[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
GET THROUGH THE REGULAR MEETING THE ENVIRON.
IT'S FEBRUARY 15TH, 6 0 5, NOT SIX O'CLOCK.
UM, WE'RE AT THE PERMING DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT 63 10 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE.
LET'S GO AROUND AND DO ROLL CALL REMOTE COMMISSIONER'S.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
LET'S KEEP GOING.UM, ELIZABETH DISTRIBUTED THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
DID ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR ITEMS TO DISCUSS FROM THE, I JUST HAD, I JUST HAD ONE COMMENT.
UM, FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR, IT WAS ACTUALLY FOUR TO SIX INSTEAD OF FOUR TO FIVE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE, ELIZABETH? ALL RIGHT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE MO MOTION BY SCOTT? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
[2. Name: Velocity Channel Improvements, SP-2021-0153D (30 minutes)]
ON TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, VELOCITY CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS, S P 2021 DASH 0 1 5 3 D.UM, I BELIEVE THIS, THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 60 DAYS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THIS AGENDA ITEM, UH, FOR 60 DAYS, AND TRY TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA AS FAST AS WE CAN AFTER THAT TIME.
YOU NEED A SECOND
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PROVO OF THE POSTPONEMENT? RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE EVERYBODY'S, IT'S POSTPONED.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAMMERING THROUGH THE AGENDA HERE.
WE ARE MOVING AT A DECENT PACE, NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
[3. Name: Kaalo Studio, SPC-2021-0195C (30 minutes)]
UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, KLO STUDIOS SPC 20 2101 9 50 C.UM, THE LOCATION'S AT 79 0 1, 22 22, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78 7 30, DISTRICT 10, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT A STAFF PRESENTATION TO START.
AND I, IS THERE A MIC UP THERE NOW YOU THANK YOU, ENRIQUE.
YOU WANT ME TO SEE OR STAND? OKAY.
SO, YEAH, I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING THIS VARIANCE FOR CALL STUDIO.
I WANT TO MAKE CLARIFICATION HERE THAT, UH, SHERRY, PA, SHERRY, PA AND BRIAN WELLS ARE WITH M WM, NOT CARLOS STUDIO, JUST, JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD.
CARLOS STUDIO 69 0 1 7 9 0 1 RM 2222 S B C 20 21 0 1 9 5 6 C.
I'M WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.
I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SPECIALIZED SENIOR WITH THE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION OF COLOR STUDIO.
SO, FOR THE PROPERTY DATA, SO IT'S LOCATED IN THE WEST, WEST POOL CREEK WATER SUPPLY, SUBURBAN DESIRE DEVELOPMENT ZONE, AUSTIN, O T D, LOCATED OVER THE EL AQUIFER RICHER ZONE, NO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL, FISHER IS IN CON COUNCIL DISTRICT.
HERE, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE ASSISTING CONDITION OF THE SIDE.
HERE, AND, AND AGAIN, THE ASSISTING CONDITION OF THE SIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THE TREES OVER THERE TOO.
UH, THE SLOPE MAP, THAT'S THE VARIANCE IS GONNA BE, I'M GONNA GO INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO FOR THE BACKGROUND PROJECT IS LOCATED ON F FMN FM 2022 IN THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY.
THE CYCLE CONSIST OF FIVE ACRES OF LAND, BUT ONLY ONE ACRES IS, IS IN A FLAT AREA WHERE THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT ARE GOING TO BE LOCATED.
[00:05:01]
OF THE FIVE ACRES OF LAND IS COVERED BY, WITH NATURAL VISITATION, AND MOST OF THE AREA ARE OUT OF THE FLAT PORTION WILL REMAIN UNDER DISTURBED.THE ENTIRE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY FRONTING THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY, CON CONTAINS SLOPES IN EXCESS OF 50 PER ONE 5%.
THEREFORE, THE ONLY AVAILABLE ACCESS INTO THE PROPERTY IS BY CLOSING THE SYSTEM SLOPES WITH A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY.
SO THE VARIANCE REQUEST IS FOR, UH, THE GRASS IS TO VARY FROM LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE 25,000 800 301 TO ALLOW TO ALLOW A DRIVEWAY ON A SLOPE OVER OF MORE THAN 15%.
FOR THE VARIANCE RECOMMENDATION, THE STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE VARIANTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PLANTING AROUND THE ADA WALKWAY WALKWAY FOR SCREENING, AND PROVIDE PLANTING ON THE SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY THAT WILL PREVENT SOIL, SOIL EROSION, PROVIDE PRELIMINARY PLANTS, AND, UM, UH, AND THE, THERE'S, THERE'S, I WILL EXPLAIN THIS ONE IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO THIS ALSO HAVE A ADA, UM, SIDEWALK THAT IS GOING TO THE ENTRANCE.
AND HE, HE WAS REQUIRING A LITTLE BIT OF FILL, HE WAS GOING OVER FOUR FEET.
SO WE ARE PUTTING THIS AS A REQUIREMENT SO THAT WAY THEY CANNOT GET OUT OF THAT.
AND, AND WE CAN, WE CAN BE WITH, WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, HERE'S THE CONDITION, LIKE THE SIDE CONDITIONS, THAT'S THE, THE, THE LOCATION OF THE DRIVEWAY.
I THINK THE APPLICANT IS HERE FOR ANY QUESTION.
I THINK HE ALSO HAVE A PRESENTATION, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU WANT ME TO SIT THERE? YEAH, HOW YOU DOING? I'M BRIAN.
YEAH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF WHEN THE SLIDES COME UP, AND THEN, UH, THANK YOU.
AND THEN, YEAH, WE'LL GO THROUGH 'EM AT YOUR, AT YOUR ABILITY.
UM, I'M A CIVIL ENGINEER AND I REPRESENT, UM, CAL STUDIOS AND, UH, RAJIV A CURRY, WHO IS THE PROPERTY OWNER WHO'S HERE TONIGHT.
AND, UM, SO, UH, ENRIQUE DID A GREAT JOB OF COVERING, UH, ALL THE POINTS OF THE VARIANCE.
I ONLY HAVE TWO, UH, SHEETS FROM OUR PLAN SET THAT'S, UH, PART OF THE SITE PERMIT, UH, APPLICATION.
UM, TO FURTHER HIGHLIGHT SOME OF WHAT, UM, UH, ENRIQUE COVERED, UM, THE 2222.
I KNOW THESE DRAWINGS ARE KIND OF TECHNICAL AND MAYBE HARD TO READ, BUT 22, 22 IS RUNNING NORTH SOUTH HERE.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE THE PROPERTY.
I'VE, UM, THIS IS THE SLOPE MAP THAT ENRIQUE SHOWED EARLIER, BUT IT'S COLORED THE, UM, THE BLUE IS, UM, AREAS THAT ARE, UH, LESS THAN 15%.
YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE PROPERTY, OR THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY HAS SLOPES THAT ARE GREATER THAN THAT.
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN, IS THERE ANY WAY TO POINT? I GUESS NOT REALLY.
I APOLOGIZE, BUT YEAH, THAT'S OKAY.
JUST, JUST IF YOU COULD WALK THROUGH IT BECAUSE THE, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ONLINE TOO WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE THE POINTER.
SO, UM, CAN YOU, CAN YOU ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT? WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE THAT YES.
JUST AND PAN UP JUST A LITTLE BIT? THAT'S PERFECT.
SO THE EDGE IS, IS, UM, KINDA CENTERED NOW? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
THAT, THAT'S OKAY IF YOU, YOU CAN'T, IF YOU CAN'T ZOOM IN, THAT'S OKAY.
SO WHAT, WHAT I'M ATTEMPTING TO POINT OUT YEAH, IF YOU COULD KEEP GOING UP PLEASE, CUZ THE, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT IS A, NO, I'M SORRY.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO SEE THE PROPERTY ITSELF.
KEEP GOING THE WAY YOU'RE GOING.
SO, UM, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE SOME HEAVY PURPLE LINES, UM, NEAR THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY.
THIS PROPERTY'S IN, UH, THE, UM, HILL COUNTRY, UH, UH, ROADWAY, UM, UH, CRITERIA, WHICH FALLS IN, WHICH IS IN THE ZONING, UH, SECTION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND, UM, AND IT RESTRICTS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST A HUNDRED FEET OF THE PROPERTY.
SO A LOT OF THAT BLUE AREA IS NOT DEVELOPABLE ANYWAY.
THERE'S ALSO A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OFF TO THE FAR RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T SEE THE DRIVEWAY VERY WELL, BUT IT'S AS FAR TO THE TOP RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THAT CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS, UH, AS CLOSE AS WE COULD GET TO IT.
[00:10:01]
IT BRINGS ARI A CAR UP TO JUST BEYOND THE BUFFER LINE OF THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY, UH, BUFFER.THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FLAT AREA THAT ENRIQUE TALKED ABOUT IS EVERYTHING BETWEEN THAT BUFFER AND THE RED, WHICH THE RED IS, IS MUCH STEEPER SLOPES.
SO THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS RIGHT IN THAT AREA.
UM, THE PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO KEEP THAT UNDISTURBED AS ENRIQUE MENTIONED.
SO NOW IF YOU COULD PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS, THIS ONE IS EVEN MORE TECHNICAL.
IT'S JUST A PLANNING PROFILE OF THE DRIVEWAY, UM, TO SHOW HOW WE, UH, UM, WORKED WITH BOTH THE TEXT DOT, UM, DRIVEWAY SLOPES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THEN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS WHERE WE DID OUR BEST TO, UM, TO JUST FOLLOW WITH THE EXISTING SLOPES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF CUT AND FILL ON THE DRIVEWAY.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO PRESENT, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UM, AND OUR, UH, IS THIS THE QUESTION ANSWER TIME? SHOULD I STAY HERE OR HOW DOES THIS WORK? YEAH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, JUST, JUST HANG OUT THERE AND, AND REKA VERY GOOD.
UM, AND WE'LL GO AROUND AND PEPPER YOU GUYS WITH SOME QUESTIONS PROBABLY.
REMOTE COMMISSIONERS ON COMMISSIONER SHIRA, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND TURNING YOUR, UH, CAMERA ON.
UH, SO WE CAN BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE RULES THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, UM, UH, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? THIS IS NO QUESTIONS FOR ME.
YEAH, I HAVE, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT QUITE FINISHED WRITING THEM ALL DOWN, SO I'LL KIND OF WING IT.
UM, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU BRIER, IF YOU'D LIKE US TO.
YEAH, IF YOU WOULD, UH, CIRCLE BACK TO ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
UM, UH, KHI, SCOTT, ANY QUESTIONS? HI.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH Y'ALL FOR YOUR, UM, VERY THOROUGH, UH, LOOK INTO THIS.
UM, IS THERE A ROAD THAT GOES, AM I SEEING A ROAD THAT GOES TO THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT, THAT GOES UP TO THE TOP OF THE PROPERTY THERE? YES, THERE IS AN UNPAVED ROAD THAT GOES UP TO THE TOP, THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, AND IS THERE, BUT YOU SAID THAT THERE'S NO, UM, PLANS TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO, WOULD YOU, IS IT OKAY IF, IF THE PROPERTY OWNER SPEAKS OF TO OF COURSE.
SORRY, I QUESTION IF YOU'LL NEED, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND PHONE.
JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND THEN, AND THEN SPEAK INTO THE MIC WITH, UH, WITH A LITTLE GREEN LIGHTS ON.
BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO TAP THAT BUTTON.
SO, AND I'LL REPEAT THE QUESTION.
UM, I JUST, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE PLANS TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, IS THAT CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
SO CURRENTLY THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING THE PROPERTY WAS TO KEEP THE, THE GREENERY OF THE 2222 CORRIDOR JUST AS IS.
SO WHEN WE PURCHASED IT, WE REALIZED THAT THAT WAS, UM, SORT OF THE SAFE HAVEN FOR THE KIND OF ANIMALS AND THE TREES THAT WERE THERE.
WE BROUGHT IN PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE PROPERTY, WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN AN ARBORIST TO ACTUALLY TELL US, UM, HOW THIS WOULD ACTUALLY WORK WITH OUR VISION.
OUR VISION WAS TO HAVE A COMPLETELY ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY, UM, PROPOSAL, WHICH THE CONCEPT WITH WHICH WE WENT TO THE CITY TO GIVE THEM AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE VISION.
AND, UH, THAT IS HOW WE GOT OUR, UH, ZONING IN THE FIRST PLACE IN 2018.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE WAY WE WANT TO KEEP IT.
WE FINALLY FOUND THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD ON THIS PROPERTY WAS TO HAVE IT RIGHT AT THE BASE.
ORIGINALLY, WE HAD CONCEPTS OF TAKING THE PROPERTY ALL THE WAY UP, BUT BECAUSE OF THE, UM, IMPERVIOUS, UH, ALLOWANCES, UH, WE WEREN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH, UM, SQUARE FOOTAGE TO ACTUALLY HAVE TAKE THE ROAD ALL THE WAY UP.
SO WE SAID, OKAY, WE'LL JUST BR BUILD ON THE FRONT, UH, FACE.
I THINK THE ONLY THING REMAINING RIGHT NOW IS THAT LITTLE ROADWAY ALLOWING US TO DO SO.
YEAH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE'D BE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS AND, AND DISTURBANCES AS WE, AS WE TRIED TO MOVE THE DEVELOPMENT UP THE HILL.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT HE'S REFERRING TO.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I GUESS FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WOULD YOU BE WILLING, YOU KNOW, ANY IDEA THOUGHTS OF PUTTING IT LIKE UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING INTO SOME SORT OF, UM, CONSERVATION PLAN THERE? ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
AND WHATEVER IS RECOMMENDED AND MORE, I THINK, UM, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, MY WIFE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, DESIGN STUDENT, UM, GRADUATE FROM THE UT UH, SCHOOL OF DESIGN, AND WE ARE
[00:15:01]
BOTH, UH, EXTREMELY, UM, PRO UH, KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT THE WAY IT IS AS BEST POSSIBLE.I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EITHER.
UM, ALL RIGHT, MR. MR. B BRIMER, COMMISSIONER BRIMMER PENCIL'S DOWN.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE.
APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR TIME, UH, ON THIS, UH, I GUESS, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, OKAY, I'M GOING TO GO WITH THIS.
WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF ZONING DO WE HAVE ON THIS PROPERTY? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
OH, YOU PROBABLY HAVE THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, RIGHT? I SHOULD HAVE MY LAPTOP.
UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER.
THIS IS LIZ JOHNSON, WATERSHED PROTECTION, AND I HAVE IT AS L O M U C O.
AND WHAT TYPE OF, I HAD IT UP ALREADY.
WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS IS THIS THAT'S GOING IN? IT'S, IT'S A DESIGN, UM, STUDIO FOR, UM, BASICALLY WE PROVIDE DESIGN SERVICES FOR PLANTS LIKE DELL, HP, AND ALL WE'LL BE DOING IN THERE IS, UM, HAVING A BUNCH.
IT'S A SANDBOX FOR CREATIVE DESIGN WORK.
AND IS THIS A MULTI-STORY BUILDING OR A SINGLE STORY? IT'S TWO STORIES, I BELIEVE WITH AN, WITH, UH, HEIGHT CUTOFF OF 28 FEET.
UM, AND, UH, ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE, UH, ANY PARKING OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS? YES, THE PARKING WILL BE BELOW THE FIRST FLOOR, SO IT'LL BE SUBSURFACE.
IT'S, IT'S SUBSURFACE AND THERE'S NO, UH, THERE'S NO ISSUES WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT SUBSURFACE.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO CAVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BELOW THE SURFACE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, A PROBLEM WITH.
UH, THERE, THERE, THERE'S, THERE WERE, UH, IN THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, ASSESSMENT THAT WAS PERFORMED, THERE WERE NO, UM, CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES DISCOVERED.
UM, AND I GUESS I HAD THE SAME, UH, QUESTION WITH REGARD TO, UH, MAINTAINING THE, THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY IN ITS UN UNALTERED STATE.
UH, SO I WOULD AGREE WITH TRYING WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SOME SORT OF A LIMITATION ON THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT ON THE BACK HALF OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE ANY EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON THE PROPERTY? YES.
UM, BUT IT ALL MEETS THE, UM, SUB, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR CUTOFF LIGHTING, MEANING, SO IT WON'T, IT WON'T BE VISIBLE, UM, TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.
I GUESS, UM, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, I GUESS WE WANNA MAKE THAT KIND OF, UH, DARK SKY COMPLIANT.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A REQUIREMENT, I MEAN, THAT SHOULDN'T BE TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO DO ON THERE.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I CAN'T ANSWER IT MORE TECHNICALLY SINCE, UH, I'D NEED TO CONSULT WITH THE, UM, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER.
BUT, UH, YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A, FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SIZE, I WOULDN'T THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE A, A, YOU KNOW, A BIG REACH FOR YOU TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DO TO THIS TYPE OF, UH, TYPE OF THING.
AND THERE'S NO, UH, YOU'RE NOT CONS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO CONSTRUCT ANY, UH, WATER DETENTION PONDS OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, SO FOR, UM, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT CONTROLS, THERE'S A UNDERGROUND, UM, DETENTION SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT, NOT THE DRIVEWAY THAT'S COMING UP TO THE, TO THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE DRIVEWAY THAT, UM, IS IN FRONT OF IT TO LEAD INTO THE PARKING GARAGE.
SO THERE'S AN UNDERGROUND DETENTION SYSTEM THERE, AND THEN THERE ARE FIVE RAIN GARDENS, UM, SCATTERED AROUND THE SITE FOR WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.
AND, UH, THE, THE PLANTING THAT YOU CAN HAVE AROUND THE RAIN GARDENS, UH, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE THOSE, UH, BE UM, BE SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BUTTERFLY HABITATS AND THAT TYPE OF THING? I MEAN, IS THAT
[00:20:01]
A CONSIDERATION THAT YOU'VE, UH, YES, ABSOLUTELY.THE PLANTS, THE PLANTS WERE SELECTED FOR THOSE TYPES OF REASONS, YES.
TO BE AS, UH, UM, UH, ALL THE PLANTS THAT WERE SELECTED ARE NATIVE PLANTS.
AND, UH, HOW MANY, UH, PARKING SPOTS ARE YOU GONNA HAVE IN YOUR UNDERGROUND GARAGE? AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY LAPTOP UP THAT HAS THE COMPLETE SET OF PLANS.
I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S 28 SPACES, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, IF YOU'D LIKE THE EXACT COUNT, I CAN GRAB MY, UH, GRAB MY, UH, PULL MY PLANS UP, UH, THIS BEING A GOVERNMENT THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK.
UH, UH, I GUESS WHAT I WAS GONNA SUGGEST IS IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, 28, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ADD A, A THING WHERE WE HAVE THREE OF THOSE BE, UH, BUILT OUT FOR, UH, EV CHARGING OF COURSE.
THAT'S 10% IS, IS IS THE NUMBER 10% ROUNDED OUT.
SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT WE, WE DO THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE HAS SOMETHING TO OKAY.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOLKS.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BREMMER.
ACTUALLY, IT GAVE ME SOME TIME TO, TO MAKE SOME NOTES, AND I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ABOUT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE VARIANCE PACKET, AND THERE'S FOUR ITEMS HERE.
INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PLANTINGS AROUND THE ADA WALKWAY FOR SCREENING, PROVIDE PLANTINGS ON THE SIDE SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAYS TO PREVENT SOIL EROSION, PROVIDE POLLINATOR PLANTS, AND THE ADA ELEVATED WALKWAY YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANYWHERE IN THE PLAN SET OR IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE APPLICANT, THOSE WERE KIND OF QUANTIFIED? LIKE THE, THE INCREASE OF THE PLANTINGS AROUND THE ADA WALKWAY, IS THAT, IS THERE A NUMBER OR DO WE HAVE A, A BENCHMARK THAT WE CAN INCLUDE? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, I DIDN'T PUT ANY NUMBER BECAUSE I WAS COMING HERE TO SEE, LIKE IF I KNOW, LIKE HERE WE CAN GET TO A NUMBER, BUT YEAH, I WAS THINKING LIKE A 10% OF LIKE EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE AT LEAST 10% TO INCREASE ON THE PLANTINGS, UH, FOR THE ADA AND, AND FOR THE DRIVEWAY TOO, LIKE 10% OF THE, WHAT THEY HAVE NOW, UM, 10% MORE OF WHAT THEY HAVE NOW.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
SO THE PLAN SET HAS, I GUESS, PLANTING, PLANTING DETAILS IN IT? YES, SIR.
DO YOU MIND IF I, DO YOU MIND, MATT? YEAH, NO, YEAH, PLEASE.
SO THE, UM, UH, FIRST THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY, UM, CRITERIA, UM, HAS AUGMENTED MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS IN THE BUFFER ZONE, WHICH WE WERE, OUR, OUR LAND, OUR, UH, LANDSCAPE PLANTING PLANS WERE ALREADY SATISFYING THE AUGMENTED MITIGATION PRIOR TO THE REQUEST FROM THE EV GROUP TO, UM, TO INCREASE.
SO WE'VE INCREASED BEYOND THE AUGMENTED MITIGATION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS ELECTED TO NOT PAY ANY MITIGATION FEE, BUT RATHER TO PLANT ALL MITIGATION ON THE PROPERTY, INCLUDING SOME OF THE BACK AREAS.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A DESIRE TO, TO PLANT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE SITE.
UM, AND, UM, THE, THERE IS SOME LIMITATION TO DISTURBANCE THOUGH ALSO WITHIN THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY BUFFER.
BUT WE'RE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR USING THE TERM MITIGATION, TWO DIFFERENT WAYS WE'RE MITIGATING THAT DISTURBANCE ON THE PLAN SET BY CL UH, CLEARLY DEFINING THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION THAT ARE ALLOWABLE FOR, UM, ANY TYPE OF HARDSCAPE WORK VERSUS, UM, LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION THAT ARE ALLOWABLE FOR PLANTING ONLY.
SO THE, THE, SO THERE WILL BE SOME PLANTINGS THAT WILL OCCUR OUTS IN THAT BUFFER AREA THAT WE, THAT THE CONTRACTOR WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ALLOWED TO, TO, TO, UH, TO BE IN, IN INSIDE OF.
SO REALLY IN THAT AREA OF SOLELY FOR PLANTING PURPOSES, NOT THAT'S CORRECT.
FOR THAT'S CORRECT, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT IN AT RISK OF BEING IN VIOLATION OF THE OTHER CODE SECTION.
AND, AND THEN IN THAT, SO IN, I GUESS IN THE PLANTS THAT THERE, IT DOES HAVE A, A NUMBER OF PLANTS OR MM-HMM.
AND, UM, AND AS WELL AS A, AS WELL AS A DETAILED PLAN WITH SPECIES.
AND THAT, I GUESS, INCLUDES THE POLLINATOR PLANTS.
THAT'S PART OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
SO YEAH, LIKE, UH, HE WAS MENTIONED TOO, THAT HE HAD IN THE RAIN GARDENS TOO, SO THAT WILL COME FOR THAT.
AND THAT WE, FOR THE NEW PLANTING AND THE BUFFER AREA THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, WE CAN ADD SOME OF THE PLANTER PLANTS TOO.
SO FROM A STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE MM-HMM.
SO WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS BEFORE, BEFORE COMING, COMING HERE.
UH, WE STILL HAVE THE, THE NEED TO SEE THE FINAL PLAN, UH, JUST BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING TO HAVE THIS DONE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MEET THE STANDARD.
BUT TO THAT, TO THIS POINT, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PLANS YET.
[00:25:01]
SO YEAH, WE WILL SEE IT AFTER THIS MEETING, BUT THERE'S A, HAS A PLAN SET BEEN SUBMITTED TO STAFF THAT HAS A, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF PLANTS IN IT.SO IF WE WERE TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT 10% MORE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD HAVE A BENCHMARK TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE IT BACK.
AND, AND, AND WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH THAT APPROACH, I THINK THERE, THERE WERE SOME DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EXACTLY WHERE THE PLANTS COULD AND COULDN'T GO, UH, RELATED TO WHAT I WAS DES DESCRIBING.
SO, SO FROM A WANTING, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT WANTING TO PUT MORE OF THE MITIGATION ONSITE AND DO THE PLANTINGS ONSITE.
IS THERE SPACE FOR ANY MORE PLANTS? SOMETIMES PROJECTS COME BEFORE US WHERE THE, THE TREES ARE PACKED IN SO TIGHT THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T AVAILABILITY.
THAT'S WHY ENRIQUE HASN'T SEEN THE UPDATED PLANTS SET YET.
WE'RE, WE'RE
AND AS, AS, AS Y'ALL PROBABLY ARE AWARE, UH, TREE, TREE SURVEYS TYPICALLY ONLY GO DOWN TO A CERTAIN, UH, DIAMETER EIGHT INCH.
AND, UM, AND SO THIS SITE HAS, UM, HAS QUITE A FEW, UH, UH, JUNIPERS ON IT, WHICH MANY OF 'EM DON'T, AREN'T PICKED UP IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE SURVEY.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT AN EASY EXERCISE TO LOCATE ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL PLANTS ON, ON THE SITE.
SO THAT, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE'RE FIGURING OUT IS THE BEST WAY TO DOCUMENT THAT.
SO FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, Y'ALL ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE KIND OF NUMBER OF PLANTINGS, UM, PROVIDE PLANTINGS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT FOR AT LEAST 10, 9%, LET'S SAY, ON THE DRIVEWAY.
AND IF, IF THERE'S NO SPACE, AT LEAST, AT LEAST 5% THEN, AND THEN THE, THE OTHER 5%, WE CAN HAVE SOME TREES ON THE BACK OF THE, OF THE LOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MOVE AROUND THE, THE PLANTING.
AND FROM AN APPLICANT STANDPOINT, Y'ALL WERE SAYING THAT THERE'S KIND OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN THE HILL COUNTRY ORDINANCE AND PLANTINGS WITH A ADJACENT TO THE DRIVEWAY WHEN YOU'RE IN, WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT AREA.
THERE, THERE CAN BE, I THINK THAT THE INTENTS WORK OUT WELL, BUT THE, THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY CRITERIA TENDS TO FOCUS MORE ON AESTHETICS THAN, THAN ENVIRONMENTAL AND DISTURBANCE.
AND SO, UM, SO AS FAR AS PROVIDING A VISUAL BUFFER, IT'S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, BUT IT, IT ALSO, THE WAY IT READS, IT'S TELLING US BASICALLY STAY OUT OF HERE AND, AND LEAVE THE, UM, EXISTING PLANTS BE.
AND SO IT, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFLICT IN CODE, IN, IN, IN THAT SENSE.
IT, IT DOESN'T REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO INTO THAT BUFFER AREA AND DO A LOT OF PLANTINGS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET HUNG UP GETTING APPROVAL HERE BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE GOING BEFORE, UM, PLANT AND ZONING, UH, FOR ONE VARIANCE REGARDING THE HILL COUNTRY ROADWAY.
AND SO WE DON'T WANNA DO SOMETHING HERE, AGREE TO SOMETHING HERE AND GET APPROVAL, AND THEN IT ACTUALLY IMPACTS US WHEN, WHEN WE'RE PRESENTED TO THEM.
UH, JUST IN CASE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEING IT MORE FROM THE, FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE OTHER THAN ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, COMPLIANCE.
SO, WELL, KIND OF FROM, FROM, I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, OR FROM MY PERSPECTIVE HERE, I WOULD SAY MAYBE SEE IF WE CAN INCREASE THE PLANTINGS BY, BY 10% TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE MM-HMM.
UM, AND KNOWING THAT KIND OF CHASING PLANTINGS UP INTO THAT KIND OF SETBACK AREA UP AT THE TOP OF THE HILL MAY NOT BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF EVERYBODY'S TIME AND EFFORT.
UM, UH, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MAY BE CONFLICTS WITHIN OTHER REQUIREMENTS, FOR INSTANCE, THE, THE WHOLE COUNTRY MM-HMM.
I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ALL AGREEABLE TO THAT TOO.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND, AND I'M, I'M PLEASED WITH YOUR, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS AND, AND, UH, INTEREST IN, IN BEING AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR WATER AND SEWER? THIS IS OUT, CAN I, THE COUNTRY? HOW'S, HOW'S THAT BEING HANDLED? SURE.
IT'S WITHIN THE AUSTIN WATER SERVICE.
UM, AND, UM, HOW MANY TREES WILL BE REMOVED, UM, WHERE YOU PUT IN THE, UM, THE DRIVEWAY? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I AM GOING TO GRAB MY LAPTOP REAL QUICK.
SO I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, GO AHEAD WITH IT.
UM, I, I THINK IT WOULD, WHEN YOU, UH, WHEN YOU PUT IN THE, UM, UM, THE EV STATIONS, UM,
[00:30:02]
UH, FROM A COST BENEFIT POINT OF VIEW, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO, UH, HAVE YOUR ELECTRICIAN WIRE THE ENTIRE, UM, PARKING AREA FOR FUTURE EVS AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE STANDARD AND THE WAY THAT THEY ARE WORK IS LIKELY TO CHANGE OVER TIME.SO IT IS NOT REALLY PRACTICAL TO PUT IN A WHOLE LOT OF 'EM, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING MORE THAN 10% PEOPLE USING EVS, UH, IN WITHIN FIVE YEARS.
UM, I THINK WE COULD SEE, UH, A STEEP RISE AS THE, AS THE PRICE OF THEM COME DOWN.
SO, UM, I, UH, AND THEN ALSO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE SEEN THE, UH, UH, 2022 FEMA, UM, HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, BUT OUR HIGHEST RISK FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AREA, AND WHICH OBVIOUSLY INCLUDES AUSTIN AS WELL, IS TO MY SURPRISE, UH, FOR, TO TORNADOES.
AND, UM, VERY FORTUITOUSLY YOU HAVE, UM, AN UNDERGROUND, UM, PARKING LOT.
AND, UM, I WOULD BE VERY PLEASED IF, IF, UH, IN YOUR DESIGN YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND SO THAT IT WOULD QUALIFY TO BE A SAFE AREA IN CASE OF A TORNADO WARNING.
WE HAD ONE, UH, TORNADO WARNING IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR.
UM, AND DID, YOU MAY BE AWARE, MOST PEOPLE IN AUSTIN DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE UNDERGROUND TO GO.
SO IF WE WERE HIT BY AN E F FOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE, UM, GONE.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, IF YOU HAVE AN UNDERGROUND PARKING SPACE MM-HMM.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT JUST BECAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHOULD BE, UM, TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT AND RECOMMENDING AND, UM, UM, TRYING TO GET THAT, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS AWARE OF SO THAT IT'S NOT LIKE WHAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED TWO YEARS AGO WITH THE WINTER STORM AND, AND A FEW WEEKS AGO WITH THE, UH, ICE STORM.
NONE OF THESE THINGS WERE HUGE SURPRISES, BUT WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR 'EM.
SO LET'S BE PREPARED FOR OUR TORNADO IF, IF, IF ONE HAPPENS, BECAUSE WE DID, WE HAVE HAD 66 TORNADOES IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND, UM, THE FEMA REPORT IS BASED ON LOCAL NOAH WEATHER REPORTS.
UM, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY AT TWICE AS HIGH RISK FOR TORNADOES AS WE ARE FOR DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIVES FROM, UH, UH, FLOODING.
SO I, IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE, AND I'M JUST PASSING THE WORD ALONG AND, AND I THINK IT'S, THAT'S OUR JOB.
UM, AND WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE TREE TREE SITUATION? UH, WHILE HE'S PULLING THAT UP, MAY I, A ADD A FEW COMMENTS? OKAY.
SO, UM, BACK IN 2014 WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST TESLA, I WAS POKED FUN BY MY NEIGHBORS SAYING, I'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL, UM, UH, GOLF CART.
UM, THE IDEA WAS THAT MY, THE REASON FOR SAYING THAT IS WE'VE BEEN A PROPONENT FOR, UH, GREEN DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, SORT OF, UM, PHILOSOPHIES AND BEING A STEWARD IN THERE FROM OUR DESIGN SCHOOL DAYS.
AND, UM, WE INTEND TO DO WATER HARVESTING WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE DESIGN.
I WISH WE COULD ACTUALLY SEND THAT TO YOU.
AND BRIAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAYBE WE SHOULD AT SOME POINT.
UM, THE AESTHETICS OF IT IS WE'VE GOT SOLAR PANELS ALL OVER THE BUILDING.
WE INTENDED TO, ORIGINALLY WHEN WE MADE THE PRESENTATION TO THE CITY IN 2018, TO GET THE ZONING THAT WE WANTED TO BE COMPLETELY CARBON FOOTPRINT FREE, WHICH IS ZERO CARBON.
AND TO DO THAT, WE HAD IDEAS OF IRRIGATING IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY.
WE WANTED TO HAVE ROADS THAT DID NOT PERMEATE, AND WE WANTED TO DO WATER HARVESTING.
AND BECAUSE WE ARE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS, WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH CONCEPTS.
WE ALSO HAD CONCEPTS OF TREES WITH, UM, SOLAR FLOWERS ABOVE THE TREE LINE SO THAT WE DON'T TOUCH THE TREES.
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY ABOVE ALL THOSE GOT SHOT DOWN BY MANY, UH, REGULATORY BODIES BECAUSE THERE WERE CONSTRAINTS AROUND THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WE COMPLETELY AGREE WITH.
BUT FROM AN INNOVATION STANDPOINT, WE WERE WILLING TO GO ALL THE WAY TO MAKE THIS A SPECTACLE FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UH, WE FEEL, WHEN WE MADE THE PITCH, IT WAS ABOUT MAKING THIS AN EXAMPLE OF ZERO CARBON FOOTPRINT, DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, BUILD AND LIVING, UM, FROM CONCEPT TO FRUITION.
[00:35:01]
OF TREES IN THE PERCENTAGE OF TREES, IF WE GOT A CHANCE, WE'D, IF THERE'S NO WATER THERE, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD'VE BEEN MORE TREES PLANTED WITHOUT PERMISSION BEFORE, UH, WE CAME TO THIS COMMISSION BOARD THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO WATER.WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY PLANT TREES.
UM, UM, BUT FROM, UM, A DESIGN STANDPOINT, MA'AM, I, I THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT WHEN WE SEND YOU THAT.
AND FROM A TORNADO, UM, PERSPECTIVE, HAVING THAT SPACE FOR TORNADO IS A GREAT IDEA.
WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT FROM AN EV PERSPECTIVE.
BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY MENTIONED IT TO US, WE INTENT, WE INTENDED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT.
UM, IF YOU'RE READY, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY, THAT'S GREAT.
AND, UM, NOBODY'S MENTIONED, UH, UH, WINDOWS, UH, REFLECTIVITY IS OF COURSE, IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE BIRDS FROM, UM, FLYING INTO THEM.
AND PERHAPS YOU'VE ALREADY DESIGNED AND PLANNED THAT, BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT IN FRONT YOU.
SO, SO THE WAY WE ACTUALLY HAVE, INSTEAD OF HAVING GLASS, OUR ARCHITECT IS FROM, UH, NEW YORK.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY, THEY'RE ONLINE AS WELL AS WE SPEAK.
UM, THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOT A LOUVER KIND OF A DESIGN IN A WAY THAT THERE'S AIR PASSING THROUGH SO THAT THE SUNLIGHT COMING IN, UM, WILL NOT GO DIRECTLY INTO THE SPACE.
AND IF YOU SEE THE INSIDES, WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT TREES INSIDE, SO THERE'S SORT OF A FOYER WITH THE TREES.
THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO KEEP THE CURRENT TREES THE WAY IT IS AND BUILD AROUND IT.
IT JUST CAME DOWN TO WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ALL THE THOUSAND CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND IT'S BEEN A FOUR YEAR LONG JOURNEY, BY THE WAY, TO COME HERE SO FAR.
UM, AND I DO HAVE YOUR ANSWER.
UM, THERE, WE'RE REMOVING FOR THE, FOR THE PIECE OF DRIVEWAY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, WE'RE REMOVING TWO TREES, UH, A SIX INCH LIVE OAK AND A 12 INCH CEDAR.
AND YOU'RE ARE, ARE YOU TRANSPLANTING THEM OR WE'RE, WE'RE MITIGATE, WE'RE MITIGATING FOR THOSE.
HOW OLD IS A SIX INCH LIVE OAK? I'M NOT THE BEST TO ANSWER, BUT MY GUESS WOULD BE ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
I, I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A, A REAL NICE PROJECT.
CAN, UH, DO YOU HAVE AN ADDRESS? CAUSE THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T AN ACTUAL ADDRESS.
I'D LIKE TO JUST BE ABLE TO CALL IT UP ON GOOGLE EARTH.
SO IF, IF YOU HAVE A COORDINATE OR A 79 79 0 1, ARE YOU NOT ABLE TO? I'M NOT.
I THINK IT, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU TYPE IN THE ROAD.
UM, BECAUSE IT WILL PULL UP, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE TO TYPE IT IN AS, UH, IT, IT PULLS UP AS 79 0 1 RANCH TO MARKET.
THE MORE Y'ALL TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SEEING THE VISION AND, AND THANK YOU.
UM, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND THIS IS, UM, FOR ENRIQUE, FOR THE, UM, UH, VARIANCE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT SAYS ADA ELEVATED WALKWAY.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? OKAY.
SO, SO WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS PROJECT, LIKE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SIDEWALK GOING UP TO THE, UM, TO THE BUILDING.
OF COURSE THERE'S SLOPES, UM, AND OUR AREA THAT WAS CONNECTING TO THE, LIKE TO THE BUILDING, IT WAS GOING FILL OVER FOUR FEET.
SO WE, THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE DESIGN TO, TO LIKE A BRIDGE.
SO WE HAD ORIGINALLY MADE TWO VARIANCE REQUESTS, AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO, WE HAD, WE HAD THE SMALL AREA THAT ENRIQUE IS DESCRIBING WHERE WE WOULD HAVE MORE THAN FOUR FEET OF FILL.
AND PART OF HIS GROUP'S, UM, REQUEST TO US WAS, CAN YOU GET RID OF THAT BY PUTTING IN THE SMALL PIECE OF ELEVATED WALKWAY? AND THE ARCHITECT AND THE PROPERTY OWNER WERE FULLY ON BOARD WITH THAT.
SO, SO THAT VARIANCE REQUEST WENT AWAY AND, UM, THAT CONDITION WAS ADDED TO THIS VARIANCE REQUEST.
WE JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT HERE, JUST, JUST TO HAVE IT IN LIKE, IN WRITING THAT THE, IT IS REQUIRED AND IT IS NOW IN THE PLAN SET.
I JUST WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
IT'LL ACTUALLY BE PRETTY COOL CUZ YOU, UM, HE'LL HAVE THE ONLY PIECE OF SIDEWALK ALONG 2222, SO YOU CAN WALK BACK AND FORTH AND THEN YOU CAN WALK UP TO FRONT ONLY PIECE DOOR.
AND RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET UP TO THE FRONT DOOR, IT WILL BE THIS, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 30 OR 40 FEET.
IT'LL BE ELEVATED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR FEET OFF THE GROUND.
SO IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE REALLY NICE.
[00:40:01]
LOOK FORWARD TO, TO, TO WALKING THAT SIDEWALK.COMMISSIONERS, LAST, LAST CHANCE.
ANY LAST QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION PER CHANCE? THERE IS FEBRUARY 15TH, 2023.
KLO STUDIO, S P C 2 21 DASH 1 9 5 C AND THE LOCATION IS AT 7,901 FM 2222, UH, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78,007 THREE.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZED THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 0 1 TO ALLOW DRIVEWAY ON SLOPES OVER 15%.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THIS SITE IS LOCATED IN THE, UM, THE SITE IS LOCATED WITHIN THE WEST BULL CREEK WATER SUPPLY, UM, SUBURBAN DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES, UM, THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING STAFF CONDITIONS INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PLANTING AROUND THE ADA WALKWAY FOR SCREENING, PROVIDE PLANTING ON THE SIDE OF DRIVEWAY THAT WILL PREVENT SOIL EROSION, PROVIDE POLLINATOR PLANTS AND ADA ELEVATED WALKWAY.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, REI RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUEST WITH THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS, UTILIZE DARK SKY LIGHTING THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, UTILIZE NATIVE PLANTS THAT SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND WILDLIFE.
INSTALL THREE OR MORE EV CHARGING STATIONS, INCREASED PLANTING OF NATIVE PLANTS ACROSS THE DISTURBED AREA BY 10%, OR WHAT IS PRACTICAL AND LEAVE MATURE.
ASK JUNIPER AND LIVE OAKS TO SUPPORT GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS AND BLACK CAT BURS.
I SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER RANDBERG.
UH, I DO HAVE ONE, ONE COMMENT THERE ON, UH, GO FOR IT, COMMISSIONER.
WE HAD DISCUSSED, UH, PRESERVING THE BACK OF THE LOT AND I DIDN'T HEAR THAT AS PART OF THE, UH, MOTION SHE HAD INTRODUCED.
SO WE HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM, TO ADD, UM,
I WOULD SAY JUST A RE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, UM, FOR THE AREAS WEST OF THE PROPOSED LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION.
DOES THAT SOUND REASONABLE? SOUNDS GREAT.
CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF, THAT SOUNDS FINE WITH ME.
I THINK WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
IS THAT RIGHT? OR WE HAVE TO ALL BE IN AGREEMENT OF IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE TO ASK ELIZABETH.
KAYLA, CHAMPION WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO TRADITIONALLY, UH, WHEN, ONCE YOU'VE MADE A SECOND ON THE MOTION THAT IT BELONGS TO THE BODY OF MOTION, UM, I'M SORRY, TO THE BODY OF THE COMMISSION.
SO TRADITIONALLY HOW WE HANDLE THIS IS WE DON'T DO FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
THEY'RE JUST SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
UM, BUT TYPICALLY Y'ALL DON'T REALLY FORMALIZE THAT PROCESS IF, IF THE COMMISSION IS ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH ADDING IN ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS.
OTHERWISE, IT COULD TAKE QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO VOTE ON EVERY CONDITION, UM, THAT WE DO FOR THESE MOTIONS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO IN, IN GENERAL, IF IF THERE'S NO ONE WHO IS OPPOSED TO THE ADDITION OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITION, THEN IT MOVES FORWARD WITH THAT ADDITIONAL CONDITION? THAT'S CORRECT.
THE ONLY TIME WE WOULD WANNA DO A SUBSTITUTE MOTION OR A A SEPARATE MOTION IS IF IT'S SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT, IF THE AMENDMENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE BODY OF THE, OF THE, OF THE FULL MOTION KIND OF IN FRONT OF US, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO FOLLOWING THAT PROCESS, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS OBJECT TO THE ADDITION OF THIS ADDITIONAL CONDITION TO THE MOTION? THANK YOU.
UM, OBVIOUSLY MIKE MCDOUGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, THERE'S BEEN, UH, SOME COMMUNICATION FROM PAMELA AB TALLY AND ALSO WITH, WITH LIZ, UH, AS WELL.
[00:45:01]
THERE IS SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE IDEA OF, UH, CONSERVATION EASEMENT.THE IMPLEMENTATION IS NOT, UH, CER IS NOT CLEAR AT THIS POINT BECAUSE, UM, PAMELA HAS ADVISED THAT, UH, IT'S HER BELIEF THAT A CONSERVATION EASEMENT HAS TO BE DEDICATED TO SOMEBODY.
AND IN THE ABSENCE OF SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE THE DEDICATION, UM, WE COULD BE PAINTING OURSELVES INTO A CORNER WITH THAT VARIANCE CONDITION.
AND ENRIQUE IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWER.
IF NOBODY WOULD ACCEPT THAT CONSERVATION EASEMENT, ENRIQUE COULD NOT APPROVE THE PLANS UNTIL THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS ARE MET.
AND SO I WOULD SUPPORT MAYBE FI I, I DO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT EASEMENT CONCEPT, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF ENOUGH EXPERTISE TO KNOW HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE COULD FIND ANOTHER WAY TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF MY INTENT WITH THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT.
UM, IT MAY NOT, NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO BE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
IT COULD BE A, A DEED RESTRICTION THAT THE LANDOWNER RECORDS ON THAT PART OF THE PROPERTY FOR THEMSELVES.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT COULD WORK.
AND, AND I WOULD MAYBE JUST SAY FOR THE BODY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF WORK WITH THE LANDOWNER TO FIND A, UH, A, UM, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TO, TO CONSERVE THE AREAS WEST OF THE CURRENT LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION, ONCE AGAIN TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE OR, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THEIR LEGAL CON UH, ABILITIES.
I, I THINK THAT COULD CERTAINLY WORK AND, AND THAT WOULDN'T, UM, POTENTIALLY PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN'T IMPLEMENT THE, THE VARIANCE CONDITION.
HAVING, WELL, I ACTUALLY, DOES ANYONE, UH, UH, OBJECT TO THE ADDITION OF THAT WANDERING ADDITION? ALL RIGHT.
HAVING SEEN NONE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AND THE CONDITIONS IN FRONT OF US, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
I SEE A UNANIMOUS, UH, PASSES.
REALLY MUCH APPRECIATE THE STAFF AND THE APPLICANT FOR EXPLAINING THAT TO US AND THE, AND THE FOUR YEARS OF WORK TO GET HERE.
[4. Name: Country Club Creek Trail Elmont Dr. to E. Oltorf St., SP-2022-0197D (30 minutes)]
PUBLIC HEARINGS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TRAIL ELMONT DRIVE TO EAST OLTORF STREET S P 2020 2 1 97 D.UM, IT'S LOCATED AT 25 11 AND A HALF EAST OLTORF STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78 7 41 DISTRICT THREE.
AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION FOR MR. JACKSON.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, ONCE AGAIN, STATE YOUR NAME AND, UM, AND WHEN THE PRESENTATION GETS UP, YOU'VE GOT THE FLOOR.
I AM BRAD JACKSON, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST SENIOR.
SO THIS WILL BE MY FIRST PRESENTATION TO Y'ALL.
SO I'VE JUST STARTED BACK AT THE CITY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
I THINK THIS IS THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION THEY'VE ACTUALLY PUT UP.
SO TONIGHT WE HAVE COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TRAIL ELMONT DRIVE TO EAST OLD TOF STREET, AND IT'S S P 20 22 0 1 970.
SO THIS IS THE PROPERTY, UH, WHERE THE TRAIL'S GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE WITHIN AN EASEMENT ALONG THAT AREA THERE, UH, COLORED IN A KIND OF A PURPLEISH BLUE AND IT'S IN THE COUNTRY CLUB, WEST WATERSHED AND SUBURBAN WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION, WHICH IS IN THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND IT'S NOT LOCATED OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
SO THIS PROJECT IS, UH, IT'LL APPROXIMATELY 5,150 LINEAR FEET URBAN TRAIL, THAT'LL BE 12 FEET WIDE AND WIDTH.
AND IT'S GONNA BE, UH, WITHIN A PUBLIC EASEMENT ON TWO LOTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THAT PICTURE ON THE LEFT THERE, UH, BOTH OF THOSE LOTS ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTED WITH SOME, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND A CREEK RUNS BETWEEN 'EM AND THE TRAIL WILL FOLLOW APPROXIMATELY ALONG THE COUNTRY CLUB WEST CREEK.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A STREAM BANK RESTORATION FOR COUNTRY CLUB CREEK WEST THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO THE TRAIL BETWEEN EAST OLD TORCH STREET AND EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
SO THE VARIANCE REQUEST WE HAVE TONIGHT IS TO ALLOW CUT OVER FOUR FEET ON SLOPES, OVER 15% WITHIN THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
THE MAX CUT PROPOSED IS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET IN DEPTH.
[00:50:01]
SO THESE ARE SOME IMAGES OF WHERE THE, UH, SITE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE TRAIL, WHERE THE CUT IS NEEDED, UH, WHERE THE TRAIL'S GONNA BE CROSSING UNDERNEATH RIVERSIDE OR EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO, UH, THE EMBANKMENT THERE, UH, ALONG WHERE THE SPAM BRIDGE FOR RIVERSIDE GOES OVER THE CREEK IS WHERE THE TRAIL WILL FOLLOW ALONG UNDER THERE.
AND THEN IT HAS TO COME BACK UP TO MEET WICKER SHAM IN THE EXISTING SIDEWALK.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE AREA WHERE THE SLOPES OVER 15% AND THE CUT OVER FOUR FEET IS GOING TO OCCUR.
SO HERE'S THE GRADING EXHIBIT SHOWING THE AREAS OF CUT OVER FOUR FEET TO EIGHT FEET AND YELLOW THERE.
AND THEN THE ORANGE IS THE EIGHT FEET AND ABOVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 9.5 FEET, UH, AS SHOWN IN THEIR PLANT SET.
AND THE ORANGE IS PRETTY MUCH ONLY LOCATED THERE RIGHT ALONG THE AREA WHERE THE SIDEWALK IS CLIMBING BACK UP TO MEET WICKER SHAM.
UM, SO ALL THE REST OF THE CUT IS, IS JUST BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT FEET AS HIGHLIGHTED AND YELLOW THERE FOR THE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION.
YOU COULD SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE, UH, THAT WOULD BE THE SOUTH SIDE OF RIVERSIDE.
THERE'S A, SOME CUT UP TO EIGHT FEET FOR WHERE THE TRAIL RIGHT BEFORE IT CROSSES UNDERNEATH THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
AND THE OTHER PORTION OF THIS VARIANCE IS FOR THE STREAM BANK RESTORATION.
AND, UM, IT'S GONNA BE FOR RESTORATION THAT INVOLVES CONSTRUCTION OF EIGHT EROSION CONTROL CROSS VEINS TO SLOW THE VELOCITY OF WATER WITHIN THE CHANNEL AND REDUCE EROSION OF THE BANKS.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE, THE BANKS ARE ERODING PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, THE CROSS MAIN IMAGE IS A LITTLE SMALL, BUT IT'S A KIND OF A, I GUESS A TRIANGULAR SHAPED, UH, FORM OF, OF BOULDERS AND STONES THAT CREATE KIND OF AN AREA WHERE THE WATER DROPS DOWN.
IT'S DESCRIBED KIND OF AS A LIMESTONE BOULDER DROP STRUCTURE FOR GRADE CONTROL AND ROCK RIP WRAP FOR CHANNEL BED SCOUR PROTECTION.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE, UH, CUT OVER FOUR FEET ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE AREAS THAT ARE WITH BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT FEET THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW ALONG THOSE CROSS VEINS.
AND THIS IS ALSO LOCATED ON SOME SLOPES OVER 15% AND WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THE CLASSIFIED WATERWAY.
SO NORMALLY THESE VARIANCES COULD HAVE BEEN DONE ADMINISTRATIVELY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION TO THE CREEK AND THE SLOPES, OVER 15% REQUIRES THE FORMAL VARIANCE.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE, HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE REQUIRED FINDINGS EFFECTIVE BEEN MET.
STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDS THE SUPPORTS THE FOLLOWING CONDITION PROVIDES STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT OF CUT WITH RETAINING WALLS, AND, UH, THEY WILL BE PROVIDING RETAINING WALLS ALONG THE TRAIL AS IT CROSSES UNDERNEATH RIVERSIDE WITH RETAINING WALLS.
AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE, UH, IMAGES FOR THE LANDSCAPE, UH, RESTORATION FOR THE STREAM AND THE TRAIL SHOWING THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PLANTING BACK.
UM, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 110 TREES THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT TO RESTORE THE RIPARIAN AREA ALONG THAT PRETTY DEGRADED CREEK.
AND THAT'S THE, UH, ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING HEADING TOWARD RIVERSIDE.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
IF YOU'LL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, UM, IF NOT, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT AS WELL.
AND, UH, THEN WE'LL GROUP THE QUESTIONS TOGETHER.
UH, MY NAME IS DYLAN JOHNSTONE.
I'M A PROJECT COORDINATOR WITH THE URBAN TRAILS PROGRAM IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, URBAN TRAILS IS THE SPONSOR FOR THIS PROJECT WHO ACTUALLY WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE'RE THE SPONSORS FOR THIS PROJECT AND WE'RE WORKING IN, IN A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND A GREAT TEAM OF CONSULTANTS.
I'VE GOT ACTUALLY, UM, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR PROJECT TEAM THAT ARE JOINING US TODAY THAT'LL BE ABLE TO HELP WITH, UM, QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THIS, INCLUDING,
[00:55:01]
UM, IVER, UM, OUR CIVIL ENGINEER, CHRIS EVANS, UH, AND THEN OURCLAYTON, WE AS WELL JOINING US, UM, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'LL START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY IN HIGH LEVEL PLANNING FOR COUNTRY CALLED CREEK TRAIL.
UM, THIS TRAIL IS FIRST NAMED IN THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN THAT WAS A COUNCIL ADOPTED IN 2014 AS A TIER ONE OR A HIGH PRIORITY TRAIL.
UH, IT'S 3.5 MILES LONG STRETCHING FROM ROY G GUERRERA METRO PARK TO MABEL DAVIS DISTRICT PARK IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
UH, IT CONNECTS TO THE ANN AND ROY BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AT LADYBIRD LAKE ON THE NORTHERN END AND TO PARK TRAILS IN MABEL DAVIS DISTRICT PARK ON THE SOUTH.
UH, IT WAS ALSO COUNCIL ADOPTED INTO THE ALL AGES AND ABILITIES BICYCLE NETWORK IN 2014 AS WELL.
UH, THIS TRAIL HAS A LONG HISTORY OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
IT WAS FIRST IMAGINED IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS AS AN EXTENSION OF A MULTI-USE TRAIL RUNNING THROUGH THE COUNTRY CALLED CREEK GREEN BELT.
AND THAT'S A LITTLE SOUTH OF HERE, UM, BETWEEN SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD AND BURLESON ROAD.
UM, KIND OF FOLLOWING THAT IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLD TURF COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE TRAIL WAS IMPORTANT FOR PROVIDING NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIVITY.
UM, THE PLAN TALKS ABOUT HOW THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAVEL TO A PARK WITHOUT WALKING OR BIKING ALONG A MAJOR ROADWAY.
AND THEN IN 2005, UM, THE SOUTH, THE SOUTHEAST AUSTIN TRAILS AND GREENWAYS ALLIANCE, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY GROUP, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION AND ABOUT 200 VOLUNTEERS BUILT, UH, THE CRUSH GRAVEL TRAIL THAT, UM, CURRENTLY EXISTS IN ROY GE GUERRO PARK, UM, AND CONNECTS OVER TO, UH, ELMONT DRIVE.
SO THIRD COMMUNITY'S EXCITED FOR THIS, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS AS WELL.
THE PROJECT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT IS LOCATED MOSTLY BETWEEN EAST RIVERSIDE AND OLTORF.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN A HALF MILE LENGTH AND IT RUNS BETWEEN THE CREEK AND TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UM, ENTIRELY WITHIN CITY OWNED EASEMENTS OR STREET RIGHT OF WAY, AS BRAD MENTIONED.
UM, AND IS ONE OF THE LAST PROJECTS TO MAKE A CONTINUOUS, UH, TRAIL ROUTE FROM LADY BIRD LAKE DOWN TO MAPLE DAVIS PARK.
IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE NOW, UM, THE DESIGN IS COMPLETE AND THE PROJECT ISN'T PERMITTING.
WE'RE EXPECTING KIND OF A FEW FINAL MODIFICATIONS TO BE MADE TO THE DESIGN BASED ON COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING PERMIT REVIEW.
WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING VARIANCE APPROVALS, UM, AND BRIEFING COMMISSIONS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, AND CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AT THE END OF THIS YEAR OR EARLY NEXT YEAR.
SO THIS PROJECT IS BUILDING A OFF-STREET CONCRETE TRAIL THAT'LL BE 12 FEET WIDE WITH GRASS SHOULDERS.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING TO INSTALL LANDSCAPING ALONG THE TRAIL AND ARE ALONG THE CREEK, INCLUDING NATIVE GRASSES, SCRUBS, AND ABOUT, UM, I THINK BRAD'S HAD 110 TREES.
I THINK OUR COUNT IS 120, SO SOMEONE WE'LL NEED TO CHECK ON THAT
UM, THE TRAIL WILL BE BUILT TO BE ADA ACCESSIBLE, SUITABLE FOR, UM, ALL AGES, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES TO USE.
AND WE WILL INSTALL SOLAR LIGHTING SO THAT TRAVELING IN THE EARLY MORNING, UM, AND AT NIGHT IS MORE COMFORTABLE.
THE, UH, LIGHTING IS DARK SKY FRIENDLY, WHICH IS REQUIRED PER THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN.
THE PROJECT ALSO WILL INSTALL WAYFINDING SIGNS TO PROVIDE DIRECTIONS TO USERS.
UM, AND THEN TWO SHORT SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL ARE GONNA BE RAISED BOARDWALK, UM, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS DRAINAGE IN LOW LYING AREAS.
AND THEN I THINK ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS PROJECT IS, UM, JUST BEING ABLE TO BUILD A TRAIL UNDERPASS AT EAST RIVERSIDE, UM, WHICH IS GONNA ALLOW TRAIL USERS TO GO UNDERNEATH AND SAFELY BYPASS A VERY BUSY ARTERIAL ROADWAY.
I'M GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
SO THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH WATERSHED, UM, THIS PROJECT IS LOOKING TO TACKLE SOME OF THE CURRENT ISSUES ALONG COUNTRY CLUB CREEK WEST THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ONGOING EROSION AND THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE CREEK.
UM, THE RESTORATION WORK AND THE STREAM STABILIZATION WORK IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED BETWEEN EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE AND SHAHAM, WHICH IS KIND OF THE NORTHERN SECTIONS PROJECT.
UM, AND I'LL SHOW YOU GUYS IMAGES IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE.
WE'LL DO KIND OF A VIRTUAL TOUR OF WHAT THOSE, UM, THOSE ISSUES LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO I THINK WE THINK THERE'S GOOD REASON HERE TO PARTNER WITH WATERSHED BECAUSE THERE'S KIND OF LIMITED SPACE BETWEEN THE APARTMENTS AND THE CREEK.
UM, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EROSION COULD END UP IMPACTING THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THE FUTURE IF LEFT UNADDRESSED.
AND FOR URBAN TRAILS TO BE ABLE TO ADD A TRAIL HERE.
UM, THERE IS CONCERN THAT IF THE EROSION ISSUES REMAIN UNADDRESSED, THAT THE CREEK COULD END UP UNDERCUTTING THE TRAIL IN THE FUTURE, WHICH WE WOULDN'T WANT.
[01:00:01]
SO THIS PROJECT'S PROPOSING, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO BOTH HELP THE STREAM BANK STABILIZATION AS WELL AS RESTORING IMPROVING THE RIPARIAN HABITAT ALONG THE CREEK.UM, AND ALL OF THIS WORK IS BEING BASED OFF OF A FUNCTIONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR THE FLOODPLAIN THAT WAS PERFORMED BY WATERSHED STAFF.
UM, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROVIDING A SIGNIFICANT, UM, DEMONSTRABLE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT.
SORRY, THAT'S A LITTLE CLUNKY FOR ME TO SAY.
UM, SO WE'RE KIND OF GOING BEYOND JUST EROSION PROTECTION HERE AND WE'RE REALLY HELPING TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE CREEK AS WELL AS THE FLOODPLAIN.
SO I THINK BRAD MENTIONED THIS, BUT THE WORK INCLUDES PROTECTED, UH, WORKS IN THE STREAM BED, INCLUDING LIMESTONE, BOULDER DROP STRUCTURES FOR GREAT CONTROL, AND THE ROCK RIP WRAP FOR CHANNEL BED SCOUR PROTECTION, UM, AS WELL AS FLOOD PAIN BENCHES.
UM, WE'LL BE DOING NATIVE PLANTINGS IN THE UPPER AND LOWER RIPARIAN AREAS, AND THEN ESTABLISHING A WILDFLOWER MEADOW THAT'LL BE BORDERED BY SPLIT RAIL FENCE AND, UM, LIMESTONE BOULDERS THAT COULD BE USED FOR AS, UH, SEATING AS A TRAIL AMENITY.
UM, BUT REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THEM IS THAT CURRENTLY THE BANKS ARE ROUTINELY BEING MOWED BY THE APARTMENTS, UH, MAINTENANCE CREWS.
UM, SO OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND THEY'VE AGREED AND THEY'RE ON BOARD WITH WATERSHED MAINTAINING THESE AREAS AS A WILDFLOWER MEADOW IN THE FUTURE.
AND THAT SPLIT RAIL FENCE IS GONNA HELP BE A PHYSICAL BORDER, SORT OF DELINEATING THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS QUICK, UH, VIRTUAL TOUR OF SOME OF THE ISSUES.
UM, SO JUST TO ORIENT Y'ALL, WE'RE GONNA START BY LOOKING AT THE AERIAL PHOTO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
UM, AT THE VERY TOP IS EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM AND NOT SHOWN ON THE IMAGE IS SHAHAM DRIVE, UM, JUST TO THE SOUTH.
AND THEN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO THERE IS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT WAS BUILT BY THE ADJACENT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
UM, SO IN THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE MODE BANKS THAT ARE CLOSE TO SHAHAM DRIVE, AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE MOVING A LITTLE NORTH HERE AND STILL CAN SEE THE MODE BANKS.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF VEGETATION.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE, I THINK WE'RE STANDING UNDERNEATH THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
UH, YOU CAN BEGIN TO SEE SOME OF THE EROSION THAT'S HAPPENING AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE OF THE BANK, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE, THE CUTTING FROM THE EROSION THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN HERE'S, I THINK MAYBE BRAD SHARED THIS PHOTO AS WELL.
SO JUST GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THAT EROSION LOOKS LIKE IN THE CREEK.
AND AGAIN, AS BRAD MENTIONED, UM, WE'RE HERE FOR A FORMAL VARIANCE, UM, BECAUSE THE PLAN'S CALLED FOR CUT GREATER THAN FOUR FEET WITHIN A SUBURBAN WATERSHED.
AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE ISN'T POSSIBLE BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF CLASSIFIED WATERWAY.
UM, THE REASONS THAT WE NEED THE CUT, UM, THERE'S REALLY TWO PURPOSES.
THE FIRST BEING THAT, UH, WE WANNA MAKE ADA GRADES FOR THE TRAIL UNDERPASS AT E AT EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
UM, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PROJECT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MEET THE GOALS OUTLINED IN THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, UM, TO PRIORITIZE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND MOBILITY.
AND THIS LIKE, UH, HAVING THIS UNDERPASS ELIMINATES THE NEED TO CROSS THAT BUSY ARTERIAL.
AND THEN THE SECOND REASON IS THAT, UM, I MEAN, I THINK BRAD REALLY SHOWED THIS BETTER IN SOME OF HIS, UH, MAPS THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME LIMITED AREAS WITHIN THE CREEK CHANNEL THAT ARE STREAM BA, UH, STREAM BAKE STABILIZATION EFFORTS, REQUIRE CUTS THAT ARE DEEPER THAN FOUR FEET TO ADD THOSE PROTECTIVE WORKS AND ADDRESS THE EROSION.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, A, A WORSE IMAGE OF WHAT BRAD SHOWED YOU.
SO I THINK HE DID A BETTER JOB.
UM, AND THEN I THINK AFTER THAT, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR Y'ALL.
UM, WE'D LOVE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AND I'LL ASK, UH, THE PROJECT TEAM TO COME UP TO MICROPHONES, IF YOU DON'T MIND, SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN HELP, CUZ YOU'RE MUCH SMARTER THAN ME.
IT'S A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
WELL, I LIKE THE WAY IT STEPPED THROUGH THOSE PICTURES.
IT, IT HELPED US VISUALIZE IT, SO THANKS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR STAFF OR THE CONSULTANTS, UM, ABOUT THE TRAIL OR THE ORDINANCE OR THE, THE VARIANCE? NO QUESTIONS.
IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PROJECT.
I HAVE A, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, THIS, WHERE'S THE UPPER END OF THIS THING? END.
SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? SO THE NORTHERN, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND WHENEVER YOU, THE FIRST TIME YOU TALK, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST STATING YOUR NAME FOR THE THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS CHRIS EVANS AND I'M THE, UM,
[01:05:01]
UH, PROJECT ENGINEER ON THIS PROJECT.AND I'M COMMISSIONER BRIER, BY THE WAY.
I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF, BUT, UH, GO AHEAD.
UH, YEAH, SO THE NORTHERN END IS AT, UH, WICKER SHAM, UH, AND SO I'M WICKERSHAM JUST, UH, NORTH OF RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
UH, AND JUST TO ADD THIS, NOPE, SORRY.
IS THIS IN A FLOODPLAIN? ANY OF THIS? UH, YES, YES.
VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
I'M KIND OF WONDERING WHY WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO BUILD STUFF AND IN A, IN A PLACE WHERE WE KNOW IT'S GONNA WIND UP IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
I, I'M, I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I LIVE RIGHT OFF OF BULL CREEK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE NINETIES, UH, THE CITY SPENT, YOU KNOW, $700,000 IN BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK, AND LITERALLY TWO DAYS AFTER THEY FINISHED WITH ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS, THERE WAS A FLASH FLOOD AND IT ALL WOUND UP IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
SO, I'M A LITTLE CURIOUS FROM A TAXPAYER PERSPECTIVE, UM, WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
UM, SO WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO, UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS, RETAINING WALLS, UH, THE TRAIL ITSELF, AND THEN ALSO ALL THE STRING BANK, UM, IMPROVEMENTS ARE, UM, ALL REQUIRED TO BE CERTIFIED, UH, FLOODPLAIN RESISTANT, SO FLOODPLAIN RESISTANT MATERIALS, AND THEN ALSO DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND, UM, THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
UM, SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE WITHSTANDING, UM, THE FORCES FROM THE, UM, WATER THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, ADJACENT TO THE TRAIL IN THE EVENT THAT IT WOULD BE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD WOULD GO THROUGH.
UH, SO LIKE, UH, RETAINING WALLS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THOSE.
UM, WE HAVE A PORTION THAT'S ON A BOARDWALK, AND THE BOARDWALK IS GOING TO BE ASSIGNED TO WITHSTAND ALL OF THE, UM, FLOOD, FLOOD PLAYING FORCES, UM, THAT WE'VE, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOWN THROUGH OUR MODELING IN THE PROJECT.
UM, SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF, UH, WORK TO, UH, PROTECT AND PREVENT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT FROM HAPPENING ON THIS TRAIL.
SO I THINK IT, UM, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE, UM, WHAT YOU DESCRIBED AT BULL CREEK HAPPENING FOR THIS TRAIL.
I MEAN, I, I, I AGREE THAT THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAILS WITHIN THE CITY AND, AND ALL THAT.
AND I THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ALONG BULL CREEK AND I SEE IT WASHED AWAY WITH AN ALARMING REGULARITY.
AND SO I SEE THE CONSTRUCTION OF, I ALSO SEE THE CITY BUYING OUT HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE IN FLOODPLAINS.
SO ANYTIME I SEE ANYTHING BEING BUILT IN A FLOODPLAIN, MY FIRST THOUGHT IS WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? YOU KNOW? AND SO, OKAY.
SCOTT, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, UH, A LOT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, IT WAS, UH, IT DID HELP TO BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE IT.
UH, DOES IT JUST COME TO AN END THOUGH? I MEAN, DO YOU GO ALONG THAT AND JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S NO MORE TRAIL? DOES IT, IT, DOES IT GO ALL THE WAY TO MABEL DAVIS PARK? IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT DOESN'T, BUT I DON'T, MAYBE I MISSED THAT PART.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, THE SECTION THAT WE'RE BUILDING, UM, ON THE NORTHERN END CONNECTS TO, WE'LL START ON THE NORTHERN END.
UM, IT CONNECTS INTO WICKER SHAM LANE, WHICH THERE IS A, UM, ON STREET TO A PROTECTED BIKEWAY THAT HAS LIKE A CONCRETE BARRIER CURB AND A SIDEWALK RIGHT NEXT TO IT THAT RUNS ALONG WICKER SHAM ALL THE WAY TO ELMONT, BASICALLY GETS YOU OVER TO ROY G.
UM, AND THEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, OUR PROJECT IS GONNA END AT, UM, THE INTERSECTION OF PLEASANT VALLEY AND OLTORF.
AND WHEN YOU CROSS THAT INTERSECTION, THERE ARE SHARED USE PATHS ON BOTH SIDES OF, UH, SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD THAT LEAD DOWN TO, UM, THE COUNTRY CALLED CREEK GREEN BELT.
AND THAT GOES A LITTLE FURTHER, UM, TO THE TRAIL, TO AN AUSTIN ENERGY EASEMENT THAT COULD SEE DOWN TO, UM, VENTURA DRIVE.
AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS FROM VENTURA DRIVE OVER TO MAPLE DAVIS.
UM, I THINK WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, A POTENTIAL PROJECT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO GET,
[01:10:01]
UM, SOME KIND OF BIKE FACILITY OR SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS OVER TO MAPLE DAVIS AND IT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR.CUZ RIGHT NOW IT'S, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND.
BUT WE ARE, UM, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT INSTALLING WAYFINDING FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRAIL, UM, ALL THE WAY FROM MABEL DAVIS TO COUNTRY CLUB CREEK.
SO THAT WILL HELP SOME EVEN BEFORE THAT LAST PROJECT KIND OF GOES IN.
YEAH, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, MYSELF HAVING A DISABILITY, I, I USE A A A TERRA TRIKE AND, UH, I TAKE A COUPLE OF DOGS ALONG WITH ME USUALLY, AND I, I WOULDN'T USE A TRAIL THAT IS ON, ON A ROAD, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE HISTORY IS SUCH THAT THE MORTALITY RATE IS TOO HIGH, UM, FOR ME.
UM, AND I, I WOULD THINK MAYBE OTHERS WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY.
BUT, UM, A, A MORE, UM, CONCERNING QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT, THAT THAT, UM, COUNTRY CLUB CREEK LOOKS AS THOUGH IT NEEDS A HECK OF A LOT OF WORK.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS TERRIBLE AND I'M NOT SURE IT'S REALLY SMART.
I MIGHT BE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE TO PUT IN A TRAIL, UH, FOR A, A CREEK THAT'S, UH, BADLY IN NEED OF, UH, THE CITY'S, UH, ATTENTION.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, I MEAN I REALLY LIKE PUTTING IN TRAILS.
I'M ALL ABOUT PUTTING IN TRAILS, BUT, BUT I'M ALSO, THAT'S A CONCERN THAT, THAT I HAVE ABOUT THIS IN PARTICULAR.
AND I, I LIKE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT I DON'T THINK THE CITY'S DONE WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO FOR THAT, THAT CREEK.
UM, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE, UM, A FLOOD WAITING TO HAPPEN AND, AND IT, AND IT LOOKS TERRIBLE.
IF I MAY STEP IN LIZ JOHNSON WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, I THINK THAT PART OF THIS PROJECT, AND WHAT IT MAKES IT, UM, UH, SUPPORTABLE FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE IS THAT THERE IS, UM, UM, SIGNIFICANT CREEK RESTORATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAPPEN.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED DIDN'T NE CLAYTON CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS ON OUR LIST OF PROJECTS.
AND SO IF IT WEREN'T FOR THIS TRAIL, THIS CREEK WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THESE, UM, UM, STRUCTURES PUT IN TO HELP PREVENT THE EROSION AND, AND THE RESTORATION THAT, UM, WILL OCCUR WITH THIS.
SO THERE WILL BE ECOLOGICAL UPLIFT AND, UH, RESTORATION OF THE CREEK WITH THIS PROJECT.
WELL, THAT'S KIND OF, THAT PART HASN'T BEEN PRESENTED.
I MEAN, UM, THAT'S GREAT IF THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT.
UM, MR. JACKSON DID INDICATE ON THE, THE PLANS SOME OF THE, UM, THE STRUCTURES THAT WERE PART OF IT AND, AND DID MENTION THE RESTORATION IN HIS PROJECT, IN HIS, UM, OKAY.
MAYBE I, IT'S BECAUSE, UH, I REALLY NARROWED IN ON IT WHEN I SAW WHAT THE CREEK LOOKS LIKE AND THEN, AND THEN IT, IT SORT OF SHOCKED ME INTO THINKING, MY GOSH, THIS IS A, THIS IS NOT GOOD.
UM, SO THE, SO THE, THE CITY WATERSHED DIVISION BELIEVES THAT, UM, UH, SUFFICIENT RESTORATION, UH, OF THE CREEK WILL BE DONE, UH, AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS IS BEING DEVELOPED.
AND MR. CLAYTON WEST IS AN ENGINEER IN, IN WATERSHED AND HE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE, UM, DESIGN ENGINEERS, UM, ON, ON THAT PROJECT AS WELL.
YEAH, I, I, I COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
I'M CLAYTON WEST WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND YEAH, LIZ'S CORRECT.
THIS, UH, PORTION OF CREEK HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR, BUT DUE TO OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK AND SCORING, IT DIDN'T RANK QUITE HIGH ENOUGH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BAD ISSUES AROUND TOWN.
UM, SHE HAD NO KIDDING, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE OUR, WORK IT OUT FOR US, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE TRAILS CAME TO US TO, UH, WANNA PUT IN THE TRAIL HERE, IT, IT WAS VERY CLEAR AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT WORK WAS NEEDED TO STABILIZE THE TRAIL.
UM, SO YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY BAD SITUATION AND THOSE PHOTOS OF THE CURRENT, UH, CONDITION ARE, YOU KNOW, SHOCKING.
UH, THERE WAS A PHOTO THAT DYLAN SHARED OF LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AFTERWARDS.
UH, ONCE WE PUT IN THE STREAMED STABILIZATION AND THE CROSS VEINS, UM, AND THE NATIVE RIPARIAN LANDSCAPE RESTORATION OF THE FLOOD PLAINS, IT'S GONNA BE, UH, A MUCH IMPROVED SITUATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL CONFIDENT IT'S GONNA BE RESILIENT TO THE FLOODS THAT DO MOVE THROUGH THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WAY CREEKS EVOLVE OVER TIME, UM, AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURS IN THE WATERSHED, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENTS OCCURRED IN THIS WATERSHED TO A LARGE EXTENT.
UH, SO THAT EROSION THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THAT CREEK, UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSING IT TO WIDEN AND DEEPEN AND, YOU KNOW, ERODE, UM, BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT IS NEAR ITS
[01:15:01]
BUILT OUT CONDITION, WE HAVE A MORE OR LESS GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THE FLOWS ARE GONNA BE INTO THE FUTURE.SO THE DESIGN IS BASED ON THAT, UM, AND THE ULTIMATE CONDITIONS.
AND SO THAT HELPS ME FEEL CONFIDENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW, UM, IT WILL BE ABLE TO WITH, WITH WITHSTAND THE FORCES, UH, OF THE, IF THE FLOOD FLOW IS COMING THROUGH, IT'S BASED ON ALSO THE, UH, MOST UPDATED ATLAS 14 FLOOD STUDY THAT, YOU KNOW, TELLS US WHAT OUR FLOWS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE AND THE NEAR FUTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, UPDATED CLIMATE MODELS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALL THAT.
SO, AND WHAT AND WHAT, THANK YOU, THAT'S, THAT REALLY HELPS.
AND WHAT, UH, COMMITMENT DO WE HAVE THAT THE TRAIL WILL EXTEND SO THAT IT CAN BE A, AN AN OFF-ROAD TRAIL FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO REALLY DON'T WANNA SPEND ANY TIME ON AUSTIN STREETS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ NEXT DOOR, BUT, UM, THERE'S PEOPLE, THERE'RE CRAZY PEOPLE DRIVE DOWN THESE STREETS A HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR AS FAST AS THEY CAN GO.
AND UH, I DON'T WANNA BE ANYWHERE NEAR 'EM ON A BICYCLE.
UM, YEAH, SO THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT, UM, IT IS MOSTLY OFF STREET.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UM, SMALL CONNECTIONS TO GET OVER TO THE OLD ORPHAN PLEASANT VALLEY INTERSECTION.
UM, AND THEN KIND OF THE BROADER, UM, GOAL FOR COUNTRY CLUB CREEK, AND I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND REDEVELOPING.
UM, SO THERE IS A LARGE DEVELOPMENT THERE, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED THE RIVER PARK DEVELOPMENT.
I HOPE I'M NOT MISSPEAKING AND THEY HAVEN'T RENAMED IT.
UM, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SUBMIT FOR SITE PLAN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO MOVE THE COUNTRY CLUB CREEK, WHICH IS NOW THE SECTION THAT'S NORTH OF THIS PROJECT THAT IS ALONG WICKER SHAM, THAT IS A PROTECTED BIKE LANE.
UM, WHICH I THINK IS VERY COMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT HAS, UM, IT DOES HAVE A CONCRETE BARRIER CURB THAT PROVIDES SOME SEPARATION FROM TRAFFIC.
UM, BUT THE KIND OF LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO GET THE TRAIL TO BE CLOSER TO THE, THE CREEK AND THAT'LL BE A MORE NATURAL CORRIDOR AND THAT'LL BE FURTHER AWAY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
SO PROBABLY MORE FOR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THAT WOULD GET YOU, YOU KNOW, FROM THIS PROJECT STARTING AT ALTOR, UM, EVENTUALLY ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO UM, OR ALL THE WAY NORTH, SORRY, TO, UH, ROJI PARK.
SO SORRY, UM, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWER.
HEY Y'ALL, UH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AS SOMEONE WHO RIDES, UH, THEIR BIKE A LOT AND TAKES A LOT OF TRAILS, YOU KNOW, I TAKE, UH, THE SOUTHERN WALNUT CREEK TRAIL A LOT TO, UH, GO VALLEY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, NOWADAYS UP TO SPRINGDALE TOO, EVEN THOUGH SPRINGDALE AND AIRPORTS LIKE A HELLSCAPE OF CONSTRUCTION, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I OFTEN ALSO TAKE THE, UM, WHAT'S IT CALLED, LIKE THE BOGGY CREEK ROSEWOOD TRAIL ALL THE WAY TO, UH, TO THE TOWN LAKE TRAIL.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF CONNECTION THAT Y'ALL ARE PLANNING TO DO SORT OF WITH THAT SORT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, RIVERSIDE, PLEASANT VALLEY LAKE SHORE TYPE TRAIL TO THIS SORT OF COUNTRY CLUB CLUB CREEK TRAIL? CUZ IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S KIND OF LIKE, IT'S KIND OF ADJACENT, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE BIT REMOVED, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK FROM WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING, IT STARTS ON LIKE WICKER SHAM, UH, SO LIKE IF YOU WERE TAKING THE, THE BIKE TRAIL THAT KIND OF SPITS YOU OUT ON SORT OF LIKE, LIKE PLEASANT VALLEY ISH, RIGHT? THEY HAVE KIND OF LIKE THAT BRIDGE THAT THEY'RE MAKING NOW.
SO LIKE IS THERE ANY CONNECTIVITY YOU ARE PLANNING SORT OF LIKE FOR THAT TO MAKE IT EASY ON BIKE RIDERS? AND JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING DOWN BY PLEASANT VALLEY AND LIKE LONGHORN DAM.
COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TRAIL, AND, WE'LL, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE WAY FINDING THAT KIND OF POINTS YOU ALL THE WAY DOWN.
BUT, UM, THROUGH ROY GREER PARK, UM, IT CONNECTS DOWN TO WHERE THE URBAN TRAILS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON, UM, A PROJECT FOR THE, UM, NEW LONGHORN DAM, WISHBONE BRIDGE MM-HMM.
UM, AND THERE'LL BE AN UNDERPASS THAT'S PLANNED.
THERE'S CURRENTLY AN UNDERPASS THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF NARROW.
IT DOESN'T FEEL GREAT TO GO THROUGH IT.
UH,
UM, SO THERE'LL BE A NEW UNDERPASS THAT'S MORE OPEN AND AIRY AND THAT WILL CONNECT YOU TO THE, UM, HANOI BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL,
[01:20:01]
UM, AND BE ABLE TO CROSS THAT NEW, THAT NEW BRIDGE AS WELL AS THE EXISTING, UM, LONGHORN DAM BRIDGE TO SORT OF REACH TRAILS THAT ARE NORTH OF THERE.I REMEMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, DURING THE, UH, THE THROES OF THE LOCKDOWN IN THE PANDEMIC, THEY HAD THE, UH, THE SAFE STREETS, I FORGET WHAT IT WAS CALLED, BUT LIKE THE PROGRAM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY CLOSED OFF WICKER SHAM AND LIKE SOME STREETS AROUND THERE, SO I REMEMBER BIKING AROUND THERE AND, UH, THAT AREA IS SUPER HILLY.
WHEN I LIVED THERE, I TOOK MY CAR OR I WALKED, I'D NEVER BIKED.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE A NORTH SOUTH CONNECTION BETWEEN RIVERSIDE THAT, AS YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER SCOTT SAYS, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS YOU TO DODGE A LOT OF THE HOMICIDAL MANIACS THAT DRIVE ON RIVERSIDE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WOULD BE, UH, MUCH APPRECIATED BY EVERYBODY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE WEIGHT FINDING SIGNS.
ARE THOSE GONNA BE BILINGUAL OR MULTILINGUAL? UM, I BELIEVE THEY'RE ONLY IN ENGLISH.
SO HIGHLY RECOMMEND A MULTI, YOU KNOW, A MINIMUM BILINGUAL, IF NOT MULTILINGUAL, UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
NO, SO STRONGLY, STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT.
AND ACTUALLY I WANNA ASK THAT, THAT BE A CONDITION.
AND, UH, UM, ALSO, UM, YOU MENTIONED BENCHES.
WHAT MATERIAL ARE THE BENCHES GONNA BE MADE OF? UM, SO THERE'S NOT FORMAL BENCHES WE'RE, UM, ADDING LIMESTONE BOULDERS AS WITH THE SPLIT RAIL FENCE TO DELINEATE THE, UH, WILDFLOWER MEADOW.
AND THOSE KIND OF, THE IDEA WAS THAT IF FOLKS WANT TO SIT ON THOSE AS THOUGH THEY BENCH, THEY CAN USE THAT AS A BENCH.
SO, UM, AND JUST TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I AM GOING TO BE FULLY SUPPORTING, UH, THIS, I GUESS IF IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO SAY THAT AT THIS TIME.
UM, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE EAST, UM, IS IT RIVERSIDE
AND I'M, I'M ALSO THE IMMEDIATE PASTOR OF OUR, UM, OUR SOUTHEAST COMPANY HEAD PLANT CONTACT TEAM.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH NOT ONLY OC BUT OTHER CONTACT TEAMS IN CREATING TRAILS, UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH IN CREATING SUCH TRAILS, UH, IN A WAY SO THAT PEOPLE CAN USE THOSE AS A WAY OF MOBILITY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH BIKES.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THIS IS INITIATED BY THE COMMUNITY AND I'M ALSO VERY, VERY PLEASED TO SEE PUBLIC WORKS WORKING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION BECAUSE ON, ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT HAS TO INVOLVE WATERSHED PROTECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE, UH, TRAILS AND THE CREEKS ARE RESTORED.
UM, PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, THERE WAS A PROJECT DONE IN A CREEK BEHIND MY HOUSE, AND THE REASON WHY WE HAVE TO RESTORE AND WORK ON CREEKS THAT ARE FACING EROSION IS, UM, IN, IN THE AREAS THE, THE HOMES ABOVE UPSTREAM FROM WHERE I LIVE, THOSE HOMES, THE CREEK WAS SO BADLY ERODING THAT THE FENCE, THE BACKYARD FENCE WAS FALLING INTO THE CREEK AND IT HAD TO BE PUBLIC WORKS, I'M SURE IN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
IT TOOK THEM TO FIX THAT TO MAKE SURE EVENTUALLY THAT DOESN'T, IF THAT DIDN'T GET FIXED, EVENTUALLY THE HOMES WOULD FALL INTO THOSE, INTO THE CREEK.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, I'M SEEING THE EROSION THAT US ON THIS CREEK DOESN'T COMPARE TO THE EROSION THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE ADDRESSING THIS EARLY, I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND IT WILL SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG TERM.
UM, I, I SEE THIS AS AN INVESTMENT.
I ALSO SEE THIS AS A, A CRITICAL NEED THAT HAS TO, NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN EAST AUSTIN.
UM, WE'VE GOT MANY, MANY CREEKS THAT ARE NEGLECTED AND THEY NEED SOME WORK, AND I KNOW I CAN, UH, VERIFY THAT THERE'S, THEY'RE BEHIND AND THEY'RE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN TO FIX THOSE AND ADDRESS THOSE, THOSE UH, CONCERNS.
BUT I AM GONNA BE FULLY SUPPORTING THIS, UH, BECAUSE I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK, UM, AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WERE, THE NEIGHBORS WERE VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK THAT THE CITY DID IN INVESTING AND INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT I'LL SAY.
SO I JUST APPRECIATE, UM, CITY STEP AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO FOR US.
UM, THANK, SORRY, I, UM, I JUST WANTED THIS ON.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SPEAK TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S QUESTION ABOUT, UH, UM, COULD YOU SPEAK YOUR NAME PLEASE? OH, SORRY.
ANNA CYBER, UM, I'M A PRO, I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER.
[01:25:01]
THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE WAYFINDING SIGNS AND MAYBE DYLAN THIS SOMETHING WE CAN, WE CAN SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, UH, TO Y'ALL, UM, AFTER THIS MEETING.BUT I THINK, UM, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT POINT ABOUT THE BILINGUAL SIGNS.
UM, I THINK THE, THE MAIN INTENTION, OR LIKE THE SIGNS THAT WE'VE DESIGNED ARE, UM, MAINLY LIKE INFOGRAPHICS, IF YOU WILL, OR LIKE, SO IT'S, IT'S MEANT TO HAVE LIMITED READING BECAUSE PEOPLE EITHER ARE GOING ON GOING BY ON BIKE REALLY QUICK.
SO, UM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET FEEDBACK ON THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE LIKE VISUAL MAP STAR, YOU KNOW, HERE.
UM, AND THEN LIKE, YOU KNOW, WALKING A, A WALKING PERSON SAYING, YOU KNOW, 0.2 MILES OR, OR SOMETHING.
SO, UM, I THINK YEAH, IF WE COULD SHARE, UM, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME FEEDBACK YOU HAVE OR MAYBE IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'RE GETTING TO A LOT OF THE, THE BILINGUAL ELEMENTS JUST THROUGH, UM, THE GRAPHICS.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE WOULD BE OPEN TO SHARING THAT, UM, IF THERE'S FEEDBACK ON THAT EXCEPT YEAH, THAT'S, SURE.
YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST ADD, I THINK MAYBE PART OF THE CONCERN WOULD BE IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED, LIKE SAFETY INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION THAT THE, THAT, THAT THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WOULD BENEFIT FROM AND NOT UNDERSTANDING IN ENGLISH WOULD BE A CONCERN, THEN I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY PART OF THE KEY, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE FLOOD WELL BEING, ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DON'T DO THIS HERE OR DO THIS THERE.
UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BE IN, IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
I HAVE A, UM, PHOTOGRAPH HERE OF THE, UM, THIS WAY FINDING THAT Y'ALL DID AT THE WALNUT CREEK METRO PARK TRAILHEAD AND, UM, INTO YOUR POINT, UH, CHAIR RAM.
UM, IT IS IN ALL, ALL OF THE EMERGENCY INFORMATION IS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, HOWEVER, UM, THE DISTANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE NOT MM-HMM.
SO, UM, I THINK, UM, TO COMMISSIONER GARY'S IS, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT HAVE IT THE WHOLE THING, YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATE, UM, YOU KNOW, BILINGUAL PEOPLE.
SO, AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM ON THE SIGN, SO, AND IT, IT'S STILL GONNA BE ATTRACTIVE AND READABLE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I AM ALSO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE, UM, ANY KIND OF TRAIL SYSTEM EXTENDED WITHIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS CORRIDOR.
UM, AND TO SEE THIS, THIS LITTLE CREEK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE DRIVEN BY A MILLION TIMES AND, AND IT JUST, IT JUST FELT SO SORRY FOR, I'M LIKE, IS THAT EVER GONNA GET SOME LOVE? I'M SO GLAD IT'S SEEING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA GET SOME, GET SOME LOVE, UM, ALONG THE WAY.
UM, I DO, UH, ECHO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAYFINDING, I WILL SAY.
UM, SO I LIVE NEAR THE WALNUT CREEK, UM, TRAIL, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT, LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
HOWEVER, THE WAYFINDERS ARE WAY UP HIGH.
UM, SO PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES, THAT'S HARDER TO SEE, UM, UP THERE AND FOR CHILDREN, UM, IT'S HARDER TO SEE.
SO THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE, UH, AND READABLE WITHIN THAT RANGE, UM, ON THOSE AND WHICH IS THE WHOLE REASON I ACTUALLY TOOK THAT PHOTO, UM, TO BEGIN WITH
UM, AND THEN, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, WONDERFUL COMMISSIONERS USUALLY BRINGS UP, UH, COMMISSIONER SHEER, UM, IS HAVING, UM, TRASH AND RECYCLING, UM, CANS WHERE PRACTICAL ALONG THE WAY.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE THERE'S THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE THINGS AND YOU'VE GOTTA GO GET IT.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING ON THE WALNUT CREEK, UM, TRAIL.
AND, UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY WOULD BE, UM, HOPEFULLY BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO IN A MUCH MORE DENSE, UM, YOU KNOW, POPUL EDITED AREA THAN THE WALNUT CREEK TRAIL, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THROUGH THE WOODS AND THROUGH SOME NEIGHBORHOODS THERE.
UM, SO HAVING THOSE, AGAIN, WERE PRACTICAL ON THOSE.
I'M REAL EXCITED ABOUT THIS, REAL EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, I WAS KIND OF, UH, WONDERING IF THERE WERE LIKE WHERE THE BOULDERS FOR PEOPLE TO REST, IF THERE WERE COVERINGS, UM, KIND OF BLOCK OUT SOME IN THE SUN OR WOULD THE BOULDERS BE KIND OF IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT OR SHADED IN ANY WAY? I BELIEVE THAT WE PROVIDED FEEDBACK TO OUR, UM, LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT TO TRY
[01:30:01]
TO PLACE TREES NEAR THE LIMESTONE BOULDERS WHERE POSSIBLE TO ALLOW FOR SHADE, UM, SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE REST ON THOSE, THEY CAN, THEY CAN BE IN SHADE.THAT'S GOOD CUZ I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW HOT ROCKS WOULD BE GOOD, ESPECIALLY IN A HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER.
UM,
AND IS THERE LIKE AN ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO COMPLETION? I THINK WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, RIGHT? YEAH.
I JUST HAD A COUPLE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ADDRESSED BY OTHERS.
UM, FOR THE RESTORATION IN CLAYTON, THIS MAY BE FOR YOU.
UH, SO GET READY, UM, FOR THE RESTORATION.
UM, I CAN SEE IN THE PRESENTATION KIND OF THE, THE CROSS VEINS, UM, BUT I THINK IT WAS IN BRAD'S PRESENTATION ACTUALLY.
WHAT ARE, WHAT IS Y'ALL GONNA DO WITHIN THE STREAM BED? THERE'S KIND OF A COUPLE DIFFERENT GRAPHIC KIND OF TEXTURES WITHIN THAT, BUT COULD YOU WALK THROUGH KIND OF WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL'S PLAN IS WITHIN THE STREAM BED ITSELF? SURE.
SO THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE CURRENT CREEK IS THAT ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN IT'S UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM ENDS, IT'S UH, IT'S TOO STEEP FOR THAT MATERIAL.
UH, I BELIEVE THE CHANNEL WAS PROBABLY STRAIGHTENED A LONG TIME AGO AS A PART OF A DEVELOPMENT THAT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THERE WERE WASHER ORDINANCES.
SO THE STREAMS BED IS TOO STEEP, WHICH WOULD CAUSE FLOWS MOVING THROUGH THERE TO BE TOO FAST FOR THAT SOIL AND WOULD RUN THE SOIL.
SO THE, THE FUNCTION OF THE CROSS VEINS IS TO PROVIDE A KIND OF A VERTICAL DROP IN ELEVATION THAT IS ALSO STABLE SO THAT BETWEEN THOSE DROPS AND ELEVATION YOU CAN ESTABLISH A MORE OF A STABLE STREAM SLOPE, ONE THAT'S GONNA BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE MATERIALS.
UM, SO THE CROSS VEINS THEMSELVES ARE MADE OF LARGE LUMP SUM BOULDERS THAT ARE GONNA BE PINNED TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ABLE TO BE MOBILIZED BY THE UNDER YOUR STORM.
UM, AND THEN ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF EACH CROSS FAN, THERE'S GONNA BE A RUN OF ROCK RIP BRAT, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE IRREGULAR BOULDERS, UM, THAT KIND OF LOCKED TOGETHER IN THE STREAM BED.
SO THAT WILL PREVENT THAT SECTION OF THE STREAM BED FROM SCOURING IN HIGH FLOW SITUATIONS.
AND THEN ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE OF EACH CROSS FAN, THERE'S GONNA BE KINDA LIKE, UH, A POOL FORMED BY THE WATER THAT DROPS AND THE ENERGY, IT BECOMES TURBULENT AND IT KIND OF DISSIPATES THROUGH THAT KIND OF TURBULENCE AND FLOWS ON TO THE NEXT SET.
IT'S A PATTERN OF, UM, THE RIP WRAP, THE CROSS VEIN AND THE THE POOL.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THE, THE CROSS VEINS IS THEY HAVE THAT ANGLED SHAPE, WHICH TAKES THE FLOW AS IT FLOWS ACROSS THE CREST AND DIRECTS IT AGAIN TO THE CENTER OF THE CHANNEL AGAIN, FACILITATING THAT TURBULENT ENERGY, ENERGY DISSIPATION PROCESS.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THE CROSS VEINS.
IT'S KIND OF A MORE OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART PRACTICE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, MR. BRIMER MENTIONED BULL CREEK STABILIZATION BACK IN THE DAY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT CROSS VEINS WERE, UH, A KNOWN PRACTICE BACK THEN, BUT, UM, IT'S MORE OF A MODERN TECHNIQUE INSTREAM RESTORATION.
UM, YEAH, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ALSO THEY'RE KIND OF KEYED IN WHEN I SAY THAT THERE, THERE'S A STRIP OF ROCK EXTENDING INTO THE FLOODPLAIN BENCHES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MAIN CHANNEL.
SO, UM, THAT AGAIN, KIND OF KEEPS IT FROM BEING, YOU KNOW, ERODED ON THE SIDES WHEN THERE'S LARGER FLOW EVENTS OCCURRING.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT FUNCTIONS.
UM, DOES THAT HELP? YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT, THAT HELPS A LOT.
I THINK I CAN SEE KIND OF THE, THE POOL COMPLEX OR THE BELOW THE CROSS PAIN AREA THAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS NOT UNDERSTANDING.
UM, WITH THIS, I MEAN, I KNOW TALKING ABOUT STRAIGHTENING COUNTRY, CLUB CREEK, UM, FARTHER DOWNSTREAM, THE CITY'S DOING A LOT OF WORK.
UM, IS THIS AT LEAST GOING TO NOT WORSEN THAT OR POTENTIALLY BENEFIT THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WATER COMING DOWN THIS UPPER REACH OF COUNTRY CLUB CREEK BE, BE ANY, UM, LESS HA HAVE LESS ENERGY OF VELOCITY WHEN IT HITS THAT RESTORED OR RESTORATION AREA? YES.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE PROJECT IN RU GUERRA PARK? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATION, UH, CHRIS EVANS WAS THE MAIN ENGINEER DEALING WITH, UM, THE FLOODPLAIN MODELING, YOU KNOW, UM, SO THE PROJECT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE OR INCREASE, UH, FLOOD FLOWS GOING DOWNSTREAM.
UM, OR FLOODPLAIN EXTENDS OUTSIDE OF OUR EASEMENTS THAT WE HAVE, SO IT'S NOT REALLY GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT, UH, DOWNSTREAM.
UM, BUT IT WON'T HAVE A NEGATIVE, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH.
ANOTHER POSITIVE OR NOR NEGATIVE IMPACT WOULD IT HAVE AT THAT POINT DOWNSTREAM? YEAH.
BUT IT'S ON, THAT'S ON Y'ALL'S RADAR, UM, CUZ I KNOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG UH, YEAH, A BIG PROJECT.
VERY EXCITED THAT, THAT, THAT PROJECT'S GOING IN CUZ UH, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT EROSION USUALLY PROGRESSES IN STREAM BEDS, AT LEAST IT GOES FROM THE DOWNSTREAM TO THE UPSTREAM.
SO, UH, IF THAT WASN'T ADDRESSED,
[01:35:01]
THERE IS A POTENTIAL, IT COULD EVENTUALLY GET UP TO THIS PORTION OF THE CHANNEL AND CAUSE SOME DAMAGE.SO IT'S, IT'S ALL KIND OF LINKED TOGETHER IN THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE, THE MEADOW OR THE PLANTING AREAS.
IS THAT IN THIS RESTORATION STRETCH OR WHERE EXACTLY IS THAT? IS THAT IN THE WHOLE ALIGNMENT OF THE TRAIL? I COULDN'T QUITE FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT WAS.
IT'S, IT'S JUST ON THE DOWNSTREAM SECTION THERE FROM SHERINGHAM TO, TO RIVERSIDE.
SO IT'S KIND OF BEING DONE IN COORDINATION WITH THE STREAM BANK RESTORATION.
UM, WHICH IS LIKE THE, THAT LOWER THOUSAND FEET OR SO.
AND WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT AREA SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE EROSION WAS MOST SEVERE.
UM, AND THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE PRIOR TO THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, UM, DIDN'T IDENTIFY A TERRIBLY BAD CONDITION IN THE UPSTREAM PORTION THERE FROM SHERINGHAM TO OLD TOF.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S MUCH MORE VEGETATION AS WELL ESTABLISHED UPSTREAM, BUT, YOU KNOW, DOWNSTREAM THERE'S THE CONDITION OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, YOU KNOW, EXCESSIVELY MOWING THAT TURF STREAM BANK, WHICH, YOU KNOW, UM, WELL MADE IT VULNERABLE TO EROSION.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO ESTABLISH MORE OF A NATIVE PLANT REGIME THERE AND THAT, SO THE, THE FENCE WILL BE PUT IN, BUT IT, HOW WILL THE, IS THERE AN AGREEMENT GONNA BE PUT IN PLACE WITH, UH, WITH, UH, LANDOWNERS, UM, I GUESS FOR THE AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE EASEMENT FOR MAINTENANCE OR WHAT, WHAT KEEPS THAT FROM, YOU KNOW, THEY SELL THE APARTMENT COMPLEX TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND THEN THEY START MOWING IT.
HOW DOES THAT NOT HAPPEN? RIGHT.
UM, WELL I KNOW THAT AT LEAST FOR THE CURRENT OWNERS, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO, YOU KNOW, AGREE THAT THE AREA'S ADJACENT TO THE STREAM BANK BETWEEN THE STREAMING AND THE NEW TRAIL AND THAT SPLIT RAIL FENCE WOULD BE, UM, MAINTAINED EITHER LESS FREQUENTLY OR BY, UH, CITY CREWS INSTEAD OF THEIR CREW.
UM, IT'S, IT IS ALL IN A DRAINER EASEMENT, SO IT'S IN CITY EASEMENT CUZ IT'S A FLOOD PLAN THROUGHOUT THEIR, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY NO, I CAN, I CAN, I MEAN, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF THAT, UM, BASICALLY THE SPLIT RAIL FENCE AND THE LIMESTONE BLOCKS ARE GONNA BE RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THAT PLANTING AREA AT, AT THE EDGE OF THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT.
UM, SO THE, THE INTENTION IS THAT, AND, AND WE'VE YEAH, SPOKEN WITH THE, UM, PROPERTY OWNER WHO IS A HUNDRED PERCENT ON BOARD, UM, BECAUSE OF THE EXTENT OF EROSION THAT'S GOING ON MM-HMM.
SO THEY, THEY'RE ON BOARD WITH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT BOUNDARY IS.
THEY DON'T NEED TO MOW PAST IT AND IT'S, THERE'S NOT REALLY A TON OF SPACE FOR THEM TO GET MOWERS IN, UM, PAST THAT THEY'D HAVE TO WORK PRETTY HARD.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, SO THERE'S BEEN GOOD COMMUNICATION THERE AND, UM, THOSE SPLIT, SPLIT SPLIT RAIL FENCES AND LIMESTONE BLOCKS BORDER RIGHT ON THAT EASEMENT EDGE TO DELINEATE THAT AREA.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS REALLY JUST PERTAINING TO THE, THE LOGISTICS OF THE STAFF CONDITION, BRAD.
SO, UM, WE HAD THE CONDITION WAS TO PROVIDE STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT OF CUT WITHIN THE RETAINING WALLS.
IS THAT RELATED TO ONLY THE CUT AT THE TRAIL? BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THE CUT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STREAM RESTORATION WON'T HAVE RETAINING WALLS.
YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE THE, UH, CROSS VEINS IN EFFECT ARE SORT OF ACTING AS RETAINING WALLS.
SO I THINK THEY COULD SPEAK TO IT BETTER THAN ME, BUT I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE RETAINING THE SOIL SIMILAR TO A RETAINING WALL.
THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA BE LIKE A TYPICAL CONCRETE WALL LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER PHOTOS SHOWN OF THE TRAIL WHERE IT CROSSES UNDER I THINK NORTH LAMAR, UH, THAT'S JUST A REGULAR CONCRETE WALL.
BUT YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THEY'LL BE FUNCTIONING IN THAT WAY, BUT, UM, THAT SPECIFIC PART OF THE CONDITION DIDN'T APPLY TO THE CROSS MAINS.
IT WAS ONLY SPEAKING TO WHERE THE TRAIL IS ACTUALLY CUTTING AROUND THE RIVERSIDE EMBANKMENT THERE.
I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANY QUESTIONS? YES, THIS IS COMMISSIONER PRIMER.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW LONG IS THE, UH, FOOTWELL FENCE GOING TO BE RELATIVE TO THE LENGTH OF THE TRAIL THAT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPED? I GUESS, UH, THE QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THE VARIOUS, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX OWNERS, UH, MAINTAINING THE, THEIR PROPERTY UP TO THE, UH, EASEMENT.
UH, SO IS THE ENTIRE EASEMENT AREA GOING TO BE FENCED OFF, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH ALONG THE TRAIL? UM, NO, WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY ACTUALLY FENCING OFF THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW AREA.
UM, SO BASICALLY WE'RE PROVIDING A, A FENCE OF PHYSICAL BARRIER BETWEEN THE TRAIL
[01:40:01]
AND THE WILDFLOWER, UH, MEADOW AREA.AND, UM, SO THE EXTENT, THE EXTENT OF THE FENCE ARE ESSENTIALLY FROM SHAHAM ALL THE WAY DOWN, UM, SHAHAM EXTENDING NORTH TO RIVERSIDE AND ON BOAT SIDES OF THE CREEK.
ABOUT HOW LONG IS THAT? UH, A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND FEET.
AND AGAIN, ON BOTH SIDES, YEAH.
NOW, UH, SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT YOU SHOWED, UH, AS FAR AS THE EROSION GOES, SEEM TO BE PRETTY SEVERE.
SOME OF IT SEEMED TO BE JUST KIND OF, UH, CHANNEL EROSION, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CREEK WAS PRETTY STRAIGHT IN THAT AREA, AND THEN THERE WAS A VERTICAL EROSION, UH, YOU KNOW, ALONG THOSE, ALONG THAT CHANNEL.
BUT, UH, THERE WAS SOME OTHER PICTURES THAT YOU SHOWED, UH, AND I SAY YOU, I MEAN, NOT YOU PERSONALLY NECESSARILY, BUT THE GROUP SHOWED SOME, UH, V-SHAPE CHANNELS THAT, UH, WERE QUITE A BIT BACK FROM THE CREEK ITSELF THAT, UH, SHOWED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF WATER BRINGING INTO THE CREEK FROM, YOU KNOW, OFF THE PROPERTY, CREATING THAT EROSION.
I, SO MY QUESTION IS THIS, UM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MITIGATE THE EROSION FROM THE WATER THAT'S COMING INTO THE CREEK FROM, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE MOWED GRASS, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES BETWEEN THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND THE CREEK.
UM, SO ACTUALLY IF, YEAH, THERE, UM, THERE WILL BE SOME SURFACE FLOW OVER THE, UM, OVER LIKE THE TRAIL, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM, FROM THE, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
BUT, UM, IT WON'T BE MUCH, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UM, THEY'RE, UM, UH, BOTH THE COM APARTMENT COMPLEXES ON BOTH SITES.
THEY, THEY'RE, UM, UH, LIKE PARKING LOTS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE LIKE CURB AND GUTTER AND STORM DRAINS THAT, UM, ARE, WILL ACTUALLY GO UNDERNEATH THE TRAIL AND THEN DISCHARGE INTO THE CREEK.
UM, SO THE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF LIKE THE SURFACE FLOW FROM THE TWO SITES ALONG THE CREEK WILL ACTUALLY BE FLOWING INTO STORM DRAINS AND GOING UNDERNEATH THE CREEK AND OR UNDERNEATH THE TRAIL AND THEN DISCHARGING INTO THE CREEK.
UM, SO THEY WON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE EFFECT ON THE CREEK ITSELF.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE KIND OF THE STANDARD, UM, HEAD WALLS WITH, UH, ENERGY DISSIPATOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO REDUCE THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VELOCITY OF THE FLOW COMING OUT OF THOSE STORM DRAINS.
SO IT DOESN'T CAUSE ANY, UH, FURTHER EROSION OR DAMAGE TO THE, UH, CREEK ITSELF.
ARE THOSE ALREADY IN PLACE OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE PUT IN PLACE? THEY'RE ALREADY IN PLACE, YES, SIR.
SO THE EROSION THAT I SAW IN SOME OF THOSE PICTURES, UH, ISN'T GOING TO BE REDUCED, UH, BY ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING AS PART OF THE RESTORATION OF THE CHANNEL.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA, UH, CREATE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, GRASSLANDS OR ANYTHING THERE TO SLOW THE VELOCITY OF THE WATER ALONG THE SIDE OF THE CREEK OR, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM THE PLANTING AREAS THAT YOU ESTABLISHED IN SOME AREAS.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, THAT IS CORRECT.
ALTHOUGH THE, THE, UM, THE, THE WILDFLOWER MEADOWS AND THE, UM, ADDITIONAL LIKE TREES AND EVERYTHING WE WE'RE ADDING TO THAT, UM, AREA OF THE CREEK, IT WILL, UM, IT DOES INCREASE KIND OF LIKE THE ROUGHNESS, UM, SORT OF ROUGHNESS COEFFICIENT OF THE CHANNEL.
SO IT IS ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FLOODLINE MODELING DOES ACTUALLY SHOW IT, UM, SLOWING DOWN THE, UH, CHANNEL VELOCITIES IN THAT SECTION OF THE TRAIL.
UH, HOW, BY HOW MUCH? I, I I DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, INFORMATION OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT, IT DOES, UM, SLOW IT DOWN.
YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WOULDN'T WANT TO ADD RICHARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE KEYING ON THE POTENTIAL FOR THE OFFSITE, YOU KNOW, JUST OVERLAND FLOW COMING INTO THE CHANNEL, UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSING THE EROSION AND, AND I THINK THAT THE, WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT OF REGRADING OF THE SLOPES ADJACENT TO THE CHANNEL AND CREATE FLOW PLANE BENCHES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ACTIVELY RESTORE THOSE AREAS WITH NATIVE VEGETATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, UM, WHOSE ROOTS ARE, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVE AT IT EROSION CONTROL.
SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE AN IMPROVEMENT TO TURF GRASS.
UM, AND JUST WANNA ADD THAT TO THE, TO THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
AND I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME LOCATIONS WHERE IF THE CHANNEL IS TOO STEEP, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ROCK RIP WRAP ON THE BANK AS WELL, RIGHT.
UH, YEAH, WE HAVE ROCK RIP WRAP FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE DISC.
THERE'S A STORM DRAIN THAT, UM, UH, LIKE A LARGER STORM DRAIN, UM, ON, UH, NEAR JUST LET'S SEE, JUST SOUTH OF, UH, RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
AND THAT WILL HAVE A ROCK RIP WRAP, UM, TO PREVENT THE, UM,
[01:45:01]
YEAH, ANY SCOURING OR ANYTHING, UH, FROM FLOWS COMING OUT OF THAT.SO WHERE IT'S NOT A GENTLE SLOPE, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL VEGETATED, IT'S GONNA HAVE ADEQUATE, UM, ARMOR OF, UH, USING ROCK RIP WRAP.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, GUYS? MOTION TO, EXCUSE ME.
MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, RAISE YOUR HAND,
REMOTE COMMISSIONERS? I DIDN'T SEE IT.
DID EVERYONE HEAR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION BEFORE THE ACTION? UH, COMMISSIONER RANDBERG, I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE.
UH, WE HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS PRESENT.
HOW MANY WE HAVE? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PRESENT ONSITE AND THREE PRESENT REMOTELY.
SO HOW MANY HAVE TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS? WE NEED SIX TO CARRY THE MOTION, CORRECT, ELIZABETH? ALL RIGHT.
SO SIX, SIX OF THE NINE NEED TO VOTE IN FAVOR.
SUBJECT IS COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TRAIL, UM, AT ELMONT DRIVE TO EAST STORK DRIVE S SP DASH 2 22 DASH 1 9 70.
AND THE LOCATION IS AT, UM, 25 11 HALF EAST ALTOR STREET IN DISTRICT THREE.
UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41 TO ALLOW CUT OVER FOUR FEET TO 10 FEET.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE PROPERTY, UM, WITH LOCATED WITHIN THE COUNTRY CLUB, WEST CREEK SUBURBAN DESIRE DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS VARIANCE BECAUSE THE FINDINGS OF FACTS HAVE BEEN MET WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, AND THE STAFF CONDITION IS PROVIDE STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT OF CUT WITH RETAINING WALLS.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZE RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUEST WITH THE FOLLOWING, UH, CONDITIONS INCLUDE SPANISH AND ENGLISH ON WAYFINDING SIGNS, MAKE SURE WAYFINDING SIGNS CAN BE READ FOR, UM, BY A PERSON IN A WHEELED MOBILITY DEVICE OR BY CHILDREN.
INCLUDE TRASH AND RECYCLING WE PRACTICAL AND INCLUDE STRAIGHT STRUCTURES OR TREES NEAR BOULDERS THAT DOUBLE AS BENCHES.
I WOULD JUST MAYBE HAVE A CLARIFICATION OF THE WAY FINDING THAT CAN BE READ AT A HEIGHT FOR, UM, EITHER WHEELCHAIR OR CHILDREN MM-HMM.
IT IT'S AT A SECOND GRADE READING LEVEL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION BEFORE US RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ALL THOSE ABSTAIN.
LOOKS LIKE IT CARRIES EIGHT ZERO WITH ONE ABSTENTION BY COMMISSIONER BREMER.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, STAFF.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PROJECT, THE TRAIL, AND THE PRESENTATIONS.
[COMMITTEE REPORTS]
HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS FROM ANYONE? NO.UM, WELL, THAT'S ALL WE GOT, I THINK.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
YES, ELIZABETH, ELIZABETH FUNK, UH, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION EACH YEAR, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS FI ON MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FINANCIAL FORECAST FOR THE DEPARTMENT SERVICES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.UH, THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS ASKED THAT ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS BE COMPLETED BY MARCH 31ST, BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING IN
[01:50:01]
MARCH AND WE EXPECT A FULL AGENDA.WE ARE PLANNING ON HOLDING A SPECIAL CULT MEETING ON MARCH 29TH, UM, AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THIS NORMAL MEETING ROOM, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING ON HAVING WATERSHEDS PRESENTATION AND WE'RE STILL CONFIRMING WITH DS D ATTENDANCE SURVEY THAT I SENT OUT EARLIER, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE DO BY OUR NEXT MEETING ON MARCH 1ST.
YEAH, AND I WOULD MAYBE JUST MAKE THE REQUEST THAT SOME OF THAT DOCUMENTATION BE PROVIDED TO US, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE YOU DO SO WELL ON, ON OTHER ITEMS SO WE CAN REVIEW IT BEFORE THE MEETING, DURING OUR, OUR SPRING BREAKS OF WATCHING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR WHAT OTHERWISE.
HOW CAN WE GET SOMETHING LIKE POTENTIALLY ON THE AGENDA FOR LIKE A FUTURE COMMISSION MEETING? IS THIS THE TIME AND PLACE FOR IT? I LET, LET'S SET STAFF, KIND OF EXPLAIN IT TO US.
UM, KAYLA LIN WATERSHIP PROTECTION.
SO, UH, THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU CAN NOW HAVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, SO HERE IS WHEN YOU CAN MAKE A REQUEST, UM, THE CHAIR, YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A REQUEST DIRECTLY TO THE CHAIR.
AND IF THE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF A MEETING AND IF THE CHAIR SUPPORTS IT, THEN IT GOES AUTOMATICALLY ON THE AGENDA.
OTHERWISE YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS IN SUPPORT OF ADDING IT TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I WILL JUST MAKE THE, UH, LITTLE NOTE THAT WE AS STAFF LIAISONS CAN MAKE THESE REQUESTS TO OTHER STAFFS AND DEPARTMENTS IF YOU'RE REQUESTING A BRIEFING.
HOWEVER, WE CANNOT COMPEL THEM TO COME AND GIVE UPDATES AND BRIEFINGS.
SO WE JUST WILL MAKE, WE WILL RELAY THE REQUEST AND IF THEY'RE ABLE TO, IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS, IT'S KIND OF AT THEIR DISCRETION WHETHER THEY'LL COME FORWARD AND DO A BRIEFING.
SO JUST MAKING THAT QUICK NOTE.
WE ARE NOT OUT ALL POWERFUL YET.
I MEAN, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS JUST BREAK SOME KNEES, RIGHT? NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
UM, SO BREAK BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I HAD SEEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE WAS A BIG ICE STORM THAT CAUSED A LOT OF HAVOC FOR THE CITY.
THANKFULLY, YOU KNOW, MY HOUSE WAS SPARED, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF GRIEF AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, I THINK, IN THE PUBLIC POPULACE ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF TRIMMING TREES AROUND POWER LINES, UH, JUST GIVEN SORT OF THE AMOUNT OF HAVOC THAT WAS CAUSED, UH, DUE TO THE ICE STORM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU'RE, UH, IF YOU'RE A DEGENERATE GAMBLER, YOU KNOW, THE ODDS OF HAVING ANOTHER CRAZY ICE STORM IN A COUPLE OF YEARS IS PROBABLY PRETTY GOOD.
SO I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE ON PEOPLE'S RADAR AS FAR AS LIKE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANNA PURSUE? UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE IDEA THAT WE TRY TO CUT DOWN ON POWER LOSS THE NEXT TIME, UH, BIG ICE STORM HITS.
SO JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
UM, I, I, LIZ JOHNSTON, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S A TOPIC ON A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY JUST PASSED, UM, A RESOLUTION REQUIRING AN AUDIT, UM, RELATED TO VEGETATION AND, UM, POWER LINES.
SO, UM, IT MAY BE PART OF THAT AUDIT THAT THAT INFORMATION WILL BE, UM, AVAILABLE.
UM, AND I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE TIMELINE IS ON THAT.
SOUNDS LIKE THEY ALREADY GOT A BUNCH OF ANGRY PHONE CALLS AND TEXTS AND EMAILS.
LI LIZ, IF Y'ALL WOULDN'T MIND, OR ELIZABETH, I GUESS IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, KIND OF TRACK THAT AND, AND IF YOU COULD JUST SEND US AN EMAIL UPDATE ON KIND OF THE TIMELINE OF THAT, UH, AND WE CAN KIND OF KEEP, KEEP, KEEP KEEPING IT ON RADAR.
UH, COMMISSIONER SHERA, IN REGARD TO THE BUDGET RE REVIEW, I WANTED TO SEE IF WE NEED TO, UM, IF WE COULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP AND IF THAT WOULD NEED TO BE INDICATED NOW AS OPPOSED TO LATER.
AND I GUESS IT'S PARTLY DEPENDENT UPON WHEN WE WOULD GET THAT INFORMATION ON WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP SESSION.
SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND IF WE COULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP SESSION.
KAYLA CHAMPION WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT, THE BUDGET TIMELINE IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING BECAUSE REALLY IN THE MARCH TIMEFRAME IS PRE STILL PRETTY EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE PRESENTATION THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING IS REALLY MORE OF A FINANCIAL FORECAST THAN THE ACTUAL BUDGET ITSELF.
SO, UM, YOU CAN HAVE A WORKING GROUP DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW HOW PREPARED STAFF WILL BE TO BE PROVIDING YOU WITH HARD NUMBERS.
[01:55:01]
THAT THE, THE BUDGET OFFICE, LIKE THE CITY BASICALLY TRIES TO COORDINATE WITH ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ARE GETTING, UM, ARE THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY WORKING AS, UM, AN INTERMEDIARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMENTS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE BEING, UM, CONSIDERED IN DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS FOR THE OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONS.SO, UM, IT'S, IT IS LIKE A LITTLE BIT EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS THAT THEY'RE COMING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP, I'M JUST NOT SURE HOW MUCH INFORMATION STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
HOWEVER, YOU ARE WELCOME TO FORM WORKING GROUPS AND, AND, UM, START COMING UP WITH IDEAS AND QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AROUND THE BUDGET.
I'M JUST NOT SURE IF WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE STAFF PARTICIPATING IN THOSE WORKING GROUPS.
UM, HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING A WORKING GROUP, UM, JUST REMEMBER THAT IT HAS TO BE FIVE OR LESS MEMBERS AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN, UM, FORM ON YOUR OWN.
WE'RE ALSO HELP HAPPY TO HELP FACILITATE, UM, BY SETTING UP LIKE A TEAMS MEETING IF YOU WANNA DO IT AS A HYBRID MEETING OR IF YOU NEED A MEETING SPACE, UM, THAT YOU WANNA USE A CITY MEETING SPACE.
UM, IT DOES HAVE TO BE AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE AND NO MORE THAN FIVE.
AND KKAY TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, IF SOME OF THE COMMITTEES WANTED TO MEET RELATED TO THAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCEDURE FOR THAT, FOR THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS TO UNDERSTAND? UH, YOU'RE RE REGARDING THE BUDGET? YEAH, SO LIKE IF THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE WANTED TO MEET IN, IT'S SOME MORE FORMALIZED PROCESS, SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AN AGENDA POSTING, WE HAVE TO, UM, HAVE A MEETING SPACE, A FORMAL MEETING SPACE THAT'S MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT MORE COORDINATION THAT GOES INTO THAT.
UM, IT ALSO, UM, YEAH, WE ALSO HAVE TO GET, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PERTINENT TO THAT, SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON THE PURVIEW OF THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE STANDING COMMITTEE THAT'S THE URBAN FOREST COMMITTEE.
SO IN GENERAL, FOR THAT COMMITTEE TO MEET YOU NEED A COUPLE, TWO, THREE WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME FOR THEM TO SAY WE'D LIKE TO MEET, TO MEET STAFF, PROBABLY MORE STAFF A MONTH.
WE HAVE TO, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY TREE DIVISION WHO, UM, REALLY LEAD THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
AND I, I ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY TREE BUDGET.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE ALSO, THEY WOULD NEED TO BE GATHERING INFORMATION, UM, AND, AND HELPING FORM THE AGEN, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE TO DRAFT AN AGENDA.
SO THERE'S A LOT MORE PLANNING THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO IN BECAUSE IT'S A STAFF RUN MEETING.
UM, IF I MAY, UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR MAYBE US TO CONSIDER IS, UM, THERE WAS SOME SORT OF, UM, CHEMICAL ISSUE OR LEAK OR SOMETHING IN AT A B I A AND I KNOW, I BELIEVE MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE ARTICLES THAT I READ IN THE PAPER, I THINK WATERSHED PROTECTION WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
BUT I THINK EVEN THOUGH IT'S A CITY OPERATED ENTITY, I THINK SOME THINGS MERIT PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION PUBLIC SHARING AS TO HOW THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
THIS IS A LONG ONION CREEK, WHICH FLOODS SEVERELY, AND IF THERE'S ANY CHEMICAL ISSUES THAT IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT DOWNSTREAM.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS OF THE IMPACTS, NOT ONLY TO EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT OTHER SUBSEQUENT COUNTY SIDE.
I THINK WE NEED SOME MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ALSO TRANSPARENCY IN WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, IF YOU CAN FIND THAT ARTICLE AND MAYBE GET IT TO ELIZABETH SO SHE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT TO US AND, AND FRAME UP KIND OF THE TOPIC THAT YOU'RE THINKING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KIND OF GET OUR ARMS AROUND.
COMMISSIONER RANDBERG, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER.
I WOULD, UH, SUPPORT THE SUGGESTION OF, UH, HAVING, UH, WATERSHED PRESENT MORE INFORMATION TO US AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING ON THAT TOPIC.
AND, AND I THINK I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AIRPORT BEFORE TOO, SO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TOPIC IS SO WATERSHED CAN BE READY TO PRESENT, UM, AND, AND, UH, MAYBE KIND OF DEFINE IT A LITTLE CLEARER.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, AND IT, IT MAY BE MORE, UM, CERTAINLY WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF WOULD BE PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UM, UH, THE AIRPORT STAFF WOULD BE IMPORTANT AS WELL.
[02:00:01]
YES.WELL, I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE THE MEETING CONTINGENT ON THEIR PARTICIPATION, UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE, UH, WE ASKED FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN A MEETING CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, SOME FUEL TANKS OUT THERE AND IN A PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO.
AND, UH, THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER BREMER, CAL CHAMPLIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, I KNOW THAT STAFF FROM THE AIRPORT DID PREPARE THAT PRESENTATION AND WE HAD TO DELAY IT DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS, UM, WITH THE SCHEDULE AT THE END, TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR.
SO, UH, WE DO, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN WANTING TO GET THAT ONE RESCHEDULED.
IT'S JUST BEEN, UM, CHALLENGING THIS YEAR WITH, UH, UH, PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE.
SO YEAH, LET'S MAYBE TRY TO DEFINE THAT AND, AND, AND THEN WE STAFF CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE PARAMETERS AND WHO, WHO WOULD NEED TO BE HERE FOR, FOR THAT.
I WILL REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONER BRIMER IN REGARDS TO THAT.
UH, I GUESS THIS WOULD BE A QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
UM, I'M UNCLEAR AS TO WHAT THE TIMELINE IS FOR, UM, WHEN, UM, VARIOUS PEOPLE, UH, WILL NEED, UH, VARIOUS COMMISSIONERS WILL NEED TO STEP DOWN OR WHETHER PEOPLE EVEN KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AND, AND, AND OF A PARTICULAR CONCERN IS, UH, IS WHETHER, UM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION TO STAY ON THIS CHAIR.
YEAH, I, I, I'M, I AM NOT STEPPING DOWN AS A COMMISSIONER, UH, AT THIS TIME.
AND I BELIEVE, UM, ELIZABETH, YOU WOULDN'T TELL ME IF I SAY THIS WRONG, BUT WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY, AND THEN THERE'S A 60 DAY KIND OF TRANSITIONARY PERIOD FOR CURRENT COMMISSIONERS AND WHOEVER THE, THE NEW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR, UH, WOULD LIKE TO APPOINT OR REAPPOINT.
SO WE GOT, WE GOT A COUPLE MONTHS OF, OF WIGGLE ROOM, AND THEN ONCE THE, ALL OF THE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED OR ONCE, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS FIRST, IF WE GET TO THAT POINT AND THERE ARE STILL VACANCIES, WE WILL PROBABLY JUST MOVE FORWARD.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE APRIL MAY TIMEFRAME IS WHEN YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND HOLD OFFICER ELECTIONS AGAIN, UM, FOR THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY POSITIONS.
AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO REVISIT, UM, COMMITTEE, UH, MEMBERSHIPS, FIGURE OUT IF ANYONE NEEDS TO BE, IF WE NEED TO HAVE NEW APPOINTMENTS, IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO ROLL OFF AND LET NEW MEMBERS JOIN.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT ALL OF THAT IN A, IN A SINGLE MEETING ONCE WE HAVE THOSE POSITIONS FILLED OR REAPPOINTED.
AND ARE, AND HOW MANY MEMBERS NEED TO STEP DOWN BECAUSE THEY'RE TERM LIMITED? JUST ONE.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT RECORD TIME.
[02:05:03]
I, FROM THE.