[00:00:06]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVENING FOLKS, AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 19TH, 2022 MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.UH, IT IS 5:34 PM, AND I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[1. Approval of Minutes of the October 20, 2021 Meeting Minutes]
OF BUSINESS IS TO CALL THE ROLE.MONA, COULD YOU HELP ME WITH THAT PLACE? YES, CHAIR HARRIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF RUNNING TODAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER SHARE, PRESENT COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, PRESENT COMMISSIONER REIGN.
CAN IT BE COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, PRESENT OF VICE CHAIR, LAYMAN COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON HERE.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE, COMMISSIONER LICK TIG COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH UH, CHAIR HARRIS, UH, COMMISSIONER TIMESTAMP, YOUR VIRTUALLY COMMISSIONER OF THE MONTH.
CHRISTOPHER, ARE YOU WITH US TONIGHT? UH, COMMISSIONER KEATON, UM, COMMISSIONER WEAVER, COMMISSIONER TAYLOR COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE PRESENT VIRTUALLY COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, UH, HERE AS WELL VIRTUALLY.
THANK YOU FOLKS FOR COMING ONLINE TONIGHT.
UH, THIS IS, UH, AN INTERESTING HYBRID SITUATION.
AS YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, THE EMAIL WE RECEIVED EARLIER, UH, CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT POLICY REGARDING, UM, ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS.
AND BECAUSE THIS MEETING WAS POSTED AS AN ACTION ITEM, WE HAD TO HAVE A QUORUM IN PERSON.
AND SO WE HAVE ACHIEVED THAT, UH, NEXT MONTH, IF THE ORDER IS NOT CHANGED FROM COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO, OR WE'LL GO TO A SYSTEM WHERE I AND STAFF ARE THE ONLY ONES HERE AND Y'ALL WILL GET TO PARTICIPATE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME OFFICES OR OFFICES OR WHEREVER YOU MIGHT CHOOSE.
OH, WELL, I LIKE COMING HERE TOO.
UH, I DO THINK THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PERSON OR, OR SO MUCH BETTER AND SO MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVE AND WE'LL GET THERE ONE OF THESE DAYS.
DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS NOW REAL QUICKLY ON CINEMA, CITIZENS, COMMUNICATION, NO CHAIRS, NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THE PROCEDURE NOW IS THAT THEY MUST STILL BE HERE TO PRESENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
WOULD THAT BE THE CASE NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH AS WELL, OR FOR THE MOMENT? YEAH.
IS THE CITY COUNCIL CHANGES ANYTHING? UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WILL ADVISE US AND WE'LL ADAPT ACCORDINGLY.
I'D LOVE TO SEE THE ROOM FILLED WITH EVERYBODY, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THAT GOES.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW YOUR MINUTES? NOW, REMEMBER THAT THOSE MINUTES WERE FROM OCTOBER OF 20, 20, 21 SO LONG AGO BECAUSE WE HAD TO CANCEL A COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH, IF THERE AREN'T ANY CHANGES, THE, THE MINUTES WILL STAND AS PRESENTED.
I'M NOT HEARING ANY COMMENTS FROM THE, FROM THE COMMISSION.
[2.a. Safer Sixth Street Initiative: Presentation by Brian Block, Development Services Department]
UNDER NEW BUSINESS IS THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.YOU ALL MIGHT REMEMBER THAT THIS CAME TO US IN OCTOBER.
UM, DO WE HAVE BRIAN WITH US BRIAN BLOCK WITH THE CITY? BRIAN, ARE YOU THERE? I'M HERE.
CAN YOU SEE AND HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS BRIAN BLOCK, UM, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND, UM, GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR HARRIS AND COMMISSIONERS.
[00:05:01]
PRESENT TO YOU ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET RESOLUTION.UM, SO I WANTED TO START OFF BY JUST REMINDING YOU THAT THE SAFER SIXTH STREET RESOLUTION, UM, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL PASSED, UM, DIRECTING STAFF TO WORK ON A VARIETY OF, OF TASKS RELATED TO MAKING SIX STREETS SAFER.
THIS WAS A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL TEAM AND WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY, UM, BOTH WITH ALL OF OUR INNER DEPARTMENTAL FOLKS, BUT WITH SIXTH STREET STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING PROPERTY OWNERS, BUSINESS OPERATORS IN DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP THE RESPONSES AND RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED IN OUR MEMO AND REPORTS COUNCIL THAT JUST WENT TO COUNCIL AT THE VERY END OF 2021.
UM, SO, UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF PRESENT IT TO YOU.
WE'RE EXCITED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON MAKING SIX TRADES SAFER YOU THROUGH THESE EFFORTS.
UM, I THINK IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT AS WE GET STARTED HERE, THAT POLICING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE WORSE, YOU KNOW, VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY IN THIS INDUSTRY DISTRICT.
UM, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND WAS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THIS, UM, EFFORT.
BUT THIS RESOLUTION, WHAT IT'S ASKED STAFF TO DO IS TO COMPLIMENT PLACING BY TAKING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT, DISTRICT MANAGEMENT, AND THAT, UM, IN THAT WAY, CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE DISTRICT IN A HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.
SO IT, IT CERTAINLY COMPLIMENTS POLICING AND MAKING THE DISTRICT SAFER AND MORE CONDUCIVE TO SAFETY.
UM, I, I THINK I SHARED THIS LAST TIME WHEN I WAS HERE TO GIVE YOU, UM, AN, A MIDTERM UPDATE, BUT I THINK IT BEARS REPEATING, UM, ONE OF THE BIG KIND OF TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR ENGAGEMENT, OUR ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THAT WE'VE REALIZED IS THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED REALLY WANTS TO SEE SIXTH STREET BE WELCOMING AND VIBRANT AND SAFE, UM, WITH BOTH THE WIDER VARIETY OF NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, IDEALLY CATERING TO, YOU KNOW, A DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC OF BOTH AUSTIN NIGHTS AND TOURISTS.
SO MORE TYPES OF NIGHTLIFE ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, LATE AT NIGHT, BUT IN ADDITION, MORE TYPES OF BUSINESSES, INCLUDING RESTAURANTS AND CAFES AND RETAIL THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.
SO THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO US AS, UM, SOMETHING THAT REALLY RESONATED WITH, WITH EVERYONE.
UM, WE'VE KIND OF FOCUSED ON THREE GOALS AND I'LL, UM, KIND OF TALK ABOUT THEM HERE IS SORT OF THE OVERARCHING THEMES OF OUR, UM, REPORT.
UM, AND I THINK THESE ARE BOTH KEY GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS TO CREATE A DISTRICT THAT'S VIBRANT AND WELL-PLANNED AND DIVERSE AND SAFE.
UM, AND THOSE ARE, UM, IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN TO BRING MORE ORGANIZATION TO THE SPACE AND TO BRING MORE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE TO THIS SPACE.
UM, THE SECOND ONE IS CREATING BETTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH BARS AND CLUB OPERATORS TO WORK TOGETHER IN COOPERATION ON SAFETY AND TO IMPROVE SAFETY.
AND THE THIRD IS ENCOURAGING MORE DIVERSE ACTIVITIES AND MORE DIVERSE BUSINESSES IN THE DISTRICT.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, IT'S A GOOD TO KIND OF A GOOD REMINDER THAT WE ARE LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF SAFETY.
UM, THIS IS NOT A REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY OR A ZONING INITIATIVE OR AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
CERTAINLY THOSE THINGS MAY HAVE OVERLAPPING GOALS SINCE WE ARE TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND THOSE THINGS, UM, COULD CERTAINLY BRING, UM, PUBLIC SPACE AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, MORE DIVERSITY OF USES IN BUSINESSES AS WELL.
[00:10:01]
I WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT THAT THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT.WHAT WE ARE HOPING TO DO IS BOTH ARTICULATE A VISION FOR A VIBRANT AND SAFE DISTRICT AND RECOMMEND SOME SHORT-TERM STEPS TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND HOPEFULLY MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT AT WORK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, BOTH IN THE SHORT TERM AND MEDIUM TERM, BUT SUSTAIN THAT EFFORT OVER TIME, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE THINK THAT IT WILL TAKE TO, TO GET THERE.
UM, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THE KEY, UH, ITEMS IN THE MEMO.
I'M NOT GOING TO COVER ALL OF THAT IN MY PRESENTATION, BUT I WANTED TO COVER A COUPLE OF KEY ITEMS AND GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THOSE.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DO Q AND A ON, ON ANYTHING IN THE MEMO AT THE END.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO LEAVE TIME FOR THAT.
BUT IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
AND ONE OF THEM IS WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL, PARTICULARLY IN THE 200, 500, 600 AND 700 BLOCKS OF SIXTH STREET, WHERE WE CAN OFFER USE OF PUBLIC SPACE, THE RIGHT OF WAY, FOODING SIDEWALKS AND STREETS FOR ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR FEEDING AND DINING AND OTHER COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THIS WOULD BE AIMED AT, UM, ENCOURAGING MORE DIVERSE ACTIVITIES DURING MORE HOURS OF THE DAY AND EVENING.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF JUMPSTART ADDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES BEYOND, UM, YOU KNOW, A FOCUS ON DRINKING AND A FOCUS ON LATE NIGHT, THINGS THAT COULD MAYBE HAPPEN EARLIER IN THE NIGHT, UM, UH, DINING ACTIVATIONS, UM, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND I WILL KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE MEMO RELATED TO PILOTS THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING THERE ARE TWO, UM, THEY'RE RELATED, BUT THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT EACH ONE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND THE FIRST ONE WE'RE ENVISIONING IS A, A VERY, VERY TEMPORARY TYPE OF ACTIVATION THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS WHEN THE STREETS SLOS TO VEHICLES AND ALLOW SPACE IN THE SIDEWALKS AND IN THE TRAVEL LANES, UH, LEAVING, YOU KNOW, LEAVING PLENTY OF SPACE FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS AND FIRE LANES, BUT ALLOWING SOME SPACE, UM, FOR THOSE KINDS OF, UM, SEATING, DINING ACTIVATIONS, THAT COULD BE MUSIC.
IN ADDITION TO SEATING AND DINING, IT COULD BE SMALL SCALE ACTIVATIONS LIKE MUSIC OR PERFORMANCE ART INSTALLATIONS.
UM, WHAT WE ENVISIONED FOR THIS IS, UM, THIS COULD BE AN INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS WORSE, UM, USING THE SPACE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS OF THEIR STOREFRONT AND THEIR BUSINESS.
THIS COULD ALSO BE, UM, A GROUP OF BUSINESSES OR A DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATION THAT MAY WANT TO ACTIVATE A SPACE OR CREATE A COMBINED SEATING AREA.
UM, THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE, AS I SAID, VERY TEMPORARY BECAUSE IT GOES IN AFTER THE STREET CLOSES, IT HAS TO COME OUT.
UM, THERE'LL BE A TIME SET UP WHEN THEY COME OUT.
UM, THOSE DETAILS NEED TO BE WORKED OUT, BUT, UM, AGAIN, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO ACTIVATE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE NIGHT AND PROBABLY HAVE THOSE TAKEN DOWN FOR WHEN THERE'S A LARGE, LOTS OF PEOPLE LEAVING AT THE END OF THE NIGHT.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING IS SOMETHING A SIMPLE AND MINIMAL VISUAL BOUNDARY OR MARKER TO DESIGNATE THESE SPACES AND MAKING EASIER LOCATION PROCESS.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PILOT PROGRAM WE'RE SUGGESTING, OR WHEN THE STREETS ARE CLOSED, WE HAVE A SECOND PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD BE, WOULDN'T BE LIMITED TO WHEN THE STREETS ARE CLOSED, UM, UTILIZING SIDEWALKS AND POTENTIALLY, UH, PARKING LANES OR PARKING SPACES.
UM, THIS WOULD BE FAIRLY SIMILAR TO THE EXISTING SIDEWALK CAFE PROGRAM OR STREET PATIO PROGRAM.
UM, WHAT THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM ENVISIONED FOR THIS IS AGAIN, A WAY TO JUMPSTART TO REALLY ENCOURAGE
[00:15:01]
AND MAKE IT EASY FOR FOLKS TO DO THIS.UM, IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A RISK TO, TO DO THIS AT THE BEGINNING.
WE HOPE THAT BUSINESSES AND DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS WILL DO IT, AND WE HOPE IT'LL MAKE AN IMPACT ON ADDING THAT DIVERSITY AND EARLIER EVENING ACTIVITY.
BUT, SO THAT'S THE IDEA HERE IS IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH, UM, WHAT WAS DONE WITH THE SHOP, THE BLOCK PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A COVID RESPONSE PROGRAM, THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN CLOSED OUT AND THEY'RE WORKING TO KIND OF MAKE SOME OF THOSE THINGS PERMANENT.
I THINK WE HAVE THE SAME IDEA HERE.
LET'S CUSTOMIZE SOMETHING FOR SIXTH STREET, MAKE IT INEXPENSIVE AND EASY TO DO, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN TRANSITION THAT INTO SOMETHING PERMANENT AFTER IT TAKES HOMES.
UM, THE OTHER KIND OF MAIN ITEM IN THE, UM, THE MEMO I WANTED TO GO OVER, UM, IS THE ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT.
AND THE REASON WE WANT TO FEATURE THIS IS BECAUSE SIXTH STREET IS CERTAINLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN A VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WHERE PEOPLE GO DURING LATE NIGHT HOURS TO FREQUENT BARS CLUBS.
UM, WE ENVISION THIS BEING A PART OF SIXTH STREET FOR THE LONG-TERM, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SUGGESTING IMPLEMENTING AN ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT.
AND THIS WOULD FOCUS ON INCREASED COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN BAR AND CLUB OPERATORS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS APPROACH WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH OUR, AS IN CLUBS HAVE A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT THEY'RE REALLY WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER TO BOTH PREVENT ISSUES.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, INEVITABLY THERE WILL BE INCIDENTS.
AND WHEN THOSE HAPPEN TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH EACH OTHER, KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER ARE GOING TO DO AND BE ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS ON THIS ONE AS WELL.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SUGGESTED IN THE MEMO WITH THE, THERE WOULD BE A REQUIRED SAFETY PLAN.
THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT CLUBS AND BARS WOULD, YOU KNOW, TO DEVELOP ON THEIR OWN, CERTAINLY WITH INPUT AND TRAINING AND GUIDANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT THEY WOULD DEVELOP THIS AND THEN THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADHERING TO IT.
UM, IT MIGHT INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE NUMBER OF SECURITY PERSONNEL AND WHAT THEIR TRAINING IS, AND IT WILL, IT WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR DOOR POLICIES, HOW THEY LOOK FOR WEAPONS UPON ENTRY AND THEN ESTABLISHMENT PROCEDURES.
AND AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE TO FORMALIZE THIS, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT BOTH THE, UM, ESTABLISHMENT STAFF AND SECURITY PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT, WHAT THESE SAFETY PLANS ARE AND, AND, UM, KIND OF REACT AND RESPOND IN UNISON AND KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER ARE GOING TO DO.
WE ALSO ENVISION, UM, THE CITY COORDINATING REGULAR MEETINGS WITH PERMIT HOLDERS AND USING THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE BOTH COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION AND A FORUM OR A TRAINING THAT MAYBE THE CITY IS ABLE TO PROVIDE, OR MAYBE THIRD PARTIES ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE, OR MAYBE THINGS THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OPERATORS, UM, FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO BRING.
AND, UM, I GUESS TH THE THING I, LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION, CAUSE THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO THE TEAM AND WHICH WAS THAT WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE THIS AS EASY ON THE ESTABLISHMENTS AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE CAME UP WITH IDEAS TO TRY TO, UM, INCORPORATE OTHER TYPES OF PERMITS THEY ALREADY HAVE WITH THIS ONE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEIR ANNUAL PERMIT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AN ANNUAL URBAN OR, UM, SOUND EQUIPMENT, OUR SUGGESTION IS THAT WE ROLL THOSE TOGETHER WITH THIS ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN HAPPEN, UH, KIND OF, UH, AT THE SAME TIME AND IN COORDINATION TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THE ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION BEFORE I KIND OF CLOSE OUT THE PRESENTATION AND MOVE IT OVER TO Q AND A IS OUR HOPE IS
[00:20:01]
THAT THIS, UM, THE ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT AND THE INCREASED COORDINATION AND STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR OPERATORS CAN SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR CREATING A VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION PROGRAM AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT BOTH RECOGNIZE RESPONSIBLE OPERATORS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND REDUCE FARM AND IMPROVE OPERATING STANDARDS.AND REALLY ULTIMATELY BUILD A STRONG COALITION OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER THAT ARE KIND OF LOOKING PEER TO PEER TO KIND OF HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THAT ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE 63 TO SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
UM, AS A NEXT STEP WE'RE, UM, AS I SAID, THIS, UH, JUST WAS DISTRIBUTED TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL AT THE VERY END OF DECEMBER.
THIS IS OUR FIRST, UH, PRESENTATION ON IT.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL ON THESE EFFORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF NEXT STEPS AND WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
AND WITH THAT I'LL STOP TALKING AND, UM, WOULD BE HAPPY TO KIND OF DISCUSS OR ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, RYAN, FOR A PRESENTATION.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING WITH US WITH THIS VERY THOROUGH MEMO.
I KNOW THAT WE ALL APPRECIATE IT.
UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION I'VE SHARED JUST ONE QUICK, UH, ITEM FROM, FROM VIRTUAL TIME HERE.
I JUST HAVE TO, I WILL BE GONE FOR ABOUT THE NEXT HALF HOUR.
IF I WERE THERE PRESENT, I'D SAY I'M LETTING YOU KNOW I'M REMOVING MYSELF FROM THE BIAS, BUT I WILL BE BACK.
COMMISSIONER MYS INBOX, GO AHEAD.
I'M TRYING TO GET MY MIC TO WORK.
IS THIS SONG COOL? THERE ARE NO LIGHTS, SORRY.
UH, I, BRIAN THAT'S Y'ALL DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
I THINK YOU PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS, UM, INTO THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS HERE AND YOUR ACTION ITEMS. AND AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THE LESSONS FROM THE SHOP, THE BLOCK PROGRAM, WHICH IS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S AS YOU AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT JUST COME FROM A NEW PROGRAM.
UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT CLEARLY THE Y'ALL LEARNED SOME, SOME VALUABLE STUFF FROM THERE AND HAVE, UM, ENACTED A PROGRAM THAT I HOPE COUNCIL ALLOWS YOU TO BE NIMBLE ENOUGH TO EVOLVE AS THE NEED ARISES.
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PRETTY DYNAMIC AREA DOWN THERE AT SIXTH STREET AND EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE AND ALL THESE ANSWERS, LIKE I THINK KITCHENS IS A HUGELY VALUABLE ADDITION TO THAT AREA.
AND ANYTHING YOU DO TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
I LIKE THE, I THOUGHT OF ENCOURAGING GRANTS FOR REMODELING.
THAT INCLUDES KITCHENS, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR DAYTIME ACTIVITY, THAT'S GOING TO BE HUGE.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST HOPE, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE, THIS IS NOT TO YOU.
THIS IS THE COUNCIL THAT THEY WOULD, UH, ALLOW THIS PROGRAM TO BE NIMBLE ENOUGH TO EVOLVE, UH, ON THE FLY, MORE SO THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN ORDER TO TRY TO LIKE ADDRESS SOME OF THE MORE DYNAMIC SITUATIONS WE'RE SEEING IN DIFFERENT ENTERTAINMENT AREAS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS MORE ABOUT THE SAFETY STUFF.
UM, THE, THE INCIDENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN DOWN THERE THAT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT WIDESPREAD, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NOT PEOPLE DYING THERE EVERY WEEK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WHEN WE DO HAVE AN INCIDENCE, ARE THEY HAPPENING? AND I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS INFORMATION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SHARED.
AND IF WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ALREADY, BUT ARE THEY THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING DURING THE HOURS THAT THE BARS ARE OPEN? ARE THEY MAINLY HAPPENING? LIKE AFTER CLOSING TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE MILLING AROUND? I MEAN, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA I'VE BEEN DRINKING THERE FOR 26.
WELL, IF WE'RE BEING HONEST, 28 YEARS.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I THINK I HAVE A SENSE OF WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN, BUT COULD YOU SHARE WHAT Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT? IF YOU HAVE JUST SOME SUMMARY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, THAT'S FAIR.
UM, AND THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER LEVINE.
AND I THINK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PROBABLY THE BEST SUITED TO, YOU KNOW, ANSWER DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT INCIDENTS.
UM, BUT I GUESS FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, WHAT I'LL SAY IS I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE HAPPENING BOTH DURING HOURS AND AFTER HOURS.
AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN OCCASIONS WHERE MAYBE AN INCIDENT MAY HAVE STARTED DURING HOURS AND FINISHED AFTER HOURS.
[00:25:02]
PROBABLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE THE BETTER DEPARTMENT TO GO INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL ON IT.BUT I WOULD SAY, I THINK IT'S BOTH DURING AN AFTER HOURS.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE ANY OF THAT YOU CAN DO TO CUT DOWN ON THE, IT'S NOT EVEN JUST THE UNDERAGE DRINKING, IT'S THE UNDERRATED YEARS THAT JUST MILL OF OUT WITH NOTHING TO DO BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET INTO ANY OF THESE PLACES.
NOT THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO, BUT, UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT CAUSES TROUBLE OFTENTIMES, AND THEN I KNOW IT'S JUST ANECDOTAL AND FROM MY CAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN GO THERE MUCH ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY FOR OLD PEOPLE YOU NEED.
IT'S FOR A MUCH YOUNGER SET THAN MY YOUNG ILLNESS.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT THAT'S POLICE AND THE, IN THE BARS IS JUST GOING TO BE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, THE SIDEWALK CAFES AND THE KITCHENS AND ALL THOSE THINGS, THOSE WOULD BE GREAT FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR GETTING SOME DAYTIME ACTIVITY IN THERE AND NOT RELYING SOLELY ON THE 11 TO 2:00 AM BUSINESS, UH, WHICH I THINK MIGHT GIVE SOME BARS OR SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES, AN OPTION TO MAYBE NOT EVEN BE OPEN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN MAKE SOME MONEY DURING THE DAY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON A BUNCH OF DRUNKS TO COME THROUGH AT MIDNIGHT AND BY THE SHOTS.
SO THAT'S ENCOURAGING, THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK Y'ALL DID ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT WITH THE COORDINATION AND THE SUSTAINED, YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM IMPACT OF FULLY WITH ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT LEAD TO THAT MORE DIVERSITY.
MEISENBACH CAN YOU HEAR ME, BRIAN? ME BRIAN? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THESE ARE WONDERFUL IDEAS, AND I HOPE THAT THEY WORK.
I JUST HAD THIS THOUGHT THAT IF PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE PERMIT TO, UM, SERVE FOOD ON THE SIDEWALK AND, UM, IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE IT NOT JUST AN EXTENSION OF A BAR, BUT REALLY A RESTAURANT MORE FEEL, I DON'T KNOW IF THE PERMIT CAN BE WRITTEN THAT WAY AND WORLD WE'LL STILL BE DEVELOPING THE DETAILS ON EXACTLY HOW, WHAT THE CRITERIA WILL BE FOR THAT PERMIT, BUT OUR CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR VISION AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS BOTH EARLIER HOURS AND MORE DIVERSE ACTIVITIES.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST TAKING THE DRINKING TO THE SIDEWALK AND I JUST REALLY DON'T THINK THE BARS ARE GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY GET BUSY DURING THE LATER HOURS.
THE IDEA WOULD BE TO HAVE ACTIVATION DURING THE EARLIER HOURS, UM, AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY BE LOOKING AT WHATEVER CRITERIA OR GUIDELINES OR ENCOURAGEMENT OR REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I HOPE I, OR OUR THOUGHT WAS THAT ORGANICALLY THAT'S THAT'S WHO WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
AND THAT'S THE TYPES OF THINGS WE WOULD SEE DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, I TOOK A FIELD TRIP TO SIXTH STREET AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING WITH A, UH, A SOUND ORDINANCE PERSON LONG, LONG AGO, DAYS ARRAY SMALL WITH A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE NOISE OF THE MUSIC AND THE PEOPLE THERE WAS SO LOUD, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY A POLICE OFFICER COULD BE HEARD IF THEY HAD TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAFETY OR WHATEVER.
SO, UM, I'M WONDERING, UM, I THINK THAT SOUND NEEDS TO BE MODULATING IF THERE ARE CONCERTS ON THE STREET, THAT'S MY THOUGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND I'LL JUST SAY REAL QUICK THAT AS I MENTIONED, UM, WE ENVISIONED THIS PERMIT ENCOMPASSING THREE THINGS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL INSPECTION, A PERMIT FOR SOUND, BUT, AND THE SAFETY PLAN.
AND SO I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO COORDINATE THOSE THINGS BETTER WHEN THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PACKAGE.
THANK YOU, BRIAN, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, HOW CLOSELY IS THE CITY WORKING WITH THE EXISTING BUSINESS OWNERS ON SIXTH STREET? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU GETTING FROM THEM? UM, I THINK, I, I GUESS I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THAT THERE'S NOT GOOD RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIP.
THERE ARE, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OPERATORS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
MY TEAM THAT DOES THE SOUND PERMITS, UM, WHAT WE WANTED TO IS, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, UM, AND COORDINATE AMONG, YOU KNOW, ALL THREE, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER, UM, WITH THE OPERATORS.I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PROCESS IS A GROUP OF OPERATORS WHO'VE REALLY STEPPED UP AND KIND OF ARE VERY FRUSTRATED AND WANT TO WANT TO SEE A CHANGE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE OPERATORS, WE HAVE CERTAINLY NOT TOUGHED ALL OF THEM, BUT WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF THEM.
AND AS I SAID, THERE'S REALLY BROAD AGREEMENT FOR THESE THINGS FOR MORE DIVERSITY, UM, OF HOURS AND USES AND ACTIVITIES.
AND NONE OF THEM WANT TO SEE IT UNSAFE WITH THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS.
SO I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE'D SEEN, UM, COULD RESPONSE AND PARTICIPATION AND NOW WE JUST NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS STUFF IMPLEMENTED.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
HI, I, I TOO AM GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IN A SECOND FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANTED TO, WE, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND, UH, WE'RE WONDERING, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN LIVE THEATER, NOT JUST AS A ONGOING BASIS, LIKE AS JUST FOLLY, BUT SOMETHING, UH, A BIT MORE REFINED.
UH, BUT, UH, UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A DRAMA DEPARTMENT, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOLS, AND EVEN THE UNIVERSITIES TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM ON THE STREETS OR ON THE STREET AT SIXTH STREET.
UM, WHEN IT'S BLOCKED OFF DURING THE DAY, THIS MAGIC THAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A PRESENCE OF YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS IN, IN A CERTAIN AREA THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BLEED INTO WHAT HAPPENS AT NIGHT.
SO THERE, PERHAPS IT'S NOT AS, AS ROWDY, UH, AS IT CAN BE OR HAS BEEN, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A STABILIZING PRESENCE TO HAVE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SCHOOLS TO PERFORM IN FRONT AND DOWNTOWN AND SAY, HEY, I PERFORMED ON SIXTH STREET, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, JUST A SUGGESTION AND NOT KNOWING WHETHER NOT YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVE THEM COME IN AND ASK FOR A PERMIT TO DO SOMETHING THERE.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T TALKED SPECIFICS, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE SCALE WE'D NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE SCALE THAT'S APPROPRIATE, BUT WE'RE WHEN THE STREET IS CLOSED.
SMALL ACTIVATIONS WITH PERFORMANCE AND THEATER ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD IN MIND.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, BROUGHT THOSE TO THE TEAM AND HOPEFULLY, UM, THOSE THINGS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
I THINK IT'LL BE UP TO THE BUSINESSES OR THE DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS TO COORDINATE THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE PART OF IT.
UH, BRIAN, I KNOW A LOT OF THE OPERATORS THERE WILL TALK A, A GOOD TALK ABOUT ALL THEY WANT TO DO TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AND MAKE THINGS BETTER DOWN THERE, BUT THEIR ACTIONS DON'T NECESSARILY FOLLOW THEIR WORDS.
SO, UH, MY QUESTION IS WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT AS WELL AS DISINCENTIVES FOR, UH, THE OPERATORS DOWN THERE? I THINK THROUGH AN ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT, IF THAT GETS IMPLEMENTED, THAT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK TOGETHER IN A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL WAY WITH THE OPERATORS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHAT THE STANDARDS ARE THAT ARE EXPECTED, PROVIDE TRAINING.
UM, BUT I THINK IT ALSO PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK OR CORRECTIVE ACTION IF NEEDED, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN IN A, IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY I THINK A REQUIRED SAFETY PLAN WILL JUST IMPROVE COORDINATION.
IT'LL HOPEFULLY PREVENT INCIDENTS, BUT IMPROVE THE RESPONSE WHEN INCIDENTS HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THIS WILL TAKE SOME,
[00:35:01]
SOME WORK, BUT WHAT WE ENVISIONED WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVING AN ALLIANCE OF BUSINESSES THERE IN THE DISTRICT THAT, UM, ARE PART OF HOLDING EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL.UM, THIS IS, UH, JUST A PROCEDURAL ISSUE.
A NUMBER OF, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE THEIR CAMERAS OFF AND PURSUANT TO TOMA.
YOU MUST HAVE YOUR CAMERAS ON.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER HEIM STAFF IS OFF THE DICE AT THE MOMENT, BUT THOSE OF ON THE COMMISSION WHO DO NOT HAVE YOUR CAMERA'S ON, PLEASE DO SO BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF TAMA.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND ALSO IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUERY, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S PARTICIPATED IN THE SHOP, THE BLOCK PROGRAM, AND YOU HAD TO RE-UP IT, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY A NEW PERMIT THAT WE NEVER HAD TO DO BEFORE.
AND IT REQUIRES US TO TOUCH SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND IF WE HAD BEEN BAD ACTORS, UH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOT OUR RENEWAL, WHICH IS PRETTY SCARY THOUGHT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO ANY KIND OF MUSIC OR SOMETHING WAS WHAT WE NEEDED A FORUM FOR OUTSIDE PARTICIPATION DURING COVID.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IN THIS THING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKED ABOUT WHAT I WAS READING ABOUT IS THAT WE'RE CREATING A NEW PERMIT LIKE THAT REQUIRES THEM TO GO THROUGH THESE CITY AGENCIES WAY MORE OFTEN, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BE A PRETTY BAD ACTOR IN ORDER FOR THE POLICE TO COME SHUT YOU DOWN, YOU KNOW, OR TO LOSE YOUR TABC LICENSE OR TO, RIGHT.
UM, AND SO MY HOPE IS, AS BRIAN WAS SAYING, IS THAT HAVING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO CITY AGENCIES, MAYBE ON A MORE ANNUAL BASIS TO, TO ALL THE AGENCIES, TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, WOULD, WOULD KIND OF FORCE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST PUT SOME OF YOUR STUFF UNDER SOME MORE SUNLIGHT THAN IT HAD BEEN BEFORE.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE PEOPLE WILL, THEY SHOT BARS RECALL BE REQUIRED TO DO THIS, TO MAINTAIN THEMSELVES A SHOTGUN.
THAT'S THE QUESTION? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION IS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A BIG SOURCE OF THE ISSUES DOWN THERE ARE, ARE THE SHOT BARS, YOU KNOW, LET'S CALL, CALL A SPADE, A SPADE AND, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL PERMITTING OR, OR, UH, ACTIVITIES DO YOU THINK THAT THE CITY COULD DO TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SOMETHING BESIDES THAT? CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
AND, UH, OR AT LEAST DO IT MORE RESPONSIBLY.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET TABC TO CLOSE ANY OF THEM DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE THINGS LIKE THEY'LL HAVE A HIGH COVER CHARGE, WHICH THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON, BUT THEN THEY'LL HAVE VERY CHEAP SHOTS, YOU KNOW, THE TRICKS AND THAT'S ONE OF THE TRICKS.
SO IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO EXCESSIVELY DRINK.
W WOULD THAT BE WHERE THOSE BARS FALL UNDER THIS ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT, I THINK IS ONE OF THE THINGS HE WAS GETTING AT.
SO, SO ALL OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES OPERATING AFTER MIDNIGHT WOULD FALL UNDER THIS.
WHAT IF, WHAT WE SUGGESTED WAS IMPLEMENTED AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING TO COUNCIL.
IT JUST, THEY ASKED US TO SUGGEST A PROCESS IN A PROGRAM.
UM, THEY WOULD ALL BE PART OF IT.
UM, THIS ISN'T, UM, IT, ISN'T AN EFFORT TO FORCE PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, UM, THAT WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN THROUGH ENCOURAGING DIVERSE ACTIVITIES IN DIVERSE USES, UM, WHAT THIS IS INTENDED TO DO.
AND THERE'S ALREADY MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ABIDING BY, UM, REQUIREMENTS, WHETHER THOSE ARE T ABC OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR A SOUND PERMIT OR ANY OTHER PERMIT THEY HAVE.
UM, SO THIS ISN'T INTENDED TO BE PUNITIVE OR TO CHANGE, TO FORCE THEM TO CHANGE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IT IS, UM, AN EFFORT TO ADD SAFETY AND A SAFETY PLAN.
SO THEY'RE BOTH EDUCATED AND GUIDED ON BEST PRACTICES AND THAT THEY HAVE A WRITTEN PLAN IN PLACE AND THAT THERE'S BETTER COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION AROUND IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO KIND OF FORCE A CHANGE IN BUSINESS MODEL OR TO BE SOMETHING, I MEAN, I THINK LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER WAS GETTING AT IS THAT PART OF A SAFETY PLAN, I THINK, WOULD BE YOUR DOOR POLICY.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE CHARGING COVER, IF YOU'RE CHARGING 10 BUCKS TO GET
[00:40:01]
IN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DJ TO PAY OR A BAND TO PAY, UM, AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME AND LINGER AND LISTEN TO THAT BAND OR DANCE TO THAT DJ, I UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU'RE CHARGING 10 BUCKS TO GET IN FOR $3 SHOTS, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT MODEL, RIGHT? SO I'M WONDERING IF, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE, UM, CRITERIA WHEN THEY RE UP THEIR ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I'M NOT, NOT YOUR BUSINESS MODEL PER SE, BUT YOUR DOOR POLICY WOULD CERTAINLY, IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT FALL UNDER THAT.I KNOW THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DICTATE TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO FIND ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD INCLUDE THAT AS ONE OF THEIR METRICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WHEN, EVEN WHEN WE WERE REOPENING OUR SHOP WITH BLOCK THING, IT WAS, UH, OR ANY KIND OF SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.
THAT'S A PRETTY INVASIVE ACTIVITY TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY IS SOMETHING THEY COULD ASK ABOUT OR ENCOURAGE OR TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, LIKE, OKAY, WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, THEN YOU NEED IT.
YOU NEED TO HAVE AN OFF DUTY OFFICER THERE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MODEL LIKE THAT.
UM, I MEAN, I JUST, I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY USEFUL CRITERIA TO INCLUDE AND IN MY, AND AS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL AGAIN, I KNOW THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DICTATE TODAY, BUT IF YOU TAKE IT BACK, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT TO BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
UM, I HAD JUST A COUPLE, WELL, SO I NOTICED THAT IN THE, THE ACTION ITEMS SO FAR, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY FOCUSED ON SIXTH STREET PROPER.
AND I KNOW THAT DURING OUR LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SAFETY, UM, AND INCIDENCES THAT HAPPEN ON THE WAY TO AND FROM RIGHT.
UM, WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, AS PEOPLE MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR CAR, TO BUS STATIONS, WHERE, TO THE TRAIN, WHEREVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE GOING.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS, AT WHAT POINT CAN THIS PLAN SORT OF EXPAND TO INCLUDE AREAS BEYOND SIXTH STREET? BECAUSE AGAIN, THOSE, THE AREAS THAT, AND THIS MAY JUST BE ME, BUT AN AREA THAT HAS LOTS OF PEOPLE DOESN'T FEEL AS UNSAFE AS AN AREA THAT FEELS MORE VESSEL IT.
UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE SAFETY IN THOSE AREAS IS, IS PARAMOUNT TO MAKING THE ENTIRE AREA FEEL SAFE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST TO PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THE ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT QUESTIONS, LIKE, IS THERE A TIMELINE AROUND WHEN THE, OR A GOAL FOR WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THESE LICENSES AND PERMITS WOULD BE ROLLED OUT? ARE WE TALKING A YEAR FROM NOW 18 MONTHS FROM NOW? LIKE REALISTICALLY, HOW SOON COULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT GET UP AND GOING? OKAY.
SO FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY GOOD COMMENT IN TERMS OF SPEAK.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LOOKING AT OUR PEOPLE FOLK GET TO SIXTH STREET AND LEAD SIXTH STREET, AND LOOKING AT THAT AS AN EXTENSION, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SAFETY IN THAT WAY AS WELL.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED TO LOOK AT THAT, UM, AND EXPLORING, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, MAYBE MORE COORDINATED OR EFFICIENT RIDE SHARING.
UM, SO THAT GOES ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE BACK TO THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM AND KIND OF SAY, HEY, HOW PEOPLE GET HERE AND HOW THEY LEAVE.
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE LEAVING FROM THE DISTRICT ITSELF OR IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT, I THINK THAT'S INCORPORATED, BUT HOW DO WE GO FURTHER THAN THAT? AND LOOK AT OTHER TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE ROUTE TO GET THERE.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SUGGESTION.
SO DEFINITELY, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I, I, I ASSUME THAT THE MAJORITY OF INCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN ON SIXTH STREET DON'T HAPPEN INSIDE BARS, PROPER.
THEY HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE LOCATIONS.
THEY HAPPEN WHERE, LIKE I SAID, WHERE PEOPLE ARE CONGREGATING AND MOVING AROUND.
AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE I UNDERSTAND THE LICENSES AND THE PERMITS AND HOW, UM, THESE ARE THE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING AND FOUR.
UM, BUT, UM, I'M STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH HOW, HOW WE, HOW THIS HELPS AN AREA THAT IS HONESTLY SPANS BLOCKS IN EACH LIKE SEVERAL BLOCKS IN EACH DIRECTION FROM SIXTH STREET.
UM, HOW IT, HOW WE HELP MAKE ALL OF THAT FEEL SAFER.
UH, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION FOR US TO LOOK FURTHER INTO, ESPECIALLY THE BROADER
[00:45:01]
TRANSPORTATION TO, AND FROM, UM, YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I WANTED TO POINT OUT AGAIN THAT, UM, WHAT CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL ASKED JUST TO IN THE RESOLUTION WAS SUGGESTED PROCESS IN A PROGRAM FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT PERMITS.AND I THINK OUR NEXT STEP NOW IS TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THAT SUGGESTION.
UM, WHAT'S THEIR FEEDBACK IS THANK YOU.
UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF FOLLOWUP TO COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE THAT AT OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT THIS, THAT THE ISSUES TRANSCEND SIXTH STREET ITSELF.
AND WHILE WE CAN ADDRESS THE, WHAT HAPPENS IN AND AROUND THE BARS AND THE RESTAURANTS, THEIR STREETS, ALLEYS AND PARKING LOTS THAT ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE BUSINESSES.
AND THAT'S WHERE MUCH OF THIS HAPPENS.
CERTAINLY SOME OF THE MORE, THE MORE VIOLENT ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED BEYOND SIXTH STREET, BEYOND THE BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND ADDRESSING THAT AS PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGY.
AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT IN HERE, BUT ADDRESSING THAT AS PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGY, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE LIGHT MORE LIGHT IN DARK SPACES.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE RISKS THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE ARE MITIGATED, UH, BEYOND SIXTH STREET ITSELF.
AND THAT WAS SORT OF MY POINT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ WAS, WAS POINTING TO THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE MUCH MORE GLOBAL BECAUSE SIXTH STREET IS JUST THE HEART OF IT, BUT THE REST OF THE BODY IS ALL AROUND IT.
SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S ONE ISSUE I WANT TO ALSO COMMEND YOU ALL.
I THINK IT WILL BE AN INCENTIVE FOR, UM, THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS TO HAVE, UH, AN AGGREGATED PERMIT STRUCTURE WHERE THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE.
I THINK THAT WILL BE ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE IT'S MORE EFFICIENT.
WE ALL KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING IT CAN BE WITH PERMITS WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO HERE, THERE, AND YON, AND THEY'RE ON DIFFERENT SCHEDULES, BUT IF IT WAS ALL AT ONCE, THAT'S, THAT COULD BE A REAL BENEFIT TO THE OPERATORS.
SO, UM, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR THINKING THROUGH THAT, UM, CHAIR HARRIS.
MA'AM, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT I DID SEE COMMISSIONER WEAVER'S HAND UP A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND I NEGLECTED TO INTRODUCE YOU, SO JEN, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'M A JOINT LIAISON FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, AM ALSO A RESIDENT OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, I DID LIVE IN FIFTH AND WEST, UM, UNTIL RECENTLY.
UM, SO TO CARA MUCHO IS A BAR THAT IS, UM, HAS A LOT OF NOISE AND WHATNOT GOING ON AFTER HOURS.
AND, UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL ADJACENT BUILDINGS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, URINATING IN THE DRIVEWAYS OF, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE GATE OR GOING BEYOND THE GATE.
UM, SO AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMMING FOR THE STREET, I'M WONDERING HOW, KIND OF, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT A BUILDING WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS LIKE BATHROOMS AND, UM, HOW, HOW THAT'S BEEN PROGRAMMED INTO THIS IDEA.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL GONNA, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP AND COME UP WITH THE CRITERIA AND THE REQUIREMENTS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER LEVINE POINTED OUT OR BOTH LEARNING ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF CHUCK THE BLOCK, AND ONE OF THE, I THINK PROS CRITERIA IS THAT THAT PROGRAM WAS THE BUSINESS HEAD TO ALLOW FOLKS TO USE THE RESTROOM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE EXPANDING OUT INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THEIR RESTROOM AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT AS PART OF THIS.
UM, I KNOW IT'S CERTAINLY A HARDSHIP FOR RESTAURANTS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF WHY WE SEE SO MANY FOOD TRAILERS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, PARKING SPACES AND TOILETS, BUT THERE ARE REAL ISSUES, UM, WITH ACCOMMODATING PEOPLE, SO EXCITED TO SEE THE NEXT STEP.
UM, ONE QUICK QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, QUESTIONS I HAD AT OUR LAST MEETING HAVE Y'ALL GOTTEN A COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE TABC PERMITS AND THE, UH, DIFFERENT USES IN TERMS OF
[00:50:01]
NUMBERS, PERCENTAGES OF THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES ALONG SIXTH STREET.NO, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT ANALYSIS YET SHARE AREAS.
UM, BUT I WILL GO BACK AND SEE IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DATA WE CAN AGGREGATE AND COMPILE AND, AND GET BACK TO YOU.
WELL, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PROCESS, IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER, WHETHER WEATHER, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY, YOUR MICS, NOT ON, I'M TRYING TO FIND IT THERE.
I GET THAT, YOU'RE BRINGING ME UP.
THE PERMITS WAS A QUESTION THAT I HAD GENERALLY SPEAKING ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES ON THE STREET AND IF THAT WOULD, UH, ALLOW OR HOW IT WOULD ADDRESS, UH, ALCOHOL IN THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING.
AND IF IT'S IN THE DOCUMENT, I, I ADMIT, I DIDN'T SEE THAT, THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL ISN'T IN THE DOCUMENT.
SO I GUESS, ARE YOU ASKING HOW WE WOULD SORT OF MANAGE OR MITIGATE ALCOHOL IN A PILOT PROGRAM SEATING, DINING ACTIVATIONS, OR TINY, BECAUSE I ASSUME PEOPLE WILL ASK FOR THAT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD INTENTIONS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH PERMITTING OF IT, IF IT WAS SOMEONE THAT WASN'T ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL PROPRIETORS, WELL, IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED TABC PERMIT TO SERVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD REALLY BE BETWEEN THE BUSINESS AND TABC.
UM, I THINK WE ENVISIONED, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY BUSINESS OWNER EXPANDING INTO THE SIDEWALK OR PARKING LANE OR TRAVEL LANE.
UM, CERTAINLY THE BUSINESSES COULD COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SORT OUT ALCOHOL LICENSING AND IF A DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATION WANTED TO SPONSOR IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THE SAME.
UM, I WAS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KIND OF ENVISIONED THIS TAKING PLACE ON THE BLOCKS THAT AREN'T SO CROWDED THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE PEAK CROWDS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY THE 200 BLOCK ON THE WEST SIDE OF FIVE AND 600 BLOCKS ON THE EAST SIDE AND WITHIN THE CLOSER, WHICH WITHIN THE CLOSURE REALLY IT'S, IT'S, YOU'VE BEEN DRIVEN 500 BLOCKS ONCE YOU'VE MOVED EAST OF THAT, YOU GET OUTSIDE THE CLOSURE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE ROBUST DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD DENIED AND I SUSPECTED THAT THIS WOULD BE, UM, AN AREA OF INTEREST.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT IS CORE TO WHAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS HERE FOR.
UM, AND SO I HAVE AN ACTION ITEM TO CREATE A SAFER, SAFER STREETS, SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND, UM, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO CREATE THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE WORKING GROUP TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AND TO BE A RESOURCE, A SOUNDING BOARD FOR STAFF AS THEY CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS END FOR, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE IMPACTED BY THIS.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, JUST DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT IT? YOU CAN BE ON AS MANY WORKING GROUPS AS YOU LIKE.
AND I, I, I, I FULLY HOPE THAT MANY OF YOU ALL WHO HAVEN'T TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE ON A WORKING GROUP, MY JUMP IN ON THIS ONE, BECAUSE IT IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, UM, DOWNTOWN'S RESILIENCY COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, CERTAINLY SEEING OUR ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY REBOUND.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND SO, I MEAN, THIS HAVING A SAFER FOR SIXTH STREET FOR EVERYBODY, THAT'S INCLUSIVE IS KINDA WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY, MY TALKING POINT ON THIS.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, EVERYBODY READY TO RAISE YOUR HAND TO VOLUNTEER, INCLUDING YOU, YOU FOLKS ON THE SCREEN, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
DO I HAVE ANY OPPOSITION, UH, HEARING NONE.
YOU'VE GOT A GROUP THAT WILL LOVE TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE WITH YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
[00:55:02]
ALL RIGHT.[2.b. Rainey Street Trailhead (SPC-2021-0286C): Presentation by Heidi Anderson, Trail Foundation]
ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD.UH, HEIDI ANDERSON WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION WILL BE HERE FOR US, HEIDI COMMISSIONERS, LAYMAN TAYLOR, AND RAIN.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATION.
I'M NOT ABLE TO PUT MY, UH, I'M NOT ABLE TO PUT MY VIDEO ON RIGHT NOW.
I'LL BE PREPARED FOR THAT NEXT MEETING.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE IT IN PERSON, UH, COMMISSIONER LAYMAN HERE.
I'M MONITORING IT ON TWO DEVICES, BUT I CAN'T GET EITHER TO LET ME SHARE MY CAMERA AND I'M GETTING WEIRD STUFF.
SO I DON'T WANNA WASTE YOUR TIME ON THAT.
IT JUST CAN'T GET IT DONE RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO HOLLER.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M YELLING AT THE TELEVISION SCREEN.
LORD HAVE MERCY, TOO MANY, TOO MANY ZOOM MEETINGS AND OVER TOO LONG A PERIOD.
UH, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION ON THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, UH, AND CHAIR HARRIS FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SHARE THIS EXCITING PROJECT WITH YOU.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF OUR FIRST TRAIL FOUNDATION, REALLY PARK FULL PARK ENHANCEMENTS.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY PROJECTS TEAM HERE IN A MINUTE TO GO THROUGH THE ACTUAL PRESENTATION.
UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK MINUTE AND, UH, INTRODUCE MYSELF HEIDI ANDERSON, CEO OF THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, AND GIVE YOU A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHO TTF IS WHERE A NONPROFIT, 19 YEARS OLD NOW, UH, PARTNERING PRIMARILY WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS WATERSHED TO PROTECT, ENHANCE, AND CONNECT THE INWOOD BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN THE FINAL STEPS OF NEGOTIATION TO ENTER INTO WHAT'S CALLED A POMA PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL TRANSITION OVER TIME.
THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE 200 PLUS ACRES OF PARKLAND ON WHICH THE BUTLER TRAIL SITS OVER TO TTF FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND METHODICAL APPROACH THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER WITH, UH, OUR PARTNERS AT PARD AND WATERSHED AS WELL.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS SPACE.
UH, WHAT THAT MEANS IS OUR DAY TO DAY KIND OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND WORK IS GOING TO EXPONENTIALLY EXPAND FOR US AND WE'RE BUILDING CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
BUT MEANWHILE, WE WILL CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, WHICH IS OUR CAPITOL PLACEMAKING PROJECTS.
WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IS THAT IN THE PAST, WE MIGHT IDENTIFY A NEED, UH, SECURE THE FUNDING, GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING, BUILD A PROJECT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRAIL BRIDGE THAT SITS UNDERNEATH CONGRESS AVENUE WITH THE OBSERVATION DECK WAS A TTF PROJECT, UH, LOTS OF RESTROOMS, WATER, ACCESS POINTS, AND SUCH.
WE RAISE THOSE DOLLARS PRIVATELY.
WE WOULD HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING AND KIND OF HAND THAT BACK OVER TO THE CITY AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR MAINTENANCE.
UH, AS WE CONTINUED TO BUILD MORE INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE BECOME MORE OF A BURDEN TO OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE STRETCHED BUDGET.
SO WITH THIS AGREEMENT, WE WILL NOW BE MAINTAINING ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO THE PROJECT WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TONIGHT IS WHEN WE'RE JUST THRILLED BY, UH, CALLED THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD.
AND, UH, WE WILL NOT ONLY BE CONSTRUCTING PERMITTING.
WE'VE ALREADY RAISED ALL THE FUNDING FOR IT AND BUILDING IT, BUT ONCE IT IS COMPLETE, WE'LL BE THE, UH, THE STEWARDS TO MAINTAIN IT AS WELL.
SO WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU THE DESIGN WE ARE IN PERMITTING.
NOW MY PROJECTS TEAM IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT, PROJECT DIRECTOR, CHARLOTTE TONSOR AND PROJECT MANAGER, NICK BLOCK.
WHO'S GOING TO DO THE WALKTHROUGH HERE FOR US, AND THEN WE'LL ALL BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS, UH, AFTERWARDS.
SO NICK, DO YOU WANT TO STEP IN? CERTAINLY CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO ECHO HEIDI AND, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR HARRIS AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION FOR ALLOWING US THE TIME TO PRESENT OUR PROJECT HERE.
UM, AND, UH, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IN PART SPECIFICALLY CHARLES MAYBERRY, WHO HOPEFULLY WHAT'S THE MEANING HERE AS WELL.
WHO'S BEEN JUST A HUGE PART IN GETTING THIS PROJECT TO WHERE IT IS NOW AND, UH, HELPING US GET THERE.
[01:00:01]
OF OUR PROJECT TEAM HERE.I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE, BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN, UH, IT'S BEEN A GREAT TEAM, UH, PUT TOGETHER AND WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.
SO LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH KIND OF EXISTING CONDITIONS AND, AND GET YOU ORIENTED.
SO WE ARE SITUATED AT THE SOUTHERN END POINT OF, OF RAINEY STREET.
UM, OUR PROJECT IS ROUGHLY TWO ACRES OF KIND OF OPEN, UH, TURF PARKLAND.
WE ARE BOUNDED ON THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN AND BY THE EXISTING HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
AND THEN ON THE NORTH SIDE BY COMING STREET AND ON THE EAST SIDE BY ESTAB ON CUMMINGS AND EAST APP, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PARKING, UM, PAID PARKING THERE.
THERE'S ALSO A TWO HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE SPACES, UM, THERE AS WELL, THAT IS PROVIDING, UH, ACCESSIBILITY ACCESS FOR US.
AND YOU'LL, YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PARK.
THIS IS WHERE THE MOREAU RIVERA RESTROOM WAS BUILT BACK IN ABOUT 2007 AND THEN SITUATED ON EITHER END OF OUR SITE HERE WALLER CREEK.
AND THE MAC IS ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE WALK TO THE NORTHWEST.
AND WE, AS YOU KNOW, THOSE, BOTH THOSE PROJECTS ARE, UM, HAVE SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS GOING ON ON THEIR OWN.
SO WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THEM TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THEIR SCOPE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE MESHING WITH THEM.
AND THEN TO THE SOUTHEAST AND IN ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE IS A FESTIVAL BEACH JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF .
SO THE EXISTING PARK, AS YOU CAN SEE IS PREDOMINANTLY TURF, UH, SOME GREAT SHADE TREES, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST A, UH, MAINTAINED FIELD.
THAT'S GOT A LOT OF KIND OF BUMPY A LITTLE BIT UNUSABLE, UM, OTHER THAN JUST, UH, PLAYING CATCH AND, AND LETTING YOUR DOG AROUND.
AND SO IT DOESN'T GET A LOT OF USE IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU'LL SEE, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT BACK IN ABOUT 2019 WHEN WE COULD HAVE IN-PERSON EVENTS AND WE HAD A THREE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS ONSITE AND WE HAD, UM, JUST KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHO USES THIS PARK AND HOW THEY, UH, HOW THEY SEE THIS PARK BEING, UH, ADAPTED BETTER, UH, FOR THEIR USES.
SO YOU'LL SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF REQUESTS FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL SHADE IN SHORELINE RESTORATION, AND THEN JUST MAKING IT A BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD ARC AND CONNECTION TO THE TRAIL.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE, THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM HERE IS PEOPLE DIDN'T REQUEST THIS TO BE A, UH, REALLY HEAVILY ACTIVATED SPACE.
THEY WANTED THIS TO BE MAINTAINED AS MORE OF A INFORMAL PARK SPACE, UH, TO SERVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IF YOU CAN SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE ADDITIONAL, UH, A LITTLE MORE DETAIL INTO WHAT A SURVEY BROUGHT BACK IN TERMS OF, UM, THE, THE PIECES THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF NATIVE PLANTING, BETTER STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, UH, AND THEN ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THERE IS MAJOR PLACE.
SO ART ACTUALLY HAD A PLAYGROUND HERE ROUGHLY 10 YEARS AGO, UH, THAT WAS REMOVED, UM, DUE TO JUST UNDER UTILIZATION.
IT WAS, IT WAS TARGETED TOWARDS, UH, MORE OLDER AND OLDER KIDS, AND IT WAS MORE OF A TRADITIONAL PLAY, UH, PLAY FEATURE.
SO YOU'LL SEE HOW THE NATURE PLAY KIND OF COMES INTO, UH, THIS DESIGN WITH, WITH MORE OF THAT SORT OF, UM, TONED BACK, UH, LESS ENHANCED, UM, DESIGN.
AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE SECOND ENGAGEMENT SESSION WAS WHERE WE TOOK ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK.
AND WE CREATED TWO SEPARATE CONCEPTS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE FIRST ONE.
HERE IS MUCH MORE FORMAL, UH, IS REALLY ORGANIZED BASED IN KIND OF THIS CIRCULAR PATTERN.
UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FOR THAT, THAT ONE WAS, WAS LIKED A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWING CONCEPT NUMBER TWO, WHICH WAS A MUCH MORE INFORMAL NATURALIZED.
IF WE CAN SKIP THAT TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THERE A MUCH MORE INFORMAL KIND OF NATURALIZED, UH, DESIGN.
AND THIS ONE, UH, WAS PREFERRED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH ANOTHER
[01:05:01]
SURVEY THAT WE SENT OUT.AND ONE OF THE PIECES THAT THAT WAS REALLY LIKED WAS, UH, THE NATURE PLAY AND THE, THE WATER ACCESS COMPONENTS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE COMING UP IN THE SITE PLAN ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, IF YOU CAN SKIP AHEAD.
SO WE WROTE THAT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU CAN ORIENT YOURSELF TO NORTH AGAIN, UH, KIND OF TO THE NORTH OR TO THE, UH, THE UPPER LEFT THERE KIND OF PURPLE OR PARALLEL, EXCUSE ME TO EAST TO HAVE, WE'LL START UP AT THE CORNER OF CUMMINGS AND EAST THERE, CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE WHERE A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC, A LOT OF THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS IS COMING FROM.
SO YOU'LL ENTER THIS PARK WITH, UH, A KIND OF GRAVEL SEATING AREA AND A PLANTING AREAS UNDER SOME REALLY NICE EXISTING TREES.
AND THEN JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THAT IS WHERE THE MAJOR PLAY IS LOCATED.
AND WE'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN THE FOLLOWING FEW SLIDES.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT WE DID MAINTAIN A, A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD LAWN, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE, UH, IT'S SCALED DOWN, MUCH EASIER TO MAINTAIN REQUIRES LESS, UH, LESS FREQUENT, UH, MOWING OF THE WHOLE PROJECT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S LOCATED NEXT TO THE EXISTING, UH, MOREAU RIVERA RESTROOM ON THE WEST END THERE, THE SOUTHERN HALF HERE IS THE EXISTING HIKING BIKE TRAIL.
AND THAT'S KIND OF ON THE LOWER SIDE OF SOME EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY.
SO IN THE MIDDLE THERE, YOU'LL SEE A ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION TRAVERSING, THIS KIND OF SIGNIFICANT GRADE CHANGE, UM, GOING FROM THE MAJOR PLAYER AREA DOWN TO WHERE THE WATER ACCESS IS LOCATED AND THE WATER ACCESS IS LOCATED THERE.
UH, WE, WE STUDIED THE, HOW PEOPLE USE THE SITE AND THAT REALLY IS WHERE PEOPLE WERE, UH, LAUNCHING ANY SORT OF BOATS FISHING.
UH, AND, AND SO WE, UH, KEPT THE WATER ACCESS IN THE SAME LOCATION.
THERE YOU'LL SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
HERE'S A COUPLE RENDERINGS THAT GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE PERSPECTIVE ON THE, UH, THE SITE HERE.
SO THE TOP RENDERING IS LOOKING FROM THE WEST END, KIND OF LOOKING SOUTHEAST, YOU'LL SEE THE LAKE AND THE EXISTING TRAIL.
AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE NATURE PLAY TO THE TOP LEFT OF THIS IMAGE.
THAT'S A PREVIOUS RENDITION OF THE NATURE PLAY CLC, SOME ADDITIONAL UPDATES IN THE COMING SLIDES, BUT, AND THEN THE BOTTOM IMAGE IS LOOKING IF YOU'RE STANDING IN THE NATURE, PLAY BOUNDARY AND LOOKING NORTH, YOU'RE LOOKING ACROSS THE SEATING AREA ACROSS CUMMINGS AV, AND THAT IS WHERE THERE'S A NEW TOWER GOING IN THE 44 EAST PROJECT.
SO NATURE PLAY, AS YOU'VE SEEN NUMEROUS TIMES HERE IS, WAS REALLY A EXCITING ITEM THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS REALLY, UH, LOOKING FOR.
WE DECIDED THAT HIRING A NATURE PLAY CONSULTANT WAS REALLY GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THIS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH BLACKLINE COLLABORATIVE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GROUP THAT STARTED OUT AT THE WILDFLOWER CENTER.
THEY'RE REALLY EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD OF UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CREATE KIND OF LOOSE PARTS AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS TO, UM, REALLY SPARK KIDS' IMAGINATION.
IT'S MUCH MORE, UH, ADVENTUROUS WAY OF, OF PLAY THAN SOME OF THESE TRADITIONAL PLAYER ELEMENTS.
YOU'LL SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE KIND OF WORKING TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PLAY TYPES AND THE DIFFERENT, UH, SPACES AND HOW THOSE KIND OF ORGANIZE TOGETHER.
AND ALL OF THIS IS, IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITIES, CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE INITIATIVE, UH, REALLY TAKING THEIR GOALS AND ADAPTING THEM TO THIS PARK.
YOU'LL SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND HERE'S HOW THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER INTO A SERIES OF, UH, LOG PARTS, BOTH LARGER LOGS AND KIND OF LOOSE LOGS THAT, UH, KIDS CAN, CAN BUILD FORTS OUT OF THEIR SMALL GRASS MAZES, WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF HIDE AND, AND GET, UH, DOWN IN THE DARK AND KIND OF EXPLORE ON A, ON A SMALL LEVEL.
THERE'S A SAND PIT, A A STAGE TO REALLY, UH, GREAT YOUR OWN ADVENTURES AS WE'RE, UH, HEARING ABOUT THE PLAYS AND THINGS EARLIER TONIGHT, IT'S SIMILAR SORT OF ENVIRONMENT THERE.
IF YOU'LL SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
[01:10:01]
AND THEN THIS IS MOVING TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE WHERE WE HAVE THIS WATER ACCESS POINT.SO WE WANTED TO MAINTAIN THIS WATER ACCESS AS A, AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE THINKING THIS IS, THIS CAN BE FUNCTIONED AS A BOAT LAUNCH FOR KAYAKS AND PADDLE PADDLE BOARDS, BUT ALSO A FISHING PIER AND, AND, UH, UH, WATER LAUNCH FOR DOGS.
AND, UH, SO ON, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN WE WANTED TO POINT OUT THE EXISTING TREE CANOPY.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ON JUST THE, THE REALLY GREAT TREES THAT YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE.
SO THE TREES IN GREEN HERE YOU'RE SEEING ARE THE 19 INCH AND ABOVE TREES AND EVERYTHING IS BEING PRESERVED EXCEPT FOR THREE TREES THAT ARE IN REALLY POOR HEALTH.
THERE'S ONE EXISTING, UH, BALD, CYPRESS.
THAT'S DEAD DOWN BY THE WATER.
SO WE'RE REMOVING THAT JUST, UH, FOR SAFETY AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S TWO, THERE'S A MOSQUITO AND A ADDITIONAL OAK THAT ARE ALSO IN POOR HEALTH STORE REMOVING THOSE.
BUT THE COOLEST THING IS BECAUSE OF THE NATURE PLAY USES ALL OF THESE LOGS AND LOOSE PARTS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO REUSE AND RECYCLE THOSE, THOSE TREES WERE REMOVING, UH, AND PUT THEM RIGHT BACK INTO USE IN THE NATURE PLAY.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AS WELL.
AND HERE WE WANTED TO HAVE A QUICK DIAGRAM, UM, THROUGH OUR SAFETY AND MOBILITY PLAN, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, UH, OF HOW THIS TRAIL OR HOW THE, UH, THE PARK WILL FUNCTION WITH LIGHTING AT NIGHT.
AND SO IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE, UH, SUPER LIT UP, BUT ENOUGH THAT IT'S A SAFE SPACE.
UH, PEOPLE CAN KIND OF STILL USE AND TRAVERSE THE PARK.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT OVERLY LIT IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAD FOR YOU TONIGHT, BUT WE'D LOVE TO ANSWER ANY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS YOU HAVE FOR US.
WONDERFUL AND EXCITING PRESENTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE TO TRAIL I'M THERE, BUT FOUR DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND ME THERE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE PLAYSCAPE EXACTLY IS LIKE I ALWAYS STARTED THE MOPAC BRIDGE FOR AUSTIN HIGH IS, AND JUST GO TO THE LAMAR BRIDGE.
HOW FAR IS THE PLAY AREA FROM THE MOPAC BRIDGE? THAT IS, I DON'T HAVE A EXACT MILEAGE FOR YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
IT'S ABOUT FIVE MINUTES FROM THE BRIDGE.
SO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH RAINEY STREET, WE'RE ON THE VERY SOUTHERN END OF THAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS I'VE GOT TO, UM, ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE TREES.
AND I WANTED TO MENTION IT BEFORE I FORGET, SURELY THE BALL CYPRESS, AT LEAST PARTS OF IT.
AND THE, UH, THE MUSKY THERE, PROBABLY SOME WONDERFUL FOLKS WHO COULD DO CUSTOM FURNITURE FOR THE PARK MADE OUT OF THAT BECAUSE THAT'D BE 42 INCH BALL.
CYPRUS COULD PRODUCE A LOT MORE THAN A LUMBER FOR, OR PIECES FOR A PLAYSCAPE THAT'S NUMBER ONE, JUST A THOUGHT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PART, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT'S IT FRONTS EAST AVENUE, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, UH, PLANNERS ARE WORKING ON A MASTER PLAN, UH, FOR THAT AREA.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC ISSUES, PARTICULARLY WITH ALL THE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRED DOWN ON THERE IN THE RAINEY STREET DISTRICT.
UM, I THINK ABOUT THE PARKS IN NEW YORK, ALL OF THE CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS ARE FENCED IN WHICH TENDS TO GIVE THE PARENTS A LOT, UH, A BETTER SENSE OF SECURITY WHEN THEIR KIDS RUNNING AROUND AND PLAYING, BEING RIGHT NEXT TO THE STREET.
UM, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO PUTTING TO FENCING IN, UH, ENGAGING IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA FOR SAFETY? AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, SORRY WITH, WITH PAR, UM, AND YOU KNOW, PART TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR A WHILE, AND I THINK THEY WERE PUTTING SOME FENCES AROUND AND THEN IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, UH, EVERY PLAYGROUND GOING TO BE COMPLETELY FENCED.
SO THEY KIND OF WANTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.
SO WE DID LOOK AT IT, WE ARE CREATING SOME BERMS, UH, BETWEEN EAS AND THE PLAY AREA, AND THAT WILL BE PLANTED UP WITH, UH, PLANTINGS AND THEN SOME TREES AS WELL.
SO THERE'LL BE SOME, THERE WILL BE SOME BUFFER.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE STRAIGHT OUT TO THE
[01:15:01]
STREET, UM, IN FOR THE FORM OF TOPOGRAPHY AND PLANTINGS AS WELL.SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT A FENCE AND KIND OF HAVE THAT BARRIER AROUND.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS, FOLKS, DO YOU ALL NEED ANYTHING FROM US AT THIS TIME? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING SCHEDULED FOR ACT.
YEAH, IT IS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
UH, DO YOU WANT ANY, ANY, ANY ACTION FROM US TONIGHT? OH, THIS WAS A REQUEST THROUGH OUR, YOU KNOW, SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT THAT WE ARE BEING SUBMITTED, THAT WE WENT TO, UM, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
WE'LL BE ALSO GOING TO DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE WENT TO THE WORLD CREEK DESIGN.
WHAT IS THEIR NAME? NICK DESIGN DISTRICT DESIGN DISTRICT AT A COMMITTEE MEETING THIS MORNING.
IF THE COMMISSION IS WILLING TO CONSIDER JUST A VOTE OF SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO US MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT COMMISSIONER MISER BOX, I GUESS LIKE THE MORE WILD VERSION IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN IS THAT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
UM, WELL DO I HAVE, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION EMOTION, RIGHT? I KNOW.
I MOVED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CONCEPT TWO OF THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT.
I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DO I HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THANKS FOR ALL Y'ALL'S WORK.
WELL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING, UH, THE SECOND VERSION OF THE TRAILHEAD PROJECT, SAY I OPPOSE HEARING ABSOLUTELY.
NO ONE, UH, THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROGRESS AT THE TRAILHEAD, AND PLEASE DO COME BACK TO US AND LET US KNOW IF WE CAN BE OF ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE.
WE WILL TAKE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
[2.c. Historic Resources Survey for Old Austin Neighborhood Association: Presentation by Andrew Rice and Elizabeth Brummett, Housing and Planning Department]
OF BUSINESS IS THE HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY FOR THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS COMMISSIONER THERE'S COMMISSIONER SETH.UH, AND FOR THIS, UH, WE HAVE ANDREW RICE AND ELIZABETH ELIZABETH BRUMMETT HI, GOOD EVENING.
IT TOOK US A MOMENT TICKET JOINS INTO THE MEETING.
UM, I'M ELIZABETH GROMMET WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY DELIGHTED TO SHARE THESE, UH, SURVEY RESULTS WITH YOU.
AND I WILL BE ON HAND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, ANDREW RICE, OUR SURVEY COORDINATOR WILL BE, UH, GIVING THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH REAL QUICKLY BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO NOTE THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON'S TIME, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER STEVE SEDOWSKY RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AND, UH, VERY SAD.
STEVE HAD WORKED FOR DECADES TIRELESSLY IN THE NAME OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A, HE HAD HIS HAND ON EVERY BUILDING IN EVERY PROJECT FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
AND SO I JUST, BEFORE YOU ALL STARTED, I WANTED TO SPONTANEOUSLY MAKE NOTE OF THAT AND, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT HE HAD DONE.
UM, ELIZABETH, WE'RE DELIGHTED YOU'RE WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, UH, ELIZABETH AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER WHEN I WAS ON THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KIND WORDS AT YOUR HARRIS.
I AM WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
[01:20:01]
AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IN MARCH, 2019, THE OLD BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO RECEIVE DATA CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH FROM THE TEXAS HISTORICAL CONDITION, AS WELL AS FUNDING FROM PRESERVATION AUSTIN.UM, AS WELL AS PRIVATE DONORS, UM, HARDY, HEC MOORE AND ASSOCIATES, UH, PROVIDED PRO BONO LABOR, UM, AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS WHO PROVIDED RE UH, WE'VE HELPED IN RESEARCH EFFORTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER THROUGH JANUARY, UM, W UH, THE SURVEY WAS DRAFTED AND ACCEPTED IN JUNE OF 2020.
UM, THE SURVEY IS BOUNDED BY THE NORTH, UH, BY 15TH STREETS TO THE WEST BY NORTH LAMAR, AND SHE'LL PREACH TO SOUTH BY FOURTH AND FIFTH STREETS INTO THE EAST BY COLORADO STREETS.
UM, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SURVEY WAS TO LOCATE, IDENTIFY AND PHOTOGRAPH POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES, SITES, LANDSCAPES, UH, AND OBJECTS, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS WITHIN THE SURVEY AREA.
UM, AS WELL AS, UH, INDIVIDUALLY ELIGIBLE, UH, LANDMARKS, UM, WITHIN THE SURVEY AREA.
UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ELIGIBILITY, UH, DOESN'T, UH, AFFECT THE ZONING OF A PROPERTY.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T INITIATE ANY TYPE OF ZONING CHANGE.
UH, IT'S A, UH, UH, INFORMATION GATHERING TOOL THAT CAN BE USED BY THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE CITY, REALLY ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN, UM, THE HISTORY OF THE, UH, THE SURVEY AREA, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THE, UM, ROUGHLY 450 RESOURCES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE SURVEY AREA, UM, ONLY THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE, UM, BUILT IN OR BEFORE 1974 WERE EVALUATED, UH, FOR ELIGIBILITY.
UM, AND THESE, UH, RESOURCES WERE, UM, THE FIELD EVALUATIONS WERE COMPLETED BY A PROFESSIONALS MEETING OR EXCEEDING THE SECRETARY OF THE IN STEERS, UM, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION STANDARDS.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, THERE ARE TWO DISTRICTS THAT WERE, UM, ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED, UH, FOR, UH, NATIONAL REGISTRAR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES LISTING AS WELL AS LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS, UH, ELIGIBILITY.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THERE WERE, UH, 60 PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS IN AN ADDITIONAL 64, UM, INDIVIDUALS INDIVIDUALLY ELIGIBLE, UH, LANDMARKS FOUND, UM, IN THE SURVEY RESULTS AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE RECOMMENDED HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, THE WEST DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT IS OUTLINED BY, UM, THE OVERLAPPING GREEN AND RED LINES.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, BRI MONDE AND COMMISSIONER HIMSELF.
I HOPE I'M PRONOUNCING THAT RIGHT THIS TIME, UM, AS OUTLINED BY THE, THE TEAL LINE TO THE SOUTH OF THE, UH, WEST DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS CAN ALSO BE, UM, ARE DOWN TO SMALLER DISTRICTS, UM, IF DESIRED BY THE COMMUNITY, UM, INTO A MINIMUM OF ONE BLOCK FACE, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO CITY STAFF CAN USE, UH, THIS SURVEY.
UM, I PERSONALLY USE THE SURVEY WHENEVER, UM, A PROPERTY FOR TOTAL OR PARTIAL DEMOLITION COMES THROUGH OUR OFFICE FOR REVIEW.
UM, HOPEFULLY THE COMMUNITY WILL USE THIS INFORMATION TO APPLY FOR A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT OR INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK, UM, ZONING CHANGES.
UM, BUT IT COULD BE USED BY ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN, UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OR JUST, UH, THE UNIQUE HISTORY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT LOG, UH, THE SURVEY CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, AT THE, AT THE LINK SEEING HERE, UM, ALONG WITH, UH, THE EAST AUSTIN SURVEY AND, UH, MORE RECENTLY THE, UH, NORTH CENTRAL, UH, HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY.
[01:25:01]
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE PRESENTATION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT.UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO LET ME OR ELIZABETH? NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, COMMISSIONER HEIM, SAPPHIRE, LIKE YOUR, YOUR, UM, I'M GLAD I SAID THAT BEFORE, UH, COMMISSIONER HUBSTAFF, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR INPUT ON THIS IF I MAY.
AND AGAIN, AS VICE CHAIR OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION AND, UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS MY SECOND TERM, I ACTUALLY HAD AN EARLIER STINT BACK IN THE NINETIES.
SO, UH, I, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF HISTORY SOMETIMES THAT UPON FOR THAT ROLE.
UH, I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO PUT THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND VERY IMPORTANT EFFORT INTO THE CONTEXT OF THE, THE NATIONAL, UH, UH, THESE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEYS.
THE CITY INITIATED SOME OF THEIR EARLIEST, UH, UH, HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEYS.
UH, I KNOW WE EVEN STILL PULL UP, UH, SOME OF THEM FROM THE EIGHTIES.
UH, THIS IS, UH, IMPORTANT THOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, THE NEED TO UPDATE OR GO INTO MORE DETAIL BECAUSE JUST THE STATUS OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES, BUT ALSO AS TIME GOES ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF AGE BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, EITHER AS CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, UH, TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS OR AS INDIVIDUAL LANDMARKS THEMSELVES.
AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AS I'VE BEEN SAYING, THERE'S, THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE, UH, PARTICULARLY ON EXISTING BUILDINGS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF AUSTIN, UH, WITH REDEVELOPMENT AND VERY WELL-INTENTIONED FOLKS.
SO WITH NO, NO OTHER RESOURCE, UH, LOOKING AT AN OLD BUILDING AND SAYING, WELL, THAT'S A MESS.
AND, UH, IT'S REALLY UP TO, UM, THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN, UH, EVENTUALLY WHEN THEY INTERFACE WITH THE CITY AND WE HAVE A RESOURCE LIKE THIS WE'RE VERY QUICKLY, UH, YOU CAN TURN TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS AND SAY, OH, THAT PROPERTY WAS NOTED.
AND THE LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE, UH, EVEN AT AN OVERVIEW THAT A RESOURCE STUDY LIKE THIS MIGHT HAVE, UH, THAT THAT'S AN INDICATION OF SOME LEVEL OF VALUE.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AS THE PRIVATE OWNER OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, START THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THAT PROPERTY AND WHAT THEIR PLANS MIGHT BE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, EACH OF THESE IS A LITTLE BETTER PART OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT FABRIC THAT WE'RE FILLING IN AND KEEPING IT UP TO DATE, KEEPING, UH, AWARE OF WHAT IS CURRENT, UH, IS, UH, IS A HUGE EFFORT.
UH, BUT IT'S ONE THAT NOT ONLY THE STAFF, THE STATE, UH, AND ITS RESOURCES, THE GLO GRANT THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN, UH, THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEERS TIME THAT GOES INTO THIS, UH, IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO THEN BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S SO OBVIOUS AND EASY WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
UH, ELIZABETH, QUICK QUESTION, WHERE ARE Y'ALL IN THE PRESERVATION PLAN PROCESS? WE ARE MIDSTREAM WITH THAT PROJECT, UM, THAT IS AN EFFORT TO UPDATE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, EXISTING 1981 HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH IS SO OUT OF DAY, THAT'S NOT IN USE.
SO IT'S A PROJECT THAT IS LONG OVERDUE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD, UM, IT'S A YEAR LONG PROCESS WITH MONTHLY MEETINGS AND WE'RE, I, I BELIEVE WE ARE SIX MEETINGS AND TO THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY STAFF IS, IS CRAFTING A MEMO TO, UH, RELATED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITH AN UPDATE, A GENERAL UPDATE ON THE PLAN AND INTRODUCTION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, LINKED TO THE SPEAK OF BOSTON PAGE, WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION AS WELL AS AN OFFER TO COME WITH A BRIEFING ON THAT PLAN, IF THAT'S OF INTEREST.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING, BUT CERTAINLY HAPPY TO HEAR, UM, IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE US TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN DEPTH WITH THE PRESENTATION WE'RE HAPPY TO DO SO THE ANSWER I BELIEVE WOULD BE YES.
UM, FOLKS, OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, UH, COMMISSIONER WEIZENBAUM, CAN I, YOUR HANDS HINDSIGHT, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE WORK OF A RIP KIMBO WHO CAME AND GAVE A TALK IN AUSTIN NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT RESOURCE OF A BUILDING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN THE BUILDING BECAUSE A LOT OF TRUCKS BROUGHT THE MATERIAL THAT MATERIAL WAS HEWN, THAT WAS ENERGY.
[01:30:01]
WAS PUT TOGETHER AND TEARING IT DOWN WOULD MEAN LOSS OF THAT RESOURCE.IN ADDITION TO, UH, PERHAPS, UM, THE AIR QUALITY NOISE POLLUTION FROM THE TRUCKS TO TEAR IT DOWN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT RESOURCES, BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT THINK OF THAT RESOURCE.
I PERHAPS I DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT VERY WELL, BUT THE GREENEST BUILDING IS THE ONE NOT DEMOLISHED.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S INTERESTING THAT THIS COINCIDES WITH THE WORK OF THE UPDATING THE PRESERVATION PLAN, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF CRITERIA AND MANY THINGS THAT WE NOW APPRECIATE, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND UNDERREPRESENTED, UH, PARTS OF OUR HISTORY THAT, UM, REALLY, UH, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO BRING INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THAT, THAT VERY TYPE OF THING OF BECOMING AWARE OF HOW, UH, EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THE CAPTURED, UH, CARBON RESOURCES OF AN EXISTING BUILDING, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN QUITE WHAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON YET, BUT IT CERTAINLY FACTORS INTO PROMOTING AND REALLY MAKING IT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC, THE VALUE OF OUR EXISTING STRUCTURES.
UH, JUST TO ADD ANOTHER COMMENT, SADLY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS WELL BEHIND, UH, THOSE THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE PURE CITIES, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PRESERVATION ORDINANCE UNTIL 1974.
AND BY THEN MUCH OF THE FABRIC THAT REALLY DEFINED THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN HAD BEEN DESTROYED.
AND SO IN 1974, THERE WAS A SENSE OF URGENCY.
WE PUT, UH, WE PUT ORDINANCES IN PLACE AND, UM, THIS IS, UH, UH, FOLLOWING UP ON THAT WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS NOW, BUT IT, IT, WE LOOK AT ALL THAT WAS LOST AND ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE FOREVER AND OFTEN A TRAGEDY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, IS THERE AN ACTION ITEM FROM THE COMMISSION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TONIGHT? NO.
WE WERE JUST HERE WITH AN UPDATE.
UM, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF.
UM, I WILL SAY AS A PARTING THOUGHT THAT, UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS, UH, BOTH IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AND ELSEWHERE, AND THIS CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING TO PUT IN PLACE, BUT, UH, REALLY THE CORE OF THAT EFFORT IS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION.
AND THE, UM, IF FOR SOMEBODY WITHIN A BLOCK TO TALK WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SEE AS THE FUTURE OF THE OTHER PORTION OF THE CITY, AND WHETHER YOU PROTECTING THE EXISTING RESOURCES THROUGH LOCAL DESIGNATION IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UH, THE, THIS DOWNTOWN SURVEY MAKES THE DESIGNATION PROCESS MUCH SMOOTHER.
IT PROVIDES MUCH OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE APPLICATION FOR LOCAL DISTRICT STATUS.
UM, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION ALSO HAS A SET OF CITYWIDE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO ORGANIZE A HISTORIC DISTRICT TO USE AND ADOPT AS PART OF THEIR PROCESS, RATHER THAN REQUIRING THAT EACH DISTRICT DEVELOP THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL SETS OF DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH COULD BE A CONSIDERABLE COST AND THE TIME HURDLE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE ARE TOOLS IN PLACE THAT WILL MAKE THAT PROCESS, UM, MUCH SIMPLER AND MUCH SMOOTHER.
SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED AS STAFF IS TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT'S, UH, WHAT THAT DESIGNATION MEANS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING THOSE STEPS, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY TO TALK WITH THEM AND TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
COULD YOU HIGHLIGHT PARTICULARLY FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, SINCE MUCH OF IT IS INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY, WHAT, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL INCENTIVES THERE ARE FOR REHABILITATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
SO THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, INCENTIVES, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DESIGNATION THAT'S PUT IN PLACE SO THAT THE STATE AND FEDERAL INCENTIVES FOR INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTIES ARE TIED TO LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO GO FOR A NATIONAL REGISTER LISTING CONCURRENTLY WITH A LOCAL DESIGNATION.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES, THE, UH, TAX INCENTIVES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, FOR THAT NATIONAL REGISTER LISTING, THERE IS A, UH, FEDERAL INCOME TAX INCENTIVE WORTH 20% OF THE AMOUNT THAT'S REINVESTED AND A HISTORIC PROPERTY.
AND THEN THERE IS A STATE FRANCHISE TAX CREDIT, UH, WHERE 25% OF THAT REINVESTMENT.
UM, SO THOSE CAN BE, UM, THERE'S OFTEN CAN BE THE GAP FINANCING IN ESSENCE,
[01:35:01]
THAT ALLOWS A PROJECT THAT OTHERWISE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FINANCIALLY VIABLE, UM, TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR A LOCAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION.THERE IS A, UM, A TAX ABATEMENT OR TAX FREEZE THAT IS AVAILABLE IF A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS REINVESTED IN A HISTORIC PROPERTY.
AND, UM, THAT PROGRAM CAN BE APPLIED FOR A CERTAIN, CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UH, LIKE IT APPLIES OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS AND THEY COULD BE APPLIED FOR AFTER, AFTER A SLIGHT GAP FOR THAT.
IT VARIES BASED ON WHETHER IT'S A HOMESTEAD AND INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO A REINVESTMENT ZONE EAST OF THAT'S IDENTIFIED.
SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE FIGURES EXACTLY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WITH THE LOCAL DESIGNATION.
IT WAS JUST LOOKING FOR AN ENCAPSULATION OF IT.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT ON AN INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY THAT QUALIFIES TO HAVE 45% OF THE, THE COST TO REHABILITATE COVERED THROUGH TAX CREDITS, FEDERAL AND STATE TAX CREDITS IS CERTAINLY AN INCENTIVE, UH, TO RESTORE SOME OF OUR HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN UPDATE ON THE PRESERVATION PLAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
[3.a. Staff Updates]
ITEM OF BUSINESS IS STAFF UPDATES, STAFF UPDATE, UH, SORRY.OTHER THAN JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT FEBRUARY 16TH IS OUR NEXT MEETING AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THE MEETING WILL BE FORWARDED TO YOU.
AND REMEMBER, THAT'S, THAT'S FLUID BASED ON WHATEVER CITY COUNCIL SAYS.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
[3.b. Convention Center Expansion Working Group]
NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS.WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON GIVING US AN UPDATE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION WORKING GROUP.
WE HAD A MEETING OCTOBER 13TH AND AT THAT TIME WE DISCUSSED WORKING WITH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
AND WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF PROFESSOR HAYWOOD SANDERS COMING TO SPEAK TO US.
AND PROFESSOR HAYWOOD SANDERS SAID HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE DELIGHTED TO SPEAK TO THE, UH, COMMISSION.
AND HE, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH HIM TO MEMBERS OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND US JOEL KAYLIN, MIKE AND MYSELF.
WE'RE MEETING WITH PROFESSOR SANDERS ON JANUARY 25TH.
SO HE HAS A HISTORY OF, WELL HE'S THE, THE, NATION'S PROBABLY FOREMOST EXPERT ON URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND CONVENTION CENTERS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING HIS INPUT.
AND I KNOW THAT HE KNOWS THE HISTORY OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, AS WELL AS DO THE MEMBERS OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION ARE BILL BUNCH WHO WILL BE WORKING WITH US AND JOHN REEDY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET OTHER MEMBERS.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO BILL MIKE, HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO BILL ABOUT THAT? IS HE GOING TO TRY TO GET OTHER MEMBERS FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO, I THINK HE'D BE OPEN TO IT.
I THINK THAT NOT TO SPEAK ILL OF OTHER COMMISSIONS, BUT I THINK THEY'VE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING QUORUM OVER THERE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A MUCH MORE ACTIVE COMMISSION, SO THEY HAVE FOR THEM AND THEY LIKE US HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATE.
BUT I IMAGINE IF ANY OF THEM ARE LISTENING, THEN THEY SHOULD REACH OUT TO BILL AND, AND, UH, AND GET THE INFORMATION ON THE MEETING AND COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON.
WOULD YOU BE OPPOSED TO, UM, CONVENTION CENTER STAFF JOINING YOU IN THE MEETING WITH PROFESSOR SANDERS? BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASKED IF THEY COULD, THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TRISHA AND KATIE? YES.
AND WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THE FINANCIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, PLAN OKAY.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT SINCE JULY.
I'LL CONNECT YOU TO THEM AGAIN.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO NO, AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, TAKING THE HELMET AND, AND MAKING US GET OUR STUFF TOGETHER.
AND ALSO IT'D BE, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE STAFF SHOW UP FOR THIS.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT ISSUE.
[3.c. Items from representatives of collaborating commissions including non-voting members:]
ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE UPDATE FROM OUR, UH,[01:40:01]
COLLABORATING COMMISSIONERS.UH, FIRST STEP, JEN COMMISSIONER WEAVER.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND THEN, UH, AN UPDATE FROM THE COMMISSION.
UH, TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON, PLEASE.
THAT'S PROBABLY EASIER TO HEAR WE KNOW.
I AM AN ARCHITECT FACTOR AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER.
UM, I CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, THE FIRST NO PARKING MULTIFAMILY AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN CALLED CAPITAL QUARTERS.
WE SUBMITTED SITES IN, UH, IN OCTOBER CALLED SHOAL CYCLE, WHICH IS LOW PARKING, BUT HAS SOME PARKING.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, SO MY INTEREST IS JUST REALLY MAKING DOWNTOWN MORE ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO MIDDLE INCOME EARNERS.
UM, CAR-FREE UNTIL THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN I BOUGHT A CAR, UM, UH, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOWER, UH, KIND OF SHARED, UH, TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY LEANINGS, MY INTERESTS.
SO FOR DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, I APOLOGIZE.
I HAVE TO PULL UP MY LAST AGENDA.
UM, SO I'M REPLACING MELISSA COMMISSIONER, MELISSA HELP LINO, UH, AND AEROBLADE UP.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHOSE FACE YOU'RE PROBABLY USED TO SEEING IN THIS POSITION.
UM, WE DISCUSSED, UH, WHAT WAS GOING ON, I'M SORRY.
WE DISCUSSED, UH, THE NEW TOWER PROPOSED THAT 80 RAINY, UM, WHICH IS A PROJECT, UM, THAT COMPLAINTS WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDES GUIDELINES.
IT'S A LINCOLN VENTURES PROJECT.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE EXPANSION AT THE AIRPORT, UH, FOR THE CARGO TERMINALS.
UM, WE FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT COMPLIANT WITH GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS AND ASK THEM TO RECONSIDER, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING TO BE GREEN AND, AND WORK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UM, TO CONFIRM THAT THEIR HYPOTHESIS ON THEIR READING WAS COMPLIANT WITH THE GOALS.
UM, WE DISCUSSED, UH, A BIKE LANE PROPOSED FOR 50 BURST STREETS ALONG.
UM, IT WAS A BOND THAT WAS PASSED IN 2016 FOR, UM, THE MUELLER DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE MONEY'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED.
UM, THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ON KIND OF HOW TO ALLOCATE SPACE FOR THE BIKE LANE AND THE PEDESTRIANS, UM, IN A CREATIVE WAY THAT, UH, WAS ALSO COMPLAINANT WITH SUB CHAPTER EIGHT.
UM, SO THAT WAS A KIND OF BIT OF A DEBATE.
UM, THE, THE PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD, ALTHOUGH THE COMMISSION DID NOT SUPPORT, UH, THE, THE DESIGN THAT WAS PROPOSED, UM, THERE WAS ALSO, UH, A NEW DESIGN PROPOSED FOR DOVE SPRINGS HEALTH FACILITY.
UM, IT WAS A PLACE FOR CHILDCARE.
UM, SO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT IT WAS ACCESSIBLE FOR PARENTS DROPPING OFF, UM, WAS THE BIG ISSUE.
UM, WE APPROVED A NEW POOL DESIGN FOR GIVENS DISTRICT PARK, COMMUNITY POOL.
UM, AND WE ALSO APPROVED A POOL DESIGN FOR THE COLONY DISTRICT PARK, UM, COMMUNITY POOR.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, STARTING A NEW URBAN DESIGN WORKING GROUP TO UPDATE THE GREAT STREETS, UM, PROGRAM.
AND YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK AS WE ALL WORK ON UPDATING THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT SINCE IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
UM, I AM SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE WORKING GROUP ON THAT, SO HOPEFULLY I CAN, UH, COME BACK WITH GOOD INFORMATION TO SHARE.
WELL, UM, THE, UH, PRESENTATION, YOU HAD CERTAINLY COVERS A
[01:45:01]
LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE, UM, UH, UPDATE OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN.UH, I WILL ALSO SAY AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING, UH, AS IT TURNS OUT WE HAD A, UH, PRESENTATION AND A, UH, OFFICIAL THANK YOU TO STEVE SEDOWSKY, WHO WAS LISTENING IN, OF COURSE WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THAT WOULD BE OUR LAST MEETING WITH HIM, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A APPROPRIATE WAY OF, OF, OF MAKING SURE HE WAS AWARE OF HOW WELL HIS SERVICE HAS BEEN APPRECIATED, UH, ON SO MANY LEVELS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THAT, UH, WAS, UH, AMONG MANY CASES, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, PASSED ON THE, UH, OLD, UH, WEST AUSTIN WAREHOUSE PROJECT FOR, UM, NOMINATION FOR, UH, A LANDMARK STATUS, UH, OVER THE OWNER'S OBJECTIONS.
THE OWNER WANTED TO DEMOLISH THAT THAT'S, UH, CURRENTLY WHERE THE VINCE YOUNG STEAK HOUSE IS.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE REMAINING, UH, WAREHOUSES FROM THAT AREA, UH, WHERE WE USED TO HAVE A RAILHEAD IN AUSTIN.
AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR HUB OF ACTIVITY AND BUSINESS.
UH, AND MANY OF THOSE, UH, STRUCTURES THAT LINED THE STREETS ARE NO LONGER THERE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT DIDN'T HOLD UP AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND SO, UH, AT LEAST WE, I THINK WE DID WHAT WE COULD TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF BUILDINGS OF THAT TYPE.
AND EVEN IF THAT ONE WASN'T, UH, ABLE TO BE PRESERVED, WE DO HOPE THAT, UM, MORE OWNERS OF THOSE TYPES OF PROPERTIES WILL APPRECIATE AND, AND REALLY TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS OF MAXIMIZING THEIR PROPERTY, RATHER THAN STRICTLY LOOKING AT DEMATHA DEMOLITION AS THE ONLY OPTION COMMISSIONER STAFF, DOES THAT STILL GO TO COUNCIL WITH THEIR OBJECTION AND Y'ALL SUPPORT? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
UH, THIS IS SORT OF A NEW SETUP BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE, UH, THE BAR WAS RAISED BY STATE LAW, UH, IN THIS LAST SESSION.
UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT BECAUSE, UM, ONE OR THE OTHER HAS TO BOTH, UH, THEY BASICALLY BOTH HAVE TO SIGN OFF AS FAR AS I KNOW THAT MAY BE THE END OF IT RIGHT THERE.
I DON'T FOLLOW THAT AS CLOSELY.
AND THAT WOULD BE, STAFF'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK I'LL HAVE, MAKE SURE I ASK STAFF MYSELF.
OH, WELL, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SUPER MAJORITY SUPPORTED COUNCIL ANYWAY, SINCE IT WAS OVER THE OBJECTION OF THE OWNER.
UM, COMMISSIONER, WHETHER B YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, I'LL MAKE IT REALLY SHORT.
WE DID NOT MEET LAST WEEK BECAUSE WE ALL GOT THERE AND WE WERE SHORT ONE PERSON FOR CORUM.
SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT SINCE MY LAST REPORT.
UM, I APPRECIATED THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM THAT I THINK YOU HAD A HAND IN, IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY DONE.
AND I WONDERED IF SOMEONE, WHAT, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE, UM, AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN? DOES IT GO TO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION? UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD ON OUR AGENDA THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO, WHICH WAS, UM, REQUIRING OR REQUESTING THAT THE COUNCIL REQUIRE COMMISSIONS AND STAFF TO CONSIDER THE STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YES, BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES THAT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THEY HAD HAD, UH, REVIEWED THAT.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO KEEP CALLING ATTENTION TO, UH, THE PASSAGE.
AND I MEAN, IT, IT, IT ISN'T AN EXISTING PLAN AND THEY ARE, UH, REQUIRED TO CONSIDER EXISTING PLANS.
AND WE WOULD JUST WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THAT.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT REASON THAT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ON OUR AGENDA.
MAY I ADD A PERSONAL COMMENT? YES.
UM, MY STREET IS SAN GABRIEL AND IT'S SLATED FROM 20 FEET AS IT IS NOW TO 80 FEET.
AND IT WOULD TAKE OUT ALL OF THE 150 YEAR OLD CEDAR ELMS THAT ARE ALONG THE STREET ON MY PROPERTY.
AND IT WOULD GO TO A DEAD END AND THEN IT WOULD TURN 90 DEGREES TO 17TH STREET.
AND THERE ARE MANY HISTORIC PROPERTIES THERE.
IT WOULD TAKE OUT MY DRIVEWAY AND OF MY HOUSE IF IMPLEMENTED.
AND I HAVE A STATE LANDMARK AS WELL AS THE CITY LANDMARK.
AND THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.
SO I THINK THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH IT.
I'M NOT SURE IT'S REALLY NECESSARY TO HAVE A ROADWAY.
[01:50:01]
THAT'S 80 FEET RIGHT THERE.UH I'LL UH, COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE ALL ECHO SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS, UM, WHAT WAS GOOD IN THEORY WHEN SOME OF THEIR MAPS HIT THE ROAD ARE POORLY THOUGHT OUT.
AND, UM, I THINK THERE, THERE WAS SOME MORE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, UH, BEFORE THEY STARTED LAYING MAPS DOWN AND ROUTES DOWN WHERE THEY WANTED SOME OF THE THINGS THEY WANTED.
AND, UH, WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT ONE IS ASPIRATIONAL AND TWO, IT IS EVOLVING.
UM, UH, MY REVIEW OF IT, UH, WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND HAS BEEN THAT IT, PARTS OF IT WERE VERY, VERY POORLY THOUGHT OUT.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, THANK YOU.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER KEATON IS NOT WITH US.
UM, COMMISSIONER LAMON IS NOT WITH US.
UM, COMMISSIONER TAYLOR, COMMISSIONER TAYLOR'S NOTE.
I THOUGHT COMMISSIONER TAYLOR WAS OKAY.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I MAY MOVE YOU TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.
UM, UM, SO WE ACTUALLY LAST MET IN DECEMBER.
UM, WE HAD, UM, LAST MINUTE PROBLEMS ON THE DAY OF OUR MEETING FOR JANUARY WITH THEY WERE DROPPING LIKE FLIES WITH EVERY HOUR.
WE WERE GETTING NOTIFICATION OF SOMEBODY ELSE THAT HAD TESTED POSITIVE.
SO, UM, WE JUST CALLED THE MEETING, UM, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.
CAUSE IT WAS LITERALLY EVERY HOUR THAT SOMEONE WAS, UM, SORT OF GETTING ADDED TO THE, TO THE LIST.
UM, BUT OUR DECEMBER MEETING, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, A LOT OF STUFF TALKED ABOUT APD TRAINING.
UM, WE SORT OF GOT A DOWNLOAD ON HOW THAT'S GOING AND, AND, UM, JUST ASKED THAT I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO WATCH IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE UAPD TRAINING, THE UPDATES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
UM, WE TALKED FOR QUITE A WHILE.
I WANT TO SAY 30 TO 40 MINUTES OF OUR AGENDA JUST WENT INTO SORT OF ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF THE NEW CLASS, UM, JUST TO HOW TRAINING IS WORKING, WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
SO IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO WATCH, UM, OUR MEETING FROM DECEMBER.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT, GOT AN UPDATE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, OFFICE, JUST ON THE IMPACT THAT THE, THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, AGENCIES.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A FOLLOW-UP, UM, ON SB 69, WHICH IS, UM, THE, UH, HAD TO DO WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE AND DUTY TO INTERVENE.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO POLICE OFFICERS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FOLLOWUP DISCUSSION WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND EXCUSE MY DOG, UM, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT NEXT WEEK.
UM, CAUSE WE RESCHEDULED THE SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, SO FOR OUR SPECIAL MEETING IN JANUARY, WHICH OUR FIRST WEEK, OUR ORIGINAL JANUARY MEETING WAS CANCELED.
WE RESCHEDULED WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING THIS COMING MONDAY.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SB 69 WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE TALKING WITH ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ABOUT WINTER READINESS.
UM, JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT CHANGES MAY HAVE BEEN MADE, WHAT THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR.
UM, JUST SORT OF GETTING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CITY AUDITOR DID, UH, A BIG REPORT ON SORT OF CITY-WIDE, BUT IT WAS ON A VERY SORT OF GLOBAL LEVEL, UM, THE, THE REPORT THAT WAS ISSUED.
SO WE WERE GOING TO HOPEFULLY DO SOME TALKING WITH APD AFD AND EMS SPECIFICALLY.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE TALKING TO THE LABOR RELATIONS OFFICE, UM, BECAUSE APD AND EMS ARE BOTH, UM, RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS, THEIR, THEIR LABOR UNION CONTRACTS ARE UNDERWAY.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO SOMEBODY FROM APD, FROM EMS, FROM THE UNIONS, UM, SPECIFICALLY MY APOLOGIES, UM, AND LABOR RELATIONS JUST ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS, UM, AND SORT OF WHERE WE ARE WITH EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT THAT'S, WHAT'S COMING UP AGAIN.
OUR MEETING IS RESCHEDULED FOR THIS COMING MONDAY.
WE ARE CROSSING FINGERS THAT UCAAS OUR AGENDA WAS NOT POSTED WHEN COUNCIL VOTED YESTERDAY, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO WITH VIRTUAL, UM, NOT NEEDING QUORUM PERSON.
SO WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON THAT.
UM, SO I'M CROSSING FINGERS THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME SORT
[01:55:01]
OF MEETING NEXT WEEK.THAT'S IT WE'LL CROSS OUR FINGERS FOR YOU CAUSE YOU ALL, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.
IT LOOKS LIKE Y'ALL ARE TERRIBLY BUSY.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE THREE THAT WE'VE OR TWO THAT HAVE COME UP TODAY.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THE PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE PRESERVATION PLAN TO AN UPDATE ON THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SUGGEST IS THAT WE HAVE FOLKS COME BACK ON ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
UM, I'M SEEING SCOOTERS DEPOSITED ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND ON SOME OF THE INITIATIVES AROUND ALTERNATE MOBILITY, LIKE SCOOTERS.
UM, AND I, I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO LIKE COMMISSION.
ONE IS, UH, AN UPDATE ON, UH, WHERE THE CITY'S HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER AND HER DEPARTMENT ARE ON ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES.
I KNOW THERE THEY HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THAT, UM, IS SO THAT, THAT I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD ONE.
THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING THAT TO THE OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING AT THE EIGHTH IN COLORADO, THE HISTORIC OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN MUCH PUBLIC INPUT ON THAT.
IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN GOTTEN RUSHED VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
AND I I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME, SOME MORE DETAIL ON, ON THAT.
AND, AND CAUSE, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A USED AS A PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, A CULTURAL SPACE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE NEXT WEEK IT WAS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
SO IT WOULD BE, BE NICE TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON THAT AND FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS.
I'M I MAY HAVE MISSPOKEN OR A DESIGN COMMISSION IS UPDATING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, NOT THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE AN UPDATE FROM STAFF ON THAT INSTEAD.
RIGHT? UH, WE'RE WORKING ON URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH THAT'S THAT'S THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE'RE ON.
I AM A MORNING PERSON, NOT AN EVENING PERSON.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS FROM COMMISSION? UH, FOLKS I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR ONCE AGAIN, MEETING UNDER TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, WE'VE HAD A GREAT MEETING TONIGHT.
THIS WAS A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. UH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND COMMISSIONER LEHMAN.
IN-PERSON SORT OF, UH, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL, UH, WE'LL ALL BE ABLE TO MEET IN PERSON NEXT MONTH AND WE'LL KEEP YOU APPRISED ON WHATEVER COUNCIL DECIDES REGARDING THESE MEETINGS.
UM, DON'T FORGET, VOLUNTEER FOR OUR WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND WITH THAT HEARING THE THING ELSE, I CALL ADJOURNMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AT 7:33 PM.