[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GONNA START WITH OUR ROLL CALL, UH, VICE CHAIR MINOR HERE.UH, UH, CAROL PRESENT? GALLES.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION?
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, CHAIR.WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, MR. SANTIAGO? ALL RIGHT, MR. SANTIAGO.
YOU GOT, YOU HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
UM, AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY HERE.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE, UH, TO THE CITY.
I HAVE SHOWN UP TODAY, UM, TO DISCUSS TEXT DOTS, UH, PROPOSAL FOR I 35.
UM, AND SOME CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.
UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE MECHANISMS, UH, THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS WITH REGARD TO LEVERAGING.
UM, I HAVE A, A FAVORITE TWO WORDS FROM GREEK, UH, KAIROS AND KRONOS.
KAIROS IS, UH, SORT OF LIKE AN IDEA OF TIMING.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME TO ACT WITH REGARD TO THE CITY BEING RESPONSIVE TO, UM, THE OVER THE OVERWHELMING FORCE THAT IS GOING TO BE I 35.
MY TWO MAIN CONCERNS ARE, UH, A LACK OF, UM, FOCUS ON THE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE THREE BRIDGES, UM, THAT CROSSED COLORADO RIVER AND THE IMPACTS THAT ARE OCCURRING THERE WITH REGARD TO INVOLVEMENT OF US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, REGIONAL PERMITS, UM, AND INCLUDING, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, THE, UH, HARPER HARPER BRANCH, UM, OUTFALL THAT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER.
THERE'S, UH, SOME SECTION, UH, SIX F CONVERSION PROPOSED, UM, ON WALLER BEACH.
AND, UM, EDWARD RE REDONE PARK, WHICH IS TEMPORARY NON-CONFORMING USE.
I FIRST STARTED LOOKING AT THIS, UH, WITH MY INVOLVEMENT IN FRETFUL BEACH, FOOD FOREST, UM, AND THE REMOVAL OF SEVERAL TREES THAT ARE SOUTH OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN A LARGER, UH, I THINK SCOPE OUTSIDE OF THE BRIDGE, UM, IS THE OUTFALL, UH, INTO THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAM.
UM, A 22 FOOT DIAMETER TUNNEL GOING BE BENEATH SSAR CHAVEZ.
AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT I CAN SEE, A LACK OF ANY SORT OF INNOVATION WITH REGARD TO CONSTRUCTED WETLAND OR ANY SORT OF, UM, LOW IMPACT DESIGN FOR, UH, THIS OUTFALL INTO THE COLORADO.
UH, AND IT JUST, THERE'S 300 ACRES OF STORM WATER THAT'S BEING DIVERTED, UH, FROM, SO FIRST FLUSH EFFECTS, UM, WHAT POLLUTANTS ARE GOING INTO THE COLORADO, WHAT CONSIDERATIONS ARE BEING HAD FOR THIS.
UH, I, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF A BUNCH OF, UH, SUPERFICIAL CAP AND STITCH DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITH REGARD TO LIKE TRUE BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND, AND, UM, SO YEAH, UH, IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT'S ON THIS COMMISSION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN LOOKING AT THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
OTHERWISE, UM, I MAY SHOW UP AGAIN IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
UH, WANNA THANK THE SPEAKER FOR COMING TONIGHT? UM, THIS IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT ISSUE, UM, ONE THAT I HAVE FOLLOWED TO SOME DEGREE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU, UH, AFTERWARD.
UH, I THINK AS A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN, IT IS HUGELY FRUSTRATING HOW LITTLE AGENCY WE HAVE ON THIS MONUMENTAL DECISION.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME, AND NOT JUST FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, BUT FOR FOLLOWING A YEAR'S LONG PROJECT.
AND ONE THAT'S GONNA HAVE RIPPLING IMPACTS, UH, FOR AUSTIN, AT LEAST OVER THE NEXT DECADE, IF NOT LONGER.
UM, I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS COMMISSION.
IT HAS BEEN ON MY WANT, ON MY WISHLIST TO TRY AND GET A BRIEFING FROM TEXDOT ON THE I 35 PROJECT IN FRONT OF THIS BODY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT WE CAN AND CANNOT ADDRESS IN A MEANINGFUL FASHION, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR BETTER DESIGN, FOR URBAN DESIGN, FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:05:01]
YOU MENTIONED, UH, CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THAT MOVING FORWARD.ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR NOVEMBER? MOTION TO APPROVE.
UM, ON OUR STAFF BRIEFING, WE'RE GONNA SKIP OVER TO, UM, OUR FIRST OR THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION TO RECOMMEND THE CITY
[3. Discussion and possible action to recommend to City Council whether the project The Graduate Austin, located at 408 West 18th Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines for the City of Austin in accordance with Land Development Code § 25-2-586 (C)(1)(a)(ii). Presented by Amanda Swor, Drenner Group PC, Jillian Agdern, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, and Chris Jackson, TBG Partners.]
COUNCIL, WHETHER THE PROJECT, UH, THE GRADUATE AUSTIN, LOCATED AT 4 0 8 WEST 18TH STREET, COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.UM, THIS WAS GONNA BE PRESENTED BY AMANDA SWAR OF THE RENER GROUP, UH, JILLIAN AGAR, AGAR AGDERN OF HARTSHORN, AND PLUNK SHOR PLUNKETT ARCHITECTURE, AND CHRIS JACKSON, TBG PARTNERS.
UM, CAN I ACTUALLY GET THE PRESENTATION THAT KATE BROUGHT UP TO YOU?
YOU DON'T WANNA JUST HEAR ME MUMBLE.
DO I HAVE A CLICKER OR DO I JUST NEED TO SAY NEXT SLIDE? NEXT SLIDE.
MY NAME'S AMANDA SWORE WITH RENER GROUP.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, THE GRADUATE AUSTIN.
I HAVE JILLIAN AND, UH, CHRIS WITH US WILL BE TAG TEAMING THIS TO BE ABLE TO HIT ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE KNOW YOU WANNA HEAR ABOUT.
SO WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS COMMISSION TO THE WORKING GROUP IN NOVEMBER AND GOT A RECOMMENDATION.
SO I WILL TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES JUST TO WALK THROUGH THE BIG PICTURE OF THE PROJECT AND THEN WRAP UP WITH, UH, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING THE ITEMS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
SO, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, LOCATED AT 1800 GUADALUPE.
I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA NEED GLASSES.
SEE, LET'S SEE HOW FAR I CAN SQUINT WITH THIS BEING ACROSS THE WAIT.
SO THE PROPERTY IS BOUND ON THE EAST BY GUADALUPE ON THE SOUTH BY 18TH STREET ON THE WEST BY SAN ANTONIO STREET.
THE PROPERTY'S JUST UNDER AN ACRE AND, UH, IS CURRENTLY ZONED DMU, AND WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING TO DEVELOP IT WITH A MIXED USE PROPERTY.
THE PROPERTY TODAY IS, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
VACANT WITH, UH, SERVICE PARKING.
SO ON THE LEFT OF THIS TODAY, THERE'S SOME SURFACE PARKING.
IN THE MIDDLE IS KIND OF LAY DOWN YARD ISH.
AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE STRUCTURE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW IS 1800 GUADALUPE.
THE PROPERTY AT 1800 GUADALUPE, UH, DID HAVE A FIRE RECENTLY.
IT HAPPENED, I THINK THE DAY BEFORE THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS WHAT WE CAN SAVE IN THIS, UM, WHAT WE CAN'T.
IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT IT WAS ARSON.
UM, EVERYONE'S STILL ASSESSING THE INTERNAL DAMAGE ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T SAVE.
SO OUR COMMITMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REMAIN.
UM, BUT THE PROPERTY, THE BUILDING ITSELF WILL BE DEMOLISHED.
WE DID TAKE IT TO HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SO MANY CHANGES, THAT IT IS NOT HISTORIC.
I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT, THOUGH.
UH, I MENTIONED THE PROPERTY IS ZONED DMU.
WE ARE NOT, UM, REQUESTING A, A REZONING.
THIS IS DEVELOPING UNDER, UH, BY RIGHT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, WITH DMU, WE HAVE A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 120 FEET BY RIGHT.
WE ARE ASKING TO GO UP TO 200 FEET, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM THAT'S ALLOWED UNDER THIS AREA OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS.
AND UP TO AN EIGHT TO ONE FAR, WHICH IS ALSO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS A TRUE MIXED USE PROJECT.
IT WILL BE A, UH, IT'LL HAVE RESIDENTIALS UP TO 228 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, UH, APPROXIMATELY 194 HOTEL KEYS.
AND THEN IT'LL HAVE PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES ON SEVERAL LEVELS, UM, INCLUDING THE GROUND FLOOR AND, AND UPPER LEVELS AS WELL.
UH, I ALWAYS THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THE LINES UP IN THIS PART OF TOWN ARE A LITTLE WONKY.
SO WE ARE IN THE SECTION THAT, UH, AGAIN, HAS UP TO 8, 2, 1, AND 200.
SO WE ARE, UM, SEEKING ONLY ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL DENSITY.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING TO PAY A FEE IN LIEU, UH, WHICH IS BROKEN DOWN.
WE ARE PAYING THE, THE CURRENT FEES, WHICH IS $10 FOR RESIDENTIAL, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE PROJECT, AND
[00:10:01]
$6 FOR THE COMMERCIAL PORTION.UH, WE ANTICIPATE THOSE FEES BEING A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
NOW WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE FUN STUFF,
SO, UM, THIS PROPERTY IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WHAT WE, UH, GET TO CALL THE, OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
WE ARE IN A REALLY FUN AND UNIQUE PART OF TOWN.
WE ARE IN UNBELIEVABLY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE UNIVERSITY, TO DOWNTOWN, TO THE CAPITOL.
YOU CAN GET EVERYWHERE, UM, FROM THIS PROPERTY AND THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS, PUTS IT IN A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION TO HAVE BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL USES HERE.
UH, I HAVE A FUNNY STORY THAT I'LL TELL WHEN WE'RE DONE.
YOU REALLY CAN VERY EASILY WITH, UM, WITH BIKE PEDESTRIAN OR, OR A VEHICLE GET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE RIVER OR UP TO THE UNIVERSITY VERY QUICKLY.
SO, THE PROJECT IS MEETING ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS.
WE, UM, HAVE RECEIVED INITIAL RATINGS OF, UH, A MINIMUM OF TWO STAR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDER.
UH, WE ARE, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH GREAT STREETS.
I'M GONNA TOSS THIS PART OVER TO, TO CJ TO LET HIM TALK THROUGH THE GREAT STREETS COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO AS, AS AMANDA MENTIONED, WE ARE GREAT STREETS COMPLIANT.
WE ALSO HAD A PRETTY INTERESTING AND EXCITING COLLABORATION WITH A TD AND URBAN DESIGN TO WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE, UM, ALL OF THE VALET AND THE PARKING FURTHER OUT INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY TO ALLOW TO KEEP A CONTINUOUS PLANTER BEDS.
AND ALL OF OUR TREES, AS I THINK MANY OF Y'ALL KNOW, THE REALLY, THE, THE ZONING IN THE HEIGHTS OF THE CITY REALLY DROP OFF TO THE WEST, INCLUDING IMMEDIATELY SOUTH AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COURT FACILITIES.
UH, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE DAY ONE AND BEYOND A STRONG MICROCLIMATE ON THIS REALLY SOUTH EXPOSED, UH, STREETS SCAPE NEXT.
UM, WE ALSO MADE, WE HAD A GOOD SESSION WITH THE WORKING GROUP AND MADE A FEW MODIFICATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, INCLUDING EXTENDING, UH, CURB CUTS OR REALLY, UH, UH, ABILITY TO CROSS THE STREET IN SHORTER DISTANCES, UH, TO WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE STREETSCAPE BELLIES OUT IN BOTH THE SOUTHEAST CORNER AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER.
WE ALSO CONSOLIDATED THE, UM, INGRESS EGRESS TO HAVE ONE CURB CUT IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER.
UM, AND ANOTHER, I THINK INTERESTING WORTH NOTING COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY WAS WITH THE CITY ARBORISTS.
IN URBAN DESIGN, WE ARE ABLE TO PRESERVE THIS LARGE TREE ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE PROJECT ON GUADALUPE STREET.
UM, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED THAT IT, IT, IT COULD BE REMOVED.
UM, WE WANTED TO KEEP IT, OF COURSE.
AND SO WE ENDED UP WORKING OUT A DEAL TO WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE THAT IS, UM, REQUIRED TO BE 10 FEET, AND THEN FOUR OF WHICH CAN BE SUPPLEMENTAL ZONE.
WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THIS EIGHT FEET IN ITS CURRENT STAGE TO SORT OF JOG GENTLY AROUND THAT TREE AND THEN EMBED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
IF THAT TREE WERE TO DIE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE THE OWNERS WOULD AGREE TO, UM, COME BACK AND MAKE THAT THE FULL 10 FOOT PEDESTRIAN ZONE IN THAT SPACE.
I THINK EVERYTHING ELSE IS, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT REAL EASILY.
IT'S ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS IMAGE.
YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING TREE, AND THEN IF, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE SIDEWALK PINCHES IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT CONFIGURATION, WHAT, WHETHER THAT'S FIVE YEARS, WHETHER THAT'S 50 YEARS CHANGES TO GO, UH, TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW STREET TREES.
A COUPLE OTHER NOTES, UM, WE, IN THE WORKING GROUP, WE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT TO BOLLARD THESE, UH, DROP ZONES IN THESE VALET ZONES.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THOSE BACK.
THERE'S, UH, THREE FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN THE BIKE LANE, UM, AND THIS, UH, VALET DROP ZONE.
AND THE WAY THESE DROP ZONES WOULD WORK IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY SORT OF LIKE LARGE CUSHIONS THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD ENTER ONTO THESE PLATFORMS. AND THEN THE PARKING, THE PARALLEL PARKING THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, LONGER TERM IN BETWEEN THOSE, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, A TRADITIONAL KIND OF GRAY, ASPHALT, CONCRETE COLOR.
UM, THOSE WOULD HAVE A CURB NEXT TO THEM.
SO, UM, THESE LANDINGS REALLY HELP ACTUALLY, LIKE TRAVERSE THE BIG GRADE CHANGE THAT WE HAVE AS WELL, TO WHERE THERE'S, I THINK IT'S 11 FEET OF GRADE CHANGE FROM ONE THE SOUTHWEST CORNER TO THE, UH, SOUTHEAST CORNER AS WELL.
UH, AND I'LL GO INTO MORE OF THAT 'CAUSE A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE WERE, AS A RESULT FROM OUR WORKING GROUP CONVERSATION.
I CAN SHOW IT IN A LITTLE BIT BETTER SLIDES AS AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO, THE LAST PIECE OF THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS IS THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE, UM, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO
[00:15:01]
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION OF.UH, I'M GONNA PASS THIS OFF TO JILLIAN JUST TO LET HER TALK TO Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE GRADUATE AND THE MEMOIR BRANDS, AND THEN WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROJECT.
AND THEN I'LL PICK BACK UP TO TALK THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE AS A RESULT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, AS AMANDA NOTED, THE, UH, SITE IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE DOWNTOWN AND THE CAMPUS.
UM, AND THE OWNERSHIP TEAM, ALONG WITH THE DESIGN TEAM SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BRIDGE THE GRA BRIDGE THE GAP, UM, ACROSS THESE ZONES, PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHERN, UM, DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO BECOME A TRUE DESTINATION FOR ALL AUSTINITES, UH, BY TRANSFORMING A LARGELY VACANT LOT INTO A REALLY ENGAGING BUILDING.
UM, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GRADUATE AND THE, UH, MEMOIR BRAND.
UH, THE, UH, PROGRAM IS A MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL FOR THIS BUILDING.
UH, THE GRADUATE IS THE HOTEL SIDE, AND THE MEMOIR BRAND IS THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
THE HOTEL WILL BE A FLAGSHIP PROPERTY FOR THE GRADUATE BRAND.
UM, THIS BRAND, IF YOU'RE UNFAMILIAR, UH, TAILORS EACH PROPERTY TO TELL THE UNIQUE STORY OF THE CAMPUS THAT IT'S LOCATED ON.
UH, THE IMAGES ON SCREEN SHOW SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT IN OTHER, UM, COLLEGE TOWNS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, PICTURED HERE, NASHVILLE, KNOXVILLE.
AS A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, UM, THE BRAND IS REALLY FUN AND ENERGETIC.
UH, IT'S FILLED WITH ACTIVE USES, UM, AT ITS GROUND FLOOR, UH, LOBBY AND RESTAURANT SPACE.
AND, UM, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT.
SO HERE'S WAYS THAT THE, UH, THE BRAND SEEKS TO ENGAGE LOCAL COMMUNITY, UM, OPENING UP ITS SPACES AT THE GROUND LEVEL, UM, TO GATHERING, TO SPECIAL EVENTS, TO MUSIC, TO ART.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THEY CREATE, UH, SHOW STOPPING ROOFTOP, UH, BARS AND RESTAURANTS.
UM, ALL OF THESE SPACES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I CAN ADD THIS FLAVOR IF YOU WANNA.
UH, JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF, UH, THE PROPOSED SITE CONDITIONS, UM, COMPARED TO THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.
UM, A FEW OF THE TREES ARE COMING OUT.
THEY WERE DEEMED, UM, NOT, UM, NOT VIABLE TO BE SAVED, UH, SAVED FOR THE HERITAGE TREE, WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN.
UM, WE HAVE OUR UTILITY ACCESS ALONG, UM, GUADALUPE, UM, AND WE HAVE EXTENDED, UH, OR SET OUR BUILDING BACK ALONG, UH, 18TH STREET TO, IN, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH GREAT STREETS TO REALLY MAKE THAT THE FRONTAGE OF OUR PROPERTY.
UH, THE, UH, PROPOSED STREETSCAPE IS TREATED AS AN EXTENSION OF THE ACTIVE USES, UH, CONTAINED WITHIN, UH, THE DESIGN TEAM ENGAGED A TD EARLY ON, AS WELL AS URBAN DESIGN, UH, TO REQUEST WIDER SIDEWALKS, BIKE LANES, UH, AND CLEAR DEMARCATIONS OF OPTIONAL PARKING ZONES, UH, THAT HAVE THE WAY TO MARK THE, UH, VALET DROP-OFF ZONES FOR BOTH THE, UH, HOTEL ENTRY, WHICH IS, UH, FAR TO THE WEST, THE MIDDLE PORTION, WHICH IS A GROUND FLOOR F AND B FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPACE.
UM, AND TO THE EAST, THE MEMOIR LOBBY.
UM, EACH OF THOSE ZONES CORRESPOND TO THE MAIN ENTRIES TO MAKE IT A VERY CLEAR POINT OF ENTRY TO EACH OF THESE THREE USES ON THE PROJECT.
UM, A FEW NOTES ABOUT THE STREETSCAPE MATERIALITY.
SO WE'RE USING THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS TO HELP CLEARLY DENOTE THE DIFFERENT USES OF THE PEDESTRIAN, UH, RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH HAS BEEN, UH, THE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN TAKEN TO, UH, IMPROVE SAFETY FOR THE PEDESTRIAN, FOR THE BIKER.
UM, AND TO INTENTIONALLY SLOW DOWN, UM, VEHICLE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN THIS ZONE TO MAKE IT REALLY FEEL, UM, OPEN ALMOST LIKE A MINI PLAZA, UH, WITHIN THE STREETSCAPE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WE'VE INTRODUCED BRICK PAVERS, UM, SOME CORTEN STEEL ELEMENTS TO TIE INTO SOME OF THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL NATURE, UM, IN, UH, AUSTIN'S PAST, AS WELL AS INTRODUCING, UM, LOCAL FOLIAGE.
UH, SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE OBJECTIVE HERE, UH, FROM THE OWNERSHIP TEAM AND THE DESIGN TEAM IS TO CREATE A NEW BUILDING, UM, THAT FEELS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
UH, WE DREW INSPIRATION FROM THE CLASSICAL BUILDINGS IN
[00:20:01]
AUSTIN, UH, BUILDINGS WITH A CLEAR ARCHITECTURAL HIERARCHY, UH, DEFINING ARCHES AND WARM MATERIALS.UM, YOU CAN SEE WITH A COUPLE OF THE RENDERINGS ON, UM, PAGE LEFT, HOW WE STARTED TO IMPLEMENT THOSE DESIGN CUES, UM, INTO OUR PROJECT.
THE, UH, CHOICE OF BRICK WAS INTENTIONAL.
UM, IT OFFERS A FAMILIAR TEXTURE AND SCALE THAT MAKE IT COMFORTABLE AND INVITING BRICK IS ALSO ABSENT FROM MUCH OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THE BLOCKS IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING OUR SITE.
SO WE SAW BRICK AS A WAY TO STAND OUT AND MAKE THIS BUILDING A DESTINATION, UM, BUT STILL BE TRUE TO AUSTIN'S HERITAGE.
I AM GONNA WALK YOU A LITTLE BIT, UH, AS CJ SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY INTERESTING TOPOGRAPHY ON THE SITE.
THERE'S A LOT OF UPGRADE CHANGE FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST.
AND SO WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH WAS SOME UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE VERY DISTINCT GET CREATIVE THIS.
SO THE LOW POINT IS ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE.
UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WHAT YOU SEE IN PURPLE, I'M STARTING ON THE VERY LEFT AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE A STEP UP.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE DRIVEWAY CUT ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, THAT'S ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
WE STARTED WITH MORE THAN ONE
WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS CONSOLIDATE THAT WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT'S TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF CURB CUTS THAT THERE ARE.
SO WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, OUR GARAGE ENTRANCE AND OUR LOADING IN ONE DRIVEWAY CUT.
WE WORKED WITH A TD TO GET THAT APPROVED.
UM, WE DID, AND I CAN SHOW IT LATER, WORK THROUGH KIND OF PEDESTRIAN CHANGES AS AS WE GO THROUGH THAT AREA.
SO YOU HAVE THE ONE DRIVEWAY CUT, AND THEN AS YOU GET DOWN TO THE CORNER OF SAN ANTONIO AND 18TH STREET, THAT IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOTEL SIDE OF THE PROJECT.
IT IS ALSO THE ENTRANCE TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE AREAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE UP ON THE ROOF.
AND I'LL SHOW MORE IMAGES OF THAT.
ONE OF THE BIG PIECES OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE WORKING GROUP WAS COMING UP WITH WAYS TO MAKE THIS MORE INTERACTIVE.
UM, SO IT IS THE HOTEL PIECE, AND AS JILLIAN TALKED ABOUT THE GRADUATE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE KNOWN FOR IS ACTUALLY MAKING THEIR LOBBIES PUBLIC AND INVITING SPACES.
SO NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE PUBLIC COME IN, UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE IN HERE.
THEY ALSO INTEND TO HAVE PROGRAMMABLE SPACE LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE AUSTIN, TEXAS, RIGHT? UM, ABILITIES TO HAVE LIVE MUSIC.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS IN HERE CAN CHANGE SEASONALLY.
AND IT IS A, UH, IT IS THE ONLY AND MAIN POINT OF ACCESS FOR ALL OF THE PUBLIC, UH, SPACES.
THAT'S THE WORD I'M GONNA USE.
'CAUSE THE ONE OTHER ONE I WANTED IN MY HEAD DIDN'T COME OUT.
SO ALL THE PUBLIC SPACES AS THE ROOFTOP.
SO IT IS, WHILE IT IS LABELED AS THE HOTEL LOBBY, IT IS AN ACTIVATED SPACE THAT HAS PEDESTRIANS THAT GO IN AND OUT OF IT ALL DAY LONG.
AS YOU CONTINUE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE, OF THE PROJECT, WHAT THAT IS, UM, A BIG PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED AREA.
SO IT CAN BE FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
IT IS, IS DESIGNED THAT IT CAN SPLIT UP INTO LITTLE SPACES.
IT CAN ALSO BE ONE LARGE SPACE.
IT IS A, UH, IT IS A UNIQUE AREA THAT WILL SIT IN BETWEEN THE TWO ENTRANCES, GIVEN THE GRADE.
IT WILL ALSO HAVE, UM, A MAIN AND PRONOUNCED ENTRANCE.
AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WHILE THIS IS THE SECOND FLOOR, IT'S TECHNICALLY STILL THE FIRST FLOOR
SO WHAT YOU SEE AND THE, THE COLOR CHANGES FOR, FOR TECHNICAL FLOOR.
SO THE PURPLE IS WHAT'S CONSIDERED TECHNICALLY THE FIRST FLOOR.
THIS IS THE, UH, THE MEMOIR ENTRANCE OR THE RESIDENTIAL ENTRANCE, WHICH YOU'LL NOTICE ABOUT THAT IS THAT IT HAS A, A PUBLIC COFFEE BAR IN IT.
SO IT IS A COFFEE SHOP THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL HOURS THAT IT OPERATES.
UM, AND IT IS ALSO THE, UH, ENTRANCE FOR THE RESIDENCES.
SHOWING THIS, UM, THREE DIMENSIONALLY.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE GRADUATE SIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, THAT THE SLOPE GOES UP AS YOU CONTINUE TO THE RIGHT.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE GRADES WERE, WERE, UH, TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
AND THEN THIS, UH, IS THE, IS THE MEMOIR SIDE WHERE YOU CAN SEE, PARDON ME, CEDAR.
UM, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE MEMOIR ENTRANCE.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED
I, I PUT IT IN THERE JUST SO, 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T REDO EVERY IMAGE WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO, TO NOTATE.
BUILDING CONTEXT IS ALSO, UM, REALLY, UH, THESE PICTURES WERE REALLY EYE-OPENING FOR ME AS YOU SEE IT.
SO AT, YOU ARE LOOKING IN THIS IMAGE TO THE NORTHEAST.
SO THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING THAT IS CLOSEST TO YOU IS THE CORNER OF SAN ANTONIO AND 18TH STREET.
YOU CAN SEE HOW THE BUILDING FITS INTO CONTEXT WITH WHAT IS AROUND IT.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO SEE AT NIGHT.
SO THIS IS LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS DOWNTOWN.
YOU CAN SEE THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE
[00:25:01]
IN THE, UM, IN THE BACKGROUND, UH, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PUBLIC ART THAT IS INCORPORATED TO BE ON THIS NORTH FACING SIDE TOWARDS THE UNIVERSITY.YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE, UH, ONE OF THE PLAZA LEVELS.
THAT IS JILLIAN, THAT'S LEVEL SIXTH, CORRECT? THAT IS, UM, THE SIXTH LEVEL THAT IS, UH, PLAZA OPEN SPACE AREAS.
AND IT IS PROGRAMMABLE FOR THE HOTEL.
UM, WHEN THE HOTEL'S NOT USING IT, IT IS AVAILABLE FOR, FOR GUESTS.
UH, THIS, THIS ONE JUST REALLY SHOWS THE GRADE.
UH, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH THE WAY THAT YOU CAN SEE IT IN PICTURES.
SO I'M GONNA PIVOT HERE AND START GOING THROUGH THE SPECIFICS THAT THE WORKING GROUP MENTIONED AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE.
I'LL, I KNOW I'VE TALKED A LOT, SO I'LL GO KIND OF QUICK.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE GOT SOME REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK THAT WAS ABLE TO SHAPE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE IN THIS PROJECT.
I GROUPED SOME OF 'EM TOGETHER THAT JUST KIND OF MADE SENSE TO GO THAT DIRECTION.
SO WE GOT SOME, UH, FEEDBACK SPECIFICALLY ON THE, THE STREET PLAZAS AND THE PARKING GARAGE ENTRANCE, WHICH I, WHICH I TALKED ABOUT, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM WITH A TD WOULD BE, UM, CONSOLIDATED TO A SINGLE ENTRY POINT.
AND THEN WE ALSO GOT SOME, UM, QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE BICYCLE AND THE PEDESTRIAN ARE PROTECTED ALONG 18TH STREET.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I CAN SHOW SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE STARS, I'LL START ON THE, ON THE TOP LEFT SIDE OF THIS, THAT'S WHERE WE CONSOLIDATE, CONSOLIDATED TO THE SINGLE DRIVEWAY.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE ADDED A DA, UM, PAVER CHANGES FOR A PEDESTRIAN IF THEY'RE WALKING, SO THAT THERE'LL BE A CLEAR DEMARCATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ENTERING AN AREA WHERE THERE'S A VEHICLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TWO CORNERS OF SAN ANTONIO AND GUADALUPE, WE WERE ABLE TO, WE GOT THE SUGGESTION ON PUTTING THE BULBS OF THE CURB, PULLING THAT OUT FURTHER SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT, UM, BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS THERE FROM THE CARS.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT ON BOTH, BOTH CORNERS.
IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE, I ONLY PUT TWO STARS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
UM, CHRIS MENTIONED THIS, BUT WE, WHERE WE HAVE THE CARS THAT PARK, RIGHT, UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE A REGULAR CURB, RIGHT? THAT WAY A CAR'S NOT GONNA COME AND JUMP OVER THAT CURB.
AND THEN WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO PUT BOLLARDS WHERE THE VALET DROP OFF IS, UM, BETWEEN THE VALET DROP OFF AND THE BIKE LANE.
AND THEN, UM, THE ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING.
SO THOSE ARE THE ADDITIONS THAT WE MADE BASED ON WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT FUNCTIONALLY IS IMPLEMENTED.
YOU CAN SEE THE BALLARDS, AND THEN BY THAT SECOND CAR IN THE WHITE, YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL, UH, CURB THAT'S THERE.
THE NEXT ITEM THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT, AND, AND JILLIAN PLEASE KICK ME IF I, IF I EXPLAIN THIS INCORRECTLY.
WHILE ON SAN ANTONIO, WE WERE ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE TO ONE CURB CUT.
IT'S STILL A BUILDING THAT HAS TO FUNCTION.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT BEHIND WALLS WHERE YOU'RE NOT HAVING MULTIPLE CURB CUTS, BUT IT STILL HAS TO TO BE THERE.
AND SO WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF ACTIVATION ALONG WHERE WE HAVE, WHERE WE HAVE INACTIVE USES BEHIND THE WALL.
WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE ACTIVE USES FOR THE PEDESTRIAN.
UM, THE SAME THING ALONG GUADALUPE, WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR, UM, FIRE, ET CETERA, THAT HAS, IS REQUIRED TO GO THERE.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JILLIAN AND, AND HER TEAM WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY'VE DONE ON OTHER PROJECTS.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN IN ANOTHER GRADUATE PROJECT WHERE THEY HAVE, THESE ARE ALL, UM, ACTIVE WINDOWS THAT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE THAT CAN HAVE SEASONAL ROTATING ART THROUGHOUT THEM, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THAT THIS IMAGE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WHERE THAT YELLOW IS, IS THE GARAGE ENTRANCE.
SO THAT'S THE PEDESTRIAN PAVER CHANGE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, DID I DESCRIBE THAT ACCURATELY? OKAY.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE, WHERE THE, UM, WHERE THE ENTRANCE TO THE LOBBY ENDS, IT TRANSITIONS TO THE ART THAT WILL ROTATE SEASONALLY.
THIS IS THE SAME FOR THE, THE GUADALUPE SIDE, WHICH YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE IN HERE IS WE ADDED, OR MORE PROMINENTLY, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE THE, LIKE THE THIRD LADY, THERE'S ADDITIONAL EGRESS AND INGRESS POINTS ON, ON, UH, SAN ANTONIO AND GUADALUPE, UH, FROM THE LAST ENTRANCE, IT GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE ART UNTIL YOU GET TO, UM, AN INCU INTO THE BUILDING ACTUALLY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN RESPITE FOR THE BICYCLE ROOM THAT IS LOCATED THERE.
WE WERE, WE WERE, UM, SO WE DO HAVE, CJ I'M GONNA LET YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE DO HAVE TWO ACTIVATED ROOFTOP AREAS.
ONE AT THE SIXTH FLOOR, ONE ON THE TOP LEVEL.
THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS THE TOP LEVEL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT'S THE FULL AMENITY.
THAT WILL BE A FULL, UH, FOOD AND BEVERAGE PUBLIC RESTAURANT.
UM, IF ANYONE'S BEEN TO NASHVILLE, THE WHITE LIMOUSINE, RIGHT? VERY, VERY POPULAR.
YOU HAVE TO GET RESERVATIONS WAY IN ADVANCE.
THAT'S, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST DESTINATION RESTAURANTS.
IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE GRADUATE IN NASHVILLE.
[00:30:01]
ARE, THEY, THEY BECOME VERY MUCH DESTINATIONS.SO THAT IS WHAT IS ON THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT, AS WELL AS THE AMENITY SPACE FOR BOTH THE HOTEL AND THE RESIDENTS.
AND THEN I, I TALKED ABOUT THE RIGHT ONE.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ACTUAL GREEN ROOFS AND PLANTINGS? YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS LIKE A TRUE PARTY IN THE BACK THOUGH.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT
UM, BUT, AND THEN THE, THE TYPE OF GREEN ROOF IS, UH, AN, AN EXTENSIVE, OR EXCUSE ME, AN INTENSIVE GREEN ROOF TO WHERE IT IS PEOPLE-CENTRIC.
AND THEN THERE'S KIND OF DEEPER SOIL VOLUMES OF PLANTING, UM, LIKE YOU OFTEN SEE ON HOSPITALITY PROJECTS HERE IN HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THEN CONTEXTUALLY, I THINK THE UPPER ROOF IS GONNA BE A SIMILAR VANTAGE POINT OF THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN TO THE OTIS THAT YOU KINDA LOOK BACK, UM, OVER THE SKYLINE FROM THE, THE NORTH SIDE.
THE, THESE NEXT THREE REALLY TALK ABOUT ACTIVATING THAT PEDESTRIAN PLAZA, THE SEATING, AND MAKING IT ACTUALLY CORRELATE TO SOMETHING.
WE ORIGINALLY, UH, DID NOT HAVE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF OUTDOOR SEATING.
MOST OF IT WAS ALONG THE SAN ANTONIO SIDE WITH SOME IN A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SO THE, THE THREE STARS OR THE, THE MAIN LOCATIONS OF, UH, OUTDOOR SEATING, IF YOU STAY ON THE SAN ANTONIO SIDE, THAT'S WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.
THAT'S AROUND THE, THE HOTEL ENTRANCE.
AGAIN, A PLACE TO SIT AND MEET AND WAIT FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND KIND OF HANG OUT FULLY.
THE CENTER STAR IS ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR SEATING THAT CONNECTS TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE CENTER OF THE PROJECT.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, THERE IS A COFFEE SHOP THAT IS ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE PROJECT, AND WE HAVE MADE SURE TO INCORPORATE SEATING THERE.
ALL OF THE OTHER SEATING THAT IS ENCOURAGED IN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WITH THE MULTIPLE TYPES, THE OPEN BACKS, THE TABLES AND CHAIRS THAT CAN BE MOVED OR ALL INCORPORATED INTO THIS PROJECT.
UH, THE, OH, THESE ARE JUST THE PICTURES OF IT.
YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DARK, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ADDITIONAL SEATING WAS ADDED ALONG.
THIS IS THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING ON 18TH STREET.
AND AGAIN, HERE ALONG THE GUADALUPE SIDE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE, UM, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEATING THAT WERE ENCOURAGED.
THE NEXT PIECE TALKS ABOUT, UH, ENCOURAGING OF, UH, WAYFINDING AND ACCESS.
UH, WE WERE SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHERE ARE THE, ARE THERE ACCESS POINTS ON SAN ANTONIO AND GUADALUPE, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WHOA, I'M GONNA SWITCH.
UM, CJ DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS? SO THE, THE OTHER PIECE THAT GOES IN WITH THE PLAZAS IS THE LIGHTING.
UH, WE DID NOT HAVE THIS FOR THE WORKING GROUP PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY GIVEN WHERE WE ARE, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE TO TALK ABOUT.
SO WE HAVE, UM, THE TRADITIONAL GREAT STREETS LIGHTING, UM, IN COORDINATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AT A MAXIMUM OF 88 FEET ON CENTER.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ARCHITECTURAL AWNINGS THAT COMPLEMENT.
UM, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE BACK AND FORTH HOW THAT WILL, UM, LIGHT UP THE PEDESTRIAN REALM.
AND THEN TRADITIONALLY WE HAVE, UH, GFCI OUTLETS AT THE TREES, UM, PER THE GREAT STREET RE REQUIREMENTS TO DO SEASONAL LIGHTING AND DECORATIVE LIGHTING.
AND, UM, I, I THINK BASED ON THE GRADUATE BRAND, WE'LL LIKELY SEE THAT, UM, AS WELL.
SO THE, THE OTHER PIECE THAT THE WORKING GROUP ASKED ABOUT WAS A DA ACCESSIBILITY, GIVEN THE GRADE THAT WE HAVE, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE LIGHTER BROWN ARE THE THREE VALET AREAS, VALET DROP OFF AREAS THAT HAVE AT GRADE ENTRANCES, UH, INTO THE BUILDING.
SO YOU HAVE THREE DISTINCT LEVEL ENTRANCES INTO THE PROJECT.
ALL ENTRANCES ARE A DA ACCESSIBLE.
JILLIAN WOULD LIKE KICK ME IF I DIDN'T
AND THEN THERE ARE DISTINCT PRIMARY ENTRANCES ON THE SAN ANTONIO SIDE AS WELL AS THE GUADALUPE SIDE.
THE, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN SEE IT, THE, THERE'S AN ARROW THAT GOES EAST AND WEST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT.
THAT IS THE, SO IF YOU WERE TO GO INTO THE HOTEL LOBBY, SOMEONE ASKED THIS SPECIFICALLY, HOW WOULD YOU GET TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE? THAT IS A LIFT THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO COME IN, TAKE AN ACCESSIBLE LIFT UP, AND THEN EXIT INTO THE RESTAURANT AREA AND VICE VERSA.
THE GRADUATE IS ALSO KNOWN FOR THEIR UNIQUE WAY FINDING.
THESE ARE A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES, UM, THAT WE FOUND, UM, WE, WE CAN COME UP WITH MORE.
BUT THERE WAS A QUESTION IS HOW IS WAY FINDING? IS IT JUST A LITTLE SIGN? NO, THE GRADUATE DOES.
UM, THEY'RE PROUD OF THEIR PROJECTS AND THEY WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND EXPERIENCE AND UTILIZE THEIR PUBLIC AREAS.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME, IT'S NOT JUST A BORING SIGN.
THERE'S SOME REALLY FUN AND UNIQUE WAYS OF, OF WAY FINDING.
[00:35:05]
I THINK I LOST MYSELF HERE.WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PIECE OF IT IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS PIECE.
THIS, UM, AGAIN, WAS ABOUT THE LOBBY ACTIVATION.
WE DID TALK TO THE GRADUATE TEAM QUITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED HERE, RIGHT? AGAIN, THEY'RE ALL DONE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE AREA, BUT THEY, UM, THEY PROGRAM EXTENSIVELY.
THEY HAVE, UM, THE STAGE AREA IS WHAT WAS ADDED BASED ON THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION.
UH, AND AGAIN, AS JILLIAN MENTIONED, THEY, THEY PULLED SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT THEY'VE USED IN OTHER PROJECTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT BORING, EMPTY AREAS.
WE, WE TALKED THROUGH ALL THIS.
THE ON-SITE PARKING WITH THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CURB CUTS, AS WELL AS THE ADDING OF THE, UM, THE BALLARDS AND THE CURB.
I TALKED A LOT, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAPPENED.
WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
ALL OF THESE AMAZING FOLKS, UM, ON THE SIDE OF THE ROOM ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT JILL AND CJ AND MYSELF CANNOT.
UM, BUT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THIS UNIQUE BRAND TO, TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, IF YOU COMMISSIONERS, REMEMBER LAST MONTH WE MET, WE'RE GONNA DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
SO I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE, OR IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT THIS PROJECT COMPLIES SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, LET, LET'S OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? YEAH, I'M, I'M INTERESTED.
I KNOW THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO THE, THE ENTRIES ALONG, UH, GUADALUPE, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
COULD YOU WALK THROUGH KIND OF THE FUNCTION OF THOSE ENTRANCES AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE BICYCLE PARKING AND THE OTHER AMENITIES BEHIND? SURE, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, SO STARTING ON THE GUADALUPE SIDE, AT THE, UH, NORTHERN MOST SIDE, THAT'S OUR HIGHEST POINT OF ELEVATION ONTO THE SITE.
UM, THE NORTHERN MOST ENTRY, UH, IS THE ACCESS TO THE, UH, ONSITE BIKE STORAGE, UH, INTERNAL TO THE BUILDING.
UM, THAT IS THROUGH AN ACCESSIBLE ENTRY AT THE NORTH.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ENTRIES, AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT YOU SAW THAT'S SLIGHTLY RECESSED.
UM, ON THE NORTHERN PORTION OF GUAD, AS YOU MOVE SOUTH ONTO GUAD, THERE'S A SECONDARY ENTRANCE INTO THE MEMOIR LOBBY, UM, CLOSER TO THE CORNER.
THEN AS YOU TURN THE CORNER, UH, YOU HAVE THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE MEMOIR.
AND THEN AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY FURTHER, UM, TO THE, UH, WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS ALSO THE DOWN SLOPE, YOU HAVE YOUR CENTERED ENTRY TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE, UH, THE, UH, ENTRY TO THE GRADUATE LOBBY.
AND THEN WHEN YOU TURN THE CORNER AGAIN ONTO SAN ANTONIO, THERE'S A SIDE ENTRANCE, UM, OUT FROM THE MAIN LOBBY.
THE INTENT, IF YOU HAVE A, A BEVERAGE OR, UM, SOME FOOD, YOU CAN BRING THAT OUTSIDE TO BE, UM, OUTDOOR SEATING.
AND THEN ONE, TWO, MAKE YOUR WAY NORTH FROM THAT POINT, THAT'S THE VEHICULAR, UM, INGRESS AND EGRESS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SITE.
UM, I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT THERE ARE BIKE LOOPS AROUND THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROPERTY FOR, FOR SHORT-TERM BIKE STORAGE, AS WELL AS THE LONG-TERM BIKE STORAGE WITHIN THE BUILDING.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER CARROLL? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, FIRST QUESTIONS IS, UH, CURIOSITY.
WERE YOU ABLE TO GET THE BILLBOARD REMOVED?
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW YOU DID THAT.
UM, LOOKING AT THIS, THE RENDERING, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
MAYBE THE, THE CORNER AT 18TH IN SAN ANTONIO IS A HOTEL LOBBY, CORRECT? IT IS THE LOBBY.
IT ALSO HAS THE PROGRAMMABLE, UH, MUSIC SPACE.
AND IT ALSO IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE ELEVATED FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
UH, 'CAUSE THE RENDERING ALONG SAN ANTONIO SHOWS A BUNCH OF CAFE TABLES OF PEOPLE SITTING OUT THERE.
SO WE, AND I'M WONDERING WHERE THEY, WHY ARE THEY THERE? IF THERE'S NO, SO THERE IS THE, SO THERE'S THE AVAILABILITY FROM THE GUADALUPE SIDE, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S A COFFEE, THERE'S A FOOD AND BEVERAGE THERE.
[00:40:01]
SO THERE'S SEEDING ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PROJECT, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE AVAILABILITY.SO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE WILL MINGLE OUT INTO THE HOTEL LOBBY.
SO YOU COULD GRAB SOMETHING TO GO AND GO SIT OUTSIDE.
YOU COULD MEET YOUR FRIENDS IN THAT OUTDOOR AREA WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR A TABLE INSIDE, YOU CAN MEET YOUR FRIENDS THERE TO GO UPSTAIRS.
IT'S MEANT TO BE KIND OF A, A AVAILABLE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO, TO HANG.
IT IS, IT WILL NOT HAVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE.
AND THE, QUITE FRANKLY, I MEAN THE, THAT, IF THAT RENDERING, THAT IMAGE FEELS PRETTY UNDERWHELMING.
YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE TREES IN THE PLANTING ZONE THERE, THE SHADING DEVICES ALMOST APPEAR LIKE AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
THEY'RE REALLY HIGH UP AND THEY'RE NOT VERY DEEP.
AND I THINK THE RESPONSE, UNDERSTANDING THE 18TH STREET IS SLOPING GUADALUPE SIDE FEELS VERY MORE COMFORTABLE IN SCALE.
WHEREAS AS YOU SLOWLY WAKE WORK YOUR WAY TO SAN ANTONIO, THAT SCALE GETS GREATER AND GREATER TO WHERE IT REALLY FILLS OUT OF SCALE.
ON THE, ON THAT SIDE, THE, THE, THE AWNINGS APPEAR TO BE, I DON'T KNOW, 16, 18 FEET HIGH, UM, WITH GIANT WINDOWS.
AND SO IT LOSES THAT INTIMACY THAT YOU HAVE ON THE GUADALUPE SIDE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION.
IF THERE'S A WAY TO BRING THE SCALE DOWN, I THINK MAYBE YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANT TO HANG OUT IN THAT AREA, EVEN THOUGH IT PROBABLY LATE LATER IN THE DAY.
UM, UM, WE CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT SURE.
AS TO HOW DESIGN EVOLVED THERE.
'CAUSE THAT WAS A MAJOR TALKING POINT IN WORKING WITH URBAN DESIGN AND, UM, AND THE ARBORIST GROUP.
SO, UM, FIRST THING ON, UM, 18TH STREET, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT SITE SLOPE.
AND SO THE CANOPY LINE THAT WE STRUCK IS ONE THAT JIVED FOR BOTH THE HOTEL SIDE, WHERE WE HAVE A MORE GRAND ENTRY.
AS YOU NOTED, THE CANOPY IS HIGHER UP, THERE'S MORE GLASS TO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, WHICH IS A, UH, MORE INTIMATE SPACE.
AND SO THE LOWER CANOPY WAS PARTLY IN RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND THAT SITE SLOPE IN THE ABILITY FOR A TALLER, MORE GRAY AND HOTEL LOBBY IS, UH, DROVE THE DECISION TO PLACE THAT PART OF THE PROGRAM THERE.
UM, WHERE WE HAVE IT, UM, THE CANOPIES THEMSELVES INITIALLY WERE ACTUALLY, UM, ABOUT DOUBLY DEEP THAN WHAT'S SHOWN HERE.
THERE WAS A BACK AND FORTH WITH THE ARBORISTS ABOUT THE TREE CANOPIES.
UM, SO WE ENDED UP SWITCHING THE SPECIES OF THE TREE TO BE A MORE CONFINED CANOPY, WHICH CJ CAN SPEAK TO.
UM, BUT THE OTHER PART OF THE CANOPY WAS, IS ACTUALLY REDUCING IT ON THEIR REQUEST, UM, TO BRING IT IN.
THEY'RE REALLY, UM, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING SHADE STRUCTURE AND PROTECTION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A HELPFUL DEMARCATION OF THE MAIN ENTRY POINTS INTO THE BUILDING.
THEY'RE EXTENSIVE CANOPIES THAT COVER, UM, THE, BASICALLY THE ENTIRETY OF THE, UH, 18TH STREET FRONTAGE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE OPTED TO KEEP THEM, EVEN THOUGH THE DEPTHS, UM, WERE REDUCED AS PART OF THE DESIGN DISCUSSION.
UM, I'D ALSO SAY WHERE THE CURB CUT THE DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE INTO THE GARAGE, UM, WHERE THERE IS NO TREES, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE EXTENDED AWNINGS THERE TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE WAITING FOR CARS TO COME IN AND OUT OF THAT GARAGE.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I COULDN'T QUITE FIND IT ON HERE, BUT THE, UH, CJ YOU MENTIONED ELEVATED PARKING SPACES.
WHAT MATERIAL IS THAT? IT'S, SO THE, IT'S REALLY A, LIKE A DROP OFF ZONE THAT WOULD BE A VEHICULAR PAVER THAT TRANSITIONS INTO A PEDESTRIAN PAVER.
SO THE DELTA OF THE DIMENSION IS DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE MONOLITHIC SO THAT THE, THE VEHICLES KNOW THAT THIS IS A TEMPORARY LANDING.
UM, AND THE, THE REASON FOR THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS 250, 270 FEET, THERE'S 11 FEET OF GRADE CHANGE.
AND SO IF WE FOLLOWED THE CURB, WE BASICALLY HAVE LIKE A 5%, FIVE PLUS PERCENT CONTINUOUS GRADE, WHICH MAKES REALLY NOTHING HABITABLE.
UH, EVERYTHING WOULD BE ON A SLOPE.
UM, AND BY DOING THIS, WE HAVE CONTROL OF THE CROSS SLOPES, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ROLLING IN BAGS, UM, COMING AND GOING WHILE ALSO ACCOMMODATING THE PEDESTRIAN AT THESE LANDINGS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE A MEANINGFUL SUPPLEMENTAL ZONE.
WE THEN USED A RAMP AND LANDSCAPE TO BE THE ABSORPTION BETWEEN THE CURB AND
[00:45:01]
THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE TO ALLOW FOR THAT, UM, WHAT IS CLOSER TO AN 8% RAMP ZONE IN THAT 10 FOOT PEDESTRIAN ZONE THAT GOES FROM LANDING TO LANDING.UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER TROT.
UM, ECHOING COMMISSIONER CARROLL'S COMMENTS.
UM, APPRECIATE THE REVISIONS TO THE STREETS SCAPE PARTICULARLY, UM, ALONG 18TH, UH, PICKED UP ON SOME REALLY CLEVER, UM, WAYS OF FIGHTING THE GRADE THERE.
UM, THAT, UM, MR. JACKSON JUST WENT OVER, UM, ONE NITPICK ON THAT.
IT WAS, IT WOULD, I WOULD, I, AS A CYCLIST, IT WOULD BE, I THINK MY PREFERENCE TO HAVE THE BIKE RACKS ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING BE ACCESSIBLE FROM THE SIDEWALK.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE BLOCKED BY THE, THE HANDRAILS, WHICH ARE NEEDED FOR, UM, FOR THOSE RAMPS.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT.
IT'S KIND OF A CHALLENGE, UM, BUT, UH, WOULD ENCOURAGE THE DESIGN TEAM TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BUT THAT SAID, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MINOR NITPICK, UH, ON THE STREETSCAPE.
UM, ALL THAT SAID, I'M STILL HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE SUBSTANTIALLY MET THE, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE, THE ACCESSES THAT YOU, THAT YOU WENT OVER, UM, UH, ON GUADALUPE AND, AND SAN ANTONIO, CERTAINLY THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S NEW AND NOT IN THE BACK OF MATERIAL.
THAT'S VERY GOOD TO HEAR THAT WE, WE DO HAVE THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER CARROLL ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SEATING, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEBODY WOULD GET A COFFEE AND GUADALUPE AND THEN THINK TO WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND THE BUILDING.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, AT THIS SITE, RIGHT, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS GOING ON.
WE'VE GOT PROJECT CONNECT COMING ALONG IN GUADALUPE.
WE HAVE THE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE FACING THIS SITE.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WHAT THAT FRONT, UH, YOU CALL IT, PEDESTRIAN, UM, USES, COULD BE.
BUT YOU'RE KIND OF HEDGING ON WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE.
AND RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE THE MORE WE HEDGE ON THAT, THE MORE IT'S GONNA TURN INTO A GIANT HOTEL BAR.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT AN ENTIRE BLOCK THAT IS BASICALLY CONSTITUTED OF, UH, TWO LOBBIES AND A BAR THAT'S, UH, OSTENSIBLY SERVING THOSE.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE DESIGN TEAM TO REALLY LEAN IN AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A STAND OF WHAT THESE SPACES ARE GONNA BE, UM, BEYOND JUST FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK, UH, THE GRADING IS GONNA BE NASTY ON THIS, BUT THE MORE WE CAN LOOK AT MOVING THOSE ENTRANCES TO THE CORNERS AND REALLY HAVING THOSE CORNERS ACTIVATE, UM, THE, THE COFFEE, NOT THE, THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT FEELING LIKE A RESIDENTIAL LOBBY WITH A COFFEE BAR IN IT AND A COFFEE BAR WITH A RESIDENTIAL LOBBY IN IT RIGHT NOW.
AND RIGHT NOW IT FEELS TOO MUCH OF THE FORMER TO ME.
UH, AND THOSE FEEL LIKE SURMOUNTABLE CHANGES, UH, ON THE, ON THE DESIGN THAT WOULD GET ME TO A PLACE WHERE I FELT LIKE WE WERE KIND OF BUILDING THE, THE, THE, THE STREET LIFE THAT WE, THAT WE NEED TO SEE HERE.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE CENTER, THE CENTER, WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THE SITE PLAN, I KIND OF HAD A TOUGH TIME 'CAUSE I KEPT WANTING TO READ THAT AS THE HOTEL ENTRANCE.
UH, IT TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO NAVIGATE THAT, THAT WAS NOT, AND I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE IN SETTING THAT PART OF THE FACADE MIGHT HELP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY IT RELATES TO, UH, THE COURTHOUSE TO THE SOUTH AS SAYING THIS IS BOTH BREAKING UP THE MASSING OF THIS BUILDING AND, AND IDENTIFYING THIS AS A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENTRANCE AND SPACE AND USE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A SUBTLE ADJUSTMENT THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD BOTH MAKING IT VERY CLEAR TO PEOPLE ENTERING THE BUILDING, WHICH ENTRANCE THEY SHOULD USE.
AND ALSO MAKING IT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING ALONG THE BLOCK, MAKING THAT NOT FEEL, UH, SO MONOLITHIC.
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, UM, AND THIS IS, THIS ISN'T REALLY STRICTLY IN ANY ONE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT THINKING ABOUT THIS BUILDING'S VISIBILITY FROM THE NORTH, UH, GUADALUPE, THE DRAGS SORT OF TERMINATES AND JOGS IN A WEIRD FASHION, AS YOU KNOW.
AND THE NORTH FACE OF THIS BUILDING IS GOING TO BE HUGELY PROMINENT, UH, UNTIL THE SEVEN 11 SITE DEVELOPS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE BUILDING THAT AS A SOMEWHAT BACK OF HOUSE IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE DESIGN TEAM TO LOOK AT WAYS OF WRAPPING, UM, THIS VERY ORNATE FACADE YOU HAVE AROUND THOSE CORNERS.
MAYBE PROVIDING SOME, SOME WINDOWS ON THE EDGES OF THAT NORTH BECAUSE THAT EDGE IS GONNA BE VERY PROMINENT ALONG A MAJOR, UH, TRANSIT CORRIDOR.
SO JUST THINKING IN MIND OF, OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OF SAYING WE WANT TO FOCUS MORE ATTENTION ON, UM, THE LONG-TERM QUALITY OF DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS, IT REALLY FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO, UH, CREATE A REALLY, UM, GREAT FACADE.
AND THE, THE, THE CHOICE OF THE BRICKS AND THE REFERENCES OF THE ARCH ARE GREAT.
AND THEN IT SORT OF TURNS THE CORNER AND JUST STOPS.
AND, AND WHAT I WANTED TO NOTE IN THIS HEARING IS THAT THAT CORNER IS GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT WILL BE THE MOST VISIBLE, UM, FROM, FROM THE UNIVERSITY FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
[00:50:01]
UM, I CAN'T NOT SAY THAT I, I CAN, AGAIN, NOT IN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT IT, IT'S SO FRUSTRATING TO ME THAT OUR CURRENT CODE DOES NOT BETTER INCENTIVIZE HAVING SECOND STORY ACTIVATIONS.AND YOU GUYS HAVE SUCH A UNIQUE PARKING GARAGE LAYOUT WHERE YOU ACTUALLY COULD KIND OF GET RID OF THAT FIRST BAY OF PARKING AND HAVE SECOND STORIES TO BOTH YOUR CORNERS.
AND YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY LOST A LOT OF PARKING AND THAT MAY NOT PENCIL ANYMORE.
BUT, UM, TYPICALLY WE SEE A, A, A, YOU KNOW, A ROTATING GARAGE WHERE THAT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE.
AND SUDDENLY THIS PROJECT HAS THE ABILITY TO GO SECOND STORY WITH THOSE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FEASIBLE.
UM, I DON'T, AND I'M NOT CERTAINLY, I'M CERTAINLY NOT SCORING THAT IN MY ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT.
BUT I, I FEEL IT BEARS MENTIONING BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU SAY, THIS IS A, A FLAGSHIP, UM, OF THE BRAND AND THERE IS A, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO REALLY JUST HAVE SOMETHING KILLER, UM, WITH THE, WITH THAT EXTRA SPACE.
UH, SO JUST TO, SO THAT WAS A LOT.
UM, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK ON IT, IT REALLY FEELS TOO LIKE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH LOBBY GOING ON AND THE, THE, THE SPACE AND THAT DIVERSITY USES AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
AND I WANNA TURN THAT ON ITS HEAD, UM, AND, AND, AND ENCOURAGE THE DESIGN TEAM TO PUSH THAT BECAUSE THERE, YOU'VE GOT CAMPUS TO THE NORTH, YOU'VE GOT THE COURTHOUSE TO THE SOUTH, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A LOT OF STREETS SCAPE ACTIVITY HERE.
AND RIGHT NOW I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S A, IT'S A BIG LONG LOBBY.
I MIGHT JUST KIND OF TRY TO ADDRESS TWO OF 'EM REAL QUICKLY.
AND SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE ENCOURAGED WAS HOW SMALL CAN YOU MAKE THE LOBBIES, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM BE OVER HALF OF THE SITE, HOW LITTLE CAN YOU MAKE THEM BUT STILL LET THEM BE A PROGRAMMABLE SPACE? AND SO THE DESIGN TEAM MADE THOSE CHANGES AND WE ALSO HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION OF WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN 'EM, RIGHT? WHAT, 'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE DONE IT AS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ONE BIG USE, BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN EXPLICITLY DESIGNED THAT THAT CAN BREAK UP, IT CAN GO INTO MULTIPLE USES.
IT'S THE BUILDING'S BEEN DESIGNED WITH THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S HARD TO GUESS, RIGHT? WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THINGS GO.
BUT THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED REALLY TO MINIMIZE LOBBIES TO THE EXTENT THAT'S POSSIBLE, MAKE THEM HAVE MULTIPLE USES WHERE THEY ARE.
AND THEN FOR THAT IN-BETWEEN SPACE TO BE ABLE TO BE USED FOR MULTIPLE THINGS.
AND THEN THE ACTIVATION OF SPACES ABOVE THE FIRST FLOOR.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I DIDN'T MENTION ON IT, AND I DON'T THINK JILLIAN DID EITHER, BUT ON THAT 18TH STREET SIDE, IT'S NOT AT THE SECOND FLOOR, BUT THE PROJECT TEAM DID INCORPORATE, I THINK IT'S AT THE SIXTH FLOOR.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THAT BACKSIDE, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE, THAT'S SUPER VISIBLE THAT WE TRIED TO MAKE, UM, AS HUMAN SCALE AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THERE IS ACTIVATED OUTDOOR SPACE ON THE SIXTH FLOOR TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT VERTICAL, UM, INCLUSION THERE.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF AN IN THE WEEDS QUESTION TOO.
'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT STREET COMPLIANCE, WHICH WE LIKE TO PUT SOME AIR QUOTES AROUND THAT HERE UNTIL YOU GET YOUR PERMIT
UM, BUT YOU, WHY ARE YOU NOT USING THE STANDARD GRADE STREET BENCHES? I THINK THE REASON IS BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, IN GREAT STREETS, I BELIEVE THAT'S MORE OF A RECOMMENDATION OF THE FURNISHINGS.
IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO USE THOSE SPECIFIC ONES.
I BELIEVE THERE'S CERTAIN OVERLAY AREAS LIKE SECOND STREET HAS, UM, OR REQUIRED MATERIALITY.
BUT THAT OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS, UM, THAT YOU CAN USE THOSE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO CHANGE IT UP.
BEING THAT THE GRADUATE BRAND IS INCREDIBLY CONTEXTUAL, WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, REALLY PULLING THE INTERIOR DESIGN INTO THE EXTERIOR REALM TO REALLY CELEBRATE MATERIALITY THAT WE CONSIDER, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANECDOTAL AND SUBJECTIVE, BUT AUSTIN VERNACULAR AND THE TEXTURES, UM, THAT ARE ICONIC OF AUSTIN.
UM, OR THE REASON WHY WE CHOSE TO USE AN ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL HELP.
RIGHT? AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION WAS THAT THE PUBLIC REALM WITHIN THE GREAT STREETS AREA FEELS UNIFIED.
SO BEING THAT YOU ARE THE KIND OF GATEWAY TO GREAT STREETS FROM THE NORTH, IT FEELS, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE DECISION TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THE SAKE OF DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHEN THE REST OF, I MEAN, 95% OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA HAS COMPLIED WITH THE STANDARD OF CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN BED.
UH, IT IS LITERALLY NAMED AFTER OUR CITY.
[00:55:01]
SO I JUST, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A, AN AN EASY OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLY, UM, WITH, WITH IT.AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT JILL'S OPINION ON IT IS, UM, WITH OUR DESIGN, BUT I THINK THAT'S A, A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER WILLIS? I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE TABLE AND CHAIR'S POINT, BUT I WAS MOST INTERESTED IN THE RESPONSE TO THAT COMMENT FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
AND I ALSO CAN'T REALLY IMAGINE MYSELF USING THE TABLES THAT AREN'T AT THE COFFEE SHOP.
ONE OF, SO IT SAID, LOOK AT THE WORK OR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO WE WENT BACK AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT AND THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THEMSELVES SAY TO UTILIZE VERY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEATING.
IT SAYS TO HAVE TABLES AND CHAIRS THAT CAN BE MOVED, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, WHICH FRANKLY PROBABLY ISN'T IN MANY OF THE OTHER DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS THAT HAVE TRIED TO DO THIS.
MOST OF THE TIME YOU SEE OUTDOOR, UH, TABLES AND CHAIRS, THEY ARE SYSTEMATICALLY PROGRAMMED FOR SPECIFIC USE.
IN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THEMSELVES, IT SAYS TO HAVE TABLES AND CHAIRS THAT ARE MOVABLE, WHICH THIS ALLOWS YOU TO DO.
IT ALSO SAYS TO HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEATING OPEN BACK SEATING, WHICH AGAIN, THOSE BINGE AND DOS, THAT'S SPECIFICALLY IN THE OPEN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, SO WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMMED FOR THAT USE THE DESIGN GUIDELINES HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU, YOU TO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR ME AND YOU AND THREE OF OUR FRIENDS TO GO TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WE CAN PULL TWO CHAIRS TOGETHER AND USE IT WITHOUT HAVING SOMEBODY STANDING OVER US TELLING US TO ORDER A COFFEE.
SO THAT, THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
AND AGAIN, UM, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A COFFEE FROM GUADALUPE AND WALK DOWN THERE, YOU CAN, BUT THERE WAS, IT WAS ALSO INTENTIONAL TO HAVE THOSE GATHERING SPACES THAT WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMMABLE.
UM, I THINK THAT THE CAFE TABLES AND CHAIRS WORK GREAT AT THE COFFEE SHOP SIDE.
I THINK SHOWING THEM AT THE RESTAURANT IN THE MIDDLE IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT I'M REALIZING IS WHAT IT'S LACKING IS THAT THAT RESTAURANT IS NOT ENGAGING THE PUBLIC.
A FEW TABLES AND CHAIRS IN FRONT OF THE WINDOWS DON'T DO THAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, THAT THE WHOLE FACADE IS NOT LOBBY AND THAT THERE IS A, A, A RESTAURANT SPACE THERE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST SEEMS LIKE INDOOR OUTDOOR AND THERE'S THIS FLAT FACADE ALONG ALL OF 18TH STREET, UM, WHERE THERE COULD BE MAYBE AN INSET WITH SOME SEATING THAT'S INDOOR OUTDOOR OR SOMETHING THAT BETTER ENGAGES.
UM, 'CAUSE THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THERE WAS A COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONER WHIR ABOUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, POSITIONING STUFF ON THE CORNER ALONG GUADALUPE, LIKE, NO ONE'S WALKING DOWN 18TH STREET UNLESS THEY'RE GOING SPECIFICALLY TO THIS BUILDING.
PEOPLE ARE WALKING DOWN GUADALUPE, AND YOU WANT TO PULL THEM INTO THIS SPACE.
UM, AND I THINK, YEAH, I JUST THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY WITH, WITH THE SPACES THAT YOU ALREADY ALREADY HAVE IN THE BUILDING EVEN.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT IN OUR WORKING GROUP, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY COMPONENT OF IT.
AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UM, THE WAY TO GET FROM THIS HOTEL LOBBY TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE IS, IS THROUGH THIS, THIS, WHERE I'M SEEING IS JUST A ROOM THAT HAS ELEVATOR.
THIS ELEVATOR LOBBY, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S AN ELEVATOR THAT OPENS ON BOTH DOORS.
IT ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PLAN, THE INTENT OF THE LOBBY AND THE F AND B IS TO ENGAGE ONE ANOTHER AND SPILL INTO ONE ANOTHER.
SO THERE'S A SET OF STEPS, UM, ALSO IN THE FRONT OF HOUSE THAT CONNECTS THE TWO VERY VISIBLY.
THE ELEVATOR, UM, IS A THROUGH AND THROUGH TO BE THE ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT FIVE FEET OF HEIGHT DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE TWO SPACES.
I SEE, I SEE A DOUBLE-SIDED ELEVATOR WHEN I ZOOM IN TO HERE.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, IN ORDER TO GET TO THE COFFEE SHOP, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE EXTERIOR, RIGHT? THERE'S NO DIRECT CONNECTION? CORRECT.
THE MEMOIR LOBBY IS INTENTIONALLY SEPARATED FROM THE HOTEL USES.
UM, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY ON THIS HOTEL LOBBY, YOU KNOW, WALKING INTO THIS SPACE, HOW DO YOU CHECK IN? THERE'S A FRONT DESK, UH, IN FRONT OF THE ELEVATOR CORE, UH, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE, UH, MAIN ENTRY.
YOU COULD PROBABLY SEE IT IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THE, UM, FFNE LAYOUTS ON THE PLAN,
[01:00:01]
BUT THAT WOULD BE THE FRONT DESK.I'M SEEING A LOT OF SITTING AREAS.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF I DON'T SEE A DESK, BUT, UM, I JUST SEE A COUPLE CLOSETS OR COULD YOU PLEASE PUT UP SLIDE 52? THANK YOU.
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THIS YEAH, THE SPACE WOULD ACTUALLY WORK IF THEY WERE TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU'D HAVE A CHECK-IN DESK THERE AND HOW IT WOULD WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE PERFORMANCE AREA AND SOME OF THE SEATING.
UM, IF IT, WE'LL JUST BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU IN JUST A SEC.
COULD YOU ZOOM LIKE WAY ZOOM ONTO THE PURPLE ON THE LEFT, PLEASE? MAYBE.
SO IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM, UH, YEAH, THERE IS FF AND E AND THEN JUST NORTH OF THAT IS THE, UH, RECEPTION DESK.
UH, THE WALL TO THE NORTH OF THAT WOULD BE THE, THE BACKDROP FOR THE RECEPTION DESK WITH THE BIG GRADUATE MARKING, SO THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR WHEN YOU WALK IN THAT YOU'RE IN A GRADUATE SPACE.
AND THEN THE, UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FFF AND E UM, GATHERING SPACES.
SO THE LARGER COMMUNAL TABLES, UM, AT THE CORNER TRY TO KEEP THAT ACTIVITY.
AND THEN SMALLER, LIKE INTIMATE SPACES FOR, UM, CLUSTERS OF, YOU KNOW, 3, 4, 5, UM, AROUND THE, UH, OTHER PORTIONS OF THE LOBBY, THE POTENTIAL KIND OF FLEX SPACE FOR, UM, MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, UH, DO SOUTH.
AND THEN, UM, YOU COULD SEE NOW THAT WE'RE ZOOMED IN A LITTLE BIT CLOSER THE STAIR CONNECTION AT THE FRONT OF HOUSE BETWEEN THE, UM, F AND B PORTION AND THE LOBBY ITSELF.
JILLIAN, IT'S ACCURATE THAT THE, WHEN YOU WALK STRAIGHT THROUGH THOSE DOORS, IT'S DIRECTLY TO THE NORTH OF THAT, RIGHT? EVEN THOUGH YEAH.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT SEATING AREA.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS A, SOME SORT OF SEATING, ANOTHER SEATING AREA
UM, I THINK THAT WAS, THOSE WERE MY, THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS WAS ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH THIS SPACE, UH, HOW WE GET FROM ONE POINT TO THE OTHER WITHOUT HAVING TO GO OUTSIDE THROUGH THE EXTERIOR.
UM, OF COURSE I SHARE THE SAME CONCERN AND SAME AS A WORKING GROUP ABOUT THE SEATS ON THE EXTERIOR ON SAN ANTONIO SIDE, NOT HAVING DIRECT ACCESS TO THE HOTEL LOBBY.
UM, AND YEAH, UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ACTUALLY PUTTING A TABLE THERE AND MAINTAINING THAT SEEMS, UH, YEAH, VERY DIFFICULT.
UH, YOU KNOW, TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GET DONE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT.
ARE WE, UM, READY TO TAKE A VOTE? ARE COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE, I THINK A SUBSTITUTE MOTION AFTER OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS, UM, THAT THE PROJECT DOES SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD LIKE A FEW MODIFICATIONS NOTED, UM, TO KINDA CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF OUR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
UM, SO WE'D LIKE THE, UM, OUT OF SCALE, UM, PEDESTRIAN GATHERING ALONG SAN ANTONIO MODIFIED.
WE WOULD LIKE TO ECOR ENCOURAGE, UM, CORNER ENTRANCES TO EXPAND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ONTO SAN ANTONIO AND GUADALUPE.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO ENHANCE THE NORTH FACADE TO ENCOURAGE A MORE ACTIVE NORTHEAST CORNER TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARD BENCHES AND, UH, TO ENCOURAGE, UM, OUTDOOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE ALONG 18TH TO ACT, UM, ENHANCE THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE INTO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE AREA.
THAT'S A LOT, THAT IS A LOT TO SAY, BUT I HAVE THEM WRITTEN DOWN SO I CAN, UM, I WOULD SECOND THAT
ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BASED ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
SO I NEED TO READ YOUR SUBSTITUTE MOTION
UH, CAN I, CAN I READ IT OR IS JUST THE CHAIR? I'LL HAVE TO READ IT.
I DON'T, CAN SHE READ IT? YES.
[01:05:01]
SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS THAT THE PROJECT DOES SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.HOWEVER, WE WOULD LIKE A FEW MODIFICATIONS MADE, UM, NOTED TO STAFF.
UM, SO WHEN THEY REVIEW THE PROJECT, WE WOULD LIKE THE, UM, OUT OF SCALE PEDESTRIAN GATHERING SPACE ALONG SAN ANTONIO TO BE BROUGHT BACK INTO SCALE, UH, TO ENCOURAGE CORNER ENTRANCES TO EXPAND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO SAN ANTONIO AND GUADALUPE TO ENHANCE THE NORTH FACADE, TO ENCOURAGE AN ACTIVE NORTHEAST CORNER TO USE THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARD BENCHES AND TO EXPAND FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE ALONG 18TH TO ENHANCE THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE TO THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE AREA.
SO WE'LL SEND OUR RECOMMENDATION OVER TO, UH, STAFF.
THANK Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE, UM, IN THE DISCUSSION.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE TO OUR NEXT ITEM FOR STAFF? UH, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM APPLICATION WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP UP.
IS THAT JUST AN OVERSIGHT, OR ARE YOU NOT PROVIDING THAT ANYMORE? NO, I, SORRY.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S CONFUSING, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENT APPLICATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS FOR, THAN THERE IS DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE USED TO GET BOTH, SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
UM, YEAH, WE CAN INCLUDE THE, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, APPLICATION STANDARD.
THAT WOULD BE STANDARD HELPFUL.
BECAUSE THERE'S INFORMATION ON IT THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS, THAT THAT WOULD HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS HAD MENTIONED THAT EARLIER AND THAT REALLY STRUCK A CHORD WITH ME.
I THINK IT'S CONFUSING THE WAY CERTAIN THINGS ARE WORDED, BUT NOTED.
UM, AS FAR AS THE FORMAT OF THE FEEDBACK, GIVEN OUR NEW, UM, OUR NEW, UH, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT SYS, UH, NOT SYSTEM, IT'S THE OLD SYSTEM THAT WE'RE ADHERING TO VERY CLEARLY.
UM, IS THE FEEDBACK PROVIDED ON THAT LAST ONE HELPFUL? AND IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT FEEDBACK MORE, UM, DIRECT IMPLEMENTABLE AND, UM, AND SUPPORT YOUR Y'ALL'S PROCESS? THIS WAS GREAT.
UM, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE, UH, IF, IF NICOLE WANTS TO CHIME IN TOO, BUT THIS WAS REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE, AGAIN, LIKE THE CONVERSATION IS SOMETHING I TAKE NOTES ON, BUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE IN THE RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY HELPFUL.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL FELT ABOUT THE FLOW, BUT IT SEEMED TO WORK REALLY WELL TO BE ABLE TO START WITH THE MOTION AND THEN HAVE DISCUSSION, AND THEN HAVE, IN THIS CASE, A SUBSTITUTE MOTION COME IN.
THAT WAS REALLY INFORMED BY THE DISCUSSION.
IT JUST, IT REALLY FELT, UM, EVEN JUST FOR ME LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, I'LL DISCUSS THIS WITH MY TEAM, UH, FOR COMPLIANCE.
UM, THE FORMAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL AND IT, IT WAS REALLY, I, YES, I WOULD SAY INCLUDING THOSE COMMENTS IN A RECOMMENDATION, UM, ARE POWERFUL FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
CAN WE ALSO REQUEST THAT YOU GUYS, UH, AFTER YOU'VE HAD A TALK, A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE, THAT FORMAT AND THE WAY THAT WE WORDED EVERYTHING WITH YOUR TEAM, THAT YOU COME BACK WITH FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN BETTER, YOU KNOW, TARGET OUR LANGUAGE AND EVERYTHING TO HELP YOU GUYS AS, UM, STRATEGIES, OR, SORRY, YOUR, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
[2. Staff briefing regarding the Urban Design Guidelines Update Engagement Plan. Presented by Sophia Benner, Planning Department.]
STAFF BRIEFING, UH, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE ENGAGEMENT PLAN.I'M TAKING A NOTE ON
[01:10:01]
COMMISSION MEETING, AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATES, JORGE HAD PRESENTED ON DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.AND THEN THAT BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE.
SO I WOULD SAY I DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO WALK THROUGH A COUPLE DOCUMENTS.
I DID CREATE A PRESENTATION JUST SO THERE'S SOMETHING UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, BUT REALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE BACKUP THAT I THINK WAS CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE PDF IS THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, DRAFT FRAMEWORK THAT I THINK FOR A LOT OF NEW COMMISSIONERS, MAYBE THAT'S NEW.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE.
I, I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS IN THERE.
IF, IF NOT, I DO HAVE A SLIDE WHERE I, I MENTIONED SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, SO JUST KIND OF LIKE BRINGING THE FORMAT KIND OF BACKGROUND BACK INTO THE PICTURE OF, OF HOW WE GOT HERE.
THERE'S THE RESOLUTION, THERE'S THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK, AND THEN I DID, UH, DRAFT AN ENGAGEMENT PLAN, UM, WHICH I WOULD LOVE TO GET IN A DEEPER CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT WITH THE WORKING GROUP, BUT I'M HAPPY THAT, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY THAT BROUGHT THAT UP TO JUST HAVE A MOMENT AT THE DESIGN COMMISSION WHERE WE COULD TALK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT.
SO STARTING WITH THE RESOLUTION AND HIGHLIGHTING, UM, A SENTENCE IN THERE THAT I THINK YOU HAVE SEEN MANY TIMES BEFORE AT THIS POINT, THIS WAS THAT DIRECTING RESOLUTION, UM, AND IT CALLS FOR INCLUSIVE AND ROBUST MULTI-PHASED STAKEHOLDER PROCESS.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY PULLED FROM THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND NOW I'M JUST KIND OF READING FROM THE DOCUMENT, UM, BUT IN THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK, THERE IS OF COURSE, THE BACKGROUND, HOW THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CAME TO BE AND WHY, LIKE WHY IT NEEDS AN UPDATE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UM, AND ACTUALLY IT, DO YOU MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE? YEAH.
SO THIS IS PULLED FROM THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK.
UM, SO THE PLAN, THE WORK PLAN IN THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK, UH, DOES OUTLINE SOME STEPS FOR AN INCLUSIVE AND ROBUST PROCESS.
THAT LANGUAGE IS THEN IN THE RESOLUTION, UH, THAT WAS PASSED IN 2021.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF GOING, JUMPING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THOSE.
I'LL SAY I LOOKED AT THIS DOCUMENT, THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK, AND THEN, UM, WORK THAT COMMISSIONER CARROLL HAD SENT ME THAT THE WORKING GROUPS HAD WORKED ON AS FAR AS, UM, THERE'S THE DRAFT GUIDELINES, BUT THERE WERE ALSO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WERE WORKED ON, UM, THE CORE VALUES, SOME OF THE NARRATIVE BEING CRAFTED.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THIS ON A SLIDE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE REALLY TINY, SO I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON YOUR COMPUTER, BUT I DO WANNA GO TO JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
IS EVERYONE ABLE TO SEE IT IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL? IT IS PAGE SIX.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW HERE, AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHERE SOME IDEAS OR QUESTIONS, UM, COME UP.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A DRAFT THAT I CREATED, I WENT OVER WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN COMMUNICATION.
AND THEN FROM HERE, THE INTENT IS TO FINALIZE THIS WORKSHOP, FINALIZE WITH THE WORKING GROUP, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY DISCUSS HERE TONIGHT.
BUT WHAT YOU SEE IN THE VERY BEGINNING, UM, ARE THE FIVE CORE VALUES.
SO I TOOK A STAB AT DEFINING THOSE,
[01:15:01]
AND BELOW THAT OUTLINED IN THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK, UM, THERE IS MESSAGING AROUND THE ENGAGEMENT THAT IT WOULD BE TAILORED AROUND THREE GROUPS.AND SO PULLING FROM THAT IDEA, THE GROUPS ARE, HAVE A DESIGN FOCUS, SO THAT MEANS ARCHITECTS, URBAN PLANNERS, PROFESSIONALS, PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
THAT IS A LIST THAT I CAME UP WITH, UM, AND IT WAS AS, AS EXTENSIVE AS I COULD COME UP WITH.
BUT, UM, I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE PRETTY AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP.
UM, THE NEXT GROUP IS TECHNICAL FOCUS, SO THAT'S GONNA BE STAFF FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, DIFFERENT AGENCIES, MAYBE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND YOU SEE THE LIST THERE IN ORANGE AND BELOW THAT INTEREST GROUPS.
SO MAYBE DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS, TENANTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THE LIST THERE, UH, IN BLUE, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GONNA BE SOME OVERLAP, BUT IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL AS FAR AS THINKING ABOUT ENGAGEMENT AND WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT NEED TO BE, UH, ENGAGED IN THESE THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS, PARTICULARLY WHEN, UM, MOVING KIND OF TO THE RIGHT WHERE I WAS THINKING OF POTENTIAL ENGAGEMENT, UM, METHODS.
SO MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, JUST LIKE THIS BODY HERE, UM, HAS PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT? LIKE DIFFERENT PROJECTS COME TO DESIGN COMMISSION TO, UH, GET FEEDBACK ON THEIR PROJECTS, AND THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THEIR OWN PROCESS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR COMMISSIONERS TO GO TO THESE DIFFERENT BODIES THAT HAVE MEETINGS, UM, AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE, FOR EXAMPLE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU'RE TAKING QUESTIONS OR NOT, OR IF I HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE YEAH, I THINK THROUGH THE CHAIR.
AND SORRY, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO OPEN UP A BOX OF SOMETHING HERE, BUT IT'S OKAY.
THERE WAS ENGAGEMENT DONE PREVIOUSLY, CORRECT? YES.
AND THESE WERE THE GROUPS THAT WE MET WITH OR WHOMEVER MET WITH.
THERE HAS BEEN ENGAGEMENT DONE.
I'M NOT THE BEST PERSON TO SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE, UM, A LOT OF THE COMMISSIONERS HERE LED THAT ENGAGEMENT.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD RECONCILED, BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RECONCILED WITH WHEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, AND ALSO DIFFERENT PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT, THOSE SAME STAKEHOLDERS DON'T NEED TO BE ENGAGED AGAIN, BUT MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE, TYPICALLY, WHEN WE DO AN ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WE START WITH VALUES, SO UNDERSTANDING OUR STAKEHOLDERS VALUES.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND THAT WAS DONE BEFORE WE STARTED THIS PROCESS.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING BACK OUT TO THEM ESSENTIALLY WITH THE VISION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE TIMELINE.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS SOME JUMPING AROUND.
SO I THINK, I KNOW THAT I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED IF I'M GONNA BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT ALL HAS BEEN DONE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THEN ALSO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS WHAT THE PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY LOOK LIKE.
I THINK GENERALLY WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT THEN DIVING INTO THE WEEDS, UM, WHAT THERE'S, WHO THEY ARE, AND THERE'S ALSO HOW WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE THEM.
AND AS Y'ALL KNOW, DIVING IN SPECIFICALLY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, UM, AND WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS NOT ONLY FROM THE COMMISSION, BUT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TALK TO, UM, AND WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE.
SO, SO JUST TO, I GUESS, GIVE SOME MORE THOUGHT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT A REALLY GREAT GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS HERE, AND THEN, SO NOW YOU'RE GETTING FEEDBACK AND I GUESS MAYBE EVERYONE'S READ THROUGH THIS, BUT WHETHER WE'RE GONNA GO TO THEM OR IF WE CAN SET UP A WORKSHOP FOR THEM TO COME TO US, IS THAT AN OPEN QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING US? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I, AGAIN, I WAS TRYING TO KIND OF WRAP MY MIND AROUND THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN SINGULARLY.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANNA IMPOSE ON ANYONE, IT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS AROUND KIND OF BEST PRACTICE WITH WHAT WE HAVE HERE, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, THE UPDATE, WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE, WHAT OUR TOOLS ARE, WHAT OUR REALISTIC CAPABILITIES ARE WITH YEAH.
UM, AND, AND SO THIS WAS KIND OF WHAT I CAME UP WITH, AND THIS IS WHAT I WANNA WORKSHOP WITH THE COMMISSION AND WITH THE
[01:20:01]
WORKING GROUP THAT, UM, IF YOU SLIDE OVER TO THE RIGHT AND YOU SEE THE TIMELINE, UM, SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED WAS CREATING THAT WORKING GROUP.UM, LAST, YOU KNOW, LAST MEETING, THE WORKING GROUP WAS CREATED TO KIND OF SHEPHERD THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE GUIDELINES PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT GROUP.
FIRST REACTION WOULD BE THAT IT FEELS LIKE, UM, A LOT OF FOCUS GROUPS IF WE WERE GONNA INDIVIDUALLY GO TO THEM.
UM, SO PREFERENCE FOR ME WOULD BE AN OPEN HOUSE THAT GROUPS THEM INTO SPECIFIC, AN OPEN HOUSE CHARETTE FORMAT.
IT'S POSSIBLE WE COULD DO FOCUS GROUPS WITH INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A HEAVY LIFT.
I WANNA ADD A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND HERE SO THAT THERE'S MANY PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT.
THE, THE FIRST PHASE WHEN WE, AFTER THE PLAN WAS ADOPTED WAS WE REACHED OUT TO MANY OF THESE GROUPS IN, IN, IN ALL THREE OF THESE CATEGORIES.
UM, AND WE DID A PUBLIC CALL AND WE SENT THAT CALL TO MANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE WRITING THAT IF, IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE MORE BUY-IN THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE FACT SAYING, HERE AGREED TO ALL THIS.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT.
NOW THAT WE'RE WRAPPING UP THAT THE FIRST PHASE, WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE WORK TO DO ON THAT, THE FIRST, UH, DRAFT.
UM, YEAH, WE WANT TO ENGAGE THE STAKEHOLDERS AGAIN, AND I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO BE MULTIFACETED.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A COMMUNITY EVENT WHERE THEY CAN COME AND THEN, MUCH LIKE WE DID WITH THE, UH, WITH THE CALL, I THINK WE NEED TO PUT THE DRAFT ON TO LIKE SPEAK UP OR SOMETHING AND LET FOLKS WHO CAN'T COME TO THE COMMUNITY EVENT, UH, POST ANY COMMENTS THEY HAVE, UH, ON THAT FORUM.
UM, AND THEN WE GO TO A SECOND DRAFT AND KIND OF DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE DONE THE FIRST VALUES.
AND THEN, SO WHEN YOU SAY A COMMUNITY EVENT, DO YOU MEAN ONE EVENT FOR ALL THREE GROUPS TO ATTEND, OR AN INDIVIDUAL EVENT FOR EACH ONE OF THE GROUPS? AND WE CAN DEFINE WHAT EVENT MEANS LATER.
NO, I'M THINK ONE EVENT, ONE EVENT PER PER DRAFT WITH SOME TYPE OF A TOOL FOR THEM TO COMMENT, WHICH I THINK IS OUTLINED IN HERE AS WELL.
BOTH COMMENT AT THE, AT THE MEETING, BUT RIGHT.
ALSO COMMENT ONLINE EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE MEETING AND, OH, GO, GO AHEAD,
UM, YEAH, AS, AS FAR AS HOLDING ONE EVENT, UM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION REALLY WANTS TO DO, AND IT IS SOMETHING I WAS DISCUSSING WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN COMMUNICATION, CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF THIS WORK, UM, AND HOW SPECIFIC IT IS BOTH IN THE SCOPE AND ALSO THE AUDIENCE.
I, I DO REALLY WANNA RECOMMEND, UM, GIVING PRESENTATIONS, LIKE THAT'S THE, MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, UM, ENGAGEMENT METHOD AND GOING TO THEM.
AND THEN I DO THINK THAT FOCUS GROUPS, AND NOT WITH JUST ONE SPECIFIC STAKEHOLDER, BUT REALLY THINKING OF THE THREE CAMPS OF STAKEHOLDERS, UM, IS GONNA BE A VERY APPROPRIATE WAY TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR, AT LEAST WHEN I HEAR THE WORD COMMUNITY EVENT OR A PUBLIC MEETING, THAT IS SOMETHING DEALING WITH A DIFFERENT SCALE.
UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD, YEAH.
WELL, THE, THE DOWNSIDE TO THAT IS WHO DO YOU CHOOSE AND WHO DO YOU LEAVE OUT? RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T DO A HUNDRED PRESENTATIONS.
AND SO IF YOU CHOOSE SOME AND NOT OTHERS, HOW DOES THAT LOOK? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE IT IS, IT COULD BE LOOKING AT, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING A HUNDRED PRESENTATIONS, WHAT IS REALISTIC WITH, RIGHT.
WHAT COMMISSIONERS CAN DO, WHAT IS REALISTIC
[01:25:01]
ALSO WITH POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, ONE METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT THAT I THINK WILL WORK REALLY WELL ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE IS, IS CIRCULATING A DRAFT.SO THAT'S OF COURSE, SOMETHING THAT STAFF CAN REALLY HELP WITH, UM, IS GETTING COMMENTS THAT WAY.
UM, THAT IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE LESS INTENSIVE FOR COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND THEN WHEN I THINK OF THE WORKSHOP OR THE FOCUS GROUP, IT CAN ALSO BE BROAD, MAYBE SIMILAR TO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING OF A, A COMMUNITY EVENT OR LIKE A PUBLIC MEETING.
I JUST, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IT TAKES TO TRULY GET RANDOM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO NOT STAKEHOLDERS, BUT RANDOM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE AND CARE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF, UM, WORK IS, IS, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE COST BENEFIT IS THERE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT DONE ALREADY, AND SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH AND WE HEAR A LOT IS ENGAGEMENT FATIGUE, AND HOW CAN WE DO BETTER AS A CITY TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT INVOLVED ENGAGEMENT WITH CERTAIN GROUPS, THAT THERE'S SO MUCH OVERLAP AND WHAT, WHAT DO WE KNOW ALREADY? UM, I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA COME FROM STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
A LOT OF THESE GROUPS HAVE A LOT OF DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING OR WORKING IN DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK THAT THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD REPRESENT THOSE VOICES.
THAT IS THE IDEA OF A LOT OF THESE GROUPS.
I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE, MORE THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS.
UM, SO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE THAT YOU HAVE HERE, THERE ARE SOME, UH, DELIVERABLES THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED.
UM, SO AS FAR AS CRAFTING THE NARRATIVE THAT'S BEEN DONE, CORRECT, I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ON HERE THAT HAVE BEEN INCORRECT AND SOME THAT MAYBE ARE PENDING.
UM, IT, I'M, I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE HOW MUCH OF THE NARRATIVE HAS BEEN CRAFTED, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, VERY EASILY ACHIEVED AS A COHESIVE GROUP, LIKE IN THE WORKING GROUP, RIGHT? I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK I HAVE THE SECOND MOST TENURE ON THE COMMISSION NOW, AND SO I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF NOT ONLY THE COMMISSION, BUT ALSO STAFF.
AND IT DOES SEEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GUIDANCE THAT WE GET, UM, SEEMS TO BE SOLIDIFIED.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY MOVEMENT OR ANY CHANGE, THEN WE KIND OF GO BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.
SO I, I THINK THAT THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
AND JUST LOOKING AT THESE, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD REALLY ROBUST CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE NARRATIVE.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE DEFINED THE CORE VALUES, THOSE ARE EXPLICITLY STATED.
UM, AS FAR AS ENGAGEMENT PLAN, I THINK OUR INITIAL ENGAGEMENT PLAN WAS TO REACH OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHICH WE DID THROUGH SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, DID REACH OUT TO, UH, DIFFERENT INDUSTRY LEADERS, UM, STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, SO THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN EVERYTHING FROM THE ONE TO THREE MONTH TIMEFRAME.
I THINK MAYBE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LIKE THIS NEXT PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, WHICH I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD CERTAINLY, UH, UNDERSTAND LIKE WHO WE NEED TO GET THIS DRAFT IN FRONT OF.
I THINK FOR ME, LIKE THE TIMELINE AT THIS POINT IS TO REALLY WORK ON OUR DRAFT WITH THE INPUT THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, GET THAT TO STAKEHOLDERS AS PART OF KIND OF THAT SECONDARY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE OTHER, UM, ITEMS IN HERE, UH, UH, LET'S SEE.
SO FORMULATING DESIGN PILLARS, I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT'S IN THE SIX TO 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME, IF THAT'S JUST PART OF DRAFTING THE GUIDELINES.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE OR MAYBE WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY THOUGHT IS THAT I THINK ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO TIGHTEN THIS TIMELINE WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE AND JUST TO GIVE NOT ONLY CREDENCE TO THE INPUT THAT WE'VE HAD UP TO THIS POINT, BUT ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MORE THAT WE EXTEND THE TIMELINE, THE MORE WE HAVE THAT POSSIBILITY OF JUST GOING BACK CYCLICALLY AND NEVER REALLY MAKING ANY PROGRESS.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, I THINK A GOOD FIRST STEP, SINCE WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE STAKEHOLDERS OUTLINED, IT'S A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE LIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER THE PRESENTATION, HAVING THE WORKING GROUP DO THAT, AGREEING ON WHAT THE PRESENTATION IS, AND EMAILING THAT TO
[01:30:01]
ALL OF THESE GROUPS.WE, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMEONE LISTED FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE THAT, THAT WE CAN SEND THAT TO.
UM, AND ALLOW FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, GIVE, GIVE THEM A DEADLINE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED YOUR COMMENTS BACK BY X DATE.
UM, SO THAT'S OUR FIRST LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT IS YOU GOT THE EMAIL, WE CAN PROVE YOU GOT THE EMAIL, UM, AND WE NEED YOUR COMMENTS THAT WAY.
UM, HAVING ONE LARGE MEETING THAT WE INVITE EVERYONE TO, UM, MAYBE YOU HAVE TWO MEETINGS IN CASE SOMEONE CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE FIRST ONE.
I MEAN, THAT'S SEVERAL LAYERS OF COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE CAN NOW GIVE, UM, MAY PUT THE PRESENTATION UP ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN, AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO COMMENT THROUGH THAT.
I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU, YOU TALK TO ABOUT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JOE AND JOE OR JANE, WHOMEVER, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS VERY TECHNICAL DOCUMENT WHO WOULD MAKE COMMENTS AS JUST RANDOM PEOPLE.
I THINK THIS LIST OF PEOPLE WHO, I MEAN, WE SEE THE SAME THREE ATTORNEYS COME TO EVERY PRESENT, EVERY PROJECT, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE TECHNICAL PEOPLE, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES WHO SEND PEOPLE TO MAKE COMMENTS, I THINK, UM, ON THIS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING, ALLOWING IT TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION WEBSITE AS THE FIRST DRAFT AND ALLOW FOR TO SPEAK UP AWESOME COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT'S THREE LAYERS OF COMMENT RECEIPT, POTENTIALLY FOUR, IF YOU EXPAND IT TO TWO MEETINGS.
UM, PEOPLE CAN ALSO COME HERE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN COME AND SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC CON, I MEAN, I'M FIVE MEETINGS IN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE SECOND TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, AND ALSO LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT, THAT THERE IS TIME AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETINGS TO COME AND, AND SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK.
THAT'S FOUR LAYERS OF, OF COMMENTS.
AND, AND I DO WANT TO, TO ADD ONTO WHAT, UM, VICE CHAIR MINOR WAS SAYING ABOUT ENGAGEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
AND THERE WAS A BIG EFFORT, I THINK, UM, ON COMMISSIONER'S PARTS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND THERE WAS SOMETHING ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN, AND I THINK IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE ENGAGED, BUT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO GET SOME COMMUNITY BA AMBASSADORS ON BOARD AND KIND OF DIG A LITTLE DEEPER, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO SOME OF THAT ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN DONE.
AND YEAH, I, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA DISCREDIT ANY OF THAT.
AND I'M, I WANTED TO MAKE THIS VERY SIMPLE SO THAT WE COULD JUST LOOK AT IT TONIGHT AND NOT LOOK AT THE OTHER VERSION THAT I HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, POINTS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLANS AND POLICIES.
AND, UM, THE PILLARS WERE DEFINITELY DEFINED.
UM, I DID EDIT THEM
AND I WOULD LIKE TO WORK MORE WITH THE COMMISSION, WITH THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I THINK THIS, I WANTED TO HELP WITH SOME MOMENTUM.
AND SO THIS IS A VERY EDITABLE, A VERY EDITABLE APPROACH TO THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
AND, AND NOT COMPREHENSIVE 'CAUSE IT'S, I'M, I'M NOT FULLY INCLUDING, UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT COMMISSIONERS DID.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, I WANT TO, I SHOULD HAVE LED WITH THIS, AND I APOLOGIZE.
THIS IS VERY HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE COMING IN MID-PROCESS, LIKE THE GRAPHIC FORMAT OF THIS AND LIKE, JUST LAYING IT ALL OUT THERE, LIKE YOU CAME WITH IDEAS.
AND SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
IT WAS EASY TO, YOU KNOW, PICK AT SOME THINGS, BUT IT'S ONLY EASY TO PICK AT SOME THINGS 'CAUSE THERE'S SOME THINGS TO PICK AT.
UH, AND SO I THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
I KNOW IT'S A, IT WAS A BIG EFFORT.
AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEHIND THAN, UM, VICE CHAIR MINERS AND COMMISSIONER CARROLL, COMMISSIONER BROOK.
UH, JUST QUICKLY TO SAY I, UM, I SUPPORT WHAT COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY SAID, UM, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, VICE CHAIR MINORS.
I THINK WE CAN COMPRESS THE SCHEDULE.
UH, I THINK THAT THOSE SORT OF THREE OR FOUR OUTREACH TYPES CAN BE DONE CONCURRENTLY.
UM, THE, THE PUMP IS ALREADY PRIMED ON THE DESIGN.
UH, I MEAN, AS I WAS A, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE DESIGN COMMUNITY WHO, UH, WAS REPEATEDLY ASKED TO BE ON, ON, ON A WORKING GROUP, UM, BEFORE I WAS ON THE COMMISSION THAT, SO I WAS WITNESS TO THE LEGWORK THAT COMMISSIONERS
[01:35:01]
HAD ALREADY PUT IN.SO I THINK THAT GROUP KNOWS THIS IS COMING.
THEY WILL KNOW HOW THEY WILL BE ABLE TO STEP INTO IT WITH VERY LITTLE, UH, PREP.
SO I, I THINK WE CAN COMPRESS AND, AND, UH, LOOK AT, UM, REACHING OUT, UH, VIA THOSE DIFFERENT FORMATS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
IF WE DO REACH OUT TO, UH, THESE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND WE GET LITTLE FEEDBACK, UM, WHAT OBLIGATIONS DO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE, UH, REACHING OUT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE, EVEN IF WE HAD A IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT MEETING, UM, OR JUST AN ONLINE, YOU KNOW, SURVEY TYPE DEAL.
AND IF WE GET VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK, IS IT, WELL, WE, WE DID OUR PART REACHING OUT, OR DO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE? IS THAT GONNA SATISFY, UM, THESE REQUIREMENTS? I THINK THAT'S LARGELY UP TO THIS BODY.
UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY UP TO, YOU KNOW, OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
SO SOMETHING THAT IF THAT'S THE WORKING GROUP AND STAFF LIKE MYSELF WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS, IF WE'RE REALLY NOT GETTING ANY FEEDBACK, WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY INTEREST, UM, I, I WOULD SUPPORT A KIND OF FLUID FLEXIBLE APPROACH, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE AN, AN HONEST, TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION WITH THE FULL COMMISSION ABOUT, ALL RIGHT, DID WE, DO WE FEEL LIKE WE DID OUR BEST AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD? OR DO WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND DO ANOTHER ROUND? UM, BUT I WOULD WANT THAT TO BE SOMETHING THAT THE FULL COMMISSION AND AND STAFF THAT WE FELT IN AGREEMENT ON.
AND GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
YEAH, SO I I, I'M NOT SURE AT THIS MOMENT WHAT THE RIGHT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT IS.
I THINK THAT THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD OPTIONS HERE.
OBVIOUSLY IT LOOKS VERY DAUNTING GIVEN THE KIND OF PAST, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND, AND THE FACT THAT IT'S ALREADY DECEMBER, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE TWO MONTHS WE HAVE FOR THE FIRST STEP, UH, PHASE HERE.
UM, BUT I, I KEEP STRUGGLING WITH THIS PERSONALLY JUST BECAUSE I'M NEW TO THE, YOU KNOW, I'M NEW TO THE COMMISSION, I'M NEW TO THIS, THE REWRITE OR THE, UM, THE MODIFICATION PROCESS HERE, AND THAT MAYBE WE HAVE A NARRATIVE.
BUT I THINK THAT THE PREP, THE PREPARATION OF THE SLIDES AND THAT PRESENTATION TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WALK THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PILLARS AND WALK THROUGH KIND OF EVERYTHING, THE STRUCTURE OF EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN LAID OUT ALREADY, UM, WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE IN THE, IN, IN THIS, UM, IN THIS PROJECT, IN THIS PRO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW IT FEELS VERY TECHNICAL AND IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S A LOT THAT'S, THAT HAS HAPPENED, BUT I DON'T EVEN, I, I'M STILL UNSURE WHAT THAT IS.
AND I THINK THAT PROCESS ALONE, JUST THE DOCUMENTING, UH, AND FOR AN OUTSIDE BODY WILL HELP ORGANIZE ALL, ALL OF US AROUND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING.
WHAT ARE OUR PILLARS? HOW ARE, HOW DO ALL OF OUR POINTS ADDRESS EXACTLY THE TASK AHEAD AND WHAT HAS BEEN TASKED TO US, UM, AND, AND HOW OUR MODIFICATIONS ARE, ARE ACCOMPLISHING THE GOALS THAT WE WERE SET OUT TO, TO SOLVE.
SO I THINK THAT I, I, I ALMOST, I THINK THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, OR I PERSONALLY DON'T REALLY KNOW.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY IS THAT LIKE, I'M NOT, I'M, I'M NOT THE, EVEN THE NEWEST MEMBER, OR MAYBE I AM, MAYBE, BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF US THAT ARE VERY, VERY NEW.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE WE, WE HAVE KIND OF THE OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IF EVEN JUST BY THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE CAN HAVE AMONGST OURSELVES, UH, AS WE'RE PUTTING THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER, IS GONNA REALLY BE ABLE TO PAINT A VERY CLEAR, I'M NOT GONNA SAY NARRATIVE 'CAUSE IT'S ON THE, IT'S ON THE BOARD, BUT WE NEED A REALLY CLEAR STORY OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHAT OUR VALUES ARE.
JORGE, YOU THANK YOU CHAIR, AND GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
JORGE LAN, JUST TO ADD TO THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED BY STAFF THIS EVENING, ONE OF THE CLEAR THINGS YOU WANNA START THINKING ABOUT AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL AND EVENTUALLY AT THE COMMISSION IS TO INFORM STAKEHOLDERS AT WHICHEVER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT YOU'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S TECHNICAL EXPERTS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, TO JOHN Q PUBLIC OUT THERE.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AT WHICHEVER LEVEL YOU ENGAGE? SO IF YOU IMAGINE PUTTING OUT A SURVEY, WHO'S GONNA READ THE SURVEYS, WHO'S GONNA COLLECT THE DATA, WHO'S GONNA ANALYZE IT? AND WHAT LEVEL OF CHANGE, IF ANY, DOES A PERSON WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN YOUR VARIOUS LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT HAVE IN TERMS OF
[01:40:01]
THE EFFECTIVE CHANGE THAT THAT PARTICULAR COMMENT OR COMMENTS CAN REALISTICALLY AFFECT IN SUBSEQUENT DRAFTS? THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU NEED TO ANSWER TONIGHT, BUT YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU TELL THAT STORY AND THAT NARRATIVE THAT WHEN YOU GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT WHICHEVER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, THAT THERE'S A REASONABLE EXPECTATION BY THOSE THAT ARE BEING ENGAGED UPON, THAT THEY HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF OWNERSHIP IN A PARTICULAR PROCESS FOR ENGAGEMENT, WHETHER THAT IS A SURVEY, WHETHER IT'S A, A LETTER WRITTEN TO THE COMMISSION, WHETHER IT'S COMING IN PERSON AND PROVIDING TESTIMONY AS YOU'VE SEEN THIS EVENING.SO SOMEHOW THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THAT AS PART, PART OF YOUR NARRATIVE SO THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT WHEN THEY ENGAGE WITH YOU AS A COMMISSION IN THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER PROCESSES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DESIGN AND EXECUTE, THAT SOMEHOW THERE'S A CLEAR PATHWAY AND AN UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT ENGAGEMENT.
OBVIOUSLY, NOT EVERY PIECE OF ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE USEFUL.
I USE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON A PROJECT WE NO LONGER SPEAK OF THAT WAS PROVIDED, PROVIDING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED COMMENTS, BURNED THIS DRAFT TO THE GROUND TO APPROVE IT TOMORROW.
THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PIECES OF ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY USE EITHER ONE.
I USE AN EXTREME EXAMPLE JUST TO GIVE YOU THE REALISTIC TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT WE SAW IN OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU EVENTUALLY MAY BE DEALING WITH.
NOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE IS PROBABLY WHAT YOU WANT FROM THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND OTHERS THAT YOU, YOU ENGAGE WITH.
SO THINK ABOUT AS YOU DESIGN THIS PROCESS WITH SOPHIA AND HER TEAM ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE COMMENTS THAT YOU RECEIVE, HOW THAT WILL BE COLLECTED, AND HOW THAT WILL BE REPORTED TO BOTH THE WORKING GROUP, THE COMMISSION, AND EVENTUALLY SHARING THAT, THOSE DOCUMENTS WITH SISTER COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
EVENTUALLY, COUNCIL, WHEN THIS GETS TO COUNCIL, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND THAT LATTER PART IS NOT PART OF THIS ENGAGEMENT PLAN, OR IS IT THE, THE REACHING OUT TO THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO DO ANOTHER LEVEL OF PRESENTATIONS THAT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN, IS THAT THE TECHNICAL PORTION? AND IT'S ACTUALLY EVEN STATED IN THE RESOLUTION.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, IT'S IN THE, THEY'RE, MOST OF THEM ARE LISTED IN THE, THE MIDDLE, WELL, NOT THE TECHNICAL, BUT THE MIDDLE ONE.
UH, YEAH, SORRY, THE TECHNICAL, TECHNICAL FOCUS, NOT DESIGN FOCUS.
UM, MOST OF THEM ARE LISTED THERE, AND I MEAN, SEVERAL OF US LIAISE WITH THOSE COMMISSIONS, SO IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO REQUEST AN AGENDA ITEM AND MAKE A PRESENTATION AS A COMMISSIONER.
SO, AND, AND ALSO JUST TO ADD TO THAT, AT THE POINT WHERE THERE'S LIKE AN, A FINAL DRAFT THAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, THEN AT THE VERY LEAST THERE WOULD BE GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION AHEAD OF GOING TO COUNCIL AT THAT PHASE.
UM, UM, I, I, I THINK THAT, UM, SOME THINGS THAT JORGE KIND OF BROUGHT TO MY MIND, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO IT, BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, MAYBE ARE MISSING SOME OF THE, THE KEY USERS, UM, WHICH ARE, ARE, UH, JILL, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE, OR NOT JILL, BUT I GUESS SHE'S JUST DOING GREAT STREETS.
UM, BUT YOUR, OUR STAFF THAT IS, THAT IS REVIEWING PROJECTS FOR, UM, FOR, UH, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH DESIGN GUIDELINES AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR PROCESS AND THE, AND THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BETTER I IMPLEMENT AND INTERPRET WHAT WE'VE, WHAT THEY HAVE TODAY AND WHAT WE'D BE PROPOSING IN THE FUTURE.
SO, I, I WONDER IF WE NEED, UM, I THINK WE, WE MAY NEED TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GAUGE THE WAY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED TO DO SOME, I WOULDN'T EVEN CALL THEM WORKSHOPS, BUT LIKE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, UM, IN ADDITION TO THIS, THAT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY PARALLEL IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THE GOALS THAT WE WANT TO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER CARROLL, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT TO STAFF, WELL, MAYBE, AND EVERYONE IF THEY'RE GONNA USE THIS, THAT THE DRAFT DOCUMENT THAT YOU, UH, INCLUDED IS NOT THE VERSION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL,
[01:45:02]
AND I'M BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE ONE OF THE AMENDMENTS COUNCIL MADE WAS THEY CHANGED THE LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS.SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE THE LIST THAT COUNCIL APPROVED.
WAS THERE ANOTHER COMMISSIONER THAT HAD A COMMENT? ALL RIGHT.
DOES THAT YOU LOOK A SURPRISED BY THAT? UM, I, I, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH COMMISSIONER CARROLL IF, IF I NEED TO.
THERE'S NO ACTION WE NEED TO TAKE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? SO THERE, THERE'S NO ACTION, BUT I, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTION, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S SO MUCH ACTION AT THE SAME TIME.
I, I THINK GETTING, UH, FOCUS, NOT A FOCUS GROUP MEETING, UM, THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK GETTING A WORKING GROUP MEETING SCHEDULED, I KNOW IT'S REALLY RIGHT NOW KIND OF HARD WITH THE HOLIDAYS, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD FEEL REALLY GOOD, UM, AS SOME, A NEXT STEP AND EVEN IF WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO IN THAT FIRST MEETING OR IF WE WANNA SIT ON THAT.
BUT I, I THINK, UM, YEAH, MO MOVING FORWARD TO ME LOOKS LIKE, UH, GETTING THAT WORKING GROUP TOGETHER.
UM, SORRY, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT WAS CREATED WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WERE ALREADY CREATED? THE ONE THAT CAROL'S LEADING, THE COMMISSIONER CAROL'S LEADING AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE, UM, VOTED ON AND CREATED A, A KIND OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.
WHICH HAS A LOT OF MEMBERS IN IT, SO THAT'S GREAT.
SO YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT GETTING THAT WORKING GROUP TO MEET YEAH.
SO WE'VE MET TO DISCUSS, UM, HOW TO TACKLE STAFF'S COMMENTS, BUT MY THOUGHT IS MAYBE STARTING IN JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS, WHICH WE'D LIKE YOU TO, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, BE IN ON, SO THAT YOU CAN RELAY TO THE REST OF STAFF AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING AND, AND HELP US.
SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO SET UP REGULAR MEETINGS, OOPS.
FOR THE NEXT, FOR NEXT YEAR SOON.
ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? WELL, THANK YOU, SOPHIA.
[4. Discussion and possible action on the creation and membership of working groups.]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CREATION OF MEMBERSHIP OF WORKING GROUPS.SO, CHAIR, MAY I? YES, PLEASE.
UM, I JUST PUT THAT ITEM ON THERE JUST IN CASE Y'ALL WANTED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON IT.
I MEAN, CURRENTLY WE HAVE THE WORKING GROUP THAT WE JUST MENTIONED, UH, AND THEN ALSO THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE, FOR THE, THE BUILDING REVIEW.
WE'VE GOT, UM, THE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WORKING GROUP THAT, UM, REVIEWS THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS AND THEN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN THE BUILDINGS WORKING GROUP AND SO ON.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THE MAIN WORKING GROUP FOR URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IS THE, YEAH, THE MAIN ONE.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW, I MEAN WE HAVE WHAT, THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE ON THAT, UH, WORKING GROUP, MAYBE FIVE.
UM, YEAH, SO THE MEMBERS OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP IS, UH, COMMISSIONER CARROLL, VICE CHAIR, MINORS COMMISSIONER HOWARD, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, AND COMMISSIONER WHIR.
AND THEN ON THE, UM, DENSITY BONUS WORKING GROUP, WE HAVE ANOTHER FOUR FOLKS, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, WE'VE GOT FIVE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, UH, CHAIR SALINAS, VICE CHAIR, MINORS COMMISSIONER HOWARD, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, AND COMMISSIONER WHI STRUCK.
[01:50:01]
ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING ON THE WORKING GROUPS? MAYBE YOU NEED TO RENAME THAT WORKING GROUP.I KNOW THEY'RE VERY CONFUSING.
UM, ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S GET AN UPDATE FROM THE URBAN DESIGN
[5. Update from the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group regarding updates to the guidelines]
GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP, UH, REGARDING UPDATES TO THE GUIDELINES.I FEEL LIKE WE SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON IT TONIGHT, BUT THE SHORT VERSION, LIKE I SAID, IS THAT, UM, WE'RE MEETING TO DISCUSS HOW TO ADDRESS, UH, STAFF'S COMMENTS FROM THE FIRST DRAFT, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN WELL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WANT TO SET UP REGULAR MEETINGS FOR US TO MEET WITH, UH, WITH STAFF INCLUDED TO, UM, KIND OF DIVE IN THE, TO THE ENGAGEMENT, UH, FOR THE FIRST DRAFT.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH THAT IN JANUARY.
UPDATE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION
[6. Update from representative of the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]
REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.THAT IS ME, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING, BUT BASED ON THE, UM, AGENDA, THERE WAS A BRIEFING FROM THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE WORKING GROUP GIVEN BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS SEVERAL MEETINGS PRIOR TO THAT, UM, WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN WE HAD THE SCOOTER ACCIDENT PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOWNTOWN IS VERY FOCUSED ON, UM, THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND, UM, THE REGULATION THEREIN.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO A PRESENTATION ON THE HEATING AND COOLING CENTER INITIATIVE GIVEN BY THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, AND THEN UPDATES FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS.
UPDATE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
[7. Update from representative of the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding last meeting.]
UH, THAT IS ME.UH, WE DID NOT MEET QUORUM LAST MONTH, SO I HAVE NO UPDATES TO GIVE YOU.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE UPDATE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTH
[8. Update from representative of the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board regarding last meeting.]
CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.COMMISSIONER LABNER, I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING AND I REQUESTED NOTES BUT DIDN'T RECEIVE THEM.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A QUORUM OR NOT.
WE MEET ON NEXT MONDAY THOUGH, SO IT'LL BE COMING UP.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP? COMMISSIONER LADNER? UM, I GUESS I WAS EXCITED WHEN COMMISSIONER WHIR, UH, MENTIONED THE POSSIBLY GETTING THE I 35 PROPOSAL IN HERE FOR A PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF STEPS NEEDED TO DO THAT, BUT THAT WOULD BE SU SUPER EXCITING TO SEE AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
I KNOW IT'S VERY COMPLICATED PROJECT, SO MM-HMM.
SO WOULD WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION? THERE'S MUCH TO SAY.
WHAT? DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OR IS THERE JUST SOME INFORMATIVE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GOT ON HOW TO DO THAT? WELL, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH THE TECH DOT PROJECT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD WANNA KNOW MORE WHO YOU WANNA HEAR FROM.
UM, I'M DEFINITELY NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THIS ROOM WHO'S TRIED TO GET TDOT TO COME TO A MEETING BEFORE.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T TRY.
UM, IT IS, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE SCOPE OF, OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, SO AS I'M ON THE MICROPHONE, I CAN'T QUITE CLEARLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO TIE THAT IN RIGHT.
TO WHAT THIS BODY DOES, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING I, I CAN THINK ABOUT.
IF YOU WANT TO EMAIL ME, YOU ARE WELCOME TO EMAIL ME.
EMAIL IS WEIRD WITH QUORUM, BUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, YOU'RE WELCOME TO EMAIL ME.
UM, AND WE CAN THINK ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT TIE IN, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT THAT THERE IS A SCOPE TO THIS COMMISSION.
UM, SO WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT IN HOW WE MIGHT REACH OUT TO TXDOT OR, I MEAN, THERE'S TXDOT AND AGAIN, THERE'S A VARIETY OF PARTNERS WORKING ON DIFFERENT PIECES.
SO I KNOW IT'S COME UP BEFORE WHEN THERE WAS A HOTEL ALONG I 35.
UM, AND UNDERSTANDING, HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WITH I 35, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I BELIEVE THAT THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO JUST TREAT IT AS A HIGHWAY KNOWING THAT IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE CHANGING.
SO HOW DO WE ACTIVATE THAT SO THAT IT'S NOT AN IGNORED FACADE OF THAT BUILDING.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE AS FAR AS HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THAT HIGHWAY MODIFICATION.
UM, BUT I THINK IT, I THINK AN
[01:55:01]
EMAIL ON, UM, HOW WE CAN, WHO WE CAN CONTACT AND WHO WOULD BE THE BEST RESOURCE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GET AHOLD OF.AND THEN WE CAN SECOND THAT IN AN EMAIL.
COMMISSIONER RE IF I MAY ADD TO THAT.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER LADNER FOR BRINGING THAT BACK UP.
UM, THIS IS, UH, I THINK TO TO SPEAK MY, TO MY MIND ON THE, UH, ON THAT PRESENTATION, WHAT, WHAT, UH, VALUE WE'D WANT TO GLEAN FROM IT.
UH, UNDERSTANDING IT'S WELL OUTSIDE OF OUR SCOPE, UH, WHAT THE STATE, UM, IS GOING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, THAT SAID, IT IS RUNNING THROUGH, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, AN ABUNDANCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND, AND GUIDELINES SERVING US ON OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, TXDOT AND OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, ON ULTIMATELY THE, THE FORMATION OF SOME SORT OF ENTITY OR MECHANISM TOWARD BUILDING CONSENSUS AROUND, UM, GUIDELINES FOR STREET SCAPE, UH, FOR STREET LEVEL ROADS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE SAME KIND OF GOALS, EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR SCOPE TO, UM, MAKE ANY OFFICIAL COMMENT ON THEIR PROJECT.
COMMISSIONER LADNER, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? ALRIGHT, THANKS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WELL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
HOPEFULLY REST, AND, UH, WE'LL SEE Y'ALL NEXT YEAR.