Apr 24, 2023 Design

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THIS EVENING? NO.

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

UM, ITEM ONE,

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

UM, HAS ANYONE REVIEWED THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION.

SECOND TO APPROVE.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER CAROL, A SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR MINORS.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

IT LOOKS TO BE UNANIMOUS.

TWO, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT CANYON CREEK FIRE AND EMS STATION LOCATED AT 98 0 4 NORTH ATM SIX 20, COMPLIES WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS PRESENTED BY CHRIS RU RUSH AND CHARLES MEYER FROM P G A L.

MOVING ON TO ITEM

[2. Discussion and possible action on whether the project Canyon Creek Fire/EMS Station, located at 9804 North FM 620, complies with the City Design and Sustainability Standards. Presented by Cris Ruebush and Charles Meyer, PGAL.]

HOW, OH, .

GOOD EVENING.

UM, MY NAME IS CHRIS RUBIC WITH P G A L.

GOT, UH, CHARLES MEYER WITH P G L HERE, ELSA FRANK, UH, WITH STUDIO BA CONUS AND, UH, KAT MAZE WITH STUDIO BA CONUS.

UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT, UM, THE CANYON CREEK FIRE EMS STATION, UH, PRESENTATION COMING UP.

OKAY, COOL.

I KNOW YOU GAVE ME PRE WORD THAT, UH, WE'LL JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE WHEN WE'RE

[00:05:01]

READY.

UH, SO THIS IS THE FIFTH FIRE EMS STATION THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.

DESIGN COMMISSION ON THE SCREEN ARE THE FIRST FOUR, UM, THE FIRST THREE LEFT TO RIGHT ARE ALL NOW COMPLETE AND OPEN.

THE MOST RECENT BEING THAT THIRD ONE, UH, JUST OPENED.

AND THEN THE FOURTH ONE IS IN EARLY CONSTRUCTION IN THE GOODNIGHT RANCH AREA.

SO THIS IS THE FIFTH FIRE EMS STATION AS PART OF A FIVE PROJECT, UH, DESIGN BUILD, UH, PRO CONTRACT WITH JAY DUNN GL AND OBVIOUSLY THE CITY AND THE FIRE EMES DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO THIS IS THE FIFTH STATION.

SO GO AHEAD AND FLIP TO THE NEXT, UH, SITE.

THIS, UM, OUT TO THE NORTHWEST.

UH, IT'S RIGHT ON THE SIX 20, UH, ROADWAY.

UM, TO GET EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, TO THIS AREA, THIS PROGRAM, FIRE S STAFFS, INCLUDING THE LIVING SPACES AND THE, UH, UH, KITCHEN DAY ROOM TYPE SUPPORT SPACES.

UM, AND THERE WILL BE A FUEL STATION COMPONENT, UH, TO FUEL, UM, THE FIRETRUCKS AT THIS SITE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, UH, SITE IS A 16 ACRE SITE, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY PRESENTED ON THIS SITE, UH, A, ANOTHER PROJECT, WHICH IS A POTENTIAL, UH, AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT SUBSTATION.

UH, THIS 16 ACRE SITE WAS REALLY CONTROLLED AND PURCHASED BY A P D AND EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THE SITE FOR FIRE EMS, A LOT OF THE ANALYSIS WAS, UH, THE PERVIOUS COVER ALLOWANCES FOR THE 1616 ACRE SITE, WHICH REALLY BOILED DOWN TO DEVELOPING THREE ACRES OF THE SITE.

UM, AND SO THAT LED TO THE ANALYSIS THAT BOTH THE SUBSTATION AND THE FIRES STATION COULD, UH, CO OCCUPY ON THE ST 16 ACRE SITE BY BEING PRETTY JUDICIOUS, UH, WITH, UH, PAVEMENT AND, UH, THE SITE LAYOUT.

UH, AND SO THE FIRE MS STATION, WHICH WE'LL SHOW IN A SECOND, IS IN THE SORT OF BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, UM, ISOLATED.

AND, UM, THAT APD SUBSTATION THAT I MENTIONED IS REALLY, IS IT'S VISIBILITY ON BEING BUILT AS PENDING FUNDING.

UH, SO THIS IS REALLY SPECIFIC TO THIS PORTION OF THE SITE DEDICATED TO FIRE EMS. UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO, SITE, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY HARD FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE.

THERE'S A BIG DARK RED DASH LINE THAT DEFINES THE ENTIRE 16 ACRES.

AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE BLUE, UH, IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT THAT IS SORT OF ZOOMING INTO THE AREA DEDICATED TO FIRE EMS, UM, ON THIS BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE SITE.

UH, PRETTY RURAL AREA.

UH, VERY NATURAL IN THE, UH, TREES AND VEGETATION ON THE SITES AND ALONG THE ROADWAYS.

UH, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT IMAGERY WISE.

UH, NEXT IMAGE OR NEXT SLIDE HERE IS JUST A SITE PLAN.

SO THAT BOTTOM PART IS THE FIRES STATION, AND WE DO HAVE A HINT OF THAT APDS POLICE STATION AND ITS ASSOCIATED GARAGE ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE SITE.

UM, AND SO THE FIRE AMS IS, UM, ON THIS BOTTOM SECTION OF THE SITE PLAN.

UH, THIS HAS A LITTLE BIT HINT OF LANDSCAPE, WHICH WE'LL TOUCH ON AS WE GO.

I'M GONNA PASS TO CHARLES TO TALK ABOUT SORT OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, UH, IN THE PROJECT'S AESTHETIC.

OKAY, GOOD.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY? SO, UH, CONTEXT WISE, LIKE CHRIS SAID, UM, GETTING INTO THE RURAL, UH, REGION, HILL COUNTRY, UM, KIND OF GROUPS OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND RETAIL NEARBY.

UH, SO NEXT SLIDE.

SO JUST DRIVING AROUND, UM, THIS IS WITHIN A FEW BLOCKS.

UH, KIND OF WHAT JUMPED OUT AT US WAS LIMESTONE AND OVERHANGS.

AND, UH, THEN STARTED TO WORK ON WHAT ARE THE GOALS FOR THE AESTHETIC OF THE BUILDING.

UH, BUT IN A WAY THAT IT, UH, BECOMES PART OF THE FACADE BECOMES, UH, PART OF THE AESTHETIC.

SO, BIG PICTURE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, CHRIS RUBISH, UH, SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL CIVIC.

THOSE SEEM TO BE THE THREE BIG FACTORS, UH, IN MAKING, UH, FIRE STATION EMS STATION.

UH, AND THERE'S A CHART AS TO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HOW CAN IT MANIFESTS ARCHITECTURALLY, UH, FOR THIS SPECIFIC SITE, WE HAD THE PD ADJACENT, UH, TO RESPOND TO AS WELL.

UM, SO WE TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT TAKING THE SITE SPECIFICALLY, UH, LED TO THIS DIAGRAM ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO, SUSTAINABLE, REGIONAL, CIVIC, HOW DOES THAT MANIFEST?

[00:10:02]

UH, REGIONAL IS SPECIFIC TO WHERE THE BUILDING IS AND RESPONDS, UH, TO THE SURROUNDINGS.

SO SOLAR ORIENTATION, UM, AND THE FUNCTION WITHIN IT.

AND THEN MATERIALITY RELATES TO CIVIC, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MASONRY WAS USED CUZ THAT'S PERCEIVED AS, UH, STABILITY AND, AND DEPENDABILITY, WHICH IS WHAT THESE CIVIC BUILDINGS, UH, NEED TO BE AND ARE.

SO TWO IMAGES TO THE RIGHT, THAT'S AN OVERHEAD SHOWING THE PHOTO ALL TAKES ON THE ROOF.

AND BELOW IS A SECTION CUT THROUGH THE, UH, VEHICLE BAYS KIND OF SHOWING HOW THAT PROFILE, UH, WHICH IS MORE OR LESS A LITTLE ZIGZAG, BUT HAS, UH, A BIT OF A RESIDENTIAL FIELD.

BUT AS IT GOES UP TO THE RIGHT, UH, OPENS TO THE NORTH.

SO NATURAL DAYLIGHT COMES INTO THE BAYS.

UM, AND THEN TO THE SOUTH, THERE'S, UH, AN OVERHANG, UH, TO BLOCK DIRECT SUNLIGHT.

UM, SO IS NOT TO OVERHEAT THE BUILDING.

UM, SO THAT'S A LITTLE SECTION.

AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, THEN HOW TO, UH, HOW TO APPROACH THE FACADE WHERE THE VEHICLE BAYED, BECAUSE THE FUNCTIONALITY NEEDED TO BE ORIENTED TO THE NORTH FOR EFFICIENT TURNAROUND AND BACKING IN AND, AND LEAVING TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES.

UH, SO THE FACADE FACING THE STREET, UM, WAS PARTIALLY THE, UH, TRUE FRONT.

UM, SO WE WANTED THE MASONRY TO BE EVIDENT, UH, BUT ALSO WANTING TO, UH, ADD SOME FENESTRATION TO THAT AND USING THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THE, UH, IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS OF THE STATIONS, UM, AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO THE MASONRY.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

SO THERE YOU SEE THE NUMBERS, UH, ESSENTIALLY CARVED INTO THE STONE AND THE VEHICLE BASE TO THE RIGHT WITH THE CLEAR STORY UP ABOVE, UM, WRAPPING AROUND THE BUILDING, UH, MEANT TO HAVE, UH, KIND OF A WELCOMING LOOK FROM THE STREET, BUT THEN FULL FUNCTIONALITY ON THE NORTH SIDE WHERE THOSE, UH, VEHICLE BAYS ARE, UH, GUIDING YOUR EYE TO THE ENTRANCE.

SO I THINK NEXT SLIDE FOR THE NEXT, UH, FOUR TO KIND OF RUN THROUGH THE, THE IMAGES.

AND NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, NEXT.

SO, UH, THIS IS THE LAST BIT OF RENDERINGS.

UH, THE IDEA WAS THAT ROOF PROFILE, UH, RESPONDED TO THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE BASIN AND, AND, UH, ENCAPSULATING THAT SPACE.

BUT AS WE MOVE, UM, TO THE WEST SIDE, IT BECOMES A LITTLE MORE RESIDENTIAL.

THAT'S WHERE THESE, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS LIVE, ESSENTIALLY.

SO IT NEEDS TO START EXUDING THAT MORE RESIDENTIAL SCALE AND FEEL.

UH, SO THAT ROOF PROFILE EXTENDS OUT, UM, TO THE WEST WHERE IT OVERLOOKS, UH, THIS AMAZING SITE THAT WE, WE HAD WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF TREES AND, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, SOME NICE VIEWS IN THE EVENING, WHICH LEADS TO THE LANDSCAPE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, I THINK.

OH YEAH, COUPLE FLOOR PLANS.

SORRY, THOSE ARE STILL IMPORTANT.

UH, SO THIS IS, UH, JUST LEVEL ONE WITH THE BAYS AND KIND OF, UH, DAY SPACES, UH, THE BREAK ROOM AND, AND, UH, OFFICES.

AND NEXT SLIDE IS LEVEL TWO WITH THE, UH, DORM ROOMS UP ABOVE.

AND THEN I THINK NEXT SLIDE IS LANDSCAPE.

UH, SO THE OVERALL SITE PLAN HERE, YOU CAN SEE IN THE BRIGHT, BRIGHTER GREEN TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE SITE IS OUR DETENTION POND.

AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH CIVIL TO, UH, CREATE A MORE ORGANIC FORM FOR THE SITE, WHICH SEEMS MORE APPROPRIATE GIVEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE MOST NATURALIZED NATURAL HAS THE MOST EXISTING NATURAL ELEMENTS, UH, TO IT.

OF ALL THE SITES THAT WE'VE WORKED ON IN THIS SERIES OF FIRE STATIONS.

UM, THE PARKING LOT IS TO THE NORTH OF THE BUILDING, AND THERE'S A DRIVEWAY IMMEDIATELY OFF OF SIX 20 THAT LEADS INTO THE VEHICULAR CIRCULATION, WHICH TIES INTO, UM, THE BUILDING AND VEHICULAR BASE.

UH, NEXT.

, UH, WE HAVE TWO SECTIONS HERE THAT ARE SHOWING, UH, THE FUNCTION OF RAIN GARDENS, WHICH ARE BETWEEN THE DETENTION POND AND THE BUILDING.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S NEXT.

SO,

[00:15:01]

UM, WE USED A STRATEGY FOR THE RAIN GARDENS THAT ALLOWED FOR SOME AMOUNT OF BI UP, CUZ THERE'S A LOT OF BEDROCK IMMEDIATELY.

SO WE WANTED TO, UM, AGAIN, KIND OF MAKE ALL OF THE STORM WATER SYSTEMS AS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AS POSSIBLE, BUT, AND ALSO, UH, WITH MINIMAL IMPACT TO THE SITE.

UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME PEOPLE, THERE'S, THERE'S A BUILDING OVERHANG, UH, WITH A COVERED OUTDOOR SPACE, UH, WITH SOME PICNIC TABLES.

AND THEN, UM, A, A RAISED WALKWAY THAT, UH, HOVERS ABOVE THE, UH, CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF A, AN EXISTING TREE NEXT.

AND THIS IS A LONGER SECTION THAT SHOWS THE EDGE OF THE PARKING AND, UM, SOME OVERLAND FLOW INTO, UH, THE UPPER RAIN GARDEN, UH, NEXT.

AND THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE, UH, MAIN EXTERIOR SPACE WHERE, UM, THEY CAN GATHER AND, UM, EAT AND EXERCISE.

UH, SO THERE'S A BIT OF GRADING.

THE FINISHED FLOOR, UM, MEETS, SITS HIGHER THAN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING NEXT.

AND YOU CAN BETTER SEE SOME OF THAT GRADING HERE.

AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IT.

UH, SUSTAINABILITY, UM, THE, ALL THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS, UH, LEAD SILVER OR AEG B REALLY PRIMARILY, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR, UH, THE LEAD CERTIFICATION SIDE.

CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE IN LEAD 4.0 SLASH 4.1 IS ITS SITE LOCATION.

AND SO IN THE SCORING MATRIX, IT'S, UH, DOESN'T SCORE WELL, UH, RELATED TO THE LOCATION OF THE SITE AND AMENITIES AROUND THE SITE.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE INTEGRATION OF THE SOLAR PANELS, WE'RE SITTING RIGHT ON THE DOORSTEP OF LEAD SILVER WITH, UH, WE GOTTA REALLY CHIP AWAY AT SOME OF THE POINTS IN THE MAYBE CATEGORY.

UM, AND SO SORT OF THE SITES, LOCATIONS CHALLENGE, UH, BUT THIS IS OUR CURRENT MATRIX, UH, WORKING TOWARDS LEAD SILVER.

UM, AND WE'RE ALSO BEEN, UH, WORKING TO, FOR POTENTIAL AGB THREE STAR CERTIFICATION, AND WE'LL MAKE, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY'S, UH, LEAD DEPARTMENT MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON LEAD 4.0 OR AGB THREE STARS, UH, AS WE GO IN THE NEXT MONTHS.

AND I THINK THAT IS IT FOR THE SORT OF DESIGN OVERVIEW.

AND ANY QUESTIONS? UH, WELCOME.

THANK YOU, UH, OPENING UP FOR COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER LUKINS.

I WAS REAL HANDSOME BUILDING, SO CONGRATULATIONS.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT EV CHARGING.

WHAT SORT OF PROVISION HAVE YOU MADE FOR EV CHARGING ON THE SITE? DO YOU REMEMBER IF WE HAVE EV NO, I THINK THE PD HAS, HAS SOME ON THE SITE, MA'AM.

WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EV CHARGERS, UM, AT ALL THESE STATIONS.

UM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER, UM, IF WE HAVE EV IT WOULD'VE BEEN NESTED IN THE PARKING LOT, BUT IT'S SECURE.

HI EVERYBODY.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE NEED YES.

UH, PERMISSION TO SPEAK.

MUST GO THROUGH THE CHAIR, I APOLOGIZE.

PERMISSION ? YES.

UH, PETER DEPARTMENT, AMAYA, UH, DIVISION CHIEF OF LOGISTICS.

UH, THESE STATIONS HAVE BEEN TURNING OUT PHENOMENALLY WELL.

AND WITH REGARD TO EV CHARGING, ALL OF OUR STATIONS HAVE TWO EV CHARGERS AND WE HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE USING THOSE AND REALLY LOVE HAVING THE EV CHARGER, UH, SYSTEMS AT OUR STATIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS I WORK THROUGH THIS MEETING.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAND, UH, DURING THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WALK BACK AND FORTH.

UM, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER CARROLL? WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE DESIGN, IF ANY? SO THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, PERMISSION TO SPEAK MA'AM.

UH, PIO TEAM ALONG WITH, UH, A FD AND EMS, PIO O HAS A PACKAGE THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER WITH, UH, THAT HAS, IS A NEWSLETTER THAT THEY'RE SENDING OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES.

THE PUBLIC WORKS, UM,

[00:20:01]

THEY'VE DONE THIS IN THE PREVIOUS, UH, PROJECTS.

IT'S WORKED REALLY WELL.

IT'S REALLY JUST UPDATES.

UM, AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE OUR GRAND OPENINGS OR, UH, GROUNDBREAKINGS, WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO THOSE AS WELL.

SO THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE PROCESS.

IT'S JUST AN INFORMATION THAT YOU SEND OUT.

SO IN MY TENURE, I, I HAVE NOT BEEN HERE THAT LONG.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A, UH, COMMUNITY PRESENTATION.

I KNOW WE'VE DONE THAT ON SOME OTHER PROJECTS.

I CAN DEFINITELY FIND OUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING ON THIS ONE.

YEP.

UM, CAN YOU DESCRIBE, I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE DESIGN TEAM.

UM, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ACCESSIBILITY, IF I AM COMING TO THE FIRE STATION AND I'M NOT APPROACHING IN A CAR, AM I JUST WALKING ON THE DRIVEWAY OR WHAT'S THAT PATH? CAN YOU PULL UP, UH, SITE PLAN ON, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT PAGE NUMBER IT WOULD BE.

WILL THAT ONE WORK GO BACK ONE, UH, TO THAT FLOOR PLAN? OKAY.

MAYBE IT .

SO THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A, A DOORWAY ON THAT FACADE.

UH, BUT THERE WAS, UH, THE FRONT WAS WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE.

UM, JUST IN CASE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED, WE HAVE FENESTRATION THAT GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR ON THAT FACADE FOR AN ADDITION OF A SIDEWALK, UM, GOING DIRECTLY TO IT, UH, THAT WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE BAY AND WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED AS FAR AS SECURITY.

UM, SO THE PRIMARY AND AND FRONT DOOR IS WITHIN THE REQUIRED DISTANCE.

AND THE THOUGHT WAS, UM, THE FACADE DIRECTS YOU TO THE RIGHT WALK UP THAT DRIVEWAY FROM, FROM THE POTENTIAL SIDEWALK ALONG SIX 20.

UM, SO THERE ISN'T A SIDEWALK THERE CURRENTLY.

UH, SO THE DESIGN OF THE, THE EAST FACADE A ALLOWED FOR THE FUTURE EDITION OF A, AN ACTUAL DOORWAY, UH, IF A SIDEWALK WERE EVER ADDED.

IF YOU CAN GO BACK, IF YOU DID THE SITE PLAN, UM, THAT IS PRETTY.

KEEP GOING, UH, TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE PRESENTATION.

YEAH, KEEP GOING.

IT'S GOING TO BE SMALL.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ZOOM IN ON THAT, UH, THAT PAGE RIGHT THERE.

DO ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I DO.

CAN I JUMP IN? UH, COMMISSIONER LADNER? THANKS.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE HILL COUNTRY OVERLAY SUB A LITTLE BIT MORE? UM, WHY IT DOESN'T TRIGGER A SIDEWALK? I JUST DON'T KNOW IT WELL ENOUGH.

THERE'S A, I CAN'T RECITE IT VERBATIM.

UH, THE INTENT WAS IF THERE IS A SIDEWALK IN, FOR SOMETHING LIKE AN EMS OR FIVE STATION, THERE IS, UH, A DOORWAY ALONG THE ROADWAY.

UH, THE FRONT DOOR IS WITHIN THE DISTANCE FROM THE FRONT CORNER OF THE BUILDING TO NOT HAVE TO BE ON THE EAST FACING FACADE.

UM, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ACCESS TO THE FRONT DOOR.

UH, GUEST PARKING IS PROVIDED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT IN CASE YOU'RE INJURED AND ARE GETTING THERE VIA VEHICLE.

UM, SO THE, UH, THE THOUGHT WAS THE, IT DIDN'T, UH, REQUIRE THAT EAST FACADE FRONT DOOR.

UM, AND THE BAYS WERE IDEALLY ON THAT EAST SIDE AS WELL.

UH, SO THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED IN THE BUILDING LAYOUT.

SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S AS, UH, SPECIFIC AS I CAN GET FROM MEMORY FOR THE SUBCHAPTER REQUIREMENT.

[00:25:02]

UM, BUT THE INTENT WAS ALSO AS THINGS DEVELOP ON THIS HIGHWAY, AND IF A HI, IF A SIDEWALK WERE ADDED ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD, UM, THERE'S FENESTRATION ON THE FACADE FOR, UH, ANOTHER FRONT DOOR FOR PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ON THAT EAST SIDE.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER SALINAS? SO IF YOU WERE TO IN FUTURE ADD THAT DOOR, THE INTERIOR LAYOUT, WHAT ELSE WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? UH, YOU KNOW, FOR, TO ADD A DOOR? UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT JUST ADDING A DOOR, RIGHT? WE'RE, YEAH, I I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, MORE OR LESS A DOORBELL, UM, BECAUSE THE, UH, STAFF WOULD BE NOTIFIED JUST AS THEY WOULD IF SOMEONE CAME TO THE FRONT DOOR THAT'S EXISTING, UM, THAT'S LOCKED AND IT'S LOCKED.

AND SO THE, THE DOOR WOULD GO DIRECTLY INTO THE BASE, UM, BUT IT'S AT THE BACK, SO IT WOULDN'T BE WALKING INTO THE SIDE OF A, A VEHICLE.

UH, SO IT'S LOCATED IN A, UH, A GOOD LOCATION.

UH, SO NO, NO INTERIOR REWORKING, NO WALLS WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED.

I THINK JUST THE STOREFRONT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH, WITH THE DOOR.

AND THAT'S THE GROUP OF WINDOWS THERE PLANNED SOUTHEAST OF THE, THE LARGE BAY.

WELL, IT LOOKS GREAT.

LOOKS LIKE YOUR OTHER, YOUR OTHER WORK.

UM, LOOKS NICE.

DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER CAROL? THANK YOU.

AND, UH, I, I WANT TO RE REITERATE AS WELL THAT I APPRECIATE THE SENSITIVITY OF THE DESIGN AESTHETIC TO, TO THIS AREA OF TOWN.

IT LOOKS REALLY NICE.

UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION.

DO YOU NOT ANTICIPATE, I, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE ANY CONNECTIVITY TO THIS FUTURE AP D UH, BUILDING.

DO YOU NOT ANTICIPATE ANY CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE TWO FACILITIES? THERE'S A TRAIL, GO BACK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SEPARATION OF THE FIRE AND APD IS AN INTERESTING DEBATE, RIGHT? AND CERTAINLY PD WANTS TO BE IN THEIR WORLD, THEY'RE LICENSING OR THEIR REQUIREMENTS.

UM, AND SO THEY ARE SEPARATED TO SOME DEGREE.

I THINK ONCE YOU GET TO THE BACK OF THE SITE, THE INITIAL TRAILS THAT WOULD BE PART OF PD AND THAT DETENTION POND, THERE'S A PLAN, UM, TO HAVE THE TRAIL KIND OF BE DEEPER INTO THE SITE, THE, UM, GARAGE OF THE APDS PLAN TO HAVE A TRAIL AROUND IT.

SO I THINK THE TRAIL NETWORK THAT WOULD BE BEHIND THE TWO WOULD START TO BE SHARED IN TERMS OF THE APD SORT OF FENCING ITSELF OFF, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC GETTING BACK INTO THEIR GARAGE.

AND THEIR, UH, FACILITY HAS BEEN KIND OF DIVORCED FROM THESE TWO THINGS BEING, YOU KNOW, MORE INTEGRATED.

UH, SO THE WAY THAT PD WANTS TO OPERATE FROM A SECURITY STANDPOINT IS DRIVEN SOME OF THOSE SEPARATIONS.

ONE OTHER QUESTION.

THE SITE LOOKS HEAVILY WOODED.

ARE THERE ANY TREES BEING RELOCATED? HERITAGE TREES AT THAT ONE? NO.

UM, YOU MIGHT MORE SPECIFICALLY THE HERITAGE TREES, BUT IN GENERAL, WE'RE BEING AS SENSITIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH ANY REQUIRED TREE TREE REMOVAL.

RIGHT.

BRINGING A, A THIRD PARTY ARBORIST ON BOARD TO HELP US, UM, WITH MITIGATION NUMBERS.

UM, THERE'S SOME THAT WE'RE TAKING OUT AND WE'RE HAVING TO MITIGATE FOR, UM, AS WELL AS WE'RE TRYING TO GET A MITIGATION TREE CARE PLAN, UM, UNDER OUR SCOPE ALSO TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THE TREES THAT WE'RE PRESERVING.

UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A HERITAGE TREE IN THE FRONT OF THE FACADE THAT WE'RE, UM, PLANNING AROUND CAREFULLY, UM, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER TREES THAT WE'RE HAVE, UM, CLOSE TO THE, CLOSER TO THE BUILDING ITSELF.

THAT THAT'S THE ONE BY THE ROAD.

AND THERE'S GENERALLY A LOT OF CEDARS.

THAT GOING TO BE, UM, AN ACCESSIBLE RAMP OR IS THAT ANOTHER STAIRCASE? IS THAT JUST A MISMATCH FOR THE RENDERINGS? IT'S A RAMP.

UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS.

OKAY, SO I'M KIND OF PIGGY BACKING ON THE CHAIRS QUESTION HERE CUZ IT STOOD OUT TO ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE RENDERING.

UM, YOU HAVE TWO, UH, THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, UM, WITH THE PICNIC TABLES IN THE BACK.

UM, AND I SEE THAT THERE'S A CLEAR STAIRWAY, UH, FOR ONE OF THEM.

AND THEN IN ONE OF THE RENDERINGS IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ANOTHER RAILING TO THE SIDE.

BUT I DON'T SEE THAT IN BOTH OF THE RAILINGS.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THAT, IS

[00:30:01]

IT'S A RAMP.

THANKS.

UH, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY HAS THERE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FIRE STATION EMS, UM, SERVICE MEMBERS MAINTAIN THESE CAMPUSES THEMSELVES.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT THE MAINTENANCE IMPLICATIONS OF SOME OF THESE DECISIONS ARE? YES, MA'AM.

UM, WE'RE IN, UM, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL, UH, REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE, UH, WORKDAY, UH, WITH STUDIO B PONIES WHERE WE'RE, UH, ESSENTIALLY TEACHING OUR FIREFIGHTERS HOW TO MAINTAIN THESE PROPERTIES.

THEY ARE UNIQUE LANDSCAPES FOR US.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT BERMUDA GRASS OR YOU KNOW, ST.

AUGUSTINE THAT WE JUST, MY HOPE, UM, AND, UH, THAT RELATIONSHIP IS BEING VER IS REALLY FRUITFUL AND IT'S IN, WE'RE INCORPORATING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, IN THOSE, UH, WORK DAYS.

SO IT'S PRETTY EXCITING FOR US ON A, A HOST OF LEVELS.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.

UM, I WILL MAKE A MOTION.

UM, WHEREAS CHRIS RUBUS AND CHARLES MEYER PRESENTED THE PROJECT CANYON CREEK FIRE EMS STATION, LOCATED AT 9 0 4 FM SIX 20 TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023.

UH, NOW FOR THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS CANYON CREEK FIRE AT EMS STATION COMPLIANT WITH THE CITY DESIGN STANDARDS DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR MINORS.

ALL IN FAVOR LOOKS TO BE UNANIMOUS EXCEPT FOR COMMISSIONER TANA GUCCI THAT, THERE WE GO.

WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE.

COMMISSIONER WALEY, ARE YOU VOTING? ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT HILTON DUAL BRAND HOTEL LOCATED AT FOUR 15 LAVACA COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE PRESENTED BY MICHAEL WHELAN OF ARM, BRISTON BROWN, ALEXANDER CAMPBELL OF DLR AND VICTORIA FREEMAN OF NUDGE DESIGN.

GOOD LUCK.

UM, ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION

[3. Discussion and possible action on whether the project Hilton Dual Brand Hotel, located at 415 Lavaca Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines for the City of Austin in accordance with Land Development Code § 25-2-586 (C)(1)(a)(ii). Presented by Michael Whellan, Armburst and Brown, PLLC, Alexandria Campbell, DLR Group, and Victoria Freeman, Nudge Design.]

MICHAEL WHELAN, UH, ON BEHALF OF, UH, MERIT DEVELOPMENT, DAVE MERRITT, UH, THE OWNER IS HERE AS WELL.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE OTHERS FROM DLR GROUP.

UH, ALEXANDRIA YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM IN A MOMENT IS THE, UH, CAPTAIN, THE CHIEF ARCHITECT, AND, UH, NEXT TO ME IS VICTORIA FREEMAN WITH NUDGE, WHO'S A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.

WE ALSO HAVE AARON, UH, KELVIN, UH, TO THE RIGHT OF ALEXANDRIA, WHO IS, UH, UH, THE PROJECT DESIGNER.

UM, IF WE CAN GO TO THE, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THIS IS JUST AN OUTLINE OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA COVER AND IS IN YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR BACKUP.

THIS HAS SOME OF THE DETAILS.

IT'S A VERY NARROW SITE, 11,813 SQUARE FOOT, UH, LOT AREA, UH, EXISTING ZONING, C B D.

UM, OUR, UH, ACTUAL F A R IS GONNA END UP AT ABOUT 25.35 TO ONE, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE SAID WE'RE SEEKING 26 TO ONE, UH, WHICH DOES REQUIRE, UH, US TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR THAT EXTRA, UH, BIT.

THE BONUS F A R AREA WILL BE 212,000 634, 200 12,634,000 SQUARE FEET.

UH, THE BUILDING HEIGHT, 370 FEET, 10 INCHES.

THE HIGHEST OCCUPIED FLOOR WILL BE 342 FEET, EIGHT INCHES, UH, 480 KEYS.

UH, IT IS A HOTEL.

AND, UM, THERE'S NO PARKING.

YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSIT, UH, NETWORK IS ROBUST AT THIS LOCATION.

FIFTH AND LAVACA.

UH, LOTS GOING ON AND A LOT MORE TO COME, HOPEFULLY.

CAN SEE IS, UH, UH, VERY CLOSE AS WELL.

UH, WE FEEL LIKE YOU CAN SEE IT'S A, HERE, IT FITS INTO THE, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND IT.

UH, WE'VE TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE RENDERINGS.

NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR.

THIS IS A SITE THAT IS NOT IN THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR, AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE QUARTER MILE WALKING AREA, UH, WHICH WILL OFFER A LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAIL, COMMERCIAL PARK, OR PUBLIC PARK.

YOU

[00:35:01]

AGAIN, ANOTHER VIEW OF THE VIEW CORRIDORS.

UM, FROM THERE, AND THAT'S NOW TAKES US TO THE NEXT SLIDE, VICTORIA.

SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING HERE.

UM, SO ONE OF OUR PRIMARY GOALS FOR THE PROJECT REALLY WAS TO, UH, ENHANCE AND ELEVATE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE.

AND WE'VE DONE SO BY REMOVING ALL OF THE PARALLEL PARKING ALONG FITZ STREET AND GIVEN THAT BACK TO THE PUBLIC, UM, WE'VE ALSO COMPLIED WITH ALL THE GREAT STREET STANDARDS, AND WE'RE PROVIDING ALL OF THE GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS, UM, THAT ARE REQUIRED.

AND WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING UPGRADED PAVING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SITE, WHICH I WILL GET INTO DETAIL IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, SO JUST ZOOMING INTO THE FIFTH STREET, UH, FRONTAGE, UM, WE ARE PROVIDING A COUPLE OF IMAGES IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER OF THIS SLIDE.

AND THESE ARE THE TWO TYPES OF PAVERS THAT WE'RE USING.

THE LIGHTER COLOR IS PREDOMINANTLY GONNA BE TAKING OVER THE ENTIRE SITE.

AND THE BOTTOM ONE, WHICH IS A MESABI BLACK GRANITE, IS GONNA BE USED AS AN ACCENT PIECE, UM, ALONG THE, UH, EDGE OF THE BUILDING.

UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE PROVIDING ALL THE GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS.

SO WORKING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR TRASH RECEPTACLE, THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN LIGHT FIXTURE, UM, TWO BENCHES UNDERNEATH THE DRAKE ELMS, WHICH ARE ALSO REQUIRED, AS WELL AS THE FOUR BIKE RACKS.

AND ANOTHER, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, LIGHT.

UM, WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING JUST TO ENHANCE SAFETY, UM, IN THIS AREA.

SO WE HAVE UPLIGHTS GOING INTO THE TREES AND UPLIGHTS, UM, LIGHTING UP THE COLUMNS OF THE BUILDING.

EQUIPMENT FOR THE PUBLIC SPACES.

UM, AND SO ZOOMING INTO LAVACA STREET, AGAIN, WE'RE USING THAT UPGRADED PAVING SYSTEM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT.

UM, AND WE'RE ALSO PULLING THAT MATERIAL IN UNDER THE PORT COCHERE.

UM, IN OUR LAST, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETING, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS THAT, UM, WE WANTED TO BE SENSITIVE ABOUT THE TRANSITION BETWEEN CARS COMING INTO THE PORT KOSHER AND PEOPLE WALKING BY.

UM, SO WE'VE CHANGED THE MATERIAL, WHICH WAS ONCE, UH, PAVERS TO A CONCRETE RAMP, AND WE'VE PULLED ACROSS A STRIP OF DARK PAVERS TO REALLY SIGNAL TO PEOPLE AND CARS THAT THIS IS A TRANSITION AREA.

AND TO BE CAREFUL, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE PROVIDING ALL THE GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS, UM, ON THIS FRONTAGE, WE'RE PROVIDING THE SPANISH RED OAKS AS WELL AS IN GRADE OR AT GRADE, UH, PLANTERS WHERE WE ARE SHOWCASING, UH, NATIVE TEXAS FLORA.

AND THIS WAS A NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, AND THEN THIS INFORMATION, UH, REGARDING THE PAVING MATERIAL WAS ALSO ASKED OF US FROM THE WORKING GROUP MEETING.

SO HERE'S JUST AN IMAGE, UM, INSTALLED OF THE TWO MATERIALS THAT WE'RE SPECKING FOR THE PROJECT.

SO THE LIGHTER PAVER IS WHAT'S ON THE GROUND PLAIN, AND THE DARKER PAVER IS WHAT IS ON THE WALLS.

AND THAT DARKER PAVER, AGAIN, IS JUST AN ACCENT PIECE.

UM, WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE SLIP COEFFICIENT, UM, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THAT MATERIAL IS NOT GONNA BE SLIPPERY EVEN WHEN WET.

AND I'LL PASS IT OFF TO ALEXANDRA.

THANK, THANK YOU, VICTORIA.

NEXT SIDE, PLEASE.

ALEXANDRIA CAMPBELL WITH DLR GROUP.

I'LL BE, UH, GIVING YOU A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE FLOOR PLANS.

SO ON THE RIGHT IS OUR GROUND FLOOR, UH, GETTING INTO THE BUILDING A BIT, AND THE G IN THE GOLD.

YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE PUBLICLY ACTIVATING, UH, FIFTH AND LAVACA WITH TENANT SPACE.

WE'VE GOT 10,000 SQUARE FEET BETWEEN THE, UH, LEVEL ONE AND LEVEL TWO.

UM, AND ON FIFTH STREET WE HAVE THE ENTRY INTO THAT TENANT SPACE.

ON LAVACA, WE HAVE AN ENTRY TO THE SKY LOBBY, WHICH TAKES THE USER TO THE EXPRESS ELEVATOR, WHICH WILL BRING THEM TO THE PUBLICLY.

UM, THE PUBLIC AMENITIES ON LEVELS, UH, 28 WHERE WE HAVE A BALLROOM AND THE ROOF, UH, THE ROOF DECK BAR AND RESTAURANT.

UNDERNEATH THE PORT CIERRE, WE HAVE THE MAIN HOTEL ENTRY, WHICH TAKES YOU TO THE DRUM LOBBY AND UP TO RECEPTION.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE CAREFULLY LOCATED ALL THE BACK OF HOUSE AND UTILITY SPACES TO THE SOUTH ALLEY SIDE, UM, AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW.

AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, STAFF BIKE RACK, BIKE RACKS, UH, FOR PARKING IN THE LOADING DOCK.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

ON THE, ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE LEVEL TWO IS THE REMAINDER OF THE TENANT SPACE.

AND THEN, UM, JUST SOME SUPPORTING MECHANICAL

[00:40:01]

ON LEVELS THREE AND FOUR ON THE RIGHT IS OUR MAIN, UH, RECEPTION AND LOBBY LEVEL, UM, WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SO THEY'LL ARRIVE AT THE DUAL BRANDED LOBBY.

AND AT THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PLAN, UH, IN THE BLUE COLOR IS THE HILTON EMBASSY SUITES BAR AND RESTAURANT, WHICH FEATURES TWO, UH, TOP GOLF SUITES, IS ADJACENT TO AN OUTDOOR TERRACE AND ALSO HAS A WATER FEATURE IN THE LOBBY.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WE HAVE THE HILTON TEMPO, UH, LOBBY, UH, AND CAFE, AS WELL AS INFORMAL MEETING SPACE.

LEVEL FOUR IS THE EMBASSY SUITES BREAKFAST BUFFET.

UM, BUT IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE AVAILABLE, UM, TO RENT FOR THE PUBLIC AFTER HOURS, UH, FOR GATHERING SPACES ON THE RIGHT.

AND THE LIGHT BLUE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PLAN IS ALL, UH, SUPPORTING STAFF SPACES.

AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE LEVELS FIVE THROUGH 27, OUR TYPICAL GUEST ROOM FLOORS.

SO THERE IS, UM, EACH FLOOR HAS TWO BRANDS.

AND UP TO 20 LEVELS 27.

WE HAVE 480 KEYS TOTAL ON LEVEL 28.

UH, THIS IS THE, UM, THE BALLROOM LEVEL.

SO IN GREEN WE HAVE MEETING SPACE.

UH, AT THE NORTH SIDE WE HAVE A, UH, DUAL HEIGHT, UM, BALLROOM SPACE THAT CAN BE RENTED.

AND THEN ON THE SOUTH WE HAVE A LARGE MEETING ROOM.

IN BETWEEN IS THE PRE-FUNCTION LOBBY THAT OPENS UP TO A, UM, DUAL HEIGHT, UH, TERRACE THAT ALSO FEATURES SOME GREEN SPACE THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE RENDERINGS.

AND AGAIN, FOCUSING THE KITCHEN AND BECA HOUSE ON, UH, THE SOUTH AND EAST.

LEVEL 29.

SORRY, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE PLEASE? THANK YOU.

LEVEL 29 IS A PARTIAL FLOOR PLAN TO ALLOW FOR THAT DOUBLE, UM, LEVEL BALLROOM.

UH, SO ON THE WEST SIDE WE HAVE THE, UH, HOTEL FITNESS THAT OVERLOOKS THE TERRACE.

AND THEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, RENTABLE MEETING SPACE.

AND THIS IS MORE OF A FLEXIBLE THINK TYPE, THINK TANK SET UP.

AND ON THE RIGHT WE HAVE OUR, UH, ROOF DECK BAR, UM, AND RESTAURANT.

AND AT THE NORTH SIDE, WE WILL HAVE A CANOPY OVERHANG, UM, PROTECTING THE GUESTS FROM THE SUN.

AND WE HAVE, UH, WINDSCREEN AS WELL.

GONNA HAND IT OFF TO AARON FOR SOME EXTERIOR RENDERINGS.

HI EVERYBODY.

UH, GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY AND AUSTIN.

UM, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE, UH, BUILDING ENCLOSURE WITH YOU IN THE FACADE DESIGN.

PART OF OUR APPROACH WAS LOOKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF AUSTIN AND CONSIDERING THE LOCAL, UM, MODERN AND HISTORIC CONTEXT.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO US THAT WE WANTED TO CONSIDER FOR THE PROJECT ARE, IS THE MATERIALITY AND LOCAL DESIGN, UM, ARTICULATIONS AS THEY RELATE TO PEDESTRIAN SCALE.

UH, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE PICKED UP HERE WERE RUSTIC TEXTURES OF BRICK, UH, GRAY AND WHITE TONES, UH, SEPARATION OF TOWER AND PODIUM ARCHITECTURE, UH, PORTAL, PORTAL DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE EMPHASIS OF THE VERTICAL IN THE TOWER, AS WELL AS THE BREAKING DOWN OF A MASSING OF A TOWER.

AND WE ALSO LOOK TURN TO SOME OTHER MODERN COMMERCIAL AND HOSPITALITY ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION.

HERE'S OUR, UH, MATERIAL PALETTE.

AND MOST OF THESE MATERIALS THAT YOU SEE HERE IN THE LARGER, UM, IMAGES, THOSE ALL RELATE TO THE, UH, PUBLIC AND PEDESTRIAN AREAS OF THE PROJECT.

THEY'RE VERY TEXTURED AND TACTILE MATERIALS.

UM, AND SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT YOU SEE, UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE ARE THE METAL TONES THAT EXIST UP THE TOWER.

AND WE ALSO TRY TO INCORPORATE GREENERY ON THE FACADE IN, IN, UM, TERRACE AREAS, BUT THEN ALSO ON THE BUILDING FACADE ITSELF, UM, WE HAVE VIDEO DISPLAYS THAT, UM, KIND OF GREET YOU ONTO THE SITE AND STAINLESS STEEL PANELS, WHICH ALSO HIGHLIGHT A LOT OF THE OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACES IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE OR THE SOFFIT.

SEE THE TWO STORY RESTAURANT FACADES HERE, ALL ACCENTED IN THAT PORTAL ARCHITECTURE TO FRAME VIEWS IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

SO THIS IS THE A VIEW FROM, UH, FIFTH AND LAVACA.

IT'S KIND OF A, THE PRIMARY INTERSECTION OF THE PROJECT.

IT GIVES YOU A REALLY GOOD SENSE OF THE, UM, BUILDING AND THE FACADES AND IS INTENDED TO CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT.

YOU CAN SEE THE GREENERY AS IT WRAPS AROUND THE BUILDING AND LOTS OF TRANSPARENCY TO SEE THE ACTIVATION WITHIN THE SPACE.

NEXT SLIDE, THE FIFTH STREET ELEVATION.

UM, YOU REALLY

[00:45:01]

AND THEN ABOVE THAT ON LEVEL THREE AND FOUR, YOU SEE THE ACTIVATED, UM, HOTEL BRANDED PUBLIC SPACES, AS WELL AS THE FIRST OUTDOOR TERRACE ON THE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTED BY THAT STAINLESS STEEL, UH, SOFFIT.

UH, AS WE ZOOM IN ON THE BUILDING HERE, THIS IS THE FIFTH AND LAVACA INTERSECTION.

IT'S ALSO THE MAIN, UH, RESTAURANT ENTRY.

YOU GET TO GET A SENSE OF THAT GREENERY ON THE, UM, NORTH AND ON THE WEST OF THE BUILDING.

AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE GREENERY THAT WE'RE STARTING TO INCORPORATE ON LEVEL TWO OF THE RESTAURANT OVERHANGING.

UM, AND AT NIGHT, UH, LIKE VICTORIA WAS MENTIONING, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT WAS SAFE AND ALSO KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED THE GREENERY AND HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE INTERESTING BUILDING MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING.

UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF INGRADE LIGHTING THAT YOU'LL KIND OF SEE IN THOSE, THOSE BRIGHT WHITE STRIPES ON THE GROUND.

AND THE, THE LAVACA STREET ELEVATION, WHICH IS REALLY INTERESTING.

IT'S, IT'S SORT OF A COLLAGE OF ALL THE BUILDING PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE HERE.

SO YOU, YOU SEE THE MAIN ENTRY TO THE PORTICO SHARE, WHICH IS ALSO THE, THE ENTRY TO THE, YOU KNOW, SKY LOBBY OF THE HOTEL, THE ENTRY TO THE JUMP OR THE ENTRY TO THE SKY LOBBY OF THE RESTAURANT ON LEVEL 30, THE TWO-STORY RESTAURANT SPACE.

AND THEN YOU SEE ON LEVEL THREE AND FOUR, THE HOTEL BRANDED PROGRAM.

AND SOMETHING TO NOTE HERE, YOU KIND OF GET A, A VIEW OF THE ELEVATOR PEEKING THROUGH THE FACADE.

AND WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IS THERE'S A SLOT OF VISION GLASS AND THAT ALLOWS FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE OUT AS THEY'RE TRAPPED, TRAVERSING UP THE BUILDING TO THE BALLROOM OR TWO LEVEL 30 BAR AND LOUNGE.

YOU'LL ALSO START TO NOTICE THIS VIDEO DISPLAY THAT I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AS WE MOVE FURTHER.

HERE'S A, A SHOT OF THE INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PROJECT, AND THIS IS ON LEVEL THREE.

AND WHAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING HERE IS THAT WE DO HAVE AREAS OF PUBLIC ART, UH, THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR OF THE PROJECT, AND IT'S IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE VERY TRANSPARENT FACADE.

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THIS PUBLIC ART ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AS WELL.

THIS IS AN APPROACH, UH, FROM THE SOUTH OF THE PROJECT.

AND HERE YOU SEE THE ALLEY SIDE, UM, ELEVATION AT PEDESTRIAN, PEDESTRIAN SCALE HERE.

SO IT'S THE EXIT OF THE PORTA KOCHER.

IT'S ALSO WHERE WE ORGANIZE ALL OF OUR BUILDING SERVICES ON THIS ALLEY SIDE AND TUCK AWAY ANY MECHANICAL LOUVERS ON THE ALLEY SIDE, WHICH HAS FREED UP ALL OF THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN FACADES, PUBLIC FACADES, ON AND ON FIFTH FOR ARCHITECTURE.

SO HERE'S THE APPROACH INTO THE PORTICO SHARE.

AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, GREETED WITH THESE, UM, ARTFUL L E D VIDEO BOARDS.

THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER USE OF PUBLIC ART ON THE PROJECT.

YOU SEE THE SCREEN WALL, UM, FOR THE PORTO SHARE INCORPORATING THE SWATCH OF THE GREENERY AS IT KIND OF CLIMBS UP THE FACADE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST SURROUNDED BY LIKE THESE NICE NATIVE PLANTINGS, UM, ENTRIES.

HERE'S A ZOOM IN ON THE ENTRIES OF THE BUILDING.

SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS ENTRY TO THE SKY LOBBY, AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS ENTRY TO THE JUMP LOBBY OF THE HOTEL.

THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES ARE OVER OVERALL RENDERINGS OF THE BUILDING.

SO YOU KIND OF SEE HOW WE DELINEATED BETWEEN THAT PODIUM ARCHITECTURE AND THAT TOWER ARCHITECTURE REALLY, UM, TO ADDRESS, UM, THE PEDESTRIAN SCALE AND MAKE A, YOU KNOW, INVITING, INVITING, UM, EXPERIENCE FROM NEARBY, BUT THEN ALSO HAVING AN IMPACT, UM, FROM AFAR.

HERE YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF A SENSE OF HOW WE START TO BREAK DOWN THAT TOWER MASSING AND EXPRESS THE VERTICAL IN THE TOWER.

YOU ALSO NOTICE ON THIS LAVACA SIDE ELEVATION THE BROADER SIDE OF THE PROJECT.

THERE'S A LITTLE CUTOUT AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, WHICH WE'LL START TO TALK ABOUT NEXT, NEXT SLIDE.

SO HERE'S THAT CUTOUT.

IT'S FOR LEVEL 28 TERRACE.

AND ON THIS TERRACE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE PRE-FUNCTION SPACE, UM, FOR THE BALLROOM AND ALSO ACCESS TO THE MEETING ROOMS. AND YOU SEE THE FITNESS LEVEL ABOVE.

AND HERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING MORE GREENERY INTO THE SPACE AND, YOU KNOW, BRINGING SOME OF THOSE TACTILE, UH, TEXTURED PANELS.

UM, ALL THAT YOU SEE AT THE BASE OF THE BUILDING UP TO THE TOP OF THE BUILDING FOR CONTINUITY.

NEXT SLIDE, A VIEW OF THE, THE ROOFTOP, UH, BAR AND LOUNGE EXPERIENCE.

ON THE EXTERIOR, IT'S GONNA BE A WELL SHADED AREA.

THERE'LL BE FANS, THERE'LL BE HEATERS WHEN IT GETS A LITTLE BIT COOLER AND, UM, HEAVY CONSIDERATION FOR GREENERY AS THAT THE DESIGN DEVELOPS UP THERE.

HERE'S THE OVERALL, UH, CROWN, UM, OVERALL CROWN VIEW.

[00:50:01]

AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS CONTINUING THE ARCHITECTURE TO THE TOP OF THE BUILDING TO SCREEN ANY MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, UM, AT EVERY SINGLE ELEVATION OF THE BUILDING.

YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THE DOUBLE HEIGHT BALLROOM SPACE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.

IT'S A GLOWING A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY INTERESTING SPACE FOR THIS PROJECT AT NIGHT.

IT'S GONNA BE SOME SOMEWHAT OF A BEACON, SOMEWHAT OF A LANTERN YOU'LL SEE, UM, FROM A FARM.

AND THIS ALSO GIVES YOU A SENSE OF BOTH OF THOSE OUT, UM, EXTERIOR SPACES AND HOW THEY START TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER WITH THE MATERIALITY OF THOSE STAINLESS STEEL PANELS.

UM, AND THE FINAL SLIDE ON THE EXTERIOR RENDERINGS HERE IS, UM, ENDING ON THE ELEVATIONS.

AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT JUST REINFORCES SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER WITH DELINEATION OF THE TOWER AND THE BASE AND EMPHASIS OF THE VERTICAL.

UM, AND I THINK, UH, V HAS SOME SAMPLES OF SOME OF THE PAVERS IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT THAT.

BUT OTHERWISE WE'RE OPEN TO QUESTIONS.

UH, COMMISSIONER SALINAS AND I BOTH ATTENDED THE WORKING GROUP.

UM, SO BEFORE ANY PROJECT PARTICIPATING IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM COMES BEFORE THE FULL COMMISSION, WE HAVE UP TO FIVE COMMISSIONERS MEETING IN A WORKING GROUP SESSION COACHING THE APPLICANT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

UM, COMMISSIONER SALINAS, DO YOU WANNA REVIEW THAT MEMO WITH US? KIND OF SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS? YEAH, LET ME, UM, PULL UP THE, UM, MEMO.

I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE, ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD HAD TO DO WITH THE PLAZA, UH, COMMISSIONER OLSON WAS UM, HAD MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE REFLECTIVITY OF USING THOSE PARTICULAR MATERIALS, UM, AND, AND HOW THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE MICROCLIMATE OF THAT URBAN FRONTAGE.

UM, DID Y'ALL PROVIDE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT, THOSE BLACK AND GRAY TILES OR THE PAVERS? THAT WAS HIS, HE BROUGHT THE PAVERS.

YEAH, I THINK COMMISSIONER ROLLON WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PAVERS AND THE YEAH, THE PAVERS BUILDING MATERIALS SEPARATELY.

RIGHT.

AND SO THE PAVERS IS WHAT I'M REFERRING TO IS THE PAVERS THAT ARE AT THE FRONT AND THE, I GUESS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND ON THE WEST SIDE OF THAT BUILDING.

CAN YOU PULL UP, UH, SLIDE 11 PLEASE.

AND SHE ALSO HAS PHYSICAL SAMPLES THAT SHE'S GOING TO BRING, BUT HAS THERE BEEN ANY STUDIES SHOWN ON THE REFLECTIVITY OF THAT AND WHAT ALTERNATES WOULD BE? UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO THE MICROCLIMATE OF HEAT ISLAND EFFECT USING A DARKER PAVER? UM, YEAH.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE REFLECTIVITY, BUT WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SLIP COEFFICIENT, UM, AND JUST ENSURING THAT THAT MATERIAL ISN'T GONNA BE TOO SLIPPERY FOR PEOPLE TO WALK ON.

AND WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED THE ACTUAL MATERIAL, UM, SAMPLE.

UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING IN THE, UM, WORKING GROUP WAS THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AT THE, UH, INGRESS OF THAT DROP OFF.

AND YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD ADDRESSED IT, BUT ON LOOKING AT THE DRAWINGS, I DIDN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING THAT REALLY SHOWED THE PROTECTION OF PEDESTRIANS OR ANY KIND OF VEHICULAR PASSAGE ON THAT SIDEWALK THAT GIVES THEM ENOUGH OF A WARNING TO KNOW THAT, THAT A VEHICLE IS COMING IN.

UM, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN TALK ABOUT? UM, THE WAY WE ADDRESSED IT WAS JUST BY, AND, AND I'M, I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER HOW IT USED TO LOOK, BUT THERE WAS PAPERS ON THE RAMP ITSELF AND WE'VE CHANGED THAT MATERIAL TO CONCRETE.

UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, ADDITIONALLY WE'VE ADDED THAT STRIP OF THE BLACK, UM, PAVER TO KIND OF SIGNAL TO CARS AND TO PEDESTRIANS THAT THIS IS A TRANSITION ZONE.

UM, YEAH.

AND SO THAT'S HOW WE ADDRESSED IT BECAUSE I, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS BY THE TIME SOMEBODY HITS THAT CONCRETE, IT'S TOO LATE.

YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTA, THEY'VE GOTTA KNOW AHEAD OF TIME THAT, THAT THEY'RE ENTERING INTO THIS ZONE.

AND SO, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEBODY'S ON A SCOOTER OR THEY'RE DISTRACTED WALKERS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY COMMON, UM, THAT, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ON EACH SIDE OF THAT DRIVE AT A DISTANCE, THAT'S A DISTANCE THAT'S SAFE ENOUGH FOR SOMEBODY TO MAKE A DECISION.

UM, AND I JUST, YEAH, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT, UH, BEING ADDRESSED.

I SEE THAT YOU ADDED SOME ART AND THE, I I COULDN'T TELL WHERE THAT WAS.

WE, WE WILL CONSIDER IT.

THE OTHER, ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT WE HAD, UM, HAD TO DO WITH, UM,

[00:55:01]

IS THAT, IS THAT ON THE, ONE OF THE LOWER LEVELS OR IS THAT ON ONE OF THE UPPER LEVELS? SO THE MURAL THAT WE SHOWED WAS ON, UH, LEVEL THREE.

SO THE FIRST LEVEL THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD COME TO OKAY.

THE LOBBIES.

AND SO THAT, AND THE RIBBON ARE REALLY THE ONLY PUBLIC ART THAT YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOT.

UM, UM, WELL THE TEMPO BRAND IS REALLY, UH, EMPHASIZES A LOT OF DIGITAL ART, SO THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE ART IN THE BUILDING.

UH, WE JUST DIDN'T PROVIDE ALL THE INTERIOR RENDERINGS.

UM, SO ONCE THE ART IS CURATED, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER ADDING MORE OF.

I GUESS MY CONCERN IS WHAT, WHAT ABOUT IT IS, IS I GUESS WHAT ABOUT THE BUILDING IN GENERAL AS FAR AS IT GOES TO LOCAL CHARACTER, UH, IS WHAT IS BEING BROUGHT TO THIS CORNER? I KNOW YOU GOT THE DIGITAL ART, UM, BUT IN LOOKING AT IT, I DON'T SEE HOW THE, THAT DIGITAL ART OR, AND THE DIGITAL ART CAN CHANGE.

I GUESS YOU COULD JUST UPDATE IT, BUT HOW THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS THE HILTON IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, UM, AND HOW THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THAT CORNER RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY THAT CORNER IS, DOES HAVE A LOT OF CHARACTER EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SMALL LITTLE BUILDING THERE, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME EFFORT, UH, MADE BY THE, THE INHABITANTS OF THAT BUILDING.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDING MORE LOCAL CHARACTER TO DISTINGUISH THIS AT ALL FROM ANY OTHER OF THE HOTELS AND OTHER CITIES.

UM, I THINK I, I KNOW ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS THAT THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME EXISTING BUILDING STOCK.

DO YOU WANT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER? YEAH, MICHAEL WHALEN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, I KNOW THAT SOMETHING THAT, UH, MR. MERRITT HAS TALKED TO HIM ABOUT, INCLUDING MAYBE, UH, RIGHT ABOVE THAT DIGITAL ART AND SO THAT HE'LL REFLECT OUT ULTIMATELY AND, AND UH, BE SEEN.

I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN FULLY CURATED.

THEY DO KNOW THE FEEDBACK AND THEY'VE TAKEN THAT FEEDBACK AND THEY'RE WORKING ON CURATING SOMETHING THAT'LL, UH, BE SEEN, UH, FROM THE STREET LEVEL FROM THAT LOBBY AREA ABOVE.

AND, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT WE DISCUSSED ALSO IS THAT THAT HISPANIC HERITAGE, UH, CORRIDOR I, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ON NO.

THAT SPECIFICALLY THAT RESOLUTION'S BEEN SHARED? I KNOW THAT WAS SHARED WHEN WE GOT THE FEEDBACK AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE UTILIZING IS TO INFORM THE CURATION OF, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE IN THE LOBBY AND, AND BE SEEN AS YOU'RE WALKING BY, EITHER FROM THE OTHER SIDE, NOT IF YOU'RE WALKING RIGHT BELOW IT, BUT IT'LL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

UH, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ON THE REUSE OF THE EXISTING BUILDING STOCK.

UH, CURRENTLY THEY HAVE SOME OLD BUILDINGS THERE, UM, AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE SCHEDULED TO BE TORN DOWN.

UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF DISCUSSIONS ON TRYING TO UTILIZE SOME OF THAT MASONRY EITHER ON INTERIOR? IT, IT'S IN, SO A LOT OF IT'S ALREADY BEEN REMODELED AND LOST.

I DON'T KNOW IF, I MEAN I'VE, I I I WORKED ON LOOKING AT WHETHER THERE WAS ANY HISTORIC REMNANT THERE, THERE ARE SOME, THERE IS SOME BRICKS KIND OF EMBEDDED.

UH, IT'S REALLY GONNA BE HARD TO TELL WHETHER ANY ARE, ARE GONNA MAKE IT FRANKLY, UH, THROUGH THE DEMO.

AND SO THEY HAVEN'T REALLY ACCOUNTED FOR THAT POSSIBILITY AT THIS POINT.

UM, IS IT AT ALL A POSSIBILITY? I MEAN, CUZ TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THAT CORNER, UM, AND, AND HOW IT'S TRANSFORMING INTO A MORE MODERN SPACE, BUT STILL UTILIZING, I MEAN, IT'S A SMALL SCALE CON COMPARED TO WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY ON THE INSIDE TO USE IT AS ACCENT WALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WELL, THERE'S SO LITTLE OF IT.

IT'D BE, UH, UM, THEY HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY.

IT'S SO, IT'S SO UNCLEAR BASED ON WHAT I'VE PHYSICALLY SEEN.

UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SHARED WALL, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE MM-HMM.

, UH, AND THERE'S SO LITTLE OF IT RELATIVELY SPEAKING.

UH, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHETHER WHAT, WHAT AMOUNT, IF ANY, IS GONNA SURVIVE.

UM, SO I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT IS ABLE TO BE RETRIEVED, WHICH IS WHY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLAN.

THEY CAN'T COMMIT TO, TO A PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, REUSES IT, UH, IN, IN THE INTERIOR.

UM, ON THE SECOND FLOOR WHERE WE HAVE THE, UH, LANDSCAPE ON THAT NORTH SIDE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING MM-HMM.

, HOW ARE THOSE, HOW ARE THOSE WINDOWS GONNA OPERATE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT? ARE THEY, UH, ARE THEY A CORD IN STYLE WINDOW OR IS IT LIKE, I'M, I'M CURIOUS HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK.

UM, WELL, WE HAVE IRRIGATION AND AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEM THAT'S GONNA TAKE CARE

[01:00:01]

OF THE WATERING.

UM, AND THOSE DOORS ON THE NORTH FACADE ARE GONNA BE, UM, ACCORDION STYLE.

SO YOU'D BE ABLE TO, A MAINTENANCE CREW COULD THEORETICALLY LIKE MAINTAIN IT FROM THE INSIDE.

GOTCHA.

I THINK IT, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE.

UM, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL.

UM, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THIS DESIGN TEAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED ON A QUARTER ACRE.

THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT WE ASK FOR.

I FEEL LIKE REPEATEDLY THAT WE ACTUALLY DID GET TO SEE HERE.

I APPRECIATE MASSAGING OUT BUILDING SERVICES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A BASEMENT OR SECOND FLOOR CONDITION.

I APPRECIATE MOVING THE LOBBY OUT OF THE GROUND FLOOR TO INCLUDE MORE ACTIVATION AT THE GROUND FLOOR.

UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE USING THREE LEVELS THAT ACTIVATE EYES ON THE STREET.

SO, UM, GUIDELINE B TWO PROVIDE MULTI-TENANT PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT THE STREET LEVEL.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED ABOUT THIS GUIDELINE, IF IT WERE APPLIED AS A LINEAR FOOTED A AROUND THE PERIMETER, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ENTRANCES IN THE PORTAS CHAIR, WHAT I THINK YOU ACTUALLY ACHIEVE HERE AND, AND MULTI APPLYING THE ACTIVATION ON MULTIPLE LEVELS IS YOU'RE STILL MAINTAINING THE SAME LINEAR FOOT.

UM, SO I REALLY APPLAUD THOSE EFFORTS.

UM, YEAH, I WISH THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER SALINAS ALREADY HIT ON IT, BUT, UM, INCORPORATING CIVIC ART AREA WIDE GUIDELINE FIVE IS EASILY ACHIEVABLE.

UM, AND THAT'S IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACE.

SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR IN THE PORTICUS SHARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S PRETTY EASY TO DO OR PRETTY ACCESSIBLE TO DO A MURAL OR A SCULPTURE THAT REFERENCES THE AMERICAN, UH, MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR, UM, WHICH IS A SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT WE'VE ALREADY CHATTED WITH YOU ABOUT.

UM, ANOTHER THING I APPRECIATE THIS ABOUT THIS BUILDING IS THERE'S MULTIPLE, UH, FOR GUIDELINE PC TWO CONTRIBUTE TO AN OPEN SPACE NETWORK.

UH, THIS BUILDING IS NOT ON OPEN SPACES, RIGHT? , WE CAN'T ACTUALLY TIE INTO THAT, BUT THERE'S MULTIPLE SPACES FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME INTO THE BUILDING AND INTERACT.

I AS A RESIDENT, UM, IF I'M DOWNTOWN, I DO FEEL LIKE I COULD POP IN AND HAVE A COFFEE AT PROBABLY A FEW LOCATIONS IN THE BUILDING.

AND I DO THINK THAT IS A CONTRIBUTION TO OPEN SPACE, THE CONCEPT OF AN OPEN SPACE NETWORK.

UM, IT MAY NOT BE THE LITERAL OPEN SPACE NETWORK, UM, BUT IT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT THAT THAT IS THE BEST THAT WE CAN ASK FOR.

UM, YEAH, AND I WOULD SAY GENERALLY I THINK THE, THE STREET SCAPE DOES A GREAT JOB OF B SEVEN, UM, CREATING BUILDINGS WITH HUMAN SCALE.

THERE'S MULTIPLE KIND OF INTERACTIONS THAT REALLY SCALE THIS TO WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE STREET.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IS WELL DONE.

UM, DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE A COMMENT? COMMISSIONER WATLEY.

YEAH, THESE ARE SOME GREAT COMMENTS AND GENERALLY THE PROJECT IS, IS REALLY NICE.

I, I LIKE, UH, MOST OF WHAT I SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK WHAT IT DOES WELL IS HAVING NO PARKING IS GREAT BECAUSE NOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THE STREET AT THE SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL HAS BEEN MENTIONED AS WELL AS THE FIRST LEVEL.

SO THAT'S REALLY HUGE.

IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WE SEE IN A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS.

SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT ASPECT.

AND ON LAVACA STREET AS YOU GO SOUTH, I LIKE THE WAY THE BUILDING FACADE KIND OF STEPS DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER SCALE AT THAT CHERE, UH, TO BETTER RELATE TO THE BUILDING TO THE SOUTH.

UM, I THINK THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY WITH PUBLIC ART TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THE HISTORY OF THE AREA.

MAYBE YOU KNOW, LESS, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL LIGHT SHOW ART AND, AND, AND MORE SOMETHING KIND OF SPEAKING TO THE MATERIALS AND HISTORY OF THE AREA.

UM, I THINK THAT OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED.

UM, AND PROBABLY THE LAST COMMENT, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FOR MOST OF THE APPLICANTS THAT WE SEE, NOT JUST Y'ALL, BUT, UH, I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO, OR EVERYBODY TO SHOW CONTEXT AND WE SEE THE FIRST FLOOR AND THE RENDERINGS AND THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS.

IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO SEE HOW THE BUILDINGS DO RELATE TO, UH, THE OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND IT.

SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE PRESENTATION.

IT REALLY LOOKS GOOD OVERALL.

COMMISSIONER CAROL.

I'LL START WITH A COUPLE THINGS THAT I REALLY LIKE.

[01:05:01]

OBVIOUSLY THE NO PARKING IS, IS FANTASTIC.

UM, I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, ROOFTOP BAR ACCESS OFF THE STREET.

THAT'S, THAT'S A FANTASTIC, UH, MOVE AND I, I THINK IT'LL BE UTILIZED A LOT.

UM, NOW I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PORTO SHARE.

HA.

HAS A T D REVIEWED THIS YET AND APPROVED IT? MICHAEL WEYLAND ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT? YES.

UM, IT'S KIND OF SURPRISING.

IT, IT, IT, IT FEELS VERY PROBLEMATIC TO ME IN THAT, UH, VEHICLES WILL BE TRAVELING NORTH ON A ONE-WAY STREET AND THEN BE ASKED TO DO A U-TURN ACROSS THE BUS LANE AND A BIKE LANE TO GET INTO THE PORTO SHERIFF.

UH, THINK, THINK THAT'S INCORRECT.

THEY'LL BE GOING NORTH AND JUST TURN RIGHT IN AND THEN RIGHT OUT IT'S A ONE-WAY STREET GOING NORTH.

WAIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN A U-TURN? IF THEY'RE ON LAVACA CORRECT.

GOING NORTH.

THEN THEY'RE GONNA TAKE A RIGHT AND TURN, DO A U-TURN INTO THE PORTICO SHARE AND THEY'RE EXITING THROUGH THE ALLEY.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO IT'S A U-TURN.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

YEAH, I, I THINK THAT ENTRY IS PROBLEMATIC, BUT THEN WHAT'S EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC IS EXITING FROM THE ALLEY WHERE THE BUILDING HAS A WALL ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PORTOR PORTO SHARE.

AND SO PEDESTRIANS CANNOT SEE CARS AS THEY COME OUT OF THAT ALLEY.

THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENT THERE YES.

WHERE THE ENTRANCE, YEAH.

SO AS CARS TAKE THAT TURN BACK TO LAVACA, THERE'S NO WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS TRAVELING SOUTH TO SEE THAT CAR BEFORE IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.

SO ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN OPEN THAT WALL UP SO PEOPLE CAN SEE THERE'S ACTUAL CARS EXITING, I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

WELL CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT AND BRING THAT TO OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS.

I KNOW THAT WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME HEAVY COLUMNS BEHIND THAT AND WE'RE SURE, UH, WE HAVE SOME, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS, BUT I, I HEAR YOU'RE CONCERNED AND I THINK THAT, UM, EVEN IF WE WANTED TO PERHAPS, UM, I MEAN WE DON'T WANNA REMOVE GREENERY, BUT THAT WOULD PROVIDE A, A VISUAL CONNECTION.

IT WAS ONCE BEFORE AN OPEN SLOT.

UM, SO MAYBE IT GETS A LITTLE WIDER OR, UH, REMOVES A GREENERY ALTOGETHER SO THAT THE VISUAL CONNECTION IS MORE IMPORTANT AT THAT INTERSECTION.

AND, AND IF YOU, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT WORK, SOME TYPE OF WARNING TO PEDESTRIANS, UH, BECAUSE I, YEAH, I JUST, I, THEY DID GIVE US SOME WAYFINDING COMMENTS, UM, SO DO NOT ENTER, AND A LOT OF, UM, PAINTING ON THE ACTUAL PORT CIERRE OF DIRECTIONAL ARROWS AND ENTER HERE, EXIT HERE IS GONNA BE DONE DONE AS WELL.

SURE, SURE.

UM, NEXT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TENANT SPACE.

SO ARE YOU ENVISIONING THE TENANT SPACE ON LEVEL ONE AND LEVEL TWO TO BE THE SAME TENANT OR TWO TENANTS? CORRECT.

UM, IT'S A VERY LARGE SPACE.

ARE Y'ALL ENVISIONING WHAT TYPE OF TENANT THAT A RESTAURANT.

A RESTAURANT.

YOU'RE JUST SEEING PEOPLE UP, UP IN A WINDOW ON THAT HIGH LEVEL.

UM, AND, AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK THE LOCATION IS GREAT.

UM, TWO THINGS AND, AND MAYBE IT'S AT LEAST PART OF IT IS LEFT TO THE BUILD OUT OF THAT SPACE THAT TO REALLY ACTIVATE THE STREET SCAPE, IT'S MORE THAN JUST HAVING THE SPACE THERE.

THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR CONNECTION.

AND I SEE ON THE RENDERINGS YOU'VE GOT SOME CAFE TABLES KIND OF SHOVED UP AGAINST THE WINDOW, BUT IN REALITY THERE'S ONLY ABOUT, IT LOOKS TO BE FOUR OR FIVE FEET OF SPACE, SO IT'S NOT MUCH FOR A NICE OUTDOOR DINING AREA.

AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT.

IF THERE'S SOME MORE SPACE THAT CAN BE CARVED OUT OUTSIDE OF THE SIDEWALK, UM, FOR THAT SPACE, I THINK THAT WOULD CREATE A STRONGER CONNECTION.

AND SO TO ME, IT'S NOT REALLY GONNA PROVIDE ANY ACTIVATION OF THAT STREET SCAPE.

[01:10:01]

UM, AND, AND SO PERHAPS CARVING THE CORNER AWAY, LIKE YOU DID WITH THE RESTAURANT ON THE THIRD FLOOR TO CREATE A LITTLE TERRACE AREA, COULD, COULD ALSO, UH, GO A LONG WAY TO HELP CREATE THAT, UM, THAT ACTIVATION.

AND, AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, UH, COMMISSIONER SALINA'S COMMENT.

I THINK THIS IS A, A VERY HANDSOME BUILDING, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T SAY AUSTIN TO ME.

IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE IN DALLAS OR NEW YORK OR ANYWHERE, REALLY.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO INCORPORATE SOME MORE LOCAL, UH, MATERIALS AND, UM, AND ART WOULD, WOULD GO A LONG WAY.

SO THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER LUKINS.

OH, I HAVE A, BY THE WAY, THIS IS A HANDSOME BUILDING, SO CONGRATULATIONS.

I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, THOUGH.

AND THAT'S WHERE DO THE EMPLOYEES PARK? IF THERE'S NO PARKING? WE DO HAVE A, A AGREEMENT WITH THE ADJACENT BUILDING FOR RENTABLE SPACES.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANYBODY ELSE? VICE CHAIR MINERS? UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, UH, THAT'S BEEN SAID, UH, PARTICULARLY, UH, AROUND THE ACTIVATION AND THE CONCERNS, UH, WITH, UH, CAR AND PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION.

UM, THE ONE THING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS JUST KIND OF THE, UH, HISTORICAL RELEVANCE OF THE AREA.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I MAY BE MISTAKEN, UH, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A MUSIC VENUE IN THE PAST.

IS THERE ANY, UH, THOUGHT IN INCORPORATING, UM, ANY ART, UH, RELATED TO MUSIC OR SETTING UP, UH, ANY OF THESE SPACES LIKE THE ROOFTOP, UH, TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SOUND EQUIPMENT, STAGES, WHATEVER ELSE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS? UM, MICHAEL WHALEN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.

SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NOISE ORDINANCE, UH, SO WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO AMPLIFICATION.

UM, THE, UH, I NOTICED THAT MR. MERRITT WAS TAKING NOTES WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR AND BEING SURE THAT WHEN WE GO TO COUNCIL, THAT WE HAVE SOME, UH, CONCEPTS.

UH, I, I THINK WHENEVER YOU SHOW ART, THERE'S, IN THIS TOWN, 960,000 CRITICS.

SO IT'S, UH, A BALANCING ACT TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT ART.

BUT I THINK GETTING SOME IDEA OF, UM, WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, UH, FROM, UH, UH, THE CURATORS FOR THE HOTEL WOULD BE, UH, UH, A GOOD IDEA.

AND WE'LL HAVE THAT, I THINK, UH, BY THE TIME WE GET TO COUNCIL, IT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.

UM, DEFINITELY.

YEAH, I JUST THINK IN LIEU OF NOT HAVING THE PLAZA SPACE, YOU COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, BETTER INCORPORATE, UM, SOME OTHER USES MAKING IT MORE OUTDOOR, UH, INCLUDING, I MEAN, WHEN PEOPLE COME TO AUSTIN, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY'RE STAYING AT THESE HOTELS, THEY'RE DOING IT WITH THE, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WE'RE A MUSIC CITY.

UM, SO I KNOW WE DON'T EXPLICITLY CALL IT OUT IN THE GUIDELINES THEMSELVES, BUT IT IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, AS FAR AS THE VALUES, UH, OF OUR CITY AND CONNECTING TO THAT CULTURE.

UM, SO I WOULD SAY IF I'M SOMEONE WHO'S VISITING AUSTIN, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UH, IN, UH, SEEING OR ENJOYING.

SO THANKS IF I CAN COMMENT ON THAT JUST FOR A SECOND.

UM, I DID WANNA SAY THAT THE INTERIOR DESIGN, UM, THE ENTIRE INTERIOR DESIGN IS MUSIC THEMED.

UH, SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INTERIOR, UH, RENDERINGS BECAUSE WE'RE THE EXTERIOR ARCHITECTS, UM, THE, ALL OF THE INTERIOR SPACES ARE MUSIC THEMED.

AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING IN THE STAGE OF THE DESIGN IS THAT A LOT OF THE PUBLIC SPACES HAVE YET TO BE BRANDED.

SO I FIND THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THESE COMMENTS THAT, THAT YOU'RE GIVING US.

SO THANK YOU.

UM, IT'S A QUICK RESPONSE TO THAT.

UM, WE APPRECIATE THE BRANDING OF THE INTERIOR, BUT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY IS INTERESTED IN THE URBAN SPACES.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DRAW, UM, THESE REQUESTS FOR CONTACTS AND CHARACTER TO THE URBAN SPACES.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.

UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER, OSTED, HOW'S IT GOING GUYS? UM, THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

O ONE OF KIND OF THE COMMENTS I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ABOUT THE PORTAL LANGUAGE THAT YOU GUYS INCLUDE IN IT.

UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CALL OUT SOME OF THE, UM, RUSTIC TEXTURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THEN DON'T REALLY SEEM TO INCORPORATE MUCH OF ANY OF THEM ON THE EXTERIOR.

AND THE PORTAL LANGUAGE THAT YOU GUYS ARE MOST CONSISTENT WITH IS THE CHASE BANK.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU SLAP THAT CHASE LOGO ON THE OUTSIDE OF THIS BUILDING, IT, IT LOOKS A LOT THE SAME.

[01:15:01]

UM, AND WANTED TO ECHO THE COMMENT ABOUT HAVING THE CHAIRS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT OUTSIDE ON THE CURB, UM, WHEN THE, UM, EXAMPLES OF EXTERIORS THAT YOU GUYS REFERENCE, UM, REALLY DON'T EVEN SHOW ANY KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY FUNCTIONAL RETAIL FOOTPRINT OUTSIDE ON THE CAR, ON THE, UH, CURB.

SO, UM, I WOULD, IT'D BE NICE TO SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIVATED.

UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR ANY KIND OF TENANT THERE TO KIND OF MAKE THE SPACE THAT THEY'RE OWN.

SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, WHEREAS MICHAEL WHELAN, ALEXANDRIA CAMPBELL AND VICTORIA FREEMAN PRESENTED HILTON DUAL BRAND HOTEL LOCATED AT FOUR 15 LAVACA TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023.

WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008 TO REVIEW PROJECTS SEEKING, SEEKING BENEFITS FROM THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS HILTON DUAL BRAND DOES COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

WITH THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS, CHANGE PAVERS AT THE DRIVEWAY TO ALERT PEDESTRIANS, THEY ARE POTENTIALLY CROSSING TRAFFIC, INCORPORATES CIVIC ART IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, OR PUBLIC SPACES, SPECIFICALLY SOMETHING THAT REFERENCES THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR INDICATES SIZE AND LOCATION.

UM, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR CHAIR.

CAN WE DISCUSS, OH, WE HAVE, UH, , WE HAVE.

UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR MINOR.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, TO DISCUSS TO SEE IF WE CAN ADD SOME FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS TO YOUR MOTION.

UM, I THINK, UH, THE ACTIVATION, THE FIRST AND SECOND STORY ACTIVATION, UM, FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR USE, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S PRETTY CRITICAL TO THIS.

UM, AND WITHIN, UH, THE PURVIEW OF ACTIVATING IT, SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, THE SPACE FOR A PLAZA.

SO CAN I JUST ADD THAT, UM, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, THE USAGE OF OUTDOOR SPACE ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR.

SO RIGHT NOW THEY DO HAVE A SIDEWALK CAFE, AND THEY DO HAVE A WALL OF WINDOWS THAT OPEN.

SO IT'S LIKE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR SPACE FOR THE RESTAURANT ON THE SECOND FLOOR.

AND THEN THERE'S A TERRACE ON THE THIRD FLOOR.

WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING FOR MORE THAN THAT? THE THIRD FLOOR, I GUESS, IS NOT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE PUBLIC REALM.

THE THIRD FLOOR IS FOR THE HOTEL GUESTS.

THE SECOND STORY IS PUBLIC.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ALL FOR HOTEL, GUEST OR RESTAURANT GUESTS.

UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I WOULD, I GUESS I JUST ECHO, UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER CARROLL SAID AS FAR AS, UM, IMPROVING THAT EXPERIENCE, THE ACTIVATION.

UM, SO WHAT'S THE AMENDMENT? THE AMENDMENT IS TO ENCOURAGE, UH, THE, UH, USAGE OF, UH, OUTDOOR ACTIVATION ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR.

UM, DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THIS AMENDMENT? I'LL SECOND ENCOURAGE THE ACTIVATION OF THE, UH, FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR, UH, TO INCLUDE INDOOR OUTDOOR USAGE.

UM, DO WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? RIGHT SECOND FROM ME.

UM, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CAROL, OR FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES.

I HAD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AS WELL.

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UM, TO INCREASE VISIBILITY, UH, OF THE VEHICLE'S EXITING THE PORTICO SHARE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION.

SO WE'RE ADDING THAT IN ADDITION TO CHANGE PAVERS AT THE DRIVEWAY TO ALERT PEDESTRIANS, THEY ARE POTENTIALLY CROSSING TRAFFIC.

CUZ THIS ISN'T AT THE DRIVEWAY.

IT'S AT THE ALLEY.

AT THE ALLEY.

[01:20:03]

SO INCREASED VISIBILITY OF VEHICLES FOR THE PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION AT THE ALLEY.

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND FROM OUR PREVIOUS AUTHORS? ONE SECOND.

ONE SECOND.

CAN I CHAIR MAK COMMENT ON THAT PLEASE? UH, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE.

I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO INVESTIGATE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT MAKING IT MANDATORY THAT WE INCREASE VISIBILITY IS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE UNTIL WE TALK TO THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.

THERE'S THINGS LIKE A TRAFFIC ARM.

THERE'S DIFFERENT, I'M NOT SAYING HOW TO DO IT, I'M JUST SAYING INCREASE IT OVER WHAT IT IS TODAY, WHICH IS ZERO.

UM, SO WE HAVE SECONDS.

WE HAVE APPROVED IT.

UM, LET'S TAKE IT BACK TO A VOTE.

LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS CHAIR.

WEAVER, DO YOU MIND JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, REREADING THE FULL MOTION WITH ALL THE AMENDMENTS? YEAH.

I, AGAIN, WHEREAS MICHAEL WHELAN, ALEXANDRIA CAMPBELL AND VICTORIA FREEMAN PRESENTED HILTON DUAL BRAND HOTEL LOCATED AT FOUR 15 LAVACA TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023.

WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008 TO REVIEW PROJECTS SEEKING BENEFITS FROM THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.

NOW THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS HILTON JEWEL BRAND HOTEL DOES COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

WITH THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS, CHANGE PAVERS AT THE DRIVEWAY TO ALERT PEDESTRIANS THEY ARE POTENTIALLY CROSSING TRAFFIC, INCORPORATE CIVIC ART AND THE RIGHT OF WAY OR PUBLIC SPACES, SPECIFICALLY SOMETHING THAT REFERENCES THE MEXICAN EMERITI, AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR SIZE AND LOCATIONS SHOULD BE INDICATED.

ENCOURAGE THE ACTIVATION OF FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR TO INCLUDE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR USAGE, INCREASED VISIBILITY OF VEHICLES FOR THE PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION AT THE ALLEY.

DISCUSSION AND IMPOSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT 14TH AND LAVACA.

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PROCESS.

THANK YOU ALL.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

[4. Discussion and possible action on whether the project 14th and Lavaca, located at 301 West 14th Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines for the City of Austin in accordance with Land Development Code § 25-2-586 (C)(1)(a)(ii). Presented by Leah Bojo, Drenner Group, PC, Lisa Biel, STG Design, and Preston Frankstone, Campbell Architecture.]

LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST 14TH STREET, COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE PRESENTED BY LEAH BOJO FROM DER GROUP.

LISA BILL FROM S T G AND PRESTON FRANKSTON OF CAMPBELL ARCHITECTURE.

CAMPBELL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE.

HELLO COMMISSIONERS.

I'M LEAH BOJO ON BEHALF HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT WITH OUR TEAM.

UM, I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH THE PROJECT AT A HIGH LEVEL, IF THAT'S OKAY, AND THEN HAND IT OFF TO OUR, UM, OUR TEAM AND THEN WE'LL RUN THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP, UH, RECOMMENDATION AT THE END.

UM, SO IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SITE AT 3 0 1 WEST 14TH STREET.

IT'S JUST UNDER HALF AN ACRE.

UM, WE ARE, UM, WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF 15 TO ONE F A R AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, ABOUT 32 FLOORS RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO, UH, WE'LL RUN THROUGH OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT IS SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

AND I'LL ALSO GIVE, WE WILL ALSO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON GREAT STREETS, UM, OUR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UH, GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT, AND THEN A REVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.

SO, UM, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY TWO STAR GREEN BUILDING RATING IS REQUIRED.

WE ARE TARGETING THREE STARS.

UM, WE'LL BE REACHING THESE, UH, THIS REQUIREMENT BY, UM, INCREASED ENERGY PERFORMANCE, WATER USE PRODUCTION, LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS, AND COMMISSIONER LUKIN.

UM, WE ARE PLANNING ON 10 EV CHARGING STATIONS WITH A POTENTIAL, UM, TO PUT 42, THE READINESS FOR 42 ADDITIONAL, SO A TOTAL OF 52, UM, PARKING SPACES WITH EV CHARGERS.

AND THEN, UM, A FEE IN LIEU AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMING OUT TO ABOUT $800,000.

UM, HERE YOU CAN SEE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, THE AREA BETWEEN EIGHT TO ONE AND 15 TO ONE.

UM, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT WOULD BE THE THREE STAR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING,

[01:25:01]

AND HAND OFF HERE.

HI, I'M LISA VEAL WITH STG DESIGN.

UM, SO I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE BUILDING DESIGN.

UM, THE, THE TOWERS FACADE DESIGN SEEKS TO ACHIEVE, UM, A TIMELESS TAILORED AESTHETIC USING, UH, MASSING MATERIALS SUCH AS BRICK FOR THE FIELD, UH, MAIN FACADE, UM, AND, UH, A WARM BRONZE BRASS, WARM BRONZE METAL, UH, TRIM ON THE WINDOW GMS. UM, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO, UM, BUILD SOMETHING OR DESIGN SOMETHING THAT FITS IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA.

THERE ARE A LOT OF BRICK BUILDINGS IN THE AREA.

SO, UM, THE IDEA IS TO BRING IN THAT WARM BRICK MATERIAL, UM, IN A MODERN WAY.

UM, SO STARTING FROM THE, THE TOP AND WORKING OUR WAY DOWN, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO TERRACES AT THE VERY TOP OF THE BUILDING, UM, WITH AMENITIES SUCH AS POOL TREES AND, UM, PLANTING AREAS.

WE ALSO, THE, UH, MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT IS COMPLETELY SCREENED BEHIND A TALL PARAPET.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ACCENTUATED METAL DECORATIVE ELEMENTS AT THE TOP OF THE, OF THE BUILDING ON TOP OF THOSE WINDOWS.

UM, AND THEN ON LEVEL 10, WHICH IS JUST ABOVE THE PARKING GARAGE, SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S KIND OF, UM, A GLASS BOX IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING THAT'S GONNA BE OUR AMENITY LEVEL.

UH, WE HAVE POOLS, TREES, AND OTHER LANDSCAPED AREA, UM, ON THAT OUTDOOR AMENITY SPACE.

AND IT IS ALSO A TWO-STORY, UM, AMENITY SPACE FOR THE RESIDENTS.

THE PARKING GARAGE CONTINUES THE SAME DESIGN LANGUAGE AS THE BUILDING FACADE.

SO BRICK IS CONTINUED ONTO THE PARKING GARAGE AND ALSO GLAZING TO CONCEAL ANY, UM, CAR HEADLIGHTS IN CARS, UM, ON THOSE LEVELS.

SO THE LEFT RENDERING SHOWS A VIEW OF THE BUILDING ON 14TH AND LAVACA.

UM, THE NORTH FACADE IS KIND OF THE MORE FACING FACADE, THE RIGHT NORTH ON LAVACA.

YOU'LL, THE ALLEY SIDE IS KIND OF WHAT FACING HERE.

SO WE HAVE ALSO, UM, PROVIDED ENHANCED, UM, BUILDING FACADE ON THE PARKING GARAGE ON THE ALLEY SIDE.

HERE'S THE BUILDING MATERIALS.

UM, SO AS WE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE FIELD IS GOING TO BE A CHARCOAL BRICK WITH VARIED, UM, COLORS IN IT.

WE HAVE, UM, SOME ELEMENTS OF WOOD SOFFITS, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM LEFT.

UM, THE TOP HAS, UH, A GREEN GLAZED TILE THAT WE ARE BRINGING OUT AN ACCENTUATING ON THE GROUND FLOOR.

SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE NEXT ROW IN DREAMS. UM, AND THAT IS ALSO WE'RE DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE CAPITAL DOME USING THAT GREEN COLOR.

SO YOU KNOW HOW THE DOME IS COPPER AND HAS A NICE GREEN BETTINA TO IT.

THAT'S WHERE THIS IS KIND OF, UM, PULLING THE COLOR FROM.

AND THEN, UH, WE ARE ALSO UPGRADING THE MATERIALS ON LEVEL ONE TO, UH, A GRANITE.

SO ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT, UH, GRANITE SLABS AND IT'S BROKEN UP INTO, UM, TWO DIFFERENT TEXTURES.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT USING A CHISELED GRANITE TEXTURE FOR THAT TO REALLY KIND OF DRESS UP THE FACADE.

OKAY, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO THE TOP LEFT, UH, SHOWS THE, THE AMENITY LEVEL WITH THE A LAP POOL, LOUNGE POOL, AND OF COURSE, TREES AND SHADING ELEMENTS TO THE RIGHT IS, UM, A VIEW OF OF THE RESTAURANT ENTRANCE.

UM, SO ON LEVEL ONE, WE ALSO HAVE A, ALMOST THREE THOU, WE HAVE A 3000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, RESTAURANT SPACE.

AND SO THAT IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE RESTAURANT.

AND THEN THE BOTTOM, UH, FACADE IS AN ELEVATION OF 14TH STREET.

AND THAT IS WHERE WE'RE LOCATING BOTH THE RESTAURANT ENTRANCE AND THE RESIDENTIAL LOBBY ENTRANCE.

[01:30:01]

UM, AND ALL OF OUR ENTRANCES ARE COVERED BY EXTERIOR CANOPIES.

UH, AND THEN THIS IS THE CORNER OF 14TH AND LAVACA.

SO WE'RE REALLY, UM, CELEBRATING THIS CORNER BY CUTTING OUT OF THE FACADE AND HAVING AN OUTDOOR PATIO SPACE FOR THE RESTAURANT.

UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT CANOPIES, UM, ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE BUILDING, UM, TO REALLY PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM THE, FROM RAIN AND FROM, AND ALSO SHADE FOR, UM, PEDESTRIANS.

UM, ONE THING I I WANTED TO MENTION AS WELL IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, LIGHTING ALL ALONG THE GRANITE COLUMNS ON THE LEVEL ONE FACADE.

UH, SO THERE'S LITTLE LIGHT SCONCES TO PROVIDE A PEDESTRIAN SCALE AND, UM, AND ALSO HELP LIGHT THE BUILDING.

UM, HERE'S THE FLOOR PLAN.

SO, UM, ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE IS 14TH STREET.

THAT'S A TWO-WAY, UH, STREET.

AND WE HAVE A CURB CUT FOR A DROP OFF, UM, AREA FOR RIDE SHARES.

AND, UM, JUST A DROP OFF ZONE , SORRY.

AND, UH, SO THAT'S, BUT WE'LL BE SURFACING SERVICING BOTH THE RESIDENTIAL LOBBY AND ALSO THE RESTAURANT THAT CURB CUT MIRRORS WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AT THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BUILDING.

UM, ALSO, WE'VE, WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT INTERACTION BETWEEN CARS AND PEDESTRIANS.

SO AT THE PARKING GARAGE, AS WE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE DO HAVE TWO HIGH SPEED, UM, OVERHEAD DOORS THAT WILL HELP SLOW A CAR DOWN AS IT'S IN EXITING THE GARAGE.

AND AS IT'S ENTERING THE DOOR HAS TO GO UP AND DOWN, MAKE NOISE.

UM, WE ALSO ARE GOING TO PROVIDE, UM, AN INDICATOR BELL, SO AS TRAFFIC'S GOING IN AND OUT, A BELL WILL GO OFF TO INDICATE THAT A CAR IS COMING FOR THE PEDESTRIANS.

UM, AND THEN IN THE GREEN AREA, THAT'S THE RESTAURANT SPACE RIGHT AT 14TH AND LAVACA, UM, WE ARE ALLOWING THE RESTAURANT TO, UM, RE PROVIDE UNIQUE CHARACTER.

UM, SO THE, THE, THE GLASS AT THE PATIO WILL BE, UH, MOST LIKELY DESIGNED BY THE RESTAURANT AS LONG AS THE RESTAURANT IS ABLE TO COME IN, UM, IN TIME TO PROVIDE THAT WHATEVER UNIQUE, UM, CURRENT WALL THEY WANNA ADD.

UM, AND OH, I ALSO MEANT TO MENTION, UM, ON LEVEL ONE, WE ALSO ARE PROVIDING, UH, A BREAK ROOM OFFICES FOR THE BUILDING STAFF.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS, UM, A SHOWER AND, UM, RESTROOM FOR THE STAFF.

AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE, UH, BIKE PARKING FOR THE RESIDENCE.

GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UH, MY NAME IS PRESTON FRANK STONE.

I'M WITH CAMPBELL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, AND I'M GONNA, UM, TALK ABOUT THE GREAT STREETS, UH, FOR 14TH AND LAVACA.

SO, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT THERE'S A SERIES OF DESIGN COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE USING TO ACTIVATE, UM, THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE, UH, ALONG 14TH AND LAVACA, UM, THAT ALL COMPLY WITH, UH, GREAT STREETS, UM, REQUIREMENTS.

UM, WE HAVE STREET TREES LINING 14TH AND LAVACA, UM, ALONG WITH, UM, PLANTING ZONES TO SOFTEN, UM, THE HARDSCAPE AND CREATE A BUFFER BETWEEN, UM, THE TRAFFIC AND THE PEDESTRIAN SPACES WHILE MAINTAINING THE REQUIRED 10 FOOT WIDE, UM, PEDESTRIAN SPACE.

UM, THE GROUND PLANE IS, UM, CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE THAT ALTERNATES BETWEEN A, UH, SANDBLASTED PATTERN, UM, OR A BROOM FINISH.

UM, AND THIS IS USED TO VISUALLY BREAK UP THE GROUND PLANE, BUT ALSO, UM, CALL BACK TO SOME OF THE, OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES ON THE GROUND FLOOR.

ALONG WITH THE, UH, CONCRETE PAVING, WE DO HAVE SPECIALTY PAVERS IN TWO AREAS, UM, ONE AT THE RESTAURANT PATIO, AND THEN TWO AT THE LOBBY ENTRANCE.

[01:35:01]

UM, THIS IS USED TO ACCENTUATE THE, UM, PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION AND SPACES WITH, UM, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR, UM, FEATURES.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THE STREET FURNISHINGS, WE HAVE, UM, BIKE RACKS ALONG 14TH AND ALONG, UH, LAB BACA.

WE HAVE, UH, BENCHES TO FACILITATE SOME PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION.

UH, WE HAVE THE REQUIRED, UH, TRASH RECEPTACLES, UH, THE LIGHT FIXTURES, UM, AND THE TREE GRATE WHERE WE AREN'T ABLE TO ADD, UM, AT GRADE PLANTING.

UM, I GUESS ALONG WITH THE PLANTING, UM, WE HAVE IT ALONG THE CURB, LIKE I MENTIONED, BUT, UH, IT'S ALSO UP AGAINST THE BUILDING FACADE ON 14TH, UH, JUST TO CREATE A BETTER PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE OUT WITH MICRO CLIMATE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, THE PLANT SPECIES THAT WE'LL BE USING, UH, WOULD BE NATIVE OR ADAPTED PLANT SPECIES, UH, THAT REQUIRE LOW WATER.

UM, THE STREET TREES ARE THE RED OAKS ALONG LAVACA.

AND THEN, UH, HONEY LOCUST ALONG 14TH STREET.

UH, HERE WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE MATERIALS THAT ARE CLOSER, UH, CLOSER LENS THERE.

SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, SOMETHING I FORGOT TO MENTION IS THE STEEL INLAYS.

UH, IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT IN, IN ACCENTUATING, UM, THE LOBBY ENTRANCE.

SO THESE WOULD BE CAST IN PLACE STEEL BANDING, UM, THAT WOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE ADJACENT PAVING.

UM, UH, THE, YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, SAW CUT, UM, SAND BLASTED AND BROOM FINISH, UM, ALONG THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER.

AND THEN THE RENDERING AT THE TOP RIGHT WOULD BE THE LOBBY ENTRANCE WHERE WE'VE CREATED A CURB CUT, UM, ALONG THE, UH, VEHICLE DROPOFF ZONE FOR ADA ACCESS.

UH, HERE'S JUST SOME MORE RENDERINGS.

THIS IS LOOKING AT THE LOBBY ENTRANCE FOR, UH, 14TH AND THE STREET SCAPE.

WE DO HAVE THE SPECIALTY PAVERS COMING INTO THE, UM, DROPOFF ZONE ALONG WITH THE SEAL EMBEDS.

UH, HERE'S LOOKING DOWN 14TH, UM, SEEING THE SHADE TREES AND THEN THE PAVING AND THE, UH, STEEL EMBEDS, KIND OF ACCENTUATING THAT, THAT LOBBY ENTRANCE ENTRANCE THERE.

UH, THIS IS THE CORNER OF 14TH AND LAVACA.

UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED A, UM, MOMENT FOR PUBLIC ART BASED ON SOME COMMENTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP.

IT'S A LONG, UH, LAVACA STREET.

IT'S LANDING IN THAT PLANT BED THERE.

UM, THE SCULPTURE WE HAVE THERE IS A PLACEHOLDER.

UM, ONE THING WE COULD, WE COULD SOURCE THIS FROM LOCAL ARTISTS, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THAT DESIGN WILL, UM, COME WITH TIME AND ITERATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING, THIS IS THE CORNER WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE RESTAURANT PATIO.

THERE'D BE A RAISED PLANTER TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF A SEPARATION.

UM, BUT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PATIOS IS FURTHER DOWN.

UH, LAVACA.

UM, THIS IS AN AR, AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE CORNER OF LA LAVACA AND 14, SO WE CAN SEE THE STREETS GATE HOLISTICALLY.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BIKE RACKS, STREET TREES, TREE GRATES, UH, THE PLANTING ALONG THE STREETSCAPE, UH, OR THE CURB LINE, SORRY.

AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, BUILDING FACADE.

NOW I'LL JUST MOVE THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP IF THAT WORKS.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, LET US KNOW.

I'M NOT GONNA HIGHLIGHT EVERY SINGLE, UM, RESPONSE, BUT I'LL JUST GO THROUGH HIGH LEVEL AND THEN I FIGURED WE CAN DISCUSS FROM THERE.

BLOCK THAT WOULD MORE LIKELY BE A MIX OF USES.

SO HERE WE HAVE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, THE AREA WIDE GUIDELINES AND THE, UM, PUBLIC SPACE GUIDELINES.

SO WE HAVE, UM, THE, SORT OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ARE, FIRST OF ALL, FOR AW TWO, UM, THE, UM, THE PROPERTY IS A QUARTER OF THE BLOCK.

UM, SO WHILE THIS IS, UM, ENTIRELY RESIDENTIAL WITH A FIRST FLOOR RETAIL, UM, OR RESTAURANT USE, UM, IT IS PART OF A LARGER

[01:40:01]

UM, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT FOR AW FIVE, WHICH Y'ALL ASKED FOR, UM, UH, PUBLIC ART THAT WE DID ADD THAT SCULPTURE, LIKE PRESTON SAID, THAT'S SORT OF A PLACEHOLDER.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE, BUT, UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO A LOCAL ARTIST PUTTING SOMETHING THERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, TO CREATE VISUAL INTEREST, UM, AND A CONNECTION TO THE AREA.

UM, FOR AW SEVEN, UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, AS LISA SAID, UM, THE MATERIALITY OF THE BUILDING REALLY IS INSPIRED BY THE CAPITAL NEARBY, NOT BY ANY MEANS A HISTORICAL REPRESENTATION OF IT, BUT JUST SORT OF A NOD TO IT AND A NOD TO THE MATERIALS THAT IT, UM, THAT IT USES.

SINCE WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE CAPITOL, UM, IN FACT, IT'S OUR CLOSEST OPEN SPACE.

WE, IT'S NOT A PARK OFFICIALLY, BUT IT IS SORT OF THE CLOSEST PUBLIC OPEN SPACE TO THE BUILDING AND IT'S VERY CLOSE.

UM, AND, UH, FOR PS ONE, PROTECTING THE PEDESTRIAN WHERE THE BUILDING MEETS THE STREET, UM, AS LISA DISCUSSED, WE DO HAVE, WE ARE GONNA INSTALL, WE ALREADY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A DOOR THERE TO SLOW A CAR DOWN, COMING IN OR OUT.

BUT THEN ON TOP OF THAT WE'VE ADDED, UM, PER THE WORKING GROUP FEEDBACK, UM, A BELL AND SORT OF AN INDICATOR SYSTEM THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, THAT THERE'S A, A CROSSING.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THAT RIDE SHARE AREA, WHICH IS VERY PEDESTRIAN FOCUSED WITH THE, UM, WITH THE PAVERS AND THE, UM, METAL INLAY COMING OUT INTO THE, TO THE RIDE SHARE AREA SO THAT, UM, THAT PEDESTRIAN HAS A SPACE TO WALK THAT'S CLEARLY DELINEATED FOR THEM.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY FOR PS UM, FOUR AND SIX, WE DID ADD, I DON'T KNOW IF PRESTON MENTIONED THIS, I THINK HE MAYBE DID THAT.

WE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL STREET FURNITURE TO THE GREAT STREETS AREA.

SO, UM, WE DO HAVE MORE BENCHES AND BIKE RACKS THAN WE HAD BEFORE, OR AT LEAST MORE BENCHES.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO HERE YOU CAN SEE ON AW TWO, THE PROPORTION OF OUR SITE TO THE ENTIRE BLOCK.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

HERE FOR AW FIVE, WE CAN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT SCULPTURE IS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.

UM, IT'LL HAVE TO BE THROUGH A LICENSE AGREEMENT, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

UM, HERE WE HAVE THE TREE SPECIES THAT PRESTON MENTIONED.

UM, THE RED OAK ALONG LAVACA AND THE THORNLESS HONEY LOCUST ALONG 14TH.

SORRY.

AND ADDITIONAL BENCHES.

YES, .

AND THEN, UM, ONE MORE SLIDE.

YEAH, THERE WE GO.

THAT'S PERFECT.

UM, SO FOR PS NINE, YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHTING THAT LISA MENTIONED THERE ALONG THE GRANITE COLUMNS OF THE BUILDING.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE ACCENTUATED ENTRANCE.

AND SO HERE WE HAVE, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING BACK ONE TO THAT TABLE.

UM, SO HERE WE HAVE, UM, SOME OTHERS THAT WE WANTED THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.

UM, SO, UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL PLAZA, BUT AS A ALWAYS WE WANTED TO SORT OF CALL OUT SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK THE PLAZA IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE.

UM, SO FOR PZ 12, UM, WE DID, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE THOSE FLUSH BEDS ALONG THE BUILDING, UM, FRONTAGE.

AND WE DO HAVE AS SORT OF AS MANY ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS AS WE CAN.

ALSO ALONG THAT STREET SCAPE WHERE THE, THE SCULPTURE IS GONNA BE LOCATED AS IN A PLANTED BED, WHICH IS IN ADDITION TO JUST THE REGULAR GREAT STREETS PLANTINGS THAT WE WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR.

WE ALSO USE PLANTINGS TO SEPARATE THE, UM, THE EATING, THE OUTDOOR EATING AREA.

SO IT'S A LOW LEVEL.

YOU CAN STILL SEE PEOPLE, UM, ACROSS BOTH WAYS, BUT THERE IS SOME GREENERY THERE AS WELL.

UM, FOR B2, UM, I THINK I KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE MULTI-TENANT PEDESTRIAN LEVEL WITH THE OUTDOOR PATIO SPACE.

UM, AND, UM, B3 ACCENTUATING THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE AND THEN THAT KIND OF NOD TO THE CAPITAL AS ARE ALSO FULFILLING THE LOCAL CHARACTER, UM, REQUIREMENT.

SO HERE YOU CAN, CAN SEE, UM, AGAIN, WHAT THAT ENTRANCE LOOKS LIKE WITH THE SHADE AND THE MATERIALS.

I THINK THAT'S NICE.

IT'S A NICE VIEW.

YOU CAN SEE GREAT STREETS TO THE RIGHT.

UM, AND THEN ONE MORE SLIDE PLEASE.

AND I THINK WITH THAT WE CAN CLOSE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, A QUICK REMINDER TO OUR COMMISSIONERS, UM, GREAT STREETS IS A GATEKEEPER TO PARTICIPATION IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.

SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT GREAT STREETS, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE APPLICANT DOING BEYOND REGULAR GREAT, GREAT STREETS.

UM, FOR COMMENT, UM, COMMISSIONER SALINAS, YOU ARE IN THE WORKING GROUP.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE THE MEMO THAT YOU WROTE OR SOME HIGH POINTS FROM THE MEMO THAT YOU WROTE? YES, THANK YOU.

UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I DON'T HAVE THE SAME THING THAT YOU WERE SHOWING LIKE, UM, AND LIKE, SORRY YOU DO NOT, WE, UM, WE HAVE TO PUT THE BACK IN, UM, A WEEK OR SO AGO.

AND SO WE HAVE AN UPDATED PRESENTATION HERE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO CALL UP SLIDES IF THAT'S HELPFUL.

UM, NO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, I, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE.

ALL CONVERSATION GOES THROUGH THE CHAIR.

AND ALL,

[01:45:01]

IT'S COMMISSIONER SALINA, IT'S TIME TO SHARE HIS MEMO.

UM, THE, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, ITEMS THAT, UH, WE HAVE LISTED ON HERE IS FOR THE O OR THE AREA WIDE, UM, GUIDELINE.

AND I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, NUMBER TWO, UH, ABOUT, UH, CREATING A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND OUR COMMENT WAS ABOUT WE HAVE THIS HIGH DENSITY MULTI-FAMILY, UH, PROJECT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

AND THEN WE HAVE A, I MEAN, IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF THAT BUILDING FOOTPRINT THAT'S ONLY BEEN USED FOR ONE TENANT.

UM, IS THERE, OR HAS THERE BEEN ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER UTILIZE THAT IN A WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE TENANTS OR THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT ENTIRE, UH, STREET FRONTAGE ALONG LAVACA, UH, TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE THE STREET SCAPE, UH, AND MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S A SLEEPY LITTLE PART OF AUSTIN AND SO IT'S, IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE SOMEBODY LEADING THE WAY AND TO TRY TO REALLY ENGAGE THAT, UH, ON, ON THAT LEVEL AS FAR AS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TENANTS.

I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT TENANT'S SPACE SPLIT INTO MORE THAN ONE USER.

UM, WE PRESENT IT AS ONE, AND THAT'S, I THINK, A COMMON SIZE FOR A RESTAURANT, WHICH IS WHAT FOLKS OFTEN WANNA SEE.

UM, BUT IF MORE THAN ONE TENANT WANTED TO GO IN AND SHARE IT, WE'D CERTAINLY BE OPEN TO THAT.

UM, AND THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THE SPACE I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THAT FROM HAPPENING.

UM, AS FAR AS THE, UM, ADDITIONAL FRONTAGE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A BALANCE BETWEEN GETTING THE BACK OF HOUSE STUFF OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT THERE COULD BE WINDOWS AND, AND UM, FULL GREAT STREETS ALONG THE FRONTAGE.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT OF THOSE USES, BUT, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE IT, UM, MORE AMENABLE TO MULTIPLE TENANTS.

I MEAN, I'M THINKING EVEN MORE OF, UH, PROVIDING A DOOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE, AROUND THE CORNER ON THE LAVACA STREET OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT TO, UH, JUST ENGAGE THAT SIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ANOTHER DOOR.

UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT, UH, THAT LOBBY, THAT LOBBY IS A LOW USE SPACE, UM, NOT NEARLY AS, UH, AS USED AS MUCH AS A TENANT RESTAURANT.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF STUDIES OR THOUGHTS THAT YOU ACTUALLY USE THAT PUT THAT ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND USE THAT AS A MORE ACTIVATED, UH, SPACE? THE, SO THE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A PARKING GARAGE FROM LEVEL P TWO TO, UH, P NINE, UM, THE, THE BUILDING CORE ELEVATORS ARE IN THE CENTER AND THEN IT'S A DRY AISLE ALL THE WAY AROUND.

SO THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO HAVE, UM, A LOBBY ON THE SECOND FLOOR CUZ THEY WOULD HAVE TO CROSS A DRY AISLE TO GET TO THE ELEVATORS.

THE OTHER THING WE WERE, THAT YOU MENTIONED IS THIS NEW ART PROJECT, UH, THAT IS IN YOUR SLIDES.

UM, I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF HARD TIME JUST UNDERSTANDING.

I FEEL LIKE IT WAS JUST KIND OF DUMPED IN THERE AND, AND IT'S NOT REALLY PLACED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PIECE OF ART JUST TO KIND OF GET THE, YOU KNOW, GET THE, GET THE A W FIVE, UH, TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.

BUT CAN YOU YEAH.

SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OR WHY THAT WAS PUT THERE AND HOW THAT'S GONNA EFFECTIVELY WORK TO ENGAGE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST KIND OF WALKING STRAIGHT ON A STRAIGHT PATH? I THINK SO.

I MEAN, WE PUT IT THERE BECAUSE WE HAD AN OPEN GREEN SPACE THERE, SO IT WOULDN'T JUST BE LIKE ON THE SIDEWALK.

IT COULD BE AS PART OF THE GREEN SPACE.

AGAIN, WE DON'T, THAT'S JUST A REPRESENTATION OF, OF SOMETHING THAT WILL BE THERE.

WE DON'T KNOW YET WHO THE ARTIST WOULD BE, UM, OR EXACTLY WHAT THE PIECE OF ART WOULD LOOK LIKE.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AROUND DOWNTOWN WHERE THERE ARE, ARE SMALL SCULPTURES, UM, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT SEEM TO CONNECT, YOU KNOW, CONNECT PEOPLE ALONG THE SIDEWALK OR CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE PLACE.

AND SO THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT WE HAD.

I MEAN, IS THAT A VERY SPECIFIC LOCATION OR IS THAT JUST KIND OF A PLACEHOLDER? NO, THAT, I MEAN, I THINK WE'D BE OPEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION, BUT I THINK WE WERE THINKING IN THAT THAT GREENER THAT GREENERY AREA YEAH.

WOULD MAKE SENSE.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A A YOU HAVE FEEDBACK.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, GREAT STREETS, WE WANTED TO FIT ALL THE THINGS.

WE ADDED BENCHES, UM, SO THAT SEEMED LIKE IT MADE SENSE.

BUT WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO IDEAS.

WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT JUST REQUIRES STUDYING OF, OF HOW PEOPLE WOULD IDEALLY USE THAT SPACE AND HOW YOU CAN SHAPE IT SO THAT IT CAN BE MORE ENGAGING.

UM, AND SO I DON'T HAVE AN IDEA CUZ IT SEEMS LIKE YOU CAN PUT THAT ANYWHERE AND IT'D BE THE SAME EFFECT.

UM, WE LIKED IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT EFFECT IS.

WE DID LIKE IT BEING PART OF, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THE PATIO SPACE FOR THE DINERS.

AND SO JUST KIND OF BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN VISUAL INTEREST TO THE STREET BECAUSE LAVACA CAN BE KIND OF BUSY, SO IT PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFER AS WELL.

AND BETWEEN THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE STREET AND THE STREET, ANOTHER

[01:50:01]

FACE.

GOTCHA.

UM, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION I HAD, AND THIS IS, UH, UH, JUST A, A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE OF IT.

AND, UM, AND BEFORE WE TALKED IN THE WORKING GROUP AND, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE HIGH LEVEL DETAILS FOR THE MATERIALS AT THE LOWER LEVELS THAT YOU PROVIDED.

UM, BUT I WAS CURIOUS AS TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BROWN, THE, THE, THE, UH, GRID, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN AN INTERESTING SPOT OF, ON THE EAST IS A VERY, OUR STATE BUILDINGS AND THEN JUST IN NORTH OF YOU IS A VERY DYNAMIC OFFICE BUILDING AND THEY REPRESENT TWO PARTS OF AUSTIN.

UM, AND SO JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT KIND OF LEANED TOWARDS THE STATE LEVEL AND NOT TO JUST TO THIS KIND OF MORE MODERN KIND OF THING ACROSS THE STREET.

WELL, WE, WE DIDN'T WANNA JUST GIVE YOU ANOTHER GLASS TOWER.

UM, AND SO WE FELT THAT THE, THE RHYTHM, THE THE KIND OF THE TRADITIONAL WE'RE WE ARE DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE CAPITOL AND KIND OF THE MORE TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS.

SO WE WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAD A TIMELESS FEEL AND THAT THE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY'RE COMING HOME REALLY MAKES THEM FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, COMING HOME TO SOMETHING PERMANENT.

AND, UM, JUST HAVING A REALLY, UM, UH, LITTLE BIT OF A LIKE SOUTHERN COMFORT WITH THAT ARCHITECTURE.

BUT THE, THE BROWN IS REALLY, UM, MAYBE THE WAY IT RENDERS ON THE SCREEN IT WAS LOOKING DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S REALLY A, A, A BRONZE, UM, MATERIAL.

SO IT'S GONNA HAVE A SHEEN AND A RICHNESS ADDED TO DETAIL TO THE WINDOWS.

AND THAT CARRIES ALL THE WAY UP THE BUILDING, NOT JUST AT LEVEL ONE.

YEAH, I THINK IT, I MEAN IT APPLIES OBVIOUSLY TO THE LOCAL CHARACTER AND, AND BOTH, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE IN THIS CORNER WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE SOME, UH, PRETTY UNIQUE LOCAL CHARACTER THERE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO YOU ON ANY DIRECTION, BUT THEY'RE BOTH VERY DIFFERENT.

AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO THE PROCESS TO, YOU KNOW, LEAN MORE TOWARDS ONE VERSUS THE OTHER.

SO, OKAY.

ELECTRICAL WATER THAT A FOOD TRUCK CAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO SOMETHING PERMANENT, CAN THAT BE A LANDSCAPED IN? UM, BUT I JUST, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A BETTER EFFORT AT ENGAGING THIS, THE STREET SCAPES SO THAT THIS IS AN ACTIVATED CORNER AND IT FEELS MORE LIKE NOT ONLY A DESTINATION, BUT A PLACE THAT SOMEONE WOULD WANNA STOP ON THEIR PATH.

UM, I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE WORKING GROUP.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE INCLUSION OF THE BIKE SHOWER FOR EMPLOYEES AND STAFF.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REACHING OUR AS AND P GOALS OF 50% SINGLE VEHICLE USER, UM, HOPEFULLY BY 2039.

SO THAT'S GREAT TO INCLUDE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, ARE MORE DETAILED RENDERINGS.

WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT THE USABLE SPACE IS OF THAT RESTAURANT, UM, AT THE EXTERIOR.

UM, AND I, I THINK THAT WAS REALLY WELL DONE FOR ME.

UM, I THINK THE PAVERS ARE AT THE GARAGE AND THE SIDEWALK, UM, THERE, IF I'M A PEDESTRIAN, I'M NOT REALLY ALERTED THAT I'M NOW WALKING THROUGH A DRIVEWAY.

UM, SO I THINK, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE BELL THAT YOU'VE ADDED, A CHANGE OF COLOR COULD BE HELPFUL.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE HEARING IMPAIRMENTS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HEAR BELL.

UM, THE GOAL HERE IS TO PRESENT PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE, RIGHT? AND SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALERTING TO PEOPLE THAT THEY COULD BE IN A VEHICLE'S PATH.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE SEEN PROJECTS FROM THIS TEAM, YOU KNOW, ON MUCH SMALLER SITES.

THE LAST 1 62 EAST WAS A QUARTER OF AN ACRE.

UM, AND SO THIS ONE IN THIS INSTANCE WHERE YOU HAVE HALF AN ACRE, TWICE THE SIZE, UH, WE'RE KIND OF HEARING THE SAME REASONS ON WHY THE PEDESTRIAN SPACE CAN'T BE MORE ACTIVATED.

B2 PROVIDE MULTI-TENANT, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT THE STREET LEVEL, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE KIND OF SEEING ANOTHER PODIUM STRUCTURE AND THERE'S HALF AN ACRE, THERE'S CERTAINLY SPACE TO PLAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND BREAKING UP THE ONE RESTAURANT OF A 280,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, CAN THERE BE A COFFEE KIOSK? YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BIG.

BUT I, I DO THINK WE'VE GOT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WE HAVE THE LONDON THAT'S FINISHING UP A NEW CONDO TOWER.

THIS AREA IS ABOUT TO BE VERY DENSE WITH A LOT OF NEW USERS.

THERE'S THE, UM, THE WEWORK BUILDING.

THERE'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BUILDING.

THESE FEW CONDO TOWERS ARE ALREADY MOVING A LOT OF FOLKS HERE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED SOMETIMES IN THE PAST ABOUT DOES IT WANNA BE A PLACE WHERE A FOOD TRUCK CAN PULL UP AND THERE'S IMPLEMENTS THAT

[01:55:01]

SO BEYOND BEING A DESTINATION FOR RESIDENTS, LIKE WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REALLY ACTIVATE YOUR STREET SCAPE? THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART THAT'S HARD FOR ME BECAUSE I JUST DON'T SEE A GREAT EFFORT THERE.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER LUKINS, UH, HOW MANY PARKING SPACES ARE THERE IN THIS BUILDING? THERE ARE 290.

SO YOU HAVE 290 FOR THE HUNDRED AND 26 UNITS.

AND, UM, FOR THAT.

AND YOU HAVE SEVEN LA SEVEN LAYERS OF PAR SEVEN LEVELS OF PARKING, CORRECT? UH, EIGHT EIGHT, EIGHT-ISH.

SEVEN, EIGHT.

SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S, UH, SORRY.

ESSENTIALLY IT'S, UM, TWO PARKING SPACES FOR, UH, EACH BEDROOM OR EACH, UH, UNIT.

AND THEN THE REMAINDER SPACES WILL GO TO THE RESTAURANT.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, SOMETIMES I SEE THESE, UH, DENSITY BONUS THINGS AND I'M THINKING, WELL, WE'RE JUST, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE, THE DENSITY BONUS IS GOING TO THE PARKING.

AND SO THAT'S JUST A CONCERN I HAVE.

SO PARKING AT THIS TIME DOES NOT COUNT AGAINST F A R, SO IT'S JUST FREE SPACE.

UM, DO ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE A COMMENT? COMMISSIONER CAROL? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I HAVE A COMMENT.

FRANKLY, I'M, I'M STRUGGLING.

I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROJECT AND, AND IT COMES DOWN FOR ME THAT IT'S A VERY POOR PRESENTATION.

I'M LOOKING AT THE CHECKLIST AND IT SAYS, UH, VICINITY PLAN NINE BLOCK RADIUS THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED LOCATION OF NEARBY TRANSIT FACILITIES THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED.

FLOOR PLANS NOT PROVIDED, EXTERIOR ELEVATION'S NOT PROVIDED.

THESE ARE ALL DOCUMENTS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROJECT SO WE CAN REALLY REVIEW IT AND, AND, AND UNDERSTAND IT, THAT IT'S COMPLYING WITH THESE GUIDELINES.

AND, AND EVEN THE RENDERINGS THAT WERE PROVIDED, MANY OF THEM JUST SAY GREAT STREETS.

THEY DON'T SAY WHAT FACADE WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT.

AND IT'S, IT'S JUST VERY CONFUSING TO ME.

UM, AND SO, YEAH, I, THERE'S JUST LOTS OF, LOTS OF ASPECTS THAT I CAN'T, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND I'M TRYING TO VERIFY IT, BUT I JUST CAN'T FIND THE INFORMATION IN WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME.

COMMISSIONER MCKENNEY.

I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON THE STREET SCAPE.

SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE SITE? THERE'S LIKE A WEIRD, IT'S LIKE, LIKE A LITTLE DRIVE WAY, LIKE A LITTLE CURB CUT.

OH, RIGHT.

UM, SORRY.

THERE ARE, UM, STATE SPACES THERE THAT ARE REQUIRED TO STAY.

UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, AND I WAS NOT PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, SO THIS MAY HAVE COME OUT OF THAT.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BIKE RACKS? THEY'RE REQUIRED EIGHT PER BLOCK.

I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S EIGHT PER BLOCK BIKE RACKS.

BUT YOU'RE NOT AN ENTIRE BLOCK.

YOU'RE ONLY A QUARTER OF BLOCK.

SO I MEAN, THIS JUST, I'VE, I I'VE DONE DOWNTOWN WORK.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF WORK DOWNTOWN.

I I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS MANY BIKE RACKS.

AND WHEN WE ONLY HAVE FOUR BENCHES, WE ONLY HAVE FOUR PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SIT.

BUT THERE'S, THERE IS FOUR BENCHES.

YEAH, THERE'S 4 2, 2 ON 14TH AND TWO ON THE WACA MM-HMM.

BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT MUCH BIKE PARKING DOWNTOWN.

IT JUST SEEMS ODD TO ME, LIKE WHERE WE COULD PROVIDE MORE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SIT.

MM-HMM.

, UH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE RESTAURANT, NEEDING SOMEONE FOR COFFEE, THAT WE'VE DEDICATED A LOT OF SPACE TO SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE VERY STATIC.

WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, WORK WITH STAFF ON THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN BIKE RACKS AND BENCHES.

UM, SO THE NORTHEAST CORNER THERE IS A WATER METER VAULT, UH, UNDER THAT PAVING.

UM, AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE NORTHWEST CORNER? IT'S VERY LONELY.

IT'S VERY EMPTY.

[02:00:04]

SO I COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T FIT TREES OR BIKE CRACKS, ANY PERMANENT STRUCTURE.

UM, AND MY LAST, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.

UM, SO THERE I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED CUZ THE PLAN VIEW DOESN'T QUITE SHOW IT.

CAN YOU ENTER ONTO THAT PATIO FROM THE STREET? THERE IS AN OPENING.

SO, UM, REALLY IT'S UP TO WHENEVER THE, WHOEVER THE RESTAURANT OR THE TENANT IS EXCEPT TO THEM WHERE THEIR, UM, ENTRANCE CAN BE.

IF THEY COULD CHOOSE TO PUT IT ON, UH, LAVACA OR THEY COULD PUT IT ON 14TH.

AND THEN ONE LAST COMMENT ON THE, THE PAVING THAT YOU'RE SHOWING THAT'S LEADING OUT FROM THE FRONT ENTRY.

UM, I ASSUME IT'S THE SAME PAVING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PATIO THAT, THAT COBBLED GRANITE MM-HMM.

UM, I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THAT FOR ACCESSIBILITY.

UM, IF YOU USE ANY SORT OF MOBILITY DEVICE, WHETHER IT BE A CANE OR, OH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED LIKE THAT'S THE WHEELCHAIR PATH INTO THE BUILDING, THAT SEEMS CHALLENGING FOR ACCESSIBILITY IF THAT'S, UM, I'VE NEVER RIDDEN A WHEELCHAIR OVER THAT, BUT I'VE RIDDEN SOME ROLLER BLADES OVER THAT AND IT'S NOT A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

SO IS THERE A WAY TO, TO MAKE THAT MORE FRIENDLY TO EVERYONE WHO WOULD BE USING THE STREETSCAPE? MM-HMM.

? SO I, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR THE COBBLE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING.

UM, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE, THE PAVERS, THE COBBLE IS FLUSH WITH ALL THE MORTAR.

SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD GET SOME TEXTURED SURFACES THERE, BUT YOU WOULDN'T GET, UM, DIPS OR, OR IN THE GROUT.

UM, IT'S, IT'S SMOOTH.

IT'S ON THE TOP.

IT'S, IT'S SMOOTH ON THE TOP, BUT THERE IT IS TEXTURED.

UM, AND THEN IT WOULD BE FLUSHED WITH THE ADJACENT, UH, CONCRETE, UM, OR OTHER, OTHER SURFACE.

DO WE HAVE ANY, OH, COMMISSIONER WATLEY? YES.

UHHUH.

UM, THE MAIN ITEM FOR ME THAT I THINK COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT AS, AS BEEN MENTIONED IS LAVACA STREET ELEVATION.

UM, I'D REALLY LIKE THE DESIGN TEAM TO CONSIDER A PARTIAL BASEMENT, UH, TO KIND OF PUSH SOME OF THAT BACK HOUSE PROGRAM DOWN SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THAT ELECTRICAL VAULT COULD PUSH TOWARDS THE WEST, UM, A LITTLE BIT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, HAD HAD SOME BASEMENT AREA AND, UM, IT WAS A TIGHT SITE AND THEY REALLY AT, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO ACTIVATE, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE AND KEEP THAT ELECTRICAL VAULT TOWARDS THE BACK ALLEY.

UM, AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER CONCERN REALLY IS JUST PROPORTIONS OF THAT RESTAURANT.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU IMAGINE A QUARTER OR MAYBE A THIRD OF THAT RESTAURANT BECOMES BACK OF HOUSE BECAUSE IT'S SO LINEAR ALONG LAVACA, I THINK THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT WHEN IT'S FINISHED OUT, YOU KNOW THAT THERE'D BE SOME BLACKOUT FILM ON SOME OF THOSE STOREFRONTS AS YOU, UH, TO THE SOUTH THERE AS YOU GET TOWARDS THE ELECTRIC ROOM.

UH, IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD CHANCE THAT COULD HAPPEN AND I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY, IT'S REALLY GONNA BE IMPORTANT WITH THE ELECTRIC VAULT WHERE IT IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT RESTAURANT HAS GOOD FRONTAGE ALL ALONG LEV CUZ IT'S, IT'S KIND OF CHALLENGED.

SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY SUGGESTIONS.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? ANYBODY? COMMISSIONER LUKINS JUST TALK ABOUT IT.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE, UH, WITH OUR, UH, REQUIREMENTS.

UH, CHAIR, I MAY, UH, YES.

JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THE MOTION IS THAT IT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, JUST TO CLARIFY.

THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL PART AND YOU'LL NEED A SECOND CHAIR.

IN 2000, 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008.

SO, UH, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND READ IT IN THE FULL FORMAT.

WHEREAS LEAH BOJO, LISA BI AND PRESTON FRANK STONE PRESENTED THE PROJECT 14TH ON LAVACA TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023, WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2008 AND REVISED

[02:05:01]

NOW, THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS THE PROJECT 14TH LAVACA DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND MOTION FAILS CHAIR? OKAY.

I DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE WANTING TO MAKE A MOTION? CAN I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THEN, UH, ALLOW THAT FOR SOME DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.

UH, WHEREAS LEAH BOJO, LISA, BILL, AND PRESTON FRANK STONE PRESENTED THE PROJECT 14TH AND LAVACA TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023, WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS THE PROJECT 14TH AND LAVACA DOES COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WELL SECOND APPROVE AN AMENDMENT.

UM, THAT'S THE SECOND FOR THE MOTION.

ARE YOU TRAINED TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT? I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT ABOUT THE ARTS.

I FELT LIKE THERE WAS SOME DIALOGUE ON THE ART THAT COULD HELP IT IMPROVE A BIT.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO INTEGRATE IT.

UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE SCULPTURE, UM, BUT I THOUGHT THERE WAS JUST SOME GOOD COMMENTS AROUND THAT AND PERHAPS THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO INTEGRATE ADDITIONAL ART.

UM, MAYBE IT'S THE GUARDRAIL ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAFE, OR SOMETHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACADE.

UM, I'M, DID I NEED YOU TO WRITE A MORE SUCCINCT AMENDMENT? UM, LET'S SEE HERE.

SUCCINCT IS, OKAY.

I DON'T KNOW.

DO YOU HAVE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT? OKAY.

SO WE HAVE THE MOTION THAT THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS THE PROJECT 14TH AND LAVACA DOES COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO TAKE IT TO A VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE ONE TO ANYBODY ONLINE.

WE NEED A MINIMUM OF SIX VOTES IN ONE DIRECTION IN ORDER TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS A COMMISSION.

SO THIS MOTION FAILS.

SORRY.

WE CAN'T WRITE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU TONIGHT.

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PROJECT.

UM, ITEM

[5. Discussion and possible action to consider a recommendation to support the elimination of parking mandates city-wide. Presented by Adam Greenfield, Austin Parking Reform Coalition.]

FIVE.

THIS IS A POLICY RECOMMENDATION FOR US, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, TO CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MANDATES CITYWIDE A PRESENTED BY ADAM GREENFIELD FROM THE AUSTIN PARKING REFORM COALITION.

SO YOU'RE OKAY, GREAT.

THANKS, ADAM.

IT'S LED TO, UH, ENVIRONMENTS LIKE THE ONE WE SEE IN THIS PICTURE WHERE BUILDINGS, UH, APPEAR TO FLOAT IN ANTHER OF ASPHALT.

UH, GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME'S ADAM GREENFIELD.

I'M A, UH, LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATE, AND TONIGHT I'M HERE AS A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN PARKING REFORM COALITION, WHICH IS A, UH, COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS, UH, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS.

UM, AND MY ASK TONIGHT IS THAT THE COMMISSION CONSIDER, UM, SUPPORTING THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MANDATES CITYWIDE IN AUSTIN.

SO, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS VERY SHORT PRESENTATION, I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE SPECIFIC DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT THAT, THAT I THINK THIS APPLIES TO.

UH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, UH, LEADING UP TO THAT NEXT SLIDE.

UH, SO FOR THE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PARKING MANDATES, UM, PROBABLY NONE OF YOU, BUT, UH, PARKING MANDATES ARE SIMPLY THE REQUIREMENT THAT FOR ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ONSITE PARKING FOR, UH, THAT KIND OF BUILDING.

UM, IT SOUNDS REASONABLE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DRIVE AND WHERE THEY'RE GONNA PUT THEIR CARS.

UM, IN PRACTICE,

[02:10:01]

UH, THE PEDESTRIAN REALM IS, UM, UNDEFINED, UNPLEASANT, HOT, UM, AND, UH, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE GENERALLY DON'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME.

SO I'LL GO INTO THE SPECIFIC KIND OF DESIGN IMPACTS LATER.

BUT THE, THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IS THAT THAT PARKING MANDATES HAVE FORCED US TO BUILD MORE PARKING THAN WE ACTUALLY NEED.

UH, IF, IF THERE WEREN'T MANDATES, THEN THERE IS STILL VERY MUCH MARKET DEMAND FOR PARKING, AND SO, UH, PARKING WOULD STILL BE PROVIDED.

BUT, BUT THESE MANDATES ARE ACTUALLY CALCULATED NOT BASED ON ANY KIND OF SCIENCE, UH, OR EVIDENCE.

THEY'RE USUALLY, UH, JUST DREAMT UP IN ABSTRACTION OR THEY'RE BORROWED FROM OTHER CITIES WHO BORROWED THEIR REQUIREMENTS FROM OTHER CITIES AND SO ON.

UH, SO WE'VE, WE'VE ENDED UP WITH, UH, SO MUCH LAND FOR PARKING, UM, LIKE IN THIS PICTURE, THE BATON CREEK MALL PARKING LOT, 6,000 SPACES, UH, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LAND FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE CARE ABOUT.

AND THESE ARE THINGS LIKE ABUNDANT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, BUSINESSES, UH, WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE ONE YOU SEE IN THIS PICTURE IN MUELLER.

UH, QUALITY TRANSIT, CLEAN AIR.

SO PARKING MANDATES SPREAD OUR CITY OUT.

THEY, THEY, UH, THEY BREAK UP THE, THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THEY JUST FORCE US TO DRIVE, UH, WHEN WE KNOW THAT, UH, PEOPLE WOULD RATHER NOW GET AROUND IN OTHER WAYS AND PEOPLE WANT WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND WE'RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS.

UH, SO THESE ARE VERY REAL IMPACTS.

SO, UH, IN PUTTING TOGETHER SORT OF OUR PITCH TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT, UH, UH, WHY WE SHOULD DO THIS, WE FOUND SOME, SOME STUDIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, OF VARIOUS CITIES.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE NUMBERS FOR AUSTIN.

SO THESE ARE TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF, OF THE KINDS OF IMPACTS THAT WE SEE IN AUSTIN.

AND, UM, YOUR BACKUP MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO THE UPDATED VERSION THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE.

SO IF YOU ARE MISSING A SLIDE OR TWO, OR THERE'S AN EXTRA ONE IN YOURS, APOLOGIES.

UH, SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE VERY QUICKLY.

UM, IN ONE, ONE STUDY FOUND THAT PARKING MANDATES REDUCED BAR, UH, APARTMENT BUILDING UNITS BY ROUGHLY 13%.

GARAGE PARKING INCLUDED WITH HOUSING COSTED COST RENTERS IN ONE STUDY AROUND $1,700 A YEAR.

PARKING MANDATES RAISED HOUSING COSTS BY 13% FOR FAMILIES WITHOUT CARS.

THERE'S VERY REAL EQUITY, UH, COMPONENT HERE.

UH, PARKING ONE, ONE STUDY FOUND IS ASSOCIATED WITH A $56,000 PER UNIT INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

NEXT SLIDE AND PARKING SPACES CAN RAISE THE MAP, CO2 ADMITTED PER MILE BY UP TO 10% FOR AN AVERAGE CAR.

THIS IS JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHT THE , THE GRAVITY OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THAT YOU, UH, IT IS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE TO BUILD A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT, UH, IN ROUGHLY THE SAME SPACE THAT TWO PARKING SPACES ARE REQUIRED.

AND, AND I ALSO NOTE HERE THAT WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO HOUSE CARS IN AUSTIN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO HOUSE PEOPLE.

SO, UH, FOR, FOR THESE REASONS, UH, OUR PEERS AND OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STARTING TO GET RID OF THESE MANDATES.

SO SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2022 ALONE, UH, OVER 30 CITIES HAVE GOTTEN RID OF PARKING MANDATES AND THEY INCLUDE MAJOR CITIES THAT ARE OUR, VERY MUCH OUR PEERS, RALLY SAN JOSE, LEXINGTON AND OTHERS, OR, UM, SOME CITIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO AUSTIN LIKE BASTROP, AND THEN, UH, MANY OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE.

THESE INCLUDE CITIES THAT ARE VERY MUCH OUR PEERS IN FOR, IN, IN TERMS OF DENSITY POPULATION AND, UH, QUALITY OF TRANSIT AS YOU CAN SEE THERE.

AND WE'VE PUT AUSTIN IN TO KIND OF SHOW YOU, UM, HOW SOME CITIES THAT HAVE GOTTEN RID OF MANDATES HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, A LITTLE BIT LESS OF THOSE THREE VARIABLES.

UH, WE'LL START WITH BUFFALO, UM, WHEN THEY GOT RID OF THEIR MANDATES, A THOUSAND NEW HOMES WITHIN FOUR YEARS.

UH, SO THIS IS TO GIVE YOU, UH, A FLAVOR OF, OF THE KINDS OF BENEFITS THAT CITY, CITIES THAT HAVE GOTTEN RID OF PARKING MANDATE CITYWIDE HAVE SEEN.

[02:15:01]

MINNEAPOLIS ONE STUDY FOUND A RENT REDUCTION OF $200 A MONTH IN AN AREA THAT HAD ELIMINATED MANDATES.

SEATTLE, IN AREAS NEAR TRANSIT WITHOUT MANDATES, UH, 59% OF NEW HOMES WERE IN BUILDINGS THAT WOULD'VE OTHERWISE PREVIOUSLY BEEN ILLEGAL.

SO AS PART OF OUR OUTREACH AND RESEARCH FOR THIS CAMPAIGN, WE CONTACTED, UM, FIVE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE.

AND WE ASKED THEM, HOW DID THIS GO? DID THE SKY FALL? WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS? UM, AND OVERWHELMINGLY WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SUCCESS.

UM, HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TOLD US.

SO WE SPOKE TO A COUNCIL MEMBER IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA WHO SAID THAT REMOVING PARKING MANDATES CREATES HOUSING, NEW INVESTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.

UM, AND AUSTIN SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS NEXT SLIDE.

WE SPOKE TO THE MAYOR BASTROP, CONNIE SCHROEDER, WHO SAID, WE ELIMINATED PARKING MANDATES, LET THE MARKET DECIDE NOT ABSTRACT RULES, HOW MUCH PARKING THERE'LL BE.

AND THERE SHOULD BE, AND I'LL GET BACK TO THAT IN A SECOND.

AND WE SPOKE TO AN URBAN PLANNER IN RALLY NORTH CAROLINA WHO SAID, THERE MAY NOT BE A CLOSER PIER CITY TO AUSTIN, THEN RALLY IF RALLY CAN ELIMINATE PARKING MANDATES, AUSTIN CAN DO THIS TOO.

ASSISTANT DEVICES, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.

UH, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT WE THOUGHT WERE RELEVANT HERE.

UM, AND THESE HAVE COME UP QUITE A FEW TIMES IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, UH, CURB CUTS BUSINESSES WHO HAVE TO, UH, PUT IN MORE PARKING THEY NEED THAN THEY NEED, UH, NEED OFTEN LARGER CURB CUTS.

AND THESE ARE REAL ISSUES FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND COMFORT, ESPECIALLY, UH, FOR PEOPLE IN MOBILITY.

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE MORE SPREAD OUT AND LESS WALKABLE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN POCKETED BY OVERLY LARGE PARKING LOTS.

UM, STREET SCAPE.

SO, UH, THE, THE FRONTAGE OF BUILDINGS, UH, MORE PARKING THAN THERE WOULD OTHERWISE BE.

UH, THE QUALITY OF THE, OF THE STREET SCAPE VERY MUCH BROKEN UP BY, UM, EXCESSIVE PARKING, UM, INCLUDING PARKING BUILT.

UM, IN FRONT OF BUILDINGS, PUSHING THE BUILDING BACK.

UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I THINK THOSE IMPACT THOSE, UM, GUIDELINES VERY PROFOUNDLY.

I THINK WE ALL KNOW THIS THROUGH OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

UM, SO NEXT SLIDE.

A FEW CONCERNS.

THIS IS, UH, ALMOST AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION HERE.

UM, SO THERE ARE A FEW COMMON CONCERNS.

WE, WE HEAR.

UH, THE FIRST IS JUST FUTURE PROJECTS WON'T INCLUDE ENOUGH PARKING.

UH, SO THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE IN ANY CITY, UM, OF OUR PEERS THAT HAS ELIMINATED MANDATES THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.

UM, AND THE MAIN REASON IS BECAUSE LENDERS WON'T LEND TO PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE, UH, THAT DON'T HAVE WHAT THEY DEEM SUFFICIENT PARKING.

SO THE MARKET IS VERY MUCH COOLING, UH, FOR PARKING.

AND CERTAINLY IN CITIES LIKE AUSTIN, WE'VE SEEN THAT REALLY ANY, ANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE, UH, INCLUDED LESS PARKING THAN THEY WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE ARE CENTER CITY PROJECTS NEAR TRANSIT.

AND THE OUTLYING AREAS, UM, TENDS TO BE SIMILAR PARKING, UM, AS, AS THERE WAS BEFORE.

UM, SECOND, THERE'S OFTEN A CONCERN THAT PARKED CARS WILL OVERFLOW ONTO RESIDENTIAL STREETS.

UH, SIMPLY THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.

HOWEVER, AUSTIN DOES HAVE TOOLS, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, UM, SUCH AS, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, PERMIT PROGRAM, AND ALSO NEWER PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW US TO, UM, PRICE THE CURB AND MANAGE THE CURB, UM, TO ENSURE RESIDENTS CAN ALWAYS ACCESS, UM, PARKING ON THEIR STREET.

AND THIRDLY, UM, ADA ACCESS.

THIS ALSO HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE IN CITIES, UH, THAT HAVE PASSED REFORM.

HOWEVER, WE REALLY DO NEED TO BE, UH, PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS.

UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY CITIES HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED, UH, THOSE CITIES REQUIRE ANY PARKING THAT IS BUILT TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, THAT'S ADA.

UM, WE HAVE ADA ON STREET, UM, REQUIREMENTS.

WE HAVE ADA ON SITE REQUIREMENTS,

[02:20:01]

UM, AND FOR THE EXCEPTIONALLY RARE PROJECT THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PARKING, UH, WE, UH, WE RE RECOMMENDED, UM, TO COUNCIL OFFICES THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE PROJECTS, UM, SIMPLY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A D A PARKING ACCESS SOME OTHER WAY.

SO MAYBE THERE'S ON STREET, UH, PARKING VERY CLOSE, MAYBE THEY COULD SHARE WITH AN ADJOINING PROPERTY AND SO ON.

SO, UH, 50 PLUS, UM, BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, HAVE SUPPORTED THIS.

UH, JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM LAZARUS BREWING COMPANY EARLIER THAT THEY SUPPORT THIS.

UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THIS, THAT THIS COULD REALLY HELP, UH, A LOT OF, UH, BUSINESSES, UH, REALLY COULD HELP RESIDENTS AND REALLY COULD HELP ALL OF US LIVE IN A MORE, UH, WALKABLE, UM, PLEASANT, UH, SUSTAINABLE CITY.

OH, THERE WE GO.

SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE PRESENTATION.

UM, I'M SURE YOU HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO HAPPY TO OPEN THEM UP.

I WILL JUST ADD THAT, UH, THIS IS NOW ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MAY 4TH AGENDA.

UM, SO IT'S COMING UP SOON, AND THAT, UH, AT LEAST THE DRAFT OF THE RESOLUTION IS TO DIRECT STAFF TO, UM, LOOK INTO, UH, ELIMINATING MANDATES AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ADAM? THAT'S A THOROUGH PRESENTATION.

WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

OH, WAIT.

COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE IMPETUS FOR CREATING PARKING MANDATES WAS JUST, UH, AN UNTESTED, UH, BELIEF THAT WE NEED TO REQUIRE PARKING BECAUSE, UH, SO MANY PEOPLE, UH, DRIVE.

I, I THINK THE, THE HISTORY OF PARKING MANDATES STARTED IN THE FIFTIES.

SO, YOU KNOW, MASS AUTOMOBILE INC WAS PRETTY, WAS FAIRLY ESTABLISHED AT THAT POINT.

BUT, UM, THE LAWS THAT SORT OF ARE STILL ON THE BOOKS NOW THAT HAVE REALLY ENTRENCHED US IN A DIRECTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO STEER AWAY FROM, NO PUN INTENDED, UH, A LOT OF THEM WERE ESTABLISHED AT THAT TIME.

SO IT WAS JUST AN ASSUMPTION THAT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

AND HISTORY HAS SHOWN IT WAS NOT VICE CHAIR MINERS.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO APPLAUD THE EFFORT.

UH, I'VE READ THE HIGH COST OF FREE PARKING, SO I'M VERY AWARE OF THAT THEME.

UM, I MYSELF DON'T OWN A CAR.

I NEVER WILL BECAUSE I'M LEGALLY BLIND AND I CANNOT DRIVE.

SO, UM, I, UH, WALKED HERE TODAY.

IT WAS A VERY LONELY WALK.

I WAS PROBABLY ONE OF TWO PEDESTRIANS.

UH, AND, UH, THERE WERE CERTAINLY A LOT OF CARS.

UM, SO I THINK THE, THE ONE THING THAT WAS KIND OF MISSING FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT OFFERS A MORE COMPELLING ARGUMENT, BUT I THINK, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, DOES IT CREATE, UH, YOU KNOW, CLEANER CITIES AND WHATEVER ELSE, UM, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE PROS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS MUCH CONNECTED TO THE HEALTH BENEFITS AS FAR AS LIKE OBESITY RATES.

UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A GENERAL TREND, UH, WITH YOUNGER GENERATIONS FROM GETTING AWAY FROM CAR OWNERSHIP.

UM, I THINK, UH, THE MOVEMENT TOWARD AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, UM, IS POTENTIALLY, UH, GOING TO, UH, FURTHER, UH, ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A LOT OF, UH, FOLKS TO HAVE CARS.

UM, SO THOSE WERE JUST A FEW ARGUMENTS.

I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SOME BLUE ZONES, UM, NEW YORK CITY, UM, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WALK, THEY LIVE LONGER, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK, I THINK THERE'S SOME ARGUMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE.

SO THAT WAS JUST KIND OF MY TWO SENTENCES.

I, I LOVE THIS INITIATIVE.

I THINK YOU ALL ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, AND I THINK IT COULD BE EVEN MORE COMPELLING BY BRINGING IN SOME OF THOSE OTHER, UH, INDICATORS.

UH, WE'RE, WE ARE COMPLETELY ON BOARD WITH THOSE ARGUMENTS.

FIVE-ISH YEARS OF DATA ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED.

COMMISSIONER TED, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M, I'M PRO PARKING REFORM ALSO.

SO IN GENERAL, I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, PARKING CHANGED UP A LITTLE BIT IN AUSTIN SPECIFICALLY.

SOME OF THESE BIGGER CITIES LIKE MINNEAPOLIS, RICHMOND, RALEIGH, YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE SOME PRETTY GOOD CLAIMS IN HERE ABOUT RENT REDUCTION GOING DOWN.

HOW LONG HAVE THESE LARGER CITIES BEEN WITHOUT THESE PARKING MANDATES TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS KIND OF CLAIM AND SEE THE CHANGE? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SO THE FIRST ONE WAS BUFFALO, UM, IN 2018.

UH, SO IT'S BEEN A VERY RAPID, UH, KIND OF ONSLAUGHT.

THE HIGH COST OF FREE PARKING CAME OUT, UH, WAS IT 2008? IT WAS QUITE SOME TIME AGO.

SO THERE WAS KIND OF A DELAY.

AND THEN, UH, AFTER BUFFALO, IT JUST HAS ACCELERATED.

IN FACT, THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN A ABSOLUTE, YOU KNOW, TORRENT OF NEW CITIES, UM, COMING ON ONLINE.

SO, YEAH, SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT, AT MOST WE HAVE

[02:25:01]

UM, SO WE CAN'T NECESSARILY SAY THIS IS WHAT A CITY LONG TERM WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT CERTAINLY THE, THE IMPACTS HAVE OFTEN KIND OF STARTED BEING SEEN FAIRLY QUICKLY.

BUT IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INCREMENTAL CHANGE.

THERE'S NO SKY FALLING SCENARIO HERE.

IT'S JUST A KIND OF A, A, A GENTLE, GENTLE MOVE IN A, IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT WILL REALLY MANIFEST PROFOUNDLY OVER THE LONG TERM, NOT IN THE SHORT TERM.

COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT.

I, I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION AND PARKING REFORM AS A WHOLE, BUT I AM GONNA PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF DEVIL'S ADVOCATE TO SAY THAT IF THIS BEGAN IN 2018 AND THE ENTIRE WORLD SHUT DOWN FOR TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS OF THIS, WE MAY HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER WAY.

I MEAN, REMOTE WORK BECAME SUPER POPULAR AND PEOPLE WERE DRIVING LESS INHERENTLY BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GOING ANYWHERE.

WE WERE STUCK IN OUR HOMES.

SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF COMBAT SOME OF THAT, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, AND I AGREE THE PRESENTATION AND EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING.

BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT THIS HAS BEEN RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC COULD HAVE, COULD BE A, A LITTLE BIT OF A, A HITCH IN THE GET UP THERE.

UH, THERE, SO DOWN, THERE'S AREAS, CITYWIDE REFORM IS 2018 ONWARD, BUT, UH, AREAS OF CITY THAT HAVE ELIMINATED MANDATES LIKE AUSTIN, UM, THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR, FOR A LOT LONGER.

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN CITIES OR SMALL TOWNS THAT HAVE NEVER HAD THEM, THAT WE'RE STILL KIND OF LEARNING ABOUT.

UM, CUZ THIS WASN'T KIND OF A TRENDY THING LIKE IT IS NOW.

UH, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO FAR IT'S, IT'S GONE EXTREMELY WELL.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT MAYBE THEY THINK HAVEN'T PLAYED OUT YET, BECAUSE FIVE YEARS IS FIVE YEARS, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN REVIEW ON AN ONGOING BASIS AND WE HAVE CURB MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND REALLY WE'VE JUST SEEN THE PROFOUND DAMAGE, UH, TO AUSTIN AND, AND OTHER CITIES THAT MANDATES HAVE CAUSED, AND NOW IS THE TIME TO MOVE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

UH, THEY HAVE REALLY, UH, TAKEN AWAY FROM, FROM THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN WALK, PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK TO THEM.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I HAVE A GENERAL, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THIS ITEM, OR, UM, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION.

WELL, I HAVE A GENERAL COMMENT.

IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION.

OKAY, THAT'S FINE.

IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'RE ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS DOWNTOWN, ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS ALONG TRANSIT CORRIDORS, UH, LIMITING PARK LIMITS ALONG CERTAIN ACTIVITY CENTERS.

I THINK THOSE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALL, EVERYONE COULD, MOST PEOPLE GET BEHIND.

BUT WHILE WE START THINKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AND VARIOUS AND, UH, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ALONG THE EDGES OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THERE MOST CERTAINLY IS A SPILL OVER INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.

I SPEAK THIS ONLY AS SOMEONE WHO REGULARLY PARKS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOUSES WHEN I GO TO ADJACENT RESTAURANTS AND WHATEVER.

AND SO I, I THINK THAT, UH, I'D BE REAL HESITANT TO, UH, TO RECOMMEND ELIMINATING ALL PARKING MINIMUMS. UM, ADAM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON, UH, KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTS OR, OR NEIGHBORHOOD BODEGAS AND HOW THAT PARKING AFFECTS AFFECTS THEM? YEAH, I MEAN, ACTUALLY, UH, SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES TOLD US REPEATEDLY THAT THESE MANDATES ARE HARMFUL FOR THEM.

UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE SCENARIO OF A POPULAR RESTAURANT IN A LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WANTS TO EXPAND ITS SEATING, BUT HAS TO PROVIDE MORE PARKING AS A, AS A RESULT.

SO THEY DON'T, UM, SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES, ONE LOCAL BUSINESSES BUSINESS THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT'S ON THAT LIST TOLD ME THAT THE OWNER, ONE OF THE OWNERS LOST SEVERAL YEARS OF HIS LIFE IN, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING THE CITY OVER PARKING MANDATES.

SO, UM, THERE'S PARKING MANDATES ARE JUST REALLY CLUNKY WAYS TO MAKE PARKING AVAILABLE ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, AND WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.

BUT THERE'S JUST, WE JUST HAVE MORE SOPHISTICATED, UH, RESPONSIVE TOOLS OF DOING THAT WHERE WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PRICE THE CURB, UM, IF WE NEED TO.

UH, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE SPACE.

SO THESE ARE JUST, THESE, THESE, THE PARKING MANDATES ARE, ARE NOT BASED ON ANY KIND OF NUMBER THAT HAS ANY SCIENCE OR RESEARCH BEHIND IT.

THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST MADE UP NUMBERS.

AND,

[02:30:01]

SO I, OF ACCESS TO NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

WE JUST THINK THAT, UH, EVIDENCE IS THAT PARKING MANDATES ARE NOT THE WAY TO MEET THAT CONCERN.

AND THERE ARE OTHER BETTER TOOLS TO DO THAT.

UH, COMMISSIONER ANSTED.

ARE THERE ANY MID-SIZE OR LARGER CITIES THAT HAVE NEVER HAD A PARKING BAND IN PLACE WHERE YOU COULD SAY, HEY, LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE OF A PLACE THAT LET THE MARKET DECIDE IT, AND THIS IS, WAS THE BENEFIT, OR THIS IS HOW IT TURNED OUT? UM, POSSIBLY THAT, THAT RESEARCH IS BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.

SO, UH, IT'S KIND OF STILL COMING ONLINE.

ALL ALL I CAN SAY IS JUST, JUST SAY AGAIN THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MEDIUM SIZED CITIES, SOME HAVE HAD, HAVE ELIMINATED PARKING MANDATES IN CERTAIN AREAS FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL BUSINESS AREAS AND SO FORTH.

UM, AND YEAH, THERE'S JUST NO, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF PROBLEMS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S MUCH EVIDENCE OF, OF BENEFITS.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE CHANGE REALISTICALLY IS GOING TO BE INCREMENTAL, THIS GIVES US PLENTY OF TIME TO COME BACK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND DISCUSS THESE THINGS IF WE NEED TO.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, WHEREAS ADAM GREENFIELD PRESENTED TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON APRIL 24TH, 2023, REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF PARKING MANDATES.

WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008, WHEREAS THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF PARKING MANDATES COULD SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

PS TWO, MINIMIZE CURB CUTS, PS FOUR, REINFORCED PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, PS SIX, ENHANCED STREET SCAPES.

PS 13, INSTALL PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY MATERIALS AT THE STREET LEVEL B ONE BUILD TO THE STREET B2 PROVIDE MULTI-TENANT PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT THE STREET LEVEL AND B FIVE CONTROL ONSITE PARKING.

UM, NOW THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE REMOVAL OF PARKING MANDATES CITYWIDE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

SO WE HAVE THAT TWO HOLDOUTS.

SO WE HAVE ALL IN FAVOR EXCEPT FOR COMMISSIONER ONTE, UM, AND COMMISSIONER LADNER LADNER AND COMMISSIONER LUKES.

UM, SO THE COMMISSION, WHAT'S OUR COUNT ON THAT? SEVEN, TWO.

UM, CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR.

SO IT PASSES.

SEVEN TWO, THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU, ADAM.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THE NEXT ITEM,

[6. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair.]

WHO CONDUCTS THAT? IS THAT APPROPRIATE IF I CONDUCT AN ELECTION THAT I'M RUNNING IN , JORGE.

SO, SO MADAM CHAIR, THE, THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS IS TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS.

SINCE YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE NOMINATED, IT WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO OPEN THAT.

SO YOU CAN JUST SAY THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS AND ALLOW THE COMMISSIONERS TO NOMINATE ANY INDIVIDUAL.

COMMISSIONER LUS, NOMINATE COMMISSIONER CHAIR, WEAVE.

UM, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS.

UH, JORGE IS INDICATING THAT YOU SHOULD SPEAK IN THE MICROPHONE FOR POSTERITY.

OH, YEAH.

I JUST REALIZED MY, MY, MY, UH, MY, UH, GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT.

SO, I, I, I, UH, NOMINATE, UH, UH, COMMISSION OR CHAIR WEAVER FOR HER, UH, FOR HER.

UH, NEXT, UH, TERM.

UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS.

I WAS GONNA SECOND THAT.

UM, MADAM CHAIR, YOU'D LIKE TO ASK IF THERE ARE OTHER NOMINATIONS? ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY.

DAVID'S SITTING ON HIS HANDS.

ON, UH, VICE THE OPENING UP THE FLOOR FOR VICE CHAIR.

[02:35:01]

UM, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE VICE CHAIR MINORS FOR A SECOND TERM.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER LUKINS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, OH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? I'M SORRY.

NUMBER SEVEN, WE NEED TO REAPPOINT OR WE NEED TO NOMINATE NEW CHAIRS.

[7. Conduct nominations for the representative for the Joint Sustainability Committee, Downtown Commission, and the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board.]

SO WE HAVE THREE COMMISSIONS THAT WE SEND LIAISONS TO.

UM, I'LL START WITH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

I WAS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION LIAISON AND I HAVE STEPPED DOWN FROM THAT TO BE A VOTING MEMBER.

UM, SO WE NEED A NEW DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER WHO IS INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AS A JOINT LIAISON FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION.

ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ANSTED.

IS ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED? OKAY.

UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER ANSTED TO SERVE ON DOWNTOWN COMMISSION? SECOND, UH, SECOND ADVICE.

COMMISSIONER SALINAS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

THE MOTION PASSES.

UM, THE NEXT COMMISSIONER THAT WE SHOULD APPOINT IS FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.

UM, SO COMMISSIONER SALINAS, YOU WERE SERVING AS AN INTERIM.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING NOMINATED TO SERVE ON THIS PERMANENTLY? YES.

UM, DO WE HAVE IS OKAY, WE HAVE A NOMINATION, NOMINAT ME FROM COMMISSIONER LUKINS.

UM, WAS ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN BEING NOMINATED FOR THIS? NO.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER SALINAS? SECOND.

UM, THANK YOU.

UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

UM, THE LAST ONE IS FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.

I HAD INITIALLY STEPPED IN FOR INTERIM ON THAT, UM, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD SELECT A PERMANENT MEMBER THEY HAVE NOT MET.

UM, THE FORMER CHAIR WAS COMMISSIONER FRANCO FROM OUR BOARD, UM, OR FROM OUR COMMISSION.

UM, IS ANYONE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD? OKAY.

UM, AWESOME.

SORRY, GO.

SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LADNER ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.

UM, DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER SALINAS.

AWESOME.

WE ONLY HAVE FOUR MORE AGENDA ITEMS. .

FROM THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP REGARDING UPDATES TO THE GUIDELINES.

UM, UPDATE

[8. Update from the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group regarding updates to the guidelines.]

COMMISSIONER CAROL.

WELL, I GUESS NOT, NOT A WHOLE LOT TO UPDATE, UH, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD, UM, HOPING TO WORK WITH STAFF TO ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY OUTREACH MEETING FOR THE SUMMER.

UM, COMMISSIONER TANA GUCCI.

I DO WANT TO TOUCH BASE WITH YOU SOMETIME SOON, SINCE YOU AREN'T UNABLE, UNABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING.

UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, EVERYONE'S JUST, UH, WORKING TOWARDS THAT FIRST DRAFT AND WE'LL BRING THAT TO THE FULL COMMISSION, UH, FOR COMMENT ONCE, ONCE WE HAVE IT.

AND DO ANY NEW COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT JOINING A GROUP? EVERYONE IN A GROUP? I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL GROUPS ARE.

DO YOU WANT TO BE ? NO, YET, NOT YET.

I'M JUST SAYING I'M NOT ALL SURE WHAT WORKING GROUPS WE HAVE RUNNING RIGHT NOW.

SO THERE'S FIVE GROUPS.

INFRASTRUCTURE, AND URBAN FABRIC.

BUILDINGS, STREET SCAPE, OPEN SPACE,

[02:40:02]

IS THAT WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT? MM-HMM.

FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER OR UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.

SO ANYONE WHO'S NOT ON ONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE, LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN GET YOU ON A TEAM.

THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S THE NEW URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

SO WE REALLY WANT ALL COMMISSION, ALL COMMISSIONERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A GROUP.

UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S OUR RULING DOCUMENT.

WE REALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL KNOW IT.

AND I THINK THIS TIME THAT WE'RE SPENDING NOW EVALUATING PROJECTS WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, WE'RE RECOGNIZING THE HOLES.

SO, UM, HELP DAVID PLUG THE HOLES.

IT MAY BE ANOTHER 20 YEARS BEFORE THEY'RE UPDATED, SO THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CAROL.

OH, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER LAST MINUTE PLUGS FOR YOUR PROJECT? NO, THANK YOU.

UM, UPDATE

[9. Update from representative on the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]

IT WAS CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM.

UM, UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE

[10. Update from representative on the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding last meeting.]

ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.

COMMISSIONER SALINAS.

THEY HAD THE MEETING.

IT WAS A SPECIAL MEETING, UM, TWO DAYS AFTER WE MET.

AND SO I DID NOT ATTEND THAT MEETING.

I DID LISTEN TO A PORTION OF IT ON AUDIO.

UM, BUT THEY HAD TO GET A APPROVED BUDGET OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH, SO I LOOKED FORWARD TO GOING THIS NEXT ONE.

GREAT.

UM, UPDATE

[11. Update from representative on the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board regarding last meeting.]

FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY.

UM, THEY DID NOT HAVE A MEETING LAST MONTH.

UM, BUT ALSO WE DID NOT HAVE ANYONE REALLY IN THAT CAPACITY EITHER.

UM, BEFORE WE ADJOURN,

[Additional Item]

I WANT TO CHECK IN ON THE WORKING GROUP THIS WEEK.

WHAT IS OUR ATTENDANCE, SOPHIA? SO THESE WORKING GROUPS FOR THE DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, WE MEET AT NOON ON THE FIRST TWO WEDNESDAYS OF THE MONTH.

WE HAVE AN ONLINE MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT.

WE REVIEW THEIR PROJECT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, AND THEN WE SPEND 30 MINUTES INTERNALLY REVIEWING THE PROJECT WITH STAFF AND WRITE A MEMO FOR THEM.

THIS KIND OF GIVES THEM COACHING POINTS THAT WHEN THEY COME HERE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT AND, UM, HOPEFULLY BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN WRITE A RECOMMENDATION.

SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE WORKING GROUPS, UM, THIS WORKING GROUP.

OUR NEXT WORKING GROUP FOR, IT'S GOING TO BE FOR FIFTH AND LAVACA, SO 3 0 7 AND THREE 11 EAST FIFTH.

THIS IS ON MAY 3RD.

UM, WE'VE GOT CHAIR WEAVER HAS ACCEPTED COMMISSIONER ROLLON.

YOU TWO ARE THE TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE ACCEPTED THAT ONE.

UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE THE ONLY ONES ATTENDING, BUT YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT WORKS WITH THE CALENDAR INVITE IS YOU ACCEPT IT, YOU IGNORE IT OR YOU DECLINE IT.

SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE, CAN HAVE UP TO FIVE PEOPLE ATTEND THESE MEETINGS AND WE REALLY, IT'S BEST IF WE HAVE UP TO FIVE PEOPLE.

UM, COMMISSIONER SALINAS, CAN YOU, SO WHO'S, WHO ARE THE NORMAL MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP? IT IS CHAIR WEAVER, VICE CHAIR MINS.

COMMISSIONER SALINAS.

COMMISSIONER ROLLON.

SO WE HAVE ONE GUEST SPOT PER MEETING.

UM, VICE CHAIR MINORS, ARE YOU ATTENDING THIS MEETING? YEAH, I'LL BE ATTENDING.

SORRY FOR NOT ACCEPTING THAT I SAW IT.

HICK.

UH, COMMISSIONER SALINAS.

I JUST ACCEPTED, WHAT IS THIS PROJECT ABOUT? FIFTH AND LAVACA.

OH, OKAY.

UM, IS IT THE SAME FIFTH IN LAVACA THAT WE SAW LAST TIME? OH, NO, THIS IS A NEW PROJECT.

FIFTH.

WHICH ONE? OKAY, SO NO ONE IN BUILDINGS CAN COME.

FIFTH AND LAVA OR EIGHTH, FIFTH AND LAVA.

14TH.

WE DID 14TH AND LAVACA AND FIFTH AND LAVACA OR FOURTH AND LAVACA.

IT'S A LOT OF LAVACA.

, BUT THIS IS A NEW LAVACA.

I THOUGHT IT WAS FIFTH.

FIFTH, RIGHT.

THIS IS FIFTH AND TRINITY.

THIS IS 3 0 7 AND THREE 11 EAST FIFTH.

SO THERE'S LIKE FOUR CORNERS, RIGHT? OR FOUR CORNERS IN THERE.

UM, DO WE HAVE A FIFTH COMMISSIONER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS WORKING GROUP? THE DATE?

[02:45:01]

UM, DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO? COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, DO YOU WANNA COME? YEAH, I CAN ATTEND.

UM, SOPHIA, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND THE INVITE TO COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY AND DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER WORKING GROUPS IN MAY FOR DENSITY BONUS? OKAY, GREAT.

UM, UH, WE'VE HAD A FEW GROUPS OR A FEW SESSIONS WHERE IT'S JUST ONE OR TWO OF US, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE FIVE FOLKS THERE.

CAUSE IT GIVES US BETTER ADVICE TO THE APPLICANT.

WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO HAVE BETTER MEETINGS AND, OKAY.

UM, JORGE, MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY, UH, STEPH IS WORKING ON A STORY MAP OF ALL DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO USE INTERNALLY AND TEST IT BETA TEST IT BEFORE IT GOES LIVE TO THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMISSION.

THAT'LL HELP YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN EIGHTH AND LAVACA AND FIFTH AND LAVACA AND THIRD AND LAVACA AND PICK YOUR FAVORITE STREET IN LAVACA .

SO, UH, IT IS VERY CHALLENGING FOR STAFF AS WELL TO KEEP TRACK OF THE MINI DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.

WE DO ANTICIPATE SEEING QUITE A HEAVY LOAD OF DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR DUE TO THE RECENT CHANGES AND THE DENSITY BONUS FEES THAT THE COUNCIL CHANGED, UM, LAST YEAR, EXCUSE ME, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

SO YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE A FREQUENT TRICKLE OF DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS AND WE'LL TRY TO HAVE THAT TOOL AVAILABLE AS SOON AS WE CAN.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU, JORGE.

UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ITEMS OF NOTE OR ANY FINAL COMMENTS THEY WANNA SHARE BEFORE WE ADJOURN? I, I HAVE A QUESTION.

JUST ABOUT PROCESS SINCE BIT NEW HERE.

SO THE, THE GROUP, OH, OKAY.

THE GROUP THAT THIS IS THEIR LADDER? YES.

THE GROUP THAT CAME UP TONIGHT, THEY DIDN'T GET A YES OR A NO.

DO ANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GAVE THEM TONIGHT GO FORWARD TO THEIR NEXT MEETING FOR THAT GROUP? IS IT PART OF JUST A MEETING RECORD OR IS THAT ALL JUST IF I MAY CHAIR.

YES, JORGE.

UH, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CONSIDER A DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THERE WAS NO AFFIRMATIVE VOTE EITHER WAY.

BOTH MOTION FAILED IT AS REQUIRED BY THE CODE.

STAFF SHALL CONSIDER THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IN THIS CA IN THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, THERE WAS NO RECOMMENDATION, SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CONSIDER THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.

HOWEVER, THERE IS INPUT FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED VIA A MEMO.

HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT A DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION.

THAT IS JUST INPUT THAT STAFF CAN CONSIDER IN REVIEW WITH THE APPLICANT, BUT IT UNFORTUNATELY DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION.

THOSE LINES, UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY.

JORGE.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE ON THE WEIGHT OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR A PROJECT, UM, ABOVE 25 TO ONE F A R AND BELOW 25 TO ONE F A R? SO CHAIR, IF I MAY, THAT, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC ZONE IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UH, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE CORE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH HAS A 25 TO ONE F A R LIMIT.

OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN HAVE LOWER F A R LIMITS 15 TO ONE.

SOME ARE AS LOW AS THREE TO ONE.

FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, IF A PROJECT WISHES TO EXCEED THE ADMINISTRATIVE LIMITS PROVISIONS OF 25,000 200 586 B AS IN BETA, THERE ARE SPECIFIC MAPS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE CODE THAT DELINEATE SUCH HEIGHT LIMITS AND F A R LIMITS.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMISSION TO ISSUE A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THAT IS FORWARDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND THEY IN TURN ISSUE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH THE CODE ITSELF.

THE COUNCIL GRANTED THEMSELVES THE ABILITY TO GRANT ADDITIONAL F A R BEYOND THE ADMINISTRATIVE CAPS FOUND IN THE CODE.

THEREFORE, THEY RELY UPON THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO INFORM THEIR DELIBERATIONS, UH, VIA A PUBLIC HEARING BY WHICH IN ORDINANCES MAY OR MAY BE EXECUTED TO GRANT THE ADDITIONAL F A R BEYOND THE ADMINISTRATIVE LIMITS.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO FOLKS? UM, SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND THEN ADDITIONAL COUNCIL DISCRETION.

SO WE KIND OF SEE A DIFFERENCE IN APPLICANT'S EFFORTS, I WOULD SAY.

UM, ALONG

[02:50:01]

AWESOME.

WELL, IT'S 9 0 1.

UM, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.