[00:00:08]
[CALL TO ORDER]
UM, TO ORDER.UM, SOPHIA, CAN YOU, UH, DO OUR ROLL CALL? UM, CHAIR WEAVER.
PRESENT VICE CHAIR MINORS HERE.
UH, AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, NEW APPOINTMENTS.
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN WHIR WILL NOW BE SERVICING, SERVING AS A D NINE APPOINTEE.
UM, BRENDAN'S STILL PROCESSING, BUT HE'S FORMALLY A PLANNER OF ASURA ROBINSON.
I THINK HE'LL BE A GREAT VIEWPOINT TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UM, WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR EACH AGENDA ITEM BEFORE WE START THAT AGENDA.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING FROM APRIL 24TH.DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
[2. Staff briefing regarding the Great Streets Program Update. Presented by Jill Amezcua, Planning Department.]
ITEM TWO, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM UPDATE PRESENTED BY JILL OR ME, UM, FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT PUSH.MY NAME IS JILL MEWA AND I AM THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR GREAT STREETS.
AND TODAY I WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM UPDATES.
AND TO START OFF WITH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS BY RAISE OF HANDS HOW FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH GREAT STREETS.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH GREAT STREETS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH IT.
SO TONIGHT I'LL BE PRESENTING AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM, THE STATE OF THE PROGRAM, AND A PROPOSED UPDATE PROCESS FOR GREAT STREETS.
WE'LL START WITH THE PROGRAM OVERVIEW OVERVIEW.
SO IN 1998, THE VOTERS APPROVED, UH, A 5 MILLION BOND FOR THE DOWNTOWN STREET STREET SCAPES FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN DOWNTOWN.
JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN HISTORY OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE GREAT STREETS, UM, HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY, AND IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES, THE GREAT STREETS PLAN, AND THE GREAT STREET STANDARDS, AS WELL AS THE GREAT STREETS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
AND THEN IN 2003, COUNCIL DEDICATED A PORTION OF THE PARKING MENU REVENUE TO GREAT STREETS.
AND FINALLY, IN 2014, COUNCIL ADOPTED THE GREAT STREETS PLAN AS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT.
SO, HOW MANY OF YOU ON THE COMMISSION HAVE BEEN TO SECOND STREET IN, UH, THE PAST THREE MONTHS? BY A SHOW OF HANDS.
SO Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO THAT'S A PRIME EXAMPLE OF GREAT STREETS AND WHAT GREAT STREETS CAN BE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO, IN THE SLIDE THAT GREAT STREETS IS REALLY LOOKING AT ALLOWING MORE OF THE SPACE FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT, UM, VEHICLES AS FAR AS WHAT IS ALLOWED IN THE PEDESTRIAN OR IN THE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO THERE'S, YOU CAN SEE IN THIS, UH, PHOTO, THERE ARE STREET TREES AND AMENITIES LIKE BICYCLE RACKS AND BENCHES FOR PEDESTRIANS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, FOR OUR INDIVIDUALS TO ENJOY DOWNTOWN AND SPEND TIME IN DOWNTOWN, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO.
SO THIS IS A TRADITIONAL DOWNTOWN RIGHT OF WAY FOR WHAT'S IN AUSTIN CURRENTLY IS EIGHT AROUND 80 FEET.
AND SO THAT IS REALLY, THE SPACE IS FOR 60, 60 FEET OF THAT IS FOR CARS.
AND THEN THE OTHER 10 FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT CROSS SECTION IS FOR THE PEDESTRIAN.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
[00:05:01]
NEXT SLIDE.SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT STREETS RIGHT OF WAY THAT THAT SAME 80 FEET, IT IS SHOWING 44 FEET FOR CARS.
AND THEN THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE IS INCREASED TO 18 FEET AND THAT INCLUDES A 10 OR EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK, UM, A MINUTE, THE AREA AS WELL.
SO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF GREAT STREETS.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT INCLUDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO LOOKING AT PEOPLE THAT VISIT DOWNTOWN, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO WHO ARE IN DOWNTOWN TO, UM, JUST SPEND THEIR MONEY IN DOWNTOWN.
SO IF YOU HAVE NICER IMPROVEMENTS, THEY'LL BE SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON THOSE SHOPS THAT ARE LOCATED, UM, ON THE STOREFRONT.
IT ALSO INCREASES YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.
SO BY HAVING STREET TREES, UM, PEOPLE ARE, IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH THAN AND JUST HAVING THOSE TREES ADJACENT TO THEM.
AND THE LAST ITEM I WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS THE URBAN HEAT MITIGATION EFFECT AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, A CONCRETE JUNGLE IN DOWNTOWN AND HAVING THOSE THREE TREES WILL HELP MITIGATE AND OFFSET THAT HEAT.
SO THESE ARE THE GREAT STREETS PLAN OBJECTIVES, AND THE FIRST ONE I WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS THE ELEVATION OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
SO HAVING AN INCREASED EXPERIENCE IN DOWNTOWN WITH GREAT STREETS.
AND THAT IS THROUGH THE AMENITIES THAT GREAT STREETS PROVIDES AND HAVING THE BENCHES AND THE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND TIME IN DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT IS INCLUDED BY ACTIVATING THE SIDEWALK AND THAT WILL ALSO IMPROVE SAFETY BY HAVING EYES ON THE STREET.
SO ALL DOWNTOWN USERS BECOME PEDESTRIANS AT SOME POINT.
SO EVEN IF YOU DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE TO DOWNTOWN, YOU'RE GONNA BE SPENDING TIME WALKING IN DOWNTOWN BY PARKING YOUR VEHICLE AND GETTING TO YOUR DESTINATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO.
SO EVERYONE WILL BECOME A PEDESTRIAN.
SO THESE ARE THE PROGRAM PROGRAM BOUNDARIES FOR GREAT STREETS CURRENTLY.
IT CURRENTLY INCLUDES JUST THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THOSE PROGRAM BOUNDARIES ARE LAMAR TO THE WEST SIDE AND 35 TO THE EAST, AND CESAR CHAVEZ TO THE SOUTH AND 11TH STREET TO THE NORTH.
AND THAT'S THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR GREAT STREETS, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, INCREASING THOSE BOUNDARIES AS WE UPDATE THE PLAN.
AND CURRENTLY THE PLANET ITSELF GOES ALL THE WAY TO MLK AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THOSE BOUNDARIES LIKE IN RAINY STREET, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO CURRENTLY THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO IMPLEMENT GREAT STREETS, AND THE FIRST ONE IS THROUGH A C I P PROJECT.
AND THAT IS DONE THROUGH, IF A SEGMENT OF STREET WERE TO BE REDONE, GREAT STREETS CAN BE PART OF THAT RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THE THIRD WAY IS THROUGH THE GREAT STREETS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE PROJECTS CAN PARTICIPATE, UH, AN OPT-IN TO GREAT STREETS BY HAVING GREAT STREETS PAID FOR BY THE DEVELOPER.
AND THEN THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM WILL REIMBURSE A PORTION OF THE GREAT STREETS INSULATION.
AND THE LAST ONE, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE? THERE'S ONE MORE.
THE LAST ONE IS THROUGH THE GREAT STREETS, UM, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, MORE GREAT STREETS IS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT.
SO FOR FUNDING, CURRENTLY 30% OF THE GREAT STREETS PARKING METER FUND GOES, UM, PART OF THAT REVENUE FROM THE PARKING METERS IN DOWNTOWN GOES INTO THAT FUND TO PAY FOR GREAT STREETS.
THERE'S ALSO A FEE IN LIEU OPTION WHERE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE TECH DOT RIGHT OF WAY, THOSE PROJECTS CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN GREAT STREETS BECAUSE OF JURISDICTIONAL CONTROL OF TECH DOT.
AND SO THOSE PROJECTS CAN PAY INTO THE FUND AND THOSE FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED LATER FOR A C A P PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THE AUSTIN URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO THESE WERE DEVELOPED BY MEMBERS OF THE DAW AWESOME DESIGN COMMISSION, WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1999 AND UPDATED IN 2008.
AND THE AIM OF THIS DOCUMENT IS TO PROMOTE POSITIVE AND ENRICHING DEVELOPMENT BY ASSURING THAT IT ASPIRES TO A GREATER ARCHITECTURAL STANDARD AND URBAN DESIGN STANDARD.
SO GREAT STREETS IS ONE WAY TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THAT VISION, AND THAT'S ALSO UNDERGOING AN UPDATE AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A LIST OF CURRENTLY THE GREAT STREETS AND URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OVERLAP.
SO AS WE UPDATE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE GREAT STREETS PLAN, THESE ARE ELEMENTS WHERE, UM, GREAT STREETS WILL NEED TO BE.
AND DERMAN DESIGN GUIDES GUIDELINES WILL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO, UM, LOOK AT THE INTERSECTION OF EACH
[00:10:01]
OF THESE ELEMENTS AND WE'LL PROVIDE YOU ALL ON THE COMMISSION WITH A PLAN, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS HAPPENING.SO THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE IS WE HAVE GREAT STREETS, TREES, AND BENCHES AND BICYCLE RACKS, BUT THERE ARE NO PEOPLE ON THIS STREET.
AND SO LOOKING AT HOW THE AUSTIN URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATES CAN REALLY SPEAK TO THOSE VERTICAL ELEMENTS AND HOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR OF A BUILDING CAN RESPOND TO WHAT'S ON THE STREET.
AND THIS ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE PARKING GARAGE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO NEXT I'LL TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF THE PROGRAM.
SO SOME OF THE PROGRAM SUCCESSES INCLUDE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 211 BLOCKS OF GREAT STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TODAY.
AND THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED BY COUNCIL THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND A DIS FUNDED PROGRAM.
GREAT STREETS IS FOR AND HAS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SOME PROJECTS.
AND GREAT STREETS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN FINDING CREATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS WHEN NECESSARY.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF BEFORE AND AFTER.
ON COLORADO STREET, YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO AND THE TOP LEFT, THERE'S A VERY SMALL PEDESTRIAN AREA.
AND THEN IN THE PHOTO ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS THE AFTER PHOTO.
SO SHOWING THE INSTALLATION OF BREAK STREETS ELEMENTS THROUGH STREET TREES AND A LARGER INCREASED PEDESTRIAN AREA, AS WELL AS HAVING VARYING PAVER PATTERNS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROGRAM CHALLENGES.
SO THERE'S COMPETITION FOR RIGHT OF WAY SPACE CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN.
AND THERE'S ALSO UTILITY CONFLICT.
SO EVERY SINGLE PROJECT, UM, THAT I'VE WORKED ON IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS HAS HAD UTILITY CONFLICTS.
AND SO WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE UTILITIES AND MOVING THOSE UTILITIES TO GET GREAT STREETS INSTALLED, THERE'S ALSO, UM, ISSUES WITH A STANDARDIZATION OF MATERIALS THAT NEED MODERNIZATION AS WELL AS A PROCEDURAL LACK OF CONSISTENCY AND A LACK OF DATA AND METRICS.
SO NEXT I WANNA TALK ABOUT THROUGH POST UPDATE PROCESS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE GOALS OF THE GRAY STREET'S UPDATE.
AND THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANTED TO COVER WAS, UM, THE ALIGNMENT, UH, WITH OTHER PROGRAMS IN DOWNTOWN.
SO LIKE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WELL AS FOCUSING ON THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN DOWNTOWN AND VISITING DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN ALSO HAVING CREATING CHAMPIONS INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO SOME OF THE OUTCOMES UPDATE THE UPDATE PROCESS INCLUDE A REINVIGORATED PUBLIC INTEREST, SO GETTING PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT GRAY STREETS, AS WELL AS HAVING A HOLISTIC PROGRAM UPDATE, LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT WITH THE UPDATE, AS WELL AS EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES AND MODERNIZING THE STANDARDS.
SELECT THE BENCH IN THIS PHOTO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S OTHER BENCHES THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITH NEW FINISHES AND MATERIALS.
SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT THAT AS PART OF THE UPDATE AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND INCREASING PROGRAM FUNDING AND THEN HAVING A CONSISTENT AND PREDICTABLE PROCESS FOR INSTALLATION OF GRAY STREETS ELEMENTS.
SO THIS IS CURRENTLY THE GREAT STREETS UPDATE PROCESS THAT YOUR TYPICAL PLANNING PROCESS WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY ON THE FAR TOP LEFT IN THE PRE-PLANNING STAGES AND LOOKING AT, UM, JUST STARTING WITH OUR TIMELINE, LOOKING AT OUR SCOPE.
AND THEN FROM THERE WE WILL GO INTO PHASE TWO IS THE ANALYSIS PHASE.
SO LOOKING AT EXISTING CONDITIONS AND LOOKING AT WHAT'S ON THE GROUND CURRENTLY IN THE CONDITION OF THOSE ELK GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS.
SO LOOKING AT HOW THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CAN ALIGN WITH THE GREAT STREETS VISION AND HOW THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE DOWNTOWN.
AND MOVING ON TO PHASE THREE, WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND PHASE TWO AND THE VISION WILL HELP US DETERMINE WHAT TO SCOPE AS FAR AS THE UPDATE.
AND THEN PHASE FOUR, LOOKING AT DRAFTING THE PLAN AND THEN ULTIMATELY GOING THROUGH ADOPTION TO COUNCIL.
SO NEXT IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH AND LOOKING AT HOW GREAT STREETS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND HOW WE WILL GO TO THE PUBLIC AND GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THIS UPDATE, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS INTERNALLY WITHIN THE CITY AND, AND EXTERNALLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT IT FACES
[00:15:01]
CHALLENGES THAT CAN BE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH AN UPDATE, AND WE NOW HAVE THE STAFF TO LEAVE THIS EFFORT.AND FROM EVERYONE, WE'RE READY TO KICK THIS OFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL GET STARTED.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, JILL.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE GOAL FOR THIS UPDATE? SO WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH DETERMINING A TIME, DETERMINING A TIMELINE, BUT IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN, THE LIFE OF THAT PLAN WAS THROUGH 2025.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT TWO YEARS OR SO TO GET THIS UPDATE COMPLETED.
UM, THE PARKING GARAGE PHOTO WITH THE GREAT STREET TREES SAYS A LOT.
UH, BUT FOR YOU, IF YOU WERE TO NARRATE THAT TO SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PHOTO IS SUPPOSED TO MEAN, HOW WOULD YOU BREAK THAT DOWN? I WOULD SAY JUST LOOKING AT REALLY THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS OF THE BUILDING IS REALLY KEY.
AND HAVING ACTIVATED SPACES THAT WOULD HAVE LIKE A RESTAURANT, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S PEOPLE ADJACENT TO THE RIGHT OF WAY JUST TO REALLY ENLIVEN DOWNTOWN AND HAVE, AGAIN, HAVE PEOPLE THERE AND REALLY HAVE THE GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS SPEAK TO THAT ADJACENT PROPERTY.
UM, TO THAT POINT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME UP IN PROJECT REVIEWS IS WHEN WE'RE REVIEWING A NEW PROJECT, TAKING THE SAME AMOUNT OF LINEAR, UM, UH, STOREFRONT THAT MIGHT BE THERE.
NOW IF THERE'S A NEW PARKING ENTRY THAT, SO DOUBLE STACKED, SO YOU HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF LINEAR ACTIVATION AND THEN WE HAVE A METRIC TO SUPPORT THAT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED LACK OF DATA AND METRICS.
UH, WHAT, WHAT WOULD, DO YOU HAVE IDEAL TERMS THAT YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR? YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON CREATING A SPREADSHEET THAT QUANTIFIES ALL OF THE GREAT STREETS ELEMENTS IN DOWNTOWN.
AND FROM THERE, ONCE WE HAVE THAT FINALIZED, WE WILL GO THROUGH DOWNTOWN STREET BY STREET AND DETERMINE THE CURRENT CONDITION OF EACH OF THOSE ELEMENTS SO THAT WAY WE HAVE A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND BEFORE WE DO THE UPDATE.
UM, IS THAT GOING TO ALSO TRACK KIND OF THE EFFICACY OF THE SHADE TREES AND TRACK WHAT SHADE WE'RE ACTUALLY RECEIVING OUT OF THE STREET TREES? I THINK THE GOAL IS 50%.
AND YEAH, IT'D BE GREAT TO FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE.
UM, FOR, YOU TALKED ABOUT EXTENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION.
IS THERE A DISCUSSION AROUND DOING A LIGHTER VERSION FOR ETO? ODS? NOT AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND THEN LAST QUESTION, WE'LL OPEN IT UP.
UH, WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO YOU, ARE YOU SEEING FOR COLLABORATION WITHIN THE CITY? YES.
SO THE, I'M SORRY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL REARRANGED.
I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO, TO MEMORIZE WHICH ONE, UM, ARE CURRENTLY TOGETHER.
SO THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS AS, AS PART OF THIS UPDATE, WE WILL AS WE BEGIN THE UPDATE PROCESS AS WELL AS AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE REALLY THE TWO THAT I CAN THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE PART OF OUR COLLABORATION.
UM, A SUGGESTION, THE RESILIENCE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER JUST RELEASED A FIRST VISION PLAN, I BELIEVE A STRATEGY, UM, WHICH I THINK COULD ENHANCE THE PROGRAMMING OF GRADE STREETS, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE OPEN TO AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT COULD BE A, A GREAT WAY TO ENRICH THE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL AUSTINITES.
DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER CAROL? THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, UPDATE.
UM, ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WHEN YOU SAID 2025.
UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE DEVELOPED OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS BEFORE THESE IMPLEMENTED, UM, YOU ALSO ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO HERE WAS FAMILIAR WITH IT? I WOULD SAY NOT ONLY ARE WE FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO MAKE A LOT OF COMMENTS BECAUSE WE SEE THESE PROJECTS COME ACROSS US CONSTANTLY AND SO WE KNOW WHAT'S WORKING AND WE KNOW WHAT'S NOT WORKING.
AND UM, SO WE'VE GOT FIRSTHAND DATA FOR YOU, UM, WHEN YOU'RE READY TO HEAR IT.
MY QUESTION IS, AND, AND PERHAPS IT'S TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF GRAY STREETS AND YOU INCLUDED THE RAINY DISTRICT AS AN EXAMPLE,
[00:20:02]
WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE 80 FOOT OF RIGHT OF WAY, ARE YOU LOOKING AT CREATING NEW SEPARATE STANDARDS FOR THAT AREA SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL EVERY TIME A PROJECT WANTS DEVELOPS IN, IN THESE AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT THAT SAME RIGHT OF WAY? YES, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT IN LOOKING AT NOT EVERYWHERE IN THE ADJACENT AREAS.SO DOWNTOWN HAS THE 80 FOOT OF RIGHT OF WAY PLUS DEFINITELY SOMETHING AS PART OF THE UPDATE PROCESS WE WILL LOOK INTO TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S EVEN FEASIBLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? VICE CHAIR MINORS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE CURRENT COMPLETION OF GREAT STREETS.
I THINK YOU SAID THERE WERE 200 SOME BLOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY BLOCKS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED BUT ARE, UM, DEEMED TO BE GREAT STREETS IN THE FUTURE? SO THAT'S CURRENTLY WITH THAT, UM, SPREADSHEET THAT I WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER, THAT'S DATA THAT WE WILL SOON HAVE AVAILABLE, BUT AT THIS TIME I DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I'M CURIOUS TOO, WE'VE SEEN PLANS FOR CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, PLANS SIMILARLY FOR, UM, SIXTH STREET, HISTORIC SIXTH STREET, UH, WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOME REDEVELOPMENT THERE.
UM, IS THIS IN CONFLICT WITH THAT? HOW DO THEY RELATE TO EACH OTHER? SO DO YOU KNOW WHICH PROJECT YOU'RE SPECIF SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO? ALL OF EAST SIXTH STREET STREAM REALTY, UH, THEY HAVE, UH, AN INITIATIVE TO REDEVELOP A HUGE PORTION OF THAT AND THEN RECLAIM PART OF THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
UM, AND THEN CONGRESS, I THINK IT'S FROM THE CAPITOL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO RIVERSIDE, INCLUDING THE BRIDGE.
UM, SO I JUST WONDERED LIKE WHAT ELEMENTS ARE UNIQUE ABOUT GREAT STREETS VERSUS THOSE AREAS? SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER.
I CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH A, A BETTER ANSWER.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A CONSIDERATION GIVEN THAT THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM GREAT STREETS FOR THOSE PLANS OR VICE VERSA, OR TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE COORDINATED, UH, AND CONCERTED.
AND THEN, UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING TOO IS THAT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ECHO THE FACT THAT I THINK LOOKING AT EXPANSION, THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DEEM TO BE URBAN.
UH, IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE PDDS THAT ARE, UH, CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT AREAS LIKE THE DOMAIN, ANY OF THOSE ACTIVITY CENTERS, UM, OUR CORRIDORS, UH, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE CHARACTERISTICS FROM GREAT STREETS, UH, TO DEMONSTRATE THAT, UH, THE URBAN FABRIC DOES EXTEND FAR BEYOND DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, WITH THAT, OH, I HAD ONE MORE POINT, I'M SORRY.
UH, THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, A CONSIDERATION FOR STAGING FOR LIVE MUSIC FOR FOOD VENDORS.
IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE CURRENT PLAN? IT'S NOT IN THE CURRENT PLAN.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT OF SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AS WE DO THE UPDATE TO GREAT STREETS.
ALRIGHT, AND THAT'S ALL I HAD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE'S NO COMMENT FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DIAZ.
WELL, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE BRIEFING TODAY.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN FURTHER DISCUSSION OR WORKING GROUP, UM, I THINK WE'D BE REALLY HAPPY TO SHARE, UM, OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
[3. Discussion and possible action on whether the project Dougherty Arts Center Replacement Project, located at 148 South Lamar Boulevard, complies with the City Design and Sustainability Standards. Presented by Kevin Johnson, Parks and Recreation Department, and Robert Byrnes, Studio8.]
THREE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT DOHERTY ARTS CENTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED AT 1 48 SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD, COMPLIES WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS PRESENTED BY KEVIN JOHNSON OF PARKS AND, UH, ROBERT BURNS OF STUDIO EIGHT.I THINK WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT IF, UM, THEY WANT TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE FIRST.
AND WE'RE DOING THREE MINUTES TODAY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SOPHIA WILL RECORD IT ON HER PHONE.
ARE WE, WE GETTING STARTED? DO I HAVE TO PUSH THIS OR REMEMBER THE INSTRUCTIONS? OH, GOOD, GOOD.
UM, MY NAME IS LUCKY LA AND I AM, UH, FIRST OF WANT SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
AGAIN, MY NAME'S LUCKY LAMU, I'M PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO AGAIN, UH, SUPPORT, UH, SHOW OUR MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT FOR THE CONTINUED, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT OF REBUILDING THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG WORK IN PROGRESS.
I'VE BEEN TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION BEFORE, UM, TEAM COUNCIL MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED SINCE 2011 AND WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE.
[00:25:01]
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, VOICE MY SUPPORT.THE MEMBERSHIP FOR THE FRIENDS THAT ARE ALREADY ART CENTER STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE REBUILDING OF THE ART CENTER.
UH, SINCE 2011, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED THE NEED FOR THE NEW ART CENTER AS WELL ESTABLISHED, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS HERE, THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGS OVER THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S, OVER 80 YEARS OLD.
UM, THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM THE VOTERS FROM CITY COUNCIL AND NUMEROUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, MEETING, PLANNING, COMMISSION, UH, UM, UH, DESIGN COMMISSION, UH, PARKS AND REC.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD.
IN FACT, IN DECEMBER, 2022 WHEN I WAS AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, COUNCIL GAVE THEIR UNANIMOUS, UM, SUPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DOWRY ART CENTER PER RESOLUTION.
AND IN THAT RESOLUTION, IT SAID THAT THE CITY MANAGERS DIRECTED TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION, WITH THE DOWRY ART CENTER, WITH WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, AND ALSO TO INCLUDE FUNDING IN THE UPCOMING, THE NEXT BOND ELECTION FOR THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FUND.
SO, UM, I KNOW I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A LONG TIME, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.
YOU KNOW, THE SITE'S BEEN SELECTED, COUNCILS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE SITE, UH, VERY PUBLIC, UH, FORWARD SPACE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH THE OTHER BOND MONIES GIVEN, BUT, UH, THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
SO I KNOW ALL AUSTIN SAYS THAT THEY, UH, SUPPORT THE ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTERS, WHICH IS VERY TRUE.
I'VE LIVED HERE THAT'S OVER 30 YEARS.
AND, UH, COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT RESOLUTION, AND THE VOTERS ARE APPROVE IT WITH THE FUNDING AND BUILDING CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER.
IT'S AT RISK OF ACTUALLY CLOSING SOON BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CONDITIONS RELATED TO PLUMBING AND HVAC.
SO, UM, THAT'S NOT DRAMA, BUT I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, ASK THE COMMISSION DESIGN COMMISSION AGAIN TO, UH, RESPECTFULLY, UH, CONSIDER MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD AND, AND KIND OF GOING WITH THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND WITH COUNSEL SO WE COULD GET THIS DONE IN MY LIFETIME.
SO I STARTED ON THIS ONE WHEN MY SON WAS IN PRESCHOOL, AND HE'S GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, AND I TOLD HIM I'M NOT QUITTING, BUT I WANNA GET IT DONE BEFORE MAYBE HE GETS OUTTA COLLEGE.
SO I'M COMMITTED AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S SUPPORT AS WELL.
AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR STAFF, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD EVENING TO THE COMMISSION.
I'M A PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, JOINED BY ROBERT BURNS, UH, PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT AT STUDIO EIGHT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
UM, AS YOU HEARD FROM OUR SPEAKER, WE'VE HAD A PROJECT UNDERWAY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
UM, YOU, YOU ALL, OR MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THE SITE SELECTION FOR THIS PROJECT, FOR THE SITE LAYOUT FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT SEEKING A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS PROJECT'S COMPLIANCE WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND GREEN BUILDING POLICY.
UM, I DID WANT TO ADD A FOOTNOTE THAT, UH, THIS IS A FOLLOW UP PRESENTATION TO ONE THAT WE HELD LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'RE INTENDING TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF NEW CONTENT, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH PREVIOUSLY AND A FULL ARCHITECTURAL RUNDOWN OF THE FACILITY.
BUT IF I DID SUBMIT THAT PRESENTATION AS BACKUP, WHICH I THINK YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS RELATED, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REVISIT THOSE.
UM, I DID WANT TO GIVE ROBERT A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO DESIGN ISSUES, AND I WILL ALSO ADDRESS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UH, PARKING GARAGE COSTS THAT CAME UP LAST TIME AND AN OVERALL SNAPSHOT OF THE PROJECT FUNDING SITUATION.
SO IN TERMS OF CURRENT STATUS, UH, THE GRAPHIC YOU'RE SEEING ON THIS SLIDE IS THE SITE LAYOUT THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN 2021.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT, OUR TEAM MOVED INTO SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST ESTIMATES OF COST IN FALL.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS PROJECT'S FUNDING DEFICIT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT DRAFTED A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UM, DESCRIBING THE DEFICIT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SOME DESIGN CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DELIVER AS A PART OF THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING AN UNDERGROUND GARAGE, WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE DESIGN.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, IN SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL LATE IN 2022 THAT LUCKY THE SPEAKER REFERENCED, UM, DIRECTING THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD
[00:30:01]
INTO CONSTRUCTION.AND I'LL SHOW THAT HERE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT JUST TO GIVE A SNAPSHOT OF CURRENT STATUS, WE ARE JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY FROM FINALIZING THE 100% CD PACKAGE.
ALSO NAVIGATING THE FINAL COMMENTS ON OUR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION, UH, ONE OF WHICH REQUESTS A RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR COMMISSION.
SO HERE'S THE RESOLUTION, OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO READ FROM THIS DISTANCE, BUT, UM, THE OPERABLE PART IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, WHICH DIRECTS US TO PROCEED AND TO CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN SCOPE, UM, ALSO TO ESTIMATE OUR DEFICIT AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UM, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND, UM, PREPARATION FOR FUTURE BOND REQUEST FOR THAT GAP.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ROBERT FOR NOW TO TALK ABOUT A FEW DESIGN ISSUES, AND I'LL REVISIT JUST A COUPLE BUDGET RELATED TOPICS AS WE WRAP UP HERE.
THANKS KEVIN, AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF RECAP A FEW THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY SEEN.
SO THIS SLIDE REALLY IS INDICATING, UH, KIND OF WHERE THE NEW DOHERTY ART CENTER IS IN RELATION TO THE CITY.
THE PURPLE ASTERISKS IS WHERE IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, AND THE YELLOW ASTERISKS IN BUTLER PARK IS THE NEW LOCATION, UH, WHERE THIS SITS.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S RELATION TO THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
UH, MAYBE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO A LITTLE CLOSER, LOOK AT JUST THE CONNECTIVITY THAT WE'RE PROPOSING OF THIS BUILDING AND MULT MULTIMODAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION HERE.
SO THE PURPLE, HEAVY PURPLE LINE AGAIN IS THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
UH, THE BUILDING WILL HAVE DIRECT ACCESS OFF OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AS IT TRAVERSES THROUGH BUTLER PARK.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, UH, PINK DASH LINES THAT ARE INDICATING, UH, BICYCLE PATHWAYS, GOING TO BICYCLE PARKING, UH, STATIONS LOCATED AT THE NORTH, THE WEST, AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UH, THERE ARE SOME EXISTING BICYCLE RACKS ALSO ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING PART MAIN OFFICE BUILDING.
SO PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR BICYCLE PARKING HERE.
UH, THERE IS A BUS STOP LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF TOMI AND LAMAR, UH, AGAIN WITH, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS DOWN TO ME TO THE SOUTH ENTRY OF THE BUILDING.
UM, ALSO WHAT I WE'RE INDICATING HERE, UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME, UH, RED DASHED LINES ON THE NORTH, UH, OVAL DRIVEWAY AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE FROM TMI.
THAT IS OUR REQUIRED, UH, EMERGENCY, UH, ACCESS POINTS, FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS, UH, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THAT, UH, FOR THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO THE, UH, WEST SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, RE RE-ENVISIONED BUTLER PARK.
UM, WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE IS A CROSS SECTION.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THROUGH THE TRAFFIC OVAL ON THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, WE WERE CAREFUL TO TRY AND MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC INTO THE PARK AREA.
UM, SO WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING AROUND THE, UH, TRAFFIC OVAL IS REALLY A ONE-WAY PARK-LIKE DRIVE.
AND IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR 25 WIDTH OR, OR 26 FOOT WIDTH FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS, UH, WE'RE CREATING THAT UTILIZING A, UH, GRASS PAVING SYSTEM.
SO AGAIN, IT FEELS PARK-LIKE AND NOT ROAD LIKE, UH, ONLY TO BE USED IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES.
AND THEN, UH, YOU CAN SEE IN THIS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THIS TO THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND, UH, THE SHADE TREES THAT ARE PLANTED AROUND THERE.
UH, AS I MENTIONED THIS, THIS IS A CIVIC BUILDING IN A PUBLIC PARK.
UM, WE ARE PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE BUILDING FROM ALL FOUR DIRECTIONS.
THE NORTH SIDE BEING WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE PREDOMINANTLY MAIN ENTRY, UH, THAT ALLOWS YOU TO COME AROUND THE TRAFFIC OVAL AND, UH, UP A PATHWAY THROUGH, UM, A GROVE OF VERY MAGNIFICENT EXISTING OAK TREES.
THE BUILDING HELPS CREATE A COURTYARD TO THE NORTH SIDE.
UH, ON THE EAST SIDE, WE'VE GOT AN ACCESS POINT THAT RELATES BACK TOWARDS THE ZACK SCOTT THEATER COMPLEX.
AND TO THE WEST SIDE, WE HAVE DIRECT ACCESS, UH, TO THE NEW PARK AREA AND DIRECTLY OFF OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
AND THEN, UM, TO THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE, WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS FROM TOY ROAD AND ARE CREATING A PUBLIC COURTYARD ON THE SOUTH SIDE AS WELL THAT CAN BE UTILIZED FOR PROGRAMS AND SO FORTH.
[00:35:01]
SLIDE.UH, THE BUILDING ITSELF, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A CIVIC BUILDING, AN ARTS BUILDING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GONE TO A LOT OF GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE IT LOOK AS SUCH AND BE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FOR THE CITY.
UM, THE BUILDING ITSELF WILL HAVE A PERFORATED METAL SCREEN AROUND IT THAT, UH, WILL CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THE SUNLIGHT HITS IT, UH, CREATING PATTERNS AND SHADOW, AND AGAIN, GIVING A VERY, UM, UH, CIVIC AND, AND, UH, ARTISTIC FEEL TO THE BUILDING.
UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THESE FAIRLY QUICKLY.
SO THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THE NORTH SIDE AGAIN.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE COURTYARD, THE NORTH COURTYARD WITH THE MAGNIFICENT TREES THAT, UH, THE BUILDING IS BEGINNING TO CREATE.
UH, WE WANTED THE BUILDING TO BE VERY WELCOMING AND OPEN.
UM, THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF GLAZING ON THIS SIDE, PARTICULARLY AT GROUND FLOOR LEVEL, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY INTO THE BUILDING.
AND ALSO ALONG A, UH, A, A CIRCULATION CORRIDOR THAT ALSO SERVES AS A PUBLIC ART GALLERY.
SO THE ART WILL BE VISIBLE FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
UH, THIS IS THAT SAME ELEVATION IN A NIGHT VIEW.
AGAIN, TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE HERE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE BUILDING IN THIS LOCATION.
AND THEN AGAIN, BACKLIGHTING OF THE SCREENING TO CREATE A LOT OF DRAMA AND, UH, EFFECT FOR PEDESTRIANS.
THIS BUILDING ALSO HAS A ROOFTOP TERRACE PLAN, WHICH YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER THERE.
UM, SO IT'LL HAVE GREAT VIEWS AND, UH, GREAT PUBLIC SPACE.
THIS IS A VIEW OF THE SOUTH COURTYARD I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO AGAIN, CREATING AN ENTRY POINT FROM THE SOUTH, CREATING A PUBLIC PLAZA THAT, UH, CAN BE UTILIZED FOR ANY NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW DETAILED VIEWS OF THE SCREENING ON THE BUILDING.
THERE'LL BE, UH, COLORED STUCCO, UH, AND IT WILL BEGIN TO RELATE TO WHICH SIDE OF THE BUILDING YOU'RE ON.
SO YOU GET AN ORIENTATION ON, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHICH FACE YOU'RE ON.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, COOLER COLORS BEING ON THE NORTH SIDE, WARMER COLORS BEING ON THE WEST SIDE.
SO THE BUILDING WILL BE ALWAYS CHANGING AS THE SUN AND LIGHT CHANGES.
UH, THIS WILL BE A GREEN BUILDING.
WE ARE TARGETING A, UH, GOAL, UH, GOAL OF LEAD GOAL, AND, UH, WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE THAT WITH THIS BUILDING.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO READ, UH, BUT, UH, WE FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THE POINTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND BEING ABLE TO HIT THAT MARK.
THIS BUILDING WILL ALSO BE A WELL CERTIFIED BUILDING, SO WE'RE TARGETING WELL SILVER WITH THIS BUILDING, AND AGAIN, FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE THAT AS WELL.
UH, KEVIN MENTIONED THE PARKING GARAGE A MOMENT AGO.
UM, AND I'LL STEP THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY, BUT, UM, IN THE PARKING, UM, WE WENT THROUGH A TRAFFIC DEMAND ANALYSIS ON THE BUILDING AND, UH, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE MULTIMODAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER PARKING ELEMENTS.
AND WHERE WE'VE LANDED WITH THIS BUILDING IS TWO LEVELS OF PARKING BELOW GRADE AND ABOUT 140 PARKING STALLS.
UH, IT'LL BE ACCESSED OFF OF TME DRIVE, I'M SORRY, NOT OFF OF RIVERSIDE DRIVE, THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS ON THIS SITE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE ON IS THE PLACEMENT OF THE BUILDING IN RELATION TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OBSTRUCTIONS, UH, IN AND AROUND THIS SITE.
THE, UH, DARKER RED LINES ARE UTILITY EASEMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK AROUND.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY STRETCH ALL ALONG TIMMY ROAD, UM, TO THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIVERSIDE ESSENTIALLY DEAD ENDS INTO WHAT IS NOW A PARKING LOT, UH, THAT WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO THIS ENTRY, UM, ROUNDABOUT AND PARK AREA.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THIS DIAGRAM THAT, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF VERY LARGE, UM, TREES, HERITAGE TREES, MANY OF WHICH ARE PROTECTED.
UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE JUST LARGE SPECIMENS OF, UH, UH, COTTONWOOD TREES OR, UH, TIMORE.
ARE THEY TIMORE? THEY'RE COTTONWOODS, COTTONWOODS.
[00:40:01]
REALLY LIMITED OUR ABILITY TO PLACE THE BUILDING, UH, NEAR THE, UH, RIGHT OF WAY.UH, WE WILL BE PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, SCREENING OF ALL MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND, UM, UTILITY YARDS.
UM, OUR GLAZING ON THE BUILDING, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT A GREAT DEAL OF GLAZING AND OUR MEETING THE PERCENTAGES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE, UM, EASTERN SIDE.
AGAIN, PART OF PART OF THE PROGRAM OF THIS BUILDING IS, UM, THEATERS AND MU UH, MUSEUM BLOCKS, WHICH REALLY CANNOT HAVE WINDOWS IN THEM.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ONE SIDE BEING EXEMPT.
UH, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GARAGE PLAN.
SO AGAIN, THERE ARE TWO LEVELS BELOW GRADE, FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD LAYOUTS.
UH, WE ARE PROVIDING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE 10 SPOTS PLANNED, UH, IN THE GARAGE.
AND THEN, UH, PLANNING ALSO FOR FUTURE LOCATIONS AS WELL.
SO THIS AGAIN IS THE ENTRY, YOU KNOW, THE, TO THE NORTH IS THE ENTRY OFF RIVERSIDE, WHICH COMES INTO THE PARKING LEVEL AND CIRCULATES DOWN.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE GARAGE, SO, UH, FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND SIMPLE.
AND UH, WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, KEVIN.
OKAY, JUST TO GIVE A SNAPSHOT OF OUR CURRENT FUNDING SITUATION, UH, THROUGH THE 2012 AND 2018 BONDS, THE DOHERTY HAS ALLOCATED 28 MILLION.
UM, OF THAT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LITTLE NORTH OF 21 MILLION, UM, AVAILABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION TODAY.
UM, BASED ON OUR 90% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN ALL-IN FACILITY COST OF THE DESIGN THAT ROBERT JUST WALKED YOU THROUGH OF APPROXIMATELY 53 MILLION.
AND OF THAT, UM, $9 MILLION REQUIRED FOR THE GARAGE.
I BELIEVE WE DID, WE DID GET SOME QUESTIONS AT OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PER STALL COST.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE CONFUSION THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TIED TO THE PREVIOUS DESIGN OF THIS FACILITY, WHICH WAS MUCH LARGER.
UM, OR THE GARAGE WAS LARGER THAN THE CURRENT PROPOSED GARAGE.
UM, BUT AT 140 STALLS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY $64,000 PER SPACE.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF PROCEEDING AND WITH THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN MIND, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT DIVIDING CONSTRUCTION INTO TWO PHASE CONTRACTS.
ONE THAT WOULD ALLOW OUR PROJECT TEAM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AVAILABLE.
THAT FIRST GMP WOULD CONSIST OF ALL THE SUBGRADE SITE, UTILITY GARAGE WORK, THE CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SHELL, STRUCTURAL STEEL, UM, AND THEN THE SECOND GMP, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE IN PLACE BY JANUARY OF 2025, WOULD, UM, INCLUDE EVERYTHING ELSE TO DELIVER A COMPLETED ARTS FACILITY.
AND SPEAKING TO TIMELINE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FUNDING RESOLUTION AND THE, UM, COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE HAVE IMPACTED THIS SCHEDULE A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE ARE, UM, FEELING GOOD ABOUT OUR PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD INTO CONSTRUCTION.
THAT TIMELINE IS NOW TRACKING AT LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER OF 2024.
UM, AS WE MENTIONED, WE'RE APPROACHING THE END OF THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE DO ANTICIPATE HAVING ALL PERMITTING COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
THAT WOULD PUT US IN POSITION TO BID THE PROJECT IN SPRING OF 2024.
AND ON THAT TIMELINE WITH TWO SEPARATE GMPS, WE'RE TRACKING TOWARD A COMPLETION IN SPRING OF 2026.
AND I CAN LEAVE IT THERE AND OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE PROJECT.
AGAIN, A LOT OF GREAT IMPROVEMENTS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ACCESSIBILITY PATH OR ACCESSIBILITY MAP.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONVERSATION POINTS BESIDES THE PARKING LAST TIME.
UH, I APPRECIATE THAT THE PROJECT IS SEEKING BOTH LEAD AND WELL CERTIFICATION.
AND I SEE THAT YOU HAVE BIKE PARKING OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY IN THE GARAGE.
IS THERE, UM, COVERED BIKE PARKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CAR FREE COMMUTE TO WORK, UM, AND POTENTIALLY LIKE A SHOWER STATION FOR STAFF TO WASH OFF BEFORE THEY GO TO WORK? YES, THERE IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE IT'S AVAILABLE FOR STAFF, UM, THROUGH THE SERVICE ENTRANCE NEAR THE THEATER.
UM, WE'VE HAD SO MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT PARKING IN THIS AREA, UM, WITH THIS LOCAL PARK MASTER
[00:45:01]
PLAN.UM, I DON'T SEE THE STUDY FOR NIGHT GUARD NELSON UPLOADED, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND SENDING IT TO ME, I MEAN, IT'S SEPARATE FROM THIS CONVERSATION, I'M JUST INTERESTED TO READ.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT THE NEW PROPOSAL HAS TWO FLOORS OF PARKING.
UM, I THINK BEFORE IT WAS ONE FLOOR AND IT WAS MUCH LARGER, SO, UM, GREAT JOB BRINGING THAT IN.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE TO THE CONCERNS THAT THE COMMISSION HAD.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER ROLLON MOSTLY JUST ECHOING EVERYTHING THAT CHAIR WEAVER SAID.
UM, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB ILLUSTRATING AND CLARIFYING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY MAP AND ALSO ADDRESSING SOME OF OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS, UM, YOU KNOW, REDUCING SOME OF THE PAVING.
I THINK A LOT OF AUSTINITES ARE, UH, VERY SENSITIVE TO THE IDEA OF PAVING OVER OUR PARKS,
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN THE GRASS CRETE AND REDUCING THAT PAVING GOES A LONG WAY.
UM, AND YEAH, GREAT JOB TRACKING LEAGUE GOLD AND WELL CERTIFICATION.
THE BUILDING'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR IT.
SO, GOOD, GOOD LUCK GETTING IT GOING.
COMMISSIONER STEAD, UM, I WASN'T HERE LAST YEAR, SO MAYBE THIS WAS COVERED IN THE PROJECT, BUT, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IS THERE ANY KIND OF SIGNAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE ON IT, JUST SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT IS AND I DON'T SEE IT IN THE, IN THE, UH, PICTURES? THERE IS, YEAH.
WE DO HAVE A SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING CONSULTANT ON THE TEAM AND WE KNEW WITH THE LOCATION OF THE FACILITY, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES CUZ IT IS TUCKED BEHIND THE PARDON MAIN AND THE ZACK THEATER.
WE HAVE MONUMENT SIGNS ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE PARK.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE DOHERTY CAMPUS THERE WILL BE SOME WAY FINDING SIGNAGE AS WELL.
AND THEN THE OTHER COMMENT I WAS GONNA, HEY, WAS JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SPEAKER FOR SPENDING SO MUCH TIME, UH, WORKING ON THIS PROJECT AND SEEING IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
LIKE I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING PARKING AND ONE, ACTUALLY THE COMMENT AND THAT'S THE, UH, THE 10 EV SPACES, YOU KNOW, AS TO SOME, I IMAGINE THIS BUILDING'S GONNA BE HERE MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND 10 EV SPACES LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE SEEMS LIKE IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.
SO IS THIS GONNA BE THIS WITH THIS, THIS GARAGE GONNA BE WIRED TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL EV ALL THAT ROBERT TODD QUANTITIES HERE? YES.
WE, WE ARE MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FUTURE STATIONS.
UM, AND IF YOU GIMME ONE SECOND, I CAN PROBABLY TELL YOU HOW MANY.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALLOWING FOR ANOTHER 12 TO BE ADDED TO THAT.
THE OTHER QUESTION REGARDING PARKING WAS, UH, 140 SPACES AND, UH, AND WHAT THE, UH, WHAT'S THE SPACE YOU LOOKING GONNA CHARGE? YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING HERE, UH, PULLING INTO THE GARAGE, I NOTICED IT, IT WAS EITHER $5 OR $8 AN HOUR.
AND SO SINCE THIS BUILDING IS PROBABLY GOING TO, UH, SERVE LOTS OF PEOPLE COMING BY CARS, UH, IS THERE ANY, DOESN'T THAT SEEM A BIT HIGH FOR OR AM I WRONG? I WAS JUST THINKING, UH OH, IT'S SCHOOL HERE.
YEAH, I CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT.
IT, IT WILL BE A PAID GARAGE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO USE IT.
BUT AS IS COMMON WITH A LOT OF OUR CARD FACILITIES, THOSE WHO ARE THERE FOR ARTS PROGRAMMING OR DAC SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VALIDATE.
UM, THERE WILL BE DISCOUNTED RATES FOR PROGRAM USERS, SO.
THAT'S WHAT I, MY CONCERN ON THAT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ROLLERSON.
I WAS JUST NOTICING THE SOUTH FACADE ENTRY FEELS A LITTLE HARDER THAN THE OTHERS.
UM, THE NORTH LOOKS INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT THE SOUTH UM, JUST FEELS A LITTLE MORE LIKE HARD AND PAVED AND COULD, COULD MAYBE BENEFIT FROM SOME SOFTENING, WHETHER THAT'S IN THE, UH, HARDSCAPE OR ADDED PLANTING SOMEHOW.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
[00:50:01]
FOLLOW UP WITH COMMISSIONER LUKINS ABOUT PARKING.AND I REALIZE IT'S CONSIDERABLY EARLY IN THE PROJECT, BUT IS THERE ANY THOUGHT ABOUT OFFERING, UH, SHUTTLE SERVICES FROM OTHER CITY FACILITIES TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CARS ON SITE? WE HAVEN'T HAD AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT THE D DOES SHUTTLE STUDENTS TO THEIR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING FROM SOME OF THE ADJACENT, UM, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND SO I'M SEEING A NOD FROM LAURA THAT THIS IS A SERVICE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST AT THE NEW DAK.
AND THEN NEXT QUESTION IS EVEN MORE IN THE WEEDS, UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO DO.
SO
YOUR GOAL IS FOR FIVE CREDITS UNDER INNOVATION AND LEAD.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT MEASURES YOU'RE DOING TO ACHIEVE THOSE INNOVATION? SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE INNOVATION CREDITS COME FROM EXCEEDING, UH, SOME OF THE LEAD GOALS AND UM, SO JUST IMPROVING ON THE PERCENTAGES.
I MEAN THAT'S TYPICALLY WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF IT HAPPEN IS WITHIN JUST EXCEEDING, EXCEEDING THE LEAD GOALS.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO KIND OF GO BACK AND REVIEW SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE HAD IN THERE, BUT IN GENERAL TERMS, THAT'S WHAT WE NORMALLY NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY THAT YOU WANNA BRAG ABOUT.
ANYTHING
UM, THAT'S USUALLY WHERE WE GET A LOT OF POINTS IS REALLY PUTTING IN EFFICIENT SYSTEMS AND PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO, YOU KNOW, SOLAR, UH, GAIN ON THE BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, THE SCREENING AROUND THE BUILDING, UH, DOES A GREAT DEAL TO HELP REFLECT, UH, HEAT OFF OF THE BUILDING BEFORE IT EVEN ENTERS THE BUILDING.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE, UH, SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UH, ENERGY SAVINGS IN THIS BUILDING.
ALTHOUGH I WILL PUT A FOOTNOTE TO THAT.
I'VE ACTUALLY DONE SOME STUDIES MYSELF WITH THE HEAT THAT RADIATES OFF METAL SCREENS ONTO THE BUILDING, UM, CAN SOMETIMES EVEN BE HOTTER.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF SPECIAL COATINGS ON THIS, UH, SCREEN MATERIAL, BUT IT CAN CERTAINLY GET REALLY HOT AND KIND OF RADIATE BACK TOWARDS THE BUILDING.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE PARKING AND THE SHUTTLES CAUSE I WAS GONNA SUGGEST THE SAME THING.
UM, I'M LOOKING AHEAD TO YOU AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE ANY EXPECTATION OR ANY INFLUENCE THAT YOU ALL HAVE OVER THE PROGRAMMING AT BUTLER SHORES? WELL, OUR SITE AREA RIGHT NOW IS USED AS TWO EXCLUSIVE USE SOFTBALL FIELDS FOR A I S D.
SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE PROJECT TO OPEN UP THAT PARKLAND TO THE WEST, UM, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE A PROGRAMMED, YOU KNOW, LAWN WITH SPECIAL EVENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
REALLY JUST A PASSIVE PARK SPACE EXTENSION OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
SO, UM, DO YOU PERCEIVE CONFLICT WITH, UH, YOUR PARKING BEING OVERLY UTILIZED BY PARTICIPANTS OF THE FIELDS OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE? WE'RE MAINTAINING.
UM, THERE ARE ABOUT 80 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES ON THE TMI SIDE THAT ARE REMAINING AND THERE ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS OTHER PARKING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY.
WE IMAGINE THAT IT WILL BE FULL.
UM, THE SCHLOTZKY'S PU RIGHT AT UH, TWO 18 SOUTH LAMAR IS BUILDING A LARGE GARAGE, I THINK HOUSING ABOUT 500 CARS THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AS WELL.
SO I PITCHED THAT SITE TO ZILKER HILLSIDE THEATER,
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE KIND OF COOL IF THEY COULD, UH, USE YOUR FACILITIES.
SO THANKS FOR ENTERTAINING THAT.
COMMISSIONER SALINAS, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO, UH, CREATE THAT BUILDING THAT HAS THE FOUR WELCOMING FACADES ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, TO GET THROUGH THE DOWRY ARTS CENTER.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S ALREADY IN THE WORKS AS FAR AS CONNECTING, MAKING THAT CONNECTION? UH, CAUSE I'M ASSUMING RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST GONNA HIT GRASS AND TREES.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE AREA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT BETWEEN THE ZAC THEATER AND THE DAK, THERE IS A PROMENADE THAT CONNECTS BOTH FACILITIES.
SO IT IS WHERE THIS BLUE IS GOING.
IT'S FOLLOWING THIS BLUE DASH LINE YOU HAVE.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT TO KNOW, BUT I I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION.
[00:55:04]
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, I THINK I, UH, WASN'T HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION LAST YEAR, BUT WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TODAY LOOKS EXCELLENT.I HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MOTION TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT THEY DO ABIDE BY, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH OUR DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
SO, UH, DO YOU MIND IF I MODIFY IT? PLEASE DO.
WHEREAS KEVIN JOHNSON OF AUSTIN PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT AND ROBERT BURNS OF STUDIO EIGHT PRESENTED DOHERTY ARTS CENTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED AT 1 48 SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON MAY 22ND, 2023.
THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS ITY ARTS CENTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT COMPLIES WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
CAN I SECOND THAT? YEAH, YOU ARE SAYING THAT WHAT I SAID, BUT BETTER, RIGHT?
UNABRIDGED, UH, ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
[4. Discussion and possible action on whether the project 506 West Residential, located at 506 and 508 West Avenue, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines for the City of Austin in accordance with Land Development Code § 25-2-586 (C)(1)(a)(ii). Presented by Richard Suttle, Armburst and Brown, PLLC, and John Houser and Ana Kurzan, Gensler.]
FOUR, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT 5 0 6 WEST RESIDENTIAL, LOCATED AT 5 0 6 AND 5 0 8 WEST AVENUE, COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT CODE PRESENTED BY RICHARD SAT ARMED BRISTON BROWN AND JOHN HAUSER AND ANNA CARN OF GENSLER.
FIRST WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM MR. TED STIFF, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I'M HERE AS THE BOARD CHAIR OF THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THAT HAS EXISTED SINCE 1974, WORKING TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE RESIDENTIAL AND HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE SUPPORT THIS APPLICATION AND, UH, FROM AT LEAST ALL WE CAN TELL, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S, UH, THE CITY'S GUIDELINES, DESIGN GUIDELINES.
I'M HERE SPECIFICALLY TO REQUEST THAT ASSUMING YOU DO PASS A RESOLUTION, UH, THAT DEEMS THIS PROJECT'S DESIGN CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES THAT YOU ADD TO THAT RESOLUTION.
THE CONDITIONS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS, UH, TIED ITS SUPPORT TO, UH, AND THE APPLICANT AGREES WITH.
AND THAT IN ESSENCE IS THAT, UH, THE APPLICANT WILL BE PAYING A NUMBER OF CITY FEES IF HE GOES, IF IT GOES FORWARD, A DENSITY BONUS FEE, A PARKLAND DEDICATION FEE, OTHER FEES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE DENSITY BONUS FEE THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE, AS I PRESUME YOU KNOW, THAT A PORTION OF THAT DENSITY BONUS FEE, IT'S AT LEAST 50% GOES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING OFTEN.
IN FACT, MOST OF THE TIME DEVELOPER APPLICANTS PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT FEE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE IT'S A SIMPLER PROCESS AND IT'S A GOOD PURPOSE OF COURSE.
BUT THE OTHER 50% IS ELIGIBLE TO BE USED FOR WHAT THE REGULATION DEFINES AS VARIOUS COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
IT LISTS 11 SPECIFIC BENEFITS, AND THE 12TH IS OTHER.
UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS A SET OF PROJECTS CALLED THE CYPRESS AND SHO PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
IT'S BASICALLY BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND, UH, GENERAL OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SEAHOME DISTRICT.
UH, I'VE SUPPLIED A LETTER THAT DETAILS ALL THAT, BUT, UH, THAT ALONG WITH VARIOUS PARKING CONDITIONS IS WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS ITS SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT ON.
AND I COMMEND THOSE TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I'VE WRITTEN OUT A LITTLE SUMMARY OF THEM THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY EASE THE ADDITION OF THEM TO YOUR RESOLUTION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:00:07]
MEMBERS.I'M HERE JUST TO INTRODUCE THE FOLKS HERE THAT ARE GONNA TALK TO YOU A MOMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU, TED, FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE, FOR THE PROJECT.
AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WE'RE GONNA STRIVE TO MEET THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SAID.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING PROJECT BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPETING INTERESTS PULLING ON US.
WE HAVE A UNIQUE SITE, IT'S MID-BLOCK, IT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
WE'VE GOT NEIGHBORS TO OUR SOUTH, UH, THAT ALREADY HAVE THEIR HOMES THERE, AND THEY HAVE OPINIONS ON WHAT THIS OUGHT LOOK LIKE.
UH, WE HAVE CITY DEPARTMENTS SAYING HOW WE SHOULD LINE UP OUR DRIVEWAYS.
WE HAVE TOPOGRAPHY, AND THEN WE HAVE THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY, AND WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND WE THINK WE'VE COME UP WITH A VERY, UH, DELICATE AND FINE BALANCE BETWEEN ALL THOSE.
OUR ARCHITECTURE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT DESIGN.
YOU SURELY DON'T WANT ME TALKING ABOUT DESIGN.
UM, WE, WE'VE BEEN TO THE WORKING GROUP, UM, HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, MADE SOME CHANGES, AND, UH, WENT WITH THE ALTERNATIVE DESIGN THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY GIVE SOME SPACE TO THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS AND FLIP FLOP THE BUILDING.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE PROFESSIONALS, BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND JUST KNOW THAT WE, WE HAVE LOTS OF THINGS PULLING ON THIS ONE AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS OUR, OUR STAB.
AND WE HOPE THAT WE'LL KEEP, CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY NOBODY'S PERFECT.
AND IF YOU SEE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I'M A PRINCIPAL AND DESIGN DIRECTOR AT GINSLER.
UM, AND HAPPY TO PRESENT THIS PROJECT TO YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, 5 0 6 WEST IS A MIXED USE PROJECT PROVIDING 359 UNITS OF RESIDENCE AND 2,480 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL.
UM, AT, UH, UH, UH, AT THE LOWER LEVEL.
UH, ACTUALLY WE CAN CONTINUE ON.
SO TO GIVE YOU, UH, SOME, UH, SENSE OF, OF WHERE WE ARE LOCATED, UM, WE ARE IN BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET ALONG WEST AVENUE ADJACENT TO SHOAL CREEK.
UH, IN THIS DIAGRAM HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE QUARTER MILE RADIUS AND THEN THE HALF MILE RADIUS EXTENDING OUT.
TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH WE'RE LOCATED, WE CAN ZOOM IN FURTHER.
THESE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES WILL GIVE YOU A, AN IDEA OF, OF IN GENERAL LOCATION AND SIDING OF THE BUILDING AND CONTINUE ON PLEASE AGAIN.
UM, WE ARE NOT ON SIXTH STREET.
UH, THERE IS A SITE, UH, TO THE NORTH OF US, AND LIKE RICHARD SAID, THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE AUSTIN CITY LA UH, TO THE SOUTH OF US.
AND THEN TO THE WEST, WE HAVE SHOAL CREEK, AND THEN WE ARE, UH, FACING WEST AVENUE.
YOU CAN SEE IN THAT THAT BOULDER RED IS, UH, SIXTH STREET.
SO AS WE CONTINUE ON, IT IS WELL-PLACED WITHIN, UH, TRANSIT LOCATIONS.
IT HAS GREAT ACCESS TO, UH, MANY, UH, TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE, UH, WITH THE, UH, FUTURE, UH, RAIL OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
IT'S WELL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, UH, TRANSIT STATIONS.
AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER, UH, EXAMPLE OF A HALF MILE RADIUS, I BELIEVE, UM, OF A NUMBER OF THOSE TRANSIT STATIONS THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.
I'M STRETCHING MY EYESIGHT TO SEE THE, THE SCREEN.
UM, AND JUST TO GIVE A SENSE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, SURROUNDING US IN YELLOW TO THE SOUTH, YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL TOWERS, UM, INCLUDING AUSTIN CITY LOFTS IN BLUE, UH, WITH THE WHOLE FOODS, UM, OFFICE BUILDINGS TO, UH, THE WEST, UM, AND THEN A FEW ANOTHER OFFICE GOING THE NORTH.
AND THEN A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, RETAIL AREAS ALONG SIXTH STREET TO OUR NORTH AS WELL.
UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UH, THE BUILDING IS 359 UNITS.
UM, UH, AND THAT IS ACHIEVED IN 47 STORIES REACHING 564 FEET AND EIGHT INCHES TALL WITH A TOTAL AREA, UH, TOWARDS OUR F A R OF 495,280 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S BROKEN UP INTO BASICALLY THREE AREAS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE AS A PART OF THE, THE, UH, KIND OF MAKEUP OF THE BUILDING.
THE LOWER LEVELS ARE DEDICATED TO RETAIL AND LOBBY.
THEN WE HAVE A, A PARKING STRUCTURE ABOVE THAT, UH, TOTAL OF 11, UM, PARKING, UH, LEVELS.
UM, AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS ARE BROKEN UP WITH A NUMBER OF AMENITY LEVELS, UM, IN THREE PLACES.
[01:05:01]
UM, SO JUST TO, TO GET DOWN INTO THE PLANS, THIS REAL QUICK IS A VIEW FROM WEST AVE LOOKING INTO, UM, OUR, UH, LOBBY AREA, WHICH WE'LL LOOK AT AND PLAN HERE.CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO, UH, RESTAURANTS ON SITE AND SURFACE PARKING.
THERE'S ALSO TWO HERITAGE TREES, WHICH WE, UM, ARE MOVING AS A PART OF, OF THE BUILDING DESIGN TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO, UM, THE PUBLIC AREAS AND SOME OTHER AMENITY AREAS, UH, RELATED TO THE RETAIL WE CAN CONTINUE ON.
UH, ANOTHER THING, UH, THAT RICHARD MENTIONED EARLIER IS THE CHALLENGES OF THE FLOODPLAIN.
UH, WE ARE IN BOTH THE 25 YEAR, UH, FLOOD FLOODPLAIN AND THE HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
WE'RE WELL WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN.
UM, AND SO A NUMBER OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO MEET IS HOW TO ELEVATE THE, UH, UH, ENCLOSED AREAS.
SO OUR LOBBY LEVEL AND RETAIL MAIN RETAIL LEVEL SIT AT NINE FEET, WHICH ARE JUST TWO FEET ABOVE, UH, THE FLOODPLAIN AREA.
WE ARE ALSO, UH, ELEVATING OUR EMERGENCY ACCESS AREAS AS WELL AS SOME OTHER UTILITY AREAS AS WELL.
SO CERTAINLY A, A CHALLENGE, UM, TO, TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, THIS SITE AND CONTINUE ON PLEASE.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE SITE IN THIS DRAWING, UH, NORTH IS, UH, UP, UM, OUR ON ALONG, UH, WEST AVENUE, WE ARE, UM, UH, ABIDING BY THE GREAT STREETS, UM, UM, UH, PLAN, UM, PROVIDING STREET TREES, UM, AND UM, A WIDE AREA FOR, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AS WELL AS, I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT MY LOOK AT THIS IN FRONT OF ME, CUZ I CAN'T, I CANNOT SEE THAT.
I NEED TO GO TO AN EYE DOCTOR AS WELL.
YEAH, SO IN THE, UH, ON THE, THE, UH, NORTH, UH, EAST SIDE, UM, ONE OF THE LARGE, A PECAN, UH, HERITAGE TREES IS LOCATED IN THE ACCESS POINT TO, UH, TO THE, THE, UH, DECK THAT'S ELEVATED NINE FEET ABOVE GRAY, WHICH GIVES ACCESS BOTH TO OUR LOBBY THAT'S SHOWN HERE IN BLUE, AND THE RETAIL AREA ON THE NORTH FACING OF THE BUILDING IN PINK.
UM, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE STREET, UH, UH, TREES AND BENCHES INCORPORATED INTO THAT, UH, STREET FACING, UH, SIDE ALONG WEST AVENUE AS WE GO TO THE SOUTH OF WEST AVENUE.
THIS IS OUR VEHICLE ACCESS TO OUR BUILDING.
UM, THE UPPER 25 FEET IS OUR ACCESS POINT TO OUR GARAGE.
UM, AND THEN TO THE SOUTH OF THAT IS OUR FIRE LANE ACCESS, UH, WHICH GIVES STRAIGHT ACCESS TO THAT, UM, EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS POINT.
THAT DEDICATED FIRE LANE IS A PAVED GRASS, GRASS SPACE, UM, UH, ALLOWING FOR A REDUCED, UM, UH, CURB CUT PRESENCE.
WE'RE ALSO USING, UM, PAVERS ALONG THE PEDESTRIAN ENHANCED PAVERS ALONG THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AREAS AND, UM, PAVERS ON THE VEHICLE.
WE CAN CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, SHOWN HERE IN, UH, PINK IS ON TOP IS OUR 2,480 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL AREA, UM, THAT HAS BOTH ACCESS AND FRONTAGE TOWARDS WEST AVENUE AS WELL AS ACCESS TOWARDS THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING OVERLOOKING SHOAL CREEK, UM, AND TOWARDS ANOTHER ONE OF THE HERITAGE TREES SHOWN IN THE, THE NORTH, UH, EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
ALONG WITH THAT IS ALSO AN ACCESS POINT TO ALLOW, UM, UH, PEOPLE AT THE, UH, UM, IN, WITHIN THE RETAIL TO HAVE ACCESS DOWN TOWARDS THE SHO CREEK NATURAL AREA.
IN BLUE IS OUR LOBBY, UH, SHOWN HERE WITH OUR ACCESS POINTS TO THAT LOBBY SPACE AS WELL.
UM, IN WITH THE RED DASHED LINE IS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS POINTS IN THE, UH, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACCESS WAY.
AND THEN IN BLUE YOU CAN SEE THE VEHICLE ACCESS POINT THAT, UM, PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE PARKING GARAGE, THE PARKING STRUCTURE ON THE LEVELS ABOVE.
UM, ONE OTHER THING IN THE PINK, WE ALSO HAVE A BIKE PARKING AREA AND THE EXTERIOR AS WELL AS ALONGSIDE OUR, UH, BIKE LANE ON THE WEST SIDE.
APOLOGIES, WE CAN CONTINUE ON AS WE MOVE UP INTO THE PARKING STRUCTURE ABOVE.
THIS IS OUR FIRST LEVEL OF PARKING.
SO AS IN, IN SOME WAYS THIS IS THE TRANSITION PARKING LEVEL AND AS WE CONTINUE UP INTO THE PARKING GARAGE, ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PARKING LEVEL ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IS THAT IT IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR THE FLEXIBILITY, UH, OF, UM, TRANSITIONING TOWARDS A, UM,
[01:10:01]
UH, UH, ADDITIONAL INHABITABLE SPACE IN THE FUTURE.POTENTIALLY TRANS, UM, TRANSITIONING IT INTO RESIDENTIAL SPACE IN THE FUTURE AS VEHICLE DEMAND PARKING DEMAND IS DECREASED OVER TIME, SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM SOME LEVELS OF THIS PARKING TO RESIDENTIAL LEVELS IN THE FUTURE.
CONTINUE ON, THIS IS OUR STANDARD PARKING LEVEL.
AGAIN, THE NORTH SIDE AND THE WEST OR NORTH SIDE AND THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING ARE A FLAT PLATE ALLOWING FOR THE FUTURE TRANSITION TO ADDITIONAL UNITS OF RESIDENTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND CONTINUE ON PLEASE ON OUR FIRST LEVEL OF, UM, OF, OF, OF RESIDENTIAL AND AMENITY LEVELS.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE EAST SIDE WE HAVE A LARGE AMENITY AREA, UM, LOOKING OUT TOWARDS SHOAL CREEK, UM, UH, PROVIDING, UH, SET, WE'RE SETTING BACK THE ENCLOSED AREA, PROVIDING A PARK, UH, SPACE AROUND THAT, OR AN AMENITY, UH, A NATURAL AMENITY AREA AROUND THAT, UM, UH, CO-WORKING AREA.
AND THEN ON THE EAST SIDE WE HAVE SEVERAL, UH, UNITS SHOWN HERE.
UH, I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE ON WITH THIS AS WELL.
SO A STANDARD, UH, UNIT LAYOUT, UM, FOR THE UPPER LEVELS, UM, SHOWS THE LARGER SECTION OF THE BUILDING, UM, AND WE CAN MOVE ON.
AND THEN AS WE MOVE UP, THE BUILDING ACTUALLY GETS SMALLER IN FOOTPRINT, UM, AND THAT TRANSITION HAPPENS AT ANOTHER ONE OF THESE AMENITY LEVELS, PROVIDING MORE, UH, CO-WORKING AREA OR AMENITY SPACE, BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR.
UH, AGAIN, THAT OUTDOOR AMENITY SPACE FACING TOWARDS SHUL CREEK.
AND THEN AT THE VERY TOP OF THE BUILDING IS OUR, OUR MAIN AMENITY AREA WITH THE POOL TO THE SOUTH, UM, AND OTHER, UH, RESIDENT AMENITIES TO THE NORTH OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEN SHOWING, AGAIN, THE QUICK EL UH, THE ELEVATIONS OF THE BUILDING.
UM, I, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HOW WE'RE USING, UH, THESE AMENITY BREAKS AS WE GO VERTICAL IN THE BUILDING TO KIND OF BREAK UP THE OVERALL MASSING OF, OF THE BUILDING.
UM, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE KIND OF POINTS OF NATURE BOTH FOR THE RESIDENTS AND I THINK ALSO FOR PEOPLE VIEWING THE BUILDING FROM AFAR.
LEMME CONTINUE A COUPLE VIEWS.
ON THE LEFT SIDE IS A VIEW, UH, FROM THE NORTH, UH, EAST, UH, LOOKING BACK TOWARDS LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, SEEING HOW THE BUILDING FITS INTO ITS NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN THE NEIGHBORING TOWERS ON THE, UH, RIGHT SIDE IS AGAIN FROM, UH, THE NORTHEAST, UM, FROM SIXTH STREET LOOKING UP AT THE BUILDING.
AND THEN AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE HOW US UTILIZING THOSE AMENITY AREAS TO CREATE THESE CUTS THAT FURTHER BREAK UP THE BUILDING.
YOU ALSO CAN NOTE HERE WHERE WE'VE, UM, STARTED TO INCORPORATE IT THE, UH, PARKING LEVELS AT THE LOWER LEVELS INTO THE OVERALL MASSING OF THE BUILDING TO, TO KIND OF CREATE A UNIFIED EXPRESSION AS WE GO VERTICAL.
UM, THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE NORTHWEST.
AGAIN, LOOKING BACK, YOU CAN SEE THE INDEPENDENT IN, IN THE, IN THE DISTANCE, HOW WE FIT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AGAIN, HAVING THOSE AMENITY LEVELS, UM, UH, WITH, UH, VIEWS BACK TOWARDS SHOAL CREEK, UM, AND TOWARDS LADY BIRD LAKE FROM, FROM THAT ELEVATION.
AND CONTINUE ON PLEASE, UH, PLEASE, UH, CONTINUE ON.
I'VE PROBABLY FORGOTTEN A FEW THINGS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUE OH, SORRY.
THERE'S SOME GROUND LEVEL VIEWS.
SO I, UH, ALONG WEST STREET AGAIN, I, I, I SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT HOW IT'S, UM, WE'RE ABIDING BY THE GREAT STREETS, UH, PROGRAM.
YOU CAN SEE THE STREET TREES TO THE LEFT, BUT ALSO IMPORTANTLY MAKING USE OF THAT HERITAGE TREE THAT WE HAVE ONSITE, MOVING IT TO, TO THE, UM, UH, THAT NORTHEAST CORNER AND CREATING A ALMOST A, A PARK-LIKE ENVIRONMENT AS YOU ENTER INTO THE LOBBY AND RETAIL AREA.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT IS, UM, IN THIS BUILDING IS PROVIDING, UH, AREAS WITHIN THE, UH, LOBBY AND ALONG THE GARAGE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS TO CREATE MURALS, UM, KIND OF RECONNECTING WITH THE LOCAL ARTIST COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE ALSO, UH, AND THINK SOMETHING THAT I SKIPPED OVER EARLIER AT THE STREET LEVEL, WE'RE
[01:15:01]
CREATING A 128 SQUARE FOOT SPACE FOR A RE A SMALL RETAIL KIOSK FACING OUT TOWARDS WEST STREET.ABOVE THAT AS A PART OF THE LOBBY, THE AND RETAIL AREA.
WE HAVE A, UH, A TERRACE THAT SITS ABOVE THAT AREA WITH, UM, PUB WITH SEATING AREAS AS WELL.
AND WE CAN CONTINUE ON, PLEASE.
THIS IS THE VIEW, UM, OF THAT UPPER DECK AMENITY AT THE, OF THE TOP LEVEL, THE POOL, LOOKING BACK TOWARDS THE SOUTH.
AND I THINK WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY CAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO YES,
I APPRECIATE THE DESIGN TEAM AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM TAKING A MINUTE TO WORK THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP COMMENTS AND NOT RUSHING THROUGH COMMISSION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU TOOK SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS TO REALLY REWORK YOUR GROUND FLOOR.
UM, I THINK IT'S A MUCH STRONGER PROJECT AND THANK YOU FOR THAT EFFORT.
UM, DO YOU MIND FLIPPING TO THE STREET SCAPE ACTIVATION DIAGRAM? SURE.
COULD WE GIVE HIM THE SCREEN AGAIN? UM, IT'S SLIDE NINE OF BACKUP.
UM, I'LL JUST START TALKING ABOUT IT WHILE JACKSON'S WORKING ON GETTING US THERE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS STREETSCAPE ACTIVATION DIAGRAM.
YOU'VE GOT SEATING AND YOUR BIKE PARKING LABELED PEDESTRIAN SITE ACCESS, PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION.
I'M WONDERING HOW THE PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION IS WORKING ADJACENT TO SHOAL CREEK.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT LEADS UP TO THE RESTAURANT DECK AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW I GET THERE OR WHERE, WHERE'S THE END OF THAT PATH? YEAH, SO MM-HMM.
UH, THE, UH, PATHWAY ALONG SHOLL CREEK IS ACTUALLY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF, UH, OF, UH, THE CREEK.
AND SO THERE'S NO, UM, UH, A CONNECTION THERE OTHER THAN TO PROVIDE POTENTIAL ACCESS DOWN TOWARDS THAT SHOAL CREEK WITH THE LOWER LEVEL, UM, POTENTIAL SEATING AREA AS A PART OF THAT RETAIL RIGHT NOW, WE DO NOT HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION FROM, UH, THE STREET DIRECTLY TOWARDS THAT BACK AREA IN THIS CONS IN THIS STRATEGY.
I'M NOT SAYING IT NECESSARILY HAS TO BE THE PUB OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
CAUSE IT DOES SEEM THAT IT'S A, A RESIDENCE ONLY OR A CONSUMER ONLY AREA.
AND I, BUT I'M HAPPY FOR THE ACCESS.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY THE CREEK.
UH, AND THEN DO YOU MIND FLIPPING TO, LET'S SEE, UH, THE BACKUP WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING TO REVIEW BECAUSE SOME OF IT WERE THE OLDER SLIDES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, BUT YOU'VE DONE SO MANY UPDATES, SO I, YEAH.
UH, SO LOOKING AT SLIDE FIVE AND BACKUP THREE, UM, YEAH, I, I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF THIS SLIDE, BUT IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE THAT DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE ISN'T THERE ANYMORE, IS THAT RIGHT? SORRY.
SO THAT DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS ACTUALLY, UH, AND I BELIEVE WE AND IS THIS THE RIGHT? YEAH, SO I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE GOT THE WRONG, YOU'VE GOT THE NEW ONE LATER ON.
SO IF WE GO TO DOWN FURTHER IN THAT SAME DAY.
THAT WAS THE OLD ONE AND WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ANYMORE.
AND YOU, SO IT'S A GOOD, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE IMPROVEMENT THAT HAS OCCURRED SINCE WE ALL SPOKE LAST.
UM, YEAH, THE NEW ONE SHOWS, UH, THE, EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT IS ACTUALLY THE ADJACENT SITE.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE A DRIVE AREA FOR THIS PROJECT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
IT IS LANDSCAPE AND BUILDING ACCESS ALONG THAT, UM, KIND OF LANDSCAPE, STAIR AREA THAT LEADS UP TO, UH, THAT TERRACE THAT'S CONNECTED TO OUR LOBBY AND TO THE RETAIL AREA.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, UH, ON, UH, IN THE LOWER AREA,
[01:20:01]
YOU CAN SEE WHERE OUR, UM, KIOSK KIND OF A, THE IDEA IS A, A, AN AREA TO SERVE A COFFEE OR A SMALL CAFE, UH, KIOSK THAT'S IN THAT LOWER AREA.IT'S NOT AN ENCLOSED SPACE BECAUSE THE RESTRICTIONS FROM THE FLOOD, UM, UH, FLOODPLAIN, BUT IT IS AN AREA TO HAVE A SMALL RETAIL PRESENCE AT THE STREET LEVEL, WHICH WE FELT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS IMAGE.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LOT OF GROWTH SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION.
AND REALLY THE LAW IS THE GRAND ENTRANCE AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF YOUR BASEMENT LEVEL FOR SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC, AND I JUST THINK IT, IT'LL, IT'S ALL COME TOGETHER TO BE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S, OH, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, DO YOU MIND ELABORATING ON THE FUTURE PROOFING OF THE GARAGE USE? RIGHT.
SO, AND THAT REALLY COMES DOWN TO JUST CREATING, UM, SPACE THAT CAN BE EASILY CONVERTIBLE INTO, UM, UH, FUTURE USE.
UM, FOCUSED ON RESIDENCE OBVIOUSLY.
UM, BY, BY CREATING FLAT PARKING AREAS SO THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING, UH, A SLOPED AREA ALL THE WAY AROUND THE BUILDING.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALLOWING FOR THE NORTH AND THE, UH, EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING, WHICH ARE THE TWO FRONTAGES THAT WOULD BE BEST SUITED FOR CONVERTER BUILDING IN THE FUTURE.
ALLOWING THOSE TO BE FLAT AND WHICH WOULD, UM, LEND ITSELF TO BEING CONVERTED TO RESIDENTIALS, UM, UNITS IN THE FUTURE POTENTIALLY, OR OTHER USES.
UM, SO THE IDEAL OR THE PLANNED USE WOULD BE RESIDENTIAL, OR WOULD IT BE CREATIVE OFFICE OR GIVEN THE FLOOR TO FLOOR? UM, GIVEN THE FLOOR TO FLOOR, IT'S PROBABLY BEST SUITED FOR ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, THE, IT'S AROUND 10 FOOT FLOOR TO FLOOR AND SO THAT'S A BETTER TARGET FOR FUTURE CONVERTIBILITY TO RESIDENTIAL.
AND THE OCCUPANCY PROBABLY MATCHES THE LIVE LOAD REQUIREMENT FOR THE RIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, FUTURE PROOF THE BUILDING FOR, UM, FOR THAT POTENTIALLY.
WELL LET'S OPEN IT UP TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UH, COMMISSIONER LUKES FIRST, HOW MANY, UH, PARKING SPACES DO THE BUILDING HAVE? UH, LET ME JUST CHECK.
OUR, OUR PARKING RATIO IS ONE TO ONE.
SO HOW MUCH WAS ONE TO ONE ABOUT AROUND 400 PARKING SPACES.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION WAS, UM, IT'S, THERE'S ABOUT 124,000 SQUARE FEET OF ADDITIONAL, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE BASED ON COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
AND SO I WONDER IF YOU COULD JUST QUICKLY KIND OF LIKE RUN THROUGH THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT WARRANTS 124,000.
UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK TO THIS OR DO YOU WANT I CAN CERTAINLY HANDLE IT.
I WANNA POINT OUT, THIS IS REALLY A HANDSOME BUILDING.
YEAH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND RIGHT NOW THE PROPOSAL IS TO DO FEE LEAVE LOU HALF FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEN PARTNER WITH, I KNOW THE CITY GUY WILL GO CRAZY CUZ I CAN'T DIRECT THE MONEY, BUT THE INTENT IS TO TRY TO HELP THE, UH, SHOLL CREEKS AND CONSERVANCY AND THEY HAVE A PROJECT THAT I'LL LET TALK ABOUT.
WELL, THIS WOULD ALL BE CITY MONEY AND STAY AS CITY MONEY.
I'M LOOKING AT JORGE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE CYPRESS CENTRAL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY, A A, UH, SET OF PROJECTS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, DESIGNED AND PAID FOR BY SHO CREEK CONSERVANCY WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS NOW UNDER REVIEW BY THE, UM, OR THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIVISION OF THE TRAN OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE AS THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FOR THE NOW FAILED BOWIE STREET UNDERPASS PROJECT.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL WITH ME? DID HE SHOW OF HANDS? UH, THE, THE SEAHOME DISTRICT, UH, WAS CREATED TO BE A PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FRIENDLY AND SAFE AREA.
ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THE SEAHOME DISTRICT, WHICH HAS A SEPARATE TIFF THAT COULD PAY FOR PART OF THIS FUNDING FOR THESE PROJECTS.
UM, ONE OF THE PROJECTS OF THAT TIFF WAS CALLED THE BOWIE STREET
[01:25:01]
UNDERPASS.IT'S BASICALLY A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTION FROM THE FLUGER BRIDGE UNDER THE UNI PACIFIC RAILROAD, ROUGHLY AT BOWIE STREET TO CONNECT TO PROVIDE SAFE ACCESS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, UH, INTO DOWNTOWN.
FROM THE FUGA BRIDGE CITY STAFF NEGOTIATED WITH UNION PACIFIC FOR APPROXIMATELY A DECADE AND ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO SAID, THREW UP THEIR HANDS RESPECTFULLY.
I'M SAYING THAT RESPECTFULLY FOR THE EFFORT THEY MADE AND TOLD CITY COUNCIL, WE CAN'T ACHIEVE THE BOW STREET UNDERPASS PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD REQUIREMENTS WITH REGARD TO POTENTIALLY PUTTING A TUNNEL UNDER THE RAILROAD.
AT THAT POINT, COUNCIL'S RESPONSE TO THAT STAFF MEMO WAS TO PASS A RESOLUTION SAYING, OKAY, IF YOU CAN'T DO THE GREASE STREET UNDERPASS PROJECT AS PART OF THE SEAHOME DISTRICT, PROVIDE US AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FROM THE FLUGER BRIDGE INTO DOWNTOWN FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.
AND THE ALTERNATE ROUTE THAT STAFF IS ABOUT TO RECOMMEND TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE PROJECTS CONTAINED WITHIN THE CYPRESS ENSURE PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT, SO WE EXPECT THIS TO BE A CITY APPROVED PROJECT DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND, UH, WE'RE ASKING THAT THE PROVISION WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS REGULATIONS SUB SUB CHAPTER E 12, WHICH SAYS THERE CAN BE OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS BESIDES THE THINGS LISTED ONE THROUGH 11, UH, THAT THE CYPRESS AND SHUL PROJECTS BE CONSIDERED, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THIS, THAT THIS PORTION OF THIS PROJECT'S DENSITY, BONUS FEE IN LIEU OF PAYMENT BE USED FOR.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, COMMISSIONER LUKINS, THE BONUS AREA THEY'RE REQUESTING IS JUST SHY OF 300,000 SQUARE FEET.
RIGHT? I WAS LOOKING AT THAT CUZ THE COUNCIL PART, NOT THE TOTAL PACKAGE.
UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS A REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION.
I HATE THAT I HAVE TO SAY IT, BUT A LOT OF PROJECTS DON'T EVEN GIVE US ALL THE EXHIBITS THAT WE ASKED FOR TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY ATTRACTIVE BUILDING.
UM, MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT WHAT IS THE MATERIAL THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING THAT, THAT WRAPS AT THE FLOOR LEVEL? SO WE'RE STILL, UH, DEVELOPING THE MATERIALITY OF THE BUILDING.
THE WHAT WE'RE WHAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO CREATE THAT WARM HUE THAT FITS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, KIND OF A REDDISH WARM, UH, UH, MATERIALITY.
SOMETHING SIMILAR TO LIKE A, UM, UM, A REDDISH METAL, UM, UH, PANEL.
BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE HOW TO ACHIEVE THAT LOOK AND FEEL.
UM, BUT WE DON'T YET HAVE THAT FINAL MATERIAL, UH, FIGURED OUT JUST YET.
I, I WOULD SAY, UM, THAT, WELL, THE, THE PLANTS DEFINITELY HELP, BUT ON THE, UH, THE STREET LEVEL AND THEN THAT ELEVATED LEVEL, BRINGING IN SOME SOFTER MATERIALS RIGHT THERE AS WELL, WHERE THE PEDESTRIANS ACTUALLY INTERACT IN SOFTER COLORS.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONCRETE, AGAIN, THE LANDSCAPE DOES A, DOES A GREAT JOB OF, OF SOFTENING IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT LANDSCAPE IN THIS RENDERING IS GONNA ACTUALLY BE THERE WHEN MM-HMM.
SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THOSE MATERIALS WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN INTERACTS AND ESPECIALLY AROUND THE KIOSK.
UM, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, GOING TOWARDS THE PRESENTATION, WHEN I, I OPENED IT UP, LOOKED AT THAT FIRST RENDERING, I WAS LIKE, HMM.
AND, AND THEN EXPLAINING THE FLOOD PLANE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IDEAL TO HAVE THAT ELEVATED, UH, UH, RETAIL, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN IT'S, YEAH, UNDERNEATH, YEAH.
SEEMS LIKE THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITY
[01:30:01]
FOR MORE RETAIL THERE OR OTHER, OTHER COMMERCIAL USE IN, IN SUCH A LARGE BUILDING.UM, AND, AND THEN THE, THE ONE STILL CONCERNED, I, I WASN'T AT THE WORKING GROUP MEETING.
I, I DO THINK THERE WAS A HUGE LEAP BETWEEN THE FIRST RENDERING AND THIS LAST RENDERING, BUT THE, THE LARGE CURB CUT AT THE GARAGE STILL SORT OF CONCERNS ME.
I, I DIDN'T SEE THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF DISCUSSION IN THE WORKING GROUP NOTES ON THAT, BUT, UM, DEFINITELY PROVIDING, UM, SOME WARNINGS THERE FOR THE, FOR THE DRIVERS AND THE PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE, UH, SORT OF AREA OF REFUGE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN TO, IF THEY HAVE TO STOP, UH, WHEN THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE LANE SITUATION AND, AND EVEN COVER FOR THEM IF IT'S RAINING AND THEY HAVE TO STOP.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY KIND OF VARIANT THAT REALLY JUMPS OUT AT ME STILL.
AND I CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT TO, TO THAT SOME OF THE DETAILS I MIGHT HAVE SKIPPED EARLIER.
UM, THE FIRE LANE, UH, UH, UH, HAS, IT'S BEEN REQUESTED THAT IT'S AN UNOBSCURED TO THE SKY ACCESS POINT TO THE NORTH, SO THAT, THAT MEANT THAT WE HAD TO PULL THAT, THAT FIRE LANE AS FAR TO THE SOUTH AS, UH, AS POSSIBLE.
A D T IS ALSO REQUESTED THAT WE ALIGN OUR, UH, RESIDENTIAL ACCESS POINT, UH, OR OUR, UH, TRAFFIC AREA WITH THE ALLEY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN LOCATED, UH, JUST TO THE NORTH.
OUR INTENT IS TO USE PEDESTRIAN, UH, PAVERS, UH, THAT CHANGE IN TEXTURE, UM, AND GIVE AN, UH, ADDITIONAL INSIGHT TO, UH, PEDESTRIANS OF WHEN THEY'RE TRANSITIONING FROM A, A PROTECTED SIDEWALK AND A CURB CUT AREA, AS WELL AS USING THAT, UM, UH, LANDSCAPED OR, UH, UH, KIND OF PAVED, UH, GREEN AREA, UM, FOR THE FIRE LANE, UH, WHICH WOULD BE USED IN EMERGENCY ONLY, UM, SITUATIONS, UM, TO TRY TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE OF THAT CURB CUT, UM, THAT IS REQUIRED TO, UH, ACHIEVE ALL THE REQUESTS, UM, FROM, FROM THE CITY.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS, DID, WHAT WAS THEIR REASONING BEHIND ALIGNING IT WITH THE ALLEY? I, I, I THINK THERE, UH, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME TRAFFIC, UH, BENEFITS TO, UM, THE PEOPLE TAKING A LEFT OUT OF THE, UM, UH, OUT OF THE BUILDING.
I COULD BE, I THINK THAT IS THE REASON DRIVING THAT, JUST TURNING, JUST TURNING MOVEMENTS BETWEEN THAT, THAT ALLEY ON THE, ACROSS THE STREET AND, AND THIS BUILDING.
OF COURSE, COMMISSIONER ROLLON, UH, IT'S A VERY HANDSOME BUILDING.
UM, DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT, AND REALLY EXCITED.
I DIDN'T GET TO ATTEND THE WORKING GROUP MEETING, BUT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE BEFORE AND AFTER AS WELL.
UM, THERE WAS A TREE THAT I NOTICED IN THE PREVIOUS RENDERING WAS KIND OF GOING LIKE THIS UP AROUND THE BUILDING, AND I WAS LIKE, HOW IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN?
I LOVE THE, UM, THE REALLY WELCOMING, KIND OF SUCKING YOU IN NATURE OF THE LOBBY.
UM, THE LUSH LANDSCAPING, THE CIVIC ART, UM, AND THE THOUGHTFUL, YOU KNOW, FUTURE-PROOFING OF THE PARKING LEVELS TO MAKE THAT RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY CONVERTIBLE TO RESIDENTIAL.
UM, I ALSO REALLY LOVE THE WARM NOTES AND HOW THAT IS, UH, SPEAKING TO THE SURROUNDING AREA, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE WHOLE FOODS BUILDING OFFICE, UM, NEARBY, UH, WHICH HAS REALLY ADDED THAT WARM TEXTURE TO THE, TO THE AREA.
SO IT'S REALLY NICE THAT IT'S KIND OF REINFORCING THAT THEME.
UM, AND YEAH, IT JUST SORT OF FEELS LIKE A SHADY OASIS, UM, GENERALLY RIGHT, RIGHT THROUGH FROM THE GROUND FLOOR TO THE, TO THE, THE AMENITY LEVELS AS WELL.
AND THEN THE, UM, SORT OF HOLE IN THE WALL KIND OF KIOSK.
I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF CREATIVE INCORPORATION OF, OF THESE, UM, AMENITIES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN OUR, UM, IT, IT LENDS ITSELF TO SUCH A FINE FABRIC FOR OUR CITY.
SO, UM, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SQUEEZE THOSE MOMENTS IN.
UH, THE TREATMENT OF THE GARAGE SCREEN IS ALSO VERY HANDSOME, MAKES THE WHOLE BUILDING FEEL VERY UNIFORM AND LIKE A SINGLE SCULPTURE, WHICH IS
[01:35:01]
VERY NICE.UM, I NOTICED THAT IN THE, ONE OF THE RENDERINGS, THE GLASS SEEMS LIKE THIS HAS IT, LIKE THIS GREENISH TINGE TO IT, WHICH, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS IN PURPOSE OR NOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF GLASS YOU'RE STILL SELECTING, BUT IT LOOKS REALLY NICE, SO, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER SALINAS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, IT IS A, A GREAT LOOKING BUILDING AND THE LAYOUT, UM, ON THIS SITE IS, IS PRETTY AMAZING.
UH, I DO SHARE COMMISSIONER CARROLL'S, UH, CONCERNS WITH THAT WIDE CURB CUT.
UM, AND, AND I WANNA REVISIT THAT FIRE LANE, AND SO AM I, UH, UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY THAT JUST, THOSE ARE JUST GONNA BE TWO OPENINGS, AND IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE THAT'S GONNA PREVENT THIS FROM BECOMING A VERY CONFUSING, YOU KNOW, THREE CARS EXITING AT ONCE? UH, OH YEAH, OF COURSE.
SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS EARLIER.
IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, PROTECTED GATED OR BALLARD BALLARD IN THE AREA WHERE WE HAVE THAT GRASS PAVING AREA IN THE FIRE LANE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE DAILY ACCESS.
THAT IT IS TRULY BEING USED FOR EMERGENCY ONLY USES.
IT, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST THE WAY IT'S DRAWN AND PRESENTED, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT IS AN OPTION.
UM, YEAH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE PEDESTRIANS COMING ACROSS THAT DRIVE IS ALWAYS A CONCERN.
UM, YOU MENTIONED IT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT IN HERE AS JUST THE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY TO, TO JUST GIVE PEDESTRIANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO CROSS, UH, A VEHICULAR ZONE, UM, WHETHER IT'S SOME SORT OF TECHNOLOGY OR THROUGH THE, THE PAVINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT OVERALL GREAT PROJECT.
WHAT IS CHAIR MINERS? ALL RIGHT.
UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE HAS SET UP AT THIS POINT.
I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
I'M REALLY HOPEFUL YOU DON'T VALUE ENGINEER IT AND CHANGE THE, UH, CLADDING BECAUSE, UM, UH, I THINK IT REALLY STANDS OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, AMONGST ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, OF THE PAST DECADE.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT I, UH, HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN OVER IS JUST, UM, THE PERCEPTION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THERE VERSUS WHAT WILL BE THERE.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UH, OUR DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, FOR BUILDINGS BEFORE, UM, WE TALK ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE INCLUSION OF LOCAL CHARACTER.
UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH A LOCAL ARTIST.
UM, PART OF THAT DOES SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING SHOULD EXHIBIT A RESPONSE TO THE LOCAL CLIMATE.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE FOOD KIOSK IN A WAY DOES DO THAT, AND I IMAGINE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SOMETHING LOCAL THERE.
UM, BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST THE SPIRIT OF THAT AREA, UH, YOU ARE DISPLACING A, UM, FEMALE LATINA OWNED BUSINESS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO, UM, ANOTHER RESTAURANT THAT DOES, UH, OFFER QUITE A FEW, UH, EVENTS, UH, THAT CATER TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I'M WONDERING, ARE YOU WORKING WITH LOCAL VENDORS AND HOW DO YOU FORESEE GOING BEYOND JUST KIND OF THE SUPERFICIAL APPEAL OF LOCAL CHARACTER WITH ART? LIKE, HOW, HOW CAN YOU INCORPORATE THAT WITH THE, UH, TENANTS? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT? UH, CERTAINLY A PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE, WE HAVEN'T YET IDENTIFIED ANY TENANTS IN THIS BUILDING, UM, UH, THAT I CAN, THAT I KNOW OF OR CAN SPEAK TO AT THIS TIME.
BUT, UM, BUT, UH, PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CLIENT, WITH EVERYONE ON THE TEAM DAILY IS, IS TRYING TO CREATE THAT KIND OF AUSTIN, UH, CULTURE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS MATERIALITY, UH, CONNECTION TO LANDSCAPE, YOU KNOW, MAKING AN OPENNESS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC CONNECTIONS TO OUR LOCAL ARTISTS, CREATING CANVAS AND SPACE FOR OUR LOCAL ARTISTS TO, TO DO THEIR WORK, UM, AND, AND HAVE THAT ALL INTEGRATED INTO, UH, KIND OF A SINGLE EXPERIENCE IS, IS, IS CERTAINLY WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.
UNFORTUNATELY, I I DON'T YET KNOW WHO THOSE RETAILERS ARE GOING TO BE.
I THINK THAT'S MY ENCOURAGEMENT IS JUST TO CONTINUE TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS BECAUSE THEY'RE STRUGGLING, THEY'RE GETTING DISPLACED BY NATIONAL CHAINS, AND YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THAT PUBLIC BENEFIT OF, UM, ALMOST INCUBATING, UH, SOME OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OUT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND YOUR, UH, ACCESSIBILITY, UH, FOR WHEELCHAIRS, UH, HOW THEY NAVIGATE.
RETAIL SPACE AND THEN ALSO THE AREA FACING SHOLL CREEK.
I DON'T QUITE, YEAH, I, I, I, I, I MISSED IT EARLIER.
UM, AND, AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, THE ACCESS TO THE SHOAL CREEK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A STRATEGY WE'RE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND CERTAINLY WILL NEED ACCESS IF WE ARE PROVIDING, UH, A SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO, WE WOULD CERTAINLY ABIDE BY ADA AND PROVIDE THAT ACCESS AS FAR AS ACCESS TO THE BUILDING.
UM, IF WE FLIP TO THE, THE ACCESS PLAN, AND WHICH SLIDE IS IT? IT, OR IF YOU JUST WANNA LOOK WITH ME ON, ON, ON SLIDE
[01:40:01]
13, UM, TO THE, UH, SOUTH END OF THE LOBBY AREA, WHICH IS IN BLUE, UH, JUST THE LEFT OF THE LARGE COLUMN.UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE IT POINTED OUT.
THERE IS A, UM, A WHEELCHAIR, UM, ACCESS ELEVATOR, UM, THAT LIFTS, UM, UH, PEOPLE UP TO THAT TERRACE AT NINE FEET AND THEN GIVES THEM ACCESS TO THAT RETAIL AND TO THE LOBBY.
UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE FLOODPLAIN RESTRICTIONS, WE CAN'T BRING A, UH, ELEVATOR DOWN INTO THAT, UH, FLOODPLAIN AREA.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO USE AN ELEVATOR ACCESS, UH, OR, UH, EXTERIOR ELEVATOR ACCESS POINT TO LIFT PEOPLE UP ONTO THAT.
TERRANCE, WAS THAT, DOES THAT HELP? WAS THAT, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER MCKENNEY, I THINK I HAD SOME SORT OF IN THE WEEDS QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, WHICH PREVAILS HERE, SLIDE 12 OR SLIDE 13, THE BENCHES AND THE BIKE RACKS ARE REVERSED ON THAT.
WELL, SO I THINK WE FLIPPED THE, WE FLIPPED THE BENCHES SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A BETTER ACCESS TO THE CAFE.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T, WE MISSED THAT IN, IN UPDATING THE OTHER SLIDE.
I THINK THE BIKES ARE MORE APPROPRIATE, UM, IN THE OTHER LOCATION ANYWAY.
UM, THE BENCHES THAT YOU HAVE OUT ON THE STREETSCAPE ARE NOT CURRENTLY THE GREAT STREET STANDARD.
SO YOU'RE WORKING WITH JILL TO DEVIATE FROM THAT OR, UH, NO, WE WERE, OKAY.
AND THEN THE RENDERING SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE TWO STREET LIGHTS, BUT THE, YOU HAVE ONE, AND I WAS ONCE ASKED WHEN I PRESENTED TO DESIGN COMMISSIONS, HOW MANY STREET LIGHTS DO YOU HAVE? SO I'M RETURNING THAT FAVOR TODAY.
THE ANSWER IS HOW MANY DO YOU WANT? RIGHT.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE AS WE WERE DEVELOPING THE RENDERING.
WE ADDED THE SECOND BECAUSE WE FELT THAT IT HELPED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THAT AREA ON THE STREET AREA, BUT WE DIDN'T UPDATE THE PLAN TO SHOW THAT STORY.
HOW MANY DO WE WELL, IT'S HEAVILY REGULATED BY GRADE STREETS.
UM, SO YOU'RE, SORRY, WE'RE NOT ASKING THREE ASKING.
UM, MY GRASS PAVED QUESTION GOT ANSWERED, WHICH WAS GREAT.
UTILITIES ARE ALL GOING UNDERGROUND.
AND THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE MATRIX ABOUT THE VAULT THERE.
WHERE'S THE VAULT LOCATED? THE VAULT IS LOCATED FOR AUSTIN.
ENERGY IS LOCATED, UM, IT'S IN AN ELEVATED AREA ALONG THE, UH, DRIVE ACCESS AREA.
WE'RE USING POTENTIALLY CREATING MURAL SPACE TO HIDE THAT VAULT AREA, UM, WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD BE KIND OF MORE, YOU KNOW, OPAQUE.
I THINK THAT COVERS MOST OF MY QUESTIONS.
HAR, YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE ROOM WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE BALLARDS ACROSS THE FIRE LANE, SO THAT WON'T LOOK LIKE THE PEDESTRIANS WON'T BE NAVIGATING A REALLY LONG CURB CUT.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT THAT
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? QUESTION, COMMISSIONER LUKINS.
AND THAT IS, IS ONE HALF OF THE 3.57 MILLION SUFFICIENT ACTUALLY DO THE, UH, THE PROJECT AND MR. SCHIFF MENTIONED, AND IT'S NOT, NOT QUESTION SHEET.
HE'S ASKING IF THE, THE, THE, THE HALF OF THE ALLOCATED FUNDS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE THE PROJECT THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
YOU, YOU WANT TO COME BACK? YEAH.
[01:45:07]
THE SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF THE HALF OF THE DENSITY BONUS IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE 1.7 TO $1.8 MILLION RANGE.THE COST OF REFURBISHING THE TRESTLE ITSELF IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
OTHER PROJECTS IN THE PACKAGE WOULD BE A TOTAL APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 MILLION.
THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE FOR ALL OF THIS WOULD BE THE C HOME TIFF, FOR WHICH IT WAS, IT, IT WAS CREATED IN PART TO CREATE THE BOW STREET UNDERPASS, WHICH NOW IS NOT POSSIBLE.
AND THERE'S A FUND OF MONEY THAT'S ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT, WELL, IT'S $2 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 21 YEARS IF THE TIFF'S FUNDING CAPACITY.
SO IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO AMEND THE TIF PLAN, IT COULD PAY FOR ALL OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITHOUT THIS FEE, BUT IT WOULD BE INCENTIVE TO AMEND THE TIF PLAN IF WE GOT OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TOO.
UM, MR. JERUK, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, IS IT WITHIN THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S PURVIEW TO ADVISE CITY STAFF ON HOW TO USE OR ALLOCATE DENSITY BONUS FUNDS? MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY? YES, SIR.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.
JORGE ROLAND, EXECUTIVE LIAISON TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THE CODE IS VERY CLEAR ON WHICH PARTICULAR COMMUNITY BENEFITS CAN BE APPLIED AT THE SELECTION OF THE APPLICANT WHEN PROCESSING A DENSITY BONUS PROJECT, SPECIFICALLY IN 25,000 200 586 E AS IN ECHO ONE THROUGH 11.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BENEFITS LISTED.
THERE'S A CATCHALL IF YOU ALLOW THE EXPRESSION UNDER ECHO 12, E 12, THAT ALLOWS FOR OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO BE APPLIED.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON THE APPLICATION OF SUCH TO BACK INTO HOW TO ACHIEVE ADDITIONAL BONUS AREA.
IT WOULDN'T BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION TO ADVISE HOW THOSE PARTICULAR, HOW THOSE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY BENEFITS COULD OR SHOULD BE APPLIED BECAUSE IT IS AT THE SELECTION OF THE APPLICANT TO CHOOSE WHICH SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO APPLY.
THE FIRST 50% OF THE BONUS AREA MUST BE MET THROUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY BENEFITS FEE LU CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ONSITE UNITS, AND THERE'S A FORMULA BY ORDINANCE THAT HAS BEEN EXECUTED BY THE COUNCIL THAT GIVES GUIDANCE AS TO HOW AN APPLICANT MAY ACHIEVE BONUS AREA THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTRIBUTIONS OF FI LUU OR ONSITE.
THE OTHER 50% COULD BE ANY OF THE ONE THROUGH 11 OR THE 12.
YOU MAY PROVIDE SOME COMMENTS TO STAFF ON HOW YOU WOULD SEE SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THE COMMISSION MAY FEEL ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS, HOWEVER, THAT FALLS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE CODE.
AND IF E 12, ECHO 12 SHOULD BE USED, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE PROVIDING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF APPLYING THAT.
IT IS BENEFICIAL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITIES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION, BUT THE CODE IS QUITE CLEAR AS TO THE APPROACH.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR? YES, SIR.
UH, THE, THE MONEY BEING PAID TO GO TO THE CREEK, WHAT DEPARTMENT DOES THAT GO TO? IT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A FUND EITHER WOULD HAVE TO BE CREATED OR GO TOWARDS AN EXISTING FUND THAT GOES SPECIFICALLY FOR A CREEK IMPROVEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
IS, IS THAT THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING? AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? SORT OF, YES.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY.
UH, PERHAPS THERE, THERE COULD BE A FUND THAT EXISTS TODAY THAT COULD BE APPLIED.
COUNCIL WILL NEED TO FIRST OF ALL, ACCEPT THAT AS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT UNDER THE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF, EVALUATE THAT FOR THE MERITS OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT, AND THEN BACK INTO HOW MUCH BONUS AREA COULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE GRANTING OF THAT OTHER
[01:50:01]
COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT THEN GETS ASSIGNED.IF IT'S A MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO A SPECIFIC FUND, THAT COUNCIL AUTHORIZES THOSE FUNDS TO BE USED FOR X, Y, Z PURPOSE.
THAT COULD TAKE THE FORM OF A COMMUNITY BENEFIT AS PRESCRIBED IN THE CODE.
SO, UH, SIMILAR, UM, PAYMENTS HAVE HAPPENED TO IN THE PAST TO, TO THIS SCENARIO.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IF THIS, IF THAT CREEK PROJECT GETS FUNDED COMPLETELY BY THE TIFF BECAUSE COUNCIL DECIDES TO DO THAT, WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS MONEY? WELL, IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR, I, I THINK THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE COMPLEXITY COULD COME TO FRUITION.
UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO RUN THROUGH VARIOUS POINTS OF INFORMATION ON THE STAFF SIDE AS TO WHETHER THE CITY COULD ACCEPT CONTRIBU MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR REQUIRED FEES OR FOR PROJECTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE FUNDED IN THE FUTURE.
SO THINK OF THE TERM OF DOUBLE DIPPING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SURE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CAPTURE OR COLLECT FEES FOR SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD BE FUNDING THROUGH OTHER SOURCES.
THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE THIS CONCEPT TO MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT FALLS ON THE APPLICANT TO SPECIFY WHAT COMMUNITY BENEFITS COULD BE ACHIEVED.
IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
HOWEVER, YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE'LL BE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON IF ECHO 12, E 12 IS BEING USED, AND THAT WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL, AND LAND ON THE COUNCIL ALONG WITH, UH, OTHER ISSUES THAT THE PROJECT IS SEEKING TO ADDRESS, SUCH AS THE FLOOD PLAIN ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT WOULD GO ALL AS A PACKAGE TO ADDRESS BLESSING, TO ADDRESS THE COMPLETE PACKAGE OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO ACHIEVE THE BONUS AREA.
AND THE KEY HERE IS THE BONUS AREA PROVISIONS THAT TO ACHIEVE THE BONUS AREA, CERTAIN COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE BEING OFFERED AS A PACKAGE.
UM, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
WHEREAS RICHARD SETTLE OF ARM BREW AND BROWN AND JOHN HAUSER AND ANNA KON OF GENSLER PRESENTED 5 0 6 WEST AVENUE TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON MAY 22ND, 2023, WHEREAS THE DESIGN COMMISSION UTILIZES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CREATED IN 2000 AND REVISED IN 2008 TO REVIEW PROJECTS SEEKING BENEFITS FROM THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION FINDS 5 0 6 WEST RESIDENTIAL LOCATED AT 5 0 6 AND 5 0 8 WEST AVENUE, COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WITH THE FOLLOWING INCLUSIONS, UM, SEPARATE VISUAL AND AUDITORY INDICATIONS AT THE APPROACH OF PATH CROSSING FOR BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EXAMPLES.
PAVER CHANGE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC ARM OR SPEED DOOR FOR VEHICLES IN SUPPORT OF, UH, PUBLIC STREET STATE, PUBLIC STREET SCAPE.
GUIDELINE 10 PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM CARS WITH THE INCLUSION.
UM, BULLET 0.2, WITH THE INCLUSION OF GREAT STREET STANDARD BENCHES PER THE GREAT STREETS AS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT WITH THE INCLUSION OF LIGHTING AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE GREAT STREETS MINIMUM STANDARDS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND.
ANY FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ALL RIGHT.
[5. Discussion and possible action on whether the project East Village Substation, located at 4605 1/2 East Howard Lane, complies with the City Design and Sustainability Standards. Presented by Brandy Teague, Austin Energy]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WHETHER THE PROJECT EAST VILLAGE SUBSTATION LOCATED AT 46 0 5 AND A HALF EAST POWERED LANE COMPLIES WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS PRESENTED BY BRANDY TEIG OF AUSTIN ENERGY.HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY?
[01:55:01]
OKAY, GOOD, GOOD.JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME.
I HAVE, I'VE WAITED THREE YEARS TO GET COVID, SO I'M JUST, MY VOICE MIGHT BE A LITTLE SHAKY HERE.
UM, BRANDY, YOU'LL HAVE TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA, PLEASE.
SORRY, I'M NOT A WEBEX PERSON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME KNOW.
I'M HERE TO, IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROJECT THAN WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTING.
UH, THE EAST VILLAGE SUBSTATION, UM, IS A HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION, UM, BEING, BEING DEVELOPED.
IT'S, UM, CURRENTLY IN SITE PLAN REVIEW AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I AM BRANDY TEAK, THE AUSTIN ENERGY PROJECT MANAGER, AND ALSO ONLINE SOMEWHERE.
UM, GREG ECK, THE WITH CIVIL LAND GROUP IS OUR APPLICANT SLASH LEAD, UM, ENGINEER HELPING US GO THROUGH THE CITY PROCESSES TO GET PERMITS.
GIVE YOU A LITTLE, SO A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION, SOME SITE INFORMATION ON THE EAST VILLAGE SUBSTATION.
UH, THIS IS A NEW SUBSTATION OVER HERE IN, IN, IN THE EAST AUSTIN AREA.
YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE BLUE AREA WITH THE LONG ACCESS DRIVE TO THE SUBSTATION.
UM, IT'S JUST SOUTH OF HOWARD LANE, UM, AND, UM, NORTH OF FARMER OUT THERE IN EAST AUSTIN.
THIS NEW SUBSTATION WILL PROVIDE THE CAPACITY NECESSARY TO SERVE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS AREA AND ALSO STRENGTHEN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS RELIABILITY IN THIS SERVICE AREA.
I GAVE YOU SOME SITE INFORMATION ON THE ACCESS.
IT'S LOCATED, THE DRIVEWAY ACCESS IS OFF 46 0 5 AND A HALF EAST HOWARD LANE.
THAT'S WITHIN THE PIONEER CROSSING NORTH PUD.
THIS PROJECT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PUT ZONING REQUIREMENTS AND WAS ALSO SHOWN ON THE EAST VILLAGE SINGLE FAMILY PRELIMINARY PAN PLAN.
THERE ARE NO TREES ABOVE EIGHT INCHES WITHIN OUR LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION.
THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION ARE 9.85 ACRES.
UM, AT THIS TIME, WE KNOW WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE CITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
IT'S 4.82 ACRES OF I PROPOSED IMPERVIOUS COVER, PRIMARILY CONSISTING OF A GRAVEL BASED MATERIAL, AND THERE'LL BE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT LATER.
THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION IS SPECIFICALLY FOR ACCESS BY AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, IT IS NOT OPEN FOR PUBLIC, UM, DUE TO SAFETY AND SECURITY NEEDS, IT'S GOT HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT AND IT'S ALSO A CORE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR, UM, KEEPING OUR POWER ON.
UM, IT'S WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, FULL PUR PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT WAS IN THE EAST VILLAGE SINGLE FAMILY PRELIMINARY PLAN.
SO THIS, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS BEFORE ANY SINGLE FAMILY.
IT WAS CLEARLY MARKED OUR TRANSMISSION EASEMENTS, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE TRANSMISSION, UM, SYSTEM OUT THERE.
SO THERE'S EXISTING POLES ALREADY ALONG THESE EASEMENTS AND NEAR THE GOING TO THE SUBSTATION, THE SUBSTATION IS THIS LARGE BLOCK TO THE LEFT.
UM, IT WAS LABELED FUSTER, FUTURE AUSTIN ENERGY SUBSTATION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, WE WERE, WE WERE PLANNED AND INCLUDED IN THE SUBDIVISION PLANS BEFORE THE LOTS WERE, UM, SOLD OR BOUGHT.
UM, THE SITE COMPLIES WITH THE PUTT AND SUBDIVISION ZONING, UM, AND ALL, ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE POD.
WE DESIGNED THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE SITE TO AVOID ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND SETBACKS, UM, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AS WELL.
AND I'M GONNA GO OVER THE QUICK, QUICKLY OF THE SCOPE OF WORK.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS LONG ACCESS DRIVE.
UH, FIRST IT'S, UM, WHY WE'RE PUTTING IT IN, UH, TO THE, THE ACCESS DRIVE IS THAT DARK GRAY LINE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET ACCESS TO IT, BUT THERE'S A LONG, DARK GRAY SHADED AREA THAT IS THE ACCESS DRIVE.
IT'S CO IT'S CONNECTING TO HOWARD LANE, AND IT WOULD BRING, UM, OUR CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, UM, AND OUR LARGE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT TO THE SUBSTATION, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THAT BIG BOX TO THE FAR RIGHT.
UM, IT'S THE 2,500 LINEAR FEET OF, OF A GRAVEL BASED MATERIAL.
UH, THIS ROAD IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE TIGHT TURNS IN THE SUBDIVISION WOULDN'T ALLOW FOR OUR OVERSIZED TRUCKS WITH THESE LARGE, UM, ELECTRIC, UM, EQUIPMENT TO BE, TO NAVIGATE THESE REALLY TIGHT TURNS THROUGH A SINGLE FAMILY SUBSTATION.
SO WE'RE RECRUITING AN ACCESS DRIVE TO KEEP THESE BIG, LARGE TRUCKS OUT OF THE SINGLE FAMILY TRAFFIC, UM, SO THAT IT BE SAFELY BROUGHT INTO, UM, TO BE SOFTLY, SAFELY BROUGHT INTO THE SUBSTATION.
AND THIS DRIVE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE
[02:00:01]
ACCESS FOR THE LARGE EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED TO DO EVERY THREE YEARS, UM, SUCH AS CHANGE OUT OIL THAT THAT LARGE EQUIPMENT WOULD GO THROUGH, THAT ACCESS DRIVE SMALLER TRUCKS WOULD ENTER IN THROUGH THE POND ACCESS ROAD, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ACCESS DRIVE, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE SUBSTATION.AND SO MORE FREQUENT ACCESS WOULDN'T DRIVE DOWN THIS REALLY LONG DRIVE.
IT WOULD JUST DRIVE IN NEXT TO THE POND MAINTENANCE, INTO IT DIRECTLY INTO THE SUBSTATION FOR THE, AND THE ADDRESS REGULAR SIZED VEHICLES.
AS PART OF THIS, IN INSTALLATION OF THIS, OF THIS, UM, ACCESS DRIVE WE HAD WE'RE, WE'RE INSTALLING AN ENHANCED VEGETATED FILTER STRIP, AND WE'RE ALSO INSTALLING IT, UM, FILTRATION PONDS FOR THE ACTUAL SUBSTATION.
THE, UM, I'LL GET, I'LL DESCRIBE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL LATER.
ALL OF OUR WORK IS IN AN EXISTING AUSTIN ENERGY EASEMENT OR THE AUSTIN ENERGY, OR IS AUSTIN ENERGY OWNED LOT.
UM, WE ARE INSTALLING AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION WITH HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT, AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE A RESERVE SPACE FOR FUTURE EXPANSION NEEDS.
UH, THERE ARE NO PROPOSED BUILDINGS, SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FANCY LETTING, YOU KNOW, PEOP INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE.
IT'S GONNA BE OPEN AIR EQUIPMENT, UM, WITHIN IT.
AND IN ORDER TO, FOR THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN SAFE AND THEN HELP BLOCK SOME OF THE VIEW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE A DECORATIVE SEAM U WALL, WHICH IS LIKE A CONCRETE WALL THAT IS STAMPED TO LOOK LIKE ROCKS AND COLORED TO LOOK LIKE THE NATURAL LOOKING, UM, RETAINING WALLS THAT ARE OUT THERE JUST AS IT BLENDS IN WITH THE SUB SUBDIVISION, UH, DETENTION IS PROVIDED BY THE SUBDIVISION ALREADY WITHIN EXISTING PONDS.
THIS IS THE, IN MORE DETAIL ON THE SUBSTATION LOT, WE'RE GONNA END THE BLACK.
IF YOU CAN SEE, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE REALLY HARD TO SEE FROM A DISTANCE, BUT THERE'S DARKER MATERIAL KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUBSTATION.
THAT'S THE EQUIPMENT WE'RE PUTTING IN NOW.
WE'RE RESERVING SPACE FOR FUTURE EXPANSION.
UM, AND SO THIS, THIS WILL HELP THE HELP AUSTIN ENERGY MEET THE DEMAND OF PROVIDING, UM, UH, WITH THE GROWING AREA THAT THE EAST AREA IS GROWING WITH THE LOTS OF DEVELOPERS NEEDING SINGLE FAMILY LIVING AS WELL.
UH, AUSTIN AREA NEEDS TO PROVIDE SUBSTATIONS TO HELP BRING IN THE CARBON FREE POWER THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO BRINGING IN A HUNDRED PERCENT BY 2023, I MEAN 20, UH, SORRY, 2035.
ROCK BASED MATERIAL WILL BE COVERING THE ENTIRE SUBSTATION.
UM, THIS ROCK BASED MATERIAL IS NEEDED FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONES, IT HELPS THE TRUCKS TRAVERSE THE SITE AND GET ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT.
AND THE OTHER, IT ALLOWS INFILTRATION OF THE WATER.
WE CAN'T HAVE STANDING WATER NEAR HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT.
SO IT, THIS, UH, SUBSTATION WILL HAVE THIS SPECIAL ROCK MATERIAL TO HELP WITH THE DRAINAGE.
AND THIS ROCK MATERIAL IS ALSO HELPS WITH THE, WITH THE GROUNDING OF THE SITE AS WELL TO HELP, UM, PREVENT ANY SHOCK HAZARDS FROM LIGHTNING STRIKES OR, OR ANY OTHER.
UM, IT'S A SPECIAL ROCK MATERIAL THAT WE USE IN OUR SUBSTATION.
AND TALK ABOUT THE SEAM WALLS.
AGAIN, THESE WALLS ARE GONNA BE, UM, THERE FOR SECURITY REASONS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO HELP BLOCK THE VIEW OF THE INDUSTRIAL LOOKING TYPE, YOU KNOW, METAL EQUIPMENT FROM OUTSIDE.
THERE'LL BE A DECORATIVE, WE'LL, WE'LL CHOOSE A DESIGN THAT BLENDS INTO THE ACTUAL SUBSTATION.
I MEAN, NOT THE ACTUAL, A NEIGHBORING SUBDIVISION.
DON'T WANT IT TO BLEND IN WITH THE SUBSTATION.
UH, WE WILL HAVE 40 FOOT ROLLING GATES, JUST WHERE THE ACCESS DRIVE IS, WHICH IS TO THE LEFT ON YOUR SCREEN.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PERSONNEL GATE TO THE, TO THE SOUTH OF THE SUBDIVISION, WHICH IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT BIG BLOCK SQUARE RIGHT NEXT TO THAT POND.
SO PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND GO CHECK OUT THE POND FOR MAINTENANCE OR LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION POLES FOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECT THE OUTSIDES.
THERE'LL BE TWO ENTRY GATES, NOT FACING ANY, UM, ANY OF THE HOMES AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ON THIS, IN THIS SITE PLAN RIGHT HERE, WE'RE SHOWING OUR FILTRATION POND.
UM, THAT'S THE LAST MIDDLE IT LOOKED LIKE, BUT IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE ALTERED, YOU KNOW, LITTLE CHANGES CUZ WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF, OF GOING THROUGH THE, THE DSD.
WE'RE WRAPPING UP OUR COMMENTS, UM, WITH HOPE OF, UM, BIDDING SOON AND HAVE BREAKING GROUND IN THE BEGINNING OF 2024.
FISCAL NOT 20 20, 20 24 CALENDAR YEAR, NOT FISCAL YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE BELOW GROUND OF U UTILITIES, UH, CONDUIT CONNECTING THE EQUIPMENT.
[02:05:02]
UM, A GROUNDING GRID WHICH HELPS KEEP, KEEP SITE PERSONNEL, UM, SAFE WHEN POSSIBLE SHOCK HAZARDS, AND THEN SOME MANHOLE VAULTS AS WELL TO ACCESS THESE, UH, BELOW GROUND CONDUITS.JUST LOOK A LITTLE QUICK AT THE PAGE.
WE DO HAVE A LITTLE CROSS SECTION OF ONE PORTION OF THE ROAD.
NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ACCESS DRIVE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
IT IS A VERY LONG ACCESS DRIVE.
UM, WE'VE DESIGNED IT SO IT FITS IN BETWEEN THE SUBDIVISION, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY EAST.
WAIT, WAIT, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
NORTH ARROW IS FACING KIND OF TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN.
UM, THAT SUBDIVISION IS AT A HIGHER ELEVATION, SO THERE'S A RETAINING WALL TO THE, IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST OF OUR ACCESS ROAD.
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF OUR ACCESS ROAD, THERE'LL BE A ENHANCED VEGETATIVE FILTER STRIP.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S ALSO THE EXISTING TRANSMISSION POLE SYSTEM THAT'S ALREADY BUILT IN GROUND.
SO WE'RE SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN THE SUBDIVISION AND THEN TRANSMISSION, UM, LINE THAT'S, THAT'S OUT THERE.
IT'S A VERY LONG 2,500 LITTER, FEET OF GRAVEL.
UH, WE DESIGNED A DECK SO WE'RE NOT GONNA PLAN ON USING IT VERY OFTEN.
AND AT THIS TIME WE MAY HAVE SOME TYPE OF ROLL OR, OR SPECIAL CURB AS WELL, UM, AT THE ENTRANCE FROM HOWARD LANE AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE A T D.
UH, BUT THIS, THIS, THE GATE, UM, WILL KEEP PEOPLE FROM USING OUR ROAD TO DRIVE DOWN, I KNOW FURTHER TO THE, UM, EAST OF THE SITE.
UM, AND TO ANY CONSERVATION ENGINES ARE CAUS CAUSING ANY DAMAGE.
WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THESE DRIVES GATED OFF JUST A FRONTED CAR FROM DRIVING THROUGH.
PEOPLE CAN STILL WALK THROUGH THIS AREA.
IT'S JUST MAINLY TO KEEP THE CARS OFF OF IT.
UM, WE HAVE A PEDESTRIAN TUNNEL IN OUR, UM, ENHANCED ACCESS DRIVE.
I HAVE IT LABELED ON THE, ON THE MAP HERE.
THERE'S A TRAIL ACCESS COMING FROM THE SUBDIVISION THAT GOES DOWN INTO THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OUR LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THE ASLA TUNNEL TAKES THE PEOPLE UNDER OUR DRIVE SO THAT IT CAN CONTINUE WALKING ON A, UM, ADA LIKE FLATTER PATH, UM, UNDER THE DRIVE AND NOT HAVE TO GO UP AND OVER OUR ROAD.
UM, WE ALSO ARE INSTALLING A SPECIAL RETAINING WALL TO PRESERVE AN EXISTING STOCK POND THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND THEN THIS RETAINING WALL ALSO PROVIDES, UH, STABILIZATION TO OUR ACCESS DRIVE.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO REPEAT THAT.
WE'LL HAVE LOCK GATES ON THIS ACCESS DRIVE IN ADDITION TO THE LOCK GATES WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION.
UH, KEEP CARS OUT OF THIS, OFF THIS ACCESS DRIVE FROM DOING ANY DAMAGE, UM, IN THE CONSERVA CONSERVATION AREA.
UM, AND THEN, THEN WITHIN THE LLC WE'LL BE USING NATIVE VEGETATION AND THEY DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE WERE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO ELEVATED TRANSMISSION LINES.
AND SO, UM, THIS, ALL THIS WILL BE GROUND COVERAGE, NOT, NOT ANY TREES, UM, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE TREE SLASH POWER CONFLICT ISSUES.
I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE FANCY BUILDING ITEMS. I'M SURE I GOT SOME QUESTIONS, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE AN EQUIPMENT YARD WITH A MASONRY ALL AROUND IT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MS. TEAGUE? COMMISSIONER CAROL? I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT THAT, UM, THERE'S NO EXHIBITS TO SHOW WHAT THIS WALL LOOKS LIKE AND TO ME THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF THE PROJECT FOR US.
AND SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT TONIGHT.
I DO ACTUALLY HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DROP A PICTURE IN PROBABLY, I DON'T, PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ACCESS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHICH TYPE WE'LL CHOOSE.
WE'RE GONNA SEEK INPUT ON IT, BUT I HAVE SOME EXAMPLE PICTURES I CAN DROP IN THERE OR I DUNNO IF I CAN.
OUR, OUR CHARGE IS TO REVIEW THE DESIGN, NOT TO REVIEW CASE STUDY OPTIONS.
AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THE WALL DESIGN AT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON IT AND SUPPORT IT.
UM, I DO NOT KNOW THIS AREA OF TOWN VERY WELL AT ALL, BUT JUST LOOKING AT GOOGLE MAPS TO TRY TO ACQUAINT MYSELF,
[02:10:01]
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS, UM, SOMETHING LABELED EAST VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT PROXIMITY, UM, AND IF YOU'VE ENGAGED WITH THE NEIGHBORS, UM, TO GET A SENSE OF THE COMPATIBILITY, UH, WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND POTENTIALLY WITH THE PARK IF IT EXISTS.
UM, I HAVEN'T SINCE I, I TOOK OVER THIS PROJECT THIS YEAR.
UM, THE PUBLIC, UH, UH, THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND HAS BEEN WORK, BEEN WORKING WITH THE SUBDIVISION, THE MAIN SUBDIVISION FOR MANY YEARS WITHIN BEGINNING OF THE PRELIMINARY PLAT AREA.
UM, THE PARK IS TO THE, LOOKS LIKE WEST.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TUNNEL WILL BE TO, UM, THE TUNNEL TAKES THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER OUR ACCESS DRIVE TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM UNDER, DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IF IT'S CALLED A ACTUAL, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE, UM, PARK AREA I THINK IT IS.
UM, WHICH WOULD BE, IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS PLAN, IT'S GOT MIXED UP WHERE I WAS, I, WHICH WOULD BE THE TOP OF THIS.
WAIT, YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE PRESENTATION ANYMORE? I'M LOOKING AT MY, MY SCREEN.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THE TUNNEL WOULD LEAD TO THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER WITH.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, JUST GIVEN THE, UH, CONCERN THAT A LOT OF NEIGHBORS HAVE FOR THEIR PARKS, PARTICULARLY WITH AESTHETICS FUNCTIONALITY, UM, I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME RECOMMENDING THIS WITHOUT, UH, HAVING A SENSE OF HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE AREA, ESPECIALLY THAT PARK.
AND THAT'S, WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP IN WITH THE NATURAL LOOKING NESS OF THAT AREA WITH, WITH THE GRAVEL AND THE ENHANCED VEGETATED FILTER STRIP AND KEEPING THAT STOCK AREA AT STOCK POND, WHICH IS TO THAT WEST AS WELL.
AND THEN THE, THE ACCESS TUNNEL.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? THIS HALF MILE LONG DRIVEWAY USE, IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S LIKE A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY, BUT THE, THE DETAIL IN THIS PRESENTATION IS YOU CAN'T READ WHAT ANY OF THE MATERIALS ARE.
SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE GRAVEL THAT'S BEING USED HERE? PROBABLY, SEE, LET ME TURN DOWN MY TEXT CAUSE I THINK MY ENGINEER IS ON THERE AND I WILL OPEN UP THE SITE PLAN REAL QUICK.
CAN Y'ALL SEE ME DO THIS IS, YES.
THIS IS GREG WITH CIVIL LAND GROUP.
THE, THE, UM, ACCESS DRIVE WILL CONSIST OF A, A BASE MATERIAL UNDERNEATH A, UH, GRAVEL MATERIAL THAT, UM, THAT WILL BE PLACED THERE AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION.
UH, IN GENERAL, THE ACCESS DRIVE WILL FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT, BUT AS BRANDY MENTIONED, UM, ONCE IT IS COM ONCE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE, IT'LL BE UTILIZED MAYBE ONCE EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS FOR MAINTENANCE AND WILL BE GATED.
THAT DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION.
IN LIKE WHAT? THERE'S MILLIONS OF TYPES OF GRAVEL.
ONE INCH GRAVEL, HALF INCH GRAVEL, QUARTER INCH GRAVEL.
BUT THE, THE, THE, SO IT'LL BE BASE MATERIAL WITH A ONE INCH GRAVEL OVER THE TOP OF IT.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
UM, THANK YOU MS. TEAK FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE DO NOT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU TONIGHT.
I MOTION TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
CAN'T WE JUST, OH WAIT, WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE END.
WE'VE GOT LIKE AT LEAST 30 MORE MINUTES I THINK.
UM, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
[02:15:01]
SO AND I, I THINK IT WENT DIDN'T YES.I IT'S GREAT BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BUILT WELL DO YOU THINK IT'S NOT THAT IT SERVES DREAM PURPOSE, YOU KNOW, BRIGHT PEOPLE WE'RE WORKING ON GREAT ANIMALS.
THAT IS A GREAT WILDLIFE AND, UH, YOU BACK HOME? UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL HERE.
THE PROJECTS PART, RIGHT? WE'RE JUST ONTO THE US STUFF.
ON BUSINESS, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
THE FASTEST PROJECT REVIEW IS NO PROJECT REVIEW.
[6. Conduct a nomination for an alternate representative for the Joint Sustainability Committee per City Code § 2-1-206]
SIX CONDUCT A NOMINATION FOR AN ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE PER CITY CODE.SO, UM, THE JOINT LE LIAISON FOR JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS STILL THE JOINT LIAISON FOR THE JOINT OR IS YES.
STILL THE JOINT LIAISON FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
THIS SPECIFIC COMMITTEE JUST HAS A BYLAW THAT THEY REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE, SO UM, IS ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE? DO YOU WANNA REJOIN COMMISSIONER CAMERA? OKAY.
WHO'S ALREADY A JOINT LIAISON FOR ANOTHER COMMITTEE.
[02:20:02]
OKAY.SO SOMEONE WHO'S NOT ALREADY A JOINT LIAISON, HOW OFTEN DO THEY, HOW OFTEN? COMMISSIONER CARROLL CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
THE REGULAR COMMITTEE MEETS ONCE A MONTH JUST LIKE THIS, BUT I THINK THE ALTERNATE IS JUST, IF COMMISSIONER SALINAS CANNOT ATTEND.
OH, I COULD, I'D BE GLAD TO BE, I'D BE GLAD TO BE AN ALTERNATE PLACE.
UH, I CAN'T SPEAK TO HIS ATTENDANCE RECORD.
I'M SURE HE'S, HE'S, IT STARTS ON WEDNESDAY, SO, OKAY.
I'LL BE GLAD TO BE AN ALTERNATE.
UH, DO WE, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER LUKES, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER LUS AS THE ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
[7. Discussion of the process for collaboration on recommendations. Sponsored by Commissioner Anstead. Co-sponsored by Commissioner McKinney.]
DISCUSSION OF THE PROCESS FOR COLLABORATION ON RECOMMENDATIONS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER OSTED AND CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY.SO THIS CAME UP WHEN COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY AND I WERE IN NEW, UH, NEW COMMISSIONER TRAINING, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS KIND OF ASKING THE STAFF WAS WHEN SOME OF THESE AMENDMENTS, UM, CAN GET KIND OF LENGTHY AND, UH, IN PARTICULAR, THE EXAMPLE WAS THE ZILKER VISION PLAN WHERE WE STARTED TO GET TO LIKE NINE, UM, YOU KNOW, NINE DIFFERENT WRITERS ON IT.
AND WE WERE KIND OF GOING THROUGH IT MULTIPLE TIMES THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME KIND OF VISUAL, UH, REPRESENTATION SO THAT WE KIND OF KNEW WHAT WE WERE AGREEING TO, OR KNEW WHAT WE WERE VOTING FOR VERSUS HAVING TO READ THROUGH IT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIMES.
UM, AND SO WHEN I ASKED THEM ABOUT IT, THEY MENTIONED THAT IT WASN'T REALLY UP TO THEM, IT WAS UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS TO KIND OF HAVE ANY KIND OF PROCESS IN PLACE, UM, TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
SO I WANTED TO BRING IT UP SIMPLY AS JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THAT WE GET SOME OF THESE LENGTHY OR METEOR AMENDMENTS, UM, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO ANYBODY ELSE AS A COLLABORATION TOOL TO EITHER HAVE IT DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN OR IN MAYBE SOME KIND OF CLOUD DOCUMENT WHERE YOU COULD READ ALONG, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT WE HAD TWO EXAMPLES WHERE THEY, THEY KIND OF FLY RIGHT THROUGH AND IT WASN'T NECESSARILY NECESSARY, UM, BUT IN THE FUTURE, OR MAYBE IN THE PAST IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD DISCUSS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT IS WRONG.
UM, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA VOLUNTEER THE CHAIR FOR MORE WORK.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL WHEN WE GET SOME OF THESE BIG ONES.
ANY THOUGHTS? MS. ISLAN? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
AM I ON? HELLO? WELL, THAT MEANS I DON'T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE.
I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF FROM THIS CORNER, SO, YES, MA'AM.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THIS QUESTION? I, I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
UH, IF I MAY CLASSIFY IT AS SUCH.
UH, I, I, FROM OUR PERCEPTION, FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, WE SEE THAT THE COMMISSION IS WORKING QUITE WELL IN FORMULATING OR NOT FORMULATING AT TIMES RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I BELIEVE WHAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION IS TO FOLLOW MORE CLOSELY THE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MOTIONS SECONDING A MOTION, AND THEN GOING INTO DISCUSSION.
IF I MAY OFFER JUST A, AN EXAMPLE, OR ACTUALLY TWO THAT ARE QUITE SUCCESSFUL, PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE A PARTICULAR PROCESS THAT IS QUITE EFFECTIVE, QUITE EFFECTIVELY LONG, BUT VERY EFFECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MOTIONS SECONDING AND ALSO CONSIDERING FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS, WHICH I BELIEVE COULD BE THE POTENTIAL CORE OF THE ISSUE THAT, UH, SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE, ARE FACING.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ISSUE OF A MOTION, UH, USUALLY THE CHAIR WILL OPEN UP THE FLOOR AND INVITE ANY COMMISSIONER TO PROVIDE A MOTION THAT'S BEING FOLLOWED.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S TO A CERTAIN DEGREE WORKING.
TYPICALLY WHEN THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, BEFORE YOU GO TO DISCUSSION, YOU'LL NEED A SECOND.
SO YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, YOU HAVE A SECOND, AND NOW YOU CAN COMMENCE DISCUSSION.
THAT'S HOW PLANNING COMMISSION DOES IT, THAT'S HOW THE COUNCIL DOES IT.
I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW THE HLC DOES IT AS WELL.
THAT'S A VERY PREDICTABLE, UH, VERY CONSISTENT
[02:25:01]
PROCESS THAT REGARDLESS AS TO WHETHER YOU PERSONALLY AGREE WITH THE MOTION OR NOT, TO HAVE DIS EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS, YOU WOULD WANT A MOTION AND A SECOND.FOR EXAMPLE, IF I MAY PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE, MADAM CHAIR, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MOTION TO FIND THAT THE PROJECT AT 1 23 MAIN STREET DOES COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER, PICK YOUR FAVORITE COMMISSIONER.
NOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH THE MOTION, THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN OFFER AS A COMMISSIONER A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WHICH REPLACES THE ORIGINAL MOTION, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, OFFER FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS IF IT, IF I MAY BE CANDID WITH THE CHAIR AND THE COMMISSIONERS.
SOME OF THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, ARE, ARE LESS FRIENDLY THAN THEY SHOULD BE.
THEY, THEY ARE STARTING TO SOUND LIKE SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
SO I JUST WANT TO CAUTION THAT AS YOU OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, YOU DISPOSE OF THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND THEN PROCEED ON, I THINK THE ZILKER VISION PLAN, UM, ITEM WAS AN EXCELLENT EXERCISE ON, UM, HOW TO BE CAREFUL OF NOT LOSING TRACK OF SO MANY FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS, BECAUSE THERE WERE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THOSE.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, NOTHING WAS DRAWN, DONE INCORRECTLY.
I THINK IT WAS JUST VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE COMMISSION FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT TO KEEP TRACK OF NOT ONLY THE ORIGINAL MOTION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S CONTROLLING ON THE FLOOR, IS THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
AND THE SECOND, SO THE CHAIR CORRECTLY WENT DOWN THE ROW AND ASKING EACH FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WHETHER THEY WERE OKAY WITH THE CHANGES.
IF I WERE A COMMISSIONER, WHICH I AM NOT, AND, AND I'M NOT THE CHAIR AS WELL, OR THE VICE CHAIR, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DISPENSE WITH ANY OF THOSE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO A SECOND, THIRD, OR POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, YOU WOULD HAVE A SECOND, YOU WOULD HAVE DISCUSSION AS PART OF YOUR DISCUSSION, YOU MAY OFFER FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS OR SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WILL ALWAYS SUPERSEDE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BECAUSE A COMMISSIONER IS PROVIDING AN ALTERNATE MOTION THAN ONE THAT IS ON THE FLOOR AFTER A SECOND ON A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
THEN YOU GO BACK TO DISCUSSION ON THE NEW MOTION.
ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? MM-HMM.
THEREFORE, I, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT TO FIND IS KIND OF THAT SWEET SPOT.
IF YOU ALLOW THE EXPRESSION AS TO HOW YOU WANT TO HANDLE AS A COMMISSION WITH THE CHAIR LEADING AND BEING THE PRESIDING OFFICER OVER THE MEETING AS TO HOW YOU WANT TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS AND SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
AN EXAMPLE OF A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT COULD BE, WELL, INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS, CAN IT BE MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS AS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT? THAT'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING THE SAME THING, JUST SLIGHTLY CLARIFYING A COMMUNITY BENEFIT, FOR EXAMPLE, SAYING, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT BE CAPTURED TO ONLY ASSIST A PARTICULAR BRIDGE, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WE WERE, I'M JUST PARAPHRASING, THAT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION BECAUSE IT SOUNDS A LITTLE QUITE DIFFERENT THAN THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
THESE ARE THINGS YOU'LL NEED TO FEEL OUT IF YOU, IF AGAIN, YOU ALLOW THE EXPRESSION AS A COMMISSION SO THAT YOU FIND YOUR COMFORT LEVEL AS TO HOW YOU WANT TO, UH, INTRODUCE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS AND SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK WE WANT TO FINISH BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
SO CHAIR, DOES THAT HELP? YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS WE IN THE PAST HAVE KIND OF MORE IMPROVED IN THAT WAY.
I DO NOT WRITE THE MOTION IN ADVANCE.
I WRITE AS WE GO AND I'M TAKING NOTES ON WHAT PEOPLE SAY SO THAT IT'S NOT A LONG BACK AND FORTH OF MOTIONS AND SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
LIKE I REALLY AM TRYING TO REDUCE THE TIME THAT WE ARE BAWLING BACK AND FORTH, BECAUSE THAT IN THE PAST HAS BEEN CRAZY BLUNTLY.
UM, BUT I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT COLLABORATIVE.
[02:30:01]
GO BACK TO THAT.I WANNA CORRECT SOME OF THE, IT WASN'T THAT IT WASN'T COLLABORATIVE, IT WAS THAT I THINK JUST, I HAVE A HYPER VISUAL PERSON.
I DRAW, I READ, I WRITE I, AND SO IT REALLY, IT ZILKER.
I THINK HAD WE NOT GONE SAT THROUGH THE ZER MASTER PLAN REVIEW, I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD'VE COME UP BECAUSE TONIGHT I AGREE, WE'RE GREAT.
WE HAD NO, BUT WHEN WE WERE UP TO 12 AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, 12 PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IN A ROOM FULL OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE THAT NIGHT, THAT WE WERE BEING REALLY THOUGHTFUL WITH THAT, I THINK IT JUST WOULD'VE HELPED TO HAVE SOMETHING UP TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE ALL AGREEING TO.
IT WAS A TON OF INFORMATION TO CAPTURE, AND I THINK WE JUST ALL WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE WERE HOLDING UP OUR HAND AND VOTING TO AT THE END WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED.
SO I THINK THIS IS KIND OF A DISCUSSION OF SOMETHING THAT'S MORE OF A SPECIAL CASE.
I THINK AT EVERY MEETING WE'RE NOT GONNA BE REVIEWING THESE HUGE PLANS, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IF WE ALL REVIEWED THE FULL DAUGHERTY ART CENTER PLAN TONIGHT, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE COMMENTS AND INFORMATION THAT THAT CAME UP.
COMMISSIONER WILLERSON, I, I, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, I WASN'T HERE, BUT I WATCHED A LITTLE BIT OF THE RECORDING AND I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US, LIKE, IS IT FEASIBLE? I, I SAW YOU TAKING GREAT NOTES DURING THE DISCUSSION OF WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING.
IS IT, UM, REASONABLE AND FEASIBLE TO, IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED IT IN A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN SOMEHOW? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE I, I SEE YOU TAKING NOTES AND LIKE WE CAN ALL LOOK AT A SCREEN AND SEE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALL SIGNING OFF ON AND VOTING ON.
AND, AND I MEAN, THAT'S THE REASON WE PUT IT ON JUST AS A DISCUSSION ITEM AND NOT, YOU KNOW, REQUESTING ANY KIND OF ACTION IS BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ZILKER WAS A, A BIT OF AN EDGE CASE AND THIS MAY NOT BE NECESSARY EVERY SINGLE TIME, BUT IN THAT ONE INSTANCE, THINKING BACK ON IT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
YEAH, I MEAN, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAD LIKE 17 OR LIKE 21 FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS TO THEIR, I DON'T THINK OURS WAS EXTRANEOUS.
UM, MR. LAN, IS THAT COMPLIANT WITH FORMAL REGULATIONS? HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION? IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD NEED TO EXPLORE MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY.
IS THAT, UM, CERTAINLY ANYTHING THAT IS A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE CAPTURED IN THE MEETING MINUTES.
THAT'S THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE MEETING.
I JUST SAW MYSELF ON THE SCENE.
UH, EVEN THE RECORDING IS NOT THE OFFICIAL CAPTURE OF THE MEETING.
IT'S THE MEETING MINUTES BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING ACTION ON THE MEETING MINUTES.
YOU'RE NOT TAKING ACTION ON THE VIDEO RECORDING.
WE USED THE VIDEO RECORDING TO KIND OF PUT TIMESTAMPS AND BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND LISTEN CLOSELY TO WHAT WAS ACTUALLY MOTION, WHO MADE THE SECOND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURED THE MOTION CORRECTLY.
IF YOU WERE TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN, IT WOULD HAVE TO MATCH PRECISELY WHAT WE WOULD PUT ON THE MEETING MINUTES.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DISPLAYED FOR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE OR ANYONE WATCHING ONLINE, UH, AFTER THE MEETING TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE SAYING AS PART OF YOUR MOTION IS ALSO CAPTURED VERBATIM IN YOUR DISPLAY OF THAT, THAT THAT'S WHERE IT COULD GET A LITTLE TRICKY.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S A CHANGE, THEN IT'S ADDING A LOT OF COMPLEXITY TO THE PROCESS.
IT COULD, COULD POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY DO.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND SO WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPLORE THAT.
MADAM CHAIR, IF, IF YOU WISH TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT.
IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD'VE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR TECH EXPERTS IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO SEE HOW FEASIBLE THAT IS.
IF YOU DO LOOK INTO IT, I WOULD SUGGEST NOT DOING SCREEN SHARE JUST BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY ON WHOEVER HAS ENDED IS THAT'S SCREEN SHARING.
PERHAPS A SHARED DOCUMENT ONLINE WOULD BE BETTER.
LIKE, UM, YEAH, IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR MM-HMM.
A, ANYTHING THAT YOU PUT ON YOUR PERSONAL DEVICES IS OPEN TO OPEN MEETINGS, EXCUSE ME, UH, TO DISCLOSURE AS AS A COMMISSIONER.
SO CERTAINLY I DON'T WOULDN'T RECOMMEND USING YOUR PERSONAL DEVICES FOR THAT, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S A WAY WE CAN USE A, A CITY ISSUED DEVICE TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT.
UH, ALL I'M SAYING IN, IN SUMMARY, MADAM CHAIR, IS THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT ISSUE AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR YOUR MEETINGS.
UH, I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO THOSE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
EVEN WITH THE ONE THAT YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THAT'S FINE.
[02:35:01]
UH, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THAT KIND OF EMPHASIS OR DETAILED REVIEW OF THOSE MOTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.SO CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK INTO IT AND POTENTIALLY HAVE A HEADS UP AS TO WHICH ONE, UH, OF THE ITEMS WOULD BE COMPLICATED ENOUGH THAT WE WOULD NEED THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY.
AND THE POINT OF BRINGING UP WAS OBVIOUSLY TO MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER, NOT HARDER.
SO I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE EVERYTHING MORE DIFFICULT ON US.
UM, AND ALSO WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT IT UP, I THOUGHT, NEMI, SURELY WE CAN'T BE THE FIRST BOARD THAT'S COME ACROSS SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I WOULD KIND OF INITIALLY ASSUME THAT IT MAYBE HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE BY ONE OF THE OTHER ONES.
SO, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE.
VICE CHAIR MAYERS, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT SUPERSEDING MOTION, CUZ I THINK THE ISSUE THAT WE WOULD RUN INTO IF WE WENT WITH THAT APPROACH IS IF, UH, THE CHAIR HAD, UH, EXPLICITLY DETAILED SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS, UM, FOR THAT PARTICULAR MOTION.
IF I WERE TO SUPERSEDE HER MOTION, I WOULDN'T BE PRIVY TO WHAT SHE HAD ON HER SCREEN.
UM, SO I THINK FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS MAKES THE MOST SENSE IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS DONE.
I WOULD SAY LIKE ZILKER, THAT WAS A RARE SITUATION AND I'VE BEEN ON HERE FOR A WHILE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN REAL TIME.
AND I THINK IF WE HAD A STENOGRAPHER, LIKE AN OFFICIAL CITY STENOGRAPHER WHO IS CAPTURING THINGS ON THE SCREEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR AUDIO VISUAL TEAM, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
BUT I, I THINK THAT YOU HANDLED IT WELL, AND IT IS, IT WAS A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT I COULD SEE IT GETTING MESSIER MM-HMM.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS? I GUESS WE'LL JUST CROSS THE BRIDGE WHEN WE GET THERE NEXT TIME.
IF IT, IF IT WON'T COME UP FOR ANOTHER YEAR, THEN WE WILL, YEAH, WE'LL DEAL WITH IT THEN.
I WOULD SAY, LIKE, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS, BETWEEN THE SCREEN AND THEN LIKE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN IF SOMEONE CATCHES THE DIFFERENCE AND THEN THE MOTION BECOMES INVALID OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE, I WOULD MORE BE CONCERNED ABOUT DOING IN THE WEED, THE WEEDS COMPLICATING THINGS.
LIKE PROCESS AN ASSUMPTION OF FINITE AFFECTING, UH, THE PROCESS, AFFECTING THE ASSUMPTION OF THE FINITE.
AND I JUST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE WRITING IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE VERSION OF THAT WHEN IT'S DONE.
BUT I, I WORRY THAT I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED.
AND IF I MAY CLARIFY MADAM CHAIR, YES, SIR.
TO, TO, TO SPECIFY THAT IF, IF YOU HAD AN, AN ITEM ON, ON THE SCREEN THAT WHETHER IT'S SHARED, LET'S SET THAT ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
BUT YOU HAVE SOME DOCUMENT ON THE SCREEN THAT YOU ARE AMENDING AS YOU ARE MAKING FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS OR SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS THAT WHEN YOU COME TO A VOTE AND YOU ARE ALL SAYING, YES, WE AGREE WITH WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN, WE HAVE TO CAPTURE WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN IN THE MEETING MINUTES.
IT COULD NOT BE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR MOTIONS OR SUBSIDENT MOTIONS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE JUST FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, OFFERING YOU ADVICE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT IS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND WHAT'S A NOT SO FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT IT BECOMES A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, BOTH, WHICH ARE FINE.
THERE IS NO INCORRECT WAY TO DO THAT.
JUST KEEP TRACK OF WHICH ONES YOU'RE DOING.
TO SUMMARIZE, THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO DISPENSE WITH EACH ONE, ONE AT A TIME.
THAT WAY YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE CONTROLLING MOTION IF IT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR TO THE NEW MOTION UNDER A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WITH A SECOND.
YOU, YOU ALSO REALLY PICK UP THE BOOK ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
IF YOU SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA, IT WILL CURE YOU WITHIN TWO NIGHTS.
AND SO IT, IT HELPS TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS.
AND I BELIEVE THE COMMISSION IS PRETTY MUCH THERE.
YOU JUST WANT TO SET THAT PREDICTABILITY AS TO HOW YOU'RE GOING TO HANDLE THROUGH THE CHAIR THE AMENDMENTS OR SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS.
AND THE CHAIR BEING THE PRESIDING OFFICER HAS CONTROL TO ALLOW FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO OCCUR.
AND MAYBE THIS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND, BUT THE CHAIR CAN ALSO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS AS WELL.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO A POINT THAT YOU'RE AT 15, 16, 20 AMENDMENTS, THE CHAIR CAN SAY, OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH, BECAUSE YOU CAN LOSE TRACK OF THAT.
AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS COMMISSIONERS, YOU ALL NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMISSION, AS A BODY, AND AGREE ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT PROCESS.
AND JUST FINAL POINT, IT DID COME UP IN NEW MEMBER TRAINING, SO WE'RE JUST WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH IT.
SO ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COLLABORATION? OKAY.
[8. Update from the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group regarding updates to the guidelines.]
FROM THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP REGARDING UPDATES TO[02:40:01]
THE GUIDELINES.THE UPDATE I WANNA SHARE TONIGHT IS THAT OUR, OUR GROUPS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
HOWEVER, UH, I AM GROWING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP AND ESPECIALLY THAT NOW ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ON THAT GROUP ARE NO LONGER COMMISSIONERS.
DID ANYONE WHO'S NOT CURRENTLY ON ONE OF THESE GROUPS, IF YOU WOULD WANT TO PARTICIPATE, ESPECIALLY IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP, UM, THAT ONE NEEDS, NEEDS PEOPLE? UM, I FEEL LIKE THE OTHER FOUR GROUPS ARE, ARE MOVING ALONG AND WE, WE HAVE JUST STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF ON WHAT A COMMUNITY EVENT WILL LOOK LIKE LATER THIS SUMMER TO UNVEIL THE FIRST DRAFT.
UM, AND I'D LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE PART OF THAT DRAFT
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE TO DATE ON INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT IS ONE THAT, UH, ONE OF THE SUBJECTS THAT YOU KNOW, DOES NOT EXIST TODAY.
THERE ARE NO INFRASTRUCTURE GUIDELINES AND, AND COUNSEL ASKED US TO WRITE THEM 10 YEARS AGO AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN WRITTEN.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY ASK FOR TONIGHT IF ANYONE WANTS TO BE ON THAT.
WHO'S NOT ON, WHO'S NOT ON THE WORKING GROUP? ANYBODY? UM, I GUESS ALL THE NEW, ALL THE NEW FOLKS.
SO THAT WOULD BE COMMISSIONER WHIR, ACTUALLY HE IS ON ONE ALREADY.
WHICH WORKING GROUPS DO WE NEED PEOPLE ON? WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE BADLY, BUT I MEAN, YEAH, WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE THE MOST.
I I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ARE FURTHER ALONG.
UH, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THE OTHER ONES COULDN'T USE HELP, BUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP IS MUCH FURTHER BEHIND.
CAN WE ASSIGN THAT ONE AS A STAFF
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT HOW IT WAS PLANNED.
UM, HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH, UM, JULIA AGA FROM THAT GROUP? UH, NO.
SHE HAD EMAILED A FEW TIMES, UH, WITH EVAN, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE SHE WAS ENTHUSIASTIC.
BUT YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THREE COMMISSIONERS ON THAT GROUP AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL GONE NOW AND I THINK THEY'RE DONE.
SO WHAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE DOES IT COVER? WHAT, WHAT'S THE INTENTION? IS IT, WELL, THAT WAS PART OF THEIR CHARGE IS TO DEVELOP THAT TO DEFINE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, TONIGHT THE SUBSTATION YEAH.
UH, IN MY MIND IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT SHOULD FALL UNDER AN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTION.
AND HAVE GUIDELINES SPECIFIC TO, TO A SUBSTATION.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE THIS, AS, AS JORGE KNOWS THIS, THE, THE ATTEMPT TO WRITE THE INFRASTRUCTURE GUIDELINES HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE.
AND SO WHILE IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE, THERE IS A TON OF MATERIAL THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, TO, SO YOU'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH, UM, INCLUDING SORT OF INTERIM, UM, GUIDELINES THAT, THAT AN EARLIER COMMISSION WROTE
BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE BIGGEST ASK AND THE BIGGEST UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH THE GUIDELINES IS THAT ONE PIECE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO BE ON A WORKING GROUP.
I DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE AN EXPERTISE IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CERTAINLY NOT AS THE LEADER OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP.
UM, BUT I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO BEING PART OF A WORKING GROUP.
I THINK SOMETIMES WITH THESE WORKING GROUPS RATHER THAN LIKE, EXPERTISE IS AWESOME, BUT ALSO JUST ENERGY
[02:45:01]
YEAH.AND, AND THE REALITY IS WE PROBABLY NEED TO RECRUIT SOME MORE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS TO BE PART OF THAT GROUP CUZ THEY'RE, THAT THAT WAS ALSO THE ONE GROUP THAT DIDN'T GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR.
SO AS PART OF THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS, WE PUT IT ON SPEAK UP BOSTON AND, UM, AND THAT GROUP JUST DIDN'T GET A VERY GOOD RESPONSE.
I GUESS IT WASN'T AS ATTRACTIVE AS THE OTHER GROUPS, BUT WELL MAYBE, YEAH, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO A TARGETED CALL TO MAKE IT SOUND, YOU KNOW, HIT THE RIGHT MARK FOR THAT RIGHT.
UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, OTHER THAN THAT, THE OTHER GROUPS ARE MOVING ALONG AND, UM, AS I SAID, WE, WE HOPE TO HAVE A DRAFT, A FIRST DRAFT LATER THIS SUMMER THAT WE'D BRING TO THE FULL COMMISSION FOR SOME COMMENT AS WELL AS HAVE A COMMUNITY EVENT TO GET PUBLIC INPUT ON THAT DRAFT.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OLDER COMMISSIONERS, THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE TURNED OUT THAT WERE ON THAT GROUP, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE NO LONGER ACTIVE.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW KIND OF LEADER OF THAT GROUP? IS THAT KIND OF A FIRST STEP? PROBABLY BECAUSE YES, I, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM EVAN
WELL, SO YOU GUYS CAN GET TOGETHER AND, OKAY, GREAT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR UPDATES ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE PROCESS? PARDON ME? CHAIR WEAVER? YES.
UM, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, IS COMMISSIONER ANSA JOINING THE WORKING GROUP, THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP? YES.
AND ALSO CHAIR WEAVER, JUST TO CHIME IN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
YOU CAN INVITE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
UM, AND WE CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT AS IF YOU HAVE ONE.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A BARTENDER IN OUR GROUP.
BUT, BUT HE, HE, HE, HE WORKS DOWNTOWN AND UNDER, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCES THE URBAN CONDITION AND WHAT WORKS FOR HIM AND DOESN'T WORK DURING HIS COMMUTE AND ALL OF THAT.
SO IT'S GOOD INPUT, GOOD FEEDBACK.
SOME EXTROVERTED PERSON HAS TO ORGANIZE THE ENGINEERS OF THAT GROUP.
[9. Update from representative on the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]
FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.WHO'S THE NEW DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING? THAT'S NICE ONE.
UM, I WAS, UH, YEAH, VOLUNTEER FOR THAT LAST, I ACTUALLY GET SWORN IN THIS WEDNESDAY WITH ERIC.
UM, SO I'LL BE GETTING THE REST OF THE ONBOARDING, UH, AFTER I GO DOWN TO SEE THE CITY CLERK AND GET SWORN IN FOR THAT COMMISSION.
UM, AND SHOULD HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU NEXT TIME AROUND ONCE I START IT.
I DO THINK THE LAST MEETING WAS, THEY DID NOT HAVE QUORUM, SO BECAUSE YES.
[10. Update from representative on the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding last meeting.]
REPRESENTATIVE AT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY MEETING.REGARDING THE LAST MEETING, I DID NOT, UH, ATTEND THE LAST MEETING.
I DID JUST GET SWORN IN FROM, UH, FROM THE CLERK.
AND, UH, I WILL BE ATTENDING THE MEETING WEDNESDAY FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
[11. Update from representative on the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board regarding last meeting.]
UPDATE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.UM, I PASSED THAT OFF TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, SOPHIA, DO WE HAVE ANY DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, UM, FOR WORKING GROUP IN THE NEXT, BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING? OKAY.
WE HAVE JUNE 7TH, 7 0 8 EAST 12TH.
AND FOR JUNE 14TH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY
[02:50:01]
YET.LET ME SEE IF THERE'S ONE CONTEMPLATING IT.
UM, WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, I, WE REVIEWED THE 5 0 6 WEST AVENUE PROJECT INITIALLY.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE DATE OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMO, BUT IT WAS NOT IN THE SAME MONTH AS THEY CAME TO COMMISSION.
UM, THAT WAS IN APRIL, APRIL 4TH AND THEY CAME THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
AND I NOTICED A GREATER LEVEL OF INTEGRATION AND A MORE THOUGHTFUL RESPONSE.
SO AS FAR AS TIMING GOES, I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE APPLICANT TO DO THE FOLLOWING MONTH AFTER THE WORKING GROUP.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE TIMING OF THE, UM, WORKING GROUP MEMOS OR WHEN THOSE GO OUT, BUT I DO THINK JUST CAUSE THAT GIVES PEOPLE TIME TO WORK WITH THEIR CONSULTANTS THAT ALWAYS NEED TIME FOR TURNAROUND.
SO IT JUST, I THINK THAT'S A MUCH BETTER PROCESS IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT.
UM, SO FOR 7 0 8 EAST 12TH ON JUNE 12TH, WHO SIGNED UP FOR THAT WORKING GROUP? JUNE 7TH.
I JUST HAVE, I HAVE THE REGULARS IN THERE.
SO CHAIR WEAVER, VICE CHAIR, MINORS, COMMISSIONER SALINAS, COMMISSIONER ROLLON, THOSE ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE COMMISSION.
AND JUST WANTED TO ADD, THERE IS THIS OTHER PROJECT, IT DOESN'T HAVE A WORKING GROUP YET, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
3 0 4, 3 0 6, 3 0 8 3 10 EAST THIRD STREET AND 3 0 1 SAN HASK
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? SOMETHING BIG.
UM, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ANYTHING BUT OKAY.
UM, I, I, I THINK THEY WANT TO COME TO THE, TO THE 14TH, SO.
PUTTING THAT ON THE, FOR THE JUNE 7TH MEETING.
CAN THE REGULARS MAKE IT VICE CHAIR MINORS, SALINAS? WHICH PAGE? THE SEVENTH? YES.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A SPOT FOR A FIFTH.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PROJECT? MM.
LIKE WHAT'S ITS USE AND I'LL HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME AS I GET TO THE FOLDER.
THIS IS COMING IN FROM THE DRER GROUP.
THE OWNER SEEKING TO DEVELOP A 39 STORY HOTEL TOWER CONSISTING OF 527 KEYS EQUATING TO 550,471 GROSS SQUARE FEET OF HOTEL USE WITH APPROXIMATELY 11,000 GROSS SQUARE FEET OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USE ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH A VACANT OFFICE BUILDING.
I THINK, UM, MCKINNEY, YOU GOT TO BE OUR LAST GUEST.
CAROL, DO YOU WANT IT? SORRY, WHAT? WHAT DAY IS THIS? UH, JUNE 7TH.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY IS NOT CONFIRMED YET OR IS IT PROBABLE.
AND THAT WAS WHAT DAY AGAIN? THAT WOULD BE THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE WERE LOOKING AT JUNE 7TH, 14TH.
SO, UH, VICE CHAIR MINERS, CAN YOU ATTEND THAT ONE? I HAVE TO CONFIRM I HAVE NOT YET LOOKED AT MY SCHEDULE.
BUT LIKELY COMMISSIONER SALINAS? YES.
[02:55:01]
YES MA'AM.UM, IT'S PROBABLY DAVID'S GROUP AGAIN.
UM, COMMISSIONER LUKINS, DO YOU WANNA ATTEND THAT ONE? THE 14TH? I APOLOGIZE THAT THIS IS TAKING A WHILE BUT IT SOMETIMES IT FALLS OFF WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS IN EMAIL AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE AT THE GROUP AND OKAY.
WHERE DO WE DO THESE? UH, SOPHIA WILL EMAIL YOU A REMINDER OR NICOLE.
YEAH, THEY'RE JUST A ZOOM OR SORRY, WEBEX.
I WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO GO TO THAT WORKING GROUP AND I JUST FELT SO BAD FOR THE APPLICANT BECAUSE I WAS REALLY CONCERNED THAT THEY WEREN'T GETTING ENOUGH FEEDBACK.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AS IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T COME OR SOMETHING COMES UP, LET US KNOW SO WE CAN GET SOMEONE ELSE IN BECAUSE IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE THE MORE FOLKS WHO CAN SHOW UP.
UM, ALRIGHT, UH, THERE WERE A FEW NOTES I KIND OF JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE, WHICH WERE MORE NEWS ITEMS. UM, SOPHIA YOU SENT OUT TO EVERYONE OR JUST THE WORKING GROUP, THE STAFF PROCESSING FOR WILSON TOWER.
SO YOU GOT A RECOMMENDATION OF NON-COMPLIANCE AND HOW THAT AFFECTED THE ULTIMATE GROUND PLAN.
CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? YEAH, UM, I SHARED IT WITH EVERYONE SO EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THAT IN THEIR EMAIL.
AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT SUCCESS STORY OF HOW THE INPUT FROM THIS COMMISSION I THINK REALLY INFORMED A, UH, KIND OF ITERATIVE DESIGN AND IT JUST ENDED UP BEING, I THINK, A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT, YOU KNOW, PER URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND JUST DESIGN BEST PRACTICE.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH A CELEBRATORY EMAIL AND I HOPE THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND I TRIED TO COPY AND PASTE THE FIRST DESIGN, LIKE ONE OF THOSE IMAGES WITH ANOTHER ONE CUZ SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER, BUT, UM, BUT ESPECIALLY IF YOU FLIP THROUGH THE WHOLE PACKET, YOU REALLY SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
SO, AND YOU WERE SAYING FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE THAT MM-HMM.
SO EVEN A RECOMMENDATION WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE A PROJECT AND YOU CREATE A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS ACTUALLY, UM, A SPECIFIC GUIDELINES, SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ON HOW THEY CAN MEET, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, IT'S VERY HELPFUL GOING THROUGH THAT ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW PROCESS TO POINT TO THAT.
SO YOU DON'T, I KNOW WE'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST TO REITERATE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE A LETTER RECOMMENDATION THAT IS IN FAVOR NECESSARILY.
UM, BUT PROVIDING ANY FEEDBACK, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ENDS UP BEING REALLY HELPFUL.
AND IN THIS CASE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THERE WAS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT LETTER SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO CHANGE AND HOW THEY SHOULD CHANGE AND HOW THEY COULD ULTIMATELY MEET COMPLIANCE WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND I THINK IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
I KNOW SOMETIMES, LIKE AFTER WORKING ON THE WORKING GROUP MEMO, LIKE IT DOESN'T FEEL FUN TO GO BACK AND SAY THE SAME THING TO THE APPLICANT WHO IGNORED, IGNORED IT FROM THE WORKING GROUP MEMO.
SO SOMETIMES THAT HAS CAUSED US TO NOT WRITE A, RECOMMEND A NON RECOMMENDATION WITH THE BULLET POINTS.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR THAT THAT IS HELPFUL.
YEAH, AND EVEN JUST TO EMPHASIZE CUZ THAT WORKING GROUP MEMO IS INTERNAL, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THAT'S REALLY, THAT IS NOT WHAT IS REFERRED TO.
THAT'S NOT WHAT ASKED WHAT IS ASKED FOR IN THE CODE.
AND SO THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS AS HELPFUL MOVING FORWARD FROM THIS PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S INTERNAL, WE STILL LOAD IT UP AS BACKUP.
AND IT'S STILL IN THE APPLICATION PACKAGE AND IT'S HELPFUL TO REVIEW FOR EVERYONE WHO WASN'T IN IT, BUT IT'S NOT USED IN THE ACTUAL PROCESSING.
SO JUST WITH REGARD TO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, TONIGHT WE HAD THE EAST VILLAGE PROJECT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF, UH, MUNICIPAL PROJECT VERSUS A PRIVATE DEVELOPER COMING TO US.
WHAT IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR US TO SAY WE DON'T RECOMMEND IT? KIND OF AKIN TO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CARROLL STATED FOR HIS RATIONALE.
I KNOW I HAD RATIONALE FOR WHY I WOULDN'T, IS IS THAT HELPFUL OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT UH, NO, IT'S AN INTERESTING ONE.
[03:00:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF KOO WANTS TO COME UP HERE AND AND ELABORATE, BUT I IT IS A, IT IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS.IT'S A DIFFERENT COURSE, A DIFFERENT BODY COMING TO THE COMMISSION.
AND SO HONESTLY THAT I MADE A NOTE TO MYSELF TO KIND OF LOOK INTO THAT ONE MORE AND SEE WHAT KIND OF WHAT IT, THE SAME QUESTION THAT YOU HAD ACTUALLY AS FAR AS, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF THE COMMISSION ELABORATED ON WHAT THEY NEEDED OR
UM, SO MY THOUGHTS WERE WOULD IT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF THE COMMISSION HAD ELABORATED, UM, WAS IT SIMPLY A LACK OF MATERIALS AND SO THEY NEEDED TO COME BACK AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN ASK ANYONE TO COME BACK, BUT DO THEY NEED TO COME BACK? YES, SIR.
IS THAT BETTER? OKAY, THANK YOU.
TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT SOPHIA WAS SAYING, UH, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF STAFF, IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL WHEN STAFF RECEIVES A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO REACH A RECOMMENDATION, IT MAKES IT HARD FOR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND, WELL WHAT IS THE COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR? UH, BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE DISCUSSION ALL YOU WANT, BUT THERE'S NO ACTION ON THAT.
SO TO REINFORCE WHAT SOPHIA WAS SAYING, IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION NOTE.
I'M NOT SAYING FAVORABLE AND I'M AGREEING WITH WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SOPHIA'S SAYING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME TO A FINDING THAT IN THAT, IN THE CASE OF THAT CITY PROJECT YOU WERE LOOKING AT, YOU WERE COMING TO A FINDING AS TO WHETHER THE PROJECT IS ADDRESSING DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
YOU MAY SAY THAT THE PROJECT IS DEFICIENT IN CERTAIN WAYS, BUT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE PROJECT IS DEFICIENT AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DISPENSE OF THE DEFICIENCIES TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMFORT LEVEL FROM THIS COMMISSION'S POINT OF VIEW.
SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO COME TO A FINDING OF COMPLIANCE EVERY TIME BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE THERE AND THAT'S EXTREMELY USEFUL AS WELL.
BUT WE WOULD ASK THE COURTESY OF THE COMMISSION TO OUTLINE WHAT SPECIFIC ITEMS THE PROJECT COULD POTENTIALLY ADDRESS IN ORDER TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH DESIGNS AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS OR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP REALLY QUICK? IS THAT OKAY? VICE CHAIR MINORS? SORRY, JUST ON THE SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FULLY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS IT APPROPRIATE THEN TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE PROJECT AND THEN, UH, GAIN AGREEMENT ON THAT OR PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE, UH, WITH THE REASONS WHY OR IS IT APPROPRIATE TO SAY WE RECOMMEND IT, BUT THESE ARE THE AMENDMENTS? LIKE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE USUALLY FORCED INTO RECOMMENDING IT AND HAVING AMENDMENTS VERSUS SAYING, YOU KNOW, LIKE UNANIMOUSLY VOTING THAT WE DON'T AGREE, YOU KNOW, OR THAT WE DON'T RECOMMEND SOMETHING.
SO I DON'T, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED THERE.
IF WE'RE RUNNING THE RISK OF DISCUSSING AN ITEM THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, SO JUST A WORD OF CAUTION THAT, UM, YOU, YOU SHOULD NEVER FEEL LIKE THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO GO ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER THAT IS AT THE PLEASURE OF THE COMMISSION.
YOU ARE NOT VOTING IN FAVOR OR AGAINST A PROJECT.
YOU ARE FORMULATING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PROJECT, SO YOU'RE NOT APPROVING OR DISAPPROVING THE PROJECT.
YOU'RE COMING TO A FINDING A FINDING OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AS OUTLINED IN THE CODE FOR DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS OR NOT.
AND A FINDING AS TO WHETHER PROJECTS ARE ADDRESSING DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
EVEN WHEN THE PROJECTS ARE DEFICIENT IN EITHER ONE OF THOSE, THEN IT WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR STAFF TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION AS TO WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ACHIEVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMFORT FROM THE COMMISSION, THAT THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH STAFF HAS NO DIRECTION TO CONSIDER.
AND IT WOULD BE A PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE APPROACH RATHER THAN RELYING ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION AS APPOINTED BY COUNCIL.
YOU ARE THE DESIGN EXPERTS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL.
AND SO YOUR OPINION REALLY MATTERS AND IT'S VALUED WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING, UM, EVALUATED.
COMMISSIONER CAROL? THANK YOU CHAIR.
I, I HAVE A REQUEST OF, OF STAFF AND THAT IS BECAUSE, BECAUSE THIS COMES
[03:05:01]
TO STAFF AND, AND I'VE HAD TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD ON THE DIAS AND MY REQUEST IS IF, IF A PROJECT SUBMITS BACKUP MATERIAL AND IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EXHIBITS CLEARLY LISTED ON THE APPLICATION, DO NOT LET IT COME TO US BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S WASTING YOUR TIME AND OUR TIME AND THEIR TIME IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE MATERIALS, UH, THAT WE NEED TO PROPERLY UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT AND REVIEW THE PROJECT.SO THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, UM, IF Y'ALL COULD DO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE, THE PROJECT TONIGHT, I THINK FOR ME IF AT LEAST IT FELL INTO THAT CATEGORY THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT I NEEDED TO, TO REVIEW IT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CARROLL.
UM, ONE OF MY DESIGN PROFESSORS, ANDRE, USE THE TERM WOEFULLY ANEMIC, UM, WHICH WAS ACCURATE FOR TONIGHT, I THINK, UM, WHICH IS HARD TO REALLY CRITIQUE.
UM, ANY MORE ITEMS ON THIS QUESTION? ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
UM, A FEW QUICK IN THE NEWS AND THEN WE CAN MOVE TO ADJOURN.
UH, SO WOOLRIDGE SQUARE, ONE OF THE FOUR SQUARES OF DOWNTOWN RECEIVED AN UPDATED PLAQUE.
UM, DID ANYONE SEE THAT IN THE NEWS? IT WAS AN ALL PEOPLE'S UPDATE TO ITS HISTORY, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN KIND OF TALKING ABOUT IN MY GROUP, URBAN FABRIC.
AND SO I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK THAT UP.
I THINK I SENT IT OUT FOR IT TO GO OUT TO ALL COMMISSIONERS, BUT IF YOU HAVE TIME TO GOOGLE WOOLRIDGE SQUARE UPDATE, THAT'S A FUN ONE.
UM, THE PARKING MANDATE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WROTE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UM, THE PARKING MANDATE RECOMMENDATION WE WROTE TO CITY COUNCIL DID BECOME A RESOLUTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER US IN ALTER DID NOT VOTE FOR IT, BUT EVERYONE ELSE DID.
IT PASSED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND SO NOW STAFF OR COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S OFFICE IS WORKING WITH STAFF ON LANGUAGE FOR A CODE AMENDMENT, UM, WHICH IS DUE AND BY DECEMBER 31ST.
SO THAT VERY QUICKLY MOVED THROUGH AND I JUST THOUGHT YOU GUYS WOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THE UPDATE.
UM, MEXICO CARTE UH, HOSTED A LUNCHEON, PRINCO DE MAYO, UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER SYLVIA ROSECOE DISCUSSED THE ROLE OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND SO I'VE ASKED HER TO COME GIVE A TALK, UH, TO US ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS BECAUSE SHE GAVE A HISTORY ON IT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO EXTEND THE, SHE'S PUSHING FOR A STATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR TO INCREASE TO A MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL DISTRICT STRETCHING FROM PLAZA SALTILLO TO TREATY OAK.
UM, AND THAT STATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WOULD CREATE, UM, $250,000 IN ANNUAL FUNDING FOR PROGRAMMING LIKE PARADES AND, UM, EVENTS.
SO IF WE CAN WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR HER AS SHE'S SEEKING THAT STATE, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, I THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT, GREAT BRIEFING AND, AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
UM, SO I'VE SENT, I SPOKE WITH HER AND THEN SOMEONE CUT US OFF BEFORE I GOT TO THE QUESTION PART.
SO I'VE SENT AN EMAIL IF ANYONE HAS AN END WITH MS. ACO, MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT ON THE AGENDA SOMEWHAT SOON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANYONE WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE LEAVE? OKAY, UM, WELL THAT TIME IS NOW 9 0 9.
THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED.