[00:00:05]
[Determination of Quorum / Meeting Called to Order]
TWO DAY.I WANTED TO, UM, JUST START WITH THE ROLL CALL AND THEN WE'LL RECOGNIZE OUR NEW COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN I SEE, UM, OUR SECOND NEW COMMISSIONER HAS JUST JOINED US.
UH, LET'S DO A SOUND CHECK REAL QUICK WITH THE COMMISSIONER MR. TODDLER.
ARE WE WORKING? I CAN HEAR YOU.
I HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE VIDEO CAMERA TO WORK, BUT WE'RE ROLLING.
SO WE'LL, UH, UM, BROUGHT THIS MEETING DAUGHTER AT, UH, SIX OH FIVE AND WE ARE, UH, GOING TO TAKE ROLL.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS JUST, UH, ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
I'LL MENTION YOUR NAME, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AS WE GO AROUND THE VIRTUAL ROOM HERE.
UH, SO, UH, STARTING WITH, UH, MYSELF, UH, CHAIR SHAW, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER AZHAR PRESIDENT, UH, COMMISSIONER CONLEY, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES, UH, VICE CHAIR.
HEMPEL IT'S UH, LET'S SEE, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UH, OUR NEW COMMISSIONER, UH, AND IT'S, UH, JENNIFER IS THAT MUCH TALLER.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER PRAXIS AND, UH, COMMISSIONER YANNIS, POLITO, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAY IS ABSENT THIS EVENING AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
SO TONIGHT ONE, TWO, THREE, THAT BRINGS US TO 11, 12.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, OUR TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS, UM, COMMISSIONER TODDLER, AND COMMISSIONER PRACTICES.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO OFFER UP A CHANCE FOR YOU.
DO YOU WISH TO SAY A FEW, UH, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK IT'S ABOUT YOURSELF? UH, WE CAN START WITH COMMISSIONER MOOSE TODDLER.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE, UH, JOINING THE COMMISSION.
UM, I LIVE IN THE NORTHWEST, UH, PART OF AUSTIN.
I ACTUALLY GOT INVOLVED, UM, THROUGH THE RECENT CITY COUNCIL ELECTION AND WAS RUNNING FOR DISTRICT SIX COUNCIL SEAT, AND THEN HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY AFTERWARDS AFTER A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SERVING AUSTIN AND OTHER AREAS.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I'M ACTUALLY RELOCATING MY PRACTICE AT THE MOMENT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT BUSY WITH THAT, BUT I'M STILL ACTIVELY IN PRACTICE AND TREATING ALL PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND HELP TO BE A GOOD CONTRIBUTING MEMBER TO THE BOARD.
WELL, AND I HOPE YOU'RE OKAY WITH ME CALLING YOU COMMISSIONER FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS OFF.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, PRICES.
DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? SURE.
UM, BUT I GUESS IN THIS CONTEXT, I'M NOW COMMISSIONER PRAXIS, WHICH I'LL TRY TO GET USED TO.
UM, BUT I'M HONORED TO BE SERVING, UM, MY COMMUNITY AND I'M AUSTIN.
MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS RENTED HERE.
UM, AND I FEEL A DEEP COMMITMENT TO, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE FEELING LIKE AUSTIN, UM, IS LESS AND LESS, UM, A PLACE FOR THEM.
A LOT OF MY FRIENDS HAVE ALREADY LEFT WHO GREW UP IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF HOW AN AFFORDABLE THIS CITY, UM, IS ALREADY.
AND I SPEND MY DAYS WITH FOLKS WHO STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR RENT.
MY DEEP COMMITMENT IS ON THIS, UM, ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND I HOPE TO SERVE FOLKS AND LEARN.
SO I'M USUALLY, AND I DON'T SEE ANY TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, OUR BOARD OF, UH, ADJUSTMENTS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE DON LAYTON, BURWELL, UH, PUBLIC WORKS REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD MENDOSA.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE WE HAVE A NEW AISD EX-OFFICIO AND THAT WOULD BE RP SAYING WHO WILL BE WITH US NEXT WEEK.
UM, ONCE SHE FINISHES HER TRAINING.
SO WE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING GOOD, LOOKS LIKE WE FILLED OUT A LOT OF OUR VACANCIES, SO I'M VERY GLAD ABOUT THAT AND HAVE VERY HEALTHY DEBATE, UM, AND A QUICK,
[00:05:01]
UH, I'M GOING TO TRY TO SLOW MYSELF DOWN.I SPEAK SOMETIMES RATHER QUICKLY, BUT I WANT TO TRY TO EXPLAIN AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH EACH STEP TONIGHT, I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE NEW COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UH, I'VE DEFINITELY ASKED FOR, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, IF I'M MISSING, UH, ANYTHING THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, I'VE ASKED, UH, VICE CHAIR HEMPHILL TO FILL IN ANY GAP GAPS, AS WELL AS I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, SO SOME QUICK REMINDERS AND, UH, JUST BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE USE, UH, RED, GREEN AND YELLOW ITEMS TO HELPS ME KIND OF TRACK THE VOTING.
UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE ALL YOU GUYS AND COUNT, UH, ON MY END.
SO, UH, I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
UH, YEAH, I'VE GOT JUST BORING, THREE PIECES OF PAPER.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE ARE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING AND, UH, SO YES, UH, LOOK AROUND THE ROOM.
UH, WE'LL GET TO THE VOTING HERE SHORTLY, BUT, UH, PICK YOURSELF SOME COLORED ITEMS TO VOTE WITH, UM, REMAIN MUTED, UH, UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK AND, UM, RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THEN IF I ABSOLUTELY AM MISSING YOU, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOT A LOT OF HEADS HERE TO LOOK AT AND TRACK, GO AHEAD AND, UH, UNMUTE AND, AND TRY TO GET MY ATTENTION IF I'M JUST NOT SEEING YOU.
UH, IT'S NOT INTENTIONAL DELAY ME.
UH, SO FOR THE PARTICIPANTS OUT THERE, UH, YOU STAR SIX TO UNMUTE AND IF YOUR ITEM IS COLD FOR DISCUSSION, WE'VE GOT A FEED THIS EVENING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMAIN ON THE LINE.
YOU'LL GET AN EMAIL ABOUT 15 MINUTES OUT FROM WHEN WE TAKE UP YOUR ITEM.
SO, UM, THAT'S FOR THE FOLKS OUT THERE.
[Reading of Agenda]
SO THE FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY IS WE'RE GOING TO, UH, UM, TRY TO ESTABLISH THE CONSENT AGENDA SO THAT, UM, UH, IS WE'LL INCLUDE IN THAT CONSENT AGENDA.THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING, UH, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND HERE, UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THROUGH EACH OF THE ITEMS. UH, I'M JUST NOTICING MY CHEAT SHEETS ARE OUT OF ORDER.
UH, LET'S SEE, WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ THROUGH EACH ITEM AND IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE, UH, ON CONSENT POSTPONEMENT OR NON-DISCUSSION.
AND WE'LL READ THROUGH THOSE AND GO AHEAD AND, UM, PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA AND, UH, WHAT WE'LL ALSO RIGHT AFTER WE DO THAT, WE DO, I BELIEVE HAVE ONE ITEM THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UH, IN THIS CASE, WE'VE HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD REQUEST TO POSTPONE AN ITEM, TO GIVE THEM MORE TIME THE APPLICANT DISAGREES.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE, UM, YOU'LL GET, WE'LL GET TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH THE NEW FOLKS AND WHERE WE HEAR FROM BOTH SIDES AND DECIDE WHETHER TO LEAVE IT ON OUR, UM, UH, AS A DISCUSSION ITEM ON OUR AGENDA OR TO MOVE IT TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD.
I'M GOING TO READ OFF THE, UM, THE ITEMS UNDER, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR TODAY UNDER, UH, UH, WE'LL START WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO PULL THIS INTO CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE CHANGES, UH, OR TO THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING? SO I DO HAVE ONE, UH, AND IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
IF YOU RECALL, UNDER ITEM C1, UH, WE DISCUSSED THE ANAL SIGN REGULATION CORRECTION, AND WE RECEIVED A COMMITMENT FROM, UH, MR. RUSS.
TOVAN THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, TO INITIATE THE PRODUCTION, TO BE A SIGNED REGULATION, UH, THROUGH, BY FIRST MEETING WITH THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE.
AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE THAT READ LET'S, UM, READ INTO THE MINUTES.
SO THAT'S ALL, UH, SO ANY, UH, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE MINUTES.
AND, UM, WITHOUT ONE ADDITION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE ITEMS IN THE,
[00:10:01]
UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS.SO THIS WILL TAKE A WHILE I READ THROUGH EACH ONE WITH THE CASE NUMBER AND THE ITEMS. SO THIS TAKE A FEW MINUTES.
UH, SO WE HAVE ITEM V1 AND V2, WHICH WE'LL BE TAKING UP TOGETHER TOGETHER.
IT'S THE ITEM B ONE IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT NTA TWO ZERO TWO ONE ZERO ZERO TWO ONE.ZERO DOT S H PARKER APARTMENT.
AND THIS IS FOR, UH, CHANGING THE MTA TO A CIVIC TO MULTIFAMILY LAND USE.
UH, THIS ONE IS ABSOLUTELY UP FOR DISCUSSION AND WE'LL, AS I SAID, WE'LL TAKE IT UP WITH ITEM B2, UH, B2 AS A REZONING C 14 2021 ZERO ZERO ZERO EIGHT DOT S H PARKER APARTMENT, AND, UM, FOR DISCUSSION AND THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED SF THREE AND T TWO MF FOUR, AND P STAFF HAVE A RECOMMENDATION IS HOWEVER
WE HAVE AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 25TH.
UM, THIS THERE'LL BE UNDER CONSENT.
IT'S THEIR FIRST REQUEST FOR A POSTPONEMENT THAT SIDE OF NPA 2021 ZERO ZERO TWO NINE.ZERO ONE DOT S H AND 21 EAST ST.
AND THIS IS, UM, SINGLE FAMILY TO URBAN SINGLE FAMILY LAND USE.
AND AGAIN, RECOMMENDED BY STAFF, UH, POSTPONE UNTIL MAY 25TH.
UH, THE ACCOMPANYING REZONING, UH, ITEM.
ALSO, WE HAVE THE APPLICANT POSTPONE UNTIL MAY 25TH.
UH IT'S UH, UM, REZONING CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2021 DASH ZERO ZERO ZERO FIVE.
UM, IT'S FOR REZONING FROM N S F AND P TWO S F R A M T.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A RECOMMENDED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE THIS, UM, UNTIL MAY 25TH, THEN WE HAVE ITEM B FIVE.
THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM CASE NUMBER C 14 2020 ZERO ONE THREE ZERO 56 13 PATENT RANCH ROAD.
IT'S A NF ONE AND P TWO M F FOUR P.
AND THIS IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
THIS IS THE ITEM WE'LL TAKE UP, UH, IS DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT, UH, AFTER WE APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, IT'S ITEM C 14 2020 DASH ZERO ZERO EIGHT NINE 12TH AND SPRINGDALE RESIDENTS.
UM, THIS IS A GR M U N T T G R M U V N T RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
YOU HAVE TO BE V
AND THIS IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
THE LAST ITEM, UH, LISTED HERE IS ITEM B EIGHT.
WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT UNTIL APRIL 27TH.
UH, THE APPLICANT HAS AGREED A CASE NUMBER SVE 2019 ZERO SIX ZERO ZERO C WILDER.
UH, THIS IS A PART APPEAL AND STEPH RECOMMENDS UPHOLDING THE DIRECTOR'S DECISION.
SO, UM, IT'S GOING BACK OVER TO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE MINUTES WE HAVE, UH, ITEMS B THREE AND BEFORE WE'RE GOING TO, UM, AND O B SEVEN AND B EIGHT, AND, UH, THOSE ARE ON CONSENT.
[Consent Agenda]
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UM, UH, CLOSE TO PUBLIC HEARING, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES AND APPROVE THE, UH, THE CONSENT AGENDA? I HAVE A QUESTION.SO MY QUESTION IS ABOUT ITEM B EIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE ALLOWED TO POSTPONE AN ITEM? HOW MANY TIMES CAN AN ITEM BE POSTPONED? SO THIS ONE IS PARTICULAR,
[00:15:01]
UH, THE LAST TIME, UM, AND I GUESS STAFF CAN HELP ME OUT ON THIS ONE, BUT I THINK THE, UH, APPLICANT REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT TO A DATE, UM, THIS DATE AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A, UH, SOME KIND OF FAMILY EMERGENCY, BUT THEN THAT TONIGHT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.SO IT ACTUALLY, IT ENDED UP BEING TWO POSTPONEMENTS, UH, THAT WE WOULDN'T ORDINARILY HAVE HAD.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE REASONS WE'VE, I THINK HAD TWO ADDITIONAL POSTPONEMENTS.
SO IT WAS UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT KIND OF BROUGHT THIS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER IS ALREADY, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TRAVIS? JUST GOING TO CLARIFY.
UM, I ALSO, WE ALSO POST IT ONCE BEFORE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
I HAD MADE A MOTION PEOPLE RESPONDED.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, I I'M GUESSING THEIR FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST REQUEST, AND THEY WERE GIVEN THIS SECOND, UM, REQUEST JUST BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE THIS EVENING.
UH, THEY, THEY HAD ISSUES WITH SCHEDULING, SO THAT'S WHY OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE HEARD IT.
UM, LAST, I THINK IN OUR LAST MEETING THAT THE APPLICANT HAD AN ISSUE.
DID I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? COMMISSIONERS ARE THE SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SNYDER.
AND, UH, THOSE THAT APPROVED, UH, SHOW ME YOUR GREEN CARD, UH, AND I'M GOING TO COUNT NOW.
[Additional Item]
BRINGS US TO OUR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT ITEM.AND, UH, TONIGHT WE DON'T HAVE THE, UM, THE REQUEST TO POSTPONE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THEY REQUESTED IT OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE IS NOT HERE.
SO THE STAFF WILL GET US A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, ON THIS, UH, TO KIND OF SET IT UP BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
THIS IS HEATHER CHAFIN FROM THE HOUSING PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM MELINDA OR SOLID, WHO DOES THAT FOR ONE, ONE, FOUR EAST 12TH STREET AND HER HUSBAND, STEPHAN WIX.
AND THIS IS THE REQUEST I GOT FROM THEM.
UM, THEY BOTH HAVE, WELL, SHE HAS A MEETING TONIGHT AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN IN BECAUSE OF OUR DEADLINES.
HER MESSAGE IS MY MAIN IS MELINDA OR SALICE.
I LIVE AT FOUR ONE ONE FOUR EAST 12TH STREET IN A HOME BUILT IN 1964, ORIGINAL TO THIS AREA OF EAST BOSTON.
I'M WRITING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TODAY TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS REGARDING ANY CASE.
SEE 14 2020 ZERO ZERO EIGHT, NINE 12, AND SPRINGDALE RESIDENCES ITEM SIX ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
NOT ONLY DO I BELIEVE THAT ZONING CHANGE FROM GR AND UNP TGR AND U V N P IS UNNECESSARY, BUT DUE TO THIS TRACK'S PROXIMITY TO THE HISTORIC AFRICAN-AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS AT BETHANY CEMETERY.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S DOWNTOWN IN A DISTRACT SHOULD BE PROPOSED.
THE MLK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR A VALID PETITION.
FOR THIS CASE I'VE BEEN AT MAY.
I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THE SIGNATURE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR BETHANY CEMETERY, MS. SUE SPEARS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED VALID UNTIL WE CAN FURNISH WRITTEN PROOF THAT SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY ON SUCH MATTERS FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT HER NAME APPEARS ON THE P HAD RECORDS FOR CEMETERY.
THE NOTICE OF THE PROPOSED RESENTING WAS SENT TO MS. SPEARS AND CITY CONTRACTORS.
DAVEY RESOURCE GROUP SOUGHT OUT HER CONSENT FOR A VEGETATION WORK PLAN ON THE CEMETERY GROUNDS AND OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY AT 1308 SPRINGDALE ROAD WAS TRANSFERRED TO BETHANY CEMETERY ASSOCIATION IN 1976.
THE MEMBERS ARE NOW ALL DECEASED, AND THIS ASSOCIATION IS DEFUNCT MS. SPEARS, WHO GREW UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ATTENDED SIMS ELEMENTARY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CEMETERY HAS BEEN THE STEWARD FOR THIS NEGLECTED BURIAL GROUND AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SECURING HISTORIC STATUS FOR THE SITE THROUGH HER DEDICATION, TO THE CEMETERY.
SHE FACILITATED A PROGRAM FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE GROUND THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFFS WAP
[00:20:01]
PRESENTS DUE TO THE END DETERMINED STATUS OF OWNERSHIP FOR THE CEMETERY.I STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO POST MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION IN THIS CASE, UNTIL IT IS DETERMINED WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO SPEAK FOR THE CEASED OWNERS AND THOSE INTERVALS ON ITS GRANTS AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, JUST REAL QUICK FOLKS, UH, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE APPLICANT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DURING, UH, THE, WHEN WE, UH, KICKED OFF OUR, UH, DISCUSSION OF EACH ITEM.
ARE THERE ANY RECUSALS, UH, THAT WE HAVE FROM ANY STUDY HERE TONIGHT ON ANY OF THE CASE ITEMS? OKAY.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE WILL, WE HAVE SPOTS FOR TWO, UM, UH, THE TWO SUBS OPPOSE TO THE, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER COX.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION OR IS THIS LIMITED TO DISCUSSION ABOUT SPELLMAN OR ARE WE GOING TO COVER THE ZONING CASE? YEAH.
SO I'M ASKING YOU FOR RECUSALS FOR ALL OF THE ITEMS THIS EVENING IS, OH, SORRY.
PRETTY MUCH THIS CASE AND ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT, UM, WE HAVE FOR DISCUSSION, UH, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ANYWAY, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOOD.
SO WE HAVE, UH, FOR THE DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT, WE HAVE, UH, ALLOWED TWO SPOTS, TWO MINUTES EACH, UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THE POSTPONEMENT.
UH, SO WHO DO WE HAVE TO SPEAK FIRST? I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER SHAW HAD THEIR CHAFFIN AGAIN.
I MEANT TO SAY THAT THEIR REQUEST FROM, UH, MS. BARCELO IS A PEST PAYMENT TO JUNE 8TH.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR WITH THE COMMISSION, THE DATE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS A POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE EIGHT.
DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS, UH, IN OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNMENT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE AND MEMBERS? HELLO, DAVE, THEN COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UH, WHO WHO'S SPEAKING, THIS IS HOW IT'S GLASGOW REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT COULD EVENING.
SO THE, UH, THIS CASE THAT IS BEFORE YOU WAS PREVIOUSLY ON YOUR MARCH 9TH AGENDA, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT TO TODAY TO APRIL 13TH.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT REACHED OUT TO ME, THE ONE THAT I LOVE THE TIMEFRAME AND WE COMPROMISED ON TODAY FOR THE HEARING.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CEMETERY AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE NEED TO GET A PETITION OR TO HAVE THE LAW DEPARTMENT DETERMINE THE, UM, WHETHER MS. PEREZ HAS THE RIGHT TO, UM, TO PETITION THE PROPERTY IS, UM, UM, CERTAINLY, UM, UNDERSTANDABLE.
HOWEVER, THE PETITION, UH, ASPECTS DOES NOT AFFECT THE PLANNING.
IT APPLIES TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, AND THE DETERMINATION TO EFFECTUATE A PETITION CAN STILL, UH, BE DETERMINED ALL THE WAY BEFORE THE CASE GETS TO THE CIVIC COUNCIL, OR EVEN AT THE TIME ALL SIX CITY COUNCIL HEARING, WHICH IS SCHEDULED, WHICH I GUESS THE CASE WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE OF YOUR PRIOR CORRESPONDENCE THAT CITY COUNCIL HEARING IS OUT MAY 6TH.
SO GIVEN THAT THE REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT HAS TO DO WITH THE CITY LAW DEPARTMENT, DETERMINING WHO THE APPROPRIATE ENTITY IS A PERSON THAT CAN FIND A PETITION.
I ASKED THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO HOLD A HEARING ON THIS CASE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY AGREED TO ONE POSTPONEMENT.
AND, UM, THE PETITION ASKED THAT PERTAINS ONLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND NOT THE COMMISSION.
UH, SO JUST HEARING THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE, UH, THE CHANGE TO THE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF HE CAN ACCOMMODATE US.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND, UH, SPEAKER OPPOSING THE POSTPONEMENT,
[00:25:06]
I GUESS, UH, I HAVE TWO OTHER FOLKS HERE LIVE MR. DAINTY, MICK, UH, ETHAN AND CHRISTOPHER F NEATO, EITHER OF YOU ON TO TAKE TWO MINUTES.SO THIS IS KRISTA ANTHONY, THOUGH.
I'M JUST CALLING IN SUPPORT OF ALICE GLASGOW, JUST SHOWING UP TO SARAH MONITOR.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, SO THOSE ARE ALL OUR SPEAKERS.
UM, WHAT I WANT TO REMIND YOU, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP TO, UH, UM, TWO AND A, UH, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF THE APPLICANT AND, UM, UH, STAFF, IF YOU HAVE THEM.
AND THEN WE WILL, UM, AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU WHEN WE S UH, MOVE INTO OUR, UH, DISCUSSION ROUND ROBIN, UM, WHEN THERE'S A MOTION, UH, THAT WE'RE NOT DELVING INTO THE MERITS OF THE CASE, IT'S ONLY ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENT.
UH, SO YEAH, DON'T, WE'RE NOT REALLY GETTING INTO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A GOOD ZONING DECISION OR A GOOD, UH, CHANGE IN ZONING OR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN JUST ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE, UH, POSTPONEMENT ITSELF.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, WE, NOW WE MOVE IN, I HAVE EIGHT SPOTS, FIVE MINUTES EACH FOR COMMISSIONERS.
UH, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND AND I'LL CALL ON YOU, AND YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION OF STAFF OR THE APPLICANT.
UM, SO WOULD ANY, DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, MR. YANEZ PALITO? THANK YOU.
MY QUESTION IS FOR MS. GLASGOW, I APPRECIATE THE DETAIL, UM, ABOUT, UH, AND, AND THE REMINDER THAT THE VALID PETITION APPLIES TO THE COUNCIL AND NOT THIS COMMISSION.
I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY COMMENTS RELATED TO THE CONCERN ABOUT, UM, A LACK OF CLARITY OF THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, UM, THAT THE APPLICANT IS REPRESENTING.
I'M SORRY, I'M COMMISSIONED, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
THE, UH, MS. CHAFFIN HAD READ A STATEMENT FROM, UH, THE SPEAKER OPPOSED AT THAT COULDN'T BE HERE, WHO IS, UH, I'M SORRY, ASKING FOR THE POSTPONEMENT.
ANY OTHER REASON, GIVEN WAS A COMMITTEE, THE COMMUNITY'S LACK OF CLARITY ON WHO THE OFFICIAL OWNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT THE APPLICANT IS REPRESENTING, UM, IS WHO THAT PERSON IS.
AND IF THAT IS UNDERSTOOD, AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE THE ADMITS THIS IS HEATHER CHAPMAN AGAIN IN MISUNDERSTANDING IS ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP OF BETHANY'S CEMETERY, NOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP OF THE REZONING TRACK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE LETTER THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, MR. WARD WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
UM, AND I, I DIDN'T, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE MERITS OF THE LETTER OR ANYTHING, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF STAFF HAD READ THE LETTER AND IT FELT LIKE ANY SORT OF POSTPONEMENT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADDRESS THE CONTENTS OF THAT LETTER FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, HEATHER CHAPMAN PLANNING OR HOUSING PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, THESE ISSUES ARE ISSUES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ADDRESSED AT TIME OF SITE PLAN, UH, SITE I PROPERTY OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDRESSING ISSUES OF UNMARKED GRAVES.
IF THEY ARE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF AN ADJACENT CEMETERY, THESE ARE NOT USUALLY ZONING ISSUES THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEALT WITH AT THE PHASE OF WHEN THERE IS ACTUAL ENGINEERING AND GREETING AND SITE WORK GOING ON.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF COMMISSION WANTS TO TAKE THOSE INTO REGARD NOW THAT IS Y'ALL'S DISCRETION.
UH, UH, THIS IS FOR, UH, FOR MS. JASON, UM,
[00:30:01]
JUST TO CONTINUE, UH, ALONG THOSE LINES.UM, SO THERE'VE BEEN SOME CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT, UH, MAYBE ILL DEFINED BOUNDARIES OF THE CEMETERY HISTORICALLY, AND NOT TO GET INTO THE MERITS, BUT I WONDERED IF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION HAD, OR, OR ANY STAFF ASSOCIATED WITH THE L'AMOUR COMMISSION HAD LOOKED AT THIS SITE.
AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.
UM, HISTORIC LANDMARK CONDITION, HASN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS YET, BUT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT AND ALSO TO CITY STAFF FROM OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS CASE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
I BELIEVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FROM HISTORIC PRESERVATION MAY BE AVAILABLE ON THE LINE.
AND WE'VE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS OF, UM, THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ADDRESSED AT THE TIME OF SITE LAND OR THAT THE CITY IS AWARE OF THE CONCERN AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE GRAVES OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY.
I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE MORE ABOUT IF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION WERE TO REVIEW IT AND FIND THAT IN FACT, THERE WERE, UM, GRAVES ON THIS SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
WOULD THERE BE SOME ISSUE ABOUT DESIGNATION OF THIS PROPERTY OR A PORTION OF THIS PROPERTY AS A HISTORIC BEFORE WE DISCUSS RESOUNDING IT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THAT? AND IF, IF WE POSTPONE, COULD WE MAYBE GET A QUICK REFERENCE TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AND HAVE THEM OPINE FOR US BEFORE WE DECIDE? OKAY.
I AM GOING TO HAVE TO ASK FOR MY COWORKER ELIZABETH, FROM HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS TYPICALLY DEALT AT TIME OF SITE PLAN.
THAT IS THE BOUNDARIES OF A HISTORIC CEMETERY ARE NOT ACCURATE.
THEY DON'T INCLUDE EVERY GRAVE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY, UH, LAID IN THE AREA.
IT'S USUALLY SOMETHING DEALT WITH AT TIME OF SITE PLAN.
BUT LET ME SEE IF ELIZABETH IS AVAILABLE ONLINE TO ANSWER, YES, I'M HERE.
THIS IS ELIZABETH BRUMMETT WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
AND, UM, I WILL ADD THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ARCHEOLOGISTS ON STAFF, UM, AS PART OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY NOT ANY PROFESSIONAL ARCHEOLOGISTS SERVING ON THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
SO WE WOULD RE REALLY BE LOOKING TO, TO AN OUTSIDE ARCHEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT TO ADVISE ON THIS MATTER.
I DID SEE THAT THE APPLICANT HAD AN ARCHEOLOGY REPORT THAT APPEARS TO BE PRIMARILY A DESKTOP STUDY, LOOKING AT THE HISTORIC LAND BOUNDARY THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CEMETERY AND FINDING IT TO BE CONSISTENT OVER TIME.
UH, I, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, AND MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO FIND BURIALS OUTSIDE OF THE DESIGNATED BOUNDARIES OF THE CEMETERY.
AND, UH, I DO BELIEVE IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO DO SOME, UH, ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK ONSITE RATHER THAN RELYING SOLELY ON A DESKTOP REVIEW TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE ANY UNMARKED BURIALS OUTSIDE OF THE CEMETERY BOUNDARIES, IF THERE ARE ANY UNMARKED BURIALS, UH, THE BEST PROTECTION IS UNDER THE, UH, UNDER STATE LAW AS PART OF THE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, UH, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE, UH, TREATING THOSE BURIALS AS A PART OF THE CEMETERY AND, UH, PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT, UH, BY THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS BY FISHER, UM, ALONG THE SAME LINES AS THE QUESTION THAT WAS JUST ANSWERED.
UM, AND HE'S JUST AS CLARIFICATION FROM WHAT I THINK I HEARD IF, IF THERE ARE GRAVES FOUND ON THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION FOR TONIGHT BEFORE, UM, BEFORE IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE, THAT PROPERTY WOULD THEN BECOME OR COME UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF
[00:35:01]
THE, OR CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PART AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT BE UNDER STATE OWNERSHIP, UH, BUT THERE ARE PROTECTIONS FOR CEMETERIES AND BURIALS, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE MARKED OR KNOWN, UH, THAT ARE IN STATE LAW.SO THERE WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, FURTHER REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT, UH, BY THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THOSE GRAVES ARE TREATED PROPERLY.
AND DOES THAT MEAN THEY, THEY WOULD REMAIN IN PLACE AND THEN THERE'S, UM, A REDRAWING OF, OF SORTS.
IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE GRAYS WOULD REMAIN IN PLACE.
UM, IT MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE TO DISINTER AND REENTER THE BURIALS, UH, ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE, THE, UH, MARK CEMETERY BOUNDARIES.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A PROCESS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE WORKED OUT IF, UH, BURIALS WERE DISCOVERED.
THAT BRINGS US TO A FOUR, WE HAVE FOUR MORE SPOTS, ANY MORE QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MR. TELLER, I'M GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF NEWBIE QUESTIONS, SO Y'ALL BE KIND.
UM, SO, UH, THE APPLICANT IS LOOKING FOR OUR, UH, OPINION ON THE REZONING OF A PROPERTY THAT I'M GUESSING IS WITHIN A RADIUS OF THIS PARTICULAR CEMETERY OR ADJACENT TO, OR WITHIN THE PETITION ZONE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
UM, SO MY QUESTION BECOMES THE, APPLICANT'S NOT LOOKING TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE CEMETERY PROPERTY.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS BACK TO THE PERSON WHO WAS REQUESTING THE POSTPONEMENT, WHO UNFORTUNATELY ISN'T ABLE TO ANSWER, BUT ON WHAT BASIS ARE THEY OBJECTING TO THE REZONING? I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CEMETERY IS HISTORIC, BUT THE APPLICANT ISN'T LOOKING TO DISTURB THE CEMETERY, UNLESS I MISUNDERSTOOD SOMETHING.
SO I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON WHY THERE IS A REQUEST TO POSTPONE, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A CEMETERY THERE.
I HOPE SOMEBODY ELSE SHARES THAT CONCERN BECAUSE I SEEM TO MISS THAT PART AND I WANT TO BE COURTEOUS THE HISTORY AND THE CEMETERY AND ALL OF THAT.
MY NAME IS MADELINE AND I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LINDA AND HER DESIRE TO SUPPORT, LIKE, TO NOT SUPPORT THE REZONING IS BECAUSE, UM, IT WOULD BE KIND OF IN CONGRESS OR DETRIMENTAL TO BE PUTTING UP THE V ELEMENT DIRECTLY NEXT TO THIS CEMETERY.
DOES THAT MAKE MORE SENSE? YEAH.
SO IT'S ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE ZONING, I THINK REZONING.
WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, ANYBODY THAT HAS QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO BACK AROUND AND GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS THAT HASN'T GOT ONE YET.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND LET, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, GO AHEAD AND ASK A SECOND QUESTION.
UH, THIS IS THE STAFF, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOING TOWARDS, UM, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE'S QUESTION A LITTLE BIT, I THINK, IS THE STAFF, IS THERE ANY, IF, IF, IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION WERE TO GRANT ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING Y'ALL WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IN YOUR CAPACITY, UH, TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT, SINCE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S KIND OF THE BASIS OF, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE OPPOSITION AND CONCERN AND POTENTIALLY THE BASIS OF, OF THE VALID PETITION THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S WORKING ON.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD DO DURING THAT TIME DURING A POSTPONEMENT AND THEN ATTACHED TO THAT IS THE LETTER FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION DID, UH, SAY THAT THEY, ALONG WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT ANY INITIATIVE, UH, FOR PROTECTION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF THIS IMPORTANT CULTURAL SITE.
AND SO ATTACHED TO THAT IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES YOURSELF, THEY, THEY, MAYBE THEY DO.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT, UM, I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR FROM STAFF ON THAT HEATHER CHAFFIN HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, THERE'S KIND OF TWO ASPECTS TO WHAT MS.
ONE WAS DETERMINING WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN ON BEHALF
[00:40:01]
OF BETHANY CEMETERY.AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS VALID PETITION, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT AT THE FINAL READING OF THE ZONING CASE.
BUT AT THIS POINT IS NOT, IS IMPORTANT.
UM, THE, AS ELIZABETH WAS SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE CITY STAFF THAT CAN GO OUT AND SURVEY FOR, UH, UNMARKED GRAVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS USUALLY ADDRESSED AT TURN RECITE PLAN, IF IT'S GOOD THAT IT'S BEEN MADE AWARE AT THIS EARLY STAGE, BUT PHYSICAL ISSUES OF THE SITE, UH, WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT TO ADD A, THE VERTICAL MIXED USE TO A SITE THAT HAS G R M U, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A SEPARATE ITEM AND THE PHYSICAL DESIGN OF THE SITE WITH THE GREETING AND THE LOCATION AND STRUCTURES WHEN THEY START MOVING DIRT IS TYPICALLY WHEN, UH, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS COME INTO PLAY OF IDENTIFYING ANY UNMARKED GRAVES THAT MAY BE LOCATED ON THE SITE.
UM, THIS IS ELIZABETH BRUMMETT WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AGAIN.
UM, I JUST WANT TO BE THAT, UM, AGAIN, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON STAFF NOR COULD WE LOOK TO THE EXPERTISE OF ANYONE ON THE LANDMARK COMMISSION TO DO THAT WORK.
UM, SO I, AND IF, IF THE APPLICANT WERE TO BRING IN A, A PROFESSIONAL ARCHEOLOGIST, UH, TO DO SOME SCRAPING AND, AND TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY EVIDENCE OF BURIAL SHAFTS OUTSIDE OF THE CEMETERY BOUNDARIES, UM, THAT MIGHT BE A LONGER PROCESS THAN THE POSTPONEMENT WOULD NECESSARILY ALLOW AS WELL.
UH, I THOUGHT I SAW COMMISSIONER THOMPSON HAD HIS HAND UP EARLIER, AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE IT OUT WITH THE LISTENER IS OUR, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS JUST IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S TYPICALLY ADDRESSED IT SITE PLAN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR THAT HAPPENING? I MEAN, IF THERE'S NOT, I'M ASSUMING THERE'S NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR, FOR SOME SORT OF HISTORIC SURVEY OR ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
SO WHEN, WHEN WOULD THAT SURVEY TAKE PLACE AND HOW WOULD THAT BE REQUIRED OF THE, UH, OF THE DEVELOPER? THIS IS ELIZABETH BERMAN.
IT'S AGAIN, THERE IS VERY LITTLE IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES THAT ADDRESSES ARCHEOLOGY.
UH, THERE IS A PROVISION WITHIN THE, UH, HISTORIC LANDMARK CRITERIA TO ALLOW A SITE TO BE DESIGNATED FOR ITS ARCHEOLOGY, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE REALLY IS NOT, UM, ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARCHEOLOGY BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS PART OF, UM, LAND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES, WHERE THAT REQUIREMENT REALLY IS GOING TO COME INTO PLAY AGAIN, IS UNDER STATE LAW, WHICH WILL REQUIRE IF, IF UNMARKED GRAVES ARE DISCOVERED, UH, THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THAT STATE LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
BUT, BUT THE REALITY IS ONCE THE BACKHOES START DIGGING, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT USING TRIALS AND NO TO, TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OF A A HUNDRED YEAR OLD GRAVE, IS THAT CORRECT? USUALLY HOW THIS TYPE OF INVESTIGATION IS DONE IS, UH, WITH HEAVY EQUIPMENT, BUT IT'S TWO TO SCRAPE THE TOP LAYER OF DIRT OFF AND SEE IF THERE IS, UM, YOU CAN SOMETIMES SEE EVIDENCE OF BURIAL SHAFTS, UM, BY DOING THAT SCRAPING OR, UM, THERE IS, UH, GROUND PENETRATING.
RADAR IS ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY THAT'S NON-DESTRUCTIVE THAT COULD BE USED.
I JUST HAVE A FEW MINUTES HERE, BUT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE, IF IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE SITE PLAN, IF THERE'S NO, IF THERE'S NO PRECEDING EVIDENCE THAT YES, THERE ARE GRAVES THERE.
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF DEVELOPER ACTUALLY DO THAT, THAT INVESTIGATION? THAT'S MY CONCERN.
CERTAINLY I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT AT THE CITY LEVEL TO DO THAT INVESTIGATION PRIOR TO WORK PROCEEDING.
UM, IT'S SIMPLY MY SUGGESTION THAT WOULD BE IN THE APPLICANT'S BEST INTEREST TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE BEFORE GETTING INTO CONSTRUCTION AND TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT ELIZABETH SAID, HEATHER TRAFFIC HERE.
UM, WE DON'T, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE
[00:45:01]
DON'T HAVE THIS IN CODE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY SITE DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE A PROPERTY OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE.AND THE PROPERTY OWNER WHO'S DEVELOPING THE SITE IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLYING WITH THE KIND OF HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT ELIZABETH WERE TOO.
WE DON'T HAVE AN AUTOMATIC BOX.
IF, IF, IF THE, IF IT'S KIND OF KNOWN LIKE YOU NOW KNOW, STAFF KNOWS THAT THERE'S SUSPICION OF, OF GRAVES, WOULD THAT BE PART OF THE SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS, THEN I'M NOT, I KNOW WHAT WE CAN PUT IN A ZONING ORDINANCE.
I KNOW THAT WE CAN MAKE LIKE PLAN AWARE, POINT PLAN, REVIEW, AWARE, AND INSPECTION, AWARE OF THE ISSUES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO QUANTIFY THE FACT OF A PARTICULAR PROPERTY BEING REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH EXTRA STEPS.
SORRY IF I'M TAKING TOO LONG, BUT WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE CASE, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US AS A PLANNING COMMISSION TO PUT A CONDITION ON A SITE PLAN OR ON THE DEVELOPS SUBMISSION OF A SITE PLAN TO SAY THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF SURVEY, IF WE WERE TO HEAR THIS CASE TONIGHT, WOULD THAT BE AN OPTION FOR US? RIGHT.
THE ZONING IS WHAT'S UNDER DISCUSSION FOR TONIGHT.
ADD VMU TO THE EXISTING ZONING THAT'S ON THE SITE.
I DON'T, I MAY BE WRONG, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S AN AVENUE TO, UH, REQUIRE THAT IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS ADVISED, BUT I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE REQUIRED BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT A ZONING ITEM.
BUT WE COULD MAKE IT A CONDITIONAL USE.
NO, I'M NOT SAYING I'LL USE JUST A, JUST A, KIND OF A COMMENT OR A REQUEST.
UH, SO I THINK, UH, MR. HAZARA HAD THE LAST QUESTION HERE.
AND JUST, UH, IT, YEAH, SO I THINK WE, UM, ARE FINISHED WITH OUR QA, SO, UH, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, SO WE DON'T NEED TO CLOSE IT, BUT WHAT WE DO NEED TO DO IS, UH, OUR NEXT STEP IS TO, UH, DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO HEAR THIS, UH, DISCUSSION TONIGHT OR POSTPONE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, TOPS.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE WE OPEN THE DEBATE? NO, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION.
OH, SHIRLEY, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
I WAS JUST GONNA, I WAS GONNA, SO THAT WE COULD DISCUSS THIS, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE POSTPONEMENT AS REQUESTED WITH THE SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT THE APPLICANT, UM, COME BACK AND, AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION, AND THE PRESERVATION OFTEN A BOARD BASED ON THIS LETTER THAT WE RECEIVED.
DO I HAVE A SECOND ACT? I SEE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CONLEY.
UH, SO, UM, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION COMMISSIONER COX? YEAH.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM STAFF IS THAT THERE'S REALLY NO MECHANISM ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISM TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE READ ABOUT, UM, FROM, FROM VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, AND OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE WAY MORE WELL-VERSED IN THIS THAN, THAN I PERSONALLY AM.
UM, AND THE STAFF TOLD US THAT, UM, THE APPLICANT DID INCLUDE A, WHAT THEY TERMED THE DESKTOP SURVEY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PARTICULAR AREA, MAYBE MORE, UH, THAN A DESKTOP SURVEYS REQUIRED.
AND SO IF THERE'S NO ADMINISTRATIVE WAY TO, TO HAVE THE APPLICANT, UM, ADDRESS THESE ISSUES DURING SITE PLAN, THEN BASICALLY OUR VOTE IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN ON THIS DOWNING CASE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M REQUESTING OR, OR, UH, HOPING THAT WE CAN POSTPONE IT WITH, WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT THAT THE APPLICANT RETURNED TO US WITH, UM, A RESPONSE TO, TO THESE CONCERNS.
SO, UM, I SAW COMMISSIONER CZAR'S HAND GO UP.
ARE YOU SPEAKING IN, UM, AGAINST THIS ITEM OR IN FAVOR CLARIFICATION QUESTION FOR THE MOTION?
[00:50:01]
WHAT IS THE DEET DO WISH FOR POSTPONING? UH, SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO REMIND ME, BUT, BUT, UH, IT'S POSTPONED AS REQUESTED URINATE.SO ABOUT A MONTH, A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, I, I DON'T KNOW IF A BETTER DATE IS APPROPRIATE.
I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COMMISSIONER.
SO, SO WE'RE, UH, SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER, UH, JUST TO GET IS THE, UH, TWO POSTPONE TILL JUNE EIGHT.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE HEARD, UH, COMMISSIONER KHAN SPEAK IN FAVOR OF HIS MOTION.
NOW I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS SPEAKING OR IF YOU NEED A CLARIFICATION FROM THE MOTION MAKER, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING A COMMISSIONER PUSH SELLER.
WHAT, UH, GO AHEAD AND SEEK CLARIFICATION.
THE LETTER FROM THE, THE, UM, PERSON REQUESTING A STAY ON THE HEARING WAS BECAUSE THEY HADN'T IDENTIFIED FORMALLY THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AND WHO HAS THE RIGHTS TO FILE THE PETITION.
AND SO IT MIGHT, I, I, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE TWO ISSUES AT PLAY.
WE HAVE THEIR REQUESTS BY, FOR, FOR THE POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE THE PROPERTY OWNER HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE THIS PROPERTY MIGHT BE OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE IN THAT KIND OF THING THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO IDENTIFY THAT OWNER SO THAT IT IS GIVEN DUE PROCESS THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, ZONING CASE.
SO I JUST WAS LOOKING TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE TO, UH, RESPOND BACK AS TO WHY THE POSTPONEMENT WAS EVEN REQUESTED? OKAY.
I THINK, UM, YES, YOU'RE, IT DIDN'T WANT THAT TO GET LOST THAT IF WE DO DECIDE THERE'S A POSTPONEMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PARTICULARS OF THIS PROPERTY, THE KEY FEATURE IS WE NEED TO KNOW WHO IS THE LEGAL OWNER AND WHO HAS THE RIGHTS TO RESPOND TO THE ZONING CHANGE THAT'S COMING THROUGH.
SO, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET BACK.
UH, ARE THERE ANY, UH, SO CLARIFYING, I GUESS YOU'RE JUST ADDING THAT THAT'S, UM, WAS THE OTHER PURPOSE FOR THE REQUEST? UM, SO THE LADY SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, CAN I MAKE AN AMENDMENT RATHER THAN POSTPONE FOR TWO MONTHS? UM, CAN, CAN I SUGGEST WE POSTPONE IT FOR TWO WEEKS AND, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT NECESSARILY EXPECTING RESOLUTION IN TWO WEEKS.
I'M EXPECTING THE, THE APPLICANT TO COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH, YOU KNOW, THE TEXAS HISTORICALS.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY AND SAY, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND THAT WE CAN HEAR THE CASE AT THAT, UM, AT THAT TIME WITH THOSE COMMITMENTS AND WE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THOSE COMMITMENTS.
DO WE THINK THOSE ARE ENOUGH FOR, DO WE THINK WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO POSTPONE IT? UM, BUT THIS, THIS GIVES US A CHANCE FOR THE APPLICANT TO COME BACK QUICKLY ON RESOLUTION OF THE ARCHEOLOGY.
I NEED A SECOND TO COMMISSIONER THOMPSON TO AMENDMENT, UH, COMMISSIONER.
DO, UH, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK ANY ADDITIONALLY TO YOUR AMENDMENT, MR. TUCKSON? NO, JUST THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE IT RESOLVED.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE SURVEY WITHIN TWO, TWO WEEKS, BUT JUST TELL US WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
AND HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, AGREED AND, AND MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGNED SOMEWHERE.
AND I, CAN I JUST ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR, OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE VOTED ON YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SECONDED, HAVE YOU, YEAH, I THINK, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE THIS UP AS A, UH, I'M JUST GONNA A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
IT IS, IT IS QUITE A BIT DIFF IT IS A DIFFERENT, UH, SO DO YOU WANNA, IS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? THAT'S FINE.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UM, UH, FROM THE COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, COMMISSIONER HANDFUL.
YOU DO YOU STILL SECOND THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
SO WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HANDFUL.
AND ANY FOLKS AGAINST A FINISHER SNYDER? YES.
UH, I, UH, I, I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT WE, UH, ASK THE LANDMARK COMMISSION AT THEIR NEXT MEETING FOR US? UM, I THINK THEY MEET ON THE 26TH, WHICH WOULD BE IF, UM, IF STAFF COULD COME BACK AND DOWNLOAD JUST TO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, BUT THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE THAT WE REQUEST A HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION
[00:55:01]
TO REVIEW THIS CASE AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS.I AM GETTING FEEDBACK FROM MY CLERK THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT COMMISSIONER SNYDER.
WE CAN'T MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, OR WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SEND IT TO THEM OR REVIEW, OH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
SO THEY'RE OUT THERE AND LISTENING.
AND SO HERE, WE'RE, UH, UH, SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO, UH, POST ON THIS FOR TWO WEEKS.
I HAVE, UM, I HAVEN'T ANYBODY SPEAKING AGAINST ANY COMMISSIONER SPEAKING FOR THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
ANY SPEAKERS AGAINST, OR FOR ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK COMMISSIONER JADA'S POLITO FOR OR AGAINST? IF I COULD JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK NEUTRALLY.
I MEAN, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE PUTTING INTO PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, I, I JUST THANK YOU TO THE MOTION MAKERS AND MENDERS AND SUBSTITUTE MOTION OWNERS.
UM, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED THOUGH, JUST ABOUT THE OVERALL CIRCUMSTANCE AND WHAT, UH, HAS BEEN REQUESTED, REQUESTED, AND WE WERE REQUESTED MUCH MORE TIME.
AND SO I GET THAT THIS IS NOT FOR RESOLUTION, UM, BUT I HAVE OTHER CONCERNS AROUND NOTIFICATION.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARTIES ALL ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
UM, IF WE DO, UH, PASS THEM THE AMENDMENT THIS WAY.
SO I'M, I'M A LITTLE NEUTRAL ON THIS ONE.
I WAS ACTUALLY JUST GONNA COMMENT THAT.
I THINK I DID HEAR THAT ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO FUCK TONIGHT, BUT DIDN'T SIGN UP IN TIME OR SOMETHING AND WASN'T ABLE TO TALK.
AND SO IF, IF STAFF COULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE AND, AND REALLY GET, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE PROCESS VERY CLEAR TO THEM SO THAT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK NEXT TIME IS SIGNED UP AND READY TO GO.
SO LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE A VOTE ON THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO POSTPONE FOR TWO WEEKS THAT WOULD BRING THIS BACK TO US ON APRIL 27TH, 2021.
UH, IT WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, MOTION SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HEPPELL.
SO THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GREEN 12.
THAT CLEARS OUR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT ITEM AND MOVES US INTO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND I'M GOING TO QUICKLY REVIEW THAT PROCESS.
UM, LET'S SEE, WE HAVE THE FIRST ITEM ORGANIZED HERE.
UH, WE HAVE ITEMS B ONE AND B2, BUT REAL QUICKLY.
UM, SO THE PUBLIC THEORIES, UH, THIS IS HOW THEY HAPPENED JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW.
UH, WE WILL START WITH A STAFF PRESENTATION, UH, THAT'S UP TO SIX MINUTES, AND THEN WE HEAR FROM THOSE THAT ARE FOR THE, UM, THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ITEM.
AND WE'LL HEAR FIRST FROM THE APPLICANT, THEY HAVE SIX MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE DEAD SPOTS FOR THOSE IN FAVOR.
UM, THREE SPOTS AT ALTER, SORRY, SIX SPOTS AT THREE MINUTES EACH AND THEN AN UNLIMITED NUMBER AT ONE MINUTE EACH.
AND THEN WE GO TO THOSE, UH, HEAR FROM THOSE THAT ARE OPPOSED.
AND SIMILARLY, WE HAVE A PRIMARY OPPONENT THAT WILL BE GIVEN SIX MINUTES, AND THEN WE MOVE INTO THE OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, SIX AND THREE MINUTES AND UNLIMITED UP TO ONE MINUTE A PIECE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE APPLICANT HAS A CHANCE FOR REBUTTAL, WHICH IS THREE MINUTES.
AND THEN WE WILL VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU JUST, WE JUST DID.
WE'LL GO INTO Q AND A, AND THEN WE'LL ENTERTAIN, UH, MOTIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S THE PROCESS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, AND
[Items B1. & B2. ]
WE WILL START AND WE'LL TAKE THEM TOGETHER, UH, ITEMS P ONE AND P TWO.AND SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE STAFF, UH, SHOULD BE READY TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION, BRING MEREDITH HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT ITEM NUMBER
[01:00:01]
B.ONE IS NPA 2021 ZERO ZERO TWO 1.01 S H PARKER APARTMENTS.
THE PROPERTY ADDRESS IS 2,105 PARKER LANE.
IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLTORF COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA.
THE REQUEST IS TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM CIVIC TO MULTIFAMILY LAND USE.
WE DID RECEIVE A LETTER IN OPPOSITION FROM THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLTORF COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM.
AND THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, 15 THING COMMISSIONER.
THIS IS KATE CARTS WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M PRESENTING ITEM B TWO ON YOUR AGENDA.
THIS IS CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2021 DASH ZERO ZERO EIGHT DOT S H PARKER APARTMENT.
THIS PROPERTY IS APPROXIMATELY 7.8 ACRES AND IS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF PARKER LANE.
IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED
THEY ARE PROPOSING TO BUILD A 140 UNIT COMPLEX WITH ONSITE SURFACE LEVEL PARKING.
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN CERTIFIED AS A SMART HOUSING PROJECT, AND THEY'RE PLANNING TO DEDICATE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE UNITS TO SERVE FAMILIES AT OR BELOW 60% MSI.
SETH IS RECOMMENDING REBUILDING THE SITE AND S3 MP IS PROPERTY AS LONG STRETCHER PARKER LANE CONSISTING OF
ALL OF THESE HAVE SIMILAR HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS BETWEEN 35 AND 40 FEET AND SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARD RESENTING THIS PROPERTY TO, AND THE FOUR MP WOULD ALLOW SOME BUILDINGS TO BE BUILT UP TO 60 FEET IN HEIGHT AND WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING ZONING PATTERN ON THIS PORTION OF PARKER LANE, A VALID PETITION OF PERSON IS THE ZONING FOR THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN FILED.
AND HIS CURRENT PERCENTAGE IS AT 33.01% THAT PETITION A MATH AT THE PETITION AREA AND ASSOCIATED PROPERTY OWNERS AND SIGNATURES RECEIVED TO DATE WERE INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKUP.
IT CONCLUDES MY STAFF SUMMARY OF THE RETURNING CASE, AND I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO HEAR, UH, FROM THE APPLICANT, UH, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE, AND, UH, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HEARING OUR CASE TONIGHT.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PARKER APARTMENTS.
UH, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SERVICES IN AUSTIN.
NOW WE'RE HOME GROWN STARTED HERE 35 YEARS AGO.
WE'VE NEVER SOLD ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
NOW WE HAVE 23 COMMUNITIES, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST FOR ABOUT 7,000 RESIDENTS, UM, INCLUDING, UH, ARBOR TERRACE, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE PARKER SIDE.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE REALLY KNOWN FOR IS THAT OUR PROPERTIES ARE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED.
THEY'RE WELL-MANAGED, UH, WE HAVE WAIT LISTS PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE.
UM, AND WE PROVIDE TREMENDOUS ONSITE SNACK SERVICES, UM, LEARNING CENTERS, UH, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, UH, HEALTH PROGRAMS, THE, THE PARKER SITE IS EIGHT ACRES.
AND WHAT WE'VE DESIGNED IS 135 NEW AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS.
ALL OF THEM WILL BE AFFORDABLE.
HALF OF THE APARTMENTS ARE AT VERY DEEP RENTS BELOW 50% OF THE MEDIAN RENT, MEDIAN, FAMILY INCOME RENT.
WE WE'VE DESIGNED THE PROPERTY REALLY FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS.
80% OF THE UNITS ARE TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS, WHICH IS, UH, NOT LIKE A NORMAL CONVENTIONAL APARTMENT.
UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE DEEP AFFORDABILITY AND THE UNIT MIX.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'RE KEEPING THREE AND A HALF ACRES OF GREEN SPACE WHILE WE'RE INCLUDING A WILDFLOWER MEADOW OUT IN FRONT OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE'RE KEEPING THE DENSITY LOW, UH, TO ALLOW GREEN SPACE FOR KIDS TO ENJOY.
WE'RE SAVING ALL THE LARGE TREES ON THE SITE.
AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, 14 OF THE APARTMENTS WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN HOMELESS.
WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD OF THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S CALLED OUR CHILDREN'S HOME INITIATIVE.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH FAMILIES, UH, FROM SAFE AND FROM PASSAGES AND FROM
[01:05:01]
THE RAF GABER VILLAGE AND OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS, UH, TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF WRAPAROUND SUPPORT STAMP SERVICES TO HELP FAMILIES SUCCEED.WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO, UH, COMPLETELY REPLACED THE OLD AND RUNDOWN CHURCH BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE NOT REALLY ANYMORE TO BUILD A NEW COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER.
THE CENTER WILL HAVE OFFICES FOR THE JUSTICE, FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, IMMIGRATION, UH, PROGRAM.
WE'LL HAVE OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH LINDER ELEMENTARY.
WE HAVE 11 LEARNING CENTERS ACROSS TOWN, AND WE HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND KIDS WITH A GPA OF 3.4, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
THE CENTER WILL HAVE A FOOD PANTRY SPACE FOR FITNESS CLASSES AND OTHER HEALTH PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE TALKING WITH, UH, WE'LL HAVE SPACE FOR PARTNERS LIKE MEALS ON WHEELS.
AND WE'RE TALKING WITH AVANT SAY, ANY BABY CAN AND MAMA SAUNA.
AND WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE CHURCH AS WELL, BUT NOT A METHODIST CHURCH FOR OFFICE SPACE.
THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE ZONING SITE FOR MULTIFAMILY.
YOU'VE GOT MULTI-FAMILY ON TWO SIDES, ALREADY, A CHURCH TO THE SOUTH ACROSS PARKER.
YOU HAVE THE HERITAGE OAKS PARK, UH, AS WELL AS SOME SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES.
IT'S AN AMAZING LOCATION FOR FAMILIES THAT IT'S STILL CENTRAL, IT'S NEAR TRANSIT GROCERIES JOBS.
IT'S ALSO AN AREA THAT WE ALL KNOW IS VERY QUICKLY GENTRIFYING AND WE'RE LOSING AFFORDABILITY FAST.
OUR PROPOSAL IS ABSOLUTELY CONSISTENT WITH SO MANY CITY PLANS LIKE THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, THE MOBILITY PLAN, THE CLIMATE PLAN, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THESE NEW CITY PLANS.
WE'VE GOT GREAT SUPPORTERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE REMAIN WILLING TO WORK WITH NEIGHBORS ON THINGS LIKE USE OF THE LEARNING CENTER AND OTHER AMENITIES ADDRESSING DESIGN CONCERNS, WORKING ON TRAFFIC CALMING.
BUT HONESTLY, THERE ARE JUST SOME NEIGHBORS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT, NO MATTER WHAT THEY JUST, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO REALLY BE BUILT ON THE LAND.
THEY WANT TO JUST KEEP IT WIDE OPEN.
THEY WANT TO KEEP THE WILD FLOWERS.
THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE HUGE, NEW, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE WELL-DESIGNED FAMILY HOUSING FOR 135 FAMILIES, A NEW COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER, 14 APARTMENTS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN HOMELESS WITH THE SUPPORT SERVICES TO REALLY HELP THEM THRIVE.
FINALLY, IF WE'RE NOT APPROVED, WE'LL LOSE $15 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING THAT IS ALREADY HEADED FOR APPROVAL.
THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
PLEASE RECOMMEND PARKER TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UH, SABRINA, MEGAN, AND OTHERS ON OUR TEAM ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.
UH, SPEAKING HERE AND I WANT TO TAKE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A TIME CONSTRAINT, UM, IS IT IN, UH, LEBRATO TENANT? UH, YOU'RE A ONE MINUTE SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS IAN TENANT AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE ALL TOWARDS COMMUNITY.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO EXPRESS SOME SUPPORT FOR FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
I'M EXPRESSING MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AS BOTH A NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY MEMBER, AS WELL AS A VOLUNTEER WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, I CURRENTLY LIVE AT THE CHAMONIX CONDOS AT OLD TORQUE AND WICKERSHAM, OR I ALSO SERVED AS A BOARD MEMBER AND TREASURER FOR MY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, UH, AS A VOLUNTEER TAX PREPARER, FINANCIAL COACH, UH, AND MONEY MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTOR WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING AFFORDABILITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, I CAN'T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH ABOUT THE BENEFITS THEY PROVIDE TO RESIDENTS AND HOW THEY'RE THOUGHTFUL, COMPASSIONATE, UH, INCLUSIVE AND HOUSING.
FIRST APPROACH HAS CREATED A SUSTAINED LIFE STABILITY FOR, FOR MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT CALL THEIR PROPERTIES HOME.
UH, THEY ALSO PROVIDE ABUNDANT WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS, UM, INCLUDING CASE MANAGEMENT, ADULTS, EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY PROGRAMS, WHERE I VOLUNTEER AND LEARNING CENTERS FOR THE CHILDREN OF RESIDENTS.
UH, THE LEARNING CENTERS ARE AMAZING AND GIVE, UH, KIDS A FREE OPPORTUNITY FOR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS THAT CREATE SAFETY, UH, AND ENRICHMENT FOR THEM AT SUCH A PIVOTAL AGE.
UH, AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE, THE VOLUNTEER RUN TAX PREP CENTERS, WHERE I'VE, WHERE I'VE SPENT MANY YEARS VOLUNTEERING ARE HUBS OF COMMUNITY AND HOPE
[01:10:01]
WHERE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET MANY OF MY OWN NEIGHBORS AND ASSIST THEM WITH PREPARING AND FILING TAX RETURNS.SOMETHING THAT IS OFTEN A STRESSFUL PROCESS THAT WE FIND A LOT OF PEACE OF MIND AND FINANCIAL CLARITY, UM, IN HELPING ONE ANOTHER.
IT'S MY TIME THERE HAS REALLY SHOWN ME WHAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS TO BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S NO SECRET THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF, UH, THE RISING ACTION OF AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
AND IT'S BEEN DEVELOPING IN THE CITY FOR, FOR MANY YEARS.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO SHOW ANY SIGNS OF SWELLING.
UM, LET'S PRETEND THAT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT TO WRAP IT UP.
I NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
UM, SO NEXT WE HAVE, UM, SABRINA BUTLER FOLLOWED BY LAWRENCE SUNDERLAND AND THEN KEVIN REED, UH, YOU ALL EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WE HAVE SABRINA BUTLER'S STAR SIX 10 MEET.
I'M ACTUALLY JUST HERE WITH THE APPLICANT FOR ANY QUESTIONS, SO I CAN, UM, GET MY TIME AND YOU CAN GO ONTO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, SO LAWRENCE, UH, SUNDERLAND FOLLOWED BY KEVIN REED AND THEN MEGAN, MATTHEW IT'S AFTER THAT, IF WE CAN, UM, GO BACK TO MR. SUTHERLAND.
SO HIS WILL, UH, IS 10 AND REED AVAILABLE.
OH, ERIC OR MR. SANDERLIN, ARE YOU, UM, YEAH, I'M READY TO GO.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR SENSOR THERE AND THEN FOLLOWED BY KEVIN REED.
UH, MY NAME IS LARRY SANDERLIN.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE ROCK CONTACT TEAM AND ALL RIGHT.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE IRAQ CONTACT TEAM AND FRIENDS OF RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
YOU GOT THE FIRST PART I'VE LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVER 20 YEARS AND BEEN A PART OF EVERY PLANNING PROCESS.
IMAGINE AUSTIN, THE RIVERSIDE TOD, UH, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE METHODIST CHURCH AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR THIS LAND FOUNDATION.
COMMUNITY IS ALREADY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DOING THEIR GOOD WORK.
THE CHURCH HAS DONE GREAT WORK HERE FOR DECADES.
HOWEVER, THE CITY, HOWEVER, THE CITY CHOOSES TO LABEL THIS LAND.
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS REALLY SACRED GROUND.
IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT TO THE CALLING OF THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION, BUT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, IT WILL NOT LOSE ITS FOOTHOLD INFLUENCE IN EAST RIVERSIDE, AND CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE THAT MISSION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY.
I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO ALLOW BOTH OF THEM TO LIVE THEIR VALUES AND BENEFIT US IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE HAVE MR. REED, UM, IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE FOLLOWED BY MEGAN MATTHEWS.
UM, MY NAME IS KEVIN REED AND I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE RIO, TEXAS CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THIS APPLICATION, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS THE OWNER OF WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS WARD MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU RECEIVED EARLIER THIS WEEK, AN EMAIL FROM PASTOR TERESA WELLBOURNE, WHO'S OUR DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, UH, WHO ALSO EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT WARD MEMORIAL AND ITS SUCCESS OR LATER PARKER LANE, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AS HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPRESSED AS A VERY LONG HISTORY IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
UH, AS WELL AS BEING A TRADITIONAL WORSHIP CENTER, THE CHURCH HAD A LONG HISTORY OF MISSION WORK IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY WAS ACTED IN FOOD TO THE VERY CLOTHING DRIVE SERVICES TO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD OF THIS CHURCH'S ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE RECOGNIZED THAT THE CHURCH WAS IN DECLINE.
THE CONGREGATION WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE BUILDING OR TO SUPPORT A FULL-TIME PASTOR AND FOLLOWING A NUMBER OF EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THE CHURCH.
WE MADE THE VERY DIFFICULT TASK THAT IT WAS TIME TO CLOSE THE SITE.
UM, SADLY, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, CHURCH MEMBERSHIP HAS DECLINED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UH, AND WE HAVE MORE EXPERIENCED THAN WE FRANKLY WISHED TO HAVE CLOSING CHURCHES AND DISPOSING OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
UH, WE OFTEN PLACE CHURCH PROPERTY FOR SALE AND SIMPLY SEEK THE BEST OFFER.
WE DID NOT DO THAT IN THIS CASE.
[01:15:01]
ON IN THIS CASE, WE MADE A DECISION THAT THIS SITE WAS DIFFERENT.UH, WE KNEW THAT IF WE SOLD THIS SITE, THE METHODIST CHURCH WOULD NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO AFFORD A SITE IN THE SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AREA.
WE ALSO DECIDED THAT EVEN WITHOUT A TRADITIONAL WORSHIP CENTER, WE WANTED A CONTINUED PRESENCE IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
AND FOR THOSE REASONS, WE DECIDED TO SEEK A LEASE WITH AN ENTITY THAT WAS WILLING TO PARTNER WITH US AND WILLING TO MEET SOME SORT OF ONGOING COMMUNITY NEED.
UH, OVER TIME WE WERE INTRODUCED TO FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
WE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME REVIEWING THE HISTORY OF THE EXPERIENCE, LOOKING AT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, FACILITIES, TO ASSURE OURSELVES QUITE FRANKLY, THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE WANTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH.
UH, AND I CAN TELL YOU TODAY, WITHOUT ANY HESITATION, THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN AUSTIN.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REALLY BEING A PARTNER WITH THEM.
UH, HOPEFULLY NOT ONLY ON THIS SIDE, BUT PERHAPS ON OTHER SIDES, THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES LEASE.
WE'LL KEEP THE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY, ACTUALLY WITH THE WILL WITH THE CHURCH, WE WILL ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE SITE.
IT WILL GIVE THE CHURCH APARTMENT PLACE ON THE SITE, ALONG WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES FOR OFFICE SPACE.
IT'S OUR INTENT TO USE THAT CHURCH DEDICATED SPACE IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED HISTORICALLY IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, UH, AS HAS ALREADY, AS WALTER ALREADY SAID, WE HOPE TO RETURN OUR FREE LEGAL IMMIGRATION CLINIC JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, TO THE OFFICES ON THE SITE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES TO BE SURE THAT SPACE WILL BE CONTINUED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR MEALS ON WHEELS, FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND FOR OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN AVAILABLE ON THE CAMPUS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE'RE NOT SELLING AND LEAVING PARKER LANE.
WE'VE WE'VE SPECIFICALLY WORKED WITH, WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS, TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE STARTED IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AT THIS LOCATION, BUT HOPEFULLY TO DO THAT IN BRAND NEW, MORE EFFICIENT SPACE MADE AVAILABLE TO US BY PARTNERING WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE'RE AT THE END OF YOUR TIME, I'M SORRY.
UH, SO NEXT WE HAVE, UM, MEGAN MATTHEWS FOLLOWED BY ALICIA LONG AND YOU EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, STARTS TO SEND ME IT.
WE HAVE MEGAN MATTHEWS STAR SIX 10 MEET.
HI, THIS IS MEGAN MATTHEWS, DIRECTOR OF DESIGN FOR FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UM, LIKE SABRINA BUTLER.
I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, LET'S GO AND MOVE ON TO ALICIA VAUGHN OR ARE YOU AVAILABLE SPEAK AGAIN? MY NAME IS ALESIO WONG.
I AM VERY HAPPY TO ENDORSE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY'S ROLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES NOW FOR 16 YEARS, AND I AM NOT EVEN THE OLDEST PERSON HERE.
I AM ABOUT 50%, UH, YOU KNOW, MODAL OF, OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO LIVE WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND THESE APARTMENTS, AND JUST SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.
WE FOUND OUR PERMANENT HOME AND I'M HERE TO ENDORSE IT ON THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL AS A SINGLE MOM WHO WAS, UH, RUNNING AWAY FROM AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP, I HAD TO CHANGE CAREERS.
AND AS WALTER SAYS, THEY WANT TO BE THE LAST OWNER OF RECORD, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT BROUGHT ME TO TEARS WHEN I'VE HEARD THEM SPEAK.
AND I CAN GIVE WITNESS TO THE FACT THAT ALL THESE WRAP AROUND SERVICES HELP, NOT JUST, UH, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, BUT FAMILIES WHO ARE STRESSED EITHER BY DISABILITY, BY DIVORCE, BY MIGRATION.
AND I CAN ALSO ENDORSE THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE MUSLIM POPULATION AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
I JUST WALKED HOME TODAY AND WE HAD A TWO PAGE TYPEWRITTEN LETTER TELLING US, HEY, IT'S GOING TO BE RAMADAN.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE CORRECT WAY TO, TO, UH, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT.
SO I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT A JOY IT IS TO COME AND LIVE IN A PLACE THAT TRULY GIVES PEOPLE A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES CAN THRIVE.
AND IT IT'S FAMILIES OF ANY BACKGROUND, EVERY BACKGROUND, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE STRESSED ECONOMICALLY OR STRESSED, UM,
[01:20:01]
EMOTIONALLY.AND, UM, I CAN BEAR WITNESS TO MANY SUCCESS.
STORIES OF THAT HAVE PUMPED FROM HERE HAVE GONE ON TO ANN RICHARDS HAVE GONE ON TO UT I'VE GONE ON A WINCH SCHOLAR, GET SCHOLARSHIPS TO, UH, FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIPS, TO, UH, AND AS A SINGLE MOM, UH, MY MAIN CONCERN WAS THE CARE OF MY DAUGHTER.
HOW DO I, HOW DO I MAINTAIN A JOB WHILE MY DAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, WHILE I'M MY DAUGHTER'S COMING OUT OF SCHOOL AND NO ONE TO SUPERVISE AND, UM, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES DOES IT.
IT PROVIDES FREE AFTERSCHOOL DAYCARE, AND IT'S NOT JUST RE, BUT IT'S, WORRY-FREE AFTERSCHOOL DAYCARE.
I STILL SAY HELLO TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WRAPPED MY DAUGHTER UP IN A RAINSTORM AND, AND TURNED HER INTO A SHE, IN HER WORDS, A BURRITO OF LOVE.
WE HAVE TRULY BECOME A COMMUNITY.
AND I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT A BENEFIT AND WHAT A BLESSING IT WILL BE FOR THE PARKER APARTMENTS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF COMMITMENT, THIS KIND OF FLEXIBILITY, AND THIS KIND OF JUST SHEER OPENNESS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
UM, I CAN WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENDORSED, UH, FOUNDATION COMMUNITY'S MISSION AND THE WAY THEY CARRY OUT, THEY CARRY FORTH THEIR MISSION.
SO IF I CAN RECRUIT YOU TO THE BOARD WHEN YOU ARE DONE, UH, THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE DAVID HART FOLLOWED BY KELLY.
UH, IS IT TOUCH IT? AND YOU EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES? UM, MY NAME IS DAVID HART.
UH, MY NAME IS DAVID HART AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PARKER APARTMENTS PLAN AMENDMENT.
UH, I'VE BEEN HOMELESS IN AUSTIN FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
DURING THIS TIME, I WAS ASKED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY CARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS A BOARD MEMBER FOR FIVE YEARS, I TRANSLATED MY LIFE EXPERIENCES AS HOMELESS AND TO TERMS THAT OTHER MEMBERS COULD UNDERSTAND.
I ALSO BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS COUNCIL, WHERE I WAS EDUCATED ON HEALTH CARE ISSUES, UNIQUE TO THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
WHAT ARE THESE ISSUES WITH HOW FINDING PERMANENT HOUSING IMPROVES THE HEALTH OF THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? DURING THIS TIME, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET INCOME SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO QUALIFY ME FOR AN APARTMENT AT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES PROPERTY.
MY HEALTH ISSUES COULD BE ADDRESSED.
I HAVE BEEN LIVING AT ARBOR TERRORS, A PROPERTY JUST SOUTH OF OIL STORE ON IAS 35 FRONTAGE ROAD FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS AFTER TRANSITIONING OFF THE COMMUNITY CARE BOARD, I WAS APPROACHED.
I FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES DEPART PERFORM ESSENTIALLY THE SAME ROLE ON THEIR BOARD.
I HAVE BEEN ON THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES BOARD FOR OVER THREE YEARS AS A FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, BOARD MEMBER, I'VE TOURED MANY OF OUR PROPERTIES, AND I'VE TALKED TO MANY RESIDENTS BEFORE COVID.
WE USED TO HAVE OPEN HOUSES WHERE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COULD LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROPERTIES.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THESE OPEN HOUSES WAS TALKING TO MEMBERS OF THAT PROPERTIES AND MEDIA NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WOULD OFTEN SHOW UP TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I BELIEVE I HAVE THE CREDENTIALS TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS VALUE IN RETURNING, RETURNING THE HOMELESS TO THE COMMUNITY, BY PLACING THEM INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, BEAR THIS OUT.
THE PARKER LANE PROPERTY WILL RETURN FAMILIES TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WILL STRENGTHEN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WILL BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, JUST LIKE AT ALL OF OUR OTHER PROPERTIES.
UH, NEXT AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER AND THIS'LL BE THE LAST THREE MINUTES SLOT AS WELL AT TIM THOMAS.
ARE YOU THERE A STAR SIX TO UNMUTE OR TELE POCKET? OH YES.
MY NAME IS THERE A MR. POCKET? THERE I AM.
[01:25:01]
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND THEN FOLLOWED BY TIM THOMAS.I LIVE AT 1802 CEDAR RIDGE DRIVE.
I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 35 YEARS NOW.
CEDAR RIDGE DRIVE IS, UH, RUNS PARALLEL TO PARKER LANE.
IT'S THE NEXT STREET EAST OF PARKER.
UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS IT'S DEFINITELY A MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'VE I'VE OFTEN CALLED A TRANSITIONAL OR BLENDED.
UH, THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO DUPLEXES, CONDOS, APARTMENTS, LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, SMALL ONES.
MY WIFE AND I WALKED OVER TO THIS PROPERTY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND LOOKED AROUND TO TRY AND IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH A FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES PROPERTY ON IT.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU PARDON ME, THAT I, I, I LOOKED AROUND AND IT LOOKED LIKE A PERFECT FIT FOR ME.
UM, DIRECTLY SOUTH OF THE PROPERTY IS THE MORMON CHURCH.
AND DIRECTLY SOUTH OF THAT IS A P TERRY'S HAMBURGER JOINT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THOSE TWO IS, UH, THE HILLSIDE CREEK APARTMENTS.
UM, THAT'S ALSO AN EIGHT ACRE DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT HAS ALMOST TWICE THE DENSITY OF, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY THAT, THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IS PLANNING.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT A HIGH DENSITY PROJECT.
UM, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF LAND.
LOT OF OLD OAKS FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IS WELL-KNOWN FOR BEING ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE WHEN THEY BUILT.
IN ADDITION, THEY I'M TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL ABOUT THE WAY THEY RUN THEIR PROPERTIES.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT WILL BE WELL-MANAGED.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THEM BUILDING THIS AND I'M TOTALLY GOOD WITH IT.
I'M SPEAKING AS A NEIGHBOR, AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THIS AREA.
NOW, UM, I THINK, UH, WE'RE READY TO HEAR FROM TIM THOMAS AND BY MY COUNT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WITHIN LAST WEEK OR AT THREE MINUTES.
SO, UH, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE TIM THOMAS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
WELL, WHAT I THINK I'LL DO IS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO THOSE OPPOSED AND THEN, OH, OKAY.
SO MR. THOMAS, IF YOU'RE THERE PLEASE STAR SIX ON MUTE.
I DON'T KNOW STAFF THIS RIVERA WE'RE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY, WE CAN'T HEAR ANYBODY ON THE LINE.
COMMISSIONING WISE ON ANDOVER.
UM, I'M GOING TO HAVE MR. THOMAS DIAL BACK IN IF WE CAN NOW PROCEED TO THE, UH, UH, POSITION.
SO, UH, IN THE WE'LL GO AHEAD.
AS I SAID EARLIER, WHERE WE HAVE, UM, A PRIMARY OPPONENT AND, UH, BASED ON MY LIST, THAT'S MALCOLM YATES LAST SIX MINUTES, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE REMAINDER OF THE SPEAKERS I HAVE LISTED, WE'LL GET THREE MINUTES EACH.
SO, UM, IS THERE A MALCOLM YEATES, THEIR STAR SIX TO UNMUTE AND WE LEARNED LOOKING AT HER PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION UP PLEASE? YES.
I'M SEEING THE PRESENTATION WITH THE SHOWING THE PROPERTY KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW, RIGHT? THAT'S SLIDE NUMBER ONE.
[01:30:01]
RIVERSIDE OLTORF COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA, CONTACT TEAM SLIDE TWO, PLEASE.THE CONTACT TEAM VOTED TO OPPOSE THIS PLAN AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROPERTY, KEEP THE CIVIC ZONING AND TO BE MAINTAINED AS A COMMUNITY CENTER.
THE ROCK AREA HAS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN ANY OTHER AREA OF AUSTIN.
ONCE THIS AREA LACKS IS THE PROPERTIES WITH CIVIC USE.
ONE OF THE TOP GOALS OF THE IRAQ PLAN IS TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED MIX OF LAND USES.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY ONLY 26 ACRES OF CIVIC ZONE PROPERTY IN THE 745 ACRES OF THE RIVERSIDE NPA.
AND THERE IS NO COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE ENTIRE IRAQ AREA.
THIS CHURCH OPERATED AS A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE SYDNEY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FACILITY FOR THE THOUSANDS OF LOW INCOME RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT WERE HOSTED AT THIS PROPERTY.
THE CURRENT BUILDINGS ON THIS SITE CONSISTS OF A SANCTUARY THAT CAN BE USED FOR LARGE MEETINGS OFFICES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, A GYM WITH A BASKETBALL COURT AND A FULL COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AND A RESIDENCE THAT CAN ALSO BE USED AS OFFICES.
THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE FOR MORE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
THE NEAREST RECREATIONAL CENTER AND COMMUNITY CENTER ARE LOCATED ON MONTOPOLIS DRIVE OVER TWO MILES FROM THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA THAT WOULD BE SERVED BY THIS COMMUNITY CENTER.
THE RIVERSIDE TOGETHERNESS PROJECT IS A FEDERAL GRANT THAT TARGETS THE HIGHEST CRIME AREA IN AUSTIN.
THIS AREA CONSISTS OF THE LOW INCOME APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA THAT WOULD BE SERVED BY THIS COMMUNITY CENTER.
THIS IS A MAP OF THE UNITS, AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN 41 ZIP CODE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A LOT OF SLIDE EIGHT, PLEASE.
WITHIN 2000 FEET OF THE CHURCH PROPERTY, THERE ARE ALREADY FOUR SUBSIDIZED APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH A FIFTH COMPLEX BEING BUILT ON OLD PORTF AT WILLOW CREEK.
ELI CONTACT TEAM AND COMMUNITY ASKED THAT THIS PROPERTY CONTINUE TO BE ZONED AS CIVIC USE.
THIS WILL GIVE THE IRAQ COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE CHURCH AND THE CITY TO PROVIDE A BADLY NEEDED SERVICE TO THE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA.
THE ISSUE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA IS NOT THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX.
WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD PLENTY OF THEM IN THIS AREA.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE USED TO HAVE MORE, THE ISSUE IS THAT WE WILL LOSE THE LAST CHANCE FOR A READY-MADE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THIS AREA.
THERE ARE NO OTHER SUITABLE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE IN THE IRAQ AREA.
THIS IS THE REASON FOR OUR OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO HERE IS I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, ALLOW MR. THOMAS, I'VE BEEN TOLD HE'S AVAILABLE NOW TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, PRESENT AND THEN WE'LL GET BACK INTO THOSE OPPOSED.
SO THIS IS MR. THOMAS IS THE LAST SPEAKER FOR, ARE YOU THERE? HI, MY NAME IS THOMAS.
I'VE LIVED IN THE EAST SERVER-SIDE AREA FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS AS BOTH A RENTER AND A HOMEOWNER.
UM, RIGHT BEFORE WE GOT MARRIED, MY WIFE AND I ACTUALLY LIVED IN THE APARTMENTS NOW CALLED TOGA CONDOMINIUM CONDOMINIUMS, THE BACKUP, THE UMC CHURCH SITE.
MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS TRAVIS HIGH SCHOOL AND MY SON IS AT LIVELY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IN THE BEFORE TIMES, I COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY TO WORK ACROSS THE RIVER BY BIKE AND TRANSIT, AND WE'LL BE DOING SO AGAIN, WHEN THE OFFICE REOPENED, I'M ALSO SOMEWHAT UNRELATED, BUT A MISSIONARY KID WHOSE PARENTS WENT ON TWO MISSIONS WITH THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
UM, I USED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLTORF COMBINED CONTACT TEAM, BUT I QUIT.
IT BECAME A CARE PARENTS MADE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING PROCESS DOES NOT REPRESENT THE PEOPLE LIVING
[01:35:01]
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND IT HAS HELPED CREATE A MASSIVE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND THE DEPENDENCY ON CARS, EVEN IF THEY DID A DECADE AGO, THE FARM AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN DID NOT REPRESENT THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN TRY SHRINE INEQUALITY AND FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENT.
MY HOME ALSO BACKS UP TO A CHURCH ON BURLESON ROAD, WHICH TO COUNTERACT WHAT A KNOCKING JUST SAID.
THERE ARE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT COULD BE USED FOR CIVIC USES IN THE AREA.
UM, AND I'M IN EXACTLY THE SAME SITUATION AS THE HOMEOWNERS I'M PARKER.
AND I'M HOPING THAT SOMEDAY A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS COULD REPLACE THE CHURCH BEHIND ME.
ALL THE SCHOOLS HAD THIS THOUGHT MINGLE FEED INTO ARE UNDER ENROLLED AND NEED KIDS.
THESE SCHOOLS HAVE GONE FROM THE MOST OVER-ENROLLED IN AUSTIN TO UNDER ENROLLED IN JUST ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
WE NEED THESE KIDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY KIDS ATTEND THESE SCHOOLS AND MY WIFE IS ON THE PTA, TRAVIS HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE EXPERIENCE TO SERVE KIDS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS.
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR SENT ME THIS EMAIL.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OBJECTION TO FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES REQUESTS.
I'VE WORKED AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE EXTRAS THEY BRING WITH THEM TO THEIR PROJECTS.
IT WOULD BE THE BEST NEIGHBORS ANYONE COULD WANT.
WE NEED MORE OF THEIR PROJECTS, NOT LESS.
I AGREE AND URGE YOU TO RECOMMEND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT TAKES CLIMATE CHANGE.
SERIOUSLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO RESUME BACK INTO THE SPEAKERS OPPOSED, AND THE NEXT ON MY LIST IS ANY MCKENNA AND FOLLOWED BY FREDERICK, UH, WORK THEY'RE WORKING STAR SIX ON MUTE.
DO WE HAVE MR. MCKENNA CHAIR, COMMISSIONER WISE ON ANDOVER? I SEEN MR. MCKENNA, UM, STAR SIX IS NOT WORKING.
MR. MCKENNA, PLEASE CALL BACK IN IF WE COULD MOVE TO MR. DWORKIN.
HELLO, THIS IS MR. MCKENNA STAR SIX.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOU SINCE YOU ARE PRESENT.
DO I HAVE ONE MINUTE? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'LL I APPRECIATE THE TIME HAVE EVERYBODY PRESENT.
WHY DON'T YOU RAISE A COUPLE OF POINTS WITH A LOT OF RESPECT TO WHAT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, STARTING WITH I REALLY LIKE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, BUT LIKE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
I'M VERY OF ITS MISSION AND ITS EFFORTS AND ITS IMPACT.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECORD AND THE TESTIMONY OR THE FEEDBACK FROM THE OTHER PEOPLE IN FAVOR.
I RESPECT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AS WELL.
AND I WANTED TO RAISE A COUPLE OF POINTS IN OPPOSITION, UH, DESPITE THAT, AND I'LL TRY TO GET RIGHT TO THE POINT HERE.
UH, PARDON ME, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GIVING TESTIMONY IN SUCH A, AN ENVIRONMENT.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS REALLY JUST A MATTER OF EVERY DONATING PROPOSAL.
SO I WANTED TO SPEAK LESS SO OR SPECIFIC MERITS OF WHAT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED AND MORE TO THE PROPOSAL OF REZONING.
MY FIRST POINT AGAIN, IS THAT THE SERVERS THAT YOU SOLD IN ENTIRETY OF SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, A VERY HIGH DENSITY MULTI-FAMILY ZONING ALREADY, AND HISTORICALLY, AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BEFORE, THIS INCLUDES SOME OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN THE ENTIRETY OF THE AUSTIN AREA.
FOR THE ONLY REASON THAT COST HAS GONE UP, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF ZONING IT'S BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, LOCAL OR FMT PROPERTY OWNERS, I WOULD SUGGEST.
AND I THINK IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BEFORE THAT ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR PUBLIC HOUSING OR SOCIAL HOUSING OR THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITY SUGGESTS COULD BE BY TAKING OVER AND FIXING UP EXISTING APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR ALSO HOTELS AND MOTELS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ALREADY PART OF THE PLAN AND I SUPPORT IT.
UM, MY COUNTER-PROPOSAL, WHICH I'M SURE I'M NOT EXPRESSING CORRECTLY WOULD BE AS THE OTHER OPPOSITION I SUGGEST IS TO USE THIS SITE TO PROVIDE EQUALLY VALUABLE, SPECIFIC SERVICE DOES NOT REQUIRE AS DAUNTING CHANGE JUST REQUIRE A REDOUBLED COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THINGS LIKE OPEN FIELDS, GYMNASIUM, COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, THE FOOD PANTRY, EMERGENCY AND HOMELESS SHELTERS, UH, CLOTHING, RECREATION, POLLING PLACE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT ARE ORIENTED TOWARD LOW INCOME, HIGH NEEDS AND
[01:40:01]
HOMELESS OFF NIGHT, POSSIBLY AT A LOW COST.AND THIRDLY, I WANTED TO PROPOSE THAT DISTRIBUTING LOW-INCOME HOUSING EQUITY ACROSS BOSTON WOULD BE A BETTER IDEA.
THE CITY DON'T STUDIES DON'T ADVOCATE SUGGEST THAT THIS SHOULD BE MAINLY FOCUSED ON AREAS WEST OF
AND THIS IS TRUE WITH RESPECT TO QUESTIONS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY, AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, ANY NUMBER OF URBAN PLANNING IN DENSITY, THE STUDIES.
AND SO I GUESS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BEFORE REACHING A DECISION ON THIS PROPOSED CHANGE IN ZONING, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST EVERYONE CONSIDERED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT, OF THE SORTS OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, ALL OVER TOWN, NOT JUST IN OUR FACE WOULD ILLUSTRATE THE COMMITMENT SORT OF EQUITY PLAN IN ACTION.
AND NOW, UM, IF, UH, FREDERICK, UH, DIVERT KIN IS THERE, UH, YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES START SIX.
I MEET MR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW AUSTINITES.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR YOU TONIGHT.
I LIVE AT 2004 PARKER LANE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, AND I GREW UP IN AN AT-RISK HOME.
I ALSO LIVED IN PANAMA AS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER, AND I ORGANIZED THE BALLOT PETITION AGAINST THE ZONING CHANGE BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I FELT COMPELLED TO TAKE A STAND 33% OF THE NEIGHBORS WITHIN 200 FEET HAVE SIGNED THIS PETITION.
AND IT WAS NOT MENTIONED EARLIER.
70 NEIGHBORS OUTSIDE OF THAT ZONE HAVE ALSO SIGNED AGAINST THIS ZONING CHANGE.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS THE AREA BETWEEN
THERE ARE LIKELY HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES, MANY LATINO AND IMMIGRANTS WITH CHILDREN'S WHO HAVE NO PLACE TO PLAY THE GREEN SPACES OR NORTH TO GUERRERO OR SOUTH TO MABEL DAVIS.
THE REASON I FEEL SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS IS FROM MY UPBRINGING, AN AMARILLO AS A SON TO A SINGLE MOTHER WHO FLED AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP.
THE ONE THING THAT GOT ME THROUGH THAT TIME WAS THE TINY REC CENTER THAT I HAD FIVE MINUTES WALKING AWAY, WHERE I COULD PASS MY TIME WHILE MY MOTHER WORKED.
MY OBSERVATION SAYS NEIGHBOR WAS A FOLLOWING.
THE WILDFLOWER FIELD WAS 10 BY HAND, BUT WITH A SITE BY THE PASTOR'S HUSBAND, WHEN WE MOVED IN, THERE IS A GREAT HORNED OWLS IN THOSE TREES AND COYOTES THAT TREVOR'S THE PROPERTY IN 2018, THE CHURCH SEES THE FUNCTION AND I WATCHED AS THE PASTURE WAS EVICTED AND LATE STAGE CANCER, I BEGAN MAKING CALLS AND EMAILS TO THE METHODIST SUPERINTENDENCY THAT WERE NOT RETURNED AROUND THE 2018 PERIOD AND CONTINUED THOSE THROUGH THOUGHT THROUGH JUST RECENTLY 2020, NONE OF THEM WERE RETURNED.
I WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU MR. REED AND MRS. WILBURN, BUT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AS WELL TO TALK ABOUT WHAT APPROPRIATE USE FOR THIS PROPERTY.
AND THEN I WAS APPALLED AS THE WILDFLOWER WAS USED AS A PARKING LOT FOR THE FILMING OF THE WALKING DEAD LAST YEAR IN 2020, EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC, THE NOTICE TO REZONE ARRIVE TO US IN 2021.
AND I'M TOLD THAT THE IRAQ AND OTHER CHURCHES HAVE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE, JUST LIKE MINE.
THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY IS LISTED AS CIVIC IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
AND IT WAS DESIGNATED FOR GREATER COMMUNITY BENEFIT, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT.
GIVEN THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS IMMEDIATE AREA, THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE GROWN UP IN PRACTICE.
LIKE I HAVE UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE A VERY
WE'RE IN 2021 WHO DECIDES DOES THE METHODIST CHURCH DECIDE THIS FOUNDATION'S COMMUNITY, BESIDES JUST THE NEIGHBORHOOD DECIDE.
I SUBMIT THAT THE POWER TO DECIDE WITH YOUR HONOR BOOK PERMISSION, AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU AID THIS COMMUNITY IN COMING TO THE RIGHT DECISION BY DENYING THIS PUB ZONING REQUEST AND COMPELLING.
THE CURRENT LANDOWNER TO EXPLORE USES CONSISTENT WITH ITS CURRENT BULLY CIVIC DESIGNATION SO THAT IT MAY PROVIDE AN OUT-SIZED POSITIVE IMPACT ON THIS HISTORIC MICK NEGLECTED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
IF NOT US, THEN WHO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND NEXT I HAVE MARK GIBSON FOLLOWED BY ANNIE, ANNA.
AND DO YOU EACH HAVE THREE MINUTES,
[01:45:03]
STAR SIX ON YOU? HELLO, MY NAME IS MARK GIBSON AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE I'M A PROPONENT OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IN THE WORK THEY DO.I DON'T BELIEVE THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR AREA OR GREATER AUSTIN.
ADDITIONALLY, IT WILL EXACERBATE THE ISSUES WE ALREADY HAVE, WHICH IS LACK OF SUFFICIENT SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOOD SCARCITY, AND SIGNIFICANT DENSITY.
ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF BOSTON, COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY IN 2020, AND CONDUCTED BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY AND OUR ZIP CODE SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN FOUR ONE.
THERE ARE OVER 52,000 RESIDENTS OF WHICH 85% RENT THEIR HOMES OR APARTMENTS, WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE FACT THAT 83% OF THE HOUSING STRUCTURES IN THE ZIP CODE ARE MULTIFAMILY.
ACCORDING TO THE SAME STUDY, THE MEDIAN RENT FOR THE ZIP CODE IS $1,002, ONLY $102 MORE THAN THE AVERAGE RENT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IS PLANNING ON CHARGING.
ACCORDING TO THE MEETING THAT WE HAD ADDING 135 UNITS TO THE 19,400 MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE ZIP CODE AT A PRICE DIFFERENTIAL OF $102 TO TODAY'S MEDIAN RENT WILL HAVE A LESS THAN A 70 CENT DIFFERENCE ON THE AVERAGE RENT PRICES FOR OUR AREA FOR COMPARISON USING THE SAME MATH, THIS SAME UNIT ECONOMICS IN SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN THREE FIVE WEST OF TOWN COULD HAVE 20 TIMES THAT IMPACT AN AREA THAT IS LACKING IN AFFORDABLE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
TO FURTHER THAT POINT, A QUICK SEARCH ON APARTMENTS.COM TODAY SHOWED THAT IN OUR ZIP CODE, THERE ARE JUST SHY OF 300 APARTMENTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO $900.
THE AVERAGE RENT PLAN FOR THIS COMMUNITY, MEANING THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IT WOULD HAVE LITTLE TO NO IMPACT IN OUR AREA BECAUSE UNITS ARE READILY AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE POINT DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY THE PREVALENCE OF INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN RF CODE COMPARED TO 300 NUMBER OF AVAILABLE UNITS IN OUR ZIP CODE TO ZERO APARTMENTS IN SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN THREE FIVE 26 AND SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN OH FOUR, TWO AND SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN OH TWO SEVEN AND SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN FIVE NINE NORTH OF TOWN.
AND SO ON THAT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY FOR LESS THAN $900 A MONTH.
MAYBE SOMETHING THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES CAN CONSIDER IS CHARGING AN AVERAGE OF $150 PER MONTH AND FUNDRAISE THE ADDITIONAL SHORTFALL ANNUALLY TO SUBSIDIZE THE RENT.
THIS WOULD HAVE AN EIGHT X MORE IMPACT IN OUR AREA ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN THEIR ORIGINAL PLAN USING THE SAME MATH AS ABOVE GIVEN THAT WE ALREADY IN AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM A RENTAL PERSPECTIVE REGARDING SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE OLD TOUR FROM PARKER INTERSECTION, THE INTERSECTION CLOSEST TO THE PROPERTIES, THE 14TH, MOST DANGEROUS IN AUSTIN.
IT IS TERRIBLY TRICKY, TRICKY TO NAVIGATE WITH A P TERRY'S DRIVE THROUGH IN THE TRAFFIC THAT IS CONSTANTLY BACKED UP ON OLD TOUR.
WITH THAT SAID, IF THE AVERAGE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY'S RESIDENT USES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO CROSS THE 14TH MOST DANGEROUS INTERSECTION TO GET TO THE NEAREST BUS STOP OR WORSE TRAVERSE.
THE 1.3 MILES PAST THE INTERSECTION ACROSS 35 TO GET TO THE NEAREST GROCERY STORE, THE HPV ON CONGRESS AND OLD IT, BUT THAT'S NOT USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A LONG DAY.
GROCERIES ARE BOUGHT AT CONVENIENCE STORES AT A HIGHER PRICE, WHICH EFFECTIVELY RAISES RENTS ABOVE THE $900 AVERAGE.
IF ALL COSTS FOR LOCATION ARE FACTOR.
THEN LASTLY, REGARDING IMPACT THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY TEAM STATED AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT THE LEARNING CENTER, THE ONLY REAL COMMUNITY FACING ELEMENT OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVICE THEIR RESIDENTS.
AND ONLY 12 TO 13 ADDITIONAL CHILDREN.
THERE ARE 19,400 OTHER APARTMENTS THAT CURRENTLY RESIDE IN OUR ZIP CODE.
MANY WITH KIDS THAT ARE DESPERATELY IN NEED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES TO CONCLUDE THE CITY'S IMPACTFUL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS AREA DOES NOT LACK FOR MULTI-FAMILY INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS.
THIS AREA LACKS AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY UNITS, WHICH HAVE INCREASED AROUND 25% AND OUR ZIP CODE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
ACCORDING TO ZILLOW, IF WE CHANGE THE ZONING, WE REMOVE THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL COMPANIES LIKE ICON THAT ARE ENDEAVORING TO CHANGE THE AFFORDABILITY OF SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY WITH A LACK OF PERCEIVED BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS PROJECT IS WORTH GIVING UP EIGHT OF OUR 26 PRECIOUS ACRES ZONE CIVIC IN THE RIVERSIDE PLANNING AREA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ROLE IN THIS IMPORTANT DECISION.
AND SO THE FINAL SPEAKER WITH THREE MINUTES IS, UH, ANNA, UH, GARY, IF YOU'RE, UM, AIR STAR SIX, DONE MEET, HEAR ME.
SHERIFF'S SHAW AND COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS SANDRA
AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN COMPARED SHARED CONCERNS WITH EACH, WITH OTHER RESIDENTS WHO POSSIBLY AT LEAST AT 35, THE CONTACTING MEMBERSHIP VOTED UNANIMOUSLY NOT TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
WE ARE, SELF-SERVING FAMILIAR WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND HAVE SUPPORTED THEM AS ONE OF THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IS LOCATED WITHIN OUR AREA.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH MR. MORROW
[01:50:01]
IN THE PAST BY A POSTING AN ATTEMPT BY ANOTHER DEVELOPER TO BUILD AN ADULT ORIENTED BUSINESS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THESE UNITS AT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.WE'RE ALSO OPERATING THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS COMMISSION NEEDS TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT WHETHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGAINST THE, AT THIS LOCATION ON PARKER MAY, WOULD VIOLATE THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT BEFORE CONSIDERING FOR APPROVAL.
THE REQUESTED ZONING CHANGE AS RESIDENTS OF THE STOCK THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, THE HIGHER LEVEL OF CONCENTRATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HAS COME AT A COST WHERE WE DON'T GET THE NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP RESIDENTS IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
IN THIS CASE IN CHRONICITY INCREASE INCREASING DENSITY HALL AT THE SAME TIME, REMOVING CONTINUED ACCESS TO CRITICAL CIVIC LAND USE OPTIONS WILL EXACERBATE A SOCIAL INJUSTICE THAT RESIDENTS IN EAST, IN EAST BOSTON CONTINUE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS GLARINGLY EXPOSED, HOW MUCH MORE VULNERABLE WE ARE IN EAST AUSTIN.
FOR EXAMPLE, FROM A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED SUCH AS PHARMACIES AND MEDICAL CLINICS, WINTER STORM, URI METHODS LIKE THE VULNERABILITY, EVEN MORE IN RESPONSE TO THIS MOST RECENT CATASTROPHIC SPLUNK MEMBERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY SPOKE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL LAST WEEK IN SUPPORTIVE ITEM 28, A RESOLUTION THAT FOCUSES ON ESTABLISHING RESILIENCY HUBS IN RESPONSE TO WEATHER RELATED DISASTERS, THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
IF THE CIVIC USE IS REMOVED FROM PARKER LANE, THE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A RESILIENCY HUB WITHIN THEIR IMMEDIATE AREA.
THEREFORE NOT HAVE ACCESS TO BASIC EMERGENCY SERVICES SUCH AS FOOD, WATER, OR SHELTER DURING A DISASTER, MUCH LESS CONTINUED SERVICES NEEDED TO CREATE A COMPLETE COMMUNITY.
THIS AREA IS ALREADY DENSELY POPULATED.
AND SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE COMPROMISED.
WE RECOGNIZED THERE WAS A NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IT SHOULD NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LAST OF THOSE OF US WHO LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENT OF A CATASTROPHIC DISASTER, SHE'D BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND EASILY AVAILABLE TO ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY LIVE.
WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE LONG-TERM AND OVERALL IMPACT SUCH CHANGES WOULD HAVE ON THE CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF EAST BOSTON AND NOT APPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT IN ZONING CHANGE REQUESTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
SO, UM, I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH ALL OUR SPEAKERS AT THIS POINT, AND, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET A APPLICANT RE BIBLE TO CLOSE THINGS OUT.
AND SO WOULD THAT BE MR. MORROW, MR. WALTER MOREAU STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR A REBUTTAL OR SOMEBODY ON YOUR TEAM.
UM, I GUESS IN REBUTTAL, I'M SURPRISED BECAUSE ALL THE SERVICES THAT THE NEIGHBORS WANT, FOOD PANTRY, HEALTH PROGRAM, IMMIGRATION SERVICES, CHILDREN'S EDUCATION PROGRAM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DO AT ALL OF OUR LEARNING CENTERS.
SO WE'RE REALLY PRESERVING THE CIVIC USE OF THE PARKER LANE SITE.
THOSE CURRENT CHURCH BUILDINGS ARE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION.
THEY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY REMODELED AND REALLY PROBABLY TORN DOWN TO HAVE A FUTURE USE BECAUSE OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, THE ROOF AND, AND STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
WE'VE GOT LINED UP $15 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO BUILD A BRAND NEW COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER AND THE LONG RUN FUNDING FOR THE STAFF AND FOR THE PROGRAMS TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING QUESTION.
UM, THIS AREA IS LOSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FAST, MUCH OF WHAT IS LEFT SORT OF NATURALLY OCCURRING.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS FRANKLY RUN DOWN AND VERY BAD SHAPE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SO CHEAP.
UM, WE ARE WILLING TO KEEP WORKING WITH RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS REAL CONCERN, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING, GETTING A PLAYGROUND IN THE PARK.
UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO BE A GREAT NEIGHBOR, NO MATTER WHAT.
AND, UM, WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, PLAN AMENDMENT AND ZONING TO BUILD SOME REALLY AWESOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND A COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER THAT PEOPLE WANT.
SO, UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND IT, UH, OKAY.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SALAZAR.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, SEE ALL UNANIMOUS ON THAT.
AND SO NOW WE MOVE INTO OUR Q AND A, UH, WHO HAS THE FIRST QUESTION FOR STAFF
[01:55:01]
OR THOSE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSED? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAIRMAN SHAW.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WITH, UH, MR. MORROW, UH, AND FOLLOW UP ON HIS COMMENT ABOUT THE, UM, THE SERVICES AND CLARIFICATION.
UH, SO THOSE SERVICES WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR IS IT ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE LIVING IN THE, UM, THE APARTMENTS? YEAH, WE ALL HAVE OUR PROGRAMS ARE FREE AND AVAILABLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE, WE PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO RESIDENT NEEDS.
SO IF THERE'S INTEREST IN ZUMBA CLASSES OR WALKING CLUB, BUT, UM, SOME OF OUR LEARNING CENTERS, UH, FOR KIDS THAT ARE HALF SURROUNDING AREA AND HALF OUR RESIDENTS, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO, IF, IF KIDS ARE WALKING HOME FROM LINDEN ELEMENTARY AND FRIENDS WANT TO COME TO THE LEARNING CENTER, THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY WELCOME.
UM, AND ONE OTHER QUESTION, I, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE FOR YOU, MR. MOREAU AS WELL.
UM, IF WE APPROVE THE ZONING CHANGE AND IF FOR SOME REASON THE FUNDING DOESN'T GO THROUGH THE PROJECT, DOESN'T GET BUILT.
WHAT KIND OF PROTECTIONS ARE ARE Y'ALL PROVIDING THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL HAPPEN? UH, NO MATTER WHAT IF, IF THIS, UM, IF WE DO, UM, PASS THIS ZONE, OUR FUNDING IS VERY CERTAIN AT THIS POINT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN IF, AND WE'RE OPEN TO SOME KIND OF OVERLAY THAT THE WOULD BE IN PLACE, SO THAT ZONING IS ONLY APPROVED FOR HOUSING OR 135 UNITS THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO.
I HAVE COMMISSIONER COX, I THINK HAD HIS HAND UP NEXT.
UH, ONE QUESTION FOR STAFF, UM, THE, THE FLUME SAYS CIVIC YOUTH, BUT AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THE TRACK IS ACTUALLY AT THE THREE ZONES? SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, UM, DID THE CHURCH DECIDE TO JUST DEVELOP THIS AS, AS SF THREE RESIDENCES WHENEVER THEY WANTED WITHOUT ANY SORT OF APPROVAL FROM COMMISSIONER COUNCIL? UH, THIS IS MAUREEN MEREDITH, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO THE CIVIC LAND USE DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY DEVELOPMENT, UH, ENTITLEMENTS.
SO YES, THE ZONING OF SF THREE, UH, THEY COULD DEVELOP IT AS ANY SF THREE DEVELOPMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP SAYS.
AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CHURCH, IF HE'S, IF HE'S STILL ON THE LINE.
UM, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT, UM, FOUNDATION, THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES PROPOSAL INCLUDED OFFICE SPACE FOR CONTINUED, UH, I GUESS SOME SORT OF FUNCTIONING OF, OF, OF THE METHODIST CHURCH THERE.
UM, IT'S FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES ALSO GRANTING THE CHURCH YOUTH OF THEIR OTHER COMMUNITY FACILITIES, OTHER THAN JUST THE OFFICE SPACE IN CASE THE CHURCH TO START OFFERING SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S WORSHIP OR OTHERWISE, UM, UH, THAT THEY USED TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY NO LONGER PROVIDE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, KEVIN REED IS STILL ON THE CALL.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION.
WE DO WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM, UH, UNITED METHODIST, UH, COMMUNITY AT OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND, UM, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE OFFICES FOR THEIR FACE ON THE JUSTICE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS PROGRAM.
THAT'S BEEN OFFICE AT THE CHURCH IN THE PAST, SO THEY HAD TO CLOSE THE BUILDINGS DOWN.
UM, IS IT, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR YOU WOULD BE IS THAT, IS THERE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT OR A PART OF YOUR LEASE ARRANGEMENT THAT, THAT THE CHURCH COULD USE YOUR COMMUNITY SPACES IF, IF THEY WANTED TO, UH, RESTART SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDED BEFORE? YES.
AND THAT'S BAKED INTO OUR, PART OF OUR NEGOTIATION WITH THE CHURCH FOR THE GROUND LEASE WAS THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE PROVIDING THE FOOD PANTRY AND THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM AND THAT THEIR VOLUNTEERS COULD HELP AND BE PART OF THAT.
AND WE WERE LIKE, WOW, THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DO.
[02:00:01]
THAT THAT'S GREAT.AND MY LAST QUESTION, LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, UM, IS THE PARK ACROSS THE STREET, UM, UH, I'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT IT AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS PARK.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN IMMENSE ASSET TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE BIT UNDERDEVELOPED AS A RECREATIONAL SPACE.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF, IF, IF YOU ALL WOULD BE WILLING AS PART OF YOUR SITE PLAN PROCESS AND GOING THROUGH THAT TOO, TO MAYBE WORK WITH PARD ON, UH, HELPING TO IMPROVE THAT PARK AS NOT, NOT ONLY AN ASSET FOR YOU FOR YOUR RESIDENCE, BUT, UH, AN ASSET FOR THE REST OF THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, W WE ARE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PART, AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN TERMS OF A PLAYGROUND OR OTHER KINDS OF THINGS IN THE HERITAGE OAKS PARK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT GETS TIED EXACTLY TO OUR SITE PERMIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I GUESS I WOULD SAY WE'RE, WE'RE LOCAL.
WE HAVE BUILT 23 COMMUNITIES AND, AND FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH COMMITMENTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OVER DECADES.
AND WE'RE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO PUTTING IN AMENITIES LIKE THAT AND TRAFFIC CALMING OPTIONS ON PARKER.
LET'S SEE, I'VE GOT COMMISSIONER SNYDER FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONER MOST DOLLAR.
UM, I THINK THIS IS FOR MR. MURROW.
UM, I JUST WANT TO GET A LITTLE CLARITY ON THE SPACE THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU NECESSARILY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SOMETHING NEAR A FINAL DESIGNED PLAN, PROBABLY NOT, BUT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE LEARNING CENTER, IS THERE, I HEARD, UM, SOME THINGS LIKE, UH, WELL, THE CHURCH SPACE MIGHT'VE ALLOWED, UH, UH, VOTING LOCATION, OR THERE WAS A SPACE FOR MAYBE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, RECOVERY MEETINGS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IS THERE GOING TO BE A MEETING SPACE? AND, UH, HOW LARGE DO YOU ENVISION THAT BEING, UM, WHAT SORT OF, UM, ACCESS DO YOU GIVE TO NEIGHBORS FOR, UM, ACCESS TO THESE SORTS OF SPACES IN YOUR OTHER FACILITIES? IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE TALK IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, PLEASE.
WE HAVE SUMMER OF NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THAT MEET AT SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES, UM, PARTICULARLY IN CARDINAL POINT IN THE FOUR POINTS NEIGHBORHOOD AND AT BLUEBONNET STUDIOS, THE, UM, SOUTH LAMAR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETS THERE AND WE'RE HAPPY TO MAKE THE LEARNING CENTER OPEN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO MEET.
UM, WE'LL HAVE LARGE MEETING SPACES.
WE TYPICALLY HAVE A HANDFUL OF CLASSROOMS SURROUNDED BY A MAIN GATHERING AREA.
UM, IT'LL BE OVER 5,000 SQUARE FEET ACTUALLY PROVIDE MORE SPACE THAN THE CURRENT CHURCH BUILDINGS COULD OFFER IN A MORE EFFICIENT DESIGN.
UM, THEY'RE NOT FULLY PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE DO WANT TO MAINTAIN SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE AND, AND MAKE SURE THE PROPERTIES ARE, WE ARE COORDINATING WHEN THERE'S DIFFERENT GROUPS COMING IN.
THE LEARNING CENTERS ARE REALLY THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE OPEN FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT WITH ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES AND THE FOOD PANTRY AND THE COMPUTER CENTER.
AND, UM, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE VIBRANT COMMUNITY BUILDINGS, NOT JUST FOR OUR RESIDENTS, BUT FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, ALSO, UH, I THINK YOU WOULD REQUESTED, UH,
WHAT IS THE, THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE, UM, ZONING DESIGNATIONS MEAN IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WOULD PLAN TO BUILD? UM, HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM DOES THAT CAUSE FOR YOU FROM, UM, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? YEAH.
MAY HAVE TO DEFER TO OUR CIVIL ENGINEER.
MF FOUR GIVES US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITHOUT NECESSARILY REQUIRING THAT WE HAVE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED AND SAT IS OUR PREFERENCE STILL IS TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OF
I THINK THAT WE
UM, UM, AND WE CAN WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DETAILS PERHAPS AS WE COME TOWARDS COUNCIL AND MAYBE, UH, IS, IS, UH, THE ENGINEERING, UH, PERSON STILL ON TO, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, UM, CONNOR'S AVAILABLE OR MEGAN WANTS TO ANSWER.
[02:05:01]
I COMMISSIONERS HAS CONNOR.KENNY, ARE YOU HEARING ME WHO, UH, IT'S BEEN AWHILE.
UM, YEAH, THE PRINCIPLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN F FOUR AND MP3 IS A HIGHT AND IMPERVIOUS CUPBOARD.
UH, OUR, UH, CALCULATIONS AT THIS POINT IS IF THE PROJECT WOULD BE POSSIBLE UNDER MP3 WITH AFFORDABILITY AND LOCKED, CAUSE IT ESSENTIALLY GETS YOU UP TO THE SAME HEIGHT THAT MFR ALLOWS.
SO, UH, UM, TAKE THAT KNOWLEDGE FOR, FOR WHAT YOU WILL, UH, THE, THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT WILL BE UNDER 60 FEET.
SO IT WOULD BE, UH, ACCOMMODATED UNDER EITHER IN A FOUR OR IN A THREE WITH AFFORDABILITY AND LOCKED IN AS WELL.
THE IMPERVIOUS COVER UNDER ENOUGH, THREE IS NOT A PROBLEM.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN USES, BUT THAT'S ALSO FAIRLY IRRELEVANT BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A, UH, A MULTIFAMILY WITH, UM, UH, UH, UH, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOOD PANTRY AND SCHOOL USES, UM, UH, STRAIGHT IN THAT FOR ZONING WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPECT THE COMPATIBILITY, UH, SETBACKS REQUIRED UNDER CODE.
UM, BUT EVEN IF AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED WAS UTILIZED, UH, THE, THE CURRENT CONCEPTUAL PLANS DON'T ENCROACH UPON THOSE REGULAR SETBACKS OR COMPATIBILITY IN ANY CASE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, OH, YES.
COMMISSIONER MR. OR YOUR NEXT, THANK YOU.
UM, FOLLOWING UP ON THE INTRODUCTION A LITTLE BIT, UM, I LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE CARDINAL POINT PROJECT AND WE DO HAVE THESE COMING TO THE WEST SITE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THEM.
THIS IS THE EXACT KIND OF PROJECT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF.
UM, THIS IS A FIRM COMMITMENT ON SPECIFIC KINDS OF HOUSING NEEDS FOR FAMILIES WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, UM, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO BE OFFERING TO MAKE THESE PROGRAMS SUCCESSFUL.
SO WHILE THERE'VE BEEN CERTAIN PROGRAMS IN AUSTIN THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF, THIS IS THE KIND OF PROGRAM I'M IN FAVOR OF.
AND YOU WOULD FIND ME FRIENDLY, UH, FOR THIS KIND OF THING ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, YOU ANSWERED MY OTHER QUESTION ALREADY GOT ANSWERED ABOUT, COULD IT GO TO MF THREE AND STILL, UM, BE, UH, DOABLE FOR YOU GUYS AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? UH, BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE THAT IS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT'S EXISTING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF, AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UM, THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN PRESENTING FOR THE STAFF, SOMEBODY, UM, ON THE OPPOSING SIDE MENTIONED A POSSIBLE VIOLATION TO THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING.
IS THERE ANY MERIT TO THAT? DO WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF ANYTHING THERE? I, I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THE SUBSTANCE OF THAT AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE LEANING, YOU KNOW, IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO APPROVE THE PROJECT, WE'RE NOT SETTING UP FOR A PROBLEM THERE.
CAN I SHARE, THIS IS KATE CLARK WITH THE HUSBAND PLANNING.
I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS OR, UM, SET UP THAT ARE DONE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU FOR THAT.
I WASN'T QUITE SURE SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE, UH, UM, OPPOSING VIEWPOINT WAS, WAS REFERENCING THERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T SET UP FOR A PROBLEM, UM, FOR THE PROJECT OR THE COUNCIL, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, SO IN, IN BEING RESPECTFUL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND WHAT THE COMMENTS I REVIEWED PRIOR TO THE MEETING THAT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED IN ADVANCE TO US, UM, MR. MORO, UM, THESE ARE PROBABLY GONNA COME BACK TO YOU OR ONE OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, UM, UM, THE, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAME BACK UP, APPARENTLY A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY DO LIKE AND APPRECIATE THAT WILDFLOWER MEADOW.
AND IN YOUR INITIAL PRESENTATION TO US, YOU MENTIONED THAT AND SAID THAT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO KEEP THAT.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU WOULD EXPAND ON THAT.
UM, JUST AS A POINT IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT BE GETTING TO THE EVENING OR IN FUTURE MEETINGS, I AM APPRECIATIVE OF HOW MUCH INCLUSIVE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED ON THIS ONE IN ADVANCE, IN TERMS OF THE SITE PLAN.
THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT I ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT, AND EVERY SINGLE ANSWER I GOT BACK WAS WILL BE DEFERRED, WILL BE DEFERRED, WILL BE DEFERRED.
SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS COMING INTO THE COMMISSION IS HOW DO WE MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION IF WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION? SO I APPRECIATE THE EXTENSIVE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION HERE ON THE INDEPENDENCE OF THIS PROJECT AND HOW YOU GUYS LAID OUT.
SO QUESTION ON THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW, AND IF THAT'S GOING TO BE IN.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD BROUGHT UP THAT I THINK IS WORTH CONSIDERATION IS THE TRAFFIC CALMING.
UM, I DID USE TO RENT OVER THERE
[02:10:01]
AT ONE POINT IN MY LIFETIME ALSO.SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND THE CHALLENGES IN THAT AREA.
AND AS AUSTIN GROWS, IT'S GOING TO BE ALL OF OUR CHALLENGES IN THE, THE MOBILITY PLAN AND STUFF, WHILE IT'S ALL COMING, IT'S NOT THERE NOW.
AND PRESUMABLY YOUR PROJECT WOULD BE UP AND RUNNING BEFORE ALL THAT COMES.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO SEE IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THOSE TWO AND, UM, THANK YOU.
I REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
YEAH, WE HAVE KEPT IT UP IN OUR PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN.
UM, SUBSTANTIAL GREEN SPACE IN FRONT OF THE PROPERTY ALONG PARKER LANE THAT WE WANT TO PLANT IN A NATURAL WAY AND MAINTAIN AND LOVE THE WILDFLOWER.
SO, UM, OUR INTENT AND DESIGN RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE A BIG AREA THERE THAT'S PLANTED WITH WILDFLOWERS.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO TRAFFIC CALMING ON PARKER, BUT IF THERE ARE THE, UH, TRAFFIC PILLOWS, STOP, ANOTHER STOP SIGN AND OTHER STREET LIGHT, UM, THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT COULD BE ADDED AND WITH PROPER TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, AND WE'D BE ALL INTO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN GET IN PLACE.
THE OTHER THING ON THAT IS, I, IT SOUNDED LIKE IN SOME OF THE OPPOSITION, FROM THE NEIGHBOR, THE NEIGHBORS THAT SPOKE AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE GOT WAS A CONCERN ABOUT TRAFFIC AND THE NUMBER OF TRIPS WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THIS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A, WITH A DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS GOING TO COME IN IN OUR AREA.
UM, I, IT SOUNDED LIKE IN THE, IN THE STUFF THEY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE BACKUP OF THE TRAFFIC BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF THESE AREAS SAFELY AND THAT KIND OF THING, BUT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING ARE FAMILY UNITS.
AND SO I WONDER IF, IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS AWARE THAT THAT KIND OF CHANGES, UH, WHAT KIND OF TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY COMMUTERS YOU HAVE AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY CATERING TO FAMILIES VERSUS A BUNCH OF SMALL APARTMENTS WHERE EACH PERSON IS COMING AND GOING WITH A VEHICLE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND SO THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE MORE DIALOGUE WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE OFFERING.
SO, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER, MISS SHELLER, WE'RE OUT OF TIME ON YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, UM, UH, I'M RECOGNIZING COMMISSIONER ARE, UM, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, SHARON COMMISSIONER BAXIS WENT BEFORE ME.
UM, YOU'RE WAY OVER YOUR, ON MY FAR, RIGHT.
I MENTIONED HER PERHAPS, PLEASE.
UM, SO MY QUESTION FOR MR. MORROW IS, UM, I ACTUALLY, I LIVE IN THAT AREA.
I DEFINITELY BELIEVE WE NEED MORE AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THAT AREA.
I'M CONSTANTLY HEARING FROM FOLKS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE THERE, EVEN THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S THIS IMPRESSION THAT IT'S ONE OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE PLACES IN AUSTIN.
IT'S NOT REALLY AFFORDABLE FOR THE PEOPLE OR AT LEAST A LOT OF THE RENTERS THAT WAS THERE.
UM, SO, UM, MY QUESTION IS WHAT WOULD THE RENT, THE RANGE OF RENT BE FOR FOLKS, UM, AT THIS, AT THIS PROPERTY? UM, AND I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THERE'S A COMMITMENT TO HAVE SOME FAMILIES THAT ARE TRANSITIONING FROM BEING UNHOUSED.
UM, ARE THERE THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO SOMEHOW, UM, INCREASE THAT NUMBER? BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF UNHOUSED FOLKS, UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M GOING TO, UM, I CAN ANSWER A PART OF THAT QUESTION.
AND I THINK SABRINA BUTLER ON OUR TEAM HAS THE ACTUAL EXACT RENT, UM, OR RENT RANGES THAT 10% OF THE APARTMENTS ARE BEING DESIGNED AND SET ASIDE FOR FAMILIES THAT HAVE PARENTS AND KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN UNHOUSED.
THAT'S GENERALLY BEEN OUR MODEL IS TO HAVE 10% OF THE APARTMENTS IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND WE, THIS YEAR HAD OVER A 94% SUCCESS RATE OF FAMILIES GRADUATING AT THE END OF 18 TO 24 MONTHS.
THE WAY THE PROGRAM WORKS IS THE FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE TO MOVE.
THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR APARTMENT AND TRANSITION IN PLACE.
UH, KIDS GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AND THEN WE ROTATE THE NEXT AVAILABLE UNIT INTO THE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, UM, INCLINED TO NECESSARILY INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF, BUT WE'D HAVE TO FIND THE FUNDING FOR THAT AS WELL, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO GET FROM 10 TO 15%, HALF THE APARTMENTS ARE BELOW THE 50% RENT CAP.
UM, AND IF SABRINA'S ON THE LINE, SHE CAN MAYBE HAVE THE RENT RANGES HANDY.
I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE THEM LONG.
I'M PULLING THEM UP RIGHT NOW.
MY COMPUTER JUST WENT DOWN AS YOU'RE ASKING THAT QUESTION.
UM, I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT, UH, THERE WAS SOME LATE BACKUP, I BELIEVE IT WAS POSTED ON THE, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, PAGE
[02:15:01]
THAT INCLUDES A FLYER THAT WALTER MOROSE SENT OUT, UH, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, LAST WEEK.AND IT DOES INCLUDE A FULL RENT SCHEDULE AND I JUST PULL IT UP.
SO IT DEPENDS ON, UM, THE COMBINATION OF MFI, UH, UH, INCOME MIX AND THEN BEDROOM SIDE.
UM, BUT THE LOWEST RENT FOR A ONE BEDROOM, 30% UNIT WOULD USE FIVE 49 EXPECTED.
THIS IS NOT EXACTLY FIXED YET.
UM, BUT EXPECT IT TO BE ROUGHLY FIVE 49 AND THE LARGEST FOR A 60%, THREE BEDROOM WOULD BE A 1,520.
UM, AND THIS IS, UM, THESE ARE ALL I WILL KNOW.
UM, WE TYPICALLY DESIGNED TO A REASONABLY LARGE, UM, UNIT SIZES.
SO I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE COMPARABLE UNITS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR ONE AND TWO BEDROOM UNITS ARE ALL, UM, STUPIDLY LARGER THAN WHAT I SAW ON THE, THE MARKET NEARBY.
UM, AND CAN I ASK AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION? IS THAT KOSHER NOW? OKAY.
UM, SO I GUESS THIS WOULD BE FOR STAFF, UM, WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS? UM, THIS IS A TOTAL NEWBIE QUESTION.
WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS CAN WE HAVE OF, UM, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE DISASTER RELIEF PLANS? AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS THAT, UM, TWO OF THE AFFORDABLE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE MENTIONED, UM, DOUGLAS LANDING AND ROSEMONT THAT ARE VERY CLOSE, UM, I'M IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF THE FOLKS WHO LIVE THERE AND, UH, WITH THE WINTER STORM, MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR HOUSING WITH FLOODING.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT IS ACTUALLY DOUGLAS LANDING VACATING, ALL OF THE TENANTS, UM, GAVE THEM ALMOST NO NOTICE.
UM, IT'S THE SANDALWOOD MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED, THEY'RE DOING THAT AT TWO PROPERTIES IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UM, BUT, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OF THE PROPERTIES DIDN'T GIVE FOLKS A CHANCE TO TERMINATE THEIR LEASES, EXPECTED THEM TO CONTINUE TO PAY RENT FOR UNITS THAT WERE UNINHABITABLE, A LOT OF ISSUES THERE.
AND THE TENANTS THERE JUST WANT A TENANT BOARD.
SO I BRING ALL OF THIS UP BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF THERE WAS A WAY TO, UM, REQUIRE THAT SOME KIND OF DISASTER RELIEF PLAN IS INCORPORATED FOR ANY FUTURE DISASTERS IN THESE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE, WE'RE EXPECTING, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE AT RISK, UH, RESIDENTS TO BE LIVING AT.
WHAT KIND OF LIMITATIONS DO WE HAVE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT SOMEHOW CAN BE INCLUDED WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS? YEAH, LET ME JUST INTERJECT QUICKLY AND THEN STEPH YOU CAN ANSWER, BUT I BELIEVE, UM, WE'VE RUN INTO THIS QUITE A BIT COMMISSIONER PRACTICES JUST ON THINGS, UH, WHETHER IT BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR SITE, MORE THINGS THAT ARE DONE DURING A SITE PLAN, AND WE TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T BE A CONDITION OF THE ZONING DECISIONS MADE.
SO I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE ASKING FOR KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF WHAT CAN INFORM OUR DECISION ON WHETHER TO APPROVE TO SONY OR NOT.
SO I THINK, UM, I'LL LET STAFF ANSWER, BUT YES, THAT IS NOT KIND OF IN THE SPHERE OF TYPICAL THINGS WE WOULD ADD TO SAY AS A CUNDIFF CONDITIONAL OVERLAY THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED.
AND I THINK SOME OF THIS WAS, UM, AND I'M ABOUT READY TO GO THROUGH MY ORIENTATION AGAIN, THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT KIND OF LAYS OUT IS WHAT IS WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T APPROVE WITHIN OUR, UM, OUR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT STAFF, DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT IN THE LAST MINUTE WE HAVE? UH, YES, I BELIEVE YOU'RE CORRECT THAT THE, UM, THE ITEMS LIKE DISASTER RELIEF PLAN OR THOSE THINGS THAT I HEARD ABOUT, UM, REQUIRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR POTENTIALLY SETTING ASIDE THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW, THOSE THINGS WOULDN'T SPECIFICALLY, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE A CONDITION OF ZONING, UM, THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO AND YOUR CONDITIONAL OVERLAY WOULD BE TO PUT A UNIT CAP ON THE PROPERTY.
I KNOW THAT THAT WAS A CONCERN, UM, FROM ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS KIND OF TIED TO THE HOUSING QUESTION, BUT WHILE WE COULDN'T REQUIRE ANYTHING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU CAN SAY UNIT CAP, UM, YOU CAN REQUIRE, UM, UH, VEGETATION BUFFER ALONG.
YEAH, YOU'D SAY THAT THE NORTH SIDE OR THE EAST SIDE, OR WHAT SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AT X AMOUNT OF FEET, BUT WE CAN'T GO INTO SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT'S IN THAT VEGETATIVE BUFFER OR THINGS THAT ARE DESIGNED WITHIN THAT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE DISASTER RELIEF PLAN, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE CONDITIONAL OPIOIDS.
[02:20:01]
AND, UH, I, THIS IS A LEARNING PROCESS COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE NEW, I MANY TIMES IN MY FIRST YEARS HERE WAS WANTING MORE AND MORE INFORMATION AND IT, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NOT, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE IT CAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO, AND IT'S FRUSTRATED SOMETIMES, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.UM, SO LET'S SEE, I'VE GOT ROOM FOR SOME MORE QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER OUR THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I THINK THE APPLICANT OR, UM, FOLKS WORKING ON IT CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
SO JESSICA GLIDE ON THE QUESTION BETWEEN MFC VERSUS
I THINK I HEARD THAT USING MSP COULD POTENTIALLY WORK OUT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S DETAILS AVAILABLE ABOUT THAT.
CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK TO THE FACT AS, HAVE YOU ALL DONE A PRECISE SORT OF SIGHTLY OUT TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER MST OR
I THINK THAT'S A NAIL DOWN AT THAT.
I WOULD HAVE A PRECISE ANSWER, BUT MAYBE GO OVER THAT AGAIN.
HI, UH, FISHERS WAS CONNOR KENNY.
UM, THE, UH, THE CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURE SITE DESIGN IS NOT QUITE DONE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, UH, IT DOES REDUCE SITE, UH, SETBACKS, IT ELIMINATES COMPATIBILITY.
I THINK THERE WAS A DESIRE TO MAYBE KEEP IT AT
WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T, UH, AREN'T PLANNING ON USING THE, THE HEIGHT INCREASES IN OUR AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
UH, SO THE ENTITLEMENTS AND SETBACKS OF MF FOUR INDICATE, UH, WHERE, UH, THE BUILDING WILL BE, UH, WE BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE UNDER, UNDER MP3.
CERTAINLY WE MEET TO REFER THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
UH, IT JUST HASN'T BEEN VERIFIED YET.
AND, UM, I THINK OUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO, UH, TO, TO KEEP IT AT, TO, TO COUNCIL SO THAT EVERYTHING CAN BE VERIFIED BEFORE.
UH, WE, WE KIND OF MAKE A FINAL CALL ON THAT.
UM, BUT OF COURSE IT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE AND MR. KEN, CAN YOU PLEASE ALSO, UM, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, WOULD YOU HAVE MORE CLARITY ON WHETHER MSP COULD WORK BY THE TIME YOU GET TO COUNCIL? I'M SORRY, THE COMPUTER TELLING ME I WAS NO LONGER MUTE TO CUT YOU OFF A CONDITIONER.
UH, MY QUESTION WAS ESSENTIALLY, UM, IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, WOULD YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY DO UNDERSTAND IF MSP WORKS BY THE TIME YOU GET TO, SO YOU WILL HAVE MORE CERTAINTY ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY THE TIME YOU GET TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE? IS THAT THEIR EXPECTATION? YES.
AND, AND SO ESSENTIALLY IF WE WERE TO PROVIDE MFR RIGHT NOW, IF WE GIVE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE MORE PLANTING BY THE TIME YOU GET TO COUNCIL.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK TOO, I DON'T WANT US TO GO WITH THEM AS THREE AND THEN FOR YOU TO GET STUCK IN THAT BOX AND THEN NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK OR WITHOUT SORT OF GOING TO THE BOSSES AGAIN.
SO JUST TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR GOING WITH EMMA FOR, AND I GUESS IF YOU CAN JUST CONFIRM WHAT I'M SAYING.
IN A FOREST THAT PREDICTABLE ZONING, THAT IS, UH, WHAT THE CONCEPT IS HERE AND WE'RE JUST NOT FULLY DONE WITH AN AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED NOW, MR. MARA, I FEEL LIKE I JUST HEARD YOU SPEAK ON THIS AS WELL.
WE WOULD GREATLY ASK, STILL HAVE
TWO MORE SPOTS FOR COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS FOR A WALTER MONROE AND IT IS, UH, UH, UH, RECENTLY, UH, OTHER FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, PROPERTIES THAT, THAT, UH, WERE OPEN.
I THINK I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF THE, THE WATERLOO TERRORISTS.
UH, I READ THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT WAITLIST FOR THE PROPERTY.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD, UH, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THE WAITLIST, HOW LARGE OF A WAITLIST IS IT, WHAT KIND OF WAIT LISTS DO YOU GUYS HAVE ON YOUR OTHER PROPERTIES AND, UH, WHO, WHO IS ON THAT WAIT LIST? WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING? YEAH, WE, WE JUST STARTED, UH, LEASING WATERLOO TERRACE AND WE HAD OVER 1,300 PEOPLE, UM, EXPRESSED INTEREST, WANTING TO APPLY TO LYFT THERE.
[02:25:01]
APARTMENT, ALMOST 10 APPLIQUE FOR APARTMENT.UM, THAT COMMUNITY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM PARKER BECAUSE IT'S DESIGNED FOR SINGLE ADULTS.
UM, MANY OF WHOM ARE HOMELESS AND PARKER LANE IS MORE DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES.
WE GENERALLY KEEP A WAIT LIST PROPERTY BY PROPERTY, BY PROPERTY, UM, BECAUSE MANAGERS, PEOPLE TO KNOW THE WEEK IS AVAILABLE, BUT MOST OF THE PROPERTIES HAVE A LENGTHY WAIT LIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES ON FOR A MONTH.
UH, ONE MORE QUESTION IF I, IF I, UM, FROM CORRECT IN THIS, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, FOLKS THAT LIVE IN FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES APARTMENTS TEND TO BE HEAVY USERS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT.
IS THAT NOT, IS THAT NOT CORRECT? DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND WE DON'T HAVE A DETAILED STUDY.
UM, BUT PUBLIC TRANSIT ACCESS IS REALLY, WE TRIED TO LOCATE AS MUCH AS WE CAN NEAR TRANSIT.
I WILL BE HONEST, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES WITH KIDS HAVE A CAR, CAUSE IT'S STILL VALUABLE.
WE GET AROUND WITH KIDS TO SCHOOL AND WORK AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, BUT THEY MIGHT NOT BE A CAR THAT'S ALWAYS RELIABLE AND HAVING THE PUBLIC TRANSIT, UM, IS IDEAL AND, AND OFTENTIMES IT'S, IT'S ONE VEHICLE FOR, FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY, UM, WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE GOING DIFFERENT PLACES TO WORK.
SO YOU HAVE, UH, A TENDENCY TO RELY ON TRANSIT PRETTY FREQUENTLY, EVEN WHEN THERE'S CAR OWNERSHIP.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT'S CORRECT? CORRECT.
CAN WE HAVE MADE SURE SITE PLAN THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE PARKING FOR? UH, NEEDS.
UH, I'M GOING TO GO AND TAKE THE LAST SLIDE HERE AT A FEW QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, THE FIRST ONE I HAVE IS, UH, WE HEARD A LOT FROM THE, THOSE OPPOSED THAT THEY REALLY WANTED THIS TO BECOME, REMAIN A CIVIC SPACE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, I GUESS, SOME KIND OF, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE PROPERTY OWNER TO DEVELOP A REC CENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
COULD I HEAR FROM STAFF? I MEAN, HOW WOULD THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN? ARE THERE EXAMPLES WHERE THE CITY IS, UH, LEASED OR BOUGHT PROPERTY FROM PROPERTY UNDER JUST LIKE THIS AND, AND, UH, CREATED, UM, I GUESS PARK SPACE AND RECREATION AREAS, UH, MORE RECENTLY AND, AND WHAT, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WE'D HAVE TO BE BUDGETED AND THEN, UH, THERE WOULD BE A LONG PROCESS, BUT COULD YOU SPEAK TO MAYBE SOME EXAMPLES HOW THAT, WHERE THAT'S OCCURRED IN THE CITY? SURE.
THIS IS KATE CLARK WITH HOUSING PLANNING.
I AM NOT AWARE OF AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN RELATIONSHIP TO ZONING CASES, UM, THAT HAVE DONE THAT.
I DO KNOW THAT I HAVE HAD THEM ZONING CASES WHERE THE APPLICANT HAS, UM, PROCEEDED WITH A PRIVATE, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT WITH A PARTY TO PROVIDE THOSE THINGS THAT BE ADDED IN A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY OR PUBLIC RC.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION AS FAR AS WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR, UM, UH, PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC SPACE TO BE DONE THROUGH THE CITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.
FOR THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAUREEN, UM, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING, UM, UNDER THE NEIGHBOR FRANK CASE MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
YOU SAID YOU MIGHT HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
TH TH TH THIS IS MAUREEN MAUREEN MEREDITH.
NO, I DO NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT.
I DON'T REMEMBER WITH ANY PLAN AMENDMENT CASE, UM, SINCE THE PLAN AMENDMENT CASES ARE JUST FLUNG CHANGES, UM, THAT I, THOSE DETAILS WOULDN'T HAVE GONE THROUGH MY CASE AND I DON'T RECALL ANY.
AND, AND SO I NOTICED ON THE, UM, THE PLUM THAT A NUMBER OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE, UH, WITHDRAWN FROM THE N IN A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UH, WHY THAT WAS, UM, THERE'S JUST ON THE FLOUNDER SISTER, BIG WHITE AREA.
MARTIN REIGN, MEREDITH HOUSING AND PLANNING.
UM, MY MEMORY IS, UH, DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS, THOSE PROPERTIES WERE REMOVED FROM THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WITH THE INTENT THAT THEY WOULD BE REVISITED AT A LATER TIME, WHICH NEVER HAPPENED.
AND THEN LASTLY, AND THIS IS PROBABLY MAYBE
[02:30:01]
A QUESTION FOR MR. KENNY.UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, GIVEN THE DENSITY THAT THE UNITS THAT ARE PROPOSED, UH, RELATIONSHIP IN RELATION TO THE ACRES OF THE SITE, WHAT ARE WE KIND OF LOOKING AT AS FAR AS AN MF EQUIVALENCY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT UNITS PER ACRE, UH, IS IT MORE LIKE AN MF TWO OR ONE, OR, UH, CAN I SHARE, I APOLOGIZE.
I DON'T HAVE THAT CALCULATION ON HAND.
I THINK IT PROBABLY EXCEEDS IN MS TO, UH, IF, IF I HAD TO BALLPARK IT RIGHT NOW, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY AN THREE.
IF I MIGHT ADD TOO, IT'S WHERE THE APARTMENTS WE'RE BUILDING ARE VERY LARGE UNIT SIZES, 80%, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY AS A UNIT PER ACRE COMPARISON.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS AND THAT WRAPS UP OUR EIGHT SLOTS.
DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT QUESTION? UM, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY 17 UNITS OR ACRE PER ACRE.
SO, WHICH IS ACTUALLY YEAH, RIGHT AT ABOUT A LITTLE UNDER MF, TOO.
AND THAT'S THANKS TO THE, UH, THE LARGE AMOUNT OF, UH, PRESERVED, UH, OPEN SPACE ON THE HOME SITE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE DONE WITH THE Q AND A, SO, UM, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE A MOTION COMMISSIONER IS, ARE THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE WITH THE APPLICANT REQUEST.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY I'M ASKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION OFF FOR, AND B FOR, UH, FOR B2 AND THEN A PLAN AMENDMENT OF CIVIC DO MULTIFAMILY LAND USE FOR B ONE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'M SORRY.
UM, UH, AND I PUT MY HEAD DOWN, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER CONLEY THAT RAISED HER HAND FIRST OR THE SECOND.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR, UM, MOTION, MR. ZAR? THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A PRETTY HEFTY CONVERSATION HERE.
I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS HERE AGREED THAT ONE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT FOUNDERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED IS DOING IS CRITICAL, NOT JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THE, WE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING MISSION AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALLOW THEM TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE NEED HERE AND ALSO SECURE THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THEY'RE GETTING.
I THINK IT'S SORT OF MOVE FORWARD WITH, OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL REQUEST.
AND THEN I GUESS I WANT TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE M A FOR NEED.
I THINK I'M HEARING THAT THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT THERE'S NO CERTAINTY.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE CERTAIN AS THEY GO TO COUNCIL TO GO WITH MFR SO THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK CHECK AND SEE IF MP3 WOULD WORK OR NOT.
AND SO BY THE TIME THEY GET TO COUNCIL COUNCIL COULD VERY WELL MOVE THE ZONING TO MS THREE AND GO WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
JUST THE KNOWING THAT THEY WILL BE MORE KNOWLEDGE AND CLARITY AT THAT TIME, WHETHER MSP WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO BECOME A HINDRANCE BY GOING WITH MSV AND THEN BEING STUCK WHEN IT GOING TO COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT MIGHT NOT WORK.
SO THAT IS WHY I'M MAKING A MOTION FOR EMMA FOR TO SUPPORT THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORK, AND ALSO TO ENSURE, UM, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS IN A STREAMLINED PROCESS AND GIVE COUNCIL THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT MAKES BEST SENSE.
AND, UH, JUST LET ME, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, I SAW YOUR HAND, BUT LET ME JUST EXPLAIN, UH, FOR THE NEW FOLKS, UM, WE HAVE A MAIN MOTION, UH, WHICH WE JUST HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER CZAR.
HE GOT THREE MINUTES, THEN WE HAVE A PRIMARY SPEAKER, UM, MEMBER THAT WOULD SPEAK AGAINST HAS THREE MINUTES.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, UH, WE HAVE MEMBERS FOR AND AGAINST, UH, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES EACH, AND THERE'S A TOTAL OF THREE, FOUR AND THREE AGAINST.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I EXPLAINED THAT VERY WELL, BUT, UH, SO THE NEXT SPEAKER THAT, UM, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS AGAINST, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S COMMISSIONER COPS, WERE YOU SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION? WELL, UM, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE RULES REGARDING SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS OR AMENDMENTS OR, AND AMENDMENT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT, UH, IT'S NOT CONTRARY OR IN OPPOSITION, IT'S JUST ADDING TO, AND IN, YOU KNOW, IN LINE WITH THE MOTION, A SUBSTITUTE IS, UH, IS IT STANDS ON ITS OWN.
IT'S A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, USUALLY AM I ABLE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION AT THIS TIME? YOU CAN, YOU CAN MAKE HER SUBSTITUTE AND WE WOULD, UH, SEE IF YOU HAVE A SECOND.
WELL, IF THAT, IF THAT'S THE UP IS THE TIME TO DO THAT, I, I WOULD OFFER
[02:35:01]
A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UM, THAT WE APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HEARD, UH, BUT ALSO WITH CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO IT THAT THAT ATTEMPT TO, UH, KEEP THIS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES HAS PROPOSED.SO A CAP OF, I GUESS, 135 UNITS, AND I WOULD EVEN PROPOSE THAT THE CONDITIONAL, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY OR, OR WHATEVER, UM, ON NOT REMOVING ANY OF THE HERITAGE TREES ON THE SITE TO ENABLE AND GUARANTEE THAT GREEN SPACE, THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES HAS COMMITTED TO, UM, ALSO BE PART OF THE CONDITION OF THE ZONING.
AND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT IF, IF, UH, IF THERE'S A SECOND, I GUESS I NEED A, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I, UH, OKAY.
COMMISSIONER, UH, MR. TYLER, MR. TYLER, WE HAVE A SECOND THAT I NEED, UM, ON THE DECLARE ON THE MOTION HERE, YOU, SO I GUESS
YOUR, IT WOULD WORK CONSIDERING THAT ALSO YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
SO THIS WOULD BE ON B2 FOR, UH, THE SUBSTITUTES AND THREE WITH A CAP OF 135 UNITS.
AND, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE A CONDITIONER OVERLAY.
AND ALSO, WHICH I NEED STAFF TO, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS IS WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN PUT IN THERE A CEO WITH, YOU KNOW, ON THE HERITAGE TREES.
SO WE'D HAVE TO HEAR FROM STAFF ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ALLOWED.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN SEE, OH, THE HERITAGE TRUTH, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, PART OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
HOWEVER, I AM ASKING NOW, AND I HOPE TO GET CLARIFICATION SHORTLY.
WOULD THE HERITAGE TREES FALL UNDER THE ORDER REQUIRED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCES ANYWAY? YES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN, UM, CONDITION, MAKE IT A CONDITION OF ZONING BECAUSE WE DON'T TYPICALLY CONDITION THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY CODE.
WHAT ABOUT, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, ON YOUR SUBSTITUTE, IF WE TAKE THAT CONDITIONAL OVERLAY TO BE, I BELIEVE THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS PROVIDED EARLIER WAS THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
HEY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT.
DISCUSSION? I DON'T WANT TO PUT US OUT OF ORDER, LIKE, OKAY.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, YEAH, WE'RE OUT OF ORDER HERE.
SO GO AHEAD AND REESE RESTATE YOUR, UM, YOUR MOTION AND LET'S, UH, WE'VE GOT A SECOND, BUT I WANT TO STATE YOUR MOTION FOR THE NAME OF THE, IT, MAYBE, MAYBE THIS WILL SATISFY STAFF, HOPEFULLY.
SO, SO, UH, MY MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF MF THREE, WITH, WITH CONDITIONS, WITH A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, UH, OF A CAP OF 135 UNITS AND A BUFFER SPACE THAT ENCOMPASSES THE HERITAGE TREES ON THE SITE.
NO, NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, AND IF STAFF HAS OTHER WAYS WE CAN DO THIS, I'M OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS.
UM, I BELIEVE THE WAY THAT A VEGETATIVE BUFFER CONDITIONAL OVERLAY WOULD WORK IS YOU HAVE TO SPECIFY A DISTANCE ON A PARTICULAR SIDE.
SO IT WOULD BE, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHICH SIDE THEY ARE PLANNING TO PUT THERE, UH, POTENTIAL WILDFLOWER AREA, BUT IT WOULD LEAD THAT ONE SANDRA PARKER LANE SIDE, W IF I LOOKED AT THEIR, WHEN THEIR, THEIR INITIAL FIRST PASS AT WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO LAY OUT AND SKETCH OUT FOR US, THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDED IN THE SUPPLEMENTALS.
SO IT'S ON THE, THE STREET FACING SIDE HERE, UH, CHAIRMAN SAW.
IS IT OKAY IF I ASK THE DEVELOPERS ENGINEER A QUESTION ABOUT THE, YEAH, NO, UM, I'M GOING TO SAY, WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
UM, I MEAN, WE, THIS IS, I THINK GOING TO TAKE QUITE A BIT OF WORK.
WE'D HAVE TO MOVE OUT AND GO BACK INTO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO, UM, WE'RE KIND OF BEYOND THAT NOW.
UM, SO I GUESS I'M WHAT I HAVE HERE THAT I KNOW IS WITHIN OUR REALM IS THE 135, YOU KNOW, CO CAPTAIN THE UNITS.
SO, UM, CAN WE, CAN WE GO WITH, THAT IS OUR, THAT THE MP3 WITH CAP ON THE UNITS IS THE MOTION.
[02:40:01]
I DID I HEAR FROM STAFF CORRECTLY THAT, THAT THEY, THAT THIRD JUST COMPLETELY DISALLOWED FROM REMOVING THE HERITAGE TREES TO BEGIN WITH.AND SO THAT'S WHY THE HERITAGE TREE CONDITION OR A CONDITION TO THE, THE ZONING APPROVAL IS NOT APPLICABLE.
DID WE GET AN ANSWER ON THAT? YEAH.
AND, UM, I'M GOING TO HEAR YOUR EXPLANATION IS WHAT WE NEED.
UM, COMMISSIONER, IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MOVE THEM.
IT'S JUST THAT, UH, THE CITY HAS A HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE, WHICH THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW DURING THEIR SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
THERE ARE WAYS THAT HERITAGE TREES CAN BE REMOVED, BUT THERE ARE SPECIFIC REVIEWS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT PROCESS.
AND WE DON'T CONDITION THE REQUIREMENT TO, UM, KEEP THE HERITAGE CHASE, BECAUSE THAT IS COVERED UNDER THAT THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE ON THE WAYS THAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT BE REMOVED ONSITE DURING THE SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO I THINK THESE ARE SOME OF THE SITE PLAN ISSUES WE'VE RUN INTO AND, UM, IF WE CAN KEEP IT IN THE REALM OF, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, SO A BUFFER WOULD BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, UH, NO DEVELOPMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO RECOMMEND THAT NOW WITH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT QA, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST, UH, THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
WE'LL JUST HAVE THE 135 UNIT CAMP.
UM, AND THEN, SO WE CAN MOVE ON, UH, OFFER UP A DISCUSSION ON THAT.
SO WE HAVE A, STILL A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER OF COPS FOR THE MP3, WITH THE TYPE OF CEO, WITH THE CAP OF 135 UNITS.
AND, UM, AND THEN, SO WE HAVE A SECOND BY MR. MITCHELL DOLLAR.
AND SO NOW MOVING INTO THE DISCUSSION, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR EMOTION COMMISSIONER? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK.
THAT THE REASON FOR MY SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CHANGING THE ZONING ON THIS PROPERTY TO SOMETHING THAT, UH, COULD POTENTIALLY BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE TO DEVELOPERS.
AND WHILE WE CANNOT REQUIRE THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WITH THEIR PROPOSAL, UM, I THINK WE NEED THAT.
I GET THE SENSE THAT, UH, THAT THIS IS A DESIRABLE ZONING CHANGE FOR SOME ON THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE OF THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
I KNOW ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD PROBABLY VOTE DIFFERENTLY IF IT WAS, IF IT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND SO THE POINT OF THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE I'M AGAINST UNITS OR BECAUSE, UH, I WANT TO, TO HINDER THIS, THIS DEVELOPMENT IT'S SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT CAN HAPPEN RATHER THAN, UH, THE CHURCH JUST DECIDING TO SELL THIS FOR MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SINCE IT'S
AND THEN WE ENDED UP GETTING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED AND WHAT, UH, SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD NOT HEARD OF.
DID HAVE A COMMISSIONER, UH, SPEAKING AGAINST COMMISSIONER CONLEY FIRST.
UM, I, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO'S AWARE OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES TRACK RECORD, UH, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO TRYING TO FIND THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY SPACES FOR THEIR FAMILIES, UM, AND TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
AND THAT MAKES SENSE, UM, FOR ME TO PUT THIS OVERLAY, I MEAN, AN FOUNDATION COMMUNITY IS, IS, HAS ALSO A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF BEING A PERMANENT OWNERS AND HOLDING ONTO THEM TO THEIR, TO THEIR PROPERTIES.
SO FOR ME TO, UH, ADD SOME KIND OF CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS TANTAMOUNT TO SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT WE DON'T TRUST A FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES OR THE CHURCH TO SORT OF, UM, MAKE THE CHOICE HERE, UM, AND TO LIVE UP TO THEIR COMMITMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH I JUST DON'T BELIEVE A FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES HAS THAT KIND OF TRACK RECORD.
SO I DON'T THINK IT MERITS THIS KIND OF, UH, EXTRA CONDITIONS.
UM, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, UH, WHERE YOU'RE GETTING SO MUCH REAL, TANGIBLE VALUE AND A HUNDRED PERCENT INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT WE SHOULD TRY OUR, OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TO SORT OF MAKE LIFE EASIER AND SIMPLER FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFICULT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT TO, TO PULL OFF IN AUSTIN AT THIS POINT.
DO WE HAVE A MEMBER SPEAKING FOR THIS MOTION, UH, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER YANAS PALITO? I SAW YOUR HAND FIRST.
[02:45:03]
SURE.UH, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO CONSTRAIN FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IN THIS PROJECT, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, UM, THE CONSTRAINT JUST BECAUSE IT, UH, TO ME, I SEE IT LESS OF AN ISSUE OF TRUST FOR, FOR FOUNDATION COMMUNITY'S REPUTATION AND MORE AN ISSUE OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE WORLD WE'RE IN AND, UH, AND WANTING TO BE MODERATE ALSO BECAUSE I HAVE, UM, I'M STILL EDUCATING MYSELF ON THE WAY THAT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, INTERSECTS WITH, UM, COMPATIBILITY WHEN IT HAS TO DO WITH CERTAIN W WHEN WE DEAL WITH CERTAIN GREEN SPACE ISSUES, LIKE THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND SO I KNOW IT'S NOT DESIGNED TO ERODE THOSE THINGS NECESSARILY, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE ARE, I THINK I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT GREEN SPACE AND IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THIS AREA FOR HEAT AND ALL KINDS OF CLIMATE REASONS.
SO I THINK THIS IS A HELPFUL AMENDMENT.
SO A MEMBER SPEAKING AGAINST TWO MINUTES, I FINISHED HER AS OUR CHAIR.
SO I THINK I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR HAVING THIS GAP, RIGHT? SO WE'RE THE ONLY THING THAT THIS SUBSTITUTE IS DOING IS THAT IT'S PUTTING A GAP OF 135 UNITS.
AND I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE, THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT WHAT VANISHING COMMITTEES IS DOING.
THE ISSUE IS THAT SOMEBODY ELSE WAS WHO'VE BEEN BY THE PROPERTY AND DO SOMETHING ELSE.
I THINK THE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH, THAT THEY WERE VERY CLEAR IN SAYING THAT THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH A LONG PROCESS OF DOING IN MISSION DRIVEN SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT PARTNER TO TAKE OVER THIS PROPERTY AND DO LIVE THOSE VALUES AND CREATE WHAT IS BEING CREATED.
SO I, I THINK WE'RE SAYING THAT I COULD FIND WEAKEST FOUNDATION COMMITTEES THAT WERE SAYING WE DON'T TRUST THE CHURCH LEADERS.
WHO'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR IN SAYING THAT THIS IS PART OF THEIR MISSION, AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS WORK.
AND THAT IS WHY THEY STRUCK UP THIS PARTNERSHIP, BUT IN FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
SO I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I JUST MADE SURE THAT ONE WE'RE GIVING FOLKS THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE WORK THAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND I THINK GOING WITH THE MP4 ALLOWANCE, THAT WAS PART OF MY MAIN EMOTION WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT IT WOULD GET THE STABILITY THAT THEY NEED.
THIS IS LIKE SAYING, OH, IF SOMEHOW THERE'S FUNDING OR SOME FLEXIBILITY TO GO TO 136 AFFORDABLE UNITS WHILE WE DON'T WANT THAT EXTRA UNIT, IF IT GOES TO 190 MINUTES, WE DON'T WANT THAT EXTRA 40 GOING INTO WHATEVER IT IS.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S BEEN HAPPENED, BUT ESSENTIALLY THERE SHOULD BE FLEXIBILITY IN THE PROCESS WHERE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 125 UNITS, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 135 AFFORDABLE UNITS.
I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD GAP THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT A TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNER CAN PROVIDE WITH A TRUSTED PARTNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MOVING OVER TO THE PROPERTY AND DOING SOMETHING GOOD BY THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY LIVE IN.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT I DRESSED ALL THE PARTNERS HERE, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST EMOTION LIVES UP TO THAT TRUST.
SO WE HAVE A SLOT FOR, UM, NEVER SPEAKING FOR 10 MINUTES, NOT A CONDITIONER, SORRY, A BACKGROUND NOISE.
UM, UH, I CONCUR WITH ALL THE POINTS FROM THE OTHER FOLKS WHO WERE SAYING ONE IT'S NOT DONE UNTIL IT'S DONE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO OPEN UP A POSSIBILITY THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, UNPREDICTABLE TO US OR THE CURRENT INTENT, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND THEN WE OPEN UP THIS AREA TO SOMETHING THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE, UM, TO, I AGREE WITH THE GREEN SPACE CONCERNS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND THREE, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THAT SPOKE IN OPPOSITION AND LISTED OUT THEIR CONCERNS.
I WANT THIS PROJECT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND I WANT THE, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY LISTEN TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS WERE AND TRY TO WORK WITH WITHIN WHAT WAS REASONABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PROJECT, TO STILL MAKE IT HAPPEN AND LET IT BE MORE, I'D LIKE TO GET A PATHWAY FOR MORE BUY-IN FROM MORE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD ALSO IN WHAT THEY NEEDED TO ALLOW THIS TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU HAVE A MEMBER SPEAKING AGAINST THIS MOTION, COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO SPEAK NEUTRAL ON IT.
UM, I, I, I THINK WE'RE OFTEN IN THE POSITION OF TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH WITH A DEVELOPER WHO SAYS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING INTENDS TO DO SOMETHING,
[02:50:01]
BUT WITH ALWAYS THE RISK IN THE BACKGROUND THAT, UM, SOMETHING MAY CHANGE.AND THEN, AND THE PROPERTY THAT WE HEARD ABOUT THAT WE BELIEVED IN THAT WAS GOING TO DO ALL THESE GREAT THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY END UP HAPPENING.
THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS CASE IS WE'RE OFTEN HEARING FROM BUSINESSES FROM FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
WE NEED THEM TO BUILD HOUSING, BUT IN THIS CASE, WE'VE GOT TWO PARTIES WHO ARE BOTH DRIVEN BY MISSION.
AND I INITIALLY WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT WHEN I HEARD, UM, COMMISSIONER'S, R'S ARGUMENTS ABOUT GIVING FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IN THE METHODIST CHURCH, THIS ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY, IT REALLY RANG TRUE WITH ME.
SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVES BEHIND WANTING TO ROPE THEM IN A LITTLE, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, THERE IS SUCH TRUST, UM, DESSERTS TRUST WITH BOTH OF THESE PARTNERS THAT THE ORIGINAL MOTION, UH, PROVIDES SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT WE WOULDN'T NORMALLY GIVE, UM, TO A DEVELOPER, BUT WE CAN COUNT ON THESE PARTIES LIVING UP TO THEIR, THE, MAYBE NOT THE EXACT DETAILS, BUT CERTAINLY THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
AND I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS, UH, JUST SO WE GET THIS STRAIGHT, UM, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE TO VOTE FOR AGAINST OR ABSTAIN.
SO OFTENTIMES YOU'LL HEAR US SAY SPEAK NEUTRALLY, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING, UH, YOUR YELLOW IS THAT YOU'RE ABSTAINING, UM, UH, FROM THE PO.
SO JUST TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, SO ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, AND THAT WAS, UH, BY COMMISSIONER COX, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MOOSE DOLLAR FOR, IT WAS FOR, UH, THE B ONE, UH, WHICH WAS APPROVED OF ME AND FPA FROM, UH, CIVIC TO MULTIFAMILY AND ON B2 STAFF RECOMMENDATION WITH AN ADDITION OF A CEO TO CAP THE UNIT COUNT AT 135 UNITS.
SO THAT IS THE MOTION BEFORE US, THOSE VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GREEN CARDS.
AND GIVE ME A SECOND TO COUNT ONE, TWO, THREE.
UH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT GREEN RIGHT NOW.
SORRY THAT, UH, SO I GOT GREEN ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, AND THEN, UH, THOSE AGAINST, PLEASE SHOW YOUR RED.
SO WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE AGAINST
IF WE COULD DO THE FOUR VOTE AGAIN.
YEAH, LET'S DO THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR GREEN OBJECTS.
AND THEN, UH, THOSE AGAINST ONE MORE TIME, JUST TO VERIFY ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, AND THEN THOSE ABSTAINING.
SO WE'RE OFF TO THE, UH, MOTION THAT WE HAD BY COMMISSIONER IS OUR SECOND ADVISED COMMISSIONER CONLEY, WHICH WAS TO, UM, APPROVE, UM, THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST FOR V1 AND V2.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CIVIC ON V1 CIVIC TO MULTIFAMILY AND UNDER
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS MOTION.
AND, UH, CZAR, UH, CONVINCER CZAR.
I CAN'T RECALL IF YOU SPOKE TO YOUR MOTION, YOU DID.
WE WERE ON THOSE SPEAKING AGAINST, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SPEAKING AGAINST THIS MOTION? ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK FOR, UH, I SEE COMMISSIONER COX FOR THIS HAND UP FIRST, I ACTUALLY WAS, WAS MORE NEUTRAL.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT, UM, REGULATING DEVELOPMENT BASED ON TRUST IS A VERY RISKY THING
[02:55:01]
TO DO.AND I THINK IT'S REALLY, AND I THINK IT'S RISKY FOR THIS COMMISSION TO DECIDE HOW TO GRANT ZONING BASED ON THE LEVEL OF PERSONAL TRUST YOU HAVE WITH WHO IS REQUESTING THAT ZONING.
WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO FIND A STANDARD, UH, THAT IS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE APPLICANTS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ZONING AND, AND TRY TO APPLY THAT.
AND, AND, AND SO I, I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROJECT.
I JUST THINK THAT IT'S AWFULLY RISKY, UM, TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
ANOTHER CHANCE FOR ANYONE SPEAKING AGAINST, AGAINST, NO.
LAST WHAT ABOUT STAFF? COULD WE GET, I SPEAK NEUTRALLY? ARE YOU GOING TO DO YES.
GO AHEAD AND SPEAK NEUTRALLY AND THEN WE'LL DO THE LAST COMMISSIONER.
CONLEY CAN SPEAK FOR THE MOTION.
SO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK NEUTRALLY.
SO I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY THAT I THINK MANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THIS, UM, ON THIS BOARD ARE ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON STAFF.
UM, IF NOT AMONG APPLICANTS WHO ARE USING THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO FAIR HOUSING LAW, BECAUSE THE CONCERN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IS ABOUT SATURATION.
IT'S ABOUT CONCENTRATION OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING IN PARTICULAR AREAS OF TOWN.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT THIS NECESSARILY VIOLATES THAT, BUT THERE IS A VERY REAL SET OF REASONS THAT WE TALK ABOUT WHY AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED.
AND REALLY ALSO WHY A MIX OF MULTIFAMILY AND OTHER TYPES OF USES ARE SO IMPORTANT.
UM, IT'S NOT ABOUT LIMITING APARTMENT DWELLERS.
IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE BASICS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND AS WE INCREASE DENSITY IN AREAS, WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT ADEQUATE GREEN SPACE.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY RESOURCES.
THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE PREPARED TO BE A RESILIENCE HUB, BECAUSE AS A CHURCH SITE, AS A CIVIC USE, THIS WOULD BE THE DESIGNATED AREA.
AND IT'S A 40 MINUTE WALK ON A GOOD DAY, NOT TOO HOT, NOT TOO COLD ROADS, NOT CLOSED TO GET TO LINDER ELEMENTARY FROM THIS AREA, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE THE NEXT CLOSEST DESIGNATED RESILIENCE HUB.
SO THIS AREA IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE READY FOR THAT BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THE LEARNING CENTERS AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, WELL I'VE WORKED WITH AND BEEN CLOSE TO AND STAYED OVER AT MANY IT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES APARTMENTS.
UM, THEY SERVE A HUGE DEMAND WITHIN THE COMPLEX.
SO IN TERMS OF BEING A COMMUNITY FACING CENTER, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF WORK.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT, UM, THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES WILL WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO FIT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
BUT THAT GREEN SPACE BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
UM, IT BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE MORE FLOODING, MORE HEAT, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, I HOPE ALL OF THOSE WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
I DO SUPPORT THE PROJECT, UM, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M NEUTRAL.
AND I THINK MFR, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT PRECEDENT IN ADDITION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL SITE, BUT WHAT HAPPENS AROUND IT.
A FISHER CONLEY, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? YES.
AND I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, DURING, IN THE WORK THAT I DO AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER DURING THE STORM, WE WERE ACTIVELY PART OF THE DISASTER RELIEF.
AND I WAS WORKING WITH AN ACCOMPANYING FAMILIES WHO WERE IN FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES APARTMENTS, AS WELL AS FAMILIES AND RENTERS WHO WERE IN A NUMBER OF OTHER PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND WHILE I, THE FAMILIES IN THE FOUNDATION, COMMUNITIES APARTMENTS SUFFERED AS EVERYONE ELSE DID IN THIS CITY, THEY SUFFERED QUITE A BIT.
UH, THEY HAD LOSS OF POWER AND STUFF.
THEY WERE IN GENERAL BACK ON THEIR FEET, BACK IN ADEQUATE HOUSING AND IN, IN, IN GOOD SHAPE AND THEIR, UH, NEEDS WERE MET, THEY WERE, UH, HELPED, UH, THAT THEY RECEIVED MUCH MORE HELP ACCESSING RESOURCES IN THE CITY.
THEN THE RENTER IS IN ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE UNITS WHO ARE TO THIS DAY IN SOME OF THOSE APARTMENTS, DON'T HAVE, I, I PUT WATER PRESSURE AND, AND MANY OF THOSE APARTMENTS ARE STILL NOT LIVABLE.
SO THE DIFFERENCE IN SERVICE WAS, UH, STRIKING.
AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT'S WORTH NOTING IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT IF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES WERE TO ADD A COUPLE OF UNITS, AS OF, AS SAID OVER A CAP OF WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY PROPOSING, WHICH I DON'T NECESSARILY, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WILL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE CHURCH WOULD, WOULD AGREE TO.
UM, BUT IF THEY WERE TO, I DON'T SEE THAT THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF TRUST OR, UH, YOU KNOW, AN ACT OF HARM.
ALL THEY WOULD BE DOING IS, IS CREATING A FEW MORE UNITS, UM, TO HELP HOUSE PEOPLE.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE ORIGINAL, UH, FAIR
[03:00:01]
HOW THE ORIGINAL, UH, UH, HOUSING FIRST MODEL WAS A MODEL WHERE YOU HAD ABOUT 20%, NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE UNITS WERE DEDICATED TO PSH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.SO THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE VERY FEW DEVELOPMENTS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A REAL HOUSING FIRST TYPE APPROACH.
UM, AND IT'S VERY HARD TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN AUSTIN, BUT I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF DENSIFYING WEST AUSTIN AS WELL.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THIS AND OTHER HIGH OPPORTUNITY PARTS OF THE CITY.
UH, WE DO HAVE A SLOT FOR ANYONE THAT SPEAKS ONCE A WEEK.
UM, I THOUGHT AN OPPOSITION TO THIS MOTION, ANYONE OKAY.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE, UH, I'LL REPEAT IT ONE MORE TIME.
UH, APPLICANT'S REQUEST A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER.
IT'S OUR SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY.
UH, THOSE FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR GREEN CARDS.
SO I HAVE 11 SPEAKING IN FAVOR, THOSE AGAINST YOU HAVE ANY AGAINST.
UM, UM, AS, AS, UM, AS PRESENTED BY, UM, UH, THE MOTION AS PRESENTED, UH, PASSES.
LET'S, UH, I'M LOOKING AT MY LIST HERE.
I THINK WE GOT INTRODUCED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF DEBATE.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS FROM EVERYONE.
[B5. Rezoning: C14-2020-0130 - 5613 Patton Ranch Road; District 8]
JUST LOOKING AT MY LIST, I THINK WE MOVE ON TO B FIVE AND SO, UM, WE WILL START WITH THE, UH, STAFF PRESENTATION ONUH, GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN COMMISSIONERS.
AGAIN, THIS IS KATE KARCH WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS ITEM D FIVE AND IT'S CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2020 DASH ZERO ONE THREE ZERO 56 13 PAYTON UH, RANCH ROAD.
THE AREA BEING REQUESTED TO BE REZONED IS APPROXIMATELY 14.8 ACRES.
AND IT'S PART OF A LARGER LOT.
THAT'S CURRENTLY ZONED
AND TO THE WEST ACROSS PEYTON ROAD.
PEYTON RANCH ROAD ARE PROPERTIES ZONED, R R N P AND L R M P AND ALSO ACROSS TO THE WEST.
UM, THEY AVE OUR PROPERTIES ZONED M TWO N P AND L O N P.
THE APPLICANT IS ASKING TO REZONE A PORTION OF THEIR LOT TO MFA FOR MP TO BUILD A MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT WHILE THE REMAINING AREA OF THEIR LOT WITH SAY AN F1 MP IS RECOMMENDING THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST TO REZONE EMYTH WARRANTY.
THE AREA BEING REQUESTED TO DO ZONE JUST PRIMARILY IN AN AREA WITH EXISTING COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY USES.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO REFILL PLEASE.
THE AREA THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING TO REZONE THEIR LOT LEADS, APPROXIMATELY A 400 FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN THE REZONED AREA, UM, AND THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE EAST.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS SITE IS PARTIALLY LOCATED OVER, UM, THE EDWARDS OPERA GROUP RECHARGE ZONE AND IS CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO SOS ORDINANCE LIMITING DAN'S LOUD BONE PERVIOUS, COVER REZONE.
A PORTION OF THEIR LOT TO MS. WARRANTY WOULD MAINTAIN THE
IT WOULD NOT BE AND ZONING DISTRICT INCONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING DINING PATTERNS, AND IT WOULD ALLOW FLEXIBILITY TO DEVELOP THE PROJECT VERTICALLY INSTEAD OF HORIZONTALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA.
IT'S CONCLUDES STAFF BRIEFING AND I'M AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, UH, FOR THE APPLICANT, UM, WE HAVE, UM, OH, HERE WE GO.
UH, MR. JEFF HOWARD, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MR. WHERE, UH, THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS JEFF HOWARD AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR ST.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT IN THAT CAPACITY.
UM, POINT OF A QUESTION IS MY PRESENTATION, UH, WITH THE CASE NUMBER AND ADDRESS SHOWING AS A FIRST SLIDE UP ON YOUR SCREENS.
[03:05:01]
YES, IT IS.SO THE, UH, THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AS MS. CLARK MENTIONED, UH, ALONG VEGA AVENUE AND PENN SCHOOL ROAD.
IT'S, UH, THE ARTERIAL TO THE NORTH OF SOUTHWEST PARKWAY.
THE ARTERIAL, THE SQUIGGLY ARTERIAL TO THE WEST IS WILLIAM CANNON.
AND US TWO 90 IS TO THE SOUTH.
UH, THIS PROPERTY IS APPROXIMATELY, UM, 15 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND, UH, THERE ARE PARKS AND SCHOOLS IN THE AREA.
THE, UH, THE ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL SITE IS TO THE NORTH EAST WHERE YOU SEE THE BALL FIELDS AND THE S IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING, UH, ST.
ANDREW'S ALSO OWNS THE PROPERTY, UM, TO THE NORTH OF THIS SITE, UH, UP TO SOUTHWEST PARKWAY.
AND THE PROPERTY WAS ORIGINALLY ACQUIRED BY ST.
ANDREW'S IN 2012, IF WE LOOKED AT POTENTIAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SCHOOL, AND AFTER SOME MASTER PLANNING PROCESS, WE DECIDED THAT THIS PROPERTY DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM WAS, UM, SORT OF SURPLUS TO OUR NEEDS.
IT WAS OUTSIDE OF, UH, OF, UH, OF A WATERSHED.
AND, UH, AND SO WE DECIDED AT THAT TIME TO, TO PUT IT ON THE MARKET, IT WAS ACQUIRED BY RAWSON SAUNDERS SCHOOL, ANOTHER PRIVATE SCHOOL, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO, UM, USE IT FOR THE SCHOOL PURPOSES.
AND SO THE PROFIT OF SCHOOL CAME BACK OR THE PROPERTY CAME BACK TO THE SCHOOL.
UH, IT IS THE AREA IN BLUE COINCIDES WITH, UM, BARTON SPRINGS CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
UH, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE RECHARGE ZONE, IT'S SUBJECT TO A 20% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, AS A RESULT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, TREES AND REDUCE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE SITE, UM, THERE'S, THE BUILDABLE AREA IS LIMITED TO THE AREA GENERALLY IN THE ORANGE BLOB ON THE SCREEN.
UH, AND THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO OUR PRIMARY ACCESS WHERE THAT ORANGE ARROW IS ALONG VEGA.
AND BY HAVING OUR ACCESS PRIMARY ACCESS ON VEGA, WE CAN, WE CAN THEN TAKE ACCESS TO, TO WILLIAM CANNON, TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST PARKWAY, UM, UH, TO THE NORTH.
AND THAT GETS YOU BOTH DOWNTOWN AND EAST AND WEST ON, ON US TWO 90.
THE, UH, THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED
SO THERE'S NO NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CHANGE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE
UM, UH, AND SO, UH, WE THINK THIS ZONING IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE, THE AREA REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THE REASON WE'RE REQUESTING MF CORE IS BECAUSE OF THE 20% IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT IN, UH, UM, ALLOWED BY SOS MEANS THAT WE HAVE A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED.
AND
UM, THAT'S A 25% INCREASE IN THE ALLOWABLE UNITS, BUT IT'S STILL ONLY RESULTS IN APPROXIMATELY 20 UNITS PER ACRE.
SO IT'S STILL A LOW DENSITY, UM, AND THE FOUR-STORY APARTMENTS ARE ALLOWED AND CONSTRUCTED ON OTHER PARCELS ALONG VEGA AVENUE, UH, TO THE NORTH.
UM, THERE IS NO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE OR DRAINAGE IMPACTS SINCE SOS APPLIES FOR THE PROPERTY.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S 20% IMPERVIOUS COVER, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S
UM, AND IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF STORMWATER RUNOFF.
IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF, OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
AND AS MS CARD MENTIONED, 18 PLUS ACRES WILL REMAIN
AND WITH THE HEAVY VEGETATION, THAT MEANS THE APARTMENTS WILL BE SCREENED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE EAST, WHICH IS THE OAK PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND THIS IS JUST A RENDERING OF, OF THE VIEW HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT WILL BE THAT THE APARTMENTS WILL BE SCREENED.
YOU CAN KIND OF MAKE UP THE APARTMENTS A LITTLE BIT IN THE LOW, IN, UM, TO THE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, BUT, UM, THE HEAVY VEGETATION IN THE, IN THE, IN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE, UM, PROPOSED APARTMENTS WOULD, WOULD, WOULD PROVIDE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SCREENING.
UM, IN EARLY JANUARY, THE OAK PARK NEIGHBORHOOD HAD SENT SOME CORRESPONDENCE TO THE CITY WITH ADDRESSING SOME OR RAISING SOME CONCERNS.
WE, UM, WE HAVE, SINCE, SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH BOTH THE OAK HILL ASSOCIATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND OAK PARK ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES.
WE'VE, WE'VE MET NUMEROUS TIMES.
UM, AND, AND JUST BRIEFLY, UH, THE ISSUE OF TRAFFIC WAS RAISED.
UM, THERE WILL BE A SIGNAL GOING IN IT, WILLIAM CAN, I MEAN, UM, EXCUSE ME, AT SOUTHWEST PARKWAY AND VEGA.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING OUR PRIMARY ACCESS ONTO VEGA, WHICH WILL MAKE THE ACCESS EASY TO LYNN CANYON, SOUTHWEST PARKWAY.
THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OAK HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
[03:10:01]
ASD DID AN EDUCATIONAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.UM, THAT INDICATED THE IMPACT WOULD BE MINIMAL PERHAPS ONLY ONE TO THREE NEW STUDENTS FROM THIS PROJECT ISSUES OF SIDEWALKS, SIDEWALKS AND SAFETY WERE RAISED, AND THE PROJECT WILL BE REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT SIDEWALKS AND VEGA PATTON RANCH ROAD, SCHOOL ROAD.
AND SO WE'LL ACTUALLY BE IMPROVING, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIVITY IN THE AREA.
UM, A BIG ISSUE THAT'S BEEN RAISED HAS BEEN DRAINAGE.
UM, AND WE THINK WE'RE IMPROVING DRAINAGE BOTH BECAUSE OUR PROJECT WILL DIVERT RUNOFF IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PUT IT INTO A STORM SEWER SYSTEM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE'LL BE COOPERATING WITH THE CITY ON A REGIONAL DRAINAGE PROJECT.
UM, FINALLY WE'VE WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY TO RELOCATE AND PRESERVE RESTORE LOG STRUCTURES, UM, THAT ARE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT PROPOSAL WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AND PRAISED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
AND I'VE GOT MORE INFORMATION.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND WITH THAT, UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, SO I HAVE, UH, SPEAKING IN FAVOR, UM, UH, MR. GREG WEAVER.
UM, THANKS FOR, UH, HEARING US OUT TONIGHT.
I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR ST.
UH, FURTHERMORE, I, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW ME, I WORK FOR CATALYST DEVELOPMENT.
WHO'S THE PARTNER WITH THE CITY, UH, THE ROBERT MUELLER, YOU KNOW, SMALL AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT, UM, A FEW THINGS JUST TO POINT OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT JEFF TALKED ABOUT? I THINK, UH, ONE, THERE WAS A BIG PUSH FOR SOME LOG, A HISTORICAL STRUCTURES TO BE RETAINED THAT DATE BACK TO THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS AND THE SCHOOL WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORICAL LAND COMMISSION TO KEEP THE, UM, LOG STRUCTURES, WHICH THE SCHOOL IS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, HAVING THEM ON THE SCHOOL CAMPUS TO BE STEWARDS OF, UM, UH, TO HAVE A GREAT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, BOTH FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT ALSO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOLS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE ON TO CAMPUS.
SO, UM, WE THINK THAT'S A HUGE WIN.
UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THAT, UH, TO ME, THE BIGGEST POINT, AND JEFF JUST TALKED ABOUT IT IS WITH THE CURRENT HOUSING SHORTAGE IN AUSTIN.
THERE'S A UNIQUE ABILITY HERE WITH ZERO IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT TO ADD RESIDENTIAL UNITS WITHOUT ADDING IMPERVIOUS COVER WITHOUT ANY DRAINAGE.
UM, SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT HOW SEEN AND CLEARLY TALKING ABOUT, UH, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES THAT YOU ALL HEARD ABOUT, THERE'S A SHORTAGE IN THIS TOWN, AND THIS WAS A UNIQUE WAY TO GO, UH, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY ONE FLOOR OF HOUSING, VERY LITTLE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FURTHERMORE DOING THAT WHERE YOU HAVE A 400 FOOT BUFFER, AS YOU HEARD, I'M IN SUPPORT OF IT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HEARING US TONIGHT.
UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES THOSE SPEAKING FOR, AND I HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION, UH, NANCY BAKER JONES, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
ARE YOU THERE? UH, NANCY BAKER JONES CHAIRMAN JONES IS GOING TO CALL RIGHT BACK IN.
WE HAVE NANCY BAKER JONES YET STAR SIX TO UNMUTE CHERIF.
[03:15:01]
JONES.ALL RIGHT, MR. JONES, IF YOU'LL SELECT STAR SIX ON YOUR PHONE AND PROCEED.
HELLO, THIS IS NANCY BAKER JONES.
UM, I AM, UH, WITH THE OAK PARK SUBDIVISION ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A DOCUMENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION LISTINGS, SEVEN OBJECTIONS TO THE REZONING OF THIS PARCEL.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT ITEMS, WE FEEL THAT ITEMS ONE, FOUR AND SEVEN HAVE LARGELY BEEN RESOLVED.
AND ALTHOUGH ITEMS TWO THROUGH SIX REMAIN OF SOME CONCERN US, I WANT TO SPEAK TONIGHT ONLY REALLY TO ITEM THREE, UM, WHICH IS THE FLOODING RISK BECAUSE IT SEEMS PARAMOUNT TO US.
UM, FLOODING RISKS HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE CREATION OF THE OAK PARK SUBDIVISION IN THE 1960S, BUT IT INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY WITH THE ENORMOUS GROWTH OF THE AREA, HOUSING BUSINESSES, ROADS, FREEWAYS, AND IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT NOW SURROUND OUR SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE GREEN SPACE THAT WAS ONCE AVAILABLE TO US IS VIRTUALLY GONE.
RESIDENTS WHO WALK, JOG AND BICYCLE FOR EXERCISE MUST USE OUR STREETS TO DO THAT.
AND AS A RESULT OF THIS ENORMOUS URBAN AND SUBURBAN GROWTH, THE OLD EXISTING PATHWAYS FOR RAIN AND FLOODWATERS TO FLOW FROM THE HILLS WEST OF US TO LOWER GROUND EASTERN SOUTH OF US HAVE BEEN INADEQUATE FOR MANY YEARS.
WATER MUST RUSH RIGHT THROUGH TO THE TWO PARALLEL STREETS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND DUPLEXES THAT MAKE UP THE SUBDIVISIONS.
MY OWN HOME HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE REPEATEDLY AFFECTED BY FLOODWATERS RUNNING OVER OUR LAND AND INTO OUR HOMES.
THE FLOODING RISKS ARE NOW GREAT ENOUGH TO HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS PLACED OAK PARK AT THE VERY TOP AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN ITS FLOOD MITIGATION PROGRAM, THE CITY HAS ALREADY SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ACQUIRE AND DESTROY FIVE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN OAK PARK TO FURTHER ITS GOAL PLANS INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHY THROUGH THE LAND ONCE OCCUPIED BY THOSE HOMES AND A SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURES UNDER STREET TO CARRY WATER, TO CHANNELS EAST AND SOUTH OF US.
BUT PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT PLANS INCLUDE THE ESSENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OF A SWALE AND BURNED DOWN THE ENTIRE NORTH TO SOUTH LENGTH OF THE PROPERTY ALONG CHARK WOULD DRIVE THAT ABUTS.
THIS SHOULD PREVENT WATER FROM EVEN ENTERING OAK PARK PROPERTY ALONG ITS WESTERN EDGE.
I HAVE TO EMPHASIZE THAT APART FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FIVE HOMES, HOWEVER, NO OTHER FLOOD CONTROL CONSTRUCTION HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE PROJECT STARTED ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
AND NONE IS CURRENTLY ON DECK.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR LAST IN-PERSON DETAILED COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS IN 2017.
SO I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT OAK PARK REMAINS ENTIRELY VULNERABLE TO A CATASTROPHIC FLOODING EVENT.
WE OPPOSE DEVELOPMENT AROUND US THAT INCREASES THAT VULNERABILITY, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX ON PATTON RANCH ROAD.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CONSTRUCTION INCLUDES PLANS FOR A WATER CAPTURING POND NEAR THE SWALE AND BURN THAT WOULD REDIRECT WATER OUTSIDE THE SUBDIVISION, FORMING ANOTHER ESCAPE ROUTE FOR FLOOD WATER.
WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WOULD ASSIST WITH WATER DIVERSION AT THE SOUTHERN END OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT WOULD DO NOTHING TO PROTECT THE NORTHERN END, WHICH WE'LL HAVE TO RELY ENTIRELY ON THE AS YET UNSTARTED SWALE AND BERM.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE MOST CRUCIAL, CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THIS ON PATTON RANCH ROAD DOES NOT HAVE A TIMELINE THAT ASSURES THAT THE FLOOD MITIGATING SWALE ON BURN WILL BE FINISHED BEFORE THE PROPOSED APARTMENT COMPLEX IS FINISHED AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO OUR SUBDIVISION.
ALTHOUGH WE HAD A RECENT PROMISING DISCUSSION WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL, WE STILL HAVE NO TIMELINE COMMITMENT.
SO FOR OUR OWN HEALTH AND SAFETY, WE CONTINUE TO OBJECT TO THE REZONING OF THIS PROPERTY UNTIL OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS FLOOD PROTECTION IN PLACE BEFORE THE PROJECT IS FINISHED.
SO WE ARE REQUESTING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION REQUIRE THAT A WORKING SWALE IN BERM IS COMPLETED BEFORE THE PATENT RANCH ROAD PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, APPLICANT REBUTTAL, UH, THREE MINUTES.
UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, JEFF HOWARD FOR THE APPLICANT.
UH, IF I CAN GO TO SLIDE EIGHT ON MY PRESENTATION, UM, AND, AND JUST TO RESPOND BRIEFLY TO MS. BAKER JONES' COMMENTS, UM, THERE'S TWO POINTS TO MAKE.
[03:20:01]
CURRENT CURRENTLY THE RUNOFF THAT HER NEIGHBORHOOD IS EXPERIENCING.IT COMES FROM UP STREAM UPHILL, ACROSS THAT'S CROSS VEGA, AND SHE CLOSED ACROSS THIS UNDEVELOPED PARCEL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
FIRST WAY THAT WE IMPROVE THE SITUATION IS ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION WHERE THIS PROJECT WILL BE BUILT.
A ATLAS 14 COMPLIANT DETENTION POND WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND A STORM SEWER WILL BE, UH, EXTENDED TO EXISTING STORM DRAIN.
SO WE WILL BE DIVERTING ALL THAT SHEET FLOW, UH, THAT CURRENTLY GOES ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION AND HITS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE WILL BE PUTTING THAT INTO A STORM SEWER SYSTEM.
SECOND WAY THAT WE IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE SITUATIONS ON THE NORTHERN PIECE IS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE CITY'S PROPOSED FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT.
AND THAT GREEN SWALE IS NOT ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL PROPERTY.
AND IT'S ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE ACRES, UH, WHEN YOU CONSIDER ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO DONATE THE LAND FOR THIS CITY FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT, UM, THROUGH AN EASEMENT WE'RE PREPARED TO COOPERATE WITH THE CITY IN, IN DESIGN, WE'RE PREPARED TO COOPERATE WITH THE CITY AND THE SURVEY AND THE GRANTING OF EASEMENTS.
SO WE WILL ACTUALLY BE PROVIDING THE LAST MISSING PIECE TO FACILITATE THE REGIONAL PROJECT.
AND WE WILL BE DOING THAT AS PART OF A DONATION.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET THE ZONING APPROVED AS A BOARD MEMBER, THERE'S ENOUGH VALUE IN THE ZONING TO PROVIDE THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
IF THE ZONING IS NOT APPROVED, THEN IT'S HARD FOR US TO JUSTIFY AS A, AS BOARD MEMBERS WITH THE FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION THAT DONATION ABOUT MY END.
BUT, BUT I THINK THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE US TO, TO MAKE THAT DONATION AND THIS, AND THE SWELL PROJECT THAT MS. BAKER JONES MENTIONED WILL BECOME A REALITY.
I THINK THE CITY HAS ACQUIRED THE LOTS ONCE THEY ACQUIRE THE EASEMENTS FROM THE SCHOOL AND GET THEIR PLANS APPROVED, UM, THEY WILL BE STARTING CONSTRUCTION, UH, NEXT SUMMER.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, I THINK THEY CAN SPEAK MORE TO THAT.
SO THIS FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT ON THE NORTH WHERE WE ARE NOT DEVELOPING IS EMINENT AND OUR PROJECT TO THE SOUTH WILL ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE SITUATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE A VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, VOTE BY FINISHER SNYDER, SECONDED BY FINNISH, UH, VESTURE TEMPLE.
UH, LET'S GO AND VOTE ON CLOSING THE HEARING ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX.
NOW WE MOVE INTO A Q AND A, UH, COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS WHO IS THE FIRST.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE QUESTION COMMISSIONER, UH, COPS, UM, ALREADY DEVELOPED A REALLY BAD REPUTATION OF BEING THE FIRST ONE WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT.
UH, ONE IS, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PROPERTY EXTENDS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SCHOOL ROAD, BUT I'M HOPING YOU CAN GIVE US THE GOOD NEWS THAT AS PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, UH, WE'LL COMPLETE THAT SIDEWALK CONNECTION ALONG PATENT RANCH ROAD, UH, FROM VEGA AVENUE DOWN TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, IS THE REASON WHY THAT DRAINAGE PROJECT BY THE CITY, THE CITY HAS ALREADY INVESTED MONEY IN, IN BUILDING OR BUYING AND DEMOLISHING THOSE HOMES IS THE ONLY REASON WHY THEY HAVEN'T BUILT THE BUILT THE SWALE IS BECAUSE THE SCHOOL HAS YET TO, TO GRANT THAT AREA AS AN EASEMENT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION RELATED TO THAT IS, IS THAT AREA EVEN DEVELOPABLE.
AND SO WHAT WOULD BE THE HESITATION FOR THE SCHOOL TO GRANT THAT EASEMENT WITH, OR WITHOUT THIS ZONING CASE INDEPENDENT OF THIS ZONING CASE? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COX, UH, AND GOOD TO SEE YOU AND WELCOME TO WELCOME TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, YOUR FIRST QUESTION IS WITH RESPECT TO SIDEWALKS.
YES, WE'RE, UH, WE ARE PREPARED TO, UH, REQUIRE THE DEVELOPER, UM, UH, WHO DEVELOPS HIS PROPERTY TO CONSTRUCT SIDEWALKS ALONG SCHOOL RANCH ROAD, OUR SCHOOL ROAD, PATTON RANCH ROAD IN VEGA, UH, NORTH.
UH, SO THAT WILL PROVIDE SORT OF MAXIMUM CONNECTIVITY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE ISSUE ON THE SWALES.
I DON'T THINK ACQUISITION OF THE CITY, OR EXCUSE ME ON THE SCHOOL PROPERTY IS THE ONLY THING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
[03:25:01]
UM, AND THAT'S NOT, WHAT'S HOLDING IT UP.UH, CERTAINLY THEY NEED TO ACQUIRE THAT EASEMENT.
AND THAT'S THE LAST SORT OF REAL ESTATE PIECE THEY NEED TO ACQUIRE THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THEIR, THEIR DESIGN.
SO THEIR CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS ARE IN PROCESS.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED THOSE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS YET IN ORDER TO SUBMIT FOR A PERMIT, BUT ARE HOPING TO GET THAT DONE, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS FAR AS THE USABILITY OF THAT LAND.
UM, I MEAN, IT IS DEFINITELY IN AN AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO BE LOCATED, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE CROSS-COUNTRY TRAILS.
WE HAVE, UM, UM, UH, A LOT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMMING THAT HAPPENS IN THAT AREA.
AND IF WE LOSE THAT AREA, WE'LL LOSE THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT SORT OF SCHOOL PROGRAM.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, UH, DEVELOPABLE IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY USABLE BY THE SCHOOL AND IS USED BY THE SCHOOL.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND, AND, OH, SORRY, MR. TOPS.
I WAS JUST GOING TO LET YOU KNOW, AND THE REST OF THE SUBMISSION, WE DO HAVE WATERSHED STAFF AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE WATERSHED RELATED QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, BUT MY LAST QUESTION, MR. HOWARD IS, IS IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD OPPOSITION IS ALMOST ENTIRELY HINGED ON THE DRAINAGE SITUATION THERE.
AND SO, AND CAN THEY, CAN THEY FEEL BETTER, UH, WHETHER THERE'S ZONING MOVES FORWARD OR NOT THAT THE CITY WILL COOPERATE WITH THE CITY OR THAT THE SCHOOL WILL COOPERATE WITH THE CITY AND, AND DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO ENABLE THAT, THAT REGIONAL DRAINAGE PROJECT TO HAPPEN? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK CERTAINLY WE WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO COOPERATE AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THIS, UM, UH, ON, ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR ME AS A BOARD MEMBER TO JUSTIFY GETTING UP USABLE LAND.
UH, IF, IF WE'VE GOT, IF, IF WE'VE DELIVERED THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT, THAT THE ZONING IS GRANTED, AND CERTAINLY WHETHER THE ZONING IS GRANTED OR NOT, UH, IT HAS NO IMPACT ON THE DRAINAGE.
SO, LIKE I SAID, IF WE CAN, THIS WAS MF ONE, YOU'D HAVE EXACT SAME SORT OF HORIZONTAL IMPACT.
YOU'D HAVE THE SAME DRAINAGE IMPACT AND STORMWATER RUNOFF IMPACT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WITHHOLDING THE ZONING, UM, WOULD NOT IMPROVE THE DRAINING SITUATION.
UH, BUT, BUT I THINK GRANTING THE ZONING WILL FACILITATE OUR PROJECT AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY WE WOULD BE COMMITTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FULLY COOPERATE WITH THE CITY, UM, ON THE REGIONAL PROJECT.
UM, CAN WE HEAR FROM, YOU SAID WE HAVE CITY AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS THE WATERSHED.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR IF THEY'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE RETENTION, THE PROPOSED RETENTION POND.
WE USE THOSE A LOT IN SEATTLE FOR FLOOD CONTROL.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL ECHO THE SENTIMENTS TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONER, IF THAT IS THE MAIN STAY OF THE CONCERN COMING FROM THE NEIGHBOR.
AND I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION THEN WOULD BE BACK TO THE RESIDENT REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, IF THIS CONCERN IS ADDRESSED, ARE THEY SATISFIED WITH WHAT THE APPLICANT HAS DONE IN THEIR REQUEST? IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS, IS LOOKING AT THAT THE RETENTION POND PLAN IS GOING TO HELP AID THIS AND THEN DO WE NEED TO MAKE THAT AN OVERLAY TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYS IN THE PROJECT? SO THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A MULTILAYERED QUESTION.
SO I GUESS WHAT I HEARD IS FIRST A QUESTION TO STAFF AND THEN TO THE YEP.
AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE CAN'T BE A REQUIREMENT FOR A DETENTION IS KIND OF PART OF SITE PLAN AGAIN.
SO WE CAN'T BUILD THAT INTO OUR ZONING, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS IN WATERSHED.
I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION FOR THEM AND THEN FOLLOW UP BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IF WE GET AFFIRMATION FROM WATERSHED, THAT THAT PROPOSAL, UM, IS GOING TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN'T, THEN THAT SATISFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS.
SO DO YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM WATERSHED OR THE NEIGHBORS? OKAY.
HELLO, JOHN MIDDLETON WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, WE HAVE REVIEWED SOME, UH, PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR, UH, FOR, UH, PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND, UH, THE, THE SITE OF THE DETENTION POND.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT NOT PRETENSION.
SO IT DOES RELEASE RELEASE WATER.
[03:30:01]
AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE PROPERTY, UH, AND THERE'S NOT REALLY VERY MANY OPTIONS FOR WHERE YOU COULD LOCATE UPON LIKE THIS.UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THAT POND WILL COLLECT WATER FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF THE ST ANDREWS PROPERTY AND, UH, UH, AS MR. HOWARD, UH, DISCUSSED EARLIER AND, UH, IS LIKELY TO PROVIDE SOME BENEFIT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN WITHOUT THE, UH, CITY PROJECT.
AND THEN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO FOLLOW UP GIVEN THE CITY'S FEEDBACK IS THAT PROVIDES SOME LAYER OF REASSURANCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEIR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED.
SO IS NANCY BAKER JONES ON THE, STILL THERE? YES, I'M HERE.
UM, OUR CONCERN WITH THIS PROJECT IS THAT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE, UM, THE LAND, THE SOUTHERN END OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE IN SOME WAYS, DOUBLY PROTECTED BY EVENTUALLY, UH, THE SWALE AND BERM, AND THE POND IS GOING TO BE BUILT WHAT'S AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON PARKWOOD.
THE WATER FLOWS DIFFERENTLY ACROSS THAT TO BE UNDEVELOPED PARCEL STRAIGHT INTO THE YARDS OF THOSE HOUSES, THAT BACK UP THERE, AS OPPOSED TO AT THE SOUTHERN END, WHERE THE, THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT IS PLANNED, THE WATER IS, WILL BE MORE NATURALLY INCLINED TO FLOW TOWARDS THE SOUTH.
SO OUR CONCERN IS THAT WHILE THE SOUTHERN END MAY BE VERY WELL PROTECTED, EVEN DOUBLY PROTECTED UNTIL WE GET A BERM AND SWALE AT THE NORTHERN END, WE HAVE NO PROTECTION THERE.
AND WE FEEL THAT, UM, IN W W WE HAVE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU HAVE TWO PARCELS OF LAND, UM, WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THIS DOESN'T ENTIRELY ADDRESS IT BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE NO TIMING OF, OF WHETHER WE CAN EXPECT TO BE PROTECTED BEFORE THIS, UM, DEVELOPMENT IS FINISHED.
UM, I SEE COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER'S HAND FOR QUESTION.
SO JUST TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT AND TO FOLLOW UP, UM, A QUESTION FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR, UM, THE REMAINING PIECES OF THIS, UM, FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT, UH, TIE, IS IT FUNDED? IS IT IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR WHEN, UM, WHAT STEPS YOU ARE CURRENTLY AND WHEN, UH, ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION MAY BEGIN OR WHEN YOU EXPECT IT TO BE COMPLETED? YES, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, ENTIRELY FUNDED, UH, THROUGH CONSTRUCTION.
WE, UH, CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE STARTING CONSTRUCTION, UH, NEXT SUMMER FISCAL YEAR OR SUMMER OF 2022, UH, AND CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
WE DO NOT HAVE DETAILS OF, UH, THE SEQUENCE OF CONSTRAINTS.
UH, IN OTHER WORDS, WHETHER WE WOULD, WHICH SECTION WE WOULD WORK ON FIRST, UH, BUT, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD STAGE THE WORST NORTHERN, UH, PART OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AS THE FIRST PART OF THE PROJECT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER FOR WITHIN YOUR TIME? OKAY.
UH, MS. HARRIS WITH QUESTIONS, UM, I'LL, I'LL ASK A FEW HERE, UH, FOR A WATERSHED.
UM, COULD YOU JUST GO OVER THE, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT, THE RULES FOR DRAINAGE OFF THAT PROPERTY? I MEAN, ISN'T THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT A THERE'S NO ADVERSE IMPACT FROM A DEVELOPMENT ONTO NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, UM, AND THAT THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO, UH, MANAGE ANY RUNOFF FROM THAT SITE? YES, THAT'S TRUE.
THERE'S THERE, UH, W WE DON'T ALLOW AN ADVERSE IMPACT AND, UH, THE RUNOFF THAT LEAVES ASIDE THAT THE PEAK RUNOFF, UH, FROM THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, UH, CANNOT EXCEED THE, UH, RUNOFF
[03:35:01]
PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT.SO THERE'S NO INCREASE IN THE PEAK FLOW ON THE SITE.
SO THE, WHAT IS CURRENTLY DRAINING OFF, UH, THEY'RE KIND OF EX, UM, EXEMPTED FROM MANAGING THAT.
SO IT'S ONLY WHAT THEY INCREASE WOULD BE DUE TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN, UM, I GUESS, OH, SO I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE, UH, UM, MRS. JONES.
UH, SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER REQUIREMENTS, UM, THEY DO NOT CHANGE, UH, PER THE APPLICANT'S DESCRIPTION.
THEY'RE GOING TO GOING TO BE 20%.
AND SO I THINK THEY'RE BUILDING HIGHER INSTEAD OF, AND NOT TAKING UP MORE SPACE.
AND SO, UH, CURRENTLY, AS I UNDERSTAND, THEY CAN DEVELOP UNDER THE MF ONE STANDARDS.
SO I GUESS, ARE YOU GIVEN THAT THE IMPERVIOUS COVERS REMAINS THE SAME, I GUESS, AM I HEARING YOU WOULD RATHER THERE BE NO DEVELOPMENT BEFORE? UH, ALL THE MITIGATION IS IN PLACE? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING? WE'RE NOT REQUESTING THAT THERE BE NO DEVELOPMENT, BUT I MEAN, HONESTLY WE PROBABLY WOULD, BUT IT SEEMS FRUITLESS GIVEN OUR SITUATION HERE, IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE POND IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE ADDED BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING IN WILL INCREASE THE WATER FLOW.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT A NEUTRAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN TERMS OF WATERFALL, WE, AS A NEIGHBORHOOD SIMPLY HAVE NO RECOURSE.
ONCE THAT WATER STARTS FLOWING FROM WEST OF US UP OVER VEGA AVENUE, UP THE HILLS UP THERE, AND IT COMES STRAIGHT FOR US AND GOES THROUGH US.
SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A RESPITE FROM THIS, AND WE WOULD SIMPLY APPRECIATE, UM, THAT OUR NEEDS FOR MITIGATING FLOODING, UM, WOULD BE PLACED AS A HIGH PRIORITY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT SURROUND US.
AND, UH, ONE MORE QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT, UH, MR. HOWARD, WHAT'S THE, UH, WE HEARD FROM STAFF THAT THEY LOOKED AT, UM, THIS BEING A 20, 22 PROJECT.
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT, IF YOU, UH, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET COUNCIL APPROVAL, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, IF, IF WE CAN GET, UH, COUNCIL APPROVAL IN MAY OR SO, AND WE EVEN ANTICIPATE THE, YOU KNOW, A SITE PLAN BEING SUBMITTED HOPEFULLY SOON THEREAFTER.
UM, IF DEPENDING ON REVIEW TIMES, WE COULD, WE COULD SEE A SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT ISSUED IN, IN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NINE MONTHS TO A YEAR.
SO WE, WE WOULD HOPE TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN APRIL OR MAY OF 2022.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG OUR PROJECT WOULD TAKE TO CONSTRUCT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT TOOK, IF IT TOOK 18 MONTHS, THE TIMING WOULD BE PRETTY CLOSE.
WE JUST COULDN'T, WE JUST COULDN'T.
UM, UH, WE, WE JUST COULDN'T BE SUBJECT TO ANY UNFORESEEN DELAYS THE CITY MAY HAVE IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION PLANS OR THEIR PERMITTING.
UH, AND WE CERTAINLY COULDN'T HAVE A BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT.
IT COULDN'T BE OCCUPIED, BUT WE WERE WAITING FOR THE CITY TO FINISH THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR TIME PERIOD, UH, THERE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
I JUST WANT CLARITY, MAYBE THESE THINGS WERE ANSWERED, BUT I JUST MISSED THEM SOMEHOW.
SO FIRST FROM, FROM WATERSHED, MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS GOING TO BE BUILT.
I MEAN, THE SWALE IS GOING TO BE BUILT AND THAT'S PLANNED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE LAND IS DONATED BY THE APPLICANT.
AND IF, IF THE APPLICANT DOESN'T DONATE THE LAND, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL JUST CONDEMN IT AND TAKE IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, WE NEED TO ACQUIRE, UH, THE PROPERTY FOR THOSE WHALES OR AN EASEMENT ON THAT PROPERTY REGARDLESS OF, UH, STATUS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT.
SO, SO THE SWALES ARE, ARE, MAYBE THEY'LL GIVE US THE LAND FOR FREE, BUT MAYBE THEY WON'T, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THAT OUT THEN, I GUESS, WITH THE APPLICANT.
CAN, CAN YOU REMIND ME, MAYBE IT WASN'T CLEAR, I MEAN, YOU SORT OF PUT OUT THE BENEFITS
[03:40:01]
OF THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT ARE THERE ANY CONCESSIONS OTHER THAN THE POSSIBLE DONATION OF THE LAND THAT, THAT ARE BEING OFFERED AND IN EXCHANGE FOR, FOR THE ZONING CHANGE? WELL, UM, AS WE OPEN UP THE FLIGHT AGAIN, OF THE SORT OF BENEFITS.UM, I THINK MAYBE IF WE LOOK AT EITHER S UH, PERHAPS WE LOOK AT SLIDE SEVEN, UM, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, MAYBE THAT MAYBE THAT WILL, MAYBE THAT WILL SHOW US.
UM, BUT, BUT WE WE'VE TALKED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF CONCESSIONS.
THE FIRST WAS THAT OUR PRIMARY ACCESS WOULD BE ON, UH, VEGA AVENUE.
AND THAT MEANS THAT, UH, SO THAT OUR, OUR TENANT TRAFFIC WOULD, WOULD NOT BE ON SCHOOL ROAD OR ON PATENT RANCH ROAD, BECAUSE THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH SCHOOL, UM, TRAFFIC.
UM, WE WOULD NEED SOME SERVICE ACCESS FOR THINGS LIKE EITHER A FIRE LANE OR FOR LOADING.
UM, BUT THAT WAS ONE CONCESSION WE HAD PROPOSED.
UM, ANOTHER CONCESSION WE HAD PROPOSED WAS, UH, EXTENDING SIDEWALKS, UM, ALL AROUND THE, THE PROPERTY SO THAT WE CAN CONNECT SIDEWALKS FROM, FROM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UP SCHOOL ROAD, UH, THE LENGTH OF SCHOOL ROAD TO LINK TO PATTON RANCH ROAD AND UP VEGA AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UH, WITH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT, UH, RELOCATING THE LOG STRUCTURES, UM, ON THE PROPERTY THAT, THAT TOOK ABOUT TWO OR THREE MONTHS OF, OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION TIME AND, AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION STAFF TIME.
AND WE WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH OAK HILL ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOODS TO RELOCATE THOSE LARGE STRUCTURES IN SORT OF A VERY COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLAN, UH, TO OTHER PORTIONS OF THE SITE IN A VERY SORT OF CONTEXT SENSITIVE LOCATION.
SO THAT, UM, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO GET CLEAR ON THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT TRAFFIC, I MEAN, MAYBE THAT ATD DIDN'T TELL YOU WHERE TO TAKE ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT ATD WOULD ASK YOU TO TAKE PROPERTY ACCESS IN A WAY THAT WOULDN'T INTERFERE WITH THE SCHOOL THAT THE SIDEWALKS I'M ASSUMING ARE, ARE REQUIRED, AND THE FOG STRUCK HIS DOOR.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT HAS TO BE MANAGED ANYWAY, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, WELL, THE ACCESS LOCATION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DICTATED BY ATD.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE TAKEN ACCESS ON EITHER ON EITHER ROAD.
UM, THE SIDEWALKS WE WE'VE, WE'VE OFFERED TO TAKE THE SIDEWALKS, NOT ONLY ADJACENT TO OUR PROPERTY, BUT ALL THE WAY UP VEGA TO WHERE THEY WOULD CONNECT, UM, UH, TO THE NORTH WITH, WITH WHERE THEY WOULD CURRENTLY END.
SO YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS, INCLUDING THE, THE WIDE OAK HILL URBAN TRAIL, UH, DOWN, DOWN VEGA.
AND THE, AND THE LOG STRUCTURES IS VERY MUCH IN AGREEMENT.
IT WAS VERY MUCH A NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT.
IT WASN'T A, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS REQUIRED OR SOMETHING WE WORKED OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, AND I WOULD ONLY SAY COMMISSIONER IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH, UH, OAK PARK, UH, IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS SEEM TO SATISFY MANY OF THEIR CONCERNS AND, AND WE WERE LEFT KIND OF WITH THIS DRAINAGE ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH.
DO WE HAVE OTHER CONDITIONERS WITH THE QUESTIONS LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM? I DON'T SEE ANY, SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? ANYONE WOULD PROPOSE? ALL RIGHT.
UH, I SEE COMMISSIONER VICE YOUR HEADPHONES.
DO YOU WANT HER, UM, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, GO WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF, UH
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S A LEGITIMATE FIGURE ABOUT THE FLOODING, AND IF THERE CAN BE SOMEHOW ADVANCED IN THE SCHEDULE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE NORTHERN LOTS ARE PROTECTED, UM, THROUGH FAST FORWARDING OR FAST TRACKING CONSTRUCTION OF THAT SWALE TO PROTECT THEM DURING CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND OF A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER COX, UH, FISHER HEMPEL DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? YEAH.
UM, I THINK THE, THE POINT ABOUT,
[03:45:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, BUILDING IN THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA, UM, IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE OR STRICT RESTRICTIONS, UM, LEADING TO THE NEED FOR GREATER HEIGHT MAKES SENSE TO ME.UM, AND SO IT, IT REALLY SOUNDS THAT THE APPLICANT HAS WORKED VERY HARD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, JUST ENCOURAGE CONTINUAL COMMUNICATION TO HELP THE PROJECT BE SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL FOR BOTH PARTIES.
UH, ANY COMMISSIONER SPEAKING AGAINST, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, I GUESS I CAN'T SUB SUPPORT DENSITY IN THIS LOCATION.
I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, LIMITING AN IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, BUT THERE'S STILL THE SORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OF HAVING 25% MORE CARS DRIVE OVER THE AQUIFER, UH, EVERY DAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, IT'S NOT IN A LOCATION OR A ROAD THAT'S REALLY EVER GOING TO BE SERVICED WELL BY, BY MASS TRANSIT.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES DRIVING FROM THERE TO THERE, TO THEIR JOBS AND TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND TO THEIR SHOPS THAT ARE, ARE SORT OF FAR FROM WALKING DISTANCE.
UM, AND, AND IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, EXTRA 25% LIVING OUTSIDE THE URBAN CORE.
AND I CAN JUST CAN'T SUPPORT THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, OTHER SPEAKING FOR THIS MOTION COMMISSIONER, UH, FOX, YEAH.
THE REASON I CAN SUPPORT THIS CAUSE WHAT I'VE HEARD AND WHAT I HOPE IS CORRECT IS THAT, UH, THE, THE PRIMARY NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN IS, IS A DRAINAGE ONE, WHICH I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND JUST BY LOOKING AT THIS PROPERTY AND SEEING, UH, HOW THINGS FLOW.
AND THEN WHAT I HEARD FROM STAFF IS THAT THE PROJECT TO HELP PROTECT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FROM PREEXISTING DRAINAGE ISSUES IS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, AND WHAT I HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS ALSO THE SCHOOL THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY TO, TO ENABLE THAT PROJECT IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE CITY AND COOPERATE WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROJECT DRAINAGE PROJECT HAPPENS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SCHEDULE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT PROJECT ARE VERY SIMILAR.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, AT LEAST WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE PRIMARY DRAINAGE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ARE BEING ADDRESSED BOTH BY THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY.
AND THAT'S HOW I CAN SUPPORT THEM.
UH, NUMBER SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION, ANY OTHER WAY TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? UH, COMMISSIONER BUSH DOLLAR.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'D ASK QUESTIONS OF EACH OTHER.
NO, WE JUST NEED TO, UH, SPEAK TO YOUR, UH, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR, UH, JUST GIVE US A REASONS.
I KNOW I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING SOME OF THE DISCUSSION THAT'S OKAY.
UH, ANY OTHER SPEAKING IN FAVOR? UH, COMMISSIONER PALITO? YES.
I'LL JUST BRIEFLY, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE NUANCE AND I'M, I'VE ALSO SOME POSITIVE SUPPORT, UM, FROM, UH, FROM AN BOBBY LEVINSKY ATTORNEY OF, UH, SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
SO I THINK A LOT OF THE CONSIDERATIONS AROUND THE RECHARGE ZONE, UM, HAVE BEEN, UH, TAKEN UP IN CONVERSATION WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO GO TO, TO MOVE UP, UM, WHERE WE CAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO, UM, DENSITY IN A HIGHLY SENSITIVE AREA.
IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION LEADING UP TO THIS, AND SO I'M IN SUPPORT.
ONE MORE SPOT OR ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK AGAINST, AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BRING THIS TO A VOTE SEEING NONE.
THERE'S A, THEY'RE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION FOR A STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
EMMETT
UM, THOSE OPPOSED WE HAVE ONE AND THEN ABSTAINING.
AND I THINK THAT CLEARS ALL OF OUR CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I THINK THAT'S ALL OF OUR, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WE CAN MOVE ON INTO, OH, SO I NEED, I NEED A MOTION TO X, I THINK COMMISSIONER AZHAR YES.
[03:50:01]
TO 10, 15.I THINK THAT'S A NOBLE ATTEMPT.
I SEE SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SNYDER.
UH, LET'S DO A QUICK VOTE TO EXTEND, TO MEETING TO 10, 15.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ONCE I FIND IT, UM, EACH AGENDA ITEMS. YES.
[C. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
THANK YOU.SO A QUICK COMMENT, AND WE'LL COVER THIS UNDER, UM, WHEN WE GET TO BOARDS COMMITTEES WORKING GROUP UPDATES, BUT JUST, WE WILL, UM, HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION NEXT WEEK, UH, ON THE, UM, TRAFFIC CRITERIA MANUAL.
AND THEN WE WILL, UM, POTENTIALLY ENTERTAIN AMENDMENTS THAT NIGHT.
UH, BUT IT MAY BE THE NEXT MEETING OR EVEN THE NEXT MEETING BEFORE WE HAVE, UH, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND HAVE COMPILED AMENDMENTS, UH, COMMISSIONER FOX.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION WHEN YOU SAY NEXT WEEK, DO YOU MEAN THE NEXT MEETING OR IS THERE SOMETHING I'M SORRY.
NEXT MEETING TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION, HONESTLY.
UH, THE CASELOAD, UH, WILL PROBABLY BE, WE MAY HAVE FIRED A FEW THAT WEEK AND SO WE NOT START GETTING INTO OUR AMENDMENT, BUT I WILL TABLE THAT DISCUSSION ON THE PROCESS WHEN YOU GO INTO ITEM E AND WE GET AN UPDATE FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON AND I'M THE MOBILITY WORKING GROUP WILL KIND OF GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, THAT WE'LL WORK THROUGH FOR AMENDMENT TO THE TCM.
SO WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS? AND THIS IS WHERE, UH, COMMISSIONER YANEZ.
SO I WON'T GET INTO THE WEEDS.
I THINK THIS IS APPROPRIATE AS AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS NOTIFICATION.
I'VE BEEN GETTING SOME, UM, CONCERNED, UH, CITIZEN EMAILS ABOUT NOTIFICATION FOR SOME OF THE RECENT CASES WE VOTED ON.
UM, SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT AS WELL.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE A, A STAFF JUST, UH, UM, DESCRIBING THE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS TO US AND THEN FOR US TO HAVE TWO AND A WITH STAFF? OKAY.
AND I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF HOMEWORK, UM, AROUND THAT AND, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH YOU CHAIR SHAW ABOUT JUST WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE IN ORDER TO, UM, TEE SOMETHING UP FOR THAT.
SO I'LL, I'LL SECOND THAT ITEM FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONERS ARE INTERESTED IN, OKAY.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON
[D. NOMINATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS]
TO THE NEXT, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.WE'LL SEE HOW FAR WE GET WITH THIS.
UM, SO I'LL MAKE A LITTLE PITCH HERE, UH, BESIDES, UH, WORKING, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR EVERY TWO WEEK MEETINGS, UH, MOST OF US SERVE IN A CAPACITY OF A, WE HAVE JOINT COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS THAT WE SERVE ON, AND WE HAVE SOME OPENINGS, UM, ON THOSE COMMITTEES AND I'M LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS, UH, TO KIND OF, WE, WE INTENTIONALLY MADE SPACE FOR YOU ALL.
SO WE HAVE SOME, UH, I'LL GO, UH, GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM REAL QUICK.
UH, WE HAVE AN OPENING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE.
UM, I AM MOVING TO CODES AND ORDINANCES, AND SO WE HAVE A VACANCY THERE.
WE HAVE A VACANCY ON SMALLER AREA PLANNING, JOINT COMMITTEE, UH, ONCE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE-CHAIR HIPPO LEAVES THAT, UM, GROUP, AND THEN WE'VE GOT OPENING, UM, ON THE MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE TRAFFIC CRITERIA MANUAL, BUT I THINK COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TERMINATE IT AFTER THAT.
UH, ARE YOU CONTINUING ON AFTER THE TCM TO ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES? THEY GO LIVES AND IT WOULD JUST BE WHATEVER THE GROUP FEELS IS THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DISBAND JUST AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THE TCM.
SO, UH, SO WE HAVE THAT GROUP AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, I THINK, UM, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, IF I'M NOT MIS I THINK COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, YOU ARE STEPPING INTO THE BACKUP ROLE, AS SOON AS WE FIND SOMEBODY TO FIT A ROLE THERE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE.
SO WE HAVE THOSE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT US TO EXPLAIN WHAT THESE COMMITTEES
[03:55:01]
DO, BUT, UM, YEAH, YEAH, YES.UM, LET'S JUST GIVEN OUR TIME CONSTRAINTS.
IF YOU GO AHEAD AND START, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, JUST GIVE US A QUICK, UH, ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
IT'S PART OF THAT COMMITTEE, THE PRIMARY JOB OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS TO, UM, REVIEW, IMPROVE AND MONITOR THE AUSTIN'S CLIMATE PLAN.
AND THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT, UM, OVER THIS PAST ADOPTION OF THE MOST RECENT CLIMATE PLAN, WHICH IS YET TO BE ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, WHICH IS REALLY FOCUSED ON EQUITY.
IN FACT, THE PLAN IS RENAMED THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT EQUITY ACROSS ALL THE COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN AND, UH, WE'LL GROWING FOCUSED ON RESILIENCY.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS AND HOW THAT INTERSECTS WITH PLANNING AND, UM, BUILDING RESILIENCE, IT'S A DIVERSE GROUP, UH, REPRESENTING, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, STANDING COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL, UH, SORRY, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT COUNCILS APPOINTED EVERYTHING FROM, UH, ENERGY TO WATER AND WHITEWATER FOOD, ENVIRONMENTAL.
AND I WOULD ADD, UH, WHEN WE HA WE ACTUALLY, UH, PRESENTED AN AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN, UM, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS SOCIAL JUSTICE COMPONENT TO THE, UH, TO THAT PLAN.
IT WAS, IS A LARGE PART OF IT.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, WHICH I THINK WE ALL ARE, BUT, UH, IT DEFINITELY, UM, UH, HAS A LARGE PART TO DO WITH THAT AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT WANTS TO GET A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT JOINT COMMITTEE DOES? YEAH.
UM, I'M SURE YOUR SHADE IS THE CHAIR OF THAT ONE CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT SMALL AREA PLANNING, I'VE, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, IT'S, UH, A WIDE RANGE OF CASES THAT WE GET TO HEAR, UM, ALL THE WAY FROM THE SCHLOTZSKY'S PUT, UM, TO, UM, IN CASES ABOUT INCREASES IN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
SO, UM, THERE ARE A LITTLE RANDOM, THERE IS REASONING BEHIND IT, BUT THEY'RE A LITTLE RANDOM.
UM, BUT YOU GET TO ASK MORE ABOUT THE SITE PLANNING, THE SITE PLANNING, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE OFTEN WANT TO GET INTO AT PC LEVEL, BUT, UM, THIS COMMITTEE, UM, GETS INTO THOSE DETAILS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, OUR BROADER, UM, GOAL OR MISSION IS THERE IS TO LOOK AT SMALL AREA PLANNING, UH, FOR AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED OF IT.
SO, UM, THE LAST YEAR WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, SMALL AREA PLANNING IN THE ETJ WHERE, UM, YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT IN A WILD WEST OF PLANNING FOR THOSE AREAS THAT MIGHT EVENTUALLY BECOME PART OF CITY LIMITS THAT THEY'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
UM, AND SO THERE'S SOME INTERESTING TALKS ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE, UM, THEY'RE VERY FOCUSED ON SMALL AREA PLANNING AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT CONNECT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HUGE BOND INITIATIVE THAT THE CITY PASSED LAST YEAR.
SO, UM, WE KIND OF GO FROM REALLY BIG SCALE DOWN INTO SMALL SCALE.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, IT'S A REALLY GOOD ONE.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, FLORES, UH, I CAN HELP YOU ON THIS TOO.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK AT ALL ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? SURE.
THE, SO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE, UH, CONSIDERS AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UM, ALSO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, INCLUDING, UM, I GUESS POLICY DIRECTIVES AND INITIATIVES, UM, OF THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE CAN ALSO BRING UP PROVABLE.
I WOULD ADD A COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER JOINED THAT, UH, JOINT COMMITTEE BECAUSE HE HAS AN INTEREST IN, I GUESS, THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING, UH, STUDY THAT WAS DONE.
AND WE WANTED TO BRING THAT UP FOR DISCUSSION WITHIN THAT PLANNING GROUP.
AND SO THAT'LL BE ON THE AGENDA NEXT TIME THEY MEET.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, LET'S SEE, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT AM I MISSING HERE? OH YEAH.
IF, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE A QUICK, UM, OVERVIEW OF THAT MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP? YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, UM, LIKE IT SAYS IT'S ABOUT MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION, UH, BUT TRYING TO NOT SORT OF STEP ON THE TOES OF
[04:00:01]
THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, AN URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BUT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW LAND PLANNING SPECIFICALLY INTERSECTS TRANSPORTATION AND ITS NEEDS.AND, UH, WITH THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO KICK THINGS OFF AND W UH, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, UM, RACE COMMISSIONER COX, OR THE MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW, UM, THIS IS KIND OF AN AREA OF EXPERTISE FOR YOU.
AND I THINK EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE COMING IN A LITTLE LATE, UH, TO THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK YOU CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
AND WE ALSO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THIS DOES NOT NEED TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UH, SO YOU CAN START ENGAGING, UH, RIGHT AWAY WITH, UH, THE TEAM.
AND SO DO I, UM, I HAD ANY, UH, SECOND SONG THAT, OR, UH, I GUESS COMMIT, WE ARE SUPER COMMISSIONER AZHAR.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO AND VOTE ON THAT IF, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE ON THAT ROLE? YEAH, SURE.
THIS ENGINEER, SO I'M HAPPY TO JOIN AND CONTRIBUTE, WHATEVER.
SO LET'S GO AND TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
AND I SEE THAT WE'RE ALL VOTING IN, UH, WE'RE UNANIMOUS ON THAT.
SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF ANYONE HAS STRONG, UH, IT, FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT JUST JOINED US, UH, IN THE VERY SHORT TIME YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
DO ANY OF THESE SEEM OF INTEREST TO YOU THAT, UH, WE WOULD, UH, WE COULD NOMINATE YOU TO FILL THESE, UM, THESE COMMITTEES AND WE, WE CAN DO THIS NEXT WEEK IS OUR NEXT TIME, SO THERE'S NO RUSH, BUT IF YOU HAVE A STRONG DESIRE, UH, FOR ANY ONE OF THESE, UH, LET US KNOW.
UM, CAN YOU, UH, CONSUME ME SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I WAS UNCLEAR TO ME, ARE THESE WORKING ACROSS OTHER COMMISSIONS OR IS IT JUST A SMALLER GROUP IN OUR COMMISSION? SORRY, THE, UH, YEAH, CON UH, CONFERENCE PLANS, UH, SMALLER PLANNING AND ARE BOTH JOINT COMMITTEES WAS ONLY IMPLANTING US.
SO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZAP, AND THESE HAVE TO GET APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO YOU, WE WOULD NOMINATE YOU RECOMMEND YOU, AND THEN COUNCIL WOULD APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT.
AND THEN DOES ANY ANYBODY SERVING ON THOSE COMMITTEES KNOW WHEN THEY'VE HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY HAVING THEIR MEETINGS AND HOW OFTEN? SO WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT WE MIGHT BE.
I THINK WITH COVID, IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT RANDOM IF AT ALL, WE HAVEN'T MET AT ALL COMMISSIONED FLORES A COMP PLAN.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET A MEETING HERE SOON.
SMALL AREA PLANNING, UM, MEETS ABOUT ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS.
UM, THOSE MEETINGS ARE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS.
UM, AT LUNCHTIME JOINT SUSTAINABILITY, UH, IS, UH, A BUNCH OF, UH, MEMBERS FROM A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ALSO APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEETS ONCE A MONTH.
THAT MEETINGS HAVE BEEN PRETTY, NOT CONSISTENT DURING COVID, BUT PREVIOUSLY IT WAS LIKE WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR A COUPLE HOURS.
NOT AS LONG AS THESE MEETINGS, BUT REGULAR ONE.
OH, I WAS GOING TO ADD ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I THINK WE USUALLY MET, UM, ONCE A QUARTER.
UM, SO EVERY THREE MONTHS, UM, AND LIKE, UH, CHAIR SHAW SAID THE COVID JUST THREW US OFF, SO WE HAVEN'T MET RECENTLY.
SO AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANY STRONG INTEREST, UH, LET US KNOW, OTHERWISE WE CAN TAKE THIS UP NEXT TIME.
AND JUST SOME TIME TO, TO KIND OF LOOK INTO WHAT THEY DO AND GET GOODS.
I THINK THAT SOUNDS, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
SO WE'LL, UM, UH, WITH THAT, WE HAVE TO MOVE INTO ITEM FIVE UNDER SECTION D, WHICH IS, UH, IS THAT TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE NOMINATE AND ELECT OFFICERS.
UM, SO, UH I'M UM, ANY, ANY OF YOU HAVE NOMINATIONS FOR, UH, THE, FOR, UH, EXECUTIVE ROLES THAT WE HAVE HERE, THAT CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, UH, PARLIAMENTARIAN AND SECRETARY.
WE HAVE A VICE CHAIR TO HEMPHILL CURRENTLY SERVING, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES IS THE SECRETARY.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SHEA IS NOT HERE.
THIS EVENING IS A PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND I DID TALK TO HIM AND HE WISHES TO CONTINUE SERVING IN THAT ROLE.
SO, ANYWAY, DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER COX,
[04:05:01]
UH, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE TWO MEETINGS I'VE ATTENDED? I THINK THE, THE, UH, THE CHAIR VICE CHAIR AND THE REST OF THEM ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, TRYING TO CORRAL CAP.SO, UM, I WOULD NOMINATE ALL TO HOLD YOUR EXISTING POSITIONS IF YOU'RE WILLING.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER CZAR, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON SOUNDS LIKE, UH, KEEPING THE, UH, OUR ROLES THE SAME.
WE, UH, NOW WORKING INTO, UM, REALLY, YEAH, FOUR MINUTES.
SO I'M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING ON, UH, THESE ARE BOARDS, COMMITTEES,
[E. BOARDS, COMMITTEES & WORKING GROUPS UPDATES]
WORK, GROUP UPDATES, CODES, AND ORDINANCES, ANYTHING TO REPORT.IT HAS NOT HAD ANY ALRIGHT, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, JOINT COMMITTEE, NO MEETING, UH, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY.
I MET, BUT IT'S A CONTINUATION OF THAT DISCUSSION THAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT.
AND THEN, UH, I WILL, UH, WE HAVE THE SMALLER, YOUR PLANNING.
WE'RE MEETING TOMORROW, TOMORROW.
AND THEN SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, ANY ACTIVITY THERE, WE DIDN'T MEET, BUT I HAD A W WAS GIVEN A WALKING TOUR FOR NEW MEMBERS, BUT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT, THE OTHER ONE WAS TODAY.
AND I GUESS IT GOT CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER.
SO ON THE ABILITY AND TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP, I'LL SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICKLY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A SPREADSHEET, UH, ISSUED WITH, UH, WHERE YOU CAN, UM, UH, LIST YOUR AMENDMENTS FOR, TO THE TCM.
UH, AND WE'LL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON WHERE TO GET THAT DOCUMENT, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UH, YOU CAN SEND YOUR AMENDMENTS TO, UM, UH, ANDREW RIVERA AND THEN, UH, YOUR ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU GUYS ARE COLLECTING AMENDMENTS AS WELL.
AND, AND I ACTUALLY JUST SENT A DOODLE POLL.
I THINK ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY RESPONDED TO IT, IF NOT EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, THEY'LL LOOK FOR AN INVITE AT WHATEVER'S THE MOST CONVENIENT FOR THE MOST PEOPLE.
SO WE'RE, UH, THE WORKING GROUP WILL HAVE THEIR AMENDMENTS AND OTHERS ARE, UH, INTERESTED, CAN PROPOSE AMENDMENTS AHEAD OF TIME, OR ACTUALLY BRING THEM TO THE MEETING WHEN WE'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, ON THE AMENDMENTS.
OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO, IF WE HAVEN'T HAD, WE CAN ALL LOOK AT THEM AND BE PREPARED AND START GROUPING AMENDMENTS TOGETHER.
AND THEN, UM, VICE CHAIR HEMPEL AND I ARE GOING TO PULL TOGETHER A PROCESS, UH, TO MOVE THROUGH THOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, AS, YOU KNOW, AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN, UH, IT CAN BE A RATHER TEDIOUS PROCESS, BUT, UH, IT'S A LOT OF FUN AND WE USUALLY GET REALLY GOOD PRODUCTS AND WE ALL THINK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO CRAFT AMENDMENTS.
AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE, UH, FROM MR. THOMPSON ON YOUR WORKING GROUP IN THE FINAL MINUTE, OTHER THAN THE, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS IS TRY TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF THE AMENDMENT, AS OPPOSED TO THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF, YOU KNOW, IT SAID SIX AND A HALF INCHES FOR A CURB HEIGHT.
CAN YOU MAKE IT EIGHT AND A HALF INCHES? AND THAT'S USUALLY NOT, DOESN'T GO OVER AS WELL.
WELL, WE HAVE, UM, WORKED THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
SO AT THAT, I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT 10:14 PM.
OH, AND THEY WANT YOU TO BLOW ME, WENDY, WENDY, WENDY FOOL.
ABOUT A WIN-WIN WHEN THEY WIN, THEY WIN COOL ABOUT A WINDOW WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY WANT YOU TO BLOW THROUGH ME, MY HEART PLAIN, I DON'T MUCH CARE FOR YOU.
SON WINDY, WINDY, WINDY, HEY, WIRE, OVER WINDY, WINDY, WINDY, WINDY, WILD ABOUT A WINDY DAY.
WHEN THEY WENT IN THE WINDOW, WHEN THEY WANT YOU TO BLOW THROUGH ME.