[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
UM, THIS IS AN REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
MAY 7TH, 2025 AT 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UH, DO WE HAVE, HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING? DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE MINUTES? MOTION FROM BRIER? I'LL SECOND.
JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, I DUNNO.
IS THERE, HAVE IS THE ROAD, SORRY.
HAS THE ROLL CALL BEEN? CAN WE DO ROLL CALL DURING THE MOTION OF THIS PART? IT NEEDS TO BE SEPARATE.
AND THE, UH, ANNIE AND ISABELLA, IF YOU COULD TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON PLEASE.
UM, WE'LL START WITH OUR REMOTE FOLKS.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UH, ADVISED THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TO MAYBE START WITH BEFORE THE MINUTES.I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT PASSING THOSE MINUTES.
SO FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, FIRST UP WE HAVE JONATHAN KOONS.
DOES THAT WORK? SORRY, I WAS ASKED TO SIT HERE BY JACKSON 'CAUSE HE SAID THE CLICKER DOESN'T REACH THAT FAR.
UM, SO, UH, I'M JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK PREVIEW, LIKE A MOVIE TRAILER OF SOMETHING IS COMING UP ON THE AGENDA SOON, UH, TO THIS PROPERTY, NEXT TO THE 360 BRIDGE.
UM, LET ME SEE IF THIS'LL WORK.
UM, THE PUD THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2018 ACTUALLY REQUIRES THAT WE BUILD, UH, AN 800 FOOT LONG ELEVATOR, UH, DOWN TO THE LAKE.
UM, THE, UH, WAY THE PUD WAS WRITTEN, WE CAN'T GET A CO UNTIL THE ELEVATOR HAS BEEN BUILT.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, UH, WELL, LET'S SEE, THIS THING'S A LITTLE BIT OFF HERE.
UH, WE'VE AGREED, REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE SOME LAND NEXT DOOR THAT'LL ALLOW US TO JUST DRIVE DOWN TO THE LAKE.
UH, THAT'LL ENABLE US TO REMOVE THE FUNICULAR AND JUST DRIVE DOWN THE HILLSIDE INSTEAD, UH, IF THE PUTT IS A MOVE, IS, UH, AMENDED TO REMOVE THIS CART PATH.
UM, SORRY, IT'S TAKING ME LIKE THREE CLICKS TO GET THE THING TO GO.
UH, MY WIFE AND I, UH, FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS VIEW MANY YEARS AGO, BUT COULDN'T AFFORD TO BE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE.
UH, I'M NOT A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER BY TRADE.
I STARTED A BUSINESS IN MY DORM CALLED 1-800-CONTACTS AND MADE A MOVIE WITH MY BROTHER, UH, CALLED NAPOLEON DYNAMITE.
N NEITHER OF WHICH YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE RELEVANT TO REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE HAD KIND OF AN UNUSUAL APPROACH.
UH, MOST DEVELOPERS HIRE LAWYERS TO INSULATE THEM FROM THEIR NEIGHBORS.
UH, WE DECIDED TO FLIP THAT AND INSULATE OUR NEIGHBORS FROM OUR LAWYERS.
UH, SO WE DID A LOT OF MEETINGS WITH NEIGHBORS, BUT WE NEVER INVITED, UH, OUR LAWYERS TO ATTEND.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS IS GONNA BE A FOUR SEASONS.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE FIRST, UH, PURELY RESIDENTIAL RESORT FOUR SEASONS HAS EVER DONE.
THAT'S KIND OF A BIG DEAL FOR AUSTIN, BUT IT'S ALSO CREATING THE FIRST PUBLIC PARK, UH, THAT'S BEEN CREATED ON LAKE AUSTIN A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, WE FOLLOWED THE ADVICE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR, WHICH WAS, UH, MEET WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, ASK 'EM WHAT THEY WANT, AND DO THAT.
UM, THAT RESULTED IN 11 LETTERS FROM HOAS ENDORSING THE PROJECT, REPRESENTING 3000 HOMEOWNERS.
UM, AND THIS IS A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE GREET PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT WITH A PHOTO TAKEN FROM HERE.
UM, IT'S ALSO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE LOVE TO COME AND TAKE SELFIES.
UH, INSTAGRAM HAS MADE THAT EVEN MORE POPULAR.
UH, THEY ALSO COME BACK AND GET MARRIED HERE.
UM, VERY LOW COST, UH, TO GET MARRIED HERE.
THESE PEOPLE BROUGHT CHAIRS ALL THE WAY UP THERE.
UM, BUT THERE'S FIVE NO PARKING SIGNS HERE.
IT'S CURRENTLY VERY DANGEROUS IN, UH, AND ILLEGAL TO PARK THERE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE DOZENS OF CARS THAT'S A HALF, HALF A MILE DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH CARS PARKED ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HIGHWAY.
SO WE WANT TO TURN THAT OFFICIALLY INTO A PARK, UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE P UH, AND WE PAY FOR ALL THAT, THE LAND, THE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE ONGOING OPERATING COSTS.
THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY FOR DOING THAT.
THAT CLIFF COULD HAVE HAD 12 HOMES ON IT.
THERE WAS A PUD APPROVED BACK TO 1987 THAT WE AMENDED AND GOT RID OF THOSE 12 HOME LOTS AND GAVE THEM TO
[00:05:01]
THE CITY AS A PARK.IT COULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE THIS CLIFF ON LAKE TRAVIS.
UM, BUT INSTEAD WE MOVED OUR DEVELOPMENT 2000 FEET BACK.
WE, UH, PRESERVED 2,400 FEET OF SHORELINE, UH, AND TURNED 12 OF THE HOME LOTS ON THE CLIFF INTO A PARK INSTEAD.
UM, THAT ALSO TURNED 90 OF THE 145 ACRES INTO OPEN, UH, GREEN SPACE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, TO ADDRESS OUR NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE VIEWS, I WENT TO EVERY HOME NEXT DOOR, TOOK A PHOTO PHOTO FROM THEIR TERRACE, UH, AND THEN GAVE EVERY NEIGHBOR A COPY OF THE, A RENDERING OF THE VIEW FROM THE SCENE FROM THEIR HOUSE.
THE FUNICULAR FUNICULAR WAS NEVER SOMETHING THE CITY WANTED, BUT IT MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE.
UH, IT'S GONNA MAKE A 64 FOOT DEEP HOLE ON THE LAKE FRONT.
UH, BUT IF WE AMEND THE PUD, UH, WE CAN JUST DO A PATH, UH, DOWN THE HILLSIDE INSTEAD.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE SIGN UP FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION OR NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GONNA APPROVE THESE MINUTES.UM, LET'S START WITH IF EVERYBODY WILL JUST RAISE YOUR HANDS, UH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
I WAS NOT HERE, SO I ABSTAIN FROM THAT.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM HOW, UH, COMMISSIONERS FIERRO AND SHANG SUE WERE VOTING IF THEY WERE VOTING FOR OR ABSTAINING OR AGAINST, UH, LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE VOTES.
NO, I'M FOUR FOUR BAR YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, CORRECT? YEAH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, LIFEWORKS.
IS THAT CORRECT? OH, NO, I'M SORRY.
[2. Discussion of the 2024 Watershed Protection Annual Report – Jorge Morales, Director, Watershed Protection Department]
LIZ, I BELIEVE IT'S DISCUSSION OF THE 2024 WATERSHED PROTECTION ANNUAL REPORT.JORGE MORALES, DIRECTOR OF THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT.
AND FOR THE COMMISSIONERS I HAVE NOT MET WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE COMMISSION.
UM, I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT, UM, IF WE COULD PULL UP THE, UM, REPORT.
IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, UH, AS THE ATTACHMENT FOR YOUR, UH, BACKUP AGENDA.
WE DID INCLUDE A, A SHORT MEMO WAS A LINK TO IT.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA BRIEFLY GO THROUGH IT, SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND MAIN THING WAS JUST TO EXPOSE EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE THIS REPORT OUT THERE.
UM, WE STARTED DOING AN ANNUAL REPORT IN 2020.
WE HAD NOT BEEN DOING THOSE BEFORE.
WE'VE DONE THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT, WHICH IS COMING UP NEXT, AND THIS WILL PRESENT THAT ONE.
BUT, UH, WE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT? PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHAT'S THE CITY EMPLOYEES DOING SINCE THEY'RE VIRTUAL, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, THIS ONE IS A 2024 REPORT, BUT WE DO HAVE A LINK TO 2023 AT THE VERY TOP THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON AND IT'LL TAKE YOU TO LAST YEAR, SEE IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S.
CAN WE SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT? SO IT STARTS OUT BRIEFLY WITH A MESSAGE FROM THE, UH, CITY MANAGER, A SHORT MESSAGE, AND THEN ONE FROM ME AS WELL, WHICH IS OUR THEME THIS YEAR WAS REFLECTING, UH, LOOKING BACK ON WHAT WE'VE DONE.
AND SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
YOU CAN KEEP SCROLLING DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE START OUT BY HIGHLIGHTING SOME KEY MILESTONES.
UM, MAN, I NEED SOME BETTER CLASSES, BUT
REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD AN EMERGENCY RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAY.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WATER UTILITY AND, AND, AND WE'RE ABLE TO REPAIR THAT IN VERY SHORT TIME FRAME.
UH, RELATIVELY SPEAKING TOO, WHAT IT TAKES TO DO SOME OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, ALSO, UH, JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE, WE DID START PHASE TWO, THE CONFLUENCE OF WATERLOO PARK.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT.
WE'RE ABOUT TO END THAT PHASE AND ONTO THE NEXT PHASE.
UM, ANOTHER ONE LITTLE BEAR RECHARGE ENHANCEMENT PROJECT.
THAT'S A, AN IDEA THAT STARTED 20 YEARS AGO AND WE ACTUALLY BROKE GROUND.
AND WE'RE WRAPPING THAT PROJECT UP AS WELL, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY DIVERTING WATER FROM LITTLE BEAR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST WATER BECAUSE IT DRAINS FROM A LOT OF A WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LENS, UH, INTO THE AQUIFER, WHICH IS EXPOSED OUT THERE IN THAT PART OF THE REGION.
AND SO, UH, WE HIGHLIGHT THAT PROJECT AS WELL.
CAN WE SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE? I'M JUST GONNA SH YOU JUST KIND OF TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE.
THE, THE FUNDS THAT WE SUPPORT, WE WERE VERY, VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
WE ACTUALLY CREATED A POSITION FOR GRANTS BECAUSE WE KNEW WE, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP INCREASING THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE, RIGHT? THAT'S THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT AS MAYBE YOU, YOU'VE READ, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF GRANTS THAT CAME TO A HALT THIS YEAR, BUT WE HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE ACHIEVED IN 2024 AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, IMPORTANT MILESTONES THERE.
CAN WE KEEP SCROLLING DOWN? OUTREACH IS A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO, UH, EDUCATION.
AND SO WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
[00:10:01]
THERE AS WELL.AND WE CAN KEEP SCROLLING DOWN.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE THEME, I'M JUST EXPOSING YOU TO IT.
AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND CLICK ON IT BECAUSE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S TOOL'S OUT THERE.
AND AS A COMMISSION, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING WE'RE MISSING THAT WE, YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO REPORT ON NEXT YEAR? AND WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO NEXT YEAR'S REPORT AS WELL.
UH, METRICS ON THINGS WE'VE DONE AS, AS RELATE TO FLOODING.
AND WE DO EMBED SOME VIDEOS AND PICTURES AS YOU LOOK AT THESE, UH, IMAGES.
YOU KNOW, YOU HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE DID AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THE VIDEOS.
UM, DO YOU MIND CLICKING ON JUST ONE OF THEM REAL QUICK JUST TO SHOWCASE.
YOU CAN EVEN DO SOUND TOO ON SOME OF THESE, UH, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE CREWS ARE OUT THERE DOING WORK OR THE PROJECT WE'RE DOING.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT WE CAN KEEP SCROLLING DOWN TO THE NEXT ONE.
UH, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK, UH, ME MEADOW.
THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S COMING TO A CONCLUSION.
WE HAD TO PAUSE IT, GET A NEW CONTRACT ON THAT PROJECT.
IN BETWEEN THAT WE HAD 60 HOMES FLOOD IN 2023, YOU MAY RECALL THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT PROJECT'S COMING TO A CONCLUSION, IT'S GONNA DIVERT A GOOD AMOUNT OF THE WATER THAT CURRENTLY FLOODS A LOT OF THOSE HOMES, UH, ON LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.
CAN WE KEEP GOING? EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS A THING THE CITY DOES, AND THE WATERSHED IS FOCUSED, UH, QUITE A BIT ON MAKING SURE WE'RE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT EVENT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT FLOODING DURING THE PANDEMIC.
OUR STAFF SUPPORTED QUITE A BIT OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE DURING THE WINTER STORM WATER OUTAGES.
AND SO WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, THE WORK WE'VE DONE, ESPECIALLY IN GETTING TRAINED AND HAVING OVER 70% OF OUR STAFF TRAINED IN THE FEMA RESPONSE, UH, UH, TRAINING THAT WE'VE DONE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY FOR FLOODING, EROSION OR WATER POLLUTION TYPE STUFF, BUT ANY EMERGENCY THE CITY HAS AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
CAN YOU KEEP SCROLLING, EROSION? WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, THE, THE METRICS ON THE EROSION AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN KEEP GOING, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES AS WELL, LIKE WE DID ON THE OTHER ONE.
SO A FEW VIDEOS IN THERE AS WELL.
JUST HIGHLIGHTING A FEW OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
WELL, THAT ONE'S GOT SOUND RIGHT AND, UH, WE DO QUITE A BIT OF WORK WITH CONTRACTORS, BUT OUR CREWS ACTUALLY DO A LOT OF THIS WORK AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, AMOUNT OF OPERATION CREWS THAT ACTUALLY CAN GO OUT THERE AND DO SMALL SCALE OR MID-SCALE PROJECTS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CAN WE KEEP SCROLLING DOWN? AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S VERY INTERACTIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PICTURES ROY G. GUERRERO, THE LARGEST EROSION UH, REPAIR PROJECT WE'VE DONE IN, IN THE HISTORY OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S COMING TO AN END AS, AS WELL.
AND, UH, UH, IT'S A VERY IMPRESSIVE PROJECT.
SO WE'LL BE DOING A RIBBON CUTTING SOON FOR THAT ONE.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, I ONCE WE OPEN IT UP, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY ON THE REPAIR THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO OUT THERE.
CAN WE KEEP GOING? OUR WATER QUALITY STREAM START RESTORATION ALSO HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE'VE DONE THE, ESPECIALLY THE IN-HOUSE PROJECTS.
CAN YOU KEEP SCROLLING ON THIS ONE TOO? HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE METRICS THAT WE DO, UH, IN PROTECTING OUR, OUR WATERWAYS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT ON YOUR PHONE TOO, BY THE WAY.
UH, YOU'RE SEEING IT THIS WAY RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE IT'S ON A COMPUTER, BUT YOU SEE IT ON A PHONE.
IT CHANGES THE FORMAT TO BE MOBILE FRIENDLY, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SQUINTING.
IT'S ACTUALLY EASIER, ACTUALLY, I THINK, ON THE PHONE THAN IT IS ON THE COMPUTER.
WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE VIDEOS ARE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE ACTUALLY ADDED A, A VIDEOGRAPHER TO OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE EDUCATION'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SOME OF THE VIDEOS, WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE VIDEOS.
UH, THE POOPER TRADER, IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT, GO CHECK IT OUT.
BUT THEY'RE VERY EDUCATIONAL AND I THINK THEY, THEY HELP, UH, TELL THE MESSAGE OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT LET YOUR DOG JUST POOP IN THE GROUND.
UH, LET'S KEEP GOING, OF COURSE.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BARTON SPRINGS PROTECTION WORK.
WE DO, UH, WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE METRICS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE, OVER THE YEAR AS WELL.
AND I DO WANNA, UH, JUST EMPHASIZE THIS IS A FISCAL YEAR.
SO IT GOES FROM, UM, THE FISCAL YEAR, NOT THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO IT ENDS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
SO IT STARTS IN OCTOBER OF 23 AND IT GOES TO SEPTEMBER, UH, 2024.
WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OTHER METRICS THAT WE HAVE ON INVESTIGATIVE STUFF THAT WE DO CONTINUE TO GO DOWN.
WE'RE ALMOST AT THE END, UM, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING,
AND WE HIGHLIGHT SOME REPORTS, INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE DONE, SOME AWARDS THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, RECEIVED AS WELL.
OH, SOME OF THE EQUITY WORK THAT WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO AT THE DEPARTMENT, WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF OUR UPDATING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, REFERRED TO AS RAIN TO RIVER.
AND SO WE ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP AND WE HAD QUITE A BIT OF, UH, MEETINGS WITH THEM AS WELL.
IF YOU WANNA SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE AND IT'LL, IT'LL EMPHASIZE SOME OF THE KICKOFF MEETINGS WE'VE HAD.
AND SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR WATERSHED STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE WANT TO UPDATE AND BRING IT EVENTUALLY BACK TO COUNCIL TO FORMALIZE IT.
[00:15:02]
AND THAT TAKES US TO THE END, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT, SHOWCASE IT.IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, YOU HAVE THE BACKUP IN YOUR, IN YOUR MATERIAL, YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON THE LINK AND LINK AND GO CHECK IT OUT.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL BE OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR WE CAN JUMP RIGHT NEXT AGENDA IF YOU WANT.
MAYBE WE HEAR FROM LIZ TOO, AND THEN WE
[3. Discussion of the 2024 State of Our Environment Report – Liz Johnston, Interim Environmental Officer, Watershed Protection Department]
CAN YEAH.SAVE ALL OUR QUESTIONS TO THE END.
I'M LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M DELIGHTED TO PRESENT THE, UH, 2024 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT, UM, WHICH WILL BE COMING UP HERE IN A MINUTE.
UM, SO THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT IS A, UM, CODE MANDATED REQUIREMENT.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, UM, IF WE CAN BRING IT UP, HOPEFULLY.
UM, SO IT'S REQUIRED TO BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL EVERY APRIL.
UM, AND WHILE IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, THE DATA INCLUDED IN THE REPORT IS VERY MUCH A, UM, AN EFFORT THAT INCLUDES DATA FROM MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THE IN INFORMATION INCLUDED IS, UH, DATA FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION SCIENTISTS, UH, ABOUT OUR LAKES, CREEKS AND AQUIFERS, INCLUDING THE, UH, SALAMANDER PROGRAM.
UM, INFORMATION ABOUT AIR QUALITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE FROM THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE AND RESILIENCY, UH, URBAN FOREST INFORMATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, COMMUNITY TREE DIVISION, AND, UH, PUBLIC OPEN SPACE INFORMATION FROM OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTIN WATERS WILDLANDS PROGRAM, IF YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE AS WELL.
UM, SO IT INCLUDES A, UM, AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT I'VE, I'VE WRITTEN, UM, THIS YEAR.
IF YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW TO, UM, MEET OUR OPEN SPACE GOALS THAT ARE PART OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND, UM, SO WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD AND IMPORTANT STORY TO TELL ABOUT THE, UM, HOW THE WILDLANDS PROGRAM ACTUALLY STARTED FROM A, A PREVIOUS BOND THAT, UM, WAS A, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFULLY, UM, ENABLED WATERSHED WA OH, AUSTIN WATER, UM, OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE STAFF TO WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY LARGE TRACKS OF LANDS TO PRESERVE, UM, UH, UH, OUR, ESSENTIALLY OUR DRINK SOURCE WATER FOR OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.
UM, SO THERE'S A VIDEO ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE THING.
IT'S ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE VIDEO, BUT, UM, DO TAKE, UM, TAKE SOME TIME AND, AND, AND WATCH THAT.
UM, UH, I ALSO JUST WANNA HAVE A LOT OF APPRECIATION TO THE MULTI-TALENTED ELIZABETH FUNK WHO, UM, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GATHERING ALL OF THE DATA AND GETTING, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, INPUT AND TEXT AND INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THE REPORT.
SO HOW IT'S PRESENTED IS THE DATA IS ON THESE, UM, IT'S A STORY MAP FROM ARC GIS.
UM, SO EACH ONE OF THESE TABS BRINGS UP, UM, ANOTHER STORY MAP.
SO SINCE WE HAVE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY TREE FOLKS, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, WE CAN, UH, SHOW THEIRS CLICK ON URBAN FOREST, RIGHT? COOL.
SO THIS TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DATA AND INFORMATION METRICS RELATED TO AUSTIN'S TREE POPULATION SPECIES DIVERSITY.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TREES THAT WE HAVE? UM, KEEP GOING.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
THIS, THIS FORMAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE GRAPHS, CHARTS, AND MAPS.
I KNOW THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD MAP IN THERE, UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF INFORMATION.
SO, AND THEN THEY HAVE INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE TILES HAS SIMILAR INFORMATION.
UM, AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, LET'S START WITH THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE COMMISSIONER RESI.
I'M, BUT, UH, LOVE THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, BUT, BUT ALL VERY COOL STUFF.
SO APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT, UH, EVERYONE PUT IN AS FAR AS CONTENT WISE AND MAKING IT LOOK SWANKY.
I OPENED IT UP ON MY PHONE AND SCROLLED THROUGH BOTH REPORTS AND, AND LOVED THAT.
[00:20:01]
UM, UH, VERY ROBUST.UH, I, I, IN MY OWN WORLD, DO LIVE BY CONTROL F WHICH MAYBE GIVES, GIVES AWAY THE EXTENT OF TIME I HAVE TO REVIEW SOMETHING.
SO WHAT I AM CONTROL F-ING IS ONION CREEK.
UH, AND I, UH, YOU KNOW, REPRESENT THE DISTRICT AND IT DOES STRETCH LARGEST WATERSHED IN AUSTIN, AND IT DIDN'T SHOW UP RIGHT AWAY.
I SAW IT JUST NOW IN THE TREE COVER ONE.
YOU HAD A IMAGE THERE UP OF ONION CREEK, BUT DID GO TO THE 2023 REPORT.
AND I KNOW LITTLE BEAR CREEK IS PART OF ONION CREEK WATERSHED, BUT JUST WANNA SAY WITH THAT, THAT QUICK REVIEW, MISSED IT OR, UH, WANT, WANNA MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT THAT SPECIFICALLY ONION CREEK OR WATERSHED.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING GREAT WORK AS FAR AS THE PARKS THAT HAVE GONE IN OVER THE PREVIOUS YEARS AND, AND, AND TRYING TO SEE THE STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT KNOWN FLOODING HASS BEEN REAL STRONG, EROSION CONTROL, PERSONALLY, A BIG USER OF THE DOG PARK, BUT ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF, UH, UH, POTENTIAL WASTE GOING INTO THE CREEK.
AND SO JUST AGAIN, LOOKING TO HYPER LOCALIZED THINKING ABOUT WHERE, WHAT I REP, WHO WE REPRESENT, WHERE I LIVE.
CONTROL F ONION CREEK DIDN'T SEE IT, WILLIAMSON CREEK.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE SO MANY CREEKS AND PEOPLE ARE SUPER INTERESTED IN THE QUALITY OF, UM, THE WATER THAT FLOWS THROUGH THEIR, SOMETIMES THEIR BACKYARD THERE.
PARKS, IF YOU GO INTO THE WATERSHED TILE, UM, THERE IS, UM, AN AREA WHERE YOU CAN, THERE SHOULD BE A VIEWER WHERE YOU CAN CLICK AND FIND, UH, WHAT WE CALL EII DATA.
THERE'S A, A MAP THAT YEAH, YOU, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE, I'M CERTAIN IT'S BURIED IN THERE.
LIKE I, I, I, I DIDN'T DO IT JUSTICE.
THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, AND AGAIN, IT WAS VERY ACCESSIBLE.
I WENT RIGHT TO THE LAKES AND CREEKS AQUIFERS, CONTROL F THERE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SEE ANY.
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, PROBABLY CONTROL F WOULDN'T WORK ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S A MAP WHERE YOU CAN, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK ON A WATERSHED SEGMENT AND BRING UP ACTUAL DATA.
NOW THAT MAY NOT GIVE THE SPECIFICITY OF WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT THAT DATA IS SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, JUST TO JUSTIFY MYSELF, I ALWAYS DO CHECK WITH BARTON TO, TO SEE WHERE BARTON'S MENTIONED VERSUS ONION.
IT DOESN'T CAPTURE THE MAPS, BUT THE GENERAL NARRATIVE FOUND A HARD TIME FINDING ONION CREEK, AND I LOVE ONION CREEK.
AND I, AGAIN, GREAT WORK,
OKAY, MR. LEAKEY, I JUST WANNA SAY IT LOOKED REALLY GOOD AND I APPRECIATE, UH, Y'ALL PUTTING IN THE EFFORT, MAKING IT EASIER ON, ON US TO, TO FIND OUR OWN CREEKS IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, SOME OF 'EM ARE KIND OF HIDDEN AND, UH, UH, I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION GAVE ME PERMISSION TO PLANT SIX OAK TREES ALONG ONE OF THEIR PIECES OF LAND OVER THERE THAT I FEEL LIKE IS GONNA HELP IN THE FUTURE WITH, UH, ALL KINDS OF QUALITY.
COMMISSIONER GANGLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK Y'ALL.
THE WORK AND EFFORT IS VERY CLEAR.
UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT DO Y'ALL HAVE PLANS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND EITHER OF THESE REPORTS AND SHARING THE FINDINGS OF THE PUBLIC? WE HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN EVERY YEAR FOR, FOR THESE, UM, YEAH, IF YOU WANT TO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE REPORTS THAT COME OUT ANNUALLY, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING WE WANNA DO.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY PART OF IT IS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET THE WORD OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WONDERFUL INFORMATION HERE, THEN WE WANT PEOPLE TO, TO FIND IT.
SO WE ASKED, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH.
SO FOR BOTH REPORTS, WE DID DO, UM, IMMEDIATE RELEASE, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
THAT'S TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DID.
AND SO SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DO ASK US TO TABLE AT SOME THEIR EVENTS WHEN THEY HAVE 'EM.
SO WE'RE MORE OPEN TO COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT IF ANYBODY WANTS US TO COME OUT TO THEIR DISTRICTS.
YEAH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR TIME PREPARING THIS.
UM, I MEAN, I'LL JUST ECHO EVERYBODY'S, UM, HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR ALL THIS WORK.
I, I REALIZE BECAUSE I WENT DOWN A LOT OF RABBIT HOLES, I ALSO, I'M GRATEFUL THAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY PRESENT THIS WITH GRAVITY BECAUSE
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE'VE PROBABLY HAD CIRCULATED TO US, LIKE THE 2024 FIA OF DIET, UM, THAT WILL BE PARTICULARLY, UM, HELPFUL IN OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE COMING UP SOON.
SO JUST THANK YOU AND TO YOUR TEAMS THAT PUT AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK INTO THESE, OBVIOUSLY.
AND I REALLY LIKE THE NEW, UH, USER INTERFACE FOR THEM.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU FOR THIS VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF YOUR WORK.
I LOVE THE INCORPORATION OF THE VIDEO ELEMENT.
IT WAS SO FUN TO WATCH, WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO.
[00:25:01]
I REALLY JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE, UH, DOCUMENT ITSELF, WHICH WAS THE FIRST ONE FOR, UH, MAYBE DIRECTOR MORALES TO TALK ABOUT.UM, SO ON THE BARTON SPRINGS PROTECTION, IT SAYS 91% OF HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN GOALS WERE COMPLETED.
AND I UNDERSTAND SO MANY PEOPLE PUT THIS REPORT TOGETHER, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE GOALS ARE SET.
AND I LOVE THE 91%, OF COURSE.
I'M CURIOUS, OH, WHAT WAS THAT 9% THAT DIDN'T GET MET? WELL, THAT'S A GOOD STUMP QUESTION THAT I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO.
THAT'S, AND I ASKED MY STAFF NOT TO COME BECAUSE IF THERE WAS A QUESTION WE DIDN'T HAVE, BUT I'M GONNA ASK LIZ IF SHE HAPPENS TO HAVE MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT AND GET BACK WITH YOU.
AND, UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THE, UM, FEDERAL GRANTS WERE PAUSED OR CANCELED FOR SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND, AND WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FUNDING THOSE FROM OTHER SOURCES? UH, YES.
AS, AS YOU KNOW, THAT THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION STARTED PAUSING MANY GRANT PROGRAMS, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE WERE, THERE WAS ALSO EAR MARKS THAT THE CON CONGRESS HAD WAS GONNA ALLOCATE THAT THOSE GOT TERMINATED.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
UH, SO THERE WAS A COUPLE OF PROJECTS IN THAT AREA, BUTTERMILK, UH, PROJECT THAT WE DO HAVE SOME FUNDING THAT WE GOT THROUGH THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, SO PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD, BUT, UH, SOME OF THESE OTHER EARMARKS WOULD'VE ASSISTED WITH SOME OF THE COSTS AS WELL.
UM, THE, THE LARGER ONE THAT, IT WAS A MULTI-DEPARTMENT, UH, PROJECT IS FALWELL LANE OVER BY ONION CREEK.
SPEAKING OF ONION CREEK, UH, THAT THOSE FACILITIES GOT WASHED.
THE, THE ROAD GOT WASHED AWAY IN 20 13, 20 15.
AND SO WE WERE GETTING A $50 MILLION BRICK GRANT, AND THAT ONE GOT PAUSED AND THAT WAS GONNA BENEFIT THE WATER UTILITY FACILITY THERE.
THERE'S AN ELECTRIC PLANT THERE, UH, UH, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF EROSION THAT OCCURRED DURING THAT TIME.
SO THAT ONE'S BEEN, UM, PAUSED.
I I, I DON'T KNOW IF PAUSE IS THE RIGHT WORD OR JUST TERMINATED
UM, SO ON MY OTHER QUESTION, SO YOU MENTIONED, UM, IN THERE ABOUT THE SALAMANDER, WHICH AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH THAT.
UM, ARE, ARE ALL OF THE SPECIES ALSO, ARE THERE ALL THE ENDANGERED SPECIES? DO YOU HAVE KIND OF REPORTS ON THOSE WITHIN IT OR, OR JUST THE WATER AQUATIC ONES? WELL, YEAH, SO IN, IT'S A KIND OF THE WAY THE CITY IS, UM, ORGANIZED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PROTECTION HAS, UM, SALAMANDER BIOLOGISTS BECAUSE IT'S AN AQUATIC SPECIES.
AND WE HAVE, UM, FOLKS WHO KNOW ABOUT MUSSELS BECAUSE THEY'RE AN AQUATIC SPECIES, THOUGH AUSTIN WATERS WILDLANDS TAB HAS A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS OR, UM, SPECIES THAT ARE, UM, A PART OF THE BCC PERMIT.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE, THE NEW NEWLY LISTED ONES? BECAUSE THERE'S A PLANT ON THERE TOO, ISN'T THERE? OR AM I WRONG ENOUGH? YEAH, SO THE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEW ONES THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THREATENED AND ENDANGERED, UM, MONARCH BUTTERFLIES.
THE, UH, THERE'S A, A BAT FORGOT WHICH SPECIES IT IS.
THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY BIOLOGISTS, UM, AT LEAST IN WATERSHED THAT ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THOSE.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE BCC PERMIT YET.
SO IF, IF THEY DO BECOME PART OF THE PERMIT, THEN I THINK THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE.
I KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT GOES INTO THAT, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
[4. Name: PSH – LifeWorks at Tillery, SP-2025-0031C.SH Applicant: 3423 Tillery LLC Location: 819 Tillery Street, Austin, TX, 78702 Council District: District 3 Staff: Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department Applicant request: The applicant is seeking the removal of a Heritage tree with a single stem over 30 inches in diameter. Staff Recommendation: The request meets City Arborist approval criteria set forth in LDC 25-8-624(A)(2). The variance is recommended.]
TO PUBLIC HEARING.UH, LIFEWORKS, UH, CHAIR BRISTOL, IF YOU WOULD READ THE, UH, ENTIRE, UM, NAME PLEASE FOR THE RECORD.
UM, THIS IS, UM, PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, LIFEWORKS AT TILLERY SP DASH ZERO, I'M SORRY, DASH 2 0 2 5 DASH 0 3 1 C.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, OR GOOD EVENING.
UH, NAOMI ROMMEL, CITY ARBORIST.
I'M IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, COMMUNITY TREE DIVISION.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU AND I WELCOME ALL THE NEW FOLKS HERE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD, UM, AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
UM, THIS IS A VARIANCE REQUEST, UM, FOR
[00:30:01]
A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT.UM, THE ADDRESS IS 3 4 2 3 OR THE, THE APPLICANT'S NAME 3 4 2 3 TILLERY, UH, LLC.
THE ADDRESS IS LOCATED ON EIGHT 19 TILLERY STREET.
AND, UM, THE ORDINANCE THAT THIS VARIANCE REQUEST IS UNDER HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE LDC 25 8 6 4 1 AND 6 4 3, UH, THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING THE REMOVAL OF A HERITAGE TREE, UH, WITH A SINGLE STEM 30 INCHES IN DIAMETER, UH, WITH OVER 30 INCHES DIAMETER.
THE REQUEST MEETS THE CITY ARBOR'S APPROVAL CRITERIA SET FORTH AND SET FORTH IN 25 8 6 2 4 A TWO.
SO LITTLE BIT WHY FOR THE NEW FOLKS HERE.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, A TREE ORDINANCE THAT BEGAN, UH, ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 1983, UH, THAT PROTECTED TREES 19 INCHES AND GREATER.
UM, IN 2010, COUNCIL PASSED THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE, WHICH PROTECTED CERTAIN SPECIES LIKE YOUR OAKS, YOUR PECANS, YOUR ELMS, YOUR BALD CYPRESSES ONCE THEY REACH LIKE 24 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
UM, THIS ORDINANCE ALSO CREATED THE PUBLIC PROCESS TO, FOR A PUBLIC VARIANCE FROM THE LAND USE COMMISSION.
UM, IT'S COMPRISED NOW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, FOR A SINGLE STEM TREE GREATER THAN 30 INCHES DIAMETER.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IF IT'S NOT DEAD DISEASE AND IMMINENT HAZARD.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORDING ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS THE CODE, UH, CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL OF A HERITAGE TREE.
6 2 4 IS FOR PROTECTED TREES, WHICH ARE ALSO REFERENCED IN 6 4 2, AND THEN 6 4 3 LAND USE COMMISSION VARIANCE.
UM, THE APPLICANTS MUST DEMONSTRATE REASONABLE USE AND ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE SOUGHT AND BEEN DENIED A WAIVER MODIFICATION VARIANCE FROM ANOTHER SECTION OF CODE, UM, SAY FIRE, TRANSPORTATION, OTHER SECTIONS OF CODE, UM, AND, UM, AND ALSO THAT THEY NEED TO DEMONSTRATE, UM, ALTERNATIVE LAYOUTS, UH, DESIGNED AND, AND, UM, AND SUCH.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SITE AND THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
IT'S ZONE C-S-M-U-C-O-M-P, WHICH MEANS GENERAL COMMERCIAL SERVICES, MIXED USE, COMBINING DISTRICT CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
IT'S LOCATED IN THE BO BOGGY CREEK WATERSHED.
IT'S CLASSIFIED AS AN URBAN WATERSHED REGULATION AREA, AND THE ENTIRE LOT OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS 13 ACRES.
THE SITE WILL BE DEVELOPED IN THREE PHASES.
RIGHT NOW IT'S GOING THROUGH OUR PUBLIC PROJECTS REVIEW TEAM, AND WE HAVE OUR CITY ARBORIST STAFF REVIEWER HERE, JIM ROONEY.
UM, THE PRO, THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL CONSIST OF 120 SMART HOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS ON ONE ACRE LEASE.
THE APPLICANT WILL LATER TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY TO SUPPORT, UM, HOUSING FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE EXPERIENCING, UM, UM, UH, NON HOUSING.
THERE ARE 240 UNITS AT OR BELOW THE 80% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME, WHICH IS MFI.
AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 240 UNITS.
UM, THERE'S TWO MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND A FEW ADJACENT RETAIL RETAIL BUILDINGS, ALONG WITH ONE MAJOR DRIVEWAY ENTRY TO THE SITE FROM TILLERY STREET.
UM, THE MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH A SUBSURFACE PARKING GARAGE ALONG LIONS ROAD.
WE'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE MAP OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
UH, THE LAND USE COMMISSION VARIANCE REQUEST IS THAT ONE, UM, COMMISSIONED SIZED HERITAGE PECAN TREE.
UM, STAFF HAS BEEN OUT TO THE SITE, NOT NEITHER DEAD DISEASE, BEEN A HAZARD.
UM, AND IT'S TREE 35 1 10 PER THE LICENSE SURVEY, UM, HAS A SINGLE STEM WITH A DIAMETER OF 32 INCHES, AND IT'S BASICALLY LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE, UH, LEASE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AREA.
UM, THE APPLICANTS DID PROVIDE US WITH SEVERAL, UM, ALTERNATIVE DESIGN LAYOUTS, UM, TRYING TO SHIFT THEIR BUILDINGS.
AND THE APPLICANTS ARE IN THIS, UM, THIS HEARING AND CAN SPEAK MORE TO, UH, SPECIFICS ON THESE.
AND ALSO OUR PUBLIC PROJECTS REVIEWER CAN TALK TO US ABOUT SPECIFIC, UM, ON THAT.
SO WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF THESE ALTERNATIVE,
[00:35:01]
UH, LAYOUTS.WE'VE MET WITH OUR FIRE, UM, DEPARTMENTS.
WE'VE MET WITH TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ON, UM, THESE DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS.
UM, THIS IS AN EAST SIDE PROJECT.
THERE'S, UM, IT WAS AN OLD PECAN GROVE.
UM, THERE WERE MANY HERITAGE TREES ON THIS SITE.
UM, THE APPLICANT HAS COMMITTED TO MEET THE PRESERVATION CRITERIA IN, UM, ECM 3.5 0.2 OF 34 HERITAGE TREES ON THIS SITE.
AND ONE OF THOSE HERITAGE TREES WILL BE TRANSPLANTED ON THE SITE.
UM, THAT WAS BASED ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY FROM THE TREE MOVER.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT 3.5 0.2 IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL, I THINK SOME OF THE, UM, THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE ON THE URBAN FORESTRY SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, WE GO INTO WHAT IS THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE, THE FULL, WHAT YOU CAN IS ALLOWED IN THE HALF, AND THEN WHAT IMPACTS ARE ALLOWED IN THE QUARTER.
SO, UM, FOR INSTANCE, UM, ON ONE OF THESE MAPS OR ONE OF THESE GREEN DOTS ON HERE, UM, THE APPLICANT AND OUR FI, WE MET WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE APPLICANT, AND THEY'VE SHIFTED AND NARROWED THEIR FIRE LANE TO PRESERVE, UM, ONE OF THESE HERITAGE TREES AT THE BOTTOM.
SO, UM, THE APPLICANT HAS DEMONSTRATED US IN LIKE THAT THE DESIGN WILL BE COMPLIANT WITH PRESERVATION CRITERIA SO THAT THE REMAINING TREES WILL BE PRESERVED.
THEY'RE ALSO AT THEIR EXPENSE IMPOSING A TREE CARE PLAN FROM A REPUTABLE ARBORIST COMPANY THAT WILL MONITOR, THAT WILL LOOK AT THESE TREES THAT WILL, IF THEY'RE SHOWING SIGNS OF THAT THEY NEED WATER, UM, MULCH.
UM, SO THEY COMMITTED TO FULLY, UM, PRESERVING THESE 34 HERITAGE TREES, UM, THAT WERE IN GOOD OR FAIR CONDITION.
AND THEN THERE'S, WELL, LIKE I SAID, ONE HERITAGE TREE WILL BE TRANSPLANTED.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, STAFF HAS VISITED THE SITE SEVERAL TIMES, UM, INCLUDING FIVE STAFF MEMBERS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE TIME.
WE HAVE REQUESTED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES IN THEORA CULTURE, UH, WORLD.
SOME OF THESE CAN BE, UM, CLIMBING, TOMOGRAPHY, RESIST GRAFTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF DECAY.
UM, WE CAN SEE CAVITIES UP IN, UM, THE CROWN.
UM, A LOT OF THESE PECANS WERE NOT MAINTAINED AS SOME OF THE PARK TREES ARE.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM ARE LITERALLY FALLING APART.
UM, SO, AND ACTUALLY IT'S EIGHT TREES.
I THINK THAT'S A TYPO RIGHT THERE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UM, AND I CONFIRMED THIS WITH OUR PUBLIC PROJECTS REVIEWER, UM, ON THE SUBMITTED PLAN SHEET.
UM, FOR THESE, UH, HERITAGE TREES THAT ARE APPROVED TO BE REMOVED ARE IN POOR CONDITION.
AGAIN, THESE HAVE ALL BEEN VERIFIED BY FIVE STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING A BOARD CERTIFIED MASTER ARBORISTS, AND ALL OF US ARE, UM, CERTIFIED ARBORISTS WITH TREE RISK ASSESSMENT QUALIFICATIONS.
AND THEN TWO OF THE TREES IN FAIREN, GOOD CONDITION, UM, HAVE MET REASONABLE USE, UM, DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, ACCESS, UM, TO THE BUILDING, UM, AND SUCH.
UM, LEMME TALK ABOUT, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
IT'S, UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A NURSERY, UM, RIGHT OFF ARTILLERY STREET.
UM, IT'S GOT EXISTING UNPERMITTED IMPACTS AND SOIL COMPACTION.
UM, WE DID NOTICE SEVERAL LARGE LIMB FOIL FAILURES, UM, AND A CAVITY RIGHT UNDERNEATH ONE OF THESE LIMB FAILURES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THIS TREE IS THAT THE ATTACHMENTS ARE ALL COMING OUT FROM ONE POINT ON THE TRUNK.
AND WHEN WE SEE THIS AND WE HAVE A CAVITY BELOW THE LOAD BEARING WEIGHT ON THIS, UM, THERE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE DID HAVE THE ARBORIST COMPANY DID CLIMB IT AND IDENTIFY A CAVITY UP IN THE, UM, UPPER PART OF THE CANOPY WHERE THIS LOAD BEARING WEIGHT IS.
UM, AND I'LL GO INTO THAT NEXT, UM, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE CAVITY UNDERNEATH ALL THE LOAD BEARING WEIGHT OF THE SCAFFOLDING LIMBS.
UM, CONS ARE KNOWN FOR SELF PRUNING.
UM, THERE ARE, WHEN WE SEE DEFECTS IN A TREE, UM, WE DO TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT SLIDE, ONE OF THE MAIN SCAFFOLDING LEANS, UM, FELL AND THANKFULLY DIDN'T HIT ANYBODY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL LARGE FAILURES, UM, IN THIS TREE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A CONDITION RELATED REQUEST.
[00:40:01]
POOR CONDITION, BUT WE ARE SEEING CONCERNS WITH THE VIABILITY AND PUTTING ANY STRUCTURES UNDERNEATH THIS TREE WITH THE AMOUNT OF PREVIOUS LIMB FILLERS, LIMB FAILURES ON THAT.AND 48 INCHES DIAMETER, LIKE THIS IS ABOUT FOUR INCHES, EIGHT INCHES IS PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
LARGE DEFECTS AND LARGE FAILURES.
UH, SO WE ASKED THE, UM, APPLICANTS TO DO AN ADVANCED ASSESSMENT IN THE CROWN.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S EITHER CLIMBING, TOMOGRAPHY, RESIST GRAFT, DRILLINGS.
THERE'S CERTAIN TECHNIQUES IN THEORAL CULTURE INDUSTRY WHERE WE CAN MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF SUSPECTED DECAY.
UH, WE DID, UM, FIND SUSPECTED DECAY, UM, RIGHT BELOW THAT LOAD BEARING PORTION OF THE TREE.
UM, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE BASE OF THE TREE, WE SAW COMPACTING SOIL, UM, YOU KNOW, WOOD OR, UH, LOTS OF IRON PUT AGAINST THE TRUNK OF THE TREE.
UH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY BUILD THIS AWNING ABOVE IT, UM, TO PROTECT FROM DROPPING LIMBS.
MITIGATION IS SPELLED OUT AND THE RATES ARE SPELLED OUT IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL.
UM, THE STANDARDS, IT'S 300% MITIGATION PER INCH FOR A HERITAGE TREE.
UM, THE PAYMENT WILL BE MADE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE'LL, WE'LL ASK AND DEMONSTRATE THE APPLICANT TO PLANT BACK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THE APPLICANT WILL DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY CAN PLANT BACK AND THE REST, UM, IS AT $75 PER INCH FOR CERTIFIED AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENTS FOR A TOTAL OF $7,200.
AND THAT GOES INTO THE URBAN FORCE FOR REPLENISHMENT FUND.
AND I THINK COMMISSION IS ASKED FOR, UM, A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE URBAN FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND AND THE GRANT PROGRAMS AND THAT THAT COULD BE DONE IN ANOTHER TIME, UM, BY THE URBAN FORESTER.
UM, SO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOLLOWING REVIEW OF THE, UH, APPLICANTS SUBMITTED MATERIALS AND ASSESSMENT OF ONSITE CONDITIONS, UM, WE RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED TREE REMOVAL.
THE APPLICANT HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE RETENTION OF THE SUBJECT TREE WOULD PREVENT REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS, THE LOCATION OF THE TREE AND ITS IMPACT TO THE PROPOSED LAYOUT, THE PHYSICAL DESIGN AND CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE, THE PROPOSED LAND USE AND THE LESSER'S RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT THE TREE IF RELOCATED, DUE TO THE LIMITATION OF DEVELOPABLE AREA ON THE REMAINING 12 ACRES OF THE SITE.
AND AGAIN, THE LESSER IS TRANSPLANTING HERITAGE TREES, UM, ON THEIR PART OF THE PROPERTY AND COMMITTING TO PRESERVING 34 HERITAGE TREES.
SO THEY ARE VERY MUCH LIMITED IN WHAT THEY CAN PUT ON THIS PROPERTY BY ALL THE TREES ON IT.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT, UM, THEY ARE MEETING PRESERVATION CRITERIA IN 3.5 0.2.
UM, THEY, APPLICANTS ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PROJECT FUNDING LIMITATIONS THAT PRECLUDE INCREASING THE BUILDING HEIGHT TO ACCOMMODATE THE TREE, UH, THE APPLICANT CAN FURTHER EXPLAIN THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE ASK THEM TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE DESIGN LAYOUTS AND THAT THEY WERE ULTIMATELY, UM, DETERMINED TO BE UNFEASIBLE TO.
FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE NO IDENTIFIED WAIVERS, VARIANTS OR CODE MODIFICATIONS AVAILABLE THAT WOULD, UM, ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT TO PROCEED WITHOUT PRESERVING THE TREE IN QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, WE SOUGHT WAIVERS AND MODIFICATIONS FROM OTHER SECTIONS OF CODE, UM, ESPECIALLY WORKING HARD WITH FIRE, WORKING HARD WITH TRANSPORTATION, UM, WATER UTILITY.
SO THERE, THE SITE IS VERY LIMITED, UM, BUT THERE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME WAIVERS FOR OTHER TREES ON THE PROPERTY.
SO I THINK BEFORE QUESTIONS, WE CAN TURN IT OVER TO THE APPLICANT, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
HELLO, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M WITH CAPITAL A HOUSING, WE'RE THE DEVELOPER ON THE PROJECT.
I HAVE WITH ME LIZ SCHOENFELD, THE, UH, CEO OF LIFEWORKS, WHICH IS THE NONPROFIT OWNER AND OPERATOR, AND NAT HO, UH, WITH UDE CIVIL ENGINEERS.
UM, LIZ CAN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, UH, NATURE OF THE PROJECT IN THEIR ORGANIZATION, AND, UH, NAT WILL BE ABLE TO WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE MORE TECHNICAL ASPECTS.
UM, BUT JUST TO INTRODUCE THINGS, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS PROJECT IS CALLED THE WORK THREE.
IT'S AN APARTMENT STYLE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BUILDING.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY SPECIALLY DESIGNED WITH TRAUMA-INFORMED ARCHITECTURE, ONSITE SOCIAL SERVICES, LIKE A LOT OF THE FIRST FLOOR OR COMMON SPACES, UH, SUPPORT SERVICES.
UM, THIS IS FOR, UH, YOUTH WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY EXITING FOSTER CARE
[00:45:01]
IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND, UH, EITHER, UH, UH, TAKING THEM OUT OF A HOMELESSNESS SITUATION OR PREVENTING THEM FROM ENTERING INTO ONE.BUT I'LL, I'LL LET, UH, LIZ GET MORE INTO THAT.
UH, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNED AND OPERATED BY LIFEWORKS.
UH, IT'S 120 UNIT FOUR STORY BUILDING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, AND, UH, WE'RE READY TO BREAK GROUND THIS SUMMER IF THIS VARIANCE IS GRANTED.
UM, AND I ALREADY MADE THE INTRODUCTIONS, AND SO LIZ, IF YOU WANNA TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIFEWORKS IN THE PROJECT, ABSOLUTELY, YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
MY NAME IS LIZ SCHONFELD AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE CEO AT LIFEWORKS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH US, LIFEWORKS WAS FOUNDED IN 1998 AS THE PRODUCT OF A FOUR-WAY MERGER, UH, AND ONE OF THE FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY DATES BACK TO 1910.
SO WE HAVE A LONG, RICH HISTORY OF BEING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY'S SOCIAL SAFETY NET.
UH, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, LIFEWORKS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON SOLVING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS FOCUSING ON YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 26, MANY OF WHOM ARE AGING OUTTA FOSTER CARE, HAVE A HISTORY OF JUVENILE LEGAL INVOLVEMENT, UM, BE EXPERIENCE EARLY PARENTHOOD OR OTHER CHALLENGING LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, AND AT LIFEWORKS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO MEETING YOUNG PEOPLE WHEREVER THEY MAY BE IN TERMS OF THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY.
AND SO WE PROVIDE A FULL CONTINUUM OF SERVICES, EVERYTHING FROM STREET OUTREACH UP TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE OFFER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE PROGRAMMING, COUNSELING, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
IF WE GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TODAY, THERE ARE NEARLY 1100 YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THERE ARE NEARLY 1100 REASONS WHY THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY UNHOUSED.
BUT IF YOU REALLY ZOOM OUT AND LOOK AT THE UNDERLYING THREADS THAT ARE SHARED ACROSS ALL OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE SITUATIONS, OFTENTIMES THE ROOT OF THEIR HOMELESSNESS AS FAMILY, UH, INSTABILITY.
AND SO THAT CAN BE FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, RIGHT? IT COULD BE A RESULT OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT OR PARENTAL INCARCERATION OR SEVERE ECONOMIC, UH, INSTABILITY.
BUT REGARDLESS OF THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE HAVE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION.
UH, AND ONE THING TO, TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS ARE AT AN INCREASED RISK OF EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN ADULTHOOD AS WELL.
AND NEARLY A THIRD OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN.
AND SO AS THOSE CHILDREN GROW OLDER, THERE RUNS A RISK OF THAT CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS BEING FURTHER PERPETUATED.
UM, AND I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THAT OUR MISSION IS SOLVING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND SO THE SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IS HOUSING, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT HOUSING IS NOT ENOUGH, THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP MORE FULLY AND PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ULTIMATELY GO ON AND LIVE MEANINGFUL, FULFILLING LIVES AND AND THRIVE.
UH, AND SO THIS IS, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS WHY THE WORKS THREE IS SO ESSENTIAL.
IT'S NOT ONLY GOING TO PUT 120 UNITS OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE GROUND RIGHT IN THE HEART OF EAST AUSTIN, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE COUPLED WITH COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.
IT'S GOING TO INCLUDE ONSITE CASE MANAGEMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS, UH, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, BOTH COUNSELING AND PEER SUPPORT.
AND IT'S WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF OUR EAST CAMPUS AND A CC EASTVIEW, WHICH IS GOING TO GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, PURSUE A LIFE THAT THEY LOVE.
AND SO, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK OVER TO, TO CONNOR AND JUST GIVE YOU YOUR SLIDES BACK TOO.
SO, UM, WE GO INTO THAT, NOT JUST TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS PROJECT, BUT BECAUSE ACTUALLY, UH, THIS PROJECT IS A SPECIAL CLASSIFICATION ON THE CITY'S PERMITTING, UH, SYSTEM.
UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS PROJECT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, REALLY GRATEFUL TO STAFF ACROSS DEPARTMENTS WHO REALLY MOBILIZED TO MAKE PROJECTS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.
THERE'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CITY GO BOND FUNDING INVESTED IN THIS.
THE COUNTY HAS INVESTED A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE LAST OF THE COVID MONEY, UH, INTO THIS PROJECT.
IT'S REALLY A, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, THE NONPROFIT, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UH, REALLY HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU'RE GETTING RENTS THAT, UH, SUPPORT A LARGE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL DEBT THAT YOU'RE USING TO FUND MOST OF YOUR BUDGET.
UH, BECAUSE THE RENTS ARE SO LOW HERE, WE'VE HAD TO RAISE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE BUDGET.
UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN A ALL HANDS ON DECK THING.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, GETTING BACK TO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT ITSELF, THIS IS PART, THIS IS, THIS IS LIKE THE KEY TO KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THIS.
UM, THIS IS PART OF A LARGER SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
WE HAVE THE ONE ACRE IN RED BACK
[00:50:01]
IN THE CORNER THAT'S OURS.UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS SITE UNDER A, A FREE DONATED LEASE, UH, FOR 99 YEARS THAT, OR 75 YEARS THAT CONVERTS TO OWNERSHIP, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CUT THE BUDGET AND, AND, UH, RAISE THIS, UH, RAISE THESE FUNDS.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS.
THIS IS THE SITE THAT WE GOT, UM, THE SITE OWNER WHO HAS THE REST OF THE SITE.
PART OF THE CONDITION OF THAT WAS THAT WE DO OUR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S ONE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT FOR THIS WHOLE SITE.
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE ONLY HAVE RIGHTS TO THAT ONE ACRE IN THE BACK.
WE HAVE NO RIGHTS TO THE REST OF THE SITE.
WE ASKED IF WE COULD TRANSPLANT OUR TREE ONTO THEIR PORTION OF THE SITE.
THEY SAID, NO, WE'RE ALREADY KEEPING 33 34 HERITAGE TREES.
WE'VE ALREADY CUT INTO OUR PRODUCTIVITY ENOUGH.
WE'RE NOT GONNA ACCEPT YOUR TREE.
UM, SO OUR FUNDING ACTUALLY REQUIRES THAT WE BUILD ALL 120 UNITS, UH, IN THE PROPOSAL.
WE CAN'T JUST LIKE CUT 10 UNITS TO, OR 20 OR 30 UNITS.
UM, THE SITE IS JAM PACKED, UH, UNDER OUR CURRENT PROPOSAL.
UM, IF WE WERE TO GO TO FIVE SORORITIES, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO AT MINIMUM TO ACCOMMODATE THIS TREE, UH, THE PROJECT GOES OUT THE WINDOW AND IS JUST REALLY INFEASIBLE.
UH, WE JUST DON'T REALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO RAISE THAT MONEY.
SO WE, UH, WE LOOKED AT ALL THESE ALTERNATIVE LAYOUTS.
UM, WE HAVE MORE, A DA SPOTS ARE REQUIRED FROM US THAN NORMALS.
WE HAD TO KEEP THOSE ON THE SITE.
UH, WE REALLY, IT, IT, THE, THE TREE KNEECAPS THE SITE.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY NOT POSSIBLE TO DO THIS PROJECT WITHIN THE REALM OF MONEY THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO EXECUTE IT, GO TO THE NEXT SITE.
UM, AND SO HERE YOU CAN SEE A 3D RENDER OF WHAT THE TREE JUST KINDA LOOKS LIKE IMPOSED ON THE BUILDING.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS, IS THAT THE ADVANCED ASSESSMENT, YOU HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH IT.
IT'S SOMEWHAT LIKELY THAT IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS THERE WILL BE AN EVENT OF A FAILURE IN WHICH THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCE TO PEOPLE AS, I GUESS THE WAY THAT THEY PUT IT.
UM, THIS IS, UH, YES, IT'S, YOU KNOW, TEENS AND TWENTIES, BUT A LOT OF THOSE KIDS HAVE KIDS.
UH, IT'S, WE WOULD NEED TO CLEAR THE AREA AROUND IT FOR THAT FAILURE AS WELL.
UH, IT MAKES IT REALLY NOT QUITE FEASIBLE TO ACTUALLY KEEP EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE CAPITAL A HOUSING, WE JUST DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MIXED INCOME HOUSING.
WE DO A LOT OF HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE.
WE DO A LOT OF STUFF WITH THE CITY.
THIS IS A PROJECT I, I URGE YOU TO GO SEE IT AT MAYNARD AND BERKMAN THAT'S GOING UP RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE, PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN'T MOVE PECANS.
WE MOVED TO HERITAGE PECAN HERE AND WE MOVED, UH, UH, ALSO AN OAK.
WE MOVED IT ACROSS THE SITE AND BUILT A WHOLE PROJECT AROUND IT.
IF WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT HERE, WE WOULD HAVE, UH, SERVITUDES DONE THAT WITH US.
UM, AND THEN AS WELL, THE KIND OF, WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS ACTUALLY TRUCK IT LIKE A MILE AWAY AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE HAVE THAT, THAT ALSO WASN'T FEASIBLE, SO COULDN'T DO IT ON THE REST OF THE SITE.
CAN'T DO IT OFFSITE, KEEPING IT WITHIN OUR ACRE.
UH, THERE'S JUST REALLY NO FEASIBLE OPTION FOR IT.
UM, AND HERE I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO NAT WITH UDE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE TECHNICAL ASPECTS.
I'M WITH CIVIL UDE AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUBLIC PARKS, A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT YOU PROBABLY, UH, HAVE BEEN TO AND PROBABLY, UH, HAVEN'T NOTICED, WHICH IS GREAT FOR ENGINEER.
IF YOU DON'T NOTICE THAT MEAN IT'S GOOD.
UM, SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, AS CONNOR AND LIZ HAVE MENTIONED, UH, CITY HAVE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO THIS FIVE ARBORISTS, WE CONTRIBUTE THREE ARBORISTS.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF SITE VISIT WITH ABOUT EIGHT ARBORISTS, UH, ON MULTIPLE OCCASION.
AND THE TREE GOT MEASURED ONCE, TWICE, SEVERAL TIMES.
SO I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS, UH, FROM THE WAY WE APPROACH THIS SITE, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, SCHOOL PARKS, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, WE, WE COME TO IT FROM, FROM SORT OF MULTIPLE ANGLE.
AND, AND LIKE, UH, UH, NAOMI HAD MENTIONED WE NOT SHY AWAY FROM SEEKING VARIANCES AND OTHER ELEMENT FROM OTHER DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO SEE IF WE CAN SAVE AND MAKE THE TREE WORKS.
UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE P PASS LINE, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT THE SITE IS 13 ACRE, BUT THERE'S WHAT WE CALL A WATER HIGHWAY, WHICH IS A BULKY CREEK CHANNEL IS A CONCRETE CHANNEL THAT IS 700 FEET WIDE CUTTING ACROSS.
UH, THAT IS A HUGE CONSTRAINT.
CAN, UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? YES.
SO JUST NORTH OF THE ORANGE AND RED AREA, UH, THAT IS THE WATER HIGHWAY IF YOU WILL.
UH, THAT'S THE BOGGY CREEK CHANNEL.
UH, SO THAT IMPOSED SOME AMOUNT OF CONSTRAINT.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT PROTECTION.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CIRCLE WHERE THE
[00:55:01]
FIRE LANE IS IN THAT CIRCULAR DRIVE, THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT.THAT IS SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE A HERITAGE TREES AND A CLUSTER OF TREES RIGHT ON THE FRONT DOOR OF THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE ALSO HAVE TO PROVIDE A DA PARKING SPACES.
SO THE WAY THE, THE, THE, THE SITE, THIS FRAME, WE HAVE TO DO ADDITIONAL BUILDING DESIGN IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS INTO THE COURTYARD FOR FIRE PROTECTION.
AND IT'S A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO WE CONSTRAIN AND, UH, SECURE ACCESS.
UH, WE CAN'T JUST MAKE IT OPEN.
SO ALL OF THOSE CONSTRAIN PUSH THE BUILDING INTO A PARTICULAR CORNER.
UH, AND ALSO THEY'RE SEQUENCE, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROJECT LIKE THIS SEQUENCE IS A BIG KEY PART.
WE CAN'T DISPLACE THE FRONT PART OF THE SITE.
SO I RECOGNIZE THAT LIVEWORKS HYPER FOCUS IS ON THIS AFFORDABLE PROJECT.
WE THE ENGINEER FOR ALL THREE AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE WHOLE THING WORK, RIGHT, BECAUSE I THINK ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNIT, I THINK WE COULD AGREE THAT BETTER.
AND SO WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE F THE WHAT WE CALL PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE ORANGE AREA ON THE FRONT, ALSO WORK THAT HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT HAVE MORE HOUSING UNIT IN GENERAL.
UM, AND IN THAT AREA WE SAVE A, UH, A LOT OF OTHER HERITAGE TREE AS WELL.
ONE OF 'EM IS BEING TRANSPLANTED.
SO WE DO HAVE TO RESERVE THE SPACE FOR THAT TREE TO BE TRANSPLANTED.
SO THE SEQUENCE MATTER AND THEN AS WELL AS THE TIMING, AS AS BEEN MENTIONED.
UH, SO THOSE ARE ALL OF THE CONSTRAINT.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE MORE, UH, TREE WHERE THAT, UH, UH, FIRE LANE, UH, GO TO THE EAST.
WE DID GET A WAIVER FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE WIDTH OF THE FIRE LANE.
SO I APPRECIATE THEM WORKING WITH US.
THE TREE IN THE COURTYARD IS NOT FEASIBLE FOR OTHER, UH, VARIANTS TO, TO TAKE PLACE WITHOUT AFFECTING LIFE SAFETY.
SO THOSE ARE ALL OF THE TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS OF THIS.
I BELIEVE THIS IS MAYBE THE LAST SLIDE.
SO JUST TO WRAP IT UP, I MEAN, WE'VE SPENT WEEKS AND WEEKS WITH ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, MANY ROUNDS OF ARBORIST VISITS.
UM, WE DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD.
WE'RE SAVING 97, OVER 97% OF THE HERITAGE TREES ON THIS SITE.
THERE'S ONE THAT JUST KIND OF KILLS THE PROJECT.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE ASKING FOR THE VARIANCE ON.
AND WE'RE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
AND I, I DO THINK WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, GOOD EVENING, UH, ESTEEMED BOARD.
I'M A TREE LOVER AND I'M NEUTRAL ON THIS MATTER.
I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOPMENT IS A GOOD, IT'S A GOOD ONE.
IT'S BENEFICIAL TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN AND MANY TREES ON THE PROPERTY ARE BEING PRESERVED.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE BUILDER IS PREPARED TO PAY INTO A MITIGATION FUND.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND MY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY SIDE, NOT THE DEVELOPER.
UM, CAN THE CITY COMMIT TO PLANTING A SIMILAR LARGE, LONG LIVED SPECIES, UM, CLOSE BY THIS DEVELOPMENT WITH THE MITIGATION MONEY? UH, ARTILLERY STREET WAS FAMOUS FOR ITS PECAN TREES.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BOUGHT A PARCEL OF PECANS, UH, DOWN THE STREET, AND A PUBLIC SURVEY WAS DONE.
IT'S PUBLISHED, UH, CLOSED LATE 2024.
THE PUBLIC WANTS TREES IN THIS PARK, NOTHING ELSE.
UM, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO KNOW THAT A TREE THAT WAS LOST WAS ACTUALLY A TREE GAINED.
SO INSTEAD OF A MITIGATION GOING INTO SOME FUND 10 YEARS FROM NOW, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT BECAME OF THAT $7,500, IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLANT ANOTHER PECAN IN THE NEIGHBORING PECAN PARK? THAT'S ALL I HAD.
DO I NEED TO CLOSE THE NO, WE JUST GO TO QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND WE'LL START AGAIN, UH, WITH OUR REMOTE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS, EITHER ONE OF Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, JUST JUMP IN.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG FAN OF, UH, LIFEWORKS.
Y'ALL DO GOOD STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY, FOR SURE.
BLURRY, UH, NO QUESTIONS ON MY END.
THANK Y'ALL FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
JUST, UH, COMMENT THAT, UH, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE
[01:00:01]
THAT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN IS GONNA GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS.COMMISSIONER PLI, NO QUESTIONS.
JUST APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S CLEAR Y'ALL PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS AND TRIED TO DO WHATEVER YOU COULD TO MITIGATE ANY DAMAGE, SO APPRECIATE IT.
COMMISSIONER PRIMER, I'M GONNA DEFER UNTIL EVERYONE ELSE HAS ASKED THEIR QUESTIONS.
WELL, I JUST APPRECIATE THAT ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I WROTE WERE, UH, ENDED UP BEING ANSWERED.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING SO THOROUGH.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR STAFF.
UM, JUST MORE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS, WHEN WE'RE SORT OF LEARNING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UM, IS WORTH SAVING BECAUSE OF ITS LIFESPAN AND, AND SAFETY CONCERNS.
UM, HOW MUCH OF THE TREE'S CURRENT DECLINE IS DUE TO PREEXISTING UN PERMANENTED IMPACTS, LIKE THE SOIL COMPACTION, UM, AND NEARBY MATERIALS THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED AND SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHS.
AND COULD THESE FACTORS RENDER PRESERVATION EFFORTS? INEFFECTIVE OR RESOURCE INTENSIVE? I CAN PUSH A BUTTON
SO, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR ENFORCEMENT STAFF, WE DON'T GO TO EVERY PRIVATE SITE AND GO SAY, YOU'VE GOT SOME COMPACTION AROUND THIS TREE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS PECANS AGE, UM, THEY TEND TO PIECE APART, UM, SOME THAT ARE SUPER WELL MAINTAINED.
UM, LIKE I WAS IN THE, UM, THE GREAT LAWN THIS SUNDAY, ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER OR SATURDAY.
AND WHAT I SEE IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PARK TREES BEING VERY MUCH WELL TAKEN CARE OF, WELL LOVED.
THEY AERATE, THEY, THEY EXPOSE THE ROOT FLARE.
THEY MULCH, THEY, YOU KNOW, PRUNE PERIODICALLY, ANY DEADWOOD.
SO THIS ISN'T LIKE A TREE THAT WAS REALLY MAINTAINED OVER THE YEARS.
UM, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DON'T MAINTAIN A TREE, UM, AND ON THIS ONE WHEN YOU HAD A MAJOR SCAFFOLDING, LIMB FAIL, UM, PECAN DON'T COMPARTMENTALIZE DECAY AS WELL.
AND YOU HAVE THAT JAGGED CROOK IN THERE.
THERE WAS A CAVITY UNDERNEATH WHERE THAT FAIL WHEN THE CLIMBER CLIMBED IT.
SO I CAN'T SAY WHAT, WHY IT FAILS.
IT'S JUST IT WAS BACK IN THE PROPERTY TRUCKS RAN OVER IT, UM, STORAGE, YOU KNOW, JUST OVER.
AND THEN THE, THE SOIL COMPACTED, WHICH MAY HAVE LED TO IT.
UM, UM, SPEAKING OF A, THIS IS OFF TOPIC, BUT I JUST GOT AN EMAIL RIGHT BEFORE I CAME HERE, UM, THAT ONE OF THE PECANS, UM, ON THE CONVEYANCE PROJECT JUST RIPPED APART, UM, DURING THE LAST MAJOR WINDSTORMS. SO WE SEE IT A LOT.
UM, THAT ONE WAS REALLY EXPOSED, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE GO TREE BY TREE, WE LOOK AT THE DEFECTS IN THEM.
UM, WE'RE ALL REALLY QUALIFIED ARBORISTS, AND THEN WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DOING THE CLIMBING, WE'RE NOT DOING THE RISTO GRAFTS AND SUCH.
BUT THAT WAS A LONG ANSWER FOR JUST SAYING IT'S UNKNOWN.
I MEAN, I THINK JUST THINKING ABOUT PRESERVATION EFFORTS TOO, FOR THE ONES THAT WE DO END UP WANTING TO, UM, TO PRIORITIZE FOR PRESERVATION.
UM, ALSO JUST SORT OF THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, JUST THAT WE'RE MORE AWARE OF THIS, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A, A, A HARD BALANCE TO MAKE, UM, GIVEN OUR CHARGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WEIGH THE PUBLIC OBVIOUS BENEFIT OF TREE PRESERVATION ALONGSIDE THE OBVIOUS PUBLIC BENEFIT OF, UM, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY WHEN REMOVAL MIGHT NOT BE DUE TO ANY SORT OF IMMINENT DANGER WITH A HEAVY HEART.
EVERY TREE THAT, THAT IS REMOVED, WE ALL HAVE A HEAVY HEART ABOUT IT.
UM, SO I MUST SAY IN THE THREE PEOPLE SITTING NEXT TO ME, WE PUT THEM THROUGH THE RINGER OF EVERY DESIGN CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE.
UM, WE HAD THEM GO THE EXTRA MILE ON EVERY SINGLE HERITAGE TREE, EVERY TREE IN POOR CONDITION, EVERY TREE IN GOOD CONDITION, AND WE REALLY PUT THEM THROUGH THE RING OR TO SAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE TREES ON THE PROJECT.
WE HAVE TO GO TREE BY TREE, UH, SITE BY SITE.
UM, AND WE, WE, WE DEMANDED A, A LOT OF EXPLANATION FROM THEM.
AND I DO WANNA SAY, UM, UH, AND TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, WE ARE ALL ABOUT REPLANTING TREES.
[01:05:01]
UM, MOST OF THE TREES THAT WE GET IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE CONTAINER TREES.AND I HAVE TALKED TO MANY ARBORISTS ACROSS, UM, EVEN AT UT THAT THE LARGER THE TREE YOU GET, THE MORE ROOT BOUND IN THAT CONTAINER IT BECOMES.
UM, SO, AND THE MORE AND THE HARDER IT IS TO ESTABLISH, UH, SO I'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERTS SAY THEY DON'T WANNA GO ABOVE FOUR INCHES IN DIAMETER FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, WE ARE GONNA HOLD THEM TO COMMIT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO REPLANTING.
AND WE ARE IN CONSTANT COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, THROUGH, ALSO THROUGH OUR GRANT FUNDING, WHICH SUPPORTS, UM, PLANTING TREES, UM, ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, ON PARKS PROPERTY.
AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES IRRIGATION, WHICH IS KEY.
I APPRECIATE LEARNING YOUR, YOUR PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'VE ALSO BEEN TO THE PROPERTY TWICE, INCLUDING THIS AFTERNOON, TO HELP MAKE THE BEST INFORMED DECISION TONIGHT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP A HEAVY HEART WITH ANY, YOU KNOW, TREE LOSS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HEARD A LOT TONIGHT ABOUT ALL THE REASONS TO CUT IT DOWN, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS NOT TO
UM, SO FOR QUESTIONS FIRST, I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, SO WE ARE LOSING 12 TREES ON THE PROPERTY ALREADY DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES, IS THAT RIGHT? UH, SO WE HAVE EIGHT THAT ARE MEET THE DEAD DISEASE IMMINENT CRITERIA, HAZARD MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN THE REST ARE IN, UM, JIM, HOW MANY IN POOR CONDITION? UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER ON IT, BUT, SO IT'S, I HAVE IT SIX, SIX DEAD DISEASE AND IMMINENT HAZARD, FOUR TREES IN POOR CONDITION AND TWO TREES IN FAIR AND GOOD CONDITION, ACTUALLY, UM, TO A CORRECTION, THERE ARE EIGHT IN DEAD DISEASE.
IM, THE SUBMITTAL WAS UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE ONES THAT RECEIVED ADVANCED TOMO TO RESISTOGRAM CLIMBING.
SO THOSE EIGHT ARE SLATED FOR REMOVAL AND THEN AS DEAD DISEASE, IMMINENT HAZARD REQUIRING NO MITIGATION.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE FOUR TREES IN POOR CONDITION? THEY WERE VERIFIED POOR, UM, HAVING MAJOR STRUCTURAL DEFECTS, CAVITIES, AND SIGNIFICANT LIMB LOSS.
AND SO THOSE ARE SLATED FOR REMOVAL ADDITIONALLY, CORRECT.
YOU DON'T WANNA DESIGN AROUND SOMETHING THAT'S FALLEN APART AND THEN TWO TREES IN FAIR AND GOOD CONDITION.
SO THEN FOUR, WAIT, EIGHT PLUS FOUR.
14 TREES ARE GONNA BE REMOVED ALREADY.
I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT IN THE CONTEXT TOO.
LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE TREE, BUT WE ARE GONNA LOSE 14.
UM, ALREADY, SO, AND SOME OF THESE TREES, YOU WALK AROUND AND THERE'S A BIG MASSIVE BRANCH FAILURE.
IT'S COMPLETELY HOLLOWED WITH CAVITIES AND ROTTING.
I WOULDN'T WANNA PUT A PICNIC BENCH UNDER.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT PICNIC BENCHES UNDERNEATH THEM.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE TO LOCAL HABITAT THOUGH, OF HOLLOWED OUT TREES? UM, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, ANYTIME YOU LOSE TREES MM-HMM
UM, WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THE SAFETY, UM, FOR THE CURRENT OCCUPANTS, THE TARGETS MM-HMM
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS NO LIKE ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF, OF WILDLIFE IN THESE MM-HMM
I THINK WE JUST KNOW THOUGH, RIGHT, THAT IT'S GOOD HABITAT FOR BIRDS AND RACCOONS, LIKE A NUMBER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING KIND OF THE NATURAL FORESTRY PROCESS A NUMBER OF TIMES BY CUTTING DOWN TREES AND ANYWAY, SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, OKAY, SO THE FUNDING, THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE APPLICANT.
THE FUNDING REQUIRES 120 UNITS, UM, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE ADDITIONAL 240 UNITS AT 80% MMFI.
SO I'M WONDERING IF WE DID RECONSIDER THIS PROJECT WITH ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES YOU PROPOSE HERE, WHICH COULD MEAN A LOSS OF 16 OR 24 UNITS, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD THAT NOT JUST COME OUT OF THE 240 AT 80% MFI? SO YOU'RE STILL GETTING THE ONE 20 FOR THE PSH? RIGHT? SO THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY NOT.
UM, ONE IS THAT, UH, THROUGH HARD ONE EXPERIENCE, UM, UH, WITH THESE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE PROJECTS, THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, IMPACTS NEIGHBORS, THINGS LIKE THAT, IS ACTUALLY FOLKS COMING FROM OUTSIDE WHO AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
UH, SO THIS NEW ROUND OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING, 'CAUSE WE'RE DOING, SEVERAL OF THEM ALL HAVE
[01:10:01]
A CONTROLLED SINGLE POINT OF ACCESS WHERE EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THERE.UM, I KNOW ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT ACTUALLY WAS BASICALLY OFFERED A MOTEL AND THEY TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE TO, UH, TO ADMINISTER IT.
UM, AND THEY WANNA KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, UH, INSIDE.
SO WE NEED, UH, REALLY KINDA ONE BUILDING WITH THE SINGLE POINT OF ACCESS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, WHILE IT IS, WHILE THOSE TWO OTHER 240 UNITS ARE UNDER THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, WE DON'T OWN THAT.
WE, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE, UH, I MEAN, I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUT NOT A, A LEGAL FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND WHEN WE MADE THE DEAL FOR THE LEASE TO GET, UH, THE LEASE I THINK FOR A DOLLAR FOR 75 YEARS, UM, THE PART OF THE CONDITION OF THAT WAS THAT IF YOU HAVE A SITE DEVELOPMENT PER PERMIT AND PROCESS, IT LOCKS UP THE REST OF THE SITE WHILE YOUR SITE PERMIT IS OPEN.
SO, UH, A REQUIREMENT WAS THAT WE GO ALONG WITH THEM ON THE SAME PERMIT.
SO IT, IT'S CONFUSING, BUT IT'S JUST THE ONE ACRE IN THE BACK IS ALL WE HAVE.
AND WE DID ASK, CAN WE MOVE OUR TREE OVER TO YOUR SITE? AND THEY TIN US.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IN ALL OF THESE ALTERNATE PROPOSALS WHERE YOU SAY LIKE, LOSE A MINIMUM OF 16 UNITS, THIS IS ON PAGE SEVEN OF YOUR POWERPOINT, UM, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, YOU WOULD LOSE ALL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT? OR CAN YOU EXPLAIN? YES.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLOSE ON, NOT ALL OF THE FUNDING, BUT AT LEAST FIVE AND A HALF MILLION OF IT WOULD GO AWAY.
WE, WE COBBLED TOGETHER LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES FOR THIS PROJECT AND, UH, STILL TRYING TO RAISE THE LAST COUPLE DOLLARS MM-HMM
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE ON THE COVID MONEY EXPIRES AND WE'RE ON A TICKING CLOCK AND WE, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD RIGHT NOW, OR WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AT ALL.
AND SO NONE OF THESE ALTERNATIVE ORIENTATIONS MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THIS SECURED SINGLE ENTRANCE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHILE ALSO HAVING THE 120 UNITS THERE? THAT'S RIGHT.
MAY I ADD SOME TECHNICAL BIT TO THAT? HI.
UH, JUST WANNA ADD A LITTLE BIT OF A TECHNICAL, UH, BIT TO THAT AS WELL IS ALSO THE TIMING, RIGHT? LIKE WE CAN'T MIX AND MATCH THE UNIT BETWEEN THE TWO.
BUT I CAN SPEAK TO THE SITE DESIGN OVERALL.
'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF OUR CHALLENGE IS WE DO HAVE TO DESIGN THE ENTIRE SITE AND STAFF REALLY PUT US TO THE RINGER.
WE DON'T GET TO SAY, HEY, WE ONLY WORRY ABOUT PHASE ONE BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY VARIANCE AT HAND.
WE DESIGN ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS TO PROVE THAT WE ARE NOT REMOVING OTHER TREES.
AND SO THE 12 TREES THAT YOU MENTIONED IS NOT ALL ATTRIBUTED TO LIVEWORKS PROJECT.
UH, I THINK IT IS ONLY FOUR AND THE REST OF 'EM, THE TREES ARE NOT BEING CUT DOWN RIGHT THIS MINUTE.
BUT IT, IT STIPULATE THAT WHEN THE PROJECT BECOME REAL, THEN THOSE TREES ARE REMOVED.
BUT IT, IT'S KIND OF THIS CATCH 22 IS YOU, IF THE PROJECT IS NOT REAL, THEN THEY CAN'T TAKE THE NEXT STEP TO GO AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DESIGN THEM AND FUND THEM.
'CAUSE THE PROJECT AT THE FRONT ALSO AT RISK OF LIKE NOT GETTING THE FUNDING.
AND SO RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF A PAPER PROJECT IN ORDER TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
SO AS THE ENGINEER FOR THE PROJECT, WE DO HAVE TO DESIGN VERY SPECIFICALLY, EVEN THOUGH, UH, THE PROJECT IS NOT FULLY FUNDED ON THE FRONT IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE CONDITION FROM THE ARBORIST REQUIREMENT IS WE DON'T GET TO JUST SAY, ONLY LOOK AT THIS ONE ACRE.
SO I JUST WANNA ADD THAT CONSTRAINT.
AND FINALLY, I WOULD JUST SAY, I THINK THERE'S, IF I COULD BE A LITTLE SPECULATIVE, THERE'S A REASON WHY LIKE THE TREE THAT'S GETTING TRANSPLANTED ON THE OTHER SIDE ISN'T ALSO HERE REQUESTING REMOVAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS MUCH LARGER SITE.
THEY DON'T HAVE PUBLIC FUNDING THAT'S CONSTRAINED LIKE THAT.
SO THEY WERE REALLY FORCED TO PUSH AND PULL THEIR BUILDINGS AND LOSE CAPACITY, YOU KNOW? UM, AND IT'S, IT'S BECAUSE OF KIND OF THE UNIQUE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE UNDER IN THE REAR THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPTIONS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE EXPLORED POTENTIALLY TRANSPLANTING THIS TREE.
THE NEIGHBORS SAID NO, THEY COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE IT.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO TRANSPLANT THIS TREE? EITHER CLOSE OR FAR AWAY? AND I, IF IT'S NOT VIABLE, THAT'S FINE.
THIS IS ME SETTING UP FOR ANOTHER POINT.
UH, I, I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE MOVING TREES OFF TO ANOTHER SITE.
I, I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN THAT.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS DONE.
I, THE TWO TREES OVER AT MAYNARD AND BERGMAN THAT WE MOVED, UM, COST US BETWEEN 250 AND 300,000 TO MOVE THE PAIR OF THEM.
UH, AND THAT WAS MOVING THEM ABOUT, OH, 75 YARDS OR SO MM-HMM
BECAUSE IT GOES AT LIKE A HALF MILE AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT TAKES ALL DAY TO MM-HMM
NAOMI, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I CAN SPEAK, UM, A LITTLE MORE.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF TRANSPLANTS.
UM, I'VE SEEN A FEW MOVED WITH CONCURRENT SITES, UM, IN DEVELOPMENT.
[01:15:01]
IMMENSE AMOUNT OF COORDINATION.THERE MAY BE UTILITY OVERHEAD, UTILITY LINES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE HAVE TO MAKE EACH SITE PLAN WHOLE, UH, BASICALLY ACCOUNT FOR EACH TREE ON EACH DEVELOPMENT SITE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME TREES PLANTED, TRANSPLANTED INTO A, A PARK, UM, MOST NOTABLY WOOLDRIDGE SQUARE DOWNTOWN.
UM, THERE IS SOME RELUCTANCE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT THESE TRANSPLANTS BECAUSE AFTER FIVE YEARS THEY HAVE TO TAKE OVER THE MAINTENANCE AND SUCH.
UM, EVERYBODY LOVES BIG TREES.
UM, BUT WE'VE REALLY, IT'S VERY COSTLY AT THAT.
BUT TO MOVE THEM ALONG DISTANCE IS ALSO RISKY BECAUSE YOU'RE UPROOTING THE ROOT BALL AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE VIBRATING IT TOO, AND YOU WANT THAT ROOT BALL INTACT.
UM, THE ONE ON WILDER SQUARE I SAW ON A SATURDAY WHERE THEY WERE TRYING TO ROTATE IT AND THE, THE ROOT BALL WAS FALLING APART, SO THEY HAD TO PUT IT IN WHERE IT, WHERE IT WAS.
UM, SO, BUT IT'S USUALLY A CONCURRENT SITE DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO ACCOUNT FOR ONCE AND SOMEBODY'S GOTTA ACCEPT IT.
AND WOULD YOU SAY ROUGHLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS A EASILY YEAH, YEAH.
TRYING TO BE CONSERVATIVE IN THAT ES ESTIMATE, JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO COMPARE THAT TO THE $7,200 IT WOULD COST TO CUT IT DOWN.
AND SO THAT JUST SHOWS HOW IN OUR POLICY WE'RE DISINCENTIVIZED TO RELOCATE AND WE'RE INCENTIVIZED TO JUST CUT DOWN THIS TREE THAT, UM, I ASKED TWO DIFFERENT CERTIFIED ARBORISTS, UM, WHO HAVE WORKED FOR THE CITY, ONE WORKED FOR THE COUNTY NOW WITHOUT SEEING IT, THEY COULDN'T ESTIMATE EXACTLY, BUT THEY SAID IT COULD BE BETWEEN 30 AND 128 YEARS OLD.
AND SO TO JUST THINK IN A SINGLE INSTANT WE CAN CUT DOWN MAYBE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD TREE FOR $7,200, I THINK IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT.
I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY, IF WE, WE'VE TRIED REALLY HARD TO KEEP IT.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE 7,200 IS A, A SPECIAL RATE THAT THE CITY SETS FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, IF IT WERE MARKET RATE HOUSING, IT'S A LOT MORE, I DON'T BUILD MARKET RATES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS EXACTLY, BUT 19,009.
I MEAN, TO BE CLEAR, I LOVE WHITE LIFE WORKS.
I'VE EXPERIENCED INSECURE HOUSING MYSELF.
THIS IS THE EXACT KIND OF PROJECT I WISH WE SAW ALL THE TIME ON THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT FOR A GREAT GROUP.
UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I WENT BY TODAY AND ALL THE LANDSCAPERS WHO WERE THERE SAID, OH MY GOSH, THIS TREE HAS BEEN PROVIDING A SHADE FOR SO LONG.
WHY WOULD THEY CUT IT DOWN? IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.
AND I KNOW WHEN YOU ALL WENT, YOU TOOK PHOTOS AND IT WAS IN THE WINTER.
AND SO THAT TELLS A CERTAIN STORY TODAY.
I WENT, EVERYTHING IS JUST FULL OF GREEN.
THERE'S JUST, THERE'S JUST A LOT THERE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE URBAN CANOPY ON THE EAST SIDE IN PARTICULAR AND THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CONSTANT EFFORTS TOWARDS EQUITY ON THE EAST SIDE AND WHAT WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH ABOUT HOW TREES IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, DIABETES RATES.
AND I WOULD LOVE THE IDEA OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN TRANSITION PHASES IN THEIR LIFE, BEING ABLE TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THE BIRDS THAT I SAW TODAY AND FEEL THAT SENSE OF PEACE AND WONDER.
UM, AND IF THERE WERE A WAY TO DO IT, WHERE INDEED YOU WOULD JUST LOSE 16 UNITS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE ABOUT 3% OF THE OVERALL, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF UNITS OR 24 UNITS, WHICH WOULD BE 6.7%.
UM, THAT, THAT TO ME IS WORTH IT.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS AN, A TOUGH ETHICAL DILEMMA FOR ME, AND ONE THAT I WANTED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY, WHICH IS WHY I WENT TO THE SITE AND TALK TO PEOPLE AT THE CITY AND, AND WHO WORK THERE AND NOT TOTALLY SURE HOW I'M GONNA VOTE YET, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR COMMENTS.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ADD, UH, SOME, UH, NERDY ENGINEERING BITS IN THE SLIDE ABOUT SITE CONSTRAINT.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE VOLUME OF THE UNIT, UH, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE COURTYARD IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BUILDING AND IT'S GONNA BE FULLY PROGRAMMED IN ORDER TO MEET, UH, WATER QUALITY AND DETENTION, UM, UH, REQUIREMENT OF THE CITY.
AND ALSO GREEN WATER INFRASTRUCTURES.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE GRAIN GARDENS AND NATIVE PLANTS AND SO ON BECAUSE IT USED TO BE KIND OF THE NURSERY.
SO IN ORDER TO MEET ACCESS AND DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY, WE ARE ELEVATING THE BUILDING PAD IN ORDER TO MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENT AND BUILD PONDS AND RAIN GARDEN.
SO IMAGINE IF THAT AREA HAVE TO LIFT UP.
SO EVEN IF WE DESIGN AROUND THE TREE, THERE'LL BE A TREE WELL WITH PUMP PUMPING THE WATER OUT.
SO I WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT 3D CONSTRAINT THAT WE ALSO WORK WITH.
UH, THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE CHALLENGE FROM THE STAFF IS CAN WE NOT RAISE
[01:20:01]
THE SITE AND, AND IT CREATE ALL KINDS OF OTHER CONSTRAINT THAT RELATED TO THAT.SO I JUST WANNA ADD THAT, UH, ENGINEERING CONSTRAINT THAT WE WORK WITH.
COMMISSIONER RHYMER, ARE YOU READY OR SURE.
DON'T FORGET TO TURN YOUR MIC ON.
OH, I WON'T FORGET TO DO THAT.
UH, MANY OF MY COMMENTS, UH, ECHO THOSE OF, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUGER.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT A 41 OR 42%, UH, URBAN CANOPY.
AND WE'RE SHOOTING FOR 50%, I GUESS, IN 2040.
AND THAT PART OF TOWN HAS ABOUT A 21%, UH, CANOPY COVER.
UM, AND THE ENTIRE EAST SIDE HAS A MARKEDLY LOWER CANOPY COVER, UH, THAN THE REST OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WEST AUSTIN, WEST OF I 35.
SO IT'S WITH GREAT RELUCTANCE THAT I CONSIDER, UH, CUTTING ENTRY DOWN FOR ANY REASON AT ALL.
THAT'S NOT DEAD DISEASE OR IMMINENT DANGER OF COLLAPSING ON ITS OWN, UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT.
UH, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON I DO APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT YOU'RE UNDERTAKING HERE.
'CAUSE WE NEED DO, NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, HOWEVER, UH, RELATED TO ALL THIS AND, UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, UH, YOU ALL SENT YOUR PRESENTATION BEFORE THE MEETING TODAY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT GIVES, I DUNNO ABOUT ANYONE ELSE, BUT IT GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT BEFOREHAND AND NOT ENOUGH APPLICANTS TO DO THAT.
AND I FIND IT VERY USEFUL TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PRESENT AND DIGEST THAT PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
SO I REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, FROM A PROCEDURAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, HOW MUCH LATITUDE DO WE HAVE TO, AND AS FAR AS RECOMMENDING OR APPROVING THIS, I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE RULES OF THE ROAD HERE WHEN WE VOTE ON THIS AND WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN RECOMMEND? AND THIS IS STAFF THAT I'M ASKING, SO, AND I'LL MAYBE I'LL SPEAK AND THEN NAOMI, YOU CAN, UM, ADD ON IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING.
SO THIS IS A, A LAND USE COMMISSION VARIANCE FOR A HERITAGE TREE.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO SEE OTHER TYPES OF VARIANCES MORE FREQUENTLY.
UM, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE ANY CONDITIONS BE PRETTY DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE VARIANCE, UM, THAT YOU'RE BEING, UM, ASKED TO HEAR.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT STAFF USUALLY BRINGS RECOMMENDATIONS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE VARIANCE ITSELF.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD URGE YOU TO DO IS LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS OF REMOVING THE TREE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAYS TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS.
ELIZABETH ALSO REMINDED ME, SO IN TERMS OF PROCESS, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, IT WILL THEN BE HEARD BY THE LAND USE COMMISSION, SO, UM, IN THIS CASE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEY WOULD BE THE, UH, ULTIMATE DECIDER OF THE VARIANCE.
UM, AND THIS GONNA HAVE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHAT'S THE ANTICIPATED RENT FOR THESE, UH, APARTMENTS RIGHT NOW? THE RENT ON THIS, UM, IS EXPECTED TO BE, UH, IT RANGES FROM BASICALLY NOTHING BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS HERE.
SO THE UNITS ARE, ARE OFFERED TO FOLKS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY, TRYING TO GET MORE VOUCHERS, UH, ON THEM.
AND ALSO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO GET EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, UH, FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THIS IS, THEY HAVE UNITS SET ASIDE FOR THOSE.
I THINK THE THEORETICAL MAXIMUM THAT CAN BE CHARGED IS, UH, 50% IS, IS AT A LEVEL AFFORDABLE TO, UH, HALF OF THE MEDIAN INCOME IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND I HESITATE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THE, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOU TO IT EXACTLY.
BUT I MEAN, CAN THROW A NUMBER OUT THERE JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT IT IS EXACTLY.
UM, IT IS, UH, FOUR FOR OUR ONE BEDROOM HOUSES.
UH, IT IS, UM, A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH, WHICH IS WHAT IS A THIRD OF SOMEBODY'S INCOME AT HALF THE INCOME, AVERAGE INCOME LEVEL IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
COMMISSIONER BRIER? YES MA'AM.
I DO WANNA ANSWER THE PROCEDURAL DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AGAIN, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT SURE HAS SAID THAT WE CAN ONLY, THAT WE CAN ONLY IMPOSE WHAT'S IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL.
SO IN THIS CASE IT'S REPLANTING OR THE 300% OF THE FULL MITIGATION.
[01:25:01]
LOT OF, I THINK WE HAVE FIVE NEW MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION AND IT'D BE USEFUL TO LET 'EM KNOW THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND HERE.UH, IS THERE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY? UH, YEAH, THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HERE IS ACTUALLY GREAT.
UM, THERE'S, UH, A LOT ON SEVENTH, UH, WHEN YOU GO UP TO OAK SPRINGS, THERE'S LINES THAT GO TO THE OAK SPRINGS LIBRARY AS WELL AS, UH, THE, UH, EAST EAST VIEW CAMPUS OF A CC, UH, AND THEN, UM, I'M SORRY, PLEASANT VALLEY, PLEASANT VALLEY LINE.
UH, AND THEN, UM, IT'S LIKE, I THINK TWO STOPS DOWN FROM THE HEB ON AT SEVENTH.
AND I, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER INDICATED THE TREE MAY BE AS WHOLE AS 130 YEARS.
I WAS QUOTED BETWEEN 30 YEARS AND 128 YEARS BY TWO DIFFERENT CERTIFIED ART ARBORISTS, NEITHER OF WHOM WENT OUT TO THE PROPERTY.
SO I'M NOT NAMING THEM BY NAME 'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, DON'T PUT MY NAME ON THOSE ESTIMATES.
BUT ROUGHLY FROM WHAT THEY KNEW.
UH, THE AGE DEPENDS ON THE SOIL, THE GROWING CONDITIONS.
UM, MANY AREAS OF EAST AUSTIN WHERE COTTON FIELDS FOR MANY YEARS, UM, AND THEN BECAME PECAN ORCHARDS.
UH, SO WE DO SEE A LOT OF OLD TREES, BUT THE AGE WILL ABSOLUTELY DEPEND ON THE GROWING CONDITIONS.
UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW THE EXACT AGE, THIS QUESTION WOULD BE PERHAPS, UH, POSSIBLE ANSWER.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS, GIVEN THAT THE SIZE OF THAT TREE, HOW MANY TREES THIS SIZE CONS DO WE HAVE IN AUSTIN? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA.
SO SOME OF OUR DATA IN, UM, THE STATE OF THE, UH, THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE, OR IN THE, UM, URBAN CANOPY AREA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SIZE CLASS DIAMETERS AND SPECIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT WE DON'T, THAT'LL TALK ABOUT CANOPY, BUT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A CITY STAFF THAT CAN GO ON EVERY SINGLE PRIVATE PROPERTY AND UM, 'CAUSE WE CAN'T GET ACCESS TO COUNT EVERY TREE IN THE CITY.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UH, 34 VIABLE TREES OF ROUGHLY THIS SIZE, UH, ON THE PROPERTY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ICANS, UM, BUT I KNOW A NUMBER OF THEM MERICAN.
BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY LARGE TREE AND I UNDERSTAND THE SIZE OF THE ONES ON THE PROPERTY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW, HOW BIG THIS ONE IS IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS CITYWIDE, I GUESS, UH, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
LIKE, SO THE THING ABOUT PECANS IS THE SIMILAR TO AMERICAN ELMS THAT THE OLDER THEY GET, THE MORE THEY START FALLING APART UNLESS THEY'VE BEEN WELL MAINTAINED IN ZILKER PARK AND THEY'VE BEEN PRUNED OVER THE YEARS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ASSUMING SOME RISK WITH THAT.
UM, THIS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, LIVE OAKS ARE A LOT DIFFERENT.
UM, THEY COMPARTMENTALIZE DECAY VERY WELL.
THEY CAN HANG ON TO, UM, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, FIND THE WATER, FIND THE ROOTS.
UM, BUT EVENTUALLY TREES HAVE A LIFESPAN.
THE, UH, THIS IS NEAR CREEK, RIGHT? I FORGET WHICH ONE, BUT, UH, IS THIS IN THE FLOOD PLAIN OR IS IT, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
UH, IT'S ADJACENT TO BULKY CREEK.
UH, CREEK IS A BIT OF A, I GUESS THE TECHNICAL TERM, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A CONCRETE BOTTOM WITH, UH, ROCK RIP WRAP ON, ON BOTH SIDES.
SO IT, IT'S A WATER OPEN CHANNEL.
UH, THERE IS DESIGNATED FLOOD PLAIN AS PART OF THE WARWICK CONVEYANCE, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE, UM, NOT LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD THINK IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.
SO YES, THERE'S FLOOD PLAIN AND WE STAY OUT OF THAT.
A LOT OF THE TREE ALONG THE FLOODPLAINS ARE THE ONE THAT BEING PRESERVED.
SO YOUR DEVELOPMENT'S OUTSIDE THE FLOOD PLAIN? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
UM, WHAT'S THE IMPERVIOUS COVER OF THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT? UH, WE ONLY TALK, OH, SORRY.
ARE WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE, JUST THE LIVE WORK SITE OR THE ENTIRETY AS A WHOLE? WELL, THE ONE YOU'RE BUILDING ON, UH, WE DESIGNING FOR ALL OF, UH, ALL OF THEM.
UH, SO I WOULD, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
IT'S CLOSER TO 40%, SO IT'S BELOW THE, UM, THE MAXIMUM LIMIT.
UH, AND WHAT I WANTED TO ALSO POINT IT OUT IS THAT ROCKY CREEK CHANNEL IS PART OF THE SITE.
AND SO THAT'S ALSO KIND OF COMPLICATED THE CALCULATION, UH, 'CAUSE WE DON'T GET TO COUNT THAT.
[01:30:01]
HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT SEPARATELY.UH, I GUESS THE, THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE REALLY KIND OF STAFF.
I MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE PAID TO THE MITIGATION FUND, UM, TO MAKE UP FOR THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CUTTING DOWN OF THE TREE.
UH, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS CAME UP AND, UH, ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE TREE PLANTED A, A PECAN TREE PLANTED IN A PARK THAT'S DOWN THE STREET FROM, UM, WHERE, WHERE THIS, UH, SITE IS.
MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN ARE THESE MITIGATION TREES GONNA BE PLANTED? UH, YEAH, I CAN, I CAN SAY THAT THE, THE PHASE ONE PROJECT THAT RELATED TO LIGHTWORKS, UH, WE, WE, DEPENDING ON THIS DECISION TO FINALIZE THE AMOUNT OF REPLACEMENT TREE THAT WE CAN PLANT.
UM, BUT THE GOAL IS TO, YOU KNOW, PLANT NEW ONE ONSITE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY AN AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE WINDOW NEAR THE COURTYARD.
UM, BUT THE REST OF THE SITE, THE PROPOSED MITIGATION IS PENDING THIS DECISION AMONG OTHERS IN ORDER TO FINALIZE.
BUT THE GOAL IS TO PLAN AS MANY OF THEM, UH, ON SITE AS POSSIBLE.
AND ALL OF THAT WILL BE PART OF THE FINAL SITE PLAN.
SO BE UNTIL WE HAVE A LANDSCAPE PLAN THAT SHOW ALL OF THE REPLACEMENT, UH, WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA GET FULL SITE PERMIT FOR THE WHOLE SITE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT NAOMI, GO AHEAD.
SO IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL, WE ASK APPLICANT THE NUMBER ONE THING WE WANT BACK IS PLANTING ON SITE.
MAKE THAT SITE WHOLE, THE APPLICANT THROUGH THE SITE PLAN, THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE SHEETS, UM, WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS AFTER, IT'S GOTTA BE AFTER ALL THE CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S THE LAST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION SITE IS PLANTING BACK.
SO, BUT WE ARE GONNA ASK FOR AS MUCH TREES BACK ON POSSIBLE AT THE SITE.
UM, AND THEN WE START LOOKING INTO PAYMENT INTO THE, THE URBAN FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND.
WE'RE AT THE STAGE OF THE SITE PLANT WHERE THEY'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE.
THEY JUST SUBMITTED, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE AT UPDATE ZERO, UM, JUST SUBMITTED.
SO WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, WE PUT THIS NUMBER UP ON THE SLIDE BECAUSE IT'S STANDARD.
UM, BUT WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PLANTING BACK, UH, SPECIES AND TREES.
BECAUSE I GUESS THE PERCEPTION I HAD, AND, AND IT MAY BE INCORRECT, THE PERCEPTION I HAD WAS THAT MUCH OF THE MITIGATION WAS GONNA GO INTO THE FUND AND THEN THE TREES WERE GONNA BE PLANTED ELSEWHERE, NOT ON ON THE SITE.
THEY WERE GONNA GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE TRY NOT, YOU KNOW, WE TRY NOT TO THE, THE PRIORITY AND IT'S IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL IS TO PLANT BACK ON SITE.
AND SO WE'LL PUT THE APPLICANT THROUGH THE RINGER AGAIN, TRYING TO GET AS MUCH TREES PLANTED BACK ON SITE BEFORE IT GOES INTO THE FUND.
AND THEN I THINK WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER, UM, URBAN FORESTRY SUBCOMMITTEE WHERE, UM, THE URBAN FORESTRY CAN TALK ABOUT, UH, THE REPLENISHMENT FUND AND THE TREE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, THAT'S WHERE THEY TARGET PLANTING, THAT'S WHERE THEY TARGET CANOPY AND, AND VARIOUS PROGRAMS. OKAY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BE CUTTING DOWN A HERITAGE TREE THAT'S PERHAPS OF A SIGNIFICANT AGE AND SIGNIFICANT LOCAL IMPORT, UH, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD REPLACE IT WITH NEW TREES PRETTY MUCH THE DAY YOU GET FINISHED CARRYING OFF THE OLD ONE, UH, IF IT'S GONNA BE OFF THE PROPERTY.
I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T PLANT NEW TREES UNTIL THE CONSTRUCTION'S DONE ON THE EXISTING SITE, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, THERE'S NO REASON WHY YOU CAN'T PLANT THE NEW TREES, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT DAY TYPE OF THING.
YOU DO WANNA PLANT TREES IN THE CORRECT GROWING SEASON.
YOU DON'T WANNA PLANT 'EM IN AUGUST OR JULY, BUT NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, UM, WILL YOU BE, WHEN YOU PLANT THESE TREES, ARE YOU GONNA REPLACE 'EM WITH THE SAME SPECIES? UH, WELL THEY'LL BE REPLACED BY SPECIES IN APPENDIX F.
UM, SO THEY COULD CHOOSE LIVE OAKS, UM, PECANS, ANYTHING IN APPENDIX F UM, APPENDIX F IS IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL.
IT'S A LIST OF ACCEPTABLE REPLACEMENT TREE SPECIES.
UM, SO IF YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S UM, LISTS THAT OF TREES THAT CAN GO UNDER HIGH VOLTAGE LINES.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EACH PLACEMENT OF THE TREES.
BUT YOU, SO THIS, THIS PECAN THAT WILL BE CUT DOWN IF WE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THAT MAY NOT BE REPLACED BY PECAN.
[01:35:01]
THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT.I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL JUST, I'LL SAY THAT, UH, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY DESIRED, WE'RE HAPPY TO COMMIT TO THAT.
I MEAN, I KNOW THIS ISN'T THE KIND OF COMMISSION WHERE YOU PUT A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY ON THINGS OR WHATEVER, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO, TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE TREES WILL BE A PECAN.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY EASY TO MAKE.
IF YOU ALSO LOOK AT THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT LARGER VIEW OF THE SITE PLAN, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH, WITH WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THE ADDITIONAL TREES.
THERE ARE SOME, SOME GOOD OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THERE'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, ON THREE SIDES, THE, THE BUILDING IS REALLY RINGED BY ALL THE TREES THAT ARE GETTING PRESERVED.
WE REALLY GOT CREATIVE WITH THE WAY THAT THE FIRE LANES GO AND EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, IT'S REALLY, THEY BOUND THE BUILDING ENTIRELY AROUND ONE SIDE AND IT'S, SO WE LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WELL, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF HEMMED IN BY THE SCOPE AT WHICH WE ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE AND WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO VOTE ON THE VALUE OF THE TREE.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE OTHER SUGGESTIONS, WHICH WOULD GIVE US MORE FLEXIBILITY IN MAKING SUGGESTIONS AND SO FORTH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE FUN.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I DO APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, THE DETAIL AND, AND FACT THAT YOU SENT IN YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR INFORMATION EARLIER IN THE MEETING.
THAT'S, I FIND THAT VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER BRANER, BRANER.
UM, SO, UM, LIFE WORKS WORKS WITH KIDS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA AND HAVE GONE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, LIFE, UM, HARDSHIPS.
I REALLY WONDER HOW THEY WOULD FEEL ABOUT TAKING THIS TREE.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT.
LIKE THERE'S A MASSIVE TRAUMA THAT'S GONNA BE COMMITTED BY REMOVING THIS TREE.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT AND I THINK ABOUT, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO TO CREATE A POSITIVE OUT OF THAT IF WE, IF, IF WE MUST LOSE THE TREE, WHICH I'M NOT CONVINCED WE HAVE TO THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ENGAGE THOSE YOUTH THEN IMPLANTING SOMETHING FOR THEIR FUTURE? AND SO I'M THINKING ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MITIGATION FUND, TRYING TO KEEP THAT AS MANY IPOS, YOU KNOW, ON THE PROPERTY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE COURTYARD, WHICH, UH, I PRESUME IS WHERE THE TREE IS CURRENTLY GOING TO, TO RESIDE, YOU KNOW, OR CURRENTLY RESIDES.
UM, CAN YOU PLANT OTHER TREES IN THAT COURTYARD? UM, IS THAT KIND OF THE PLAN FOR THAT OR ARE YOU JUST DOING THE RAIN GARDENS OR ARE YOU JUST DOING CONCRETE? WHAT'S THERE? YEAH, I'LL JUST ANSWER THE ENGINEERING ASPECT.
SO THE RAIN GARDEN, UH, HAS BEEN CONSOLIDATED TO THE VERY KIND OF BACK CORNER WHERE IT'S RE ALLOWED THE COURTYARD TO BE PROGRAMMED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR OTHER BENEFICIAL USE.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IT PROBABLY POSSIBLE TO PLANT NUTRIENT IN THAT COURTYARD, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAM, UH, THAT IS HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER IN, IN THAT AREA THAT FACILITATES, I DEFER THAT TO LIZ.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS IS ACTUALLY TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS, WHO ARE CURRENTLY RESIDING AT ONE OF OUR EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES.
AND AGAIN, MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE ARE YOUNG PARENTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE VERY VOCAL ABOUT IS HAVING A PROTECTED SPACE WITHIN THE COURTYARD FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY.
AND SO THE COURTYARD IS GONNA PREDOMINANTLY BE SPACE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
UH, AND THEN PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG FOLKS HAVE THAT CASE MANAGEMENT.
A LOT OF THE TREES THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON REPLACE ON, UM, THE MITIGATION WOULD PROBABLY BE ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE BUILDING.
UH, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE TREES WITHIN THE COURTYARD, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK TO DESIGN ABOUT.
AND SO YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PLANTING TREES WHERE CHILDREN PLAY? IS THAT CORRECT? NO, NO, NO.
JUST WHAT WE HAVE HEARD AND WHAT THE DESIGN CURRENTLY ACCOUNTS FOR IS PROVIDING THAT SPACE AND THE PLAYGROUND FOR THE CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY, HAPPY TO TALK TO OUR ARCHITECTS IN ORDER TO FIGURE OUT IS THERE SPACE WITHIN THE COURTYARD TO ACCOMMODATE A POTENTIAL TREE.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'VE YEAH.
WORKED A LOT ON, UH, IS NATURAL PLAY AREAS MM-HMM
AND, UM, IN DESIGNING SPACES FOR CHILDREN, UM, TO HAVE THAT, UM, CONNECTION WITH NATURE MM-HMM
UM, BUT ALSO DO IT IN A SAFE WAY.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE STORIES THAT I TELL IS THAT, UM, A FRIEND OF MINE, UH, HAD A CHILDCARE, HER CHILD IN CHILDCARE IN SOUTH TEXAS, UM, PICKED UP THE KID HE WAS IN TERRIBLE MOOD, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE MOOD.
AND THEY SAID, WHAT'S WRONG? WELL, THEY CUT DOWN THIS FAVORITE
[01:40:01]
TREE AND THEN A WEEK LATER SHE GOES AND PICKS HIM UP.HE'S ALSO IN A TERRIBLE MOOD UNCONSOLABLE THIS TIME.
AND SHE FINALLY SAYS, GOES INSIDE AND ASKS HIM AND SAID, WELL, WE HAD TO CANCEL, UH, OUTDOOR ACTIVITY TIME BECAUSE THERE'S NO SHADE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT AND, AND WE, WE, WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OH, WE CAN'T HAVE STICKS WHERE CHILDREN ARE, WE CAN'T HAVE THIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN ARE HARDWIRED TO PLAY WITH THOSE NATURAL OBJECTS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, OVERLY DESIGNED SPACES ACTUALLY DO A DISSERVICE TO CHILDREN MORE THAN A LESS DESIGN SPACE, UM, FOR THOSE CHILDREN WHERE THEY HAVE MORE CONNECTION WITH LIVING AND GROWING THINGS.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY IN, UM, QUITE A BIT OF THE, QUITE A BIT OF LITERATURE AROUND THAT.
CAN I TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF DESIGNING A SPACE WHERE CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO PLAY AND WORK AROUND A TREE? THAT THERE ARE KNOWN HAZARDS? UM, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED KNOWN HAZARDS IN THAT TREE.
UM, WE HAVE ALL, UM, BEEN CERTIFIED AS TREE RISK ASSESSMENT QUALIFIED.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT THAT TREE IN PARTICULAR.
I'M ASKING ABOUT PLANTING OTHER TREES WITHIN THAT SPACE.
AND THAT'S GONNA ULTIMATELY, I MEAN, THAT IS A CONVERSATION WITH OUR ARCHITECTS AS FAR AS SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THOSE PIECES.
UM, AND HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
OUR ARCHITECTS AREN'T REPRESENTED HERE TODAY.
UM, SO LEMME SEE WHAT THE OTHER QUESTIONS I WROTE DOWN HERE, WHICH ARE, UM, I WANNA ANSWER COMMISSIONER ER'S QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER BRIER ASKED, UH, HOW MANY TREES, UH, HOW MANY PECANS ARE ON THE PROPERTY? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, BUT THERE ARE 55 PECANS TOTAL AND, UH, 50 52, I DIDN'T COUNT ALL OF THE TREES, 52 ARE BEING REMOVED IN THERE, BUT I WILL POINT OUT THAT TWO, UH, CHINA BERRIES ARE NOT SCHEDULED TO BE REMOVED.
AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET RID OF THOSE
UM, THEY'RE, UH, A COMBINATION OF ELM, ELDER HACKBERRY, LOCUST, CHINABERRY, AND PECAN.
I, I DO HAVE A BIAS AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES.
UM, UH, SO, SO I JUST WANTED TO ANSWER KINDA WHAT TREES ARE ON THERE.
SO WE'RE TAKING DOWN THE PECANS AND LEAVING THE INVASIVE SPECIES.
UH, ALL, THERE'S ONE BOX ELDER, UH, ONE CEDAR ELM TO BE REMOVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, THE MAJORITY ARE PECANS COMING DOWN.
AND THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE HERITAGE OF TILLERY, UH, JUST AS, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UM, MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT'S KIND OF BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS AREA IS, UM, ARE THESE PECAN TREES.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING THAT THERE KEEPING THE, UM, NATURAL HERITAGE OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT.
Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT THE HEALTH AND, UH, WELLBEING OF, YOU KNOW, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND HELPING THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY COME OUTTA HOMELESSNESS AND, AND, AND BE ABLE TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WELL-ROUNDED CITIZENS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW DO WE KEEP IT INTACT? AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HERITAGE TREES, IT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN OURSELVES, RIGHT? IT'S BIGGER THAN ONE PROJECT AT A TIME BECAUSE THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCES ARE CONSTANTLY UNDER ATTACK.
AND SO ANYWHERE ANY C***K IN THE ARMOR THAT WE GIVE IS ONE MORE THING THAT THEY CAN GO, OH, WELL YOU DID THIS, YOU KNOW? SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO BE AWARE OF THAT WHEN YOU'RE ASKING US, UM, TO VOTE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UM, IT'S, WE, WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY AT ALL.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE HARDER THINGS BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LIVING SPECIES, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A SINGLE LIVING SPECIES, UM, TO LOOK AT.
UM, I THINK THAT IS ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE REAL QUICK HERE, I DO WANNA SPEAK TO, THIS IS A, THIS IS AN UPDATE ZERO WHAT THEY'VE CEMENTED.
THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA CATCH THE CHINA BERRY.
NO, BUT THIS IS A VERY, THIS IS A BIG PROJECT.
WE'RE GONNA CATCH THAT IN THE REVIEW.
UM, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO SAVE AROUND THEM.
AND THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TYPO.
WARMS MY HEART TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT.
UM, UH, I, I WILL SAY JUST, I JUST WANNA BE ON RECORD.
[01:45:01]
ALL THE REASONS THAT YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HAVE SAID, UM, IT IS A LITTLE STRANGE FOR US TO BE TALKING ABOUT ONE ACRE OF A 13 ACRE PROJECT, UM, AND NOT REALLY HAVE LIKE, THE WHOLE BIGGER SCOPE.I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, AND I GET IT WHY YOU'VE SPLIT THOSE THINGS UP.
BUT, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A LITTLE STRANGE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE WHOLE THING AS A WHOLE WHEN THEY WANNA BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, I COULD, I CAN JUST ADD SOME ENGINEERING CONTEXT.
SO I ALSO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ON THAT LIFT MAKE PROJECT DOWN THE STREET ON TILLERY WHERE HALF OF THE ACREAGE WOULD SAY FOR THE PARK.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, I, FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANT TO, UH, LAY OUT THAT WHEN THIS PROJECT FOUR YEARS AGO BEING CONCEPTED, IT, IT'S ABOUT THE LAND THAT CAN BE IMAGINED FOR HOUSING.
SO AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE INFORMATION THAT WE COULD WORK THROUGH.
SO I THINK THE SEQUENCE, UH, REVERSED IS KIND OF WHERE, UH, IT HAS BEEN A CONSTRAINT AND CHALLENGE FOR US TO WORK THROUGH.
UH, I WOULD SAY THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, UH, IF YOU PLACE THAT HYPOTHETICAL ONE ACRE TO THE FRONT, IT WOULD DISPLACE BUSINESSES AND, AND AREA TO THE FRONT.
IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A PERFECT POCKET SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IF WE WERE TO GO BACK IN TIME THAT YOU COULD DISRUPT, UH, ZERO.
AND SO, UH, THE PROJECT LIVE MAKE THAT HAPPENED TO BE, THEN AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA DRAG THAT PROJECT INTO HERE, BUT THE, THAT LAND HAPPENED TO BE, UH, UH, PARK LAND OWNED, UM, THE CITY OWNED SELL TO A HFC SELL BACK TO THE PARK IS BASICALLY FRONT AND CENTER.
AND SO THAT OPPORTUNITY ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN THE 20 YEARS THAT I PRACTICED.
AND, UH, THE RATIO OF HOUSING, UNFORTUNATELY LIKE 60 UNITS ON TWO ACRE OUT OF FIVE, THE OTHER THREE WAS PARKED VERSUS 120 UNIT ON ONE ACRE.
I THINK OUR JOB IS TO ALSO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THAT HOUSING BENEFIT.
SO JUST WANNA SAY THAT FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, THAT WAS THE CONSTRAINT THAT WE ALSO TRY TO NAVIGATE.
UM, YEAH, I, I DON'T, I THINK THE ONLY OTHER STATEMENT THAT I, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE PROJECT IS APPROVED THAT PRETTY SOON THEY CAN START REMOVING THE TREES AND STUFF, IT IS NESTING SEASON FOR THE BIRDS, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE GO AHEAD AND MAYBE HOLD OFF UNTIL MID-JULY OR SO WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE OUT, ESPECIALLY SO ON THAT THERE'S NO CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH WE'D BE BREAKING AROUND BEFORE THEN.
I'M GONNA CONFER WITH, UM, SECRETARY REALLY QUICK ON TWO THINGS.
MAKE SURE WE GOT EVERYTHING BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP A A, AFTER HAVING LOOKED AT THE TREE SURVEY, I'M COUNTING 131 TREES TOTAL ON THIS ENTIRE PROJECT.
IS THAT ACCURATE? IF THAT'S WHAT THE, IF THAT'S WHAT APPEARS IN THE SURVEY YES.
SO I'M JUST DOING THE MATH HERE BY TAG NUMBER 343,441, TAG NUMBER TO 3,572.
AND THEN I'M COUNTING THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE GONNA BE REMOVED.
TOTAL IS 53 AND I'M COUNTING THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE PECAN.
THEY'RE GONNA STAY AND THAT'S 47.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THE NUMBERS THERE, RICK, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, 47 PECANS WILL REMAIN IN THAT ENTIRE PROJECT JUST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THE CHINA BERRIES WILL NOT
WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO CHIME IN WITH A COMMENT? WOULD, UM, SO SOMETHING I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I DO HEAR PECAN, I'M A TREE LOVER MYSELF.
I IMMEDIATELY THINK OF FALLING LIMBS AND THE OLDNESS OF IT.
UM, BUT THERE'S A, A STORY FROM, UH, THE FIRST STATE PARK IN TEXAS, MOTHER F STATE PARK, UH, HAS A, UH, NICE PECAN GROVE THERE.
AND TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE RECENTLY CELEBRATED THEIR HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND THEY MADE, THEY WENT OUT AND SOUGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, A STORY FROM THE FIRST STATE PARK PECAN GROVE.
THEY FOUND AN AGING ONE AND THEN TURNED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN THAT INTO A NICE, UM, TIME CAPSULE TO KIND OF COMMEMORATE THE A HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
AND, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE CULTURAL COMPONENT TO THE PECAN GROVE, NOT NECESSARILY AN ISOLATED PECAN.
AND I THINK HEARD KIND OF A NICE STORY ABOUT TILLERY STREET AND PECAN TREES.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WE COULD LEARN THAT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE EAGER FOR THAT KIND OF, UH, INFORMATION AND IF SOMETHING COULD BE DONE WITH THAT TREE BROUGHT ONTO SITE TO INSPIRE STEWARDSHIP OR INSPIRE SOMETHING ELSE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UM, 'CAUSE WHAT A SITE CONSTRAINT, MAN, I WISH Y'ALL
[01:50:01]
DIDN'T HAVE A RAILROAD AND A CONCRETE CHANNEL AND HAD A REAL ENVIRONMENT TO US TOO, TO, TO BRING THOSE KIDS TOO.UM, SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D SHARE THAT STORY.
AND ONE OTHER THING, UH, AS A PERSON WHO WORKS WITH WOOD, I'M FEELING LIKE A TREE LIKE THAT, THAT WOOD IS GONNA BE INCREDIBLE.
IF THAT'S CAN BE TURNED INTO SOMETHING, IT WOULD BE QUITE BEAUTIFUL.
WELL, IF YOU GET OUT THERE SOONER ENOUGH, YOU CAN CARVE SOMETHING UP FOR ROY
I REALLY MAKE IT HARD ON MY FIRST DAY.
AND ACTUALLY, WE COULD PROBABLY TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND THEN LET'S COME BACK IF THAT'S OKAY.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AND LET'S, UH, LET'S EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IN FAVOR, GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR HANDS.
AND WE HAVE TWO HANDS, UH, YES.
ON THE YES, UH, ON THE, UM, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS SO PASSES.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE VOTED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
HOW'S THAT SOUND? OH, WE VOTE ON CORRECT, CORRECT.
'CAUSE Y'ALL HAD NICE COMMENTS.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE OUR SEAT AND, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED AGAIN.
AND, UM, REMOTE COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU COULD TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON, PLEASE.
SECRETARY FER, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YES, WE DO.
SO, DATE OF MAY 7TH, 2025 SUBJECT, PSH LIFE WORKS AT TILLERY SB 2 25 0 0 3 1 C DOS SH LOCATION AT EIGHT 19 TILLERY STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 0 2.
UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING REMOVAL OF A HERITAGE TREE WITH A STEM GREATER THAN 30 INCHES IN ACCORDANCE WITH LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 6 43 AND 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 6 24 A TWO.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE TREE REQUESTED FOR REMOVAL IS A 32 INCH DIAMETER HERITAGE PECAN TREE, TREE NUMBER 35 10, LOCATED WITHIN, UH, THE ONE ACRE LEASE AREA DESIGNATED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ON A 13 ACRE SITE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CITY ARBORIST RATES THE PECAN TREE AS BEING AN OVERALL FAIR CONDITION, BUT WITH POOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY AND MODERATE RISK RATING AND DOCUMENTED DEFECTS INCLUDING ALARM, LARGE LIMB FAILURES, AND A SIGNIFICANT DEFECT AT THE MAIN BRANCH UNION.
AND WHEREAS THE COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ONSITE EVALUATIONS INCLUDED AO GRAPH ANALYSIS AND PRIVATE ARBORISTS CLAIMING INSPECTION THAT CONFIRMED INTERNAL STRUCTURAL WEAKNESSES AT VARIOUS HEIGHTS ALONG THE TRUNK, DESPITE NO INTERNAL DECAY AT THE BASE.
AND WHEREAS THE COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS THAT THE APPLICANT DEMONSTRATED MULTIPLE CONSTRAINTS INCLUDING THE TREE'S CENTRAL LOCATION TO THE BUILDABLE AREA, SITE DESIGN LIMITATIONS, LACK OF FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVES, AND FUNDING CONSTRAINTS FOR VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT THAT PREVENT REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY IF THE TREE IS RETAINED.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY ARBOR HAS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE REQUEST AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE CRITERION LDC 25 DASH EIGHT DASH 64 82 HAVE BEEN MET AND THAT NO WAIVERS OR DESIGN MODIFICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO REASONABLY PRESERVE THE TREE.
AND WHEREAS THE APPLICANT HAS COMMITTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF OTHER HERITAGE TREES ON SITE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ECM SECTION 3.5 0.2, AND WILL PROVIDE REQUIRED MITIGATION THROUGH REPAYMENT OF $7,200 TO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ECM STANDARDS FOR CERTIFIED AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE REQUESTED VARIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
ONE, THE APPLICANTS SHALL SUBMIT AND IMPLEMENT A FIVE-YEAR TREE CARE PLAN FOR THE 34 PRESERVED PRE HERITAGE TREES, INCLUDING ROUTINE INSPECTION, PRUNING, MULCHING, WATERING, AND PEST MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND VIABILITY.
THE APPLICANT SHALL COORDINATE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM STAFF TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT ONE-TIME IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING OR NEW STREET SCAPES
[01:55:01]
TREES AS NEEDED WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ADJACENT TO THE PROJECT SITE ANNUAL THREE ANNUAL REPORTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY STAFF DOCUMENTING TREE CARE ACTIVITIES AND CONDITIONS OF PRESERVED HERITAGE TREES FOR THE DURATION OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN.APPLICANT WILL FOLLOW ALL THE OAK WILT PREVENTION BEST PRACTICES WHEN CARING FOR OAK TREES OF ALL AGES ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, APPLICANT WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY STAFF TO, TO UTILIZE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT, FUND MITIGATION DOLLARS TO PLANT AS MANY OF THE REQUIRED MITIGATION TREES ON SITE AS POSSIBLE, PRIORITIZING NATIVE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT SPECIES AND AREAS OF THE SITE THAT SUPPORT LONG-TERM TREE HEALTH AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
SIX IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OR A ISD DEVELOP A YOUTH-FOCUSED TREE PLANTING AND EDUCATION INITIATIVE.
THIS PROGRAM COULD INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, PLANTING AND OR VISITING THE NEWLY PLANTED TREES, FOSTERING A LONG-TERM CONNECTION TO URBAN FORESTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
AND SEVEN DEVELOP ONSITE PROGRAM THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE EXISTING PECAN GROVE AND CELEBRATES THE ROLE OF THESE TREES IN REGIONAL ECOLOGY AND EAST AUSTIN'S CULTURAL HISTORY.
I'LL SECOND THAT AND THEN I HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THE, UM, THE FIVE YEAR PLAN ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO, I DON'T THINK WE CALL IT LIKE HOW LONG THE LEASE IS, BUT FOR THE DURATION OF THE LEASE.
SO APPLICANT SHALL SUBMIT AND IMPLEMENT A TREE CARE PLAN FOR THE DURATION OF THE LEASE FOR THE 34 PRESERVED TERRITORIES, TREES, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THE FREELY AMENDMENT CAN GO AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT AN OBJECTIVE TO IT, RIGHT? YEAH.
ANYBODY OBJECT TO THAT? GREAT.
ANY ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, CONDITIONS, CONCERNS? ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? ANYBODY WANNA? NOPE.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE AND, UH, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL, UH, FOR THIS ONE.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, FIRO.
AND YOU CAN JUST SAY YES OR NO.
I'M GETTING THE HIGH SIGN THAT PASSED.
YEAH, YOU JUST REPEAT THE WITH.
[5. Name: McLemore Tract Multifamily Water and Wastewater Service Extension Request #6139 and 6140 Applicant: John Lewis, Development Associate, CWS Capital Partners, LLC Location: 10656 N FM 620 Rd, Austin, Texas 78726 Council District: Not applicable Staff: Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, (512) 974-3443, Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov Applicant request: Water and Wastewater Service Extension Revision Staff Recommendation: Not Recommended]
UM, TO THE, UH, MC, MC MACKLEMORE, WE GOT THREE DIFFERENT WAYS UP HERE TO SAY IT.BELIEVE, UH, TRACK MULTIFAMILY WATER AND WASTE WATER SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST
UM, MY NAME IS KAYLA CHAMPLIN AND I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IN THE POLICY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SECTION.
AND TONIGHT I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE, I THINK MACKLEMORE.
GREAT
AND THOSE ARE NUMBERS 31, I'M SORRY, 61, 39 AND 61 40.
SO BEFORE I JUMP IN, I'M GOING TO DO A QUICK PRIMER ON, UH, WHAT A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST IS AND WHY THIS IS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
SO A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST OR AN SER IS AN APPLICATION FOR CITY WATER OR WASTEWATER SERVICE FROM A PROPERTY OWNER OR DEVELOPER.
AND IT'S REQUIRED WHEN A PROPERTY IS MORE THAN 100 FEET FROM AN ACCESSIBLE WATER OR WASTEWATER SYSTEM, OR IF
[02:00:01]
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE ISN'T ADEQUATE FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT DEMANDS.AND IT MAY INVOLVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW LINES OR ASSOCIATED FACILITIES OR UPGRADES TO EXISTING LINES OR FACILITIES.
AND THE APPLICANT MAY, EXCUSE ME, THE APPLICANT PAYS FOR THE ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE AS OUTLINED IN THE SER.
SO, SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS REQUIRE COUNSEL APPROVAL IF THE PROPERTY IS IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION, JURISDICTION.
AND, UH, THE PROCESS IS THAT IT WILL FIRST COMES TO YOU TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN GOES TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN ON TO COUNCIL TO, TO MAKE THE FINAL APPROVAL OR DENIAL.
AND ONE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION WITH SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU CAN'T PUT ANY CONDITIONS ON IT.
SO YOU COULD ONLY RE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DENIAL IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO THIS, UH, REQUEST IS FOR BOTH WATER AND WASTEWATER FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1 0 6 5 6 NORTH FM SIX 20.
IT'S A 10 ACRE SITE IN THE LAKE TRAVIS WATERSHED.
IT'S LOCATED IN THE NORTH EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE, THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE.
AND THIS PROPERTY IS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN'S JURISDICTION BECAUSE IT, UH, OPTED TO REMOVE FROM THE CITY'S ETGA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
UM, THE LITTLE RED BOX UP AT THE TOP IS THE SITE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CITY'S FULL JURISDICTION.
THIS IS, UH, LOCATION OF THE SITE IN THE CONTEXT OF IMAGINE AUSTIN'S GROWTH CONCEPT MAP.
THIS SITE IS NOT LOCATED NEAR ONE OF THE CENTERS OR CORRIDORS WHERE THE CITY IS SEEKING TO, UM, DIRECT NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE CON, UM, IN THE GROWTH CONCEPT PLAN, I THINK IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
SO THIS IS A CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT.
UH, THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSING 300 MULTI-FAMILY UNITS WITH 150 LIVING UNIT EQUIVALENTS OR LU AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
IT'S A 10 ACRE DEVELOPMENT AND THERE'S 59% IN KIRBY'S COVER ON THE SITE, AND PARKING COVERS APPROXIMATELY 34% OF THE PROPERTY.
SORRY, Y'ALL GOT A LITTLE SCRATCHY THROAT.
SO FOR THE, FOR WATER, THE, UH, FIRST, THE FIRST OPTION THAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS TO CONSTRUCT APPROXIMATELY 950 FEET OF 12 INCH WATER MAIN FROM THE EXISTING 12 INCH WATER MAIN, LOCATED IN NORTH FM SIX 20 SOUTH OF THE FOUNDATION ROAD INTERSECTION AND EXTEND SOUTHWEST ALONG NORTH FM SIX 20 TO THE SUBJECT TRACT.
HERE'S A MAP SHOWING THAT PROPOSED EXTENSION.
A SECOND WATER SER OPTION HAS BEEN PROPOSED.
IF THE FIRST OPTION ISN'T FEASIBLE DUE TO SPACING, CONSTRAINTS WITH OTHER UTILITIES, AND IF THAT OPTION IS CONSTRUCTED, IT WILL BE, UH, 1,400 FEET OF 12 INCH WATER MAIN FROM THE EXISTING 12 INCH WATER MAIN COSTING NORTH FM SIX 20, NORTH OF THE BOULDER LANE INTERSECTION.
AND WE'LL ALSO EXTEND NORTHEAST ALONG NORTH FM SIX 20 TO THE SUBJECT TRACT.
AND THIS IS JUST A, A MAP SHOWING THAT SECOND OPTION.
FOR WASTEWATER, UH, IT'S PROPOSED TO CONSTRUCT 1,300 FEET OF EIGHT INCH GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAIN FROM THE EXISTING EIGHT INCH GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAIN LOCATED IN NORTH FM SIX 20 TO THE SUBJECT TRACT.
THERE, UH, PROPOSING TO CONSTRUCT AN APPROPRIATELY SIZED UPGRADE TO THE EXISTING VOLANTE LIFT STATION AND TO REPLACE 1,875 FEET OF EIGHT INCH GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAIN ALONG TGO BRIAR TRAIL AND ELTO PARK PARKWAY WITH 12 INCH GRAVITY WASTEWATER MAIN.
THIS IS A MAP SHOWING THE PROPOSED WASTEWATER EXTENSION.
[02:05:01]
SO IF, UH, IF THE APPLICANT IS UNABLE TO GET A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEN THEY MAY EXPLORE SOME ALTERNATIVE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. UM, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT, ALTHOUGH ONLY TWO ARE, ARE POTENTIALLY FEASIBLE.THE FIRST IS TEXAS LAND APPLICATION PERMIT OR A T LAP.
AND THIS IS ISSUED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OR TCEQ, AND IT WOULD LIKELY BE A SUBSURFACE AERIAL DISPERSAL SYSTEM OR A SAD SYSTEM.
UH, THIS SYSTEM WOULD EITHER REQUIRE 9.3 ACRES OR 10.1 ACRES FOR SPRAY IRRIGATION IN A STORAGE POND.
SO, UH, A TE LL WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE WITHOUT DRASTICALLY SCALING BACK THE NUMBER OF LUE THAT ARE PLANNED IN ORDER TO MEET THAT SPACE FOR THE IRRIGATION FIELD AND THE STORAGE POND.
UH, THE OTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT THIS TYPE OF SOIL THAT IS ON SITE IS, UH, IT'S VERY LIMITED DUE TO THE TYPE OF BEDROCK, THE DEPTH OF BEDROCK THAT'S THERE.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH THESE SYSTEMS IN THIS TYPE OF SOIL.
SO THEY WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO BRING, UH, IMPORT SOIL FOR THIS KIND OF SYSTEM.
THE SECOND TYPE OF SYSTEM THAT THEY COULD EXPLORE IS AN ONSITE SEWAGE FACILITY, OR OSSF.
TRAVIS COUNTY RULES REQUIRE 0.75 ACRE LOTS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITH PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY AND ONE ACRE LOTS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
SO THE NUMBER OF UIS POSSIBLE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 13.
SO AGAIN, THIS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT THEIR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND THEY LIKELY WOULDN'T, WOULD NOT DEVELOP WITH THIS KIND OF SYSTEM.
UM, AGAIN, THE SOILS ARE A SEVERE LIMITATION FOR THESE SORTS OF SYSTEMS. SO SOIL WOULD HAVE TO BE IMPORTED TO USE THIS KIND OF SYSTEM, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ADVERSE IMPACTS, UM, BECAUSE PREFERENTIAL FLOW PATHS CAN FORM AND IT CAN MOVE SOIL OFFSITE AND THEN BASICALLY CREATE A, A PATHWAY FOR EFFLUENT TO TRAVEL OFFSITE.
THE LAST TYPE OF SYSTEM IS A DIRECT DISCHARGE OR WHAT'S CALLED A TEXAS POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT.
AND THIS IS ALSO ISSUED BY THE STATE T-C-E-E-Q.
AND THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IN THIS LOCATION BECAUSE STATE LAW PROHIBITS WASTEWATER DISCHARGES WITHIN 10 MILES OF LAKE TRAVIS.
AND THIS PROPERTY IS, IS WITHIN THAT LIMIT.
SO THIS WOULD NOT, THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
THE OTHER CONSIDERATION IS OUR ETJ REGULATIONS IN THIS AREA.
SO, UH, LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, SENATE BILL 2038 PASSED, WHICH ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS TO REMOVE ON A LOT BY LOT BASIS IN THE EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.
AND, UM, THIS PROPERTY DID RECEIVE A VALID PETITION TO BE REMOVED FROM AUSTIN'S ETJ IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
SO REMOVAL ON A LOT BY LOT BASIS DOES NEGATIVELY AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO REGULATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO ONCE A PROPERTY OWNER REMOVES FROM THE ETJ, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
THIS IS A MAP JUST SHOWING THE JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES IN THIS AREA.
THE RED IS, THIS IS THE SUBJECT TRACT AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S ADJACENT TO A TWO MILE E, UH, PROPERTY WITH A WITHIN TWO MILE EDJ AND THE LIMITED PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
SO, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON THE SITE.
THIS PROPERTY IS UPSTREAM OF KNOWN JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER HABITAT PORTIONS OF THE SITE CONTAIN SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%.
UM, THE APPLICANT'S, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE INVENTORY DIDN'T SHOW ANY CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, BUT IN THEIR CITY OF AUSTIN DATABASE, WE DO SHOW A SEAT CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE ON THE WESTERN CORNER OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, THERE ARE NO CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OR WATER QUALITY TRANSITION ZONES ON THE PROPERTY.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE THIS MAP, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, BUT UP ON THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY, YOU MAY SEE A LITTLE RED AREA WITH A LITTLE, UH, BRAIN DROP IN IT.
AND THAT'S JUST SHOWING THE SEEP AND THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE BUFFER THAT WOULD, THAT WAS, UH, MAPPED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[02:10:01]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.SO, IF THE PROPERTY HAD REMAINED IN WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ZTJ, THE PROPERTY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITED TO 20% NET SITE AREA.
40% OF DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF THE SITE WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO BE PRESERVED WITHIN A NATURAL STATE.
AND CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15% ARE LIMITED.
UM, SUBJECT TO TRAVIS COUNTY CODE, NO IMPERVIOUS, THERE ARE NO IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS FOR COMMERCIAL SUBDIVISION ON THIS TRACT WITH A PRIMARY DRIVEWAY ACCESS ON A STATE ROAD SUCH AS THIS, AND WHICH IS SIX 20.
SO, WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF DO NOT RECOMMEND APPRO, UH, SUPPORT OF THIS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
THE PROPERTY OWNER RECEIVED A VALID PETITION TO BE REMOVED FROM CITY OF AUSTIN, ETJ AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE FOOTPRINT OF DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE, THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA THAT DRAINS TO AUSTIN'S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.
THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE FOLLOWING REGULATIONS, 20% NET SITE AREA, IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT, 40% DOWNSTREAM, NATURAL AREA PROTECTIONS FOR SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%, CITY OF AUSTIN WATER QUALITY TREATMENT STANDARDS, AND CITY OF AUSTIN CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE PROTECTIONS.
AND THEN ALSO THE SITE DRAINS TO OCCUPIED SALAM AT JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER HABITAT AND IS SENSITIVE TO THE IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, I THINK THERE IS A PRESENTATION FROM THE APPLICANT AND THERE MAY BE SOME REGISTERED SPEAKERS AS WELL.
GET ON UP THERE, GET IN THE HOT SEAT.
HOW'S THAT? MY NAME'S RICHARD SETTLE.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT AND WE COULDN'T HAVE DRAWN A WORSE NIGHT.
I FEEL LIKE THE OLD PECAN TREE, THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE I FALL APART.
I I WANNA MAKE A COUPLE THINGS.
I I'VE GOT A BIG PRESENTATION, BUT I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TOSS IT AND JUST TALK TO YOU A MINUTE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
MY CLIENT, CWS I'VE REPRESENTED THEM FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY ARE UNDER CONTRACT TO BUY THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY.
THEY DID NOT GET IT OUT OF THE ETJ.
THE, THE SITE WAS ALREADY OUTTA THE ETJ BY THE TIME THEY CONTRACTED IT.
UH, RIGHT NOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ECONOMY AND, AND THE MARKET IS REALLY THE, THE MAIN THING THAT WORKS RIGHT NOW IN THIS CYCLE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT WITH THE COUNTY TO DO DEEPLY AFFORDABLE FOR 50% OF THE UNITS.
THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS IS YOU DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND YOU SEE, WELL, CAN WE GET WATER AND WASTEWATER TO DO THIS? AND THAT'S WHY WE FILED THE SCRS.
UM, IF I PUT MYSELF IN YOUR SHOES, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
I MEAN, YOU SAW THE PRESENTATION.
THERE'S NO CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL REGS.
MY JOB IS TO TRY TO CONVINCE YOU WHY IT'S OKAY TO DO WATER AND WASTEWATER OUT HERE.
AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH HILL TO CLIMB, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AREA, THERE'S WATER AND WASTEWATER AROUND THE WHOLE AREA.
UM, THERE'S BEEN SCRS GRANTED, I'VE DONE A FEW OF 'EM UP AND DOWN SIX 20.
UM, IT'S REALLY A POLICY DECISION FOR YOU GUYS TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO USE YOUR WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA TO TRY TO DICTATE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
UM, I KNOW THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS, THEY'RE OKAY WITH HAVING A NEW CUSTOMER.
WE'LL GO TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, UH, SOON TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK.
BUT I WOULD ASK YOU TO AT LEAST THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WELL, AND LET ME BACK UP.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S VERY TOUGH BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUT CONDITIONS ON AN SER THAT'S UNDER STATE LAW.
SO, BUT GIVEN ALL THAT, IF IN FACT THIS RESULTS IN MORE HOUSING IN THIS AREA THAT IS AFFORDABLE TO MORE PEOPLE, THAT'S ABOUT ALL THE CARDS I'VE GOT.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THERE AT LEAST SPURS A CONVERSATION REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME TONIGHT.
BUT IT SPURS THE CONVERSATION OF THE POLICY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[02:15:01]
DO WE WANT TO USE OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA TO TRY TO DICTATE OTHER LAND USES AND OTHER POLICIES? BUT WITH THAT, I'LL SIT DOWN 'CAUSE YOU'VE HAD A LONG NIGHT TALKING ABOUT A TREE, AND, UH, WE GOTTA HEAR FROM MY BROTHERS, BOBBYAND THEN, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BOBBY LAVINSKY WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, YES, WE WANT TO USE, UH, THE CITY'S WASTEWATER AND, AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN A WAY TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S ACTUALLY DIRECTED BY THE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, I'M HERE SPEAKING ALONGSIDE THE SIERRA CLUB AUSTIN REGIONAL GO REGIONAL GROUP.
WE BOTH URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO DENY THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST.
UM, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE NORTH EDWARDS AQUIFER RETARD ZONE.
UM, AND WHILE WE OPPOSE THESE REQUESTS, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS A CLEAR AND VIABLE PATH FORWARD ANNEXATION INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
THIS PROPERTY WAS VOLUNTARILY REMOVED FROM THE CITY'S ETJ IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024, FOLLOWING PASSES OF SB 2038.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE.
SINCE SB 2038 WENT INTO EFFECT, OVER 5,000 ACRES OF LAND HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE AUSTIN CITY JURISDICTION.
THIS TREND IS DEEPLY DISTURBING BECAUSE IT UNDERMINES CITY'S ABILITY TO ENFORCE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, PROTECT SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS, AND ACHIEVE ITS LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS.
WHEN PROPERTIES LEAVE THE CITY'S ETJ BUT SEEK STILL SEEK ACCESS TO THE CITY SERVICES, IT PLACES AN UNFAIR BURDEN ON AUSTIN TAXPAYERS WHO ARE LEFT SUBSIDIZING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT FACILITATES ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN I SAY ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL, I WANNA BE CAREFUL AND SAY, UH, ALL DEVELOPMENT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL.
BUT, UM, WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT EXCEEDS THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION SET BY SCIENCE, IT'S EXCEPTIONALLY ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THE CITY WATER, WATER, AND WASTEWATER SERVICES TO ENABLE A PROJECT THAT WOULDN'T PAVE OVER 59% OF THE SITE.
WITH IMPERVIOUS COVER APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES THE 20% LIMIT THAT WOULD'VE APPLIED TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
UM, FOR THIS AREA, UM, THIS LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT FAR EXCEEDS THE REQUIREMENT TO PRESERVE 40% NATURAL AREA.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PRESERVING RECHARGE AND FOR PRESERVING THE WATER QUALITY.
AGAIN, THIS SITE IS UPSTREAM OF, UH, THE JOLLY OIL PLATEAU, SAL SALAMA HABITAT, A SPECIES THAT'S ALREADY IN DECLINE DUE TO RAPID URBANIZATION OF THIS VERY AREA.
THE APPLICANT, AGAIN, HAS A CLEAR PATH TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT THAT COMPLIES WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE LIMITS OF IMPERVIOUS COVER PROTECTIONS FOR NATURAL AREAS, UM, AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
THIS WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLE PATH FORWARD.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE SETTING A BETTER PRECEDENT FOR HOW WE DEAL WITH THESE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE LEFT THE ETJ.
WE SHOULDN'T BE REWARDING THEM BY GIVING THEM WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES AFTER THEY'VE REMOVED THEMSELVES FROM THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
UM, WE URGE YOU TO HOLD THE LINE, PROTECT THE EDWARD AQUIFER, PROTECT THE JELLY SALAMANDER, AND, UM, UPHOLD THE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HOW DO Y'ALL MY NAME IS ROY WHALEY.
I'M THE CONSERVATION CHAIR FOR THE AUSTIN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB.
AND I LOVE IT WHEN WE AGREE WITH STAFF, WHICH IS FREQUENT BY THE WAY, AND SAD WHEN WE DON'T.
O ONE THING BOBBY SAID THAT I WAS REALLY THINKING ABOUT IS IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, INSTEAD OF SPENDING ALL THE MONEY TO, TO WORK THIS ANGLE, SPEND THE MONEY TO GET RE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEN FOLLOW THE RULES AND IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PROPERTIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE OUR SERVICES, UH, AND YOU CAN HAVE THEM TOO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE STAFF.
UM, AND WHEN I LOOK AT THESE SCRS, IT'S NOT JUST THIS ONE, IT'S JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS CASE.
WE'VE GOT ALL SORTS OF PROJECTS ALL OVER THE AREA THAT ARE WARNING US TO EXTEND, UH, SERVICE TO THEM WHILE THEY DE ANNEX FROM US SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR RULES.
AND THERE'S ONE I'M THINKING OF IN PARTICULAR, AND I WON'T BRING UP THAT
[02:20:01]
SPECIFIC ONE AT THIS TIME, BUT SIERRA CLUB, UH, AGREES AND SUPPORT STAFF ON THIS AND OUR FRIENDS AT SOS AND, UH, EVEN THOUGH MY BROTHER RICHARD IS, UH, ALWAYS GOT A SMILE ON HIS FACE, THAT JUST KIND OF MAKES ME NERVOUS.UM, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN AND UM, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH COMMISSIONER FARMER BECAUSE YOU LOOK SO RELAXED OVER THERE.
AND, UH, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT IF THEY'RE VOTED THEMSELVES OFF THE ISLAND, THEN THEY DON'T GET GET BACK ON THE ISLAND.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, I SEEMS TO BE, IF THEY WANT TO BE ON THE ISLAND, THEN THEY NEED TO APPLY TO GET BACK ON THE ISLAND.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY THAT IT WORKS.
IF THEY WANT TO BE, THEY WANT THE BENEFITS OF THE CITY, THEY NEED TO BE IN THE CITY.
UH, SO ALL THE, ALL THE VOTES THAT I'VE TAKEN WITH REGARD TO SER REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THE FOLKS ARE IN THE CITY OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I CAN'T SEE SUPPORTING THIS.
UM, I FIRST HAVE A QUESTION MORE FOR KAYLA.
UM, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN AROUND WHETHER THE PROPERTY IS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR NOT.
YOU SAID ONE OF THE OTHER CONDITIONS FOR SCRS IS THE DRINKING WATER AREA.
COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT AND WHAT THE ISSUE WITH THAT, WITH THIS SITE IS? SURE.
SO THE COMMISSION IS ONLY TASKED WITH PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS OR, OR SCRS THAT ONLY GO TO COUNCIL IF THEY'RE WITHIN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
SO IT HAS TO MEET THOSE TWO CRITERIA BOTH.
AND, AND THEN WE HAVE THIS ADDED LAYER OF THE SENATE BILL 2038.
NOW THAT IT'S OUT OF AUSTIN'S ETJ AUSTIN WATER, WE'RE STILL BRINGING IT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THROUGH TO COUNCIL.
AND UM, HOWEVER, WE NOW ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE LENS THAT WE'RE UNABLE TO, WE WON'T BE REVIEWING IT AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO APPLY OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS FOR THE APPLICANT
UM, SO RICHARD, YOU SAID THAT IT'S 50% AFFORDABLE UNITS ON THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND THERE'S 300 UNITS MM-HMM
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE WOULD BE PRICED AT? ABOUT 30%.
MFI, INTERESTING THING JUST TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE BEFORE YOU.
THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE IS ACTUALLY WITHIN THE PLANNING JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE PLANNING JURISDICTION IS DEFINED AS THE ETJ.
WE'RE OUT OF THE ETJ, SO THERE'S A GLITCH IN THE CODE.
WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE, BUT IT'S NOT WORTH ARGUING ABOUT.
AND CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHY Y'ALL CHOSE THIS AREA IN THIS SITE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PARTICULAR? IS THERE A NEED FOR THAT IN THIS AREA? IN THIS AREA OF, OF TOWN? THEY, THEY GET LESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN IN OTHER AREAS.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S THAT, UM, SITES THAT WILL ACTUALLY WORK ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
CWS IS VERY GOOD AT SEARCHING OUT SITES THAT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HAIR ON THEM AND THEY TRY TO GIVE A HAIRCUT AND, AND THEN MAKE IT WORK FOR THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, FRANKLY, RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE ONLY THING YOU CAN GET FINANCED IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
IF YOU WANNA START ANYTIME SOON NOW, THAT'LL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THIS SITE THAT MAKES IT A GOOD, YOU KNOW, A CANDIDATE FOR THIS KIND OF PROJECT? THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA.
IT'S, IT WOULD, IT WOULD LEASE UP PRETTY QUICK.
[02:25:01]
OKAY.THANK YOU, UH, UH, FOR THE APPLICANT AGAIN.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, UM, WHAT KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, UH, 30% AT 80% MFI AND 20% AT 60.
SO THAT WOULD, 50% OF IT WOULD BE INCOME RESTRICTED TO 60 AND 80% MUL, MEDIUM FAMILY INCOMES.
I MEAN, WHAT SIZES, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HOUSES? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT APARTMENTS? NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S APARTMENTS.
AND THEY'RE, SO YOU, YOU'D HAVE, OUT OF THE 300 UNITS THAT YOU COULD GET OUT HERE, 150 OF 'EM WOULD BE INCOME RESTRICTED.
150 OF 'EM WOULD BE MARKET RATE.
AND OF THESE 150, WE TALKING ABOUT ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS, TWO BEDROOM, A MIX, THREE BEDROOM.
WHAT'D I DO? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
WE GOT SOME THREE BEDROOMS HERE.
WE HAVE 12, THREE BEDROOM, UH, 12 THREE BEDROOMS. YEAH.
IF YOU WANNA COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
WE HAVE, UH, REPRESENTING THE OWNER, UH, OR SORRY, LET ME CORRECT MYSELF.
THE PROSPECTIVE OWNER, UH, DEVELOPER CWS, THERE ARE 181 BEDROOMS, 108 TWO BEDROOMS AND 12 THREE BEDROOMS CURRENTLY PLANNED WITH, WITH THE CONCEPT PLAN THAT WATERSHED HAS RECEIVED THROUGH THE SCR PROCESS.
UM, IT, CONSIDERING IN IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, THERE'S ALMOST NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, I THINK THAT I'M AWARE OF OR VERY LITTLE.
MOST OF IT LANDS ON THE EAST SIDE WHERE I LIVE.
UM, I'M KIND OF SURPRISED ACTUALLY THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, BUT, UH, I COMMEND YOU FOR, FOR THE EFFORT.
UM, AND, UH, THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS APPEALING TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I FEEL LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN THE, THE WHIPPING BOY OF THE STATE.
WHENEVER WE WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF OUR CITY, THE THE STATE COMES ALONG AND CHANGES THE RULES FOR US.
AND, AND SO, UH, I THINK EVERYONE HERE FEELS A LITTLE, UM, UH, SKITTISH ABOUT, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, A PROJECT THAT HAS, UH, DONE THAT.
AND MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY THE APPLICANT GOING BACK AND, UH, RETURNING TO THE ETJ? IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A GOOD FIT FOR THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGS THAT WOULD APPLY WOULD LIMIT IT TO YOU COULDN'T DO THIS PROJECT
DID, DID JOHN WANTED TO SAY, JOHN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT I, WHEN I CLICKED, I THINK I STOLE THE MIC FROM YOU.
IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK, YOU GOTTA CLICK BACK.
I'LL, UH, I'LL BOUNCE OFF NOW.
YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM ME ANYMORE.
I'M JUST GONNA STAND HERE 'CAUSE I'M WEARING OUT WALKING BACK AND FORTH.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
WE'RE, UM, WE ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION.
UM, IT IS A, A PROJECT THAT HAS CAUGHT THE EYE OF, OF, UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
THEY, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED WITH THIS FOR, FOR THAT REASON.
UM, THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
UM, THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE IN 7 8 7 2 6 PARTICULARLY IS $740,000 AS OF APRIL, 2025 ZILLOW ESTIMATES.
SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I, I SAW ON THE, UH, HOMES AND RENTALS.COM, THE AVERAGE THREE BEDROOM IS, UM, 30.
THE AVERAGE RENT FOR A THREE BEDROOM HOME IS $3,300.
SO FOR SOMEONE, UM, LOOKING FOR A LOWER CHECK MONTHLY CHECK, RIGHT? UM, THIS CREATES A SUBSTANTIAL BARRIER TO ENTRY.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW WHERE, UM, THE PRICE OF, OF OWNING AND OWNING A HOME AND RENTING A HOME, UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S A LOT, LOT CHEAPER TO RENT AN APARTMENT.
SO WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO, UM, LIVE MORE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, NORTHWEST AUSTIN, BUT WE'LL CALL IT CENTRAL IN THE GRAND
[02:30:01]
SCHEME OF THINGS IN THE METRO.UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KILL THE ABILITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, IF WE REENACT, AND I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IF WE, IF WE DID RE ANNEX IN THE ETJ AND FOLLOWED THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, WE NOW HAVE NO, AND YOU SAW THE PRESENTATION FROM WATERSHED, THERE ARE NO OPTIONS FOR, FOR WASTEWATER SERVICE IF, IF WE DO THAT.
UM, AND SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A CHOICE BETWEEN A NON-EXISTENT PROJECT OR A VERY LOW DENSITY PROJECT AND THOSE, THOSE UNITS HAVING TO GO ELSEWHERE, UM, POTENTIALLY FARTHER OUT.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU PUSH PEOPLE FARTHER OUT, UM, YOU SPEND MORE TIME IN THE CAR, UM, YOU SPEND LONGER TIMES IN THE CAR, AND THERE'S ALSO MORE THAT CREATES MORE EMISSIONS.
SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A CATCH 22.
UM, WHICH, WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE? UM, THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR, OR PUSH PEOPLE OUT FARTHER, UM, FROM, AND, AND DON'T GIVE ACCESS TO, UH, A GREAT AREA WITH, WITH REALLY GOOD SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HIGHLY ACCLAIMED, HIGHLY REGARDED LAND OR ISD SCHOOLS, UM, IN GRAND VIEW, HILLS ELEMENTARY, FOUR POINTS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND VAN DE GRIFT HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, THAT'S, SORRY FOR MY RANT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'LL, I'LL SAY COMMISSIONER FLORY.
UH, SO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE A PROPERTY A COUPLE PARCELS TO THE NORTH.
UM, THE WOODLANDS IS A RECENT, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT WENT IN AND SO THEY'RE WITHIN THE ETJ.
THEY'RE BUILDING IT, THEY'RE FIGURING OUT HOW TO WORK WITHIN CITY CONSTRAINTS.
UM, MAYBE YOU COULD SPEAK TO, UH, WHY THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT AND NOT Y'ALL.
UM, THEY HAVE A ONE, THEY HAVE A LARGER SITE, AND TWO, THEY HAVE, UM, MUCH LESS UNITS PROPOSED.
UM, SO I THINK THE ABILITY FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE LARGER SITE AND THE, THE TYPE OF PRODUCT THAT THEY BUILT, UM, PUTS THEM ON A MUCH MORE CONDENSED FOOTPRINT AND IT LIMITS THEIR, UM, THE ABILITY TO GENERATE OR TO BUILD A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNITS.
UM, THAT'S A SPECIFIC NUMBER, BUT IT'S STICKING IN MY HEAD SOMEHOW.
BUT, UM, UM, IF WE ONLY DEVELOPED, SAY, A HUNDRED OR 150 UNITS, IT, IT, IT, THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO OBTAIN, YOU KNOW, WASTE TO SERVICE THE PROPERTY FROM A WASTEWATER AND WATER STANDPOINT.
IT WOULDN'T BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
AND I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS, IF YOU DON'T GET THE SER UM, EXTENSION, THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO DO THE T LAP OR THAT IS NOT, THERE IS NO OTHER VIABLE ALTERNATIVE.
THE OTHER KAYLA CHAMPLIN WATERSHED PROTECTION, THE, THE TWO THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT COULD BE VIABLE WOULD HAVE TO SCALE DOWN THE DEVELOPMENT VERY SIGNIFICANTLY WITHOUT A VARIANCE FROM THE, SEEMS LIKE THE SITE IS TELLING Y'ALL TO SCALE IT DOWN
UM, AS FAR AS JUST 'CAUSE THE SITE'S SMALLER AND THEY HAVE A, A, A LARGER SITE, IT SEEMS LIKE, WELL, OF COURSE YOU CAN BUILD BIGGER, YOU GOTTA, A SMALLER SITE SHOULD BUILD SMALLER, UM, DID I SAY SMALLER SITE FOR THE OTHER THAT, THAT THEY HAVE A LARGER SITE SO THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK AND MEET THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, REGULATIONS.
AND JUST BECAUSE THIS SITE IS SMALLER, THEREFORE, UM, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPLY WE DON'T NEED TO FOLLOW THE SAME REGULATIONS 'CAUSE THE SITE'S SMALLER, WE NEED TO BUILD UP THE, THE SAME SIZE, SO WE NEED MORE IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE.
I JUST DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW THE, WE'RE SMALLER, THEY'RE LARGER.
SO NO, AND, AND I TRY TO AVOID GETTING INTO THE WEEDS OF EVERYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, JUST KIND OF WHERE THE, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MARKET ARE RIGHT NOW, WHERE RENTS ARE, WHERE, WHERE INTEREST RATES ARE, AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT TIME.
IF YOU GO LOOK AT, AND I'M NOT GONNA TRY AND SPEAK TO YOU EXACTLY WHEN THIS, THIS PROJECT WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH PERMITTING PROCESS AND GETTING ITS FUNDING, BUT IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD.
I KNOW, I KNOW EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HEADWINDS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND, AND, OR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AWARE OF THEM.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, OF DIFFICULTIES, UH, RIGHT NOW THAT ARE
[02:35:01]
BARRIERS TO ENTRY TO, TO START A NEW, GET A NEW PROJECT STARTED.AND, UH, I I THINK ANOTHER POINT WOULD'VE BEEN THAT THEY, THEY STARTED, UH, THEIR PROJECT IN A, IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
SO IN THEORY COULD, AND THIS, UH, I THINK MIGHT BE FOR THE CITY, COULD, UM, SOME OF THOSE OTHER PROPERTIES ALONG SIX 20 JOIN THEM AND LEAVE THE ETJ NOW THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE CITY SERVICES.
IS THAT, I THINK SOMEONE ALLUDED TO A PHENOMENON OF SITES WILL BUILD THEMSELVES OUT AND THEN LEAVE THE ETJ BUT HAVE THE SERVICES.
AND I THINK 5,000 ACRES WAS MENTIONED.
HOW MANY PROPERTIES HAVE LEFT SINCE THAT SENATE BILL WAS PASSED? I, YEAH, I BELIEVE BOBBY, THAT NUMBER IS PROBABLY RIGHT.
WE HAD A, UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THE CITY HAS A MAP OF THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO SEE? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT YEAH, WE INTERNALLY HAVE A MAP AND I BELIEVE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR OWN INTERNAL MAP AS WELL.
YOU CAN LOOK IT UP ON THE WEBSITE.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S GOT A STRANGE, I THINK IT'S CALLED PROHIBITED LAND.
IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THERE'S ON PROPERTY PROFILE, UM, NOT TO, UH, SPEAK OVER YOU CALEB, BUT PROPERTY PROFILE SHOWS, THERE'S A LAYER THAT SHOWS THE PLANNING JURISDICTIONS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND YOU CAN GO ON THERE AND I THINK IT'S, UM, I, I'VE GOT A BOOKMARKED, SO I HAVEN'T TYPED IN THE ACTUAL WEB ADDRESS IN A WHILE, BUT, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE THE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
THE, UH, THE PROPERTY PROFILE VIEWER SHOWS THEM, IF ANY JURISDICTION LAYER, UM, AS SB 2038 ETJ RELEASE.
UM, THAT VIEWER WOULDN'T ALLOW YOU TO QUANTIFY THE NUMBER OF TRACKS.
YOU WOULD NEED A DIFFERENT VIEWER FOR THAT.
BUT YEAH, YOU CAN GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHICH TRACKS HAVE BEEN REMOVED, REMOVED FROM, UH, FROM THAT VIEWER.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, APPRECIATE THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COMING OUT AND SPEAKING.
MY MAN, ROY WHALEY GOT ON THE AUSTIN OF C SHIRT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE GETTING HAMMERED RIGHT NOW, TWO TO ZERO BY EL PASO, WHICH IS NOT EVEN AN MOSD.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO SHOUT OUT TO THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR CONSTANTLY BEING A BOOGEYMAN TO, UH, THE CITIES, UH, THE, ESPECIALLY THE POPULOUS CITIES.
ONE MORE CHANCE THEY GET TO STICK IT TO THE SLIMY CITY SLICKERS, RIGHT,
UM, YEAH, AS FAR AS THIS PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY A BALANCING ACT, RIGHT? ON ONE HAND YOU HAVE SORT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU HAVE THE CONCERNS OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN, UH, YOU KNOW, NORTHWEST, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH GENERALLY HAS VERY LITTLE, IF NOT NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE APPLICANT POINTED OUT, ALSO VERY GOOD SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSIT IN THE AREA.
UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, THERE IS, THERE'S A, UM, A PAIR OF BUS STOPS ON ANDERSON MILL ROAD ACROSS FROM SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ELEMENTARY, UH, ABOUT TWO AND A QUARTER MILES AWAY.
IT'S ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE AND A 10 MINUTE BIKE RIDE.
UM, THAT WILL TAKE YOU ULTIMATELY TO THROUGH LAKE CREEK PARKWAY AND, AND OVER TO THE, UH, THE LAKELINE STATION, UM, TO WHERE YOU CAN HOP ON THE, THE RED LINE AND, AND YOU GET CONNECTED TO THE DOMAIN AND DOWNTOWN AND, AND ANYWHERE, UM, THAT, THAT LEAVES YOU.
I WOULD ALSO JUST ADD THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT HAS, AS WE'VE MENTIONED, HAS VERY LITTLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND VERY LITTLE DENSE DEVELOPMENT.
SO HISTORICALLY HAS NOT BEEN PRIORITIZED BY CAP METRO FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.
BUT IF THERE'S CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA, UM, FOR FOLKS THAT NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT, IT'S LIKELY THAT THOSE SERVICES WOULD BE EXTENDED THERE.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
UM, COMMISSIONER CHANG SUNG, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
SECRETARY FER? UM, NO QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY A SORT OF A PRECEDENT CONVERSATION THAT IS BIGGER FOR THIS GROUP THAT SORT OF CONSIDER, 'CAUSE I THINK MORE OF THESE ARE GONNA START COMING TOWARDS US.
UM, BUT KIND OF TO A QUESTION THAT THE APPLICANT SEEMED TO POSE.
I DO THINK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A RIGHT TO CONDITION ACCESS TO ITS UTILITIES.
UM, I MEAN, BASED ON PROTECTING ITS RE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY AND SENSITIVE RECHARGE ZONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT'S REGIONAL.
UM, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE PROVIDING TAXPAYER SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE TO A PROJECT, BUT AS OPTED OUT OF OUR REGULATORY,
[02:40:01]
UH, CONFINES ESPECIALLY.I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GUIDING, UM, RESPONSIBLE GROWTH IN THIS AREA.
UM, AND, AND I JUST HOPE WE'RE CONSIDERING THE PRESENT OF THIS SETTING.
I DO, IF I MAY TO, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, HOLD ON.
UM, TO CLARIFY THE, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE SITE IS, IS NOT TAXPAYER FUNDED.
IT WOULD BE SOLELY FUNDED BY THE DEVELOPER.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND I'M GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER KRUEGER 'CAUSE OKAY.
THANK, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
JUST A COMMENT ON TOP OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID IN THAT I DO THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THIS CASE BECAUSE IT IS PRECEDENT SETTING AND WE'VE SEEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE COME AFTER AND PREEMPT LOCAL CONTROL, NOT JUST ON THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ON HEALTHCARE, ON CIVIL RIGHTS, ON, ON, YOU NAME IT.
UM, AND THIS IS ONE OF OUR ONLY MECHANISMS FOR REPROACH FOR THAT.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE IF WE DON'T, IF WE KEEP ALLOWING FOLKS TO BENEFIT FROM CITY SERVICES, UM, WHILE, UH, YOU KNOW, LEAVING THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHAT, WHAT DISINCENTIVE OR WHAT, WHAT INCENTIVE IS THERE FOR FOLKS TO STAY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IF THEY'RE GETTING ALL OF THE BENEFITS, UM, WITHOUT ANY OF THE REPERCUSSIONS FROM LEAVING THE CITY.
SO THIS IS NOT A COMMENTARY ON YOUR PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, WHAT YOU'RE WANTING TO DO.
I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND HOW THESE CAN END UP BEING DOMINO'S FALLING THAT SEND A MESSAGE TO DEVELOPERS AND FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE THAT THEY CAN MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS AND NOT HAVE REPERCUSSIONS.
AND SO OUR AUTHORITY HERE TONIGHT IS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT AGAIN, I SEE THIS AS PART OF A LARGER PICTURE, UM, THAT WE'RE SEEING CERTAINLY IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH A NUMBER OF BILLS, UM, ATTACKING LOCAL CONTROL.
SO I, I'M SEEING IT IN THIS, IN THAT CONTEXT.
UM, COMMISSIONER BRIER, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND THEN I'LL JUMP IN.
I GUESS ECHOING, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER'S COMMENT, THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS HERE.
IT'S ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
AND THIS IS BEING BUILT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA, AND IT'S RUNNING ROUGH SHOT OVER THE CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS.
AND IF THIS WERE PART OF THE CITY, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN, COULD HAVE BEEN A WAY TO NEGOTIATE A WORKABLE SOLUTION THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED SOMETHING TO BE DONE, BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNERS ELECTED TO MOVE OUT OF THE ETJ.
SO NOW WE'RE LEFT WITH A BINARY DECISION.
OKAY? SO THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE A BINARY DECISION.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, OKAY? BUT IT'S ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND AS COMMISSIONER KRUEGER MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, OUR HANDS ARE INCREASINGLY TIED BY THE STATE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION OTHER THAN THIS, TO MANAGE GROWTH IN AN EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER OTHER THAN TOOLS LIKE THIS.
WE ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO EXTEND CITY SERVICES BEYOND THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOUR DEVELOPMENT WILL PAY FOR THE CONNECTIONS TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT.
HOWEVER, ONGOING MAINTENANCE WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TAX PAYERS OF AUSTIN, NOT YOUR DEVELOPMENT UPGRADES TO THE PUMPING STATIONS, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THE WATER SYSTEM, THE CONTRACT FOR THE WATER WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN, NOT YOUR FOLKS.
SO THE ULTIMATE BURDEN FOR THIS UPGRADE WILL BE ON THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN, NOT YOUR DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHILE THE INITIAL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE BURDENED BY YOUR DEVELOPMENT, THE LONG-TERM HISTORIC BURDEN COST-WISE WILL BE ON THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN, WHICH YOU ARE NOT PART OF.
SO PART OF OUR DECISION IS DO WE WANT TO BURDEN THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN WITH A DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS CHOSEN TO EXTRADITE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE CITY'S JURISDICTION? AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DECISION WE HAVE TO MAKE.
TRAVIS COUNTY HAS REGULATIONS THAT YOU MAY ADHERE TO AND BUILD YOUR DEVELOPMENT THE WAY THAT YOU FEEL IS PROPER UNDER THOSE REGULATIONS.
NO ONE'S PREVENTING YOU FROM DOING THAT.
[02:45:01]
WE DO NOT HAVE TO EXTEND CITY SERVICES TO A DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS VOLUNTARILY DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CITY'S JURISDICTION.AND THAT'S SIMPLY THE WAY THAT IT IS.
SO, ONE CLARIFICATION, I JUST WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT WE, WE DID NOT VOLUNTARILY I UNDERSTAND THE JURISDICTION.
YOU CAN ALSO VOLUNTEER TO COME IN AND SAY, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE WANT TO BE ANNEXED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE WILL OBEY THE LAWS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND EVERY OTHER REGULATION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER PATH TO BE EXAMINED IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
AND SO THAT'S A DECISION YOU MAKE.
AND IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT FINANCING, GO AHEAD.
RENTS IN THIS TOWN HAVE GONE DOWN EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
SO YEAH, LET'S GET INTO THE WEEDS.
NO DESIRE TO, TO ARGUE WITH YOU.
UM, WELL, I KNOW, BUT NO, I, I, I RESPECT YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
SO, SO, UM, ANYWAY, I'M, I'M FINISHED.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BRIER.
UM, YEAH, SO I MEAN THIS, THIS WHOLE PROBLEM, I, I, I LIKE HOW COMMISSIONER, UH, FLORY PUT IT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE LAND'S KIND OF TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.
UM, AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SALAMANDER, UM, IT BEING, UH, WITHIN THE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PROXIMITY OF THE SALAMANDER.
THIS IS ALSO RIGHT ON THE DOORSTEP OF THE BCC PROPERTIES AND, UM, THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT, AS WELL AS SIX OTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES, UM, THAT ARE ALL RIGHT THERE.
I MEAN, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN, UH, PROBABLY HALF A MILE OF YOUR PROPERTY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONCERN, UM, AS WELL.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE, UM, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TWO AND A HALF MILES AWAY.
UM, THERE'S NOT, UH, A SIDEWALK ALONG SIX 20, SO THAT'S DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEONE TO GET TO AS THEY WALK DOWN SIX 20.
I MEAN, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CHILDREN AND YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK DOWN THERE, THAT'S PROBLEMATIC.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, AND THEN, BUT I ALSO WANNA ASK YOU, AND YOU DO HAVE TO ANSWER THIS, UM, THE TERMS OF THE LEASE FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LIKE HOW LONG WILL YOU MANAGE IT AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN WHEN DOES IT BECOME FULL PRICE? IT WOULD BE A 75 YEAR, UM, RENT RESTRICTION LEASE WITH, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, AFFILIATE OF THEIRS, 75 YEARS.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE ECONOMY AND WHAT'S FACING RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE ALSO FACING MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFICULTIES.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS BEING CHALLENGED THAT CAN POSSIBLY BE CHALLENGED.
AND SO YES, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, ON THESE THINGS.
I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH, UM, WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEAVING THE ETJ, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL DIDN'T DO THAT, BUT THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNER DID.
AND SO WHY CONSIDER THIS PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT GO FIND ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY IN, UM, A PLACE THAT CAN MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS? UM, HAVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ME ON SIX 20, UM, ONE OF THE HIGHEST, YOU KNOW, ZIP CODES IN THE COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT THOSE KIDS AND I THINK ABOUT, WELL, IF THEY'RE LOW INCOME KIDS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH A KID THAT HAS AN 800,000 OR A $1.5 MILLION HOUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE, UM, DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A GREAT, UH, MIX RIGHT THERE FOR ME.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE, WE, YES, WE NEED IT IN THAT AREA IN SOME WAYS.
UM, BUT THIS PROPERTY JUST DOES NOT FEEL LIKE THE GREAT PLACE IF YOU'RE GONNA BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT SHOULD BE NEAR SCHOOLS, IT SHOULD BE ON TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT I KIND OF SURPRISED THAT THE COUNTY HASN'T ASKED YOU FOR.
UM, AND THOSE ARE USUALLY THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, I JUST, I JUST WANNA RESPOND TO, TO ONE THING ABOUT THE, THE INTERMIXING OF, OF DIFFERENT AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
I, I RESPECT YOUR, WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
I MEAN, I GREW UP IN A SMALLER TOWN IN NORTHEAST TEXAS AND WENT TO A HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAD A VERY WIDE DEMOGRAPHIC.
[02:50:01]
REALLY, REALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, HELPED MOLD MY CHARACTER.UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WENT TO THAT SCHOOL, AND I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A POSITIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT INTRODUCING A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC TO THIS AREA WOULD, WOULD ALSO BE A, A NET POSITIVE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY STINT ON THAT.
BUT, UM, CHAIR FOR THOUGHT, YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T WANNA STEER TOO FAR.
I DON'T WANNA DIVE SUPER DEEP INTO THE, THE AFFORDABILITY.
UM, WHERE WE STAND FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT, UM, Y'ALL'S PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND, UM, I, IF THERE'S ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED QUESTION, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER IT.
WE ARE PROVIDING A WATER, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT WE'RE PROVIDING A, A STACKED WATER QUALITY AND DETENTION POND.
UM, SO WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, INFILTRATION FOR OUR STORM WATER RUNOFF.
UM, AND WE ARE DETAINING TO CONTROL THE OUTFLOW OF THE, OF THE, UH, STORM WATER FLOWS TO MAINTAIN EXISTING LEVELS AS REQUIRED BY THE HIGHLAND LAKES WATERSHED ORDINANCE, UM, THAT WE NEED TO COMPLY WITH.
SO, UM, THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, WE'RE PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS ADDITIONAL PARKING, WHILE WE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A FIRE LANE AROUND THE BUILDINGS, AND IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE PARKING WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO EXTEND THE, THE FIRE LANE.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE AN EFFICIENT USE OF, OF, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER IN OUR MINDS.
UM, BUT WE, WE, WE DO, AND ME, ME PERSONALLY, NOT TO MAKE ANYTHING PERSONAL, BUT I AM A, A, A STEWARD OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN, UM, IS, IS BEING OUTDOORS AND, AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR AMENITIES THAT IT, THAT IT PROVIDES.
AND I, UM, APPRECIATE Y'ALL SPENDING YOUR TIME HERE TO, UM, HELP MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, SO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I, I WANNA LOOK AT THIS, UM, MAP AGAIN HERE, THE DRAWING, THE RENDERING OF, OF YOUR PROJECT.
UM, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE PARKING AREA AND THE PREVIOUS COVER, WHICH OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, GOES, GOES OUT WAY OUTSIDE OF OUR, WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY RECOMMEND, BUT IT HAS A LOT OF PARKING MM-HMM
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT, THAT NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALSO NEED TO HAVE A CAR.
AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT IN, IN THE CITY, AGAIN, FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN A CLUSTERED WAY, THEN HOW ARE WE ALSO THEN REDUCING THEIR NEED TO HAVE A CAR? AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH AGAIN, THEN, YOU KNOW, FALLS INTO THE AIR QUALITY AND YOU KNOW, ALL THE, ALL OF THOSE PARTS OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS, THERE'S JUST NOT, UM, THE ACCESSIBILITY PIECE OF THIS WHERE THEY COULD GET TO AND FROM, YOU KNOW, JOBS AND, AND OTHER PARTS.
UH, AND AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE OF LOOKING AT YOUR DRAWING, YOU'RE SUGGESTING LIKE, YES, YOU DEFINITELY NEED A CAR TO LIVE OUT HERE.
UM, IS KIND OF, KIND OF WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT SURFACE PARKING, YOU KNOW, IS A GOOD USE OF THAT SPACE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ENVIRONMENTALLY, UH, WITH HAVING 59% IMPERVIOUS COVER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST NOT REALLY GREAT USE OF THE SPACE.
AND, AND GRANTED, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR TO YOU PROBABLY, UH, HAVE A PRETTY BIG IMPERVIOUS COVER THERE TOO, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE KIND OF AN OLDER PROJECT OVER THERE.
ANYWAY, I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT THAT, UM, NO, I, I WOULD, WOULD DISAGREE THAT THAT IS NOT A GOOD USE OF IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THAT'S, I RESPECT YOUR OPINION.
I, I DO WANNA MAKE ONE OTHER POINT.
THE, UH, EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVER ON SITE, UM, AS WE'VE CALCULATED IT CURRENTLY EXCEEDS, UM, THE, WHAT IS REQUIRED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AN UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY, BUT BEFORE, UM, IT, IT WAS THIS A NX THAT IT TECHNICALLY WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, NON-COMPLIANT FROM THE GET GO.
SO WE, WE ARE ONLY, UM, YOU KNOW, MARGINALLY INCREASING IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM WHAT WE CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 30% EXISTING.
UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT.
AND KAYLA, CAN YOU REMIND US OF WHAT THE ACTUAL, IF THEY WERE PART OF THE ETJ, WHAT THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE? I CAN ANSWER THAT.
LIZ JOHNSTON ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, UM, WATERSHED.
UM, SO CURRENT CODE WOULD REQUIRE THIS TO BE 20%,
[02:55:01]
UM, NET SIDE AREA.UM, IF THERE IS LEGALLY PERMITTED IMPERVIOUS COVER, THERE'S THE OPTION FOR A REDEVELOPMENT EXCEPTION AS WELL.
SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT AMOUNT, UM, AND PAY INTO EITHER PROVIDE LAND OR PAY INTO A MITIGATION FEE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THAT WOULD BE AN, AN OPTION AS WELL.
UH, REAL QUICK, I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION
UM, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO INTO THE WEEDS AND I THINK WE'RE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
UM, I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING AND TRANSIT SITUATION, I WORK IN TRANSIT FOR MY DAY JOB.
UM, AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH CAB METRO AND JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS LIKE CHICKEN OR THE EGG SITUATION THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN HERE WHERE, UM, FOLKS AREN'T INCENTIVIZED TO, TO LIVE OUT HERE WITHOUT A CAR BECAUSE IT'S CURRENTLY PRETTY UNFEASIBLE AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES.
UM, BUT THE MORE PEOPLE LIVE OUT THERE, THE MORE TRANSIT WE WILL HAVE, OPTIONS WE WILL HAVE OUT THERE.
SO TRANSIT IS ALWAYS KIND OF A CATCH 22 BECAUSE WE, AND THEN I FEEL A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING TO FEEL LIKE, ON THE ONE HAND WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, UH, PUSHING BACK ON THE APPLICANT FOR, FOR BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHERE THERE'S NO TRANSIT, BUT THEN, BUT THEN ALSO PUSHING BACK ON THEM FOR HAVING PARKING SPACES.
SO IF WE'RE UPSET AT THEM FOR BUILDING WHERE THERE'S NO TRANSIT, THEN THEY THEN CREATE PARKING SPACES SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE A CAR.
AND SO I JUST SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIS LIKE, THERE, IT'S THIS DIFFICULT DECISION AND I THINK I AM NOT A FAN OF IMPERVIOUS COVER WHERE IT'S NOT NEEDED.
I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO LISTEN TO.
I DON'T WANNA SEE PAVED PARKING LOTS IN LAKE TRAVIS.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION THAT WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN INTO HERE.
AND THEN JUST AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN THE WESTLAKE LAKE TRAVIS AREA AND WENT TO SCHOOL WITH KIDS THAT WERE PREDOMINANTLY ALL THE SAME, UH, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AS MYSELF, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE AND BECOMING A TEACHER IN AUSTIN, ISD, WHERE I TAUGHT STUDENTS OF MANY VARIED MIXED INCOME LEVELS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD JUDGES KIDS NEXT TO KIDS WHO WERE LIVING IN SHELTERS.
UM, IT WAS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE FOR THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCES ON BOTH SIDES OF, OF THE EQUATION.
BUT DON'T WANNA GET TOO DEEP INTO THAT ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY RELATED TO WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? SECRETARY FERDI? WE HAVE A MOTION? NO.
AND DO I NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YEAH.
LET'S FIRST CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING
ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I SEE, UM, BOTH COMMISSIONERS, UM, LINE OR RAISING THEIR HANDS.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION 20 25 0 5 0 0 7 DASH ZERO FIVE.
SUBJECT MACKLEMORE MCLA MOORE, I STILL DUNNO.
TRACT MULTIFAMILY WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST NUMBER 6 1 3 9 AND 6 1 4 0.
LOCATION 1 0 6 5 6 NORTH FM SIX 20 ROAD, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 2 6.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST, UH, LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
THE SITE OPTED TO REMOVE ITSELF FROM THE CITY'S AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN'S ETJ IN SEPTEMBER, 2024.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN LAKE TRAVIS WATERSHED, NORTH EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE SER, THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE SER REQUEST FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
ONE, THE PROPOSED 10 ACRE DEVELOPMENT WOULD PROPOSE APPROXIMATELY 59% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES PARKING THAT COVERS APPROXIMATELY 34% OF THE PROPERTY.
IF THE APPLICANT WERE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER WOULD BE LIMITED TO 20% OF THE NET SITE AREA TWO, THE SITE IS ALSO WITHIN THE NORTH EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE IS UPSTREAM OF THE KNOWN JOLLYVILLE OTTO SALAMANDER HABITAT THREE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE LIMITS CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15% PROPOSED PROJECT PLANS TO BUILD ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15%.
AND FOUR, THE SITE HAS SOIL THAT LIMITS USSF OR TLAP SYSTEMS.
[03:00:02]
I'LL SECOND GREAT.UH, DISCUSSION OR THEN WE YEAH.
DISCUSSION OR Y'ALL WANNA VOTE? LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UM, VOTE THEN AND, UM, WE'LL GO WITH COMMISSIONERS ONLINE FIRST.
SO WHEN WE SAY YES OR AGAINST, OR WAS YEAH, LEMME CLARIFY THAT REALLY QUICK.
SO, UM, THE MOTION IS TO DENY THE SER REQUEST.
I THOUGHT SO
THIS IS A DIFFICULT ONE FOR ME.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A BIG NEED FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THAT AREA.
UM, BUT I AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER BREMER'S COMMENTS ABOUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO RECEIVE CITY OF AUSTIN SERVICES, THEY SHOULD BE PAYING CITY OF AUSTIN TAXES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ON THE AGENDA IS TO DISCUSS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP? COMMISSIONER BRIMER.UH, I THINK WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE TO RESPOND TO THE EMAIL.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GLARING AN EVIL GLARE AT HANNAH FER.
WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS TOLD.
I WAS TOLD THAT YOU WERE DELINQUENT.
HAVE I FILLED IT? IS THIS ABOUT, UM, WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE THE NEXT MEETING? YES.
WELL, I'M GLARING APPARENTLY THE WRONG PERSON.
SO I WILL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE HEAT.
I'LL GLOAT DAGGER EYES AT YOU THEN.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, ALL THE PEOPLE WERE, WERE TRYING TO GET A MEETING DATE SET UP BEFORE, YOU KNOW, SO, AND, AND YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE ON THE FORESTRY.
WE HAVE ENOUGH ASSUMING THEY ALL DECIDE TO SHOW UP AND VOTE, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW UP, SO, YES.
MESSAGE STEVE
UM, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I KNOW WHERE YOU ALL LIVE.
UM, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UM, UPDATES FROM ANY OF THE COMMITTEES? NO.
WELL THEN, FOLKS AT NINE 12, WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.