[CALL TO ORDER]
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PM LET'S GET STARTED FOR THIS, UM, MEETING
IT'S A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024 AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER.
WILL HAINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 5 2.
SO LET'S START WITH A ROLL CALL.
DO WE HAVE, UH, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS LOGGED IN BY CHANCE? WE DON'T HAVE ANY REMOTE COMMISSION.
UM, SO LET'S START WITH THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL.
NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FROM THE GENERAL.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE? ANY OBJECTIONS OR MOTION? I'LL, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF BOTH THE, UM, SPECIAL CALL MEETING ON AUGUST 28TH AND THE REGULAR MEETING ON AUGUST 21ST MINUTES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
RESI, EINHORN, KRUEGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN.
BRIAN, ARE YOU VOTING FOR IT? OH, I, I'M SORRY.
SO, IS THAT FOUR? GOOD? I'M FORWARD.
[2. Name:1107 Castle Ridge Rd Wastewater Service Extension Request #5845 Applicant: Andrew Milam, Parkside Homes LLC Location: 1107 Castle Ridge Road, Austin, Texas 78746 Council District: Austin 2-Mile Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Staff: Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, (512) 974-3443, Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov Applicant request: Wastewater Service Extension Revision Staff Recommendation: Not recommended]
HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, 1 1 0 7 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD, WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION, REQUEST NUMBER 5 8 4 5.DO YOU HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION? GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS KAYLA CHAMPLIN AND I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND TONIGHT I'LL BE PRESENTING 1 1 0 7 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST NUMBER FOUR EIGHT, SORRY, 5 8 4 5.
UH, BEFORE I DIVE IN, I'M GONNA DO A QUICK OVERVIEW ON THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST PROCESS, SINCE YOU DON'T SEE THESE THAT OFTEN.
SO, A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST IS AN APPLICATION FOR CITY WATER OR WASTEWATER SERVICE FROM A PROPERTY OWNER OR DEVELOPER.
IT'S REQUIRED WHEN A PROPERTY IS MORE THAN 100 FEET FROM AN ACCESSIBLE WATER OR WASTEWATER SYSTEM, OR IF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE ISN'T ADEQUATE FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT DEMANDS, IT MAY INVOLVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW, UH, NEW LINE OR ASSOCIATED FACILITIES OR UPGRADES TO EXISTING LINES OR FACILITIES.
THE APPLICANT PAYS FOR THE ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE AS OUTLINED IN THE SER.
SO, UM, SCRS REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL WHEN THEY'RE LOCATED WITHIN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
UM, FIRST IT COMES TO YOU ALL FOR A RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN IT GOES ON TO WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND, UM, ONE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT NO CONDITIONS CAN BE PLACED ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS.
AND THEN ONCE, UH, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE, THIS WILL GO ON TO COUNSEL ON THE SEPTEMBER 26TH AGENDA.
AS I MENTIONED THIS, UH, REQUEST IS JUST FOR WASTEWATER SERVICE AND IT'S FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1107 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD.
IT'S LOCATED IN THE TWO MILE ETJ.
IT'S IN THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED, BARTON SPRING ZONE, UH, WATERSHED REGULATION AREA.
IT'S ALSO IN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER CONTRIBUTING ZONE, THE TURKEY WATER PROTECTION ZONE, AND IS SUBJECT TO THE STATE OUR ORDINANCE.
THIS IS THE LOCATION OF THE SITE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CITY'S FULL JURISDICTION.
THIS IS THE LO SITE LOCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF IMAGINE AUSTIN'S GROWTH CONCEPT MAP.
IT'S NOT LOCATED NEAR ONE OF THE CENTERS OR CORRIDORS WHERE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEEKS TO, UH, SEEKS TO DIRECT NEW DEVELOPMENT.
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OKAY.SO THE PROPERTY OWNER IS PLANNING TO SUBDIVIDE THIS 2.85 ACRE LOT INTO THREE LOTS OF WHICH WILL HAVE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES WITH DRIVEWAYS AND A FIRETRUCK TURNAROUND ENTRANCE.
UM, THEY'RE REQUESTING THREE LIVING UNIT EQUIVALENTS OR LUS, AND THERE IS AN EXISTING HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY, AND THAT'S PLANNED TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND A SITE PLAN HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS OF YET.
THE PROPOSED WASTEWATER EXTENSION INCLUDES 760 FEET OF GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAINE, FROM THE EXISTING EIGHT INCH GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAINE, LOCATED IN WHITE MARCH VALLEY WALK, AND WOULD EXTEND NORTH TO AND THROUGH THE SUBJECT TRACT TO CASTLE RIDGE ROAD.
SO IF SERVICE IS NOT EXTENDED TO THE SITE AND WASTEWATER DISPOSAL IS REQUIRED, THEN THERE ARE TWO ALTERNATIVE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS THAT WE TYPICALLY LOOK AT.
THAT INCLUDES LAND APPLICATION, EITHER VIA SURFACE IRRIGATION OR SUBSURFACE LAND APPLICATION, OR THE SECOND OPTION ON SITE SEWAGE FACILITIES OR O SSFS.
UM, THE SOILS ON THE SITE ARE PREDOMINANTLY BRACKET ROCK OUTCROP SOILS.
UM, THESE SOILS ARE GENERALLY NOT IDEAL FOR THESE ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS BECAUSE THE SOILS VERY THIN AND ROCKY, AND THERE ARE SEVERE LIMITATIONS FOR SEPTIC TANK ABSORPTION, FIELDS AND POND CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE SHALLOW DEPTH OF THE BEDROCK.
UM, SOIL COULD BE IMPORTED, BUT SOIL PIPING AND PREFERENTIAL FLOW PATHS WOULD LIKELY FORM WHICH WOULD ALLOW WASTEWATER MIGRATION BELOW THE ROOT ZONE.
UM, IN THIS CASE, LAND APPLICATION IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE ESTIMATED FLOW FOR ALL THREE HOUSES IS MUCH LOWER THAN, UM, WHAT THE, LIKE THE GETTING THRESHOLD IS FOR A TCQ PERMIT.
SO THE OTHER OPTION FOR THIS SITE WOULD BE ONSITE SEWAGE FACILITIES, UM, WHICH COULD BE DEVELOPED WITH THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES.
BUT, UM, THESE WOULD BE, THIS WOULD BE REGULATED BY TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE COUNTY REQUIRES A MINIMUM LOT SIZE OF AT LEAST ONE ACRE FOR OS SFS.
AND UNDER THESE RULES, BECAUSE THE LOT IS 2.85 ACRES, THEY WOULD ONLY, IT WOULD NEED TO BE REDESIGNED FOR TWO LOTS OR, AND SO IF, IF THIS WERE THE ALTERNATIVE, THAT COULD HAPPEN.
ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY REDUCE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKELY MAXIMIZE THE ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, WHETHER IT WERE TWO LOTS.
AS I MENTIONED, THE APPLICANT IS NOT REQUESTING WATER SERVICE EXTENSION AT THIS TIME, AND THEY AIRPLANE TO UTILIZE OUR WATER SERVICE FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, WCID NUMBER 10.
SO, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER NOW, UM, IS A NEW, UM, STATE LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AFTER THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, STATE LAWMAKERS PASSED THIS BILL GRANTING PROPERTY OWNERS THE AUTHORITY TO FILE A PETITION OR REQUEST AN ELECTION FOR RELEASE FROM A CITY'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR ETJ.
THE BILL ALLOWS PROPERTIES TO BE REMOVED ON A LOT BY LOT BASIS, WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY HINDERS REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
THE BILL NEGATIVELY, NEGATIVELY AFFECTS AUSTIN'S ABILITY TO REGULATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.
AND UNDER THIS NEW LAW, APOLOGIES, UGH, UNDER THIS NEW LAW PROPERTY OWNERS IN AUSTIN'S ETGA MAY OBTAIN SERVICES FROM THE CITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY RE REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ETGA ONCE RELEASED.
THERE IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS IN THIS AREA.
UH, THIS MAP JUST SHOWS OUR JURISDICTIONAL AREAS CURRENTLY, UM, THAT THE CITY, I WILL JUST MAKE A QUICK NOTE THAT LAS CREEK AREA WILL BE IS, IS GOING TO BE OR HAS ALREADY BEEN AN ORDINANCE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PASSED AND THAT AN ELECTION WAS HELD IN THAT AREA WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CITY'S, UH, FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
AND THAT GOES INTO EFFECT ACTUALLY ON MONDAY, I BELIEVE.
BUT, UH, JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS REVIEW, YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY LIES IN THE CAMELOT SECTION THREE SUBDIVISION, WHICH WAS RECORDED
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IN 1969.THE EXISTING SUBDIVISION WAS NOT SUBJECT TO CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ORDINANCE AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
BUT A FUTURE SUBDIVISION WOULD BE SUBJECT TO BOTH ORDINANCES AND THEN, UM, THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED IN THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED AND OUTSIDE OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE, THE SOS ORDINANCE LIMITS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ALLOWABLE WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE, 20% OF THE NET SITE AREA, AND IT LIMITS CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES, UH, GREATER THAN 15%.
ALRIGHT, SO A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE SITE CONTAINS SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%.
UM, ON THE PROP ON THE PROPERTY, UH, THERE ARE NO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, UH, LOCATED ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, NOR ARE THERE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OR WATER QUALITY TRANSITION ZONE.
THE SITE DOES NOT DRAIN TO ANY OCCUPIED SALAMA HABITAT.
THIS SITE DOES, UM, CONTAIN PREDOMINANTLY UNCONFIRMED HABITAT.
ZONE TWO FOR GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT IN THERE IS A SMALL PORTION OF, IN, UM, THE NORTH, I THINK IT'S THE NORTHERN PART OF THE LOT THAT CONTAINS CONFIRMED HABITAT ZONE ONE FOR THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT.
HERE'S JUST A AERIAL MAP SHOWING THE PROPERTY AND YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING HOME ON THE PROPERTY.
SO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
THE SITE CONTAINS STEEP TOPOGRAPHY WITH MANY AREAS OF SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%, AND IS THEREFORE SENSITIVE TO IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT.
THE ORIGINAL SUBDIVISION WAS APPROVED PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ORDINANCE AND FACILITATING ADDITIONAL DENSITY AND IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BEYOND WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS COULD LEAD TO AN OVERALL INCREASE IN NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ORDINANCE.
OVER TIME, THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT DOES SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT THAT COMPLIES WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
AND CURRENTLY THERE ARE NO ASSURANCES THAT THE SITE WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN AUSTIN'S ETJ IN THE FUTURE, IF THE PROPERTY OWNER RELEASES FROM THE CITY'S ETJ AFTER RECEIVING THE SCR, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP WITH FEWER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
AND THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SAVE OUR SPRINGS, UH, IMPERVIOUS CU LIMITS, NONDEGRADATION WATER QUALITY TREATMENT STANDARDS AND SLOPE PROTECTIONS FOUND WITHIN THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
UM, I KNOW THE APPLICANT IS HERE TO GIVE A AND WANTS TO GIVE A PRESENTATION.
I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE A REGISTERED SPEAKER AS WELL, AND THEN I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE APPLICANT'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
UH, CAN YOU CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR MICROPHONE'S ON? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS AMANDA BROWN WITH HD BROWN CONSULTING.
I'M GONNA WAIT JUST A MINUTE FOR MY PRESENTATION TO BE PULLED UP.
UM, AS KAYLA HAD MENTIONED, WE'RE HERE FOR A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST AT 1107 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD.
THIS IS THE GENERAL LOCATION MAP TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD.
UM, THIS IS A, A LOCATION, UH, ZOOMED IN MAP TO SHOW WHERE WE ARE.
UM, TWO THINGS I WANNA POINT OUT.
THERE IS AN EXISTING HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY, AND THEN, UM, OUR PROXIMITY TO WHITE MARSH VALLEY TO THE SOUTH.
UM, OUR JURISDICTIONS WERE LOCATED IN THE AUSTIN ETJ.
WE ARE ALSO LOCATED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CCN.
UM, AND ALSO AS KAYLA HAD MENTIONED IN THE BARTON SPRING ZONE AND THE EDWARDS AQUIFER CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
OH, I THINK THERE'S A, YOU'RE MISSING A SLIDE THAT MIGHT BE HIDDEN.
SO BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE SORT OF PLAN A AND PLAN B, UM, THAT WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TONIGHT.
SO PLAN A IS, UM, ON THE LEFT.
THIS IS OUR IDEAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
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UM, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE SITE PER THE WATERSHED IS ALLOWED TO BE 20%.ONCE YOU TAKE INTO THE SLOPES, IT'S AT ABOUT 13%.
UM, FOR, FOR THE SITE, THE PLAN B ON THE RIGHT WOULD BE THE CONCEPT PLAN THAT WE PUT TOGETHER IN THE EVENT THAT WE END UP DOING.
UM, PLAN B, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE TWO HOMES WITH A, UM, WITH, UH, TWO NEW SEPTIC TANKS INSTALLED.
UH, SO PLAN A YOU CAN SEE HAS THREE SMALLER HOMES COMPARED TO PLAN B THAT HAS TWO SMALLER HOMES.
FOR, FOR OUR PURPOSES, PLAN A IS MORE IDEAL JUST GENERALLY FOR A BETTER DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, UM, FOR SEVERAL REASONS, PRIMARILY BECAUSE TAPPING INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN IS ACCESSIBLE TO US, ALLOWS US TO AVOID, UM, PROVIDING, UM, SEPTIC FIELDS INCLUDED IN THAT WE WILL BE PROVIDING ALL THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS, UM, REQUIREMENTS TO THAT ORDINANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE THREE SMALLER HOMES COMPARED TO THE TWO LARGER HOMES GIVES US MORE AGILITY TO BE ABLE TO BUILD AROUND THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THAT SITE.
UM, I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT BOTH OF THESE PLANS MAX OUT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER, UM, FOR ALLOWED FOR THIS AREA.
SO THE PLAN A WITH THE THREE HOMES VERSUS PLAN B WITH THE TWO HOMES, THERE'S REALLY NO DIFFERENCE IN IMPERVIOUS COVER E EITHER WAY.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE, WE WILL BE BRINGING THE PROPERTY UP TO SAVE OUR, SAVE OUR SPRINGS ORDINANCE COMPLIANCE AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO WANNA NOTE IN TERMS OF DENSITY, THIS IS A THREE ACRE SITE.
SO WITH THIS NEW PROJECT, IT WILL STILL BE A VERY LOW DENSITY DEVELOPMENT HAVING, UM, ALMOST AN ACRE FOR EACH HOME.
SO THIS IS, UM, THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT IS THE, UH, SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST THAT WAS PROVIDED AND IT IS PRELIMINARILY APPROVED BY THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT.
THEY PROPOSE THAT WE TAKE ACCESS TO THE EXISTING AUSTIN WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN WHITE MARSH VALLEY THAT YOU CAN SEE TO THE SOUTH.
UM, THE IMAGE TO THE LEFT IS A, UM, IMAGE OF THE SUBDIVISION TO THE SOUTH THAT SHOWS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A, UM, UH, A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE TO EXTEND THAT LINE TO THE NORTH.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE IN AUSTIN WATER, CCN.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS, UM, INVESTED IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND HAS MADE PLANS TO SERVE ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN THEIR CCN.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, BUT I DID WANNA DO A QUICK NOTE.
UM, IN RESPONSE TO KAYLA'S COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, SENATE BILL 2038, WE HAVE NO INTENT TO DNX OUT OF THE ETJ.
UH, WE TRIED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH STAFF TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THERE TO BE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT, UM, FOR US COMMITTING TO THAT ON PAPER.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, 'CAUSE AS KAYLA HAD MENTIONED, YOU CAN'T CONDITION AN SER.
SO WE COULDN'T LEGALLY FIND A PATH FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMMIT TO NOT TO, TO NOT DN XING.
I UNDERSTAND THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE IN ON THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, WE, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE SOS ORDINANCE.
WE WANT TO COMPLY WITH IT, AND THAT IS OUR INTENT.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND OUR ENGINEER IS HERE AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A SPEAKER REQUEST.
UM, THIS IS A STATEMENT FROM BOBBY, I'M SURE HE EMAILED Y'ALL EARLIER.
UH, THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE IS SUPPORTING WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO NOT EXTEND, UM, THE UTILITY SERVICES TO 1107 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT MEETING WITH US AND OFFERING AN AGREEMENT TO ENSURE LONG-TERM COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOS INITIATIVE OR ORDINANCE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
WE GAVE THIS PROPOSAL SERIOUS CONSIDERATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE S-C-R-S-O-S CANNOT, UH, FULLY SUPPORT THE EXTENSION IN A MANNER THAT WOULD FUEL SPRAWL.
AND WE WERE UNABLE TO CONSIDER ENTERING INTO SUCH AN AGREEMENT BECAUSE THE EXTENSION OF SERVICES WOULD LEAD TO MORE INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT THAN WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE POSSIBLE ON THE
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SITE.THERE WOULD BE A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN THE APPROVAL OF THIS SER.
WE ARE ALSO CONSIDER CONCERNED ABOUT SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT COULD LEAD TO THE EXTENSION OF THE LINE TO OTHER SITES IN THE AREA.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT ANNEXATION REMAINS AN OPTION FOR THE BUILDER, UM, WHICH WOULD BOTH GUARANTEE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS ON THE SITE AND, UH, PROVIDE FUTURE BUYERS WITH SERVICE, UH, CITY SERVICES.
SORRY, THIS IS A LITTLE OUTDATED SINCE I JUST WATCHED SHE'S PRESENTATION.
UM, FOR THAT REASON, WE HOPE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WILL JOIN WATERSHED PROTECTION IN RECOMMENDING AGAINST THE SER.
UH, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
NO QUESTIONS FOR ME AT THIS TIME.
I'M ALSO STILL FORMULATING SOME THOUGHTS.
UM, YEAH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
I WAS WONDERING IF THE STAFF COULD MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH APPROVING THIS SER WOULD THEN LEAD TO MORE DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE OF THE SOS ORDINANCE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
IS IT ONCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S IN PLACE THAT JUST IS ENCOURAGING MORE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SECTION THAT ISN'T PROTECTED BY THAT ORDINANCE? YEAH, THAT, THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I I DEFINITELY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE APPLICANT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WANT TO, TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE, BUT WE'RE STUCK A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THERE IS A LARGER SUBDIVISION, UM, THAT THEY ARE PART OF.
THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, OTHER LAND OWNERS WOULD LIKE TO DO.
IT COULD CAUSE MORE DENSITY, MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER THAN THERE IS TODAY.
IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE GRANT THE SER TODAY, THEN IT WOULD, UM, WE WOULD NEED TO DO THE SAME FOR, UM, OFFER THE SAME, UH, SERVICE TO OTHERS, UH, TO BE, TO BE FAIR.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND SO IF WE REJECT THIS SER, DOES THAT THEN MEAN, WELL, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE DEVELOPER THAT THE DEVELOPMENT WOULDN'T HAPPEN OR THAT THEY WOULD THEN TURN TO OSSF OR SOME OF THESE OTHER PATHWAYS FOR WASTEWATER THAT YOU SAID WERE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE LANDSCAPE? CORRECT.
THAT WOULD RESULT IN PLAN B, WHICH DOES INCLUDE, UM, SEPTIC TANKS AND A POTENTIAL D ANNEXATION OUT OF THE ETJ AS WELL.
SO PLAN A INCLUDES STAYING IN THE ETJ COMPLYING WITH SOS ORDINANCES AND, UM, TYING INTO THE WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE STAFF CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE DOWNSIDES OF THE DEVELOPER POTENTIALLY DOING AN ONSITE WASTEWATER IS LESS BAD, QUOTE UNQUOTE, ON THE WHOLE THAN LIKE GRANTING THE SER AND THEN ENCOURAGING MORE DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IF THERE WAS A LEGAL WAY TO BIND THE APPLICANT TO THE SOS STANDARDS, THEN WE WOULD BE HAVING A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION AND THEY SEEM WILLING TO DO THAT.
UM, THE WAY THAT WE KNOW WOULD WORK WOULD BE TO BE ANNEXED INTO LIMITED PURPOSE, UH, JURISDICTION.
UM, SO, BUT, BUT BEYOND THAT, THERE ISN'T A WAY FOR US TO BE SURE.
SO I, I DEFINITELY TRUST THEM AND I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THEY'RE ACTING IN GOOD FAITH.
BUT HAVING THOSE ASSURANCES IS, UH, DIFFICULT IN THIS SITUATION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE PROS AND CONS HERE AND HOW YOU ALL ARRIVED AT THAT DECISION.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER PUTTING SOMETHING ON SITE ALSO HAS NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RAMIFICATIONS.
SO I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, NEBULOUS IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS DOWN THE LINE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL WEIGHED ALL THOSE THINGS AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT NOT GRANTING THE SCR IS IN THE BEST OVERALL INTEREST.
COMMISSIONER BRIER, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE, UH, APPLICANT.
UM, SO IF THIS COULD BE SOLVED BY YOU BEING ANNEXED INTO THE LIMITED PURPOSE JURISDICTION, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THAT? UH, YES, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, WE, UH, I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
WE SUBMITTED THIS APPLICATION IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR AND HAVE GONE THROUGH A VERY LONG AND RIGOROUS PROCESS TO GET HERE TONIGHT.
UM, THE IDEA OF ANNEXING AND ZONING THE PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD BE ANOTHER POSSIBLY SIX MONTH PROCESS, UM, WAS JUST NOT FEASIBLE FROM A TIMELINE STANDPOINT.
BUT AGAIN, WE, WE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THIS PROCESS, YOU COULD HAVE STARTED, YOU KNOW, A
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YEAR AGO AND IT WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.SO IT NECESSARILY ISN'T NECESSARILY A SEQUENTIAL EVENT.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORKED IN PARALLEL WHEN WE WOULD'VE NOW BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
AS LIZ JOHNSON MENTIONED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT.
I THINK WE, WHILE EVERYBODY IS KIND OF FIGURING OUT THE IMPACTS OF THIS SENATE BILL 2038, WE WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THAT OPTION UNTIL THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
WELL, IT SEEMS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE KIND OF BACKED YOURSELF IN A CORNER HERE, WHICH YOU KNOW, IS UNFORTUNATE.
UM, I HAVE A SEPTIC SYSTEM AND, UH, I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN THE STANDARDS AT WHICH IT'S BEEN BUILT AND REQUIRED TO BE MAINTAINED AND PROPERLY SERVICED.
THEY HAVE A LIFESPAN OF, YOU KNOW, 25 TO 30 YEARS MM-HMM.
AND I'VE SEEN MY NEIGHBORS HAVE THEM THAT DONE.
SO I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ABILITY OF THESE TO BE INSTALLED AND IF PROPERLY MAINTAINED BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THEY BE ABLE TO SERVE THEIR PURPOSE QUITE WELL.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, ISSUES ABOUT HAVING A PROPERLY UP TO CODE, UH, YOU KNOW, SEPTIC SYSTEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT TO ME SEEMS TO BE A PERFECTLY REASONABLE SOLUTION.
AND YOU COULD HAVE REQUESTED ANNEXATION AS WELL.
UM, IS THE CURRENT HOUSE ON SEPTIC? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN ACTUALLY JUST ASKED THE QUESTION I WAS VERY CURIOUS ABOUT, SO THANK YOU.
SECRETARY BRISTOL COMM, COMMISSIONER EINHORNE.
UM, LET ME FLIP THE PAGE IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE GOT FROM STAFF.
CAN WE PULL THAT UP? STAFF FROM THE STAFF PRESENTATION? YEAH.
A FEW SLIDES MAY HAVE GOTTEN REARRANGED.
IS THAT THE, THE, UM, THAT'S THE MAP WITH THE, WITH THE LOST, UH, HILLS OF LOST CREEK.
AND I SPECIFICALLY WANNA ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT LOST CREEK 'CAUSE I KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS FROM MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I WORK IN THE CAPITAL.
SO, UM, LOSS CREEK IS GOING TO BE THIS ANNEX RIGHT.
DO THE, UH, UM, DO THEY FURTHER DESIRE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ AS WELL? HAVE THEY, HAVE THEY COMMUNICATED THAT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN? NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF.
SORRY,
SO WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND LOST CREEK? THERE'S A, THERE WAS A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT LED TO THEIR ANNEXATION, RIGHT? AND IT'S STILL IN PLACE.
IS IT NOT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
I THINK WE WOULD NEED SOMEBODY FROM LAW.
IT IS, AND IT PREVENTS THEM FROM BEING RELEASED FROM THE ETJ, BUT THEY'RE IN THE ACTIVE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET THAT TO GO AWAY IN THE BUILDING THAT I WORK IN.
SO, UM, IF LOSS CREEK, WHEN LOSS CREEK DIS ANNEXES, THIS PARCEL WILL NO LONGER BE CONTIGUOUS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CAN IT THEN? I MEAN, ISN'T LIMITED PURPOSE ANNEXATION OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE OF, OF CON IDEALLY, I THINK THAT IT, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BE CONTIGUOUS.
I DON'T THINK IT IS REQUIREMENT.
UM, I THOUGHT ANNEX PORTIONS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN WERE REQUIRED TO BE CONTIGUOUS TO IN COURT WORDED LIMIT.
WE WOULD NEED OUR STAFF FROM PLANNING.
BUT THE LAST I HEARD WAS THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OKAY.
I, I FEEL BAD FOR THE DEVELOPER 'CAUSE I AM MINDFUL THAT THIS IS NOT A GREAT LOCATION FOR SEPTIC.
UM, THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES, UH, AND, AND I WANT TO TAKE THE DEVELOPER AT FACE VALUE THAT THEY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY DEVELOPERS THAT DO NOT WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING TOO CONSISTENTLY.
MAY I RESPOND REAL QUICK? JUST ONE THING JUST TO KEEP IN MIND, JUST ADDS LIKE, ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLICATION TO SER IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT TIED TO THE SURFACE EXTENSION REQUEST.
IT'S JUST THE NUMBER OF, UH, LUESS.
SO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE DO REVIEW IT AND WE TRY TO REVIEW AS MUCH INFORMATION, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, COME TO A, A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION,
[00:30:01]
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT CONSIDERATION IN MIND.UM, AND, AND WE HAVE FAITH THAT THE APPLICANT IS, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT JUST ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLEXITY TO THESE SECRETARY BRISTOL.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD AND BAD.
UM, SO I DO AGREE, UH, WITH COMMISSIONER EINHORN, UM, THAT SEPTIC IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S PROBLEMATIC IN, IN THESE AREAS.
UM, HAVING A MOTHER WHO IS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOREVER AND SPENT, UM, A LOT OF TIME, UH, WORKING ON, UM, LEAKING SEPTICS, UM, IN THIS AREA, UM, IN, IN PARTICULAR.
SO, UM, ESPECIALLY GETTING THOSE CLEANED UP TO BE COMPLIANT WITH SOS, UM, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
IT'S ROCKY, YOU KNOW, UM, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, AS A TAXPAYER, UH, IT IS OFFENSIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SPEND ALL THIS MONEY, WE SPEND ALL THIS TIME, UM, LOSS CREEK.
IF YOU'RE OUT THERE LISTENING, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PUT IN WASTEWATER WATER, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE SERVICES, AND THEN THEY LEAVE, THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT AND THEN THEY LEAVE.
THAT'S REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR ME.
UM, AND IN MANY, MANY WAYS, ESPECIALLY AGAIN, AS A TAXPAYER AND A CITIZEN OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS GREAT CITY, UM, THERE WAS INTENTION WITH ANNEXATION.
THERE WAS INTENTION WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, UH, JURISDICTIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THAT UNDONE BEFORE US.
AND THAT'S NO ONE'S FAULT IN THIS ROOM AT ALL.
NO ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS DECIDED WELL OUTSIDE OF, UM, THESE, THE, THIS ROOM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPOUNDS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE THINK HERE, IF I DISLODGE THAT FROM MY MIND AND THINK ABOUT THIS PROJECT, UM, WITHOUT THAT, UM, I ENVIRONMENTALLY, I, I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE'S A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ON THERE.
I MEAN, IT IS IN THE, YOU KNOW, BARTON CREEK ZONE.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY OVER ALL OF THE IMPORTANT WATER ZONES.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT REALLY HITS THEM ALL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ADDING DENSITY IN THAT TYPE OF AREA IS, IS TRICKY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A THREE ACRE PROPERTY.
SO, UM, I, I AM ALMOST OF THE MIND OF SAYING IF YOU HAD MORE TIME, UM, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PUR PURSUE THE ANNEXATION? LIKE IF YOU HAD MORE TIME? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
SO COMMISSIONER BRIER, UM, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA TABLE TO SEE IF THERE IS MORE TIME? WELL, GETTING BACK TO A POINT YOU MADE, UH, ABOUT THE CITY SPENDING, YOU KNOW, INVESTING AND THEN GRANTED THE DEVELOPER WILL PAY FOR THE INSTALLATION OF ALL THE STUFF THE CITY IS THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT GOING FORWARD.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE GET OFF SCOT FREE GOING FORWARD, THE CITIZEN, EXCEPT FOR ALL OF THE STAFF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DO ALL THIS, WHATEVER.
BUT, UH, SO MY TAX MONEY GOES TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT'S OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS THAT THEY DON'T PAY ANYTHING FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD TO A GREAT DEAL.
SO I KIND OF FEEL LIKE YOU DO THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN FOR A RIDE AND THEN DOING THAT.
NOW, I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS PROBLEMS WITH LEAKING SEPTIC SYSTEMS, BUT THESE ARE BRAND NEW HOUSES AND, UH, THE ODDS OF THIS HAVING A LEAKING SEPTIC SYSTEM IN THE NEXT 25 OR 30 YEARS ARE PRETTY SLIM.
SO I DON'T SEE THIS BEING A TERRIBLY LARGE RISK AT THIS TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY REGULATIONS AS FAR AS INSPECTIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT WHERE I HAVE A SEPTIC SYSTEM, THERE'S VERY STRINGENT INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS BY THE STATE AND THE TOWN AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND SO THESE ARE MINIMAL PROBLEMS THAT I CAN SEE THAT CAN BE MANAGED.
SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE WAY I FEEL AS FAR AS THEM COMING BACK.
THEY SHOULD HAVE EXAMINED STATE LAW, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO GETTING INVOLVED WITH THIS SIX MONTHS AGO, TABLING IT FOR SIX MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TIMELINE IS,
[00:35:01]
THEIR FINANCES, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF US AS A COMMISSION TO FIGURE OUT.WE HAVE TO VOTE TODAY ON THE PRESENTATION THEY'VE MADE, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE WERE TO TABLE IT, THAT MIGHT NOT FIT INTO THEIR THING.
AND THEN IT WOULD SEND A MIXED SIGNAL TO WHOEVER'S DOWN THE LINE FROM US AS TO WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE.
NOW AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE DISCUSSED ABOUT HOW WE CAN PHRASE A DENIAL OR APPROVAL OR SOMETHING IN A MORE TACT MANNER TO PASS OUR INTENTIONS FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
AND THAT MIGHT BE ONE WAY TO DO IT.
THERE IS, BUT REMEMBER, THAT'S NOT WITHIN AN SEO.
WE CAN DO WHAT THIS, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE TABLING IS GONNA CHANGE MY MIND.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, ON THE BASIS OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF THE CITIZENS, THE FACT THAT THERE IS A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE.
THESE ARE NEW HOUSES, THESE ARE NOT EXISTING HOUSES WITH FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE TO SAVE BY PUTTING IN.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, IF IF THESE WERE, YOU KNOW, HOUSES THAT WERE BEING A RENOVATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEY WERE 30 YEARS OLD AND THE SEPTIC SYSTEM WAS IN DANGER OF FAILING, MY THOUGHTS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE AS PRESENTED.
I JUST WANTED TO CHECK WITH YOU.
THAT, NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM ME.
UM, I SHARE THE SAME SENTIMENTS OF THE, OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, UM, WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
SO LET'S, UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
AND IT'S, UH, ARE YOU VOTING PRIMER IN FAVOR OF THIS? UH, NO.
IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MM-HMM.
UM, 1 1 0 7 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST NUMBER 5 8 5 4.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION, AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED, BARTON SPRING ZONE, EDWARDS AQUIFER CONTRIBUTING ZONE AND DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE WATER SERVICE EXTENSION, THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DOES NOT RECOMMEND THIS.
SER WASTEWATER, YOU SAID WATER, IT'S WASTEWATER.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, RAISE YOUR HAND.
F QURESHI, EINHORN, KRUGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, BRIMER.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? WE HAVE NICHOLS AND NO ABSTENTIONS.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER
[3. Make a recommendation regarding the request for 200 E Riverside Planned Unit Development (PUD) (C814-2023-0057) located at 200 East Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704 (District 9). Presenter: Leslie Lilly, Environmental Program Coordinator, Watershed Protection Department]
THREE.MAKE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE REQUEST FOR 200 EAST RIVERSIDE, UH, PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT P UH, C 8 1 4 DASH 2 0 2 3 DASH 0 5 7.
UM, LOCATED IN AT 200 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 0 8 0 4.
AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
AND TONIGHT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR 200 EAST RIVERSIDE PUD.
LOCATED AT THE NAME OF THE P UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN CENTRAL AUSTIN.
[00:40:01]
LIMITS, AND IT IS NOT LOCATED WITHIN THE RECHARGE OR CONTRIBUTING ZONE OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.SO, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITE.
THIS IS A NEW PROPOSED PUD AND IT IS LOCATED, UH, ON A PROPERTY THAT HAS EXISTING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1970.
THE CURRENT SITE IS A LITTLE UNDER FOUR ACRES, SO 3.95 ACRES.
IT IS IN FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
IT'S ALSO LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, AND IT IS A PART OF THE SUBDISTRICT WITHIN THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY THAT IN INCLUDES THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
SO, AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, THERE IS A NEW, UM, UH, COMBINING DISTRICT AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM GOING BEFORE COUNCIL THIS MONTH FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
AND THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THAT.
SOME ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, UH, TO BE AWARE OF THE PROPERTY IS WITHIN THE URBAN REGULATORY WATERSHED.
UH, IT'S ALL, IT'S BOTH WITHIN THE LADY BIRD LAKE AND EAST BOLD CREEK WATERSHEDS.
THERE ARE NO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES WITHIN 150 FEET OF THE PROPERTY'S BOUNDARIES.
THERE ARE NO CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES OR FULLY DEVELOPED A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN LOCATED ON THE SITE.
THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY HAS 89.8% IMPERVIOUS COVER, AND THERE'S NO EXISTING WATER QUALITY TREATMENT PROVIDED FOR THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AND AS I ALREADY MENTIONED, IT'S NOT IN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE OR CONTRIBUTING ZONE.
SO THIS IS THE LAND USE PLAN PROVIDED IN THE POD ZONING APPLICATION.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE VERY CENTER THE, UH, FOOTPRINT OF THE TWO BUILDINGS PROPOSED AND THE SIDEWALKS AND THE OPEN SPACE, UH, UH, PROPOSED AS A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO WHAT SO PUD UH, ZONING APPLICATIONS PROPOSE DIFFERENT CODE MODIFICATIONS AND THIS PARTICULAR APPLICATION IS NOT PROPOSING TO MODIFY ANYTHING FROM SECTION EIGHT, TITLE 25, THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, THERE ARE CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO ZONING AND, UH, TRANSPORTATION, BUT NONE TO THE SECTION OF OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT REGULATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS.
UM, DESPITE NOT MODIFYING ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CODE, THERE IS UM, QUITE, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY ITEMS BEING PROPOSED WITH THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING THIS LIST WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH.
UH, FIRST IS A THREE STAR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING, WHICH IS A STAR MORE THAN WHAT IS MINIMALLY REQUIRED FOR PUD ZONING.
AND AS A PART OF THAT RATING, THERE WILL BE, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION AND BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE CRITERIA.
IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UH, RATING GUIDELINES, THE PROJECT WILL EXCEED, WILL PROVIDE CURRENT CODE EXCEPT AS MODIFIED BY THE POD.
UM, THERE ARE SEVEN CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE LINED OUT IN THE STAFF REPORT.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WATER QUALITY VOLUME WILL BE TREATED ONSITE AND THAT WATER QUALITY VOLUME WILL BE TREATED WITH GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO REDUCE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE SITE BY 9.8%.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PLANTS, UH, THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LANDSCAPE WILL BE NATIVE FROM, UH, APPENDIX F AND FROM, UH, OUR GROW GREEN GUIDE.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE ALSO ENHANCED REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET TREE PLANTINGS, WHICH INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN SOIL VOLUME AND DEPTH.
UH, A DECREASE IN PLANTING DISTANCE TO HAVE MORE TREES PROVIDED ON SITE, UH, SPECIES DIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, INCREASE IN THE SI MINIMUM SIZE REQUIREMENT OF THE TREES.
ALSO, THERE'S 18,000 SQUARE FEET OF POROUS PAVEMENT, UM, PROPOSED FOR ALL OF THE PEDESTRIAN AREAS THAT YOU COULD SEE IN THE, UH, LAND USE PLAN.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION WILL BE PROVIDED BY RAINWATER HARVESTING OR OTHER NON-POTABLE SOURCES.
STORM WATER RUNOFF WILL BE DIRECTED TO LANDSCAPE AREAS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN THE REQUIRED LANDSCAPE AREAS.
SO THAT'S ABOUT 20% OF THE SITE.
THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND LASTLY, AS A PART OF THE LANDSCAPED AREA, THERE WILL BE 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF POLLINATOR HABITAT.
UM, AND BASED ON THE COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE PUD WITH A PREVIOUSLY LISTED ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY ELEMENTS AS CONDITIONS.
AND WITH THAT, I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THE APPLICANT IS ALSO HERE TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION AND WE ALSO HAVE THE ZONING CASE MANAGER HERE, UM, UH, WITH US VIRTUALLY TO PROVIDE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ZONING ITEMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[00:45:01]
MUCH.UH, LET'S, UH, LOOK AT THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.
I CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
AFTER LOOKING AT THAT PRESENTATION FROM STAFF, UH, I THINK I GAVE AWAY TOO MUCH FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HEIGHT, BUT, UM, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY.
I, I'VE GOT A PRESENTATION LINED UP.
IT, IT, IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS PRESENTED BY STAFF, BUT IT, IT INCLUDES SOME OF THE ZONING STUFF IN IT.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT OR IF YOU WANT TO ASK ME QUESTIONS OR GO THROUGH IT, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I WON'T READ ALL THE STUFF 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE SUPERIORITY, BUT THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL SHOWING YOU THE, UM, THE PROXIMITY TO THE LAKE.
IT'S, IT'S SEPARATED FROM THE LAKE.
IT'S KIND OF AN ISLAND OF CONCRETE ON ITS OWN.
THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THE ZONING AROUND IT.
IT'S ZONED TO L WHICH WOULD GIVE US 200 FEET, EXCEPT THAT BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY, WE'RE CAPPED AT 96.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MODIFICATIONS WE'RE ASKING TO GO TO 500.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PLAN VIEW.
WHEN WE ORIGINALLY FILED THE ZONING CASE, WE, WE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE OUR BUILDINGS WERE GONNA BE.
THIS HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS LONG ENOUGH.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS BASICALLY A BUCKET OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
IT MIGHT BE A HOTEL, IT MIGHT BE RESIDENTIAL, IT MIGHT BE OFFICE, IT MIGHT BE A COMBINATION OF ALL THOSE THINGS.
THESE ARE THE, BASICALLY THE SIX THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING TO VARY.
UM, AND AS PRESENTED BY STAFF, IT'S BASICALLY DESIGN AND ZONING ISSUES AND SOME TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
AND NUMBER SIX IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.
WE'RE ASKING TO BE ABLE TO DO DOWNTOWN, UH, CONCRETE POURS BECAUSE AT THIS INTERSECTION OF RIVERSIDE AND LITTLE RIVERSIDE, IF WE'RE HAVING TO POUR DURING THE DAY, IT'S GONNA REALLY MESS UP TRAFFIC.
SO WE'RE ASKING TO BE ABLE TO POUR AT NIGHT, UH, WITH LIMITATIONS.
INTERESTING ENOUGH ABOUT THIS SITE.
UM, THIS SITE IS WHERE THE TRANSIT LINE COMES DOWN RIVERSIDE FROM THE EAST AND MAKES A TURN TO HEAD ACROSS THE RIVER.
IT IS ALSO THE SITE WHERE THE LINE COMING DOWN OR COMING UP CONGRESS GOING NORTH JOINS.
AND THE TR TRAIN STATION IS ACTUALLY AT THIS SITE.
NOW, ALL THESE PLANS THAT YOU SEE WE'RE, WE'RE SHOWING AS IF THE TRAIN IS NOT THERE.
BUT WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, UH, A TP AND WE, WE WELCOME THE TRANSIT AND ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM ON INCORPORATING IT.
SOME OF THESE COMMITMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING MAY CHANGE A LITTLE BIT IF THE TRAIN GOES WHERE WE ARE AND IT STARTS TAKING UP RIGHT AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BUILT IN SOME FLEXIBILITY INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR.
FOR INSTANCE, THE TREES WE'RE, WE'VE COMMITTED TO A NUMBER OF TREES AND THE PLANTINGS, THE TREES, BUT WE MAY NEED TO MOVE THEM AROUND DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE TRAIN STATION IS AND WHETHER IT'S ABOVE GRADE AT GRADE, ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT, UM, IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE PUD MOST OF THE, FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY OF THE STATESMAN ASKED FOR, BUT IT WAS IN THE TENS OF MODIFICATIONS.
THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO, DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE? OR STAFF WENT THROUGH ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL ONES THEY WERE WILLING TO DO.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE ARE.
I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE IS NEXT SLIDE.
SO THESE ARE, SEE THESE ARE SOME OF THE NON-ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
75% OF THE GROUND SPACE, UH, TO BE COMMERCIAL MIXED USE, RUNNING RIVERSIDE OR THE FUTURE CAPITAL METRO AND, AND PROVIDE FOR PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES, UH, 450 SQUARE FEET OF COMMUNITY MILL BUILDINGS OR MEETING SPACE, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, SPACE AT A REDUCED RATE TO LOCAL INDEPENDENCE.
UM, UM, NINE POINTS UNDER THE BUILDING DESIGN OPTIONS OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS, GREEN ENERGY, UH, ON AND ON AND ON.
AND THESE ARE BASICALLY IN TRADE FOR THOSE SIX MODIFICATIONS AND A, A TALLER BUILDING.
THIS IS A CONCEPT OF A TWO BUILDING PLAN.
I DON'T WANT YOU THINKING THIS IS THE PLAN BECAUSE IT'S NOT, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS WHERE THE TWO TRAIN LINES WOULD CONVERGE ON THIS PROPERTY.
THIS SHOWS A TWO BUILDING PLAN.
IT MIGHT BE THIS OR NEXT SLIDE.
[00:50:01]
I THINK WE MISSED ONE.THERE'S, WELL, WELL THERE'S A FOUR BUILDING PLAN THAT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE TRAIN LINES.
THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE'RE LEANING TOWARDS NOW BECAUSE IT PROVIDES THE MOST FLEXIBILITY.
WE COULD START THE BUILDINGS ON THE BOTTOM, WHICH IS EAST, AND WE WOULDN'T BE IN THE WAY OF THE TRAIN STATION AND THE BUILDING ONE OR THE THIRD BUILDING, THE LONGER ONE ALONG THE TRAIN STATION.
WE COULD COLLABORATE MORE WITH THE TRAINED FOLKS ON, ON DESIGN.
AND THIS IS THE, THE LEADER RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT COMMITTING TO ANY OF THE, OF THE THREE YET.
SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THE WAY THAT, AS YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE PUD IS SET, PUDS ARE SET UP.
YOU, WHEN YOU ASK FOR MO MODIFICATIONS, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING THINGS THAT ARE SUPERIOR TO THE, WHAT THE CITY COULD GET UNDER THE CONVENTIONAL ZONING PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE LENGTHY, UH, LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'RE OFFERING TO GET THE DENSITY, WHICH THEN HELPS THE TRAIN STATION, WHICH THEN MAKES THIS AREA TAKE OFF.
SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY NO SPEAKERS ON THIS? OKAY.
UH, LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I REALLY JUST HAD MORE OF A, A COMMENT I SUPPOSE.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT, UH, IT'S STILL KIND OF UP IN THE AIR AS TO WHAT WILL ACTUALLY GO ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE DOCUMENTATION, IT SAID, UH, THE TOWERS WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF FOUR 10 FEET, UH, WILL INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY, UH, 1.3 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.
YOU KNOW, ABOUT 30 K SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL USES ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
UM, I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAD THEIR, UH, STATE OF DOWNTOWN 2024, UH, SORT OF REPORT WHERE THEY SAID THAT THERE'S ABOUT 18 TO 20% VACANCY DOWNTOWN OFFICE SPACES.
UH, TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ABOUT ONE IN FIVE OF, UH, ALL SQUARE FEET IN DOWNTOWN, UH, AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACES BEING VACANT.
SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF WE REALLY NEED MORE DOWNTOWN OR MORE VACANT DOWNTOWN OFFICE SPACES.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE, UH, WHAT IS IT, THE, THE SIX IN GUADALUPE BUILDING AND THE SAILBOAT BUILDING, UH, WHICH IS GOOGLE AND META RESPECTIVELY, WHICH IS EMPTY.
AND ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GONNA BE ON A TRAIN LINE, I WOULD URGE, UH, Y'ALL TO DEFINITELY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, USES FOR THIS TOWER, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'LL BE IN A HOT AREA.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S Y'ALL'S CALL.
THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.
IN RESPONSE, WE PROBABLY SHARE YOUR IDEAS ON OFFICE TODAY, BUT WE'RE PLANNING FOR A LONG-TERM PROJECT AND MAYBE ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS SOMEDAY MAY BE IN OFFICE, BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS, UH, ALL FLUID, RIGHT? THAT WAS JUST MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION.
COMMISSIONER EINHORN, YOU'RE PETITIONING TO BE ABLE TO GO UP TO 500 FEET ON THE SITE.
RICHARD, PUT THAT IN CONTEXT FOR ME.
HOW MANY STORIES IS THAT? LIKE 45, 50 STORIES? HMM.
STORIES ARE GETTING TALLER NOW, BUT I THINK YEAH, I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY BETWEEN 40 AND 50.
W PUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE AROUND THERE.
I MEAN, HOW MUCH TALLER THAT, THAT, THAT FEELS A LOT TALLER THAN WHAT'S AROUND IT.
IN FACT, IT'S UNPRECEDENTED SOUTH OF THE RIVER, BUT JUST RIGHT NEXT DOOR AT THE STATESMAN, I BELIEVE THOSE WERE ALLOWED UP 5 25.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S APPROVALS FOR BUILDINGS RIGHT NEXT DOOR THAT ARE OF THE SAME SCALE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.
STAFF AND APPLICANT FOR YOUR APPLICA FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS, WHY, WHY USE A PUD HERE RATHER THAN STICK WITH THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY? IS IT THAT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS JUST LIKE NOT POSSIBLE UNDER A WATERFRONT OVERLAY OR WHAT'S THE IMPETUS? SO THE CURRENT WATERFRONT OVERLAY CAPS IT 96 FEET.
THE NEW, THAT'S THE HEIGHT, THE NEW AND IMPROVED SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY IT, IT'S SUCH A MESS RIGHT NOW AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MUCH HOPE THAT IT'S GONNA MAKE IT, SO WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN I'M WONDERING IF THE STAFF COULD TALK ABOUT THE COMBINING OF THIS DISTRICT AND THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, EXPECTATIONS FOR THAT TIMELINE AND HOW IT MIGHT APPLY TO THIS PROJECT OR THAT WHOEVER CAN ANSWER THAT.
WELL, THAT GETS BACK, THAT GETS BACK TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN AND
[00:55:01]
THEIR DENSITY BONUS CALCULATOR.SO THE PLAN ITSELF, THE WAY THEY HAVE IT STRUCTURED DOESN'T WORK.
SO WE'VE, THIS, THIS DEVELOPER, AND I PREDICT 60 TO 70% OF THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN WILL PICK THIS ROUTE RATHER THAN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN BECAUSE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN AS WRITTEN DOESN'T WORK IN TERMS OF TIE IN LINE.
THE SOUTH SPENCER, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS, UM, CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR THE SEPTEMBER 12TH CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY TO BE POSTPONED TILL I BELIEVE THE 25TH OR 26TH, WHICHEVER THURSDAY THAT IS.
SO, UM, SO IT, IT, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED YET.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE WILL HOLD THERE.
AND PART OF THE, THE BONUS PROGRAM IS ALLOWANCES FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING, CORRECT? OR NO? THERE IS THAT COMPONENT, YES.
DO YOU KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT? I I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE DETAILS OF THAT.
WELL, GENERALLY IT'S, WE'RE LOOKING FOR LIKE 20% OF UNITS TO BE PRICED FOR BASED ON LOW INCOME HOUSING OR BELOW AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME HOUSING.
BUT IT'S, UM, A LOT OF THAT COULD BE OFFSITE ALSO.
MR. SULLIVAN, HOW'S THAT DEFINED? WELL, RENTAL, IT'S GENERALLY 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME OR 60% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, DEPENDING ON HOW LOW YOU WANT TO GO FOR HOME OWNERSHIP CAN, CAN BE AS MUCH AS 120% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO THERE ARE NO ASSURANCES THAT 20% OF THIS PROPERTY, SHOULD IT BECOME RESIDENTIAL, WOULD GO TOWARDS LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES? CORRECT.
'CAUSE PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS IT COULD HAPPEN OFFSITE.
WELL, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING THE, THE PUD STATUTE REQUIRES, AND I BELIEVE IS IT 10% AT 60.
SO UNDER THE PUD STATUTE TODAY, IF WE DO RESIDENTIAL, YOU'LL GET 10% OF 60% OF RENTAL, OR 5% AT 80% OF OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO THERE IS YOU, THERE IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT BAKED INTO THIS P OKAY.
DO YOU MIND SAYING THAT? JUST A LITTLE SLOWER? 10% AT 10% AT 60% MFI.
FOR RENTAL UHHUH AND 5% AT 80% FOR HOMEOWNERS.
NOW THE CITY GENERALLY, I WILL TELL YOU BY EXPERIENCE THAT THE CITY GENERALLY PREFERS A FEE IN LIEU FOR OWNERSHIP UNITS.
BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY A UNIT DOWNTOWN, THEY'RE SO EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN AND PAY THE HOMEOWNER'S FEES AND THE TAXES THAT THEY BECOME UNAFFORDABLE THE DAY YOU MOVE IN.
SO THE CITY PREFERS A FEE IN LIEU OFTENTIMES WHERE THEY CAN GO PUT THAT MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE AREA.
WE'RE OPEN TO A, THIS PARTICULAR CLIENT IS ACTUALLY IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUSINESS, OWNS AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
AND ONE OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'LL OFFER UP, WHETHER THE CITY TAKES OR NOT, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF TIME OF SOME EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE HERE.
BUT THAT'S ONCE WE GET A SITE PLAN GOING AND DECIDE IF IT'S GONNA BE RESIDENTIAL OR NOT.
YEAH, I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I MEAN, I HAVE NO MAJOR ISSUE IN TERMS OF HEIGHT BEYOND WHAT IS TYPICALLY ALLOWED.
BUT AS A PERPETUAL RENTER IN MY MID THIRTIES WITH, YOU KNOW, TWO ROOMMATES AND NO PROSPECT OF HOME OWNERSHIP ANYTIME SOON FOR MYSELF, IT IS HARD TO SEE THESE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
NOT CONSIDERING PEOPLE LIKE ME AND, AND MY FRIENDS AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR SO LONG WHO ARE GETTING DISPLACED.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE AGAIN, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US BUILDING DENSELY, BUT IT'S HARD BECAUSE I'M NOT NOT SEEING PATHWAYS TO HOME OWNERSHIP FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE BAKED INTO THIS PLAN.
AND I SHARE COMMISSIONER KASHI'S CONCERNS ABOUT VACANCY IN OFFICES AND IN HOMES.
I MEAN, ONE OF MY FRIEND'S AUNTS OWNS TWO OF THE UNITS IN A HIGH RISE DOWNTOWN THAT ARE EMPTY AND THEN SHE HAS A, A THIRD HOME ELSEWHERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT'S UNETHICAL AND UNFAIR TO OUR CITY.
UH, COMMISSIONER BRIER, WHOEVER I AM, HOW IS THIS, UH, WHAT YOU JUST PUT UP HERE DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU PUT UP? UH, YOU BEFORE
[01:00:01]
US IN DECEMBER OF 22.RIGHT? I BELIEVE WE SHOWED THE TWO BUILDING PLAN TO YOU.
UM, AND IT WAS A LITTLE, DID WE HAVE 500 FEET OF HEIGHT AT THAT TIME? FOUR 10 BACK THEN AND WE BUMPED IT TO 500 TO, TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK.
BECAUSE I DIDN'T, TO MY DISCREDIT, I DIDN'T, UH, GO BACK AND COMPARE 'EM LINE FOR LINE.
UH, SO WHAT OTHER CHANGES DID YOU MAKE IN YOUR PROPOSAL TODAY THAT DIFFERS FROM THE ONE THAT YOU PROPOSED BACK IN 22? BEEFED UP, SUPERIORITY AFTER THE STAFF BEAT US UP, SUCH AS? WELL, I DID SEE THE BIRD STRIKE ON THERE, WHICH HAS THE FINGERPRINTS OF, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, CRYSTAL.
WELL, I, I JUST, ANYTHING, ANYTIME I SEE BIRD STRIKES, I THINK OF, UH, BRISTOL.
SO, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU IF THAT WAS YOUR IDEA, BUT, UH, I JUST CONTRIBUTED TO HER.
BUT, UH, I JUST, I'M JUST A QUICK LEARNER.
I DON'T LIKE GETTING UP HERE AND GETTING BEAT UP.
SO, UH, WHAT, WHAT OTHER CHANGES DID YOU MAKE, UH, TO THE, UH, TO WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED THIS EVENING VERSUS WHAT YOU PRESENTED BACK IN 22? I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T REMEMBER.
I JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY ITEMS THIS TIME THAN WE HAD LAST TIME.
AND BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY AND NOT ASKING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL, UH, THE ONES ON THE LIST, I'D BE HAPPY TO PUT IT BACK UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT'S JUST THAT THE, THE SUPERIORITY HAS BEEN BEEFED UP SINCE THE LAST TIME WE BRIEFED YOU.
UH, I SHARE, UH, COMMISSIONER QURESHI AND COMMISSIONER KRUGER'S CONCERN WITH, UH, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THING.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BAKED IN SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THERE, BUT IF WE A VOTE TO APPROVE THE PUD AS IT IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GET WHAT IS THE DEFAULT IN THERE.
AND AS WAS POINTED OUT, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, VACANCY RATE IN, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, OFFICE, YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW IN DOWNTOWN.
UH, I WOULD UNDERSTAND AS A DEVELOPER, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, CLIENT WOULD, MIGHT DECIDE TO MAKE IT ALL APARTMENTS OR CONDOS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT THAT WOULD LEAVE US WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THAT BEING EARMARKED AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, UH, THOSE NUMBERS INCREASE SHOULD THE, UH, DECISION BE MADE ULTIMATELY TO MOVE THAT TO, YOU KNOW, UH, HOUSING AS OPPOSED TO OFFICE SPACE.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA MAKE IT ALL OFFICE SPACE, THAT'S FINE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S GONNA BE, UH, HOUSING AND SINCE IT IS NEAR A, THEORETICALLY NEAR WHAT MAY EVENTUALLY IN SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFETIME, A RAIL LINE, UH, IT'S NEAR MASS TRANSIT AND THAT'D MAKE IT EASY FOR SOMEONE TO LIVE DOWNTOWN WITH MINIMAL USE OF CARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'D BE HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE TO PEOPLE ON MODEST INCOMES TO LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT AND GET AROUND TO WORK AND OTHER, OTHER PLACES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF INCREASING THE, UH, AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ATTACHED TO THAT.
SO WHAT I'VE, AND I'VE HAD TO LEARN THIS PERSONALLY.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A TOUGH THING TO CRACK BECAUSE IT'S JUST MATH.
AND I DID TERRIBLE AT MATH, TOOK EVERY MATH CLASS TWICE, NOT VOLUNTARILY.
IT, THE MATH IS WHEN YOU DECREASE THE RENT, YOU'RE GONNA DECREASE THE DENSITY BECAUSE THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT HAS TO MEET A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OR DEVELOPERS AREN'T GONNA DO IT.
BUT YOU WENT UP TO, FROM 410 FEET TO 540 FEET.
SO NOW YOU'VE GOT, WHAT, HOW MANY MORE STORIES? WELL, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE 108 STORIES, EIGHT MORE STORIES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT MORE STORIES.
SO WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, PULLING OUT A SPREADSHEET AND DOING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MATH THAT NEITHER ONE OF US LIKES, UH, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT KIND OF ALL COMES OUT IN THE WASH, BUT 10% OF THAT WOULD BE AT REDUCED RENTAL.
IF YOU BUMP IT TO 20% OR WHATEVER.
UM, THE NUMBERS ON HIGH RISE CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE HAD TO
[01:05:01]
SHOW ME IN SECOND GRADE TERMS. IT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT.AND THAT'S WHY THE PUT STATUTE WORKS, AND THAT'S WHY THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN AS WRITTEN TODAY WON'T WORK, BUT IT WORKS TO GIVE DEVELOPERS A CERTAIN MARGIN OF INCOME THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
YOU CAN'T DETERMINE THAT PIECE BECAUSE IF THEY INVEST IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND LET'S JUST SAY THEY GET A 12% RETURN AND THEY TAKE THAT SAME DOLLAR AND THEY INVEST IT IN NASHVILLE OR SEATTLE OR PHOENIX OR WHEREVER, AND THEY GET A 16% RETURN, THEY JUST DON'T INVEST IN AUSTIN.
I JUST, I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE IDEA THAT IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PAST, PAST A CERTAIN POINT.
LIKE I THINK THAT'S DICTATED BY A CERTAIN QUAL, YOU KNOW, LIFESTYLE AND, AND INCOME LEVEL THAT DEVELOPERS ARE LOOKING TO SECURE.
I CHALLENGED THEM ON THAT EXACT ISSUE.
UM, MY CHILDREN CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, I CAN'T ASK SOMEBODY TO BUILD THEM A FREE HOUSE OR A DISCOUNTED HOUSE.
UM, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK WELL.
I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU ON THE FACT THAT, UH, SOMEONE'S GONNA TAKE THEIR DIME AND MOVE IT FROM THAT PROPERTY THERE AND IT WON'T BE DEVELOPED.
'CAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE SOMEONE WILL COME IN AND DEVELOP IT.
'CAUSE THAT'S PRIME REAL ESTATE ACROSS FROM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALONG THE RIVER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN.
THE, A THEORETICAL, UH, YOU KNOW, TRAINS, UH, TRAIN LINE.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT PROPERTY WILL BE DEVELOPED BY SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING.
SO THERE'S NO QUESTION IT'LL BE DEVELOPED.
SO, SO THE WAY YOU PHRASE IT IS NOT QUITE CORRECT.
BECAUSE IT WILL BE DEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY.
IT WON'T, AND IT MAY BE DEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY, BUT, AND IT WON'T HAVE THE DENSITY.
AND WITHOUT THE DENSITY, THE TRAIN DOESN'T SURVIVE.
THE TRAIN MAY NOT SURVIVE ANYWAY.
SO THAT'S NOT EVEN A QUESTION.
THAT'S WHY I SAY IT'S A THEORETICAL TRAIN BECAUSE AS WE SPEAK, THEY'RE GETTING READY TO KILL IT ANYWAY.
SO THAT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
THE, UH, MY ISSUE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT IT.
AND YOU'RE ASKING US TO WRITE YOU A BLANK CHECK, AND I'M SAYING PERHAPS MAYBE WE OUGHT TO FILL IN SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE SPACES ON THAT CHECK IN ORDER TO GET A CUT, A BETTER DEAL.
YOU'RE ASKING A LOT FROM US AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND WE'RE ASKING YOU TO NEGOTIATE A LITTLE BIT HERE ON A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
NOW, I DIDN'T PUT A NUMBER ON THIS SAYING SAY LIKE 20 AND 10 AS OPPOSED TO 10 AND FIVE.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE COULD PUT ANY NUMBERS THERE.
LET'S, WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'D LIKE TO SEE NUMBERS THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN 10 AND FIVE.
EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER PRIMER.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND LIKE, UM, LET'S REDIRECT OURSELVES BACK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
YEAH, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY AFFORDABLE HOUSING GUY BECAUSE WHAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU TODAY WAS A ZERO VARIANCE PROJECT ENVIRONMENTALLY, AND A LIST THIS LONG OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY THAT YOU CAN'T GET OTHERWISE.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY AFFORDABLE HOUSING GUY.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
I WAS ABOUT TO INTERJECT AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE, THE PUD THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS, IS, UH, NEXT IN LINE.
AND I'M CER CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT ENVIRONMENTALISM IS INTERSECTIONAL AND I THINK IT DESERVES TO BE BROUGHT UP.
I WILL OUT MYSELF AND SAY THAT WHEN MR. SU HAD THE STATESMAN PUD, AND THERE WAS THIS ARGUMENT I BROUGHT UP, THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU LIVE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, YOU DO NOT NEED AN AUTOMOBILE, WHICH CAN SAVE YOU MORE THAN $10,000 A YEAR, WHICH CREATES GREATER AFFORDABILITY.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU LIVE IN AN AREA LIKE THIS, YOU CAN LIVE MUCH CHEAPER BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU BY WALKING, BIKING, USING A SCOOTER, OTHER FORMS OF MICRO MOBILITY, THE BUS AND IN THE FUTURE, THE TRAIN.
OH, AND I'LL JUST MENTION TOO THAT WE SUPPORTED THIS AT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD BECAUSE OF THE, UH, GOOD, ALL OF THE GOOD, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
I'LL AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN THAT THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL POSITIVES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ARE JUST UNQUESTIONABLE IN MY MIND, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE.
[01:10:01]
SECRETARY BRISTOL, THANK Y'ALL BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO WANNA, UM, ECHO WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. SU SAID ABOUT YES, I AGREE WITH YOU.YOU KNOW, YES, IF YOU DO GET RID OF YOUR CAR, YOU SAVE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IN DOWNTOWN YOU HAVE TO PAY THE HOAS AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN, IT'S FOUR TO $500 A MONTH AT MINIMUM.
SOMETIMES IT'S THREE OR $4,000 A MONTH.
SO THEN THAT BECOMES PRETTY, PRETTY OUTTA REACH FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANNA THROW THAT IN THERE.
UM, AS, UH, AS, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TRIED TO HELP SOME OF MY SENIOR FRIENDS, UM,
UM, SO, UM, YOU'RE GOING FOR THE THREE STAR, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING.
UM, WHAT I'M ALWAYS CONFUSED AT WHAT'S ON THE FOUR STAR, LIKE WHAT WOULD BE ONE UP FROM THAT? OOH, ABOVE THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR YOU.
I'M SORRY, I WAS GONNA SAY ABOVE MY PATIENTS.
UH, LASTLY, LILY WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, THE FOUR STAR WOULD JUST BE ADDITIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING GUIDELINES.
UM, NOT BEING ONE OF THOSE REVIEWERS, I CAN'T SAY EXACTLY HOW MANY ADDITIONAL POINTS YOU WOULD NEED.
UM, BUT THE, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH, UM, THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING GUIDELINES AS THEY ARE TODAY.
AND IT'S JUST ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ITEMS, UM, TO INCREASE THE SCORE.
YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE MORE OF THESE COMING FORWARD, UM, IN THIS AREA, UM, TO KIND OF LOOK AT.
SO, UM, AND MR. SETTLE, YOU CAN COME BACK UP.
SO, UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT IMPERVIOUS COVER.
YOU'VE GOT A REDUCTION, UM, OF 9.8%.
RIGHT? WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET TO 10%? WELL, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A SITE PLAN, I DON'T REALLY KNOW.
WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR ROADS AND SIDEWALKS AND BIKE LANES AND TRAINS AND THEN BUILDINGS AND, AND I, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND THEN CAN I ASK YOU TOO, ON THE HEIGHT, WHICH BY THE WAY, I MEAN, AS I'M SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT THE HEIGHT, I CAN JUST HEAR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE PEOPLE FROM TRAVIS HEIGHTS SCREAMING AT ME, UM, ON THAT.
BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL HAVE TO BUY THEM A DRINK AND MAYBE MAKE THEM HAPPY.
UM, WILL, WILL ALL OF THE BUILDINGS SHARE THAT HEIGHT OR WILL THEY BE STAGGERED IN A WAY? I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE A SITE PLAN YET, BUT THAT'S A, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S A CH THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IN HIGH-RISE CONSTRUCTION, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
I AM GUESSING, BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN IN OTHER PLACES, THERE WILL BE A STAGGERING OKAY.
WHAT WE DID IS PROVIDED A CAP.
WE, WE TRIED TO DO AN ENVELOPE SINCE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE.
BUT ONE BUILDING MAY BE 400, 300, 1 BUILDING MAY GET UP TO 500, BUT IT'LL, IT, IT COULD BE STAGGERED.
UM, AND THEN ON THE ROADS THAT YOU HAD THERE IN YOUR MAP, UM, ARE THOSE ALL LINING UP WITH, YOU KNOW, IF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATER, UH, GOES THROUGH OVERLAY, GOES THROUGH, WOULD THOSE ALL LINE UP? IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS QUITE A FEW OF THOSE.
YEAH, SO BASICALLY THIS SITE SITS AT THE CORNER OF RIVERSIDE, WHICH IS PUBLIC ROAD, AND THEN WHAT THEY CALL LITTLE RIVERSIDE, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IS A PUBLIC ROAD, BUT IT'S A PRIVATE ACCESS EASEMENT.
THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN CALLS FOR THAT TO BECOME A PUBLIC ROAD, AND ALSO THE ALIGNMENT OF THE POTENTIAL TRAIN, WE'RE ACCOMMODATING FOR 'EM BOTH.
WELL, UM, I, I LOVE IT THAT YOU'RE ACCOMMODATING FOR THE FUTURE TRAIN THAT WILL HAPPEN THERE,
I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.
AND I, I JUST WANNA STAY POSITIVE ABOUT IT.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I'VE WANTED PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, A RAIL HERE AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN OUR LIFETIME, COMMISSIONER BRIAN, NOR IT WILL HAPPEN.
UM, UM, I DO WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BUCKET OF USES, UM, THAT YOU MENTIONED BECAUSE OF, UM, THE POTENTIAL WHERE IT IS WITH THE TRAIN STATION, YOU KNOW, IT DOES SEEM FEASIBLE THAT THERE WOULD BE A COMBINATION OF, YOU KNOW, HOTEL, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, UH, HOUSING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A REAL MIXED USE.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND YOU THINK ABOUT, WELL, THIS COULD BE A HIGH PEDESTRIAN AREA,
[01:15:01]
UM, TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IT IN HERE WITH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE WHAT WILL BE, WHAT WILL BE IMPROVED FOR PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH THE AREA? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THIS GETS BACK TO THE PLANNING THAT'S GONE ALONG WITH ALL OF THE OWNERS THAT ARE SURROUNDING THIS AREA.THEY WANT IT TO BE A POROUS, WALKABLE AREA.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED YOU THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE IS TO PLEASE RECOMMEND THAT THAT TRAIN, IF IT GETS BUILT, BE ELEVATED.
BECAUSE WHEN THEY COMBINED TWO LINES INTO ONE AT THIS SITE, THE FREQUENCY OF THE TRAINS IS GONNA GO UP.
AND WHEN IT GOES UP, IF IT'S AT GRADE, THOSE GATES ARE GONNA BE COMING DOWN.
AND IT'S GONNA BE TRICKY TO WALK BETWEEN THIS SITE, THE SITE ACROSS RIVERSIDE, THE SITE ACROSS LITTLE RIVERSIDE.
SO WHAT ALL THESE LANDOWNERS ARE TRYING TO DO IS, WHILE EACH DEVELOPMENT WILL BE DIFFERENT, THERE WILL BE GROUND FLOOR, PEDESTRIAN ACTIVATED AREAS TO BE ABLE TO WALK, BIKE TO GET THE OTHER SITES UNDER THE TRAIN, GET ON THE TRAIN, GO NORTH, GO SOUTH, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY DESIGNED TO BE INTEGRATED AND, AND WHAT WE CALL POROUS.
UM, I GUESS, UM, I'M, I'M SUPER EXCITED, UH, THAT YOU'LL BE, YOU KNOW, UH, DOING THE BIRD COLLISION, UH, DETERRENCE.
UM, ARE THERE OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT COULD ALSO ENHANCE THE, UM, OR WE'LL, WE'LL SAY, NOT ENHANCE, BUT IT WOULD PREVENT, UH, MORE BIRD STRIKES.
AND THAT'S AN EVOLVING CONVERSATION.
WE'RE, WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH THE AUDUBON SOCIETY.
THAT'S WHERE WE, WE DEALT WITH THEM LATE IN THE PROCESS ON THE STATESMAN.
THERE'S DIFFERENT IDEAS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING.
UH, THESE GUYS ARE COMMITTED TO LOOKING AT THOSE CONCEPTS AS WELL AS THEY CHANGE.
AND WHEN YOU GOT MULTIPLE BUILDINGS, IF YOU BUILD ONE, IT DOESN'T QUITE WORK.
YOU GOT A CHANCE TO HAVE A REDO ON THE NEXT BUILDING.
UM, AND SO MY LAST COMMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE, I MADE LOTS OF LITTLE SCRATCHES HERE.
CAN YOU BUILD SOMETHING OTHER THAN A RECTANGLE? YES, THANK YOU.
LET ME JUST START OFF BY SAYING, LIKE, I AGREE WITH MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THAT SPOKE EARLIER WITH REGARDING WANTING THIS TO BE TRUE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND I FEEL YOU.
I JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO FINANCE IT YET.
IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU MENTIONED LIKE YOU PREFER THE THREE BUILDING LAYOUT, THE ONE THAT HAD LIKE THE LONGER BUILDING AND LIKE THE TWO SUB SPACES.
I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF STAFF HAD A, A PREFERRED LAYOUT OUT OUT OF THE TWO OPTIONS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S NECESSARILY ANY CONFIGURATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AS LONG AS THOSE SUPERIORITY ITEMS ARE MET, I DON'T THINK THE CONFIGURATION NECESSARILY HAS AN IMPACT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE SHERRY ST.
US WITH, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IF SHE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.
AS FAR AS, UM, THE ZONING RECOMMENDATION GOES, WE DON'T LOOK AT BUILDING ENVELOPES AT THIS TIME, THE TIME OF ZONING THAT WOULD BE LOOKED AT, AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN.
UM, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN OPINION ON THE CONFIGURATION AT THIS POINT.
IT'S JUST THE LAYING USES IN THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
ABOUT HOW LONG DOES IT, WOULD IT TAKE TO, UM, ESTABLISH A SITE PLAN OUTTA CURIOSITY? I, I WOULD NOT KNOW BECAUSE I'M NOT PART OF THE SITE PLAN PROCESS IN DSD.
IS THAT A QUESTION THE APPLICANT COULD ANSWER? OR THE APPLICANT MIGHT HAVE A BETTER INDICATOR SINCE THEY'VE SUBMITTED SITE PLANS FOR PDS BEFORE? SO, SO MANY THINGS GO INTO DESIGN AND FEASIBILITY AND THE WAY THE MARKETS ARE RIGHT NOW, YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES SENSE IN THE MARKET, WHAT YOU CAN GET FINANCE, WHAT YOU CAN GET INVESTORS TO INVEST IN.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IS CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE TOO HIGH, INTEREST RATES ARE TOO HIGH, AND NOTHING'S GETTING BUILT AT THIS TIME.
UM, THESE, THESE FOLKS HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL THEY CAN, ONCE THEY GET APPROVAL ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DESIGN TO, THEN THEY'LL START DESIGNING AS TO WHAT MAKES SENSE.
SO THE ANSWER IS, I DON'T KNOW.
[01:20:02]
A PROCESS.AND I WAS WONDERING IF THE PROPERTY, WOULD IT BE OPEN? LIKE, WOULD THERE BE PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE PUBLIC, LIKE SOMEONE TO WALK UP OFF THE STREET AND BE ABLE TO KIND OF WALK AROUND ON THE PROPERTY? OR WAS IT BE, IS IT GONNA BE LIKE FENCED OFF TO WHERE IT'S LIKE GATED? NO, THE, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THIS PEOPLE GETTING ON AND OFF THE TRAIN, GREEN SPACES, SIDEWALKS, BIKE PATHS, WALK ACROSS THE STREET TO THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR UNDER THE, EITHER ACROSS THE ROAD OR UNDER THE TRAIN.
IT, IT, IT, IT'S MEANT TO BE VERY URBAN AND WALKABLE.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED ALREADY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? I, UH, SECRETARY BRISTOL.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR TIME HERE.
UM, YOU DO, UM, LESLIE, IN YOUR CONDITIONS HERE, YOU HAVE 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF POLLINATOR HABITAT.
IS THERE ALSO A PLAN FOR THAT? LIKE A MAINTENANCE PLAN? SOMETIMES WE TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN WOULD BE PART OF THE PLAN FOR MAINTAINING IT, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO THE USE OR RESTRICTIONS OF HERBICIDE OR DIFFERENT KIND OF THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE INCORPORATED IN IT LIKE A, A REGULAR WEEDING PLAN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN HAS SOME COMPONENTS THAT DESCRIBE OR REQUIRE AND REGULATE THE SORT OF WAYS THAT, UM, THE LANDSCAPE WOULD BE, UH, MAINTAINED.
ARE WE EMPOWERED AS A COMMISSION IN ANY WAY TO SOMEHOW REGULATE ENERGY USAGE? IF AN OFFICE IS VACANT AT NIGHT OR IF SOMEONE'S THIRD OR FOURTH CONDO IS EMPTY FOR A WHILE, CAN WE SOMEHOW REGULATE THAT LIGHTS AREN'T BEING USED? SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I'M GONNA ASK STAFF SINCE I'M ACTUALLY NOT TOO SURE.
SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SITE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.
UM, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER IT'S CONSTRUCTED, HOW IT IS, UH, USED.
UM, IT IS, IT IS PRETTY DIFFICULT, I WOULD SAY FOR, UH, FOR US AT THIS STAGE TO DICTATE THAT LEVEL OF, UM, UH, PRESCRIBED ENERGY USE LATER.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE PART OF WHAT IS BAKED INTO THE, UH, GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE APPLICANT HAS ANYTHING MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM COME AND TALK TO YOU GUYS TO TELL YOU WHAT IS WITHIN THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T GO BEYOND WHAT IS IN THE GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLO I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS, IT LOOKS LIKE IS UNANIMOUS.
NOW, DO WE HAVE A MOTION OR RECOMMENDATION? WE DO.
UH, IT'S NOT SEPTEMBER 2ND, IT'S SEPTEMBER 4TH, UM, UH, 200 EAST RIVERSIDE, UM, PLANNING UNIT DEVELOPMENT C 804 DASH 2 0 2 3 DASH 0 0 5 7.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE LAKE AUSTIN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS A LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, WATER SUPPLY SUBURBAN WATERSHED.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS VARIANCE WITH CONDITIONS HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE REQUIRED FINDINGS OF FACTS HAVE BEEN MET.
AND THE STAFF CONDITIONS ARE, UM, ONE A THREE STAR, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING TWO ST SEVEN, LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION AND STEL FIVE BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE CRITERIA THREE.
CURRENT CODE, UH, CURRENT CODE EXPECT AS MOD MODIFIED BY THE P EXCEPT AS MODIFIED BY THE PUD FOR 100% WATER QUALITY VOLUME TREATED ON SITE AND TREATED WITH GREEN STORM INFRASTRUCTURE.
FIVE NINE, UM, 0.8% REDUCTION IN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, SIX 100% NATIVE PLANTS PLANTED ON SITE SEVEN.
[01:25:01]
ENHANCED REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET PLANNING, UM, SOIL VOLUME AND DEATH PLANNING, DISTANCE SPECIES DIVERSITY AND SIZE.EIGHT, UM, 18,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, OF POROUS PAVEMENT FOR ALL PEDESTRIAN AREAS.
ON SITE 100% OF LANDSCAPING IRRIGATION LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION PROVIDED BY RAINWATER HARVESTING OR OTHER NON-POTABLE SOURCE.
10 STORM WATER RUNOFF DIRECTED BY LANDSCAPE AREAS, UH, REQUIRED LAND, REQUIRED LANDSCAPE AREAS 11 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN AND 12 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF POLLINATOR HABITAT.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE REQUEST WITH THE FOLLOWING.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONDITIONS WE DIDN'T ADD.
UM, ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD REALLY QUICK, I'M SORRY.
THE, UM, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL, UH, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE WATERSHED FOR THE PROPERTY WAS SUBURBAN WATER SUPPLY, MAYBE IT'S URBAN WATERSHED IN THE, IN THE VERY BEGINNING INTRODUCTION.
I THINK IN YOURS IT SAYS SUBURBAN 'CAUSE I JUST COPIED AND PASTED THAT.
BUT IF IT'S URBAN, WE'LL MAKE IT URBAN.
THE WATERSHEDS ARE LADY BIRD LAKE AND, UH, EAST GOLDEN CREEK.
I HAVE A ELIZABETH THUNK GUSHED.
OH, A QUICK COMMENT WHENEVER JEN IS READY.
UH, COULD YOU, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS REQUESTED US MOVE STAFF CONDITIONS UNDER, THEREFORE, SO INSTEAD OF THE STAFF CONDITIONS VIA WHEREAS STATEMENT, WHICH I'M NOT QUITE SURE, I JUST REMEMBER HEARING YOU SAY, THEREFORE AT THE VERY END,
CORRECT? I, I HAVE IT WRITTEN THAT WAY.
VERBALLY SOUNDS WEIRD TO READ THAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCEPTED IT WHEN I HAVEN'T READ WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE, SO YES, IT IS WRITTEN THAT WAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION, RAISE YOUR HAND.
RESI, EINHORN, KRUEGER BEDFORD, BRISTOL NICHOLS, SULLIVAN.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ALL THOSE ABSTAINED BRIERY ABSTAINS.
[4. Name: Dominium Sage at Franklin Park, SP-2023-0389C.SH Applicant: Nick Brown, Kimley Horn Engineering Planning and Design Consultant Location: 4605 S Pleasant Valley Road, Austin, Texas 78744 Council District: District 2 Staff: David Michael, Environmental Review Specialist, Development Services Department, david.michael@austintexas.gov Applicant request: Request to vary from LDC 25-8-342 to allow fill up to 15 feet in depth. Staff Recommendation: Recommended with conditions]
HAVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DOMINION, SAGE AND FRANKLIN PARK, SP DASH 2 0 2 3 DASH 0 3 8 9 CS SH.APPLICANT IS NICK BROWN, KIMLEY HORN ENGINEERING PLANNING AND DESIGN, UH, CONSULTANT.
AND, UM, DO WE HAVE A DO STAFF PRESENTATION? GOOD EVENING.
I PERFORM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS HERE IN DSD AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT ON THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS THE DOMINION SAGE AT FRANKLIN PARK IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, 60 46 0 5 SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD.
AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW I CLICK ONTO THE NEXT SCREEN.
UH, LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY.
IT'S IN THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WATERSHED.
IT'S IN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED IN THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
IT'S IN THE FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
IT'S NOT LOCATED OVER EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE, AND IT'S IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.
UH, THERE IT IS IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE.
THERE IS A PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD ON THE, UH, WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
THAT'S KNUCKLES CROSSING IS THE MAJOR ROAD THERE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALREADY LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST AND THE NORTHWEST, AND THERE'S A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE GOING THROUGH THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THERE'S THE VIEW FROM PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD.
IT'S A FORMAL AGRICULTURAL LAND, UH, THAT'S BECOME OVERGROWN.
AND THERE'S THE VIEW AT THE INTERIOR OF THIS SITE.
IT'S HEAVILY, HEAVILY OVERGROWN.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT, IT'S SHOWING THE ELEVATION, CONTOURS, THE SITE SLOPES TO THE NORTH DOWN TO THE, UH, CREEK WHERE THERE'S A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND THESE, WHICH YOU SEE ON THE, IN THE RIGHT SLIDE,
[01:30:01]
THE LOCATION OF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, WHICH DRAINS TO THE EAST.AND THIS IS THE VARIANCE REQUEST, THE REQUESTING TO VARY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO ALLOW FILL UP TO 15 FEET.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WITH THE GRAPHICS RIGHT THERE, MAYBE BETTER THAN I, IT'S IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER RIGHT THERE IN THE LOWER PART OF THE SITE, OBVIOUSLY.
AND THAT'S S NEEDING THE FILL, UH, THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT ONE SMALLER AREA FARTHER WEST.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE APPLICANT HAS WORKED, UH, WITH STAFF TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FILL THAT'S PROPOSED.
AND SO THROUGH MULTIPLE UPDATES TO THE PLAN AND MEETINGS WITH THE APPLICANT, WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE DEFEAT BY, UH, OVER 18,000 SQUARE FEET AND REDUCE THE HEIGHT BY OVER SIX FEET.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO NOTE THE CHANGES MADE THE DESIGN TO WORK WITH THE STAFF ON THAT.
SO THIS IS THE GRADIENT GRADING VARIANCE FINDINGS.
IN SUMMARY, THE VARIANCES FOR GRADING HAVE BEEN GRANTED FOR SIMILAR PROJECTS.
THE GRADING IS A DESIGN DECISION, BUT THE PROJECT PROVIDES GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WITH INCREASED LANDSCAPING.
THE PROJECT DOES NOT CREATE A SIGNIFICANT PROBABILITY OF HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, AND THE VARIANCE WILL RESULT IN WATER QUALITY THAT IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE WATER QUALITY ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT THE VARIANCE.
SO, FINDINGS OF FACT PER LDC 25 8 41 CITY STAFF DETERMINED THE FINDINGS OF FACT HAVE BEEN MET PER LDC 25 8 41 IF THE REQUESTED VARIANCES.
AND CONSEQUENTLY, CITY STAFF RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, WITH VARIANCE CONDITIONS.
AND HERE IN SMALLER TEXT IS, UH, THE STAFF DETERMINATION AND CONDITIONS.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THESE VARIANCE, HAVING DETERMINED THE FINDINGS OF FACT HAVE BEEN MET.
THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS ARE 25 ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE TREES AND ENHANCED WETLAND MITIGATION, UH, BY PROVIDING RAIN GARDENS POLLINATOR GARDEN LOCATED ON SITE WITH EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE, A REMOVAL OF APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF ACRES OF INVASIVES FROM THE ADJACENT CREEK.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE ALONG THE CREEK FOR WETLAND, UH, REGARDING WETLANDS AND INVASIVES, AND THEY'LL PROVIDE NO MOW SIGNS ALONG THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
UH, AND THAT'S IT FROM OUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, NEXT UP IS THE APPLICANT.
IF WE COULD HAVE THE APPLICANT PRESENTATION BROUGHT UP.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID.
I'M THE DESIGN ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT.
AS DAVID MENTIONED, WE'RE HERE FOR THE SAGE AT FRANKLIN PARK AND AFFORDABLE SMART HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WE ARE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE FOR FILL UP TO 15 FEET FROM LDC 25 8 DASH 3 42.
UH, AS DAVID MENTIONED, WE'RE LOCATED AT 46 0 5 SOUTH PLA, SOUTH SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD WITHIN THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WATERSHED, ST.
EL MODE TRIBUTARY, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND IT'S APPROXIMATELY 1.14 MILES FROM WILLIAMSON CREEK INTERSECTION.
WE'RE IN THE FULL PURPOSE CITY LIMITS DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE MF THREE ZONING, AND APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES FROM AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT.
UH, ADDITIONAL SITE INFORMATION.
WE ARE LOCATED, UH, TO THE WE TO THE EAST OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
UH, WE HAVE MULTIFAMILY LOCATED ON THE NORTH AND EAST, UH, SINGLE FAMILY TO THE SOUTH.
WE'RE APPROXIMATELY A THIRD MILE FROM THE TERRY ROAD BUS STOP, LOCATED WITH THE YELLOW STAR ON THE IMAGE.
AND WE HAVE REASONABLE EASY ACCESS TO I 35 AND HIGHWAY HIGHWAY 71.
UH, HERE'S JUST A ZONING MAP, UH, IDENTIFYING THE DIFFERENT USES AROUND US.
WE HAVE IN PURPLE OR PINK IS THE INDUSTRIAL MULTI-FAMILY IS IN THE ORANGE SLANT HATCH.
UH, SINGLE FAMILY IS IN THE YELLOW.
UH, WE WANTED TO IDENTIFY THE OTHER MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS IN AND AROUND US.
WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE PRETTY CENTRALLY LOCATED AND WE COMPLIMENT THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, UH, VERY NICELY.
UH, HERE'S A MAP OF OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS.
UH, WE HAVE SAN NOMO TRIBUTARY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE, SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY, LOCATED ON THE WEST.
UH, IN GENERAL, WE FALL ABOUT 40 FEET FROM SOUTH TO NORTH TOWARDS THE CREEK.
UH, AND THAT'S MOSTLY WITHIN THE DEVELOPABLE AREA.
IT GOES A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAN THAT.
UH, IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CREEK, UH, WE DO HAVE AN EXISTING WETLAND IN A SPRING LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER.
[01:35:01]
CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES, UH, LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE CREEK AND FLOODPLAIN WITHIN THE CREEK AS WELL, IDENTIFIED BY THE BLUE LINES, WHICH MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT ARE LOCATED UP THERE.UH, NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FILL VARIANCE ANALYSIS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
HERE'S THE SAME CUT FILL MAP THAT DAVID PRESENTED.
IT IDENTIFIES WHERE THE 14.8 FEET OF MAX FILL IS, UH, REFERENCING THE ASKING FOR THE 15 FEET, UH, IN THE VARIANCE.
SO THIS MAP IDENTIFIES, UH, AREAS OF OVER EIGHT FEET.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S LIMITED TO THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE PROPERTY WITH A SMALL PORTION LOCATED ON THE WEST.
UH, OF THE 40 FEET THAT WE DO HAVE FALLING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET OF THAT IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE PROPERTY.
SO WE JUST FELT LIKE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE SLOPE OCCURS, WHICH IS WHY YOU START TO SEE THAT FILL HAPPEN AS THE SLOPE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY ON THE SITE STARTS TO FALL OFF.
UM, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO MAINTAIN REASONABLE ACCESS, ACCESSIBILITY, FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS TO THE BUILDINGS WITHOUT HAVING SIGNIFICANTLY STEEP DRIVES SO PEOPLE'S DOORS DON'T FLY OPEN.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN WALK REASONABLY AND GET IN AND AROUND THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WITH ALL DEVELOPMENTS, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY AN INCREASE IN STORM WATER FLOW, UH, AND THE QUALITY OF WATER.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE DETENTION AND WATER QUALITY.
WE HAVE MET, UH, THE REQUIREMENTS OF CITY, OF THE CITY TO PROVIDE BIOFILTRATION AND RAIN GARDENS FOR WATER QUALITY IDENTIFIED BY THE LIGHT BLUE AND THE GREEN.
AND WE ARE PROVIDING DETENTION WITHIN THE WATER QUALITY BIOFILTRATION POND LOCATED IN THE LIGHT BLUE.
THE RAIN GARDENS WERE PRETTY IMPORTANT TO US.
UH, WE WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH STAFF TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING HYDROLOGY TO THE EXISTING WETLAND LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF THOSE RAIN GARDENS.
SO THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOT DISCONNECT THAT HYDROLOGY FROM THAT SYSTEM AND SHORT CIRCUIT IT.
SO WE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY WITH DAVID AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TREATING THAT WATER, MAINTAINING THAT UPSTREAM DRAINAGE AREA, AND DISCHARGING IT BACK TO THE WET TO THE WETLANDS SO THAT IT CAN BE MAINTAINED.
STACKED ATTENTION WITHIN THE BIOFILTRATION POND, WE FEEL IS PRETTY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN THE PAST, WE USED TO HAVE TO SEPARATE THESE TWO, UH, WHICH INCREASED OUR DEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT.
NOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO STACK THOSE, IT REDUCES OUR DEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT.
WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE RETAINING WALLS AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SITE GRADING ON THE SITE AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO OUR CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES ADJACENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT.
WE DID ANALYZE THIS PROPERTY FOR ATLAS 14 RAINFALL DATA.
WE'VE LOOKED AT THE 2 10, 25, AND 100 YEAR STORM EVENTS, AND IN ALL CASES, WE'VE REDUCED STORMWATER DISCHARGE FROM THE PROPERTY AND WE'VE ANALYZED THE ADJACENT CREEK FOR FULLY DEVELOPED UN FLOWS AND SHOWN KNOWN ADVERSE IMPACT DOWNSTREAM.
THIS IS A, A QUICK TABLE JUST KIND OF SHOWING WHAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE DOING, UH, VERSUS WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING.
UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE IT'S 276 UNITS AND 39% IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, DOWN FROM THE 556 AND 60% IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO.
AS DAVID MENTIONED, WE DID GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITERATIONS ON THE SITE, TAKING US FROM 20.9 FEET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 14.8.
UH, WE DID DO A LOT OF, UH, SOUL SEARCHING AND RESEARCH WITH OUR STRUCTURAL TEAM, WITH OUR ARCHITECT ARCHITECT TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GET THIS NUMBER DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND COORDINATE WITH STAFF.
UH, WE WANTED TO SHOW THE DIFFERENCE IN CARBON FOOTPRINTS BETWEEN SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS AND MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
UH, THE THREE DIFFERENT, UH, BAR CHARTS IN HERE IS, UH, FOR SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED, OR TOWNHOUSES, AND THEN MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THEN THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, WHICH PROBABLY HARD TO SEE ON THERE, BUT IT'S CONVENTIONAL S SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IN EACH CASE, MULTIFAMILIES ANYWHERE FROM 25 TO 36% OF A REDUCTION IN YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT.
WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
UH, THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED IN THERE THAT WE WILL COMPLY WITH.
UH, ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES, BATHROOM EXHAUST FAN TIMERS, LED, LIGHT FIXTURES, DUCTED RANGE HOODS.
AND WE'RE LOCATED WITHIN A THIRD MILE WALKING DISTANCE OF THE NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THIS IS THE NUMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS THAT DAVID ALSO MENTIONED, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO TALK ABOUT THESE AND HAPPY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THIS.
WITH THIS PROPERTY, UH, WE WILL HAVE ENHANCED WETLAND MITIGATIONS BY THOSE RAIN GARDENS THAT I MENTIONED.
UH, PRESERVING HERITAGE TREES WITHIN THE PROPERTY, USE OF NATURAL STONE RETAINING WALLS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE AN IMAGE OF RIGHT THERE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD PROVIDE.
AND THEN DROUGHT, DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTINGS, UH, WITH AUSTIN GROVE GREEN, WHICH WOULD ALSO REDUCE IRRIGATION USE WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT.
WE DO HAVE A POOL OF PLAYSCAPE.
THIS IS AN APARTMENT COMPLEX AND A LOT OF OPEN SPACE, AND WE FEEL THE OPEN SPACE, UH,
[01:40:01]
IS PRETTY IMPORTANT TO NOTE.UM, A MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT JUST WASN'T, WASN'T WHAT WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE OPEN SPACE, WE FEEL LIKE, UM, HAVING LESS DENSE DEVELOPMENT OFFERS BETTER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND REDUCES THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
WE WILL PROVIDE POLLINATOR GARDENS THAT DAVID MENTIONED.
WE ARE GONNA IDENTIFY THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET EACH, UH, AND ATTACHED ON THAT IMAGE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL SIGNAGE THAT COULD GO ALONG WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE.
AND WE WOULD FOLLOW THE AUSTIN GROW GREEN PLANTING GUIDELINES, UH, TO INSTALL THOSE.
25 ADDITIONAL SHADE TREES, UH, EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE ALONG THE CREEK FOR THE WETLANDS AND INVASIVES.
AND THEN NO, MOST SIGNAGE ALONG THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES, UH, STAY IN A MORE NATURAL STATE AS AS THIS DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
AND LASTLY, UH, AS DAVID MENTIONED, THE CLEARING ABOUT A ONE AND A HALF ACRES OF INVASIVES FROM THE ST.
THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET, UH, FROM THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE DOWN INTO THE, INTO THE CREEK.
WE'VE PROVIDED A LIST OF TYPICAL INVASIVES, UH, AND THEN WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY PROVIDE THE SIGNAGE FOR THOSE, UH, FOR THAT EDUCATION FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE DEVELOPER.
UH, SO I'M HERE TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A DEVELOPER, UM, AS WELL AS A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT ELSE, WHAT ADDITIONAL IS PROVIDED, UH, WITH, WITH THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT DOMINION.
UH, SO WE ARE A LITTLE BIT OVER 50 YEARS AS A, AS A COMPANY.
UM, WE ORIGINALLY FOUNDED AS A SECTION EIGHT DEVELOPER.
UM, OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE, UH, CHANGED IN, IN TERMS OF STRATEGY, UM, AND GOTTEN TO THE POINT NOW WHERE WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE ACQUISITION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE NEARING, UH, 40,000 UNITS NATIONALLY.
UM, I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ABOUT DOMINION, UM, IS THAT WE ARE A OWNER AND OPERATOR AND DEVELOPER AND MANAGER OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE RARELY SELL OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ON SITE MANAGING IT.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE BUILDING IT, LEASING IT UP AND SELLING IT TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PROMISES WE MADE HERE, IT'S, WE'RE LOST IN THE WIND BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE IS NOW THE OWNER.
WE OWN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES FOR THE LONG TERM.
UM, AND SO WE THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF BEING A GOOD, UH, NEIGHBOR WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE, UH, TO PROVIDE A, A GOOD COMMUNITY THAT'S WELL BUILT FOR THE LONG TERM.
'CAUSE OUR INCENTIVES ARE ALIGNED WITH THE COMMUNITIES AND HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S WELL BUILT AND BUILT TO LAST.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? UM, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS, UM, SLIDE IS CALLED, UH, DOMINION.
GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE FEEL AS ARE SOME KEY PRINCIPLES OF, OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE, UH, DOMINION DONATES.
UH, SO DOMINION DONATES, UH, TO A LOT OF, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS THAT ARE DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A, UH, SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND WE'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE AMAZING THINGS PEOPLE CAN DO, UM, AFTER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIVING IN ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES FOR A FEW YEARS, GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL AND NOT KNOWING HOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT NEXT STEP IN YOUR, YOUR EDUCATION.
UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT TO SEE A LOT OF THE RECIPIENTS OF SOME OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS. UM, THE NEXT THING IS DOMINION BUILDS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S A, AN ASPECT OF, OF OUR, OF OUR ORGANIZATION THAT, UH, ALLOWS US TO WORK WITH NONPROFITS THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE ENTITLEMENT OR FINANCING, UH, BACKGROUND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THEIR MISSION TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE HAVE AN ARM OF OUR ORGANIZATION THAT GOES OUT AND FINDS THESE NONPROFITS THAT WANT TO PROVIDE THAT SORT OF HOUSING.
UM, AND WE WORK WITH THEM PRO BONO TO HELP THEM BUILD THAT SORT OF HOUSING, UH, IN, IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE, WHERE THEY WORK.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, UH, FULFILLING AND, AND DOES A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, UH, THE NEXT PILLAR IS, UH, DOMINION ASSIST.
UM, SO WE HAVE A EMPLOYEE EMERGENCY FUND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE, AS WE SAID, WE ARE NOT JUST DEVELOPERS, BUT MANAGERS.
UM, SO SINCE WE ARE MANAGERS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY, UH, PROP PROPERTY STAFF THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF TIMES FOLKS FALL ALL IN HARD TIMES.
SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE, UH, THE, THE PRINCIPLES OF OUR ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTE TO IT AND, AND HAVE A POT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES SHOULD, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, BUILDING OFF OF THIS AS WELL, WE HAVE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS CALLED OUR KINDNESS CARD PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S A PROGRAM WHERE, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING ON SITE
[01:45:01]
WITH US, UM, THEY ARE ABLE TO GIVE, THEY WALK AROUND ALL DAY, UH, WITH A HUNDRED DOLLARS GIFT CARDS, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GIVE THAT TO THEIR, TO VARIOUS RESIDENTS IF THEY FIND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENED OR, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A CHILD THAT NEEDS NEW SHOES AND SCHOOL'S COMING UP, OR YOU KNOW, WHAT IT MIGHT BE.UM, SO WE REALLY LIKE THAT PROGRAM AND, AND THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO DO TO GET ANOTHER KINDNESS CARD IS GIVE IT AWAY AND THEN TELL US, TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
UM, SO WE REALLY LIKE THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
THE LAST PIECE IS, UH, OF DOMINION GIVES IS DOMINION VOLUNTEERS.
UH, SO WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON FINDING NONPROFITS THAT ARE, UH, ALIGNED WITH US IN TERMS OF THE MISSION OF SUPPORTING MORE ATTAINABLE PRICED HOUSING AND THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.
UM, AND WE TRY TO VOLUNTEER WITH THEM AND, AND DO MORE GOOD THAT CAN, UH, BE BENEFICIAL TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO THIS WILL BE A AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY.
WE LIKE TO CALL IT CAPITAL A AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, SO THIS WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT AT 60% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME, ALL OF THE UNITS.
UM, WE THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY HAVE TO TELL, TELL Y'ALL ABOUT THE, THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT IS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY, BUT VERY ACUTE IN AUSTIN.
IT, UH, DEFINITELY IS CAUSING A LOT OF GENTRIFICATION, A LOT OF PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO JOIN DOMINION IS 'CAUSE OF THEIR COMMITMENT, UH, TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? UH, I THINK WE MISSED, THERE WE GO.
SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF, OF WHAT WE WOULD PROJECT, UM, OUR RENTS TO BE.
UM, SO THE MARKET RATE RENT, WE CONDUCTED, UH, SOME MARKET STUDIES TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, 2, 3, 4 BEDROOMS ARE, ARE RENTING FOR, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF Y'ALL ARE PROBABLY LOOKING AT EVEN SOME OF THOSE MARKET RATE NUMBERS, LIKE I CAN'T EVEN FIND THAT.
UM, AND SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO FIND STUFF THAT'S REASONABLY PRICED, UH, IN THIS CITY.
UM, WE REPRESENT A POSSIBILITY OF A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE RENT, UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, RANGING FROM 170 BUCKS ON, ON THE TWOS TO 540 BUCKS ON THE FOURS.
UM, IN TERMS OF COST SAVINGS PER MONTH FOR THE, FOR THE FAMILIES, UH, LIVING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE HAVE A, A EMPHASIS ON KIND OF THREE AND FOUR BEDROOMS ON THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL, UM, WHICH WE THINK IS REALLY GREAT 'CAUSE THOSE ARE UNDERBUILT, UH, BY THE MARKET RATE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO IT ALLOWS, UH, MORE, MORE FAMILIES, UH, TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THESE ATTA ATTAINABLE PRICED UNITS, UM, WHICH, UH, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, RESULTS IN MORE SAVINGS FOR THOSE FAMILIES, WHICH WE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? UM, WE ARE A, UH, SMART HOUSING PARTICIPANT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN COVERED, UM, AND Y'ALL ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE SMART HOUSING PROGRAM.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE, AS WE, AS WE DID MENTION, WE'RE ABOUT A THIRD MILE FROM A TRANSIT STOP, UH, PUBLIC BUS STOP.
SO THAT'S, UH, WE, WE APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SMART HOUSING PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, THE INCOME RESTRICTIONS THAT I DISCUSSED, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF EVERYTHING AT 60% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, UM, IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A OVERALL MIXED INCOME COMMUNITY, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE A CITY OF JUST, OF JUST RICH FOLKS.
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED, YOU NEED A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF AUSTIN WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO ENCOURAGE WITH, WITH THIS SORT OF DEVELOPMENT.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THIS SLIDE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE DONE WITH LOCAL, UH, NONPROFITS.
UM, AND SO WE, AND WE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF VIDEO WORKS HERE OR NOT, SO WE, I DO HAVE A VIDEO, UH, BRIEF ONE AFTER THIS, BUT WE'VE WORKED A LOT WITH, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT SURROUNDS OUR, OUR COMMUNITY ON THIS, ON THIS, ON THIS.
WE ALL, WE NEEDED A REZONING INITIALLY, AND WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT AFTER GETTING APPROVAL FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND GETTING, GETTING THEIR SUPPORT.
UM, ONE THING THEY, THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THROUGH THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT BECAME CLEAR TO US IS THAT THEY, THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE, THIS IS, THIS IS AN AREA THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A BIT OF A FOOD DESERT.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO, TO FIX THAT AND TRY TO ADDRESS THAT AS BEST AS WE COULD, UM, WE WORKED WITH A, OR WE, WE LOCATED A, UH, NONPROFIT CALLED URBAN ROOTS, UM, THAT, UH, ENCOURAGES, UH, URBAN FARMING, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A NONPROFIT THAT WE WORK WITH A LOT CALLED PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, PIONEERING HERE, AT LEAST FOR US, UH, FIRST FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT ON A, ON A NEW CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY IS A, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING A FOOD SECURITY STATION.
UM, SO THE GOAL IS TO HAVE, UH, HAVE FOOD AND, AND NOT JUST FOOD, BUT FRESH FOOD AVAILABLE, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UH, WHENEVER THEY NEED IT.
UM, AND SO THROUGH OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH URBAN ROOTS AND THEN THROUGH ALSO PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES AND THEIR ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHER FOOD PROVIDERS IN THE AREA, WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT STOCK, TO JUST HAVE THAT AS A BIT OF A BACKSTOP FOR RESIDENTS IF THEY MIGHT BE, UH, EXPERIENCING SOME FOOD INSECURITY, UM, OR, OR INABILITY JUST TO FIND, YOU
[01:50:01]
KNOW, GOOD FRESH FOOD.UM, ADDITIONALLY, PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES, THEY ARE A, A GREAT NONPROFIT, UH, WHO, UH, WE, WE HAVE, UH, WORKING WITH US ON SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE OWN IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESIDENT SERVICES THAT ARE TAILORED, UH, TO THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
SO WE OWN, UH, SENIOR COMMUNITIES AND WE OWN FAMILY COMMUNITIES.
SO WHAT EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS ISN'T THE SAME.
UH, BUT ONE THING THAT WE DEFINITELY WOULD WANNA HAVE HERE AS A FAMILY COMMUNITY, UM, WOULD BE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, UH, PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME OF THE SIGNAGE THAT WE'RE PUTTING UP AND CERTAINLY THE ENVIRONMENTALLY PROTECTED, UH, AREAS THAT WE ARE WE'RE HAVING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL, TELL THE CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THEM AND WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT AND, AND JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF EDUCATION THERE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, PROGRAMMING OF THAT NATURE, UH, PORTFOLIO, RESIDENT SERVICES ALSO ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE PROGRAMMING, UH, SUCH AS, UH, AFTERSCHOOL TUTORING, UH, FOR CHILDREN.
UM, OFTEN THEIR PARENTS AREN'T, AREN'T AROUND IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL, SO THAT TUTORING IS, IS HELPFUL.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE THINGS LIKE ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES.
SOMETIMES IT'S, UH, FINANCIAL LITERACY OR HOME BUYER EDUCATION.
UH, SOMETIMES IT'S ESL IF THAT'S SOME, IF IT'S, IF WE'RE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE, WHERE SOMETHING LIKE THAT'S NEEDED.
UM, PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES ALSO IS ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, COUNSELING AND, AND CRISIS SUPPORT.
UM, SO PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES IS, IS A REALLY GREAT PARTNER OF OURS AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, TO JUST BETTER THE LIVES OF OUR, OF OUR RESIDENTS OVERALL.
UM, THE LAST SLIDE WE HAVE HERE, AND FFI FI DON'T KNOW IF SOUND WORKS OR NOT.
IF IT DOESN'T, WE MAYBE WE CAN GO AHEAD AND SKIP IT.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO, UH, EN I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M SPEAKING WITH, ACTUALLY,
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A VIDEO FROM OUR INITIAL, UH, REZONING, UM, JUST KIND OF GOES TO, UH, SHOW THE, THE COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO ULTIMATELY, UH, GET THIS, UH, GET THIS REZONING AND BUILD BUILD SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND, AROUND THIS, AROUND THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND READ IT, PLAY IN BR ITEM 29 WITH LAUREL FRAN ON DECK.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE SOUTHEAST COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM, AND I AM, UM, AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK FOR THEM.
UH, THE CONTACT TEAM HAS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, REZONING OF THE LUM.
AND, UM, WE VERY MUCH SEE THE VALUE IN REZONING FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO MULTIFAMILY, RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
THE CONTACT TEAM IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE APPLICANT AND OWNER'S EFFORTS TO MEET WITH US.
UM, THEY HAVE, UH, LISTENED TO US, THEY'VE, UM, GOTTEN TO KNOW US, THEY'VE OUR NEEDS AND OUR CONCERNS, AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY EVEN CHANGED THEIR PLAN BASED ON OUR SAFETY CONCERNS.
UM, THEY, UH, HAVE, ADDITIONALLY THEY'VE MET WITH, UM, AND OUR, UM, WORKING WITH ANOTHER GROUP, THE URBAN ROOTS, TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
AND WE REALLY THINK THAT THEY DEMONSTRATE, UM, THIS DEMONSTRATES THEIR SINCERE EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND DEVELOP A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE BENEFIT OF CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THIS NEW OWNER DOMINION IN, UM, ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE CITY STAFF THAT'S WORKED ON THIS, SO WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, MS. FRANZEL FOR, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT WE HEAR FROM A CONTACT TEAM IN SUPPORT OF A ZONING CASE AND TALK SO HIGHLY OF AN APPLICANT, AND IT REALLY SHOWS, UM, THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICANT WORKED WITH OUR, WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE NEEDS WERE ADDRESSED.
AND SO THAT'S THE, THE CONCLUSION OF, UH, OF, OF MY PRESENTATION.
UM, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL COMMUNITY.
WE THINK IT CAN DO A LOT OF GOOD.
UM, AND IN ORDER FOR US TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, WE ARE, UH, IN NEED OF THE VARIANCE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT NICK WAS ABLE TO OUTLINE, UM, EARLIER.
UM, SO I'M OPEN FOR, FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT I WILL NOTE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING'S EXTREMELY, UH, DIFFICULT TO, TO FINANCE
[01:55:01]
AND TO, TO PUT TOGETHER.THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, VERY TIGHT TIMELINES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, SO A APPROVAL FROM Y'ALL, UH, WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND WOULD BE GREATLY, UH, GREAT.
GREATLY HELP HELPFUL IN TERMS OF ENABLING US TO ULTIMATELY GET, GET THIS THING, UH, TO A CLOSE.
UM, SO I'M AVAILABLE TO, FOR ANY QUESTIONS, AS IS NICK, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR Y'ALL'S PRESENTATION.
UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, OKAY.
LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I HAVE NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M SUPER HAPPY TO HEAR THAT Y'ALL ARE PARTNERING WITH URBAN ROOTS.
IT'S SUCH A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE FOOD SECURITY, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT, STATION? YEAH, FOR SURE.
UM, SO IT'S A, UH, IT'S A ASPECT.
WHAT WE DID WAS WE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A STANDARD, WE BUILD A LOT.
AND SO WE HAVE A STANDARD CLUBHOUSE THAT WE USE.
WE, WE KIND OF PLOP IT DOWN AND EVERYWHERE WE, WE GO.
UM, AND SO OUR CLUBHOUSE, AFTER MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR CONCERNS AND THEN LEARNING ABOUT URBAN ROOTS, WHAT WE DID WAS WE CHANGED THE DESIGN OF OUR CLUBHOUSE FOR, FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ROOM.
AND SO IN THAT ADDITIONAL ROOM IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE HOUSING, WHERE WE'RE GOING, THE FOOD SECURITY STATION.
AND SO PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES, THEY'RE KIND OF THE, UH, ON PROPERTY, UH, ADMINISTRATOR OF A LOT OF, OF THE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE OFFER.
UM, SO PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES IS WHO IT'LL KIND OF RUN THROUGH.
UM, BUT SO THEIR RESIDENT COORDINATOR THAT IS THERE TO OFFER THE SERVICES THAT I DISCUSSED SO THAT THEIR RESIDENT COORDINATOR WHO COORDINATES, YOU KNOW, TUTORS TO COME IN, COORDINATES ESL UH, TRAINERS TO COME IN AND, AND WHATNOT, UM, THAT, THAT COORDINATOR WILL BE WORKING WITH URBAN ROOTS AS WELL AS SOME OTHER, UH, LOCAL FOOD PROVIDERS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP A REFRIGERATOR THAT WE'LL HAVE ON SITE STOCK WITH, UH, FRESH FOOD.
A UH, NOT A, I GUESS NOT A TYPICAL REFRIGERATOR YOU FIND IN YOUR HOME A A LITTLE BIT BIGGER ONE.
UM, AND IT WILL BE STOCKED WITH FOOD, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, COME, COME AND HAVE A BIT OF A BACKSTOP.
UM, BECAUSE OFTEN IT, IT IS TIMES WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, THERE'S JUST NOTHING HEALTHY AROUND.
I'M JUST GONNA HAVE CHIPS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, WAS TO PROVIDE SOMETHING CLOSE, ONSITE FREE, UM, THAT RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO, UH, TO UTILIZE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE CHANGED THE DESIGN OF OUR CLUBHOUSE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT COMES WITH AN ADDITIONAL COST.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR, FOR THIS PROGRAM ITSELF, SO FOR PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH URBAN ROOTS AND WORK WITH THE OTHER FOOD PROVIDERS THAT THEY'RE GONNA WORK WITH.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, PAYING FOR, FOR THAT COST TO WHATEVER COST TO, TO KEEP THAT STOCKED.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE GET A LOT OF GREAT USE OUT OF IT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY ON THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, WHICH DISCOVERED THAT ONLY 0.06% OF ALL FOOD CONSUMED IN AUSTIN WAS GROWN LOCALLY.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS TO HELP ADDRESS THAT IS TO HAVE MORE GREEN SPACE FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FOOD FORESTS, INCLUDING IN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SITES.
SO I LOVE THAT Y'ALL ARE PARTNERING WITH URBAN ROOTS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A FRIDGE STOCKED WITH FRESH VEGGIES.
URBAN ROOTS IS OF COURSE, LOCAL.
BUT I'M CURIOUS IF YOUR SITE ALLOWS FOR ANY SPACE, EVEN A MODEST OF MODEST SIZE FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN OR FOOD FOREST.
YEAH, SO WE, UM, THERE, THERE, THERE COULD BE SOME SPACE FOR A, A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
AND I THINK, UH, THAT THAT'S POTENTIALLY SOMETHING THAT WE, WE COULD DO.
UM, ONE THING WHEN JUST TALKING WITH URBAN ROOTS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE A, A, A VERY GOOD AMOUNT OF SPACE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE PRODUCING, WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
AND WHAT WE'VE FOUND, UM, ON SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, COMMUNITIES WHERE WE MAYBE DON'T HAVE A FOOD SECURITY STATION, BUT WE HAVE A, A GARDEN KIND OF AS YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS THAT OFTEN, YOU KNOW, THERE A FEW THINGS ARE GROWN AND IT'S KIND OF A NOVELTY.
IT'S LIKE, OH, I, YOU KNOW, GOT A CUCUMBER.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO, TO BACKSTOP, UH, FOOD INSECURITY, SOMETHING IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH A GROUP LIKE AN URBAN ROOTS AND SOME OTHER, SOME OF THESE OTHER GROUPS WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF, OF ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL FOOD.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THERE, THERE, THERE IS, THERE COULD BE SOME SPACE WHERE, WHERE WE, WHERE WE DO SOME SORT OF A, A GARDENING OR EVEN SOME INSTRUCTION, UH, FOR THE CHILDREN WHO ARE, WHO ARE GONNA BE ON SITE WHERE MAYBE THEY, MAYBE IT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMETHING THAT PRODUCES A WHOLE LOT OF FOOD, A WHOLE LOT OF POUNDS OF FOOD THAT FEEDS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN WHO ARE, WHO ARE LIVING AT THE COMMUNITY CAN STILL LEARN ABOUT IT AND THEN TAKE THAT WITH THEM AS THEY GROW UP AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL GARDENING AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER.
[02:00:01]
US TO INCLUDE THAT AS, AS A CONDITION.UM, HAPPY TO HEAR THAT Y'ALL ARE MEANINGFUL.
'CAUSE I THINK, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FOOD SECURITY, BUT ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAND AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD FOR PEOPLE OF ALL GENERATIONS.
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, BUT I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? YEAH, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT THE BUS LINE THAT'S NEARBY IS THE NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS A HIGH FREQUENCY BUS.
AND ON THE SOUTH END, EXCUSE ME, IT RUNS TO AN HEV AND ON THE NORTH END IT RUNS TO RIGHT OUTSIDE HERE, SO IT PASSES THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE BEST PLACES FOR, UH, ANY FORM OF DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER NICHOLS.
SO I NOTICED ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SLIDE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE UNITS ARE AT 60% A MI AND THAT THE COMPLIANCE IS REGULATED BY T-D-H-C-A.
SO THAT, UH, GAVE ME SOME DEJA VU TO MY LAST JOB AT T-D-H-C-A
AM I SAFE TO ASSUME THIS IS A, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROPERTY? YES, SIR.
THAT BEING THE CASE, IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT THE STATE GUIDELINES FOR CREDIT ALLOCATIONS COMBINED WITH THE ECONOMIC REALITIES MAKE SITE SELECTION SUPER DIFFICULT? YES, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY ACCURATE.
YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW YOU HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CUT AND FILL, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD PROJECT.
IT'S TRANSIT ORIENTED, IT'S GOT A LOT OF OPEN SPACE, IT'LL PROVIDE A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOMES.
THIS SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PROJECT, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE.
UM, A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, FIRST OFF, GREAT PRESENTATION.
UH, I ECHO, UM, UM, THE, THE IDEA OF, OF HAVING, UM, GARDENS ON SITE AND IF, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING PECAN TREES OR DIFFERENT TREES THAT CAN CREATE A FOOD FOREST, UM, ON, UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, IS THERE PARKLAND ON SITE AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WHERE THE RESIDENCE, YEAH, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE, THE, THE, UH, THE CHILDREN'S PARK THAT WILL BE ON SITE OR JUST HOW, HOW, JUST IN GENERAL.
SO WE ARE THERE SEPARATE ONES? TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, SO THERE, THERE ARE, UM, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE HAVE IT IN OUR PRESENTATION FULLY, BUT WE, WE HAVE A, UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, TWO DIFFERENT, UH, PARK AREAS, UH, FOR CHILDREN.
UM, IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE, UH, T-D-H-C-A GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT ARE GOOD THINGS TO PROVIDE.
YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO PROVIDE SPECIFICALLY THOSE, BUT YOU CAN DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT WE REALLY WANNA PROVIDE, UM, PROVIDE THAT, THAT PARK SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO RUN AND PLAY OUTSIDE.
AND SO THERE'LL BE, UH, A SPACE FOR KIND OF THE YOUNGER KIDS AND THEN THE LITTLE BIT OF THE OLDER KIDS TO, TO PLAY.
AND SO THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE THAT A, A BIG OPEN SPACE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF OUR MIDDLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE WILL ALSO BE THAT, UH, THERE KIND OF THE, THE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE IN, IN THE VARIOUS PLACES WHERE WE'LL HAVE THOSE POLLINATOR GARDENS AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE BY THE CREEK.
UM, AND SO WE VIEW THAT AS ANOTHER ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO BE OUTSIDE, LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NATURE AND YEAH.
UM, AND UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M GOING.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE, UM, THOSE PLAY AREAS, UM, UTILIZING NA, THE BEST, UM, NATURAL PLAY AREA, BEST PRACTICES.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST A, UM, YOU KNOW, SOFT, UH, LANDING PAD WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME BRIGHTLY COLORED THINGS ON IT, UM, WHICH TEND TO GET REALLY HOT AND THEN THE KIDS DON'T PLAY ON IT 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY HOT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATING MORE OF A NATURAL, UM, PLAY AREA.
UM, HAVING LOOSE PARTS AND DIFFERENT, UM, ELEMENTS LIKE THAT, THAT REALLY ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE PLAY, UM, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, OKAY, OKAY KIDS, WE, WE HAVE 10 MINUTES YEAH.
GO OUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOUR BEST AND THEN COME BACK IN.
I MEAN, IT REALLY ENCOURAGES PLAY.
SO, UM, I'D LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT INCORPORATED THERE.
AND I, AND I'VE, I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY, REALLY GREAT EXAMPLES, UM, THAT ARE NOT ASTRONOMICALLY EXPENSIVE.
AND THEN, UM, YOU ARE IN AN AREA WHERE, UM, THERE'S OVER 275 SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT COME THROUGH REGULARLY, UM, ON THE MIGRATION.
UM, WILL THE, LIKE THE APARTMENT WILLIAM WINDOWS AND STUFF, WILL THOSE HAVE SCREENS ON THEM.
PEOPLE CAN OPEN THEIR WINDOWS AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE SCREENS ON 'EM.
I BELIEVE THEY, I BELIEVE THEY WILL HAVE SCREENS.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO CONFIRM THOUGH.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE DETAILS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT BIRD STRIKES.
UM, THE SCREEN, THE SCREENS ARE HELPFUL IN, IN THE PREVENTION OF THE, THE ROAD TRACKS.
I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING YEAH.
[02:05:01]
ON, ON A HOUSING.WE WOULDN'T ADD THAT ONTO A HUGE, YOU KNOW, GLASS BUILDING.
AND THEN IT ALSO HELPS 'EM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANNA OPEN THE WINDOWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, I, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE PLANNING A, A PRETTY, UM, UH, BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
I JUST HAD A, A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS HOW MANY HERITAGE TREES YOU HAD ON THE PROPERTY, OR IF YOU HAD THAT NUMBER, OR WHAT KIND OF TREES? YEAH.
I, I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT SPECIES, BUT THERE ARE FOUR ON SITE.
ONE OF, UH, TWO OF THEM WERE PRESERVING, UH, IN SITE.
AND THEN ONE, WE DID GET A, GET AN ALLOWANCE TO REMOVE IT.
SORRY, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED ALREADY, SO I'M KIND OF WORKING THROUGH 'EM.
UM, OH, ARE, ARE THERE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE IN, IN AUSTIN AREA OUTTA CURIOSITY AND WHERE ARE THOSE LOCATED? UH, YES.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD GO, COULD WE PULL THE PRESENTATION BACK UP AND GO TO ONE OF THE, THE EARLIER SLIDES THAT TALKED ABOUT THE NEARBY, UH, COMMUNITIES? THANKS.
UM, SO WE DO, UH, OWN, UH, TWO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY, UH, ADJACENT TO THIS ONE.
UM, AND SO WE, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL, KIND OF THE WHOLE GET FI FINISHING OUT THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN OF THIS, OF THIS COMMUNITY AND, UM, POTENTIALLY BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOME, THE, THE TWO COMMUNITIES.
SO, SO, UH, NUMBER FOUR AND NUMBER ONE ARE, ARE EXISTING AFFORDABLE COMMUNITIES THAT WE OWN.
BOTH OF, UH, OF THEM ARE, UM, COMPLETELY AFFORDABLE AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, SO THOSE ARE THOSE, THOSE ARE THOSE, THOSE ARE THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE OWN.
AND WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY COMPLETING THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT PATTERN HERE, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT LONG TERM WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THESE AMENITIES AND SOME OF THIS PROGRAMMING THAT WE'RE DOING AT THIS NEW CONSTRUCTION ONE.
'CAUSE THE OTHER TWO ARE ONES THAT WE, UH, ACQUIRED FROM OTHER FOLKS.
UM, AND THEN REHAB DID A REHAB ON, WHEREAS THIS ONE IS OUR FIRST, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROPER.
UM, AND SO WE, UH, ARE REALLY EXCITED FOR THE ABILITY TO, TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT OURSELVES, PUT OUR STAMP ON IT, AND THEN PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE ENTITIES POTENTIALLY TO THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
AND I DO LIKE THE, I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, OF THE ACCESS TO THE FOOD OF THE FRESH FOOD, OF THE HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS, JUST WITH LIKE, JUST HOW FOOD IS RIGHT NOW THESE DAYS.
IT'S, I MEAN, EVERYTHING'S GOING UP, EVEN THE, THE UNHEALTHY STUFF.
AND I DO THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF Y'ALL COULD FIND A SPACE TO HAVE LIKE A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND EVEN OFFER, LIKE, IF, LIKE URBAN ROOTS COULD COME OUT THERE AND LIKE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD IN SOME CASES, OR IF THERE'S EVEN AN OPTION.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK LIKE EVERY BIT OF EDUCATION THAT YOU CAN HELPS PEOPLE, UM, HOWEVER YOU CAN FIND IT.
AND I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE DIFFERENT EDUCATION OPTIONS.
WELL, THE TYPES OF EDUCATION THAT YOU'D BE OFFERING, WOULD IT BE KIND OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OR IS IT MORE KIND OF FOCUSED TOWARDS, UH, TEACHING, UH, CHILDREN OR, YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY A MIX.
UM, SO WHAT OUR, OUR, UH, NONPROFIT PARTNER PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES DOES WHENEVER THEY, UH, START ON A NEW, UH, START AT ONE OF OUR NEW COMMUNITIES IS THEY CONDUCT A RESIDENT SURVEY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED AT THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, ESL UH, TRAINING IS EXTREMELY DESIRED.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE THE TOP REQUESTED THING.
AND, AND THEN, SO THAT'S THE SORT OF PROGRAMMING WE OFFER.
THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WHERE THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
UM, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, IT'S MORE ABOUT WHAT, WHAT SORT OF PROGRAMMING CAN YOU PROVIDE FOR CHILDREN OR WHAT SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES CAN YOU JUST FACILITATE? WE HAVE SENIOR COMMUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP REQUESTED AMENITIES, A HAIRDRESSER THAT COMES IN AND, UM, IS ABLE TO HELP OUR SENIORS, UH, WITH THAT.
SO IT, IT'S REALLY KIND OF COMMUNITY DEPENDENT AS FAR AS WHICH PARTICULAR PIECE OF THE PROGRAMMING THEY'RE ABLE TO TO USE.
BUT AFTER DISCUSSIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO, TO START, THAT'S HOW WE KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES WILL CERTAINLY BE OFFERING AT THIS COMMUNITY IS THAT FOOD SECURITY STATION.
AND THEN ANOTHER, UH, THING AFTER, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSIONS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF, UH, WITH THE CITY.
ANOTHER THING THAT PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES WILL CERTAINLY BE OFFERING IS THAT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING.
UM, BUT THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THERE, THERE WILL BE OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE RESIDENTS AND WE'LL JUST KIND OF HAVE TO GET IT BUILT, GET IT LEASED UP, AND THEN, AND THEN ASK THEM WHAT THEY NEED AND THEN TRY TO PROVIDE THAT AS BEST AS WE CAN.
AND MY LAST QUESTION WAS, UM, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, UM, COURSES.
LIKE IF YOU'VE, ARE THERE SPECIFIC
[02:10:01]
LANGUAGES ALREADY IN MIND OF THAT WOULD BE TAUGHT THERE? OR, UM, IS IT KIND OF JUST DEPENDENT ON THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE THAT YOU, OR WOULD YOU OPEN TO, TO, WELL, SO I, I, UM, I ONLY OFFICE, UH, OUTTA OUTTA THE DALLAS OFFICE, SO I FOCUS PRIMARILY ON, ON NEW, NEW COMMUNITIES WITHIN TEXAS.SO OVERWHELMINGLY WITHIN TEXAS, UM, IT'S PREDOMINANTLY PEOPLE WHO SPEAK SPANISH WHO ARE LOOKING TO SPEAK ENGLISH.
UM, SO THAT'S THE, AS FAR AS HOW WE'VE UTILIZED OUR PORTFOLIO RESIDENT SERVICES, THAT'S THE, UH, THE MAIN THING THAT WE'VE SEEN.
BUT IT IS, IT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY DEPENDENT.
SO IF WE, YOU KNOW, UH, OPENED UP A COMMUNITY AND, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER LANGUAGE THAT WAS PREDOMINANTLY SPOKEN, WE'D, YOU KNOW, FIGURE IT OUT AND, AND GET SOMEONE WHO CAN TUTOR WHATEVER THAT LANGUAGE IS AND RIGHT.
AND, AND TEACH ENGLISH OR, OR WHATEVER'S NEEDED.
SO, UH, IT REALLY IS COMMUNITY DEPENDENT.
BUT AS FAR AS LANGUAGE COURSES PRE PREDOMINANTLY IN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN TEXAS, IT'S, IT'S MOSTLY FOLKS, UH, WHO SPEAK SPANISH LOOKING TO SPEAK ENGLISH.
UH, BECAUSE ONE THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS LIKE, WE HAVE A HUGE DEAF COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
SO IT'D BE COOL TO ALSO BE ABLE TO OFFER LIKE A SL OR YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY FANTASTIC IDEA.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'M DEFINITELY GONNA WRITE DOWN.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT HAS THAT, THAT'S VERY, VERY USEFUL.
SO THAT CAN BE VERY COOL TO OFFER.
AND YEAH, AND ALSO LIKE OTHER VARIOUS LANGUAGES LIKE FARSI, HINDI, ALL THAT TOO FOR SURE.
SO I, UM, I GUESS LIKE, JUST MY SUGGESTION, JUST KIND OF LEAVE IT OPEN FOR OTHER LANGUAGES AS WELL, FOR SURE.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PACKET, BUT I, I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY MISSED IT.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THERE.
UM, ARE Y'ALL PLANNING ON USING LIKE DARK SKY LIGHTING, DOWNCAST LIGHTING? UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I'M NOT POSITIVE ON THAT.
I DON'T BELIEVE SO AT THE MOMENT.
UH, NICK, DO YOU HAVE ANY WE WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, WITH CITY REQUIREMENTS WHERE EVERYTHING WILL HAVE TO BE FULLY SHIELDED AND, AND CUT OFF SO THERE, SO IT WON'T BE, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'D BE EXACTLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SIX 20 OR SOMETHING OUT THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE A TYPICAL OF YOUR URBAN, URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND SUBCHAPTER E UH, LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND IT'S UNANIMOUS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION.
UH, WE DO CHAIR, UM, SEPTEMBER 4TH, UH, 2024, UH, DOMINION SAGE AT FRANKLIN PARK, UH, SP DASH 2 23 DASH 3 89 C SH.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO VARY FROM LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 3 4 2 TO ALLOW FILL UP TO 15 FEET IN DEPTH.
AND, UM, HANG ON, I GOTTA CORRECT THAT.
UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WATERSHED, SUBURBAN WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION, SUBURBAN DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND, UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
UH, AND THOSE CONDITIONS ARE ENHANCED.
WETLANDS, UH, MITIGATION BY PROVIDING, UH, RAIN GARDENS, POLLINATOR GARDENS, THREE AT A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET EACH, OR EQUIVALENT LOCATED, UM, LOCATED ON SITE.
IT UHS KIND OF LAID OUT A LITTLE STRANGE HERE.
UM, ONSITE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS WITH EDUCATIONAL SIGNING TO, UM, TO EACH 25 ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE TREES, UH, WITH A TWO INCH MINIMUM DIAMETER FROM ECM APPENDIX F SPECIES, HAND REMOVAL OF HERBICIDE AND HER HERBICIDE, UH, STUMP TREATMENT ON NON-NATIVE INVASIVE WOODY SPECIES WITHIN THE CF CEF BUFFER AND OUTER HALF OF THE C-W-Q-Z-Z ZONE.
UM, ALONG NORTHERN PROPERTY BOUNDARY, UH, USING, UH, SPECIES OR, UH, SPEC 6 1 4 S HANDE AREAS, UH, FOR POOR GROUND COVER AFTER INVASIVE REMOVAL WITHIN A ONE-TO-ONE MIX OF, UH, SPEC 6 0 9 S, TABLE FOUR AND FIVE AT SPECIFIED RATE AND RAPED IN BY HAND.
UH, PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE ALONG THE CREEK FOR WETLANDS AND INVASIVES, UH, EVERY 500 FEET WITH, UM, NO MO SIGNS ALONG THE CWQZ,
[02:15:02]
UH, EVERY 500 FEET.THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS, AND I HOPE THAT I CAPTURED ALL THESE CORRECTLY, UH, CONDITIONS ARE, UH, CREATE A SPACE FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN, UM, AND NATIVE AND PLANT NATIVE TEXAS, UH, PECAN TREES, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE.
OTHERWISE YOU WON'T HAVE PECANS.
UM, TO CREATE, UH, A FOOD FOREST INCLUDES SIGNAGE AND EDUCATION ABOUT THE FOOD AND TREES.
UM, UH, WORK WITH URBAN ROOTS, UH, TO OFFER PROGRAMMING.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I CAPTURED THAT RIGHT.
UM, UM, PLANT BLACKLAND PRAIRIE NATIVE SPECIES WITH EDUCATION ABOUT THE PRAIRIE SYSTEM.
UH, UTILIZE NATURAL PLAYGROUNDS BEST PRACTICES AS RECOMMENDED BY THE NATURAL LEARNING INSTITUTE AND INCLUDE SCREENS ON WINDOWS.
UM, THIS IS A BIRD STRIKE DETERRENT AND ALSO ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO GET FRESH AIR.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
RICHARD HAND, F RESI, EINHORN, KRUGER BEDFORD, BRISTOL NICHOLS, SULLIVAN AND BRIMER BUSH AND PASSES.
I'M TONGUE TIED TONIGHT, GUYS.
[5. Update from South Central Waterfront Advisory Board on recent Planned Unit Developments – David Sullivan]
COMMITTEE UPDATES.ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UPDATE FROM SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD ON RECENT PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.
WELL, AS WE ALREADY HEARD FROM, WE HAD THAT ONE PUTT EARLIER.
UM, IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, WHAT THE 16TH, BUT IT'S BEEN POSTPONED FOR TWO WEEKS, SO IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
BUT AS WE HEARD FROM ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS IN THE AREA, UH, HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH FAITH IN IT, SO IT'S HARD TO PREDICT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
OH, AND WE HAVE A, WE HAVE WHAT MIGHT BE THE LAST, UH, SCHWAB MEETING TOMORROW AT CITY HALL AT 6:00 PM BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE EXTENDED, UM, DEPENDING ON THE FATE OF THE, UM, THE PLAN, BUT, AND ALSO MAYBE LATER THAN THAT FOR CHANGES IN THE PUDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
[6. Update from the Bird Friendly Design Working Group on reviewing best practices in other cities – Jennifer Bristol]
UPDATE FROM THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN WORKING GROUP ON REVIEWING BEST PRACTICES IN OTHER CITIES.UM, WE MET, UM, AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, UM, AND WE'RE IN THE, STILL IN THE COLLECTION PHASE, UM, TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE ALL THE BEST PRACTICES.
UM, WE'VE MET NOW WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS AND ASKED THEM TO ALSO JOIN, UM, UM, IN THE DISCUSSION WITH US, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE COVERED AS WELL, UM, DURING THOSE MEETINGS.
AND, UM, I MEAN, SO FAR EVERYBODY'S BEEN REALLY PUTTING IN SOME GOOD WORK AND, UM, UH, OUR, OUR GOOGLE DRIVE FOLDER KEEPS FILLING AND FILLING WITH, UM, ALL KINDS OF REALLY INTERESTING STUFF.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON, UM, SEPTEMBER 19TH.
AND, UM, I'LL HAVE, UH, PROBABLY A BETTER REPORT FOR YOU AFTER THAT.
AND ARE WE, ELIZABETH, DID YOU GET ALL THE STUFF I JUST SENT YOU? IF YOU'LL LET ME KNOW.
OTHERWISE I'LL HAVE TO DO IT IN THE MORNING.
[7. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee on the recommendation on tree canopy improvements – Richard Brimer ]
BE HAVE UPDATE ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE ON RECOMMENDATION ON TREE CANOPY IMPROVEMENTS.YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING TOMORROW AND, UH, I BELIEVE EVERYONE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT 10 O'CLOCK.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH FINAL DRAFT.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM SOME PEOPLE IN THE URBAN FORESTRY STAFF THAT'S GONNA READ US, UH, SOME INFORMATION FROM THE, THE MANUAL.
HOPEFULLY, UH, I BELIEVE ELIZABETH SENT US A LINK TO THE THING.
SO HOPEFULLY BEFORE THEN WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CITY EMAIL TO KIND OF SKIM THROUGH THAT SO WE CAN ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT, WE HOPE TO VOTE AND GET SOMETHING TO BRING BACK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO THEN PASS ON TO COUNCIL AND OTHER APPROPRIATE GROUPS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONERS, I ON THAT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER EINHORN FOR HELPING US WITH THIS COMMISSION AND ALL YOUR SERVICE.I, I THINK TO HEAR WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER TO ALL OF US.
[02:20:02]
UH, I'M STEPPING DOWN FROM THE COMMISSION JUST 'CAUSE AS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION LOOMS MY BANDWIDTH CONSTRAINTS.WELL, YOU'VE BEEN A REALLY, REALLY WONDER CONDITION.
AND SO COMMISSIONER BRI, I SECOND THAT BOO.
WE HAVE REALLY ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THE BOO
BUT I, BUT I DO COMMIT TO TAKING ON SOME OF THE, UM, ISSUES AROUND THE ETJ AND, AND DIS ANNEXATION.
IF YOU'RE REALLY BORED TOMORROW, YOU CAN TUNE INTO THE TEXAS SENATE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT,
WELL, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, IT IS 8 22.