[00:00:05]
UH, I DON'T SEE PATRICK, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD, BUT WE HAVE QUORUM, SO APOLOGIZE.
YOU HAVING SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES? OKAY.
WE, I MOVING MY BACKGROUND? SORRY.
WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT WE'LL, UM, ALL RIGHT.
[CALL TO ORDER]
WITHIN CHAMBERS AND VIRTUALLY, I NOW CALL THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:02 PM SO FIRST, WE'LL TAKE ROLL CALL.PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, AND I WILL CALL IN THE ORDER AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
NOT HERE YET, BUT I UNDERSTAND HE'S JOINING US LATER.
THE DISTRICT 10 SEAT IS VACANT CURRENTLY.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER LAN IS JOINING US, UH, AT A DIFFERENT MEETING.
UM, WELL I WANT TO WELCOME COMMISSIONER AHMED AS HIS FIRST MEETING THIS EVENING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRO, INTRODUCE YOURSELF? ABSOLUTELY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
UH, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR, UH, GOSH, I THINK IT'S BEEN 24 YEARS NOW.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE, I STARTED OFF AS AN ENGINEER.
I'VE WORKED IN THE TECH INDUSTRY FOR A WHILE AS A STARTUP EXECUTIVE AND RECENTLY CONSULTANT ADVISOR.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF A FEW DIFFERENT STARTUPS IN TOWN.
I'M A CONSULTANT AT CAPITAL FACTORY IN TOWN HERE AS WELL.
AND I JUST GOT REALLY INTERESTED IN TRYING TO HELP OUT, UH, MY CITY AND GET MORE INVOLVED.
UH, SO I GOT INVOLVED WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION RECENTLY.
I'VE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, AURA AS WELL.
UH, I'VE GONE TO MANY EVENTS, UH, THAT TRANSIT FORWARD HAS HAD AS WELL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO TRY TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY AND HELP, UH, PUSH THE CITY TOWARDS THE, I GUESS THE VISION OF BEING THE MOST LIVABLE CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, AS USUAL, TONIGHT'S MEETINGS HYBRID, ALLOWING FOR A VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER SERVING AS CHAIRS PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.
SO, AS SUCH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE IN CHAMBERS AND ATTENDANCES, VIRTUALLY AND SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT FROM THE CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS.
AS ALWAYS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR SIGN IN SHEET TO OUR STAFF LIAISON FOR THE CLERK'S GUIDELINES AND HAVE YOUR GREEN, RED, AND YELLOW ITEMS FOR VOTING.
AND IF I MISS YOU, JUST COME OFF MUTE AND LET ME KNOW YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
IF YOU WERE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU'LL RECEIVE AN EMAIL PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION TAKING UP YOUR ITEM AND SPEAK.
SPEAKERS CAN DONATE TIME, BOTH THE SPEAKER DONATING TIME AND THE SPEAKER RECIPIENT MUST BE PRESENT IN PERSON WHEN THE ITEM IS CONSIDERED.
ALRIGHT, I'LL HAVE ASSISTANCE FROM MS. GARCIA THIS EVENING IN ANNOUNCING THE SPEAKERS DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ALRIGHT, MS. GARCIA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
SIGN UP TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES.OUR FIRST SPEAKER SIGNED IN FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS PHILIP WILEY.
PHILIP, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
CAN YOU ALL SEE THAT? YES, WE CAN.
I AM A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT AND HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, VISITING THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE THE LAST, UH, THREE MONTHS TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS ON, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND ITS APPLICABILITY TO, UH, LAND USE PLANNING IN AUSTIN.
UM, I'M GONNA START, UH, THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION, UM, BY, UM, REPRESENTING DANA, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, JUST REMINDING SOME OF YOU ALL, I WAS HERE IN JANUARY, UH, AND TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSITION BETWEEN WEST CAMPUS AND DOWNTOWN ALONG MLK AND THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT NEEDED SOME WORK.
AND THAT THE DANA, BACK WHEN CHRIS RILEY WAS WITH US IN 2017 WHEN WE WERE DOING CODE NEXT, UH, WE PRIORITIZED MLK, UH, NUMBER FOUR ON OUR LIST OF A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT, UH, THAT WE WANTED TO BRING TO PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.
UM, SO, UM, I WASN'T VERY CLEAR IN JANUARY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY BE CONSIDERED STAKEHOLDERS IN THE UNO UPDATE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM ON, ON THAT I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, THE REASON FOR, FOR US SAYING THAT IN 2017 WAS, UH, A NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL WAS GONNA BE BUILT OR WAS
[00:05:01]
BEING BUILT AT THE CORNER OF MLK AND, UH, GUADALUPE AND BASICALLY CAMPUS CHANGE, THE MAP THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER FOR THE ORIGINAL UNO WAS NO LONGER APPLICABLE.UH, THE HALF MILE WALK SHED, WHICH IS 10 MINUTES, UH, EXTENDED PAST ROBIN'S PLACE.
AND THAT WAS ANOTHER REASON THAT THAT, UH, UH, WE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT CLOSELY.
SO, UM, HERE I JUST WANT TO GO DOWN TO THE, TO THE BOTTOM HERE, BE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED, UM, AND PLANNING IS NORMALLY THERE'S, UH, AND FIRST OF ALL, LET, LET ME SAY, I THINK THAT THERE'S HUGE, HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR UNO, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT AND THANKFUL, UH, AND PERFECTION IS THE BAR.
SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE, UM, GETTING TO THE PUNCHLINE, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE SOME KIND OF A DATA-DRIVEN CHARETTE THAT'S INVOLVES SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND HOW THE BORDERS ARE BEING DRAWN, WHAT THE LOGIC WAS BEHIND IT, AND MAKE SURE SOME OF THESE MAJOR ASSUMPTION CHANGES ARE REALLY BEING INCORPORATED IN THE WORK.
UM, AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS COMING UP IS THAT IN UNO, UH, THERE'S A SECTION THAT SITES OUTER WEST CAMPUS STARTS AT 15 MINUTE WALK, 15 TO 20 MINUTE WALK TO CAMPUS.
UM, 15 MINUTES FROM THE BIT NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL ACTUALLY PUTS YOU SOMEWHERE IN PEACE PARK.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCONNECT THERE, UH, THAT WE THINK, UH, COULD BE, COULD BE RESOLVED THROUGH MAPPING AND, AND JUST EVERYBODY SITTING DOWN AND GOING THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
UM, IT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
I, I KNOW WE HAVE NEW PEOPLE UP THERE THAT ARE NOT NEW TO THIS CONCEPT, BUT A JUST I'LL, JUST A TRANSIT WALK SHED IS DIFFERENT THAN A CENTER WALK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS ANGELA GARZA.
ANGELA WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ANGELA, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
HI, UM, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS ANGELA, BE GARZA IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I'M A CO-CHAIR FOR THE EAST MLK COMBINED CONTACT TEAM AND, UH, INTERIM PRESIDENT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, I DO WANNA ON PUBLIC RECORD.
I WENT AHEAD AND REVIEWED YOUR AGENDAS AND I CAN SEE A LOT OF CHANGE THE AGENDA WITH A LOT OF CHANGES OF, UM, PROPERTIES BEING REMOVED OUT OF THE FLUES AND ACTUALLY BEING REDIRECTED INTO A VISION PLAN THAT WE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND AND WE ARE REQUESTING RESPECTFULLY THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY GET THE TRAINING NECESSARY FOR THAT, OR AT LEAST A WEBINAR OF HOW THESE CHANGES ARE COMING ABOUT AND ALL THE PROCESS CHANGES.
UM, AND AT LEAST, UM, BASICALLY TRAIN US BECAUSE WE COME IN CONTACT WITH QUITE A FEW PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WHEN WE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
AND THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS ASK THEM TO OVERLOAD YOUR PHONES AND CONTACT Y'ALL DIRECTLY WHEN THEY HAVE THESE QUESTIONS AND THEY SEE THESE BUILDINGS GOING UP AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IS THAT CITY COUNCILWOMAN NATASHA HARPER MADISON HAS COMMENDED US FOR HARD WORK, UM, FOR BEING ONE OF THE CONTACT TEAMS TO HAVE WORKED THE HARDEST AND WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH MANY PEOPLE.
SO RESPECTFULLY, WE'RE ASKING TO BE TRAINED IN ALL THESE UPDATES AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY TRAINING ON ANY OF THIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS CHAIR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[Items Consent Agenda & 34]
THE FIRST ITEM OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM MARCH 11TH.DOES ANYONE HAVE, HAVE ANY EDITS TO THOSE MINUTES? CHAIR? THOSE MINUTES WILL BE POSTPONED TO OUR APRIL 8TH MEETING.
OH, THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
THOSE WILL BE ADDED TO OUR, THE POSTPONEMENT OF THOSE WILL BE ADDED TO OUR CONSENT.
UM, ALL OUR FIRST ACTIVITY TODAY THEN IS TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS. VICE CHAIR ZA WILL READ THE PROPOSED CONSENT TO JENNA AND IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT IN NON-DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS.
YOU'LL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST CONSENT ITEMS TO BE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
THESE ARE PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS FOR TONIGHT.
ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 8 0 1 7 0 0 3 7 0 5 7 0 0 7 GUADALUPE STREET REZONE DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
THE ASSOCIATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER THREE C 14 DASH 20 20 24 DASH 0 0 3 6 7 0 0 3 7 0 5 7 0 0 7 GUADALUPE STREET REZONE DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT I NUMBER FOUR IS A PLAN AMENDMENT
[00:10:01]
URP FOR EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREET URBAN RENEWAL AREA MODIFICATION NUMBER 13.THIS ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
UM, IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 UH, DASH 0 3 12 0 1 EAST 11TH STREET DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND AS WELL.
I NUMBER SIX IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 25 DASH 0 0 7 0 1 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
ALSO PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 20 25 7 0 1 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND I NUMBER EIGHT IS PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 1 25 DASH 7 0 2 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND I NUMBER NINE IS PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 1 25 DASH 8 0 1 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
I NUMBER 10 IS ALSO A PLAN AMENDMENT NP DASH 2 25 DASH 0 0 2 6 0.01 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
I NUMBER 11 IS ALSO A PLAN AMENDMENT NP DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 1 0.01 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
ITEM NUMBER 12, PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 25 DASH 0 2 0 0.01 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
I NUMBER 13 IS ALSO A PLAN AMENDMENT.
THIS IS NPA DASH 2 25 DASH 0 2 0 0.02 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND I NUMBER 14.
PLAN AMENDMENT NP DASH 25 DASH TWO ONE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS OF FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
NUMBER 15 IS ALSO PLAN AMENDMENT NP DASH 1 22 DASH 0 0 1 0 OH 2000 EAST SIXTH STREET IN 2007 EAST SEVENTH STREET DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
NUMBER 16 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 1 10 AIRPORT AND KENIG DB 90 TRACKS REZONING PARCEL B DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR OFFERED FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 17 IS A REZONING AS WELL.
C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 1 4 AIRPORT AND KENIG DB 90 TRACKS REZONING PARCEL C DISTRICT FOUR.
I NUMBER 18 IS AN ASSOCIATED REZONING C 14 DASH 1 25 DASH THREE 12 AIRPORT DB 90 TRACKS REZONING PARCEL D DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 19 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 79 DASH ZERO NINE R, CT 7 0 1 AND 703 EAST 55TH STREET PUBLIC RC TERMINATION PARCEL D THE SITE, UH, DISTRICT FOUR.
THE ITEM IS ALSO OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 20 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 3 0 15 AIRPORT AND K DB 90 TRACKS REZONING PARCEL E DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 21 C 14 DASH 2025 DASH SEVEN AIRPORT IN TB I TRACKS REZONING PARCEL F DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 22 IS A REZONING AS WELL.
C 14 DASH 1 25 DASH 16 AIRPORT IN DB 90 TRACKS REZONING PARCEL G DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT AS WELL.
I NUMBER 3 23 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 204 DASH 0 1 75 AIRPORT IN OAK SPRINGS DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS UH, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND I NUMBER 24.
UH, IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2 25 DASH ZERO ZERO 1-820-400-EAST ALT WHARF STREET DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT I 25 IS THE REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 46 13 17 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE, DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 26, UM, IS THE ASSOCIATED, UH, IS REZONING AS WELL.
C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 47 14 0 5 5 EAST RIVERSIDE DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 27 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 55 15 0 1 TO 1603 SHOAL CREEK BOULEVARD, DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
ITEM 28 IS A CONDITIONAL USE SITE.
PLAN SP DASH 2 24 DASH 0 3 56 C-A-C-C-X CONVENTION CENTER, C ONE.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 29 IS A CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN AS WELL SBC DASH 2 23 DASH 0 4 3 0 C.
COVERED BRIDGE AMENITY CENTER DISTRICT EIGHT.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 30 IS A CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN SVC DASH 24 DASH 0 3 3 6 8 A, UM, OTHER RACKET, DISTRICT ONE.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT I NUMBER 31 IS A CODE AMENDMENT C 20 DASH 2024 DASH 0 24 AREA PLAN PROCESS AMENDMENT.
THIS ITEM IS UH, POSTPONED TO NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT, UH, OFFERED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT
[00:15:01]
TO APRIL 22ND AS WELL.I NUMBER 30 D IS A 32 IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT CPA DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 0 1 NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER STATION AREA VISION PLAN.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND.
I NUMBER 33 IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT AS WELL.
CPA DASH 2 25 DASH 0 0 0 2 SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT, UH, STATION AREA OF VISION PLAN.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND AND CHAIR.
THAT'S ALL FOR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. THANK YOU VICE CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT NEED TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN FROM ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? AND I WANT TO QUICKLY RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER JOHNSON AND OUR EX-OFFICIO, UM, TRUSTEE, UH, HUNTER.
SO MS. GARCIA, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON CONSENT ITEMS. YES.
OUR FIRST SET OF SPEAKERS WILL BE SPEAKING ON ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS FRANCIS LEVY.
FRANCIS WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
FRANCIS, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT THESE ITEMS ARE BEING POSTPONED.
I, IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S NOT IN OUR QUEUE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND SEE IF HE JOINS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ON ITEM FOUR AND FIVE IS SUE GO.
SUE WILL ALSO BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
SUE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
TO OUR SPEAKER, PRESS STAR SIX TO COME OFF MUTE.
I DO STRONGLY OBJECT TO THIS CASE.
I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT AT 1109 EAST 10TH STREET WITHIN 500 FEET OF 1201 EAST 11TH STREET FOR THE PAST 28 YEARS.
I AM INCREDULOUS THAT THIS ITEM IS EVEN BEING CONSIDERED.
UH, DOZENS OF COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS, SURVEYS, AND PLANS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS ALL CONFIRMED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS AND CHURCH LEADERS DID NOT WANT ADDITIONAL LIQUOR STORES OR COCKTAIL LOUNGES IN THE AREA.
COCKTAIL LOUNGE USE AT 1201 EAST 11TH STREET HAS BEEN PROHIBITED SINCE THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN WAS ADOPTED IN 1999.
MR. STABLES BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN OCTOBER, 2021.
I AM SICK OF DEVELOPERS TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK OFF OUR DISTRICT WITH NO RESPECT FOR ITS DISTRICT, FOR ITS HISTORY OR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE NOT OFFERING THE GOODS AND SERVICES THIS DENSE AREA ACTUALLY NEEDS.
FRANCOISE IS BACK IN OUR QUEUE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON, WE'RE GONNA REVISIT FRANCOIS LEVY.
FRANCOIS, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
GOOD EVENING, THIS IS FRANCOIS LEVY.
I LIVE AT 1 0 0 1 LYDIA STREET, ABOUT 150 FEET FROM THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.
AND UM, I WASN'T EXPECTING TO SPEAK, I'M SORRY BECAUSE OF THE POSTPONEMENT, BUT, UH, IN ESSENCE I'M IN, UH, OPPOSITION TO, UH, UH, ALLOWING, UH, COCKTAIL SALES AT THIS SITE.
UH, THIS WAS A WELL ESTABLISHED PROHIBITION IN 1999 WHEN WE ESTABLISHED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ESTABLISHED AN NCCD.
AND THAT WAS REINFORCED IN, UH, UM, 2022 AND 2023.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO VOICE THAT OPPOSITION.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUSMAN.
MONICA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I JUST GOT A QUESTION ABOUT PROCESS.
I'M USED TO THE COUNCIL MEETINGS NIGHT, Y'ALL, SINCE I AM REGISTERED ON 12 ITEMS, INCLUDING THE NEXT ONE.
CAN I JUST GO A FEW MORE IF IT GOES OVER THREE, IS THAT OKAY? 'CAUSE THEN I JUST GOT ONE STATEMENT TO MAKE AND THAT'S IT.
I'M MONICA GUZMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT
[00:20:01]
GAVA.BUT TONIGHT I AM HERE AS CHAIR OF THE NORTH AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION CONTACT TEAM AND ALSO A D FOUR RESIDENT.
UM, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS, IT WAS JUST OVERWHELMING SWIMMING IN PAPER.
AND I'M USED TO SEEING THIS BECAUSE OF MY JOB.
AND THIS WAS MORE THAN I'VE SEEN REACHING OUT TO MY CONTACT TEAM.
THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR HEADS OVER IT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS PART OF THE, THE TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
VIRTUAL, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE 'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS OR HAS GOOD INTERNET.
AND THEN TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING SO SOON AFTER.
I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ANGRY, STARTING WITH ME FEELING THAT THIS WAS BEING RAILROADED THROUGH, NO PUN INTENDED.
UH, PLANNING STAFF CAN TELL YOU I HAVE MADE A LOT OF, UH, GOOD NOISE ABOUT BEING CONCERNED ABOUT VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
AND AS OF LAST THURSDAY, EVERY DAY I HAVE REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AROUND THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
SPOKE TO MANAGEMENT LEVEL STAFF AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTIES, ALL THREE OF THEM.
THAT'S GEORGIAN MAYNARD THURMOND HEIGHTS WITHIN THE RADIUS AS WELL AS NORTHGATE.
NONE OF THEM KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THE EARLIEST ANY OF 'EM KNEW ANYTHING WAS LAST MONDAY.
AND THAT CONCERNS ME BECAUSE I WAS LED TO BE BELIEVE ALL THE WAY BACK TO LAST NOVEMBER.
THAT ENGAGEMENT HAD BEEN DONE WITH THESE COMMUNITIES.
I STARTED REACHING OUT TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE.
I GOT SOMEBODY WHO WHEN I STARTED TO TELL HIM, HE GOES, I'M NOT HIGH MANAGEMENT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD KNOW ABOUT.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY AUSTIN SHOULD BE DOING THINGS.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY ANYBODY SHOULD BE DOING THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND AT, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
AND PLEASE DON'T TELL ME NO ONE WILL GET DISPLACED.
I I I WILL PUT MY FOOT DOWN IF I HEAR THAT ONE MORE TIME.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS, LAST DECEMBER, I WAS BEFORE COUNCIL TRYING TO KEEP RESIDENTS FROM BEING DISPLACED IN EAST AUSTIN.
TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT I WAS BEFORE COUNCIL ABOUT DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENTS BEING DISPLACED.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT IS, REDEVELOPMENT, YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE IN THE PLAN, NOT MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW, I I ASK YOU, HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A POSITION WHERE YOU DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GONNA MAKE IT TO THE NEXT MONTH? IF YOU EVER BEEN IN A DECISION THAT YOU HAD TO SKIP A MEAL, PAY LESS THAN A FULL BILL AS A SINGLE PARENT FOR MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE, I WENT THROUGH THAT.
I'M IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE NOW.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO STILL LIVE THAT WAY AND THEY LIVE NEAR THAT TRANSIT CENTER ON NORTH LAMAR AS WELL AS SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER.
WE ALSO HAVE A SMALL MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY NEAR THE TRANSIT CENTER.
IT IS NOT AN INCOME RESTRICTED.
THEY ARE 100% SPANISH SPEAKERS.
IT'S ALL MODULAR HOMES AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON EITHER.
SO HE SAID, THANK YOU FOR APPROVING THE POSTPONEMENT ON ALL THE CASES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT STEPS WORKING WITH PLANNING STAFF AS IT WAS WHEN NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS FIRST CAME INTO PLAY 30 YEARS AGO.
CITY AND COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER AS IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE.
THANK YOU MS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS JENNY GRAYSON.
JENNY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MS. GARCIA, CAN I, UM, ADD IN, I KNOW, UM, MS. GREATHOUSE WANTED TO COME IN AND SPEAK ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENT FROM THE STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE.
STEVIA GREATHOUSE, DIVISION MANAGER PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I AM HERE JUST TO ADDRESS THE POSTPONEMENTS RELATED TO ITEM 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 31, 32, AND 33, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE WHAT MS. GUZMAN WAS UM, REFERENCING IN HER LAST REMARKS RELATED TO ADOPTION OF NORTH LAMAR AND SOUTH CONGRESS STATION AREA VISION PLANS.
UM, JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE AMENABLE TO A POST POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND, AS HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED AND REQUESTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO MEET WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND CONTINUE TO DISCUSS AND ANSWER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT ARE OUT THERE RELATED TO THE PROPOSALS.
ALSO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE AWARE OF THE ENGAGEMENT THAT HAS HAPPENED DATE, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE OVER THE NEXT MONTH DURING
[00:25:01]
THE THE POSTPONEMENT ACTION.UM, WE KICKED OFF WORK TO DEVELOP THESE PLANS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPITAL METRO AND THEIR CONSULTANT TEAM IN SPRING OF 2023.
DURING THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF ENGAGEMENT IN SPRING AND FALL OF 2023, WE MAILED OVER 7,000 COURTESY POSTCARDS TO EVERYONE WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE STATION AREAS.
DISTRIBUTED FLYERS HOSTED TWO ONLINE SURVEYS VISITED 187 LOCAL BUSINESSES HELD 13 FOCUS GROUPS, HOSTED TWO IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS, HOSTED FOUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC WORKSHOPS AND HELD ADDITIONAL TARGET TARGETED OUTREACH EVENTS.
BASED ON THAT ENGAGEMENT KEPT METRO WORKED WITH THEIR CONSULTANT TEAM TO DEVELOP DRAFT PLANS, WHICH WERE SHARED WITH CITY STAFF IN 2024.
THE CITY TEAM FINALIZED PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT PLANS IN FALL OF LAST YEAR AND SHARED THOSE DRAFTS VIA SPEAKUP AUSTIN.
WE ALSO MAILED A COURTESY POSTCARD TO EVERYONE WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE STATION AREAS AND GOT THE WORD OUT IN A VARIETY OF OTHER WAYS, INCLUDING DIRECT EMAIL, SOCIAL MEDIA AND LAWN SIGNS AND HOSTED AN IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE ON THE DRAFT NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER VISION PLAN AT TA BROWN ELEMENTARY ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
UM, AS WELL AS A WORKSHOP, AN IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE ON THE DRAFT SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER STATION AREA VISION PLAN AT GALINDO ELEMENTARY ON NOVEMBER 14TH.
UM, AND HOSTED VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE ON BOTH PLANS ON NOVEMBER THE 16TH, WHICH WAS RECORDED AND AVAILABLE VIA THE SPEAK UP WEBSITE.
UM, AND IS STILL OUT THERE FOR FOLKS TO REVIEW THAT PRESENTATION.
SPANISH INTERPRETATION WAS AVAILABLE AT THOSE THREE PUBLIC EVENTS BASED ON THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE FALL.
STAFF REFINED THE DRAFT PLANS AND SHARED THE REFINED DRAFT PLANS VIA THE SPEAKUP WEBSITE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, WE THEN PREPARED AND FILED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS IN FEBRUARY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT IF COUNCIL ADOPTS THE STATIONARY PLANS, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP CONTAINED WITHIN THOSE PLANS WOULD BECOME THE CONTROLLING FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN THE STATION AREA.
WE MAILED NOTIFICATIONS OF THE FILING OF THOSE NPAS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS AND OF THE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO PROPERTIES WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE AREA SUBJECT TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND HOSTED VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER STATION AREA VISION PLAN AND RELATED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS.
WE HOSTED A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS THE SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER STATION AREA VISION PLAN, AND RELATED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS ON MARCH 5TH.
THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WERE RECORDED AND ARE AVAILABLE VIA THE SPEAK UP WEBSITE.
UM, IN ADDITION, TEAM MEMBERS HAVE REACHED OUT TO NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA AND HAVE PROVIDED BRIEFINGS TO ORGANIZATIONS ON REQUEST.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND THIS IS SUPER COMPLICATED, UM, BECAUSE THE CITY'S POLICY FRAMEWORK IS SUPER COMPLIC COMPLICATED AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSALS AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OVER THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, BASED ON THE ATTENDANCE LEVELS AT THE IN-PERSON MEETINGS WE HAVE HOSTED SO FAR, WE RECOMMEND THAT WE WOULD MEET DIRECTLY WITH IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS, UM, AND ON AN AD HOC BASIS RATHER THAN TRYING TO HOST AN ADDITIONAL KIND OF LARGE COME ONE AND COME ALL, UM, MEETING IN THE NEXT MONTH.
BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF THE SPEAKERS, UM, HERE THIS EVENING THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO COORDINATE THOSE MEETINGS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GOING OVER THAT.
CAN YOU REPEAT AGAIN WHERE FOLKS ONLINE CAN FIND THE INFORMATION ON THEIR SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE OR OTHERWISE? AND IF THEY DO WANNA GET IN TOUCH, HOW DO THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH STAFF? ABSOLUTELY.
SO IF YOU GO TO SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG/EAD AND NAVIGATE TO THE ET TODD STATION AREA WORK, UM, OR EMAIL ON A DOT VIA AL@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE MOST DIRECT LINKS AND CONTACT INFORMATION.
AND JUST TO REMIND FOLKS THAT, UM, ANA'S EMAIL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE AGENDA OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO IF YOU SEE IT, YOU WILL SEE HER EMAIL ADDRESS ON THOSE ITEMS. THANKS.
LOOKS LIKE MS. GRAYSON IS NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.
SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
CARL, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
ALEXANDRIA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND MOVING ON TO OUR FINAL SPEAKER ON ITEM SIX, CAR CARMEN YIANNIS.
CARMEN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND SOME OF MY FORMER COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I'M ACTUALLY GONNA READ A TRANSLATED, UH, TESTIMONY FROM A SOUTH AUSTIN RESIDENT THAT WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MARIA MORALES.
I LIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN IN 7 8 7 4 4.
MY TRANSPORTATION IS A BICYCLE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
IN THE MORNINGS, MY HUSBAND TAKES ME TO WORK AT 5:40 AM TO GET HOME.
[00:30:01]
MY BIKE AT 2:00 PM IT'S DIFFICULT TO WAIT FOR THE BUS ON DAYS WHEN WEATHER IS EXTREMELY HOT OR COLD.I'VE SEEN ELDERS, I'VE SEEN PARENTS WITH THEIR BABIES.
THERE ARE STOPS THAT HAVE SHELTERS AND SEATS, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT STILL DO NOT HAVE SHELTER OR SHADE WITH RESPECT TO THE COST OF LIVING AND TAXES, I WANT TO SAY THEY HAVE GONE UP.
PEOPLE I KNOW HAVE TO TAKE OUT LOANS TO PAY FOR UNEXPECTED INCREASES.
EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP IN PRICE.
PEOPLE STILL CAN'T BUY OR THEY CAN'T PAY DOWN THEIR DEBTS, THEIR RENT, THEIR BASIC EXPENSES.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, PLACES WHERE RENT IS NOT SO EXPENSIVE, WHERE A FAMILY CAN ACTUALLY PAY THE RENT.
THE COMMUNITIES AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT NEED TO BE NOTIFIED WITH TIME ABOUT THESE CHANGES AND INCLUDED IN THIS PLANNING SO THEY CAN RAISE THEIR VOICES FOR WHAT WE REALLY NEED AND WANT KNOW TO DISPLACEMENT.
PLEASE, I AM A RESPONSIBLE PERSON, A WORKER.
I PARTICIPATE AS A VOLUNTEER WHEREVER MY PRESENCE IS NECESSARY.
THAT'S THE END OF MARIA'S TESTIMONY.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT SPEAK UP AUSTIN IS GREAT.
I DON'T WANNA DENY THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME ENGAGEMENT HERE, BUT THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE APARTMENTS, IN THESE EXISTING AREAS THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPLACE WITH YOUR CURRENT EAD PLANS AT THE PRICE WHERE THEY ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE.
'CAUSE WE'RE THE PEOPLE WHO KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS AND LET THEM KNOW THEIR APARTMENTS ARE UP FOR DEMOLITION AND THIS IS OUT IN THE FUTURE.
BUT IF WE'RE CALLING THIS EAD AND YOU DON'T HAVE E EQUITY IN THERE, THERE'S NO BUSINESS FOR EQUITABLE TO BE IN THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR ONE, FOR ONE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOBILE HOME AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT STAND TO BE UP ZONED AND DEMOLISHED WITH NO REPLACEMENT.
WHERE DO THESE PEOPLE GO? COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY GO? THEY LEAVE AUSTIN WHEN YOU DEMOLISH HUNDREDS OF UNITS THAT ARE RENTING BELOW 14, 13, 1200 A MONTH THAT ARE MULTI BEDROOM AND NOTHING THAT REPLACES THEM IS IN REACH OF THESE FOLKS.
WE ARE DISPLACING PEOPLE TO BASTROP, TO PFLUGERVILLE.
IT'S NOT JUST MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASS PEOPLE.
SO WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER PLAN IN PLACE.
THESE PEOPLE WERE SOLD A PLAN THAT TOOK RAIL ALL THE WAY UP TO BREAKER AND LAMAR AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOUTH CONGRESS AND BEN WHITE.
WE WILL BE LUCKY AS A CITY IF WE GET FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY RAIL BETWEEN 38TH AND OLD TWF.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SERVING THESE COMMUNITIES.
THE REASON WE CARE IS BECAUSE OUR FOLKS ARE TRANSIT DEPENDENT.
THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED, THEY NEED TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEY NEED A REAL ANTI DISPLACEMENT PLAN.
MOVING ON TO ITEM SEVEN, MANY OF THESE SPEAKERS, UM, PREVIOUSLY SPOKE ON ITEM SIX, BUT PROCEDURALLY, I'LL STILL CALL THEIR NAMES.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION ON ITEM SEVEN IS MONICA GOSMAN.
I KNOW I SAID I WOULD ONLY MAKE ONE STATEMENT, BUT LISTENING TO MS. GREATHOUSE, IT REMINDED ME SOME OTHER STUFF IS YES, THERE'S BEEN TONS OF POSTCARDS, STUFF ON THE INTERNET AND LIKE MISS ANA SAID, WE KNOW ABOUT IT.
WE'RE THE ONES THAT GET IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT, BUT NOT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
I USED TO BE A, A, A TRAINER HELP PEOPLE IN IN A PREVIOUS NONPROFIT JOB.
THEY MAY HAVE HAD A SMARTPHONE, THEY BOUGHT IT 'CAUSE IT LOOKED NICE.
THEY, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE INTERNET OR THEIR, THEIR ABILITY IS LIMITED.
AND THAT RECORDED MEETING, IT'S ALL IN ENGLISH.
SO UNLESS IT WAS, UH, DUBBED OVER WITH SPANISH OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE, IT'S GOING TO BE USELESS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE TRANSIT CENTER.
UP NORTH, THE RUNDBERG AREA, MORE THAN 50 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN AND A LOT OF THEM DO RIDE THE BUS.
SO SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA COME OFF THE INTERNET KNOCKING ON DOORS, TALKING TO PEOPLE IN PERSON.
VIRTUAL STUFF ISN'T FOR EVERYBODY.
AND REGARDING DISPLACEMENT, WHERE'S THE 300 MILLION FOR, FOR ANTI DISPLACEMENT.
IT SHOULD BE USED TO HELP PEACE PEOPLE.
THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE THEM, THOSE WHO ARE FACING POSSIBLE DISPLACEMENT INSTEAD OF BUYING TOKYO ELECTRON OR HELPING PAY FOR THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE USED FOR THE PEOPLE.
SO AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY POSTCARDS, FLYERS, PACKAGES, VIDEOS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO READ IT, ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS IT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING HUMAN.
EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE PHDS AND BEYOND, THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT COMPUTERS.
SO PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON ITEM SEVEN IS JENNY GRAYSON.
[00:35:05]
MOVING ON, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS CARL WEBB.MOVING FORWARD, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS CHIP HARRIS.
CHIP WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
CHIP, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
UH, I'M REQUESTING A POSTPONEMENT TO APRIL 22ND FOR ALL AGENDA ITEMS RELATED TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
FIRST, THERE ARE MATERIAL AND MISLEADING ERRORS ON THE AGENDA POSTING OF ITEMS NUMBER SEVEN AND NUMBER EIGHT SPECIFICALLY.
ITEM SEVEN STATES THAT IT IS APPLICABLE TO DISTRICT FOUR TO COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN STATES.
IT IS APPLICABLE TO COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN, BUT THE PROPERTIES DESCRIBED ARE ACTUALLY LOCATED IN DISTRICT FOUR, NOT DISTRICT SEVEN AND ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
THE AGENDA STATES IT IS APPLICABLE TO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR, BUT THE PROPERTIES DESCRIBED ARE ACTUALLY LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN, NOT DISTRICT FOUR.
A POSTPONEMENT WILL ALLOW STAFF TO CORRECT THESE ERRORS AND POST THEM CORRECTLY ON THE APRIL 22ND AGENDA.
SECOND, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON MARCH 21ST, THEY VOTED TO SUPPORT MONICA GUZMAN'S POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY ADDING THEIR NAME TO THE REQUEST THAT SHE SUBMITTED AS CHAIR OF THE NORTH AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION CONTACT TEAM.
THIRD, DURING A STAFF PRESENTATION AT THE HIGHLAND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, MEANING LAST NIGHT, STAFF EXPLAINED THAT ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE E TODD WAS TO PROTECT RESIDENTS, BUT TO NOT ELABORATE.
POSTPONING THESE ITEMS WOULD ALLOW STAFF TIME TO EXPLAIN HOW RESIDENTS WOULD BE PROTECTED AND WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE ALONG WITH ITS METRICS.
FOURTH PART OF THE CRESS UNION NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FLU IS BEING ELIMINATED AND REPLACED WITH AN E TODD.
RECOMMENDING LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USES A POSTPONEMENT WILL ALLOW TIME FOR STAFF TO DESCRIBE APPLICABLE USES IN LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND EXPLAIN HOW THEY ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE ADJACENTS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
FOR THESE COMPELLING REASONS, THE POSTPONEMENT OF THESE ITEMS IS REQUESTED.
AND, UH, APPRECIATE STAFF, UH, FOR AGREEING TO THE POSTPONEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER ON ITEM SEVEN IS CARMEN GIANNIS.
CARMEN, AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I DON'T NEED ALL THREE MINUTES THIS TIME.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU ALL.
ANOTHER, I I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS AN ERROR OR WE JUST NEED IT CLARIFIED, BUT ONE OF YOUR PROPERTY ADDRESSES, UM, FOR THE FLU CHANGES IN THE NORTH LAMAR AREA IS NOT A STREET NUMBER.
IT'S THURMOND STREET 7 8 7 5 8.
YOU HAVE ONE ADDRESS THAT IS EIGHT 12.
AND THAT IS A COMMERCIAL SITE, THAT'S A MARKET.
SO WE'RE, WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS MEANS ALL OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
IT'S 15.44 ACRES, BUT THERE IS NO ADDRESS.
AND SO WE, AND THAT'S ALSO NOT THE STREET THAT THE, UM, THE HAKA PROPERTY OR THE PUBLIC HOUSING THAT IS MARKED THERE IS ON.
AND SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT GETS, UH, CLARIFIED IF IT NEEDS TO, UM, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHICH ACREAGE THAT'S TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT THE PLAN IS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GOSMAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNY GRAYSON.
CHIP HARRIS CHIP, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
MY REMARKS UNDER ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WERE APPLICABLE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON,
[00:40:04]
AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER ON ITEM EIGHT IS CARMEN GIANNIS US.MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER NINE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GOSMAN.
JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, THOUGH HE'S ABSENT, AND ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON AND CARMEN GIANNIS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUZMAN, JENNY GRAYSON CAR, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN GIANNIS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GOSMAN, JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN JANNIS.
ITEM 12, IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME SET OF SPEAKERS.
MONICA GOSMAN, JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN YIANNIS.
MONICA GOSSMAN, JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN YIANNIS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS ROBIN SANDERS.
ROBIN WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ROBIN, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
WE'RE GONNA CIRCLE BACK TO ROBIN.
THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY IN OUR QUEUE.
Q OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUZMAN.
MOVING FORWARD, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS KIM LANSON LEONTE.
KIM WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
KIM, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND OUR NEXT FEW SPEAKERS, I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THEIR NAMES AS THEY WERE ON THE PREVIOUS COUPLE ITEMS. JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN GIANNIS.
IF WE SEE ROBIN OR KIM JOIN OUR QUEUE, I'LL MAKE SURE TO LET Y'ALL KNOW.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS DAVID HARTMAN.
DAVID, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
MOVING FORWARD, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR ON ITEM 16 IS BRIAN BEDROSIAN.
BRIAN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS BRIAN BEDRO AND I'M A CHAIR OF THE NORTH LOOP NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM.
I AM JUST HERE TO, UH, CONVEY THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT FOR THE ALL OF THE, UM, THE CASES ON AIRPORT AND KINK THAT ARE UP TODAY FOR REZONING.
UH, THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WENT ON THE RECORD.
MOVING ON TO ITEM 23, OUR OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS ANGELA GARZA.
ANGELA WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ANGELA, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.
ANGELA GONNA BE THE GARZA CO-CHAIR FOR THE EAST MLK COMBINED CONTACT TEAM AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION INTERIM PRESIDENT FOR SAANA.
UM, I DO WANT IT FOR PUBLIC RECORD IF WE WOULD CLARIFY THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE POSTPONEMENT.
UH, WE DID WORK WITH THE APPLICANT, UM, RESPECTFULLY, UH, WE CAME UP WITH A HAPPY MIDDLE, MIDDLE GROUND HERE.
UM, ORIGINALLY WE WANTED TWO MONTHS OUT.
UM, HE WANTED TWO WEEKS OUT, SO WE CAME UP WITH THE MIDDLE GROUND OF APRIL 22ND.
AND WE'VE ALREADY THE, UM, CONTACT TEAM CO-CHAIRS.
WE HAVE A, UM, A VERY IMPORTANT CO-CHAIR, UM, CO-CHAIR, DIANA, WHO HAS ALREADY HAS SET UP A WATERSHED MEETING AS WELL.
SO WE'RE ON TOP OF THIS REALLY QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE FROM HERE.
BUT I DO WANNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE FOR PUBLIC RECORD THAT THIS IS SIMPLY FOR THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE POSTPONEMENT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN GOING BACK REALLY QUICKLY, UM, I, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY EARLIER AND CLARIFY AND THANK YOU MS. GREATHOUSE FOR CLARIFYING YOUR PART ON THIS.
[00:45:01]
WE WANNA CLARIFY THAT WE'RE JUST NOT, WE DON'T, WE ARE NOT WELL VERSED ON THE APPROACHES THAT YOU'RE TAKING, UM, TO GET THIS DONE FOR THE E TALKS.AND WE UNDERSTAND THE E TALKS 'CAUSE THAT WAS PART THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
BUT I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND IT UNTIL THEY SEE IT IN ACTION.
AND THAT'S THE PART THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE TRAINED ON, IS HOW THE APPROACHES ARE GONNA HAPPEN AHEAD OF SCHEDULE SO THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY APPROACH US WELL, WE CAN HELP 'EM UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING UP THERE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS MICHAEL GINI.
MICHAEL WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
MICHAEL, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
YES, I'M JUST HERE, UH, REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT'S TEAM AND JUST HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, OR MOVING ON TO SPEAKERS AND OPPOSITION.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION ON ITEM 23 IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON.
ALEXANDRIA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES MOVING FORWARD TO ITEM 24.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR, OR OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS AMANDA SWAR.
AMANDA, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS ANIL NI ANIL, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES MOVING FORWARD TO ITEM 27.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS LEAH BOJO.
LEAH, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS TAMARIA DAVIS TAMARIA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS PHILIP WILEY.
PHILIP, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I ARE WE WAITING ON A PRESENTATION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE NEXT PERSON? YES, CHAIR.
CAN I HAVE A MOMENT TO LOCATE THIS? I DID NOT REALIZE WE HAD TWO.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH MR. WILEY, CAN WE MOVE ON TO MR. GOSLING? HI, MY NAME IS PAUL GOLINK.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF JUDGES HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'M IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT AND AGREED TO IT WITH LEAH.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS MEGAN MEISENBACH.
MEGAN, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND WE'RE PULLING UP THAT PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW.
SO, MR. WILEY, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE FRONT.
YES, I WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO, UH, NOT CROSS THE LINE FROM THE MERITS OF POSTPONEMENT TO THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WAVE AT ME IF I VEER TOO FAR.
IT'S THE OTHER, IT'S THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
JUST A CLARIFICATION, THE, SO SINCE WE WEREN'T DISCUSSING THE POSTPONEMENT, WE WERE LETTING EVERY ANYONE SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE TO STICK TO JUST THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE THERE IT'S ALREADY CONSENT POSTPONEMENT TO THIS 22ND.
AND WE WEREN'T DIS DISCUSSING OR DEBATING IF IT WAS TO BE POSTPONED.
I KNOW IT, IT'S PROCEDURAL NUANCE.
SO AS, AS WE TALK ABOUT TIME, UM, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT TIME.
FIRST OF ALL, TIME IS, IS MONEY.
UM, THIS SITE I WOULD IMAGINE IS SPENDING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH THAT EVERY MONTH WE DELAY, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MULTI, MULTI MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SITE.
UM, THE COST OF CAPITAL ISN'T INCONSEQUENTIAL, UM,
[00:50:01]
AND THE BURDEN MAY FALL ON THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPER, BUT IN THE AGGREGATE, WE ALL PAY FOR THIS.PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE FEWER SIDEWALKS THAT DEVELOPERS CAN AFFORD.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, HIGHER RENTS.
THE, THE SECOND POINT I WANTED TO MAKE RELATED TO THIS IS, AGAIN, RELATED TO TIME.
THERE WAS AN EXERCISE THAT INVOLVED A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE BACK IN THE 1980S AND THEY DEVELOPED CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDORS.
UM, THIS PROPERTY IS JUST OUTSIDE VIEW CORRIDOR NUMBER 21.
SO COUNTLESS HOURS WERE SPENT DETERMINING THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A HEIGHT RESTRICTED PROPERTY.
UM, THE THIRD THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, WHICH I WAS SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY SHOW YOU EARLIER, IS THAT, UH, WEST CAMPUS IS NO LONGER THE SAME THING AS UNO WEST CAMPUS MEANS WEST OF CAMPUS.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE I THINK THEY'RE STILL CALLING IT, THE MCCOMBS BUILDING IS THE NEW MBA BUILDING AT GUADALUPE AND MLK AND DRAW A LINE WEST OF THERE IT GOES SOUTH OF, UH, 18TH STREET.
SO WE HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCONNECT HERE WHERE, UH, I, I TALKED ABOUT THAT ON THE MAP EARLIER, BUT REALLY THERE ARE, THERE IS MORE LAND DOWNTOWN THAT YOU CAN WALK TO THE MCCOMBS COMPLEX FROM THAN THERE IS IN WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
UM, AND, AND THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE RATIONALIZED.
UM, ONE OTHER, UH, POINT HERE RELATED TO, UH, IS RELATED TO ZONING CALIBRATION.
WE KNOW THAT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED DOESN'T WORK DOWNTOWN.
IT DOESN'T WORK IN THE, IN THE CENTER.
UM, THIS PROPERTY IS ONE OF THOSE THAT HAS THE LONG EAD STRINGS IN IT THAT ALSO ISN'T CALIBRATED.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL FOR YOU TO HEAR THE CASE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S VALUABLE TO REFLECT ON THAT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT DOING SOME WORK TO ADDRESS THIS, THIS REAL PROBLEM.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S THE EXTENT OF MY COMMENTS AND I UNDERSTAND IF THIS GETS DEFERRED.
AND, UH, UH, APPRECIATE AND RESPECT ALL, ALL YOUR WORK.
IT WAS GOING TO BE LIMITED TO WHETHER THERE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE A POSTPONEMENT.
SO I LIMITED MY REMARKS AND SAID I WAS IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT.
UM, IF I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT CONTEXT OF THIS, UH, OF THIS APPLICATION AS MR. WILEY DID, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.
IS THERE OBJECTION? OKAY, GO AHEAD, SIR.
THERE ARE TWO REASONS THAT WE HAVE RAISED TO THE DEVELOPER ABOUT OUR OPPOSITION.
UH, ONE OF THEM IS A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE, UH, CANYON RIM ROCK, WHICH SITS IN THE BLUFF, UH, ABOVE THIS PROPOSED PROJECT.
UH, IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND AGREED TO BY THE STAFF, THE CITY STAFF.
IT IS THE SAME FEATURE THAT OCCURS ALONG THE ENTIRE SHUL CREEK, UH, RIVER VALLEY.
IT IS THE SAME FEATURE THAT COLLAPSED AT WOOLDRIDGE DRIVE OUTSIDE OF PUT PEACE PARK.
IT IS THE SAME FEATURE THAT COLLAPSED LAST YEAR AT POPLAR STREET ABOUT ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAMAR, JUST OPPOSITE THE ONE IN IN PEACE PARK.
IT IS THE SAME FEATURE, UH, THAT CAUSED THE CASTLE HILL, UM, COLLAPSE THAT RESULTED IN THE GRAFFITI WALL.
IT IS NOW BEING ATTEMPTED TO BE REDEVELOPED.
UH, ONE OF THE EXPERTS THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT IN TO EVALUATE THIS AS BEST WE COULD.
UH, OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS DATA THAT, UH, THEY PROPOSE A THREE LEVEL PARKING GARAGE AT THE TOW OF THE SLOPE, WHICH, AS PROFESSOR PETER FLAW, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF UT AND A KNOWN GEOLOGIST HAS NOTED HIS A CLASSIC BASIS FOR A SLOPE FAILURE.
THEY PROPOSED TO DO THAT AT A, AT A, AT A 30 FOOT DEPTH.
UM, THE HOUSES ON THE TOP OF THE HILL ARE AT RISK OF COLLAPSING, OR AT LEAST THEIR PROPERTY IS.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN
[00:55:01]
THAT IS, UH, SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED JUST BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE, UH, ZONING STAGE.I KNOW THAT THE DEVELOPER WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT UP EXCLUSIVELY AT THE SITE PLAN STAGE, BUT IS SOMETHING YOU ALL CAN, CAN CONSIDER AS WELL.
TRY IMAGINE IN YOUR MIND WHERE THIS SITE IS.
IT, UH, YOU'RE COMING OVER IN FROM ENFIELD.
YOU'RE GOING OVER THE LAMAR STREET BRIDGE.
ON YOUR RIGHT HAND SIDE IS HOUSE PARK.
THE FOOTBALL FIELD ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE IS A WOODS.
UH, YOU CAN GET INTO SHOAL CREEK BOULEVARD, UH, BY A SLIGHT EXIT RAMP OFF OF 15TH STREET.
JUST BEFORE YOU ENTER LAMAR, YOU CAN'T GET OUT THERE.
THE ONLY PLACE YOU COULD GET IN AND OUT IS OUT OF A, UH, A STOP SIGN ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE MLK STOPLIGHT.
THEY PROPOSE 124 UNITS, LET'S SAY THAT'S 124 CARS WHO ARE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENTER AND EXIT, OR A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
ONLY DISCUSS JOEL CREEK BOULEVARD.
OUR OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS SHERRY SUP.
SHERRY WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
SHERRY, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES YOU NEEDED, UH, TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS AMANDA SWORE.
AMANDA, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUZMAN.
MONICA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
JUST GONNA READ THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE NAMES PRETTY QUICKLY.
JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN YIANNIS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS JOAN SALDANA.
JOAN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MOVING ON TO SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUZMAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS PAUL BERRYMAN.
PAUL, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, JUST TO GET SOME BACKGROUND, UM, I COME FROM WOODVILLE, TEXAS AND THE, THAT, THE PLANNING, BASICALLY THE CITY WAS SEGREGATED MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO IN ONE AREA, THE PROJECTS.
AND I MOVED INTO THE LOCATION THAT I'M IN NOW, BEING PROUD, BEING PRIDE, BEING PROUD THAT, UM, THERE IS LOW INCOME AREA INCOME HOUSING IN MY AREA.
UM, FEEL LIKE AS THOUGH I'M DOING MY PART.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND, UM, FOR THE DIVERSITY OF AUSTIN AND BRINGING US TOGETHER, BUT THEY DON'T WANT IT IN THEIR BACKYARD.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP RIGHT NEXT TO ME, THERE'S A TRAILER PARK AND THEN THERE'S THE THURMOND, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LAMAR, THERE'S MORE LOW INCOME HOUSING ON BOTH SIDES OF THURMAN.
WE ARE LIKE IT SAID IN THE, IN THE, UH, DOCUMENT THAT THEY GAVE US 80% AND, UM, RICH AND ETH, UM, MINORITIES.
SO WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS, AND WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS THE HISTORY OF, UH, AUSTIN WITH THE SEGREGATION ON I 35 WITH, UH, POOR INCOME AND RICH INCOME SEPARATED BY 35.
I WORRY THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THEY'RE SEEING THIS AREA THAT ALREADY HAS LOW INCOME HOUSING AND THAT THEY'RE PUSHING MORE OF IT IN THERE OUTTA SIGHT, OUTTA MIND.
I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE MORE AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UM, IT WOULD SERVE HOUSTON AUSTIN BETTER TO, TO PEPPER THESE LOW INCOME HOUSING TOGETHER IF YOU SEPARATE THERE.
THERE, THERE DOES CAUSE STRIFE.
UH, AND UM, IT JUST, IT, IT SEPARATES THE, IT SEPARATES.
WHAT MAKES AUSTIN GREAT IS THE DIVERSITY.
I HEAR GUNSHOTS FROM MY HOUSE.
I LIVE RIGHT ON THE CORNER OF COLLEEN NORTH DRIVE AND JAMESTOWN, I HEAR GUNSHOTS OFTEN.
I'VE BEEN BROKEN UP WITH BECAUSE OF THE AREA I LIVE IN.
I'VE TOLD THEM THIS IS MY FOREVER HOME.
UM, AND, AND I ALWAYS PUSH BACK ON THAT.
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I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING RAILROADED HERE.I, THE, THE CITY PLANNER, I THINK THAT, UM, HE, HE COMES, IT SEEMS PROGRESSIVE.
I THINK HE HAS A GOOD INTENTIONS IN MIND.
UH, BUT I THINK THE HIGHER UP OR SOMEBODY UP IS, IS FORCING HIS HAND AND HE, THERE'S A CERTAIN NAIVETE TO SEE WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THIS IS.
AND FIVE OR 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, I THINK THAT IT'LL MAKE THEM NOT BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE WE ARE SHOVING MORE AND MORE AND MORE LOW INCOME HOUSING IN THIS AREA.
AND WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE, I SAID, THIS IS FINE.
I, I LIKE, I LIKE BEING A PART OF THIS, BUT I ALSO RESEARCHED AND I SAW THAT THE ZONING WOULD DISALLOW ANY MORE OF IT.
AND SO, UM, I'M JUST VERY DISHEARTENED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO AUSTIN.
AND I'M WORRIED THAT 180 3 IS GOING TO BE THE NEW SEGREGATION LINE.
UM, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE EAST SIDE? IT'S, IT IS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING PUSHED OUT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT, UH, CAN WE CONSIDER PUTTING THESE IN AFFLUENT WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS? AND I CAN'T HELP BUT SEE THAT THE CITY PLANNER THAT'S PLANNING THIS, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S HIS FAULT, BUT I THINK IT'S A HIGHER UPS, UM, ARE PUSHING THIS AND THAT THEY HAPPEN TO BE ALSO, UH, THAT HE HAPPENS TO BE A WHITE MALE.
AND I THINK THAT HIS HAND IS BEING FORCED BY ANOTHER WHITE PERSON.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S JUST VERY DETRIMENTAL INTERROGATORY.
THANK YOU FOR REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS JENNY GRAYSON.
CARL WEBB CHIP HARRIS CHIP WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
CHIP, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
MY COMMENTS EARLIER WERE APPLICABLE TO ITEM NUMBER 32, WHICH UH, STAFF HAS, HAS AGREED TO POSTPONE TO APRIL 27TH.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON AND CARMEN GIANNIS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS MONICA GUZMAN, JENNY GRAYSON, CARL WEBB, ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AND CARMEN GIANNIS.
AND MOVING BACK UP TO ITEM 14, A COUPLE OF OUR, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE JOINED US IN OUR QUEUE FOR ITEM 14.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS ROBIN SANDERS.
ROBIN WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ROBIN, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CIRCLING BACK TO ME.
I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD THE DIRECTIONS TO BE, TO CALL IN WHEN YOUR ITEM WAS REACHED AND BECAUSE THERE WERE BASICALLY NO SPEAKERS ON THE MINI.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEMS THAT I'M HAVING.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM, UH, APPEARING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH RIVER CITY, CITIZEN, CITY CITIZENS.
AND WE HAVE PROVIDED A RESOLUTION AS BACKUP IN YOUR ITEM 14.
WE OPPOSE THE REMOVAL OF OUR AREA EIGHT, UH, FROM THE LUM.
UH, PLAN IS PART OF THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS, AND IT IS OUR JOB TO PROTECT THOSE RESIDENTS.
THOSE, THERE ARE A FEW SINGLE FAMILY, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS THERE AND THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT.
THEY HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD UNTIL VERY RECENTLY THE IMPACT OF THIS, OF REMOVING THEM FROM SLUM.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED AND WE WANT TO, UH, SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR NEED TO LEARN MORE AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
UH, WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PLAN IS.
THERE IS NO CLARITY ON WHAT ZONING CAN BE EXPECTED.
AND WE DO JOIN THE REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM TO ALLOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS TO ORGANIZE BETTER AND SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.
THIS IS ALL A PRETTY NEW DEVELOPMENT AND I HOPE YOU ARE SEEING THE, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THAT I SENT THAT HIGHLIGHT THE SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS IN THIS AREA THAT IS TO BE REMOVED FROM SWAN.
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CONSIDERATION AND FOR IDEALLY A POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM TO ALLOW A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE S C'S RESOLUTION AND OPPOSITION TO THE REMOVAL OF OUR AREA EIGHT FROM LUM.OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON ITEM 14 IS KIM LAN LANZA, LODI.
KIM KIM WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
KIM, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KIM TI AND UM, I AM, UH, LIVE IN, UH, OFF OF WILLOW SPRINGS.
UH, VERY CLOSE TO THE AREA THAT YOU, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU WANT TO REMOVE FROM THE PLUM.
AND I GUESS THIS IS, WE WENT TO THE MEETING IN MARCH 5TH, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST I HAD HEARD OF THIS.
AND UM, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANSIT CENTER, WHICH IS ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S NO LINK TO THIS TRANSIT CENTER.
I DON'T, UM, UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD THIS TO THE TRANSIT CENTER AND TAKE IT OUT OF OUR PLUM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT WOULD GIVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, NO, WE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE A VOICE IN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PROPERTIES.
AND, UM, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT SEEMS LOGICAL AND I OPPOSE IT.
THANK YOU MS. TI THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
MOVING BACK TO ITEM 32, WE HAD ANOTHER PERSON JOIN US, JOHAN SALANA.
JOHAN WILL BE SPEAKING IN FAVOR.
JOHAN, YOU LEFT THREE MINUTES.
UM, I SAW THE RENDERINGS FOR, UH, BOTH ITEM 32 AND 33.
UM, I REALLY LIKE THE, YEAH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE MIXED USE, THE WALKABLE OF IT ALL.
UM, IN BOTH, IN EITHER OF THESE CASES, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A CONSIDERATION OF AN INNER CITY BUS TERMINAL.
UM, ACTUALLY JUST THIS PAST MONDAY, I CAME FROM A HOMETOWN.
UH, I LANDED HERE IN AUSTIN AT THREE IN THE MORNING.
UH, AND I HAD TO TAKE A RIDE SHARE O OVER TO MY APARTMENT BY THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND IT, THE OFFICE, THANKFULLY I LANDED IN AN OFFICE.
UH, IT WAS CLOSED, SO BASICALLY PARKING LOT.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME BUS LINES THAT DO JUST LEAVE YOU IN A PARKING LOT.
UH, I BELIEVE LIKE MOSTLY GREYHOUND DOES THIS.
UM, SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, JUST AN INNER CITY BUS TERMINAL FOR LIKE, WHATEVER LINES, UH, ARRIVE HERE FROM SMALL TOWNS.
UH, THERE CAN BE BETTER CONNECTION BETWEEN AUSTIN, SMALLER TOWNS.
UH, ALSO JUST, UH, MORE PRICE TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE YOU'D BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY COMPARE, UH, COMPANIES LIKE RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND JUST GENERAL SAFETY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DIGNITY OF BUS RIDERS.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT, YEAH, PEOPLE THAT RIDE THE BUS TO COME, UH, HERE JUST DESERVE MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, BEING STUCK IN A, IN A PARKING LOT WITH NO SAFETY OR ANYTHING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, CHAIR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I JUST, WE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT ITEMS AND DIFFERENT SPEAKERS.
IF YOU SIGNED UP AND WE DID NOT GET TO YOU, CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, SIR? I DIDN'T SIGN UP.
IF YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP ON IT, THEN WE CAN'T ALLOW REQUEST.
IF, IF THERE'S SOME CONFUSION.
I, I, I MAY DO YOU WANNA, BY THE WAY, PLEASE COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE SO EVERYBODY CAN HEAR IT ON THE RECORD AS WELL.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WHAT YOU WERE SIGNING UP FOR, SIR.
THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AND VAGUENESS, I FEEL LIKE, UH, GOING INTO THIS.
AND, UM, THIS LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN VERY TOUGH FOR ME, SO DOING MY BEST HERE.
BUT, UM, AS I WAS READING THROUGH, UM, SIR, IF YOU COULD JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND, TRYING TO GUESS IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, WE CAN TAKE TESTIMONY ON THAT ITEM IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
AS I WAS READING THROUGH, I JUST SAW NUMBER SIX WAS THE ONE THAT WOULD PROBABLY MORE AFFECT IN MY AREA.
SIR, CAN I HAVE YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF FIRST? I APOLOGIZE.
I LIVE ON COLONY NORTH DRIVE RIGHT NEXT TO JAMESTOWN.
UM, IN NACA AREA AND WHAT I SPOKE ON, WHAT I THOUGHT THAT I WAS SIGNING UP FOR, I THOUGHT, I'M JUST SAYING THAT SIX SEEMS MORE
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LIKE IT PERTAINS TO WHAT I WANT TO OPPOSE, AND NOW I'M VERY DISHEARTENED AND WORRIED THAT I FEEL LIKE I'VE MISSED MY OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON IT.UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, I FEEL LIKE THIS AREA IS BEING RAILROADED BECAUSE THERE, IT, IT IS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND IT WILL GET A LEAST AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION.
LIKE THE LADY SAID EARLIER, BEFORE, THERE'S JUST, PEOPLE AREN'T IN THE KNOW OF WHAT'S GOING ON, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I COULD SEE THAT IT'S BEING REZONED WITH THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING SOME FIVE STORY LOW INCOME HOUSING IN, IN THIS AREA WHEN WE ARE ALREADY DOING OUR PART.
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS GONNA PUSH AUSTIN 60 YEARS BACK AND JUST CAUSE IT TO BE MORE SEGREGATED AND IT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE AND TO SHOVE THEM ALL INTO ONE AREA, WHICH CAUSES MORE CRIME, MORE DRUG USE, MORE CHANCE OF BEING MA MUGGED, RAPED, MURDERED, MURDERED.
I'VE HAD BACK, UH, WHEN WE HAD THE 180 3 TENT CITY, THE EVERYBODY ON ONE THAT'S GOT RESCINDED SINCE THEN.
BUT I'VE HAD A DRUG ALED MAN, KNOCK ON MY DOOR.
I'M A MAN OF PRETTY LARGE STATURE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF I WERE A SMALLER PERSON, THAT THAT MAN WOULD'VE SHOVED ME IN MY HOUSE AND DONE NO, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM AWAY, BUT HE WAS DRUG AD OUT OF HIS MIND.
UM, WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE, UH, THERE WAS NO TENT CITY UNDER 180 3.
THEN THERE WAS, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF THERE.
BUT THIS, I FEEL LIKE IS JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT'S GOING TO NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE AREA.
AND THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST, UM, FOR HARD WORKERS.
YOU KNOW, I, I WAS IN HOUSTON.
I DID A SIX HOUR ROUND TRIP TO GET HERE JUST TO SPEAK ON THIS.
AND NOW I FIND THAT IT'S BEEN POSTPONED TO SPEAK ON, BUT NOW I'M FINDING, OH NO, I, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ON SIX.
AND, UM, I'M JUST VERY DISHEARTENED.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, AUSTIN IS THE, THE HIGHER UPS OF AUSTIN, JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET THE, THESE LOW INCOME HOUSING ALL OVER THE AREA, UM, RATHER THAN PUTTING IT IN 80% ALREADY ETHNIC AREA, WE'RE ALREADY RICH IN DIVERSITY.
LOVE THE AREA, UM, THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AT A DETRIMENT.
THERE'S GONNA BE MORE NEEDLES FOUND.
THERE'S GONNA BE, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE CRIME, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE GUNSHOTS, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE PEOPLE AFFECTED.
UH, WE SHOULD ALL DO OUR WORK.
UM, AND RATHER THAN JUST PASS IT THROUGH TO THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE WHERE THERE WILL BE NO OPPOSITION, CAN WE DO WHAT'S INTEGRITY DRIVEN AND WHAT'S FAIR.
YES, IT'S GONNA BE MORE HARD WORK TO FIND PLACES FOR THIS BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS IN THEIR BACKYARD.
BUT I PURCHASED A HOUSE KNOWING THIS IS IN MY BACKYARD AND IT WAS ZONED TO WHERE THERE WOULDN'T BE ANYMORE.
AND IT'S EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND I JUST DON'T WANT THE SEGREGATION TO CAUSE MORE STRIFE AMONGST THE RACES.
SO IF IT COULD BE PEPPERED AROUND, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD MAKE AUSTIN A MORE DIVERSE AND MORE INCLUSIVE AND MORE ACCEPTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
I COME FROM A TOWN THAT WAS SEGREGATED AND, AND I, WITH THE CITY PLANNING WITH THE PROJECTS, AND I, UM, THANK YOU.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THE, UM, THE TOD THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS, THOSE ARE ALL BEING POSTPONED TO APRIL 22ND, AT WHICH POINT THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE SPEAKERS BE ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SEC, A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA CHAIR? MIGHT I ADD SOMETHING? I THINK JUST IN INTEREST OF TIME, I, I DEFER TO THE COMMISSION ON THIS, BUT WE HAD AN ITEM, UH, FROM TWO OF OUR COMMISSIONERS.
ITEM NUMBER 36, UH, NOT, SORRY, THREE, SIX, I'M SORRY.
THERE WAS A NUMBER 34, UM, WHICH WAS INITIATING A CODE AMENDMENT.
IF COMMISSIONERS ARE FINE WITH IT AND HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN ASK IT OF OUR CO-SPONSORS RIGHT NOW.
AND IF YOU WANTED, WE CAN ADD IT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT I DEFER TO THE BODY ON THAT.
IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION, SPEAK NOW.
OTHERWISE WE'LL PROCEED WITH THAT.
THIS SHOULD ITEM NUMBER 34 34, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.
TWO, INITIATE CODE AMENDMENTS TO THE DB 90, COMBINING DISTRICT REGULATIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE, UH, THE CO-SPONSORS? COMMISSIONER MAXWELL ANDERSON? JUST TO CONFIRM, THIS IS JUST TO INITIATE AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS THAT IS CORRECT AT A FUTURE MEETING.
THIS IS SIMPLY FOR THE INITIATION.
I DON'T, UH, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR CONSENT, UM, AGENDA THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON.
SO I'LL GO BACK AND I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND, SEEING A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UNLESS THERE OB IS OBJECTION TO THAT.
SO WE HAVE NO ZONING CASES TO DISCUSS TONIGHT.
[35. Discussion and action to appoint a member to serve on the Equitable Transit Oriented Development and Vision Plans working group. (Sponsors: Vice Chair Azhar and Chair Hempel) ]
ITEM NUMBER 35.THIS IS, HAS BEEN A STANDING ITEM, UM, OVER THE PAST
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SEVERAL MEETINGS.AND THIS IS DISCUSSION AND ACTION TO APPOINT A MEMBER TO SERVE ON THE E TODD AND VISION PLANS WORKING GROUP.
AND SINCE THAT ITEM IS NOW, THOSE ITEMS ARE NOW POSTPONED TO APRIL 22ND.
WE HAVE SPACE FOR ONE MORE MEMBER CHAIR.
WE DID HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED IN TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
OUR ONE AND ONLY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION ON THIS ITEM IS MONICA GUZMAN, SEEING IF SHE'S NOT PRESENT.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UM, VICE CHAIR, UM, CHAIR WAS GONNA SAY, I, SORRY TO INTERJECT.
I HATE TO DO THIS, BUT I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT ITEM JUST 'CAUSE WE HAD ONE SPEAKER FOR 35.
THIS IS JUST ADDING TO A WORKING GROUP.
AND STAFF, UH, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, IF Y'ALL NEED US TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, I DEFINITELY CHAIR, I'M INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL, BUT I, I FRANKLY IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO ME IF FOLKS WHO ARE SERVING ON IT RIGHT NOW CAN SPEAK TO WHO'S ON IT, JUST SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE BALANCE OF THE WORKING GROUP LOOKS LIKE.
SO CURRENTLY ON THAT WORKING GROUP, WE HAVE CHAIR HEMPEL, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, CHAIR COHEN, AND MYSELF.
SO ACTUALLY THEN WE SEEM TO HAVE TWO VACANCIES FOR COMMISSIONERS WHO CAN SERVE ON IT.
I'M OPEN TO JOINING THE COMMISSION.
I KNOW, AND I'M IN INTERESTED AS WELL.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION TO THOSE, ADDITION TO THE WORKING GROUP CHAIR, WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT MYSELF AND, UH, COMMISSIONER AMAD TO THE, UH, WORKING GROUP.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, THAT MOTION PASSES.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM
[36. Discussion and possible action to review and approve Planning Commission Working Group amendments for the 2024 Technical Building Code. (Sponsors: Commissioner Maxwell and Chair Hempel) ]
NUMBER 36, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO REVIEW AND IMPROVE PLANNING COMMISSION WORKING GROUP AMENDMENTS FOR THE 2024 TECHNICAL BUILDING CODE.SO THE CO-SPONSORS HERE WERE COMMISSIONERS, MAXWELL AND MYSELF, UM, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UM, YES, AND I'M GONNA RECOMMEND TWO THINGS FOR OUR FELLOW PLANNING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, ONE, IF YOU CHECK THE BACKUP, THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE LISTED AS AMENDMENTS ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR BACKUP IN YOUR EMAIL.
AND ALSO, UM, ONLINE FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO FOLLOW ALONG.
AND, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UH, JUST SO YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A SPREADSHEET THAT'S BEEN SHARED WITH YOU, UM, FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON.
SO THAT SHOULD ALSO HELP TO FRAME THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, SO NOW THAT THE BOOKKEEPING IS OUTTA THE WAY, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THIS WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN, UM, IN, UH, EXISTENCE FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE TECH, THE 2024 TECHNICAL BUILDING CODES, WHICH, UM, IF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THIS THURSDAY ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE.
THEY'RE, UM, THESE TECHNICAL PIECES OF CODE OF WORK THAT WE UPDATE AND THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PARTS TO IT, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE THE PLUMBING CODE AND WHATNOT.
UM, THE, UH, SET OF AMENDMENTS WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON TODAY ARE RELATED TO, UH, SPECIFIC TYPE OF BUILDING CALLED SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS OR POINT ACCESS BUILDINGS.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL HAD THE CORRECT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, UH, A WORKING GROUP DID ACTUALLY GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW THESE AMENDMENTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO MAKE A FINAL VOTE.
SO IF IT'S, UM, ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYONE, WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH THESE AS, UH, GROUP AND, AND DO THE AMENDMENTS THAT WAY.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
AND THERE ARE SOME OTHER TECHNICAL BUILDING CODE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
SO IF THE CHAIR IS AMENABLE, WE MIGHT WANNA HAVE A DISCUSSION BEFORE WE START DOING THE AMENDMENTS.
UM, YEAH, SO WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR, UM, OUR REGULAR EIGHT, UH, QUESTIONS, UH, FIVE MINUTES EACH.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY INITIAL QUESTIONS? THIS COULD BE TO YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THOSE IN THE WORKING GROUP OR STAFF? I'M NOT SEEING ANY LAST CHA OH, VICE CHAIR.
I'LL JUST MAKE A A QUICK QUESTION OF THE WORKING GROUP.
WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS? I JUST, IT COMES UP BECAUSE WE HAD A CONVERSATION AT CODES AND ORDINANCES AND I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE, UH, BUILDING CODES AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN, UM, CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, THAT DID NOT COME UP IN OUR WORKING GROUP AMENDMENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE PER THE WORKSHEET, BUT I DID, I'M GLAD YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT BECAUSE UM, AS THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG THE WINDOW AS BEDROOMS CONVERSATION, THERE WAS WORK DONE BY CITY COUNCIL, THERE'S QUESTION CURRENTLY ABOUT A, A NEEDED STEP REGARDING A BUILDING CODE AMENDMENT AS WELL.
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THAT SOME OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES ARE LOOKING INTO THAT AND CHECKING WITH THE RIGHT PROCEDURAL MOVEMENT.BUT, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION AS A SORT OF DIRECTION TO STAFF TO INVESTIGATE, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A MOST WELCOME AMENDMENT.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER SEAMORE.
JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT QUESTIONS ON EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE AMENDMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT CLARIFICATION OR MAYBE DESCRIBING THE INTENT FOR THE NET FLOOR AREA AMENDMENT.
SO THAT'S STRIKING THE LINE THAT SAYS NET FLOOR AREA OF EACH FLOOR SERVED BY A SINGLE EXIT SHALL NOT EX EXCEED 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
UH, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FOLLOWING ALONG, BASICALLY THERE IS A SET AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BUILD THESE TYPES OF BUILDINGS POINT ACCESS OR SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THAT FALLS UNDER OUR TECHNICAL CODES.
SO THE AMENDMENTS WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE BASICALLY HOW THOSE BUILDINGS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE BUILT HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, THE ONE RELATED TO THE FLOOR AREA IS A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY A LOT OF TIMES WITH THESE BUILDINGS, WE WANT TO SET SOME PARAMETERS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY, UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE A SINGLE POINT OF ACCESS AT POINT ACCESS BUILDING IN TRUE AND L TWO SO EGRESS AND RESS.
UM, AND WE WERE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT EARLIER, THE LAST, LAST YEAR ACTUALLY ON THIS ISSUE.
SO I THINK THE AMENDMENT TO YOUR POINT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE FLOOR RATIO SHOULD BE REGARDING IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS, HOW BIG YOUR FLOOR PLATE CAN BE, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT AMENDMENT IS TOUCHING ON.
AND I, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT REMOVES THE REQUIREMENT THAT LIMITS THE NET FLOOR AREA TO 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT, BUT I WOULD SAY WE ARE OPEN TO CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD BE.
UM, SOME CITIES HAVE DONE NO RISK CONSTRAINTS REGARDING THE SIZE OF THE FLOOR, THE FLOOR PLATE, OTHERS HAVE VERY STRICT FLOOR PLATES.
SO I THINK WE HAD SUGGESTED TAKING IT OUT TO ALSO GIVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
BUT I THINK IF THERE IS AN AMENDMENT THAT MIGHT CHANGE IT TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY DISCUSS AS PART OF THE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, SO WE'LL START WITH A BASE MOTION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE THAT COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? UM, ABSOLUTELY.
SO AGAIN, FOR THOSE OF YOU FOLLOWING ALONG, THIS IS, UH, MAXWELL AMENDMENT ONE, IT'S THE STAFF STAFF AMENDMENT, WHICH AS I INDICATE, OH, I'M SORRY.
FOR THE BASE, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, THEN YOU CAN, YES.
SO SORRY, THE BASE RECOMMENDATION IS THE CODE AND I ACTUALLY NOW I'M, UM, SO I'LL WE'LL SAY THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE IVC TECHNICAL CODE FOR 2024.
UH, AND WITHIN THAT, THE STAFF AMENDMENT, UM, AS NOTED IN THE BACKUP, UM, AS ITEM 36 AND THAT I CAN READ THAT FULLY INTO THE, IF, IF NEEDED VICE.
WE'LL DO IT LOOKING FOR A SECOND.
IF YOU WANNA READ THAT INTO THE RECORD.
SO THE, UH, BASE, SO THE FIRST AMENDMENT WOULD BE THE BASE, WHICH IS STAFF AMENDMENT RELATING TO SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND AS NOTED IN TABLE 1 0 0 6, UH, STAIRS WITH ONE EXIT OR, UH, ONE EXIT OR ACCESS TO ONE EXIT FOR R TWO OCCUPANCIES.
AND THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE, THE DETAILS ARE INCLUDED OF THE AMENDMENT IN THE, UM, BACKUP IN ITEM 36.
SO ARE WE NOW MOVING ON TO OUR FIRST AMENDMENT? WE'RE GONNA TAKE THESE SEPARATELY? CORRECT.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST READ INTO RECORD? YES, I DID.
SO CHAIR, YOU OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? MM-HMM.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE WORKING GROUP OR OTHERS ON THIS FIRST AMENDMENT? I, I HONESTLY WILL ASK MIKE COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A PRETTY TECHNICAL ITEM.
CAN YOU ALL, CAN YOU REALLY TELL ME SORT OF LAY ITEMS, WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES AND SORT OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN RELATION TO WHAT WAS PROPOSED PREVIOUSLY? YES, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
THE REASON THIS IS NOTED AS STAFF AMENDMENT IS BECAUSE THIS IS THE DRAFT AMENDMENT, LOCAL AMENDMENT THAT, UH, OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO A C UH, COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
AND IT WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
THEY, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT, THAT WAS THEIR DRAFT.
THEY HAD GIVEN COUNCIL I, UH, SEVERAL OPTIONS REGARDING SINGLE STEER BUILDINGS.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WORKING GROUP WOULD BE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STAFF AMENDMENT AS PROPOSED IN THE BACKUP PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL.
[01:25:04]
OKAY.UM, WOULD YOU WANNA RESTATE THAT AS A MOTION? YES.
I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE BASE, UH, AMENDMENT AS NOTED IN THE BACKUP AS STAFF AMENDMENT ONE.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HANEY, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? I THINK WE'VE COVERED IT.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS FIRST AMENDMENT.
SO ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT'S 10 TO ZERO.
UM, OH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, IS THAT A, THAT'S A BLUE
AND COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I I APPRECIATE YOUR NATIVE, UM, SNEAKERS.
SO THAT ONE ROLLS INTO OUR MOTION.
UM, MOVING ON TO THE SECOND AMENDMENT, THIS IS THE ELEVATOR AMENDMENT, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
SO THE SECOND AMENDMENT HERE IS RELATED, UM, TO ELEVATOR ACCESS FOR THESE BUILDINGS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY CONCERNS WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT, UM, SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS AND POINT ACCESS BUILDINGS GENERALLY IS HOW ARE ELEVATORS MANAGED IN THESE BUILDINGS.
UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, DEVELOPERS OR AS THEY ARE DEVELOPED, THEY USUALLY DO INCLUDE AN ELEVATOR, BUT THIS JUST CLARIFIES, UM, WHERE THE ELEVATOR ACCESS WOULD BE REQUIRED, WHICH WOULD BE OVER IN BUILDINGS GREATER THAN FOUR STORIES.
SO THAT'S THE AMENDMENT CONTENT FOR THIS ONE.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HELP ME OUT HERE A LITTLE BIT.
WHAT WAS IN THE SORT OF BASE PROPOSAL FOR ELEVATOR ACCESS? DO WE, DO YOU REMEMBER BY, UM, IT, IT'S, THEY DID NOT INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT IN THE BASE MOTION THAT WE HAVE JUST DISCUSSED, WHICH IS WHY THIS WAS ADDED AS AN AMENDMENT.
AND, AND IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE'RE ALIGNING THIS WITH SORT OF THE SINGLE STAIR ITEM, SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE FOUR LIMIT IS.
I HONESTLY WAS JUST WONDERING, 'CAUSE I KNOW IN OTHER CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, ET CETERA, SIX IS QUITE COMMONLY THOUGHT OF AS STANDARD FIVE AS WELL.
SO JUST WONDERING WHAT THE FOUR WAS AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALIGNMENT.
UH, UM, MOST BUILDINGS, UM, MOST BUILDINGS AS I INDICATED, WOULD LIKELY BUILD AN ELEVATOR ANYWAY, BUT JUST THE IDEA THAT IF WE WENT OVER FOUR, UH, STORIES ON A SINGLE STAIR BUILDING, THAT THERE WOULD BE REQUIREMENT OF AN ELEVATOR.
SO IT'S BASICALLY CHANGING IT FROM THE LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED TO REQUIREMENT FOR ONCE YOU GET OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF STORIES.
AND, AND I'LL JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS IN THE BUILDING CODES, A REMINDER TO FOLKS THAT FAIR HOUSING REQUIREMENTS AROUND ACCESSIBILITY FOR FOLKS WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS WOULD, UM, ESSENTIALLY APPLY REGARDLESS.
OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT ELEVATOR ACCESS? RECOGNIZING, UH, CHAIR COHEN JOINING US.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TURN THAT INTO A MOTION? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, FOR THE SECOND MAXWELL AMENDMENT TWO IS THE, AS NOTED IN THE BACKUP OF ELEVATOR AMENDMENT.
UM, AND WE WOULD NOTE THAT AS AGAIN STATED, UM, IN THE BACKUP PROVIDED BY PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT THOSE ELEVATOR ACCESS POINT NUMBER 12, ELEVATOR ACCESS SHALL BE PROVIDED IN BUILDINGS GREATER THAN FOUR STORIES.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY, NOT COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, RIGHT?
UM, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? I THINK WE'VE COVERED IT.
ANY OTHER SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST? ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THE ELEVATOR ACCESS.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON IS OFF CAMERA THAT PASSES, UM, AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE NET FLOOR AMENDMENT, NET FLOOR AREA AMENDMENT.
UM, YES, AND THIS WAS, UH, THE AMENDMENT REGARDING, UH, THE, THAT COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE AND I DISCUSSED EARLIER.
UM, AS I NOTED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THESE, UH, TECHNICAL BUILDING CODES ARE UPDATED AND AS IF THEY'VE BEEN UPDATED IN OTHER CITIES, THEY HAVE INCLUDED A SPECIFIC SQUARE FOOTAGE OR FLOOR PLATE, UM, REQUIREMENT FOR THE BUILDINGS.
UH, THIS ONE, UH, SUGGESTS REMOVING IT, BUT UM, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS OR CONSIDERATION OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, DO WE, UM, AND THIS IS MAYBE JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
DOES THE CURRENT DRAFT STILL INCLUDE A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS PER FLOOR? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
IT DOES, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT WE FELT LIKE THE COMBINATION MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT REDUNDANT, BUT THE LIMITATION OF UNITS, IT, IT, YOU COULD HAVE QUITE LARGE UNITS.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHY SOME CITIES HAVE DONE SORT OF THE BELT AND SUSPENDERS
[01:30:01]
APPROACH, SO TO SPEAK.COMMISSIONER WOODS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE OPEN TO INSTEAD, UM, THE NET FLOOR AREA OF EACH FLOOR SERVED BY A SINGLE EXIT SHALL NOT EXCEED 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
I'M THINKING ABOUT WANTING TO SERVE FAMILIES WITH THESE UNITS AND WITH FOUR UNITS THAT'S 1,750 SQUARE FEET A UNIT THAT FEELS LIKE A GENEROUS UNIT THAT FAMILY WITH MANY KIDS CAN LIVE IN.
UM, IF THAT FEELS LIKE A REASONABLE COMPROMISE TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME KIND OF CONSTRAINTS ON IT, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO INCORPORATE INTO THE AMENDMENT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, DO YOU WANNA RESTATE THE MOTION? UM, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SUGGEST THAT COMMISSIONER WOODS RESTATE THE MOTION SINCE SHE DID SUCH AN EXCELLENT JOB, IF SHE'S AMENABLE TO THAT
SO THE AMENDMENT WOULD THEN BE TO CHANGE, UM, ITEM ONE, THE NET FLOOR AREA FOR EACH FLOOR SERVED BY A SINGLE EXIT SHALL NOT EXCEED 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
THIS IS INSTEAD OF WHAT'S CURRENTLY STATED AS 4,000 SQUARE FEET SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UM, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK EITHER, UH, FOUR.
ANYBODY ELSE BE WANTING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT? OKAY, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR,
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON GREEN THERE IN CITY HALL, BUT NO, IT'S GREEN THAT PAST UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT PASSES AT 11 TO ZERO AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR FOURTH AMENDMENT.
THIS IS A SIXTH STORY AMENDMENT COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
YOU MAY BE CURIOUS AS TO WHY WE ARE DISCUSSING SIX STORIES WHEN WE JUST ORIGINALLY INCLUDED FIVE STORIES AS A BASE MOTION.
UM, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY TO BRING THE POTENTIAL CHANGES TO OUR TECHNICAL CODE INTO ALIGNMENT TO WHERE SINGLE STEER BUILDING, UM, TYPOLOGIES ARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WHAT'S BEING APPROVED, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, AS SINGLE STEER SORT OF REFORM, UM, IS CONSIDERED NATIONWIDE.
AND THAT IS TO ALLOW UP TO SIX STORIES, UM, WHICH IS WHY I'M BRINGING FORWARD THIS AMENDMENT.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT DECISION, UH, REALLY THOUGHTFULLY AS TO WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO PLACE OUR BUILDING HEIGHT ON THESE BUILDINGS AND BE THAT EITHER FIVE AS RECOMMENDED, UH, OR AS DRAFTED BY DS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE BUILDING OR AT SIX, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY RECENTLY APPROVE.
AND TO ENSURE THAT AUSTIN IS CONTINUING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF LEAD HOUSING LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT BUILDING THESE BUILDINGS AND ACCOMMODATING AS MANY UNITS AS POSSIBLE IN A SAFE AND CONSISTENT MANNER.
ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE SAFETY CONCERNS IF YOU GO OVER UH, SIX FLOORS? UM, NO, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHY WE FELT LIKE THE, THE IDEA OF ADDING A SIX FLOOR IS ACTUALLY QUITE ACCEPTABLE IS BECAUSE A, WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY JUST APPROVED THE SUGGESTION OF DOING ELEVATORS OVER FOUR FLOORS, AND B, ALL OF THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS APPLY REGARDLESS.
UM, IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, THOSE USUALLY KICK IN AT FIVE FLOORS REGARDLESS, OR FOUR OR FIVE FLOORS.
SO THEN ADDING THE SIX FLOOR MEANS YOU JUST ADD MORE OF THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS WITH THAT EXTRA FLOOR.
SO THERE'S NOT ADDITIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT ONE MORE FLOOR.
AND IT QUITE HONESTLY GIVES US A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF UNIT COUNT AND SORT OF DENSITY.
SO IS THERE A REASON WE'RE NOT GOING ABOVE SIX FLOORS? WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION,
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ACROSS THE CUS THE GLOBE, WE ACTUALLY SEE A LOT OF VERY TALL SIX STORY BUILDING OR SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE AND IT'S BEEN LONG HARD TO BUILD THESE BUILDINGS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE DOING THIS TECHNICAL CODE, CODE BUILDING AND THE WORDING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN.
UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING IN THE UNITED STATES, THE SENSE HAS BEEN THAT GOING TO SIX STORIES FOR POINT ACCESS BUILDINGS ALIGNS WITH AMERICAN FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS AND PARTICULARLY ONE, INCLUDING A LOT OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AS THESE DRAFT ITEMS DO.
OTHER QUESTIONS MR. SKIDMORE? A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, I GUESS LOOKING AT THE AMENDMENT MAXIMUM EXIT ACCESS TRAVEL OF 125 FEET, UH, AGAIN, SORT OF A TECHNICAL CONCEPT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S THE TOTAL TRAVEL TIME OR TRAVEL DISTANCE DOWN ALL THE STAIRWELLS.
IT'S, UH, IF YOU WERE IN THE CORNER OF YOUR UNIT, YOU CAN BE NO MORE THAN 125 FEET FROM THE EXIT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, DID YOU WANNA TURN THAT INTO A MOTION
[01:35:01]
UM, I, YES.SO THE, UM, THE AMENDMENT IS TO, UH, AMEND THE BASE MOTION AS DESCRIBED, UH, TO INCLUDE A SIX STORY OPTION FOR POINT ACCESS BUILDINGS IN THE TECHNICAL BUILDING CODES AS NOTED IN THE BACKUP PROVIDED FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I SEE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER WOODS.
DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? UM, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT THIS AMENDMENT REALLY, AS I SAID, REALLY JUST SHOWS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WANTS TO DO THE BEST IT CAN WITH HOUSING WOULD BE THAT THROUGH ZONING OR TECHNICAL CODE BUILDING UPDATES IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
ANYBODY ELSE SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT? OKAY, LET'S VOTE.
THIS IS FOR THE SIX STORY AMENDMENT.
ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT'S PASSES 11 TO ZERO.
I, UM, AS PART OF OUR USUAL PROCESS WITH CODE AMENDMENTS, WE WILL GO AROUND AND JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS.
VICE CHAIR, I HAVEN'T REALLY DRAFTED THIS AND DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BEYOND ME, BUT JUST REALLY THE IDEA WOULD BE TO HAVE A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER LOOKING AT HOW TO MANAGE THE ISSUE OF ESSENTIALLY, UH, WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS, PARTICULARLY IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLY.
AND I AM GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT AND THEN I'LL SPEAK TO IT IN A SECOND.
I OH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YEAH, JUST QUESTION FOR VICE CHAIR.
I MEAN, CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME THE VERY BRIEF UPDATE? I, I THOUGHT WE ADDRESSED THE WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS THING ALREADY.
SO WHAT, UH, CAN YOU JUST GIVE THE 32ND BACKSTORY ON THIS? UM, YES.
SO AS YOU REMEMBER, WELL COUNSEL HAD INITIATED SOMETHING AND IN THE BUILDING CODE WE HAD, WE THOUGHT WE HAD CLOSED OUT THE LOOPHOLE.
THERE'S A TINY PIECE IN THERE THAT ESSENTIALLY SAYS THAT YOU CAN DO BORROWED LIGHT AND, UH, THERE'S A FEAR AMONG STAKEHOLDERS, PARTICULARLY AMONG STUDENTS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT IS ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE ARE STILL BUILDING A WINDOW INTO A WALL AND ALLOWING IT TO BE, UH, SORT OF A SECOND BEDROOM WITH LIGHT.
AND I THINK THE INTENTION WAS REALLY LOOKING AT BONY WALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S REALLY CLEARING THAT OUT.
AND I SHOULD BE JUST VERY CLEAR, EVEN THOUGH I'M ADDING IT HERE, FRANKLY, JUST TO FLAG AN ISSUE.
I KNOW STAFF IS LOOKING AT WHETHER THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH FOUR 18 OR OTHER MEANS AS WELL.
SURE, YEAH, NO, I, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, CLARIFYING THAT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? DID YOU WANNA TURN THAT INTO A MOTION? YES, SURE.
SO THIS IS A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
SECOND, MY COMMISSIONER WOODS.
DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? UM, AGAIN, I'LL JUST QUICKLY SEE THAT I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP.
I KNOW MS. GREATHOUSE IS HERE.
THIS CAME UP AT CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE AS WELL.
UM, AND STAFF IS LOOKING INTO THIS VERY DEEPLY.
AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS JUST ME, UM, LISTENING TO WHAT STAKEHOLDERS ARE SAYING AND FLAGGING IT AS AN ISSUE.
I KNOW THIS IS WORKING, SO AGAIN, I'M PUTTING IT HERE IN THE BUILDING CODES CONVERSATION, BUT I DEFER TO STAFF ON WHERE IT TRULY BELONGS, UH, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE WOULD WANT THIS WORK TO PROCEED.
ANYBODY SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST? I HAVE A QUESTION REAL QUICK.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THIS LOOKS TO ACTUALLY DO.
COMMISSIONERS ARE, SO I THINK I'LL JUST BE HONEST, THAT'S WHY I'M NOT BEING VERY SPECIFIC HERE BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO BE DONE, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CLARITY ON WHETHER BORROWED LIGHT CAN BE IN THE FORM OF A PONY WALL.
IF IT IS AN OPENING, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS THAT ONLY TRUE FOR ONE BEDROOMS OR STUDIO APARTMENTS? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING THAT EVEN IN, UH, SINGLE BEDROOM UNITS, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT SOMEBODY COULD BE USING A FULLY GLAZED WINDOW IN THE WALL, BORROWING LIGHT FROM ANOTHER ROOM, WHICH I THINK WAS NOT NECESSARILY THE INTENTION.
AND ARE WE TRYING TO SAY THAT'S A BAD THING OR THAT'S A THING? THAT'S OKAY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE I, I, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WHEN THE 360 WAS BUILT, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW UNITS THAT WERE MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE FOR THE REASON OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE A BORROWED LIGHT.
AND I ONCE UPON A TIME BOUGHT A 16 UNIT WI 16 FOOT WIDE UNIT THAT HAD ZERO WALLS AND HAD SOME WALLS AND IT WAS VERY AFFORDABLE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT ACCIDENTALLY MAKING THINGS LESS AFFORDABLE.
SO I WILL JUST BE HONEST, THIS WOULD, IF IT WERE TO PROCEED AGAIN, UNSURE WHAT THE EXACT IDEA WOULD LOOK LIKE, IT WOULD LIMIT THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
AND PART OF IT IS, I THINK WE'RE HEARING
[01:40:01]
THAT FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS, PRETTY KEY STUDENTS, BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'S LIKE A BALANCE HERE TO FIGURE OUT IS IT FOR ONE BEDROOM, IS IT FOR SPECIFIC KINDS OF CONFIGURATIONS? IS IT NECESSARILY THE GLAZED WALL? BUT YOU CAN HAVE OTHER KINDS OF OPENINGS.I WOULDN'T WANNA BE STRINGENT ENOUGH IN SAYING THAT ALL OF THAT GOES AWAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ONE BEDROOM AND STUDIO APARTMENT SWAT OUR CITY THAT ACTUALLY HAVE BORROWED LIGHT FOR THE BEDROOMS AS WELL.
SO I THINK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CAUTION TO FIGURE OUT, AND I KNOW, UH, COUNCILOR CADRE'S STAFF IS LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE IN THE FOR AND AGAINST SPEAKING, SO ANYBODY SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST OR PROPOSING, SORRY, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UH, YES, I JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE, UH, VICE CHAIR'S WORK ON THIS AND TO SECOND THE IDEA OF BRINGING THIS FORWARD AS AN ITEM TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR UNO UPDATES COMING FORWARD LATER THIS YEAR AND I'D LIKE, I THINK WE'VE HEARD CONSISTENTLY FROM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE AFFORDABLE AND REALLY GREAT HABITABLE SPACES FOR THEM TO LIVE IN.
SO, UM, DOING WHAT WE CAN BOTH IN TERMS OF THAT WORK AT COUNCIL AS WELL AS THESE MORE TECHNICAL ITEMS, I THINK IS CRITICAL.
UM, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS OVERLOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT COULD END UP CAUSING A LOT OF, UM, LESS THAN IDEAL BEDROOMS TO BE BUILT FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WHO OF COURSE HAVE SPECIFIC NEEDS RELATED TO THEIR, UM, STUDIES AND WHATNOT.
SO I THINK REALLY FLAGGING THIS FOR STAFF AND ENSURING THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE A DISCUSSION POINT, I THINK IS A GREAT STEP.
UM, CAN I, CAN I ASK THAT THE ITEM BE REREAD? YES.
SO I'LL READ WHAT I HAD, WHICH WAS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
AND I'M OPEN TO ANY AND ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUBSTITUTES.
OTHER SPEAKERS FOR OR AGAINST? YES.
I DO WANNA SAY I, I THINK MR. ANDERSON SORT OF RAISES A GOOD POINT IF, AGAIN, I'M SORT OF TRYING TO DO THIS FROM THE D WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING DONE THE ENGAGEMENT WORK THAT GOES INTO IT.
SINCE THE MOTION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE IN SECONDARY, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO MY OWN MOTION.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD ADD AT THE END, COMMA, WITH CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
SO IT WOULD NOW READ GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY WITH CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER WOODS, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? OKAY.
LET THIS GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
THIS IS ON THE AMENDMENT TO VICE CHAIR'S AMENDMENT THAT ADDS, UM, A CLAUSE, UH, ABOUT ENGAGEMENT.
CAN WE STRIKE THE WORD SPECIFICALLY? THANK YOU.
UH, CHAIR, GO AHEAD AND SECOND THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ON THIS? OKAY.
THE WORD SPECIFICALLY IS BEING STRUCTURED WOULD NOW READ GEN AS AMENDED.
IT WOULD READ GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY WITH CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
OKAY, EVERYBODY CLEAR? LET'S VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
AND THEN GO BACK TO OUR BASE AMENDMENT FROM VICE CHAIR.
DO YOU WANNA READ IT AGAIN? YES.
I THINK WE'RE SPECIFICALLY OH, WE'RE GOING ALL THE WAY BACK.
SO AS AMENDED IS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WINDOWLESS BEDROOMS IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY WITH CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? LET'S VOTE ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR.
COMMISSIONER HANEY HAD ANOTHER AMENDMENT.
I GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
NO, I HEARD BASE MOTION AND I WAS LIKE, WHOA, WHOA.
SO WE'LL START WITH JUST YOUR GENERAL IDEA FOR THIS AMENDMENT.
UM, THIS IS JUST A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO STUDY THE POSSIBILITY OF ALLOWING SINGLE STAIRWAYS FOR BUILDINGS OF UP
[01:45:01]
TO EIGHT STORIES.UM, DID YOU WANNA PROVIDE, CAN EXPLAIN FURTHER IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, YEAH, WHY DON'T YOU PROVIDE SOME MORE EXPLANATION AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AS UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL SAID, UH, SIX STORIES IS, IS A GOOD, GOOD STARTING POINT AND UH, THAT PUTS US KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS ISSUE, UM, IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT I SEE NO REASON THAT AUSTIN COULDN'T BE, YOU KNOW, THE ABSOLUTE LEADER ON THIS ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO, UH, I WOULD LOVE FOR STAFF TO AT LEAST STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF, UH, GOING UP TO EIGHT STORIES ON THIS.
ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER HANEY? ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'LL TURN IT INTO A MOTION.
SO YOU COULD EITHER REPEAT OR JUST SAY AS STATED IF YOU WANTED TO UPDATE ANYONE, UH, AS STATED IS JUST MINE.
ANYBODY WANTING TO, UM, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK FOR I THINK EVERYTHING'S ALREADY BEEN SET.
OTHERS SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST? ALRIGHT, LET'S VOTE ON THIS.
THAT IS 10 TO ZERO WITH COMMISSIONER JOHNSON OFF CAMERA.
OTHER AMENDMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL GO BACK TO NOW OUR BASE MOTION, WHICH WAS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UM, AS AMENDED WITH THE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE VOTED THROUGH THIS EVENING.
UM, ANYONE, ANYBODY WANTING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST? VICE CHAIR.
I'LL JUST MAKE A A A, YOU KNOW, A FEW QUICK COMMENTS HERE.
ONE, I JUST REALLY WANNA THANK THE WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS AND STAFF AS WELL FOR ENGAGING WITH FOLKS AND REALLY TRYING TO BE CREATIVE IN FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
I KNOW THE WORKING GROUP HAD, UM, WORKED REALLY WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS PUSHING FOR THE IDEA OF SORT OF SINGLE STEER AS WELL.
AND I KNOW IN, IN THE LARGER UNIVERSE OF THINGS, IT SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A WONKY, TECHNICAL THING TO TALK ABOUT WITH SINGLE STEER, BUT IT'S REALLY WORTH MENTIONING THAT OPENING UP THAT OPPORTUNITY IN OUR LOCAL CODE DOES ALLOW A LOT OF WALKUP RENTAL UNITS THAT WE DO SEE IN OTHER CITIES.
FOLKS OFTEN GO TO PLACES SUCH AS DENVER OR OTHER PLACES LIKE NEW YORK AND TALK ABOUT THOSE SINGLE WALKUPS THAT WE SEE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SETTING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO FRANKLY, I THINK THIS DOES DO REALLY CRITICAL WORK TO OPENING THAT DOOR AND ALLOWING MORE HOUSING CHOICE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
AND OF COURSE, BY DOING SO, THE OTHER THING IT DOES IS IT ADDS IN A LOT MORE ATTAINABLE HOUSING WHERE PREVIOUSLY FOLKS MIGHT NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IT WITH JUST THAT SORT OF SIMPLE CHANGE AND IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN GREATER PARTS OF OUR CITY.
SO REALLY EXCITING WORK AND I THANK THE WORKING GROUP AND STAFF FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? UM, I THINK I WANNA ECHO VICE CHAIR, UH, AZAR WORK ON THIS AND JUST TO NOTE THAT THIS, UH, PROCESS, AS YOU PROBABLY CAN TELL FROM THE NUMBER IS STARTED IN 2024 IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR TO BE, AND HERE WE ARE IN MARCH IN 2025.
SO THESE ARE VERY COMPLICATED CODE AMENDMENTS.
SO I DO REALLY WANNA THANK, UM, DSD FOR LEADING THE WORK ON THIS FOR ALL THE STAFF TECHNICAL STAFF WHO'VE WORKED ON THESE ISSUES.
UM, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL THIS THURSDAY AND SPEAK ON THESE TECHNICAL BUILDING CODES, WHICH I THINK AS VICE CHAIR HAS, ARE NOTED, CAN BE SEEN AS QUITE WONKY AND TECHNICAL, BUT DO HAVE A VERY MATERIAL IMPACT IN HOW AND WHAT WE BUILD IN OUR CITY.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THESE, IT HAS TAKEN A MOMENT TO, FOR US TO GET TO THIS PLACE, BUT WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO SEE IT COMING TO CITY COUNCIL AND DELIGHTED THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, UPDATES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO UNLOCK SOME REALLY AMAZING BUILDINGS HERE IN OUR CITY.
SO THANK YOU TO THE WORKING GROUP AND TO OUR STAFF AND OF COURSE FOR THE, TO THE SUPPORT OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THIS EVENING.
I'M LOOKING AT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE RIGHT HERE OF SEATTLE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SINGLE STAIR BUILDING.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT WHEN YOU ALLOW HOUSING TO BE SAFELY BUILT AND MORE EFFICIENT, THAT YOU JUST LOWER THE COST OF HOUSING.
AND, UM, CHRIS GANNON AND A I A HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT CHART CHARTS SHOWING THAT IF YOU ALLOW THE SAME NUMBER OF HOMES AND YOU ALLOW SINGLE STAIR, YOU'LL ACTUALLY GET MORE UNITS, MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE MORE STAIRCASES LOCATED CLOSER TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE AVERAGE UNIT IN THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND IT'S JUST SUCH A NO BRAINER AND I'M, I'M EXCITED FOR US TO GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY AND LEGALIZE SMART HOUSING.
UNLESS THERE'S ANYONE SPEAKING AGAINST, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR.
[01:50:01]
ALL RIGHT, THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.ALL RIGHT, GREAT WORK COMMISSIONERS.
WE'RE DONE WITH OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, WE'LL MOVE ON
[WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES]
TO WORKING GROUP, UH, AND COMMITTEE UPDATES.SO STARTING WITH NUMBER 37 CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEK AND I WAS NOT THERE, BUT VICE CHAIR, UM, THANK YOU CHAIR.
THE, THE WORKING GROUP LOOKED AT THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY UPDATE, UM, AND THE WORK, UH, SORRY THE CODES AND ORANGE JOINT COMMITTEE LOOKED AT IN THE CODES NOR ORANGES JOINT COMMITTEE HAS ASKED FOR THAT ITEM TO COME BACK.
SO IT IS STILL LIKELY GONNA BE COMING TO US ON SCHEDULE, BUT THAT WAS THE MAIN ITEM OF DISCUSSION THERE.
NUMBER 38, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE.
UM, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON IS OFF CAMERA AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE NO LONGER ON THE COMMISSION, SO WE CAN MOVE PAST THAT ONE.
NUMBER 39 JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE CHAIR.
NUMBER 40, SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
WE'RE MEETING, I THINK WE'RE MEETING ON THE NINTH, APRIL.
NUMBER 41 SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING IN SOMETIME, UH, LAST WEEK AND I, WE DID DISCUSS SOME, UM, CONSIDERATIONS OF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AS A BODY GIVEN THE CURRENT DELAY IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD, UH, PLANNING, I SAY SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY PLAN.
SO, UM, THAT WAS A FRUITFUL DISCUSSION AND WILL HOPEFULLY HELP US MANAGE SOMETHING OF A PUD CASES, WHICH WILL COME TO US FIRST AND THEN HERE TO PC.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUILDING IS WORKING GROUP AND CHAIR.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY UPDATE AT THIS TIME.
AND NUMBER 43, THE OUTREACH AND PROCEDURES WORKING GROUP.
WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS SERVING THAT ARE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
NUMBER 44, THE 2024 TECHNICAL BUILDING CODE UPDATES WORKING GROUP.
WE SAW THE WORK HERE THIS EVENING.
SO THAT WORKING GROUP, UM, WILL SUNSET
I'M TAKING OVER CHAIRING THIS WORKING GROUP AND WE ARE WORKING TO SCHEDULE OUR FIRST MEETING FOR SOME TIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
NUMBER 46, THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND VISION PLANS WORKING GROUP.
I SUPPOSE I AM THE DEFACTO CHAIR FOR THIS WORKING GROUP AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE HAD ONE MEETING IN A WORKING TO SCHEDULE A SECOND MEETING BEFORE THIS ITEM COMES BACK TO US ON APRIL 22ND.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UM, WELL THIS KIND OF FALLS UNDER THIS CATEGORY, UM, HAVE SOME HOUSEKEEPING THINGS.SO THERE IS A PLANNING COMMISSION BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT IS DUE FROM THIS BODY, UM, IDEALLY BY THE END OF MARCH, BUT WE'RE ALMOST THERE.
SO LOOKING INTO APRIL, UM, IF THERE WAS INTEREST FROM ANYONE ON THIS BODY TO FORM A WORKING GROUP, THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GAUGE INTEREST IN THAT.
COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, UM, I, I HAVE WORKED ON THIS ITEM PREVIOUSLY AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO SO AGAIN IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME DO THAT.
SO ANOTHER SUGGESTION, UM, IS COMING TO MIND THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A WORKING GROUP.
INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS COULD JUST SEND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO CHAIR, IF THAT IS AMENABLE TO EVERYBODY, I WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL MAKING THAT REQUEST AND THEN PEOPLE CAN SEND THOSE SUGGESTIONS TO ME.
UM, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, YOU'LL SEND AN EMAIL TO OUR STAFF OR STAFF WILL SEND AN EMAIL AND UH, EVERYBODY WILL RESPOND TO STAFF, NOT YOU.
ALRIGHT, UM, SOMETHING ELSE TO PUT ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR IS, UM, THE OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND SECRETARY, UM, ARE COMING UP IN APRIL.
AND IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE, MY LAST MEETING AS CHAIR AND AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER WILL BE APRIL 8TH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ADD AN AGENDA ITEM FOR OUR NEXT MEETING THAT WOULD HAVE US HOLD OUR ELECTIONS.
IF IT NEEDS TO BE POSTPONED, THAT WOULD BE FINE, BUT, BUT YOU WOULD JUST BE OPERATING WITHOUT A CHAIR FOR THAT LAST, ACTUALLY THE LAST TWO MEETINGS IN APRIL.
SO IS THERE A SECOND OR A CO-SPONSOR? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, UM, WILL PENDING OUR WORKLOAD ON THE APRIL 8TH MEETING.
UM, WE'LL ALSO BE VOTING, SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THOSE ROLES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED, WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, UM, AND, UH, AND MAYBE DISCUSS
[01:55:01]
WHAT THE, WHAT THE WORKLOAD LOOKS LIKE.UM, AND COME WITH, UM, UH, OUR VOTING PROCESS.
I GUESS WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW.
SO THE VOTING PROCESS IS, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD SEE NOMINATIONS.
TYPICALLY THOSE WOULD GO TO, UH, STAFF LIAISON, MYSELF AND VICE CHAIR.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING, JUST SEND AN EMAIL.
UM, ON APRIL 8TH, WE WOULD TAKE UP THE, UM, THE NOMINATIONS FOR EACH POSITION IN THE ORDER THAT ARE, THEY'RE RECEIVED.
UM, JUST UH, UM, TO TRY TO BE FAIR.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY NOMINEES THAT EVENING, THOSE WOULD ALSO BE ADDED TO THE LIST.
AND THE WAY THAT WE VOTE IS WE WOULD START WITH THE FIRST IN LINE NOMINEE AND WE WOULD HAVE EACH COMMISSIONER VOTE YAY OR NAY OR ABSTAIN, HOWEVER YOU WISH TO, TO CATALOG YOUR VOTE.
AND THEN ONCE WE REACH SEVEN, THE VOTE IS DONE AND THAT PERSON IS ELECTED AS AN OFFICER.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UM, THAN YOU MIGHT PERCEIVE, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, A REFRESHER OF OUR VOTING PROCEDURES.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM I HAVE IS, UM, WITH SOME OF OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS COMING ON, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS ROLLING OFF.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE LAST FEW PAGES OF OUR AGENDA, THE WORKING GROUP AND COMMITTEE UPDATES, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE AROUND AND JOIN OTHER WORKING GROUPS AND COMMITTEES.
SO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOUR INTEREST IS.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE EACH COMMISSIONER TO SERVE ON AT LEAST ONE OF THESE.
UM, SO, UH, MAYBE SPEAK WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE SERVING NOW.
UM, THERE ARE WEBSITES FOR THE OFFICIAL COMMITTEES, UM, WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
UM, SO THAT DETERMINING WHO WISHES TO MOVE TO WHICH WORKING GROUP AND COMMITTEE COULD HAPPEN AFTER.
I RECOMMEND AFTER WE GET ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS IN PLACE.
UM, MOVING ON, I DO WANT TO HAVE AN APRIL 1ST ATTENDANCE CHECK.
THIS IS OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR, UH, THAT WE'LL BE HAVING WITH CITY COUNCIL ON THE PRESERVATION BONUS.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST GO AROUND AND WE CAN GET A FAIRLY ACCURATE QUORUM CHECK.
SO COMMISSIONER AHMAD, I'LL BE THERE.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, I'LL BE THERE.
UM, I WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY COMM, VICE CHAIR.
AND JUST TO REMIND FOLKS, THIS MEETING STARTS AT 2:00 PM THAT IS CORRECT.
I WON'T BE ABLE TO ATTEND MR. HANEY.
COMMISSIONER BARRE RAMIREZ, I'LL BE THERE.
AND COMMISSIONER HOWARD? I WILL NOT BE THERE.
AND COMMISSIONER JOHNSON? I WILL NOT CHAIR COHEN.
AND TRUSTEE HUNTER? YES, I WILL BE THERE.
CAN WE DO A ROUGH COUNT ON THAT? DID I COUNT IT CORRECTLY? IT'S, THAT'S SEVEN.
WE MIGHT HAVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO MIGHT BE SEATED BY THEN.
I'LL JUST TELL Y'ALL, UM, WITH SEVEN WE CAN MAKE IT.
BUT IF THERE'S ONE PERSON WHO HAS AN ISSUE, THEN THE ENTIRE MEETING CANNOT PROCEED.
AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS, IF WE'RE JUST SEVEN REMINDER, NOBODY'S ALLOWED TO GET OFF THE DICE.
IF THEY NEED WATER, NEED TO COUGH, NEED TO GO TO THE RESTROOM, THERE'S NO RELIEF.
SO ONE MORE PERSON WOULD HONESTLY MAKE LIFE VERY EASY.
WE DO HAVE, WELL I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE THE TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
ONE SEAT IS VACANT AND, UM, IF COMMISSIONER LAND GETS HER TRAINING DONE IN TIME, MAYBE.
DO WE HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING STAFF IF COMMISSIONER LAND MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE.
'CAUSE THAT IS AROUND THE CORNER, SO, OKAY.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY, VERY TIGHT.
UM, ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.
I KNOW YOU KIND OF MENTIONED THIS ALREADY, BUT I DUNNO IF WE NEED TO PUT THEM ON AS WELL, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT WE PUT ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS RELATED TO THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE DIFFERENT, UH, WORKING GROUPS AND COMMITTEES, ESSENTIALLY.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
ALRIGHT, LAST CALL FOR OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, WE, UH, ARE ADJOURNING THIS EVENING AT 8 0 1.