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WE'LL GET ROLLING.[CALL TO ORDER]
DECEMBER 7TH, 6:00 PM CALLED TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING, UH, O A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.WE'RE UP AT 63 10 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE.
AND WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL.
UH, WE'LL START REMOTE IF THAT WORKS FOR Y'ALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER AGUIAR PRESENT.
UH, SECRETARY MADAM SECRETARY HERE.
WE'RE OUR NEW CONFIGURATIONS? DEFINITELY KEEPING ME ON MY TEST.
COMMISSIONER SCOTT? UH, DON'T WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER MISSING? UH, UH IS COLIN, UH, IS HE HERE? OKAY.
HE'S NOT VISIBLE HERE IN SPIRIT.
WE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE HIM WHEN HE IS HERE PHYSICALLY OR REMOTELY.
[1. Approval the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on November 16, 2022 (5 minutes)]
KAYLA DISTRIBUTED THE MINUTES EARLIER.HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEM.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR REVISIONS TO THE MINUTES? MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
IS THAT RIGHT? ALL THAT'S RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PROVING THE MINUTES? RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE UNANIMOUS HERE AND REMOTE.
WE'RE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO,
[2. Presentation of Development Assessment Report for 200 E. Riverside, located at 200 East Riverside Drive, CD-2022-0003 (District 9). Applicant: Richard T. Suttle, Jr., Armbrust & Brown, PLLC. Staff: Wendy Rhoades, Housing and Planning Department and Leslie Lilly, Environmental Program Coordinator, Watershed Protection Department (30 minutes)]
WHICH IS A PRESENTATION OF A DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT REPORT FROM, FOR THE 200 EAST RIVERSIDE PROJECT, LOCATED AT 200 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE, CD 2022 DASH 0 0 3, DISTRICT NINE.UM, DO WE HAVE ANY STAFF PRESENTATION OR IS IT JUST THE APPLICANT? ALL RIGHT, PLEASE.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSION, MR. CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER MEMBERS, MY NAME IS WENDY ROSE WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT, PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT ASSESSMENT FOR 200 EAST RIVERSIDE.
UH, THE PROJECT ASSESSMENT IS FOR A PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL OFFICE IN COMMERCIAL DIS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON APPROXIMATELY FOUR ACRES OF LAND TO BE KNOWN AS THE 200 EAST RIVERSIDE PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE AREA CONSISTS OF A 1970S ERA, UM, TWO STORY VACANT OFFICE BUILDING WITH SURFACE PARKING LOT AND DRIVEWAY ACCESS TO EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE AND LITTLE EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
UM, IT IS WITHIN THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AREA AND DESIGNATED AS MIXED USE ON THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
IT IS ALSO WITHIN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT SUBDISTRICT OF THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY AND WITHIN THE, UH, WATERFRONT VISION FRAMEWORK DIS FRAME FRAMEWORK PLAN, DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED LAKE COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, AND THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO REZONE TO THE P U D NP DISTRICT IN ORDER TO, UH, FACILITATE A MULTI-USE PROJECT THAT WOULD CONSIST OF TWO HIGHRISE BUILDINGS INTENDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.3 75 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE.
USES ABOUT 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL USES, AND A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 410 FEET.
UH, THE PD WILL ALSO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 0.87 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, INCLUDING TWO POCKET PARKS, AND, UH, UM, AS WELL AS A MIX OF BELOW GRADE AND ABOVE GRADE PARKING.
THE APPLICANT HAS HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CAPITAL METRO REGARDING AN AT GRADE TRAIN STATION FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT BLUE LINE, WHICH IS ON EAST ON LITTLE EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
THE APPLICANT'S, UH, APPLICATION MATERIALS INDICATE THAT THEY'RE, UH, ABLE TO COMPLY WITH ALL STATED TIER ONE AND TIER TWO REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE BASE DISTRICT OF THE LAKE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT IS 200 FEET.
HOWEVER, THE, UM, SOUTH SHORE CENTRAL SUBDISTRICT OF THE WATERFRONT, AN OVERLAY IS MORE RESTRICTIVE AND ESTABLISHED AS A 96 FOOT MAXIMUM HEIGHT
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LIMIT.UH, WITH REGARDS TO OPEN SPACE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, UM, SUPERIORITY ITEMS PROPOSED BY THIS P U D AT THIS DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT STAGE, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING 30% OF A LANDSCAPED AREA IN THE STREET YARD, TREATMENT OF A HUNDRED PERCENT ON QUAL ONSITE WATER QUALITY CONTROLS, 50% OF THE REQUIRED WATER QUALITY VOLUME USING STORM WATER, GREEN STORM WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE, A REDUCTION OF IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM, UH, 92, UH, THAT THOSE ARE THE APPLICANT SI SLIDES.
UH, REDUCTION OF IMPERVIOUS COVER TO 80% FROM 90% RIGHT NOW, UH, PROTECTION OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF PROTECTED HERITAGE TREES UNLESS THEY'RE FATALLY DISEASED AND, UH, CONSTRUCTING ALL OCCUPIED BUILDINGS TO A THREE STAR GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENT.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING FIVE CODE MODIFICATIONS, HOWEVER, THESE ARE TO THE ZONING AND TRANSPORTATION SECTIONS AND NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION.
AND I'VE OUTLINED THE FIVE CODE MODIFICATIONS ON PAGES TWO AND THREE OF THE STAFF REPORT.
AND, UH, AT THIS TIME THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EXHIBITS ATTACHED TO MY BACKUP, AND, UH, THE APPLICANT IS READY TO PROVIDE THEIR, UH, PRESENTATION.
YEAH, IF THE APPLICANT'S READY, PLEASE CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, AND WENDY HAS STOLEN ALL OF OUR THUNDER.
SHE, SHE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF PRESENTING THE CASE, BUT I'LL BLOW THROUGH THE SLIDES REALLY QUICK IN CASE YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND ASK US QUESTIONS.
SO IF WE CAN MOVE THROUGH 'EM.
HOW DO I DO THAT? DO I, YEAH, JUST, JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE AND HE'LL, HE'LL ADVANCE THEM.
SO THAT, THIS IS AN A THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY ON THE RIVER.
THERE'S AN APARTMENT COMPLEX BETWEEN US AND THE RIVER, RIVER, ALMOST IF YOU GO OUT THERE.
THAT JUST SHOWS THE ZONING, UH, AROUND US.
WENDY ALREADY WENT THROUGH ALL THESE.
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF 'EM IF YOU WANT TO.
IT'S, UM, THE MAIN THING ON THIS ONE IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA REDUCE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THERE'S NO WATER QUALITY ON IT NOW, AND WE'LL TREAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR SITE WITH WATER QUALITY, PROVIDE THE OPEN SPACE, AND DO THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALL BECOME, UH, KIND OF ACCUSTOMED TO WITH THE DUAL PIPING AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
NEXT ONE, THAT'S MORE THE SAME.
THESE ARE THE CODE MODS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
NONE OF THEM ENVIRONMENTAL, THEY'RE ALL, BASICALLY WHAT THIS ONE BOILS DOWN TO IS WE WANNA BUILD TALLER BUILDINGS AND WHAT THE ZONING CODE WOULD ALLOW, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE LOADING SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO, AND WE WANT TO RELIEF FROM COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS ACROSS THE STREET.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE PUTS ASKING FOR ON THIS ONE.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT? NEXT ONE THAT, THAT BASICALLY SHOWS, UH, RIGHT NOW WHAT THE LAYOUT IS.
THE BIG SQUARES ARE THE TWO BIG TOWERS.
THAT LITTLE FUNNY LITTLE SHAPE THING IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE PIECE OFF TO THE BOTTOM ARE, ARE THE GREEN SPACE AREAS THAT'LL BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AND NEXT ONE.
SO, I, I THINK THE KEY TONIGHT, UH, UNLIKE, UNLIKE THE LAST BIG ONE, I WAS HERE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT HAD A LOT OF ASKS.
UM, THIS ONE DOESN'T HAVE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ASKS, WHICH PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO ON THIS ONE.
UM, THAT I, I KNOW YOU SAW ONE ON THE FIRESTONE SITE A WHILE BACK, AND I FOUND IT FASCINATING.
THE BEEHIVE ONE WAS THE, THE FASCINATING PIECE OF THAT ONE.
BUT, UM, ON THESE INFILLED URBAN SITES, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WE CAN DO, BUT WE CAN SURELY DO BETTER THAN WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW.
SO AT THAT POINT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WE'LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET GOING IN THE PROCESS, BUT THIS IS AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY TO GET US THINKING, GET YOUR IDEAS SO WE CAN BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR, YOUR IDEAS AND CONCERNS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, FOR THE BRIEF PRESENTATION.
AND YEAH, I GUESS WE'LL MAYBE JUST GO AROUND THE HORN IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AND, AND WE'LL START REMOTELY.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU APPEAR TO, TO GET FIRST IN LINE.
SO, UH, YOUR SH THE FLOORS YOURS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK STAFF TO MAKE THE SPEAKER NOT GREEN.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, IS YOURS ON IT? IS YOURS GREEN SPEAKER TOO? JUST VERY GREEN TO START WITH.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT.
HE MAY HAVE A COLD AND EVERYTHING, BUT NEVERTHELESS,
I, THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
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WEARING, HE'S WEARING HIS GREEN.DON'T WE JUST WISH MR. SUBTLE
THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU DON'T EVEN MEET THE MINIMUM CODE REQUIREMENT AND YOU STILL THINK THIS IS A SUPERIOR PROJECT? UM, COMMUNITY AMENITIES PROVIDES FOR PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE MULTI-USE, AND GREENWAY ALONG THE CREEK OR WATERWAY, AND THAT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO YOU GUYS.
UM, EXPLAIN WHY YOU'RE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE CURRENT CODE ON THE DRAINAGE AND YOU'RE GONNA STRIVE FOR GREEN WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
I REALLY THINK IT OUGHT TO BE SHELL OR, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF MAY.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THE PARKLAND BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS IS ABOUT HALF OF THE OPEN SPACE THAT YOU HAVE, BUT IT'S PRIVATE AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE TREES THAT YOU'RE TAKING OUT, YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH THE GREAT STREETS.
I, I JUST HAVE A LOT OF ANGST ABOUT THIS.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST START WITH THAT.
I HAVE MORE, PAM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TELL ME WHICH PROJECT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
MAY MAYBE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND EXPLAINING THE, THE OPEN SPACE.
I, I'M LOOKING AT THAT SEVENTH SLIDE AND I THINK KIND OF IN THE CENTER OF THE, THE TURNAROUND OR SOMEWHERE IS KIND OF WHERE THE OPEN SPACE IS.
I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
SO THE WAY THIS IS PROPOSED NOW IS, IS AT, WITH AN OFFICE SPACE, THERE'S NOT AN OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT, BUT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT AS AN ADDED BENEFIT.
UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE, UH, I'M GONNA SAY THIS AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA CRINGE, BUT ON THE DESIGN STANDARDS, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CLUSTER AND SCALE YOUR BUILDINGS TO HUMAN SCALE.
AND WE'RE ASKING FOR 400 FOOT TALL BUILDINGS AND THERE'S JUST, IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE A 400 FOOT TALL BUILDING AS HUMAN SCALE, BUT PART OF WHAT CAN SOFTEN THAT IS A LITTLE EXTRA OPEN SPACE.
WE'RE REDUCING THE IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM WHAT'S THERE NOW AND PROVIDING THE TWO POCKET PARKS.
COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, UM, THE POCKET PARKS ARE 40 SOMETHING AND YOU'RE, I I MEAN, 50% OF YOUR OPEN SPACE IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS, IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, I'M GONNA LOOK OVER AT MY GROUP, BUT I THINK ALL OF OUR OPEN SPACE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
PAM, WHERE ARE YOU READING FROM AND MAKE, MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T MISSTATE SOMETHING.
UM, WELL BASICALLY I JUST MADE SOME NOTES EARLIER.
I KIND OF THOUGHT YOU WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MUCH DENIAL, BUT I UNDERSTAND
WELL JUST GO AHEAD AND I'LL COME BACK.
I'LL TRY TO FIND ON YOUR INFORMATION WHERE YOUR FACTS ARE FOR YOU.
COMMISSIONER AGUIAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, I'M JUST HAVING THE SAME CONCERNS THAT COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, I HAVE NOTES ALL OVER, AND THIS IS BASED ON THE COMMENT REPORT AND IT'S GOT THE CASE, SAME CASE NUMBER.
SO THERE ARE, UH, IT APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF UN UNANSWERED OR INDIAN ISSUES, UH, THAT NEED TO BE REPORTED BACK TO STAFF.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THAT FINAL, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND ONE THAT STICKS OUT TO ME.
THERE'S A FILE REVIEW COMMENT, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS ON PAGE FIVE, UM, TALKS ABOUT THE PROPOSED PLAN DOES NOT EXHIBIT ENOUGH DETAIL OR FINAL DRAWING CHARACTERISTICS TO PROVIDE A REVIEW.
SO, UM, YEAH, THERE'S, THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, SO THAT'S NOT ENVIRONMENT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT I FEEL THAT ARE STILL UNANSWERED.
AND AND THIS IS FROM THE STAFF BRIEFING SUMMARY SHEETS, THE 30 PAGE PDF D F THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, AND THERE'S NUMEROUS, I DON'T THINK, YEAH, I'M THINKING WE NEED A BETTER RE OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO, FOR US TO BE OUTLINING EACH ITEM INDIVIDUALLY WOULD KIND OF LIKE NOT BE A WISE USE OF TIME.
I THINK THE APPLICANT NEEDS TO WORK WITH THE STAFF TO ADDRESS EACH, EACH OF OF THESE ELEMENTS THAT THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A QUESTION ON OR FOLLOW UP CONCERNS.
UH, COMMISSIONER AGARI, THIS, THE, THE APPLICANT MAKES
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A ONE TIME SUBMITTAL TO THE STAFF REGARD FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR A DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT FOR A P U D.AND THAT COMMENT REPORT IS, IS WHAT IS ATTACHED.
THERE IS NOT A, UM, THE APPLICANT IS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, UM, A RESPONSE TO THAT, UM, SET OF COMMENTS THAT ARE ISSUED BY THE STAFF.
THE IDEA IS TO PROVIDE SOME INITIAL COMMENTS ON THE, ON, ON THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT FOR THE APPLICANT TO CONSIDER AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN SUBMITTING A P U D APPLICATION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT WILL ALSO BE GOING TO THE SOUTH SHORE WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD AND ALSO, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
I, I DO NOT HAVE DATES FOR EITHER OF THOSE AT THIS TIME, BUT, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP.
UM, AND SO THE COMMENT REPORT IS INFORMATIONAL TO THE APPLICANT AND TO THE COMMISSION AND COUNSEL.
UM, AND THAT IS WHAT THE APPLICANT SHOULD BE RESPONDING TO AT THE TIME OF FORMAL, UH, P U D SUBMITTAL.
A C EIGHT 14 CASE IS, UH, SUBMITTED TO THE CITY.
I, I THINK I SEE WHERE THE CONFUSION IS HERE, UM, ON WHERE IT SAYS PARK ACREAGE, AND THIS IS ON THE, THE, UM, THE CHART, UH, THE WAY THAT IT READS, IT SAYS THE POD WILL PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 5,800 SQUARE FOOT PRIVATE POCKET PARK WITH PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT TO CONNECT THE SURROUNDING PARKLANDS.
SO IT MAKES, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEIR PRIVATE WITH PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE OTHER PARK.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THAT'S WHERE PAM GOT SOME CONFUSION ON THAT AS WELL.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, IT DOES.
EXCEPT THAT'S NOT WHAT I READ.
I READ THAT THE, THE WHOLE THING WAS, UM, HALF WAS PUBLIC AND HALF WAS PRIVATE ABOUT, OR MORE THAN HALF WAS GONNA BE PRIVATE IN BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS.
SO I JUST ASKED THEM TO CLARIFY THAT IF IT'S GOING TO BE A PRIVATE OPEN SPACE OR PUBLIC OPEN SPACE IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS.
AND THE OTHER THING, I GUESS WHILE I'M SPEAKING IS THAT THE TREES, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE TREES.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, UM, TO EVEN MEET THE STANDARDS, THE BASIC STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S ON PAGE SIX FOR YOU, MR. SUBTLE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THAT.
SO I'M JUST SAYING A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE RIDICULOUS THAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO AGREE TO.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED WITH THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PEOPLE, BUT, UM, HOW IS IT SUPERIOR FOR STREET TREE PLANNING WHEN YOU'RE NOT EVEN MEETING THE STANDARDS? JUST SAYING.
I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER AGUIAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO AROUND THE HORN HERE? OKAY, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, SINCE I FORGOT YOU EARLIER, UH, YOU GET TO GO FIRST IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I, YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE A FEW, I FEEL A LITTLE, A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THIS DIAGRAM, BUT, UH, AS TO WHAT'S BUILDING AND, AND WHAT'S WHAT, BUT, UM, I NEVER CLAIM TO BE ABLE TO READ, UH, THESE THINGS.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT, UM, I I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER AS YOU'RE GOING FORWARD.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, UM, THE, UH, REFLECTIVITY, UM, ISSUE FOR BIRDS OR, UH, FOR, UM, LIGHT, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT DARK SKIES, UH, WHICH I THINK, UM, ARE PRETTY MUCH, UH, MANDATORY, UH, THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
UH, WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ANYMORE BIRDS, UM, TO RUNNING INTO WINDOWS OR, OR GETTING LOST IN MIGRATION, UM, UH, WITH AN UNDERGROUND PARKING, UH, AREA.
UM, FEMA HAS DESIGNATED THIS IS, UH, AUSTIN AS, AS, UH, PART OF TRAVIS COUNTY AS, UM, ONE OF THE, THE MOST AT HIGH RISK, UH, AREAS OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES FOR TORNADOES.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A PREVAILING MYTH THAT PEOPLE COME UP WITH THAT TORNADOES DON'T HIT AUSTIN.
I'VE HEARD VARIOUS REASONS AS TO WHY THIS IS, BUT, BUT THAT NONE OF THEM, UH, CARRY WATER BECAUSE WE ARE AT RISK.
UM, UH, SO, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A REAL GOOD IDEA TO, WITH THE UNDERGROUND AREA, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT PART OF IT, UH,
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CAN BE DESIGNATED AS A TORNADO SHELTER.UM, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THERE WHO, WHO, UM, COULD, UM, BENEFIT FROM THAT.
UM, IF ONE SHOULD HIT AND, AND REALLY A TORNADO CAN HIT ANY TIME OF YEAR.
UM, WELL, IT'S TRUE THAT THEY'RE MORE PREVALENT IN THE SPRING.
THEY, THEY CAN HIT IN THE WINTER ANY, BUT ANYTIME AT ALL.
UM, AND, UM, UM, I DON'T SEE ANY SOLAR, UM, UH, POWER.
WE'VE GOT SOME SPACE TO PUT IN SOME, SOME SOLAR, UM, WHICH IS, SEEMS LIKE A, CERTAINLY, I I PUT SOLAR POWER ON MY ROOF AND, UH, I JUST HAVE A HOUSE.
UH, YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE, THE PEOPLE IN YOUR BUILDING ARE GOING TO USE A LOT OF ELECTRICITY.
SO IF SOME OF IT COULD COME FROM SOLAR, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT PUTTING IN, UM, UH, UH, ELECTRIC POWER STATIONS FOR THE, UH, CARS, UM, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE THE STANDARD BY THE TIME THIS GETS BUILT.
UM, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, UM, ARE BUYING ELECTRIC CARS AND, AND, UH, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD TO ARE, ARE GOING THAT WAY.
AND, AND, AND IT'S REALLY JUST A MATTER OF, OF TIME BEFORE WE'RE, WE ALL ARE.
SO I, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, AT LEAST, UM, PUT IN THE, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING SO THAT AS YOU NEED MORE SPACES THAT HAVE IT, YOU ALL, ALL THE ELECTRICIAN WOULD HAVE TO DO IS TO ACCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WIRING AT THE SPOT AND START OUT WITH, UM, MAYBE 10% OR SO AND THEN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE INCREASING IT AS THE NEED ARISES.
UM, THE, UM, I, I AGREE, OF COURSE ABOUT, ABOUT TREES.
UM, ONE LAST AREA THAT REALLY HASN'T, UM, BEEN ADDRESSED IN, IN IT, IT MIGHT BE BENDING THINGS TO, TO SAY THAT IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, BUT I'LL JUST BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION ANYWAY, UM, BECAUSE NOBODY CAN STOP ME,
AND THAT IS THAT HOUSTON HAS A, A STRONGER BUILDING CODE THAN AUSTIN FOR REASONS THAT ELUDE ME.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, TORNADO WINDS, UH, UH, AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS THAT WE, WE ARE IN A FEMA ZONE FOR 200 MILE PER HOUR WINDS.
IT CAN DO A LOT OF DAMAGE AND, UM, AND MORE SO THAN, THAN, THAN THE DAMAGE THAT YOU SEE IN A HURRICANE.
SO REALLY, UM, AUSTIN SHOULD HAVE HIGHER BUILDING STANDARDS IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, THE, UH, GLASS AND THE STRUCTURE CAN HOLD, UH, HOLD UP TO IN, IN A STRONG WIND, WHICH WILL SAVE, UH, A HECK OF A LOT OF MONEY, UH, DOWN THE ROAD IN, UH, UH, BUILDING, UH, DAMAGE AND, UH, LIVES SAVED AS WELL.
AND IT'S NOT IN THE AUSTIN BUILDING CODE.
NOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND OR KNOW WHY, UM, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE TIME IS, IS RUNNING SO FAST THAT, UM, I I, I HAVE ON MY AGENDA TO TRY TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO DO ADDRESS BUILDING TO FIND OUT WHY THE HECK THEY AREN'T DOING THAT.
BUT SINCE ALL OF THESE ARE KNOWN FACTS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ANY DEVELOPER GOING FORWARD WHO DOESN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT, IS ALSO PUTTING THEMSELVES AT A, AT SOMEWHAT OF A, OF A LEGAL LIABILITY RISK FOR NOT HAVING DONE SO WHEN IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, TO ME IT'S THIS PLAINNESS, UH, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TWO EYES AND THE NOSE AND THE MOUTH.
UH, UH, THE GERALD TORNADO, UM, WACO TORNADO, UH, WE HAD A TORNADO IN ROUND ROCK, UH, LAST YEAR.
UM, THERE, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SERIOUS TORNADOES IN AUSTIN, BUT THERE, THEY HAPPEN BEFORE ANYONE IN THIS ROOM IS ALIVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FORGET, I'M AMAZED THAT PEOPLE WALK AROUND SAN UH, SAN FRANCISCO.
UM, SO BLITHELY HAVING SEEN, UH, THE DESTRUCTION FROM THE EARTHQUAKE THERE, UM, SOME, I DON'T KNOW, A FEW DECADES AGO NOW, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LONGER MEMORY
[00:25:01]
ME MORE AWARE THAT YEAH, MAYBE THIS YEAR WE WON'T HAVE A TORNADO.UH, UH, I PRAY THAT WE WON'T HAVE A DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO, BUT WE HAVE ON AVERAGE ABOUT TWO A YEAR.
AND YES, THEY'RE, THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, ARE HAVE BEEN F EF F ONE, UH, THAT'S THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE, OR EF F ZERO.
SO THEY'RE NOT AS OBVIOUS OR DAMAGE AS MUCH AS A E F FOUR OR E F FIVE, BUT, UM, WHEN, BUT OVERALL, STORMS ARE GETTING STRONGER, UH, BECAUSE OF, UM, UH, WHAT SOME CALLED THE CLIMATE, UM, CRISIS AND SOME CALL CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND, UH, AS OF YET, THE, UM, UH, METEOROLOGISTS ARE UNWILLING TO SAY WHETHER TORNADOES WILL BE MORE FREQUENT OR STRONGER THAN THEY WERE, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SCIENTISTS, AND SCIENTISTS LIKE TO GET A BURDEN OF PROOF, UH, BEFORE THEY, THEY GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY SOMETHING IS, SO, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU COULD PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH FOUR AND SEE THAT, UH, YEAH, THAT'S, IF IF STORMS IN GENERAL ARE MORE SEVERE, THEN UM, IT MAKES, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT TORNADOES ALSO WILL BE MORE SEVERE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND YOU, UM, UH, CAN DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WILL.
AND, UM, I, I HOPE THAT YOU FIND IT USEFUL.
UH, CUZ THAT'S IT, THAT'S MY POINT IN, IN BRINGING IT UP.
UH, WE'LL WE'RE, WE'LL DEFINITELY GET WITH THE DEVELOPER ON THAT.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, ALSO, AND I, AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING BRIEF AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT IN A KNOCKDOWN DRAG OUT, UH, ARE WE GONNA, UH, VOTE FOR THIS PROJECT OR NOT, UH, AT THE END OF THE ROAD, WHICH IS, UH, VERY STRESSFUL FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, CLARE, OR SHERA, YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENT, SHERA, THIS IS COMMISSIONER SHEIRA AND I'LL JUST KIND OF SECOND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE POINTS THAT COMMISSIONER SCOTT MADE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY, IF YOU'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, TAKING NOTES.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ANY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC, UM, AGREEMENTS TO ANY OF THE THINGS THAT SHE SAID.
IF YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT, WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO HEAR THAT.
UM, AND I COULD KIND OF LIST THOSE IN A SHORTER, UM, LENGTH OF TIME.
UH, BUT FOR YOU IF THAT WOULD HELP.
UM, BUT MY, UM, CAUSE I MEAN I DO HAVE SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS, ELECTRIC CHARGING VEHICLE STATIONS, UM, CHARGING STATIONS.
BUT, UM, OVERALL BESIDES THAT, I JUST WAS CURIOUS, UM, ABOUT THE, THE APPLICANT DOES NOT CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATE RESIDENTIAL USE OF THE PROPERTY, ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSED PROJECT COULD BE MODIFIED TO INCLUDE IT AND JUST WANTED A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT AROUND THAT ON WHEN IT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE CONSIDERED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE YOU START THESE PROCESSES AND THERE'S ONE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS, AND THEN AS, AS THE PROCESS MOVES ON, YOU MORPH.
UM, OFFICE RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF TOUGH, BUT IT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, UM, WE STARTED OFF AS AN OFFICE, WE'RE KIND OF HOLDING TO THAT, BUT WE'D LIKE, BECAUSE HOUSING NEEDS ARE IMPORTANT, WE WANT TO KEEP THAT AS A POTENTIAL USE.
AND IF THAT HAPPENS, THEN A LOT OF THESE ASSUMPTIONS WILL CHANGE BECAUSE THERE WILL BE, UM, UH, PARK CONSIDERATIONS, OPEN SPACE CONSIDERATIONS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE CAN'T, IN LAWYER TERMS, WE CAN'T PLEAD IN THE ALTERNATIVE IF THIS THAN THIS, CUZ RIGHT NOW IT'S AN OFFICE.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS COME BACK LATER AND IF IT DOES TURN INTO ALL OR PORTION RESIDENTIAL, WE'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT LIST.
BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ON ELECTRIC CARS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY THINGS ARE MOVING.
WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT AND, AND, AND WILL, UM, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 38 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER HEARD A CONCERN OVER A TORNADO, ALTHOUGH I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH.
I REMEMBER THE ONE CAME RIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY AT ROBERT MILLER AIR AIRPORT AND TOOK OUT A BUNCH OF PLANES AND TOOK OUT A BUNCH OF HANGERS.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT ONE.
THE, ON THE TREES, I MEAN, THERE'S ESSENTIALLY
[00:30:02]
VERY FEW, IF ANY TREES OUT THERE, WHATEVER WE DO IS GONNA BE AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE TREE SITUATION AND WE'RE GONNA MEET THE TREE CODE FOR SURE.AND WE'LL IMPROVE ON THAT WITH OUR ADDITIONAL TREES.
AND SHE ALSO MENTIONED, UM, MAKING USE OF SOLAR POWER.
IT, IT'S HARD TO, ON THE FLY DESIGN YOUR PROJECT AT EACH AND, AND, AND Y'ALL ARE OUR FIRST STOP, BY THE WAY, AS WE GO THROUGH ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE LOTS OF PUSH AND PULL, BUT THE SOLAR PANELS CLEARLY IS, IS ANOTHER THING THAT IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE.
AND WE'LL, WE'VE GOT THAT ON OUR LIST AND WE'LL CONSIDER THAT AS SHE ALSO MENTIONED, ADHERING TO THE DARK SKIES, LIGHTING RECOMMENDATIONS MM-HMM.
IT, IT'S KIND OF, WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THAT UNDER THE WATER WATERFRONT OVERLAY.
WE'RE LIMITED TO 20% REFLECTIVITY.
YOU GUYS REMEMBER, IT'S BEEN AGES AGO WE WERE BEFORE Y'ALL ON THE STATESMAN P U D, WE'D ASKED FOR SOME RELIEF FROM THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ENERGY CONSERVATION CONSIDERATIONS TO GET UP A LITTLE HIGHER REFLECTIVITY.
WHAT? AND THEN AUDUBON ORIGINALLY CAME BACK AND SAID, WELL WAIT A MINUTE.
WE WANT YOU TO DO LESS THAN THE 20%.
WE ULTIMATELY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE AUDUBON SOCIETY AT 20%, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING NOW.
UM, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE DARK SKY COMPONENT, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH LIGHTING.
AND I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL OF THAT AND MAKING THE COMMENTS ABOUT IT.
I, I DEFINITELY, WHEN I WAS THINKING OF OFFICE, I WAS LIKE, WHY OFFICE? SO YEAH.
I THINK ON THE LAST ONE Y'ALL HEARD THERE WERE BEEHIVES ON THE ROOF AND I'M THINKING, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO SOLAR AND BEEHIVES, BEEHIVE'S KIND OF COOL ACTUALLY, BUT NOT SURE CRUSHY YOU GOT ANYTHING? YEAH, FOR SURE.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU STAFF AS WELL AS THE APPLICANT, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, AS MR. SU UH, ALLUDED TO, RIGHT? UM, THE OFFICE SITUA COMMERCIAL SPACE AROUND HERE, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT META SUBLEASING THEIR TOWER, YOU'VE GOT STADIUM TOWER BY Q2 NOT BEING BUILT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK LOOKING AT, ESPECIALLY ON THE DENSITY LEVEL, RIGHT? YOU LOOK AT THIS PLACE ON UH, THE BLUE LINE, RIGHT? UH, IN ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
UM, I THINK PUTTING IN SOME KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, WOULD BE A WIN FOR EVERYBODY AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, LUXURY, WHATEVER.
UM,
FOR THE PUT, I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST, EVEN LIKE MARKET RATE RIGHT? WOULD BE LIKE SUPER EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? SO I SOMEWHAT AM SKEPTICAL ABOUT THAT CLAIM.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD DEFINITELY HELP, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BUILDING THAT'S TALLER THAN WHAT THE CURRENT CODE ALLOWS FOR.
WHY ARE WE JUST DOING THAT FOR OFFICE SPACE AND WHEN IT'S ON THE BLUE LINE, RIGHT? TO ME, IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE.
IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD SOMETHING THAT TALL, I THINK HAVING, UH, PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVING THERE APART FROM JUST LIKE FIVE O'CLOCK ON LIKE EVERYTHING OTHER THAN THE GROUND FLOOR THREE MIGHT MAKE SENSE.
UM, AND THEN I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, CHARGING, BUT HOW MUCH PARKING IS GONNA BE ON SITE, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DOING PARKLAND AND THEN WE'RE ALSO DOING TOWERS, UH, I THINK CURRENTLY, RIGHT? IT'S JUST LIKE SOME RANDOM OFFICE.
SO WHAT WOULD THE PARKING SITUATION LOOK LIKE? ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TRYING TO THINK DENSE, LIKE ON THE BLUE LINE WITH ALL THIS PEDESTRIAN SORT OF ACTIVATION STUFF.
SO PARKING IS A WEIRD ONE AND, AND THERE'S TWO OR THREE CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO PARKING.
NO DEVELOPER LIKES TO BUILD PARKING, IT'S EXPENSIVE, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO IT.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT LIKE TO ARE THE PARKING LOT PEOPLE.
BUT IN A BUILDING AND, AND ON DEVELOPMENTS, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO IT, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR TWO REASONS.
THEIR TENANTS LIKE IT CUZ WE'RE STILL SORT OF CAR DEPENDENT.
AND THEN TWO, WHEN YOU GO TO FINANCE THESE THINGS, THE LENDERS AND THE CAPITAL MARKETS, THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IF WE GOT THIS THING BACK AND THEY DON'T WANT TO GET SOMETHING BACK THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY PARKING.
AND THE REASON THEY'RE GETTING IT BACK IS CUZ IT WON'T LEASE BECAUSE THERE'S NO PARKING AND THEY'RE KIND OF STUCK.
SO YOU HAVE CODE REQUIREMENTS, THEN YOU HAVE PRACTICAL REQUIREMENTS AND THEN YOU'VE GOT FINANCING REQUIREMENTS.
AND WHAT EVERYBODY TRIES TO DO IS BALANCE THAT OUT.
[00:35:01]
THE NUMBER DOWN IS THE GOAL.SOMEDAY WE'LL GET THERE PROBABLY TO WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE PARKING, YOU GO TO NEW YORK, YOU'LL HAVE A HUGE BUILDING AND THERE'LL BE 20 PARKING SPACES TOTAL.
I MEAN FRANKLY THIS IS CONGRESS AND WHAT, UH, UH,
AND, BUT YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION WAS LIKE, UH, ABOUT THE PARK.
LIKE I SAW THAT Y'ALL WERE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, ACTIVATED WITH LIKE THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, UH, PROGRAM THAT THE CITY HAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS WONDERING IF Y'ALL COULD EXPOUND MORE ON LIKE WHAT YOU ENVISION THE PARK TO BE, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY THIS IS LIKE A REALLY HIGH VALUE PIECE OF PROPERTY HERE, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANY SORT OF PLANS THAT WE HAVE ON LIKE A PUBLIC SPACE, RIGHT? LIKE WE SHOULD DO IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW.
RIGHT NOW THIS THING IS COVERED UP IN CONCRETE AND SO WE'RE REDUCING THE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND BY DOING THAT WE'RE DOING THE, THE GREEN SPACE AREAS.
AND, AND I THINK AS WE GET THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE, YOU'LL SEE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF KIND OF HANG OUT AND NOT BE ON CONCRETE, WHICH IS WHAT'S THERE.
NOW IF WE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ENHANCE THAT AND PROVIDE THE PROGRAMMING AND, AND THE DESIGN OF THOSE SPACES.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE BLOCK, BLOCK DIAGRAM PHASE.
THESE PIECES WILL BE GREEN OF SOME SORT.
THESE PIECES WILL BE BUILDING.
BUT UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE A SITE THAT'S WHAT, FOUR ACRES AND EVEN IF WE DID RESIDENTIAL, YOU WOULDN'T PROVIDE A WHOLE LOT OF PARK LAND ON A FOUR ACRE SITE.
CAUSE IT JUST, IT JUST WOULDN'T WORK.
BUT IF WE DO RESIDENTIAL, THE PARK DISCUSSION WILL COME UP CUZ WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE TRAIL.
I THINK DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, THE PROXIMITY TO THE TRAIL GIVES THIS PLACE ADDED VALUE, WHICH I MEAN IS ALREADY LIKE SUPER HIGH AS IT IS.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, JUST INTERESTED TO, YOU KNOW, AS MORE DETAILS EMERGE TO SEE, UH, SORT OF WHAT THAT CONVERSATION LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UH, THOSE ARE PRETTY MUCH ALL MY QUESTIONS.
THOSE ARE GOOD COMMENTS BY THE WAY.
WE'VE GOT A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE OVER HERE THAT ARE TAKING NOTES ON ALL OF THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE, WHEN WE COME BACK BEFORE YOU, WE'LL HAVE ANSWERS TO, TO THESE QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER BROMMER, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS,
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING MR. SADDLE AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS WELL AS THAT STAFF HEARING, UH, HAVE SOME THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, UH, THESE KIND OF FALL INTO THINGS THAT I'M GONNA LOOK FOR BEFORE I APPROVE ANYTHING OR VOTE TO APPROVE ANYTHING.
AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A L ZONING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO I'M GONNA LOOK FOR, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA INSIST THAT, UH, SOME OF THE POSSIBLE ZONING, UH, I, I KNOW WHAT YOU PLAN ON BUILDING THERE, AN OFFICE BUILDING.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW AN L ZONING WILL ALLOW, UH, AUTO AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR AND, UH, UH, GAS STATIONS.
OKAY? I'M GONNA REQUEST THAT THOSE BE STRUCK FROM THE APPROVED ZONING, UH, THINGS THERE.
SO THOSE THINGS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THAT PROPERTY.
OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
UH, NEXT THING IS YOU DIDN'T SPECIFY HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS WERE GONNA BE THERE.
UH, SO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY IS, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT ELECTRONIC OR, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL EV CHARGING STATION.
I'M GONNA SAY THAT AT A MINIMUM, 10% OF THE SPOTS HAVE TO HAVE EV CHARGING STATIONS AT A MINIMUM.
OKAY? SO WE'RE GONNA WORK UPWARDS FROM THAT.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE POINT THAT YOU MADE WITH REGARD TO, UH, YOU KNOW, REFLECTIVITY OF, UH, THE BUILDING FOR BIRDS AND ENERGY CONSERVATION AND ALL THAT OTHER SORT OF STUFF, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ADHERE TO THE, UH, THE BIRD PROTECTION AS WELL AS THE DARK SKIES.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND DARK SKIES AS LIGHTING IN BIRDS, AS REFLECTIVITY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, UH, DOCUMENT HERE WE HAVE FROM THE, UH, CITY PEOPLE, UH, MENTIONED THAT THIS IS ON A, UH, TRAVEL WAY FOR BIRDS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROTECT THE BIRDS ON THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, MIGRATORY PATH.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE TREES, BUT I DON'T EVER REMEMBER ANYONE SAYING HOW MANY TREES, AND YOU WANTED TO HAVE AN EXEMPTION FOR, UH, DAMAGE IN DISEASE TREES, BUT OUT OF X NUMBER OF TREES, YOU DIDN'T SAY HOW MANY OF MINUS X IS ACTUALLY DISEASE.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S 10
[00:40:01]
TREES AND YOU'RE GONNA CUT DOWN SEVEN OR IF THERE'RE 10 TREES AND YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN THREE.SO WE NEED SOME HARD NUMBERS ON ALL THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT REALLY FOND OF VAGUE GENERALITIES, OKAY? I LIKE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, HARD FACTS.
I DON'T LIKE ANYTHING THAT IS OPEN TO QUESTION AND DOUBT AND I DON'T LIKE TO HAGGLE OVER STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING I DO.
UH, NOW I DON'T MIND IF YOU CONVERT THIS INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR LEAVE IT AS A BUILDING, BUT I'M GONNA INSIST THAT IN THERE, THAT, UH, IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA TURN THIS INTO A, A CONDO BUILDING THAT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS, BUT, UH, I, YOU KNOW, IF WE, YOU KNOW, PUT A STAMP OF APPROVAL ON THIS THING, AND THEN IN MIDSTREAM YOU DECIDE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A CONDO COMPLEX, THEN UH, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT SAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, X NUMBER OF UNITS OF THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, X PERCENTAGE OF THESE UNITS ARE GONNA BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
OKAY? SO THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, NOTHING VAGUE ABOUT THAT EITHER.
NOW YOU'VE MENTIONED ABOUT GREEN WATER AND RAINWATER HARVESTING, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING 50%.
UH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS A REPUTATION OF BEING A CAN-DO CITY AND BEING ON THE FOREFRONT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING FALLS INTO THAT SAME TYPE OF THING.
I THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN 50% ON BOTH OF THESE.
AND I WANNA SEE HOW MUCH BETTER THAN 50% THAT YOU CAN DO ON THIS.
NOW, MAYBE IT'S 51%, MAYBE IT'S 60%, I DON'T KNOW, BUT 50% I SEE AS A BASELINE AT A MINIMUM, OKAY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CREATIVITY, UH, IN THIS TOWN AS FAR AS ARCHITECTURES, ENGINEERS, UH, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I'M SURE SOMEONE CAN DO 52% A LOT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A LOT OF TROUBLE AND NOT A LOT OF EXPENSE.
SO I DON'T SEE THIS BEING A BIG PROBLEM AT ALL.
UH, NOW I AGREE THAT YOUR, UH, THE, THE, THE LOT SIZE ON THAT, UH, PROPERTY BEING ABOUT FOUR ACRES OR WHATEVER IT IS, IS PRETTY SMALL AND DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO DO A LOT OF PUBLIC PARKS.
UH, HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE GONNA TURN THAT THING INTO A CONDO BUILDING, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, YOU'RE GONNA PUT A LOT OF DEMAND ON PARK LAND IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, OF WHICH THERE'S PRECIOUS LITTLE RIGHT NOW YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PARKS IN THAT PART OF TOWN AS BEING OVERUSED RIGHT NOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA TURN THAT INTO A, UH, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU, UH, KICK IN A FEW BUCKS TO THE CITY'S FUND TO, UH, DEVELOP NEW PARKS.
OKAY? SO IF IT'S AN OFFICE BUILDING, EH, WHATEVER, UH, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA TURN THAT INTO A CONDO THING, I DON'T WANNA SEE SOME BUCKS KICKED INTO THE KITTY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, PARKS IN SOME OTHER PART OF THE CITY OR SOME SORT OF, UH, FUNDS GO INTO IMPROVING ZILKER OR, UH, GUERRERO PARK OR WHATEVER.
SOME OF THE PARKS ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, THE CITY HAS A FUND FOR THIS TYPE OF THING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU REPLENISH THAT OR THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND I'M SURE THESE ARE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT 3M PROPERTY, I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA BE APPLYING THIS SAME LEVEL OF STANDARD UP, UP THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WORK ON THAT, AND I, AS I'M SURE YOU WILL BE.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR AS, UH, AS THIS MOVES FORWARD.
SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M JUST KIND OF STATING WHAT MY POSITION IS ON THIS.
UM, SORRY, THIS IS KIND OF CAUGHT HERE.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, I DIDN'T REALLY WRITE THESE DOWN IN ANY KIND OF ORDER.
UM, SO THE PARKING IS UNDERGROUND AND, UM, YOU'RE NEXT TO THE LAKE AND YOU'RE WITHIN PROBABLY SOME OF IT WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN.
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON MITIGATING FOR SOME OF THE FLOOD ISSUES? SAME WAY THE BUILDINGS NEXT DOOR TO US HAVE YOU BASICALLY BUILD A BATHTUB MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN THE EV STATIONS, I, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE AS FAR AS FLOODING GOES AS WELL.
THOSE WOULD GET REAL EXCITING IF THEY GOT FLOODED.
SO WE'D HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND WE HAVE PARTIAL, PARTIAL UNDERGROUND PARTIAL ABOVE GROUND.
UM, SO, UH, AND I ASSUME THAT, UM, YOU'LL BE HOOKED UP ON CITY WATER? YES.
AND WILL THERE NEED TO BE A SUBSTATION ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY FOR, UH, ELECTRICAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? MAN, I HOPE NOT.
I SAW THE BRODY OAKS GUYS GET CAUGHT LATE IN THE GAME WHERE THEY NEEDED A FIVE ACRE DEAL, AND THAT WOULD OF COURSE TAKE US OUT.
BUT WE WE'RE, SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD THAT WE NEED A SUBSTATION.
[00:45:01]
THEN I THINK MY, MY BIGGEST, UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE HEIGHT.UM, THERE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WHEN YOU HAVE HEIGHT, UM, LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT ALTERS, UM, HOW THE SUN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IS ALL AROUND AND THE SHADE HAPPENS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE FOR ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
UM, IT, UH, IT CREATES SOUND AS IT BOUNCES OFF THAT BUILDING AND COMES DOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, FOR OTHER, UH, ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO I THINK THAT MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN, UM, IS THAT HEIGHT.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SURE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M SURE FEEL CERTAIN THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ALSO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME CONCERNS AROUND THE HEIGHT AS WELL.
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UM, UM, RE REFLECTIVITY AND THE BIRD STRIKE GLASSES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO BUILDING PRACTICES THAT HELP REDUCE THE SOUND AT THE SAME TIME, REDUCE BIRD STRIKES.
AND SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME REALLY, UM, REALLY AWESOME, UH, ARCHITECTURAL, UM, UH, STUDIES THAT ARE OUT ON THAT NOW, UM, TO SHOW LIKE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE THAT HELP REDUCE THAT CANING EFFECT, WHICH AGAIN, PROPELS THOSE BIRDS, UH, SO QUICKLY, UM, ONTO, UH, THE BUILDINGS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, ENDS, ENDS THEIR, ENDS THEIR LIFE THERE.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO KIND OF SEE SOME, SOME ELEMENTS OF THAT, ESPECIALLY, UM, FOR REDUCING THAT CANYON EFFECT FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
I MEAN THAT NOT JUST THE BIRDS, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THAT IMPACTS US AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ALREADY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PARK LINE DEDICATION.
I THINK I SHARE EVERYBODY'S, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INTERNAL, UH, CONCERN THAT, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG BUILDING FOR OFFICE SPACE, UM, AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO NOT BE IN THE OFFICE AS MUCH AND WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF REDUCING, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT.
AND SO HOPEFULLY, UM, THAT CAN BE A MORE MIXED USE, UM, TYPE PROPERTY, UM, THAT HAS HOUSING ON IT AS WELL.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT COMES WITH, UM, IMPACT, UH, TO THE PARKLAND TO EVERYTHING ELSE, UM, AROUND IT, AS WELL AS HAVING PEOPLE THERE 24 7 INSTEAD OF JUST DURING THE DAYTIME.
UM, BUT I, I THINK, I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT MUCH SPACE, UM, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE, UH, SOME HOUSING WITHIN IT.
AND THEN, UM, AND, AND FIRST OFF, I'M WATCHING YOU NOD, SO, SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE I NEED A HUNDRED PERCENT
THAT'S, I READ THAT AS SO YES.
UH, AND THEN MY, MY FINAL AND, AND LAST, UH, UH, COMMENT IS, UH, A PLEA TO DO BETTER THAN THE BOX.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF JUST UP AND DOWN BUILDINGS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE SOME COOL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING DOWN THERE, AND I HOPE THAT, UM, THAT IT TURNS OUT TO BE SO, AND IT REALLY REPRESENTS AUSTIN.
WE WILL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOUND IS INTERESTING.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE A NOTE OF THAT.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE IS SOUND ATTENUATION ON TALL BUILDINGS.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING THOUGHT.
UM, I HAD A LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS THAT THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS BEFORE IT KIND OF MENTIONED AS ALONG WITH THE HEIGHT.
UM, I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAD DONE ANY STUDIES WITH, UM, THE BAT SITUATION OVER THERE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE CONGRESS BRIDGE, AND SO I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAD STARTED LOOKING AT THAT OR DIFFERENT, UM, DESIGN TECHNIQUES THAT COULD AID THE BAT POP POPULATION.
SO IN THE PREVIOUS PU THAT WE JUST WRAPPED UP AT COUNCIL LAST WEEK, WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, WAS IT TWO AMANDA OR THREE BAT ORGANIZATIONS? THREE, UM, A LOT OF SCIENCE OUT THERE.
AND WE CAN, THE REST ASSURED THIS PROJECT IS NOT GONNA BE ONE, THE ONE THAT TAKES THE BATS OUT.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA REALLY BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
UH, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT AND WE'LL, WE'LL SURE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND THE, THE BATS CURRENTLY LIVE UNDER A HEAVILY, HEAVILY TRAFFICKED BRIDGE WITH TALL BUILDINGS AROUND THEM.
NOW THEY GENERALLY COME OUT LOW, THEY'RE EATING DOWN AROUND THE BOTTOM.
AND WE'RE SET BACK PRETTY FAR BACK ON THIS ONE.
WE'VE GOT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX BETWEEN US AND THEIR, AND THEIR FLYWAY, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY GET WITH THE BAT ORGANIZATIONS ON THIS.
AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I KIND OF THOUGHT OF WITH THAT PARK SPACE OR LIKE THE LIMITED, UM, LAND, UM, WAS MAYBE POSSIBLY THINKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
OR HAVE IT BE LIKE FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO USE THAT LAND AS WELL.
[00:50:02]
WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.UM, YEAH, THANKS FOR COMING, UH, STAFF, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO THANKS FOR THE APPLICANT FOR THE PRESENTATION AND COMING EARLY AND SEEKING OUR, OUR FEEDBACK.
UM, SEVERAL OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE WERE WHAT I ALREADY HAD JOTTED DOWN.
COMMISSIONER GARY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, AND MAYBE THIS IS FROM STAFF.
I DON'T KNOW, THIS PROPERTY IS WITHIN THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AREA, AND I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS THAT GROUP MAY HAVE.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN PART OF FEATURE REPORTS.
COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY.
I, UH, I HAVE MADE THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE, UH, S RCC, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, UH, CONTACT TEAM AWARE OF THIS PROJECT AND INCLUDING TONIGHT'S MEETING AND PROVIDED THEM WITH THE BACKUP.
UM, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY, UM, WRITTEN FEEDBACK FROM THAT, FROM THEM AT THIS TIME, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT.
WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO THEM AS WELL.
UM, UM, YEAH, SO, UH, THE, THE POINTS THAT WERE MADE, UM, WERE DEFINITELY, YOU, YOU MADE REFERENCE TO THE, THE FIRESTONE PUT THAT CAME TO US MAYBE SIX WEEKS AGO OR SO.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIRDS, THE BATS, THE BEES.
UH, I, I THINK MAYBE LOOKING TO SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS OR IDEAS ON THAT ONE.
UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU DO HAVE TO BALANCE, UH, SEVERAL ELEMENTS.
UH, DEFINITELY FROM AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE STANDPOINT, UH, WE'RE REALLY ASKING PEOPLE TO KIND OF PRE-WIRE, UM, MAYBE THE TECHNOLOGY IN 10 YEARS WILL BE DIFFERENT OF WHAT A CHARGING STATION LOOKS LIKE, BUT, BUT, BUT PRE-WIRING IT TO WHERE IT KIND OF PLUG AND PLAY.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION ASKS A LOT ABOUT FOR PUDS THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HIT YET TONIGHT IS TRYING TO MAYBE RECYCLE SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT'S ONSITE NOW THAT WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, DURING DEMO, UM, AND, AND USING LOWER CARBON, UH, MATERIALS IF YOU CAN, SUCH AS LOWER CARBON, UH, CONCRETE OR OTHER ELEMENTS WHEN YOU ARE CONSTRUCTING THE, THE NEW, UH, THE NEW, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
BUT, UH, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
WELL, Y'ALL HAVE THANKED US FOR COMING HERE.
I GOTTA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE CUZ I'M JUST ONE OF HUNDREDS OF CASES Y'ALL LISTENED TO AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA COME BACK TO ME.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU WERE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO I DO HAVE SOME MORE COMMENTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WILL FOLLOW THIS BUT ME, BUT, UM, YOU'RE NOT CLUSTERING THE BUILDINGS AND YOU SAID YOURSELF THERE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE THEM, UM, SORT OF HUMANISTIC WHEN THEY'RE 410 FEET TALL.
SO, UM, I, I THINK, OKAY, THE OPEN SPACE IS BEING, UM, APPROVED BECAUSE YOU WERE GONNA GIVE COMMUNITY USE.
OKAY? SO COMMUNITY USE IS GONNA BE, UM, THE CAP METRO, UM, IS ADJACENT TO YOUR BUILDING AND SO FORTH.
YOU'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE BAT VIEWING NEARBY YOUR BUILDING, BUT THOSE ARE NOT ON THIS POD.
SO I AM WONDERING WHY WE ARE OFFSETTING OPEN SPACE ON THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
IF WE HAVE THE CAT METRO STATION THERE AND YOU'RE LIMITING OPEN SPACE TO, UM, MORE THAN HALF OF WHAT YOU ARE, UH, GOING TO HAVE TO BE PRIVATE.
I'M, I'M WONDERING WHY WE THINK THAT'S, UM, SUPERIOR.
BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THE CAT METRO RAIL STATION RIGHT THERE, WE NEED A LOT MORE, UH, OPEN SPACE.
THERE'RE GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M KIND OF CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A PET IS SUPPOSED TO BE SUPERIOR AND WE HAVE LOTS OF NEEDS.
THE COMMUNITY HAS LOTS OF NEEDS BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES THAT ARE GONNA BE REALLY CLOSE TO YOUR PETS.
SO I WANT TO KNOW WHY OVER HALF OF THE OPEN SPACE THAT YOU HAVE IN PRIVATE POCKET PARTS IS, IS GOING TO BE IN A PRIVATE POCKET PART AND IT'S BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS.
SO I'M, I'M VERY CONFUSED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE COMMUNITY USE OFFSET
[00:55:01]
OF THE OPEN SPACE.UM, I I I DON'T THINK IT'S SUPERIOR IS ALL I'M SAYING.
I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THAT IF THAT'S ONE OF YOUR, UH, AREAS OF, I I THINK THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE OPEN SPACE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE WITH THE FOOTPRINT THAT'S THAT LARGE, BECAUSE REALLY YOU'RE NOT IMPROVING IT OVER WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A BUILDING THERE THAT HAS, UM, LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND THIS, 89.8% IMPERVIOUS COVER NOW AND THE LZ ZONING, UM, THE, IT ALLOWS 50% IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT YOUR PUD PROPOSES 80% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
SO, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE GETTING? WE'RE GETTING NINE.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S JUST SO CLOSE THAT YOU COULD ALMOST ARGUE THE HEIGHT WOULD NOT BE WORTH IT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, MAYBE THE AMENITIES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING WILL BE WONDERFUL AND ACTUALLY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO USE IT AND THE ART WILL BE GREAT.
BUT I THINK THAT REALLY YOU SHOULD WORK TOWARDS HAVING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE OPEN SPACE BECAUSE THAT IS THE THING THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL US YOU'RE GOING TO DO FOR US BY GETTING RID OF THE 89.8 IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT THERE IS NOW.
WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT PAMELA WITH YOU, MAKE IT TO PUBLIC OPEN SPACE OR PARK AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PARKS PEOPLE START WONDERING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAINTAIN IT.
BUT I, BUT YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL TAKEN AND WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THOSE BACK AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
NO, THAT WE'RE, IF YOU GOT 1, 1, 1 OR TWO MORE QUICK COMMENTS, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP, KEEP ROLLING.
BRIEFLY, UM, I FORGOT TO, UH, MEANT TO BRING UP THAT, UM, YOU HA YOU'RE SAYING THE LEAST 25% OF THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS WOULD BE, UH, POROUS, UM, PAVEMENT.
AND I'M WONDERING WHY LIMITED TO 25%, WHY NOT ANY ALL PEDESTRIAN, UH, PAVEMENT, UH, AS, AS POOR AS JUST BECAUSE IT MAKES MORE SENSE AND, UM, FLOODING IS A REAL SERIOUS CONCERN.
UM, IF NEW YORK CITY CAN FLOOD FROM A HURRICANE, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AUSTIN COULD GET ONE OF THOSE HURRICANES THAT COMES AND STALLS IN LAND ONE OF THESE DAYS.
UH, I, I HOPE I'M NOT HERE WHEN THAT HAPPENS, BUT IT SURE IS ON THE RADAR, UM, OR COULD BE ON THE RADAR, UM, LITERALLY.
UM, AND, UH,
AND I, UH, I THINK SOME MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT WHO IS RECYCLING THAT AND WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT AND HOW FEASIBLE THAT IS.
I, I WOULD THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEBODY TO BE DOING THAT IN AUSTIN AS MUCH DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT IS IS GONNA BE GOING ON CUZ IT, UH, CONCRETE DOES MAKE, UM, DOES RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE WHEN IT'S BEING MADE AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ADD TO IT PREVIOUSLY MADE CONCRETE, YOU DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, CO2 EMISSIONS.
SO, UH, IT, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE, UM, IN THE OVERALL, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR NOW.
[3. Name: Oltorf Site Plan (SP-2021-0091C)]
NEXT UP WE'RE MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM THREE, WHICH IS THE OLTORF SITE PLAN, S P 2021 DASH 0 9 1 C.UH, IT IS AT 45 44 EAST OLD TOF, BOSTON, TEXAS 78 7 41 DISTRICT THREE, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION AND THEN THE APPLICANT, I BELIEVE IS HERE AS WELL.
[01:00:01]
THE ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM FOR A POSITION IN PUBLIC WORKS.SO I'M SAD TO SEE HIM LEAVE AND I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY FOR HIM.
MY NAME IS MIKE MCDOUGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE PROJECT IS OLTORF.
AND SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROPERTY DATA SYNOPSIS.
THIS SITE CONSTRAINS VARIANCE REQUEST, GRADING AND SLOPES.
RECOMMENDATIONS, INFERENCE EXHIBITS.
SO THE PROPERTIES IN THE COUNTRY CLUB WEST WATERSHED, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED, IS THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND IT'S NOT LOCATED FOR AT OR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
AND, UH, THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF OLTORF AND WICKER SHAM.
SO IT'S A 1.96 ACRE SITE, AS I SAID, INTER LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF OLD TOF AND WICKER SHAM.
THAT PROJECT IS A UNIFIED RETAIL DEVELOPMENT WITH AN ASSOCIATED DETENTION POND AND A RAIN GARDEN.
THE ELEVATION ON THE PROPERTY RANGES FROM 558 FEET ALONG WICKER SHAM TO 520 FEET IN THE WEST.
SO ACROSS THE TWO ACRES OF SITE, THE SITE, THERE'S ALMOST 40 FEET OF ELEVATION CHANGE.
SO THE SITE HAS SOME CONSTRAINTS, UM, DUE TO THE, UH, THE TOPOGRAPHY ACCESSIBILITY REGULATIONS AND DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS, UH, ARE, ARE OF CONCERN.
AND ALSO THERE'S A COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARD AS WELL.
UM, I'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN A SECOND.
SO THERE'S A VARIANCE REQUEST TO ALLOW A DRIVEWAY AND SLOPES OVER 15% AND A VARIANCE REQUEST TO ALLOW CUT OVER FOUR FEET.
AND, UH, VARIANCE REQUEST WILL ALLOW FILL OVER FOUR FEET.
AND SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK CLOSER FOR A SECOND.
SO THE ORANGE IS, UH, CUT FROM 48 FEET AND THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH POND CONSTRUCTION.
THE BLUE IS FILL FROM FOUR TO EIGHT FEET.
THE GREEN IS FILL, UH, EXCUSE ME, AND THE OTHER COLORS, THE GREEN, THE RED, AND THE BRONZE ARE FILLED UP TO ABOUT 20.5 FEET.
AND THIS IS THE SLOPE EXHIBIT.
SO THE, UH, THE SLOPE ON YOUR LEFT WITH THE, OR THE EXHIBIT ON THE LEFT WITH THE GREEN, UH, SHOWS THE GRADING FROM FOUR TO EIGHT FEET.
IT'S ABOUT EIGHT, EXCUSE ME, 18 18,731 SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN THE EXHIBIT ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE FILL AS WELL.
THE SLOPE EXHIBIT IS WHY I WANNA, WHAT I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON THE YELLOW SHOWS SLOPES FROM ZERO TO 15%.
THE CITY DOESN'T REGULATE CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES UP TO 15%.
UM, THE GREEN IS SLOPES FROM 15 TO 25% AND THE PURPLE IS SLOPES OVER 25%.
AND SO THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THREE LAND USE COMMISSION VARIANCES.
UH, BY WORKING WITH STAFF, WE WERE ABLE TO GO DOWN TO THREE.
THERE WERE ORIGINALLY FIVE VARIANCES, BUT WITH SOME, UH, DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND SOME ADJUSTING OF THE SITE, WE WENT DOWN TO THREE.
ONE ITEM WE DID ASK THE APPLICANT TO CONSIDER WAS TO SHIFT THE DRIVEWAY CLOSER TO THE INTERSECTION.
THAT IS DOWN TO, UH, THE INTERSECTION OF OLTORF AND WICKER SHAM, BECAUSE DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES OVER 15% IS NOT, IS NOT ALLOWED.
AND SO THE DRIVEWAY, AS YOU CAN SEE OFF OF THESE SWARF TOUCHES ON THE SLOPES THAT ARE GREEN AND PURPLE, THAT IS SLOPES OVER 15%.
AND THE APPLICANT ADVISED US THAT COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS REQUIRE A CERTAIN MINIMUM OF BUILDING FRINGE ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND SO IF WE WERE TO MOVE THE DRIVEWAY CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION, THEN WE JUST PUT THE BUILDING ON THE STEEP SLOPES, WHICH WOULD ALSO NOT BE COMPLIANT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE DRIVEWAY COULDN'T BE TOO CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION.
SO THE DRIVEWAY ON SLOPES WERE, WAS, I WOULD SAY, UH, A DESIGN CONSIDERATION THAT WAS JUST, COULD NOT BE WORKED AROUND VERY, VERY EASILY.
AND SECOND, UH, THE AMOUNT OF FILL IS AT LEAST IN PART REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THE, UM, ADA REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE THE PARKING LOT LEVEL.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, THE APPLICANT AND I, AND, AND TUNDE, UH, DISCUSSED MAYBE HAVING THE PARKING LOT, HAVE SOME STEEPER SLOPES, MAYBE EVEN A SPLIT LEVEL PARKING LOT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, THE APPLICANT HAD MENTIONED THE PARKING LOT REALLY NEEDS TO BE LEVEL SO THAT SOMEBODY CAN PARK IN ONE PART OF THE PARK, ONE PART OF THE PARKING LOT, AND THEN GO TO ANY STORE WITHIN THIS CENTER.
SO A D A REQUIREMENTS WERE REALLY APPLICABLE FOR THE WHOLE PARKING LOT.
AND THEN ALSO WHERE THE STEEPER SLOPES ARE, THE GREEN AND THE PURPLE IS WHERE THE PONDS ARE LOCATED.
SO, SO IT WAS ALSO NECESSARY TO DO THE, UH, THE CUT AND FILLER FOUR FEET TO ALLOW POND CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCES DETER HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE FINDINGS OF EFFECT HAVE BEEN MET FOR ALL THREE VARIANCES.
AND STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDS AND SUPPORTS THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS IN ACCORDANCE, UH, WITH THE APPROVED VARIANCES, WITH THE APPROVED VARIANCES, EXCUSE ME.
SO PROVIDE EIGHT ADDITIONAL TREES AT THREE
[01:05:01]
INCHES EATONS EACH ONSITE, AND THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND THE LANDSCAPE TREE REQUIREMENTS AND ANY TREE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS.SO WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR ESSENTIALLY 24 MORE INCHES OF, OF TREES AND TO PROVIDE STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT OF THE FILL WITH THE RETAINING WALLS.
AND THE RELEVANCE OF THAT IS TO, UH, IS TO, DURING CONSTRUCTION, IF THERE'S A LOT OF FILL ON SITE, THE RETAINING WALLS WILL HELP KEEP THE FILL IN PLACE RATHER THAN JUST PUT A LOT OF FILL DOWN, IT COULD POSSIBLY WASH OFF.
SO THE IDEA IS TO BUILD THE WALLS FIRST AND THEN BACK, FILL BEHIND THE WALLS TO MAKE A, UH, A MORE STABLE CONSTRUCTION UNTIL EVERYTHING'S ALL STABILIZED AND, AND FINISHED.
AND SO THESE ARE THE, UH, SOME MORE OF THE EXHIBITS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
UM, THE EXHIBIT ON THE LEFT IS, UH, JUST THE, THE FILLED EXHIBIT.
AND THEN THE OTHER, THE EXHIBIT ON THE RIGHT IS JUST THE, THE PLANTING SCHEDULE.
BUT FUNDAMENTALLY WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR AS A VARIANCE CONDITION, ADDITIONAL TREES.
AND WITH THAT, I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AND JIM WHITTLE IS HERE AS WELL.
UM, YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT AS WELL, AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF OTHER STAFF OR THE APPLICANT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE.
MY NAME IS JIM WHITTLE, AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK MIKE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF.
UM, JUST A QUICK, UH, A QUICK SIDE NOTE, SINCE I'M NOT ON A TIGHT TIME CONSTRAINT.
UM, AS MIKE STATED, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, WHEN WE FIRST ASKED FOR THE VARIANCE, UH, I'M GONNA CHARACTERIZE BABATUNDE DER'S RESPONSE, NOT ONLY NO, BUT HELL NO
AND WE, WE SAT DOWN AND TALKED ABOUT IT NOW TO STAFF'S, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TO, TO THEIR, UH, MY APPRECIATION.
THEY WERE VERY WILLING TO TALK AND THEY WERE VERY WILLING TO HEAR OUR SIDE OF THINGS.
AND WE TALKED SOME ABOUT THE ADA REQUIREMENTS AND THE OTHER THINGS.
AND, UH, AND WE DID EVENTUALLY WORK OUR WAY DOWN FROM FIVE VARIANCES.
SO I VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS LEVEL OF COLLABORATIVE PLANNING WITH CITY STAFF.
I THINK IT'S A BETTER PROJECT BECAUSE OF IT, AND IT CERTAINLY DID REDUCE TO, UH, WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE UNNECESSARY ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE REQUESTS.
NOW, ON THE OTHER SIDE, DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARY IT IS FOR A PROPERTY OWNER TO SPEND TWO AND A HALF MILLION ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND THEN A HALF A MILLION IN ENGINEERING AND PLANNING OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD? AND THEN HE COMES TO A MEETING LIKE TODAY, AND THE NEXT ONE AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON WHETHER THE WHOLE THING GETS A THUMB UP OR THUMBS DOWN.
SO WE ARE VERY MOTIVATED TO MAKE YOU GUYS HAPPY.
MORE MOTIVATED THAN RICHARD, UH, SUBTLE WAS, BY THE WAY,
SO, SO THAT BEING SAID, I DO HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
MINE IS PROBABLY GONNA PALE COMPARED TO, UH, WHAT MIKE'S WAS, BUT, UH, AGAIN, HERE WE ARE, THE VARIANCES ARE SUMMARIZED.
MIKE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE THREE VARIANCES.
LIKE HE DESCRIBED IT, IT'S AT THE INTERSECTION OF, UH, THOSE TWO ROADS.
NOW, MY NET ACREAGE IS DIFFERENT THAN HIS BECAUSE, UH, ONE POINT 96 IS WHAT WE STARTED WITH, BUT NOW WE'RE DEDICATING AN ADDITIONAL 11 FEET ALONG OLTORF AND AN ADDITIONAL 15 FEET ALONG WICKER SHAM.
SO THAT TAKES US DOWN TO 1.87 ACRES, AND AS HE SAID, SUBURBAN WATERSHED DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND WE'RE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THREE CAP METRO BUS LINES, AND THERE ARE FOUR BUS STOPS WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THE SITE.
NOW AROUND THIS PROPERTY, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE MF TWO, MF TWO ZONING.
IT BASICALLY, THIS SITE WAS ONCE MF TWO AND IT WAS REZONED.
UM, WE'RE IN A SEA OF, UH, OF ROOFTOPS HERE, RELATIVELY DENSE, UH, YOU KNOW, URBAN AREA.
AND I ACTUALLY SEE THIS LOCATION AT THE CORNER OF, UH, OF TWO BUS LINES, THREE BUS LINES AS A GREAT INFILL LOCATION FOR SOME NEEDED RETAIL SERVICES, CONVENIENCE RETAIL SERVICES, IF YOU WILL, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS GENERAL AREA.
AND IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD HELP MAKE THE CITY MORE WALKABLE.
IT SHOULD CUT DOWN ON SOME OF THE TRIPS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE TO THINGS LIKE DRY CLEANERS OR, UH, HAIR SALONS OR WHATEVER.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE.
THERE'RE GONNA RENT THE THREE RENTAL SPACES, BUT THERE WILL BE A, UH, LARGE, VERY STATE-OF-THE-ART CONVENIENCE STORE HERE WITH A DELI.
[01:10:01]
AN OUTSIDE EATING AREA FOR PEOPLE.UH, AND COULD I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WHILE WE'RE TALKING? THANK YOU.
UM, ALRIGHT, I'LL GET BACK TO THIS ONE IN A SECOND.
BUT THERE'S A LARGE OUTDOOR EATING AREA THAT WILL BE PROVIDED FOR PEOPLE TO SIT AND THEY CAN LOOK AT THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE FROM THIS SITE.
IT'S GOT A, GOT A NICE LITTLE SKYLINE VIEW.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE ENTITLEMENT HISTORY ON THIS PROPERTY.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLAIDED AS, UH, PART OF THE MONACO SUBDIVISION BACK IN 2002.
THEN IT WAS REPLANTED AS THE NEXUS SUBDIVISION IN 2013.
AND THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE CONFIGURATION OF THOSE TWO LOTS.
THE ZONING WAS CHANGED FROM MF TWO TO GR M U C O, UH, IN FEBRUARY, 2013.
AND THEN WE SUBMITTED OUR CURRENT SITE PLAN ON THE, FOR THIS, ON MARCH 24TH, 2021.
THAT WAS, UH, THE, UH, FORMAL SUBMITTAL DATE.
SO AS I STATED THERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT HATCHED AREA UP AT THE TOP OF THE DRAWING.
THAT'S GONNA BE AN OUTDOOR SEATING AREA, CRUSHED GRANITE WITH SOME PICNIC TABLES AND A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SIT DOWN AND EAT.
IT'S NEXT TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE, NEXT TO THE LAUNDROMAT, AND THEN UP AT THE HARD CORNER OF WICKERSHAM AND OLTORF WILL BE THREE, UH, RENTAL SPACES.
NOW, AS MIKE, UH, MENTIONED, ALMOST 40 FEET OF FALL BETWEEN WICKER SHAM AND WHAT'S THE TOP OF THIS DRAWING.
SO RATHER A DAUNTING SLOPE TO THIS PROPERTY.
UM, OKAY, WELL, AGAIN, I'LL, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD MY, UH, I PUT THIS TOGETHER TODAY AND, UH, DIDN'T PRACTICE IT.
SO, UH, ANYHOW, UM, I, I GUESS I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE HERE THAT WE'RE, ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS FOR ME IS THAT WE'RE GONNA ELIMINATE OVER 300,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER HOUR IN A HUNDRED YEAR STORM FROM WASHING DOWN THE SLOPE OF THIS SITE INTO THE MOCO CONDOMINIUMS. AND THAT'S STRAIGHT OUT OF THE DRAINAGE CALCULATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE CITY FOR THIS SITE.
UH, AND UH, ALSO THE WATER THAT CAME DOWN THROUGH HERE, IT WENT INTO A, A LITTLE DRAINAGE WAY, UH, CREEK THAT RUNS THROUGH THE MONOCLE PROPERTY.
AND THE CITY ASKED US NOT TO RELEASE OUR STORM DETENTION WATER INTO THAT CREEK, BUT RATHER TO PUT IT RIGHT INTO THE STORM SEWER.
IT ELIMINATES, UH, FUTURE EROSION PROBLEMS AND, UH, REDUCE, REDUCES SOME OF THE NUISANCE FLOODING IN THE FUTURE THROUGH MONACO.
THEN WE PAID A LITTLE OVER $42,000 AS PART OF THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS, UH, PLAN TO, UH, MAKE NEW DEVELOPMENTS HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR IS BIKE LANE STRIPING AND SOME REFLECTIVE SIGNAGE.
AND, UH, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO, UH, AS MIKE SAID, WE'RE, WE ADDED EIGHT ADDITIONAL THREE INCH TREES TO THE SITE.
AND WE'RE DEDICATING THE, UH, ADDITIONAL RIGHT OF WAY.
I MENTIONED 11 FEET ON TATOR, 15 FEET ON WICKER SHAM.
OKAY, SO THE TOP PICTURE ACTUALLY DOES GIVE YOU, UH, THIS IS, UH, FROM GOOGLE STREET VIEW AND IT'S, IT'S ON OLTORF AND IT GIVES YOU A GOOD FEELING.
YOU CAN SEE THE, THE GRADIENT OF THAT SLOPE GOING DOWN OLTORF, IT'S, UH, FAIRLY STEEP.
SO, AS MIKE SAID, HIGH POINT WAS 5 58, LOW 0.5 20, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN OUR PROPOSED CUTS AND FILLS OVER FOUR FEET.
I WON'T SPEND TIME ON THIS CUZ MIKE ALREADY WENT THROUGH IT.
AND THEN THIS JUST SUMMARIZES THE AREAS THE CITY WANTED US TO BREAK DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
HOW MUCH OF THE FILL WAS, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LIMIT, WHICH WOULD BE, I GUESS AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE.
THE, WHICH IS THE GREEN AREAS, THAT'S FOUR TO EIGHT FEET OF FILL.
AND THEN HOW MUCH OF IT IS OVER EIGHT FEET? AND THAT'S THE BLUE AREAS.
UH, SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THIS, WHAT THIS SLIDE IS, IS FROM THE CITY'S GIS MAP.
AND I PUT THE OVER 15% TOPOGRAPHY, UH, ON THERE, WHICH IS WHAT SHOWS UP IN ORANGE.
THE POINT OF THIS IS YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS WHOLE GENERAL AREA, EVEN AFTER ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GONE ON THERE, A LOT OF STEEP SLOPES
[01:15:01]
IN THIS AREA.IT'S JUST, IT'S A ROLLING HILL HILLS IN THIS AREA.
AND SO IT'S A BIG LIMIT FOR US.
88 COMPLIANCE, YOU NEED A 5% CROSS OR 5% DOWNER UP SLOPE, A 2% CROSS SLOPE DRIVEWAY GRADE LIMITS WE'RE LIMITED TO 14 FEET IN THE FIRST 25 FEET OF DRIVEWAY.
AND THEN, AS, UH, WAS STATED EARLIER, COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS REQUIRING US TO PUT 40% OF THE FRONTAGE ON OLTORF AS A CONTINUOUS BUILDING FACADE.
SO THE FIRST TWO PICTURES ARE NEXT DOOR IN THE MONOCLE CONDOMINIUMS. UH, AND I, I PUT THESE IN BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A RETAINING WALL THAT IS, IS DEFINITELY A BIG RETAINING WALL.
IT'S UP, IT'S UP TO 20 FEET TALL IN SOME AREAS ALONG THE PROPERTY LINE WITH MONACO.
SO THE FIRST TWO PICTURES ARE WITHIN MONACO.
THE NEXT TWO PICTURES ARE ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT JUST AROUND THE CORNER ON OLTORF, A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT BUILDING RETAINING WALLS WITH THESE HEAVY, UH, SLOPING SITES.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD SOLUTION IN THIS AREA.
I HAVE, I HAVE SOME OTHER SLIDES, BUT THESE, THESE FOUR PROBABLY SHOWED IT AS CLEAR AS ANNIE.
SO HERE'S THE RETAINING WALL THAT WE DESIGNED.
AND I, I LIKE TO DO THESE STEP BACK WALLS BECAUSE A, IT PROVIDES SOME HUMAN SCALE AND UP ON THE FIR, THE FIRST STEP BACK BETWEEN THE LOWER WALL AND THE HIGHER WALL, WE CAN PLANT ONE OF MY FAVORITES, UH, WHICH IS A, A CASCADING ROSEMARY REALLY LOW WATER NEEDS REALLY TAKES CARE OF ITSELF.
MO KIND OF CASCADES DOWN THE HILL, LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
YOU SEE A LOT OF, UH, PLACES OUT ALONG LAKE AUSTIN, UH, THAT, THAT BUILT RETAIN WALLS THAT USE ROSEMARY.
AND I JUST REALLY LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS.
SO I, THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING THAT WE DO THERE.
AND THAT'LL GIVE SOME HUMAN SCALE TO THE BOTTOM END OF THIS.
AND THEN THE MOCO PEOPLE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN OR NOT.
I, I KIND OF THINK IT MIGHT, THEY ACTUALLY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE UNDERSTAND THE RETAINING WALL, BUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS, CAN YOU MAKE US AN ENTRANCE FROM THERE IN THROUGH THE BACKSIDE OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT? SO I GUESS THE OWNER'S LOOKING AT THAT, SEEING IF HE CAN, IF HE CAN WORK SOMETHING IN ON, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING AN AMENDMENT TO HIS SITE PLAN LATER.
BUT, UH, IT'S NICE THAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE IN FAVOR OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT.
I, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND USED TO IT, KIND OF TRY TO WRAP IT UP CUZ YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE YOUR PASTIME.
UH, ONE MORE SLIDE AND I THINK I'M DONE.
SO THE FINDINGS EFFECT HAVE BEEN MET.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL PRIVILEGES, UH, WE'RE, IT'S NOT NECESSITATED BY OUR DESIGN CHOICES.
THERE'S A MINIMUM DEVIATION THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, UH, FOR A REASONABLE USE OF THE SITE.
WE'RE NOT CREATING ANY HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
AND IN FACT, WE WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.
WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTER AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, QUESTIONS FOR EITHER THE APPLICANT OR STAFF.
IS IT MALCOLM YATES? DID I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY? RIGHT? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN, UH, YOUR HAVE THREE MINUTES WILL START.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE ALTAR OF COMBINED CONTACTING, EXCUSE ME, WE CAN'T, THE REMOTE PEOPLE CANNOT SEE THIS SPEAKER.
I AM NOT HERE TONIGHT, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, CONTACT TEAM BECAUSE, UH, WE ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, SITE PLAN, UH, MURRAY RECENTLY.
UM, HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR 35 YEARS, AND I HAVE SEEN RETAINING WALLS COLLAPSE ON, UH, ONE OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT IS ON OLTORF EAST OF, UM, WICKERSHAM.
NOW, THE, UH, THE APPLICANT IN JUSTIFYING THIS MENTIONED ANOTHER SITE PLAN, UH, S P 20 21, 0 1, 69 D AND SAID, UH, THIS IS A SIMILAR SITUATION.
AND I LOOKED IT UP AND IT'S 8,500 PALMER LANE, TOTALLY DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC GEOLOGICAL AREA.
UM, THIS IS EXPANSIVE CLAY SOIL AND A, UH, 15 FOOT RETAINING WALL HAS GOT A REAL PROBLEM.
SO, UH, SOME NEEDS, UH, SOME CARE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN FOR THAT.
UH, ALSO, UM, WE NEED TO CONFIRM THAT
[01:20:01]
REALLY THE, THE DETENTION POND IS ADEQUATE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, ROY G**O PARK IS BEING WASHED AWAY BY EROSION BECAUSE OF THE INADEQUATE, UH, STORM WATER DETENTION ON ALL OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND BUILDINGS ALONG COUNTRY CLUB CREEK.UH, ANOTHER CONCERN IS, UM, A LIGHTING AND NOISE.
THIS DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY SURROUNDED BY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY TO REDUCE NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION LATE AT NIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS FOR THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND SUBMITTING YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, YEAH, IF YOU WANT, DO YOU CAN JUST HANG UP BY THE PODIUM.
WE'LL, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
DO IT, DID, DID I GET A REBUTTAL? UM, WELL SEE IF YOU CAN WEAVE IT INTO SOME OF OUR COMMENTS.
WE'RE JUST GONNA MOVE INTO THE, THE, THE, THE Q AND A, UH, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UH, SOMETIMES WHEN THEY DO CUT, THEY ALSO USE IT AS THE FILL.
AND I READ THAT THERE WAS FIVE FOOT OF CLAY.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON THERE.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M WONDERING IF THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, DIG THE CLAY OUT AND USE IT IN A DIFFERENT AREA, OR THEY'RE GOING TO CART IT OFFSITE AND BRING IN OTHER SOILS.
UH, THE, THE CLAY WILL BE MOSTLY REUSED ONSITE BECAUSE THE FILL IS SO DEEP IN VARIOUS AREAS.
WE WILL ALSO BE IMPORTING SOIL BECAUSE UNDERNEATH, UH, THE BUILDING FOOTPRINTS, UH, WILL DEFINITELY NEED SOME STABLE SOIL.
SO SOME OF THAT CLAY WILL BE REMOVED.
BUT OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO RETAIN AS MUCH OF THE EXISTING DEPO, THE SOILS THAT ARE ONSITE AND USE THEM ON SITE.
I THOUGHT MIKE HAD SOMETHING TO ADD.
UM, I THINK THAT ANSWERS YOUR, YOUR QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, DO YOU HAVE HAVE ANY OTHER, JUST, JUST, UM, YEAH, I WAS HOPING THAT EVERYONE WOULD AGREE TO USE THE NIGHT SKY'S LIGHTING THERE, AND THAT WE COULD DEVISE SOME SORT OF SOUND, UM, BECAUSE THE BUILDINGS ON THE BACK ARE JUST FROM THE DESCRIPT FROM WHAT WE SEE, AND HIS DIAGRAMS ARE JUST ALMOST ADJACENT TO THE APARTMENTS.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THERE.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY IS, I GUESS IT WAS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, IT WAS ACTUALLY COLD WEATHER, SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN A YEAR AGO NOW, JUST DOWN THE STREET ON ELT TOUR, IF THERE WAS A FIRE AND THE NEIGHBORING, UH, HOMES, THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAD TO BE EVACUATED BECAUSE THERE WAS A FIRE.
SO I'M WONDERING, UM, I GUESS, HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE FIRE MARSHAL? I MEAN, BEFORE YOU CAN DO ALL THAT.
I MEAN, DON'T YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PLANS SUBMITTED AND SO FORTH? UM, IT, IT JUST SEEMED VERY CLOSE TO THE STRUCTURES.
Y YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT CLOSE AT ALL TO THE STRUCTURES.
UH, I MEAN, RELATIVELY CLOSE IS ONE THING, BUT THE, THE CODE SAYS 10 FEET BETWEEN STRUCTURES, UH, IS, IS FIRE CODE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WAY BEYOND THAT.
UM, AND YES, WE HAVE MET WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL, AND YES, WHEN BUILDING PLANS ARE SUBMITTED, THOSE WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE FIRE MARSHAL ALSO.
AND, AND AS FAR AS NIGHT SKY GOES, IF I MAY ADD ONE MORE THING.
WE DID SIGN AN AGREEMENT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, UH, THAT THE STORE WOULD CLOSE AT 10 O'CLOCK EXCEPT FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN IT WOULD BE MIDNIGHT, AND IT WOULD OPEN AT 6:00 AM SO ALL, ALL THE STORES WILL BE CLOSED AT 10 FOR FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WILL THERE BE ANY SECURITY? I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S BECAUSE IN THE EVENT OF A FLOOD, IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, IN THE EVENT OF ALL OF THESE THINGS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS AT THE OTHER PLACE.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF YOU'RE CLOSED AND THE WATER COMES UP OR SOMETHING GOES WRONG, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR THAT.
YEAH, OR TO HAVE, WELL, WE'RE AT ELEVATION 5 58, SO IF THE WATER COMES UP, WE'RE ALL IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE IN THIS CITY.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, 50 FEET OVER SOME OF THE OTHER SITES AROUND THERE,
WELL, WHEN THE WATER, UM, FALLS ON YOU, IT GOES DOWNSTREAM AND YEAH.
I WONDERED IF YOU COULD KIND OF, THIS MAY BE MORE FOR CITY STAFF, IF
[01:25:01]
YOU COULD JUST, UH, TELL US WHERE THE WATER WOULD FLOW THAT YOU HAVE DIRECTED FROM THE POND THERE, BECAUSE IT'S, AS THEY SAID, ROY G IS REALLY SUFFERING FROM, UH, UPSTREAM FLOW.MIKE MCDOUGAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
ACTUALLY, I, I CANNOT SPEAK TO THAT.
AND THE REASON IS THERE'S A WATER QUALITY DRAINAGE ENGINEER ASSIGNED TO THE, TO THIS REVIEW.
I CHECK THE WATER QUALITY REVIEWER'S, UH, COMMENTS.
AND SO THE ONLY THING REMAINING FOR HIS REVIEW IS AN INTEGRATED PAST MANAGEMENT, UH, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT DOCUMENT.
SO FUNDAMENTALLY BEFORE, UH, VARIANCE CAN BE PRESENTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, ALL DESIGN RELATED COMMENTS HAVE TO BE CLEARED BY ALL REVIEW DISCIPLINES.
AND SO MY REVIEW DISCIPLINE DOES NOT INCLUDE WATER QUALITY POND DESIGN.
IT DOES INCLUDE POND DEPTH AND POND LOCATION.
BUT I, I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO SPEAK TO HOW THE PAWN FUNCTIONS OR, OR WHERE IT MIGHT OUTFALL, BUT I CAN STATE THAT THE DESIGN RELATED COMMENTS FOR THE PERSON TASKED WITH DOING THAT REVIEW THERE, THOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED.
MR. WHITTLE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND MAYBE ELABORATING A LITTLE BIT FOR COMMISSIONER THOMPSON'S CO COMMENT ABOUT KIND OF WHERE THE SITE WATER IS GONNA GO DIRECTLY YES.
INTO THE STORM, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A HUNDRED, PART OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE DRAINAGE FROM THIS SITE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO THE STORM SEWER SYSTEM IN OLTORF 100%.
AND THEN IT DRAINS NORTHWEST FROM THERE TOWARDS COUNTRY CLUB CREEK, IS THAT RIGHT? UM, I BELIEVE IT DOES GO NORTHWEST.
IT, IT OBVIOUSLY IT'S GONNA WORK ITS WAY TO, UH, TO LADY BIRD LAKE EVENTUALLY.
AND THE COLORADO RIVER COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, I JUST WONDERED WHY, SINCE WE'RE PAYING, I GUESS IT WAS 8 MILLION WHEN WE FIRST APPROVED IT, AND NOW I'VE HEARD IT'S UP TO 30 MILLION FOR A BRIDGE ACROSS FROM CRAIG FIELDS, WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW THE PA THE PATH THERE, IF WE'RE, UM, ANTAGONIZING, UM, WATER THAT, I MEAN, IF WE'RE BUILDING UPSTREAM AND NOT MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T GO THERE.
AND I GUESS SINCE, UM, THE GENTLEMAN'S TASKED WITH THAT DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED WITH IT, THAT IT WAS JUST NOT COMMENTED ON.
BUT THAT IS A MAJOR CONCERN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
MIKE MCDOUGAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, FROM WORKING WITH THESE WATER QUALITY DRAINAGE ENGINEERS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE, THE WAY THE DETENTION PONDS ARE DESIGNED IS THAT THEY COLLECT THE ADDITIONAL RUNOFF FROM THE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THEN RELEASE THE WATER OVER, I BELIEVE, 72 HOURS.
AND THE INTENTION OF THAT IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF WATER RELEASED DOESN'T EXCEED AS FAR AS THE, THE GALLONS PER MINUTE, VOLUME PER MINUTE DOESN'T EXCEED PRE-DEVELOPED CONDITIONS.
SO THE IDEA IS THE ADDITIONAL RUNOFF IS COLLECTED AND IT'S JUST RELEASED OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER BEING DISCHARGED.
NOW THAT, THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, MAYBE MR. WILLE HAS MORE INPUT ON THAT.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE REQUIRED, UH, TO VERY STRICTLY HER ADHERE TO AND SHOW THAT THERE WILL BE NO DOWNSTREAM DAMAGE, NO INCREASE IN FLOOD RATES, UH, ANYTHING THAT GOES IN AN OPEN CHANNEL.
AND I DON'T THINK ONCE THE WATER HITS THE PIPE HERE, I DON'T THINK IT DAYLIGHTS AGAIN UNTIL IT HITS LADY BIRD LAKE.
BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE TO SHOW THAT THERE WILL BE NO ADVERSE IMPACTS ON ANYBODY DOWNSTREAM, UH, FROM FROM OUR ADDITIONAL FLOWS.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
I WAS WONDERING IF STAFF COULD TELL US DIRECTLY IF IT, IF IT ENTERED LADYBIRD LAKE ABOVE
UH, MIKE MCDOUGAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
I'M, I'M ALSO GONNA HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS.
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I GUESS THIS IS FOR MR. YATES.I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WILL BE ABLE TO MEET BEFORE THIS GOES BEFORE THE PLAN.
I BELIEVE IT'S PROBABLY GONNA GO BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, AND I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW ALSO WHERE THE WATER'S EXACTLY GOING TO GO ONCE IT LEAVES ITS PROPERTY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A GRAPH THAT MAYBE CAN BE PREPARED TO SHOW WHERE THE, HOW THE WATER WILL GO DOWNSTREAM.
MIKE MCDOUGLE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
I'M, I'M CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE, UH, GIS MAPS SHOWING THE AD DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT, UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WATER QUALITY DRAIN ENGINEER PROBABLY HAD CONSIDERED.
UM, BUT THEY DID CLEAR THEIR COMMENTS AS PART OF THEIR REVIEW, EXCEPT FOR THE RECORDING OF SOME DOCUMENTS.
UM, I, BUT I DON'T SPECIFICALLY HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO PRESENT.
I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING THAT UP ON GIS AS WE SPEAK, THOUGH.
AND, AND, AND IF, UH, THE PROFILE VIEW OVER HERE, WE, WE GOT SOMETHING THEN Y'ALL JUMP IN.
UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YEAH, I HAVE, UH, A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
UH, YOU MENTIONED CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I MAYBE DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF IT.
UH, ARE YOU OBJECTING TO THE PRESENCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MITIGATION TO THE, UH, THE, THE, THE TRAFFIC AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? OR, OR CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE MORE SPECIFICALLY? THE NEIGHBORHOOD SEVERAL YEARS AGO HAD, UH, DURING ANOTHER ZONING CASE, HAD THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS OF THE, UH, UH, RESTRICTIONS ON OPERATING HOURS ADDED TO THE, UH, ZONING CASE.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE JUST HOPEFUL THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT BECAUSE THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL AREA TO ALL AROUND THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IS JUST MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO, UM, LATE NIGHT ACTIVITY AND WE OBJECTED TO LIKE GAS STATIONS AND, UM, ALL NIGHT CONVENIENCE STORES THAT WOULD BE REALLY DISRUPTIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THIS IS PERHAPS, UH, TARGETED TO BOTH THE APPLICANT AS WELL AS THE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IF I UNDERSTOOD THE APPLICANT CORRECTLY, YOU'RE GONNA RUN THIS UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, UH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT.
UH, IS THIS GOING TO MAP TO THE, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY THAT THE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBER REFERRED TO? YEAH, IT'S A RECORDED DOCUMENT AND IT'S, IT WILL BE, UH, 10:00 PM CLOSING SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, MIDNIGHT CLOSING FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT OPEN AT 6:00 AM EACH MORNING.
SO IT, IT, IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME AT LEAST ON THAT POINT, THAT IF WE MAINTAIN THE CURRENT CONDITIONAL OVERLAY FOR THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, THEN WE'RE COPACETIC.
SO WE'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
UH, WHAT IS THE CURRENT ZONING FOR THAT? THE SITE IS, UH, UM, G R M U C O.
AND, UH, AND, AND THE CO WAS, UM, IT WAS, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I BROUGHT A COPY OF IT WITH ME, BUT IT WAS TWO THINGS THAT WERE RELATIVELY BENIGN THAT NOT, NEITHER ONE WAS, IT WAS ANYTHING THAT WAS IN THE ISSUE.
SO, UM, IF THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT THE GASOLINE SALES, THERE WON'T BE ANY GAS SALES.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION IF WE PUT A RESTRICTION ON THE PROPERTY THAT REMOVED THE ABILITY TO, IT'S ALREADY.
UH, BUT, BUT, BUT I, YOU, YOU CAN ADD IT ALSO, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S PROHIBITED.
[01:35:01]
COVER YOUR OTHER CONCERN IF WE EXPLICITLY PUT IN THERE NO GASOLINE SALES ON THE PROPERTY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.WE, WE'D HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
SO THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT SPECIFIC CONCERN? CORRECT.
UH, NOW THE, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIER, JUST, UH, QUICK MIC CHECK.
DOES ANYONE HAVE THEIR MICROPHONE? YEP.
IF, IF YOU COULD JUST TURN OFF YOUR BUTTON IF YOU'RE NOT CURRENTLY SPEAKING, IT SEEMS TO BE MINE CAUSING THE FEEDBACK.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO, UH, HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS ARE YOU GONNA HAVE THERE? I'M GOING FROM MEMORY, BUT I WANT TO SAY 82.
SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
IT'S, IT, IT'S THE CODE WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET THE CODE.
SO, UH, GETTING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT WITH EVERYONE WHO'S, YOU KNOW, COMING IN HERE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU PUT 10% OF THOSE IN THERE WITH EV CHARGING CAPABILITY.
SO SOMEWHERE IN THERE, THIS, THIS IS A SHORT TERM USE.
THIS IS, I MEAN, I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR A SHORT TERM USER, BUT, UH, I MEAN, IT'S A CONVENIENCE STORE.
PEOPLE ARE IN AND OUT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE FAST.
THAT WITH NO FUEL SALES THERE.
NO, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A VALID POINT.
UM, AND, UM, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT DARK SKIES AND YOU HAD SIGNED SOMETHING SOMEWHERE SOMETIME, UH, I DIDN'T MENTION IT ABOUT DARK SKIES, BUT I DID WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, WE WILL BE DOING THE SHOEBOX LIGHTING ON THERE, THE LOW LIGHTING.
I'M WORKING ON ANOTHER SITE THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE DARK SKY COMPLIANT, BUT IT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SITUATION.
UH, BUT, BUT WE WILL DO SHOEBOX LIGHTING ON HERE AND, UH, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MINIMIZE, UH, LIGHT POLLUTION.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T SEE, EVEN IN A, EVEN IF WE TRIED TO POLLUTE WITH LIGHT, I DON'T THINK WE COULD POLLUTE MORE THAN WHAT THE CITY LIGHTING SYSTEM DOES IN THE AREA.
BUT YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE IS YEAH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T, WE WON'T ADD, WE WON'T ADD MORE POLLUTION, WE'LL ADD LESS.
IT'LL BE YOU, YOU, YOU START SOMEWHERE AND THEN AS YOU UPGRADE OR CHANGE OTHER THINGS, THEN YOU YEAH.
GET THEM ON BOARD WITH THAT TOO.
AND WE CAN'T GO BEAT THE CITY TO DEATH ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE, SOMETIMES I'D LIKE TO, WELL, I AND I WOULD TOO.
SO I, I SHARE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FEELINGS, BUT, UH, SINCE WE CAN'T DO THAT, WE, WE DO WHAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE TYPE OF THING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCOTT.
UH, JUST BRIEFLY, I HOPE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING THERE, A LOT OF CONCRETE.
UM, I SAW AN ARTICLE THAT QUESTIONED WHETHER, UH, WE'RE HEADED IN AUSTIN TOWARDS, UM, ME BEING LIKE THE SUNNER IN DESERT, AND IT'S SO HOT IN THE SUMMER, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE ISN'T SOME ISLAND SORT OF THING THAT YOU COULD PUT IN THERE IN YOUR DESIGN SO THAT THERE COULD BE SOME, UH, RELIEF FROM THAT WITH SOME TREES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ROOM ALONG THE, THE EDGES FOR TREES, BUT, BUT ANYTHING THAT PROVIDES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SHADE AND, AND HELPS TO BRING DOWN THE, THE, UH, OVERALL, UH, TEMPERATURE OF THE AREA WOULD, UH, SEEM REALLY, UM, UH, IMPORTANT.
UH, SECONDLY, UH, UM, HAS THERE BEEN AN ENGINEERING STUDY, UH, REGARDING THE RETAINING WALL AND THE EXPANSIVE NATURE OF THE, UM, UHI SOIL? UM, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, UM, UM, UH, MR. YATES IS TALKING ABOUT.
UH, HAVING SEEN IT, UH, UM, WHEN A PIPE BROKE UNDERNEATH MY HOUSE, UH, 30,000 GALLONS, UH, DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY, THE STRUCTURE OF MY HOUSE.
SO, UM, WHEN WATER GETS INTO CLAY, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYWHERE GOOD TO GO, AND IT'S USUALLY PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE WHEN IT HAPPENS.
[01:40:01]
UM, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.CONCERNS, I WANT TO BRING UP MIKE MCDOUGLE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
I, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE AND, AND, AND UNDERSTAND THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND CONCERN.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE REASON WHY ONE OF THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS IS MORE TREES.
SO THE STANDARD LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENT, ONE OF THEM IS TO HAVE A TREE WITHIN 50 FEET OF EACH PARKING SPACE.
AND THAT'S AN AESTHETIC CONCERN.
IT'S A HABITAT CONCERN, UH, OR IT ADDRESSES HABITAT CONCERNS.
IT'S ALSO AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND CONCERN.
BUT, UM, WE, UH, WE HAVE, HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL TREES.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IF, IF, UM, IF THAT IS A CONCERN OR, OR CONTINUES TO BE, THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK FOR ADDITIONAL TREES.
NOW THERE'S A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TREES THAT WOULD FIT ON THE SITE DUE TO SOIL VOLUME REQUIREMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, BUT WE HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL TREES, EIGHT ADDITIONAL TREES AT THREE INCHES CALIPER.
AND THEN I WILL LET MR. WHITTLER SPEAK TO THE CLAYS.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE CLAY SOIL GOES, A ABSOLUTELY, I'VE, I'VE WORKED WITH PEOPLE ON RETAINING WALLS.
I KNOW WHAT MR. YATES IS TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I SAW A 21 FOOT RETAINING WALL BREAKOUT.
IT WAS BRAND NEW, BUILT WITHOUT A PERMIT AND A BEAUTIFUL WALL.
BUT THE FIRST TIME IT RAINED HEAVY, THE CLAY JUST POPPED ALL THOSE STONES OUT, AND THIS THING WAS READY TO TUMBLE DOWN THE HILL.
AND SO WHAT I DO WITH RETAINING WALLS IS ALWAYS REQUIRE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO DESIGN THOSE THINGS, SEAL 'EM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SAFE.
NOW, IN THIS CASE, WE'RE PROPOSING A WALL THAT'S NOT A DRY STACK OR MORTARED TYPICAL WALL.
WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING, UH, THE GERALD CUT LIMESTONES THE TWO FOOT BY THREE FOOT BY FOUR FOOT 2,800 POUND STONES.
AND THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE STACKED UP AND STAGGERED.
UH, AND THE CLAY BEHIND THERE WILL BE REMOVED.
THERE'LL BE A, UM, UH, A MATERIAL BEHIND THE WALL THAT WON'T SHRINK SWELL, AND THERE WILL BE DRAINAGE PROVIDED.
USUALLY THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS.
GET RID OF THE CLAY, PROVIDE DRAINAGE BEHIND THE WALL.
IF YOU DO THOSE THINGS, YOU MAKE EVEN A REASONABLE ATTEMPT.
YOUR WALL'S GOT A GOOD CHANCE.
BUT, UH, UH, YEAH, I, I MEAN, I BUILT A TWO FOOT WALL IN MY BACKYARD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS LATER IT'S GOT CRACKS IN IT BECAUSE OF CLAY AND, UH, VERY DESTRUCTIVE WHEN, WHEN IT EXPANDS.
SO YOU FEEL, YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT DOES, AND YOUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER FEELS CONFIDENT THAT, UM, YOU WILL, YOUR, YOUR DESIGN WILL BE, UM, SAFE FOR, UH, EVEN, UM, EXTREME CONDITIONS IF WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, STORMS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TOO LATE TO GET BACK.
THE SECOND LAST SLIDE I HAD SHOWED THE PROFILE ON THAT WALL.
IT WAS A, A SECTION, BUT, UH, IT IS, IT IS STAGGERED BACKWARDS.
AND, UM, I'VE, I'VE MET WITH THE, THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND DISCUSSED IT WITH HIM, AND HE IS A BIG FAN OF, UH, NOT LOSING HIS LICENSE AND NOT GETTING SUED.
CARREA, YOU GOT ANYTHING? UH, YEAH, SO I WAS DEFINITELY SUPER INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROPERTY.
THE FIRST PLACE THAT I LIVED IN WHEN I MOVED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL TOOK MY REAR END, UH, IN MY LITTLE CAMRY, YOU KNOW, DOWN TO 90.
AND, UH, LIVED AT THE, THE CONDO.
WELL, SOME CONDOS ARE THERE MULTIPLE THAT WERE JUST SOUTH OF, UH, WICKERSHAM FROM THIS, UH, FROM THE INTERSECTION.
SO, YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE AREA'S REALLY HILLY.
UM, TRADITIONALLY YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GO TO PLEASANT VALLEY TO GET STUFF, YOU KNOW, UM, TO BE HONEST, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEE LIKE, UH, LIKE A MIXED USED GROUND FLOOR RETAIL, LIKE TWO OR THREE STORY BUILDING OR MAY, MAYBE EVEN FOUR STORY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US AND ZONING AND ALL THAT.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ALSO IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU WANT TO STOP, UH, YOU KNOW, MONDAY NIGHTS FROM, UH, AFTER 10, I GUESS I JUST HAVE HOODLUM TENDENCIES.
CAUSE I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET CHEEZ-ITS, AND, YOU KNOW, KEYSTONE OR WHATEVER AT 1130.
UH, BUT HEY, COLLEGE MENTALITY, YOU KNOW? UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION, AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE DRAINAGE THING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE STILL NEED TO WAIT AND, UH, HERE FROM THE CITY PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THAT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, JUDGE THAT MORE ACCURATELY.
BUT I GUESS MY ONE REQUEST WAS CAN WE UP THE
[01:45:01]
NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE PLANTED? UH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF THESE ARE THIN TREES, UH, IT'LL TAKE A WHILE FOR THEM TO GROW AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE ANY SORT OF SHADE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE WALKING AROUND, UH, USING THIS CA UH, THIS FACILITY.AND ALSO MY OTHER, UH, I GUESS POINT OF CONTENTION THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN COMMISSIONER BRIMER BROUGHT UP THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND, YOU KNOW, THE AFRICAN RESPONDED THAT, HEY, THIS IS REALLY JUST A CORNER STORE.
RIGHT? BUT I DO REMEMBER YOU SAYING THAT THERE WOULD BE LIKE THREE COMMERCIAL SUITES IN THERE AS WELL.
AND AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, LIKE YOU'RE AT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS A LOT, RIGHT? UM, SO HAVING CHARGING STATIONS WOULD HELP FOR NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING THAT PLACE OUT, RIGHT? BUT FOR POTENTIALLY THEIR CLIENTS AS WELL.
UH, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORKERS THAT WOULD BE IN THE, UH, THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
UH, ALTHOUGH, HEY, I MEAN, I GUESS IF YOU'RE DRIVING A PRIUS AND YOU WORK AT A 7-ELEVEN, WELCOME TO NEW AUSTIN, RIGHT? UM, AND, UH, YEAH, THOSE WERE REALLY SORT OF MY ONLY TWO, UH, POINTS WAS, IS IT OKAY IF WE ASK FOR MORE THAN EIGHT TREES? UH, I GUESS I'M ASKING THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL SUITES ON THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO ADD SOME ELECTRICAL IN THERE SINCE YOU, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ALL GONNA BE JUST LIKE SHORT TERM, HEY, GRAB SOME CHIPS AND A BOTTLE OF WATER AND THEN LEAVE.
YOU KNOW? DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO THE, THE, I GUESS, DURATION OF STAY OR ANY OF THOSE COMMENTS OR THE AVAILABILITY OF TREES ON, ON THE CHEESE? ITS THING, I'LL SAY THIS, UM, IT'S A HARD LESSON WHEN YOU MOVE FROM COLLEGE, BUT YOU GOTTA PLAN AHEAD
HEY, MAN, I WENT TO THE, THE WALMART OFF OF, UH, 71 AND 35, YOU KNOW, DANGEROUS PLACE,
THAT'S, IF YOU'RE GOING THERE FOR CHEESE HITS, THEN YOU REALLY LIKE CHEESE HITS
THAT WAS LITERALLY LIKE HALF OF MY DIET.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M ALL, I'M NOT JUST LIKE ALL ACNE AT THIS AGE, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT, IF YOU'RE WORKING THERE AND, UH, YOU WANT TO CHARGE UP, I MEAN, AND, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A LAUNDROMAT THERE.
SO MAYBE PEOPLE WANT TO CHARGE UP WHILE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING THEIR, THEIR CLOTHES.
ALTHOUGH HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE YOU DRIVE A TESLA AND YOU GO TO THE LAUNDROMAT, BUT HEY, AUSTIN, IN 2023, MAN, I'M TELLING YOU.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMITTING A RECYCLING PLAN, UM, IS, APPLIES TO THIS ZONING OF THE GR M U C O I, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'D BE REALLY MAD IF IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE I MEAN, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE RECYCLING EVERYBODY.
I MEAN, EVERY MOM AND POP SHOULD HAVE A PLACE WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO THROW YOUR ALUMINUM CAN OR YOUR GLASS BOTTLE IN WITH THE TRASH.
YEAH, THAT'S, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF STAFF KNEW EITHER THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, MIKE MCDOUGAL ENVIRONMENT REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THAT THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT, UH, THE AVAILABILITY OF RECYCLING ACTUALLY, WHETHER THIS PROPERTY IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THE COMMERCIAL, UM, RECYCLING PLAN EVERY YEAR.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
AND IT'S BASICALLY, I GUESS IF THE ZONING WOULD BE CONSIDERED A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OR NOT, MIGHT BE PART OF THAT.
BUT I GUESS, UM, BOTTOM LINE, THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE PROPERTY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THOSE COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS OF SUBMITTING THE RECYCLING PLAN EVERY YEAR, WHICH, UM, DOES, UM, MAKE SURE IT, IT REQUIRES THAT THE PROPERTY, UM, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO RECYCLE JUST AS MUCH AS CON UM, CONTRIBUTE TO THE LANDFILL.
AND NOW WE'RE AT THE, I COUNTED AT 15,178 SQUARE FEET.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK IF THE CODE HAS SOME KIND OF A CUTOFF, LIKE ONLY BUSINESSES OVER 20,000 SQUARE FEET HAVE TO DO THIS OR WHATEVER, BUT I WILL RECOMMEND IT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND HE'S A, HE'S A PRETTY GOOD GUY, AND HE'S A GUY ALSO WHO HIRES PEOPLE WHEN HE PUTS HIS CONVENIENCE STORE IN, HE HIRES PEOPLE TO GO OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND THERE AND PICK UP TRASH
[01:50:01]
REGULARLY.NOT JUST HIS TRASH, BUT ALL THE TRASH, BECAUSE A, IF YOU DON'T PICK IT UP, IT JUST SORT OF ENCOURAGES OTHER PEOPLE TO DO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE RIGHT THING.
SO I, I THINK HE'D RATHER PEOPLE PUT IT RIGHT IN THE CAN THAN THROW IT IN ON THE GROUND.
BUT I THINK HE'D BE, HE'D BE WILLING TO AT LEAST LISTEN TO THAT.
YEAH, I'M VOLUNTEERING THIS WEEKEND AT PICK UP TRASH, SO
UM, I DON'T HAVE A, A TON OF QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK I DO SHARE THE COMMISSIONER'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I IDEA, UH, AND, UM, EXCITEMENT THAT THERE COULD BE A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR THEM TO ADD THE CHARGING STATION.
UM, THEN YOU'RE A CONVENIENCE STORE WITHOUT A GAS PUMP, BUT YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A CHARGING STATION INSTEAD.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A, A COOL WIN-WIN, UM, FOR THAT AREA AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO, UH, ECHO, UM, THE, THE, UM, CONCERN AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN REALLY, UM, UTILIZE THE DARK SKIES, UH, LIGHTING, ESPECIALLY ON THE BACKSIDE AS IT FACES, YOU KNOW, THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, BUT ALSO IN THE SIGNAGE.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE SIGNERS A LOT.
WE, WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT THE PARKING LOT LIGHTING OR THINGS THAT ARE ON THE BUILDING, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE SIGNAGE CAN REALLY, YOU KNOW, EMIT, UM, QUITE A BIT AS WELL.
SO, UM, CONSIDERING, UM, UM, THAT, AND OF COURSE, I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UH, HAVING, UH, THE RECYCLING STATIONS, UM, AS WELL.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE ROSEMARY, UH, CASCADING DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALSO OTHER WONDERFUL PLANTS, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, HEAT TOLERANT, UH, ZEROSCAPING TYPE THINGS WHERE IF THE ROSEMARY'S DOWN AT THE BOTTOM AT THE TOP, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE SOME, SOME SMALLER, UH, LANDSCAPE TYPE, UH, NATIVE PLANTS MM-HMM.
UM, THOSE ARE REALLY MY, MY ONLY COMMENTS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ON A REAL CLAY AREA, SO IT'S ALWAYS ARE.
IT, IT'S, IT, IT'S MISERABLE CLAY THERE.
CAN I SAY ONE THING ABOUT DARK SKY? AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THIS CASE.
IT REAL, REALLY APPLIED MORE TO THE PREVIOUS CASE, BUT I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THAT FOR ANOTHER PROJECT I WORKED ON, AND THE AUDUBON SOCIETY HAS A DARK SKY, UH, I'M SORRY, A BIRD HANDBOOK ON, UH, BIRD, HOW TO SAFELY DESIGN BUILDINGS FOR BIRDS.
I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM READING THAT, AND Y'ALL OUGHT TO MAKE THAT MANDATORY FOR THESE PEOPLE ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE THAT ARE PUTTING IN THE TALL BUILDINGS BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT, UH, YOU KNOW, FLIGHT PATTERNS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT IMPOSSIBLE OR EVEN THAT DIFFICULT ON A 400 FOOT TALL BUILDING TO TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO KEEP BIRDS FROM JUST SLAMMING INTO IT, WHICH IS TALK ABOUT A DRAG.
YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THERE'S THREE DEAD BIRDS LAYING WITH THEIR NECKS BROKEN OUTSIDE.
I'M SORRY, I GOT OFF THE TANGENT.
NO, I'M GLAD THAT YOU SHARED THAT CONCERN.
MY ONLY THING WAS ABOUT LIKE WHAT, UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL HAD MENTIONED ABOUT SUGGESTING THE POLLINATORS FOR THE WALL.
UH, THERE'S PEOPLE SMARTER THAN ME THAT'LL DESIGN THE PLANTS, BUT I PICKED THE ROSEMARY BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHERE IF I'M GONNA PICK ONE THING, DAMN IT, IT AIN'T GONNA DIE ON ME.
SO, AND IF YOU'RE MAKING CHICKEN, YOU JUST GO PINCH OFF A PIECE.
WE GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, UH, I, I GUESS THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASKED ABOUT TREES IS, IS THERE SPACE FOR ANY MORE TREES OR T TELL TELL US WHAT THE, WHERE YOU COULD SQUEEZE ONE OR TWO MORE IN IF, IF POSSIBLE, OR WE, WE WORKED HARD TO SQUEEZE EIGHT MORE IN AND, UH, UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION, UH, THAT WAS A SUGGESTION, UH, TO TRY AND, YOU KNOW, GET SOME SUPPORT FROM STAFF.
AND SO WE DID IT, BUT I, I REALLY THINK IF WE COULD HAVE PUT NINE TREES IN, WE WOULD'VE, WE, WE GOT EIGHT IN THERE, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THERE'S ROOM FROM ANYMORE.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY QUESTIONS I, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER BREMER, UH, TWO ITEMS, JUST TO CLARIFY.
COMMISSIONER SHERRA BROUGHT UP, UH, RECYCLING, UH, AND ACTUALLY, I, I CONVENIENTLY PULL THAT UP.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE PROPERTY OWNERS AND
[01:55:01]
BUSINESS MANAGERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING THESE RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS.TYPICALLY, A PERSON WHO OVERSEES THE CONTRACT FOR THE LANDFILL OF TRASH SUBMITS A RECYCLING PLAN.
AND, UH, THIS IS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
AND, UH, I MEAN, IT GOES INTO DETAIL HERE.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, RECYCLING STUFF FOR THE STUFF THAT'S RECYCLABLE, AND THEN THERE'S A BIN FOR TRASH, AND IT TALKS ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO SUBMIT A RECYCLING PLAN.
SO, UH, YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR LOCATION IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT.
AND IT MAY NOT BE YOU PERSONALLY, BUT SOMEONE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR DEVELOPMENT IS REQUIRED BY CITY CODE TO, UH, PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO, UH, ALSO, WHEN YOU HAVE GR ZONING, UH, SERVICE STATIONS ARE ALLOWED BY GR ZONING.
SO IN ORDER TO PREVENT ONE FROM BEING PLACED THERE UNDER ZONING, WHICH IS LEGAL, UNLESS THERE'S A DOCUMENT THAT CAN BE PRESENTED SHOWING EXCLUDED BY SOME SORT OF OTHER THING, THEN WE NEED TO ADD THAT AS PART OF THE PROCESS HERE, EXCLUDING SERVICE STATIONS, UH, MEETING THE VERBAL COMMITMENT OF THE, UH, DEVELOPER AS WELL AS THE CONCERNS OF THE, UH, RESIDENCE.
SO, UH, AND I'M FINE WITH THAT BEING ADDED, BUT, UM, I, I, I'M, I'M VERY CERTAIN THAT IT'S ALREADY IN THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, BUT SINCE I DON'T HAVE A COPY HERE, I'LL JUST GO ON RECORD AS SAYING, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO ADD A PROHIBITION.
WE CAN DO IT WITH A, A COMMENT ON THE SITE PLAN IF YOU'D LIKE, THAT PROHIBITS FUEL SALES.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT DOCUMENT SOMEWHERE ELSE ALONG THE WAY, AND THAT'S FINE, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, GR ZONING WILL ALLOW SERVICE STATIONS AS PART OF THE, IN, IN, IN FACT, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND NOT SAY FUEL SALES.
I'LL SAY GASOLINE SALES BECAUSE, UH, IF WE WANT ELECTRIC CHARGING, THAT'S, YEAH.
AND, UH, I WOULD AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, SHI THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A GOOD POINT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA RUSH IN AND RUSH OUT, NO ONE'S GONNA SPEND MONEY PLUGGING IN THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR RIVIAN OR THEIR TESLA OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO CHARGE.
BUT IF YOU DO HAVE SOME LONG-TERM COMMERCIAL THING THERE, THEN I THINK THAT HAVING, UH, TWO OR THREE CHARGING STATIONS THERE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, AND YOU MAY, YOU KNOW, HARKING BACK TO ONE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIAGRAM THAT YOU HAD UP WITH THE LAYOUT OF THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY TO HAVE THEM DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF, SAY, THE DELI BECAUSE MM-HMM.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO MUCH OF A STRETCH TO REQUEST THAT YOU PUT IN TWO OR THREE CHARGING STATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE THERE FOR A FEW HOURS DOING, YOU KNOW, LAUNDRY OR WHO MIGHT WORK IN THAT, UH, COMMERCIAL SECTION OF THE THING.
AND, AND I ALSO THOUGHT THAT WITH ALL THE APARTMENTS AROUND THERE, THERE MIGHT JUST BE SOMEBODY THAT SAYS, HEY, IT'S CONVENIENT TO HAVE A CHARGING STATION RIGHT THERE AND, AND YOU CAN CHARGE WHATEVER THE MARKET WILL BEAR.
SO I, I WILL, IT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
I'LL, I'LL BRING IT UP AND, UM, I, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY WORK SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, UH, SECRETARY? I DO.
UM, I WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIAN WERE SAYING HERE, AND I JUST WANNA CHECK WITH STAFF ON THAT AS FAR AS RECOMMENDING A LIMITATION TO, A BIT TO ZONING AS IT PERTAINS TO BUSINESS.
UM, I JUST WANNA HEAR FROM Y'ALL THAT THAT'S, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD INCLUDE AND THAT EVERYBODY FEELS IN THIS LINEUP OVER HERE.
UH, I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO PASS TO WATERSHED SINCE, UH, THE ZONING QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND, AND SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY, ANY INPUT ON THAT.
UM, WE CAN RUN THAT BY OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND DETERMINE IF THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE CONDITION OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ZONING.
UM, I THINK THAT YOU CAN MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION AND THEN WE CAN DETERMINE THAT PRIOR TO GOING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION AND HAVE, UH, MORE INFORMATION FOR THEM.
I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT IT IN THERE, UH, FOR NOW, AND THEN AS Y'ALL CHECK ON IT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE ON THAT.
NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT I, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, 20,000 GALLONS OF GASOLINE TO BE HAZARDOUS WASTE, BUT THAT'S JUST A PERSONAL OPINION.
[02:00:01]
THAT'S NOT A VERY TEXAN THING TO SAY OF YOU.
UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU KEEPING US ON TRACK HERE.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS VERY QUICKLY.
UM, I THINK THAT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, REQUIREMENT THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY ASK FOR NO GASOLINE SALES, UM, OR FILLING STATION BECAUSE IT IS AT THE TOP OF THE HILL.
HE DID TELL YOU WHAT THE ELEVATION WAS, AND IF THERE'S A SPILL THERE, IT'S GONNA GO DOWNHILL FAST.
SO I THINK THAT IF WE WORD IT PROPERLY, IT WILL HAVE MORE WEIGHT THAN IF WE, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE'RE TRYING TO AFFECT THE ZONING.
UM, ALSO I WOULD LIKE FOR, DID ANYONE MENTION THAT THERE ARE HEALTH, I THINK IT'S CALLED HEALTHY STREETS, THAT'S ON, UH, WICKER SHAM? IS IT ON WICKER, SHAM OR ALT TURF THAT WE HAVE THE HEALTHY STREETS? I THINK IT WAS ON OLD TOF.
I REMEMBER BIKING, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC WHENEVER IT WAS, UH, IT WAS ONE HELL OF A HILL.
THERE IS A BUILDING REQUIREMENT CALLED HEALTHY STREETS, AND IT REQUIRES TREES AND SETBACKS AND SO FORTH.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I ALSO WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS POROUS PAVEMENT, IF THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT POROUS PAVEMENT OR PAVERS.
I KNOW THERE'S GRANITE OVER IN THE CORNER OVER THERE, AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE SURE.
THAT THAT'S CONTAINED AND DOESN'T RUN DOWNHILL SOMEHOW.
UM, BUT I, I JUST WONDERED IF WE COULD DISCUSS THOSE TWO THINGS JUST BRIEFLY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE TREES IN THE HEALTHY STREETS BUILDING AREA, AND MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THAT PURVIEW, BUT THEY COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT TH THAT, UH, AS THE COMMISSIONER SAID, THEY'RE BOTH HEALTHY STREETS AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE CONTRIBUTED, UH, FUNDS FOR BIKE LANES AND REFLECTIVE BACKINGS ON, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN THE AREA.
WE'VE CONTRIBUTED 42,350, I THINK, TOWARDS THAT.
UM, WE'RE NOT DOING ANY STREETS AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING ANY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT US PLANTING STREET TREES OUT THERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, THAT'S GONNA BE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF OUR, OF OUR PROJECT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, THE CRUSHED GRANITE, I, I DO SHARE YOUR CONCERN THAT WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT CONTAINED.
UH, AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO DO THAT WITH SOME, SOME HARD EDGING AND, UH, MAYBE EVEN A LINER DOWN BELOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GRANITE DOESN'T WORK ITS WAY DOWN AND, AND OUT AND, YOU KNOW, IMPACT THE, THE MONOCLE CONDOMINIUMS BELOW US AND FUEL SALES DEFINITELY OUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IF I HAVE TO, YOU HAVE MY PERSONAL WORD, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY, UH, PROHIBITED IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, UH, I WILL PREPARE A PRIVATE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TO PROHIBIT IT IF I HAVE TO.
SO DID YOU DISCUSS WITH CITY STAFF, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF POROUS PAVEMENT ON ANY PART OF THE PARKING LOT? NO, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT POROUS PAVEMENT YET.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE ASPHALT OR CONCRETE IN THE PARKING LOT.
MIKE MCDOUGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, IF SOMETHING'S PROPOSED TO BE DRIVEN ON ROUTINELY, EVEN IF IT'S DIRT, IT'S CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER DUE TO COMPACTION.
THERE IS NO DESIGN THE CITY WILL APPROVE, THAT'S CONSIDERED POROUS, THAT WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF FIRETRUCK.
UH, SO ON ONE HAND, AFD IS GONNA SAY, COMPACT, THE SOILS OR OUR FIRETRUCK DON'T SINK.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M GONNA COME OUT AND SAY, DON'T COMPACT THE SOIL, BECAUSE THAT STOPS INFILTRATION.
SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S A SITUATION OF COMPETING PRIORITIES AND THERE ISN'T A SITUATION WHERE, UM, AND SO, SO THEY COULD USE PORSCHE PAVEMENTS, WE'D STILL CALL IT IMPERVIOUS.
THEY INDEED MIGHT BE SOME, SOME INFILTRATION, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, I, IT'S EITHER PERVIOUS, PERVIOUS, OR IMPERVIOUS.
AND IMPER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW CALLS IT IMPERVIOUS.
I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW AGAIN TODAY.
[02:05:01]
NOT EVERYONE, BUT EVERY OTHER ONE OR SOMETHING.OFF A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE HEAT IS ALL I'M SAYING.
UM, WHERE THE FIRETRUCK GO WILL BE IN THE LARGE AREA AND NEAR WHERE THE FIRE HYDRANTS ARE, I WOULD THINK.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD GET THAT CLEARED WITH THEM.
IT'S IF, IF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
WHEN I MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1982, I WOULD TELL PEOPLE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF A DESERT.
NOW WHAT I TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITHIN THE EDGE OF A DESERT
AND MIKE, UM, THIS MIGHT ALSO PERTAIN TO YOU.
SORRY, JUST, JUST WHEN YOU SAT BACK DOWN
SO, UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE LAUNDRY MAT FACILITIES REALLY QUICK.
UM, AND, UM, I AM UNCLEAR ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WASTEWATER FROM THE MACHINES AND STUFF, UH, GOES INTO, IS IT JUST GO INTO THE NORMAL, UM, PIPE SYSTEM? IS THERE SOME SORT OF FILTRATION THAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE WATER THAT GOES OFF AND, AND ARE THERE, ARE THERE CODES AROUND, UM, MATS? I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THERE'S A PLUMBING CODE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH DOWNSTREAM OF THE PERMIT, THE SITE PLAN, PERMIT PROCESS.
UH, SO THE PERMIT PROCESS THAT, THAT I, I'M TASKED WITH, UH, LOOKING AT IN MY DIVISION IS TASKED WITH LOOKING AT, IS THE, BASICALLY THE AERIAL VIEW.
HOW IS THE SITE GOING TO BE BUILT? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHERE WILL THE BUILDINGS BE? IT THE LANDSCAPING, THE PARKING AREAS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS INTERNALLY WITH THE BUILDING DESIGN? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS WITH BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW.
SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS, CONSEQUENTLY, I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON, ON THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LAUNDROMATS, BUT DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON THAT? I, I ONLY KNOW THAT, UM, WE WILL BE REQUIRED AT BUILDING PERMIT, WHICH IS WHEN THIS OFFICIALLY THE LAND USE WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS A LAUNDROMAT.
UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL WASTE AND, AND THEIR GOALS, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR SPECIFICALLY, BUT I KNOW ON A, A CAR WASH THEY HAVE SPECIAL FILTER SYSTEMS. I, BECAUSE I AM FAMILIAR WITH THOSE AND ON A COMMERCIAL LAUNDROMAT, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE THAT REQUIREMENT.
I'M SURE THERE IS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE SAMPLING PORTS ON THE OUTSIDE TO, TO TEST.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THAT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT AND, AND OF COURSE WE PLAN ON MEETING EVERY REQUIREMENT AS PART OF OUR, OUR, OUR GOAL FOR, UH, CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.
MIKE, WERE YOU COMING UP TO SAY SOMETHING
LIZ, LIZ SAID THE SAME THING, THAT THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL WAYS WOULD, WOULD BE LOOKING AT THIS, BUT I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A BUILDING PERMIT ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I DIDN'T CUT YOU OFF.
UH, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? WELL, I WAS KIND OF THINKING ABOUT THE PURPLE PIPES, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW, UM, ACCESSIBLE THEY ARE THERE.
AND I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF CITY STAFF COULD SHOW US A GRAPH OF, UM, WHAT THEY LOOKED UP ABOUT WHERE THE WATER GOES THROUGH THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, IF THAT WOULD BE CONVENIENT.
UM, LIZ JOHNSTON, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, WE LOOKED UP ON OUR GI UH, PUBLIC, UH, SORRY, THE PROPERTY PROFILE VIEWER, WHICH IS ONLINE, UM, TO LOOK TO SEE WHERE THE STORM WATER DOES DISCHARGE, AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE A, UM, DISCHARGES IN COUNTRY CLUB CREEK.
MS. CAN YOU TELL US WHERE ON COUNTRY CLUB CREEK? IT'S ON COUNTRY CLUB AT OLTORF.
IT HITS THE STORM DRAIN UNDER OLD TOPHIN, KIND OF HEADS NORTHWEST THERE, AND THEN DAYLIGHTS AT THE BRIDGE AT, AT, UH, OVER COUNTRY CLUB OR BOX CULVERT.
YEAH, SINCE I'VE LIVED IN THE AREA FOR SO LONG, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS.
UM, ALL OF THE APARTMENTS, LONG COUNTRY CLUB CREEK DIRECTLY DISCHARGE INTO COUNTRY CLUB CREEK.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT THIS CREATED.
EVERY ONE OF THE BRIDGES ALONG
[02:10:01]
COUNTRY CLUB CREEK AT RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WICKER, SHAM, OLD TOF BURLESON, THEY ALL HAD TO BE RECONSTRUCTED.AND THERE IS CURRENTLY A DORMANT PROJECT, UM, DOWN ALONG, UH, THAT WOULD TAKE, UH, A NEW STORM WATER DEVELOPMENT PIPE, A ALONG SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD AND DISCHARGE IT DIRECTLY INTO COUNTRY CLUB CREEK, DIRECTLY INTO THE COLORADO RIVER BELOW THE DAM.
BUT THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR THIS YET.
ANY LAST QUICK QUESTIONS BEFORE WE, UH, MOVE ON? LAST ONE.
QUICK, COMMISSIONER SCOTT? UH, YES.
UM, HOW MUCH PROPERTY, UH, WILL BE, UH, LEFT THAT IS NOT COVERED BY EITHER THE BUILDING OR CONCRETE? YOU, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME, UH, GREEN SPACE.
MIKE'S GONNA LOOK THIS UP, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY GUESS FROM MEMORY AND WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW CLOSE I AM TO REALITY.
I WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE AT 72% IMPERVIOUS COVER, SO ABOUT 18% PERVIOUS.
MIKE, DID YOU, I REMEMBER 18, UH, 73% OR 73%, SO OKAY, 73% IMPERVIOUS.
I'M JUST CHARGING THAT 1% UP TO INFLATION.
IT'S THE, THE, THE GREEN SPACE THAT REMAINS WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, UM, IT'S MY, UM, VERY SHALLOW UNDERSTANDING ABOUT CUT AND FILL.
UH, I, I CAN'T CLAIM EXPERTISE, BUT THAT, UM, THAT WITH CUT AND FILL, THAT THERE IS A COMPACTION OF THIS SOIL.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, THAT AREA THAT'S, THAT THAT REMAINS GREEN SPACE, UM, BE MADE, UM, MORE, UM, INHABITABLE FOR, UM, LIFE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF LIFE THAT IS REAL TINY AND LIVES IN THE GREEN SPACE THAT WE, THE TINY LITTLE BIT THAT WE HAVE LEFT IN AUSTIN.
SO TO CLARIFY, UH, THE, UH, THE SITE IS, IS 1.87 ACRES.
IT'LL BE ABOUT 0.74% IMPERVIOUS COVER RUNNING THE NUMBERS.
IT'S ABOUT POINT 0.49 ACRES THAT WILL NOT BE IMPERVIOUS.
UH, GENERALLY THE LIMITED CONSTRUCTION IS LARGER THAN THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION SITE OR ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE OWN TO MANEUVER THE EQUIPMENT.
AND SO IT IS, IT, IT COULD PO BE POSSIBLE TO, UM, SCARIFY OR, OR, OR DECOPAC THE SOIL WHERE THERE'S NOT IMPERVIOUS CURVE OR PUT DOWN, BUT I'D LEAVE THAT TO, YEAH, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, FOR I LANDSCAPE ISLANDS WHERE TREES ARE GONNA BE PLANTED, YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST TAKE COMPACTED SOIL, THROW FOUR INCHES OF DIRT ON TOP OF IT, AND THEN STICK A TREE IN THERE.
YOU GOTTA DIG A HOLE AND YOU GOTTA PUT SOME, SOME, YOU KNOW, GOOD MATERIALS IN THERE FOR THE TREE.
AND I, I'M SURE MIKE IS GONNA TELL YOU THAT THEY PROBABLY HAVE CODE REQUIREMENTS ON THAT STUFF, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE, WE WANT TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
YOU KNOW, LANDSCAPING COSTS A LOT OF MONEY, AND WHY PAY IT TWICE, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE THE PLANTS DYING ON YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA PLANT IT SO THAT THEY CAN ESTABLISH AND THRIVE.
MIKE, THERE IS A TREE PLANTING DETAIL.
IT'S REQUIRED TO BE ON THE, UH, PROOF PLAN SET.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICATIONS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, BUT YES, THERE IS A DETAIL ON THE PLAN SET FOR WHAT HAS TO GO IN THE, UH, WHERE BEFORE THE PLANT IS, IS THE TREE IS PUT IN THE GROUND.
BUT YES, UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE SOIL COULD BE COMPACTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT WHERE THERE WILL NOT BE IMPERVIOUS COVERS.
SO YEAH, IT COULD MAKE PERHAPS A VARIANCE CONDITION COULD BE DUE TO DECOM, IMPACTT, SOME OF THAT SOIL OR SCARIFY THE SOIL.
IT SHOULD, TO SOME EXTENT, NATURALLY DECOM IMPACTT ON ITS OWN, UM, THROUGH TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, AS AWELL AND SHRINK CYCLE HAPPENS WITH THE SOIL.
BUT, UM, I KNOW, WELL, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, FIRE STATION VARIANCE I PRESENTED SOME MONTHS AGO WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN PARKING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND I THINK ONE OF THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS WAS TO DECOPAC THE SOIL.
THEY'D BEEN PARKED THE VEHICLES AND HAD COMPACTED THE SOIL WHERE THEY PARKED THEIR VEHICLES.
UM, LET'S KEEP CRO CRANKING HERE.
UH, I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING SECOND.
UH, WITH THAT, UM, WE'VE, I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, UM, TO THE APPLICANT AND FOR THE, TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTER.
THANK YOU MR. YATES, FOR COMING.
UM, DO WE HAVE A DRAFT MOTION? WE DO, UH, DECEMBER 7TH, 2022.
[02:15:01]
ULTRA OF SITE PLAN S P DASH 2 21 DASH 0 9 1 C.UH, IT IS LOCATED AT, UH, 45 44 EAST SWARF IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING VARIANCE TO NUMBER ONE, VARY FROM LDC DASH, UM, LDC 25 DASH 8 3 0 1 TO ALLOW DRIVEWAY ON SLOPES OVER 15%.
TWO REQUESTS TO VARY FROM LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41 TO ALLOW, CUT AND FILL OVER FOUR FEET, UP TO EIGHT FEET, AND REQUEST TO VARY FROM LDC 25 DASH 8 3 4 2 TO ALLOW FILL OVER FOUR FEET, UP TO 20.5 FEET.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE COUNTRY CLUB, WATER COUNTRY CLUB, WEST WATERSHED, SUBURBAN DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS, THE EXPERIENCE WITH STAFF CONDITIONS HAVING DETERMINED THE REQUIRED FINDINGS OF FACTS HAVE BEEN MET.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUEST WITH THE FOLLOWING STAFF CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, PROVIDE EIGHT ADDITIONAL TREES AT THREE CALIBER, UH, INCHES.
TWO, PROVIDE STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT OF FILL WITH RETAINING WALLS.
AND THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS INCLUDE, NUMBER ONE, RECOMMEND USE OF DARK SKY LIGHTINGS THAT CAST DOWN TO REDUCE LIGHT EMITTING INTO ADJACENT PROPERTIES, AND INCLUDE LIGHTING, UH, INCLUDING THE LIGHTING, UH, FROM THE BUSINESS SIGNAGE REVIEW, UM, SITE REVIEW THE SITE WITH STAFF TO SEE IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL SPACE TO ADD ADDITIONAL TREES.
THREE, CONSIDER INSTALLING EV CHARGING SPACE FOR EMPLOYEES OR AS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CONVENIENCE STORE OF PROPERTY.
INSTALL RECYCLE, INSTALL RECYCLING STATIONS FOR PATRONS AND BUSINESSES ON THE PROPERTY.
CONSIDER ADDING, UM, NATIVE POLLINATOR FRIENDLY PLANTS AND RESTRICT GASOLINE SALES OR GAS STATION BUSINESS ON THE PROPERTY.
SECOND, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THAT LAST ITEM? PLEASE REREAD THAT.
UH, NUMBER SIX, RESTRICT GASOLINE SALES OR GAS STATION BUSINESS ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, CALEB, CHAMPION WATERSHED PROTECTION.
I THINK ON THE SECOND VARIANCE REQUEST, UM, WAS FOR CUT, BUT I THINK YOU MAY HAVE SAID CUT AND FILL UP TO EIGHT FEET.
COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THE SECOND WHEREAS, IS THAT CORRECT? YEP.
THE SECOND VARIANCES REQUEST THAT WAS LISTED IN THE WAY AS YES.
REQUEST, UM, TO VARY FROM LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41 TO ALLOW CUT OVER FOUR FEET, UP TO EIGHT FEET.
AND THEN YOU HAD THREE AS FILL OVER, FOUR FEET UP TO 20.5 FEET, CORRECT? IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
QUESTION ON THE LAST, UH, SENTENCE.
UH, WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR RESTRICT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN PRO TO ME THE SAME THING AS PROHIBIT, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT YOU MEAN.
UM, IF YOU WANTED TO SAY, RESTRICT AND PROHIBIT OR RESTRICT AND PROHIBIT, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY JUST STRIKE, UM, RE RESTRICT AND PUT IN, PROHIBIT ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? AND BREER, ARE YOU IN AGREEANCE WITH THAT SINCE THAT WAS YOURS? YEAH.
I ACTUALLY WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT THE PROPERTY IS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE COMMERCIAL RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS.
WHY DON'T YOU GET THOSE? PERFECT.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST REREADING THE ONES THAT YOU'VE CHANGED MM-HMM.
SO NOW A NUMBER FOUR SAYS, INSTALL RECYCLING STATIONS FOR PATRONS AND BUSINESSES ON THE PROPERTY AND FOLLOW ALL COMMERCIAL RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS.
AND NUMBER SIX IS CHANGED FROM RESTRICT TO, UH, PROHIBIT NUMBER SIX.
[02:20:01]
PROHIBIT GASOLINE SALES AND GAS OR GAS STATION BUSINESS ON THE PROPERTY.UM, I WONDER IF WE SHOULD, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEIR HOURS OF OPERATION WILL BE, UM, 10 O'CLOCK AND THEN 12 ON THE WEEKENDS.
SHOULD WE INCLUDE THAT IN OUR DARK SKIES, UH, COMMENTS SINCE THAT WOULD BE, UM, I MEAN, IF IT, IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD, THE NEW PEOPLE MIGHT NOT WANNA GO ALONG WITH THAT, BUT, UH, THAT WE COULD ASK THAT AS A CONDITION.
SO, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, UM, YOU WANT TO RECOMMEND SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, LIGHTING IS, UH, REDUCED OR MINIMIZED DURING, UM, NON-BUSINESS HOURS? CORRECT.
AND YOU SAID THAT NON-BUSINESS HOURS WOULD BEGIN AT 10 ON THE WEEKDAYS AND MIDNIGHT ON THE WEEKENDS.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL IN, IN THAT.
UM, I THINK THE DARK SKY ELEMENTS STILL, I MEAN, HAVING SHIELDED LIGHT OR OTHER ELEMENTS, E EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT OPEN, IT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE LIT, UH, UM, FROM A SECURITY STANDPOINT.
UH, SO I THINK WE'RE WANDERING A LITTLE BIT, UH, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL LANE, BUT, BUT IF YOU, IF THINK YOU CAN THREAD THAT NEEDLE, GIVE IT A SHOT, YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH, UH, THE CHAIR, THAT THERE'S A SECURITY ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED.
IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN FIND A, SOME DARK SKY LANGUAGE THAT RELATES TO HOW THE LIGHTS ARE SHIELDED AND HOW, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT COMPLIES WITH DARK SKY LIGHTING.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A, A BETTER LANE THAN, THAN, UH, WHEN TO LIGHT THINGS AND WHEN NOT TO, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I DON'T THINK THE LIGHT SHOULD BE TURNED OFF DURING NON, NON-BUSINESS HOURS.
I THINK THAT'S, HERE'S WHAT I WROTE.
UM, MINIMIZE LIGHTING DURING NON-BUSINESS HOURS WHILE STILL MEETING SAFETY NEEDS.
AND ADD THE HOURS OF OPERATION THAT WE'VE BEEN PROMISED OR NOT.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, IF I RECALL, UH, THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE EARLIER THAT DEFINE THE BUSINESS HOURS AS BEING THE ONES THAT THE APPLICANT IS REFERRING TO.
UH, I MEAN, I DON'T MIND PUTTING THAT IN, BUT I THINK IT'S REDUNDANT WITH THE CONDITIONAL ZONING OVERLAY.
I, I WOULD SAY WE JUST ADD, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND WE CAN PUT THIS IN AFTER TYPING, BUT WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZED THAT THERE'S AN OVERLAY THAT RESTRICTS THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS, UM, AS PRESENTED BY THE APPLICANT AND STAFF DURING THE MEETING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
SINCE WE NEVER SAW IT
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD? ALL RIGHT.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED AND, AND FINALIZED, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE OR RA OR RAISE YOUR HAND MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SO WE GOT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 4, UH, AND, AND TWO AGAINST.
UM, MOTION PASSES AND WE'RE MOVING ON.
[COMMITTEE REPORTS]
UH, COMMITTEE REPORTS.UM, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS? UH, JUST GO AND IN YOUR, HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE, GO FOR IT.
UM, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I REQUESTED THAT, UH, WE HAVE A REPORT FROM KEITH MARS ON, UH, THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE, UH, TREE, TREE ORDINANCE.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT THE NEXT MEETING A DATE WHEN THAT WILL BE DONE.
UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE SCHEDULING ISSUES, UH, AFTER
[02:25:01]
THREE MONTHS, I THINK WE'VE HAD ENOUGH FUN.I THINK IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON AND RESOLVE THE SCHEDULING ISSUES AND GET KEITH HERE.
UH, IF HE'S NO LONGER WITH US, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT IF HE'S STILL ALIVE AND KICKING AND, AND AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM MAKE HIS STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE NEW YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND REQUEST THAT WE, UM, WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE LEGISLATOR SESSION.
UH, I, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS HEARD BO BOTH OF YOUR COMMENTS ARE HEARD.
I WILL AGREE TO HERS AS LONG AS THEY COME BACK, AS LONG AS CITY STAFF COMES BACK WITH A DATE NEXT TIME.
SO I'M, I'M WILLING TO DEFER UNTIL THE CIRCUS LEAVE TOWN AND, UH, UH, AND, BUT I NEED A DATE CUZ THE CIRCUS DOES LEAVE TOWN.
UM, AND I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH STAFF ON THAT.
MAYBE LET'S SET A GOAL FOR, UM, JUNE OF 2023.
OH, THE CIRCUS IS GONNA LEAVE TOWN BEFORE THAT.
YEAH, WELL, WHAT'S THE FIRST, OKAY, THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT I'M THINKING.
WE WILL NEED TO COORDINATE WITH MR. MARS.
IT'LL BE UP TO HIM, UM, WHETHER OR NOT HE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS OR, OR NOT.
SO WE WILL, WE WILL TALK TO HIM, BUT IT WILL BE HIS DECISION.
BUT, UH, WE NEED TO KNOW ANY, UH, COMMITTEE REPORTS, OTHER, OTHER ONES.
SHE, SHE DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB OF MOVING HANDS TO WHERE IT CATCHES MY PERIPHERAL VIEW.
ANNA, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY, I APOLOGIZE.
THIS SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY VOICE MEETING ON DECEMBER THE 19TH.
UH, THIS WILL ADJOURN NOT ONLY THIS MEETING, BUT THIS YEAR.
SO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY FOR SHOWING UP AND CONTRIBUTING.
WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD YEAR WITH ATTENDANCE, UM, ESPECIALLY THIS LAST SIX MONTHS, AND I APPRECIATE FROM EVERYBODY.
SO WITH THAT, IT'S 8 32 HAPPY NEW YEAR.
EVERY EVERYBODY LOVES IT EVER THE GROUP.
WE'VE A SHORT TIME TO BE HERE.
WE'VE A SHORT TIME TO BE HERE.
WE HAVE A SHORT TIME TO BE HERE.
GET OUTTA YOUR RU AND NO GROOVE.