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THIS IS, UH, IT'S NOW 6 0 3, 6:03 PM.
[CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
UH, WE'RE CALLING THE REGULAR MI DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.UM, OR AT, UH, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ROOM 1406 AT 63 10 WILAMENA DELCO DRIVE.
SWITCHING, THE FIRST MEETING IS CHAIR, SO I'LL LOOK AT JORGE AND DAVID.
CHAIR, FORMER CHAIR, CAROL ASSISTANCE.
UH, SO THE FIRST THING TO DO IS CALL ATTENDANCE.
UM, SO FORMER CHAIR, CAROL PRESENT COMMISSIONER SELENA'S COMMISSIONER FRANCO, UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS.
UH, COMMISSIONER HANNO ROBLEDO AS COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI PRESENT.
UM, I AM PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER ROLISON COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, PRESENT COMMISSIONER WATLEY, COMMISSIONER LOGINS.
UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR THIS MEETING TODAY? NO COLLINS.
[1.a. Discussion and possible action relating to the Convention Center Expansion Plan, to be presented by Katy Zamesnik - Austin Convention Center Department.]
ONE, UH, NEW BUSINESS ITEM, ONE, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION RELATING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION PLAN, UM, WITH A PRESENTATION BY KATE SEMANSKI OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT TERRIFY ME.AND OUR PRESENTERS COMING IN ONLINE.
AND YOU CAN GIVE HER JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS.
YOU CAN SEE HER ON THE BIG SCREEN OVER HERE AS WELL.
UM, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, UH, TRISHA TEATRO, AND SHE'S GOING TO BE THE ONE PRIMARILY DOING THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
HEAR ME? CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND I'M JOINED BY KATIE'S A MESMERIC THE CONVENTION CENTER'S CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS THE CONVENTION CENTER, REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.
TODAY'S BRIEFING IS GOING TO GO QUICKLY OVER THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AND A PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOLLOWING THE END OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST, SOME PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS, A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE FINANCING AND THE HILTON BOND INDENTURE, AND THEN WE WILL CLOSE WITH NEXT STEPS.
THE IDEA OF AN EXPANSION HAS BEEN CONTEMPLATED FOR NEARLY A DECADE AND FIRST FORMALLY DECLARED IN 2015 WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE LONG RANGE MASTER PLAN.
FOLLOWING THIS SEVERAL REPORTS AND STUDIES WERE CONDUCTED THROUGH 2019.
WHEN COUNCIL FORMALLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE RAISING THE MUNICIPAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, OR THE HOT BY 2% IN SUPPORT OF AN EXPANSION FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE 2% HOT INCREASE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF WORKED TOWARDS A MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY TO CONFIRM THE VIABILITY OF AN EXPANSION.
THESE REPORTS WERE RELEASED IN AUGUST OF 2020 AND WERE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR.
BEFORE I CONTINUE, WE DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROCESS THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THIS TIMELINE.
THAT IS THE APPROVAL FOR THAT, THAT THE CITY MANAGER GAVE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST, WHICH COUNCIL GAVE IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
STAFF BEGAN THESE NEGOTIATIONS IN EARNEST FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, UNFORTUNATELY AS COMMUNICATED TO COUNCIL IN APRIL OF 2021, DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF ALL PARTIES, THE FINAL PROPOSAL WAS UNABLE TO DELIVER THE PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHIN THE PROPERTIES CURRENTLY UNDER THE DEVELOPER TEAMS CONTROL, AND
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IT EXCEEDED ANTICIPATED COSTS AS A RESULT OF THIS DECISION, THE CONVENTION CENTER BEGAN DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS ON THE REMAINING OPTIONS FOR EXPANSION EVALUATING EXPANSION WITHIN THE CURRENT SITE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.AND WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD NOT ONLY DELIVER A MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, BUT WE WILL ALSO REALIZE THE GOALS OF THE UT STUDY, THE CONVENTION CENTER, MASTER PLAN UPDATE, AND THE PALM DISTRICT RESOLUTION, THE CENTER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS DEVELOP THE PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT BEARS OUT THIS GOAL, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT SHORTLY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE PROJECT DELAYS AND BUDGET IMPACTS TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT WHILE THE FINANCING OPTIONS WERE FINALIZED, STAFF TOOK FORTH IN RCA ON JUNE 10TH, 2021, UH, ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA THAT REQUESTED THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE USE OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHOD OF CONTRACTING AS THE PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IN TANDEM TO THIS ITEM, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION WHICH PROVIDED FURTHER DIRECTION FOR ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN THE REQUEST FOR CALL QUALIFICATIONS, RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
AND IT DIRECTS THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CENTER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, THE PALM DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND THE WATERLOO GREENWAY BE INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION PANEL FOR THE RFQ.
IN ADDITION TO CITY STAFF, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO INCORPORATE THE DIRECTION AND THE FINAL RFQ, WHICH WILL, SHOULD BE READY FOR RELEASE SHORTLY.
SO THIS BRINGS US TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AS I NOTED PREVIOUSLY, THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE LARGER AND A MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
THE OVERALL PROJECT WILL DELIVER AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY FRIENDLY EVENT FACILITY THAT ENHANCES THE CULTURALLY RICH FABRIC OF THE PALM DISTRICT AND REMOVES THE BARRIER THAT IS CURRENTLY THE CONVENTION CENTER FROM THIS CORNER OF DOWNTOWN.
THE CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, THE CURRENT RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE TARGET SQUARE FOOTAGES THAT WERE CALLED FOR IN THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND THE MINIMUM THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE UNDER THESE NEW CONSTRAINTS COMBINED, WE ARE NEARLY DOUBLING THE AVAILABLE RENTABLE SPACE AND EVEN GOING BEYOND THE MASTER PLAN TARGET A LARGE PART OF THIS INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MEETING SPACE ALLOCATIONS AND THE TRENDS AMONG THE EVENTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC.
UM, OUR CLIENTS ARE NOW CALLING FOR A HIGHER AMOUNT OF MEETING SPACE ALONG WITH MORE FLEXIBLE SPACES.
THE REVISED SQUARE FOOTAGE TARGETS STILL ALLOWS US TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OUR PEER CONVENTION CENTERS AND COMPETE FOR THE NEXT TIER OF BUSINESS.
OUR CONSULTANT TEAM HAS TAKEN A PROOF OF CONCEPT AND WE'VE UPDATED OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT AND MARKET ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT IS STILL FEASIBLE AND VIABLE.
AND THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES, THE ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER IS ESTIMATED TO BE AT OVER $280 MILLION A YEAR.
AND NEXT TIME, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO WHAT COULD THIS PROJECT LOOK LIKE? THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR CURRENT FACILITY, AS IT STANDS TODAY.
THIS VIEW IS ORIENTED EAST TO WEST AND CLEARLY SHOWS HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER CREATES A BARRIER BETWEEN THE EAST AND WEST.
IT LIMITS THE GROUND LEVEL PUBLIC INTERACTION.
IT'S LOWER IN DENSITY FROM THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SURROUNDING IT, AND IT HAS ZERO GREEN SPACE AND ABOVE ALL IT IS INADEQUATE FOR THE EVENT, DEMAND GROWTH OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND WHAT WE WILL, WHAT WE'RE UNVEILING FOR YOU TODAY IS AN ACTUAL PROOF OF CONCEPT.
HERE IS WHAT WE COULD BUILD ON OUR SITE.
I WANT TO STRESS, THIS IS NOT A DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, BUT IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A STARTING POINT FOR A THOUGHTFUL DESIGN PROCESS AND ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE OUR REMAINING DUE DILIGENCE EFFORTS.
THE RED AND YELLOW BOXES CONTAIN THE CONVENTION CENTER
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FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS MANY OF THE RETAIL AND COMMUNITY SPACES FACILITY WILL BE LARGER THAN ARE ON, WILL BE LARGER THAN WHAT'S ON OUR CURRENT SITE, BUT ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, THE TEAL BLOCK AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PROPERTY IS INTENDED TO BE A P THREE DEVELOPMENT, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HEARD CLEARLY.UM, AND THAT IS DESIRED BY THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IN THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT, THE EXHIBIT HALL SPACES ARE COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND SPANNING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE SITE.
WE'RE ALSO MOVING THE LOADING DOCKS UNDERGROUND ALONG THE RED RIVER, ALLEVIATING THE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET.
AND THIS WILL WORK IN TANDEM WITH OUR NEARLY COMPLETE MARSHALING YARD OUT BY THE AIRPORT.
THIS CONCEPT ALLOWS US TO REOPEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS TO MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC, HELPING TO REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN EAST AND WEST THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
FINALLY, THE PROOF OF CONCEPT INTEGRATES OUR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH THE OTHER INVESTMENTS OCCURRING IN DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING PROJECT CONNECT AND THE VISION OF THE PALM DISTRICT.
THE FULL PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THE RFQ.
WE ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROOF OF CONCEPT ENVISIONS A PHASED APPROACH TO THE EXPANSION PROJECT, BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT A ONE PHASE PROJECT AND WE WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE THIS DECISION DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS.
THIS SLIDE HELPS TO VISUALIZE THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE REALIZED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
OUR GOAL IS TO BRING LOCAL COMMUNITY BACK AND WE'RE CERTAINLY HAVING, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE INCORPORATED SIGNIFICANT GREEN SPACE ALONG RED RIVER FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED COMMUNITY SPACE AND AN ART GALLERY AT STREET LEVEL THAT WOULD SHOWCASE LOCAL ARTWORK.
THE RED BOXES THAT RUN THROUGHOUT THE SITE ARE INTENDED TO BE RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IMAGINE WHAT RETAIL WOULD BE APPROPRIATE HERE.
WE'VE SET ASIDE SPACE FOR PROJECT CONNECT ALONG TRINITY, AND WE ENVISIONED THAT THIS WILL BE A STATION SERVING THE BLUE LINE THAT CONNECTS DIRECTLY INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE STREET GRID HAS BEEN REOPENED FOR MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC.
ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT WAS THE FINANCING, OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORS, OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS, AND OUR INTERNAL CORPORATE FINANCE TEAM TO FINALIZE THE FUNDING MODEL FOR THE PROJECT AND OPERATIONS PROJECT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS REMAIN FULLY FUNDED THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTERS, ALLOCATION OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE 2% EXPANSION HOT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER REVENUES.
THIS MODEL INCLUDES THE 15% ALLOCATION OF THE 2% EXPANSION HOT FOR BOTH THE LIFE MUSIC FUND AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND DOES NOT CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE ANY FORCED REDUCTION IN STAFFING.
THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE HERE IS THAT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO DELIVER PUBLIC BENEFITS WITHOUT PUBLIC MONEY.
RATHER, IT'S GOING TO BE FINANCED FROM THE VISITORS THAT COME AND CONVENTION ATTENDEES WHO STAY IN AUSTIN AREA HOTELS.
LAST YEAR IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION THAT THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT COULD TRIGGER A DEFAULT CLAUSE IN THE BOND AND THE BONDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING AT THE CITY OWNED HILTON HOTEL.
THE HOTEL IS MANAGED BY AUSTIN CONVENTION ENTERPRISES ALSO KNOWN AS ACE AND THE EIGHTH BOARD PRESIDENT HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THE BOND HOLDERS TO PURSUE A RESOLUTION TO THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE.
ONCE THE RFQ OR ONCE THE, UH, ONCE A RESOLUTION IS REACHED WITH THE BOND HOLDERS, THEN WE WILL BE CLEARED TO RELEASE THE RFQ.
SO NEXT STEPS FIRST, WE WILL RELEASE THE RFQ FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DOES SERVICES A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, WE WILL RELEASE AN RFP FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.
THESE CONTRACTS WILL GO BACK TO COUNCIL APPROXIMATELY
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SIX MONTHS AFTER ISSUANCE AND ONCE COUNCIL APPROVES THESE CONTRACTS, THEN THE DESIGN PROCESS WOULD BEGIN IN EARNEST.WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THIS GROUP AT ANY POINT DURING THE PROCESS TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR WORK AND ENGAGE WITH YOU AS WE ARE DESIGNING THIS NEW FACILITY.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, IN CLOSING, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TODAY AND WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE CALCULATING YOUR EXHIBIT SPACE, YOUR BALLROOM SPACE, DO YOU LOOK AT THE ADJACENT HOTELS WHO THAT THEY HAVE LARGE ROOMS ALSO THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THAT.
IT MIGHT TAKE SOME STRESS OFF OF YOUR PROGRAM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL LOOK AT OR TRY TO COORDINATE? I THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
YES, WE DO WORK WITH ALL OF OUR HOTEL PARTNERS, AS WE ARE BIDDING ON CITYWIDE BUSINESS.
A LOT OF THE CONVENTIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE MUST USE THE HOTELS AS ANCILLARY SPACE DUE TO THE SIZE OF OUR ACTUAL CONVENTION CENTER.
CURRENTLY, IDEALLY THOUGH OUR CUSTOMERS PREFER TO HAVE ALL OF THEIR SPACE UNDERNEATH ONE ROOF.
UM, BUT WE DO, UM, WE DO ALSO USE A CAMPUS APPROACH APPROACH AND WE ARE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE CALCULATED THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WE BELIEVE IS NECESSARY TO MOVE US TO THE NEXT YEAR OF BUSINESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, APPROXIMATELY HOW LONG WOULD THE CONVENTION CENTER BE CLOSED? UM, SO WE WILL, UH, CLEARLY, UH, GET A MORE ACCURATE TIMELINE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE AND WE GET OUR, OUR DESIGN TEAM AND THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM ON BOARD.
UH, OUR CONSULTANTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY ESTIMATING APPROXIMATELY A FOUR YEAR TIMEFRAME, BUT THAT WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, VETTED OUT AS WE WORK ON THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PLANNING FOR THE PROJECT.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS HOW DOES THIS NEW SITE PLAN INTERACT WITH THE
SO, UM, IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER, UM, WE PURCHASED 44 ACRES AND WE BUILT A MARSHALING YARD AND WAREHOUSE OUT NEAR THE AIRPORT.
UM, AND SO WE DID THAT TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD CURRENTLY THAT EXISTED ONCE THE FAIRMONT HOTEL WENT IN, WHICH WAS OUR TRUCK TRAFFIC ON RED RIVER.
UM, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT, UH, THAT LAND AND WE WILL BE OPENING THAT FACILITY, UH, BY THE, BY THE END OF JUNE.
UM, AND SO WE WILL STAGE ALL OF OUR TRUCKS AND 18 WHEELERS OUT AT THAT LOCATION.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE, UM, THE OP THROUGH OUR OPERATIONS.
WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO HAVE THE TRUCKS COME IN THROUGH TO DESIGNATED ROUTES.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH, UM, THE CAPTAIN STITCH AND THERE, AND OUR CITY FOLKS IN AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION.
UM, WE'RE COORDINATING WITH ALL OF THEM VERY CLOSELY ON NOT ONLY, UH, THE
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE INTENT OF OPENING SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO DETERMINE WHAT THE BEST, UH, USE OF THOSE STREETS ARE.
UM, BUT OUR, OUR VEHICLES WILL BE ABLE TO COME INTO DOWNTOWN IN A STAGED WAY.
UH, AND WE ENVISION THEM COMING UP THIRD STREET AND, AND GOING UNDERGROUND IN A KIND OF RAMPED APPROACH, UH, TO GET OFF OF THE STREET AND UNDERGROUND AND INTO OUR SERVICE YARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PLANNING AND COORDINATION, UM, JUST IN THIS PRELIMINARY DESIGN, KNOWING THAT TRACK THE TRAFFIC THAT OUR, UH, CONVENTION CENTER BRINGS HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, FOR SOME TIME, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER MINORS, UH, I CAN YIELD AND COME BACK, IT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO ME OR WHO WAS THAT? THAT WAS THE LIST I HAVE MY HAND RAISED.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THAT.
SO COMMISSIONER, UH, PROBABLY, OH, NO.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SEE HANDS RAISED.
UM, COULD WE PLEASE LOOK AT THE SLIDE OF THE PROPOSED USES WITH SECOND AND THIRD STREET OPENING FOR MOMENT? CORRECT.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT THE AREA AERIAL VIEW THAT WAS
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LOOKING DOWN? YEAH.THE PLAN VIEW, WHERE YOU HAVE POTENTIAL ASSIGNMENTS OF OUR PROGRAMMING OF HOW THE BUILDING WOULD WORK? I BELIEVE THAT'S PAGE NINE.
SO I, I CAN'T REALLY READ IT, BUT I GUESS WHAT I WAS WONDERING IS ON SECOND AND THIRD STREET, WHEN YOU REFERRED TO MULTIMODAL VERBAL, ARE YOU INCLUDING CARS AND CARS? SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WILL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION ON, UM, OPENING THE ROADS BACK UP IS CERTAINLY NOT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER TEAM IS NOT THE EXPERT IN HOW THOSE ROADS SHOULD BE USED.
UM, I, UH, SO WE'VE YET TO GET TO KIND OF THAT CONVERSATION PIECE, BUT WE WERE CERTAINLY WHEN I SAID MULTIMODAL, UH, AT A VERY MINIMUM, IT'S GOING TO BE BIKE TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
UM, AND I THINK IT WILL BE YET TO BE DETERMINED NOW WHETHER CARS WILL ACTUALLY BE UTILIZED ON THOSE TWO ROADS.
UM, I THINK THIRD STREET POTENTIALLY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT, BUT, UM, SECOND STREET BECAUSE OF WALLER CREEK, UM, I'M NOT, I'M, I'M NOT A TRANSPORTATION EXPERT, SO WE'LL, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM TO DETERMINE THE BEST USE FOR THOSE ROADS.
SO, SO JUST AS A COMMENT UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE NOT A TRANSPORTATION EXPERT, WE HAVEN'T HAD CARS DRIVING THROUGH THOSE STREETS AND CERTAINLY COULD BE LOVELY IF THAT CONTINUED TO BE THE CASE IN TERMS OF THIS REALLY BEING A WALKABLE SPACE WITH THE PROXIMITY TO WALLER CREEK AND AGAIN, MAKING THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
CARS COULD STILL ACCESS CESAR CHAVEZ AND FORTH AS THEY DO NOW.
THAT'S THE QUESTION THE FIRST TIME, BUT YOU MENTIONED THAT GREENSCAPE ALONG RED RIVER STREET THERE.
I THINK THE CONNECTION THAT THEY HAVE GREENWAY WATERLOO GREENWAY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS CONCEPTUAL PLAN RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S REALLY HARD EDGES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT I'M HOPE WHEN, WHEN IT KIND OF EVOLVES OR DEVELOPS THAT WE KIND OF WORK SOME OF THAT GREEN SCAPES, YOU KNOW, THAT GREEN SCAPE INTO BUILDING PLAN AND HAVE A REALLY GOOD CONNECTION TO THE OLD WATER BAY, TO THE WATER, THE GREENWAY THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK.
AND WE ALSO WERE WORKING WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY BECAUSE A PORTION OF THE ACTUAL, UM, CREEK DELTA PROJECT DOES, UM, DOES FRONT THE SIDE OF OUR FACILITY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND THE BEST WAY TO INTEGRATE, UH, THE, THE RIVER DOWN BELOW AND THEIR PROJECT WITH STREET LEVELS.
SO THAT IS CERTAINLY TOP OF MIND FOR US.
UM, SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL, UM, THE, UH, BUILDINGS THAT YOU SHOWED, I BELIEVE THERE WERE IN YELLOW AND RED, THOSE ARE NOT CONNECTED AT ANY LEVEL THEY'D THEY WOULD BE TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS WITH NO OVERHEAD CONNECTION.
SO THAT'S A GREAT, UH, THAT'S A GREAT OBSERVATION.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPING IN MIND THAT THIS IS NOT A DESIGN OF THE FACILITY BY ANY MEANS, WE SIMPLY, UM, NEEDED TO LOOK AT IF WE COULD ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO IN A VERTICALLY STACKED FACILITY.
UM, SO OUR, SO THE TWO BUILDINGS WILL BE CONNECTED VIA UNDERGROUND OR EXHIBIT HALL SPACE.
UM, THEY WILL BE CONNECTED AT, UH, THEY WON'T IN THIS, IN THE DIAGRAMS THAT YOU'VE SEEN YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT IS IT, THE TWO BUILDINGS ARE NOT CONNECTED AT STREET LEVEL.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS, OR THERE ARE TWO WALKWAYS THAT WOULD BE ENVISIONED TO CONNECT ON HIGHER FLOORS BETWEEN THE YELLOW AND THE RED FACILITY.
SO THE FACILITIES WILL BE CONNECTED AT MULTIPLE POINTS, BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE NOT TO HAVE THEM AT STREET LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, OPEN UP THOSE TWO STREETS.
AND I KNOW YOU GIVE US OVERALL SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT DOES THAT CREATE LESS CONTIGUOUS SPACE THAN WHAT WOULD INITIALLY BE PROPOSED? SO ORIGINALLY HALF, SORRY, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THE CONTIGUOUS SPACE THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED FOR OUR BUSINESS IS EXHIBIT HALL SPACE.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT BY PUTTING THE EXHIBIT HALLS COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND AND MAXIMIZING THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT WE ARE LIKELY COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER CITIES, UH, BUT IT COULD POTENTIALLY SET US UP FOR COMPETITION WITH THAT NEXT TIER, UM, WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NEXT TIER? SURE.
SO WE COMPETE REGULARLY WITH HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS, ALL, ALL THE CONVENTION CENTERS IN THE STATE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER CONVENTION BUSINESS THAN WE DO.
UM, AND THEN IN THE CONVENTION INDUSTRY, I MEAN THERE'S 500,000 EVENTS A YEAR THAT HAPPENED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE IDENTITY, WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS COMPETE FOR ADDITIONAL BUSINESS.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THE SIZE OF OUR FACILITY ALLOWS US TO ONLY HAVE ONE LARGE CONVENTION IN, UM, AT A TIME AND SOMETIMES TO KIND OF HAVE BUILDING CONVENTIONS.
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WOULD BE THAT WE COULD WITH A LARGER FACILITY THAT WE COULD LAYER OUR BUSINESS IN.UM, SO THAT WE'RE REALLY MAXIMIZING THAT SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY CONVENTION BUSINESS.
AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HOST, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO MUCH LARGER CONVENTIONS, UH, ONE, YOU KNOW, CITY-WIDE OR SEVERAL SMALLER EVENTS AT ONE TIME.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR ALL OF THE LARGEST CONVENTIONS THAT ARE HOSTED IN THE, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ACQUIRING A BIGGER CHUNK OF THE OVERALL BUSINESS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LAYER IN BY BEING A LARGER FACILITY.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE P THREE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN TEAL, ARE THERE ANY CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDORS OR ANY RESTRICTIONS ON HEIGHT? UM, THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS ON HEIGHT FOR THIS PERSONAL LAND AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT IS THERE, UM, A DESIRE WITHIN THE VISION TO OFFER AFFORDABLE HOUSING? UM, SO THIS THREE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE, UM, RUN BY REAL ESTATE SERVICES.
WE ENVISION IT BEING A LONG-TERM LAND LEASE, AND WE'VE YET TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT HIGHEST AND BEST USE WOULD BE, UM, FOR, UH, THOSE TOWERS OR WHATEVER THIS T3 DEVELOPMENT ENDS UP BEING.
AND I'M SURE THAT, UM, WE WILL, UH, ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH THE COMMUNITY, OUR COMMISSIONS, AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN DETERMINING WHAT, WHAT WILL GO INTO THOSE FACILITIES.
UM, YEAH, I SUPPOSE THAT IT IS EARLY, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE TO LEVERAGE THE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AND UTILIZING IT IN THAT SPACE.
UM, SINCE WE'VE SEEN SO MANY PROJECTS AROUND THERE THAT ARE JUST PAYING INTO THE FEE AND LU AND NOT OFFERING HOUSING, UM, THE OTHER, UH, QUESTION I HAVE TOO, AND THIS ISN'T SOMETHING TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, JUST SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PONDERING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT THE CITY CAN PROVIDE, UM, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR MUSICIANS, UM, AND EVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, PRACTICE SPACE OR WHATEVER ELSE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO THAT NOW, BUT, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCORPORATE, UM, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, UH, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK I CAN SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE MUSIC COMMUNITY IS CERTAINLY, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CULTURE OF AUSTIN AND WE, UH, OUR VISITORS CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT MUSIC.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION AS WELL, UM, TO SEE AS WE DESIGN THIS FACILITY, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR, UH, WITHIN WHAT WE'RE DESIGNING TO INCORPORATE THOSE INTO, UM, INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE MUSICIANS, MORE ART.
UM, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO GET THE DESIGN PROCESS STARTED SO THAT WE CAN REALLY KIND OF SEE WHAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO FLUSH OUT.
UH, JUST ONE, ONE QUESTION, IF YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, UH, WOULD THE REDEVELOPMENT, IS THERE A PLAN FOR THE EXISTING SKYBRIDGE THAT CONNECTS TO THE FAIRMOUNT? UH, SO THOSE ARE TWO ITEMS ON THE VERY TOP OF OUR LIST AS WELL, THE EXISTING BRIDGE FROM THE FAIRMONT AND THE EXISTING BRIDGE FROM THE HILTON.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE A DESIRE TO WANT TO, UM, IN SOME CAPACITY, UH, INCORPORATE THOSE TWO BRIDGES INTO OUR, UM, EXISTING, UH, INTO OUR REDEVELOPED CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, IT WILL JUST, IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES FOR THAT.
WE WANT THE DESIGN FOLKS, UH, AS THEY'RE DESIGNING THIS NEW FACILITY TO KEEP IN MIND AND SEE IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO INTEGRATE THEM BOTH.
I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT ESPECIALLY THE ONE AT THE FAIRMOUNT.
I MEAN, THE, ONE OF THE HILTON CROSSES LIGHT RAIL TRACKS, AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL IN MY OPINION, BUT THE ONE GOING TO THE FAIRMONT, I THINK ACTUALLY HURTS PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY ON THE GROUND.
AND IT WOULD BE MY OPINION TO ELIMINATE THAT SKYBRIDGE MOVING FORWARD IF WE REALLY WANT TO ACTIVATE THESE SPACES AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK COMMISSIONER FRUITVILLE.
COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE, UH, TALKING MORE ABOUT THE P THREE DEVELOPMENT, KIND OF A LITTLE MORE DIVING IN MORE DETAILS AS FAR AS HOW YOU SEE THAT PLAYING ITSELF OUT? YOU MENTIONED LONG-TERM LANDLEASE, BUT ANY MORE DETAILS AS FAR AS WHAT THAT LONG-TERM LENDLEASE WOULD BE.
AND SPECIFICALLY, IF THERE IS ANY REVENUE GENERATION, I'M ASSUMING THERE'D BE SOME SORT OF REVENUE GENERATION, OTHERWISE THE CITY WOULDN'T BE LEASING THE LAND ON A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, HOW DOES THAT FACTOR INTO THE, UM, FINANCING MECHANISM FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER? SURE.
SO, UM, THE, BECAUSE THE EXHIBIT HALLS ARE GOING TO BE UNDERNEATH THE P THREE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THE, THE
[00:30:01]
GROUND, THE SPACE UNDERGROUND, THAT P THREE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHY IT WILL BE A LONG-TERM LANDLEASE, UM, FOR THE STREET LEVEL AND ABOVE, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH REAL ESTATE SERVICES, AND IT WILL BE A SEPARATE PROCESS THAT WE WILL BE UTILIZING.UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE REVENUES FROM, UM, THAT LONG-TERM LANDLEASE, AND IT IS NOT CURRENTLY FACTORED INTO THE FINANCING MODEL FOR THIS PROJECT.
YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING THERE IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND IT GOES INTO MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO THE TWO BUILDINGS YOU SAW, WE SEE IN GREEN, THE B3 DEVELOPMENT, THOSE WILL BE PLACED ON TOP OF EXHIBIT PLANNED EXHIBIT HALLS.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT TEAL SPACE AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, UM, WHAT WE, UH, HAD OUR CONSULTANTS DRAW UP TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD MEET THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE FEEL WOULD BE MOST VALUABLE FOR THAT IT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF ACRES OF LAND THAT WE WOULD BE, UH, GIVING BACK TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY, UH, AT STREET LEVEL AND ABOVE.
AND SO OUR EXHIBIT HALLS HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND UNDER THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PROJECT WORK FOR SURE.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT USE OF SPACE AND AIR RIGHTS AND WHATNOT.
UM, SO ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU MENTIONED THE FACT THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND WHEN YOU, WHEN I SAY CONVENTION CENTER, I'M ASSUMING THE EXHIBIT HALLS UNDERNEATH THE PRE P THREE DEVELOPMENT ARE PART OF THIS CONVENTION CENTER, UM, PROJECT, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOING OUT FOR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY FOR A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK.
SO THE P THREE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE BUILDING ON TOP OF THE EXHIBIT HALLS, WHICH WOULD BE A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ENTITY THAT WOULD BE BUILDING THE P THREE DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO THE EXHIBIT HALLS UNDERGROUND.
BUT OUR DESIRE IS TO RELEASE, UM, FOR THE T3 DEVELOPMENT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN WORK WITH WHOEVER'S GOING TO, UH, BE BUILDING ON THAT SITE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE DESIGNING, UH, WHAT'S GOING TO GO UNDERGROUND AND ABOVE GROUND AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ALL GOING TO WORK.
SO THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT, UH, WE WILL RELEASE, UM, THE RFQ OR RFP FOR THE MP3 DEVELOPMENT, UM, EARLY ENOUGH THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE INTO THE DESIGN, HOW BUILDINGS WILL FUNCTION.
IT'S ASSUMING YOU GET THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO BUY INTO A, THE RISK INVOLVED WITH HAVING TWO DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION ENTITIES DOING THAT.
AND IT'S WHOLE DIFFERENT DESIGN TEAM DESIGNING YET, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
UM, BUT JUST THE SPECULATION ITSELF OF WHAT'S GOING TO GO THERE, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S A HOTEL OR, OR OFFICE SPACE OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR MUSICIAN SPACE, OR A MIXTURE OF ALL OF THAT, THAT'S ASSUMING THAT YOU GET THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO BUY INTO THAT AND BUY INTO THE RISK THERE THEY'RE TAKING BY BUILDING ON TOP OF SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT DESIGNING AND THEY'RE NOT BUILDING THEMSELVES EITHER.
I WOULD JUST, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM A, FROM A, UH, EFFICIENCY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IT'D BE, I THINK IT'D BE A LITTLE, UM, MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS RISK TO THE CITY.
IF YOU WERE TO CONSIDER HAVING A MASTER DEVELOPMENT TEAM, A MASTER DEVELOPER TAKE ON THE ENTIRE THING, BOTH FROM THE THREE PERSPECTIVE AND TO BRING ON A CONSTRUCTION DESIGN FIRM AND CONSTRUCTION FIRM TO DO THE ENTIRE THING, UM, THOSE, THOSE TEAMS DO EXIST.
YOU COULD HAVE A TEAM THAT HAVE, THAT BRINGS TOGETHER ALL OF THE MOVING PARTS AND DE-RISK THE ENTIRE THING FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF RISK INVOLVED WITH HAVING THOSE, NOT ONLY JUST THE SEPARATE ENTITIES, DESIGNING IT, THEN BUILDING IT.
THOSE ARE TWO PROJECTS IN AND OF THEMSELVES.
AND THEN YOU THROW ON THE CON THE, THE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY CONFUSION, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE BUILDING A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
AND I KNOW THAT THOSE TWO THINGS WILL ALWAYS BE SEPARATE, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THREE DIFFERENT ENTITIES TRYING TO POINT FINGERS AT EACH OTHER, IT'LL GET REALLY CONFUSING, REALLY FAST.
AND I THINK THE CITY WOULD MAXIMIZE ITS BENEFIT FROM A P THIS I'M PUTTING ON MY P THREE CONSULTANT HAT.
NOW I THINK THE CITY WOULD MAXIMIZE ITS BENEFIT.
UM, NOT ONLY TO THE TAXPAYERS FROM, FROM THE SENSE OF WORKING IN THE FINANCING MECHANISMS FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAYBE INCORPORATE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE FUNDING POTENTIAL FUNDING FROM A LONG-TERM LAND LEASE THAT IS THAT P THREE DEVELOPMENT BACK INTO THE ENTIRE, UM, STRUCTURE OF THE PROJECT SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN NOT PULL AS MUCH FROM THE HOT TAX AND DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO OUR ARTISTS AND TO OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, MUSICIANS AND WHATNOT, AND LOOK AT OTHER WAYS TO USE THOSE FUNDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK AT FROM A, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM A MONETARY PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO THE RISK THE CITY IS TAKING FROM A SPECULATION ASPECT, RIGHT? WHAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT THERE AND WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING THERE.
NUMBER TWO, YOU TAKE YOURSELF OUT OF THAT ENTIRE SPECULATION, CAUSE YOU'RE THROWING THAT RISK ONTO THE DEVELOPER.
AND THEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN YOU HAVE SEPARATE DESIGN FIRMS DESIGNING SEPARATE THINGS, AND YOU HAVE SEPARATE CONTRACTORS
[00:35:01]
BUILDING SEPARATE THINGS, AND ALL OF THEM TO BE HONEST WITH YOU COULD, COULD WORK IN CONCERT TOGETHER.IT'S JUST, THE CITY IS GOING TO GET A LOT MORE BENEFIT.
IF YOU GO WITH SOME SORT OF MASTER DEVELOPMENT THAT PUTS THE RISK ON EVERY, ON, ON ONE DEVELOPER TO TAKE IT ALL AS OPPOSED TO PARCELING IT OUT.
AND I DID WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, WE ALLOCATE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW TO THE ARTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UM, THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO JUST THEY THEY'D HAS THE ALLOCATION TO THOSE, THOSE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES, LIVE MUSIC, CULTURAL ARTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE FINANCING OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, YES, I'LL SHARE MY COMMENTS.
UH, SO I'M ALSO A DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER, UM, AND WE REVIEWED, UH, HAYWOOD SANDERS WHO I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, UM, REVIEW OF, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
UM, AND IT SEEMS THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'VE CREATED AND PRESENTED HERE REALLY ADDRESSES A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT HE BROUGHT FORTH, UM, SUCH AS COMPETING WITH THE BIGGER MARKETS.
WE NEED TO REALLY REDEFINE OUR, OUR CONCEPT OF AN EXPANSION CENTER BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK YOU'VE REALLY SUCCESSFULLY CREATED A BOUTIQUE CONVENTION CENTER THAT HAS FLEX SPACE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PROGRAMMING AND THOUGHTFUL RETAIL SPACE.
UM, I GUESS, UH, MY COMMENTS KIND OF ECHO COMMISSIONER, UH HENLE ROBLEDO UH, AND KEEPING THE STREETS WALKABLE, UM, BECAUSE THEY AREN'T STREETS RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
SO IS STREET EVEN THE RIGHT WORD? DOES IT WANT TO BE A PASEO? YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ACTIVATING WITH RETAIL, IS THAT JUST A BIKE FRIENDLY SPACE? DOES THAT WANT TO BE A SPACE THAT, UM, CAN BE EXPANDED FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR, UM, PROGRAMMING? I THINK THAT HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL.
UM, SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE, UM, LIKE AN ESPLANADE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL TO MAKE THAT THE FUTURE OF WHAT A CONVENTION CENTER CAN BE.
UM, YEAH, SO IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT EARLY TO REVIEW WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND WE HAVEN'T DONE A WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FROM US TONIGHT? UH, WE SIMPLY WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR PROJECT THIS EVENING.
UM, SHOW YOU WHAT OUR PROOF OF CONCEPT IS.
UH, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF AIR THIS OUT PUBLICLY YET.
UH, WE DID THIS WITH THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND WE CERTAINLY, UH, WANTED TO MEET WITH YOU ALL AND, UH, JUST KIND OF LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE HOPEFUL TO, UH, GET A DESIGN TEAM ON BOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND THAT WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND IT'S BEEN GREAT FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US SO FAR TODAY.
UM, AND THIS WILL BE THE KIND OF CONSTANT COMMUNICATION THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE WITH YOU ALL, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH DRAFTS OF A DESIGN OF THIS NEW FACILITY AND, UM, REALLY GET THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK, REALLY GET YOUR FEEDBACK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE ARE TRULY, UH, HITTING THE MARK, UM, ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THIS AREAS OF DOWNTOWN IS GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, TURNED INTO.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND SIMPLY WANTED TO, UH, TO DAYLIGHT THIS TEAM TODAY.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE, SAY CHAIR, CHAIR WEAVER.
I HAVE ONE MORE THAN THE CONVERSATION TRIGGERED.
ONE MORE QUESTION OR ONE MORE CONCERN.
CAN YOU DISCUSS THE PARKING STRATEGY FOR THE SURE.
WE'VE GOT A TWO PARKING GARAGES THAT WE CURRENTLY, UM, OWN AND OPERATE, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE AND SINCE, UH, SO MANY OF OUR, UH, HOTELS ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN WALKING AREA.
UM, WE REALLY HAVE A MAJORITY OF OUR ATTENDEES THAT COME IN, UH, TO, TO AUSTIN.
UM, THEY, WHEN THEY FLY IN, THEY UBER, OR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO TAKE THE TRAIN INTO DOWNTOWN.
SO ALTHOUGH WE'RE DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT'S, UH, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL NOT BE IMPACTING THE TRAFFIC IN A NEGATIVE WAY BY PUTTING MORE CARS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING, UM, AT THIS TIME WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL PARKING.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'LL BE KIND OF FLESHED OUT IN THE DESIGN PROCESS AS WELL.
[1.b. Discussion and possible action relating to recommendations for the Downtown Density Bonus Program, to be presented Sam Tedford - Housing and Planning Department.]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION RELATING TO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, TO BE PRESENTED BY SAM TEDFORD FROM HOUSING AND PLANNING.CAN I ASK A REAL QUICK QUESTION? OKAY.
CHAIR, IF I MAY JUST START AGAIN, UM, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SAW CAN AND GET EMAILED TO US, NUMBER ONE, BUT WHY AREN'T WE GETTING THESE BEFOREHAND?
[00:40:01]
I WAS HAVING TO GO UP AND LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, ON THE SCREEN.AND I KNOW AS THE CHAIR OF ANOTHER BOARD AND COMMISSION, UM, STAFF REALLY HOUNDS ME TO GET MY STUFF IN 72 HOURS PRIOR TO, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY STAFF HASN'T GIVEN US THE SAME RESPECT SO WE CAN REVIEW THESE THINGS AND HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF US, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO HAVE THEM ONLINE SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THEM WHILE WE'RE SEEING THEM AS WELL.
UM, MAYBE THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY PUBLIC FEEDBACK BECAUSE NO ONE COULD SEE THIS PRESENTATION BEFOREHAND.
NOT SURE IF I MADE SURE IT IS NOT A RESPECT THING THAT TRADITIONALLY BRIEFINGS ARE NOT GIVING AN ADVANCE.
THIS IS A COURTESY THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION OVER THE YEARS.
EVEN THE COUNCIL DOESN'T GET BRIEFINGS BEFORE OR POSTED ONLINE WHEN A BRIEFING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.
SO PROJECTS HAVE GIVEN A COURTESY TO THE COMMISSION.
SO IT'S NOT REQUIRED THAT ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT WHEN YOU'RE DOING A BRIEFING BE PRESENTED BEFOREHAND OR POSTED ONLINE WELL, CURTIS WOULD TO BE FANTASTIC TO GET THESE THINGS BEFOREHAND BECAUSE HAVING TO GO UP AND SEE THEM ON THE SCREEN IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR A BRIEFING TO HAVE THOSE POSTED BEFOREHAND.
I WILL SAY IT IS POSTED FOR ACTION.
IT'S NOT POSTED AS A BRIEFING, SO I KNOW THAT'S SEMANTICS, BUT IT'S STILL, THAT'S CORRECT.
WE GAVE YOU AN OPTION FOR ACTION.
IF YOU CHOOSE, WE CAN POST THESE AS BRIEFINGS, IF YOU LIKE, AND YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE ITEMS. SO WE POSTED THAT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY, DISCUSS OTHERWISE FOLLOWING THE SAME RULES AS CITY COUNCIL, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION.
I DON'T WANT TO BE A DENSITY BONUS.
AND ON WEBEX BEFORE WHERE IT DIDN'T WORK THE SECOND, THIRD OR FOURTH TIMES.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, I WILL BE SHARING A LOT OF YOUR TIME TONIGHT, UM, AS I ALSO HAVE THE NEXT BRIEFING ON YOUR AGENDA, BUT FIRST I'D LIKE FOR US TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN REQUESTING AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR PRESET FOR A COUNCIL RESOLUTION FROM 2021.
AND SO I'M HERE TO BRING YOU THE LATEST AND GREATEST INFORMATION RELATED.
UM, AND MY NAME IS SAM TEDFORD.
I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO TODAY I WILL REFRESH YOUR MEMORY WITH A BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
I'LL RECAP SOME PROGRESS TO DATE, AND THEN, UM, GUIDE YOU ALL THROUGH A DISCUSSION OF WHERE WE'VE LANDED AS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE IN THIS PROCESS.
SO FOR BACKGROUND, THAT RESOLUTION I MENTIONED WAS PASSED IN APRIL, 2021.
AND COUNCIL, UH, ADOPTED A RESOLUTION THAT ASKS FOR STAFF TO WORK ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
UM, MANY OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN ALREADY COMPLETED TO DATE.
SO ONE WAS A FAIRLY, UM, TECHNICAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE TYPE ACTION TO MOVE THE VOLUNTARY DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS FEES FROM THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE INTO THE CITY'S FEE SCHEDULE, WHICH IS ADOPTED ANNUALLY WITH THE CITY'S BUDGET, UM, THAT IS COMPLETED.
THE NEXT WAS TO IMPLEMENT INTERIM FEES IN LIEU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BASED UPON PRIOR RESEARCH.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE FEES A FEW TIMES.
THOSE ARE THE FEES THAT ARE IN PLACE TODAY.
WE WERE THEN, UH, ADDED TO THE FEE SCHEDULE.
UM, ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THE RESOLUTION ASKS STAFF TO EXPLORE CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FAR FLORIDA AREA OF RATIO POLICY AND THE DOWNTOWNS AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS WELL.
AND TODAY WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE, UM, OUTSTANDING ELEMENT FROM THIS RESOLUTION, WHICH WAS TO UPDATE THOSE FEES IN LIEU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
SO PROGRESS TO DATE, UM, HAS INCLUDED, UH, RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS.
UM, NUMEROUS COMMISSION BRIEFINGS, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN TO THIS COMMISSION AND, UH, ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE'VE WORKED PRETTY CLOSELY WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AS WE'VE WORKED ON RESPONSE TO THIS COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
UM, IN ADDITION, UM, WE'VE TALKED WITH THIS COMMISSION BEFORE ABOUT SOME OF THE, UM, MARKET ANALYSIS AND MODELING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AS PART OF OUR RESPONSE TO THIS RESOLUTION AND JUST ANALYSIS OF RECENT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN DOWNTOWN.
[00:45:01]
UM, WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED A BRIEFING TO OUR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, SO SOME OF STAFF'S OBJECTIVES AND WE'RE REPRESENTED ALSO IN THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION, UM, THE OBJECTIVES FOR THIS WORK TO MAXIMIZE THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN THIS VOLUNTARY, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.UM, WE ALSO KNEW, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THIS WAS TAKING PLACE IN, IS TAKING PLACE DURING A PANDEMIC.
AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN MANY WAYS IN OUR MARKET, UM, TO KEEP FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENCE IN THIS PROGRAM TO ACCOUNT FOR THOSE KINDS OF FLUCTUATIONS THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO FORESEE IN ADVANCE.
UM, AND FINALLY, I THINK THAT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE CLEAR, NOT JUST WITH THE DOWNTOWN PROGRAM ALONE, BUT WITH MANY OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM CITYWIDE THAT MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE PROGRAMS PRETTY CONSISTENTLY, SO THAT WE CAN COME IN AND, AND LEARN FROM WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THOSE PROGRAMS AND WHAT THE ACTUAL OUTCOMES ARE THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REFLECT THAT AND, AND MAKE POLICY UPDATES TO BETTER THESE PROGRAMS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN, OR AS OFTEN AS IT MAKES SENSE, THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO CUT TO THE CHASE AND REVEAL, UM, WHERE WE ARE HEADED WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME, OR THAT ELEMENT TO UPDATE OUR FEES IN LIEU IN THIS BONUS PROGRAM FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL FEES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING MAINTAINING THE INTERIM FEES THAT ARE IN PLACE TODAY.
UM, SO WE HAVE A CHART HERE SHOWING THE 2014 FEES.
THAT IS THE FEES THAT WERE ADOPTED, UM, AT THE ONSET OF THIS BONUS PROGRAM IN 2014.
AND THEN THE INTERIM FEES WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WE ADJUSTED THESE FEES.
AND THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THIS COUNCIL RESOLUTION AND BASED ON PRIOR WORK.
AND TODAY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT FOR THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WE MAINTAIN THE CURRENT INTERIM FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS OR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING DECREASING THE INTERIM FEE RATE, UM, TO $9 FOR CBD ZONED PROPERTIES AND $6 PER SQUARE FOOT OF BONUS AREA FOR COMMERCIAL, UM, OTHER ZONED PROPERTIES.
I'M GOING TO DIVE INTO THIS MORE.
SO, UM, THESE NUMBERS WILL NOT DISAPPEAR.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO REASONING BEHIND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION REGARDING RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
UM, WE MAY, WE RECOMMEND MAINTAINING THOSE INTERIM RESIDENTIAL FEE RATES THAT WERE ADOPTED IN 2021, UM, THROUGH VARIOUS, UM, ASPECTS OF OUR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS AND LISTENING TO STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THESE FEES ARE APPROXIMATELY WHERE THEY OUGHT TO BE FOR NOW.
UM, WE'VE SEEN CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION IN THE BONUS PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS SINCE THE INTERIM FEES WERE, UM, WERE ADOPTED.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE SET AT THE RIGHT RATE AT THIS TIME.
WE KNOW THAT THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, COSTS HAVE RISEN SINCE 2019, WHEN SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT WENT INTO THOSE FEES WAS COMPLETED, HARD COSTS HAVE RISEN, CITY FEES HAVE RISEN.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO KNOW THAT HOUSING VALUES HAVE RISEN, UM, SINCE 2019 CONSIDERABLY AS WELL.
UM, AND SO WE THINK THESE FEES ARE JUST ABOUT RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW FOR COMMERCIAL.
HOWEVER, WE DO RECOMMEND LOWERING THIS FEE, UM, FROM WHERE IT WAS SET IN 2021 AS AN INTERIM FEE.
UM, WE KNOW THIS, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS BASED ON A NUMBER OF FINDINGS.
ONE IS, UM, PERHAPS THE MORE OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION FROM THE PRIOR POLICY, WHICH WAS A $0 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
SO THERE WAS A HIGH DEGREE OF VARIATION GOING FROM $0 PER SQUARE FOOT UP TO IN SOME INSTANCES, $18 PER SQUARE FOOT.
UM, AND SO THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO MAKE THAT TYPE OF, OR THAT BIG OF A CHANGE IN POLICY IN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS FOR THE MARKET TO RESPOND TO.
ADDITIONALLY, WE CONSISTENTLY HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THAT THESE INTERIM FEES WERE SET TOO HIGH, THAT IT WAS GOING TO DETER PARTICIPATION IN THE BONUS PROGRAM FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
UM, BUT FINALLY, AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMERCIAL WAS THAT THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MARKET UNCERTAINTY FOR, UM, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'VE HEARD AGAIN CONSISTENTLY THROUGH STAKEHOLDER INPUT THAT THERE'S A BIT OF A HOLDING PATTERN IN THIS MARKET RIGHT NOW.
UM, AS A LOT OF OTHER THINGS START TO BECOME MORE CLEAR IN TERMS OF DEMAND FOR OFFICE SPACE IN CBB, IN, IN DOWNTOWN PROJECTS, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO AT THIS TIME WE ARE RECOMMENDING LOWERING THOSE FEES.
[00:50:03]
THIS SIDE COULD HAVE GONE AT THE BEGINNING, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD REMINDER TO THINK ABOUT, UM, THAT THESE ARE VOLUNTARY BONUS PROGRAMS. AND SO WE MUST RELY ON AN INCENTIVE BASED APPROACH TO HAVING THE PRIVATE MARKET DELIVER COMMUNITY BENEFITS.UM, WE ALSO KNOW IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AN INCENTIVE-BASED PROGRAM, WE HAVE TO CALIBRATE THESE POLICIES PRETTY CLOSELY AND THEN MONITOR AND EVALUATE WHAT THE ACTUAL OUTCOMES ARE IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO PART OF WHAT OUR MARKET ANALYSIS AND MODELING LOOKS AT IS TRYING TO DETERMINE, TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THOSE BONUS ENTITLEMENTS AND WHAT IS THE COST TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
AND SO IN DOWNTOWN, WHERE WE SEE MOST PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM OPTING FOR A FEE IN LIEU, INSTEAD OF PROVIDING ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEYOND WHAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED IN SOME DISTRICTS LIKE RAINY, UM, THERE IS AN ONSITE REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, PART OF THE TIER OF THE BONUS.
UM, AND SO THE COST TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFIT ENDS UP BEING QUANTIFIED AS A FEE PER SQUARE FOOT.
AND, UM, THAT IS, UH, WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT THAT FEE RATE SHOULD BE.
OKAY AGAIN, UM, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT THROUGH SOME OF THESE OTHER SLIDES IN HOW WE GOT TO THIS, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BUT WE'VE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THIS INITIAL PROCESS.
WE HAVE NOT IN AUSTIN, TYPICALLY GONE BACK AND DONE THIS RECALIBRATION OF OUR DENSITY BONUSES.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THIS ROUND OF DOING IT.
UM, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME STUDIES COME OUT THAT ALSO PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK.
UM, AND SO I'VE BEEN REFERENCING HERE, SOME WORK FROM THIS, UM, REPORT CALLED STRENGTHENING INCLUSIONARY HOUSING FEASIBILITY STUDIES FROM THE GROUNDED SOLUTIONS NETWORK THAT GIVES US THIS CAN AFFORD LEGGED STOOL APPROACH OR, UM, THINGS TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE CALIBRATING, THESE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. SO ONE IS TO LOOK AT EXISTING POLICY.
ANOTHER IS TO CONSIDER THE DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND THE RECENT PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, OF COURSE WE NEED TO LISTEN TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AS THEY PROVIDE THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
AND, UM, FINALLY IS TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MARKET DYNAMICS AND TO TEST, UH, SENSITIVITY.
AND SO WE BELIEVE WE'VE TAKEN, UM, AN APPROACH THAT INCLUDES AND IS RESPONSIVE TO ALL OF THESE VARIOUS FACTORS THAT WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO CALIBRATING THESE BONUSES.
UM, AND WE'LL BE BETTER POSITIONED TO CONTINUE THIS WORK INTO THE FUTURE.
SO FINALLY, UM, JUST TO RECAP, AND THEN TO ADD SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING OUT ON STAFF'S BEHALF, UM, WE DO RECOMMEND MAINTAINING THE INTERIM RESIDENTIAL FEES IN LIEU.
WE RECOMMEND LOWERING THE COMMERCIAL FEES UNTIL MARKET DYNAMICS ARE MORE CLEAR.
UM, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BONUS PROGRAM.
AND FINALLY, WE DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ABOUT REEVALUATE THE DOWNTOWN'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, MORE HOLISTICALLY TO ACHIEVE MORE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS VERY SPECIFIC JUST TO LOOK AT THE FEES, BUT WE'VE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING THIS COMMISSION, THAT THERE'S AN INTEREST IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET MORE ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THESE PROJECTS.
AND SINCE IT WAS NOT, UM, AS PART OF THE DIRECTION THAT SET US ON THIS PATH TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, WE WEREN'T REALLY LOOKING HOLISTICALLY AT THE PROGRAM AND WE WERE JUST KIND OF HONING IN ON WHAT IS THE FEE RATE THAT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME.
AND SO STAFF DOES THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK MORE HOLISTICALLY AT THE PROGRAM, UM, TO SEE IF WE'RE GETTING THE OUTCOMES THAT, THAT WE WANTED FROM THIS PROGRAM, AND IF THEY ARE EQUITABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR NEXT STEPS, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS FEES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FEE SCHEDULE AS PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET IS TYPICALLY, UM, MADE PUBLIC IN JULY AS COUNCIL STARTS ITS BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE A COUNCIL ADOPTION IN AUGUST, 2022, AGAIN, AS PART OF THE LARGER CITY WIDE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
NOW THIS FEE LIVES IN THE FEE SCHEDULE, THAT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF THE TEMPO AND THE CADENCE OF THIS, UH, THIS PROGRAM.
AND, AND SO IT WILL, IT'LL LIVE IN THE CITY'S BUDGET AND THAT'S WHERE, UM, WOULD THE STAFF, UH, RECOMMENDATION WE'LL CONTINUE TO LIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, SINCE THAT IS NOW ON TRACK TO BE PART OF THE FEE SCHEDULE, UH, STAFF WOULD LIKE TO, UM, COMPLETE A MEMO THAT IS GOING TO CONVEY OUR RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL AS A LOT OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE DID AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS AS WE, UM, ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT
[00:55:01]
THIS, UM, THIS WORK.AND SO WE ANTICIPATE ALSO COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION AND DISTRIBUTING IT IN A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT'LL PROBABLY BE OUT IN ADVANCE OF THE CITY MANAGERS BUDGET, UM, PROBABLY JUNE, 2022.
THOSE ARE ALL THE SLIDES THAT I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
SO I'LL STOP SHARING AND I WILL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A COUP I'LL OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN.
I HAVE A BIG CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
SO SLIDE TWO KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEY WERE KIND OF, THEY WERE LISTED AS DAA N RICA.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION YOU GIVE SAYING, WELL, YOU CAN SPELL IT WITH THESE BOATS.
WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, RICA IN DAA.
THEY SEEM LIKE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CONCERNS, RIGHT? WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ANY KIND OF RACIAL EQUITY GROUPS.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT HOMELESS REPRESENTATION.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT LOW COST.
HOUSING EXPERTS WERE RELYING ON THESE NUMBERS FROM RICA AND FROM DAA, WHICH I THINK IS THAT'S THE TERRIBLE DIRECTION TO BE TAKEN RIGHT NOW.
PRICES ARE GOING UP SO MUCH EVERY DAY.
IT'S A HUGE MOVING TARGET, THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHOWED ME THAT, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER GO IN LIEU OF ANY DAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP THOSE RIGHTS THERE.
SO I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, ESPECIALLY THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, YOU NEED TO REACH OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE TO MORE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE REALLY INVOLVED WITH LOW-COST HOUSING AND WITH HOMELESSNESS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UH, BEFORE I CAN KIND OF LIKE APPROVE ANY KIND OF PLAN LIKE THIS, OR ARE WE PATIENT, THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, MR. CARROLL? OKAY.
UH, WHERE DID WE GET? UH, I WANT TO START AT THE BEGINNING, UH, OBJECTIVES, MAXIMIZE COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UM, I FAIL TO SEE HOW COLLECTING FEES AND LOSE FOR A HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM IS MAXIMIZING THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, UH, DIRECTING TOWARDS LOW BARRIER APPROACHES.
I THINK WE'RE FAILING IN THIS PROCESS, PARTLY BECAUSE WE'RE FIT.
THE SECOND ONE SAYS FUTURE OF DEMAND FOR DOWNTOWN OFFICE IS UNCERTAIN.
THEY JUST RENTED A MILLION SQUARE FEET DOWNTOWN.
THEY DON'T FEEL IT'S UNCERTAIN AGAIN, THIS OBJECTIVE SCENES MISGUIDED.
UM, NOW GOING INTO THESE NUMBERS, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE PRESENTATION THAT SHOWS HOW THESE NUMBERS WERE DERIVED.
DID YOU SPEAK TO THAT? DO YOU HAVE A MODEL THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US TO, TO SHOW THE OUTPUT THAT, THAT CREATED THESE NUMBERS AND WHY ARE THEY DIFFERENT FROM THE INTERIM FEES AS AN EXAMPLE? SURE.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN PART OF, I MEAN, WHY THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY LONG AND DRAWN OUT IS BASED PRETTY MUCH ENTIRELY ON THE FINANCIAL MODELING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
UM, WE WERE USING A TOOL THAT WAS CREATED, UM, BY ECONOMIC CONSULTANTS, ECHOED NORTHWEST AND THROUGHOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THIS MODEL, WE FOUND THAT IT HAD SOME ERRORS IN IT THAT, UM, KIND OF TOOK US BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO REEVALUATE AND DO SOME ADDITIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE ON THE MODELING AND FINANCIAL TOOLS THAT WE WERE USING.
UM, THAT SAID MOST OF OUR MODELING SHOWED THAT, UM, THIS PROGRAM WOULD NOT SUPPORT, UM, A FEE IN LIEU WHATSOEVER THAT THERE'S NO VALUE IN THE BONUS ENTITLEMENTS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE LOOKED AT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS, UM, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS STILL CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION.
SO THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS DISCONNECT BETWEEN MUD, OUR MODELING WAS SHOWING US AND WHAT WE WERE SEEING IN PRACTICE.
AND SO THAT IS SORT OF HOW IT LANDED AT MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT FEES BECAUSE OUR FINANCIAL MODELING WAS TELLING US THAT THERE'S NO VALUE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND YET WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS, THERE WAS VALUE IN THIS PROGRAM AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO SEE PARTICIPATION.
AND SO THIS WAS STAFF'S BEST EFFORTS AT TRYING TO, TO MEET SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE RESEARCH THAT WOULD SUPPORT HIGHER FEE AT THIS TIME.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO SEE THAT MODEL.
I FIND IT PERSONALLY INTERESTING AND, AND ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE I QUESTIONED THE MODEL, IF IT REALLY DOES COME OUT TO BE ZERO.
SO SHARING THAT MODEL, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH AT LEAST US, IF NOT THE PUBLIC TO ANALYZE IT, I MEAN, YOU JUST ADMITTED IT HAD MISTAKES.
ONE TIME IT COULD HAVE MORE MISTAKES.
[01:00:01]
AND I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT PARTICIPATION DOES NOT EQUAL SUCCESS.WHEN YOU SAY, UH, FOUR PROJECTS APPLIED IN THE INTERIM, UH, FEE PHASE, DID YOU COMPARE THAT TO PROJECTS BEFORE THE INTERIM FEES IS FOUR SUCCESSFUL? DID THE YEAR BEFORE, DID WE HAVE AT LEAST FOUR OR MORE THAN FOUR? UM, HOW, HOW, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
IT ACTUALLY SEEMS KIND OF LOW TO ME.
I THINK THERE WERE, THERE WERE TWO QUESTIONS OR THINGS I COULD RESPOND TO IN THAT.
UM, SO THE FIRST IS THE MODEL IS, IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS HOW WE WERE AT.
THAT'S HOW WE FOUND SOME OF THE INITIAL ERRORS IN THE MODEL.
AND, UM, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A FEW MONTHS OF DELAY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE TAKING A MODEL THROUGH SOME RIGOROUS QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES.
UM, BUT YOU'RE, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY WITH THE MODEL SO THAT WE CAN MAKE IT A BETTER TOOL.
UM, I DID NOT INCLUDE THE LINK TO THE MODEL IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S IN PAST ONES, BUT I WILL TRY AND, UH, ENDEAVOR TO GET THAT LINK TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS SO THAT YOU ALL CAN EXPLORE THAT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE THE, UM, THE DATA INPUTS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, UM, MODELING IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INPUTS, UM, AS WE KNOW.
AND SO, UM, I CAN ENSURE THAT THAT INFORMATION GETS TO THE, TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I LISTED THAT FOR SITE PLANS HAVE APPLIED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS SINCE THE INTERIM FEES WERE IN PLACE.
AND THAT REPRESENTS TOTALITY OF THE SITE PLAN APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THAT PERIOD.
SO, UM, I LISTED FOUR PROJECTS, BUT THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR SITE PLANS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY INTEND TO USE THE BONUS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, UM, ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD OF WHAT, UM, THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS WE WERE SEEING BEFORE 2021 SUSPICION IS IN 2020, IT WAS VERY LOW.
UM, BUT COMPARING TO 2019 IS ALSO, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD IS, IS, UM, NOT IDEAL GIVEN THAT WE'RE IN PRETTY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES NOW.
SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS THOUGH.
WELL, I W I WAS STILL ARGUED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, COMPARISON IS, IS WORTH SOMETHING IT'S, YOU KNOW, TO SAY, BECAUSE SOME FOLKS ARE PARTICIPATING IT'S SUCCESSFUL, WHERE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE, MORE PARTICIPATION IF THE FEES WHO ARE MORE ACCURATELY CALIBRATED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS BRINGS UP THE QUESTION.
IF THE MODELS SHOWED ZERO, WHERE DID THESE NUMBERS COME FROM? SO FOR THE APOLOGIES, I DIDN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, BECAUSE IT WAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STORY WHEN WE CONDUCTED MODELING.
SO FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, OUR MODELING AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THERE'S NO VALUE IN OUR BONUS ENTITLEMENTS TODAY.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAD EVIDENCE THROUGH THOSE OTHER PARTIES.
THOSE OTHER SITE PLANS THAT HAVE INDICATED THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE BONUS PROGRAM, THAT THE MODEL ISN'T CAPTURING SOMETHING THAT IS A REALITY FOR MANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH TODAY.
UM, AND SO THAT SAID, WHAT WE HAD TO GO OFF IS THAT THIS INTERIM FEE RATES ARE IN PLACE TODAY.
AND SO STAFF IS RECOMMENDING TO MAINTAIN THOSE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT A HIGHER FEE.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY BECAUSE OUR MODELING IS SHOWING THAT THERE COULD BE A POSITIVE FEE RATE THAT IS CALIBRATED, AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE THE $9 PER SQUARE FOOT AND $6 PER SQUARE FOOT.
UM, HOWEVER, GIVEN THAT WE'VE ALL HAD SOME HEALTHY DOSE OF SKEPTICISM RELATED TO THE MODEL, UM, BASED ON OUR PAST WORK, UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS STILL TRUE BASED ON THOSE OTHER KIND OF PRONGS OF THE APPROACH THAT WE WANT TO TAKE WITH THIS DENSITY BONUS CALIBRATION WORK.
AND SO IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THINGS LIKE WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS THAT THOSE FEES ARE TOO HIGH.
SO A LOWER FEE ALSO ALIGNS WITH, UM, STAKEHOLDER INPUT RELATED TO THIS.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO COMMERCIAL PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN SINCE, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY SINCE THE INTERIM RATES WERE ADOPTED.
SO WE CAN'T POINT TO THE FEES BEING CALIBRATED SO THAT THERE'S STILL AN INCENTIVE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND FINALLY, THE EXISTING POLICY AS THE OTHER KIND OF, UM, FACTOR THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, WAS THERE WAS A REALLY SUBSTANTIAL JUMP FROM $0 PER SQUARE FOOT UP TO 12 OR $18 PER SQUARE FOOT.
UM, AND SO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG DRASTIC CHANGE, UM, IN THIS TYPE OF POLICY.
[01:05:01]
UM, THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF, WE GOT ONE RESPONSE FROM THE MODELING THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED.UM, BUT IT WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY MANY OF THOSE OTHER FACTORS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
SO I'M HEARING ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, YOU'RE SAYING THE MODEL WAS INCORRECT FOR THE INTERIM FEES, BUT YOU HAD PARTICIPATION WITH THOSE FEES.
SO YOU'RE JUST LEAVING THEM AS IS, IS THAT CORRECT? IT IS CORRECT.
THE MODEL IS SHOWING THAT THERE'S NO VALUE, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DISCREPANCY BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SEEN HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE MAINTAINING THE FEES AS THEY ARE AT FIT ON THE COMMERCIAL.
IT HAS A NUMBER, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING.
IT IS THE NUMBERS THAT WERE, IT IS NINE OR SIX.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK WITH THE UPDATE.
I KNOW WE'VE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF YOU AND I APPRECIATE, UM, CONTINUING THE DIALOGUE.
UM, SO OF THE FOUR PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, THOSE ARE LUXURY PRODUCTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, THEY'RE ALL RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UM, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE USING THE TERM LUXURY RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN IS HOW WE CAN MAKE MORE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING HAPPEN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE RITZ CARLTON, A CONDO HOTEL HYBRID SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO END TO THAT, THAT SORT OF, UM, BUT IF WE'RE CALIBRATING AGAINST THAT AND CALLING THAT SUCCESS, THAT WE HAVE A RITZ CARLTON HOTEL THAT'S PARTICIPATING, I DON'T KNOW, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARTICIPATION FOR RESIDENTIAL.
UH, AND THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THE OLD MODEL WAS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S THE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CORRECTED MODEL IS NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, I THINK YOU MAY BE RIGHT.
WE HAVEN'T YET INCLUDED THE UPDATED MODEL.
I THINK I'M HEARING A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE MODEL FROM, UH, FOLKS THAT DAA AND RICA WHO, YOU KNOW, UM, TO COMMISSIONER OF GUCCI'S POINT, WHERE ARE WE SPEAKING WITH THEM? WE'RE SPEAKING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN PROFORMA MODELING.
UM, AND THEY REPRESENT PEOPLE WHO MODEL EVERY DAY, UM, FOR THEIR LIVELIHOODS.
SO I THINK THERE IT'S AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE.
UM, SO I'M HEARING FROM THEM THAT THE OFFICE RATES ARE STILL PRE PANDEMIC.
AND SO, WHEREAS WE MIGHT HAVE $60 A SQUARE FOOT, TRIPLE NET FOR OFFICE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE MODEL.
UM, IF THAT'S A NUMBER THAT WE'RE USING, FROST IS CURRENTLY RENTING AT 34 TRIPLE NET.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY LISTING AT.
SO OFFICE HAS NOT RECOVERED AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, AS I'M A DEVELOPER AND I'M LOOKING AT COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION, I'M TRYING TO LOCK IN A GMP CONTRACT WITH MY CONTRACTOR AND PRICES ARE ESCALATING AT 2% A MONTH.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE ASKING, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM FOLKS WHO ARE INVESTING IN OUR, IN OUR CITY, WE'VE GOT UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN COST INCREASES FOR MATERIAL AND LABOR.
WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, INCREASING FEES, UH, DENSITY, BONUSES, JUST ONE OF THEM, UH, PARKLAND FEE WENT UP 120% RIGHT LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR LARGEST SITES, A SITE DEVELOPMENT FEES.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, THAT IT MIGHT BE A FINANCIAL TREND THAT IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD BE WORSE.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW WE SHOULD MODEL FOR WHAT IS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR DEVELOPMENT FOLKS TAKE TO THEIR BANKS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY MAKE PROMISES WITH THEIR INVESTORS.
THEY'RE SIGNING FOR WHAT IS TODAY AND THEIR FEET ARE HELD TO THE FIRE FOR WHAT IS TODAY.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN SAY, WELL, IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD BE BETTER THAN WE JUST MIGHT NOT SEE ANY OFFICE OR COMMERCIAL DOWNTOWN.
UM, YEAH, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PAST FIRST FUTURE PLAN SUBMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FACING A LOT OF UNKNOWNS IN THE MARKET.
[01:10:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CALL THE FOUR LUXURY PRODUCTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED THIS PAST YEAR.WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE NOW AND FINANCING CONSTRUCTION, I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY BE MODELING TO WHAT THAT IS TODAY.
AND IF ECO NORTHWEST IS GIVING US A FLAWED MODEL, IF IT HAS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE ACUTE TO THE INCORRECT CELLS, THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY FOLKS WHO CAN USE MODELS.
UM, THEY DO FORENSIC, UM, FORENSIC ECONOMICS.
UM, THEY'RE A NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESOURCE ASSOCIATION AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR HIRE TO DOUBLE-CHECK A PROFORMA.
AND THEY COULD ABSOLUTELY IDENTIFY MODELING ERRORS THAT WERE REALLY JUST LOOKING AT INPUTS AND OUTPUTS AND THEN TAKING THE REAL DATA AND MAKING REAL DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR MARKET IS AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT AS POTENTIALLY A FASTER SOLUTION THAN GOING BACK TO ECO NORTHWEST, WHO'S STILL GIVING US AN INCORRECT MODEL.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A TON OF WORK AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING BACK AND CONTINUING CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER FRANCO.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT I'M SURE IT HAS BEEN A TON OF WORK.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR THE COMMENTS.
I WANT TO ECHO, UM, UM, MISSIONARY CAROL'S COMMENTS.
UM, MAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK HERE, BUT I THINK, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER CAROL ALREADY SAID A LOT OF IT.
I JUST WANTED TO, CAN YOU RIFF, JUST REITERATE WHY YOU'RE HAVING THE COMMERCIAL, HAVING AN IN HALF THE COMMERCIAL, UM, UH, DOLLARS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING A PROJECT A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I KNOW THERE WAS FOUR, YOU LISTED FOUR, I'M ASSUMING THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE FOUR, BUT THEY WERE MORE THAN WILLING TO PAY THE $18 A SQUARE FOOT, UM, FOR A LUXURY HOTEL DOWNTOWN, I WAS JUST LOOKING BACK AT OUR, AT OUR, AT OUR BACKUP MATERIAL AND THEY PAID OVER, OR THE INTENT WAS FOR THEM TO PAY OVER $3 MILLION INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND AT THAT $18 A SQUARE FOOT.
THERE WAS A MIXTURE OF HOTEL ON THE, ON THE, UH, BOTTOM LEVEL AND THEN RESIDENTIAL ON THE TOP LEVEL.
AND THEY WERE PAYING THE $12 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR RESIDENTIAL.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE COMPLETELY CUTTING THAT IN HALF.
IF YOU MAY, YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS.
I JUST, I WAS TRYING TO LISTEN AND FIG AND UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M JUST A LITTLE DENSE TODAY STATING THAT, UM, RESIDENTIAL IS STAYING THE SAME COMMERCIAL, THEY WERE CUTTING IN HALF.
SO I'M WANTING TO KNOW YOUR KNOW THE, THE, UH, THE THOUGHT PROCESS FOR HAVING THE COMMERCIAL AGAIN.
IS IT JUST CAUSE, UH, AS YOUR PRESENTATION SAYS, THERE'S SOME, THE DEVELOPMENT HEADWINDS, I GUESS IT SAYS IN YOUR PRESENTATION, I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M PROBABLY, WASN'T VERY CLEAR, UM, EXPLAINING WHERE THOSE COMMERCIAL NUMBERS CAME FROM.
SO THE COMMERCIAL NUMBERS ARE BASED IN RESULTS FROM OUR MODELING.
HOWEVER, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AT THE MODEL IS, IS, UM, NOT A PERFECT TOOL AND IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE, UM, REFLECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, SITE TO SITE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.
UM, WE WERE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO TRIANGULATE THAT KIND OF OUTPUT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED THAT WE LOOKED FOR, UM, DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN THE COMMERCIAL MARKETS SPECIFICALLY, WHICH HAPPENED DIFFERENT IN OUR EXPERIENCE THAN RESIDENTIAL DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, COMPARING TO WHAT WAS THE EXISTING POLICY.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
AND SO THE $9 PER SQUARE FOOT IN THE $6 PER SQUARE FOOT ARE GROUNDED IN MODELING OF THE COMMERCIAL MARKET.
UM, HOWEVER, WE WERE USING THOSE OTHER PRONGS TO, TO TRIANGULATE AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SINCE, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE FOR US TO LOOK TO MODELING ALONE AS OUR ONLY, UM, TOOL THAT HELPS DRIVE POLICY.
SO ALONG THOSE LINES, I THINK IT MAKES THE CASE.
AND YOU SAID IT YOURSELF THAT THE MODELING THERE'S A LOT OF SKEPTICISM FROM STAFF AND WHAT THOSE MODELS LOOK LIKE.
SO TO ME, IT BOGGLES MY MIND SEEING THAT WE JUST LOOKED A PROJECT THAT WAS WILLING TO PAY $10 A SQUARE FOOT.
YET YOU STAFF THEMSELVES AS SAYING THAT THEY'RE VERY SKEPTICAL OF ANY MODELING, OR IT SEEMS LIKE THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.
AND SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WOULD GET FORMED THE CONCLUSION THAT IT'S ALL RIGHT TO HAVE TO CUT THOSE DOLLARS IN HALF, BECAUSE ONE THING IS REALITY THAT DEVELOPERS ARE WILLING TO PAY.
AND WE HAVE THAT IN AN APPLICATION FROM THE, OUR JANUARY MEETING.
THE OTHER THING IS SKEPTICISM OF YOUR NUMBERS.
SO THEY'RE COMPLETE OPPOSITES.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT IS FACTUAL AND TRUE IS THAT A DEVELOPER WAS WILLING TO PAY $18 A SQUARE FOOT FOR ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS.
AND SO IN MY MIND, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD JUST CUT THOSE NUMBERS IN HALF.
I THINK I'M NOT SURE WHAT PROJECT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SEE ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECTS THAT, UM, CAME IN OR ANTICIPATE FOR ANY SURE.
IT IS FROM OUR JANUARY MEETING.
[01:15:01]
IS THE, UM, LET ME SEE, LET ME GO BACK TO THE, UH, BACKUP JANUARY MEETING JANUARY 24TH.I MISSPOKE FEBRUARY 28TH, BACKUP FOR ITEM ONE B UH, BLOCKS 3 0 7 AND THREE 19 SECOND STREET PROJECT.
AND TO MY MIND IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU SAID IT WAS A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT.
SO THEY PUT THE, THE MIXTURE OF HALF OF THESE ARE ROUGH NUMBERS.
ROUGHLY HALF WAS, UM, COMMERCIAL HOTEL ON THE FIRST, I DON'T KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY 12 FLOORS.
THE NEXT 12 FLOORS WERE RENTED OR A LUXURY RESIDENTIAL AND THE THEY'RE THEY'RE THERE.
THEY GAVE US A NICE FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THEY WERE PAYING INTO IT WITH REGARDS TO COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND THEY CLEARLY SHOW THAT THERE ARE PAYING THE $12 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION AND THEN THE $18 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE COMMERCIAL PORTION.
AND THE REASON THEY GAVE US THAT THAT, UH, INPUT IS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALSO SUBTRACTING SOME STUFF OUT OF THERE THAT THEY WANTED TO GET CREDIT FOR AND WANTED TO EXPLAIN TO US.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE.
IT'S A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE MARKET IS WILLING TO PAY THIS $18 PER SQUARE FOOT.
AND SO IF THERE'S ANY SKEPTICISM IN THE NUMBERS WHATSOEVER, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AT ALL, THAT WE WOULD JUST SAY, WELL, WE'RE SKEPTICAL OF THE NUMBERS, DEVELOPERS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT.
LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND CUT THAT DATA IN HALF, REGARDLESS.
I THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT BOGGLES MY MIND TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND THIS WAS JUST FOUR MONTHS AGO, FIVE MONTHS AGO, I WOULD LIKE TO GO LOOK AT THAT PROJECT, UM, BECAUSE YEAH, WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY INDICATION THAT ANY PROJECTS WOULD PAY THE $18, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PROJECT.
THE OTHER THING THOUGH, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, HOTEL IS NOT ACTUALLY INCLUDED AS A COMMERCIAL PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THE HOTEL FEE RATE IS SEPARATE AND IS STILL SET AT ZERO IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS AND IS NOT INCLUDED A SOURCE OF OUR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
WELL, EVEN BETTER, THESE GUYS WERE DIDN'T HAVE TO, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY $18 A SQUARE FOOT.
I MAY HAVE MISSPOKE WITH HOW I'M CLASSIFYING WAS THERE, BUT THEY, THEY CERTAINLY SHOW THEY'RE PAYING THE CITY $18 A SQUARE FOOT FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS, IT WAS HOTEL.
UM, I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG ON THAT, BUT REGARDLESS, THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY $18 A SQUARE FOOT FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GO IN A LITTLE FURTHER ON THAT IS, AH, ONCE AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME AND THIS MAY BE LIKE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, BUT I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY IT, MY TAXES WENT UP 40% AND THOSE ARE TAXES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS FEE, WHY WE'RE GOING TO CUT THOSE FOR DEVELOPED FOR, FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN WHEN THE REST OF THE CITY.
I SEE THAT AS CLEARLY SAYS, HOTEL LEVELS 17 TO 36 FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING COMMERCIAL.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN EVERYBODY WHO PAYS TAXES IN THE CITY, THEY'RE GOING UP BY 40%, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVELY WE'RE, WE'RE CUTTING THE NUMBER FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT WE COULD USE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HALF.
I JUST DON'T GET IT WHATSOEVER.
I DON'T, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH THIS BEFORE WE MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL WHATSOEVER.
AND I'M COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT ESCALATION IS GOING UP LIKE CRAZY DEVELOPERS ARE, IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO DEVELOP IN THIS CITY, BUT IT'S ALSO GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE LITTLE BITES AT THAT APPLE IS BY TRYING TO MAXIMIZE EVERY PROGRAM AND EVERY TOOL THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL.
AND I JUST DON'T SEE THIS AS BEING, UM, UH, FULLY BAKED.
I DON'T SEE THIS RECOMMENDATION AS BEING FULLY BAKED.
UH, THOSE ARE THE EXTENT OF MY COMMENTS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY HOTEL IS LEFT OUT? I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A DEVELOPER, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS.
I KNOW I COULD PROBABLY TALK TO THE CHAIR HERE TO MY RIGHT, TO GET SOME INSIGHT INSIDER INFO THERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE CITY AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE INCENTIVIZE AND DISINCENTIVIZE THAT WITH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, BY NOT COLLECTING ANY FUNDS FOR HOTELS, WHAT DOES THAT DOING FOR US? WHAT DOES THAT INCENTIVIZING? WHAT DOES THAT DISINCENTIVIZING, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION COMMISSIONER.
AND, UM, ONE THAT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL, UM, WHERE RELYING AGAIN ON SOME RESEARCH FROM ECONOMIC CONSULTANTS IN REGARDS TO WHY THE HOTEL POLICY IS WHAT IT IS.
[01:20:01]
AND THAT MOSTLY TOLD US THAT ECONOMIES OF SCALE DON'T REALLY WORK THE SAME WAY AS THEY DO IN A LOT, OUR OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, FOR HOTELS.AND SO, UM, IN MANY WAYS THERE'S NO RESIDUAL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UM, THERE'S SOME RESIDUAL VALUE FOR US TO CONVERT INTO COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS WE KIND OF TYPICALLY FRAME IT IN THESE TYPES OF VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS, UM, FOR HOTEL PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF FOUNDATIONAL TO WHY WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING, UM, AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR HOTEL PROJECTS AT THIS TIME.
I THINK IT'S ON THE SAME CITY WEBSITE WHERE WE WERE PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE MODEL AND THE INPUTS THAT WERE USED IN THE MODEL.
UM, THE, UM, THERE'S A MEMO RELATED TO THE EXPLANATION BEHIND THE HOTEL FEE.
UM, BUT IF NOT, I CAN ENSURE THAT IT GOES UP THERE AND IT GOES INTO A GREATER DEPTH INTO THE HOTEL MARKET AND, AND WHY, AND HOW THAT INFORMS THIS POLICY.
UM, I'LL JUST SHARE ALSO THAT, UM, HOTEL IS ALSO PAY A HEAVY TAX ON THE OPERATIONS, RIGHT.
SO THERE'S THE HOTEL TAX THAT THEY, SO THEY'RE MORE HEAD UP WHEN THEY'RE IN OPERATION RATHER THAN THE BUILD OF THE OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT INSIGHT.
I MEAN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE WHO, UH, HAS SEEN A MULTITUDE OF, UM, BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED WITH A HOTEL FOCUS, YES.
SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD RESIDENTIAL, UM, AND LOOKING AT THE NEEDS OF THE CITY.
I MEAN, CLEARLY THERE IS A LOT OF NEED FOR RESIDENTIAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I GUESS IN LOOKING AT IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF COMMERCIAL DOWNTOWN? WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTIAL DOWNTOWN? WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF HOTELS DOWNTOWN? AND JUST BASED ON THIS STRUCTURE, ARE WE SOMEHOW, UM, INCENTIVIZING ONE USE OVER ANOTHER? UM, AND DO WE REALLY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEED FOR THAT USE, UH, AT THAT LEVEL? UM, SO DO WE NEED MORE HOTELS BEING CONSTRUCTED RIGHT NOW THAN WE DO, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL OFFICE? I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT BALANCE OR HOW THAT FACTORS INTO THE MODELING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST SEEING THE FACT THOUGH THAT THERE ARE ALL THESE LUXURY HOTELS THAT ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED, EVEN WITH THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY THAT FEE IN LIEU, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL ITSELF, BUT, UM, WE'RE NOT REALLY GETTING ANY HOUSING OUT OF IT.
UH, WE'RE GETTING THE FEES BEING PAID FOR, UM, RATHER THAN ON-SITE HOUSING AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM HAVE CITED RESTRICTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE HOTEL BRAND OR WHATEVER ELSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST NOT SEEING THAT THE WAY THAT THIS IS STRUCTURED, IT'S INCENTIVIZING THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE NEED.
AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S A LAYMAN, IT REALLY IS BAFFLING TO ME.
AND I, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
AND I, UM, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, I HAVE THE SAME PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THE WRONG TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
CAN I ASK A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION? I WAS TERRIFIED.
CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? I THINK YOU WERE EXPLAINING, UM, WHY HOTELS DO NOT PAY IN WHY THEY'RE SET AT ZERO.
I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FORECAST COMMENTS AND I APOLOGIZE.
AND I WAS, I WAS MOSTLY TRYING TO DIRECT YOU, UM, A LONGER PIECE OF RESEARCH THAT WAS CREATED AND SHOULD BE ON OUR PUBLIC WEBSITES, BUT IT MAY NOT BE THAT GIVES A MUCH MORE COHERENT, UM, RESPONSE.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN THAT, UM, ECONOMIES OF SCALE DON'T WORK THE SAME WAY FOR MOST HOTEL PROJECTS AS THEY DO FOR WHAT WE, UM, HAVE BEEN MODELING FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN AS YOU INCENTIVIZE OR TRIED TO CREATE ADDITIONAL HOTEL SPACE, THE COST OF OPERATION GO UP AT SUCH A RATE, BUT THERE'S NO RESIDUAL VALUE FOR US TO CAPTURE REALLY IN, UM, HOTEL PROJECTS FOR THIS KIND OF VOLUNTARY DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF UNDERPINNING THE, UM, THE POLICY RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO HOTELS DOWNTOWN.
TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE EXPLANATION WHATSOEVER, I THINK, BUT I THINK I JUST NEED TO READ THAT REPORT TO UNDERSTAND AND DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER.
I'M SURE IT'S VERY NUANCED AND IT'S TOO HARD TO EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD JUST SAY THOUGH, TOUCHING, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THIS ENTIRE HOTEL QUESTION, UH, NOT TO SAY THAT THE, THE, THE, THE REPORT IS, IS, IS WRONG, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOTELS, I UNDERSTAND HOTELS HAVE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT DON'T NECESSARILY MAKE, UM, THE WAGES THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS CITY MAKE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY UNFAIR TO, TO TAKE, TO, TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, A POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCE OUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT COULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM IT, RIGHT.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, I'D LOVE TO READ THAT REPORT.
UM, I HOPE, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M SURE THERE'S A VERY GOOD REASON AND IT'S VERY NUANCED AND ALL UNDERSTAND IT, BUT WITH ABSENT READING THAT REPORT,
[01:25:01]
I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THOSE HOTELS ARE PAYING AND WHY WE'RE JUST COMPLETELY EXCLUDING THEM FROM THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND WHAT THEY CAN GIVE TO OUR CITY.AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY MAKE THEM OPERATE.
UM, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? YEAH, I HAVE MY HAND RAISED ON THE SCREEN.
MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE NEVER ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE, BUT COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO THE FEE AND LOU, OR THE BILL, YOU KNOW, THE BUILT UNITS, WHAT IS A TAX, UH, THE TAX INCENTIVES, OR IS IT TAX-FREE IF YOU'RE DONATING SOMETHING OR WHAT, W CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, IS A DEVELOPER GETTING A TAX-FREE DEAL THERE HE'S DONATING STUFF AS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT? I'M NOT SURE I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION COMMISSIONER.
UM, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO THE DEVELOPERS ACTUALLY GIVING A GIFT FOR, TO THE CITY, BUT WHETHER IT'S AFFORDABLE UNITS BUILT OR IT'S THE FEE IN LIEU OF, I MEAN, HE'S GIVEN MONEY OR HE'S GIVEN BUILT UNITS, HOW IS THAT TAXED? IS HE TAXED FOR THAT? OR IS THAT A, IS THAT A OFF I DON'T, UM, I MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ANSWER, BUT I DON'T AGREE THAT IT'S VIEWED AS A GIFT.
IT IS AN EXCHANGE FOR DEVELOPMENT ENTITLEMENTS.
AND SO THOSE ARE USUALLY WRITTEN INTO RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT RUN WITH THE LAND AND IT BECOMES REGULATES THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO, UM, I, I'M NOT SURE SO ABOUT OTHER WELL, I UNDERSTAND, BUT WE DID, WE DID CALL THEM COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE GIVING US BACK FOR A DAY EXTRA FAR.
THAT'S ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS IF IT'S A GIFT OR WHATEVER IT IS, IS IT TAX FREE? YEAH, IF I MADE SURE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, AS MY COLLEAGUE SANFORD WAS REFERENCING THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM UNDER 25, 25, 86 OUTLINED SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BENEFITS UNDER 25, 2 5 8 6 E ONE THROUGH 11 E AS IN ECHO, THOSE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE IN EXCHANGE FOR BONUS AREA.
SO YOU CAN START OUT WITH BASE ENTITLEMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, CBD, WHICH WOULD GRANT UP TO 8 21 FAR, AND THAT YIELDS UNLIMITED HEIGHT.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A DE FACTO HEIGHT BASED ON THE PROPORTION OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE LOT, THE HIGHER YOU GO UP, ESSENTIALLY THE SKINNIER THE TOWER NEEDS TO GET, BECAUSE IT'S A PROPORTION, OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT TRYING TO EXPLAIN FAR TO YOUR CONDITIONER.
HOWEVER, THESE ARE NOT, THESE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE NOT OFFERED FOR FREE.
IT IS AN EXCHANGE FOR BONUS AREA.
SO THE MORE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROVIDED THE ADDITIONAL BONUS AREA COULD BE ACHIEVED.
ONE OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS OBVIOUSLY IS A FEE IN LIEU PAYMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTRIBUTIONS IN LIEU OF ON-SITE PROVISION OF THOSE UNITS.
AND THAT IS HOW THE BONUS FEE IS THE DOCTOR, OR THE AMOUNT IS DEDUCTED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS, WHICH COULD ENTAIL AN ENTIRETY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTRIBUTIONS IN TERMS OF FUELING LU, UH, MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO THEY ESSENTIALLY TO TRY AND GET TO YOUR QUESTION IF I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY, IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING TAXES ON IT.
THEY'RE PAYING TAXES ON THE ENTIRE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE LAND, THE PROPERTY, THE BUILDING ITSELF.
UH, SO THAT THAT'S A SEPARATE, THAT'S THE COUPLED FROM THE BONUS AREA THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS TRYING TO ACHIEVE, IF THAT HELPS.
OKAY, I GIVE YOU A KEY WORD IS CONTRIBUTIONS, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING, USUALLY IT'S KIND LIKE TAX-FREE.
SO I JUST WANTED CLEAR, FLIP KILLER VACATION ON THAT.
SO I'M NOT SAYING IT'S TAX-FREE COMMISSIONER, JUST TO CLARIFY, THEY ARE PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS REQUIRED BY THE PROGRAM IN EXCHANGE FOR THE BONUS AREA.
SO RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH WHAT USED TO BE A REZONING CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ATTACH A CURE OVERLAY, COMBINING DISTRICT TO A COMMERCIAL BASED ZONE PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN, THAT IS NO LONGER THE VEHICLE FOR ADDITIONAL HEIGHT AND DENSITY.
NOW IT'S THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY A CONTRIBUTION.
IT IS NOT A CONTRIBUTION BECAUSE THEY ARE OFFERING THOSE REALLY BENEFITS IN EXCHANGE FOR BONUS AREA.
WE'VE BEEN CALLING THE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
UM, SO I'LL TRY TO SUMMARIZE EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKING IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ASSIGNMENT,
[01:30:01]
UM, FROM CITY COUNCIL WAS TO RECALIBRATE THE DENSITY BONUS FEE USING THE PROFORMA.SO YOU'RE TAKING ALL OF THAT TO GET THE RESIDUAL LAND VALUE, AND THEN MAKING SURE WHAT THAT CALCULATION THAT TELLS YOU WHAT THE FEES SHOULD BE, SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD USING THE MARKET NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE ACHIEVING RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN THIS MARKET.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GETTING ZERO ON THE MODEL, BUT YOU'VE TRIANGULATED THE MODEL, UM, WHICH HAS TO BE A DIFFERENT NUMBER.
UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE HOUSING AND PLANNING TO NOT CHANGE WHAT THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS ARE AND PRESENT THEM AS THEY ARE.
AND IF THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION, UM, I JUST, I WOULDN'T CHANGE THE NUMBERS OF THE MODEL.
I WOULD SUGGEST USING THE NUMBERS AS THEY ARE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR DEVELOPERS ARE USING.
THAT'S WHAT THEY SIGNED CONTRACTS ON, AND THAT'S NOT A TRIANGULATED NUMBER.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE'VE BROUGHT UP A LOT OF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR DENSITY BONUS, WHICH ARE INTERESTING AND REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, I THINK TO WHAT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM CAN BE IN THE FUTURE, IF THAT EVER BECOMES A FUTURE ASSIGNMENT, I THINK WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU ON WHAT THAT CAN BE.
UM, SO WE WELCOME YOU TO COME BACK AND, UM, OH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN HAS A COMMENT AS CHAIR.
I HAD MY HAND UP EARLIER, SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT I WASN'T VERY OBVIOUS ABOUT IT BECAUSE SO MUCH HAS BEEN SAID, SAM, THANK YOU.
I KNOW YOU'VE TAKEN A LOT TO A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
MY QUESTION IS IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A DONE DEAL AND THAT OUR INPUT IS SIMPLY INPUT.
SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO OR SAY TONIGHT BEFORE THIS GETS BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL, AND IT BECOMES PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, WELL IT IS ON ITS TRACK TO BECOME PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET PROPOSAL.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S A DONE DEAL.
SO COUNCIL STILL VOTES ON THE, THE BUDGET.
UM, AND SO THOSE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS WILL BEGIN, UM, END OF JULY OR BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO WEIGH IN, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THESE FEES ARE NOW LIVING IN THE FEE SCHEDULE.
THIS IS, THIS QUESTION IS GOING TO COME UP EVERY YEAR AS WE PUT TOGETHER THE FEE SCHEDULE AND THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
SO PART OF THE REASON COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO MOVE THE FEES TO THE FEE SCHEDULE IS SO THAT WE ARE MORE CLOSELY EVALUATING AND, UM, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THESE BONUS PROGRAMS OR THIS BONUS PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR, UM, UP TO DATE AND MAXIMIZING COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO, UM, THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET, UM, WHICH WILL COME FORWARD FOR COUNCIL, UM, CONSIDERATION THIS SUMMER, UH, FOR, FOR INPUT THERE.
AND THEN THIS COMMISSION HAS MADE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM SO FAR.
UM, AND THEY ARE WELCOME TO CONTINUE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, ADDITIONALLY, STAFF HAS, HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UM, AND THAT WILL LIVE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE EVERY YEAR LOOKING AT THIS EVERY YEAR.
AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECALIBRATE EVERY THREE YEARS BECAUSE PART OF CODE NEXT AND THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS MORE CERTAINTY AND PREDICTABILITY IN THE MARKET.
AND THESE PROJECTS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE SLOW BURN.
THEY'RE LOOKED AT THREE YEARS BEFORE THEY'RE LAUNCHED AND DESIGNED AND COMMITTED.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY PREGNANT BY THE TIME THEY START LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE.
SO EVERY YEAR IS A FASCINATING TARGET IN THIS VERY VOLATILE MARKET.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REINSTATE THE EVERY THREE YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
I MEAN, FOR CERTAINTY OF THE PROCESS, UM, WHAT ARE THE THING THAT REALLY IS BOTHERING ME IS THE OBJECTIVE STATEMENT THAT DOES SAY A LOW BARRIER APPROACH TO THE, FOR, TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
UM, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE PRIORITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A REALLY GREAT USE FOR THESE FEES.
HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT THAT WE HAVE THE WORKFORCE ARE MISSING, MIDDLE ARE, UH, UH, CHALLENGED HOUSING PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE PRICED OUT OF THESE LUXURY MARKETS AND DID THE BLUNT ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF THE HOMELESS DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN THESE LUXURY APARTMENTS.
THEY, THEY WOULD RATHER BE IN A COMMUNITY, DOWNTOWN ARE W ARE INTEGRATED, BUT, UM, THEY OFTEN CAN'T, THEY HAVE SOME NOT ALL IT'S HARD DISCUSSION TO HAVE HAD MENTAL ILLNESS PROBLEMS AND THINGS WHERE THEY NEED EXTRA SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND HAVE A KIND OF SUPPORT THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE IN THAT SETTING.
BUT THOSE THAT WORK IN THE HOTELS AS COMMISSIONER FRANCO POINTED OUT AND THAT WORKED AT OUR RESTAURANTS AND AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND BY OFFICE CAN
[01:35:01]
LIVE DOWNTOWN IF IT'S AFFORDABLE.SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT THAT THAT OBJECTIVE STATEMENT I THINK NEEDS TO BE REALLY REVISED.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MUCH MORE INCLUSIVE OF THE, OF THE OVERALL PICTURE OF OUR HOUSING CHALLENGES.
UM, ANOTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT DEVELOPERS BEING WILLING TO PAY, UH, JUST TO GO BACK TO A STATEMENT EARLIER, COMMISSIONER TANNIC, THAT WAS NOT A RICAN NUMBER OF THAT CAME OUT.
UM, RICA HASN'T REALLY PUT A FOURTH OFFICIAL NUMBER THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT IS ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN QUESTIONING IS IT LOOKS LIKE TO, WE'RE ABOUT TO IMPLEMENT SOME GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PART OF THE CODE.
THE NEXT THAT IS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BE APPROVED.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES I THINK WE HAVE IN THAT IS IT HASN'T BEEN FULLY VETTED.
THE EXAMPLE I GIVE IS FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
THERE WAS LOTS OF TIME SPENT ON FUNCTIONAL GREEN, THE OVERLAPS, THE INCONSISTENCIES, THE, UM, THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY CLEANED OUT OUR CODE BEFORE WE PUT NEW CODE IN AND, UH, CAUSING A PARALLEL REVIEW THAT HAS A LOT OF THE SAME ELEMENTS AND OTHER CODES LIKE GREAT STREETS, PARKLAND, AUSTIN, GREEN BUILDING, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT DESIGN COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT.
UM, SO I CAUTION US TO USE THAT TERM, THAT WILLING TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE THESE LAYERS ARE ADDING UP AND I DON'T THINK THESE HAVE BEEN FULLY VETTED.
SO I THINK THIS ALONG WITH FUNCTIONAL GREEN, THINGS LIKE THAT, I CAN TOTALLY GET ON A SOAP BOX, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS JUST COMING OUT OF NOWHERE AND THERE HASN'T BEEN AN AGGREGATE LOOK AT IT.
SO I WILL, I WILL SUM UP WITH THIS.
UM, I THINK, I THINK WE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS TO DOE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BE HEARD ON THIS MATTER, BESIDES JUST SHOWING UP TO CITY COUNCIL, IS THERE GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED? SO WE ARE BETTER INFORMED BEFORE WE SPEAK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO OUT HOW MUCH INFORMATION WE CAN GET.
UM, A FEW THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT DESIRE TO SEE THE MODEL, UM, PUBLICLY, UM, AND I WILL ENSURE THAT THE LINK THAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE CITY'S WEBSITE REFLECTS THE MOST RECENT, UM, MODEL.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, WE WANTED SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE RESEARCH AROUND THE HOTEL MARKET THAT HAS KIND OF UNDERPINNED OR DRIVEN THE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS POLICY.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE, I WILL ENSURE GET UPDATED ONTO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND RESHARE LINK WITH COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THIS COMMISSION CAN ALWAYS REQUEST A BRIEFING OR DISCUSSION WITH, UM, WITH STAFF OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, SO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY MANAGERS BUDGET, I, THAT IS GOING TO BE THE PRIMARY PLACE AT THIS POINT FOR IMPACT FOR INPUT, UH, RELATED TO THE FEES.
UM, HOWEVER, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION NEXT YEAR AS WE EVALUATE THE FEES ONCE AGAIN.
AND SO, UM, I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO ENGAGE IS THROUGH BRIEFINGS AND, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH STAFF.
AS WE LOOK TO DO THIS ALL AGAIN NEXT YEAR, UM, WHEN YOU UPLOAD THE MODEL, WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR FINANCIAL REVIEW IS TO HAVE A, A COPY OF THE WORKING MODEL AND THEN A PDF OF EACH CASE THAT YOU'RE KIND OF PROVING FUNCTION.
SO LIKE THAT IT'S ALL THE INPUTS ARE IN THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE OUTPUT COMES.
UM, THAT'S TO DO THAT FOR TWO OR THREE CASES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE OTHER OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, COMMENTS A MOMENT AGO.
UM, SO ONE OF THEM WAS ABOUT WHERE THE FEES ARE CURRENTLY DIRECTED, AND THAT IS TO LOW BARRIER APPROACHES TO HOUSING FOLKS WHO WERE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
UH, AND THAT IS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ORDINANCE TODAY.
AND THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS PART OF THE GUIDING DOCUMENT THAT CREATED THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IN 2014.
UM, AND SO ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION AND OTHERS IS THAT DESIRE TO LOOK MORE HOLISTICALLY AT WHERE THESE FEES ARE GOING, OR IF WE NEED TO BE INCENTIVIZING COMMUNITY, BUT, OR IF WE NEED TO BE DIRECTING OR REDIRECTING, WE'RE CHANGING WHAT WE TAKE AS COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT HAS ALSO, THERE WAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A THROWAWAY LINE IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT STAFF IS GOING TO BE RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL OPEN UP THE DOWN TENDENCY BONUS PROGRAM A BIT MORE HOLISTICALLY SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET IN THIS BONUS PROGRAM BECAUSE TODAY THE ORDINANCE DIRECTS IT TOWARDS A VERY SPECIFIC, UM, UH, PURPOSE.
[01:40:01]
PRESENTATIONS TO THIS COMMISSION, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF WHAT, WHERE THOSE FEES HAVE GONE TO DATE.THEY HAVE PREVIOUSLY GONE TOWARDS HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAMS. UH, TODAY THEY ARE NOW BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS, UM, HOTEL CONVERSION PROJECTS, UM, THAT BECOME PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH ACTUALLY INCLUDE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, COMMISSIONER, INCLUDING WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THOSE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE CARE AND SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO, TO STAY STABLE HOUSED.
UM, AND SO I, I WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK.
THAT'S BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE WE HAD THAT PRESENTATION, UM, THERE A BIT OF CONTEXT OF WHAT THOSE FEES ARE GOING TOWARDS RIGHT NOW AND WHY IT IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING THAT THERE.
SO THANK YOU TO JUST MAKE A CLARIFICATION.
SO NOWHERE IN THE DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE, DOES IT SAY HOW THOSE FEES ARE TO BE USED? CORRECT.
IT SAYS THAT THE FEES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS LOW BARRIER APPROACHES TO HOUSING FOLKS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS OR HOUSING PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOME, WHICH IS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION SOMEONE SOMEWHERE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, DIRECTED THEM TO THE VOUCHER PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY.
AND THEY'VE BEEN GOING THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS UNTIL JUST RECENTLY OR NOW SOME OF THESE FUNDS ARE BEING REDIRECTED TO THESE CONVERSIONS.
WAS THAT DIRECTED BY COUNCIL? THERE WAS NO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE RELATED TO THAT.
UM, I THINK THE WHOLE SLIDE DECK, UM, FROM THE LAST TIME IT WAS A BIG COMMISSION.
WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT WHAT FEES HAD BEEN COLLECTED TO THIS PROGRAM TO DATE AND WHY WE'VE NOT BEEN AS EFFECTIVE WITH THE HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM AS WE INTENDED.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PIVOTED TOWARDS A DIFFERENT APPROACH SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THOSE FUNDS FOR THE FOLKS WHO IT WAS INTENDED FOR.
BUT SINCE THE POLICY LANGUAGE IS SOUTH WHO, OR WHAT PURPOSE THEY SHOULD GO TOWARDS, IT WAS NOT SPECIFIC TO SAY WHICH PROGRAM OR WHICH SPECIFIC APPROACH.
AND SO THAT'S WHY STAFF HAS, UM, HAS TRIED TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS WE CAN WITH THOSE FEES.
BUT THAT HAS, THAT HAS CHANGED THE APPROACH OVER TIME.
SO STAFF IS MAKING THE DECISION AS TO WHERE THESE FEES ARE APPLIED, CORRECT.
THERE MAY BE SOME NUANCE THAT AS THEY'RE COUPLED WITH OTHER FUNDS, THEY'RE GETTING SPECIFIC COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR PROJECTS LIKE, UM, WHEN WE DO A HOTEL COMMERCIAL PROJECT, THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT IT IS FULLY DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM FEES.
SO IT IS LIKELY, UM, THOSE PROJECTS, THOSE PROJECTS ARE BEING VETTED BY COUNCIL ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, STILL DEPENDING ON THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AT PLAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS FOR YEARS AND EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT, OH, THE FEES, THE FEES, THE FEES, NO, ONE'S TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE BEING USED.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT IS COUNCIL HASN'T EVEN DIRECTED HOW TO USE THESE FEES THAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR IT, STAFF THAT'S DIRECTING THESE FEES.
AND I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT, THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS OTHER THAN US.
AND, AND NO, ONE'S REALLY IN CHARGE OF THIS.
I MEAN, STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT CONVERSION, ISN'T A GOOD USE OF THESE FEES, BUT, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER PROCESS THAN THIS IN MY OPINION.
IF I MADE A TACK ON TO EVERNOTE, I APOLOGIZE, I SEE YOUR HAND UP, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TACK ONTO THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE READ THROUGH, THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OR TO THE DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE UNLESS IT'S BEEN CHANGED.
UM, THE ONLY THING I SEE IS THAT THE FEE WILL BE PAID INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
THAT'S ALL IT SAYS, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THOSE DOLLARS GO.
AND SO TO TACK ON TO DAVID'S, UH, TO, TO COMMISSIONER CAROL'S POINT THAT COULD YOU, COULD YOU EXPLAIN JUST WHAT THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND IS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BREADTH OF THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND IS? UM, I HAVE NO IDEA TO BE HONEST WITH YOU APPARENTLY INCLUDES HOTEL REVAMPS, BUT I I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS.
I DON'T HAVE THE REFERENCE, UM, ON HAND RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE DOWNTOWN DITZY BONUS PROGRAM DIRECTS FUNDS TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS TOWARDS LOW BARRIER APPROACHES, HOUSING FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
SO THAT IS THE DIRECTION WE HAVE RELATED TO USE OF THESE FEES.
AND I WILL ENDEAVOR TO LOOK UP THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE WORKING FROM THAT DICTATES THAT.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY IT IS LIKELY ANOTHER PRESENTATION FOR US TO GET INTO ALL THE USES OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH, UM, IT, IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME FOR US TO DISCUSS.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT, UH, THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING USED.
THEY'RE PRE PREDOMINANTLY DIRECTED INTO OUR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND AN OWNERSHIP
[01:45:01]
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.UM, BUT I THINK THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE TIME NEEDED TO UNPACK THAT FUNDING SOURCE.
SO IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BROAD CATCH ALL TERM FOR A BUCKET OF MONEY THAT CAN GO ANYWHERE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHATEVER THE CITY TO FIND CITY STAFF, TO FIND THAT TO BE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERSIGHT RELATED TO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, UM, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED PROGRAMS. SO I, I, UM, THINK IT WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE AND NUANCED DISCUSSION TO GET INTO THAT SHOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN AT ANOTHER TIME COMING.
I JUST, IT, THAT, THAT THAT'S, THAT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY QUESTION TO YOU IS IF YOU CAN GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON JUST THAT, SO WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND AND COME UP WITH SOME OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING OF, OF WHERE THOSE FUNDS COULD BE USED.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING USED APPROPRIATELY RIGHT NOW, BUT I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT, WHERE THOSE FUNDS GO AS, AS CHAIR CAROL.
I MEAN, AS, AS A PREVIOUS CHAIR, CAROL, SORRY.
UM, STATED I, WE'VE NEVER KNOWN, WE'VE NEVER GIVEN IT BEEN GIVEN A PRESENTATION AS TO WHERE THOSE DOLLARS GO, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING FOR THEM.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WHAT THEY'RE BEING SPENT RESPONSIBLY IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS HOW, AS WE START TAKING UP THIS, THIS DISCUSSION OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THOSE DOLLARS, HOW CAN WE MAXIMIZE THOSE DOLLARS? RIGHT.
UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF A WORKING GROUP THAT HELPS COME UP WITH IDEAS FOR THAT.
BUT TO, TO EVAN'S POINT, IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE A COUPLE OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO COME UP WITH THOSE IDEAS AND THIS COMMISSION, IT SHOULD BE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOLKS.
IT SHOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY LEADERS OF, OF ALL COLORS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE AND HOW BEST TO USE THOSE WITHIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
THAT'S THAT WAS ONE OF MY COMMENTS.
I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, BUT IT'S PROBABLY FOR LATER, IF I CAN JUST SAY WITH THAT PRESENTATION, WHEN YOU DO GIVE US THE NEXT, THE NEXT PRESENTATION, I'VE ALSO NEVER UNDERSTOOD JUST SINCE THIS IS THE, THE TITLE.
IT SAYS DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, RIGHT? NOT DENSITY BONUS DOLLARS.
SO, UM, I'VE ALSO NEVER UNDERSTOOD HOW, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER 10 BENEFITS IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS SECTION GET CALCULATED, WHAT THEIR VALUE IS.
MAYBE THIS IS AN EASY QUESTION.
MAYBE IT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU GIVE INTO, INTO THE, YOU KNOW, ABOVE AND BEYOND FAR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU PROVIDE A MUSIC SPACE, THEN THAT MUSIC SPACE HAS TO COST $2 MILLION AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE PAYING $2 MILLION INTO THE, INTO THE, UM, DENSITY BONUS, I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT, IS THAT AN EASY QUESTION FOR YOU TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW AND WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS THAT THE VERY LAST ONE IS OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
I MEAN, THAT'S FOR ANYBODY TO DEFINE, RIGHT.
AND MAYBE THAT'S, MAYBE THAT'S THE CATCH ALL THAT WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS $2 MILLION IS PROBABLY BETTER REDIRECTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT'S ANOTHER COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION COMMISSIONER.
AND, AND IT MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT ANOTHER BRIEFING WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO MANY OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS WERE OUTLINED IN THE ORIGINAL DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ORDINANCE.
UM, SOME OF THEM HAD KIND OF SPECIFIC CALCULATIONS AND CONVERSIONS LAID OUT, UM, NOT ALL OF THEM DID.
AND THEN I BELIEVE IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST ONE IN THAT LONG LIST OF THE MENU OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT OPTIONS, THAT IS MORE OPEN-ENDED.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A HISTORY THERE OF SOME PROJECTS, UM, WHO HAVE WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT ROUTE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT FULL HISTORY.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST, UM, RESPONDED TO, BY STAFF WHO HAVE THAT BACKGROUND.
SO, UM, PERHAPS WE CAN TEE UP ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON ANOTHER NIGHT WITH THIS COMMISSION AND THE STAFF WHO WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING THAT YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR COMMENT.
UM, SO MY POINT OF THING, DA AND RICA FOR PROFORMA FEEDBACK, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I WASN'T SAYING THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE QUALIFIED TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT PROFORMA FEEDBACK AND I DIDN'T TAKE YOUR COMMENT.
I WAS PIGGYBACKING ON EVAN'S COMMENT IN THE PRESENTATION, SAYS STAKEHOLDERS AS BEING THOSE TWO.
AND I AGREE WITH EVAN AND COMPLETELY THAT THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
IT SHOULD BE AT THIS, IN THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT I THINK THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION WAS FOR THE DENSITY BONUS FEE CALIBRATION, WHICH, AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MUCH BIGGER THING ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THE DOLLARS.
UM, COMMISSIONER ATTENDED GUCCI WAS YOUR HAND STILL UP HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE TAKING AN ACTION ON THAT, RIGHT?
[01:50:01]
I MADE SURE, YES.YOU WERE POSTED FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT INTERACTION BETWEEN COMMISSIONERS.
IF IT WAS POSTED AS A BRIEFING, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DISCUSSION BETWEEN YOURSELF.
SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION THIS EVENING, UNLESS YOU WANT TO DO ANY SPECIFIC ACTION THERE, ANY REQUESTED ACTION.
UM, THERE'S NONE AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE THIS COMMISSION REQUESTED THE BRIEFING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE COME BACK.
UM, AS A REMINDER, THIS COMMISSION, I THINK, HAS MADE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, BACK IN, OH, MAY HAVE BEEN AUGUST 25TH.
SO THERE ARE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO STAFF IS NOT REQUESTING ANY ACTION FROM YOU ALL AT THIS TIME.
[1.c. Discussion and possible action relating to recommendations for VMU2, to be presented Sam Tedford - Housing and Planning Department.]
C DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION RELATING TO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VMU TWO TO BE PRESENTED BY SAM TEDFORD.HELLO AGAIN, AND, UM, BEAR WITH ME ONE MOMENT WHILE I PULL UP THE OTHER PRESENTATION FOR YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THOSE SIGNS.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN, COMMISSION FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH ME THIS EVENING.
UM, WE ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST TO GIVE YOU ALL A BRIEFING ON WHAT IS GOING ON RELATED TO THE VERTICAL MIXED USE, UM, ELEMENT OF OUR CODE IN TITLE 25 TO E 4.3, UH, RELATED TO VERTICAL MIXED USE BUILDINGS.
SO I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON WHAT THE VERTICAL MIXED USE BONUS PROGRAM IS.
UM, AND THEN LET YOU KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'VE RECEIVED RELATED TO THIS BONUS PROGRAM TO DATE THAT IS DRIVING SOME OF THESE CHANGES.
UM, I WILL SHARE WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS RELATED TO THAT DIRECTION.
UM, SHARE A BIT OF ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, UM, WITH YOU ALL AND THEN YOUR NEXT STEPS AS WELL.
SO THE VERTICAL MIXED USE BONUS PROGRAM, UM, IS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL OF VOLUNTARY DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO GENERATE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THROUGH THE USE OF DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.
AND YOU'RE SEEING THESE PRESENTATIONS BACK TO BACK, WE USE MANY OF THE SAME, UM, CONCEPTS TO COMMUNICATE HOW THESE VOLUNTARY BONUS PROGRAMS WORK, UM, RELATED TO VMU SPECIFICALLY PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED IN 2010 AND INCLUDED A ONE-TIME OPT IN OPT OUT PROCESS BY WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING TEAMS WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY THOUGHT THIS VMU TYPE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE ALONG CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS IN THEIR AREA.
AND THEN THEY ALSO WERE GIVEN A SAY IN WHAT THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS SHOULD BE ON A NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD BASIS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS PART OF THE INITIAL, UM, ADOPTION OF THIS PROGRAM IN 2010.
UM, THE AMU IS BY CODE APPLICABLE ALONG CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
AND THEREFORE THERE'S THIS INHERENT CONNECTION BETWEEN HOUSING AND SERVICES, UM, AND TRANSIT.
UH, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER ROADWAYS THAT WERE INCLUDED BASED ON THAT ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOOD OPT-IN OPT-OUT PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AGAIN IN EXCHANGE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND SO THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES IN THIS PROGRAM, WE'LL DIVE INTO HERE IN A MOMENT, BUT GENERALLY WE SUMMARIZE IT AS IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR GETTING IN RETURN ARE CREATING AN ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
IT REGULATES AFFORDABILITY AND IT'S A SPORT AND IT SUPPORTS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN.
UM, HOW VMU WORKS IS IT'S ACTUALLY A COMBINING DISTRICT IN OUR CODE.
AND SO I HAVE HERE AN EXAMPLE OF A REAL ZONING STRING, UM, WHERE VERTICAL MIXED USE APPLIES.
AND YOU'LL SEE A WHOLE LOT OF LETTERS ON THERE.
UM, BASED ZONING DISTRICTS STILL APPLIES.
SO THIS PARTICULAR SITE WOULD STILL HAVE COMMERCIAL SERVICES AS ITS BASE ZONING DISTRICT, BUT IT MAY HAVE MULTIPLE LAYERING REGULATIONS THROUGH DIFFERENT COMBINING DISTRICTS ON THIS PROPERTY.
ONE OF WHICH IS THE VERTICAL MIXED USE COMBINING DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I TALK ABOUT TODAY.
SO THOSE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN VMU PROJECTS, UM, THE BUILDING HEIGHT IS THE SAME AS THE BASE ZONING ON THE SITE.
SO VMU ITSELF DOES NOT OFFER ADDITIONAL HEIGHT ENTITLEMENTS TO ANY PROPERTY.
UM, AND AS IT WOULD BE WITH THE BASE ZONING, UM, COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WILL SUPERSEDE ANY, UM, ANY HEIGHT ON
[01:55:01]
THE PROPERTY, UM, IMPERVIOUS COVER.IT'S ALSO THE SAME AS THE BASE ZONING.
HOWEVER, WE START TO SEE SOME DIFFERENCE FOR VMU ZONE SITES ON THEIR SETBACKS.
SO THERE'S REDUCED SETBACKS ON BMU ZONED SITES.
UM, IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE BONUS PROGRAM, HOWEVER, AGAIN, COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS CAN SUPERSEDE THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT STANDARD.
THERE IS NO FAR LIMIT ON VMU ZONE SITES THAT PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND SO WE KNOW THAT HEIGHT AND IMPERVIOUS COVERS STILL PROVIDE SOME SITE CONTROLS.
THERE IS A REDUCED PARKING REQUIREMENT ON BMU ZONE SITES UP TO 60% REDUCTION IN THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF REQUIRED PARKING SPACES ON THE SITE, VMU ALSO ALLOWS A BROADER RANGE OF ALLOWED USES.
SO THE MOST OBVIOUS ONE IS THAT IT IS GOING TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL USES ON COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE SEWN SITES THAT WOULD NOT WITHOUT THE VMU, UM, BE ABLE TO DEVELOP AS A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT OR WITH RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
AND SO THIS, UM, UNLOCKED SOME OF THOSE COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE ZONE SITES TO, TO, TO BUILD RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
BUT ADDITIONALLY, IT ALLOWS SOME COMMERCIAL USES ON OFFICE ZONE SITES, UM, SUCH AS RETAIL, AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE A USE THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ALLOWED IN THAT ZONE.
UM, AND IT ALSO, AS THE NAME INDICATES REQUIRES A MIX OF USES AND SO INHERENT TO VMU PROJECTS IS A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED COMMERCIAL SPACE REQUIREMENT ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
AND A MINIMUM OF ONE FLOOR OF RESIDENTIAL USE IS REQUIRED AS WELL.
SOME OF THE AFFORDABILITY POLICY IN THIS PROGRAM TODAY LOOKS LIKE THE 10% SET ASIDE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS IN THE DEVELOPMENT MUST BE AFFORDABLE TO HOUSEHOLDS TURNING NOT MORE THAN EITHER 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OR 80% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR RENTAL PROJECTS.
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 60 AND 80 WOULD VARY BY WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIALLY OPTED IN AT, IN 2010, WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS ROLLED OUT FOR RENTAL DEVELOPMENTS, THERE'S A 40 YEAR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD FOR, FOR SALE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, IT IS, UM, AT INCOMES AT 80% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND 100% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO THAT'S 5% IS REQUIRED AT EACH OF THOSE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS IN FOR-SALE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD IS FOR 99 YEARS.
SO THAT'S YOUR OVERVIEW OF WHAT VMU IS TODAY? UM, WE'RE HERE THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME DIRECTION RELATED TO CHANGING DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THIS BONUS PROGRAM IN JULY, 2021.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATED CHANGES TO THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS IN VERTICAL MIXED USE BUILDINGS.
STAFF WAS WORKING ON THOSE CODE CHANGES, AND WE ALSO RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DIRECTION.
THEN IN NOVEMBER, 2021 FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO EXPAND THE VMU PROGRAM WITH THE CREATION OF A NEW TIER WITH A HEIGHT BONUS, UM, AND THIS BECAME KNOWN AS VMU TOO.
AND SO, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD DONE SOME WORK TO GET SOME MOVEMENT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL, THESE TWO PIECES OF DIRECTION HAVE BEEN ROLLED IN TOGETHER INTO WHERE WE ARE TODAY AS ONE BROADER, UM, AMENDMENT TO THIS PROGRAM.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO THAT COUNCIL POLICY, UH, FOR THE CREATION OF VMU
UM, ACTUALLY I SHOULD STEP BACK AND SAY THE, THE FIRST ROW, IT JUST SAYS VMU IS NOW REFLECTING THE PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATED CHANGES, WHICH WAS JUST IN REGARDS TO THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO WHILE I SAID THAT IN THE INITIAL OPT-IN OPT OUT, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS CHOSE 60% IS THE AFFORDABILITY LEVEL 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME THAT IS AS THE AFFORDABILITY LEVEL, OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS CHOSE 80%.
THIS PLANNING COMMISSION DIRECTION IS TO STANDARDIZE THAT AFFORDABILITY LEVEL ACROSS BMU PROJECTS TO 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR RENTAL AND FOR 80%, UM, FOR, FOR SALE DEVELOPMENT.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO ADD A FEE IN LIEU OF EQUIVALENT TO 10% OF TOTAL UNITS.
AND I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, IN A MOMENT FOR VMU TWO, THIS IS THE COUNCIL, UH, DIRECTION TO CREATE A NEW TIER IN THIS BONUS PROGRAM THAT WOULD OFFER A 30 FOOT HEIGHT BONUS, UM, IN THIS PROGRAM AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL AFFORDABILITY BEYOND WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF.
VMU, UM, KIND OF TIER ONE IN WHAT IS THE PROGRAM TODAY.
[02:00:01]
RECOMMENDS, UM, FOR RENTAL PROJECTS, TRYING TO CREATE PATHWAYS FOR DEEPER AFFORDABILITY BY, UM, MAINTAINING THE 10% SET ASIDE AT, UM, 10% SET ASIDE OF TOTAL UNITS, BUT, UM, TRYING TO REACH DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY.SO TRYING TO DIRECT MORE UNITS, UM, THAT WOULD BE AFFORDABLE TO FOLKS MAKING 50% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OR PROVIDING ANOTHER OPTION TO GET 12% OF THE SET ASIDE, UM, TO HOUSEHOLDS EARNING 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OR LESS, UM, FOR, FOR SALE DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A 12% SET ASIDE, 80 HOUSEHOLDS EARNING 80% OF A MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OR A FEE IN LIEU EQUIVALENT TO 12% OF TOTAL.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I MESSED THAT UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, WITH ALL THE PERCENTAGES.
UM, BUT I HOPE THAT, UM, BY BEING ABLE TO READ ALONG, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR.
UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING A FEE IN LIEU OPTION IN A PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT HAVE A FEE-ONLY OPTION TODAY.
UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THIS FAMILY ONLY FOR OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENTS.
WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT THESE FEES BACK TOWARDS LONG-TERM AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP PROJECTS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT RENTAL DEVELOPMENTS ONLY HAVE THE OPTION FOR ONSITE, UM, PROVISION OF AFFORDABLE UNITS OR, OR, OR NOTHING.
UM, AND WE'RE PROPOSING THIS DUE TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM SOME OF THESE ONSITE OWNERSHIP, UM, AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP UNITS IN PREDOMINANTLY MARKET RATE DEVELOPMENTS OVER TIME IN THAT, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THAT MANY OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE, ARE PLACED INTO THESE UNITS STILL STRUGGLED TO, UM, MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSEHOLD AFFORDABILITY DUE TO HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION FEES AND PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO CONTROL FOR.
AND SO, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THOSE THAT WE'D LIKE TO, UM, GET FEWER UNITS IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION WHERE THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER WAYS THAT IT IS DE-STABILIZING THESE HOUSEHOLD, UM, THESE HOUSEHOLDS ABILITY TO STAY AND DIRECT THEM AGAIN TOWARDS PROJECTS LIKE COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS, WHERE WE HAVE A LOT MORE, UM, SAY IN THE STABILITY OF THOSE HOMEOWNERS.
AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, WOULD BE TO SET A IN LOOP FOR UNIT.
UM, AND SO THE FEED LOOP COULD BE 10% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS IN EACH UNIT, DEPENDING ON THE BEDROOM COUNT WOULD HAVE TO PAY A SET FEE PER UNIT.
UM, AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE PROPOSED FEES IN LIEU OF ON-SITE INCOME, RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS, UM, IS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE THAT WOULD VARY BASED ON IF YOU'RE A STUDIO OR ONE BEDROOM UNIT, UM, THAT IS OWED, OR IF YOU'RE UP TO A THREE BEDROOM UNIT.
AND THAT TIES BACK TO THESE ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS THAT STAFF RECOMMEND ADDING TO THIS PROGRAM THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY EXIST TODAY.
THOSE STAFF BELIEVED THAT THESE SHOULD BE APPLICABLE TO ALL OUR VOLUNTARILY, UM, ALL OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. UM, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THEM TO THIS PROGRAM NOW.
AND SO WE HAVE DRAFTED OUR RECOMMENDATION TO INCLUDE THESE PROVISIONS THAT WOULD AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING AND HELPED CREATE MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THOSE PROVISIONS LOOK LIKE PROVIDING SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTIONS, UM, BECAUSE, UM, BY TEXAS STATE LAW FOLKS ARE ABLE TO DENY FOLKS HOUSING BASED ON THEIR INCOME BEING A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER.
AND SO THIS SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTION, UM, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO USE THOSE HOUSING VOUCHERS IN PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THIS ARE IN DEVELOPMENTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE VERTICAL MIXED USE PROGRAM.
UM, OTHER PROVISIONS WOULD INCLUDE IT FOR A MINUTE MARKETING PLANS.
UM, WE HAVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS RELATED TO THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE ALSO REQUIRING, UH, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REQUIRE A PROPORTIONAL BEDROOM MIXED, UM, FOR THE INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED ONSITE.
SO THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT HAVE PROVISIONS THAT DICTATE THE BEDROOM COUNT IN THESE, UH, DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT ARE OWED.
AND SO WHAT WE SEE PROVIDED AS INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS IS TYPICALLY STUDIO AND ONE BEDROOM UNITS.
AND SO THIS PROVISION WOULD ENSURE THAT THE AFFORDABLE UNITS ARE AT LEAST MAP MATCHING THE MIX OF BEDROOMS THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE MARKET RATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THESE PROVISIONS WOULD ALSO, UH, GUARANTEE COMPARABLE DESIGN STANDARDS BETWEEN YOUR INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS AND THE MARKET RATE UNITS AND DISPERSION AND EQUAL ACCESS OF THOSE UNITS.
SO AS TO AVOID CLUSTERING, UM, AND THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, ONLY HAVE THE AFFORDABLE UNITS
[02:05:01]
ACCESSIBLE THROUGH A BACK ALLEY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE BY ALL THE SAME ROUTES THAT YOUR MARKET RATE UNITS ARE.UM, STAFF IS ALSO ELEVATING THAT, UM, FOR CODE, THERE SHOULD BE A BONUS AREA FEE FOR UPPER-LEVEL NON-RESIDENTIAL SPACE WITHIN VERTICAL MIXED USE BUILDINGS.
UM, THIS FEE HAS NEVER BEEN SET BY COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'VE NOT SEEN ANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE ELECTED TO, UM, TO UTILIZE THIS PROGRAM IN THIS WAY.
SO IT HASN'T COME UP, BUT WE HAVE RECEIVED QUESTIONS.
UM, STAFF WILL WAIT FOR ADDITIONAL DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL BEFORE WE BRING FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS FEE IN THIS PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, UM, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I MIGHT BREEZE THROUGH SOME OF THIS, BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE CAN COME BACK TO IT.
AND, UM, THIS SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN YOUR BACKUP.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT CLOSER AT THE NUMBERS, I'M GOING TO SHOW TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THE BMU DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN COME TO LIFE.
UM, THE DISPERSION OF WHERE VMU ZONING IS TODAY, AND SOME OTHER POLICIES THAT WE KNOW CAN IMPACT BMU ZONE PROPERTIES.
SO WE'VE SEEN 37 PROJECTS UTILIZE BMU ZONING, UM, OR COME TO LIFE AS VMU PROJECTS.
SINCE THIS PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED IN 2010, THAT HAS RESULTED IN OVER 6,700 UNITS.
UM, NEW HOUSING UNITS OF WHICH 680, 78 HAVE BEEN INCOME RESTRICTED AND AFFORDABLE AT VARYING RATES.
WE KNOW THAT PREDOMINANTLY THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE PRODUCING RENTAL HOUSING AND NOT OWNERSHIP HOUSING.
UM, THE VAST MAJORITY 95% OF THESE UNITS HAVE BEEN RENTAL AND 5% HAVE BEEN, UM, IN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENTS.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THE PIPELINE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL COMBINED IMPACT OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE IN EARLY STAGES, UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND OVER 15,000 UNITS IN OUR CITY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE THESE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE, UM, HAVE COME UP ACROSS THE CITY, WE'VE SEEN, UM, A LOT MORE VERTICAL MIXED USE BUILDINGS IN DISTRICTS, THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE WITH A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER STILL IN DISTRICTS, ONE SEVEN AND NINE.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY BMU DEVELOPMENTS IN DISTRICT SIX.
UM, AND WE HAVE A FEW IN THE PIPELINE IN DISTRICTS, OR WE HAVE ONE IN DISTRICT TWO AND ONE IN DISTRICT 10 IN THE PIPELINE.
AND PART OF WHY HE'LL START TO UNDERSTAND WHERE SEEN BMU PROJECTS AND WHERE WE HAVEN'T IS DUE TO WHERE WE HAVE THE ZONING IN THE CITY.
SO THIS IS THAT SAME, UM, BREAKDOWN OF CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
HOWEVER, THIS IS HOW MUCH V IN USE ZONING THEY HAVE IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO YOU'LL SEE, WE HAVE A LOT MORE BMU ZONING IN DISTRICTS, 3, 4, 5, A LOT IN ONE, SEVEN AND NINE.
AND WE HAVE NO VMU ZONING IN DISTRICT SIX AND DISTRICT EIGHT.
WE HAVE VERY LITTLE IN DISTRICTS, TWO IN DISTRICTS, 10 BY EIGHT GRID.
UH, WE ALSO KNOW THAT ABOUT 55% OF EMUS OWN SITES ARE WITHIN DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS.
AND 33% OF OUR VMU ZONE SITES ARE WITHIN HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
AND THESE ARE, UM, BOTH DEFINED, UM, AND HAVE POLICY DIRECTION RELATED TO THEM PER OUR HOUSING BLUEPRINT, STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
AND SO THIS WAS ADDITIONAL CONTEXT RELATED TO WHERE WE HAVE BMU ZONING AND FINALLY, TO CLOSE THIS OUT, THE OTHER POLICIES THAT STAFF IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY IMPACTING THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM INCLUDE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS, WHICH CAN RESTRICT AND MODIFY, UM, ADDITIONAL SITE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ON A SITE BY SITE BASIS.
MANY OF THESE, UM, CEO'S CAN CONTAIN HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS.
AND SO THAT WOULD SUPERSEDE EVEN YOUR BASE ZONING OR THE POTENTIAL BONUS HEIGHT FROM A BMU TWO.
AND WE KNOW THAT 67% OF EMU ZONE SITES HAVE A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, BUT WE DIDN'T DO THE REALLY TEDIOUS RESEARCH TO FIGURE OUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE CEO'S.
AND SO WE JUST KNOW THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY LIMIT THE EFFECTIVENESS OR THE APPLICABILITY OF PROVISIONS LIKE VMU TO HIGH BONUS THE OTHER STANDARD.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE OF OUR CODE THAT WE KNOW IS IMPACTING THIS PROGRAM TO DATE OUR COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, UM, WHICH APPLY TO SITES THAT ARE WITHIN 540 FEET OF A PROPERTY LINE OF AN URBAN FAMILY, SINGLE PARENT IRBY, URBAN FAMILY RESIDENTS, THAT'S SF FIVE ZONING OR MORE RESTRICTIVE ZONING.
SO THAT'S EVERY FLAVOR OF SF ZONING CAN TRIGGER COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WITHIN 500 FEET.
UM, AND COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS CAN ALSO APPLY TO A SITE THAT IS ADJACENT TO A LOT ON WHAT TO USE IS PERMITTED IN AN SFI OR MORE RESTRICTIVE ZONING
[02:10:01]
DISTRICT.UM, COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS CAN AFFECT HEIGHT AND SETBACK, LIMITATIONS, SCALING CLUSTERING REQUIREMENTS, SCREENING REQUIREMENTS, AND OTHER DESIGN REGULATIONS.
UM, BUT WE SPECIFICALLY LOOKED AT THE IMPACT OF THE HEIGHT AND SETBACK LIMITATIONS OF COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS ON VERTICAL MIXED USE SITES.
AND WE FOUND THAT 41% OF VMU ZONE SITES COULD BUILD TO THEIR BASE HEIGHT.
THAT IS THEIR BASE ZONING HEIGHT.
AFTER COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS ARE APPLIED AND 34% OF THE MUSEUM WOULD POTENTIALLY JUST ANALYZING COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WOULD BE ABLE TO BUILD TO THEIR BONUS HEIGHT.
THAT'S THAT ADDITIONAL 30 FOOT HEIGHT BONUS UNDER THE NEW TIER OF THE BMU, UM, PROGRAM AFTER COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS ARE APPLIED.
UM, THERE IS A LINK IN THIS SLIDE DECK TOWARD TO AN INTERACTIVE MAP WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT WHERE VMU ZONE SITES ARE LOCATED.
UM, YOU CAN TURN ON LAYERS TO LOOK AT DISPLACEMENT RISK, HIGH OPPORTUNITY, UM, TRANSIT NETWORK.
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE ALLOWABLE HEIGHTS WITH THE NEW BONUS.
UM, THE PROPOSED BONUS ON BEING NEW ZONE SITES AFTER COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS ARE CONSIDERED, AND YOU CAN ALSO VIEW WHERE VMU, UM, BUILDINGS ARE BEING DEVELOPED OR HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WILL DO IT FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH ME AND FOR LISTENING.
UM, I'LL START OFF THE QUESTIONS, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WITH THE RESIDENTIAL COMPATIBILITY.
A LOT OF THE VMU IS GOING TO BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE GOING TO BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS? I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF BEING USED ON SITES GETTING COMPATIBILITY WAIVERS.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, UM, ANY NUMBERS ON HAND RIGHT NOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER CARROLL? UM, ONE THING I DON'T SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ENDED WITH THIS OTHER POLICIES IMPACTING VMU ZONES IS, UH, THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AN ERROR IN YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
YOU SAID VMU GETS A 60% REDUCTION.
IN FACT, WE ONLY GET A 40% REDUCTION WITH BMU CURRENTLY AND IN MANY AREAS THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, UM, ESPECIALLY WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE BUILDING OUT THIS LIGHT RAIL.
I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF FOLKS THAT WOULD BE HAPPY AND WILLING TO GO TO A DEEPER PRODUCTIONS.
UM, 60% WOULD BE GREAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT TODAY.
UM, AND THE OTHER ITEM IS THE FEES AND LOO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS WITH THIS CITY, WHY THEY THINK WE NEED A FEE IN LIEU FOR EVERY CODE THAT WE COME UP WITH.
UM, BUT WE DO FOR SOME REASON AND IT JUST, I JUST DON'T GET IT.
IT BOGGLES MY MIND AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE SIDEWALKS IF THERE WASN'T A SIDEWALK FEE AND LOU FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT, UM, SO MY QUESTION IS WHERE STAFF'S RECOMMENDING THIS FEE IN LIEU, WHERE IS, WHERE ARE THESE FEES GOING TO GO? UH, STAFF WOULD LIKE TO REDIRECT THE FEES FROM OWNERSHIP, HOUSING, UM, CREATED THROUGH VMU BACK TOWARDS LONG-TERM AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP, HOUSING PROJECTS.
AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT BE DIRECTED TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM, WHICH IS PROVIDING LONG-TERM INCREMENT RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, FOR OWNERSHIP PROJECTS, JUST IN A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SETUP THAT WE KNOW TO BE, UM, PRODUCING, UM, I THINK MORE STABLE OUTCOMES FOR THOSE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS WHO PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND IS THAT, UM, IS THAT JUST AN APPLICATION PROCESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT THROUGH THE CITY? SO TODAY THE PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THE FIRST EVER PREFERENCE POLICY, UM, WHICH WAS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S GOING TO PRIORITIZE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM, UM, CENTRAL EAST OR FROM EAST AUSTIN AT LARGE, UM, AS, YEAH, THEY WILL GET PREFERENCE FOR THOSE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HOMES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY.
AND SO THIS IS OUR FIRST TAKE IT ACTUALLY TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THAT HIGHLIGHT PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, THE IDEA IS TO LEARN FROM IT AND TRY TO OPERATIONALIZE THAT IN THE LONG-TERM AS A PREFERENCE POLICY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW THERE'S OTHER CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING ABOUT COMPATIBILITY, UM,
[02:15:01]
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THESE AREAS, LIKE YOU POINT OUT IT GREATLY REDUCES THE ABILITY OF VMU TO PERFORM HOW IT WAS ENVISIONED, BUT WHAT ABOUT CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS? I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED THEM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EASING THOSE IN THESE VMU AREAS.IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED? I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, YOU MAY RECALL IN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION DISCUSSIONS, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO, UM, TO DO AWAY WITH THE KIND OF SITE TO SITE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS THAT EXIST PRETTY CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, BUT, UM, THERE'S NO, NO DIRECTION RIGHT NOW TO DO ANYTHING WITH THESE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS.
I THINK STAFF DISPUTED AS A CONSISTENT ENOUGH, UM, FACTOR ON THESE VMU SITES THAT WE WANTED TO ELEVATE IT HERE IN SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN OPTIMIZE OTHER FACTORS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT, BUT ALSO CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS EXIST ON A SITE BY SITE BASIS AND COULD STILL RESTRICT, UM, THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP BMU SITES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY EVEN A, NOT LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PIECEMEAL SITE TO SITE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE THOSE AREAS OF TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, CORRIDORS SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF SOUTH FIRST THAT THERE IS A HEIGHT RESTRICTION STEP BACK ALONG THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR THAT PREVENTS VMU FROM BEING REALIZED.
UM, AND THAT'S AS SIMPLE AS, YOU KNOW, EASING THAT, THAT ONE THING THAT WOULD AFFECT MANY, MANY PROPERTIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
UM, SO TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF LOW-HANGING FRUIT WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THIS PROGRAM, UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A VMU TWO PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A VMU PROGRAM AND IT'S NOT WORKING BECAUSE OF ALL THESE OTHER POLICIES.
AND IF WE JUST FIX THAT, WE WOULDN'T NEED A BMU TWO PROGRAM.
GOING BACK TO THE, THE, UH, FIM LU THING, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHY FIM LEWIS IS THE ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING, BUT I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT IN THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM LAST ONE TO FIRST.
SO IN THIS ONE, NOW YOU WANT TO APPLY FEE IN LIEU TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND THE S AND THE, AND THE, THE LAST ONE WE HEARD YOU WERE TAKING THOSE FEES IN HALF.
SO YOU WERE ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT APPLYING FEES TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
AND THEN IN THE VERY FIRST PRESENTATION WE HEARD, WHICH IS ALSO FROM CITY STAFF, UM, CITY STAFF WANTS TO TAKE ON THE RISK FOR DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, YET IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID THERE'S SOME HEADWINDS IN THE MARKET, AND THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I THINK PETER NEEDS TO BE TALKING TO PAUL AT SOME POINT, WHETHER IT'S REAL ESTATE SERVICES OR HOUSING AND PLANNING, WE GOT TO GET OUR STORY STRAIGHT AND NOT, NOT, I MEAN THAT IN A, IN A VERY RESPECTFUL WAY, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANYBODY'S LYING BY ANY MEANS, BUT I'VE, I'VE HEARD CONFLICTING INFORMATION IN THREE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
AND I JUST DON'T GET IT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I DON'T GET, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE I GET MAYBE PETERS AND TALKING TO PAUL OR CITY STAFF, ISN'T REALLY COORDINATING WITH EACH OTHER ON THESE THINGS, BUT I THINK THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME BETTER COORDINATION AND A HOLISTIC VIEW OF HOW WE'RE APPLYING, UM, HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AS A CITY.
THAT'S MY ONE COMMENT ON THAT.
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU COMMISSIONER.
SO IS VMU, UH, TO TWO UNUSED ZONING CATEGORY, OR DOES ANYBODY WHO HAVE VMU EXISTING, UH, GAIN VMU TO IF THEY MEET THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS? SO THE INITIAL COUNCIL DIRECTION WE RECEIVED WAS THE FORMER THAT ALL SITES THAT HAVE THE DASH B COMBINING DISTRICT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN VERTICAL MIXING TO, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL TO CREATE POTENTIALLY A NEW COUPLE, WHAT THEY WOULD CALL IT, PAPER DESK DISTRICT, AS IN THIS VIEW, MUTU PROGRAM WOULD EXIST, BUT IT DOESN'T HAS NOT, NO PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN ZONED VMU TO, UM, HOWEVER, UM, THEY ARE SET
[02:20:01]
TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM ON JUNE 9TH, AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH DIRECTION THEY INTEND TO GO, BUT AS IT WAS DRAFTED, IT WOULD BE THE FORMER ALL SITES THAT HAVE THE ZONING TODAY WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN VMU TO GUCCI.THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
OH, I REALLY LIKED THE CONCEPT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S VOLUNTARY.
IT'S NOT POLICY, YOU KNOW, BUT I REALLY LIKED THE FACT I WAS GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION EARLIER WAS THAT, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PROBABLY PRIORITIZE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN AUSTIN, WHO WERE DISPLACED.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND YOU SHOWED SOME OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS, OR IT'S MAINLY LATINO AND BLACK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OTHER FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT NEED A PLACE TO LIVE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS IF IT'S VOLUNTARY TO KIND OF DO THIS, IS IT KIND OF LIKE TRUSTING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING? BECAUSE IT COULD, IT COULD BE A GREAT THING.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE SOMETHING GREAT ON THEIR RESUME, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP ALL THE DISPLACED PEOPLE IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE WHO HAD MADE IT THE PLACE IT IS.
I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL CONCEPT, BUT, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW CAN YOU DO THAT WITHOUT THE IN POLICY? THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
AND I THINK, UM, WE MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WHEN I MENTIONED WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE PREFERENCE POLICY OR RIGHT TO RETURN POLICY, THAT WILL BE THAT'S BEING PILOTED RIGHT NOW ON OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM, WHICH IS FULLY OWNED AND OPERATED AND RUN BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS AN ENTITY.
AND SO WE HAVE MUCH MORE SAY IN REVIEWING THOSE APPLICATIONS, I BELIEVE THERE'S A COMMUNITY BOARD THAT IS ENSURING THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE INTENDED TO GET INTO THOSE UNITS ARE BEING PRIORITIZED.
AND SO THAT IS SEPARATE FROM THE VERTICAL MIXED USE PROGRAM, THE UNITS THAT ARE CREATED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM TODAY, UM, THOSE UNITS DO HAVE MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT, UM, RELATED TO THE PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE ENSURING THAT ALL FOLKS IN THOSE INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS ARE INCOME ELIGIBLE.
WE HAVE A FEW WAYS THAT WE DO THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN SOME OF THAT, UM, ENFORCEMENT THROUGH THESE AMENDMENTS AS WELL.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT PROGRAMS AT, AT THE MOMENT.
SO, SO MY FOLLOWUP QUESTION IS THAT I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE WHO'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN, BUT ESPECIALLY PEOPLE LIKE MY AGE, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO ARE RETIRED.
I'M HOPING THAT MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF KEEP THE CHARACTER BOSS IN THERE BY PRIORITIZING THEM AND LETTING THEM LIVE IN THESE PLACES, IN MAINTAINING THAT CULTURAL HERITAGE.
THAT THAT WAS PART, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES IT AWESOME.
I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS COMMISSIONER, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE CITY'S COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WEBSITE, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA ARE FOR THE PREFERENCE POLICY.
UM, AND, UM, AND OH, AND I WAS GOING TO SAY, SORRY, THAT IF THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED, THERE ARE OTHER STAFF ON, ON THIS, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT TEAM WHO COULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM, AND A FUTURE BRIEFING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SOME FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION.
UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO SEE THAT, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, UM, HAS, UH, SOME OF THE MOST PROJECTS THAT FALL UNDER VERTICAL MIXED USE TO ME, IT WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF STUNNING, UM, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, ANECDOTALLY, I JUST CAN'T, UH, ACCOUNT FOR SEEING, UH, ALL THAT MANY PROJECTS, UM, EITHER DEVELOPED OR UNDERWAY THAT FALL OUTSIDE OF A TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN LOOKING AT THE MAP, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE THIS ABUNDANCE OF VERTICAL MIXED USE, UM, THAT, UH, IS STANDING OUT TO ME.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY THOUGH, YOU KNOW, FROM MY EXPERIENCES, UH, BEING TRANSIT DEPENDENT, UH, IS THAT A LOT OF THESE AREAS THAT WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AS, UH, CORRIDORS, UM, THAT FALL OUTSIDE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR VM U2, UM, THEY STILL COULD BE CONSIDERED CORRIDORS IN OTHER REGARDS, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF LAMAR, THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT THEY'RE ON THE CORRIDOR, UM, BUT THEY FALL OUT OF THE VMU ZONING.
PERHAPS TOD IS SUPERSEDING THAT, UM, ANDERSON LANE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY, UH, POTENTIAL FOR VMU.
UM, AND WHAT I'M SEEING IS POTENTIALLY AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, A DEVELOPER WILL IDENTIFY A PARCEL AND MERGE MULTIPLE PARCELS, UM, WHERE THERE ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING AND, UH, THROUGH WHATEVER PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THROUGH BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, I'M NOT SURE, UH, THOSE PROPERTIES, UM, UH, ARE BEING REPLACED AND THEIR USE IS IN FACT RESIDENTIAL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE BULK OF THAT RESIDENTIAL HAS NOT BEEN, UH, FOR AFFORDABILITY.
[02:25:01]
AND IT ALSO IS DISPLACING A LOT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL, UM, WITH REGARD TO AFFORDABILITY.
SO I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THE FACT THAT, UM, THERE ARE SO FEW, UH, POTENTIAL PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED, AND I THINK THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE ARE, UM, CREATING ANOTHER SITUATION TOGETHER WHERE, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE OTHER PROPERTIES, UM, THEY'RE NOT INTEGRATING COMMERCIAL MIXED USE.
THEY'RE NOT INTEGRATING, UH, THE AFFORDABILITY ASPECT YET.
THEY'RE STILL GETTING GRANTED, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO, UH, CREATE A DIFFERENT USE THAN WHAT'S ON THE QUARTER.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? UM, I APOLOGIZE IF I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE COMING TO LIGHT.
UM, ONE IS ONE THAT STAFF HAS ALSO IDENTIFIED US AS SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO REEVALUATE OUR LOOK AT, UM, SINCE THIS PROGRAM CAME AROUND IN 2010 AND THERE WAS THIS, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD OPT IN OPT OUT PROCESS, UM, AND IT ALSO IDENTIFIED WHAT IS IN OUR CODE TODAY AS CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
SO THERE'S A FEW WAYS THAT CORE TRANSIT QUARTERS DON'T NECESSARILY REFLECT OUR MOST, UM, UP TO DATE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND YET WE MADE POLICIES THAT ZONED PROPERTIES, ACCORDING TO THAT IN 2010, WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM, ADDITIONALLY THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD OPT IN OPT OUT PROCESS, NEIGHBORHOODS MAY HAVE DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE TO PUT VMU ZONING ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE.
AND SO SINCE IT WAS THIS KIND OF ONE-TIME APPLICATION OF DASH V ZONING, UM, IT, IT JUST IS NOT GOING TO REFLECT AND MAYBE THE COMMUNITY DESIRES OR THE COMMUNITY CONDITIONS TODAY.
SO THERE'S THAT ON THE ONE HAND TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION ABOUT WHY WE MIGHT SEE, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG OUR FLOORS, AND IT MIGHT BE A CHANGE OF USE.
THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS GOING ON THERE.
IT COULD BE RELATED TO WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE, WHAT THE PARCELS ACTUAL ZONING IS.
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A REZONING ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL USES THROUGH A MULTI-FAMILY ZONE OR SOMETHING THAT I KIND OF BREEZED OVER, BUT IT'S COMPLICATED.
AND ALSO SOMEWHAT RELATED TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ANOTHER COMBINING DISTRICT THAT IS CALLED IMMU OR MIXED USE COMBINING DISTRICTS.
SO CONFUSING BECAUSE WE HAVE VERTICAL MIXED USE, WHICH IS DASH V.
AND WE HAVE MIXED USE, WHICH IS DASH IN YOU.
UM, BUT PROPERTIES THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE DASH V IN THEIR ZONE MAY HAVE DASH IN U, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BUILD RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, ANECDOTALLY I DON'T HAVE, UM, NUMBERS ON HAND RIGHT NOW, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT MANY RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS ALONG OUR CORRIDORS, UM, ARE HAPPENING UNDER THAT DASH IMMU COMBINING DISTRICT, UM, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR AFFORDABILITY BECAUSE THERE'S NO, UM, ADDITIONAL SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OR SITE DEVELOPMENT FLEXIBILITY.
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE KIND OF LEVERAGE, UM, IN THE WAY THAT WE DO WITH VMU TO GRANT ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS IN EXCHANGE FOR AFFORDABILITY.
UM, BUT DEVELOPMENTS COULD ALWAYS BUILD UNDER IMMU WITHOUT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND, UM, BUILD RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE REGULATED AFFORDABILITY.
YEAH, I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT IF I WAS A DEVELOPER AND I WAS LOOKING AT WHERE I WANTED TO BUILD A DEVELOPMENT, I FEEL LIKE I'D BE MORE INCENTIVIZED TO PUT SOMETHING WITHIN A MIXED USE SPACE, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY DISPLACE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, EITHER A BUSINESS OR WHATEVER USE IS CURRENTLY THERE.
UM, AND THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPEALING THAN, UH, BUILDING ON A VERTICAL MIXED USE SITE.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M SEEING ANECDOTALLY IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHERE I LIVE.
UM, I CAN SHARE THAT THE SO, UH, VICE CHAIR MINERS, AND I CO-SPONSORED THIS BRIEFING BECAUSE WE ARE HEARING ABOUT, UH, VMU U2 IN PROGRESS.
AND WE WERE HEARING ABOUT, UM, THE POTENTIAL OF THE PROGRAM, UM, TO REALLY OFFER, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER AND BETTER TRANSIT ORIENTED, MIXED USE FUTURE.
I PERSONALLY WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HEARING KIND OF SOME OF THE BONUS, UM, ENTITLEMENT AND THINKING ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT POTENTIALLY ACT AS A GREAT STREETS, LIGHT DENSITY, BONUS LIGHTS, AND HOW CAN WE INCREASE OUR SCAPE ACROSS THE CITY, NOT JUST DOWNTOWN BECAUSE, UM, AS AUSTIN'S URBANISMS IS EXPANDING BEYOND DOWNTOWN, HOW CAN WE TAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE DO WITH THE GREAT STREETS APPLY GREAT STREETS LIGHT AND MAKE IT MORE WALKABLE AUSTIN EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR OTS, WHICH ARE FOR WALKING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING WHERE YOU ARE.
UM, IF, IF THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE IN THE PLACE TO REALLY CREATE A WORKING GROUP YET.
[02:30:01]
UM, BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HOUSING AND PLANNING WANTS TO DISCUSS, AND WE CAN CREATE A WORKING GROUP ABOUT HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY REVIEW VMU U2 FOR A BONUS, OR OFFER A STREETSCAPE ADVICE FOR HIRE ENTITLEMENT, HOW CAN WE COLLABORATE TO REALLY OFFER SOME ADVICE TO CITY COUNCIL WHEN IT COMES TO REVIEWING THESE PROJECTS? UM, I DON'T KNOW.DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ALONG THOSE LINES? YEAH, I D I D BECAUSE SINCE WE'RE REWRITING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF WHAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
NOT ONLY, YEAH, W WE REALLY CAUSE CODE NEXT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALL THAT CODE NEXT AND THE LDC REWRITE, WE HAD THESE TRANSIT ORIENTED KIND OF LIKE THESE HIGH, HIGHER DENSITY DMES, BUT WE COULD WRITE THAT INTO OUR GUIDELINES AND IT WOULD STILL BE KIND OF LIKE VOLUNTARY, LIKE KIND OF WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT AT LEAST IT WOULD MAKE IT, IT WOULD EXPOSE SOME OF THOSE, LIKE THE, THE, THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
SO I THINK, YEAH, SO COMMISSIONER WAIVER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON THE COMMITTEE RIGHT ON OUR WORKING GROUP.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN KIND OF FOCUS ON AND INTRODUCE THAT INTO THE NIT GUIDELINES.
UH, I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, I MEAN, SAM MENTIONED IT, BUT THIS DOES GO TO COUNCIL IN TWO WEEKS.
SO REALISTICALLY I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH, BUT JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
SAM, DO YOU HAVE A REQUEST FROM US? DO YOU WANT US TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP TO MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION ALONG THESE LINES? UH, AT THIS POINT, I, I DON'T THINK STAFF IS REQUESTING ANY ACTION.
UM, COMMISSION IS WELCOME TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, BUT THIS IS KIND OF ON ITS TRAJECTORY TO COUNCIL AT THE MOMENT.
I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'VE BEEN SOME COMMENTS TOO, THAT WEREN'T JUST ABOUT VMU, BUT THERE IS ADDITIONAL WORK AT THE MOMENT BEING DONE.
THAT'S DIRECTED BY COUNCIL AROUND EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT POLICIES THAT WILL APPLY MORE COMPREHENSIVELY AROUND THE CITY AS IT RELATES TO THE PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SORT OF ON A DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY.
THESE WERE VERY SPECIFIC CODE AMENDMENTS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK SORT OF AROUND THIS BROADER DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COMMISSION TO WEIGH IN A LITTLE BIT MORE STRONGLY AS, UM, WE, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED A POLICY PLAN FOR EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN THE CITY.
SO THAT COULD BE ANOTHER BRIEFING TO THE BOARD THAT, UM, ARE TO THIS COMMISSION THAT MIGHT OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR Y'ALL TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP AND DIG IN IF YOU'RE MORE INTERESTED.
WHAT, IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN CREATING A QUICK ONE-TIME MEETING, WORKING GROUP TO TRY TO PLAN, TO SEE THE FOUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FOR SIGNED COMMISSION TO REVIEW VMU TWO AND THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE KIND OF, UH, WE KIND OF LIKED LIKE YOUR PROPOSAL, RIGHT? IT BASICALLY, AND THEN THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE DISCUSSED TONIGHT THAT MAYBE YOU TAKE THERE AND KIND OF PUT IT IN WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL.
BUT I, I WOULD HOPE THAT THE, THAT THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS KIND OF LIKE BEHIND THIS CONCEPT, BUT I REALLY LIKE IT MYSELF.
SO W W WITH THE CAVEATS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, MR. CARROLL, UH, NOT TO BE THE DEBBIE DOWNER, BUT, UM, IN ORDER TO HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DESIGN COMMISSION WORK WORKING GROUP WOULD HAVE TO CREATE RECOMMENDATIONS, BRING THEM BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMISSION VOTE ON IT.
SO WE WOULD ALSO NEED A SPECIAL CALLED DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING AS WELL.
UM, WELL THEN YES, WE WILL TAKE NO ACTION.
AND IF I MADE SURE I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER LUKINS WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T FEEL MUCH SOONER LUKINS OKAY.
I, I REALLY JUST PRESENTS, UH, SUGGESTS THAT TIME WAS BETTER SPENT ON UPGRADING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THEN HOPEFULLY SEE THEM APPLY TO OUR TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND OUR BMU.
[02:35:03]
ALL RIGHT.UM, WELL THANK YOU SAM FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
[2.a. Approval of the April 25th meeting minutes]
UH, COMMISSIONED SPECIFIC BUSINESS APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 25TH MEETING MINUTES.DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE FOR APPROVAL.
UH, APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 25TH MEETING MINUTES ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MEMBERSHIP UPDATES TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, WORKING GROUPS TERRIFY.
MAY WE NEEDED A VOTE ON ITEM TWO EIGHT PLEASE? OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, CAN WE GET A VOTE ON THE APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 25TH MEETING MINUTES? UM, SAY I THANK YOU.
[2.b. Discussion and possible action on membership updates to Design Commission Working Groups]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MEMBERSHIP UPDATES TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION WORKING GROUPS.THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS WHO HAD INTEREST IN BEING PART OF SEVERAL OF YOUR WORKING GROUPS.
IF YOU NOTICE ON YOUR AGENDA THAT IS LISTED UNDER PAGE THREE OF EXISTING WORKING GROUPS.
AND SO THE CHAIR HAS THE ABILITY TO ASSIGN OR REASSIGN MEMBERS TO ANY AND ALL WORKING GROUPS.
UM, OUT OF THE SIX WORKING GROUPS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHICH ONES ARE ACTIVE, I'M ONLY AWARE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE LINES BEING ACTIVE, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS INCORRECT.
ALL WORKING GROUPS ARE ACTIVE.
THEY DON'T REALLY SUNSET UNLESS THE COMMISSION DISSOLVES THAT PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP.
KEEP IN MIND CHAIR, COMMISSIONERS THAT ANYONE CAN BE A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, WHETHER THEY BE COMMISSIONERS OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OR ANYONE ELSE.
SO YOU DON'T NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE IT ACTIVATED OR DEACTIVATED IN TERMS OF USING YOUR WORKING GROUPS.
AT ONE POINT, IF MEMORY SERVES ME, RIGHT, THESE WORKING GROUPS WERE CREATED TO DO, UM, TO EVALUATE PROJECTS BASED ON THE PARTICULAR LENS AND THE FOCUS OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM A PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN PERSPECTIVE AND SO ON.
SO I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE GROUPS TO EXPLAIN THEM.
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SELF-EXPLANATORY, BUT A PARTICULAR INTEREST WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP AND THE URBAN DESIGN KINDNESS WORKING GROUP, THAT AT ONE POINT THE COMMISSION WAS DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
HOWEVER, THAT HAS BEEN FOLDED INTO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP AND THE WORK THAT THAT GROUP IS PERFORMING AS WE SPEAK TODAY.
UM, WELL, SO URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CAN ONLY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MEMBERS BECAUSE IF WE HAD MORE, WE WOULD HAVE QUORUM AND WE'RE CURRENTLY AT FIVE, UM, COMMISSIONER ROLOSON, IS SHE FORMALLY ON LEAVE OR IS SHE STILL ATTENDING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES? I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE REPLACING HER WITHOUT TALKING WITH HER.
I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU REACH OUT TO HER.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS SHE'S GOING TO BE GOING ON MATERNITY LEAVE VERY SOON.
SO THERE YOU GO TO, AND TO ANSWER, I THINK, WHERE YOU WERE TRYING TO GET AT, UM, WORKING GROUPS, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE HAVE PROBABLY NOT MET AND SINCE BEFORE COVID SEVERAL YEARS.
SO, BUT THEY, AS JORGE MENTIONED, THEY'RE STILL OFFICIALLY EXIST.
THEY JUST HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING.
I HAVEN'T COMMENTED ABOUT THE WORKING GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NUMBER FIVE, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORK IN BRITAIN, MAN.
IT'S A HUGE PROCESS, A HUGE JOB IN GETTING PAST CHAIR.
CAROL HAS DONE A GOOD JOB PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED A LOT MORE HORSEPOWER.
SO IF THERE WAS A WAY THAT WE CAN KIND OF LIKE ESTABLISHED WITH ANOTHER, UH, WORKING GROUP LIKE THAT, LIKE SUB TWO OR SOMETHING, AND WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US FOREVER TO GET THIS DONE.
AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK.
AND I JUST FINALLY NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS LIKE THREE TIMES ALREADY.
[02:40:01]
INVOLVED IN LIKE THREE REWRITES OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, AND I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES.SO MAYBE IF WE COULD HAVE TWO WORKING GROUPS, ONE SUB WORKING GROUP FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE REWRITE, I THINK THAT MIGHT REALLY HELP IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S LEGAL OR HEY, IF I MAY CHAIR, I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE.
HOWEVER, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP ALSO KNOWN AS THE STEERING COMMITTEE, RIGHT, WOULD DELEGATE WORK TO CRAFT, NOT ONLY EUROPEAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCH UNDER THE PREMISE OF EACH PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP.
SO YOU MAY REBRAND THEM, RENAME THEM, RECONSTITUTE THEM, REPOPULATE THEM AS YOU SEE FIT AS A COMMISSION.
AND THERE'S NO NEED TO UNDO ANY OF THE WORK THAT THE CURRENT URBAN DESIGN GUIDANCE WORKING GROUP IS DOING, OR TO CREATE ADDITIONAL.
I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST GIVING TOO EAGER OF CREATING ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUPS BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE SIX, ESSENTIALLY.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP WHEN THE DESIGN COMMISSION WAS AUDITED.
MANY YEARS AGO THAT WE HAD 31 ACTIVE COMMITTEES AT THAT POINT IS WHAT THEY WERE CALLED.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN KICKS IN AND YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU REORGANIZE THE WORK.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF WORKING GROUPS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY IN ONE THROUGH SIX.
SO, SO ADDING AN ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUP MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT COULD ESSENTIALLY GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE FROM A PERSONAL OBSERVATION.
YOU MAY WANT TO JUST REASSIGN SOME OF THE WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, ASSIGNED TO THE LANDSCAPE AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP, THE LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO, SO THERE ARE WAYS TO RECONSTITUTE SOME OF THAT WORK.
UM, WELL I THINK WE NEED TO UPDATE THE COMMITTEES AT THE TOP, SO THAT SHOULD BE VICE CHAIR, MINORS AND MYSELF, UM, RIGHT AFTER YOU PUT TOGETHER THE AGENDA.
RIGHT? SO, UM, COMMITTEES WHERE IT SAYS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES THAT SHOULD BE UPDATED WITH THE CURRENT CHAIR AND RACE SHARE.
WE JUST GOT A LITTLE NOSTALGIC SHARE WEAVER, JUST A THOUGHT WHILE YOUR WHEELS ARE SPINNING, MANY OF US WILL BE ROTATING OFF SOON.
SO SOME FRESH BLOOD ON THESE COMMITTEES MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
SO WHO EMAILED, WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMITTEES? I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING END.
I'LL EMAIL HIM AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE AT THE NEXT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE MEETING, UM, YOU GUYS CAN START EMAILING PEOPLE, UM, MEANING YOUR SUBCOMMITTEES TO PICK A LEAD FOR EACH GROUP OR SOMETHING.
UM, IS THAT WORK? SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN.
UM, SO FOR YOUR COMMITTEES, WITHIN YOUR SUBCOMMITTEES, WITHIN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, DO YOU, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE AT YOUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING? UM, JUST PICKING A LEAD FOR EACH ONE OF THE SUBGROUPS AND THEN WE CAN START ASSIGNING IT OUT THAT WAY.
SO THE, THE WAY WE'RE ORGANIZING THE WORK IS WE'RE CREATING ADVISORY GROUPS.
AND THE THOUGHT WAS THAT, UH, THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST ONE DESIGN COMMISSIONER ON EACH ADVISORY GROUP.
THERE'S FIVE ADVISORY GROUPS, I BELIEVE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT THEIR PARTICIPATION WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL, UM, TO BE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE WORK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THOSE ADVISORY GROUPS.
UM, SO SINCE WE KNOW THAT JOHN WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT, DO YOU MIND REACHING OUT DURING, WHEN YOU ASSIGN THE ADVISORY GROUPS, UM,
[02:45:01]
POTENTIALLY AT YOUR NEXT MEETING AND KIND OF KICKING OFF THAT WORD? YEAH.WE'RE UM, I MEAN, I GUESS WE'RE GETTING INTO ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM, BUT, UM, WE'RE CREATING A CALL FOR MOVING TO ITEM TWO B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF DESIGN GUIDELINES.
IF I MADE SURE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THIS INTERACTION WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
WHY NOT TO CHANGE NAMES OF THINGS YOU HAVE WORKING GROUPS, THEN YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT THAT'S, WHAT'S ALLOWED UNDER CODE.
YOU DON'T HAVE A VISOR GROUPS, YOU DON'T HAVE STEERING COMMITTEES, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU MAY CALL THEM FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES THAT HOWEVER, THE ROLE WORKING GROUPS.
SO YOU MAY RENAME ANY OF THESE WORKING GROUPS TO HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT.
BUT, BUT WHEN YOU START CALLING SOMETHING, A COMMITTEE OR A SUB-COMMITTEE OR AN ADVISORY GROUP OR AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IT GETS VERY CONFUSING VERY QUICKLY.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU STICK WITH WORKING GROUP FOR NOW, AND THEN YOU CAN REASSIGN THAT BEAM AND THE FOCUS, HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE UPDATE OF THE TEARJERKER DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, ABOUT WORKING GROUP NUMBER FIVE, INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN GUIDELINES, WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
NUMBER SIX, IS THAT, DO WE STILL NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT ONE? OR CAN, YOU KNOW, CAN WE MAYBE HAVE, UM, MAYBE HAVE ANN LUKENS, UH, TAKE JIM JEFF, UH, JEN'S PLACE, NOT JEN, PROBABLY SINCE PLACE TH THERE IS NO NEED TO KEEP OR DISPENSE OF ANY WORKING GROUP THAT IS AT THE PLEASURE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
SO YOU MAY RECONSTITUTE ANY OF THE WORK AND RENAME THEM.
WE JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO DENOTE THOSE SPECIFICALLY IT'S WHEN YOU START CALLING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT GETS CONFUSING BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO HAVE COMMITTEES AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND WORKING GROUPS.
SO YOU CAN HAVE AN URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.
AND UNDER THAT, YOUR ADVISOR GROUPS, IF I MAY COME SOONER, CAROL HAS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUPS THAT ADVISE THE EUROPEAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.
SO, SO AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT TRYING TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE JUST TO TRY AND KEEP IT CONSISTENT IN THE WAY YOU'VE ADDRESSED.
YOU'RE SAYING WE CAN'T HAVE GROUPS UNDER THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORK IN GROUP.
WE NEED TO HAVE THEM ALL AS WORKING GROUPS OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
YOU CAN HAVE THEM UNDER THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.
I WOULD CAUTION AGAINST RELABELING THEM COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES OR STEERING COMMITTEES, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT STRUCTURE UNDER THE CODE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS USING ADVISORY GROUP.
AS, AS, AS A NAME, A WORKING GROUP.
IF YOU KEEP IT UNDER A WORKING GROUP, YOU CAN CALL IT A, A WORKING GROUP OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND THAT THAT'S MORE CONSISTENT AS THE WAY IT IS DEFINED IN CODE IT'S WHEN WE STARTED USING, WHEN, WHEN THE COMMISSIONER STARTED USING COMMITTEE OR SUBCOMMITTEE OR SUBGROUP, THERE WAS NO DENOTATION OF THAT IN THE, IN THE LAND OF VELMA CODE.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION J JUST FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, UM, I'LL ASK TO, TO COMMISSIONER CARROLL, CAUSE I KNOW HE'S BEEN SPEARHEADING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IN YOUR MIND, HOW MANY KIND OF DIFFERENT SUBGROUPS DO YOU, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU ENVISION HAVING HAVING FIVE, SO FIVE TOTAL SUBGROUPS.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND LANDSCAPING WORKING GROUP SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER MET WITH, I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER MET.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE WITH HODAKA THAT PERHAPS, UM, REBRANDING THEM INTO SOME OF THESE, UH, FIVE SUB SOME WORKING OR WORKING GROUPS OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES TO HELP COMMISSIONER DO HIS WORK.
WOULD IT BE MORE EFFICIENT AS OPPOSED TO, UH, TO TRY AND CREATE WORKING GROUPS UNDER WORKING GROUPS? UM, CAUSE WE'RE NOT USING THE OTHER WORKING GROUPS ANYWAYS.
SO WE'LL GET AN UPDATE BY THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I THINK MAYBE IN THIS I'M WRONG, YOUR INTENT WAS TO REMOVE COMMISSIONER ROLLISON FROM URBAN DESIGN WORKING GROUP.
I WAS JUST ASKING IF SHE'S OUT OR LIKE FOREVER, IF IT WAS TEMPORARY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S TEMPORARY.
SO, UM, FOR HER MATERNITY LEAVE, RIGHT? YEAH.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S LIKE FIVE OR SIX MONTHS.
[02:50:01]
I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO START GOING TO URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, A WORKING GROUP TO TERRIFY ME.SO THERE IS NOTHING THAT IF I MADE SURE HER, EXCUSE ME.
IT, THERE THERE'S NOTHING THAT PRECLUDES ANY COMMISSION MEMBERS FROM ATTENDING A WORKING GROUP SHORT OR THE CORUM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE COULDN'T ADD MORE PEOPLE, BUT IF SHE'S GOING TO BE OUT, THEN I CAN SUB IN FOR HER.
SO THERE'S NO TECHNICALLY NEED FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO NAME OR RENAME OR REASSIGN THESE COMMISSIONERS.
AS YOU SEE, THE WORKING GROUP STRUCTURE HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST TO SERVE ON THOSE PARTICULAR WORKING GROUPS.
SO AT THE TIME THE COMMISSION CREATED THAT WORKING GROUP STRUCTURE.
HOWEVER, THERE IS NOTHING WRITTEN ANYWHERE THAT SAYS ONLY THESE COMMISSIONERS CAN ATTEND THE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WORKING GROUP.
FOR EXAMPLE, ANY COMMISSIONER CAN ATTEND ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC CAN ATTEND CHART OF A QUORUM FOR COMMISSIONERS ONLY SO OF 30 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO YOUR URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP, AND YOU'RE MEETING IN PERSON.
YOU JUST NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE AN AREA WHERE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE 30 PEOPLE.
IF YOU HAVE A VIRTUAL, YOU WOULD MAKE THAT LINK AVAILABLE TO ANY PERSON WHO IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKING.
SO THERE IS NOTHING THAT REQUIRES ONLY THESE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND AND SERVE ON THESE WORKING GROUPS.
THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ENERGY INTERCHANGEABLE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU ARE, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SERVE ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER ROLLISON IN HER ABSENCE.
SO LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE A QUESTION ALONG THIS LINE OF THINKING, I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN ON THIS FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE.
WE'VE HAD A COMMISSIONER OUT FOR FIVE MONTHS POTENTIALLY THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FORMALIZED OR ARE STATED, BUT, UM, EVEN BEING IN THIS SITUATION MYSELF AT OTHER TIMES, I COULD I SOME CURIOUS, CAUSE THAT MAY POTENTIALLY AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO MEET QUORUM SOMETIME AND AS WONDERFUL OF A PERSON AND CONTRIBUTOR TO THAT.
SHE HAS BEEN IT'S I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT OUR POLICY IS.
IF I MADE SURE THE QUORUM REQUIREMENTS DO NOT CHANGE BECAUSE HE IS AN APPOINTED COMMISSIONER.
SO, SO, SO YOU, YOU WOULD STILL NEED SIX OR MORE COMMISSIONERS TO HOLD AN OFFICIAL DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING SHORT OF FIVE TO CONDUCT ANY WORKING GROUP.
BUT I RECALL EARLY IN MY COMMISSION, WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT SERVICE SERVICE THAT, UM, ATTENDANCE, IF YOU MISS MORE THAN TWO MEETINGS IN A ROW OR THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAYBE I'M MISS MIXED.
WE'LL PUT OUR, ARE THE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.
CAN YOU BE OUT FOR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS IN A ROW? YES, YOU MAY.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
THAT'S FOR UNEXCUSED ABSENCES.
THOSE ARE REPORTED TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WHO REPORTS THOSE TO THE COUNCIL.
SO THIS IS AN EXCUSED OUT, BUT THAT'S CORRECT.
SO I COULDN'T BE ON MATERNITY LEAVE FOR TWO YEARS.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW I'M BEING, I'M NOT BEING COY I'M YES.
SO I THINK IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE THE CHAIR ON OUR WORKING GROUP.
AND, AND MAYBE THEY CAN EXCHANGE AND THEY CAN COORDINATE THEIR SCHEDULES.
BUT, UH, ROBERT COMMISSIONER ROLISON HAS BEEN REALLY INVALUABLE BECAUSE SHE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE MURROW BOARD AND SHE JUST KIND OF FACILITATES THE MEETING FOR HER.
IT, SEE, I SEE COMMISSIONER CARROLL LAUGHING, BUT MAN, SHE HAS BEEN A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL AND WHAT WE DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'LL HOPE THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN INCLUDE BOTH OF THEM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, HAVE, UH, THE CHAIR WEAVER IS PART OF OUR WORKING GROUP TO LIKE BE ALTERNATES OR WHATEVER IT IS.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO Y'ALL ENVISION THE TIMELINE? REFRESH MY MEMORY? WHAT THE TIMELINE, FOR INSTANCE, FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES BEING, IS IT THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, SIX YEARS.
WHAT'S I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD SOME REAL MOMENTUM ON IT.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY CREATING THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS, WHICH WOULD BE VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE AS THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, AS WELL AS THOSE SERVING ON THE ADVISORY GROUPS, WHICH ARE THE FIVE GROUPS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO WRITE THE GUIDELINES TO THE DRAFT OF THE GUIDELINES.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING TO CREATE THAT, TO FINISH THAT CALL AND GET IT OUT HOPEFULLY BY JUNE.
UM, AND THEN LEAVE THAT OPEN FOR AWHILE, SELECT THOSE PEOPLE, UM, AND REALLY DIG INTO IT THIS SUMMER.
[02:55:02]
WE ENVISION WILL TAKE INTO NEXT YEAR.WE'LL GET THAT DRAFT FINISHED.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS IN THAT MATERNITY, YOU KNOW, FOUR TO SIX MONTH MATERNITY WINDOW, WE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE AN ISSUE IF, IF SHE'S, YOU KNOW, SHE'S PROBABLY AT HOME TAKING CARE OF HER BABY AS OPPOSED TO SUPPOSED EVEN WORRYING ABOUT DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE AT SOME POINT, SORRY.
I CAN CLARIFY ME THE LAST KEEPING MY COMMISSIONERS THAT COME NOVEMBER.
THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY FOR A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION COMPOSITION IN TERMS OF MEMBERS.
SO YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE UNTIL REPLACED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND AT THAT POINT AFTER NOVEMBER, THERE MAY BE A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THIS BODY.
WELL, JUST A CLARIFICATION THOUGH.
NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T GET SWORN IN UNTIL JANUARY, SO THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S WHY YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE UNTIL REPLACED.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I MEAN, THERE'S MAYBE A LITTLE, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LEEWAY IS ALL I'M SAYING, WELL WHAT'S ONE OR TWO MONTHS BETWEEN FRIENDS.
UM, MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM TWO C DISCUSSION, UH, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT ITEM 2D UPDATE
[2.d. Update from representative on the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting]
FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.UM, SO AT DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ON MAY 18TH, WE DISCUSSED, UM, WE HAD A BRIEFING ACTUALLY.
WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE PLAZA, STATE PRESERVATION BOARD, UM, CAME TO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, SEEKING ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE THE PLAZA THAT CONNECTS THE NORTH CAPITOL, THE SOUTH MALL OF UT AND THE BLANTON.
THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY AND PROGRAM IT.
SO I ADDED A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THEM ON DESIGN COMMISSION.
SO I NEEDED A CO-SPONSOR TO BRING, UM, THIS NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE PLAZA.
WE CAN DO AN URBAN DESIGN GUIDE, URBAN DESIGN GUIDE, WORKING URBAN WORKING GROUP.
IT'S BEING INSTALLED AS WE AT, UH, THERE'S A KIND OF AREA BETWEEN THE PLAZA.
AND SO THEY WERE SEEKING ADVICE ABOUT PROGRAMMING, RETAIL.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT STREET CONNECTION.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A DESIGNER ON BOARD FOR WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PEDESTRIAN LEVEL AND THEY WERE JUST SEEKING HELP AND ADVICE.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, IT'S THAT INTERSTITIAL SPACE BETWEEN THE CURVES OF THE SOUTH MALL AND, UM, THE NORTH CONGRESS.
UM, IT WAS AN INTERESTING PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS OUT OF EARNESTNESS THAT THE STATE PRESERVATION BOARD WAS LOOKING FOR THE CAPITAL OR NORTH SIDE OR NORTH SIDE OF THE CAPITOL, UM, NORTH SIDE OF THE CAPITAL.
SO IT'S NORTH OF THE CAPITAL COMPLEX EXTENSION, BUT IT'S THAT AREA AND THE STREET SCAPE.
SO WE RECOMMENDED A $500,000 MOBILITY BOND, BUT THE PERSON PRESENTING WAS LOOKING FOR URBAN DESIGN HELP.
SO IF WE HAVE A CO-SPONSOR WHERE HE RECOMMENDED, I GET A CO-SPONSOR SO THAT THEY COULD COME, WE COULD DO A WORKING GROUP FOR THEM.
I HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY ON IT, SO I'LL VOLUNTEER.
FOR THREE MORE MONTHS OR, HEY, WE HAVE A CO-SPONSOR.
UM, SO IT WAS CHRIS KEARNS FROM THE, UM, STATE PRESERVATION BOARD.
DO YOU KNOW HIM VERY WELL? OKAY.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT DOWNTOWN HOMELESSNESS ACTIVITY.
UM, BASICALLY THE AMOUNT OF HOMELESS RESIDENTS HAS DECLINED BY HALF SINCE, UM, PUTTING IN THE RELIEF PROGRAM, UM, AND THEN DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AUTHORIZATION, THE PID, UM, WAS, UH, WE RECOMMENDED RENEWAL FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR DAA.
UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, SO ITEM TWO E UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REGARDING LAST MEETING, UH, WE DID NOT HAVE A QUORUM AND DID NOT MEET THE END.
SOUNDS LIKE A SUSTAINABLE USE OF TIME ITEM TO AF
[2.f. Update from representative on the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board]
UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.THE BIG THING AS IT PERTAINS TO THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, COULD WE ALSO GET THE GAY PRESENTATION? UM, AND WE GOT AN UPDATE FROM HOUSING AND PLANNING ON THE,
[03:00:01]
ON THE, UH, SOME UPDATE ON THE REGULATING PLAN.UM, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY INTEND TO PUT IN THERE, NOTHING SET IN STONE YET, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THEY INTEND TO PUT IN THERE, UM, OF NOTE IS NO PARKING MINIMUMS FOR IF THEY, IF YOU OPT INTO THE, INTO THE PROGRAM, UH, THERE WOULD BE NO PARKING MINIMUMS, POTENTIALLY A PARKING MAXIMUM.
UM, ALSO THEY ARE LOOKING AT, UH, MAXIMUM HEIGHTS, WHICH IS INTERESTING.
UM, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND IT'S CURRENTLY THEIR PRESENTATION IS CURRENTLY ON THE SOUTH SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD WEBSITE.
I CAN EMAIL THAT TALKING SO YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE, TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, BUT I THINK, UH, INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS WEIGHING IN OR INDIVIDUAL, UH, FOLKS FROM THE DESIGN COMMUNITY WEIGHING IN ON WHAT THE REGULATING PLAN LOOKS LIKE WOULD BE FAIR, OR SOME OF THE THINGS, SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE REGULATING PLAN WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
SO TO THE EXTENT ALL HAVE TIME TO LOOK OVER IT AND EMAIL HOUSING AND PLANNING YOUR THOUGHTS.
DICKEYA UM, CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[3. ANNOUNCEMENTS]
I HAVE NONE BECAUSE I ADDED COMMENTS TO EVERYTHING, THE WHOLE MEETING, UM, ITEM THREE B ITEMS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS.AND I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS REALLY QUICK CAUSE IT WAS GETTING PRETTY LATE, BUT ON THURSDAY, UH, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE DOWNTOWN.
UH, SHE HAS MADE A CAPITAL DOMINANCE OVERLAY AND IT OCCURRED TO ME WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THAT, UM, WHICH I READ ABOUT IT THE DAY BEFORE IT HAPPENED THAT, UH, THEY HAD FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN SENSE OF PLACE, PRIDE OF PLACE SINCE MOVING THE DOWNTOWN, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE CAPITOL DOMINANCE OVERLAY, UH, MIGHT NOT BE A PARTY.
THE BEST THING THEY MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY WE'D WANT TO HAVE A MAXIMUM CAP ON BUILDINGS TO KIND OF PROTECT THE, THIS, THE SCENT OF IT.
WHAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE GREAT PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND OF COURSE, UH, YOU PROBABLY SAW THE EMAIL FROM, FROM, UH, KURT KADENA MITCHELL, AND TRULY SURPRISED THAT HE SENT IT ON MY, TO MY, UH, UH, DESIGN COMMISSION MAILBOX.
BUT, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE MAN, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE RESOLUTION INCLUDED THE STATEMENT AS A MANAGER IDENTIFIED ANY ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THIS OR SPECIFICS OF THE CODE AMENDMENT.
THE MANAGER MAY BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD, INCLUDING A MENU OF OPTIONS WHEN A MEMBER RETURNS TO COUNCIL.
SO ALWAYS WONDERING IF WE MIGHT, UH, JUST HAVE SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, BRIEFING AND MAYBE TAP SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AT OUR NEXT MEETING, ASSUMING THAT THE CANDIDATE, THE MANAGER HAS NOT ALREADY COMPLETED IT, HIS, UH, HIS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COUNCIL OH, CO-SPONSOR THAT, OR HE HAS NODDED IT WILL BE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
UM, I, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON FUNCTIONAL GREEN FROM STAFF SPENT A WHILE AND IT WAS IT, AND IT WAS A BROAD, IT PRETTY MUCH JUST PRESENTED IT.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND NOW THERE'S BEEN A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT IT.
IT'S PART OF OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IT WILL AFFECT OUR REVIEW OF PROJECTS.
IT WILL ALSO AFFECT EVERY PROJECT OVER 80% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THE CORRIDORS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
AND I THINK THIS COMMISSION, EVEN THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING NEXT YEAR NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT IT ENTAILS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP BETWEEN SOMETHING I KNOW.
WELL, AS THE LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE, THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS, GREAT STREETS, SUBCHAPTER E CONDENSATE COLLECTION, AUSTIN GREEN, BUILDING IT.
IT'S GOT A BIT OF ALL OF THAT.
IT'S A PARALLEL DIFFERENT PROCESS.
SO I THINK STAFF I'M GOING TO MAKE A BROAD STATEMENT IS HAVING A HARD TIME EVEN UNDERSTANDING IT MUCH LESS HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT, BUT IT'S COMING OUR WAY.
AND, UM, WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO AIA DID A STUDY ON IT, ADDED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO A PROJECT IN THOSE CASES ONLY.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT IT WAS SUBSTANTIAL? NOT JUST THE MONEY,
[03:05:01]
BUT THE, THE CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION, UH, IN A STREET URBAN ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES EITHER GIVING UP LAND OR PUTTING IT ON YOUR ROOF.THERE'S NOT MUCH THERE'S HARDLY ANY OTHER WAY TO REALLY FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT IT, SO IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THE FABRIC OF OUR DOWNTOWN.
I LOVE IT, BUT I JUST THINK THERE'S AN AWARENESS AND THERE'S A COMPLEXITY TO IT.
AND THERE'S SOME CONFLICTS EMBEDDED IN IT THAT ARE GOING TO, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE FACED WITH IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK A BRIEFING WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR A SPONSOR OR CO-SPONSOR THAT COREY, IT WILL BE OKAY.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I KNOW A HAND HAS BEEN KIND OF LIKE CHAMPION IN A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE GREENLAND OF THE PROGRAM AND, AND YOU, YOU HAVEN'T REALLY COME OUT AND SAID, WHETHER YOU'RE AFFORD AGAINST IT, I CAN TELL THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH.
SO ESPECIALLY THE PARTS THAT THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE TO IMPLEMENT, CONTRAST THIS THING CALLED CLEANING OUT YOUR CLOSET BEFORE YOU ADD, DO THINGS IN A SENTENCE OF MY CONCERN, BECAUSE I TRUST YOUR JUDGMENT.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH WHAT YOU THINK.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE NOT REALLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE NOT REALLY INTO THE FULL SCOPE OF THAT, THAT, THAT PROPOSAL AND NOT TO BELABOR IT.
CAUSE I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
TANIGUCHI I THINK IT'S REALLY EXPLAINING IT TO OURSELVES AS A COMMUNITY, REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING ELSE WE HAVE, WHICH IS WHY I BROUGHT UP WHAT I DID EARLIER WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWNTOWN WITH OUR, THEIR DENSITY BONUS.
ARE WE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING LAYERED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER BECAUSE IT IS ADDING UP AND AT SOME POINT SOMETHING'S GOING TO BREAK OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF RICH PEOPLE LIVING DOWNTOWN AND EVERYBODY, ALL THE REST OF US COMMUTING BY IT.
IT'S I THINK IT'S DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE THINK IT'S DOING IN A LOT OF WAYS I COULD BE WRONG.
I I'M ONLY ON THIS BUSINESS IN MY NARROW WINDOW, BUT AFTER 40 YEARS I SEE IT COMING AND IT'S NOT THE LIGHT RAIL TRAIN.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FINCA.
OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, UM, UH, I WOULD, I WOULDN'T MIND ASKING, ASKING FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ON, ON, UH, THE REGULATING PLAN FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
I KNOW I'VE GIVEN YOU GUYS UPDATES, BUT IT DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.
UM, AND THAT TIMELINE IS MOVING PRETTY QUICKLY.
I KNOW THEY WANT TO HAVE IT BY THE END OF THE SUMMER TO COUNCIL.
UH, THERE'LL BE A DRAFT COMES OUT IN JULY, SO MAYBE BEFORE OR AFTER OUR MEETING, BUT REGARDLESS I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS BODY TO WEIGH IN, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR EYES ARE ALL DESIGNED PROFESSIONALS AND YOU'LL HAVE, ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THESE RULES.
UM, DO WE HAVE A CO-SPONSOR? OH, CO-SPONSOR OH, THERE YOU GO.
IF I MADE SURE I APPRECIATE ALL THE ENTHUSIASM FOR THE REQUEST OF BRIEFINGS, WE WILL RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR PATIENTS WITH US AS WE ALIGN THESE BRIEF RANKS FOR YOU.
SOME OF THESE ARE ON A CRITICAL TIMEFRAME, SO WE WILL TRY TO PRIORITIZE THOSE BRIEFINGS FOR YOU.
HOWEVER, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THOSE BRIEFINGS WILL HAPPEN ON A TIMELY MANNER.
ALL WE CAN DO IS EXTEND THAT INVITATION THROUGH THE CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THAT ITEM, TO THAT ITEM SPONSOR DEPARTMENT STAFF MEMBER, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM ON BOARD, WE WILL PLACE THEM ON THE AGENDA, BUT THERE WAS AT LEAST THREE BRIEFINGS THAT YOU REQUESTED THIS EVENING ALONE PENDING THE OTHER THREE THAT YOU STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED YET.
SO YOU HAVE ABOUT SIX BRIEFING.
IF MY COUNT IS CORRECT, THAT ARE COMING AT YOU.
LONG-WINDED WAY OF SAYING CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, BECAUSE THAT'S COMING AT YOU AT VARIOUS MEETINGS.
AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME TIME SENSITIVE ISSUES THAT ARE COMING.
SO WE WILL COORDINATE THROUGH THE CHAIR AS TO WHICH ONES TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FIRST AND TRY TO ALIGN THE OTHER ONES AS WE CAN.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT FOR MINE, I LIKE TO LIVE WITH, OR HAVING A DISCUSSION AS POSSIBLE ACTION.
IF WE CHOOSE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT NIGHT, AS OPPOSED TO JUST A BRIEFING, I KNOW THAT'S BY DEFAULT, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, PLUS, I LIKE TO SEE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE EVERYBODY GET THE PRESENTATION THREE DAYS PRIOR TO, I THINK EVERYONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IS FEELING THE PRESSURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
OUR CITY IS BEING DEFINED RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK WE ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A CITY THAT WE WANT TO LIVE WITH.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT'S A LOT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALL WORKING 24 7 MAKING OUR PROJECTS HAPPEN.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PART OF IT, OF THAT EXTRA BURN, UM, COMMISSIONER CAROL.
I WAS GOING TO ANECDOTE IS YEAH, MAYBE IT'S MY PERCEPTION, BUT SINCE CODE NEXT DID NOT MOVE FORWARD.
[03:10:01]
IT SEEMS TO BE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING PIECES OF THIS AT LIGHTNING SPEED.I EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR COMMENT, BUT THE SAME TIME THINGS WERE LEFT UNRESOLVED AND NOW THEY'RE BEING ADOPTED.
SO IN OUR DEFENSE, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM STAFF MISSIONER CAROL.
UM, I'M NOT GOING TO REQUEST A BRIEFING.
UH, I, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S, IT'S IT, WE'VE KIND OF REFERRED TO IT MANY TIMES TONIGHT, BUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE ALMOST A YEAR AGO FOR THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS THEY'RE NOT DEADLINE IN A DITCH SOMEWHERE.
I'M STILL PUSHING THEM FORWARD AND I'M ACTUALLY MAKING SOME HEADWAY WITH COUNCIL.
SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UM, SOMETIME SOON WE'LL, WE'LL SEE THEM DISCUSSING SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I'LL, I'LL KEEP EVERYONE UPDATED.
I HAD MY HANDS UP ON THE VEHICLE.
I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THE DRD ARTS CENTER, PARKING GARAGE FUNDING.
I FORGOT TO ASK ABOUT WHEN ARE THEY COMING BACK? IF THEY MADE SURE WE HAD THEM LINED UP FOR THIS EVENING, WHEREVER THEY DECLINED TO COME THIS EVENING.
CAUSE THEY'RE NOT PREPARED YET.
SO IT'S OUR ANTICIPATION THAT THEY COME TO JUNE MEETING.
AND I FORWARDED, I TRIED TO MAKE A SHORT LIST.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A ONE-PAGE OR I'VE JUST BEEN CRUNCHED FOR TIME, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR, UM, URBAN GUIDELINES CODES SO THAT WHEN WE'RE REVIEWING PROJECTS, IF WE CAN HAVE EVERYONE TO HAVE YOUR FAVORITE CODE, RIGHTY, YOU WANT A ROUGH FRIENDS, BUT I VIEW, YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR, OUR CRITIQUES WILL HAVE A LOT MORE GRAVITY WHEN, WHEN WE'RE MORE DIRECTLY REFERENCING OUR CODE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, OR HE HAS TOLD US SINCE YOUR CAROL HAS TOLD US IN THE PAST, JUST A REMINDER WHEN WE REVIEWED DOC, LET'S DO IT.
UM, WITH THAT, I THINK IT'S WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? UH, ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
I BELIEVE I HAVE NINE MORE MINUTES.
YOU HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, STILL ITEMS FROM STAFF, THREE C ITEMS FROM STAFF.
I PUT MY PHONE DIED, UM, NINE FIFTEEN, NINE.