[CALL TO ORDER ]
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OUR MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS IS HERE, AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THE FULL EXTENT OF THE BODY.
SO IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO TAKE YOUR SEAT AND OR TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS OUT IN THE LOBBY, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
I'LL GIVE Y'ALL A MINUTE TO GET SETTLED, BUT WE ARE ABOUT TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
AND THE FAMOUS WORDS OF MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY.
I AM COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER MADISON.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
PROUDLY, UH, WE ARE MEETING IN CITY HALL.
WE ARE MEETING IN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND WE ARE ABOUT TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 1:03 PM UH, BEFORE WE
[Public Communication: General ]
BEGIN DIVING INTO OUR AGENDA, I'D LIKE TO ALLOW OUR GUEST TO SPEAK ON THE ITEMS THAT THEY SIGNED UP FOR.CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE BEGIN CALLING UP SPEAKERS? YES.
SCOTT TURNER, FOLLOWED BY JOE PAUL, PAOLO CONNOLLY.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE, UH, THESE HOUSING RESOLUTIONS, UH, TODAY.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS IN THERE.
UM, MANY OF THOSE, UH, CAME OUT OF OUR DECISION TO UPDATE OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WAY BACK IN 2012, WHICH WAS ALSO A GOOD IDEA.
UM, HOWEVER, UM, I THINK AUSTIN SOMETIMES HAS A HARD TIME, UH, SEEING THOSE GOOD IDEAS THROUGH FRUITION.
UM, SO AS YOU DISCUSS THESE TODAY, UM, PLEASE DEDICATE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO GET THEM DONE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
HIRE CONSULTANTS, HIRE ATTORNEYS.
DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER BECAUSE AFTER 10 YEARS WITH HOME PRICES AT A POINT WHERE THE AVERAGE AUSTINITE SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE HERE, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO ME AS A HOME BUILDER, UM, WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO WAIT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, HOSTING THIS SPACE AND INVITING US TO SHARE OUR THOUGHTS.
UM, I'LL KEEP MINE VERY BRIEF.
I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
THERE IS A LONG CUE WITH A LOT OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CODE THAT STAFF HAS TO WORK ON, AND WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT WE TRY TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHERE THINGS CAN BE DELETED OR ELIMINATED BECAUSE THEY'RE OUTDATED AND NO LONGER REFLECT, REFLECT THE REALITY THAT WE'RE IN.
WE SHOULD AVOID OVERTHINKING THINGS OVER COMPLICATING THINGS, ADDING NEW LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY TO AN ALREADY COMPLEX CODE.
WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS SIMPLICITY AND EFFICIENCY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
I ALSO, UM, WOULD ASK THAT WE PRIORITIZE CITYWIDE STRUCTURAL CHANGES SUCH AS PARKING, SUCH AS THE, UM, E T O D POLICIES, SUCH AS THINGS THAT CAN HAVE BROAD IMPACTS ON CREATING LARGE VOLUMES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE DESPERATELY NEED AND WE NEED TO SEE.
UM, WE NEED TO SEE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.
UM, SO ANYTHING THAT CAN, THAT CAN DO THAT.
NOW, I AM ALSO IN FAVOR OF FINDING WAYS TO EFFICIENTLY, UM, USE STAFF TIME AND GROUPING ITEMS TOGETHER WHERE THEY MAKE SENSE.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE HERE TODAY.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
RON THROWER, FOLLOWED BY RYAN MILL, MAYOR PRO TIM COUNCIL MEMBERS RON THROWER.
UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU MY PERSONAL TAKE ON THE CODE AMENDMENTS.
THERE IS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT I KNOW THAT IS COMING FORWARD, AND THAT'S TO ELIMINATE THE, THE CYCLE OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO FILE FOR A FUTURE LAND USE MAP AMENDMENT.
TO ME, THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY SIMPLE FIX, BUT IT'S ALSO GOT A TIMING SITUATION BECAUSE WE GOT JULY COMING UP, AND IF WE CAN GET THIS ADDRESSED RATHER QUICKLY, THAT WOULD HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE IN BEING ABLE TO FILE APPLICATIONS AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE POISED TO FILE FOR AT LEAST ONE FUTURE LAND USE
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MAP AMENDMENT IN JULY, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FILE FOR THE ZONING CASE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER JUST BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SITUATION.BUT SIR, TH I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT WHEN YOU SAY WE HAVE JULY COMING UP, I DON'T KNOW THE CONTEXT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY THAT THERE'S ONE MONTH OUT OF THE YEAR THAT THE EAST SIDE OF 35 CAN FILE FOR A FUTURE LAND USE MAP AMENDMENT WITHOUT, UM, AS A LANDOWNER, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT IN JULY TO FILE FOR THAT APPLICATION, AND THERE'S ONLY ABOUT FOUR LINES IN THE CODE THAT NEED TO BE ELIMINATED TO ALLOW FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD TAKE MINUTES COMPARATIVELY TO ALL THE OTHER COM UH, COMPLEX ITEMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE INITIATED.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN FILE ANY MONTH OUT OF THE YEAR, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HELP HOUSING IN A TREMENDOUS WAY.
BUT IT ALSO HELPS US ON OUR SIDE OF JUST HAVING TO JUST DEAL WITH HOW WE FILE THE SUBSEQUENT ZONING APPLICATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH THOSE FUTURE LAND USE MAP APPLICATIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT WHAT MR. THROWER IS TALKING ABOUT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELA IS WORKING ON.
WOULD YOU MIND EXPANDING ON THAT SO WE CAN JUST GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS THE BODY? YES.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S UP, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER JUNE 1ST OR JUNE 8TH, BUT LIKE, IT'S DRAFTED AND WE'VE GOT THE CO-SPONSORS AND WE'RE READY TO GO ON IT JUNE 1ST.
YEAH, IT'S OUT ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
UH, I GET SWAMPED SOMETIMES AND I FORGET WHERE THINGS ARE
UH, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE DOING ANYTHING
UH, NOWADAYS, YOU KNOW, SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS SAYING THAT YOU CAN FILE FOR A FLU AMENDMENT ANYTIME YOU WANT, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, JULY, I THINK LIKE EAST AND THEN I THINK JANUARY WEST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ELIMINATE THAT AND SAY LIKE, IF A LANDOWNER WANTS TO FILE FOR, UH, TO AMEND THEIR FLUB, THEY CAN AMEND, THEY CAN DO THAT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF TIME LIMITATION.
I'M GONNA TAKE A PAGE OUT OF MY PREDECESSOR'S BOOK.
WHEN YOU SAY FLUM, I WANT THESE PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT YOU SAY WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE DON'T USE ACRONYMS. YEAH.
UH, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE META ZONING, NOT THE ACTUAL ZONING, BUT IT'S ANOTHER OVERLAY OF THE, THE, THE ZONING.
UH, SO, SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, IT WOULD BE, BUT YEAH, APPRECIATE THAT.
JUNE 1ST CLERK, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
RYAN NELL, FOLLOWED BY KAI GRAY, I'M SORRY, FOLLOWED BY FELICITY MAXWELL.
OUR COMPLEX CODE DRIVES UP HOUSING COSTS ALL OVER AUSTIN AND MAKES A CAREER FOR A LIMITED SET OF HIGHLY SPECIALIZED, UH, PEOPLE IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT SIMPLIFYING OUR CODE WILL ALLOW MORE PEOPLE WITH LESS EFFORT TO PROVIDE MORE HOUSING.
SIMPLIFYING THE CODE WILL ALLOW STAFF TO SPEND LESS TIME REVIEWING PROJECTS AND RESEARCHING ALL OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT Y'ALL, UM, INEVITABLY MIGHT COME UP WITH AS YOU CREATE NEW POLICIES.
AND SIMPLIFYING WILL ALLOW YOU, THE COUNCIL, UH, TO SEE YOUR RESOLUTIONS TURN INTO LAW MORE QUICKLY INSTEAD OF WAITING MONTHS TO YEARS TO SEE THEM COME AND POTENTIALLY BEING THROWN ASIDE BY FUTURE COUNCILS.
I THINK THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE THE CODE MORE SIMPLE IS TO MAKE IT SHORTER BY ELIMINATING THE SECTIONS OF THE CODE THAT RESTRICT HOUSING OR ADD UNNEEDED COSTS SO WE CAN ELIMINATE OCCUPANCY LIMITS, WHICH DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE WHO FIT THE TRADITIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY STRUCTURE AND HAVE BEEN MAKING COOPERATIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT OVER THE YEARS.
UM, YOU CAN ELIMINATE THE BARRIER REQUIREMENTS SEPARATING MOBILE HOME PARKS FROM OTHER TYPES OF HOUSING.
YOU CAN ELIMINATE COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, WHICH ALSO SEPARATE ONE FORM OF HOUSING FROM ANOTHER.
I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON GETTING RID OF PARKING LIMITS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP FOCUSED ON THAT.
UM, I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD ELIMINATE THE MCMANSION ORDINANCE.
I THINK STAFF SPENDS PROBABLY TOO MUCH TIME ENSURING THAT THE PROJECTS MEET THE COMPLICATED REQUIREMENTS OF THAT ORDINANCE.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO ADDING, I'M SURE, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF COSTS FOR ARCHITECTS TO DESIGN VERY BESPOKE HOUSING.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD ELIMINATE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THE SETBACKS THAT SET AN IMPLICIT MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
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DON'T LOOK AT THOSE, AND I'M SURE THAT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM HAS THEIR SPECIFIC PET ISSUE THAT CAUSES THEM HEADACHES, AND I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT, UM, AND GET RID OF THEM AND FOCUS ON SIMPLIFYING THE CODE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, MS. MAXWELL.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE APPRECIATE THE TIME TODAY TO DISCUSS THESE VARIOUS CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN COMING FORWARD FAST AND FURIOUS.
WE KNOW, UM, WE KNOW THAT ALL CITIZEN IS ALSO STILL IN A HEIS CRISIS, AND WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THESE AMENDMENTS WILL GIVE US A CHANCE TO OFFER REAL RELIEF TO THOSE WHO ARE HOUSING STRETCHED RIGHT NOW IN OUR CITY, WHICH WE KNOW IS SO MANY OF US, WE'D LIKE TO ADVOCATE SPECIFICALLY FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THE BEST OUTCOMES FROM THESE AMENDMENTS.
WE KNOW THAT STAFFING AND HOUSING AND PLANNING IS NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN ALL THE WORK THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE UNDERTAKING.
AS A HOUSING ADVOCATE, I LIKE TO SUGGEST THE CITYWIDE EFFORTS LIKE PARKING REFORM, TOWN ZONING AND E T O D BE PRIORITIZED SINCE THOSE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE THE LARGEST IMPACT ON OUR HOUSING PRICES.
IN ADDITION, LONG OVERDUE CHANGES LIKE ELIMINATING OCCUPANCY LIMITS ARE CRITICAL AS WE LOOK TO BUILD A MORE EQUITABLE CITY, ESPECIALLY AROUND HOUSING.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A FACT FROM SALINA SHIA THAT SHE SHARED YESTERDAY THAT 70% OF OUR, OUR MEDICS LIVE OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND SPEND ABOUT 40% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WE KEEP THESE CRITICAL EMS WORKERS IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR CODE AMENDMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN THE CITY THEY SERVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT TESTIMONY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT, UH, STATISTIC.
UM, FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW, SELENA IS THE EMS, UM, UNION PRESIDENT, AND SO SHE'S BRINGING GOOD DATA.
IF SHE SAID 70% OF OUR OUR EMS PROFESSIONALS LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, I ABSOLUTELY TRUST THAT IS GOOD DATA.
UM, I'M THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR THE AUSTIN INFO COALITION, AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY THANKFUL Y'ALL ARE HERE TO GET SOME MORE HOUSING.
OBVIOUSLY, AUSTIN HAS BEEN WORKING WITH AN OUTDATED LAND CODE FOR DECADES NOW.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS FINDING A WAY TO GET MORE HOUSING ON THE 90% OF AUSTIN.
THE PRESERVATION BONUS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME WE COULD GET MORE THAN TWO UNITS ON 90% OF AUSTIN THAT ZONED SF THREE.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE DURING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND WAS GENERALLY POPULAR.
WE ALSO HAVE ADU EXPANSION, UM, WHICH INCLUDES ALLOWING IT TO BE BUILT EASIER TO BUILD AN ADU, BUT ALSO ALLOWING MORE ADUS ON CORNERS ALLEYS AND LOTS OVER 10,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT LOS ANGELES, THE LOS ANGELES RECENTLY RELEASED A REPORT WHERE THEY HAD THREE TIMES AS MANY ADUS BUILT AS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BUILT.
UM, SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO A FORM WHERE WE GET A LOT MORE OF THESE SMALLER TYPE OF UNITS.
WE JUST NEED TO REVISE OUR OUTDATED LAND CODE.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR THAT, WHICH IS THE PRESERVATION BONUS, ADU EXPANSION, ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, TWO ADUS ON SOME OF THESE LARGER LOTS AND CORNER LOTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME CHANGES.
NEXT UP, DANIEL KAMAN, FOLLOWED BY A ELENA CARNAHAN.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE TAKING THE TIME TO SORT OF LOOK AT THE 21 OR HOWEVER MANY AMENDMENTS ARE IN THE WORKS AND SORT OF DECIDING HOW WE'RE GONNA, UM, BE GETTING THE MOST SORT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK OUT OF WHICH CODE AMENDMENTS AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE COME FIRST.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD EXERCISE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD, UH, FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, MY SUGGESTION IS THAT I THINK THAT A, A CODE DELETION IS PROBABLY VERY SIMPLE, AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SORT OF USE, UM, THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW PARKING IS A LOT OF JUST DELETING THE CODE.
IT'S NOT COMING UP AND HOPEFULLY DOESN'T TAKE A TON OF STAFF TIME.
I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT WE SAID CITYWIDE.
AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO INCLUDE, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GET INCLUDED IN THESE CITYWIDE BUT NDS AND, UH, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE AND DELETE IT, BUT JUST SAYING THAT THIS ITEM SUPERSEDES THOSE.
UM, AND SORT OF ON THE WHOLE IDEA OF SAVING TIME FOR BUILDERS AND FOR STAFF.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, GETTING THEM MORE MONEY IN THE PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY ARE ADEQUATELY STAFFED UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE WANT TO, TO AMEND OUR CODE.
UM, BUT ALSO THINGS LIKE SITE PLAN LIGHT THAT, UM, MIGHT, YOU KNOW, DECREASE THE TIME THAT STAFF MEMBERS AND DEVELOPERS ARE JUST SITTING ON MONEY AND LIKE
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AS LENDING COSTS ARE GOING UP, THAT'S THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A TWO MONTH DELAY THAT IS GETTING PASSED ON A RENTERS AND BUYERS.SO ANY OF THESE THAT ARE CAN SIMPLIFY THE CODE, UM, AND SAVE STAFF TIME AND BUILDER TIME, I THINK SHOULD BE PRIORITIES BECAUSE, UM, THAT WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE TIME IN THE, UH, CAPITAL COST OF PROJECTS.
UM, SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT IS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMPLICATED IS ETO DO T O D E T O D.
UM, SO AS SOON AS WE CAN GET MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PLAN, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, THEY CAME OUT WITH A RECOMMENDATION TODAY, SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE GONNA WANT TO PRIORITIZE THOSE AREAS.
WHETHER IT'S NEW ZONING TYPOLOGIES OR VOLUNTARY OVERLAYS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT WE MOVE INTO AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, SPEAKER, DO YOU MIND IF I ASK YOU A QUESTION? UM, YOU PUT SOME SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON SITE PLAN LIGHT, UM, YES, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE SO WE CAN EXPAND ON WHAT EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN THERE.
SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU HAVE IDEAS, SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS LENA CARNAHAN AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AND ITS MEMBERSHIP.
OUR MEMBERS BUILD THE HOUSING THAT OUR CITY SO BADLY NEEDS, AND SO THEY HAVE THE BEST VANTAGE POINT TO SHARE WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED IN OUR REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOR MORE HOUSING ON THE GROUND.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T START WITH A NOTE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ON TODAY'S LIST, IS ALWAYS TOP OF MIND FOR US.
IT IS THE QUICKEST AND EASIEST WAY TO REDUCE COST IS TO MAKE THAT PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT.
SOME OF THE EXISTING CODE CHANGES ON STAFF'S LIST WOULD HAVE A HUGE IMPACT FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP AND FOR PEOPLE RENTING AND BUYING IN AUSTIN.
COMPATIBILITY IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE MOST LIMITING REGULATION TO EFFECTIVE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN.
ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF COMPATIBILITY WILL GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR HOUSING CAPACITY RATHER THAN TINKERING WITH THE COMPLEX OVERLAY THAT Y'ALL PASSED LAST YEAR, A CITYWIDE CHANGE TO THE REGULATION THAT REDUCES COMPATIBILITY TO A MORE REASONABLE DISTANCE WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE, CLEARER, AND EASIER TO ADMINISTRATE.
THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MINIMUMS, AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, IS A HIGH IMPACT CHANGE FOR RELATIVELY LOW EFFORT.
THIS WAS ALREADY CONSIDERED DURING CODE NEXT AND WILL NOT ONLY RIGHT SIZE PARKING FOR DEVELOPMENTS AND DECREASE PER UNIT COSTS, IT ALSO DECREASES REVIEW TIMES.
AND AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, ETO ODS WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE AREAS AROUND OUR FUTURE LIGHT RAIL STATIONS AND THEY NEED TO BE HANDLED EFFECTIVELY DELAYING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ETTO ODS MEANS LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE HOUSING AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE TRANSIT FRIENDLY IN THE PLACES WE NEED IT THE MOST AND COULD JEOPARDIZE AUSTIN'S FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PLAN.
OVERALL, ETO ODS NEED TO BE DONE EFFECTIVELY, BUT WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY DAY WE DELAY MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LOST FOR THE CITY TO BUILD ONCE IN A LIFETIME IN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AND HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, PLANNING COMMISSIONS INITIATED TOWN ZONING ALSO HAS A LOT OF PROMISE FOR FLEXIBLE DEVELOPMENT AND THAT SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR STAFF.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE EXISTING ITEMS ON THE LIST, THERE ARE TWO OTHER ITEMS FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION THAT WE FEEL WOULD GET MORE HOUSING ON THE GROUND.
THE FIRST IS A CITYWIDE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT'S CAREFULLY CALIBRATED ALL IN.
ONE WOULD BE EASIER FOR STAFF TO ADMINISTER, MORE PREDICTABLE FOR BUILDERS, AND IF DONE WELL BE MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY UTILIZED, WHICH IS A WIN-WIN WIN.
THE SECOND ITEM IS A RECONSIDERATION OF FLORIDA AREA RATIO.
F A R IS OFTEN A LIMITER IN DEVELOPMENT BEYOND HEIGHT AND IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITATIONS, AND OFTEN SERVES TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS WITH NO CLEAR POLICY GOALS.
A RECONSIDERATION OF THAT IN DIFFERENT ZONES WOULD BE NO COST OF THE CITY AND MAKE THINGS A LOT SIMPLER.
ALL THESE ITEMS NEED TO GO THROUGH A CONSISTENT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS THAT INVOLVES TESTING REAL PROJECTS WITH PRACTITIONERS.
THAT'S NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENTLY DONE AND IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY WELL-INTENTIONED ITEMS THAT COUNCIL AND STAFF HAVE CREATED, BUT IF THEY DON'T WORK ON THE GROUND, THEY WON'T GET US ANY CLOSER TO SOLVING OUR HOUSING CRISIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
TAYLOR SMITH, FOLLOWED BY GREG ANDERSON.
I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AT THE AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS AND ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, UH, FOR NOT ONLY STARTING THE CONVERSATION TODAY, UH, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED IN IN OUR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT TAKING THE LEADERSHIP, UM, TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO OVERALL INCREASE OUR HOUSING SUPPLY.
UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIORITIZING HOUSING, I PROVIDED, UH, PROVIDED EACH OF YOU WITH A MARKET UPDATE,
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ONE PAGER THAT PROVIDES A STATUS OF THE GREATER AUSTIN HOUSING MARKET USING, UH, DATA FROM DR.CLAIRE, UH, LOK, OUR ENABLER'S NEW HOUSING, UH, ECONOMIST AC.
LOWS, THE GREATER HOUSING AUSTIN MARKET CONTINUES TO MODERATE AND AMID HIGHER MORTGAGE RATES AND INFLATION, AND THERE ARE SIGNS OF THE MARKET BOUNCING BACK TO A MORE NORMAL HOUSING MARKET.
UH, HOWEVER, LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY REMAINS A MAJOR HINDRANCE FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING MARKET.
FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN PERMITS FOR SINGLE FAMILY, TWO TO FOUR UNITS AND MULTI-FAMILY, UH, HOMES ACROSS THE AUSTIN ROUND ROCK MSA, WHICH HAS EVEN GREATER POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR FUTURE HOUSING STOCK AND AFFORDABILITY.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, UH, FROM ABOS APRIL, UH, 2023 CENTRAL HOUSING MARKET REPORT.
I RE I CAN REPORT THAT LAST MONTH AUSTIN'S HOUSING INVENTORY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN INCREASED TO 3.2 MONTHS OF HOUSING INVENTORY, WHICH IS FAR BELOW THE CITY, UH, B FAR BELOW THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE CENTERS BALANCE MARKET OF SIX MONTHS.
AND THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE DECREASED ABOUT 11 UH PERCENT TO 565,000 WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, ABOARD WE SUPPORT ANY CHANGES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP INCREASE AUSTIN'S HOUSING STOCK AND REDUCE THE OVERALL HOUSING.
UM, IN AUSTIN, WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR YOUR LIST OF PRIORITIZATION, UH, WE ASK YOU TO CONSIDER PRIORITIZING ITEMS RELATED, RELATED TO ADUS COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, LOT SIZE REQUIREMENTS, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, AND THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO YOU, UM, ON ONE OF THE HANDOUTS I PROVIDED EARLIER.
UH, WE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING A PARTNER, UH, WITH YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND WE ARE HERE TO BE A RESOURCE, UM, WITH ANY DATA OR EXPERTISE THAT YOU NEED.
HEY, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, STAFF.
SO GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THIS TODAY.
WE HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND I WANNA GO BACK IN TIME A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN ALL OF AUSTIN WAS COMING TOGETHER TO WORK ON IMAGINE AUSTIN, SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WERE A BIG PART OF THAT.
AND WE CAME UP WITH A REALLY GREAT VISIONARY PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT CALLED OUT A BIG NEED.
YOU NEED A NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND SO I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY BEING IN THIS BUILDING FROM 2012 TO 2015 WHEN A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND CAME UP WITH REALLY GOOD POLICY IDEAS.
AND WE'D GO TO STAFF AND WE'D SAY, HEY, WE WANNA BRING THIS FORWARD.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BROKEN IN OUR CODE, LET'S WORK ON THIS.
AND STAFF WOULD SAY, YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS BROKEN.
WE GOTTA FIX THIS, BUT LET'S FIX THIS IN THE NEW CODE.
AND SO WE AS A CITY GRABBED GREAT CONSULTANTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE PUT OUR BEST STAFF FROM THE CITY INTO THIS AMAZING PROCESS TO COME UP WITH THIS NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND THEN WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
LOCAL CONTROL WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE DIDN'T GET A NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND SO NOW HERE WE ARE IN 2020, WE'VE HAD 10 YEARS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON THIS TERRIBLE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT WAS TERRIBLE 11 YEARS AGO.
AND NOW YOU ALL ARE LEFT WITH THIS PROBLEM OF TRYING TO SOLVE ALL THESE ISSUES AND CORRECTING THIS TERRIBLE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND SO THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA FACE NOW IS THE LITTLE CHANGES THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIAL IN A LOT OF WAYS.
THAT'S A SMALL LIST OF ACTUALLY WHAT NEEDS TO GET STARTED.
SO IF WE DON'T BEEF UP STAFF AND PAY THEM MORE AND GET A WHOLE LOT MORE ROLES OVER AT CITY STAFF SIDE TO GET THESE PROCESSES DONE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS AMAZING BOTTLENECK OF GREAT POLICY IDEAS INITIATED BY ALL THE DIFFERENT BODIES OF THE CITY THAT CAN INITIATE.
THEY'RE GONNA SIT THERE FOR SIX MONTHS, A YEAR, TWO YEARS, CUZ WE CAN'T GET THEM GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS FAST ENOUGH CUZ WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO DO SO.
SO IF WE CAN REALLY FOCUS ON THAT DURING THIS BUDGET CYCLE AND BEEF UP STAFF TO, TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, PULL ALL THOSE AMAZING PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER, MAYBE GET CONSULTANTS, DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO, BUT FIGURE OUT A WAY TO REALLY, IF WE HAVE TO KEEP THE TERRIBLE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT.
I HEARD SLUMS MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO, I WAS VICE CHAIR ON A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM IN SOUTH AUSTIN WITH A FLUG FROM 1998.
TELL ME WHAT'S FUTURISTIC ABOUT A FLUM FROM 1998.
GLAD WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THOSE.
COMPATIBILITY STILL KILLS MORE HOUSING THAN ANYTHING ELSE ON THE BOOKS.
AND NOW WE HAVE 21 VERSIONS OF IT, OR MAYBE IT'S 19 VERSIONS OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW, IT'S STILL REALLY, REALLY BAD TOWN ZONING.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR STAFF'S EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS AS WELL.
OR A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WANT TO SEE BETTER ZONING CATEGORIES AND THEN PARKING MANDATES.
THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR INITIATING THAT.
IS THERE ANY REASON WHY THAT CODE CHANGE CAN'T HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MONTH OTHER THAN WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO DO IT? MAYBE NOT.
SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO AT A BEEF UP STAFF? AND LAST THING I'LL SAY, I MET WITH A CRP MAJOR THE OTHER DAY WHO GRADUATED TWO FRIDAYS AGO AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO GO WORK FOR THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE, THE RUMOR OUT THERE OF HOW OVERWORKED STAFF IS RIGHT NOW.
LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA TAKE THAT JOB.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WAYS TO KIND OF, TO, TO KIND OF KILL THAT MINDSET.
[00:25:01]
R P GRADUATING RIGHT NOW.10 YEARS AGO THAT WAS THE HOTTEST JOB IN TOWN WORKING FOR STAFF AND NOW THERE'S THERE'S CONCERNS.
DAVID GLENN, FOLLOWED BY TWO NLO.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION AND OUR MEMBERS.
UH, I'LL KEEP THIS FAIRLY BRIEF SINCE WE, WE DO AGREE WITH MUCH OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID TODAY.
UH, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST AND OTHERS THAT ARE NOT, UH, SITE PLAN, LIGHT, ADUS, LOT SIZE SETBACKS, ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA REALLY HELP BOLSTER THE CITY'S HOUSING SUPPLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET ENGAGED IN.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS DISCUSSION IS ESTABLISHING THAT FRAMEWORK.
UM, MR. ANDERSON JUST MENTIONED THAT THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT THINGS FLYING, GOOD IDEAS FALLING BETWEEN THE CRACKS.
I THINK SETTING UP A GOOD FRAMEWORK THAT IS PREDICTABLE AND ENGAGES, UH, THE EXPERTS, THE PRACTITIONERS, THE FOLKS ACTUALLY USING THE CODE IS GONNA MAKE A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITY AND STAFF TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CAN TO BENCHMARK.
LOOK AT OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING IT WELL.
WE KNOW OF A HANDFUL OF CITIES THAT ARE PROCESSING MORE PERMITS WITH FEWER STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO, UM, TRY AND SEE, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, FIND SOME GOOD EXAMPLES.
UH, BUT WE'RE OVERALL JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THIS COMMITTEE'S DOING.
WE THINK THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT IN A MUCH NEEDED CONVERSATION.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE A RESOURCE WHENEVER WE CAN, SO PLEASE KEEP US IN MIND.
I I DO ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION AND I'D LIKE FOR AGAIN TO, LET'S FOLLOW UP AFTERWARDS, BUT WHEN YOU SAY PROCESSING MORE PERMITS WITH FEWER STAFF MM-HMM.
AND THEN I GOT HERE AND I REALIZED, OH, SNAP, I WAS RIGHT.
AND SO I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO, AS A BODY BE ABLE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES THAT TELL US HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.
AND IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE LITTLE NOTE TO THAT, UM, PLEASE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TALKING TO SOME OF THE FOLKS ON THE STAFF LEVEL, CONNECTING THEM WITH THEIR PEERS IN OTHER CITIES TO TALK ABOUT THESE KIND OF THINGS.
AND SO WE HAVE COUNTERPARTS ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS AND NATIONALLY AS WELL AND CAN, UM, REACH OUT AND BRIDGE THOSE, UM, BRIDGES GAPS.
AT THE RISK OF SHOWING MY AGE, I'M GONNA USE A CLICHE, IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD THAT OUR HOUSING VILLAGE IS MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER.
SO MY NAME IS TAU AND THANK YOU FOR NAILING MY NAME.
UM, I'M HERE ALSO AS A MEMBER OF THE, UM, GREATER AUSTIN HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION AND THE WOMEN IN BUILDING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PARROT OUR SUPPORT IN, UM, OUR SUPPORT.
SORRY FOR ANYTHING, ANY CHANGE THAT WILL HELP SIMPLIFY THE CODE AS WELL AS EXPEDITE THE PROCESS OF GETTING LAND ENTITLED.
AND YES, EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE CITY IS EXPENSIVE.
AUSTIN PER UNIT COSTS MORE, ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT THE STATE AVERAGE IS TO ENTITLE A LOT FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
UM, AS A PRODUCTION VOLUME BUILDER, WE KIND OF LIVE IN THE SUBURBS, BUT WE KNOW THAT CHANGES MADE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN COULD INFLUENCE OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
UM, AND WE DO HOPE TO SEE AND ARE EXCITED TO SEE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ALLOWING US TO VOICE THAT SUPPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY AS A DEVELOPER.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE RISING CAP RATES.
WE HAVE RISING INTEREST RATES, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE MARKET.
UH, FOR RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE DOWNTOWN.
WE ALREADY HAVE A SHORTAGE OF MARKET RATE RENTALS DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN IS MOST MOSTLY LUXURY PRODUCT.
UM, WE HAVE ONE AFFORDABLE PROJECT.
UM, DESIGN COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO BRING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DENSITY BONUS.
UM, NOT ALL UNITS ARE BEING UTILIZED THAT ARE BEING DEPLOYED DOWNTOWN.
UM, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
UH, BUT AS FAR AS MARKET RATE SOLUTIONS THAT COULD WORK DOWNTOWN, UM, THERE ARE OTHER SOLUTIONS.
UM, CO-OPS CAN BE CO CO-OWNED AND CO-MANAGED BY
[00:30:01]
THE RESIDENTS.AND WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY IN AUSTIN.
UM, THERE ARE EIGHT CO-OPS OUTSIDE OF WEST CAMPUS WITH ABOUT A THOUSAND RESIDENTS AND CO-OPS IN AUSTIN.
THE MINIMUM SIZE CAN BE AS LITTLE AS 20 UNITS TO AS LARGE AS 150 PER COMPLEX.
UH, THERE ARE FINANCING AND POLITICAL BARRIERS TO CO-OPS, UM, THAT SHOULD BE EXPLORED.
BUT OTHER CITIES HAVE DEPLOYED CO-OPS WITH PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE CITY LIKE OLDER, BERKELEY, MADISON, NEW YORK.
ADDITIONALLY, CO-LIVING OR MULTI-FAMILY FOR ROOMMATES COULD SOLVE OUR WORKFORCE HOUSING SOLUTION DOWNTOWN.
UM, PEOPLE GET MARRIED LATER, THEY SEE IN SCHOOL LONGER.
UM, AND TRADITIONAL HUD IS REALLY SET AROUND THE NUCLEAR FAMILY, WHICH IS WHAT ALL OF OUR HOUSING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN IS, IS UNDERWRITTEN BY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE OLDER BUILDING STOCK TO CONVERT FOR ROOMMATES LIKE WAREHOUSES IN NEW YORK THAT ARE CONVERTED FOR LOFTS.
UM, AND WE NEED NEW CONSTRUCTION TO SOLVE THIS HOUSING SOLUTION.
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT DOWNTOWN.
UM, MY RESIDENTS AT CAPITAL QUARTERS, WHICH IS A BUILDING FOR ROOMMATES ARE TEACHERS AT UT.
THEY'RE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS VISITING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
I HAVE ACROBATS NURSES, UX DESIGNERS, STARTING STAFF AS ANALYSTS, DOWNTOWN LOBBYISTS IN TOWN FOR SESSION.
UM, BUT THE BARRIER TO MAKING MORE PRODUCTS LIKE THIS IS, IT'S NOT AN ASSET CLASS THAT COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE RECOGNIZES IT'S NOT STUDENT HOUSING AND IT'S NOT THE CHEAPEST DEBT INEQUITY FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED MORE DEBT INEQUITY PARTNERS IN THIS HOUSING TYPOLOGY.
UM, I MENTIONED THE MARKET, UH, RATE FOR THE COST OF FINANCING IS UP.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE LESS CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKFORCE OR MARKET RATE HOUSING DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND SEATTLE, UH, THE I 1 35 SOCIAL HOUSING INITIATIVE HAS STARTED AND IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON ZERO TO 120% AMI, UH, WHICH FOR SEATTLE IS $120,000 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.
UM, OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND, AND AUSTIN REALLY TOP OUT AT 80% AMI.
MS. WEAVER, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND, AND DO ME A SOLID.
YES, WE'RE GONNA REALLY TRY TO, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO OPEN THE HOUSING CONVERSATION TO EVERYBODY.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY CAP.
SO IT'S, UM, FOR OUR SMART HOUSING, UH, OR A FOR DENSITY BONUS, 80% AMI IS THE TOP THAT YOU CAN BE MAKING TO BENEFIT FROM THAT PROGRAM.
AND THEN IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND FINISHING YOUR SENTENCE AND THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
SO THE REQUEST IS TO INITIATE PILOTS WITH THE CITY AS A PARTNER FOR CREATIVE SOCIAL LIVING SOLUTIONS THAT RESPOND TO MARKET NEEDS SUCH AS CO-OPS, CO-LIVING, OR COTTAGE COURTS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS.
MICHAEL NAYES, FOLLOWED BY DAVID CARROLL.
I'M VICE CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
UH, I'M AN ECONOMIST WHO STUDIES HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
UM, THE RENT IS CURRENTLY $184 MORE THAN IN HOUSTON.
UH, LAND PRICE, THE CHEAPEST LAND ON ZILLOW IS THREE TIMES THE PRICE IN HOUSTON.
AND FIVE OUT OF SIX LOTS, UH, THAT ARE SF THREE CANNOT BE SPLIT.
UM, DURING THE BIG FREEZE, UH, WE RAN SHORT OF WATER AND H E B HAD WATER.
AND H E B WANTED TO NOT GET EXPLOITED BY RICH PEOPLE WHO WERE IN A PANIC.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA RAISE THE PRICE AND THEY DIDN'T WANT, UH, SOMEBODY TO BUY IT AT A CHEAP PRICE AT H E B AND THEN RESELL IT AND EXTORT PEOPLE.
UH, SO H E B WENT AND PUT A LIMIT ON THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF WATER ONE PERSON COULD BUY.
I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO CASES OF WATER, TWO CASES OF BOTTLED WATER.
SO THIS WAS A NECESSITY THAT EVERYBODY NEEDED AND THEY PUT A MAXIMUM LIMIT ON THE AMOUNT IN ANY TRANSACTION IN OUR LAND CODE.
WE HAVE LAND PEOPLE NEED LAND TO HAVE A HOUSE ON.
WE HAVE HIGH HOUSING PRICES, IT'S IN SHORTAGE.
AND ARE WE DOING WHAT H E B DID AND PUT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT ON A LAND TRANSACTION? NO, WE HAVE A MINIMUM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE EXACT OPPOSITE,
[00:35:01]
UH, TO THE, TO A SOLUTION HERE.SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF A MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM, BUT WE SHOULD RAISE THOSE MINIMUMS DRAMATICALLY IN ORDER TO LOWER THE COST TO HOUSING.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M AN ARCHITECT WHO HAS LIVED IN DISTRICT ONE FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS, AND I HAVE BEEN DESIGNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THAT ENTIRE TIME.
I'M ALSO STARTING MY NINTH YEAR ON DESIGN COMMISSION, WHICH MEANS THAT I HAVE REVIEWED NEARLY EVERY PROJECT IN THIS CITY THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT THIS PROGRAM IS BROKEN.
THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN PART TO HELP CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
BUT THIS PROGRAM HAS ONLY PRODUCED FOUR AFFORDABLE UNITS TO DATE OUTSIDE OF THE RAINY STREET SUBDISTRICT FOUR UNITS.
THIS REPRESENTS 0.1% OF ALL THE UNITS BUILT OVER THIS TIME IN DOWNTOWN.
RAINY HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PROGRAM, WHICH REQUIRES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE BUILT ON SITE.
BUT EVEN THIS PROGRAM HAS ONLY PRODUCED 87 UNITS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, 87 UNITS.
FURTHER, SOME DEVELOPERS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT MANY OF THESE UNITS REMAIN EMPTY DUE TO UNQUALIFIED TENANTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE 120% MFI CONDO UNITS AND THE INABILITY OF MARKET RATE DEVELOPERS TO OPERATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DUE TO THE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS FOR THESE.
SO WHY ISN'T MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING BUILT INSTEAD OF PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING? NEARLY EVERY DEVELOPER HAS CHOSEN TO PAY A FEE IN LIEU TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND AS ALLOWED BY THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
BUT THIS FUND, WHILE IT'S RECEIVED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, NONE OF THIS MONEY HAS EVER BEEN USED TO BUILD ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
ASIDE FROM THE COUNCIL DIRECTED HOTEL CONVERSION IN 2021, THIS MONEY HAS ONLY EVER BEEN USED FOR HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE A VERY IMPORTANT AND MUCH NEEDED PROGRAM, BUT DOES NOT HELP AUSTIN GET TO OUR ADOPTED GOAL IN THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT OF BUILDING 60,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS BY 2027.
AT OUR CURRENT RATE, WE'LL BE LUCKY TO BUILD 20,000 UNITS BY 2027.
THE WILL IS THERE, BUT THE MONEY IS NOT.
AS I ATTENDED THE LAST HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD ABOUT 85 MILLION TO AWARD FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
THE DEMAND FOR JUST THE FIRST QUARTER WAS ALMOST 85 MILLION.
SO MANY OF THESE PROJECTS ARE GONNA GO UNFUNDED THIS YEAR.
IN 2021, THE DESIGN COMMISSION WROTE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP FIX THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, BUT NONE WERE EVER PICKED UP BY COUNSEL AT THE TIME.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AGAIN IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE.
DID YOU SAY FOUR FOUR? I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY.
FOUR YUNS, PLEASE REPEAT THAT ENTIRE SENTENCE.
SO, ONLY FOUR AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT OUT WITH A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM OUTSIDE OF THE RAINY STREET AREA IN DOWNTOWN OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO A TOTAL OF 91 UNITS DOWNTOWN HAVE BEEN BUILT IN 10 YEARS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COLLEAGUES.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. CAROL? OKAY.
CLERK, DOES THAT CONCLUDE OUR SPEAKERS? OKAY.
SO MOVING FORWARD, UM, NOW THAT WE'VE CONCLUDED OUR SPEAKERS, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTRIBUTING TO THESE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS.
SO ITEM NUMBER ONE IS OUR FIRST ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES
[1. Approve the minutes of the Housing and Planning Committee meetings held on March 2, 2023, and April 25, 2023.]
OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UH, OF MARCH 2ND, 2023 AND APRIL 25TH, 2023.IS THERE A MOTION TO PASS THE MINUTES? MOVE ADOPTION.
UM, LOOKS LIKE WE ARE MAKING A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, RYAN AL ALTER, UM, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER QUADRI.
UM, IF THERE IS, SO MOVE BY, SECONDED BY.
SO ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
I'M NOW GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE TAKE
[Items 2 (Part 1 of 2) & 4]
UP ITEMS TWO AND FOUR ON OUR AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW FOR CITY STAFF TO PROVIDE THEIR BRIEFING AND ALSO ALLOW FOR OUR GUESTS TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR WHAT[00:40:01]
I EXPECT TO BE A ROBUST AND IMPORTANT CONVERSATION STAFF.VERONICA CEIO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND I'M HERE TO KICK OFF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE AFTER A LOT OF WORK ON, ON STAFF, UH, WITH STAFF.
AND I WENT TO START BY GIVING A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF.
AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE AUDIENCE, WE HAVE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED.
UH, WE'VE INITIATED THEM THROUGH OUR, OUR CODE CABINET AND WE HAVE REALLY RELIED ON THEM FOR GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF PRIORITIZING THE POTENTIAL, UH, CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO, THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TODAY IS A FRAMEWORK.
WE WANNA PRESENT A FRAMEWORK THAT TAKES ALL OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS WE HAVE, UH, ON OUR, IN OUR, IN THE PIKE, AND PRIORITIZE THEM BY CERTAIN AREAS.
WE, WE KNOW HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE KEY, UH, AREAS FOR OUR CITY.
SO WE'RE STARTING OFF BY PRIORITIZING WHAT WILL IMPACT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOUSING IN A POSITIVE WAY.
THEN YOU'LL SEE, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THE REMAINING CODE AMENDMENTS, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT ARE SOME, SOME EASIER ONES TO MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT ARE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
BUT REALLY, I'VE TRIED TO DO A THOROUGH ANALYSIS AND A PROPOSAL TO YOU ON A WAY THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON MUCH NEEDED CODE AMENDMENTS, UH, AT A TIME WHERE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BALANCING THE BANDWIDTH OF STAFF, THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING THE LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT PROCESS IS STEAM, UH, STREAMLINED.
I I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WHILE THIS IS OUR PROPOSAL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION AND THE FEEDBACK FROM YOU, CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN THE DIRECTION THAT IS YOUR DESIRE.
UM, BUT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT AT THE, AS A LEGISLATURE WRAPS UP, WE ARE VERY AWARE THAT THERE COULD BE BILLS THAT ARE PASSED THAT COULD IMPACT OUR PROCESS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE COULD HAVE TO PRIORITIZE MAKING CHANGES BASED ON THOSE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THAT AS WELL.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT SAY.
SO ITEMS TWO AND FOUR, UM, JUST FOR CONTEXT SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WE'RE ALL FOLLOWING ALONG THE SAME CONVERSATION.
UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL RELATED TO PRIORITIZING AND MODIFYING PREVIOUSLY INITIATED AMENDMENTS AND INITIATING ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S L D C TO ACHIEVE EXISTING CITY POLICY GOALS.
THEN ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH I THINK WE'LL HEAR ABOUT AS WELL, UM, BRIEFING FROM STAFF RELATED TO PRIORITIZATION PREVIOUSLY INITIATED, UM, AMENDMENTS TO THIS CITY'S L D C AND PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT ACHIEVE CITY POLICY AND GOALS.
AND YOU KNOW, NOW THAT YOU'VE APPROACHED, I WON'T SAY S STAFF AS APPROACHES
UM, I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR THE COMMITTEE AND FOR THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS BRIEFING.
SO TODAY'S BRIEFING, UM, THAT OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IS OFFERING US, UM, IT'S ABOUT COM COMMIT.
IT'S ABOUT OUR COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION AND THE CRUCIAL STEPS THAT OUR COUNCIL CAN TAKE TO HELP PROVIDE CLARITY AND DIRECTION FOR CITY STAFF.
AS WE HAVE HEARD BY WAY OF ALL THE FOLKS, WHICH BY THE WAY, THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING AND TESTIFYING.
I REALLY APPRECIATE LOOKING OUT IN THIS AUDIENCE AND COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND HAVING FOLKS THAT ARE ACTIVELY REALLY ADDRESSING OUR HOUSING CRISIS, WHO RECOGNIZE THAT IT EXISTS AND WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP US FIX IT.
THAT SAID, UM, TODAY'S BRIEFING AND OUR COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION ARE CRUCIAL STEPS THAT OUR COUNCIL CAN TAKE TO HELP PROVIDE CLARITY AND DIRECTION FOR CITY STAFF.
UM, AS WE HEARD AT ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT MEETINGS, STAFF IS EXPERIENCING THE PERFECT STORM STAFFING VACANCIES, WHICH SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS SPOKE TO TODAY.
THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THEIR ABILITY TO PRODUCE HOUSING THAT'S CRITICAL, OFTEN CONFLICTING FROM PREVIOUS COUNCILS AND LIMITED TIME AND RESOURCES TO ENACT THE MANY POLICIES THAT WE OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE INITIATED.
BY ASKING FOR PRIORITIZATION AND WEIGHING IN AS A COMMITTEE AND A FULL COUNCIL, WE WILL ENSURE THAT OUR LIMITED TIME AND RESOURCES ARE BEING SPENT ON POLICY THAT WILL HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON OUR SHARED COMMUNITY GOALS.
WE TALKED ABOUT BEING A PRO-HOUSING VILLAGE, AND I NEED FOR ALL OF US TO OWN THAT, WHICH IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO TODAY'S BRIEFING, WHICH ALREADY GOT STARTED AND I INTERRUPTED MY APOLOGIES, WILL INCLUDE STAFF WALKING THROUGH OUR EXISTING HOUSING POLICY AMENDMENTS, THEIR STATUS SUGGESTED PRIORITIZATION BASED ON NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING THESE AMENDMENTS AND STAFF'S MEMO OUTLINING PRIORITIZATION.
THEY WERE POSTED AS BACKUP, UM, FOR THIS MEETING TO OUR COMMITTEE AGENDA AND SHARED WITH THE FULL COUNT, UH, THE FULL COUNSEL.
[00:45:01]
FOR CONTEXT, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE VOTED IN APRIL FOR STAFF TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING AND SUGGESTED PRIORITIZATION AT TODAY'S MEETING, UM, THAT WE COULD, SO THAT RATHER WE COULD RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES OR NEW AMENDMENTS FOR THE FULL COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION.I EXPECT AND ENCOURAGE ROBUST CONVERSATION FROM BOTH OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND VISITING NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AND IN FACT, I I THANK YOU FOR IT.
I THINK THAT'S A PART OF HOW WE GET MOVING FORWARD.
WE ALL HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND WILLING TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IN PUBLIC WITHOUT QUORUM CONSTRAINTS, OUR COLLECTIVE IDEAS, ENVISION FOR HOW WE CAN AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE BOLD ACTION, PERIOD.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPOTLIGHT YOUR WORK AND IDENTIFY HOW IT FITS WITHIN STAFF'S PROPOSED PRIORITIZATION AND THE BROADER CONTEXT OF HOW WE CAN PRODUCE HOUSING FOR ALL PEOPLE IN ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ASKING THIS COMMITTEE TO TAKE A BIG FIRST STEP.
WELCOME TO THE PARTY NOW, BUT THIS IS NOT A THREAT.
THIS IS US GETTING TO MOVE FORWARD AS A BODY, AS A PEOPLE, AND AS A COMMUNITY.
WE CAN MAKE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL COUNCIL AND WE CAN STILL COME BACK TO OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE 13TH AND KEEP THIS CONVERSATION GOING, ESPECIALLY BY BRINGING FORWARD SOME OF THE BIG IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WILL HEAR.
AND FRANKLY, BY THE END OF IT, WE'LL HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO COLLEAGUES, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND IDENTIFY ANY OF THE MISSING PIECES.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION
I THINK I MISSED IT UP TOO BY GETTING EXCITED ABOUT APPROACHING THE PODIUM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY.
UH, AND I WAS, I WAS, UH, WRAPPING UP, I WAS GOING TO MENTION OUR STAFF VACANCIES.
THAT IS VERY MUCH A PRIORITY FOR US AS A CITY.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT PARTICULARLY IN THESE AREAS AND THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, MOST OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE WITHIN MY PURVIEW AND WE'RE WORKING TO BE, UH, SYSTEMATIC AND STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW WE'RE FILLING THOSE VACANCIES AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE APPROACHING IT FROM A PORTFOLIO PERSPECTIVE, UH, KNOWING THAT THESE DEPARTMENTS WORK SO CLOSELY TOGETHER AND HAND IN HAND IN THE PROCESS.
CAN I, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION BY SHARE? I DO REAL QUICK JUST ON THAT, AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS HERE, BUT I THINK A COUPLE THINGS KIND OF AS A LEVEL SETTING GOING INTO WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY ON THE RESOURCES QUESTION FIRST.
I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AS YOU TALK ABOUT THIS TO GIVE US A BETTER SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK YOU FOR A SPECIFIC ITEM, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT STAFF NEEDS TO DO? YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE SO BASIC, RIGHT? I COULD GO ON MY COMPUTER AND SCRATCH THAT WORD OUT AND AND DO THAT IN 10 MINUTES.
WHY IS IT TAKING YOU FIVE MONTHS? AND SO IF YOU COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THE FULL PROCESS, I THINK THAT IS HELPFUL IN GUIDING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
BUT ALSO AS WE LOOK AT STAFF RESOURCES, THERE ARE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE, I THINK, UH, MORE COMPLEX AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAT WE PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE, UH, A MULTITUDE OF OUR STAFF WORKING ON.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT ARE KIND OF ONE-OFFS OR ISOLATED.
AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE CAN FARM THOSE OUT TO SOMEBODY ELSE ON A CONTRACT BASIS OR SOMETHING JUST TO LET OUR STAFF WORK ON THE REAL COMPLEX MEATY STUFF.
OR IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLEX, BUT THAT WE CAN KIND OF DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND AND, AND GIVE IT TO, UH, A THIRD PARTY TO HELP US AT LEAST DO THE DRAFT AND THEN GET IT BACK TO US.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US EXPLORE THAT AS A POSSIBILITY.
UH, BUT AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, IDENTIFY POTENTIAL OPTIONS WHERE THAT MIGHT BE A ROUTE.
I I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GET INTO YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HOLD OUR QUESTIONS TO THE END AND THAT WAS A LOT
SO WE CAN ADD THAT TO FUTURE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION OR THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE CAN RESPOND TO IN AN EMAIL TO THE ENTIRE BODY.
AND I WOULD JUST CLOSE IT OUT BY SAYING WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL CREATIVE APPROACHES, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE'RE, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ROBUST CONVERSATION TODAY AND WE WILL, UH, CERTAINLY KEEP ALL OPTIONS IN MIND
[00:50:01]
AND, AND TRY THINKING ABOUT THINGS CREATIVELY.AND WITH THAT, THANK I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO BRENT LLOYD WHO'S GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THE P UH, PRESENTATION FROM OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO THANK YOU ACM BRIO AND MAYOR PROTE AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
WE APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU ON THE TOPIC OF LDC AMENDMENTS.
WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
UM, I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CODE CABINET TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE MEMO AND THE SPREADSHEET THAT ARE POSTED IN BACKUP.
UM, I'LL SUMMARIZE AND EXPAND ON THE HIERARCHY OF PRIORITIZATIONS AMONG THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN INITIATED, AS WELL AS SOME BIG PICTURE THEMES THAT AFFECT THE TIMETABLE FOR TAKING AMENDMENTS, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GETTING THEM ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA.
UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, THE CODE CABINET IS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM OF STAFF FROM THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THE MOST DAY-TO-DAY INVOLVEMENT IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, AND I ENCOURAGE, UM, OTHER CABINET MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TO CHIME IN, UH, IF THERE ARE TOPICS WE TOUCH ON THAT THEY HAVE RELEVANT INFORMATION ON.
UM, AND FINALLY, ALTHOUGH NOT INCLUDED IN THE MEMO, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME GENERAL O UH, GENERAL OVERVIEW OF IDEAS, UM, FOR POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF FOR ITEMS GOING FORWARD AS WELL THAT ARE NOT, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY INITIATED.
SO THE MEMO IS ORGANIZED, UH, BASED ON HOW CLOSELY AMENDMENTS RELATE TO COUNCIL'S HOUSING GOALS AND HOW STRAIGHTFORWARD THEY ARE LIKELY IN TERMS OF, IN HOW STRAIGHTFORWARD THEY ARE IN TERMS OF BEING ADOPTED IN THE NEAR TERM.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE DETERMINATIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS, UM, OUR, IN SOME INSTANCES PRELIMINARY, UH, STAFF'S PROPOSALS ON AS STAFF'S PROPOSALS ON AMENDMENTS TAKE SHAPE.
WE RECEIVE ADVICE FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE CABINET PROCESS, UM, AS WELL.
AND WE IDENTIFY ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES THAT AMENDMENTS PRESENT.
SO THERE ARE TIMES WHERE AN AMENDMENT THAT APPEARS SIMPLE AT FIRST BLUSH HAS CHALLENGES EITHER IN GETTING IT TO COUNCIL OR IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION THAT ARE LATER IDENTIFIED.
THAT SAID, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR MEMO AND THE TABLES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED YOU, UM, PROVIDE A USEFUL STARTING POINT FOR CATEGORIZING THE DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED.
UH, SO I'M GONNA BEGIN THE, IN THE WEEDS PART OF OUR BRIEFING, UH, BY TALKING ABOUT AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN PART ONE A OF THE MEMO, UM, WHICH WE DEEM TO BE BOTH DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR HOUSING GOALS AND ALSO THE MOST LIKELY TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD IN TERMS OF GETTING THEM TO YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE OF THE AMENDMENTS IN THE QUEUE.
THESE ARE THE ONES, UH, THAT STAFF WOULD LIKE TO PRIORITIZE AND PLACE THE MOST EMPHASIS ON.
WE BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE ONES THAT ARE REASONABLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND THAT WILL DELIVER, UH, SOME DEGREE OF IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN TERMS OF MAKING HOUSING EASIER.
UM, I WILL EMPHASIZE TOO THAT DSD, UH, IS CURRENTLY LEAD ON AND WORKING ON, AND ONE IS, UH, THE INFILL LOTS.
THIS IS AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD UTILIZE A PROVISION OF STATE LAW THAT LETS CITIES ALLOW USE OF THE AMENDED PLAT PROCESS, UH, FOR ACTUALLY CREATING NEW LOTS.
UH, GIVEN THE TIME AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBDIVISION, UH, THIS AMENDMENT COULD MAKE CREATION OF RESIDENTIAL LOTS A LOT EASIER.
ONE OF THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES OF THIS AMENDMENT IS IDENTIFYING CONTEXTS WHERE IT'S MOST APPROPRIATE TO ALLOW THE PROCESS, UM, BY BYPASSING SUBDIVISION.
UH, IT LIMITS THE CITY'S ABILITY TO REVIEW AND APPLY A HOST OF REGULATIONS.
SO WHILE USING A CITYWIDE LENS, STAFF WILL FOCUS ON AREAS WHERE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER FACTORS CAN BEST ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL LOTS WITHOUT SUBDIVISION REVIEW.
UM, THIS PROVISION ON THE AMENDMENT ON SUBSTANDARD LOTS IS ONE, UH, WHERE WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT PER COUNCIL'S DIRECTION.
UM, LEGALLY PLATTED LOTS THAT DON'T MEET CURRENT MINIMUM LOT AREA STANDARDS OR DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS.
UM, MANY YEARS AGO A PRIOR COUNCIL ADOPTED AMENDMENTS THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP THOSE LOTS INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER ONCE, UH, A STRUCTURE HAD BEEN BUILT OVER LOT LINES.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT CHANGING THE CRITERIA TO ALLOW THOSE LOTS TO DEVELOP INDEPENDENTLY.
UM, STAFF WILL ALSO PRIORITIZE HOUSING AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN THE MORE COMPLEX TIER, BUT THESE, UH, PRESENT ISSUES THAT MAY REQUIRE MORE TIME AND MORE REVIEW.
AND ONE OF THEM I WANT TO TOUCH ON IS SITE PLAN LIGHT, WHICH
[00:55:01]
WAS MENTIONED IN THE TESTIMONY.WE, UH, THERE ARE REALLY TWO COMPONENTS TO THAT AND, AND THIS AMENDMENT HAS, HAS ITS GENESIS IN THE ORIGINAL INITIATION OF AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, WHICH CALLED FOR A REVISED SITE PLAN PROCESS THAT WAS THEN FOLDED INTO THE LDC REVISION.
UM, AND IN, AND SINCE THAT'S NO LONGER ACTIVE, WE ARE BRINGING IT FORWARD AS AN INDEPENDENT SET OF AMENDMENTS TO CURRENT CODE.
AND PER COUNCIL'S MOST RECENT RESOLUTION FROM LAST YEAR, THERE ARE REALLY TWO COMPONENTS AND ONE IS SIMPLY TO ALLOW UP TO FOUR UNITS TO BE BUILT USING THE STANDARD BUILDING PLAN REVIEW PROCESS THAT APPLIES TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
UM, AND THAT'S A STRAIGHTFORWARD AMENDMENT THAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA BY JULY AT THE JULY 20TH MEETING.
THE SECOND COMPONENT, HOWEVER, IS MORE CHALLENGING.
IT IS BASICALLY TO CREATE A MODIFIED SITE PLAN PROCESS FOR A HOUSING TYPE THAT'S INCREASINGLY REFERRED TO AS MISSING MIDDLE BETWEEN FIVE AND 16 UNITS.
UM, AND THIS IS A HOUSING TYPE THAT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED IS FACILITATES AND IT'S ONE THAT I KNOW COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY IN OTHER CONTEXTS AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS AMENDMENT, UM, I THINK THE SPEAKER WHO SAID THAT IT WOULD MAKE THINGS EASIER, I THINK THERE'S SOME MERIT TO THAT, BUT IT INVOLVES CREATING A, A SET OF TAILORED REGULATIONS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY EXIST.
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW A SYSTEM THAT IS SORT OF MODELED ON BUILDING PERMIT FOR SINGLE FAMILY OR, OR ONE AND TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL FULL SITE PLAN ON THE OTHER END OF THE CONTINUUM.
AND THEN THERE'S SITE PLAN EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE KIND OF CLOSER TO THE BUILDING PLAN SIDE.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS REALLY CREATING A NEW TIER, A NEW TIER OF REGULATIONS THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THE GREATER IMPACTS OF MISSING MIDDLE, BUT NOT REQUIRE THE FULL LEVEL OF WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE THAT IS REQUIRED FOR SITE PLAN.
AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS CHALLENGING AND THAT WILL HAVE ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACTS.
OUR WORK GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DEPARTMENTS ARE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO SITE PLAN, SITE PLAN EXEMPTION, BUILDING PERMIT, AND THIS WILL BE CREATING KIND OF A NEW TIER.
UM, AND SO WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY, UH, WITH WATERSHED AND WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO CRAFT A SET OF REGULATIONS WE'RE BORROWING FROM IDEAS THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN THE CODE REWRITE.
UH, AND WE WILL HAVE THIS TO COUNCIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND WE ALSO CAN PROVIDE THE MEMORANDUM THAT WE'VE PROVIDED, THE INFORMATION WE'VE PROVIDED IS FAIRLY CONCEPTUAL, BUT IF AT AT THE COMMITTEES, IF THE COMMITTEE WISHES WERE AVAILABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH A MORE PARTICULARIZED ACTION PLAN THAT HAS CLEAR DATES AND TIMELINES AND CALLS OUT PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS THAT ARE OF THE MOST INTEREST TO YOU, UM, I MAY, I CAN SAY I, I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HAVE THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THEMES JUST WITH SITE PLAN LIGHT THAT I THINK ALSO APPLIES TO PARKING AND TO OTHER AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, IS THAT REGULATIONS DRIVE PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S EMPHASIS PLACED ON IMPROVING THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, UNDER, UH, LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND OUR ACMS AND DIRECTOR ROEG, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.
BUT WITHOUT CHANGES TO THE REGULATIONS, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE ON THE PURE PROCESS FRONT.
UM, THE ADU AMENDMENTS ARE ALSO IN PROCESS.
WE'VE MADE A, UH, A LOT OF PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING A STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO REFINE AND WORK THROUGH WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND WITH OTHER STAFF, AND WE CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THAT AS IT TAKES SHAPE.
UM, CEREBRAL AMENDMENTS IN THE NA NON HOUSING CATEGORY.
ALSO, FURTHER IMPORTANT COUNCIL PRIORITIES, INCLUDING THE PHASE TWO WATERSHED AMENDMENTS, THE CREATIVE SPACES, AMENDMENTS, AND THE HEIGHT EXCEPTION FOR HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
AND ON SIXTH STREET, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT PICKING FAVORITES, THERE'S ONE THAT I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE.
UM, IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDCARE FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I THINK IT'S ITEM B TWO IN THE MEMO.
UH, AND THEN THAT FURTHERS A VARIETY OF CITY GOALS.
UM, AND THE REASONS I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN AMENDMENT WHERE PARTS OF IT ARE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD THAN OTHERS.
PART OF THE AMENDMENT IS SIMPLY TO CHANGE THE USE CLASSIFICATIONS, UH, SO THAT CHILDCARE BECOMES A PERMITTED USE OR A CONDITIONAL USE ON A MORE WIDE SCALE THAN IT CURRENTLY IS.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION THAT REQUIRE SORT OF DEFINING A CHILDCARE DESERT AND PARTICULARLY TAILORING REGULATIONS TO THAT PARTICULAR SORT OF GEOGRAPHY.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN AMENDMENT, AND I THINK THERE ARE MAY BE OTHERS AS WELL, WHERE
[01:00:01]
IF STAFF WERE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD THE EASY PIECES, THE PARTS THAT ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW AND DISCUSSION APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY, UH, EASY TO ADVANCE, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MAKE MORE PROGRESS THEN IF WE HAVE TO BRING ALL OF IT TOGETHER AT ONCE.UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION INCLUDES THINGS THAT ARE REALLY HARD AS WELL AS THINGS THAT ARE REASONABLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AND SO, ONE, AS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONSIDER POTENTIAL DIRECTION GOING FORWARD, GIVING STAFF THE LICENSE TO BRING FORWARD, UH, QUICKER, EASIER ITEMS INDEPENDENT TO THE BALANCE OF A RESOLUTION WOULD POTENTIALLY BE HELPFUL.
UH, FACTORS, UH, AFFECTING TIMELINES, UM, AS ACM BERCENIO AND, UH, OTHERS HAVE TE HAVE MENTIONED.
UM, STAFFING HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING PROGRESS AND PROVIDING REGULAR UPDATES AS WELL AS MORE CONCRETE TIMELINES.
I BELIEVE THAT THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS IN TERMS OF GETTING RECOMMENDATIONS READY TO BRING FORWARD THROUGH COMMISSION, THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S PROCESS.
UM, BUT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT ON STAFF'S PLATE AND, UM, AS ACM BERCENIO MENTIONED, UM, THERE LIKELY WILL BE SOME IMPACTS OF STATE LEGISLATION THAT WILL REQUIRE US TO FOCUS POTENTIALLY ON CHANGES EITHER TO THE CODE THAT WE WOULD PROPOSE TO COUNSEL OR, UH, CHANGES TO PROCESS, POTENTIALLY BOTH.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT GOING FORWARD, WE ALL HAVE TO BE AWARE OF, AND THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE US TO DEVOTE TIME TO THAT AS OPPOSED TO, UH, COUNCIL INITIATIVES AT LEAST FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SO I ALSO WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON BEFORE WE OPEN IT TO QUESTIONS, UM, WANT TO TOUCH ON, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE CODE CABINET IS IDENTIFIED FOR POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION GOING FORWARD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN INITIATED.
AND COUNSEL IS ASKED US, UH, REPEATEDLY TO COME FORWARD WITH IDEAS, UM, THAT FROM THE STAFF SIDE, THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP ADVANCE HOUSING GOALS BALANCED WITH OTHER COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
AND SO I WANNA MENTION JUST A HANDFUL OF THEM.
AND THEY'RE ALL ONES THAT WOULD REQUIRE FURTHER REVIEW BY LAW, BY OTHERS AS WELL.
THEY'RE NOT READY TO BE INITIATED, BUT WERE THERE ONES THAT WE FEEL PROVIDE, UM, WE, THAT WE FEEL ARE WORKABLE AND THAT COULD BE MOLDED IN A WAY THAT WOULD PROVIDE, UM, SOME OPTIONS GOING FORWARD FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
AND ONE OF THEM IS TO LOOK AT A PROCESS FOR CREATING NEW ZONES THAT WOULD BE MAPPED AT A S THROUGH A SUBSEQUENT PROCESS.
UM, COUNCIL, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS RECENTLY IDEN, UH, INITIATED THE TOWN ZONE AS I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE.
AND WE FEEL IN GENERAL THAT RATHER THAN INITIATING ZONES SORT OF INDIVIDUALLY, KIND OF LOOKING AT BROADER GOALS AND CREATING, UM, GROUPS OF ZONES TO ADVANCE COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES WOULD BE, UH, A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS AND ONE THAT WOULD ALLOW SORT OF A MORE HOLISTIC LENS TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON, ON ZONING.
AND OF COURSE, THESE WOULD BE ZONES THAT WOULD NOT BE MAPPED IMMEDIATELY.
THEY WOULD BE ZONES THAT WOULD BE MAPPED THROUGH SUBSEQUENT CITY INITIATED AND OR LANDOWNER INITIATED REZONING PROCESSES.
UM, WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THE LEVEL OF, UH, STAKEHOLDER AND, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE FACTORS THAT WE WOULD OF COURSE LOOK FOR COUNCIL DIRECTION ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE CODE REWRITE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ENABLED THAT PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD WAS RECEIVING COUNCIL DIRECTION AT THE OUTSET.
UM, THE DATE OF MAY 2ND, 2019 FOREVER.
FOREVER, IN MY MIND, UH, WAS THE DATE THAT COUNSEL ISSUED DIRECTION, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND YOU IDENTIFIED PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES THAT YOU WANTED THE CODE REWRITE TO FURTHER AND, AND SHOULD COUNSEL CHOOSE TO INITIATE, UM, LOOKING AT CREATING NEW ZONES, I THINK PROVIDING POLICY DIRECTION AT THE OUTSET WOULD BE, WOULD BE USEFUL.
UM, CONSIDER, UH, A MISSING MIDDLE ZONE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE FOLDED INTO LOOKING AT A LARGER SET OF ZONES, BUT I KNOW IT'S ONE THAT COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN.
MISSING MIDDLE IS NOT WHERE WE REALIZED THE MOST, UM, SHEER HOUSING CAPACITY GAINS, BUT IT PROVIDES HOUSING CHOICES.
IT HELPS TO STABILIZE INCREASES IN HOUSING PRICES.
AND IT FURTHERS, IT FURTHERS A LOT OF GOALS.
AND WE KNOW FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH SEVERAL OF YOU THAT IT'S, IT'S BEEN OF, IT'S OF INTEREST.
UM, ANOTHER OPTION IS TO CONSIDER TARGETED REDUCTIONS IN LOT SIZE.
AND THIS IS, AGAIN, AS WITH ALL OF THESE, THESE ARE SUBJECT TO WHAT THIS WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, WOULD HAVE
[01:05:01]
TO BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER LEGAL REVIEW, FURTHER INTERNAL STAFF REVIEW AS WELL.UM, BUT THERE MAY BE ZONES WHERE SOME DEGREE OF LOT SIZE REDUCTION WOULD PROVIDE APPRECIABLE BENEFITS FOR HOUSING THAT WOULD, UH, HAVE SOME AFFORDABILITY BENEFITS.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT, UM, EITHER WITH OUR CURRENT ZONES OR AS PART OF A LARGER EXERCISE OF DEVELOPING NEW ZONES.
UM, AND ONE, ONE THAT I JUST WANNA MENTION, IT'S PRO, PROBABLY THE SECOND TO LAST ONE WOULD BE LOOKING AT MODIFICATIONS TO THE CRITERIA FOR LAND STATUS.
WE HAVE LAND STATUSES, UH, REFERS TO UNPLATTED TRACKS OF LAND THAT, UH, ARE EXEMPT FROM PLATTING.
AND WE HAVE LOCALLY ADOPTED CRITERIA, UH, I THAT PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR TRACKS TO ACQUIRE LAND STATUS.
UH, AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INSTANCES OVER THE YEARS WHERE TRACKS WILL ALMOST QUALIFY.
THEY'LL ALMOST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND STATUS THAT WOULD ALLOW A SMALL HOME TO BE BUILT, BUT THERE'S SOME, UH, FRONTAGE REQUIREMENT OR SOME REQUIREMENT THAT THEY JUST DON'T QUITE MEET.
AND SO LOOKING AT THAT POTENTIALLY IN CONNECTION WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER SUBDIVISION RELATED AMENDMENTS WOULD BE AN OPTION WORTH CONSIDERING, AGAIN, SUBJECT TO, UH, FURTHER REVIEW.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING POTENTIALLY THAT THE, OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR HOUSING DEPARTMENT CAN SPEAK TO IS THINKING HOLISTICALLY ABOUT DENSITY BONUSES JUST AS CREATING ZONES INDIVIDUALLY ON KIND OF A, AN AD HOC BASIS IS, IS PERHAPS NOT THE MOST, UM, EFFICIENT OR HOLISTIC WAY TO PROCEED ON THE ZONING FRONT.
UM, CREATING DENSITY BONUSES KIND OF ONE BY ONE AND ADDING TO, YOU KNOW, THE LAYER OF BONUSES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, MAY NOT BE THE MOST EFFICIENT OR USEFUL WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
WE HAVE A, A ROBUST, UH, SET OF DENSITY BONUSES IN OUR CODE AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THEM HOLISTICALLY AND POTENTIALLY, UH, CONSOLIDATING AND LOOKING AT HOW THE ALL THEY REL HOW THEY ALL RELATE TO EACH OTHER IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT FEELS WOULD BE USEFUL.
UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL JUST, JUST SAY WE VOTE THAT YOU GO DO ALL THAT
UM, IT WOULD ALL TAKE MORE REVIEW, MORE CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE IDEAS THAT WE HAVE ON THE STAFF SIDE THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY WORKABLE AND USEFUL TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, CONSISTENT WITH YOUR OBJECTIVES.
SO THAT CONCLUDES, UM, MY COMMENTS, OUR PRESENTATION AND WHERE I THINK I'M AVAILABLE.
AND I KNOW OTHERS, WE HAVE OTHERS HERE AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS WHICH I'LL RESERVE TO THE END COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IT LOOKS LIKE MAYOR PROTE ELLIS HAS SOME QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH.
SO MAYOR PROTE ELLIS, MAYBE LESS QUESTIONS AND MORE JUST THOUGHTS.
UM, CHAIR, ARE WE TODAY THINKING OF TRYING TO ADOPT WHAT THIS PRIORITIZATION WOULD LOOK LIKE OR ARE WE JUST TRYING TO REALLY NAIL DOWN WHAT IT IS WE KNOW WHAT IT IS WE DON'T KNOW? AND WHAT'S OUR NEXT STEPS TO, ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO BOTH
I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE MAKING A MOTION TODAY.
I'D LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO PUT A MOTION FORWARD TODAY, BUT THEN I'D ALSO LIKE FOR US TO ALL HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MOTION WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD, WHAT ARE WE ASKING, IN WHICH CASE I'D LIKE TO DO BOTH.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD CUZ I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS I'M KIND OF SHUFFLING THROUGH TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS.
UM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT DECISION HERE.
UM, SO IS THE BLUE SPREADSHEET THE BEST ONE TO LOOK AT FOR UNDERSTANDING WHICH ONES ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY ACCOMPLISHED VERSUS THINGS THAT HAVE YET TO BE SIGNED A PERSON IN CHARGE? CUZ I KNOW THERE'S, IN THESE CODE AMENDMENTS, THERE'S THINGS ALL THE WAY FROM, HEY, IT'S GOING TO THE LAST COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION AND, AND THEN GETTING TO CITY COUNCIL WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, IS THAT WEIGHING INTO THIS, THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT HAS THE ALREADY OUT THE DOOR ALMOST
I WOULD ALSO, I CAN ALSO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF DATA THAT, UM, LINDY GARWOOD IN, IN MY GROUP VEED RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING, WHICH BASICALLY IS THAT SOME AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN STARTED YET BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW.
THAT'S ROUGHLY NINE, UM, AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN STARTED.
UM, AND, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE OLD AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME CHALLENGES ARE, THEY'RE, FOUR OF THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN PROCESS, UH, ARE SIX, THERE ARE SIX OF THOSE.
AND THEN SCHEDULED FOR COUNCIL, WE HAVE I THINK 11 AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY SCHEDULED THAT ARE ALREADY, BASICALLY WE HAVE DATES PINNED DOWN FOR COUNCIL.
AND THEN YOU'VE ALSO PROVIDED SOME BACKUP THAT TALKS
[01:10:01]
ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS COMPLEX VERSUS WHAT IS A LITTLE MORE SIMPLE AS WE WORK THROUGH THE MEMO THAT WAS ISSUED RECENTLY.AND THOSE ARE A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT, BUT WE, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE RECOMMEND THAT STAFF'S PRIORITIES LIE, WE, WE RECOMMEND FOCUSING ON THE AMENDMENTS THAT CAN BE DELIVERED TO COUNSEL FOR ACTION IN THE NEAR TERM.
UM, AND SO THAT'S AND ALSO RELATE TO HOUSING.
SO THE MEMO IS KIND OF STRUCTURED AROUND THAT PARADIGM, WHICH ONES ARE HOUSING, WHICH ONES ARE NON HOUSINGS, WHICH WHICH I APPRECIATE, UM, THAT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL AS THIS CONVERSATION UNFOLDS FOR ME.
OF COURSE, I'M A BIG FAN OF SITE PLAN LIGHT.
UM, I WAS HAPPY TO CARRY THAT AND HAD A NUMBER OF YOU ON THAT AS WELL.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ITS WORK ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE, THE COMMISSION PROCESSES.
UM, SO I THINK I JUST WANNA IDENTIFY LIKE THERE'S A BIT OF WHAT IS EASY TO GET OUT THE DOOR, WHAT IS ALMOST ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT IS STARTING FROM SQUARE ONE.
AND SO I'M GONNA BE EVALUATING THESE CONVERSATIONS, FACTORING THAT IN AS WELL.
SOMETHING COULD BE LOWER PRIORITY BUT IS ALMOST OUT THE DOOR.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT STAFF KNOWS WE WANT THEM TO CONTINUE GETTING THE THINGS IN MOTION ALREADY MOVING.
CUZ ONCE THEY STOP, THEY'LL BE SITTING ON A SHELF FOR A WHILE UNTIL SOMEONE PICKS IT BACK UP AGAIN.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF LIKE CONVERSATION ENGAGEMENT, I JUST WANNA RESPOND TO ONE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE DURING THE TESTIMONY AND THAT IS THE PARKING AMENDMENTS.
LIKE THAT IS, I MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT SEEM LIKE THEY'D BE REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT THEY'RE HARD.
AND PARKING, THE PARKING IS ONE OF 'EM.
I THINK THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO BRINGING THAT FORWARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BUT, UM, OUR PARKING AMENDMENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE REFERENCED THROUGHOUT THE CODE.
SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF JUST DELETING THINGS, IT'S A MATTER OF CAREFULLY GOING THROUGH AND SEEING HOW PARKING IS ADDRESSED IN ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND ADDITIONALLY, COMING UP WITH PROVISIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR, UM, ACCESSIBLE PARKING THAT'S INDEPENDENT OF A MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT THAT IS, THAT ALSO PRESENTS, IT'S NOT AN INSURMOUNTABLE, THERE ARE PLACES IN OUR CODE THAT, THAT DO SIMILAR THINGS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA TAKE A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF CAREFUL INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW.
ADDITIONALLY, COUNCIL'S DIRECTION WANTS, UH, PEOPLE TO GET CREDIT FOR CERTAIN, UM, ON STREET PUBLIC, PUBLIC, UH, PARKING FACILITIES.
SO HOW DO THOSE COUNT FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT USES THAT ARE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE AND FIGURING ALL THAT OUT.
AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THESE AMENDMENTS, UM, THAT LOOK SIMPLE, UM, THERE'S A BACKSTORY AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE HARDER THAN I THINK THEY SOMETIMES APPEAR.
AND I THINK PARKING AND SITE PLAN LIGHT ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE FULLY COMMITTED TO BRINGING THESE AMENDMENTS TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS WE CAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. LLOYD.
SO WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS COLLEAGUES, NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM CITY STAFF ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT PRIORITIZATION, UM, AND WITH THE FULL EXPECTATION THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE WILL AMEND OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIST ACTIVELY, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A BASE MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT THIS LIST AND FRAMEWORK BE CONSIDERED BY THE FULL COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL CHAIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION KIND OF IN THAT ISH, ISH MOTION ISH.
UH, A AS I HAVE LOOKED AROUND BOTH, UH, THIS DIAS BUT ALSO SPOKEN WITH INDIVIDUALS, EVERYONE HAS SOME FORM OF THIS SPREADSHEET THAT THEY HAVE MANIPULATED INTO, UH, COLORS OR PRIORITIZATION OR, AND, AND SO WE ARE ALL THINKING SIMILARLY, BUT WITH OUR OWN TAKE ON IT.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, I PROPOSE THAT WE DO, IS TO, AS A BASE MOTION, THE CHART THAT, UH, I HAVE HANDED OUT IS THE EXACT SAME CHART THAT, UM, WE JUST DISCUSSED.
BUT INSTEAD OF BEING EASY, HARD, IT IS AN ACTUAL PRIORITIZATION OF HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, AND THEN KIND OF AN OTHER CATEGORY OF JUST THINGS SUCH AS THE PUDS THAT THEY KIND OF LIVE IN THEIR OWN SPACE OR SOME OF THE STUDY.
AND THEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I THINK THIS THING IN THE MEDIUM SHOULD BE HIGH, OR THIS THING IN THE LOW SHOULD BE MEDIUM OR VICE VERSA.
JUST, UH, BEING ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT THESE TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION THAT STAFF HAS ASKED FOR.
AND AS PART OF THAT, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BRENT'S COMMENT ABOUT GROUPING THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE ITEMS HERE ABOUT COMPATIBILITY.
SO LET'S THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS HOLISTICALLY OR SOME OF THESE ITEMS ABOUT, UH, THE BONUSES, BOTH WHAT IS IN HERE, BUT ALSO WHAT WE KNOW IS COMING IN TERMS OF BONUS STRUCTURE.
SO HOW CAN WE HOLISTICALLY, UH, LOOK AT THIS? SO IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, THAT WOULD BE
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A MOTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IF I SHARE.I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT CONSIDERATION.
I WOULD SAY THE ONE CONCERN I HAVE THERE IS HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW FEELS RELATIVE.
HOW DO WE ESTABLISH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? WHO DETERMINES WHAT'S HIGH, WHAT'S MEDIUM, WHAT'S LOW? THAT WOULD BE MY SINGULAR CONCERN, BUT I AM HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THAT MOTION.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL HAS A QUESTION.
I RECOGNIZE I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT WHO ESTABLISHES HIGH, MEDIUM, AND LOW.
AND I'M ALSO WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THE WORK THAT THE STAFF HAS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE INITIATED THAT HAVE BEEN LONG LOOKED FOR WITH NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY, UM, PRIMARILY DISTRICT SEVEN, BUT ALSO TOUCHING ON DISTRICT FOUR, UM, WOULD NOT IN ANY WAY BE AFFECTED OR SLOWED DOWN.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN THAT, THAT WE DON'T ANY, IN ANY WAY IMPEDE WORK THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
IS THERE ANY WAY FOR US TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN? I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, MR. LLOYD'S POINT EARLIER, HE SAID SOMETHING THAT REALLY, I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN.
HE SAID, SOMETIMES COUNSEL RESOLUTIONS MAKE THINGS REALLY HARD.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK HISTORICALLY WE THINK AS A BODY, WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE DECISIONS, IN ORDER TO DIRECT STAFF IS JUST FLY RESOLUTIONS OUT THE DOOR ONE BY ONE BY ONE, AND THEN THEY SIT ON A SHELF.
TO YOUR POINT, MARI PRO TIM, THEY SIT ON A SHELF UNTIL THEY BECOME ENTIRELY OBSOLETE AND THEN THEY MEAN NOTHING.
SO ALL THAT STAFF TIME, ALL THAT EFFORT, IT FEELS WASTED.
SO I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU POINTING THAT OUT.
BUT THEN YOU SAID THAT A THING ABOUT STAFF IDEAS, I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US AS A BODY TO BE ABLE TO LIKE ESTABLISH A CADENCE.
HOW DO WE TAKE STAFF'S IDEAS? YOU ARE ACTIVELY DOING THE WORK THAT WE DIRECTED YOU TO DO.
WE NEED TO BE LISTENING TO Y'ALL.
NONE OF US ON THIS BODY ARE EXPERTS AT ZONING OR PLANNING OR HOUSING OR NONE OF THAT.
SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DEFER TO YOU.
IN WHICH CASE, TO YOUR POINT, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE CLEAR AND CAREFUL ABOUT NOT BEING AN IMPEDIMENT TO ACTIVE PROCESSES.
BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT, TO YOUR POINT, VICE CHAIR, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE, AS WE PRIORITIZE, THERE SHOULD BE SOME SYSTEM.
AND SO I THINK MAYBE THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE.
I I THINK WE ALL HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AROUND IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE, BUT I DO WANNA LET PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A QUESTION, UH, A A A KIND OF A, A COMMENT.
AND ALSO I JUST WANTED TO, TO KIND OF PREVIEW A BIT, ACTUALLY WE SHOULD HAVE IT ON THE, THE JUNE 8TH AGENDA.
UH, BUT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE, THE STATE, UH, ITEM ON, UH, COMPATIBILITY HAS, UH, IS UNLIKELY TO PASS AT THIS POINT.
AND SO WE WILL BE, UH, BRINGING A COMPATIBILITY ITEM DOVETAILING OFF OF THE MEMO AND THE INFORMATION THAT STAFF IS ALREADY KIND OF, WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS OF COMPATIBILITY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT COMPATIBILITY, UH, SHOULD BE, ALONG WITH SOME OTHER, UH, CLEANUP ITEMS. SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BOTH TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PREVIEW IT AND ALSO TO SAY THAT WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMPATIBILITY KIND OF ITEMS, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW MAYBE THAT WOULD, I DON'T KNOW HOW COMPLEX THOSE WILL BE OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TIME INVOLVED WOULD BE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE SHARING YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, I THINK WE ALSO DO KIND OF HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO KEEP THINGS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE FOR STAFF AND NOT MAKE IT KIND OF OVERLY COMPLICATED AND OVERLY DIFFICULT AND RESPECT OUR TIME.
UH, THAT SAID, WE GOTTA STAFF UP ALSO, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE'RE NOT ALSO KIND OF BEING LIKE, OH, WELL I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DO THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT STAFF CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT IT, YOU KNOW, BUT IN THE SHORT TERM, I I COMPLETELY RESPECT STAFF'S LIMITED RESOURCES, AND WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION OVER THE LONG TERM
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, OR, I'M SORRY, I, I'M JVZ
ONE, IT'S, IT'S AN EXCITING DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS FOR US TO BE MOVING AT THIS PACE.
UH, I'M EXCITED WITH, UH, TO HAVE BEEN ELECTED WITH THE FOLKS THAT I GOT ELECTED WITH BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE, UM, WE CAME IN PRETTY STRONG GUNS BLAZING TO GET Y'ALLS BACK ON ON HOUSING AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THOUGH, THAT MOVING FORWARD, UM, WE UNDERSTAND AND WE, WE CREATE A SYSTEM FOR HOW WE ARE PRIORITIZING AFTER THIS FUTURE
[01:20:01]
LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS RELATIVE TO WHAT WE LAY OUT TODAY.AND ALSO THAT WE ARE PUTTING THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ON, ON LDC AMENDMENTS THAT FURTHER OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTARY.
GUNS BLAZING, IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES, MA'AM.
LISTEN HERE, TEXAS, VERY TEXAS COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UM, WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO ADD HOW HYPED YOU ARE AND HOW GREAT IT IS AND THE ENERGY THAT EVERYONE I THINK HAS BECAUSE OF YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION FOR, FOR COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, UM, COULD DO, COULD YOU CLARIFY WHAT OTHER MEANS? AND THEN I ALSO WONDER WHAT IF IF SOMETHING IS GROUPED IN THAT OTHER OTHER COLUMN, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE DATES ON THE ON ON THINGS AS THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY OUT OF THE DOOR? SO OTHER WAS ENVISIONED, SO I'LL GIVE YOU, UH, ONE EASY EXAMPLE.
I'M GONNA INTERRUPT YOU REAL FAST.
CLERK, CAN I BRING YOU A COPY OF THIS? SO OH, NEVER EVERYBODY NEVERMIND SCREEN.
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, OR SIMILAR WITH THE, THE SLAUGHTER LANE MOBILITY.
NOW, LIKE THE MODIFY OCCUPANCY LIMITS, YOU HAVE AN ITEM COMING UP THAT THAT FLIES, YOU KNOW, THAT IT IMPACTS THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CALL IT LOW OR WE COULD JUST SAY THAT ONCE YOURS COMES UP, LIKE IT GETS OUT OF THAT OTHER EXACTLY.
BECAUSE IF WE START MOVING ON THIS, BUT THEN YOURS DOES SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, WE JUST WASTED A BUNCH OF STAFF TIME.
UH, AND SO THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE PARKING, RIGHT, THAT FALLS INTO THE OVERALL PARKING.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO FOCUS NECESSARILY SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ITEM IF WE'RE DOING PARKING HOLISTICALLY.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHY OTHER IS JUST THIS, YOU KNOW, THE SAME WITH THE COMPATIBILITY STUDY.
DO WE NEED TO DO ELEMENTS OF THE COMPATIBILITY STUDY IF COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS GONNA BRING SOMETHING THAT THAT STUDY IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT THAT STUDY WOULD BE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE OTHER I WOULD COMMENT, YOU KNOW, TO THE CHAIR'S QUESTION OF WHO'S GOING TO PRIORITIZE THESE HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, WE ARE, THAT'S OUR, OUR JOB TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION TO STAFF.
AND I THINK STAFF IS A LITTLE REMISS, OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT WORD IS, THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER'S ITEM IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER'S ITEM.
RIGHT? AND SO I GET THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THERE'S RELUCTANCE.
AND SO IF WE CAN GIVE THAT GUIDANCE TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE AS A COUNCIL IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND THEN AS TO LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF THE NORTH BERNER GATEWAY, WHICH IS VERY FAR DOWN THE PIPELINE, I THINK WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION THAT, HEY, IF SOMETHING IS IN THE MEDIUM CATEGORY, BUT YOU'RE ALMOST DONE WITH IT, JUST DO IT.
MAYBE WE MOVE IT TO THE HIGH CATEGORY BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST DONE.
OR GIVE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE GUIDANCE THAT STAFF CAN WORK WITH.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME, IF WE LOOK AT JUST THE DOCUMENT AS IT STANDS, FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, NO OFFENSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELO, SUBSTANDARD LOTS.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT I THINK THAT PARKING OR SITE PLAN LIGHT IS MORE IMPORTANT.
AND, AND I PERSONALLY THINK OUR STAFF'S TIME, IF THEY FOCUS ON THOSE OTHER ELEMENTS FIRST, WOULD BE BETTER SERVED.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE AS A, AS A BODY DECIDE WHAT WE THINK WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES AND PUSH PEOP PUSH OUR STAFF TO DO THAT, AND THEN ADDRESS THESE OTHER THINGS.
AND IF THERE ARE THINGS IN THE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT ARE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK BRENT WILL TELL US ANYTHING AS SIMPLE, BUT IF, IF IT ACTUALLY IS SOMETHING THAT HE CAN KNOCK OUT, UH, WITH HIS EXPERTISE, THEN UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT.
SO I, I, THIS IS A, UH, MEANT TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS MANIPULATED AND, AND THAT WE, WE ALL PUT OUR, OUR FINGERPRINTS ON AND, AND OUR OPINIONS ON.
BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF UNIFORMLY.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE I HOUSE SOME HANDS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
THANKS TO THAT END, UH, I THOUGHT I WOULD OFFER UP, I HAVE THREE PRIORITIES FROM THE LIST THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, AND MAYBE EVERYBODY COULD OFFER THEIR PRIORITIES FROM THE LIST, AND THAT MIGHT GET US TO A LEVEL OF, UM, OF CONSENSUS.
BUT FIRST I WANTED TO CHECK WITH THE MAYOR PROAM ABOUT A POTENTIAL KIND OF A VEHICLE THAT MAYBE WE COULD, THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE FOR CODE TEXT OVERHAUL, LIKE A VEHICLE THAT COULD SORT OF ENCOMPASS AND EMBRACE, UH, VARIOUS CHANGES THAT WE MIGHT BRING.
NOT MAPPING SPECIFICALLY, BUT TEXT CHANGES.
[01:25:01]
SOME CONVERSATIONS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, JUST THAT THERE'S STILL A NEED FOR CLEANUP.AND I KNOW THAT WE, AS A DIAS PROBABLY IN OUR OWN, UH, MEETINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH STAFF, HAVE PROBABLY EACH ADDRESSED AT SOME POINT, LIKE WE NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE CONFLICTS ARE.
UM, SO THAT'S VERY MUCH A CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING ABOUT THIS, THIS CODE ISN'T EASY TO WORK WITH.
AND TO BRENT LLOYD'S POINT, UM, EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE VERY WELL SKILLED, WELL VERSED IN IT, KNOW HOW TO FIX IT, IT STILL TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE TO REALLY GET THROUGH THE CODE AND MAKE IT WORK CORRECTLY.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY STILL SOME INTEREST IN A CLEANUP OF SOME SORT AND MINIMIZING CONFLICTS.
UM, AND I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THE INFORMATION THAT'S GONNA BE COMING BACK WITH, UM, THE INITIATIVE THAT THE MAYOR KICKED OFF WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND HE HAD SOMEONE COME IN WHO OFFERED TO LOOK AT THAT REVIEW PRO BONO.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT COME THROUGH TOO, BECAUSE PART OF IT IS THE POLICY DECISIONS, AND PART OF IT IS HOW DOES THAT ACTUALLY FUNCTION ON THE STAFF SIDE ONCE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND SO I KNOW THAT CONVERSATION'S GONNA BE HAPPENING VERY SOON, UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF US THAT ARE LOOKING AT THE, THE CLEANUP AND THE CONFLICTS PART OF IT, AND REALLY TRYING TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE THE CODE FUNCTION.
AND IN SOME WAYS, UM, SOME OF THE SORTING COULD BE WHAT'S THE EASIEST TO GET ACCOMPLISHED? AND MOST QUICKLY, LIKE HOUSEKEEPING AND THE CODE, KLEENEX, UH, KLEENEX, I DID SAY KLEENEX
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MAYBE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, CHAIR AND, AND VICE CHAIR.
THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, USEFUL.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL, UM, DO YOU THINK CHAIR TO OFFER? I I JUST HAD THREE PRIORITIES OF THE, THERE WERE 10 ON THE LIST, UM, THAT I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, THAT MY STAFF AND I HAD IDENTIFIED, AND THREE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR FOR WHERE I SIT, UM, ROSE TO KIND OF A LEVEL OF, OF WHERE I WOULD, UH, CALL THEM PRIORITIES.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL, UM, TO OFFER THOSE UP? SO I THINK FIRST THINGS FIRST, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER MADE A MOTION.
UM, CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR MOTION PLEASE? AND THEN SEE IF WE GET A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION, WE TAKE THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UM, ADOPT OR, OR I GUESS SEND TO THE FULL COUNSEL A PRIORITIZATION OF THE ITEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE MEMO OR CHART, HOWEVER, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING, UH, THIS AS ED HAS BEEN HANDED OUT TO EVERYBODY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I CALL THIS PRIORITIZATION CHART THAT I MOVED, WE ADOPTED, BUT THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT I'M MOVING.
IF, IF THERE IS A SECOND, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY? YES.
I MOVE THE, WE SEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, THE PRIORITIZATION CHART OF OUR, UM, AS I HAVE HANDED OUT, SO MY PRIORITIZATION CHART OF OUR OUTSTANDING CODE AMENDMENTS.
AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A SECOND BY WAY OF COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ JV TWO.
UM, I WOULD SAY PERSONALLY, MY SINGULAR HESITATION IS THAT I HOPE THAT WE LEAVE SPACE FOR US TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS AS NEEDED.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I HOPE WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
IN WHICH CASE MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ.
UM, CAN WE TAKE A VOTE IN FAVOR? I'M SORRY.
JUST, AND THIS IS A PROCEDURAL QUESTION, I ALWAYS MESSED THIS UP.
IF WE ADOPT THE MOTION, CAN WE THEN AMEND IT? OR DOES, DO WE NEED TO AMEND IT FIRST BEFORE AMEND IT FIRST? AMEND IT FIRST.
I THOUGHT THE AMEND I ALWAYS MOVE TO APPROVE THE AMENDED THAT'S RIGHT VERSION.
WHICH CASE WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE TO BRING FORWARD THIS MOTION? I WOULD, BUT I WOULD LIKE, IF ANYBODY HAS AMENDMENTS TO IT, HOPEFULLY AT THIS POINT MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT THEY BELIEVE, UH, AREN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THIS PRIORITIZATION WITHIN THE CHART.
SO UNLIKE MAYOR PROTE ELLIS, I DO NOT RUN A TIGHT SHIP.
AND THIS ONE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE.
AND I THINK US MAKING THE INVESTMENT OF THE TIME AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, IT'S CRITICAL.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING A TIME CHECK.
SO, UM, SHOULD WE MAYBE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM AND THEN AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, MAYBE YOU BRING BACK YOUR MOTION AND FOLKS GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE WHATEVER AMENDMENTS THEY HAVE AND THEN WE BRING IT BACK.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? I'M HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
IF, IF WE WANT, I MEAN, I JUST, DO YOU HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS? WELL, SHE CAN'T BRING AN AMENDMENT, BUT SHE CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS THAT MAYBE I COULD OFFER AN AMENDMENT OR SOMEONE ELSE.
IT'S, WE ARE ENTIRELY OPEN TO, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TODAY, BUT I THINK, I THINK IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT FOR US TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I KNOW I SEE SOME COLONY PARK FOLKS.
[01:30:01]
I MS. WRIGHT.THERE ARE COLONY PARK FOLKS HERE WHO I KNOW CAME DOWNTOWN TODAY TO TALK TO US SPECIFICALLY ABOUT COLONY PARK POT ITEM.
SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN BRING THIS ONE BACK RIGHT BEFORE THE END, AND THEN WE ALL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND THEN TAKE YOUR MOTION UP AGAIN, AND THEN GET ANOTHER SECOND AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? IF THAT'S HOW YOU'D LIKE TO, HANNAH, I CAN SPEAK OF, OR CAN WE GIVE SINCE, UH, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER POOL NEEDS TO LEAVE.
IT WON'T BE, UH, ON THE MOTION, BUT SHE CAN JUST LAY OUT WHAT HER PRIORITIES ARE SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO, TO MAKE THAT MOTION FORWARD ABSOLUTELY.
AS A BODY COMFORTABLE WITH YOU LAYING OUT YOUR CONCERNS.
AND SORRY, I, I HAVE ANOTHER, UM, MEETING THAT I NEED TO GET TO.
UM, SO I WAS LOOKING AT THE LIST AND I DON'T, LET'S SEE, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT TRANSLATES TO THE UPDATED, UM, LIST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, BUT LOT SIZE ADJUSTMENTS.
THAT MIGHT BE THE TOP ONE IN MEDIUM IS THAT SUB-STANDARD LOTS.
BUT, UH, I, I WILL, I THINK IT'S BROADER.
YOURS, THE HOLISTIC IDEA OF LOT SIZES AND, AND MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING.
GENTLE DENSITY IN SINGLE FAMILY ZONES, WHICH IS THE SINGLE FAMILY ONE, TWO, AND THREE DWELLING UNIT CHANGES THAT'S RELATED TO ADU ORDINANCE CHANGES.
AND IF ADU CHANGES, UM, DON'T INCLUDE THE SINGLE FAMILY INCREASES WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT'S HAPPENING.
IF THAT SHOULDN'T PASS, OR IF IT'S NOT COMPREHENSIVE, THEN I CAN BRING, UM, I CAN BRING THOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
AND THEN MY THIRD ONE WAS PDAS.
AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT I MENTIONED THAT AT OUR MEETING ON MAY 18.
PDAS CURRENTLY OFFER NO COMMUNITY BENEFITS AT ALL.
AND AS WE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ON, ON A, AT LEAST ONE ZONING CASE RECENTLY, THAT THAT WAS A REAL CONCERN.
SO I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ADDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS WHEN WE ARE OFFERING PLAN DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY SEES, UM, A BENEFIT FROM PDAS.
AND TO THE EXTENT THEY'RE NOT ON THIS LIST, UM, AND THEY MAY NOT BE, UM, CHAIR I'LL, I'LL BRING THEM SEPARATELY.
BUT I DID WANT TO RESPECT THE PROCESS.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, FOLD IT INTO THE WORK THAT THIS AUGUST COMMITTEE IS DURING, I'D LIKE TO, UM, TAKE THAT ROUTE.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO USE OUR COMMITTEES AS THE TOOL THAT THEY ARE FOR US TO GET THINGS BROUGHT FORWARD BEFORE THE WHOLE BODY WITHOUT, TO MR. LLOYD'S POINT, WITHOUT BELABORING ITEMS AND BOGGING DOWN OUR VERY LIMITED STAFF TIME, I THINK IT'S TO THEIR BENEFIT AND TO OURS IF WE DON'T DO THAT.
IN WHICH CASE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OH, I'M SORRY.
JUST, JUST TO CONFIRM ANY OTHER PRIORITIES FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER? I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M ACTIVELY LOOKING OUT IN THE AUDIENCE AND I SEE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE HERE FROM COLONY PARK.
YEAH, I KNOW THEY MADE THE TRIP OUT TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ITEM.
BUT DURING THE COURSE OF THAT CONVERSATION, AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION AND THAT CONVERSATION, I'D LIKE FOR US AS A BODY TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR QUESTIONS, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? WHAT ARE, IF WE NEED TO AMEND THIS BEFORE WE TAKE A MOTION, SECOND THAT MOTION, AND THEN VOTE TO BRING IT BEFORE THE BODY.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE TAKING THIS TIME RIGHT NOW TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO AMEND.
AND IF THIS LIST IS COMPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST BROUGHT FORWARD TWO THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON THIS LIST, IN WHICH CASE, IF WE VOTE ON THIS LIST TO BRING IT FORWARD TO THE BODY, WE DON'T GET TO AMEND IT.
WE ALL GET TO BRING FORWARD OUR OWN ITEMS. BUT THE RESOLUTION GRAVEYARD IS REAL.
Y'ALL, WE CANNOT JUST KEEP WRITING RESOLUTIONS FOR FUN.
WE HAVE TO ACTIVELY BE DOING SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING, IN WHICH CASE I DON'T WANT US TO ALL BE BRINGING FORWARD RESOLUTIONS TO AMEND THE THING THAT WE BROUGHT BROUGHT FORWARD BEFORE THE BODY, IN WHICH CASE I'D LIKE FOR US TO TAKE THE TIME TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ITEM, AND THEN BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WOULD YOU CARE TO AMEND THIS IN A WAY THAT WE BRING IT TO THE VICE CHAIR AND OFFER HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT OR DECLINE, AND THEN WE BRING FORWARD A NEW MOTION.
[01:35:01]
THAT ALL RIGHT WITH EVERYBODY? ALL RIGHT.IN WHICH CASE, MOVING FORWARD, UM, UH, FORGIVE ME, I LOST MY PLACE, UM, ESPECIALLY CUZ I, I DID A LITTLE RAZZLE DAZZLE, I REMIXED IT, UM, MM-HMM.
[Items 3 & 5]
REMAINING ITEMS BEFORE WE RETURN TO THIS ITEM, UM, ARE ITEMS NUMBER THREE AND FIVE.SO I WILL KINDLY ASK STAFF TO ALLOW US TO BRING THEM UP AT THE SAME TIME.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AUSTIN CITY OR FROM TWO RATHER CITY COUNCIL REGARDING COLONY PARK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGES TO THE EXISTING PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
SO I DON'T SPEAK IN ACRONYMS, BUT YOU WILL HEAR PEOPLE SAY, PUT, THAT'S PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN THEY SAY THAT.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A BRIEFING FROM STAFF REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLONY PARK AND POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE EXISTING PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS YOU GUYS COME UP.
COLONY PARK REPRESENTS ONE OF OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE PUBLIC LAND TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE AUSTINITES.
THIS COMMUNITY INITIATIVE IS THE CULMINATION OF DECADES OF ADVOCACY BY EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS.
I'M NOT GONNA EMBARRASS Y'ALL, BUT YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING TO WHEN I SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE RESIDENTS AT COLONY PARK STAFF HAS PROVIDED A RESOLUTION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE ON OUR AGENDA FOR THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE IS TO RECOMMEND FOR THE FULL COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE SUMMER BREAK.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL FIND IT IMPORTANT THAT OUR COMMITTEE TAKE ACTION TODAY TO SUPPORT THE COLLECTIVE WORK THIS EFFORT REPRESENTS AT THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING.
MY HOPE IS WE TAKE ACTION TODAY.
SO STEPH, PLEASE BEGIN COUNCIL OF VERONICA REO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM TODAY.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO KICK IT OFF.
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY.
I AM, UH, HONORED THAT OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
I KNOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM AND I KNOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO STAFF.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT ONE PIECE OF OVERALL COLONY PARK, UM, AND YOU SEE THIS WONDERFUL PHO PHOTO OF BOTH COMMUNITY AND, UH, STAFF TOGETHER.
UM, YOU'LL, UH, THIS IS ONE, THIS IS ONE PIECE OF COLONY PARK, HOWEVER, UH, RECENTLY KNOW THAT WE ENGAGED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM, WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR STRIKE TEAM FOR COLONY PARK.
THIS INCLUDES, UH, UH, DIRECTORS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS ACROSS THE CITY SO THAT THIS IS CLEAR, THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR US ALL AS A CITY, AS ONE CITY.
THAT MEETING WAS KICKED OFF BY MYSELF AND OUR CITY MANAGER, JESUS GARZA.
SO THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THESE NEXT STEPS.
BUT TODAY I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOY HARDEN IN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND MARTIN BADA AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR OUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT COLONY PARK SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR THEIR, UH, LEADERSHIP GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT ALONG THIS WAY.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS TODAY TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE.
IN ADDITION TO MYSELF, UH, MARTINE BURRERA WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, I'LL ASK TIM ADAMS WITH ELLAS AND, UH, MCKEN ADAMS TEAM TO PROVIDE A LAND PLAN UPDATE AND JOY HARDEN, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PUD ZONING AMENDMENT PROCESS.
AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP AT THE END, UH, BEFORE QUESTIONS WITH SOME STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROVIDE AN, AN OVERVIEW FOR THE COLONY PARK SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A VERY LONG HISTORY JUSTICE AS COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON STATED, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR DECADES IN THIS, UH, COMMUNITY MAKING PROMISES THAT WE HAVE NOT DELIVERED ON, UH, SINCE 2012.
UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING TO, UH, DEVELOP A LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UM, UH, AND AWARDED A 3 MILLION GRANT.
[01:40:01]
UH, FOLLOWING THAT, UH, A LONG AND IMPORTANT EFFORT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTICIPATORY PLANNING FOLLOWED TO CRAFT A MASTER PLAN AND A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WASN'T FEASIBLE.
UH, IN 2018, FOLLOWING A TWO YEAR PROCESS, WE SELECTED CATIS AS A MASTER DEVELOPMENT PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
AND THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING WITH US ON THE MILLER DEVELOPMENT AND VERY HAPPY TO BE WORKING ON THEM, UH, ON WITH THEM ON THIS PROJECT, UH, TO DELIVER A PLAN THAT IS FEASIBLE.
WE'VE WORKED, UH, FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO, UH, DEVELOP A LAND PLAN THAT IS FEASIBLE.
AND, UM, AND, UH, UH, ONE OF THE, THE LANDMARK EVENTS IS THAT WE'VE SOLD ONE PARCEL, OUR VERY FIRST PARCEL TO CENTRAL HEALTH.
AND SO WE'LL BE DELIVERING ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND, UH, WITH OUR PARTNER CENTRAL HEALTH FOR THE COLLING PARK SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
UH, WITH OUR VERY FIRST PROJECT, UH, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THE, THE, THE ORIGINAL PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT WAS NOT, UH, FEASIBLE.
AND WE'VE HAD IDENTIFIED FOR AS LONG AS 2014, THAT, THAT THERE WAS A FUNDING GAP, UH, NECESSARY TO CLOSE.
UH, IN 2018, CATIS IDENTIFIED THAT AS 127 MILLION.
AND THROUGH THE LAND PLANNING EFFORTS THAT WE PARTICIPATED IN, IN 2020 AND INCLUDED, THIS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF, UH, COVID PANDEMIC.
AND SO THESE COMMUNITY, UH, PLANNING SESSIONS WERE DONE VIRTUALLY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON THE LAND PLANNING TO REDUCE THE FINANCIAL GAP TO 102.
SO A 25 MILLION DECREASE IN, UH, IN THE, UH, CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROJECT.
AND STILL, IT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER TO OVERCOME.
IN 2022, WE WORKED WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE FOR COLONY PARK.
THAT'LL GENERATE OVER $80 MILLION TOWARDS, UH, CLOSING, UH, THE FINANCING GAP AMONG OTHER FINANCING TOOLS.
BUT PRIMARILY, UH, THE TURS IS, IS THE FINANCIAL TOOL AND THEN DEVELOPED, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD IN JUNE, UH, TO APPLY FOR A REVISION TO ALIGN THE LAND PLAN WITH THE APPROVED TURS, UH, FINANCE PLAN.
I'D LIKE TO TALK A A BIT ABOUT THE EXISTING COMMUNITY, UH, OUT THERE TODAY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, BY AND LARGE, UM, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA OF TOWN AT NEARLY THREE TIMES THE RATE FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS.
THEN THEY, THEN THEY LIVE IN AUSTIN AND NEARLY DOUBLE, UH, FOR HISPANICS.
AND COMPARED TO, UH, TO AUSTIN, THE, UH, MEETING FAMILY INCOME IS ALSO LOWER.
IT'S ABOUT TWO THIRDS THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR AUSTIN AT 58,000.
AND, UM, PERSONS WHO LIVED BEFORE, UH, WHO LIVED BELOW THE POVERTY LINE MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE RATE IN, UH, AS AUSTIN, UM, AREA EDUCATION IS ALSO LOWER.
UM, ABOUT 20% RECEIVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, AND THAT IS ABOUT, UH, WELL, QUITE A BIT LESS THAN, UH, THAN, UM, HALF OF AUSTIN.
THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO WALK TO OR HAVE A SHORT DRIVE ARE MISSING FROM THIS AREA.
LIBRARIES, GROCERY STORES, URGENT CARE FACILITIES, MEDICAL FACILITIES, BANKS, PHARMACIES, ALL OF THESE EXIST, NOT IN SOME CASES IN ALL CASES, WEST OF 180 3, BUT EVEN IN SOME CASES WEST OF I 35, VERY DISTANT, UH, LONG COMMUTE TIMES TO GET TO THE RESOURCES THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SHOULD HAVE TO BE A COMPLETE, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE WORKED VERY, UH, VERY LONG AND VERY HARD WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED, SELF-IDENTIFIED THESE EIGHT PILLARS OF NEED.
HEALTHCARE, GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, WORKFORCE, UH, HOUSING, FOOD ACCESS, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC VITALITY, PARKS, OPEN SPACE, CONNECTIVITY AND SAFETY.
AND WE'VE WORKED ON A LAND PLAN THAT CAN DELIVER ON EACH OF THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED, UH, NEEDS.
THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO JIM ADAMS TO DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
SO, AS MARTINE, UH, NOTED, THE, UM, WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO REVISE THE LAND PLAN TO CREATE A PLAN THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT ONE THAT WOULD BA
[01:45:01]
BUILD ON THE ORIGINAL 2014 PLAN, AND PARTICULARLY THE, UH, THE EIGHT PILLARS, UH, OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT.UM, THOSE INCLUDED THE OVERALL VISION FOR THE SITE CALLED FOR IMPROVED MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, OPEN SPACES AND PARKS, HEALTHY FOOD RESOURCES, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND AN OVERALL ENHANCEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE.
THE PLAN, UH, THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN, THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS THE ORIGINAL 2014 PLAN OF WHICH THE CURRENT HUT IS BASED.
AND THE, UH, PICTURE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE REVISED PLAN.
THE REVISED PLAN REALLY BUILDS ON THE SAME, THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN WITH THE MIXED USE LOYOLA TOWN CENTER, UH, CONCENTRATED ALONG LOYOLA LANE, UM, AND FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE NORTH AND WEST, EACH WITH A DIVERSE MIX OF HOUSING CHOICES ORIENTED TO A NETWORK OF WALKABLE STREETS.
UH, APPROXIMATELY 48 ACRES OF THE SITE, JUST AS IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN, IS RESERVED FOR PARKS AND OPEN SPACE THAT INCLUDE THREE MAJOR NORTH SOUTH GREENWAYS THAT CORRESPOND WITH THE PRINCIPLE DRAINAGES OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT CONNECT TO THE 93 ACRE COLONY PARK DISTRICT PARK, RESULTING IN WHAT WILL BE OVER 140 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE.
SOME OF THE KEY REFINEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO THE UPDATED PLAN, UM, THAT MARTIN REFERRED TO, UM, INCLUDE AN INTENSIFICATION OF THE LOYOLA TOWN CENTER TO INCLUDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE AND FOR A WELLNESS CENTER THAT, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH WILL OPERATE, UM, ACHIEVING TWO OF THE COMMUNITY'S KEY PILLARS, ACCESS TO FOOD AND UH, HEALTHCARE.
ALSO, IN RESPONSE TO THE POLICIES OF THE RECENTLY ADOPTED EQU EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLAN, WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE THE DENSITY AND THE RANGE OF HOUSING CHOICES IN WHAT WE CALL NEIGHBORHOOD FOUR, ADJACENT TO THE PLANNED GREEN LINE METRO RAIL STATION.
SO THE COMMUNITY, THE COLONY PARK COMMUNITY IS BEING PLANNED ALSO AS A SEAMLESS PART OF COLONY PARK DISTRICT PARK, EVEN THOUGH THE PARK ITSELF IS NOT PART OF THE POD, WE BELIEVE THAT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT CAN ENHANCE BOTH THE RECREATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE PARK THROUGH THE ADDITION OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM, UH, THAT WILL CONNECT INTO THE EXISTING PARK AND THE POOL COMPLEX AND THE, UH, RECREATION CENTER AND, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, AND THE COMPLIMENTARY EDITION, UH, OF ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE FEATURES WITHIN THE 208 ACRE PORTION.
SO, AS A CENTRAL ELEMENT AND AMENITY OF THE PLAN, WE'RE PROPOSING AN 11 ACRE PLAN AT THE HEART OF THE NEW COMMUNITY.
THAT WILL INCLUDE A PROTECTED WETLAND AND NATURE PRESERVE TRAILS AND SOME OPEN LAWN AREAS FOR PASSIVE RECORDA RECREATION, ALL WHICH DIRECTLY ARE DIRECTLY PROXIMATE TO THE TOWN CENTER AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO SOME OF THE, THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE INTRODUCING INTO THE, THE PUT AMENDMENT IS A MORE FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW US, GIVE US FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO THE REAL ESTATE MARKET AND TO REACT TO UNANTICIPATED OPPORTUNITIES WHILE SECURING THE VISION, THE ORIGINAL VISION FOR THE PLAN.
UM, PRIORITIZING THE EIGHT PILLARS OF NEED, UH, AND ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT WILL IDENTIFY VARIANCES NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE LAND USE PLAN.
THO THOSE ARE BEING ASSEMBLED TODAY, AND, UH, WE PLAN TO SUBMIT THAT AS PART OF THE, UH, POD IN JUNE.
SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE THIS, UH, THIS IS THE KEY PROGRAM.
OVERALL SITE IS 208 ACRES, NOT INCLUDING COLONY PARK DISTRICT PARK.
THE PLAN CALLS FOR 230,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE INSTITUTIONAL USE, 130,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL.
UH, THE BASE PLAN, UH, ALLOTS AROUND 2000 UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL, BUT THE POD, JUST AS IN THE ORIGINAL POD, PROVIDES FOR UP TO 3000 UNITS, UH, TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE MARKET AS, UH, AS THAT EVOLVES.
AND AGAIN, 48 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, UH, AS WELL.
20% OF THE RESIDENTIAL WILL BE, UH, IN APARTMENTS AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AND IT'LL BE INCOME RESTRICTED PROVIDING FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT AND SOME OF THE KEY COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
HOUSING CHOICE AND PROVIDING A, A COMPLETE MIX OF HOUSING STYLES, INCLUDING MISSING MIDDLE OPPORTUNITIES.
[01:50:01]
CONNECTIVITY, UH, THE WALKABILITY OF THIS COMMUNITY, IT'S ACCESS TO TRANSIT, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT, INCLUDING THE TRAIL SYSTEM.WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE OPEN SPACE, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A NEW GROCERY STORE, UH, AND, UH, HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.
UH, WE ESTIMATE OVER 1200 PERMANENT JOBS COULD BE CREATED HERE, AS WELL AS 2,900 TEMPORARY ONES, 3.5 MILLION IN ANNUAL PROPERTY TAXES AND A SALES TAX.
UM, $500,000 IN ANNUAL SALES TAX.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE VERY STRONG.
SO I THINK THIS, UH, JOY IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE ZONING AND THE POD REVIEW PROCESS.
I, UH, JOY HARDEN WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I WANNA SAY I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
UH, JUST REAL BRIEFLY, ALWAYS CREDIT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HOPPER MADISON HAS HEARD THIS BRIEFLY.
UM, WE WERE AT FLOWER HILL FOUNDATION, BUT, UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, I CREDIT BEING A PLANNER TO MY PARENTS, THEY WERE BOTH EDUCATORS AND WE WOULD TAKE THESE LONG VACATIONS IN THE SUMMER CUZ THEY HAD THE SUMMERS OFF AND WE'D GO SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CITIES AND, UM, WE'D SEE THE GOOD PARTS OF THE CITIES AND THE BAD PARTS OF THE CITIES.
AND I SAID, WAY BACK THEN, I'M GONNA BE A CITY PLANNER AND FIX ALL CITIES.
I, I DON'T THINK I WAS VERY BRIGHT CHILD AND I SAID THAT, BUT
BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, THIS PROJECT IS REALLY WHY YOU WANNA BE A PLANNER TO DO THESE TYPES OF THINGS AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING.
UM, SO, UM, WITH, UM, THE LEAD DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT, WE ALREADY KNOW SYNOVIA IS A ROCKSTAR, BUT WORKING WITH THIS TEAM, SUSANNA AND THE CHRISTINE AND MARTINE, UM, THEY HAD, UH, NUMEROUS MEETINGS, UH, WITH ME INCLUDED OF COURSE, AND OTHERS FROM THE CITY.
AND WE'VE COME UP WITH THIS, UH, DEDICATED STRIKE TEAM AND THE, THE STRIKE TEAM IS GOING TO REVIEW, UM, THE PUT AS IT ENTERS THE CITY AND, UM, MAKE THE COMMENTS.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A STREAMLINED PROCESS AND THEN ANY, UM, PROBLEMS, UM, AS ACM VIRGINIA STATED, THE CITY MANAGERS T UH, DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INVOLVED AND WE CAN ELEVATE THOSE TO THEM.
AND SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN MEETING AND COLLABORATING AND HAVING REALLY GOOD MEETINGS.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, LOSING A LOT OF CITY STAFF AND WE HAVE LOST A LOT OF TALENT, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LOT OF CITY TALENT.
UM, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, OUR GREAT NEW DIRECTOR THAT WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT TALENT AND WE WILL, UM, GET THIS DONE.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS OUR PLANNED TIMELINE.
UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY, MAY 23RD.
AND, UH, PRESENTING TO YOU, UM, WE'LL SUBMIT, UM, THE PUT, UM, SOON AS YOU SEE THROUGH JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER, WE'LL BE, UM, REVIEWING WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH OUR STRIKE TEAM.
AND IF WE HAVE ANY CONCERNS, WE'LL UPDATE IT UP TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WE DON'T FORESEE THAT HAPPENING CUZ STAFF IS SO TALENTED.
WE'LL WORK IT OUT BETWEEN US, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT OPTION.
UM, WE'LL GO TO ANY APPLICABLE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN OCTOBER.
WE'LL HAVE OUR FIRST READING NOVEMBER 30TH, AND THEN OUR FINAL READINGS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS, MR. BARRE? OH, THANK YOU.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THIS IS, UM, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS TIMELINE, UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A VERY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE FOR PUDS.
UH, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, THAT WE BRING FORTH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER.
UH, WE, UH, RECOMMEND THAT, UH, COUNCIL INITIATE AN AMENDMENT, UH, TO THE COY PARK PUTT, INITIATE THE ZONING, UH, FOR THAT, UM, THAT COUNCIL FIND THAT THE LAND USE PLAN IN THE, UM, PHASE ONE REPORT, THE NA PHASE ONE REPORT THAT COULD TELL US, UM, UH, PROVIDED AT THE END OF THEIR FIRST PHASE OF WORK, THAT THAT ESTABLISHES SUPERIORITY AND THAT NO FURTHER REVIEW OR REEVALUATION IS REQUIRED OF SUPERIORITY FOR THE PUT AMENDMENTS.
UM, THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO PROCESS THIS APPLICATION WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF FEES TO MOVE THIS APPLICATION, UH, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITHOUT SEEKING CONSIDERATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ANY OTHER, UH, BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS.
AND THAT THE COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO IDENTIFY MODIFICATIONS OR WAIVERS AS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE LAND USE PLAN.
[01:55:04]
I'LL JUMP IN.THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION,
UM, MAYOR PROTE ELLIS, DO I GET TO GO FIRST IF I HAVE QUESTIONS? YOU'RE THE BOSS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE, UM, DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED TODAY, BUT, UM, I'M GONNA STAY IN MY LANE OF, UM, MY MAGIC WORDS TODAY ARE MISSING MIDDLE.
UH, SO I KNOW THERE WAS A MENTION TO MAKING SURE THERE WAS, UH, A STYLE OF MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING THAT, YOU KNOW, CREATED THAT GLUE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN JUST SINGLE FAMILY AND APARTMENTS AND FINDING SOME SORT OF, UH, WAY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING.
IS THAT GONNA BE, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD IN THE, THE PU YES.
DO YOU MIND IF WE PUT THIS SLIDE, UH, BACK UP AND I'M GONNA PHONE A FRIEND AND ASK JIM TO COME BACK UP? I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING THAT.
AND I, I I'LL ASK HIM TO DESCRIBE, UH, THE COLOR, THE COLOR CODING IN A BIT MORE DETAIL.
IT'S SMALL, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE A FULL SPECTRUM OF HOUSING AND MISSING MIDDLE, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW, IS REFERRING TO THE BUILDING TYPES BETWEEN SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES AND MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENTS.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A LOT OF, UH, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT SMALL LOT, SINGLE FAMILY, VERY SMALL CLUSTERED, UH, COTTAGE HOUSES, UH, ROW HOUSES, UH, POSSIBLY MULTIPLEX, UH, LIKE FOURPLEX AND SIXPLEX, UH, THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE AS PART OF THE POD.
UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE MULTI-FAMILY, UH, STUFF.
AND THE IDEA, JUST AS AT MILLER, IS TO TRY TO INTRODUCE THAT STUFF IN A WAY THAT, UM, CAN BE INTERSPERSED WITH SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UH, IN A WAY THAT CREATES A, A COMFORTABLE AND COMPATIBLE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT.
SO SOME VERY SMALL LOTS, UH, AS WELL AS SOME CLUSTERED, UH, CONDOMINIUM TYPE, UH, BUILDING TYPE, UH, ARRANGEMENTS AS WELL.
I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ON THE DIAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND APARTMENTS.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S STYLES OF MISSING METAL HOUSING THAT EITHER LOOK LIKE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME OR ARE KIND OF BUILT LIKE APARTMENTS ANYWAY.
I LIVED IN ONE WHERE THEY ESSENTIALLY EACH HAD COURTYARDS.
SO THERE WERE ABOUT EIGHT, YOU KNOW, FOUR ON EACH SIDE THAT FACED EACH OTHER.
IT WAS PART OF A, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PLUS UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, BUT IT FELT VERY MUCH LIKE COURTYARD APARTMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD STYLE OF HOUSING, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY STARTING, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR CAREERS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING OLDER AND WANT TO HAVE A SMALLER PLACE WHERE THEY CAN STILL BE NEAR THEIR FAMILY.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT MISSING MIDDLE IS A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND THEN THE OTHER LANE I ALWAYS OCCUPY IS ABOUT BIKE LANES.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE IF YOU'RE SANDWICHED RIGHT IN BETWEEN SOME REALLY GOOD, UH, METRO RAPID AND GREEN LINE TRANSPORTATION, MAKING SURE THERE'S FIRST MILE LAST MILE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO AND FROM THE, THE STOPS.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE POD WE HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF STREET TYPES, UM, A NETWORK OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE NEW GREEN LINE STATION, THE PLANNED GREEN LINE STATION, AS WELL AS TO THE, UH, METRO RAPID LINES ALONG LOYOLA LANE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE IT AND WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE, UH, THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO RECOGNIZING, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY YOU MR. BURRERA, YOU RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE A DEBT TO REPAY AND I APPRECIATE THAT COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE MAKING ACTIVELY AS A CITY.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS THERE, I THINK THE ITEM THAT WE SHOULD BRING BACK UP IS THE ITEM ABOUT THIS PRIORITIZATION TABLE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION SECONDED BY JV TWO.
AND I, I, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
UM, I WANNA KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTARY ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND THEN, UH, MAYOR PORTIS.
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S.
UM, BUT THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE, UH, IF, IF I, IF I MAY, UM, I, I SEE UNDER HIGH, IT'S WHERE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IS MOVING THAT TO MOVING THAT TO MEDIUM.
UM, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WASN'T ON MY, ON MY SHEET BEFOREHAND.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO GO OVER IN TERMS OF OUR FIVE PRIORITIES AS A, AS A DISTRICT OFFICE, UM, ELIMINATING PARKING MANDATES, UH, WE SEE THAT AS HIGH AND, AND WE AGREE WITH THAT.
[02:00:01]
UM, CODE CABINET MEMO IS ADVISING THAT IT'S A COMPLEX CHANGE, UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH TRANSPORTATION, D S D HOUSING AND PLANNING, UH, TO GET IT DONE.UH, OCCUPANCY LIMITS, UH, WE SEE IT AS OTHER, UH, WE, WE THINK IT'S HIGH, UH, AND WE APPRECIATE THE WORK AND THE ROBUST CONVERSATION AT PLANNING COMMISSION TO GET THE BALL ROLLING ON THIS.
UH, OCCUPANCY LIMITS BASED ON NON-RELATED ADULTS IS DIFFICULT FOR OUR, FOR OUR STAFF TO ENFORCE AND HARMS AFFORDABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY IN OUR CITY.
UH, AND I WANT TO GO A STEP FURTHER TO ENSURE THE DIRECTIVE IS AS ACTIONABLE AND EASY ON STAFF TIME AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ITEMS COMING UP ON JUNE 1ST, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR CO-SPONSORS, UH, MARY PRO TEM ELLIS, UH, COUNCIL FUENTEZ, COUNCIL VELAZQUEZ, AND COUNCIL POOL TO BRING, UH, FORTH A RESOLUTION.
UM, SO YEAH, IT'S UNDER, UNDER OTHER, IF IT COULD BE UNDER HIGH OR, OR MEDIUM.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE I SEE IT, UH, AS YOU KNOW, AS A BETTER FIT.
EAD AMENDMENTS AND AD EXPANSION NEED TO REMAIN A PRIORITY FOR THIS, FOR THIS COUNCIL.
UH, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT FRONT REGULATING PLAN, UH, IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE OUR CITY'S VISION PLAN.
SO FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE MEDIAN PRIORITY.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SIXTH STREET HEIGHT EXCEPTION.
UH, I BELIEVE ON HERE IT IS LOW.
UH, IF WE COULD MOVE IT ONE, ONE THING OVER TO MEDIUM, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
IT'S, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE SIXTH STREET'S FUTURE IS EXCITING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MAKING SURE WE MAKE DO RIGHT BY THAT HISTORIC DOWNTOWN HOTSPOT.
THOSE ARE MY, MY, I'M GONNA DIP IN REAL QUICK.
I ASSUME THAT WE ALL LOVE COLONY PARK AND THE IDEA OF US GETTING THIS WORK DONE SO MUCH THAT I FORGOT TO ACTIVELY HAVE US TAKE A VOTE.
[2. Discussion and possible recommendations to City Council related to prioritizing and modifying previously initiated amendments and initiating additional amendments to the City's Land Development Code to achieve existing city policy and goals. (Part 1 of 2)]
I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH TO HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD.STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON THE COLONY PARK POD ITEM MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, SECONDED BY JV TWO.
AND, UM, ALL IN FAVOR, LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS.
UM,
I, I WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HAD PROPOSED.
I THINK SOME OF THIS MAY BE OVERLAP AS WELL.
UM, I AGREE THAT SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT SHOULD PROBABLY BE BUMPED UP, WHETHER THAT'S MEDIUM OR HIGH.
UM, I COULD CERTAINLY SEE AN ARGUMENT FOR THAT.
AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER POOL HAS STEPPED AWAY.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ADOPTED WITH NORTH NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY IN THE PAST WERE ALMOST FULLY BAKED BEFORE WE APPROVED THEM.
LIKE EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ONE THAT COULD MOVE ALONG AS WELL, IF THAT'S SIMILARLY THE CASE HERE.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE CUZ I'M REALLY BLANKING ON THOSE DETAILS.
CAN I JUST INTERRUPT FOR HALF A SECOND? MM-HMM.
WELL, I, I THINK IT GIVES SOME CONTEXT TO WHAT IF WE'RE GONNA WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I, I ACTIVELY WOULD LIKE FOR HER TO FINISH HER STATEMENT BEFORE YOU INTERRUPT.
I'LL, I'LL WORK THROUGH THESE.
UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HAD MAYBE SUGGESTED THAT AS MEDIUM, I THINK SOMEWHERE IN ONE OF THESE SPREADSHEETS IT WAS NOTED THAT IT IS MOVING THROUGH THE INPUT AND, UM, COMMISSION PROCESS.
AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF WHERE THAT LANDS AFFECTS THAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE IT KEEPS MOVING ALONG CUZ IT IS A REALLY COMPLEX CONVERSATION THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE HIGH CATEGORY TO CONTINUE ON ITS PATHWAY AND TIMELINE.
UM, I NOTICED THAT A I S D INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, I KNOW THEY HAVE CURRENT INTERLOCALS THAT HAVE BEEN AMENDED CLOSE TO 10 TIMES AT THIS POINT.
I KNOW THEY'RE ALSO HAVING FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE BONDS THAT WERE JUST PASSED BY A AIS S D VOTERS.
UM, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IMPEDING THEIR PROGRESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY TIGHT CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES AS THEY'RE, THEY HAVE TO MANAGE WHEN SCHOOL IS IN SESSION AND MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WORK.
UM, THIS SIXTH STREET HEIGHT EXCEPTION, I ALSO THOUGHT THAT ONE WAS PRETTY MUCH ALMOST DONE.
MAYBE THE CHAIR COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE THAT ONE MOVE UP SIMPLY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE HANDLED RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND ALSO IS A PART OF A LARGER PICTURE OF KIND OF REVITALIZING, UM, THE SIXTH STREET AREA WHERE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF, OF THE EVENING ACTIVITIES AND NOT A, A BETTER BLEND OF MORNING, AFTERNOON, AND EVENING ACTIVITIES, UM, TO HELP REVITALIZE THAT SPACE.
AND THEN THE TOWN ZONING, I KNOW THAT'S ONE THAT I'M MORE NEWLY FAMILIAR WITH AND I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT ONE, IF IT CAN HELP US, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE OTHER REVISIONS TO HELP, UM, OPEN UP DIFFERENT STYLES OF HOUSING IN, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN.
[02:05:01]
THAT ONE NEEDS TO GET, UM, WIGGLED AROUND AT ALL.AND I THINK THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
I THINK THE VICE CHAIR HAD, UH, SOME COMMENTARY HE WANTED TO OFFER SOME CONTEXT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VALESQUEZ.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL GONNA WORK OFF THE SAME DOCUMENT AND KNOW WHAT THE MOTION I'M GOING TO MAKE.
I HANDED OUT A NEW DOCUMENT AND YOU'LL NOTICE A NEW COLUMN HERE THAT SAYS KEEP THE CURRENT TIMELINE.
AND SO THERE, WHAT I HAVE PUT IS EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY STAFF AS ALREADY HAVING A DATE THAT'S COMING BEFORE COUNCIL.
FOR INSTANCE, THE SIXTH STREET HEIGHT, THE NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY.
JUST KEEP THOSE THINGS THAT ALREADY HAVE A CLEAR PATH TO COUNCIL.
WE'VE CLEARLY WORKED THAT OUT.
NOW LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT, AND SO, UM, I WOULD JUST AS, AS WE TALK ABOUT MOVING THINGS, I WANT JUST US TO BE SENSITIVE THAT AS WE KEEP POURING THINGS FROM LOW TO MEDIUM AND MEDIUM TO HIGH, IT'S NOT CATEGORIZED IF EVERYTHING IS HIGH OR IF EVERYTHING IS MEDIUM.
WE HAVE TO MAKE HARD CHOICES ABOUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.
AND, AND SO JUST, I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, BUT I I WANT US TO BE INCREDIBLY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T TELL STAFF EVERYTHING IS A HIGH OR A MEDIUM PRIORITY BECAUSE THEN WE HAVEN'T GIVEN THEM ANY DIRECTION.
WE, WE HAVE TO CHOOSE IF SOMETHING IS JUST, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US, BUT WE CAN WAIT SIX OR NINE MONTHS FOR THEM TO PICK IT UP.
AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT IS JUST BEFORE I MAKE MY MOTION, I KNOW WE HAVE THIS MORE COMMENTARY, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, I JUST WANTED A SECOND WHAT THE MAYOR PROAM SAID ON, UH, TOWN ZONING FOR CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTARY? UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, UH, VICE CHAIR ALTER, MY APOLOGIES.
I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MOTION THAT YOU'D LIKE, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, AND THIS IS FOR VICE CHAIR AL ALTER, UM, THE, THE ONLY THING, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THE THE NEW VERSION, UH, BUT JUST, JUST, I'M STILL GONNA PUSH FOR OCCUPANCY LIMITS TO BE, TO BE ME MEDIUM IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND THE ONLY REASON I PUT IN ANOTHER IS CUZ I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO WORK ON SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE GONNA TELL 'EM TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UM, THAT WAS WHY IT WAS ANOTHER, CUZ IF WE SAID THIS IS A REALLY HIGH PRIORITY AND THEN THEY START WORKING ON THE OLD RESOLUTION AND NOT YOUR NEW RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD GIVE THEM YOURS.
UM, SO IF I MAY MAKE MY MOTION HERE AND IT'S GONNA BE COMPLEX.
SO THIS IS BASED OFF THE, THE CHART I GAVE.
I'M, I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE ADOPT A PRIORITIZATION AS, UH, LAID OUT IN WHAT I'M GONNA CALL VICE-CHAIR ALTAR CHART WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FROM HIGH TO MEDIUM, THE MODIFYING OCCUPANCY LIMITS TO HIGH SCRATCH OFF THE SIXTH STREET HEIGHT EXEMPTION IN, IN LOW.
THAT WAS, THAT GOT MOVED OVER TO KEEP CURRENT TIMELINE.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AMENDMENTS ABOUT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
IF FROM THE DISCUSSION I'VE HEARD THAT THERE MIGHT BE AMENDMENTS ON SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, UH, AND PAT, PERHAPS A I S D I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
IF YOU'LL SEE IN MEDIUM THERE'S A ZONING CATEGORIES.
SO THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS THINGS LIKE TOWN ZONING, WHICH IS WHY IT'S NOW IN OTHER AND NOXIOUS LAND USES.
SO THAT TO BRENT'S POINT, WE THINK ABOUT THESE HOLISTICALLY, NOT AS JUST ONE NEW ZONING CATEGORY, BUT AS IF WE'RE GONNA CREATE ZONING CATEGORIES.
LET'S THINK ABOUT THEM GENERALLY.
SO ANY ZONING CATEGORY WOULD, WOULD FILE WOULD GO INTO THEIR, UM, AND THEN THE REASON WHY I'M HOLDING OFF ON SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT IS CUZ MOSTLY AS IT'S AS CLAIMED IN THE MEMO, IT'S ABOUT BONUSES.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE HIGH CATEGORY OF BONUSES IS IF WE LOOK COMPREHENSIVELY AT OUR BONUSES, THAT INEVITABLY CAPTURES THE DISCUSSION OF SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
BUT THERE IS A PLANNING ELEMENT TO IT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A A SEPARATE PIECE.
SO, UM, IF IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS BODY FEELS NEEDS TO BE A HIGHER PRIORITY, THEN UH, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING PIECE, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE THAT MOTION WHEN, WHEN APPROPRIATE.
BUT AS, AS DESCRIBED, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT VICE-CHAIR ALTER CHART FOR PRIORITIZATION.
[02:10:01]
THE FLOOR BY WAY OF VICE-CHAIR ALTER TO MOVE THE VICE CHAIR AL ALTER CHART.UM, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE? UM, IT LOOKS LIKE MR. LLOYD, DO YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTARY? UH, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, JUST TO MAKE THE CHART AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST REMOVING, UM, UNDER, UNDER ON THE LOW COLUMN YOU HAVE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCK SITE PLAN CHANGES AND THAT IS BEING SUBSUMED WITHIN SITE PLAN LIGHT.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST IN THE INTEREST OF LIKE HAVING THIS AS LEAN AND MEAN AS POSSIBLE, I WOULD SUGGEST REMOVING THAT.
AND SIMILARLY, UM, THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE PARKING ITEM, UM, IT'S OUR IN INTENTION I THINK TO BRING THAT FORWARD AS PART OF THE LARGER SET OF AMENDMENTS TO ELIMINATE MINIMUM PARKING.
SO I WOULD, IF IF IT'S AT THE COMMITTEE'S PLEASURE, I WOULD SUGGEST REMOVING THAT ONE AS WELL, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, IS THERE ANY COMMENTARY FROM MY COLLEAGUES, UM, MAYOR PERIM ELLIS, AND THEN I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SPEAK AS WELL, DID THE A I S D IN OUR LOCAL GET MOVED UP TO MEDIUM AS PART OF THAT? THAT WAS ONE THAT I, SO I THINK IF, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO MOVE IT UP, I WAS GONNA HAVE YOU MOVE TO DO THAT.
I, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE.
I'D SAY LET'S JUST DO IT THEN TALK ABOUT THE BENEFIT PUBLICATION.
UM, SO MY COMMENTARY WAS ALONG THE LINES OF, SO COLLEAGUES, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UM, AND RESPECT.
THANK YOU VICE CHAIR, UH, THE EFFORT THAT I KNOW YOU AND YOUR STAFF PUT INTO THIS CHART AND ACTIVELY RUNNING AROUND REFINING THE CHART.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE DRAFT PRIORITIZATION RESPECT.
RESPECTFULLY THOUGH I WOULD REQUEST THAT WE FOR NOW ADOPT THE MOTION, BUT RETURN TO THIS ITEM AT OUR JUNE 13TH MEETING.
THAT WILL ALLOW, I THINK FOR US TO, IF WE ARE ACTIVELY ON THE DAIS RIGHT NOW, MODIFYING A LIST, WE GOT TWO VERSIONS OF IT IN TWO HOURS AND I STILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THESE LINE ITEMS, IN WHICH CASE I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT MOVING FORWARD, LIKE WITH THIS BEING THE ULTIMATE DRAFT, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE DEFER TO STAFF EVERY TIME THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE QUEUE, HOW TO DO IT, WHEN TO DO IT, WHAT THE CADENCE IS, WHEN TO PULL, WHICH LEVERS THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I FRANKLY WOULD PREFER WE DEFER TO STAFF, UM, BY WAY OF PRIORITIZATION, INCLUDING, I'M LOOKING AT THIS LIST AND I'M LIKE, I GOT LIKE NINE THINGS THAT AREN'T EVEN ON HERE, IN WHICH CASE I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT RIGHT NOW AS I'M ACTIVELY CHAIRING A MEETING, I, I HAVE CONCERNS.
I I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE MOTION FOR NOW.
BUT AS A BODY, LET'S AGREE THAT WE BRING THIS BACK ON THE 13TH AND WE TRY THIS AGAIN.
CAN, AND DO I MY RESPONSE THAT WOULD BE TWO THINGS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR, MY UNDERSTANDING IS MY MOTION IS TO SEND THIS TO THE COMPLETE COUNCIL.
AND SO IF THERE ARE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO.
SO WE TODAY TAKE THIS ACTION TO SEND IT TO COUNCIL, HOPEFULLY FOR JUNE 1ST OR JUNE 8TH.
AND THEN WE AS A COUNCIL CAN DECIDE IF THERE ARE THINGS WE WANT TO CHANGE THERE.
WE CAN HAVE AMENDMENTS DO THE NORMAL PROCESS, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE MOVED THIS FORWARD INSTEAD OF, I I DON'T UNDERST IF WE ADOPT THIS TODAY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN COME BACK TO IT ON 13TH BECAUSE WE'RE SENDING IT TO THE COUNCIL TODAY.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS THIS IS JUST A LIST OF OUR CURRENT, UM, CODE AMENDMENTS OUT THERE.
IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT AREN'T ON THIS LIST, SUCH AS COUNCILMAN BULL MENTIONED, A LOT SIZE AND OTHER THINGS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT STAFF IS GOING TO HAVE TO FOLD IN.
AND WE CAN, AS A COUNCIL WHEN WE PASS SOMETHING, SAY THIS IS A MEDIUM PRIORITY, THIS IS A LOW PRIORITY, THIS IS A HIGH PRIORITY SO THAT IT FITS IN.
BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE EVERYTHING ON THE LIST, WE'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE A LIST BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE HAVING NEW THINGS.
SO I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TODAY TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION AND, AND MOVE US FORWARD BY CHAIR.
I THINK WE SHOULD BRING THIS BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL ON THE EIGHTH AND WE CAN GET FEEDBACK FROM THE FULL COUNCIL.
I DO THINK WE SHOULD REVISIT THIS CONVERSATION ON THE 13TH THOUGH.
SO I SAID I'M HAPPY YOU'RE THE CHAIR, SO I HAPPY I WILL SECOND BE TO BE ON THE AGENDA ANYTIME.
SO THE MOTION WAS MADE BY VICE CHAIR AL ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UM, LOOKS LIKE THERE'S COMMENTARY STILL FROM, UM, MAYOR PORTELLIS.
I JUST MIGHT SUGGEST THAT IF UM, THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR ALL 11 MEMBERS TO DISCUSS THIS, WE COULD MAYBE PUT SOMETHING ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SO THAT WE, SOMEONE COULD BE THE MAIN SPREADSHEET KEEPER AND COULD HELP TRACK, YOU KNOW, IF WE SEE THINGS AS HIGHER OR LOWER PRIORITY AND MOVE THEM ALONG.
SO I JUST, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SINCE SOME OF US ARE WORKING ON A HARD COPY AND WE MIGHT LIKE TO WIGGLE IT AROUND OURSELVES BEFORE,
[02:15:01]
UM, CHIMING IN, BUT THAT MIGHT HELP PUT THAT CONVERSATION TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT STEPS.I 100% APPRECIATE THAT COMMENTARY.
AND I WILL SAY I WAS A PART OF A BODY WHERE WE SAT HERE ONE NIGHT TILL 4:00 AM I DON'T WANNA BRING EVERYTHING BEFORE THE BODY.
IF WE CAN USE OUR COMMITTEES TO ACTIVELY WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES AND NOT BRING EVERYTHING, LISTEN, UH, OUR NEW MAYOR, THE LATEST WE'VE BEEN HERE TO DATE IS 3:08 PM Y I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT AS OUR CURRENT PATH FORWARD.
I DON'T WANNA BRING EVERYTHING TO COUNCIL IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, AND THAT'S GENERALLY MY POINT.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ AND THEN
I ALSO WANTED TO, UH, VOLUNTEER BEN LOEFFLER AS BEING THE, UH, THE LIST KEEPER.
YES, MR. LOEFFLER, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU JUST GOT VOLUNTOLD ON CAMERA FOR THE RECORD.
ALL RIGHT Y'ALL, I THINK THAT THING IS DONE.
IN WHICH CASE, LET ME GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THIS OUT.
[6. Identify items to discuss at a future meeting.]
FUTURE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION, THAT'S OUR FINAL ITEM.NUMBER SIX, FUTURE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION.
WOULD ANY OF OUR MEMBERS, SORRY, UM, WOULD ANY OF OUR MEMBERS LIKE TO SUGGEST FUTURE ITEMS IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE'VE ALREADY MENTIONED? HEARING NONE, WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN AT 3:18 PM THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING UHOH, AC,
UM, WE DO HAVE A FUTURE ITEM WE WANTED TO MAKE COUNCIL AWARE OF.
SO IT IS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF IMAGINE AUSTIN AND OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS STARTING THE PROCESS TO UPDATE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE ARE PRESENTING AT, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION TONIGHT.
UH, BY CHARTER, THEY DO, THEY DO, UH, REVIEW THE, THE AMENDMENTS AND THEN WE'LL BE BRINGING IT TO YOUR COMMITTEE IN JUNE.
AND SO WITH THAT, YOU GUYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
WE ARE GONNA ADJOURN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AT 3:19 PM ON 5 23 23, WHICH BY THE WAY, Y'ALL, IT'S 2323
SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE.