[Determination of Quorum / Meeting Called to Order]
[00:00:03]
I'M GONNA, UH, I'M THE CHAIR, CHAIR, SHAH.
I'M GONNA BRING THIS MEETING AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6 0 8.
AND, UH, WE'LL DO A QUICK ROLL CALL.
I'LL START WITH, UM, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS, AND I'LL JUST WORK, UH, LEFT TO RIGHT.
UM, AND WE'LL START WITH, UH OH.
COMMISSIONER OF FELICITY MAXWELL HERE.
CHAIR SHAW, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON HERE.
AND WE HAVE, OH, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU.
OUR NEWEST, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, BARRETA RAMIREZ HERE.
AND THEN ON THE SCREEN WE HAVE VICE CHAIR HEMPLE.
UH, SO I'M COUNTING 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
WHO AM I MISSING? OH, UH, NO, I'M TRYING TO GET THE TOTAL HERE.
UM, I THOUGHT WE HAD OUR NUMBERS.
UH, WE'LL NEED TO WAIT TILL WE HAVE ONE MORE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER MOTO HERE.
JUST YOU TECHNICAL CAN'T SEE ME AND I BELIEVE, UM, LET ME GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE, UM, CAN'T HEAR ME EITHER.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, ARE YOU ABLE TO COME ON SCREEN? I KNOW, YEAH, I DIDN'T, IT SAYS I'M ON SCREEN, SO I'M GONNA, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S DOING MEAN.
IS YOUR CAMERA COVERED? IT LOOKS, LOOKS TOTALLY BLACK.
I CAN'T TELL IF MAYBE YOU HAVE IT BLOCKED SOMEHOW.
LEMME JUST, WELL, I GUESS GO AHEAD AND YOU I'LL WORK ON IT.
AND, UH, I'M GOING INTRODUCE OUR EX OFFICIAL MEMBERS.
WE HAVE, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, CHAIR COHEN.
AND WE ALSO TODAY, UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
IS THAT TRUE? NO, TRANSPORTATION.
MR. MENDOZA, UM, IS THAT YOU THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN? CAN YOU HEAR US ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S GO AND, UH, CONTINUE.
UM, JUST, THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE BOTH, UH, PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY AND THOSE OF US THAT ARE ON THE DIAS AS WELL AS SPEAKERS THAT, UH, LIKE THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO CHAMBERS THIS EVENING.
AND THEN ALSO THOSE THAT CAN SPEAK, UM, UH, VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
SO, AND STAFF CAN DO THAT EQUALLY.
VET STAFF PRESENT, UM, VIRTUALLY AS WELL AS IN PERSON.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE, WE HAVE JUST A FEW ITEMS, I THINK SO FAR.
UH, WE'LL TAKE THOSE IN ORDER ON THE AGENDA, BUT YOU CAN WAIT OUT IN THE ATRIUM, UH, WHILE IF YOU'RE THE SECOND CASE OR ONE OF THE LATER CASES.
AND ANDREW, I GUESS YOU'RE FOR SPEAKERS, YOU'RE SENDING NOTICES OUT ABOUT 15 MINUTES AHEAD OF TIME.
COMMISSION ON ANDREW? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
THE, UH, SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE A EMAIL WHEN WE ARE 15 MINUTES AWAY FROM TAKING WITH THAT ITEM.
SO, UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UH, HOUSEKEEPING, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ON THE SCREEN, HAVE YOUR GREEN, RED, AND YELLOW CARDS JUST SO I CAN EASILY COUNT YOUR VOTE.
AND, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND STAY MUTED UNTIL, UM, YOU'RE CALLED UPON.
AND IF I DO, IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING MY ATTENTION, GO AHEAD AND SPEAK UP, BUT, UH, WE'LL TRY TO STAY MUTED AS LONG AS WE CAN.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION]
HAVE UNDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS.SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE UP.
WE'LL FIRST HEAR FROM MR. RON THROWER.
MR. THROWER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, FOLLOWED BY KAI GRAY CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT HOW WE'RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS, HOUSING
[00:05:01]
EMERGENCY, BUT WE ARE SERIOUSLY IN A CODE AMENDMENT EMERGENCY AS WELL.AND I KNOW THAT THIS BODY HAS A BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE THAT DOESN'T MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE MANY OF Y'ALL TO JOIN THAT AND HELP GUIDE THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS SO THAT THE RESOURCES CAN BE PUT IN THE RIGHT SPOT BECAUSE WE CAN ALL RECOGNIZE THERE'S A LOT OF CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS TODAY.
THERE'S GONNA BE MORE IN THE FUTURE.
WE'RE ALL GONNA BE APPROACHING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, MORE OF A BANDAID APPROACH, RATHER THAN ADOPTING A NEW CODE.
WE GOTTA HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THE STAFF LEVEL TO MAKE IT ALL WORK.
THANK YOU ALL NOT HEAR FROM MR. KAYA GRAY.
I, UM, BASICALLY JUST, WE NEED MORE HOUSING, SO ANYTHING Y'ALL CAN DO TO GIVE US MORE HOUSING WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS I KNOW Y'ALL ARE DISCUSSING.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE PARTICULARS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS ON SOME OF THE DISCUSSION ITEMS, BUT ANYTHING THAT CAN PROVIDE MORE HOUSING IS, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, VERY HELPFUL.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, COMMISSIONERS DID HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THE APRIL 11TH, 2023 MINUTES THAT WERE ISSUED EARLIER TODAY.
UH, SEEING NONE, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON WILL GO AND ROLL THOSE INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE, I'VE GOT, UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON IS GONNA HELP, UH,
[Reading of the Agenda]
HELP ME OUT WITH THE FIRST READING OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WE'LL SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS.UH, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THEM, UH, TO PULL ITEMS. BUT, UH, WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST READING.
ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
ITEM TWO, PLAN, AMENDMENT MPA 20 22 0 0 2 3 0 2 EAST 51ST AND CAMERON STAFF POSTPONE MAY 23RD.
ITEM THREE, NPA 20 22 0 0 3 0 1 GOBI TWO 50.
ITEM FOUR C 14 20 22 0 1 58 GOBI TWO 50 STAFF POSTPONEMENT, MAY 23RD.
AMENDMENT NPA 20 22 0 0 0 8 0 1 3 1 17 31 21 EAST 12TH STREET, SOUTHWEST MOMENT, MAY 9TH.
PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 22 0 0 2 1.
BURLESON AND BEN WHITE STAFF POST JUNE 23RD, ITEM SEVEN, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 22 0 0 2 0 1 INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD AND TERRY O. LANE STAFF POST JUNE 13TH, ITEM EIGHT C REZONING Z 14 20 22 0 62 INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD AND TERRY O. LANE, SOUTHWEST JUNE 13TH, ITEM NINE, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 22 0 0 1 4 DOT OH FIVE BERGSTROM SPUR TRAIL MIXED USE STAFF POSTPONEMENT MAY 9TH, ITEM 10, REZONING C 14 20 22.
1 46 BERGSTROM, TRAIL AREA, INFILL WESTERN TRACK STAFF POSTPONEMENT MAY 9TH, ITEM 11, REZONING C 14 20 22.
1 48, BERKS FROMM, TRAIL AREA INFILL EASTERN TRACK, SOUTH POSTPONE MAY 9TH, ITEM 12, REZONING C 14 20 22.
1 0 2 5 0 6 5 0 8 WEST REZONING.
DISCUSSION ITEM 13, REZONING C 14 20 22 0 1 40 BRENTWOOD MULTIFAMILY STAFF POSTPONEMENT MAY 23RD.
ITEM 14, REZONING C 814 97 0 0 0 1.
THAT 15 LEANDER REHABILITATION PUT AMENDMENT 16.
STAFF POSTPONEMENT DISTRICT, OR EXCUSE ME, UH, MAY 9TH.
C 14 H 20 23 0 24, LOWEN HOUSE CONSENT ITEM 16, HISTORIC ZONING.
C 14 H 20 22 0 1 76, BROKEN SPOKE.
DISCUSSION ITEM 17, SITE PLAN EXTENSION S P 20 16 4 74 C SH X T TWO RBJ CENTER CONSENT
[00:10:01]
STAFF, UH, HAS A REVISED RECOMMENDATION TO FIVE YEARS.SITE PLAN, ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE ONLY S P 20 22 0 0 56 D.
EVERGREEN DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, CONSENT WITH CONDITIONS THAT ARE LISTED HERE.
ITEM 19, FINAL PLATFORM APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN C 8 20 21 0 1 5 2 2 A PINNACLE AT WILDHORSE RANCH.
SECTION TWO, DISAPPROVAL FOR REASONS EXHIBIT C, ITEM 20, PRELIMINARY.
HARRIS BRANCH, COMMERCE PARK, PRELIMINARY PLAN, CONSENT ITEM 21, IMAGINE AUSTIN AMENDMENT.
AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, UPDATE PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 30TH, 6:00 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, ITEM 22, IMAGINE AUSTIN AMENDMENT CPA 20 22 0 0 0 1 PALM DISTRICT PLAN PLANNING COMMISSION, POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 30TH, 6:00 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. ANDERSON.
UH, JUST A FEW THINGS CUZ I WAS HAVING A LITTLE BIT TROUBLE.
SO WE HAVE, DID I HEAR, AND I'LL READ THESE THROUGH ONE MORE TIME.
SO ON ITEM SIX, THAT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE 13TH, THAT'S WHAT I'M OKAY.
AND THEN JUST WANT TO, UM, SO ON ITEM 18, MR. RIVERA, DO WE NEED, DO I NEED TO READ THOSE CONDITIONS INTO THE RECORD OR THEY CHECK COMMISSION LEE ON ANDREW RIVERA? SO YOU COULD JUST NOTE IT BY REFERENCE OF EXHIBIT A.
AND THEN JUST A REMINDER, THE LAST TWO ITEMS, 21 AND 22, WE'RE GONNA HEAR THOSE ON THE MAY 30TH, WHICH IS THE FIFTH TUESDAY THAT WE, UH, DID A HEADCOUNT AND DECIDED WE SHOULD HAVE QUORUM THAT DAY SO WE CAN GET A LITTLE EXTRA WORK DONE ON THAT EXTRA TUESDAY.
UH, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ THROUGH THIS, UH, AGENDA, CONSENT AGENDA ONE MORE TIME AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET ANY, IF THERE'S ANY OPPOSITION TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVING THIS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 11TH.
ITEM TWO, PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 23RD.
ITEM THREE, PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 23RD.
ITEM FOUR, REZONING STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 23RD.
ITEM FIVE, PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 9TH.
ITEM SIX, PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE 13TH.
ITEM SEVEN, STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE 13TH.
ITEM EIGHT, STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE 13TH.
ITEM NINE, PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 9TH.
ITEM 10, REZONING STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 9TH.
ITEM 11, REZONING STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 9TH.
ITEM 12 IS DISCUSSION CASE, UH, REZONING DISCUSSION.
UH, ITEM 13, REZONING STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 23RD.
ITEM 14, REZONING STAFF POSTPONE IT TO MAY 9TH.
WE HAVE ITEM 15, HISTORIC ZONING.
UH, THAT'S OUR SECOND DISCUSSION CASE SO FAR THIS EVENING.
ITEM 17, SP EXTENSION, UH, CONSENT NOTE.
STAFF REVISED RECOMMENDATION TO FIVE YEARS ITEM 18, SITE PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE ONLY.
UH, THIS IS NON-CONSENT APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS AND YOU CAN, UH, WE PC FINES WITH THE CONDITION, THESE CONDITIONS THAT ARE AGREEABLE, UH, AGREED TO BY THE APPLICANT.
AND THEY'RE SHOWN IN EXHIBIT A, UM, THE REQUIREMENT OF 25 8 DASH 41 ARE MET.
AND I GUESS, DID WE, THE STAFF AMENABLE TO THESE? OKAY.
AND ITEM 19, FINAL PLAT FROM APPROVED PRELIMINARY PLAN.
DISAPPROVED FOR REASONS IN EXHIBIT C.
ITEM 20 PRELIMINARY PLAN ON CONSENT.
ITEM 21, IMAGINE US AN AMENDMENT PC POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 30TH.
WE HEAR THAT 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL.
UH, ITEM 22, IMAGINE US AN AMENDMENT PC POSTPONE TO MAY 30TH, 6:00 PM AT AUSTIN CITY HALL.
SO COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, OKAY, UM,
[00:15:01]
VICE CHAIR HEMPLE.I WANNA MAKE A NOTE THAT I'LL BE RECUSING FROM ITEM NUMBER 17, THE RBJ PROJECT DESIGN WORKSHOP.
THE FIRM THAT I WORK FOR IS THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FOR THAT PROJECT.
AND, UM, MR. COX? YEAH, SHE, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANY OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON IF THEY HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THE NUMBER OF STAFF POSTPONEMENTS.
UM, I ASSUME IT'S DUE TO OUR UNFORTUNATE LABOR SHORTAGE, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THEY HAD ANYTHING, ANY EXPLANATION ON THAT CHAIR.
COMMISSION LIAISON, ANDREA, ACTUALLY, IF YOU REFER TO THE MEMORANDUMS PROVIDED, UH, YOU'LL NOTE THE, UH, VARIOUS, UH, PURPOSES FOR THE POSTPONEMENT.
SOME OF 'EM ARE FOR, UH, THE APPLICANT TO, UH, CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH, UH, MEANS THAT HOPEFULLY WHEN IT COMES BACK TO YOUR DI IT'S CONSENT.
YEAH, I, I PULLED UP MOST OF THOSE AND IT JUST SAID NEEDED MORE TIME FOR REVIEWS AND THAT'S WHY I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY COMMENT ON IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER COX, IT WAS A LITTLE HARD TO HEAR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THAT'S JUST A YES YOU CAN.
COMPLEX ISSUE OR THANK YOU VICE CHAIR.
YEAH, IT WAS A LITTLE MUDDLED.
SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, INCLUDING THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 11TH? UH, WELL CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES AND THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
DO WE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
AND THAT IS, UH, APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OUR, SO ANY, UM, YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR STAFF ON ITEM NUMBER
[12. Rezoning: C14-2022-0102 - 506 and 508 West Rezoning; District 9]
12.GO AHEAD AND GET THE DISCUSSION CASES STARTED.
NANCY ESTRADA WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS ITEM, HOLD ON, LET ME, OKAY.
THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 12 ON YOUR AGENDA CASE C 14 20 22 0 1, 0 2.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 5 0 6 AND 5 0 8 WEST AVENUE.
IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED D M U AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING C B D.
THE SUBJECT REZONING AREA IS 0.57 ACRES AND IT CONTAINS TWO RESTAURANTS.
SURFACE PARKING AREA TAKES ACCESS TO WEST AVENUE AND HAS DOWNTOWN MIXED USE ZONING.
THE SUBJECT TRACT IS LOCATED IN THE LOWER SHOLL CREEK DISTRICT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
IT IS ADJACENT TO A RESTAURANT TO THE NORTH ZONE D M U TWO COCKTAIL LOUNGES ACROSS WEST AVENUE TO THE EAST C B D CONDOMINIUMS TO THE SOUTH ZONE C B D CO AND THE SHO CREEK GREEN BELT TRAIL OFFICES AND RETAIL USES TO THE WEST ZONE.
P DM U CURE AS INFORMATION CBD ZONING DOES NOT HAVE A HEIGHT LIMIT AND HAS A MAXIMUM F A R OF A TO ONE UNDER CBD ZONING.
ADDITIONAL F A R IS ACHIEVED THROUGH APPLICANT PARTICIPATION IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THE RECOMMENDED CBD ZONING CLASSIFICATION IS INTENDED TO EXPAND ENTITLEMENT RIGHTS TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY IN A WAY THAT WILL ENCOURAGE A MIX OF LAND USES WHILE ALLOWING THE PURSUIT OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THE LOWER SHOLL CREEK DISTRICT.
THESE INCLUDE PROMOTING A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, CULTURAL, AND VISITOR ORIENTED USES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE DAY AND NIGHT TIME LIFE OF THE DISTRICT.
THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING C B D CO COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING WITH PROHIBITED USES LISTED IN YOUR STAFF REPORT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HERE.
NOW HERE FOR THE APPLICANT FOR FIVE MINUTES.
CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT TONIGHT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD, UH, FROM DIFFERENT FROM THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WE'RE ASKING FOR CBD ZONING SO THAT WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND GO ABOVE THE 400 FOOT HEIGHT AND GET THE TO NEARLY 20 TO ONE F A R.
UM, THE REASON YOU SEE ALL OF THE POSTPONEMENTS, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THERE ARE, SIX OR SEVEN IS WE WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR AT THE AUSTIN CITY LOFTS.
UM, THEY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING
[00:20:01]
OUR BUILDING ON, ON THE LOT LINE NEXT TO THEM.WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE, WE, WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS TO DISCUSS WITH THEM, BUT THAT'S, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN ONE.
UM, WE THOUGHT ABOUT POSTPONING AGAIN TONIGHT, BUT ONCE YOU POSTPONE PAST TONIGHT, AND I CAN'T BE HERE TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, THEN WE'RE PAST THE SUMMER AT CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND GET YOUR IDEAS TONIGHT AND SEE WHAT Y'ALL THINK ABOUT CBD ZONING SURROUNDED BY CBD ZONING IN AN AREA THAT, UH, IF, IF, AGAIN, IF NOT HERE, THEN, THEN WHERE.
AND I LIKE THIS PROGRAM WHERE A BIG AGENDA, AND I THINK I'M THE ONLY TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS TONIGHT.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM MS. MARY STRATMAN.
MS. STRATMAN, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES, FOLLOWED BY MS. ANGELA HOVIS.
MY NAME'S MARY STRATMAN AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN CITY LOCKS OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
THIS HOA, UH, OBJECTS TO THE REZONING REQUEST FROM DM U TO CBD, AND THEY RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DENY IT.
AS THE DEVELOPER HAS STATED, THEY ARE SEEKING CBD.
SO IF THEY CAN ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT AND F A R POSSIBLE, CURRENTLY, THEIR SITE PLAN REFLECTS A HEIGHT OF AROUND 500 FEET IN F A R IN EXCESS OF 19 ONE.
WHILE HEIGHT AND DENSITY ARE CERTAINLY ENCOURAGED DOWNTOWN, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE SITE SPECIFIC ATTRIBUTES OF THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY.
IT IS LOCATED MID-BLOCK WITH ACCESS TO ONLY ONE ROADWAY, WEST AVENUE, WHICH IS A TWO-LANE ROAD AND IS LOCATED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE 25 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN.
A C L DOES NOT OBJECT TO DEVELOPMENT OF 5 0 6 WEST.
THEY KNOW IT WILL BE DEVELOPED.
THEY, HOWEVER, BELIEVE THAT DMU ZONING IS THE APPROPRIATE BASE ZONING DISTRICT FOR THIS PIECE OF LAND IN LIGHT OF ITS SPECIFIC SITE ATTRIBUTES.
TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN THAT HAS THIS KIND OF HEIGHT AND THIS KIND OF DENSITY LOCATED ON A SITE COMPARABLE TO THIS ONE, WHICH AGAIN, IS LOCATED MIDBLOCK WITH ACCESS TO ONE STREET ONLY.
WE WITHIN, WITHIN THE 25 YEAR FLIP LANE IN FRONT OF YOU IS RENDERING, SHOWING YOU THE PRO RELATION TO THE NEW TOWER IN THE ACL BUILDING.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE NEW TOWER AT 5 0 6 WEST WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, SO IT'S FOUNDATION IMMEDIATELY OF BUTS THE ACL BUILDING.
THE ACL BUILDING HAS A UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE IN THAT IT'S AN L-SHAPED BUILDING WITH FIFTH FLOOR BALCONIES THAT GO CLEARED TO THE SKY WHEN THE NEW TOWER'S FACADE IS CONSTRUCTED IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ACL BUILDING AND GIVEN THE HEIGHT OF THE TOWER, THIS WILL CREATE WHAT AN ENGINEER CALLS A BOX CANYON WITHIN THAT FIFTH FLOOR BALCONY AREA.
THERE ARE OF THE MANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT BOX CANYON RAIN WILL RICOCHET BETWEEN THE TWO FACADES CAUSING TWO MAJOR ISSUES.
THE FIRST IS THE ACL FACADE WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR THAT RICOCHETING RAIN AND THE LACK OF AIRFLOW AND THE BOX CANYON WILL PREVENT THE BILL FACADE FROM SUFFICIENTLY DRYING OUT LEADING TO MOLD PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE WATER INTRUSION.
IN ADDITION, THOSE FIFTH FOUR BALCONIES WERE NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE, UH, THAT KIND OF DRAINAGE ISSUE, THEREBY CAUSING FURTHER WATER DAMAGE THOSE BALCONIES ITSELF.
AS MR. SU STATED, WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND A COMPROMISE ON A SETBACK AND A RESTRICTION ON HEIGHT AND F A R AS THOSE THINGS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY MITIGATE THE RISK AND THE DAMAGE TO THE ACL BUILDING AND THE LIVES OF ITS RESIDENTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS OF TODAY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT, ALTHOUGH WE ARE HOPEFUL TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER.
BUT GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN OUR NEGOTIATION, ACL HAS NO, UH, OPTION BUT TO FORMALLY OBJECT TO THIS REZONE AND REQUEST THAT YOU DENY IT.
I WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
THANK YOU, AND I'LL HEAR FROM MS. ANGELA HOVES.
MS. HOVES, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I'M REPRESENTING, UM, MYSELF AND OTHER RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN FIFTH AND WEST.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, THAT THIS BUILDING ONCE INCREASED DENSITY, BUT IS MID-BLOCK.
UM, THE, I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, BUT I'M SORRY.
THAT'S THE REALLY BIG CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.
BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE BUILDING IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM US, THAT IT'S ALREADY A ZOO.
WE HAVE, I WISH EVERYONE COULD WALK AND WOOD WALK THIS, HAVING THIS MID-BLOCK IN ALL OF THEIR RESIDENTS HAVING
[00:25:01]
TO EGRESS IN INGRESS ONTO OUR LITTLE TWO-LANE WEST AVENUE, WHICH IS ALREADY EXTREMELY OVERBURDENED ONE LANE EACH WAY.THEY'RE CONSTANT DELIVERY DROP-OFFS ALREADY.
PEOPLE ARE ALREADY TRYING TO DOUBLE PARK PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAYS.
FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT DO EXIST, THIS DENSITY WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE.
AND I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THAT DMU DOES ALREADY PROVIDE FOR A DENSITY BONUS.
THEY CAN ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS ONE WAY TO HAVE MORE RESIDENTS AND LESS, UH, OF A SITUATION WOULD BE, FOR INSTANCE, TO CUT BACK ON THE AMOUNT OF PARKING.
UH, WE'RE OPPOSED TO DMU BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THAT THIS MID-BLOCK LOCATION, UH, WITH A LIGHT ON EACH END OF A REALLY SHORT, SHORT BLOCK, IS ALREADY OVERLY GRIDLOCKED AND UNSAFE FOR THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING THERE WITH NO PLACE TO PULL OVER AND GO.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU CONSIDERING, UM, OUR, THE ZONING CHANGE AS YOU, UM, UH, CONSIDER OUR IMMEDIATE AREA AND OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY AND LIVABILITY.
WE, WE DO WANT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT MORE RESIDENCES, BUT THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL REQUEST FOR AN UNUSUAL LOCATION.
WILL NOT HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT FOR A THREE MINUTE REBUTTAL.
UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING, UM, IMAGINE IF WE SAID WE CAN'T BUILD ANY MORE TALL BUILDINGS NEXT TO TALL BUILDINGS, THAT, THAT WOULD, IT WOULD KIND OF BE A, A WEIRD RESULT DOWNTOWN.
UH, REST ASSURED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING AND ALL WILL, WILL MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DRAINING ON THEM AND, AND, AND TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR THEIR BUILDING.
UM, ON, ON FIFTH AND WEST, I I THINK THEY'RE 430 FEET TALL AND THEY'VE GOT A 20 TO ONE F A R.
IT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REBUT OTHER THAN TO SAY WE'D LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR OR THE SAME OR EVEN DENSER THAN OUR NEIGHBORS WITH CBD ZONING AROUND US.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
IF, IF, AGAIN, IF, IF NOT HERE, THEN, THEN WHERE IS KIND OF THE QUESTION.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DECLARE THE PUBLIC HEARING? UH, VICE HEMPLE.
WE GOT, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, UH, HEARING? NO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS? SEEING NONE, UH, OKAY.
UH, CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OUR QUESTIONS.
WE'RE KEEPING IT, WE HAVE TWO CASES.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND KEEP IT AT, UH, EIGHT AT FIVE THIS EVENING.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO USE IT ALL IF WE DON'T NEED TO.
UM, SO WHO HAS FIRST QUESTION THIS EVENING? WE DON'T EVEN HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS.
YEAH, I'VE GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT PETITION THE FLOODPLAIN AND, UH, THE REQUEST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I GUESS FIRST TO, UM, MR. SUBTLE, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THIS, UM, FLOODPLAIN REGULATION VARIANCE THAT WAS REFERENCED IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION? SURE.
THIS SITE IS, MOST OF THE SITES ALONG, UH, SHO CREEK ARE, WE'RE, WE ARE IN THE FLOODPLAIN TO BUILD OUR PROPERTY.
WE'LL, WE'LL NEED A FLOODPLAIN VARIANCE SHOW SAFE, SAFE ACCESS, AND SHOW NO ADVERSE IMPACT DOWNSTREAM.
THAT'S SEPARATE AND APART AS PART OF THE SITE PLAN PROCESS AS WE GO THROUGH THE ZONING REQUEST IS TO, IS THE FIRST GATE TO GO THROUGH, ARE WE ABLE TO DO A, A, A DENSE PROJECT HERE? AND BY D I MEAN 359 UNITS? I'M, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, UH, DO THE VARIANCE THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET, UH, IF YOU GET PASTING, UM, DO THE PROPERTIES AROUND THIS PROPERTY HAVE THE SAME VARIANCE? I BELIEVE THEY DO.
UM, SECOND QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. SO IS, IS, UM, THE O A N A MADE THREE REQUESTS RELATED TO PARKING, UM, DECOUPLING THE PARKING SPACES FROM THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS, TRYING TO MAKE THE PARKING LEVELS ADAPTABLE FOR FUTURE REUSE, AND THEN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
HAVE, HAS THE APPLICANT AGREED TO ANY OF THOSE CONDITIONS TO THEIR SUPPORT? OH MY GOODNESS.
[00:30:01]
HAVE A SITE PLAN IN, I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S A BIG EFFORT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA, YOU DON'T WANNA BUILD ANY MORE PARKING THAN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO MARKET YOUR, YOUR PROJECT.SO I KNOW WE'RE NOT OVER PARKING IT, WHETHER IT'S BEING BUILT TO BE ABLE TO REUSE OR, UM, OR DECOUPLE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WILL BECOME PART OF THE PROCESS, UH, DURING THE SITE PLAN PROCESS OR SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT A, A CONDITION.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS FOR, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T GET HER NAME, BUT, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTING THE AUSTIN COFF'S OWNERS ASSOCIATION, IS THAT, UH, MARY ST.
UM, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS FOR, UM, CONDO BUILDINGS LIKE THIS, BUT HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED OR ATTEMPTED TO DO A VALID PETITION IF, IF YOUR, UH, HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION ARE VERY OPPOSED TO THIS? UH, YES, WE'VE LOOKED INTO IT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT PURSUING THAT AT THIS TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF LAND THAT'S AROUND AND THERE'S A QUESTION I THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE A LEGITIMATE PETITION.
LEGITIMATE BECAUSE OF REACHING THE, REACHING THE 20 THRESHOLD THRESHOLD.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY ELSE? UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK A FEW, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UH, AND THIS IS PROBABLY FOR STAFF AND I MAY NEED HELP FROM, UM, MS. STRATMAN AGAIN, BUT LET'S START WITH STEPH.
SO, UH, COULD YOU JUST QUICKLY, THE HEIGHT LIMIT ON DMU, THE HEIGHT LIMIT ON DMU IS 1 21 20, AND THERE'S NO HEIGHT RESTRICTION FOR C B D.
AND DO YOU KNOW HOW HIGH THE ACL BUILDING IS? HOW TALL? I BELIEVE IT'S 14 STORIES.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT HEIGHT.
DO WE KNOW? SO WHAT DID, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING? IS HEIGHT THERE? ANYBODY KNOW? 14, 10.
SO IT'S JUST OVER, PARDON? 63 7? LET ME LOOK, LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT.
ALL RIGHT, MS. STRATMAN, DO YOU KNOW HOW TALL FEET? YES, SIR.
I'M, I JUST DID 10 FEVER HERE.
IN WHAT, THREE YOU THINK? 300? YES.
MY, UM, CLIENT REPRESENTATIVES ARE HERE AND THEY SAID IT'S 170 FEET.
REMEMBER, IT'S C B D C O THAT CO CAPPED THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING AT THAT HEIGHT.
THAT'S ALL THE, UH, QUESTIONS I HAD.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY MORE HANDS FOR QUESTION.
OH, COMMISSIONER MOOCH TELLER, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION CAN BE ANSWERED BY STAFF.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, THE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT THE, UM, HOA BROUGHT FORWARD REGARDING THE BUILDINGS AND THE CONSTRUCTION.
HOW, HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE SITE PLAN PROCESS? I MEAN, THAT IS REALLY DURING THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.
THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE DEALT WITH, UH, DURING THAT PROCESS.
THAT ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE DETAILS ON DURING THE ZONING PROCESS.
I, I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO OUR ZONING DECISION, BUT HA HAVE THESE CONCERNS COME UP BEFORE IN OUR DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT SINCE I'M RATHER NEW
DO YOU HAVE ANY, I MEAN, I CAN REDIRECT THE QUESTIONS.
THE APP APPLICANT, I KNOW THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH BUILDING DOWNTOWN, BUT I'VE BEEN HOP GET FROM SNAP.
I HAVEN'T HAD, UH, ZONING CASES YET DOWNTOWN, SO, OKAY.
BUT I CAN SEE WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WE CAN PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEN I'LL, I'LL REDIRECT THAT QUESTION TO MR. SUBTLE.
UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS, THESE CONCERNS BUILDING THE BUILDING IN THESE HIGHER, UM, BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN OTHER PROJECTS, COMMISSIONER? YES.
UM, A LOT GOES INTO BUILDING THESE HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS AND, UM,
[00:35:02]
YOU OFTENTIMES ARE GETTING WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR ON VARIOUS ISSUES.THE ARCHITECTS ARE VERY CAREFUL TO DESIGN IT, RIGHT.
THE ENGINEERS ARE CAREFUL TO DESIGN IT, RIGHT? BUT WE'RE NOT THE FIRST CITY TO HAVE DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS BUILT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
AND, AND WHAT WE THINK IS TALL, FOUR OR 500 FEET IS IN OTHER CITIES IS NOT TALL.
I GUESS WHAT I'M I'M ASKING IS, IS THERE, HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN THROUGH THIS OR HAVE YOUR ENGINEERS BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS BEFORE? HAVE, DO WE HAVE A CITY INTERNAL MECHANISM PROCESS FOR MAKING SURE THIS IS DONE SAFELY? OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE GOT THIS IN OTHER AREAS OF OUR CITY AS WELL.
UM, USUALLY BY THE TIME THEY GET READY TO BUILD A BUILDING, I, I PERSONALLY AM OUT OF IT, UN UNLESS THERE'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE, WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
BUT, UM, THE CONTRACTORS ARE ALL PRETTY GOOD AT IT.
THAT'S, UH, WE'RE UP TO THREE, UH, MR. COT, WE, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND WE'RE TRYING NOT TO DO REPEATS, UM, IF WE CAN HELP IT.
SO LET'S, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, FISHER, UM, BADA RAMIREZ, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW I'M FLEEING ABOUT THE CASE AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK GENERALLY I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE FLOODPLAIN ISSUE CUZ IT'S STATED, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THERE'S REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABOVE A CERTAIN FREE BOARD.
THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS ALL ALONG TO MEET THOSE, UM, FLOOD PA PLANE CONCERNS.
WHAT DOES CONCERN ME IS KIND OF THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF PLACING THE TALL BUILDING NEXT TO ANOTHER TALL BUILDING AS DISCUSSED THE ENGINEERING, UM, CONCERNS.
UM, AND THAT, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A DESIRE TO BUILD MORE UNITS AND HAVING THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM BE PART OF THIS IS, IS EXCITING AND, AND AN INCENTIVE.
UM, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC IMPACTS, BUT WHAT I DO, I REALLY LIKE WHAT THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PUT TOGETHER.
THERE ARE THREE POINTS ABOUT DECOUPLING PARKING AND, UM, REDUCING PARKING.
AND, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE THIRD ONE, BUT, AND THE REASON IS, WHAT DOES CONCERN ME IS HAVING THE, THE, A TALL PARKING STRUCTURE NEXT TO THIS BUILDING.
SO I WOULD REALLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FORMULATE THAT INTO A MOTION OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT THAT IS MY, MY NUMBER ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS PROJECT.
I'M JUST ASKED, DO WE ANYBODY HAVE A MOTION OR DO WE REALLY NEED ANY ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATIONS BEFORE MOVING ON? DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MOTION? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION OF THAT MOTION.
AND COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, LAST QUESTION.
COULD I ASK THE APPLICANT ABOUT WHAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT, UM, THE CONCERN ABOUT MAYBE THE PARKING GARAGE NEXT TO, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ACL HAS A PARKING GARAGE, BUT THEN THEY HAVE RESIDENCES.
AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS YOUR PARKING GARAGE AND HOW HIGH IT MIGHT GO? AND CAN WE GET ANY CONSIDERATION FOR THAT? YEAH, RIGHT NOW OUR PARKING GARAGE IS A LITTLE TALLER THAN, THAN THEIRS.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT STEPPING BACK.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE WE HAVE ON PARKING ON THIS SIDE IS IT'S PRETTY NARROW.
SO TO GET AN EFFICIENT PARKING BASE, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH MOVEMENT THERE.
BUT IF, IF, IF THE CONCERN IS THE THREE THINGS THAT OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, UM, HAS SAID ABOUT DECOUPLING, REDUCING AND REUSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT IN A RECOMMENDATION, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT BACK TO MY CLIENT AS PART OF A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS CASE.
I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION UNLESS, OKAY.
WE HAVE A FEW MORE SPOTS FOR QUESTIONS, OTHERWISE, WE'LL, OKAY.
I MOVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF C B D C.
HIPPLE, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION, COMMISS ANDERSON? SURE.
UM, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE HAVE EXPANDED THE CBD.
UM, AS FAR AS JUST REALLY GETTING MORE KIND OF CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONING OUT THERE, AND MAYBE IT'S TIME THAT WE CAN, IT'S TOO BAD THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT SO PIECEMEAL.
THERE'S DEFINITELY A BIG NEED FOR MORE, UH, CBD ZONING.
I KNOW JUST IN OUR LAST AGENDA, WE LOOKED AT 64 EAST A, WHICH LOOKS TO BE, I THINK OVER A HUNDRED FEET TALLER THAN THIS.
AND IT WAS ALSO A MID-BLOCK DEVELOPMENT.
SO WITH, WITH THE LAND VALUES BEING WHAT THEY ARE, I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA START TO SEE A LOT MORE MID-BLOCK DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT FLOODPLAIN.
[00:40:01]
I LIVE ON THE 33RD FLOOR OF A BUILDING AND I GET NOTICES THAT I HAVE TO PAY FLOOD INSURANCE BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE SAME FLOODPLAIN.SO THERE'S JUST WAYS THAT WE BUILD AROUND THAT AND WE BUILD TO MAKE THESE BUILDINGS SAFE.
I THINK FIFTH AND WEST WERE BUILT SAFE AS WELL.
AND THEY'RE ALSO IN THE SAME FLOODPLAIN.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW WE HAVE RESIDENTS FROM FIFTH AND WEST HERE.
UM, IT WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN THE OWNERS OF THE, UH, TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION BUILDING CAME TO ME SAYING, HEY, WE WANNA BUILD A LARGE CONDO BUILDING ON THIS SITE.
COULD YOU PLEASE HELP US? AND SO WORKING FOR MAYOR PRO TEM CHERYL COLE, I WROTE A RESOLUTION TO HELP THEM BE A 400 FOOT TALL BUILDING.
CUZ BACK THEN THEY COULDN'T BE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST 10 YEARS LATER AND US JUST TRYING TO BUILD MORE HOUSING AND IT'S TOO BAD WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE MORE CBD ON THE GROUND.
THEN, I'M SORRY, ACL L WAS LIMITED TO 1 70 15, 20 YEARS AGO, I GUESS NOW.
BUT THIS, THIS BUILDING 20 YEARS LATER DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
SO I'M EXCITED TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AND SEE MORE HOMES BUILT DOWNTOWN.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER, SPEAKING AGAINST THIS MOTION.
ANYONE SPEAKING, FORWARD IN FAVOR.
ALL RIGHT, SO THIS, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
UH, THIS IS THE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, SECONDED BY BY CHAIR HEMPLE.
AND THIS IS STAFF RECOMMENDATION, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE FOR, FOR THOSE ON THE DIAS, UH, IN FAVOR.
UH, THOSE, UH, VIRTUALLY IN FAVOR.
THOSE ON THE DI UM, AGAINST THOSE VIRTUALLY AGAINST, AND I SEE YELLOW.
SO NOW THOSE ABSTAIN I HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS SO THAT THAT DOES NOT PASS.
UH, YEAH, WE HAVE LOW NUMBERS TONIGHT, WHICH IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? I DON'T THINK, UH, WITH THE TWO ABSTENTIONS, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS MOTION APPROVAL? CAN WE DO, WHAT WAS THE COMMISSION? LET'S GO AHEAD AND KEEP IT, UH, OPEN.
SO LET'S, UM, SO THAT MOTION DID NOT PASS.
COMMISSIONER COX, AM I ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION TO STAFF? CUZ THAT MIGHT CHANGE MY VOTE.
IF IT CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND, UH, MR. COX, GO AHEAD AND ASK, ASK HER QUESTION.
YEAH, I, UH, I FORGOT TO ASK THIS.
DURING MY TIME, I WAS CURIOUS AS TO THE, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE USES.
UM, I'M NOT KNOWN TO BE A BIG ADVOCATE OF BARS, BUT WE ARE PRETTY MUCH ON SIXTH STREET, SO I WAS CURIOUS WHERE THOSE, UH, PROHIBITED USES CAME FROM.
I'M ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE TO DEFER TO THE APPLICANT BECAUSE THIS, A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION WAS PUT TOGETHER, UH, THIS PAST FALL.
AND SO IT'S BEEN INFORMATION THAT I'VE BEEN REVIEWING.
SO, UM, IS THAT, SO THE QUESTION IS ABOUT WHERE, WHERE THE COS ORIGINATED? YES.
OR HOW DID THOSE ORIGINATE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
WE HAD THOSE FOUR SPECIFIC USE.
SO THAT SPECIFIC USE, THIS WERE FROM WENDY WHEN SHE GOT, THOSE ARE FROM WENDY UHHUH
SO, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY INITIATE IT FROM US.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT.
I ALMOST SAID HOUSING PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS STAFF REPORT INITIATED WITH WENDY RHODES A FORMER EMPLOYEE, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE.
AND THEN NANCY, SO GRACIOUSLY HELPED PICK THIS UP.
SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THESE USES CAME FROM.
WE'RE TALKING TO THE APPLICANT.
SO WENDY WAS THE CASE MANAGER.
SHE'S NO LONGER, UM, AND IT'S FUNNY THAT NANCY AND I TALKED ABOUT WHERE DID THESE USE PROHIBITED USES COME FROM? SO WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE WE CAME.
OH, I THINK THEY CAME, THE NEIGHBORHOOD REQUESTED IT.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, SO, OKAY.
BUT IT'S FUNNY THAT I JUST ASKED THAT BEFORE.
DO YOU WANNA GIVE YOUR QUESTION MORE CONTEXT? MS. UH, COMMISSIONER COX, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM JUST TO HELP THEM.
SO IT SEEMS, DID, IT APPEARS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD REQUESTED THESE USES, SINCE THOSE USES
[00:45:01]
ARE NOT PERMITTED IN D M U AND IT'S, IT APPEARS THAT THE APPLICANT AGREED TO PROHIBITING THOSE USES BECAUSE THEY WERE REQUESTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND WENDY, HOW GREAT SHE WAS INCORPORATED, INCORPORATED THOSE IN THE STAFF REPORT AND WE'RE FIGURING THAT OUT RIGHT NOW.NO, NO, THAT, THAT MAKES, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO IN A MOTION? UH, YOU CANNOT PUT THAT IN A CO BECAUSE THAT'S NOT PART OF 25 2.
IT'S NOT PART OF A ZONING, SO, NO.
AND THAT, THAT ALSO APPLIES TO THE DECOUPLING, THE PARKING WITH THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, COST.
I'M SORRY, I MISSED THAT QUESTION.
THE, THE DECOUPLING OF THE, UH, THE PARKING COSTS FROM THE RESIDENTIAL COSTS, WE CAN'T DO THAT TOO, SINCE THAT'S NOT PART OF CORRECT.
SO MS. HARDEN, JUST THINGS WE CAN DO OR, OKAY.
WELL, I, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, I, I AGREE.
I THINK IT CAN'T BE PART OF THE CO BUT AS WE DUG THROUGH THE PAPERWORK, THE, THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WROTE US A LETTER OF SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT, AND IN THAT LETTER IT TALKS ABOUT THE PARKING AND WE AGREED TO THE LETTER WITH TED AND THAT.
WE JUST HAVE, DON'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO DO IT YET, BUT WE'VE AGREED TO IT.
AND, AND ON THE USES WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD WITH THE USES.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD ALSO ASKED US FOR THOSE USES.
WE WERE FINE WITH TAKING 'EM OFF.
YOU WANNA PUT 'EM MIC ON? WE'RE FINE WITH THAT TOO, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD ASKED US FOR THEM.
SO YOU, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TO, NOW THAT I'VE ASKED MY QUESTION, I I'M, I'M WILLING TO, UH, CHANGE MY VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION IF, IF WE WANNA REOPEN THAT.
WE'VE GOT, UM, COMMISSIONER VADA RAMIREZ.
YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE WE, WELL, I WAS GONNA OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE MOTION, BUT IF WE HAVE THE VOTES, THEN I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT I NEED TO, OKAY.
SO MR. RIVERA, DO WE NEED TO DO A RESCIND OR? NOPE.
IF I MAY, SINCE OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN IS IN HERE, YOU ACTUALLY NEED A MOTION TO RECONSIDER MADE BY SOMEONE WHO VOTED AGAINST THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH I THINK THAT QUALIFIES AS, AND THEN SOMEONE WOULD NEED TO SECOND THEN YOU VOTE ON THE RECONSIDERATION.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER YOU HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE RECONSIDERATION? SEEING NONE, UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP, UH, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND, CAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? OKAY.
DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND RESTATE YOUR MOTION? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON? SURE.
UH, MOVE APPROVAL FOR, UH, RECOMMENDATION OF CBD CO.
AND DO WE STILL HAVE A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR HEMPEL? YES.
AND, UH, ANY DISCUSSION AT ALL ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
MY, YEAH, JUST MY, MY ONLY DISCUSSION IS THAT I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT THE APPLICANT IS CONSIDERING, UM, WHAT THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CONSI, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT FORTH IN THEIR LETTER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF THEIR EVENTUAL AGREEMENT, WHETHER IT IS IN THE FORM OF A, UM, RESTRICTED COVENANT OR HOWEVER IT'S STATED.
WELL, LET'S GO AND, UH, ARE THERE, LET'S DO THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THIS MOTION? OKAY, IT'S UNANIMOUS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS FOR WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND, UH, SOUNDS LIKE WE GOT ALL OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE, COMMISSIONER COX.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[16. Historic Zoning: C14H-2022-0176 - Broken Spoke ; District 5]
16.AND, OH, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR, STAFF IS THE APPLICANT YES, JUDGE.
AND THE PROPERTY OWNER IS IN, IS IN OPPOSITION.
UH, ITEM 16, OH, I'M CALLEN CONTRERAS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR CITY OF AUSTIN IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, ITEM 16, CASE NUMBER C 14 H 2022.
1 76 IS A CITY COUNCIL INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING CASE FOR THE BROKEN SPOKE AT 32 0 1 SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD.
THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION RECOMMENDED HISTORIC ZONING UNDER THE CRITERIA FOR COMMUNITY VALUE ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
RESOLUTION 20 22, 1100 3081 ADOPTED IN NOVEMBER, 2022, DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO REVIEW AND ADVANCE THE PROPERTY FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION THROUGH LANDMARK COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL, UH,
[00:50:01]
THE LANDOWNER IS OPPOSED TO DESIGNATION.UM, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION OUTLINES THE BROKEN SPOKE, BROKEN SPOKE SIGNIFICANCE AS FOLLOWS, SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1964 BY JAMES WHITE, WHOSE FAMILY STILL OWNS AND OPERATES THE VENUE, THE BROKEN SPOKE HAS ENTERTAINED LEGIONS OF AUSTINITES AND VISITORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
IT HELPED SHAPE THE CAREERS OF MANY COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTARS AND DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF THE LAG MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
AS THE AREA AROUND THE BROKEN SPOKE HAS PROSPERED AND SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO SECURE THIS VENUE FROM A FATE SUFFERED BY MANY IN THE CITY.
THE BROKEN SPOKE IS MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD AND RETAINS ITS INTEGRITY AS A CLASSIC TEXAS MUSIC AND DANCE HALL, IT HAS SIGNIFICANT LONG-STANDING ASSOCIATIONS WITH PER PERSONS GROUPS AND EVENTS OF CITY AND STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE AND PROVIDES DISTINCT COMMUNITY VALUE AS A CORNERSTONE OF AUSTIN'S LIVE MUSIC SCENE.
IN 2015, NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, NOMINATION AUTHOR CATHERINE CLARK EXPANDED UPON THE BUILDING'S SIGNIFICANCE UNDER THE FEDERAL CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ASSOCIATIONS.
IT QUICKLY BECAME A STAPLE OF THE COUNTRY MUSIC SCENE AS THE ONLY LOCAL HONKYTONK TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSIC COUNTRY ACTS LIKE THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS, ROY AKF, ERNEST TUB, EVEN A LATE SIXTIES CLEAN SHAVEN WILLIE NELSON AT THE START OF HIS CAREER.
AND NEWER ACTS, INCLUDING FRIA, THE FIRE DOGS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, DOLLY PARTON, JERRY, JEFF WALKER, AND GEORGE STRAIT.
THE BUILDING IS A TYPICAL MODEST TEXAS HONKY-TONK WITH THE PORCH FACADE AND DANCE FLOOR AS ITS MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS.
THE RAMBLING PLAN REPRESENTS BOTH TYPICAL HONKY TONK DESIGNS AND THE ESTABLISHMENTS INCREASING IMPORTANCE THROUGH ITS CONTINUED USE.
THE BUILDING RETAINS HIGH INTEGRITY.
AS NOTED IN DONNA MARIE MILLER'S 2017 HISTORY.
THE BROKEN SPOKE REMAINS AUTHENTIC AFTER MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
WRIGHTS MILLER, ONE OF THE ONLY RENOVATIONS OCCURRED IN 2005 WHEN A TOUR BUS DROVE THROUGH THE BACK WALL.
TOOK FOUR DAYS TO REMOVE THE VENUE.
RECEIVED AN HONORIFIC STATE HISTORICAL MARKER EARLIER THIS MONTH TO COMMEMORATE ITS CULTURAL IMPORTANCE TO TEXAS MUSIC IN HER DEDICATED IN HER DEDICATION SPEECH.
TEXAS FIRST LADY ABBOTT NOTED THAT PLACES LIKE THE BROKEN SPOKE ARE CRUCIAL TOUCHPOINT WITH TEXAS CULTURE CONNECTING US WITH OUR HERITAGE AND WITH EACH OTHER.
UH, GIVEN THE OWNER OPPOSITION TO DESIGNATION STAFF RECOMMENDS THE COUNCIL PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE FROM CS TO C S H, UH, FOR THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT ONLY, UH, RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE PARCEL.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM MS. DONNA MILLER, MARIE MILLER, MS. DONNA MARIE MILLER.
I WAS GONNA SHOW MY SLIDESHOW.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BROKEN SPOKEN PICTURES.
AND, UM, I REPRESENT JAMES AND ANNETTE WHITE, THE LATE JAMES WHITE AND THE WHITE FAMILY, AND THE BROKEN SPOKE.
AND I, I THINK THAT THE PICTURES THAT WE HAVE ARE ALL FROM THE BOOK.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE THAT ARE NEW.
THIS WAS ORIGINALLY THE BUILDING WHEN IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 64 AND THE GEEN LAW ACT WAS ONE OF THEIR LONGEST RUNNING.
AND OF COURSE, BOB WILLS THE LEADER OF THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS.
WARREN SMITH AND DAVE PERRY BAND WERE ONE OF THE FIRST LOCAL BANDS.
AND THIS IS WILLIE NELSON, CLEAN SHAVEN SHORT HAIR.
HE STARTED IN 68 AT THE BROKEN SPOKE IN HIS BAND.
AND HERE, UH, A PICTURE MORE FROM 1991, TAKEN BY RICK HENSON AND HANK THOMPSON.
MANY PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER HIM AS WELL, BUT KITTY WELLS, PATSY MONTANA, AND OF COURSE GEORGE STRAIT WHO STARTED THERE IN 75 AND PLAYED ALL THE WAY TO 1980 WHEN HIS HIT UNWOUND MADE HIM VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND MR. WHITE COULD NO LONGER AFFORD TO BOOK HIM.
BUT GEORGE STRAIT REMEMBERED GEORGE REMEMBERED THE WHITE SO MUCH THAT HE PUT A PICTURE OF THE BROKEN SPOKE ON HIS RECENT ALBUM, HONKY TONK TIME MACHINE.
AND HE ALSO MADE A VIDEO THERE WITH MR. WHITE IN IT, MARSHA BALL, WHO PLAYED FOR CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT UNDER THE NAME OF BREEDING THE FIRE DOGS WHEN HE HAD HIS FIRST FUNDRAISER THERE IN 73.
GARY P NUN, WHO STILL OCCASIONALLY PLAYS THERE.
AND ALVIN CROW IS LIKE THE RESIDENT, UM, COUNTRY AND WESTERN BAND.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT MOVING FORWARD.
ERNEST TUG, JERRY, JEFF WALKER, THE LATE JERRY, JEFF WALKER, AND OF COURSE, THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS REUNION IN 75 SONS OF THE PIONEERS.
AND JOHNNY BUSH, THE LATE JOHNNY BUSH AND TEXAS PLAYBOYS PERFORMED THERE WITH LEON ROSH AND ALVIN CROWE, DWIGHT YOAKUM,
[00:55:02]
FRED FENDER, JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ, AND RAY PRICE.AND THIS WAS A SORT OF A, A REUNION GET TOGETHER WITH JOEY LEE, BILLY JOE SHAVER, K***Y FRIEDMAN IN MARY HATTERSLEY IN 2006, THE LATE RUSTY WEAR AND LATE JERRY, JEFF WALKER, WILLIE NELSON INVITED CHRIS CHRISTOFFERSON TO COME AND PLAY AT THE BROKEN, SPOKE WITH HIM AFTER THE WHITES DONATED $10,000 THAT THEY HAD COLLECTED IN A PICKLE JAR AT THE BROKEN SPOKE TO HELP GO TOWARDS HIS $16.5 MILLION IRS BILL THAT YEAR.
AND IT MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES ALL OVER THE WORLD AND PUT THE BROKEN SPOKE ON THE MAP.
WILLIE NELSON AGAIN WITH CHRIS CHRISTOFFERSON AND DOUG SAM AND ALVIN CROWE, THE SONS OF JOHNNY CASH BEGAN THERE IN 20,000.
UH, JAMES WHITE, JOEY LEE, GARY PENAN, AND D JIMMY DALE GILMORE WITH CHRIS WALL HAD A BROKEN SPOKE SERIES AT THE BASS CONCERT HALL THAT RAN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE NINETIES.
ONCE EVERY FEW MONTHS IT WAS VERY POPULAR.
AND DOLLY PARTON FILMED HER WILD TEXAS WIND TV SHOW, TV MOVIE THERE IN 91.
BUT I HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER THE BROKEN SPOKE IN YOUR YOUR VOTE TONIGHT FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
I PUT A BRAG SHEET UP ON THE, UH, EMAIL AS WELL.
I KNOW THE WHITE FAMILY WANNA TALK TO YOU NEXT.
AND I'LL HEAR FROM MS. JENNY WHITE.
MS. WHITE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
YEAH, MY MOM'S GONNA, I DON'T CARE.
HI, MY NAME'S JENNY WHITE PE BEAR WITH THAT.
HOPE WE'RE GONNA TURN THAT MIC ON.
HI, MY NAME'S JENNY WHITE PEACOCK AND UH, MY PARENTS ARE JAMES ANTA WHITE, THE OWNERS OF THE BROKEN SPOKE.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY HONORED TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WISH MY DAD WAS HERE.
HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY ADORE ALL OF THIS THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE LOVE THAT THE BROKEN SPOKE IS GETTING.
SO, UM, WE REALLY WOULD JUST LIKE TO, I Y'ALL KNOW, A LOT OF THE BACKSTORY, SO WE REALLY WOULD JUST LIKE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY THAT MIGHT WORK THE BEST.
YEAH, WE'LL GET TO THE Q AND A AS SOON AS WE HEAR, UH, GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THE, ON THIS ITEM.
THE, UH, APPLICANT, UH, STAFF.
UH, WELL, UH, FORGOT THE REBUTTAL.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM, UH, THE OPPOSITION MR. S AUTUMN CHAIR MEMBERS OF COMMISSION.
MY NAME IS RICHARD SU AND I REPRESENT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IN THE BUILDING.
BUT I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR WE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE BROKEN SPOKE.
WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO TAKE THE BROKEN SPOKE OUT.
THERE ARE NO DEMOLITION PLANS.
I I COULD PROBABLY SHOW UP IN SOME OF THOSE OLD PICTURES OF THE BROKEN SPOKE, BUT I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY.
UM, THE BROKEN SPOKE FOLKS LEASE FROM MY, MY CLIENT, THEY OWN IT.
AND UNDER THAT LEASE, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING UP THE BUILDING AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND WHEN THIS CAME UP, UM, I LOOKED AT IT ACTUALLY LOOKING OUT FOR THE, THE BROKEN SPOKE BECAUSE WITH HISTORIC ZONING COMES SOME RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS AND OFTENTIMES SOME EXPENSES.
I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO UNKNOWINGLY GET SADDLED WITH THESE THINGS WITHOUT CONVERSATION.
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF FINDING OUT THAT THEY HAVE SINCE HIRED JEFF HOWARD TO REPRESENT THEM IN THE CASE.
AND JEFF AND I HAD A QUICK CONVERSATION THIS LAST WEEK, BUT JEFF WAS LEAVING TOWN AND WE TALKED ABOUT POSTPONING.
BUT IN TWO WEEKS I WON'T BE IN TOWN.
AND I WANTED TO BE HERE TO MAKE SURE AND CLARIFY THAT WE'RE NOT AGAINST THE BROKEN SPOKE AT ALL.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS DONE THOUGHTFULLY SO THAT THE BROKEN SPOKE DOESN'T GET UNKNOWINGLY ENTANGLED UP WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY, THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
[01:00:01]
NOW, WITH NO PERMITS IN PLACE, THE, THE, THE SPOKE IS PROTECTED.IF, IF THERE WAS EVER A PROBLEM THAT CAME UP, THE SPOKE WOULD THEN GO THROUGH THE HISTORIC PROCESS.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY CAN ACTUALLY MAKE REPAIRS AND THEY CAN DO ALL THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO OUT THERE WITHOUT GETTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA REPLACE A WINDOW OR REPLACE A SIGN OR REPLACE ANYTHING ON THE OUTSIDE, YOU GET A RIDE AND OFF.
SOMETIMES IT'S A QUICK RIDE, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT SO QUICK.
THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WE RAISE THIS.
SO AS THE OWNERS, WE JUST, WE'RE TOSSING IN A VERY SOFT, WE OBJECT, BUT WE'RE ALL FOR THE BROKEN SPOKE.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S WELL THOUGHT OUT BEFORE THEY GET SADDLED WITH THIS.
NOW THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, DO HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, IS COMMISSIONER MAXWELL SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ALL RIGHT, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO Q AND A.
WHO WANTS TO START US UP? OH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UH, YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE CONCERNS THAT WERE JUST HIGHLIGHTED, UH, CAN YOU GIVE SOME CONTEXT AND DETAILS AS TO WHAT PRESERVATION WOULD LOOK LIKE AND SORT OF THE ENCUMBRANCES THAT MIGHT COME WITH THIS DECISION? ABSOLUTELY, COMMISSIONER.
UM, SO HISTORIC ZONING DOES REQUIRE UPKEEP TO MAINTAIN THE BUILDING'S HISTORIC INTEGRITY AS IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 59 YEARS.
UM, NO CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS OR HISTORIC REVIEW IS REQUIRED FOR ORDINARY MAINTENANCE AND IN-KIND REPAIR.
SO, YOU KNOW, REPLACING SIDING, DOING KIND OF, UM, THE NORMAL YEARLY MAINTENANCE YOU WOULD DO ON ANY BUILDING.
UM, FOR THINGS LIKE WINDOW REPLACEMENT OR, UM, MAJOR FACADE MODIFICATIONS THAT WILL REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
AND DEPENDING ON HOW, UH, BIG THE PROJECT IS, IT COULD REQUIRE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, REVIEW AS WELL.
I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION AND THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR THE ANSWERS.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE Y'ALL COME UP
UM, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR Y'ALL JUST TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF THIS MOVING FORWARD AS A DESIGNATION.
SO WE ACTUALLY ALREADY OWN, IS IT ON, UM, WE ACTUALLY ALREADY OWN A HISTORICAL BUILDING IN OAK HILL.
IT WAS ACTUALLY BUILT BY MY GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER.
SO WE ARE AWARE OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND THE UPKEEP ALSO, I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 59 YEARS AND NOBODY'S EVER TAKEN CARE OF THE BUILDING EXCEPT FOR US.
UH, WE DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK DIFFERENT.
MY DAD USED TO DO A SPEECH WHERE HE SAID, WE AIN'T CHANGING NOTHING.
UM, SO IT, BECAUSE IT'S AN I THE WAY IT LOOKS, IT'S ICONIC, SO YOU DON'T WANNA CHANGE IT.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S WHY PEOPLE COME THERE.
UM, ALSO I AM, I'M NOT SURE WE TALKED WITH HER WITH THE HAIR, BUT THERE IS SOME GRANT MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH A HISTORICAL STATUS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAYBE MAKE THE LANDOWNERS HAPPY CUZ IT WOULD BE, UH, LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT OPENS UP IF WE GET THE HISTORICAL ZONING.
THAT'S THE LIST OF MY QUESTIONS.
HEY, MAYBE I, I BELIEVE A QUESTION FOR THE, THE SUPPORTERS OF HISTORIC YEAH.
ARE YOU ALL STILL THERE TODAY? AND, AND, AND I GUESS LIKE WHAT IS YOUR ROLE TODAY ON, ON THE SITE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT? WHAT IS THEIR ROLE? WHAT IS THE, I'M SORRY.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE DO AT THE BROKENS VOTE? YEAH, SO MY MOM, ANTA WHITE IS THE OWNER.
UH, AND I WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR 25 YEARS UNTIL I HAD A, I MEAN, A SERIOUS ILLNESS IN 2018, WHICH I ENDED UP LOSING SEVERAL OF MY FINGERS IN BOTH OF MY LEGS.
SO I DON'T DO THE MANAGEMENT DAY TO DAY EX MY HUSBAND DOES IT, SO I MANAGE HIM AND THEN HE MANAGE
I I TELL HIM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO DO IT.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO DO ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITES AND BOOK ALL THE BANDS, ET CETERA.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S A, IT'S A MOM AND POP, UH, BUSINESS, BUT NOBODY ELSE I DON'T THINK WOULD KNOW HOW TO RUN IT LIKE WE DO.
UH, AND, UH, SO HEY, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
[01:05:01]
WAS A PART OF THE AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP THE HOMES ON THE OLD SURFACE PARKING LOTS? WAS THAT, HAD YOU GUYS ALREADY SOLD IT OR WERE YOU GUYS INSTRUMENT WE'D NEVER OWNED THE LAND.YEAH, WE, WE, YEAH, WE LEASED FROM JAY JOHNSON FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND HE OWNED ALL OF THAT LAND AND THEN WHEN HE PASSED AWAY, HIS CHILDREN SOLD IT.
AND EVERYTHING'S WORKING OUT WITH THE HOMES NEXT DOOR AND EVERYTHING'S THRIVING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE THERE AND WE WANNA WORK WITH THEM.
WE DON'T WANNA BE ENEMIES AND WE HAVE A RIGHT NEXT DOOR RIGHT THERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TOLD, UM, MR. SU THE SAME THING.
WE WOULD RATHER JUST GET TOGETHER AND TALK.
OUR MAIN PROBLEM WAS TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY AT CWS TO ACTUALLY SPEAK TO OR GET A PHONE CALL BACK.
SO THERE, I DON'T, MY, I, I WORRY THAT THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET IT.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BROKEN SPOKE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE, OR THEY HAVEN'T, THEY'RE NOT COOL
SO I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY ONLY WORRY THAT THEY, THEY'RE A GINORMOUS COMPANY AND WE'RE JUST THIS ONE LITTLE MOM AND POP, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS THAT THEY MAY THINK IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS.
I WAS HERE FOR 15 YEARS BEFORE I HAD A BIG PARTY AT BROKEN SPOKEN.
I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO BUY A PAIR OF BOOTS.
AND SO
COMMISSIONERS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I, I HAVE A FEW, I GUESS, UH, MR. DES SETTLE A FEW FOR YOU.
I THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER AND THEN, UH, MAYBE HAVE SOME OTHER, OH, SO THE, I JUST HEARD, UM, THAT THE PROPERTY HAS ALREADY TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP FROM THE TIME THAT WE DID THE, UH, HOUSING UNITS AROUND WERE BUILT, AND THEN IT WAS SOLD TO CWS.
IS THAT THE CURRENT OWNER? YES, SIR.
ARE THEY, UM, SO MIKE, UM, I GUESS MIKE, UH, HOW LONG AGO WAS, DID THEY PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY? DO, OH GOSH.
THE WHITE'S PROBABLY NO BETTER THAN I DO.
AND ARE THEY, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN AUSTIN OR WHERE? NO, THEY'RE OUTTA CALIFORNIA.
THEY DO HAVE AN OFFICE IN AUSTIN.
AND I, AND I'VE REPRESENTED CWS FOR YEARS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD BOUGHT THIS EITHER.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, I GUESS, UH, MRS. MILLER.
SO, UM, AND THIS MAY BE, THIS COULD GO TO EITHER YOU OR, UH, MS. PEACOCK AS WELL.
SO THE, UM, HAVE YOU, YOU TAKE CARE OF ALL THE, WE HEARD CONCERNS THAT THERE MAY BE UNDUE BURN FOR MAINTENANCE OR RESTORATION, BUT CLEARLY IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL THE COST FOR MAINTAINING AND KEEPING THE BUILDING THE WAY IT LOOKS CURRENTLY IS ALL FALLEN UPON YOU, IS THE YES, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
YEAH, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I MEAN, WE JUST PAID $55,000 FOR SOME ELECTRIC
AND YOU, YOU ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY PAY TAXES ON THAT BUILDING, AND THEY ARE BURDENED WITH THE SAME TAXES AS THEIR NEIGHBORS IN THE 7 0 4, THAT THEY WERE NEVER GRANDFATHERED.
SO AS THAT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TOOK OVER, THEY STARTED PAYING THE SAME TAXES.
SO THIS GRANT, UM, THAT THEY'RE GETTING IS GONNA HELP WITH MAINTENANCE, HISTORIC ZONING, WOULD GIVE THEM A $10,000, UH, EMBA ABATEMENT ON HER TA, THEIR TAXES.
AND I GUESS, MR. SETTLE, I DO WANT TOLAR, JUST A FEW OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE.
UNKNOWING MAINTENANCE, UN UH, GETTING TANGLED UP, UH, IN SOMETHING.
I GUESS I'M A LITTLE, WHAT, WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THOSE COMMENTS? I'M JUST, IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR ALL THE MAINTENANCE.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS MEANT BY THOSE TWO COMMENTS.
I WAS JUST CONCERNED BEFORE THEY GOT COUNSEL, I WAS CONCERNED THAT, AND, AND I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THEY OWN, THEY ACTUALLY OWN A HISTORIC BUILDING.
SO THEY, THEY'RE VERY WELL VERSED IN WHAT COMES WITH OWNING A HISTORIC BUILDING.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF, IF SOMEBODY AT THE LANDMARK COMMISSIONER, SOMEBODY GETS AFTER 'EM AND TELLS 'EM, YOU GOTTA DO X, Y, OR Z UNDER THE LEASE, IT'S ALL THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, IF THERE IS A TAX BREAK ON THIS BUILDING, IT'S, IT ALSO FLOWS THROUGH TO THEM.
SO THAT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THEM.
[01:10:01]
THEY PAID THE TAXES.NOT EASY, BUT EASIER TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY.
AND IF IT GOT ZONED HISTORIC FOR THEM, THEY JUST HAVE EXTRA HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH IN THE END.
IF THEY DECIDE TO GET TIRED OF THE SPOKE, AND I HOPE THEY NEVER DO, AND THEY MOVE ON, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE A BUILDING THAT'S NOT BESPOKE BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THE SPOKE.
BUT THIS WAS TRULY JUST AN EFFORT TO SAY, IS THIS TRULY WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE DOING? THAT'S ALL IT IS.
WE DON'T HAVE A STRONG POSITION ON IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER COX, DID YOU, OKAY.
I WAS, I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION IF THERE'S NO MORE COM OR QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR YOUR MOTION.
UH, MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WE'VE GOT, I THINK I HEARD COMMISSIONER ANDERSON FIRST, BUT WE'LL GO AND COMMISSIONER MOSH.
TYLER, WE KNOW YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT SECONDING THIS AS WELL,
DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO OUR MOTION? COMMISSIONER COX? UH, JUST ONE COMMENT IN, IN THE WORDS OF THE ESTEEM, UH, MR. SUBTLE, IF NOT HERE, WHERE, UM,
I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND HOPEFULLY IT GETS DEMOED.
ANY OF THOSE SPEAKING AGAINST THIS MOTION? SPEAKING IN FAVOR? UM, WELL, I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
I, I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION.
I MEAN, IF ANY FACILITY DESERVES, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THIS IS THE BROKEN SPOKE.
IF WE CAN'T DO THIS, IT'S REALLY A SAD DAY FOR AUSTIN.
AND I HOPE IT MOVES TO COUNCIL AND GETS PASSED CUZ THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION.
UM, I, MY STORY IS, I REMEMBER DALE WATSON WAS PLAYING, AND IT WAS A FUNDRAISER AT MY KID'S SCHOOL, AND I HAD HIM SIGN A TELECASTER, GOT TO GO BACK AND HANG OUT WITH DALE.
AND, UH, HE WAS TELLING ME STORIES AND HE SIGNED THE, THE GUITAR AND, AND THEN WE LEARNED HOW TO TWO STEPS.
SO I THINK, UH, I HOPE WE CAN DO THIS TODAY.
UH, ALL RIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER MSH.
TYLER, IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOURSELF A BROKEN SPOKES STORY, GO GET YOU ONE
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
UH, THOSE IN THE DIES IN FAVOR.
UH, THAT'S EVERYONE AND THOSE VIRTUALLY.
WE ARE FINISHED WITH OUR DISCUSSION CASES.
LET ME CATCH UP HERE AND GET BACK TO OUR AGENDA.
NOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER BUSINESS, UH, SCROLLING DOWN HERE.
[23.Briefing on proposed revisions to requirements for Accessory Dwelling Units and site plans for missingmiddle housing. Presenter: Brent Lloyd, Development Officer, 512-974-2974,brent.lloyd@austintexas.gov, Development Service Department.]
FROM STAFF ON ADUS.IS THAT THE NEXT ITEM? IS STAFF READY? YES, CHAIR.
UH, WE HAVE MR. BRENT LLOYD, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING THAT ITEM AT THIS TIME.
AND WE'RE HERE, UH, TODAY JUST FOR A VERY SHORT BRIEFING.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF COMMISSIONERS AND PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY ARE EAGER TO HEAR ABOUT STAFF'S PROGRESS ON SOME OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS AFFECTING, MISSING MIDDLE AND HOUSING IN GENERAL.
AND SO WE WANNA JUST CHECK IN AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
UM, AND WE WANNA REALLY, I THINK PRINCIPALLY FOCUS ON SITE PLAN LIGHT, WHICH WE HOPE TO DELIVER PART OF TO YOU, UH, TO CODES AND ORDINANCES VERY SOON.
[01:15:01]
LONG HISTORY.GOING BACK TO AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED WHEN COUNCIL IN THE INITIAL RESOLUTION, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2018 OR 2019, DIRECTED THAT THERE BE AMENDMENTS, UH, INCLUDED, THAT WOULD FACILITATE SITE PLAN REVIEW ON A MORE EXPEDITED STREAMLINED BASIS TO FACILITATE DELIVERY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCT THAT WAS ULTIMATELY TABLED AS PART OF THE CODE REWRITE.
AND A LOT OF GREAT WORK WAS DONE IN THAT PROCESS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SORT OF A MIDDLE GROUND SET OF REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD APPLY TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON THE ONE END OF THE CONTINUUM AND FULL SITE PLAN.
THE, UH, GOAL OF THIS EFFORT IS REALLY TO FIND A MIDDLE GROUND THAT ACCOMMODATES, UM, A MISSING MIDDLE STYLE PRODUCT.
UM, IN DEMISE OF THE CODE REWRITES STAFF HAS WORKED TO TRY TO FASHION REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR TODAY'S CODE, AND THAT WORK REMAINS ONGOING.
UM, RECENTLY MORE RECENTLY, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO MAKE UP TO FOUR UNITS APPROVABLE SIMPLY THROUGH THE BUILDING PLAN PROCESS.
AND THAT WAS A, A MORE ROBUST RELAXATION OF STANDARDS THAN WAS ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THE CODE REWRITE.
AND SO THAT'S A, A POSITIVE FOR HOUSING AND WE EXPECT, AS I MENTIONED, TO HAVE THAT AT CODES AND ORDINANCES VERY SOON WITHIN THE COMING WEEKS.
AND SO COMMISSION WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT, UH, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
AND THE HARDER PART IS THE MODIFIED SITE PLAN PROCESS THAT'S TRULY THE SITE PLAN LIGHT FOR PROJECTS OF FIVE TO 16 UNITS.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO, AGAIN, TO A MORE STREAMLINED SET OF REGULATIONS IN FULL SITE PLAN.
UM, IT WILL INCLUDE, UM, BASICALLY MODIFYING SOME DRAINAGE STANDARDS AND WATER QUALITY STANDARDS SO THAT WE AGAIN, HAVE MORE MITIGATION AND MORE PROTECTIONS THAN WOULD APPLY FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME REVIEW.
UM, BUT LESS THAN THE FULL RANGE OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE TRIGGERED WHEN A FULL SITE PLAN IS REQUIRED.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT WORK REMAINS ONGOING AND WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WITH THE RECENT CREATION OF, UH, BY THE MANAGER'S OFFICE OF WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO AS THE CODE CABINET, WHICH IS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MEANT TO REALLY COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE, UH, CODE AMENDMENTS FORWARD, UM, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL HAVE THE DIFFICULT, CHALLENGING WORK DONE TO BRING THIS FORWARD IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
IT WILL AS FOLLOW THE, THE EASIER PART, WHICH IS JUST THE FOUR UNITS BUILDING PLAN REVIEW, WHICH AGAIN, SHOULD BE COMING TO YOU VERY SOON.
UM, ON THE EASY PART, THE FOUR UNITS BUILDING PLAN REVIEW, UH, WE WOULD BASICALLY BE ADDING A NEW SITE PLAN EXEMPTION.
UM, THE ONE THAT'S THERE NOW IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO JUST ONE AND TWO FAMILY, AND THIS WOULD EXPAND IT TO FOUR UNITS.
UH, AND WE WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A PROVISION THAT LIMITS IT TO SITES THAT CONTAIN NO MORE THAN FOUR UNITS.
WE, WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE USED ON MULTI-FAMILY SITES AS A WAY TO AGGREGATE IT AND ESSENTIALLY CREATE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS WHERE NO SITE BY EVADING SITE PLAN REVIEW.
SO WE ALWAYS, WHEN WE WORK ON THESE PROPOSALS, PUT OURSELVES IN THE SHOES OF, OF THE TRICKY ACTORS THAT WILL TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET AS MUCH AS THEY CAN FROM IT.
AND SO WE'VE INCLUDED SOME APPROPRIATE PROTECTIONS AND WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THE LANGUAGE WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE CONFIDENT WE'LL HAVE THAT TO YOU SOON.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT ADUS.
UM, ADUS ARE A VERY, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND OUR WORK ON THIS REMAINS ONGOING.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AT THE OUTSET THAT, UH, SOME OF THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL PROVIDED EARLIER, WHILE VERY, UH, FORWARD THINKING AND WELL INTENTIONED IS CHALLENGING TO IMPLEMENT.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE IN THE COMING WEEKS AS WE, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A BRIEFING IN MAY AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DIALOGUING MORE OPENLY WITH COUNSEL ABOUT SOME OF THE PREVIOUSLY INITIATED CODE AMENDMENTS AND WHAT THE CURRENT PRIORITIES ARE.
SO I WANNA, I SAY THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE GONNA JUST TOUCH ON AT A HIGH LEVEL MAY CHANGE, UM, PROBABLY SOME OF THEM WILL BE REPACKAGED AND TAKE A DIFFERENT FORM, AND SOME OF THEM MAY, MAY NOT BE BROUGHT FORWARD IN ANY FORM.
BUT I THINK GIVEN, UM, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS ITEM, WE, WE WANNA COVER SOME OF THE BROAD CONCEPTS THAT STAFF IS WORKING THROUGH.
SO THE FIRST RESOLUTION IN 2021 WAS TO BASICALLY PERMIT ADUS AND SF ONE AND SF TWO WITH THE PRESERVATION INCENTIVE, UH, PROVIDE A STREAMLINED DEFINITION OF ADUS, REMOVE THE PROHIBITION ON GARAGE CONVERSIONS, AND ALLOW CONSIDER AMENDMENTS FOR SF
[01:20:01]
THREE PROPERTIES.UH, THE SECOND RESOLUTION FROM 2022 WAS BASICALLY TO REGULATE ADUS ENTIRELY AS AN ACCESSORY USE.
OUR CURRENT CODE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PATCHWORK.
WE HAVE GUEST HOUSES AND ONSITE WORKER HOUSING AND ACCESSORY APARTMENTS THAT ARE IN THE ACCESSORY USE PARTS OF THE CODE.
BUT THEN THE MAIN DRIVER FOR ADUS IN AUSTIN IS THE TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE, WHICH IS A PRINCIPLE USE.
SO THE READER OF OUR CODE IS CONFRONTED WITH, UM, HAVING TO FLIP THROUGH A LOT OF PAGES AND ONE IS LEFT SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK THE GOAL HERE WAS TO SORT OF CONSOLIDATE ADUS WITHIN THE ACCESSORIES PART OF THE CODE, ELIMINATE PARKING FOR PROJECTS WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF TRANSIT PRIORITY NETWORKS, IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDORS, AND ALLOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE ADUS WHERE CONSTRUCTION IS DIFFICULT BASED ON SITE CONDITIONS.
UM, UTILITY EASEMENTS, HERITAGE TREES, THINGS THAT OFTENTIMES PREVENT SITES FROM DEVELOPING CONSISTENT WITH THEIR ZONING ENTITLEMENTS.
UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY ALLOW SOME AUTOMATIC ADMINISTRATIVE FLEXIBILITY IN THOSE CASES? UM, AND AGAIN, THESE IDEAS REMAIN UNDER REVIEW.
UM, AND WE WILL BE RECALIBRATING AS NECESSARY IN THE COMING WEEKS AS WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DIALOGUE WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL AND WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STAFF AS WELL.
BUT IN ESSENCE, UM, THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO REVISE THE CODE STRUCTURE, AS I MENTIONED, AND CONSOLIDATE AD REGULATIONS IN A SINGLE LOCATION.
UM, HAVE A NEW SECTION THAT'S ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO ADU REGULATIONS WITH DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THE PRESERVATION INCENTIVE AND REVISIONS TO SOME OF THE BASIC STANDARDS FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, AND THEN THE PARKING PIECE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE GUEST HOUSE AND ONSITE WORKER HOUSING ADU TYPES ARE PROBLEMATIC.
SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT SPEAK TO THE USE AND OCCUPANCY ARE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE.
AND SO THE PROPOSAL, AND THIS WAS I THINK CONSISTENT WITH THE RESOLUTION, IS TO REMOVE THOSE, UM, REVISE ACCESSORY APARTMENTS TO POTENTIALLY FACILITATE WHAT MANY CITIES REFER TO AS INTERNAL ADUS.
AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY LIVING SPACE THAT'S CONTAINED ENTIRELY WITHIN A PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE.
DOESN'T HAVE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A DUPLEX OR AN ATTACHED ADU, BUT REALLY IS CONTAINED WITHIN A STRUCTURE.
UM, REMOVE THE LIMITATION ON GARAGE CONVERSIONS AND REMOVE THE AGE RESTRICTION THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR ACCESSORY APARTMENTS.
SO THIS WOULD MAKE USE OF THE PROVISION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ON ACCESSORY APARTMENTS, BUT INCLUDE SOME SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS AND, UM, AND ALSO REMOVE THE AGE RESTRICTION, UM, AND THEN ADOPT A, A NEW SET OF ADU REGULATIONS THAT IMPROVE UPON TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE AND INCLUDE INCENTIVES FOR PRESERVATION OF EXISTING STRUCTURES.
SO THE PROPOSED ADU REGS, WHICH AGAIN REMAIN UNDER REVIEW.
AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK ON STAFF'S PART THAT'S BEEN DONE, BUT THERE'S A A LOT OF FURTHER REVIEW THAT'S REQUIRED, INCLUDING WITH LAW AND WITH OTHER AFFECTED DEPARTMENTS.
BUT THE ESSENCE OF THE PROPOSALS WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE ZONING SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN UNITS AND SIMPLY HAVE, UM, FIRE CODE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS SO THAT IF YOU HAVE DETACHED ADUS, YOU CAN BUILD THEM AS CLOSE TOGETHER AS THE FIRE CODE WOULD ALLOW.
UM, REMOVE LOCATIONAL RESTRICTIONS THAT LIMIT WHERE YOU CAN PLACE AN ADU RELATIVE TO THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE.
WE HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT'S A RESTRICTION THAT EFFECTIVELY LIMITS PROPERTIES THAT OTHERWISE COULD HAVE ADUS FROM HAVING ADUS EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE A ADEQUATE LOT SIZE AND THEY COULD FIT IT WITHIN THE SET OUTSIDE OF THE SETBACKS, THEY HAVE ENOUGH IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF EXISTING STRUCTURES, THERE'S AN OBSTACLE, UM, POTENTIALLY, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A REQUIREMENT THAT I THINK IS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION, BUT ALLOWING SMALLER EXISTING STRUCTURES TO COUNT AS AN ADU AND A NEW STRUCTURE IS THE PRIMARY.
AND I SEE SEVERAL OF YOU NODDING YOUR HEADS, THAT IS A PR A REQUIREMENT THAT THAT COMES UP WHERE PEOPLE HAVE AN EXISTING STRUCTURE THAT THEY'D MAYBE LIKE TO KEEP, MAYBE THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE, UM, PARENTS MOVE INTO IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IF THAT IS COUNTED, IF THAT IS COUNTED AS THE PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE, THEN THEY'RE LIMITED TO BUILDING A NEW STRUCTURE THAT'S 1100 SQUARE FEET AND THAT A LOT OF TIMES DOESN'T PENCIL OUT ECONOMICALLY OR DOESN'T FIT WITH PEOPLE'S LIFE GOALS.
SO WE ARE LOWERING, EXPLORING THE IDEA OF SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY THERE AND, AND WHAT THAT EXACTLY LOOKS
[01:25:01]
LIKE REMAINS UNDER REVIEW.BUT I THINK WE'LL FIND A WAY TO SPEAK TO THE CONCERNS THAT ARE, THAT EXIST WITH RESPECT TO OUR CURRENT REQUIREMENTS.
UM, ELIMINATE PARKING ADU REQUIREMENTS WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF TNS ACTIVITY CORRIDORS SERVED BY TRANSIT OR AN IMAGINE AUSTIN CENTER, AND, UH, POTENTIALLY ALLOW RELAXED SETBACKS AND TENT REQUIREMENTS WHERE TREES OR UTILITY EASEMENTS OR EROSION HAZARD PROHIBITS REASONABLY SIZED DATA USE.
THIS IS ANOTHER TRICKY PROVISION.
IT WAS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL'S REZO 2022 RESOLUTION, AND IT WAS A, A STREAMLINED VERSION OF IT, I THINK WAS INCLUDED IN THE CODE REWRITE AS WELL.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT REMAINS UNDER REVIEW, UM, AND REQUIRES A, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINEMENT THAT IT'S AN IDEA THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED TO WORKING ON AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO IT.
UM, THE PRESERVATION INCENTIVE IS ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT IS, IS CHALLENGING AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INTENTION BEHIND IT TO BASICALLY INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO PRESERVE EXISTING STRUCTURES THAT HAVE AN INHERENT LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY.
WELL COMMISSIONERS ANY OBJECTION TO ANOTHER TWO MINUTES IF NEEDED.
INHERENT LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT FULLY HISTORIC, UM, BY ALLOWING SOME DEGREE OF ADDITIONAL BONUS DEVELOPMENT FOR ADUS.
UM, JUST BY VIRTUE OF PRESERVING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, WE'VE RECEIVED A GREAT DEAL OF STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON THIS AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN IT.
SO STAFF IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF A TWO-TIERED APPROACH.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, A PROVISION THAT REMAINS UNDER REVIEW AND I THINK WILL BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THE COMING WEEKS.
BUT I WANTED TO DAYLIGHT THESE CONCEPTS AND LET THE COMMISSION KNOW THAT THE STAFF TEAM IS WORKING HARD ON THESE PROPOSALS.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO CHECK IN WITH THE COMMISSION AS THE, HOPEFULLY THE PROPOSAL TAKES, TAKES SHAPE AND WE CAN BRING SOMETHING TO YOU IN THE FAIRLY NEAR FUTURE.
UH, ARE WE POSTED FOR ANY Q AND A ON THIS ITEM? MR. CHECK COMMISSION? LADIES ON ANDREW? YES.
THAT'S PART OF YOUR, UM, RULES FOR REFERENCE.
LET'S, UH, COMMISSIONERS, LET'S KEEP IT AT EIGHT AT UM, FIVE FOR NOW.
UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST? COMMISSIONER MU TYLER.
AND BRENT, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED I'VE REACHED OUT TO YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES.
IT HAD CHAIR LIAISON, UM, ANDREW RIVERA ALSO REACH OUT TO YOU.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WORKING GROUP FORMED FOR THIS.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THOSE MEETINGS STARTED SO THAT WE CAN ALL COLLABORATE TOGETHER.
SO I'M HOPING THAT, UM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH THAT SINCE YOU WERE ABLE TO MAKE THIS EVENING.
IF, IF THE WORKING GROUP IS FORMED, WE CAN CERTAINLY, WE CAN CERTAINLY ATTEND.
I THINK, UM, AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF IMPORTANT WORK DONE IN THE COMING WEEKS AND HOPEFULLY THE STAFF PROPOSAL WILL COME INTO SHARPER FOCUS.
SOME OF THE PROVISIONS I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT TONIGHT REMAIN UNDER REVIEW AND MAY CHANGE, BUT CERTAINLY WE'RE HAPPY TO ATTEND A WORKING GROUP IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR CURRENT REGULATIONS PRESENT, WHICH I THINK MANY OF YOU HAVE REACHED OUT ABOUT AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, SO I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER EMAIL AND WE'LL GET THAT GOING CUZ I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP SHAPE THAT.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE ARE, THERE'S BILLS MOVING THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW, AND SO ONE OF OUR THOUGHTS IS MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WILL FIT, UH, AND MEET WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS NO MATTER THE OUTCOME OF WHAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND I, I'M NOT, I'M AWARE OF THE BILL THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
UM, I'M NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK TO THAT NIGHT.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF AND WATCH AS IT MOVES FORWARD.
UM, AND WE WILL, I THINK HAVE FURTHER INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ON THAT.
BUT, BUT BASICALLY I HEAR YOUR CONCERN.
I THINK IT'S A VALID ONE AND WE WILL CONTINUE, UH, TO WATCH AND DISCUSS INTERNALLY HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ANY PROPOSAL THAT COMES FORWARD, UM, PLAYS WELL WITH WHATEVER IS BEING DISCUSSED AT A STATE LEVEL.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ONE MOMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, JUST LET ME KNOW THAT HE IS, WHEN HE RETURNS HE'S GOING TO NEED TO LEAVE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE ANYONE ELSE.
WE DO HAVE A FEW THINGS WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.
UM, SO JUST CHECKING WITH, MAKE SURE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN QUORUM.
[01:30:01]
I MEAN WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH LEFT.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION AND THEN UPDATES, WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME NOMINATIONS THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE LONG.
COMMISSIONER COX, YOU HAVE THE NEXT QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO DIGGING INTO THIS ON THE WORKING GROUP AND, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS ON A PRETTY FAST TRACK SCHEDULE, SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD GET THAT WORKING GROUP SET UP WITH STAFF, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER MUA HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT, EVEN IF, EVEN IF THINGS AREN'T FINAL AND STILL IN THE WORKS, UM, IT'D BE BETTER TO TRY TO PUSH THAT FORWARD AS SOON AS WE CAN.
AND, AND I'LL JUST ASK ONE QUESTION THAT'S PRESSING ON MY MIND AND THEN HOPEFULLY DIG INTO THIS IN THE WORKING GROUP, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK MORE TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE ACTUAL USE OF ADUS? BECAUSE I, I'M ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THESE THINGS, BASICALLY JUST BECOMING STR, UM, OR, UH, IT IS JUST KIND OF A BACKDOOR WAY TO GET, YOU KNOW, A NICE WORK FROM HOME SET UP, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ONE OF THE MCMANSIONS THAT ARE SITTING AROUND SOMEWHERE INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY GETTING SMALLER SIZED, HOPEFULLY AFFORDABLE RENTAL OR, OR WHATEVER, UH, HOUSING UNITS.
SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, TO THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT, COMMISSIONER.
I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS AND I THINK THAT THOSE, UM, WILL BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS AN ORDINANCE OF WHEN AN ORDINANCE GOES FORWARD.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RELATIVE SIZE OF THE ADUS, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS AS FAR AS LIKE HAVING, UH, ADUS THAT ARE MORE GEARED TOWARDS BEING FAMILY FRIENDLY, UM, IS THE TERM THAT YOU USE, WHICH I THINK POINTS TOWARDS HAVING LARGER ADUS, BUT ALSO YOUR CONCERN ABOUT CONTEXT SENSITIVITY AND NOT HAVING, UH, EXCESSIVE MASSING IS ALSO VERY, IS VERY RELEVANT AS WELL.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THE CONVERSATION IN DEVELOPING A PROPOSAL AND THEY WILL BE, WHEN A PROPOSAL DOES GO FORWARD, THOSE WILL ALL BE THINGS THAT I THINK CAN BE FAIRLY EASILY TWEAKED BY THE POLICY MAKERS.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OF INFILL BUILDERS AS WELL AS THE PRESERVATION AUSTIN FOLKS WHO WANNA SEE THE, THE PRESERVATION INCENTIVE PENCIL OUT, DO FEEL THAT SOME ADDITIONAL SIZE, UH, FOR ADUS IS APPROPRIATE IN CERTAIN CONTEXTS, BUT THAT AGAIN, THAT AS WELL AS THE PRESERVATION INCENTIVE IN GENERAL REMAIN UNDER REVIEW.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I MAY HAVE MISSED PART OF YOUR QUESTION, SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.
YEAH, SO, SO I I I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE ENFORCE OCCUPANCY AND SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO LIKE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS OR THE ADUS NOT ACTUALLY BEING RENTED OUT FOR, UH, FOR OCCUPANCY, YOU KNOW, THEM JUST BECOMING AN EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
UM, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, TO ANY OF THAT.
YES, COMMISSIONER, I'M, I APOLOGIZE, I FORGOT THAT PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
UM, THE, UM, ADU RESTRICTIONS WERE, I BELIEVE, PART OF THE INITIAL COUNCIL, UH, RESOLUTION.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND CONSULTING ON THAT.
IT'S A, IT'S A SENSITIVE AREA OF REGULATION AND IT, BUT IT'S ONE THAT WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE WORKING TO DETERMINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO INCLUDE SOME RESTRICTIONS.
BUT OTHER THAN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AND SAYING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED TO WORKING ON IT, THERE'S A REALLY NOTHING I CAN SAY ON THAT.
AND THERE ARE, AS FAR AS, I THINK THE OTHER POINT YOU WERE MAKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTIONS ON HOW IT CAN BE USED AND WHETHER I THINK THERE ARE ENFORCEABILITY LIMITATIONS AS TO WHAT STAFF IS ABLE TO DO.
UM, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS AND WE WILL, WE HEAR YOU AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CONCERNS ARE PART OF THE INTERNAL PROCESS AS WE MOVE TOWARDS DEVELOPING AN ORDINANCE.
UM, I JUST A QUICK WHILE WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER IN, HOW, HOW MUCH LONGER ARE YOU GONNA BE HERE? I'M HERE.
I WAS, GOT YOUR MESSAGE WRONG.
OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, CHAIR COLIN.
UH, FIRST OFF, LEMME JUST SAY I'M, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I'M HEARING HERE AND I THINK, UH, LOOKS VERY PROMISING.
YOU GUYS ARE ADDRESSING, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HALF THE STUFF WE HEAR VARIANCES ON RIGHT OFF THE BAT, SO IT'S EITHER GONNA LIKE, PUT ME OUT OF A JOB OR GENERATE A LOT MORE WORK.
UM, WE'VE BEEN SEEING AN UPTICK IN BOA LATELY IN A REQUEST TO SWAP
[01:35:01]
THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE FROM THE FRONT LOT TO THE BACK AND BRING THE EDU FORWARD.UH, IS THERE GOING TO BE ANYTHING, I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF STILL HIGH LEVEL STUFF, BUT DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PLANS TO ADDRESS THAT? YES, THAT IS AS PART OF KIND OF JUST THE GENERAL, UM, LOOKING AT THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, THE BASIC ONES THAT APPLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE SIMPLER THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE MODIFICATIONS AND PRESERVATION INCENTIVE, THAT'S A LOT OF VERY CHALLENGING, DIFFICULT ISSUES, BUT THE ISSUE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A FAIRLY SIMPLE TWEAK TO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND IT DEFINITELY IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
AND WHILE OUR PROPOSAL DOES REMAIN UNDER REVIEW, I THINK THERE'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WILL BE A PROVISION THAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE ISSUE YOU'RE RAISING.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS LIKE, SO THERE THERE ARE SEVERAL, UH, REPETITIVE VARIANCES, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT PRIMARY RENAISSANCE, SPECIFICALLY DEALING WITH HARDSHIPS THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT GET ADDRESSED BY THIS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IS STAFF, WELL, I'M GOING TO HOPEFULLY ASSUME STAFF'S TAKING OR MAKING AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THIS WON'T START CREATING NEW CONFLICTS WITH LIKE, I KNOW LIKE, UH, AND TRY TIP POINT TIME.
WHAT IS THE CODE WHERE YOU CAN'T BUILD WITHIN 10 FEET OF ANOTHER STRUCTURE UNLESS THEY'RE TOUCHING THE LADDER? THE LADDER ONE GOD, AND THIS IS WHY I'LL HAVE TO THINK OF IT.
I'M JUST, I GUESS I'M WORRIED LIKE YOU GUYS ARE REMEMBERING ABOUT US, RIGHT? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
LIKE, I'M JUST AFRAID WE'RE JUST GONNA, THIS IS GONNA PASS AND WE'RE GONNA SEE LIKE 10,000 CASES THE NEXT MONTH.
NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT AND ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT AND UH, REMAINS UNDER REVIEW, BUT IT IS THE IDEA OF NOT HAVING A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT OTHER THAN THE FIRE SEPARATION REQUIREMENT CURRENTLY, I FORGET WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT THERE'S A SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARD THAT'S BUILT INTO THE ZONING PIECE FOR TWO FAMILY THAT IMPOSES SOMETHING THAT'S MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE FIRE CODE SEPARATION.
AND SO I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE TO SIMPLY DEFAULT TO THE FIRE CODE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR CONCERN.
I'M, I'LL FIND IT AND I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU LATER.
I'LL, AND BY ALL MEANS, FEEL FREE TO SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT.
UH, SO QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SITE PLANS, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THOSE.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT SOME OF THIS IS GONNA BE COMING INTO JOINT CODES AND ORDINANCES SHORTLY.
UM, I THINK, UM, MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY RELATED TO THE MODIFIED, SO FOR THAT FIVE TO 16, UM, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT DOING DEPARTMENT, LIKE HOW THAT PART WOULD MAYBE STREAMLINE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS, WHICH I KNOW HAVE A, HAVE A REAL, CAN BE A REAL HICCUP IN THE SYSTEM.
SO IF THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE FIVE TO SIXTEENS AND SORT OF WHAT, WHAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN SORT OF REALLY CONDENSING THAT PROCESS.
AND YOU GUYS, I DON'T IF YOU HAVE DETAILS YOU WANTED TO SHARE AT THIS POINT, I CAN'T SHARE A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT I'M, WE'RE VERY AWARE OF YOUR CONCERN AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS BE SIMPLE ENOUGH TO WHERE THE CONCERNS OF SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE BUILT INTO THE REGULATIONS THAT CAN BE REVIEWED THROUGH THE STANDARD PROCESS WITHOUT A SEPARATE ROUTING OF AN APPLICATION TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THAT IS BASICALLY THE KIND OF THE GUIDING PHILOSOPHY FOR HOW WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT FURTHER REVIEWS.
UM, IT REALLY IS SITE, THIS PART OF SITE PLAN LIGHT REALLY IS CREATING A, A SUITE OF REGULATIONS THAT STAFF DOESN'T REVIEW FOR NOW.
BASICALLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BUILDING PLAN ONE AND TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SITE PLAN EXEMPTIONS, WHICH HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL CRITERIA AND THEN FULL SITE PLAN.
AND THIS IS REALLY CREATING A MIDDLE GROUND AND IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING AND IT CREATES ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACTS.
WE HAVE WHOLE WORK GROUPS THAT ARE STRUCTURED AROUND BUILDING PERMIT, SITE PLAN EXEMPTION OR FULL SITE PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT AS A CITY IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZED DURING THE CODE REWRITE PROCESS AS WELL AS IN THE RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE DIRECTING THE CURRENT SITE PLAN LIGHT EFFORT, THAT WE NEED TO BE LESS SILOED.
WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS A MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE COM CONTEXT SENSITIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT REGULATION.
AND SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WHATEVER WE DO
[01:40:01]
DELIVER WILL INVOLVE, UH, STREAMLINING OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT REVIEWS.AND I FORGOT TO ACTUALLY START WITH THIS, BUT FIRST I REALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND STAFF AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK PREVIOUSLY AND THEN CERTAINLY OVER THE LAST SIX, TAKE 12 MONTHS ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT THEY'RE FINALLY COMING FORWARD.
AND THAT ACTUALLY LEADS TO MY OTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS SORT OF SEQUENCING.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT SEE SOME OF THE SITE PLANS FIRST, AND THEN I ASSUME ADUS IT SOUNDS LIKE IS THE NEXT ROUND OF CONVERSATIONS AND THEN WE MIGHT SEE THE MORE BIGGER SITE PLAN.
IS THAT SORT OF THE SEQUENCING YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT? OR IS THERE A PARTICULAR ORDER THAT WE THINK WE MIGHT END UP CONSIDERING THESE IN? I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S REASONABLY LIKELY.
I THINK THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE HAVING A BRIEFING OF INTERDEPARTMENT, UH, UH, CODE CABINET STAFF BRIEFING WITH COUNSEL IN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE ON MAY 23RD.
AND I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION OF RECALIBRATING PRIORITIES.
SO WITH ADUS IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL BE A SIMPLER APPROACH DISCUSSED, UM, THAT FOCUSES ON SOME OF WHAT WE MIGHT CALL THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT.
SOME LOW-HANGING FRUIT IS REALLY NOT THAT LOW-HANGING, BUT, UM, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME THINGS THAT ARE EASIER THAN OTHERS.
AND SO WE'LL BE HAVING THAT KIND OF A DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE, THE SITE PLAN COMPONENTS ARE DEFINITELY GONNA BE COMING FORWARD AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THEM IN ADUS IN SOME FORM OR FASHION POTENTIALLY REVISED FROM WHAT I'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT, I THINK WE'LL BE TRYING TO GET THAT MOVING FORWARD SOON AS WELL.
UM, SO I HEAR THE STATE IS HEARING MORE AND MORE ABOUT OUR AFFORDABILITY ISSUES STATEWIDE AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THIS.
IS, IS ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING TO CHANGE OUR, OUR POSITION AFTER THE STATE, MAYBE ADOPT SOMETHING OR KIND OF WHAT, WHAT IS OUR POSITION THERE? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M AWARE OF, OF SOME OF THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT IT'S, I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE ALL JUST HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF AND WATCH AND SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP.
BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT PREPARED TO WEIGH IN ON, ON OUR STATE, ON THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT'S IN PLAY RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, AT THE TECH, AT THE, UH, AUSTIN WATER BUILDING BACK IN 2017 TO THE, UH, THE FIRST, I BELIEVE STILL THE FIRST VOTE THAT PLANNING COMMISSION MADE ON THE NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WAS TO PROMOTE ADUS.
UM, IS IS EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO PROMOTE ADUS.
UM, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT.
LIKE THERE'S JUST, THERE'S JUST STILL ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS IN CURRENT CODE THAT, THAT THAT TRIP UP THIS PROPERTY, SO THEY CAN'T DO IT.
THIS PROPERTY CAN'T DO IT CAUSE OF THIS, THIS PROPERTY.
AND THERE'S JUST ALL THESE LITTLE REASONS WHY WE CAN'T BUILDS LIKE WE NEED TO IN THIS CITY.
SO ARE WE LOOKING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CLEAR AWAY ALL THAT NONSENSE AND REALLY PROMOTE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADUS IN AUSTIN? WHAT MAY BE NONSENSE TO ONE PERSON IS AN ESSENTIAL PROTECTION TO ANOTHER.
AND I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE AND THEY DEFINITELY DON'T SAY REMOVE ALL REGULATORY PROTECTIONS, UM, TO SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING, BRINGING FORWARD A PROPOSAL THAT ALLOWS AND EASES THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS FOR ADUS, BUT ALSO INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, THE PROTECTIONS AGAINST, YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH MASSING ON A PROPERTY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY ABIDES BY THE TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL REGULATIONS AS A BASELINE WITH APPROPRIATE MODIFICATIONS WHERE THERE, THERE'S GOOD REASON TO, AND I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON SOME OF THOSE, THE PLACEMENT OF STRUCTURES RELATIVE TO THE PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE, THAT'S AN OBSTACLE THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO IMPROVE.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WE ALL, WE ALSO, I TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE PRESENTED WHERE YOU HAVE A SMALL EXISTING STRUCTURE AND YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP IT, BUT IF YOU, THE NEW STRUCTURE HAS TO COUNT AS YOUR AD ADU, THAT CREATES CHALLENGES.
SO I THINK THERE ARE ASPECTS OF OUR CURRENT REGULATIONS THAT WE'RE REALLY COMMITTED TO TRYING TO LOOK AT.
AGAIN, REVIEW REMAINS ONGOING, BUT WE'RE, I THINK, OPTIMISTIC THAT ON SOME OF THESE POINTS WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS, ESSENTIAL PROTECTION VERSUS ARBITRARY NONSENSE.
AS LONG AS WE'RE LOOKING TO COMPLETELY WEED OUT THE LADDER, THEN I THINK WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE THERE.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER'S GOT A FEW MORE SPOTS.
UH, LET'S, LET'S CHECK REAL QUICK.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SINCE YOU DON'T GET MANY OPPORTUNITIES, I'LL LET YOU HAVE ONE MORE.
SO SEE, SOMETIMES MY BRAIN JUST DOES THAT BECAUSE LAND DEVELOPED LAND USE, THIS IS NOT MY, MY 14, I, I'VE HAD TO TEACH MYSELF EVERYTHING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT IT'S, IT'S SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND THE FACT THAT WE GET VARIANCES, UH, TO
[01:45:01]
GO INTO THE SETBACK, THE REAR SETBACK BECAUSE OF THAT 10 FOOT FIRE CODE, UH, REQUIREMENT.SO MAYBE ADDRESSING BOTH OF THOSE TOGETHER, LIKE GETTING RID OF SOME OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
WELL, MAYBE NOT THE FIRE REQUIREMENT OF FIRE, LIKE WE'RE LOOKING, WE ARE ADDRESSING EXPLORING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT IDEAS FOR POTENTIALLY IN CERTAIN CASES ANYWAY, MODIFYING THE REAR YARD SETBACK REQUIREMENT UNDER ZONING.
I THINK THAT ANY MODIFICATION TO THE BASIC HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS FOR SEPARATION THAT APPLY UNDER THE FIRE CODE, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'LL BE PART OF THE STAFF PROPOSAL.
UM, BUT I, I AM AWARE OF SOME OF THE ZONING SETBACK REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY, UH, A PART OF STAFF'S WORK IN FASHIONING A PROPOSAL.
AND SO, UM, I WILL MAKE SURE WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR TEAM THAT THAT GETS ATTENTION.
ANYTHING ELSE? I'LL JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BOTH THESE EFFORTS JUST BEING, THOSE OF US THAT WORKED ON THE EARLIER LAND CODE VERSIONS, WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT IN ADUS AND SITE PLAN, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
I'M GLAD WE'RE PICKING THAT UP AND TRYING TO GET SOMETHING DONE HERE.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY AND I HAVE TALKED TO DEVELOPERS THAT REALLY WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED AND NOT HAVING THAT SITE PLAN ADVANTAGE REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICALLY IT KIND OF PUSH IT ANOTHER DIRECTION.
SO I THINK THIS WILL REALLY INCENTIVIZE MUCH MORE USE OF THAT, UM, THAT TOOL.
SO VERY EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
AND I GUESS ONE OTHER LAST POINT I WANNA MAKE ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE SITE PLAN PROVISIONS ARE NOT AN ENTITLEMENT.
SO I THINK INITIALLY THE PROJECTS IT'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUT WILL BE THE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
AND, BUT IF COUNCIL LATER DOWN THE ROAD CONSIDERS SOME SORT OF A MISSING MIDDLE CATEGORY, UM, LOTS OF IDEAS ARE UNDER DISCUSSION, THEN WE WILL AT LEAST HAVE THE NON ZONING PIECE, THE PROCESS PIECE IRONED OUT.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL AND WE'RE DRAWING ON THE BEST IDEAS OF THE CODE REWRITE AND TRYING TO CONSIDER THE CURRENT REALITY AS WELL.
AND SO WE HOPE TO HAVE START PRESENTING THINGS AT CODES AND ORDINANCES IN THE VERY NEAR FEATURE.
ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, LET, UH, IF YOU DON'T, I THINK I'D, LET'S TAKE, UH, NO OBJECTIONS, JUST A QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND WE'LL COME BACK AND HEAR THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UH, GUESS COME BACK AT, UM, WHAT WE GOT HERE, ONE
YEAH, LET'S JUST DO LITTLE AFTER 8, 8 0 2.
AND THIS MEETING BACK TO ORDER ONCE WE HAVE QUORUM, THINK WE JUST NEED ONE MORE.
LET'S BRING THIS MEETING BACK IN ORDER.
[24.Briefing on Project Connect. Presenter: Nan Dowling, 512-974-9037, nan.dowling@austintexas.govProject Connect Office]
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON PROJECT CONNECT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, BRIEFING.AND THIS, UH, SAYS NA NAING SET CHAIR.
YES, WE HAVE A STAFF, UH, PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE ON THE WEBEX.
UM, THIS IS ANIQUE BODAY WITH THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE, AND I'M GONNA HAND THE PRESENTATION, UM, OVER TO LINDSEY WOOD WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, WHO'S ALSO HERE WITH COURTNEY CHAVEZ FROM AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
NAN DOWLING IS OUR, UM, IS OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, UH, ASSISTANT AND DID PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, SO PASSING IT TO LINDSEY AND CITY STAFF AND ADDITIONAL ATP STAFF IS HERE.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UH, AS ANIQUE, I'M LINDSEY WOOD, THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
WE'RE, UH, EXCITED TO GIVE YOU AN AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL UPDATE AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PLANS FOR LIGHT RAIL, WHICH HAVE BEEN ELECTRICALLY POWERED, MOSTLY STREET RUNNING LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THAT IS INTENDED TO IMPROVE MOBILITY, CONNECTIVITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OPTIONS IN AUSTIN.
GO TO THE NEXT, WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN PROCESS, UM, STARTING BACK FROM THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN THAT SET THE POLICY FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT MODE SHIFT AND THAT LATER THE 2020
[01:50:01]
VOTE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN KNIGHT VOTED TO EXPAND AUSTIN'S TRANSIT SYSTEM TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY OF PROGRESSING AND ADVANCING THE LIGHT RAIL ELEMENTS OF THAT PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT PROGRAM.AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR A LIGHT, A CORE SYSTEM OF THE LIGHT RAIL THAT CAN BE EXPANDED IN THE FUTURE, AND THAT WE ARE SEEKING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THESE OPTIONS WITH THE INTENT TO, UH, ADOPT AN UPDATED LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN JUNE.
SO BEFORE I PRESENT THE OPTIONS, WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, UH, BOTH WE CAME UP WITH THE OPTIONS AND HOW, UH, WE ARE EVALUATING THE OPTIONS.
AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FIVE OPTIONS THAT I'LL TALK THROUGH IN A MOMENT THAT ARE ALL WITHIN BUDGET, SO FINANCIALLY VIABLE, THEY'RE ALL TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVES FOR, UM, DOWNTOWN TO EITHER BE ON STREET ELEVATED OR UNDERGROUND, UH, VIABLE ALTERNATIVES FOR A MAINTENANCE FACILITY THAT WE MUST HAVE IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
AND THEN THAT WE EVALUATE THESE OPTIONS GENERALLY THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT LENSES, ONE THROUGH THE CRITERIA TO, UH, OF ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE CRITERIA OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY VALUES.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, BUT THE FIVE OPTIONS, I'LL TALK THROUGH, UM, BRIEFLY HERE AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE.
THESE ALL, UH, THEY VARY IN THEIR EXTENDS TO THE NORTH, THE SOUTH, AND THE EAST.
THEY ALSO VARY IN TERMS OF HOW THEY GET THROUGH DOWNTOWN, BOTH, UH, WHERE THEY CROSS LADYBIRD LAKE TO GET THROUGH DOWNTOWN, AND ALSO WHETHER THEY ARE AT STREET LEVEL, UM, OR THE LIGHT RAIL BEING ELEVATED FOR PORTIONS OF THAT OR UNDERGROUND.
AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
SO OF THESE FIVE THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE, THE FIRST ON THE LEFT IS AN ON STREET OPTION THROUGH DOWNTOWN WITH TWO ALTERNATIVES FOR HOW WE CROSS LADYBIRD LAKE, EITHER AT GUADALUPE TO SOUTH FIRST OR, UH, AT TRINITY.
AND THIS ONE EXTENDS UP NORTH LAMAR TO JUST NORTH OF 180 3 TO CONNECT TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER AND CONNECTING TO PLEASANT VALLEY.
THE NEXT OPTION IS ALSO ON STREET THROUGH DOWNTOWN AND CONNECTS FROM 29TH STREET TO THE AIRPORT.
THE THIRD OPTION, UH, VARIES TO THE NORTH, SOUTH AND EAST, GOING FROM 38TH STREET TO OLD TOUR TO YELLOW JACKET, WHICH IS NEAR RIVERSIDE AND 71 AND AGAIN ON STREET THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
AND THE LAST TWO VARY IN THAT THEY HAVE SOME ELEMENTS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN THE LIGHT RAIL AND STREET LEVEL DOWNTOWN WITH, UH, THE FOURTH ONE THERE FROM THE LEFT BEING PARTIALLY ELEVATED THROUGH DOWNTOWN, WHICH WOULD BE LIGHT RAIL ON A BRIDGE STRUCTURE FROM EIGHTH STREET TO, UM, SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE, JUST BEYOND AUDITORIUM SHORES.
AND THAT ONE HAVING LIMITS OF 29TH STREET, UM, TO OLD FOR, TO RIVERSIDE AND YELLOW JACKET OR 71.
AND LAST IS ONE THAT IS FULLY SEPARATED FOR THE LIGHT RAIL THROUGH DOWNTOWN FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
BOULEVARD TO SOUTH, UH, OR OR TO THE RIVER BASICALLY.
AND, UM, THAT HAS BOTH ELEVATED AND UNDERGROUND ELEMENTS WITH UNDERGROUND FROM M L K TO EIGHTH STREET AND ELEVATED FROM EIGHTH STREET TO SOUTH OF THE RIVER, UH, WITH THE ADDED COST OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
THE LIMITS OF THAT OPTION ARE SHORTER, GOING FROM UT TO RIVERSIDE IN 71.
AND THEN THE GREEN DOTS ON EACH OF THESE MAPS REPRESENTING WHERE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY COULD BE LOCATED EITHER AT THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER JUST NORTH OF 180 3 OR UH, NEAR RIVERSIDE N 71.
AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, I'LL QUICKLY WALK THROUGH JUST WHAT, UM, THOSE DIFFERENCES DOWNTOWN THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
SO THIS FIRST IMAGE ILLUSTRATES, UH, LIGHT RAIL BEING AT THE STREET LEVEL, THIS ONE LOOKING AT THIRD STREET, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, UM, THIS ONE BEING AT GUADALUPE AND FOURTH AGAIN AT, AT THE STREET LEVEL DOWNTOWN AND KEEP GOING.
AND HERE ARE, UM, IMAGES OF AN ELEVATED ALTERNATIVE.
AND THIS IS ALSO LOOKING AT, IT'S THE SAME VIEW AS THAT LAST SLIDE LOOKING AT GUADALUPE FROM FOURTH STREET,
[01:55:01]
LOOKING TO THE NORTH TOWARD REPUBLIC SQUARE.AND YOU SEE THIS IS WHERE A, AN ELEVATED TRANSIT STATION WOULD BE.
UM, SO YOU SEE THOSE ELEMENTS OF CONNECTIVITY FROM THE GROUND LEVEL TO THAT STATION REQUIRING STAIRS, ESCALATORS, AND ELEVATORS.
AND NEXT, JUST ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT STRUCTURE.
BUT LOOKING SOUTH ALONG GUADALUPE.
AND LAST, UH, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE WIDEST PART OF THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS AT THE STATION ITSELF.
UM, BUT THIS IS A NARROWER PART WHERE YOU WOULD ONLY HAVE THE TRACKS AND, UM, AN AREA BEYOND THE ACTUAL LIGHT RAIL STATION.
AND NEXT I MENTIONED THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
WE MUST HAVE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM.
WE NEED A PLACE TO STORE AND MAINTAIN OUR LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES OR TRAINS.
UH, WE ALSO NEED A PLACE TO DISPATCH OR, OR CONTROL THE OPERATIONS OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
AND THIS WOULD BE AN, UH, ELECTRICALLY POWERED, A CLEAN ENERGY FACILITY AND ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO COURTNEY, SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS FACILITY BRINGS WITH IT.
AND, HI, MY NAME'S COURTNEY CHAVEZ.
I AM THE SVP OF EQUITY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP HERE AT, UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO WITHIN THAT UMBRELLA, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, UM, BUILD IN PARTNERSHIPS AND BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AS WE CREATE THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO ONE, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS IS REGARDLESS OF LOCATION OF FACILITY, WE'RE ESTIMATING AROUND 300 JOBS WILL BE CREATED THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT INCLUDES OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE STAFF, UH, TRAINING CONTROLS, FIELD STAFF AND MANAGEMENT.
AND SO THAT LEADS US TO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES ADDITIONALLY, WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, BUILDING OUT APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL HIRE AND REALLY TO BENEFIT OUR, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN CREATE, UM, THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, GROWTH HERE.
AND SO THIS IS OUR LAST SLIDE, WHICH IS TO, TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT WE ARE STILL IN OUR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PERIOD.
IT EXTENDS THROUGH MAY 2ND, UH, FOR THIS PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR EVERYONE TO, UM, SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO US, GET FEEDBACK TO US IN ANY WAY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU CAN USE THE Q CODE, EMAIL US, WE'RE COLLECTING THOSE COMMENTS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A FULL REPORT AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONERS WHO HAS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, DO EIGHT TO FIVE, UH, VICE CHAIR HEMPLE, MR.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'LL ASK A SIMILAR QUESTION AS TO ONE THAT WAS ASKED AT THE BRIEFING BEFORE ABOUT SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT'S GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR PROJECT CONNECT A T P.
AS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT RAIL, EVEN IF IT'S YEARS AND YEARS FROM NOW, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BILL.
SO I CAN SPEAK AT A, A HIGH LEVEL, BUT WOULD REALLY DEFER, UM, YOU KNOW, TO OUR LEGAL TEAM TO FOLLOW UP WITH ADDITIONAL DETAIL.
BUT A, A BILL HAS PASSED OUT OF THE, UM, HOUSE COMMITTEE THAT IF IT DOES MOVE FORWARD, UM, WOULD REQUIRE US TO GO TO A VOTE IN ORDER TO HAVE APPROVAL TO ISSUE BOND FINANCING FOR THE PROGRAM.
UH, THE, THE BILL AS, AS PRESENTED AND, UH, THAT HAS PASSED THROUGH COMMITTEE, UH, AGAIN, IF APPROVED WOULD REQUIRE US TO GO FOR A ONE TIME APPROVAL OF BOND BY NANCY, BUT IT DOES NOT ACTUALLY IMPACT THE TAX REFERENDUM THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2020 VOTES.
SO IT WOULD BE A, A BOND REFERENDUM WITH NO INCREASE TO OUR TAXES AND FOR THAT MATTER, NO DECREASE TO OUR TAXES BECAUSE IT ALSO DOESN'T UNDO THE FUNDING FROM, FROM THE PREVIOUS VOTE.
UH, IT, IT SIMPLY AUTHORIZES US TO, UM, BOND FINANCE THE PROGRAM.
UM, MY FOLLOW UP IS, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSES MAY 2ND.
UM, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE FEEDBACK AND NEXT STEPS AND DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE, UM, A GENERAL TREND OF WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM WHAT YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTING AT VARIOUS BOARD AND COMMISSIONS SO FAR? COURTNEY, JOSE, I, I'LL TAKE THE FIRST PART OF THAT, WHICH
[02:00:01]
IS, UM, ONCE WE CONCLUDE ON MAY 2ND, WE'RE, SO WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF COMMENTS OF EVERY WEEK EVALUATING, SO WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THOSE COMMENTS AND START DOING THE, UH, CODING AND EVALUATION PROCESS ONCE WE END ON MAY 2ND.OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A FULL REPORT, SO THAT REPORT SHOULD BE FINALIZED BY MAY 16TH THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE OUT PUBLICLY, AND THAT WILL ALSO HELP SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT WILL COME AFTER.
UM, THERE'S A SECOND PART TO YOUR QUESTION AND I, AND I BELIEVE I MISSED IT, SO PLEASE RE-ASK IT ME, SEE IF I CAN REMEMBER IT.
SO I'LL, I'LL SPEAK FIRST, BUT LINDSAY, PLEASE, YOU'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, BUT WE'RE HEARING JUST A LOT OF QUESTIONS WONDERING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RIDERSHIP NUMBERS, ASKING ABOUT, UM, DATA POINTS, BUT REALLY WHEN LOOKING AT THE OPTIONS THEMSELVES, A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT'S BOTH, UM, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FOR EACH OF THE OPTIONS.
SO WE'RE WEIGHING IT ALL DIRECTLY AND, AND SEEING A VERY, UM, I DO, THEY CALL IT BALANCE, BUT FEELS BALANCED ACROSS ALL THE OPTIONS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
UM, SO FIRST I JUST REALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ATP STAFF, UM, CAP MAT CHAIR, AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK I KNOW TO GET OUT THERE AND TALK TO EVERYBODY ABOUT WHAT THESE OPTIONS ARE.
AND I JUST REALLY WANNA COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR THE CLARITY OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTING AND HOW OPEN YOU'VE BEEN WITH THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, OR SHALL WE SAY, TRANSIT FANATICS,
SO I APPRECIATE HOW WILLING YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TO BE ENGAGED BOTH IN THIS SITUATION AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY AT THE LARGE.
I ALSO DID SORT OF WANNA FOLLOW UP JUST TO CLARIFY IN TERMS OF WHEN WE GO TO SUBMIT, REALLY PART OF THE REASON WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS THE WAY WE ARE IS BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL PROCESS.
SO IF YOU COULD TALK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT IN SORT OF WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE SORT OF PAST THE SUMMER AND AFTER THAT.
UH, SO I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE LENSES THAT WE LOOK AT ALL OF, UM, OUR OPTIONS THROUGH IS OUR ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE ANTICIPATE, UM, SOMEWHERE AROUND ABOUT HALF OF THE CAPITAL COST OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, UM, TO, TO PURSUE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE PROJECT.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, THERE ARE VERY PRESCRIPTIVE CRITERIA THAT WE MUST MEET IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT FUNDING.
AND THERE'S ALSO VERY PRESCRIPTIVE PROCESSES WE MUST FOLLOW ALL THE WAY FROM NOW THROUGH, UH, THE END OF CONSTRUCTION AND ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL OPERATION OF THE PROJECT.
SO NEXT STEPS WITH THAT IN MIND ARE GOING, UM, YOU KNOW, POST JUNE AND, UM, ADOPTION OF AN UPDATED LIGHT RAIL OPTION TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE WOULD ADVANCE THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS PROCESS AND WOULD ANTICIPATE PUBLISHING WHAT'S CALLED A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THAT ANALYZES THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT.
AND, UM, THAT HAS ITS OWN FEEDBACK PROCESS AS WELL IN TERMS OF SEEKING, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON THE DESIGN, ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND, AND FEDERAL REVIEW AND APPROVALS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.
THEN FROM THERE WE MOVE INTO ENGINEERING, UH, FINAL DESIGN AND, AND ULTIMATELY CONSTRUCTION, UH, WITH, UH, AN OPERATION, UH, ANTICIPATED IN THE EARLY 2030S TIMEFRAME.
AND ONE OTHER QUESTION I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THESE EXCITING TRAINS AND PLANS AND WHATNOT, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO PROJECT CONNECT AS PAST IN 2020.
AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER PARTS ARE GOING TO OBVIOUSLY COME SOONER, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THE TRAINS ARE GREAT AND SHINY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE'RE DO YOU ALL ARE DOING AS WELL.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, I I LOVE THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
IN FACT, THE, THE LIGHT RAIL, UM, IS REALLY ONLY ONE PIECE OF A TRANSIT SYSTEM.
AND THERE ARE MANY PIECES BOTH IN TERMS OF THE EXISTING TRANSIT NETWORK, BUT ALSO PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ALSO FUNDED OUT OF THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, BOTH FROM 2020, INCLUDING METRO RAPIDS.
SO HIGH FREQUENCY OR BUS RAPID TRANSIT LINES OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RED LINE, UH, PLANNING FOR A FUTURE GREEN LINE EXPANSION OF THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM, UH, AND MORE.
SO YES, THERE ARE MANY MULTIMODAL TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS AS PRO OF, AS PART OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
[02:05:03]
COMMISSIONER MUTO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE UPDATE TONIGHT.I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO IF THERE'S BEEN OUTREACH OR INFORMATION COMING FROM OUR CORPORATE SECTOR ABOUT THOUGHTS ON EITHER, UH, ROUTES THAT MAY BE MORE FREQUENTLY UTILIZED, IF, IF THERE'S BEEN ANY INPUT THAT WAY, ANY COLLABORATION WITH THE AIRPORT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A ROUTE AND CONNECTIVITY TO THE AIRPORT.
I MEAN, I THINK IF, IF PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE MORE PEOPLE OPTIONS TO GET OUT OF CARS AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA CONNECT WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK AND HOW ELSE THEY'RE GONNA TRAVEL.
SO I'M HOPING WE MIGHT HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND IF I WAS SEEING CORRECTLY WE HAVE, IS IT JUST ONE OF THE PLANS THAT WOULD GIVE US, UM, AN AIRPORT CONNECTION OR WAS THERE OTHERS AS WELL? I, I WAS TRYING TO LOOK AT IT, BUT IT'S HARD ON THE, THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
THERE IS ONE OF THE FIVE OPTIONS THAT REACHES THE AIRPORT.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL PAUSE THERE JUST TO NOTE THAT MANY, UH, ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AND LARGER VERSIONS OF THESE MAPS ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON OUR VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE.
SO, UM, I I DO RECOGNIZE THE THANK YOU.
THEY'RE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE IN THIS SMALL VIEW.
UM, BUT TO ANSWER THE REST OF YOUR QUESTION, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, I WANNA FIRST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
DO YOU MEAN EMPLOYERS AND UH, OR DO YOU MEAN SOMETHING DIFFERENT? NO, AND I MEAN EX INTERPRET BROADLY.
SO ANYTHING FROM EMPLOYERS TO OUR CHAMBER BOARDS TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
PEOPLE THAT WOULD KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS BRINGING NEW RESIDENTS IN WHERE THE WORKFORCE IS GOING TO BE LOCATED, YOU KNOW, THESE KINDS OF THINGS THAT MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN 10 TO 15 YEARS THAN THEY DO TODAY WHEN THE TRAINS ARE UP AND RUNNING.
AND, AND THE ANSWER IS YES, WE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THAT COMMUNITY ACTUALLY BOTH PHASE OF ANSWERING THAT BOTH WITH MAJOR EMPLOYERS AND WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY INCLUDING THE CHAMBER, INCLUDING, UH, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS INCLUDING, UH, DEVELOPERS EVEN TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS OF WHERE DENSITY IS GOING TO BE AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES AND DESTINATIONS ARE GOING TO BE BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE ALONG THESE OPTIONS AND HAVE BEEN GETTING GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF KEY DESTINATIONS TO CONNECT KEY, UH, CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS.
DO WE HAVE ANY DEFINITIVE, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT WHAT WE THINK MAY BE OUR MOST LIKELY OPTIONS FOR A STARTING POINT ON THE RAIL SYSTEM, DO WE HAVE ANY DATA POINTS ON RIDERSHIP? AND I THINK YOU STARTED TO ADDRESS THAT IN A GENERAL PRESENTATION, BUT IS THERE ACTUAL DATA POINT THAT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MIGHT GET THE BEST UTILIZATION? UM, EACH OF THESE OPTIONS ACTUALLY IN THE MAPS THAT ARE ON OUR VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE THAT ARE LARGER MAPS OF EACH OPTION, IT INCLUDES THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF, UM, DAILY WRITERS FOR EACH OF THESE OPTIONS.
THEY RANGE FROM ABOUT 20,000 AVERAGE DAILY WRITERS ON A, A GIVEN WEEKDAY TO, UH, AROUND 40,000.
AND THE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THAT HAVE LE HAVE LESS COVERAGE AND, UM, NUMBER OF STATIONS IN THE SYSTEM SUCH AS THE PARTIAL UNDERGROUND OPTION, THAT'S THE SHORTEST MM-HMM
WE ARE ALSO, UH, GOING TO BE, UM, COMMUNICATED AND, AND PUBLISHING ADDITIONAL RIDERSHIP DATA VERY SHORTLY THAT PROVIDES SOME RESPONSES TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SORT OF THE NUMBER OF WRITERS BY STATION AND, AND MORE DETAIL AROUND THAT.
SO THAT IS VERY QUICKLY TO COME.
UM, SO IT SEEMS THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET STARTED WITH A LONGER ROUTE, AND PERHAPS IT MEANS AT GROUND LEVEL, THEN WE WOULD ANTICIPATE BETTER RIDERSHIP AT THE SET.
UH, COMMISSIONER COX KNOW THE ANSWER.
COMMISSIONER COX? YEAH, UM, I, I HAVE FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M A BIT BIASED HERE IN WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE BECAUSE I, I AM A PRIVATE CONSULTANT THAT THAT DOES WORK AT THE AIRPORT.
[02:10:01]
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS, IT, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL DONE A, A A LOT OF GOOD OUTREACH ON THIS AND, AND I'M, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.UM, BUT HEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE.
AND I'M CURIOUS, JUST FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I WAS TRYING TO THINK BACK HOW MANY TIMES I'VE RIDDEN ON A, UH, A, A TRANSIT VEHICLE SIMILAR TO WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE.
AND IT'S MOST OFTEN WHEN I'M VISITING ANOTHER CITY AND I GET ON AT THE AIRPORT OR SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT TO GO INTO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WHERE MY HOTEL IS OR WHATEVER.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS, UM, HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC COMMENTARY AND PUBLIC THOUGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE HERE.
THAT COULD ACTUALLY CREATE QUITE A BIT OF RIDERSHIP IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY CONNECT THIS TRAIN TO THE AIRPORT.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY WE, WE ARE NOT REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE AUSTIN AREA.
HOWEVER, WE ARE WORKING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHAMBER AND WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS AND, UM, THE AIRPORT ITSELF AND, AND OTHERS TO GET SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK.
THERE ARE CONSIDERATIONS TO THE NUMBER OF RIDER THAT TRU MAKE THE CHOICE TO USE TRANSIT FROM AN AIRPORT.
SO WHILE THERE MAY BE MANY DAILY TRIPS, UH, COMING TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT, WE CAN ONLY ASSUME, UH, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD CHOOSE TRANSIT AND LARSON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING FROM A RIDERSHIP PERSPECTIVE.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, FURTHER CLARIFIES KIND OF THE RIDERSHIP ASPECT OF THE AIRPORT OPTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST ME, BUT I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
WE'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING YOU.
UM, SO DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PICK UP, I GUESS I, I GUESS I'LL JUST, I'LL, I'LL ELABORATE AND THEN, AND THEN I'M DONE WITH MY QUESTIONS.
BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DO SPEND A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME AT THE AIRPORT AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING MAKING, UH, VISITORS TO THE AIRPORT AWARE THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE ANY BIG POSTERS OR THERE'S NO ADS ON THE BIG SCREENS THAT THEY HAVE SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING OF BUILDING A TRAIN.
ARE YOU, WOULD YOU WRITE IT? LET US KNOW, KIND OF THING.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW AND MAYBE ENCOURAGE, UH, IN MY POSITION ON, ON THIS COMMISSION, UH, TO TRY TO, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS BEST AS YOU CAN.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF IT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE THE MOST OPTIMAL OPTION, THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE PROS AND CONS OF THE AIRPORT OPTION, UH, POTENTIALLY A LITTLE BETTER THAN, THAN WE UNDERSTAND IT NOW.
I WILL JUMP IN AND, AND SAY, AND I KNOW, UM, THIS IS A SMALL PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT, BUT, UH, WE DID SPEND SOME TIME AT THE AIRPORT, UM, LAST WEEK WALKING THROUGH AND COLLECTING FEEDBACK.
WE WERE TARGETING MOSTLY THE VENDORS AND THE EMPLOYEES THERE, BUT ALSO COLLECTING FROM ANYONE WHO WANTED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
SO, UM, WE ARE DOING, IT WOULDN'T BE A FOCUS OF OUR ENGAGEMENT, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE SO IDEAL OF COURSE, TO GET RAILED TO BUILD OUT THE ENTIRE VISION, UM, IF THAT WEREN'T TO HAPPEN FOR WHATEVER REASON.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT B R T OR BUS RAPID TRANSIT OPTIONS, AT LEAST ALONG RIVERSIDE, UM, AND MAYBE OTHER SEGMENTS AS WELL.
AND JUST KIND OF WHAT THE, CURIOUS WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT THAT, IF ANY.
UH, WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT, AT LIGHT RAIL AS THE MODE FOR ALL OF THESE OPTIONS.
AND, AND PART OF THAT IS COMING DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED CONSISTENTLY THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS, ACTUALLY DATING BACK YEARS.
I, I'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THAT STARTED.
AND, AND REALLY A STRONG DESIRE, UM, THAT WE'VE HEARD FOR A, A DEDICATED, UM, AND LIGHT RAIL VOTE.
THERE'S ALSO THE FACT THAT THAT IS THE MODE THAT WAS SPECIFIED IN OUR ACTUAL VOTE IN 2020.
SO WE ARE, ARE STAYING WITHIN THOSE BOUNDS FOR THESE OPTIONS AND, UH, AND ALTERNATIVES.
BUT I, I SHOULD NOTE THAT WHAT I MENTIONED FOR THE FIRST FIVE OPTIONS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL FOR FOUR SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE EXPANDED
[02:15:01]
INTO THE FULL SYSTEM VISION.SO ALL OF THEM CAN BE EXPANDED TO THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH AND THE EAST.
THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT IMPLICATIONS OF DOING SO WITHIN EACH OPTION, BUT THEY ARE ALL EXPANDABLE.
AND, AND I'M SURE I'M A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND, AND I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT SENTIMENT.
WELL, STAFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AND I REALLY LOVE WHAT YOU DID DOWN AT THE, UH, LIBRARY, UM, FEW WEEKS AGO.
THAT WAS REALLY NICE AND I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT.
SO COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
[25.Nomination of members to be considered by Council to serve on Joint Committees.]
UH, WE'LL TRY TO MOVE THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.UM, NOMINATION OF MEMBERS TO BE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL TO THE JOINT COMMITTEES.
SO, UH, JUST CUZ WE'VE HAD FOR A LOT OF REASONS, WE'VE GOTTA NOMINATE, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY SERVING.
BUT I, THIS IS WHAT I LIKE TO PROPOSE AS A MOTION, UM, THAT WE NOMINATE, UM, COMMISSIONER TEMPLE AND AZAR TO THE, UH, CODES, NO'S JOINT COMMITTEE, COMMISSIONER COX, UH, WANNA NOMINATE TO THE CONFERENCE AND PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE COMMISSIONERS, HOWARD MOSH, TYLER AND, UH, VATA, UH, RAMIREZ TO THE SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
I HAVE JUST, UM, I'M ALSO ON THAT COMMITTEE, JUST TOOK MY OATH AND SIGNED ALL MY PAPERWORK, SO I'LL BE JOINING YOU GUYS.
UM, AND THAT WOULD JUST LEAVE US WITH ONE VACANCY FOR OUR, WE'RE STILL SHORT ONE COMMISSIONER, UH, THE MAYOR'S LAST SELECTION.
UH, SO THEY CAN SERVE HOPEFULLY ON THE CONFERENCE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE A JOINT SUSTAINABILITY ALTERNATE SEAT.
THIS WOULD NOT BE A HEAVY LIFT.
YOU'RE BASICALLY FILLING IN FOR COMMISSIONER WOODS WHEN SHE CAN'T, UH, SERVE AS OUR, WE CAN'T SEND TWO PEOPLE.
UM, IS ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THAT? UH, BACKUP ALTERNATE SEAT? I THINK FELICITY NO, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION NOW.
OKAY, WE'LL TABLE THAT ONE FOR ANOTHER MEETING, JUST WHEN WE GET MORE FOLKS HERE.
UH, SO AGAIN, DO I, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO FOR THOSE NOMINATIONS AND I CAN REPEAT 'EM IF NECESSARY.
SO COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
THIS IS, UH, HEMPLE ANDAR CODES NOS.
COMMISSIONER COX ON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMISSIONERS.
HOWARD MOALA AND BADO RAM RAMIREZ ON SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
SO EVERYBODY CLEAR? WELL, ANY OBJECTIONS? ALRIGHT.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS THOSE ON, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
I THINK THOSE HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL, RIGHT, MR. RIVER.
UH, MOVING ON TO, UH, DO WE WANNA CONSIDER ANYTHING
[26.Appointment of members to Working Groups]
FOR THE WORKING GROUPS? DO WE NEED TO NOMINATE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS AT THIS POINT? NO, DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS.LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON, UH, BOARDS
[BOARDS, COMMITTEES & WORKING GROUPS UPDATES]
AND, UH, COMMITTEE WORK GROUPS UPDATES.SO CODE
UM, WE HAD OUR MEETING LAST WEEK AND WE REVIEWED SOME FENCING REGULATIONS THAT'LL BE COMING OUR WAY.
UM, UH, SOME UPDATES TO AND HELP LIVE MUSIC BE, UM, ABLE TO BE LOCATED IN MORE LOCATIONS IN THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER, UH, CLEANUP ITEM ON SOME CORRIDORS, UM, LITTLE BITS OF CORRIDORS THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED IN, UM, UH, COUNCIL RESOLUTION LAST YEAR.
SO THOSE WILL BE COMING TO PC SOON.
UH, COMPETENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE.
UH, COMMISSIONER COX, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? UH, WE UNFORTUNATELY FAILED QUORUM YET AGAIN.
UH, SO WE HAVEN'T MET IN LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, A DECADE AND A HALF.
UM, SO, BUT STAFF IS HOPING THAT RECENT APPOINTMENTS MAY HOPEFULLY GET US TO ACTUALLY MEET AT SOME POINT.
LADIES, UH, JUST ALONG THOSE LINES, WE WILL, WITH THESE, UH, APPOINTMENTS TODAY, UH, THEY'LL BE GOING TO COUNCIL MAY 4TH.
AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WITH A QUICK TURN ON, UH, WITH, UH, FOLKS FOLLOWING THEIR OATH WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED IN MAY.
AND THAT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE AS M P, UM, UPDATES ARE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WILL BE, UM, TARGETED FOR THAT COMMISSION COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL THEN, UH, BE HEARD BY PC ON MAY 30TH.
[02:20:02]
OKAY.WE HAVE A JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE COMMISSIONER WOODS HERE, SO WE'LL GO AND MOVE ON TO SMALL AREA PLANNING.
ANY UPDATES THERE? COMMISSIONER? COMMISSIONER? WE DO, NO, GO AHEAD, PATRICK.
GO AHEAD AND GIVE US THE UPDATE, PLEASE.
ARE YOU ON MUTE? SORRY, COMMISSIONER MS. SELLER.
UM, WE HEARD ABOUT TWO ZONING CASES THAT ACTUALLY ARE GONNA END UP MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, THERE WASN'T EXCESSIVE ACTION TAKEN ON THOSE.
UM, WE MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UH, THINGS, SO I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE WILL NECESSARILY, THEY, THEY MAY EVEN END UP ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
SO SOME OF THE STUFF WAS GETTING FLESHED OUT ON SOME OF THOSE CASES.
UH, SETH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, WE, YES, UH, I WAS AT MY FIRST MEETING LAST WEEK AND, UM, WE HAD A BRIEF CASE TO CONSIDER, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN SOME UPDATES THIS WEEK,
UH, SO WE WILL BE, I'M SURE, DISCUSSING THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND ON THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND DUPLEXES WORKING GROUP AT, UH, UPDATE FROM STAFF, BUT I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER MUHA, YOU HAD KINDA, UH, ADDED, UH, LET US KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME ACTIVITY FROM THAT WORKING GROUP.
YEAH, THERE'S BEEN GOOD RESPONSE.
SO HOPEFULLY, UM, WE'VE NOW GOT CONNECTION AND WE'LL GET, UM, CONFIRMATION FROM BRENT ON WHEN THEY CAN ALSO SIT DOWN AND WORK WITH US.
AUSTIN, STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, WORKING GROUP.
WE HAVE ANYONE TO MR. SCOTT MAXWELL WHO WANTS TO GIVE AN UPDATE.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING ON DOING OUR BRIEFING IN THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY, AND THEN WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING OUR AMENDMENTS, UH, SHORTLY BEFORE OUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING ON MAY 30TH.
UH, DESIGN GUIDELINE, UPDATE WORKING GROUP.
MR. SURES, UH, CHAIR COHEN OR VICE HEMPLE? ANYTHING? NO UPDATE FROM ME.
UH, JUST THAT, THAT OUR SUBGROUP HAS BEEN CONTINUING TO MEET, UM, OKAY.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE STILL GETTING VOLUNTEERS ON SOME OF THE, THE SUBGROUPS, SO.
AND, UH, PALM DISTRICT, IF YOU WANNA CLOSE THIS OUT.
WE HAVE, UH, WE MET LAST FRIDAY.
WE IDENTIFIED 30 ITEMS OF CONCERN AND ABOUT A DOZEN STAKEHOLDERS WHO WANT TO PROVIDE AN INPUT.
UH, WE HAVE A MEETING MAY 10TH WITH THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT FOR THE FIRST LISTENING SESSION, WE'RE COORDINATING WITH THE MAC, UH, CONVENTION CENTER DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCES FOR, UH, SECOND LISTENING SESSION, WHICH WILL ALSO BE IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY.
UH, STAFF, STEVE, UH, IS GONNA MEET WITH CM QUADRI ON APRIL 29TH, AND THEN I'LL BE MEETING WITH HIM ON MAY 2ND TO SEE IF HE WANTS TO OFFER ANY GUIDANCE.
AND THEN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, OFFICE FOUR, MARGARET GOMEZ HAS BEEN ENGAGED BECAUSE THEY EXPRESSED, UH, CONCERN THAT THEY WEREN'T MORE INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL PLANNING, SO WE'RE ENGAGING THEM AS WELL SO THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE LISTENING SESSIONS.
UH, SO COMMISSIONERS, UH, ANY OTHER ITEMS? SEEING NOTHING AND HEARING, UH, ANY OBJECTS UNLESS I HEAR ANY OBJECTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 8 41.