[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
UH, COMMISSIONER FER, IF YOU COULD TURN YOUR, UH, CAMERA ON.
IT IS NOW A 6:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING, UH, OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER ROOM 1 4 0 5 AT 6 3 1 0.
WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN FIVE TWO.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AT ALL? OKAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, THE REGULAR MEETINGS FROM, UH, THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 20TH? HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT? YEAH.I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES.
THE SECOND MOTION BY BRIMER, SECONDED BY SULLIVAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
EINHORN, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN, AND BRIMER.
NEXT UP, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON MARCH 28TH? HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE MINUTES? YEP.
SECONDED BY SULLIVAN AL, THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER JUST WALKED IN, SO SHE'S NOW ON THE DAAS.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO VOTE ON THE APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING MINUTES? YES.
WE HAVE KRUEGER, BEDFORD, EINHORN, SULLIVAN, BRIMER, AND FER, AND ALL THOSE ABSTAINED.
WE HAVE, UH, NICHOLS AND BRISTOL.
[4. Election of Environmental Commission Officers for the May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025 term.]
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO, FOR, UH, THE, TO MOVE THE ELECTIONS TO? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE THE ELECTIONS TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND THAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE NICHOLS, FER, EINHORN, KRUGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN, AND BRIMER.
DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS? I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, TWO PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, COMMISSIONER OR VICE CHAIR BEDFORD TO BE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER.
I'LL MENTION THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO SECOND NOMINATIONS PER ROBERT'S RULES.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR, UM, SECRETARY BRISTOL'S MOTION? RAISE YOUR HAND.
WELL, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD ASK IF THERE'S ANY MORE NOMINATIONS.
I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GO BY NOMINATION.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOMINATE, UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL TO BE SECRETARY AGAIN.
JUST DONE AN AMAZING JOB, SO, OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY MORE NOMINATIONS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THEM.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR SECRETARY BRISTOL? COMING SECRETARY AGAIN? WE HAVE NICKEL
YEAH, I DON'T YOU HAVE NICHOLS, FER.
EINHORN, KRUGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN AND BRIMER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ME BECOMING CHAIR AND
AND, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER COFER BECOMING VICE-CHAIR.
SHOULD WE JUST AS THE POINT OF ORDER, SHOULD WE NOT DO ONE AT A TIME RATHER THAN TOGETHER? I THINK WE CAN DO 'EM TOGETHER.
IF YOU WANT TO CALL FOR, RIGHT.
IF YOU, IF IF A MEMBER CALLS FOR A DIVISION, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT DIVISION, BUT I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS IF WE DO A WOMAN ONE AT A TIME OR SO.
WHY DON'T WE JUST DO THEM ONE AT A TIME.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, COMMISSIONER FER FOR VICE CHAIR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[00:05:01]
WE HAVE EINHORN KRUGER, FER NICHOLS, UH, BEDFORD.AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR BEDFORD? FOR CHAIR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE NICHOLS, FER, EINHORN, KRUGER, BEDFORD, BRIMER, SULLIVAN, BRISTOL, UH, ELIZABETH FUNK, UH, WATERSHED.
I NOTICED WE ONLY ASKED FOR FOUR FOR ONE OF THEM AND NOT ANY, UH, OR AGAINST OR ABSTAINING.
FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER KO'S ATION.
FOR, IS THERE ANYONE ABSTAINING FOR FER? COMMISSIONER BRIMER.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT MOTIONS PASS.
[2. Bridle Ridge at Wildhorse Ranch, C8-2023-0259]
UP, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR BRIDAL RIDGE AT WILDHORSE RANCH, C EIGHT DASH 2023 DASH 2 59.UM, APPLICANT REQUESTS A VARY FROM A 2 5 8 DASH 3 4 1 TO ALLOW CUT OVER, OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET, AND B TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 4 2 TO ALLOW FILL OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION, CORRECT? DO WE HAVE A MICROPHONE FOR THE PODIUM? I JUST NOW NOTICED THAT, UH, OH.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL NEED TO SIT AT THE TABLE.
CAN YOU EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND MAYOR, I MEAN, CHAIR.
DON'T WISH THAT UPON IN THIS
UM, GOOD EVENING, PAMELA AB HERE, UH, TO PRESENT THE, UH, BRIDAL RIDGE, UM, VARIANCE.
AND THIS IS, IS IT GOING BACK? THERE WE GO.
UH, BRIDAL RIDGE AT WILDHORSE RANCH VARIANCES.
UH, I AM PAMELA AB TOLEY ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND THE, UH, SUBJECT TRACKED IS AT 1 0 5 0 1 AND A HALF BLUE BLUFF ROAD, THE CASE NUMBER C 8 20 23 0 2 5 9.
SO THE PROJECT IS LOCATED, UH, IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF TOWN ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION THERE.
UM, AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE IT'S IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE INTERSECTION OF TWO 90 AND ONE 30.
IT'S IN THE GILLAND CREEK WATERSHED, WHICH HAS A SUBURBAN CLASSIFICATION AND IS IN THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
IT'S IN THE AUSTIN'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, AND IT'S PART OF THE WILDHORSE RANCH PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, AKA PUD.
SO THE PROJECT IS, UM, THE ENTIRE PROJECT INC.
INCLUDES, UH, SINGLE FAMILY AND, AND, UH, AND COMMERCIAL.
BUT THE PART THAT WE HAVE THE VARIANCE FOR IS JUST FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY, WHICH IS WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ROADWAYS AND STORM STORMWATER PONDS, 21.4 ACRES.
AND, UM, THERE IS A WETLAND UP IN THE, TO THE, WELL, I, I WOULD USE THIS, BUT YOU'RE ALL LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SCREENS, SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S, ANYWAY, WHERE IT SAYS CEF, THERE IS A WETLAND UP THERE, THEN THAT'S NOT IN THE AREA THAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH TODAY, BUT IT IS PART OF THE SITE.
THERE IS THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THESE ARE THE TWO FOOT CONTOURS, WHICH SHOW YOU THAT IT IS A VERY HILLY SITE.
UH, SO WHILE ZERO TO 15, THE 86% OF THE SITE HAS SLOPES BETWEEN ZERO AND 15%.
UM, NONETHELESS, IT IS VERY HILLY.
AND THIS IS WHAT LEADS TO THE, UH, TO THE VARIANCE NEED BECAUSE, UH, THE HOLINESS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MATCH, UH, GRADES, UH, WITH ROADS AND, AND WITH THE, THE, THE LOTS AND EVERYTHING TO, UH, MEET A DA AND TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AS I SAID, THIS HAS A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, AND, UH, THESE, YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAY, THE SHADES OF GRAY THERE.
UH, AND I APOLOGIZE, MY PICTURES ARE TURNING, BUT THERE IS A LITTLE ARROW IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER THERE TO HELP ORIENT YOU.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, ON THE EAST SIDE THERE,
[00:10:01]
UH, WHERE THE GRAY IS IS WHERE MOST OF THE SLOPES ARE, AND THEY'RE OUTSIDE THE AREA OF DEVELOPMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE.SO THE VARIANCE REQUEST, AS WAS SAID, IS TO VARY 25 8 3 41.
THE CUT REQUIREMENTS TO, UH, CUT OVER FOUR FEET, UP TO 15 FEET, AND TO VARY 25 8, 3 42, THE FILL REQUIREMENTS TO FILL OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET.
SO THIS, UM, ON, ON THIS SLIDE, I HAVE THE, UH, ELEVATIONS TABLE ON THE TOP RIGHT THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE, THE KIND OF LEVELS OF CUT AND FILL ARE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW AREAS, UH, IN THE FOUR TO EIGHT, UH, RANGE, FOUR TO EIGHT FEET OF CUT RANGE.
UM, SO, UH, THE VARIANCE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF, UH, THE STAFF FINDS THAT THE VARIANCES FOR GRADING HAVE BEEN GRANTED.
SIMILAR VARIANCES FOR GRADING HAVE BEEN GRANTED TO PROJECTS WITH SIMILAR SITE CONSTRAINTS, SPECIFICALLY TOPOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT CONSTRAIN THE ABILITY TO COMPLY WITH TRANSPORTATION AND A DA REGULATIONS.
ALSO, THE VARIANCE IS CLEARLY NECESSITATED BY TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND NOT JUST BY THE DESIGN CHOICES OF THE APPLICANT.
WE FEEL IT'S THE MIN MINIMUM DEVIATION FROM CODE TO MAKE IT A DEVELOPABLE SITE, AND IT'S UNLIKELY TO RESULT IN HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
WATER QUALITY, LIKEWISE WILL BE EQUAL TO WATER QUALITY THAT YOU WOULD GET WITHOUT THE VARI, WITH THE, WITHOUT THE VARIANCE, SORRY.
SO THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS, THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR.
AND, UH, THIS, THE ONE THAT I REALLY WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THIS FIRST ONE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE, THE, UH, UH, SLOPES THERE, THERE, THERE'S THE HILL SLOPES DOWN PRECIPITOUSLY AT THE EDGE OF WHERE THE DEVELOPMENT IS.
UM, AND BECAUSE IT WAS GRAZED, THERE WAS A LOT OF RUNOFF AND THERE IS, UH, EROSION, UH, WHERE THE LITTLE PEAKS ARE ON THE, ON THE, UM, YEAH, I DUNNO IF YOU CAN.
ANYWAY, THE PEAKS, THE EROSION PEAKS ARE THERE.
AND, UH, SO WHAT THE APPLICANT IS WORKING, WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT TO DO IS TO WORK WITH THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT, UM, EROSION EXPERTS TO PUT, UH, DEVICES IN PLACE THAT WILL, UH, HELP, UM, UH, MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THE ADDED IMPERVIOUS COVER AND, UH, MINIMIZE EROSION IN THE FUTURE.
IN FACT, I'M HOPING IT WILL BE IMPROVED FROM WHAT IT IS NOW.
UM, SO THE, THE, TO, JUST TO READ THE SLIDE, THAT SLOPE STABILIZATION FOR AREAS OF EXISTING, UH, EROSION ADJACENT TO THE LOTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH EITHER GROUT, EITHER GROUT, SORRY, GROUTED RIP WRAP OR SOMETHING, AN APPROVED EQUIVALENT METHOD.
IT'LL BE IRONED OUT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UH, COULD SAY WITH THE WATERSHED EROSION EXPERTS, UM, AND APPROVED BY THEM.
SO, UH, VARI THE VARIANCE CONDITION NUMBER TWO, SLOPE STABILIZATION IN AREAS OF CUT OVER EIGHT FEET WILL BE PROVIDED BY TERRACING.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF LOTS THERE THAT ARE VERY, VERY DEEP, AND THEY SWOOP DOWN.
SO INSTEAD OF JUST COMPLETELY SWOOPING DOWN, THEY WILL, UH, BE ED, UM, AND, UH, VEGETATED, NOT JUST WITH YOUR STANDARD BERMUDA, BUT WITH, UH, WITH THE, UM, UH, NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBES PER 6 0 9, UM, S.
SO, UH, THEN STAFF RECOMMENDS THESE VARIANCES, AS I SAID, WITH TWO MORE CONDITIONS, WHICH IS THE FILL OVER EIGHT FEET WILL BE CONTAINED WITH ENGINEERED WALLS AND THAT WATER QUALITY PONDS, UH, THEY WILL BE DONE AS, AS BIOFILTRATION PONDS, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS A, AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUPERIOR METHOD.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, OR IF YOU HAVE SITE SPEC SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, YOU, THE APPLICANT IS ALSO HERE.
IS THERE A PRESENTATION FOR THE APPLICANT OR, OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THAT PRESENTATION NEXT.
UM, CAN WE GET THE APPLICANT PRESENTATION UP WHENEVER YOU GET A MOMENT? PERFECT.
[00:15:01]
CONGRATULATIONS, CHAIR BEDFORD.I'M THE CEILING ENGINEER AND APPLICANT FOR BRIDAL RIDGE AT WILDHORSE RANCH.
UH, CAMERON TAYLOR, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES AT KIMLEY HORN IS HERE WITH ME TONIGHT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT OUR VARIANCE REQUEST.
UM, WANNA GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW.
I KNOW PAMELA TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THIS A MOMENT AGO.
WE'RE OUT ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, BASICALLY AS CLOSE TO MAINOR AS YOU CAN BE WHILE STILL BEING IN AUSTIN'S FULL PURPOSE.
CITY LIMITS, UH, WE ARE WITHIN A SUBURBAN WATERSHED, AND THE DDZ ARE ALSO WITHIN WILDHORSE RANCH, UH, 2000 ACRE PUD CLASSIFIED AS AN IMAGINE AUSTIN TOWN CENTER.
UH, GOT A FEW MORE NOTES ON JUST THE PUD HISTORY, SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY THAT WENT INTO THE ZONING PROCESS.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN MORE DETAIL IN A MOMENT.
THE MAIN THING THAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS OUR SITE IS THAT GREEN SECTION THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE SCREEN.
THOSE TRACKS IN YELLOW ARE SIMILAR PROJECTS WITHIN WILDHORSE RANCH THAT REQUESTED AND ULTIMATELY OBTAINED SIMILAR VARIANCES FOR CUT AND FOR FILL FOR VERY SIMILAR REASONS.
SO, ZOOMING IN ON BRIDAL, IT'S ABOUT 23 ACRES OF SINGLE FAMILY, 76 LOTS, AND THE ASSOCIATED ROADWAYS NEEDED TO SERVE THEM.
OUR PRELIM ESTABLISHES, UH, MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL TRACKS AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE OF THIS VARIANCE.
UH, TO REITERATE, WE'RE REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM 25 8 3 41 AND 25 8 3 42 TO EXTEND OUR MAXIMUM CUT AND FILL UP TO 15 FEET.
UH, TO PULL THAT CUT FILL EXHIBIT BACK UP ON THE SCREEN, UH, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF LET Y'ALL TAKE THAT IN FOR A MOMENT.
BUT BEFORE WE REALLY DIVE INTO THE WEEDS AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH THE CONDITIONS THAT PAMELA MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR THOUGHT PROCESS OF THE CONCEPTUAL PLANNING STAGE AND KIND OF HOW WE GOT TO THE DECISION POINT TO PURSUE THIS VARIANCE AND BE CHATTING ABOUT THIS WITH Y'ALL TODAY.
I THINK THE MOST HELPFUL WAY FOR ME TO DO THAT IS TO SHOW A CONCEPTUAL ROADWAY PROFILE THAT TIES WITH THAT EXHIBIT THAT WE'VE BEEN REFERENCING.
THERE'S A LOT OF ENGINEERING JARGON AND SOME LABELS ON THERE THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR ME TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BEEN DESIGNED PROPERLY.
THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS THAT I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON ARE THE ACTUAL PROFILES OF THE EXISTING AND PROPOSED GRADE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE EXISTING GRADE IS A LITTLE JAGGED, IT'S A LITTLE ERRATIC AND KIND OF UNPREDICTABLE AT TIMES.
AND SO OUR PROPOSED STREET DESIGN WINDS UP KINDA SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND KINDA SMOOTHING IT OUT ACROSS THE HOLE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE PRETTY IMPORTANT REASONS FOR THAT.
UM, THE MAIN DRIVER IS JUST SAFETY AND NAVIGABILITY OF THESE ROADS.
UM, THERE'S A TERM IN JUST THE ENGINEERING FIELD CALLED STOPPING SITE DISTANCE THAT DRIVES A LOT OF THESE DESIGNS.
WHAT THAT ULTIMATELY LOOKS LIKE IS WHEN SOMEONE IS DRIVING DOWN THIS STREET AND SOMEONE AHEAD IS BACKING OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY, OR A FAMILY IS CROSSING THE STREET AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE VEHICLES HAVE TIME TO REACT, HIT THEIR BRAKES, AND SLOW DOWN BEFORE ANY PROBLEMS OR COLLISIONS OCCUR.
IT'S CODIFIED VERY RIGIDLY IN THE TCM IN MY OPINION.
UH, AS THE CEILING ENGINEER OF THIS PROJECT, I TAKE THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR ROAD DESIGN IS COMPLIANT AND SAFE.
ANOTHER PIECE THAT FACTORS INTO THIS IS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SUBDIVISION IS A DA COMPLIANT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT EVERY INTERSECTION WE NEED TO BE REALLY, REALLY FLAT.
UH, CODE REQUIRES THAT TO BE AT ABOUT A 2% CROSS SLOPE.
UH, AS PAMELA MENTIONED, THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY IS OFTEN MUCH STEEPER THAN THAT, EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY CLASSIFIED AS STEEP SLOPES BY CODE.
SO IN KIND OF THREADING THAT NEEDLE OF TRYING TO FOLLOW THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY AS WELL AS WE CAN, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SAFE AND NAVIGABLE AND THAT IT'S GOING TO BE EQUITABLE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE BOARD TO ENJOY THIS PARKLAND THAT'S COMING IN NEXT TO THE SUBDIVISION TO BE ABLE TO JUST HAVE THE SAME QUALITY OF LIFE.
THOSE TWO THINGS WERE FAIRLY NON-NEGOTIABLE.
AND SO WE DECIDED TO PURSUE A CUT FILL VARIANCE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT MORE SMOOTHLY.
DIVING BACK INTO THE ACTUAL CUT FILL EXHIBIT, I KNOW PAMELA HAS TOUCHED ON THE CONDITIONS.
WE THINK THEY'RE ALL REASONABLE.
WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE STAFF SUPPORT ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE COLOR CODING OF THIS, EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN WHITE IS, UH, NOT INDICATIVE OF VARIANCE AT ALL.
IT'S EITHER WITHIN A RIGHT OF WAY OR LESS THAN FOUR FEET OF GRADE CHANGE.
UM, THAT KINDA LIGHT BANDING, SO LIKE THE LIGHT BROWN OR THE LIGHT GREEN IS WHAT WOULD BE APPROVABLE WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE.
THE SECTIONS THAT ARE TRIGGERING THE, THE, UH, COMMISSION VARIANCE ARE REALLY JUST THE DARK BROWN AND THE DARK GREEN THAT YOU SEE.
SO OF THE ENTIRE 23 ACRES, WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST UNDER AN ACRE AND A HALF, ABOUT
[00:20:01]
SIX AND A HALF PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL SITE AREA THAT'S WARRANTING THIS.WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF ITERATIONS AND HAVE WORKSHOPPED THIS EXHIBIT AND THESE IDEAS WITH STAFF OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD GAME PLAN HERE.
UH, AS PAMELA MENTIONED, WE'RE COMMITTING TO USING RETAINING WALLS TO HELP TRUNCATE THAT GRADING AND LIMIT OUR ENCROACHMENT INTO THAT STEEP SLOPE AREA DOWN THAT RAVINE.
WE'RE ALSO USING THAT TERRACING FOR THOSE LOTS THAT HAVE THE EXTRA DEPTH WHERE WE CAN KINDA UTILIZE THAT TO MAKE UP THE GRADE IN A MORE NATURAL WAY.
AND YOU CAN KINDA SEE THAT IN THE CUL-DE-SAC THAT'S JUST SOUTH OF THE POND WHERE WE KIND OF START OFF IN THE DARK BROWN SECTION NEEDING THAT COMMISSION VARIANCE.
BUT BY THE END, AFTER WE'VE UTILIZED THAT TERRACING AT THE REAR OF THE LOT, WE'RE ACTUALLY BACK IN THE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVABLE THRESHOLD.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES TO HELP KIND OF REDUCE OUR IMPACT.
UM, AND AS PAMELA MENTIONED, WE RECOGNIZE THE CONCERN ABOUT THE STEEP SLOPES.
WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT ON SITE TO GET OUR OWN EYES ON IT AND KIND OF ASSESS IT PERSONALLY.
AND THAT'S KINDA WHERE THIS GROUNDED REP WRAP OR, YOU KNOW, SIMILARLY, UH, A WORKSHOPPED METHOD CAME OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT'S A DECENT PROPOSAL FOR RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO THINKING THAT THROUGH WITH WATERSHED AND THE REST OF DST STAFF AT THE FULL DESIGN STAGE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THIS DOESN'T HAVE ISSUES FIVE, 10 YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THIS IS WELL THOUGHT OUT ON THE FRONT END.
UM, THIS SLIDE IS JUST KINDA REITERATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST MENTIONED AND DISCUSSED.
UM, WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO MINIMIZE OUR CONSTRUCTION ON STEEP, STEEP SLOPES.
I THINK OUR CUT AND FILLS IN EXCESS OF FOUR FEET ARE 0.1 ACRE.
UH, WE COULDN'T QUITE GET IT TO ZERO, BUT WE'RE GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE CAN.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MIMIC THE NATURAL DRAINAGE PATTERNS.
WE'RE PUTTING PONDS AT NATURAL LOW POINTS, UH, TRYING TO NOT UPEND THE TOPOGRAPHY AS MUCH AS WE CAN HELP IT.
UM, ONE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING IS, SINCE THIS PUD WAS ENTITLED IN 2002, WE TECHNICALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE STANDARD SAID FILL PONDS TO TREAT THIS DEVELOPMENT.
HOWEVER, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S NOT A GOOD LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE TO HAVE.
AND SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO USING BIOFILTRATION PONDS AND OTHER GREEN WATER QUALITY CONTROLS TO HELP TREAT THE PROJECT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH STAFF TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION AT THE FULL DESIGN STAGE TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL EROSION CONCERNS OR IMPACTS.
WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES FROM THE SITE WALK THAT WE HAD BACK IN MARCH.
UM, HONESTLY, IT WAS A FANTASTIC DAY.
WE COULDN'T HAVE PICKED A BETTER DAY TO GET OUT THERE.
THE BLUE BONNETS WERE OUT IN FULL FORCE.
IT WAS A PERFECT SPRINGTIME DAY.
IT GOT ME PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMING TO LIFE AND BECOMING A PLACE THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN POTENTIALLY ENJOY DOWN THE LINE.
I TRIED TO TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THAT STEEP SLOPES.
JURY'S STILL OUTTA MY PHOTOGRAPHY CAREER, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT IT IS KIND OF FALLING OFF.
UM, SO WE DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE BALL'S IN OUR COURT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S DONE WELL.
ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF WHAT PROPOSED LANDSCAPING AND KINDA THAT PROPOSED CONNECTION TO THE FUTURE PARKLAND COULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL AS, UH, PROPOSED STREET SCAPE, STREET TREE OPTIONS.
UH, TO WRAP UP, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SAFE, NAVIGABLE, EQUITABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING THROUGH IT ON A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE.
AND I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THOSE GOALS IS TO RECEIVE THIS VARIANCE FOR CUT AND FILL BEYOND WHAT'S ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVABLE.
THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS.
UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY REMOTE COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? UH, I HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GROUTED RIP WRAPP AND WHAT MIGHT BE SORT OF APPROVED EQUIVALENT METHODS, ARE THERE OTHER APPROVED EQUIVALENT METHODS? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO SORT OF, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SLOPE STABILIZATION OPTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, I THINK, UH, WE OPTED FOR THE GROUTED RIP REP WITH KIND OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PAMELA, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY OTHER METHODS THAT WE COULD EXPLORE AND UTILIZE.
ONE THAT I'VE SPECKED OUT ON PAST PROJECTS IS, UH, SOMETHING CALLED ARMOR MAX, UM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A SOIL RETENTION BLANKET OR KIND OF SYSTEM THAT HELPS KIND OF PROVIDE TIEBACKS AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STABILIZATION BEYOND JUST YOUR STANDARD HYDRO MULCH OR REVEGETATION.
UH, THERE'S KIND OF A VARIETY OF SYSTEMS IN THAT VEIN, YOU KNOW, SOIL RETENTION BLANKETS OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER ENGINEERED PRODUCTS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SPEC OUT.
ULTIMATELY, IT'S GONNA BE A DECISION AND A CONVERSATION BETWEEN US AND WITH WATERSHED AND DSD,
[00:25:01]
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE WE USE THE ITEM THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.SO IS IT ULTIMATELY WATERSHED THAT APPROVES THAT? IT'LL BE KIND OF A JOINT CONVERSATION WITH WATERSHED AND DSD.
COMMISSIONER SHIRA, DID YOU HAVE A, A QUESTION? I I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND FOR A SECOND.
OKAY, LET'S GO BACK TO IN-PERSON D THEN COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.
SO CAN WATERSHED STAFF, UH, CITE, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS ELSEWHERE IN THIS POD THAT WHERE SIMILAR VARIANCES WERE GRANTED SIMILAR VARIANCES? UH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS. UM, THERE PAMELA COULD DISCUSS IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SIMILAR CASES IN THIS P THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR CASES IN THIS PUD, AND ACTUALLY IT WAS IN ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF HIS SLIDES.
IT HAD THE GREEN FOR THIS ONE DOWN IN THE CORNER AND THE TWO YELLOW ONES.
UM, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO BEEN SIMILAR CASES IN THIS AREA AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE LISTED IN THE, UM, IN THE, IN THE VARIANCE PACKET.
BUT AGAIN, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS? NOT, I MEAN IF THEY'VE, IF WE'VE ALLOWED 15 FEET CUT AND FILL RIGHT, THEN HAS THAT LED TO ANY EROSION OR DE OF FOUNDATIONS OR ANYTHING? I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THAT TO KEVIN TO ANSWER.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO EARLY TO TELL ON SOME OF THEM.
UM, ONE IS ACTIVELY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THE OTHER IS STILL MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING WITH DST STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR PLANS ARE WELL THOUGHT THROUGH AND ADDRESSING CONCERNS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
UH, MS. JOHNSTON WITH WATERSHED, UM, CORRECT.
WHERE WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WE WOULD, UM, WANT TO COORDINATE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS AND DSD TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON IF THERE ARE ANY.
HOWEVER, IF IT IS AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE, THEY DO HAVE MONTHLY INSPECTIONS AND, UM, TYPICALLY REMEDY THOSE ISSUES THAT COME UP DURING CONSTRUCTION, UM, IN THE FIELD, UH, AS THEY COME UP.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER QURESHI.
HEY Y'ALL, UM, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, ONE OF THE PICTURES IN THE PROPOSED SLIDES THAT YOU HAD HAD LIKE PICTURES OF LIKE A LITTLE DIRT TRAIL.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, FOR THIS PUD, ARE YOU HAVE ANY PLANS OF PUTTING IN TRAILS FOR THE RESIDENTS? UH, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOME PARKLAND TOO, SO I'M WONDERING HOW IT CONNECTS TO THAT.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET MY SLIDES BACK UP ON THE SCREEN? OKAY.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, THERE IS GOING TO BE, UH, 170 ACRE PARKLAND DEDICATION.
WE'RE ACTIVELY IN THE PROCESS OF COORDINATING THAT WITH PARD AND WITH CITY LEGAL.
THERE'S STILL A FEW MORE THINGS TO BUTTON UP BEFORE IT'S OFFICIALLY PROCESSED, BUT IT'S OUR HOPE IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WILL BE OFFICIALLY DEDICATED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND AS PART OF THAT PUD DOCUMENTATION, THERE IS A TRAIL NETWORK TO ROUTE OF THE ENTIRE PUD AND CONNECTED TO THAT, WE HAVE KIND OF THE LUXURY OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT OF BEING KINDA RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF IT.
UM, TO GIVE YOU SOME FRAME OF REFERENCE, THE PARKLAND AREA IS GENERALLY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO WHAT'S IN GREEN AND THE YELLOW IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF IT.
SO IT'S KIND OF THAT HEAVILY WOODED AREA AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE AERIAL.
COMMISSIONER EINHORN, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, I, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT WHERE YOU, THERE WAS ADDED THOUGHTFULNESS, LIKE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SHAPE OF THE LANDSCAPE AND PLACING PONDS AT LOWER AREAS.
IT REMINDS ME OF BERMS AND SWALES IN A, IN A PERMACULTURE APPROACH.
UM, I BELIEVE THE STAFF PRESENTATION MENTIONED RE-SEEDING WITH NATIVE GRASSES.
AND I'M CURIOUS, IS THAT GOING TO BE ON PRIVATE HOME PROPERTIES? IN WHICH CASE COULD THAT ULTIMATELY BE PULLED UP AGAIN AND SOMEONE COULD PUT IN INVASIVE BERMUDA GRASS OR SOMETHING ELSE, OR? THAT'S A VERY VALID CONCERN AND A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK, AND PAMELA WATERSHED DEFINITELY CHIME IN IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS FRONT.
IT'S FAIRLY COMMON, ESPECIALLY WHEN GREEN WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS, UH, PROPOSED TO DOCUMENT LIKE AN IPM RESTRICTIVE COVENANT OR, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER MECHANISM.
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, PROCESS SOMETHING TO BASICALLY ENSURE THAT THE NATIVE PLANTINGS ARE PRESERVED LONG TERM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A MECHANISM FOR THAT.I MAY NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON WHAT SPECIFICALLY THAT IS, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE PERMITS ARE ISSUED.
YEAH, IF THERE'S ANY AMENDMENT OR SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ADD NOW TO INCLUDE THAT, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
MM-HMM,
UM, AND PERHAPS MAYBE THE MECHANISM IS THERE'S AN EASEMENT OF SOME KIND IN THAT PARTICULAR SPACE.
UM, I, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF WORK WITH STAFF AND ROUND TABLE WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE THERE, BUT I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN AND WANNA MAKE SURE THE INTENT OF THE VARIANCE CONDITION IS PRESERVED.
YEAH, LIZ JOHNSON, AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE COULD WORK WITH THEM TO, TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THESE ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO PEOPLE WILL WANT TO HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO USE THEM AS SUCH.
UM, AND SO, UH, TO DETERMINE WHERE, UM, THE NATIVE SEATING OCCURS VERSUS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING WE CAN ENTIRELY CONTROL IF IT'S WITHIN THEIR FENCED AREA, BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT MORE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING A VARIANCE ABOUT THE CUT AND FILL, BUT OF COURSE YOU BRING UP THE PUT AND IT BRINGS UP SO MANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME.
BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL RESTRICT MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY WITH THE CUL-DE-SAC THAT EXTENDS FARTHER SOUTH, IS THAT TO LEAD TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THERE? YES.
IT'S TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR SOME OF THOSE MULTIFAMILY OR COMMERCIAL TRACKS THAT ARE ALSO COMING ONLINE AS PART OF THIS PRELIM PLAN.
UM, ULTIMATELY THERE IS ACTUALLY A WATER, A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, EXCUSE ME, THAT'S EVEN FURTHER, UM, SOUTH OR I GUESS PLAN EAST ON THAT PAGE.
SO IT'S ALSO GONNA HELP PROVIDE ACCESS TO THAT OVER THE LONG TERM AS WELL.
SO IT WON'T ALWAYS BE A CUL-DE-SAC.
IT'LL BE CONTINUED TO SOME OTHER ROADWAY NETWORK.
I THINK THE, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY WILL LIKELY TERMINATE AT THE END OF THAT CUL-DE-SAC, BUT THERE WILL BE ACCESS DRIVES OR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY AN ACCESS EASEMENT TO THAT TREATMENT PLANT.
AND PRIVATE DRIVES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL TRACKS TOO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THIS IS KIND OF AN OFF THE WALL QUESTION ONLY BECAUSE 'CAUSE OF SOME OTHER TOPIC WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU, HOW BIG ARE THESE LOTS? UH, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT THE SIZE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE, BUT APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY, UH, SQUARE FEET IS EACH LOT? YEAH, I WOULD SAY, I THINK THE KIND OF TYPICAL STANDARD THAT WE'RE OPERATING FOR IS 50 FEET WIDE AND ABOUT 120 FEET DEEP, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, CUL-DE-SACS.
IT MAY GET A LITTLE NARROWER AT THE FRONT AND POTENTIALLY A LITTLE BIT LONGER IN THE BACK, BUT GENERALLY I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE ON THE RANGE OF 6,000 SQUARE FEET OR SO.
SO UNDER THE CURRENT, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE HOME AMENDMENT IS AND 'CAUSE THIS IS UNDER THE CURRENT FULL, THIS IS UNDER E THIS IS IT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS? YES, SIR.
SO THIS WOULD FALL UNDER THAT AND THIS COULD BE SUBDIVIDED UNDER THE HOME AMENDMENT? YES.
I BELIEVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, MY EXPECTATION FOR THE PROCESS IS AS WE KIND OF CLOSE THE LOOP ON THE PRELIMINARY PLAN, WE WOULD THEN START PROCESSING THE FINAL PLAT IN THE SAME CONFIGURATION, UM, WITH THOSE LOTS KIND OF HONORING THAT SAME LAYOUT THAT'S SHOWN ON THE PAGE RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO ARE YOU GOING TO BE, UH, BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS SEWER AND ALL THAT KIND OF FUN STUFF IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXTRA POTENTIAL, UM, LOAD THAT THAT COULD CARRY BECAUSE SOME OF THE RESIDENTS MAY OPT TO, UH, ADD EXTRA ADUS IN THE BACK OF THE THING? OR ARE YOU JUST GONNA BUILD IT BASED UPON THE HISTORICAL, UH, UTILIZATION OF THE THINGS AS SINGLE FAMILY LOTS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING FORWARD THINKING ABOUT THAT.
OUR, UH, OUR SER APPLICATION AND OUR CURRENT, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL UTILITY DESIGN DOES FOLLOW KIND OF THE, THE FORMER STANDARD OF, YOU KNOW, ONE LUE PER LOT.
UM, I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD A FACTOR OF SAFETY OR WORK WITH AUSTIN WATER TO THINK THROUGH WHAT KIND OF FUTURE PROOFING DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, ADUS COMING ON DOWN THE PIPELINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK RIGHT NOW OUR PLAN IS TO PLOT IT AS WE HAVE,
[00:35:01]
UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE UTILITY SERVICE FOR ALL OF THOSE LOTS.BUT YOU BRING UP A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING FUTURE UTILITIES TOO.
SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU CAN PLAN, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN YOU WILL PLAN.
I MEAN, THERE'S A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE WORD CAN AND WILL.
I THINK FOR ME THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATION OF THAT ORDINANCE WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO WELL THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PAID TO DO.
SO I THINK, YEAH, THE, UH, TO GIVE YOU MORE CLARITY, MORE CERTAINTY ON MY ANSWER, YES, I WILL CHAT WITH AUSTIN WATER ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS AND MENTION THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST WATER, THAT'S ELECTRIC UTILIZATION TOO, BECAUSE SOMEONE'S GONNA BE DRAINING THE, UH, THE ELECTRIC WIRES TOO, TO POWER THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEIR LAPTOPS AND BLENDERS AND WHATEVER ELSE THERE IS GOING ON OUT THERE.
YEAH, WE, UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE WORKING WITH BLUE BOND ELECTRIC.
THEY'RE THE ELECTRIC PROVIDER FOR THIS AREA.
I'D IMAGINE THERE'S GONNA BE THREE PHASE POWER OUT HERE WITH THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY DEMANDS COMING ONLINE HERE AS WELL.
SO YES, I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE WE'VE CONSIDERED ALL REDUNDANCY AND FUTURE PROOFING OPTIONS AS WE'RE THINKING THROUGH THIS.
SO, UM, FIRST I, UM, I WANNA ADDRESS, UH, DSDS STATEMENT THAT IS UNLIKELY TO RESULT IN HARMFUL, UM, CONSEQUENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
ANYTIME YOU BUILD SOMETHING THERE'S HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO I I KIND OF, UM, I FEEL A LITTLE RESENTFUL OF THAT STATEMENT.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT? BUT AS FAR AS FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, THERE WILL BE, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.
SO THERE THE CODE SETS FORTH, UM, THE FINDINGS OF FACT THAT APPLY TO ALL ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES FROM 25 8 AND THAT IS ONE.
SO WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR ONE.
AND I TOTALLY HEAR YOU THAT YES, EVERYTHING COULD HAVE HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS THIS GOING TO RESULT IN SOMETHING WORSE THAN SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT THE VARIANCE? AND I THINK WITH THE MITIGATION MEASURES AND THE ENHANCED EROSION CONTROL AND THE REVEGETATION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, IN THE PAST ON SIMILAR CASES LIKE THIS HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE WE LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE MEET THE FINDINGS BECAUSE OTHERWISE NO ONE WOULD EVER MEET THE FINDING IF WE, IF WE GAVE THAT SUCH A HIGH BAR.
SO JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
IT'S, UM, YEAH, I THINK STATING THAT DIFFERENTLY IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE.
SO JUST KEEP IN MIND ON THAT ONE.
'CAUSE THAT ONE GOT UN UNDER MY, MY SADDLE A LITTLE BIT THERE.
UM, THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROPERTY IS, UM, AND, AND, AND WILDHORSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE COME FORWARD MULTIPLE TIMES WITH CUT AND FILL VARIANCES AND WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF 'EM ON THE MAP THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING IT SEEMS LIKE, OH, OKAY, THIS IS JUST ONE.
BUT IN THIS WHOLE AREA OUT HERE IN IN THE EASTERN QUADRANT, UM, ON THE LINE PRAIRIE, IT IS ONE AFTER THE NEXT, AFTER THE NEXT, AFTER THE NEXT.
AND THE IDEA AND THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SENDING TO DEVELOPERS IS BUY WHATEVER PIECE OF PROPERTY YOU WANT AND CONTOUR IT HOWEVER YOU WANT.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EASTERN QUADRANT.
WE'RE NOT DOING THAT IN WEST AUSTIN.
WE ARE NOT DOING THAT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
HOW MANY HAVE WE SEEN NOW? HOW MANY HAVE WE VOTED ON? CUT AND FILL, CUT AND FILL, CUT AND FILL AND NOT JUST A LITTLE CUT AND FILL.
THIS IS 10 FEET OVER WHAT IS NORMAL? THAT'S A LOT.
SO I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THAT.
WHAT I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IS WE ARE PUTTING 80 DA COMPLIANCE ABOVE ENVIRONMENT.
WE JUST ARE, YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER THAT ALL OF THESE HOUSES HAVE TO BE A DA COMPLIANT.
WELL WHY DOES EVERY SINGLE HOUSE HAVE TO BE, WHY NOT HAVE DESIGNATED ONES? AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING JUST FLATTENED OUT IN THIS REALLY EASY DEVELOPABLE WAY AND ACTUALLY RESPECT THE CONTOUR OF THE LAND.
I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING YOUR QUESTIONS AND I HEAR WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM WITH THAT.
UM, TO CLARIFY ON THE A DA PIECE, IT'S NOT MY INTENTION THAT EVERY SINGLE HOME BE FULLY A DA ACCESSIBLE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT WILL WIND UP HAPPENING.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT ALL OF THE AMENITIES THAT THE PUT ARE PROVIDING ARE ACCESSIBLE.
AND SO THAT LEADS TO, YOU KNOW, A
[00:40:01]
SAFE NAVIGABLE ROUTE THAT COMPLIES WITH THE A DA SLOPE REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO LOGICALLY BE ABLE TO GET TO ONE END OF THE SUBDIVISION ACROSS THE WAY AND DOWN INTO THE PARKLAND OR OVER TO THE AMENITY CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE.SO IT IT'S, IT'S MORE ABOUT LIKE PEDESTRIAN CONVEYANCE AND CAPACITY THAN THE INDIVIDUAL HOMES THEMSELVES.
UM, AND I HEAR YOU THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE VARIANCES FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN WILDHORSE RANCH.
FRANKLY, I THINK THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY MAKES WORKING WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVABLE THRESHOLD AND COMPLYING WITH THE TCMA REAL CHALLENGE.
UM, I THINK FOR ALL THREE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE PRESENTED BEFORE THIS SADDLE RIDGE PINNACLE AND NOW BRIDAL RIDGE, I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE JUST NATURAL AREAS WHERE IT JUST COULDN'T PENCIL JUST DUE TO THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY.
AND SO I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND THAT WE'RE COMING BACK AND REQUESTING IT AGAIN.
I THINK THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND ITSELF KIND OF DRIVE THAT DECISION FOR US A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT.
AND SO THE, THE AREA WHERE THE HOUSES ARE IN THE GREEN, THE DARK GREEN, UM, HOW ABOUT PENCILING THOSE OUT? DOES THAT HELP AND DOES THAT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CUT AND FILL THAT WE NEED? WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS, YOU KNOW, THIS GRADING DESIGN IS CONCEPTUAL IN NATURE.
WE'VE TRIMMED DOWN THE VARIANCE REQUEST TO UNDER AN ACRE AND A HALF.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY KEEP SHARPENING OUR PENCIL ON THAT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN TRIM DOWN, WHAT OTHER EFFICIENCIES WE CAN GAIN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO FIND, YOU KNOW, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ON THAT FRONT.
UM, BUT, AND KINDA RUN THAT TO GROUND BEFORE WE COMMIT TO LOSING LOTS FIRST, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
MM-HMM,
AND SO IF THAT WAS TAKEN OUT, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MUCH CUT AND FILL.
UM, YOU LEAVE THAT SLOPE GOING DOWN TO THE WATER RETENTION AREA AND YOU KNOW, THEN YOU ONLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, THE RETENTION, UM, WALLS THAT ARE HERE.
YEAH, I, I DEFINITELY HEAR YOUR, YOUR CONCERN THERE.
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR IDEA AND I THINK THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO TRY TO MITIGATE THAT AND KIND OF ASSESS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, SO, UH, THE OTHER, UM, YOU, YOU MENTIONED IN THERE, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE BACKUP ALSO, AND IT SAYS BASICALLY WORKING WITH, UM, UH, DSD, UM, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY MENTION THAT IT WOULD BE WORKING WITH WATERSHED.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS STATED SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S HONESTLY A MISS ON MY PART.
I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS I BELIEVE.
IS IT NOT, I, I THINK I, I THOUGHT IT SAID ON THE, ON THE THING ANYWAY THAT THE, THE DEVICES TO PREVENT EROSION IN THE FUTURE WILL BE WORKED OUT WITH THE WATERSHED ENGINEERS WHO DEAL WITH EROSION AND, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS WITH US.
AND, UM, SO I, THEY DON'T HAVE DIRECT REVIEW.
THEY GO THROUGH ME, I GO, I, I I PULL THEM IN TO, TO WORK ON THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS.
SO IT'S MY, I MEAN, I'M THE ONE WHO DOES THE FINAL APPROVAL, BUT I DO IT ONLY WHEN THEY APPROVE IT.
SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THE SYSTEM KIND OF WORKS PROCESS WISE WITH THIS.
LIKE I SAY, THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY ON THE REVIEW, BUT UM, WE CAN MAKE THAT EXPLICIT IN THE FINDING OR THE, THE CONDITION.
UM, AND THEN IS THERE, UM, I ASSUME ONCE THIS IS ALL DONE, THERE'LL BE AN HOA, IS THAT RIGHT? THERE WILL BE, YES.
SO GETTING BACK TO THE NATIVE PLANT PLANTING, UM, YOU CAN DESIGNATE THAT IN THE HOA, BUT IT HAS TO BE NATIVE PLANTS.
YEAH, SO THAT, AND BECAUSE CREATING AN EASEMENT ON EACH INDIVIDUAL LOT, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE A NIGHTMARE.
YEAH, I, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VALID CONCERN THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER BROUGHT UP.
I WANNA DO MY BEST TO ADDRESS IT.
AND I THINK, YEAH, THE, THE HOA DOCUMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THE RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS THAT GO INTO THERE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S IN MY WHEELHOUSE AS MUCH AS THE ENGINEERING DESIGN, BUT IF THAT'S THE MECHANISM THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, I THINK I'D BE ALL FOR THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT Y'ALL COULD FOLLOW UP WITH AS WELL.
[00:45:01]
IT'S, IT'S FARTHER DOWN.UM, THE LINE ON THAT, UM, I DIDN'T SEE IN HERE, UM, ANY TREE STUDY.
UM, WE HAVE A TREE SURVEY FOR THE PROPERTY AND SINCE THERE ARE GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY USES, WE SURVEYED TREES EIGHT INCHES AND UP FOR THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
NOW IT'S KINDA HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN.
SO I TRIED TO SUMMARIZE GENERAL TRENDS IN THE BOTTOM LEFT.
THE VAST MAJORITY ARE CEDARS AND MESQUITES.
THERE'S NO HERITAGE TREES ON SITE.
I THINK THE LARGEST TREE IS LIKE A 19 INCH, UH, CEDAR ELM, I BELIEVE.
UM, SO, OKAY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I DIDN'T SEE IT EARLIER, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS OKAY.
NO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, LET ME SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN HERE ON ONE OF THESE.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR RIGHT NOW.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION I HADN'T BEEN ASKED.
I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN NOTICE OF CERTAIN ANIMAL SPECIES IN THE AREA THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THE BUILDING, LIKE A CONSTRUCTION? NOT SO MUCH ON ANY OF MY SIDE VISITS DIRECTLY.
I KNOW THAT THEY, UH, THIS HAS BEEN RANCH LAND IN THE PAST, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CATTLE OUT THERE OR YOU KNOW, CATTLE TRACKS.
UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN TOO MANY OTHER NATIVE SPECIES JUST FROM MY OWN VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OR ANYTHING REALLY DOCUMENTED OUT THERE.
UM, PAMELA, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN RECALL ON TOP OF THAT? THERE WERE LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES WHEN WE WENT OUT, BUT, UM, NO, WE DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT I'M SURE IT'S THE KIND OF TERRAIN WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE FOXES AND PORCUPINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I'M SURE THEY'LL CONTINUE TO LIVE DOWN IN THE DRAINAGE WHERE THE, BUT AS YOU, AS YOU POINTED OUT, ALL DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS THINGS, SO THEY'LL BE AFFECTED.
AND, UM, ARE WE ABLE TO SEE THE REMOTE, UM, COMMISSIONERS? I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT POPPED UP
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONERS I DO WANNA ASK, UM, COMMISSIONER BRIAR AND COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, UM, OH, I DIDN'T WRITE ANYTHING DOWN, BUT DID Y'ALL HAVE A CONDITION FROM YOUR QUESTIONS EARLIER? INDEED, I DID.
UH, BECAUSE THE HOME AMENDMENT IS ALMOST SURE TO PASS COUNSEL AND THERE IS THE ABILITY, BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE LOT TO PUT ADDITIONAL DWELLING UNITS ON THIS.
MY ASK IS THAT THE CAPACITY FOR SEWER, ELECTRIC AND WATER BE INCREASED BY 50% IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL DWELLING UNITS THAT COULD BE BUILT ON THIS HOUSE OR ON THESE, THESE PIECES OF PROPERTY.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE DENSER HOUSING, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT CHAIR.
YEAH, WELL I POINT OUT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU COULD DO THAT NOW WITHOUT HOME BECAUSE ADU ARE ALLOWED, THIS IS A NEW, THIS IS A NEW DEVELOPMENT AND SO THERE'S NO BETTER TIME TO ADD THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WHEREAS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE KNIT PART OF TOWN I LIVE IN, YOU'D HAVE TO TEAR UP EVERY STREET FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AND AT WHAT COST TO DO IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A BRAND NEW DEVELOPMENT AND ALL YOU GOT OUT THERE IS DIRT, THE INCREMENTAL COST TO DO THAT IS A LITTLE BIT WIDER PIPE AND A LITTLE BIT THICKER WIRE.
SO THE INCREMENTAL COST IS MARGINAL COMPARED TO DOING IT LATER ON.
SO, SO NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT.
AREN'T WE SET UP KNOWING THAT YOU CAN PUT IN AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ON ANY LOT TO ALREADY ACCOMMODATE THAT? UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WANT TO CON YOU KNOW, CONFIRM WITH AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY, WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS, BUT I'M SURE THAT THEY'RE THINKING OF THAT NOW.
THE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOME ONE DID PASS, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ALREADY.
AND SO YOU ALREADY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, UH, ADD ADDITIONAL UNITS TODAY TO EXISTING LOTS.
UM, WELL YOU HAD, YOU HAD, I DON'T MEAN TO, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO HAVE TO INTERRUPT.
YOU HAD AN ABILITY TO ADD AT LEAST ONE CORRECT UP UNTIL FEBRUARY NOW YOU CAN ADD TWO, CORRECT? RIGHT.
AND SO I I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT WANT TO RECOMMEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT, UM, OVER WHAT
[00:50:01]
IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED.UM, UH, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD WANT TO DEFER TO OUR TECHNICAL EXPERTS IN AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY, WHO ARE VERY AWARE OF THESE INITIATIVES.
WELL THEN HOW ABOUT IF WE SAY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER SHALL REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS IN LIGHT OF THE HOME INITIATIVE IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEY WILL ACCOMMODATE THE POTENTIAL ADDITION OF OTHER UNITS? COMMISSIONER EINHORN CAN, CAN I, I IN PRINCIPLE AGREE WITH SORT OF FUTURE PROOFING DEVELOPMENT AS WE GO FORWARD, BUT AS TO, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL, VICE CHAIR BRISTOL, UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL ASKED IF WE WERE SOMEBODY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SOMEBODY, YOU ARE SOMEBODY, UH, UM, SECRETARY BRISTOL ASKED ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S GONNA BE AN HOA AND THERE IS GONNA BE AN HOA AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, HOAS HAVE VERY, VERY CLEAR RULES ABOUT SUBDIVIDING LOTS.
AND SO THIS MAY BE A MOOT POINT IF IT'S NOT ALLOWABLE UNDER THE SUB, UNDER THE HO A'S RULES ALSO, EXCEPT THAT THERE'S NO HOA NOW IF, EXCUSE ME, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE, IF I, IF I MAY, THE PAMELA ABBY, DSD IF I MAY POINT OUT.
SO THIS IS A PUD PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND IT IN THIS PUD IT'S NOT UNDER CURRENT CODE, IT'S UNDER A CODE OF THE TIME AT WHICH THE PUD WAS SIGNED.
SO THEY PROBABLY WON'T BE SUBJECT TO THE HOME REGULATIONS 'CAUSE THAT WILL BE CURRENT CODE, SO THEY'LL BE UNDER THE PREVIOUS CODE.
SO JUST FYI PROBABLY AS FAR AS AS WE CAN TELL RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, YES.
SO, SO WELL, I MEAN THESE ARE ALL QUALIFYING WORDS NOT BE SUBJECT TO CURRENT CODE.
THESE ARE NOT DEFINITIVE WORDS.
AND I LIKE DEFINITIVE WORDS BECAUSE THEY, THEY CLEARLY DELINEATE THE RULES.
IF YOU START USING WORDS THAT ARE QUALIFYING, THEN I HAVE THIS URGE TO LIMIT THINGS.
BY ADDING THINGS INTO THE RESOLUTION.
OF COURSE, IT HASN'T PASSED YET.
HOME TWO HASN'T PASSED YET, BUT, OH, BUT, BUT THIS PUD FOLLOWS THE RULES OF 2002.
IF IT'S NEW CODE, IT WILL NOT FOLLOW THOSE RULES.
AND I ALSO WANT TO INTERJECT, I THINK THAT WE'RE GETTING PRETTY FAR OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO GRANT, UH, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO, UH, AUSTIN WATER OR AUSTIN ENERGY'S BUSINESS MODEL.
THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW THESE ARE COMING.
SO THEY DO REVIEW SUBDIVISIONS AS WELL.
UM, SO I, I REALLY DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT WE GET INVOLVED IN THEIR BUSINESS.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP ONE MORE NOTE.
UM, I BELIEVE IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU SAID I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU REALLY QUICK.
DO YOU WANNA KEEP THAT CONDITION IN OR CUT IT BASED ON WHAT THEY TOLD YOU? HERE'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, IS I WOULD, SORRY, MY HONOR.
I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP IT IN UNLESS EVERYONE WANTS TO VOTE ON IT AND THEN HOLD IT OUT.
IF WE VOTE ON IT AS A COMMISSION TO HOLD IT OUT, THEN HEY, THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES.
CAN I CHIME IN ON THE APPLICANT'S SIDE ON THIS? SURE.
YEAH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT THIS TO BE FUTURE PROOFED.
WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE AT THE PRELIMINARY PLAN STAGE RIGHT NOW.
WE STILL HAVE A FINAL PLAN APPLICATION TO PROCESS AND REVIEW, AND THEN SUBDIVISION CONSTRUCTION PLANS OF THE ACTUAL UTILITY DESIGNS.
THAT'S AT A VERY CONCEPTUAL NATURE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AUSTIN WATER WILL ULTIMATELY BE REVIEWING OUR PROFILES AND CAPACITY OF THE WASTEWATER MAINS AND SERVICE LAYOUT IN THE STREET.
AND SO I THINK RATHER THAN ADDING A, A BLANKET 50% INCREASE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR KIND OF THE, THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE JASON ENG AT AUSTIN WATER HAS BEEN KIND OF THE, THE PRIMARY REVIEWER FOR AUSTIN WATER'S PIPELINE DIVISION FOR ALL WILD HORSE PROJECTS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
YOU KNOW, AS THEY MENTIONED, I'M SURE AUSTIN WA HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY NEED TO ADAPT THEIR REVIEW, THEIR DESIGN STANDARDS, THEIR PLAN REQUIREMENTS.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM BEFORE WE BEGIN THE FULL DESIGN OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WAY WE HAVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ON HOW AUSTIN WATER IS GOING TO HANDLE THIS AND WE CAN BUILD IT IN BEFORE ANY PERMITS ARE EVEN CLOSE TO BEING ISSUED.
AND I THINK WE ADJUSTED THAT BECAUSE WHAT I SUGGESTED IN RES WITH REGARD TO SOMEONE ELSE'S COMMENT, MAYBE IT WAS DAVE'S, I THINK, UM, WE S TOOK OUT THE PART WHERE IT MANDATED A SPECIFIC
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AMOUNT AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY REVIEW IT IN LIGHT OF THE HOME INITIATIVE REQUIREMENTS.SO THERE WAS NOT A REQUEST TO ADD 50%, ALTHOUGH THAT'S WHAT I INITIALLY SAID.
MY RECOMMENDATION SAY, OKAY, IN LIGHT OF THIS, THEY REVIEW THE REQUIREMENT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT NEW COUNCIL INITIATIVE.
SO THEY MAY COME AND SAY, HEY, WHATEVER, IT'S FINE THE WAY IT IS, OR ADD 10% OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO I GUESS THE WAY WE, I FINALLY AGREED WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BRISTOL, WHO, I FORGET NAMES, YOU GET OLD, YOU KNOW, UH, SO, UH, IT WAS THAT WE JUST RECOMMEND A REVIEW BY THEM TO ENSURE THAT THE SIZE OF EVERYTHING IS CORRECT.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
THAT REVIEW IS ABSOLUTELY BUILT INTO THE PROCESS.
THEY'LL BE ANALYZING OUR SYSTEM AND REVIEWING OUR PLANS FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR AFTER, YOU KNOW, THIS PRELIM IS, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALLY CLOSED OUT AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE FULL DESIGN OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE HOME INITIATIVE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, YOU PROBABLY WOULD'VE SKATED
SO, WELL, IT'S A VALID POINT AND I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD SHOWED UP LAST, LAST MEETING, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN HOME BY NOW THOUGH.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO RAISE OUR AWARENESS TO SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES WHERE I BELIEVE YOU SAID 95% OF THE TREES ARE CEDAR AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER SPECIES? MESQUITE.
AND THAT MOST ARE EIGHT INCHES OR LESS IN DIAMETER, CORRECT.
UH, I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WASN'T CLEAR.
WE SURVEYED ALL TREES EIGHT INCHES AND UP.
UM, YEAH, TO COVER THE MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL PIECE THERE.
OF THE LIKE PROTECTED TREE SPECIES.
THERE ARE NO HERITAGE TREES ON SITE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CEDAR ELMS, UH, SEVERAL LIVE OAKS, BUT NONE ARE PROMINENT ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED HERITAGE TREES.
AT OUR URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST TIME, BOBBY LEVINSKY, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, RAISED A GREAT POINT ABOUT OUT CONSIDERING PROTECTIONS FOR NATIVE SPECIES AND JUST THINKING BEYOND HERITAGE TREES AND DIAMETERS, GIVEN THAT WHEN SPECIES LIKE MESQUITE AND CEDAR ARE CHOPPED DOWN, THEY'RE OFTEN NOT REPLACED WITH SIMILAR SPECIES AND THAT AFFECTS HABITAT LOSS, ET CETERA.
SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF ERASE OUR, OUR GROUP AWARENESS TO THAT.
I THINK IT WAS AN EXCELLENT POINT.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN URBAN FORESTRY, AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN COMMENT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND HOW IT IS IMPACTING TREES IN THE AREA.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE EXAMINED ALL OF THEM EIGHT INCHES AND UP, AND YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT JUST FOR OUR OWN EDIFICATION AND OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU ANTICIPATE IN TERMS OF TREE LOSS.
I MEAN, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO EARLY TO TELL AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, STOLEN KIND OF THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STAGE.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UM, SINCE WE ARE IN THE FULL PURPOSE CITY LIMITS, EACH LOT WILL NEED TO HAVE, I BELIEVE, TWO TREES PLANTED, UH, AS PART OF THE CODE COMPLIANCE.
I THINK WE CAN WORK WITH STAFF ON WHAT THOSE SPECIES NEED TO LOOK LIKE, UM, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS KIND OF THAT HABITAT LOSS CONCERN.
UM, YEAH, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING TO WEAR A LITTLE BIT OF A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE HAT, WHICH ISN'T MY FORTE.
SO I, I WANT TO GET YOU WHAT YOU NEED.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF MY WHEELHOUSE.
I MAY NEED TO LEAN ON STAFF AND OTHER CONSULTANTS ON THE DESIGN TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
I, I JUST WANNA ALSO SAY, UM, THIS IS BLACKLAND PRAIRIE.
UM, AND SO PRIOR TO US, UM, YOU KNOW, CULTIVATING IT, UM, WITH RANCH LANDS AND OTHERS, THEN IT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE CEDAR AND MESQUITE ON THERE.
UM, THE, IT WOULD BE NATO GRASS PRAIRIES, AND THEN IT WOULD ALSO HAVE, UM, IN THE BOTTOM LANDS IS WHERE THE TREES WOULD BE.
SO I THINK AS WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT, THAT'S LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT WOULD NATURALLY BE THERE, WHICH IS HARD TO SAY BECAUSE TREES WOULD NATURALLY BE THERE.
SO KIND OF REINVENTING NATURE AS WE GO HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HANDS AND IT IS UNANIMOUS EVERYONE THAT'S ON THE DAAS.
I THINK WE LOST, UH, COMMISSIONER FER, UH, OUR CHAIR FER.
[01:00:01]
UM, ANY OTHER DIS DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.UM, HOPEFULLY THIS CAPTURED EVERYBODY'S STATEMENTS.
UH, MAY 1ST, 2024, UH, BRIDAL RIDGE AT WILDHORSE RANCH, C EIGHT DASH 2023 DASH 0 2 5 9.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TWO VARIANCES, ONE WHICH IS TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41 TO ALLOW CUT AND FILL OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET AND 2 2 5 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 42 TO ALLOW FILL OVER FOUR FEET TO 15 FEET.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE GILLIAN CREEK WATERSHED, UH, SUBURBAN CLASSIFICATION AND A LITTLE BIT OF THUNDER UHHUH
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION.
AND THESE ARE THE STAFF CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, SLOPE STABILIZED FOR AREAS OF EXISTING EROSION.
ADJACENT TO THE LOTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH GROUT, RIP GROUTED, RIP WRAP, OR APPROVED EQUIVALENT METHOD TWO SLOPE STABILIZATION IN THE AREA OF CUT OVER EIGHT FEET WILL BE PROVIDED BY TERRACING.
25 FEET AT 11, AT 15% GRADE, AND 20 FEET AT 5% GRADE.
AND REVEGETATION WITH NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBES PER THE STANDARD SPECIFIC SPECIFICATIONS.
UH, MANUAL, 6 0 9 S FIVE THREE FILL OVER EIGHT FEET WILL BE CONTAINED WITH ENGINEERED WALLS.
AND FOUR, UH, THE WATER QUALITY PONDS WILL BE BIO FILTRATION PONDS.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUESTS WITH THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION COMMISSION CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, REVIEW THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF WATER ELECTRIC SEWER TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL UNITS PER, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL UNITS PER LOT IN REFERENCE TO THE HOME.
TWO CODE CHANGES IF THAT CODE PASSES CITY COUNCIL TO REDUCE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND REDUCE THE NEED FOR THE CUT AND FILL TO, UM, BY REMOVING OR REDUCING THE HOUSE, UM, HOUSING IN THE DARK GREEN SLASH STEEP SLOPES.
AREA THREE, UTILIZE THE HOA GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THAT NATIVE PLANTS ARE UTILIZED THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY, NOT JUST IN THE TERRACING.
AND FOUR PLANT NATIVE TREES ON THE HOU ON HOUSING LOTS THAT ARE NATURALLY FOUND IN THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE
CAN WE ADD SOMETHING FOR, UH, POLLINATORS YES.
COULD, IF I COULD INTERJECT THAT THE 6 0 9, UH, IS NATIVE FORBES AND, UH, AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY, UH, WILD FLOWERS, SO IT WILL HAVE YOUR, JUST, JUST TO REST ASSURED, IT WILL HAVE YOUR, YOUR, UH, UH, IT'S NATIVE BUNCH GRASSES.
WITH A FEW FORMS. YEAH, I'M GONNA, UH, OKAY.
SO, UH, FIVE INCREASED NATIVE GRASSES.
WE'LL JUST PUT FLOWERS, EVEN THOUGH TECHNICALLY THEY ARE GRASSES,
ANYTHING ELSE? GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
I'M WONDERING ON THAT LAST POINT, IF WE SHOULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT A NOMO MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON AREAS, NOT JUST PLANTING THEM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THOSE AREAS ARE ALLOWED TO THRIVE DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR.
SO SOME OF THAT WOULD BE ON THE TERRACING UHHUH.
ARE Y'ALL PLANNING ON MOWING THE TERRACING? UM, THE, THE TERRACING PARTS THAT ARE REFERRED TO IN THE CONDITIONS ARE ACTUALLY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO SOMETHING COULD BE DONE ON THE AREAS THAT ARE IN THE, THAT BELONG TO THE, THE WHOLE SITE.
BUT SOMETHING COULD NOT BE DONE ON THOSE PARTICULAR, THEY, WE CAN GIVE THEM THE BEST START WE CAN GIVE THEM.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, I'M SORRY TO SAY, IT'S UP TO THE LANDLORD, TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND, AND, UM, FORT PRAIRIE GRASSES AND FORBES.
UM, THERE IS SOME MOWING THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, UM, BUFFALO, WE DON'T HAVE WILDFIRES, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, TO REPLICATE THE PRAIRIE SYSTEM, MOWING IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENS, UM, USUALLY AFTER
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THE BLOOM.UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
UM, IF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, I WONDER IF THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF EDUCATION THAT GOES ALONG THAT WE PROVIDE, OR THAT THE, UM, BUILDER COULD PROVIDE FUTURE HOMEOWNERS TO, UM, FOR BEST PRACTICES THAT MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN HAVING A, UM, A CONDITION THAT IS NOT ENFORCEABLE.
ARE YOU THINKING SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE SIGNAGE THAT COMES, LIKE WITH AN IPM? CORRECT.
I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK WITH THAT.
I'M THINKING TOO AROUND THE POND OR THE FEATURES THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM, UM, AND NOT NEVER MOWING, BUT LIKE I SAID, A NOMO MAY OR JUST CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR THAT ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO POLLINATORS IS WHAT I WAS ENVISIONING.
UH, PROVIDE HOMEOWNERS EDUCATION AND SIGNAGE THAT HELPS 'EM UNDERSTAND WHEN IT IS BEST TO MOW OR NOT MOW, UM, TO BETTER SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND MIGRATORY BIRDS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A MOTION.
WOULD YOU MIND RUNNING THROUGH THE, UH, COMMISSION CONDITIONS ONE MORE TIME FOR ME? YOU BET.
NUMBER ONE, REVIEW THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF WATER, ELECTRIC, AND SEWER TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL UNITS PER LOT IN REFERENCE TO THE HOME TO CODE CHANGES.
IF THAT CODE PASSES CITY COUNCIL REDUCE, AND YOU'LL GET A COPY OF THIS TOO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS.
UM, THE HOUSES IN THE DARK GREEN SLASH STEEP SLOPE AREA, LEMME PUT HOUSES, UM, UTILIZE THE HOA GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THAT NATIVE PLANTS ARE UTILIZED THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY, NOT JUST ON THE TERRACING NATIVE, UM, PLANT NATIVE TREES, UM, ON THE HOUSING LOTS THAT ARE NATURALLY FOUND IN THE BLACK ON PRAIRIE.
INCREASE THE NATIVE FLOWERS AND SHRUB SHRUBS, UM, THAT SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND PROVIDE HOMEOWNERS EDUCATION OR SIGNAGE THAT HELPS 'EM UNDERSTAND WHEN IT IS BEST TO MOW OR NOT MOW, UH, TO BETTER SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND MIGRATORY BIRDS.
THANK YOU FOR RUNNING THROUGH THEM ON A, ON THE SECOND CONDITION REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, MITIGATING THE, THE STEEP FILLS AND THOSE LOTS BY THE POND.
UM, UH, IS THAT CONDITION REQUIRING US TO REMOVE THOSE LOTS OR JUST TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ELIMINATE THE, THE EXCESS FILL IN THAT AREA? DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING I CAN.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, RAISE YOUR HAND.
SHERA NICHOLS, RESI EINHORN, KRUGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, AND BRIMER.
[3. Approve a recommendation on an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 related to development regulations applicable to residential re-subdivisions and multi-family residential site development of five to sixteen units – Brent Lloyd, Development Officer, Development Services Department]
A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UM, APPROVE OF RECOMMENDATION ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE TITLE 25 RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO RESIDENTIAL RE SUBDIVISIONS AND MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL SITE DEVELOPMENT OF FIVE TO 16 UNITS.AND DO WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION? BRENT LLOYD, UH, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WITH DSD.
AND, UM, IT'S GOOD TO BE AT THE COMMISSION.
I'VE NOT BEEN HERE IN A LONG TIME.
UM, AND I AM HERE TO PRESENT ON TWO ORDINANCES, ACTUALLY, I THINK THEY MAY BE POSTED AS SEPARATE ITEMS, BUT THEY'RE BEING CONSOLIDATED INTO A SINGLE ORDINANCE, AND IT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE CALLING INFILL PLOTS AND, UH, SITE PLAN LIGHT PART TWO.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME
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BACKGROUND AS WELL AS, UM, A SUMMARY OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF'S PROPOSAL IS ON THESE ORDINANCES.SOME OF THIS HAS CHANGED SINCE, UH, THIS PRESENTATION WAS PREPARED.
THE FINAL VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
UM, SO SOME OF THE IDEAS ARE STILL IN FLUX AND BEING DISCUSSED WITH WATERSHED AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT I THINK THE CORE OF WHAT I PRESENT TONIGHT, UM, WITH APPROPRIATE CAVEATS HERE AND THERE IS, IS PRETTY SOLID AND PRETTY WELL BAKED.
UM, SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THE INFILL PLOT ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THE SECOND PHASE OF SITE PLAN LIGHT PART TWO.
AND WE'RE GONNA START, GO AHEAD AND START WITH INFILL PLOTS.
A LOT OF THESE CONCEPTS OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, BUT WE'LL GET STARTED WITH PLOTTING.
SO JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW, AND I THINK A LOT OF YOU HAVE HAVE THIS BACKGROUND AND ARE PRETTY WELL GROUNDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, BUT JUST BETTER SAFE THAN STARRY.
WANNA START WITH A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
UM, SUBDIVISION IS BASICALLY THE DIVISION OF LAND INTO ONE OR MORE LOTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SALE, TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT, OR THE EXTENSION OF UTILITIES.
AND UNLESS THERE'S SOME KIND OF AN EXCEPTION APPLY THAT APPLIES, WHICH WE REFER TO USUALLY AS LAND STATUS, UM, THEN ONLY LAND WITHIN AN APPROVED SUBDIVISION PLOT MAY BE DEVELOPED.
UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES DEDICATED SUBDIVISION SERVE MULTIPLE LOTS, WHICH CAN THEN BE DEVELOPED INDEPENDENTLY.
OUR PROCESS, OUR REGULATIONS ARE REALLY TIED TOWARDS THE DIVISION OF SUBDIVISIONS BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
WHEN A SUBDIVISION IS PROCESSED AS COMMERCIAL, IT MEANS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE OTHER REGULATIONS THAT ARE APPLIED AT SITE PLAN.
THE SITE PLAN PROCESS ENSURES THAT THERE'S A WHOLE SUITE OF REGULATIONS INCLUDING DRAINAGE, WATER QUALITY, AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT ARE APPLIED.
IF IT'S RESIDENTIAL AND IT'S SINGLE FAMILY, IT'S JUST GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO BUILDING PERMIT, WHICH IS A MUCH MORE NARROW SET OF REGULATIONS THAT ARE APPLIED.
SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION FOR OUR, OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, SUBDIVISIONS INCLUDE PRELIMINARY PLANS IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE DEDICATING INFRASTRUCTURE OR CREATING RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, ALL LOTS ARE FINAL PLOTTED OUT OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN IF THERE IS A PRELIMINARY PLAN.
BUT IF IT'S A LOT THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE DEDICATION OF RIGHT OF WAY OR OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO FINAL PLOT AND A PRELIMINARY IS NOT REQUIRED.
SUBDIVISION CONSTRUCTION PLANS PROVIDE FOR BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND THEN RE SUBDIVISION OR REPL IS RE IS BASICALLY RE SUBDIVIDING LOTS WITHIN AN ESTABLISHED SUBDIVISION.
UM, FOR PURPOSES OF A LOT OF THE, THE DEVELOPMENT IDEAS THAT ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT TODAY WITH HOME, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP AND CONDOMINIUM REGIMES.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING MULTIPLE LOTS, MULTIPLE UNITS ON A LOT, THEY'RE USUALLY HELD SEPARATELY THROUGH A CONDOMINIUM REGIME IN WHICH THERE'S A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION, SOMETIMES COMPRISED OF TWO PEOPLE.
UM, AND THE COMMON AREAS ARE HELD IN COMMON OWNED AND COMMON, AND THEN THE UNITS ARE OWNED SEPARATELY.
UM, CREATING SEPARATE LOTS, DRAWING LOT LINES AND CREATING SEPARATE SEPARATELY PLOTTED LOTS ALLOWS FOR FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS YOU OWN YOUR LOT, THE LAND AS WELL AS THE STRUCTURE.
UM, SO OUR SUBDIVISION CODE, LIKE, LIKE I THINK A LOT OF OUR DEVELOPMENT CODE IS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS GEARED, IT SORT OF ENVISIONS THE PLATTING OF RAW LAND.
UM, AND SO THAT IT REALLY CONTEMPLATES THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENT THAT YOU'RE PLATTING LAND THAT HASN'T BEEN PLOTTED BEFORE AND YOU'RE PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IT'S BASICALLY, THAT IS KIND OF THE MODEL, THE REFERENCE POINT THAT OUR, OUR, SO OUR CODE USES FOR PLOTTING LAND INFILL PLOTS CREATE CHALLENGES, UM, THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN GREENFIELD PLOTS.
SO INFILL INFILL PLOTS ARE BASICALLY THE REESE SUBDIVISION OF LOTS AND EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS INTO NEW, SMALLER LOTS.
AND CURRENT REGULATIONS, PARTICULARLY DRAINAGE IN WATER QUALITY, ARE MORE TAILORED TO GREENFIELD SUBDIVISIONS RATHER THAN RESIDENTIAL INFILL.
UM, SO COUNCIL DIRECTION HERE WAS, UH, IN 2023, UH, THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT SAID TO ESTABLISH AN EFFICIENT PROCESS TO CREATE INFILL LOTS WITHIN RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS, THEREBY FACILITATING FEE, SIMPLE OWNERSHIP AND SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENT FORM.
UH, THE DIRECTION WAS TO RIGHT SIZE REGULATIONS TO SCALE AND INTENSITY OF INFILL DEVELOPMENT, EXPLORE
[01:15:01]
MAKING WAIVERS AND VARIANCES.ADMINISTRATIVE INCLUDE OTHER CHANGES TO FACILITATE THE CREATION OF INFILL LOTS.
UH, SO, UM, IN 2023 AND IN, AND THIS WAS REALLY IN RESPONSE TO SOME STATE LEGISLATION THAT WAS AIMED AT SORT OF STRENGTHENING THE SHOCK CLOCK BILL OR REVISING IT.
UM, WE MADE A BUNCH OF CHANGES TO OUR SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS.
UM, SOME OF THESE ARE ALSO RESPONSIVE TO THE GOALS OF THE RESOLUTION ON INFILL PLOTS.
SO I WANNA, I WANNA MENTION THOSE.
UH, WE, THE COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE ELIMINATED COMMISSION APPROVAL FOR PLOTS, WHICH MEANS THAT ALL APPLICATIONS WITHOUT VARIANCES ARE APPROVED DIRECTLY BY STAFF.
UM, THE LEGISLATION DIRECTED CITIES TO STREAMLINE THE APPLICATION AND SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PLOTS.
IT EXTENDED APPLI AND IT EXTENDED APPLICATION DEADLINES AND IT MODIFIED SOME OF THE FLAG LOT REGULATIONS.
SO, FAST FORWARD, THIS IS, UM, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF DIVE IN NOW TO THE CORE ELEMENTS OF OUR PROPOSAL FOR RESPONDING TO THE INFILL PLAT RESOLUTION.
UM, SO WE'RE PROPOSING TARGETED CHANGES TO REGULATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL RESUBS THAT ARE AIMED AT MAKING THE PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS COSTLY FOR SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMPARABLE IN SCALE AND INTENSITY TO DEVELOPMENT CURRENTLY PERMITTED UNDER HOME ONE, UM, ENSURING THAT DRAINAGE REGULATIONS ARE RIGHT SIZE TO INFILL DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE THAT DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT INCREASE RISK OF LOT TO LOT FLOODING.
AND, UH, HOME ONE, AS I THINK YOU ALL KNOW, I'VE HEARD IT MENTIONED HERE TONIGHT, UM, WAS THE ORDINANCE THAT COUNCIL PASSED, UH, LAST DECEMBER.
AND IT BASICALLY ALLOWS UP TO THREE UNITS ON MOST RESIDENTIAL LOTS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS, AND IT'S, IT'S BROADER THAN THAT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS ORDINANCE IS REALLY TO FACILITATE, UM, SUBDIVIDING HOME ONE PROJECTS SO THAT THE LOTS DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A CON CONDOMINIUM REGIME.
THEY CAN BE, UM, OWNED IN FEE SIMPLE.
SO DRAINAGE PLANS IN LIEU OF ONSITE DETENTION AND DRAINAGE STUDIES.
SO FOR RE SUBDIVISIONS OF PLATTED RESIDENTIAL LOTS, ONSITE DETENTION AND DRAINAGE STUDIES WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THE DE FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT DOES NOT EXCEED 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER OR HALF AN ACRE, AND PROVIDES A DRAINAGE PLAN SUFFICIENT TO SHOW THAT NEW IMPERVIOUS COVER WILL NOT CAUSE WATER TO FLOW ONTO NEIGHBORING LOTS.
SO SOME OF THIS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THIS WAS AN OLDER PRES, THIS WAS A PRESENTATION FROM A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, AND SOME OF THESE IDEAS HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT AND ARE ARE STILL UNDER DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT IN ESSENCE THOUGH, THE HALF AN ACRE HAS INCREASED TO AN ACRE.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY THE, I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT, AND AGAIN THIS IS GONNA BE FINALIZED NEXT WEEK, IS THAT IF YOU'RE WITHIN THAT YOU'RE LIMITED TO 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, THAT IN ORDER TO AVAIL YOURSELF OF THIS PROCESS, YOU CAN'T EXCEED THAT 8,000.
AND IF YOU'RE WITHIN 4,000 TO 8,000, THEN YOU'VE GOTTA PROVIDE A DRAINAGE PLAN.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A SECOND.
BUT IF YOU'RE OVER UNDER 4,000, UM, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DRAINAGE REVIEW, THEN YOU'RE BASICALLY GONNA BE PROCESSED AS YOU WOULD OF SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'RE NOT GOING AS THOUGH YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE OR DETENTION REQUIREMENTS.
SO THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO ELIMINATE COSTLY, HARD TO MAINTAIN MICRO PONDS.
UM, AND IT'S SIMILAR TO CURRENTLY WA CURRENT WATER QUALITY CONTROL EXEMPTION.
SO OUR CODE CURRENTLY PROVIDES AN EXEMPTION FOR PROVIDING WATER QUALITY CONTROLS THAT'S CAPPED AT 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY SORT OF SIMILAR EXEMPTION FOR DRAINAGE OR ONSITE DETENTION.
AND SO THIS REALLY BORROWS FROM THAT EXEMPTION, TWEAKS IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE, EVERYBODY, I THINK INCLUDING THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION, RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF DEALING WITH FLOODING.
AND SO THIS PROVIDES SORT OF AN INTERMEDIATE TAILORED APPROACH TO DRAINAGE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT DRAWS UPON THAT ALREADY EXISTING EXEMPTION FOR WATER QUALITY THAT IS CAPPED AT 8,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO SUMMARY, SUMMARY OF THE DRAINAGE PLAN REQUIREMENTS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE PROVISIONS THAT WOULD APPLY IF YOU'RE OVER 4,000 SQUARE FEET, BUT CAPPED AT 8,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S BASICALLY DRAINAGE LIGHT.
IT'S NOT THE FULL ON ONSITE DETENTION AND
[01:20:01]
FULLY ENGINEERED DRAINAGE PLANS THAT ARE CURRENTLY REQUIRED FOR SUBDIVISION.IT'S MEANT TO BE AN INTERMEDIATE APPROACH.
AND SO BASICALLY, UM, WHERE APPLICABLE THE DRAINAGE PLAN WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ALL RUNOFF FROM NEW IMPERVIOUS COVER IS DISCHARGED TO AN EXISTING STORM DRAINAGE DRAINAGE SYSTEM RIGHT AWAY.
UM, AND I THINK AS THE LANGUAGE HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS PART OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, YOU COULD ALSO USE AN EASEMENT THAT CONVEYS FLOW FROM A HUNDRED YEAR STORM CONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE DCM REQUIREMENTS.
SO IN ESSENCE, IF YOU'RE DOING A DRAINAGE PLAN, YOU'VE GOTTA JUST SHOW THAT THE WATER IS GONNA FLOW TO AN EXISTING STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM OR THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS GENERALLY MIRROR THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS FOR RSMP.
SO THERE'S AN ESTABLISHED PROCESS WITHIN WATERSHED TO REVIEW FOR THAT.
I THINK AS PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS, IF COUNCIL PASSES IT, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENT WATERSHED TO TRY TO MAKE THAT EASIER.
UM, THESE PROJECTS ARE REALLY GONNA BE SMALLER SCALE THAN I THINK A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT GO THROUGH RSMP.
SO WE WOULD WANT TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THAT AS EASY AS, AS EASY FOR HOMEOWNERS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT YOU WOULD BASICALLY HAVE TO SHOW THAT THE WATER IS GONNA FLOW TO A STORM DRAIN OR RIGHT AWAY, AND THAT'S A LOT.
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ONSITE DETENTION, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO ALL THE ENGINEERING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL, UM, REDUCTION IN THE REGULATORY BURDEN FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST TRYING TO SUBDIVIDE THINGS THAT WE ALREADY ALLOW, UM, WITHOUT ANY DRAINAGE AT ALL.
BUT YOU'RE JUST GOING TO BE DOING IT RATHER THAN AS A CONDO REGIME.
YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IT AS, UM, INDIVIDUAL LOTS.
SO ONSITE DETENTION NOT REQUIRED SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
NO VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS OR DRAINAGE STUDIES PLAN IS SIMPLY ASKED TO DEMONSTRATE APPROPRIATE WATER FLOW.
UM, THE HARDER TIER, WHICH IS THE DRAINAGE PLAN, WOULD BE TRIGGERED IN A MINORITY OF CASES AND WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE STREAMLINED THAN ONSITE DETENTION OR DRAINAGE STUDIES.
SO A LOT OF CASES YOU'RE NOT GONNA TRIGGER THAT 4,000 SQUARE FOOT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, SO YOU'RE NOT EVEN GONNA HAVE TO DO THE DRAINAGE PLAN.
IT WOULD JUST BE SIZING THE LOTS AND DRAWING THE LOT LINES AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU COMPLY WITH THE APPLICABLE SITE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
SO REVISED IMPERVIOUS COVER ASSUMPTIONS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DOING SUBDIVISION, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY BUILDING HABITABLE STRUCTURES, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY DEVELOPING THE SITE THAT WOULD BE A BUILDING PERMIT OR A SITE PLAN.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO EVALUATE IMPERVIOUS COVER AT THE SUBDIVISION STAGE FOR PURPOSES OF KNOWING WHETHER YOU TRIGGER THAT 8,000 SQUARE FEET FOR WATER QUALITY CONTROLS, THINGS LIKE THAT, WE USE IMPERVIOUS COVER ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE CODIFIED IN THE CODE.
UM, AND CURRENTLY, UM, SO CURRENTLY UNDER HOME, AND I'M SORRY I'M, I'M DRAWING IT IS BEEN A LONG DAY.
UM, A LOT OF INFORMATION TO COVER AND YOU GUYS WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS, BUT HOME DOES NOT ACTUALLY INCREASE THE ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON LOTS IT CAP IT DRAWS IT AT 45% AND ASSUMED IMPERVIOUS COVER, UM, IS AGAIN USED.
ITS SUBDIVISION IN APPLYING THINGS LIKE WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE.
UM, SO THAT WE HAVE A GENERAL SENSE OF WHAT THE INTENSITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA BE AND THE ASSUMPTIONS ARE NECESSARY SINCE THERE'S NOT ACTUALLY A DEVELOPMENT PLAN SHOWING ACTUAL IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, SO THE AMENDMENT HERE IS, I THINK THERE IS A, HERE WE GO.
UM, OKAY, CURRENT CODE ASSUMES 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR LOTS UNDER 10,000 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE.
AND THAT'S UNREALISTIC FOR SMALLER INFILL DEVELOPMENTS.
SO THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE SPELLED IN OUT IN OUR CODE ARE JUST NOT REALISTIC FOR INFILL.
UM, FOR LOTS BELOW 700, UH, 5,750 SQUARE FEET, THE STAFF PROPOSAL IS TO USE ZONING IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, AND THAT ESTABLISHES A MORE REALISTIC BASELINE FOR APPLYING WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE REGULATIONS TO INFILL DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS WOULD ALLOW RE SUBDIVISIONS TO INCLUDE MORE LAND AREA AND A HIGHER NUMBER OF LOTS THAN IF WE USE THE CURRENT IC ASSUMPTION.
SO THE STAFF REPORT THAT WE PROVIDED GIVES SOME EXAMPLES, BUT IF YOU'RE SUBDIVIDING INTO LOTS OF 2000 SQUARE FEET, IF HOME PASSES, I FORGET WHAT THE NUMBER IS, 2020
[01:25:01]
500 SQUARE FEET, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UNDER OUR REVISED ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THIS ORDINANCE, YOU WOULD ASSUME JUST THE ZONING IMPERVIOUS COVER.SO YOU'D TAKE 45%, YOU'D TAKE THE LOT AREA, YOU DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, AND THAT REALLY RESULTS IN YOU BEING ABLE TO INCLUDE MORE LOTS WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE DRAINAGE PLAN REQUIREMENT OR WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
AND IT'S A MORE ACCURATE ASSUMPTION AS TO WHAT THE ACTUAL IMPERVIOUS COVER IS GONNA BE THAN JUST ASSUMING 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
UM, SO OTHER LIMITATIONS ON THIS NEW PROCESS FOR INFILL SUBDIVISIONS, THAT WOULD ONLY BE APPLICABLE TO RESIDENTIALLY PLATTED SUBDIVISION WHERE LOTS ARE BETTER SUITED TO INFILL DEVELOPMENT.
SO COMMERCIALLY PLOTTED SUBDIVISIONS WHERE THERE GENERALLY WAS NOT ANY KIND OF REVIEW BECAUSE THEY WERE ASSUMING A SITE PLAN WOULD BE AVAILABLE LATER ON TO APPLY THOSE REGULATIONS, UH, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THIS PROCESS.
UH, AND THE PROCESS IS NOT AVAILABLE IF THE RE SUBDIVISION REQUIRES VACATING THE PLOT OR JUST VACATING THE PLOT.
UM, SO BASICALLY IF YOU'RE DOING A PLOT VACATION AND YOU'RE GOING BACK TO RAW LAND SO THAT YOU REALLY ARE DOING A SUBDIVISION, UM, OF RAW LAND, THIS PROCESS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THIS RELATES TO THE HOME TWO AMENDMENTS.
THE HOME TWO AMENDMENTS I THINK ARE GOING TO COUNSEL ON MAY 14TH, AND THIS WOULD BE GOING ON MAY 30TH.
UM, BUT THE INFILL PLOT AMENDMENTS WILL ENABLE AN EASIER PROCESS FOR APPLICANTS TO RE SUBDIVIDE INTO SMALLER LOT SIZES THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR HOME.
UM, THE AMENDMENTS WILL ALSO SUPPORT AN EASIER PROCESS FOR CREATION OF FLAG LOTS UNDER THE REVISED REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE PROPOSED IN HOME TWO.
UM, SITE PLAN LIGHT PART TWO, THIS IS GONNA BE SHORTER.
UM, SO REQUIRED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS OF FIVE OR MORE DWELLING UNITS, EXCEPT WHERE AN APPLICABLE SITE PLAN EXEMPTION APPLIES, UM, TRIGGERS A REVIEW OF ALL APPLICABLE TITLE 5 25 REQUIREMENTS, UH, CRITERIA MANUALS, AS WELL AS FULL INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW.
AND THE POINTS I JUST THAT THESE TWO BULLETS ON THIS SLIDE ARE REALLY DESCRIBING OUR SITE PLAN PROCESS.
SO OUR EXISTING SITE PLAN PROCESS IS REQUIRED UNLESS A DEVELOPMENT IS SUBJECT TO AN EXEMPTION.
UM, AND IT REALLY TRIGGERS THE FULL RANGE OF REGULATORY REVIEW UNDER TITLE 25.
SO SITE PLAN LIGHT PART ONE WAS PASSED LAST YEAR AND THAT WAS REALLY INTENDED TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF HOME ONE PROJECTS.
AND IT WAS BASICALLY IF YOU'RE BUILDING THREE TO FOUR UNITS ON A SINGLE LOT, UM, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO FULL SITE PLAN.
AND THAT WAS SITE PLAN LIGHT PART ONE.
UM, SO WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE RESOLUTION THAT'S REFERENCED HERE, COUNCIL PROVIDED DIRECTION TO PROPOSE A MODIFIED SITE PLAN PROCESS IN TWO PHASES.
THE FIRST WAS ONE TO FOUR UNITS, AND THAT WAS SITE PLAN LIGHT PART ONE THAT PASSED LAST YEAR.
THE SECOND PHASE FOCUSES ON DEVELOPMENT OF FIVE TO 16 UNITS WITH THE GOAL OF BETTER TAILORING REGULATIONS TO THE SCALE AND INTENSITY OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
AMENDMENTS FOR BOTH PHASES ARE LIMITED TO NON ZONING REGULATIONS.
SO THE PART ONE AMENDMENTS, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WERE ADOPTED IN 2023 AND THEY CREATED A SIMPLE SITE PLAN EXEMPTION FOR DEVELOPMENT, NOT EXCEEDING FOUR UNITS ON A LOT DEVELOPMENT UNDER SITE PLAN LIGHT.
PART ONE INITIALLY REQUIRED GOING THROUGH A FORMAL EXEMPTION PROCESS, UM, BUT FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF HOME ONE, WE WERE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY ROUTE THOSE PROJECTS DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTIAL REVIEW.
SO THE GOAL IS BASICALLY THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE NOW REVIEWED SIMILAR TO HOW A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IS REVIEWED.
SO PART TWO, THAT'S WHAT OUR ORDINANCE TONIGHT IS ABOUT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT FORWARD TOGETHER WITH INFILL PLOTS.
UM, SO THE AMENDMENTS, UM, ESTABL AN INTERMEDIATE REVIEW PLA PATH THAT'S CLOSER TO RESIDENTIAL SCALE REVIEW THAN FULL SITE PLAN USING THE SAME PROVISIONS THAT WE PROPOSED FOR INFILL PLOTS.
UM, THE PART TWO PHASE OF SITE PLAN LIGHT WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY STREAMLINE DRAINAGE REGULATIONS FOR PROJECTS UP TO 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, UNDER CURRENT ZONING REGULATIONS, THOUGH, THESE PROJECTS FIVE TO 16 UNITS ON A SITE ARE GENERALLY LIMITED TO MULTI-FAMILY, UH, MF ZONE PROJECTS OR LOTS OR DEVELOPMENT UNDER AFFORDABILITY.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY NOT ANY ZONING REGULATIONS, PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENTS PROPOSED THAT
[01:30:01]
WOULD EXPAND THE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO FIVE TO 16 UNITS ON A LOT.BUT UNDER TODAY'S CODE YOU CAN DO THAT ON OBVIOUSLY MULTIFAMILY ZONE SITES, AND YOU CAN ALSO DO IT USING THE AFFORDABILITY AND LOCK DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
SO FOR THOSE PROJECTS THAT WANNA DO MULTI UM, DEVELOPMENT OF FIVE TO 16 UNITS, WHICH IS A POPULAR MISSING MIDDLE STYLE OF DEVELOPMENT, THIS WOULD SORT OF PROVIDE AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF DRAINAGE REVIEW THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.
UM, THAT WOULD BE LESS THAN FULL SITE PLAN, BUT MORE THAN JUST A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE.
'CAUSE THESE PROJECTS ARE GONNA HAVE MORE IMPACTS THAN JUST THAT ONE TO FOUR UNIT RANGE.
UM, THE PROPOSAL WOULD ALSO CLASSIFY FIVE TO 16 UNITS AS A SMALL PROJECT SITE PLAN, WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES REVIEW FEES, STREAMLINES THE PROCESS, AND ELIMINATES NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
UM, ADDITIONAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO BE SUED ARE TO BE PURSUED ON AN ONGOING BASIS WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS AND FUTURE COST OF SERVICE STUDIES WOULD BE USED TO CALIBRATE THE FEES.
UM, SO, UH, AS I MENTIONED, THE COUNCIL DATE IS ANTICIPATED FOR THIS TO BE MAY 30TH, UM, OF 2024, AND WE'RE GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION ON MAY 14TH.
UM, IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, Y'ALL.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WAS AT MY BEST, BUT I'M WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, I'VE GOT, AND MATT AND LIZ ARE HERE TONIGHT AS WELL, AND I'VE ENCOURAGED THEM TO CHIME IN AS WELL IF THEY CAN HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC SPEAKER, BOBBY LEVINSKY RIGHT HERE.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE STATE RED SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I, I THINK FOR THE MOST PART IT'S HARD TO HAVE RESPONDED TO THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NON DRAFT ORDINANCE AND THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE A DRAFT ORDINANCE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO THE DETAILS.
THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
THIS IS A VERY RUSHED PROCESS.
IT HAS A LOT OF, A LOT OF IMPACT.
UM, BUT THAT ALL THAT SAID, UM, I WANNA START WITH A POSITIVE.
UM, THIS IS AIMED AT TRANSIT SUPPORT DENSITY, WHICH IS GOOD AND IT WILL INCREASE HOUSING SUPPLY.
I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE THAT NOTE ABOUT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, AND I'M HOPING THAT COULD JUST MAYBE STAY THAT WAY BECAUSE I MEAN, THIS REALLY SHOULD BE ABOUT IN, IN INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING, IT GENERATING INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING.
UM, AND UM, I WANNA PUT ON A PERSONAL NOTE THAT I'M AWARE, UM, OF THE ISSUE WITH THE CONDO REGIME.
I MEAN, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOUSE, UM, IN AUSTIN BECAUSE THE ONLY HOMES THAT I COULD HAVE AFFORD, UM, WERE CONDOS.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN UPFRONT COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UM, A SIZE, SIZABLE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL TO PAY, UM, MORE ON THE INITIAL DEPOSIT WHEN YOU HAVE CONDOS.
SO THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, BUT I'M NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS WITH THESE, ALL THESE PROPOSALS.
SO I'M JUST GONNA AHEAD AND SPEAK TOGETHER AND JUST SAY FOR BOTH HOME AND FOR THIS PROPOSAL, UM, THIS ADDS A SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THESE LOTS AND IT WILL INCREASE GENTRIFICATIONS IN AREAS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE IMPACTS OF THIS ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR OR IN, IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF LOWER INCOME NEIGHBOR, UH, NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY IN AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE STAYING IN AUSTIN AND RETURNING TO AUSTIN.
UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT COMMUNITY POWERED AT X'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU CAN FIND THEIR WEBSITE, THEY HAVE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THE DENSITY BONUSES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GENERATE INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING.
UM, AND SO THAT FOR INSTANCE, WHAT, UH, WITH, UH, AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED AND THEN USE AN EQUITY ZONE TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE VULNERABLE DISPLACEMENT.
I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK AFTER THESE THINGS PASS.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY WILL ON TREE PROTECTIONS BECAUSE IT'S GONNA MEAN MORE TREES ARE GONNA BE REMOVED.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT TREES DIFFERENTLY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE, UH, URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE IS, IS DOING TO LOOK AT THE T TREE ORDINANCES A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND ALSO THE DRAINS REGULATIONS.
UM, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED BY ONE THING.
I THINK IT WAS JUST A MISSTATEMENT, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO LANGUAGE, I'M NOT CLEAR, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE ZONING REGULATIONS, THAT WOULD BE THE 45% THAT'S ASSUMED IS ONLY IN AREAS WHERE THE, UM, IMPERVIOUS COVER OF THE WATERSHED WOULD BE HIGHER THAN ZONING REGULATIONS WOULD ALLOW.
UM, BECAUSE THAT, SO I CAN BE A HUGE CONCERN.
[01:35:01]
OKAY.UH, LIZ JOHNSON, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO THE ASSUMED IMPERVIOUS COVER REALLY DOES COME INTO, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER, AND IT DOES APPLY, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF URBAN WATERSHEDS, UM, WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS ARE STILL GOING TO BE REVIEWED FOR.
SO THE HIGHER IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS IN THE, UM, BARTON SPRING ZONE OR WATER SUPPLY RURAL FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WILL STILL APPLY.
AND SO THIS MAY NOT ACTUALLY WORK OUT IN SOME AREAS, UM, IF, IF THEY DON'T HAVE, IF THE ASSUMED IMPERVIOUS COVER PUTS THEM ABOVE THEIR WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.
DO ANY OF THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER SHERA, THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT DEFINITELY IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU DID, I THINK YOU PRESENTED IT WELL, UM, WITH THE INFILL PLOT AND FOREGOING THE DRAINAGE ANALYSIS.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR AREAS THAT ARE PRONE TO FLOODING AND, UM, ANY, ANY CONCERNS THERE IS THAT, UM, ADDRESSED IN THE ORDINANCE? UM, I CAN CHIME IN AND THEN BRENT AND MATT CAN, UM, WEIGH IN IF I DON'T ANSWER IT FULLY, BUT, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE FLOOD THAT ARE IN FLOODPLAINS, RIGHT, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CREEKS PRIMARILY.
UM, THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR FULLY DEVELOPED FLOODPLAIN MODELS AT ALL.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE, UM, ENTITLED AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THESE LOTS.
UM, THERE ARE ALSO LIKE AREAS IN TOWN THAT ARE A LOCAL FLOOD, SO LIKE THE, MAYBE THEY'RE, THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS UNDERSIZED AND WATER BACKS UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THIS AFFECTS THOSE AREAS, THEY'RE KIND OF SCATTERED THROUGHOUT.
WE KNOW OF SOME AREAS, BUT SPEAK OF GOOD TIMING, THUNDER.
UH, THERE COULD BE SOME AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROBLEM AND WHERE IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL OF THOSE AREAS ARE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'S THE LOT TO LOT FLOODING WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE DEVELOPMENT MIGHT AFFECT, UH, FLOODING ON ANOTHER SITE.
SO IT'S THE, THE UPSHOT IS LIKE, WE KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT CREEK FLOODING WHERE IT, UM, COULD AFFECT OTHER AREAS IN TOWN, IS HARD TO SAY BECAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY SITE SPECIFIC.
AND, UM, THAT IS WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER THAN A TYPICAL HOME WOULD.
SO BETWEEN FOUR AND 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHAT KIND OF DRAINAGE REVIEW IS APPROPRIATE AT THAT POINT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UPSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM NEIGHBORS ARE PROTECTED, THAT THE WATER GETS TO AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION.
I AM DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING THERE? THINKING OF SITE SPECIFIC, CERTAIN, UM, NEIGHBORS IN CERTAIN UNCERTAIN STREETS JUST END UP SPECIFICALLY HAVING A FLOODING PROBLEM.
AND, UM, I, I CAN JUST FORESEE POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO SPECIFIC LOTS.
UH, I, I, UH, MATT HOLLAND ALSO WATERSHED PROTECTION.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I DON'T THINK THE MICROPHONE IS ON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY, GREAT.
UH, SO I'M MATT HOLLAND ALSO WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO I THINK THAT THE KEY ON THIS IS, IS LIKE HOME ONE, UM, AND HOME TWO, UH, THE PROPOSAL FOR HOME TWO, THERE WILL BE NO IMPERVIOUS COVER INCREASES WITH EITHER OF THOSE PROPOSALS.
UM, AND SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LIKE TO LIKE SITUATION.
SO IF SOMEBODY COULD BUILD, SOMEBODY CAN USE HOME.
IF THIS NEW INFILL, UM, ORDINANCE HAVE PASSED, THEY WOULD BE BUILDING A PROJECT THAT WOULD HAVE NO, NO ADDITIONAL DENSITY OR, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER AS, AS COMPARED TO EITHER A SINGLE HOME OR WHAT HAVE YOU THAT YOU COULD BUILD IN THE PAST WITH THE, THE THING.
AND I THINK ALSO WE, UM, THIS, THIS IN NO WAY OVERRIDES, UH, FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS IN ANY WAY.
SO LIKE, LIKE LIZ WAS MENTIONING.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, IF YOU HAVE A FLOOD, IF YOU HAVE A FLOODPLAIN NEARBY OR WHAT HAVE YOU, IT WOULD, IT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS.
YOU'D STILL HAVE TO, UM, YOU STILL HAVE TO, UH, COMPLY WITH FULL FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND, NOT, NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT.
I JUST WANNA DO A THANK STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION AND SAY THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGED TO SEE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON BRINGING DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
[01:40:01]
AND REGULATIONS LITERALLY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.UM, I'M VERY, VERY STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF DENSITY WITH HOUSING, BOTH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS AND AFFORDABILITY REASONS.
I HOPE MY COMMISSIONERS WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH ME.
UM, OKAY, COMMISSIONER CRUSHING.
HEY, Y'ALL, UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CERTAINLY ECHOING THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS AFFECTS, YOU KNOW, GENTRIFICATION, DISPLACEMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I LIVE OFF ROCKY AND MAYNARD, SO I'VE SEEN DEFINITELY A LOT OF GENTRIFICATION DISPLACEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEARS, OR YOU COULD EVEN SAY DECADES AND A HALF, ALTHOUGH THAT MAKES ME SOUND SUPER OLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF REALLY DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T, BECAUSE ON ONE HAND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, YOU HAVE THE BIGGER LOTS, RIGHT? WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S LESS LOTS, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PRICE OF THE LOTS GOES UP.
UH, IF YOU S YOU KNOW, ALLOW THERE TO BE MORE SUBDIVISION AND MORE DENSITY, RIGHT? THEN INVESTORS SEE THESE LOTS AS MORE VALUABLE BECAUSE YOU'RE ABLE TO SQUEEZE MORE UNITS ON IT, UM, AND THUS DEVELOP MORE AND MAKE MORE MONEY, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE CASH FLOW, WHATEVER, MORE ROI, WHATEVER METRIC THEY WANT TO USE.
SO THAT SPURS, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE OF LAND GOING UP AS WELL.
UM, SO IT'S DEFINITELY A DELICATE ACT AND IT'S HARD TO SAY OVER THE LONG TERM WHAT BENEFITS LONG-TERM RESIDENTS THERE THE MOST, AS FAR AS LIKE NOT HAVING THEM BE DISPLACED.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'M JUST A DUMB GUY THAT'S HERE, SO IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH, UH, FULLY.
BUT, UH, ONE THING THAT I WAS CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE DEFINITELY SEEN SOME CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SORT OF LIKE SUBDIVIDE LOTS STRATEGICALLY SO THAT THEY GO UNDER WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THE TRIGGER SIZE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKES THE REVIEW PROCESS MORE STRINGENT.
UM, WHAT WOULD NECESSARILY STOP SOMEBODY FROM DOING THAT WITH THIS, RIGHT? LIKE IF THE CUTOFF IS 8,000 SQUARE FEET OR WHATEVER TO UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE STRINGENT DRAINAGE, UH, REVIEW, WHY WOULDN'T THEY JUST SUBDIVIDE LOTS INTO 7,995 INCREMENTS AND THEN JUST BE LIKE, OH, WE'RE PASSING THIS PART, WE'RE PASSING THIS PART.
UM, I GUESS SIMILAR TO LIKE HOW THE PUD WE HAD HERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY SORT OF DO PIECEMEAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LOOKS, UH, WAY MORE PALATABLE IN ONE PIECE THAN IT DOES IN A, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU DO A BAZILLION TIMES VERSUS ONE GIANT THING THAT HAS A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, CLEARLY THIS NEEDS FURTHER REVIEW.
UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT? ALSO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LIZ, AGAIN, I'LL CHIME IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS THEIR PREROGATIVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE ON ANY GIVEN LOT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS, UH, BE LIMITED TO EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS, SO THESE ARE GONNA BE PRETTY SMALL LOTS TO BEGIN WITH.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD GO UP TO AN ACRE IF THAT'S WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, BUT, UM, IN GENERAL, THEY'RE GONNA BE MUCH, MUCH SMALLER THAN THAT.
AND SO THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT REALLY GONNA GET TO THAT AMOUNT, UM, IF THEY DO ONE OR TWO, UH, SUBDIVISION FROM AN ALREADY SMALL LOT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN, THEY CAN DO THAT IF THEY WANT.
UM, BUT THIS IS REALLY GONNA BE A PRETTY SMALL SUBSET OF ALL THE SUBDIVISIONS THAT ARE POSSIBLE, SO APPRECIATE IT.
COMMISSIONER I, COMMISSIONER KRUGER.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE AT 7 45 AFTER A LONG DAY.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, THANK YOU.
UM, YEAH, I WANNA BE CAREFUL FOR THIS NOT TO TURN INTO A, A REFERENDUM ON HOME.
TWO, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A, A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THAT COMING UP, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW IS REALLY A PROCESS QUESTION, AND IT'S KIND OF THE DEPARTMENT'S, UM, PREPARING FOR WHAT IS THE LIKELY, YOU KNOW, HOME ONE HAS PASSED, PERHAPS HOME TWO WILL, WILL PASS AS WELL.
AND THIS IS LIKE, MY, MY JUST LAYMAN'S INTERPRETATION IS LIKE, OH WOW, A LOT OF CHANGES ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
WE'VE GOTTA PREPARE OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE NEED TO STREAMLINE SOME THINGS AND MAKE A PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT.
SO I KNOW THAT'S VERY OVER GENERALIZED, BUT I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO BRING, BRING THE CONVERSATION BACK TO THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN, WHEN STAFF COMES AND SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, AND I PUT A LOT OF WEIGHT IN THAT, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[01:45:01]
SULLIVAN? YEAH, I'M GOOD TOO.I MEAN, I, I'VE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND I THINK THAT THE MORE WE CAN STREAMLINE THINGS, STREAMLINE THINGS, THE BETTER.
SO I'M GOOD TO GO SECRETARY BRISTOL, I'M NOT GOOD TO GO.
UM, I, I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY OF, UM, THE PROCESS WHICH WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST, UM, TO LOOK AT THESE CHANGES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, DURING THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING THIS ON THE VERY BACK END AND GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON TONIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, A A COPY OF THE CODE.
YOU KNOW, ALL I HAVE IS YOUR PRESENTATION, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I AM, I'M NOT FULLY EQUIPPED, UH, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO BE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA, I WANNA MAKE THAT STATEMENT AND ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I'M, I, I DO WANNA INCLUDE THAT IN THE COMMISSION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THAT AS WELL, THAT WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE PROCESS OF THAT.
UM, I, UH, HAVE CAPTURED SOME OF YOUR OTHER COMMENTS, UM, ON THIS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, YES.
WE'RE, YOU'RE PRESENTING US, UM, ABOUT WATER, UH, SHED AND DRAINAGE ISSUES, HOW HAVE WE DEAL WITH A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER THINGS LIKE TREE CANOPY AND HOW DOES THIS IMPACT, YOU KNOW, OUR, UM, TREE ORDINANCES AND TREE PROTECTION, UH, LIGHT POLLUTION, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WILL THIS IMPACT THE INCREASE OF UTILITIES INCLUDING WASTEWATER? UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF CONCERNS HERE THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST GETTING LIKE THIS TINY LITTLE WINDOW OF, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I HONESTLY, I, I GOTTA BE SUPER HONEST, I'M JUST GONNA BE SUPER HONEST.
I ALMOST DIDN'T WRITE A MOTION FOR THIS.
I ALMOST ASKED SOMEBODY ELSE TO WRITE A MOTION FOR THIS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
UM, BUT I AM DILIGENT AND I DID.
UM, I ALSO, I ALSO FEEL LIKE, AND THIS ECHOES OF WHAT A COUPLE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WERE SAYING ON, ON OTHER PARTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THIS, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE OPENING UP A BIG CAN OF WORMS HERE WITH PEOPLE NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING THESE CODE CHANGES QUICKLY AND, AND JUST THINKING, OH, I CAN GO BUILD HOWEVER MANY THINGS I WANT ON THE, ON MY PROPERTY NOW AND NOT NECESSARILY FOLLOWING THE CODE AND THE GUIDELINES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I HAVE, I HAVE SOME, I HOPE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION THAT GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF NOT JUST GETTING A LITTLE POSTCARD IN THE MAIL SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE GOING ON.
UM, BUT REALLY AND TRULY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH MEDIA TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THIS MEANS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT THE FIRST GLANCE IT'S LIKE, OH, I CAN BUILD WHATEVER I WANT, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT.
UM, SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
UM, AS WELL, I, UM, I WILL ECHO, UM, A, A PREDECESSOR, UH, WHO USED TO BE CHAIR HERE, WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD, SHE WAS A GOOD MENTOR IN THAT SHE CONSTANTLY WAS LOOKING AT, UM, THE REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONS, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, UM, WHEN YOU JUST ALLOW STAFF TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE DECISIONS ON EVERYTHING THAT REMOVES ONE LAYER OF THE CITIZENS, UM, ADVISING ON THAT AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, I, I HAVE CONCERNS ON THAT AS WELL.
I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUESTION
UM, BUT, UM, I DID WANNA SAY THOSE OUT LOUD BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE HEARD WHAT Y'ALL WERE SAYING AND THEN I'VE ALSO INCLUDED SOME OF THESE, UM, IN THE, UM, IN THE CONDITIONS AS WELL.
ALL ONE THING I WAS KIND OF LIKE WONDERING ABOUT WAS IF LIKE THE, THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AREAS OF AUSTIN WERE KIND OF SURVEYED TO KIND OF COMPARE, LIKE, OKAY, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD HAVE THE MOST POTENTIAL OF BEING AFFECTED MOSTLY BY THIS, BUT HAVING LIKE, UM, LIKE IF THERE'S LIKE SOME KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC OR SOMETHING TO BE LIKE, OKAY, WELL THE MAX NUMBER OF UNITS WOULD BE ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN, OR THIS COMMUNITY OR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAD THOSE NUMBERS OR HAD LOOKED INTO THAT AT ALL.
UH, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS WITH US TODAY.
THAT'D BE MORE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF.
THEY DID LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN.
[01:50:01]
THEY DID A, A STUDY THAT SHOWED, UH, WHAT, WHAT SIZE LOTS ARE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN.'CAUSE JUST OVER THE DECADES YOU, YOU SEE A PRETTY SOME DIFFERENT PATTERNS ACROSS TOWN.
SO, UH, IN THE CENTER CITY YOU SEE THE SMALLER LOTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY GENERAL, BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU GO SPIRALING OUT, AS, AS WITH THE NEWER, NEWER DEVELOPMENT ON THE EDGE, THE THE LOTS ARE LARGER.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S AFFECT, THAT AFFECTS THIS RIGHT PROCESS HERE.
WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SUBDIVIDING, SOME OF THE CENTER CITY LOTS ARE GONNA BE HARD TO DIVIDE INTO THREE LOTS, FOR INSTANCE, YOU'D PROBABLY JUST BE ABLE TO GET TWO.
UM, SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE QUITE A BIT OF ANALYSIS, UH, FOR THAT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR THIS DISCUSSION, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT WITH US TODAY.
BECAUSE I WAS JUST KIND OF THINKING LIKE, IT'D BE EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO KIND OF BE MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THAT IF THEY KNEW LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS GONNA AFFECT MY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MY PART OF TOWN MOSTLY.
AND SO LIKE, MAYBE IT WOULD KIND OF IN INCITE MORE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TOO, OR JUST, OR NAVIGATE LIKE MAYBE THE FUTURE RULE PROCESS OF IT.
AND LIKE, I TOO HAVE LIKE THE SAME CONCERNS THAT PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER KURESHI, SECRETARY BRISTOL AND MARIANA KIND OF BROUGHT UP ABOUT JUST, UM, JUST LIKE THE PART OF THE PROCESS, LIKE WHERE WE KIND OF COME INTO THIS AND LIKE NOT KNOWING, LIKE BEING FULLY EDUCATED IN A LOT OF IT TOO, AND JUST LIKE THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT IT'S GONNA AFFECT AND THE GOOD AND BAD.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AS WELL.
UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL BROUGHT UP SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT TOO.
IT'S, AGAIN, I DON'T EXPECT A, UH, IT ISN'T A QUESTION, IT'S A COMMENT, UH, HAS TO DO WITH EDUCATING THE POPULACE ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ANY CITY FOR THAT MATTER, HAS A, UH, FLUCTUATING NUMBER OF RESIDENTS.
PEOPLE MOVE IN, THEY MOVE OUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSIENTS, UH, PERHAPS THE EDUCATION PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC IS GOOD AND PERHAPS YOU SEND IT OUT EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A NEW ELECTRIC UTILITY CUSTOMER, YOU KNOW, YOU INCLUDE IT WITH THEIR WATER BILL OR ELECTRIC BILL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.
UH, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER CAMPAIGN, BUT REALLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PERMANENTLY HERE ARE THE DEVELOPERS AND THE TRAINING IS THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HIRED TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE BUILDINGS.
UH, A LOT OF THIS STUFF THAT'S GONNA BE DONE UNDER HOME IS NOT SOME SHED, YOU GO OUT TO, YOU KNOW, HOME DEPOT AND PUT UP ON CO COUPLE OF CINDER BLOCKS TO STORE YOUR MOW MOWER IN THESE ARE, YOU'RE GONNA BE PERMANENT THINGS WITH ELECTRICITY AND TOILETS AND STUFF LIKE THIS.
SO IT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPER TYPE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THIS TYPE OF THING.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TRUE PERMANENT EDUCATION WILL BE DONE.
YOU KNOW, UH, THEN SOMETHING ELSE, UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL, UH, COMMENT SHE MADE, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE AND I WENT OUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO LOOK AT PROPERTY OUT IN FORT DAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, THEY WERE SELLING THESE FA FIVE ACRE LOTS.
AND IN THE COUNTY YOU CAN BUILD JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT SHORT OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WITHOUT GETTING ANYONE'S PERMISSION BECAUSE HEY, THIS IS TEXAS AND WHO'S GONNA STOP YOU? AND, UH, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING HERE WITH THIS WHOLE HOME THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BOUGHT INTO SOMETHING AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE EVERYTHING BUT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT NEXT DOOR TO 'EM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL A BIT UNEASY ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE BEING SUBDIVIDED UP AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
YES, IT'S NICE THAT WE'RE GETTING, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MINIMIZING THE INTRUSIVE OVERREACH OF GOVERNMENT TO, YOU KNOW, S REACH INTO OUR LIVES AND MAKE THINGS MORE COMPLICATED.
BUT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A TRADE OFF WE MAKE.
UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN THE COUNTY AND LIVE NEXT TO A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY DESIRE, BUT NOT EVERYONE CHOOSES TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY YOU MOVE INTO AUSTIN IS FOR IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE AND MODERATED DEVELOPMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THE HOME INITIATIVE WITH A MIXED, YOU KNOW, WITH CONCERN AND THE EASE AT WHICH YOU
[01:55:01]
CHOP UP LOTS TO MAKE THEM SMALLER OR LARGER WITH RELATIVE FREEDOM.AND, YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF THINGS AND TREES BEING REMOVED ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT PROBABLY MIGHT BE BETTER OFF IF THEY WERE BOUGHT BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO IT'S NOT THAT CODE IS BEING BROKEN, IT'S JUST THAT MORE AND MORE STUFF IS BEING SHOVELED OFF ON STAFF TO DO WITHOUT PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE DECISION TO REMOVE TREES.
IS THAT GOOD FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE IT'S GOOD BECAUSE THEY CAN GET IT APPROVED RELATIVE QUICKLY.
IS IT GOOD FOR THE URBAN FOREST? IS IT GOOD FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAYBE NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TRADE OFF WE MAKE AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TRADE OFF THAT WE SUBSTITUTE ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL FOR THINGS AS OPPOSED TO A PUBLIC VENUE FOR REVIEWING THESE DECISIONS.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REQUEST A RESPONSE.
IT'S JUST, THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS WHEN I HEAR THESE THINGS.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I JUST, I WANTED TO THANK COMMISSIONER BRISTOL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
I FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN ON FIRE TONIGHT.
YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS HAVE BEEN SO GOOD.
UM, AND I'M CURIOUS, AND NOW A FEW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AND SO I'VE LOST SOME OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT YOU SAID, BUT KIND OF WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST, BECAUSE I THINK YOU BROUGHT UP SOME VALID CONCERNS.
SO LIKE, LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US, LIKE WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT 14 DAYS AND VERY LIMITED WORKING DAYS ON THAT, UM, TO PUT TOGETHER A, A WORKING GROUP OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING.
UM, I MEAN, WE, WE COULD TRY TO DO A QUICK WORKING GROUP, BUT I MEAN THAT'S, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I, I MEAN, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
I'M CURIOUS HOW, HOW THE SCHEDULE LINES UP WITH OUR NEXT, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING AND, AND DEADLINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I, I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT TAKING SOME MORE TIME TO REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND THINGS MAKE SENSE.
UM, AND ALSO AGAIN, I WANNA LIKE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF WHAT THIS IS ASKING US AND NOT GETTING BROADER.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, SO TODAY IS MAY 1ST HAPPY MAYDAY EVERYBODY.
UM, AND UH, AND THEN TOMORROW IT SAYS COUNCIL SET DATE MAY 2ND.
YEAH, THAT IS JUST, UM, KIND OF AN, UM, THAT IS JUST TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IT, THERE'S REALLY NO DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM THERE.
IT'S JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 30TH IS BASICALLY ALL THAT SAYS.
AND SO THEN SO IT GOES TO PLANNING COMMISSION ON MAY 14TH.
YEAH, MAY 14TH IS PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND SO WITH ORDINANCES, PLANNING COMMISSION IS KIND OF THE OFFICIAL BODY THAT GIVES A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
OF COURSE COUNSEL WILL HEAR YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
UM, TYPICALLY, UM, THE ORDER OF PROCESSES, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION GOES FIRST, UM, SO THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN HEAR YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND CONSIDER THAT WITH THEIRS.
SO IT DOES SOUND LIKE WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO DO A WORKING GROUP TO HAVE SOMETHING IN BY THE MAY 30TH DEADLINE.
BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANOTHER COMMISSION MEETING BEFORE THEN, RIGHT? OH, ON THE 15TH, SORRY.
YOU WOULD HAVE A COMMISSION MEETING BEFORE COUNCIL, BUT NOT BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IF YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP, YOU CAN GET PEOPLE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE WORKING GROUP.
SO THERE IS THAT TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
YOU, YOU CAN GET PRIVATE CITIZENS AND WORK GROUP WORKING GROUPS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING IN, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE CITIZENS AS WELL.
SO YOU WANNA DO A WORK GROUP? DO YOU WANNA DO A WORK GROUP? I WILL DO A WORK GROUP.
I I HAVE VERY LIMITED TIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE.
I'M JUST, I GOTTA LOOK AT THIS BEFORE I DEDICATE TO THAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE IT THE TIME THAT I CAN.
UH, I HAVE TWO DAYS AND ONE OF THOSE IS MOTHER'S DAY.
SO ARE OTHER COMMISSIONERS LIKE INTERESTED IN THAT JOINING A WORKING GROUP? THINK ABOUT MOTHER EARTH.
SO CAN I ASK, I KNOW WHAT MY MOM WOULD SAY.
[02:00:01]
WHAT, WHAT WOULD THIS WORKING GROUP ADDRESS? IS IT HOME TWO E TODD'S THIS ORDINANCE, I'M, I'M THINKING IN PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE, LIKE I SAID, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT TO DISCUSS HOME TWO.SO I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE IN PARTICULAR.
SO THE IN INFO PLAT AND SITE SITE PLAN LIGHT TWO, RIGHT? YEP.
SHERIFF CHAIR, CAN I ASK, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SURE.
UM, WHO HAVE OTHER BOARDS HEARD THIS? HAVE YOU TALKED, HAVE YOU TALKED TO, UM, ANY OTHER BOARD ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE, MR. LLOYD? UM, WE'RE GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, ON THIS ORDINANCE IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
I HAD THE DATES UP I WANT ON THE 14TH.
SO WE'LL BE GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION THEN.
AND AGAIN, JUST FOR CONTEXT, THIS REALLY IS INTENDED TO RIGHT SIZE NON ZONING FOR HOME, TWO FOR SUBDIVIDING INTO SMALL LOTS, AND THEN RIGHT SIZE NON ZONING REGULATIONS FOR FIVE TO 16 UNITS ON A LOT, WHICH IS ONLY ALLOWED IN CERTAIN FAIRLY LIMITED CONTEXT.
SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE I WILL JUST SAY THAT I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU'RE MAKING ARE BROADER THAN THIS ORDINANCE.
NOT TO DOWNPLAY THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
THIS ORDINANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL PIECE IN THE OVERALL HOME ECOSYSTEM OF REGULATIONS.
BUT I THINK THAT SOME OF THE POINTS YOU ALL ARE TOUCHING ON ARE BROADER THAN WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT.
UM, JUST ALSO TO CLARIFY, I THINK THIS, THIS WAS PRESENTED AT THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS A CODES AND ORDINANCES, OH, CORE CODES AND ORDINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT MEETS WITH THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UM, SO THEY HEAR THINGS BEFORE THEY GO BEFORE THE FULL COMMISSION.
AND WE DO, WE HAVE, WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THEY VOTED TO SUPPORT IT.
AND DID THEY HAVE ANY CONDITIONS OR ANYTHING? I'M SORRY? DID THEY HAVE CONDITIONS? UM, NO.
IF WE DECIDE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT MEAN WE'RE GOING TO DEFER VOTING ON THIS TONIGHT? I MEAN, I WOULD THINK SO.
I, I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PURPOSE IN A SENSE OF THE WORKING GROUP IS FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO DO A LITTLE MORE INVESTIGATING INTO IT.
THAT BEING SAID, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I ASSUMED.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION TO VERIFY THAT THAT'S WELL, GOD SPOKE AND
SAID THAT WE'RE DEFERRING VOTING.
SO I'M GONNA GO WITH GOD ON THIS ONE.
I ALSO DO WANNA REITERATE THAT YOU KNOW, THIS, UM, THE NEXT MEETING IS AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND, UM, THAT'S REALLY A, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO HEAR YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET IT RIGHT.
I FEEL LIKE I COULD, I COULD GO AND REMIND ME HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE NEED FOR WORK GROUP? LIZ, ELIZABETH, ELIZABETH, BUNK, WATERSHED, UH, ANY NUMBER UNDER, UH, UNDER SIX.
RIGHT? UNDER SIX UNDER QUORUM.
UM, THERE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE, AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEET ANY SORT OF QUORUM LIKE YOU WOULD WITH A TRADITIONAL COMMITTEE.
UM, SO IF YOU JUST HAD TWO PEOPLE, YOU COULD DO THAT.
UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP AND BRING THINGS FORWARD.
WE COULD POSSIBLY EVEN HAVE THAT READY FOR PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEM TO SEE IT.
CAN WE SHARE IT WITH THEM BEFORE IT'S VOTED ON? IF THEY'RE PART OF THE WORKING? I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR STAFF, BUT I THINK IF THEY'RE PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, THEN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
YOU WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THE WORKING GROUP.
YEAH, I'M A LITTLE AMBIVALENT TO BE HONEST.
YOU FEEL VALENT? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID?
[02:05:01]
NO, IIII THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE, UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HURRYING THIS, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NORMALLY I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THINGS, BUT I'M NOT, AND THERE'S JUST SOMETHING TELLING ME HERE TO STOP AND TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT THIS AND HAVE BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THE, EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE WRITTEN HERE IS JUST BASICALLY LIKE, WE WEREN'T INFORMED.
HERE'S OUR CONCERNS, BUT THOSE ARE JUST CONCERNS.
THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD PREFER TO HAVE INSTEAD, OR INCLUDED OR, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
SO, SO WITH THIS WILL BE MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE FOR UNTIL LIKE THE, UH, MAY 15TH MEETING.
AND I THINK ALSO HAVE A MOTION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP.
SO, I MEAN, I CAN SHARE HERE WHAT, UM, I MEAN, WHAT I HAVE.
AND IMPORTANTLY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP? YES.
FOR THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF DAYS THAT I HAVE THERE.
UM, AND, AND I HAVE A LOT MORE TIME AFTER, UH, MAY 14TH.
I, MAN, CAN WE TAKE A LITTLE RECESS? UH, LET'S DO A RESET FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
LET'S DO A RECESS FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
LET'S COME BACK AT, WELL, 8 0 7 RIGHT NOW.
[02:14:46]
EIGHT 15.UH, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN START, COME BACK FROM RECESS.
[02:15:01]
THEY DON'T GET TROUBLE.COMMISSIONER SIERRA, ARE YOU THERE?
STILL WORKING ON THAT MOTION GUYS.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR, UM, LOOKING AT THAT AND REVIEWING IT AND, AND THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT, UM, THIS CODE CHANGES THAT IMPACTS SO MANY.
UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION, UH, MAY 1ST, 2024.
UM, THE SUBJECT IS, UH, UM, UM, INFILL PLATS AND SITE PLAN AND SITE LIGHT PART TWO.
UM, WHEREAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO HOME TWO KNOWN AS INFILL PLATS AND SITE SITE LIGHT PART TWO ARE A COMPILATION OF DIRECTIVES FROM CITY COUNCIL.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS BEEN GIVEN A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF ON INFILL PLATS AND SITE PLAN LIGHT.
AND WHEREAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THESE AMENDMENTS, THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE CODE AMENDMENTS WITH THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.
I'M GONNA PUT RECOMMENDATIONS 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT CONDITIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, REQUEST THAT CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF CODE CHANGES.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS NOT PROVIDED A COPY OF THE CODE TO REVIEW BEFORE OR AT THE MEETING.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE, THESE CODE CHANGES IN AND EQUITABLY WILL IMPACT LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
FIRST FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS ONLY PRESENTED WASTEWATER AND DRAINAGE INFORMATION AND NOT HOW THIS IMPACTS TREE PROTECTION, TREE CANOPY REDUCTION, LIGHT POLLUTION, OR INCREASED UTILITIES INCLUDING WASTEWATER.
FIVE CONCERNED, CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS IMPACTS HOMES AND LOCAL FLOODING AREAS OR, OR HOMES THAT ARE ON THE EDGE OF FLOODPLAINS.
SIX, CONCERNED ABOUT NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR FLOODING DUE TO POOR DRAINAGE, INCLUDING GHOST DRAINAGE THAT IS DONE WITHOUT PERMITS AT A LATER DATE.
SEVEN COMMISSION WAS NOT PRESENTED THE STUDY, UM, THAT SURVEYED THE SIZE OF LOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT AREAS WOULD BE IMPACTED THE MOST? EIGHT.
HOW WAS COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE CODE CHANGES? AND THAT'S JUST A QUESTION.
REQUEST THAT THE PUBLIC, UH, REQUEST THAT THE PUBLIC IS WELL INFORMED IN MULTIPLE WAYS ABOUT THE NEW CHANGES AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT THEM AND HOW THEY CAN UTILIZE THE CODE LEGALLY.
UH, MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF THE PROCESS FOR ADJACENT HOMEOWNERS TO PROTEST OR IMPROVE, OR APPROVE CHANGES TO A NEIGHBOR'S LOT.
AND 11, CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASE OF ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL RATHER THAN CITIZEN DRIVEN BOARDS AND COMMISSION CHANGES.
SECOND, CAN YOU READ THE ONE ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE DISPARATE IMPACT OF SORT OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES? JUST READ IT AGAIN SO I CAN HEAR THE WORDING.
UM, CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT IMPACTS, UH, NO, THAT'S THE OTHER ONE.
UM, COMMISSION WAS NOT PRESENTED THE STUDY, UM, THAT SURVEYED THE SIZE OF LOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WHAT AREAS WOULD BE IMPACTED THE MOST? NO, IT WAS FURTHER UP.
[02:20:02]
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THESE CODES, THESE CODE CHANGES INE EQUITABLY WILL IMPACT LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.DO YOU WANNA CHANGE THAT? I'M JUST WONDERING IF STAFF HAS A RESPONSE TO THAT ONE ABOUT, ABOUT THIS IMPACTING LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES FIRST, I THINK.
WE DON'T, I'M NOT, I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT THAT IS TRUE THOUGH.
I MEAN, THE LOTS AS MENTIONED, LIKE THE LARGER LOTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE INTO MORE SMALLER LOTS.
SO WITH RESPECT TO THIS ORDINANCE AND SPECIFICALLY THE SUBDIVISION PIECE, I'M JUST NOT, WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT THAT'S TRUE, BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN AND, UM, WE WILL, I THINK STAFF FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT HAS MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES WILL DEFINITELY RELAY TO THEM YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR CONCERNS SO THAT AS THE ACTUAL HOME ORDINANCE GOES FORWARD, UM, AND THIS IS MORE KIND OF HOME ADJACENT THAN REALLY HOME.
THIS IS NOT DIRECTLY PART OF HOME, BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONCERN IS BROUGHT UP.
AND SO THAT THE INFORMATION AND DATA THAT THEY HAVE THAT I THINK DOES, IS RESPONSIVE TO THOSE POINTS CAN BE, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD AT PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNSEL.
I GUESS MY SUGGESTION WOULD JUST TO BE, TO STYLE IT AS A CONCERN.
'CAUSE I SHARE THAT CONCERN, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO, UM, SO REAL QUICK, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UM, IS CONCERNED RATHER THAN RECOGNIZES GOT IT.
WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL WORD BEFORE TO CONCERNED, RECOGNIZES WE'RE ABOUT TO BE KILLED, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, I GUESS MY POINT IS IT, THE, THE, THE POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE IS THIS, IF YOU GO OVER INTO EAST AUSTIN, NOT VERY FAR EAST FROM I 35, IN SOME OF THE OLDER HOMES, THE LOTS ARE QUITE LARGE BECAUSE AT THE TIME THAT WAS THE STICKS AND LAND WAS CHEAP, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN.
AUSTIN WAS A SMALL TOWN AND THE PROPERTY WAS CHEAP.
SO THE LOTS ARE LARGER OVER THERE.
IN FACT, SOME OF THEM ARE LARGER THAN THE LOT I LIVE ON NOW.
SO I WOULD AGREE TO SOME EXTENT THAT SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES MAY BE INDEED IMPACTED FIRST.
'CAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE FIRST IN THOSE CLOSE END LOTS CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN THAT ARE PRIME LOTS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED AS WE SIT HERE.
AND SO I DON'T OBJECT THE ORIGINAL WORDING, BUT I WILL GO WITH THE NEW ONE, BUT I, I THINK THAT THE DISADVANTAGED HOMEOWNERS ARE, ARE AT HIGH RISK RIGHT NOW.
I I THINK THE, UM, I THINK THE OTHER, UH, PORTION OF THIS THAT I'M THINKING OF IS SOUTH AUSTIN, WHERE A LOT OF THOSE HOMES WERE ORIGINALLY BUILT ON SEPTIC.
UM, AND THEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEPTIC, UM, LATER THEY'RE HOOKED UP TO WATER.
THOSE ARE TRADITIONALLY BIGGER LOTS AND NOT NECESSARILY MORE EXPENSIVE.
UM, THEY WERE CHEAP, CHEAP HOUSING WHEN IT WAS FIRST BUILT IN THE EIGHTIES AND LATE NINETIES, I MEAN EARLY NINETIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE AREAS, UM, THAT, UH, ARE ARE LOW INCOME NOW, UH, THEY WERE MIDDLE CLASS ORIGINALLY.
UM, NORTH ASTON HAS SOME OF THOSE AS WELL.
THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EAST AUSTIN IS, IS A CONCERN AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE AT, THAT A LOT OF THOSE LOTS ARE KIND OF SMALLER THERE, BUT SOUTH AUSTIN, NORTH AUSTIN HAS A LOT MORE OF THE LARGER ONES THAT ARE NOW LOW INCOME AREAS.
CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT OR LET, LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUE, COLLEAGUES HERE.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE READ THE COLOR OF LAW BY RICHARD ROTHSTEIN? HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHY OUR MINIMUM LOT SIZE IS 57 50 SQUARE FEET? IT'S TO PREVENT LOW INCOME PEOPLE
[02:25:01]
FROM OWNING PROPERTY.LOT SIZES IN AMERICA USED TO BE SMALLER OR THEY DIDN'T EXIST AT ALL.
BUT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT, UH, SAID THAT THOU SHALT NOT DISCRIMINATE INSTITUTIONS, CITIES, LENDERS, ET CETERA, CONSPIRED TO KEEP PERSONS OF COLOR OUT OF AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES BY INCREASING LOT SIZES IN 2024.
NOW WE'RE TRYING TO REVERSE THAT BY MAKING LAND CHEAPER, BY MAKING THE LOTS SMALLER.
SO THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT STILL IT'S ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND ALLOWING HUMAN BEINGS TO OWN THEIR OWN PROPERTY.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.
I THINK FOR THE LANGUAGE FOR THAT POINT, I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE A SIMILAR EFFECT BY SAYING CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY IMPACT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THAT MIGHT BE A HAPPY, HAPPY MEDIUM.
OVERALL, IS THE, IS THE MOTION TO SUPPORT THE TWO ORDINANCE CHANGES? I HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE, ARE OVERALL VOTING IN SUPPORT? CORRECT.
SO WE ARE OVERALL VOTING IN SUPPORT, BUT VOICING OUR CONCERNS AND ESPECIALLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGER CONCERNS OBVIOUSLY RIGHT, IS THAT WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS.
AND THAT, UM, STEMMING FROM THAT, THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, BUT THEY'RE MOSTLY CONCERNS.
UH, AND I'M OKAY WITH, YOU KNOW, SHARING IN, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER'S CONCERNS WITHIN A SUPPORTIVE MOTION.
BUT OVERALL, I, YOU KNOW, SHARE COMMISSIONER NICHOLS AND, AND, UM, AND OTHERS, YOU KNOW, SUP LIKE SUPPORT OF, OF DENSITY AND THE NEED FOR HOUSING AND THAT MORE HOUSING AND, AND THE SUPPLY IS GOING TO DECREASE THE COST OF, OF HOUSING AND, UM, SUPPORTS EQUITY AND, AND PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO OWN HOUSING.
SO I, I OVERALL WANT TO SUPPORT THE STREAMLINING OF THE PROCESSES SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL, UM, OVERALL TO THE COST OF THE CITY.
SO IN THAT, YEAH, SO IN THAT ARE SAY SOMETHING SUPPORTIVE.
SO IN THAT, ARE YOU SAYING TAKE OUT NUMBER THREE, WHICH ADDRESSES THE, UM, AND EQUITABILITY PIECE OF THAT FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING OR LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS? I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR CONCERN.
I THINK, UM, WE JUST DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I THINK WE HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN.
UM, AND, AND SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE PROOF THAT THIS THE OVERALL HOME SPECIFICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN AREAS WHETHER IT'S GOING TO RAISE OR, OR LOWER.
BUT I DO OVERALL, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE INCREASE OF HOUSING TO LOWER, LOWER COSTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO, UM, IF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND I, I DO THINK I, UM, IT, I DO, I DO THINK IT CAN BE REMOVED AND I DO WANT TO MAKE THAT THAT KNOWN.
SO I THINK, UM, I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO SECOND IT RIGHT? CHAIR.
LIKE SHE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE THAT TO MAKE A, IT WOULD BE AN AMEND ELIZABETH, FUN WATERSHED.
SO IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION STRIKING THAT, THEN IT COULD BE SECONDED AND THEN YOU WOULD VOTE ON IT, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND AFTER HEARING THIS.
COMMISSIONER SHIRA, DID YOU WANNA MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT MOTION TO STRIKE THAT? I MEAN, I, IT'S, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE WORKING GROUP IS GONNA GO BACK AND, AND INVESTIGATE MORE? UM, I THINK THIS IS SUPPOSED TO KIND OF REPLACE THE WORKING GROUP IDEA.
[02:30:02]
UM, SO LIKE, THIS IS THEIR FORM, THIS IS THE FORM OF LIKE EXPRESSING CONCERNS, BUT APPROVING THE MOTION AND ELIMINATING THE WORKING GROUP.WELL, I, UM, MY OVERALL RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, UM, SUPPORT INCREASED HOUSING IN, IN AUSTIN AND THAT TO MAKE THAT KNOWN THAT WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASING THE HOUSING SUPPLY.
SO I CAN, I CAN ADD A LINE ON THAT IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA ADD THAT.
SORRY, WE JUST GOT A NEW PUPPY AND YOU JUST EAT ON THE FLOOR.
SO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS IN FAVOR OF INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOMES AND INCREASING DENSITY WHERE POSSIBLE.
DOES THAT NEED TO BE VOTED ON AT THIS POINT, OR IS THAT STILL AS LONG AS IT'S ALL, UH, UNIT AS ALL WE ALL AGREE ON IT, IS THAT, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADDING THAT? I, IF WE COULD MAYBE READ OKAY.
AGAIN BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
YOU ARE PUTTING MY READING SKILLS TO THE TEST TONIGHT.
NUMBER ONE, REQUEST THAT CITY CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CODE CHANGES.
TWO, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS NOT PROVIDED A COPY OF THE CODE TO REVIEW BEFORE OR AT THE MEETING.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS CONCERNED THAT THESE CODE CHANGES AND EQU AND EQUITABLY MAY IMPACT LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS ONLY PRESENTED WATERSHED AND DRAINAGE INFORMATION AND NOT HOW THIS, HOW THESE CHANGES IMPACT, UM, TREE PROTECTION, TREE CANOPY REDUCTION, LIGHT POLLUTION, OR INCREASED UTILITIES, INCLUDING WASTEWATER.
UH, FIVE, CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS IMPACTS HOMES IN THE LOCAL FLOODING AREAS OR HOMES IN THE AIR THAT ARE ON THE EDGE OF FLOODPLAINS.
SIX CONCERN ABOUT NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR FLOODING DUE TO POOR DRAINAGE, INCLUDING GHOST DRAINAGE THAT IS DONE WITHOUT PERMITS AT A LATER DATE.
SEVEN COMMISSION, UM, WAS NOT PRESENTED THE STUDY THAT SURVEYED THE SIZE OF LOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT AREA WOULD BE IMPACTED THE MOST? UH, EIGHT.
HOW IS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE CODE CHANGES? AND THAT'S A QUESTION NINE.
REQUEST THE PUBLIC THAT THE PUBLIC IS WELL INFORMED IN MULTIPLE WAYS ABOUT THE NEW CHANGES AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT THEM AND HOW THEY CAN UTILIZE THE CODE LEGALLY.
10, MAKE PUBLIC AWARE OF THE PROCESS FOR ADJACENT HOMEOWNERS TO PROTEST OR, UM, APPROVE CHANGES TO A NEIGHBOR'S LOT.
UM, CONCERN ABOUT THE INCREASE OF AN, OF INCREASE OF ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL RATHER THAN CITIZEN DRIVEN BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
AND 12 ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS IN FAVOR OF INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOMES AND INCREASING DENSITY WHERE POSSIBLE.
I'M CONCERNED WE MIGHT HAVE GONE A LITTLE LIKE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF, OF THIS ORDINANCE, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT I WOULD, I THINK BE IN FAVOR OF JUST REMOVING BOTH STATEMENTS RELATED TO LIKE, DENSITY AND EQUITY, JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEANER, UH, OR MORE CLEAN RATHER AND RELATED TO THE ORDINANCE.
SO ISI SUPPOSE I'M MAKING THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO STRIKE THOSE TWO SECONDS.
IS EVERYBODY IN RIE OF HAVING BOTH OF THOSE REMOVED?
[02:35:01]
I WOULD JUST LIKE 'EM REREAD TO MAKE SURE I KNOW COMPLETELY WHAT'S BEING REMOVED.I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M, WERE YOU JUST BASING OUT? I JUST READ IT WHEN YOU GET, OKAY.
YOU KNOW HOW DONALD TRUMP NAPS DURING TRIAL? NO, I DON'T WANNA HEAR DURING, OKAY.
I'M READING 'EM
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS 12, WHICH IS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS IN FAVOR OF INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOMES AND INCREASING DENSITY WHERE POSSIBLE.
SO IS EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS? DO WE RAISE OUR HANDS? YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND LIKE, UM, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING IT.
SO DOES, OR DOES IT GO BY A MAJORITY OF, OKAY.
WE HAVE SHERA NICHOLS, EINHORN KRUGER, AND BRIMER.
SO WE'RE BACK TO KEEPING THEM BOTH IN THERE.
DO WE WANNA VOTE ON, CAN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH VOTING ON THE YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE, MOVE FORWARD WITH VOTING ON IT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE SHERA NICHOLS, RESI EINHORN, KRUEGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, BRIMER, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
WE HAVE SULLIVAN AND NO OPPOSITION.
[5. Approve a recommendation supporting the City Council’s code resolutions for Home 2 (allowing 2,000 sg ft lots sizes for single-family), reduced compatibility standards (from 540 ft to 75 ft) to allow more housing along major roads, and higher density housing near future light rail lines (ETODs), plus site development standards for EV charging – Presented by David Sullivan, Environmental Commission member]
WE HAVE, UM, DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER FIVE, TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION SUPPORTING THE CITY COUNCIL'S CODE.RESOLUTIONS FOR HOME TWO, ALLOWING 2000 SQUARE FEET, UH, LOT SIZES FOR SINGLE FAMILY CHAIR.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
AFTER THE LAST MOTION PASSED, I PROPOSE TO REMOVE IT FROM THE AGENDA.
I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY SHOULD COME ON.
UM, BECAUSE IT IS ADDRESSING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
IT IS, I HEARD THE ARGUMENT THAT YOU GUYS JUST MADE, AND TRUST ME WHEN I SAY I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT IT FORWARD.
WELL, ALL THEN LET'S VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD REMOVE IT FROM THE AGENDA.
SO THERE'S BEEN A MOTION MADE.
AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR REMOVING THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE NIPPLES PRIMER SULLIVAN MOTION FAILS.
SORRY FOR NOT BEING A HAPPY CAMPER.
READ THE BOOK THAT I RECOMMENDED EARLIER.
IT'S CALLED THE COLOR OF LAW BY RICHARD ROTHSTEIN.
YOUR A AMEND YOUR WHAT MOTION THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO PUT FORWARD IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE JUST DID.
UH, Y'ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF THE MOTION.
IT'S BEEN EDITED BASED ON SUGGESTIONS FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
WHEREAS RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY.
UH, WHAT REFERENCING THE WEBSITE, HTTPS, UH, COOL CLIMATE.BERKELEY.EDU INDICATE THAT HIGHER DENSITY, HIGHER POPULATION DENSITY IN URBAN AREAS LEADS TO LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PER HOUSEHOLD BASED ON ENERGY SAVINGS FROM SHARED WALLS AND DUPLEXES, TOWN HOMES, APARTMENTS AND CONDOMINIUMS, AND IMPROVED WALKABILITY, MORE MASS TRANSIT USE AND MORE TRIPS MADE WITH BIKES AND SCOOTERS.
[02:40:01]
AND WHEREAS LOW DENSITY URBAN SPRAWL CONCERN CONSUMES VALUABLE GRASSLAND PRAIRIES, TREE COVERED HILLS TREE COVERED HILL COUNTRY FARMLAND AND OTHER RURAL LANDSCAPES AND ENCROACHES ON WILDLIFE HABITAT.UM, AND WHEREAS THE CITY, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE TITLE 25, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TWO ALLOWS SMALLER LOT SIZES, 2000 SQUARE FEET IN SINGLE FAMILY ZONING DISTRICTS CREATE REGULATIONS THAT ALLOW PROPERTIES TO BE USED FOR CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES, CREATE, UH, REGULATIONS INCLUDING DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT MODIFIES HEIGHT AND COMPATIBILITY IN EXCHANGE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THE PLANNED PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL AND PRIORITY EXTENSIONS WHEN WE EXTEND IT LATER.
ALSO KNOWN AS EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, OR THE E TODD OVERLAY.
UM, AND THE, AND ALSO REVISING REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO FLAG LOTS AND SMALL LOTS AND REVISE THE HEIGHT AND BUILDING PLACEMENT AND OTHER RELATED REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO PROPERTY.
AND ARE IN ADDITION TO THE BASE ZONING REGULATIONS, ALSO KNOWN AS COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, REDUCING THE EXTENT OF COMPATIBILITY REGULATIONS TO 75 FEET.
AND WHEREAS ALL OF THESE WILL HELP REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS DIRECTLY OR SUBSEQUENTLY WITH HIGHER POPULATION DENSITY.
THEREFORE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THESE CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE TITLE 25 LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND OFFERS THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
BECAUSE LOOSENING DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, BECAUSE LOOSENING DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTIONS TO ALLOW DENSER HOUSING COULD LEAD TO THE INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT OF LOW-INCOME.
RENTERS, THE CITY SHALL TRACK THIS DISPLACEMENT AND TAKE STEPS TO ASSIST IN RELOCATING DISPLACED TENANTS.
IF POSSIBLE, THE CITY SHALL TAKE STEPS TO INCENTIVIZE NEW HIGHER DENSITY HOUSING IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR JOBS, AND EXISTING MASS TRANSIT.
OVER TIME, THE CITY SHALL TRACK CHANGES IN TRANSIT, USE MICRO MOBILITY, USE WALKABILITY, AND NEW HIGHER DENSITY DEVELOPMENTS TO VERIFY THE PREDICTED EMISSION SAVINGS.
UM, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC UTILITIES SHALL MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS TO THE EFFECTS OF INCREASING THE CITY'S, UH, POPULATION DENSITY ON PUBLIC UTILITIES.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? I LIKE IT.
OH, WELL, ARE YOU COMMISSIONER BRIMER? I GUESS MY COMMENT IS THIS, UH, IT'S KIND OF INDEPENDENT OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE, UH, DOCUMENT REFERENCED.
UH, DAVE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SEND THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT OVER, UH, TO ME, AND I READ IT OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND IN READING IT, THIS RECOMMENDATION ADDRESSES THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF THIS.
BUT WHEN YOU READ THE DOCUMENT DEVELOPED BY UC, BERKELEY, IT ONLY REALLY SAYS THERE'S A WEAK CORRELATION BETWEEN THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE HOME INITIATIVE IS DOING, WHICH IS BASICALLY INFILL AND DENSE, DENSER, YOU KNOW, POPULA OR, YOU KNOW, DENSER DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUBURBS.
THERE'S ONLY A VERY WEAK CORRELATION BETWEEN THAT AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION.
AND ALTHOUGH THEY TRY TO CORRELATE FOR 37 DIFFERENT VARIABLES IN ORDER TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE, THE DOCUMENT REALLY DOESN'T SHOW HOW IT DOES THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT TRIES TO CLAIM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT CLAIMS THAT IT'S ADJUSTING FOR THINGS LIKE INCOME BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE WEALTHY CONSUME MORE STUFF AND
[02:45:01]
CREATE MORE GREENHOUSE GASES, AND THEN PEOPLE WITH LESS INCOME CREATE LESS.BUT IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW IT DOES THAT MATH.
SO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET THE ANSWERS THAT IT'S SAYING.
SO THERE'S BASICALLY, WE'RE MAKING AN ASSUMPTION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSUMPTION BASED UPON WEEK ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENT HE'S ADDRESSED HERE.
BUT I FOUND A NUMBER OF OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY HARVARD, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS URBAN, UH, PLANNING INSTITUTE THAT DRAW THE SAME CONCLUSIONS THAT THE BERKELEY DOCUMENT HAS, THAT THERE'S BEST A WEAK CORRELATION IN THIS.
AND THEY SAY, IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE EFFECTIVE, WHAT THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER POLICIES HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE CHANGING THE WAY YOU TAX LAND AND BUILDINGS THINGS THE WAY YOU DO.
YOU PROVIDE REPAIRS TO HOUSES THAT ARE OLDER TO MAKE THEM MORE, YOU KNOW, BETTER INSULATED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A, YOU ALLOW BUILDING AT HIGHER HEIGHTS, NOT JUST ALONG THE HIGH TRANSIT URBAN CORRIDORS, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO THAT YOU GET DENSITY IN MANY PLACES, NOT JUST ONE AREA.
SO I THINK THAT THE SUPPORT THAT THIS DOCUMENT GIVES IS NOT REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS PURPORT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS SUPPORTING HERE.
SO ARE YOU ASKING FOR, UM, THE, THE REFERENCE DOWN HERE THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN HAS INCLUDED TO BE TAKEN OFF OF THAT? WELL, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT THIS RESOLUTION WANTS TO ATTAIN, THAT IT HAS TO HAVE ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED ON THERE, IN OTHER WORDS, HAS TO BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
OTHERWISE, IT'S NOT THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS THAT IT REPORTS TO, YOU KNOW, ACCOMPLISH VIA THE THIS REFERENCE ARE NOT GONNA BE ACCOMPLISHED.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND INCLUSIVE RESOLUTION CHAIR.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR, CAN I, SO REAL QUICK, CAN I ASK THIS QUESTION? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW ENOUGH INFORMATION TO ACT, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME TO PROPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION, WHICH I PERCEIVE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THE ANSWER IS NO.
I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING SOME READING OF SOME OF THESE OTHER PAPERS AS WELL AS THE ONE THAT WAS EMAILED TO ME.
AND I SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO, THAT CAN BE RECOMMENDED TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS THAT NEED TO BE, OR THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO OBTAIN HERE THAT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS ADDRESSING.
I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR.
UH, YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THE THING THAT I, I THINK THAT I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THIS, UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN AND COMMISSIONER BRIER, IS IT IS ASKING THE CITY TO TRACK THESE THINGS.
AND TO BEGIN THE PROCESS, ONE THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST, AND THIS IS MY FAULT, DAVE, WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU EARLIER, JUST BECAUSE I WALKED OVER AND I FORGOT, YOU PUT IN THE WORD SHALL AND THAT'S GREAT.
THE THING THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION TO YOU WAS THAT I WOULD REQUEST THAT THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING THE CITY TO TRACK, THAT THEY REPORT BACK, THAT THE, WHOEVER THE DEPARTMENTS ARE THAT ARE PULLING THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER, THAT THEY REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS SO THAT WE KNOW WE CAN MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF WHATEVER THESE EFFORTS ARE.
SO I WAS, WE KNOW I WILL SECOND THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
I'LL JUST SAY THE CITY SHALL TRACK THE CHANGES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND REPORT BACK TO THE,
[02:50:15]
UM, ALRIGHT.AND REPORT BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND COUNSEL.
I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE PASSING THIS, SO, RIGHT.
THEY, THEY ARE THE ULTIMATE ARBITERS OF THIS COMMISSIONER EINHORN, YOU WERE TRYING OKAY.
SO FOR THE, THE THIRD DOT UNDER THE, AND WHEREAS WHERE, UM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, NEVERMIND, I'M DUMB.
THAT'S JUST WHAT CITY COUNCIL IS DOING.
UM, YEAH, I LIKE THE, UH, EXISTING MASS TRANSIT THING.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO DOING DENSITY PROGRAMS THAT ARE NEXT TO THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE EXTENSIONS, WHY NOT ALSO DO, UH, BUS STOPS? RIGHT.
I MEAN, I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF GENERAL MASS TRANSIT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT I WAS NOT GOOD WITH MY READING BECAUSE I THOUGHT, AND OR AS THAT WAS REFERRING TO US AS REFERRING TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO NEVERMIND
AND I READ THE ARTICLE, I READ THE SYNOPSIS, I READ THE THING THAT YOU SENT ME ALSO.
UM, BUT THE POINT IS THAT EVEN ADJUSTING FOR THOSE THINGS, IT SHOWS THAT WITH, IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, YOU HAVE LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAN IN SUBURBAN LOW DENSITY SUBURBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
AND ONE THING WE DID WITH THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS IDENTIFY NODES AROUND THE CITY SO THAT EVERYBODY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN TO DO THINGS, BUT COULD GO TO THE ARBORETUM, COULD GO TO SOUTH PARK MEADOWS, COULD GO TO, UM, THERE'S ONE ONE POINT WAS MADE HERE ABOUT THE TOWN CENTER, UM, THAT FOR THE, UM, VARIANCE THAT WE APPROVED EARLIER, UM, WE GAVE, WE IDENTIFIED, UH, REGIONAL CENTERS, UH, TABOR, TOWN CENTERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
AND, UM, SO THE POINT IS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THIS AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT HAVE THE LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PER HOUSEHOLD.
I DID MY OWN ANALYSIS OF OUR FIVE COUNTY, UM, MSA.
SO, UM, SO I'M SATISFIED THAT DENSER AREAS HAVE BETTER MASS TRANSIT, HAVE MORE SHARED WALLS, ET CETERA.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HELP TO AND MORE ARE MORE WALKABLE AND HAVE DESTINATIONS NEARBY, LIKE STORES AND SCHOOLS AND PARKS THAT, THAT MAKES THEM GREENER AREAS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, I JUST, I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING UP.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE MENTION OF DENSITY BONUSES AND TRACKING DISPLACEMENT.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS ABOUT HOME AND HOME TWO AND SOMETHING THAT I KEEP HEARING OVER AND OVER AMONG CERTAIN GROUPS IS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, AND MY CURRENT UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AN EQUITY OVERLAY COULD BE ILLEGAL OR COULD PROMPT A LAWSUIT FROM THE STATE.
AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT AND IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHY THAT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND WHEN WE DID THE CODE NEXT PROJECT, UM, AN EQUITY OVERLAY WAS PROPOSED AND WAS GONNA BE PART OF THE CODE, UH, REWRITE, UH, TO SAY THAT AREAS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE STUDY THAT ELIZABETH MUELLER AND JAKE WEGMAN DID THAT SHOWED WHERE DISPLACEMENT WAS HAPPENING AT A HIGHER RATE, UM, WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE HIGHER, UH, DENSITY OR WHATEVER.
UM, BUT THEN THERE WAS A LAWSUIT THAT I, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS ABOUT WHICH LAWSUIT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN, SO, THE CITY'S BEEN SUED SO MANY TIMES THAT SAID THAT A GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIATION, UH, WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
AND I GOT THAT INFORMATION FROM SOME OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS THAT I TALKED TO ABOUT THIS.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, UM, ALBERTA PHILLIPS, WHO'S ONE OF THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS DID PRO PROMOTE, UH, DID ASK FOR THAT.
[02:55:01]
AND I DO BELIEVE STAFF IS LOOKING AT THAT.SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
SO I GUESS, WELL, THE ANSWER MIGHT BE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL TO INCLUDE IT HERE.
BECAUSE I, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S ILLEGAL TO DO IT WELL.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD AS WELL.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTINCTION LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT WAS PROPOSED BY ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS MM-HMM.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT FALLS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION.
WE HAVE SHERA NICHOLS, RESI EINHORN, KRUEGER BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BRIMER MOTION PASSES.
OKAY, SO NEXT STEP WE HAVE COMMITTEE
[6. Update from the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board (SCWAB) on their recommendations to the City Council on the Draft Combining District & Density Bonus Plan – David Sullivan]
UPDATES AND REPORTS, AN UPDATE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT THAT.
WELL, IT'S NOT A LONG STORY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAME UP WITH A DENSITY BONUS, UH, DEAL THERE THAT, UH, INVOLVED GETTING MORE PARK LAND AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS.
WHEN IT GOT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SOMEBODY DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DEVELOP THE AREA IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE DENSITY BONUS PLAN.
AND SO THEY VETOED, UH, THE SCHWAB, THAT'S THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT BOARD'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND SUBSTITUTED IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS.
WELL, IF YOU'RE FROM SOUTH AUSTIN, YOU MIGHT BE SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, THAT'S NOT PART OF DOWNTOWN SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT'S IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
WELL, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A PERSONAL THING THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT THINK.
BUT TO US IT WAS THE FACT THAT WE WOULD LOSE PARKLAND AND WE WOULD LOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE PUT TOGETHER A REBUTTAL AND WE SENT THAT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE SHOULD BE, AND, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS, UM, MORE FAVORABLE TO OURS, SO TO GET MORE PARK LAND AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, BUT THEN THE PRO OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE, UH, TAX INCREMENT, RE REVITALIZATION ZONE, UH, THAT HAD BEEN, THE CITY HAD TRIED TO APPLY TO THIS, WHICH WOULD TAKE SOME OF THE PROPERTY VALUE INCREASE THAT WAS HAPPENING THERE AND THEN SPEND IT ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOME OF THAT PARKLAND AND WHATNOT THAT WAS RULED TO BE ILLEGAL.
UM, AGAIN, THERE WAS A LAWSUIT ABOUT IT, ONE OF MANY LAWSUITS THAT THE CITY FACES.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT THAT RESOURCE OF GETTING THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE INSTEAD OF IT GOING INTO THE GENERAL, INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO SPEND LOCALLY, IS GONNA GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THEY WOULD JUST GET, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEIR NORMAL, UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC, UH, INVESTMENT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, FOR FIXING THE STREETS AND WHATNOT.
SO ANYWAY, THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS NOW ABOUT THE FINANCING FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
SO ANYWAY, THE, THERE'S GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS, BUT THERE'S BAD NEWS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, GET ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO BUILD HOUSING AND WHATNOT THERE.
UM, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY UH, TRIED TO SUBSTITUTE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN DENSITY BONUS FOR THE SOUTH ESSENTIAL WATERFRONT BONUS.
AND YOU, THERE WAS A OPINION THAT BY DOING THAT YOU LOSE OUT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PARKLAND.
AND I WILL SAY WITH REGARDS TO THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVERYBODY LAUGH AT ONCE, BUT IF THE CITY COUNCIL IS DISCIPLINED, THE MONEY IS STILL THERE.
THE INCREMENT, THE INCREMENT STILL EXISTS.
IT'S JUST NOW FALLS TO THE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO, RIGHT.
BUT I MEAN, I CAN THINK OF SO MANY TAX INCREMENT STRUCTURES THAT WE HAVE.
LIKE WHY WOULDN'T THEY BE CHALLENGED? WELL, THE, THE AURAS IN PARTICULAR IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO AN AREA THAT
[03:00:01]
IS BLIGHTED.AND YOU CAN'T REALLY SAY THAT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT IS BLIGHTED WHEN ALREADY THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, IT'S ALREADY DEVELOPED.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY SEE SOME BUILDINGS GOING ON THERE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PUSH DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE ALREADY SEE DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING THERE.
I WASN'T AROUND WHEN THEY, I I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CREATING THE TURS, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT.
UH, ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE IS T WHICH IS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO BE DEALING WITH A BLIGHTED AREA.
AND PETER MIGHT, YOU MIGHT KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT THERE'S A LIMIT THAT THE STATE IMPOSES THAT YOU CAN ONLY TIFF SO MUCH LAND.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TIFFED A LOT OF LAND ALREADY.
UM, AND THAT WAY YOU DO, YOU PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING IN A BIG PROJECT.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A LIMITATION ON TIPPING.
I MEAN, KNOW, I KNOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON TIPS LIKE CRAZY, SO, UM, BUT THERE IS, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF T THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A TIFF FOR MILLER.
THERE'S A TIFF FOR WALLER CREEK.
YEAH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, WELL I, MY UNDER, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS A LIMIT AND WE'RE CLOSE TO THAT LIMIT AND THEY WANTED TO SAVE IT FOR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THEY COULD DO IT FOR THE TURS BECAUSE THIS WAS AN AREA THAT WAS UNDERUTILIZED.
MAYBE NOT BLIGHTED, BUT CERTAINLY UNDERUTILIZED.
AND, UM, BUT THAT FELL THROUGH.
[7. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee on a recommendation on improving Austin's Tree Canopy at the next Urban Forestry meeting on June 28th – Richard Brimer]
UPDATE FROM THE URBAN FOREST COMMITTEE.WE'VE BEEN, UH, HARD AT WORK MEETING, UH, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A, UH, RESOLUTION BRING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ADDRESS THE TREE CANOPY.
AND, UH, THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD WORK TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE TREE CANOPY, MAKE IT MORE AGGRESSIVE FROM 2050 TO 2040.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF LITTLE PIECES THAT ARE IN THERE AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON CIRCULATING THAT DOCUMENT BETWEEN US AND HOPEFULLY IN THAT BY THE NEXT MEETING OR SO, WE'LL MAYBE NOT THE NEXT MEETING HERE, BUT AT THE NEXT TIME WE GET TOGETHER IN A MEETING, WE WILL HAVE THAT KIND OF WORK THROUGH.
WE'LL VOTE ON IT, GET IT APPROVED, AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO VOTE ON AND HOPEFULLY APPROVE, MAKE WHATEVER INCREMENTAL CHANGES WE NEED TO DO.
THEN WE WILL PASS IT OFF TO THE, UH, COUNCIL AND LET THEM WORK THEIR MAGIC WITH.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE HAVE ANY FU UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I DON'T HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT I HAD A QUESTION FOR STAFF ABOUT WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.OUR SECRETARY DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB AS OUR SCRIBE, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD GET A LAPTOP THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE SCREEN.
'CAUSE I'M A VERY VISUAL PERSON WITH WORDS.
I LIKE TO LOOK AT THEM AND WHETHER IT'D BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE LIKE THE MOTIONS ON THE SCREEN.
THAT WAY SHE'S NOT HAVING TO READ AND REREAD AND REREAD AND REREAD.
WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND, UH, SEE.
I ALSO, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE ABSENCE OF KATIE COY.
UM, I'M SORRY THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO SAY A, A FORMAL THANK YOU AND GOODBYE TO HER, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT PUBLICLY NOW, THAT SHE WAS AN INCREDIBLE ASSET TO OUR CITY.
UM, AND I'M VERY SORRY TO SEE HER GO AND, AND WISH HER WELL IN WHATEVER SHE DOES NEXT.
AND SHE WAS A FORMER ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER, SO YEAH, WE MISS CAPACITY AS WELL.
SHE WAS, SHE WAS A FORMER VICE CHAIR AND SHE WAS A GOOD PERSON.
WELL, I'M TALKING MORE ABOUT ELECTION
SHE, I'M TALKING ABOUT, I SAW HER YESTERDAY.
NO, BUT SHE ALWAYS DID GREAT WORK AND WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO TEACHING US AND LIKE EDUCATING US ON GOOD IDEAS.
AND SO I'M THANKFUL FOR HER SERVICE, HER MENTORSHIP AND EVERYTHING THAT SHE'S DONE FOR THE CITY.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
IT JUST TURNED RIGHT WHEN I WAS READING IT.