[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
A QUORUM PRESENT WITHIN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND ONLINE.I NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:07 PM FIRST WE'LL TAKE ROLL CALL.
SO JUST SAY HERE, WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, I'LL CALL IT IN ORDER OF THE AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS NOT PRESENT.
AND RECOGNIZING OUR EX-OFFICIO CHAIR OF BOARD ADJUSTMENT, JESSICA COHEN.
UM, PER USUAL, TONIGHT'S MEETING IS HYBRID, ALLOWING FOR A VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER SERVING AS CHAIR IS PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.
AS SUCH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE IN CHAMBERS AND IN ATTENDANCE, VIRTUALLY, SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT FROM THE CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR SIGN IN SHEET TO OUR STAFF LIAISON PER THE CLERK'S GUIDELINES, AND PLEASE HAVE YOUR VIVID COLORS OF GREEN, RED, AND YELLOW ITEMS FOR VOTING.
ALSO, JUST A REMINDER TO REMAIN MUTED WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING AND RAISE YOUR HAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
AND IF I MISS YOU, PLEASE TRY AGAIN AND LET ME KNOW, UM, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
UH, IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU'LL RECEIVE ANY EMAIL PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION TAKING UP YOUR ITEM.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A LONG EVENING TONIGHT, SO, UM, THAT COULD BE A USEFUL TIDBIT.
SPEAKERS CAN DONATE TIME, BOTH THE SPEAKER DONATING TIME AND THE SPEAKER RECIPIENT MUST BE PRESENT IN PERSON WHEN THE ITEM IS CONSIDERED.
UM, I WILL HAVE ASSISTANCE FROM MS. GARCIA IN ANNOUNCING OUR SPEAKERS TONIGHT DURING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
SO, MS. GARCIA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES.WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
ANGELA, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AS ALWAYS IN OUR CITY.
UM, I AM SPEAKING, UM, FOR THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH ON THE GROUND NEIGHBORS, ET CETERA, UM, ACROSS ALL RELATIONS, ALL GENDERS, ET CETERA.
AND WE HAVE FOUND INDICATION THAT NOTIFICATIONS ARE NOT GOING OUT TO NEIGHBORS AS THEY SHOULD GO OUT.
WE'VE SEEN ENOUGH OF THAT ON THE GROUND.
UH, THE SECOND THING IS THAT WE ARE GONNA REQUEST, WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO TAKE AWAY THE TERMS NIMBY AND YBI AS WE COME ACROSS RELATIONS.
UM, THOSE ARE NOT THE BEST WORDS TO USE WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS OUT THERE.
UH, WE HAVE DONE WHAT WE CAN TO ACTUALLY BRIDGE THEM OUT THERE.
UM, ALSO, I WAS PART OF A SPECIAL, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, AND I WAS ONE OF THE FEW THERE WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE'S ABOUT 156 ZONING CASES RIGHT NOW WITH 56 OF THOSE BEING ABOUT 90, 56 OF THOSE BEING 90 FOOT BUILDINGS.
AND THAT'S SCARING SOME OF OUR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR RIGHTS ARE WHEN THESE BUILDINGS COME.
EXACTLY WHAT, UM, DETER, UM, WHAT THE GOAL IS.
I DID SEE THE WRITEUP WITH MR. ANDERSON ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T TELL US WHAT OUR RIGHTS ARE, UM, WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ON THE GROUND FOR SO LONG AS WELL.
SO OUT OF THE RESPECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, I'M ASKING THAT WE TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE COMPLEX TERMS ARE.
I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE ON PURPOSE SIMPLIFIED THE TERMS TO INCLUDE OUR SPANISH SPEAKERS AS WELL.
UM, THE TERMS ARE TWO COMPLEX, EVEN FOR THE MOST EDUCATED PERSON AS WELL, THAT IS EDUCATED, FORMALLY EDUCATED GRAD SCHOOL STUDENTS.
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE FOR OUR FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND NEIGHBORS FOR QUITE A BIT, QUITE A LONG TIME HERE IN AUSTIN? UM, SO WE'RE ASKING TO COME FROM A RESPECT POINT OF VIEW AND UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR FAMILIES DO NOT UNDERSTAND THESE TERMS. UM, OUR NEIGHBORS WERE ABLE TO WITNESS THE FACT THAT WE WERE A, WE WERE HAVING TO DO EXTRA WORK AND THEY WERE HAVING TO DO A LOT OF EXTRA WORK JUST TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I AM HERE TO ASK THAT WE TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO RESPECT WITH OUR, OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
UM, I'M ASKING AS NATIVE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, THEIR GENERATION.
UM, I'M ASKING BECAUSE I'VE COME ACROSS
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WONDERFUL PEOPLE ACROSS THE BOARD WHO HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, NOT RECENTLY ESTABLISHED NATIVES COMING ACROSS THE BOARD, ALL CULTURES INCLUDED THAT WE TAKE A MUCH MORE RESPECTABLE APPROACH AND A MUCH MORE INTUITIVE, UH, APPROACH, AN EMPATHETIC APPROACH WHEN WE'RE APPROACHING THESE CHANGES IN OUR CITY.THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOVE ON TO OUR MINUTES.UH, THE FIRST ITEM, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 22ND.
DOES ANYONE HAVE EDITS TO THOSE MINUTES? OKAY, HEARING NONE THE MINUTES, UM, AS POSTED WILL BE ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[Consent Agenda]
HEARINGS, OUR FIRST ACTIVITY TODAY IS TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS, OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS, COMMISSIONER, UH, OR SORRY, VICE-CHAIR ARE WILL WRITE, READ THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA AND IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AND NON-DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS.
YOU'LL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST CONSENT ITEMS TO BE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, I'LL BE GOING TO ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS TODAY.
THIS IS ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 24 DASH 0 5 0 2.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST ALPHA CHURCH DISTRICT ONE.
THE ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT TONIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE ASSOCIATED REZONING, UH, C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 4.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST ALPHA CHURCH DISTRICT ONE.
THE ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT I NUMBER FOUR IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 15 0 1 COUNTRY STREET REZONING DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION I NUMBER FIVE THERE.
ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 0 9 COUNTRY STREET REZONING DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR, UH, DISCUSSION AS WELL.
I NUMBER SIX IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2023 DASH 7 0 1 ANDERSON SQUARE, DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
I NUMBER SEVEN, THE ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 20 23 8 ANDERSON SQUARE, DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
THIS TAKES US TO ITEM NUMBER, EXCUSE ME, I'M JUST LOSING, UH, I NUMBER.
OKAY, THIS I NUMBER EIGHT, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH TWO FOUR DASH 0 0 1 8 0.04.
1200 WEST 49TH STREET, DISTRICT SEVEN.
I NUMBER NINE IS, UH, THE ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 24 DASH 0 16 0 1 1 16, 1200 WEST 49TH STREET, DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT.
I NUMBER 10 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2023 DASH 0 0 2 9 0 2 HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT FOUR.
THE ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 3 2 CITY INITIATED REZONING, HUMANE SOCIETY OF FOSTER AND TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 12 IS THE PLAN AMENDMENT NPA A DASH 2 24 DASH 0 0 8 0 3 BRENTWOOD MULTIFAMILY DB 90 DISTRICT SEVEN.
THE SIGN IS UP FOR CONSENT AND THE ASSOCIATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 13 C 14 DASH 2 24 DASH BRENTWOOD MULTIFAMILY DB 90 DISTRICT SEVEN.
THE ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 14 IS THE ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TERMIN TERMINATION.
THAT'S C 14 DASH 24 DASH FOUR RCT, BRENTWOOD MULTIFAMILY 2023 PUBLIC RC TERMINATION DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT.
I NUMBER 15 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 2 4 0 2 STONE HOLLOW TRACKS DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT AND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS IS THE REZONING ITEM NUMBER 16 C 14 DASH 204 DASH 0 1 25.
STONE HOLLOW TRACKS EAST DISTRICT SEVEN.
NUMBER 17 IS ALSO ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH TWO FOUR DASH 0 26.
STONE HOLLOW TRACKS WEST DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 18 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT AND PA DASH 2 24 DASH 0 0 1 2 0 1 EAST 30TH STREET, DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO OUR DECEMBER 10TH MEETING.
UM, IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 24 DASH 0 4 8 11 0 6 AND 1110 EAST 30TH STREET, DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER 10TH.
ITEM NUMBER 20 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH FOUR DASH 0 5 0 4 CITY INITIATED, NPA BERT ROAD DISTRICT ONE.
ITEM NUMBER 21 RE, UH, C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 27 CITY INITIATED REZONING HIBBS ROAD DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 22 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 15 THREE CHERRY LONG
[00:10:01]
REZONING DISTRICT ONE.THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT AND STAFF JOINT POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER 10TH I NUMBER 23, WHICH IS THE ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 12 2 CHERRY LAWN REZONING DISTRICT ONE.
THE ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR APPLICANT AND STAFF JOIN POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER 10TH.
ITEM NUMBER 24 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 2 0.02 2002 MAINER ROAD, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT THE ASSOCIATED.
UM, AND THEN WE, THE ASSOCIATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 25 C 14 DASH 2 24 DASH 0 0 7 7 2002 MAIN ROAD REZONING DISTRICT NINE.
I NUMBER 26 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH TWO FOUR DASH 0 1 3 9 REZONING FOR 11 5 0 1 BURNETT ROAD CITY INITIATED DISTRICT SEVEN.
ITEM NUMBER 27 IS ALSO A REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 29 BURNETT IN RULAND DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 28 RE IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 24 DASH 0 1 3 8 BURN AND 180 3 DB 90 DISTRICT FOUR.
I NUMBER 29 IS, UH, C 14 DASH 2 24 DASH 0 1 3 4 7 0 1 BAYLOR STREET, RESIDENT DISTRICT NINE.
I NUMBER 30 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 24 DASH 0 1 3 5 WESTLAND MIXED USE DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM NUMBER 31 IS REZONING C 14 DASH 2 24 DASH 0 20 1504 DRIVE DISTRICT THREE.
ITEM NUMBER 32 IS ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIVE GO AMENDMENT C 14 DASH 72 DASH 24 RCA SIX 1500 FIRE DRIVE RCA DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 33 IS OF REZONING C 14 DASH 24 DASH 0 1 3 3 BURLESON FOREST.
I 34 IS A HISTORIC ZONING C 14 H DASH 2 24 DASH 0 1 53 ROMA JOHNSON HOUSE DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
I NUMBER 35 IS AN ETJ RELEASE, CE TJ 2 24 0 0 0 1 MAYNARD DOWNS INDUSTRIAL PARK ETJ RELEASE AND ACCOMPANYING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 36 IS ALSO AN EDJ SWAP, CADJ 2023 DASH 0 0 0 1 EDJ SWAP WITH THE CITY OF MAINOR ALONG BLUE BLUFF ROAD.
ITEM NUMBER 37 IS AN LDC AMENDMENT C 20 DASH 2 23 DASH 0 4 5 SITE PLAN, SITE PLAN, LIGHT PHASE TWO AND INFILL LOSS.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER 38 IS ALSO AN LDC AMENDMENT C 20 DASH TWO FOUR DASH 0 2 1 SAFETY BALLARDS.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER 13 LDC AMENDMENT C 20 DASH 2022 DASH 0 2 5 COLORADO RIVER PROTECTIONS.
THIS IS A STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER 10TH.
THAT NUMBER 40 IS A PLAT VACATIONS CS 64 DASH 0 3 8 VSC PLACE VACATION DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT AND CHAIR.
THAT IS ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VICE CHAIR.
I JUST WANNA OFFER ONE CORRECTION ON ITEM 27.
IT WAS, UH, READ OUT AS DISTRICT NINE AND THAT'S DISTRICT SEVEN.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN FROM ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
AND RECOGNIZING COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS HAS JOINED US.
ALL RIGHT, MS. GARCIA, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE SPEAKERS SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON SOME OF THE CONSENT ITEMS. YES.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER ON CONSENT FOR ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE, UH, 1200 WEST 49TH STREET IS JAY LONG.
HE'S OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION.
JAY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING, RESPECTED MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
MY NAME IS JAY LONG AND I LIVE ON WEST 49TH.
OH, SIR, IS YOUR, IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? AH, SORRY.
MY NAME IS JAY LONG AND I LIVE ON WEST 49TH STREET IN THE WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD OF BRENTWOOD.
WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING BECAUSE WE ARE TOLD THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER OF 1200 WEST 49TH STREET WAS HAVING TROUBLE RENTING THEIR PROPERTY AND THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR ZONING WOULD INCREASE THEIR POOL OF POTENTIAL TENANTS.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AS OF TODAY, EVERY SINGLE OFFICE BUILDING ON OURS AND THE ADJACENT STREETS ARE FULLY OCCUPIED, INCLUDING THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION 1200 WEST 49TH STREET IS NOW OCCUPIED BY OVERLAND ARCHITECTURE, A WELCOME AND APPROPRIATE OFFICE EDITION TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WOULD NOTE THAT CATTYCORNER BEHIND 1200 WEST 49TH STREET IS ALL RESIDENTIAL HOMES.
CADDY CORNER ACROSS THE STREET IS THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING FOR THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND.
DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET IS A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE IN A SMALL
[00:15:01]
APARTMENT BUILDING.AND THEN THE REST OF THE SMALL HOUSE IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF WEST 49TH STREET, ENDING WITH ANOTHER APARTMENT COMPLEX AT BARNETT ROAD.
SO WHILE WE HAVE THE LIMITED OFFICE ZONING FROM BACK WHEN THEY MADE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, THIS AREA IS STILL LARGELY RESIDENTIAL.
ALSO, IN REGARDS TO RENTABILITY, I HAVE NOTICED A LOT OF EMPTY COMMERCIAL SPACES AROUND THE CORRIDORS ON BURNETT LAMAR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I ASSUME THAT THOSE PEOPLE MUST BE EXTREMELY JEALOUS OF OUR STREETS.
WE MUST HAVE A PRETTY DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD STREET.
I GUESS I KNOW THAT MY NEIGHBORS AND I LIKE IT.
ON OUR SIDE OF WEST 49TH STREET, THERE ARE TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND FIVE SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES.
THERE USED TO BE THREE MORE HOUSES ACROSS THE STREET, BUT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE TOLD THAT THERE IS A HOUSING SHORTAGE, THOSE WERE TORN DOWN AND REPLACED WITH AN OFFICE BUILDING, WHICH LIKE THE REST IS CURRENTLY RENTED.
OF THE FIVE SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES LEFT JUST THE FIVE ON OUR SIDE OF THE STREET, ONLY TWO ARE CURRENTLY OFFICES.
THE REMAINING THREE, WHICH ARE STILL RESIDENTIAL, ARE OWNED BY MYSELF, ERIC HANSEN, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT.
AND STEFAN WISTROM WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE HE DEALS WITH, UH, ADULT CHILD WITH DISABILITY AT HOME.
AND ALL RESIDENTIAL OR ALL THREE OF US OPPOSE THIS CHANGE.
SO AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, 100% OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE AGAINST THIS CHANGE.
WE MAY NOT BE A LARGE COALITION, BUT AT THREE OUT OF FIVE I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE THE MAJORITY, AT LEAST AS OWNERS OF THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND RESIDENTS WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN AND ARE CONCERNED MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THE ENTITIES THAT OWN THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE OFFICES ARE NOT RESIDENTS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE WITH CONCERNS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, BUT RATHER THOSE WHO PROFIT FROM IT AT A DISTANCE.
SO WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS BEEN STRUGGLING POST PANDEMIC, IT SEEMS LIKE THE MARKET FOR OFFICE SPACE IN THE LOS ZONED AREA OF WEST 49TH STREET IS DOING JUST FINE.
AND SO TO SUM UP, IF EVERYTHING IS CURRENTLY RENTED AND EVERYTHING IS ALREADY EXISTING IN COMPATIBLE WAY, THEN MYSELF AND MY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS WOULD PREFER THAT IT STAY THAT WAY.
IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, THEN THE CITY DOESN'T NEED TO FIX IT.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION ON THESE ITEMS IS ERIC HANSEN.
ERIC, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 1301 WEST 49TH STREET, WHICH IS A FEW DOORS DOWN FROM, UH, THE PROPOSED PROPERTY.
I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE, UH, CHANGE IN THE PLUM AND THE ZONING.
UH, PRETTY MUCH ALONG THE SAME LINES AS JADE HAD JUST MENTIONED.
I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, CITY HAS HIRED AND, UM, PUT TOGETHER A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE TO CREATE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAPS.
UM, OUR STREET HAS GONE THROUGH A FEW DIFFERENT PH FLUB CHANGES AND WE'VE ACCEPTED THAT AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO CHANGE THE ZONING AS IT IS SINCE WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT CREATING THE SPECIFIC CORRIDORS AND THE CRITERIA ON WHY THE ZONING SHOULD BE WHAT IT IS.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THESE ITEMS. OUR NEXT SET OF ITEMS WE HAVE SPEAKERS ON ARE THE CHERRY LAWN REZONING CASES FOR 22 AND 23.
OUR SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS MARK, TERRY.
MARK, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME IS MARK TERRY AND I'M A NATIVE AUSTINITE.
UM, WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE ENTERTAINING A, UH, A POSTPONEMENT, UM, OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT I'LL SPEAK ABOUT, I ALONG WITH OTHER STAND IN OPPOSITION OF THE REZONING OF THIS REQUEST.
UH, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE FOR, UH, MY NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS TO, TO STAND.
SO AS A SHOW OF SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE IT KNOWN, UH, THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED THE ZONING APPLICATION FOR C 14 20 24 0 1, 2 2, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNED AMENDMENT, UH, NPA 20 24 0 0 1 5, UH, TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES AT THE ADDRESSES 61 0 2, 61 0 6 AND 61 0 8 ON CHERRY LAWN CIRCLE.
I WISH TO EXPRESS MY EXTREME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS BEING PROPO, ABOUT WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY, UH, EMERSON SMITH.
THE PROPOSED ZONING ALSO GOES AGAINST THE ZONING PRINCIPLES, UH, IN SECTION TWO OF THE AUSTIN ZONING GUIDE.
THIS CREATES A MULTITUDE OF VIOLATIONS AGAINST THE ZONING PRINCIPLES, INCLUDING BUT
[00:20:01]
NOT LIMITED TO ONE ZONING, UH, SHOULD SATISFY PUBLIC NEED AND NOT CONSTITUTE A GRANT, NOT CONSTITUTE A GRANT OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGE TO AN INDIVIDUAL OWNER.THE REQUEST SHOULD NOT RESULT IN SPOT ZONING.
TWO, GRANTING A REQUEST FOR ZONING SHOULD RESULT IN AN EQUAL TREATMENT OF SIMILARLY SITUATED PROPERTIES.
AND THREE ZONING SHOULD ALLOW FOR A REASONABLE USE OF PROPERTY.
THE PROPOSED CHANGES DO NOT MEET THESE GUIDELINES.
AND, UM, WHATEVER YOUR DECISION IS TODAY, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS GROW.
I'VE GROWN UP IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, FOR 50 YEARS AND THIS IS A, AN ICONIC NEIGHBORHOOD, A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE ALL HAVE THOSE STORIES IF YOU'VE BEEN IN AUSTINITE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM UNTIL IT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
AND WE'VE GOT AN EXTREME PROBLEM.
WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE CHILDREN PLAY STILL, UH, ALL KINDS OF, UH, THINGS IN WHICH YOU WANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THIS ZONING IS GOING TO INTERRUPT THAT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE.
AND OF COURSE IT IS EAST OF THE HIGHWAY AND IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT WE START TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WE STAND DEPOSE.
THE FOLLOWING SPEAKERS ARE ALSO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAVE WAIVED THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK.
THEIR NAMES ARE NADIA BERBA, SHIRLEY, TERRY, KATIE DUFFY, RUTH A ER, JESS HILL, KATIE TOLL, AND KAREN MAYER.
OH, CAN YOU MENTION IF THEY'RE FOR OR AGAINST ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS ARE IN OPPOSITION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THAT ITEM.
IT LOOKS LIKE I ACCIDENTALLY SKIPPED ONE SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION ON ITEMS 18 AND 19.
SO OUR SPEAKER IS GERARD KENNY GERARD, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES CHAIR.
UM, IF WE COULD ASK CITY HALL TO SHOW THE SPEAKERS WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING FOR THOSE OF US ONLINE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I'M HERE, UH, REPRESENTING THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I WAS THE FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
I ALSO WAS THE FOUNDING CHAIR OF SCENIC AUSTIN AND SERVED ON THE SCENIC TEXAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR MANY YEARS.
IT'S A UNIQUE CASE IN THAT NOTHING THAT YOU'RE READING IN THE APPLICATION THAT ON THE AGENDA MENTIONS THAT THE SPECIFIC REASON THEY WANTED TO TO TO BRING THIS FORWARD WAS TO RELOCATE A BILLBOARD.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T RELOCATE BILLBOARDS, YOU TEAR THEM DOWN AND BUILD NEW ONES.
AUSTIN, OVER 50 YEARS AGO, THE COUNCIL ESTABLISHED AN ULTIMATE GOAL OF GETTING REAL RID OF BILLBOARDS IN AUSTIN.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP START IMPLEMENTING THAT GOAL.
THE BILLBOARDS THAT ARE ALONG I 35 AND THE, AND THE OTHER CORRIDORS AS THEY COME DOWN, THEY NEED TO BE, NOT GO BACK UP.
THEY COULD GO BACK OUT SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE AND USE THE PER STATE PERMITS FOR THAT PURPOSE.
BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY NOT GO BACK UP IN AUSTIN AND CERTAINLY NOT IN ONE IN CHERRYWOOD GO BACK UP IN CHERRYWOOD.
SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE'RE OPPOSED.
BILLBOARDS, IF YOU HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, PROVIDE INCOME FOR THE ADVERTISER, BUT THEY LOWER THE PROPERTY VALUES AROUND THEM.
THEY PROVIDE DISTRACTIONS TO, TO DRIVERS.
THEY OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVERTISE PRODUCTS THAT MOST OF US DON'T WANT ADVERTISED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, GENTLEMAN'S CLUBS, ALCOHOL, ET CETERA.
AND THEY BLOCK THE VIEW OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY MAKE A POSITIVE STEP TOWARD REDUCING THE NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS IN AUSTIN.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THAT ITEM.
AND OUR NEXT SET OF ITEMS ARE ITEMS 24 AND 25 2002 MAINOR ROAD.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JIM WALKER.
JIM, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND CHAIR.
WE'RE STILL JUST SEEING THE DAY.
[00:25:02]
IF I WAVE MY HANDS, DOES IT HELP? YEAH, CHAIR, WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THAT.WE CAN ONLY SEE YOUR HAND, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS ON CONSENT.
I DID SIGN UP AS OPPOSED, BUT AFTER SOME DISCUSSIONS, UH, TODAY AND YESTERDAY, WE ARE, OUR OFFICIAL POSITION IS NOT OPPOSING THIS, UH, FROM MOVING, MOVING FORWARD TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAD A GOOD DIALOGUE WITH, UH, THROW AND ASSOCIATES AND MR. COTA, UM, THAT WE HOPE TO BRING TO FINALIZATION, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE WE GET TO COUNCIL.
UM, I, I WILL SAY WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, HOOVER ALEXANDER, WHO'S BELOVED IN CHERRYWOOD AND MR. COTA HAVE A REALLY LONG AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP.
AND WE WANNA HONOR THAT AND RECOGNIZE THAT.
UH, BUT THIS PROJECT, THIS SITE IS ON THE WESTERN END OF THE MAINOR ROAD CORRIDOR, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILE AS YOU GO OVER TO AIRPORT BOULEVARD OF A LOT OF REALLY RIPE PROPERTIES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SET A TONE AND SET SOME KIND OF, UH, MOMENTUM FOR HAVING A PLANNED INTENTIONAL VIEW OF THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR.
SO THAT'S IT, THAT'S OUR OFFICIAL POSITION.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PULL THE ITEM, WE'LL GET TO QUESTIONS, BUT NONE FOR RIGHT NOW.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS STACEY ABEL.
STACEY, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I AM NOT STACY, SHE'S ON HER WAY, BUT I'M JEN SPENCER WHO IS PROBABLY AFTER HER IN THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? MA'AM? WE HAD YOU DOWN AS SPEAKING IN FAVOR, NOT, UH, YEAH.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
MAY I SPEAK TO THAT? UH, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE ALL THE SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION FIRST AND THEN, UM, WE CAN WELL WHO ELSE IS LEFT? THERE'S NOBODY ELSE.
I'M AN 18 YEAR RESIDENT OF, UM, BREEZE TERRACE.
WE LIVE IN 29 0 2 BREEZE TERRACE.
UM, ONE THING THAT WAS NOT NOTED IN THE ACTUAL AGENDA WAS THE, UM, THE CONSISTENT CONCERN FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
UH, IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF NUANCE WITH SOME OF THE POLICIES AND THE PLANNING AROUND HOW THIS HAPPENS FOR INDIVIDUAL AREAS.
UM, FOR ANY OF THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA, WE HAVE A COFFEE SHOP JUST TURNED A BAR.
WE HAVE ESTEE ACROSS THE STREET AND WE HAVE THE I 35 EXPANSION GOING.
AND IT'S BEEN VERY, LIKE, IT'S BEEN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WORKING WITH THROWER.
THEY HAVE FACILITATED WITH WITH COTA AND THAT'S BEEN GREAT.
BUT THE REALITY IS DB 90, IF THEY'RE UNDER 90 UNITS, THERE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A TIH DONE.
AND I INVITE ANY OF YOU TO GO BETWEEN 7 45 AND 8 45 ON MAINOR ROAD, UM, AND SEE WHAT ANOTHER 90 TO 120 CARS WOULD POSSIBLY DO GOING TO WORK IN THE DAY.
UM, I KNOW THAT MAINOR IS PART OF THE MAINOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR EXPANSION, BUT THOSE, THOSE BUSES ARE GONNA BE HELD UP TOO IF WE HAVE THAT KIND OF TRAFFIC.
SO I THINK MY REQUEST IS, AND I AM, I AM NOT OPPOSED AS WELL.
I THINK IF THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING WELL IS THAT THERE IS SORT OF SOME NUANCE THAT'S CONSIDERED WITH THE ANALYSIS AS, AS RESIDENTS, WE DON'T GET MUCH OF INPUT INTO THIS.
I HAVE A DAY JOB, THIS IS A LOT OF EXTRA WORK.
IT'S REALLY CONFUSING TO READ ALL THE STUFF ON THE SITE.
UM, AND SO WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT LIKE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN ONE IN THE COVENANT, ONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH A DEVELOPER.
THERE'S NO DEVELOPERS THAT IS PARTNERED WITH THIS RIGHT NOW.
SO IT DOES FEEL LIKE THE BURDEN FALLS ON THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE MUCH SAY AND THE WAY THE CITY'S GONE, A LOT OF THOSE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN IN DALLAS AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS.
IT'S A WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO DENSITY.
WE JUST WANT SMART DESIGN AND WE WANT IT NOT TO IMPACT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD DENSITY AND BUILD OUT MANNAR CORRIDOR.
THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IF STACEY IS NOT YET PRESENT, THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND IF MS. ABEL MAKES IT WHILE WE'RE STILL DISCUSSING, WE'LL GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WANNA PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA CHAIR? YES.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, AS THIS BODY VOTED ON ITEMS TWO AND THREE LAST TIME, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN HEAR FROM, UH, THE REQUESTER OF THE POSTPONEMENT AND IF WE DECIDE NOT TO POSTPONE IT, COULD WE KEEP THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA?
[00:30:02]
UM, AND IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THAT, WE CAN PROCEED THAT WAY.SO LET'S HEAR FROM, UM, LET'S SEE.
THE PERSON THAT IS SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT ON ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND THREE, SO I BELIEVE THAT'S OUR SPEAKER WOULD BE ERIC SHEPHERD.
UH, I AM HERE TO REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT OF THIS, UH OH.
IF YOU CAN SPEAK INTO THE, SORRY, APOLOGIES.
I'M HERE TO REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS, UH, LOOKING AT ENGAGING COUNSEL TO REPRESENT US IN THIS MATTER AND WE WISH TO BE AFFORDED THE TIME TO DO SO.
AND WHAT DATE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? UH, ONE MONTH PLEASE.
WHAT, UH, CAN IS, SO TODAY'S THE 12TH, SO THE NEXT MEETING AROUND DECEMBER 12TH.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR DECEMBER 10TH MEETING? YES.
DECEMBER 10TH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO THE WAY THAT, THIS IS A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF OUR USUAL PROCESS, BUT UM, WE'LL JUST ASK THE COMMISSION IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WISHES TO PULL THE ITEM FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE POSTPONEMENT.
I'M NOT SEEING ANYONE IN SUPPORT THAT CHAIR.
JUST TO CLARIFY, IF WE DON'T PULL THE ITEM, DOES THAT MEAN IT WILL STAY ON CONSENT TO BE POSTPONED? YES.
IT, WE STAY ON CONSENT TO MOVE FORWARD TO COUNSEL.
WOULD THE RECOMMENDATION MADE AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING WHEN THE SURE.
TO GET ACTION AND THEN RESCINDED? YES.
SO I'LL ASK AGAIN, AGAIN, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PULL THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION? EXCUSE ME.
'CAUSE IT WAS KIND OF IN THE INVERSE.
IF WE CONTINUE WITH IT ON POSTPONE, UH, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, YOU'RE SAYING THAT, THAT IT WILL WON'T BE POSTPONED.
SO I KNOW THIS IS STARTING TO GET A LITTLE TRICKY, SO BE CLEAR.
CURRENTLY THE ITEM IS ON CONSENT.
THIS IS THE ITEM THAT WE HEARD AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD TO RESCIND BECAUSE OF HOW IT HAS, UM, UH, A MISTAKE IN THE AGENDA AS IT WAS PUBLISHED.
AND SO THE, THE COMMISSION ALREADY VOTED ON THIS, I BELIEVE IT WAS 11 TO ONE, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
AND SO TODAY IT IS LISTED AS CONSENT, UM, WITH THE VOTE, UH, THAT PC HAD AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, WHICH WAS APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
THE REQUEST FROM MR. MENDEZ YES.
IS FOR A POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER 10TH.
UM, SO NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE, WE WOULD PULL THIS ITEM FOR A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
UM, AND IF IT WAS DECIDED TO BE HEARD TONIGHT, WE'RE THEN HEARING THE ITEM AGAIN.
UM, SO I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER ANDERSON WAS PROPOSING WAS TO HEAR THE REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT.
AND BEFORE WE TAKE IT OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, DECIDE IF WE WANT TO PULL IT OFF.
SO THE QUESTION BEFORE US NOW IS IF WE WISH TO PULL IT OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND NOT SEEING ANYONE WISHING TO PULL.
SO, MS. MENDEZ, IT WAS MOVING FORWARD ON CONSENT TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A FEW SPEAKERS SIGNED UP IN OPPOSITION THAT WOULD I BELIEVE NEED TO SPEAK IF IT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER WOULD BE WENDY FRAN.
WENDY WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
WENDY, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
WHAT'S UP BUDDY? UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD, IF YOU WANNA GO ON MUTE.
SO WE HAVE MS. RESNICK ON THE PHONE.
[00:35:01]
IT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S NOT ONLINE.WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK AFTER OUR NEXT FEW SPEAKERS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EMILY NOBLE.
EMILY, YOU, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I REPRESENT THE NEIGHBORS ON WAY BORN HILL AND MARYMOUNT, WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO A ZONING PETITION REQUESTING THE MORE LIMITED SITE USE OF NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE AND IMPERVIOUS COVER OF 70%.
SO LAST TIME WE TALKED, I THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHURCH AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE ZONING, BUT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OF WAY BORN HILL.
SO, ALTHOUGH I HAVE LIVED AT MY HOME FOR JUST OVER 12 YEARS, MANY OF MY SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS HAVE LIVED IN THEIR HOME SINCE THE 1970S.
MY NEIGHBORS, THE LOPEZ FAMILY, WERE THE FIRST HISPANIC FAMILY TO MOVE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MR. LOPEZ WAS THE BASEBALL COACH FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS AT DELWOOD IN THE SEVENTIES.
MY NEIGHBOR MARCY, OWNS THE ORIGINAL FARMHOUSE WHERE 51ST STREET USED TO END.
MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, MISS ALMA, HAVE STORIES TO TELL FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST BEING BUILT TO THE AIRPORT MOVING AND NOW THE MANY CHANGES THAT ARE MAKING AUSTIN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
MOST OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOMES WITH THEIR KIDS, GRANDKIDS, AND SOMETIMES GREAT-GRANDKIDS PRESENT.
THEY UNDERSTAND THIS COMMUNITY AND ARE IMPACTED BY THE CHANGES WITHIN IT.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK AGAIN FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THESE FAMILIES AND THIS COMMUNITY WHO LIVES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK NEXT TO THIS PROPERTY.
THIS COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE ALL THE CHURCHES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THRIVE.
WE ARE ALSO DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THE UNS SOLIDIFIED PLANS, THE POTENTIAL FOR THE PROPERTY, PROPERTY TO BE SOLD SOONER THAN EXPECTED.
THE LACK OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THOSE CHANGES AS REPORTED IN THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING AND THE IMPACT ON THIS COMMUNITY AND THESE FAMILIES 50 YEARS FROM NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PRESENTATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
SO EXPANDED USE AT THE SITE IS, IS A CONCERN GIVEN THE PROPERTY HAS TWO POINTS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS.
IT WAS IN MY PRESENTATION, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, BUT I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR, THE CHURCH PROPERTY HAS INGRESS AND EGRESS AT AT 51ST STREET.
SO THE INTEREST TO THE CHURCH PROPERTY IS AT 51ST.
THE BACKSIDE OF THE PROPERTY, THE, THE FOOD PANTRY, THE UNDEVELOPED LOT HAS INGRESS AND EGRESS ON PECAN SPRINGS ROAD.
SO AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, WELL HERE'S, I THINK WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE, THE PICTURES.
SO ACTUALLY IF WE CAN BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I'LL SPEAK TO IT REALLY QUICKLY.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FLOODING, I THINK IN THE LAST MEETING IN TERMS OF MS. N, BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU AN EXTRA MINUTE.
WE TALKED ABOUT FLOODING, I THINK IN THE LAST MEETING IN TERMS OF FLOODING CONCERNS.
AND ADMITTEDLY, MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVEN'T PRIORITIZED TAKING PHOTOS OF WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
SO THIS IS ONE EVENT WHERE WE HAD TAKEN A RAIN HOSE AND THIS WAS AFTER THE RAIN WAS GOING, BUT I WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE KIND OF WHY WE HAVE THESE CONCERNS.
UM, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT PHOTO AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO MY HOUSE IS, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE LOWER LEFT CORNER THERE.
IT SITS LOWER THAN THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THE FENCE LINE THERE IS THE PROPERTY ADJACENT, WHICH IS THAT VACANT LOT, UH, WITH THE INGRESS AND EGRESS AND PECAN SPRINGS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELEVATION CERTIFICATE, AND IF YOU LOOK AT AN AERIAL, THERE'S TWO CREEKS.
SO ONE CREEK, UM, THAT'S ON, THAT'S ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ANOTHER CREEK THAT'S ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO THE RESIDENTS AT THE GROVE, THEY HAVE THE, THE DRAINAGE ISSUE POTENTIALLY FROM THE PROPERTY WHERE THEY'RE AT A LOWER ELEVATION, THE WATER DRAINS TOWARDS THE CREEK.
BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE WHY WE HAVE THESE CONCERNS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT IMAGE, THESE ARE JUST THE PICTURES OF WHAT THAT INGRESS EGRESS ACTUALLY IS ON PECAN SPRINGS FOR THE ACCESS TO THE BACK OF THAT PROPERTY.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, YOU CAN SEE, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE, SO THE NEIGHBOR.
SO WHAT OUR POSITION IS, IS IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPERVIOUS USE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING NEEDS.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THE, THE PARKING LOT WHERE THE ALPHA CHURCHES ISN'T MAXIMIZED AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY TO ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE FOR MORE PARKING.
IT CAN, YOU CAN REDRAW THE LINES, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CREATE MORE SPACE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S UNUSED SPACE.
AND I THINK THAT YES, YOU CAN DEVELOP OUT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY CERTAINLY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE REQUEST FOR 90% IMPERVIOUS COVER ACTUALLY MATCHES THE NEED.
UM, SO I GUESS I'LL FINALIZE THIS.
PROPERTY IS PART OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDOR AND AS THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN STATES, AUSTIN IS A CITY WHERE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND VALUES ARE RECOGNIZED.
THIS COMMUNITY VALUES A CHURCH PRESENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE NEED A REASON TO APPROACH TO BALANCE THE CHURCH STATE'S NEED FOR MORE PARKING WHILE NOT OVERLY EXPANDING ZONING FOR UNKNOWN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT MENDEZ.
ROBERT, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
[00:40:08]
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.UM, SO FIRST I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY JUST AS EMILY JUST DID.
THE CHURCH HAS NO CONNECTION WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
I HAVE LIVED IN MY HOUSE FOR SIX YEARS, ADMITTEDLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE NEWEST RESIDENTS ON THE STREET.
THE FIRST TIME THAT I HEARD HYDE NOR HAIR FROM THIS CHURCH WAS WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN REACHED OUT TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THE REZONING, NOT THE CHURCH.
UH, I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER NEIGHBORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BEING THERE 15 YEARS TO 50 YEARS, NONE OF THEM HAVE HEARD HYDE NOR HAIR FROM THIS CHURCH.
50% OF THE NEIGHBORS WITHIN 200 FEET OF THE PROPERTY HAVE SIGNED ONTO PETITIONS TO BLOCK OR REDUCE THE ZONING REQUEST.
THEY DO NOT HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR.
THEY HAVE HAD ONE FORMAL MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ONE INFORMAL MEETING.
AT THE END OF THE INFORMAL MEETING, THEY WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD TAKE THIS BACK TO OUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
WHEN WE DID, THEY HAD ADDITIONAL CONCERNS.
THE CHURCH REJECTED ANY FURTHER RESTRICTION OR USE RESTRICTION.
UM, AS OF THE LAST MEETING, THEY HAD ZERO PLANS FOR WHAT THEY ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE NO FUNDING FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
UH, IT'S EXTREMELY PREMATURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS TO A PROPERTY WITHOUT ANY PLAN.
UM, THEY HAVE MENTIONED POTENTIALLY ADDING A GYM COMMUNITY, FINANCIAL MEDICAL USES.
AS OF THIS DATE, THE CHURCH HAS PROVIDED ZERO EVIDENCE OF ANY SUCH PLANS.
THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY MEANS OF INGRESS OR EGRESS FROM AN AUSTIN CONNECT CORRIDOR.
THE ONLY MEANS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS ARE RESIDENTIAL STREET OFF 21ST STREET.
YOU KNOW, THE CHURCH HAS GREATLY EXAGGERATED THEIR NEED.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY NOT UTILIZING THEIR IMPERVIOUS COVER EFFICIENTLY.
UH, THEY ARE ONLY AT THE PROPERTY FOR A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS A WEEK.
DURING THOSE HOURS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY UTILIZING.
THEY'RE ALREADY INEFFICIENT PARKING.
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES TAKEN DURING CHURCH SERVICES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY HAVE NOT UTILIZED THEIR PARKING LOT.
THEY ARE EMPTY SPACES IN THE BACK FIELD.
CHURCH SERVICES ON THE SECOND, AGAIN, EMPTY SPACES IN THE PARKING SPOT AND AN EMPTY FIELD.
THE ARGUMENT THAT THEY NEED 90% IMPERVIOUS COVER DOES NOT HOLD WITH THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH.
ADDITIONALLY, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ON SPRINGDALE ROAD.
THOSE ARE ACTUALLY ALL SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY HOMES.
THERE IS NO COMMU, THERE IS NO COMMERCIAL THERE.
THE, UH, NORTHWEST CORNER OF THAT SPRINGDALE AND 51ST EMPTY LOT NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED TO THE SOUTH.
WE HAVE A DOLLAR GENERAL AND AN EMPTY OFFICE BUILDING THAT'S BEEN EMPTY FOR A YEAR SINCE IT WAS DEVELOPED.
YOU HAVE A MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET.
IT IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WAS FORMERLY SECTION EIGHT HOUSING.
IT WAS TORN DOWN AND RESIDES IN A FLOODPLAIN.
IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REJECT THIS ZONING CHANGE AND THE CHURCH TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY EFFICIENTLY USE THEIR SPACE AS OPPOSED TO CREATING HEAT ISLANDS AND OTHER EFFECTS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ACTUALLY RESIDE NEAR THE PROPERTY.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
ALRIGHT, UM, GOING BACK, DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE DISC, UH, QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? UH, JUST A LITTLE SPEAK.
WE WILL HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE AND THEN GO TO YOU COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS AND REMEMBER TO COME ON CAMERA WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING.
THIS IS, BECAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT STRANGE PROCESS, RIGHT? SO WE VOTED ON THIS LAST MEETING THREE WEEKS AGO AND I BELIEVE MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER COX WERE THE NO VOTES ON IT.
AND OF I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO REFLECT MY NO VOTE ON IT, UH, FOR ITEMS TWO AND THREE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T NEED TO PULL IT FROM CONSENT.
SORRY I WAS HAVING TROUBLE COMING, COMING ON THE SCREEN.
UM, SO I GUESS THE, THE, UH, CONCERNS WE HEARD TONIGHT ABOUT FLOODING HAVE, HAVE, UM, THEY WEREN'T AS FLESHED OUT IN THE LAST, THE LAST TIME WE HEARD FROM, UM, ON, ON THESE FROM ON ON THIS PARTICULAR ZONING CHAIN.
[00:45:01]
HAVE, HAVE WE GOTTEN ANY FURTHER CLARITY ON THAT? I MEAN, I TRULY RESPECT, UM, COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE AND COMMISSIONER COX AND, UM, THEIR, WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT AS ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS REGARDING, UM, THE SITE.SO DO WE HAVE ANY MORE CLARITY ON THE FLOODING ISSUES AND THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ISSUES AT ALL OR ARE WE JUST WHERE WE ARE AND WE WON'T GET ANY MORE CLARITY ON THAT? UM, THE WAY TO INVESTIGATE THAT FURTHER BESIDES THE BACKUP IS TO PULL THE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND, UM, WE WOULD GO THROUGH OUR USUAL PROCESS, COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS OF HAVING A PRESENTATION AND THEN OPENING UP FOR Q AND A.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION AND THEN OPEN IT FOR Q AND A AND OUR, DO WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE CITY STAFF HERE TO ANSWER THOSE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED IN MORE CLARITY THIS EVENING? MR. TOMKO IS HERE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
THEN I, I WANT TO PULL THE ITEM PLEASE.
UM, MR. TOMKO IS YOUR YES, UH, JONATHAN TOMKO CASE MANAGER ON THIS CASE WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, I SPOKE WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UH, THERE, THERE WAS ANY FLOODING ISSUES THAT WERE, UH, AROSE IN THE REVIEW OF THE CASE BY THEM.
UM, ADDITIONAL REVIEW WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN AT THE SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, THE QUESTION IS STILL KIND OF ON THE TABLE FOR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO DECIDE THE APPROPRIATE ZONING RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL ON THIS CASE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF HERE FROM THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT OR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AT THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO I'LL ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN.
UM, DID YOU WANNA PULL THE ITEM, COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, SINCE THE ANSWER'S GONNA BE THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST TIME, I WITHDRAW MY REQUEST TO PULL THE ITEM SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY FURTHER CLARITY ON THE PLANNING ISSUES.
UM, ARE THERE COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? VICE CHAIR, CHAIR, IF I CAN MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
THIS IS ON ITEM NUMBER 31 AND 32, WHICH IS 1500 FAROH DRIVE.
UM, I JUST, UH, REALLY WANT TO THANK THE APPLICANT AND THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY FOR WORKING WITH THE TENANTS TO REALLY ENSURE THAT THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THEM, UM, IN ANY SORT OF FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, FOLKS WITH THE SUPPORT SERVICES NECESSARY.
SO I REALLY JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR WORKING WITH THE TENANTS AND I REALLY HOPE THAT SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY'VE HAD WITH THE TENANTS CAN BE SOLIDIFIED THROUGH A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT OR OTHER MEANS, UM, AS THIS GOES TO COUNCIL.
UM, I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE 22ND TEMPLE.
I ALSO JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT WE ARE APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR BOTH THE 21ST AND THE 22ND.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS ONLY THE 22ND.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION TO THAT, BOTH OF THOSE SETS OF MINUTES WILL BE ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO VICE CHAIRS, UH, THE MOTION AND THEN SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, UNLESS THERE IS AN OBJECTION TO THAT, THAT MOTION PASSES NOTING COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE'S, UM, VOTE ON ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.
AND THIS CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, AS A POINT OF PRIVILEGE SUGGESTION
[41. Discussion and action to approve the Planning Commission 2025 meeting schedule.]
FOR THIS EVENING, KNOWING THAT WE WILL LIKELY BE GOING LATE, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER 41, WHICH IS DISCUSSION IN ACTION TO APPROVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE.LET'S JUST GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF FIRST, UM, BECAUSE WE MAY LOSE COMMISSIONERS AS WE GET LATER INTO THE EVENING.
UM, YES, SO THIS, UH, CALENDAR WAS SHARED A FEW DAYS AGO BY MS. GARCIA, CAN YOU PUT IT ON THE SCREEN? SO, UM, BY APPROVING OUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR, THIS ALLOWS FOR PLANNING WORK TO OCCUR FOR WHEN THOSE MEETINGS HAPPEN, UM, AND THE PROCEDURE OF ZONING CASES AND CODE AMENDMENTS.
UM, THIS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE OUR, UM, FEW MEETINGS THAT ARE CONSENT ONLY, UM, AND HAVE A DIFFERENT STARTING TIME.
[00:50:01]
OPEN IT UP AS THEY'RE BRINGING THAT CALENDAR ONLINE.WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS? MADAM CHAIR? YES.
WHY ALL OF THE MEETINGS IN NOVEMBER? IT'S GONNA BE A, LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A FUN NOVEMBER.
UM, LET'S SEE, CAN YOU ZOOM INTO NOVEMBER 3RD, FIFTH, 10TH, 12TH, 17TH AND 19TH.
WAIT, WHAT? WAIT, WHAT? NO, THEY'RE OPTIONS, RIGHT? SO, UM, VETERANS DAY NEXT YEAR FALLS ON A TUESDAY AND WE CAN'T HAVE, UH, OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS ON HOLIDAYS.
UM, SO THOSE ITEMS ARE, UH, POSTED AS OPTIONS TO COVER THAT MEETING.
OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? UM, JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, SO ARE WE PICKING AN OPTION NOW OR THERE OPTIONS FOR US TO CHOOSE LATER? OPTIONS FOR US TO CHOOSE LATER SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE A GOOD QUORUM.
AS WE GET CLOSER AND THEN WHENEVER THE MEETING IS NOT CHOSEN WOULD BE CANCELED AND THE, AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE 17TH, 19TH AND THEN DECEMBER AS WELL.
WE'LL PICK ONE OF THOSE TWO OPTIONS.
UM, IF I MAY MAKE A COMMENT, JUST A QUICK REMINDER TO FOLKS.
SO, UM, WE CAN STILL CALL SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS EITHER QUARTERLY OR AS, UH, NECESSITY BY COUNCIL ACTION.
WE, WE CAN ALSO OF COURSE REMOVE MEETINGS AS NECESSARY.
THE IDEA HERE IS I THINK JUST TO BLOCK OFF THOSE, SO ONE, WE ALL HAVE IT ON OUR CALENDARS AND TWO ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ROOM RESERVATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT STAFF HAS TO DO.
SO THIS IS TO FACILITATE THAT FOR NEXT YEAR.
I I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF, IF WE DO THIS, DON'T WE ALSO HAVE TO CANCEL THE MEETING IF IT'S LISTED ON THIS CALENDAR FOR THAT POTENTIAL DATE? I BELIEVE SO, YES.
YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE'VE HANDLED IT IN THE PAST.
JUST TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE COMPLICATION OF GETTING THESE MEETINGS ON THE CALENDAR AROUND PARTICULARLY VETERANS DAY 2025 CHAIR.
UH, SO JUST TO CONFIRM THAT, UM, THERE, THIS IS NOT INCLUSIVE OF ANY SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS OR MEETINGS WE MIGHT ADD GIVEN A WORKLOAD, WHICH WE OBVIOUSLY DID THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS AND ANY JOINT MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL FOR CODES THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT VICE CHAIR.
UM, CHAIR IF I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE YES.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALRIGHT, UM, IF YOU COULD TAKE DOWN THE CALENDAR JUST TO HAVE A CLEAN VOTE ON THIS.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY.
[Items 4 & 5]
ON TO OUR FIRST DISCUSSION CASES OF THE EVENING.UM, THOSE BEING ITEMS NUMBER FOUR AND FIVE, THIS IS THE GUNDRY STREET REZONING.
SO FIRST WE'LL HEAR FROM MS. MEREDITH AND MR. TOMKO MARINE MEREDITH PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 24 0 0 1 5 0.01 GUNTER STREET REZONING WITHIN DISTRICT ONE.
THE PROPERTY ADDRESSES ARE 1 1 4 3 GUNTER STREET, 1 1 4 5 GUNTER STREET, 1 1 4 5 AND A HALF GUNTER STREET, 36 0 5 ABATE CIRCLE AND 1 1 4 4 WAY NOR WAY NOR DRIVE.
IT IS WITHIN THE EAST MLK COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA.
THE REQUEST IS TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LAND USE.
AND IT IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF JONATHAN TOMKO WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS CASE NUMBER C 14 DASH 2 24 DASH 0 1 0 9.
IT IS A REZONING OF 1143 AND THREE QUARTER GUNTHER STREET, 1145 GUNTHER STREET, 1145 AND A HALF GUNTHER STREET AND 1144 WAYNE NARROW DRIVE FROM SF THREE NP TO MF THREE NP AND FROM SF THREE NMP TO SF SIX NMP ON 36 0 5 ABATE CIRCLE.
THE STAFF OFFERS THE ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION OF MF THREE CO NP ON THE ENTIRE, UH, SITE EXCEPT FOR 36 0 5 ABATE CIRCLE WITH A CO PROHIBITING MORE THAN 50 DWELLING UNITS AND SF SIX NP ON 36 0 5 ABATE CIRCLE.
THE SUBJECT TRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 2.75 ACRES AND IS APPROXIMATELY 550 FEET EAST OF AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
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APPROXIMATELY 550 FEET SOUTH OF OAK SPRINGS DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET WEST OF SPRINGDALE ROAD AND APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF AIRPORT AND GUNTHER STREET.THE TRACT CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY 1940S AND 1950S.
THE STRUCTURES APPEAR TO BE VACANT AND BOARDED UP TO THE NORTH ARE TWO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES CONSTRUCTED IN THE LATE 1930S AND ONE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED DUPLEX TO THE EAST IS SPRINGDALE GARDENS APARTMENTS, APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS TO THE SOUTH IS UNDEVELOPED LAND AND TO THE WEST IS ONE CHURCH, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND TWO RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED FOURPLEXES STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THIS, UH, BECAUSE THE LOCATION OFFERS PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE AND TRANSIT OPTIONS IS LOCATED WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF TWO IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDORS, AIRPORT BOULEVARD AND SPRINGDALE ROAD, AND AN IMAGINE AUSTIN CENTER SPRINGDALE STATION, WHICH IS THE FUTURE HOME OF A GREEN LINE, UH, RAIL STOP.
UM, I'M AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT FOR FIVE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS ELLE MEAD WITH HUTCH BLACKWELL HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
SO AT JONATHAN'S SIDE, THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED SF THREE.
UM, IT IS ON GUNTER, WHICH IS NEAR AIRPORT IN SPRINGDALE.
AND WE UM, INITIALLY FILED OUR REQUEST FOR MF THREE NP.
WE'VE ACTUALLY AMENDED THAT REQUEST AND I DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SLIDE, I SHOULD.
UM, BUT IN DISCUSSIONS WITH STAFF TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DENSITY ON THE SITE, WE ACTUALLY ARE AGREEING TO REZONE A PORTION OF THE SITE TO, UH, TO REDUCE OUR REQUEST TO SF SIX.
AND YOU'LL, I'LL, I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE THAT IS.
SO THIS IS THE SITE, IT'S ABOUT THREE A, JUST UNDER THREE ACRES.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF ODD SHAPED PIECE AT THE TOP OF, UH, THE THREE TRACKS IS THE TRACK THAT WE ARE AGREEING TO REDUCE THE REQUEST TO SF THREE, UH, I'M SORRY, SF SIX.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
IT'S, UH, REAL INTERNATIONAL, WHICH IS LYNN JUAN WHO'S AN ENGINEER AND FORMER DELL EXECUTIVE JAMES SHEA ARCHITECT THAT I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW IN ING.
ALSO AN ARCHITECT WHOM I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING SINCE 2013 AND THEY REALLY HAVE DEVELOPED A SPECIALTY IN TAKING THESE INFILL SITES AND MAKING SOMETHING REALLY BEAUTIFUL ON THEM.
JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
THE PROPOSED PROJECT, UM, THE ONES I'M SHOWING YOU ARE ALL TOWN HOME PROJECTS AND THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD ALSO BE TOWN HOMES.
SO WE REALLY THINK WE CAN TAKE THE SITE IN GUNTER, WHICH HAS ACTUALLY HISTORICALLY ALWAYS BEEN USED AS MULTIFAMILY.
IT'S HAD ABOUT SEVEN UNITS ON ONE SF, THREE TRACT, UM, AND DO SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL WITH IT.
SO THIS IS THE SITE PLAN THAT, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ALREADY FILED ON THE SITE AND I'M SURE YOU'RE ASKING YOURSELF WHY HAVE YOU FILED A SITE PLAN.
UM, VERY LONG STORY SHORT, BUT THE CITY'S PROFILE TOOL WAS INACCURATE ON THE SITE AND THE DEVELOPER AT, UH, BELIEVED THAT THE SITE WAS ZONE MF THREE.
THEY FILED A SITE PLAN, GOT THROUGH THREE ROUNDS OF REVIEW OF A SITE PLAN.
AND REALLY THE REASON WE, UM, ARE ANXIOUS TO GET THE ZONING CASE COMPLETED IS THAT WE HAVE A PENDING SITE PLAN.
WE'RE READY TO BUILD THIS HOUSING AND WE HAVE A PENDING SITE PLAN THAT EXPIRES IN JANUARY.
AND THAT'S JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UM, WHAT THE BUILDINGS WILL BE LIKE.
SOME WILL BE THREE STORIES, SOME WILL BE TWO STORY.
UM, THE ONES THAT A BUCK GUNTER WILL ACTUALLY FACE GUNTER AND OPEN UP TO GUNTER.
SO WE REALLY THINK WE CAN DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT FITS WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE KNOW WE HAVE OPPOSITION, WE KNOW THAT THE NEIGHBORS WOULD LIKE FOR THE SITE TO REMAIN SF THREE.
UM, BUT WE REALLY THINK THIS SITE, THREE ACRES AND A PLACE REALLY CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, REALLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING, UM, TO PROVIDE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF HOUSING.
WE, BECAUSE OF OUR EXISTING SITE PLAN ONLY HAVING 48 UNITS AND BECAUSE OF STAFF'S REQUEST THAT WE LOWER THE DENSITY, WE HAVE AGREED TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF 50 UNITS.
WE'D LOVE TO DO MORE ON THE SITE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO AT THIS MOMENT IS TO GET THE SITE PLAN APPROVED.
JUST ANOTHER VIEW OF, UH, WHAT THE BUILDINGS WILL LOOK LIKE.
UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THIS LOCATION IS IDEAL.
WE THINK THIS IS AN UNDERUTILIZED
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SITE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WE THINK WE CAN DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.ONE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT WHEN WE FILED THIS CASE ORIGINALLY, WE ACTUALLY HAD ASKED FOR CS DB 90.
UM, AND SO WE FILED THE REQUEST TO THE TRAFFIC WORKSHEET, UM, FOR THE CITY'S REVIEW WITH 149 UNITS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMISSION TO KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS ASSESSED DOING A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS THAT EVEN WITH 149 UNITS, THE SURROUNDING STREETS INCLUDING GUNTER FUNCTION FINE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO FUNCTION FINE.
I POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I THINK YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF COMMENTS TONIGHT ABOUT TRAFFIC IN THE AREA AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU MAY HAVE ANY.
WE'LL, UH, HEAR FROM OUR OTHER SPEAKERS AND THEN COME BACK.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS CANDACE BOEM.
CANDACE WILL BE RECEIVING THREE MINUTES OF DONATED TIME RESPECTIVELY FROM ADAM LEVITT, ELMOS, BA BAHANA, AND CHRISTINA VINCENT.