[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
APRIL 22ND, 2024.UM, I'M GONNA START WITH ROLL, UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD? HERE.
AND COMMISSIONER, WHICH DRUG? HERE.
UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SCHEDULED? NO, THERE'S NOT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Part 1 of 2)]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION FROM A REGULAR MEETING ON MARCH 25TH.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
[2. Presentation by Lily Rerecich and Heidi Trudell, Travis Audubon Society, regarding bird-safe buildings. ]
FOR DISCUSSION.UM, TONIGHT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, BY LILY AK AND HEIDI TRUDEL, UH, THE TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY REGARDING BIRD SAFE BUILDINGS.
AND JUST A REMINDER, UH, YEAH, IF YOU ARE PLANT, IF YOU'RE REMOTING IN, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON, UH, IN ORDER TO SPEAK WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
HELLO TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE DESIGN COMMITTEE AND STAFF.
I'M A MEMBER OF TRAVIS AUDUBON.
I VOLUNTEER WITH THEM, AND I'M A PART OF THEIR ADVOCACY COMMITTEE.
I ATTEND THE N RICHARD SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS, AND I'M IN THE NINTH GRADE.
THE AUDUBON SOCIETY'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND CONSERVE BIRD LIFE.
AUSTIN IS A VERY SPECIAL AREA FOR BIRDS BECAUSE IT LIES DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE CENTRAL FLYWAY FOR BIRD MIGRATION.
AND OUR AREA PROVIDES A PRIME STOP ON THESE LAIES WITH ITS RIVER HABITAT.
TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED IN THE 1950S WHERE FEARS OF DISAPPEARING HABITAT.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE SOCIETY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT SINCE THEN.
IN FACT, IN THE LAST FEW DECADES, BIRD POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED, AND ALMOST 3 BILLION BIRDS HAVE BEEN LOST.
AT PRESENT, BIRD POPULATIONS ARE VERY FRAGILE.
OUR VERY OWN GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER, WHICH NEST ONLY IN CENTRAL TEXAS, IS ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
BECAUSE A BIRD COLLISION STRIKES WITH WINDOWS AND BUILDINGS, WE LOSE MILLIONS OF YEARS, BILLIONS OF BIRDS, SORRY, EVERY YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA, WHO WOULD OTHERWISE SURVIVE BY SIMPLY PERCEIVING GLASS AS A CONCRETE BARRIER.
THIS IS WHY THE TRAVIS OTTAWA SOCIETY HAS ASKED HEIDI TRUDEAU TO UPDATE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND DESIGN COMMISSION ON HOW WE CAN MAKE OUR BUILDINGS MORE SAFE FOR BIRDS.
HEIDI TRUDEAU IS A TEXAS NATIVE.
SHE GREW UP HERE SURROUNDED BY THE UNPARALLELED BIRD LIFE THAT TEXAS OFFERS.
HER WORK WITH BIRD COLLISION, UM, BEGAN IN 2003.
IN OCTOBER OF 2023, HEIDI WAS IN CHICAGO TO PRESENT AT THE FACADE PLUS CONFERENCE.
HER PRESENTATION FOUND THE DAY AFTER THE MOST CATASTROPHIC BIRD COLLISION INCIDENT.
IN RECENT HISTORY, OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL HOURS, MORE THAN 960 SONGBIRDS STRUCK THE GLASS AND DIED AT THE MCCORMICK PLACE CONVENTION CENTER.
THOUSANDS MORE WERE REPORTED AS DEAD OR INJURED ACROSS THE CITY.
WE DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN HERE IN AUSTIN.
AUSTIN HAS QUALIFIED AS A BIRD CITY, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AS A BIRD SAFE.
UM, UH, HEIDI TRUDEL NOW LIVES IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, AND SHE HAS RECENTLY BEEN HIRED BY GUARDIAN GLASS AS A TECHNICAL CONSULTANT WHERE SHE HELPS THE COMPANY AND ITS CLIENTS NAVIGATE BIRD SAFE BUILDING CODES AND DESIGN.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER AUDE, PLEASE WELCOME HEIDI TRUDEL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF ADVANCING SLIDES IS GOING TO WORK ON YOUR END OR MY END.
UM, I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON GEOGRAPHY AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
LILY TOUCHED ON THAT EARLIER, UM, BUT ALSO WHY THAT'S SO RELEVANT TO BIRD CONSERVATION.
AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO WHAT DESIGN AND
[00:05:01]
ACTION LOOKS LIKE.SO WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CENTRAL FLYWAY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A DIRECT PATH, SAY, FROM CANADA TO MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, UM, BUT DEPENDING ON WEATHER AND GENERAL CLIMATE PATTERNS, UM, YOU HAVE A, A VAST BAND OF BOTH SPECIES WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS AND DIRECTIONS, UM, AND DESTINATIONS, UH, AND OBVIOUSLY LOCAL IMPACTS AT PLAY.
UM, SO TEXAS IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR BIRD CONSERVATION BECAUSE AS THAT PATH, UM, OF MIGRATING BIRDS MOVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NORTH TO SOUTH AND EAST TO WEST, DEPENDING ON, UM, WEATHER CONDITIONS, TEXAS HAS THE MOST DEVELOPED CITIES IN THE SOUTH AS FAR AS BIRD MIGRATION GOES.
SO HOUSTON, DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO ARE IN THE TOP THREE MOST DEADLY CITIES FOR BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA.
CHICAGO'S NUMBER ONE FOR GEOGRAPHIC REASONS, UM, BUT TEXAS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE BIRDS GOING FROM CANADA TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, UM, OBVIOUSLY SOME DO LINGER IN THE US, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN TO US? IF THESE BIRDS ARE ONLY PASSING THROUGH TEXAS, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF Y'ALL DRINK COFFEE, BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BIRDS EATS INSECTS FOR A GOOD CHUNK OF ITS LIFE.
UM, THIS WAS DURING ONE LUNCH BREAK THAT I HAD ONE DAY AT ONE BUILDING.
SO OUT OF THESE BIRDS, THE ROBIN AND THE HUMMINGBIRD WILL NOT BE EATING, UM, PESTS AND COFFEE PLANTATIONS.
HOWEVER, THE REST OF THE BIRDS IN THIS PHOTO SPEND THEIR WINTERS ON COFFEE FARMS, EATING COFFEE CROP PESTS.
SO EVERY TIME A BIRD HITS YOUR WINDOWS, THERE'S A PRETTY DECENT CHANCE THAT IT IS ONE LESS BIRD.
UM, THAT COULD BE EATING COFFEE PESTS.
SO THE DIRECT CONNECTION THERE FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE CARE? UM, THIS IS PESTICIDES IN OUR COFFEE IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S AWFUL FOR THE BIRDS TOO.
SO, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT AIR QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE.
CENTRAL TEXAS IS HOME TO PHENOMENAL NATURE.
THERE'S A REASON THAT EVERYONE LOVES IT.
YOU'VE GOT AMAZING PARKS IN NATURE, UM, AND GOLDEN WARBLERS.
AND PART OF THAT ABSOLUTE TREASURE OF WHAT MAKES TEXAS SO SPECIAL BRINGS IN SO MUCH MONEY, IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY.
UM, BIRDERS SPEND $1.8 BILLION PER YEAR IN TEXAS.
IF BIRD WATCHERS IN TEXAS WERE A COUNTRY, THEY WOULD HAVE A HIGHER GDP THAN AT LEAST 12 OTHER COUNTRIES.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 11 MILLION WILDLIFE WATCHERS IN TEXAS ALONE, WHICH, UH, IS LARGER THAN THE POPULATION OF QUITE A FEW STATES.
SO TEXAS IS AN INCREDIBLY SPECIAL PLACE FOR BIODIVERSITY.
AND AUSTIN IS NOT JUST IN THE HEART OF THE STATE GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT IN TERMS OF ECCO ECOLOGICAL REGIONS, IT'S PERFECT
UM, DEFINITELY NOT BIASED AT ALL.
UM, BUT BECAUSE YELLOW ALSO COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING A BIRD CITY, UH, DESIGNATION, UM, IT, IT REALLY DOES, UM, MATTER THAT THE CITY PRACTICE WHAT IT PREACHES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ATTAINING STATUS IS A FANTASTIC MOVE.
UM, MAINTAINING IT THOUGH IS ANOTHER THING THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF, UM, CROSS DISCIPLINARY COOPERATION, AS IT WERE.
SO, THE BASICS OF BIRD COLLISIONS ARE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT'S EITHER CLEAR OR REFLECTIVE, BUT WHAT THAT ULTIMATELY MEANS IS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO LITERALLY BILLIONS OF BIRDS DYING EVERY YEAR IN THE US.
SO BIRD SAFE BUILDING STANDARDS ARE NOW POPPING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, AS WELL AS CONTINENT.
CANADA'S DOING SOME, SOME GREAT WORK THERE, UM, BUT IT'S PART OF A MOVEMENT TO HAVE MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.
UM, YES, THIS DOES FACTOR INTO CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
IT DOES MEAN, UM, BY PRESERVING AS MUCH NATURE AS YOU CAN.
UM, WE ARE, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR FUTURES.
SO EVERY BUILDING THAT WE MAKE BIRDS SAFE, BE IT NEW CONSTRUCTION, OR AS A RETROFIT, IS LITERALLY TANGIBLY SAVING DOZENS TO HUNDREDS OF BIRDS PER BUILDING PER YEAR.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THE FOOTPRINTS OF COAL PLANTS.
UM, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY GET OUR NEIGHBORS TO KEEP THE CATS INSIDE, BUT
[00:10:01]
WE CAN VERY TANGIBLY WITH A LITTLE BIT OF FORESIGHT, ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT BIRD CONSERVATION.SO AT THIS POINT, NO CITY IN TEXAS HAS A BIRD SAFE STANDARD.
UH, CALIFORNIA HAS ABOUT A DOZEN OF THEM, UM, MOSTLY IN THE NORTHERN BITS OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT JUST A WEST COAST THING.
THE EAST COAST IS STARTING TO POP UP WITH ALL KINDS OF CODES, AND CHICAGO JUST RECENTLY PASSED ONE AS WELL.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT COSTS, AND YES, THERE IS A TYPO HERE, IT SHOULD BE 0.0021% TO 0.38%, UM, OF A TOTAL PROJECT COST.
WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE BUILDING, THOUGH, ONCE IT'S BEEN CONSTRUCTED, IT MEANS THAT THOSE INHABITANTS OR OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING, UM, THEY DON'T NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT REHAB OR TO CALL WHEN AN INJURED BIRD IS FLAILING IN FRONT OF 'EM ON THE GROUND.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE DISTRACTED EVERY TIME THERE'S A THUMP AT THE GLASS.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE REALLY DISTRAUGHT EVERY TIME THEY SEE A DEAD BIRD WALKING INTO THE BUILDING, THE PERSON WALKING INTO THE BUILDING, NOT THE DEAD BIRD WALKING INTO THE BUILDING.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT FACTOR, UH, NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED VERY EARLY IN THE DESIGN PHASE, IDEALLY SCHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE OR EARLIER, BECAUSE IF IT'S FACTORED IN THAT EARLY, YOU CAN CONSIDER, UM, YOUR THERMAL BENEFITS.
YOU CAN CONSIDER ALL KINDS OF OTHER, UM, GLARE MANAGEMENT, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, BUT IF YOU ADD IT AT THE VERY TAIL END OF CONSTRUCTION, OR WELL CONSTRUCTION TOO, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO FIX A BUILDING.
BUT, UM, WHEN IT'S END OF THE DESIGN PHASE, YOU END UP WITH LESS AESTHETIC CONTROL.
YOU END UP WITH MUCH HIGHER COSTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF GETTING AHEAD OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO YEAH, LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES MAKE IT REALLY BURDENSOME AT THE END OF DESIGN, BUT STAYING AHEAD OF IT AS WAY, GO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
COMPREHENSIVE CODES ARE WONDERFUL.
THEY ADDRESS THE SITUATION AT MORE OF A HOLISTIC LEVEL.
UM, THEY IDENTIFY WHAT SPECIFIC FEATURES ABSOLUTELY NEED TO HAVE BIRD SAFE, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, BUT ALSO THEY CAN INCLUDE INCENTIVES LIKE WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CARVE IN STONE WHAT REQUIREMENTS MAY BE.
UM, BUT OFFERING EITHER ADDITIONAL, UM, SQUARE FOOTAGE, AN EXTRA FLOOR OR TWO ON A BUILDING, THINGS LIKE THAT TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING, UM, CAN BE AN OPTION WHEN THESE CREDITS OR, UM, CODES ARE BEING CONSIDERED.
UM, THE IMPORTANT PART HERE TO LOOK AT IS GROUND LEVEL TO ABOVE MATURE TREE CANOPY HEIGHT, IDEALLY THE FIRST 100 FEET OF A BUILDING, UM, BUT REALLY SKYSCRAPERS, THOSE UPPER FLOORS ARE NOT THE CRITICAL STRIKE ZONE, AND THAT'S A, A VERY COMMON MISCONCEPTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST CODES HAVE A TON OF LOOPHOLES THAT THEY MAY HAVE THE, THE WORD OF COLLISION PREVENTION, BUT THEY COMPLETELY MISS OUT ON THE SPIRIT OF IT.
UM, HAVING THE CODE ONLY REPLY TO BUILDINGS OF A CERTAIN SIZE, UM, WITHIN A CERTAIN DIS DISTANCE OF HABITAT, ALL OF THESE THINGS UNDERMINE THE ACTUAL EFFECTIVENESS OF ANY GIVEN CODE.
UM, SO BIRDS, BIRDS DON'T FOLLOW WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
LOW REFLECTIVITY GLASS IS NOT SAFE.
PEOPLE THINKING THAT PUTTING CLEAR GLASS ON A BUILDING SO BIRDS CAN SEE WHAT'S INSIDE IS NOT ACTUALLY HOW BIRDS OR GLASS WORKS.
PUTTING GLASS, UH, OR PROPORTIONING THE GLASS, UH, ON, ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE OF MIGRATION DIRECTIONS ALSO IS NOT REALLY A THING.
UM, SO A BUILDING LIKE THIS, IT'S OVER 90% BRICK.
BUT IT HAS TINY, TINY WINDOWS.
SO IN THEORY, THIS BIRD, THIS, THIS BUILDING SHOULD BE ENTIRELY BIRD SAFE.
SO ESSENTIALLY, WHAT THIS BUILDING HAS DONE IS CREATED LITTLE TINY PORTALS THAT THE BIRDS THINK THAT THEY CAN FLY THROUGH.
[00:15:01]
DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE BUILDING, IF IT HAD, YOU KNOW, REGULAR WINDOWS.UM, IT JUST, IT HAS THE EXACT SAME NUMBER, UH, OF COLLISIONS AS A REGULAR BUILDING.
THEY'RE JUST CONCENTRATED IN A MUCH SMALLER AREA.
SO LANDSCAPING, UM, MASONRY, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE FACTORS IN HOW MANY BIRDS A BUILDING CAN KILL, BUT IT'S NOT A METHOD OF PREVENTION.
SO, RESOURCES ARE GETTING SO MUCH BETTER THAN THEY WERE IN 2003.
UM, IN 2003, IT WAS LIKE, HERE'S YOUR HAWK STICKER, HAWK STICKERS DON'T WORK.
UM, THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY IS A PHENOMENAL RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, THREAT FACTOR RATINGS ARE KIND OF A COMPLICATED TOPIC, BUT THEY EXPLORE DIFFERENT BUILDING MATERIALS, UM, HOW THEY CAN BE USED ON BUILDINGS.
NOT ALL OF IT IS GLASS, BUT WITH GLASS YOU CAN HAVE ABRASIVE ETCH, ASSET ETCH, LASER ETCH, UH, CERAMIC FRIT.
ESSENTIALLY, ALL OF THESE MATERIALS WHEN SPACED APPROPRIATELY, UM, CAN BE USED TO MAKE A BUILDING BIRD SAFE.
STRUCTURAL SHADING IS A FANTASTIC THING BECAUSE IN TEXAS YOU NEED ALL THE SHADE YOU CAN GET, AND THAT CAN BE USED EVEN IF YOU'RE USING REGULAR GLASS.
STRUCTURAL SHADING CAN BE A COMPONENT OF PREVENTING BIRDS BIRD WINDOW STRIKES.
SO HIGHLY SUGGEST PERUSING THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY'S WINDOW COLLISION PAGES, ESPECIALLY WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT ARCHITECTURE AND LEGISLATION.
EVERY, EVERY SLIDE IN HERE COULD HAVE BEEN ITS OWN PRESENTATION.
A, B, C COULD BE WEEKS WORTH OF INFORMATION.
IT IS TRULY ONE OF THE MOST PHENOMENAL, UH, ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE.
SO ONE OF THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE BUMPING UP AGAINST A LOT IS IF IT'S SUCH A CRITICAL THING, WHY AREN'T WE ALREADY DOING IT? AND WHY AREN'T LARGE CORPORATIONS SAVING BIRDS AS PART OF THEIR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS? UM, DRAWING THE DIRECT CONNECTION FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND THEN ATTACHING A DOLLAR SIGN TO IT SOUNDS REALLY SCARY UPFRONT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE ACTUAL DOLLAR SIGN THAT THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS RESULT IN.
AND FROM A BIRDWATCHING PERSPECTIVE, FROM THE ECOTOURISM, UH, RAMIFICATIONS, LIKE THE, THE DOLLAR VALUE OF EVERY BIRD THAT MIGRATES THROUGH TEXAS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN PEOPLE REALIZE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S BETTER FOR THE BIRDS IF THEY'RE ALIVE AS WELL.
SO GIVING FOLKS THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO MAKE THE DECISIONS IS REALLY CRITICAL, AND THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
SO, YEAH, FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO FOLKS, HOW TO GET, UM, THE, THE CRITICAL BITS OF LIKE, IT, IT MIGHT NOT NEED TO BE A MANDATORY THING, BUT YOU CAN'T DO BETTER UNLESS YOU KNOW BETTER LEAD PAINT, ASBESTOS, LEAD PIPES, SMOKING INSIDE SEAT BELTS, LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS CHANGED OVER TIME.
AND BIRD SAFE BUILDING IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE THINGS ARE CHANGING FAST, WE'RE CHANGING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.
WE HAVE AN AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING REALLY GOOD FOR WILDLIFE ACROSS THE GLOBE, LITERALLY.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE DESIGN COMMISSION REPORT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER FOR THIS.
AND I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
I THINK I'VE MIGHT HAVE GONE LONG, BUT, UM, IF WE'VE GOT TIME FOR QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE SOME NOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMISSIONER, ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ONLINE OR IS THIS, IS EVERYBODY HERE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, NO QUESTIONS FROM US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, WE IS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, ONCE THE PRESENTATION, ONCE WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION OR IT'S BEEN GIVEN
[00:20:01]
TO US, UM, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A MO SOME, WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR A MOTION AND THEN FOR A SECOND, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO DISCUSSION, DEBATE, UH, OR ANY QUESTIONS.AND FROM THERE WE'LL DO ANY AMENDMENTS OR A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THE PROCEDURE.
[3. Discussion and action to recommend to City Council the Sound Assessment and Disclosure Requirements Proposal. Presented by Brian Block, Development Services Department.]
UH, ITEM, UH, FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION, UH, IS, UH, TO RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL SOUND ASSESSMENT AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS PROPOSAL, UH, PRESENTED BY BRIAN BLOCK, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, AGAIN, MY NAME'S BRIAN BLOCK.
I'M THE NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES MANAGER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO PRESENT, UM, THIS PROPOSAL, UH, AND SOUND ASSESSMENT AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.
FIRST, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND FOR YOU ON KIND OF WHERE THIS CAME FROM, UM, HOW THIS CAME TO BE.
UM, BIG PICTURE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS TOPIC OF IMPROVING COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN LIVE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT AND RESIDENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN A COUPLE DECADES.
UH, MOST RECENTLY, UM, THIS, IT COMES FROM THIS 2018 RESOLUTION, UM, FROM CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS PRETTY OPEN-ENDED AND HAD A LOT OF THINGS IN IT.
THERE'S, UM, SOME THINGS NOT DONE YET, AND STILL ON THE WORK PLAN, THIS IS ONE OF 'EM.
UM, AND WHAT THAT RESOLUTION DID WAS DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PROPOSE PROGRAMS, RULES AND ORDINANCES NECESSARY TO IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RESIDENTS, LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS, AND MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES.
AND THEN, JUST AS A CONTEXT, UM, THIS WAS PART OF COUNCIL EFFORTS TO SUPPORT MUSIC AND ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, SO MUCH HAS BEEN DONE, UH, SINCE 2018 AND LONG BEFORE 2018 TO ENSURE THAT SOUND LEVELS FOR MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES ARE REASONABLE AND THAT RESIDENCES MAINTAIN LIVABILITY AND THAT COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCE ENFORCEMENT IS RESPONSIVE AND EFFECTIVE.
WE'VE GOT A VERY ROBUST, UM, ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, A PERMITTING PROGRAM FOR OUTDOOR MUSIC.
UM, WE'VE MADE CHANGES TO COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RESPONSIVE.
UM, BUT POLICY RELATED TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITY IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DESIRED AND IS STILL OUTSTANDING, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
UM, JUST OVERALL, IN ADDITION TO THE SOUND ORDINANCE AND ENFORCEMENT, THE CITY'S SOUND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SHOULD ALSO ANTICIPATE AND ADDRESS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES FOR RESIDENCES IN PROXIMITY TO NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN DISTRICTS.
UH, SO A BIT ON THE POLICY GOALS.
UM, OF COURSE, IMPROVED COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ENTERTAINMENT USES WITH AMPLIFIED SOUND AND RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL USES TO ANTICIPATE PLAN FOR AND MINIMIZE COMMON CONFLICTS BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL USES AND ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND, UM, THAT HAPPEN WHEN, UM, WE'RE NOT PROACTIVE ABOUT, ABOUT MANAGING IT.
AND THEN TO THE REAL HEART OF IT, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS ENSURE ACCURATE EXPECTATIONS THERE ON THE LEFT.
THAT'S WHAT THESE TWO KIND OF THE MAIN CONTENT ARE ABOUT.
ENSURING RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS UNDERSTAND THE SOUND LEVELS AND THE AREA WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING SO THEY CAN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE BUILDING, CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, THOSE CODE COMPLIANT SOUND LEVELS FROM NEARBY ENTERTAINMENT USES.
AND CONSIDERING THAT SOUND IMPACT.
AND THEN ALSO ENSURING EXPECTATIONS BY PROVIDING RESIDENTIAL AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND NEW RESIDENTS MOVING INTO THOSE NEW BUILDINGS WITH ACCURATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE SOUND LEVEL
[00:25:01]
THAT WOULD BE PRESENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT.AND JUST MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BEFORE THEY BUY OR LEASE A UNIT OR PROPERTY.
UM, THIS IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE APPROACH AND THEN I'LL, IT'S SLIGHTLY LONGER, BUT NOT MUCH THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WHAT WE THINK THIS IS, IS A COMMON SENSE SOLUTION.
IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE, BUT FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.
AND WHAT IT WOULD DO IS REQUIRE RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS NEAR OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES AND PERFORMANCE VENUES TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS TO CONDUCT A SOUND ASSESSMENT, AND THE SECOND IS TO DISCLOSE TO FUTURE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY SELL OR LEASE THE UNITS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THOSE NEARBY VENUES.
AND JUST THE FACT THAT A SOUND ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED.
BEFORE I KIND OF GO INTO THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION, A LITTLE BIT OF JUST BACKGROUND AND MORE INTENT INFORMATION ON IT.
UM, THE INTENT IS TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND INFORMED DECISIONS.
IT'S NOT TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, IT DOESN'T MANDATE BUILDING STANDARDS.
INSTEAD, IT REQUIRES RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS TO DOCUMENT THAT THEY'VE STUDIED THE SOUND LEVELS IN THE AREA WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING.
AND OF COURSE, THIS INCLUDES ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF LEGALLY COMPLIANT SOUND FROM NEARBY MUSIC IN NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND THEN, AS I SAID, ALREADY, DEVELOPERS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE THE PRESENCE OF THE NEARBY, UH, VENUES, AND THAT A SOUND ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.
AND THE INTENT BEHIND THAT IS THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE DISCLOSURE, POTENTIAL NEW RESIDENTS, UM, WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.
THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS AND BE ABLE TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
UM, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS APPROACH DOESN'T REQUIRE ANYTHING FURTHER FROM THE OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES OR PERFORMANCE VENUES.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT A ROBUST, UM, ENTERTAINMENT RELATED SOUND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND SYSTEM.
THEIR SOUND LEVEL'S ALREADY REGULATED.
THEY HAVE A FIXED SOUND LEVEL.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN EVALUATED FOR APPROPRIATENESS FOR THEIR CONTEXT, AND IT'S PRE PREDICTABLE.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE WHEN NEW RESIDENTIAL IS BUILT NEARBY.
SO THIS IS MORE ABOUT, UM, RESIDENTIAL QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, ACCURATE EXPECTATIONS.
UH, THESE ARE THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND THAT IS TO REQUIRE NEW RESIDENTIAL REQUIRING A SITE PLAN AND HOTEL AND LODGING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITHIN 600 FEET OF AN ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE PERMIT OR, AND OR WITHIN 300 FEET OF A PERFORMANCE VENUE.
TO DO THE TWO THINGS I I'VE MENTIONED, ONE, CONDUCT A SOUND ASSESSMENT THAT AT A MINIMUM DOCUMENTS THE CURRENT SOUND CONDITIONS AT THE SITE AND ASSESSES THE PROJECTED SOUND LEVEL INSIDE THE BUILDING.
UM, AND THEN PROVIDE A DISCLOSURE WHEN UNITS ARE SOLD OR LEASED AND WHEN THE BUILDING IS SOLD REGARDING THE PRESENCE OF THE PERMITTED OMV ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN 600 FEET AND PERFORMANCE VENUES WITHIN 300 FEET OF THE BUILDING, AND THAT A SOUND ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETED.
UH, NEXT SLIDE A LITTLE BIT ON THE CRITERIA FOR THE SOUND ASSESSMENT.
UM, REALLY IT'S UP TO THE PROJECT OWNER, DEVELOPER OR THE ARCHITECT AND DESIGN TEAM, UM, TO KIND OF HIRE AN ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT.
IT JUST NEEDS TO BE A QUALIFIED ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT, UM, TO DO THE SOUND ASSESSMENT.
IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE BEYOND, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSESSING THE SOUND LEVEL AT THE BUILDING SITE.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS AND ONE WE WANTED TO POINT OUT HERE.
UM, THE SOUND ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED DURING PEAK HOURS FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE VENUE.
THAT MEANS DURING A PERFORMANCE FOR A BAR OR A NIGHTCLUB THAT'S NOT CENTERED ON PERFORMANCE, THAT SHOULD BE DURING THEIR PEAK HOURS, OFTEN THAT THAT COULD BE 10:00 PM
[00:30:01]
TO 2:00 AM BUT WHATEVER THEY ARE.UM, ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY, I THINK I'VE POINTED IT OUT, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT'S REALLY CLEAR.
THIS IS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT REQUIRING A SITE PLAN.
THE CHANGES WOULD NOT IMPACT PROJECTS ALREADY SUBMITTED FOR PLAN REVIEW AND THE CHANGES ARE NOT RETROACTIVE AND WOULDN'T APPLY TO PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BUILDINGS.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET THE PROJECT DEVELOPER THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED THAT WILL BE USEFUL AND IMPACTFUL, UM, WHEN IT CAN MAKE AN IMPACT, WHICH IS DURING, UM, THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE DOING, UM, DESIGN FOR THE BUILDING.
SO WE WANTED TO BE KIND OF GIVE A LOT MORE BACKGROUND ON IMPLEMENTATION AND THE INTENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION.
WHAT'S INTENDED IS A SIMPLE CERTIFICATION PROCESS WITH NO STAFF REVIEW DURING THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, SO WHAT WE ENVISION IS THE SOUND ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT BEING ADDED TO THE SITE PLAN CHECKLIST SO THE PROJECT OWNER AND APPLICANT ARE AWARE THAT IT, UM, IS REQUIRED.
UM, AND IT IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE PART OF COMPLETENESS CHECK.
IT'S NOT REQUIRED BEFORE SITE PLAN REVIEW.
IT WOULD BE ANY TIME DURING SITE PLAN REVIEW.
UM, WE'VE CREATED A MAPPING TOOL FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION OF, UM, RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UM, WITHIN 600 FEET OF OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES OR 300 FEET OF A PERFORMANCE VENUE.
THE MAPPING TOOL, EASY TO USE BY THE APPLICANT AND STAFF JUST TYPE YOUR ADDRESS INTO THE MAPPING TOOL AND IT WILL POP UP THE VENUES WITHIN 600 FEET.
UM, WHAT THEY ARE, HOW FAR THEY ARE AWAY, WHAT THEIR HOURS ARE, WHAT THEIR SOUND LEVELS THEY'RE APPROVED FOR.
UM, SO IF THE SOUND ASSESSMENT IS REQUIRED, AS I SAID, THE APPLICANT COMPLETES THE SOUND ASSESSMENT DURING THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS ANYTIME DURING IT.
UM, AND THEN THEY SUBMIT A CERTIFICATION THAT THE ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETED.
UM, THEY DON'T COM SUBMIT THE ASSESSMENT ITSELF, UM, JUST THE CERTIFICATION THAT IT WAS DONE AND STAFF ENSURES THAT THAT CERTIFICATION'S BEEN SUBMITTED.
UM, AS I SAID, WE'RE NOT, STAFF ISN'T GETTING THE SOUND ASSESSMENT AND THERE'S NO STAFF REVIEW OF THE SOUND ASSESSMENT.
THERE'S NO REQUIRED APPLICANT RESPONSES OR MANDATED BUILDING STANDARDS BY THE APPLICANT.
THE GOAL HERE, UM, IS TO HAVE AS LIGHT OF A TOUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
SO IT DOES NOT IMPACT, UM, THE LENGTH OF TIME DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TAKES AND ALSO, UM, ENSURING THAT IT DOES NOT IMPACT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
THOSE ARE GOALS BUILT IN HERE.
UM, SO THAT'S THE, THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SIDE.
UM, THE DISCLOSURE PART, THE APPLICANT PROVIDES THE DISCLOSURE WHEN THE UNITS BEFORE THE UNITS ARE SOLD OR LEASED.
UM, IT'S A WRITTEN, UH, A WRITTEN NOTICE.
THERE'S NO SPECIFIC WAY THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IT.
UM, IT'S UP TO THEM HOW TO DO IT.
IT'S A, A WRITTEN NOTICE BEFORE THEY EXECUTE THE SALE OR THE LEASE.
UM, AND POINTING OUT HERE THAT IF THE TRIGGERING VENUES ARE NO LONGER PRESENT, UM, THAT DISCLOSURE WOULD NO LONGER BE REQUIRED.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WE HAD TWO PUBLIC INFORMATION FEEDBACK SESSIONS.
ONE WAS IN PERSON AND ONE WAS VIRTUAL.
WE'VE ALREADY PRESENTED TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, ARTS AND DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
WE'RE HERE WITH YOU AT THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT MAY 30TH WAS OUR TARGET DATE.
UM, IT'S LOOKING UNLIKELY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE ON THAT AGENDA.
UM, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, FIRMING UP WHAT THE ACTUAL COUNCIL DATE WILL BE.
[00:35:01]
GO INTO EFFECT BEFORE OCTOBER ONE, REGARDLESS OF THE COUNCIL DATE.UM, SO WE ARE HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SEEKING A RECOMMENDATION.
HOWEVER, UM, GIVEN THE DATE CHANGE AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAS ASKED US, UM, TO JUST PRESENT IN APRIL AND COME BACK FOR A RECOMMENDATION AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, WE COULD, UM, DO Q AND A AND DISCUSSION.
WE CAN GET A RECOMMENDATION, BUT IF THE COMMISSION DESIRES IT, WE COULD ALSO COME BACK SINCE OUR COUNCIL DATE HAS BEEN DELAYED AND DOWNTOWN HAS ASKED US TO COME BACK.
UM, SO THAT IS THE PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND, UM, GO FROM THERE.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP TO FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ACTUALLY, UM, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT? I, SO, ALL RIGHT.
SO I GUESS THE GENERAL QUESTION, IF WE, UH, DON'T GET A MOTION ON THIS AND THEN WE JUST WANNA DISCUSS IT, UH, Q AND A AT, DO WE JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH Q AND A? YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A MOTION AFTER SOME Q AND A IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO TAKE ACTION TONIGHT SINCE, UM, SINCE WE DID HAVE THE PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO, UH, FOR DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, IF YOU, IF THIS MAPPING TOOL, UM, TELLS YOU THE APPROVED SOUND LEVELS FOR THE VENUE PROXIMATE TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT, THEN WHY IS THE SOUND ASSESSMENT REQUIRED? WHY WOULDN'T THE DISCLOSURE JUST STATE THAT THERE IS A VENUE WITHIN 600 FEET OF THIS PROJECT THAT IS APPROVED FOR SOUND LEVELS FROM X DECIBELS TO Y DECIBELS? YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
SO WHY IS THE SOUND ASSESSMENT NECESSARY IF YOU ALREADY KNOW AS THE CITY, WHAT THE APPROVED SOUND LEVELS ARE? SO I GUESS TWOFOLD.
ONE IS THE WAY SOUND TRAVELS AND THE WAY IT IMPACTS DIFFERENT BUILDING SITES, UM, IS VERY SITE SPECIFIC.
AND SO THAT IMPACT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE DIFFERENT AT DIFFERENT SITES BASED ON WHAT'S IN BETWEEN, HOW SOUND IS TRAVELING, HOW IT'S REFLECTING.
UM, AND I GUESS, SO THAT'S KIND OF NUMBER ONE IS THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW AT EACH BUILDING SITE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EXACT IMPACT IS GONNA BE.
AND I GUESS THE SECOND POINT WOULD BE THE GOAL REALLY IS THE, THE KIND OF THE PRIMARY GOAL REALLY IS THAT THE APPLICANT, THE PROJECT OWNER DEVELOPER, UM, WOULD GET REALLY THE INFORMATION THEY NEED AT A TIME WHERE THEY CAN, IF THEY CHOOSE, YOU KNOW, MAKE AN IMPACT, MAKE SOME JUST DESIGN DECISIONS THAT COULD IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE NEARBY VENUE.
MAYBE THERE ARE SIMPLE THINGS THEY CAN DO, MOVE THE BEDROOMS, YOU KNOW, UM, CHANGE THE TYPE OF WINDOWS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE BIRD SAFE, UH, DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS.
BUT IF THEY, AND AGAIN, SIMILAR TO THE BIRD, SAFE TO DISCUSSION, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE INFORMATION SO THEY CAN TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT NOT TO MANDATE WHAT THEY DO WITH IT.
TO KIND OF LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PROJECT DEVELOPER AND APPLICANT.
AND, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING, AND, AND YOU ALL CAN PROBABLY TELL ME IF THIS IS TRUE, UM, A LOT OF PROJECTS, THE ARCHITECT WILL ADD AN ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT TO THE DESIGN TEAM.
MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING AT KIND OF MECHANICAL NOISE OR SOUND FROM ROOM TO ROOM INSIDE THE BUILDING.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, IT, OUR THOUGHT IS THAT THIS WOULD BE A SMALL AD SERVICE.
AND THEN DOES THIS APPLY TO RENOVATIONS OF EXISTING
[00:40:01]
HOTELS OR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS? SO THE CRITERIA IS THAT IF A SITE PLAN IS REQUIRED, HOW DOES THIS WORK FOR A, I MEAN, WE AS A COMMISSION FREQUENTLY ENCOURAGE A LIVELY GROUND FLOOR AT A LOT OF OUR DOWNTOWN, UM, DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL COME THROUGH WITH SOME SORT OF SMALL MUSIC VENUE.
HOW DOES THE, DOES THE SAME? I MEAN, HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO AN ONSITE VENUE WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING TO TEST? AND SO THIS WOULD ONLY APPLY FOR A RESIDENTIAL OR HOTEL DEVELOPMENT, AND THERE'S AN EXISTING VENUE NEARBY.
IF IT'S IN THE SAME BUILDING AND THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING BOTH THE VENUE AND THE BUILDING, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT.
AND YEAH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, UM, THERE'S A PROPOSAL TO FURTHER INCENTIVIZE CULTURAL PERFORMANCE SPACES, UM, OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
AND I GUESS WE DON'T WANNA SUGGEST THAT LIVE MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE SPACES, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE AN ASSET AND SOMETHING THAT ALSO ADDS TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO WE DON'T WANNA SUGGEST THAT THAT'S A NEGATIVE.
UM, JUST THAT THERE BE CONSIDERATION DURING DESIGN, UH, OF THE SOUND IMPACT.
AND THEN HOW DO HOTELS INFORM PATRONS OF THIS? DOES, WHEN I SIGN MY ACCEPT FROM HILTON AND THEY SEND ME THE, THE 900 PAGE, TWO POINT FONT, IS THIS JUST INCLUDED IN THAT? UM, LIKE HOW, HOW ARE WE ACTUALLY GIVING THIS TEETH FOR HOTELS SPECIFICALLY? I MEAN, RESIDENTIAL, IT, IT'S GONNA COME IN THE SAME FORMAT, RIGHT? IN MY DISCLOSURE THAT I IS THAT ALL IT IS IS JUST THE TINY TYPE THAT GETS INCLUDED IN THAT.
FOR RESIDENTIAL, IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UP TO THE OWNER OR REALTOR HOW THEY WANNA PROVIDE THE WRITTEN NOTICE.
IT WOULD BE REQUIRED BEFORE THE SALE OR THE LEASE IS EXECUTED.
FOR HOTELS, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO NOTIFY GUESTS ONLY WHEN THE BUILDING IS SOLD FOR A HOTEL.
I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UM, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS OVER TIME, UM, IN DISTRICTS THAT, UM, ALLOW, UH, OUTDOOR, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES OR AMPLIFI AMPLIFIED SOUND.
UM, AS NEW VENUES COME ONLINE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOUND IS SPENT IS KIND OF JUST A SNAPSHOT ON TIME.
WHY HAD YOU GUYS CONSIDERED JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, MAYBE A NOTIFICATION TO, UH, ON SALE OR TO, TO, UH, WITH, WITH LEASE THAT SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, VENUES WITH THIS, THIS ALLOWED LEVEL OF NOISE WOULD, COULD BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE IN, IN THIS DISTRICT AND YOU'RE WITHIN 360 OR 300 TO 600 FEET OF THOSE? SO I GUESS ONE THING TO MAKE SURE, I THINK THIS IS PART OF THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
UM, NEW VENUES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH OUTDOOR MUSIC, REQUIRE A PERMIT.
AND SO THEY'RE ASSESSED AND EVALUATED BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, THE CONTEXT, AND IF THERE'S RESIDENTIAL NEARBY, UM, THEY'RE ALREADY EVALUATED AND MAYBE LIMITED BASED ON THAT.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, UH, THE CONTEXT MATTERS, IF IT'S, UH, VIBRANT, ROBUST ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT LIKE SIXTH STREET OR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, UM, YOU KNOW, NEW RESIDENTIAL ISN'T LIKELY TO IMPACT WHAT VENUES CAN DO.
UM, BUT IN MORE MIXED USE AREAS, AND ESPECIALLY IN MORE PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE, THAT WOULD BE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN WHAT THE VENUE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO.
SO THAT'S ALREADY, THERE'S ALREADY A ROBUST SYSTEM TO MANAGE THAT.
[00:45:01]
WE DON'T HAVE IS ANYTHING ON THE OTHER SIDE.AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE NEW VENUE WILL BE EVALUATED AND MAYBE LIMITED BASED ON THAT NEARBY RESIDENTIAL.
YEAH, IT SEEMS, I GUESS THAT, THAT SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE TO ME THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE THESE USES AND POTENTIALLY STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THESE DISTRICTS AND ALLOW THEM ELSEWHERE, BUT WE'RE NOT, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT ACTUALLY PROVIDES A PROTECTION FOR THEM.
UM, IF IT, IF IT WERE ABOUT A LOT, YOU KNOW, UH, CLEARING THE WAY FROM THOSE, FROM THOSE KIND OF RESIDENTIAL, UM, BARRIERS TO THESE CULTURAL VENUES, I COULD SEE THAT.
BUT I, I, I GUESS I DON'T REALLY SEE THE, THE BENEFITS PROVIDING TO THE VENUE, TO THOSE CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
I THINK THE BENEFIT IS THAT THE BUILDING WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS ON SOUND IMPACT AND WILL, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY'RE DESIGNING AND BUILDING AND WILL HAVE A MORE COMPATIBLE AND COHESIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS NEARBY AND THE VENUE.
IT'S REALLY, THE GOAL IS TO THAT, THAT, THAT IDEALLY COMPATIBILITY WILL BE INCREASED AND EVERYONE WILL LIVE IN HARMONY.
THE RESIDENTS WILL ENJOY THE CULTURAL VENUES NEARBY, UM, AND THEIR UNITS WILL BE, UM, LIVABLE AND BE ABLE TO SLEEP IN THEM AND WILL BE WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING, REALLY.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE EXPECTING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TO BE, TO HAVE SOUND IN, IN THE, AT THE BUILDING OR IN THE UNIT, THEN, THEN THAT'S FINE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BEVERLY NEAR STUBBS IN MOHAWK, UM, THEY'RE, I ASSUME EVERYONE VERY WELL AWARE THAT WHILE THOSE VENUES ARE OPERATING, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SIGNIFICANT SOUND IN THEIR UNIT, VICE CHAIR MINORS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE A CATALYST FOR THIS AND HOW IS THIS MITIGATED RIGHT NOW? IS IT LIKE A SMALL CLAIMS THING? 3 1 1, LIKE HOW, WHAT IS THIS SOLVING? SO THE, THE CATALYST IS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION ASKING US TO WORK ON THIS.
THERE WAS, THERE'S BEEN PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENTS ON THIS TOPIC.
REALLY, THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED.
YOU KNOW, THE EARLIEST I SAW WAS IN 2000, LATE NINETIES OR EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, WHEN WE WERE FIRST KIND OF CREATING THIS PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR OUTDOOR MUSIC.
IT WAS BROUGHT UP AS FAR BACK AS THEN THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME RESPONSIBILITY ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
IN 2013, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO KIND OF WORK ON BUILDING STANDARDS, UM, IN HIN, I GUESS IT, IT PROBABLY WASN'T THE BEST APPROACH, IT WAS A PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH, IT ASKING FOR LAMINATED WINDOWS, WHICH REALLY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY ATTENUATE LOW, UM, KIND OF LOW FREQUENCY SOUND.
IN 2017, THIS KIND OF CAME UP AGAIN AS UNFINISHED WORK, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WASN'T COMPLETED.
AND WE GOT THIS RESOLUTION IN 2018 AND IT'S STILL OUTSTANDING.
UM, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE EFFORTS TO DO IT THAT THE STATE LEDGE GOT IN THE WAY OF, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE LONG, THE LONG HISTORY.
WHAT WAS THE SECOND QUESTION? JUST HOW IS IT CURRENTLY MITIGATED? IS IT LIKE A, LIKE A SMALL CLAIMS TYPE THING? I MEAN, ARE, ARE THERE, I GUESS, UM, RESIDENTIAL OR HOTELS THAT, UH, ARE BEING SUED? LIKE DOES THIS TAKE AWAY THE LIABILITY? LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY, IT ISN'T BECAUSE IF THE VENUE'S IN COMPLIANCE AND IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY COMPLIANCE OR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT HARM, HARMONIOUS LIVING, COMPATIBILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, LIVABILITY DOWNTOWN AND IN OUR MIXED USE DISTRICTS, THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL.
AND EVERYONE APPRECIATING THE CULTURAL AND LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND, UM, HOPEFULLY INCREASING HARMONY AND COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RESIDENTS NEARBY AND THE, THE LIVE MUSIC AND CULTURAL AND NIGHTLIFE VENUES.
COMMISSIONER WALLACE, CAN I MAKE A MOTION JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TRYING TO LIKE GUIDE DIALOGUE IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER? UH, I MOTION THAT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND, UH,
[00:50:01]
THIS PROPOSAL TO COUNCIL.ANY ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION ON THIS? ANY COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER, RE CHAIR? THANK YOU.
UM, FIRST, I DO APPRECIATE THE CARE THAT'S GOING IN TO TRY TO MAKE THIS AS LIGHT A TOUCH AS POSSIBLE AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE PUT INTO IT.
UM, THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW, UM, HOW WOULD THE ENFORCEMENT HAPPEN FOR THE, THE, THE LANDOWNERS OR THE SALES OR THE, OR THE SALES.
UM, IS THERE ANY, UM, APPARATUS THAT, THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT ENFORCEMENT? YOU SAID THAT HOTELS DON'T, WOULDN'T HAVE THE REQUIREMENT, BUT WHAT, WHAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND ARE THERE ANY PENALTIES? RIGHT.
SO WE DON'T ENVISION, UM, AN APPARATUS TO KIND OF ACTIVELY IN, UH, GO OUT AND MONITOR AND ENFORCE THE DISCLOSURE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN CITY CODE.
UM, IT WOULD HAVE THE SAME PENALTIES AS OTHER THINGS IN CITY CODE.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, AS THE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE THE ASSESSMENT GO THROUGH SITE PLAN REVIEW, WE'LL BE DOCUMENTING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A LIST.
UM, SO THAT'S AVAILABLE TO FOLKS.
UM, DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION, THOUGH, ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AND DOES HOW THAT WOULD WORK? IT DOES, YEAH.
AND IT'S SORT OF A PRECURSOR TO THE, THE, MY BIGGER QUESTION IS, ARE THERE, ARE THERE CURRENT ORDINANCES THAT, THAT REQUIRE THESE SORT OF, THIS SORT OF THIS EXTRA STEP OF SITE PLAN FOR SAY, UH, SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRPORT? UH, OR ALONG I 35 OR A MAJOR ARTERIAL? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE BIGGER SOUND ENEMIES, UM, AND, AND POLLUTION SOURCES THAN LIVE MUSIC.
AND IT FEELS A LITTLE ODD TO ME THAT WE'VE CHERRY PICKED THIS ONE, GIVEN THAT THE DECIBEL LEVELS OF OTHERS HAVE LESS, UM, REGULATION.
UH, I THINK, I GUESS THE ANSWER WHY THIS ONE'S BEEN PICKED IS REALLY ON THE SIDE OF SUPPORTING MUSIC, ARTS AND CULTURE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SO THE, UM, MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE IS THAT THE DESIGN COMMISSION DOES NOT SUPPORT, UH, THE SOUND, UH, ASSESSMENT AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS AS PROPOSED, UH, BY THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF NOT SUPPORTING THIS, SAY, AYE, UH, P OF ORDER.
ARE WE REGARDING TO NOT SUPPORT THE MOTION OR NOT SUPPORT THE, THE RESOLUTION? NO.
IT'S, UH, THE MOTION IS PASSED.
[4. Discussion and action to recommend to City Council whether the project Mexic-Arte Museum Renovation, located at 419 Congress Avenue, complies with the City Design and Sustainability Standards. Presented by Matt Catterall, Levy Dykema.]
AND ACTION, UM, IS THE PROJECT MTE, UH, MUSEUM RENOVATION, UH, LOCATED AT FOUR 19 CONGRESS AVENUE, UH, THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS, UH, PRESENTED BY MATT CATTERALL OF LEVY DEMA.MR. CATTERALL? MR. KARO, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, I'M MATT CATTERALL WITH, UH, LEVY DYMA ARCHITECTS, AND I'M PRESENTING, UH, THE ME CARTE MUSEUM ON THE CORNER OF FIFTH AND CONGRESS.
UH, WE ARE THE LOCAL, UH, ARCHITECTS WORKING
[00:55:01]
WITH UHGO ARCHITECTS FROM EL PASO, UM, ALSO HERE.SO SYLVIA OROZCO, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM, IS HERE, AND SHE'LL SPEAK TO SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF OUR ITEMS. UM, AND ALSO HERE IS, UM, THE PROJECT MANAGER FROM CAPITAL DELIVERY, UH, DANIEL YEN, UH, PAUL MENDOZA, THE PROJECT MANAGER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, MARTINE BETA WITH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ONLINE, UM, PAULINA LAGOS, WHO IS THE PROJECT MANAGER, WITHO ARCHITECTS AND STEWART, UH, SORRY.
AND YES, STEWART HIRSCH, WHO IS A BOARD MEMBER, UM, WITH, UH, MEXICO CARTOON TWO MUSEUM.
AND, UM, ALSO ONLINE IS, UM, IS, UH, ESTEBAN GONZALEZ, WHO WITH CIVIL MILITUDE, UM, CIVIL ENGINEERS, AND HE CAN SPEAK TO SOME ITEMS AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'RE AT THE, UH, DESIGN COMMISSION BECAUSE THE PROJECT, UM, IS FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, IT WAS FUNDED THROUGH, UM, VOTER SUPPORTED BOND INITIATIVES IN 2006 AND 2015.
AND SO IT'S REQUIRED TO BE REVIEWED BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE ASKING, UH, FOR A MOTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGN OF THE MEXICO ART MUSEUM PROJECT IS IN DESIGN DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT HAS BEEN TO A PRELIMINARY PLAN REVIEW, UM, FOR SITE PLAN, UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING IT TO COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW FOR, UH, PRELIMINARY PLAN REVIEW AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, SO METE IS OCCUPIED THE BILL BUILDING AT FIFTH IN CONGRESS SINCE 1988.
UM, AND CURRENTLY, UM, THE BUILDING IS ONLY TWO THIRDS OCCUPIED.
UM, IT IS STRUCTURALLY ON SOUND IN THE UPPER FLOORS, AND THEY CAN'T OCCUPY THAT FLOOR.
AND IN ADDITION, IT ISN'T SUITABLE FOR A CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM, UM, BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE ENVELOPE.
UH, IT AND LIFE SAFETY, FIRE SAFETY, STRUCTURAL, PRETTY MUCH EVERY ASPECT OF IT.
UM, AND, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT IS THAT, UM, MEXICO T ISN'T CURRENTLY ABLE TO GET ACCREDITATION THROUGH, UH, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, WHICH IS THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PRIMARY ACCREDITATION, UM, AGENCY, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF RAMIFICATIONS FOR THAT.
IN PART, THEY CAN'T GET LOANS FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS, UH, OF ARTWORK.
UM, AND I'M SURE THERE'S MUCH MORE.
UM, UM, AND SO WOULD YOU GO TO, I GUESS THAT WAS SLIDE ONE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS ISN'T, I THINK THIS IS THE APPLICATION DOCUMENT.
I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER DOCUMENT AND I CAN GET IT FOR YOU.
IF YES, WE'LL GET THAT PRESENTATION UP IN A MOMENT.
WHERE IS IT? HMM? WHERE IS IT? OKAY, SO, UM, THIS SLIDE, THIS IS THE CURRENT, UM, MEXICO TEA MUSEUM, UM, FIFTH IN CONGRESS.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THE ZONING, UM, AT THE SITE IS CBD, UM,
[01:00:01]
CONGRESS AVENUE OVERLAY, UH, CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR, UM, GREAT STREETS, CONGRESS AVENUE HISTORICAL DISTRICT.AND IN ADDITION, UM, IT'S A CORNERSTONE PROJECT, UM, FOR THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR, UM, WHICH SYLVIA HELPED ESTABLISH.
UM, AND, UH, ESTEBAN WITH, UH, SUDE WILL TALK PROBABLY MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT HOW WE'RE MEETING THE GREAT STREETS REQUIREMENTS, UH, WITH SIDEWALK TREES, UH, SHADE STRUCTURE ON CONGRESS AVENUE, WHICH WAS A HISTORIC SHADE STRUCTURE, UM, WHICH CURRENTLY IS AN, UH, ALTERNATE, UM, DUE TO FUNDING.
UM, AND IN THE SITE PLAN, UM, RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE, UM, IT HAS THE CENTRAL ENTRY.
UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THAT ENTRY HAS BEEN MOVED DOWN PLAN SOUTH, UM, BUT IT'S STILL THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE THERE ON CONGRESS.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, A, UH, LOADING AREA.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, THAT LOADING AREA IS PRIMARILY FOR SCHOOL BUSES.
UM, IT ISN'T PRIMARILY FOR LOADING IN THE, UM, UH, THE ARTWORK.
UM, METE HAS, UM, SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT THEY RUN WITH A ISD, UM, WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS LOADING AND UNLOADING.
AND, UM, THE SAFETY, UM, FOR THAT IS, UH, IS PRIMARILY, UH, WHY THE LOADING ZONE IS THERE.
UM, AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS A SCHEMATIC SECTION THAT'S JUST SHOWING WHERE THE CAPITAL VIEW COURT IS.
WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
UM, AND ALSO THE CONGRESS AVENUE OVERLAY HAS STEP BACK REQUIREMENTS AND WE'RE, UM, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE STEP BACK REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UH, AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE CANOPY, UM, SHOWN THERE IN THAT, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE'S OUR A RENDERED SECTION THAT, UM, IS A GOOD WAY TO SORT OF, UM, ORIENT, UM, EVERYTHING IN THE PROJECT.
UM, THE, UH, THE BUILDING HAS A, A GROSS, UM, AREA OF ABOUT 25,700 SQUARE FEET.
IT IS THREE STORIES, UM, JUST LIKE THE EXISTING BUILDING, EXCEPT THE FLOOR TO FLOOR IS A LOT TALLER, UM, THAN THE EXISTING BUILDING.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THE, UM, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS HAS SPECIFIC CRITERIA ABOUT FLOOR TO FLOOR HEIGHTS FOR EXHIBITION SPACES, UM, TO MAKE IT, UM, FLEXIBLE FOR SHOWING ARTWORK.
UM, SO ON CONGRESS AVENUE, THERE'S A LOBBY THAT YOU CAN SEE.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE ON THE, UM, ON THE WALL, UM, WHICH WOULD BE THE FIFTH STREET WALL.
INSIDE, THERE ARE TWO MURALS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE MUSEUM, UM, RECENTLY THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON A PERMANENT INSTALLATION ON THAT WALL.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S LOADING, UH, TOWARD THE ALLEY, UH, ONE ELEVATOR, UM, WHICH IS BOTH SERVICE, UM, AND, UH, PASSENGER ON THE SECOND FLOOR, UM, EXHIBITION SPACES PRIMARILY, UM, ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE SIDE, UM, WITH EDUCATION SPACES, UM, TO THE REAR.
AND, UM, AND THEN THE, THE OFFICE, UH, THE MUSEUM'S ADMINISTRATION SPACE ON THE THIRD FLOOR, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND THEN, UM, SPACES FOR, UH, PREPARING ARTWORK, UM, AND, UM, PREPARING THE RINES COLLECTIONS, UM, AND THOSE KIND OF, UM, SHOP SPACES.
THE, UM, THE ROOF, UM, SO THERE'S A ROOF, THIRD FLOOR AND, OR, SORRY, FOURTH FLOOR.
THERE'S A MECHANICAL, IT'S MECHANICALLY, UH, MECHANICAL SPACES CURRENTLY ON THE ALLEY SIDE.
UH, BUT THE FLOOR IS DESIGNED STRUCTURALLY TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, A FUTURE FOURTH FLOOR AND ALSO A ROOF SPACE.
UM, BOTH OF THOSE ARE NOT IN THE PROJECT, UH, CURRENTLY.
[01:05:01]
THOSE WILL BE IN FUTURE PHASES, BUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION SPACES ON THE THIRD FLOOR ARE GOING TO BECOME, UH, EXHIBITION SPACES AND THOSE ADMINISTRATION, UM, SPACES MOVE TO THE UPPER FLOOR.AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UM, SOME REASONS THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ON THE FIFTH STREET ELEVATION.
UM, ONE THING IS THAT, UM, THE EXHIBITION SPACES REQUIRE, UM, REAL CAREFUL CONTROL OF UV LIGHTING.
UM, SO LIGHTING NOT ONLY FOR HOW ARTWORK IS DISPLAYED, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S VERY DAMAGING TO SOME TYPES OF ARTWORK, ESPECIALLY WORKS ON PAPER, UM, PRINTS.
AND THE MUSEUM HAS AN EXTENSIVE PRINT COLLECTION, UM, AND DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AS WELL.
UM, AND SO IT IS REAL, THE, THAT ELEVATION IS BEING CAREFULLY CONTROLLED FOR THAT REASON.
AND FOR MURAL PROGRAMS, UM, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL, UH, IN A, IN A PRIMARY FUNCTION, UM, WITHIN THE MUSEUM.
UM, SO THIS IS THE FIRST FLOOR, UM, WITH A SHOP THAT'S SHOWN IN THE, UM, NORTHWEST CORNER, THE MUSEUM STORE, UM, WHICH IS, UH, VITAL TO THE MUSEUM'S, UM, FUNCTION FINANCIALLY.
UM, AND THE LOBBY, OR SORRY, ENTRANCE, UH, VESTIBULE SHOWN, UH, PLANNED SOUTH FROM THERE.
UM, AND SO THERE WOULD BE, UH, AN ENTRY DESK AND, UM, AND THEN STAIR TAKING UP TO THE EXHIBITION SPACE.
THE SPACE BEHIND THE STAIR, UM, IN THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING IS, UM, AN EVENT SPACE AND ALSO AN EXHIBITION SPACE.
UM, AND THEN BACK OF HOUSE SPACES ARE TOWARD THE ALLEY.
UM, THE ALLEY IS REALLY BEING RESERVED FOR, UM, THE MOST BACK OF HOUSE SPACES.
THERE'S, UH, THE REQUIRED, UM, UH, TRANSFORMER VAULT ON THE ALLEY, AND THAT'S A REQUIREMENT FOR IT TO BE LOCATED THERE.
UM, TRASH SPACES WILL ALSO BE, UH, ON THAT SIDE.
SO THE LOADING IS SHOWN ON THE FIFTH STREET SIDE, UM, WITH A LARGE OVERHEAD DOOR, UM, AND THEN A SALLY PORT, UM, TO CONTROL, UH, SECURITY AND, UM, AN ENTRY AND EXIT FROM THE BUILDING, UM, TO THE EAST.
UM, FROM THERE, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE SECOND FLOOR, AND THE LARGEST AREA OF THAT IS THE EXHIBITION SPACE.
UM, AND THEN WITH, UM, CLASSROOM SPACES, UH, AND, UM, IN SOME OF THOSE CLASSROOMS, IT'S A, IT'S A LARGE, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, FUNCTIONS THAT GO ON THERE.
THERE'S ART MAKING, I THINK, ART EDUCATION, UM, BUT ALSO, UM, THERE IS A PRINT SHOP, UM, ON THAT FLOOR WHERE SILK SCREENING, UM, TAKES PLACE, UM, MAY RUN, UH, PROGRAMS TO TEACH, UM, UH, SILK SCREEN PRINTMAKING, UM, TO STUDENTS.
UM, AND SOME OF THESE SHOP SPACES WILL PROBABLY ALSO BE INVOLVED WITH THE, UH, DAY OF THE DEAD, UH, AND THE MAKING OF, UM, COMPONENTS FOR THE, UM, FOR THAT PARADE THAT GOES ON EVERY YEAR.
THE THIRD FLOOR AND THE, UM, NORTHWEST CORNER.
THAT'S THE, UM, ADMINISTRATION OFFICES IN THERE.
UM, AND, UM, SO FULL-TIME STAFF, INTERNS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, A LOT OF, UH, BACK OF HOUSE SPACES.
THERE'S COLLECTION STORAGE ON THIS FLOOR.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, UH, SHOPS FOR, UM, FOR CARPENTRY FRAMING WORK AND, UM, BACK OF HOUSE MUSEUM SPACES LIKE THAT.
UH, THE ROOF SPACE, IT'S OPEN RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, TO MEX CARTE TO HAVE AN OCCUPIED ROOF FOR EVENTS ON THAT FLOOR.
UM, IT'S STRUCTURED TO ALLOW IT, UM, IT ISN'T IN THE
[01:10:01]
BUDGET RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT, UH, THE STAIR WILL, UM, THE STAIR AT THE, UM, SOUTH, UH, WEST CORNER WILL EVENTUALLY WOULD BE EXTENDED UP TO THAT FLOOR, UM, FOR A SECOND EXIT.AND, UM, AND A ROOF CANOPY, UH, INSTALLED.
UM, AND IN THE FUTURE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S STRUCTURED FOR FOURTH FLOOR.
UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE, THE CONGRESS AVENUE, UM, ELEVATION, UM, THE WEST ELEVATION.
AND SO THE MUSEUM IS IN, UM, THE CONGRESS, UM, AVENUE HISTORICAL DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, UH, WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO PRESERVE ANY OF THE BUILDING.
UM, BUT THE MUSEUM HAS DECIDED THAT THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THAT, UH, FACADE.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, PRESERVED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
THE REST OF THE BUILDING DEMOLISHED, AND IT'LL BE SUPPORTED DURING CONSTRUCTION AND THEN, UM, UH, RE FABBED OR, OR REHABBED, UM, AFTER THAT, WITH NEW WINDOWS INSTALLED, UM, THE, AND THEN THE, UH, NEW BUILDING WILL BE VISIBLE ABOVE IT.
THE FLOOR TO FLOORS DON'T ALIGN WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING.
AND SO, UM, THOSE UPPER WINDOWS, UM, WILL NOT BE VIS, WILL NOT HAVE VISIBLE LIGHT.
IT WON'T HAVE THE, IT WON'T MEET THE POINT, UM, SIX, UM, VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE, UM, BECAUSE IN PART THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UH, THERE'S DEEP, UM, FLOOR STRUCTURES AND PLENUM SPACE BEHIND THE UPPER FLOORS.
AND ON THE SECOND FLOOR, UM, THERE ISN'T PROPER ALIGNMENT ALSO.
AND THAT'S THE EXHIBITION SPACE, UM, WHERE THAT WEST BLIGHT WOULD BE, UH, REALLY PROBLEMATIC.
UM, BUT THERE'S CLEAR, UM, GLASS ON, UM, THE STREET LEVEL AND IN THE TRANSOM WINDOWS, UH, ABOVE THAT, AND ALSO CLEAR GLASS IN THE NEW, UM, STRUCTURE THAT'S VISIBLE ABOVE.
UM, THIS ELEVATION DOES MEET THE SUBCHAPTER E 3.2 0.2, UM, A FOR THE AMOUNT OF GLASS, UM, ON THE STREET LEVEL.
AND IT ALSO MEETS THE SECTION E, UM, FOR THE, UM, 50% OF THE GLASS ON THAT FACADE BEING, UH, HAVING THAT 0.6, UM, VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE.
UM, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS THE, UM, FIFTH STREET ELEVATION.
AND, UM, IT IS, UM, THE, THE PRIMARY MATERIAL IS, UH, STUCCO ON THIS ELEVATION.
AND, UM, IT IS BEING, SO THERE ARE TWO, UH, REASONS FOR THAT.
ONE IS THE, UH, PROTECTION OF THE ARTWORK AND, AND THE MAKING OF A SUITABLE EXHIBITION SPACE FOR IT.
AND THE OTHER IS, UM, THAT IT IS, UH, GOING TO BE PRIMARILY USED FOR MURALS ON THE OUTSIDE.
UM, A IPP, UM, THE MURAL, THE ARTWORK THAT'S BEEN SELECTED FOR THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW, UM, ARE, UH, MURALISTS AND THE PRO, AND WHAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED IS A MURAL THAT DEPICTS, UM, UM, SOME ASPECT OF MEXICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND IN ADDITION, THERE'S GOING TO BE A ROTATING MURAL AND ALSO THE MEADOW MURAL PROJECT.
SO, SO THAT FACADE IS REALLY GONNA BE ACTIVATED, UM, THROUGH A NUMBER OF MURALS.
UM, AND MURALS HAVE A, UM, LONG HISTORY WITHIN MEXICAN AND MEXICAN AMERICAN, UM, ART, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE, UM, ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF MEXICO TWO'S PROGRAM, UM, THERE ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
UM, WHAT YOU SEE SHOWN RIGHT NOW IS, UH,
[01:15:01]
THAT A SPACE FOR ADVERTISING THAT'S OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.UM, AND THAT WOULD BE A ADVERTISING, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS ACTUAL ADVERTISING SALES THAT ME CARTE DOES.
THEY LEASE THAT, UM, SPACE OUT TO COMPANIES, AND THAT IS, UM, IT'S ONE OF THEIR, UM, UH, IT'S FINANCIALLY IMPORTANT TO THE MUSEUM.
AND IT WOULD ALSO BE USED FOR, UM, ADVERTISING THEIR OWN, UH, EXHIBITS.
UH, THERE IS AN OVERHEAD DOOR, UM, THAT'S USED FOR THE, UH, FOR MOVING ARTWORK IN AND OUT.
AND THEN, UM, UH, AN ENTRANCE AND EXIT DOOR, UM, THAT YOU SEE, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
SO THIS IS A RENDERING, UM, FROM THE NORTHWEST.
UM, AND YOU SEE SOME OF THE MURALS, UH, THERE AS WELL AS A SIGN.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, THE EXISTING CONGRESS AVENUE, UM, FACADE, THE HISTORICAL FACADE, THE CANOPY, UM, AND THEN THE NEW BUILDING STEPPING BACK ABOVE, UH, THE EXISTING, UM, FACADE AND THAT ADVERTISING SPACE, UM, ON FIFTH STREET.
UM, THIS IS SHOWING JUST, UM, AND A REPRESENTATION OF WHERE THOSE OTHER MURALS WOULD BE, UM, THE VARIOUS MURALS AND THAT ADVERTISING SPACE AND, UM, THE SCHOOL BUS LOADING ZONE AND, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE AND ANOTHER VIEW OF ALL OF THAT.
UM, AND WE CAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK, UM, THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE GOT, UM, SOME FEEDBACK, UH, FROM, UH, CHAIR SALINAS ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT THAT LOADING ZONE.
AND, AND I THINK THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS JUST PRIMARILY AN ART LOADING ZONE.
UM, THE CIVIL ENGINEERS, CIVIL UDE HAVE LOOKED AT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE AT ALL TO LOOK AT, UM, SCHOOL BUS LOADING FROM THAT ALLEY, UM, COMING, DRIVING UNDERNEATH THE FROST BUILDING, UM, AND, AND THEN TRYING TO TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC ON FIFTH STREET.
UM, SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SORRY, SYLVIA WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SPEAK.
I'M THE DIRECTOR AND, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS.
I'VE BEEN WITH MEXICO NOW 40 YEARS.
SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS PROJECT FOR 40 YEARS,
WE, WE GOT IT ORIGINALLY BY RENTING MONTH, UH, FOR FIVE YEARS AND MONTH TO MONTH.
AND EVENTUALLY THE CITY HELPED US PURCHASE IT, UH, THROUGH A SERVICE AGREEMENT.
WE DO SERVICES IN EXCHANGE FOR THE, FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING.
UH, THEN IN 2012, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET $5 MILLION IN 2018, ANOTHER 15 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE 20 MILLION, AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE RAISING MORE DOLLARS, UH, UH, TO, TO DO THE FURNITURE, UH, FURNITURE AND FIXTURES INSIDE THE BUILDING.
ALSO, HOPEFULLY FOR THE, UM, THE ROOFTOP, OF COURSE THE CANOPY.
AND, UH, EVENTUALLY, HOPEFULLY ALSO FOR A FOURTH FLOOR.
UM, THIS, THE LOCATION, UH, OF THE BUILDING IS IN, IN AN INCREDIBLE LOCATION BECAUSE IT IS LOCATED ON THE FIFTH STREET, MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
I DUNNO IF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF THAT, BUT METE AND MYSELF HELPED TO, UH, DEVELOP THAT CONCEPT, HELPED, WE FOUND IT, THAT CONCEPT THROUGH OUR RESEARCH AND DOING, UH, RESEARCH ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN THAT BASICALLY STARTED AT REPUBLIC SQUARE AND WAS EVENTUALLY MOVED, UH, WITH THE 20, THE, THE CITY PLAN IN 1928 TO THE EAST SIDE.
BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING ALONG FIT STREET WERE ALL THE BUSINESSES WHERE THE FAMILIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY, UH, LIVED, DEVELOPED, AND MADE
[01:20:01]
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AUSTIN.SO OVER THE PAST YEARS, UH, SINCE PROBABLY THE EARLY 200, UH, TWO THOUSANDS, WE'VE BEEN ALSO WORKING ON THE FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR.
SO THAT IS WHY THAT WALL ON FIFTH STREET IS VERY MUCH VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MEXICO ART, THE MUSEUM.
WE KNOW THAT WE CANNOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BRAND NEW BUILDING BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO RETAIN THE FACADE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE DIRECTIVES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO RE RETAIN THE, THE FACADES THAT WE COULD STILL BE PART OF THE FITZ OF THE CONGRESS AVENUE HISTORICAL DISTRICT, IN ADDITION TO, WE, OVER THE YEARS HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING IS, YOU KNOW, NOT THE BEST CONDITION, BUT WE HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THAT BUILDING.
AND SO WE ARE VERY PLEASED THAT WE CAN, IN, IN SPANISH, WE SAY
WE OPERATE ON ALL THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE WHOLE FLOOR, ALL THE FLOORS, THERE'S THREE AND A HALF FLOORS, BUT WE CAN ONLY HAVE THE PUBLIC ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
SO IT IS IN BAD NEED OF RENOVATION OR A NEW BUILDING, ACTUALLY.
BUT WE'LL BE GETTING A NEW BUILDING.
SO THE FIFTH STREET, UH, CORRIDOR IS, IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE PROJECT.
AND WE ARE THE ANCHOR OF THE FIFTH STREET CORRIDOR.
THAT'S WHY THAT, THAT WALL IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT WALL, THE, THE MURAL WILL BE ABOUT, WELL, RIGHT NOW IT'S PROJECTED TO BE LIKE ALMOST NI 90 FEET.
THE, WELL, THE, THE, THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING PLUS 20 FEET WIDE, IT'S GONNA BE IN MOSAIC, AND IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE.
NOT ONLY HISTORY, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PAST PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, HERE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS, SO THAT PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN A PART OF AUSTIN SINCE THE BEGINNING.
WHEN YOU GO TO SAN ANTONIO, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SHINES WITH THE CULTURE OF MEXICO AND MEXICAN AMERICAN IN AUSTIN.
IT'S, THERE'S YOU, YOU DON'T SEE THAT IN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WE ARE BRINGING THAT, THAT PROJECT FORWARD, NOT WITH THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CORRIDOR, BUT ALSO WITH THE, THIS, THIS BUILDING OF MEXICO.
AND THE WALL, WHICH WE CALL THE RO, THE MAIN WALL, THE BIG WALL, IT WILL, WILL SHINE WITH PRIDE OF, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS MURAL AND WITH ADDITIONAL MURALS.
AND IT, THE, THE WALLS WILL BE LIKE A CANVAS OR THE, THE MURALS WILL CHANGE, OR IT MIGHT BE MURALS.
IT MIGHT BE PROJECTIONS, IT MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF AUGMENTED REALITY.
BUT THOSE WALLS ARE, ARE ON PURPOSE LEFT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE LEFT BARE SO THAT WE CAN, UH, DO THESE CREATIVE PROJECTS ON, ON THESE SURFACES.
AND, UH, AND WE ARE LUCKY THAT AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THE FIFTH STREET ALSO IS A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE FROM MOPAC TO H 35.
AND SO YOU HAVE THOUSANDS OF CARS AND PEDESTRIANS GOING, PASSING THROUGH THAT, UH, CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE MANY, MANY SCHOOLS THAT COME AND VISIT MEXICO.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S TWO BUSES AND THE, THE ALLEY IN THE BACK IS BELONGS TO FROST BANK.
I THINK THAT WAS GIVEN UP AS PART OF THE BENEFITS.
AND SO THAT IS, THEY HAVE MAJOR TRUCKS COMING THROUGH ALL THE TIME.
SO YOU CAN'T HAVE BUSES IN THE BACK OF THE ALLEY.
SO THEY HAVE TO PARK, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE BUS AND LET THE KIDS OUT, AND THEN SO THEY CAN COME INTO THE MUSEUM.
WE HAVE TO HAVE GREAT, THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET 40 KIDS AND TEACHERS, OR 30 KIDS, 35 KIDS, YOU KNOW, WALKING DOWN THE STREET, YOU NEED WIDE AVENUES, WIDE, WIDE SIDEWALK SO THAT THEY CAN WALK AROUND THE CORNER AND BE SAFE.
AND, UM, AND THEN EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD ACTIVITIES ON THE SIDEWALKS.
WE USED TO HAVE THE DAY OF THE DEAD ON THE SIDE OF MEXICO.
THEY, A LONG TIME AGO WHEN THEY ALLOWED US TO CLOSE SIXTH STREET.
AND WE HAVE HAD MEDOS
IT'LL BE LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A MINI PLAZA.
MAYBE AT SOME POINTS, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL HAVE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON FIFTH STREET OR ON, ON, ON THE CONGRESS SIDE.
WE, WE RIGHT NOW HAVE A PROJECT CALLED THE
SO WE'RE GOING TO ACTIVATE, UM, ACTIVATE THE, THE OUTSIDE OF, OF MEXICO.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE, THE WALL WILL BE A PERMANENT EXHIBIT OF THE RO THAT IS GONNA BE
[01:25:01]
DESIGNED BY FRAN.I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HIS WORK WHEN YOU GO TO GET YOUR TICKET TO GO ON A FLIGHT, THE GIGANTIC PAINTINGS THAT ARE AT THE TOP OF THE COUNTER ARE CREATED BY FRAN.
HE IS A PROBABLY THE MAJOR, UH, OR ONE OF THE MAJOR ART MEXICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS HERE IN AUSTIN THAT DOES THESE BEAUTIFUL NARRATIVE PAINTINGS.
BUT THESE WILL BE IN MOSAIC THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, BE VERY PERMANENT.
UM, SO IT WILL BE A, A DISPLAY OF HIS WORK INSIDE MEXICO.
ART, THE, WE HAVE TWO MAJOR MURALS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THAT WERE ORIGINALLY AT THE MEDICAL PARK TOWER ON 34TH STREET.
UH, THEY WERE, UH, DONATED TO US BY MK HAGUE, THE ORIGINAL, UH, UM, UH, PATRON THAT PURCHASED OR COMMISSIONED THOSE MURALS FOR THE MEDICAL PARK TOWER WHERE THEY WERE THERE FOR 50 YEARS AND WERE IN DANGER OF BEING DESTROYED.
AND THE FAMILY SAVED THOSE MURALS, THE DAUGHTERS OF MK HAGUE AND, AND, UH, GENEROUSLY DONATED THEM TO THE MUSEUM.
AND THOSE MURALS NEED TO BE PROTECTED, UH, FROM LIGHT.
THERE ARE OIL ON CANVAS, AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE ARE, THERE, THERE'S 60 FEET, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO MURALS, 30 FEET AND THEN 30 FEET.
SO THEY CANNOT HAVE LIGHT, ANY LIGHT COMING ON, YOU KNOW, DIRECT LIGHT SUNLIGHT ON THOSE MURALS.
AND THE, THE GALLERIES THE SAME THING.
WE CANNOT HAVE NOT HAVE WINDOWS.
UH, BECAUSE AS, AS MATT SAID, MOST OF THE, THE WORK, UM, IS ON, UM, IS, UM, ON IT'S PAPER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING.
WE'RE VERY THANKFUL TO THE SEAT OF AUSTIN.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN TO MANY COMMISSION MEETINGS OVER MY 40 YEARS, AND I KNOW THAT ALL THE HOURS Y'ALL PUT IN, AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
WE'VE WAITED A LONG TIME, NOT ONLY MEXICO, BUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAC.
YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT QUESTION IN YOUR HEAD.
THE MAC IS A CITY, UH, UH, FACILITY.
IT IS, UH, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, UH, VERY FINE ORGANIZATION, CITY ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE A PRIVATE NONPROFIT, AND WE ARE A MUSEUM.
WE HAVE OVER 7,000 ARTWORKS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS COLLECTORS HAVE DONATED TO US OVER THE YEARS.
WE ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR, UH, MEXICAN LATINO MUSEUMS IN THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S PROBABLY ONLY 10 AT THE MOST ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE, UH, ONE OF THE, WELL, PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND HAVE THE, A VERY SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, MR. AL AND MR IS RASCO.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE TO BRING US THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR AND THE FACT THAT WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS BUILDING, UH, STILL AND IN ITS GLORY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO IT, SO THANK YOU.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE, MAKE A MOTION OR HAVE A QUESTION, OR COMMISSIONER MINORS OR VICE CHAIR MINORS? I WANNA MAKE A MOTION AND ALSO A DISCUSSION.
UM, CAN I MAKE A MOTION? IS IT THAT THIS MEETS THE CITY STANDARD OR IS IT THE DESIGN STANDARD AS IT'S WRITTEN? I BELIEVE IT IS THE, UM, THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARD.
SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT THIS MEETS THE CITY.
THE CITY DESIGN AND CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE HAD TO SAY THAT.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S MY MOTION CHAIR.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WI UH, WIRA.
UM, OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS, COMM AND VICE CHAIR MINORS.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
I KNOW YOU'RE A NONPROFIT, AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THESE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING TO US AND, UH, ASKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN TO A FEW OF THE EVENTS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED, UM, BY THE MUSEUM, UM, WHICH HAVE BEEN GREAT.
UM, AND I ALSO USED TO SIT IN AN OFFICE THAT OVERLOOKED THE MURAL.
SO I WOULD WATCH YOU ALL KIND OF CHANGE IT OUT, UM, FOR A SOLID TWO YEARS THERE.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GOING BEYOND KIND OF THAT FIRST STORY AND GOING ALL THE WAY UP WITH THE MURAL.
UM, I THINK THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, UM, ARE CONNECTED TO SOME OF THE CHOICES.
UM, CLEARLY IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE TASKED WITH PRESERVING THE FACADE ON CONGRESS, ALTHOUGH IT DOES LOOK SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
I SEE SOME, UM, MAYBE BRICK ELEMENTS THAT, THAT ARE NO LONGER THERE, UM, WHICH I'M INDIFFERENT TO, BY THE WAY, BUT I, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I'M ALSO CUR, I, I SHARED THIS WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO,
[01:30:01]
UH, WAS A MEMBER OF THE MUSEUM, I BELIEVE.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING THAT STOOD OUT TO HER WAS JUST KIND OF THE, UM, THE AESTHETIC, THE BLACK AND WHITE AESTHETIC, WHICH TO ME IS VERY LIKE CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES FARMHOUSE.
SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT THE INSPIRATION IS FOR THAT.
UM, THE OTHER, UH, THING THAT I WANTED TO CALL OUT, UM, I'M NOT A HUGE FAN OF WHERE THE ADVERTISING IS.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, UM, CURRENTLY IT'S DISPLAYING EITHER ARTWORK OR ITEMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MUS IN THE MUSEUM GIFT SHOP FOR PURCHASE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, UM, MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE LIVELY, MORE ACTIVE, UM, AND DEMONSTRATES WHAT IS AVAILABLE WITHIN THE GIFT SHOP.
UM, SO I'M, I'M KIND OF, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF LEANING INTO THAT OR CONTINUING THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING TOO IS JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE ELEMENTS, UH, I SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME TREES THAT DON'T CURRENTLY EXIST.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED ACTIVATION ON FIFTH STREET.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THAT.
UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY YOU'RE TRYING TO DISPLAY, UH, SOME AMAZING MURALS, BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AWNINGS OR A BALCONY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD, UH, HELP WITH THE ELEMENTS.
UM, ON FIFTH STREET IN PARTICULAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I JUST THINK EVEN LIKE A BALCONY COULD SERVE TWO PURPOSES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTIVATION ON THAT SECOND STORY WITH MUSICIANS.
UH, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU, IF YOU CAN KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT, YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, UM, CONSTRAINT AND INSPIRATION FOR THE CONGRESS FACADE? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT, UH, THE SHADE TREES AND SHADE IN GENERAL? AND THEN, UH, THE ADVERTISING.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UM, ON, MAYBE WE CAN PULL UP.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO PULL THAT UP? THE, OR I CAN SPEAK TO IT.
THE FIFTH, THE PRESENTATION, AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT SLIDE THAT HAD THE, UM, CONGRESS AVENUE FACADE, UM, WHAT YOU'RE, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO YOU, THE BRICK WORK THAT YOU SAW OR STONE WORK.
UM, SO, UM, THAT WAS ADDED AT SOME POINT.
UM, IT ISN'T, IT'S IT'S FAKED IT.
AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S SORT OF, IT'S, UM, MORTAR OR CONCRETE THAT'S BEEN RENDERED TO LOOK SORT OF LIKE STONE, BUT IT ISN'T PART OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE.
YOU SEE IT IN SORT OF BROWN THERE, WRAPPING THE CORNER.
UM, AND SO THE DECISION IN TERMS OF WHAT TO KEEP ON THAT FACADE WAS TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STUCCO THAT'S THERE.
UM, AND SO I GUESS SOME OF YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BLACK AND THE WHITE, UM, IT'S ONLY BECAUSE THAT DRAWING ISN'T BLACK AND WHITE.
I THINK THE INTENTION IS TO, UM, KEEP THE SAME COLOR FOR SOME OF THAT, UM, UH, SOME OF THE DECORATIVE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, UM, ON THAT FACADE.
I THINK WE ALSO WANT TO APPLY TO THE, THERE'S A PRESERVATION PROGRAM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, FROM THE ARTS, THE ARTS PROGRAM, UM, FOR, I THINK IT GOES UP TO LIKE $250,000 OR PRESERVATION OF EXTERIOR, UH, ARCHITECTURAL OF, UM, FEATURES.
AND WE HAVE PRESERVED THE WINDOWS.
WE'VE KEPT THEM ALL THESE YEARS.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, STORED SOMEWHERE.
'CAUSE SOME OF 'EM HAVE BEEN FALLING OFF.
UH, AND SO ANYWAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO RESTORE THEM, YOU KNOW, LIKE MILL THE WOOD AND PUT THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS BACK.
BUT WE HAVE TO, THE PRO, WE HAVE TO WRITE THE GRANT AND FROM THE CITY AND GET THE GRANT.
AND SO I'M NOT, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE ABOUT THE COLORS.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, THE COLORS OF THAT DECORATIVE WORK ARE PROBABLY, UM, STILL BEING WORKED RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S STILL IN PROCESS IN TERMS OF THE COLORS FOR THE, THAT DECORATIVE WORK, BUT PRIMARILY IT'S STUCCO ON THAT FACADE.
UM, AND SOME OF YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TREES.
SO THERE IS, UM, BOTH CONGRESS AVENUE AND FIFTH STREET, UM, HAVE TO MEET WHAT WE DO ON THE SIDEWALK THERE.
UM, HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
UM, AND THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR, UM, TREES, UM, SPECIFIC SORT OF NUMBER OF TREES, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER SITE ELEMENTS, UM, UM, SEATING.
[01:35:02]
UM, WE'VE MET WITH, SO THERE'S ALSO A CONGRESS, THERE'S A MASTER PLAN GOING ON IN CONGRESS AVENUE RIGHT NOW THAT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED YET, BUT WE'VE MET WITH THAT GROUP, WITH THE CITY, AND THEY HAVE, UM, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PLANTING STRATEGY, I, I BELIEVE, FOR THE TREES ON CONGRESS AVENUE.AND SO WE'VE MET WITH THEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE PROJECT.
UM, BUT, UM, BASICALLY PROBABLY BOTH STREETS ARE GONNA MEET THE GREAT STREETS REQUIREMENTS FOR TREES AND SHADE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED, UH, BALCONIES.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE CHALLENGING TO FIT IN THAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE CHALLENGING TO FIT INTO THE PROGRAM.
WELL, TO BEGIN WITH, THE, THE, THE FOOTPRINT OF THE, THE LAND, THERE IS HARDLY ANY SPACE.
AND SO THAT'S, SO, YOU KNOW, WE AS A MUSEUM WANT NEED GALLERY SPACE.
SO ANYTHING YOU DO TO THE OUTSIDE, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE GALLERIES.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, THERE ISN'T THAT MUCH SQUARE FOOTAGE ON THE GALLERIES.
AND ACTUALLY, THE PROPERTY LINE IS RIGHT AT THE BUILDING LINE.
AND SO ANYTHING LIKE A CANOPY OR ANYTHING THAT'S GOING OUT, AND THAT'S TRUE ON CONGRESS AVENUE, THAT'S TRUE ON FIFTH STREET, THAT THE BUILDING IS RIGHT AT THE PROPERTY LINES.
SO ANYTHING THAT WOULD, THAT EXTENDS INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY HAS TO GET A, UM, HAS TO BE GRANTED A LICENSE AGREEMENT BY THE CITY.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT THAT ANYTHING THAT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY HAS TO BE REMOVABLE WITHIN A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO A BALCONY SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE PRETTY CHALLENGING, UM, FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE.
THIS IS STUART HIRSCH, WHO'S, UH, THE BUILDING COMMITTEE CHAIR.
I'VE BEEN THE BUILDING COMMITTEE CHAIR AT THE MUSEUM SINCE 2009 AS WE, UH, WENT THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF, UH, FIRST GETTING $5 MILLION IN 2006 WITH VOTER APPROVAL, FAILING IN 2012 TO ON A FOUR THREE VOTER COUNCIL TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS, BUT SUCCEEDING IN 2018 WITH A COUPLE OF THE TOPICS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY.
ONE IS WE'RE LIMITED TO $20 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION FUNDS.
OUR LATEST SURVEY TELLS US THAT THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, UH, THAT SITS THERE AT THE MOMENT MAY HAVE A FEW INCHES OF ENCROACHMENT INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO OUR CHALLENGE WILL BE TO REPAIR AND RENO AND, UH, RENOVATE THE EXISTING, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE FACADE SO THAT NOTHING ENCROACHES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
AND WE'VE ALSO LEARNED IN THE RE MOST RECENT SURVEY THAT, THAT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A BUILDING ON A, ENTIRELY ON OUR PROPERTY LINE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, TURNS OUT TO HAVE A COUPLE OF INCHES IN ENCROACHMENT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS JUST TO THE SOUTH, WHO INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, HAVE A BUILDING THAT ENCROACHES PARTIALLY ONTO OUR PROPERTY LINE.
SO THE DESIGN DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ALL HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINT OF THE $20 MILLION.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET, UH, THE AWNING FUNDED, UH, ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
WE'RE ALSO, UH, EITHER TRYING TO GET, UH, NOT JUST A THIRD STORY WITH MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF IT, BUT A COVERED OCCUPIABLE THIRD, UH, ROOFTOP AND OR A FOURTH STORY.
SO, UH, THE MUSEUM STAFF HAS BEEN APPLYING FOR FUNDING THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PHASE BECAUSE WE, WHEN WE ASKED THE COUNCIL TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT IN 2018, WE PLEDGED THAT WE WOULD, UH, PRESERVE THE FACADE ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE AS MANY OF THE WINDOWS AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND, UH, THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT.
AND SO OUR, OUR VISION STATEMENTS AND OUR DESIGN ARE ALL ALIGNED WITH THOSE SORT OF GOALS THAT WE TALKED TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT BACK IN 2018.
AND OBVIOUSLY, CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UH, BOTH MATERIALS AND LABOR HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST, UH, SIX YEARS.
AND SO ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE FACTORED INTO ALL THE DECISIONS WE MAKE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A VERY EXCITING PROJECT, UH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE IT HAPPEN.
ONE IS, COULD, UM, THE ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY NICE ABOUT THE
[01:40:01]
ORIGINAL BUILDING, NOT, NOT, NOT THAT THE BUILDING IS IN GREAT SHAPE OR ANYTHING, BUT IT DID ENGAGE THE STREET A LITTLE BIT MORE JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THE MURALS WERE AT STREET LEVEL.I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS MORE OF A BEACON.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE IT FROM AFAR, BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON THE STREET, IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO EXPERIENCE.
SO MAYBE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IS MAYBE MORE OF A PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ON THAT FIFTH STREET SIDE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE KIDS COMING FROM THE SCHOOL BUS COMING, YOU KNOW, TO THE WEST ONTO CONGRESS TO GO INSIDE THE BUILDING.
MIGHT BE A NICE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.
THE, THE, THE META MUD WILL, WILL, THE MURAL PROGRAM WILL STAY OH, IT ON THE, OH, IT'LL STAY, YEAH.
OH, IT, IT'S, SO WE CAN'T SEE IT THERE.
WE JUST HAVE, WE HAVE THE BIG MURAL IN THE CENTER.
BUT THE OTHER, THE OTHER MURALS WILL, WILL CONTINUE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, UM, MAYBE THINK ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS AN EXTENSION OF THAT CORRIDOR.
LIKE, 'CAUSE UH, IT COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING THAT GOES DOWN THE CORRIDOR.
I KNOW THAT DOWN THE CORRIDOR THAT EACH ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TO REPRESENT, HAVE A, HAVE SOME SORT OF REPRESENTATION OF THAT, OF THAT CULTURAL PIECE.
SO IT MIGHT BE NICE IF THIS COULD BE ONE END OF IT THAT KIND OF LEADS YOU DOWN TO THE OTHER WAY.
I, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE, UM, DEVELOPING THE FIT STREET CORRIDOR, BUT WE HAVE NOW, NOW WE'RE ON OUR, THE, OUR MISSION IS THE FIT STREET CORRIDOR AND CULTURAL DISTRICT.
THE DISTRICT STARTS AT PLAZA AT, UH, REPUBLIC SQUARE AND ENDS AT, UH, PLAZA SALTILLO.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR FUNDING, UH, FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS.
THEY HAVE CULTURAL DISTRICTS ALL AROUND THE STATE.
THERE'S LIKE 30 SOMETHING DISTRICTS.
ONCE YOU HAVE IT, YOU'RE DESIGNATED AS A DISTRICT, AND THAT'S BY THE TEXAS COMMISSIONER OF THE ARTS.
UH, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR EACH UP TO $250,000 EACH ORGANIZATION ANNUALLY FOR CULTURAL PROGRAMS, ACTIVATIONS ALONG ALL OF THE CORRIDOR.
SO THE RED RIVER, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT IS ONE SIXTH STREET SQUARE IS ANOTHER ONE.
SO NOW WE'RE DEVELOPING THE WHOLE DIS, NOT ONLY THE
AND ON MAY 1ST, AND Y'ALL ARE ALL IN INVITED, WE'RE GONNA DO THE TASTE OF MEXICO.
I THINK IT'S OUR 25TH ANNUAL AT REPUBLIC SQUARE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE 20, UH, WELL, WE'LL HAVE 50 DIFFERENT VENDORS AND FOOD AND BEVERAGES, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE, AS A PROGRAM.
AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GOING TO BE ACTIVATING THAT PROGRAM AT, UH, UH, REPUBLIC SQUARE, BECAUSE IT IS, WE'RE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON ACTIVATING THE CORRIDOR, THE DIS THE DISTRICT.
THAT SOUNDS, SOUNDS DELICIOUS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER GALES? THANK YOU.
I I JUST WANNA ECHO THE COMMENTS AND SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S AN EXCITING UPGRADE.
I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROJECT COME TO FRUITION.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, IT'S STILL ONGOING IN TERMS OF DESIGN DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS MAY BE SORT OF AN INTERIM PRESENTATION AND WE PERHAPS WILL SEE A SUBSEQUENT PRESENTATION.
I I AM VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THE SHADE STRUCTURE THAT YOU MENTIONED, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PERHAPS INCLUDE A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THAT MIGHT APPEAR TO BE LIKE, OR AT LEAST A SCALE OF THAT.
I KNOW YOU WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE VIEW CORRIDOR, SO THAT WILL PERHAPS BE STEPPED BACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE MAIN FACADE.
AND YOU MAY END UP WITH, UM, ICU HAVE 1, 2, 3, UM, ARTICULATED STEPS ON THE SIDE OF THE FACADE, AND THAT WILL ADD A FOURTH.
AND SO I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS THE READING OF THE MURAL, HOW IT IMPACTS THE READING AS YOU'RE COMING, UH, UP CONGRESS AVENUE AND ADDS, AS HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED TO THE BEACON EFFECT.
AND IT, IT DOES SEEM TO BE MISSING, UM, FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, FROM THE IMAGES CURRENTLY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING EFFORT.
UM, I AM CURIOUS ALSO ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL IMPLICATIONS ON THAT, ON THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, BUT WE, WE WON'T GO INTO THE, THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT WILL TOUCH DOWN ONTO IT.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S THE FIRST COMMENT.
AND THEN IN THE SAME VEIN AS THAT, I THINK WE'RE ALL TOUCHING ON THIS FIFTH, FIFTH STREET FACADE AND THE ACTIVATION OF THAT, AND REALLY LOOKING FOR THAT SAME SORT OF HUMAN SCALE THAT PERHAPS WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENT THAT WAS ALREADY MADE WITH REGARDS TO A CANOPY, UM, PERHAPS A BENCH, SOME SORT OF INVITING ELEMENT ON THIS FACADE THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TO STOP AND STAY, UH, PERHAPS LOOK AT THE MURALS AND SIT
[01:45:01]
AND LOOK BACK TOWARDS IT.RIGHT NOW, UM, THIS IS THE SOUTH FACING, IT GETS VERY HIT BY THE SUN.
UM, IT'S VERY, UH, HOSTILE, YOU COULD SAY, TO STAND THERE AND BE WALKING ALONG THAT SIDE OF THE, THE FACADE.
AND IF SCHOOL KIDS ARE GONNA BE COMING OUT, DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO PROTECT FROM THE ELEMENTS, I THINK WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT ADDITION ON THIS, THIS SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY, I THINK, UH, AS WAS ALSO MENTIONED, THE ENTRY DOES APPEAR TO BE SOMEWHAT MORE MODEST THAN IT WAS.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW YOU ARE GIVING OVER SPACE TO THE GIFT STORE, UM, OR THE GIFT SHOP, UM, LOOKING TO EXISTING PRECEDENT FOR THE DOWNTOWN MUSEUMS, THE CONTEMPORARY, UH, THE, THE WRAPPING AROUND THE CORNER OF THAT GIFT SHOP TO, UM, A, PROVIDE MORE OF A PRESENCE TO THE, UH, FIFTH STREET FACADE, UM, AND ALSO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF A LARGER ENTRY, I THINK MIGHT BE SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING AT.
IT DOES FEEL AS THOUGH THE ENTRANCE IS SORT OF PUSHED TO THE NORTH AND, AND MAYBE, UM, PERHAPS SMALLER THAN IT WAS, WHICH I'M IMAGINING THIS IS, IS GOING TO INCREASE VISITATION.
AND YOU WILL, YOU'LL BE INSPECTING MORE VISITORS TO THIS.
SO I WOULD'VE IMAGINED THAT THE, UH, RENOVATION WOULD HAVE A LARGER ENTRY PRESENCE.
SO, SO THAT DEFINITELY SEEMS CURIOUS TO ME.
UM, UM, CAN WE, CAN WE LOOK AT THAT, UM, FLOOR PLAN, THE FIRST FLOOR PLAN? AND I SHOULD SAY, UH, BEFORE YOU MOVE FROM THIS SLIDE, UM, UH, I DIDN'T MENTION THAT.
SO THERE'S ONE ASPECT OF SUBCHAPTER E THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH, AND THAT IS THE AMOUNT OF THE 20, THE SUB, UM, 3.2 0.2 C, THE PERCENTAGE OF GLASS ON THE GROUND FLOOR FOR A SECONDARY, UM, ELEVATION.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THAT FROM.
SO THE 25% OF GLASS OR FACADE, UM, ARTICULATION, FACADE RELIEF, I THINK IT'S HOW IT'S PUT IN SUB CHAPTER.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND THE DESIGN TEAM IS GONNA WORK WITH ME CARTE ON, ON WHETHER WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS THERE, SOME OF HIS GLASS, UM, ON THE SHOP, UM, ON THE FIFTH STREET SIDE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S GOING TO GET US A LONG WAY THERE.
I THINK LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE, UM, TREATING THAT ADVERTISING, UM, SPACE, UM, IS ANOTHER THING.
UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION.
UM, THE FIFTH STREET THAT'S, THAT FACADE IS ACTUALLY THE NORTH ELEVATION, SO IT'S QUITE SHELTERED, BUT I THINK THAT YOU'RE, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF LIKE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE SITTING OUT THERE AND, AND SEEING THE SPACE THAT COULD BE QUITE EXPOSED, UM, UH, IT ALL WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A LICENSE AGREEMENT OUT THERE.
AND CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL CANOPIES ON THAT ELEVATION, SO WE ARE GOING TO RELY HEAVILY ON THE GREAT STREET TREES, UM, OUT THERE.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE, UM, ONE BENCH.
WE WILL LOOK AND SEE IF THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SEATING SO THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S FOR LOOKING AT THE MURALS OR IT'S FOR, UM, OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON ON THAT SPACE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE HUMAN SCALE ELEMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WITH HOW WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, UM, AT THAT AREA.
I, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND ALSO THE BUDGET, UH, CONSTRAINTS FOR THIS CERTAINLY.
UM, JUST, JUST MY LAST COMMENT ON THE HUMAN SCALE AT THAT FIFTH STREET ELEVATION, I, I DID NOTICE THAT THE, UM, PAVING SURFACE DOES CHANGE AT THE CORNER QUITE ABRUPTLY TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE CONCRETE.
IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE MURAL OR SURFACE TEXTURES ONTO THAT PAVING AT A, AT A BUDGET FRIENDLY LOW COST, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GREAT WAY TO ACTIVATE THAT SURFACE AS WELL.
AND THAT SIDE OF THE, THE BUILDING COMMISSIONER WI THANK YOU CHAIR.
[01:50:01]
ECHO, UH, I, FIRST OF ALL, I, I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, BRINGING UP THE, THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S A, IT'S A SAD LITTLE TREE OUT THERE IN THE FRONT.
UM, BUT WOULD WE, NOT FOR THAT PLAN MIGHT HAVE MORE COMMENTS ABOUT REPLACING THAT, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT IS A, A BIGGER, BIGGER PROJECT, UH, AHEAD OF US.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
I WANT TO ECHO, UM, WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS THAT, THAT, UM, THE, THE SENSE OF SCALE AT THE, ON THE, PRIMARILY ALONG THE FIFTH STREET SIDE, IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THE, THE NEW VERSION OF THIS BUILDING IS, IS TRYING VERY HARD TO BE MONUMENTAL.
UH, THAT, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE DESIGN DECISION HERE.
UM, AND THAT SETS UP A REALLY INTERESTING DIALOGUE WITH THE CONTEMPORARY.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S BIG MONUMENTAL MURAL, YOU KNOW, SIDE THAT'S FACING, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME REALLY ARCHITECTURALLY INTERESTING STUFF GOING ON THERE.
UM, BUT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE OF IT IS, IS MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS A, A COMFORTABLE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
SO I, I, UH, CELEBRATE THE REMOVAL OF THE FAKE BRICKS.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE, THE FINE GRAIN NATURE OF THAT MATERIAL ALONG THE, OF THE STREETS SCAPE LAYER LEVEL MIGHT BE A WAY THAT YOU COULD CONTINUE THE SORT OF MONUMENTAL SCALE OF THE BUILDING WHILE PROVIDING MORE OF THAT PEDESTRIAN INTRIGUE IS TO, IS TO LOOK AT THE MATERIALITY OF THAT STREET LEVEL.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THE, THE BUDGET CONCERNS WITH, UH, WRAPPING, WRAPPING THE AWNING AROUND THAT CORNER TO SIGNAL THE PRESENCE OF SHELTER.
UM, EVEN IF IT'S JUST STICKING OUT AT THE EDGE, I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY FOR, UH, A PEDESTRIAN WALKING DOWN FIFTH STREET.
BUT UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE CONSTRAINTS, UH, BEHIND THAT.
UM, LET ME PAUSE TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS MY SUPPORT.
I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH IT.
AND I, UM, I THINK WE HAVE, UM, MEANINGFULLY COMPLIED WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND THE CITY'S DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO I'M BEING A BIT TICKY TACK, BUT I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW OUT SOME IDEAS THAT I THINK WOULD, WOULD MAYBE HELP YOU AS YOU PROGRESS OUTTA DD.
UM, WE SORT OF HINTED AT THE IDEA OF HAVING AN ENTRY CLOSER TO FIFTH STREET, PERHAPS AT THE CORNER, UM, SYMBOLICALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOU COULD ENTER THIS FROM FIFTH STREET, FROM THAT MORE HISTORICAL CORRIDOR, THAT WOULD BE A POWERFUL GESTURE.
PROGRAMMATICALLY, I, I KNOW YOU'RE LOSING SHELF SPACE.
UH, YOUR VESTIBULE MIGHT HAVE TO SWITCH.
YOU'RE KIND OF GOT AN EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP CONDITION THAT MIGHT NOT BE, UM, DESIRABLE, UH, TO THE END CLIENT.
BUT I WANNA THROW OUT THERE THAT HAVING A CORNER ENTRANCE THERE AT FIFTH AND CONGRESS COULD, UH, SORT OF BE MORE VISUALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY DEMOCRATIC.
UH, AND FINALLY, UM, ON, ON YOUR NEW THIRD FLOOR, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT YOUR NEW WINDOWS ALONG, UH, THE CONGRESS AVENUE FACADE, BUT I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED TO NOT SEE SIMILAR FENESTRATION AT THAT LEVEL ON THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ART AND ARCHIVAL WORK, NORTH LIGHT IS LIKE THE, THE GOLD STANDARD, UM, FOR BUILDING ORIENTATION.
UM, THESE ARE, IT'S A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, SHALLOW DEEP FLOOR PLATE.
UM, THINKING ABOUT THE, THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING IN THOSE NON-GAY FUNCTIONS, TRYING TO INTRODUCE MORE NATURAL LIGHT WHERE POSSIBLE, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO WITHOUT SACRIFICING, UH, SORT OF BOLDNESS STATEMENT OF, OF THE MURALS AND THE MURAL PROGRAM ALONG FIFTH STREET.
UH, SO JUST A COUPLE IDEAS THAT, THAT I HAD DURING THIS DISCUSSION, PIGGYBACKING OFF OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE, UH, FOR ADDRESSING THAT, THAT THAT SENSE OF SCALE AND, AND THE FIFTH STREET.
UM, BUT, UM, VERY EXCITING TO SEE THIS PROJECT HAPPENING.
THIS FACADE IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR ALONG CONGRESS.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL, SOME OF US WERE A LITTLE STRUCK BY THE STARKNESS OF THE RENDERINGS.
UM, WE'RE ONLY IN DD, RIGHT? SO WE'RE HAVEN'T GOTTEN, UH, THAT FAR DOWN THE RENDERINGS.
BUT I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT WALKING BY THE FRONT OF THIS BUILDING IS JUST A BLAST OF COLOR AND INTEREST.
AND I, I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED TO SEE THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TWO THINGS.
UM, THE, THE MEADOW MUDO PROJECT, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE NOW THAT WILL CONTINUE, THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
AND SO THEN THOSE ARE, I THINK, 11 FEET TALL.
I THINK ON, THEY'RE THE SCALE OF THE, I MEAN, THEY'RE HUMAN SCALE AND THEY'RE ON THE SIDE.
WE'RE JUST ADDING THE ONE IN THE CENTER.
THAT'S WILL BE THE MONUMENTAL ONE.
UH, WE LOOKED AT PUTTING THE ENTRANCE ON THE CORNER, BUT THE PROBLEM THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 88, AND WE HAVE SEEN MANY ACCIDENTS, CARS, THEY WOULD'VE HIT THE BUILDING IF IT WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THE FIRE, THE FIRE HYDRANT.
I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST ONE THE OTHER DAY THAT GOT HALFWAY UP TO THE, IT HIT THE BENCH BECAUSE THE, THE CARS COME, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S FROM MOPAC TO I TO I 35,
[01:55:01]
AND THEY ZOOM 40, 45 MILES AN HOUR SOMETIMES.AND SO THE CAR, IF THERE WAS CHILDREN ON THE SIDEWALK WAITING TO COME IN AND THERE, THERE COULD BE AN ACCIDENT IF, IF THE, YOU KNOW, IF THE KIDS WERE WAITING IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT'S WHY WE MOVE, WE HAVE TO MOVE THE, THE, THE DOOR TO THE OTHER SIDE.
AND I DID NOTE FROM THE SITE PLAN, IT APPEARS THAT YOU DO HAVE SOME PROTECTIVE BOLLARDS IN THE, IN THE DESIGN, UM, PROB OSTENSIBLY TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE.
THE, UM, ON THE THIRD FLOOR, THAT ADMINISTRATION SPACE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ME CARTE IS CURRENTLY FUNDRAISING TO DO THAT FOURTH FLOOR.
IT ISN'T, IT ISN'T JUST A HOPE, UH, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT SOME POINT THAT IT'S GONNA BECOME, THAT FOURTH FLOOR IS GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED AND THAT ADMINISTRATION SPACE, UM, ON THE SECOND FLOOR, YOU KNOW, OR ON THE THIRD FLOOR, IS GOING TO BECOME EX, UH, EXHIBIT SPACE.
AND SO THE SAME KIND OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY FOR THAT SPACE FOR, UM, WE'RE HAVING, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE THIRD FLOOR IN, IN THAT SAME VEIN.
UM, BUT WE'LL LOOK AT, UH, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS AND I THINK ESPECIALLY HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AND THE SCALE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO BRING IN THAT HUMAN SCALE THROUGH MATERIALS AND THROUGH COLOR AND EVERYTHING, AND ACTIVATING THAT.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT.
AND, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON THE FUTURE USAGE OF THAT FLOOR.
UM, MAYBE A, A CONSIDERATION, AGAIN, A CHALLENGE FOR YOU IS THE, THE FENESTRATION FRONTING CONGRESS IS SORT OF THE IMPORTANT CONGRESS AVENUE, BUT THAT, THAT, UH, UM, WEST FACING LIGHT IS PROBABLY GONNA BE MORE DAMAGING, UM, IN THAT PROGRAM THAN THE, THAN THE NORTH WOULD BE.
SO THOSE WINDOWS ARE ALL OPAQUE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF ALL OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS, ALL OF THOSE, UM, PUNCHED OPENINGS ON THE UPPER FLOORS, UM, ARE OPAQUE.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND TWO THINGS.
WELL, FIRST TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER.
ONE IS NOT NATURAL LIGHT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW IT'S CHALLENGING WITH ARTWORK THAT'S SENSITIVE TO IT, BUT BRINGING A LITTLE BIT OF SUNLIGHT INTO A SPACE THAT'S THREE, FOUR STORIES WITHOUT ANY THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGING, I'M JUST BEING HONEST.
UM, A GOOD, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU SEE IN NEW YORK CITY THAT ARE VERY TIGHT FOOTPRINTS, MULTIPLE STORIES, UM, THEY'VE SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT NATURAL LIGHT INTO THE SPACE EVEN DOWN BELOW.
SO MAYBE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT.
UH, THE ONE THAT KIND OF COMES TO MIND RIGHT AWAY IS THE AMERICAN, THE AMERICAN FLOW CART MUSEUM THAT'S NO LONGER, UH, THEY ACTUALLY TORE IT DOWN TO MAKE ROOM TO EXPAND THE MOMA, BUT THAT WAS ACTUALLY A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.
UM, I JUST WANNA SHARE SOME OF THOSE SAME COMMENTS ON THAT FIFTH STREET SIDE.
UM, JUST THE, UM, PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE KNOWING THAT THAT'S THE NORTH SIDE AND THAT THAT IS GONNA BE A SPOT WHICH IS GONNA BE HEAVILY USED AND VALUED.
SO AS FAR AS FINDING A, A NICE SHADY SPOT DOWNTOWN.
SO PEOPLE ARE NOT REALLY JUST GONNA BE MOVING THROUGH THERE REALLY QUICKLY.
THEY ARE GONNA BE, UM, HANGING AROUND THERE, ESPECIALLY ONCE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SHADE.
SO THEN THE, THE BUILDING AND THE, AND THE FENESTRATION THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOULD ENGAGE THEM MORE AT A MINIMUM, I WOULD THINK AT THE, ESPECIALLY AT THE, UM, AT THE RETAIL PORTION.
UM, HOW LARGE ARE THOSE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT ARE THERE? THEY LOOK QUITE LARGE IN THE ELEVATIONS.
UM, WELL, THEY JUST LOOK REALLY TALL.
AND ARE THESE, ARE THESE LIKE AN OPEN, LIKE A LITTLE CASED OPENING AND SOMEBODY UPDATES IT AND I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS ACTUALLY GONNA OPERATE? YEAH, THAT'S THE INTENTION.
AND, UH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SERVICED YEAH.
[02:00:01]
LARGE, UM, UH, INTENTIONALLY, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE MUSEUM.UM, AND, UM, UH, IT, IT MEETS THE, UM, OUR MAX OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED ON SIGNAGE, UM, UH, WITHIN ZONING.
UM, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT SIZE, BUT I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO JUST TOUCH BASE ON THE SAME, A LOT OF THE SAME COMMENTS ABOUT THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ON THAT FIFTH STREET SIDE.
UM, UH, BUT THAT'S, I THINK EVERYONE ELSE HAS TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THE OTHER, UM, ITEMS ON HERE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M WITH THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UM, SO, UM, I'VE BEEN KIND OF HEARING, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S COMMENTS AND SO FORTH ON THE, ON THE, ON THIS FIFTH FLOOR ELEVATION AND A APOLOGIZE, BUT THE ELEVATION IS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF SCALE, BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, SYLVIA ON TRYING TO BRING IT IN INTO, INTO SCALE.
AND ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT DIDN'T SHOW, IF YOU TURN TO THE VERY LAST ONE, I THINK IF WE CAN, IF, UH, ONE BEFORE THAT ONE, EXCUSE ME.
THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE META MURAL THAT C IS TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF SCALE.
IT, IT, WE WE'RE TRYING TO DROP HER DOWN.
YOU SEE, THERE'S A LITTLE WAYNE SCALE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF IT.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO ADD MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED, UH, TO IT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THAT FACADE THERE.
WE'RE GONNA BRING IT DOWN TO SCALE THE ARTWORK IN THE CENTER'S A IPP PROJECT.
UH, SO IT'S A REALLY BIG, UH, FUNDED PROJECT, UH, FROM THIS, UH, BOND PACKAGE TO THE RIGHT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UM, ADVERTISEMENT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THE, THE, THE MEANS OF THE, UM, UM, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AS FAR AS ADVERTISEMENT GOES.
SO WE'RE SAYING WITHIN THAT, THAT, UH, AREA.
AND SO RIGHT NOW IT LOOK LIKE SOME KIND OF PORCELAIN ENAMEL PANEL.
IT LOOKS LIKE GLASS IS NOT, BUT IT'S REALLY DURABLE AND HARD, SO YOU CAN'T GET IN THERE AND BREAK IT OR ANYTHING.
AND, AND SO AGAIN, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THIS ELEVATION.
SO WHEN PEOPLE DO WALK THERE, THEY DON'T JUST WALK RIGHT BY THE YARD.
THEY, THEY CAN JUST KIND OF EASE EASED OUR WAY THROUGH THERE AND, AND, AND VISIT AND, AND, AND, AND LOOK AT THE ART PIECE.
IF, IF, IF WE REALIZE IF WE MAKE IT TOO TALL, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
AGAIN, JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THIS ELEVATION HERE, BUT WE, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL'S COMMENT.
WE WE'RE, WE DEFINITELY, UM, CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL THAT, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL MENTIONED HERE.
I THINK ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE BRICK IN THE FRONT OF IT, YOU KNOW.
PART OF IT, AGAIN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT REALLY PART OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, BUT RIGHT NOW IT IS ENCROACHING THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE PROBABLY HAVE TO REMOVE THAT TO GET IT BACK.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SO OUR, OUR BUILDING STAYS WITHIN OUR, OUR SETBACK OR, OR OUR PROPERTY LINES.
SO, SO THAT WHOLE BUILDING FACADE THAT NO, JUST, JUST THE BRICK THAT WAS ADDED ON.
OH, THAT, UH, THEN CONCRETE TO PUT THE BIG BRICK.
YEAH, IT'S A FREIGHT BRICK FACING CONGRESS.
AND, AND, UM, AGAIN, THAT WAS ADDED LATER AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WITH, UH, UNKNOWN TO WHOEVER, WHOEVER DID THAT OR WHATEVER IT ENCROACHED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE DESIGN.
YOU DON'T SEE IT THERE ANYMORE EITHER IN THE FRONT ELEVATION.
I KNOW ALL THOSE DETAILS AS YOU WERE MENTIONED, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE, Y'ALL ARE STILL WORKING OUT.
THOSE DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT HUMAN SCALE AND THAT WHOLE EXPERIENCE.
SO IT'LL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, UH, ONCE YOU DEVELOP THIS AND TO GETTING THOSE DETAILS IN THERE.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME AND Y'ALL'S PRESENTATION.
UH, IS THERE ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM ANY COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT, SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE, UM, THAT THIS PROJECT COMPLIES WITH THE, UM, WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, THERE YOU GO.
[02:05:01]
WE, YOU WILL SEND YOU OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, OR WE'LL SEND IT, UH, TO STAFF, UH, SHORTLY.[5. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair.]
IS TO CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.ANYONE INTERESTED IN BEING CHAIR? NO.
CAN I NOMINATE COMMISSIONER TRO? COMMISSIONER VICE CHAIR MINOR.
CAN I NOMINATE YOU?
UM, I GUESS WE'LL VOTE ON IT ALL FOR ME, STAYING CHAIR IF THE NOMINATION REQUIRES A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
UNANIMOUS AND VICE CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE VICE CHAIR MINORS.
IF YOU ARE, I'M HAPPY TO STAY ON.
ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, VICE CHAIR MINORS.
[6. Select a representative to serve on the Downtown Commission per City Code § 2-1-140.]
UP.THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, WE NEED TO FIND A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY CAN NO LONGER WORK WITH THAT, UH, SCHEDULE, SO HAD TO STEP DOWN.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THIS OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ANSWER SO THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA BE PART OF IT? I KNOW COMMISSIONER LEE IS NEW ON, ON THIS, AND SO MAYBE IT'D BE GOOD FOR YOU TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT.
SO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETS MONTHLY SIMILAR TO US.
THIS IS A NON-VOTING POSITION.
IT'S A LIAISON POSITION TO AND OF THESE MICROPHONES TO AND FROM THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO YOU ATTEND, IT'S MEETINGS CURRENTLY ARE HELD AT CITY HALL, UM, IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, THEY'RE HELD ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, I BELIEVE, UM, FROM SIX 6:00 PM AT INFINITUM.
UM, THEY DO SEE A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING, UH, THEY GET A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS.
UM, THE MEETING, FIRST FEW MEETINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, UM, EVERYTHING RANGING FROM SCOOTER SAFETY PRESENTATIONS FROM A PD, UM, TO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BRINGING BACK THE DILLO, WHICH WAS THE TROLLEY THAT RAN THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING COMMISSION TO SIT ON.
UM, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE HOBBY BUILDING SITE, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, IT'S MADE UP OF RESIDENTS, MEMBERS OF THE DESIGN COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S A REALLY DIVERSE COMMISSION AS WELL.
UM, SO IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING, IT JUST CONFLICTS WITH A ANOTHER BOARD THAT I'M ON, SO THANK YOU.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE DOWNTOWN, UH, COMMISSION AS THE, UM, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION? ANYONE? I KNOW IT'S PART OF THEIR, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT RIGHT.
THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE ON THE, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY REPRESENTED.
IT IS THE, IN THE DESIGN COMMISSIONS.
SORRY, IT'S NOT IN THE BYLAWS.
IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN THE CODE, UM, AS TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
AND IT CALLS OUT, BUT NOT THE DESIGN COMMISSION, THE DOWNTOWN RIGHT COMMISSION.
I, I CAN FIND THE CODE SECTION SO THAT Y'ALL CAN, IT'S THE CODE FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T GET SOMEBODY, SO WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? THEY GONNA, IT, WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER YET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS AGENDA ITEM WILL STAY ON THE AGENDA IN PERPETUITY UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO GET A REPRESENTATIVE, SINCE IT IS IN THE CODE SECTION FOR DOWNTOWN, UM, COMMISSION, WHICH I'M LOOKING NOW, IT'S TWO DASH ONE
[02:10:01]
DASH 1 3 1.CHAIR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION OF STAFF? YES, YES, PLEASE.
UH, IT APPEARS THAT COMMISSIONER CARROLL IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IN A VOTING, UH, ROLE.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THAT TO, UH, SUBSTANTIATE THE REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, THE, THEIR CHARTER? IF COMMISSIONER CARROLL WERE TO GIVE US UPDATES OR WERE TO BE WILLING TO GIVE US UPDATES? UH, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH Y'ALL, I AM GOING TO TAKE THAT TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND SEE WHAT THEIR, UM, THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT.
[7. Update from the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group regarding the meeting on April 12, 2024.]
GROUP AND COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, THE COMMITTEE FROM THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT'S COMMISSIONER CARROLL.
HE'S NOT, UH, PRESENT TONIGHT.
UH, SO, UH, WE WILL SKIP THAT, UNFORTUNATELY.
[8. Update from the representative of the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding the meeting on March 27, 2024.]
THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, THAT IS ME.UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, UM, THAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED, ASKING US TO DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED TO, UM, TO MEET ALL OF OUR, ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENT PLANS THAT, UM, PERTAIN TO SUSTAINABILITY AND WHAT FUNDING IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THOSE, UH, GOING AND TO KEEP THEM MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REACHING OUT TO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT, UM, WHERE THEY'RE LACKING, UH, FUNDS AND IF IT IS FUNDS OR IF IT'S POLICY OR, OR WHAT IT COULD BE.
SO WE HAVE OUR MEETING WEDNESDAY, AND THEN WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING CALLED FOR THE 30TH, SO WE CAN VOTE ON THIS.
UM, AND THE REPRESENTATIVE, THE UPDATE
[9. Update from the representative of the South-Central Waterfront Advisory Board regarding the meetings on April 1, 2024, and April 15, 2024.]
FOR THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD, UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S COMMISSIONER LADNER, IS THAT CORRECT? WHO IS ALSO NOT HERE? SO WE'LL BE LIGHT ON UPDATES.UM, AND I THINK THAT IS IT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
THIS IS JUST STANDARD, STANDARD UPDATES, RIGHT? JUST STANDARD REMINDERS THAT WE REQUIRE TWO PEOPLE, UH, TO PRO TO IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING, A PRESENTATION OR, YES.
AND CAN I JUMP IN HERE WITH A QUESTION? YEAH.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Part 2 of 2)]
I'M SO SORRY, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE WHEN WE WERE VOTING ON THE MINUTES.I JUST WANT A CLARIFICATION ON, UM, IF COMMISSIONER HOWARD AND COMMISSIONER LEE ABSTAINED FROM VOTING ON THE MEETING MINUTES, IF WE CAN GET THAT ON THE RECORD.
I THINK I VOTED, UH, APPROVED.
I DON'T THINK I ABSTAINED ON THE MINUTES.
SO YOU, THE MEETING MINUTES? I THINK SO, YEAH.
UM, AND COMMISSIONER, UM, OR CHAIR SALINAS? ANOTHER, UH, CLARIFICATION IS ON THE SOUND ASSESSMENT ITEM.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE Y YEP.
UM, IF COMMISSIONER LEE ABSTAINED FROM THAT ITEM? I DID.
'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I SHOULD HAVE ASKED AT THE TIME, BECAUSE WE DO, WE JUST NEED TO NOTE AND I, I THOUGHT THE HAND WOULD BE ENOUGH, BUT YEAH, I THINK EXCL EX EXTRA CLARIFICATION IS HELPFUL AND I'M, I SUPPOSE THAT I COULD BE BETTER BY ANNOUNCING THAT WHEN WE'RE TAKING OUR VOTES OF WHO'S ABSTAINING AND YEAH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
WELL, AND ALSO I WASN'T THAT FORTHRIGHT ABOUT MY A, YOU KNOW, SO I COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMMUNICATIVE ABOUT THAT AS WELL, SO.
WELL, I'LL ASK IF IT'S, IF I'M UNCLEAR ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK THAT IS, UH, BRINGS US TO THE END.
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED, 8 25.
UM, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.