARS TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOUNDATION.
IF YOU GUYS DON'T REMEMBER, BUT THERE'S ALSO, WE'RE GIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION FOR ADDITIONAL TREE PLANTING AND THE NEW WALLER BEACH PARK THAT'S BEING BUILT AT ON THE SOUTH END OF THE TRAIL.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, UM, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I WILL SAY THAT I HAD, UM, A VERY VISCERAL REACTION WHEN I FIRST LEARNED OF THIS PROJECT AND AFTER I ALMOST BEGRUDGINGLY SAID, UH, THAT I WOULD APPROVE IT, UM, IMMEDIATELY I, YOU KNOW, I FOLLOW LOCAL MEDIA CONSTRUCTION AND WHATNOT, AND THERE WAS DEFINITELY A HUGE BACKLASH FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN THAT THERE WERE, THERE WERE REALLY LOSING SOMETHING.
SO I JUST THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, EYES ON THIS PROJECT AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY INTERESTING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HELP TO, TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO CARRY ON THAT SPIRIT OF RAINY IN THIS PROJECT.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, UM, ALL YIELD, IF I MAY, I WANT TO SPEAK TO COMMISSIONER MINORS, UH, QUESTION QUICKLY, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE REPLACING, UM, KIND OF THE BELOVED CORNER OF OUR CITY THAT, THAT IS RAINY STREET, UM, OR WHAT WE'VE KNOWN IT AS JUST KIND OF, UH, VERY BLUSH, UM, AMAZING STREET OF BACKYARD BARS, UM, WHERE WE CAN GO WITH NO LIVE MUSIC AND ENJOY YOURSELF.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN YOU START TO ADD TO THE DENSITY IS IT'S REQUISITE AT THIS POINT, UM, WITH, WITH THE WAY THE WORLD IS, UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, IN ALL CASES THAT SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN OUR CITIES, UM, AND, AND HOW WE HOLD ON TO CULTURE, HOW WE HOLD ON TO THE THINGS WE LOVE.
UH, I THINK THAT COMES ACROSS, UH, HERE ON THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY, UH, THAT THE LUSHNESS OF THE PLANTERS THAT THE GROUND FLOOR, RAJ, UM, THE STREET TREES, THE, THE ADDED SOILS FOR STREET TREES FOR EVEN GREATER CANOPY TO BE CREATED.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR PLAYER HERE, THE MURAL, UM, INCORPORATING LOCAL ART, UM, AND, AND A BASEMENT THAT CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, LIBERAL LIFE MUSIC AND NOT, UH, UPSET NEIGHBORS.
I THINK ALL, ALL THOSE THINGS, UH, WE ARE REPLACING, UH, THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN AT THIS CORNER.
AND I FORGOT, I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO COMMISSIONER MINER'S ONE, UM, AND IT'S A SECOND FLOOR, UH, CAN Y'ALL DESCRIBE, UH, THE PARKING, UM, AND ONCE WE GET UP ABOVE THE FIRST FLOOR LEVEL, UH, WHAT USES OR WHAT ASPECTS ARE ON THAT SECOND FLOOR AND, UM, WHAT DID WE SEE KIND OF UNDERNEATH THE COLONNADE, IF YOU WILL.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'S A TWO STORY SPACE IN THE FIRST FLOOR, JUST EXTRA TALL, OR IF THERE IS, UM, OR IF WE JUST HAVE GARAGE THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THAT COLONNADE.
WE DO ONLY HAVE A, A HIGH VOLUME.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, PLEASE COMMENT.
YEAH, I THINK WE HAD A COMMISSIONER ROLLISON FIRST AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER LUKINS.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, FOR MANY OF THE SAME REASONS THAT COMMISSIONER MINORS WAS SAYING, UM, EXISTING CHARACTER IS A TOTAL GEM IN THE CITY, BUT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
I THINK, UH, THE, THE PARKING RATIO IS A SUPER EXCITING, THE BIKE RACKS ARE EXCITING.
THE STRONG CAN LOBBY IS, YOU KNOW, SHOWS AN AMBITION ABOUT HOW WE INHABIT THE FIRST FLOOR THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE.
[00:40:01]
MUSIC VENUE IN THE BASEMENT IS A WONDERFUL IDEA.THE MURAL AND THE, AND THE BENCH I THINK IS A GREAT INCORPORATION.
UM, EVERYTHING LIKE JUST THE WATER BOTTLE FILLING STATION.
I THINK ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS MAKE UP A PROJECT REALLY MEANINGFUL FOR, FOR A CITY.
IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE LITTLE DETAILS THAT THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS ASKING FOR, BUT IT, IT EXCITES ME.
THANKS FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE, UH, THE DENSITY COME TO OUR CITY AND APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONDING TO ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT THAT WE ASKED FOR.
LUKINS YOU GOT ANYTHING? YES, I DO.
THIS PROJECT, IT'S A REALLY GUTSY MOVE TO HAVE THE, UH, PARKING RATIO THAT THEY'RE DOING IS THAT IT'S, IT'S A REAL, UM, TO A GUTSY MOVE.
IT'S A GREAT PROJECT, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT ONE THING AND THAT'S, UH, AT SOME POINT, UH, AND THIS MAY BE AS WE WORK TOWARDS YOUR URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND MAYBE EVEN DISTRICT PLANNING AND THE PART OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AT SOME POINT, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE ACTUAL MIXED USE PROJECTS.
AND I'VE LIVED IN, IN HIGH DENSITY, UH, UH, AREA ACTUAL MIXED USE BUILDING.
AND IT'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE WALKING DOWNSTAIRS AND GETTING A LOAF OF BREAD IT'S DOWNSTAIRS TO OPPOSED TO GETTING IN AND DRIVING SOMEWHERE A MERE, REAL MIXED USE.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT WE'RE ON FIFTH STREET.
THERE ARE THOSE THINGS AND LOOK AND SAY, WELL, YOU'VE GOTTEN RIGHT THERE, BUT, UH, IT WOULD BE, AND IT'S NOT THE DEVELOPERS ISSUE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE'D EVER COULD POSSIBLY ASK FOR HIM.
BUT, UH, AT SOME POINT AS THE COMMISSION AND, UH, AS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AS A PLANNING DEPARTMENT, SHOULD REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW THEY ENCOURAGE AN ACTUAL MIXED USE BUILDING WITH, UH, RETAIL, AS OPPOSED TO JUST ANOTHER GREAT PLACE TO DRINK, AS IMPORTANT AS GETTING ANOTHER GOOD, GREAT PLACE TO DRINK, MAYBE SO GREAT PROJECT AND A GOOD WORK.
WELL, COMMISSIONERS THE AFRICANS ASKING US FOR A LETTER A, THAT WE FIND THE PROJECT TO BE IN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IS ANYBODY HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR WISH TO MAKE A OFFER OF MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION? YEAH.
I MEANT TO ASK IT, BUT I WENT ON A, A LITTLE BIT OF A RANT THERE.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS WITH THE, UH, THE SEATING IN THE PLANTERS.
UH, WAS THERE A CONSCIOUS DECISION DECISION TO PUT THE PLANTERS AGAINST THE BUILDING VERSUS LIKE CREATING A BUFFER? I MEAN, I WAS WONDERING LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS IT GOING TO BE CHAOTIC FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF SOMEONE WHO IS SITTING THERE? ARE THEY GOING TO BE, UM, BOTHERED BY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW SOMEONE ASKING THEM FOR MONEY OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE LIKE, HOW, HOW, UM, IS THERE KIND OF SEPARATION FOR THE PATRON? SO THE, THERE IS A, UH, PATIO SPACE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANTERS FOR THE PATRONS OF THE BAR OR, AND, UM, ON THE SIDEWALK SIDE, THOSE ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SIT DOWN AND USE THOSE, UH, CAFE SEATS, THAT THE IDEA IS DURING THE DAYTIME, UM, WE DON'T, AS THAT AREA HAS MORE DENSITY, IT WILL ALLOW TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CELL COFFEE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE DURING THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOAL OF MINE AND SOMETHING THAT I'M, I'M CHALLENGING THE CONTAINER BAR TEAM TOO.
IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE MORE OF A DAYTIME SPACE AS WELL.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE CODEPENDENT ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE INDEPENDENT.
SO THAT'S, I DID THAT DEAL AND I PUT FORTH A LOT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS A THIRD SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND WORK AND, AND, UM, HANG OUT DURING THE DAYTIME.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS THAT THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE OF THAT KIND OF USE DURING THE DAY, UH, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD DENSIFIES.
SO, BUT YEAH, SO THAT THERE'LL BE PUBLIC SEATING AND THEN THERE'LL BE PRIVATE SEATING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEM PLANTERS.
WHAT COMMISSIONERS, WHAT DO WE THINK I'LL MAKE A MOTION? DID YOU BEAT ME?
[00:45:02]
YOU BEAT ME.I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT THIS, UH, MEETS THE, UH, MEETS COMPLIANCE WITH THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A MOTION THAT WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE SERVANTS SIGNED GUIDELINES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, IF NOT, WE CAN, WE CAN CALL THE QUESTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN FINALLY, AMENDMENT THAT THE BENCH IS INCLUDED IN THE FINAL SOLUTION.
YOU'VE FOUND THAT FINDLAY AMENDMENT.
THAT'S COMMITMENT ON THE RECORD AS WELL.
UM, I GUESS SINCE WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSION, UM, DO YOU ALL HAVE A SENSE OF THE MURAL? LIKE WHAT YOU'RE ANTICIPATING? IS THERE AN RFP OR HOW IS THAT GONNA WORK? UH, WE'LL, WE'LL PROBABLY GO THROUGH AN RFP, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL WANT IT TO BE A LOCAL ARTIST, UM, THAT DOES THIS, UH, AND I'M, I'M, OPEN-MINDED, I'VE LEARNED THAT I'M NOT AN ARTIST.
I APPRECIATE GREAT ART, BUT I'M NOT AN ARTIST.
YOU KNOW, I I'LL LOOK AT, UM, ARTIST IDEAS AND THE ONE THAT REALLY KIND OF STANDS OUT TO THE TEAM WILL PROBABLY BE WHAT WE GO WITH.
DO YOU WANT YOU DOING IT YOURSELF? FOR SURE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DO, BUT, BUT I DID NOT DO HIS PAGE.
IT'S AN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER THERE TOO.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBOR AND THEY, YOU KNOW, FEEL A CERTAIN TYPE OF WAY ABOUT ALL THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, COMMISSIONER IS BACK TO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? IF NOT, WE CAN CALL THE QUESTION, UM, ALL IN FAVOR.
HOW ARE WE DOING THIS? WE SAY AN EYE ARE WAVING OUR HANDS OR, UH, WELL, MAYBE WE'LL DO BOTH.
WE'LL ACTUALLY NEED TO DO A COUNT.
WE CAN ASK A STAFF LIAISON, GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL.
IF YOU PREFER CHAIR THAT WAY WE CAN, THERE WILL BE NO QUESTION AS TO THE VOTE.
IF YOU DON'T MIND DOING THE ROLL CALL AND THEN WE CAN TAKE THE BOAT AND THANK YOU.
UM, CHAIR CLO CAROL HAS RECUSED HIMSELF, SO I'LL LEAVE HIM OUT.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER MINORS.
I WILL SAY COMMISSIONER LOCK-IN YES.
BY COMMISSIONER ROLISON COMMISSIONER FRAIL COMMISSIONER FRANCO.
AND THAT IS EVERYONE THAT IS IN THE MEETING.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANKS FOR COMING TO US AGAIN AND ALL DAY, PROBABLY COMMISSIONERS.
I GUESS I CAN TURN THIS OVER TO CHAIR CAROL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WILDLY.
I APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING IN AT THE LAST MINUTE THERE.
[1b. Discussion and possible action to evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether City of Austin EMS Stations, addressed at 3616 South First Street, 1330 E. Rundberg Lane, and 5710 N. Lamar Blvd complies with the Urban Design Guidelines, for the City of Austin; Owen Harrod MWM Design Group.]
WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS.IT IS ITEM ONE B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER CITY OF AUSTIN EMS STATION AT 36, 16 SOUTH FIRST COMPLIES WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, AFRICAN READY FOR THAT ITEM.
SO, UH, I HAD ACTUALLY THREE PROJECTS AND THE ISSUES TO DISCUSS ARE GOING TO BE PRETTY COMPARABLE FOR ALL OF THEM.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, UH, I COULD DISCUSS THE BASIC, UH, SCOPE OF WORK, UM, FOR ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.
THEY ARE THREE EXISTING FIRE AND EMS STATIONS THAT WE'RE RENOVATING ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE FIRST DUES EMS STATION ONE, WHICH IS LOCATED AT SOUTH FIRST AND CENTER STREET.
[00:50:01]
STATION FIVE, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF 22, 22 AND, UH, NORTH LAMAR.AND THE THIRD IS EMS STATION 13 FIRE STATION 33, WHICH IS LOCATED ON LUNBERG.
IN EACH CASE, WE USE OUR EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING IMPROVED IN ORDER TO BASICALLY BRING, UH, 40 YEARS OF DIFFERENT MAGNETS UP TO DATE.
UH, WE'RE EXPANDING AND IMPROVING THE FACILITIES FOR, UH, FIRE AND EMS AFFIDAVITS, UH, UPDATING THE LIVING QUARTERS TO, UM, ADDRESS GENDER EQUITY AND, UH, CERTAINLY MODERN STANDARDS, UM, OF, UH, ACCOMMODATION TO MAKE THE STATIONS FULLY ACCESSIBLE AND TO BRING IN ALL CASES ARE VERY EARLY 1980S STANDARDS, UH, LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE, UH, UP TO A LEAD GOLD MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EACH OF THE THREE STATIONS.
SO OUR GOALS ARE, UM, AMBITIOUS, UH, AND FAIRLY TECHNICAL IN CONTENT.
UM, ALL OF THESE STATIONS ARE LONGSTANDING ELEMENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO PRESERVE, UH, THE CLEAR IDENTITY OF THE EXISTING STATIONS, UM, TO IMPROVE THE MAINTAINABILITY AND DURABILITY OF THE MATERIALS TO IMPROVE THE ENVELOPE, TO LEAVE.
UM, REALLY NO QUESTION IN TERMS OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT THESE ARE, UH, CONTINUITY OF THE STATIONS THAT WERE ALREADY EXISTING ON THESE SITES.
ALL OF THESE, AS I SAID, ARE RENOVATIONS OF EXISTING BUILDINGS.
UH, THEY ARE ALL, UH, EXISTING, FULLY DEVELOPED SITES AND ARE BEING APPROVED UNDER EITHER EXEMPTIONS OR HAD MOST SITE PLAN REVISIONS.
SO THERE ARE EXISTING, FULLY DEVELOPED PROPERTIES.
UM, AND OUR BUILDING RENOVATIONS ARE, UM, NO MORE IN ANY OF THESE CASES, THEN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE TOTAL AREA OF THE EXISTING STATION.
SO REALLY, REALLY PRETTY MINOR OVERALL.
ALTHOUGH WHEN WE'RE DONE, WE LEFT WITH, UM, FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT AND A NEW BUILDING.
UM, ERIN, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND PUTTING UP THE SLIDE OF THE FIRST STATION, THE FIRST FEW, SO THIS IS THE EXISTING, UH, EMS STATION ONE, UM, AT THE CORNER OF SOUTH FIRST AND, UM, UH, CENTER STREET.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE FACT THAT MY COLLEAGUE MADE THE STATION LOOK BIGGER.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN PRESENT.
IT'S ONE ADDITIONAL VEHICLE BAY THAT'S BEING HEADED, UH, PROVIDING A NEW ENVELOPE FOR THE VEHICLES, UM, NEW FOUR-FOLD DOORS, WHICH ARE THE CURRENT STANDARD FOR THE STATION, UH, COMPLETELY REBUILDING THE LIVING QUARTERS, BUT ENDEAVORING TO PRESERVE THE, UM, THE HERITAGE OF THIS EXISTING STATION, WHICH IS, UH, A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IN TERMS OF OVERALL COMPLIANCE WITH DESIGN, WE, UM, ARE SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN WHAT WE'RE STARTING WITH, BUT WE'VE ENDEAVORED TO COMPLY, UH, AS FULLY AS WE'RE ABLE WITH THE INTENT, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE, UM, IMAGINE AUSTIN OBJECTIVES TO, UM, REALLY MAKE THESE THINGS WORTHY, UM, ADDITIONS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH THEY'RE LOCATED.
SO HERE THERE WERE TWO VEHICLE BAYS, UH, EXISTING, UH, WE'RE ADDING A BAY, UM, AND INCREASING THE HEIGHT AND CLEARANCE ON THE VEHICLE BAYS.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS THE, UM, THE CORE FUNCTION OF THE STATION.
THE NEW VEHICLE BAYS ARE REALLY THE, UM, THE MOST REASONABLY OBVIOUS COMPONENT OF THE BUILDING, RESIDENTIAL CORRIDORS, WHICH WRAP AROUND TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE STATION, UM, ARE BEING, UH, RE-SKINNED AND REROOFED, UM, BUT WILL REMAIN, UM, EXTERNALLY, UH, VERY MUCH CONSISTENT WITH, UH, WITH THEIR EXISTING CONDITION.
AND THE LIVING QUARTERS ARE NOT REALLY GETTING MUCH BIGGER THAT THE, UH, STREET FRONTAGE ON CENTER STREET, UH, AND THE EAST SIDE AND THE SIDE THAT ARE ALL REMAINING AND IN LINE WITH THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION, THE SITE IS ZONED P IT'S PART OF AN OVERALL COMPLEX.
UM, IT'S MOSTLY DOMINATED BY THE RESERVOIR AUSTIN WATER'S RESERVOIR DOWN ON SOUTH FIRST.
SO IT IS A, UM, A CITY FACILITY THAT INCLUDES THE RESERVOIR.
THE EMS STATION, UM, INCLUDES A STORAGE BUILDING FOR EMS. IT INCLUDES OFFICE BUILDINGS AND,
[00:55:01]
UH, OFFICE SHOP AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES FOR IN AUSTIN WATER.SO IT'S, UH, IT'S GOT A QUITE DIVERSE RANGE OF, UH, CIVIC USES EXISTING ON THIS ONE PROPERTY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, UH, IF IT'S WORTH GOING THROUGH IN MUCH DETAIL WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE PLAN, I'VE GOT, UM, EXISTING PLANNING, UH, IF IT'S RELEVANT TO DISCUSS, ALTHOUGH AGAIN, THE PROGRAM, THE PROGRAM IS EMS STATION.
NOW IT'S GOING TO REMAIN EMS STATION, UM, ON THE KEY, YOU KNOW, KEY SCOPE OF OUR IMPROVEMENTS IS, UH, TO MAKE IT A MODERN EMS STATION.
ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION? UH, I THINK IT WAS IN AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS WANT THIS ONE.
UH, I THINK THERE WAS A, IS A SIMPLE THING, AND I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO BURDEN YOU WITH, UH, MORE EXPEDITIONS.
WHEN IS THAT AS NECESSARY? WELL, I WOULD SAY GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE SLIDES THAT WERE PROVIDED IN THERE.
SO, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT NEXT LINE, SO THIS IS A COPY OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING SITE PLAN, AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE, THE HATCHED AREA IS THE COMPARATIVELY SMALL ADDITION TO THE EXISTING STATION.
SO THE LARGER TANGLE ABOVE THAT IS THE FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING BUILDING.
UH, AND THEN TO THE SOUTH IS THE NEW VEHICLE BAY THAT WE'RE ADDING TO THAT, UM, TO THAT EXISTING FOOTPRINT, THE, UM, AREA OF PAVEMENT THAT'S SHOWN HERE IS REALLY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.
MOST OF THAT IS ALREADY PAVEMENT.
IT'S JUST BEING BROUGHT, UM, UH, BROUGHT UP TO A, UH, A NEW CONDITION IN TERMS OF THE, IN TERMS OF THE PAVEMENT.
UM, AGAIN, THE BUILDING AND ITS UTILITIES ARE ALL REMAINING EXACTLY AS THEY ARE.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, THE, UM, UH, THE NEW, UH, FLOOR PLAN, UM, BASICALLY EVERYTHING WITHIN THIS FOOTPRINT, THE ENVELOPE IS STAYING, BUT THE, UM, THE STATION IS BEING RECONFIGURED TO MEET CURRENT OPERATIONAL STANDARDS.
SO RATHER THAN, UH, COMMON DORMITORIES, IT'S NOW, UM, INDIVIDUAL SLEEPING ROOMS FOR, UH, FOR STAFF MEMBERS, IT'S SINGLE USER RESTROOMS, UM, EVERYTHING, UH, IS BEING BROUGHT UP TO CURRENT, UH, CURRENT OPERATIONAL STANDARD.
THE FIRST THE, UM, VEHICLE BAYS ARE, UM, BEING IMPROVED TO MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF A, OF A MODERN HANDGUNS.
THE ELEVATIONS OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, AGAIN, THERE WAS A SHIFT IN THE RENDERING OF THE FECAL BAY IS REALLY THE MOST PROMINENT ELEMENT OF THE BUILDING.
THAT'S THE WAY THE EXISTING BUILDING IS.
UH, WE'RE MAKING IT, UM, MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE INCREASINGLY URBAN FACTOR OF, UH, SOUTH FIRST STREET, UM, BUT REALLY, UH, VERY MUCH CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE EXISTING BUILDING AND THEN THE MATERIALS AND SHAPES OF THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION WRAPPING AROUND ON THE SOUTH AND EAST, UM, ARE VERY MUCH AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE JUST A NEW WINDOWS, NEW ENVELOPE, UH, IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF LANDSCAPING, BUT MOST OF THIS IS, UH, STAYING EXACTLY AS IT IS.
UM, MOST RELEVANT HERE IS THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TREES EXISTING ON THE SITE THAT WE ARE STAYING WELL CLEAR OUT.
UH, SO WE ARE PRESERVING THE EXISTING, UH, CHARACTER AND THE JUST VEGETATION ON THE SIDE AND, UH, DROPPING IN OUR, OUR LITTLE ADDITION WITHIN EXISTING CHARACTER OF THAT, UH, OF THAT LANDSCAPING.
THAT, THAT IS PRETTY MUCH MY DESCRIPTION.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? HI, THIS IS JUST FOR COMMISSIONER ROLES.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE LANDSCAPING AND, UM, UM, PERHAPS ANY KIND OF INDOOR OUTDOOR KIND OF FEEDING OFF FOR THE, FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE SPENDING A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME THERE.
UM, BUT AS WELL AS, UM, THAT MIGHT MAKE YEAH, SO TH SO THOSE GUYS, UH, ACTUALLY DO SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME OUTSIDE.
SO, UM, AND I'M SORRY IF YOU CAN GET BACK TO THE PLAN.
SO WE ACTUALLY DESIGNED THE DAY ROOM, UH, AND
[01:00:01]
AN ENTRY TO THE LIVING QUARTERS, SO THAT IT OPENED RIGHT ON TO THE, UM, THE YARD AREA.THAT'S IN THE SHADE OF THOSE BIG HERITAGE TREES.
SO ALL OF THIS STATION AND ALL OF THEM, WE'VE TRIED TO PROVIDE, UH, OUTDOOR, OUTDOOR DINING, OUTDOORS DRILLING AREA.
THE, UH, FINALLY THE INVESTORS ARE BIG FANS OF, UH, UH, BARBECUE, UM, AND THE SPACE THAT IS READILY ACCESSIBLE FROM, UH, THE LIVING QUARTERS, UH, WITHIN, UM, HEARING RANGE OF THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR ALARM ALARMS, BUT DO, UH, ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE, OF THE SITE.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT MENTIONING THAT, BUT THAT'S, UM, IS DEFINITELY A FOCUS OF ALL OF THESE STATIONS AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE DONE.
SO WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE CREWS AND LISTENED TO THEM ABOUT KNOW WHAT THEIR ACTUAL PRIORITIES ARE AND TRIED TO PROVIDE, UM, AS WELL AS WE COULD BE AMENITIES AND FEATURES THAT WILL MAKE, UH, MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER BECAUSE THOSE GUYS HAVE A, UH, IT WAS A ROUGH JOB AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, TO MAKE THEIR LIFE, UH, MORE PLEASANT.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, FIRST STREET STUFF STREET HAS A PRETTY ABYSMAL PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT, UM, AND, UH, FEEL SUPER UNSAFE A LOT OF THE TIME FOR ANYBODY TRYING TO WALK OR BIKE OR ANYTHING ALONG THAT ROAD.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP MAKE FIRST STREET MORE, UM, PLEASANT UNSAFE TO, I KNOW THERE'S A BIG RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX ACROSS THE ROAD.
UM, AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE, UM, SHOULD BE ENJOYING WALKING.
SO THIS, THIS, THIS ONE IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN THE SITE THAT WAS BUILT ON THESE VERY S UM, SO THE SIDEWALK AT THAT INTERSECTION IS ACTUALLY NOT TOO BAD BY FIRST STREET STANDARDS, AND IT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM A BUS STOP ON THE, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE.
IT WAS NOT IN OUR MANDATE, UM, BUT WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS SOUTH FIRST IS CONCERNED, LIKE THIS BLOCK IS HARDLY, UH, IS CERTAINLY NOT THE WORST ONE.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I RECALL SEEING THAT THERE'S A BIG LIGHT POSTS RIGHT.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK ALONG THE FRONT OF THE EMS STATION.
IS THAT NOT THE CASE? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO EVEN REMEDIATE, BUT, UM, IF THERE IS THROUGH, I DUNNO WHETHER IT'S LANDSCAPING OR, UM, ADDING ADDITIONAL WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS, UM, THAT COULD BE NICE.
UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE CONSTRAINED BY OUR MANDATE, UH, BUT IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO IMPROVE, UM, WE CERTAINLY WILL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THERE? THANK YOU.
UM, OH, AND, UM, COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING THINGS I NOTICED THAT THE LIMIT OF CONSTRUCTION LINE IS GOING THROUGH THAT LARGE TREE SOUTH OF THE, UH, ADDITION, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TREE IS PROTECTED BECAUSE WITH THE LOC BEING WHERE IT IS, IT'S IT BEGS ME TO ASK THE QUESTION.
SO THE, THE LLC, THESE ARE PRELIMINARY PLANS AT THE MOMENT.
AND IT DOES RUN RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF IT.
THAT IS NOT THE WAY THE FINAL ONE WILL BOOK.
UM, SO, SO WE, WE DEFINITELY WILL, UH, HOLD THAT LIMITS, UH, WELL BACK, UM, AND BE SURE THAT THAT TREE IS, UH, HE'S NOT HARMED BY OUR, OUR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES.
UM, THE, UH, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT ARE, UM, GATTON WHO WANT TO BE STRINGING THE FIBER ALL THROUGH THERE.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH PATHWAYS SO THAT THEY DON'T END UP STRINGING OVERHEAD FROM A POLE AT THE CORNER AND, UH, CUTTING THAT TREE BACK.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENT AND YES, THAT'S ON OUR, I APOLOGIZE FOR SHOWING IT WELL, I DON'T APOLOGIZE.
IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THE DESIGN PROCESS AND, UH, THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE REFINED TO YOU.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS, RIGHT.
[01:05:01]
THANK YOU.MY SECOND QUESTION IS WE'RE ADDING A LITTLE DETENTION POND.
I'M ASSUMING FOR THE NEW PERVIOUS COVER.
CAN THAT BE A RAIN GARDEN RATHER THAN IT DOESN'T REALLY INDICATE IN THIS? I DON'T THINK UNLESS I'M NOT LOOKING AT IT FULLY, IS THERE SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE, UH, BIO FRIENDLY THAT WE CAN DO RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL LOOKING POND WITH A TRICKLE CHANNEL IN IT? SO, UM, WE HAVE, UH, SHOWN ON OUR LANDSCAPE PLAN, UM, PLANTING TO MAKE THAT A LANDSCAPE PLAN IS NOT IN THE PAPER SET, BUT EVEN THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION, UM, WE HAVE SHOWN LANDSCAPING ALONG THAT TO MINIMIZE THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT OF IT.
UM, SO YEAH, I'M NOT THRILLED ABOUT THAT EITHER, BUT IT DOES.
UM, IT DOES ACCOMMODATE, UH, STORMWATER CONTROL ON A VERY, ON A VERY TIGHT SITE.
UM, AND, UM, DOES, UH, DOES MITIGATE THE VISUAL IMPACT OF THAT LITTLE CHANNEL WITH, UH, A ROLL OF, UH, WHEN THE HAMMER MULI ALONG THERE ON THE FRONT TEACH, WHICH I THINK WILL HELP QUITE A BIT, BUT, UM, IF I CAN TALK THE CIVIL GUYS INTO, UH, REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE CHANNEL ALTOGETHER, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE THAT.
I THINK SOMETHING, A LITTLE GENTLER WITH THE IDEA, AT LEAST PLANTING THE WHOLE THING WITH SOMETHING MORE THAN A ROAD SHRUBS, BECAUSE IT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL REASON FOR ASKING THESE QUESTIONS IS, DOES THIS PROJECT MEET THE MINIMUM CITY CODE FOR LANDSCAPE? UM, I KNOW IT'S A FIGHT PLAN, CORRECTION, I GUESS YOU HAD TO GIVE BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN EXEMPTION.
I WOULDN'T THINK
SO THE, THE, UH, AMOUNT OF THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF PLANTING, AND THIS IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE WITH DMS BECAUSE THOSE GUYS LIKE ARE NOT REAL BIG ON LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE.
SO WITH THE PLANTING WE HAVE PROVIDED IS, UM, TO BE SURE THAT IT'S COMPLIANT, NOT BECAUSE THEY, UM, THERE'S AN AVID GARDENER ON THE SITE.
UM, SO I WILL CONFIRM, BUT THE PLANS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AND I DO BELIEVE THEY ARE FULLY COMPLIANT.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS I NOTICED THAT THERE'S NO ADA ACCESS FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY ONLY TWO.
THE ACCESS FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY IS AROUND THE, UM, UH, WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO THE SLOPE UP FROM FIRST STREET, IT WAS TOO SEVERE TO MAKE IT TO THE BUILDING WITHOUT A, UM, EGREGIOUS NUMBER OF SWITCHBACKS.
SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE A CONNECTION TO THE SIDEWALK ON CENTER STREET, WHICH PROVIDES AN ACCESSIBLE PATH ALL THE WAY BACK TO, UH, SOUTH FIRST INTO THE BEST BUS STOP ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO WE'VE GOT THE, UM, THE FRONT DOOR AROUND ON THE WEST SIDE SO THAT IT COULD BE CONNECTED TO AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE ALL THE WAY, ALL THE WAY AROUND.
UM, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT PREFERRED, BUT GIVEN THE BUILDING IS SIX TO EIGHT FEET ABOVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
IT'S A, IT'S A REAL FOR GETTING OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK AND HAVING A DECENT, UM, AT GRADE PATH FOR, FOR EVERYONE, UM, WAS PREFERABLE TO HAVING, LIKE HAVING A SWITCHBACK IN A BUNCH OF STEPS.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
SO BRINGING, UH, BRINGING A PRE, UH, ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS BUILDING INTO COMPLIANCE IS, IS PART OF OUR TASK.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT I THINK DONE QUITE WELL IN, IN ADDRESSING THE EXISTING DEFICIENCIES.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY COMMENTS AS WELL.
IT'S VERY, UH, SECURITAS ROUTE THERE.
I THINK YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO INCORPORATE SOME WAYFINDING TO THAT ADA PATH CAUSE NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO KNOW THEY HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY AROUND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING TO GET INSIDE.
AND, AND HONESTLY, EVEN FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, MOBILITY IMPAIRED, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO THINK THEY JUST WALK RIGHT UP THE DRIVEWAY OR SOMETHING.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO REAL APPARENT ENTRY FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, INTO THAT BUILDING.
AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM IN MY EYES, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT THESE TO BE, TO GREET THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? THIS IS A PUBLIC FACILITY AND YOU TEND TO, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO THERE FOR HELP IF THEY NEED TO, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT ENHANCING THE, UM, UH, THE ENTRANCE OFF OF, UH, OFF OF FIRST STREET, UH, REFERENCE CENTER STREET, SO THAT IT IS MORE, IT IS MORE OBVIOUS, UM, AND BE SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CLEAR
[01:10:03]
ALSO, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING INCLUDED IN THE SET, UH, ABOUT ANY, UH, UH, GREEN BUILDING FEATURES ON THE BUILDING.HAS ANY OF THAT BEEN CONSIDERED? YEAH, SO IT'S GOING TO BE A, UH, MINIMUM ELITE SEWER PROJECT AND WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY AIMING FOR GOALS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, UH, I THINK A VERY AGGRESSIVE PLAN TO, UM, MAKE THIS BUILDING AS RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE FOR ITS NEXT 40 YEARS.
SO, UM, IT IS BEING DESIGNED TO, UM, UH, A HIGH STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT, UH, ON THE SPECIFIC MEASURES YOU'RE TAKING? SO WE'LL, OH, THIS IS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE RENDERING THAT WE'RE PROVIDED THAT SUGGEST THERE'S ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
I DON'T SEE RAINWATER HARVESTING, I DON'T SEE PHOTOVOLTAICS.
UM, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT MEASURES YOU'RE TAKING TO ACHIEVE THAT.
UH, SO, UH, IN TERMS OF MATERIALS, IN TERMS OF A HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE, SO IT'S A, UH, A VERY TIGHTLY DESIGNED AND WELL-INSULATED INSULATED ENVELOPE IN TERMS OF THE, UM, UH, WHAT ARE YOU SEDUCTION, UM, IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CLIMATE CONTROL IN WITH, UH, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS IN EACH OF THE BEDROOMS, SO THAT, UM, THERE'S, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, UM, CUSTOMIZATION OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROL, BUT ALSO THAT THAT'S TAILORED TO, UH, THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN USE, UH, TO THE, UM, LOW ENERGY USAGE ON THE LIGHTING.
I MEAN, IT IS, FOR MY STANDPOINT, IT IS OUR STANDARD PRACTICE.
UH, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE POINT THAT THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING EXOTIC ABOUT THE, UM, UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, BUT IT IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD FROM WHAT'S CURRENTLY OUT THERE.
AND IT'S A SET OF SOLUTIONS THAT ARE, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUEST OF OUR CLIENT HAS UNBREAKABLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, WE'VE DESIGNED THINGS THAT, UM, IMPROVED PERFORMANCE, BUT, UH, CAN BE EFFECTIVELY MAINTAINED AND UTILIZED BY, UH, THE BUILDING OCCUPANTS.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE STRATEGY THAT WE FOLLOWED.
UM, I WONDER IF THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, OUR, WITH THAT LANDSCAPING ON THE, ON THE LAWN OF, UH, SOUTHWEST STREET TO KNOCK OUT QUITE A FEW OF THE DIFFERENT COMMENTS FROM RECOGNITION IS TODAY, UM, MAKING IT MORE SORT OF PEDESTRIAN, UH, MORE PLEASANT FOR THE PEDESTRIANS, SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE LAWN, UM, MAKING THE DETENTION POND, UH, UH, LIKE MORE OF A RAIN GARDEN COULD HELP, COULD HELP WITH THAT.
AND IT COULD CERTAINLY HELP WITH THE, THE LEAD STORY TO, TO BE, UM, UH, WHAT, SORRY TO AGB.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE YOU'RE GOING FOR, UM, LATELY YOU SAID.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE, HAVE THAT WITH SOME NATIVE NATIVE PLANTINGS AND, UH, THAT KIND OF THING IT COULD, COULD ADD TO, UH, IN A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A STEP BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
A CHAIR, IF I MAY GO AHEAD, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT OR PRECEDENCE FOR ART IN PUBLIC PLACES FOR BUILDINGS LIKE THIS.
I'M SURPRISED THAT THERE WASN'T A REQUIREMENT OF SOME SORT OR, UH, SO IT IS A REQUIREMENT AND THE CONSIDERATION, BUT THE, UM, UH, PROGRAM THAT KEEPS US AT ARMS LENGTH.
SO WE'VE ALLOCATED THE FUNDING TO RETAIN THE ARTISTS, BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ELECTED YET.
SO, UH, THERE DEFINITELY WILL BE IN THE AIPP COMPONENT.
IT'S JUST NOT, UH, IT HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED YET.
DID YOU ALREADY MENTIONED THAT? I JUST MISSED IT.
UM, SO DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT WOULD BE SLATED D IS THAT UP TO THEIR DISCRETION? HOW DOES THAT WORK? WOULD IT GO IN, IN, IN THE LINE? SO WE, SO WE DON'T KNOW, UM, WE HAVE EXPRESSED OUR PREFERENCE ON THE BASIS OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE ON THE LAST GROUP OF THESE STATIONS FOR THE SORT OF THING THAT, UM, IDEALLY WE'D LIKE TO SEE, BUT, UM, WE'RE KEPT, UH, ON A, ON A CITY PROJECT.
UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT INTERFERE
[01:15:01]
WITH THE ARTIST.SO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE'RE COORDINATING WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO TRY AND BE PROACTIVE IN PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT, UM, IT'S, UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT IMPOSE OUR DESIRE ON THE, UH, ON THE HARDEST, WHO'S AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF THE DESIGN TEAM.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, UH, AND HAVE ARGUED, UM, POLITELY, BUT FIRMLY THAT, UM, THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE COULD, UH, MAKE EVERYBODY'S LIFE EASIER AND IMPROVE, UM, THE OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED IF WE CAN WORK, UM, PRACTICALLY WITH THE ARTIST, UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN THE PROCESS TO, TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO THE DESIGN.
I WAS JUST THINKING THERE, OH, I APOLOGIZE.
OH, NO, THERE'S ANOTHER THINGS I'D LOVE TO SEE, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THERE ARE DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES HERE THAT, UH, UH, WE COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SOLVE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH ONE GESTURE.
SO, UM, LIKE, SO LIKE THE, THE ISSUE OF NEIGHBORHOOD WELCOME, UH, UH, TO THE ENTRANCE, UM, OFF OF CENTER STREET, LIKE THAT SEEMS LIKE AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO COMBINE, UH, UH, CREATIVE WORK WITH BUILDING IDENTITY IN A WAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT REINFORCES A BUNCH OF THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE DONE.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY THE, UH, CERTAINLY KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED ON, UH, THE PROCESS AND, UH, OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, TO USE IT TO ITS FULLEST ADVANTAGE.
SO I WAS GOING TO RE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT GIVEN THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF AUTONOMY WITH THAT.
I MEAN, DID IT SEEM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE BUILDING IS AN IT'S A NICE BUILDING, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S LIKE ONE WALL, UM, THAT ISN'T COVERED IN STONE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE THE PERFECT SLATE FOR A MURAL.
UM, BUT I WILL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY INFLUENCE OVER THAT.
UM, AND IF, IF WE CAN, WE WOULD JUST ASSUME, UH, PROVIDE LIGHTING AND BLOCKING AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, IN SUPPORT OF AN INSTALLATION, UH, RATHER THAN SEE IT COME IN AT THE 11TH HOUR.
WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO COMPLAIN, BUT LIKE I SAID, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS SCRAMBLING AT THE END OF THE PROCESS WHEN IT WOULD BE TO, UM, TO WORK TOGETHER AT THE BEGINNING AND, AND TO BENEFIT EVERYONE.
WHAT, WHAT POINT IN THE PROCESS DO THEY NORMALLY GET ENGAGED? IT VARIES FROM PROJECT TO COUSIN BECAUSE IT'S ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TIMELINE.
SO WE'RE ON AN AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE.
THAT'S PUSHED BY A COUNCIL, A DEADLINE FOR HAVING THESE STATIONS OPERATIONAL.
AND WE'RE WORKING AHEAD WITH ALL HASTE WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, UH, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE ARTISTS ARE BEING SELECTED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENTLY.
SO THE PIECE THAT CONCERNS ME IS LIKE, ALRIGHTY.
UM, THE SITE PLAN HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW.
WE'RE ALREADY CLOSING IN ON, UH, BEING ABLE TO SUBMIT FOR BUILDING PERMIT.
AND WE HAVE NO IDEA, UM, WHO THE ARTIST IS OR WHAT SORT OF THING THEY'RE THINKING, OR EVEN WHAT MEDIUM THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING IN.
SO, UM, IT PUTS US IN A DIFFICULT POSITION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
DID SOMEONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT IT MEETS THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SUBSTANTIALLY.
THIS ONE, UH, OR RECOMMEND, I REALIZE IT SAYS THAT ON THE, ON THE AGENDA, BUT AARON, RIGHT.
I MEAN, TECHNICALLY WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES HERE.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE CITIES, UM, DESIGN GUIDELINES.
CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS DOES NOT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE.
AND, AND, AND WHEN I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND TRIED TO FIND PREVIOUS EXAMPLES, AND I KNOW THERE WAS ONE, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE LAST EMS STATION, I BELIEVE IT WAS SOMETIME IN THE SPRING OR EARLY SUMMER, AND THAT WAS THE SAME WORDING,
[01:20:01]
UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT I EVEN THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT IT WOULD NOT BE, IT WOULD NOT MEET THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.IT'S MORE SO SEEING MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THE COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, THAT THE CITY OFFERS BROWN AND NOT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO THAT IS WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF PERHAPS IF, IF THE MOTION WILL BE MADE FOR THAT, OR IF THERE NEEDS TO BE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT MOTION, ADD THE COMMERCIAL GUIDELINES, OR DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW THEY SHOULD PROCEED TERRIFY ME? YES, PLEASE.
SO CITY PROJECTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SHOW SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THEY JUST NEEDED A DESIGN CONSULTATION FROM THE COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH IT IS POSTED, YOU ARE POSTED FOR ACTION FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
IT DOES NOT JUST LIMIT YOUR ACTION TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO THE WORDING ON THE POSTING DOES TAKING THE CONSIDERATION, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN ALSO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT THAT'S PRESENTED AND THAT IT HAS RECEIVED A DESIGN CONSULTATION FROM THE COMMISSION.
CAN I WITHDRAW MY MOTION? YES.
UM, WAS THERE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION CHAIR? OKAY.
I TEND TO, IN TERMS OF LIKE DESIGN CONSULTATION, UM, IF WE LOOK AT PAGE THREE OF THE PRESENTATIONS, UM, IF THAT CAN POP UP, I KNOW IT'S THE EXISTING CONDITION, WHICH DOESN'T SHOW ANY OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE, THE MORE ELEGANT AND WELCOMING FACADE AND EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, CAN WE GET IT SHOWN UP ON THE SCREEN? THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS THE, THE ISSUE I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY, UH, ALONG THE STREET WITH THE LIGHT POST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK THERE.
UM, AND I, I THINK IT COULD THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, TO, UH, THINK THROUGH SAFETY AND, UM, MAKE IT AN EXCITING PUBLIC STATEMENT FOR A PUBLIC BUILDING.
SO, UH, UH, I FOLLOWED UP ON YOUR COMMENT, LIKE IT IS INEXPLICABLY.
UM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT OUR, ON OUR SITE.
UM, WELL, THERE'S ALSO ONE AT THE INTERSECTION TOO.
IT APPEARS ONE REALLY IS LIKE, RIGHT, RIGHT IN THE SIDEWALK.
AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS AN ACCESSIBLE PATH AROUND IT, UM, LIKE IT, IT IS LIKE, IT'S PRETTY BRUTAL.
UM, SO IF, UH, IF, IF I CAN TALK US THROUGH THOSE AS YOU NEED TO, UM, UM, MAKING THE VENDORS, UM, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER, JUST PERHAPS IF THEY KIND OF DISAPPEAR PERHAPS, UM, WORKING WITH THE LANDSCAPING AROUND THAT TO INCREASE THEM RIGHT AWAY OR SORT THE PEDESTRIAN TO GO AROUND IT, UM, OR EXPAND THAT SIDEWALK SOMEHOW, UM, WHILE YOU'RE DOING ALL OF THE REST OF THE WORK ON THE, ON THE BUILDING.
THIS IS I SECOND THAT THIS IS A CITY PROJECT.
UM, AND THE, THE ACCESSIBILITY IS, IS LACKING BIG TIME IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY, MY RECOMMENDATION, UH, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A MOTION THAT SAYS THEY NEED TO RELOOK AT THE ACCESSIBILITY, UH,
[01:25:01]
FOR THE, FOR THE ENTIRE SITE, INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF WAY THEY NEED TO PROVIDE WAY FINDING OR THE ENTRANCE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.THEY NEED TO, UM, LOOK AT A RAIN GARDEN, UM, AS COMMISSIONER COLEMAN DISCUSSED IN LIEU OF THE DETENTION BOND, UM, AND FOR THE CITY TO BETTER INTEGRATE THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT, UM, WITH, WITH THIS, UM, BECAUSE AT THE VERY END WITH NO COORDINATION, UM, IS GOING TO PROVIDE A, UH, ART PIECE THAT IN THE END COULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, PROBLEMATIC.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER WITH THIS.
UH, IT'S VERY DISTURBING HOW UNCOORDINATED THIS WHOLE THING IS.
CHRISTIAN, OR IT, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID, BECAUSE IF THIS WAS A PRIVATE SECTOR PROJECT, I'LL BE SO BOLD AS TO SAY THAT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT, A PROJECT, BECAUSE THIS IS CITY RIGHT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BELONGS TO ANYONE ELSE.
SO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THAT WAS PUT THERE WITH THE CITY'S KNOWLEDGE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IS PRETTY, PRETTY POSSIBLE.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS, THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY.
AND THEN I WANT TO ECHO ONE MORE THING OR ABOUT LANDSCAPE RELATED.
UM, OH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE DETAILS, BUT AGAIN, WITH GOING BACK TO THE LIMIT OF CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE SHOWING BERMUDA SOD THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT AND BERMUDA IS ON THE INVASIVE LISTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR, OUR GREEN GREEN STANDARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT IN A HYBRID BERMUDA THAT IS NOT INVASIVE BECAUSE IT'S NON SEEDING, BUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT SO MUCH SHADE, I WONDER IF YOU EVEN NEED TO REVEGETATION THAT AREAS AT ALL, BUT INSTEAD LIMIT YOUR AREA, YOUR LIMITED CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE YOUR NOTE ALSO SAYS TO IRRIGATE THESE AREAS, AND BECAUSE WE'VE GOT AN EXISTING, BEAUTIFUL TREE THERE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TRENCH THOSE AREAS UP TO PROVIDE IRRIGATION AND RATHER JUST LIMIT OUR IMPACT ON THE SIDE, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
SO I WOULD THINK ON EVERY ONE OF YOUR SUBMITTALS, IF HE COULD PLEASE LOOK AT THAT AND LIMIT YOUR IRRIGATION AND LIMIT YOUR LIMITED CONSTRUCTION TO MAKE SURE THE TREES ARE PRESERVED.
AND THEN ONE LAST THING YOU ARE SHOWING NEAR THE POND.
THEY SEE DURHAM AND MOUNT LAUREL AND THE MOUNTAIN LAUREL IS SHOWN BEING PLANTED UNDER THE THEATER REALM.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF MAYBE PROVIDING UNDERSTORY, BUT WHEN THOSE TREES ARE PLANTED DAY ONE, YOU WON'T PROBABLY WON'T HAVE THE CLEARANCE OF THE SEED AROUND TO GET A MOUNTAIN LAUREL UNDERNEATH THAT.
SO MAYBE LOOK FOR ANOTHER SPACE TO SPREAD THOSE OUT.
UM, DOES ANYONE WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS OR DO WE THINK OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SUFFICIENT? I'M OPEN TO WHAT COMMISSIONERS WANT TO DO? I SAID, GO AHEAD, MR. OLSEN, GO AHEAD.
I THINK WHAT, UH, CHAIR CAROL PLUS THE OTHER COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, UM, HAVE SAID, UH, A GOOD, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YEAH, BASICALLY.
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION, BUT WE GAVE HIM SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO, OKAY.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS AND WE'LL
[1c. Staff briefing and possible action on the Historic Design Standards to be presented by Cara Bertron from the City of Austin Housing and Planning Department.]
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS ONE C DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMS STATION ADDRESSED AT 1330 EAST RUNDBERG COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.ARE WE TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS? NO, I CARE.
I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, THERE'S, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT, UH, EMS STATIONS.
I WAS, I'M TRYING TO MULTITASK AND I PANICKED.
I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THOSE AND THEN COMING ON IN A BIT.
[01:30:02]
SO IF CITY HALL CAN BRING UP THE NEXT, UH, STATION PRESENTATION.SO, UH, THIS IS, UH, M A STATION 13 FIRE STATION 23.
IT'S LOCATED ON, UM, EAST GRUNBERG.
UM, THE SCOPE OF THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY, UH, ALMOST ENTIRELY INTERIOR.
UM, THE BUILDING ADDITIONS ARE LIMITED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SECOND FLOOR TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR, UM, UH, EMS CREWS AND THE ADDITION OF A CTM LATER TO PROVIDE, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THIS ONE I GET, UM, IF YOU CAN GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, IT'S A SITE THAT ZONED, UH, P UH, THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF EAST DRUG.
IF YOU GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS THE EXISTING STATION, UM, BUILT IN THE LATE SEVENTIES.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE THAT IS OUR PROPOSED RENOVATION.
UM, SEE THE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IS THE EXPANSION OF THE LIVING QUARTERS TO ADD A FULL SECOND STORY RATHER THAN, UH, THE ATTIC SPACE.
THAT IS THE CURRENT DNS ACCOMMODATION.
UM, THE BUILDING REMAINS, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED, ALTHOUGH WE'RE REPLACING QUITE A BIT OF, UH, ROBIN WOODWORK WITH, UH, IN THE CASE OF OUR ADDITION HERE IN NEW STUCCO, UM, LIKE THE PREVIOUS STATION WE'RE GOING WITH FOR, UM, GOLD LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE.
UM, WE ARE, UH, AGAIN, CONSTRAINED BY THE EXISTING BUILDING.
UH, SO WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO, UH, TO IMPROVE IT, EVEN IN THIS CASE, THE ROOF IS EXISTING, UM, FROM THE OTHER THAN THE NEXT PLAN.
UH, THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE IS EXTREMELY LIMITED.
THIS ONE IS BEING DONE UNDER A SITE PLANNING.
UM, THE, UH, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS ARE ESSENTIALLY LIMITED TO PROVIDING A COMPLIANT ACCESSIBLE ROUTE TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE STATION.
THIS ONE IS MUCH MORE RATIONAL THAN, UH, EMS STATION ONE AND IMPROVING ACCESSIBLE PARKING.
ON THE SIDE, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING STATION, THE VEHICLE BAYS ARE REMAINING UNCHANGED.
UH, THE LIVING QUARTERS ARE EXPANDED PRETTY MUCH ONLY BY THE ADDITION OF THE CPM ROOM ON PLAN LEFT.
UH, THAT'S THE COMPLY WITH, UH, SEVERE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, BUT THEN THE WHOLE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING IS BEING RENOVATED AND BROUGHT UP TO A CURRENT OPERATIONAL STANDARD.
UH, THIS ONE HAS FIRE, UH, ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND EMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
IT'S ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE FEET TOTAL, EVEN INCLUDING THE VEHICLE BASE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S A HOUSE SIZED BUILDING.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THIS IS THE EMS LIVING QUARTERS TO TWO BEDROOMS, A LITTLE DAY ROOM AND A BATH.
UH, THE ELEVATIONS, UM, WE'RE PRESERVING, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY THE CHARACTER BE IN BUILDING.
IT'S BEEN A LONG, UH, COMPONENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO WHEN, WHEN WE'RE DONE, IT WILL BE A NEW SHINY VERSION OF WHAT'S.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS CASE, UH, WE MAY HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS ABOUT LANDSCAPING WE'RE COMING IN AND, UH, RESTORING, UH, WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN A FAIRLY POOR CONDITION.
UM, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT, UH, MAKE IT GREEN AND PRETTY.
UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THE NUMBER OF, UH, YOUTUBE, THE ALIGNMENTS THAT ARE RUN THROUGH THOSE EXISTING TREES, OUR GOAL THERE IS TO CLEAN ALL OF THAT STUFF UP AND RUN THEM UNDERGROUND IN A WAY THAT, UH, IS MUCH LESS, MUCH LESS DAMAGING THAN THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION AND HOPEFULLY PRESERVE THOSE TREES.
AND THEN THE AREA OF, UH, LANDSCAPING INTO SUBSTANTIALLY RESTORATION.
UM, THE, UH, PROJECT IS, UH, ANOTHER WAY SIMILAR TO THE ISSUES THAT WE DISCUSSED ON THE PREVIOUS STATIONS.
IT'S A RENOVATION OF AN EXISTING BUILDINGS.
UH, GOALS ARE MAKING IT, MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE, UH, BRINGING IT UP TO CURRENT OPERATIONAL STANDARDS AND SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVING, UH, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS EXISTING BUILDING SO THAT THE CITY CAN GET 50 MORE YEARS OUT OF IT.
UH, AGAIN, THAT SIMPLE, SIMPLE
[01:35:01]
LITTLE PROJECT.UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? WELL, WHAT, WHAT STRIKES ME RIGHT AWAY ABOUT THIS PROJECT, UM, IS THE HORRIBLE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND IT, AGAIN, IT REALLY DISAPPOINTS ME, UM, TO THINK IF THIS IS A 50 YEAR PROJECT AND THAT, UH, THAT SIDEWALK THAT EXISTS TODAY IS GOING TO HAVE TO REMAIN FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS.
IT'S RIGHT UP AGAINST THE ROAD.
UH, IT LOOKS TO BE MAYBE THREE FEET WIDE.
UM, DOESN'T LOOK VERY ACCESSIBLE, THERE'S CRACKS.
UM, I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S AGAIN, IT'S THE CITY, UM, NOT SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE, UH, ON, ON BOTH ON BOTH STREET FACES, UM, IT'S A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE, UH, TO BE A PEDESTRIAN IN THAT AREA.
AND I WOULD HOPE THE CITY COULD, COULD DO BETTER PROJECTS THAN THIS.
UH, I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION COMPLETELY, UM, JUST TO, UM, TO SHARE THE, THE, THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHERE I'M SITTING AS A CONSULTANT, I SEE THE CITY AS THE CITY, BUT, UH, IN THIS CASE, WE EVEN HAVE, UM, AN, UM, NO SENSE TO ARGUE YOUR CLIENTS, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR TOILET PAPER DISPENSERS BETWEEN THE FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE SHARING THE BUILDINGS.
SO THEIR, THEIR PROGRAM AND THEIR BUDGET IS FOCUSED ON NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR FACILITIES.
UM, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC PROPERTY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROPERTY LINE, UM, FOR, FOR GOOD OR ILL, UM, USE NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE FIRE AND EMS DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY FROM AN URBAN DESIGN STANDPOINT, UH, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, THE PIECE THAT, UH, HE WAS CHALLENGING TO ME AS A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL IS, UM, SAYING TO A CLIENT TOO, IS, UM, UH, LIVING IN A, UM, A VERY CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT ALREADY.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT ELEMENT OF YOUR PROGRAM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE STREETSCAPE? UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S A TOUGH SELL.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, I, I AM NOT, UH, NOT DENYING THAT THE, UH, THE FRINGES OF RUNDBERG AND ABERDEEN ARE, UM, ARE, YEAH, WELL, I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE CITY NOT HAVING THE RIGHT PRIORITIES.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M A BIG ADVOCATE, UH, FOR GREEN BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS AREA ARE NOT GOING TO EXPERIENCE THE, YOU KNOW, ENERGY CONSERVATION, HVAC SYSTEM IN THIS BUILDING, THEY'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO THINK MORE ABOUT, UM, WHAT HAS THE GREATEST EFFECT ON PEOPLE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE SPENDING OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS PROJECT, I THINK THEY COULD SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TO, TO HELP FIX THE RIGHT AWAY IN FRONT OF THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE AS YOU'VE SAID, THIS ISN'T GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON BY 50 YEARS BEFORE THREE DEVELOPED.
UM, AGAIN, SO, UM, I REALIZE THERE'S THAT SOME PROBLEM, BUT, UM, I JUST THINK THAT IT NEEDS TO BE SAID, AND IT'S GETTING VERY FRUSTRATING ON OUR END, UH, TO CONTINUE TO SEE THIS FROM THE CITY.
NO, AND, AND I'M, I'M, I AGREE COMPLETELY.
UH, MY CHALLENGE IS LIKE WE THEY'RE CUTTING CORNERS AND MAKING DO, UM, ON THE SCOPE HERE FOR, UM, TRYING TO DELIVER TO, UM, I THINK, UH, VERY IMPORTANT AND USERS, UM, AS CLOSE TO A NEW STATION AS WE CAN ACCOMMODATE OUT OF A, UM, ESSENTIALLY A PAINT AND CARPET MANDATE.
UH, SO LIKE LEAVING, LEAVING THE EXISTING VEHICLE THAT IS, UM, I MEAN, IT'S, YES, WE'RE, WE'RE PRESERVING THE EXISTING BUILDING AND I REALIZED THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, BUT IT'S NOT THE OBJECTIVELY ECONOMICAL WAY TO GO TO GO ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE COMPROMISING AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY BY THE LIMITS OF BUDGET AND BY THE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THE, UM, CONTINUED USE OF AN EXISTING SITE
[01:40:01]
WITHIN A, UH, VERY LIMITED, UM, UH, POOL OF FUNDING AND WITHIN A VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE.SO, UM, I, I AM FULLY ON BOARD WITH YOUR, UH, YOUR FRUSTRATION AND, UM, I DEFINITELY WISH THAT, UH, THERE WAS MORE THAN I COULD DO, UM, UH, TO DELIVER A, A WHOLE NEW PROJECT RATHER THAN A, UH, WELL, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT IT'S BETTER THAN IT WAS PROJECT.
YOU'RE IN A REALLY AWKWARD POSITION BECAUSE REALLY WE NEED PUBLIC WORKS HERE TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE WITH US, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HOLD OUR OTHER CUSTOMERS TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD.
WE REALLY DON'T LISTEN MUCH TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT FOR DOING THINGS.
THE EXPECTATION IS THE SAME WITHOUT, WITHOUT FINANCIAL ISSUES REALLY COMING TO BEAR AND ITS ARGUMENTS.
SO I AGREE WITH WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE SAYING.
WE'RE KIND OF GIVING OURSELVES AS A CITIZEN OF OFTEN A PATH, OUR OWN PUBLIC FACILITIES, BUT HOLDING OUR PRIVATE SECTOR CLIENTS TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO YOUR CLIENT AND ASK FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT, WHAT PURPOSE IS THAT DROP-OFF SERVING ANYMORE? IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S A LARGE PIECE OF IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WOULDN'T EVEN BE ALLOWED BY HER RIGHT NOW, IT'S DOING NOTHING, AND WE COULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AND JUST THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR BUILDING BY REMOVING THAT, NOT TO MENTION RESTORING SOME PERFECT, VERY VALUABLE PERVIOUS COVER IN OUR CBD WITH, UH, WITH A, I MEAN, WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO REALLY SHOW OFF OUR GREEN COMMITMENTS HERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE SPEAKING TO YOU AND YOUR HANDS ARE TIED.
I, I, UH, TAKE YOUR COMMENTS TO HEART.
CAN I PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COMMISSIONER COLEMAN SAID? UM, SO, UH, THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THERE'S THE DRIVEWAY, UM, IN BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE BUILDING ITSELF, WHAT UTILITY, OR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THAT SERVE? SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, HE WAS VERY PARTIAL TO IT.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT SERVES NO FUNCTION, UH, BUT IT'S A VALUABLE ASSET TO THE, TO THE BUILDING USER.
UM, I THINK IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THERE'S A, UM, A FUELING STATION LOCATED, UH, UNDER THE, UNDER THE SIGN THERE, THAT'S THE, UM, PLAN, UM, THE PLAN WEST END OF THE DRIVE.
I THINK THEY USE THAT FOR QUEUING, UH, FOR FUELING CITY VEHICLES SO THAT THEY DON'T IMPEDE THE, UM, ACCESS TO THE PARKING LOT THAT'S USED FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT.
SO IT MAY BE THAT THE, ALL OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE, UM, UH, THE NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS THAT ARE SQUEEZED ONTO THIS LITTLE, THIS LITTLE SITE.
BUT, UM, UH, AS MR. COLEMAN SAID, LIKE, IT'S, AGAIN, LIKE WE, WE PROVIDED THIS, UH, OURSELVES, UH, GETTING RID OF THAT.
AND, UM, THE, THE, UH, THE CLIENT WOULDN'T HAVE IT.
I MEAN, I WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO DO THE SAME TO REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE IS NOT UTILITY OR IF THAT UTILITY COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ANOTHER MEANS, UM, CLEANING ALMOST LIKE A FRONT LINE, YOU KNOW, UM, GETTING RID OF AS COMMISSIONER COLEMAN SET UP THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER, PUTTING SOME TREES THERE, HAVING A NICE LITTLE, UH, PLAZA FOR PEDESTRIANS, YOU KNOW, I, I LIVE PRETTY CLOSE TO THIS AREA.
I'M A SOPHOMORE IN 83 ON THE MAR, SO I GO UP THERE QUITE A BIT AND THERE'S ALL THESE AMAZING NEW SIDEWALKS.
IT'S GREAT, BUT THERE'S NO SHADE FOR ANYONE WHO'S WALKING ON THAT STREET ON NORTH LAMAR.
AND THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE, UM, A REST AREA OR A PUBLIC ELEMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THIS, THIS IS THE
WELL THAT WHOLE AREA RUNDBERG WALMART, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE AREA, UM, THEY PUT IN A LOT OF WORK FOR THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE.
UH, SO I MAY BE MISSPEAKING ON THE FACT THAT IT'S ON RUBBER, OBVIOUSLY, OTHER THAN THE MARK, BUT STILL TO THAT, TO THAT POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR TRYING TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN IN THAT AREA, UH, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO YOUR CLIENT THAT, UM, THEY CONSIDER CREATING SOME SORT OF FRONTLINE APPROACH AND, AND ADDING TREES.
UM, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD HELP WITH THE, UM, EFFICIENCY OF THE BUILDING AS WELL, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE NOT REPLACING IT IN YOUR, YOU KNOW, JUST RETROFITTING OR REDOING IT TRUE.
UM, THE DOWNSIDE HERE IS, UH, ARGUING LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WILL PUNISH US SEVERELY IF WE TOUCH IT.
[01:45:01]
BY, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT CRITICIZING THE, UH, THE GOALS, BUT, UH, THE, THE POSITION I'M IN IS IT MEANS CUTTING SCOPE FROM THE FIRE STATION TO, UH, TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE.AND THAT'S, I GIVE IT TO HEART A HARDER ARGUMENT FOR ME TO MAKE, TO, UM, UH, TO OUR CLIENTS ON ALL OF THESE STATIONS.
WELL, WE'LL MAKE, IF I'M MAKING IT FOR YOU, I GUESS IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOUR CLIENT.
YOU HAVE OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ONE, FOR SURE.
I HAVE A QUESTION IF WE, UM, SHOULD WE BE TALKING TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT ALL OF THESE ISSUES, RATHER? LIKE, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONVERSATION? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING HELPFUL.
LIKE I HAVE ALL THE SAME CONSENTS THAT WE'RE BEING VOICING, AND I FIND THAT REALLY FRUSTRATING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS ARE KIND OF PAIRING THEM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF JUST HAVING TO HEAR IT ALL, BUT NOT REALLY BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
UM, IS THERE ANY WAY FORWARD OR IS IT, I THINK WE CAN, UH, GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO COME TO US AND HAVE THE DIALOGUE.
THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO, BUT I HAD SOME THINGS I REALLY LIKED THE, UM, THE SEVENTIES SIGNAGE THAT YOU'RE GETTING RID OF.
CAN WE KEEP THAT? SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO KEEP IT, UM, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT FONT IN RIVETS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND KEEP THAT, UM, IT'S LIKE A, LIKE A MUPPET FONT.
UM, AND SO, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST WE PROPOSED BECAUSE OF THE, UM, THE FONT ONLY REFERENCES TO FIRE USER, NOT EMS USER, UH, THAT OUR PLAN WAS TO REINSTALL THAT IN THE DAY ROOM SO THAT, UM, SO IT'S THERE AS A FEATURE OF THE STATION, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT WITH SIGNAGE THAT ACKNOWLEDGES BOTH TENANTS RATHER THAN JUST THE ONE, BUT, UM, EVERY, EVERYBODY LIKES THAT.
UH, SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO REMAIN ON, ON THE SITE AS A, AS A FEATURE OF THE DESIGN.
I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE THAT IT CAN REMAIN ON THE SITE AS A FEATURE FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
JESSICA I FIVE STATION, AN EMS STATION.
IT IS, IT IS A PIECE OF SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE OR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MIGHT HAVE GROWN FOND ON.
AND, UM, I THINK THE FEMINIST SIGNAGE IS SO COOL, BUT, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY PROPOSED THAT BECAUSE YEAH, IT'S, UH, IT'S, I THINK IT'S MY FAVORITE PIECE OF THIS STATION.
UH, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT ONE, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMS STATION ADDRESS AT 57, 10 NORTH LAMAR COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE CITY HALL.
PLEASE BRING THAT PRESENTATION UP.
SO, UM, STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO SOUND FAMILIAR.
SO THIS IS AN EXISTING EMS STATION.
UM, IT'S LOCATED ON A SHARED, UH, CITY PROPERTY AT, UH, NORTH LAMAR AND 2222.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, IT'S THE SITE OF A RESERVOIR.
UM, IT'S THE SIDE OF A CITY FILLING STATION.
UH, IT'S THE SITE OF, UH, AUSTIN LOADER STORAGE AND ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES.
UM, THE CITY ACTUALLY OWNS THE, UH, THE CIRCLE K AT THE CORNER THERE, ALTHOUGH IT'S ZONE DIFFERENTLY, UM, AND A VEHICLE SERVICE PERIOD ACROSS THE ACROSS 2222.
SO IT'S A BIG CLUSTER OF CITY FACILITIES ON THE SITE.
UH, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS THE EXISTING STATION, UH, IT'S, UH, SET WELL BACK FROM THE BAR.
UM, SO KIND OF AN INTERESTING LITTLE, LITTLE BUILDING, UM, OUR PROPOSAL HERE, LIKE ON THE PREVIOUS STATIONS, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, OKAY.
IS TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT PRESERVES THE, UM, SOME ECHO OF WHAT WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY IN THIS CASE, THE, UM, GENERAL, UH, UH, PARTY, UH, THE STEPPED ROOMS AND THE, UM, SETBACKS ON THE FRONTAGE.
UM, WE'RE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE BAYS
[01:50:01]
FROM TWO TO FOUR, UH, AND SUBSTANTIALLY REBUILDING THE EXISTING LIVING QUARTERS, UM, ALL WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS.SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S A STATION THAT WILL LEAD, UM, WITH NEW MATERIALS AND NEW FINISHES, BUT RETAINING, UM, THE MEMORY OF THE STATION THAT WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY.
AND THIS IS, UH, FROM THE END USER STANDPOINT, UH, EVERYTHING IN THE SIDE WILL BE NEW.
SO IT'LL BE A NEW STATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.
UH, BUT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S A, UM, REMODEL RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING SPACE.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS LIKE THE, UH, STATION ON SOUTH FIRST HAS A PUBLIC ENTRANCE THAT'S ON THE BACKSIDE.
SO THIS ONE HAS THE SAME ISSUE.
IT HAS NO, UH, THE, THE ENTRANCE IS ON A DIFFERENT SIDE THAN THE, THE VEHICLE BAYS.
UM, THIS IS THE WEST FACING SIDE OF THE STATION WHERE THE LIVING QUARTERS ARE AND, UH, THE INTEREST OF THIS NATION, I THINK ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THE SIDE PLAN, UH, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALL BUILT ON EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, THE STATION IS EXPANDING INTO THE APRON THAT, UH, WAS IN FRONT OF THE PREVIOUS STATION.
UM, IT'S BEING EXPANDED TOWARDS LAMAR TO AT LEAST BRING THE, UH, BUILDING FACE MORE IN LINE.
IT'S STILL QUITE A DISTANCE BACK, I THINK, GO TO THE NEXT PLAN.
UM, SO HERE, THE, UH, THE LIVING QUARTERS ARE BEING EXPANDED INTO THE FORMER VEHICLE BAYS AND THE VEHICLE BAGS ARE ALL NEW.
SO, UH, THE STATION IS, IS BEING BUILT CLOSER TO LAMAR.
UM, THE VEHICLE BAYS AGAIN, THE OLD VEHICLE BAYS WERE TOO SMALL AND, UH, INADEQUATELY BUILT.
SO WE'RE USING THAT SPACE, THAT VOLUME FOR NEW LIVING QUARTERS AND HAVING NEW VEHICLE BAYS TO THE FRONT OF THE, THE FRONT OF THE STATION.
UM, AGAIN, THE, UM, THE LAYOUT IS, UH, WAS PREVIOUSLY, UM, VERY DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAN WE'RE PROPOSING NOW AND, UH, VERY, VERY SMALL.
UH, I THINK IT GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THIS ONE AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING INTO WHAT WAS THE VEHICLE BAY, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL LIVING SPACE ON A MEZZANINE FLOOR.
SO, UM, PROVIDES A LITTLE PRIVACY AND A LITTLE MORE SPACE WITHIN THE EXISTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CREWS.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE BUILDING, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE SOME MEMORY OF THE, UH, THE PREVIOUS STATION, UM, SOME, UH, RETAINING THE CHARACTER OR SOME SENSE OF THE CHARACTER OF THAT EXISTING BUILDING, BUT, UM, BRING IT UP TO DATE IN TERMS OF MATERIALS AND FINISHES TO, UM, IDEALLY PROVIDE ANOTHER 40 YEARS OF USE.
UH, AGAIN LIKE THE PREVIOUS STATION IS WE'RE GOING FOR A MINIMUM LEAD SILVER STANDARD.
IDEALLY WE'LL DO BETTER THAN THAT.
UM, THE MEASURES WE'RE TAKING ARE, UM, UH, MATTERS OF PERFORMANCE THERE'S THERE, THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NOTHING EXCITING ABOUT THEM.
UH, BUT IT'S HIGH PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS, UM, AND EFFICIENT FIXTURES AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CLOSE CONTROL OF SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THEY'RE REALLY USE NOT MUCH LANDSCAPE HERE AT ALL, OTHER THAN RESTORING AREAS OF DISTURBANCE, UH, TO THE SOUTH WAS AN EXISTING, UH, VEHICLE STATION, VEHICLE FUELING STATION THAT WE'RE REMOVING.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE PROPOSED THERE.
THAT AREA THAT WAS, UH, PAVEMENT IS THAT IS GOING TO BE LANDSCAPED, UM, THAT, UM, WILL BE THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE SIDEWALKS THERE.
UH, OFF OF 22, 22 WILL BE THE, THE ACCESSIBLE PATH TO THE FRONT, TO THE FRONT DOOR.
UM, AGAIN, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE SHORT VERSION OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I'VE SORT OF TALKED THROUGH THE, THESE ISSUES ON THE PREVIOUS STATION AS THIS IS, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE, AND IT'S ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN, I CAN SEE, UH, UH, SOME OF THE COMMENTS MIGHT BE SIMILAR TO ONES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE WILL IMPROVE THE LAMAR FRONTAGE FOR US.
UH, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IN OUR SCOPE, UH, YEAH.
TO, TO USE YOUR PHRASE, STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, BUT, UM, THAT THE OF WAY, UH, SPECIFICALLY
[01:55:01]
ALONG CANUCK, UM, I, IT JUST BLOWS MY MIND THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO PUT A NEW BUILDING AND NOT TOUCH THE RIGHT-AWAY AS COMMISSIONER COLEMAN SAID, IF THIS WAS A PRIVATE PROJECT, THEY'D BE FORCED TO DO IT AND HOW THE CITY IS LETTING THIS HAPPEN WITH NO DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CURB AND THE SIDEWALK WITH NO SHADING WITH FACING WEST.I MEAN, IT, I'M ALMOST AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, I WANT TO CALL MY COUNCIL MEMBER TOMORROW AND TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
I REALIZE THIS IS, THIS IS NOT YOUR DOING, BUT I MEAN, THIS IS JUST INSANE THAT THE CITY IS DOING THIS.
I SHOULD LET SOMEONE ELSE SPEAK BEFORE I LOSE IT COMPLETELY.
UM, WELL, WITH ALL THE NEW ROOFS, I DO WONDER ABOUT THE PAYBACK PERIOD FOR SOLAR.
UM, IT IS GOING TO, IF IT'S A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT OR THERE'S A LOT OF PRIVATE CLIENTS THERE, THEY REALLY STRUGGLED TO MAKE THE PAYBACK PERIOD FOR, FOR ANY KIND OF, UM, RENEWABLE PRODUCTION WORK OFTEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, TALL BUILDINGS AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR A TALL BUILDING NECESSARILY, UM, OR THEY HAVE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA SELL IT IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME OR THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR FINANCING AND, UM, GOALS ARE MUCH MORE GEARED TOWARD THE SHORT-TERM DECISION-MAKING.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO, TO CONSIDER, UM, WE SHOULD BE HAVING LONGTERM VISION AND, AND, UM, FINANCIAL CALCULATIONS ABOUT PAYBACK PERIODS AND THINGS.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN EXPLORATION ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION ON THESE ROOMS. UM, YEAH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, NO, I WAS GOING TO SAY THIS IS ACTUALLY A LOT CLOSER TO WHERE I LIVE THAN THE LAST FIRE STATION, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS THERE TO BE HONEST.
UM, SO THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE CURB APPEAL.
UM, I AM INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH AWARENESS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OWNING THAT LAND AND POTENTIALLY DOING SOMETHING WITH IT.
AND I JUST WONDER, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHY IS THIS NOT A CONCERTED EFFORT? YOU KNOW, IS THERE, IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE IT A CONCERTED EFFORT? LIKE, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE LIMITED IN THE SCOPE THAT YOU CAN DO, BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, AS CITIZENS OR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO, UM, GET A SENSE OF LIKE WHO WHO'S INVOLVED IN THIS? NOT JUST, YOU'RE NOT JUST THE FIRE STATION, BUT THE ADJOINING A LOT.
SO, I MEAN, NOT TO STIR UP DISCONTENT, BUT, UH, AUSTIN WATER IS ENGAGED ON ICE AND ENORMOUSLY EXPENSIVE PROJECT THAT HAS A NEW SITE PLAN FOR THAT ENTIRE PROPERTY, UM, OF WHICH OUR LITTLE PIECE IS A REVISION TO THEIR, THEIR GIANT SITE PLAN.
SO, UM, IT, I THINK IT'S A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION, UM, HOW THAT, HOW THAT WORKS.
UH, SO AGAIN, I'M, I'M RIDING THE, UM, I DIDN'T TAKE TALES OF OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, BUT, UH, ARGUABLE PROJECT, UM, IS, UH, A TINY PERCENTAGE OF THE EXPENDITURE OF THE BIG PROJECT THAT ENTAILS THAT WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE PIECE ZONE PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF 22, 22 HADN'T LAMAR.
UH, AND, UH, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF, UH, OFFSITE IMPROVEMENTS.
YEAH, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WITH EVERYTHING BEING SO COMPARTMENTALIZED AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME BUREAUCRACY THERE, BUT I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE EFFORTS BY THE CITY TO SHOW US HOLISTICALLY WHAT THE VISION IS FOR THIS AREA, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO JUST LOOK AT THAT ONE PIECE AND THEN GET A SENSE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WILL ULTIMATELY LOOK LIKE IN THE END FOR TH FOR THE ENTIRE TRACK, IF I CAN INTERVENE REAL QUICKLY.
UM, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE SOMEONE ON THE CALL FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
I BELIEVE HE IS TRYING TO SPEAK, UM, UH, WILLIAM.
YEAH, HE CAN, CAN, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES.
UM, SO THIS IS WHERE YOU MASS AND GO WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
I AM THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDES THESE THREE STATIONS, PLUS TWO MORE STATIONS.
UH, WHEN WE RETAINED MWM OWENS FIRM TO DO THIS WORK, A FEASIBILITY
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STUDY HAD BEEN DONE ABOUT 2017 AND OWEN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT, THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY TOUCHED ON A NUMBER OF, UM, I'M ASSUMING SUB CHAPTER II IS THE URBAN DESIGN INTERFACE FOR THESE PROJECTS WITH THE SURROUNDING STREETSCAPE.UM, W THE FEASIBILITY STUDY MENTIONED SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WOULD IMPACT THE SUB CHAPTER II ORDINANCE, AT LEAST WHAT WAS IN PLACE AT THAT TIME, WHICH IS PROBABLY 2017.
AND IT'S, UH, OH, AND UNLESS WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING, I THOUGHT WE TOUCHED ON OUR THOUGHT THAT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE HAS TOUCHED ON WHAT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AT LEAST COMMUNICATED AS TO WHAT WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED IN THIS PROJECT, AND WHAT WAS BUDGETED FOR IN THIS PROJECT, WHICH WHEN WE SET THE BUDGET TO DO THAT, TO DO THE WORK.
SO WE, UM, HAVE BEEN CONSTRAINED FROM THE OUTSET BY BUDGET.
UM, SO THE FEASIBILITY, UH, ADDRESSED IN VAGUE TERMS, UH, FOOD COMPLIANCE, UH, BUT WITHOUT EXPLAINING IN ANY WAY, HOW THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE DONE.
UH, AND OF COURSE THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IS THAT THESE ARE EXISTING FACILITIES.
SO THE PROVISIONS OF THE STANDARD ARE, UM, IT, IT, IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, UH, SUBJECT TO THESE FEASIBLE BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUILDING LOCATION IS FIXED.
UM, SO, SO THERE, SO THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY FROM THE OUTSET BETWEEN ASPIRATION AND, UH, WHAT WAS BUDGETED.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE GONE BEFORE WE SET UP MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER, PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN MEETINGS TO TALK THROUGH ALL OWEN.
WAS IT THE FIRST THREE, OR WAS IT ALL FIVE STATIONS? I THINK WE'VE COVERED ALL FIVE OF THEM.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING, YES, WE HAD, WE HAD THREE FINAL MEETINGS.
WE'VE JUST BEEN DISCUSSING ALL FIVE.
AND SO WE'RE BASED ON THE INTERACTION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER.
WE'VE, WE'VE GONE IN FOR SITE PLAN ON THE FIRST THREE, AND WE'RE PROBABLY A MONTH OR TWO AWAY FROM GOING IN ON THE NEXT TWO.
AND IF THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING, WHEN WE GET SITE PLAN, REVIEW COMMENTS, INITIALLY, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM AS WE GO ALONG.
UM, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING TO THIS MAGNITUDE.
THAT'S THAT'S THAT WE RECEIVE FROM ANY DEVELOPMENT SIDE REGULATORY REVIEW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH TODAY.
IT JUST I'LL WRAP IT UP WITH THIS BY JUST FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH US, LIKE AN RFP OR SOMETHING, TO THAT EXTENT, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER THAT AGREEMENT, THEY MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE ADJOINING FIRE STATION.
SO THAT'S JUST WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
SO, SO AARON, WHAT I THOUGHT, WHAT, UH, I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING TO THE TWO CHIEFS THAT ARE, UH, LISTENING IN, IS THAT, WELL, AARON, I THINK WHAT I PROBABLY NEED TO DO IS TALK TO YOU TOMORROW AND SEE HOW WE WANT TO GO ABOUT INTEGRATING THESE KINDS OF COMMENTS AND THESE KINDS OF GOALS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION INTO THIS PROJECT.
IF YOU CAN JUST LET ME KNOW, WE CAN SPEAK OFF MINE.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE THAT, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD TOMORROW, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
HI, WILLIAM MASSENGILL AND COLEMAN.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US.
I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE GRIEVANCES ORIGINATED IN WANTING TO MAKE A BETTER CITY AND, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL CITIZENS EXPERIENCED THAT IT'S A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROJECT.
IT SHOULD BE SEAMLESS AND TO DEFEND ADAC A LITTLE BIT.
THEY OFTEN, WHEN THEY HEAR THE TERM CORRECTION OR REVISION OFTEN, DON'T LET YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHERS GREATER OF INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND GREATER, UH, THINGS IN MOTION TO, TO BETTER OUR STREETSCAPE LIKE THIS COMMISSION.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DON'T ASK ABOUT IT.
[02:05:01]
YOU DON'T GET TOLD ABOUT IT.YOU KNOW, YOU'LL OFTEN EXPERIENCE IT AT THE REVIEW STATION, SO YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THAT, BUT THOUGHT I'D SAY THAT, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE EXISTING CONDITION THAT FIRST PHOTO SHOWED A GINORMOUS TREE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
CAN WE LOOK AT THAT AGAIN? THIS IS ON STATION ONE.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT NUMBER FIVE.
THAT'S VERY FIRST EXISTING CONDITION PHOTO.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE THAT TREE IS ON SITE.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING IT ON THE SITE PLAN.
SO, UH, SO AARON, CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UH, PULL UP THE LANDSCAPE PLAN? LET'S LOOK AT THE FIRST SLIDE TWO, IF WE CAN PLEASE.
SO I THINK IT'S STATION FIVE, THE ONE ON THE ONE AT CANUCK AND LAMAR.
THAT WAS THE THIRD OF THE THREE WE LOOKED AT.
IT'S THE FIRST PHONE OUT ON THE PACKAGE.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
OH, IS IT NEAR? IT IS WHERE IS THAT ON SITE PLAN AND IS THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING GO IN, RIGHT.
SO THIS IS, THERE'S NOT A SITE PLAN FOR THIS ONE.
IS THERE? YEAH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SITE PLAN THAT EXISTS.
SO, SO YOU CAN SEE IN THAT, UH, KIND OF WHERE THAT CURB BUMP OUT IS TO THE, TO THE LEFT.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT EXISTING TREE IS.
AND, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY THE SMALLER, THERE'S A GIANT ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DRIVE.
UH, BUT THE, UM, THE WORK, UH, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY MINIMIZING WORK WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THAT THING.
TH THE, I THINK THE TREE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANNE IS IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ACCESSIBLE SPOT, THAT'S CLOSEST TO THE, TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIGHT LEFT INSIDE OF THE BUILDING, THAT ACCESSIBLE SPOT.
I BULLIED THAT, THAT, THAT BIG TREE IS IN THAT LANDSCAPED AREA.
THAT JUST TO THE UPPER LEVEL UPPER RIGHT OF THAT.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE ONLY TO THIS SOMEONE POINT OR NOT.
IT'S I CAN'T MOVE MY CURSOR, BUT NOBODY CAN SEE IT.
WHAT ARE THE, IF IT'S WHERE THE NEW ACCESSIBLE THOUGHT IS GOING, OH, THAT'S MINE.
SO IT'S THE HAND GO A LITTLE BIT DOWN INTO THE RIGHT IT'S RIGHT IN THAT AREA.
OH, NOW I'LL PUT A LITTLE BIT UP INTO THE LEFT, OVER TO THE LEFT, OVER TO THE LEFT UP.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GRASS AREA OR IT'S A, IT'S A LANDSCAPE PERIOD JUST TO THE RIGHT IT'S BETWEEN THE BUILDING.
SO THAT THEIR ANESTHETIC, JUST THE ACCESSIBLE SPACE AND ALL THAT CURB, UH, ARE EXISTING.
SO, UH, ALL THAT PAVEMENT ARE ALREADY THERE.
AND WE HAD TALKED WITH DAVID ABOUT, UM, WHETHER IT WOULD BE BETTER TO REMOVE EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE TREE, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HE'S BEEN TALKING WITH THE CITY ARBORIST ABOUT.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY, UM, TRYING TO TREAD LIGHTLY THERE AND ALSO NOT, UM, ARBITRARILY TEARING UP PAVEMENT, UH, IF WE CAN LEAVE IT BE.
SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY LIKE, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME CANOPY MAPPING ON THAT TREE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE CANOPY IS MUCH LARGER THAN WHAT THE SYMBOL IS SHOWING.
AND PLEASE NOTE THAT THING UP, THAT TREE IS GINORMOUS AND WE JUST DON'T WANT ANY HARM COMING TO THAT TREE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S, I THINK YOU NEED TO NOTE IT UP AND HAP I MEAN, I TAKE IT ANYWAY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HEADED ON THIS VERY CAREFUL OF THAT TREE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MY FINAL COMMENT.
I NEVER SAID THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED THE DESIGN ON THE PHONE.
SO AFTER, UH, AFTER ALL THAT GRIEF, IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT AT LEAST A LITTLE PAT ON THE BACK.
[02:10:01]
THANK YOU ALL.AND THANK YOU WILLIAM, FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
IT MAKES YOU REALIZE THIS IS A, IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH THING.
UH, UH, REITERATE THAT OUR, UM, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE, UM, WITH THE TOOLS AND SCOPE WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THEM THAT CERTAINLY WILL, UM, TAKE TO HEART, UH, ALL THE, ALL THE COMMENTS AND, UH, DO THE BEST WE CAN.
OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ONE E STAFF BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS TO BE PRESENTED BY KAREN VIRTUAL FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU, KAREN.
KARA FOR STICKING WITH US SO LATE.
SO ENTHUSIASTICALLY EARLIER, I, I THINK I, I SAW THE, I THOUGHT I SAW THE PRESENTATION COME UP AND WAS LIKE, OH NO, YOU REALLY ILL.
WE REALLY SPED THROUGH THE, THE STATIONS, BUT YEAH, PLEASE, PLEASE, TO BE HERE IN A MORE, UM, IN A LESS, UH, FRANTIC WAY.
UM, I COMMISSIONERS, I'M GOING TO, I'LL TRY TO, TO BE GET THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT IN A PRETTY CONCISE WAY, AND IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL DOCUMENT AS YOU'VE SEEN, IF YOU'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE BACKUP, UM, AND I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS.
SO AS DAVID SAID, I'M, UH, KARA BERTRAND FROM THE HOUSE AGAIN, PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, I'M HERE ACTUALLY ON BEHALF OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION IN FALL OF 2018.
SO WE ARE NEAR THE END OF A TWO PLUS YOUR PROCESS WITH MANY STAKEHOLDERS AND REALLY BIG POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN AUSTIN.
SO I WANT TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS A TOOL TO STEWARD CHANGE, UM, NOT, NOT JUST TO PICKLE BUILDINGS OR NEIGHBORHOODS NEXT SLIDE.
AND ALSO THAT DESIGN STANDARDS PROVIDE A CLEAR AND OBJECTIVE WAY TO EVALUATE PROPOSED CHANGES.
THEY ARE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, DESIGNERS, CITY STAFF, AND HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MEMBERS TO HAVE COMMON GROUND IN PR IN PROPOSING AND EVALUATING PROJECTS.
SO THIS EFFORT TO CREATE A SINGLE SET OF HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS IS IMPORTANT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
FIRST, IT WILL INCREASE EQUITY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATION PROCESS RIGHT NOW, COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALWAYS LEAD THE HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE TO CREATE THEIR OWN, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND ADDITION TO, IN ADDITION TO DOING OUTREACH, IN ADDITION TO DOING, UM, HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND WRITING A NARRATIVE, IN ADDITION TO COORDINATING A SURVEY, IT'S A TON OF WORK.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE TO WRITE THEIR OWN DESIGN STANDARDS.
THAT ADDS A LOT OF TIME TO THE PROCESS.
UH, AND MOST APPLICANTS IN THE PAST HAVE OPTED TO HIRE A CONSULTANT, WHICH ALSO ADDS COST PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN DOES OFFER A DESIGN STANDARDS TEMPLATE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE BEGINNING BASIS FOR THESE STANDARDS, BUT SOME SUBSTANTIAL EXPERTISE IS STILL REQUIRED.
A SINGLE SET OF HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS WILL INCREASE PREDICTABILITY FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND POTENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
SO THEY'LL KNOW, FROM THE BEGINNING, WHAT A DISTRICT DESIGNATION INVOLVES AS OPPOSED.
I CURRENTLY, THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, A SINGLE SET OF STANDARDS, WE'LL TAKE A COMMON SENSE APPROACH BY RECOGNIZING AT COMMON UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES ARE ALL, WE HAVE EIGHT LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND ALL EIGHT OF THEM CREATED THEIR OWN DESIGN STANDARDS BASED ON THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE.
AND OF THOSE EIGHT DISTRICTS, 95% OF THE STANDARDS ARE THE SAME WITH JUST A FEW VARIATIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BASED ON THE SAME THING.
UH, THEY GO THROUGH THE SAME REVIEW PROCESS.
THERE THEY'RE NEARLY THE SAME NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
A SINGLE SET OF STANDARDS WILL, UH, PROVIDE CLEARER STANDARDS FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK OWNERS AND NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT PROPERTY OWNERS, BOTH OF, UM, ALL OF WHOM USE THE SECRETARY, THE SECRETARY STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION RIGHT NOW, THE SECRETARY STANDARDS ARE GREAT STANDARDS.
THEY'RE COMING ON A SLIDE VERY SOON TO YOU.
UM, BUT THEY ARE PRETTY VAGUE AND FIGURING OUT WHAT, WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO AND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE, TRYING TO PROVIDE PROPERTY OWNERS WITH, WITH MORE SPECIFIC STANDARDS.
WE THINK THE STANDARDS WILL PROVIDE AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR ALL HISTORIC OR JUST OLDER, UH, OLDER BUILDING PROPERTY OWNERS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF GOOD PRACTICES AND AN
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ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY.IN THE PAST, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REQUIRE COMMUNITY LED APPLICANT TEAMS TO INCLUDE ILLUSTRATIONS BECAUSE IT DOES ADD COSTS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE STANDARDS THAT EXIST ARE MOSTLY TEXTS.
UH, A SINGLE CELL OF STANDARDS WOULD PROVIDE CONSISTENT STANDARDS FOR PROJECT REVIEW BY COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, AT LEAST FOR HISTORIC LANDMARKS, NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT PROPERTIES AND FUTURE LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS, EXISTING HISTORIC DISTRICTS WILL BE ABLE TO ADOPT THESE IF THEY CHOOSE, WE HOPE THEY WILL STRONGLY CONSIDER IT.
UM, BUT OTHERWISE THEIR EXISTING STANDARDS WILL REMAIN.
AND FINALLY, A SINGLE SET OF HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS FOLLOWS GOOD PRACTICES IN PRESERVATION.
IT'S WHAT THE LEADING PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY DO.
UM, AND WE ARE, UH, I LIKE TO FOLLOW SUIT.
SO THIS IS, THESE WERE THE SECRETARY STANDARDS FOR WORK FOR REHABILITATION WITH A LOT OF LEAD UP.
YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE 10 STANDARDS.
UM, THEY ESTABLISH THE FOUNDATION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEY FORM THE FOUNDATION FOR THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO THE SECRETARY STANDARDS INCLUDE A LOT OF WORDS THAT CAN SOUND REALLY SIMILAR.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY GENERAL.
SO I LIKE TO BOIL THEM DOWN TO A FEW OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY THROUGHOUT THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS TO PRESERVE BUILDINGS AS THEY DEVELOPED OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS, THE PARTS THAT ARE PUBLICLY VISIBLE TO MAINTAIN AND REPAIR HISTORIC MATERIALS, UM, MAINTAINING THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
AND IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE, UH, A COMPONENT DUE TO DAMAGE OR DETERIORATION, REPLACE IT IN KIND.
AND WHEN YOU ARE, WHEN YOU ARE ADAPTING A BUILDING FOR NEW USES OR FOR, UH, FOR NEW NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY NEW ADDITIONS AND NEW BUILDINGS IN A DISTRICT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH, AND ALSO DIFFERENTIATED FROM HISTORIC BUILDINGS, THEY FIT IN WITH HISTORIC BUILDINGS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE MISTAKEN FOR A HISTORIC BUILDING.
HERE'S THE CHAPTER OUTLINE OF THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO, AS I SAID, ONLY HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STANDARDS, BUT BASICALLY THESE THREE OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES KIND OF RESPECTING CHANGE OVER TIME, UM, MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING HISTORIC MATERIALS OF A REPLACEMENT AND ENSURING COMPATIBILITY AND DIFFERENTIATION WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THOSE PLUS THE OVERARCHING SECRETARY OF STANDARDS, UH, FORM THE BASIS OF THESE NEXT SLIDE.
SO NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, IT'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOOD FOR Y'ALL TO KNOW, UM, THE MANY REASONS WHY, WHY WE THINK THESE ARE NECESSARY.
SO THE WORKING GROUP PRIORITIZED MAKING THE STANDARDS EASY TO USE FOR EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE THE STANDARDS APPLY TO CONTRIBUTING AND NON-CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THERE ARE CHARTS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER THAT SHOW WHEN, UH, WHEN THE STANDARDS ARE REQUIRED AND WHEN THEY ARE RECOMMENDED, THERE ARE ALSO CHARTS ILLUSTRATING THE HISTORIC REVIEW PROCESS AND WHAT PROJECTS QUALIFY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW VERSUS COMMISSION REVIEW.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT INVOLVE A LOT OF NUANCE.
SO WE WANTED TO, UM, TRY TO PUT SOME OF THAT NUANCE ON PAPER AND HELP PEOPLE TO NAVIGATE IT BETTER AND WORK MORE EASILY.
THE STANDARD USE ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE, AND TO HAVE CLEAR GRAPHICS AND CONSISTENT SYMBOLS TO HELP PEOPLE RECOGNIZE KEY THEMES.
SO THE TWO SYMBOLS SHOWN, UM, UNDER THE THIRD BULLET POINT REPRESENT SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES, THAT'S THAT GREEN SUN AND ADDITIONAL STANDARDS AND NOTES FOR HISTORIC LANDMARKS, WHICH IS THE YELLOW STAR.
THE PDF OF THE FILE INCLUDES HYPERLINKS TO HELP PEOPLE EASILY GET AROUND THE DOCUMENT AND ALSO TO GET OUTSIDE RESOURCE WEBSITES LIKE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRESERVATION BRIEFS.
SO NOW I'LL BRIEFLY DIVE INTO A FEW SPECIFIC CHAPTERS, UH, COVERING OUR GOALS AND HOPED FOR OUTCOMES.
THERE'S A MODERN CODES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTION TO ADDRESS HOW HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECTS INTERSECT WITH ENERGY AND ACCESSIBILITY CODES.
THIS SECTION ALSO TRIES TO BROADEN THE PERSPECTIVE FROM SHORT-TERM FIXES LIKE WINDOW REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS THE QUESTION THAT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE GETS MOST OFTEN, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WAYS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE LONGTERM SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS OF KEEPING BUILDINGS STANDING AND PRESERVING HIGH-QUALITY HISTORIC COMPONENTS.
AND ALSO BY FOCUSING ON HIGH IMPACT HIGH RATE OF RETURN ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY NOT WINDOW REPLACEMENT.
UM, THERE'S A SPECIAL SUBSECTION ON WINDOWS AND INDIAN ALTERATIONS CHAPTER WHERE PEOPLE WILL GO
[02:20:01]
TO LOOK AT WINDOWS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO USE.AND WE KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE SECTION THAT RELATES TO THEIR PROJECT.
SO AGAIN, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE GET AROUND, UM, FIND WHAT THEY NEED EASILY AND GET AROUND THE DOCUMENT EASILY.
THE REPAIR AND ALTERATIONS CHAPTER HAS A FEW GOALS.
A BIG ONE IS JUST TO HELP PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR BUILDINGS.
SO THE CHAPTER INCLUDES A LOT OF DIAGRAMS THAT SHOW BUILDING PARTS AND ROOF WINDOW AND DOOR TYPES.
UH, MOST SECTIONS IN THE CHAPTER INCLUDE A SHORT DISCUSSION ON MAINTENANCE, UM, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
UH, AND THEN THAT'S SUPPORTED BY A, UH, A MORE IN-DEPTH CHAPTER ON THE MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC MATERIALS, WHICH IS TOWARDS THE END, BASICALLY AN APPENDIX, OR WE ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE DIVERSE EXAMPLES OF BUILDINGS TO BROADEN PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A HISTORIC BUILDING LOOKS LIKE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PURCHASE SECTION, WE SHOWED BOTH OF THE PHOTOS ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, UM, TO LIKE, OKAY, WELL, IT COULD BE A VICTORIAN, OR IT COULD BE THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT PORCHES, THERE ARE, UH, OR ANY, ANY HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, YOU HAVE SOME REALLY WONDERFUL MID-CENTURY BUILDINGS THAT X ACTUALLY HAS A HOUSE DESIGNED BY JOHN CHASE AND THE NEW ROGERS WASHINGTON, HOLY CROSS HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WE DO HAVE, I'M SORRY, I DID NOT PUT COMMERCIAL BUILDING ILLUSTRATIONS HERE, BUT WE HAVE THOSE AS WELL.
SO THERE WERE SEPARATE CHAPTERS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ADDITIONS, BUT THEIR GOALS ARE SIMILAR TO PROVIDE A DIVERSE SET OF GOOD EXAMPLES AND TO CLEARLY ILLUSTRATE THE STANDARDS YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE USED A CONSISTENT LOOK, UM, WITH DIAGRAMS, WE'VE TRIED TO LABEL THINGS CLEARLY, UM, AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES, UH, GOOD PRACTICES, BOTH FROM AUSTIN AND FROM OTHER CITIES.
UH, LIKEWISE THERE ARE SEPARATE CHAPTERS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT THEY, THEY ALSO HAVE SIMILAR GOALS, THE, THE DESIGN STANDARDS WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMERCIAL DOWNTOWN FOCUS GROUP THAT CONVENED SPECIFICALLY TO FOCUS ON COMMERCIAL BUILDING STANDARDS, BOTH FELT THAT IT WAS REALLY ESSENTIAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE MARKET REALITIES AND LOCAL PRIORITIES AROUND DENSITY.
SO THIS IS JOINING THE RESIDENTIAL AND THE RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS THROUGH DISCUSSION OF HOW SCALE MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS IN ADU IS.
AND THEN THE COMMERCIAL STANDARDS WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT NEW BUILDINGS MAY BE MUCH LARGER AND MUCH TALLER THAN SURROUNDING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, AND THAT THE STANDARDS TRY TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO ADDRESS THOSE SITUATIONS IN A RELATIVELY COMPATIBLE WAY.
THIS IS, UM, THE WAY THE STANDARDS TREAT COMMERCIAL, NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND ALSO COMMERCIAL ADDITIONS IS DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER, UM, GOOD PRACTICES THAT WE LOOKED AT FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, SIMPLY BECAUSE AUSTIN'S HISTORIC COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ARE SO, UH, SO PETITE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, UM, UNLIKE SOME OTHER LARGE CITIES, UM, REALLY REFLECTS MORE PROVINCIAL ARE MORE PROVINCIAL HISTORY UP UNTIL UP UNTIL, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE RECENT DECADES.
SO WE REALLY TRIED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING, UM, WITH LARGE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT ARE, ARE GOING TO PROVIDE EASY COMPARABLES FOR NEW BUILDINGS.
HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS, UH, INCLUDE AN ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY THAT WE HOPE WILL I CAN HELP PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE STANDARDS, BUT ALSO GET TO KNOW THEIR BUILDINGS BETTER.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY, THIS WAS A RELATIVELY LATE ADDITION IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ADDED.
UM, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA TO ADDED A LOT OF TIME TO THE LAYOUT, BUT WE FEEL THAT WE FELT LIKE IT WAS WORTH IT TO HELP PEOPLE, UM, LEARN THINGS IN A WAY THAT, THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO LEARN THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD FLIP THROUGH EASILY AND, UM, AND ENJOY LOOKING THROUGH THIS NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND FINALLY, I WANT TO GO OVER THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION FORUM, THE DESIGN STANDARDS WORKING GROUP AND FALL OF 2018, AND THAT FALL, WE WORKED WITH A STAFF, WORKED WITH A GRADUATE CLASS FROM UT TO LOOK AT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES IN HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS.
THAT MEANT WHEN THE WORKING GROUP CONVENED, UH, WE HAD THIS GREAT BACKGROUND DOCUMENT AND WORKING THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO DO A DEEP DIVE AND WORK IN SUBCOMMITTEES TO CREATE A DRAFT SET OF HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, THAT WAS REVISED AND REVIEWED AND REVISED.
AND THEN IN JUNE OF 2019, IT WAS RELEASED FOR COMMUNITY REVIEW.
UH, WE RECEIVED MORE THAN 175 COMMENTS FROM COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ON THE DRAFT.
AND SINCE THEN, UH, THE VERY, UH, EXTENSIVE
[02:25:01]
PERIODS SINCE THEN THE WORKING GROUP REVISE THE STANDARDS WE'VE ADDED GRAPHICS, AND THE DOCUMENT WAS LAID OUT AND FORMATTED.THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION ADOPTED A RESOLUTION IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS IN NOVEMBER REQUESTING THAT CITY COUNCIL REVIEW AND ADOPT ADOPT THEM.
AND NOW WE'RE PRESENTING THEM TO RELATED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR A POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT TO COUNSEL RE RECEIVED, UH, THE SUPPORTIVE RESOLUTIONS FROM, FROM ALL THREE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
WE PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, AND IF THE COUNCIL DOES ADOPT THE STANDARDS, THEY WILL APPLY TO ALL HISTORIC LANDMARKS, PROPERTIES AND NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, WHICH IS HOW THE SECRETARY STANDARDS APPLY NOW TO NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS ON AN ADVISORY BASIS, THE PROCESS WILL REMAIN THE SAME, WILL THOSE BE NEW STANDARDS, UM, AND ALSO ALL FUTURE LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND, UM, THOSE HISTORIC DISTRICTS, IF THEY LIKE THEY CAN ADOPT A SUPPLEMENT TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS WITH MORE SPECIFIC STANDARDS, UM, IF THEY CHOOSE THAT THAT'S AN OPTION FOR THEM.
SO, UM, REALLY FINALLY, THIS IS, THESE ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS WORKING GROUP.
UM, THE GROUP HAS REALLY POWERED THIS PROCESS SINCE 2018, YOU KNOW, A VERY LONG ROAD AND GROUP MEMBERS DESERVE TREMENDOUS CREDIT.
UH, DAVID CARROLL WAS A REALLY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.
WE WERE SO GLAD TO, TO HAVE YOU DAVID REPRESENT THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, AS PART OF THE GROUP, WE, WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSIONING, AND OF COURSE FROM THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
AND THEN WE SELECTED THE OTHER WORKING GROUP MEMBERS THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING ALL SORTS OF STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE.
UM, EVERYONE SHOWED REALLY OUTSTANDING DEDICATION THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING REVISING, REVIEWING, REVISING, AGAIN, REVIEWING AGAIN, IT KIND OF, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS.
UM, BUT, UH, I STAFF, WE FEEL HONORED TO HAVE FACILITATED THE PROCESS AND, AND CONFIDENT IN PUTTING FORWARD THESE STANDARDS, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE DEVELOPED BOTH BY AND FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO, UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UH, WHAT, WHAT, I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, UM, TONIGHT ABOUT THE STANDARDS AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO PASS THE POTENTIAL TO PASS A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE COUNCIL TAKE UP THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS FOR CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO COMMISSIONER CHAIR, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING.
YEAH, THAT'S GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I WANNA READ, UH, THE GUIDELINES AGAIN, UM, BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN, UH, LOOKS REALLY GOOD AND I THINK IT'S REALLY NEEDED.
SO I THINK THIS IS GREAT WORK.
UM, I THINK THE KEY IS REALLY CONSISTENCY AND CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.
UM, AND THAT ALSO SUGGESTS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE LIGHT TUT TO AIR ON THE LIGHT TOUCH AS BETTER, AT LEAST AT THE BEGINNING.
AND I LIKED THE FACT THAT THE, UH, UM, GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED SO LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND AREAS CAN, YOU KNOW, ADOPT SOME FURTHER MEASURES THAT, UH, MAY, UH, RESPOND TO THE PARTICULARS OF THEIR PLACE INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, ONE MASTER DOCUMENT TRYING TO FIT, YOU KNOW, EVERY TYPE OF POTENTIAL, A SITUATION THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE.
SO I THINK FROM THAT STANDPOINT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, ORGANIZED WELL AND GOING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.
UM, THE ONLY THING I THINK THAT, THAT JUMPED OUT THAT MAYBE COULD USE SOME MORE CLARIFICATION IS MY EXPERIENCES, WHAT YOU MENTIONED, THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR, UH, UH, STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN BE A LITTLE BIT VAGUE OR INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY.
AND I'VE CERTAINLY SEEN THAT, UH, THROUGH MY CAREER AS AN ARCHITECT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOMEBODY MIGHT STAND BEHIND THEM AND WANT, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITION ON THE REAR OF THE HOME TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THEIR ORIGINAL HOUSE OR SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT SAY NOW IT SHOULD BE A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME AND LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION, BUT IT, BUT IT LEAVES A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION SOMETIMES FOR HOMEOWNERS.
UM, AND, UH, MAYBE OFFERING SOME, A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE ON THAT.
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT SPECIFICALLY IS REALLY, IT'S KIND OF ABOUT PROPORTIONS AND MASSING AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE CASE OF A HOUSE, YOU KNOW, A HISTORIC HOME LOCATING ADDITION IN THE BACK, YOU KNOW, NOT COMPROMISING THE FRONT ELEVATION.
UM, SOMETIMES I LOOK AT WINDOWS THAT MIGHT BE
[02:30:01]
IN SIMILAR PROPORTIONS TO THE ORIGINAL HOME THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY THE SIX OVER SIX, YOU KNOW, TO MATCH EXACTLY.SO THE ADDITION IS KIND OF A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME AND SCALE AND RESPECTFUL OF, OF THE ORIGINAL HOME.
AND ESPECIALLY NOW ON THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, WHERE THERE REALLY DOES SEEM TO BE A DESIRE FOR, UH, ANY, ANY NEW ADDITIONS TO REALLY KIND OF REPLICATE, UM, UH, WHAT WAS BUILT, UH, ORIGINALLY, UM, AND IN A BUILDING, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL OR HISTORIC.
SO, UM, I THINK JUST PROVIDING CLARITY THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE INTERPRETED THAT, UH, AN ADDITION SHOULD BE A, REALLY A PRODUCT THAT IT'S TIME, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BEING RESPECTFUL TO THE SCALE AND OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, UH, A BUILDING COULD BE A GOOD THING TO ADD ABSOLUTELY SO MUCH.
I THINK, I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT IS COVERED IN THE ADDITIONS CHAPTER WITH, WITH GUIDANCE ON LOCATION, ON SCALE MASSING AND HEIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, WHAT I'M REALLY PLEASED.
ONE THING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WITH THE STANDARDS IS ALL OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT, THAT ARE IN THERE, BOTH, YOU KNOW, SKETCHES AND PHOTOGRAPHS AND ON, UM, UNDER THE ADDITIONS, UM, SECTIONS, BOTH FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE'S A REALLY NEAT, OR REALLY WHAT I THINK IS AN EXCITING SPREAD OF DESIGNS, LIKE A PHOTOGRAPHS THAT SHOW, YOU KNOW, REALLY MODERN DESIGNS AND MUCH MORE TRADITIONAL DESIGNS AND SOME, YOU KNOW, LIKE A GLASSY GLASSY WING THAT'S ADDED TO A, TO A HISTORIC LANDMARK ACTUALLY.
SO I THINK THE DESIGN STANDARDS DO USE, UM, I THINK NON-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN A WAY THAT'S THAT THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE THAT WILL PROVIDE FURTHER GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF MASSING AND LOCATION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SCALE, BUT ALLOWS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF STYLE.
IT'S REALLY NICE TO, UM, SEE THOSE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT I THINK WILL REALLY HAMMER HOME THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY WAYS TO DO THAT, TO ACCOMPLISH GOOD DESIGN AND GOOD ADDITIONS TO HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
AND, AND THE, THE, I WOULD ADD THAT THE, UH, UM, THE ILLUSTRATIONS LOOK GREAT, UH, THERE REALLY ARE NECESSARY, SO, UH, GOOD WORK AND, UH, HAVING THOSE ADDED INTO THE DOCUMENT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO CHAIR WHAT'S? SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? UM, MAYBE I WASN'T LISTENING IF THEY WERE SAID BEFORE, DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, COMMENT IN THE FUTURE OR, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY I KINDA GOT A QUESTION IN THIS TOO, IS PROJECT CONNECT, YOU KNOW, IS, I THINK KIND OF TAKEN OVER A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, THE, UH, LDC REWRITE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GUIDING WHERE THE DENSITY MAY GO IN THE TOWN AND CHANGE, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW THE, THESE GUIDELINES KIND OF FIT INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN, I MEAN, I KNOW WE'RE NOT IN THE, UH, WE'RE NOT IN CODE NEXT RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT IF WE WERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN CODE NEXT THAT WERE NOT ALIGNED WITH WHAT THIS DOCUMENT, UH, SUGGESTS NOT REALLY LIKE WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS SAYING, BUT, UH, UM, I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING IF THE CITY'S GOING TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AT ONCE AND REALLY HOW THESE THINGS MESH UP.
AND IF YOU KNOW, ANY COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS WE MAY HAVE NOW, IF THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT FURTHER IN THE FUTURE, AS A CITY TRIES TO, YOU KNOW, ALIGN THE DIFFERENT, UH, THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THEY HAVE GOING ON.
WELL, THE NEXT STEP, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, CARA CAN CLARIFY, WE'RE THE LAST LOOKING AT THIS.
AND SO AFTER US, IT'S DONE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND SO I'VE POSTED IT FOR ACTION WITH HOPES THAT WE CAN, UM, ALSO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT, UM, SO IT'S CORRECTED.
AND SO I'LL JUST SAY SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE LDC REVISION, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS NOT THESE AREN'T RELATED TO THE LDC REVISION.
I KNOW IT FEELS, IT MAY FEEL LIKE LEFT-HAND RIGHT-HAND, BUT BASICALLY THESE STANDARDS ARE INTENDED TO REPLACE EXISTING STANDARDS THAT ARE MUCH MORE VAGUE AND INTENDED TO RELIEVE AN EXISTING PROCESS BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ADDING REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF PROCESS.
UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S LIKE PULLING
[02:35:01]
OUT, UH, LIKE A VERY OLD CAR FROM ONE PARKING SPACE IN A MUCH NICER CAR OR BICYCLE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU LIKE.UM, IT'S LIKE, IT'S THE SAME PARKING SPACE.
IT'S THE SAME PROCESS, THE SAME HISTORIC REVIEW PROCESS.
THAT'S NOT BEING PROPOSED TO CHANGE.
IT'S JUST THAT THESE STANDARDS ARE A CLEAR VERSION OF THE SECRETARY STANDARDS AND WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANT TO DESIGNATE HISTORIC DISTRICTS TO, TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH FROM THE BEGINNING, AND TO NOT HAVE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO PUT TOGETHER THAT PIECE.
THAT'S YOUR QUESTION? NO, JUST TO SAY THAT THAT'S AWESOME.
AND I IMAGINE IT BEING A LOT OF HARD WORK AND TIME AND EFFORT PUT INTO IT, AND IT WAS SUCH A GREAT CAUSE.
UM, SO I WISH I HAD MORE THOUGHTFUL FEEDBACK, BUT I MAYBE MAYBE ON A FRESH A DAY, WELL, CHAIR I'LL OFFER A MOTION.
UM, I REALLY LIKED THE, UH, I THINK THAT THE GOALS OF IT IS TO, UH, UM, OFFER SOME CLARITY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY CAN GET TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENTLY, UM, AND ADD SOME PREDICTABILITY IN THE PROCESS.
AND I LIKE THAT IT HASN'T DOVE INTO SPECIFICS, LIKE TRYING TO LEGISLATE COLOR OR, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN KIND OF STYLES.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THE APPROACH SEEMS REALLY GOOD FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN.
SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THE DOCUMENT.
IS THAT SAYING TERRIFY, MAN? WAS THAT JORGE? YOU SAID THAT, YES, PLEASE.
I BELIEVE, UM, THE REQUEST WAS ALSO TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION FROM THE COMMISSION, IF THAT IS PART OF THE MOTION.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS AND IN, I BELIEVE, UM, TH THE REQUEST WOULD ENTAIL ALSO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMISSION PROVIDE A POOR MOBILE SOLUTION TO THE COUNCIL INITIALLY SUPPORT FOR THESE.
YOU'RE YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT COMMISSIONER WILDLAND? YES.
AND SECOND, THE FISHER RAWLINSON.
SECOND IS ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT.
THEN I WILL, UH, I WILL CALL OUT THE VOTE, UH, COMMISSIONER FRAIL.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS COMMISSIONER.
LUKINS YOU THERE? YOU'RE ON MUTE.
YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE GOING ON MUTE.
DID HE SAY YES, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COMMISSIONER FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR, YOUR SERVICE.
I THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH THE REST OF THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.
[2a. Approval of the November 23rd meeting minutes;]
APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 23RD MEETING MINUTES.UM, AARON, I ACTUALLY FOUND TWO, UM, PIECES THAT I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UH, ITEM ONE B ON THE MOTION TO NOT SUPPORT THE NEXT BULLET POINT SAYS THE MOTION PASSED THE VOTE OF FOUR TO ONE.
[02:40:02]
UM, BUT THE MOTION DID NOT PASS.YOU HAVE THAT OPEN ONE SECOND.
I'M TRYING TO GET IT OPEN RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS A ONE B THE SECOND TO LAST BULLET POINT.
I GOT TO WONDER IF THIS WAS MEANT TO ARTICULATE THAT THE MOTION PASSED TO NOT PASS THE MOTION.
I HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO IN L AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN CERTAIN GAME.
WE WILL UPDATE THE MINUTE SHARE JUST TO REFLECT THAT THE MOTION FAILED.
IT'S JUST THAT I BELIEVE THAT'S A TYPO, CORRECT? SURE.
THE OTHER ITEM WAS TO D UM, THE VERY LAST BULLET POINT ON THE PAGE, UM, WHERE IT SAYS I'M REFERENCING THE ZONING CODE, BUT I WAS REFERENCING THE BUILDING CODE.
UH, AND THE BUILDING CODE IS NOT SLATED FOR APPROVAL IN DECEMBER.
IT'S JUST, IT STARTED THE AMENDMENT PROCESS IT'S SCHEDULED FOR APPROVAL AND SEPTEMBER, 2021.
UM, I WISH WE WERE APPROVING A NEW ZONING CODE IN DECEMBER, BUT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, THE CHANGE NEEDS TO BE MADE, THAT IT IS THE ZONING CODE, THAT THE BUILDING CODE AND THE DATE FOR THAT WOULD BE SEPTEMBER.
NO, THE, THE CURRENT MINUTES REFLECT THAT I WAS REFERENCING THE ZONING CODE, BUT IT SHOULD STATE THE BUILDING CODE.
AND YOU SAID AMENDMENTS FOR THAT WOULD BE SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER OF 2021, THE, THE ADOPTION OF THE BUILDING CODE.
THE AMENDMENTS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN DECEMBER.
SO THEY START THE AMENDMENT PROCESS SEVERAL MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN TAKE ALL THE AMENDMENTS TO COUNCIL.
SO I JUST, I DON'T WANT TO GO ON RECORD SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OR ITS APPROVAL.
I MADE NOTE OF THOSE AND THOSE CHANGES.
UM, DID ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES? OKAY.
UM, SO, UH, I I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM WITH THE COMMENTS THAT I JUST HAD THE SECOND, ANYBODY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COLIN.
UH, I'LL QUICKLY GO DOWN THE LIST AGAIN.
UM, COMMISSIONER FRAIL MISSIONARY WALLY'S YEAH.
SO THAT PASSES, UM, LET'S SEE, WHERE ARE WE? UH, TWO B UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE FOR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, VICE CHAIR IN OUR PLAY-DOH IS NOT HERE.
SO WE WILL SKIP THAT ONE TO SEE UPDATE
[2c. Update from representative on the Joint Sustainability committee regarding last meeting.]
FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.UM, OUR LAST MEETING WAS ACTUALLY CANCELED, UH, DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM.
ITEM TWO D UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD, UM, LOOKED LIKE COMMISSIONER FRANCO HAS LEFT THIS MEETING,
[02:45:01]
SO THERE'S NO UPDATE ON THAT.[3a. Chair Announcements;]
THREE, A CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS.UM, ONLY ANNOUNCEMENT IS HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE LOOKING FOR FOR 2021.
AND THEY NEVER MENTIONED THIS YEAR EVER AGAIN.
[3b. Items from Commission Members;]
AM, SOME COMMISSIONERS HAPPY HOLIDAYS.WE PLAN ON BEING ON A ZOOM CALL AGAIN IN JANUARY.
I'D PROBABLY STILL CONDUCTING OUR MEETING BY THEM IN JANUARY.
I'M ASSUMING, UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW, YES, THE, THE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS THIS WAY.
UM, AT LEAST UNTIL THE ORDERS CHANGE, UM, THERE'S SORT OF TWO THINGS IN PROCESS THERE'S CITY ORDERS, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO STATE BORDERS.
AND, UM, AS LONG AS THEY KEEP EXTENDING THOSE, THEN YES, WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THESE REMOTE MEETINGS, JUST CONFIRMING THE OBVIOUS HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER FOR, UM, SO AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO APPOINTED ME, UH, WAS NOT ELECTED REELECTED.
SO, UM, AND I HAVE NO PLANS TO WORK WITH THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, SO IT'S BASICALLY SAYING, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE LAST, I BELIEVE I I'M, I'LL BE HERE IN THE JANUARY MEETING.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE FEBRUARY MEETING WHEN IT OFFICIALLY SWITCHES OVER, OR IF YOU MAY KNOW PEOPLE, UM, WHO MIGHT BE A GOOD, I'M NOT SURE IF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE SOMEONE ALREADY CONSIDERED, BUT I KNOW PREVIOUSLY BEFORE I WAS APPOINTED TO ZEN COMMISSION, UM, THE DISTRICT DIDN'T HAVE REPRESENTATIVE.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT FOUR YEARS SERVING WITH EVERYBODY AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT Y'ALL CONTINUE TO DO.
GIVE YOU THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FOR LEO, YOU WILL BE MISSED TERRIFY MATE.
UH, YES, FOR THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FRAIL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMISSION AND STUFF.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE, YOU ARE ACTUALLY WELCOME TO CONTINUE SERVING ON THE COMMISSION UNTIL REPLACED.
THERE IS NO, YOU DON'T COME OFF THE COMMISSION UNLESS YOU WISH TO RESIGN FROM YOUR POST AS A DESIGN COMMISSIONER, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY YOUR CHOICE.
UH, HOWEVER, YOU'RE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO COME OFF THE COMMISSION UNTIL YOU ARE REPLACED BY THE NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR THAT DISTRICT.
WELL, YEAH, I'LL, I'LL STAY ON, UM, PENDING ANY, UH, APPOINTMENTS OBVIOUSLY FROM THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER AND FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER FAIL BECAUSE WE DO NEED YOU FOR QUORUMS INTO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION AS YOU DO OFTEN ON THIS PROJECT.
AND, AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DIFFERS, BUT INCOMING FIRST TIME, COUNCIL MEMBERS USUALLY TAKE MANY MONTHS BEFORE THEY APPOINT SOMEBODY.
MYSELF IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, BUT ALSO, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER FRO, I ASKED A QUESTION WHEN I, BEFORE JOINING WHETHER OR NOT I HAD TO, UM, ALIGN WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBERS VIEWS ON CERTAIN THINGS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A QUESTION IN YOUR MIND, BUT THE ANSWER WAS THAT I JUST NOT HAVE TO.
SO THAT MIGHT HELP YOU FEEL, I DUNNO HOW THAT ACTS UP IN YOUR MIND, BUT GOOD NOTE.
YEAH, THERE CAN BE ANTITHETICAL, VIEWPOINTS.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
[3c. Items from City Staff;]
C ITEMS FROM CITY STEP.I DO HAVE SOMETHING JUST WANTED TO, UM, PROVIDE A, A BRIEF UPDATE WITH REGARDS TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO, UH, JUST SHOW MY GRATITUDE TO THE WORKING GROUP COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING, UM, IN THE SESSIONS OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
UM, CHAIR, CAROL COMMISSIONER RAWLINSON, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN,
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INPUT.
[02:50:01]
AND, UH, WE MADE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF PROGRESS, UM, ON THESE DESIGN GUIDELINES WE'VE BEEN USING THE, THE MURAL, UM, WHITEBOARD SOFTWARE, UM, AND, AND JUST A, A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO, TO COMMISSION THERE AT ROBINSON WHO IS, IS A WIZARD WITH, UM, REALLY KEEPING US, UM, IN ORDER AND ORGANIZED WITH, UH, WITH THE MURAL BOARD.UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN USING THIS TO REALLY JUST BRAINSTORM A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS.
UM, SO WHAT WE'VE COME TO IS WE CREATED, AND WE'RE STILL CREATING A FRAMEWORK WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO SEE A POTENTIAL UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IT STARTED WITH, UH, ESSENTIALLY A, A, UM, UH, DOING THE SQUAT ANALYSIS, JUST FIGURING OUT WHAT THE STRENGTHS WERE, WHAT THE WEAKNESSES, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE WITH THESE GUIDELINES, WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T WORK AND HOW WE CAN REALLY JUST IMPROVE THESE GUIDELINES.
UM, AND THEN WE CREATED A SECOND STEP RECENTLY.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THE MILESTONES, SOME OF THE KEY MILESTONES AND, AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO SEE THE GUIDELINES WORK WITH, UM, STAY TUNED.
UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, WE CONTAINED THE SESSION WITHIN TWO IN 20, 21 NEW YEAR.
UM, BUT, UM, WE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD WITH REGARDS TO THE WORKING SESSION, OR IF YOU HAD ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD, BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE WORKING GROUP, UM, IS WORKING VERY HARD.
UH, WE WERE VERY MUCH IN THE MIDST OF, UH, TRYING TO PUSH TOGETHER A GREAT FRAMEWORK SO WE CAN PROGRESS ON TO POTENTIALLY, UM, SEEING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE COME TO FRUITION.
UM, THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO ADD.
AND ALSO ONE THING TO ADD TO, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, COLEMAN'S QUESTION.
WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE DOING THE DESIGN COMMISSION REMOTELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
UM, THE BOARD, THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, THEY SENT AN EMAIL OUT LAST WEEK INDICATING, UM, FOR THE 20, 21 CALENDAR, WE ARE GOING TO BE OPERATING AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE PANDEMIC, MEANING THAT WE WILL STILL BE DOING THIS REMOTELY SO FURTHER NOTICE, UM, AS WE ALL KNOW THAT COULD BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WILL CHANGE.
UM, ANYTIME SOON, UH, WITH THAT SAID, UH, HOPE EVERYONE HAS A MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A BLESSING TO YOU.
CAN I, SORRY, CAN I MAKE A REQUEST REALLY QUICK? UH, JUST KIND OF IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT.
UM, I, UH, HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH GETTING INTO SOME OF THOSE DESIGN GUIDELINE MEETINGS.
UM, AND EVEN FOR THIS MEETING, I FIND THAT I SCRAMBLE LOOKING FOR THE LINK.
IT MAY JUST BE THAT I AM A COMPLETE APPLE PERSON AND MICROSOFT CONFUSES ME, BUT, UM, IF, IF Y'ALL COULD INCLUDE THE LINKS, UH, FOR THIS MEETING, YOU KNOW, ANY MEETING IN THE EMAIL AS WELL, I KNOW THERE'S A COUNTER EVENT, BUT I HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING IT.
SO I I'D REALLY, I APPRECIATE THAT I HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH, UH, WITH THAT.
UM, FIRST I'LL SPEAK TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION LINK.
UM, SO WE USUALLY GET THE WEBEX LINKS AND, AND THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE MONDAY, THAT EXACT MISSION.
SO I JUST MADE AVAILABLE THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY.
AND WHAT I DO IS I COPY AND PASTE THAT LINK INTO THE MEETING INVITE THAT WASN'T ORIGINALLY SENT.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER MINORS, ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE THAT LINK WITHIN THAT INVITE THAT WAS SENT OUT PRIOR TO THE LIMIT? FOR ME, THE LEVEL OF EFFORT TO TRY TO FIND THE INVITE? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHY MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'M USING SAFARI.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I ENDED UP FINDING IT, BUT IT'S USUALLY A STRUGGLE AND SOMETIMES I'LL, I'LL DIG THROUGH MY EMAIL.
DO YOU HAVE THE OUTLOOK APP FOR YOUR PHONE AT ALL? I'VE TRIED USING IT.
SO, UM, I'VE TRIED USING IT REALLY EARLY ON WITH THE COMMISSION.
I, UM, ASKED TO SEE IF I COULD GET IT, UH, SET UP, UM, FOR MY PHONE.
AND I'VE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THAT KIND OF THE SAME WITH MIRO AS WELL.
SO I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GET IN CONTACT WITH, YOU KNOW, FROM AVI OR WHATEVER, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE BECAUSE I USE ALL APPLE AND IT DOESN'T REALLY PLAY NICE.
I WOULD SAY SOME MARROW, UM, YOU'LL WANT TO DOWNLOAD THE WEB, UH, SORRY.
THE DESKTOP APP, THE, THE WEB PLATFORM FROM ARROW IS LIKE, I THINK IT'S TERRIBLE.
UM, GO AHEAD AND DOWNLOAD THE DESKTOP
[02:55:01]
APP AND YOU'LL HAVE A LOT MORE OF AN ENJOYABLE TIME.I GUESS, THE ISSUES I WANTED TO USE MY CITY OF AUSTIN ACCOUNT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IF I USE ANY OTHER ACCOUNT, WHEN I CREATE IT, THAT IT'S SUBJECT TO, YOU KNOW, UM, THE GUIDANCE OF THE CITY, UH, THAT IT'S PUBLIC.
SO, UM, THAT'S MY ONLY THOUGHT IS THAT I JUST, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT AND I HATE BECAUSE I WANT TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND THAT'S THE BARRIER TERRIFY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THOSE ISSUES COMMISSIONERS.
WE DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONSISTENCIES OF THE ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY.
WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO DEAL ON OUR END WITH A CONSISTENCY AND STABILITY OF ACCESS TO THOSE PLATFORMS. CERTAINLY YOU'RE WELCOME TO USE OTHER EMAIL ACCOUNTS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO CREATE AS TEMPORARY THROUGH A GOOGLE APP, FOR EXAMPLE, OR IT COULD BE A DISPOSABLE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT SHOULD IT BE SUBJECT TO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.
IT WOULD ONLY BE THROUGH THAT EMAIL ACCOUNT THAT WOULDN'T BE TIED TO YOUR PERSONAL OR YOUR WORK ACCOUNT.
SO YOU KEEP THAT SEPARATE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OUR COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER.
IF YOU ARE USING YOUR WORK ACCOUNT, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS OR PUBLIC REQUEST FOR RECORDS WOULD BE ANYTHING CONNECTED TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT WAS USED IN YOUR CAPACITY AS A COMMISSIONER.
SO IT'D YOU SENT EMAILS, OR IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN A MURAL BOARD, WE, THE CITY WOULD PROVIDE A COPY OF THAT MURAL BOARD.
SO THAT WOULDN'T BE ON YOUR BEHALF TO PROVIDE BECAUSE YOU CONNECTED VIA YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOUR WORK ADDRESS, BUT WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY THE CITY WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO FULFILL THE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS ON NURSE.
SO THAT LONG-WINDED WAY OF SAYING THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY FIND OTHER VENUES TO TRY AND CONNECT YOU, NOT ONLY TO THIS MEETING, BUT ALSO THE MIRROR BOARD.
AND CERTAINLY WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH CTM ON HOW TO MAKE THIS MORE AVAILABLE, MORE VISIBLE ON YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSES.
UM, YEAH, I IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY COMMISSIONER, TANIGUCHI STRUGGLING WITH, UH, THIS PLATFORM AS WELL.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE CITY.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S EVERYTHING.
SO IT IS 8:38 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.