[00:00:03]
[Determination of Quorum / Meeting Called to Order]
MEETING TO ORDER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2021 AT 6 0 2.UM, WE'LL START OUT WITH A ROLL CALL AND I'LL START WITH THE MEMBERS HERE, PRESENT AND COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO IS I GO MENTION THE NAME, JUST, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE AND, UH, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY.
SO I'M PRESENT IS YOUR CHAIR, TODD SHAW.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER COX HERE.
COMMISSIONER FLORES HERE, PERMISSION TO REMOVE STELLAR COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER HERE, COMMISSIONER SHEA, AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON HERE.
AND, UH, THEN, UH, VIRTUALLY WE HAVE PRESENT, UH, CURRENTLY IS, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD, UH, COMMISSIONER YANNIS, PALITO HERE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS, UH, JESSICA COHEN AND, UH, RICHARD MENDOSA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS EVENING.
AND, UH, WE MAY HAVE A FEW OTHER COMMISSIONER, UH, ONE OTHER COMMISSIONER JOINING US IN A LITTLE BIT OF WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED.
UM, I'M GOING TO READ THIS ABOUT THE HYBRID MEETING, UH, WHICH YOU ALL ARE HERE FOR.
AND, UM, SO, UH, WHAT WE DO, WE HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM OF COMMISSIONERS HERE ON THE DIOCESE AND, UH, THE REMAINER CAN BE IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY.
AND, UM, SO I'LL BE TRACKING BOTH THE ACTIVITIES AND THE CHAMBERS AS WELL AS THOSE DISSIPATING VIRTUALLY.
UM, SO WE ARE NOT PROHIBITED, NOT PROHIBITING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PUBLIC BEING HERE FOR ALL OF THE ITEMS HERE AT ONCE.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, IS SO FAR, I THINK WE JUST HAVE ONE DISCUSSION IN CASE, UM, THAT COULD CHANGE.
UM, BUT AS WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, UM, PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK, PRACTICE, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND, UH, STRONGLY ENCOURAGING MEMBERS THAT YOU KNOW, TO STAY IN ATRIUM UNTIL YOUR ITEM IS CALLED.
IF WE GET MORE THAN ONE DISCUSSION CASE.
AND, UM, LET'S SEE, UM, OUR LAND USE, UH, COMMISSIONER LIAISON, MR. ANDREW RIVERA WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE ADRIAN A FEW MINUTES BEFORE WE TAKE UP ITEMS. AND SO HE'LL CALL YOU IN TO KIND OF FOR THE EXCHANGE THERE, AND WE'LL GIVE IT A FEW MINUTES IN BETWEEN OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, FURTHERMORE, IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE AN EMAIL ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION TAKING UP YOUR ITEM.
SO TODAY, UM, I'LL HAVE A ASSISTANCE COMMISSION, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER FLORES TO READ THROUGH, DO THE FIRST READING OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, MR. RIVERA WILL HELP ME WITH THE SPEAKERS KIND OF EMCEEING THE SPEAKER LIST.
SO, UM, ALSO WANT TO REMIND THOSE THAT ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
UM, SO, UM, WHEN YOU MUST BE VIEWED, UH, WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING, SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY YOU CANNOT CALL FOR A DISPLAY OF AN EXHIBIT WHEN YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, UM, APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S, UH, I GUESS IN LINE WITH THE TOMA RULES, SO, AND, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND FOR THE COMMISSIONERS VIRTUALLY JUST, UH, I'LL BE LOOKING AT YOUR COLORED CARDS, UH, PLEASE HAVE THEM READY TO HELP ME COUNT VOTES.
AND, UM, ALSO WHEN WE, UH, VOTE ON THE MOTIONS, I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT A LITTLE MORE ORGANIZED AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE FOURS ON THE DIOCESE, AND THEN I'LL COUNT THE FOURS ON THE SCREEN AND THEN I'LL DO THE AGAINST, UH, VOTES ON THE DYESS AND THE AGAINST ON THE, ON THE SCREEN, JUST TO KEEP THIS THAT'S, I'LL TRY TO PROCEED IN THAT FASHION TO KEEP, UH, BE CONSISTENT.
SO, UH, THOSE ONLINE PLEASE REMAIN MUTED WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
AND, UH, I GUESS I'M LOOKING TO MY LEFT AND RIGHT.
YOU ALL HELP ME OUT IF I'M NOT REACHING SOMEBODY, UH, PLEASE HELP ME OUT THERE, UH, TRYING TO LOOK AT BOTH Y'ALL IT CAN BE DIFFICULT.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, ANDREW, I THINK, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS TODAY? NO, NOTHING ON THAT ITEM.
UH, THE APPROVAL NEXT ITEM, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UM, THEY WERE IN THE, UH, BACKUP FOR THIS MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES IN ANY COMMISSIONERS? HAVE TO BE A MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 28TH.
[Reading of Agenda]
[00:05:02]
OKAY.AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, WE'LL ROLL THAT INTO OUR, UM, APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WELL, BUT AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, UM, ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES TO GO AHEAD AND READ THE, UH, STAFF PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, WE'RE NOW ON TO BE PUBLIC HEARINGS, B ONE REZONING C 14 20 21 0 0 8 2 SPRINGDALE ROAD.
BE TO PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 19 0 0 2 2 0.01 200 ACADEMY.
THAT ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION B3 REZONING C 14 20 20 0 1 4 7 200 ACADEMY.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE REZONING C 14 20 21 0 0 0 9 17 25 TO ME ROAD.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO OCTOBER 26 AND THE APPLICANT IS IN AGREEMENT B FIVE PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 21 0 0 0 5 0.01 ALPHA POINT 95.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER 9TH, B SIX, REZONING C 14 20 21 0 1 2 8 ALPHA POINT 95.
THIS ITEM IS UPPER APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER 9TH, B SEVEN, REZONING C 14 20 21 0 0 8 1 FIFTH AND WALSH REZONING.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT AND I'D LIKE TO READ INTO THE RECORD CONSENT STAFF RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING CONDITIONS AGREED BY THE APPLICANT REFERENCED IN THE AWANA LETTER OF OCTOBER 12TH, 2021, EXHIBIT A CEO'S TO BE MEMORIALIZED IN RECORDING INSTRUMENTS, AS DETERMINED BY STAFF AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT B EIGHT, REZONING C 14 20 21 0 1 3 7 34 27 JEFFERSON STREET NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO OCTOBER 26.
AND THE APPLICANT IS IN AGREEMENT B NINE CODE AMENDMENT C 20 20 21 0 0 8.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT, B 10 ETJ RELEASE C E T J 20 21 0 0 0 1.
WEBER BILL ETJ RELEASE REQUEST.
B 11 FINAL PLAT OUT OF APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C H J 20 20 0 0 4 7 0.1 A JENNINGS PLACE RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS, UM, IN EXHIBIT C B12, TOTAL PLAT VACATION C 8 76, 1 50.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT B 13 RE SUBDIVISION C 8 20 19 0 1 42 0.0 A RESUB DIVISION OF LOT TWO GRANBURY PARK.
BE 14 FINAL PLAT OUT OF APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C EIGHT J 20 20 0 1 4 8 0.1 A PROSPECT PARK PHASE ONE FINAL PLAT RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS AND EXHIBIT C B 15 FINAL PLAT OUT OF APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C EIGHT J 20 20 0 0 1 3 0.1 A WEST BELLA FORTUNA PHASE ONE FINAL PLAT RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS AND EXHIBIT C B 16 FINAL PLAT OUT OF APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C EIGHT, J 20 20 0 0 1 3 0.28 WEST BELLA FORTUNA PHASE TWO FINAL PLAT.
THIS ITEM IS RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS IN EXHIBIT C.
UM, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM, UH, ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING? OKAY.
UM, AND I GUESS MR. RIVERA, JUST CHECKING, DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA BASED ON THE SPEAKER LIST YOU HAVE BEFORE WE COMMISSIONED LAYS ON HANDOVERS?
[00:10:01]
SO WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER FOR ITEM B ONE IN SUPPORT.UM, MS.
HI, I'M NADIA BARBEAU I'M SECRETARY OF THE PECAN SPRINGS SPRINGDALE HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
THANKS FOR, UM, MAKING LITTLE SPACE FOR ME.
I'M I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 1 5800 6,000 SPRINGDALE.
UM, OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, UM, THE, UM, APPLICANT AND, UM, THE NEIGHBORS, UM, TOGETHER WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND SOME OTHER, UH, IMMEDIATELY, UH, BORDERING NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN MEETING.
UM, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THE AGREED UPON TERMS THAT WE WORKED PRETTY HARD TO COME TO, UM, AS A GROUP.
UM, SO WE AGREED TO A PRIVACY FENCE ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER.
UM, THIS IS ON THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PROPERTY, WHICH IS AN SF SIX, UM, UH, ZONED CURRENTLY.
UM, WE WANT TO PRESERVE TREES THAT ARE EIGHT INCHES IN DIAMETER, UM, AND PRESERVE THEIR ROOTS ZONES AS WELL.
UM, WE WANT TO INSTALL SMART THERMOSTATS AND USE THE AUSTIN ENERGY PARTNER, POWER PARTNER PRO PROGRAM TO LIMIT ELECTRICITY USAGE AND GRID PRESSURE, UM, DUE TO, UM, ALL OF THE POWER ISSUES, UM, IN THE CITY, UM, OR IN THE STATE, UM, AS A, AND THEN AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, IMPORTANTLY, A, THE DEVELOPER AND, UH, HAS AGREED TO A $45,000 DONATION TO ESTABLISH
THIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR AREA TO, UM, DETERMINE, UH, WHO, WHO WE'RE PARTNERED WITH MOST CLOSELY.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON THAT IN THE COMING WEEKS OR IN THE COMING MONTHS AS A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT AND REALLY EXCITED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO W UH, AS WE'VE ALSO AGREED TO A PERMANENT POSITION ON THE HOA, UM, THAT LO LIAISES WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THAT'S ALSO A DUES PAYING MEMBER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SO THAT THE NEW NEIGHBORS ARE WELCOMED IN AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND WE ALSO AGREED TO SOME PREFERRED BUSINESSES BECAUSE WE NEED GROCERY STORES AND, UH, COFFEE SHOPS.
I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO READ THOSE AND SHARE THOSE AFTER ALL THE WORK FROM THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, SO, UH, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS, UH, HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT ANY ITEMS THEY WANT TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON CONSENT? OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND REREAD THE CONSENT AGENDA QUICKLY, UM, BUT TAKE A DEEP BREATH HERE.
UH, ITEMS B ONE ON CONSENT ITEM B TWO A AS FOR DISCUSSION, THE THREE COMPANY ZONING CASE FOR DISCUSSION, UH, ITEM B FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT, TWO OCTOBER 26 APPLICANT IN AGREEMENT.
UM, THE FIVE APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TWO NOVEMBER 9TH, I'M GOING TO BE SIX APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TWO NOVEMBER 9TH.
I'M GOING TO BE SEVEN IS ON CONSENT ITEM B EIGHT.
LET ME GO BACK ITEM B SEVEN IS ON CONSENT.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ, UH, WHAT WAS READ EARLIER CONSENT STAFF RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING CONDITIONS AGREED BY THE APPLICANT REFERENCED IN THE AWANA LETTER DATED OCTOBER 12TH, 2021, EXHIBIT A CEO'S TO BE MEMORIALIZED AND RECORDING INSTRUMENTS AS DETERMINED BY STAFF AND A LOT OF DEPARTMENT ITEM B EIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO OCTOBER 26 APPLICANT IN AGREEMENT, ITEM B NODS ON CONSENT.
B 11 RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS, UH, SHOWN IN EXHIBIT C.
B 13 IS ON CONSENT ITEM B 14, RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITION SHOWN IN EXHIBIT C, ITEM B B 15, RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS AS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT C AND ITEM B 16 RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS AS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT C.
[Consent Agenda]
IF I COULD GET A MOTION TO, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 20TH MINUTES AND APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.I GOT A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SHEA.
[00:15:01]
LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE AND I WILL GIVE ME ONE SECOND HERE.DO YOU, UH, SO WE HAVE DONE IS ON THE DYESS.
THOSE ON THE SCREEN, WE'VE GOT TWO.
SO THAT'S NINE AND A NINE IN FAVOR AND ZERO AGAINST.
MOVING ON TO OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM.
[Items B2 & B3]
SO THIS IS ITEMS. UM, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP BOTH, UH, B2 AND B3 TOGETHER, AND WE'LL START WITH PRESENTATIONS FROM STAFF ITEM NUMBER B TWO IS PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 19 0 0 2 2 0.01 200 ACADEMY.PROPERTY ADDRESSES ARE 1 46 AND A HALF, 200, 200 AND A HALF, 2 0 4 AND A HALF ACADEMY DRIVE.
AND 1 0 0 6 AND 1 0 2 0 MELISSA LANE.
THE REQUEST IS TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND THE GREATER SOUTH RIVER CITY NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA FOR MIXED USE OFFICE TO MIXED USE LAND USE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING MIXED USE ON TRACT ONE.
IT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE GREATER SOUTH RIVER CITY NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM, AND THERE WAS CORRESPONDENCE AND OPPOSITION IN THE CA AND EXCUSE ME, THERE IS CORRESPONDENCE IN THE STAFF CASE REPORT IN OPPOSITION.
SURE NO VIRTUALLY WE'LL HEAR FROM MS. KATE CLARK PRESENTED THE ZONING CASE.
I'M PAID CLARK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I'M PRESENTING ITEM NUMBER B3 ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2020 DASH 0 1 4 7 200 ACADEMY.
THIS REZONING CASE WAS, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, I'M TRYING TO START MY VIDEO, BUT IT KEEPS SAYING IT CAN'T CONNECT.
ARE WE REQUIRED TO VIEW MRS. CLARK?
UM, MS. CLARK, IF YOU COULD TRY TO LOG IN.
UM, WELL, UM, THIS IS ITEM B3 ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS, UH, CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2020 DASH 0 1 4 7 200 ACADEMY.
UM, THIS REZONING CASE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BEFORE FOR CONSIDERATION ON SEPTEMBER 14TH.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE MET TO DISCUSS THE REQUESTED ZONING CHANGES.
CURRENTLY, THE APPLICANT IS NOT AMENDING THEIR REZONING REQUEST AND THEY ARE STILL ASKING TO BE REMOVED FROM THE THERAPY ARC NCCD.
THIRD REQUEST IS TO REZONE TRACK ONE TO C S M U M P TRACK TWO TO C S M U M P AND TREK THREE TO MFR MP STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION HAS NOT CHANGED.
WE'RE STILL RECOMMENDING THAT DISTRACT STAY WITHIN THE NCCD AND BE AMENDED TO ALLOW FOR INCREASED SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ON ALL TRACKS WITH THE ADDITIONAL PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES ALLOWED ON TRACKS WANTING TO AS WELL AS FOR PUBLIC RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TO BE CREATED.
THAT INCLUDES ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED IN THE TIA MEMO AND UPDATED TIA.
IT WAS REVISED TO INCLUDE COVID-19 ADJUSTMENT FACTORS IN THE ACCOUNTS, AND THIS WAS INCLUDED IN LIGHT BACKUP, BOTH ATD AND THE APPLICANT'S TRAFFIC ENGINEER ARE HERE TONIGHT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIA.
AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE REZONING CASE.
AND SO NOW, UM, MR. RIVERA, DO YOU WANT TO GO, PLEASE? IF YOU WOULD MC THE SPEAKERS.
SO WE'LL FIRST HEAR FROM MR. CHRIS LAWLEN MR. WALLEN.
MY NAME IS CHRIS WALLEN AND I'M THE OWNER OF 200 ACADEMY
[00:20:01]
AND SPEARHEAD PROPERTIES.I PURCHASED THE ACADEMY PROPERTY BACK IN 2012, AND MY ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO BUILD SOME RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON THE PROPERTY.
HOWEVER, AS I BEGAN TO BETTER, BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NCCD, I REALIZED ANY PROJECT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND LIMITED.
I ALSO STARTED TO GET A LOT OF SOLICITATION FROM DEVELOPERS.
WHAT I HEARD MOST FROM DEVELOPERS WAS WE WOULD JUST TEAR EVERYTHING DOWN AND KICK OUT ARLAND STUDIOS.
AND AFTER GETTING TO KNOW THE RICH HISTORY OF THE SITE AS THE AUSTIN OPERA HOUSE, I COULD NOT IGNORE THE PAST AND REALLY WANTED TO BE A PART OF PRESERVING A VITAL PIECE OF AUSTIN'S CULTURE.
I DIDN'T WANT AUSTIN TO BECOME JUST ANOTHER CITY AND HAVE SOMEONE BUILD GENERIC OFFICE AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
I FELT THAT THAT SITE DESERVED A LOT MORE.
AND I ONLY REALIZED THAT AFTER A FEW YEARS OF OWNERSHIP AND REALIZING WHAT ALL HAD HAPPENED THERE.
SO I'M HERE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN BUILDING A PROJECT THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF TO ACHIEVE THIS.
I HAVE ASSEMBLED A TEAM THAT IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
YOU'VE HEARD FROM RICHARD WEISS ARCHITECT AND LOCAL MUSICIAN.
IT'S HARD TO FIND SOMEONE MORE ENTHUSIASTIC AND DEVOTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT LATER TONIGHT.
YOU'LL ALSO HEAR FROM FREDDIE FLETCHER, A MUSICIAN, FOUNDER, AND OPERATOR OF ARLYN STUDIOS.
HE'S ALSO WILLIE NELSON'S NEPHEW, AND HE HAS A FASCINATING 40 YEAR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THIS PROPERTY THAT I KNOW YOU WANT TO HEAR.
WE'LL ALSO BE SPEAKING, WHO HAS SPENT HIS CAREER SAVING AUSTIN'S LEGENDARY VENUES AND RESTAURANTS LIKE ANTONE'S LAMBERT'S CISCOS.
AND THE DEEP EDDY CABARET WILL IS ALSO A PARTNER IN ARLAND STUDIOS.
HOWEVER, AS PASSIONATE AS WE ARE ABOUT REVIVING THE OPERA HOUSE, WE HAVE NOT LOST SIGHT OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY OUR PROJECT.
WE MADE OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN APRIL OF 2019.
THIS IS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING AND ADJUSTING OUR PROJECT OVER THESE YEARS.
OVER THESE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE PROJECT YOU SEE TODAY IS NOT WHAT WE ORIGINALLY REQUESTED, BUT IT IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THEIR CONCERNS.
WE ALSO TOOK INTO, UH, TOOK YOUR COMMENTS FROM THE LAST PC MEETING INTO EFFECT.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING JUST OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS AND THINGS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE MUSIC BUSINESS, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO BE A MUSICIAN OR BE IN A BAND TO APPRECIATE THE ROLE MUSIC PLAYS IN AUSTIN.
AND SO I'M HERE TONIGHT ASKING FOR YOUR HELP, PLEASE REMOVE US FROM THE NCCD SO WE CAN DEVELOP A PROJECT THAT IS UNIQUE AND AS WONDERFUL AS AUSTIN.
NOW I HEAR FROM MR. RICHARD WEISS, MR. ROYCE, YOU'LL HAVE 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO SPEAKING IS A LOT MISS A LOLLY SHIPLEY PRESENT.
SO, UH, I GOT A QUESTION ABOUT TIMING.
CAN I USE SOME OF THAT TIME FOR REBUTTAL OR DOES ALL OF IT HAVE TO BE USED IN INITIAL PRESENTATION? MR. WEISS? I'LL BE SEPARATE.
I HAVE 10 MINUTES IN THREE MINUTES REBUTTAL.
IS NICHOLAS JAMES PRESENT? MR. WISE? YOU'LL HAVE 10 MINUTES.
I'M NOT GOING TO NEED ALL 10 MINUTES THOUGH.
AND CAN WE JUST, CAN I JUST SAY SLIDE WORK AS A TEAM? EXCELLENT.
I'M RICHARD WEISS, BRINGING BACK THE REQUEST TO REMOVE 200 ACADEMY FROM THE FAIRVIEW PARK NCCD AD M U TO THE COMMERCIAL BASED ZONING DISTRICTS AND AMEND THE FLUM TO ALLOW FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ALL UNDER THE INITIAL BASE ZONING OF MF FOR CS ONE AND CS.
THE REFRESH ON LOCATION SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE ARE LOCATED 130 STEPS FROM SOUTH CONGRESS IN THE IMAGINE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN REGIONAL GROWTH CENTER AT THE NEXUS OF TWO ACTIVITY CORRIDORS, RIVERSIDE AND CONGRESS WERE LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM TWO PROJECT CONNECT RAIL LINES AND LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM EVERY PROJECT CONNECT RAIL LINE.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP IN THE LOWER LEFT-HAND CORNER SLIDE.
NOW ON LAST MONTH'S EPISODE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE ESTABLISHED THE NCCD REGULATIONS PREVENT NEW DEVELOPMENT ON THIS SITE BECAUSE THE EXISTING BUILDING AND HISTORICALLY ZONED PARKING LOT EXCEED THE NCCD LIMITS.
[00:25:01]
I THINK WE ALSO CAME TO CONSENSUS THAT THE BASE ZONING DENSITY COUPLED WITH CITYWIDE COMPATIBILITY WILL PROVIDE HOUSING BOTH IN SCALE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN LINE WITH OUR TEN-YEAR HOUSING CHALLENGE.PC RECOMMENDED THAT WE MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORS AGAIN, FIND COMMON GROUND AND SHOW HOW WE CAN MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF THEIR CONCERNS, PARKING, TRAFFIC, NOISE, AND TRASH WHILE BRINGING BACK THE OPERA HOUSE IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION SLIDE.
I WANT TO THANK THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP FOR MEETING WITH US AGAIN.
LAST WEEK, I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON YOUR CONCERNS AND HOW OUR PLAN CAN PROTECT AND BENEFIT BOTH THE EXISTING NEIGHBORS AND THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT.
STARTING WITH PARKING AND TRAFFIC.
OUR PLAN FOR PARKING IS TO CREATE A PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE EXISTING BUILDING THAT WILL HAVE ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF SPACES WITHIN FEET OF THE EXISTING OPERA HOUSE STRUCTURE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT YELLOW LINE FROM CONGRESS TO OUR BUILDING IS 130 STEPS FROM OUR BUILDING TO THE EXISTING PARKING GARAGE IS LESS THAN A HUNDRED FEET.
AND FROM OUR BUILDING TO THE NEW PARKING GARAGE HAS LESS THAN A HUNDRED FEET.
THERE ARE 500 SPACES CURRENTLY AT CONGRESS AND MUSIC LANE, AND THE REMAINING REQUIRED PARKING WILL BE IN OUR GARAGE LOCATED AT AT ACADEMY.
BUT IF YOU FOLLOW THE LINE FROM CONGRESS TO THE PARKING GARAGE, WE DO NOT PASS A SINGLE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENT.
THESE SPACES WILL MORE THAN ACCOMMODATE OUR USE, BUT IN ORDER TO EASE THE IMPACTS OF PARKING WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT AND HELP WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR THIS EXACT CONDITION.
IT SAYS THERE TO EASE THE IMPACT OF NON-RESIDENT PARKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG STREETS, WHERE SPACE IS LIMITED AND MAYBE ADJACENT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
IN ADDITION, OUR PROJECT WILL CONNECT TO PEDESTRIAN BIKE RIDESHARE AND PARKING TO CONGRESS AVENUE, WHERE WE ALL AGREE THAT IT BELONGS.
FINALLY, WE HAVE AN APPROVED TIA THAT WAS JUST RE REVIEWED AND REAPPROVED BY ATD.
HOWEVER, AS REQUIRED BY CODE, WE WILL SUBMIT AN UPDATED TIA IN OUR SITE PLAN SUBMITTAL THAT WILL COME BACK BEFORE YOU FOR APPROVAL FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE OF THE OPERA HOUSE.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE NCCD OVERLAY, WHICH WILL ALL ALLOW THAT SITE PLAN TO DEVELOP SLIDE TRASH NOISE AND LOITERING.
HOW CAN WE SCREEN THE COMMERCIAL USES TO THE RESIDENTIAL NCCD? THE MFR BASED ZONING BUFFER WILL SCREEN OUR COMMERCIAL USES AND OUR PARKING ENTRANCE, ALLOWING THE VEG TO EXIT TO AN INTERIOR COURTYARD WHERE YOU CAN CURRENTLY SEE THE PARKING LOT THAT DASHED RED LINE IS THE MF FOUR BUFFER THAT IS ALLOWED UNDER CODE, BUT AS CRUSHED BY THE NCCD, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE 10 YEAR HOUSING PLAN WITH NO VARIANCES FROM COMPATIBILITY REOPENING, A HISTORIC VENUE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN A HISTORIC VENUE WITH A SYNERGY OF MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES ON MUSIC LANE, REPLACING A HISTORICALLY ZONE PARKING LOT WITH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CONNECTIVITY SLIDE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RED LINE INDICATES THE BUFFER TO THE, TO THE SINGLE FAMILY SO THAT NO SINGLE FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE OPERA HOUSE.
THE OPERA HOUSE FACES OUR NEW COURTYARD, WHICH WILL BE A PARK.
THERE'S A CONNECTIVITY TO BOTH CONGRESS MUSIC LANE AND, UH, OUR, OUR PARKING STRUCTURE WHERE IT'S ACCESSIBLE AT TWO POINTS WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO WALK DOWN ACADEMY.
IN ADDITION, UH, THE, UH, UH, IN ADDITION, WE WILL HAVE, UM, ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC WILL HEAD WEST DOWN ACADEMY AS OPPOSED TO EAST, UH, WITH A HARD RIGHT TURN OUT OF THE PROPERTY SO THAT, UH, THERE WILL BE NO CUT FRUIT, TRAFFIC LEAVING, AND ALL OF THE CARS THAT ENTER WILL ENTER ONTO, UH, ONTO, UH, ACADEMY PRIOR TO ANY SINGLE FAMILY, THE ONLY DRIVE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP OF THE PROPERTY, UH, THAT EXITS ONTO MELISSA LANE, WHICH CURRENTLY IS 704 LINEAR FEET OF ROADWAY THAT SERVES FOUR HOUSES IS, IS A DRIVE THAT WILL ONLY SERVE THE MFR, RESIDENTIAL, ANYTHING TO THE EAST OF THAT RED DASH LINE, CLEARLY CREATING A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE USES.
ALL OF THIS CAN BE DONE USING THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN AS OUR GUIDE AND
[00:30:01]
BASE ZONING AS OUR TOOL.FINALLY, WE HAVE THE MUSIC VENUE.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SIZE TO YOUR LEFT IS THE ORIGINAL OPERA HOUSE LAYOUT FROM 1977.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, THAT'S A SITE PLAN OF THE 42,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT WAS ALL A CS, ONE USE COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE, AND THE COLORED AREA WITHIN THAT IS BLOWN UP UNDERNEATH.
THAT'S A VIEW OF THE ACTUAL STAGE THAT'S STILL ONSITE AND THE, AND THE, UH, THE, THE, THE SEATING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UH, THE LOBBY WAS ABOUT 3,500 SQUARE FEET.
ORIGINALLY, THE MUSIC AUDITORIUM WHERE, WHERE THE SEATING WAS, WAS ROUGHLY 10,000 AND THE STAGE AND BACK OF HOUSE ERA WAS 4,000, WHICH TOTAL 17,500 SQUARE FEET.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WAS A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT, 9,600 SQUARE FOOT BALLROOM.
THAT WAS NEXT DOOR THAT COULD HAVE EVENTS GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY.
BUT OUR PLAN IS TO PRESERVE JUST THE 17,500 FOOTPRINT OF THE MAIN MUSIC VENUE, THE ORIGINAL LOBBY AND STAGE AREA, WHICH ACCOUNTS TO HAVE 17,500 OF THE 42,000 SQUARE FOOT EXISTING BUILDING.
AND NOW THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE TRAFFIC AND MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE NOT IMPACTED IS AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE BLUE LINE ORLAND STUDIOS, WHICH IS AN EXISTENCE, AND WHAT I'M CALLING THE LOBBY TO THE NEW OFFICES IS MARVELOUS.
RESIDENTIAL ABOVE THAT IS ALL EXISTING.
AND IT'S CONNECTED FROM FRONT TO BACK BY A PROMINENT THAT'S TWO STORIES THAT HAS A GLASS ROOF.
IF WE OPEN THAT UP TO ACADEMY, YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP, THERE IS DIRECT ACCESS TO 500 PARKING SPACES, RIDESHARE AND SOCO AND MUSIC LANE, AND OUR ENTRY OR EXIT OUT OF THE BUILDING IS FACING THAT GARAGE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HERE TONIGHT, ONE WANTS TO NEGOTIATE A SMALLER VENUE.
HOWEVER, SINCE THE ORIGINAL MAIN VENUE IS STILL INTACT, WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT PERCENTAGE OF HISTORY TO SACRIFICE THE SOUNDS THAT REFLECTED ON THESE VERY WALLS BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF MUSICIANS.
ME INCLUDED TO THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
LET'S BRING BACK MUSIC TO MUSIC LANE.
OUR PLANS WILL PUSH PEDESTRIAN, TRAFFIC, RIDESHARE, AND PARKING.
THE CONGRESS WILL REVIVE THE HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING AND OUR CITY WHILE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE THEREFORE ASK FOR YOU TO SUPPORT THE OWNER REQUEST TO REMOVE 200 ACADEMY FROM THE FAIRVIEW PARK NCCD, ADD THE U OVERLAY TO THE COMMERCIAL BASED ZONING AND CHANGE THE FROM, TO ALIGN WITH THE ORIGINAL BASE ZONING.
NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. FREDDIE FLETCHER, MR. FLETCHER, YOU WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE.
YOU'LL HAVE ONE MINUTE, ONE MINUTE, CORRECT.
UH, MY NAME IS FREDDIE FLETCHER.
I BUILT ARLYN STUDIOS AND, UH, 1984 AT THE REQUEST OF WILLIE NELSON.
UH, HE'S MY UNCLE, UH, PRODUCED MANY MULTI-PLATINUM ANY GRAMMY WINNING RECORDS IN THERE.
ALL PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD KNOW THAT THEATER, UH, WILLY OPENED THE OPRY HOUSE IN 1970, AND IT BECAME FAMOUS INTERNATIONALLY.
UH, IMMEDIATELY IT'S HISTORY IS UNBELIEVABLE.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, WHO'S WHO OF MUSIC FROM ETTA JAMES TO RAY CHARLES TO YOU NAME IT AND THEY'VE PLAYED THEIR, UH, REOPEN IN THE OPERA HOUSE WILL BE IMMEDIATE INTERNATIONAL PRESS FOR AUSTIN.
AND IT'LL SHOW THAT WE SUPPORT WHAT WE CLAIM IS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
AND AUSTIN MUSIC HERE IS REALLY CREATED THE AUSTIN WE LIVE IN.
[00:35:08]
SORRY.CAN I GET CLARIFICATION REAL QUICK? THE REASON THAT IT WAS TRUNCATED TO ONE MINUTE MR. WEISS RECEIVED THE ALLOCATED NUMBER OF THREE MINUTES SPEAKERS.
YEAH, THE, UH, THE DONATED TIME TOOK UP TO THREE MINUTE ALLOCATIONS WITH THE PROCESS.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SIGN UP FOR ONE MINUTE EACH SO THAT I COULD HAVE SEVEN MINUTES, BUT INSTEAD THEY GOT THE THREE MINUTES.
SO OUR THREE MINUTES SPEAKERS.
NOW WHEN WE HAVE ONE, ANDREW, UM, SHOULD WE GO AHEAD? AND, UH, HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE TOTAL IN FAVOR? YEAH, I THINK I WAS THE LAST THREE MINUTES.
UM, MR. RIVERA, UM, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND GIVE, UH, THESE TWO, THREE MINUTES? NO DATING.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS ALSO PROBABLY THE SAME FOR THE OPPOSITION.
SO DO YOU WANT, LET'S GO BACK.
DO YOU WANT TO GO AND CONTINUE? UM, SECOND SPEAKER, IF YOU WANT TO GO AND YOU HAVE TWO MORE MINUTES, IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE.
UH, THE ARTIST IN ORLAND INCLUDE RAY, CHARLES GEORGE STRAIGHT, SUBLIME, COLDPLAY, WILLIE NELSON, AND MERLE HAGGARD, CHILDISH GAMBINO, NEIL YOUNG, GARY CLARK, JR.
I WAS INSTRUMENTAL AND I'M A PARTNER IN ACL LIVE RATHER OF MOODY THEATER ACROSS THE STREET.
I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DESIGN, THE VISION AND THE ACOUSTICS IN THAT VENUE.
WILLIE BOUGHT THE AUSTIN OPERA HOUSE IN THE SEVENTIES AND IMMEDIATELY BECAME FAMOUS INTERNATIONALLY.
IT'S HOSTED ALL GENRES OF MUSIC FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AT A JAMES JAMES BROWN, WAYLON JENNINGS, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, LITTLE RICHARD, BONNIE RAITT, GEORGE JONES, LOU REED, THE EAGLES, TINA TURNER BOSS.
SCAGGS CHARLIE DANIELS, CHRIS ISAAC, FREDDIE KING, IGGY POP RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE PIXIES HBO SPECIALS, AND MANY MOVIES.
IT WILL CREATE INTERNATIONAL PRESS FOR AUSTIN.
IT HAS AFFORDABLE OFFICES FOR MUSIC RELATED BUSINESS.
AS SOMETHING WE DESPERATELY NEED.
I SPENT 12 YEARS OFF OF KNOWN IN NASHVILLE AND MUSIC ROW IN NASHVILLE IS REALLY TWO STREETS, 16TH AND 17TH AVENUE.
YOU CAN PARK YOUR CAR ON MUSIC ROW AND WALK TO EVERY RECORD COMPANY, EVERY PUBLISHING HOUSE AND EVERY MANAGEMENT CONTRACT COMPANY, AND MOST STUDIOS, AND NEVER HAVE TO GET BACK IN YOUR CAR.
IT'S YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR BUSINESS AND ONE, TWO BLOCK PERIOD.
UH, IT WILL HOUSE A MUSEUM FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSIC IN TEXAS MUSICIANS, WHICH WILL BE VALUABLE.
THERE'S SO MANY GREAT MUSICIANS THAT CAME OUT OF TEXAS PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
NOW WE'RE HERE FOR MR. WALBRIDGE'S.
MY HEARTBEAT IS STILL NORMALIZING AFTER THINKING HOW I HOW'S GOING, GONNA TALK FAST ENOUGH TO TRUNCATE THIS INTO ONE MINUTE.
UM, IS THERE A TIMER AND WHERE DOES, UH, OR WHEN DOES IT START? I'M WILL BRIDGES, AS CHRIS MENTIONED EARLIER, I'M CO OWNER AND OPERATOR OF ANTONE'S NIGHTCLUB, AS WELL AS LAMBERT'S DOWNTOWN BARBECUE AND A PARTNER AT ARLYN STUDIOS.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN AUSTIN AND HAVE BEEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, MY ENTIRE CAREER, IN ADDITION TO HELPING REVITALIZE TWO OF AUSTIN'S MOST ICONIC MUSIC BRANDS.
OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, I SERVED AS A DELEGATE TO REPRESENT AUSTIN AT THE AUSTIN TORONTO MUSIC BUSINESS TRADES SUMMIT WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO BE CHAIR OF THE VENUE PRESERVATION AND EXPANSION OMNIBUS TASK GROUP HELPED ESTABLISH THE AUSTIN VENUE ALLIANCE TO ORGANIZE AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC VENUE ECONOMY, AND HAVE SERVED AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR THE AUSTIN MUSIC AWARDS AND THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS TELEVISION SHOW MUSIC IS MY PASSION, AND I'VE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO TWO THINGS, PRESERVING AUSTIN'S RICH HISTORY AND MAKING SURE AUSTIN IS A CITY
[00:40:01]
WHERE MUSICIANS FEEL LIKE THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL LIVE MUSIC MARKET, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THE CAREERS OF OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS.IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM OF MUSIC VENUES AT VARYING SIZES TO ORGANICALLY ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH OF ARTISTS AS THEY GAIN FANS AND TICKET BUYERS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING A PART OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MUSIC BUSINESS INITIATIVES.
AND IN ADDITION TO BEING AN ACTIVE CONCERT PROMOTER IN AUSTIN, I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW AND TALK WITH EVERY LOCAL PROMOTER AND TALENT BUYER IN OUR CITY.
AND IF YOU WERE TO ASK THEM ALL THE QUESTION AT ALL, IF YOU WERE TO ASK THEM ALL THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ONE PIECE OF BRICK AND MORTAR MUSIC BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT AUSTIN MO IS MOST LACKING? THEY WOULD ALL REPLY WITH A VERY SPECIFIC ANSWER AT 1200 PERSON CAPACITY MUSIC VENUE NEAR DOWNTOWN, AND IDEALLY WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE SIGNIFICANCE.
THE REASON FOR THIS SPECIFIC ANSWER IS BECAUSE AUSTIN HAS A VERY SPECIFIC VOID IN OUR MUSIC VENUE ECOSYSTEM.
AUSTIN CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE A SINGLE INDOOR STANDING ROOM MUSIC VENUE BETWEEN 700 CAPACITY AND 1700 CAPACITY.
THERE ARE THREE OUTDOOR VENUES IN THE 800,000 CAPACITY RANGE, BUT DUE TO WEATHER AND OUTDOOR AMPLIFICATION RESTRICTIONS, THEY'VE BEEN GREATLY LIMITED.
IN RECENT YEARS IN THE AMOUNT OF SHOWS THEY CAN HOST.
THERE WAS ONE 1200 SEATED VENUE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ITS CONFIGURATION ALSO GREATLY LIMITS THE VOLUME AND DIVERSITY OF SHOWS THAT CAN HOST ANOTHER REASON FOR THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER IS THAT AUSTIN HAS LOST SEVERAL ICONIC VENUES IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, ARMA DOODLE ARMADILLO, WORLD HEADQUARTERS, ORIGINAL EMOS WAS ZONA ROSA AND LIBERTY LUNCH, ALL VENUES THAT OUR CITY HAS SADLY LOST.
WE'RE ALL IN THE 1100 TO 1500 CAPACITY RANGE.
AND IRONICALLY, SORRY, IT'S IN THE HARD TO BREATHE IN THIS MASK.
IF YOU WERE TO AVERAGE THE CAPACITIES OF ALL FOUR OF THOSE VENUES AT CALCULATES ALMOST PERFECTLY TO 1200, I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO HELP MY TWO CAREER MISSIONS HELP PRESERVE A SPECIAL AND IRREPLACEABLE PIECE OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC HISTORY AND HELP MAKE AUSTIN A MORE VIABLE MARKET FOR OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS TO BUILD THEIR CAREERS.
FOR THAT REASON, I ASKED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELP FIND A SOLUTION TO BRING BACK THE AUSTIN OPERA HOUSE AS A 1200 CAPACITY MUSIC VENUE.
NOW WE'RE HERE FROM MR. EVAN, HYPHEN FOLLOWED BY PATRICK.
I'M A 23 YEAR RESIDENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 10 YEARS, UH, AT, UH, 6 0 7 PECAN GROVE ROAD, WHICH IS IN THE NCCD FOR FAIRVIEW PARK.
UM, I'VE SEEN THE PLAN THAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD MIX OF NEEDED HOUSING THAT IS NOT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING AND OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I THINK IT GIVES A GOOD PUBLIC OPEN SPACE.
AND I DO THINK IT'S SAVING A PIECE OF AUSTIN MUSIC HISTORY THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED.
AND I THINK IT DOES THAT IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL WAY.
I FREQUENTLY WALK MY DOGS PAST THAT SITE AND I GOT TO SAY, IT'S A DEAD ZONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S JUST A SURFACE PARKING LOT WITH NOTHING REALLY JUST SPEAK UP FOR IT.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY KIND OF SAD AND IRONIC THAT IN A TOWN THAT IS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, WHERE WE HAVE STATUES DIRECTED TO WILLIE NELSON AND STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE STEVIE RAY VAUGHN LIVED IN A GARAGE APARTMENT AS HE WAS COMING UP IN HIS CAREER, THAT WE ARE USING A PRESERVATION TOOL AS A WEAPON TO DESTROY THE PRESERVATION OF ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MUSIC VENUES THAT WE'VE EVER HAD IN THIS TOWN.
NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. PATRICK, RICHARD, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO THE OPPOSITION.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH MS. LAURA TUBES LET'S TUBES BEFORE YOU PROCEED.
UM, AS THE MS. VALERIE FELLER PRESENCE.
IS COLIN CORGAN PRESENT? GREAT.
MS. TIPS YOU'LL HAVE 13 MINUTES.
MY NAME IS LARA TOOPS AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE GREATER SOUTH RIVER CITY NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAM.
AND SO I'M GOING TO START WITH HISTORY.
I'M GOING TO START WITH THE REAL BEGINNING OF THE HISTORY OF THE SITE, UH, WHICH WHITE POINT THIS TERRACE HOTEL, WHICH OPENED IN 1951, IT WAS EXPANDED IN THE SIXTIES TO INCLUDE THE 200 ACADEMY PROPERTY, WHICH WAS REFERRED TO AS A CONVENTION CENTER IN BALLROOM IN THE 1970S, THE TERRACE CLOSED.
[00:45:01]
AND IN 74, THERE WAS A CLUB THAT OPENED FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, WHICH WAS CLOSED DOWN BY THE TABC AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1977.WILLIE NELSON DID INDEED BY THE 15 ACRE SITE WITH 850 FEET OF FRONTAGE ON SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND THERE WERE CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH OPERATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS A HISTORIC PHOTO FROM THE FIFTIES SHOWS U S UH, SOUTH CONGRESS AND ST.
CECILIA, WHICH WAS A HISTORIC HOUSE AT THE TIME.
IT'S NOW BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND ACADEMY DRIVE AT THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE PHOTO.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IN THIS PHOTO IS TO THE RIGHT OF ST.
YOU SEE ALL THE TREES AND THAT WAS, THERE WAS A RAVINE OR A CREEK THAT RAN THROUGH THERE PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE OPERA HOUSE BUILDING, OR WHICH WAS ACTUALLY THE CONVENTION CENTER IN BALLROOM BUILDING HERE AGAIN AS A TERRORIST MITEL IN THE SEVENTIES, 15 ACRES.
AND YOU SEE ALL THE FRONTAGE ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS THAT CONNECTED INTO THE PROPERTY IN 1985, YOU SEE HERE, THERE WERE MULTIPLE DRIVEWAYS STILL INTO THE SITE, AND IT WAS INTERCONNECTED WITH NUMEROUS PARKING LOTS WITH ACCESS TO SOUTH CONGRESS.
SO LET'S TALK NOW ABOUT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.
WHAT, WHAT THIS SHOWS YOU IN RED OF COURSE, IS THE SITE IN QUESTION.
AND THE YELLOW LINE, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS WHAT'S THE CUT-THROUGH ROUTE NOW FOR TRAFFIC.
YOU SEE, SO PEOPLE COME UP, MOONING CUT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY OUR HOUSES, AND THEY'RE GOING A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE COMING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHAT IT IS, IS CUTTING THROUGH TO GET TO
THIS IS THE BACK DOOR THAT'S GOING TO COME IN TO THIS, UM, MUSIC VENUE DEVELOPMENT.
THE BLUE LINE IS THE DISTANCE FROM SOUTH CONGRESS, WHICH IS OVER 800 FEET, WHICH IS OVER TWO CITY BLOCKS, UH, TO A SINGLE DRIVEWAY ACCESS FOR THE MUSIC VENUE.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS THERE IS ONLY PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM A MUSIC LANE.
SO THIS IS A PHOTO OF ACADEMY DRIVE LOOKING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM THIS FRONT OF ST.
UH, YOU CAN SEE, OF COURSE THERE'S, ON-STREET PARKING ALONG THERE.
AND IF YOU TURN AROUND, THIS IS THE, UH, VIEW OF ACADEMY DRIVE LOOKING TOWARDS SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND THE PAVEMENT VARIES ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT 29 FEET TO 30.
AND THEY DID WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, THE MUSIC LINE DEVELOPMENT, THEY PUT IN SOME, UH, DUCK IN PARALLEL PARKING ALONG HERE.
AND THEN THIS IS WHERE YOU GET TO MUSIC LANE AND YOU'RE WALKING DOWN TOWARDS ITS DEAD END INTO WHAT IS I A FIRE LANE FOR THE ADJACENT APARTMENTS AT THE END.
AND NOW THIS IS LOOKING UP THE STAIRS TO SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE YELLOW LINE THAT RICHARD IS NOW SHOWING AS A PEDESTRIAN ROUTE.
SO IT'S THIS, IT IS A STAIRWAY COMING DOWN FROM SOUTH CONGRESS THROUGH THE ADJACENT, UH, PROPERTY AND WHAT IT DOES, IT COMES INTO THIS POINTS TO THE DOOR, WHICH IS 200 ACADEMY.
SO THAT WOULD BE WHERE THEY WOULD PUT THE THOROUGHFARE THAT HE'S REFERRING TO.
IT ENTERS, I THINK ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THAT EXISTING BUILDING AND THE TWO PHOTOS TO THE RIGHT SHOW YOU HOW THAT MUSIC LINE OPERATES.
IT ACTUALLY IS KIND OF A LOADING ZONE DROP-OFF FOR THE, UH, HOTEL MAGDALENA, UM, THE PARKING GARAGE ACROSS THE WAY THAT HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT IS THE PARKING RAJ FOR THE ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH OF COURSE WAS BUILT TO GET THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ONE OF OUR BIG ISSUES, WHICH WE MENTIONED BEFORE I, WE HEARD TONIGHT, I GUESS THERE WAS A TIA UPDATE.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IF THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, UH, THIS IS THE OVERALL PROPERTY.
IT SHOWS YOU IT'S BORDERED BY TWO LEVEL ONE, ROUTE ROADWAYS.
THERE IS A DRIVEWAY THAT COMES ON TO MELISSA AND THEN THE ONE DRIVEWAY ON ACADEMY IS THE SOLE ENTRANCE AND EXIT FOR THE COMMERCIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND SOME RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED USE THAT THEY'LL DO IN THERE.
UM, AGAIN, I HAD SHOWED YOU EARLIER THE YELLOW LINE, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS SORT OF GOING TO BE THE CUT-THROUGH TO DROP OFF, EVEN IF THEY HAVE A RIGHT TURN ONLY COMING OUT OF THE PROPERTY.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF OUR ISSUES WITH THE TIA.
IT WAS MODELED FOR A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT MUSIC VENUE, BUT THEY TALK ABOUT A 17,500, THE 24 HOUR VOLUMES, WHICH I SHOWED THERE IN RED SHOW THAT THERE'S AROUND 325 ROUND TRIPS, WHICH SEEM INADEQUATE FOR A SHOW THAT CATERS TO 1200, TO POSSIBLY
[00:50:01]
MORE PEOPLE.UH, I'M NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
I AM A CIVIL ENGINEER, BUT NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
UH, EXISTING TRAFFIC COUNTERS WERE SET IN JULY OF 2020, WHICH WAS DURING THE TIME THAT THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH CONGRESS AND ACADEMY IT WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEVELOPMENT.
IT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR 18 MONTHS.
I THINK IT WAS A TOTAL OF TWO YEARS.
IT WAS CLOSED, UM, IN MARCH OF 2021, THEY RESET COUNTERS.
UH, BUT THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT LOCATION ON THE GRAND, WHICH IS AGAIN THAT THE CUT-THROUGH ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE ONLY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE PANDEMIC AND NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THE STREET WAS CLOSED ITSELF, CONGRESS.
AND WE POST THIS QUESTION NUMEROUS TIMES TO THE STAFF, BUT WE DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION WE COME UP WITH, HOW IS RIDESHARE ACCOUNTED FOR IT'S A DOUBLE TRIP, SOMEONE COMES, DROPS OFF.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS OUT OF THE TIA.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE JUST ASKED, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE SAYING THE PM, UH, PEAK YOU CAN SEE IN RED FOR THE MUSIC VENUE IS 65.
AND SO HOW DOES THAT REFLECT A MUSIC VENUE, WHERE EVERYBODY COMES AT THE SAME TIME AND THEY LEAVE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT ALL IN THEIR CARS FOR THOSE 1200 TO POSSIBLY MORE PEOPLE.
UM, THE TIA TIA USED EMOS AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND WE JUST FOUND THIS OUT AT THE HEARING TO, UH, A MONTH AGO, UH, I GUESS SAY COUNTED THERE WHILE I'M SHOWING YOU THE COMPARISON.
IT'S LOCATED ON A MAJOR ARTERIAL IT'S BORDERED BY TWO COMMERCIAL STREETS.
THE PARKING LOT HAS FIVE DRIVEWAYS.
THE APPARENT SIZE OF THAT EMOS IS 14,000 SOMETHING SQUARE FEET.
I JUST TOOK THAT OFF OF GOOGLE AND IT WAS DONE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW DID THAT RELATE TO THIS PARTICULAR CASE? UH, THE APPLICANT HAS COMPARED LAMAR STATION MANY TIMES TO US ON THIS PROJECT AND IN HIS ORIGINAL PRESENTATION, I DON'T KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL IT'S BEEN WITH IT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I WOULD ALSO OFFER IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
THIS PROJECT FRONTS ON A MAJOR ARTERIAL LAMAR, IT HAS A STREET TREADWELL, WHICH IS SIGNALIZED.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S FOUR DRIVEWAYS AND THE SIGNAL ALLOWS EXITING TRAFFIC FROM THE ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE.
AND THIS HAS A HIGH BALL, UH, TO GO EITHER NORTH OR SOUTH ON LAMAR.
SO WE REALLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS DEMONSTRATED COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LDC SECTION 26 DASH 6 1 11 THROUGH 1 43, WHICH DOES REQUIRE A TIA AT ZONING.
YES, IT HAS TO BE UPDATED AT SITE PLAN BECAUSE WE DON'T BELIEVE WE, WE FEEL THERE'S A LOT OF FLAWS IN IT.
SO IT'S HARD FOR US TO SAY IT'S DEMONSTRATED THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT.
AND WE REALIZED THAT THERE ARE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS COMING TO THE CITY.
AND OF COURSE, ANYBODY'S GUESS IS AT 12 OR 15 YEARS AWAY, BUT THERE WE ARE STILL PRETTY CAR DEPENDENT, BUT NOW LET ME TALK ABOUT WHAT WE SUPPORT AND WHO WE ARE.
AND, AND THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED OURSELVES, MOST OF THIS CONTACT TEAM HAS LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBOR HAD ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 40 YEARS AND PROBABLY SOME OF THEM MORE THAN 40 YEARS, MOST HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME TO RENOVATE AND PRESERVE THEIR HOMES AND INCLUDING EXISTING HISTORICAL HOMES.
THAT DATE FROM THE 18 HUNDREDS, WE'VE MET MANY TIMES TO DISCUSS HOW DO WE MEET THE DEMANDS OF A GROWING CITY WITH INCREASED NEEDS FOR HOUSING? HOW DO WE HONOR THIS MUSIC HISTORY AND THE CURRENT NEEDS? HOW DO WE OFFER A PLAN WITHOUT ADEQUATE INCORRECT INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC CONSEQUENCES? AND HOW DO WE CHANGE THE EXISTING OVERLAYS ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH CURRENTLY RESTRICTED TO OFFICE AND MULTIFAMILY AND HAVE OTHER DENSITY RESTRICTIONS.
AND HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF A LARGE COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE AS REQUESTED? AND HERE'S THE PROBLEMS WE STRUGGLED WITH THIS APPLICATION IS TO ALLOW A COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE WITH LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE ULTIMATE SIZE.
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE DESIGN ISSUES IN A 17,500 SQUARE FOOT VENUE.
HOW MUCH OF IT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED FOR THE STANDING ROOM OR THE SEATING ROOM? IF YOU TAKE THE CALCULATIONS, IF 75% OF IT IS DESIGNED FOR THAT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 1800 PEOPLE.
NOW THE APPLICANT IS SAYING 1200 PEOPLE.
THERE'S ALSO FLEX SPACE IN THE APPLICATION.
WE LOVE A MUSEUM, EVERYBODY WHAT THE SPEAKERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, YES, LET'S PRESERVE, LET'S CELEBRATE THIS.
AND A MUSEUM THOUGH IS NOT A COCKTAIL LAND USE.
SO OUR CONCERN IS, IS THAT GOING TO BE INCORPORATED TO, TO SERVE THESE VERY LARGE SHOWS, PARKING
[00:55:01]
ISSUES? WE WERE CONCERNED.AND WE, WE SPOKE ALL OF THESE THINGS TO THE, TO THE APPLICANT, BUT RATHER THAN PAY FOR PARKING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAKE IT FREE FOR EMPLOYEES AND FOR VENUE USERS, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE THEY'LL PARK ON THE STREET AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING PROGRAM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AVAILABLE, IT REALLY PENALIZES THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PUSHES THEM FURTHER INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL MIX SHOES.
AND THAT'S OUR BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THE VENUE IS THAT YOU HAVE PATRONS ANYWHERE AT 1200, 1800, BASICALLY ARRIVE AT ONE TIME AND LEAVE AT ONE TIME.
AND THAT TIME IS NOT LIKE FIVE O'CLOCK OR EIGHT O'CLOCK WHEN YOU LEAVE A NICE RESTAURANT THAT'S MIDNIGHT, THAT'S 2:00 AM.
AND THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS EFFECT ON A NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT YOU ASKED US TO LOOK AT A BETTER PLAN.
AND WE DID MEET WITH THE APPLICANT AND WE OFFERED, AND THEY WEREN'T REALLY DISCUSSED ON THEIR SIDE.
WE DIDN'T GET AGREEMENT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE TOLD THEM WE CAN SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR MULTIFAMILY ON TRACK THREE THAT REMOVES THE RISK, THE GREATER RESTRICTIONS OF THE NCCD.
NOW STAFF CHOSE TO LIMIT IT SOMEWHAT, BUT WE'RE BACKING OFF OF THE NCCD AND SAY, YES, HOUSING, BRING IT ON.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE'D LOVE TO SEE HOUSING MUSICIANS.
IF WE'VE TRULY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, HOW DO WE SUPPORT THOSE WHO NO LONGER CAN EVEN LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? WE ALSO SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRACK TWO AND THREE, WHICH INCREASES THE, THE HEIGHT TO 60 FEET, WHICH WAS NOT IN THE NCCD.
AND IT ALLOWS FOR MIXED USE, BUT WE WANT TO LIMIT THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE.
AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHAT WE DID.
WE UNDERSTAND THE CONTINENTAL CLUB, IT'S IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT FRONT SOUTH CONGRESS, BUT IT'S IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT IT'S ROUGHLY AROUND 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE COULD FEEL AND KNOW AND FEEL IS APPROPRIATE.
SO HOW COULD THAT BE INCORPORATED? AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR LISTENING ROOMS. I CAN'T SPEAK TO MS. BRITT, MR. BRIDGES, A RESEARCH ON A NEED FOR THIS PARTICULAR VENUE, BUT I REMEMBER THE DUBAI, DUBAI DEMISE OF IMAGE JOE'S OR THE CACTUS CAFE OR PLACES WHERE YOU REALLY COULD GO AND LISTEN, DO WE NEED INTERNATIONAL, UH, PEOPLE HERE.
SO, AND FINALLY WE SUPPORT THE LOCATION AND MORE BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO MUSICIANS.
THE RECORDING STUDIO IS FABULOUS.
HOW ABOUT RECORD LABEL GUYS, AND THEN NO OUTDOOR MUSIC.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, MS. THOMPSON, MR. BRIAN BEATING.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FREE.
I PLANNED FOR ONE I'M BRIAN BD.
I'M A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, A SONGWRITER AND RECORD PRODUCER.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE AUSTIN MUSIC SCENE SINCE 1979.
MY WIFE IS AN ARTIST AND WE LIVE AND WORK ON RAVINE DRIVE IN A SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY WITHIN 130 FEET OF THE ONLY DRIVABLE, UH, ENTRANCE TO THE PROPOSED REVAMPED AUSTIN OPERA HOUSE.
UH, THE WELL CHRONICAL HISTORY OF THE OPERA HOUSE DEMONSTRATES THREE DISTINCT ATTEMPTS AND FAILURES TO SAFELY RUN A NIGHTCLUB OF THE SIZE THEY'RE PROPOSING WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE FACT IS THE LOCATION, UH, HAD EVEN MORE STREET ACCESS EVERY TIME IT FAILED THAN IT DOES NOW.
AND EVERY ITERATION OF THE OPERA HOUSE, THE SAME THING HAPPENS.
THE CLUB CANNOT CONTROL THE CLIENT'S BEHAVIOR BEYOND THE PROPERTY LIMITS AND INABILITY TO CONTROL MASSES OF INTOXICATED PEOPLE, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF ALCOHOL ESTABLISHMENTS IS A FAMOUS PROBLEM ALONG SIXTH STREET AND GETTING MORE LETHAL BY THE DAY, LARGE NIGHTCLUBS ASSEMBLE AND RELEASE MASSES OF PEOPLE AND ARE FUELED BY THE ALCOHOL ECONOMY.
PLEASE DON'T ALLOW THAT ATMOSPHERE TO INVADE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, YET AGAIN, AND, UH, SINCE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, ANTONE'S, UH, IS NOT, IS NOT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT ORIGINALLY WAS.
IT HAD TO MOVE, IT MOVED TWICE AS A MATTER OF FACT, TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE IT CAN STAY, UH, EMOS, UH, WAS DOWNTOWN.
IT HAD TO MOVE TO WHERE IT IS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE ITS OPERATIONS.
AND I THINK THAT THE BRAND AND, UH, THE MUSIC CULTURE IS WONDERFUL.
I'M A MUSICIAN, YOU KNOW, I LOVE IT, BUT HAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S LIKE PUTTING, IT'S LIKE HAVING SIXTH STREET ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND A NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE OTHER.
I MEAN, IT'S IT'S, AND IT'S PROVEN TO, UH, FAIL BEFORE.
[01:00:01]
MINI.UM, THAT CONCLUDES THE REGISTER REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM, UM, MR. WEISS ON THE REBUTTAL AS WE DO THAT, MR. WEISS YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'D LIKE TO START BY JUST TALKING ABOUT THE TIA, JUST BY SAYING WE SUBMITTED A TIA, IT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY.
WE HAVE TO SUBMIT ANOTHER TIA.
THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR EXACT USES.
SO I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT ASIDE FOR A MINUTE.
UH, THE WIDTH OF THE STREET OF ACADEMY IS THE SAME.
UH, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING TO THE END.
SO, UM, ONE MORE SLIDE FORWARD THERE.
SO THE WIDTH OF ACADEMY IS THE SAME AS THE WIDTH OF TREADWELL, UH, UM, UH, FOR THE LAMAR UNION.
THERE ARE TWO DRIVES ON LAMAR, BUT THEY'RE BOTH ONE WAY.
SO YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF THE PROJECT ON LAMAR.
THEY'RE BOTH SIGNALIZED LIGHTS.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS YOU HAVE TO PASS FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES ON TREADWELL AND ZERO ON ACADEMY.
NOW, AS FAR AS THE VENUE SIZE, WE WOULDN'T BE ASKING FOR THIS SIZE VENUE.
IF IT DIDN'T ALREADY EXIST, IF THE WALLS WEREN'T ALREADY THERE.
SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW CAN WE MITIGATE THE ISSUES? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MITIGATE THE HOURS OF OPERATION.
WE CAN PUT THAT IN A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
WE CAN LIMIT THE SIZE TO 1200, EVEN IF THERE COULD BE MORE, WHICH WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITY AND THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THERE IS ALREADY A CONTINENTAL CLUB WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, SO WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE COMPETITION.
BUT THE BIG QUESTION THAT WE ASKED OURSELVES IS WHO'S GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT AND WHO WILL BE IMPACTED AFTER OUR LAST MEETING.
WE, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, THE DAY AFTER THE MEETING, WE DID A DEEP DIVE OF WHO'S ACTUALLY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WE FOUND IT USING THE SAME TOOLS THAT NHC D USES TO DO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD STUDIES, THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS SINGING 74%, SINGLE 9% OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE CHILDREN UNDER 18 AND 8% OF OUR PEOPLE OVER 65.
THE VAST MAJORITY IS, UH, 60% OF THE POPULATION IS BETWEEN 18 AND 45 AND SINGLE THE STUDY.
AND THESE ARE THE WORDS OF THE STUDY DESCRIBED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AS A HIP TRENDY, URBAN SOPHISTICATE, YOUNG SINGLE PROFESSIONAL LUXURY COMMUNITY.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE CREATING.
THIS IS WHAT EXISTS CURRENTLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UH, AND WE FEEL THAT, UH, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALSO VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE IN THIS CATCHMENT AREA.
IT'S $714 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR HOUSES.
SO A 1400 SQUARE FOOT WOULD RUN OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE CLOSEST HOUSE TO THIS PROPERTY IS OVER 10,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY THE, THE, UH, RESIDENTIAL THAT WE'RE ADDING, BUT THE MUSIC USE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE ACTUAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE RAIL LINE THAT'S COMING.
WE WANT TO BUILD TO THE FUTURE.
AND WE DON'T WANT THE, THE NCCD TO, UH, TO INHIBIT THAT, UM, THE OTHER ISSUES WITH NCCD, JUST BECAUSE IT IS, WE WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT, UH, THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE NCCD IS THAT THEIR COMPATIBILITY WOULD TAKE US DOWN TO TWO STORIES AND 30 FEET WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF ANY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THREE STORIES TO FOUR STORIES.
ALSO, OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER IS HERE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF THEM.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS OR THE PUPPY HERE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSIONER SNYDER AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHAY.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND COUNT THE, UH, THE DYESS VOTES.
AND THEN ON THE SCREEN UP, UH, WE HAVE THREE, SO THAT'S 10, 10 0.
UH, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH OUR ROUND ROBIN QUESTIONS.
UH, WE HAVE EIGHT SPOTS, FIVE MINUTES EACH.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER MR. DOLLAR? I HAVE A TON.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I I'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH PARTIES.
UM, I SAW EFFORTS FROM BOTH SIDES TO TRY AND FIND THE MIDDLE GROUND.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A RESOLUTION THAT WILL MOVE EVERYBODY FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, SO I MIGHT NEED HELP WITH THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT, UM, I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION.
[01:05:01]
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.THERE'S A PARKING GARAGE AT MUSIC LANE THAT I BELIEVE IS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW THE CODE ON HOW THAT PARKING WORKS AND DO THEY HAVE TO GET APPROVAL TO USE PARKING? THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I WAS TRYING TO GET, UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A STAFF QUESTION OR AN ENGINEER QUESTION, OR IF AN AGREEMENT'S BEEN WORKED OUT, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION TO, DO YOU WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE APPLICANT? IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE READY.
THAT MAY HAVE AN ANSWER ACQUIRED PARKING FOR OUR PROJECT WILL BE ONSITE.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE ONE DRIVE ON ACADEMY, WHICH WE COULD HAVE MULTIPLE DRIVES OUT, BUT WE WANT TO LIMIT THE ACCESS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND JUST LIKE CITY HALL HAS HOWEVER MANY SPACES UNDERNEATH IT.
AND THERE'S ONE WAY OUT THAT IS A REALISTIC, THE, THE CURRENT, UH, UM, UH, GARAGE ON MUSIC LANE IS A PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT IT THOUGH, IS THAT ALL OF THE MUSIC LANE WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SIGNIFICANT DESERT DENSITY ON THE CORRIDOR.
EVERY SINGLE USE IS, UH, IS AN OFFICE USE ABOVE, UH, THE GROUND FLOOR.
SO YOU HAVE RESTAURANT RETAIL AND OFFICE THAT THAT IS A, A GARAGE THAT SAYS MAJORITY EMPTY AT NIGHT, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO DAYTIME USES, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, UH, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? AND, AND THAT, THAT IS WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THE FIRST FLOOR OF OUR BUILDING WHEN YOU, UH, THAT, THAT SMALL DOOR THAT WAS SHOWN, WE CAN BLOW THAT OUT TO BE 16 FEET WIDE SO THAT THERE IS A 16 FEET WIDE PEDESTRIAN CORRIDOR THAT RUNS FROM THAT WAS THAT ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO LET ME THANKS FOR THE SEGUE.
YOU KNOW, W WHEN I HEARD PRAMA NOD, I VISIONED ONE THING AND I KIND OF GOT THIS IDEA IN MY MIND WITH THE PARK AND THE GREEN SPACE.
AND THAT LOOKED REALLY GOOD AND ENTICING, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT IS IN MY MIND, THE WAY I'M PICTURING IT WOULD DRAW A LOT OF THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC OFF CONGRESS, WHICH AGAIN, TAKES A LOT OF THE CAR PARKING AWAY IF PEOPLE COME BY OTHER MULTIMODAL WAYS.
SO I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHAT ARE THEY IMPROVED, GIVEN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE PICTURES? WHAT CAN WE ANTICIPATE IN THAT'S SLIDE? SO, UH, LAURA TUBES POINTED OUT THAT, UH, THAT OUR SITE WAS ORIGINALLY FAIRVIEW PARK, UH, THAT THAT PARK WAS, UH, REMOVED IN ORDER TO CREATE THE PARKING LOT.
THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE SIXTIES.
UM, IF YOU CAN GO BACK, UH, TWO SLIDES THERE.
SO, SO, UH, PART OF OUR, OUR, UH, PROJECT IS TO RE-ESTABLISH A PARK.
THE, UH, THAT FIRE LANE IS REQUIRED BY CODE THAT, THAT RUNS CLOSE TO THE BUILDING, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A PERVIOUS FIRE LANE.
THAT'S GOING TO ACT AS A PROMENADE THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE UNDERGROUND PROMENADE AND CREATE A CENTRAL COURTYARD.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A VENUE THAT'S FACING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE VENUE IS FACING AN INTERIOR COURTYARD THAT IS BLOCKING ANY VISIBILITY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ANY VISIBILITY, ANY SOUND FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT CONNECTS EQUALLY TO OUR PARKING LOT, WHICH WILL HAVE ALL OF OUR CODE REQUIRED PARKING AND, AND CONGRESS, THE INTENT BEHIND THAT, UH, CENTRAL PARK IS FIRST OF ALL, TO HONOR WILLIE NELSON, IT'S BASED ON THE CURVATURE OF TRIGGER AND, UH, AND TO, UM, REESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, TO REVERSE ENGINEER THE JONI MITCHELL SONG AND TAKE A PARKING LOT AND TURN IT BACK INTO PARADISE YEAH.
SO THE YELLOW THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THERE, I THINK WE GOT TO SEE A FEW DIFFERENT PICTURES OF ITS CURRENT STATE, AND IT'S NOT THIS BIG GRAND, YOU KNOW, 15 FOOT WALKWAY BIKEWAY THING.
IT'S A LITTLE NARROW THREE OR FOUR FOOT.
UM, IT, IT WOULDN'T DRAW THE PUBLIC IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
SO I DON'T KNOW, GIVEN WHAT IS EXISTING, WHAT Y'ALL CAN ACTUALLY AFFECT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THAT THE DRAW FOR PUBLIC TRAFFIC COMING OFF CONGRESS.
SO WE HAVE ACCESS ALL THE WAY TO MUSIC LANE, AND THEN WE'VE GOT A SLOT, A SPOT RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU CAN GO A ONE SLIDE FORWARD, PLEASE.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT, UH, ARE, UH, THAT, THAT BLUE LINE, WHICH RUNS SHOWING IT AS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PARKING LOT.
WE CAN CREATE AN EXTERIOR TRELLIS ON OUR, OUR, UH, UH, PROPERTY THAT WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO MUSIC LANE HAVE SIGNAGE HAVE WAY FINDING, WE'LL HAVE WAY FINDING AT THE MUSIC LANE DEVELOPMENT, POINTING THEM IN THAT DIRECTION AS WELL.
UM, SO I'LL JUST CONTINUE ON THAT.
SO IF YOU CAN PULL UP THAT SLIDE.
SO THE CURRENTLY THE LITTLE DOOR THAT YOU SHOWED US, WHERE IS IT? IS THAT WHERE IT SAYS RESIDENTIAL ABOVE WHERE IT SAYS PROMINA TO MUSIC LANE, PARKING THAT WORD PARKING IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF
[01:10:01]
THE DOOR.SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S A DOOR IN A STAIRWELL THERE THAT GOES UP TO THE LITTLE MEZZANINE THAT'S THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THAT STAIRWELL AND OPEN UP THAT ENTIRE FACE SO THAT, UH, THE COLUMN SPACING IS, IS, UH, 20 FEET.
IT WOULD BE A 16 FOOT WIDE OPEN PROMINENT.
AND THEN THAT OPENS UP, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TRELLIS AND THEN THAT'S WHAT TAKES YOU TO MUSIC LANE? CORRECT.
SO, UH, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE? I THINK THE SITE PLAN.
SO, UM, MR. ROYCE, CAN YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE COME, WE'LL COME AT DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT TO A VENUE, BUT WHEN EVERYBODY LEAVES, RIGHT, I WANT TO KIND OF GET IT, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME YOUR VISION OF HOW EVERYTHING EVERYBODY JUST EXITS OUT OF THIS PLACE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THE BUFFER WORKS AND, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE WHERE PEOPLE ARE HEADED, WHERE THEY'RE WALKING.
UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR ON HOW YOU SEE THIS WORK.
CAUSE I MEAN, ONCE YOU HEAR IT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCT IT.
THOSE ARE EXCELLENT QUESTIONS.
AND OUR INTENT WOULD BE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE OPERA HOUSE IS.
THERE WOULD BE, THERE'S A REAR CORRIDOR OR IN THE OPERA HOUSE, THAT'S FIRE RATED THAT RUNS RIGHT TO THAT BACK ENTRANCE.
AND THEN THERE'S A FRONT, UH, COURTYARD THAT WOULD RUN TO THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU EXIT, YOU HAVE ACCESSIBILITY TO MUSIC LANE INSIDE THE VENUE, WE CAN PUT WAYFINDING THAT SAYS TO CONGRESS WITH THAT DOOR SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THEIR EVENING, THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
IF THEY'D LIKE TO ACCESS THE PARKING, IF THEY PARKED ON SITE, THEY GO THE OTHER WAY.
IF THEY'D LIKE TO GO TO THE PARK, THEY CAN GO THE OTHER WAY.
BUT THE KEY IS THAT ALL OF THIS IS INTERIOR TO THE PROJECT AND NOWHERE NEAR ANY OF THE SINGLE FAMILY.
AND ONCE THE CARS LEAVE, ASSUMING THAT THEY PARK ON SITE, THEY WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OUT TO CONGRESS.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HOP A, UH, BOLLARDS AND A MEDIAN WALL IN ORDER TO GO THE OTHER WAY.
SO WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF BEING OPEN UNTIL TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE NOT INTENDING TO BE A NIGHTCLUB.
WE'RE INTENDING TO BE A MUSIC VENUE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THE CODE DOES NOT HAVE A DESIGNATION FOR THAT.
THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, CAUSE AS WE POUR OUT INTO THIS COURTYARD HERE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THE BUFFER.
THE BUFFER IS THE MULTIFAMILY THAT WE'RE PUTTING THROUGH HERE.
THIS IS, THAT HAS TO WORK THAT HAS TO WORK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT HAS TO WORK FOR THE RESIDENCES WHO ARE THERE.
THAT'S KIND OF, UH, THE SHIELD BETWEEN THE MITIGATING BETWEEN ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO TELL ME HOW IT'S BEING MANAGED BETWEEN THAT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTY VERSUS THE MANAGEMENT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MUSIC VENUE, UH, THE INTERACTION WHO'S GOING TO GET PRIORITY.
CAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE, IT'S LIKE, OH, IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC VENUE OR VICE VERSA.
WE WANT BOTH TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION ALSO.
SO WHEN WE DID THE ALAMO SOUTH LAMAR, UH, WE WERE A TENANT IN THE BUILDING AND A GREYSTAR AT THE TIME OWNED IT AND THERE WE HAD A MUSIC VENUE WITH RESIDENTIAL DIRECTLY ABOVE IT.
SO IT WAS TWO SEPARATE PARTIES, BUT WE MADE IT WORK.
IN THIS CASE, ALL OF THE PARTIES ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IF IT'S BAD FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S GOING TO BE BAD FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE TO CONTROL, UH, THE TRAFFIC AND THE PEOPLE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE SIDE OF OUR PROJECT IS GOING TO LOOK OUT ONTO THE BEAUTIFUL NCCD, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL LOOK OUT ONTO A BEAUTIFUL PARK.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT, THAT, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, BUFFER, UH, WILL SERVE EXACTLY THE PURPOSE THAT'S CALLED OUT FOR, IN THE NCCD, BUT NOT CAPABLE OF BEING ACHIEVED, UM, TIME, SO CAPACITY.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT REDUCING CAPACITY FROM WHAT TO WHAT, AND ALSO IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO LIMITING IN ANY WAY, LIKE FIRE CAPACITY, LIKE THE WIDTH OF DOORS, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE REDUCTION.
SO THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING THING HERE IS THAT THE WALLS ARE THERE.
THE VENUES THEY'RE AT 17,500 IS, IS THE ACTUAL SPACE THAT'S THERE.
AND WE WANT TO PRESERVE THAT SPACE.
UH, AS I SAID BEFORE, THAT'S THE SPACE THAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS CITY AND MY LIFE.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT, UH, THE NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS ABOUT, COULD THAT BE 1700, COULD THAT BE, UH, SO ARE WILLING TO, UH, OFFER A CONDITIONAL LOCALLY, YOU CAN'T CAP CAPACITY AT, UH, AT PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU CAN CAP SQUARE FOOTAGE, UH, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO, TO INCLUDE IN OUR, UH, REQUEST TO CAP THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE MUSIC VENUE AT 17,500, AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO A CONDITIONALLY, UH, OVERLAY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO CAP THE, UH, OCCUPANCY AT 1200, BUT TO GO ANY MORE THAN THAT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT APPLICANT VERSUS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S A THIRD PARTY HERE, WHICH IS THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE MEETING IT TO A T.
I'VE GOT, I CAN'T TELL IF IT WAS A COMMISSIONER, UH, YANNIS, POLITO OR COMMISSIONER
[01:15:01]
COX WAS FIRST.COMMISSIONER IS PALITO FOLLOWED BY COMMISSIONER COX.
UH, I BELIEVE THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE APPLICANT BACK TO THE PROMENADE, UM, ARE ANY IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR ADA COMPLIANCE OR OTHERWISE FOR ACCESSIBILITY? IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S KINDA NARROW AND THERE'S A LOT OF STAIRS.
SO, UH, ON OUR SIDE OF THE, OF THE PROMENADE, UH, IT IS, UM, OUR SIDE OF THE PROMENADE.
THERE'S ONE STEP YOU EXIT OUT THE PROMENADE AND TO YOUR LEFT, THERE IS A STAIRWELL THAT GOES UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY EXIT THE DOOR THAT WAS SHOWN IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU ARE EXITING FROM THE GROUND LEVEL.
IT IS ALREADY ACCESSIBLE ALL THE WAY FROM THE VENUE TO THAT ENTRY POINT, THERE IS ONE SEVEN INCH STAIR AS YOU GO TO, UH, TO MUSIC LANE AND THAT SEVEN INCH STAIR CAN BE REPLACED BY A SEVEN FOOT RAMP.
AND AT THAT POINT YOU ARE IN LINE WITH THE PARKING GARAGE, WHICH IS BRAND NEW.
SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN BUILT TO ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS.
MUSIC LANE IS ACCESSIBLE TO ACADEMY.
THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO SOMEBODY WHO IS, UH, UH, PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED WOULD BE THE STAIRS, THE SHORTCUT, WHICH IS THE STAIRWELL THAT CUTS RIGHT THROUGH THE MUSIC LANE PROJECT TO THE, TO THE PROMENADE IN CONGRESS.
AND IS THAT PART OF THE PATHWAY THAT YOU'RE, UM, YOU'RE COUNTING ON TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC, THAT THAT IS, IS PART OF THE NETWORK, BUT IF WE CAN CALL UP THE PLAN, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE LEVEL OF, UH, YELLOW PATHS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT THAT NOT ONLY, UH, YOU CAN SEE, WE'LL NOT ONLY CONNECT IT TO, UH, BOTH SIDES OF, OF, UH, UH, OF OUR BUILDING.
YOU COULD ENTER FROM THE SOUTH OR, UH, FROM THE NORTH.
BUT IF YOU WERE IN A WHEELCHAIR WHERE, WHERE THE, UH, YELLOW LINE GOES TOWARDS CONGRESS, IF YOU JUST GO STRAIGHT ALONG THE BACKSIDE OF, UH, OF MUSIC LANE ONTO MUSIC LANE, THAT WOULD BE YOUR ACCESSIBLE ROUTE, BUT THERE IS ALSO RIDESHARE DROP-OFF AND THE THROAT OF THE PARKING GARAGE WAS DESIGNED AS A TURNAROUND SO THAT YOU CAN GO DOWN MUSIC LANE, TURN AROUND, YOU GET IN THE PARKING GARAGE AND GET OUT.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY, MY NEXT QUESTION WAS ABOUT RIDE SHARES HAVE BEEN DROP-OFF.
SO THAT'S THE TURNAROUND AREAS.
WE ALSO HAVE PER RTI, A RIDESHARE DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP IN OUR GARAGE BEFORE YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR PARKING.
SO YOU WOULD PULL IN, PICK UP YOUR RIDE SHARING AND, AND COME OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR RIDE SHARE.
ONCE YOU GET ON CONGRESS, IT WAYFINDING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY PROJECT.
AND WE REALLY BELIEVE IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OF THE PROJECT TO, UH, TO SHOW PEOPLE THE WAY TO CONGRESS, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THEM COME BACK TO ACADEMY.
HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO GET IT IN.
SO, UM, RICHARD, CAN YOU, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE REQUEST AND WHY THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE IS SO HIGH? YES.
SO THE PROBLEM WITH, WITH, UH, THE CURRENT CODE, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL GET RECTIFIED WITH THE NEW VERSION OF THE CODE IS THAT THERE IS NO DESIGNATION FOR A COCKTAIL LOUNGE, A MOVIE THEATER OR THEATER USE PARKS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS IN A MOVIE THEATER WITH PARKS, ONE TO FOUR, A COCKTAIL LOUNGE IS BASED SOLELY ON SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, LIKE JUST THE STAGE OF THE OPERA HOUSE, WHICH IS A HUGE STAGE IS BIGGER THAN THE CONTINENTAL CLUB.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 2,500 SQUARE FEET, THAT'S IN THE BUILDING, BUT IT IS NOT GOING TO TAKE UP A SINGLE PARKING SPACE.
SO THE WAY WE APPROACHED IT IN THE TIA WAS TO TAKE THE AREA OF THE STANDING ROOM OF THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE, FIGURE OUT THAT AREA AND BASED THE PARKING ON THAT, WHICH ENDS UP BEING MORE SPACES THAN IF IT WERE A THEATER USE OR, OR A MUSIC VENUE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE INTENDING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CODE DOESN'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO ALIGN THOSE, BUT THE WAY WE CAN PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM THAT IN TERMS OF USE WOULD BE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LIMIT THE HOURS OF MUSIC, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT TO HAVE SHOWS PAST MIDNIGHT TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, UH, CAN, UH, UH, CAN ACCOMMODATE ALL OF THE PARKING AND ALL, AGAIN, ALL OF OUR PARKING WILL BE PROVIDED ON OUR SITE.
SO THE ADDITIONAL 500 SPACES IS JUST REDUNDANCY.
UM, YEAH, I'M NOT, I, I THINK YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF PARKING OPTIONS, SO I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, IT, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, IF, IF, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING WAS IDENTIFIED AS APPROPRIATE BY ATD TO HELP SLOW VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER THAT'S FROM YOUR VENUE OR NOT.
[01:20:01]
UM, WOULD THE APPLICANT SUPPORT, UH, PARTICIPATION IN THE FUNDING OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS? WE CERTAINLY WOULD.UH, WE WOULD, UM, NOT ONLY SUPPORT THAT OUR TIA CURRENTLY CALLS FOR ABOUT $340,000 WORTH OF, UH, SIGNALIZATION, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND, UH, AND, UH, LIGHT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC.
BUT IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD FEELS LIKE AN ADDITION TO THE RESIDENTIAL PARKING, UH, PROGRAM THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE NEEDED, UH, WE INTEND TO BE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE LONG RUN AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACCOMMODATED.
UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE ON THE MULTIFAMILY PART OF THE TRACK.
I THINK IT'S TRACKED ACTUALLY, I THINK KATE MAY NEED TO SPEAK TO THIS BECAUSE ONE THING THAT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE EVER ESTABLISHED KATE IS IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION UNDER PART TWO OF, UH, OF THE NCCD THAT LIMITS ALL OF THE WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF ANY HISTORIC PROPERTY OR ANY PROPERTY IN THE NCCD.
YOU CAN ONLY BE TWO STORIES AND 30 FEET.
NOW, THE FOUR PROPERTIES THAT WOULD TRIGGER THAT OF THEM, TWO OF THEM ARE THREE STORIES.
ONE OF THEM IS FOUR STORIES WITH A WIDOW'S PEAK.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY FIVE STORIES AND ALL OF THEM ARE SET AT A MUCH HIGHER GRADE ELEVATION THAN OURS IS HOW MANY STORIES DO YOU WANT TO BUILD ON THEM? WE WANT TO BUILD THREE STORIES.
WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO BUILD WHAT IS ALLOWABLE UNDER THE, UNDER THE
CAN STAFF ELABORATE ON THAT AS FAR AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MFR BASED ZONING, THAT THE APPLICANT REQUESTS FOR TRACK THREE AND THE EMMA FOR NCCD RECOMMENDATION THAT APPARENTLY IS MF THREE BASED ZONING.
YES, THIS IS KATE CLARK WITH THE HOUSING IMPLANTING.
SO IN THE NCCD, IT FOR MULTIFAMILY, IT DOESN'T ADDRESS HEIGHT AT ALL.
SO THAT WAS NOT PART OF OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT IT DOES ADDRESS IS THE UNITS PER ACRE AND THE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AND SO WE WERE RECOMMENDING THAT IT BE LIMITED TO AN EQUIVALENT OF MF THREE WHEN IT COMES TO THE UNITS PER ACRE, UM, AND THE, UM, DWELLING SITE AREA SIZE FOUR FOR EACH UNIT, AND THEN THE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
BUT WE DIDN'T ADDRESS HEIGHT ONLY BECAUSE THAT WASN'T, UM, THE HEIGHT FOR MULTIFAMILY ISN'T ADDRESSED, IT IS IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS THAT ARE IN THE NCCD IF LEFT WITHIN IT.
BUT WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE SITE PLANNING PROCESS, I CAN DEFINITIVELY TELL YOU HOW THAT WOULD LIMIT THE HEIGHT.
UM, AT THIS TIME, RICHARD, YOU KNOW, HOW THE, YES, THE NCCD WOULD MAKE ALL, ANYTHING WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THE PROPERTIES ON MELISSA LANE WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, TWO STORIES AND 30 FEET, WHICH AGAIN IS WHAT IS THE FOOT FEET THAT YOU WANT TO BUILD IN TERMS OF HEIGHT.
WE WANT TO BUILD TWO 40 FEET AND THREE STORIES, WHICH, WHICH CAN GET TO UNDER COMPATIBILITY WITH A 15 FOOT SETBACK AS REQUIRED BY FOR.
UH, THAT BRINGS US TO FOUR QUESTIONS SO FAR.
DO WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS FURTHER, UH, COMMISSIONER SNYDER? UH, I GUESS, UH, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MAYBE THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S RESPONSE TO, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT THE APPLICANT IS MAKING PARTICULARLY, UM, IF, UH, YOU COULD ADDRESS, UM, HOW THE PEDESTRIAN CUT THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILD OUT AS DESCRIBED WOULD AMELIORATE, IF YOU THINK IT WOULD, UM, YOUR CONCERNS AND, AND ALSO IF THERE ARE LIMITS TO HOURS OF OPERATION THAT WOULD LIMIT THAT WOULD, UH, UH, IMPROVE THINGS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I BELIEVE, I MEAN, PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE CONNECTIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES ARE ALWAYS A GOOD THING.
I THINK IT'S A CHALLENGE BACK THERE.
CAUSE ONCE THEY HIT THE RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S NOT THEIR PROPERTY, BUT YOU KNOW, MORE POWER TO THEM, IF THEY CAN DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS THERE AND, AND, AND CREATE THAT ACCESS, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
UH, HOURS OF OPERATIONS, THEY'VE ONLY OFFERED VAGUE THINGS WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY EMAILED ABOUT LIMITING THE CAPACITY.
I ASKED, WELL, WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? AND IT WAS CRICKETS.
SO, UH, ARE THOSE GOOD THINGS TO TALK ABOUT IF, IF A MUSIC VENUE GOES IN, I THINK THEY ARE.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE RESIDENTIAL, WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, IT IS COMPLICATED BECAUSE OF THE NCCD, BUT THE THREE STORIES WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ON
[01:25:01]
SITE.SO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WAS ALL APARTMENTS AND OFFICE, OBVIOUSLY WE'D BE FINE.
IT STILL JUST BOILS DOWN TO THIS PARTICULAR USE.
ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU COULD PUT INTO PLAY TO SOFTEN THAT THERE PROBABLY ARE? UM, I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE NO MUSIC VENUE.
UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN DOWN TO SPECIFICS ON ANY OF THAT.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT, UM, AGAIN, SO, UM, UH, I THINK, UH, FROM, FROM MS. CLARK, I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE APPLICANT WANTS ON THE RESIDENTIAL PIECE AND WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS.
UM, SO WITH TRACK THREE, THAT WOULD LET THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING, IS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE NCCD.
SO THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO, UM, WHAT THE CURRENT MFR STANDARDS WOULD BE.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE, IF HYPED THE DENSITY, THE UNITS PER ACRE, EVERYTHING THAT IS WITHIN EMMA FOR, UM, WE FELT THAT STAFF FELT THAT THAT TRUCK, BECAUSE IT BORDERS, THE SINGLE FAMILY TRANSITIONING TO MFA WAS MORE APPROPRIATE.
THE TRACKED ONE IN TRACK TWO WHEN DEVELOPED WOULD BE SIMILAR TO AN MFR.
AND SO WE FELT THE TRANSITION FROM SOUTH CONGRESS, SPORTS, MELISSA LANE WITH A GRADUAL CHANGE.
UM, WHAT HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TRANSITIONAL, UM, COMPATIBILITY AS IT MOVED IN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS ANY FURTHER I HAVE, UH, I HAVE A FEW, UM, JUST KEEPING COUNT HERE.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE FROM, UH, THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION, JUST SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH THE TIA THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD RAISED.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THOSE, ESPECIALLY THAT KIND OF PEAK NUMBER THAT WE SAW THAT WAS SO LOW? UM, THEY POINTED OUT THAT DURING, UH, DURING THESE SHOWS, IF YOU HAVE 1200, UM, 1200 FOLKS THERE, THAT THEY, THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T ADDRESS THAT KIND OF TRAFFIC FLOW.
UH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH.
THIS TIME IT DOES NORMALLY SAY ATD.
UM, I'M GOING TO TRY AND DEFER MOST OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER THAT DID THE TIA.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN RESPOND TO? OH, OKAY.
UM, WELL, DO YOU THINK THAT THE, IN YOUR ASSESSMENT, LET ME JUST ASK YOU A QUESTION IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, DO YOU THINK THEY ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED THE PEAK? UM, YOU KNOW, THE PEAK, UH, NUMBER OF TRAFFIC COUNTS FOR A SHOW OF 1200 PEOPLE? UM, I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT THE 1200 CAPACITY MIGHT CORRELATE TO 12 GROUP TRIPS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
UM, THE APPLICANT ALSO STATED THAT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, UM, THE ITE HANDBOOK, WHICH IS WHAT ENGINEERS USE FOR LAND USE CODES TO, UM, ESTIMATE THE NUMBER OF TRIPS GENERATED FOR EACH LAND USE, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC LANE USE FOR MUSIC VENUE.
SO, UM, I THINK I EXPLAINED THIS AT LAST COMMISSION MEETING, BUT THE, THE NEXT BEST THING IS TO COLLECT, UM, EXISTING COUNTS AT A SIMILAR LADIES, WHICH WE CHOSE EMOS OR THE SIMILAR LADIES.
UM, AND THERE, THERE WAS A LOT THAT WENT INTO THAT DATA COLLECTION OF WHICH, UM, THE TRAFFIC CONSULTANT CAN ALSO GET INTO.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, AND I MAY CIRCLE BACK WITH THE CONSULTANT.
I JUST WANT TO, I HAVE LIMITED TIME HERE.
UM, SO THE, THE NEED FOR A 1200 CAPACITY, UM, I'M INTERESTED, I GUESS, FROM THE APPLICANT, IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
I, UM, JUST FREQUENTING A LOT OF INDIANS HERE IN TOWN, UM, AND I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE AND NOT NECESSARILY TOURING ACTS.
AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED ABOUT THE LOCAL MUSICIANS, UH, WHO WOULD PLAY AT A VENUE OF THIS SIZE, BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU GOTTA BE A PRETTY BIG NAME TO FILL THAT KIND OF VENUE.
UH, SO I MEAN, HOW IS THIS REALLY GOING TO SUPPORT, UM, LOCAL MUSICIANS? IS IT ALL RIGHT IF, IF WE'LL BRIDGET SPEAKS SHIRTS
[01:30:02]
YES.MR. BRIDGES, YES, PLEASE COME UP.
BUT I WILL SAY AS, AS AN AUSTIN MUSICIAN, I'M GLAD I'M AN ARCHITECT.
UM, SO WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT LOCAL MUSICIANS? UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE BEEN PRETTY ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING LOCAL ACTS THAT WOULDN'T SELL OUT OF ANY OF THAT SIZE.
IT'S KIND OF, UH, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE PROBLEM.
OUR CITY IS RIDDLED WITH ARTISTS THAT CAN SELL OUT ANTONE'S IS A 400 CAP.
WE'RE ACTUALLY AT OUR SIXTH LOCATION AND IT'S 46 YEAR HISTORY AT THEIR CURRENT LOCATION OF ANTONE'S.
UM, AND I WAS USING AN ANALOGY THE OTHER DAY, AUSTIN, THE, THE, AFTER THE, UH, VENUES THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE, THAT WAS IN AUSTIN'S PRIME.
THAT WAS WHEN WE WERE CREATING ARTISTS, UH, LIKE WILLIE NELSON.
THAT'S THAT, THAT WAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, UH, CONNECTED, UH, THOSE ARTISTS FROM THE SMALLER CLUBS TO MUSIC'S LIKE, UH, MUSIC VENUES, LIKE ACO LIVE AND BIGGER.
SO I USED THE ANALOGY THE OTHER DAY.
IT'S KINDA LIKE WE'VE BECOME A ROCK CLIMBING GYM THAT HAS A BEGINNER SECTION AND AN ADVANCED SECTION, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN RID OF OUR INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR, OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS AND SAYING, HOW COME YOU'VE NEVER GOTTEN OVER HERE WITH THE ADVANCED GUYS, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN CLIMB THE ADVANCED WALLER OUT-OF-TOWNERS WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UH, WE'VE TOLD OURSELF, UH, FOR YEARS AS A VERY SATURATED PROMOTING MARKET IN THE SUB 600 CAPACITY VENUE SPACE.
YOU CAN JUST PLAY ANTONE'S, YOU KNOW, THREE TIMES OR PLAY THE PARISH THREE TIMES OR PLAY CONTINENTAL CLUB EVERY WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY ISN'T THAT SUCCESSFUL? WELL, THE REST OF THE MARKET SAYS WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT DATA.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO MY MARKET AND PLAY A 1200 CAP OF 1500 CAP, I NEED TO SEE THAT DATA THAT YOU'VE CREATED THAT DEMAND.
WE JUST CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TWO MORE SPOTS FOR QUESTIONS, UH, AND WE CAN HAVE, UH, OTHERS THAT HAVE ALREADY ASKED IF YOU'VE GOT ADDITIONAL, UH, UH, CAUSE I KNOW WE CAN'T ASK QUESTIONS LATER WHEN WE'RE IN DEBATE, THAT WILL BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YEAH, I GUESS, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER FOR THE APPLICANT, IF THEY COULD COME UP I WANTED TO, TO, I GUESS, FOLLOW ON THE LINE OF QUESTIONING, UH, THAT CHARLES SHAW WAS HAVING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC COUNTS RELATED TO A MUSIC VENUE.
UM, I'M ALSO AN ENGINEER, SO I UNDERSTAND ITE REGULATIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT REALLY DESIGNED FOR VENUES LIKE THIS FOR EVENT TYPE TRAFFIC PLANNING.
AND, AND I WONDER IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT, WHETHER THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING, IF WE DID MORE OF AN EVENT LEVEL TRAFFIC PLANNING, RATHER THAN A STANDARD TIA, IF, IF THAT WOULD POSSIBLY CHANGE THE RESULTS OF THE, OF THE RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO I WILL, UH, START WITH THE TRIP GENERATION.
SO IT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IS DESIGNED, UM, FOR USES THAT REPEAT THEMSELVES IN SEVERAL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, UM, AND NOT JUST ONE LOCATION.
SO THAT MEANS YOUR GENERIC SHOPPING CENTERS, YOUR GENERAL OFFICE, UH, YOUR RESIDENTIAL THAT HAS AMPLE PARKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY DESIGNED FOR A SMALLER VENUES LIKE MUSIC VENUES, FOR EXAMPLE, OR EVEN, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR, UM, EVENT CENTERS THAT HOST THINGS LIKE QUINCEANERAS OR BIRTHDAYS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHERE IT IN THE MANUAL ITSELF, UH, ALWAYS SUGGEST THAT IF THERE IS A COMPARABLE LOCAL SITE TO BE USED FOR ANY, UH, DATA COLLECTION FOR TRIP GENERATION, THAT'S ALWAYS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO BECAUSE IT SO BROAD THAT IT CAN CAPTURE ALL THE NUANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK VERSUS, YOU KNOW, A NATIONAL.
SO, UM, I'LL LIKE TO SAY EMOS WAS CHOSEN, UM, WITH, UH, COLLABORATION FROM ATD AS A COMPARABLE SITE.
AND I CAN GOING INTO THE WEEDS WITH, UH, ALL THE DETAILS ON HOW THAT WENT DOWN AND HOW THE NUMBERS THAT ARE DERIVED THAT WERE THEN USED TO DETERMINE THE RATE FOR THE MUSIC VENUE.
BUT IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF TIME.
[01:35:01]
CAN YOU, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 65 TRIPS FOR THE PEAK HOUR THAT THAT'S NOT THE PEAK HOUR DOES NOT REPRESENT WHAT AN EVENT WOULD GENERATE WITHIN THAT HOUR.SO THE WAY THE TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS IS DONE IS IT LOOKS AT GENERALLY YOUR AM AND PM PEAK HOURS.
CAUSE THOSE ARE YOUR WORST CASE SCENARIOS.
THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE TEND TO ENTER EXIT LAND USE OR SITES, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS NOW, BECAUSE THIS IS A MIXED USE SITE.
A LOT OF THE OTHER LAND USES ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, TRIPS THAT CAN ENTER AND EXIT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, UM, IN LIKE YOUR SHOPPING CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH RETAIL USES GENERALLY THE, THE VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO THAT IS YOU WOULD ENTER A SHOPPING CENTER OR LEAVE WITHIN THE SAME HOUR.
SO THAT'S WHY SHOPPING CENTERS TEND TO GENERATE A VERY HIGH RATE.
RESTAURANTS ARE SLIGHTLY LOWER ON THAT SPECTRUM BECAUSE YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT, TYPICALLY SIT DOWN, LET'S SAY IT IT'S AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOUR DEAL BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE.
SO YOU'RE NOT CAPTURED AND SAY, NOW WHEN YOU TAKE THINGS LIKE MUSIC VENUES OR EVENTS CENTERS, THERE'S RARELY IF ANY, WHERE PEOPLE ENTER IN AN HOUR AND EXIT WITHIN THE SAME HOUR.
SO YOU CAN TRULY ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF THAT WITHIN THE SINGLE HOUR.
BUT THE WAY THE ANALYSIS IS SET UP, IT'S SET UP TO CAPTURE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT LAND USERS.
SO IF WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE MUSIC VENUE, THEN WE'RE UNDERMINING REALLY THE IMPACT THAT THE OTHER USERS ARE GOING TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOW INTERACTING WITH THE REST OF THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT ALSO HAS THAT SAME TRAVEL PATTERNS, A MUSIC VENUE LET'S SAY FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES HAS A CLOSING TIME OF 9:00 PM OR SOMETHING.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAME, UH, CONGESTION ON THAT ADJACENT ROAD NETWORK AT 9:00 PM.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE ADJACENT ROAD NETWORK WHEN ANALYZING THESE.
SO IF WE WERE TO ANALYZE THIS AT 9:00 PM, IT'LL LOOK GREAT BECAUSE CONGRESS IS GOING TO HAVE PRETTY MUCH FREE FLOW.
THERE WON'T BE ANY CONGESTION BACKING UP TRAFFIC ON ACADEMY THAT WILL THEN, UH, FORCE PEOPLE TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATE ROUTES.
HOWEVER, LET ME, LET ME, SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
THE BUZZER IS ABOUT TO GO OFF, BUT I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION KIND OF RELATED TO THAT, TO ATR ATD STAFFER.
UM, WHAT IS THERE COORDINATION THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN ALL THE VEHICLES ARE LEAVING FOR AN EVENT TO HELP CONTROL THAT SIGNAL ON SOUTH CONGRESS TO ALLOW MORE VEHICLES TO LEAVE ACADEMY RATHER THAN HAVING IT BACKED UP INTO THE GARAGE AND THEN HAVE PEOPLE START TURNING ON OTHER STREETS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO TRY TO FIND ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE WAY OUT.
WHAT CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT COORDINATION IS REQUIRED FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? SURE.
SO REAL QUICK, LET'S LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET, DO WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER A BIT? WELL, THE COMMISSIONER MITCH TODDLER, I'LL DONATE MY TIME TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, SO AS A CONDITION OF THE SITE PLAN, WHEN, WHEN THE APPLICANT COMES BACK IN FOR THE SITE PLAN, UM, THEY MUST SUBMIT TWO THINGS.
ONE OF THEM IS, UM, WELL, THREE THINGS.
ONE, IF THEY, UM, CHANGE ANY LAND USES ANY ASSUMPTIONS THAT WERE MADE IN THIS ORIGINAL TIA, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT UPDATED TIA, UH, WITH THE UPDATED LAND USES INTENSITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THE SECOND ITEM IS A SCHEMATIC OF THEIR DRIVEWAY DESIGN.
UM, TYPICALLY THINGS ARE NOT, UM, AS SET IN STONE AT THE TIME ZONING AS THEY ARE AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN.
SO, UM, THAT IS A CONDITION WHEN THEY COME BACK AND PRE-SITE PLAN, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO REVIEW AND IMPROVE THEIR DRIVEWAY DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PROHIBITING LEFT TURNERS OUTSIDE OF THEIR DRIVEWAY.
UM, THE THIRD ITEM IS A TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN FOR SPECIFICALLY THE MUSIC VENUE.
AND WE WORK WITH ALL TYPES OF DIFFERENT, UM, EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ACL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DIFFERENT, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS THAT.
SO, UM, WE WILL WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO TRAFFIC HEADING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND ALSO, UM, MODIFY SIGNAL TIMINGS IF NEEDED, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE LIGHTING OUT AT A CERTAIN TIME, WE CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, GIVE MORE GREEN TIME FOR ACADEMY.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? WE DID TIME.
UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD MA'AM COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME? OH, SORRY.
[01:40:01]
OKAY.UH, SO, UM, I GUESS WE'RE DONE WITH QUESTIONS.
I SEE YOU HAVE A MOTION COMMISSIONER COX.
SHOULD I ASK MR. RIVERA IF I CAN DO SOMETHING OR JUST MAKE THE MOTION AND SEE IF HE SHOOTS IT DOWN? SO I KNOW FOR ONE THING FOR A COUPLE OF GUIDANCE, WE WANT TO INCLUDE THE MTA, RIGHT? THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT IN THIS MOTION, AND, UH, STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALSO WE CAN INCLUDE HOURS OF OPERATION.
I DID GET THAT, UH, IS THAT PART OF THIS ZONING? UH, SO THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS.
AND, UH, THEN ANYWAY, WHAT ABOUT OCCUPANCY LIMITS FOR THE MUSIC VENUE? I THINK WE HAD, UH, NO, WE CAN'T.
WE CAN USE SQUARE FOOTAGE, UM, WHICH I'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, AND HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AT MY OWN.
WELL, LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE IF THIS PAST SEMESTER, UH, SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR BOTH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND THE ZONING CHANGE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ON TRACT THREE 40 FOOT HEIGHT IS ALLOWED THAT COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE BE A CONDITIONAL USE.
I BELIEVE THE MUSIC VENUE USE IS ALREADY A CONDITIONAL USE, BUT IF IT'S NOT INCLUDE THAT AS A CONDITIONAL USE AND AMEND THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, THAT INCLUDES ALL RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED IN THE TRANSPORTATION MITIGATION MEMO TO INCLUDE REASONABLE RECOMMENDATION BY ATD FOR TRAFFIC CALMING IN THE ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS STREETS FOR FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION BY THE APPLICANT.
LET ME MAKE A NOTE CATCH UP WITH YOU HERE.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO REAL QUICK? DON'T SPEAK TO, BUT REPEAT THE, UH, THE AMENDMENT TO THE RC, UH, WHAT YOU WANTED TO ADD REASONABLE RECOMMENDATION BY ATD FOR TRAFFIC CALMING, ACTUALLY, SORRY.
THAT'S I DON'T THINK THAT'S, I CAN'T MAKE STAFF MAKE A RIPE RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
SO AMEND THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, THAT INCLUDES ALL RECOMMENDATIONS LISTED IN THE TRANSPORTATION MITIGATION MEMO AND ADD APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES IN THE ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE FUNDED BY THE APPLICANT.
SO DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? UH, COMMISSIONER YANIS POLITO.
AND SO COMMISSIONER COX, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR EMOTION? YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, I WAS, I WAS, UH, VERY HAPPY TO BE PRIVY TO SOME, UH, CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WERE ASKING VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, SAME QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD BE ASKING MYSELF IF I WAS IN YOUR POSITION.
UH, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT ONSITE AND THEM WALKING ME THROUGH THIS PRETTY DARN UNIQUE, UH, PIECE OF PROPERTY.
UM, I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE MUSIC VENUE IN RELATION TO THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE FACILITY IN AUSTIN.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HARD TO MAKE BRAND NEW, UH, ECONOMICALLY VIABLE AS MR Y SAID THAT THE WALLS ARE THERE.
AND SO I THINK IT'D BE A SHAME TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO KEEP THIS FACILITY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
UM, AND I THINK THE, I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ONLY ECONOMICALLY VIABLE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO HAVE IT AS AN ACTUAL MUSIC VENUE.
UM, I HOPE THAT THAT ALL OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT THE APPLICANT HAS MADE, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO THE PARK, THE OPEN SPACE, UM, AND THE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE, UH, HELPS, HELPS DIRECT THEIR VENUE, TRAFFIC, WHETHER THAT'S PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICLES TO SOUTH CONGRESS.
[01:45:01]
DRAW TO SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, AND HOPEFULLY MITIGATE THE IMPACT TO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.BUT, UM, I JUST WOULD HATE TO SEE THIS OPPORTUNITY, GO TO THE WAYSIDE TO PRESERVE THIS MUSIC VENUE AND ALL ITS HISTORY, THE MUSIC MUSEUM THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A WAY THAT THEY CAN DESIGN IT TO MAKE IT A VERY DESIRABLE, SUCCESSFUL PLACE, BUT ALSO KEEP THAT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, A VERY DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE AS WELL.
SO, UH, JUST ONE PAUSE REAL QUICK.
UM, MR. ANDREW RIVERA, DO WE, I SEE YOUR NOTE HERE, WHY IS IT WE CAN'T INCLUDE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS TO, UH, THE TIA RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, IS IN PARTICULAR TO THE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CALMING CRUNCH TO THE TRAFFIC COMMUNISM.
THAT PART OF THAT IS ON A REGULATION.
BUT WE HAVE AN RC WITH SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE TIA AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING.
SO WE, UM, I GUESS I'M NOT SURE WHY WE CAN'T ADD TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IS THAT CORRECT? STAFF DID RECOMMEND THE RC TO INCLUDE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, STOP.
I THINK THE ISSUE IS, UM, ATD CREATED A FINAL TA MEMO.
AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING WHAT IS MISSING IN THE TIA MEMO.
IF YOU WERE TO CHANGE THE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ADD RECOMMENDATIONS TO THAT MEMO ITSELF, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE TIA STUDY AND I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU WOULD EITHER INCLUDE THE PUBLIC RESTRICTIVE COVENANT OR THE TA MEMO AS IT IS, OR NOT DO A PUBLIC RESTRICTIVE COVENANT FOR THE TIA.
YEAH, I WOULD, UM, I THINK WE CAN, I WOULD ADD A RECOMMENDATION, UH, MAYBE NOT A REQUIREMENT, UH, MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY WE GET AROUND IT.
I'M WILLING TO DO THAT BECAUSE MY HOPE IS THAT ATD STAFF AND THE OTHER STAFF, UH, DISCUSS WITH THE APPLICANT BEFORE IT HITS COUNCIL AND MAYBE MAKE THOSE CHANGES IF THAT IS A RESTRICTION, BUT I WILL AMEND MY MOTION TO MAKE THE TRAFFIC CALMING A RECOMMENDATION COMMISSIONER.
I MEAN, UH, MR. RIVERA, DO WE NEED TO RESEND THAT EARLIER MOTION AND START THIS ONE TRIGGER? YOU CAN JUST STRIKE THAT PORTION.
SO WHAT AM I DOING? WELL, YOU'RE UH, UM, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR CORRECTION AND WE'LL SEE IF WE GET A SECOND.
CAN WE ARE, YOU'RE GOING TO RESTATE? YES.
YOU WANT ME TO RESTATE THE WHOLE THING? I WILL.
I WILL JUST, I'LL JUST RESCIND MY MOTION SO I CAN MAKE ANOTHER ONE.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN REMEMBER THIS.
UH, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR BOTH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND THE ZONING CHANGE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION CONDITIONS THAT 40 FEET HEIGHT BE ALLOWED IN TRACK THREE, AND THAT BOTH THE MUSIC VENUE AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE BE A CONDITIONAL USE.
AND THEN I WILL ALSO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL MAKE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAFF AND THE APPLICANT TO CONSIDER BEFORE GOING TO COUNCIL ON THE TIA MEMO.
ONE IS THE INCLUSION OF REASONABLE, INAPPROPRIATE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES TO BE FUNDED BY THE APPLICANT IN THE ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND ANOTHER ONE THAT I FORGOT THAT WHEN THE TIA IS RESUBMITTED FOR SITE PLANNING, THAT THE APPLICANT GET NEW TRAFFIC COUNTS AT THE COMPARABLE LOCATION THAT WAS DESIGNATED OR SELECTED BY ATD.
I FORGOT THAT IN THE FIRST GO AROUND.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND, UH, FOR THAT RESTATED MOTION OR NEW MOTION? UM, COMMISSIONER YANAS PALITO.
UM, AND SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AT THIS TIME AND OFFER, AND I NEED TO KNOW IF I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION AND IT
[01:50:01]
INCLUDES PRETTY MUCH WHAT WAS STATED BY COMMISSIONER COX WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS, WE WOULD, UM, ALLOW ON TRACK THREE.IT WOULD JUST TO BE A, TO GO WITH THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, UH, REMOVING THE NCCD, UM, ON THAT PORTION.
AND THEN SECONDLY, ON TRACK, ONE IS LIMITING THE, UH, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE COCKTAIL USE COCKTAIL BAR USE, UM, COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE TO, UM, 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WAS PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER COX, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALLOWING THE
AND THEN ON TRACK ONE, THE CONDITIONAL USE FOR THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE IS LIMIT, GOES FROM 17,500 TO 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO I SEE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, UH, AND, UM, I'LL GO AND SPEAK TO MY MOTION.
I LIKED WHAT WAS PROPOSED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER COX THAT IT TRIED TO, WE WERE TRYING TO GET, ADD SOME ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC MITIGATION MEMBER MEASURES, UM, BUT IN KIND OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND JUST BEING A MUSIC FAN MYSELF.
I REALLY DO AGREE WITH THE APPLICANT ON THE, THE NEED FOR A VENUE OF THAT SIZE.
UH, I JUST, ON THE OTHER HAND, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE, BUT I THINK IT COULD STILL BE A GOOD PLACE TO WATCH MUSIC, UM, KIND OF AKIN TO THREE 10 CLUB ANTONE'S.
I KNOW WE MAY HAVE A LOT OF THOSE, BUT, UH, THOSE ARE GREAT VENUES.
I'VE SEEN A LOT OF GREAT LOCAL BANDS, UH, KINDA AD AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THERE AND JOIN THAT MUSIC.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY I THINK WITH THAT ACCOMMODATES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DESIRES, DESIRE TO LIMIT THE IMPACT OF A LARGE VENUE OF 12,000 PERSON CAPACITY.
UM, BUT IT ALSO LETS US KIND OF CONTINUE MUSIC AT THAT LOCATION AS THE APPLICANT DESIRES.
UM, UH, DO WE HAVE A, UH, PRIMARY SPEAKER AGAINST THAT MOTION? SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON CHAIR, COMMISSIONER LAYS ON ANDROID BEFORE PROCEEDING.
DO YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THE MPA STAFF CLARIFICATION? YEAH.
UH, THAT WAS INCLUDED IN COMMISSIONER COX'S INITIAL, UH, MOTION.
SO YES, I DO WANT TO INCLUDE THE MTA.
UM, I, I JUST WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO MR. OR COMMISSIONER COX'S MOTION.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS, UH, A GOOD MOTION.
I, I DID LIKE, YOU KNOW, REMOVING TRACK THREE FROM THE NCCD.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY CLEARS UP SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD BE BUILT THERE IN TERMS OF THE, THE INCREASED COMPATIBILITY FROM THE EXISTING NCCD, WHICH WAS CREATED BEFORE AUSTIN HAD ITS OWN COMPATIBILITY RULES.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT HAVING THE MORE CLEAR, UNDERSTANDABLE COMPATIBILITY RULES OF AUSTIN WOULD, WOULD MAKE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT HOUSING EASIER.
UM, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING A SQUARE FOOTAGE ON, YOU KNOW, LIMIT ON THE VENUE BECAUSE IT IS A HISTORIC VENUE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE APPLICANT HAVE MORE OPTIONS OF HOW TO CRAFT THAT AND KNOWING THAT THAT COCKTAIL USE IS GOING TO COME BACK BEFORE THE PC ANYWAY, A COCKTAIL USES IS A CONDITIONAL USE AND THEY HAVE TO COME BACK.
AND AT THAT TIME TONIGHT, WE CAN'T PUT OCCUPANCY LIMITS ON THAT, BUT WHEN IT COMES BACK, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUT OCCUPANCY LIMITS ON IT.
WE CAN PUT HOURS OF OPERATION LIMITS, WE CAN DO ALL KINDS OF THAT, UH, THOSE TYPES OF CHANGES.
UM, AND SO I'VE JUST WOULD NOT WANT TO LIMIT THE APPLICANT'S ABILITY TO CRAFT THAT HISTORIC VENUE, THAT THE BEST WAY.
THANK YOU, UH, SPEAKERS FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER SNYDER.
UH, UH, I, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE, UH, COMMENTS OF, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, AND, UH, UH,
[01:55:02]
AT THE SAME TIME, UH, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S PUT TRACK THREE ASIDE.I THINK THERE'S CONSENSUS THAT, UM, UH, GOING BACK TO REMOVING THE NCCD, ADDRESSES ALL THE CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE AND WILL ALLOW THEM TO BUILD TO HEIGHT, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, UH, UM, I REALLY STRUGGLED WITH HOW TO ADDRESS, UH, UH, THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, AND BALANCE THAT WITH THE INTEREST OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, IT MAY BE THAT FOREVER, THIS VENUE WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE, IN THE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, I THINK, YES, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT WHEN IT COMES BACK FOR A CEO, BUT I THINK AT LEAST FOR NOW, FOR THE DISCUSSION, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE CAN, WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE TO LIMIT THE SIZE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF 5,000 SQUARE FEET IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, BUT, UH, I DO WANT TO SIGNAL THAT, UH, THE, THE SIZE OF THE VENUE IS CONTEMPLATED SEEMS OUT OF SCALE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORTED THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
UH, MEMBERS AGAINST THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION AND SHIT.
SO I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER THOMPSON HERE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT EXISTS THERE, IT'S ALSO IN, IN DIFFERENT PIECES, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE STAGE, YOU HAVE THE SEATING AREA, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE OTHER ON THE SIDE.
I MEAN, IT IT'S A CUMULATIVE PIECES.
WHEREAS IF YOU JUST LOOK AT IT AS ONE BIG SQUARE FOOTAGE, YOU'RE GOING TO END UP ALMOST DESTROYING WHAT WAS THERE.
AND IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS THING AS PRESERVING SOME TYPE OF ASPECT OF THE HISTORIC, UH, NESS OF IT, I MEAN, JUST THE AMBIANCE OF WHAT IT WAS THERE, WHAT WAS CREATED.
I MEAN, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WHEN YOU START CHOPPING IT TO THIS SMALL, IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT IS ALMOST GONE BECAUSE THE WALLS THAT WERE THERE NOW COMPLETELY JUST REMOVED AND RETHOUGHT, AND WE HAVE A TOOL, WE HAVE A MECHANISM FOR THEM TO COME BACK AND WE CAN TAILOR IT WHEN IT COMES BACK YET.
WE'RE NOT EVEN WILLING TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE WITH THIS BY, YOU KNOW, CHOPPING IT OFF RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AS, UM, ANOTHER COMMISSION SAID, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT SIZE IS, YOU KNOW, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN ALSO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN IT, BUT STILL PRESERVE THE WALLS THAT, THAT HELD THAT HISTORY.
SO I, I, I MEAN, I'M NOT READY TO GIVE UP ON THAT WHEN THERE ARE OTHER TOOLS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CHIME IN.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER YON IS PALITO.
UM, ARE YOU SPEAKING IN FAVOR IN FAVOR? YES.
UM, SO I, I, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT 5,000 SQUARE FEET IS THE RIGHT NUMBER, BUT I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN THAT WOULD BE A BETTER COMPROMISE.
I DO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THIS SITE, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESERVATION.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT BRINGING A VENUE BACK TO AN AREA THAT HISTORICALLY HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH A MUCH LARGER VENUE.
UM, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK ON BOTH SIDES TO FIND A COMPROMISE HERE.
UM, AND I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE, UH, I THINK 5,000, I THINK THE SIZE LIMIT IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THEY WILL NEED TO BE CREATIVE IN HOW THEY BASE, BUT I WILL SAY OF SOME OF THE ACTS THAT WERE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN GARY CLARK JR IN A MUCH SMALLER VENUE THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND HE PERFORMED BEFORE GENTLEMAN JANELL MONAE, WHO WAS A POP SENSATION AND ATTRACTING HUGE CROWDS.
UM, I'VE SEEN HUGE HEADLINERS LIKE ERICA BADU PERFORM IN MUCH MORE INTIMATE SPACES.
AND IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL PART OF OUR, UM, HISTORICAL MUSIC VENUE ECOSYSTEM AS WELL.
SO I THINK AMAZING THINGS CAN BE DONE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THAT SPACE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT COMPROMISE TO MAKE SURE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE IS GOING TO BE MAINTAINED NOT ONLY FOR THE EXISTING RESIDENTS, BUT ALL OF THE NEW ONES THAT I KNOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS READY TO WELCOME.
ANY MORE SPEAKERS AGAINST THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION? OKAY.
I DIDN'T THINK I'D BE SPEAKING AGAINST, BUT, UM, I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECAP A COUPLE OF THINGS I HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT ON HOW OUR CODE IS FAILING US AGAIN, BECAUSE THE APPLICANT IS COMING IN AT BASE ZONE.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS, THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD IT, WE HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT COCKTAIL LOUNGE MUSIC VENUE, BUT WE HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY WERE HAPPY TO WELCOME IN MORE HOUSING, MORE FAMILIES, AND AFFORDABLE.
BUT THEN WE HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT TONIGHT
[02:00:01]
THAT AS MUCH AS HE'D LOVE TO DO THAT, HE DOESN'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO DO THAT.AND SO AGAIN, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO CALL OUR ATTENTION TO THIS.
FOR THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, THAT WE HAVE A CODE THAT IS FAILING BECAUSE WE'RE A MILE FROM THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY OR ON THE MAIN TRANSIT CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE BOTH RESIDENTS AND APPLICANT THAT WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING BIGGER AND WE'RE ALL HANDICAPPED THAT KIND OF IS DISAPPOINTING.
UM, BUT I LIKE THE FACT THAT ON THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
SO WE ALSO HEARD FROM ONE OF THE APPLICANT SPEAKERS THAT THERE IS A MISSING MIDDLE SEGMENT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER BECAUSE I ALSO THINK THERE'S A BIG MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING SEGMENT IN AUSTIN TOO.
AND SO THAT KIND OF CAUGHT MY EAR A LITTLE BIT.
THE FACT THAT WE CAN COME BACK ON THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, I HOPE WOULD GIVE THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS SOME TIME TO ACTUALLY PRESENT TO US WHAT THEY'D LIKE AS A COMPROMISE THAT WE CAN THEN ENACT.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE BECAUSE I THINK THEY SHOWED US A, ONE OF THOSE SLIDES AT THE ORIGINAL STAGE WAS SOME 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND SO WE PUT THEM AT 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
WE'VE REALLY LIMITED WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS FOR THE SPACE.
AND I THINK WE CAN CAPTURE WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS ON THE COME AROUND.
UM, SO A QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION, UM, THIS MAY BE FOR STAFF ON THE, IF WE DO HAVE A LIMIT ON SQUARE FOOTAGE OR PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, IF WE DO NOT LIMIT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND WE, UH, HAVE A CONDITIONAL USE OF A LIMIT OF 17,500, CAN WE, UH, WHEN WE HEAR THIS, UM, AGAIN, CAN WE THEN, UH, LOWER THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE IF WE HAVE TIA INFORMATION OR OTHER INFORMATION THAT SUGGESTS THAT NEEDS TO BE SMALLER? IS THAT AN OPTION FOR THE COMMISSION? UH, YES, IT WOULD.
THE, THE LIMIT IS BASICALLY ALLOWING FOR A MAXIMUM OF 17,500 OR 5,000 WITH THE SUBSTITUTE, WHICHEVER ONE GOES FORWARD.
SHE'S SAYING IT, YOU CAN'T GO ABOVE THAT, BUT IT COULD BE ANYTHING BELOW THAT.
SO WE COULD TAKE ACTION ON THAT WHEN IT COMES BACK FOR AS PART OF THE CONDITIONAL USE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO READ THROUGH THE MOTION.
IT INCLUDES, UH, ELEMENTS OF COMMISSIONER COPSES AND THEN WITH MY CHANGES COMMISSIONER, IS THIS, ARE WE VOTING ON THE SUBSTANCE? WE'RE VOTING ON THE SUBSTITUTE, BUT IT'S NOT THE FINAL MOTION.
IF WE VOTE ON THIS, IT WILL BE THE FINAL.
YOU CAN MAKE AMENDMENTS, AS WE'VE SEEN CLARIFIED, YOU CAN AMEND THE SUBSTITUTE OR I COULD ALSO PUT A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
NO, WE CAN'T DO A SUBSTITUTE TO A SUBSTITUTE.
WE CAN VOTE ON THIS AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE MOTION CHAIR.
W WOULD WE NOT VOTE ON MY ORIGINAL MOTION IF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FAILS? WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING BECAUSE I WAS, IS THIS THE FINAL? YOU SAID IT WAS, BUT I THOUGHT HIS WAS THERE.
I THOUGHT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, WE'RE VOTING ON YOUR AMENDMENT TO HIS, NO, IT'S NOT AN AMENDMENT.
SO IF WE VOTE ON THIS ONE, WE'RE DONE.
WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, IT'S NOT AN AMENDMENT.
IF IT PASSES, IF IT PASSES, IF IT FAILS, WE GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND THEN SOMEBODY COULD SUBSTITUTE IT AND THEN SOMEBODY COULD SUBSTITUTE TO SUBSTITUTE AT THE SAME TIME.
WE CAN'T HAVE TWO ON THE TABLE.
SO RIGHT NOW, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR.
I MEAN, IF THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION PASSES WE'RE DONE, IF IT DOESN'T, WE GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL NOTION, UH, AS STATED BY COMMISSIONER COX AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER YONIS, TOLEDO.
SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND REPEAT IT.
CAUSE THE ONE I HAD HAD ELEMENTS OF, UH, COMMISSIONER COX'S MOTION, BUT IT WAS SIGNIFICANT OF ENOUGH OF A CHANGE TO BE ASSESSED TO MOTION.
UH, SO, UH, WHAT I HAVE HERE IS NUMBER ONE IS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NPA.
AND THEN, UM, UH, AND THEN SECONDLY, ON THE ZONING ITEM, ITEM B THREE, UM, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR TRACKS, UH, ONE AND TWO.
UM, AND ON TRACK THREE, UM, WE HAVE THE APPLICANTS REQUEST AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH HERE.
UM, ON TRACT ONE, WE HAVE A CONDITIONAL, UM,
[02:05:02]
YOU HAVE THE CONDITIONAL COCKTAIL, UM, LOUNGE USE, UH, LIMITED MAXIMUMS OF 17,500 SQUARE FEET AS REQUESTED BY THE APPLICANT.AND THEN WE HAVE A, UM, ON THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, UH, THE T I, A RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF WE WANTED, UH, WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT, UH, THAT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT, UH, TO INCLUDE TRAFFIC CALMING, UM, LET'S SEE TRAFFIC CALMING, UM, AND I'M GOING TO GET THIS WRONG TRAFFIC CALMING AND ADJACENT TO THE EFFECT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, FUNDED BY THE APPLICANT AND ALSO HAVE THE APPLICANT, UM, KIND OF REDO A NEW, ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC COUNTS, UH, AT THE, UH, ATD SELECTED LOCATION.
UM, WHEN, UH, W AT WHAT TIME WOULD THAT BE AT SITE PLAN AND SITE PLAN.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? IS THAT THE WAY PEOPLE THINK YOU GOT THE GIST OF IT? YEAH.
JARED CONVENTIONAL LANES ON ANDOVER, YOU COULD STRIKE THE LAST TWO THAT I WOULD BE A PERFECTED MOTION.
SO, UH, I'M REALLY, UM, CAUSE THESE ARE JUST RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'RE NOT MAKING THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S PART OF YOUR, UM, OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING I CAN'T DO IT, OR, UH, POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, WHEN THIS COMES BACK TO US AS A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, CAN TRAFFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BE ATTACHED TO A CONDITIONAL, UH, OR, SORRY, NOT CONDITIONAL CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
IF WE CAN ADD THOSE LATER DURING THE CONDITIONAL, WHEN WE HEAR THIS AGAIN, DURING THE CONDITIONAL USE, SAY I'M SURE, UH, PROBABLY CONVERGE TO THE CASE MANAGER.
UM, BUT, UM, I'M NOT, UM, VERSED ON THAT MATTER.
I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT JERKINESS TO THE QUESTION, BUT I NICELY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
WHEN THEY SUBMIT THEIR SITE PLAN TO INCLUDE THE MUSIC VENUE, ANY NUMBERS THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE TIA THAT WAS SUBMITTED WITH THE ZONING WOULD HAVE TO BE UPDATED AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND THAT, UM, PART OF THE SITE PLAN PROCESS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, TRAFFIC MITIGATION AND COMMON MEASURES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE SITE PLANNING PROCESS, UM, THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED BASED ON THE USE.
UM, AND NOT NECESSARILY NOT THE ZONING DISTRICT ITSELF.
DID ANYONE ELSE UNDER, SO I THINK I'VE, I THINK I THOUGHT YOUR QUESTION WAS, WILL THE TRAFFIC BE ADDRESSED WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT? WELL, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME RESTATE THE QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY OBVIOUS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC MEASURES INCORPORATED INTO THIS BEFORE IT GETS APPROVED OR NOT APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT WE CANNOT DO THAT.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS IF, AND WHEN THIS COMES BACK FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND THE MUSIC VENUE, IF THAT IS HOW WE VOTE, CAN WE ATTACH ITEMS RELATED TO TRAFFIC TO THE APPROVAL OF THOSE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS? IS THAT LEGAL? THAT, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO, UM, NAUSEA.
DO YOU KNOW IF ATD REVIEWS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS? UM, OR IS IT JUST WITH THE SITE PLANNING? CAN I BELIEVE WE DO? UM, HOWEVER, SINCE THIS, UH, SINCE THIS WILL HAVE AN ALREADY APPROVED TIA, UM, AND IF NOTHING CHANGES, THEN I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN OPEN IT UP.
CAN I, CAN I SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK? OKAY.
SO IF THIS IS A CONDITIONAL USE, IF IT COMES BACK, IT ALLOWS THE COMMISSION TO TWEAK CERTAIN KNOBS IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE COMPATIBLE WITH WHAT THE AREA AROUND IT IS.
IT COULD BE TRAFFIC MITIGATIONS.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS.
[02:10:01]
IF, UM, IF SOMEBODY IN STAFF COULD JUST READ THAT PART THAT SAYS WHAT A CONDITIONAL USE ALLOWS OR COMMISSIONERS DO, THERE'S A PARAGRAPH IN THE CODE THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS ALL THE DIALS WE CAN TURN, AND THAT INCLUDES TRAFFIC AND HOURS OF OPERATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN ORDER TO DO A ALLOW CONDITIONAL USE, BE ABLE TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDINGS.OKAY, I'M GOING TO GO AND STRIKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
UH, BUT, UM, KNOWING THAT WE WILL ADDRESS THIS AGAIN, WHEN WE HAVE BETTER INFORMATION AND, UH, WE MAY PUSH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THAT POINT.
SO, UM, UH, ARE WE CLEAR COMMISSIONER DOES ON WHAT THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION INCLUDES READING MORE? AND SO IS THE NCCD STILL ON TRACT ONE? YES.
THE ANSWER IS NCCD IS STILL ON THOSE TWO TRACKS IS STEPH, UH, HIS STAFF RECOMMENDED.
I GUESS WE CAN'T DISCUSS THAT AT THIS POINT.
WE'RE VOTING ON THAT SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING THIS TO A VOTE.
I'M GOING TO FIRST COUNT THE, UH, NUMBERS ON THE DIOCESE.
UH, THOSE IN FAVOR, WE HAVE TO THOSE, UH, ON VIRTUALLY, UH, WE HAVE ONE, SO THAT'S TOTAL OF THREE AND, UH, THOSE AGAINST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, AND THOSE ON IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD AGAINST AND COMMISSIONER PRAXIS, UH, OF STANDING.
SO THAT'S 3, 6 1, I'M GETTING MY NUMBERS, RIGHT.
SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
KATE, SHOULD I STRIKE THE RE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION? UH, I WOULD SUGGEST DOING SO, SO WE CAN MOVE THIS ALONG.
I WILL DO THAT WITH JUST THE LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I THINK THE APPLICANTS HEARD US ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THAT TAKES CARE OF ITSELF BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND BEFORE MOVING ON, UM, IF I CAN, UM, UH, JUST INFORM THE COMMISSION THAT, UM, STREET IMPROVEMENTS, DEDICATION, VEHICULAR INGRESS, EGRESS TRAFFIC CIRCULATIONS CAN BE PART OF A CEP.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT IT'S THAT TIME.
SO WE WILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UH, DOES DO ANY COMMISSIONERS NEED COMMISSIONER COX RESTATE HIS MOTION? NOPE.
I WAS UNCLEAR IF WE ENDED UP WITH THE NCCD BEING PULLED OFF OF THE MF FOUR TRACKED UNDER COMMISSIONER COX'S MOTION, OR IF THAT WAS BEING LEFT ON TRUCK ONE AND TWO, OR IS IT THREE CLARIFY, GO AHEAD AND REPEAT YOUR MOTION AGAIN, COMMISSIONING, BECAUSE I WAS HOPING YOU WOULDN'T MAKE ME WELL, I, I CAN, UH, I CAN ATTEMPT TO, IF YOU WANT, UH, I'LL TRY AND THEN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UH, SO IT'S APPROVED STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND THE ZONING WITH THE, UH, WITH THE MODIFICATION THAT 40 FEET OF HEIGHT IS ALLOWED ON TRACK THREE, AND THAT BOTH THE MUSIC VENUE AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE, OUR CONDITIONAL LOOP USES.
AND JUST FOR POINT OF CLARIFICATION STAFF, UH, IT IS COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE IS THE ONLY USE IT APPLIES HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE MUSIC VENUE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO CLARIFY THING, UM, COMMISSIONER COX'S INTENT TO ALLOW 40 FEET IS TO ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO GET TO THREE STORIES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMPATIBILITY WOULD BE WITH THE CURRENT NCCD, BUT CURRENTLY HEIGHT ISN'T RESTRICTED IN THE NCCD.
SO THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BUILD THE 60 FEET, UM, PER THE MF FOUR ZONING.
IT'S JUST CON THE NCCD COMPATIBILITY THAT IS RESTRICTING THEM.
UM, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THAT SITE PLANNING PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW OFFHAND WHAT THAT WOULD RESTRICT INTO THE APPLICANT AND STATED THAT THE NCCD COMPATIBILITY RESTRICTS THEM TO TWO FEET OR TWO STORIES.
AND SO IF THE INTENT, UM, IS TO ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO BUILD TWO, THREE STORIES OR 40 FEET ON TRACK THREE, THEN SAYING, UM, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BUILD TO 40 FEET WOULDN'T ACCOMPLISH THAT YOU WOULD EITHER HAVE TO, UM, ALSO AMEND IT TO REMOVE TRACK THREE FROM, UM, BASICALLY STRIKING THE COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, UM, OF THE NCCD AND S UM, SAYING THAT THEY'RE SUBJECT TO CURRENT IT'S COMPATIBILITY, OR YOU COULD DO IT ON THE CHAIR DID, WHICH IS REMOVED THE TRACK THREE FROM THE NCCD.
UM, CAN, CAN I AM A LITTLE CONFUSING, BUT I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT
[02:15:01]
BY SAYING, ALLOW 40 FEET WOULD ACTUALLY GET THEM TO THEIR, UM, TO GET TO 40 FEET POTENTIALLY, I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION CAUSE ALLOW 40 FEET DEFINITELY INTENDED TO GET THEM TO BE AT 40 FEET.SO CAN I AMEND MY MOTION? I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND, AND RE THAT'S RESCIND AND RESTATE AND MAKE ANOTHER MOTION.
I MEAN, IT'S ENOUGH OF A DIFFERENCE.
CAN I MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR MOTION? UM, THAT WE REMOVE TRACT THREE FROM THE NCCD AND YET LIMITED TO 40 FEET.
I'LL ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR AN AMENDMENT, WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FRIENDLY, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, I, I THAT'S FINE.
AND THAT AMENDMENT, WE NEED A SECOND, UH, FOR THAT AMENDMENT COMMISSIONER BUSH TODDLER SECOND SET.
UM, SO I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO THE AMENDMENT.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM STAFF.
CAN I START A COX? I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, I APPRECIATE JUST THE TRACK THREE.
I KNOW SOME COMMISSIONERS WERE AIMING TO REMOVE IT ALL FROM THE NCCD, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT IS BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD OPEN UP TOO MANY POSSIBILITIES, UM, ON THE MUSIC VENUE, PART OF THIS, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TWISTING OURSELVES IN KNOTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK.
AND SO I THINK THE NCCD BEING IN EFFECT ON TRACT ONE AND TWO, BUT MAKING THE MODIFICATIONS TO ALLOW THEM TO DO WHAT THEY'VE PRESENTED TO US, UH, GIVES US A MORE CERTAIN FUTURE FOR, FOR THIS TRACT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF YOUR MOTION TO, UH, COMMISSIONER SHEA.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE MOTION.
I AGREE WITH MOST OF IT, THE ISSUE IS THE TRACK ONE AND TWO AND NCCD IS THERE TO REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CRAFT CONTINUED AND HOLD WHATEVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD BACK WHEN IT WAS CRAFTED.
BUT THIS AREA IS, IS AT THE FRINGES OF IT.
AND IT IS PART IS SO CLOSE TO WHAT WE CREATE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN NEXT TO TRANSPORTATION NEXT TO, UM, WHERE YOU LIVE, WORK, PLAY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND NOW THERE'S EVEN GOING TO BE A PARK.
AND THIS THING IS BUFFERED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE NCCD.
SO WHY ARE WE CREATING THIS LITTLE SATELLITE PIECE OF AN NCCD THAT'S DISJOINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL PART OF IT? IT JUST SEEMS, IT DOESN'T SEEM LOGICAL AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY CREATING SOMETHING THAT CAN ALLOW THIS AREA TO EVOLVE.
AND SO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I MEAN, YOU COULD REMOVE THE NCCD AND MAYBE COME UP WITH SOME OTHER TOOLS, BUT EVEN IN PLANNING, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GO THROUGH WHAT OUR NEW CODE CAN BE, UH, THE NCCD WAS, IT WAS A DIFFICULT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE OF HOW TO MANAGE.
AND YET SOMEHOW WE'RE GONNA ADD IT TO THIS MIX AGAIN.
I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER REAL QUICK.
WE WERE, UH, MR. RIVERA HELPED ME OUT HERE.
WE HAD AN AMENDMENT, UH, WE DIDN'T, WE TABLED THE DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED THE VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT.
COMMISSION-WISE ON THERE WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE FORUMS ON, AGAINST, ON THAT, UM, A MINUTE BY THOMPSON.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, SIR.
COMMISSIONER SHEA, WERE YOU CLEAR ON WHERE WE WERE IN THAT DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT ITSELF? OKAY.
UH, SO DO WE HAVE ANY MORE, UH, FOLKS THAT NEED TO SPEAK, UH, FOR, AGAINST THE AMENDMENT, MR. THOMPSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MITCH TODDLER.
LET'S GO AND VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
UM, SO, UH, LET ME COUNT THOSE ON THE DYESS FIRST, UH, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT.
OH, DO WE NEED TO READ IT AGAIN? ARE WE CLEAR? AND THIS IS THE AMENDMENT TO ADD TO THE MOST COX'S MOTION.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WOULD VOTE ON THE MOTION.
SO, UH, OR IF WE'RE JUST VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT, UH, THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, THE GOT SIX AND NOW THOSE ON IN VIRTUAL WORLD, DOESN'T FAVOR, SHOW ME AS YOUR GREEN CARD.
ON THIS, UM, THE DIAS, THOSE AGAINST, AND THOSE ON THE VIRTUAL, UH, WE'VE GOT ONE STAIN TO ABSTAIN.
SO THAT MOTION, IF I'M, IS THAT CORRECT? WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN TO THREE.
SO THE AMENDMENT PASSES NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE, UH, THE ORIGINAL NOTION WITH THE AMENDMENT AND WE CAN NOW SPEAK TO THE ORIGINAL NOTION, WHICH WE HAVE NOT DONE.
[02:20:01]
COX.YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO NEED TO SPEAK ANY FURTHER ON YOUR MOTION.
ANY D UH, SPEAKERS AGAINST THE, UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COX.
UH, I, UH, DID I SEE ANY HANDS? OKAY.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK, UH, AGAINST THE ITEM, JUST, UH, DUE TO THE SIDES OF THE MUSIC VENUE.
I, I REALLY DO THINK IT'S IN THE WRONG PLACE.
IS I TRIED TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UH, I DO AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SPACE THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE SAME SPACE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, 5,000 SQUARE FEET IS A SIZABLE VENUE.
YOU WERE LOOKING AT, UH, LIKE I SAID, SOMETHING AROUND THREE 10 CLUBS AND TONES, AND THOSE SUPPORT PRETTY SIZABLE, UH, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER PLATO POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET SOME PRETTY POPULAR ARTISTS AND THAT SIDE'S MAN, YOU SAW I'M GOING TO BE VOTING AGAINST THIS ON JUST ON THE BASIS OF THE SIZE OF THE, UH, THE MUSIC VENUE ITSELF.
UM, ANY SPEAKERS WE'RE GOING TO, UH, SO THAT SPEAKER AGAIN, SPEAKING FOR THE MOTION, THE ORIGINAL MOTION, UH, DID YOU, UH, I'M LOSING COUNT NOW.
CAUSE WE HAVE NOW AN AMENDMENT TO IT TO GO AHEAD AND COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT TO SAY CHERISH.
I THINK I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO SORRY.
UM, I I'M OF A SIMILAR MINDSET.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE VENUE.
AND I THINK IF I'M SITTING ON THE, ON, ON THE DAY, WHEN THIS COMES BACK FROM A CONDITIONAL USE, I'M GONNA NEED A LOT MORE CONVINCING THAT THAT SIZE IS APPROPRIATE, BUT I MADE THE MOTION AND I'M COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR MY MOTION SIMPLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT HAS TO COME BACK HERE TO SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS THAT ISSUE OF, OF SIZE OCCUPANCY, ALL OF THAT FOLDED INTO IT.
UM, AND, AND SO I WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO VOTE DIFFERENTLY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT YOU AND I HAVE VERY SIMILAR CONCERNS ABOUT, ABOUT THE SIZE OF MUSIC VENUE.
ANY SPEAKERS AGAINST THE MOTION SPEAKING IN FAVOR, COMMISSIONER MITCH, TYLER, I'M SORRY.
WELL, WE'LL GIVE YOU BOTH TOO.
UH, SO, UH, I VOTED, UM, UH, WITH, UH, UH, PREVIOUS SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO LIMIT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND I AGREE THAT THE, THERE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE SOME DISCUSSION AND IDEALLY NEGOTIATIONS, UH, TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF THE VENUE.
UM, BUT, UH, LIKE WITH, UH, SOME OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SO FAR BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S REALLY ANY ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR MORE MOVEMENT ON BOTH SIDES.
UH, I'D BE VERY HAPPY IF THERE WERE, UM, BUT REGARDLESS IT WILL BE IN FRONT OF US AGAIN.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S INTEREST ON THE PART OF SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE SIZE OF THE VENUE, UH, WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS MOTION.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS FOR AND AGAINST COMMISSIONER MICHELLA? I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE WERE RELEASING THE NCCD AND WHERE WE'RE NOT THAT I PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE NCCD IS, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE TOOLS THAT NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE FOR PLANNING.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT COME OUT ON A LOT OF OUR CASES, WHETHER IT BE EAST OF 35 OR WEST OF 35, WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S NEED FOR SMART GROWTH.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M RELEASING IT ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT A SMART AND I THINK I SEE WHERE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE DEVELOPERS AGREE THERE.
UM, BUT I, I, I HESITATE TO JUST BLANKET START RELEASING AND CCDS WHEN AREAS HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO PROTECT CHARACTER, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO AUSTIN, SAME REASON WE'RE VOTING AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD WITH THE OPERA HOUSE.
SO, BECAUSE I THINK I'VE LOST COUNT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS AGAINST TO MAKE IT FAIR.
IF NOT, WE'RE GOING TO, I'M GOING TO GO IN AND RESTATE THE MOTION, UH, CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR OF THE AMENDED MOTION.
SO WE HAVE THE, UH, THE NPA IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
UM, UH, AN ITEM B TO AN ITEM B3 ON THE ZONING.
WE HAVE, UH, TRACKS ONE AND TWO, UM, ZONING AS STAFF RECOMMENDATION
[02:25:02]
ON TRACT THREE.WE HAVE A RIM APPLICANTS RECOMMEND WELL APPLICANTS RECOMMENDATION FOR REMOVING THE NCCD, BUT LIMITING THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING TO 40 FEET.
AND THEN ON TRACT ONE, UH, WE HAVE THE CONDITIONAL USE FOR COCKTAIL LOUNGE, MAXIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE OF 17,500 FEET.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE R C UH, OR THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF AND THE TIA DATED, UH, IS THAT OCTOBER 12TH, THAT WOULD BE AMENDED TIA RECOMMENDATION MITIGATION LETTER FROM STAFF, RIGHT.
WAS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, UH, OKAY.
SO, UM, DID I MISS ANYTHING IN THAT MOTION? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD.
AND FIRST THOSE IN FAVOR ON THE DIAS, SHOW ME YOUR HANDS.
SO WE HAVE SIX, UH, THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, AND THE VIRTUAL, WE HAVE ONE, OKAY.
THOSE AGAINST ON THE DAYAS AND THOSE AGAINST, UH, ON THE SCREEN AND THOSE, UH, ABSTAINING ON THE SCREEN.
SO THAT MOTION IS SEVEN THREE, AND THAT MOTION PASSES.
SO, UH, I WANT TO SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LONG DEBATE HERE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE THIS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
SO THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE PRESENTATIONS, BOTH BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE APPLICANT.
WELL THAT IS ALL OF OUR DISCUSSION CASES FOR THE EVENING.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE THROUGH THE AGENDA.
[C. ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION]
UH, C1 ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION.UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SHOWN.
CAN I JUST, IT JUST, JUST AN ITEM, JUST SO WE ALL ARE CLEAR ON SOMETHING.
CAUSE I NOTICED IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
SO FOR THOSE THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE MAYBE THE WORD CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AND CONDITIONAL USE A LOT OF YOU GUYS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE CONFUSED BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO JUST KIND OF SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
SO CONDITION OVERLAYS ARE WHAT WE GET TO DO.
WE CAN TO TWEAK THE TOOLS THAT ARE IN THE ZONING PART, THE CONDITIONAL USE, WE GET TO TWEAK LATE.
LIKE IT BECOMES YOU TAKE ONE OF THE USES THAT WE HAVE AND WE SAY THAT'S CONDITIONAL.
WHICH MEANS IF IT, IF THEY EVER WANT TO USE THAT USE, THIS IS AFTER THE ZONING, THIS IS SITE PLAN PUT THROUGH.
IF THEY EVER WANT TO USE THAT USE, THEY'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO US.
AND THAT'S USED, THAT'S A CONDITIONAL USE.
AND WHEN THEY GET A CONDITION USE PERMIT, BUT IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THAT'S WHERE WE GET TO TWEAK THE PIECES OF THE DESIGN AND HELP, UH, MAKE IT MORE COMPATIBLE WITH THE, WITH THE AREA.
SO JUST SO I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SAY CONDITIONAL OVERLAY WHEN THEY MAKE CONDITIONAL USE, BUT ANYWAY, JUST IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK ME LATER THERE.
SO, UH, LOOKING ON TO, UH, UH, ITEM D FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING, UH, THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS NEEDS, THIS, DOESN'T PROBABLY NEED TO BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, MAYBE JUST AN EMAIL, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION FROM CITY LEGAL ON ALL THE STUFF THAT JUST HAPPENED.
HOW, HOW WE'RE FORCED TO BASICALLY APPROVE OR DENY A TIA MEMO AS A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS WE HAVE.
I JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM LEGAL ATD, WHOEVER, UH, TO CLARIFY THE, THE, THE EXACT RULES ON OUR LIMITS OF, I WOULD, UH, SAY AN EMAIL REQUESTS THAT ALWAYS A GOOD START.
AND THEN IF IT'S REQUIRED AS A BIGGER PRESENTATION, UH, WE CAN REQUEST THAT AS WELL.
ANY FUTURE ITEMS COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE? ALL RIGHT.
[E. BOARDS, COMMITTEES & WORKING GROUPS UPDATES]
LOOKING AROUND SEEING NONE.WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO, UM, AGENDA ITEM D UH, GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY, UH, CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE.
UH, I WILL JUST SAY THAT THE ITEM WE PASSED ON CONSENT TODAY, WE REVIEWED
[02:30:01]
ON URBAN TRAILS AND WE, UH, WE APPROVED THAT AND WE APPROVED HERE ON CONSENT TODAY.UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING PLANNED, UH, YET.
UH, HOW ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE? UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
WE HAVE A MEETING ON THURSDAY AT NOON.
WE'LL BE MEETING ON THURSDAY FINALLY.
UH, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, WALKING THROUGH THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND OUR ROLE IN THAT, UM, UH, IN THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE MEETINGS FOR THE, THE SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON JOINT SUSTAINABILITY? NO, NOT AT THE MOMENT.
A SMALL AREA PLANNING, JOINT COMMITTEE, UH, PERMISSION.
ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? UH, YEAH.
WE HAVE A MEETING PLAN LATER THIS MONTH.
WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, PRETTY MUCH, UH, COORDINATE A DATE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WERE PLANNING A MEETING THIS MONTH.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A MEETING COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING.
IT WAS CANCELED, BUT TRYING TO ARRANGE ONE TO VIEW THE STATESMAN, UH, BEFORE IT COMES HERE.
AND NOW, UM, UH, LET'S TRY TO RACE TO GET TO THIS ONE, THE MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BRIEF, I GUESS, PRESENTATION JUST ON THE WORK TO DATE AND MAYBE SOME HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE IF PRESENTATION IS OKAY, BUT, UM, I CAN TALK TO IT.
SO WE HAVE THE, JUST TO SORT OF REMIND EVERYBODY WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE THIS TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE DETAILED TECHNICAL SPEC OF, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU, WHAT, WHAT YOU DO IN A SITE PLAN WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION.
AND THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE SITE PLAN OF THE ROADS OR OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE BUILD AND ALSO THE, THE ROADS, UH, AND THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WE'VE, THAT WAS RELEASED IN DRAFT FORM EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
UM, AND THEY TOOK COMMENTS AND NOW THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO THOSE COMMENTS, UH, AND RELEASED SORT OF A FINAL DRAFT, UH, AT THE SEPTEMBER 29TH.
AND WE NOW HAVE 30 DAYS TO HAVE MORE COMMENTS ON THAT, AND THEN IT BECOMES FINAL.
UM, AND SO AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WE WILL SORT OF TALK THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS THAT THE WORKING TEAM HAS COME UP WITH.
AND IF, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER MEETINGS, ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS FROM FOLKS, YOU KNOW, ON THE COMMISSION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD, WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE AS WELL.
UM, THERE HAVE, I HAVE OTHER GROUPS HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AS WELL.
UM, OTHER COMMISSIONS AND, AND GROUPS IN AUSTIN TO SEE IF THEY CAN FEED INTO THAT AS WELL.
AND, UH, SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN MEET AS A WORKING GROUP A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEKEND, UM, IF PEOPLE CAN'T WORK ON THE WEEKEND, LET ME KNOW AND I CAN TRY AND REARRANGE SOMETHING.
UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN SORT OF MEETING EVERY WEEKEND, UM, THAT TO JUST SORT OF WORK THROUGH WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT GENERALLY MY THOUGHTS ARE THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE LIKE THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, WHERE WE HAD, WHERE WE HAD A LONG LIST OF AMENDMENTS.
AND WE SORT OF WENT DOWN EACH ONE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS THE RIGHT COMMISSION TO SORT OF GO IN ON THOSE DETAILS.
THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, BUILDING AND STANDARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE PROBABLY MORE SUITED TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE TURN RADIUS, YOU KNOW, OF, OF SPECIFIC ROADS.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME VERY HIGH LEVEL AMENDMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL STILL SEEMS VERY CAR FOCUSED WHEN THE, ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS TO GET MODAL SHARE TO 50%.
AND YET THE ENTIRE CRITERIA MANUAL IS VERY CAR FOCUSED.
AND, AND THE OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, THE WAY YOU CATEGORIZE ALL THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, IS BY HOW MANY CARS GO BY THEM AND HOW MANY CARS GO ON THEM.
AND IF YOU WANT A WIDER SIDEWALK, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAVE MORE CARS
[02:35:01]
ON IT BECAUSE LEVEL THREE STREETS HAVE WIDER SIDEWALKS THAN LEVEL ONE STREETS, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE IT.YOU CAN'T JUST DECLARE A STREET, A PEDESTRIAN LEVEL, ONE STREET, OR A PEDESTRIAN LEVEL THREE STREET, SO THAT ALL THE STREETS GOING INTO THE NEW, YOU KNOW, PROJECT CONNECT STATIONS AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET WIDER SIDEWALKS GOING ON THEM AND, AND, AND DEMAND THOSE WIDER SIDEWALKS FROM, FROM DEVELOPERS IS EITHER FOR COUNCIL TO PASS SOMETHING, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE STREETS IN THIS AREA HAVE TO HAVE WIDER SIDEWALKS OR TO MAKE THEM LEVEL THREE STREETS.
UM, AND THAT JUST SEEMS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE CARS? SO TH TH THAT HAS SORT OF BEEN LEFT OUT OF IT.
THERE, THERE IS NO STREET, YOU KNOW, CRITERIA FOR A PAST IO.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE ENOUGH FOR A STREET WITH NO CARS, THERE ARE NO CRITERIA FOR THAT.
UM, SO, UH, I HAVE SOME AMENDMENTS COMING IN IN THAT VEIN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE, THE, THE METHOD THAT WE'RE GOING FORWARD IS THIS IS OPEN FOR COMMENTS.
OUR COMMENTS WILL BE AMONG THE COMMENTS OF THE PUBLIC, BUT THERE IS NO FURTHER ACTION THAT STAFF IS PLANNING TO TAKE REGARDING OUR COMMENTS.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE MEANINGFUL AND THOUGHTFUL AND STAFF WILL REACT TO THEM, BUT THERE IS NO PROCESS FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION TO THE WORKING GROUP OR, OR ADD ON AS A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, UH, COMMISSIONER COX, WELL, YOU'RE ON THE TEAM, RIGHT? THE WORK GROUP, GO AHEAD AND, UH, SPEAK.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THE DISCUSSION WE HAD WAS WHAT IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S ROLE IN A TECHNICAL CRITERIA MANUAL, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS IS.
AND SO I THINK OUR COMMENTS ARE GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY KIND OF PLANNING LEVEL FOCUSED AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE THINK TRANSPORTATION SHOULD LOOK LIKE FROM A, FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, BASED ON ALL THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES OF, OF THE CITY.
UM, AND SO JUST LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, I THINK A LOT OF IT'S GOING TO BE HEAVY FOCUSED ON THE VISION AND GOAL SECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, ON A PLANNING LEVEL TYPE THING WITH MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE MORE TECHNICAL SECTIONS, TALKING ABOUT BIKE WAYS AND URBAN TRAILS, PEDESTRIAN ZONES, GEOMETRIC DESIGN CRITERIA, STREET, CROSS SECTIONS, ALL THAT FUN STUFF THAT ENGINEERS LOVE TO LOOK AT.
UM, BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ADD JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSION KNOWS THAT WE, WE ALSO HAD A DISCUSSION LAST TIME ABOUT KIND OF THE NEXT THINGS THAT THE, UH, WHAT IS IT A SUBCOMMITTEE OR COMMITTEE, UH, IS GOING TO LOOK AT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAPITAL METRO, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD BASED ON THE BONDS AND HOW, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONNECTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN HOW THE LAND USE IS PLANNED AROUND THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE A DRAMATIC CHANGE, UM, FOR AUSTIN ONCE, ONCE WE HAVE ALL THAT TRANSIT BUILT OUT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE THAT, UM, THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ON FUTURE TOPICS THAT WE MAY COVER IN THAT, IN THAT COMMITTEE, UH, DEFINITELY EXCITE ME.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MEMBERS FROM THE WORK GROUP THAT WISH TO SPEAK BEFORE WE GO INTO QUESTIONS? IT NONE DO, UH, ANY COMMISSIONERS WE HAVE, UH, IN DISCUSSION, WE HAVE EIGHT SLOTS, SAME AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH FIVE MINUTES.
IF WE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO TAKE ALL THAT TIME, BUT DEFINITELY IF WE NEED, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE GOAL I'LL JUST TO BE, AND I MIGHT NEED A LITTLE HELP FROM YOU, MR. RIVERA, WHEN DO, IF COMMISSIONERS WANT, UH, TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, AND AS WELL AS THE WORKING GROUP, WHEN ARE THOSE DUE, OR SHOULD WE HAVE THOSE TO YOU, UH, TO THEN TURN OVER TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION? WOULD THAT BE THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE 26? UM, SURE.
SO, UM, IT WAS NEVER A WRITTEN RULE, BUT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT ANY, UM, COMMISSION ITEMS, UM, UP FOR CONSIDERATION THAT AMENDMENTS WOULD BE IN WRITTEN FORM, UM, BY NOON MONDAY THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO THAT'S THE FIRM DEADLINE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EARLIER THE BETTER, IF WE CAN GET THEM IN BY THAT FRIDAY BEFORE WE'D HAVE FOLKS WOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT IT, UM, AND COMMISSIONERS ANY OF YOU, UH, AS I SAID, AND PROVIDE YOUR OWN AMENDMENTS, UH, TO MR. RIVERA BY THAT DEADLINE
[02:40:01]
AND SAID, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE TEAM, UH, COMMISSIONER MITCH TODDLER? I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.THAT'S SOME INTERESTING INSIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT'S LAID OUT, THE ONLY WAY TO GET WIDER SIDEWALKS OR BIKE WAYS IS TIED TO THE CAR TRAFFIC ON THE STREET, THE CARS, IT, UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC COUNCIL ACTION TO HAVE WIDER SIDEWALKS ON A PARTICULAR STREET, DO YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROPOSE AMENDING THAT OR NOT IN THIS THINK WE CAN RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'D BE SOME CHANGE TO THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL? MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT STAFF HAS NO OBLIGATION TO ENACT OR RESPOND TO IT.
I MEAN, THIS IS A PRETTY POWERFUL OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO KEEP POINTING OUT THE NORTHWEST, BUT THAT'S WHERE I LIVE.
AND SO I SEE IT, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND STUFF ARE TIED TO STATE DOLLARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE CAN'T GET THIS STUFF OUT THERE.
SO WE END UP BEING VERY CAR DEPENDENT.
SO LIKE THAT AREA HAS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SMARTLY BECAUSE THERE'S RAW AREA.
UM, AND, AND PART OF THE REASON I HAVE BEEN PUSHING TO SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS TO GET AREA PLANNING THERE.
SO IT JUST DOESN'T DEVELOP HAPHAZARD.
UM, BUT THAT WE GET THAT MULTIMODAL STUFF.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SLIDE THAT IN AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE TOOLS IN THE TOOLKIT.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT TOOLS WE DON'T HAVE, WHAT WAS THAT CASE WE HAD NOT TOO LONG AGO, WHERE THEY WANT TO BRING THE, THEY WANTED THE WIDENED WAY TO COUNT TOWARDS SOME PARK STUFF, BUT, BUT THEY WERE TRYING TO PULL IN THE REALLY WIDE SIDEWALK AND A DESIGNATED SAFE OFF STREET BIKE AREA.
AND THEN WE'RE GETTING HANDICAPPED BY WHAT WE'VE GOT.
SO THAT'S PRETTY INTER AND PASEO IS NOT EVEN IN THERE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE REALLY GOOD TOOLS.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS WITH ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR THE WORKING GROUP, COMMISSIONER SHADE.
SO I WAS GOING TO JUST COMMENT MORE COMMISSIONER, MUCH TALLER.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THIS STUFF, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT RIGHT? BECAUSE, UM, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE, UH, WHEN THE, BETWEEN THE LIBRARY AND THE SUBSTATION WAS, WAS CREATED, A LOT OF THOSE STANDARDS WERE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR SPECIAL PROJECT, YOU KNOW? AND SO THOSE ARE DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS SO THAT YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT ENDS UP BECOMING THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE TYPE THING.
AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY DESIGN IT THE POINT OF THE TC, THE CHA THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL.
SO YOU HAVE STANDARDS THAT YOU JUST THROW OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY DOES THIS, AND EVERYBODY DOES THIS, AND YOU HAVE A SET OF RULES THAT MAKES IT NICE AND TRANSPARENT.
SO PEOPLE DEAL WHAT THEY NEED FOR, FOR THAT SPECIFIC POINT.
BUT I THINK, I AGREE THAT'D BE NICE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL TOOLS, BUT THERE'S ALSO, UH, BUT IT DOESN'T LIMIT THE ABILITY TO BE CREATIVE AND PRESENT STUFF ON CASE TO CASE BASIS.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU ACTUALLY REQUIRED THEM TO HAVE A SEPARATE DESIGNATED BIKE LANE, IF THAT BECAME A REQUIREMENT ON ROADS COMING THROUGH, OR THAT YOUR SIDEWALKS WERE GOING TO BE WIDER THAN THREE FEET, SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY PASS EACH OTHER.
AND THAT BECAME A REQUIREMENT GOING FORWARD.
IT IS ALONG CERTAIN ROADWAYS AND WHERE THERE IS A BIKE, FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A BIKE MAP THAT DESIGNATED FOR THE CITY NETWORK, THERE'S A PEDESTRIAN NETWORK.
UM, AND SO THAT'S HOW THEY CLASSIFY THE DIFFERENT LEVELS.
I GOT NONE IN MY AREA, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE IT HAPPEN ON EVERY STRENGTH.
LOOK IT UP ON, YOU COULD LOOK IT UP ON YOUR AND SEE WHAT YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON THAT GIS.
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT LEVEL YOUR STREET IS AND WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE, AND EVEN SEE IF IT'S DESIGNATED, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE LIKE A SIDEWALK.
LIKE I LOOKED DOWN MY STREET, I'M LIKE, OH, THIS LET'S HAVE PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
WHEN AM I GOING TO GET IT? AND THEN YOU COULD START ASKING, WELL, WHY HAVEN'T I HAD IT? AND A LOT OF IT IS FUNDING, SO THERE'S PLANS, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT SEE IT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT THE FUNDING YET.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE GO BACK INTO OUR BOND STUFF.
AND MAYBE WE CAN, AS A COMMISSION, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, THIS IS LACKING.
MAYBE WE COULD START LOOKING, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING DIFFERENT AREAS FOR THAT.
BUT, BUT THAT'S ALSO IN THE TCM COMES IN BECAUSE IF SOMEONE DOES BUILD IN A BLOCK LONG DEVELOPMENT, THEN THEY HAVE TO BUILD THE SIDEWALKS TO WHATEVER THE TCM SAYS.
AND IF RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET THAT WIDER SIDEWALK IS TO HAVE IT A LEVEL, YOU KNOW, A LEVEL UP ON THE ROAD, AS OPPOSED TO JUST SAYING THIS IS A PEDESTRIAN LEVEL THREE, EVEN IF IT'S CURRENT Y AND EVEN IF THE DEVELOPER, FOR
[02:45:01]
INSTANCE, WHEN WE DO A NEW HOUSE, OH, WE GOT TO PUT A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF IT, RIGHT.I MEAN, WE ONLY HAVE TO PICK THE STANDARD THAT THE CITY GIVES US.
SO THE DEVELOPER PUTS IT IN, BUT WE HAVE TO BUILD TO THAT CITY CRITERIA THAT, THAT STANDARD, AND IT'S GOT TO MATCH UP WITH THE NEXT PERSON, THE NEXT PERSON, THE NEXT PERSON, WHICH THEN BRINGS UP THE WHOLE ASPECT.
MAYBE THERE'S A PLANNING FOR THAT AREA.
IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO HAVE A WIDER STREET IN A CERTAIN AREA, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, AND IN A NEW DETAIL.
SO COMMISSIONER SHAY, UM, AND DO WE HAVE DIS COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? I HAVE A FEW JUST RELATED TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAD BEFORE I GO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE STRATEGIC, UM, UH, MOBILITY PLAN, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL MAPS THAT LINE OUT BIKE PATHS, PEDESTRIAN PATHS THAT ARE A PRIORITY, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CORRIDORS, UM, OR IS THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY, UH, ARE ANY OF THESE CRITERIA TIED TO THOSE? LIKE IF YOU'RE ON A PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY, UH, THAT YOU NEED TO MEET A CERTAIN STANDARD OR, YOU KNOW, THE DEATHS, I MEAN, IS THERE ANY LINK BETWEEN THOSE MAPS AND THESE CRITERIA AND IT, IT HAS THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD A, A SIDEWALK AND A BIKE PATH AND A THREE LANE STREET, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS THE WAY YOU DO IT.
AND THIS IS HOW WIDE, YOU KNOW, THE BIKE PATHS SHOULD BE, AND THIS IS HOW WIDE, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN IT SHOWS HOW TO BUILD ALL OF THAT AND HAVE THOSE SORT OF CROSS SECTIONS OF THE STREET.
BUT IT DOESN'T SAY WHERE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE CITY.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVER MEANT TO SAY WHERE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE CITY.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE WORKING GROUP GOING AROUND? UM, OKAY.
WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU GUYS COME UP WITH, AND AGAIN, UH, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS ON YOUR OWN, YOU CAN DO SO.
SO, UH, LET ME CHECK THE TIME.
AIR CONDITIONING IS ON THAT CAR BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS TOPIC.
JUST, UM, IF YOU DO HAVE AMENDMENTS, UM, THEY SHOULD BE TECHNICALLY, UH, TECHNICAL SPECIFIC AND NOT GENERAL COMMENTS.
AND I WILL BE SUBMITTING THE, UM, THE EXCEL MATRIX TO FOLKS SO THEY CAN INPUT THEIR OKAY.
SO THAT BRINGS CAUSE THAT HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, I GUESS I'M KIND OF STUCK NOW.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ASKING FOR VER YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE, THE CRITERIA MANUAL AND MAKING VERY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON A CERTAIN SECTION AND PARAGRAPH WHERE WHAT I HAD SPOKEN TO COMMISSIONER THOMPSON ABOUT IS THEY MAY HAVE MORE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I GUESS I'M NOT QUITE SURE, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SATISFY WHAT YOU HAD JUST STATED AND CAN YOU W WHO'S UM, WHERE DOES THAT COMING FROM MR. RIVERA? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
SO, UH, THE THING THAT KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THIS IS A RULES PROCESS AND THE RULES PROCESS FOLLOWS A CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IF WE DO HAVE OVERALL GENERAL AMENDMENTS, THAT THAT WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE.
SO I'M GOING TO GO TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT, UH, WE ARE NOW AT, UH, QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU CHAIR.
UM, ARE WE NOW OPEN? THE COMMISSIONERS CAN COME IN PERSON IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO, ARE WE STILL LIMITING? WE GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP AND SEE THEM? UM, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
SO WE, WE DO, UM, DID WE DO A SURVEY, ANDREW? I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT JUST SURVEYING COMMISSIONERS TO SEE IF WE CAN, IF THE COMFORT LEVEL WITH, UH, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, IF WE COULD, WITH, WE HAVE MASKS.
IF PEOPLE, IF I COULD HAVE SOMEBODY SITTING NEXT TO ME, IF WE WERE CONTROLLED WITH THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING WE HAVE, WE HAVE A HANDLE ON.
SO, UM, I WILL BE DISSEMINATING A SURVEY TO COMMISSIONERS TO KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR THE, UM, UH, COMFORTABLE OF THE COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN, UH, BASED OFF OF THAT, WE CAN ARRANGE SEATING AND, UH, ACCOMMODATE, UH, INDIVIDUAL MORE COMMISSIONERS WHO WANT, AND I THINK IS CORRECT ME IF I'M ON THIS, IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE SAID WE COULD GET UP TO THREE SPACE DOWN BELOW SO WE COULD MAINTAIN THIS SPACE IN HERE AND GET THREE MORE DOWN THERE SPACE IF WE STILL WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR DISTANCE.
SO WE COULD GET UP TO 10, UH, 10, IF WE, UH, IF THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT
[02:50:01]
SOCIAL DISTANCING, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? COMMISSIONER MICHELLA.I GOT ANOTHER GUIDE I'M LOOKING AROUND.
ALL RIGHT, LET ME GET AN, A QUICK, SO WE'RE A JOURNEY AND THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT 8 52, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT NO BODY WANTS TO KNOW HIM.
THEY CAN SEE THIS JUST A FOOL AND HE NEVER GIVES AN ANSWER, BUT FOOD