[00:00:02]
[Call to Order]
UH, BEGIN THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.UH, THIS IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6TH.
WE'RE CONVENING AT SIX O'CLOCK, STRAIGHT UP.
COMMISSIONER NADIA BURRERA RAMIREZ.
DO I CALL YOU CHAIR OR DO NOT CALL YOU CHAIR TONIGHT? I'M NOT
COMMISSIONER KERRY THOMPSON HERE.
WE HAVE NINE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT TO GET STARTED WITH.
WE WILL START WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? HAVING NONE.
[Consent Agenda]
CONSENT AGENDA? A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM STARTING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES BEFORE WE GO ON CHAIR? JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONER GREENBERG HAS JOINED US.
SO WE HAVE 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10.
WE'LL START WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO.
REZONING C 14 20 21 0 1 2 3 7900 SOUTH CONGRESS DISTRICT 2 78 0 9, PEACEFUL HILL LANE 77 13 AND 77 15 IN BIRD HILL LANE IN 76 0 4 AND SEVENTY NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY NINE HUNDRED AND HALF SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE.
IT'S REZONING FROM DR AND N O C O TO G R M U V C O FOR TRACK ONE AND C S M U V C O FOR TRACK TWO AS AMENDED.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S BEEN PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM THREE IS A REZONING CASE C 14 20 22 DASH OH 1 35 58 0 7 ROSS ROAD IN DISTRICT TWO.
THIS IS BEING ZONED FROM DR TO SF SIX AND IT IS RECOMMENDED.
AND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM FOUR IS A REZONING CASE C 14 20 20 2053 SUN GOLD IN DISTRICT SEVEN 13,704 IDA RIDGE DRIVE.
IT IS FROM IP TO G R M U AND IS RECOMMENDED AND ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEM FIVE IS THE SITE PLAN S P 2020 1095 C PART TWO 90 LOGISTICS CENTER IN DISTRICT 1 99 21 EAST US TWO 90 HIGHWAY SERVICE ROAD EASTBOUND.
THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE TO PERMIT FILL OVER FOUR FEET UP TO 28 FEET AND TO PERMIT TO PERMIT CUT OVER FOUR FEET UP TO 22 FEET.
IT IS RECOMMENDED BUT IT IS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION AND WE DO HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S, UH, BACKUP ON THAT AS WELL.
ITEM SIX IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE, C AJ 2021 DASH OH 1 41 0 A UH SLASH SP 2021 DASH OH 4 46 D 80 20 PALMER LANE, SOUTHWEST ONE 30, NORTHWEST 81 0 6 EAST PALMER LANE.
THIS IS TWO ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES.
ONE TO REQUEST TO VARY FROM LDC 30 DASH FIVE DASH 3 42 TO ALLOW FILL OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET AND VARIANCE TWO IS TO REQUEST A VARY FROM 30 DASH FIVE DASH 2 61 G TO ALLOW FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATIONS IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFER.
THIS IS RECOMMENDED AND IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM C IS A PRELIMINARY PLAN C AJ 2021 DASH ONE 12 EASTERN PARK, SECTION FIVE A PRELIMINARY PLAN, DISTRICT TWO, WILLIAM CANNON AND COTA VISTA.
THIS IS APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN CONSISTING OF NINE LOSS ON 58.63 ACRES AND IS APPROVED RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS AS LISTED IN EXHIBIT C AND IT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM EIGHT, FINAL PLAT OUT OF AN APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C EIGHT J 2021 DASH 0 0 48 1 A QUAD PARK THREE B DASH THREE A EASTERN PARK FINAL PLA DISTRICT TWO IS APPROVAL OF A FINAL PLAT OUT OF AN APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN CONSISTING OF 63 LOTS ON 26.52 ACRES AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS AS LISTED IN EXHIBIT C AND IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM NINE, PRELIMINARY PLAN C 8 20 22 DASH OH TWO 50 TWO.SH GOODNIGHT TOWN CENTER, PHASE ONE, SECTION ONE IN DISTRICT 2 89 0 1 VERTEX BOULEVARD.
UM, IT IS A APPROVAL OF THE GOODNIGHT TOWN CENTER PHASE ONE, SECTION ONE PRELIMINARY PLAN CONSISTING OF ONE LOT DEDICATED FOR RIGHT OF WAY PURPOSES ON 1.65 ACRES OF LAND.
IT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL AND IT IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 10 IS A RE SUBDIVISION C 8 20 22 DASH OH 2 54 0 A 1191 RIDGE DRIVE SUBDIVISION DISTRICT 1 11 91 RIDGEVIEW
[00:05:01]
RIDGE DRIVE.IT IS RECOMMENDED FOR DISAPPROVAL FOR REASONS AS LISTED IN EXHIBIT C AND IT IS ON THE CONSENT APPROVAL.
CONSENT RECOMMENDATION FOR DISAPPROVAL FOR REASONS 11 FINAL PLAT OUT OF AN APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN.
CJ 2020 DASH OH OH 57 DO ONE A SLAUGHTER LANE, 90 ACRE TRACT PHASE ONE SMALL LOT FINAL PLATINUM EAST SLAUGHTER LANE IS AN APPROVAL OF A FINAL PLAT PER PRELIMINARY PLAN CONSISTING OF 127 LOTS ON 64.8855 ACRES RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS AS LISTED IN EXHIBIT C AND IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 12, FINAL PLATFORM APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C 8 20 19 DASH OH ONE 40 SIX.ONE A FAXED AND SUBDIVISION OF SMALL LOT SUBDIVISION PHASE ONE AND DISTRICT TWO AT THE INTERSECTION OF SLAUGHTER LANE AND THAXTON ROAD.
IT IS APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PLAQUE CONSISTING OF 152 LIGHTS ON 56.20 ACRES RECOMMENDED FOR DISAPPROVAL FOR REASONS AS LISTED IT IN EXHIBIT C.
PRELIMINARY PLAN WITH A VARIANCE CA 8 20 22 DASH 2 8 73 HILL APARTMENTS IN DISTRICT 5 1 12 23 4 HEATHERLY DRIVE APPROVAL.
APPROVAL OF THE PRELIMINARY PLAN COM IS COMPRISED OF EIGHT LOTS ON 58.39 ACRES WITH A VARIANCE TO THE LDC 25 DASH FOUR DASH 1 71 TO ALLOW LOTS TO NOT FRONT A DEDICATED PUBLIC STREET AND ALLOW LOTS TO FURNISH A PRIVATE STREET APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF AND APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY PLAN WITH CONDITIONS LISTED IN EXHIBIT C IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 14 C 8 20 22 DASH 0 2 60 SEVEN.ZERO A RESEARCH PARK SUB SUBDIVISION OF LOT ONE A 11 8 0 1 AND A HALF RESEARCH BOULEVARD SERVICE ROAD.
IT IS APPROVAL OF A RE SUBDIVISION OF A 35.207 ACRE PORTION OF LOT ONE RESEARCH PARK LOT TWO AND A PORTION OF LOT THREE RESEARCH PARK INTO EIGHT LOTS FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS STAFF RECOMMENDATION DISAPPROVAL FOR REASONS THAT'S LISTED IN EXHIBIT C AND IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR DISAPPROVAL WITH REASONS.
DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, ITEM 15, DISCUSSION TO AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO AMEND ADOPTING ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION 2023 SCHEDULED.
WE ADOPTED THIS LAST WEEK BUT THERE IS A CHANGE AND I HAVE THE CHANGE HERE SOMEWHERE.
WHAT WAS THE, SINCE WE CANNOT MEET ON ELECTION DAYS, THERE WAS A CHANGE AND I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME.
CHAIR COMMISSIONER LADIES ON ANDREW BEAR? THAT IS CORRECT.
THIS IS DUE TO THE RECENT, UH, COUNCIL RESOLUTION FOR PROMOTING, UH, B AND C'S COMMENCING ON ELECTION DAYS.
SO JUST A SLIGHT MODIFICATION OF MOVING THAT, UH, COUNSELING THAT, UM, NOVEMBER 7TH DATE AND REPLACING IT WITH A CONSENT AGENDA DATE AFTER NOVEMBER 14TH AT 5:00 PM OKAY.
I FINALLY FOUND IT NOW THAT YOU FINISHED SAYING ALL THAT
SO THAT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES, COMMISSIONER.
UM, BETSY GREENBERG GOTTA THANK UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ITEM FIVE BACK ON CONSENT PROVIDED THAT THE COMMISSION IS OKAY WITH CHANGING, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS FROM SAYING ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM TREE CARE PLAN FOR THE NEW AND EXISTING TREES TO REQUIRE LONG-TERM TREE CARE PLAN FOR THE NEW AND EXISTING TREES.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? DO WE NEED TO, DO WE NEED TO ACTUALLY MAKE A MOTION? WELL THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN A MOTION IF THAT WAS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEM FIVE WITH THE CONDITION THAT THE LANGUAGE BE CHANGED AS DISCUSSED.
WAS THAT YOUR MOTION? THAT TAKES CARE OF IT.
THAT WAS COMMISSIONER GREENBERG'S MOTION.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER KIELBASA.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH THE AGENDA CAUSE IT'S A VERY LONG AGENDA.
THE ONLY TWO ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FOR DIS ONLY ONE ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION IS ITEM TWO.
UH, AND SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM ARE APPROVED.
AND THAT'S ALL CHAIR COMMISSION ON ANDREW.
AND JUST TO NOTE THAT THAT'S THE, UH, CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE APPLICABLE.
THAT WAS INCLUDING CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, CORRECT.
[2. Rezoning: C14-2021-0123 - 7900 South Congress; District 2]
GONNA GO ON TO ITEM TWO, REZONING C 14 20 21 DASH OH 1 23 7900 SOUTH CONGRESS IN DISTRICT 2 78 0 9, PEACEFUL HILL LANE 77 13 77 15, AND BIRD HILL LANE 76 0 4, 7900 7900 AND A HALF SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE.IT'S RECOMMENDED FOR DR AND N O C O TO G R M U V C O AND TRACK ONE.
AND FOR C S M U V C O FOR TRACK TWO AS AMENDED STAFF IS RECOMMENDED WITH CONDITIONS.
AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF.
[00:10:01]
YOU CHAIR.UH, MY NAME IS WENDY RHODES WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THIS PARTICULAR CASE ON PEACEFUL HILL AND SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, TOTALS 43 ACRES OF LAND THAT IS CONNECTED BY SMALL SEGMENT OF SOUTH BOGGY CREEK THAT RUNS ALONG THE NORTH PORTION OF THE REZONING AREA.
THE WESTERN, UH, 11, ALMOST 12 ACRES IS DESIGNATED AS TRACT ONE.
IT'S UNDEVELOPED AND FRONTS ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
IT HAS NO CO ZONING BY A 2003 ZONING CASE.
THE EASTERN TRACT FRONTS ON SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE, IT IS, UH, DESIGNATED AS TRACK TWO.
IT CONTAINS A LONG-STANDING AUTO SALVAGE USE AND HAS DR DEVELOPMENT RESERVE DISTRICT ZONING.
UH, THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES AND CON CONDOMINIUMS ACROSS DITMAR ROAD TO THE NORTH AND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES IN THE BEACON RIDGE.
TWO SUBDIVISION ACROSS PEACEFUL HILL LANE TO THE WEST.
UH, SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE IS DESIGNATED AS A PROJECT CONNECT CORRIDOR FOR THE FUTURE EXTENSION OF THE PROPOSED ORANGE LINE AND, UM, IS CURRENTLY SERVED BY TWO CAPITAL METRO BUS ROUTES.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO ZONE TRACK ONE TO THE GR M U V C O DISTRICT AND TRACK TWO TO THE CS M U V C O DISTRICT IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 1200 MULTI MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, 210,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE USES AND 136 HUN 136,000 SQUARE FEET OF SHOPPING CENTER ON TRACK ONE.
THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY WOULD ESTABLISH A 30 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER, A LONG, PEACEFUL HILL.
IT WOULD PROHIBIT ACCESS TO PEACEFUL HILL EXCEPT FOR THE EXTENSION OF FOREMOST DRIVE, UM, WHICH WOULD CONNECT TO PEACEFUL HILL.
UM, IT WOULD LIMIT THE, UH, LAND USES TO THOSE THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THE LR DISTRICT AND ESTABLISH LOCATIONAL CRITERIA FOR THE AMOUNT OF BUILDING FACADES IN PROXIMITY TO THE WEST PROPERTY LINE ON TRACK TWO.
THE APPLICANT IS, UH, SIMPLY PROPOSING TO PROHIBIT THREE OF THE MORE INTENSIVE, UH, USES AND THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY FOR USES HAS BEEN IN INCORPORATED INTO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
THE APPLICANT HAS PROVIDED A CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN AND A PARK PLAN, AND THE, THE LADDER SHOWS A 13 AND A HALF ACRE PARK, UH, INTENDED FOR DEDICATION TO THE CITY WITH PRIVATE MAINTENANCE ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, THIS INCLUDES THE RESTORATION OF BOGGY CREEK AND THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN IN, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, PART ABOUT THIS AND THE AGREEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
UH, THE APPLICANT WAS REQUIRED TO PREPARE A T I TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR THIS PROJECT AND ALSO A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, UM, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT ON TRACK ONE, WHICH CONTAINS THE PEACEFUL HILL FRONTAGE.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST FOR GRM U V C ON TRACK ONE AND CSM U V C O, UH, WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THE T I, UH, BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FOR TRACK ONE GR IS LESS INTENSIVE DISTRICT AND PROVIDES A TRANSITION FROM THE CS ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS AND THE RESIDENTIAL USES ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
UH, AND FOR TRACK TWO LAND USES ON SOUTH CONGRESS ARE IN TRANSITION FROM UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES TO AND HEAVY COMMERCIAL USES, UH, THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY, UH, BEEN FEATURED ALONG THIS STREET TO THOSE THAT INCLUDE MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENCES, THE MULTI-FAMILY, THE MU MIXED USE DISTRICT ALLOWS FOR THE APPLICANT'S INTENDED CONSTRUCTION OF A RESIDENTIAL OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE PROPERTY AND SUPPORTS THE GOALS OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN AND THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UH, THE T I A RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOUTH CONGRESS AND FOREMOST, FOREMOST DRIVE INTERSECTION AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOUTH CONGRESS AND DITMAR ROAD INTERSECTION.
SO IN SUMMARY, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, FOR, UH, UH, GM U VCO FOR TRACT ONE AND CSM U VCO FOR TRACT TWO WITH A 30 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER ALONG PEACEFUL HILL PROHIBITING ACCESS TO PEACEFUL HILL FROM TRACT ONE EXCEPT FOR THE FOREMOST DRIVE EXTENSION PROHIBITING A SET OF USES THAT'S LISTED ON TRACK ONE, UH, PROHIBITING A, ANOTHER SET OF USES ON, UM, TRACK TWO ESTABLISHING CONDITIONAL USES ON TRACK ONE, UM, ESTABLISHING, UH, LIMITS ON BUILDING FACADES BETWEEN 30 AND 75 FEET OF THE PROPERTY OF THE WEST PROPERTY LINE.
AND, UH, REQUIRING AT LEAST 20% OF BUILDING FACADES BE LOCATED MORE THAN 240 FEET OF THE WEST PROPERTY LINE.
[00:15:02]
AND OF COURSE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.UM, THE APPLICANT HAS, UH, MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF PARKRIDGE GARDENS, THAT'S TO THE SOUTH AND THE PEACEFUL HILL PRESENTATION, UH, PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEST.
AND THEY'VE ALSO CONTACTED A NUMBER OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
OKAY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? SEEING NONE, WE'LL HAVE PRESENTATION FROM THE APPLICANT.
NICKEL MEAD, DO YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES? SIX MINUTES? SIX MINUTES? THAT'S WHAT I MEANT TO SAY,
NO, I, I WILL REALLY TRY NOT TO.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS NICKEL MEAD WITH HESH BLACKWELL HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING THIS CASE FORWARD.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PARTICULAR CASE FOR ACTUALLY OVER A YEAR, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY A YEAR, BUT ACTUALLY OVER A YEAR.
AND AS WENDY SAID, WE'RE AT 7,900 SOUTH CONGRESS AND ARE ASKING FOR REZONING TO GR M U N C S M U V.
IT IS REALLY A KIND OF A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AND A SPECIAL SITE BEING THIS LARGE AND BEING ON THE ORANGE LINE.
UH, SO REALLY, UH, WE THINK A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FUTURE PROJECT CONNECT.
AND THIS JUST GIVES YOU A, A SNAPSHOT OF THE ZONING IN THE VICINITY.
THIS IS THE EXISTING USE ON THE SITE.
IT'S BEEN THERE A VERY LONG TIME.
IT'S GONE THROUGH UPS AND DOWNS WITH THE CITY, WITH PROBLEMS AND COMPLIANCE AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE SITE TODAY AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO REDEVELOP.
SO THIS SHOWS YOU WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING ON THE SITE.
UM, WE THINK IT'S AGAIN, REALLY A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LOT OF HOUSING, TO DO A LOT OF OFFICE, AND A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT RETAIL THAT REALLY WILL BE GAME CHANGING FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AS WENDY SAID, WE'RE PROPOSING ABOUT 1200 UNITS, 210,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE AND 136,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL.
WE HAVE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORS, WITH UM, CITY STAFF, WE HAVE PROPOSED A PRETTY LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO ADD TO THE DEVELOPMENT TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AND MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY CAN BE PROUD OF.
WE'RE OFFERING TO EXTEND FOREMOST DRIVE, WE ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO SOUTH BOGGY CREEK.
WE ARE GOING TO CREATE A PEDESTRIAN ACCESSWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A 13 ACRE PUBLIC PARK THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONSTRUCT.
AND WE HAVE AGREED TO TAKE SEVERAL STEPS TO ORIENT THE DEVELOPMENT, NOT TO PEACEFUL HILL, BUT TO CONGRESS.
AND ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS ABOUT THAT WAS WE ACTUALLY STARTED OUT WITH JUST THIS BEING THE SITE, UM, TO YOUR LEFT IS PEACEFUL HILL, TO THE RIGHT IS THE SALVAGE YARD.
AND OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS JUST THIS SITE, THE DEVELOPER, UH, IN HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT ORIENTING THIS DEVELOPMENT TO PEACEFUL HILL WAS NOT THE WAY TO GO, ACTUALLY ACQUIRED, UH, A CONTRACT TO PURCHASE THE ADDITIONAL SALVAGE YARD TOO, WHICH REALLY MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN US BEING ABLE TO ORIENT THIS DEVELOPMENT TOTALLY TO CONGRESS AND NOT TAKE ANY ACCESS AT ALL TO PEACEFUL HILL.
THIS IS PEACEFUL HILL, YOU SEE, IT'S NARROW.
UM, BUT, AND REALLY THE CONCERNS HAVE REALLY ONLY BEEN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM US ON PEACE ACROSS PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
BUT YOU ALSO SEE THAT THERE'S A REALLY PRETTY SIGNIFICANT VEGETATIVE BUFFER THERE THAT EXISTS TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE AGREED IS TO NOT ONLY LEAVE THAT BUFFER BUT ENHANCE IT.
SO WITH THE IDEA BEING WHAT EVERYBODY SEES THERE TODAY IS WHAT THEY WILL SEE THERE IN THE FUTURE AFTER OUR DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU JUST A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, OUR VISION OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO PARKS, WE ARE AGREEING TO TAKE ALL OF THE LAND IN THE PROPERTY THAT IS CRITICAL.
WATER QUALITY IS ON FLOODPLAIN AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL AND CREATE A 13 ACRE REGIONAL PARK.
WE ARE NOT ONLY AGREEING TO DEDICATE THE LAND, WHICH WE'D HAVE TO DO FOR PARKLAND DEDICATION REQUIREMENTS, BUT WE'RE AGREEING TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PARK TO MAKE IT USABLE, TO IMPROVE SOUTH BOGGY CREEK, TO REALLY MAKE IT SOMEWHERE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO AS A DESTINATION AND LOVE AND BE A JEWEL FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION, I KNOW YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT TONIGHT FROM THOSE WHO ARE HERE IN OPPOSITION.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE GOT OPPOSITION ON THIS CASE AND WE HAVE SUPPORT.
UM, BUT I KNOW YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION.
SO I WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING THERE AS A, WE DID A T I AND
[00:20:01]
AN NTA AND THESE ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO CONSTRUCT.UM, AND THEN THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE AGREEING TO CONSTRUCT VOLUNTARILY AS A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND YOU'LL SEE ON THIS LIST, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT.
UH, TRAFFIC IS NOT, DOES NOT FLOW SUPER WELL IN THIS AREA ALONG DITMAR, ALONG PEACEFUL HILL AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE AND THOSE THAT WE'RE VOLUNTEERING TO MAKE WILL REALLY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
YOU WILL HEAR TONIGHT ABOUT US EXTENDING FOREMOST DRIVE, FOREMOST DRIVE CURRENTLY TERMINATES AT CONGRESS AND WE WILL ARE AGREEING TO EXTEND IT, TO DEDICATE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR AND EXTEND IT THROUGH THE SITE TO PEACEFUL HILL.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOT, THERE WILL BE SOME FOLKS HERE TONIGHT WHO ARE AGAINST THAT EXTENSION, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT TO THE COMMISSION THAT IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RAIL COMING RIGHT ADJACENT TO THIS SITE, POTENTIALLY HAVING A RAIL STOP ON THIS SITE.
AND THIS AREA REALLY IS IN PRETTY DIRE NEED OF CONNECTIVITY.
YOU MAY HEAR ABOUT AN OPTION THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO MAKE FOREMOST STRIVE THROUGH THE PROPERTY ONE WAY AND IT REALLY JUST ISN'T DESIRABLE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE IS CREATING A GRID.
YOU'VE GOT RALPH ADO, YOU'VE GOT PEACEFUL HILL, YOU'VE GOT CONGRESS, AND ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO CREATE A GRID THAT REALLY MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WITH REGARD TO THE CONNECTIVITY.
AND NOT JUST PEOPLE COMING TO OUR SITE, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE SITE AND ACCESS CONGRESS AND PROJECT AND THE RAIL LINE.
THIS IS HOW FOREMOST DRIVE WILL LOOK THROUGH OUR SITE.
IT'LL BE A 72 FOOT URBAN ROADWAY.
VERY, UM, IT'LL BE NOT ONLY GOOD FOR MO UH, VEHICLE MOBILITY, BUT IT'LL ALSO HAVE BIKE LANES, IT WILL HAVE SIDEWALKS AND IT WILL BE GOOD FOR PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY AS WELL.
SO WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER IN CONNECTION WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL ADDRESS A LOT OF THE CONCERNS WE DO.
I JUST WANNA SAY VERY QUICKLY, WE DO HAVE OUR, UH, CIVIL ENGINEER HERE, BRIAN GRACE, WE HAVE OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER HERE, LESLIE P*****K, AND WE'VE GOT THE PROPERTY OWNER OR THE DEVELOPER HERE AS WELL, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? NOT THE NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE IN SUPPORT IS DAGAN MARTINEZ VARGAS.
I'M THE PARKRIDGE GARDENS HOA PRESIDENT AND A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF AUSTIN AND IN PARTICULAR SOUTH AUSTIN, UH, PARKRIDGE GARDENS, UH, SUPPORTS THIS PROJECT, UH, BECAUSE WHILE WE WOULD LIKE LESS TRAFFIC IN GENERAL FOR BASICALLY ALL OF SOUTH AUSTIN, THAT'S NOT PRACTICAL WITH THE, UH, CITY'S OWN GOALS THAT THEY HAVE IN, UH, MIND, OUR COMMUNITY IS PARKED DEFICIENT AND THIS DEVELOPMENT GETS RID OF 43 ACRES OF SALVAGE YARDS THAT I'VE KNOWN MY ENTIRE LIFE AND UNDERDEVELOPED AGAINST WOODED AREAS THAT HAS BECOME A PLACE FOR TRASH, DUMPING AND CRIME AND REPLACE IT WITH AT LEAST SOME PARTS AND TRAILS AND AMENITIES THAT WE CAN USE AS A COMMUNITY.
THE DEVELOPER HAS AGREED TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH US TO ADD A NEIGHBORHOOD POCKET PARK WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY GARDEN AND PICNIC TABLES, UH, TO BE CURRENTLY USED ON OUR OWN PIECE OF PROPERTY TO HELP OUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
THE DEVELOPER HAS AGREED TO WORK WITH US TO PROTECT THE BAT COMMUNITY AT DENMARK BRIDGE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, OF COURSE, UH, BEHIND THE CONGRESS, UH, BRIDGE COMMUNITY OF BATS.
AND THEY'RE TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE, UH, BOGGY CREEK, TO PROTECT AND MAKE IT USABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY OVERALL.
WE SEE THIS AS A PROJECT THAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A MORE BEAUTIFUL AND DESIRABLE COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN.
AS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF SOUTH AUSTIN, BORN IN THE SEVENTIES, I GREW UP PLAYING IN BOGGY CREEK AND I'VE TAKEN MY KIDS TO SEE THE BATS AT THE DITMAR BRIDGE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE CREEK RESTORED AND MAINTAINED SO THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN ENJOY THE NATURAL LANDSCAPING NEAR THE CREEK AND DISCOVER THE BATS AT THE LESSER KNOWN BRIDGE IN AUSTIN.
I USED TO RIDE MY BIKE DOWN THAT DITMAR ROAD, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN THE SEVENTIES.
ME AND ALL MY FRIENDS, UH, AS WE WENT TO WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY AND, UH, PLAYED AND OF COURSE IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST 30, 40 YEARS.
ADD THAT WITH THE HOMELESS ISSUE THAT I ALREADY MENTIONED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS IN SUPPORT? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE OPPOSITION.
I UNDERSTAND MARGARET VALENTE, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE LEAD SPEAKER.
[00:25:03]
HI.GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS MARGARET LENTI AND I LIVE ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THIS CASE.
UM, OUR NEIGHBORS, MY NEIGHBORS, AND I CALL IT THE 43 ACRE PEACEFUL HILL BIRD HILL LANE, SOUTH CONGRE, SOUTH CONGRESS PROJECT.
UH, THE COMMENTS THAT I'M READING TO YOU TONIGHT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN YOUR LATE STAFF BACKUP SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
UM, I'M GONNA GET INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY NEIGHBORS, UH, MY PEACEFUL HELL NEIGHBORS, JOHN STOKES, RENEE PETTYJOHN, SAM BARROWS, MIA IBARRA, JOHN ORR, CHAD SATAR, AND DOUG BORE.
WE AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THIS PROJECT FOR WELL OVER A YEAR.
WE ALL LIVE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE 43 ACRE PROPERTY AND WHILE I'VE LIVED IN MY HOME FOR OVER 15 YEARS, OTHERS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TWICE AS LONG.
WHEN I PURCHASED MY HOME, I KNEW THAT EVENTUALLY THE VACANT LAND ACROSS THE STREET WOULD BE DEVELOPED AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD RUN.
THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THIS COMMISSION THAT NONE OF THE PEACEFUL HELD NEIGHBORS HAVE INDICATED THEY ARE AGAINST DEVELOPMENT OF THIS LAND.
WHILE WE ARE NOT OPPOSING THE DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE REQUESTING DEVELOPMENT THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING AND NEARBY ZONING SINCE AUGUST, 2021, WHEN THE APPLICANT FIRST PROPOSED A 13 ACRE RESIDENTIAL PROJECT ON THE SITE, WHICH WE NOW CALL TRACK ONE, WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED HOUSING AT THE SF SIX ZONING LEVEL.
SF SIX IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORING LAND USES OF SF SF THREE, SF TWO.
IT IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING SF SIX VERRADO DEVELOPMENT ON PEACEFUL HILL AND THE RECENTLY APPROVED SF SIX ZONING OF 79 0 1 PEACEFUL HILL, THE PROJECT THAT CAME BEFORE YOU JUST TWO, TWO MONTHS AGO IN OCTOBER.
AND AS A REMINDER, THAT PROJECT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THIS PROJECT.
AND NOW THAT THE PROJECT HAS, UH, TRIPLED IN SIZE TO 43 ACRES AND INCLUDES COMMERCIAL USES AS WELL AS A NEW ROW CONNECTING SOUTH CONGRESS TO PEACEFUL HILL, WE ARE SAYING YES TO DEVELOPMENT, BUT ARE EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT COMPATIBLE ZONING ALONG OUR STREET.
MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE CLEARLY STATED OUR OBJECTION TO HEIGHTS OF 45 FEET, 55 FEET AND 60 FEET.
WE ALSO OBJECT TO THE EXTENSION OF FORMER STRIVE CUTTING THROUGH TO PEACEFUL HELL, NOT THE BUILDING OF FOREMOST DRIVE ON THE PROPERTY, BUT CONNECTING IT TO PEACEFUL HILL.
SO WE ARE ASKING FOR THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN THE FORM OF AMENDED STAFF COS OR NEW COS.
SO TO BE CLEAR, I'M GONNA GIVE SOME COMMENTS ON THE STAFF COS BEFORE YOU OUR SUGGESTIONS TO TWEAKING THOSE AND INCLUDING A NEW CO.
SO FOR CO NUMBER ONE, WE SUPPORT THE STAFF CO OF 30 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD AMEND IT TO INCLUDE NO SIDEWALK BE BUILT WITHIN THE BUFFER AND THE SIDEWALK BE BUILT ON THE PROJECT PROPERTY AND OUT OF THE RIGHT OF WAY CO NUMBER TWO, WE SUPPORT STAFF CO PROHIBITING PROHIBITING, UH, CAR ACCESS TO PEACEFUL HILL LANE EXCEPT FOR THE PORTION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY FOR FOREMOST DRIVE, BUT WE WOULD AMEND THE CO TO INCLUDE EMERGENCY ACCESS ONLY IN AND OUT OF FOREMOST DRIVE CO.
NUMBER THREE, WE SUPPORT STAFF RECOMMENDED PROHIBITIVE USES ON THE TRACK, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD A NEW CO THAT PROHIBITS OR INCLUDE TO, UH, USES PROHIBITED USES OF MEDICAL OR DIAGNOSTIC OFFICES AND FACILITIES CO NUMBER FOUR, WE SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDED CONDITIONAL USES ON TRACK ONE, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD A NEW CO THAT REQUIRES ALL COMMERCIAL SPACES BE LOCATED 70 FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, THE WESTERN PROPERTY LINE OF PEACEFUL HILL, AND LOCATED IN THE MOST EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MOST BUILDING FOOTPRINTS.
SO WE ARE ASKING FOR COMMERCIAL USES TO BE 70 FEET BACK FROM PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
UM, CO NUMBER FIVE, WE WOULD AMEND THE STAFF CO THAT ESTABLISHES NO MORE THAN 50% OF ALL BUILDING FACADES LOCATED BETWEEN FIF 30 AND 75 FEET OF THE WESTERN PROPERTY LINE TO MO REDUCING THAT TO NO MORE THAN 25% OF BUILDING FACADES BEING LOCATED BETWEEN 30 FEET AND 70 FEET OF THE WEST STONE PROPERTY LINE CO NUMBER SIX, WE WOULD AMEND STAFF CO THAT REQUIRES AT LEAST 20% OF ALL BUILDING FACADES BEING LOCATED MORE THAN 240 FEET FROM THE WESTERN
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PROPERTY LINE, INCREASING THAT TO SEVEN, UH, 50% OF ALL BUILDING FACADES.SO THAT'S AN INCREASE ON THAT CO.
AND NUMBER SEVEN, FINALLY WE'RE ASKING FOR A NEW CO THAT NO BUILDING SHALL BE TALLER THAN 35 FEET WITHIN THE FIRST 70 FEET OF THE WESTERN PROPERTY LINE.
THAT'S PEACEFUL HILL LANE FROM THIS LINE MOVING EASTWARD TOWARDS CONGRESS ON TRACK ONE, NO BUILDING HEIGHTS SHALL EXCEED 50 FEET.
THIS SPEAKS TO THE PROPOSED HEIGHTS ON THE CONCEPT PLAN BEFORE YOU TONIGHT THAT INDICATE 45 FEET, 56 FEET AND 60 FEET ON PORTIONS OF TRACK ONE.
THESE ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING RESIDENCES OR OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
SO THAT NEW CO GETS AT THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OF THE SF SIX ZONING THAT IS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THIS BOARD ON PEACEFUL HILL ON THE WESTERN PEACEFUL HILL.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR HEARING THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
UM, I'M AWARE THAT SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND I'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE IS JOHN STOKES.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION.
UH, I'LL TRY NOT TO BE TOO REPETITIVE, BUT MAGGIE AND I WORK IN TANDEM ON A WHOLE LOT OF PROJECTS.
WE HA WE SEE EYE TO EYE WITH, UH, EACH OTHER AND WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, WE AGREE WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION CREATING TWO DIFFERENT TRACKS.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO COMMON BUILDINGS BETWEEN THE TRACKS.
THEY DESERVE TO BE ZONED SEPARATELY AND TRACT ONE DESERVES TO BE ZONED IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY FOR PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO TRACK TWO.
I WAS TRYING TO RACK MY BRAIN TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAD EVEN BOUGHT TRACK TWO UP AT ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS OR ANY OF OUR MEETINGS AND NONE DID.
SO WE THINK TRACK TWO PLAN LOOKS LIKE A GOOD FIT FOR SOUTH CONGRESS AND ALL OUR OBJECTIONS TO DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN TRACK ONE.
UH, THAT'S WHERE OUR OBJECTIONS ARE AND WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR AMENDED.
THIS IS A 35 VEGETATIVE, UH, BUFFER ALONG THE PROPERTY LINE OF TRACT ONE.
WE'RE ASKING FOR NO SIDEWALK WITHIN THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER BECAUSE CONCRETE INSIDE A VEGETATIVE BUFFER KIND OF DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE AND CONSTRUCTION OF THAT SIDEWALK WOULD REQUIRE GETTING RID OF A WHOLE LOT OF VEGETATION IN SPITE OF THE PICTURE THAT WE SAW FROM THE APPLICANT.
ITEM TWO, UH, WE WANT, YOU'LL HEAR MUCH ABOUT THIS, BUT WE DON'T WANT ANY VEHICULAR ACCESS TO PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
UH, THE NTA SAID THAT IF PEACEFUL HILL LANE WAS ALLOWED TO BE ACCESSED, BY FOREMOST THERE WOULD BE 162% INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
THAT PUTS US FROM A DESIRABLE STATE INTO AN UNDESIRABLE STATE AND, UH, ALONG A, UH, PEACEFUL HILL LANE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY SUBSTANDARD.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS ONLY IN AND OUT OF FOREMOST DRIVE.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PROHIBITED USES ON TRACT ONE.
WE JUST WANT TO ADD ONE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS MEDICAL OR DIAGNOSTIC OFFICES AND FACILITIES.
AND THIS IS DUE PRIMARILY TO THE POSSIBILITY OF OF MEDICAL WASTE BEING ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, THE CONDITIONAL USES OF TRACT ONE WILL FIGHT OUT ANOTHER DAY, BUT THE ONE WE WANT IS THAT THE COMMERCIAL SPACE BE LOCATED 70 FEET FROM WESTERN PROPERTY LINE AND LOCATED IN THE, UH, EASTERNMOST AND SOUTHERNMOST BUILDINGS THAT'LL GET IT.
FIRST OF ALL, INTO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSTEAD OF UP AGAINST PEACEFUL HILL LANE WHERE NOBODY CAN ACCESS IT.
WE WANT TO CHANGE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE MAJOR BUILDINGS ON TRACK ONE.
RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT 50% OF ALL BUILDING FACADES LOCATED BETWEEN 30 AND 50 AND 75 FEET.
WE WANT TO MAKE THAT NO MORE THAN 25% OF ALL BUILDING FACADES BE LOCATED BETWEEN 30 FEET AND 70 FEET.
THAT WILL REQUIRE SOME I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THE REST OF THE COMMENTS TO THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
I'M A, I AM A RESIDENT OF MY NAME'S MIA IBARRA.
I'M A RESIDENT OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE,
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AND I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID SO FAR BY MAGGIE AND JOHN.IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE, OUR PROPOSED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS ONLY BETWEEN PEACEFUL HILL LANE IN FOREMOST DRIVE.
UM, OUR HOME IS LOCATED RIGHT WHERE THAT INTERSECTION WOULD BE PLANNED.
AND, UH, WE'RE CONCERNED CERTAINLY ABOUT, UM, HEADLIGHTS IN OUR, IN OUR BEDROOM AT ALL HOURS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN IMPAIRED DRIVER GOING RIGHT THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION.
UM, FURTHERMORE, I I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BELIEVES THAT EXTENDING FOREMOST TO PEACEFUL HILL REALLY CREATES THAT, UH, GRID, UH, FOR TRAFFIC TO FLOW.
UH, PEACEFUL HILL IS NOT AN ARTERY BY ANY MEANS.
IT JUST FORCES TRAFFIC ONTO A MEANDERING PATH THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
I AM A RESIDENT OF, UH, PEACEFUL HILL LANE ALSO.
UH, AND I AGREE WITH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT, UH, MAGGIE JOHN MIA HAD SAID PREVIOUSLY.
UH, LIKE MIA, UH, A FOCUS THAT I WANTED TO HAVE TODAY IS ON THE PROPOSED, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY NUMBER TWO, UH, HAVING ONLY EMERGENCY ACCESS FROM FOREMOST TO PEACEFUL HILL.
UM, BASICALLY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC, UH, THE SAFETY CONCERNS.
WE'VE HAD FOLKS AT OUR MEETINGS, UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WHO'VE DISCUSSED THE HAVING, HAVING KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT PLAY, THE INCREASED TRAFFIC COULD BE UNSAFE FOR THEM.
UH, WE DO LIVE RIGHT THERE AT WHAT WOULD BE A T INTERSECTION IF FOREMOST CONNECTED TO PEACEFUL HILL.
SO, UH, LIKE MIA MENTIONED, UH, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IMPAIRED DRIVERS PLOWING RIGHT THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION AND POTENTIALLY EVEN INTO A HOUSE, UH, THAT'S THERE.
UM, WE ARE CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT HAVING ALL THAT NEW TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WHICH IS A SMALL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WASN'T, UH, IT WASN'T, UH, PLANNED FOR THAT WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, IT ALSO AT THE CENTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, WHICH IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN TO CONSIDER.
UM, AND WHILE THERE MAY BE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS RIGHT AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, AREA THAT WOULD NOT COVER BY THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE, THE HIGH INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
UH, THERE'S ALSO QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, A HUGE INCREASE, UH, WITH TRAFFIC OF NOISE POLLUTION, LIGHT POLLUTION AT NIGHT, UH, ALL THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES.
UM, AND, UH, LIKE ME HAD MENTIONED, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WHO'S, UH, WANTED THAT CONNECTION TO COME THROUGH TOTALLY SUPPORT, UH, UH, ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, THOUGH TOTALLY SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF, UH, PROPOSED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY NUMBER TWO, UH, AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE THAT, UH, THAT MAG AND JOHN HAVE PROPOSED IN THEIR CON CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS.
OKAY, WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER RORY WOODY HAS JOINED US.
UH, SO FINALLY, RON PETTIJOHN OR RIN PETTIJOHN, I'M SORRY, RIN PETTIJOHN.
UH, MY NAME IS RENEE PETTIJOHN.
UM, I LIVE ALONG PEACEFUL HILL LANE ACROSS FROM THIS PROJECT.
UM, THANK YOU MAGGIE AND JOHN ESPECIALLY.
THEY DO ALL THE, THE, THE LEGAL STUFF IN TERMS OF ALL THE FANCY WORDS.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA SPEAK FROM THE HEART.
UM, AND ALTHOUGH THIS, UH, PROJECT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO, UM, I DO THINK PEACEFUL HILL RESIDENTS AND THE DEVELOPER HAVE FOUND SOME COMMON GROUND.
UM, SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH LARGE PORTIONS OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, I AM ALSO HERE TO THE CONNECTION, UM, BETWEEN SOUTH CONGRESS AND PEACEFUL HILL LANE BY WAY OF FOREMOST DRIVE, WHICH ALSO TO, UM, LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES.
IT ACTUALLY GOES ALL THE WAY OVER TO I 35.
SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT CONNECTION GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY.
UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF CONNECTIVITY AS IT PERTAINS TO URBAN PLANNING.
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ABOUT IN MANY MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE DEVELOPER AND THE GOALS OF THE CITY TO ENCOURAGE THIS CONCEPT, RESIDENTS ALONG PEACEFUL HILL BELIEVE WE CAN FIND THIS CONNECTIVITY BY OFFERING FOOT AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC.UM, AT THE POINT WHERE FOREMOST CONNECTS DIRECTLY WITH PEACEFUL HILL RATHER THAN A CONSTANT FLOW OF VEHICLES.
THE SPOKEN GOAL OF THE DEVELOPER IS TO CREATE CONNECTIVITY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE BELIEVE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS WOULD NOT NEED TO DRIVE ONTO THE PROPERTY TO ACCESS THOSE THINGS LIKE THE ORANGE LINE OR, UH, THE, THE FACILITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE OFFERED.
UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE RETAIL AND ALL OF THAT.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD WALK HER BIKE THERE.
UM, WE ARE ALL VERY CLOSE TO IT.
SO, UM, NOT JUST PEACEFUL HILL RESI RESIDENCE, BUT OUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN ALL JUST WALK THERE.
UM, SO WE BELIEVE WE COULD GO AHEAD AND, AND MAKE THAT CONNECTIVITY, NOT BIKE FOR VEHICLES, BUT FOR, UH, WALKING TRAFFIC AND FOR BICYCLE TRAFFIC AND FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY.
THE MODEST ASSESSMENT THAT THIS CONNECTION WILL BRING, 2000 PLUS MORE VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY IS INCONCEIVABLE FOR THIS VERY UNDERSIZED STREET.
THE CONNECTION DEAD ENDS IN FRONT OF OUR NEIGHBORS HOMES, GIVING DRIVERS THE OPTION TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, THEN WEAVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THEIR DESTINATION.
THIS CREATES LIGHT POLLUTION, NOISE POLLUTION, DANGEROUS SITUATIONS OF DRIVERS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD CUTTING THROUGH.
NOT TO MENTION THE WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS, UM, IN THE PATH OF WHERE PEOPLE WOULD CONNECT TO OVER TO SOUTH FIRST.
NOT TO MENTION DRIVERS WHO FAILED TO STOP AT THE, AT THE STOP SIGN THERE AT FOREMOST.
AND THE PEACEFUL HILL CONNECTION.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME, UH, HAVE TO SOMEHOW BE IN THE BUSINESS OF PREDICTING HUMAN NATURE AS IT PERTAINS TO TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT IT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO OUR NEIGHBORS THAT THIS WILL ONLY ALLOW AS A RELEASE VALVE TO BYPASS SLAUGHTER INTERSECTIONS AS RALPH ADO PUNCH THROUGH HAS DONE.
UM, WE JUST DON'T WANT THAT FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT DEAD ENDING INTO SOMEONE'S HOME IS ACTUALLY THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS.
SO WE WANT THIS PROJECT TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR ALL AND EXCITED ABOUT MANY OF THE ATTRIBUTES IT BRINGS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THE CONNECTIVITY WITH FOREMOST AND ITS PROPOSED, UM, INTENSITY IS JUST SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR AN OPPOSITION? I GUESS NOT.
WHAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH IN WORKING WITH THE PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY IS REALLY TRYING TO GET TO THE MEAT OF WHAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND WE HAVE DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF RESOURCES TO TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
UM, WE THINK WE'VE REALLY DONE THAT, BUT THEY WILL TELL US THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC.
BUT IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE DATA AROUND TRAFFIC, ADDING FOREMOST LANE THROUGH THE PROPERTY ACTUALLY REDUCES THE, UH, THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THAT IS GOING BY THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEM IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE IT IS GIVING THAT TRAFFIC THAT'S COMING FROM RALPH ADO OR MAYBE FROM SLAUGHTER AN OUTLET TO GET OUT TO CONGRESS.
SO WE STRUGGLE WITH HOW THAT'S NOT A GOOD SOLUTION.
UM, IF IT'S NOT TRAFFIC, THEN WE'VE HEARD IT'S SEEING BUILDINGS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEIR HOMES.
WE HEARD THAT AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT IN SMALL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THEY DIDN'T WANT LARGE MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS LOOMING OVER THEM.
WE'VE AGREED TO KEEP A 30 FOOT UNDISTURBED VEGETATIVE BUFFER THERE SO THAT THE CLOSEST BUILDING WOULD BE 30 FEET, BUT THEN AGREED TO ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS TO PULL THOSE BUILDINGS BACK EVEN FARTHER.
WE ARE JUST HEARING TONIGHT ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ASKING FOR.
WE DON'T THINK THOSE WORK WE ARE WITH SITTING THERE TRYING TO CRUNCH THE NUMBERS, WE THINK WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT WILL COST ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL 125 UNITS HOMES FOR PEOPLE ON A LINE ON A PROPERTY ON THE ORANGE LINE.
I THINK THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WANT TO BE DOING.
UM, OR IS THE THIRD THING JUST LIVING NEXT TO APARTMENTS.
AND AGAIN, WE GET THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH IT, BUT WE THINK THAT WE'VE SOLVED FOR THAT BY CREATING THIS REALLY EXTENSIVE BUFFER AND HAVING THE ENTIRE NORTH PART OF THE PROPERTY BEING PARKLAND.
SO WHEREAS WE DEFINITELY, AND YOU HEARD THAT THERE ARE NEIGHBORS IN THIS AREA WHO DO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF LOOKING AT THE GREATER GOOD AND THE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO REALLY GET SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, DEVELOPMENT ON THIS SITE THAT'S BEEN TOTALLY UNDERUTILIZED FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
UM, BUT WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE PUT THE WORK IN TO SOLVE FOR ALL OF THE CONCERNS THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS.
WE DO NOT THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO NOT EXTEND FOREMOST THROUGH.
WE DO NOT THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO EVEN FURTHER REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNITS ON THAT TRACK.
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IT, THEY'RE SAYING WE LOVE THE DENSITY ON THE, THE PART OF THE TRACK CLOSER TO CONGRESS, BUT WE, WE'VE AGREED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM TO NOT HAVE ANY PART OF THE PROJECT.EVEN TRACK ONE THE TRACK CLOSER TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, TAKE ANY ACCESS TO PEACEFUL HILL.
SO IT'S NOT AS IF IT, IT'S ALMOST IN A LOGICAL ARGUMENT THAT YOU SUPPORT THE MULTI-FAMILY IN WHATEVER NUMBERS ON THE LARGER PART OF THE TRACK, BUT NOT ON THIS PART OF THE TRACK.
THAT REALLY ENDS UP JUST COMING DOWN TO NOT WANTING THOSE APARTMENTS CLOSE TO YOUR HOMES.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE APPLICANTS STAFF OR DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? COMMISSIONER KING HAS A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WHAT? TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
OH, JUST TO, JUST TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WHO WANTS TO START? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? SO I HAVE, UM, ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY.
I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ADJACENT TO CENTRAL MARKET ON NORTH LAMAR AND SOME NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THAT WHEN IT WAS BEING BUILT AND WE DIDN'T LOSE A SALVAGE YARD, WE LOST GREEN SPACE, OKAY.
BUT SOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAD THE SAME FEELING THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ACCESS FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE CENTRAL PARK, UM, DEVELOPMENT.
AND I WOULD SAY THE CONNECTIVITY IS A TWO-WAY STREET AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD REALLY THINK CAREFULLY BECAUSE YES, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC COMING REALLY BOTH WAYS IN AND OUT TO, TO ACCESS THAT DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO ACCESS FOR YOU.
AND THOSE ARE, I MEAN, THAT YOU ARE GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO A PARK AND NO, EVERYBODY CAN'T WALK OR BICYCLE AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LOVE THAT TO BE THE CASE.
UM, AND SHOPPING SOMETIMES THERE'S A LOT TO CARRY.
UM, THERE'S GONNA BE AMENITIES IN THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE GONNA WANT EASY ACCESS TO.
SO I'M HOPING BEFORE THIS GOES TO COUNCIL OR EV WHENEVER FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT CONNECTIVITY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL RETHINK THEIR POSITION.
UM, THE OTHER COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT THERE ARE ON THE SITE PLAN LIMITS HEIGHTS SHOWN THAT ARE BELOW 60 FEET.
AND I WOULD LIKE THAT SINCE THAT'S THE PLAN TO BE BUILT INTO THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS.
UM, FOR THE HEIGHTS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE PLAN, IN SOME PLACES IT'S 40 AND SOME PLACE, I THINK IT WAS 30 SOMETHING, MAYBE 35 MAKES SENSE FOR THERE.
UM, THERE WAS ONE THAT HAD A HALF A FOOT OR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
UM, BUT TO HAVE THOSE BUILT IN HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS TO GIVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD MORE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING 60 FOOT TALL BUILDINGS RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR HOMES.
AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS CHANGED COMPATIBILITY RULES ON SOME, UM, STREETS AND WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S GETTING ELECTED ON A COUNCIL THAT'LL BE IN JANUARY OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO IF THOSE ARE BUILT INTO THE ZONING, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING I COULD RECOMMEND THOSE HEIGHT LIMITS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE SITE PLAN.
SO ON THE SITE PLAN I'M LOOKING AT, I SEE FOUR STORIES ON ONE UNIT IS 56 FEET AND THEN 33 AND A HALF FEET OR THREE STORIES ON ANOTHER.
THOSE THE ONES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YES.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER KING? YES.
AND YOU KNOW, I CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER GREENBERG'S COMMENT.
I'M, I'M SORRY I'M WEARING MY MOUTH GUARD TONIGHT CUZ I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TWO TEETH PROBLEMS. SO
UH, BUT, UH, BUT I DO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER GREENBERG'S POINT ABOUT CONNECTIVITY THERE.
I THINK IT IS A TWO-WAY STREET AND I I CAN SEE THE BENEFITS FROM, FROM UH, HAVING THIS CONNECTIVITY IN THIS LOCATION RIGHT HERE.
BUT I WONDER TOO ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, ADDITIONAL RESTRICTED, UH, PROHIBITED USE OF MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC OFFICE AND FACILITIES.
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COULD THAT BE ADDED TO THE CEO? WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE TO, TO THE APPLICANT? WE'RE ASKING, WE'RE ASKING THE APPLICANT'S GONNA ANSWER THAT.UH, OUR STRONG PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO NOT RESTRICT THOSE USES AS IT STANDS WE'VE ALREADY AGREED TO PROHIBIT, UM, HOSPITAL GENERAL AND HOSPITAL LIMITED WOULD ONLY BE A CONDITIONAL USE.
WE ACTUALLY THINK IT SORT OF MAKES SOME SENSE TO POTENTIALLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, 24 HOUR BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE KIND OF EMERGENCY FACILITIES ON A SITE OF THIS SIZE.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE OUR STRONG PREFERENCE, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT THE BE ALL AND THE END ALL OF THE CASE IF THAT'S THE COMMISSION'S PREFERENCE, BUT WE REALLY THINK WITH IT BEING A CONDITIONAL USE, I DON'T THINK IT'S A REALISTIC CONCERN ABOUT MEDICAL WASTE GETTING INTO THE CREEK OR SOMETHING.
UM, BUT WITH IT BEING A CONDITIONAL USE, I THINK ISSUES LIKE, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, AN AMBULANCE BAY OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THOSE OUT AND THIS COMMISSION HAVING TO APPROVE THOSE.
SO WE WOULD PREFER TO KEEP IT.
I'M, I'M SORRY, JUST TO CLARIFY, THOSE THAT USE IS CURRENTLY, UH, A CONDITIONAL USE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
UH, HOSPITAL GENERAL COMPLETELY PROHIBITED AND HOSPITAL.
LIMITED WOULD BE CONDITIONAL USE.
AND MRS. ME, COULD YOU, COULD, COULD YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY UH, YOU DIDN'T GO WITH LR ZONING, UH, THAT YOU WENT WITH Z DR ZONING AND THEN YOU, UH, HAVE THIS LONG LIST OF PROHIBITED USES? SURE, YEAH.
FOR US IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF LR COULD HAVE WORKED, BUT IT BECOMES FOR US A MATTER OF, UH, HEIGHT AND F A R AND IT'S REALLY FOR US ATTEMPTING TO WORK AROUND SOME GIGANTIC TREES THAT ARE ON THE SITE AND REALLY TRYING TO GET THE, AND THE SETBACKS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE AGREED TO AND TRYING TO GET THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WORKS FOR THE SITE.
UM, WHILE, YOU KNOW, TRYING KNOWING THAT WE'RE PRETTY SEVERELY RESTRICTED.
SO YES, THAT IS WHY WE WERE ABSOLUTELY IN AGREEMENT WITH RESTRICTION DOWN TO LR USES.
UM, BUT WE, WE DO NEED THE HEIGHT AND THE F A R FROM GR.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TWO, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA LET, I HAVE SO MANY, BUT I'M GONNA CERTAINLY LET OTHER, OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE SOME TIME HERE.
BUT IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A V ZONING ON THIS VMU ZONING ESSENTIALLY.
SO, UH, WHAT LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY ARE YOU TARGETING HERE? WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO A MINIMUM OF 5% OF THE UNITS AT 60% MFI.
HOWEVER, WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS NOW TO VERY SIGNIFICANTLY HOPEFULLY INCREASE THAT.
UM, WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT WE'D HAVE ALL THAT SORTED THROUGH BY THE TIME WE WERE HERE AND BEFORE WE GOT TO COUN, BUT WE WILL HAVE IT SORTED OUT.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO COUNCIL, BUT EVEN REGARDLESS OF THOSE AGREEMENTS, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY ABLE TO COMMIT TO 5% OF THE TOTAL UNITS ON THE SITE AT 60, AT 60%.
AND IS THAT THE V M U TWO COM UH, UH, PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OR VMU ONE? YES.
SO THAT GIVES YOU THE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT FROM THAT, UH, LOWER LEVEL.
WELL, BUT LET, LET ME SAY COMMISSIONER KING, WE ARE COMMITTING TO THAT REGARDLESS OF THE V.
SO EVEN IF WE DIDN'T TAP INTO THE V M U, WE WOULD BE COMMITTING TO, AT A MINIMUM, THE 5% AT 60%.
AND, AND MY LAST QUESTION, AND THIS IS I GUESS FOR STAFF, IT IS ABOUT COMPATIBILITY AS I UNDER STAFF, UH, COUNSEL DID JUST RECENT, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, PASS AND CHANGES TO COMPATIBILITY.
SO CAN STAFF EXPLAIN HOW COMPATIBILITY WOULD APPLY TO TRACK ONE? MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT COUNCIL PASSED IS THAT IT WOULD NOT AFFECT TRACK ONE C.
THE COMPATIBILITY THAT'S ON THE BOOKS TODAY WOULD APPLY TO THIS SITE.
IS THAT KIRK, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT OR CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? I, I'M COMMISSIONER KING.
I HAVE, I HAVE NOT LOOKED OVER THE, OR HAVE NOT SORTED THROUGH THE, UH, COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, UH, THAT WERE, UH, APPROVED BY COUNSEL LAST, LAST THURSDAY.
I I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THERE YET.
AND I, I SEE, I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS, THIS UNCERTAINTY IS, YOU KNOW, THIS BRINGS SOME UNCERTAINTY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE.
I I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR THAT TO BE CLARIFIED FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
OKAY, COMMISSIONER, I BELIEVE, UH, ANNE DINKLER, COMMISSIONER DINKLER HAD HER HAND RAISED.
MAY, MAY I JUST VERY QUICKLY SAY ON THAT POINT, UM, WE ARE FINE WITH THE RESTRICTION THAT COMMISSIONER GREENBERG SUGGESTED.
WE REALLY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CREATE THESE WEIRD CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS THAT LOCK THE BUILDING INTO WHAT WE'VE SHOWN ON THE CONCEPT PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT ANYWAY, SO WE WOULD BE OKAY IF THE COMMISSION CHOSE TO ADD THOSE RESTRICTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER DINKLER? YES.
[00:55:01]
WAS HOPING THE APPLICANT COULD PUT THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN UP.AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF THE FACADES ARE VISIBLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I WILL SAY I SUPPORT, UM, FOREMOST CONNECTING.
I THINK IT BECOMES A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU DON'T, YOU WANT POLICE AND FIRE TO GET THERE FASTER.
UH, AND THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO WITH THE, THE CONNECTIVITY.
UM, AND Y UM, AND AS FAR AS THE PART GOES, ARE YOU PROPOSING ANY RE-VEGETATION ALONG THE CREEK? COMMISSIONER DINKLER? WE ARE, UM, WE ARE WORKING PRETTY HAND IN HAND WITH PART AND WATERSHED WITH REGARD TO HOW THAT CAN BE DONE.
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS AROUND THAT, BUT PART OF OUR PROPOSAL IS THAT WE WILL BE, UH, RESTABILIZING THAT CREEK AND WOR WORKING ON SOME EROSION CONTROL AND DOING SOME CONSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW, CLEANING IT UP, ET CETERA.
BUT YES, THAT'S PART OF OUR PROPOSAL.
AND IN TERMS OF YOUR CONCEPTUAL, HOW MUCH OF YOUR, YOUR CONCEPTUAL PLAN LOOKS TO BE VISIBLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD? UM, I KNOW YOU WERE AGREEING TO 25%, THEY'RE HOPING IT COULD BE 50.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD GET THE NUMBER OF UNITS, UH, IF WE GO TO 50, BUT, WHICH, CAN YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT, BASED ON THIS PLAN, IS THAT 25% THAT'S VISIBLE OR? YEAH, WE, IF YOU THINK OF THE ONES THAT ARE, WE, WE FEEL THAT ALMOST NONE OF IT WILL BE VISIBLE COMMISSIONER DANGLER BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING VEGETATION.
WE KEEP THAT 30 FEET AS IT IS TODAY AND WE WILL ADD VEGETATION TO IT TO FILL THE GAPS IF THERE ARE ANY THAT EXIST.
HOWEVER, YOU'RE CORRECT THAT WHAT YOU SEE TODAY CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IF THAT'S WHAT ENDS UP BEING VISIBLE, IS ABOUT 50% OF THE FOOT OF THE FACADE.
IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE LESS THAN THAT, BUT WE NEEDED TO BUILD IN SOME CUSHIONS SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE BUILDING COMPLETELY DESIGNED.
AND IT'S A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
DO WE NEED TO INCLUDE THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER AS PART OF A CO? UM, IS IT NORMALLY, I UNDERSTOOD THE BUFFER WHEN IT HAD TO BE 25 FEET, SO ADDING THAT FIVE, NOT SURE HOW CONSEQUENTIAL THAT IS, BUT DO WE HAVE TO PUT IN THE CO THAT WE, UH, KEEP TREES IN THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER OR KEEP VEGETATION? UM, UH, I'M JUST REC OKAY, GO AHEAD MS. ROSE.
SO, UH, YES, FOR, FOR CO NUMBER ONE REGARDING 30 FOOT WIDE VEGETATIVE BUFFER, UM, OR THE 30 FOOT WIDE VEGETATIVE BUFFER, UH, THAT'S, THAT EXCEEDS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS REQUIRED.
AND THEN I GUESS YOU COULD ADD THE WORD UNDISTURBED.
YEAH, I'M TRYING TO KEEP THOSE TREATS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.
SO A DISTURB IS A GOOD WAY TO HANDLE THAT, I THINK.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR ME.
I BELIEVE THE NEXT ONE IS COMMISSIONER OR RAMIREZ.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M IN SUPPORT OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THUS FAR.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO CONNECT FOREMOST IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I DID MISS A LOT OF THE EARLIER TESTIMONY.
I HAD TO LEAVE FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, I'M IN SUPPORT OF STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I'M THE SAME WAY WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMPAT, PARTICULARLY ON THE FOREMOST DRIVE.
I MEAN, THE LAST SUBDIVISION WE DID, THE NEIGHBORS IN ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT DIDN'T WANT CONNECTIVITY, SO WE DIDN'T PUT IN THE CONNECTIVITY AND THEN AS SOON AS WE BUILT THE SUBDIVISION, ALL THE NEIGHBORS ADJACENT TO US CAME AND SAYS, WHY DON'T WE HAVE CONNECTIVITY? WE WANNA CUT THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
SO IT IT, IT SEEMED LIKE ONCE YOU GET IT ALL BUILT UP, EVERYBODY WANTS THE CONNECTIVITY ONCE THEY SEE IT AND, AND ARE ABLE TO USE THAT.
COMMISSIONER, UM, KING SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT BE GETTING CLOSE TO THE MOTION HERE.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE, THE FOLLOWING CHANGES, UH, THAT THE HEIGHT, UM, SHOWN IN THE SITE PLAN WILL BE THE HEIGHT.
LET'S SEE, HOW DID, HOW DID YOU WORD THAT COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, THE HEIGHT, THE HEIGHT LIMITS SHOWN IN THE SITE PLAN WILL APPLY ADJACENT TO PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
DO WE WANNA LIMIT PEACEFUL HILL LANE FOR THOSE BUILDINGS THAT ABUT PEACEFUL HILL LANE? THAT'S CORRECT.
THE, THE HEIGHTS SHOWN IN THE SITE PLAN ALONG PEACEFUL HILL LANE WILL APPLY.
DO WE WANT TO REFERENCE THE SITE PLAN OR DO WE WANT TO REFERENCE YEAH, WE NEED NUMBERS.
IF I MAY INTERRUPT, BECAUSE THIS IS
[01:00:01]
A CONCEPTUAL PLAN, IT IS NOT A SITE.SO THE HEIGHT LIMITS OF 35 AND WHAT WERE THE HEIGHT LIMITS? 35 FEET AND 56 FEET.
35 FEET AT THE INTERSECTION OF PEACEFUL HILL AND FOREMOST, AND TO THE NORTH IT WOULD BE A HEIGHT LIMITATION OF 56 FEET.
CAN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UH, YES.
I, FOR FOR AND FOR PURPOSES OF A ZONING ORDINANCE, I WILL NEED A, AN EXHIBIT SHOWING EXACTLY WHERE THOSE HEIGHT LIMITS ARE.
CAN YOU PULL THAT INITIALS OFF? CAN EXCEPTIONAL PLAN IS A START, BUT OKAY.
THAT WILL NEED TO BE, UM, REFINED BY WAY OF AN EXHIBIT THAT CLEARLY SHOWS WHERE, WHERE THE DIFFERENT HEIGHT LIMITS ARE.
SO I THINK THE FINAL MOTION THAT STAFF WILL LOOK AT THAT CAN BE WITHIN SO MANY FEET OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE AND SO MANY FEET OF FOREMOST DRIVE THE HEIGHT WILL BE LIMITED TO 35 FEET.
AND THEN BETWEEN X NUMBER OF FEET, UH, FROM FOREMOST DRIVE TO THE NORTH, THE HEIGHT WILL BE LIMITED TO 56 FEET.
YOU CAN FILL IN THOSE NUMBERS.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU? UH, AND I AND I WILL MOST LIKELY NEED SOME SORT OF ENGINEER DRAWING TO, TO, TO STATE THAT MM-HMM.
THAT, THAT CAN BE, THAT THAT'LL BE PREPARED.
AND THEN, THEN THE SECOND CO WOULD BE, UH, OR, OR CHANGE WOULD BE THE 30 FOOT UNDISTURBED VEGETATIVE BUFFER IS, IS THAT THE WORDING? YES.
AND, UH, JUST, I'M NOT AT CHANGING THAT ANY FURTHER WITH MY COMMENT THAT I'M ABOUT TO MAKE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SORT OF ADDRESS THE CONCERN ABOUT PUTTING A SIDEWALK THROUGH THAT 30 FOOT UNDISTURBED VEGETATED BUFFER.
WOULD TH WOULD THIS PRECLUDE A SIDEWALK GOING THROUGH THERE THEN? BECAUSE I AGREE I WOULDN'T WANT A SIDEWALK TO GO THROUGH THERE AND DISTURB THAT THE SIDEWALK SHOULD BE OUTSIDE OF IT, ALONG THE, THE, THE HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY THERE.
AND COMMISSIONER KING, THAT'S HONESTLY THE ONLY REASON WE HADN'T USED THE WORD UNDISTURBED, BUT MAYBE JUST TO MAKE VERY CLEAR WHAT THE COMMISSION'S, UM, INTENT IS.
MAYBE WE CAN SAY UNDISTURBED EXCEPT FOR A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALK.
AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT WITH THE CITY LEGAL IF WE NEED TO DO THAT BY RESTRICTIVE COVENANT OR HOW WE NEED TO CODIFY THAT BY DOING THAT, WE'RE PUSHING THE SIDEWALK INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY, CLOSER TO THE RESIDENCE, FURTHER AWAY FROM THE MULTI-FAMILY, JUST FYI.
I SEE, I SEE WHAT YOUR POINT IS.
WELL THEN I JUST WANNA LEAVE IT AT THE 30 FOOT UNDISTURBED VEGETATED BUFFER.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO CHANGES WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AND, UH, SO MY MOTION IS STAFF RECOMMENDATION WITH THOSE TWO CHANGES TO THE COS, WE WANT A DISCUSSION BEFORE I HEAR A SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER WOODY OF YOU.
UM, FOREMOST DRIVE, UH, IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THE STREET IN LENE THAT PEOPLE GO OFF AND THEN IT DEAD ENDS INTO A HOUSE, BASICALLY.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO, DO RUN INTO THAT HOUSE O OFTEN.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO MAKE IT MORE SAFE? I'M A, I'M ASSUMING THAT CURVE WILL KIND OF HELP IT THERE, UH, BECAUSE THAT STREET I'M TALKING ABOUT AT KAEN IS A STRAIGHT SHOT STREET, BUT I'M HOPING THIS CURVE, UM, WILL TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THAT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, UH, THAT COULD BE DONE, UH, TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE SAFER STAFF, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT KIND OF GOES TO THE HOUSE? YEAH, I'M GONNA DO, UH, DEFER TO A, TO AMBER HUTCHINS WITH A T HTD TO, FOR THAT RESPONSE.
AMBER? HEY, UH, AMBER HUTCHINS, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN PROBABLY DO, SOME TECHNIQUES WE CAN USE TO, UM, MITIGATE ANY KIND OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS THAT COULD OCCUR.
WE CAN ANGLE THE INTERSECTION A LITTLE BIT.
WE COULD USE CALL, AH, CURB BULB OUTS TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC AND TO CREATE A LARGER MANEUVER AROUND IT.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
WE CAN ALSO HAVE THE APPLICANT DO A LIGHT STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE, UM, DEFLECTED AS MUCH AS THEY CAN BE AWAY FROM THE AREA WINDOWS.
IT'S, IT'S, WE CAN'T, THERE'S NO ZERO IMPACT, BUT WE CAN DO A COUPLE OF THINGS TO MAKE THE INTERSECTION MORE SPECIALIZED.
COMMISSIONER STERN, YOU HAD SOME COMMENTS, HAD YOUR HAND RAISED? UH, I JUST, UM, YEAH, SO I RAISED MY HAND JUST CUZ I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME, UM, IT'S UNCLEAR TO ME ABOUT UNDISTURBED BUFFER.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR IT TO LOOK NATURAL IN THE WAY THAT IT IS.
MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE DON'T ALLOW FOR A WALKING PATH THROUGH THAT GREEN SPACE, IT COULD WIND UP AS A SIDEWALK DIRECTLY ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE, EVEN THOUGH IT SOUNDED LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS HOPING THE SIDEWALK WOULD BE FURTHER TO THE EAST AND CLOSER TO THE PROJECT.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAVE THAT EFFECT.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE IT BE UNDISTURBED EXCEPT FOR THE USE OF, UH, OF A SIDEWALK OR A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY FOR, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIANS.
I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UM, KEEPING THAT ALLOWANCE IN SINCE THEY'VE ALREADY AGREED TO THAT, UM, THE
[01:05:01]
HEIGHT RESTRICTION THERE.UM, OTHERWISE I, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THE CONNECTIVITY ISSUE.
UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO ESTABLISH A GRID, AND THANKFULLY WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A WHOLE BUNCH OF CUL-DE-SACS TODAY.
UM, UM, IN ADDITION, I, UH, WOULD, I'M GLAD AGAIN, I'M GLAD WHEN WE'VE LEARNED THE LESSON OF THE CRESTVIEW FENCE AND AREN'T JUST HAVING A, UH, EMERGENCY ACCESS, UM, IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN, UM, I, I DID WANNA SAY THAT, UM, UH, I'M, I'M SENSITIVE TO SOME OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS, AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I I I WOULDN'T GET IN THE WAY OF THAT, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL AT THIS POINT ABOUT SETTING PRECEDENT ABOUT SETBACK AND, UM, COMPATIBILITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE COUNCIL IS HANDLING THAT ISSUE RATHER THAN THIS.
BUT I'D, I'M RECOMMEND JUST FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERING IT, THAT 70 FEET AS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, A A TRA A CAR TRAVEL LANE IS 10 FEET WIDE.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HIGHWAY BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, AND, AND THIS NEW PROJECT, I, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY WE WANT TO BE FROM THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I JUST, UH, AGAIN, I WANNA APPLAUD THOSE WHO'VE, UM, BROUGHT THAT UP AND THANK YOU ALSO TO ALL THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME TODAY.
SO AGAIN, JUST IN CLOSING, UM, I'D BE, UH, WE NEED TO BE MORE, UM, SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE, ABOUT THE, UM, PATHWAY THAT COULD GO THROUGH THERE.
AND WE SHOULD CLARIFY WITH STAFF IF THE SIDEWALK WOULD THEN DEFAULT TO BEING DIRECTLY ON THE STREET, WHICH IS SORT OF AGAINST THE NATURAL LOOK THEY'RE GOING FOR, OR, UM, SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE.
LET ME ASK COMMISSIONER KINGS AS WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND.
WE CAN DO SOME FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
COMMISSIONER KING, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO AN AMENDMENT TO ALLOW A SIDEWALK IN THE B BUDGETARY BUFFER ZONE, PROVIDED IT WAS AT LEAST 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE? UH, I, I THINK I'D BE OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, SO, SO THE SIDEWALK, SO IF WE HAVE A 30 FOOT BUFFER HERE, AND WITHIN THAT 30 FOOT BUFFER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, WHAT IS THE SIDEWALK WIDTH? 12 FEET, 15 FEET? WHAT IS THE WIDTH? THE STA THE STAFF KNOW WHAT'S KIND OF THE STANDARD WIDTH, 10 FEET.
SO 10 FEET OF THAT 30 FEET BUFFER.
THERE WILL NOT BE, I MEAN, YOU, YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANYTHING THERE BECAUSE THE SIDEWALK WILL BE THERE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T WANT SIDEWALKS, DON'T GET ME WRONG,
I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE, ARE WE CUTTING INTO THAT 30 FOOT BUFFER TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE SIDEWALK? THAT'S ALL I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON.
CAN WE HAVE MS. HUTCHINS TELL US THE STANDARD SIDEWALK WIDTH? YEAH, SO THE NEW TCM HAS A STANDARD SIDEWALK WITH, I THINK FOR A LEVEL TWO OF EIGHT FEET.
UH, WE WOULD LOVE A SHARED USE PATH OF 10
WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE, IF I CAN SPEAK FOR AT T D TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE BETWEEN PROVIDING A BUFFER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ALSO PROVIDING A GOOD PUBLIC CONNECTION, UM, THAT'S FUNCTIONAL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE PARK.
COMMISSIONER BOONE, YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING YOUR HAND UP VERY GRACIOUSLY FOR A WHILE,
UM, YEAH, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE SIDEWALK, I THINK IF YOU DON'T PUT A REASON ONE IN THERE, YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH A DESIRE PATH ANYWAY.
UM, I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT THAT AFFECTS THE, UH, THE BUFF FUNCTION OF THE VEGETATION.
UM, THE GREAT IRONY, IRONY HERE BEING THAT THE BOGGY CREEK TRAIL IS KIND OF THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF THIS AND IS EXACTLY THAT PATH THROUGH THE TREES.
UM, SO I'M, I'M REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON, UH, REASONABLE WALKING PATHS THROUGH THAT BUFFER.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH THE OTHER STATEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID.
I'M FINE WITH THE HEIGHT RESTRICTION IF THAT'S WITHIN THE DEVELOPERS, UH, ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE HOUSING.
COMMISSIONER DINKLER, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED? YOU'RE MUTED.
I WAS TRYING TO BEHAVE MYSELF SO YOU WOULDN'T HEAR MY DOGS.
UM, I THINK PER, UH, COMMISSIONER BOONE AS A POINT, YOU WILL HAVE NATURAL PATHWAYS THAT DEVELOP, BUT I THINK THE SIDEWALK SHOULD STILL BE OUTSIDE OF THAT, UH, VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
THERE HAS TO BE CONNECTIVITY, UH, PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY FROM THOSE SIDEWALKS INTO THE TRACT.
I, I, I FOR ONE, STILL THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN UNDISTURBED, UH, BUFFER BECAUSE I THINK REALISTICALLY THOSE NATURAL PATHWAYS WILL OCCUR, OR AT SITE PLAN, THEY'LL MAKE SOME PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS THROUGH THE UNDISTURBED VEGETATION.
I'M TRYING TO KEEP THOSE TREES GUYS.
WHEN YOU HAVE A, A PRETTY DENSE DEVELOPMENT AND I SUPPORT THAT DENSE DEVELOPMENT, IT'S APPROPRIATE THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SET THE
[01:10:01]
BUILDINGS BACK 70 FEET.UM, ASKING THE QUESTION DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUPPORT, BUT I FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY ABOUT THE, UM, HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN A CO I FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY THAT THESE SHOULD BE AN UNDISTURBED, UM, BUFFER.
SO THE MOTION AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW IS STAFF RECOMMENDATION WITH THE HEIGHT RESTRICTION AND THE 30 FOOT UNDISTURBED BUFFER.
UH, COMMISSIONER WOODY, YOU HAD A COMMENT? UH, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THERE IS THE SIDEWALK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF PEACEFUL HILL, UM, ROAD OR PEACEFUL HILL LANE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE COULD ACCESS AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY NEED A SIDEWALK THROUGH THE, UH, THE BUFFER ZONE.
UM, IF THEY COULD BE PROTECTED, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, TO THAT SIDEWALK, I GUESS ON THE OTHER SIDE MAYBE.
I'LL JUST, UM, SAY, UH, UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER WOODY MENTIONED, UM, SOME PROTECTIONS IN THAT AREA THAT WERE POSSIBLE.
WE TALKED, WE SAID THEY WERE POSSIBLE, BUT WE, WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY COMMIT TO ANYTHING.
SO I WANNA JUST BRING THAT UP.
AND THEN SEPARATELY, I, I WANNA SAY, UM, I'VE GOT WILLIAMSON CREEK BEHIND ME.
I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOGGY CREEK, BUT AS A RESIDENT OF SOUTH AUSTIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THIS THAT ARE STARTING TO FACE TOWARDS OUR CREEKS AND CREATE PARK SYSTEMS IN THIS PART OF THE CITY.
UM, IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND THERE'S LOTS OF NATURAL OCCURRING BEAUTY.
UM, BUT, UM, NOT A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
UM, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET AND I REALLY APP APPLAUD THIS AND HOPE WE SEE MORE OF IT.
UM, SO AGAIN, JUST TO COME FULL CIRCLE, UM, DO WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO THE BETTER INTERSECTION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT FOREMOST TO PROTECT THAT HOMEOWNER? WE CAN.
UH, LET ME GET COMMISSIONER, UM, BOONE, SORRY.
OH, I WAS JUST IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, APPRECIATING THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THE SITE PLAN, THERE IS A NOTE THAT SAYS EXISTING TREES TO REMAIN.
I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN JUST ADD THAT TO THE CONDITIONAL, THE CONDITIONS, UM, AS OPPOSED TO SPECIFYING THE NATURE OF THE SIDEWALK, UM, JUST TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THOSE TREES REMAIN A VITAL PART OF THAT STRIP.
SO GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER KING.
SO ON THAT LAST POINT, I JUST WANT TO GET, MAKE SURE WE GOT THAT DOWN.
UH, IS, IS, SO ARE WE SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, WHAT WAS THE POINT ABOUT, UH, THE TREE SURVEY? THAT THE, WE WOULD EXISTING TREES TO REMAIN IN THE BUFFER.
EXISTING TREES REMAINING IN THE BUFFER.
SO 30 FA FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER WITH EXISTING TREES REMAINING STREAMING, THAT MAY BE THE WAY TO WORD IT AS OPPOSED TO UNDISTURBED IS TO SAY A 30 FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER ZONE WITH THE EXISTING TREES TO REMAIN.
THAT KIND OF GETS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, I THINK, IF WE DO IT THAT WAY.
SO IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT, DO WE WANT TO ADD LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT THEY'LL WORK WITH TRANSPORTATION STAFF AT THE INTERSECTION OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE AND, UM, FOREMOST IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH THE MOST SENSITIVE DESIGN TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO ADJACENT NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET.
YOU'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT I, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN MAKE IT MORE SPECIFIC? COMMISSIONER WOODY, UM, WERE YOU LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OR, UH, CUZ YOU MENTIONED THE CURVATURE AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, I, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE, THE DESIGN AS MUCH AS I SHOULD HAVE.
YEAH, SO LIKE FOREMOST, UH, BASICALLY IF YOU KEEP GOING PAST FOREMOST AND CROSS PIECE PEACEFUL HILL, IT GOES STRAIGHT INTO LIKE, SAY THEIR, THEIR DRIVEWAY BASICALLY.
UM, SO IT, IT KIND OF JUST REMINDED ME BACK HOME IN KILLEEN WHERE THERE'S EXACT SITUATION, BUT IT'S A STRAIGHTAWAY FIRST IT'S THIS CURB HOW FROM FROM US KIND OF CURVES IT'S A STRAIGHT SHOT, BUT STILL I CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN MM-HMM.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN DO BESIDES THIS CURVE TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR THAT HOMEOWNER ACROSS PEACEFUL HILL? OKAY.
TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY ASPECT? YES, EXACTLY.
I I HATE THINGS LIKE CONSIDER WHEN YOU WANNA BE EXACT.
SO, I'M SORRY, DID WE GET THE WORDING ON THAT? IS IT WORK WITH, AT D STAFF TO ENSURE, UH, SAFE INTERSECTION AT FOREMOST IN PEACEFUL HILL LANE? YES.
UH, I WOULD JUST ASK AMBER IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON THAT.
WHAT I HAVE IS APPLICANT TO WORK WITH ATT
[01:15:01]
D TO MINIMIZE SAFETY IMPACTS ON PEACEFUL, MAXIMIZE SAFETY IMPACTS.I'M, I'M FINDING MAXIMIZE SAFETY IMPACTS ON THE PEACEFUL HILL FOREMOST DRIVE INTERSECTION.
I WOULD ADD LIGHTING SAFETY IMPACTS AND LIGHTING.
ANYTHING ELSE? DO I HEAR A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I HEAR, I SEE COMMISSIONER STERN WITH A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION CHAIR? JUST TO CLARIFY BY MY CHAIR, THE, THE MOTION IS THIS THE MOTION STAFF RECOMMENDATION PLUS THE PLUS THE CO REGARDING THE HEIGHT AND THEN THE CO REGARDING THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER AND THE CO REGARDING THE, UH, WORKING WITH AT D STAFF TOO FOR THE SAFE INTERSECTION? THAT'S WHAT I HAVE AS YOUR MOTION.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STERN.
ANY DISCUSSION? UM, AND, AND, AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, UH, KEEP THE TREES IN THE VEGETATION BY YES, THAT WAS YES.
WE, INSTEAD OF UNDISTURBED 30 FOOT BUFFER, VERY GOOD SUGGESTION.
WHAT THE RESISTING TREES REMAIN.
COMMISSIONER BARRE REMAINS IS ABOUT, UM, AND I, I'M NOT THERE SO I APOLOGIZE IF THE APPLICANT HAS, UM, IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A DOCUMENT THAT'S DEMONSTRATES THE HEIGHT AND THE SPECIFIC DISTANCES.
CAN WE PULL UP THE EXHIBIT THAT SHOWS THE BUILDING HEIGHTS? YEAH.
IT'S ON PAGE 41 OF THE BACKUP.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS, SOUNDED LIKE THAT WASN'T ENOUGH THAT IT NEEDED TO BE LIKE AN ENGINEER DRAWING WITH MEETS AND BOUNDS OR SOMETHING TO WELL, I THINK WE'LL TAKE, WHAT'LL STAFF WILL DO IS TAKE THE DRAWING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW AND UTILIZE THAT TO COME UP WITH SOME, WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT TO COME UP WITH SOME DIMENSIONS.
WHERE IS THAT CONFIRMING THAT, THAT THERE'S A SITE PLAN THAT SHOWS THE BUILDING HEIGHTS ON IT.
IT WAS THE SAME SITE PLAN, BUT IT SHOWS BUILDING HEIGHTS AND, AND OKAY.
COMMISSIONER, I, I SUSPECT CITY LEGAL IS GONNA WANT US TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT DOCUMENTS LIKE ALMOST SURVEYS THOSE DISTANCES.
SO BASED ON PAGE 41 OF THE BACKUP WILL BE WHAT IT WOULD BE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'VE LOST SEEING EVERYBODY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE A VOTE.
AYE, UH, IT LOOKS UNANIMOUS TO ME AND CHAIR.
MAY I JUST QUICKLY SAY HERE, SINCE THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, DISTRICT FIVE I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT STAFF AND, AND THE APPLICANT HAS DONE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HERE.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY CONCERN IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ADDRESSED AND EVERY WANT AND IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS AND THE CONNECTIVITY, THE PARK SYSTEMS HERE, SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GETTING RID OF THAT, UH, THAT, UH, AUTO SALVAGE YARD THERE.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING AS WELL AS A, UH, THE REP FOR DISTRICT TWO? UM, I, WHEN I SAW THIS, I LIKED IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND I'M LIKE, I WISH THEY COULD DO MORE STUFF LIKE THIS ON SOUTHEAST.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GO FURTHER EAST.
AND I LOVE THAT THE, I THINK STERN, UH, COMMISSIONER STERN, UH, SAID IT THE BEST, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S A FOCUS ON BOGAN CREEK AND THE, THE GREEN SPACE.
SO SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR SOUTHEAST FOLKS.
I SAID DISTRICT FIVE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, ANYWAY, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU.
[16. Discussion and possible action regarding matters related to any proposed revisions to the Land Development Code including but not limited to staff updates, presentations and scheduling. (Sponsors: Chair Barrera-Ramirez and Vice-Chair Kiolbassa)]
MOVING ON.UM, ITEM 16, ANY ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION? WE HAVE ITEM 16, A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ZONE PROPERTY CODE AMENDMENT.
IS THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION ON THIS? GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M GREG DUTTON WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, WHAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU TODAY IS A BRIEFING ON A CODE AMENDMENT RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
UM, THIS IS A CODE AMENDMENT THAT WAS ACTUALLY JUST PASSED BY COUNCIL ON FRIDAY.
AND SO THERE'S A PRESENTATION IN YOUR BACKUP.
WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU IS PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
IT, WELL, IT'S, IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON WHAT COUNCIL DID ON FRIDAY, WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP AS IN THE OLDER PRESENTATION.
BUT IT WAS WHAT WE HAD AT THE TIME.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS GO THROUGH PRETTY QUICKLY THIS PRESENTATION AND THEN, UH, TELL YOU WHAT COUNCIL ENDED UP WITH, UH, ADOPTING ON FRIDAY.
AND SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS START WITH BACKGROUND, VERY BRIEF COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WHICH DIRECTED STAFF TO DO THE WORK, AND THEN AGAIN, WHAT COUNCIL ENDED UP WITH, UH, ADOPTING.
[01:20:01]
UM, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, UH, IS A CONCEPT THAT WAS NEW TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION.UH, SO THAT'S THE DRAFT CODE THAT, UH, WAS BEING WORKED ON AS RECENTLY AS 2020.
IT BASICALLY ALLOWS COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY TO ADD RESIDENTIAL ENTITLEMENTS, UH, IN RETURN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY SAYING THAT, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN'T DO IT TODAY, INSTEAD OF GOING TO GET A REZONING TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL ON YOUR PROPERTY, HERE'S A WAY TO DO IT.
YOU CAN ADD IT TO YOUR PROPERTY IN RETURN FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN THE CURRENT CODE.
AND SO WHEN THE DRAFT LDC WAS SUSPENDED, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO IN 2020, THAT CONCEPT WAS SORT OF OFF THE TABLE FOR A WHILE.
BUT IN LATE 2021, COUNCIL PICKED IT UP AGAIN AND DIRECTED STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CONCEPT AND AMEND IT TO OUR CURRENT CODE.
UH, SO IN COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO DO THE WORK AT THE END OF 2021, THEY BASICALLY SAID, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF ZONES IN AUSTIN THAT ARE COMMERCIAL AND THEY DON'T ALLOW RESIDENTIAL.
UH, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A, A GREAT, GREAT NEED FOR, UH, DIFFERENT KINDS OF RESIDENTIAL IN AUSTIN, BOTH AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE AUSTIN'S AUSTIN'S STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, UM, THAT SAYS VERY CLEARLY THAT WE HAVE A NEED FOR MORE UNITS.
UM, IN THE, AGAIN, IN THE LDC, THAT WAS A CONCEPT THAT WAS NEW.
IT WAS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WAS RECOGNIZED IN THE DRAFT LDC AS SOMETHING THAT COULD PROVIDE A LOT OF HOUSING, UH, AND HOUSING CAPACITY.
UM, AND THAT ADDING THIS TO THE CURRENT CODE WOULD DO THAT.
SO STAFF WORKED ON IT, UH, BROUGHT BACK, UH, AN AMENDMENT, ASKING WHAT COUNSEL ASKING, UH, DOING WHAT COUNSEL ASKED FOR.
UH, AND THEN AGAIN, ON FRIDAY, JUST LAST WEEK, COUNCIL ADOPTED AN ITEM AND, AND HERE'S SORT OF THE HIGH LEVEL BULLET LIST OF WHAT'S IN THAT AMENDMENT.
SO THIS WILL BE ALLOWED, THIS NEW PROGRAM WILL BE ALLOWED, UH, ONLY IN CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE.
AND LO, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO IT IS BY PURING PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE OF IT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE PROVIDED.
AND THEN IN RETURN, THE HOUSING ENTITLEMENT IS GRANTED TO THE, TO THE PROPERTY.
THERE'S ALSO A PIECE IN THERE ABOUT CREATIVE SPACES.
SO IF THEY'RE EXISTING CREATIVE SPACES ON THE PROPERTY AND THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A YEAR OR MORE, THEY HAVE TO BE ALLOWED TO RETURN BASICALLY TO A SPACE THAT'S COMPARABLE TO THE ONE THAT THEY HAD PREVIOUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN I THINK THE MAIN THING TO KEEP IN MIND, AND, AND AN EASY WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS THIS IS VERY MUCH LIKE VMU.
SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY LIKE VMU, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE VMU.
IT'S A WAY TO TO, TO DO VMU TYPE DEVELOPMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO GET A ZONING CHANGE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S THE, YOU GIVE SOMETHING, YOU GET SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT COMPATIBILITY TODAY, THAT'S A, UM, I KNOW IT CAME UP WITH THE ITEM THAT WAS JUST DISCUSSED, BUT IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT THING, BUT IT IS SORT OF THE COUNTERPART TO THIS, THAT COUNCIL ALSO ADOPTED ON FRIDAY THAT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON HOW THIS, HOW RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, UM, IS MANIFESTED IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS I'LL TOUCH ON.
SO HERE'S A MAP SHOWING YOU ALL OF THE ZONING DISTRICTS WHERE THIS WILL BE ALLOWED.
UH, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE LIST THERE JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT THESE PROPERTIES ARE DISTRIBUTED ALL THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
UM, SMALLER PROPERTIES IN THE CENTRAL CITY AND LARGER NORTH AND SOUTH, BUT KIND OF JUST DISTRIBUTED EVERYWHERE.
UM, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT FOR THIS PROGRAM IS OUR PRETTY STANDARD, UM, TENANT 60 10 AT 80 FOR, FOR RENTAL AT 40 YEARS IN OWNERSHIP AT 99 YEARS.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, VERY MUCH LIKE VMU.
YOU MUST PROVIDE THE AFFORDABLE UNITS ONSITE.
AND THEN THE RIGHT TO RETURN FOR CREATIVE SPACES WILL INCLUDE THIS LIST OF, UH, USES THAT IF IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO THE, TO THE DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE TO BE ALLOWED.
UH, THERE'S A KIND OF RIGHT TO RETURN, TO RETURN TO THAT SPACE WHERE THEY PREVIOUSLY WERE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS VERY SIMILAR TO BMU, NO SITE
[01:25:01]
AREA REQUIREMENT, WHICH MEANS UNLIMITED DENSITY.THERE'S ADDITIONAL F A R, GRANTED, IT'S NOT UNLIMITED.
IT IS, IT'S UNLIMITED IN VMU HERE THERE'S A, A DOUBLING OR 1.5, UM, MULTIPLIER.
SO ADDITIONAL F A R, BUT IT'S NOT UNLIMITED RELAXED PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
60% OF WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED, THAT IS THE SAME AS VMU.
AND THEN GROUND FLOOR RETAIL REQUIRED ONLY IF A PROJECT IS ON A TRANSIT CORRIDOR OR OTHERWISE THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
AND THEN HERE'S, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THIS TOO MUCH CUZ I, I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS IS THE OTHER PART OF IT.
THE COMPATIBILITY ITEM, WHICH WAS ADOPTED, UH, ON FRIDAY BY COUNCIL.
IF A PROJECT IS ON ONE OF THESE CORRIDORS AND THEY DO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, THEY WILL BE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUCH THAT THEY WILL QUALIFY FOR THE RELAXED COMPATIBILITY AND THE RELAXED PARKING STANDARD.
IF THEY'RE NOT ON ONE OF THESE CORRIDORS, THEN THEY, THEN THEY WON'T GET THE ADDITIONAL COMPATIBILITY AND PARKING RELAXATION.
WE'LL GET THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE LIKE VMU.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, BUT IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THESE WILL END UP BEING ON CORRIDORS.
AND SO THEY WILL SATISFY THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROGRAM AND IN DOING SO, ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE RELAXED COMPATIBILITY AND RELAXED PARKING STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S JUST TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER ARE, ARE PROBABLY WHAT'S GONNA REALLY, UH, UNLOCK THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL ON THESE CORRIDORS.
AND THEN THE OTHER TWO THINGS, UM, JUST TO MENTION THAT COUNCIL DID LIMIT STR SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THESE PROJECTS.
I THINK CURRENTLY, UH, COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE TO HAVE 25%, THERE'S A CAP OF 25% FOR STR AND THEY LOWERED IT, COUNCIL LOWERED IT 15%.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL FIVE FEET IN HEIGHT THAT IS PERMITTED FOR PROJECTS THAT HAVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL USE.
AND THAT'S JUST TO HELP THEM ACCOMMODATE FIRST FLOOR RETAIL, WHICH IS TYPICALLY REQUIRES A, A TALLER FIRST FLOOR HEIGHT FOR THAT RETAIL.
UM, AND THAT'S THERE TO DO THAT.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? IT'S VERY QUIET, COMMISSIONER, REMEMBER HERE IS MINE'S.
GREG, CAN YOU SEND US YOUR PRESENTATION PLEASE? I THINK IT HAS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.
UNLESS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 16 B, THE VERTICAL MIXED USE TWO CODE AMENDMENT PRESENTATION.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME'S RACHEL TEPPER AND I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I'M A PLANNER TWO IN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE VERTICAL MIXED USE PROGRAM.
UM, WE'LL SHARE DETAILS ABOUT WHERE IT APPLIES AND HOW MANY UNITS HAVE BEEN CREATED.
AND WE'LL HIGHLIGHT THE RECENTLY ADOPTED, UM, UPDATES FROM THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO MY COLLEAGUE WILL TO DIVE INTO THE DETAILS.
THE VERTICAL VERTICAL MIXED USE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO INCENTIVIZE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EXCHANGE FOR ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS.
INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ARE OBVIOUSLY A KEY STRATEGY TO ACHIEVING OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO CLOSE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP WITH SUBSIDIES ALONE.
SO CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE A LIMITED SET OF TOOLS FOR, UM, DEALING WITH HOUSING PRODUCTION IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE TWO MAIN STRATEGIES SUBSIDIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH LOCAL AND FEDERAL FUNDING AND INCENTIVIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH DENSITY BONUSES, FEE WAIVERS AND REGULATIONS.
AUSTIN'S COMPREHENSIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY INCLUDES PROGRAMS TARGETING DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS SUCH AS VERTICAL MIXED USE ALLOW US TO INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT 30% TO 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO THIS MAP SHOWS THE OVERALL PICTURE OF DEVELOPER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY OF THE DEVELOPER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ARE GEO GEOGRAPHICALLY
[01:30:01]
CONCENTRATED WHILE VMU IS APPLICABLE ALONG MANY OF THE CITY'S CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND IS MORE DISPERSED THAN OTHER PROGRAMS. SO ZOOMING INTO THE MAP A LITTLE BIT, YOU CAN SEE HERE THE DISPERSION OF VMU ZONING BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.AND TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE DETAILS, UH, B M U WAS ADOPTED IN 2010 AS A NEIGHBORHOOD OPT-IN PROCESS, AS MANY OF YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW.
UM, IT IS A VOLUNTARY DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO GENERATE COMMUNITY BENEFITS LIKE HEIGHTENED, HEIGHTENED DESIGN STANDARDS AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND EXCHANGE FOR DEVELOPER INCENTIVES SUCH AS IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY AND THE VERTICAL MIXED USE.
UM, COMBINING DISTRICT IS LAYERED ON TOP OF THE BASE ZONING AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THIS VISUAL.
UM, HOWEVER, PROPERTY OWNERS STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP UNDER THEIR EXISTING BASE ZONING DISTRICT.
UM, AND THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR B M U.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DETAIL ALL OF THE STANDARDS, BUT THE MAIN BENEFITS ARE REDUCED SETBACKS, NO FLORIDA AREA RATIO LIMIT, UH, REDUCED PARKING REQUIREMENTS, AND A BROADER RANGE OF ALLOWED USES.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THE, UM, VM U IS THE, UH, SECOND, UH, HAS PRODUCED THE SECOND MOST NUMBER OF, UM, U OF, EXCUSE ME PROPERTIES, UH, COMPARED TO THE OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS FOR, UH, DENSITY BONUSES.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, AFFORDABILITY COMPONENTS, IT HAS, UH, PRODUCED A GREAT NUMBER OF MARKET RATE UNITS, UM, AT ROUGHLY, UM, JUST UNDER 7,000.
AND SO, UM, THE PREVIOUS, UH, VMU AFFORDABILITY POLICY, UM, SET THE 10 PER OR HAD A 10% SET ASIDE, UM, AFFORDABLE TO HOUSEHOLDS EARNING NOT MORE THAN 60% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, UM, OR 80% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME.
UM, FOR, UH, FOR OWNER, OWNER BASED DEVELOPMENTS, 10% SET ASIDE AFFORDABLE, UM, AT 80%, UM, MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME IN A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THIS SUMMER, UH, COUNCIL ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THOSE CHANGES SHOWN IN BLUE, UM, TO STREAMLINE THE EXISTING B M U PROGRAM AND CREATE A NEW TIER TO ALLOW A BONUS HEIGHT AND EXCHANGE FOR DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY OR MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
UH, THE CHANGES CREATED TWO TIERS FOR BONUS ENTITLEMENTS.
VMU ONE BUILDINGS AND VM U TWO BUILDINGS FOR VMU ONE BUILDINGS.
THE OVERALL CHANGES, UM, WERE TO STREAMLINE THE INCOME LEVELS FOR ALL RENTAL DEVELOPMENTS TO A 10% SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 60% MFI AND STREAMLINE FOUR SALE DEVELOPMENTS TO A 10% SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 80% MFI OR FEE EQUIVALENT TO 10% OF TOTAL UNITS.
UH, VMU TWO BUILDINGS, UH, ARE A NEW TIER OF BONUS ENTITLEMENTS AVAILABLE TO DEVELOPERS GRANTING AN ADDITIONAL 30 FEET OF BONUS HEIGHT IN EXCHANGE FOR 10% SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 50% MFI OR 12% SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 60% MFI FOR RENTAL DEVELOPMENTS.
AND, UM, A 12% SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING LESS THAN 80% MFI OR FEE EQUIVALENT TO 12%, UM, TOTAL UNITS FOR SALE DEVELOPMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, SO IN CONCLUSION, THE VMU PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GENERATING BOTH MARKET RATE AND AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, SO SUCCESSFUL IN FACT, UM, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE SOME UPDATES, UH, AND, UM, THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED ADVANCE OUR TRANSPORTATION AND CLIMATE EQUITY GOALS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM IS STILL LIMITED BY THE CHALLENGE THAT IS CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE LEFT, UM, SUCH AS COMPETING REGULATIONS.
UM, IT TENDS TO WORK BEST IN HIGH MARKET DEMAND AREAS.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S STILL EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, TODAY, UH, HOWEVER, UM, WE DO SEE THAT THE UPDATES MADE THIS SUMMER WILL HELP FURTHER OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS BY ENCOURAGING UNITS AT DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY, UM, AS WELL AS MORE UNITS.
AND SO THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT I, BUT WE AS WELL AS A FEW OTHER H HPD STAFF ARE HERE AND ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY, ANY QUE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? LOOKS LIKE WE CAN GO HOME.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE I'M GONNA ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION, BUT I, I GUESS WHAT I UNDERSTOOD ABOUT
[01:35:01]
THIS, UM, CHANGE WAS THAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS.LIKE I, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN SOME THINGS COME THROUGH, UM, HERE FOR ZONING CHANGES, BUT WE AREN'T, WE AREN'T PRIVY TO WHETHER THIS WILL BE APPLIED.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMING OF WHEN THIS BONUS GETS ADDED.
IS IT AFTER IT COMES THROUGH, IS IT DURING SITE PLAN? UM, I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP ME REFINE THAT QUESTION WITH THE PROPER WORDING, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMING OF WHEN WE WOULD KNOW WHETHER, UM, THIS IS BEING APPLIED TO A DEVELOPMENT.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, ERICA LIK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO BASICALLY VM U TWO IS NOW AN OPTION, UM, THAT PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO IT WOULD BE, IT WOULDN'T BE AT THE ZONING STA STAGE BECAUSE THE ZONING WOULD ACTUALLY JUST BE V IF A PROPERTY HAS A V IN THE V IN THE ZONING STRING, THEN THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR EITHER VM U ONE OR VM U TWO ENTITLEMENTS, ASSUMING THEY MEET THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, SO THEY WOULD BE IDENTIFYING, UH, WHICH, WHICH OPTION THEY WERE GOING TO USE AS PART OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO IT WOULD BE PART OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT YOU'D LEARN WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING, NOT A PART OF THE ZONING.
THAT'S ZONING GIVES ME THE ABILITY IF THEY WANT TO, THE SITE PLAN IS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
SAID TO CLARIFY, SO IF I'M A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND I AM NOTIFIED OF A ZONING CHANGE FOR, UH, LET'S SAY A FIVE STORY BUILDING, UM, I COULD FIND OUT LATER AFTER, AFTER EVERYTHING'S SETTLED AND I THINK IT'S A FIVE-STORY BUILDING, I FIND OUT LATER THAT 30 FEET ARE BEING ADDED.
BUT THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT AROUND THAT DESIGN CHANGE THERE WOULD NOT.
BUT WHEN YOU SAY A FIVE-STORY BUILDING, YOU MEAN IF THEY WERE NOTIFIED THAT THEY, THAT SOMEONE WAS APPLYING FOR THE ZONING? IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT MYSELF IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE SHOES OF SOMEONE WHO'S, UM, NEIGHBOR TO A PROPERTY LIKE THIS AND, AND MAYBE THINKS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY FOLLOW ALONG, THEY GET NOTIFIED OF A CHANGE, THEY COME AND PARTICIPATE HERE, UH, WITH THIS COMMISSION OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, THEY UNDERSTAND A PROJECT TO BE THREE STORIES HIGH.
BUT THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME IT'S SITE PLANNING THAT COULD GO IN OTHER THREE STORIES AND, AND, AND THAT NO ONE WOULD BE NOTIFIED.
IS THAT TRUE? UH, AT, AT THIS POINT WITH V ZONING, UH, THE ASSUMPTION SHOULD BE THAT THE BUILDING COULD POTENTIALLY GO UP TO 90 FEET DEPENDING ON COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS AND, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN THE OPTIONAL DENSITY BONUS.
UM, AND IT ALSO ACTUALLY DEPENDS ON THE, THE ZONING STRING, CUZ IT'S A, AN ADDITIONAL 30 FEET.
SO IT MIGHT NOT BE QUITE 90, BUT, BUT IN GENERAL WITH VMU, IT COULD NOW GO UP TO 90 FEET.
AND WE WOULD SEE THE V DURING THE ZONING, BUT WE WOULDN'T KNOW THE EXACT NATURE OF WHAT WE WOULD KNOW.
IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM X TO Y, BUT WE WOULDN'T.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STAFF PUTTING TOGETHER THE REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ME THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE INCENTIVES, RIGHT? CUZ IT'S CLEAR THAT AS OUR CITY GROWS AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF, OF EC YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC INFUSION, THAT THE M F I CONTINUES TO TREND UPWARDS AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT 60 AND 80% TO ME IS REALLY MARKET RATE, RIGHT? THOSE ARE LIKE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN AFFORD AND R A HUNDRED PERCENT M F I IS LIKE WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER KING WILL BE ON BOARD WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE PROVIDING THAT HOUSING FOR THE 30% M F I, THE 20% M F I, THE PEOPLE IN OUR, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I THINK THAT IS, SO WE JUST TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVE THAT IS A SUBSIDIZED PIECE AND I JUST WANNA JUST SAY IT OUT LOUD THAT WE ALL IN FROM DISTRICT ONE TO 10, WE ALL NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE SUBSIDIZED UNITS IN OUR DISTRICTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS SAY, WE ALL GOTTA DO OUR PART BECAUSE THE DEVELOPERS AREN'T GONNA BUILD IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER
[01:40:01]
KING? WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STAFF, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE PREVIOUS, UH, PRESENTATION IN THIS ONE.AND THEN THE NEXT ONE,
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT KIND OF MOVING TARGETS HERE.
SO FOR NOT, NOT TO BRING UP THE CASE EARLIER AGAIN TONIGHT, BUT USING IT JUST AS AN EXAMPLE FOR VMU, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE COMPATIBILITY ALONG THE CORRIDORS, SOUTH CONGRESS IS ONE OF THE CORRIDORS.
AND SO NOW THIS, THIS SITE THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT TOUCHES THE CORRIDOR, IT FRONTS ON THE CORRIDOR.
SO THE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS IS GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE FACT THAT THIS WHOLE, THAT WHOLE SITE NOW FRONTS ON SOUTH CONGRESS.
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON'S EARLIER POINT ABOUT HA HELPING THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE POTENTIALS HERE WITH THESE ZONING CASES.
YES, THE ZONING CASES ARE STARTING POINT HERE, BUT IT CAN REALLY GO IN THE, IN SOME DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AS IT GETS THROUGH THE, GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS HERE.
NOW I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT GO GOING, GOING, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT TO SAY THEREFORE WE SHOULD OPPOSE THESE THINGS.
I'M NOT AT ALL, I'M VERY STRONG SUPPORTER OF, OF THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND Y'ALL, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I I FREQUENTLY BRING THOSE CONCERNS UP ON THESE CASES.
SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GETTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THIS SITE.
I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA SOLVE THE, THE 30% MFI WITH THESE KIND OF INCENTIVIZED DEVELOPMENTS.
IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN AND WE NEED SUBSIDIZED UNITS WHEREVER WE CAN GET THEM.
SO GOING FORWARD, PUT IN KIND OF UNDERLINING MY POINT HERE, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, AT LEAST FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AND FOR THE STAFF TO THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL OF THESE CASES COMING THROUGH WITH A V AND AN MU ON THEM WITH COMPATIBILITY.
SO MAYBE WE COULD UPDATE OUR REPORTS, UH, MAYBE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS, THE REPORTS THAT WE GET AND THAT THE PUBLIC SEES ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE ZONING REQUESTS ARE.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, IT REALLY RELATES TO THE PREVIOUS ONE, BUT IF A, IF YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL ZONING AND YOU JUST GO AND ASK FOR MU THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE AFFORDABILITY.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO DO IS ADD AN MU IS THAT TRUE THAT THERE'S AN OPTION TO JUST APPLY FOR THE ZONING CHANGE INSTEAD OF DOING THE NEW OPTION, WHICH REQUIRES AFFORDABLE HOUSING? YES, I, I BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, THE, I GUESS TRADE OFF, UM, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A REZONING PROCESS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS TIME AND UNCERTAINTY.
AND SO IF THEY, THEY CHOOSE TO USE THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROGRAM, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A ZONING CHANGE.
SO IT REALLY IS THAT TRADE OFF.
UM, WE WILL GO ON TO OUR FINAL PRESENTATION, WHICH IS ITEM 16 C, EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT POLICY PLAN.
MY NAME IS WARNER COOK AND I'M ALSO WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT TO YOU ON EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, TO SET THE STAGE, FIRST I WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMISSION WHAT COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO DO IN THEIR JUNE, 2021 RE RESOLUTION FOR E T O D.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN THAT COUNCIL, UH, TOLD STAFF TO WORK ON IS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK TO HELP THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AROUND THE PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TO RE SUPPORT RESIDENTS OF ALL INCOMES AND BACKGROUNDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE BORNE THE P BURDEN OF PAST INEQUITIES.
AND THE POLICY PLAN IS A PLAN FOR HOW TO PLAN IN THE FUTURE.
THE DOCUMENT ITSELF DOES NOT ADOPT OR AMEND ANY EXISTING REGULATIONS OR DIRECT ANY BUDGET OR INVESTMENT TO ANY SPECIFIC STATION AREA.
IT WILL SET THE COURSE FOR HOW THAT DECISION MAKING MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE YEARS TO COME.
AND THESE, THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE THINGS IN THAT RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL PASSED LAST JUNE, UH, THAT THEY WANTED STAFF TO LOOK AT.
UM, THIS THURSDAY ON DECEMBER 8TH, STAFF HAS AN ITEM, I BELIEVE ITEM 36 OR 38 ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA TO ACCEPT THE E T O D POLICY PLAN.
[01:45:03]
SO WHAT IS E T O D NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THAT THE BACKGROUND OF COUNCIL TELLING US TO GO DO IT? UM, WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE IN AUSTIN BEFORE? FIRST, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TRADITIONAL TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, OR T O D IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS GRAPHIC, BRINGS A LOT OF BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT THOSE BENEFITS ARE NOT EQUALLY SHARED AMONGST ALL SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES.HOWEVER, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HERE LOCALLY, WE'VE SEEN THAT TODS TEND TO NOT BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEIR LOWER INCOME EARNERS AND OUR BLACK INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WHILE PREVENTING THE DISPLACEMENT OF THESE GROUPS IS THE NEXT STEP ABOVE TRADITIONAL T O T THE DO NO HARM PART OF THIS PYRAMID GRAPHIC, SIMPLY KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES DOESN'T ACTUALLY IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE OR ABILITY TO THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE STRIVING TO GET EQUITABLE OUTCOMES BY NOT ONLY DOING NO HARM, BUT BY ACTIVELY WORKING TO INCREASE ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL INCOME LEVELS.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GONNA SKIP THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE CONDUCTED MANY TYPES OF ENGAGEMENT TO REACH DEEPER INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND CENTER, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED BY TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
IN THE PAST, WE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF PROJECT CONNECTS, E T O D, WORKING GROUP HOSTING PAID FOCUS GROUPS, AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF PAID PART-TIME COMMUNITY CONNECTORS.
OUR CONNECTORS ALONE ORGANIZED OVER 40 EVENTS AND REACHED OVER 200 PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR NETWORKS WITH AROUND 60% OF THEIR PARTICIPANTS IDEN IDENTIFYING AS BIPO OR LOW INCOME EARNING COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
ALL OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD OVER THE LAST YEAR THROUGH THESE VARIOUS CHANNELS HAS SH HELPED SHAPE THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD.
SO WHAT ARE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? WHAT'S IN THE PLAN? IT INCLUDES GOALS, UM, A HERE WE GO.
IT INCLUDES GOALS, SIX GOALS FOR E T O D, A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF TRENDS, STATIONARY TYPOLOGIES AND PLANNING AREA PRIORITIES, UH, A POLICY TOOLKIT, AND A NEXT STEP SECTION.
SO THE SIX GOALS FOR ETO O D THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE WERE DEVELOPED FROM THREE PRIMARY SOURCES.
THE FIRST WAS THAT COUNCIL RESOLUTION FROM LAST JUNE.
THE SECOND WERE THE RACIAL EQUITY DRIVERS INCLUDED BY THE RACIAL EQUITY CATALYST IN THE NOTHING ABOUT US, WITHOUT US ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TOOL.
AND THE THIRD SOURCE IS WHAT WE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY DURING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THESE SIX GOALS ARE WHAT WILL GUIDE FUTURE DECISIONS RELATED TO EQUITABLE T O D.
THE NEXT SECTION OF THE POLICY PLAN IS THE TYPOLOGIES.
THESE ARE BASICALLY CATEGORIES THAT HELP US GROUP STATIONS TOGETHER WHO HAVE SHARED CHARACTERISTICS.
UM, THIS ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF A SPECIFIC STATION AREA, BUT STILL KEEP THE GLOBAL, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM-WIDE VIEW SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW EVERY STATION IS CONTRIBUTING TO EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
THE DATA OR THE INDICATORS ON THE RIGHT, THOSE THREE COLUMNS IN BLUE, UH, LOOK AT THE RELATIVE POPULATION DISPLACEMENT RISK AND RATE OF CHANGE TO ARRIVE AT ONE OF EIGHT TYPOLOGIES, THE COLORFUL BOXES IN THE MIDDLE.
THOSE DESCRIPTIONS GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE SORT OF STRATEGY SHOULD BE AS A STARTING POINT IN A STATION AREA.
WHEN WE GO IN FOR FUTURE DETAILED STATION AREA PLANNING, WE EXPECT THESE TYPOLOGIES MAY CHANGE OVER TIME AS OUR COMMUNITY IS CHANGING AND STAFF WOULD UPDATE THEM.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE'S NOT A SINGLE IDEAL TYPOLOGY BECAUSE EVERY STATION CAN CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN IT DOES TODAY TOWARDS EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
THERE'S ALSO A PLANNING AREA PRIORITIZATION COMPONENT OF THE DOCUMENT.
THIS IS BECAUSE STAFF DOESN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PLAN FOR ALMOST A HUNDRED STATION AREAS ALL AT ONCE.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST IMPACT, UM, THE QUICKEST THAT WE CAN GET TO FOR THIS ANALYSIS.
WE CONSIDERED AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE VERY TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE ZONING TODAY, BUT DO HAVE A LOT OF CITY AND CAP METRO OWNED LAND AND ALSO HAVE UNDERUTILIZED LAND BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT MOST QUICKLY.
HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT STAFF WILL CONSIDER, SUCH AS ONGOING PLANNING PROCESSES LIKE IN THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN DISTRICT PLAN, AS WELL AS LOOKING TO BALANCE PLANNING ACROSS BOTH BUS AND RAIL STATIONS ON DIFFERENT LINES AND IN DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES.
IF THE TYPOLOGIES AND PLANNING PRIORITIES, GIVE US A SENSE OF WHERE AND WHAT, THINK OF THE POLICY TOOLKIT AS THE HOW, HOW WE WILL GET TO EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
IT'S A MENU OF 46 POLICY OPTIONS THAT COVER THE TOPICS OF SMALL BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, MOBILITY, LAND USE, AND URBAN DESIGN AND REAL ESTATE AND FINANCE STRATEGIES.
FOR EACH OF THESE 46 TOOLS, WE DESCRIBE IT, IDENTIFY A TIMELINE IN PARTNERS WHO WILL LEAD THE TOOLS IMPLEMENTATION, EXPLAIN THE CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS WE FORESEE AND THINGS WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BALANCE AND CONSIDER WHEN WE GO TO IMPLEMENT THE
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TOOL AND SUGGEST HOW WE WILL MEASURE OUR SUCCESS TOWARDS MEETING OUR SIX GOALS.THE LAST SECTION OF THE POLICY PLAN IS THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL NEXT STEPS THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF WOULD BEGIN TAKING, WOULD BEGIN TAKING EARLY NEXT YEAR UPON COUNCIL APPROVAL.
LIKE, UM, FOCUS STATIONARY PLANNING, UH, REGULATORY CHANGES SUCH AS A VOLUNTARY DENSITY BONUS OVERLAY, SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU'VE HEARD EARLIER THIS EVENING.
AND DEVELOPING AN EQUITY SCORECARD TO EVALUATE PROPOSED PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UM, OUR SURVEY CLOSED ON FRIDAY, SO THE BEST PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY IS THIS THURSDAY AT THE COUNCIL MEETING AND AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, YOU'RE MUTED.
SO EACH STATION'S BEEN MARKED WITH A COLOR FROM DARK PURPLE TO LIGHT GREEN.
AND I HAPPEN TO LIVE RIGHT BETWEEN ONE THAT'S I THINK, DARK PURPLE AND ANOTHER THAT'S LIGHT BLUE.
UM, IF I'M READING THE MAP CORRECTLY, AND I REALLY KIND OF QUESTION HOW, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S LOW DISPLACEMENT OR NOT DISPLACEMENT, I MEAN, PEOPLE MOVE IN AND OUT ALL THE TIME.
WHEN DO YOU DECIDE THAT'S DISPLACEMENT? AND I IN PARTICULAR FEEL LIKE ALMO WELL OFFENDED TO SEE HISTORICALLY EXCLUSIONARY WHEN I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS PARTLY REDLINED.
UM, SO I WONDER HOW YOU COME UP WITH THAT.
THE, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS IT, IS IT HISTORICALLY EXCLUSIONARY OR LOW DISPLACEMENT? UH, SURE.
HOW HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHICH STATIONS WERE GONNA GET? WHICH COLORS? YEAH.
UM, RACHEL TEPPER HOUSING AND PLANNING.
SO THE DISPLACEMENT RISK WAS USING THE UPROOTED, UM, GEN, UH, GENTRIFICATION STUDY, UH, AND METHODOLOGY.
HOW OLD WAS THAT STUDY? UM, SO ACTUALLY THE, THE UT UM, DEVELOPED THE METHODOLOGY, UM, BUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS UPDATED IT WITH THE MOST RECENT, UH, CENSUS DATA.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY UPDATED DATA, BUT THE METHODOLOGY COMES FROM THE UPROOTED REPORT.
UM, AND WE USE THAT TO DETERMINE, UM, THE POPULATION'S VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT, UH, USING CENSUS DATA AND THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT, UM, UT IDENTIFIED AS, UH, THE MOST, UH, VULNERABLE TO RISING HOUSING COSTS.
AND SO THAT, UM, THAT INDICATOR IS SIMPLY, UH, WHETHER THO THERE'S THE PRESENCE OF THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UH, IDENTIFIED TO THAT METHOD.
AND HISTORICALLY EXCLUSIONARY, I ACTUALLY, UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT THE, THAT TERM WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE POPULATIONS THAT ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AS, UM, DISPLACEMENT RISK.
UM, SO THEY'RE SIMPLY NOT, UM, DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE THE TERM MAYBE WARNER CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
SO THESE, THIS IS COMING FROM OTHER CITY DATA SOURCES.
SO WE DIDN'T CREATE ANYTHING NEW FOR E T O D, BUT THE HISTORICALLY EXCLUSIONARY IS THE CENSUS TRACKS IN TOWN THAT HAVE NOT, SINCE THE UPROOTED STUDY EXHIBITED THOSE VULNERABLE CHARACTERISTICS, RIGHT? SO ANY CENSUS TRACT THAT SINCE THAT TIME HAS EXHIBITED THOSE CHARACTERISTICS BY THEIR METHODOLOGY IS EITHER CHRONIC, VULNERABLE, ACTIVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS.
AND SO IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS STABLE, IT'S CONSIDERED EXCLUSIONARY
THAT IS HOW IT IS CATEGORIZED.
WELL, I KIND OF FIND THAT LANGUAGE OBJECTIONABLE.
AND CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE PAGE ONE MORE TIME? SO IT SAYS, UM, EXTEND BENEFITS, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM NEW DEVELOPED TO
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LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.SO I WAS WONDERING HOW EXACTLY YOU CAN SPECIFICALLY EXTEND BENEFITS TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SO, UM, IN THE POLICY PLAN, THERE'S MORE DESCRIPTION ABOUT ALL ALL OF THOSE EIGHT, UM, TYPOLOGIES.
THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY GOES INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL SAYING EFFORTS SHOULD INITIATE CHANGE THAT ENABLES MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO ACCESS EXISTING SERVICES AND OPPORTUNITIES WHILE INCREMENTALLY GROWING WITH MORE HOUSING UNITS FOR ALL INCOME LEVELS.
RIGHT? I'M JUST, I'M NOT QUESTIONING THE WORDS.
I'M QUESTIONING HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? IT SEEMS, UM, LIKE IT WOULD BE VIOLATING FAIR HOUSING OR, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCRIMINATE IN FAVOR OF OR AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
UH, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, I ACTUALLY MISSED YOUR QUESTION.
COULD YOU STATE IT AGAIN? WELL, THESE, THERE'S THESE GOALS WHICH ARE CERTAINLY, UM, LAUDABLE, BUT TO EXTEND BENEFITS TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
I MEAN, WE DON'T, THE BENEFITS ARE FOR EVERYONE.
WE CAN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY THESE BENEFITS ARE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SO, OR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HUD DO ALLOW THINGS LIKE, UM, AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING OF HOUSING TO SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES WHO ARE, UM, PROTECTED CLASSES.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE EXAMPLE OF, OF WAYS TO, TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT AS WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN, UH, PARTICULAR AREAS THAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR RECEIVE AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING.
AND ACTUALLY THAT'S, UH, A NEW REQUIREMENT IN SOME OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. SO IT WOULD BE THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT, UH, THE BENEFITS COULD ONLY SERVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, BUT, UM, BUT THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY LEGAL WAYS TO AFFIRMATIVELY MARKET TO PARTICULAR, UM, GROUPS, ESPECIALLY PROTECTED CLASSES, MARKETING, BUT NOT AVAILABILITY.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE ISN'T REALLY IN THIS, BUT YOU HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOFT DENSITY IS ONE OF THOSE POLICIES IN THE PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES OF OPTIONS.
HOW WILL YOU KNOW THAT THAT WON'T CAUSE DISPLACEMENT? SO THE TOOL THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING THE SOFT DENSITY BY RIGHT, IS ONE OF THE MANY TOOLS THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT POTENTIALLY APPLYING IN STATION AREAS.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT EVERY TOOL IS RIPE FOR EVERY STATION AREA OR, OR NECESSARILY EVEN EVERY PARCEL.
SO DURING THE FOCUS STATION AREA PLANNING PROCESS, WE WOULD BE TRYING TO LOOK AT ESPECIALLY EXAMPLES LIKE NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY TOOLS WE ARE APPLYING ARE NOT EXACERBATING THE DISPLACEMENT RISK THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE FACING.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TRADITIONAL TODS? JUST, I I WASN'T SURE IF YOU MENTIONED THAT.
YEAH, I CAN, I CAN START AND ERICA MAY JUMP IN HERE.
SO WE DON'T, AT THIS TIME, UH, THERE ARE THREE TRADITIONAL TODS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED.
THOSE ARE ALONG THE RED LINE AT PLAZA, SALTILLO, MLK STATION, AND CRESTVIEW.
THE PLAN IS ACTUALLY CALLED THE NORTH LAMAR JUSTIN, UM, PLAN.
SO THOSE THREE TODS, WE DON'T IMAGINE ANY CHANGES AT THIS TIME.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT COULD CLEARLY BE IMPROVED.
WE'VE SEEN THEM IN ACTION FOR A LITTLE OVER A DECADE IN, IN MANY CASES, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT WHERE THE HIGHEST PLANNING IMPACT IS RIGHT NOW, IS TO GO BACK AND REDO THOSE.
UM, WE, WE ANTICIPATE BASICALLY CREATING A NEW PROCESS GOING FORWARD THAT DOES HAVE THIS MORE EQUITY FOCUS VERSUS THOSE, THE PROCESS THAT'S IN CURRENT CODE ABOUT HOW THOSE THREE TODS CAME TO BE.
AND THEN AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, POTENTIALLY AS RESOURCES AND TIME BECOME AVAILABLE, REVISITING THOSE THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS.
SO AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, THE, THE, THE NEXT REPORT COMES OUT ON E TODD, AND YOU LOOK AT THE GOALS AND THEN MADE, HOW WILL YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU,
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YOU, YOU'VE ACHIEVED A GOAL.HOW WILL YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PARTICULAR STATION OR OR LINE HERE, UH, THAT, UH, A STOP THAT THAT THAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED THE GOAL? HOW WILL THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT? DO WE HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT SHOWS HERE'S THE PROGRESS WE MADE AND WILL THAT DASHBOARD FOR? SO I'M, I'M KIND OF IMAGINING THAT THE DASHBOARD WOULD SAY WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH DIVERSITY IN INCOMES OR IN, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE HAD, YOU KNOW, IN IN, IN, UM, UM, PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS HERE.
SO IF, IF EAD IS TO CORRECT THOSE SITUATIONS AND SAY THE REDLINED AREAS WHERE THE WHITE ONLY AREAS, NOW WE'RE COMING THROUGH WITH AUGHT THROUGH THESE AREAS AND WE WANT TO SEE, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT ONE OF THE OUTCOMES WE WOULD WANT TO SEE IS MORE DIVERSITY OF INCOMES AND OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN, IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS IS, IS HOW WILL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW WILL THE PUBLIC KNOW WE'VE ACHIEVED THESE GOALS? YES.
SO THE SPECIFIC POLICY TOOLS EACH HAVE SOME RECOMMENDED SUCCESS METRICS, THINGS WE WOULD BE MEASURING TO TRACK THAT PROGRESS, UM, THAT, THAT MIGHT GROW AS THE IMPLEMENTATION LEAD CONTINUES TO GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY AND DESIGN THE TOOL OR START APPLYING THE TOOL.
SO VERY MUCH OPEN TO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOU OR ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS WE NEED TO BE TRACKING TOWARDS OUR GOALS.
UM, AND THERE IS CURRENTLY AN EXISTING CONDITIONS DASHBOARD ONLINE.
AND THE, THE GOAL IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT COVER ALL THE STATION AREAS AND, AND DO JUST WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT COMMISSIONER KING, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE OVER TIME AND, AND, AND AS A FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DO APPRECI KNOW AND I DO APPRECIATE THE FOCUS AND THE ENERGY AROUND EAD AND, AND, BUT, BUT I, I KNOW WE ALL WANT SOME REAL OUTCOMES.
WE WANT SOME REAL CHANGE TO OCCUR HERE.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO, YOU KNOW, TO SAY, WELL, WE GOT GOOD IDEAS, WE DID THIS, AND FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WE LOOK BACK AND WE SEE IT DIDN'T SUCCEED.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA KNOW AS WE GO ALONG THAT THESE STRATEGIES AND POLICIES THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING ARE ACTUALLY MAKING THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN? SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, ARE WE GONNA MEASURE ONCE A YEAR, ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS, HOW OFTEN ARE WE GONNA SEE IF THESE POLICIES ARE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THE GROUND AS WE DO THIS? I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE ME ON THE MEASURE ITSELF.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE'RE MEASURING CENSUS INFORMATION SUCH AS INCOME DIVERSITY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS REPORTED EVERY YEAR, BUT TYPICALLY THE MOST ACCURATE DATA IS A FIVE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE.
SO REPORTING IT EVERY YEAR, YOU MAY SEE SMALL CHANGES, BUT REALLY IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER OF A TERM TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE, UM, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WHEREAS SOMETHING LIKE AN EXISTING PROGRAM THAT'S SERVING HOME REPAIR APPLICANTS, RIGHT? LIKE WE ALREADY ARE REPORTING, LIKE WE ALREADY AS A CITY ARE REPORTING ON THAT, UM, EVERY YEAR.
SO IT WOULD JUST KIND OF BE ROLLED IN.
SO THE, THE ANSWER IS IT DEPENDS ON KIND OF THE SOURCE OF THE MEASURE AND WHAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, I I WOULD NOT WANT STAFF TO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME REPORTING AND NONE OF THEIR TIME DOING THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTING
NO, NO, I, I UNDERSTAND IT AND I'M NOT SAYING, I'M NOT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SAY TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO OVER REPORT, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WE NEED TO MEASURE VERY QUICKLY AS WE DO THESE THINGS TO SEE IF THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
IF WE WAIT FOR FIVE YEARS FOR THE CENSUS TO COME OUT, THE GAME IS OVER.
WE'RE NOT, THESE POLICIES ARE NOT, WE'RE GONNA SEE, OH, THEY DIDN'T WORK AND WE DIDN'T GET MORE DIVERSITY IN THESE AREAS.
AND SO THAT'S, I'M JUST ENCOURAGING THAT WE MEASURE SOON ENOUGH ON THESE KEY PROGRAMS TO SEE IF THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE SO WE CAN TWEAK THE POLICIES AS WE GO ALONG TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M TRYING, YEAH.
THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE POINT UNDERSTOOD, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL JUST NOTICE IS NOTE IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ITSELF TAKES A WHILE.
SO, RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO INITIATE AN AMENDMENT THAT A DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEN IT'S YEARS BEFORE THOSE UNITS ARE ACTUALLY OCCUPIED.
SO IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO SEE THE CHANGE.
YOU GUYS KEEP MOVING AROUND ON THE SCREEN OVER HERE.
I'M COMMISSIONER KING'S QUESTION.
AND THAT IS, UM, AND BECAUSE IN THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION IT DOES SAY THAT THERE SHOULD BE MEASURES, THE E TODD POLICY PLAN SHALL SERVE TO BOTH MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THE CITY'S POLICIES TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION AND TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO FURTHER SUPPORT TRANSER TRANSIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT SAYS TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD BE METRICS IN THIS AND THAT.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF EXACTLY, GETTING BACK TO COMMISSIONER KING'S QUESTION, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S WORKING, IF YOU'RE NOT MEASURING IT, AND HOW DO YOU MEASURE IT? AND YOU NEED TO BE REALLY SPECIFIC IN HOW YOU'RE MEASURING ALL OF THIS.
SO I SEE THIS ALREADY AS HAVING A PROBLEM WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE, UM, YOU JUST SAID, GIVE US IDEAS WHERE THIS
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IS GOING BEFORE COUNCIL ON THURSDAY.IT SHOULD HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW TO MEASURE.
SO AS, AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH CAPITAL METRO, UH, IN A PARTNERSHIP ON THE E T O D POLICY WORK, NOT THE POLICY PLAN SPECIFICALLY.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, AND THAT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS WHERE WE'RE ABSOLUTELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT APPROPRIATE METRICS.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, UM, IN, IN THE PROCESS.
UM, SO, SO IF YOU ALL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, WE'D CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN IT AND, UM, INCLUDE IT IN THE, THE BACKUP FOR COUNCIL.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL WORK SESSION TODAY, UM, THAT THEY, THAT THEY MAY POSTPONE IT, UM, BECAUSE NOT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAD TIME TO REVIEW IT EITHER, SO, SO IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, ABSOLUTELY FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SORRY, COMMISSIONER.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, I HAVE SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS I'VE HEARD MENTIONED.
UM, I AM REAL FAMILIAR WITH THE DASHBOARD.
I HELP OUR BODY WORKUP IT'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS WITH COMMISSIONER KING, UM, AND INPUT FROM OTHERS.
AND I READ ALL THOSE DASHBOARDS.
WHAT I FOUND IS NOT A SINGLE PERSON I TALKED TO WHO THEY EXISTED, UTILIZED THEM, UM, THOUGHT THEY WERE AN ADEQUATE WAY OF MEASURING THINGS.
AND WHAT CONCERNS ME IS NOT ONLY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE METRICS, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
THERE IS NOTHING TO KEEP YOU FROM GETTING UP AND SAYING, WE REALLY NEED A FIVE YEAR TO EVALUATE IT IN A YEAR OR TWO YEARS, OR THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS, OR EVEN FIVE YEARS.
BECAUSE YOU CAN GET UP AND SAY, HEY, WE REALLY NEED TO AVERAGE THIS OVER THE LIFE OF FIVE YEARS.
BUT THE POINT IS, IS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AS YOU'RE GOING ALONG AND YOU DON'T END UP IN FIVE YEARS FINDING OUT, WHOOPS, IT DIDN'T WORK.
I THINK YOU SHOULD BE, BE REPORTING ON THIS TO COUNCIL.
SO NOT ONLY IS THE PUBLIC AWARE OF YOUR PROGRESS, BUT THE PRESS IS TOO AND CAN ADVISE THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS TO HOW WELL THE PROGRAM'S WORKING.
WE'VE NOT HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN THE PAST WITH OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND I THINK THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT NOW BY HAVING PEOPLE ON BOARD AND STAFF THAT CAN EVALUATE, ET CETERA.
BUT WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY MAKES ME THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REPEAT OF WHAT WE HAD WITH THE HOUSING PROGRAM YEARS AGO.
I'VE JUST HEARD FOR THIS FIRST TIME, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH METRICS.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITHOUT THE, THE PUBLIC VIEW, YOU KNOW, IN A MORE CONCRETE WAY THAN PROPOSING IT ON A DASHBOARD.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE OF THE PERSONS THAT ARE GETTING INPUTTERS, THE FOLKS ACTUALLY BEING DISPLACED FROM THESE TODS, I HEAR THAT THIS IS A MARKETING STRATEGY TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL GOAL.
I REALLY THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING LOW INCOME AND, AND THE EQUITY ISSUES, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO THE VERY PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED.
SO I THINK THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE ON THIS.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A GOOD BASELINE AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS YOU'VE MADE TO GET US TO THIS POINT, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'RE TOTALLY BAKED YET.
AND THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH QUESTION.
ANYTHING ELSE? OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, COMMISSIONER KING, REAL QUICK, JUST REAL QUICK.
UH, KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE FREE PRESENTATIONS WE'VE HAD TONIGHT, THE, UM, I GUESS THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, UM, THAT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR CODE AMENDMENT AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE CITY AND, AND YET, YOU KNOW, THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH OVERSEES MOST OF THE CITY MO YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE SIZE, THE AREA OF THE CITY, WE OVERSEE MOST MORE OF IT THAN THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES, AND YET WE KIND OF GET HERE ON THE BACK END OF THE PROCESS ON, ON THAT PARTICULAR, UH, CODE.
SO WHAT MY POINT IS, IS I WOULD HOPE, AND MAYBE WE COULD WORK ON THIS AS A COMMISSION, THAT WE,
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THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT THESE LAND USE, UH, CODE AMENDMENTS THAT AFFECT THE AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WE HAVE PURVIEW OVER, THAT THEY WOULD COME TO OUR COMMISSION FOR OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.AND NOT SOLELY TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ONLY, NOT JUST TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I RESPECT THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND WHAT THEY DO AND THE HARD WORK THEY PUT INTO THESE, THESE, THESE CASES AND CODE AMENDMENTS.
BUT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A, HAVE A FORMAL PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO WE'RE NOT ASKING AT THE TAIL END OF THE PROCESS, CAN WE GET A QUICK PRESENTATION? CAN WE RUSH THROUGH AND MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS? I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF ON THE TAIL END OF THESE PROCESSES SO OFTEN.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A MY GENERAL POINT AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE THAT AS A TOPIC AT A FUTURE MEETING.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER BARRE,
UM, I THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH THE CODE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO EXACTLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS SEEN AS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, UH, LAND USE COUNCIL BOARD, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE ARE KIND OF THE JV TEAM AS I, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, SO IF WE WOULD WANT, IF WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE, AND IT'S NOT EVEN THE CODE, IT'S THE, UM, I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF WHAT THE RIGHT PART OF IT IS, BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, IT'S THE CHARTER, I BELIEVE.
AND, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT POINT, BUT, BUT I THINK THERE COULD STILL BE COUNCIL SAYING, HEY, YEAH, WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T, WE, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT WANNA CHANGE YOUR CHARTER, BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE WOULD, WE WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ZAPPS INPUT ON THESE THINGS AS THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT, SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE BRING UP AT THE CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE.
GOING ON, WHAT IS NEXT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY,
[COMMITTEE REPORTS & WORKING GROUPS]
COMMITTEE REPORTS, CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE, ANY UPDATE? WELL, NO, AND I CAN TELL YOU WE'VE NEVER HAD A PRESENTATION ON TODS AND MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD BE DOING IN CODES AND ORDINANCES, WHICH HAS MINORITY REPRESENTATION FROM ZAP MEMBERS RATHER THAN EQUAL PARTNERSHIP THERE, THAT, THAT OF COURSE IS SPELLED OUT IN, UH, THE COUNCIL'S, UH, ORDINANCES TO THE MAKEUP.BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO BE ASKING FOR MORE PRESENTATIONS, UH, AND BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK.
BUT I AGREE WITH YOU COMMISSIONER KING, THERE'S NOTHING TO KEEP US FROM GETTING THAT INFORMATION EARLIER.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HEAR CASES AND PARTS OF TOWN THAT THE PC DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, LET'S TAKE STASSNEY LANE FOR AS CASE IN POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE ARE OTHER ONES.
SO I THINK THERE'S A, WE WE COULD BE GETTING THIS INFORMATION EARLIER SO WE'RE PROVIDING MORE, UM, GOOD COMMENTARY.
YEAH, I THINK IT GOES BEYOND THAT.
I THINK WHEN THE SHOT CLOCK RULE CAME INTO EFFECT, THEY THREW OUT KIND OF WHAT ZCO AND PLANNING COMMISSIONER WERE ALL ABOUT AND IT'S, WHOEVER HAS THE NEXT MEETING IS WHO GETS THE CASE.
IT'S REALLY GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW ZCO AND PLANNING COMMISSION WERE ORIGINALLY CREATED AND THE SHOT CLOCKS THROWN ALL THAT OUT.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, JOINT COMMISSION, WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
ANY UPDATE? UM, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY AND WE JUST GOT AN EMAIL SAYING THAT IT WAS CANCELED, BUT, UM, SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE DID GET A BRIEFING.
IT'S GOTTA BE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AGO ABOUT THE EADS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT REALLY A CODE CHANGE AT THIS POINT.
YEAH, SO MAYBE THAT'S WHY IT DIDN'T COME TO CODES AND ORDINANCES.
ONION CREEK, LOCALIZED FLOODING WORK GROUP WE HAVEN'T MET IN A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF.
I, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IF YOU DON'T MEET WITHIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, THE MEET, THE WORKING GROUP IS DISSOLVED.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN REVIEW THAT WITH ANDREW AND IF WE FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE DISSOLVED, LET'S GET THIS OFF THE AGENDA.
CHAIR COMMISSION LAY ON ANDREW.
SO IT'S, ONCE A WORKING GROUP PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN THE WORKING GROUP IS DISSOLVED.
BUT IF IT'S THE DESIRE OF THE, UH, COMMISSION, WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, NOTED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? WE ARE ADJOURNED.
IT'S EIGHT 15 AND SPECIAL THANKS TO WENDY.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE AROUND FOR MUCH LONGER AS A CITY EMPLOYEE.
SHE IS, SHE'S SWITCHING DEPARTMENTS.
[02:15:01]
BUT I'M JUST SAD.OUR FEARLESS, OUR FEARLESS STAFF LEADER, WE WILL NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT HER.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SMITH FOR RUNNING.
YOU ALWAYS SAY YOU WILL, BUT DON'T CARE.