[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
UM, VICE CHAIR, MINORS PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? PRESENT.
UM, DO WE NEED TO APPROVE OUR, OUR PREVIOUS MEETING FROM DECEMBER? ALL RIGHT, I'M LOOKING, I THINK I HAVE THE WRONG AGENDA.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
DESIGN COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2023? SO MOVED.[2. Staff briefing regarding the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. Presented by Cara Bertron, Planning Department.]
OUR FIRST ITEM IS A STAFF BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, PRESENTED BY KARA BERTRAN, PLANNING DEPARTMENT.KIRA BERTONE WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
I CAN'T CONTROL IT, RIGHT? UH,
SO, I'M GONNA START WITH THE PLANNED VISION, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED FROM A 170 PERSON, 170 RESPONSE COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING PROCESS.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN AUSTIN ACTIVELY ENGAGES COMMUNITIES IN PROTECTING AND SHARING IMPORTANT PLACES AND STORIES.
PRESERVATION USES THE PAST TO CREATE A SHARED SENSE OF BELONGING AND TO SHAPE AN EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND ECONOMICALLY VITAL FUTURE FOR ALL.
I THINK IT'S SUCH, I THINK IT'S SUCH A COOL STATEMENT.
PLACES RIGHT THERE, PLACES CLOSE TO THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER.
IT'S AT THE HEART OF IT, BUT I THINK THE VISION IS SO MUCH MORE ABOUT WHO'S DOING THAT WORK AND WHAT IT'S ACCOMPLISHING FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
SO, THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE PLAN, UM, WAS INITIATED BY THE CITY, BUT REALLY BASED IN COMMUNITY.
THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION CREATED A COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP, THE PRESERVATION PLAN, WORKING GROUP, AND CHARGED IT WITH DEVELOPING THE DRAFT PLAN.
THE 26 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE WORKING GROUP HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF FOLKS, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP OF CITY STAFF, THREE FOCUS GROUPS, THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, AND A TECHNICAL, UH, ADVISORY PANEL OF THE U OF ULI.
UM, AND COMMISSIONER CARROLL WAS ACTUALLY A, A PART OF THAT, OF THAT TAP.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONER WILLIS WAS A PART OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE I'M AMONG FRIENDS AND THE REST OF YOU, WE WILL, WE WILL GET THERE.
UM, IT WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.
ANYWAY, THE DRAFT, WHEN THE DRAFT PLAN WAS CREATED, MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT, TO THE DRAFT.
THIS IS, UH, A PHOTOGRAPH OF PHASE ONE OF THE WORKING GROUP.
THE FOLKS WHO DEVELOPED THE DRAFT PLAN, YOU CAN, THE NAMES ARE VERY SMALL, BUT THEY'RE THERE OF THE PHASE ONE WORKING GROUP, AND SOME FOLKS WHO CAME IN FOR PHASE TWO.
THE 26 MEMBERS IN THE WORKING GROUP CAME FROM 19 ZIP CODES ACROSS THE CITY.
THEY GENERALLY REFLECT THE CITY'S RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
THEY INCLUDE A THIRD RENTERS, WHICH IS PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR PRESERVATION PROCESSES.
AND THEY BRING, UH, A REAL RANGE OF EXPERTISE FROM HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING, ARCHEOLOGY TO, UH, TO REAL FAMILIARITY, A A DEEP RICH FAMILIARITY WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND WITH COMMUNITY.
SO NOT EVERYONE CAME IN, UM, WITH A DETAILED PRESERVATION BACKGROUND,
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ALTHOUGH WE, WE CREATED A LOT OF BACKGROUND BRIEFS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS ON, UM, REALLY SOLID FOOTING IN TERMS OF CONTRIBUTING TO THAT, THAT DISCUSSION.SO I'M NOT GONNA DIVE TOO MUCH INTO THE DRAFT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER ITEMS TO COVER.
UM, AND IT IS ABOUT, IT'S, THIS IS IT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DOCUMENT.
THE DRAFT INCLUDES 108 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE ORGANIZED UNDER 14 GOALS.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE, I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT.
I'M GONNA GET TO MY SERIOUS EXHORTATIONS LATER.
UM, TONIGHT FOR THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION, I'M JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE THREE BUCKETS THAT WE'VE PUT THE DRAFT, UH, PLAN GOALS INTO, WHAT WE PRESERVE, HOW WE PRESERVE, UH, WHO PRESERVES AND HOW WE PRESERVE.
SO, UNDER THE WHAT WE PRESERVE BUCKET, THE THEME IS REALLY TO THINK BROADLY, TO BETTER RECOGNIZE THE CITY'S RICH AND COMPLEX HISTORY THROUGH BETTER LISTENING, AND THEN SHARING BACK OUT THROUGH INTERPRETATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY, UM, HAD THE RESOURCES TO DO MUCH OF IN THE PAST, AND I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BETTER RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT CULTURAL HERITAGE, LIKE LEGACY BUSINESSES AND MURALS, AS WELL AS ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES.
AND FINALLY, TO USE PRESERVATION TOOLS TO SUPPORT OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES LIKE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
UNDER THE WHO PRESERVES BUCKET, THE, THE THEME IS REALLY INVITE AND SUPPORT.
SO, UM, OFFERING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO, UH, TO MAKE, MAKE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAY NOT KNOW EXIST NOW.
UH, AND ALSO TO BECOME MORE, MORE INVOLVED, NOT ONLY IN PRESERVATION DECISION MAKING, BUT ALSO IN CITYWIDE KIND OF DECISION MAKING PROCESSES TO IMPROVE OUR HISTORIC REVIEW AND HISTORIC DESIGNATION PROCESSES TO SUPPORT THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND, AND TO ENGAGE NEW PARTNERS AND AUDIENCES.
UM, I THINK WORKING WITH, WITH ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS WILL BE A BIG PART OF THIS, AND, AND THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO BUILD ON WITH PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
THE THIRD BUCKET IS HOW WE PRESERVE, AND THIS REALLY GETS INTO THE DETAILS OF, UM, CHANGES IN THE HISTORIC REVIEW AND DESIGNATION PROCESS.
THE PLAN PROPOSES UPDATING AND MODERNIZING OUR DESIGNATION CRITERIA BETTER SUPPORTING THE STEWARDS OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC PROPERTIES, WHICH IS MOSTLY PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, THROUGH AN EXPANDED SUITE OF INCENTIVES, INCLUDING FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, BETTER INFORMATION, AND, UH, MORE EFFICIENT PROCESSES TO BE STRATEGIC WITH REVIEW AND OUR LIMITED STAFF TIME TO IMPROVE ENFORCEMENT PROCESSES AND TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN COLLABORATIVELY AFTER ITS ADOPTION.
I'M GONNA WRAP UP BY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
SO, WE ARE BEGINNING, WE'RE IN THE SORT OF OUTSET OF A FOUR MONTH ENGAGEMENT WINDOW THAT WILL END AT THE END OF MAY.
SO A LITTLE LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS WE'RE HOLDING MONTHLY EVENTS.
THE KICKOFF EVENT WAS LAST WEEK, I THINK POSSIBLY TWO WEEKS.
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY QUITE WONDERFUL.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A VIDEO AVAILABLE SOON IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT IT WAS A SERIES OF LIGHTNING TALKS.
BE LIGHTNING TALKS FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS, TALKING ABOUT HOW THEIR WORK INTERSECTS WITH THE PLANNED SCHOOLS.
W IN LATE MARCH, WE'LL BE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE, UH, THAT LOOKS, THAT DIVES INTO HOW, IF IMPLEMENTED, HOW THE PLAN WOULD CHANGE THINGS FOR HISTORIC PROPERTY OWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS LIKE THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO MANY OF YOU AND, AND YOUR NETWORKS.
AND APRIL WILL HAVE A BLOCK PARTY IN COOPERATION WITH PRESERVATION AUSTIN'S HOME TOUR, A FREE AND OPEN COMMUNITY EVENT.
AND THEN IN MAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME KIND OF PANEL DISCUSSION THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW PRESERVATION INTERSECTS WITH AFFORDABILITY, DENSITY, SUSTAINABILITY, KIND OF OTHER, UM, REALLY, REALLY PRESSING, PRESSING ISSUES.
WE ARE DOING PRESENTATIONS AT EXISTING MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE.
THIS IS ONE OF, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A ROAD SHOW TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TONIGHT WITH Y'ALL.
WE ARE ALSO SPEAKING TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, DOING SOME DEEP DIVES WITH STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WORKING WITH AD'S, PARENT SUPPORT SPECIALISTS TO GET THE WORD OUT TO FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT.
AND WE'RE DOING POP-UP OUTREACH AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, THREE OR FOUR EVENTS PER MONTH.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ALSO TO BE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON OUTREACH AROUND THE PLAN.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH 10 PAID COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS WHO ARE REACHING OUT TO THEIR, THEIR NETWORKS ABOUT THE PLAN.
WE HAVE ALSO GIVEN FIVE MANY GRANTS TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WHO WILL REACH OUT TO THEIR NETWORKS HOST EVENTS TO ALSO DO TABLING.
AND THE FOCUS OF, OF THIS WORK, BOTH OF THESE KIND OF ASPECTS,
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IS REALLY TO, UH, PUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TOWARDS REACHING HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE PLAN.SO, WE HOPE THAT YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS WILL, UH, GIVE FEEDBACK.
THERE ARE A CO THERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO DO THIS.
YOU CAN REVIEW THE DRAFT PLAN.
THERE ARE PAPER COPIES AT EVERY BRANCH LIBRARY IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UH, THE PLAN IS, OF COURSE, ONLINE.
WHAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS YOU CAN, OF COURSE DOWNLOAD THE PDF AND READ IT AND, AND EMAIL COPIOUS COMMENTS.
BUT THE PLATFORM, UM, THAT WE'RE USING ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO GOALS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AND PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK ON RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A SCREENSHOT, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE LEGIBLE TO YOU, BUT THERE'S A SLIDER FOR EACH RECOMMENDATION.
UH, IT'S THE SAME CONTENT, CONTENT THAT IS IN THE PDF, UM, WITH SOME SHORT ANSWERS, KIND OF AT THE END OF EACH GOAL IF YOU HAVE IDEAS THAT YOU DON'T SEE REPRESENTED.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
WE ALSO, IF YOU, IF THAT, UH, DOES NOT ENTICE YOU TO PARTICIPATE, THERE'S A COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WILL TAKE FIVE MINUTES AT THE MOST THAT ASKS ABOUT PRIORITIES.
AND IT USES VERY, I THINK, VERY CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE.
AND WE'RE HOPING LOTS OF FOLKS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THAT WAY.
AND WE ALSO HAVE PAPER COPIES AT OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS.
FINALLY, PEOPLE ARE, OF COURSE, CAN COME TO EVENTS AND LEARN MORE AND, UM, PUT DOTS ON BOARDS AND DO THINGS LIKE FUN ACTIVITIES.
SO, THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS, WE'RE DOING THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WINDOW.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP, AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OVER THE SUMMER TO REVISE THE PLAN BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
SO THEY, THE WORKING GROUP WILL CONTINUE TO BE CENTRAL TO THIS PROCESS.
I'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AND YOUR FELLOW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN THE FALL FOR A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE PLAN TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO GET IT TO COUNCIL FOR REVIEW IN DECEMBER.
THIS IS THE QR CODE TO THE WEBSITE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER WALLACE WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, 'CAUSE YOU DID A LOT OF THE HARD WORK ON IT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT WAS, IT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS IS, UH, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH, UH, THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON HERE.
AND SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
UM, I'M STILL FORMULATING SOME QUESTIONS, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO ASK? SIMPLY WANT TO ECHO THE THANKS.
UM, I'VE HEARD SOME RUMBLINGS OF, OF SOME VERY HIGH PRAISE ABOUT THE INITIAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR DOING THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TONIGHT TO COME AND PRIME US, UH, AHEAD OF THE PRESENTATION THIS FALL.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, EDUCATING MYSELF MORE ABOUT IT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS DEVELOPS FURTHER.
[3. Discussion and possible action to consider a recommendation to support the Green Streets Initiative. Presented by Jana McCann, McCann Adams Studio.]
UH, IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE PRESENTED BY JAN MCCANN, MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO.THERE'S A, UM, A LITTLE BUTTON THERE.
LET SEE IF THE RED LIGHT, NO, THERE IT GOES.
UM, I'M AN ARCHITECT WITH MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO IN TOWN, WHICH DOES, UM, MOSTLY URBAN DESIGN.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HERE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT SAME FIELD.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH ONE OF YOUR COMMISSIONERS, UM, KEVIN HOWARD TO PRODUCE THIS PRESENTATION.
AND REALLY THIS INITIATIVE TO GET MORE STREET TREES IN AUSTIN SEEMS LIKE AN EASY THING.
DON'T WE ALL LOVE TREES? BUT IT'S PRETTY HARD TO DO ACTUALLY IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THIS LITTLE SLIDE, THIS IMAGE IS A REMINDER OF ALL THOSE SORT OF PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE IN THE PURVIEW OF, WE'RE NOT SURE WHO, BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF LORDED OVER BY MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF CITY DEPARTMENTS AND FOLKS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
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AND SO YOU, THEREIN KIND OF LIES THE PROBLEM.THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAKE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, AND TREES HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT A LITTLE TOO OFTEN AS A, AS AN UNWELCOME INTERLOCUTOR IN THAT, UH, VERY DIFFICULT AND CONSTRAINED PLACE.
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IMPERATIVE IN SORT OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED IN AUSTIN.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, TO ESTABLISH CONTINUOUS CANOPIES OF SHADE, UH, ALONG OUR STREETS AND PATHWAYS.
AND SO THIS IS, I CAN'T REALLY READ THIS, BUT WE'RE, WE REALLY CONSIDER, UH, STREET TREES AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CERTAINLY THEIR, UH, COMPONENT OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PERHAPS THE STRONGEST CARD WE CAN PLAY IN TERMS OF, UH, VALUE ADD IN THE, IN THE, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC REALM.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, CURBSIDE PLANTED TREES THAT PROTECT SOMEONE WHO'S WALKING ALONG THAT SIDEWALK FROM TRAFFIC AND GIVES THEM THE SPACE, THE BREATHING SPACE, AND ACTUALLY LIKE A FENCE OF TREE TRUNKS TO KEEP DRIVERS FROM COMING UP AND HITTING THEM.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE IN THIS ZONE THAT HELPS TO PROTECT THE PEDESTRIAN, AS WELL AS GIVING AN AMOUNT OF SHADE THAT CAN ACTUALLY REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE IF YOU'RE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK BY AS MUCH AS 10 DEGREES.
AND AS WE ALL KIND OF EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR, IT FEELS PRETTY GOOD NOW, BUT SUMMER'S ALREADY HERE, WE HAD LIKE 90 DAYS OR SOMETHING.
ANYWAY, IT'S CHANGING AND IT'S BECOMING MUCH MORE, MUCH HOTTER THAN EVER.
AND A LOT OF THAT HEAT IS REALLY HAPPENING.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, ALONG OUR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY ALONG THE STREETS AND THE PAVEMENT AREAS.
BUT THESE ARE JUST A NUMBER OF BENEFITS THAT ACCRUE FROM PLANTING OF STREET TREES, WHAT'S OFTEN REFERRED TO AS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS REALLY, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING IN URBAN DESIGN AND WORKING ON THE, THE SO-CALLED PUBLIC REALM, IS THAT WE ARE REALLY SEEING, UM, A MORE LIKE A DEGRADATION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT WAY RATHER THAN AN ENHANCEMENT OF IT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, A LITTLE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE IS, UM, OF VARIOUS, HOW MANY, I THINK 2016 WHEN WE HAD THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS THAT PRODUCED THE 2016 BONDS FOR TRANSPORTATION, UH, WHICH WAS TO PRODUCE IN THAT INSTANCE LIKE 50 MILES OF SHADED MULTIMODAL CORRIDORS.
UM, THERE WAS A GOAL INVOLVED, AND THAT GOAL WAS TO CREATE, UM, THE SITUATION WHERE WE COULD HAVE, IT'S ONLY 50% OF ALL TRIPS OR 50% OF ALL TRIPS THAT WE WOULD MAKE COULD BE MADE IN A SINGLE OCCU SHOULD NOT BE MADE IN A SINGLE OCCUPANT VEHICLE.
SO THAT'S, UM, A MEASURE OF MODE SPLIT.
SO I'M SORRY IF I CONFUSE THAT.
I THINK WE'RE ABOUT 7% NOW, AND BY 2039, OUR GOAL IS TO BE 50 50 OF PEOPLE WALKING, RIDING THEIR BIKES OR SCOOTERS OR CAR DOING CAR SHARE OR CARPOOLING.
AND OUR POINT HERE IS THAT TRANSPORTATION WISE AND TRANSIT WISE, WE'LL NEVER GET THERE IF WE DON'T HAVE A COMFORTABLE PLACE AND A SAFE PLACE TO WALK.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A KIND OF A STUNNING GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS THE INEQUITY OF THE PLACEMENT OF TREES.
YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE WEST, WEST LOBE OF AUSTIN HAS A MUCH, UH, GREATER TREE CANOPY THAN DOES THE EAST SIDE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO WHERE ARE THE TREES? THEY'RE MOSTLY IN THE WEST SIDE.
UH, WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAY NEED THEM MORE? THEY'RE ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, SO, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, LESS THAN 3% OF AUSTIN STREETS ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE STREET TREES.
SO IF YOU'RE A DEVELOPER OR EVEN IN PUB, YOU KNOW, ANY, IF YOU'RE A DEVELOPER, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO PUT STREET TREES ALONG WITH YOUR DEVELOPMENT, EXCEPT IN A FEW CASES LIKE CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS, UM, IN THE SUB-CHAPTER E IF YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE DON'T HAVE TREES.
IT'S JUST NOT REQUIRED AND IT'S GOT SOME COMPOUNDING DIFFICULTIES.
SO YET AT THE, THE IRONY OF IT IS, IS THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, TREES ARE LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMMUNITIES REALLY SAY THEY WANT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THIS IS JUST A, A DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND FOLLOWS PAVED AREAS.
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OUR TRANSPORTATION WAYS.SO THE HOTTEST PLACE IN TOWN IS WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK OR RIDE YOUR BIKE OR CATCH A BUS.
SO IT'S REALLY LIKE THE WORST POSSIBLE SITUATION.
SO WE NEED TO REALLY, UM, CHANGE THAT DRAMATICALLY GIVEN THE LIGHT AND THE, THE SORT OF WORSENING HEAT ISLAND EFFECT THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW.
AND IT'S FACT THAT IT'S A REAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
SO IT'S A CONVERGENCE OF, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO DO RIGHT FOR ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL COMMUNITIES IN TOWN AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES, THE HEAT ISLAND ISSUE AND THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE.
AND STREET TREES ARE KIND OF THE FUNDAMENTAL, THEY'RE NOT THE SILVER BULLET, BUT THEY'RE THE ONE THING THAT KIND OF REALLY ADDRESSES ALL OF THOSE PROBLEMS. NEXT SLIDE.
AND I'M NOT EVEN A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, RIGHT?
SO, SO THE KEY CHALLENGES ARE THESE, UH, ONE IS LACK OF LEADERSHIP, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
AND IT'S REFERRING BACK TO THAT FIRST SLIDE.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THIS.
THERE'S THE UTILITY DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, THERE'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF FOLKS WHO DO SHOULD HAVE A ROLE, BUT THERE'S REALLY NOBODY IN CHARGE OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO BALANCE ALL THAT.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT URBAN DESIGN TRIES TO DO AS A PROFESSION.
SO THOSE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTS WHO ARE, ARE DESIGNING OUR CITY, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ANYBODY AT A HIGHER LEVEL POSITION THAT'S REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES, PLANS, AND GREAT IDEAS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY ARE BEING FOLLOWED DOWN TO THIS LEVEL OF DESIGN, THE PUBLIC REALM.
SO THAT'S THE BIG, BIG HARD ONE, I THINK, TO, TO DEAL WITH.
AND THEN WE HAVE A MYRIAD OF REGULATIONS, CRITERIA MANUALS, LICENSE AGREEMENT, PROCESSES THAT GET IN THE WAY.
AND THEN THE CITIES, I MEAN, THAT CITY HAS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYONE KIND OF LIVES IN THEIR, THEIR REALM AND REVIEWS DEVELOPMENTS FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW.
AND SO, AGAIN, NO ONE'S REALLY THE GUARDIAN OF THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT DOES IT RESULT IN AFTER WE'VE DESIGNED THE UNDERGROUND, GOTTEN ALL OUR PIPES IN, WHAT DO WE GOT? YOU KNOW, IS IT A MESS? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IS IT BEAUTIFUL? IS IT WALKABLE? A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT.
SO PERMITTING PROCESS IS A BIG ONE.
UM, WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT, AND THEN IT'S JUST VERY EXPENSIVE OR CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
IT'S NOT, THE TREES ARE CHEAP, RIGHT? RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE.
IT'S FINDING SPACE UNDERGROUND WHERE THERE ARE NO UTILITIES.
OKAY, THEN I MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE A UTILITY PIPE TO MAKE WAY FOR A TREE.
THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME MONEY HERE,
IF I'M JUST ONE LITTLE PROPERTY OWNER IN A WHOLE STREET ROW OF, YOU KNOW, PLACES AND I'M GOING FIRST AND REDEVELOPING MY PROPERTY, IT MAY NOT ALWAYS MAKE SENSE TO, TO BE THE FIRST ONE OUT, TO MOVE A HUGE UTILITY LINE.
SO IN THE END, UM, THERE'S JUST THIS STRONG COMPETITION BETWEEN UTILITIES AND, UM, FOR, FOR SPACE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, TREES COME OUT THE LOSERS ALONG WITH US.
SO THIS IS JUST A SORT OF A STUNNING COMPARISON BETWEEN, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT I WORKED ON FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AT THE CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.
AND WITH ALL THE BEST INTENTIONS, YOU KNOW, WE DESIGNED, THESE WERE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT WE DID ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT SHOW STREET TREES, DEDICATED PATHWAYS FOR BICYCLES AND, AND PE AND, UH, PEDESTRIANS.
AND THEN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS AIRPORT BOULEVARD LOOKING TOWARDS TWO 90 OVERPASS IS NO TREES, AND REALLY VERY LITTLE LANDSCAPE.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S THERE HAS BEEN BURNED OUT.
SO IT'S ALSO A SHARED JUICE PATH PRETTY CLOSE TO THE CURBSIDE OF A VERY BUSY STREET.
SO ALL THOSE IDEAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING ARE NOT INCORPORATED AND YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE ADDED COMPLEXITY IS TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REALLY DOES NOT, IS NOT REAL FOND OF PUTTING TREES ANYWHERE IN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY OR NEAR THE CURB.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE DESIGN COMPLIED WITH THEIR DESIGN STANDARDS, IT WAS QUASHED.
SO ANYWAY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.
THE ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, THERE ARE A FEW PLACES LIKE MILLER COMMUNITY, SOME OF THE
[00:25:01]
DOWNTOWN GREAT STREETS, UM, SOON TO COME COLONY PARK.WE HOPE WE'LL HAVE THIS KIND OF A SETUP WHERE YOU'RE KIND OF DEALING WITH A BLANK SLATE AND THEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH A WHOLE GROUP, MULTIDISCIPLINARY GROUP TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, STREET TREE DETAILS.
AND YOU CAN REALLY ACCOMPLISH THE DESIRED SETUP FOR STREET TREES.
BUT THAT'S, AGAIN, LESS THAN 3% OF THE CASES IN AUSTIN.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE QUICKLY, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM NEW YORK CITY.
THIS PERSON IS CALLED THE PUBLIC REALM OFFICER AND WORKS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN NEW YORK CITY.
THERE'S A SIMILAR, UH, PERSON IN BOSTON AND WHO BOTH REALLY DO THAT CROSS-FUNCTIONAL KIND OF COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE REALLY POSITIVE PUBLIC SPACE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING AT THE RESULT OF THIS THROUGH AN URBAN DESIGN LENS ABOUT HOW IS THE USER GOING TO, TO FEEL IN THIS SPACE? AND ARE WE ACCOMPLISHING ALL OF THOSE GOALS THAT WE MET, THAT WE, UM, SET FOR OURSELVES.
SO AGAIN, I THINK SO MUCH OF THE, UM, ATTITUDE AROUND TREES HAS BEEN BEAUTIFICATION.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST PRETTY, WE DON'T NEED THAT.
SO WE ARE REALLY PUTTING FORWARD THAT STREET TREES WITH ALL THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT THEY BRING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION, THE SHADE THEY ARE PART SHOULD BE SEEN AND TREATED AS PART OF CRITICAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO THIS PUBLIC REALM COORDINATOR OFFICER IS A POSITION NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IN OTHER CITIES, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE THAT IN AUSTIN.
UM, ANYWAY, THE, I THINK I TALKED ABOUT THIS, THERE'S JUST VERY LITTLE IN TERMS OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD PUT STREET TREES ON THE GROUND AND CAN SEE THAT LIKE THE MAP OF THE CORE TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND THEN PLACES IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS A VOLUNTARY, UH, PROGRAM FOR THE GREAT STREETS, UH, MASTER PLAN.
THEN WE HAVE THESE THINGS CALLED CRITERIA MANUALS THAT KIND OF LURK DOWN BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE CODE.
AND EVERY, LIKE THE, EACH UTILITY COMPANY HAS THEIR OWN CRITERIA MANUAL.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY RELATE THAT WELL TO THE OTHER PEOPLE'S CRITERIA MANUAL.
THERE IS NO URBAN DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS TALK OF IT AT ONE POINT.
I DON'T THINK IT EVER HAPPENED.
SO, UH, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING WHERE THEN, SINCE IT'S NOT IN THE CODE, DIFFERENT INTERPRETERS WHEN IT GETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS CAN SAY, I HAVE THIS CRITERIA MANUAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA INTERPRET IT THIS WAY.
THIS MEANS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A LOT MORE SPACE BETWEEN MY TREE, MY WATER LINE, AND THE TREE.
THEREFORE, I'M NOT GONNA PROVE YOUR TREES.
AND SO THIS HAPPENS KIND OF QUITE A LOT.
AND SO WE GET THINGS LIKE THIS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A CORE TRANSIT CORRIDOR TOO.
I THINK IT'S, ISN'T IT? UM, MAINOR ROAD.
SO ANYWAY, FAILURE ON THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THIS IS JUST, UH, AGAIN, THE SORT OF CITY CULTURE BEING RISK AVERSE AND ASKING MORE AND MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN UTILITY PIPES, IN THIS CASE, WET UTILITIES AND A TREE.
WHEN I WAS, UH, WORKING AT THE CITY, IT WAS FIVE FEET END OF STORY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN MANY OTHER CITIES THAT WE'VE DONE SOME PURE RESEARCH ON.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND HOW MUCH IS ALLOCATED TO FROM THE CURB TO THE PROPERTY, LOT OF TIMES IT'S 10 FEET.
SO HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET A TREE IN THAT SPACE IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE ANY, EVEN ONE LITTLE UTILITY? SO THIS MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO, UH, ACHIEVE THIS GOAL OF TREE LINE CHA UH, CANOPIES.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A FRUSTRATING ONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN TREES ARE CONSIDERED A NON-STANDARD OBJECT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THEREFORE, THEY MUST GO THROUGH A LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS.
SO THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
IT DUPLICATES MUCH OF WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN THE SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
SO IT HAPPENS AFTER THAT PROCESS IS DONE AND CAN TEND TO JEOP JEOPARDIZE YOUR BUILDING, YOUR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
IT CAN TAKE ONE TO TWO YEARS TO GET, IT
[00:30:01]
INVOLVES THE LAW DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY.IT INVOLVES POSTING FISCAL, IT INVOLVES GETTING A SURVEY MEETS AND BOUND SURVEY OF WHERE YOUR TREES ARE GONNA BE LOCATED.
AND SO THE HOPE IS THAT WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT TREES AND CREATE STANDARD DETAILS.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE ALREADY THAT ARE IN USE IN THE CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM THAT SAY, HERE'S THE TREE, HERE'S HOW IT NEEDS TO BE PLANTED, THIS IS HOW FAR IT NEEDS TO BE FROM UTILITIES.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT WE, SINCE WE HAVE THAT WORK, CAN WE NOT ADOPT IT CITYWIDE.
UM, THIS IS A, PROBABLY A PRETTY MUCH SMALLER SUBSET SET OF CONDITIONS, BUT IN MANY CASES, LIKE THIS ONE, THIS IS ON, UM, MAINOR ROAD NEAR THE MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS, I BELIEVE, CAME IN BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THERE WAS A MISSING SIDEWALK HERE.
AND THEY BUILT A SIDEWALK, WHICH IS CALLED A MONOLITHIC SIDEWALK RIGHT NEXT TO THE CURB.
AND THEREFORE SORT OF PRECLUDED A TREE EVER BEING PLANTED IN THIS PARTICULAR RIGHT OF WAY, EVEN THOUGH ABOUT 15 FEET OVER TO THE RIGHT, THERE'S A VERY NICE TRAIL THAT'S SHADED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF JUST ANOTHER SIDE REMARK.
BUT THE POINT IS, IS THAT GENERAL PERMITS, SINCE THEY CAN CIRCUMVENT THE LONGER SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS, DO RARELY EVER, OR EVEN THEY NEVER INCLUDE STREET TREES OR THINKING ABOUT STREET TREES.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS WE THINK THERE'S SOME GREAT FUNDING POSSIBILITIES.
'CAUSE WE WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS REQUIREMENT FOR DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE TREES.
WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SOME INCENTIVES THERE AS WELL.
WE WANNA BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT OR IF YOU'RE ON A TRANSIT CORRIDOR, THOSE ARE KIND OF SUPER HIGH PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY.
LET'S ALLOW YOU TO TAP INTO A FUND, WHICH COULD BE THE, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S, TREE MITIGATION FUNDS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR, UM, A NEW TREE SUPPLY INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT THAT THE CITY APPROVED LAST YEAR, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
SO THAT SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING AND VERY PROMISING AND HEFTY REVENUE STREAM THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR NOT ONLY HELPING PEOPLE PLANT TREES AND INSTALLING THEM, BUT POSSIBLY ALSO RELOCATING UTILITIES AND REPAIR AND REPLACE.
SO IF WE, IF A TREE, FOR INSTANCE, IS NEAR A UTILITY AND THAT UTILITY PIPE GETS DAMAGED, THEN WE COULD RESORT TO THIS FUND, WHICH MIGHT MAKE THE UTILITIES FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE SAFE ABOUT APPROVING LESSER DISTANCES BETWEEN THE UTILITY AND THE PIPE.
BECAUSE IT'S A JUST HEDGING RISK IS THE WHOLE THING HERE.
IT'S, IT'S A COMPLICATED THING.
AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT WE'VE GONE A LITTLE TOO FAR IN OUR DEMANDS FOR PHYSICAL DISTANCE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS.
THERE'S ALSO CIP FUNDING, LIKE IN PROJECT CONNECT OR, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE, OR EVEN THE CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
SO SOME OF THAT PROJECT FUNDING COULD, CAN BE USED CERTAINLY FOR TREES AND CREATING THE UTILITY RELOCATIONS THAT ARE, WOULD BE REQUIRED.
AND WHILE GRANTS ARE NEVER A HEFTY, USUALLY NOT A HEFTY THING, THERE ARE NOW SOME INTERESTING ONES FOR THE CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT COULD ADDRESS, THAT CAN ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EFFECTS OF THAT.
SO THERE IS HOPE ON THE FUNDING SIDE OF THINGS, AND THIS IS THE SORT OF WRAP UP IS THE BIG THREE ITEMS ARE LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, REFORMING LEADERSHIP, GETTING REGULATIONS AND PROCESSES TO NOT BE THE DISINCENTIVES THAT THEY ARE TODAY FOR TREES.
AND THEN REALLY, UM, ALLOCATING FUNDING STREAMS SO THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT TO, TO DO THIS.
'CAUSE IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST THE TREE COST, IT'S A UTILITY RELOCATION COST.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, HERE WE ARE NOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
THAT RESOLUTION WILL BE ON MARCH 21ST AND IT'LL BE TITLED THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION, NOT GREEN STREETS, BUT THIS IS, UM, BEING PUT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, WITH THE RECOGNITION THAT GREEN, THAT STREET TREES ARE ONE OF THE KEY PARTS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS OR MEASURES THAT CAN BE DONE TO, UM, HELP WITH STORM WATER DRAINAGE,
[00:35:01]
COOLING, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT, ET CETERA.SO IF, IF YOU SEE FIT, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE WHATEVER, IF IT'S A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THIS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO AS A, AS A COMMISSION, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE JUST WANTING YOU TO BE AT LEAST INFORMED ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS? WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS, IS A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, OR WHAT WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, AS IT MATCHES, UH, THE VALUES AND THE, THE SHARED VALUES AND THE VISION OF THE, UM, URBAN DE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
I'VE GOT A MOTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER LUKINS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'M HAPPY TO, HAPPILY SECOND.
UM, SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
CURIOUS, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PIECES HERE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS ELIMINATING THE LICENSING AGREEMENT PROCESS.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THAT.
I WONDER, LIKE IN YOUR RESEARCH, HAVE YOU FOUND ALTERNATIVES TO THAT IN OTHER CITIES OR WAYS AROUND THAT, THAT MM-HMM,
AND THIS IS WHAT, UM, YOUR COMMISSIONER HELPED US A LOT WITH, IS LOOKING AT CODES IN OTHER CITIES.
AND IF WE ARE TO ESTABLISH A REQUIREMENT FOR STREET TREES, FIRST OF ALL IN BY THE CODE, THAT WILL BE ONE THING.
BUT, UM, WE CAN REQUIRE THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER MAINTAINS THE STREET TREE AND IS LIABLE FOR IT, RIGHT? INSTEAD.
UH, AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE CRUCIAL CONCERNS AROUND GETTING A LICENSE AGREEMENT.
YOU'RE PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY IN HARMS WAY.
SO THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT TREE OR THAT OBJECT IS MAINTAINED.
AND SO IN OTHER CITY CODES, WE SEE THAT IN THE CODE, THAT IT'S THAT PROPERTY FRONTER RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT.
SO THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING A REQUIREMENT, I THINK WILL BE A HUGE STEP IN A DIRECTION THAT WILL MAKE IT, UM, A LOT MORE, UM, EASY TO, EASIER TO SWALLOW, EASIER TO SORT OF DEAL WITH FROM THE CITY'S SORT OF OWN LIABILITY POINT, POINT OF VIEW.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY ON THAT NOTE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, JANNA.
ON THE NOTE OF PROPERTY OWNER LIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE, HAVE WE TALKED, WHICH IS GREAT THAT WE'RE INCLUDING IT, HAVE WE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO CLOSE A LANE OF TRAFFIC TO GET A TREE TRI IN THERE? BECAUSE WHEN THE CITY DOES IT, THEY JUST PULL THEIR TRUCK UP THERE AND PUT THE CONES OUT AND THEY GET TO DO WHAT THEY WANT 'CAUSE THEY OWN THE STREET.
SO IF I OWN THE TREE, HAVE WE TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT ON HOW LONG IT TAKES ME TO PUT TOGETHER? DO I NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN? LIKE, DOES IT, DOES THE MAINTENANCE THEN BECOME CUMBERSOME ON THE BACK END TO GET THE PERMIT TO DO THE MAINTENANCE? MM-HMM.
AND SO PROPERTY OWNER'S GONNA SAY, WELL, I'LL WAIT THE YEAR AT THE BEGINNING TO DO THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND THEN I NEVER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE I NEVER HAVE TO PULL THESE PERMITS EVER AGAIN.
OH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE ON A MAJOR TRAFFIC WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, A INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO I THINK ON LIKE TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND LARGER STREETS, THERE IS STILL GOING TO BE THE NEED FOR SOME PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN MAINTAINING TREES.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, CONVENED IN TERMS OF LIKE A, YOU KNOW, STREET BY STREET MAINTENANCE PLANS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER, WE'RE PRUNING UP THE TREES ON THIS STREET, MUCH AS IT STILL IS NOW.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE TREE HEALTH AND THE WATERING OF THE TREE AND MAINTAINING ITS EXISTENCE, THAT WOULD STILL GO TO THE, THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A COMPLETE, LIKE, OH, OKAY, WE'RE OUTTA HERE.
YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PRUNING THINGS
[00:40:01]
IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY IS, UM, CREATES SAFETY HAZARDS POTENTIALLY THAT WOULD, WOULD BE BEST ADDRESSED IF IT WERE PART OF A MUNICIPAL OPERATION AS IT CURRENTLY IS.SO, BUT IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO SORT OUT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, HOPEFULLY WHEN THIS RESOLUTION PASSES ON CONSENT.
DO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CHAIR BRENDA? YEAH, COMMISSIONER WITCHER, A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M EMPHATICALLY NODDING MY HEAD THROUGH THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION.
UH, THIS IS, IT IS SUCH A GOOD THING AND WE ARE TRIPPING ALL OVER OURSELVES TO MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN THAT COMMISSIONER HOWARD HAS TAKEN, UM, UH, THAT THE LBJ STUDENTS HAVE DONE.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, IN MY EMPHATIC SUPPORT, UH, MM-HMM.
UM, UH, YOU, YOU REFERENCED THE CPO DETAILS, UM, THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM DETAILS FOR THE TREE PLANTING.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THOSE TO SOME DEGREE AS A CONSULTANT.
UM, IS IT GOING TO BE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION OF THE RESOLUTION FOR COUNCIL TO ADOPT THOSE MORE BROADLY OUTSIDE OF THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE? YES.
I MEAN, WE'RE KIND OF, UM, REMINDING THEM THAT THOSE ARE ALREADY IN USE, AND I THINK THEY ARE, WERE REALLY DELIBERATELY DONE AND DONE VERY CAREFULLY BY, UH, DWG LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, UM, AS PART OF THIS QUARTER CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM PLAN.
SO THEY'RE, THEY SHOULD BE, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN VETTED, THEY'VE BEEN USED.
AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT THING THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE FACED WITH, OKAY, HOW DO WE PLANT A TREE PROPERLY? AND SO THAT'S LIKE KIND OF A LEG UP ON SORT OF THE NEXT STEPS.
SO I THINK, I THINK THEY CAN BE ADOPTED AND WE WILL CUE THAT IN THE, THAT IS PART OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WE MAKE REFERENCE TO, HEY, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THIS.
UM, YEAH, I'M EXCITED TO DAYLIGHT THOSE.
I THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE THAT THOSE EXIST.
AND, AND I'M ALSO JUST WANNA SAY, WE HAVE DONE SIMILAR PRESENTATIONS TO ABOUT A DOZEN DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING A SLA, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, A I A AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, AND THEN FOLKS LIKE AUSTIN OUTSIDE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.
YOU CAN IMAGINE MOST PEOPLE ARE LIKE, YES, OF COURSE WE ALL LOVE TREES, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S, UH, JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN QUITE A LOT OF, UM, COMMUNITY KIND OF CONTACT AROUND THIS.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FUNDING ON UNDER THE CIP SOME PROGRAMS TOO FOR THE CITY TO BE PROVIDING STREET TREES OUTSIDE OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE DEVELOPING.
AND THAT STRIKES ME AS BEING A REALLY IMPORTANT EQUITY PIECE THAT THE STREET TREES AREN'T BEING ONE-TO-ONE TIED TO DEVELOPMENT OR, YOU KNOW, HIGH, HIGH OPPORTUNITY DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, HAVING NOT SEEN THE RESOLUTION, I WOULD, MY ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD BE TO STRESS THAT AS, AS A, AS, AS A VERY KEY PART OF THE PROGRAM, UM, THAT THE, THE CITY DOES BUILD, BUILD UP THAT FUNDING AND EXECUTE AND, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTATION ME MECHANISM SO THAT IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE DEVELOPING PROPERTIES.
I APPRECIATE YOU REFERENCING THAT, AND I THINK I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT I THINK THAT'S WORTH STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF.
UH, AND, AND, AND MY FINAL COMMENT, NOT A QUESTION, COMMENT.
UM, YOU'VE REFERENCED SOME OF THE BIG PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE LINE WITH PROJECT CONNECT QUARTER PROGRAM OFFICE, THE SLIDE REFERENCED, UH, THE I 35 CAP AND STITCH.
AND I, I CAN'T HELP BUT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT THAT THERE IS THIS, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY PRESSING MOMENT, UM, FOR WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LONG OVERDUE.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.
UM, BUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, PUSHING THIS, UM, RESOLUTION AND, AND BUILDING THAT, THAT ONE POINT PERSON, HAVING SOMEBODY AT THE CITY COME UP AND SAY, HEY, WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, $5 BILLION HIGHWAY EXPANSION PROJECT, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE SILVER LINING THERE THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD A LOT OF STREETS, UM, MM-HMM.
AND WE ARE GOING TO LOSE THAT OPPORTUNITY VERY QUICKLY, UM, IF, IF WE DON'T ACT FAIRLY QUICKLY AS A COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN IMPERATIVE TO NOT JUST PASS THIS, BUT, UH, BEGIN ACTING ON IT AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
STARTING WITH THOSE BIG PUBLIC PROJECTS AS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE COMMITMENT.
[00:45:01]
GONNA CREATE A, A LETTER, UH, IF WE VOTE AND PASS THIS AS FAR AS THE CONTENTS OF THAT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER LUKINS AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WI TRUCK.THE CONTENT OF THAT LETTER OF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT, HOW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, CREATED, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD CREATE AND THEN SEND OVER TO COMMISSIONER LUKINS? AND, UM, FIRST I THINK WE WANTED A CLARIFICATION.
WHAT, WHAT THE MOTION, WHAT THE MOTION WAS IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, IF IT WAS A MOTION IN SUPPORT, IS THAT HOW IT WAS WORDED? OKAY.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER LUKINS, UH, MADE A MOTION.
WANNA CALL OUT IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM, OR JUST SAYING, WE SUPPORT THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE.
AND THAT WOULD BE, WOULD THOSE BE JUST IN THE DISCUSSION AS AN AMENDMENT OF FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS, OR JUST KEEP ADDING TO IT? IT CAN BE, YEAH.
WELL, WHAT WAS MENTIONED WAS THE, UM, THE DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE PROPOSED, UM, LET ME GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION, UH, THAT MINIMIZES BARRIERS TO PLANT AND MAINTAIN STREET TREES LOCATED IN RIGHT OF WAYS OF BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
AND SO, COMMISSIONER LUKINS, IS THAT? YES.
SO, AND THEN WE HAVE A SECOND COMMISSIONER WITCH TRUCK.
UH, THIS IS A CLARIFICATION OF THE ORIGINAL MOTION, RIGHT? DO DO I NEED TO YEAH, I'M JUST READING IT BECAUSE WE JUST MADE A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO THE, NOTHING BOLTED, BUT SURE.
THAT, UH, THAT'S STILL MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I WAS SECONDING, UH, AS A A POINT OF ORDER.
UM, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE LANGUAGE OF GREEN STREET'S INITIATIVE VERSUS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION.
SO THAT, I MEAN, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL'S GONNA READ THIS AT THE RESOLUTION THAT IT GOES INTO THEIR BACKUP.
SO THEY'RE REFERRING THE RESOLUTION IS CALLED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION.
SO I THINK YOU CORRECTLY SAID IT.
AND WE ALSO DO HAVE A LETTER TEMPLATE THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING GROUPS, AND OF COURSE, IF IT, IF YOU WANT THAT, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT, THAT JUST SORT OF REITERATES THE, THE KEY POINTS AND THEN PEOPLE CUSTOMIZE IT OR EMPHASIZE WHAT THEY WANT OR NOT.
AND I THINK WHAT THE, THE HOPE IS, IS THAT WE GET THESE LETTERS SOMETIME BETWEEN MARCH 10TH AND THE 20TH MM-HMM.
AND WE WON'T KNOW THAT ITEM NUMBER UNTIL I THINK MARCH 8TH.
SO THAT'S, I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER CARROLL KNOWS THE PROCESS YOU, YOU KNOW, DEALT WITH WORKING, YOU KNOW, WITH STREAMLINING IT SO THAT IT, IT GETS INTO THE BACKUP AND GETS IDENTIFIED CORRECTLY.
CHAIR, ANOTHER POINT OF ORDER QUESTION, PERHAPS FOR STAFF.
IS IT CUSTOMARY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO, UM, HAVE THE, UH, MOTION ALSO DIRECT OR AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR TO, UM, EXECUTE A LETTER, UM, TO BE PROVIDED THE BACKUP? HEY, SO, UM, I THINK ONCE A VOTE IS TAKEN, UM, TYPICALLY HOW THE PROCESS WORKS IS THAT WE'LL REACH OUT TO CHAIR SALINAS AND, UM, WE WILL HAVE DRAFTED A RECOMMENDATION LETTER.
AND, UM, I GUESS THIS ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT SINCE IT'S, UM, NOT REALLY TEASED OUT WHAT ALL WILL BE IN THE LETTER, BUT, UM, WE CAN, YEAH, WE WILL DRAFT OR DRAFT THE VOTING LANGUAGE, WHAT WAS, WHAT THE VOTE WAS AT THE MEETING, AND SEND IT AS A DRAFT.
I DON'T, YEAH, I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION AS WELL IS, IS LIKE, UM, IF WE'RE VOTING ON IT AND THEN WE GET THE LETTER AND WE GET THE DRAFT, IS THE DRAFT, HOW DOES THE DRAFT MATCH WHAT,
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE AGREEING TO TODAY? AND SO, JUROR, IF I MAY, YES, PLEASE.JORGE
YOU DON'T NEED TO COME TO A RESOLUTION THIS EVENING, HOWEVER, IT DOES NEED TO SHOW SUPPORT SHOULD THE VOTE COME TO THAT FRUITION AT THE CONCLUSION OF TAKING THAT VOTE.
SO YOU DON'T NEED TO WORDSMITH A LETTER.
USUALLY THE COMMISSION DEPUTIZES THE CHAIR TO CRAFT THE LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION WITH THE EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS TO INCLUDE THE ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION.
HOWEVER SAID, ACTION IS NOT SPELLED OUT OR WORDSMITH, NOR IS THERE A NECESSITY TO DO THAT THIS EVENING.
IT WOULD BE UPON THE TRUST OF THE CHAIR TO CRAFT THE LETTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACTION THAT THE COMMISSION TOOK THIS EVENING.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON IT AND, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING THE, UH, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION, UH, SAY AYE.
WE WILL DRAFT THAT AND GET THAT OVER TO YOU.
UM, CHAIR SALINAS, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT COMMISSIONER HOWARD RECUSED FROM THIS ITEM, UM, NOW ALSO JUST WANTED TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE ACCIDENTALLY SKIPPED OVER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY.
[4. Update from the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group regarding updates to the guidelines.]
NEXT, UH, ITEM IS THE WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE UPDATES, UM, AN UPDATE FROM THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP REGARDING UPDATES TO THE GUIDELINES.SO THE WORKING GROUP IS ACTIVELY MEETING, UH, EVERY OTHER WEEK AND MAKING PROGRESS ON SORT OF WHITTLING DOWN THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT TO GET A, UM, DRAFT PREPARED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I'D SAY WE'RE PROBABLY STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF MONTHS LEFT BEFORE WE'RE THERE.
THERE, UM, SO HOPES TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, EH, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE, DAVID, MAYBE TO SHARE SOME OF THE RUBRIC? UM, JUST KIND OF GIVE AN IDEA OF LIKE THE FILTER AT WHICH WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE KIND OF AGREES WITH HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DRAFT AND, AND KIND OF TAKE INPUT, SEE IF WE'RE MISSING ANYTHING.
DO I HAVE IT SAVED ON HERE? DO YOU WANT ME TO GET UPDATES FROM ANYONE ELSE? DO YOU NEED TIME? NO, I'VE GOT IT.
UH, YEAH, SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL THEMES THAT, THAT WERE CREATED, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING TO EVALUATE THESE.
UH, BUT THEN WE, THIS, THIS MORE CURRENT GROUP HAS CREATED, UH, SOME OTHER LENSES TO LOOK THROUGH THESE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HELP, UH, CLARIFY SOME OF THESE.
MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE, UH, APPLICABLE TO GUIDELINES VERSUS CODE, FOR INSTANCE.
UH, ALIGNMENT WITH THE, THE THEMES THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL AS HAVING A CLEAR INTENT, UH, AND PROVIDING EXAMPLES, UH, OF EACH OF THESE.
[00:55:02]
YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THE GOAL IS TO HAVE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS, UH, AND OR PHOTOGRAPHS TO HELP WITH SOME OF THESE EXAMPLES OF THESE.UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT YET.
UM, BUT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SHARE, WE KIND OF HAVE ALL THIS OUTLINED THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE LARGER GROUP IF, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED NOW AND SEEING HOW WE'RE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BUT IT SEEMS TO BE GOING PRETTY WELL IN MY OPINION.
IT'S JUST TIME CONSUMING 'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INITIAL WORK DONE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE SORT OF REORGANIZING ALL OF IT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
UM, BUT MUCH OF THE, THE MEAT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED IS, IS STILL THERE.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BETTER, UH, PRODUCT IN THE END.
DO WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE MEETINGS TO GO OVER ANY OF THOSE, UM, VARIOUS, UH, TOPICS, UM, THAT WE CREATED? BECAUSE I THINK OUR AGENDAS IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS HAVE BEEN KINDA SLOW AND THAT'S JUST A GOOD OPPORTUNITY SINCE WE'RE ALL HERE TO DISCUSS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TWO GROUPS AT A TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS WITH THE OVERALL SCHEDULE.
UM, BUT JUST TO BRING IT UP TO FOR DISCUSSION.
I THINK WE WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT WITH A LARGER GROUP IS.
BUT CERTAINLY BY APRIL'S OR MARCH'S MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE GOOD AMOUNT OF WORK READY TO SHOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, THE UPDATES FROM THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE
[5. Update from representative of the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]
FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.IS THAT COMMISSIONER MCKEE? YEAH.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING ON THE 21ST.
UM, AND SO I DON'T HAVE A REPORT AND I ACTUALLY HAVE AN ONGOING CONFLICT WITH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETINGS WITH ANOTHER BOARD THAT I'M ON.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE MAY NEED TO APPOINT ANOTHER COMMISSIONER TO THAT, UH, TO LIAISE WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE IS IMPORTANT STUFF GOING ON BASED ON THE AGENDA THAT WAS POSTED.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A, AN ONGOING MONTHLY OVERLAP WITH ANOTHER BOARD.
STAFF, WHAT IS THE PROCESS, UM, TO, UH, REPLACE COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY ON THIS? UM, SO I THINK, SO THIS WILL HAVE TO BE LIKE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
WE CAN INCLUDE IT ON, UH, NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SPONSOR AND CO-SPONSOR AND, UM, THEN WE CAN TAKE THE ACTION THEN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR, UH, THIS ITEM FOR THE NEXT AGENDA OR THE NEXT MEETING.
I WOULD MAYBE RECOMMEND IF, UM, MAYBE COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY COULD BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE ROLE FOR EVERYONE SO THEY CAN THINK ABOUT IT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, AS A LIAISON, YOU ATTEND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S MONTHLY MEETINGS.
UM, THEY'RE ON, I THINK THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH.
UM, IT'S AROUND THE SAME TIME, UM, AS OURS ARE.
AND YOU ARE A NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, SO YOU ATTEND AND LISTEN.
UM, YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS, UM, BUT YOU, YOU, UM, YOU DON'T VOTE ON ANY OF THEIR, UM, ITEMS WHERE THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OR, OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THE MEETINGS ARE HELD AT CITY HALL.
UM, I BELIEVE THEY ALSO OFFER A VIRTUAL OPTION.
UM, THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONERS THAT ATTENDED VIRTUALLY AT THE, THE COUPLE MEETINGS I WENT TO AT THE VERY BEGINNING, SO.
[01:00:04]
ALL RIGHT.UM, I BELIEVE THE NEXT ONE IS ME,
[6. Update from representative of the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding last meeting.]
THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.UM, LAST MONTH, UH, WE HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AND THEIR PLAN TO TRANSITION, UM, TO LOW EMBODIED CARBON CONCRETE IN THE PURSUIT OF CARBON NEUTRAL, UH, AUSTIN.
UH, THIS WAS A RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED ON APRIL 20TH.
UM, AND THEN THEY HAD TO CREATE INITIAL PLAN THAT WAS DUE ON THE NOVEMBER 30TH, UM, WHICH THEY NEEDED TO INCLUDE HOW MUCH CONCRETE WAS, WAS BEING USED AND WHAT ITS IMPACT WAS.
AND, AND THEY HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION ON, ON, UH, ON THE, ON HOW MUCH CARBON WAS CREATED IN THAT PRODUCTION.
UM, AND THEN THEY REQUIRE THE USE OF EPDS TO INFLUENCE AND ENCOURAGE MORE SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE PRODUCTION.
AND EPDS, UM, ARE VA WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE A, UM, LIKE WHAT YOU SEE ON A FOOD LABEL.
UM, AND THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS THAT, UH, A CONCRETE SUPPLIER COULD GET THERE, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH THEIR PRODUCTION PROCESS, UM, OR THROUGH AN ADDITIVE PROCESS.
UM, AND THEY'VE GOT SOME OF THEIR BIG, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY PUT IT OUT THERE FOR SOME OF THE BIG CONCRETE SUPPLIERS.
UM, AND IT SEEMS TO BE MOVING IN A, THE, THE RESPONSE WAS PRETTY POSITIVE.
UM, AND THEN THEIR THIRD PORTION OF THAT WAS TO DO A, A STRATEGY TO REVIEW AND, AND, AND REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT IT WAS A, IT WAS A REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC PRESENTATION AND IT WAS MOVING, UH, THIS CONCRETE, UH, PROCUREMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE TOOK ON WAS THAT WE, UM, LEMME SCROLL DOWN.
SO WE VOTED, UH, TO AMEND THE BYLAWS TO INCLUDE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AS PART OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UM, THAT PASSED.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO VOTED UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY TO, UM, UPDATE THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT THE TELEWORK, UH, POLICIES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
WHO ELSE HAVE WE GOT UPDATE, UH, FROM
[7. Update from representative of the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board regarding last meeting.]
THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD, UH, COMMISSIONER LADNER.UM, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING.
IT WAS ON A THURSDAY, SO IT KIND OF GOT SHIFTED, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN A BIT OF MOVEMENT.
UM, SO THEY'VE GOT, UH, ACTUALLY THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS COMING UP THIS WEEK.
UM, AND I'M STILL TRYING TO GET THE NOTES FROM THAT MEETING.
THEY'VE RELEASED BASICALLY, UM, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, UM, DRAFT DOCUMENT.
IT'S AVAILABLE ON, UH, SPEAK UP AUSTIN, THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN THEY'VE GOT PUBLIC MEETINGS COMING UP ON WEDNESDAY, MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
SO THE 28TH, MARCH 18TH AND MARCH 20TH.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GOOD MOVEMENT ON THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, I MISSED THE LAST MEETING, SO I JUST DON'T HAVE ALL THE FEEDBACK.
UM, BUT THERE'S SOME, A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT.
THAT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND JUST DO A COMMENT THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE AS FAR AS THE, UM, WHERE ARE WE CALLING THIS? THE RULES OF WHAT, HOW WE WORK? UM, PARDON ME, CHAIR.
SO WE DID SNEAK AN AGENDA, ADDENDUM IN THERE AND UH, WE HAVE AN ITEM EIGHT, UM, DISCUSSION ITEM FROM SOPHIA.
DISCUSSION ITEM EIGHT, DISCUSSION OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES RELATED TO THE REVIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, UH, REPRESENTED, PRESENTED BY SOPHIA BRENNER, PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I'M REALLY SORRY IF Y'ALL THOUGHT THIS MEETING WAS ABOUT TO ADJOURN.
SO THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, IT REALLY CAME ABOUT, 'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK OF AN EXERCISE WE COULD ALL DO TOGETHER WHERE WE REVIEW PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE LENS OF URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES KIND OF IN ACTION.
[01:05:01]
AND ALSO JUST CONSIDERING THE SCOPE, RIGHT? SO THINKING WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE ACTUALLY COMING UP? HOW ARE THEY USED? WHERE ARE THE SHORTCOMINGS? WHAT'S WORKING? AND WHAT IS THE REALITY? LIKE WHAT CAN WE REALLY BE DOING? UM, SO I JUST THOUGHT IT COULD BE EXER, UM, COULD BE HELPFUL.AND THEN I LIMITED IT IN THE END TO JUST TWO DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.
SO THIS WOULDN'T BE LIKE THREE HOURS LONG BECAUSE Y'ALL REVIEW OTHER PROJECTS TOO.
BUT I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS JUST FOR THE, FOR THE PURPOSE.
I'M GONNA SAY SCOPE A MILLION TIMES FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIKE NARROWING MY OWN SCOPE OF DISCUSSION.
I WAS JUST GONNA KEEP IT TO THIS.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA FLIP THROUGH TWO PROJECTS THAT I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN 'CAUSE THEY'RE PRETTY RECENT AND SO HOPEFULLY SINCE THEY'RE RECENT YOU'LL REMEMBER THEM AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF SEE, UM, YEAH, JUST SEE IF THIS BRINGS UP ANYTHING NOW OR LIKE FOR THE WORKING GROUPS.
SO I WANTED TO PUT OUT KIND OF
ONE, YOU'RE IN THE MIDST OF YOUR SITE PLAN PROCESS AND APPLY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
YOU'RE TOLD YOU NEED TO PRESENT THE PROJECT TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND THEY REVIEW THE PROJECT BASED ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IMPACTS YOUR PRESENTATION AND PROJECT? WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST HELPFUL WAY THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES DOCUMENT COULD BE LAID OUT? TWO, AS A COMMISSIONER, WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO CRAFT YOUR FEEDBACK? THREE, CONSIDERING THE RECURRING CHARACTERISTICS AND PROJECTS WE SEE THE CURRENT STATE OF URBAN DESIGN AND DOWNTOWN, AND THE SCOPE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
WHAT ARE SOME TAKEAWAYS FOR HOW TO SHAPE THE NEW URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES? UM, I WAS IN THE FIELD DOWNTOWN LAST WEEK, UM, WITH MY COLLEAGUES WORKING ON A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
UM, BUT I, I COULDN'T HELP BUT BRING A COUPLE THOUGHTS TO THE FLOOR TODAY BECAUSE IT WAS SURPRISINGLY HOSTILE TO PEDESTRIANS WHEN WE WERE OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY DUE TO THE NUMBER OF GARAGE ENTRANCES AND EXITS.
UM, I'M JUST SHARING, THIS IS LIKE, NOT NECESSARILY IMPORTANT, BUT THESE ARE MY OBSERVATIONS, UM, THAT I NEED TO SHARE WITH SOMEONE
AND SO THERE WAS THAT, UH, THAT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT BRINGS.
NO SENSE OF PLACE, AND THAT MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFINE OR EVEN JUST ACKNOWLEDGE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WITHIN DOWNTOWN, UM, WE AND FORM GUIDELINES TO ENCOURAGE AND REFLECT THAT DISTRICT.
UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WE WERE ON BRAZOS AND COLORADO, AND YOU COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE AND THIS WOULD, YOU KNOW, FIT INTO WHAT I WOULD CALL THE CENTRAL PLACE OR THE DISTRICT.
YOU COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE SOUTH OF EIGHTH VERSUS NORTH OF EIGHTH, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
LIKE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU KIND OF ENTER CLOSE TO THE STATE BUILDINGS.
AND SO YOU DO FEEL SOME OF THOSE SHIFTS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND SO JUST BEING THERE, DOING WORK INSTEAD OF GOING OUT, I WAS THINKING THAT THIS COULD MAKE SENSE.
AND IT'S COME UP BEFORE A DESIGN COMMISSION TO TALK ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CORRIDOR.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE NEVER REALLY LANDED ANYWHERE WITH THAT.
UM, WE HAD REACHED OUT TO SOMEONE AT MEXICO AND THEY HADN'T GOTTEN BACK TO US, BUT JUST KIND OF THROWING THAT OUT THERE AS AN IDEA.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE GUIDELINES THAT CAME UP IN THE TWO PROJECTS I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CONSOLIDATE, CONSOLIDATE THEM TO THIS ONE SLIDE.
I THINK THESE ARE GUIDELINES THAT COME UP A LOT, AND SO I'M JUST GONNA REVIEW SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON HOW THAT, UH, WEIGHS INTO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I CAN AND, AND CAN'T DO, OR JUST HOW THEY, HOW THEY WORK IN REALITY.
SO FIRST ONE IS A REVIEW OF THE GRADUATE.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER SEEING THIS ONE, IT SITS JUST, UM, SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF GUADALUPE AND MLK.
IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT BEHIND THAT SEVEN 11 SUPER VISIBLE TO CAMPUS.
UM, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION AROUND THE BIKE WAY ON 18TH.
UM, AND YEAH, THE TRANSITION FROM KIND OF PARKING AND BICYCLE TR TRAFFIC PEDESTRIAN ZONE, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT ACTIVATION ALONG GUADALUPE, UM, AND THE PROMINENCE OF THE NORTHERN FACADE WAS DISCUSSED.
UM, IN, FOR THIS PROJECT, THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION ACTUALLY CALLED OUT SOME SPECIFIC THINGS, AND I'M JUST GONNA ROLL WITH THAT AS I SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON, ON KIND OF THE TAKEAWAYS HERE.
[01:10:01]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.SO SOMETHING THAT CAME UP WITH SCALE, UM, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS IN THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION AND IT SAID ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE THE OUT OF SCALE PEDESTRIAN GATHERING SPACE ALONG SAN ANTONIO STREET TO BE BROUGHT BACK INTO SCALE.
UM, SO MY TAKEAWAY WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT SCALE IS, AND, AND MAYBE THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY RELATED TO THAT, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE ABOUT A 30 STORY TOWER THAT IMMEDIATELY WEST TO THAT TO THE SITE ARE A BUNCH OF TWO STORY BUILDINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, SCALE, THAT'S COMES UP A LOT IN URBAN DESIGN.
AND THERE IS A GUIDELINE, UM, THE A W FOUR BUFFER NEIGHBORHOOD EDGES THAT ADDRESSES SCALE.
UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME WE SEE A PROJECT, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR A WHILE.
SO THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO ASK THEM, THIS IS JUST THEORETICAL HERE, THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO ASK THEM SOME TYPICAL THINGS THAT COME UP WITH SCALE, RIGHT? LIKE DO A SETBACK, DO A STEP BACK.
THOSE, THOSE ARE NOT GONNA BE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AROUND THAT, BUT THE DIFFERENCE THERE WOULD BE LIKE RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR AREA.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN SAY BECAUSE THAT IS WRITTEN INTO THE REGULATING PLAN.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, THEN THEY CAN SUBMIT FOR A EC.
BUT WITH THE GUIDELINES, I DON'T SEE THAT BEING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WRITE IT AND IT IS WRITTEN IN THE PLAN, UM, I MEAN IN THE PLAN, SORRY, IN THE GUIDELINES, BUT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A LOT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY INTERESTING EXAMPLE TO POINT THAT OUT.
AND SO I, I'LL LEAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, WITH A QUESTION AND I REALIZE Q AND A WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AFTERWARDS, BUT, UM, CURIOUS TO ASK YOU ALL IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE HOW YOU THINK WE COULD HAVE USED A GUIDELINE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SCALE HERE.
ENTRANCES, UM, ENCOURAGE CORNER ENTRANCES TO EXPAND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ON SAN ANTONIO STREET AND GUADALUPE STREET.
SO ASSUMING THIS REFERENCES, UM, BE THREE PRIMARY ECCENTRIC PRIMARY ENTRANCES, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY HELPING ME PUSH, UM, FOR AN ENTRANCE TO THE CAFE.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER, THE GRADUATE IS GONNA BE MOSTLY HOTEL AND SOME RESIDENTS.
AND THEN ON THE GROUND FLOOR, THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT A RESTAURANT IN A CAFE.
THE LOCATION KIND OF MOVED AROUND A LITTLE.
IT WAS BROUGHT UP LIKE WHY IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHY DOESN'T IT HAVE AN ENTRANCE ON GUADALUPE? WHAT ABOUT THE ACTIVATION THERE? UM, AND I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON DIFFERENT GRADUATE SITES AND I FOUND ACT IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A GRADUATE PROJECT THAT'S IN SEATTLE, AND THEY DO HAVE AN ENTRANCE TO THE CAFE.
UM, THEY HAVE THEIR SAME VENDOR, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME, AND IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT IN THEIR DIFFERENT PROJECTS, WHICH IS INTERESTING TO SEE.
AND SO HERE IN SEATTLE WE SEE THIS IS IN FACT LIKE A CORNER, UM, LOCATION FOR THE CAFE.
AND THERE IS A DOOR, IT MIGHT NOT BE EASY TO SEE ON THE SCREEN, BUT THERE IS A, AN ENTRANCE TO THE CAFE.
UM, AND I FELT LIKE THIS GUIDELINE WAS VERY HELPFUL IN BEING ABLE TO CALL SOMETHING OUT THAT'S QUITE IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, AND WHEN I, WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THIS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS INTERESTING, ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR FEEDBACK IS, OF COURSE THESE PROJECTS ARE VERY COMPLEX AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT GOALS.
AND WHEN I WAS KIND OF PUSHING FOR THIS, THEY SAID, WELL, YEAH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT I THINK THAT SUCCESS FOR ME IS DIFFERENT THAN SUCCESS FOR THEM, RIGHT? I MEAN, A COFFEE SHOP AS PART OF THIS GIANT BUILDING IS PROBABLY NOT THEIR PRIMARY CONCERN.
AND IS THERE, YOU KNOW, THEIR CONCERN, WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE.
IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THINKING ABOUT THIS AND LIKE MAYBE HOW TO WORD THINGS.
I'M THINKING THAT THEIR CONCERN MIGHT BE MORE ABOUT FOR THEIR OWN CLIENTELE, WHEREAS WHAT I'M THINKING IS, IS THIS AN AMENITY FOR THE COMMUNITY? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE STUDENTS THAT ARE JUST ONE INTERSECTION NORTH OF THIS
[01:15:01]
BUILDING, ARE THEY GONNA FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING INTO THIS SPACE? UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY MORE NOTES ON THAT.UM, AND THIS IS AN EXCITING ONE.
ACTIVATION, UM, ACTIVATION, THE WORD ACTIVATE DOESN'T COME UP ANYWHERE IN THE GUIDELINES SO FAR.
SO THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK WE COULD START EVEN WITH A DEFINITION.
AND I HAD CHAT GBT DO A LITTLE MATH FOR ME.
AND CONSIDERING A RIGHT OF WAY OF 80 FEET AND MAYBE A HEAD TILT OF 15 DEGREES, IT REALLY, IT, IT REALLY DEFINES SOMETHING WE ALREADY KNEW, WHICH IS THAT YOU SEE THE FIRST TWO FLOORS, IT WAS LIKE 22 FEET, UM, WAS THE TANGENT, IF THAT'S THE RIGHT MATH TERM.
UM, AND I, I FELT LIKE PUTTING AN EQUATION TO IT JUST FELT KIND OF POWERFUL.
BUT THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITIONS OF ACTIVATION, THERE'S DEFINITIONS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN BORROW FROM.
UM, AND I DO THINK IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO PUT SOME DEFINITIONS IN THE GUIDELINES, BUT, UH, TALKING ABOUT ACTIVATION AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS AND WHAT PUBLIC SPACE VERSUS SEMI-PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE, UM, BEING ABLE TO BREAK THAT DOWN, UM, IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT.
YEAH, SO FOR THIS PROJECT, THE VERY VISIBLE FACADE, UM, ON THE NORTH WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT AND HAVING A BIG ART PIECE.
AND THERE IS THE GUIDELINE, A W FIVE INCORPORATES CIVIC ART IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
THAT REALLY HELPS, I THINK, SET THE, THE CONVERSATION FOR COMMISSIONERS FOR MYSELF.
UM, I DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS I'VE BEEN SHARING ON THE WORKING GROUP, UM, ABOUT WHAT WE CAN REALLY DO TO HELP FOSTER A SUCCESSFUL ART PIECE WHEN THE REALITY IS WE'RE WEIGHING IN AT ONE POINT IN TIME AND THEN, AND THAT'S IT.
UM, I MEAN, THE LETTER IS INCLUDED, THE DESIGN COMMISSION LETTER AND THEN THE STAFF LETTER THAT IS URBAN DESIGN COMP, UH, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE LETTER IS INCLUDED IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BACK PACKET, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS.
THAT'S ALSO WHY I THINK IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE SOME DETAILS IN THERE, WHICH I'VE STARTED DOING IN THE URBAN DESIGN COMPLIANCE LETTER.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION, THERE'S OF COURSE WE'RE NOT COMING IN AND REVIEWING THE PROJECT AFTERWARDS.
AND I AM, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT LIKE, HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A SUCCESSFUL ART PIECE THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE BUILDING? UM, IS IS IT WORTH SPENDING A LOT OF OUR TIME DISCUSSING THAT IF IT'S NOT WORKING OUT WELL, IF IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE OR IT'S NOT HELPFUL.
UM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING, I MEAN, CIVIC ART IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO I, I DEFINITELY AM NOT TRYING TO SHY AWAY FROM TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, YEAH, AND SO IN THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION IT SAID TO USE THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARD BENCHES.
AND I DID JUST WANNA POINT OUT, OF COURSE, YOU'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH GREAT STREETS AND RULES AROUND GREAT STREET STANDARDS, I SHOULD SAY, AROUND GREAT STREETS.
UM, AND FOR ONE, I THINK LIKE IF Y'ALL WANNA WEIGH IN ON BENCHES, I THINK WE CAN INVOLVE MY GREAT STREETS COLLEAGUES AND SEE WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, I THINK IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE APPLICANTS TO INCLUDE DIFFERENT BENCHES THAN THE ONE THAT WE SEE.
IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE, IT'S JUST THE ONE THAT WE SEE ALL THE TIME.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DESIRE TO GET MORE CREATIVE, AND I IMAGINE MANUFACTURING AND, YOU KNOW, THE, SOME OF THE LOGISTICS BEHIND THE PURCHASING IS MAYBE THE MOST POWERFUL COMPONENT, BUT, UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IS BEING UPDATED.
THE GREAT STREETS PLAN WILL BE UPDATED.
SO WE'VE GOT THOSE KIND OF BIGGER THINGS IN MOTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PROJECT BY PROJECT.
SO, UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THINKING OF THAT AND, AND MAKE SURE I'M
[01:20:01]
CLARIFYING THAT IT'S NOT THE ONLY BENCH THAT NEEDS TO BE USED, EVEN THOUGH IT'S USED ALL THE TIME.UM, AND THAT PERHAPS DESIGN COMMISSION COULD WEIGH IN ON DESIGN PLACEMENT AMOUNT, UM, ON A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS.
BUT YEAH, WELL, YOU CAN INVOLVE GREAT STREETS, UM, COLLEAGUES AS WE WANNA DIVE INTO THAT, MAYBE IN A WORKING GROUP MEETING OR, OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO THIS WAS ABOUT FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE AND THE KIND OF RESTAURANT CAFE OPTIONS THAT WERE BEING PROVIDED AS PART OF THE GRADUATE PROJECT.
I THINK THAT THIS ONE ACTUALLY GAVE ME A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE GUIDELINE B, NO, NOT B THREE, UM, PZ 14, WHICH IS PROVIDE FOOD SERVICE FOR PLAZA PARTICIPANTS.
UM, BECAUSE IT, THIS IS NOT A PLAZA, BUT THERE IS FOOD SERVICE AND THERE WAS INFORMATION THAT'S HELPFUL IN THERE, AND I THINK IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A GUIDELINE THAT IS A BIT TOO NARROW.
UM, AND SO WANTED TO, TO CALL THAT ONE OUT.
AND THEN FOR S FOUR, STREETSCAPE FOUR, UM, REINFORCED PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY INCLUDES, UM, QUOTE ENCOURAGE STREET VENDORS, UH, AND SIDEWALK CAFES, UH, WHICH IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT FEELS RELEVANT HERE.
BUT, UM, SO THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT GUIDELINES.
I THINK ONE IS A LITTLE BROAD AND HELPFUL, AND ONE IS PERHAPS TOO NARROW, UM, THAT ARE BOTH TALKING ABOUT HOW TO CREATE A MORE CONVIVIAL ENVIRONMENT AS RELATED TO FOOD AND AND BEVERAGE SERVICE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFRAME IT AS AN EXAMPLE IN A WAY THAT HIGHLIGHTS FOOD TRUCKS OR HOW TO MAKE SPACE FOR MOBILE VENDORS AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, AND TIE IN KIND OF SOMETHING I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN POTENTIAL IN SOME PROJECTS WHERE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO CARVE OUT A SPACE AND IF THEY'RE ABLE TO CARVE OUT A SPACE AND, AND, AND SET IT UP TO BE AVAILABLE FOR LIKE A FOOD TRUCK VENDOR, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF FEEDING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE SEED WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE.
SO JUST REFRAMING SOME OF THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND MAYBE PAYING ATTENTION TO IF IT'S TOO NARROW IN SCOPE, UM, TO BE HELPFUL IN, IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS THAT WE SEE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE KIND OF HAVE A PROBLEM CREATING PUBLIC SPACE WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY, BUT THAT IS TRICKY IN WHAT WE CAN DO, REVIEWING THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
UM, BUT POTENTIAL FOR CREATIVITY PERHAPS.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT PROJECT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IS BLOCK 32.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER THIS ONE, IT IS JUST WEST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WE, THERE WAS A DEFINITELY SOME DISCUSSION ALONG THE AMOUNT, UH, ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CURB CUTS THAT WERE HAPPENING.
UM, ON THIS PROJECT THERE IS THE BIKEWAY, THE, UM, TWO DIRECTIONAL BI-DIRECTIONAL BIKEWAY THAT IS GOING ON THE WEST CURB OF TRINITY AND THEN WRAPS AROUND ON THE NORTH CURB OF THIRD STREET.
AND WE'VE GOT, LET'S SEE, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I, SOMEWHERE LATER ON, I HAVE, I THINK HIGHLIGHTED THE AMOUNT OF CURB CUTS.
OH, WE'LL GET TO THAT SAD TOPIC IN A MINUTE.
UM, BUT LET'S SEE, CREATE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THAT IS A GUIDELINE, THAT IS A W2 CREATE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THERE, THERE IS A DEFINITION THAT IS VERY HELPFUL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TWO, AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT USES PER HALF BLOCK.
UM, I THINK MY TAKEAWAY FROM THINKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND THINKING ABOUT THIS GUIDELINE WAS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO ADDRESS LOBBIES? UM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS FEASIBLE TO RECOMMEND THAT WOULD IMPROVE ACTIVATION? 'CAUSE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH THAT A LOT.
WE'RE ALWAYS WEIGHING, IS THIS MIXED USE OR IS THIS ACTIVATED, OR IS THIS FOOD SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, OR IS THIS ALL OCCURRING IN A LOBBY? IS THAT OKAY? UM, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES DOWNTOWN FEEL LIKE NEXT TO THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS RIGHT NOW? UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE CIVIC ART PIECE, UM, I JUST THINK THIS IS A REALLY BIG ONE.
THIS BUILDING, AS YOU CAN SEE,
[01:25:01]
HAS ONE, UH, PERMEABLE FLOOR, THE GROUND FLOOR, AND THEN TWO THROUGH EIGHT, I BELIEVE, ARE PARKING.AND THAT IS WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU EXIT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO TO ME IT'S, IT COULD BE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN ART PIECE.
UM, BUT, AND, AND I AM CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE, UH, PROJECT MANAGER ABOUT THAT.
BUT AGAIN, JUST I'M KIND OF QUESTIONING MY, MY LIMITATION, UM, AS AN AUTHORITY.
AND THEN ALSO HOW HELPFUL CAN I BE OTHER THAN ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, DO YOU PLAN ON HIRING A PUBLIC ART CONSULTANT? UM, AND MAYBE DOCUMENTING THAT IN MY URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE LETTER.
YEAH, SO THIS WAS INTERESTING.
SO THIS WAS THE CIVIC ART THAT WAS POINTED OUT IN THE PRESENTATION WHEN THEY CAME TO DESIGN COMMISSION.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE NORTHWEST NORTHEAST CORNER, THEY KIND OF HAVE LIKE A SLIVER OF THE BUILDING AND THEN IN THE GARAGE ENTRANCE ON THIRD STREET TO THE SOUTH.
UM, SO I, I GUESS IT WAS INTERESTING AS I'M NOW TRYING TO HAVE THESE DEEPER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A BIG PIECE FACING THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAD BEEN OFFERED, UM, MAKE WHAT YOU WILL OF THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT IT, IT'S JUST, YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR PLANNING WAS BEHIND THAT, BUT AGAIN, THAT FACADE FACING THE CONVENTION CENTER IS I THINK, A PRETTY BIG OPPORTUNITY OR NOT.
SO THERE YOU SEE THE EAST ELEVATION, WHICH WOULD BE FACING THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, JUST WANNA POINT OUT THE NORTH ELEVATION FACES THE ALLEY.
SO HERE ARE ALL THE CURB CUTS.
UM, I'M COUNTING STREETS AND ALLEYS AS CURB CUTS HERE.
AND OF COURSE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR COLLEAGUES IN TRANSPORTATION THAT HAVE THE FINAL SAY FOR SURE.
UM, I DID TALK WITH 'EM ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND THE AMOUNT OF CURB CUTS, AND THIS PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE FOUR AND THEN CONSOLIDATED TO THREE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS AN IMPROVEMENT.
BUT AGAIN, JUST BEING DOWNTOWN ON A WEEKDAY, MAYBE IT WAS AROUND LUNCH, BUT JUST THE AMOUNT OF, OF INTERACTIONS I HAD AS A PEDESTRIAN WITH CARS TURNING SURPRISINGLY FAST AND THE GRADE OF A LOT OF THESE PARKING GARAGES, RIGHT, IS EXTREME, EITHER EXTREMELY STEEP GOING UP OR GOING DOWN.
AND SO IF YOU'RE STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK, THIS PERSON WHO HAS BEEN TO THIS GARAGE MANY TIMES IS LIKE GEARING UP FOR IT.
AND IT JUST FELT LIKE A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION.
AND WHEREAS WE MIGHT NOT HAVE LIKE, SO MUCH CONTROL OVER THESE CURB CUTS AND, AND THAT'S AT LEAST A DEEPER DISCUSSION, UM, WITH COLLEAGUES IN TRANSPORTATION, I THINK IT COULD BE WORTH GETTING INTO SOME, SOME REAL DETAILS AROUND GARAGE ENTRANCE AND EXIT DESIGN, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN, YEAH, THE, THE PLAZA, A LOT OF DIFFERENT GUIDELINES COULD BE SUMMONED.
UM, FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, IT IS ALSO NOT, NOT TECHNICALLY A PLAZA IN THE LANGUAGE THAT IS PROVIDED IN THE CODE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WHEN, WHEN WE'RE SEEING A PROJECT LIKE THIS THAT'S CARVING OUT SOME OF THE CORNER SPACE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE ABLE TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT, TO ADDRESS IT, TO CELEBRATE IT, TO CRITIQUE IT.
AND THERE'S, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GUIDELINES ON PLAZAS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR, FOR TWEAKING THAT.
AND I THINK LOOKING AT THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS GONNA BE A HELPFUL REMINDER OF WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO SAY IN THE GUIDELINES.
UM, AND YEAH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO I'M JUST SHOWING KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
YEAH, THIS IS THE CORNER OF THIRD IN SAN JACINTO NEXT STREET, PLEASE.
[01:30:01]
SLIDE PLEASE.PATH EAST TOWARD THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I HOPE THIS WAS HELPFUL WITH THE PROMPTS AND THE GUIDELINES.
UM, YEAH, CHAIR SALINAS, TAKE IT AWAY.
UM, JUST FOR CLARITY, THIS IS THE POINT OF YOUR PRESENTATION HERE, IS TO HELP US AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE UPDATES OF HOW WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE AREAS WHICH MAY BE TOO VAGUE OR OUT OF DATE, UM, TO GET A MUCH BETTER RESPONSE, OBVIOUSLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I ACHIEVED THAT, BUT WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THESE PROJECTS, I WAS JUST THINKING OF HOW, UM, REALLY REVIEWING WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IS HELPFUL FOR KIND OF HONING IN ON WHAT WE MIGHT WANNA SAY, RIGHT? LIKE, IT MIGHT NOT BE VERY EXCITING TO DETAIL A GARAGE ENTRANCE, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA SEE A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN DESIGN, JUST THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING, THEN IT COULD BE A WORTHWHILE VENTURE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I DO HAVE QUESTION.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THIS COMMISSION'S, UM, ABILITY TO REFER TO OTHER COMMISSIONS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IF HISTORICALLY THERE'S EVER BEEN A RECOMMENDATION TO, TO, UH, MEET OR CONVENE WITH THE ART COMMISSION FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND, AND HOW, UM, THAT ROLE WOULD BE TAKEN FORWARD.
I THINK SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAD BROUGHT THAT TO MY MIND AND, AND I'M NOT ENTIRELY FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY THAT COMMISSION FUNCTIONS, BUT I, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR, UM, IF AND WHEN THE, THE SITUATION ARISES THAT WE COULD RECOMMEND THAT, UM, IT'S A BIG ENOUGH SCOPE FOR THE, FOR THAT COMMISSION TO ADDRESS THE PROJECT.
I'M WRITING IT DOWN 'CAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT.
IF I WILL MAKE NOTE OF THAT AND ASK AROUND.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF ITEMS IN YOUR PRESENTATION FOR THE GRADUATE.
UH, FOR ME ANYWAY, MY ISSUE WITH SCALE ON THAT BUILDING WAS THE HUMAN SCALE AND THE LACK OF HUMAN SCALE MOSTLY RELATED TO THE 40 FOOT TALL WINDOWS.
UH, AND TO ME, EVEN AT THIS STAGE OF DESIGN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CHANGED.
IT'S NOT AFFECTING THE FLOOR PLAN, IT'S JUST THE FACADE, UM, OR ADDING LOWER AWNINGS OR SOMETHING TO HELP CREATE MORE OF A HUMAN SCALE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, TIMING WISE, I DON'T, I THINK THIS IS STILL A GOOD TIME TO DO IT, BUT IT MAY BE WE CAN TIGHTEN UP, UH, THE EXISTING GUIDELINE THAT DOES EXIST TODAY FOR THAT, UH, TO MAKE IT, BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT'S ONE THAT AT LEAST 75% OF THE PROJECTS DON'T COMPLY WITH.
UM, WE WERE STILL SEEING THESE LIKE DOUBLE HEIGHT LOBBY SPACES, LIKE IT'S 1985.
UH, THE, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS THE ENTRANCES, UM,
LIKE TO ME, TACKING A SIGN ON THE, THE BUILDING IS NOT ACCENTUATING THE ENTRANCE.
I THINK THE ARCHITECTURE NEEDS TO DO THAT.
UM, NOT JUST STICKING A SIGN ON THE BUILDING.
AND SO, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS, UH, WITH THAT.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THIS, THIS ONE FAILED AT THAT, IN MY OPINION.
UH, SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THOSE TWO.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA RESPOND DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THE PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT WAS REALLY GOOD, GOOD FOR US TO SEE THOSE.
AGAIN, I'D EVEN BE CURIOUS TO SEE SOME THAT ARE BUILT, UM, EVEN
[01:35:01]
FROM BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS AROUND ON THIS COMMISSION JUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW HAVE COMMENTS AROUND CIVIC ART HAPPENED OR MAYBE NOT HAPPENED IN SOME CASES.I, I REALLY, I, I WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS FEEDBACK LOOP.
I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT FOR US ALL TO LEARN AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE GOING AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S ALSO HELPFUL IN HOW WE PERFORM OUR ROLE ON THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND HOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND USE IT.
UM, I WOULD SAY, UM, MY, MY PERSPECTIVE ON A LOT OF THIS IS COMING FROM KIND OF MORE OF A URBAN DESIGN AND ZONING, UM, SORT OF DEVELOPMENT REGULATION, UH, APPROACH, WHICH IS MUCH MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, QUANTITATIVE QUANTITATIVELY DEFINED.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN SAY IT, IT DOES EXIST AND DOESN'T EXIST.
NOT LIKE A DESIGN GUIDELINE THAT HAS A LOT MORE INTERPRETATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTIVATION AND THINGS.
WE DON'T SAY IT NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE, WHEN YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP MIX OF USES AND HAVING MULT, UH, MULTIPLE USES PER HALF BLOCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHEN WE START TO GET A LITTLE BIT INTO THE QUANTITATIVE SIDE OF THIS, IT, IT IS MAYBE PROVIDING SOME MORE TEETH.
AND SO I THINK I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF TEETH WITHOUT BEING PRESCRIPTIVE BEYOND DESIGN, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE SCOPE OF A DESIGN GUIDELINE, PROVIDING A LOT OF THE FLEXIBILITY AND INTERPRETATION, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING CLEAR ENOUGH AND QUANT, YOU KNOW, QUANTIFIABLE SORT OF GUIDELINE LANGUAGE THAT ANYONE COMING OFF THE STREET CAN READ THE GUIDELINE AND HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT EXAMPLE FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE MIX OF USES ON THE GROUND FLOOR IS REALLY HELPFUL, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN A LOT OF FORM-BASED CODES, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF PRESCRIPTION AROUND, UM, AROUND ENTRANCES.
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A ENTRANCE FACING THE STREET GENERALLY EVEN ON, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IF, IF IT'S A SIDE STREET AND IT'S A VERY NARROW BUILDING ON THE SIDE STREET, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
BUT GENERALLY YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ENTRANCE ON ALL THE STREETS AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ENTRANCE IS IMPORTANT, BUT, UM, ALSO ENTRANCE SPACING.
YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF QUANTIFIABLE THINGS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT ACTIVATION.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, UM, SEE IF ANYBODY HAD THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WOULD THAT, THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE BE HELPFUL IN GIVING, UH, FEEDBACK, UH, HERE ON THE DAIS? I'M GONNA SAY YES, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPACES IN THE LEVEL OF ACT, UH, ACTIVATION IS ALWAYS, UM, UP TO INTERPRETATION.
SO I THINK IT'S ALWAYS, IT'S GOOD FOR US TO PUT A LITTLE BIT, I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO PUT MORE TEETH IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, MORE, UM, TIMELESS IN A SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GONNA BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS OF HOW WE UTILIZE SPACE.
UM, AND SO A WAY IN WHICH WE JUST KEEP OUR, OUR EYES ON THAT.
UH, SO YEAH, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS.
I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH, YOU KNOW, A, A DEEPER DISCUSSION.
ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER TRO, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S, UM, BEGINNING THERE, IT SEEMS, THIS STRIKES ME, SOPHIA, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, MY THINKING IS THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT HOW PROJECTS SCORED WITH THE OLD GUIDELINES AND THEN TEST OUR NEW GUIDELINES AGAINST THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT TO FILE AWAY.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD STRATEGY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE EFFICACY OF THE NEW GUIDELINES WE'RE WORKING ON.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SOPHIA.
REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK.
UM, AND THE LAST ITEM, WE WERE JUST, WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS JUST SOME OF THE RULES THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY FOR.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY DOUBTS OR QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT A CONFLICT OF OF INTEREST REGARDING AN AGENDA ITEM.
UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ADVISES COMMISSIONERS TO REACH OUT TO THE ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE OFFICE.
UM, AND I CAN GIVE THEIR NUMBER AND EMAIL, UM, HERE NOW, AND I CAN ALSO PROVIDE THAT VIA EMAIL FOR Y'ALL.
UM, SO THEIR PHONE NUMBER IS, UM, (512) 974-2180, AND THEIR EMAIL IS ETHICS COMPLIANCE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
[01:40:01]
YEAH, PLEASE USE THIS RESOURCE IF THERE'S ANY HESITANCY WITH, UH, CONFLICT OF INTEREST.UM, BUT I'LL PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION ON EMAIL.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, UH, THAT ADJOURNS TODAY'S MEETING.
UM, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN Y'ALL IN A WHILE, SO HAPPY NEW YEAR.