[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE, UH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.UM, IT'S THE MAY 15TH, 2024 MEETING, UM, AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER ROOM 1 4 0 5 AT 6 3 1 0.
WIL JIMINO AH, WIL JIMENA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN FIVE TWO.
SO LET'S CALL TO ORDER, UM, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
IF YOU COULD TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON NICHOLS, SULLIVAN AND SHERA, IF Y'ALL COULD TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON.
UH, CAN YOU UNMUTE YOUR BIKE TO SEE IF THAT'S WORKING CORRECTLY? HMM.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, ARE YOU THERE? I'M HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER EINHORN? HERE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, ANY UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES, WE HAVE SANTIAGO.IS THAT ON? IS THE, UM, IS THE PODIUM MICROPHONE WORKING? OKAY? ARE YOU SURE IT'S WORKING? 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S WORKING.
OH, WE CAN'T HEAR HIM OUT HERE.
I'M TALKING RIGHT NOW AND I'M SURE YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY HEAR ME.
COULD YOU USE THE MIC NEXT TO THE TABLE? DOES THIS WORK? YES.
UM, THREE MINUTES STARTING NOW.
I'M REPORTING FOR THE, UH, TX WORKING GROUP FOR, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, I SUPPOSE.
UM, THAT'S SORT OF DISTRACTING.
UH, SO SOME REPORT BACK, UM, THE CAMPO VOTE WENT THROUGH FOR FUNDING.
UM, TEXT DOTS, UH, PROPOSED I 35 EXPANSION.
UM, SO I WANTED TO REPORT BACK HERE AND GET SOME, UH, I GUESS, LIKE, OFFER SOME MORE UPDATED INSIGHT.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO BE BACK IN LIKE TWO WEEKS.
ALSO TO HAVE LIKE A SLIDE DECK AND TALK A LITTLE MORE.
UM, THE MAIN THING THAT I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN, UH, SORT OF PRESENTING AS A CONCEPT TO THIS, UM, COMMISSION IS THE IDEA OF A, OF COALITION BUILDING FOR RIVER RESTORATION OF THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, UM, TWO MAIN CONCERNS I HAVE WITH REGARD TO THE I 35 EXPANSION ARE AGAIN, UH, THE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE OVER TOWN LAKE OVER THE COLORADO RIVER,
[00:05:01]
AND THE REBUILDING OF THAT AND THE IMPACT, UH, MISREPRESENTATION OF THE IMPACT THAT THAT WILL HAVE.UM, WHICH SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME COLLUSION WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND SOME OTHER, UH, PRIVATE ENGINEERS TO MISREPRESENT THE ACTUAL IMPACT TO, UH, WHAT IS CONSIDERED LESS THAN ONE 10TH OF AN ACRE.
UM, WHICH IS AN EPA OVER, UH, OVERSIGHT, UM, AND WOULD REQUIRE AN INJUNCTION.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS AN OUTFALL, UH, THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WATERLOO, UH, GREENWAY HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, I'VE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THERE, UM, TO TRY TO CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT THAT MEANS.
I 35 IS GOING TO CREATE 300 ACRES OF STORM WATER.
UM, I'VE REQUESTED THAT WATERSHED PROTECTION GIVE A PRESENTATION TO THIS COMMISSION, UH, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OF WHAT THESE IMPACTS ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT PRESENTATION.
I CAN PROVIDE SOME STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHO I'VE SPOKEN TO.
UH, SO ONE, ONE BIG THING THAT IS OVER WITH REGARD TO THE WATER, THE OUTFALL IS SOMETHING CALLED THE LINGER LANE PROPERTY.
UH, AND THERE WAS A STUDY DONE WHENEVER THE SOCCER STADIUM WAS LOOKING AT A SITE OVER THERE.
UM, THAT 300 ACRES WOULD REQUIRE NEARLY 10 ACRES OF A RETENTION POND, UM, TO SUFFICIENTLY, UH, RESOLVE THE DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND FIRST FLUSH EFFECTS, UH, DUE TO THE WATER.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I WANT TO LIKE MAYBE GET SOME CLARIFICATION OR RETURN FROM, UH, OUTSIDE OF WHAT HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION HAS SPOKEN TO CITY ARBORS HAS SPOKEN TO THE PECAN GROVE, NEXT TO THE BRIDGE, UH, SECTION SIX F CONVERSION, WHICH A BUNCH OF NONSENSE, BUT, UM, PARTICULAR HANNAH, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN SPEAK TOWARDS THE $25 MILLION BOARDWALK, UM, THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, I BELIEVE WILL PROBABLY HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON AND WHAT TDOT HAS SPOKEN TOWARDS THAT.
IF YOU CAN RESPOND, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, SANTIAGO.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SLIDES THAT YOU WANNA SHARE WITH US.
IS THAT SHERA? I JUST WANNA SAY, I COULD NOT HEAR THAT SPEAKER.
I CAN HEAR LIZ SPEAKING AND I COULD HEAR PERRY SPEAKING, BUT I COULD NOT HEAR THAT SPEAKER.
SO JUST CONCERN GOING FORWARD.
UM, DO WE NEED TO, UM, GET THAT LOOKED AT OR JUST KEEP GOING? OH, ELIZABETH FUNK WATERSHED.
UM, I THINK WE'LL SEE AS THE PRESENTATIONS GO IF SHE KILLED.
UM, THEN WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT.
I WILL SEND YOU THE RECORDING SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR SANTIAGO'S COMMENTS, UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UM, HAVE, HAS ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT 'EM.
UM, THERE'S ONE THING I CAUGHT.
UM, MARIANA WAS IN PERSON AND I THINK IT SAID THAT SHE WAS ABSENT.
THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I SAW,
BUT, UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT IS, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THE MINUTES? DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MOTION BY BRIMER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE NICHOL, SHERA, SULLIVAN, REI, EINHORN, FER, BEDFORD KRUGER, AND BRIMER.
[2. Update on the 2023 State of the Environment Report and 2023 Watershed Protection Annual Report – Liz Johnston, Interim Environmental Officer, and Anupa Gharpurey, Assistant Director, Watershed Protection Department]
BREEDING, UH, UP BRIEFING,DO WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS UP? YES.
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME, BUT PLEASE CHIME IN IF YOU CAN'T.
I'M LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, AND I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT WITH TO YOU THIS EVENING, THE 2023, UM, ANNUAL STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A SMALL LAPTOP, SO IT'S, UH, NOT AS MUCH SPACE ON THE SCREEN AS IT IS, UM, ON A LARGER SCREEN, BUT I THINK THIS WILL WORK.
UM, SO THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT IS A CODE MANDATED REPORT THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER IS TO DELIVER TO CITY COUNCIL EVERY APRIL TO, UM, UM, BASICALLY EX, YOU KNOW, GIVE A, A REPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
[00:10:01]
A COMPENDIUM OF A, OF METRICS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, IN ONE AREA.UM, SO IT REALLY GIVES A GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE METRICS THAT STAFF COLLECT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND, UM, GIVES A LOT OF, UH, REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
UM, OF COURSE, WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF HERE THIS EVENING THAT COLLECTED THE, THE METRICS.
SO I HOPE, UM, IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS, PLEASE UM, SEND THOSE QUESTIONS TO ELIZABETH AND WE CAN GET THOSE TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ANSWER LIKE HOW CERTAIN DATA WAS COLLECTED OR ET CETERA.
UM, SO THIS IS A DASHBOARD, THIS FORMAT, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT HAS KIND OF GONE THROUGH, UH, METAMORPHOSIS AND SORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
IT'S REALLY CHANGED FORMATS FROM TIME TO TIME.
WE ARE PRESENTING, UM, IN THE SAME FORMAT AS A FEW YEARS AGO IN A, UH, WHAT IS CALLED A STORY MAP, UM, WHICH IS AN ABILITY TO COLLECT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE, UM, EMBEDDED MAPS AND METRICS AND DATA ALONG WITH STORIES AND PHOTOGRAPHS.
UM, SO WE GOING THROUGH, UM, AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO KAYLA CHAPLIN HERE, WHO DID A LOT OF THE WORK COORDINATING BETWEEN ALL OF THESE, UM, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
SHE DID A REALLY GREAT JOB, UM, WITH EVERYTHING HERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE METRICS FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, LAKES, CREEKS, AND AQUIFERS.
IF YOU JUST CLICK ON THE VIEW BUTTON, IT WILL PULL UP ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, WHAT'S CALLED A STORY MAP.
UM, LEMME SEE IF I CAN GET THAT ONE.
UH, LET'S SEE IF YOU FULL DETAILS.
FOR SOME REASON, THIS USUALLY GOES AWAY AND IT'S NOT, AH, THERE WE GO.
SO IT GIVES INFORMATION, SO IN ABOUT DIFFERENT WATERSHEDS, INCLUDING THE CREEK.
SO THERE IS A WEB VIEWER THAT IS, UM, REALLY HELPFUL.
IF YOU EXPAND IT, YOU CAN BASICALLY FIND THE, UM, HOW EACH WATERSHED IS RATED, SO BOGGY, FOR INSTANCE.
AND SO ALL OF THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT IN WATERSHED PROTECTION IS COMPILED HERE AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO, UM, FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, MAY WANT TO, UH, LEARN MORE ABOUT WATERSHEDS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO THAT IS, UM, ONE, UH, THEN THERE'S, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT LAKES.
WE HAVE OUR AUSTIN OVERALL AUSTIN LAKE INDEX INFORMATION ON OUR AQUIFERS AND THE SALAMANDER PRO, UM, PROGRAM.
UM, THE URBAN FOREST, THIS IS INFORMATION FROM OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT'S WORKS, UM, ABOUT OUR OVERALL, UM, TREE CANOPY COVERAGE.
SO THEY DO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT HOW THE TREE CANOPY COVERAGE CHANGES OVER TIME.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN COLLECTING SIMILAR DATA SIMILARLY SINCE 2006.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT INCREASE OVER TIME, WHICH IS FAIRLY INTERESTING.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT AREAS OF TOWN HAVE THE, THE MOST TREE COVERAGE.
THIS ISN'T LOADING, BUT USUALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WOULD NORMALLY SHOW UP AS A, YOU KNOW, SHOWING A CLEAR DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST ON WHERE, UM, CANOPY COVERAGE IS MOST PREVALENT.
THIS IS INFORMATION FROM OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE.
THEY HAVE A MAP EMBEDDED SHOWING PARK DEFICIENT AREAS.
UM, SO A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE AS WELL.
UM, WILDLANDS, THIS IS, UH, INFORMATION FROM OUR AUSTIN WATER COLLEAGUES AND THEY HAVE INFORMATION SHARED ABOUT THE BCCP.
UM, WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, ENDANGERED SPECIES SUCH AS GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS AND BLACK CAFETERIAS, UM, GOING ON.
THEN WE GO TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND AIR QUALITY.
BOTH OF THESE ARE, UM, INFORMATION RELATED, UH, TO WORK THAT IS PERFORMED BY OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
SO CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE'S INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, WORK TOWARDS THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND AIR QUALITY.
UM, THE PROGRAM THERE IS REALLY COORDINATES CLOSELY WITH, UH, CAP COG ON, UM, BRINGING METRICS RELATED TO GROUND LEVEL OZONE, FINE PARTICULAR MATTER AND AIR MONITORING.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU.
UM, PLEASE LOOK AT IT, TAKE, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I WILL OFFER, UH, I WILL ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ASK ANSWER.
[00:15:01]
CAN WE GET THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS BACK ON SCREEN? I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE HAD ANY QUESTIONS.DO WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE ANNUAL REPORT? OH, FIRST, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FOR BOTH OF US.
MAYBE, YEAH, LET'S SEE IF THAT ONE WORKS.
AND I, YEAH, SHE'LL PULL UP THE REPORT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HEAR HER.
I AM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER SUPPORT SERVICES, UH, AT WATERSHED PROTECTION.
CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS CAN HEAR HER? ARE YOU REMOTE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UH, AND I'M HERE TO, UH, PRESENT THE 2023 ANNUAL REPORT FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.
THIS IS A REPORT THAT IS ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER BY OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT OFFICE.
AND, UM, HOW, AND BECAUSE I, THIS IS A GROUP THAT REPORTS TO ME RIGHT NOW, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PRESENTING THIS, BUT AS, UH, LIZ, UH, MENTIONED, IT'S KIND OF A SIMILAR SITUATION.
WE GATHER DATA FROM VARIOUS DIVISIONS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND WE PUT THIS REPORT TOGETHER, UH, ON OUR, ON THE PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE SO THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AND FOR 2023, OUR THEME WAS OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS.
SIMILAR TO, UH, AS LIZ MENTIONED, WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND OUR METRICS, AND WE ARE REPORTING THE VOLUME AND MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
SO IT'S A STORY IN REALLY IN NUMBERS.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE REPORT, OF COURSE, UM, OUR DIRECTOR, UM, JGE MORALES PROVIDES A, A SORT OF A VIEW OF WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE TACKLING, WHAT IS OUR CORE MISSION, AND WE ALSO MENTION OUR MISSION.
SO CLIMATE CHANGE, AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, WE FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFE, UH, SAFETY FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY, UH, FROM FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
UH, CAN YOU KEEP MOVING THAT, LIZ? THANK YOU.
SO THIS IS OUR MISSION, AS WE MENTIONED.
UM, AND SO WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THESE THREE AREAS, FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE TOP, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT, UM, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO AND LOOK AT DIFFERENT WORK, UH, WORK THAT WE DO, THE METRICS THAT WE HAVE IN THAT AREA.
SO, FLOODING, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS OBVIOUSLY THE HEART OF, UH, FLASH FLOOD ALLEY.
AND SO IN ORDER TO PREVENT, UM, PRESERVE, UH, PROTECT THE COMMUNITY ON THAT BUILDING AND MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS KEY.
SO THERE IS SOME, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR METRICS HERE THAT, UH, THAT SUPPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTING OUR CONSTRUCTING STORM WATER PONDS, INSPECTING COMMERCIAL PONDS, UH, DOING PROJECTS THAT, UH, REDUCE FLOOD RISK FOR OUR PROPERTIES.
ROADWAYS, UM, IS, ARE SOME OF THE WORK, SOME IS SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SERVICE REQUESTS THAT, UH, WE GET FOR CLEARING DEBRIS IN OUR CREEKS AND CHANNELS.
AND WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THAT OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN 2023, IF YOU GO DOWN FURTHER, UH, IT'LL SHOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE OVER, UH, 10 TIME TENFOLD INCREASE IN THE SERVICE REQUEST TICKETS AND TENFOLD INCREASE IN THE MILES OF, UH, CREEKS AND CHANNELS THAT WERE CLEARED OF DEBRIS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD THE WINTER STORM.
SO A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR WORK IN THAT AREA.
WE ALSO, UH, UH, INSTALLED OR REPLACED, UH, OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
ANOTHER AREA THAT WE FOCUS ON, IF YOU WANNA KEEP GOING FURTHER DOWN, IS, UM, OUR INS TV INSPECTION, UH, THAT WE DO FOR OUR STORM DRAIN SYSTEM THROUGH OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT AND, AND ALSO ENSURING THAT WE ARE REHABILITATING AND REPAIRING OUR STORM DRAIN PIPES OR THROUGH ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
SO ALL OF THIS WORK IS, IS TOWARDS, UH, PREVENTING OR MITIGATING THE FLOOD RISK IMPACT THAT WE HAVE.
THE NEXT AREA THAT IS FOCUSED IS, IS EROSION.
AND AGAIN, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE WORK THAT WE DO IN EROSION AREA.
UM, STREAM BANK STABILIZATION IS AN IMPORTANT AREA THERE.
UM, SO WE HAVE SOME METRICS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE, UM, WE DID IN THIS AREA.
SO IF YOU GO FURTHER DOWN, YOU WILL SEE WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE WORK THAT WE DID FOR
[00:20:01]
THE ROJI G**O CHANNEL, UM, ROJI GUERRERO CREEK EROSION PROJECT.WE COMPLETED ACTUALLY 11 PROJECTS IN 2023, WHICH IS, UH, QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE, UM, ANOTHER COUPLE OF OTHER PROJECTS WE HAVE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES THAT WE'LL SHOW, UH, FOR WILLIAMSON CREEK.
UM, TWO OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE DID OVER THERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE CONSTRUCTED THOSE WALLS TO PROTECT THE PROPERTIES IN THE NEARBY AREA.
THE THIRD AREA IS WATER QUALITY.
AND, UM, THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE, THE RUNOFF IS NOT POLLUTING OUR LAKES AND CREEK AND LAKES AND RIVERS AND STREAMS. AND, UH, FOR THAT PURPOSE, WE HAVE, UM, WE DO, UH, SPILLS RESPONSE IS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH.
WE ALSO, UM, HANDLE THIS AT THE POLICY REVIEW, UH, UM, AREA.
SO WE DID MORE THAN 1100 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, UH, UH, AND REVIEW CASES THAT WE HANDLED.
WE ALSO, UH, CONSTRUCTED, UH, THE LIBERTY PARK WATER QUALITY POND THAT, UM, PREVENTED 7,900 POUNDS OF POLLUTION, UH, FROM ENTERING INTO OUR WATERSHED.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO, UH, WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRESERVING AND PROTECTING OUR, IMPROVING OUR CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.
UM, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF VIDEOS THAT ACTUALLY, UM, SHOWCASE, UM, SORT OF, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE AD FOR PEOPLE TO SEE.
WE REMOVED 26.6 MILLION GALLONS OF, UH, WE RECOVERED 26.6 MILLION GALLONS OF POLLUTION THROUGH OUR SPILLS RESPONSE PROGRAM.
AND A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILLION POUNDS OF PET WASTE THROUGH THE SCOOP TO POOP PROGRAM.
WE ALSO HAVE STORM WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES THAT, UH, THAT, UH, REMOVE ANNUALLY THE, EXCUSE ME, POLLUTION FROM STORM WATER.
WE DO, UH, GROW GREEN PROGRAMS FOR OUR, UM, COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, ENCOURAGING CONSERVATION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING PRACTICES.
UM, AND THEN WE DIVERTED, UH, 1.4 MILLION, UH, GALLONS OF STORM WATER FROM, BY USING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES LIKE RAIN GARDEN, UH, AIR AREAS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED OUR, UM, HABIT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE BLIND SALAMANDERS.
UM, IN, IN OUR REPORT OF GOING FURTHER DOWN, A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THAT WERE PRIORITIES FOR OUR DEPARTMENT WERE EQUITY AND OUR RAIN TWO RIVER PLAN.
SO EQUITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, OUR PRO EQUITY PROGRAM MANAGER, KAI, HAS COME TO YOU AND PRESENTED OUR EQUITY PROGRAM.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRAINING OUR STAFF AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT, HOW IMPORTANT EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS IS.
UH, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO NORMALIZE AND OPERATIONALIZE OUR, UM, EQUITY IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN OUR OPERATIONS.
AND SO WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH EQUITY LENS.
AND KAI DOES, UH, A GREAT JOB OF HELPING US DO THAT.
UH, RAIN TWO RIVER, YOU ARE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH, UH, RAIN TWO RIVER IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY TELL US WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO WORK OVER THE NEXT 10 TO 12 YEARS.
THIS IS OUR BIG STRATEGIC PLAN EFFORT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE IS WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING VERY INCLUSIVE IN HOW WE DEVELOP THIS PLAN.
SO WE HAVE DONE A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, GET DATA FROM WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
WE HAVE ALL THIS DATA, AND NOW WE HAVE A CONSULTANT ON BOARD WHO IS GOING TO HELP US SYNTHESIZE THAT DATA AND, AND CREATE A WORK PRODUCT THAT, THAT WE WILL TAKE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS IS, THIS IS THE PLAN THAT IS GOING TO, UM, TELL US WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO FOR NEXT 10 TO 12 YEARS, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEARING THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF ALL OF AUSTIN AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE A LITTLE BRAG SHEET, UH, WITH, NOT TO SAY THAT THE REST OF IT IS NOT BRAG WORTHY, BUT, UH, WE HAVE SOME AWARDS THAT OUR STAFF MEMBERS WON AND OUR DEPARTMENT WON, AND WE WANTED TO SHOWCASE THAT.
UM, SO, SO THAT IS THE REPORT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST PAGE IS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF OUR, UH, BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE REPORT AGAIN, AS, UH, AS LIZ MENTIONED, UH, THIS IS A WORK OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UM, IN ORDER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, IF, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY IN THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR, JORGE, UH, ONLINE.
SO IF THERE ARE ANYTHING THAT, ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE WANNA ASK HIM, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO.
WE ALSO HAVE VERY ACCOMPLISHED STAFF MEMBERS, SOME OF THEM HERE, SO MAYBE THEY WILL HELP ME ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.
[00:25:01]
UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.DO ANY OF THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? ONE, ONE THING THAT I WANNA PUT ON, UH, WHAT KIND OF, UH, WE'RE NOT HEARING, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN MICROPHONE.
HOW ABOUT NOW? CAN YOU HEAR ME? NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
OH, WE'RE NOT HEARING SHIRA EITHER.
UM, HERE COMES THE TECH SUPPORT.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN A YEAR OR TWO YEARS? OKAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, WE JUST GOT SOUND NOW WE HAVE ECHO
UH, CAN YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? YEAH, THE POINT IS THAT WITH THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS THIS ANNEXATION OF, UH, SOME OF OUR ETJ THAT MIGHT CHANGE SOME OF THE ISSUES, SOME OF THE WATER QUALITY UPSTREAM.
AND, UM, SO THAT I, I WANT, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT UNDER THE FUTURE AGENDA, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, MS. MORALES KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT NOW ABOUT, MIGHT AFFECT, UM, FUTURE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? THIS IS LIZ, AND HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN WITH THE ECHO.
SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE DO A RECESS TO WORK OUT THE TECHNICAL ISSUES OR? OKAY.
UM, ABOUT MAYBE FIVE MINUTES, 10 MINUTES.
WE'RE GONNA RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES TO TRY AND, UH, WORK OUT THE TECHNICAL ISSUES, GUYS.
UH, WE'RE READY TO COME BACK FROM RECESS.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, WERE YOU DONE WITH YOUR QUESTION OR WHAT'S YOUR COM COMMENTS? OKAY,
I CAN, UH, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
SO JUST TO FURTHER, UH, EXPOUND ON WHAT COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SAID, UM, HE WAS REFERRING TO SOMETHING THAT I POINTED ON, POINTED OUT ON THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT WAS RELATED TO SENATE BILL 2038, WHICH WAS APPROVED IN THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH IS IN EFFECT AS OF, UM, AUGUST.
THIS BILL DOES ALLOW ANYONE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM A MUNICIPALITIES EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, UM, VERY EASILY.
THEY JUST HAVE TO BASICALLY GO THROUGH A PROCESS THAT IS PROCESSED AT OUR, UM, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THEY ARE AFTER, UM, A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME REMOVED FROM OUR ETJ, MEANING THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO MEET OUR REGULATIONS ANY LONGER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REGULATIONS THAT TRAVIS COUNTY HAS.
SO IF IT REVERTS TO UNINCORPORATED TRAVIS COUNTY, THERE'S STILL DRAINAGE AND FLOODPLAIN AND THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION REVIEW, BUT IT DOES REALLY GREATLY AFFECT ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, SO THAT IS MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE WILL, WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION NOW ABOUT HOW THAT WILL AFFECT OUR ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, MONITORING IT AND, AND, UM, INCORPORATING THAT INFORMATION INTO THE UPCOMING YEARS, UM, IN THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
UM, COMMISSIONER SHERA, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I THOUGHT I, OKAY.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE I'VE READ RECENTLY THAT THERE'S, LIKE, THERE'S A PLANNED REDUCTION IN CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, AND I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW WATERSHED, UM, PROVIDES FEEDBACK FOR THAT PRIORITIZATION OR DEPRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS AND HOW THAT MIGHT RELATE TO THE STATUS OF THE STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.
SO YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT CORRIDOR PROJECTS? YES.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO CORRIDOR PROJECTS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT SPECIFICALLY.
THEY DO HAVE TO MEET ALL OF OUR REGULATIONS AND, UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MEETING DRAINAGE,
[00:30:01]
WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS MAY ADD TO THE OVERALL COST OF A PROJECT.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT WOULD GO INTO IT.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION BEYOND, YOU KNOW, THEY MEET OUR OWN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO MEET OUR OWN REGULATIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE A CITY ENTITY, SO, MM-HMM.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE WATERSHED IS PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THOSE, ON THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE CORRIDOR PROJECTS, OR NO? I AM NOT SURE.
I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO SPEAK WITH FOLKS, UM, IN OTHER WORK GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I GIVE YOU THE CORRECT ANSWER.
THIS IS JORGE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, YES.
I APOLOGIZE, I CAN'T TURN ON MY CAMERA.
BUT THE CIP PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY, BY PROGRAMS AND CAPITAL CORRIDOR WAS PRIORITIZED SEPARATELY.
UH, SO WE DO REVIEW IT, LIKE LIZ SAID, AND WE ALSO TRY TO INCORPORATE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE CAN, UH, SCOPE OUT IN THEIR, WITHIN THEIR LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION AS WELL WHEN THERE'S DRAINAGE NEEDS.
WE'VE DONE THAT ON CERTAIN CORRIDORS.
I KNOW SOUTH MAR WE WERE DOING A PARTNERSHIP, BUT WE'VE ADDED FUNDING.
AND SO DEPENDING WHICH PROJECTS GET DELAYED, IT, IT COULD IMPACT ON SOMETHING WE WERE GONNA DO AS FAR AS THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS.
BUT GENERALLY, THE PRIORITIZATIONS OF THOSE CORRIDORS WERE SET SEPARATELY THROUGH THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE.
AND TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CAN PROBABLY SPEAK BETTER ON HOW THEY'RE PRIORITIZING THAT.
THAT COULD BE MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN REQUEST FOR THEM TO COME PRESENT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE.
I, I THINK, UM, THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE IF IT RELATES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR NOT.
SO IF, IF I HAD A SECOND MAYBE, AND WE HAD TIME ON THE AGENDA, BUT, UM, I, I GUESS I'LL WAIT AND DEFER FOR ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
UM, WELL, I GUESS IF ANYTHING WE COULD MENTION IT AT WHEN IT'S TIME FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND WE CAN FALL, UM, TERM, UH, I'M GETTING TONGUE TIED.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, NO QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA THANK STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO THANK STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
UM, WHOEVER DOES Y'ALL'S WEBSITES AND PRESENTATIONS PROBABLY DOESN'T GET PAID ENOUGH, SO SHOUT OUT TO THEM.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE ALL UNDERPAID.
YOU COULD TELL BY THE AMOUNT OF HAND CLAPS IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, IN MORE SERIOUS, UH, TOPICS.
I SAW, UM, IN ONE OF THE SECTIONS OF THE REPORT, I FORGET WHICH ONE THAT AUSTIN HAS, LIKE ONLY 10% OF ITS, UH, AREA IS PARKLAND AND THAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 15%.
I WAS WONDERING IF Y'ALL COULD GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT BEHIND THAT.
IS THERE LIKE A HISTORICAL REASON THAT THAT'S THE CASE? IS IT JUST THAT'S HOW IT GOES? AND THEN I'M ALSO KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THE AUSTIN METRO AS A WHOLE, UH, BECAUSE I ASSUME THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S NUMBER WAS JUST FOR THE CITY ITSELF.
WE'LL TAKE NOTE OF THE QUESTION AND, UM, GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT SINCE WE DON'T HAVE PARK STAFF HERE.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WANTED TO GIVE THE FOLKS WHO CREATED A WEBSITE A SHOUT OUT.
AS SOMEONE WHO'S REGULARLY TRYING TO NAVIGATE CITY WEBSITES, THEY'RE ALL OFTEN, YOU KNOW, CLUNKY AND NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, EASY TO DIGEST.
AND I THINK THESE ARE REALLY ARTFULLY PUT TOGETHER.
SO IT MIGHT SEEM TRIVIAL, BUT I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK THIS IS PART OF GETTING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AND IT WAS PRESENTED REALLY WELL.
AND I ALSO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO READ INTO THE RECORD THE AWARDS THAT THIS DEPARTMENT WON, BECAUSE WHY NOT? UM,
SO THE LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, CANTERBURY AT MILDRED EMERGENCY STREET AND UTILITY REPAIR WITH AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION'S, PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT OF THE YEAR IN DISASTER OR EMERGENCY REPAIR.
UM, ALSO 2023 ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS FOR THE LADY BIRD LAKE PROJECT.
UM, SHOUT OUT TO LAZARO CARDENAS FOR THE DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, UM, AND MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR ROLE THAT HE'S IN.
FIRST IN THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION,
[00:35:01]
NATIONAL RODEO BACKHOE COMPETITION.UM, AND THEN SARAH CAMPBELL, CONSERVATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR, PRESIDENT'S AWARD OF MERIT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE ABOR CULTURE, TEXAS CHAPTER.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF AS A CITY, AND YOUR WORK AS A DEPARTMENT IS JUST EXEMPLARY, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
VERY GOOD WORK AND I APPRECIATE IT.
I AM A HUGE FAN OF THE STORY MAP FORMAT AND HAVING THAT GIS DATA BEHIND IT, THIS WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR ME, ONBOARDING AS A NEW COMMISSIONER TO BE ABLE TO DIG IN.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE KEEPING THIS FORMAT AND HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF DATA BEHIND THIS.
SO I ALSO APPRECIATE THE STORIES THAT ARE IN THIS AS WELL, NOT JUST THE DATA, UM, LEARNED A LOT ABOUT ACCC AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER INITIATIVES, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO ALSO, I LOVE LIKE THE FORMAT OF WHOEVER DID THE WEB PAGES WAY BETTER THAN STATE PAGES.
JUST ONE, ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, PART OF THE PRESENTATION WAS TALKING ABOUT POLLUTION RECOVERY, AND I WAS WONDERING IF, UM, YOU COULD SPEAK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT POLLUTION RECOVERY VERSUS POLLUTION REMOVAL, IF THERE IS ANY, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS.
BECAUSE I NOTICED YOU SAID ONE WORD AND THEN YOU SWITCHED TO ANOTHER WORD, AND I THOUGHT, OH, THERE MUST BE A DIFFERENCE.
AND IF YOU COULD TALK TO THAT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE SYNONYMOUS WORDS.
UM, SO IT'S BASICALLY REFERRING TO, WELL, I THINK IN, IN A SPILL SITUATION, YOU COULD RECOVER THE POLLUTION, BUT IN A, IF YOU BUILD A BIOFILTRATION POND, THEN THAT KIND OF GETS, UM, UH, RE UH, WHAT WAS THE RECOVERED VERSUS REMOVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU MAY SAY REMOVED OR RECOVERED, BUT I THINK EITHER ONE IS FAIRLY SYNONYMOUS.
AND I'M SURE THIS IS IN THE WEBSITE THAT I CAN DELVE INTO, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF POLLUTION THAT THEN REQUIRE RECOVERY FROM, UM, DEVELOPMENT, IMPERVIOUS COVER SURFACES, DRIVEWAYS, ROADWAYS, BUILDINGS, UM, THAT IS WHAT MOST OF OUR PONDS ARE BUILT TO, UM, TO RECOVER POLLUTANTS FROM THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, TOP OF THE MIND THERE.
SO RECOVERY WAS REALLY IN CONTEXT OF SPILLS RESPONSE.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE LIKE, UH, AN 18 WHEELER GOES OVER AND THEN YOU HAVE OIL SPILLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT MM-HMM.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE MOST OF THAT, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE LOOK AT.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT SPILLS RECOVERY IN PARTICULAR.
WELL, ONE QUESTION FROM, OH, UM, FROM THE STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, LET'S SEE.
LIKE, I NOTICED THERE WAS, UH, THREE AIR QUALITY MONITORS AND THEY WERE ALL AT, UM, THREE LIBRARY BRANCHES.
AND I WAS KIND OF WONDERING IF THERE WAS A REASON WHY THEY WERE AT THOSE CERTAIN LIBRARIES.
UM, LIKE, UH, IT WAS ZEPEDA, UM, RUIZ AND SOUTHEAST KAYLA LIN WATERSHED PROTECTION, I BELIEVE THOSE ARE THE STATE MONITORS.
AND I DID SEE LIKE, UM, THERE WERE GONNA BE SIX.
WELL, YEAH, I, I CAN ANSWER THAT CHAIRMAN.
COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? WELL, THE, THERE'S ONE UP, UH, NORTH ON I 35 ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, IT'S A PARTICULATE MATTER MONITOR.
THERE'S ONE AT, UH, AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, THERE'S ONE UP IN, UM, NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
I MEAN, I, IT'S EASY TO LOOK THIS UP.
I, I, I'LL DISTRIBUTE THE, UH, WEBSITE THAT SHOWS, UM, WHERE YOU CAN LOOK UP ALL THE MONITORS.
BUT THE ONES THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MAINLAND THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF OUR CITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE POLLUTION BUILDS UP.
AND, BUT ALSO THERE'S A, THE PURPLE BEE PROJECT IS ONE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING CHEAP INSTRUMENTS, AND I THINK THAT WAS REFERRED TO IN ONE OF THE REPORTS.
AND, UM, THOSE TEND TO BE AT, AT PUBLIC BUILDINGS LIKE LIBRARIES.
AND THOSE ARE LOW COST MONITORS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, MEET THE EPA STANDARDS, BUT, UM, IT'S A WAY TO GET A GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHERE POLLUTION IS.
AND YEAH, AND THAT WAS ONE THING I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS LIKE A SPECIFIC REASON WHY, UM, PLACING THEM AT THE LIBRARIES OR IF IT WAS JUST LIKE EASY ACCESS TO CITY RESOURCES? UM, NO, IT'S PUBLIC.
IT'S PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN GENERAL.
[00:40:01]
MM-HMM.AND, UM, LET'S SEE, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION FROM, UM, THE WATERSHED REPORT.
UM, LET'S SEE, IT WAS MENTIONED THERE WERE LIKE 10 TIMES, LIKE NOW WE'RE, YOU'RE GETTING 10 TIMES THE, UM, SERVICE CREEK REQUEST.
AND I WANTED, I WANTED TO, I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A CERTAIN SIDE OF TOWN THAT SEEMS TO GET MORE, MORE OF THE REQUESTS AND OTHERS, OR IF IT'S LIKE, UM, A CER A REASON WHY THAT IS, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF POINTED OUT.
UH, ANUPA, DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER? UM, WHERE DO YOU, WE MAY NEED TO GET WITH STAFF ON THIS AND GET BACK TO YOU, BUT WHY, WHERE MORE SERVICE REQUESTS ARE, LIKE WHAT PART OF TOWN THEY COME FROM? LIKE, DOES IT SEEM LIKE TO BE ALL OVER AT THE 10 TIMES MORE IT IS, OR IS IT LIKE MORE LIKE, OKAY, WHERE WE'RE GETTING 10 TIMES MORE IN ONION CREEK OR 10 TIMES MORE AND LIKE, UM, WALNUT CREEK OR JUST, JUST SOMETHING THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD? THIS IS, THIS IS JORGE.
I JUST, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I DON'T KNOW RAM RAMESH ON THE, UH, ON THE CALL OR NOT.
BUT, UH, THE NUMBERS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE OF WINTER STORM MARA AND THE, THE DEBRIS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, UH, THE BRUSH AND DEBRIS.
RAMESH, I'LL LET RAMESH SPEAK MORE TO THAT.
MY NAME IS RAMESH, I'M AN AS DIRECTOR.
UH, SO WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WAS AFTER, UH, WINTER STORM MARA, WE HAD, UH, SORT OF LIKE ANUPA MENTIONED, LIKE ALMOST A 250% INCREASE IN SERVICE REQUEST.
AND A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH, UH, OUR TREES WERE DAMAGED QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT STORM, BUT ALSO THE, THE STORM WHEN STORM URI AND THERE WAS A DROUGHT IN BETWEEN.
AND THEN WE HAD WINDSTORM MORRIS, IT WAS LIKE A, THE TREES WERE IMPACTED SUBSTANTIALLY.
UH, WE LOST ALMOST 35% OF OUR CANOPY AS, AS A RESULT OF THE STORM.
AND A LOT OF THE TREES RESULTED IN THE BRANCHES FALLING INTO OUR CREEKS.
SO CONVEYANCE IN THE CREEK WAS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR US.
AND AS A RESULT, WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF, UH, RESIDENTS CALLING IN FOR, UH, REMOVING DEBRIS FROM THE CREEKS AND ALSO LIKE DEBRIS FROM THE, FROM THE STREET RIGHT AWAY ITSELF.
SO THAT WAS A PART OF THE REASON WHY WE HAD SO MANY SERVICE REQUESTS.
IS THAT, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I THINK SO, YEAH.
THAT WAS ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU.
DID YOU SAY WE LOST 35% OF OUR TREE CANOPY COVER? YES.
AS PART A RESULT OF, UH, YEAH.
THOSE, LIKE, UH, TEXAS A AND M HAS A, HAS A STUDY OUT, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 1.6 MILLION TREES WERE IMPACTED.
AND ARE YOU, IS, IS THAT LIKE PERMANENTLY WHEEL, I MEAN, WELL, ARE THOSE TREES THAT ARE COMPLETELY FELL OR JUST BRANCHES THAT THEN CAN BE, YOU KNOW, REGROWN OR HOW IS THAT MEASURED EXACTLY.
UH, WE HAD TREES THAT LITERALLY DID DIE COMPLETELY, AND SO WE HAD TO TAKE THEM DOWN.
BUT THEN SOME OF THEM, WHICH LOST LIKE A HUGE PART OF THE CANOPY THAT, UH, WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE, UH, THEY'LL COME BACK IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A FUNCTION OF ALL OF THE ABOVE.
AND SO IS THAT BEING MEASURED? THE, THE RECOVERY? UH, WE WATERSHED DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A PROGRAM TO GO.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE A LAND MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT WE ARE FORMING RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, PEOPLE WHO GO AND SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THE HEALTH OF EACH AND EVERY TREE.
BUT WHAT WE DO DO IS WE DO INSPECTION TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE'S A TREE THAT'S GOING TO BE LIKE UNHEALTHY, IT'S GONNA FALL INTO THE CREEK AND CAUSE UH, BLOCKAGE, WE WILL GO AND TRY TO REMOVE THOSE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF LIKE IN A PREVENTAL CARE.
WE PARTNER WITH A CCC, ACTUALLY, AND A FEW OTHER NON-PROFITS TO GO AND REMOVE SOME OF THOSE VEGETATION.
UH, BUT WE, WE'LL, I, I CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ON IF THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES WHO ARE GOING AND MEASURING THE HEALTH OF THE, THE TREES RIGHT NOW.
I'LL POINT OUT, WHOA, I WILL POINT OUT THAT, UM, PART OF THE CLIMATE INVESTMENT PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS IS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE TREE STUDY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YEAH, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW IF, I KNOW IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS COUNCILMAN ALTO, I SHOULD KNOW THAT, UH, THAT
IS THAT IN, IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR? UH, COULD YOU, ARE YOU ASKING IF,
[00:45:01]
COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION PLEASE? UH, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTO HAD THE, UH, ITEM FOR COUNCIL THAT, UH, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERI'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE STAFF BRIEFING SKIES.
[3. 3 Men Movers, SP-2023-0294C]
WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS.UM, FIRST UP IS THREE MEN MOVERS, UM, SP DASH 2 0 2 3 DASH 0 2 9 4 C HOLLIS SHEFFER WESTWOOD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
I'M ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SPECIALIST SENIOR WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UH, I REVIEWED THREE MEN MOVERS, AND I'M, UH, HAVE THE VARIANCE TO SHOW TO YOU TONIGHT.
ACTUALLY, I, THERE WAS ANOTHER SLIDE.
THIS I BELIEVE IS THE APPLICANT'S.
SO AGAIN, YES, IT'S, UH, THREE-MAN MOVERS.
UH, THAT IS THE GENERAL PROJECT LOCATION.
AND THAT IS THE SPECIFIC LOCATION WITH THE OUTLINE OF THE LOT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE IT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TWO 90, UH, AND JUST BEFORE SH ONE 30, YOU'D SEE IT GOING OUT TOWARDS MAINOR.
SO, IT IS FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION, UH, IN AUSTIN.
IT IS WITHIN THE DESIRE DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
UH, I, I'VE NEVER GOTTEN CONSENSUS ON THIS WATERSHED.
UH, GIL GILLAND, GILLAND, GILLAND CREEK WATERSHED.
UH, IT IS A SUBURBAN WATERSHED.
IT IS NOT LOCATED OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
THERE ARE NO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, WETLANDS OR CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES ON SITE.
IT'S NOT, NOT A, NOT A WET SITE.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 5.415 ACRES IN SIZE AND IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
SO THE VARIANCE REQUEST IS FOR, UH, CODE 25 8 3 4 1, WHICH IS CUT REQUIREMENTS, UH, CUTS ON TRACK OF THE LAND, MAY NOT EXCEED FOUR FEET OF DEPTH.
SO THIS VARIANCE IS FOUR, UH, TO ALLOW CUT FROM FOUR TO 12 FEET.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE RED, THE, THE DEEP RED IS, UH, EIGHT TO 12, AND THEN THE PINK IS MORE FROM FOUR TO EIGHT FEET OF CUT, UH, ANO.
THE SECOND VARIANCE IS FOR 25 8 3 4 2 FILL REQUIREMENTS.
FILL UNATTRACTIVE LAND MAY NOT EXCEED FOUR FEET OF DEPTH.
UH, THIS VARIANCE IS REQUESTING TO FILL FROM FOUR TO 15 FEET, UH, AND YOU'LL SEE BELOW.
AND THAT IS THE GREEN AREA IS FROM EIGHT TO 15 FEET.
AND THEN THE MINT COLOR IS FROM FOUR TO EIGHT FEET.
THE THIRD VARIANCE IS 25 8 3 0 1 CONSTRUCTION OF A ROADWAY OR DRIVEWAY.
UH, AND SAYS A PERSON MAY NOT CONSTRUCT ROADWAY OR DRIVEWAY ON A SLOPE WITH A GRADIENT OF MORE THAN 15%.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE A ROADWAY UP ON THE, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S TRUE NORTH AND PLAN NORTH.
AND, UH, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE, UH, THERE'S A DRIVE WITH SOME, UH, ON TOP OF SOME LARGE SLOPES AND ALSO A BIT ON THE, UM, PLAN WEST.
UH, OH, THERE'S, UH, ONE MORE VARIANCE ON THAT ONE.
UH, 25 8 3 0 2 CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING OR PARKING AREA.
UH, AND A PERSON MAY NOT CONSTRUCT OR A BUILDING OR PARKING STRUCTURE ON A SLOPE WITH GRADING OF MORE THAN 25%.
AND YOU CAN, UH, SEE THAT THIS, UH, VARIOUS REQUEST IS, UH, FOR THE AREA ALSO TO PLAN NORTHEAST AND PLAN SOUTH.
UH, THAT IS A, UH, I BELIEVE A DOCKING BAY FOR TRUCKS.
AND THERE ON THE PLAN WEST IS JUST GENERAL PARKING.
SO, SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS SITE.
WHEN I WAS DOING THIS REVIEW, UH, YOU CAN NOTICE THAT IT USED TO BE FAIRLY FLAT.
IT USED TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, BLACKLAND PRAIRIE OVER ON, ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, UH, PRETTY
[00:50:01]
UBIQUITOUS.UH, IT WAS USED AS A SPOIL SITE FOR SOME ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
UH, I DID NOT DELVE DEEP ENOUGH TO KNOW WHICH ROAD IT WAS FROM WHERE THAT CAME, BUT JUST AROUND APPROXIMATELY 2008.
UM, THE REASON THERE'S SO MUCH CUT AND FILL AND SLOPES ON THIS SITE, UM, TO BE REQUIRED FOR THIS VARIANCE IS BECAUSE OF ALL THAT, UH, ROAD SLOUGH.
SO, UH, VARIANCES FOR GRADING AND CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES HAVE BEEN GRANTED FOR PROJECTS WITH SIMILAR SITE CONSTRAINTS, SPECIFICALLY ROAD DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES AND TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS CREATED FROM HISTORIC USE AS A SPOIL SITE.
UH, THIS VARIANCE IS NECESSITATED BY TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES, NOT DESIGNED CHOICE.
UH, IT IS THE MINI MINIMUM DEVIATION FROM THE CODE.
THEY'VE KIND OF MIDDLED OUT, UH, THE DIFFERENCES.
UH, AND IT IS UNLIKELY TO RESULT IN HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, UH, TO THE VARIANCE BY ITSELF.
AND WATER QUALITY WILL BE EQUAL TO WATER QUALITY, UH, WITH OR WITHOUT THE VARIANCE AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCES, UH, HAVING DETERMINED THE FINDINGS OF FACT HAVE BEEN MET WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
WE, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SOUTH END.
SO THIS IS THE SOUTH END OF THE SITE WITH LARGE SLOPES ON THE LEFT HAND, BOTTOM SIDE OF THAT, WE REQUESTED THAT THEY TERRACE THAT TO AVOID ANY, UH, MAJOR EROSION.
UH, WE'VE, UH, THEY'VE VEGETATED THAT AREA WITH, UH, 6 0 4 S UH, SEEDING, WHICH IS, UH, NATIVE SEEDING, UH, FOR THE AREA.
UH, AND I'M GONNA SKIP TO THREE BECAUSE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE ALSO, THERE IS, UH, FIVE ADDITIONAL TREES THAT ARE BEYOND ANY OTHER REQUIREMENT THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE BY CODE.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
BUT THERE ARE THREE EXPANDED PARKING ISLANDS THAT ARE ABOUT 17 FEET IN WIDTH.
UH, THOSE ARE TO PROMOTE TREE GROWTH AND, UH, ALLOW FOR, UM, JUST A LITTLE MORE GREEN AREA IN THE PARKING LOT.
UM, WE HAVE APPLICANT HERE, RIGHT? HANG, I'M WITH WESTWOOD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, WE WERE THE ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT, AND I'VE ALSO GOT, UH, SCOTT SIN HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
UM, HE'S A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, UH, WITH OUR FIRM.
UH, I'M GONNA DO A, A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
RYAN DID A, A EXCELLENT JOB OF KIND OF SUMMARIZING, SUMMARIZING WHAT WE GOT, UH, GOING ON AT THIS SITE.
UM, JUST KIND OF PULL UP, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF, UH, A RENDERING OF THE SITE.
SO WE'VE GOT A, ABOUT A 72,000 SQUARE FOOT, UM, WAREHOUSE BUILDING, UH, WITH A, A DRIVE VILE AROUND, UH, THE FRONT AND, AND, UH, LEFT SIDES THERE.
AND THEN A, UM, UH, LOADING DOCK AREA, UH, AROUND THE BACKSIDE.
UM, THE PROJECT, UH, THE SITE IS ZONED, UH, CS, UH, SO COMMERCIAL SERVICES, UM, WE WOULD BE LIMITED TO, UH, 80% IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, FOR THE SITE.
WERE WELL BELOW THAT AT, UM, 57.5%.
UM, SO WELL BELOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WHAT WOULD BE ALLOWED.
UM, NEXT SLIDE IS JUST KIND OF, UH, BRIEFLY GOING OVER KIND OF, KIND OF OUR, UH, EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.
UM, WESTWOOD, UH, OH, I THINK I'M GONNA SLIDE BEHIND HERE.
CAN YOU GO BACK ONE, UH, OTHER WAY? SORRY, ONE MORE.
UH, OH, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DRIVING.
UM, ANYWAY, THERE'S A SLIDE THAT JUST KIND OF GOES OVER SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCE, UM, IN THE SLIDE DECK.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THIS PROJECT TYPE, UM, YOU KNOW, HERE LOCALLY IN AUSTIN, AND THEN ALSO, UH, JUST IN THE GREATER TEXAS AREA.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, JUST KIND OF TOUCHING ON THE DEMAND FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AS, UH, DEVELOPMENT KINDA MOVES FURTHER EAST, THERE IS A, UH, A LOT OF DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.
UH, LARGE WAREHOUSES, LARGE FOOT FOOTPRINTS, UH, OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE ENGINEERING DESIGN ON THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, UM, IT IS A VERY LARGE FOOTPRINT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IS REQUIRED TO BE FLAT.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AND ROLLING HILLS BECOMES A CHALLENGE ON CUT AND FILL.
UM, YOU KNOW, BRIAN TOUCHED ON IT.
THIS SITE WAS USED AS A SPOILED SPOILS AREA FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, I THINK IT WAS, UH, FOR
[00:55:01]
THE ONE 30 CONSTRUCTION.UM, BUT THAT, THAT ALSO ADDED, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL MATERIAL TO THE SITE, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDED TO THAT CHALLENGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR TRUCK DRIVES, UH, ON THIS TYPE OF PROJECT, OUR LIMITED, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT YOUR TRUCK, YOU KNOW, TOO SLOPED.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, TYING IN ACCESS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE BUILDING BECOMES A CHALLENGE.
SO, UM, SO, UH, I GUESS WE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE, SO THIS WAS OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, UH, ORIGINALLY WE WERE AT ABOUT 13 AND A HALF FEET OF, UH, CUT AND, UM, ALMOST 16 FEET OF FILL, UM, IN, IN THIS SCENARIO.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE WORK WITH STAFF ON, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH A, UH, A BETTER SOLUTION.
UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE KIND OF SHOWS WHAT, WHAT PROPOSED CHANGES.
WE, WE, UH, WE WORKED WITH THEM ON.
UM, SO WE RELOCATED THAT DRIVE, SO WE WEREN'T HAVING TO CUT THAT OUT, UM, QUITE AS MUCH.
UM, WE ADDED THE, UH, UH, SO ORIGINALLY THAT, THAT AREA ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WHAT I'M, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE BACK END OF THE PROJECT, UH, THAT WAS ALL JUST DONE AT THREE TO ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ENDED UP TERRACING DOWN, UH, THREE OR FOUR TERRACES.
UH, WE, WHICH ALLOWED US TO, YOU KNOW, PLANT THAT, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME TREES.
I THINK IT WAS SHOWN ON, UH, ON ONE OF HIS SLIDES.
UM, INSTEAD OF DOING THE THREE TO ONE, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ADDED THE, UH, THE ADDITIONAL TREE ISLANDS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SITE, UM, IT'S BASICALLY ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE OF WHAT A REGULAR TREE ISLAND WOULD BE.
SO, SO THAT, THAT BROUGHT US TO KIND OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, SO DROP THE, THE CUT DOWN TO, UH, A LITTLE UNDER 12 FEET, AND WE'RE BELOW 15 FEET ON THE FILL SIDE, UM, WITH THOSE CHANGES.
AND THEN THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES ARE KIND OF DETAILED LANDSCAPING, UM, OF THE FRONT AND AND REAR OF THE SITE.
SO YOU'VE GOT TREES ALONG THE FRONTAGE THERE OF TWO 90.
UM, AND THEN KIND OF TURNING THE CORNER THERE AROUND THE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SITE.
UM, OUR, UH, WATER QUALITY POND, KIND OF ALONG THAT, UM, DIAGONAL, UH, OF THE BUILDING, UH, THE BIO RETENTION, UM, POND FOR THIS SITE.
AND THEN THAT'S SHOWING THE, THE TREES, UH, PLANTED IN THAT TERRACE AREA.
UM, SO YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY'RE THREE FOOT WALLS STEPPED UP AND ABOUT 10 FEET WIDE, UH, ON THE TERRACE.
SO, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO, TO PLANT THAT VERSUS JUST HAVING A, YOU KNOW, A THREE TO ONE SLOPE BACK THERE.
SO, AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN THAT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FOR THIS ONE? NO.
UH, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
LET'S START WITH REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
NO QUESTIONS FROM SULLIVAN? NONE FROM SHERA NICHOLS? NOPE.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW ALSO, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY PLANS TO LIKE, HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON THE BUILDING.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT APPLICANT'S PLANS ARE FOR LIKE DARK SKY COMPLIANCE, STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND, UH, MAYBE EVEN, UH, ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR EMPLOYEES.
UM, THAT WAS MY, THOSE ARE MY ONLY QUESTIONS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO, TO, UH, TO DO SOLAR ON, ON THIS FACILITY.
UM, UH, YEAH, I, I, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY COMES INTO PLAY MORE ON THE BUILDING SIDE, UH, OF THINGS.
SO WHEN THEY, UM, WHEN THEY GO IN FOR THEIR BUILDING PERMIT, THAT'S WHEN THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE.
UH, COMMISSIONER GER? NONE FOR RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU'RE REMOVING THE FILL FROM THE ROAD, PREVIOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
UM, NOT REMOVING, I MEAN, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE REGRADING THE SITE TO, UH, TO GRADE IT FOR THE, THE PROJECT.
UH, I GUESS I'M KIND OF ON THE SAME QUESTION.
THIS IS PROBABLY MORE FOR STAFF JUST GENERALLY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE HAVE SORT OF THIS
[01:00:01]
HUMAN MODIFIED GRADE, HOW LONG, YOU KNOW, AS A SPOIL SITE OR OTHERWISE, IS IT, YOU KNOW, IN THAT CONDITION WHERE BEFORE IT NEEDS TO ACTUALLY HAVE A VARIANCE LIKE THIS? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.UM, MIKE AND I HAVE THESE SORT OF CONVERSATIONS ALL THE TIME WHEN THESE SORT OF THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE, UH, IT IS DIFFICULT.
SO THE INTENT OF THE, THE CODE IS TO, TO PROTECT NATURALLY OCCURRING SLOPES, UM, AND TO PREVENT CUT AND FILL TO, YOU KNOW, LIMIT, UM, UH, THIS SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE NEEDING TO IMPORT OR HAUL OFF, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BALANCE THE, THE CUT AND FILL ON THE SITE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, WHAT WAS THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY, AND, AND SOMETIMES WE DO, LIKE, IF IT WERE A SLOPES ISSUE, WE WOULD SOMETIMES JUST SAY, WELL, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A ROAD CUT, FOR EXAMPLE, OR, UM, SOMETHING, OR A RETAINING WALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT WHAT THE CODE IS, IS, UM, INTENDING TO, UM, TO PRO TO PROTECT.
BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE REALLY GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT A SITE USED TO LOOK LIKE, AND IF IT IS THERE LONG ENOUGH OR WE DON'T HAVE GOOD INFORMATION, OR IF IT WAS PERMITTED, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT THE SITE IS.
AND SO WE, WE DO KIND OF MAKE JUDGMENT CALLS ON THAT.
UH, MIKE MCDOUGALL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, DSDI JUST WANNA GIVE A KIND OF A TANGIBLE EXAMPLE OF THE SITUATION.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CODE ALLOWS A SWIMMING POOL TO BE DUG MORE THAN FOUR FEET DEEP.
OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE WANT SWIMMING POOLS DEEPER THAN FOUR FEET.
THE CODE DOESN'T ALLOW A SWIMMING POOL TO BE BACKFILLED.
SO A STRICT APPLICATION OF CODE MEANS THAT IF SOMEBODY DIGS A SWIMMING POOL, THEN IT ABANDONS THE SWIMMING POOL, THEY NEED A VARIANCE TO FILL IT BACK IN.
SO WE APPLY SOME JUDGMENT TO THE SITUATION, UH, WHERE WE CAN, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE SOMEBODY GET A VARIANCE TO ABANDONED THEIR SWIMMING POOL OR LEAVE A, AN ABANDONED SWIMMING POOL, YOU KNOW, VACANT AND EMPTY FOR ALL TIME.
THIS SITUATION WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WE COULDN'T, UM, REALLY WIND BACK THE CLOCK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING, UH, WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
UM, AND I BELIEVE SINCE, UH, ONE 30 WAS A STATE PROJECT, THEY WOULDN'T NEEDED A CITY PERMIT.
UH, SO, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE SITUATION WHEN WAS CHALL, WHAT THE SITUATION WAS, WAS CHALLENGING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO APPLY THE RULES AS THEY'RE WRITTEN AS BEST WE CAN BASED ON OUR, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITE CHARACTERISTICS.
SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR, FAIR ASSESSMENT.
I'D LIKE TO ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UM, TO FOLLOW ON WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER ER'S, UM, POINT, I GUESS, UH, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL, WHO'S ABSENT TONIGHT, UH, CONTINUALLY ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, HOW MUCH CUT AND FILL WE GONNA CONTINUE TO ALLOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T REALLY PUSH THIS TOO FAR BECAUSE THE LAND HAS ALREADY BEEN MARRED BY FILL, YOU KNOW, WASTE OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO CHARACTERIZE IT FROM A HIGHWAY PROJECT.
SO IT WASN'T AS IF THIS WAS PRISTINE LAND THAT WAS THAT WAY FOR THE PAST 5,000 YEARS.
AND ONE COULD ARGUE THAT, WELL, WE'RE JUST KIND OF MOVING IT AROUND.
AND SO THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.
BUT I'M STILL A LITTLE BIT, UH, CONCERNED AT OUR CONTINUING SHIFTING OF THE SOIL AND, UH, REARRANGING STUFF ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP GRANTING THESE CUT AND FILL DECISIONS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE DEVELOPMENTS? I UNDERSTAND IT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR, AND I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME WHEN THESE THINGS COME UP BEFORE US.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THIS WAS A LOW ROLLING LAND FOR CENTURIES, THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
AND NOW WE'RE TURNING IT INTO, YOU KNOW, A FLAT, YOU KNOW, PARKING LOT.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT REALLY A COMMENT SO MUCH AGAINST THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S REALLY KIND OF A, A BROAD COMMENT ON WHAT ARE WE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALWAYS PRESSING THIS STUFF UP AS COMMISSIONER, UH, BRISTOL WOULD SAY, WE'RE ALWAYS PRESSING THIS STUFF UP ON THE EAST SIDE AND BURDENING THEM WITH THIS TYPE OF DE DEVELOPMENT, UH, IMPACT.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO VERY CAREFULLY LOOK AT HOW WE BURDEN THE EAST SIDE WITH THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
'CAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE WE WOULDN'T BUILD THIS OVER IN WESTLAKE, UH, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE OF THE PROPERTY AND HOW MANY HOUSES WE HAD TO BUILD BULLDOZE
[01:05:01]
TO DO IT.UH, WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T ALLOW THIS TYPE OF CUT AND FILL TO BE DONE OVER IN WEST AUSTIN AT ALL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT WAS.
ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY.
I ECHO EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID.
UM, I GUESS I HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR STAFF ON CLARIFICATION.
I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER QURESHI BRINGING UP, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TYPICAL THINGS THAT WE ASK FOR.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A VARIANCE RELATED TO CUT AND FILL, SO HOW MUCH OF THAT CAN COME INTO THE CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW? UM, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
WE, FOR, I DO WANNA DISTINGUISH VARIANCE REQUESTS FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT REQUESTS.
UM, VARIANCE REQUESTS ARE REALLY THERE TO, UM, LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC REQUESTS, THE SPECIFIC CODE THAT IS BEING VARIED TO ALLOW THE PROJECT.
AND WE DO TRY TO MINIMIZE, UM, CONDITIONS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT TO THAT REQUEST.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, STAFF LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE WHAT IS PROPOSED, UM, TO BE BETTER OR MITIGATE THE IMPACTS? UM, AND SO WE HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE CONDITIONS THERE.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU START TO ADD OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REALLY NOT RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AT ALL OR THE VARIANCE REQUESTS, THEN THAT WE GET INTO KIND OF A, A, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR, OUR LAWYERS START TO TALK ABOUT THAT, AND WE DO HOPE TO HAVE THEM COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THAT TOPIC AT THE RETREAT.
UM, HOPEFULLY, UM, THIS, THIS SUMMER TO, TO DIVE INTO THAT ISSUE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT THINGS LIKE SOLAR, WHILE GREAT, ARE PROBABLY MORE OF A SUPERIORITY ITEM THAT A PUD WOULD ASK FOR.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY RELATE TO CUT AND FILL.
IT WAS MENTIONED, UH, FIVE ADDITIONAL TREES THAT WILL NOT BE APPLIED TO ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT.
I WAS KIND OF WONDERING IF YOU COULD GO INTO DETAIL WHAT ALL THAT MEANS ARE, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION PLEASE? UM, FIVE ADDITIONAL TREES THAT WILL NOT BE APPLIED TO, UM, ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT.
DSD UH, SO WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET YARD TREES.
SO WITHIN THE, THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE ROAD, UH, WE REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TREES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THAT STREET YARD.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR PARKING LOT TREES.
AND SO WITHIN 50 FEET OF EVERY PARKING SPOT, WE NEED TO HAVE A, A PARKING LOT TREE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE MITIGATION TREES, SO THEY CAN, WHEN THEY DEVELOP A SITE, THEY'LL CUT DOWN A LOT OF TREES, TYPICALLY.
AND SO THEY'LL BRING, UM, THEY'LL EITHER PLANT TREES, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS AND WAYS TO APPROACH THAT, JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF TREES THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE A HACKBERRY, THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY, UH MM-HMM.
UH, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT ARE INVASIVE, AND SO THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO, TO MITIGATE THAT.
BUT, SO WHEN THEY DID THIS PLAN, THEY, THEY DID THEIR PARKING LOT TREES, THEIR STREET YARD TREES, THEIR MITIGATION TREES.
UH, THEY, I THINK THEY EVEN HAVE SOME BUFFERING TREES THAT THEY WOULD PUT IN BETWEEN THE DRIVE AISLE OR PARKING AND THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO ONCE THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE FULFILLED, THEY, UH, THEY ADDED AN EXTRA FIVE TREES.
AND I BELIEVE FOR THIS SITE, THERE IS, THERE IS ALSO SOME MITIGATION FUNDS GOING TO, SO THEY DIDN'T REPLENISH ALL THE TREES THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN.
SO THEY'RE PAYING INTO THE TREE MITIGATION FUND.
ABOUT HOW MANY TREES ARE THEY NOT GOING TO REPLENISH OUT OF CURIOSITY? I CAN PULL THAT UP FOR YOU REAL QUICK, UNLESS YOU KNOW OFF THE CUFF.
SO, UH, MITIGATION TREE REVIEW IS DONE BY A DIFFERENT SECTION.
WE COORDINATE WITH 'EM CLOSELY, SO WE DON'T, WE CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE IT ON HAND AVAILABLE.
IF YOU'LL JUST GIVE ME ONE MINUTE.
AND THE TYPES OF TREES ARE PULLED FROM A NATIVE, NATIVE SPECIES LIST, CORRECT? UH, CORRECT.
AND JUST TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THE, THE NUMBER, SO WE'VE GOT 12 STREET YARD TREES, 12 PARKING TREES, AND 35, UH, TREES FOR MITIGATION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL FIVE FOR THE, UH, ENHANCED ATION.
AND, AND LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND QUICKLY.
[01:10:02]
UH, RYAN SUITER, DSD OF, THERE IS, UH, 176 INCHES THAT THEY WILL BE PAYING INTO THE MITIGATION FUND.UH, THAT IS, IS TWO $200 AN INCH, $200 AN INCH.
AND I BELIEVE IN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE, WE LEARNED THAT THE PRICE SET FOR TREE MITIGATION HAS AN INCREASED IN SOME NUMBER OF YEARS.
IS THAT CORRECT? MIKE MCDOUGLE.
DSD, UH, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AND NOW THAT'S ITS OWN REVIEW DISCIPLINE, THE CITY A REVIEW, UH, $200 AN INCH WAS THE PRICE YEARS AGO WHEN MY TEAM DID TREE REVIEW.
I BELIEVE THAT IS STILL THE PRICE, UH, FOR THE CITY REVIEWER.
WAS IT ABOUT 2012? DO YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE? 'CAUSE I BELIEVE, YEAH, IT WAS AT LEAST 10 YEARS AGO.
BUT, UH, BUT IT'S, SINCE IT'S NOT SOMETHING I DON'T THINK ABOUT EVERY DAY, I, I APOLOGIZE.
I KNOW WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT IN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE, BUT I JUST WANNA KIND OF RAISE ALL OF OUR AWARENESS BECAUSE THE MITIGATION FUND COMES UP A LOT.
SO SOMETHING I THINK FOR US TO THINK ABOUT.
YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO CONTACT THE CITY ARBORIST IF YOU WANT ME TO, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE, UH, UH, TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
I THINK I HAVE IT IN A PRESENTATION.
PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN MY EMAIL.
UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? YEAH.
I HAVE IT'S COMMENTED, NOT A QUESTION.
UH, I'M GOING TO BACK UP HERE.
WHEN COMMISSIONER QURESHI ASKED ABOUT THE, UH, SOLAR PANELS, UM, FREQUENTLY, A LOT OF THINGS THAT COME BEFORE US, I'M GONNA PUT A ARBITRARY NUMBER HERE.
I'M GONNA SAY 60% OF THE THINGS THAT COME BEFORE US ARE CUT AND FILL.
AND I UNDERSTAND BY CITY CODE THAT WE ARE OBLIGATED TO REVIEW AND PASS MUSTER ON THESE ITEMS. HOWEVER, THE TITLED COMMISSION IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
IT'S NOT THE CUT AND FILL COMMISSION.
AND I THINK WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE SOME OBLIGATION TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT COMES BEFORE US AND RENDER SOME SORT OF AN OPINION ON IT.
NOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S PUTTING UP A LARGE FLAT SURFACE IN A BUILDING, IN AN OPEN FIELD WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS AROUND IT, IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO ASK WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON THIS.
WHEN WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A SUSTAINABLE GRID, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROWS MONEY AT PEOPLE WHO DOES THIS.
SO A LOT OF THE, THE COST CAN BE OFFSET.
THE AUSTIN ENERGY PAYS MONEY TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ATTACHED TO THIS.
SO THERE'S A CONTINUING DISCOUNT ON THE ELECTRICITY THEY PAY TO DO THIS.
FURTHERMORE, A QUESTION MIGHT BE ASKED IS WHAT COLOR IS THE ROOF BEING PAINTED? BECAUSE THAT IMPACTS THE AMOUNT OF HEAT AND EVERYTHING THERE.
THESE ARE LEGITIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVED, BUT THAT'S NOT, IN MY OPINION, MY OPINION, THE ISSUE.
THE ISSUE IS WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OR A SUGGESTION, OR HOWEVER WE CAN DELICATELY PHRASE IT TO THE NEXT COMMISSION IN LINE TO REVIEW THIS, OR EVEN THE COUNCIL AND SAY, GEE WHIZ, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF SOMEONE LOOKED AT THE FEASIBILITY OF PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON LARGE FLAT ROOFS LIKE THIS AND PAINTING A LIGHT PASTEL COLOR AS OPPOSED TO A BLACK TAR ROOF, WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN DONE JUST BECAUSE, WELL, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 500 YEARS AND WE DIDN'T CARE, BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO CARE.
SO I DON'T FEEL THE LEAST BIT EMBARRASSED ABOUT ADDING A SUGGESTION, A RECOMMENDATION, OR HOWEVER WE NEED TO PHRASE IT, THAT THE NEXT PEOPLE IN LINE TO REVIEW THIS, CONSIDER THIS.
AND THEN COUNSEL CAN TOSS IT IN THE TRASH IF THEY FEEL THAT IT IS, THERE'S A LEGAL ISSUE WITH IT OR SOME OTHER PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT WE ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANGLE.
AND THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL THING.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU STATED EARLIER THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HERE LOOKING AT MOVING THE DIRT AROUND, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR PEOPLE
[01:15:01]
TO DO THAT.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
CAN YOU, UH, SAY THAT AGAIN? OR DO YOU HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN WHAT YOU WERE THINKING? SORRY.
MIKE MCDOUGLE, UH, UH, DSDI NEED TO INTERRUPT JUST FOR A SECOND.
UM, I WAS JUST ADVISED THAT THE AGENDA THAT WAS PUBLISHED SAYS THAT THIS PROPERTY IS DISTRICT FIVE, AND RYAN REPORTED THAT IT IS DISTRICT ONE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO READ INTO THE RECORD THAT THE AGENDA IS INCORRECT.
AH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE A PUBLIC HEARING? MOTION BY EINHORN? SECONDED BY BRIMER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
SHERA SULLIVAN NICHOLS RE RESI EINHORN FER BEDFORD KRUGER BRIMER MOTION IS UNANIMOUS.
AND WE HAVE A MOTION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING ONE REQUEST TO VARY FROM LDC TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 0 1 TO ALLOW DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%.
TWO, REQUEST TO VARY FROM LDC TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 0 2 TO ALLOW BUILDING AND PARKING CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES OVER FIF 15%.
THREE REQUESTS TO VARY FROM LDC TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH THREE FOUR, AND ONE TO ALLOW CUT UP TO 12 FEET.
FOUR REQUESTS TO VARY FROM LDC TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 42 TO ALLOW FILL UP TO 15 FEET.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN GILLAND, UM, UH, CREEK WATERSHED SUBURBAN CLASSIFICATION, AND THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUESTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
STAFF CONDITIONS, ONE TERRACE AND VEGETATE STEEP SLOPES.
TWO, PROVIDE ENLARGED PARKING LOT ISLANDS THREE THAT ARE APPROXIMATELY 17 FEET WIDE FOR IMPROVED TREE GROWTH.
PROVIDE ENHANCED TREE MITIGATION, FIVE ADDITIONAL TREES AND THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS.
PLANT NATIVE PLANTS AND TREES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH BLACKLAND PRAIRIE SPECIES THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY, NOT JUST ON TERRACES AND SLOPES.
RETAIN AS MANY EXISTING TREES AS POSSIBLE.
HAVE A, A TREE MAINTENANCE PLAN TO ENSURE THAT PLANTED TREES AND VEGETATION CAN BECOME ESTABLISHED.
UH, MINIMUM FIVE YEAR PLAN FOUR.
RESEARCH THE FEASIBILITY TO ADD SOLAR POWER TO THE PROPERTY WHERE POSSIBLE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONS? UH, ANY OTHER
I WOULD JUST SAY ON THE PART ABOUT RETAINING AS MANY TREES AS POSSIBLE TO THE POINT FROM DSD, MAYBE WE SAY RETAINING AS MANY NATIVE TREE SPECIES AS POSSIBLE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO, OH, OKAY.
RETAIN AS MANY NATIVE SPECIES.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE MOTION? SECOND.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, COMMISSIONERS.
[01:20:01]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.SHERA SULLIVAN NICHOLS RESI, EINHORN FER, BEDFORD KRUGER.
ALL THOSE OPPOSE ALL THOSE ABSTAINED.
[4. Sunfield PUD Amendment #1; Case No. C814-2014-0083.01]
WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC HEARING ITEM FOUR, A SUN FIELD PUD AMENDMENT.NUMBER ONE, CASE NUMBER C EIGHT 14 DASH 2 0 1 4 DASH 0 0 8 3 0 1.
UM, CATHERINE P LOZA, UH, JACKSON WALKER.
AND WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION, AND THIS EVENING I'M GONNA GIVE A PRESENTATION ON A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT FOR THE SUN FIELD POD AT 1901 TURNERSVILLE ROAD.
SO, UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, THE PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT IS A SITE DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATORY PROCESS ESTABLISHED BY A COUNCIL APPROVED CITY ORDINANCE FOR A VERY SPECIFIC TRACT OF LAND.
AND THE AMENDMENT, UH, THE ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, AND WHAT IT PUT AMENDMENT IS, IS AN AMENDMENT TO COUNCIL APPROVED ORDINANCE.
THIS PARTICULAR P THE SUN FIELD PUD, WAS APPROVED IN 2015, AND IT CONSISTS OF AN AREA OF 482.5 ACRES AS A PART OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO MAKE SEVERAL CHANGES INCLUDING, UH, PERMITTING INDUSTRIAL USES, UH, WHICH WOULD INCREASE IMPERVIOUS COVER ALLOWANCES BECAUSE OF THAT LAND USE TYPE ALLOWED IN THE P FOR LAND USE OF, UH, THE, OF INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL USE.
UM, UPDATING PROVISIONS FOR WATER SERVICE RECONFIGURING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, UM, AND THEN INCLUDING A MODIFICATION TO OUR CURRENT CUT AND FILL REQUIREMENTS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SOME OTHER CHANGES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT MOMENTARILY.
SO THIS PARTICULAR, UH, POD IS LOCATED IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
YOU CAN SEE AT THE VERY EDGE OF, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UH, JURISDICTION.
UM, IT IS SURROUNDED PRETTY MUCH ON ALL, UH, TO THE NORTH AND EAST BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, AND TO THE SOUTH, UM, AND WEST BY BUTTA ETJ.
IT IS NOT IN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE OR THE CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
SO, SOME CONDITIONS ABOUT THIS POD, UM, WHICH YOU CAN SEE SYMBOLIZED HERE IN RED, AND IT REALLY IS JUST THE LITTLE, THE LITTLE LIKE JOG, UH, DOWN.
IT'S, DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LITTLE CUTOUT ON THE EASTERN EDGE.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE INTERESTING SHAPE, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKUP.
AND IT IS, UH, WITHIN OUR, UH, ZONING JURISDICTION.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS IS IN BUTTE AS ETJ, AND SPECIFICALLY JUST TO THE WEST OF THE PROPERTY, UH, IS THE RECENTLY DEVELOPED AMAZON FACILITY AND WAREHOUSING AREA.
SO THIS WHOLE PROPERTY IS 482.5 ACRES.
AS I MENTIONED, IT IS IN THE SUBURBAN REGULATORY WATERSHED.
UM, IT'S NOT IN THE EDWARDS AFER RECHARGE AND CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
AND IT'S IN, UM, A COUPLE OF, UH, WATERSHEDS BECAUSE IT'S QUITE A LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY TO THE NORTH, UH, IS MAINLY THE RENARD CREEK WATERSHED.
AND TO THE SOUTH, IT'S PLUM CREEK AND ALL THE WAY TO THE WEST.
KIND OF THE AREA THAT'S, UH, SHARES A BOUNDARY WITH THE AMAZON FACILITY IS A LITTLE BIT OF ONION CREEK WATERSHED.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL WETLAND CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS MAP.
THEY'RE SYMBOLIZES LIKE BLUE POLYGONS, UM, AND THEY KIND OF LINE UP WITH, UH, THE WATERWAYS, THE TRIBUTARIES THAT RUN THROUGH THE SITE AND ARE KIND OF LIKE IN CHANNEL PONDS.
UM, THERE ARE, UM, RE THERE ARE MINOR, UH, CLASSIFIED WATERWAYS THAT SHOW THEIR REGULATED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AS THE REGULATED IN THE P, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THIS PARTICULAR MAP.
AND THEN LASTLY, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN IN THE NORTH PORTION THAT'S MODELED IN THE NORTH PORTION OF THE SITE, BUT IT DOESN'T EXTEND IN TERMS OF MODELING HAS SHOWN TO EXTEND THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS A SLIDE SHOWING THE TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF TOPOGRAPHY, THERE'S SOME STEEP SLOPES.
[01:25:01]
KIND OF CONDITION IS WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT PUTS THIS PARTICULAR, UH, PROPERTY IN THREE DIFFERENT WATERSHEDS BECAUSE A LOT OF DRAINAGE IS MOVING AROUND THIS PROPERTY.UM, SO THIS IS THE CURRENT PROPOSED LAND USE PLAN, AND IT'S OVERLAID WITH, UM, SLOPES, UH, THE SLOPES EXHIBIT TO SHOW KIND OF WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THOSE STEEPEST SLOPES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SYMBOLOGY, THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR BIG CHANGE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS EVENING, AND THAT'S THE AREA IN BLUE, UH, ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE POD.
THIS IS, UH, APPROXIMATELY 91 ACRES, AND IT'S BEING PROPOSED TO, UH, CHANGE ITS USE FROM, UH, RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.
WITH THAT CHANGE COMES AN INCREASE IN ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AND AS A PART OF THAT CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEVELOPMENT FOR, UH, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IS A PROPOSED, UH, MODIFICATION TO CUT AND FILL REQUIREMENTS.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
SO THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER SYMBOLIZED AREAS, YOU KNOW, THE GREEN OPEN SPACE PRETTY MUCH, UH, CONTAINS ALL OF THOSE, UH, SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES AND THE WETLAND CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.
UM, ALSO IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS EXHIBIT, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE SLOPES TABLE THAT SHOWS AND SYMBOLIZES THE DEGREE WITH WHICH WE'RE SEEING SLOPES IN EXCESS OF 15%.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE MAYBE THERE'S THE BIGGEST CONFLICT WITH BUILDING, UH, LARGE BUILDINGS ON AREAS THAT ARE CERTAINLY NOT PARTICULARLY FLAT BASED OFF OF THIS SLOPES EXHIBIT.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE RED LINE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH SHOWING HOW THE EXHIBIT IS BEING CHANGED FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY APPROVED IN THE POD ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
UM, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THIS IS THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THIS POD, WHICH WAS PASSED IN 2000 AND, UH, 14.
SO THERE ARE NO OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED IN THIS ORDINANCE.
BUT THIS ONE, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AREA AREA OUTLINED IN RED, AND THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GRAY OR HAS A PINK HAZE ON IT.
UM, THAT'S THE AREA BEING PROPOSED FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USE.
UM, ONE ELEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE INCLUDED AN EXTENSION OF PROTECTIONS FOR UNCLASSIFIED WATERWAYS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT LITTLE TRIBUTARY RUNNING FROM EAST TO WEST INTO WHAT IS NOW THE AMAZON FACILITY IS AN UNCLASSIFIED WATERWAY, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY TRIBUTARIES THAT RECEIVE LESS THAN 65 ACRES OF DRAINAGE.
SO IN THE ORIGINAL, UH, POD NEGOTIATION, THERE WAS SMALL UNPROTECTED TRIBUTARIES THAT WERE, UH, PROTECTED AS A PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, SUPERIORITY OF IT.
THIS SECTION THAT, SPECIFICALLY THE ONE IN THE RED AREA, IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE REMOVED, UM, FROM, UH, FROM THE AREA CONSIDERED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND LASTLY, THE, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA THAT IS SYMBOLIZED IN READ, THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE CUT AND FILL CODE MODIFICATION.
UH, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS NOT EXTEND TO THE REST OF THE POD JUST IN THIS, UH, LAND USE TYPE THAT'S CHANGING.
SO THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE REQUESTED ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS, UH, RELATED TO THIS, UH, PET AMENDMENT.
AND THE FIRST TWO ARE RELATED TO CUT AND FILL TO 25 8 3 53 41, WHICH REGULATES, UH, CUT AND 25 8 3 42, WHICH REGULATES FILL TO NOT EXCEED FOUR FEET.
SO IN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ADMINISTRATIVELY INCREASE YOUR CUT AND FILL TO EIGHT FEET.
UH, THIS POD AMENDMENT IS REQUESTING UP TO 20 FEET ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED BY STAFF, UM, TO ALLOW FOR CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE AREA SHOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE MODIFIED LAND USE FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL WOULD INCREASE AND THE ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
CURRENTLY THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ALLOWANCES GO UP TO 57.87% OF THE ENTIRE PUD UH, ZONING AREA.
AND THEN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD INCREASE THAT TO 62.33%, OR 21.484 ACRES.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY THERE, THE PROPOSAL AND THIS LAND USE CHANGED FOR THIS SECTION ON THE WESTERN END OF THE PUD WOULD REMOVE APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED LINEAR FEET OF PREVIOUSLY UNPROTECTED CREEK.
UM, OKAY, SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, AS A, A WAY TO OFFSET THESE PARTICULAR REQUESTS, BECAUSE I WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REITERATE THAT
[01:30:01]
THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PUD.SO THESE PARTICULAR REQUESTS, OR THESE PARTICULAR ELEMENTS WERE CONSIDERED TO OFFSET THE REQUESTED MODIFICATIONS BEING PROPOSED TODAY, AND A PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL FOR THIS AMENDMENT.
AND THEY INCLUDE THAT THE ENTIRE PROJECT WILL INCORPORATE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN CRITERIA INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, INCLUDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING RELATED TO LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION AND BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE WATER QUALITY TREATMENT FOR THE POD WILL ADHERE TO CURRENT CITY OF AUSTIN CODE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE POD ALLOWS FOR WET PONDS, UM, AND WE, UM, AND THE APPLICANT HAS COMMITTED TO, UH, DO CURRENT, UH, WATER QUALITY TREATMENT ADDITIONALLY, WHERE FEASIBLE, THE PROJECT SHALL BE DESIGNED TO DIRECT STORMWATER TO VEGETATED PERVIOUS AREAS BEFORE WATER ENTERS THE GRAINS GRAY STORMWATER SYSTEM, WHICH INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO SWALES, FILTER STRIPS, INFILTRATION TRENCHES, AND INFILTRATION BASINS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL REQUIRE 10% MORE TREES THAN MINIMALLY REQUIRED BY THE CURRENT PET ORDINANCE AND CURRENT CODE REGULATIONS.
UM, THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE ENHANCED STABILIZATION ME MEASURES, INCLUDING TERRACING AND RETAINING WALLS FOR AREAS EXCEEDING EIGHT FEET OF CUT OR FILL.
THE APPLICANT IS ALSO COMMITTING TO A MINIMUM OF A HUNDRED SQUARE FEET OF LANDSCAPE ISLANDS FOR EVERY 12 PARKING SPACES.
AND THE LANDSCAPE ISLANDS WILL BE AT LEAST A MINIMUM OF 10 FEET WIDE TO PROVIDE FOR SUFFICIENT SOIL VOLUME FOR THE TREES PLANTED THERE.
AND THEN LASTLY, A MINIMUM OF TWO ELECTRICAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED PER MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT COMPLEX, UM, IN PARKING LOTS ADJACENT TO THE MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS.
SO, WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THE APPLICANT IS ALSO AVAILABLE WITH A PRESENTATION AND FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, THE ZONING CASE MANAGER'S HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UH, CAN WE HAVE THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION UP? WE, UH, YEAH, THAT WAS IT.
I'M CHRIS BRADFORD JACKSON WALKER, UH, FOR, UH, SUN FIELD DEVELOPER, THE DEVELOPER OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, UH, IN 2004, UH, FOUR SUN FIELD MUDS WERE CREATED.
MUD NUMBER 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR MUDS ONE, THREE, AND FOUR, UH, WERE ALL IN BUT'S JURISDICTION.
AND MUD TWO, UH, WAS IN AUSTIN'S JURISDICTION.
AND SO, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY WAS ANNEXED IN 2014 OR 15, AND, AND THE PUD ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED THEN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE THE PROPERTY'S BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE DEVELOPER.
I MEAN, THIS WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO BE A MULTI-DECADE DEVELOPMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE MUDS PRETTY MUCH IN ORDER.
MUD ONE HAS BEEN, UH, I THINK ALMOST COMPLETELY BUILT OUT.
MUD THREE AND FOUR IDA'S JURISDICTION ARE, UH, THEY'RE NOT COMPLETELY BUILT OUT, BUT THEY ARE APPROACHING SUBSTANTIAL, UH, BUILT OUT.
AND, AND THE DEVELOPER HAS BUILT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF HOMES IN THE AREA AND SHOPS AND BUSINESSES.
IT'S, UH, IT'S CREATED AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THIS ONE, MUD TWO IS BASICALLY, UH, IT IS TIME FOR IT TO COME ON, AND IT'S TIME FOR IT TO BE DEVELOPED.
UH, BUT OF COURSE, THE PUTT ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED IN 2015, AND IT'S 2024.
AND NATURALLY, UH, THEY WANT TO UPDATE THE POD AS POSSIBLE TO, TO KIND OF BRING IT INTO, UH, CURRENT CONDITIONS.
THINGS CHANGE OVER A PERIOD OF NINE YEARS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE SEEN, SEEN CHANGE DRAMATICALLY IN THE, IN THE LAST NINE YEARS WITH THE RISE, RISE OF AMAZON AND DIRECT DELIVERY AND THING IS THE DEMAND FOR DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND WAREHOUSES.
THERE ARE JUST, PEOPLE ARE SCREAMING FOR 'EM.
UH, WE NEED TO FIND PLACES TO BUILD 'EM.
UH, THERE'S AN AMAZON FACILITY NEXT DOOR TO THIS.
AND, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG CHANGES BEHIND THIS PUT AMENDMENT, IS TO REZONE THE PORTION IN RED THERE TO ALLOW FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT AS AN INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE, UM,
[01:35:01]
THAT IS READ, UH, BECAUSE IT WOULD STILL ALLOW, UH, COMMERCIAL USES, I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE HOW CUMULATIVE ZONING WORKS, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO PUT IN COMMERCIAL UNIT USES OVER THERE.AND THE INTENT IS TO PUT, UH, COMMERCIAL USES ALONG THE FRONTAGE OF MAIN STREET IN THAT HATCHED AREA.
AND YOU SEE THE REMAINDER OF THE USES ARE, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE RESERVED.
THE ORANGE IS FLEX SPACE THAT CAN BE MULTIFAMILY OR SINGLE FAMILY.
THE YELLOW IS SINGLE FAMILY SF FOUR, UH, FAMILY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, THE HOUSING THAT WILL BE PRODUCED THERE IS GOING TO BE, I I, I, YOU KNOW, WORK AFFORDABLE IS A LOADED WORD.
I DON'T MEAN TECHNICALLY AFFORDABLE NECESSARILY TO 60% OR 80%, BUT BY AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA STANDARDS, THIS IS GONNA BE A FAIRLY AFFORDABLE PART OF TOWN.
THE HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT DOWN THERE ARE FAIRLY AFFORDABLE.
AND PROVIDING DEDICATED AFFORDABILITY WAS A BIG SUPERIORITY ITEM OF THIS P AND IN FACT, WE'RE, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, UH, TO BUILD 300 HABITAT HOMES, UH, IN THE UPCOMING DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE MAIN IMPETUS FOR THIS IS THIS, UH, PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY TO PUT IN A INDUSTRIAL CENTER THERE.
THE, UH, THE PUD IS THE, I MEAN, THE DEVELOPERS OFFERING SOME SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY THAT GO ALONG WITH THIS.
SOME OF THESE ARE MORE ABSTRACT AND A LITTLE HARDER TO SEE, BUT THE CITY OF, BUT AUSTIN WATER DOESN'T HAVE MUCH WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS PART OF TOWN.
IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE TO SUPPLY THE SURROUNDING AREAS AS THEY DEVELOP.
SO SUN FIELD IS MORE OR LESS MAKING ITSELF AVAILABLE TO HOUSE A LOT OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO COST PARTICIPATE IN IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S GOING, THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A 2 MILLION GALLON RESERVOIR, UH, FOR THAT PRESSURE ZONE.
THAT'S A KEY CRITICAL COMPONENT.
AND SUN FIELD'S GONNA CHIP IN HALF THE COST OF DOING THAT.
UH, THEY'RE STILL WORKING OUT SOME OF THE FINE DETAILS WITH AUSTIN WATER ABOUT WHAT OVERSIZING AND LOOPING AND OTHER CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE.
BUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S AT THE END, IT'S GONNA REAP SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FROM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S NOT A SEXY THING, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT.
THE, UM, AS FAR AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, CHANGES, THE, THE CUT AND FILL OF COURSE REQUEST IS THE, UH, IS IS THE HEADLINE WHEN THAT'S ONE, THAT ONE THAT GRABS THE MOST ATTENTION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS PROPERTY, WHEN IT OBTAINED ITS PUD ZONING, HAD TO ESTABLISH THEN THAT IT WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY, UH, SUPERIOR TO DEVELOPING WITHOUT A POD.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE EXISTING ORDINANCE INCORPORATES, FOR EXAMPLE, IS RIPERION RESTORATION.
ANY SUBDIVISION APPLICATION, RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION APPLICATION OR COMMERCIAL, UH, OR MULTIFAMILY SITE PLAN APPLICATION HAVE TO INCLUDE A RIPERION RESTORATION PLAN.
AND IF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IN THE AREA, SO IT'S, IT'S ASSESSED FORMALLY ACCORDING TO THE, THE METHODOLOGY SET OUT IN THE ECM.
AND IF THE RIPARIAN AREA IS RATED POOR OR LOW QUALITY, YOU KNOW, A ONE OR TWO, IT HAS TO BE REPAIRED OR UPGRADED TO A THREE OR FOUR.
SO THE DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES IN IS GOING TO ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY, UH, OF THE AREAS THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED.
AND THEN THERE ARE STRICT LIMITS AGAINST DISTURBING THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY AREAS THAT ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.
SO I MENTIONED THIS TO SAY THAT THE PUD ALREADY HAS BUILT IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY.
UM, AND SO YOU'VE HEARD SO AND SO WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS TO ALLOW CUT AND FILL UP TO TWO 20 FEET.
AND, AND I KNOW YOU HEAR THAT A LOT, BUT THESE LARGE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, I MEAN, THEY JUST HAVE TO BE ON LARGE FLAT GROUND.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY NO ONE'S GONNA BUILD THIS IN, IN A REAL HILLY AREA, BUT YOU DO HAVE A KIND OF ROLLING TERRAIN HERE.
AND SO IF A GOOD BIT OF CUT AND FILL WILL LIKELY BE NECESSARY, UH, THIS DOES, THIS IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC GRANT OF 20 FEET OF CUT AND FILL.
UH, ANY REQUEST OVER EIGHT FEET HAS TO GO TO STAFF AND HAS TO BE APPROVED, ESSENTIALLY ADMINISTRATIVELY BY STAFF ONCE THEY ARE SATISFIED
[01:40:01]
THAT, YOU KNOW, STEPS SUCH AS TERRORIST RETAINING WALLS OR OTHER SOIL, SOIL STABILIZATION METHODS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE SUPERIOR ARE IN PLACE AND ARE THERE TO, UH, TO, TO MITIGATE THE CUT AND FILL.SO THIS IS NOT A, YOU ARE NOT BEING ASKED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A BLANKET 20 FOOT CUT AND FILL LIMITATION.
THIS IS GOING TO BE MEDIATED AND MODERATED BY STAFF, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE TOOLS BUILT INTO THE PUT ORDINANCE TO, UH, REQUIRE KIND OF DETAIL, UH, MITIGATION AS NECESSARY.
UM, BUT THIS, BUT IT IS A POD.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS, I MEAN, THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP KIND OF NOW THE SYSTEM THAT WILL GOVERN THIS THING IN THE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEXT 10 OR 20 YEARS.
UH, SHE MENTIONED, UH, LESLIE MENTIONED THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, UH, I JUST MENTIONED THE KEROSENE AND OTHER, UH, SUPERIOR SOIL STABILIZATION METHODS.
UM, THE, A BIG ASK FROM, UH, STAFF WAS, HEY, YOU'RE GRANDFATHERED TO THE REALLY 2014, UH, UH, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE REGULATIONS.
WE, WE WANT YOU TO DESIGN TO CURRENT REGS.
AND SO WE HAVE AGREED TO FOREGO THE GRANDFATHERING THAT WE'RE ENTITLED TO AND TO DEVELOP THAT UNDER THE CURRENT REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE CURRENT, UH, PREFERENCE FOR USING, UM, FOR NOT USING WET PONDS.
UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, BIRD STRIKE AND LIGHT POLLUTION, UH, REQUIREMENTS IN THERE THAT THEY, THOSE ARE CERTAINLY WEREN'T EXISTING.
UH, WHEN THIS PUD WAS APPROVED, UH, YOU HEAR TALK ABOUT TREE CANOPY.
WELL, THIS, THIS LAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I MEAN, IT'S GOT SOME LAND AROUND THE, THE CREEK, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
BUT AS FAR AS THE REST OF THE LAND, IT IS VERY LIGHTLY TREE.
ONE OF THE SUPERIORITY REQUIREMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL P WAS THAT, UH, EACH RESIDENTIAL LOT WOULD HAVE THREE, THREE TREES.
UH, AND, UM, WHAT WE HAVE AGREED TO DO HERE IS TO INCREASE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TREES REQUIRED ON THE DEVELOPMENT BY AN ADDITIONAL 10%.
THE PARKING LOTS ARE BEING BROKEN UP WITH, WITH LANDSCAPED AREAS AT LEAST 10 BY 10 FOR EVERY 16 SPOTS.
SO THERE AREN'T GOING TO BE LONG STRETCHES OF UNBROKEN PARKING LOTS THAT DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HAVE TREES PROVIDING SHADE.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING, UH, EV CHARGING STATIONS AT THE, AT THE MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES.
SO THESE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS.
THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE, UH, EVEN IGNORING THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS IS GOING TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO THE CITY'S, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY IT'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS PART OF TOWN.
UH, SO WE HOPE, UM, I HOPE YOU CAN RECOMMEND, UH, APPROVAL OF THE PUT AND, UM, BEN WILLIAMS HERE, UH, THE ENGINEER, UH, AND HE WILL ANSWER ANY OF YOUR HARD QUESTIONS.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, CORRECT? OH, OKAY.
I, SO LET'S OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS? NONE.
EVERYONE'S SHAKING THEIR HEADS.
HEY, Y'ALL, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY SOUTH AUSTIN IS GROWING, SO IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE TO PROVIDE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IN THE AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS KIND OF WONDERING WHAT SORT OF PUBLIC TRANSIT TRANSITS IN THE AREA, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE MORE PUBLIC TRANSIT, MASS TRANSIT, IF YOU WILL.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVEN SORT OF THE GOAL OF TRYING TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO THE QUESTIONS I HAD EARLIER AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE, UH, SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION ON BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS THE, THE AMAZON OR, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
UM, I THINK Y'ALL MENTIONED THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING STUFF, UH, REGARDING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WINDOWS AND BEING FRIENDLY TO THE BIRDS AND WHATNOT, WHICH, UH, I THINK IS SIMILAR TO SORT OF DARK SKY COMPLIANCE STUFF.
UM, AND THEN I SAW ALSO THAT Y'ALL HAD, UM, SOME STUFF RELATED TO EV CHARGING, WHICH IS ALSO COOL.
AND, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR MY QUESTIONS.
[01:45:01]
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, I MEAN, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE 482 ACRES OF BASICALLY PRAIRIE LAND, SO THERE'S NO CAPITAL METRO SERVICE, BUT IT IS BUILT INTO THE PUT, I BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS TO BE, AS THIS IS DEVELOPED KIND OF PERIODIC CONSULTATION WITH CAPITAL METRO, UH, TO, TO UPDATE PERIODICALLY ON, WELL, WHAT, WHAT IS FEASIBLE AT THIS POINT.SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCE THAT THERE WILL BE CONSULTATIONS ONGOING AS THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRESSES.
ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT 2,800, UH, RESIDENCES.
SO YOU KNOW HOW THAT WILL WORK OUT ECONOMICALLY FOR CAPITAL METRO TO SERVE.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT THOSE DISCUSSIONS WILL BE TAKING PLACE, UH, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, SOLAR PANELS, YOU KNOW, HEY, TO ME IT SOUNDS, I KNOW THE COST OF THOSE THINGS IS GOING DOWN.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE BECOMING MORE AND MORE ECONOMICAL.
I MEAN, TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
GOT A WAREHOUSE STICK, A LOT OF SOLAR PANELS ON THERE.
I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE ECONOMICS OR WHAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ECONOMICS OF THAT WORKS FOR, FOR THESE, THESE MANUFACTURERS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE ALREADY CONSIDERING, IF THERE IS SOME BIG REASON THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
I MEAN, TO ME, IT, IT MAKES A, I MEAN, YOU GOT A LOT, YOU GOT A FOOTBALL FIELD THERE THAT YOU JUST LOAD UP WITH SOLAR PANELS.
I JUST AS JUST AN ATTORNEY SITTING HERE, I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE PROS AND CONS ARE.
COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
UH, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WHAT THE LAND THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT THE, UH, WAREHOUSE ON, WHAT WAS THAT LAND ORIGINALLY GONNA BE? UH, UM, SINGLE FAMILY.
MAY, MAY, PERHAPS A MULTIFAMILY, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS SLATED FOR RESIDENTIAL.
BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS GONNA BE SINGLE OR MULTI-FAMILY? I THINK IT WAS GONNA BE SINGLE FAMILY, SMALL LOT, SINGLE FAMILY, SMALL LOT BEING HOW MANY SQUARE FEET BLOCKS? OH, I'M SORRY.
I'M, I'M BEING TOLD IT WAS FLEX.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN S SINGLE FAMILY OR, OR MULTI-FAMILY, JUST DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS, MARKET CONDITIONS AS THEY DEVELOPED IT COULD HAVE BEEN EITHER.
SO MOVING OVER TO THE REST OF THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS.
UH, HOW, HOW LARGE ARE THOSE LOTS FLATTED OUT TO BE? UM, SF FOUR OR WHAT, 40? YEAH, I, I SF FOUR.
IT'S SF FOUR, WHICH I THINK, UM, I, I'M SORRY, I'M DRAWING A BLANK ON IT.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER IF THEY'RE FOUR.
DAVE SULLIVAN KNOWS 3,600 SQUARE FEET FOR SF FOUR B ZONING.
AND, UH, WOULD WE BE RECONSIDERING MAKING THOSE AS SMALL AS 2000 SQUARE FEET UNDER, UH, THE HOME INITIATIVE THAT, THAT WOULD, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY REASON THE HOME INITIATIVE WOULD NOT APPLY.
UM, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE ORDINANCE INCORPORATES THE ZONING, UM, AND IT INCORPORATES BASICALLY BASE ZONING.
SO IF THE BASE ZONING CHANGES, UM, THEN, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ENTITLED TO CHANGE WITH IT.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF THE, UM, HOME ORDINANCE TWO, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T STUDIED IT.
I KNOW IT WILL APPLY IN SF TWO AND SF THREE, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WILL ALSO APPLY IN SF FOUR, ALTHOUGH DAVE SOLO KNOWS.
I'M SURE DAVE, I KNOW IT'S ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT 4:00 PM OKAY.
UH, SO HOW MANY APARTMENTS WE, I THINK WE COULD HAVE AN ANSWER.
WE DO HAVE NANCY OWENS FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE HAVE AN EXPERT, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS OKAY.
NANCY ESTRADA WITH THE ZONING DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT DOES APPLY TO SF ONE, TWO, AND THREE, BUT NOT FOUR.
WELL, 'CAUSE SF FOUR B ALLOWS HIGHER IMPERVIOUS COVER AND IT'S ONLY GONNA BE 45% UNDER HOME TWO.
SO YEAH, STEP FOUR ALLOWS 55% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, THE, THE APARTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE, DID YOU HAVE ANY, UH, AFFORDABILITY? UH, YES.
[01:50:01]
SO HOW MANY TOTAL UNITS WERE WAS THAT GOING TO BE UNDER THE EXISTING POD? I I, THE, THERE WAS SOME FLEXIBILITY, BUT, BUT THE, ON THE EXISTING POD, I DON'T HAVE THOSE BREAKDOWNS UNDER THE NEW, THE KIND OF THE NEW PLAN, THE, THE PROJECTED BREAKDOWN DOWN IS AROUND 1800 SINGLE FAMILY AND ABOUT A THOUSAND, UM, MULTIFAMILY.SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ABOUT TWO 200.
IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING 300, UH, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOMES, UH, WHICH WOULD EXCEED THE 10%, UH, UH, SINGLE FAMILY THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING.
BUT, UM, BUT I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE BREAKDOWN.
I CAN JUST TELL YOU
UH, WELL I GUESS THE, THE END POINT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THAT IF YOU'RE REMOVING WHAT WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING OUT REPLACING IT WITH A WAREHOUSE, THEN YOU MAY BE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF THE TOTAL STOCK.
CER CERTAINLY IF YOU REDUCE THE, THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE EVERYTHING ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WE'RE GONNA REDUCE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BY MAKING THAT A, UH, WAREHOUSE AND TOTAL AMOUNT OF ALL, ALL HOUSING UNITS.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING, YOU SAID 2,800, UH, UNITS THERE ABOUT HOUSING.
I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER WE HAVE.
IT, IT'S HOUSING UNITS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
RESIDENCE IS COMBINATION OF MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, CAP METRO, THAT'S INSUFFICIENT TO GENERATE, UH, A, A, A CAP METRO LINE OUT THERE, 2,800 RESIDENT OR FAMILIES OR WHATEVER IT IS.
THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE STUDIED.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY NO, THERE'S, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY DISCUSSION UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY START GOING IN THERE AND PLATTING AND, AND GETTING THOSE THINGS ON THE GROUND.
RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T, THERE'S NO CAP.
METRO HAS NO PLANS IN THE FORESEEABLE, NOT RIGHT NOW.
FORESEE FUTURE TO NOT, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT DOESN'T.
SO THAT'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO JUSTIFY A CAP METRO ROUTE THEN? WELL, RIGHT.
YEAH, RIGHT NOW IT'S ZERO PEOPLE, SO, OKAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER? UH, YES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THINK SOME OF MY QUESTIONS WILL BE FOR THE APPLICANT AND SOME FOR STAFF.
UM, SO FIRST OFF, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND, SO THE REZONING TO INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL, WHY INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL? IS THERE A ZONING THAT EXISTS JUST FOR COMMERCIAL, FOR EXAMPLE, OR ARE THEY ALWAYS YEAH, THE, THE LIGHT INDUS, IT'S CUMULATIVE ZONING.
SO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, UH, IN AUSTIN BASICALLY PERMITS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USES.
AND ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL USES, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU, YOU GET MORE, YOU KNOW, LESS RESTRICTIVE AS YOU GO ON FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL TO GR TO CS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO IN GR YOU CAN DO IN CS AND BASICALLY EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO IN CS, YOU CAN DO IN LI.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY IT'S LI UH, YOU'RE GIVING THE OPTION OF DOING THE THREE OR FOUR LI USES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT, BUT IT STILL PERMITS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THINGS CHANGE, IT STILL PERMITS YOU TO GO IN AND DO, I MEAN, SOME DOMAIN LIKE DEVELOPMENT, IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE THE ZONING TO GO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IS THERE AN EXPLICITLY LIKE COMMERCIAL ONLY OPTION? THE, THE THERE ALONG MAIN STREET, UH, IS, IS GOING TO, THERE'S AN AREA OF RESERVE REALLY JUST FOR COMMERCIAL.
AND THERE'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF CS ONE THERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE MM-HMM.
UM, THERE'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPACE FOR THAT.
I GUESS I'M, I'M CURIOUS IN THIS ZONING, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO COURT AMAZON TO EXPAND THAT, THAT WAREHOUSE, IF THAT'S THE, THE MOTIVATION BEHIND IT.
UM, WELL, CERTAINLY, I MEAN, I, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY WE'RE RECORDING ANY, ANYBODY.
WE ARE, THERE IS A STEADY DEMAND FOR THIS KIND OF DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT TO BREAK GROUND ON A
[01:55:01]
DISTRIBUTION CENTER.UH, I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO, THIS IS A PUD IT IS A LONG DEVELOPMENT.
IT WILL, THIS, THIS DEVELOPMENT, ONCE IT'S GETS GOING, AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN OVER TWO YEARS.
IT'S GONNA HAPPEN OVER 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND DOING A PUD LIKE THIS JUST TAKES A LOT OF FORESIGHT AND FLEXIBILITY AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT MAY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE HERE IN THE LONG TERM.
SO LET'S BUILD THIS INTO THE ORDINANCE.
UH, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HAVE A, HAVE YOUR PROPERTY, UH, SITTING THERE AND SOMEONE COME ALONG AND SAY, HEY, I'D LIKE TO PUT A WAREHOUSE THERE AND SAY, OKAY, WELL WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THE PUT AMENDMENT AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN A COUPLE YEARS.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
YOU HAVE TO, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF ENVISION IN THE LONG RUN WHAT YOU THINK YOUR USES WILL BEST MATCH UP WITH THE DEMAND.
AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES 10 YEARS GO BY AND YOU THOUGHT THE DEMAND WOULD BE, OH, WELL, EVERYBODY'S JUST GONNA BE CRAVING MULTIFAMILY HERE OR SOMETHING AND YOU WERE WRONG.
AND YOU DO HAVE TO GO AMEND THE P SO YOU TRY AND DO THE BEST YOU JOB YOU CAN, FORECASTING WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO WITH THE LAND.
AND, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S IF, IF YOU'RE WAITING UNTIL PEOPLE ARE COMING UP KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR, YOU'VE WAITED TOO LATE.
'CAUSE IT'S A LENGTHY, LENGTHY PROCESS.
LOTS OF STAFF REVIEW, LOTS OF DESIGN WORK, LOTS OF COMMISSION HEARINGS.
I WANNA UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS PIECE OF LAND, UM, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR CUT AND FILL.
UM, AND ON PAGE SEVEN OF, I BELIEVE THE STAFF PRESENTATION SAYS, REMOVED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE PER UPDATED CITY OF AUSTIN, GIS.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
CAN, CAN, CAN I GET MY SLIDES PUT UP? I HAVE A, MY PRESENTATION AND WE CAN, WE'LL SCAN THROUGH TO THE, TO THE SLIDE.
I THINK THIS MIGHT BE IN THE STAFF PRESENTATION ACTUALLY.
THAT ONE, THAT ONE THAT, OKAY.
THAT PINK OR PURPLE, THAT IS THE AREA THAT THE CUT AND FILL VARIANCE WOULD APPLY TO.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS FROM STAFF, SO THIS IS INDICATING THAT THIS IS NO LONGER A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING THAT IT IS NOT NO LONGER CLASSIFIED AS SUCH? SORRY,
UH, LESS THAN LILY WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO THESE AREAS THAT ARE VERY THIN, UM, THAT EXTEND, THERE'S ONE THAT EXTENDS DOWN FROM THE EASTERN MOST WETLAND.
THERE WAS ONE THAT KIND OF EXTENDED WEST FROM WHERE THE AMAZON WAREHOUSES.
THOSE ARE, OH NO, THOSE ARE UNCLASSIFIED WATERWAYS.
SO THEY RECEIVE, UH, A DRAINAGE AREA OF LESS THAN 64 ACRES.
UM, SO THEY WOULDN'T BE CLASSIFIED AS CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES BY THE WAY, UH, THAT WE CLASSIFY CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES.
UM, SO THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY, UH, LARGE ENOUGH OR RECEIVE A DRAINAGE AREA LARGE ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE UNDER OUR CURRENT CODE.
SO BECAUSE OF CODE CHANGES, THAT'S WHY IT SAYS REMOVED CRI CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE FOR UPDATED CITY OF AUSTIN, GIS, UM, THE, THE WAY THAT CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES WERE, UM, THESE ARE, THIS IS LIZ.
THESE ARE, THESE WERE AREAS THAT HAD AS PART OF THE PREVIOUS PUD, UM, PUT THOSE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES ON THE DRAINAGES.
AND SO THOSE ARE BEING REMOVED THERE, BUT THEN ADDED ELSEWHERE.
SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS BEING, BEING REMOVED THERE.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND I WANNA UNDERSTAND, IS IT A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING MOVES TO A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL SPACE? SO IT WOULD NOT BE UNDER CURRENT OR PREVIOUS CODE CONSIDERED A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE? UM, IT WAS A SUPERIOR SUPERIORITY ELEMENT THAT WAS, UM, APPROVED WITH THE PREVIOUS PUD
[02:00:01]
TO HAVE PROTECTIONS OF THESE SMALLER DRAINAGES THAT WOULD NOT USUALLY HAVE PROTECTION.AND SO, YOU KNOW, BASED ON SITE CONDITIONS AND KIND OF LOOKING AT WHERE ARE THE, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT AREAS TO PROTECT, STAFF DID AGREE THAT THESE WERE AREAS THAT WERE NOT, UM, A HIGH PRIORITY FOR PROTECTION AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
SO STAFF HAS DETERMINED THAT THIS AREA DOESN'T REALLY MERIT, UM, THE, LIKE RIPARIAN RESTORATION THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE SUPERIORITY STANDARD COR CORRECT.
AND, UM, JUST TO FURTHER CLARIFY AND REITERATE THAT THIS AREA ALSO DOESN'T DEMONSTRATE ANY KIND OF RIPARIAN PLANT COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SUPPORTING KIND OF THE PLANT COMMUNITY THAT WOULD EXIST.
AND THAT'S ALSO REPRESENTED IN ALL THE OTHER, UH, TRIBUTARIES ON THE SITE.
UM, SO IT, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, TOPOGRAPHICALLY LOWER, LOWER MM-HMM.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT CONTRIBUTING DIRECTLY TO ONION CREEK ANYMORE.
IT'S DISCONNECTED, UM, FROM THE, UH, THE NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM THAT WOULD FEED ONION CREEK BECAUSE OF THAT WESTERN DEVELOPMENT IN THE, BUT AT ETJ.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, OKAY, I'LL, I'LL CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT.
I ALSO WANTED TO BRING UP, UM, LOOKING AT THE MAP OF, UM, DE ADJACENT SUN FIELD DEVELOPMENT, I SEE WHAT LOOKS LIKE VERY CAR CENTERED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BUILT ON A GRID OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WHEN I THINK OF PUDS, I OF COURSE THINK OF MUELLER IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SO NICE ABOUT IT IS THAT IT IS BUILT ON A GRID SYSTEM.
IT DOES HAVE THE GREEN, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PROPERTY, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WALKABILITY, BIKEABILITY.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH CAT METRO IS, IS PART OF THE PLAN AS YOU MOVE, MOVE ALONG FOR, FOR THE BUS SYSTEM, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF, YOU KNOW, WALKABILITY AND BIKEABILITY IN THE PI CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
IT'S BEN WILLIAMS, UH, WITH KIMLEY HORN.
UM, CAN YOU GO UP TO THE SLIDE JUST ABOVE THIS ONE? THE EXHIBIT E SLIDE? WHOEVER'S CONTROLLING THAT, JUST
CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE PLEASE? THERE WE GO.
SO THIS, THIS, UH, EXHIBIT SHOWS THE PROPOSED PARKLAND AND IT ALSO HAS A, A TRAIL SYSTEM THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE OVERALL.
SO I KNOW THAT IN THE AERIAL THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT, IT DOES LOOK, IT DOESN'T, IT'S REALLY CURVY.
IT DOESN'T LOOK AS, IT'S NOT ON A GRID YET AS WALKABLE AND STUFF, BUT THERE ARE A LOT, THERE'S A, A BIG TRAIL SYSTEM THAT GOES THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, A BUNCH OF AMENITIES AND STUFF IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT ALL CONNECTS TO IN PARK AREAS AND OPEN SPACES.
SO THIS SYSTEM, THIS TRAIL SYSTEM THAT'S SHOWN ON THIS EXHIBIT WILL CONNECT INTO THAT MM-HMM.
AND LEMME ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, AND CORRECT ME IF THIS HADN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO FORMULATE THE PARKLAND PLAN.
UH, WE HAVE TO FORM, THAT'S WHERE THIS IS, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY IN THE VERY PRELIMINARY STAGES OF THIS, BUT THE PUT ORDINANCE SAYS, BEFORE YOU DO YOUR FRESH SUBDIVISION, YOU HAVE TO COME IN WITH A PARKLAND AND TRAILS PLAN.
THAT PART HAS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE.
SO IT'S GOING TO ITSELF BE SUBJECTED TO SOME SUPERIORITY, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
AND, AND THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE A DETAILED NETWORK OF TRAILS TO LOOK AT BECAUSE PARD HADN'T REALLY GOT, ITS GOT ITS HANDS ON ANYTHING YET.
AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THE TRAIL AND THE GREEN SPACE, AND I KNOW THAT'S PART OF THE SUPERIORITY, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT MUELLER HAS DONE IS BUILT, YOU KNOW, DENSELY ON A GRID SO THAT THE STREETS THEMSELVES ARE WALKABLE AND YOU CAN CONNECT TO THE TRAILS AROUND THE GREEN AREAS.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING IN YOUR PLANNING.
SO I WILL SAY THAT ONE THING ABOUT THE GRID SYSTEM AND, AND THIS SITE AND THE REST OF SUN FIELD IS WITH THE SINGLE FAMILY PIECE OF IT, UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE LARGER BUILDINGS,
[02:05:01]
YOU DON'T HAVE LOTS OF STUFF, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF SMALLER AREAS, YOUR CUT AND FILL LIMITS YOU A LOT ON THAT.AND SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOPO OF THE SITE, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT DOES KIND OF CURVE IT.
IT'S NOT A GRID, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE HERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TENSION THERE THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MARRY AND, AND DESIGN IT AS BEST WORKS WITH THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY.
LIKE IF YOU ALL ARE LOOKING TO HARNESS WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, BUILDING MORE DENSELY ON SMALLER LOT SIZES, OR IF THE PLANNING ISN'T THAT FAR AHEAD, OR IF YOU'RE JUST THINKING MORE OF LIKE THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOME CURVY STREETS FOR CARS KIND OF SET UP.
I MEAN, IT, I MEAN THE CHANGES THERE ON THE VERGE OF APPROVING AND THEY APPROVED IN WHOM ONE ARE BIG CHANGES.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THEY HAD BEEN FULLY DIGESTED BY THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY YET.
YOU KNOW, I, IT'S GOING TO TAKE PEOPLE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN YOU REALLY DO WITH THIS? MM-HMM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WILL THIS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT? I, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, THEY BUILD ABOUT AS SMALL LOT AS YOU CAN.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE NEGOTIATE, EVEN WHEN THEY NEGOTIATE PS YOU KNOW, IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE.
THEY'LL NEGOTIATE 40 FOOT, 50 FOOT, OR 60 FOOT WIDE LOTS.
AND THE DEVELOPERS ARE ALWAYS PUSHING FOR MORE 40 FOOT LOTS BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANT BIG YARDS.
SO, SO HOW WILL THAT WORK WHEN YOU CAN GO DOWN TO 2000 SQUARE FEET FOR, FOR A LOT, YOU KNOW, OR JUST A TOWNHOUSE, STRAIGHT OUT TOWNHOUSE.
WELL, SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA TRY, I GUARANTEE IT.
SOME PEOPLE CAN TRY, YOU KNOW, TRY OUT SOME TOWNHOME COMMUNITIES AND WE'RE GONNA SEE MM-HMM.
I, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT WHAT THE CITY'S DOING.
UM, AND, AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH ITS SYSTEM.
YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY SAY HOW IT WILL AFFECT THIS DEVELOPMENT.
AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY MUELLER, WHICH IS THE EXAMPLE I KEEP TURNING TO WAS BUILT BEFORE THE HOME AMENDMENT WAS PASSED.
AND WE DO SEE, YOU KNOW, DENSE ROW HOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YEAH, I WOULD JUST ASK AS A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN TO PLEASE CONSIDER WALKABILITY AND BIKEABILITY IN THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THE WELLBEING OF, YOU KNOW, THE LAND AND ANIMALS, BUT LIKE THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AND, AND THE HEALTH.
SO I'VE TALKED A LONG TIME, I WANNA GIVE OTHER PEOPLE A SHOT AT SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, IF I SHARE FER NO QUESTIONS.
I THINK MY STUFF'S BEEN ASKED ALREADY.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UM, THE LIGHT MANUFACTURING, UM, IF THERE WAS LIKE ANY IDEA OF WHAT MAY BE POTENTIALLY THERE IN THE FUTURE OR LIKE, UM, OR WHAT COULD BE NEEDED IN THAT AREA AS FAR AS MANUFACTURING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, LIGHT ASSEMBLY FACILITY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I MEAN, I, I HAVE TROUBLE SEEING SOME KIND OF HEAVY DUTY MANUFACTURING THERE, BUT YOU'RE, THAT'S MAINLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIGHT, LIGHT MANUFACTURING.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, FINAL ASSEMBLY OF, OF, OF PRODUCTS.
ALMOST ALWAYS THIS KIND OF SPACE ENDS UP BEING USED MORE FOR A WAREHOUSING DISTRIBUTION TYPE USE.
AND, UM, AND ALSO I WAS, UH, LIKE THERE'S A, A MINIMUM OF A HUNDRED SQUARE FEET OF LANDSCAPE ISLANDS FOR EVERY 12 PARKING SPACES.
[02:10:01]
AND I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IF THERE WAS AN ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW MANY PARKING SPACES MAY BE AT THE, UM, PROPERTY.NO, I MEAN, 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA DEPEND ON, UH, I MEAN IT'S, THERE'S TOO MANY VARIABLES THERE.
YOU KNOW, UM, AND I, TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW MUCH PARKING THEY'LL BE BUILDING, UH, FOR THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN, UH, I THINK STAFF CAME OUT WITH A STUDY NOT TOO LONG AGO AND FOUND OUT THAT, WELL, LIKE DOWNTOWN, UH, DEVELOPERS ARE BUILDING ABOUT 50% OF WHAT THE MANDATED PARKING USED TO BE.
THEIR COMMERCIAL USES ELSEWHERE ARE BUILDING LESS.
A GREAT DEAL LESS THAN WAS REQUIRED.
SOME MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY ARE BUILDING ABOUT AS MUCH.
SO I, SO I CAN'T SI DON'T KNOW WHERE PARKING IS GONNA BE IN RIGHT.
UH, PEOPLE JUST MIGHT NOT BE BUILDING MUCH OF IT AT ALL.
IT'S EXPENSIVE TO BUILD, IT'S EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN.
AND, AND I THINK OVER THE LONG RUN, PEOPLE BE BUILDING LESS OF IT, LESS OF THEM AS THEY FIGURE OUT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH BUILDING LESS.
UM, YEAH, THAT WAS ALL I REALLY HAD.
UM, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FROM ANY COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
OH, SORRY, I THOUGHT OF ANOTHER ONE.
I JUST WANNA ASK ABOUT THE EV CHARGING STATIONS, TWO EV STATIONS PER MULTIFAMILY COMPLEX.
THAT SOUNDS LOW TO ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE STAFF CAN COMMENT ON THAT IF THAT'S, AND I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S 2,800 RESIDENTS IN TOTAL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES THERE ARE, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE NUMBER AND DEMAND OF ENVIRONMENTAL OR OF EV, SORRY, EVS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS FOR ME.
AND SO ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS, UM, CURRENTLY REQUIRED IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ARE INTERESTED IN THEM PROVIDING.
BUT, UM, IT'S REALLY KIND OF UP TO, UP TO THEM TO THINK TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE USERS OF THE PROJECT AND, AND, UM, COME UP WITH A, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY BELIEVE WILL BE THE, THE THE NEED CAN.
LET ME, I I, I DON'T THINK WE UNDERSELL THAT, THAT HAVING EV AS PEOPLE, AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ACQUIRE EVS, HAVING EV STATIONS AT A MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING IS GOING TO BE A SELLING POINT.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR VEHICLES CHARGED AT THEIR, THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OVER TIME IS GONNA TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
BUT I THINK GETTING IT A JUMPSTART AND ME, YOU KNOW, MANDATING, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE PER BUILDING RIGHT NOW, UM, I MEAN, IS IS A PRUDENT THING TO DO, BUT I THINK YOU'RE SEE MORE AND MORE DEMAND, UH, FOR 'EM.
I WOULD JUST WANT TO SEE MORE, AND I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE LOGISTICS OF PUTTING THEM IN, BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT SEEMS LIKE PUTTING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AHEAD OF TIME IS OFTEN NEEDED TO THEN LATER EXPAND BEYOND, YOU KNOW, TWO PER SITE.
LILY, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? UH, YEAH.
SO, UM, JUST BASED ON OUR CURRENT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY CHANGE THE SUN FIELD P WILL BE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER THE CRITERIA IS AT THE TIME THAT THE APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED.
BUT ONE WAY TO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS IS HAVING ONE ELECTRICAL VEHICLE CHARGING STATION.
THIS IS BASED ON THEIR 2022 CRITERIA, ONE CHARGING STATION FOR 21 TO 50 PARKING SPOTS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE QUITE A BIT MORE THAN WOULD BE MINIMALLY REQUIRED TO MEET AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING.
UM, IF THERE'S NO NEW PARKING PROVIDED AN ONSITE AT ALL, THEN THAT'S ALSO A WAY TO MEET YOUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.
UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH WOULD EVEN BE REQUIRED MINIMALLY.
UM, AND THOSE CRITERIA CAN CHANGE, BUT, UM, AS AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, CONSIDERS THE IMPACT OF THOSE CRITERIA ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY, GREEN BUILDED, GREEN BUILDING RATED PROJECTS, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, UH, THEY CONSIDER A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT AND INCORPORATING IN NEW UPDATES, BUT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A TABLE STRAIGHT FROM THEIR CRITERIA RIGHT NOW.
UM, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THAT IS, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY, THE, THE CHARGING STATION ITSELF IS EXPENSIVE, AND THERE MAY NOT BE AN IMMEDIATE DEMAND FOR IT TODAY, BUT A LOT OF THE ISSUE IS
[02:15:01]
WHEN YOU ADD IT, YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF DIGGING UP AND ALL THAT OTHER SORT OF STUFF.SO BY REQUIRING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE THERE FOR, AND THIS IS AN ARBITRARY NUMBER, 15 UNITS, THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BRING THE UNIT IN AND, AND DIG THE HOLE WHERE THE CABLES STICKING UP AN INCH UNDERNEATH THE ASPHALT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, SURFACE AND THEN PLUG IT IN.
SO RATHER THAN SAYING THAT, OH, GEE, YOU NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN TWO, I THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS SAY IS, OKAY, WE HAVE TWO, BUT WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT A MINIMUM OF 25.
AGAIN, THAT'S AN ARBITRARY NUMBER THAT WE CAN DISCUSS, BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BE THERE TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE THAN TWO.
AND THEN AS THE DEMAND COMES, YOU CAN JUST TRUCK THE SUCKERS IN, DROP 'EM IN, PLUG THEM INTO THE GROUND BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S THERE, IT'S LESS COSTLY, IT'S QUICKER, AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE ON DEMAND AS PEOPLE SHOW UP, YOU CAN JUST PLUG THEM IN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRENCH AND ALL THAT OTHER FUN STUFF.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ABOUT 5% IF IT'S ONE FOR EVERY 20 PARKING SPOTS.
AND I FEEL LIKE I REMEMBER US RECOMMENDING UP TO 10% BEFORE, SO MAYBE TALKING PERCENTAGES, WHATEVER PERCENT, BUT IF WE, IF WE TRENCH IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE NOW, RIGHT.
AS OPPOSED TO JUST PHYSICALLY PUT 'EM IN INSTEAD OF SAYING A NUMBER, A PERCENTAGE I THINK MIGHT MAKE SENSE.
UM, THE OTHER WAY TO MEET MINIMUM AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS IS DOING 10% OF YOUR PARKING CAPABLE OF BEING BUILT OUT.
UM, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT, ANOTHER DATA POINT, THANK YOU.
I GUESS IN THE SILENCE, I'LL ASK, IS THERE ANY CONCERN ABOUT FLOODING IN THIS AREA OF, YOU KNOW, CUT AND FILL? AND IF WE'RE KIND OF COVERING OVER THAT LOWER FORMERLY RIPARIAN ZONE, LIZ JOHNSTON WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO WHEN THEY COME IN FOR EITHER SUBDIVISION CONSTRUCTION PLANS OR SITE PLANS, THERE WILL BE A DRAINAGE REVIEWER AND FLOOD PLANE REVIEWER, UM, ASSIGNED TO A REVIEW.
AND SO, UM, THE ENGINEER WILL HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE NO ADVERSE FLOODING IMPACT, UM, AT THAT TIME.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT IS HANDLED AT THAT TIME.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? MOTION BY FER? SECONDED BY RESI AUTOS IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
SHERA SULLIVAN NICHOLS RESI, EINHORN COFER, BEDFORD KRUEGER AND BRIMER UNANIMOUS.
AND WE HAVE A MOTION, UM, LET'S READ IT.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING, UM, TO AMEND A, A PUD, AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN ONION CREEK, RENARD, UH, CREEK AND PLUM CREEK WATERSHEDS SUR SUBURBAN CLASSIFICATION, AND THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUESTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, STAFF CONDITIONS.
ONE, THIS PROJECT SHALL COMPLY WITH CURRENT PUD REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS.
A SEC SECTION TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41 MODIFIED TO ALLOW CUT UP TO 20 FEET.
B SECTION TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 42 MODIFIED TO ALLOW FILL UP TO 20 FEET C MODIFICATION OF PROTECTED, UH, CRITICAL WA WATER QUALITY ZONES AS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT FD MODIFICATION TO LAND USE PLAN TO, UH, PERMIT A, A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE USE ON APPROXIMATELY 91 ACRES.
TWO, THE PROJECT SHALL, SHALL INCORPORATE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN CRITERIA INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING STAR RATING SYSTEM CRITERIA FOR A ST SEVEN LIGHT PRODU LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION B-S-T-E-L FIVE BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE THREE.
WATER QUALITY TREATMENT WILL ADHERE TO CURRENT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN.
CODE REQUIREMENTS WHERE FEASIBLE, THE PROJECT SHALL BE DESIGNED TO DIRECT STORMWATER TO VEGETATED,
[02:20:01]
UH, PERVIOUS AREAS BEFORE WATER ENTERS THE GRAY STORM WATER SYSTEM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SWELLS, UH, FILTER STRIPS IN INFILTRATION TRENCHES AND INFILTRATION BA INFILTRATION BASINS.THE PROJECT WILL REQUIRE 10% MORE TREES THAN MINIMALLY REQUIRED BY THE CURRENT P ORDINANCE AND CURRENT CODE REGULATIONS.
THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ENHANCED STABILIZATION MEASURES, INCLUDING TERRACING AND RETAINING WALLS FOR AREAS EXCEEDING EIGHT FEET OF CUT OR FILL SIX.
A MINIMUM OF A HUNDRED SQUARE FEET OF LANDSCAPE ISLANDS FOR EVERY 12 PARKING SPACES WILL BE PROVIDED.
THE LANDSCAPE ISLANDS WILL BE A MINIMUM OF 10 FEET WIDE.
SEVEN, A MINIMUM OF TWO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS PER MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT COMPLEX WILL BE PROVIDED IN PARKING LOTS ADJACENT TO MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENTS AND THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, CONDITIONS.
ONE, RESEARCH THE FEASIBILITY OF ADDING SOLAR POWER TO THE PROPERTY WHERE PRACTICAL AND POSSIBLE, UM, TWO, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO ABOUT ADDING ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AT THE PROPERTY AS THE PROJECT PROGRESSES.
THREE, I MAY NEED TO TWEAK THE WORDING, BUT I WROTE ADD 10% OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO, TO PARKING.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT OR DID I MIX IT UP? YEAH.
MAYBE INSTEAD OF ADD 10% OF ELECTRICAL VEHICLE CHARGING, UM, LIKE 10% OF ALL PARKING, ALL PARKING SHALL BE OR SHALL HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
I THINK IN THE PAST WE'VE USED THE TERM PRE-WIRING.
IT BEING SPECIFIC ABOUT THE TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE YOU NEED.
10% OF ALL PARKING SHALL, UM, BE, UM, UH, LESLIE LILY WATERSHED PROTECTION.
THE WAY THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING HAS, IT IS ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLE CAPE VEHICLE CAPABLE.
WHICH DESCRIBES ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE WIRING ALSO WORKS OKAY, TOO.
WELL, THE POINT IS WE DON'T NEED THE STATION, WE JUST NEED THE PRE-WIRING SO THAT IN THE FUTURE, IF THE NEED IS THERE, THE STATION COULD BE ADDED, THE CHARGING ELEMENT CAN BE ADDED LATER.
10% OF ALL PARKING SHALL BE PRE-WIRED FOR ELECTRICAL VEHICLES, LIKE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CAPABILITY.
JUST TYPE IN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
AND I'LL JUST, CAN I JUST ADD ONE MORE THING CHAIR? YES.
JUST SO PEOPLE KNOW, THE CLOSEST CAPITAL METRO STOP IS A SOUTH PARK MEADOWS, WHICH IS FIVE MILES NORTH ON IH 35.
AND CAPITAL METRO DOES USE, UH, YOU KNOW, MINIVANS TO PICK PEOPLE UP NOW TO BRING THEM TO, UH, BUS LINES.
AND SO THAT'S A GOOD PLACE BECAUSE IT'S A HIGH FREQUENCY 8 0 1 BUS RUNS FROM THERE.
I PUT, UH, 10% OF ALL PARKING SHALL BE PRE-WIRED FOR ELECTRICAL VEHICLE, UH, CAPABILITIES.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE SHERA SULLIVAN, NICHOLS, QURESHI, EINHORN, COFER, BEDFORD KRUEGER, ALL THOSE OPPOSED, OPPOSED.
[5. January Drive Flood Reduction, SP-2022-0531D]
HAVE, UH, FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE HAVE JANUARY DRIVE, UH, FLOOD REDUCTION S SP DASH 2 2 5 3 1D.UM, THE ADDRESS IS ONE, ONE, UH, IS 1 1 6 0 5 THROUGH 1 1 5 0 9 FEBRUARY DRIVE.
[02:25:01]
YOU.ELIZABETH
I'M THE, UH, HYDROGEOLOGIST REVIEWER FOR, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, THIS VARIANCE IS FOR, UH, THE WALNUT CREEK JANUARY DRIVE FLOOD REDUCTION PROJECT.
UH, AND IT IS IN REGARDS TO UPGRADING AND UPSIZING, UH, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO REDUCE FLOODING IN, UH, THE FOUR SEASONS NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED.
UH, THIS IS THE OVERALL VIEW OF WHERE THIS SITE IS.
IT IS NOT LOCATED OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE OR CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
UH, IT IS IN THE WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED AND WATER SUPPLY SUBURBAN CLASSIFICATION.
THERE ARE, UH, MULTIPLE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ON SITE, AND IT IS WITHIN COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THIS PROJECT IS BEING PROPOSED BECAUSE OF HISTORIC FLOODING CONCERNS IN THE FOUR SEASONS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND AS I MENTIONED, IT'S THE UPSIZE OF STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND ABANDONMENT IN PLACE OF THE UNDERSIZED EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS, UH, AN OVERALL VIEW OF, UH, WHAT IS EXISTING VERSUS WHAT IS PROPOSED.
THE, UH, PURPLE LINE THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THERE IS THE PROPOSED, UH, UPGRADE OF, UH, NEW STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE KINDA YELLOW GOLD IS THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS PLANTED TO BE, UH, ABANDONED IN PLACE.
UH, IT'S GOING TO BE DISCHARGING IN BETWEEN, UH, A TWO RIM ROCK CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND A LONG, UH, SEAT HORIZON, UH, WHICH IS THE, THE NEED FOR COMMISSION APPROVAL BECAUSE, UH, THE PROPOSED WORK IS GOING TO BE IMPACTING, UH, HYDROGEOLOGIC SETBACK WITHIN, UH, 50 FEET OF THE FEATURE.
THE, UH, CODE REFERENCE IS 25 8 2 81 C TWO B FOR CONSTRUCTION WITHIN, UH, 50 FEET OF A C CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE.
AND THE VARIANCE IS TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF THE, UH, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO, UH, REDUCE THE FLOODING CONCERNS AND BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE 50 FOOT CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE SETBACK.
HERE YOU CAN SEE A KINDA CLOSEUP OF THE LONG SEA HORIZON.
UH, IT'S STRETCHES KIND OF IN BETWEEN THE, THE TWO RIM ROCKS IN THIS AREA WHERE, UH, THIS PROJECT IS RIGHT AT THE GEOLOGIC CONTACT BETWEEN ALLUVIAL TERRACE AND ALSTON CHALK.
UH, THE ALLUVIAL TERRACE IS GENERALLY MORE POROUS AND PERMEABLE, SO WATER WILL FALL OVER HERE, INFILTRATE DOWN THROUGH THE SOIL, HIT THE IMPERMEABLE AUSTIN CHALK, AND THEN MOVE LATERALLY THROUGH, UH, UNTIL IT IS EITHER FINDS A, A SOFT SPOT IN THE AUSTIN CHALK WHERE IT CAN MOVE VERTICALLY THROUGH THE WATER COLUMN AGAIN, OR IT IS EXPRESSED AT THE, THE SURFACE THROUGH A SEEP OR A SPRING.
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE CONTACT, UM, BETWEEN THE, THE TWO GEOLOGIC LAYERS, THE ALLUVIAL TERRACE AT THE TOP, AND THE, UH, AUSTIN CHALK IS THE BEDROCK OF WALNUT CREEK ITSELF.
HERE IS A, UH, 24 INCH EXISTING STORMWATER OUTFALL THAT WILL BE, UH, REMAIN IN PLACE.
UH, IT IS NOT GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, 24 INCH AND THE UPSIZING OF THE 30 INCH RCP TO, UH, A 48 INCH, AND IT WILL BE OUTFALL IN THE SAME PLACE.
AND USING THE, THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO, UH, REDUCE IMPACTS TO, UH, THE, THE SEAT HORIZON, TRYING TO, UH, KINDA SHOEHORN EVERYTHING INTO THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS, UH, IMPACTFUL.
UH, STAFF BELIEVES THAT THE FINDINGS IN FACT HAVE BEEN MET, AND WE RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF,
[02:30:01]
UH, THIS VARIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, UH, REPAIR OF THE REAL EROSION THROUGHOUT THE AREA.THAT'S WHERE, UH, WATER HAS FALLEN ON THE, THE AREA AND WILL COLLECT.
AND AS IT PICKS UP SPEED, IT WILL GATHER MORE SEDIMENT AND CAUSE EROSION.
UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE REGRADED AND FLATTENED OUT.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO PLACE GROW ZONE SIGNS, UH, EXPAND NATIVE PLANTING AND SEEDING THROUGHOUT THE, THE GROW ZONE AREA, UH, AND NATIVE SEEDING IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE GROW ZONE AND THE CURB, UH, TO ALLOW FOR, UH, MORE BIODIVERSITY, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING THE, UH, UH, TO WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE HAVING TO, TO WALK ON THE STREET TO, TO GET THROUGH THIS AREA.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL STILL BE UP ON THE CURB.
UM, WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, THE PLACEMENT OF TOP SOIL AND TEMPORARY IRRIGATION AND WEED MANAGEMENT THAT IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE RESTORATION.
AND IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MY COLLEAGUES, ISAAC AND CLAUDIA, WHO ARE UP HERE WITH ME, THE, UH, REMAINING DRIVEWAY APRONS AND CURB AND GUTTER HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED, UH, AS PART OF THE, THE BUYOUTS FOR, UM, THE AREA THAT THIS WORK IS PROPOSED TO, TO BE IN.
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING HEAD WALL STRUCTURE WITH THE 24 INCH PIPE THAT IS GOING TO BE REMAINING WITH THE UPSIZE TO THE 48 INCH, UH, DIAMETER PIPE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE BAFFLE BLOCKS, UH, SECURED DIRECTLY AT THE OUTFALL TO REDUCE, UH, STORMWATER VELOCITY TO HELP, UH, ANY EROSION CONCERNS, UM, WITH THE, THE INCREASED FLOW AND DISCHARGE.
HERE IS THE, UH, PROPOSED RESTORATION PLAN.
UH, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT GOING ON HERE, BUT I, UH, WANTED TO INCLUDE, UH, THIS TO SHOW THE AMOUNT OF GRADING AND NATIVE PLANTING AND INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL THAT IS PROPOSED AS PART OF THE RESTORATION AREA.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED, UM, THE PROPOSED ALIGNMENT OF THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN YELLOW JUST TO KIND OF HELP IT STAND OUT, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
DO WE HAVE, UH, APPLICANT, UH, APPLICANT? NO.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
THE QUESTIONS FOR THE COM COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE REMOTE? OKAY.
YEAH, SO I MEAN, THE CITY IS THE APPLICANT ON THIS, RIGHT? SO IS IT, IS THERE ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENT RE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR DOES THE, DO THE RECOMMENDATIONS COME FROM THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE REQUEST? NO, IT, IT DID NOT COME FROM THE SAME PEOPLE DOING THE REQUEST.
UH, WATERSHED MADE THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS A, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
SO, UH, THEY, UH, THE, THE CITY WAS NOT RECOMMENDING ITS OWN CONDITIONS FOR THIS VARIANCE TO BE APPROVED.
THEY, THEY CAME FROM A, A DIFFERENT ENTITY ENTIRELY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
COMMISSIONER KRUEGER? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I AM, YOU KNOW, EXCITED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ALL ARE PROPOSING IN TERMS OF NATIVE PLANTING AND REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND I'M CURIOUS BY, YOU KNOW, INCREASING THE, THE SIZE OF, OF THE DRAIN, LIKE WHAT POTENTIAL IMPACTS YOU ALL THINK MIGHT HAPPEN IN THIS AREA IN TERMS OF FLOW OR EROSION OR ANYTHING ELSE.
I I DON'T ANTICIPATE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EROSION.
THOSE BAFFLE BLOCKS WILL HELP REDUCE THE VELOCITY ON THE, THE CONCRETE BEFORE IT REACHES THE, THE BEDROCK ITSELF.
UH, AND WE'VE ALSO HAD OUR, UH, STREAM RESTORATION AND EROSION CONTROL GURU, UH, ERIC LA'S REVIEW THIS PROJECT AND HAS SIGNED OFF ON IT THAT IT IS, UH, THE VELOCITY WILL BE AS SUCH THAT IT WILL NOT LEAD
[02:35:01]
TO, UH, ADDITIONAL EROSION AND, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT DOWNSTREAM.UM, AND HOW, LIKE SIGNIFICANT OR INVASIVE IS THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ITSELF TO, TO REPLACE THIS? UH, IT'S GONNA BE OPEN TRENCH THROUGHOUT, UH, THE ENTIRETY OF THE, THE INSTALLATION.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF IT IS GOING TO BE IN EXISTING RIGHT AWAY ON, UH, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY DRIVE.
UM, THE RESTORATION WORK, UM, THAT WILL BE DONE AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION IS I THINK GOING TO BE VERY HARDY AND WILL ALLOW FOR A, A QUICK RECOVERY.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THE CONSTRUCTION MIGHT TAKE? YEAH, GO FOR IT.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE PROJECT IS SLATED TO BE IN CONSTRUCTION FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
FOR HOW LONG? I'M SORRY? ONE YEAR.
UM, AND IS THIS CREEK BED LIKE USUALLY DRY OR LIKE, I'M, I'M TRYING TO THINK THROUGH SOME WATER QUALITY ISSUES THAT COULD COME UP DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
UH, WALNUT CREEK IN THIS AREA USUALLY HAS SOME SMALL BASE FLOW THROUGH, THROUGH THAT AREA.
UH, THE EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROLS WILL BE, UH, PROTECTIVE OF, UH, ANY SEDIMENT BEING WASHED OUTSIDE OF THE, THE PROJECT AREA AND INTO WALNUT CREEK.
UM, THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF STANDARD, UH, EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROL PRACTICES THAT ARE, ARE USED FOR WITH ALL, ALL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEY'LL BE, UH, IT'S GONNA BE REGULARLY INSPECTED ALONG WITH, UH, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY.
SO, UH, ANY, ANY POTENTIAL DISCHARGE WILL BE QUICKLY REMEDIATED AND MITIGATED FOR.
SO WE DO REGULATE OURSELVES FROM TIME TO TIME.
WE ARE, UM, IT IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT IT IS A WATERSHED PROJECT AND WE ARE ALSO WATERSHED REGULATORS, SO, OKAY.
NO, I GET, I GET THAT, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN, IN ANYTHING, SO, CORRECT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I TRUST YOU.
WE, WE DO, WE HOLD OURSELVES TO THE SAME HIGH STANDARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE, UM, IN FACT MADE OURSELVES GET, UH, SOS AMENDMENTS FROM TIME TO TIME.
BUT ALSO IT WAS, IT'S STILL STILL WATERSHED, BUT, UH, A DIFFERENT GROUP ENTIRELY PROPOSED THE CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL.
SO THEY DIDN'T SAY, HEY, WE'LL DO THIS.
THEY SAID, HEY, Y'ALL SHOULD DO THIS FOR APPROVAL.
SO IT, IT, IT WAS NO, NO CONDITIONS WERE PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COMM UH, COMMISSIONER BRIER.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, MY QUESTION HAD TO REALLY DO WITH COMMISSIONER KRUEGER WAS THE EROSION.
AND, UH, SO YOU DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY INCREASED EROSION AND YOU'RE GONNA MITIGATE OR CORRECT OR WHATEVER IS ALREADY THERE.
THE, THE EROSION ON THE, THE TOP SIDE OF THE LOTS WHERE, UH, THE OLD BUYOUTS HAPPENED HAS BEEN ERODED JUST FROM, UH, BEING UNMAINTAINED AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH VEGETATIVE STABILIZATION IN THAT AREA.
BUT AS PART OF THE, UH, THE RESTORATION POST-CONSTRUCTION, THAT AREA IS GOING TO BE FLATTENED OUT AND OVER-SEED AND, UH, TEMPORARILY IRRIGATED TO, UH, HELP EXPEDITE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND STABILIZATION OF THE, THE TOP SOIL.
SO YOU DON'T, GOING FORWARD, YOU DON'T ANTICIPATE FURTHER EROSION? NO, SIR.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, SO, UM, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? DO YOU HAVE A, OH, COMMISSIONER EINHORN, I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
WHAT'S THE ESTIMATED START DATE FOR THIS PROJECT? SHE PULLING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
I, SHE'S GETTING THAT PULLED UP TO GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE DATE.
[02:40:12]
HELLO, MY NAME IS CLAUDIA CORSETTI, UH, WITH THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.AND OUR ANTICIPATED, UM, UH, START DATE IS THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY, SO 1, 2, 20 25.
YEAH, I, I'M, I ASK THAT JUST 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SEDIMENT, THE SEDIMENT CONTROL DEVICES.
WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT ARE THEY BUILT TO SORT OF WITHSTAND IN TERMS OF A RAIN EVENT? UH, THEY, I THINK HAVE PROPOSED, UH, SILT FENCE STEPPED BACK FROM, UH, THE CREST OF THE EXISTING RIM ROCK IN THAT AREA, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, UH, A EROSION CONTROL LOG AT THE TOW ON THE UP SLOPE SIDE OF THE, UH, THE SILT FENCE TO HELP REDUCE THE, THE WATER VELOCITY.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE INSTALLED CORRECTLY, UH, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND SOME SIGNIFICANT RAIN.
I DON'T THINK THEY, UH, I'M UNAWARE OF A SPEC THAT IT HAS TO WITHSTAND X NUMBER OF FLOW OVER X AMOUNT OF TIME OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE PIPE AND WHAT THE PIPE IS SIZED FOR? NO, HE, HE ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? THANK YOU.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
SHEAR AS SULLIVAN NICHOLS RESI.
EINHORN FER, BEDFORD BRIMER AND KRUEGER.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN 50 FEET OF SEEP SPRING CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN WALNUT CREEK SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT ZONE, AND THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUESTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, STAFF CONDITIONS, ONE, REPAIR EROSION THROUGHOUT AREA, TWO PLACE GROW ZONE SIGNS AT A HUNDRED FEET INTERVALS, 30 FEET FROM CURB THREE, EXPAND NATIVE PLANTING AND SEEDING THROUGHOUT THE GROW ZONE AND THE CURB, NO PLANTINGS OUTSIDE OF THE GROW ZONE SOD AREA FOR, UH, STABILIZATION CAN REMAIN.
FOUR, ENSURE THAT PLACEMENT OF TOPSOIL, TEMP IRRIGATION AND WEED MANAGEMENT ARE INCLUDED WITH THE RESTORATION.
REMOVE REMAINING DRIVEWAY, UH, DRIVEWAY APRONS AND REPLACE WITH CURB AND GUTTER.
AND THERE WERE NO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY EINHORN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. SORRY GUYS.I ALMOST DISMISSED THIS TOO EARLY.
WELL, YOU HAVE, YOU'RE DRAWING A ROLL COMPARED TO KEVIN
I'M KIND OF HALF ON AUTOPILOT, HALF ON TONIGHT.
FOR, FOR THE NEXT THING, IF YOU WILL.
UH, THERE WAS RECENTLY A, UH, SEWAGE FLOW INTO BULL CREEK AND IT MADE THE TV SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY BIG.
SO, UH, ELIZABETH, COULD YOU HAVE SOMEONE FROM WHOEVER IN THE CITY IS IN CHARGE OF DUMPING SEWAGE INTO BULL CREEK? UH, COME AND INFORM US ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WE CAN COORDINATE WITH OUR SPILLS GROUP AND GIVE, UM, ASK THEM TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
I, I KNOW IT WAS A LIFT STATION THAT FAILED, UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A PRIVATE ENTITY OR PUBLIC ENTITY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THAT PARTICULAR LIFT STATION.
SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FORCE A PUB PRIVATE ENTITY TO COME HERE, BUT WE COULD HAVE SPILLS TEAM COME AND GIVE AN UPDATE.
BUT IT WAS A CITY FACILITY, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT WAS IT, WHAT? I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE.
WHOEVER DRAGGED SOMEONE IN
[02:45:01]
I WILL DO THAT.IT SOUNDS, WE GOT TWO SECONDS, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S DEFINITELY GOING A, WE'VE GOT A THIRD UHHUH
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY ON TOP OF IT JUST TO, I MEAN, WE'RE ASKING SOMEONE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE TO, UH, PRESENT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND LIKE THE, THE IMPACT, THE CLEANUP AND, AND SO FORTH RELATED TO THAT.
WE WILL RELAY THAT, UM, TO THE, UH, APPROPRIATE ENTITIES.
UM, AND I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, SOME CITIZEN COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE I 35 EXPANSION.
AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN ASKED FOR, QUOTE, CONSIDER THE EFFECTS OF IH 35 EXPANSION, HEAR FROM CITY STAFF ON POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, INCLUDING THINGS SUCH AS AIR QUALITY, LADYBIRD, LAKE NOISE, ET CETERA, AND BENEFITS FROM CAPPING THE HIGHWAY.
UM, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN PRIVY TO ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, SO I'M CURIOUS IF STAFF COULD, COULD COMMENT ON THAT AND WHETHER WE NEED TO REPHRASE SOMETHING.
SO ELIZABETH FUNK WATERSHED, UM, WHEN I REACHED OUT TO CITY STAFF WHO WAS COORDINATING, UH, WITH TXDOT, THEY FELT THAT TDOT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE ENTITY TO PROVIDE THAT PRESENTATION BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY RAN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, UM, UH, STUDY
UM, AND WHEN I REACHED OUT TO TECH, THEY DECLINED TO BRIEF.
UM, THEY DID SHARE A BRIEFING THEY DID TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL AND ESSENTIALLY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY UPDATES.
I'M HAPPY TO SEND OUT THAT LINK AS WELL AS THE FULL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND TOOK A LONG DOCUMENT.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF CAPS, UM, I DID ALSO REACH OUT TO THE CITY STAFF MEMBER WHO IS COORDINATING THE CAP PROJECT AND THEY'RE STILL IN THEIR AIR STUDY WORKING OUT THE DETAILS OF THEIR AIR STUDY, UM, AIR QUALITY STUDY
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY IS DOING THEIR OWN AIR QUALITY STUDY ISH.
THEY'RE COORDINATING WITH TEXTILES STILL.
BUT IT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CAPS THEMSELVES.
IS THE CITY NOT DOING ANY OF ITS OWN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON, IN TERMS OF LIKE WATER QUALITY ON THE COLORADO RIVER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UM, SO THE CITY IS NOT NECESSARILY DOING ADDITIONAL STUDIES.
WE, THERE ARE CERTAIN TOUCH POINTS ON THE PROJECT WHERE THE CITY IS GETTING INVOLVED IN VARIOUS WAYS.
UM, WATER QUALITY TREATMENT IS ONE OF THOSE WAYS.
SO OUR PDD STAFF ARE, HAVE BEEN IN TALKS FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITH, UM, TX ENGINEERS TO, UM, LOOK AT, UH, BASICALLY TAKING SOME OF THE STORM WATER FROM I 35 FROM THEIR, THEIR TUNNEL, UM, AND TREAT BUILDING A, A POND OURSELVES TO, TO TREAT SOME OF THE WATER BEFORE IT GETS DISCHARGED TO, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A STUDY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT IMPACTS TO FLOODPLAINS.
SO SOME OF THE, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, BOGGY MAY HAVE A REDUCED SIZE.
SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IN DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO I THINK, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, SO OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING, BUT YOU ALL AREN'T REALLY AT A PLACE RIGHT NOW TO NECESSARILY SHARE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OR TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT SOME THINGS ARE MOVING IN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE, UM, MESSAGE, UH, RELATED TO THE WHOLE THING.
SO, 'CAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT ENTITIES TALKING TO, UH, DIFFERENT WORK GROUPS TALKING DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROJECT OR THE, THE ISSUE IS.
SO OKAY, WELL, WE'LL I'M SURE COME BACK WITH FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, LATER AS THIS MOVES ON.
I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THAT OR RELATED TO THAT.
UM, I SAW SOME STUFF IN THE NEWS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UT RELEASING SOME OF THEIR PLANS FOR THE CAPS TWO.
SO WOULD THE CITY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT? IS UT PAYING FOR AND CONSTRUCTING ALL THAT? WHO EXACTLY IS GOING TO BE THE ENTITIES
[02:50:01]
INVOLVED WITH THAT AT? SO I THINK, UM, UT IS, HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN OF THE, UM, THE CAPS.UM, I THINK LIKE 15TH THROUGH 28TH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER CAPS AND STITCHES THAT ARE PROPOSED THAT, UM, THE CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND I KNOW, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION ON WHAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED TO, TO DO THERE.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO WE WOULD BE, CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE OTHERS.
I KNOW IT IS REALLY LONG, BUT IF YOU COULD, UH, CIRCULATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, UH, STUDY, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO FIND THE FINAL ONE ON THE WEBSITE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO HAVE.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST ECHO A, AN UPDATE IN WHATEVER FORM THAT IS ON THE OUTFLOW PLAN.
UH, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S ONE OF THOSE PIECES THAT'S IN EVOLUTION.
I THINK THAT WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT IF IT DOES MANAGE TO GO FORWARD.
SO YEAH, WE WILL DEFINITELY BRING YOU, UH, UPDATED INFORMATION AS THAT GOES.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS? CAN I DO A SHOUT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONER THAT'S NOT HERE? HEY,
UH, JUST REALLY QUICK 'CAUSE THIS IS NEWS TO ME TOO, BUT, UM, SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER BRISTOL.
UH, SHE WAS PART OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY BOND CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD THAT HELPED CRAFT THE BOND PACKAGE, UM, THAT MADE POSSIBLE THE PURCHASE OF MORE THAN 1500 ACRES OF PARKLAND NEAR SPICEWOOD.
UM, SO MASSIVELY INCREASING THE TRAVIS COUNTY PARK SYSTEM.
UM, I KNOW THIS ISN'T IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT, UM, PROTECTING HABIT FOR GOLDEN TREE WARBLER, YOU KNOW, UH, IN RAINIER TIMES AS PROTECTS THE, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER THAT GOES INTO LAKE TRAVIS AND, AND OBVIOUSLY JUST KEEPING EN UH, DEVELOPMENT OUT OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE ZONE.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, IT IS 9 0 1.
I HAVE A REQUEST FROM THE AB STAFF.
COULD Y'ALL JUST PULL YOUR CHAIRS OUT WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING?