[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT IS MONDAY, AND IT IS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, NICOLE, CAN YOU PLEASE DO ROLL CALL CHAIR WEAVER.
PRESENT? UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS.
COMMISSIONER CARROLL? PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER RE, UM, CHAIR PARDONED ME.
DO YOU MIND IF I GO OVER THE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS? SURE.
UM, SO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, THEY SENT OUT AN EMAIL ABOUT ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS BACK IN JUNE, UM, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THE PROCESS.
UM, SO WE, AS STAFF FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION, WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING THE MICROSOFT FORM, UM, THAT YOU FILL OUT.
UM, BEFORE THE MEETING, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO USE THIS FORM TO GET AN IDEA OF ON QUORUM BEFORE THE MEETING, BEFORE EVERYONE HEADS TO THE MEETING.
UM, SO WE'RE BEING ASKED TO SWITCH BACK TO THE PHYSICAL ATTENDANCE SHEET.
AND IF YOU'RE ATTENDING REMOTELY, WOULD YOU PLEASE FILL OUT THE P D F VERSION OF THE ATTENDANCE SHEET PROVIDED, UM, IN THE UPDATED MEETING INVITE.
UM, IT'S ALSO PROVIDED IN, UM, THE EMAIL WITH ALL OF THE MEETING INFORMATION.
UM, OR IF YOU'RE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, YOU MAY EMAIL ME AND INDICATE, UM, IF YOU'LL BE PRESENT OR NOT, OR IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UM, AND THEN PLEASE SUBMIT THIS FORM BACK TO ME BEFORE THE MEETING BEGINS.
IT IS A CITY CODE REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT THE ATTENDANCE SHEET AND INDICATE IF THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UM, FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE ATTENDANCE SHEET BEFORE THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MAY RESULT IN AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE AND IMPACT THE ACTION TAKEN AT MEETINGS, MEANING THE VOTE OF A MEMBER WHO DID NOT FILL OUT THE ATTENDANCE SHEET, MAY NOT BE COUNTED AND QUORUM MAY BE AFFECTED.
LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO WHEN DO YOU USUALLY SEND OUT THE ATTENDANCE CHECK-IN VIA EMAIL? THE MICROSOFT FORM? UM, SO TYPICALLY ON FRIDAYS BEFORE THE MEETING, UM, I WAS OUT OF OFFICE THIS FRI THIS PAST FRIDAY, SO I SENT IT EARLIER TODAY, BUT, UM, IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CALENDAR INVITE.
UM, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR COMMISSIONERS IF THE FORM GOES OUT THE SAME DAY AS BACKUP ON THURSDAY? OKAY.
I THINK A LOT OF US, UH, A LOT OF COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE COMMISSION EMAIL ONLY ON THEIR DESKTOP, NOT NECESSARILY ALL OF THEIR DEVICES.
SO IF YOU SEND IT DAY OF OR OVER THE WEEKEND OR LATE ON FRIDAY, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE UTILIZED.
I THINK SENDING IT THURSDAY WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR HIGHER USAGE.
CAN YOU DO THAT? SO WE DO HAVE, UM, THE MEETING INVITE EMBEDDED.
THE LINK IS EMBEDDED IN THE CALENDAR INVITE, SO YOU COULD ACCESS IT THERE AT ANY TIME.
UM, AND THEN I'D, I'D LIKE TO JUST SEND ONE EMAIL OUT FRIDAY WITH ALL OF THE MEETING INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE WEBEX INFORMATION AND THE MEETING LINK.
UM, IF IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE, I CAN SEND OUT A SEPARATE EMAIL THURSDAY WITH THE MEETING LINK, UM, OR THE MICROSOFT PHONE LINK.
THE MEETING LINKS AVAILABLE A LIMITED TIME OF PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
UM, CTMS, UH, CREATES THE WEBEX EVENT ON FRIDAY, AND SOMETIMES I DON'T GET IT TILL LIKE THE VERY END OF THE DAY.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I WAIT TILL FRIDAY TO SEND IT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, CAN WE WORK WITH THE FRIDAY EMAILS? I'M SEEING SOME NODS.
UM, ALSO NOTING COMMISSIONER WILSON HAS JOINED US POST ATTENDANCE, SO LET'S MAKE SURE TO MARK HER PRESENT.
UM, ON THE CALENDAR INVITE, I SEE A LINK TO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, BUT I DON'T SEE A LINK TO THE SIGNUP SHEET.
[00:05:01]
BUT BECAUSE I, I WAS LOOKING FOR IT EARLIER AS WELL.WHEN I CLICK ON IT, I GO, THERE'S AN OPTION TO LIKE VIEW THE SERIES IN THE TOP OF MINE.
AND IF YOU VIEW THE SERIES, THE FORM IS EMBEDDED IN THE SERIES.
I ALSO STRUGGLED TO FIND IT UNTIL I SIFTED AROUND A LITTLE BIT, AND NICOLE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU CAN LIKE BOOKMARK THE FORM AND IT WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY TO WHATEVER THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ATTENDANCE? OKAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UM, ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.OH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? ANY PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? ANN COLEMAN IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM THREE.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK SEPARATELY FROM THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA OR DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING? GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS ANNE COLEMAN, UH, COLEMAN ASSOCIATES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND FORMER DESIGN COMMISSION MEMBER FOR EIGHT YEARS, WHICH IS MOST APPROPRIATE.
UH, SO TONIGHT WE ARE REVIEWING THE ENTIRE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE, UM, STARTING FROM 2020 WHEN IT WAS APPROVED, THE PROCESS WAS APPROVED, UM, THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED WITH VOLUNTEERS AND THE HUNDREDS OF MEETINGS HOURS THAT WE'VE SPENT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT TOGETHER IF POSSIBLE, BUT I UNDERSTAND, UH, WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND I UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAVE OTHER TIME COMMITMENTS.
SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.
I, I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, BUT I, I UNDERSTAND.
I, WHERE IS IT ON THE AGENDA CHAIR? WE ARE AT ITEM THREE.
SO AFTER, BEFORE THAT, WE HAVE ONLY THE PRESENTATION OF, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
DOES STAFF HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT PREFERENCE? YES.
UM, SO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS WILL JUST BE PEOPLE COMING TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING OFF THE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERAL SPEAKING, AND SINCE I BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK TO AGENDA ITEM, UH, NUMBER THREE, UM, WE, THE CHAIR IS WELCOME TO TAKE AGENDA ITEMS OUT OF ORDER SO WE CAN DO THINGS OUT OF ORDER.
UM, AND IT IS, I THINK, MOST APPROPRIATE IF YOU SPEAK IN LINE WITH THAT AGENDA ITEM.
WITH ALL RESPECT TO THOSE THAT HAVE PUT TOGETHER A LOT MORE TIME THAN I HAVE IN PREPARATION FOR THIS, THOSE HAVING REVIEWS, I'D LIKE TO DEFER TO THEM GOING FIRST.
HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS AGENDA ITEM, MAY I GO EARLY SINCE I'VE BEEN UP SINCE 5:00 AM HAVING A GRANDCHILD,
UM, ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION FROM THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING ON JUNE 26TH.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? ALL MOTION TO APPROVE? THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER MCKENNEY? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS A ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES.
[2. Presentation by Melissa Barry, Downtown Austin Alliance, regarding the Downtown Austin Alliance Strategic Plan 2023-2028.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION BY MELISSA BARRY OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE REGARDING THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2023 TO 2028.CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM.
I AM THE CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER AT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
AND, UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WAS JUST UPDATED, UM, EARLY THIS SUMMER.
UH, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THE, THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE IS THE, UM, MANAGEMENT ENTITY FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
[00:10:01]
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UM, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, SORRY.UM, AND OUR, UH, MISSION AND FOCUS IS SOLELY ON DOWNTOWN.
SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, YOU'LL BEGIN TO SEE THE, THE BOUNDARY OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
SO THE RED BOUNDARY IS SHOWING YOU THE, THE, THE CURRENT BOUNDARY.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH A, THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HAS TO BE RENEWED EVERY 10 YEARS.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH A RENEWAL PROCESS THAT, UM, IS, INVOLVES WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO GET, UM, SIGN OFF FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS ON CONTINUING.
IT'S A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING AN ADDITIONAL TAX.
UM, AND SO THAT BOUNDARY, AS YOU SEE IT TODAY, IS OUR CURRENT MOST UPDATED BOUNDARY, ROUGHLY FROM, UM, 15TH DOWN TO THE WATERFRONT, UM, GOING SOUTH OF THE WATERFRONT TO ENCOMPASS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
AND THEN I 35, UM, WEST TO, UM, IT, IT VARIES TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND AREAS AROUND THAT DISTRICT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NOW IS ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD.
WE, WE WERE FORMED IN 1993, UM, AND WE'RE, UM, KIND OF GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF UPDATING OUR CURRENT PLANS AND PROGRAMS. AND SO HERE TONIGHT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WAS JUST UPDATED.
THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH, UM, TO, TO DEVELOP OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, SIMILAR TO MOST STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT PROCESS WHERE, WHERE WE REALLY, UM, TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT NEED, WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK FOR FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THAT INVOLVED A LOT OF INTERVIEWS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IT WAS LED BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UH, SO THIS IS KIND OF GETTING TO SHARING SOME OF THE, THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE'VE HAD AN ONGOING, UM, MISSION, VISION, VALUES, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, OUR, OUR LAST 30 YEARS, THEY'VE EVOLVED, THE MISSION VISION VALUES HAVE EVOLVED WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, THE THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THE, THE MISSION STATEMENT THAT IS NEW FROM THIS, UM, CURRENT EFFORT, THERE'S, THERE'S THE WORD VIBE IN THE MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH REALLY GETS TO THE, THE ENERGY, THE FEEL, THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE SPECIAL ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, VERY IMPORTANT AT THE END OF THE MISSION STATEMENT, THE WORDS FOR EVERYONE.
SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, UM, TALKING ABOUT WHO DOWNTOWN'S FOR AND TALKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, REALLY KIND OF WANTED TO ITERATE VERY STRONGLY THAT DOWNTOWN IS IS MEANT TO BE FOR EVERYONE.
IT'S EVERYONE'S, IT'S A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
UNLIKE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE TYPICALLY FOR CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE, DOWNTOWN IS MEANT TO BE FOR EVERYONE.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, MENTION ABOUT THIS SLIDE IS THAT, UM, IN 2017, WE WENT THROUGH A VERY EXTENSIVE, ROBUST PROCESS TO, UM, TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN ABOUT WHAT THEY VALUED AND WANTED TO SEE IN DOWNTOWN.
THAT RESULTED IN A, A DOCUMENT CALLED THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN VISION, WHICH, UM, REALLY HAS BEEN THE NORTH STAR FOR HOW OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS LOOKED AT AND DEVELOPED OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO EVERYTHING IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, ALL THE LANGUAGE, IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY VISION.
SO, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN HAS FIVE, UM, SORT OF HIGHLIGHTS, UM, OF PRIORITIES.
AND I'LL WALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE, UM, REAL BRIEFLY.
AND, UM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY THE, THE MOST OVERLAP WITH THIS COMMISSION IS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE ELEMENTS WITHIN EACH OF THE PRIORITY AREAS THAT, THAT ARE RELATED TO WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
UM, SO PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE IS REALLY ABOUT HOW IT FEELS.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN, DO YOU FEEL SAFE? IS IT WELCOMING? UM, IS IT CLEAN? JUST VERY BASICS, UM, BUT ALSO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, THAT EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE IN DOWNTOWN.
ACTIVE URBANISM IS ABOUT THE, UM, THE SORT OF THE THI THE SPECIAL THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN AND, UM, THE EXPERIENCE YOU'RE GETTING FROM THEM.
SO ART ARTISTS, CREATIVES, UM, AND THE LIVE MUSIC, THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU FE SEE AND FEEL, THE BUILDINGS, THE STREETS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE MOBILITY IS ABOUT ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE IS REALLY SORT OF THE A, A THREAD THAT GOES THROUGH ALL OF OUR PRIORITY AREAS.
AND THAT'S REALLY MEANT TO ADDRESS, UM, HOW OUR BOARD AND OUR LEADERSHIP
[00:15:01]
IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.SO, WITH THE PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE GOAL, UM, AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE, THE EFFORT HERE IS REALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS CLEAN, SAFE, AND WELCOMING.
SO MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY BEEN DOWNTOWN, YOU'VE SEEN OUR DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR CREW OUT ON THE STREETS.
THEY'RE, UM, THE FOLKS IN THE RED SHIRTS MOSTLY.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN GREEN SHIRTS IF THEY'RE IN PARKS AND THEY'RE SORT OF HELPING PEOPLE NAVIGATE.
UM, THEY PRESSURE WASH THE STREETS, THEY REMOVE GRAFFITI.
THEY, UM, DO ALL SORTS OF, UM, HOSPITALITY THINGS.
THEY'RE SORT OF OUR FRONTLINE OF THE PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE.
AND IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, SOME OF THE GOALS AROUND PUBLIC, OR OBJECTIVES AROUND PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE ARE, UM, TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS DOWNTOWN.
AND TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT INCREASES ACCESS TO SERVICES AND FACILITIES.
SO, UM, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, GIVING ALL OF OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
UH, THAT ANOTHER GOAL IS AROUND SAFETY AND REALLY, UM, THE FOCUS HERE IS ON REDUCING CRIME AND, AND SPECIFICALLY VIOLENT CRIME.
ANOTHER GOAL IS AROUND, UM, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, A VIBRANT AND ACTIVE DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE, THE, UM, EYES ON THE STREETS THEORY HERE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE MOVING AROUND AND, AND TAKE HAVING A GOOD EYE ON WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND DOWNTOWN.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WELCOMING.
AND THEN LASTLY, CLEANLINESS IS REALLY SORT OF THE FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING WE DO.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A, A CLEAN STARTING POINT.
SO THAT'S, UM, AS I SAID, THE AMBASSADOR'S ROLE IS REALLY TO FOCUS ON THAT CLEANLINESS.
SO, ACTIVE URBANISM, THIS GOAL IS ABOUT REALLY IGNITING AND ATTRACTING, UM, THE CUL AND CULTIVATING THE AUTHENTIC ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC, THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE LOVE ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
SO WE GO OUT AND ASK PEOPLE, WHEN WE WORKED ON THE DOWNTOWN VISION, WHAT PEOPLE LOVED ABOUT DOWNTOWN, WE HEARD THESE THINGS.
UH, WE LOVE PEOPLE, LOVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE CREEKS AND THE, AND HOW GREEN DOWNTOWN IS.
IT'S SURROUNDED BY, BY THIS, UM, SORT OF GREEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF GREEN, UM, GREEN WAY AROUND DOWNTOWN.
AND, AND PEOPLE REALLY LOVE THAT.
SO, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I'LL GO INTO SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES AROUND ACTIVE URBANISM AND HERE, UM, REALLY LOOKING AT HOW YOU, UM, ACTIVATE PUBLIC SPACE.
SO THINKING ABOUT HOW TO, UM, TO, TO PARTNER WITH EXISTING ENTITIES AND GROUPS TO ACTIVATE MORE PUBLIC SPACE.
UH, MAKING SURE THAT STREETS AND STOREFRONTS ARE AT THE GROUND LEVEL ARE ALWAYS ACTIVE.
SO WE HAVE A GOAL TO HAVE 90% OF THE GROUND LEVEL STOREFRONTS ACTIVE.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOT JUST, UM, VITALITY, BUT ALSO TO SAFETY.
AND THEN, UM, WE REALLY ARE, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH OUR 5 0 1 C THREE OUR NONPROFIT SIDE, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING TO, UM, INVEST IN ARTS AND CREATIVES AND REALLY FIND MORE WAYS TO, UM, PROVIDE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES TO BE PART OF DOWNTOWN BECAUSE, UM, THAT IS A BIG CHALLENGE AS WE CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE UNAFFORDABLE.
ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SIDE, UH, THE PICTURE HERE SAYS A LOT.
SO, WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBERS REALLY LEANED INTO AND SPENT SOME TIME GRAPPLING WITH IS HOW WE, THE BALANCE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS MODERN CITY WHILE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING THESE THINGS THAT ARE SO SPECIAL AND UNIQUE AND, AND REALLY A LOT OF THEM ARE THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE HERE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT WORK IS REALLY, UH, MEANT TO BEGIN TO FIND THAT BALANCE.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE OUR, OUR FOCUS WILL BE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE AROUND, UM, DEVELOPMENT POLICY.
AND THIS IS ALL PROBABLY VERY, UM, CLOSE TO HOME HERE, BUT REALLY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING AND ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES AND CODES THAT ARE GONNA HELP US FURTHER OUR GOALS, THE THINGS THAT I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, ONE THING, ANOTHER THING THAT WE REALLY, UM, STRUGGLED WITH IN THIS PLAN IS AROUND THE, THE, THE RIGHT WAY TO FRAME RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STRUGGLE TO, TO
[00:20:01]
DELIVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO LEAN INTO THAT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, HOW DO WE BEGIN TO CREATE MORE DIVERSE RESIDENTIAL IN DOWNTOWN? WHAT ARE THE RIGHT, WHAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO LOOK AT IT? WHAT ARE THE RIGHT GOALS TO HAVE? SO WE KIND OF IDENTIFIED THIS AS AN AREA WHERE WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, BUT WE NEEDED TO START FIGURING IT OUT.SO THAT'LL BE ONE THING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON SOON.
ANOTHER GOAL IS AROUND TREE CANOPY AND REALLY, UM, LOOKING AT HOW WE INCREASE THE DOWNTOWN TREE CANOPY, UM, LIKE THE REST OF THE CITY, WE'RE ALL OUR TREES ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE, UM, EXTREME WEATHER CHANGES, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET AHEAD OF THAT AND REALLY START TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE BUILD A STRONGER TREE CANOPY.
WE WANNA CONTINUE TO WORK TO GROW OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN, UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED, PRESERVATION AND FINDING LIKE REAL MEANINGFUL TOOLS TO GET TO PRESERVATION GOALS IS, IS, UM, SORT OF ONE OF THE, THE TOP, UM, OBJECTIVES IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN OUR, OUR FIFTH CATEGORY, IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE IS MOBILITY, UM, AND MOBILITY.
UM, HERE, THIS IS, THIS IS A TOUGH ONE TOO BECAUSE IT'S A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT ON THE HORIZON WITH MOBILITY, WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND CHANGES TO I 35 IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN STILL GET DOWNTOWN, AND WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR, AS THESE BIG, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY, WE NEED TO START MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, GOOD PLANS IN PLACE FOR BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO WORK DOWNTOWN AND PEOPLE WHO VISIT DOWNTOWN.
WHILE THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE WHAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR A LONG TIME.
SO A LOT OF THE FOCUS AND MOBILITY IS REALLY LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR HOW WE PLAN FOR AND PREPARE FOR THESE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY ON LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, HERE WE'RE REALLY JUST LOOKING AT, WE'VE SPENT, UH, SEVERAL YEARS, UM, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, ONE MORE SLIDE, SORRY.
UM, KIND OF WORKING INTERNALLY WITH OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON A LOT OF GOVERNANCE CHANGES.
SO WE'VE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TAKEN A GOOD LOOK ON HOW WE'RE STRUCTURE STRUCTURED AND SET UP TO DELIVER ON DOWNTOWN.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED THE ORGANIZATION MADE A LOT OF CHANGES AS WELL TO, UM, BE ABLE TO DELIVER ON SOME OF THESE BIG EFFORTS AND NEEDS.
SO, UH, GOVERNANCE CHANGES AND THEN, UM, REALLY KINDA LINING OUR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY AND POLICY WORK AROUND OUR ORGANIZATION'S LEADERSHIP NEEDS.
THE LAST THING IN LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE THAT WE'VE, UM, SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME WORKING ON, UH, IS AROUND ENGAGEMENT AND HOW WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW, IT'S, PEOPLE ARE EXHAUSTED AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, AND IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE CREATIVE AND, AND REALLY GET PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE RIGHT WAY.
SO WE'VE SPENT, UM, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME WORKING ON THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID VERY RECENTLY, UM, WE HAVE, SO FOR EACH OF THESE, UH, PRIORITY AREAS, WE HAVE COMMITTEES THAT ARE LEADING THOSE PRIORITY AREAS AND REALLY GUIDING OUR BOARD IN THE DECISION MAKING.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID RECENTLY WAS WE OPENED THOSE COMMITTEES UP TO, UM, SORT OF A PUBLIC CALL FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, BRING MORE VOICES INTO THE DECISION MAKING AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIVERSIFY OUR THINKING ON THE ISSUES AROUND DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY COMPLEX.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S, UH, MAYBE ONE OR TWO MORE SLIDES IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND KEEP GOING.
UM, THE LAST THING, UM, THAT I'LL SAY IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS THAT WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF WHAT WE CALL TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES.
THESE ARE VERY BIG PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA SORT OF, UM, TRANSFORM THE SHAPE OF DOWNTOWN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO I 35, THE CAP AND STITCH PROJECT, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, AT TIMES LEADING AND NOW PARTNERING WITH THE CITY TO, UM, CONTINUE TO MOVE THAT FORWARD PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSELY WORKING WITH PROJECT CONNECT ALL ALONG, OR SORRY, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ALL ALONG.
AS THAT STARTS TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE, WE WILL BE, UM, REALLY WANTING TO BE, UH, DIGGING IN AND BRINGING IN VOICES AROUND THE DOWNTOWN STATION, THE, UM, HOW IT SHAPES UP AND DOWNTOWN IN THE STREETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:25:01]
WANT TO BEGIN TO, UM, GET AT THE TABLE WITH THE PARTNERS WHO ARE WORKING IN THE HISTORIC ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, UM, THE EAST SIXTH STREET AREA, AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, WORK TOGETHER TO TRANSFORM THAT AREA.UM, KIND OF LOOKING AT ALL OF THE GOALS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND OF COURSE, I COULDN'T, UM, MENTION, I HAVE TO MENTION THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BIG, UM, BIG AREA AND OPPORTUNITY FOR SHAPING THAT EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN TOO.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UM, KIND OF MOVING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA, I GUESS CONCLUDE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION? COMMISSIONER CARROLL? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, VERY ADMIRABLE GOALS, VERY AMBITIOUS.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I'M, IN MY MIND, I'M KIND OF STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ACHIEVE THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM, LIKE, UH, 90% OF THE STOREFRONTS BEING ACTIVE, UM, LIKE DO YOU MEET WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WHEN THEY'RE DEVELOPING PROJECTS TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO ACTIVATE THE STREET IN THAT WAY? SO, UM, RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE DO AN ANNUAL, UM, STOREFRONT IN INVENTORY OF ALL THE SPACES IN DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE, WE'RE PULLING THAT ALL TOGETHER INTO OUR INVENTORY.
WE'RE ABOUT, WE'RE AT ABOUT 71% THE LAST TIME WE DID AN INVENTORY.
UM, SO WE, YOU KNOW, GOT, WE WANNA GO FROM ABOUT 71 TO 90.
UM, AND ON THE, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROGRAM, THERE'S FOLKS WORKING ON A STOREFRONT ACTIVATION PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A TEAM WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION IN ACTIVE URBANISM THAT'S WORKING TO PUT TOGETHER A STOREFRONT ACTIVATION PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE A TOOL THAT WE COULD OFFER TO, UM, DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OWNERS, DEVELOPERS, ET CETERA, TO ACTIVATE VACANT SPACES.
AND, UM, WE'RE PILOTING THAT THIS YEAR.
AND THE GOAL IS TO, TO PILOT, LEARN, IMPROVE, UM, MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF BARRIERS AROUND INSURANCE AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO WORK ON.
SO PUTTING ALL THOSE, THOSE PIECES IN PLACE SO WE CAN REALLY OFFER A, A VIABLE TOOL.
UM, ON, UH, SPECIFICALLY YOU MENTIONED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THERE IS THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, WHICH IS, IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE BIGGEST FAILURES, UH, THAT THIS CITY HAS EVER SEEN.
UM, SO IF THE D A WANTED TO GET INVOLVED TO HELP, UM, UPDATE THAT PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE WILLING TO, TO MEET WITH Y'ALL AND, AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE DEFINITELY DO WANNA GET INVOLVED.
IN FACT, WE MET WITH THE, THE PLAN WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN, IN GETTING INVOLVED AND, AND GETTING, UM, ENGAGED IN WHATEVER EFFORTS Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON AS WELL.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, FROM THAT POINT, COMMISSIONER CARROLL, DO YOU MIND SHARING THE STATS ON HOW MANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED THROUGH THE PROGRAM? I, I THINK YOUR TESTIMONY AT HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, I'M NOT SURE THE REST OF THE COMMISSION HAS HEARD THAT.
THE, THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE A LITTLE OLD NOW, OLD BEING LIKE, I THINK NINE, NINE MONTHS OR MORE.
BUT THE, THE NUMBERS THAT I WAS GIVEN WAS, UH, FOUR UNITS OUTSIDE OF RAINY STREET HAVE BEEN PRODUCED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS TO BE AFFORDABLE, UM, IN THE RAINY DISTRICT, 87 UNITS.
UH, AND TO PUT THAT IN PER PERSPECTIVE, UH, I DID A PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY AT THE AA CONFERENCE.
UH, I'M DOING ONE OF THE FIRST V M U TWO PROJECTS IN AUSTIN.
AND THAT PROJECT WE'RE PRODUCING 45 AFFORDABLE UNITS IN ONE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HALF OF WHAT THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS CREATED IN 10 YEARS WE'RE DOING IN ONE PROJECT.
SO, UH, AND WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR A HIGH RISE
[00:30:02]
THANK YOU.UM, COMMISSIONER ESON, I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT.
DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE MONEY THAT'S BEING COLLECTED FROM FEE AND LOW? IS THAT LIKE THE, THE, THE MONEY COLLECTED FOR FEE AND LO FOR THE DOWNTOWN NC BONUS PROGRAM? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING UP UNTIL, WAS IT A YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SOME OF IT WAS USED FOR A HOTEL, UM, CONVERSION, UH, ALL OF IT HAD BEEN USED FOR HOUSING VOUCHERS.
NONE OF IT HAD EVER BEEN USED TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS, I WAS CURIOUS ON THE MOBILITY SLIDE.
UH, THERE'S A BULLET OUT MAXIMIZING PARKING, UM, CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GETTING DOWNTOWN ON, UH, VIA CAR.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS MORE ABOUT, UH, THE CONVERSATION AROUND THAT AND WHETHER, UM, THE BOARD AND KIND OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONVERSATION, UH, SPOKE ABOUT KIND OF TRADE OFFS AROUND THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW ALLIANCE IS THINKING ABOUT MAXIMIZING PARKING, UM, AND WHERE IT MIGHT COMPETE WITH OTHER, UM, MORE ACTIVATING USES.
SO, UM, WE'D, YEARS AGO, I'M, I'M BLANKING ON THE ACTUAL DATE.
WE DID A, UM, PRETTY ROBUST DOWNTOWN PARKING STRATEGY WITH NELSON NYGARD, WHICH HAS CONTINUED TO BE OUR ROADMAP FOR HOW WE THINK AND TALK ABOUT PARKING IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER CONVERSATIONS AROUND PARKING GOING AROUND O OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN.
WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BARRIER, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN, WITH THE CODE AND THE PARKING DOWNTOWN.
UM, OUR BARRIER'S REALLY THE MARKET, UM, AND THE FINANCING, UM, SIDE OF THINGS AND WHAT DELI, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UM, DEVELOPERS FEEL THEY CAN MAKE WORK.
UM, AND SO WE'VE REALLY, UM, KIND OF LEANED INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THE MARKET LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN, I WILL SAY IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD TO FIGURE THAT OUT WITH THE, THE CURRENT, UM, OFFICE TRENDS DOWNTOWN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, UM, THEY'RE NOT PREDICTABLE RIGHT THIS MOMENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN HARD TO KIND OF WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND THAT.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IS CERTAINLY A LOW HANGING FRUIT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, IS JUST HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE PARKING THAT'S ALREADY OUT HERE? HOW DO WE BEGIN TO UN UNBUNDLE PARKING FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, OFFICE LEASES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT WE CAN, UM, AND THEN THERE'S THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF IT.
HOW DOES, YOU KNOW OPERATIONALLY, HOW DO YOU BRING IN DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE TO USE PARKING? SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, FOCUSED ON IN THIS, IN THIS KIND OF IN BETWEEN TIME WHEN, WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR WHAT THE PATH FORWARD IS.
SO MORE ABOUT THE OPTIMIZING AND MAXIMIZING THE UTILIZATION OF EXISTING PARKING, THEN MAXIMIZING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PARKING.
THAT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO SAY, MAX, MAKE MORE PARKING.
THAT WAS INTENDED TO SAY, WE HAVE ALL THIS PARKING CURRENTLY, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE MAXIMIZING ITS USE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING THAT GOES UNUSED.
SO THE, THE GOAL THERE WAS REALLY TO SAY, LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE USING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, AS, AS A, A FIRST TOOL FOR PARKING.
IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO SAY, BUILD MORE PARKING.
THAT'S, YOU'VE ASKED, YOU'VE ASKED A GOOD QUESTION, THOUGH.
THAT QUESTION HAS BEEN COME, COME UP A FEW TIMES.
SO I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO WORK ON THE LANGUAGE ON THAT ONE A LITTLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, I AM GOING TO ASK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.
90% OF STOREFRONTS, UM, EVERY, NEARLY EVERY PROJECT THAT COMES THROUGH FOR THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, A COMMON EVERY TIME IS THAT LOBBIES ARE NOT ACTIVATED STORE FUNDS.
UM, CAN YOU EXPAND ON, ON THE DEFINITION OF ACTIVATED STOREFRONT HERE AND, AND REALLY WHAT D A A IS SEEKING? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LOBBIES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTIVATED STOREFRONTS, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A PIECE OF THE EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY THOSE CORNER LOBBIES.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BRING BACK AND TALK ABOUT.
IT'S HARD, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO TAKE A LOBBY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO WORK THROUGH IT, AN OFFICE TENANT AND TAKE A LOBBY AND DO
[00:35:01]
SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S BEEN DONE WITH IT.SO, WHEN WE TALK WITH DEVELOPMENT TEAMS COMING THROUGH, WE'LL SOMETIMES RECOMMEND RESTAURANTS OR HIGHER OCCUPANCY MM-HMM.
UM, IS, IS THAT KIND OF WHERE, WHERE YOU GUYS ARE TARGETING AND WHAT LANGUAGE ARE YOU USING AROUND THAT? WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE EXISTING STOREFRONTS, AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING RIGHT AT THE, THE, THE KIND OF BUILT THE WAY THAT STOREFRONTS ARE BEING BUILT OUT IN THE FUTURE.
BUT IT, I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT IS HOW WE'RE BUILDING OUT THOSE GROUND FLOOR SPACES IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE FOCUSING ON THE EXISTING, UM, AND DO YOU MIND EXPANDING ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE NEWLY FORMED COMMITTEES AND THAT ARE BRINGING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND VERSUS THE EXISTING BOARD? YEAH.
SO THE COMMITTEES, UM, WE'VE ALWAYS, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS ALWAYS HAD PROGRAMMATIC COMMITTEES THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, INTENTIONALLY OPENED THE COMMITTEES UP TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, SOME BOARD MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEES AND SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEES, AND THEY'LL BE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR BOARD.
SO VERY MUCH FUNCTIONING LIKE, UM, WORKING COMMITTEES.
THEY'LL BE, YOU KNOW, ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES AND TACKLING THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND, AND BRINGING BACK RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR BOARD FOR OUR BOARD TO CONSIDER.
SO LIKE A TOPIC WOULD FUNCTION AS ONE GROUP, NOT TWO SEPARATE GROUPS? YES.
ONE MEETING EVERYONE EQUAL VOICE AT THE TABLE,
UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAN GO A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS, SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.
WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, TO ME, IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT IT'S VACANT OR ACTIVATED IN THE SENSE THAT SOMEONE IS THERE, LIKE, USING THE SPACE.
SO MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING AT STOREFRONT ACTIVATION DIFFERENTLY THAN HOW WE LOOK AT IT.
'CAUSE WE LOOK AT IT SORT OF MORE LIKE THERE'S A RESTAURANT VERSUS, UH, A LOADING DOCK
SO THAT MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE, UM, ACTIVATION WHERE EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTICIPATE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A LOBBY, THEN NOT EVERY MEMBER CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'D, I'D BE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU.
UM, ARE THERE, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR MS. BERRY? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[3. Discussion of the update to the Urban Design Guidelines. Presented by Sophia Benner, Planning Department.]
TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES PRESENTED BY SOPHIA DENNER PLANNING DEPARTMENT.BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO STAFF, I LIKE TO START, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE STAFF WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL OF THE UPDATES AND WORKS THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
SO, THIS PAST WEEKEND I REVIEWED ALL OF THE TAPES OF DESIGN COMMISSION FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND I HAVE NOTES A TRANSCRIPT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, SAID ON THE DAIS.
I'LL READ THAT NEXT, BUT FIRST, LET'S HAVE COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, UH, PRESENT HER GROUP SO THAT SHE CAN MOVE ON.
IT WAS A BOY IN CASE ANYBODY WAS ON EDGE WONDERING.
I, I, I DON'T HAVE, I DO HAVE THE SPECIFICS, BUT WHAT I WANNA TALK FIRST OF ALL MORE IS ABOUT THE GENERALITIES OF THIS.
I THINK FOR ALMOST THE WHOLE DURATION OF THE EIGHT YEARS THAT I SERVED WITH MANY OF YOU HERE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO UPDATE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED SO MUCH, UH, AND OVER THE YEARS, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT, UM, THERE'S LACK OF CLARITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
THERE'S LACK OF CLARITY FOR STAFF.
AND SO, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF MY REIGN AT THE COMMISSION, THESE WORKING GROUPS WERE ARRANGED.
AND, UM, AND DAVID, FOR ONE AND OTHERS, UE AND MYSELF, UH, TOOK SECTIONS TO START WORKING ON.
AND AT THE TIME I WAS VERY, VERY SLUGGISH FROM SOME PROFESSIONAL THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON IN THE ORGANIZATION FEELING VERY GUILTY BECAUSE TRYING TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION IN A CRISIS WHILE, UH, GIVING OF YOUR TIME AND TALENT AND ENERGY, UH, WAS, I FOUND VERY CHALLENGING.
[00:40:01]
NEED OUTWEIGHED THE CHALLENGE, AND WE DID OUR VERY BEST AND WE PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES BESIDES JUST MYSELF AND OUR COMPANY ON IT.SO WE HAVE, IN ADDITION TO MY TIME, WE HAVE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF A HUNDRED HOURS, UM, BILLABLE TIME, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, 15, 16, $17,000 WORTH OF, UH, MONEY.
AND I THINK THE REASON I'M BRINGING THAT IS IMPORTANCE IS THE WHOLE TIME I WAS ON THE COMMISSION, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DO QUITE A BIT IS PUT A MONETARY VALUE TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN ANY ROOM.
AND WHAT ARE YOU GETTING FROM IT, OR WHAT ARE YOU GIVING TO A COMMUNITY FOR THAT VALUE SO THAT THE CITY FEELS GOOD ABOUT IT, THE CUSTOMERS FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT EVERY TIME WE SHOW UP HERE.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT, UM, IN ANY PROCESS THAT I'VE BEEN PART OF LIKE THIS, THERE'S AL ALWAYS A LEVEL OF WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER.
WE SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.
WE SHOULD HAVE, WOULD'VE COULD'VE.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE GIFT THAT PEOPLE BRING IN THEIR TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE TO THE TABLE.
AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AND, UH, UTILIZING IT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES.
AND AT, AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING VAGUE, I HOPE THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
UM, DAVID IN PARTICULAR, UH, CAN, UH, VOUCH TO THIS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A ROBUST, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNING UP TO DO.
SO I'M EXPERIENCING THAT ON ANOTHER PRO NONPROFIT PROJECT THAT I WORK ON THAT IS A CITY OF AUSTIN PROPERTY.
JUST GETTING PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AND GIVE THEIR INPUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A COVID THING.
I THINK WE'RE JUST ALL BUSY PEOPLE WITH SOCCER GAMES TO ATTEND AND OUR WORKS TO DO IN OVERTIME.
I THINK WE'RE ALL JUST DOING OUR BEST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
WE DID DOCUMENT A DOZEN MEETINGS THAT WE HAD VIA THOSE, OH, WAIT, SORRY.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE WORK, DO YOU MIND, UM, DISCUSSING WHO YOUR VOLUNTEERS ARE? AND YOU CAN, IF YOU WANT TO NAME THEM, BUT JUST KIND OF THEIR PROFESSION AND, AND, UM, WHAT, WHAT YOUR OUTREACH, OUTREACH WAS.
SO YOU HAD SO MANY PEOPLE FROM SPEAKUP NOW, AND THEN YOU REACHED OUT TO ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
YEAH, WE HAD, UH, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS REPRESENTED.
WE HAD ARCHITECT, UH, WE HAD SOMEONE WHO WAS A FORMER ADMINISTRATOR IN ANOTHER CITY THAT PARTICIPATED.
WE HAD SOMEONE, I DON'T KNOW THAT DAVID RECENTLY, UH, CAME, CAME TO US AND, AND OFFERED SOME COMMENTS THAT WE SAID WE WOULD INCORPORATE WHEN WE DO OUR NEXT RUN, BECAUSE IT WAS LATE TO THE PROCESS.
SO WE HAD, UH, IN ANY GIVEN TIME, SOMETIMES WE HAD HARDLY ANYBODY THAT COULD SHOW UP, AND SOMETIMES WE HAD FIVE, SIX PEOPLE ON THE LINE.
AND WHAT WAS YOUR GROUP TOPIC? UH, STREETS SCAPE.
AND WE TRIED OUR BEST TO COLLABORATE WITH, UH, JOSE'S GROUP AS MUCH AS WE COULD FOR OPEN SPACE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, JUST TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AS YOU'RE DECIDING WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, HOW SUCCESSFUL IT WAS.
I GUESS I'M SAYING I REALLY HOPE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF VALUE PUT INTO THIS.
MAYBE NOT WITH THE QUANTITY OF PEOPLE WE NEEDED, BUT IN SOME CASES I FELT LIKE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR GROUP, THE ONES THAT PARTICIPATED HAD EXPERIENCE IN WHAT THEY WERE GIVING AS FEEDBACK, WHICH IN MY OPINION, MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER IN A COMMUNITY.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE CODE OR GUIDELINES, THE VALUE OF PEOPLE THAT ADMINISTER THAT AND UPHOLD CODES AND ORDINANCES AND GUIDELINES IN THIS COMMUNITY ON A REGULAR BASIS ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA POINT OUT IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOTICE OVER MY EIGHT YEARS, UH, ON THE COMMISSION.
WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE HAD TURNOVER ON STAFF.
WE'VE, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT, BUT I THINK THE COMMISSION'S ALWAYS BEEN HIGHLY RESPECTFUL OF THE TIME TALENT THAT THE STAFF PUTS IN THEMSELVES AND, AND OVERSEEING WHAT WE DO HERE.
THERE'S BEEN FRUSTRATION, OF COURSE, THAT IT'S NON-BINDING AND A LOT OF EFFORT GOES INTO IT.
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE FOLLOW-UP THAT WE KIND OF WISH WE HAD TO DO A BETTER JOB OR TO TRACK OUR SUCCESSES AND, AND NOT OUR SUCCESSES, OUR FAILURES, OUR SHORTCOMINGS.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER REALLY HAD THAT.
BUT WHAT I SAW AS MOST CHALLENGING IS THAT INTERSECTION OF CODE AND THIS COMMISSION, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES COMMISSION.
I HAVE SEEN SO OFTEN, AND THIS ACTUALLY DOES CIRCLE BACK TO DESIGN GUIDELINES, REWRITE.
WHAT I'VE SEEN SO OFTEN IS, UH, DEVELOPERS IN SOME CASES I SAW AT ONE MEETING, PEOPLE FLY IN FROM NEW YORK, ATLANTA, WHATEVER, EVERY, THEIR ARCHITECTS, MULTIPLE WERE THERE.
DEVELOPERS, MULTIPLE WERE THERE, AND THEY MADE THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD HAD A WORKING GROUP MEETING, THE MEETING ITSELF REALLY OFFERED A LOT OF NEW REQUESTS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FIX THAT, BUT IN SOME WAYS IT REALLY THROWS THE CONSULTANT COMMUNITY OFF.
AGAIN, I HOPE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ADDRESSES THAT BETTER, SPECIFICALLY CODE WHEN WE ASK THINGS.
THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T ALWAYS KNOW WHETHER IT APPLIES WITH CODE OR NOT.
AND, AND IN SOME CASES, I'VE EITHER FELT OR HEARD OR OR EXPERIENCED
[00:45:01]
THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT'S MOST CRITICAL, BUT JUST ASKED ANYWAY TO SEE IF IT COULD BE ACHIEVED.BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS IN THAT.
I HAVE, I HAVE SAID THIS UNTIL I'M BLUE AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS SICK OF HEARING IT, JUST LIKE AT THE OFFICE SOMETIMES GREAT STREETS HAS BEEN INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY SINCE WE'VE HAD CHANGES, MULTIPLE CHANGES.
AND AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT STAFF INTERPRETATION IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND EVERY CODE VARIES BY THE PERSON OVERSEEING IT, JUST BY THE NATURE OF INTERPRETATION.
BUT GREAT STREETS NOW, IN MY OPINION, HAS BEEN DILUTED TO PRETTY MUCH TREE SPECIES AND LAYOUT OF STREET FURNITURE.
BUT THE CONTINUITY THAT I FELT, I DID THE FIRST GREAT STREETS PROJECT HAVE DONE MANY, MANY SINCE THEN.
I HAVE FELT LIKE GREAT STREETS IS NO LONGER AS EFFECTIVE AS IT USED TO BE.
YES, IT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED, BUT IT, IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE MORE PRESCRIPTIVE AS CODE.
UM, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE, THE BENCHES.
THE BENCHES SAY THAT THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE BACKS.
THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS IN THE CODE.
BUT WE ARE CONSIDERING AS A COMMISSION ON SOME PROJECTS LIKE BLOCKS OF LIMESTONE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER SAT IN A BLOCK OF LIMESTONE FOR AN HOUR OR SO.
IF BLOCKS OF LIMESTONES ARE ALLOWED BY GREAT STREETS, LET'S PUT 'EM EVERYWHERE.
BUT IF THE GOAL OF GREAT STREETS IS TO HAVE A LEVEL OF CONTINUITY, I SEE THE DESIGN.
UM, THE D A A HAS NOW LOOKED AT DOING A, A DISTRICT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE I THINK GREAT STREETS COULD DO.
SO THEY'VE GOT WEST, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT SOUTH CONGRESS, THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WHERE GREAT STREETS COULD BE MODIFIED TO FIT A CERTAIN, UH, DISTRICT'S PERSONALITY.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE JUST BLANKET, YOU KNOW, RANDOMNESS.
I TEND TO GET OFF, I'M GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE HERE, BUT I THINK I'VE MADE MY POINT.
SUB CHAPTER E OFTEN CONFLICTS WITH GREAT STREETS.
AND SOME OF THE PRO PROPERTIES WE LOOK AT ARE SUBCHAPTER E URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT TREE PRESERVATION, OF COURSE PREVENTS OR HELPS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA INCLUDE IN THE OTHER CODE.
BUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP THAT ARE BECOMING CHALLENGING FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND ARE ABSOLUTELY AFFORDABLE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES, WHICH WE'RE FACED WITH YOU ARE FACED WITH ON THIS COMMISSION ARE PARKLAND DEDICATION AND FUNCTIONAL GREEN PARKLAND DEDICATION, NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT IT AND WHERE YOU FEEL ON IT, IS A BIG INVESTMENT BY OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S A BIG THING FOR OUR PARKS, UH, AND PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE AND IMPLEMENT.
BUT I THINK ALONG WITH THE ONSET OF FUNCTIONAL GREEN, THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IS STARTING TO SAY, OKAY, I'M PAYING INTO PARK LAND, WHICH IS, IT SHOULD IN SOME RESPECT BE GREEN.
SO I'M PAYING INTO PARKLAND AND NOW I'M GONNA BE DOING FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN INTERSECTION BETWEEN PARKLAND DEDICATION AND FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
UH, I WAS JUST TALKING TO SOPHIA ABOUT THIS.
WE HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME DURING CODE NEXT ON FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW MANY CONSULTANT HOURS ON FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
AND THEN CODE NEXT DIED CUTOFF DATE STAGNANT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO NOW THERE'S BEEN, UM, DESIRE BY THE, BY THE BY PEOPLE TO START IMPLEMENTING FUNCTIONAL GREEN.
AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO DO THAT, WE REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T MAPPING OUT, IT WASN'T WORKING, AND WE HAD AT LEAST TWO, MAYBE THREE, I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT AT LEAST TWO PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF THAT DEMONSTRATED THAT IT WASN'T WORKING OUT WELL.
AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED AS CONSULTANTS IS THE ONLY WAY WE COULD GET IT WORK IN A DOWNTOWN A HUNDRED PERCENT ALLOWABLE SITUATION BY ZONING WAS IF YOU PUT IT ON THE ROOFTOP, WHICH AGAIN IS OKAY, AS LONG AS THERE IS CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY FOR THE DEVELOPER MARKET, THAT THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY BUY A HUNDRED PERCENT IMPERVIOUS COVER TRACK THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT GREAT STREETS.
BUT THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT FUNCTIONAL GREEN'S GOING TO IMPACT THEIR SITE PLANT UNLESS THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IT ON THE ROOF.
NOW WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? TRANSPARENCY AND CLARITY AND HOW THAT WORKS WITH ALL THE OTHER CODES AND ORDINANCES, INCLUDING GREAT STREETS.
THE OTHER THING WE'VE, THAT WE'VE NOTICED ABOUT FUNCTIONAL GREEN IS IT DOESN'T WORK WELL ON LARGER SITES BECAUSE THE POINTS GET DILUTED.
AND IT WAS QUITE THE, THE EYE-OPENING.
SO AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, STAFF WAS WONDERFUL.
THEY, THEY WERE EMPATHETIC TO THE, TO THE, THE REASONS THAT WE WERE BRINGING OUT.
BUT IT WAS, UH, TWO DIFFERENT MEETINGS.
SEVERAL LOOKS AT PROJECTS, SEVERAL CASE STUDIES.
NOBODY COULD GET IT TO WORK OUT.
THEN IT, THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL OF US TALKING AMONGST EACH OTHER.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO US WHAT HAPPENED.
AND THAT WAS THAT WE THINK THAT THE FUNCTIONAL GREEN
[00:50:01]
PROCESS JUST HAD A CUTOFF DATE BEFORE IT WAS FULLY VETTED.THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS FUNCTIONAL GREEN MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD.
IT POINTS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM ANYBODY.
WE ALL WANT OUR DOWNTOWN TO BE GREENER, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR.
AND YET WE'RE ADDING ONE MORE THING TO THIS COMMISSION.
THAT'S NOT CLEAR, IN MY OPINION, MY SOLE OPINION AS I WRAP UP GREAT STREETS IS NOT CLEAR, FUNCTIONAL GREEN IS NOT CLEAR.
PARKLAND'S NOT FULLY INTEGRATED IN THIS PROCESS FROM A, UH, FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
AND NOW WE'RE REWRITING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
WE DON'T QUITE KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA SHAKE OUT.
I'M NOT GONNA CONCLUDE BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A HUGE PROBLEM THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO DEAL WITH.
BUT I THINK THE AWARENESS OF IT, I HEARD A WORD USED EAR EARLIER, CHANGING GOVERNANCE.
I THINK A GOAL OF THIS COMMISSION WHILE REWRITING THE URBAN DESIGN ON IS MAYBE EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL THAT MAYBE WE CAN BRING SOME OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
WAIT, UH, CAN I ASK A FEW MORE QUESTIONS? I, UH, I APPRECIATE THE OVERVIEWS.
THOSE ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WE'RE ALSO JUST DOCUMENTING THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
UM, SO YOU HAD A GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS, VOLUNTEERS FROM THE PUBLIC, SOME SPEAK UP NOW, FOLKS.
UM, DO YOU MIND KIND OF TALKING ABOUT YOUR PROCESS? 'CAUSE YOU STARTED, THIS WAS AN UPDATE MM-HMM.
AND, AND, UH, CAN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON WHERE YOU STARTED WITH THE EXISTING GUIDELINES AND HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU WERE WRITING A DRAFT? WE, WE APPROACHED IT IN A SIMPLISTIC APPROACH.
WE TOOK EACH ITEM ITEM BY ITEM AND READ IT TO THE GROUP AND SAID, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
SO WE GATHERED THE COMMENTS AND THEN I SCRIBED SOME THINGS.
ADRIANA IN OUR OFFICE, SCRIBED SOME THINGS AND SENT IT OUT TO EVERYONE FOR COMMENT.
AND THAT'S THE PROCESS WE FOLLOWED.
UM, SO IT VERY MUCH WAS BASED ON THE EXISTING GUIDELINES, IT SOUNDS LIKE VERY MUCH MM-HMM.
UH, DID YOU USE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE EVALUATOR? NO.
I AM GOING TO REVIEW THE LOG OF WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED AT COMMISSION, AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW ALL OF THE GROUPS, UM, IN A SIMILAR MANNER ON WHAT THEY, WHAT THEIR PROCESS WAS, THE VOLUNTEERS, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION.
ITEM AGENDA, ITEM TWO B, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPOINT A WORKING GROUP TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS UPDATES.
THE URBAN SIGN GUIDELINES, CHAIR CARROLL UPDATES THE COMMISSION BASED ON A CONVERSATION WITH STAFF LIAISONS JORGE RUSLAN AND AARON JENKINS TO CREATE A PLAN TO APPROACH COUNCIL.
THE PLAN SHOULD ADDRESS LACK OF RESOURCES FOR CREATING THE NEW URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THE INTENT IS ON THE WORKING GROUP, IS TO CREATE AN OUTLINE OF A PLAN TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL REQUEST FOR RESOURCES AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
LOOK, UM, HE'S LOOKING FOR COMMISSIONERS TO JOIN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, LOOKING FOR PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS AT A LATER DATE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, SPECIFICALLY D A A COMMISSIONER MARTHA GONZALEZ.
NOTES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LIA GARZA, UH, FEELS RESOURCES LIKE MONEY WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
UM, CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT THE PLAN WOULD INDICATE THE NEED FOR CONSULTANTS RESOURCES LATER, AND WHAT THE ASK WOULD BE FOR THIS SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK ON CREATING THE URBAN INSIDE GUIDELINES CHAIR WEAVER? YES.
WHILE WE'RE LISTENING TO THIS LOG, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO SPECIFICALLY BE THINKING ABOUT? OR HOW, HOW, HOW, WHAT'S THE OVERVIEW OF THE LOG? HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE AND HOW, JUST SO THAT I CAN KIND OF GET MY BRAIN READY.
SO STAFF CALLED ME LAST WEEK AND SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE, UM, THAT ANYTHING HAD BEEN DISCUSSED ON THE DAIS AND THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND ANY RECORD OF ANY DISCUSSION OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE GUIDELINE UPDATE ON THE DAIS.
SO I'M REVIEWING WHAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED EVIDENCE ON THAT, ON THE, THAT HAS BEEN OKAY.
AND THAT THIS HAS IN FACT BEEN DISCUSSED ON THE DAIS THAT WE DID WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS, BUT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL, SO THAT THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK THAT HAS BEEN USED TO CREATE THE FIRST DRAFT CAN CONTINUE.
IN THE PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
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MARTHA GONZALEZ.NOTES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, OH, I ALREADY READ THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER UCCI VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN, NOTING THAT IT'S HIS 10TH YEAR TO WORK TOWARD THIS EFFORT.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN NOTES THAT AN INTERIM UPDATE COULD BE APPROPRIATE IN LIGHT OF THE CODE.
NEXT REJECTION CHAIR, CAROL NOTES THAT THE PLAN COULD ACCOUNT OF FOR ANY FUTURE CODE REVISIONS, BUT CAUTIONS AGAINST PUNTING THE PROCESS DOWN THE FIELD.
ONCE THE PLAN PROCESS IS GIVEN, THE GREEN LIGHT CONTENT CAN BE FURTHER CONFIGURED AT THAT TIME BASED ON CODE POLITICS.
COMMISSIONER TUCCI NOTES THAT A BROAD PICTURE CAN START BEING ASSESSED SINCE THE LAST CODE REVISION CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT THE PROCESS SHOULD START AT WHERE THE GUIDELINES ARE, WHAT FUNCTIONS AND WHAT DOES NOT.
AND THEN START THINKING OF CODE REVISIONS.
CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT THE REAL WORK WILL BEGIN, UM, AFTER THE FRAMEWORK IS CREATED, COMMISSIONER ROLLISON VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORKING GROUP.
UH, COMMISSIONER MINORS VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKING GROUP.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ALSO HE ALSO VOLUNTEERED, UH, VICE CHAIR HANNAH ROBLEDO
UH, AARON JENKINS NOTED THAT STAFF WAS ANALYZING THE EXISTING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES TO SEE WHAT FUNCTIONS AND IS NOT, AND ALSO STARTING CASE STUDIES TO REVIEW BEST PRACTICES IN OTHER CITIES.
THOSE MAY BE SOME NOTES THAT YOU CAN REFERENCE.
UM, JORGE RUSLAN NOTES THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING AND, UM, THIS IS THE BEGINNING.
AND HE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE WORKING GROUP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LEVEL OF CHANGE DESIGN COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE.
HE NOTES PAVERS ARE NOT A PART OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, WHICH WOULD BE A STANDARD, NOT A GUIDELINE.
HE ALSO NOTES THAT THERE IS INFORMATION IN THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE UPDATED.
HE RECOMMENDS REFERENCING THE PAST PILLARS CREATED BY DESIGN COMMISSION IN 2012 AS A POTENTIAL STARTING POINT.
HE NOTES THE AFFORDABILITY COULD BE INCLUDED.
HE ASKED THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER WHAT LEVEL OF UPDATE TO REQUEST IN THE FRAMEWORK.
NEITHER THE STAFF NOR THE COMMISSION GIVE EACH OTHER DIRECTION.
UM, THEY BOTH WORK AT THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL.
HE NOTES A PAST ATTEMPT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL DUE TO BEING A 30 PAGE WISHLIST.
UM, HE NOTES THAT EVENTUALLY THE COMMISSION CAN APPROACH THE CITY MANAGER REGARDING BRINGING SPECIALISTS IF FUNDING IS REQUESTED.
BRIEFING ON THE PROGRESS TO THE UPDATE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES REVIEW, UH, DRAFT THAT AARON JENKINS SENT OUT BASED ON SEVERAL MONTHS OF WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BACK AT COMMISSION.
UM, DISCUSSION AT THE MEETING CAN INFORM THE WORKING GROUP, HOPING TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S A WORKING GROUP NEXT MONTH.
UM, REPORTS CHAIR CARROLL, UM, CHAIR CARROLL REVIEWS PAGE 11, DOCUMENTING THE PHASES AND THE WORK.
THIS PLAN EXPLAINS THAT THE ASK IS TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE NEED AND THE PROCESS AND HOW LONG THE PROCESS MAY TAKE.
IT COULD BE A YEAR AND A HALF OR MORE TO DO THE WORK.
PHASE ONE IS PREPARATION TO DEFINE CORE VALUES.
CREATE THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN FROM WORKING GROUPS WITH, UH, A SPECIFIC SUBJECT MATTER.
WORKING GROUP MEMBERS SHOULD BE DIVERSE, COMPOSED OF CITY STAFFERS, VOLUNTEERS FROM THE PUBLIC COMMISSIONERS AND SUB SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS SHOULD BE IN THE GROUP TO INFORM THE WORKING GROUPS ON INDIVIDUAL SUBJECT MATTERS.
PHASE TWO IS WHERE THE WORK HAPPENS.
WORKING GROUPS ARE DIVIDED BY CORE VALUES.
UM, WORKING GROUPS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE DOING THE WORK OF WRITING THE DRAFT.
THEN THE GUIDELINES WOULD BE PRESENTED AT EACH PHASE TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
PHASE THREE IS FINALIZATION ABOUT COMPILING ALL THE WORK INTO A DELIVERABLE WITH ONLINE PRESENCE AND ANOTHER STAKEHOLDER MEETING AND PRESENTATION TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AND REVISE THE DOCUMENT AS NEEDED.
THEN WE WOULD START TO ENGAGE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AS NEEDED, UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND THEN WE'D COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THE COMPLETED PRODUCT.
UH, COMMISSIONER TUCCI NOTES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO IS WORKING TO RECALIBRATE THE DENSITY BONUS AND THAT TOVO IS UNAWARE OF THE WORK OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
HE NOTES THAT IF DENSITY BONUS CHANGES THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES RULES COULD CHANGE AS WELL.
CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT WE SHOULD PROCEED AS PLANNED, AND THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES COULD INFORM THE FUTURE DENSITY BONUS CHANGES.
COMMISSIONER WATLEY NOTES THAT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES COULD OR SHOULD APPLY TO ALL URBAN AREAS IN AUSTIN.
HE SUGGESTS ARTICULATING THE VALUES OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES TO COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR GREATER MOMENTUM.
IN COLLABORATION CHAIR, CAROL RESPONDS THAT IT COULD ALSO APPLY TO TOD'S PUDS AND REGIONAL CENTERS.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS NOTES THAT HIS COUNCIL MEMBER IS WAITING ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION FOR SOLVING THE DENSITY, RESOLVING DENSITY THROUGH DESIGN.
UM, COMMISSIONER FRANCO QUESTIONS THE RULES AND ENFORCEMENT.
HE NOTES THAT THE PROCESS IS ADMINISTRATIVE AND APPLICANTS MOVE THROUGH
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UNSCATHED AFTER LETTERS OF NON-COMPLIANCE.FROM DESIGN COMMISSION CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT THE PLAN DOES NOT PROPOSE CHANGES TO CODE LANGUAGE OR PROCESS CODE.
LANGUAGE SAYS THAT THE PROJECTS MUST SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
CHAIR CARROLL NOTES THAT IF THE BAR IS RAISED AND THE UPDATE, THEN THE PROJECTS WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT CHANGING THE LANGUAGE OF THE CODE.
COMMISSIONER TANA GUCCI NOTES THAT WE CANNOT GET THE L E D C THROUGH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE AND ALSO URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, COMMISSIONER FRANCO IS HAPPY TO HELP, BUT WANTS TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
COMM, UH, COMMISSIONER FRANCO IS WORRIED EFFORTS WILL BE FOR